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Tuesday 21 February 2006


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IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 303 29 October to 4 November 2005

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CONTENTS:

TANZANIA: Karume sworn in as Zanzibar's president
TANZANIA: Electoral body announces new polling date
KENYA: Four killed in clashes at referendum campaign
BURUNDI: Gov't vows to neutralise rebel group in 2 months
CAR: CEMAC troops deployed to mining town of Bria
CONGO-DRC: First batch of ex-Mobutu soldiers return home
DRC: Army frees four electoral agents, kills 34 militiamen
DRC-UGANDA: Hunt for LRA rebels intensifies, MONUC deploys troops to border
GREAT LAKES: UN Security Council team visits five countries

TANZANIA: Karume sworn in as Zanzibar's president

Zanzibari President Amani Abeid Karume was sworn in on Wednesday following his re-election in polls that were marred by violence and claims of fraud.

"I will implement my duty towards the people of Zanzibar without bias," Karume said during the ceremony aired live on national television.

On Tuesday, Zanzibar's Electoral Commission (NEC) declared Karume the winner of Sunday's election by 53.2 percent of the vote against 46.1 percent of his strongest rival, Seif Sharif Hamad of the Civic United Front (CUF).

However, CUF has claimed that according to its tally, Hamad won the election with 50.63 percent against Karume's 49.37 percent.

Full report

TANZANIA: Amani Abeid Karume winner of Zanzibar presidential poll
Full report

TANZANIA: Mixed signals from observers on conduct of Zanzibar poll
Full report

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TANZANIA: Electoral body announces new polling date

The Tanzanian National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced on Wednesday that general elections would be held on 14 December, four days earlier than had been planned.

"The date has been revised after NEC received various appeals requesting an early polling day," Lewis Makame, the NEC chairman, said in a statement.

Tanzanians were originally scheduled to go to the polls on 30 October to elect the country's new president, members of parliament and councillors but voting was postponed until 18 December following the death on 25 October of the Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo presidential running mate, Jumbe Rajab Jumbe, 65.

Full report

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KENYA: Four killed in clashes at referendum campaign

Four people were killed and dozens wounded in Kisumu, western Kenya, during weekend clashes between police and youths who were trying to stop a political rally in support of a new Kenyan constitution, police spokesman Jasper Ombati said on Monday.

The draft constitution currently being debated by Kenyans will be subjected to a national referendum on 21 November.

Tension had been building in Kisumu ahead of a rally on 29 October, with those campaigning against the draft constitution warning Information Minister Raphael Tuju, who supports the document, to refrain from holding a meeting in the town on the shores of Lake Victoria. The town is perceived to be a stronghold of Roads and Public Works Minister Raila Odinga, one of the main critics of the proposed new constitution.

Full report

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BURUNDI: Gov't vows to neutralise rebel group in 2 months

Government spokesman Ramadhan Karenga said on Monday measures would be taken to curb the activities of the country's remaining rebel group, the Forces nationales de liberation (FNL), now that the deadline has expired for them to start peace talks.

President Pierre Nkurunziza had on 5 October directed the FNL to begin peace talks with the government by 31 October or face "serious consequences".

Karenga, who is also the minister for communication, said the government would "empower its security forces, the defence forces and even the population, to curb the FNL activism".

Although this seemed to allude to the government's use of military power against the FNL, Karenga said the government was still willing to negotiate an end to the rebellion. He added that the rebellion was now a regional issue.

Full report

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CAR: CEMAC troops deployed to mining town of Bria

Troops of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (CEMAC) were deployed on Saturday to the Central African Republic's northeastern town of Bria to help combat banditry'; which has increased sharply across the country's provinces, CEMAC force commander Gen Auguste Bibaye said in Bangui.

The soldiers, whose exact number could not be immediately established, left Bangui on 28 October in a convoy. A senior national army official from the CAR, who requested not to be named, said that about 100 CEMAC troops had been deployed.

Bibaye said the deployment was in accordance with the force's new mandate decreed by CEMAC leaders in June at a meeting in Malabo, capital of the Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea. The force's mandate was extended by six months during this meeting.

Presently, CEMAC comprises troops from Chad, Gabon and the Congo. The force was to have included members of all CEMAC countries, but Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea declined to participate. CAR is the sixth CEMAC member.

Full report

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CONGO-DRC: First batch of ex-Mobutu soldiers return home

After a five-year exile, some 300 soldiers of the former Zairian army who had fled to the Republic of Congo (ROC) arrived on Tuesday in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Their families accompanied the men, bringing the total number of returnees to 557. The former soldiers left the country – which was known as Zaire - in 1997 after the late Laurent-Desire Kabila toppled President Mobutu Sese Seko. Kabila renamed the country the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DRC officials went to Brazzaville last week to organise the repatriation in collaboration with ROC representatives and the International Organization for Migration. The DRC officials said at least 900 soldiers had registered to repatriate voluntarily.

Full report

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DRC: Army frees four electoral agents, kills 34 militiamen

Government troops have freed four electoral officials held hostage in eastern village of Burondo, in the North Kivu Province of the DRC, UN and electoral officials said on Wednesday.

The military spokesman for the UN Mission in the DRC, Lt-Col Thierry Provendier, said the rescue raid was conducted on Monday; during which the army killed 34 Mayi-Mayi militiamen, the captors.

The president of the Independent Electoral Commission, Apolinnaire Malumalu, said the militiamen did not maltreat the hostages. They were seized and taken to a forest on 23 October when Mayi-Mayi fighters attacked an electoral registration centre in Burondo village.

Full report

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DRC-UGANDA: Hunt for LRA rebels intensifies, MONUC deploys troops to border

The hunt for Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in northeastern DRC intensified on Wednesday when the UN mission there, known as MONUC, deployed observers to the border with Sudan and announced that it would send 150 troops by the end of the week.

MONUC military spokesman Lt-Col Thierry Provendier told reporters on Wednesday in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, that the UN troops would be deployed to the village of Aba, near the Garamba National Park, in Orientale Province. Hundreds of LRA rebels crossed over from Sudan into the park in September.

"If there are LRA elements on Congolese territory, we will disarm them and repatriate them," he said.

Full report

DRC: British minister urges Congo to pay its soldiers
Full report

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GREAT LAKES: UN Security Council team visits five countries

Members of the UN Security Council are due to begin on Saturday a 10-day visit to Africa's Great Lakes region, that will take them to Burundi, the DRC, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

The delegation's first port of call would be Kinshasa, capital of the DRC, where, according to UN News, the team will emphasise to the parties contesting "the biggest and most expensive elections the UN has ever helped to organise" that they are expected to accept the results. Elections are due in the country in 2006.

Full report

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[ENDS]

Theme(s)	Other

Other recent CENTRAL & EASTERN AFRICA reports:

Regional ministerial meeting opens, 20/Feb/06

IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 318 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 317 4-10 February 2006, 10/Feb/06

IRIN-CEA Weekly Round-up 316 28 January - 3 February 2006, 3/Feb/06

Regional summit to be held after DRC polls, UN envoy says, 1/Feb/06

Other recent reports:

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Donors pledge support for humanitarian crisis, 21/Feb/06

ANGOLA: Ready to play larger security role in Africa, 21/Feb/06

CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap, 17/Feb/06

SOUTHERN AFRICA: IRIN-SA Weekly Round-up 270 for 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

WEST AFRICA: IRIN-WA Weekly Round-up 317 covering 11-17 February 2006, 17/Feb/06

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