Media Review for August 24, 2012

By Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Updated: 08/24/2012

Please note: The following news items are presented here for informational purposes. The views expressed within them are those of the authors and/or individuals quoted, not those of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the National Defense University, or the Department of Defense.

Today’s News

Miners mourned across South Africa
Grieving families were mourning today at memorial services for 34 striking miners killed by police, as South Africa asked who gave the orders and who must be blamed. Memorial services are being held across the country to honour all those killed violently in a country with one of the world’s highest murder and rape rates. The Independent

Zuma reveals Lonmin Marikana mine inquiry details
South African President Jacob Zuma has given details of the commission that will investigate the circumstances around the deaths of 44 people at the Marikana platinum mine. BBC

South Africa: Broaden Inquiry Into Miner Killings
The South African government should ensure that the Commission of Inquiry into the killings of the Lonmin miners in Marikana on August 16, 2012, is independent, impartial, and investigates the underlying circumstances that led to the killings, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch

Ethiopia: Meles Zenawi funeral date set, New PM to be sworn in later
Late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who died on Monday will be buried on September 2, the government announced on Thursday. The Africa Report

Nigeria: Kidnapped Sea Trucks Group oil workers freed
Four foreign oil workers who were kidnapped off the coast of Nigeria earlier this month have been released. Their employer, oil services firm Sea Trucks Group, said they were in good health but declined to say whether a ransom had been paid. BBC

Fuel Scarcity Leaves Nigerian Capital Reeling
A week after Nigerian oil unions stopped delivering fuel to the capital, Abuja is reeling. Union leaders in the oil industry said the move is intended to strike at the government where it hurts the most – in the capital where they live. VOA

Kenya to hold peace meeting after 52 killed
Kenyan police said they were bringing two rival communities together for a peace meeting Thursday, after at least 52 mainly women and children were hacked or burnt to death in the worst ethnic massacre for several years. France24

Gaddafi’s son fails in bid to be tried abroad
Prosecuters in Libya announced yesterday that the son of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi will go on trial next month in the town of Zintan, fuelling fears that violence will escalate in the country over the coming months. The Independent

Mali’s Ansar Dine Defends Punishments, Strict Sharia
A spokesman for an al-Qaida-linked militant group in northern Mali says its members are “ready to die” in order to enforce what the group considers Islamic law. In an interview with VOA, the spokesman for extremist group Ansar Dine defended actions such as amputating the hands of thieves, destroying historic sites and silencing all non-Islamic music. VOA

Tsvangirai’s party dismisses poll
Harare – The Zimbabwe prime minister’s party says a new opinion poll reflecting a surge in support for President Robert Mugabe’s party was skewed by a “margin of terror” that saw nearly half those questioned refusing to disclose their political loyalties. News24

Mozambique: Muslim head scarves OK in school
Mozambique’s government on Thursday said Muslim schoolgirls are free to wear head scarves after angering the Islamic community over a requirement that pupils seek permission to cover their hair. News24

Sierra Leone cholera epidemic lethal
Humanitarian officials say the death toll from a cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone has risen to 217 people. Oxfam said Thursday that the death rates in the West African country are almost double emergency thresholds. News24

Israel condemns South Africa for re-labelling of West Bank products
A diplomatic row has been growing as Israel summoned the South African ambassador to explain his country’s decision to label products from West Bank settlements as coming from the occupied Palestinian territories. The Guardian

Senegal, AU seal deal on Habre trial
Dakar – Senegal and the African Union have finalised a deal on how to try a former Chadian dictator who is accused of ordering thousands of political opponents to be tortured or killed. The move announced on Wednesday comes about a month after preliminary agreement was reached. News24

Getting a Grip on Food Security in DR Congo
The Association for Integrated Rural Development is one of a number of rural organisations on the periphery of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which are strengthening the city’s food security while demonstrating how to maximise sustainable use of agricultural land. IPS News

Kenya: Rights Activists Threaten to Sue Over Integrity Bill
Kenya’s Parliment: Debate on the Leadership and Integrity Bill has elicited mixed reactions as members of Parliament argue over ethical standards for elected officials. Presidential and gubernatorial aspirants should disclose their wealth and tax returns for the past four years. All Africa

Egypt’s Mursi Bars Detaining Journalists Awaiting Trial
Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi issued a decree barring the detention of journalists awaiting trial, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported, citing presidential spokesman Yasser Ali. Business Week

Uganda faces pressure to pull troops from Somalia
A Ugandan activist group is threatening demonstrations if the country’s military doesn’t withdraw its troops from Somalia, where they form the bulk of an African Union peacekeeping force. The threat comes more than a week after three Uganda army helicopters crashed in Kenya en route to Somalia, killing seven soldiers and raising fresh questions about why Uganda has 6,000 troops in the troubled Horn of Africa nation. Stars & Stripes

SEC adopts rules on ‘conflict minerals’ vital to manufacturing
The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday voted 3-2 to adopt a controversial rule requiring new disclosures by public companies regarding their use of so-called “conflict minerals” mined in war-torn Central Africa that are essential to the manufacture of high-tech devices and other products. LA Times

Riding Towards Sustainable Development, on Bamboo
In Ghana, a country burgeoning with traffic congestion, increasing economic growth, and a stark urban-rural divide, making frames of bicycles out of bamboo could be the key to promoting sustainable development. It also makes stronger, longer-lasting bikes. IPS News

Guinea-Bissau’s dwindling cashew nut exports leave farmers facing hardship
Cashew nut farmers and traders in Guinea-Bissau have been left holding tonnes of produce after India slashed imports, and the low prices being offered are increasing hardship in the west African country. The Guardian

Secretary of the Air Force discusses East Africa Mission during Djibouti Visit
Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley made his first trip, since assuming his current post, to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, today, to visit service members and civilians, and discuss operations in East Africa with Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa leaders. U.S. AFRICOM

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This entry was written by Africa Center for Strategic Studies, posted on August 24, 2012 at 7:00 am, filed under Media Review and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.