Congo ICC war suspect surrenders at U.S. Embassy in Rwanda

KIGALI (Reuters) - Fugitive Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda walked into the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda on Monday and asked to be transferred to the International Criminal Court, where he faces war crimes charges racked up during years of rebellion.
By surrendering in Kigali, where an embassy official said staff were "shocked" by his sudden arrival, Ntaganda ended a career that saw him fight as a rebel and government soldier on both sides of the Rwanda-Congo border during nearly 20 years of conflict in Africa's Great Lakes region.
Ntaganda's whereabouts had been unknown after hundreds of his fighters fled into Rwanda or surrendered to U.N. peacekeepers at the weekend following their defeat by a rival faction of M23 rebels in the mineral-rich eastern Congo.
"He specifically asked to be transferred to the ICC in the Hague," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington.
"We are currently consulting with a number of governments, including the Rwandan government, in order to facilitate his request."
ICC spokesman Fadi El-Abdullah said the court would put in place all necessary measures to ensure a swift surrender.

Uganda Gets $144m Funding To Boost Road Infrastructure

VENTURES AFRICA – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has okayed a loan worth $144 million to support Uganda’s road sector.
The Tunis-based lender Board of Directors approved the facility March 13, 2013.
The AfDB said in a statement that “the road sector support project is financed by the African Development Fund (ADF) to the tune of $110.49 million, with a contribution from the Ugandan Government amounting to $34.40 million.”
The project includes civil engineering works, the study and strengthening of the road sub-sector, as well as the compensation and relocation of people affected by the project in conformity with the relocation plans.
According to the AfDB, the project will help improve road access to socio-economic infrastructure as well as the quality of road transport services to the western regions of the country by paving 135 kilometres of the Kigumba-Masindi-Hoima-Kabwoya road.

Senegal to Close Islamic Schools After Fatal Fire

Senegal's president says the government will close all Islamic schools that do not meet basic safety standards, after nine children in a Quranic school died in a fire Sunday.
The young students, aged seven to 12, were killed in a fire in the Medina neighborhood of Senegal's capital, Dakar, said Senegalese President Macky Sall.
After visiting the scene of the fire, Sall said Monday night that Quranic schools that do not meet basic standards will be closed.
"The Quranic schools that do not meet standards will be closed to stop the exploitation of children," said Sall.

Protesters storm Madagascar jail

Antananarivo - Madagascar prison guards shot dead a protester when a hundreds-strong mob stormed a jail holding the alleged killers of a strangled French nun, police said Tuesday.

The crowd tried to force the prison gates late Monday after the funeral of Marie Emmanuel Helesbeux, 82, in the north-eastern town of Mandritsara, said local gendarmerie commander Leon Andriamanantena.

“Hundreds, even thousands of people tried to invade the prison with projectiles and we couldn't do anything because we didn't have teargas,” Andriamanantena told AFP.

“The prison guards opened fire in self-defence. One person died and two were wounded seriously,” he said.

The body of Sister Emmanuel, a popular Catholic nun, was found Saturday at a cattle market.

A former guard at her house allegedly lured her to the secluded spot with two accomplices, where she was held down and strangled.

The three were later arrested.

Money was the motive for the crime, police said.

Sister Emmanuel had asked her guard Bernard Ratsimbazafy, 35, to sell some houses she owned, but he instead rented them out secretly.

Ratsimbazafy then cooked up the plan when she asked him for the money from the sale, according to authorities.

Red flags wave over Uganda's adoption boom

(CNN) -- Uganda is one of the poorest countries on earth with an economy based on agriculture but there is one industry that's booming -- international child adoptions.

Extreme poverty combined with one of the world's highest birth rates is creating a pressure cooker where many children are abandoned or put up for adoption.

And there are also fears that as the adoption numbers grow more needs to be done to prevent children being exploited.

Children -- sometimes orphans, sometimes just with parents unable to care for them -- find themselves taken into Uganda's child welfare system.

For some this can mean foster care or a temporary home. For others it is the first step on a road that will lead to adoption and a new life.

While traditional adoption hotspots are becoming less attractive -- Russia has banned Americans from adopting children, and it can take years to navigate China's adoption bureaucracy -- Uganda is seen as a quick and easy alternative for prospective parents.

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In Uganda, the adoption process can take just a few months to complete. The country is not a signatory to the Hague Convention, a treaty which provides a blueprint for safe international adoptions.

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Many of the children adopted from Uganda are given a better shot at life overseas - certainly in material terms -- but the speed and ease of the process has many observers worried.

Freda Luzinda worked at the U.S. Embassy in Kampala, Uganda, for two years processing adoption visas. She is now the Uganda national director of the A Child's Voice, an NGO promoting child rights and welfare.

She says that many birth parents in Uganda don't fully understand what adoption actually means and that there is no word for 'adoption' in the local Luganda language.

"I can say that about 60% of the birth parents that I spoke to didn't understand adoption," said Luzinda.

Many birth parents do not understand that adoption is permanent. They believe they may get their children back later. These misconceptions are part of the problem, but not the only problem.

The rise in Ugandan adoptions over the past few years has created a growing number of orphanages and adoption agencies to meet the demand.

"When I first started processing visas at the embassy... there were probably between seven and 10 orphanages that were putting children up for adoption. And the numbers grew, and they grew, and they grew. By the time I finished, and this was two years later, we had a count, and we were dealing with about 100 orphanages." said Luzinda.

Kenya elections: What you need to know

 

(CNN) -- Kenyans vote Monday in the first general election since a disputed vote erupted into ethnic violence five years ago. The clashes left about 1,200 people dead and ended after the formation of a government based on an uneasy coalition between the president and the prime minister.

Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki is not running for re-election, but his partner in the coalition, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, is one of the front-runners.

Why is this election important?

A peaceful vote is crucial to restoring Kenya's reputation as a bastion of stability in the region after the disastrous vote in December 2007.

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The last election was a major setback to the nation and its economy, which analysts had predicted was poised for major growth at the time.

As the largest economy in East Africa, Kenya is a crucial trade route into the rest of the continent and provides an important buffer of stability in a region that includes the fledgling Somali government and the politically tense Sudan and South Sudan.

Kenya is also a major U.S. ally in the war against Islamist militants in Somalia, and the international community is hoping the country does not see a repeat of the violence.

What caused the violence in the last election?

Kibaki is a member of the Kikuyu, the largest of the more than 40 tribes in Kenya. Odinga is a Luo, another prominent tribe.

When Kibaki was declared the winner in the 2007 election, Odinga disputed the result, alleging it was rigged. Opposing protesters loyal to each leader took to the streets, escalating into widespread violence fueled by decades of economic frustration and ethnic rivalry. The violence was not limited to the two groups. Other ethnicities joined in and picked sides, adding to the mayhem.

Supporters battled it out using machetes and other crude weapons in the worst violence since the nation gained its independence from Britain in 1963. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, with some still living as refugees in their own country years later.

After more than a month of negotiations, former United Nations chief Kofi Annan mediated a power-sharing agreement in February 2008, signed by both leaders. It created a prime minister's office for Odinga as part of a coalition government.

"Compromise was necessary for the survival of this country," Annan said at the time.

Any changes to the political system since the last election?

The country is working to heal the ethnic tensions that lingered long after the coalition government was formed. It also has a new constitution, an improved judicial system and a more inclusive electoral commission.

The new constitution does away with the prime minister's office, and will be used for the first time this year. It includes an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which is more diverse, and will be tasked with announcing the official results.

Officials say the new system is more organized and empowers citizens more, encouraging a peaceful vote.

In addition to the system changes, the nation's media council set up rules to help journalists provide objective coverage. In the 2007 election and its aftermath, local radio stations were accused of inciting and spreading hate speech.

To help ensure a legitimate vote, the nation has 22,600 election observers, about 10% of whom are international.

In addition to the changes, those suspected of violence are facing trial at the world tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.

Political leaders reneged on a deal to set up local courts to try those suspects, forcing the International Criminal Court to step in.

Four top officials suspected of perpetrating violence are facing charges at the court, including two candidates -- Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, William Ruto.

What has been done to ensure peace this time around?

Leading up to this election, Kenyans have pledged peace, and candidates held a massive rally in the capital of Nairobi last month and vowed to address any election disputes in court.

Presidential candidates pledged to concede defeat if they lose, and urged their supporters to avoid bloodshed.

Government officials have set up centers to monitor hate speech and any tribal incitement, which was a major cause of violence in the last election.

It has also dispatched thousands of police officers nationwide to boost security, especially in areas most affected in the 2007 election.

In a video message, U.S. President Barack Obama urged Kenyans to put aside tribal rivalries and maintain peace.

"Kenyans have made remarkable progress since the devastating violence that followed the elections five years ago," he said. "Lives and communities have been rebuilt, the economy has rebounded, and Kenyans have peacefully stood together to pass a historic constitution and advance important political reforms.

Though an uneasy calm has returned, Kenyans remain wary.

Some are moving to areas dominated by their own ethnic groups to ensure strength in numbers during the election season.

Though there have been widespread peace efforts, rights groups remain concerned that the underlying issue of tribal rivalry still exists.

Who are the main presidential candidates?

Of the total eight candidates, there are two main front-runners: Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, the sons of the nation's first president and vice president, respectively.

Though Kenyatta and Odinga are the main players, there are eight presidential contenders, including veteran politician Martha Karua, who, if she won, would be the first female president in Kenya.

The five others are Musalia Mudavadi, Peter Kenneth, Mohammed Dida, Paul Muite and James Ole Kiyiapi.

What other elections are being held?

In addition to the presidential poll, voters will also pick senators, governors, members of parliament and county representatives -- all under the new constitution.

The nation of about 40 million has a little more than 14 million registered voters.

What happens after the poll?

The winner must get more than 50% of the total votes to avoid a runoff in April. If there is no second round of voting, a new president will be sworn in later this month.