Wire traps remain wildlife big killer

In the middle of a logging road that flanks Lobeke National Park in the Southeast of Cameroon, a male sitatunga sat on its chest and stomach staring at our approaching vehicle. As we drove closer, it stayed on strangely unruffled. We suspected something was amiss and pulled up 5 metres away.As we tiptoed towards it, the mammal staggered to its feet, attempted to lurch into the bush but crashed to the ground 4 metres away. Seething around it, we noticed a wire about its left hind leg, blood oozing from it.The sitatunga had succeeded in breaking away from a wire snare but due to pains from its wound could not continue running. The animal died while being rushed to the nearest forest control post.This was one of the many cases of wild animals being caught in wire snares in Southeast Cameroon. Apart from guns, poachers are using wires to trap and kill animals. This is greatly influenced by the availability and affordability of the wires.A study on the circulation of bush meat in Yokadouma, East Province of Cameroon, revealed that more and more hunters use wire snares because “rolls of wire are sold in almost every shop at affordable prices (FCFA 2500). Wire snares, some poachers have confessed, are easy to use and pose very little threat to them (poachers). The snag is that wire traps are easy to use and pose greater threat to all varieties of wildlife species.Studies have revealed that between 26 and 37% of animals that get caught in wire traps end up decaying because some hunters stay for several weeks before checking the traps.In the Southeast of Cameroon, an estimated 15368 wire snares were dismantled between June 2006 and June 2008, excluding numerous wire rolls confiscated from poachers during anti-poaching patrol during the same period.“Wire snares are more dangerous than guns because they kill indiscriminately,” noted Expedit Fouda, Park Assistant for Boumba Bek National Park. “They can bring down elephants, gorillas, chimpanzees, etc,” Expedit stated. According to him, 99 percent of hunting within and around Boumba-Bek national park is carried out using wire snares. “In 2006, we dismantled 4133 wire snares while in 2007, the number almost doubled to 6625, including 6 rolls of cable.” Estimates show that 75% of animals are killed by wire snares in the Southeast of Cameroon.“This is a very big problem,” writhed Balla Ottou, Chief of Sector in Charge of Wildlife for Boumba et Ngoko Division. “Most poachers cannot afford the huge sum needed to buy guns, so they go for wires, judging from the number of poachers we have arrested with rolls of wire cables in recent years,” stated Balla.The use of wire snares is illegal going by Cameroon’s forestry law. The law prescribes use of plants to set traps for subsistence hunting in community hunting zones. Such has been the practice for Baka pygmies over the years. But the availability of wire cables has caused a decline in the use of plants, thereby posing even greater threats to wildlife.“Together with WWF, we have embarked on dismantling wire snares in the forest. We are also inventorying dealers in wire cables in Southeast Cameroon to enable us puncture the supply route,” explained Balla.

Liberia: Taylor named in Sankara’s death

The man who made history by butchering former Liberian President Samuel K. Doe to death yesterday testified before the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in the capital Monrovia.Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to establish what and who were responsible for the country’s civil war which left thousands of lives lost and properties worth millions of dollars.Speaking to commissioners yesterday the former fighter now senator said he is responsible for the death of the late Samuel K. Doe but later maintained that politicians and religious leaders who formed an interim government in exile while Samuel Doe was still alive were also responsible for the late president’s death. Mr. Prince Johnson recalled that before the start of the war they were looking for help in the region and Charles Taylor connected them to Burkina Faso. Mr. Johnson explained that the then President Thomas Sankara was opposed to the war in Liberia but his deputy Blaise Campore said the only way he could help the effort of the war in Liberia is for NPFL to help him overthrown Thomas Sankara. Mr. Johnson said they helped overthrown Thomas Sankara who was later murdered and they proceeded to Libya were they underwent military training before starting a war in Liberia which lasted for 15 years.Meanwhile The TRC is still hearing testimonies of those that took part in the Liberian civil war while the former president Charles Taylor is standing trial on 11 counts for allegedly supporting one of the world most feared rebel group, the Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone.

Kenya: Poll commission boss denies rigging

The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) has maintained that it did not rig last year’s election in favour of President Mwai Kibaki, saying that commissioners played their part to the letter.ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu however told the Kriegler Commission that he would not clear the role of presiding officers saying that they had the ability to manipulate results.We did not know what was happening at the local level for Kibaki and other candidates, Kivuitu told the commission.Kivuitu further confirmed that an internal audit had revealed that ODM was denied 8,700 votes, ODM-Kenya 29,093 and PNU 21,473 votes in the final tally but that the discovery would still not alter the final tally.As afar as I know nothing that I saw that would offer any doubts, about the results, Kivuitu said.Kivuitu also disclosed that he at one time considered postponing the announcement of the results but had no other recourse to the issue.It weighed in my mind that we could postpone announcement of results, but postpone and do what? Kivuitu posed.Kivuitu was facing cross-examination from lawyers and commissioners after handing his evidence on Monday.

Malawi president registers as voter

Malawi president Bingu Wa Mutharika on Monday set out an example to the country when he registered his name in the voters roll at the country’s registration centre in the capital Lilongwe.The president has been appealing to people during his rallies to go and register in order to vote in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections next year.Mutharika’s registration gives an example to many people on the importance of voter registration.Malawi, which last held its elections in 2004, is set to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 24, 2009.The president was quoted in the country’s local daily of the Daily Times on Tuesday after registration that it was important for people to register in order for them to vote next year.I would like to tell Malawians that it is very important to register. It is my right, it is the right of everybody to decide what kind of leaders they want, said Mutharika.Malawi Electoral Commission(Mec) started the voter registration last week across the country and is expected to wind up this Sunday.

Dawn of a new era for Cameroon, Nigeria

Things will never be the same again for Cameroon and Nigeria as president Paul Biya in an address to the nation on national television and radio broadcast on the occasion of the withdrawal of the Nigerian administration and police force from the Bakassi Peninsula recently.He announced the dawn of a new era void of the spectre of suspicion and wariness between both countries would hence take a turn for the better.President Paul Biya paid tribute to the Nigerian government for honouring its engagements, sovereign responsibilities and international obligations. He also paid glowing tribute to all those who in one way or another contributed to the Green Tree and final handing over success story, pointing out that it was time to acknowledge the friendly and brotherly gesture of the Nigerian government and reciprocally lay the blue print for a more practical brotherly relationship.It is reasonable that Cameroon and Nigeria must henceforth do everything possible to consolidate the settlement reached and seize the opportunities afforded them to develop their relations in other fields. In this regard I want to reaffirm that Cameroon will honour all the commitments made concerning our Nigerian brothers and sisters who have chosen to reside in Cameroon, that is, those living in Bakassi as well as those who have been living on Cameroonian territory.I want to reassure them their rights and security will be respected and guaranteed. There is therefore reason to believe that this is the dawn of a new era in the relationship between Cameroon and Nigeria, Biya said.

Terms Of New RelationsThough government still has to delimit the terms of the new era of relationship, it is no news that Cameroon and Nigeria in many cases share the same culture as well as common interest.According to some economic observers, it is time Cameroon acknowledges the economic might of Nigeria in Africa coming second after South Africa and seize the opportunity to formally and officially strengthen the economic relationship between both countries.As president Paul Biya said in his speech both countries are bound by history and geography to live together and by numerous links rooted in common culture. They thus have every reason to promote mutually beneficial ties of friendship and cooperation.The future he promised was bright, thus the need for both peoples to be happy.

Ghanaian opposition names VP in September

Dr. Edward Nasigrie Mahama, flag bearer of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), on Tuesday announced that he would name his running mate in September and said the his choice would come from southern Ghana.He said his running mate would be selected from the Brong Ahafo, Volta, Greater Accra or Ashanti regions to balance the political landscape as these four regions had been left out of mainstream political activity for Election 2008.The PNC flag bearer told the AfricaNews in an interview that, in our party we view leadership as the servant of the people and my running mate should have the temperament, ability to listen and complement the President in all spheres of governorship.He said: “My selection of a running mate is being guided by my declared intention to form a cabinet with 50 per cent gender sensitivity. The nation is ripe for a woman to be at the helm of political leadership.”Dr Mahama said voting in Election 2008 should focus on issues and the credibility of leadership instead of merely the savour of a political party, empty promises, emotional gymnastics and fanfare.He urged the electorate and the media to scrutinize all the flag bearers objectively on their ability to deliver, personality credentials and accomplishments, the genuineness of their messages and their international credibility.We should be careful about leaders with doubtful character, fraudulent and criminal image in the mind of right thinking people. Ghana deserves a leader who would project the image of the nation among the community of nations, he said.On the recent poll conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) which placed the PNC a distant fourth, Dr. Mahama said: “I am encouraged by the result of the poll as it calls for hard work and reveals that the PNC has made progress in projecting issues based politics in the country. What is left is to link the party with the projection.The NCCE survey statistics indicated that out of sample size of 5,520 respondents, 2,360 representing 42.9 per cent supported the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to win the December general elections.The New Patriotic Party was rated second with 2,341 respondents, representing 42.6 per cent. The Convention People’s Party picked the third spot with 345 respondents representing 6.3 per cent and the PNC was rated fourth with only 60 respondents representing 1.1 per cent.Dr. Mahama said: We are the only party that has focused on the thematic areas that the Ghanaian electorate are calling for education, health care, agriculture, women and children, economy, youth development, national security, corruption, housing and social welfare.He said they needed to make more copies of their manifesto available to the people and propagandists who say that even though we have a fine message we cannot win the electionsWe are capable of winning the election and offer good leadership, Dr Mahama said. He said the PNC was offering Ghanaians leadership focusing on national agenda instead of personality agenda.Other flag bearers just copy our manifesto and our message and stand at the rooftops and announce it as their own, this is deceptive politics. We marketed the National Health Insurance, school feeding programme and the like. They hijack it without acknowledging its origin.Now we have talked about one computer to each child, university in each region and much more human centred policies. Our opponents have picked them and are now moving around with these issues.He called on the electorate to vote for a PNC-led government for real change in the fortune of national development. They (NPP) have not been able to move the country forward in the past eight years when they assumed leadership with fresh men. Now with tired hands, it would a political disaster to renew their mandate.Dr. Mahama said Ghana and Africa needed fresh leaders with courage, determination, track record of accomplishment, and clean image to stand up and be counted within the community of international leadership without looking behind.

Beijing 2008 was Ghana’s worst performance

Ghana’s dismal performance at the just ended Beijing Olympics has come under barrage of criticisms from a veteran sports journalist and the major opposition party in Parliament describing it as the worst performance ever. Kwabena Yeboah, the Editor of Africa Sports newspaper lamented that Ghana’s poor preparation towards the Beijing Olympics resulted in her poor showing.Ghana fielded nine athletes; six boxers and three field and track accompanied by 13 officials, but failed to bag any medal whatsoever from the 16-day sporting fiesta that closed on Sunday . Speaking to an Accra based radio station – Joy FM – and monitored by Africa News, Mr Yeboah insisted the status quo will remain the same in terms of planning towards the next Olympics in London.“I really have my doubts, and I say this because, to be honest with you this is not the first time we’ve attended the Olympics …we’ve attended the Olympics a couple of times and we seem to be repeating the same errors.”The respected sports journalist commended the sportsmen and women for their bravery to compete with the world’s best inspite of all the domestic challenges they went through. He cautioned officials to refrain from engaging in a blame game affair and focus on the future.He added: “I think the truth of the matter is that our officials tend to place too much premium on football, there is no doubt about the fact that football is the passion of the nation, but I think that we must make a quick determination and decide whether we want to play football alone to the neglect of all the other disciplines. To be honest with you I want to believe that if football had qualified to the Olympics, our attitude would have been entirely different, you know.”Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in Parliament attributed Ghana’s abysmal performance to mismanagement of sports, lack of cohesive planning and vision by the sporting authorities.The Minority said it is surprising that the country was quick in putting up and rehabilitating new stadiums to host the 26th MTN Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana 2008, without putting up the needed structures for other sporting disciplines which could have developed other sporting talents to fetch the needed medals for the country.
Honorable Abuga Pele, the Ranking Member of Youth and Sports told GNA Sports that the irony of the situation is that whereas other countries in the sub-region such as Nigeria, Togo, Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire are soccer loving nations they had not neglected other sporting disciplines.He said: “It is about time Ghanaians stopped boasting that we are the leaders in the sub-region and face the realities since it is obvious that our sporting prowess and talent are on the downward trend and progressive measures needs to be taken to rectify the situation”.“It was our worst performance ever at the Olympics and one can feel the disappointment of Ghanaians at the Games, which goes a long way to reflect on the way we manage our sports with many blaming the over concentration on football to the neglect of other sporting disciplines,” Mr Pele asserted.

South Africa: Shelters to Remain Open for Another Five Weeks

The Constitutional Court has ruled that the temporary shelters housing thousands of displaced foreign nationals will stay open until the end of September.

On Friday the highest court in the country ruled that all six temporary shelters in the province should remain open for a further five weeks until the process of reintegrating foreign nationals back into their communities is complete.

The court ruling stemmed from an application made by the Wits Law Clinic and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa to prevent the Gauteng Provincial Government from closing the shelters.

The date for the closure of the shelters had been set for 15 August.

The provincial government, who welcomed the ruling, said there were only about 2 000 foreign nationals left living in the six temporary shelters.

About 15 000 people have returned to their homes voluntarily while some returned to their country of birth.

Government set up the shelters as a temporary measure to house the thousands of foreign nationals who had been displaced by the violent attacks which broke in Alexander and then spread around the country.

According to provincial government spokesperson Thabo Masebe, the order of the Constitutional Court is in agreement with the submission made by government on 19 August 2008.

The provision indicates that the applicants accept that the shelters provided are of a temporary nature and that they should not be operational for longer than a month.

It further states that applicants must cooperate with the employees and agents of the respondents for all administrative purposes.

“Applicants must refrain from canvassing or recruiting people, who do not presently reside at the shelters to move in, intimidate any of the inhabitants to remain in the shelters so as to frustrate the process of closure.

“Any applicant that receives a financial benefit in respect of alternative accommodation must leave the shelters,” read the Constitutional Court provisions.

On Friday, the court also ordered the province to continue engaging with the legal refugees’ representatives who fought to keep the shelters open, to accelerate the reintegration process.

In the meantime, Mr Masebe said the provincial government would continue to facilitate the reintegration of the displaced persons who are entitled to be in the country into communities.He further said announcement regarding the closure and consolidation of shelters will be made in due course.

Botswana Deports Top Mugabe Spin-Doctor

It has emerged that Botswana President Ian Khama ordered the deportation of a communications expert who works for Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF last week, stepping up his country’s rejection of Mugabe’s controversial reelection in a one-man runoff last June. Sources say Ceasar Zvayi, a ZANU-PF operative who teaches media studies at the University of Botswana, and whose name appeared in an expanded US blacklist of Mugabe’s close associates, was arrested and deported alongside three other Zimbabweans. Botswana does not recognize Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader and has called for country’s suspension from all African organizations.

Al-Qaeda “Branch” Claims Algeria Bomb Attacks

A group claiming to be Al Qaeda’s North African branch has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings that have killed a total of 55 people in Algeria. In a recorded message broadcast on Al-Jazeera, a spokesman for the group, Salah Abu Mohammed, said they were responsible for the Tuesday suicide bomb attack in Issers and Wednesday’s twin attacks in Bouira. It is however unclear whether the audio recordings are authentic.