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Rebels in the Central African Republic called off a truce on Wednesday, accusing the government of reneging on a January peace deal, but said they would give regional mediators a chance to settle the dispute before they resumed fighting. Reuters
The US wants Rwanda to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and have the surrendered Congolese Rebel leader Bosco Ntaganda transferred to the Hague for trial. In a telephonic press conference on Wednesday, US Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson told reporters it is time for Rwanda to "step up and do the right thing" to show the world that the country is keen on ending violence in the DRC. "It is important that cooperation is provided to demonstrate continued good faith to ending impunity and atrocities in eastern Congo." Daily Nation
The United States is seeking the swift transfer of a Congolese warlord from its embassy in Rwanda to a war crimes tribunal for a trial that could help eastern Democratic Republic of Congo inch towards peace. Bosco Ntaganda gave himself up to the U.S. Embassy in Kigali on Monday after a 15-year career that spanned a series of Rwandan-backed rebellions in eastern Congo. Chicago Tribune
Why 'The Terminator' may have surrendered: Turncoats
[...] What might explain his decision to give himself up? Ntaganda, a Congolese Tutsi born in Rwanda, once served in the Rwandan army alongside Rwandan President Paul Kagame and is implicated by the United Nations Group of Experts to have maintained links to President Kagame's government through various roles commanding rebel groups in eastern Congo. But as this connection proved increasingly awkward for the Rwandan government, Ntaganda's decision to go underground suggests he questioned the strength of that loyalty. Ntaganda would have considered all his options before deciding to turn himself in to the US embassy, so he may have felt his best chance for survival was to surrender to people he believes can ensure his safety. CS Monitor
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday hailed France's military intervention in Mali in a phone call with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, thanking Paris for its "active leadership," officials said. The Pentagon chief, who took office last month, "reaffirmed US appreciation to the French for their active leadership in addressing security challenges in Mali," press secretary George Little said in a statement. Globalpost
One year after the coup in Mali, coup leader Captain Amadou Haya Sanogo has a positive view of the country's progress. He told DW he is not planning to run for the presidency in elections planned for July 2013. Deutsche Welle
A year after a coup which opened the door to the Islamist invasion of northern Mali, politicians are split over the nation's readiness for elections as it remains entangled in a war with the extremists. Interim President Dioncounda Traore, supported by government parties and much of the international community, has said he wants elections by the end of July. However Nouhoum Keita, a leader in the African Solidarity for Democracy and Independence party, the main supporters of the revolt, said this would be a "near-impossible task". Globalpost
Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked insurgents, on the back foot after months of losses, are eyeing a potential withdrawal of arch-foe Ethiopia in the volatile southwest, raising security and humanitarian concerns. Heavily armed Shabaab fighters swept into the town of Hudur, capital of Bakool region, just hours after Ethiopia's surprise withdrawal from the town on Sunday. News 24
Nearly two dozen West and Central African nations have pledged to combat the growing threat of piracy and maritime crime in their coastal waters. The two regions border the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, which is threatening to overtake the waters off Somalia as the world's most dangerous seas for piracy. Reuters
[...] Christians predominate Nigeria's central government - led by President Goodluck Jonathan - and make up the majority of the population in the oil-rich south, where most of the country's development and job creation has been concentrated. The poorer north, on the other hand, is dominated by the Hausa ethnic group, which is 95 percent Muslim. Both Christians and Muslims from the north have long felt the sting of what they perceive as government neglect - some 75 percent of northerners live in poverty, compared with less than half of southerners - and endemic corruption. CS Monitor
A new report from Amnesty International says reckless and illegal arms transfers to Ivory Coast continue to fuel instability and human rights abuses. The release of the report was timed to coincide with ongoing talks at the United Nations about the adoption of a global Arms Trade Treaty. Amnesty International's new report documents arms transfers to Ivory Coast beginning in 2002, when an attempted coup against then-president Laurent Gbagbo allowed rebels to take control of the north of the country. VOA
Sudan's defence minister has extended an offer to hold direct talks with Southern rebels, paving the way for dialogue between the two groups for the first time. Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein made the offer on Wednesday, saying that Khartoum would be willing to have discussions with the rebel group Southern People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N), provided the dialogue was based on protocols set out in a 2005 peace agreement with South Sudan. Al Jazeera
The first observers are preparing to monitor a demilitarized buffer zone between Sudan and South Sudan, Khartoum's defense minister said on Wednesday, a move which aims to curb cross-border rebel support. Analysts say both countries will face a major challenge to effectively implement the zone along their demarcated and disputed frontier. Al Arabiya
Swaziland's government has sold maize donated by the Japanese government to feed hungry Swazis for $3m (£2m) and deposited the money in the Central Bank of Swaziland. The nearly 12,000 tonnes of donated maize was sold by the ministry of economic planning and development in 2011, but the sale was not made public until an item about the transaction appeared in a performance report the ministry presented to the Swaziland parliament for review last week. The Guardian
According to a report published on Mwebantu, former President Rupiah Banda has requested the Lusaka High Court to quash the decision by the National Assembly to remove his Immunity from prosecution. Mr Banda contends that the decision by the speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini to hear a motion moved by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba despite his petition submitted in court was illegal and irregular. Zambia Report
'Free Libya!' The chant has been heard again on this, the second anniversary of the beginning of the uprising which overthrew Colonel Gaddafi. For hundreds of thousands of Libyans the chant rings hollow. For tens of thousands it is beyond a bad joke. For the Tawerghans 'Free Libya' means people are free to persecute them for their alleged support of the Gaddafi regime and, because they are black. Sky News
Roughly two years on from the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, we begin to develop some perspective on the victories of Ennahdha and the Muslim Brotherhood in their first post-revolutionary elections. According to many international observers, the elections in both countries have been free, fair, and without major fraud for the first time since their independence. The relative transparency and internationally-recognized success of these elections were vitally important, and their results have helped shape the future of these two almost sixty-year-old republics. The election of 'Islamist' parties to power, however, is a victory of political actors that campaigned against the modernizing reform processes that had prevailed in Tunisia and Egypt. Tunisia Live
Algeria just approved emergency measures to combat kidnappings, a week after two abducted children were found dead in Constantine province. Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal on Sunday (March 17th) held a ministerial meeting on the topic. Snatchings have sparked concern among Algerian families, leading to calls for measures that will ensure the security of children. During the meeting, Sellal ordered a series of urgent measures to address the phenomenon. According the APS, he stressed a three-pronged approach of sensitisation, prevention, and "hard" and "fast" judicial measures against the perpetrators. Magharebia
The 2012 Human Development Report for Africa explores why dehumanizing hunger remains pervasive in the region, despite abundant agricultural resources, a favorable growing climate, and rapid economic growth rates. It also emphasizes that food security - the ability to consistently acquire enough calories and nutrients for a healthy and productive life - is essential for human development. UNDP
Walmart's recent arrival in South Africa was in many ways like the company's arrival in any other market: contested and controversial. Nonetheless it was also a milestone for retailing in the country and for Africa as a whole. Whilst the question of Walmart's corporate strategies and ethics is paramount for many, the world's largest retailer setting up on the world's poorest continent could spur progress in infrastructure as well as improve regional-integration groups' efforts to counter corruption and improve border crossings. There may be potential victims amongst South Africa's retailing and manufacturing sectors, but Walmart's arrival could bring tangential benefits for consumers across the continent. African Argument
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