Malagasy leaders agree transition

Both Mr Rajoelina and Mr Ravalomanana claim to be president The leaders at the centre of Madagascar's political crisis have reached agreement on a power-sharing government, the UN special envoy says. The accord would see a transitional period of 15 months, during which legislative and presidential elections would be held, Tiebile Drame said. Ousted President Marc Ravalomanana said he would return to Madagascar but not personally take part in the process. The deal follows days of negotiations in the Mozambican capital, Maputo. Mediators hope it will bring an end to the months of crisis which culminated in the opposition leader, Andry Rajoelina, forcing Mr Ravalomanana to resign as president on 17 March and flee. Mr Rajoelina and his allies, who accused the president of being a tyrant who misspent public money, were accused by the African Union of taking power through a coup and foreign aid was frozen. The power struggle led to the deaths of more than 100 people in violent riots and crippled the island's tourist industry. Amnesties The leaders of Madagascar's four main political groups, including Mr Rajoelina, Mr Ravalomanana, and their predecessors as president, Didier Ratsiraka and Albert Zafy, began the power-sharing negotiations in Maputo on Wednesday. In the interests of the nation, and following consultations, it seems reasonable to me to not participate personally in the transition Marc Ravalomanana The talks were mediated by the former Mozambican leader, Joaquim Chissano, on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Earlier, Mr Ravalomanana said that under the terms of the agreement, he would not take part in the transitional period, although his party would. "In the interests of the nation, and following consultations, it seems reasonable to me to not participate personally," he said. But he added that he would return to Madagascar, where he would be granted an amnesty from a conviction for abuse of power handed down in June. He was also fined $70m by the court in Antananarivo. Mr Ravalomanana has been living in exile in South Africa since March. On Friday, Mr Rajoelina said any deal should not allow him to return. An amnesty has also been agreed for Mr Ratsiraka, who has been living in exile in France since a crisis over the disputed results of the 2001 presidential election, which was won by Mr Ravolamanana. He was sentenced to 10 years of hard labour and five years in jail in 2003 for misusing public funds and threatening state security.

A CURSE ON DELTA?

By WALE ADEBANWI

One conclusion that history furnishes us  could be that the destiny of the Niger Delta people is permanently wedded to that of outsiders who believe that Providence or Nature had made a great mistake in the delta. But at every point in the essentially undesirable history of the delta, a strong character always emerges to galvanize his people towards contesting this conclusion. 

From King Jaja of Opobo, who defied the British imperialists, through Isaac Akaka Boro, who led the 12-day long secession under the flag of Niger Delta Republic in 1966, and Ken Saro-Wiwa, who took on the internal colonialists to whom the British handed over the bastard algebra that they had concocted in the heart of Africa, to the contemporary challenge by the impetuous, violent and far less strategic successors to the battle for the control of the resources of the delta symbolized by Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the delta has always attempted to defy the odds.

It was to the correction of that “Providential error” that the British swore themselves in the 19th century. The successor ruling elite has affirmed since then that it would continue to “correct” that error as long as Nigeria survives. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that President Umaru Yar’Adua has renewed the historic pledge. As the Nigerian military confronts the militants in an undeclared war for the pacification of the delta, let it be noted that in the last two centuries, neither high-minded peace nor inferior violence has convinced others that the delta people are deserving of a dignified life.

It is important to be reminded briefly of the historical context. The man who was later named King Jaja of Opobo was a mere slave in one of the city-states that emerged in pre-colonial Niger Delta area. But the city-states were unique in constructing a society in which a hardworking slave could become a king. This shrewd, clever, and enterprising man, Jaja, became very rich through the trade in palm oil and then set-up his own city-state. He controlled both the internal and external palm oil trade, even shipping palm oil directly to Liverpool in England. The British tried to curtail him to impose their terms in the area. Jaja ignored them and retained his sovereignty. They eventually tricked him onto their warship for a supposed meeting only to deport him to the West Indies. With King Jaja gone, the British seized control of the palm oil trade. On his “pardon” and return journey home, King Jaja died.

Crude oil soon replaced palm oil as the “curse” of the people of the delta. The Nigerian State replaced the British imperial order only to become a greater menace to this people. Then emerged Boro, a man who is emblematic of the fate and (mis)fortune of the delta people. He was a native of Kaiama (remember the Kaiama Declaration?), but was born in a “zero hour”, as he claimed, in Oloibiri where, in June 1956, Shell drilled the first oil well in Nigeria. After his rebellion was crushed, Boro was lured into joining the federal forces against the succeeding rebellion by Biafra, where he was “mysteriously” killed after “liberating” the delta from the Biafrans. As “rebel” and the “liberator” became synonyms and antonyms in a single instance, history rose as a permanent contradiction in the delta. The man born in the “zero hour” has since left his otherwise blessed people; but they are still left with “zero”.

A Ken Saro-Wiwa later emerged to channel the frustrations of the people and posed “unanswerable” questions to the Nigerian State. Unfortunately, some would conclude, Saro-Wiwa’s poser was raised at a point when the key representative of the ruling elite in power at that point was a thieving vampire and homicidal moron. To remind the delta people that the oil on their soil constituted a monumental providential error, Saro-Wiwa and eight other minority rights activists were hanged. 

But, as they say, it’s the fire next time! The exhaustion of civilized engagement with a bastard ruling class seemed to have advertised itself unequivocally to the youth of the delta after this atavistic action. As the delta youths rolled into their creeks and armed themselves to confront the irresponsible behemoth, the rhetoric of peace and caution was no longer sellable. They adopted a method different from Boro’s and one which cannot be easily crushed.

$600 billion in oil revenues over the past five decades has impoverished the people of the delta, destroyed their environment and institutionalized violence in their homes. While the federal legislators share the loot from the delta while sanctioning military action against the area, the people of the delta wallow in abject poverty. Nigeria, for the most account, exists by the grace of the crude oil found in the delta; but the country permanently disgraces the delta with unsurpassable crudity. Ordinarily, no one would sanction the criminality that has attended the recent reactions of some of the youths of the delta to their shameful plight. But anyone who starts out with the effects – that is, the criminality of the militants of the delta - but ignores the fundamental cause of this criminality is not worth the heart that beats in his or her chest.

There is a deafening, but, criminal silence in a section of the Nigerian press over the war in the delta which is related to the criminal complicity by the governors of the delta represented by Governor Timipre Sylva, who pointed to his father’s house with his left hand by announcing that “I have approved N50 million for relief materials for displaced people in the affected areas in Delta state”. When he is done, he and his like would never find any relief.

We are all Niger Deltans now! And every shot fired in the delta is fired at the heart of a dying polity. Condolences, still....

FACTBOX-Human rights still poor in Africa, US says

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Human rights remained poor in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa in 2008, according to the U.S. State Department's global survey released on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of some of its findings:

SUDAN

The government's human rights record remained poor as it bombed villages, killed civilians and collaborated with militias in the troubled Darfur region, and rebel groups there continued to commit serious abuses as well. Both sides beat and raped civilians, recruited child soldiers and harassed aid groups. Serious abuses continued in the country's southern region as well, including extrajudicial killings and beatings.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The government's human rights record remained poor. Internal conflicts had an extremely negative effect on security and human rights during the year. Government control over many regions remained weak, and civilian authorities generally did not control the security forces, which committed unlawful killings, torture and rape, recruited child soldiers and forced civilian labor. Life-threatening conditions persisted in prison facilities. Armed groups continued to commit serious abuses, some of which may have constituted war crimes.

ZIMBABWE

The government continued to engage in the pervasive and systematic abuse of human rights, which increased during the year. President Robert Mugabe's ruling party manipulated the political process through violence, corruption and intimidation. Unlawful killings and motivated abductions increased and prison conditions were life-threatening. The government continued to evict citizens and demolish homes and marketplaces and repress freedom of speech, press and assembly, and it worsened food insecurity by blocking aid groups' operations.

ETHIOPIA

Continued fighting between government forces and an insurgent movement in the Ogaden region resulted in allegations of abuses by all sides, including diversion of food aid. There were fewer reports of extrajudicial killings but abuses persisted. Other reported violations include arbitrary arrest, poor prison conditions, torture and beatings, police and judicial corruption, and restrictions on freedoms of assembly and the press and exploitation of women and children.

SOMALIA

The country's poor human rights situation deteriorated further during the year, exacerbated by the absence of effective governance institutions and rule of law and the widespread availability of weapons.

SOUTH AFRICA

The government generally respected the rights of its citizens but violations included use of excessive force by police, vigilante and mob violence, severe overcrowding of prisons, pervasive violence against women, and child labor.

NIGERIA

The government's human rights record remained poor and officials at all levels continued to commit serious abuses. Security forces acted with impunity and committed extrajudicial killings, torture and rape, and arrested citizens arbitrarily. Corruption, vigilante killings, forced labor and restrictions on freedoms of speech and assembly remained problematic.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source:Reuters