Fighters in Mali destroy more Timbuktu tombs (Joey D)

Ansar Dine fighters say they are defending the purity of their faith against idol worship [AP]

Al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Mali have bulldozed the tombs of three local Sufi saints near the desert city of Timbuktu, residents said, the latest in a series of attacks in the north that critics say threaten its cultural heritage. Residents on Thursday said the rebels were from Ansar Dine, one of a mixture of groups now in control of northern the country. "They arrived aboard six or seven vehicles, heavily armed," said Garba Maiga, a resident of Timbuktu, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its ancient shrines. "They flattened everything with a bulldozer and pulled up the skeletal remains." The destruction of the tombs follows an attack on another shrine outside Timbuktu at the end of September and several others in July. Residents said the tombs destroyed included those of local saints Cheick Nouh, Cheick Ousmane el Kabir, and Cheick Mohamed Foulani Macina, several kilometres outside of the city gates. A spokesman for Ansar Dine was not available to comment. Power vacuum The fighters say they are defending the purity of their faith against idol worship, though historians say their campaign of destruction is pulverising a valuable part of the history of Islam in Africa. Sufi Islam, which reveres saints and sages with shrines, is popular across much of northern Mali. Mali descended into chaos in March when soldiers toppled the president, leaving a power vacuum that led to armed groups, some allied al-Qaeda, seizing the northern two-thirds of the country. The UN Security Council last week passed a resolution urging African regional groups and the United Nations to present a specific plan within 45 days for military intervention in Mali to help government troops reclaim the north. But diplomats say the challenges of putting together an African force make it unlikely an operation could be mounted before March at the earliest.

SA mine set to fire 12,000 striking workers (Joey D)

More than 12,000 striking workers are set to lose their jobs at a gold mine in South Africa, despite managers' insistence they are still trying to bring an end to the impasse.
Miners at the AngloGold Ashanti facility in Carletonville defied orders to return to work by noon on Wednesday and end a strike called to demand higher pay and better working conditions.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Alan Fine, a spokesman for AngloGold Ashanti, said that the dismissals were "a drawn-out process".

"In the meanwhile, we have been and continue to engage with strike leaders and attempt to reach an agreement for a return to work at the earliest opportunity," he said.

"We think that the improvements we've offered ... that seems to us to be a reasonable basis for a return to work and a return to normality."
But the deal, set out last week, has been rejected by many of the striking workers.
"Management is not prepared to meet us halfway," said miner Rogers Mohlabane. "They are coming with peanuts an
 d workers aren't happy."

Police admit 'overreacting' at Marikana (Joey D)

Police authorities have admitted that they may have been at fault in the Marikana mine shooting, with some officers either overreacting or mistakenly shooting at protesters in response to "friendly-fire".
In an opening statement to the inquiry into the deaths of 34 workers at South Africa's Marikana mine, police officials said that "the response of some police officers may have been disproportionate to the danger they faced from the group of more than 200 armed protesters".
The commission is examining evidence surrounding the events of August 16, when police opened fire on miners engaged in a protracted strike action outside the Lonmin platinum mine. It will consider the role of trade unions, mine bosses and police officers in the shooting, dubbed "the Marikana massacre".
"The police officers are prepared to accept that they may have been responding to 'friendly fire', believing it to be fire from the protesters," said the police statement.
The deaths sparked domestic and international outrage, and added fuel to widespread industrial action across South Africa. Monday's hearing has been seen by many as an attempt by President Jacob Zuma to regain popular support after the outcry.

Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa is attending the hearing in the northwestern town of Rustenburg.
"[The police] have been saying that they followed police guidelines in delaing with public disorder," she reported.

Libyan Forces Take Former Gaddafi Stronghold (T. Griffin)

Libyan forces take former Gaddafi stronghold

Pro-government fighters enter Bani Walid, firing grenades and anti-aircraft weapons in area described as a ghost town   Last Modified: 24 Oct 2012 19:28

Forces loyal to Libya's government have taken control of the former Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid, commanders have said, after weeks of fighting that have underlined the weakness of central authority more than a year after Libya's revolution. Pro-government fighters shouted "Bani Walid is free!" on Wednesday as pick-up trucks mounted with weapons poured into the centre of the isolated hilltop town, one of the last to surrender last year to the rebels who toppled the late Libyan leader. Thousands of people have fled the bloodshed between rival militias this month, and pockets of resistance were still reported on Wednesday on the outskirts of Bani Walid, about 170km south of Tripoli, the capital. Bent on making their mark on a town they say still harbours many of Gaddafi's followers, pro-government forces fired rocket-propelled grenades and anti-aircraft weapons at empty buildings. Heavy gunfire thundered non-stop and smoke billowed over part of the town. The fighters cried "Allahu Akbar!" (God is Great) and "Today Bani Walid is finished!", honking car horns and blasting patriotic music from their trucks. Some of them climbed onto the roof of one building in the ghost town to hoist Libya's tricolour flag and then fired their rifles in the air. Posters of Omran Shaban, a fighter who found Gaddafi hiding in a drainage pipe a year ago, as well as historical Misrata hero Ramadan al-Swehli hung atop one town-centre building. But next to it, a coffee shop stood empty with its plastic chairs still outside, and residents were notably absent from main streets. Freedom "On this day - Oct 24 - Bani Walid is free. There are no more Gaddafi militias inside," said Fathi Shahoud, a commander of Libya Shield, a grouping of militias operating under the umbrella of the defence ministry. "Now we control the city and we will stay to ensure safety." Tarek Nouri Abu-Shabi, a 21-year-old member of the Free Libya militia, said: "The revolutionaries have been in control since yesterday. These are rebels from Misrata, Tripoli and from other places. "There are still small pockets of fighting on the outskirts. We found weapons inside the town." Pro-government forces moved on Bani Walid this month after Shaban died following two months of detention in the town. The standoff highlighted the Tripoli government's inability to reconcile groups with long-running grievances, as well as its failure to bring many of the militias that deposed Gaddafi fully under its control. The pro-government militias set out to find those suspected of abducting and torturing Shaban, and the national congress gave Bani Walid a deadline to hand them over. "The military act is now finished. We now are working to make the city stable and more secure," army chief of staff Youssef al-Mangoush told reporters. "That doesn't mean that there isn't some resistance here or there. Now the government is in charge." He said the pro-government forces had freed a number of people from detention and captured some fighters who used to belong to Gaddafi's son Khamis's brigade. Thousands flee According to the Libyan state news agency, the clashes in Bani Walid killed at least 22 people and injured hundreds. Thousands of families fled, saying there was no water or electricity in the city and a shortage of food and medicine. There were unconfirmed reports on Tuesday of retribution by pro-government forces. "The militias have entered the suburbs with bulldozers and have begun to demolish homes without reason," Abdel-Hamid Saleh, a member of a Bani Walid civil society group, said by phone. "A woman called me yesterday screaming 'They have come for me, they have come for me' in fear. The city is falling on our heads." The Bani Walid General Hospital was evacuated this week when, according to residents, it came under a rocket and mortar barrage. "The patients have been moved to hiding places, homes and mosques because they were under fire in the hospital," tribal elder Mohammed al-Shetwai told the Reuters news agency. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had previously delivered surgical supplies to treat about 100 patients wounded by shooting inside the city, as well as other urgently needed medical supplies.

African Union Reinstates Mali to Organization (T. Griffin)

African Union reinstates Mali to organisation

African Union reinstates country, saying it is preparing plan for armed intervention against Islamist fighters in north. Last Modified: 24 Oct 2012 22:15 inShare2 Email Print Share Feedback

The AU is planning military intervention in northern Mali against occupying Islamist fighters [Al Jazeera]

The African Union (AU) has lifted Mali's suspension from the bloc and said an African plan for military intervention to help the country reclaim territory from Islamist fighters would be ready within weeks. The organisation suspended Mali's membership in March, days after mutinous soldiers staged a coup against then-President Amadou Toumani Toure, and said it would only be reinstated once constitutional order was restored. The West African country, however, remains crippled by twin crises. The leadership in Bamako is still divided after the coup that toppled the president, and the north of the country is occupied by armed groups. Speaking in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, Ramtane Lamamra, AU Peace and Security Commissioner, said: "[The Peace and Security] Council (PSC) decides to lift the suspension of Mali from the activities of the AU. "Mali is therefore invited to participate in full." Lamamra spoke after a meeting of ministers of the AU's PSC which also endorsed a "strategic concept" that outlined measures including elections, and defence and security reforms, to help the return of law and order to Mali. The document said the country's return to the AU fold would help establish an inclusive political authority. "We are working ... to finalise the joint planning for the early deployment of an African-led international military force to help Mali recover the occupied territories in the North," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairwoman of the AU Commission, earlier told the PSC. "At the same time, we will leave the door of dialogue open to those Malian rebel groups willing to negotiate," she said. Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Tuesday that Europe must help restore security in Mali and could lend support through military training to an African-led mission.

Another Journalist Shot dead in Somalia (T. Griffin)

Another journalist shot dead in Somalia

Gunmen kill 25-year-old Ahmed Farah Sakin, latest casualty in string of fatal attacks targeting members of the media.

Somalia is the number two country in the world, behind Iraq, for unsolved journalist killings in recent years [Reuters]

Gunmen have shot dead a 25-year-old Somali journalist in the northern town of Lasanod, the latest of a string of murders targeting reporters and bringing the toll of those killed this year to 16, his colleagues said. Ahmed Farah Sakin, who was working with the London-based Universal TV station, was shot several times by unknown assailants late on Tuesday in the disputed town. "He was heading home in Lasanod when three men armed with hand guns shot him several times. He died instantly and the gunmen escaped," colleague Feysal Jama said on Wednesday. "It's a shocking murder, and part of the anti-media campaign," Abdullahi Ahmed Nor, a fellow journalist, said on Wednesday. "It was a big loss for us, his friends and family." Lasanod straddles the border between the self-declared independent state of Somaliland and the semi-autonomous Puntland region. It is controlled by Somaliland authorities, but is a volatile and tense region. The attack comes a day after gunmen seriously wounded a reporter in Somalia's war-ravaged capital Mogadishu, where reporters have faced repeated attacks. "We are really shocked because he becomes the first journalist to be killed in Lasanod. Something that has happened in Mogadishu looks like it has shifted here now," added Jama. 'Hide behind their positions' Local police official Dahir Adan confirmed the killing, and said that while police were investigating the attack, no arrests had been made. "Everyone knows in Somalia that you can kill a journalist and there will be no repercussions," said Tom Rhodes of the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The other problem is that some of the perpetrators of these murders may very well be those in authority so they can hide behind their positions." Press rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called 2012 the "deadliest year" on record for Somalia, surpassing 2009 - when nine died. Several killings are blamed on al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab insurgents, but other murders are also believed to be linked to struggles within the multiple factions in power. Somalia has been one of the most dangerous places to operate as a journalist this year. A campaign targeting journalists has accelerated and no suspects have been arrested for any of the crimes. Most of the killings have taken place in the capital, but the latest murder could be a sign that media deaths are spreading. Somalia is the number two country in the world, behind only Iraq, for unsolved journalist killings in recent years, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Nigerian soldiers 'killed by Boko Haram' in Potiskum

The town has seen days of violence, with 31 reported killed and hundreds of residents fleeing since Thursday.
Meanwhile, China has lodged a diplomatic protest against the killing of a Chinese construction worker in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and impose Sharia law.
On Friday, the army said it had detained a senior commander of the group, Shuaibu Muhammed Bama, at a senator's home in Maiduguri, which is where Boko Haram was founded.
The claim has fuelled suspicion that politicians are helping the militants.
BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross reports that the conflict in Potiskum has reached an unprecedented level, with gunfights, bombings and targeted killings.

African Miner Plans Mass Layoffs

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa's biggest gold miner by output, AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., ANG.JO +0.31% said Wednesday it will begin a process to dismiss about 12,000 workers, following in the footsteps of other mining companies desperate to end crippling strikes.
If AngloGold follows through on its threat, it means more than 35,000 mining workers at several companies have been dismissed for illegally striking in recent weeks. The mass firings have prompted criticism from unions and the government, but so far have not provoked a repeat of the violence that sparked national labor unrest in South Africa in August.
Nevertheless, the dispute is hurting output at a time when the mining industry is facing falling commodity prices and rising costs.

At least 24 dead after northeast Nigeria violence

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Fighting between Nigeria’s military and the radical Islamist sect Boko Haram killed at least 24 people in a northeast Nigerian city that remains in the grip of violence, witnesses and officials said Tuesday.

Soldiers dropped off 24 corpses at the Borno State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, where explosions and gunfire rang out into the night Monday, a worker there said. Most of the dead wore the long, flowing robes favored by Boko Haram members and soldiers identified the dead as suspected members, the worker said. However, there was no independent investigation immediately carried out Tuesday to determine their identities.

The worker spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of angering either the military or the sect.

Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, a military spokesman in the city, said the dead were all Boko Haram members. However, the military routinely claims everyone it kills belongs to the sect, despite incidents where dozens of civilians have been killed by soldiers.

Guinea-Bissau accuses Portugal of coup bid

Guinea-Bissau has accused Portugal, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and a former prime minister, of backing a coup bid after a gunbattle that claimed at least six lives.
Gunmen staged a pre-dawn raid on the barracks of an elite army unit near the capital's airport on Sunday, sparking a firefight in the latest unrest to blight the chronically unstable country.
"The government considers Portugal, the CPLP and Carlos Gomes Junior as the instigators of this attempt at destabilisation," a government statement, read out by Communications Minister Fernando Vaz, said.
Its aim had been to overthrow the transitional government, undermine the political process, bring Gomes Junior back to power and justify an international "stabilisation" force, the statement added.
Witnesses said the raid had been led by Captain Pansau N'Tchama, the head of a commando unit that assassinated president Joao Bernardo Vieira in 2009.

Benin uncovers 'plot to poison' president

Benin authorities have arrested President Thomas Boni Yayi's doctor, his niece and a former minister over an alleged plot to poison the leader, the public prosecutor said.
Justin Gbenameto told journalists on Monday that prosecutors "have requested their indictment for criminal conspiracy and attempted assassination of the head of state," who is also the chairman of the African Union.

Those arrested on Sunday included Moudjaidou Soumanou, former minister of commerce; Ibrahim Mama Cisse, Yayi's personal doctor; and Zouberath Kora-Seke, one of Yayi's nieces, who worked at the presidency.
"Thankfully, the plot was not successful," said Gbenameto. "Zouberath spoke about it with her sister and others, and it was those people who warned the head of state."
The 60-year-old Yayi is an economist who first took office in 2006 and won re-election last year.
It was alleged that the president's niece and his doctor were promised $2 million to replace Yayi's anti-pain medicine with poison.

Deadly attack on Guinea-Bissau army barracks (Joey D)

At least six people have been killed in a firefight after gunmen attacked an army barracks in Guinea-Bissau, military sources said.

They claim the army repelled Sunday's pre-dawn attack just outside the capital Bissau, killing six "rebels".

The fighting lasted for two hours early on Sunday before the rebel troops were defeated by security forces, a military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

There is no indication if any senior officers were involved in the uprising.

Heightened tensions

The raid is likely to further heighten tensions in the West African nation, where the military seized power in a coup in April.

The UN Security Council has recently demanded that Guinea-Bissau's rulers restore constitutional rule [AFP]

Guinea-Bissau was just weeks away from holding a presidential runoff election when soldiers attacked the front-runner's home and arrested him along with the country's interim president on April 12.
No leader in nearly 40 years of independence has finished his time in office in Guinea-Bissau, a former Portuguese colony on Africa's western coast that has long been plagued by coups.
Following the April coup, military leaders agreed with 26 fringe parties to establish a National Transitional Council to rule the country for two years.
But ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, rejected that agreement and instead demanded a 12-month transition that would include the coup leaders in key positions and culminate in a presidential election.
ECOWAS leaders also authorised the deployment of a 600-strong standby force.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly in May that he was concerned about reports of human rights violations by the military junta.
"Let me speak clearly: those responsible for the coup and subsequent violations of human rights will be held accountable by the international community," he said.

SA Gold Mine Sacks 8500 Strikers

(T. Griffin)

South African gold mine sacks 8,500 strikers

More than 8,000 striking South African gold miners have been sacked after refusing to return to work, mine owners say.

Gold Fields said workers at the KDC East mine had ignored a final deadline set for 16:00 (14:00 GMT).

Last week, some 11,000 miners at Gold Fields' KDC West mine heeded a company ultimatum and returned to work.

South Africa's mining sector has been hit by a wave of recent unrest which has left almost 50 people dead.

Most strikes have been over pay, although the stoppage at KDC East - at Carletonville west of Johannesburg - relates to a local trade union dispute not wages.

"All 8,500 people who were on strike did not come back," spokesman Sven Lunsche told AFP news agency.

"They did not return to work, so we have issued dismissal letters to all of them."

He said the miners had 24 hours to appeal against their dismissal.

"We have now reached a stage where we can't hold off any more. Our hands were forced and we have now done it," Mr Lunsche said.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely and have police on standby but it has been very quiet.

Court ruling

Gold Fields had issued a final ultimatum to employees to present themselves for work starting with the night shift on Monday 22 October and the morning and afternoon shifts on Tuesday, or face immediate dismissal.

It had secured a court order ruling the strike illegal.
The unrest in South Africa's mining sector - one of the world's biggest - has badly hit the country's economy, with the rand losing value and its credit rating downgraded.
President Jacob Zuma has urged workers to return to work and asked company executives to freeze their pay.
Mr Zuma has also set up a judicial commission of inquiry into the killings of 44 people at the Marikana mine, 34 of whom were shot by police.
The investigation will determine the roles played by the police, the management of the platinum mine, Lonmin, the unions and government.
The shootings in August provoked widespread shock in South Africa and a wave of industrial unrest.

U.S. troops to Uganda: Obama gets one right

(Daniel G)

One other thing: The White House announced we're putting boots on the ground in sub-Saharan Africa.

President Obama notified Congress that he's sending about 100 combat-equipped troops to advise African forces on how best to kill or capture (but hopefully kill) one of the truly hideous villains breathing today, Joseph Kony, and destroy his militia cult, the Lord's Resistance Army.

And Obama is absolutely right to do it.

The news was so sudden, unexpected and just plain odd that the reaction from both left and right has been hurried and confused. Many claims are simply wrong. For instance, the LRA is not a "Christian" militia. The LRA routinely burns down churches and slaughters the congregants, but usually not before raping and mutilating them.

Mr. Kony is a classic example of the charismatic terrorist cult leader. He blends indigenous witchcraft with bits of Christianity and Islam (soldiers pray the rosary and bow to Mecca) to brainwash his uneducated, terrified flock of hostages and child soldiers, many of whom were forced to murder their own parents.

Here's a graphic passage from a 2006 report from Christianity Today on the LRA:

"Under threat of death, LRA child soldiers attack villages, shooting and cutting off people's lips, ears, hands, feet, or breasts, at times force-feeding the severed body parts to victims' families. Some cut open the bellies of pregnant women and tear their babies out. Men and women are gang-raped. As a warning to those who might report them to Ugandan authorities, they bore holes in the lips of victims and padlock them shut. Victims are burned alive or beaten to death with machetes and clubs. The murderous task is considered properly executed only when the victim is mutilated beyond recognition."

It's also worth noting that Obama is acting in compliance with a bill unanimously passed by both houses of Congress in 2009, which called for the president to take steps to "mitigate and eliminate the threat to civilians and regional stability posed by the Lord's Resistance Army."

Obama says that he's sending troops to protect our national security. Yes, the LRA is a terrorist group, but it's not at war with us. One could argue that improving our standing in Africa, particularly given China's rising influence and jihadism's spread, is a worthy foreign policy goal. But that's all a stretch, given Obama's past skepticism toward interventionism (as a presidential candidate, he said it was worth risking a potential genocide in Iraq to pull our troops as quickly as possible) and his almost incomprehensibly incoherent principles for where we should intervene (Libya, Yemen) and where we should not (Iran, Syria).

No, this is really just do-goodery, pure and simple.

And for that reason, the only serious argument against the deployment is that our troops are spread too thin to be distracted by charity work. It's a fair argument, and one that will rightly come up again when Democrats lobby for debilitating defense cuts.

Still, assuming the military can handle the load and the strategy's been properly vetted, the only reasons for the White House to be embarrassed have to do with its own convoluted rationales, precedents and political constituencies.

Under President George W. Bush, critics might have called this sort of thing an instance of "cowboy foreign policy." I never understood why the term was an insult. Cowboys do good when they can and where they can. They may not go looking for trouble, but they don't hide from it either. Yes, in movies and books, cowboys usually only shoot when somebody else has shot at them first. But every now and then a villain comes along who is so vile, so repugnant, so contrary to decency that the cowboy does what he has to do on the grounds that some men just need killing.

Joseph Kony strikes me as such a man.

Ghana losing the corruption fight- Vitus Azeeem

Ghana losing the corruption fight- Vitus Azeeem -Zach J

An allegation of corruption preferred against two directors at the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana has been described as an affront to the country's efforts at minimizing, if not completely eliminating corruption in the public service.

The police on Monday, arrested two directors at the Electoral Commission for allegedly taking GHC1, 600 bribe from the flag bearer of the New Vision party, Prophet Daniel Nkansah.

The two are Mr. Isaac Kofi Asumani Director of Elections, and Asante Kissi, Director of Elections in charge of logistics.

Mr. Asumani has since denied the allegation. The two are currently on police enquiry bail pending investigations.

But the Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, a local chapter of Transparency International, Vitus Azeem, says it appears Ghana is not winning the fight against corruption in the face of recent happenings.

The allegations, according to him, were worrying, especially as the country goes into elections in December. He spoke to The Chronicle in a telephone interview yesterday.

He admitted that such practices are likely to happen in any institution, but tasked the Electoral Commission to set up an internal enquiry into the allegation, and not be seen as defending the officials named so as to maintain the integrity of the Commission.

FMs of Iran, Central African Republic Meet in Tehran

FMs of Iran, Central African Republic Meet in Tehran -Zach J

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Regional Integration and Francophone Affairs of the Central African Republic Antoine Gambi in a meeting in Tehran explored avenues for the further expansion of the two countries' relations.

Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting here in Tehran on Sunday, Gambi said that he and Salehi conferred on Iran's assistance to the Central African Republic in transportation and health affairs. He expressed the hope that trade and economic relations between Iran and his country would further increase. Elsewhere, Gambi pointed to smuggling and drug-trafficking in the Northern regions of Mali, and said, "The developments there are a source of global concern and the situation in that region is worrying." Gambi pointed to the international community and the African Union's efforts to resolve the problems in Mali, and stated, "Mali is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and we should take action to protect the country's territorial integrity." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's administration has striven hard to maximize relations with the African continent.

Hearings for Burkina Faso-Niger border case end at UN International Court of Justice

Hearings for Burkina Faso-Niger border case end at UN International Court of Justice -Zach J

17 October 2012 – The West African countries of Burkina Faso and Niger today completed the presentation of their respective cases in a border dispute to the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is expected to issue its judgment within four to six months.

The Hague-based ICJ, also known as the World Court, has been asked to delineate the border between the two nations from the so-called Tong-Tong marker to the start of the Botou bend. During the hearings, Burkina Faso explained that the delimitation of the disputed part should be based on a 1927 French colonial decree, when both countries were part of French West Africa, while Niger contended that the decree was not precise enough to define the frontier in certain areas and asked the Court to delimit it by using a 1960 map of the French Institut Géographique as adjusted with factual evidence of territorial sovereignty.

Government will standardize basic school fees

-Zach J

Tarkwa, Oct 22, GNA – The government would soon standardize school fees at the basic and senior high levels to eliminate all illegitimate fees being charged in most of the public schools, President John Dramani Mahama, has said.

He said the current situation where some heads of schools decide on their own to charge parents was not only unacceptable but inimical to the progress of poor but brilliant children.

President Mahama said this  when he addressed students of the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa as part of his five-day campaign tour of the Western Region.

President Mahama said most parents preferred private schools to public ones on account of the quality the former had over the later and promised to expand facilities and provide all the logistics that would enhance the performance of public schools.

He promised to expedite action on the construction of projects at the University adding “Mining is one of the critical areas in this country, considering the fact that it contributes greatly to our earnings.”

The President called on the management of the university to present to the government the architectural drawings of all their projects for government to have ample knowledge of their needs before intervening.

Professor Samuel Yaw Kumah, the Vice Chancellor, commended the government for the numerous facilities it benefitted from and appealed for 0million to undertake more projects.

South Africa mining giant sacks 12,000 strikers

Mining company Anglo American Platinum got tough on strikers in South Africa on Friday, announcing it was sacking 12,000 workers. The move only seems likely to inflame labour unrest in the country, which has left dozens dead in recent months.

Tensions between mine owners and workers in South Africa heightened on Friday when 12,000 staff were sacked for taking part in an illegal strike.
The world’s biggest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum, said it had fired the workers after reporting their walkout had cost the company around $82 million in lost output.
The miners failed to appear for disciplinary proceedings “and have therefore been dismissed in their absence”, AFP reported.
The uncertainty of the platinum mining industry combined with the ongoing unrest means Friday’s move has not come out of the blue to many in South Africa.

“This country is quite used to large figures like this, even if 12,000 seems shocking by European standards,” the Independent’s Cape Town correspondent Alex Duval Smith told FRANCE 24. “There are 125,000 people employed in the industry.”

Can 2012 Offer a Happy Ending for Somalie?

Think of Somalia as a child ruled by irresponsible parents, with the UN as its social services. Jamal Osman asks if the strife-torn country can convince investors it is now ready to look after itself.
Since the beginning of the year, Somalis have been saying: “This is our year.”
They wanted a change, saw the chance, and overcame the first obstacle. With a new president, prime minister and parliament in place, the situation looks promising for the first time in over two decades.
Somalis are tired of the conflict and are generally willing to solve their differences peacefully. More importantly, the timing couldn’t be better.
For decades, with the help of the west, neighbouring countries – especially Ethiopia and Kenya – have been working against the interest of the Somali people. After all, they funded, trained and armed the rebel groups that overthrew the last functioning government of Somalia, in 1991.
And they continue their obstruction by supporting various warlords and clan militias. Simply, they want a weak and divided nation, and to some extent have achieved that. You may ask yourself: why?

Nigerian army denies killing civilians

The Nigerian army has denied its soldiers killed 35 people in the northern city of Maiduguri on Monday.
Witnesses said troops opened fire after a bomb blast struck a military convoy and that soldiers whipped residents before going on a shooting spree, and nurses in the Umaru Shehu hospital said 30 of the dead were in civilian clothes, while another five wore military uniforms.
"There was no incident involving the killing of 30 civilians," Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for a military joint task force in Borno state, where Maiduguri is the capital, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Africa facing intensified 'food crisis'

Maplecroft says that there are rising concerns of a repeat of the 2007-2008 food crisis [AFP]

Seventy-five per cent of countries on the African continent and several Arab countries face an impending food crisis, a new study has revealed.
Maplecroft’s Food Security Risk Index, a report released on Wednesday, found that in a survey of 197 countries worldwide, up to 39 of the 59 most at risk of food insecurity were African countries.
"Although a food crisis has not emerged yet, there is potential for food-related upheaval across the most vulnerable regions," including sub-Saharan African and Arab states, Helen Hodge, head of maps and indices at Maplecroft, said.
Maplecroft said that low crop yields had pushed global food prices up by six per cent in July 2012, raising concerns of a repeat of the 2007/2008 food crisis.
The crisis had culminated in a series of food riots across several countries, including Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Mexico, Senegal and Yemen.

Equatorial Guinea takes France to court over corruption inquiry

                                                                                                              (Daniel G)

Equatorial Guinea has requested the International Court of Justice to order France to end a graft probe into leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema's family. The move comes after France seized a multi-million euro Paris mansion belonging to the family in July.

Equatorial Guinea has asked the International Court of Justice to order France to end a graft probe into leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema's family, a lawyer for the oil-rich African nation said Wednesday.
"The republic of Equatorial Guinea has referred the matter to the world's highest court in order to prohibit any interference by France in the affairs of Equatorial Guinea and to compel France to stop all prosecutions and investigations against its highest officials," lawyer Olivier Metzner told news agency AFP.
The ICJ confirmed the move, saying Malabo had filed a suit on Monday asking it to "put an end to these breaches of international law" by asking France to "bring a halt to (the) criminal proceedings."
However, France's consent is required before the case can be taken up, which Equatorial Guinea said "will certainly be given," according to the ICJ statement.
The move follows the seizure by France in July of a Paris mansion, reportedly worth more than 100 million euros ($130 million), in connection with an investigation into the president's son, Teodorin Obiang.
The six-storey mansion on the chic Avenue Foch in the 16th district was earlier raided in February, when police removed vanloads of possessions including paintings by famous artists, a clock worth an estimated three million euros and wines worth thousands of euros a bottle.
In September last year, 11 of the Obiang family's luxury cars, including Ferraris and Bugattis, were also seized in Paris as part of the investigation.
French investigators in July issued an international arrest warrant for Teodorin Obiang as part of an embezzlement probe, but his lawyers have said the president's son benefits from diplomatic immunity.
Equatorial Guinea has protested against the seizure saying the mansion was "a state building for diplomatic use."
The ICJ statement said Malabo also wanted The Hague-based court to "take all measures to nullify the effects of the arrest warrant against the second vice-president of Equatorial Guinea."
Teodorin Obiang has since May been second vice-president of the country, which has been ruled with an iron fist since 1979 by his father.
French investigating magistrates have since 2010 been probing the source of money spent in France by Obiang, Congo-Brazzaville's President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and Omar Bongo, the late president of Gabon.
The charges were brought by Transparency International, an anti-corruption campaign group which alleges several African leaders and their relatives spent state funds from their countries on lavish purchases in France.
Equatorial Guinea's main opposition parties have accused the veteran president -- who recently marked 33 years in power and is Africa's longest-standing head of state -- of lining up his son to succeed him.
(AFP)

ERHC Energy Inc. Shareholders Approve Plan to Fund Accelerated African Oil Exploration Programs

                                                                                                                               (Daniel G)

Companies:

• ERHC Energy Inc.

 

HOUSTON, Oct. 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shareholders of ERHC Energy Inc. (ERHE), a publicly traded American company with oil and gas assets in Sub-Saharan Africa, have voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Company's proposals that will enable fund raising for oil and gas exploration in the Company's highly prospective acreages in East, Central and West Africa. At a shareholders' meeting held in Houston on October 9, 2012 to consider the proposals, ERHC's management announced plans to raise up to $45 million for exploration work programs in Kenya's Block 11A and Chad's BDS 2008.

Shareholders approved a proposal to amend ERHC's Restated Articles of Incorporation to increase the number of shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue by a vote of 511,885,807 (in favor) to 72,521,768 (against). Shareholders also voted to authorize ERHC's Board to issue Preferred Stock by a vote of 341,858,523 (in favor) to 25,394,276 (against).
ERHC expects to begin exploration operations in Kenya's Block 11A by the end of calendar year 2012. The main surface feature of Block 11A is the Lotikipi plain. The proximity and in-trend relationship between the Lotikipi plain and the Abu Gabra Rift basins of southern Sudan, which are established petroleum provinces, suggest high oil and gas prospectivity.
ERHC is planning for exploration operations to commence in Chad by early 2013. The Company plans to focus initially on its 100 percent interest in BDS 2008 which is on trend with the Doba Basin oilfield that holds significant discoveries and sources of current oil production in Chad.
"We are very excited that our shareholders have given us the financial flexibility needed to move our current assets forward and seize new opportunities that align with our ambitious growth plans," said president and CEO Peter Ntephe. "We are proceeding quickly with fund raising for the aggressive work programs that we intend to roll out in Kenya and Chad."
Management also announced plans to undertake a rights offering as part of the fund-raising strategy. The rights offering will give existing shareholders the right to purchase newly issued shares of common stock in proportion to their existing holding. Terms of a rights offering are expected before the end of the year. A rights offering gives shareholders the opportunity to participate fully in the Company's growth while avoiding the dilutive effects of issuing additional shares.
In addition to its oil and gas exploration interests in the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Chad, the Company holds interests in the Sao Tome and Principe Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Zone (JDZ).

World Bank predicts positive growth for Ghana

World Bank predicts positive growth for Ghana (zach J)

The World Bank is projecting that Ghana’s economy will be the fifth fastest growing economy in sub-Saharan Africa in 2012.

The bank has also forecast that annualise growth will average at a little over seven per cent in the year and will be greatly influenced by the present firming prices of gold and other minerals, cocoa and crude which are the key drivers of the country’s export earnings.

It, however, did not mention the exact growth rate for the country.

The bank’s forecast comes weeks after provisional GDP figures from the Ghana Statistical Service showed that the economy will grow at 7.1 per cent in 2012 as against the government’s projected 9.4 per cent growth in 2012.

Sierra Leone is expected to grow at 25 per cent in 2012 and consequently become the fastest in the region in the year, the bank said in its latest report, Africa’s Pulse, released on Thursday.

Sierra Leone’s projected growth rate, if achieved, will become the highest annualised growth in the country’s economic history.

Niger, Angola, China and Rwanda are expected to be the second, third and fourth fastest growing economies in 2012, the report added.

According to the bank, countries in sub-Saharan Africa, minus South Africa, will grow at 4.8 per cent in 2011, compared to last year’s growth rate of 4.9 per cent.

The report noted that the region’s 2012 growth rate would be buoyed by the present rising commodity prices on the international market.

Nigerian Soldiers Kill dozens of Civilians

Nigerian soldiers kill dozens of civilians (T. Griffin)

More than 30 people shot dead in northeastern city of Maiduguri after an army lieutenant was killed in bomb attack. Last Modified: 09 Oct 2012 14:10

The killings are likely stoke anger in a population already alienated by checkpoints and security force harassment [EPA]

Nigerian soldiers have shot dead more than 30 civilians in the northeastern city of Maiduguri after a bomb blast struck their convoy, nurses at the hospital that received the bodies said. Monday's attack was carried out by soldiers attached to a special army unit policing Maiduguri. The nurses in the Umaru Shehu hospital said 30 of the dead were in civilian clothes, while another five wore military uniforms. "They brought in so many dead bodies. They were more than 30 civilians, in civilian dress. We counted five dead soldiers as well," a nurse, who declined to be named, said. Most had died of gunshot wounds, she added. The killings are likely to stoke anger in a population already alienated by checkpoints, security force harassment and the threat of being killed by soldiers who are targets of Boko Haram's increasingly bloody attacks, AP reported. It said its reporter in Maiduguri counted the dead while on a tour of the still-smouldering neighbourhood on Monday afternoon. The journalist saw no weapons or evidence that the dead belonged to Boko Haram, which has concentrated its attacks mainly in the predominantly Muslim north. A soldier nearby, who did not identify himself, claimed the attack was a response to a bombing nearby on Monday that he said killed an army lieutenant. "They killed our officer!" the soldier shouted. "We had no options!" Al Jazeera's Yvonne Ndege, reporting from the capital Abuja, quoted an army spokesman as saying that "there was an attack on an armed patrol vehicle in which it is believed two to four soldiers were killed". "The spokesperson did not give exact figures - he said that they [soldiers] did sustain casualties and that there were some injured security personnel," she said. Homes burnt The AP reporter said he saw about 50 homes as well as businesses burnt by soldiers. The premises are near the Nigerian Union of Journalists state office and other buildings in Maiduguri. It appeared the soldiers attacked the area using assault rifles and heavy machine guns mounted on armoured personnel carriers, the AP reported. Rounds shot from the heavy machine guns destroyed cars and set roofs on fire, which razed buildings and caused damage at a two-story shopping complex. The journalist accompanied Zanna Umar Mustapha, the deputy governor of Borno state, on the tour. State officials declined to comment about the killings and urged those traveling with the convoy not to take photographs of the destruction out of fear of further alienating those living in the region. Nigeria's military has been accused of committing so-called "extrajudicial killings" while in pursuit of Boko Haram. The military now routinely claims massive operations with dozens of people killed, always referred to as Boko Haram members or sympathisers, announcements that cannot be independently verified. The military also downplays its own casualties suffered during the operations. Boko Haram has killed both Christians and Muslims in their attacks, as well as soldiers and security forces.

South Africa Acts Tough Over Miners' Strike

South Africa acts tough over miners' strike (T. Griffin)

Justice Minister announces a crackdown on "illegal gatherings" following five weeks of industrial action by miners. Last Modified: 14 Sep 2012 17:36

Negotiations with striking miners had restarted on Thursday at a site near the Lonmin mine [EPA]

The South African government has announced a security clampdown in a bid to deal with five weeks of industrial action that has hit the country's platinum sector. Hours after the announcement on Friday, South African media reports said police fired tear gas to disperse striking miners outside an Aquarius Platinum mine near Rustenburg, north-west of Johannesburg. Justice Minister Jeff Radebe announced a crackdown on "illegal gatherings" and the carrying of weapons, but failed to say how the police would put it into effect. Radebe told reporters the government would no longer tolerate the illegal protests where miners brandish machetes, knives, spears and clubs. Such marches have become daily events as the strike at Lonmin PLC platinum mine enters its fifth week. "Our government is making a clarion call to all South African to desist from all these illegal acts and must work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that this situation is brought to normality," he said. Meanwhile, at the Aquarius Platinum mine, police dispersed protesters who had marched from Anglo American Platinum's (Amplats) Blesbok stadium, demanding that Aquarius close down operations, media reports said. Aquarius Platinum said on Friday that it was temporarily suspending its mining operations. But operations were expected to recommence on Sunday. "The decision to suspend mining operations has been taken to ensure the safety and security of employees and assets given the rising tensions and protests within the regional workforce and communities," a statement from the mine said. Talks continue The nearby Lonmin operated Marikana mine has been closed for more than a month, after 45 people died in strike related violence there, and Amplats also suspended its operations on Wednesday. In Depth   In pictures: Marikana miners   Q&A: Legal implications for S African miners   Can Zuma survive?   Mine Shooting: Who is to blame?   Unrest spreads   Will Marikana resurrect Julius Malema?   Has the post-Apartheid bubble burst?   South Africans react to mining 'massacre   S Africa miners complain of 'living hell' The wave of labour unrest in Africa's biggest economy has spiralled beyond the control of the government and unions into a grass-roots rebellion by black South Africans who have seen little improvement in their lives since apartheid ended 18 years ago. Negotiations continued for a second day at a site near the Lonmin mine, when workers, bosses and unions sat down to try and hammer out a wage agreement. Lonmin on Friday offered to increase striking workers' salaries to less than half their demanded basic wage, despite calls for a national strike in the sector, deepening an industrial crisis that has escalated over the past few months. National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) General Secretary Frans Baleni said Lonmin had proposed a pay hike for entry-level workers to around 5,500 rand ($660) from 4,600 rand - a fraction of the 12,500 rand demanded by the workers. "We are not interested," striker representative Molifi Phele said as hundreds demonstrators chanted and danced around him in the heart of the 'platinum belt'. "What he is offering cannot buy you anything. All we want is 12,500." The miners at Lonmin's Marikana operations in the heart of the platinum belt near Rustenburg, 100km northwest of Johannesburg, have refused to go back to work until they receive a basic pay hike to 12,500 rand. 'Unpredictable' situation Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from Marikana said the Lonmin offer was met with "audible groans" from the miners. "The scale of the offer is clearly unacceptable. It was just not enough compared to what they are asking for, which is roughly $1,500 [per month]. It fell far short of that. "The message here is that they will hold out until they get the whole $1,500 per month. Some said they will go to  loan sharks in order to send money home. In all, it was not a positive move today in Marikana," she said. On Thursday, the first day of negotiations, Page said it was a bit of a breakthrough that the miners and Lonmin were talking again, even though the process could go on for a few days until an agreement was reached. Baleni admitted it was unclear whether talks would succeed in an atmosphere poisoned by the police killing of 34 miners last month. "It's a very unpredictable situation. In normal negotiations you go there knowing that it is give and take. In this instance it's difficult for us to predict the reaction," he said. On Thursday, protest leader Mametlwe Sebei told the crowd at the Blesbok stadium rally that miners would begin a general strike on Sunday. The action was designed to "bring the mining companies to their knees", he said. The strikers insisted their push for a sharp hike in wages was peaceful. "There should be no blood," one placard read. South African President Jacob Zuma said on Thursday that illegal strikes and intimidation spreading through the mining industry would not help workers and make the "country worse off". Speaking to parliament, the president said that strikers' concerns should be addressed within South Africa's labour relations framework.

Kenya wary of being seen as an occupying force in Somalia port

Kenya wary of being seen as an occupying force in Somalia port (Zach J)

KISMAYU, Somalia (Reuters) - From the rooftop of Kismayu's rundown port, Kenyan troops scoured the waters across to the southern Somali city, part of an operation to flush out rebel remnants after al Qaeda-backed militants fled last week from their last major stronghold.

While Somali government troops and militia fighters allied to Mogadishu patrol Kismayu's sandy streets, Kenya's army is mostly camped out at outlying sites, keen not to alarm a population that traditionally opposes foreign intervention.

"We don't want to be seen as an occupying force," Colonel Cyrus Oguna, a Kenyan army spokesman, told a Reuters reporter travelling with Kenyan forces.

The allied forces attacked Kismayu by sea, land and air last week, storming a wide, windswept bay where on Friday a beached merchant vessel waited to disgorge its military cargo.

Al Shabaab fighters fled the city a week ago, leaving behind a small number of militants to carry out suicide bombings, hit-and-run grenade attacks and targeted shootings, Oguna said.

"(Locals) are afraid to show signs of happiness. Their silence tells you very loudly that al Shabaab still lurk in the shadows," Oguna said.

After Kenyan attack, Somali militants abandon city

After Kenyan attack, Somali militants abandon city (Zach J)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Al-Shabab rebels pulled out of a key port city in southern Somalia, the group said Saturday, a day after Kenyan troops invaded and marched toward the city center and seaside port that long served as the militants' key source of funding, officials said.
Residents in Kismayo said they woke to find police and government headquarters abandoned by the militants, sparking a looting spree of the government and police headquarters.
"They withdrew from here last night. The town is not under anyone's control now," Mohamed Hassan, a resident, said. "People feel some relief now. We hope no more fighting will take place."
The withdrawal came about 24 hours after Kenyan forces made a beach landing and as inland troops from Somalia and Kenya moved toward the port city from the west.
"Looting and chaos is going on here. Thugs are taking advantage of the vacuum," Maryan Hussein, another resident, said. "The abandoned houses are being ransacked and the streets are occupied by people carrying belongings."

Kenya’s military has proven its might in Somalia

Kenya’s military has proven its might in Somalia  (Zach J)

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 9 – “Ukiona simba amenyeshewa mvua, usifikiri ni paka (If you see a lion that’s been soaked in rain, do not mistake it for a cat) – these are the words Kenya’s military chief General Julius Karangi chose to use on Tuesday to describe his gallant soldiers fighting in Somalia.

“Everyone who thought we are just an occupational force has seen for themselves,” Karangi said, admitting: “We had been taken for granted for long.”
The Kenyan soldiers have been praised both locally and internationally – but the most touching praise came from school children who sent them handwritten poems penned on July 30 and delivered to the KDF headquarters on Tuesday.
“When David went to face Goliath, he went unarmed. He was only a small boy who came out victorious,” Cecilia of Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School said in one of the poems to be delivered to the soldiers who are still celebrating the capture of Kismayu, a stronghold of the militant group which had wrecked havoc in Kenya before the soldiers drove them away.
Another letter written by Joy prayed for the soldiers’ safety saying “Nevertheless, we hope you all come back safe and sound and unharmed.”
At least 3,000 of the militants have been killed since the security operation targeting them started a year ago – many of them shot in the battlefield where they sought to protect their territories before KDF overpowered their rag tag command.

Kenya Eyes Somalia Peace Dividend

Kenya eyes Somalia peace dividend (T. Griffin)

SUMMARY

• Experts said Kenya was well positioned to reap peace dividends from the establishment of a stable government in Mogadishu due to the historical ties and sharing of a border
• Kenya is the third largest exporter of goods to the country, accounting for 7.3 per cent, after Djibouti’s 27.8 per cent and India’s 13.7 per cent
• Transport minister Amos Kimunya last week said that among the benefits Kenya would get is increased business at the port of Mombasa as shipping companies that had re-routed their freight to other ports return after the wiping out of piracy

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Kenya is expected to gain from increased trade and reconstruction after a stable government is established in Somalia following 21 years of fighting that has left that country basically operating an informal economy.

Experts said Kenya was well positioned to reap peace dividends from the establishment of a stable government in Mogadishu due to the historical ties and sharing of a border.

The Kenya Defence Forces, acting under Amison, captured Kismayu, the last frontier in the liberation of Somalia from the grasp of Al-Shabab militia, heralding a new era of opportunities in a country that has operated without a central government for two decades.

“When the reconstruction starts in large scale, there will be significant financial outflows that could in the short-term be disruptive but the bigger picture is that it will translate to business for many Kenyans,” said Mr Gitau Githogo, an economist.

He noted that Kenyans were well positioned to trade with Somalia, and with highly skilled personnel, many will find niches in that country.

“Despite lack of effective government, Somalia has maintained a healthy informal economy largely based on livestock, remittances, money transfer companies, and telecommunications,” said the Central Intelligence Agency on its website.

The country received $1.6 billion in remittances in 2010 from its citizens who fled the country over the years due to insecurity.

Kenya is the third largest exporter of goods to the country, accounting for 7.3 per cent, after Djibouti’s 27.8 per cent and India’s 13.7 per cent. According to 2010 estimates by CIA, the country imported goods worth $1.263 billion.

Transport minister Amos Kimunya last week said that among the benefits Kenya would get is increased business at the port of Mombasa as shipping companies that had re-routed their freight to other ports return after the wiping out of piracy.

He said insurance premiums and security costs had started to decline after piracy attacks declined in the first half of this year to 69 compared to 163 registered in the same period last year.

Although no immediate statistics are available, the Kenya Revenue Authority is expected to get more revenue after the cutting-off tax evasion that has been going on taking advantage of the porous border and lack of government in Somalia.

According to the Kenya Bureau of Statistics, exports to Somalia have doubled in the past five years from Sh8.3 billion to Sh16.6 billion, mostly dominated by miraa, which is widely used in the country.

On the other hand, imports have grown significantly from a measly Sh12.1 million to Sh143.9 million over the same period.

There is expected expansion of agriculture in Somalia that could improve food security in North Eastern Kenya through trading.

“With peace in Somalia, we expect the ships to resume the shorter route that they abandoned due to piracy. This will reduce sailing time by between three to four weeks and eventually we expect the tariffs to come down and the number of maritime tourists to increase,” said Mr Gilbert Langat, chief executive of the Kenya Shippers Council. This might translate to lower commodity prices.

Kenyan MPs' Propesed Pay Rise Sparks Protest

Kenyan MPs' proposed pay rise sparks protest (posted by T. Griffin)

Parliament passes vote for $110,000 sendoff bonus for MPs who are already some of the best paid legislators in Africa. Last Modified: 09 Oct 2012 15:51

The demonstrators carried placards with messages saying "MPs are thieves" and "greedy hyenas" [EPA]

Kenyans have staged a protest in the capital Nairobi against a vote paving the way for members of parliament to be paid $110,000 send-off bonus, with money expected from tax increases. Demonstrators marched on Tuesday after parliament dismissed the majority of wage demands of striking public sector workers, including doctors and teachers - yet it approved the lucrative pay off which will cost the country $24.7m. A worker earning the national minimum wage would take 61 years in order to earn the amount the MPs have voted to pay themselves. "It is totally ridiculous for the MPs to award themselves such an amount of money," said Morris Odhiambo, who helped organise the demonstration. The demonstrators, carrying placards with messages such as "MPs are thieves" and "greedy hyenas", marched through central Nairobi to parliament. "We want them to know that the public mood is against this unjustified increment," said Robert Alai, another of the organisers. Tax-free salary Kenyan legislators are already some of the best paid on the continent, with a tax-free monthly salary of some $13,000. Each of the 222 members and the speaker would get $110,800 as a sendoff package at the end of their current term. "How come our teachers had to strike for three weeks to get a salary hike, yet within a single sitting the MPs could easily increase their remuneration," Odhiambo asked. "So where is the two billion shillings going to come from?" The proposed golden handshake - which must still be ratified by President Mwai Kibaki - comes after the finance ministry has already proposed tax rises to pay for public sector wage increase demands. Rights groups, including Transparency International and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, said in a joint statement the move was "extremely disturbing" and broke constitutional rules. The statement called on Kenyans to let legislators "know that they are not willing to foot the cost of their greed." Raila Odinga, Kenyan prime minister, has said he is "against the MPs' gratuity bonus". Kenya is due to hold in March 2013 the first general election since deadly post-poll violence four and half years ago. Kenya's government was propped up by some $270m in foreign aid in 2010-2011, according to official figures, and faces a $1.6bn deficit in the year ahead.