Namibia’s ruling party Swapo began the most important meetings in its history to pick a successor to President Sam Nujoma, who has been the dominant political figure in the southern African country for five decades. The candidate chosen by the congress will most likely become the country’s next president.
The UK’s Northern Ireland minister will be in the country next week to see what can be learned from South Africa’s process of reconciliation. The five-day visit will include meetings with those involved in the constitutional negotiations in the early 90’s, and with former TRC commissioners.
The example of the United Kingdom suggests the South African construction sector could improve its performance, says Minister of Public Works Stella Sigcau. She was meeting her UK counterpart, Nigel Griffiths, at the House of Commons on the first leg of her two-country tour which will end in China.
Summary executions, torture and mortar bombs exploded in the mouths of captured fighters were among the horrors described to a Zimbabwe court that officially declared dead 47 soldiers who disappeared in Congo’s savage five-year war.
Moves to give more independence to one of the world’s smallest and last remaining colonies are being held up by opposition from an unexpected quarter – the population of the country itself. Tokelau says moves towards independence were being pushed by the UN and New Zealand rather than the people of Tokelau.
British and US intelligence missed a container-load of nuclear bomb-making equipment which arrived in Libya three months after President Muammar Gaddafi announced that he had scrapped his weapons of mass destruction programmes, UN nuclear inspectors have found.
A Chilean court has stripped General Augusto Pinochet of his immunity from prosecution, opening up once more the possibility of his being tried for his part in the human rights abuses that followed his military coup in 1973. But lawyers for the 88-year-old may argue he is not mentally or physically well enough for trial.
A British-educated neurosurgeon who spent 30 years in exile in Britain, and who has close links with both the CIA and MI6, has been named as Iraq’s new interim prime minister. Ayad Allawi (58) the head of the Iraqi National Accord (INA), emerged as Iraq’s surprise new leader after weeks of speculation and intrigue.
Three rising stars of New Zealand rugby were jailed yesterday after they beat up a 15-year-old girl who was five months pregnant in an attempt to make her miscarry. Shaun Williams-Metcalf, Geoffrey Ruaporo and Kyle Donovan were said to have lured the girl to a park after she became pregnant by Williams-Metcalf.
Deputy president Jacob Zuma is to host a meeting with Burundi president Domitien Ndayizeye and representatives of three key political parties at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria at the weekend. Zuma’s office said the talks were aimed at advancing Burundi’s peace process and holding elections later this year.