French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa, proposed a ”Eurafrica” partnership between the continents to tame the harmful effects of globalisation. Sarkozy acknowledged the damaging effects of colonialism but he said it was not responsible for all of the continent’s ills.
Britain’s top retailers are not doing enough to prevent conflict diamonds from Africa reaching consumers, rights groups said on Tuesday. Global Witness and Amnesty International said a survey of 42 British retailers found more than three-quarters of them had no auditing procedures to curb the trade in illicit gems.
Nigeria’s opposition accused the government of detaining its activists and stuffing ballot boxes in the north on Friday, a day before a presidential election in Africa’s most populous country. The Action Congress and All Nigeria Peoples Party said the tactics were a repeat of widespread abuses that marred a state election last weekend.
Nigerian troops killed many Islamic militants in a three-hour battle in the northern city of Kano on Wednesday, an army commander said. Troops surrounded the militants in the Panshekara district of the city early on Wednesday after they had burned a police station and killed 13 officers.
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/ 11 September 2006
South African President Thabo Mbeki held talks with Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) leader Joseph Kabila and rival Jean-Pierre Bemba on Monday as the international community steps up pressure for a peaceful presidential run-off next month. Fighting in Kinshasa between troops loyal to Kabila and Vice-President Bemba killed at least 30 people last month.
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/ 8 September 2006
A coalition backing President Joseph Kabila won the largest number of seats in the Republic of Congo’s (DRC) July 30 parliamentary elections, but fell short of an overall majority, according to results from electoral authorities on Friday. Kabila’s Alliance for the Presidential Majority won about 200 of the 500 parliamentary seats, or roughly 40%.
International officials on Monday hailed Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) landmark elections at the weekend as an example to Africa and called on presidential candidates to accept the results. ”This has made the DRC an example for African elections,” former Mozambique president Joaquim Chissano said.