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/ 20 November 2006

Doubts cast over Somali support for Hizbullah

A United Nations report that claims 720 fighters from Somalia’s Islamic courts fought alongside Hizbullah during the recent war with Israel has been questioned by experts. The report, compiled by the Monitoring Group on Somalia and to be presented to the UN Security Council on Friday, also alleges that Iran sought to purchase uranium from the Supreme Islamic Council of Somalia in exchange for weapons.

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/ 20 November 2006

Beacon of hope for rebirth of Bolívar’s dream

Daniel Ortega, blessed by the church, flanked by a former Contra as his vice-president and still loathed by the United States ambassador, may be a sickly shadow of his former self, but his victory undoubtedly reflects the desire of Nicaraguans for change. Will Managua follow the radically redistributive policies of anti-imperialist Caracas?

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/ 20 November 2006

Not in my Xhosa culture

As I sat reading, my entire body convulsed in absolute revulsion. It was all too easy for me to imagine the 21-year-old woman’s agony as a flabby, balding man old enough to be her father lay half-naked on his bed and instructed her to come and ”take care” of him. Unfortunately, I wasn’t reading a trashy paperback novel, writes the Mail & Guardian‘s Vuyo Sokupa.

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/ 20 November 2006

Chaos in Kinshasa

Long-awaited election results in the second round of voting in presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced on Wednesday, put an end to weeks of speculation, with incumbent President Joseph Kabila emerging as the winner, having garnered 58% of the vote. The Independent Electoral Commission indicated that rival presidential candidate and Vice- President Jean-Pierre Bemba won 42% of the vote.

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/ 20 November 2006

UN: More than 2 000 flee DRC poll-related clashes

More than 2 000 civilians from western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have fled across the Congo River to escape fighting between supporters of rival presidential contenders, the United Nations said on Monday. The clashes in DRC’s Equateur province occurred days after electoral authorities last week announced a provisional result in an October 29 presidential run-off.