Des analyses n`ont pas permis de détecter d`ADN sur les

(Des analyses n'ont pas permis de détecter d'ADN sur les restes supposés de l'ex-chef de l'Etat
burkinabè Thomas Sankara, alimentant le mystère de sa mort dans une enquête qui se concentre sur
son successeur, le président déchu Blaise Compaoré, visé par un mandat d'arrêt international.)
BURUNDI :
Burundi lawmakers reject AU peacekeeping offer despite spiralling violence
(AFP)/Date : 2015-12-22
Burundi's parliament on Monday criticised a proposed African Union peacekeeping mission already
dismissed by the government as an "invasion force".
Lawmakers rejected the planned force, which was proposed by the African Union (AU) last week
amid growing international alarm over spiralling violence in the tiny central African nation.
In a final declaration, the parliament urged the government "not to mortgage the sovereignty" of
Burundi to the AU.
"Burundi is at peace," said Pascal Nyabenda, chairman of both the National Assembly and the
ruling CNDD-FDD party whose supporters dominate parliament.
"There are troubles in just a few areas of Bujumbura," the capital, Nyabenda said, adding that AU
troops were not needed.
Other lawmakers complained of Western "interference" and biased media coverage of Burundi's
crisis, and rejected talk of a looming genocide as "rumours" with "no basis".
The new AU force, dubbed MAPROBU -- the French acronym for the African Prevention and
Protection Mission in Burundi -- would have an initial renewable mandate of six months.
The 54-member AU said Friday it would send a 5,000-strong force to halt violence that has sparked
fears Burundi is sliding back towards civil war.
It gave the government a four-day deadline to agree to the offer, but warned it would send troops
anyway.
"Burundi is clear on the matter: it is not ready to accept an AU force on its territory," Burundi's
deputy presidential spokesman Jean-Claude Karerwa said Sunday.
"If AU troops came without the government's approval, it would be an invasion and occupation
force, and the Burundi government would reserve the right to act accordingly."
'Brink of civil war'
"On 'MAPROBU', the people of Burundi shall have a final say," Foreign Minister Alain-Aime
Nyamitwe said before Monday's parliamentary session, adding that the government had "full
confidence" in the security forces to do their job.
Burundi descended into bloodshed in April when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his
intention to run for a controversial third term, which he went on to win in July.
Months of street protests in Burundi have devolved into regular armed attacks with gunfire
disrupting the nights and dead bodies appearing on city streets almost every day.
On May 13-14, soldiers staged a failed coup bid. Bujumbura accuses neighbouring Rwanda of
training and backing rebels, claims denied by Kigali.
"Army and police have defeated all attacks from inside or outside the country," presidential press
chief Willy Nyamitwe said Monday. "It never took more than two days."
Attacks targeting the security forces have escalated, with rebels armed with assault rifles, rocketpropelled grenades and mortars attacking police convoys and targeting government installations.
Nkurunziza is himself an ex-rebel and a born-again Christian who believes he has divine backing to
rule.
Last week UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was dispatching an envoy for urgent talks to
end the crisis, warning that Burundi was, "on the brink of a civil war that risks engulfing the entire
region".
Ban has also raised the option of deploying UN peacekeepers to quell the violence but
recommended that a UN team be first sent to bolster dialogue.
US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said Monday she hoped the government's
uncompromising stance on the force was not its "final answer".
"It is important that a mission like that be in a position to offer civilians confidence and protection,"
she added.
The upsurge in violence has raised fears of a return to civil war, a decade after the end of a 19932006 conflict between rebels from the Hutu majority and an army dominated by minority Tutsis,
which left 300,000 people dead.
Burundi: la population en appelle à l'Union africaine, pas les élus
Par RFI/le 22-12-2015
A la veille de la fin de l'ultimatum de l'Union africaine au gouvernement burundais, l'Assemblée
nationale et le Sénat étaient réunis en Congrès ce lundi, à Bujumbura pour discuter de l'opportunité
du déploiement de cette force de l'UA. La veille, plusieurs responsables de l'exécutif avaient déjà
donné le ton en se prononçant contre ce déploiement. Et même si on attend la déclaration finale du
Congrès, le ton des débats était tout aussi virulent par les élus du Sénat et de l'Assemblée issus des
élections contestées de ces derniers mois, que l'opposition avait boycottés.
Dans l'un des quartiers contestataires de Bujumbura, hier après-midi, il y a eu deux explosions de
grenades et quelques rafales de tirs, les habitants dénoncent une nouvelle vague d'arrestation, que la
police n'a pas souhaitée commenter, hier soir.
Dans ce quartier, où il y a des actes de violence presque tous les jours, il y a quelques semaines
encore, on en parlait ouvertement, la peur s'est installée. Et on en appelle à l'Union africaine.
« Certains ne peuvent pas franchir une avenue »
Interview derrière des portes closes. Et avant de rentrer, on regarde bien qui se trouve dans la rue. «
Si vous êtes de la tendance qui est contre le régime en place, vous ne pouvez pas aller là où d'autres
sont pour le régime en place et inversement. Dans le quartier, certains ne peuvent pas franchir une
avenue », explique un habitant de Cibitoke.
C'est la raison pour laquelle il souhaite l'envoi d'une force d'interposition de l'Union africaine.
Comme il dit pudiquement, pour ne plus avoir peur de traverser une rue, être à l'aise. Les plus
jeunes mettent plus facilement en cause le gouvernement, mais - au micro - eux aussi choisissent
leurs mots.
« On tue des gens innocents »
« Notre gouvernement n'assure pas la sécurité du peuple, surtout dans notre quartier où on a refusé
le troisième mandat du président Nkurunziza. Alors nous avons des problèmes. On tue des gens
innocents. Ce serait mieux d'envoyer des troupes de l'Union africaine », estime l'un d'entre eux.
Et quand on demande à ce jeune s'il a compris que cette force de l'Union africaine serait aussi là
pour s'opposer à ceux qui s'en prennent aux forces de défense et de sécurité au nom de la lutte
contre le troisième mandat, il se refuse à le croire. « Ils vont comprendre, dit-il, que ce sont les gens
du parti au pouvoir qui plongent le pays dans le chaos ».
Une majorité écrasante d'élus contre l'envoi de la force
Du côté des élus, une large majorité de députés et de sénateurs se sont prononcés contre l'envoi
d'une force de l'UA et démentent qu'il y ait un risque de génocide dans le pays. « On ne peut pas
comprendre comment certains pays peuvent penser qu'on puisse amener une force d'interposition au
Burundi. Cette force n'aurait pas de mission dans notre pays. Si l'Union africaine passe outre, elle
violerait les textes sur lesquels elle se fonde », a déclaré Gélase Ndabirabe, député et porte-parole
du CNDD-FDD, parti au pouvoir.
Pour la quinzaine de députés d'Amizero, proches de celui qui est devenu vice-président de
l'Assemblée, l'ex-patron de la rébellion FNL, Agathon Rwasa, la question de la protection des
populations civiles se pose au Burundi. Eux ne se disent pas hostiles à l'envoi de cette force. « Nous
ne sommes pas du tout contre, mais nous demandons à être impliqués dans les discussions
concernant le contenu de cette force », a estimé Leopold Hakizimana, l'un des députés d'Amizero
Y'abarundi.
Burundi: le Parlement opposé à une mission de paix de l'UA
Par RFI/22-12-2015
L'Assemblée nationale et le Sénat étaient réunis en Congrès, ce lundi, à Bujumbura, pour discuter
du déploiement d’une force militaire de l'Union africaine. Dimanche, plusieurs responsables de
l'exécutif s'était prononcés contre. Le Parlement a dénoncé l'annonce de l'UA.
Dans sa déclaration finale, le Congrès a exhorté le gouvernement burundais à « ne pas hypothéquer
la souveraineté » du pays en cédant à l'Union africaine. Il a aussi rappelé le principe de « non
ingérence d'un Etat membre (de l'UA) dans les affaires intérieures d'un autre membre ».
Le Parlement a également tenu à « rassurer l'Union africaine qu'il n'y a pas de génocide en
préparation ou en cours » au Burundi, estimant que les mises en garde de la communauté
internationale contre un possible génocide n'étaient que des rumeurs sans fondement.
Génocide
L'Union africaine avait déclaré qu'elle ne laisserait pas un nouveau génocide se produire sur son sol,
après la mort d'une centaine de personnes en réaction à des attaques contre des positions des forces
de sécurité burundaises, les 11 et 12 décembre derniers, à Bujumbura.
C'est l'usage du mot « génocide » qui semble avoir le plus irrité les députés et sénateurs, notamment
ceux du parti au pouvoir, le CNDD-FDD, qui disent avoir parlé, dans les débats, de manipulation de
l'opinion publique par des politiciens burundais, les médias étrangers et même certaines
chancelleries.
La très grande majorité de ces députés et sénateurs se sont prononcés - soit dans leurs interventions,
soit après le débat - contre l'envoi des troupes de l'Union africaine. Leur déploiement par la force
serait considéré comme « une force d'invasion que le peuple burundais se devrait de combattre », a
même dit le porte-parole du parti au pouvoir qui est lui-même député.
Voix dissonantes
Parmi les interventions dissonantes, un député de l’Union pour le progrès national (Uprona) a jeté
un froid en soulevant la question de la constitutionnalité de la convocation du congrès qui n'aurait
respecté ni la procédure, ni les délais prévus.
Des députés de la coalition Amizero du vice-président de l'Assemblée nationale, Agathon Rwasa,
ont pour leur part déclaré qu'ils auraient souhaité d'autres débats sur le sujet et que la question de la
protection de la population, y compris de leurs membres, était une question cruciale. Eux ne se
disent pas contre le déploiement de cette force, mais précisent qu'il faudrait que l'Union africaine en
parle avec le gouvernement.
Le Conseil de paix et de sécurité de l’UA, qui a autorisé cette mission, a donné jusqu'à ce mardi à
Bujumbura pour accepter ce déploiement, faute de quoi le bloc panafricain prendrait des « mesures
supplémentaires » pour s’assurer qu’il ait lieu.
RWANDA :
Rwanda's President Dangles The Possibility Of A Third Term
December 21, 2015/npr.org
It's a recurring question throughout many parts of Africa: How long should a leader stay in power?
Rwanda's President Paul Kagame is the only president the country has had since the 1994 genocide,
and his tenure has been marked by stability and relative prosperity.
But now he's toying with the idea of running for a third term. Such moves by presidents in the
neighboring states of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo have led to unrest.
Last Friday, more than 90 percent of Rwandan voters said yes to modifying the constitution by
removing a two-term limit and clearing the way for Kagame to run again — and again and again. In
theory, he could remain in power for another 17 years.
The White House immediately criticized the referendum. President Obama has been consistent in
his call for African leaders to adhere to term limits. But Rwanda's approach — using a referendum
to give voters the power to support a constitutional amendment — may be one of the trickiest to
counter.
In a speech to the nation on Monday today, Kagame didn't say that he would run again for office.
But he certainly kept the path to power well cleared.
Kagame said he respected the will of the Rwandan people and thanked them for voting in last
week's referendum to allow him additional terms. And he had harsh words for the statements of
foreign governments, like the one made by the White House.
"Statements that acknowledge our good results while depicting Rwandans as people incapable of
either thought or feeling are not critical," he said in the speech. "They are deliberately abusive."
Kagame has positioned himself as the spokesman for African self-reliance. He stands against
Western meddling in African politics.
And every conversation about Rwanda's future always dredges up the past. In 1994, Kagame led the
Rwandan Patriotic Front to stop the genocide without help from Western countries. He's argued that
those countries don't have the right to intervene now.
Rwandan Minister of Justice Busingye Johnston says that even 21 years after genocide, Rwanda
isn't ready for the messy business of pluralistic democracy.
"The unity, the fabric of Rwanda was totally shattered," he says. "What was a nation was
dismembered into scattered groups of human beings. "
As president, Kagame has made great strides against poverty and gender discrimination. Women
dominate the Rwandan parliament. But his quest for unity is seen by some as autocracy.
Rwanda today has no civic freedom, no free press or political opposition. It is a small country
dominated by one leader.
But what will Rwanda look like after Kagame?
J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, says the White House statement
urging Kagame to step down at the end of his second term in 2017 is a mistake. As diplomacy, it is
too simplistic.
"It is," he emphasizes, "when you look at the neighborhood."
Rwanda's southern neighbor, Burundi, has plunged into violence over the third-term bid by that
country's president, Pierre Nkurunziza. To the west, the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens to
go over the edge for the same reason.
Rwanda, in contrast, held an orderly referendum to change its constitution legally.
"The other challenge for the international community is, if not Kagame, who?" Pham says. "The
political space in the country is such that it's very difficult, even for Rwanda experts, to name
someone who could possibly step in."
The very political vacuum that Kagame has created also makes him exceptionally hard to unseat.
RDC CONGO :
UGANDA :
SOUTH AFRICA :
Brothers adopted from South Africa spending first Christmas with forever family
December 21, 2015/by Tanae Howard /fox59.com
It's a long awaited Christmas miracle that finally came true for a Westfield family. Joel and Lauren
Wright started the adoption process for a child from South Africa nearly three years ago. And now
the family is all together with a little more joy Christmas joy than they expected. Not just one child,
but three!
The brothers arrived in Indiana in March after the couple traveled to South Africa and spent two
months completing the adoption process. Now the past year has been full of first with sons Micah,
Asher and Sawyer.
"Last Christmas this time was painful. It was really hard because we were waiting to find out when
we would travel to go meet them," said mother, Lauren Wright.
This Christmas the brothers will spend the holiday in their forever home. The Wright family
decided to adopt from South Africa. They applied for one to three children ages zero to 10. And in a
twist of fate they were blessed with brothers. Four-year-old twins and a three-year-old. A scenario
that's typically hard adopt out. Bethany Christian Services worked with the family and says its
always their goal to keep families together.
"It just makes you think yeah, okay we're doing the right thing when we say a family like that you
know it's a good fit from the very beginning," said Linda Wrestler with Bethany Christian Services.
New dad Joel Wright says he was nervous about the adjustment period and teaching the young boys
how to grow into men. He says his main goal is to teach them discernment and their culture.
"The South African culture as much part of their life as we can. Its part of their story and their
identity. We also want to teach them just a good world view," said father, Joel Wright.
Day to day life is different for the new Wright party of five. But it's the beginning of a new life and
family traditions.
"They're going to remember next year what we did this year so we want to make sure it's really
special and just really meaningful because the holidays are such a special time for family and we
feel really blessed to have our family all together," said Lauren.
Since coming to Indiana the brothers have started pre-school along with soccer and music lessons.
The family hopes to take the boys back to visit South Africa after graduation.
S.Africa's SAA ordered to conclude planes deal with Airbus
AFP/22/12/2015
Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's newly re-appointed finance minister on Monday ordered stateowned airline SAA to conclude a deal with Airbus to lease five A330 wide-body planes, after weeks
of turbulence at the troubled carrier.
"The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, directed the board of South African Airways (SAA) to
conclude the swap transaction with Airbus in line with approval granted in July 2015," said a
Treasury statement released late night on Monday.
The minister's directive thwarts attempts by the SAA chairwoman Dudu Myeni to renegotiate the
deal - a move that would have hit the loss-making airline's finances hard.
Ex-finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene had publicly slapped down the bid to negotiate a new planeleasing deal with Airbus.
Early this month the minister was sacked from his job by President Jacob Zuma, leading analysts
and the media to speculate that he was dumped over the aircrafts controversy.
Nene's firing 18 months into his job, and his replacement with little known backbencher David van
Rooyen, triggered financial turmoil that sent the rand into a tailspin, plummeting to record lows as
investors fled Africa's most sophisticated economy.
The backlash forced Zuma into a dramatic U-turn, sacking Van Rooyen after four days and reappointing Gordhan, a steadying hand who held the key finance portfolio from 2009 to 2014.
Apparently shaken by the market response, Zuma took the unusual step of officially denying
rumours that he had a romantic relationship with SAA board chairwoman Myeni.
Meanwhile Treasury said "a process is under way to conclude (the deal) within the next few days."
"Airbus has indicated that they are amenable to the implementation of the transaction and have
required that all legal documentation be in place by 28 December 2015," Treasury said.
The transaction will see SAA swap the purchase of 10 A320 aircraft originally negotiated in 2002,
for a lease of five A330-300 aircraft from Airbus.
TANZANIA :
Want an Alternative to the Traditional Utility? Look at Tanzania
Anna Hirtenstein/bloomberg.com/December 22, 2015
The future alternative to the traditional electric utility may emerge first in Tanzania.
The East African nation has developed the best system of regulating and spurring off-grid power
systems anywhere in the world, according to the annual Climatescope study into energy investment
trends in developing nations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
With more than 620 million people living without access to electricity, Africa is becoming a
working laboratory for financial and technical innovations that can bring power to the masses
without erecting centralized power plants and costly distribution grids. The continent already has
attracted $450 million for off-grid power systems fed by renewables such as wind and solar, BNEF
estimates.
“Tanzania has been a pioneer for the continent,” said Nico Tyabji, an analyst at the London-based
research arm of Bloomberg LP. “Its smart policy framework for small power projects and minigrids built up a significant project pipeline.”
The nation trumped Kenya, Uganda and 16 other Sub-Saharan countries in the Climatescope
rankings for a second consecutive year. BNEF analysts evaluated the markets based on energy
policy and regulations, electrification rates, project developers and private investment.
An off-grid system is a small electricity network that can range from solar-powered lanterns to
rooftop photovoltaic panels to miniature grids. Power is generated and distributed independent of
the country’s national grid. The technologies have been touted as an answer for lowering energy
poverty, particularly in rural areas.
Tanzania introduced a new regulatory framework at the end of last year that was implemented in
March. It has a small power producer program that allocates feed-in tariffs in a tender process.
“Tanzania’s framework is the most developed and it has a transparent regulator that actually has a
bit of power,” said Michael Gratwicke, head of Rift Valley Corp.’s energy platform. “The downside
to working in the country is that the state utility is a bit uncooperative as our prices are lower than
theirs.”
Rift Valley is building two off-grid hydroelectric projects in Tanzania with 1.5 and 3 megawatts of
capacity, respectively. It has a pipeline with 15 more hydro plants and 2.5 megawatts of wind
energy, Gratwicke said by phone from Zimbabwe where the company is based.
Tanzania-based developers of residential solar systems such as Off-Grid Electric and Mobisol have
installed tens of thousands of their rooftop technologies. Their photovoltaic panels and batteries can
power lights, a small refrigerator, a television set or radio and also charge mobile phones. Off-Grid
Electric aims to electrify 1 million homes in the next three years.
AfDB sets aside USD 2.3 billion for various development projects
22nd December 2015/SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has set aside USD 2.3 billion for financing various
development projects in the country.
The AfDB Resident Representative in Tanzania Dr Tonia Kandiero revelled this yesterday when he
met with President John Magufuli at the State House in Dar es Salaam.
During their talks Dr Kandiero congratulated President Magufuli for being elected to the country’s
top job and assured him that his Bank would continue collaborating with Tanzania on development
issues as it has been doing in the previous government.
Dr Kandiero added that in its plans AfDB had focused on issuing loans on energy and transport
sectors.
However President Magufuli also assured Dr Kandiero that his government would continue
cooperating with the Bank in implementing different development projects.
The President also called upon ADfB minimise the procedures towards the implementation of the
projects and instead come up with a system which will enable the projects to start within a short
time after the release of the funds.
Magufuli also applauded AfDB for its decision to focus on energy and transport and urged him to
consider supporting the construction of the central line at the standard gauge.
Meanwhile, President Magufuli also met with Ambassador of Rwanda to Tanzania, Uegene Sagore
Kayihura at the State House in Dar es Salaam and assured him that Tanzania would continue to
cooperate with Rwanda for the benefit of people in both countries.
In their talks Ambassador Kayihura conveyed congratulatory message from Rwanda President Paul
Kagame for being elected the fifth phase government President.
Kayihura said President Kagame was happy with the actions being taken by President Magufuli
especially in the management and performance of the country’s ports.
President Kagame assured President Magufuli that Rwanda was ready to cooperate with Tanzania
by using Dar es Salaam port of which 70 per cent its cargo pass through the port.
KENYA :
How Muslims shielded Christians in al Shabaab terror attack
By REUTERS/Dec. 22, 2015
Al Shabaab terrorists sprayed a Mandera bus with bullets on Monday, killing two people, but a
passenger said he and fellow Muslims defied demands from the attackers to help identify Christians
travelling with them.
A year ago, al Shabaab gunmen stormed a Nairobi-bound bus in the same area and killed 28 nonMuslim passengers execution-style.
Abdi Mohamud Abdi, a Muslim who was among the passengers in Monday's incident, told Reuters
that more than 10 al Shabaab militants boarded the bus and ordered the Muslim passengers to split
away from the Christians, but they refused.
"We even gave some non-Muslims our religious attire to wear in the bus so that they would not be
identified easily. We stuck together tightly," he said.
"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," he said.
In previous attacks, al Shabaab has often killed both Muslims and non-Muslims.
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.
The militants then fled the scene, both men said.
Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military spokesman, said the group had fired shots at the
bus.
"Some of the Christian enemies died and others were injured," he told Reuters in a statement.
The militants did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the role of Muslim bus
passengers during the attack.
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.
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 coordination between security services, and a culture of corruption that allows
anyone prepared to pay a bribe to pass unchallenged.
Air France passengers arrive in Paris after Kenya bomb scare
Associated Press/22/12/2015
PARIS (AP) — A retired French police officer traveling on Air France was freed Monday after
nearly 12 hours of questioning about a fake bomb hidden in a lavatory that forced his Paris-bound
flight to make an emergency landing in Kenya, a judicial official said.
The hoax was the fourth against Air France in recent weeks. It came amid heightened concerns
about extremist violence in many countries, and passenger jitters around the holidays.
An official in the prosecutor's office in Bobigny, outside Paris. said that the former police officer in
his late 50s was once a member of the elite emergency response unit RAID and hailed from the
French Indian Ocean island of Reunion. The official wasn't authorized to identify himself when
speaking about an ongoing probe.
The man, who wasn't identified by name, had been taken in for questioning upon arrival Monday at
Charles de Gaulle Airport.
He could eventually be summoned for a second period of questioning, but further investigation is
needed, said the official in the prosecutor's office, adding, "He's not completely out of the woods."
Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery said the man was among six passengers questioned
Sunday in Kenya. Nkaissery said Kenya alerted French authorities about the suspected involvement
of this man and a traveling companion in placing the fake bomb in the bathroom. He said sniffer
dogs traced the package back to their seats and the bathroom.
The arrest is part of an investigation prompted by a legal complaint filed by Air France on Monday
for reckless endangerment. The lawsuit doesn't name a perpetrator but leaves it to investigators to
determine who might be prosecuted, and allows Air France to seek damages in an eventual trial.
France has been in a state of emergency since Islamic extremist attacks Nov. 13 in Paris killed 130
people and left hundreds wounded. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for those attacks
and for downing a plane Oct. 31 carrying Russian tourists out of Egypt, killing all 224 people on
board.
On Sunday, Air France Flight 463 from the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius to Paris made an
emergency landing in Mombasa, Kenya, after a bomb was reported aboard. All 459 passengers and
14 crew members on the Boeing 777 were safely evacuated down airplane emergency slides.
Authorities later discovered a fake explosive, rigged with cardboard, sheets of paper and a
household timer, and declared it a hoax. Air France CEO Frederic Gagey said the homemade
apparatus was apparently placed in a lavatory cabinet during the flight.
Overwhelmed with relief, the passengers arrived safely in Paris on Monday, some crying as they
embraced loved ones.
"We thought we were going to die. Because of the speed of the airplane going down, we thought we
would crash in the sea," said passenger Marine Gorlier of the French town of Melun after landing at
Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.
"I really admired the crew, because they thought it was a real bomb and they remained very serene,"
said Antoine Dupont of the northern city of Lille. "One of my grandchildren said: 'The slide was
super!'"
Probe BAT gifts in polls, says Karua
By Rawlings Otieno/standardmedia.co.ke/Tuesday, December 22nd 2015
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua wants the Government to investigate the full extent of British
American Tobacco (BAT) donations in the 2013 polls. Ms Karua yesterday said BAT was an active
campaign contributor in the 2013 General Election and questioned why UK investigators have been
releasing piece-meal information on what activities took place before the polls. "As Kenyans, we
must ask what was the full extent of BAT donations in the 2013 General Election and to which
parties or persons as they evidently were an active campaign contributor," said Karua.
Karua told the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom (UK) to disclose the campaign
contributions to all Kenyan politicians and presidential campaigns by BAT. She now wants valid
questions raised beyond the issues surrounding the 'missing' Sh5.5 million and the car allegedly
donated by Paul Hopkins. A British newspaper, The Independent, at the weekend sensationally
claimed that Karua received a Sh7.5 million bribe to help advance the firm's commercial interests.
The former Justice minister and anti-corruption crusader also wants investigations launched into
BAT's illegal activities in Kenya by both the Serious Fraud Office and the Kenyan authorities. "The
narrative that the Jubilee administration is peddling that we are all corrupt is sheer fiction. The
silent majority of Kenya's are not corrupt and I represent majority of them," said Karua. Mr
Hopkins, a former soldier with the Irish Special Forces who worked for BAT in Africa for 13 years,
has admitted to facilitating bribes for politicians during his time with the cigarette manufacturer.
ANGOLA :
AU/AFRICA :
East Africa regional group cash-strapped
Monday, 21 December 2015/Source: The East African/ghanaweb.com
The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat is in a cash crunch, with fears that the regional
body may fail to pay its workers their December salaries, in addition to suspending its programmes.
A source at the Secretariat says the five member states have defaulted in remitting $30.9 million in
budgetary support, leading to rising supplier debts and disruptions of its operations.
“There’re no funds even for December salaries if help does not come this week,” said the EAC
official who preferred anonymity.
The money, according to sources, should have been credited to the EAC accounts by December 14.
Budgetary constraints in some of the countries and the political unrest in Burundi are some of the
reasons believed to cause the delays in remitting the money.
In documents seen by The EastAfrican, Burundi is the leading defaulter followed by Tanzania,
Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda in that order.
Burundi owes the regional body $11.2 million including last year’s arrears of $2.8 million,
Tanzania’s arrears stand at $6.5 million and Rwanda’s debt is $6.3 million.
Kenya owes the EAC $4.2 million while Uganda’s debt is the lowest at $2.7 million.
The unremitted funds represent 74 per cent of the total $42 million budget for this financial year.
The EAC spokesperson, Richard Owora, told The EastAfrican on the phone from Uganda that the
secretariat had already sent reminders to the partner states to remit their contributions.
On Monday, Tanzania said it released $3 million to the EAC as part of its contribution.
“The Treasury approved the payment yesterday [Monday] and we have already wired the money…
it should soon be in the accounts of the EAC Secretariat,” the Permanent Secretary in charge of East
African Cooperation, Ms Joyce Mapunjo said.
Donors to the EAC budget include Germany, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, DfID-UK, the
European Union, the World Bank and Norway.
Analysts now say the bloc should seek alternative sources to plug the budget hole.
Development Studies lecturer at Stefano Moshi Memorial University College, Dr Gasper
Mpehongwa said a more reliable way of funding the Arusha-based body was to allow a surcharge
on trade.
Démantèlement en Tunisie d'une cellule recrutant des femmes pour les djihadistes
le lundi 21 décembre 2015/rtbf.be
Une "cellule extrémiste" spécialisée notamment dans le recrutement de femmes pour des
d'organisations djihadistes, où elles étaient "mariées" à des "terroristes", a été démantelée en
Tunisie, a indiqué lundi le ministère de l'Intérieur.
Quatre personnes ont été interpellées dans le cadre de cette opération menée dans la région de
Bizerte (nord) par les forces de l'ordre, selon le communiqué du ministère.
Elles "recrutaient des jeunes, en particulier des filles, afin de les envoyer dans les zones de conflit
en vue de les marier aux éléments terroristes là-bas", précise le texte.
Les autorités tunisiennes ont multiplié les arrestations depuis le nouvel attentat revendiqué par le
groupe Etat islamique (EI) le 24 novembre, dans lequel 12 agents de la sécurité présidentielle ont
été tués.
La Tunisie est l'un des pays qui compte le plus de ressortissants --près de 6.000-- dans les
organisations djihadistes en Syrie, en Irak et en Libye voisine. Parmi eux figurent quelque 700
Tunisiennes, a récemment affirmé la ministre de la Femme, Samira Meraï.
"Nous avons constaté un développement du phénomène du terrorisme (...) auprès des enfants et des
femmes", s'était-elle inquiétée lors d'un discours au Parlement, évoquant la nécessite de
l'élaboration d'un plan de lutte.
Dès 2013, le ministre de l'Intérieur de l'époque, Lotfi Ben Jeddou, s'était lui alarmé du recrutement
de Tunisiennes pour assouvir en Syrie les besoins des combattants islamistes. "Elles ont des
relations sexuelles avec 20, 30, 100" djihadistes, avait déclaré M. Ben Jeddou aux députés. "Après
ces rapports qu'elles ont au nom du djihad al-nikah ("la guerre sainte du sexe"), elles reviennent
enceintes".
Ces propos avaient ensuite été minimisés par une source sécuritaire, qui avait évoqué "au maximum
une quinzaine de Tunisiennes allées en Syrie".
Burkina: la mort de Sankara reste mysterieuse, l'étau se resserre autour de Compaoré
le 21 décembre 2015/AFP
Ouagadougou (AFP)
Des analyses n'ont pas permis de détecter d'ADN sur les restes supposés de l'ex-chef de l'Etat
burkinabè Thomas Sankara, alimentant le mystère de sa mort dans une enquête qui se concentre sur
son successeur, le président déchu Blaise Compaoré, visé par un mandat d'arrêt international.
Thomas Sankara et douze de ses compagnons ont été tués le 15 octobre 1987 lors d'un coup d'Etat
qui porta l'ex-chef de l'Etat Blaise Compaoré au pouvoir. Les corps ont été exhumés fin mai afin de
lever le voile sur les circonstances de sa mort.
Une enquête a été ouverte fin mars 2015, après la chute de M. Compaoré en octobre 2014, chassé
par la rue après 27 ans au pouvoir. Le sujet était tabou pendant l?ère Compaoré, ancien frère d?arme
de Sankara parfois soupçonné d?avoir commandité son assassinat.
Les résultats d'une autopsie livrés mi-octobre 2015 indiquent que la dépouille présumée du
président Sankara était "criblée de balles". Des tests ADN devaient permettre d'identifier
formellement les restes.
"On peut simplement dire qu'au regard de ces résultats, l'état des restes ne permettaient pas au
laboratoire de certifier l'existence d'ADN" sur les corps exhumés fin mai, a déclaré lundi l'avocat de
la famille Sankara, Me Bénéwendé Stanislas Sankara.
"Les premier et deuxième niveaux (des test ADN) certifient des résultats qui confortent ceux de
l'autopsie mais au troisième niveau, l'expertise scientifique conclut qu'il n'y a pas d'ADN détectable
conformément à l'état actuel de la science", a-t-il expliqué à la presse après avoir pris connaissance
avec ses clients des analyses.
Celles-ci ont été réalisées par "le laboratoire de police de Marseille (sud de la France), un
laboratoire de référence en la matière" qui "a travaillé conformément aux normes internationales", a
dit Me Sankara.
Les analyses ADN étaient une requête de la famille, a précisé Me Sankara, ajoutant que ses clients
avaient quinze jours pour décider de demander une contre-expertise ou des analyses
complémentaires.
- Beaucoup d'inculpations Malgré tout, "la procédure suit son cours, il y a déjà beaucoup d'inculpations dans le dossier", a-t-il
souligné.
Au moins une demi-douzaine de personnes majoritairement des anciens soldats du Régiment de
sécurité présidentielle (RSP), l'ancienne garde prétorienne de M. Compaoré, ont été inculpées pour
"assassinat", "attentat" et "recel de cadavres" dans cette affaire.
Le directeur de la santé militaire à l?époque des faits, Fidèle Guébré, a été inculpé pour faux en
écriture publique pour avoir signé un certificat de décès stipulant que le président Sankara était
décédé de mort naturelle.
Après le général Gilbert Diendéré, chef du RSP, bras droit de M. Compaoré et auteur du putsch
manqué de septembre 2015, la justice militaire vise maintenant directement le président déchu.
"Il y a un mandat d'arrêt international contre Blaise Compaoré", exilé en Côte d'Ivoire voisine
depuis sa chute, a indiqué à l'AFP une source judiciaire sous couvert d'anonymat.
D'autres sources proches du dossier interrogées par l'AFP a confirmé l'existence de ce mandat
d'arrêt, émis le 4 décembre et transmis aux autorités ivoiriennes. M Compaoré est également
inculpé d'"assassinat", d'"attentat" et de "recel de cadavre", selon ces sources.
Les autorités ivoiriennes n'étaient pas joignables dans l'immédiat pour une réaction.
Ce mandat d'arrêt devrait compliquer les relations entre le Burkina et la Côte d'Ivoire. Au début des
années 2000, l'ancien homme fort burkinabè avait été le principal soutient des rebelles pro-Ouattara
qui avaient tenté de renverser le président de l'époque Laurent Gbagbo, s'emparant de la moitié nord
du pays.
Le dirigeant politique de cette rébellion, Guillaume Soro, est aujourd'hui président de l'Assemblée
nationale ivoirienne. Il a récemment été soupçonné d'avoir cherché à soutenir le putsch manqué de
septembre au Burkina, suite à la publication sur internet d'enregistrements présentés comme des
conversations avec un ancien ministre très proche de l'ex-président burkinabè.
M. Soro dénonce ces enregistrements comme des faux, se disant victime d'une "campagne de
dénigrement et de calomnie".
UN/AFRICA :
US/AFRICA :
CANADA/AFRICA :
AUSTRALIA/AFRICA :
EU/AFRICA :
CHINA/AFRICA :
Yearender: China-Africa cooperation ushers in new era of mutual benefits
English.news.cn/Xinhua/2015-12-22
By Ndumiso Mlilo
JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The year of 2015 will go down to the annals of history as
the year which saw Sino-Africa relations take a giant leap forward.
Politicians and experts have agreed that this is the year where the relations between Africa and
China was at the highest level.
The year started with the African Union and China signing the Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) on the improvement of Africa's transport system and enhancement of industrialization
infrastructure.
The MOU was meant to transform Africa's industrialization, transport system, including high speed
railways, highways and aviation. This resulted in China sending its ambassador to the AU, which
will dispatch its ambassador to China early next year to oversee the implementation of the MOU.
China has been pursuing a multi-pronged approach towards Africa, enhancing relations with the AU
on the one hand and with individual countries on the other.
Sabelo Gatsheni-Ndlovu, Director of the Archie Mafeje Research Institute and a professor at the
University of South Africa, told Xinhua that the Sino-Africa relations developed and became
stronger in 2015, highlighted by the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC) in early December in South Africa. It was the first time that a FOCAC
summit was held in Africa.
"That showed how strategic China continues to be for Africa," Gatsheni-Ndlovu said.
The summit successfully accomplished all its major tasks under the atmosphere of sincerity,
friendship, equality and a win-win cooperation.
It is a historic meeting in the history of China-Africa relations.
It was in this summit that Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled the 60 billion U.S. dollars aid
package for Africa in the next three years.
The package seeks to help Africa to industrialize, modernize its agricultural production, boost the
skills of its workers, build infrastructure and improve its health care.
Gatsheni-Ndlovu said, "China showed its commitment to be the main anchor of the African
development with the pledges announced at the FOCAC Summit. China also showed its
commitment to helping the AU and Africa with infrastructural development. This sees China
fulfilling its long term commitment to help Africa's modernization, agriculture and
industrialization."
Yazini April, a research specialist from Human Science Research Council of South Africa, said
Africa-China relations climbed to a much higher level in 2015.
"In 2015 China-Africa relations did go up and that demonstrated trust and mutual benefit. The
hosting of the FOCAC Summit was also a major milestone in the relationship. The fact that it was
elevated to a summit on its own is a seriousness on the relationship," April said.
She stated that Africa and China develop their relationship on the basis of mutual benefit.
"China proved itself that it's a dependable partner. When China promise to do this and that this year,
they do it. China is not the World Bank or the U.S. which tell you a lot stories and take time to
deliver. China has deliverables which are tangible," April said.
At the FOCAC Summit, China agreed to help AU with its agenda 2063 and continue assisting with
infrastructural projects.
The tone of FOCAC this year changed and it was not China deciding what needs to be done, April
said.
Africans were so much involved in the agenda of the summit with South Africa consulting with
other African leaders, she said.
This year also saw the establishment of China-Africa Joint Arbitration Centres (CAJAC) in China
and South Africa. These centres are responsible for handling complaints and solve them without
resorting to the courts. The lawyers from Africa and China noted that as the trade and interaction
increases, misunderstanding are bound to occur and CAJAC would handle those in an impartial
manner.
Speaking at the end of the FOCAC Summit, South African President Jacob Zuma said the SinoAfrica relationship is at the highest level ever.
"This summit has certainly taken the FOCAC partnership to its highest level ever," Zuma said.
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said
the summit clearly illustrated the key principles of the FOCAC relationship, namely mutual trust,
win-win cooperation and mutual benefit.
"Most importantly, we have upgraded this partnership to a higher strategic level, that of a
'Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership', thereby ensuring that we are better able to
address the pressing needs of our peoples," Nkoana-Mashabane said.
China-Africa trade reached 220 billion dollars last year with investments seen at 32.4 billion
dollars.
In 2015, China-Africa trade is expected to approach 300 billion dollars. The direct investment in the
first half of 2015 went to 1.19 billion dollars.
China has signed 245 new economic assistance agreements. China has also exempted 156 items of
debt from 31 African countries. China has also signed medical aid agreements with 41 African
countries.
The year of 2015 was indeed an eventful year which saw China-Africa Cooperation ushering in a
new era of mutual benefits.
INDIA/AFRICA :
BRAZIL/AFRICA :
EN BREF, CE 22 Décembre 2015… AGNEWS/DAM, NY, 22/12/2015