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Published 22nd October 2004

Vol 45 No 21


Ghana

Smelling an elephant

The election was bad tempered even before it began and a car crash made it worse

A road crash recalled the bad old days, dramatically opening the race for presidential and parliamentary elections due on 7 December. The victim was Alhaji Mohamed Mumuni, set to run for the vice-presidency alongside John Atta Mills for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). His mysterious accident occurred on 28 September; the parties must file their nominations with the Electoral Commission by 21 October. Mumuni was apparently returning home in the middle of the night after answering a telephone call, when his car ended upside down in a ditch. He is recovering in hospital with his left thigh in plaster. NDC General Secretary Nii Josiah Aryeh, referring to the elephant symbol of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), claimed 'I smell an elephant'. NDC members including Youth Organiser Haruna Iddrisu sought to make political capital out of the incident. But no other car was involved, and John Dramani Mahama, Mumuni's rival for the vice-presidential slot, called for an end to speculation until Mumuni could explain what had happened.


Show us the money!

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Both Chadians and donors want President Déby to spend his oil revenues wisely

Everyone in N'djamena is worried about where the oil revenues are going. Opposition parties, advocacy groups, even the oil companies, whose splendid isolation behind the walls of K...


A model?

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The World Bank's scheme for ensuring the oil revenue is spent on poverty alleviation is necessarily complex. Some 85 per cent of royalties and dividends go to priority sectors such...


Proof of the PUDDing

A brand new party is proof of political moves by President and ex-President alike

Ex-President Frederick Chiluba is making a comeback, linked to the newly formed Party for Unity, Democracy and Development. PUDD consists mainly of his close associates: its spokes...


Tsvangirai half free

Now the MDC must decide whether to fight next year's elections on Mugabe's terms

Morgan Tsvangirai will be back in the High Court on 2 November to face more treason charges, this time for planning a mass action campaign against the government in 2003. Yet his a...


Post-war clean up

After several UN investigations, Congo's parliament looks at wartime economic exploitation

At the end of November, several months late, a report is due from the National Assembly's Commission on contracts signed during Congo's recent wars (AC Vol 45 No 17). Senior manage...


Front-line investigators

The National Assembly's Commission on war contracts consists of 17 members of parliament: four each from Société Civile and Opposition Politique, two each from the Pa...



Pointers

Pig in a poke

Attempts to strengthen Congo's new integrated national army have met an unexpected obstacle. Five weeks' 'training the trainers' in Belgium was planned for 285 Congolese officers. ...


New model army

Africa Confidential has learned that California-based private military contractor DynCorp is about to be awarded a contract to restructure the Liberian national army. Industry sour...


Specially designated

After declaring the Islamic African Relief Agency and five senior officials 'Specially Designated Global Terrorists' on 13 October, the United States may now ask the United Nations...


Facts on a fax

Pressure is mounting on Deputy President Jacob Zuma following claims by state prosecutors on 19 October that he received a 500,000 rand (US$79,000) bribe from France's Thomson-CSF.