June 24, 2008

The leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, Joseph Kony, told a French radio station that he wants to resume talks in Juba. The government responded by saying that it will sign any agreement once Kony agrees. Kony added that he he is going to make sure that this war is resolved. In April Kony did not show up to a signing ceremony of the final peace agreement (FPA). Kony was worried that he and three other LRA leaders would be indicted by the International Criminal Court. Kony said he would meet with Southern Sudan’s vice president Riek Machar to end everything. The rebellion has displaced more than a million people since it broke out in the late 1980s. Nevertheless, Uganda’s president, Yosewi Museveni, told an audience this week that “Kony is a killer and a bad man who has killed thousands of innocent people. Museveni also blamed insecurity in the northern, eastern, and West Nile regions on the Sudanese government. The Sudan’s government has been complicit in the LRA’s rebellion

The UN Security Council has blamed the Zimbabwean government for the violence that has marred its election. The Security Council found ample evidence that violence had been perpetrated by a combination of state agencies, war veterans and youth militias. The UNSC said the campaign of violence has made free and fair elections this Friday impossible. The report calls for the return of humanitarian organizations removed last month by Robert Mugabe, and called for dialog between the parties.

Mugabe appears to have some support among African leaders. Libya’s Gaddafi said “In Uganda we have [Yoswi] Museveni, in Zimbabwe, we have Mugabe. They are real African leaders.” South Africa’s president Thebo Mbeki continues to shield Mugabe. And Museveni has been on record saying that elections are a “bane” to the African continent. However, Museveni appears to have had a change of heart: “if he loses elections he must go.” He said Mugabe must have the “permission of the people” to stay in power. Botswana Ian Kharma and Kenya’s prime minister, Raila Odinga, have been outspoken critics of Mugabe.

Despite the gloomy situation in Zimbabwe, the African National Congress of South Africa is still rejecting outside pressure as a way to resolve the crisis. The ANC’s statement came just a day after the UN Security Council called on Zimbabwe’s government to free political prisoners and allow the opposition to rally supporters. The ANC says that only Zimbabweans can solve their country’s problem. Mugabe plans to go ahead in the elections, despite a plea from the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, but seemed open to talks. His opposition, Morgan Tsvangarai, says he will only talk if the violence ends. And Mugabe said that he won’t refuse to negotiate.

Foreign Policy reports that failed states at the end of 2006 moved close to the brink. Somalia was the most unstable country in 2007. Sudan, Chad, Zimbabwe, and Iraq rounded out the top five. The index is a collaboration between FP magazine and the Fund for Peace. The Index is based on a dozen indicators. Major improvements were seen in Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, and Liberia. Norway was the most stable nation. Eleven of the 20 most vulnerable states were in Africa. Colombia and Haiti were the most unstable states in the Western Hemisphere.
The food shortage in Ethiopia is becoming more severe, according to the UN. The worst affected areas include the Southern and West Arsi of the Oromiya region. A report from East Badawocho in Oromiya found Global Acute Malnutrition rates at 16 percent. About 4.5 million people need assistance because of rising prices and drought.
Food prospects look good for Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, according to Famine Early Warning Systems Network. South Africa’s maize output will be 51% greater than last years. Flooding and delayed rains have caused areas of food insecurity in some parts of these countries.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta announced a cease fire last night, after elders in the Niger-Delta appealed to the movement.
The governor of the Nigerian state Adamawa have impeached Admiral Murtala Hammanyaro Nyako. Twenty of the 25 members of the legislature charged him with groos misconduct, abuse of office, illegal freezing of funds, fictitious contracts, and fraudulent spending of public funds.
The high court of Lahore declared Nawaz Sharif, head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, to be ineligible to run in a by-election scheduled for Thursday because of a criminal conviction. The Supreme Court is unlikely to overturn the decision, as the court is packed with judges whom President Pervez Musharraf assigned a year ago after disposing the Supreme Court. Musharraf ousted Sharif in an October 1999 coup. Sharif’s party wants to reinstate the old judges, including Mohammad Chaudhry. Asif Ali Zardari, head of the Pakistan People’s Party, wants to reinstate the judges through constitutional amendments. Sharif was barred from taking part in the February elections because he was convicted of prevent Musharraf’s plan from landing in 1999.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner met with anger farmers upset over high fuel prices and export taxes. Truckers hauling grain for export have been blocked, and as a result have launched their own protests. Markets are low on food and prices continue to rise. Inflation continues to rise as consumption falls. Argentina’s growth forecasts have been scaled down, and the country is becoming less and less reliable as a food exporter.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for an end to Jewish settlement construction in Palestinian territories. Sarkozy visited the Yard Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem on Monday. Sarkozy encouraged the Israeli Knesset to adopt a law that would encourage settlers to leave the West Bank in exchange for compensation. Sarkozy also called on Israel to ease restriction on Palestinian movement. Sarkozy believes that a permanent peace settlement requires Jerusalem to be the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state.

Korea’s president Lee Myung Bak said his government would not tolerate more violent protests over a decision to resume beef imports from America. Businesses have been swamped with phone calls from angry customers threatening to boycott those stores that sell American beef. Lee visited Camp David in April. After the G8 Summit in Japan in July, Bush is expected to visit South Korea.