Zimbabwe news:UN expert 'denied Zimbabwe entry'

culled from bbcnews.com

Mr Nowak went ahead with the visit despite it being called off by Harare The UN torture investigator has been denied entry to Zimbabwe, despite being invited by the country's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the UN says. Manfred Nowak said he was stopped by immigration officials after landing at Harare airport on Wednesday evening. Mr Nowak's week-long fact-finding mission was blocked by Zimbabwe's foreign ministry at the last minute. Early on Thursday, Mr Nowak left the country on a flight to Johannesburg, a UN spokesman said. The blocking of Mr Nowak's visit comes amid a renewed political crisis between power-sharing rivals Mr Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe. Supporters of Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party have reportedly launched a campaign of violence on Mr Tsvangirai's MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) party. Mr Tsvangirai stopped co-operating with the unity government two weeks ago. He was angry at perceived failure by Zanu-PF to implement measures agreed to as a part of the power-sharing deal and the jailing of a senior MDC member on terrorism charges that he says are trumped up. Battle of wills The BBC's Karen Allen, in neighbouring South Africa, says the decision to cancel the trip is bound to be seen by some as a battle of wills between the two major parties. And ahead of a regional meeting on the crisis, human rights group Amnesty International has warned the country is on the brink of sliding back into last year's post-election violence. Mr Nowak earlier said he had received "two completely different messages" from the Zimbabwean government - but added that he would try to meet Mr Tsvangirai on Thursday. Recent allegations that MDC supporters and human rights defenders have been arrested, harassed and intimidated... highlight the urgency of objective fact-finding UN statement "I got the clear message from the prime minister that it is his understanding that the mission is going on," he said. "That leads me to the conclusion that there must be some kind of misunderstanding between the different cabinet members." The UN says Mr Nowak - the special rapporteur on torture - was informed of the cancellation only when he was in South Africa on his way to Zimbabwe. He had been initially invited by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa - a Zanu-PF member - to meet officials and rights activists, inspect prisons and police stations and compile a report for the Security Council. But the UN said Harare had called off the visit because of an unanticipated meeting with the southern African regional group, Sadc. A Sadc team is due in Harare on Thursday to try to resolve the political crisis. Nevertheless, Mr Nowak said he would travel to Zimbabwe, following an invitation from Mr Tsvangarai. The UN said in a statement that Mr Nowak welcomed "all efforts to resolve the political crisis", but that the Sadc meeting was not a valid reason to cancel his visit. "Recent allegations that MDC supporters and human rights defenders have been arrested, harassed and intimidated during the past few days highlight the urgency of objective fact-finding by an independent UN expert," the UN said. On Tuesday, Mr Tsvangirai's MDC party said there had been an increase in violent attacks on its members. Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said a senior official had been stopped and beaten by Zanu-PF supporters on Tuesday morning. Days earlier, an MDC residence was raided by police. Zanu-PF has described the comments as "cheap propaganda".

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Gambia news:Alarming Irregularities in Health Sector

 culled from The Dailynews

www.dailynews.gm

By Lamin Njie

Doctor Adama Sallah, Registrar of the Gambia Medical and Dental Council has said that his council has noticed  some alarming irregularities in the delivery of health services within  the country in recent times particularly with the private sector.

According to him, certain companies and institutions in the private sector are restricting and manipulating their staff so that they can only utilize the services of a particular Clinic, Doctor or Dentist. This, he said constitute among other things a gross infringement of the patient rights and tantamount to violation of the ethical rules and regulations of the medical profession.   

Dr. Sallah made this revelation to journalists during a press conference on Thursday 22 October, 2009 at Lamtoro Clinic in Senegambia.According  to him, it has been clear that certain Human Rights Managers  in some companies and Banks are trying to strikes deals with certain Doctors/Dentists/Clinics to give them a monopoly of taking care of their staff for reasons best known to them. He further stated that it is therefore absolutely necessary for the heads of these Institutions/Banks to eliminate all such forms of restriction and allow free movement of their staff to whichever facility their needs dictates.

"The patient should have the unqualified right to consult the Doctor/Dentist of his/her choice. The reasons for these are knowledge; competence and experience vary among Doctors/Dentists," he said. The Medical and Dental Registrar further stated that there are some professional Doctors/Dentists who are not truthful, competence, and lack the experience. However, he said some of these Doctors/Dentists are not able to manipulate heads of institutions and the public at large to believe in their false claims.

"The danger with this kind of practice is that it causes unnecessary delay for the patient to have access to quality medical and dental care which might have some very serious repercussion for the individual and his or her family", Dr Sallah  said.

He said unfortunately some paramedics though are qualified after undergoing some post graduate training to carry out limited, supervised medical and dental practice, they do not seem to respect such limitations. Consequently they quickly try to assume the role of a Doctor/Dentist and try to carry out procedures and treatments which they are aware, they lack such merits.

"Needless to say there are numerous cases of misdiagnosis, mistreatments, wrongly executed procedures and unforgivable delay in letting the patient access the qualified care he/she needs", he said.

Sallah called for collective efforts to address these irregularities to ensure that they are brought to a quick end before further lives are lost or undue human suffering is maintained. He finally revealed that his council in its drive to fully sensitize patients of their rights, is working on a Patient Rights Charter in line with current international recommendations.

"As soon as the charter is established it would be disseminated", he concluded.   

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Ethiopia asks for urgent food aid

Oxfam says communities need long-term help to withstand the crisis

Source:bbcnews.com

The Ethiopian government has asked the international community for emergency food aid for 6.2 million people.

The request came at a meeting of donors to discuss the impact of a prolonged drought affecting parts of East Africa.
The UN's World Food Programme says $285m (£173m) will be needed in the next six months. Some aid officials say the numbers of hungry could rise.
Aid agency Oxfam has called for a new approach to tackling the risk of disaster in the country.

Drought costs $1.1bn a year 70% of humanitarian aid from US 6.2m need emergency food aid 7.5m others chronically food insecure Sources: WFP/Oxfam 1985: Live Aid makes millions Famine stalks Ethiopia once again

In a report marking 25 years since the famine that killed around one million Ethiopians, Oxfam said that imported food aid saves lives in the short term but did little to help communities withstand the next shock.
The report, named Band Aids and Beyond, called on international donors to adopt a new approach focused on preparing communities to prevent and deal with disasters before they strike.
"Drought does not need to mean hunger and destitution," said Penny Lawrence, Oxfam's international director, who has just returned from Ethiopia.
"If communities have irrigation for crops, grain stores, and wells to harvest rains then they can survive despite what the elements throw at them."
'Total wipe-out'
Ethiopia has been hit by the food crisis affecting a large part of East Africa and the Horn.

ANALYSIS Martin Plaut, Africa analyst There is no doubt poor and erratic rains have hit the Ethiopian harvest. But large parts of the country have not been hit by drought. So why the current crisis? It is in part the result of policies designed to keep farmers on the land, which belongs to the state and cannot be sold. So farms are passed down the generations, divided and sub-divided. Many are so small and the land so overworked that it could not provide for the families that work it even with normal rainfall. At present only 17% of Ethiopia's 80 million people live in urban areas. Keeping people in the countryside is a way of preventing large-scale unemployment and the unrest that this might cause.

Last month Oxfam launched a $15m (£9.5m) emergency appeal for the whole East African region, where it is suggested that 23 million people in seven countries are under threat.
The WFP, which is also calling for aid to the region, says cuts in its funding have made it more difficult to feed people.
It says it is particularly concerned about Eritrea, where it is unable to collect data because of restrictions on movement.
The drought, brought on by four years of bad harvests, has been made worse by conflict, climate change and population growth.
BBC Africa analyst Martin Plaut says Ethiopian government policy banning land sales to keep people out of urban areas has also contributed.
All these other factors combined are at least as important as lack of rainfall, he says.
Fields of maize, burnt and withered by the sun, are the evidence of an emerging crisis, says the BBC's Mike Wooldridge in the Ethiopian town of Mekele.

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The BBC's Mike Wooldridge returns to Ethiopia to view the impact of prolonged drought

In both the hardest-hit south of Ethiopia and in places in the north, farmers have told the BBC they face a total wipe-out of their harvests.
Some said they planned to sell their livestock, so damaging their livelihoods further.
Many aid officials say the figure of 6.2 million affected could rise further when the government makes its next assessment in mid-November.
On its website the WFP gives a figure of more than 10 million people in total affected by drought in Ethiopia.
The problem is compounded by high food costs, the WFP adds, with cereal prices doubling on many markets.
But the UN body's greatest concern is that there is currently no funding at all for a feeding programme to prevent moderately malnourished children from slipping into severe malnutrition and the risk of death.

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Escalation Of Cassamance Crisis Prompts President Jammeh To Call For Ceasefire; Would It Hold?

Source:www.gainako.com

A press release emanating from State House was read over the State owned GRTS television on Tuesday evening expressing the Gambian president's willingness to negotiate between the Government of the Republic of Senegal and the Cassamance insurgents; that escalation of war is not the solution  to the crisis in Cassamance. He calls for ceasefire immediately.
The press release reads:
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
His Excellency the president of the Republic, Sheikh Professor Alhagi Dr.Yahya AJJ Jammeh is hereby appealing to all parties in the conflict in Cassamance to immediately cease all hostilities without pre-condition and embark on peaceful negotiations. At a time when the whole world is working towards food security, the violent conflict in Cassamance has done nothing but entrench endemic poverty and acute food shortage.
The recent escalation of violence at a time when farmers are about to harvest their crops could only mean one thing-that the crops will be abandoned and not harvested and thereby adding to food insecurity and suffering.
We all know that the conflict in Cassamance has almost killed agriculture and further continuation of the violence could only worsen the already bad situation in the Cassamance.In order to alleviate the suffering of the people of Cassamance, his Excellency the president of the Republic hereby urges both the Senegalese and the MFDC to observe with immediate effect an unconditional and immediate ceasefire and go to the negotiating table.
Both parties to the conflict should know that the solution to the problem of Cassamance is not a military one.
The Gambia as a peace loving Country, cannot be indifferent to the escalating violence in Cassamance.A ceasefire should take effect as from yesterday, Monday 19th October, 2009.All parties to the conflict are hereby requested to heed the appeal and observe an immediate and indefinite ceasefire so that all displaced persons can return and resettle and regain their normal daily lives. His Excellency the president would like to thank in advance all parties to the conflict for heeding his call for peace.
This appeal is purely based on his love for peace and firm belief that there cannot be any development anywhere in the world without peace and stability.
Those who follow gainako would have read that the paper had described the fighting as escalating and that many people are escaping the violence. The recent information is that places like Brikama are beginning to flood with refugees fleeing the fighting from the Cassamance region and taking refuge in the Gambia. If this trend continues, the Gambia will surely begin to feel the weight of the crisis and it will become more and more difficult to sustain all those refugees in terms of food, housing and other essential amenities such as medical care etc.
Speculations abound since the president released his statement that he is ready to negotiate between the two sides. It raises doubts as to the motive behind the move. Some say he must have known that the Senegalese army must have advanced towards the insurgents lingering by the Gambian/ Cassamance border which will surely force them to retreat inside the Gambia and if that happens what would be the reaction of the Senegalese could be anybody's guess. So they say president Jammeh must have felt that that kind of situation could create a security situation for the Gambia and obviously for his government as well.
2. Others speculate that Jammeh supports for the Salif Sadjo faction who is singly being pursued by the Senegalese army together with the Jakai rebels from both the Guinea Bissau and Gambia borders and if this trend continues, faction might lose its basis to the Senegalese army and the Jakai that are allied to them. They say this would leave Jammeh in the lurch and further frustrate whatever plans he and salif may have hatched and without doubt further strain relations with Senegal. That too may not be favourable to the Gambia and the Jammeh government. So they said this move is to avert the above foreseen problems before they get out of hand since Senegal already knows the connection between Jammeh and the Salif faction. It is believed that since no one approached Jammeh for negotiations in this matter, then his claim that he is only doing this for the love of peace is not tenable because as they said, it is not a new problem.
However, the war is raging in Cassamance and there is no sign of abating and no signals have been given that shows that Senegal might want him to mediate between them. In fact a big doubt clouds the horizon as to whether Abdoulaye Wade would accept a ceasefire or accept Jammeh as a neutral mediator,after all the distrust that culminated from Jammeh's refusal to hand over rebels that enter the Gambia or are caught in the Gambia. If commonsense is anything to go by, then one can easily say that Jammeh is not the neutral mediator the Cassamance crisis might need at this juncture but only time can tell whether his ceasefire call would be heeded.

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Africa trade bloc suspends Niger

Sources bbcnews.com

Mamadou Tandja voted early on Tuesday morn

West Africa's trade grouping Ecowas has suspended Niger after President Mamadou Tandja went ahead with a controversial parliamentary election.

Ecowas had called on Mr Tandja to postpone the vote indefinitely to allow talks with opposition politicians - who have boycotted Tuesday's election.
They are angry at the president's attempts to extend his time in power.
Mr Tandja dissolved parliament earlier this year and had the constitution changed to let him seek a third term.
After talks at the weekend, Ecowas had warned the 71-year-old president to delay the election or face "full sanctions".
'Pariah' status
On Tuesday the bloc's political director, Abdel Fatau Musa, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme it was clear Mr Tandja had rejected the decision of Ecowas.
He defended the decision to suspend the nation, saying it would affect Mr Tandja.
"If you are considered a pariah, an outcast, from an organisation you have ratified the conditions of, then psychologically it will affect you," he said.
He warned that the issue could end up in the UN Security Council, and Niger could be left in international isolation unless Mr Tandja backed down.
The president's move to stay in power in the uranium-rich nation sparked international outrage and dismay among opposition groups.
He had been due to stand down in December after serving two five-year terms.
But his supporters say the people want him to stay in power because he has brought financial stability to one of the world's poorest nations.
In January, French company Areva signed a deal to develop what it said would become the world's second biggest uranium mine.
The mine is in the semi-desert north, where ethnic Tuareg rebels have been fighting for more autonomy.
President Tandja has signed a peace deal with several Tuareg groups.
Six million people are eligible to vote to elect a new 113-member parliament, but correspondents say the campaign has been marked by indifference among residents.

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French told to quit unsafe Guinea

Guinea's army has long played a political role

France has urged its nationals to leave Guinea, amid growing criticism of the military junta.

There are believed to be some 2,500 French nationals, mainly aid workers businessmen and their families, in the mineral-rich former French colony.
Human rights groups say some 157 people died after troops opened fire on opposition protesters last month.
The African Union has told the military leader to step down by Saturday, amid calls for him to be charged.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a preliminary investigation into the deaths.
Human rights groups say soldiers raped and sexually abused women during the crackdown.
The military government puts the number of dead at 57 and says most were trampled to death and not shot, as opposition activists say.
Minister 'resigns'
On Wednesday, European Union development chief Karel de Gucht called for junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity.

CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding on to power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Guinea's erratic military ruler Guinea under Camara: Story so far Eyewitness: 'Bodies were falling'

He said the crackdown on protesters was "an act of brutality never seen before".
After the protest Cap Camara pointed the finger of blame at "controllable soldiers", while also saying the opposition should not have held the banned rally.
France has already said it will stop weapon sales to the military government.
Concern has also been raised over a mining deal which a Guinean minister said had been agreed this week, which could see a Chinese firm pumping $7bn (£4.5bn) into the country.
The US-based Human Rights Watch group said the deal "sends the wrong message at the wrong time".
"There's a real risk that these investments could entrench and embolden and enrich an already abusive government," the AP news agency quoted HRW's Arvind Ganesan as saying.
China has not confirmed the deal, but foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu defended continuing trade ties saying the countries shared a "traditional friendship".
Cracks are also beginning to show within the government.
The information minister has reportedly stepped down, after the resignation of two other civilian cabinet colleagues this week.
When Capt Camara took over the country in December 2008, he promised he would not stand in an election he had scheduled for next January.
But recently he hinted he would stand, sparking widespread condemnation and opposition protests.

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French told to quit unsafe Guinea

Guinea's army has long played a political role

France has urged its nationals to leave Guinea, amid growing criticism of the military junta.

There are believed to be some 2,500 French nationals, mainly aid workers businessmen and their families, in the mineral-rich former French colony.
Human rights groups say some 157 people died after troops opened fire on opposition protesters last month.
The African Union has told the military leader to step down by Saturday, amid calls for him to be charged.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened a preliminary investigation into the deaths.
Human rights groups say soldiers raped and sexually abused women during the crackdown.
The military government puts the number of dead at 57 and says most were trampled to death and not shot, as opposition activists say.
Minister 'resigns'
On Wednesday, European Union development chief Karel de Gucht called for junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity.

CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding on to power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Guinea's erratic military ruler Guinea under Camara: Story so far Eyewitness: 'Bodies were falling'

He said the crackdown on protesters was "an act of brutality never seen before".
After the protest Cap Camara pointed the finger of blame at "controllable soldiers", while also saying the opposition should not have held the banned rally.
France has already said it will stop weapon sales to the military government.
Concern has also been raised over a mining deal which a Guinean minister said had been agreed this week, which could see a Chinese firm pumping $7bn (£4.5bn) into the country.
The US-based Human Rights Watch group said the deal "sends the wrong message at the wrong time".
"There's a real risk that these investments could entrench and embolden and enrich an already abusive government," the AP news agency quoted HRW's Arvind Ganesan as saying.
China has not confirmed the deal, but foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu defended continuing trade ties saying the countries shared a "traditional friendship".
Cracks are also beginning to show within the government.
The information minister has reportedly stepped down, after the resignation of two other civilian cabinet colleagues this week.
When Capt Camara took over the country in December 2008, he promised he would not stand in an election he had scheduled for next January.
But recently he hinted he would stand, sparking widespread condemnation and opposition protests.

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ICC investigates Guinea 'abuses'

About 50,000 people are said to have demonstrated against the junta

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into the Guinean military's brutal suppression of an anti-government protest.

The Hague court says it is deciding whether the events of 28 September amount to crimes against humanity.
The prosecutors say there is evidence that women were "abused or otherwise brutalised" during the crackdown.
Rights groups say 157 people died after soldiers fired at protesters in a sports stadium in the capital Conakry.
Guinea's military rulers, who deny responsibility for the deaths, say about 57 people died - and most of them were trampled to death.
ICC Deputy Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda labelled the crackdown on protesters "appalling and unacceptable".
"From the information we have received, from the pictures I have seen, women were abused or otherwise brutalised on the pitch of Conakry's stadium, apparently by men in uniform," she said.
"It must never happen again. Those responsible must be held accountable."
Above criticism?
The ICC announcement comes amid growing pressure on the Guinean government.
On Wednesday the EU's development chief called for junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to be tried for crimes against humanity.

CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding on to power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Guinea's erratic military ruler Guinea under Camara: Story so far Eyewitness: 'Bodies were falling'

Karel de Gucht said the crackdown on protesters was "an act of brutality never seen before".
And concern has also been raised over a mining deal which a Guinean minister said had been agreed this week, which could see a Chinese firm pumping $7bn (£4.5bn) into the country.
The US-based Human Rights Watch group said the deal "sends the wrong message at the wrong time".
"There's a real risk that these investments could entrench and embolden and enrich an already abusive government," the AP news agency quoted HRW's Arvind Ganesan as saying.
"After widespread abuses have taken place in Guinea, for the government to be able to tout a $7bn deal with the China International Fund says that they are above criticism."
China has not confirmed the deal, but foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu defended continuing trade ties saying the countries shared a "traditional friendship".
"Our co-operation is based on equality and mutual benefit and is in line with international norms and with the fundamental interests of both peoples," he said, according to the AFP news agency.
'Moral convictions'
The junta, which took power last December in a bloodless coup, also appears to be facing divisions in its own government with two civilian ministers resigning this week.
Radio France International reported that Minister of Labour Alpha Diallo handed in his resignation because he disagreed with the brutality of the army.
"The 28 September shook me as far as my religious and moral convictions are concerned," he told the station.
It followed the resignation of the minister of agriculture, who said he could no longer show solidarity with the government.
When Capt Camara took over the country, he promised he would not stand in an election he had scheduled for next January.
But recently he hinted he would stand, sparking widespread condemnation and opposition protests.

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Gambia: Civil society want AU office removed

A Coalition of Civil Society and Human Rights Organisations in Senegal has called for the removal of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) headquarters out of Banjul, Gambia amid the threats on the livelihood of the Commission members working in that country.

The move came barely two weeks after President Yahya Jammeh threaten to execute any human rights activists who defend the rights of individuals in the West African state.

According to Dr Nana Tanko, executive director of Open Society Imitative for West Africa (OSIWA) the threats will not be taken lightly, adding that this is an issue that they will take up with African Union to move the offices of African Commission out of Banjul.

Dr Tanko said "this is unacceptable, because of the threat on the livelihoods of the commission members; we do not expect a President of a democratic state to make such remarks."

Buba Baldeh, former minister in the ousted Jawara regime said the situation in the Gambia is such that Civil Society has no chance of functioning. He added: "Issues like democracy, justice, the rule of law and human rights for the past fifteen years are nonexistent in the Gambia.

"All the institutions that would have guaranteed people and allow the Gambian state to function democratically and these institutions and instruments are being controlled directly by the executive," he said.

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ECOWAS warns of dictatorship in Guinea

The president of the Economic Commission of West African States, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas has said Guinea is in danger of slipping into a new dictatorship. He said the junta, who seized power late last year, was repressing the people with "arbitrary and irresponsible" use of state power.

ECOWAS Foreign ministers are meeting in Nigeria to try to resolve the crisis in Guinea, glowed when soldiers opened fire on an opposition meeting some two weeks ago.

A statement by an eyewitness, Sy Mariam Diallo, who is also a victim of the bloody repression saddened delegates. She showed photos and videos as a proof.

Guineans this week held a two-day strike to remember dozens who were killed whereas the junta is forbidding any people gathering in the whole country during these two days of recollecting.

Non Governmental Organisations say 157 people were killed and more than 1,200 wounded by troops. The same Organisations have reported that soldiers raped women in the streets. However the junta has denied this and said about 57 people were killed during this repression.

Agriculture Minister Abdurrahman Sano has already resigned in protest over the killings. The junta rulers was widely criticised over the shootings.

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Zimbabwe MDC man returned to jail

 

Roy Bennett was arrested on the day the government was sworn in

A ministerial nominee in Zimbabwe's unity government has been ordered back to prison until his trial on terrorism charges starts, a court official said.

Roy Bennett, MDC member and senior aide to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, is due to stand trial on 19 October.
He was arrested in February on the day ministers in the coalition government were sworn in, but released in March.
A BBC correspondent says the case is one of many unresolved obstacles threatening a power-sharing deal.
'Trumped-up charges'
Mr Bennett, a former farmer, was due to become a deputy agricultural minister in Zimbabwe's unity government in February, but has been in and out of jail ever since.

ROY BENNETT Former coffee farmer 2000: Elected MP 2004: Jailed after pushing minister in parliament 2006: Accused of plot to kill President Mugabe 2006: Fled to South Africa 2009: Nominated as deputy agriculture minister; arrested Profile: Zimbabwe's political farmer

The MDC says the charges against him are trumped up, and that this new move is simply a delaying tactic - further proof that Zimbabwe's judicial system remains firmly under the control of President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.
Correspondents say Mr Bennett looked pensive throughout the proceedings on Wednesday.
He faces charges of terrorism, insurgency, sabotage and banditry. If convicted he faces a life jail term.
Under Zimbabwean law, a person indicted for trial is automatically taken into custody and can apply for bail, which his lawyers have done.
The BBC's southern Africa correspondent Andrew Harding says it is the latest twist in a long and revealing legal power-struggle.
Tensions within the unity government are now likely to rise, our correspondent adds.
MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa called it a serious and unbelievable development which would trigger a "vicious response".
Mr Bennett, a white farmer whose land was seized under Mr Mugabe's land reform programme, became an MP in 2000.
He was jailed in 2004 after pushing a minister in parliament during a heated debate about land reform.
After being accused of links to an alleged plot to kill Zimbabwe's veteran president in 2006, he fled to South Africa, saying he feared for his life.

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Rebel raids 'spreading in Congo'

The rebels have waged war in several countri The situation in northern Democratic Republic of Congo where Lord's Resistance Army rebels operate is getting worse, a medical charity says. Medecins Sans Frontieres told the BBC hundred of thousands of people are fleeing renewed rebel attacks. LRA leader Joseph Kony once operated from Uganda but his fighters now cover a vast area of central Africa. Analysts says attempts this year by regional armed forces to halt the brutal campaign have so far failed. MSF says roads are now so insecure that aircraft are being used to take supplies and staff to remote locations. "The situation is really bad: the people are living in constant fear, they're fleeing," MSF's Operational Director Meine Nicolai told the BBC's Network Africa programme. "The violence pops up in different areas and it's really expanding. It came to Congo in 2008 and now it's going more and more eastwards so the area is expanding and people live in constant fear." Ms Nicolai said civilians were clearly being targeted. "People are kidnapped, raped, their houses are burned ; they're fleeing, they leave everything and there's no way that they can return."

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Global hunger worsening, warns UN

Parts of Africa are badly affected by hunger

Targets to cut the number of hungry people in the world will not be met without greater international effort, UN food agencies have warned.

The UN's annual report on global food security confirms that more than one billion people - a sixth of the world's population - are undernourished.
It says the number of hungry people was growing before the economic crisis, which has made the situation worse.
The report comes ahead of World Food Day on Friday.
"No nation is immune and, as usual, it is the poorest countries and the poorest people that are suffering the most," said the annual report of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme.
The FAO says Asia and the Pacific has the largest number of hungry people - 642 million - followed by Sub-Saharan Africa with 265 million.

"FAO estimates that 1.02 billion people are undernourished worldwide in 2009," it said. "This represents more hungry people than at any time since 1970 and a worsening of the unsatisfactory trends that were present even before the economic crisis."
It added: "The World Food Summit target of reducing the number of undernourished people by half to no more than 420 million by 2015 will not be reached if the trends that prevailed before those crises continue."
The report, released in Rome, says the economic downturn has reduced foreign aid and investment in poorer countries and cut remittances from those working abroad.
It says the loss of income is compounded by food prices that are "still relatively high".
The UN agencies are urging international investment in agriculture and economic safety nets for poorer countries "despite financial constraints faced by governments around the world".
FAO Director General Jacques Diouf is to present a "toolbox" for helping countries to fight hunger on Thursday.
Steepest increases
The Global Hunger Index - a survey published by the International Food Policy Research Unit (IFPRI) - reveals that the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen the steepest rise in hunger since 1990, followed by Burundi, the Comoros and Zimbabwe.
However, it says some countries have dramatically improved levels of malnutrition since 1990, including Vietnam, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
The survey describes a "food price crisis", with prices settling at levels too high for many people in developing countries.
The survey suggests that empowering more women in developing countries through education and better access to jobs is a key to reducing world hunger.

Culled from BBC

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Zimbabwe prosecutors seek to indict MDC's Bennett

MUTARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean prosecutors on Tuesday applied to indict Roy Bennett, a senior member of the Movement for Democratic Change, to face trial on terrorism charges, which could see him detained, his lawyer said.
"The state has applied for his indictment and the magistrate will make a ruling tomorrow," Trust Maanda, Bennett's defence lawyer, told reporters outside the court.
Bennett is a key ally of MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the party's nominee for deputy Agriculture Minister.

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Breaking News:Guinea confirms huge China deal

Guinea says the deal will help the nation's poorest people

Guinea's military rulers have agreed a huge mining and oil deal with China, officials have told the BBC, amid continuing criticism of the junta.

Guinean Mines Minister Mahmoud Thiam said a Chinese firm would invest more than $7bn (£4.5bn) in infrastructure.
In return, he said the firm would be a "strategic partner" in all mining projects in the mineral-rich nation.
Guineans are currently on strike to remember dozens of protesters killed by soldiers during a rally two weeks ago.

CHINA IN AFRICA China is Africa's second-biggest trading partner, behind US Between 2002 and 2003 two-way trade doubles to $18.5bn By 2008 trade tops $100bn - China exports $51bn, imports $56bn Almost all imports come from oil-rich nations: Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo, and Sudan Sources: China Daily, Reuters, Council on Foreign Relations Learn Chinese for free... in Liberia China praised for African links

The shootings were widely condemned by international leaders and opposition groups within Guinea.
Agricultural Minister Abdourahmane Sano resigned on Monday, saying he could no longer show solidarity with the government.
And the president of West Africa's economic bloc, Ecowas, warned that the country was in danger of slipping into another dictatorship.
There are widespread calls for junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to step down.
After last December's coup he promised to lead a transitional government and hand power back to civilians after an election scheduled for January 2010.
But there has been growing anger at reports that he intends to stand for president.
'Placing foundations'
China has been praised recently by think-tanks and African leaders for choosing to invest in infrastructure and business in Africa, rather than doling out aid money.

CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain Promised democracy, but now shows signs of holding on to power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Guinea's erratic military ruler Guinea under Camara: Story so far Eyewitness: 'Bodies were falling'

But analysts say the timing of the Guinea deal is likely to stir controversy, as the legitimacy of Guinea's government is under question.
Mr Thiam dismissed those concerns, saying the government is trying only to help the people.
"We are all in a transition, putting down foundations. We hope that the government that follows us will follow suit," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
He did not name the firm involved, but said it was the same firm that has invested billions in Angola - the Hong Kong registered China International Fund.
He said the firm would help build ports, railway lines, power plants, low-cost housing and even a new administrative centre in the capital, Conakry.
He said a national mining firm would be set up, with the Chinese company becoming "strategic partners".
"All the government's stakes in various mining projects will be put in that mining company. Future mining permits or concessions that the government decided to develop on its own will be put in that company," he said.
Guinea is thought to have the world's largest reserves of the aluminium ore, bauxite.

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Bombshell At Gambia National Army

 

In what could be described as a major shake-up in the military, President Yahya Jammeh has removed the country's top military chief, Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba and dismissed four other top echelons.

According to news monitored over GRTS, those sacked include Brigadier-General Omar Bun Mbye, Lieutenant Col. Demba Njie, Major Malamin Bo Badjie and Captain Lamin Fatty.

Mr. Joseph Jasseh, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, is also said to be given the sack.  

In the same vein, President Jammeh has effected the following appointments in the army: Major-General Masanneh Kinteh as new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Brigadier-General Yankuba Drammeh has been appointed as Deputy CDS and to act in the capacity of the CDS, while Maj. Gen Kinteh, the actual holder of the portfolio continues on his study leave‑.

In the same vein, the followings were entrusted to the responsibilities against their names: Brigadier-General Ousman Badjie as Army Commander, Col. Lamin Bojang, Deputy Army Commander, Brigadier-General Saikou  Seckan, Commander Training and Doctrine, and Lieutenant Col. Kawsu Sanyang as Deputy Commander Training and Doctrine.

Col. Sering Modou Njie who has been promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General will be the Commander of the Republican National Guards, while Col. Gibril Bojang will be the Deputy Commander, Republican National Guards, effective Friday 9th October 2009. 

Meanwhile, President Yahya Jammeh has expressed his unhappiness with the state of infrastructure at the Yundum Military Barrack during a surprise visit there.

In recent times, the President has been making surprise visits to installations, starting in Banjul, where he expressed dismay over certain public structures, notably the Police Lines and the Fire Service.

President Jammeh, who could not hide his dissatisfaction, said that things have turned to be worst now, compared to his last visits, as everything ranging from infrastructure to fittings are in deplorable conditions.

The Gambian leader also apologised soldiers, for what he described as cooping with unbearable conditions. 

He pledged to improve the living conditions of all those working for the nation's development, especially soldiers, whom he said, are working all night to ensure that people sleep in peace.

"I will not allow soldiers to sleep on a bed where I will not even allow my son to sit. That is not acceptable," he said.

According to President Jammeh, "the budget for the army is always intact and mostly even supplemented".

President Jammeh continued with his surprise visits to the Fajara Barracks on Saturday, where he declared that more heads will surely roll.

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Breaking News:Sudanese to hang over US killing

The four men said their confessions had been obtained through tort

A Sudanese court has upheld a death sentence against four Islamists who shot dead a US envoy on 1 January 2008.

John Granville, 33, and his Sudanese driver Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama were killed as they returned from a New Year's Eve party in Khartoum.
Mr Granville's mother had earlier asked for the death sentence to be passed.
Under Sudan's Islamic law, the family of a murder victim can either request the death penalty for those convicted, forgive them or ask for compensation.
A death sentence was originally passed in June but some members of Mr Abbas' family then pardoned the killers, reports the AFP news agency.
The four have always protested their innocence, saying their videotaped confessions were extracted under torture.

Mr Granville was shot five times while travelling in his car

After the sentence was read out, defendant Mohaned Osman shouted: "This sentence is not credible," and said the US had murdered Muslims, according to Reuters news agency.
In a letter read out to the Khartoum North court on Sunday, Mr Granville's mother formally demanded the death penalty in order to "safeguard the lives of others from those who killed her beloved son". There was no option of life imprisonment
The FBI had sent agents to help investigate the murder of Mr Granville, who worked for the US Agency for International Development.
The incident shocked many people, including the small Western community in Khartoum.
The Sudanese capital had previously been considered one of the safest in Africa.
The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says there have been some concerns that the incident could prove damaging for the already fragile relationship between Sudan and the US.
The Sudanese authorities condemned the attack immediately, and seem to have made resolving the case a priority, our reporter says.

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Nigeria tanker explosion kills 70

 

At least 70 people were burnt to death in Nigeria when a fuel tanker exploded, setting fire to five packed minibuses in the southern state of Anambra.

Officials told local media the tanker overturned after it hit a pothole on Friday, sparking the massive blaze.
They said the death toll could rise as the charred remains of the victims were recovered from the minibuses.
A transport official warned that more accidents were likely if nothing was done to improve Nigeria's road network.
"If something isn't done quickly, tragedies like this will happen again," Ben Ekenna of the Federal Road Safety Commission was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
He said several other people were badly wounded in the accident and were taken to local hospitals.
Accidents on Nigeria's poorly-maintained roads are common.

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