Human rights lawyers in Harare have issued a blow-by-blow account detailing how the actions - and inaction - of named Zimbabwean judges, magistrates and state lawyers have facilitated the unlawful detention of activists who have allegedly been tortured.

Ghana: Nation Appoints First Woman Speaker

Ghana has confirmed the appointment of her first ever woman Speaker of Parliament, Justice Mrs Joyce Bamford-Addo, a retired Supreme Court judge.

Ghana: President-Elect Takes Office Today

Thousands of Ghanaians and other invited guests have been gathering at Ghana?s Independence Square in Accra since 5 am this morning to witness the swearing-in ceremony of Professor John Atta Mills as the third President of the fourth republic.

Congo-Kinshasa: Rebels Deny Ousting Leader

High ranking officers in National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) a rebel movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have pledged their loyalty to their leader, General Laurent Nkunda, and refuted recent claims that he had been overthrown by his Chief of Staff, Gen. Bosco Ntaganda.

Nigeria: Gunmen Kidnap Ex-Speaker

Immediate past Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Chief Nelson Effiong, has been kidnapped by militants.

South Africa: Ruling ANC Lays Down Line For Election

AS THE countdown begins to this year's general elections the African National Congress (ANC) has started tightening its grip on its often gaffe-prone leaders, who have been issued with strict instructions not to send confusing messages to the electorate.

Kenya: Ministers Blame Govt Hardliners for Media Law

The ODM believes the contentious Kenya Communications Act is part of a hidden agenda by some PNU hardliners to retain power in 2012.

Somalia: Explosion Kills Government Soldiers in Mogadishu

At least four government soldiers have been killed and two others wounded after two, heavy explosions targeted to government military base around Towfiiq area in Yaqshid district north Mogadishu on Wednesday, witnesses told Shabelle radio

Somalia: Deputy Speaker Seeks Release of Abducted MP

Osman Elmi Boqore, deputy speaker of Somalia's parliament says efforts are underway to secure the release of a Somali lawmaker recently kidnapped by suspected insurgent fighters near the southern town of Baidoa, the seat of the parliament.

Somalia: 'Too Poor to Escape the Fighting'

Fadumo Mohamed Hassan and her seven children are among the few families left in Yaaqshid district of north Mogadishu, after worsening conflict forced most residents to flee the capital.

Ethiopia: New Law on Charities Passed Despite Objections

Ethiopia's parliament has passed a law to regulate charities, despite strong criticism from opposition politicians, international human rights groups and national civil society organisations.

Somalia: Insurgents Abduct MP

Somali Islamist insurgents in Burhakaba town in Bay region have abducted a Somali MP named Ahmed Abdi Hussein, officials told radio Shabelle on Wednesday.

Nigeria: Two States Pull Out of Second Niger Bridge Project

Anambra and Delta States have backed out of the second Niger Bridge project, valued at N10 billion, although the Federal Government has put on the table its N4.3 billion counterpart funding.

Rwanda: Govt Aims to Boost Tea Sales

The country has embarked on branding and diversifying its tea with projections to earn US$ 54 million from the product in 2009, up from last year's earnings of US$ 44 million, the Director General Rwanda Tea Authority (OCIR THE), Anthony Butera, revealed yesterday.

Nigeria: Strike - Patients Desert Govt Hospitals in Lagos

As doctors' strike in Lagos State enters the second day yesterday, fewer patients were seen seeking healthcare in most government hospitals in the state.

South Africa: Slump 'Driving Car Dealers to Wall'

MORE car dealers face the likelihood of being shut down this year as the economic turbulence persists despite an interest rate cut last month , falling fuel prices and cost-cutting efforts.

South Africa: Churches Warn of Pre-Election Violence

A CHURCH grouping has expressed its concern about the growing political intolerance in KwaZulu-Natal which may lead to renewed political violence ahead of this year's general election.

South Africa: Breakaway Party Claims Senior ANC Defections

THE Congress of the People (COPE) says it will parade senior African National Congress (ANC) members who will have joined them at a rally in Durban on Saturday, while the ruling party has warned the new party not to invite its members to the meeting to avoid any clashes.

South Africa: Ruling ANC Calls For Aid to Gaza

THE African National Congress (ANC) yesterday called on South Africans to donate humanitarian aid to the besieged Palestinians in Gaza as Israeli forces continue their attacks there.

Zimbabwe: Govt Delays Opening Schools

GOVERNMENT has deferred the opening of schools for term one of 2009 by two weeks from Tuesday January 13 to Tuesday January 27.

Zimbabwe: President Appoints Acting Ministers

PRESIDENT Mugabe has appointed eight ministers to head ministries in an acting capacity following the termination of executive appointments of some ministers who failed to secure parliamentary seats and were subsequently not appointed to the Senate as non-constituency members.

Nigeria: Govt Plots Review of Petrol Prices

THE Federal Government yesterday disclosed it was working on reviewing pump prices of petroleum products even as crude oil prices yesterday hovered around $50 per barrel in the international market owing to crisis in the Niger Delta, Israeli invasion of Gaza and the Russia, Ukraine dispute over gas exports.

Nigeria: Budget - House Soft-Pedals

The 2009 Appropriation Bill should be passed by the House of Representatives in the next two weeks, the lower chamber decided yesterday, two days after insisting that it was not in a hurry to pass the budget.

Uganda: 20 LRA Fighters Surrender in DRC

TWENTY fighters of the Lord's Resistance Army have surrendered to the Congolese army as the three-week multinational assault on the rebels' hideouts in the Garamba jungles continues.

Congo-Kinshasa: UN Reaches Villages Attacked By Ugandan Rebels

The United Nations refugee agency has reached towns in the strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the scene of bloody attacks carried out by the notorious Ugandan rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

West Africa: But is It Really Trafficking?

For years children's rights groups have been fighting child trafficking in West Africa. Now, some of those groups are questioning how children have benefited from anti-trafficking interventions as they launch a project to understand children's perilous migration throughout West Africa.

Lesotho: Feeling the Pinch of Soaring Food Prices

Urban families in Lesotho, a small landlocked southern African country, are struggling to cope with rising food prices, according to a recent survey.

Zimbabwe: Local Currency Abandoned

The progressive 'dollarisation' of Zimbabwe has extended to rural areas, where dwellers now sell their fresh produce in U.S. dollars.

Zimbabwe: Cholera Spread Continues And Death Toll Keeps Climbing

The cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe appears to be worsening daily, with new figures showing the official death toll has climbed since last Friday.

Ethiopia: Government Passes Repressive New Legislation

Amnesty International called the Charities and Societies Proclamation law (CSO law), adopted today by the Ethiopian parliament, a repressive law designed to strictly control and monitor civil society in an atmosphere of increasing intolerance of the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations. Previous drafts of the CSO law imposed strict government controls and harsh criminal penalties on non-governmental organisations.