AU troops killed in Somalia clashes

Fighting between peacekeepers and al-Shabab leaves 53 soldiers dead and scores wounded, the vast majority from Burundi. Last Modified: 05 Mar 2011 18:24 GMT

Somalia has had no central government for two decades and is struggling to rein in al-Shabab [Reuters] At least 50 African Union (AU) peacekeepers have died in fighting in Somalia in a major offensive against al-Shabab fighters, officials have told news agencies. The fighting started two weeks ago in the Horn of African nation which has had no central government for two decades and is struggling to rein in the group, the former military wing of the deposed Islamic Court Union. Two Nairobi-based diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 43 Burundian and 10 Ugandan troops have been killed since February 18, citing information from people involved in the operation. The AU force, known as AMISOM, has publicly confirmed only a handful of deaths since the fighting broke out. The Associated Press news agency said on Saturday that the AU appeared to be trying to conceal losses due to political considerations in Burundi, one of two nations providing the bulk of the forces that are fighting alongside Somali troops. An AU spokesman in neighbouring Kenya's capital, Nairobi, did not answer calls on Friday and Burundi's government spokesman was unavailable for comment. Military officers in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, confirmed the death of the 43 Burundi soldiers, adding that 110 others were wounded. "In reality, 43 soldiers of the Burundi contingent ... have been killed, another four are missing and 110 were wounded during the last joint offensive ... in Mogadishu," a senior officer who declined to be named due to the sensivity of the issue said. "The majority of these soldiers were killed on the first day of the offensive. They came upon many insurgents at a major target located near the former defence ministry which we conquered." The officer added: "The troops' morale is good despite these losses which are the worst since we have been deployed in Somalia, because we achieved our goals." Base captured Meanwhile, an AU commander said on Saturday that his forces had captured a key position from al-Shabab in the capital Mogadishu. Major-General Nathan Mugisha said the soldiers had captured the former ministry of defence building in the north of the city, gaining control of a major al-Shabab base. "By taking these positions we have effectively reduced their freedom of manoeuvre in that sector," Mugisha told a news conference in Nairobi. "This peace in Mogadishu comes at a price, and this burden has fallen heavily on AMISOM and government forces." Earlier, al-Shabab fighters were forced to abandon their positions in Belet Hawo, a town which borders Kenya, said Sharif Abdiwahid Sharif Aden, a spokesman for pro-government armed forces. The latest offensive aims to break al-Shabab's hold on large swathes of the country's south and central regions. The group - which has instituted a Taliban-style system of rule, with strict edicts enforced by its own courts and public executions - has boxed in the government to just a few city blocks of Mogadishu. The transitional government has been promising a full-scale war against al-Shabab for years, but co-ordination among its poorly trained, seldom-paid government forces has delayed that push. A report last month by the think-tank International Crisis Group described the government as being on "life support".

Source: Agencies

Cote d'Ivoire to get more UN troops

UN representative to violence-torn nation says current 8,000-strong force will be increased by a further 2,000 soldiers. Last Modified: 05 Mar 2011 20:46 GMT

The UN says at least 365 people have been killed in violence since November [Reuters] The UN is to send 2,000 more troops to Cote d'Ivoire to reinforce the existing peacekeeping force there, a UN official has said. Choi Young-jin, the UN special representative for Cote d'Ivoire, said on Saturday that the decision was prompted by a surge in violence in the West African country. On Thursday, government troops killed at least six women who were protesting against Laurent Gbagbo's refusal to step down as president, three months after the country's disputed election. "What we are seeing is clearly an escalation of violence," Choi told the Liberation newspaper in an interview published on Saturday. "Since Feb 19, incidents have gotten more serious." The 8,000-strong UN force is trying to prevent violence between Gbagbo and Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised winner of the election, from tipping into a civil war. Clashes between factions loyal to each side have grown increasingly violent in the past couple of months. About 800 peacekeepers are stationed around a hotel in Abidjan, the commercial capital, where Ouattara has been holed up since November. Ouattara hopes that economic sanctions will eventually weaken Gbagbo's grip on power. The UN has said at least 365 people have been killed in violence since November 28. Women shot Video footage of the all-women protest in the northern Abidjan suburb of Abobo, broadcast on Itele news channel, showed women screaming and at least two bloodied bodies on the road. An armoured vehicle marked "police" was visible in the background. Choi said he was sending frequent patrols through the Abobo suburb, adding: "We need to do everything we can to stop someone who wants to massacre civilians from making it happen." As the conflict escalated, Choi said he had not yet called on a French military unit stationed nearby. "We are waiting on reinforcements of 2,000 blue helmets, and two of the three armed helicopters that we ordered have arrived," he said. Staying in control of the skies above Abidjan through air power was crucial to ensuring that the fragile situation did not degenerate into bloodshed, he added. Asked if he thought a political outcome to the crisis was possible, Choi said: "Since the beginning we've noted deep differences between the two parties. It will be very difficult to find common ground between the rivals." In the northern stronghold of Bouake, power and water service was restored on Saturday, after being cut for a week during clashes, witnesses and residents said. Gbagbo's government did not officially comment on the power cuts to the north, but his troops seized the electric distribution company last month and a UN source said they had ordered power to be cut to the north during the fighting. Running water was able to be cut because the pumps are electric.

Source: Agencies

Saudi Arabia bans protest rallies

Interior ministry vows to use all steps "to prevent attempts to disrupt public order" following recent Shia protests. Last Modified: 05 Mar 2011 15:15 GMT

King Abdullah unveiled $37bn in benefits for citizens after returning from abroad last week Saudi Arabia has banned all protests and marches following recent anti-government protests in the kingdom’s east, reports say. State television on Saturday quoted the interior ministry as saying that security forces would use all measures to prevent any attempt to disrupt public order. The ban on public demonstrations comes amid media reports of a huge mobilisation of Saudi troops in Shia-dominated provinces in order to quell any possible uprising. According to The Independent, a British newspaper, 10,000 security personnel are being sent to the region by road, clogging highways into Dammam and other cities. Shia protests A restive Shia population has staged a series of protests in the kingdom’s east in the past weeks. Their grievances range from lack of equal economic and employment opportunities to detentions without trial. On Saturday, small protests were held in the cities of Hofuf and Qatif. The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies any discrimination against the Shia community. The authorities, however, are increasingly on edge following the anti-governmnent protests sweeping across the Arab world. Last week, King Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month medical absence and unveiled $37bn in benefits for citizens in an apparent bid to insulate the kingdom from protests.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Ex-Egyptian minister denies fraud

Habib al-Adly, the first member of Hosni Mubarak's ousted regime to be tried for corruption, pleads not guilty in court. Last Modified: 05 Mar 2011 10:23 GMT

Al-Adly was arrested on suspicion of money-laundering less then a week after Mubarak stepped down [AFP] The trial of Habib al-Adly, Egypt's former interior minister, has been adjourned after he pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at a court in Cairo. Standing in the dock and dressed in white prison clothes, Adly denied accusations of money laundering and unlawful acquisition of public money. "It didn't happen," he said twice, in a calm tone on Saturday. Judge Al-Mohammadi Qunsua swiftly adjourned the hearing to April 2, after a heated exchange between the defence team and civil society lawyers attending the trial. The defence had asked for more time to study the documents of the case. Al-Adly was brought back to the prison where he will stay until the trial resumes. Demand for death penalty Cairo's criminal court in the Tagammu Khames suburb was surrounded by heavy security and army tanks were positioned at the entrance ahead of the high-profile trial. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, outside the court complex, said dozens of protesters had gathered there. "They want Habib al-Adly to face more serious charges than just money laundering and profiteering which carries a maximum sentence of about seven years," she said. "They want him to face charges on man slaughter for ordering his forces fire on protesters during the revolution. They're calling for his execution." She said al-Adly was mobbed by the crowds when he left the courtroom. A group chanted "the people want the execution of the murderer" as others held banners depicting al-Adly with a noose around his neck. Al-Adly is the first member of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's regime to stand trial. He was arrested last month as part of a sweeping corruption investigation by the new authorities, along with several former ministers and senior members of Mubarak's National Democratic Party. Mubarak stepped down on February 11 following a popular uprising. Several former ministers and high officials have since been arrested, accused of embezzlement. Egypt's public prosecutor has issued a travel ban on Mubarak and his family and ordered a freeze on their assets. State security buildings seiged Hours after al-Adly's court case was adjourned, protests had started forming around several state security buildings in Egypt, the largest crowd was formed in Nasr City, east of Cairo. Rania Anaa, a protester who took part in the demonstration, told Al Jazeera: "Since 13GMT, hundreds of protesters had gathered in front of the state security building in Nasr City. A few hours later, I could estimate at least 3,000 people. "The protesters managed to enter the state security compound from a side door, and they searched the building and found hundreds of documents," Anaa said in reference to files that have been kept on the population by the powerful regime apparatus of President Hosni Mubarak long accused of rights abuses. Anaa said: "Now, we are trying to search for detainees because a lot of the protesters here believe there are hundreds of detaines being kept underground. "I also heard that officials from the attorney general's office are coming to retrieve the documents and make proper use of them," she said.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Yemen MPs quit ruling party

Several members of General People's Congress resign in protest against violence used against anti-government protesters. Last Modified: 05 Mar 2011 17:19 GMT

Yemeni anti-government protesters have called on president Saleh to step down immediately [AFP] Several members of Yemen's ruling General People’s Congress (JPC), including members of parliament and some ministers, have resigned from the party in protest against the violence and harassment used against anti-government demonstrators in the country. Ali Al-Imrani, an MP from al-Baida province, and Fathi Tawfiq Abdulrahim, head of the finance committee of the Yemeni parliament, resigned from the JPC on Saturday, local sources told Al Jazeera. This brings the number of resigned ruling party MPs to 13 since the wave of protests against Ali Abdullah Saleh's rule began. Sam Yahya Al-Ahmar, the deputy culture minister, Hashid Abdullah al-Ahmar, the deputy minister for youth and sports and Nabil Al-Khameri, a businessman, have also quit the ruling party. Al-Ahmar resignation comes a week after his brother Hussein Abdullah Al-Ahmar had left the party. Tens of thousands of people continued with protests in several key cities across Yemen, including Sanaa, Aden, Taiz and Hadramawt, pressing on with demands that the president step down. Protesters are also demanding an investigation into the killing of four people during protests on Friday in the northern town of Harf Sofyan, when soldiers opened fire, in an attack that also wounded seven others. The government suspended classes at the universities in the capital Sanaa and in Aden, which have been the focal points for daily demonstrations, the Associated Press news agency reported on Saturday. Proposal rejected On Saturday, Britain's Foreign Office issued a statement advising its citizens against all travel to Yemen "in light of the increasing violence" there. Human rights group, Amnesty International, estimates that at least 27 people have been killed since anti-government protests began on January 27. On Friday, Saleh rejected a proposal by opposition groups that offered him a smooth exit from power by the end of 2011. IN DEPTH Spotlight: Yemen's uprising Who's who in Yemen's opposition? Background: Saleh's eroding support Blog: The Yemeni president's playbook "The president rejected the proposal and is holding on to his previous offer," Yemen's opposition's rotating president, Mohammed al-Mutawakil, said. Saleh, who has been in power for 32 years, refuses to step down until his term ends in 2013. The proposal was made this week by a coalition of opposition groups and religious scholars. The offer sought to end the country's political crisis, calling for a "peaceful transition of power" from Saleh by the end of this year. It also called for a probe into the deadly crackdown on the recent anti-government protests. The proposal also called for steps to change the constitution and rewriting election laws to ensure fair representation in parliament, removing Saleh's relatives from leadership positions in the army and security forces, and a guaranteed right to peaceful protest.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

People of Libya want FREEDOM! Obama wants OIL !

Carlos Latuff

China Threatens to Expel Foreign Journalists

Peter Simpson | Beijing March 03, 2011

Photo: Reuters

A policeman tries to stop media from taking photos during the arrest of a man, after calls for a "Jasmine Revolution" protest, organized through the internet, in front of the Peace Cinema in downtown Shanghai, February 27, 2011

China is changing how foreign journalist can work in the country and reporters are being warned they risk expulsion if they try to cover pro-democracy rallies. Some tourist areas of the capital and Shanghai now have the same off-limits rules governing sensitive areas such as Tibet.

In a tense news conference Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu accused some journalists of deliberately inciting trouble while covering pro-democracy protests.

She warned those journalists accused of flouting the rules could not be protected under Chinese media laws.

Jiang said, however, that journalists who respect the rules will have the protection of the law.

She said there is no law to protect those who journalists who create what she described as "disturbances".

Jiang spoke after Chinese police warned foreign journalists this week to obey new restrictions on covering rallies called by an on-line protest campaign, or risking having their work visas canceled.

Jasmine revolution

Last Sunday, more than 16 journalists were physically harassed by plainclothes and uniformed police in Beijing, with one American journalist hospitalized after a severe beating.

The journalists went to an area in Beijing known as Wangfujing. An on-line campaign called for people to go to that area, and other locations around China, on Sunday afternoons, to show support for the revolutions sweeping the Middle East, and to seek justice and reform in China.

It appears, however, that few actual protesters showed up Sunday. In Wangfujing, journalists reported seeing scores of security officers.

Beijing and Shanghai have clamped down on security in response to calls for rallies. Some dissidents said they face new restrictions on their activities.

On Thursday, Jiang said repeatedly there had been no change in the reporting regulations that were made law after the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

These allowed reporters to interview people as long as they had their consent - and permitted foreign correspondents to travel without permission, except to sensitive areas, such as Tibet.

Media restrictions

But security officials have told some foreign journalists they must seek official permission to conduct interviews and to report in public in many areas.

Journalists were told they must have permits to report from Wangfujing, a shopping street popular with tourists next to Tiananmen Square.

Officials told some foreign journalists they can report freely anywhere else in China except in the protest areas - and to stay away from those.

Some journalists have applied to report from the protest sites this coming Sunday, but have been denied permission.

The United States, the European Union and media groups have condemned the media curbs.