The soft-spoken Kgalema Motlanthe, elevated from the Deputy Presidency of the African National Congress to the Presidency of South Africa, faces a tough job. Amid bitterness, Thabo Mbeki was forced to resign, taking half the cabinet with him.The party’s divisions are deepening still further; wor...
He may have preferred to coach Bafana Bafana, but Kgalema Motlanthe is now Acting President of South Africa
An unexpected unity of purpose has emerged in the international reaction to General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s 6 August putsch in Mauritania against elected President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. The United States, France and the Arab League all back the African Union’s ultimatum to Gen. Mohamed’s junta: restore constitutional rule by 6 October or face sweeping economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Gen. Mohamed rejected the AU’s demand and threatens to try President Sidi Abdallahi for high treason. The AU’s efforts are led by two Algerians, Commissioner for Peace & Security Ramtane Lamamra and UN Representative in West Africa and ex-AU Commissioner Said Djinnit. They have led the pressure on Gen. Mohamed and are trying to devise a face-saving exit for the putschists. One possible sanctuary would be Morocco, which has maintained diplomatic support for the junta in defiance of its fellow African states. Some suspect a deal between the Mauritanian junta and the Kingdom on Western Sahara. Others say there are blood ties with Morocco’s ruling elite. Alone among Europeans, Spain recognises the junta, having reached a lucrative accord on fishing rights with it. Given the AU’s overwhelming reluctance to use force in anywhere bigger than Comoros, Nouakchott’s defiance will be a practical test of the AU’s political will and the efficacy of sanctions and diplomatic ostracism.
Next, the economic battleEven if the politics fare well, foreign economic support is both essential and uncertain Politicians parley, people starveNegotiations between the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and Movement for Democratic Change have been d... Farms are the keyJohn Robertson, an economic consultant, says any recovery must start by restoring previous levels of agricultural produc... Prime Minister departsPrime Minister Antoine Gizenga's departure could strengthen President Joseph Kabila's hand, but not for the better Forest contracts reviewThe government is reviewing forestry concessions and Greenpeace produces a report that shows |
Another ethnic scrambleA well-intentioned reform threatens the country's regional parties and alliances Financial and political chaosAs equities and corporate fortunes plummeted outside, diplomats discussed aid pledges and peackeeping The Millennium stops hereThe Millennium Goals remain elusive and controversial Graft never really went awayRevelations of grand corruption in mining and shipping contracts embarrass the government |
An unexpected unity of purpose has emerged in the international reaction to General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz’s 6 August putsch in Mauritania against elected President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. The United States, France and the Arab League all back the African Union’s ultimatum to Gen. Mohamed’s junta: restore constitutional rule by 6 October or face sweeping economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Gen. Mohamed rejected the AU’s demand and threatens to try President Sidi Abdallahi for hi...
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