Uganda's Museveni wins election, opposition cries foul

President Yoweri Museveni on Saturday won Uganda’s disputed presidential election, cementing his 30-year grip on power in the East African nation despite criticism of the poll by European and Commonwealth observers.

Museveni won 60.8 percent of the vote, while his main challenger Kizza Besigyesecured 35.4 percent, the electoral commission said.

Besigye’s camp had been disputing results before the final announcement. Besigye was arrested on Friday and appeared to be under house arrest on Saturday.

The EU observer mission said Thursday’s election was conducted in an intimidating atmosphere, while Commonwealth observers said the poll “fell short of meeting some key democratic benchmarks”.

Museveni, 71, has presided over strong economic growth but faces mounting accusations at home and abroad of cracking down on dissent and failing to tackle rampant corruption in the nation of 37 million people.

Eduard Kukan, chief observer for the EU Mission, told reporters in Kampala that the poll was undermined by a “lack of transparency and independence” at the Ugandan electoral commission.

“State actors created an intimidating atmosphere for both voters and candidates,” he added.

‘MUSEVENI VERY MUCH EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN OFFICE’

Besigye was arrested on Friday as his Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) attempted to hold a press conference to release their own poll results. One senior FDC official said there were « glaring discrepancies » with official figures.

Museveni brought calm and stability to Uganda after decades of chaos at the hands of leaders Idi Amin and Milton Obote, but many opposition voters accuse the former guerrilla fighter of becoming increasingly autocratic and wanting to rule for life.

The opposition had tried to tap into mounting anger among young voters, especially in urban areas, where unemployment is high and many are frustrated by the poor state of schools and hospitals.

“We are disappointed, the election has been rigged,” said

23-year-old Brenda in Kampala, who refused to give her second name due to fears for her security. “I have never seen another president and it seems it will be like that until he dies.”

Touadera wins presidential vote in Central African Republic

Former Central African Republic prime minister Faustin-Archange Touadera has won a presidential run-off, the electoral commission said on Saturday, in what was widely seen as a step towards reconciliation after years of violent turmoil.

Crowds sang and danced into the night in the streets of the capital Bangui, where many people have been killed during three years of inter-communal strife.

“It’s the central African people who have won tonight,” said Max Farafei, a 32-year-old motorcycle taxi driver. “Now we all need to rally behind (Touadera) to rebuild the country.”

Touadera, 58, a former mathematics professor who campaigned against corruption, won 62.71 percent of votes cast in the Feb. 14 election, according to initial results announced by National Elections Authority (ANE) president Marie-Madeleine Nkouet.

Anicet-Georges Dologuele, also a former prime minister, won 37.29 percent, reversing the two rivals’ rankings from the first round. Dologuele said he would accept the results, despite what he called “massive fraud” in the second round.

“For the sake of peace, I choose to respect the provisional results published by the ANE and to renounce an appeal to the constitutional court ... and to recognise Faustin Archange Touadera as the leader of all central Africans,” he told reporters at his home shortly after the results were released.

Touadera’s spokesman called for calm and asked the country’s population of 5 million to accompany the new leader in his pursuit of “reconciliation and recovery”.

Turnout in the vote was about 61 percent, the ANE said.

Central African Republic, one of the world’s most chronically unstable countries, suffered the worst crisis in its history in early 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters toppled president Francois Bozize.

Christian militias responded to Seleka abuses by attacking the Muslim minority. A fifth of the population have fled their homes, either internally or abroad, to escape the violence, leaving the impoverished country divided along ethnic and religious lines.

The head of the African Union observer mission Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye on Saturday praised the election for its “calm, serenity and transparence”.

But he noted logistical problems that led to the late opening of some polling stations. He recommended more funds be made available for the ANE to rectify problems with the electoral register.

The presidency of former colonial power France congratulated Touadera on his victory and pledged support for his forthcoming mandate.

The election results must be certified by the Constitutional Court within eight days to become final.

In January, local authorities cancelled the result of a legislative election held at the same time as the first round of the presidential vote in December, citing irregularities.

Once a new government is in place, France is expected to resume a planned withdrawal of the remaining 900 of a force of troops it sent to the country during its turmoil. An 11,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission of other nationalities will remain in place.

Burundi president vows "inclusive dialogue" with opposition, UN chief says

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza had promised to engage in “inclusive dialogue” with the opposition to end the central African country’s months-long political crisis. 

Ban made the comments after holding talks with Burundi’s leader in the capital, Bujumbura, in a bid to bring fresh impetus to stalled efforts to resolve a crisis that has left more than 400 people dead.

The UN secretary-general, who also met with opposition leaders, said both sides had “promised that they will engage in inclusive dialogue” to end the violence, which began in April when Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term.

Since then, clashes between loyalists and the opposition have turned increasingly violent, despite attempts by regional leaders to broker a political solution.

Hours before the UN chief's arrival on Monday at least two people were killed and nine hurt in two separate grenade attacks in the capital by assailants on motorbikes, the latest in a string of such attacks, the city's Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa said.

Mbonimpa denounced the attacks as a "terrorist act targeting peaceful citizens".

"The capital had been calm for several days, but these terrorists as usual launch their criminal operations to show they're here just when Burundi is expecting an important guest," the mayor added.

In a separate incident, two people were killed and two injured Sunday night in the commune of Gisozi southeast of Bujumbura in an attack by "armed criminals", said the local governor, Jean-Marie Nyakarerwa.

French push

Ban's visit came as Burundi's government appeared to soften its position towards its opponents, agreeing to receive a delegation of African heads of state expected later this week and cancelling international arrest warrants against several exiled opposition leaders.

France meanwhile proposed at the United Nations that a UN police force be deployed in Burundi to help quell the violence, according to a draft text obtained by AFP on Monday.

France hopes the statement will be adopted before a group of African presidents, including South Africa's Jacob Zuma, travels to Burundi on Thursday for talks with Nkurunziza.

"We want to seize upon this convergence of international efforts to break the cycle and try to generate positive movement in Burundi," said French Ambassador François Delattre.

More than 240,000 people have fled the country since the start of the crisis, while thousands more have been arrested and the security forces repeatedly accused of extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations.

The UN has warned Burundi risks a repeat of the 1993-2005 civil war in which an estimated 300,000 people died.

The government of neighbouring Rwanda, which is sheltering some 75,000 Burundians, meanwhile confirmed it is planning to relocate the refugees to other countries, but insisted it would respect its obligations under international law.

Rwanda's relocation plan comes amid accusations that Kigali is meddling in Burundi's affairs.

Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.

Muslim bus passengers save Christian 'brothers and sisters' during Al-Shabaab attack

Christians were handed Islamic clothing items by their Muslim colleagues, to prevent al-Shabaab terrorists from distinguishing between them and Muslims during attack in Kenya

A group of Muslims travelling on a bus in the north east of Kenya took a stand against gun-wielding Islamists, refusing to point out who on their bus were Christian despite the terrorists threatening to kill them all.

Shukri Farah, driver of the bus, said the Muslims stood on either side of the Christians, to shield them from view. Passengers had swapped clothes, he said, to allow the Christians to blend in.

“The road is not good around that place and I had to slow down to cross a deep trench when I saw three armed men in military uniform on my side,” he said.

“I asked my conductor what the military were doing there and before he answered they shot at us.”

Ten Shabaab fighters near Mandera sprayed the bus with bullets, injuring the driver in the leg and forcing the bus to a halt.

“I stopped and quickly alerted the passengers of the happenings before the attackers got closer. We asked non-Muslims in the bus to cover their heads with their jackets, as Muslim women gave clothes to non-Muslims girls and women,” he told Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper on Tuesday.

Two people were killed – one of whom tried to run away, and another who was unable to recite verses of the Koran. Ten al-Shabaab militants then boarded the bus and ordered the Muslim passengers to split away from the Christians.

But the Muslims on board defied demands from the attackers to help identify Christians travelling with them.

"We stuck together tightly," said Abdi Mohamud Abdi, one of the passengers.

"The militants threatened to shoot us but we still refused and protected our brothers and sisters. Finally they gave up and left but warned that they would be back."

Julius Otieno, the deputy county commissioner, confirmed the account, saying that the militants "were trying to identify who were Muslims and who were not," and that the Muslim passengers had refused to help.

“After dressing like Muslims it was difficult for the attackers to identify who was who and they did not get into the bus to ransack it. I think it’s because they were only four,” said Mr Farah.

The 2014 bus attack shocked Kenya and led to a shake-up of security ministers. Since then, buses carrying passengers from Mandera have been given police escorts, but Kenya Police spokesman Charles Owino said that had not happened in this case because the bus had bypassed a police roadblock.

Mr Owino said that in addition to the two deaths, four people were wounded.

Al-Shabaab has said it will continue its attacks on Kenya until Nairobi withdraws troops from an African Union force fighting the militants in Somalia. It has also said northeastern Kenya should be part of Somalia.

Kenya's long northeastern border with Somalia is widely considered a security weak spot. Factors include poor co-ordination between security services, and a culture of corruption that allows anyone prepared to pay a bribe to pass unchallenged.

And Mr Farah said they were all very aware of the risk.

“These are bad people; you can’t dare bargain with them.

“The only thing was that Muslim women gave their clothing to Christians and on alighting from the bus the Christians stood in the middle of the crowd. But nobody said anything to the attackers.”

Kenya’s Supreme Council of Muslims praised the actions of those who protected the Christians. “Terrorists have no borders, religion or race. Terrorists submit to no faith. We stand with our fellow Christians during this time and shall continue to do so,” said Adan Wachu, secretary general.

“Let us be each other’s true keepers.”

At least 20 killed in Somali restaurant attack

Somalia's security forces ended a deadly siege of a beachfront restaurant in the capital, with more than 20 people killed in the attack, a police official said Friday.

The security forces took control of the restaurant just before dawn, said Capt. Mohamed Hussein, speaking from the scene of the attack in Mogadishu.

It was not clear whether Hussein's report of more than 20 killed included the assailants.

Blasts and bursts of gunfire could be heard as Somali special forces went from room to room pursuing the al-Shabab gunmen who were holed up inside the restaurant.

Hussein said the security forces rescued many people who had been trapped inside the restaurant's hall, where a party was taking place when the attack started on Thursday.

Witnesses said that gunmen shouted "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for "God is great," and entered the restaurant from the direction of the beach as clients, sitting behind razor wire, watched the seashore.

"They randomly fired at people sitting near the beach before entering the restaurant," said witness Ahmed Nur, who was strolling along the shoreline when the attack happened.

Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, in a broadcast on its online radio late Thursday.

Al-Shabab attacked Kenyan peacekeepers in southwestern Somalia last week. The al-Qaida-linked group said it had killed about 100 Kenyans and seized weapons and military vehicles. The Kenyan government has given no death toll, but said there were some fatalities.

Despite being pushed out of Somalia's major cities and towns, al-Shabab continues to launch deadly guerrilla attacks across the Horn of Africa country. African Union troops, government officials and foreigners are frequently targeted.