UK says will act in Libya to protect civilians, Posted by Meosha Eaton

LONDON, April 11 (Reuters) - Britain said on Monday that any ceasefire in Libya must be genuine and that it would continue to take military action as required to protect civilians.

"We will continue to take military action as required to protect civilians," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said in response to comments by South African President Jacob Zuma, head of an African Union peace mission, that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had accepted a peace 'road map'.

"Any ceasefire deal needs to be a genuine ceasefire. That can only be judged by Gaddafi's actions rather than his words or the words of anyone else for that matter," the spokesman said. (Reporting by Adrian Croft; Editing by Matt Falloon)

Two killed, dozens hurt in third day of Afghan protests, Posted by Meosha Eaton

By Ismail Sameem

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, April 3 (Reuters) - Two policemen were killed and more than 30 people wounded in the southern city of Kandahar on Sunday during the third day of violent protests across Afghanistan against the burning of a Koran by a radical fundamentalist U.S. pastor, officials said.

Violence at earlier demonstrations claimed more than 20 lives. Ten people were killed and more than 80 wounded in Kandahar on Saturday. Seven foreign U.N. staff and five Afghan protesters were killed on Friday after demonstrators overran an office in normally peaceful Mazar-i-Sharif city in the north.

On Sunday, hundreds of people had marched through Kandahar, towards another U.N. office, on the second day of protests in the city after U.S. preacher Terry Jones had supervised the burning of a copy of the Koran in front of about 50 people at a church in Florida on March 20.

"The information I have is that two policemen have been killed and 20 others, including police, protesters and citizens, have been wounded," Ahmad Wali Karzai, head of the Kandahar provincial council, told Reuters. [ID:nL3E7F304J]

Another 14 people, including two children, were wounded when protesters seized a gas cannister taken from a shop and set it on fire, causing an explosion, Zalmay Ayoubi, the spokesman for the Kandahar provincial governor said.

There were also peaceful demonstrations in Kabul, western Herat city, Jalalabad city in the east and northern Tahar province, and it initially appeared that Sunday's march in Kandahar would also finish without incident.

The governor had promised a strong police presence and many of the morning's demonstrators had drifted away before violence broke out in the early afternoon.

ANGER

Afghan and foreign officials said insurgent infiltrators had sparked the killings, although a Taliban spokesman said they were driven by spontaneous emotion.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai called on Congress to condemn the burning of the Koran and prevent it from happening again.

Karzai made the request at a meeting with U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry and General David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, the presidential palace said in a statement.

"The American Congress and Senate must condemn this in clear words, show their stance, and prevent such incidents from happening again," the statement said.

Eikenberry read to Karzai from U.S. President Barack Obama's earlier condemnation of the Koran burning, the statement said.

Obama denounced the act of burning a Koran but did not mention Jones by name. [ID:nN02176347]

On Sunday, Petraeus joined the condemnation being voiced by many other political and religious leaders, urging Afghans to understand only a small number of people had been disrespectful to the Koran and Islam.

"We condemn, in particular, the action of an individual in the United States who recently burned the Holy Koran," Petraeus said in a statement, which was also signed by NATO's senior civilian representative, ambassador Mark Sedwill.

"We also offer condolences to the families of all those injured and killed in violence which occurred in the wake of the burning of the Holy Koran," he said.

Around 1,000 people blocked the main highway from Kabul to Jalalabad earlier on Sunday and burned U.S. flags.

"We want the preacher who burnt the holy Koran to get a severe punishment," said 20-year-old protester Jalil Ahmad. "He is not a human being, he is a brain-dead animal."

In an interview with Reuters on Saturday, Jones was unrepentant and defiantly vowed to lead an anti-Islam protest outside the biggest mosque in the United States later this month. [ID:nN02151107]

The Taliban said in a statement on Sunday that Afghans were still ready to give their lives to protest against an offence that it said the West was not taking seriously.

"The U.S. government should have punished the perpetrators, but the American authorities and those in other countries not only did not have a serious reaction, but defended (the burning) to some extent in the name of freedom of religion and speech," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. (Reporting by Ismail Sameem; Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Paul Tait)

Bahrain army withdrawn, police attack protesters, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Army ordered to stand down, police to keep order
* Police disperse protesters trying to regain Pearl Square
* Shi'ite bloc wanted troop withdrawal before any dialogue
(Recasts, adds Shi'ite MPs, union strike call, hospital)
By Cynthia Johnston and Frederik Richter

MANAMA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Bahraini troops and armoured vehicles on Saturday rolled out of a Manama square that had been a base for anti-government protesters, meeting one opposition condition for a dialogue proposed by the king. But when a few protesters tried to regain their former stronghold in Pearl Square, police beat them back. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. One man raced to the centre of the traffic circle, fell to his knees to kiss the yellowed grass and began praying as other protesters celebrated. Moments later, 10 police cars pulled up and policemen beat up one protester and fired teargas. At least 100 riot police took up position, while a group of about 50 demonstrators stood about 50 metres (yards) away. Troops in tanks and armoured vehicles took over the traffic circle on Thursday after riot police attacked protesters who had camped out there, killing four people and wounding 231. Bahrain's crown prince announced that all troops had been ordered off the streets and that police would maintain order. <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Factbox on protesters' demands [ID:nLDE71E1RA] Interactive factbox http://link.reuters.com/puk87r For related stories on Mideast unrest click [ID:nLDE71F0BK] Analysis on regional financial impact [ID:nLDE71E0YN] Background analysis on Bahrain politics [ID:nLDE7170WL] Factbox on political risks in Bahrain [ID:nRISKBH] Factbox on political actors in Bahrain [ID:nLDE6780D9] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> "That's a very positive step," Jasim Hussain, a member of the main Shi'ite Wefaq bloc that quit parliament on Thursday, told Reuters. "They're trying to ease the tensions. I don't know whether it will be sufficient." Wefaq had earlier rejected a call by King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa for a national dialogue to end the unrest that has rocked Bahrain since Monday, saying troops must be withdrawn first, among other conditions. Another Wefaq lawmaker said the troop pullout was not enough by itself. "There's no difference if people are killed by the military or by the security forces," said Ibrahim Mattar. "STOP KILLING PEOPLE" "We hope to hear a clear message from the government that it will stop killing people who are protesting peacefully." Mattar said the king must accept the "concept" of constitutional monarchy, as well as withdrawing the military. "Then we can go for a temporary government of new faces that would not include the current interior or defence ministers." He reiterated an opposition demand for the king to fire his uncle, Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, prime minister since Bahrain gained its independence in 1971.

"We are not going to enter a dialogue as Shi'ites," Mattar said. "They try to put the issue in this frame. The dialogue should be with all people who were protesting. Some are liberal, non-Islamic. Some are Sunni and some Shi'ite." Shi'ites, who make up about 70 percent of Bahraini nationals feel cut out of decision-making in the Sunni-ruled state and complain of discrimination in access to state jobs and housing. On Friday, the king offered a national dialogue with all parties to try to end the turmoil fuelled by Shi'ite grievances in which six people have been killed and hundreds wounded. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to King Hamad on Friday, condemning the violence and urging the government to show restraint and respect the rights of its people. MILITARY ORDERED TO WITHDRAW "Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, has ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets of Bahrain with immediate effect," a statement said on Saturday. "The Bahrain police force will continue to oversee law and order."

More than 60 people were in hospital with wounds sustained on Friday when security forces fired on protesters as they headed to Pearl Square, then still in military hands. Also on Friday, Shi'ite mourners buried the four people killed in the raid on Pearl Square, which protesters had hoped to turn into a base like Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of a revolt that ousted Egypt's Hosni Mubarak. The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern about reports on violence by the security forces. "I urge the Bahraini authorities to respect fundamental human rights including freedom of expression and the right to assemble freely," she said, appealing to all parties to use restraint.

Young activists had also called for an open-ended strike from Sunday and the closure of all public and private schools on a Facebook page called the "February 14 revolution in Bahrain". They demanded that protesters be allowed back into Pearl Square, the release of all political prisoners and word on the fate of missing people, as well as the resignations of the defence and interior ministers and the security chief. A naval base near Manama that hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet helps the United States to project power across the Middle East and Central Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Fleet spokesman said there was no significant impact on operations and Jennifer Stride, spokeswoman for the U.S. naval base, said no evacuation of families was planned. The United States is caught between the desire for stability in an ally seen as a bulwark against Iran and the need to uphold the people's right to express their grievances. The unrest in Bahrain, a minor non-OPEC oil producer and regional banking hub, has shaken confidence in the economy. In 1999, King Hamad introduced a constitution allowing elections for a parliament with some powers, but royals still dominate a cabinet led by the king's uncle for 40 years.

(Additional reporting by Michael Georgy in Manama, Ross Colvin in Washington and Charlie Dunmore in Brussels; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

US official: Gamal Mubarak resigning positive step, Posted by Meosha Eaton

As reported by Reuters:

EGYPT-USA/STEPS (URGENT)

WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The resignation of Gamal Mubarak, son of President Hosni Mubarak, from Egypt's ruling party on Saturday was a "positive step", an Obama administration official said.

"We view this as a positive step toward the political change that will be necessary, and look forward to additional steps," an administration official said. (Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Uganda election war of words stokes violence fears, Posted by Meosha Eaton

As reported by Reuters:

* Opposition will appeal to "court of public opinion"
* Public protests inspired by Egypt a possibility
* U.S opinions held in no esteem by opposition


By Barry Malone
KAMPALA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A war of words between Uganda's main presidential candidates escalated on Friday, sparking fears of Egypt-style street violence should the opposition say the poll was rigged.

Uganda's main opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, repeated a warning he made to Reuters last week that Ugandans may overthrow long-standing President Yoweri Museveni with mass public protests if a Feb. 18 poll is not fair.

The once close ally of Museveni elaborated on Friday, saying he would appeal to the public and not to the Supreme Court if he suspected foul play.

"The struggle for change is not mine alone. It belongs to all our supporters across the country," Besigye told a news conference in the capital Kampala.

"If our victory is stolen, it is to the court of public opinion that I will appeal."
Besigye told journalists Uganda had become a "ruthless dictatorship."
Government spokespeople were unavailable to comment.

The 2001 and 2006 polls were judged flawed by the Supreme Court but it upheld Museveni's win, saying that irregularities were not substantial enough to affect the overall result.

Museveni threatened twice in the last month to have Besigye arrested for alleging he had sold Lake Victoria to foreigners. Besigye was arrested during the last elections on charges of rape and treason.

"Besigye may find himself in prison over peddling lies. Election laws don't allow this," Museveni said. "Even if he wins an election based on such lies, the results can be cancelled especially if there is evidence to this effect presented to court."


POPULAR PROTEST
Museveni is respected internationally for his shepherding of the economy, for stabilising a once chaotic country and for intervening in regional hotspots such as Somalia. Critics say he marries that with domestic repression.

Besigye said the situation in Uganda could not be compared directly to Tunisia or Egypt but that conditions were similarly ripe for public protest.
"But if the question is whether I would support a popular protest against an illegitimate decision of an election? Certainly," he said.

Both Besigye and Museveni on Friday met with the United States' top diplomat for Africa, Johnny Carson.

U.S. diplomatic cables, published in December by WikiLeaks, said the opposition were "fractured and politically immature" and that it was "by no means clear (they) would improve governance in Uganda in any way".

Besigye dismissed U.S. opinion of one of its key allies in East Africa. Museveni's troops make up the bulk of an African Union peacekeeping force that is the only thing protecting Somalia's besieged government from falling to Islamist rebels.

"It's their perfect right to form whatever opinion they form, whether it's uncomplimentary to me or to our leadership," Besigye said.

"But I am keenly aware the U.S. has made very many grave mistakes in their judgments, so I exercise my right to choose how I esteem their judgment."

(Editing by George Obulutsa and Philippa Fletcher)

U.S., EU Attend African Union Summit

January 28, 2011 Washington D.C

by Williams Ekanem

A strong United States representatives in persons of Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Johnny Carson is to travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to join Deputy Secretary Steinberg for  the African Union Summit.

The ambassadors of the 53 member states of the African Union (AU) who constitute the Union’s Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) began meeting on Monday, at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The PRC meeting is being held within the framework of the 16th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the AU under the theme : "Towards Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values”.
Assistant Secretary Carson will then continue on foreign travel with Deputy Secretary Steinberg to Djibouti, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda and Ghana through February 5.

Reports monitored from Washington D.C shows that European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs will also  attend the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa on 30/31 January. Leaders will meet to discuss the theme of the summit – “Greater Unity and Integration through Shared Values”. The European Union is working in close partnership with the African Union in promoting sound governance, rule of law, human rights, gender equality and culture. He will also attend a meeting organized on the situation on Somalia chaired by Ban-Ki-Moon, and he will hold a series of bilateral meetings with key representatives of the continent to discuss political and aid issues.

Ahead of his trip, Commissioner Piebalgs said: “The focus of the African Union Summit, on greater unity and shared values, is particularly timely in the light of recent political events in the continent. I will attend the Summit to confirm of EU’s full support to the continent’s evolution towards more integration, democracy and good governance. They represent the indispensable basis on which African growth will blossom on the long run and for the benefit of all the people”.

As part of the Africa-EU Partnership established in 2007 and reviewed in 2010, the EU cooperates actively with the African Union (AU) in its efforts to develop the emerging African Governance Architecture (AGA). The AGA comprises a set of normative and institutional instruments and bodies, such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ rights and the Pan-African Parliament as well as the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.

Financially, the EU is supporting the work of its African counterparts on spreading democracy and human rights by providing more than €2 billion over the period 2007-2013.

Some of the key achievements of the Africa-EU Partnership in this area include: The EU is supporting the AU’s Electoral Assistance Fund with €1 million. In November 2010, the Africa-EU “Platform for dialogue” on governance and human rights was launched in Brussels. By creating an open space for key stakeholders, institutions, governments and civil society it will contribute to enhancing democratic governance policies and respect for human rights on both continents.

Two Examples of EU support to democratic governance and human rights: Tanzania: After the 2007 elections, the European Commission contributed €1.4 million to a programme that has helped to improve the quality of review of the national budget in parliament as well as the scrutiny of bills by committee chairpersons. In addition, it increased dialogue between parliament and civil society. The involvement of civil society in the review of bills has increased its influence on legislation.

Sudan: The EU gave €80.000 to a project which successfully raised awareness amongst women and people living in rural areas (namely the Nuba community) in Sudan, prior to the elections of 2010. It provided education on civil rights, census, and voter’s registration. It also contributed to the empowerment of local community leaders to participate in the elections and monitor them.

Schedule of Commissioner Piebalgs: On the sidelines of the Summit, Commissioner Piebalgs will meet with Jean Ping, Chairperson of the AU Commission, and Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security.

He will also have meetings with representatives from Kenya, Benin, Cape Verde, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia.

The Summit will also provide the opportunity to meet with Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Mo Ibrahim who chairs the Mo Ibrahim Foundation.

Kenya reforms judiciary, AU backs ICC trials delay, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Reforms prescribed by new constitution
* Judicial changes to cement Kenya's plea over ICC trials
* AU vote may embolden Kenya's in its pursuit of deferral
* ICC seen as targeting Africa by many on continent
* More than 1,200 people killed in post-election violence


By James Macharia
NAIROBI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki on Friday named a new chief justice as part of planned reforms and to cement the east African country's case to have The Hague allow it to hold trials of post-election violence suspects.
Kenya wants to block the International Criminal Court (ICC) from holding the possible trials of six suspected masterminds of the deadly fighting that erupted after the opposition accused Kibaki of rigging the Dec. 2007 presidential election.

The country won the support of the African Union at a summit in Addis Ababa where foreign ministers backed Kenya's plan to suspend criminal proceedings against the suspects.

Kenya is now likely to call for the U.N. Security Council to defer or suspend the trials from taking place for a year while it overhauls its judiciary to handle the cases.
Kibaki nominated Justice Alnashir Visram as the next chief justice. He also named lawyers Githu Muigai as attorney general and Kioko Kilukumi as director of public prosecutions. The appointments are subject to parliamentary approval.

Kenya's post-election violence, which saw hundreds of thousands uprooted from their homes, was sparked when Prime Minister Raila Odinga, then opposition leader, accused Kibaki of rigging the vote. The two later agreed to form a unity cabinet to end the bloodshed after weeks of negotiations.

Odinga, who is attending the AU summit in Ethiopia, said he was not consulted on the nominations of the judiciary officials.

This is a further sign of a widening split in the cabinet, which emerged after Odinga criticised Kenya's move to seek the AU's backing in delaying the ICC trials, which Kibaki supported.

"No, I was not consulted," said Odinga when asked by Reuters if he had spoken to Kibaki regarding the nominations.

"I will deal with this when I get back to Nairobi," he said.

Kenya's suspended higher education minister William Ruto and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, are the most prominent suspects on the ICC list. They have both declared they will run for president in elections next year.

Ruto was suspended to defend an unrelated corruption case.

AU VOTE
One African diplomat said the AU vote had been unanimous.
"There was a vote and we decided for it, for Kenya's position," Djibouti's Foreign Affairs Minster Mahamoud Ali Youssouf told Reuters on the sidelines of the summit.
The vote has to be formally passed by African heads of state at the AU summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The U.N. Security Council helped set up the ICC and has control over its mandate, enabling it to postpone cases for one year, especially if the prosecution of such cases could cause further upheavals in the country where crimes occurred.

It can however refuse, as it did when Sudan sought a delay in the case against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

(Additional reporting by Richard Lough, Aaron Maasho and Patrick Muiruri in Addis Ababa; Editing by Matthew Jones)