Thursday, November 15, 2012

South Africa labor strikes, unrest expand to farms - CBS News


RUSTENBURG, South Africa — Down a two-lane road, where slag heaps tower and miners' shack homes crowd against each other, the labor unrest now gripping South Africa first caught fire.

Mining companies here outside of Rustenburg, a city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Johannesburg, saw workers walk off the job and continue to demand higher wages, even after violence during six weeks of strikes and a mass police shooting at one mine killed 46 people. The strikes recently spread to agriculture, South Africa's other major economic engine, as day laborers burned farms and fought with police Wednesday in violence that left at least one person dead and five others injured.

The unrest has shaken South Africa, a nation now free from apartheid-era laws, but not of its legacy of economic disparities between whites and blacks. And though the grip of the strikes appear to have loosened, the damage done to South Africa's anemic economy could last even longer.

"Even if I can take you to my house, my fridge is empty," said Gaddafi Mdoda, a labor organizer outside a shuttered mine shaft owned by Anglo American Platinum Ltd. "It's hard to survive."

The unrest began in August at the Lonmin PLC Marikana platinum mine, only a few miles down the road from Anglo American Platinum. Violence between miners and guards killed 12 people, while police later opened fire on miners and killed 34 of them. An investigation into that shooting continues.

The nation recoiled at the killings, while Lonmin ultimately gave workers raises of up to 22 percent. Those raises, as well as shock at the killings, caused other workers at mines down this road to walk off the job.

Mining drives the economy of South Africa, which remains one of the world's dominant producers of platinum, gold and chromium. Since the strikes began, world platinum prices have risen about $200 an ounce to almost $1,600 as of Wednesday trading. In September, President Jacob Zuma said the strikes already had cost the nation about 4.5 billion rand (nearly $563 million).

Yet black miners long have faced low salaries and poor living conditions in shantytowns often beset by alcoholism, drug abuse and prostitution.

The same goes for salaries of day laborers working in agriculture in South Africa, another major part of the nation's economy. The minimum wage for a farm worker is just about 70 rand ($8) and the top wage typically earned is just slightly more than that. Over the last few days, workers have said they want the minimum wage to rise to 150 rand ($17) a day.

Wednesday, their protest turned violent as workers set fire to some farms, overturned a police truck and confronted officers in riot gear in the country's Western Cape. The police fired tear gas to drive away protesters, as the sounds of gunshots could be heard in local television footage.

One man was killed in the violence "as a result of police action," police Lt. Col. Andre Traut told the South African Press Association. At least five other people were injured.

Traut declined to discuss casualty figures when reached Wednesday night by The Associated Press.

"Police officers are deployed to affected areas to maintain law and order," he said.

Government and union officials later said that a deal had been put before farm laborers, but it was unclear if they accepted. Most of the laborers work in vineyards supporting South Africa's wine industry, the world's eighth largest overall producer.

Unrest also has continued at the mines. Police said they arrested 37 mineworkers Tuesday near an Xstrata PLC mine after miners threw stones at cars and burned tires. Authorities also said they found the body Tuesday of a miner from Mozambique killed near the Anglo American Platinum mines.

At Anglo American Platinum, also known as Amplats, workers began their strike more than eight weeks ago. The company fired 12,000 workers and then reinstated them, though the miners still have not returned to work. In a statement Wednesday to investors, the world's largest platinum producer said its year-end earnings "will decrease by more than 20 percent" compared to last year. It blamed the strikes in part for the losses.

The unrest has, however, showed signs of easing in recent days. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., the world's third largest gold bullion producer, said in a statement Wednesday that its Mponeng mine in South Africa had returned to normal operations after earlier violence there.

Striking workers at Amplats faced a deadline Wednesday to return to work, but shafts remained empty. Workers gathered under umbrellas early that morning near two mine shafts to listen to their leaders describe a wage offer involving a one-time 4,500 rand ($500) payment, as well as either a monthly pretax allowance of 600 rand ($70) or a pretax salary increase of 400 rand ($45). Workers had asked for 16,000 rand (about $1,800) in monthly pay.

It remained unclear if the deal would be accepted, though many acknowledged that the weeks of striking had begun to take a toll.

"We'll look for the percentage of the majority," Mdoda, the labor organizer, said. "If the other shafts, maybe the four of them they are saying we are taking the offer, the three must withdraw and join the others just because if you can't beat them you must join them."

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

West African bloc agrees on N. Mali troops - CBS News

AP/ November 11, 2012, 10:41 PM

West African bloc agrees on N. Mali troops

General picture of an ECOWAS Summit gathering west African leaders to plot a military strategy on northern Mali on November 11, 2012, in Abuja, Nigeria. / GETTY IMAGES
LAGOS, NIGERIAWest African nations on Sunday agreed to send some 3,000 troops to help the country of Mali wrest back control of its northern half, which was seized by al Qaeda-linked fighters more than six months ago, according to an official involved in the discussions, and a statement read on Nigerian state television.
The decision came late Sunday at the end of an emergency summit in Nigeria's capital of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. They were joined by military experts from the United Nations, Europe as well as ministers from Algeria, Mali's neighbor to the north which has previously been against the military intervention. The plan needs final approval from the U.N. Security Council before it can be carried out.
An official involved in the negotiations said by telephone shortly after the meeting that the nations in West Africa are now unanimous in their decision to go forward with the military operation. He said that they will attempt one more round of negotiations with representatives of the Islamists controlling northern Mali, before moving ahead with the intervention.
"We have agreed that 3,300 troops will be sent from West Africa. In addition, around 5,000 Malian troops will also be involved. If there is no agreement in the talks, we will move in," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.
The official said that the largest number of troops will come from Nigeria, which has agreed to send 600 to 700 soldiers, he said. Niger is expected to contribute around 500. And the remaining troops will come from the other 13 nations in the 15-nation ECOWAS bloc. Air power, he said, will be provided by either France or the United States.
Both France and the U.S. have said that the will provide technical and logistical support to the intervention, provided that it is first approved by the United Nations.
Mutinous soldiers overthrew Mali's democratically elected president in March, creating a power vacuum that paved the way for Islamists to grab the north, an area the size of France. In the more than six months since then, the Islamic extremists have imposed a strict form of Shariah law. Music of all kinds has been banned, and people are not even allowed to have a ring tone on their phones, unless it's one based on Quranic recitations. Women have been flogged for failing to cover themselves. And in all three of the major towns in the north, residents have been forced to watch thieves getting their hands hacked off.
The United Nations is expected to meet later this month to review the military plan. Security analysts and diplomats say that even if the deployment of troops to north Mali is approved by the U.N. it could take months to implement.
The official who spoke privately disagrees.
"As soon as they say it's OK, it won't take 24 hours for us to go. If the U.N. says go, we will move in immediately. They (the troops from ECOWAS) will be targeting the hardcore Islamists. Not the Malian nationals — but the foreigners," he said.
In recent weeks, representatives of Ansar Dine, one of the Islamic factions operating in the north, have sent delegations to Burkina Faso and to Algeria in an effort to negotiate a solution in order to avoid a military intervention. Ansar Dine is believed to be made-up mostly of Malian fighters, whereas the two other groups are said to be primarily composed of foreign fighters, some allegedly from as far afield as Pakistan. Mediators are hoping to weaken the Islamic rebel front by peeling off the more moderate members.
© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Somalia: first female as a foreign minister Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.


Somalia: first female as a foreign minister

Published On: Sunday, November, 04 2012 - 21:57:50 This post has been viewed 182 times

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The Prime Minister named Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
Mogadishu (Sunatimes) Somalia’s new prime minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid on Sunday named his cabinet of 10 ministers, a government statement said.
Saaid named a smaller government mainly from the Somali Diaspora.
The new government will face the daunting task of solving the war-ravaged country’s security, political, social and economic problems.
Only three ministers from the previous government of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo are included in the new line-up, while the rest are new faces.
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji Fiqi has been appointed minister of defense, a post that he previously held in the Farmajo government.
Abdullahi Abyan Nur has also been appointed to the same post he held in the the Farmajo government as the minister of Justice and Religious affairs, while Mrs. Maryan Kassim has been appointed as the minister for social development services.
The Prime Minister named Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
List of Ministries
  1. Deputy PM & Foreign Minister, Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden
  2. Minister of Justice, Religious Affairs and Endowment, Abdullahi Abyan Nur
  3. Minister of Defense, Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji Fiqi
  4. Minister of Interior and National Security, Abdikareen Hussein Guled
  5. Minister of Finance and Planning, Mohamoud Hassan Suleiman
  6. Minister of Information and Telecommunication, Abdullahi Ilmoge Hersi
  7. Minister of National Resources, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed
  8. Minister of Public Works, Muhyaddin Mohamed Kalmoi
  9. Minister for Social Development Services, Mrs. Maryan Kassim
  10. Minister of Tradesand Industrialization, Mohamud Ahmed Hassan

  

Sunatimes: Investigative media with sense of professionalism, fearless in cultivating the truth, informative, unbiased, independent, educative, a role model and a voice to the voiceless 
SUNATIMES CONTACT INFO
Political Chief Editor:
Abdi Mohamed
Email : info@sunatimes.com
Social Chief Editor:
Abdi Salan Abdulle
Email: abdisalan.abdulle@sunatimes.com
Sports Chief Editor:
Sunni Said Saleh
Email: sports@sunatimes.com
Radio Chief Editor:
Mohamed Osman Sheik
Email: radio@sunatimes.com
Senior news editor
Faduma Farah Ali
faduma.farah@sunatimes.com
--------------
Senior news editor
Hawo Abdulle Yusuf
hawo.abdulle@sunatimes.com
--------------------
Senior news editor
Muhiima Ahmed Mohamed
muhiima.ahmed@sunatimes.com
----------------------------
Senior news editor
Sahra Abdi Mohamud
sahra.abdi@sunatimes.com

Somalia: first female as a foreign minister Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.


Somalia: first female as a foreign minister

Published On: Sunday, November, 04 2012 - 21:57:50 This post has been viewed 182 times

Share this post on:  or  Else 
The Prime Minister named Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
Mogadishu (Sunatimes) Somalia’s new prime minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid on Sunday named his cabinet of 10 ministers, a government statement said.
Saaid named a smaller government mainly from the Somali Diaspora.
The new government will face the daunting task of solving the war-ravaged country’s security, political, social and economic problems.
Only three ministers from the previous government of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo are included in the new line-up, while the rest are new faces.
Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji Fiqi has been appointed minister of defense, a post that he previously held in the Farmajo government.
Abdullahi Abyan Nur has also been appointed to the same post he held in the the Farmajo government as the minister of Justice and Religious affairs, while Mrs. Maryan Kassim has been appointed as the minister for social development services.
The Prime Minister named Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden as the country’s first female foreign minister and deputy prime minister.
List of Ministries
  1. Deputy PM & Foreign Minister, Mrs. Fowsia Yussuf H. Aden
  2. Minister of Justice, Religious Affairs and Endowment, Abdullahi Abyan Nur
  3. Minister of Defense, Abdihakim Mohamoud Haji Fiqi
  4. Minister of Interior and National Security, Abdikareen Hussein Guled
  5. Minister of Finance and Planning, Mohamoud Hassan Suleiman
  6. Minister of Information and Telecommunication, Abdullahi Ilmoge Hersi
  7. Minister of National Resources, Abdirizak Omar Mohamed
  8. Minister of Public Works, Muhyaddin Mohamed Kalmoi
  9. Minister for Social Development Services, Mrs. Maryan Kassim
  10. Minister of Tradesand Industrialization, Mohamud Ahmed Hassan

  

Sunatimes: Investigative media with sense of professionalism, fearless in cultivating the truth, informative, unbiased, independent, educative, a role model and a voice to the voiceless 
SUNATIMES CONTACT INFO
Political Chief Editor:
Abdi Mohamed
Email : info@sunatimes.com
Social Chief Editor:
Abdi Salan Abdulle
Email: abdisalan.abdulle@sunatimes.com
Sports Chief Editor:
Sunni Said Saleh
Email: sports@sunatimes.com
Radio Chief Editor:
Mohamed Osman Sheik
Email: radio@sunatimes.com
Senior news editor
Faduma Farah Ali
faduma.farah@sunatimes.com
--------------
Senior news editor
Hawo Abdulle Yusuf
hawo.abdulle@sunatimes.com
--------------------
Senior news editor
Muhiima Ahmed Mohamed
muhiima.ahmed@sunatimes.com
----------------------------
Senior news editor
Sahra Abdi Mohamud
sahra.abdi@sunatimes.com

Ethiopia Presents New Islamic Council


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