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21 Leadership Hampers Africa - Education the key
IP: 70.23.137.64

Sunday 06/08/2008 07:25:57 EDT
A leadership vacuum has hampered progress in Africa and countries will need to prioritise education in order to help the continent end poverty, delegates said at the World Economic Forum on Friday.



"There has been a conspiracy of silence on critical issues and lack of courage to state publicly what should be done," said Wendy Luhabe, chairman of South Africa's Industrial Development Corporation.



Various delegates raised the "crisis of leadership" repeatedly as holding Africa back and called for better education for the continent to free itself from the legacy of colonialism.



But South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki dismissed the criticism saying African leaders had taken steps to improve economic and political governance.



"There's much better clarity among the political leadership of what needs to be done to establish stable democratic systems".



"There's clarity about how to respond to these economic challenges, and we talk about better macroeconomic management on the continent," he said.



Millions of people continue to live in poverty in Africa despite faster economic growth averaging 5 percent over the past five years. About 40 percent of the continent's 900 million people are poor.



"We must invest massively in education because it is the only tool to liberate people so they have access to opportunities for their own self-sufficiency," said Luhabe.



"We can't afford to create a culture of dependency," she said, adding education would help drive the growth of the middle class that is key to stability and maintaining democracy.



The current global food crisis, however, threatened social stability, with 20 countries on the "most vulnerable" list and several experiencing violent protest against high prices.



World Bank Vice President for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili said on Thursday the crisis could be an opportunity to revive Africa's farming industry and review agricultural policy.



The three-day 18th WEF on Africa attracted more than 800 delegates from over 50 countries.
20 World Economic Forum on Africa
IP: 70.23.137.64

Sunday 06/08/2008 07:14:44 EDT
The 18th World Economic Forum on Africa kicked off in Cape Town, South Africa on Wednesday under the theme of "Capitalizing on Opportunity." Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of World Economic Forum, said in the opening ceremony that Africa needs partnership. Some key issues and key risks and challenges that Africa is facing would be addressed at the meeting.



John Kufuor, president of Ghana, Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa, Bingu Wa Mutharika, president of Malawi, Pierre Nkurunziza, president of Burundi and Raila Odinga, prime Minister of Kenya were present at the opening ceremony. The leaders expressed optimism about Africa's future. Kufuor said that the opportunity for Africa was immense, and, with time and good coordination, the Africans could make it a powerful entity.



This opinion was agreed by President Nkurunziza, who said Africa was a rich continent and it had no right to be poor.



Africa has seen annul economic growth of more than 5% for four consecutive years. In the year of 2008, the growth rate in sub-Saharan Africa is expected at 6.2%. However, the continent also faces many challenges. President Mbeki pointed out that the instability was the major risk that impacts Africa negatively. In a report dubbed "Africa@ risk" released before the forum, the experts of Global Risk Network said Africa was facing 26 interconnected global risks, of them, four have been identified as being critical for Africa's future.



They are food insecurity, political instability, external economic shocks and climate change. More than 800 decision-makers, experts and entrepreneurs from 50 countries participate in this forum which will last to June 6. The first one to be stressed is food insecurity which has emerged as a major risk for Africa. High and rising food prices impact disproportionately on poorer communities, high dependence on food imports and food aids lead potentially to social unrest.



Another negative factor is political instability. Eight out of the 10 most vulnerable and weak states are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Political instability, institutional incapacity and social unrest inhibit foreign capital inflows and lower investment appetites, negatively affecting economic opportunities. Meanwhile, Africa is vulnerable to economic shocks. Any pronounced slowdown in world growth would affect African exports of agricultural products, minerals and hydrocarbons. Africa's dependence on natural resource exports has made many countries vulnerable to commodity price shocks that are outside their control. Sudden increases in export revenues or import costs can cause currency instability and budget uncertainty.



In the medium term, growing income inequalities might generate social unrest and violent conflicts. The wealthiest decile of the population across the continent still controls between 30 to 60 % of total income. Many African countries appear in the lowest positions of the United Nations' Human Poverty Index. Africa contributes least to global climate change, with only 5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, but it is the most vulnerable region to the expected negative effects.



In other regions there is still a sense that the consequences of climate change lie in the future, in Africa it's being felt now. The impacts on the continent include greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events, raising the threat of further food and water insecurity and more poverty, disease and population displacement. These impacts are idiosyncratic: there will be local winners and losers. At the same time, opportunities will be created by the need for new investments.



These four threats to Africa's future are not isolated risks. Their drivers, triggers and potential consequences are highly interconnected.
19 Intellectual property in Africa can alleviate poverty
IP: 70.23.179.183

Sunday 06/08/2008 01:06:12 EDT
A key report on intellectual property in Africa, which can show how African firms can retain profits, was launched at the World Economic Forum on Africa on Thursday.



Called "Distinctive values in African Exports: How intellectual property can raise export income and alleviate poverty", it was produced by an organisation called Light Years and funded by the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom.





The report found that effective intellectual property strategies can raise African producers' incomes by up to 320 percent, compared to traditional aid models, which can raise incomes by only about 1.6 percent a year.



"In sub-Saharan Africa, something quite new is happening with intellectual property," the report states, adding that intellectual property is increasingly being used in business strategies to boost the export incomes of large numbers of African producers.



Light Years IP studied 14 product sectors, had found that these sectors have the potential to increase export income from $1.1 billion per year, to between $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion per year.



If applied properly to sub-Saharan exports, which earn an estimated $9 billion per year, these strategies would increase the export income in this region to between $20 billion and $27 billion per year.



The report notes the dramatic increase in the intangible value of products over recent decades, finding that this has now overtaken the physical value of products as the main source of corporate income.



Now, with the value of intangible assets at the top end of the value chain, intellectual property strategies are more important than ever.



The report argues that Africa could develop business strategies with IP (intellectual property) built-in when exporting to developed country markets where value is dominated by IP.



At the moment, states the report, "valuable returns from IP are being captured in the importing country and not in the African country of origin".



Up to now, the authors argue, strategies for export development in Africa have relied too heavily on increasing the production of commodities and establishing new processing or manufacturing plants.



This has put African countries in "intense competition" with other developing countries that are also increasing production and manufacturing.



The report outlined a number of areas where African countries could receive more of the value from their products. For instance, Ethiopian coffee, it says, is recognised as being among the best in the world.



"However, the significantly high retail prices for these coffees were being enjoyed by foreign coffee distributors and retailers, while the producers were compensated at very low levels - around five percent to 10 percent of the retail price."



In one sign of success, the report pointed to a successful IP-based business strategy initiated by cocoa farmers in Ghana.



A cooperative set up called Kuapa Kokoo - which in turn helped to establish the Fairtrade chocolate marketing company Divine Chocolate Ltd - now brands its product, which is becoming well known in developed country markets and allowing the producers to receive a major share in the brand and a significant share in the profits.



When it comes to modern technology, the opportunity for trading on more equal terms is now better for Africa, says the Chief Executive Officer of Light Years IP, Ron Layton.



"Transmission of digital products has dramatically levelled the playing field for Africa, a change unprecedented in world trade," Mr Layton said.



More than 800 participants from around 50 countries engaged with each other in the 18th World Economic Forum on Africa, which ends on Friday
18 Mbeki wants to see Africa free from Poverty
IP: 70.23.179.183

Sunday 06/08/2008 00:58:42 EDT
President Thabo Mbeki says the legacy he wants to leave behind is that of an Africa that can use its own resources to reduce poverty. The President was responding to a question about what legacy he would want to leave behind when he leaves office. This was during the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum in Cape Town, with ANC president Jacob Zuma also present.



Mbeki was optimistic that African economies will register strong growth rates despite the food shortage. He described the process of development in Africa as irreversible.



Meanwhile, African leaders remain confident that Africa can help solve the world's global food shortage if rich nations can assist it with the resources to increase its agricultural production.
17 Tunisia: Ben Ali : Fighting Poverty in Africa
IP: 70.23.179.183

Sunday 06/08/2008 00:28:35 EDT
It might have come as a surprise to people who expect only "problems" from the Middle East, to see "solutions" coming from that region. The suggestion, adoption, and the unprecedented support for the Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali initiative to establish a World Solidarity Fund, gave a very different picture. Here is an Arab leader who offers a thoughtful solution to a fundamental problem that threatens many of the achievements that the world prides itself with: Poverty.



Ben Ali is not new to the problem. One of his first targets after acceding to power in 1987 was to eradicate poverty from Tunisia. The country, with not much known natural resources, wanted to find a package that combines economic development with social balances. Human rights, thinks Ben Ali, start there. And for over 20 years now, he made every effort to promote a model of solidarity: the Tunisian society cannot progress economically while over 10% of the population is excluded because it cannot afford to do much. When you see the efforts still devoted by the Tunisian government to fighting poverty you would think this is a destitution-stricken nation. In reality this is a country with one of the largest middle-class nations (about 80% of the population) and one of the lowest poverty rates (around 3.8 %)



Everyone now can see the link between poverty and fundamentalism. But Ben Ali was one of the very few who were able to see that link and to predict its consequences.



Tunisia avoided the easy solution; that is the standard social welfare usually found in the developed world. Social welfare works well when you have unemployment, but not social exclusion. Someone who feels excluded for economic reasons will continue to cause trouble to society even if you put cash in his hand. You need something more effective and engaging.



The Tunisian National Solidarity Fund (NSF), launched in 1992, was the solution engineered by Ben Ali. It is an initiative to fight poverty and social exclusion together through relying on notions of balance and solidarity and on developing mechanisms capable of giving concrete expression to such values.



The result was impressive. A total of 1,327 "shadow areas" in Tunisia benefited from the activities of the NSF and 181,000 families, accounting for nearly one million people, saw their lives transformed. With US$ 400 million collected for the Fund, its activities helped build 30,545 houses and 122 health care centres, and launch 58,837 small individual projects with 17,519 jobs created.



NSF activities also made it possible to connect 63,151 households to the power grid and to the potable water network, to build or improve 19,736 houses, to construct 3,565 kilometers of road, to build 140 schools, and carry out 33 sanitation and anti-desertification projects; in addition to building a number of "youth halls".



Unlike the many initiatives that surface and sink in the Middle East and North Africa, the NSF is supervised personally by Ben Ali and it is there to stay. The cabinet identifies the "needy areas" and NSF moves promptly to suggest projects and working programs. The implementation of necessary measures is detailed and time-tabled. All employees of the NSF are seconded from the public or private sectors. The Tunisian President touring the NSF projects is a common sight.



The success of NSF was encouraging. More funds were established. But the important corollary from the achievement was its possible regional and international dimension.

Ben Ali always argued that poverty is the natural breeding ground for all kinds of problems, and more importantly is the main cause of terrorism. Any confrontation with terrorism phenomenon should be armed not only with armies and weapons, but with a fundamental solution to the world poverty woes.



During the times of plenty, poverty goes mostly unnoticed. The rich world is happy giving aid and supporting charities, but not much beyond. During those times Ben Ali was arguing his case: poverty will come back and haunt us.



And poverty came back with vengeance. The world is living a trying time.



The World Solidarity Fund (WSF) suggested by Ben Ali at the Millennium Summit and later adopted by the UN General Assembly, seems one of the few moral solutions to the world's current food crisis. The micro-national project can be generalized into macro-world initiative.



Ben Ali even went further with his initiative. Not only suggesting the structure of the WSF, now he is giving a possible mechanism for financing it. He believes that a dollar allocated from the sales of every barrel of oil to the WSF can help dramatically to fight poverty and tackle the phenomenon of hunger in the world.



Just before the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) summit held in Rome, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community to interact positively with Ben Ali's new initiative. And the reason is obvious: it can work.



The initiative is an altruist and universal one: all producers should pay; and all should benefit.



Unlike the "greedy" Western $10 Carbon Tax proposal circulated few years ago, the aim of the one dollar allocation can be implemented with ease. The Carbon Tax intended to penalize producers for "satisfying" the hunger for energy of consumers. It was also unfair in proportionality. The price of oil was below the $30 mark, but still the West thought it should be taxed. In the process, the industrial nations intentionally forgot that they are already taxing fuel well over %100. It would have gone to the advanced nations coffers, but not benefiting neither the environment nor the research to find alternatives to oil.



The one dollar initiative is not challenging to producers. It is below 1% of the current oil prices, well within the daily ripples of price fluctuations. It is easy to collect since people are counting every drop of oil that goes into the market. And its impact is huge: US$30 billion a year.



Imagine the effect of an annual investment of $30 billion on the "needy areas". One immediate impact can be to encourage "needy" farmers in the Third World to go back to their land and to help themselves, and also help the world to escape from its current food shortage.



This re-investment is neither aid nor charity; both hardly made any impact on the needy previously. No one in the producing countries should complain. The effect of good investment of the Funds' dollars will have a positive effect on various aspects of their economy, one with almost immediate outcome: lower food prices. And if the success of National Solidarity Fund in Tunisia is a guide, then new consumers and markets may emerge.



Tunisia would like to see the WSF managed like its NSF: 100% of the donations are spent on the projects and there are no bureaucracy-related expenses.



The achievements of the moral and committed initiatives, like Ben Ali's NSF and Muhammad Yunus'Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, stand a good chance to be repeated worldwide.



Victory over poverty is a historical aim of humanity. Let's hope that Ben Ali's WSF can help to declare it. The committee that awarded Grameen and Yunus the Noble Prize, needs not look further then.
16 Africa's development: Japan's role
IP: 70.23.132.11

Saturday 06/07/2008 11:50:32 EDT
Two events this year - the recent Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) and the Group of Eight Summit in July -present unique opportunities for Japan to demonstrate its fruitful partnership with the African continent and global leadership on sustainable development.



At the conference, Africa's story was the headline. The sub-text was clearly about the significant strides the region had been making to secure economic growth, improve social well-being, and foster environmental protection.



The TICAD conference takes place once every five years. And the privilege of hosting the Group of Eight Summit on Japanese soil comes only once every eight years. These platforms provide an opportunity to catalyze actions and forge partnerships that will make sustainable development a reality across Africa.



Africa is on the rise. Economic growth is up, conflicts are down, and there is a growing sense of optimism across the continent. The steady pace at which many African economies are growing -averaging 5.4 percent a year for the past three years - would be a source of envy for many industrialized countries.



On the business front, Africa is increasingly competitive. Ghana and Kenya were ranked among the top 10 business-friendly economies in 2008, even as the latter has suffered a temporary setback. More children are going to school, and remaining in school.



Health indicators are up, and child mortality is decreasing. Nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africa's population lives in countries that are rich in oil, gas or hard mineral resources. The unprecedented boom in commodity prices offers new opportunities to mobilize mineral wealth for sustainable development.



But as recent events have shown, development gains are fragile. New risks are emerging: soaring prices of basic food grains, rising incidence of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, and increasingly, threats posed by a changing climate.



In the past year, wheat price has gone up by 120%. Rice prices have skyrocketed to near historic levels - rising about 75% globally (see Figure 1). Painful as these price increases are to the consumers in industrialized countries, they strike an even more devastating blow to the world's poorest people - children, as young as four or five, forced to flee the safety of their rural communities to fight for food in teeming cities; mothers deprived of nutrition for healthy babies. For these families, food purchases account for anywhere between 50 to 75 percent of income, leaving no margin for survival.



Over the last couple of months, riots have broken out in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Mozambique, and Senegal. According to World Bank estimates, the price spike could push over 100 million people deeper into poverty, wiping out seven years of hard-won development gains.



The World Bank is doing its part, and strengthening its cooperation with its partners, including Japan.



World Bank President Robert Zoellick recently called for a "New Deal on Global Food Policy" that was endorsed by 180 ministers. To help African countries cope with the food crisis, the World Bank is making $100 million available to Burundi, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Cote-d'Ivoire, while countries survey their needs for further support.



In May, 16 African countries met in South Africa to prepare action plans to respond to high food prices. This timely initiative, under the auspices of the African Union and New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is a prime example of African-led efforts for African development, and worthy of international support.



Japan's development experiences and lessons for Africa



Japan's dramatic success in transforming its post-war economy and emergence as an industrial superpower hold powerful lessons for African development. Japan's formidable technological prowess and financial muscle can address critical development deficits, in Africa, and beyond.



Going forward, two areas - agriculture and infrastructure development - come to mind where Japanese interventions could deliver lasting development results.



Agriculture is a life line of African economies, frequently accounting for one-third to one-half of the gross domestic product of many nations. Boosting productivity on millions of small farms is vital for generating broad-based growth, increasing food availability and cutting poverty. Over a generation ago, the Green Revolution boosted food production in Asia and Latin America, transforming food-deficit countries into grain exporters. But it bypassed Africa. A new, greener revolution, with a smaller ecological footprint is urgently needed for Africa.



For many Africans, rice is food. With Japanese support, the New Rices for Africa (NERICAs) program is spelling hope. Nations in western Africa pay $2 billion annually for imported rice. A bigger push, involving the private sector is needed for rice and other staple crops, beans, cassava, maize, pearl millet, sorghum and other crops that are a mainstay of African diets. Cutting-edge agricultural technologies are necessary for raising farm productivity, and Japan has a lot to offer in this area, including support for agricultural R&D.



The World Bank recognizes the importance of the farm sector. Our flagship 2008 World Development Report focused on the importance of agriculture for sustainable development. We are nearly doubling our agricultural lending, from $450 million to $800 million in Africa.



We are heartened that Japan is contributing $100 million for emergency food assistance programs, providing a much needed boost. And it is gratifying that the food crisis will feature prominently at the Group of Eight Summit, heeding Prime Minister Fukuda's call for more attention on this crucial area.



The second priority area is infrastructure development.



Africa faces huge challenges in this area. Poor infrastructure is weakening Africa's ability to provide its citizens with decent education and health services, and preventing farmers from accessing lucrative regional and overseas markets.



Japan's massive and unparalleled domestic investments in infrastructure and water resources management offer useful lessons for Africa. The fact that only one in four Africans has access to electricity, and less than five percent of Africa's hydropower potential has been tapped shows the great potential for infusing technology-led private sector investment in this area.



Japan's focus on sustained investments in hydraulic infrastructure to regulate river flows, improve water and sanitation services in booming urban centers, providing reliable irrigation, and improving flood control offer important lessons for all developing countries.



Japan's scaled-up investments in African infrastructure provide a much-needed booster effect, giving Japan the moral authority to highlight Africa's infrastructure challenges during the Group of Eight Summit.



Japan has long been a steadfast supporter of the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessional financing arm for the poorest countries. Thanks also to Japan's support, the 15th replenishment of IDA netted $42 billion to finance the fight against poverty over the next three years.



Some 40 African heads of state came together for the TICAD meeting hosted by the Government of Japan. We are at the mid-point in our journey to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that have a target date of 2015. Sub-Saharan Africa will not achieve the first MDG of halving poverty and hunger by 2015.



Eighty percent of countries in the region show poor progress on improved sanitation, and 44 percent of the population still lacks access to clean water. The region lost 9 percent of its forest cover between 1990 and 2005. And with over 22 million people infected with HIV virus, Sub-Saharan Africa is tragically the global epicenter of the disease.



These are the hard facts. But there is also place for human imagination, to think beyond the narrow confines of problems, marshal the power of collective action, and grasp new opportunities. In that sense, the storied locales of Yokohama and Hokkaido Toyako could well serve as the launching pad for new initiatives in international development cooperation, and become the new "Kyoto" of focused poverty reduction efforts.



It is my fervent hope that by working together, Japan, the World Bank, and the international community can lay the foundations for strengthened development cooperation to achieve the MDGs, and help Africa reach its full potential. That must be the enduring legacy of TICAD and the Group of Eight Summit.
15 News: Politics: zimbabwe
IP: 70.23.178.107

Friday 06/06/2008 08:58:03 EDT
HARARE, 5 June 2008 - The detention of presidential contender Morgan Tsvangirai by Zimbabwean police for nearly 12 hours on 4 June is another instance of the orchestrated harassment of opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and other organisations regarded as out of step with the 28-year rule of President Robert Mugabe, according to analysts.



CARE International, one of the largest non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Zimbabwe, has been ordered to suspend its operations for alleged political activity, as have others.



Media reports on 5 June said a convoy of British and US diplomatic staff investigating reports of election violence north of the capital were stopped by a police roadblock at Bindura, 80km from Harare, where the tyres of their vehicles were slashed and a Zimbabwean driver was hauled from one of the diplomatic cars and beaten by police.



Sean McCormack, the US State Department spokesman, said in a televised briefing from Washington that the incident was "unacceptable", had caused "deep distress" and was the action of a government that "does not know any bounds"; the US would take up the incident in the Security Council.



MDC spokesman Nelson Chamis said the party leader Tsvangirai, his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, party chairperson Lovemore Moyo, as well as other senior party officials and their security detail were stopped at a roadblock, and then held at Lupane police station, north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city.



Tsvangirai, who claims that election rigging cost him victory in the 29 March presidential vote, will contest the run-off ballot on 27 June. He left Zimbabwe soon after the March elections, in which ZANU-PF lost control of parliament for the first time since independence in 1980, and very recently returned to Zimbabwe. He sustained head injuries last year from a beating in police custody and has twice been charged with treason.



Chamisa said the party had confirmed the killings of 60 MDC supporters since the March ballot, but this was "a conservative figure", as ZANU-PF had established "no-go" areas where people were "being killed, buried and forgotten".



One of the people killed was a local MDC organiser, Tonderai Ndira, who had been arrested 35 times and was taken from his house on 14 May by six armed, masked men.



His decomposing body was found a few weeks later. According to reports, a preliminary autopsy by an independent South African pathologist said "it was clear that he died very soon after he was abducted."



Absence of election observers



The promise of a heavier presence by the few election observer missions approved by the government had not led to an increase in their "visibility" Chamisa said.



There was no indication that observers from the African Union, the Pan African Parliament and the Southern African Development Community had deployed to violence hotspots in the northern and western provinces of Mashonaland West, Central and East, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands.



The president of an MDC breakaway faction, Arthur Mutambara, was released on bail after his arrest under the controversial Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act - a few days before Tsvangirai was taken into custody - for allegedly writing falsehoods and "undermining public confidence in the army".



In an article titled A Shameful Betrayal of Independence, Mutambara, whose party won more than 10 legislative seats in the March elections wrote: "Our country is characterised by extreme illegitimacy, where we have an imbecilic and cynical military junta running the affairs of the country."



He also accused the High Court of aiding the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission accused of favouring ZANU-PF in delaying the announcement of the 29 March election results.



There was a long delay in announcing the winning party candidates in the election of municipal councils, the senate, parliament, and for the presidency. The opposition charged that the delay enabled election rigging.



Davison Maruziva, the editor of Zimbabwe's independent newspaper, The Standard, was arrested for publishing the article and is also on bail.



Political analyst John Makumbe said the recent "spate" of arrests was part of a strategy to intimidate government critics ahead of the presidential poll run-off on 27 June.



"The government is harassing defenders of people's rights politicians, civic society members, media practitioners and even clerics - on the assumption that it will cow them into submission, but ZANU-PF ought to know that no amount of coercion will change people's views," Makumbe told IRIN.



He said the police were targeting people who held views contrary to those of the government, and "The state media is full of slanderous content, just as ZANU-PF is pregnant with torturers and murderers but the culprits are never arrested." Makumbe claimed the run-off would not be free and fair because of the harassment of critics and members of the opposition.



On 31 May Eric Matinenga, a human rights lawyer who won a parliamentary seat for the MDC, was arrested. Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said in a statement on 2 June that Matinenga was arrested for incitement in rural Buhera, in Manicaland Province. Matinenga has instituted court action to bar the deployment of soldiers in his constituency, on the grounds that they were spearheading a terror campaign.



Military loyal to Mugabe



The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), an NGO lobbying for a new, people-driven constitution, has accused the military of acting unconstitutionally by manipulating soldiers to support Mugabe.



The state-controlled daily newspaper, The Herald, quoted Maj-Gen Martin Chedondo as telling soldiers: "the Constitution says the country should be protected by voting, and in the 27 June presidential election run-off, pitting our defence chief, Comrade Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC, we should therefore stand behind our Commander-in-Chief [Mugabe]".



Chedondo said the army was not expected to be apolitical and should protect ZANU-PF principles, otherwise members should resign.



NCA chairman Lovemore Madhuku said "The constitution is clear; it does not allocate to the military any political functions and for it to come out so brazenly on the side of a political candidate simply demonstrates the army's waywardness."



The heads of the army, police and prison services have already publicly stated that they will not accept a Tsvangirai presidency.
14 ETHIOPIA: AFRICA
IP: 70.23.155.143

Thursday 06/05/2008 10:33:21 EDT
Geography

Area: 1.1 million sq. km (472,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico combined.

Cities: Capital--Addis Ababa (pop. 5 million). Other cities--Dire Dawa (237,000), Nazret (189,000), Gondar (163,000), Dessie (142,000), Mekelle (141,000), Bahir Dar (140,000), Jimma (132,000), Awassa (104,000).

Terrain: High plateau, mountains, dry lowland plains.

Climate: Temperate in the highlands; hot in the lowlands.



People

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Ethiopian(s).

Population (2005): 77 million.

Annual growth rate: 2.7%.

Ethnic groups (est.): Oromo 40%, Amhara 25%, Tigre 7%, Somali 6%, Sidama 9%, Gurage 2%, Wolaita 4%, Afar 4%, other nationalities 3%.

Religions (est.): Ethiopian Orthodox Christian 40%, Sunni Muslim 45-50%, Protestant 5%, remainder indigenous beliefs.

Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromigna, English, Somali.

Education: Years compulsory--none. Attendance (elementary) 57%. Literacy--43%.

Health: Infant mortality rate--93/1,000 live births.

Work force: Agriculture--80%. Industry and commerce--20%.



Government

Type: Federal Republic.

Constitution: Ratified 1994.

Branches: Executive--president, Council of State, Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. Legislative--bicameral parliament. Judicial--divided into Federal and Regional Courts.

Administrative subdivisions: 9 regions and 2 special city administrations: Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.

Political parties: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP), the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), and other small parties.

Suffrage: Universal starting at age 18.

Central government budget (2006 est.): $3.4 billion.

Defense: $348 million (5.6% of GDP FY 2003).

National holiday: May 28.



Economy

Real GDP (2006 est.): $13.3 billion.

Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 9.6%.

Per capita income (2006 est.): $130.

Average inflation rate (2006 est.): 13%.

Natural resources: Potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum, natural gas (unexploited).

Agriculture (47% of GDP): Products--coffee, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, khat, meat, hides and skins. Cultivated land--17%.

Industry (12% of GDP): Types--textiles, processed foods, construction, cement, and hydroelectric power.

Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$1.1 billion. Imports--$4.1 billion; plus remittances--official est. $400 million; unofficial est. $400 million.

Fiscal year: July 8-July 7.



GEOGRAPHY

Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. The country has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters (6,000 ft.-10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau--notably the Blue Nile flowing from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to the southeast.



The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. At Addis Ababa, which ranges from 2,200 to 2,600 meters (7,000 ft.-8,500 ft.), maximum temperature is 26o C (80o F) and minimum 4o C (40o F). The weather is usually sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains occurring February-April and the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-September.



PEOPLE

Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic is the official language and was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya.



GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

Ethiopia is a federal republic under the 1994 constitution. The executive branch includes a president, Council of State, and Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. There is a bicameral parliament; national legislative elections were held in 2005. The judicial branch comprises federal and regional courts.



Political parties include the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), and other small parties. Suffrage is universal at age 18.



In 2003, Ethiopia continued its transition from a unitary to a federal system of government. The EPRDF-led government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has promoted a policy of ethnic federalism, devolving significant powers to regional, ethnically based authorities. Ethiopia today has 9 semi-autonomous administrative regions and two special city administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa), which have the power to raise their own revenues. Under the present government, Ethiopians enjoy wider, albeit circumscribed, political freedom than ever before in Ethiopia's history.



ECONOMY

The current government has embarked on a cautious program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. While the process is still ongoing, so far the reforms have attracted only meager foreign investment, and the government remains heavily involved in the economy.



The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which contributes 47% to GNP and more than 80% of exports, and employs 85% of the population. The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing 35% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings, down from 65% a decade ago because of the slump in coffee prices since the mid-1990s. Other traditional major agricultural exports are hides and skins, pulses, oilseeds, and the traditional "khat," a leafy shrub that has psychotropic qualities when chewed. Sugar and gold production has also become important in recent years.



Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources, and poor transport infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market. Yet agriculture is the country's most promising resource. Potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, flowers, grains, oilseeds, sugar, vegetables, and fruits.



Gold, marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are mined in Ethiopia. Other resources with potential for commercial development include large potash deposits, natural gas, iron ore, and possibly oil and geothermal energy. Although Ethiopia has good hydroelectric resources, which power most of its manufacturing sector, it is totally dependent on imports for its oil. A landlocked country, Ethiopia has relied on the port of Djibouti since the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea. Ethiopia is connected with the port of Djibouti by road and rail for international trade. Of the 23,812 kilometers of all-weather roads in Ethiopia, 15% are asphalt. Mountainous terrain and the lack of good roads and sufficient vehicles make land transportation difficult and expensive. However, the government-owned airline&s reputation is excellent. Ethiopian Airlines serves 38 domestic airfields and has 42 international destinations.



Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil, Ethiopia lacks sufficient foreign exchange earnings. The financially conservative government has taken measures to solve this problem, including stringent import controls and sharply reduced subsidies on retail gasoline prices. Nevertheless, the largely subsistence economy is incapable of meeting the budget requirements for drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil. The gap has largely been covered through foreign assistance inflows.
13 Facts: East Africa: Kenya
IP: 70.23.189.126

Tuesday 06/03/2008 11:14:54 EDT
Geography

Kenya lies across the equator in east-central Africa, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It is twice the size of Nevada. Kenya borders Somalia to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest. In the north, the land is arid; the southwest corner is in the fertile Lake Victoria Basin; and a length of the eastern depression of the Great Rift Valley separates western highlands from those that rise from the lowland coastal strip.

Government

History

Paleontologists believe people may first have inhabited Kenya about 2 million years ago. In the 700s, Arab seafarers established settlements along the coast, and the Portuguese took control of the area in the early 1500s. More than 40 ethnic groups reside in Kenya. Its largest group, the Kikuyu, migrated to the region at the beginning of the 18th century.



The land became a British protectorate in 1890 and a Crown colony in 1920, when it went by the name British East Africa. Nationalist stirrings began in the 1940s, and in 1952 the Mau Mau movement, made up of Kikuyu militants, rebelled against the government. The fighting lasted until 1956.



On Dec. 12, 1963, Kenya achieved full independence. Jomo Kenyatta, a nationalist leader during the independence struggle who had been jailed by the British, was its first president.



From 1964 to 1992, the country was ruled as a one-party state by the Kenya African National Union (KANU), first under Kenyatta and then under Daniel arap Moi. Demonstrations and riots pressured Moi to allow for multiparty elections in 1992.



The economy did not flourish under Moi's rule. In the 1990s, Kenya's infrastructure began disintegrating and official graft was rampant, contributing to the withdrawal of much foreign aid. In early 1995, President Moi moved against the opposition and ordered the arrest of anyone who insulted him.



A series of disasters plagued Kenya in 1997 and 1998: severe flooding destroyed roads, bridges, and crops; epidemics of malaria and cholera overwhelmed the ineffectual health care system; and ethnic clashes erupted between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin ethnic groups in the Rift Valley.



On Aug. 7, 1998, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi was bombed by terrorists, killing 243 and injuring more than 1,000. The embassy in neighboring Tanzania was bombed the same day, killing 10.



In a successful effort to win back IMF and World Bank funding, which had been suspended because of Kenya's corruption and poor economic practices, President Moi appointed his high-profile critic and political opponent, Richard Leakey, as head of the civil service in 1999. A third-generation white Kenyan, son of paleontologists Louis and Mary Leakey, he had been a highly effective reformer as head of the Kenya Wildlife Service. But after 20 months during which he made a promising start at cleaning up Kenya's corrupt bureaucracy, Leakey was sacked by Moi. Kenya is regularly ranked among the ten most corrupt countries in the world, according to the watchdog group Transparency International.



In August 2000 UN aid workers estimated 3.3 million Kenyans were at risk of starvation due to a devastating East African drought.



An anticorruption law, sponsored by the ruling party, failed to pass in parliament in Aug. 2001 and imperiled Kenya's chances for international aid. Opposition leaders called the law a cynical ploy meant to give the appearance of reform; the proposed law, they contended, was in fact too weak and full of loopholes to make a dent in corruption.



Opposition leader Mwai Kibaki won the Dec. 2002 presidential election, defeating Moi's protégé, Uhuru Kenyatta (term limits prevented Moi, in power for 24 years, from running again). Kibaki promised to put an end to the country's rampant corruption. In his first few months, Kibaki did initiate a number of reforms ordering a crackdown on corrupt judges and police and instituting free primary school education and international donors opened their coffers again.



But by 2004, disappointment in Kibaki set in when little further progress was evident, and a long-awaited new constitution, meant to limit the president's power, still had not been delivered. Kibaki made no real progress on his mandate to stem corruption, which became glaringly evident when his anticorruption minister, John Githongo, resigned in Feb. 2005, frustrated that he was prevented from investigating a number of scandals. In July 2005, parliament finally approved a draft of a constitution, but in Dec. 2005 voters rejected it because it expanded the president's powers.



A drought ravaged Kenya, and by Jan. 2006, 2.5 million Kenyans faced starvation.



Kenya descended into violence and chaos following December 2007's presidential election. Preliminary results had opposition candidate Raila Odinga, of the Orange Democratic Movement, defeating incumbent Kibaki, 57% to 39%. In the days after the election, however, Odinga's lead dwindled and Kenya's electoral commission declared Kibaki the winner, 46% to 44%. International observers said the vote was rigged. Odinga, a champion of the poor, had promised to eliminate corruption and tribalism. After the announcement of the official results, violence broke out among members of the Luo and Kikuyu tribes. Odinga is Luo, and Kibaki is Kikuyu. The fighting between the tribes intensified in January 2008, with more than 800 people dying in violence across the country. Odinga refused Kibaki's invitation to discuss the political crisis after Kibaki appointed his cabinet, which did not include any members of Odinga's Orange Democratic Party. Parliament, however, elected Kenneth Marende, of Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, speaker over an ally of Kibaki. The deployment of the Kenyan military did little to stem the brutal ethnic fighting. In late January, Melitus Mugabe Were, a member of Parliament who has worked to mend the ethnic strife in Kenya and help the poor, was dragged from his car and shot. Members of the opposition said the killing was a political assassination.



By February 2008, more than 1,000 people had died in the ethnic violence. Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan met with representatives from the government and the opposition in an attempt to resolve the crisis. After protracted negotiations that left Annan frustrated, the government and the opposition agreed in late February on a power-sharing deal that has Odinga filling the newly created position as prime minister and the two rivals dividing cabinet positions. Parliament met in March, a much-needed first step toward restoring peace to the battered country. Kibaki announced an enormous national unity cabinet in April that includes 94 ministers. His supporters head powerful minsitries, such as finance and foreign relations. As expected, Odinga is named prime minister
12 Facts: Africa: Nigeria
IP: 72.43.168.82

Monday 06/02/2008 17:04:53 EDT
Nigeria is a federal republic consisting of thirty-six states and a federal capital located in Abuja. The country lies on the west coast of the African continent and has a land mass of 923,768 square kilometers (356,700 square miles), making it slightly larger than California. It is bordered to the north by the Republic of Niger, to the south by the Atlantic Ocean, to the east by the Federal Republic of Cameroon, and to the west by the Republic of Benin. On the country's northeast border is Lake Chad, which also extends into the Republic of Niger and Chad and touches the northernmost part of Cameroon. Nigeria's location between the equator and Tropics of Cancer places it entirely within the tropical zone, but climatic conditions vary from equatorial on the coast, to tropical in the middle, to arid in the north.



The World Bank estimated Nigeria's population in 1990 at 119 million with an estimated annual growth rate of 3.3 percent, making the country the most populated state in Africa and the tenth most populated nation in the world. Although Nigeria's population is comprised of over 250 ethnic groups, three major ethnic groups account for over 66 percent of the total population and primarily reside in three geographical regions: the Hausa/Fulani in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest, and the Igbo in the southeast.

These regional-ethnic alignments also correspond closely with religious cleavages in the country. The north, dominated by the Hausa/Fulani, is predominantly Muslim. The southwest, dominated by the Yoruba, is religiously mixed between Christians, Muslims, and worshippers of traditional Yoruba religion. In the southeast, where most Igbo live, Christians are the majority, although observance of traditional rites and ceremonies remains strong. Among these three ethno-regional and religious identities lie a sizable number of smaller ethno-religious groups, such as the Tiv in the Middle Belt and the Ogoni and Ijaw in the Niger Delta area



Brief History

As with many of the other nations of contemporary Africa, Nigeria is a colonial construct. The amalgamation of its ethnically and culturally diverse population into a political entity was the result of British conquest and control of much of Nigeria between 1861 and 1897. This fact is central to understanding Nigeria's growing pains since independence. In creating a largely artificial state, the British left several enduring legacies that have shaped the government and politics of the country since its inception.

Nigeria came into existence on the eve of World War I (1914 - 1918) when the British colonial rulers merged the two British protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria into one entity. The new Nigeria, as defined by the British, placed numerous and distinct ethnic populations under one administrative system. Of this large number of groups, the northern-based Hausa-Fulani, the Yoruba in the southwest, and the Igbo in the southeast have traditionally been the most politically active and dominant. In recognition of their strength and political power, the 1960 Independence Constitution established Nigeria as a federation comprising three regions (Northern, Western, and Eastern) and a federal territory (Lagos), and instituted a Westminster model of parliamentary democracy at the national and regional levels. A fourth region was later added.



Institutions and powers of government at both regional and federal levels were divided into three areas: legislative, executive, and judicial. Detailed provisions were made for entrenched fundamental rights, and elections based on universal suffrage were to be held regularly. The federation received political independence on October 1, 1960, after about seven decades of British colonial rule.



The Nature of the Government



Since 1999 Nigeria has had a democratic, civilian government. The 1999 constitution under which the government is constituted is essentially a remake of the 1979 constitution that was the basis of the Second Republic.

Like the American presidential system, it sets up a three-tier federal structure of democratically elected national, state, and local systems of government. At the national level, an independently elected executive is balanced against a two-house National Assembly and an appointed and independent judiciary. The same pattern exists at the state level.



The electoral system is multiparty-based, but the ruling party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), has used its control of state resources to maintain its dominance at the national level. Opposition to PDP has come mainly from two parties with mostly regional support: the All Nigeria People's Party and the Alliance for Democracy. In the 2003 national elections, President Olusegun Obasanjo (b. 1937) was reelected to a second four-year term. His ruling PDP also won 70 percent of the seats in the national legislature and 75 percent of the state governorships. Allegations of political intimidation and vote-rigging were raised, especially in southeastern states, but a majority of Nigerians appear to have accepted the result.



The institutional performance of the National Assembly has not been impressive. From its inception, this legislative body has been tainted by charges of bribery and misappropriation of funds.
11 Facts: Africa: Ghana
IP: 72.43.168.82

Monday 06/02/2008 16:59:26 EDT
Located on the coast of West Africa, Ghana occupies a total land area of 228,000 square kilometers (88,000 square miles). The population, estimated in 2004 to be approximately 20.3 million, is comprised of several tribal groups, including the Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga. According the World Bank, the gross national income per capita in 2002 was $270. The climate is tropical; the weather is warm and comparatively dry along the southeast coast, hot and humid in the southwest, and hot and dry in the north. The terrain consists mostly of low plains, with a dissected plateau in the south-central area. Ghana is home to Volta Lake, the world's largest artificial lake.

A former British colony, Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain its independence in 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972). Beginning in 1964, a series of coups resulted in the suspension of three constitutions until a fourth was approved in 1992, which has since remained the basis for government. Becoming effective on January 7, 1993, the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana incorporates provisions and institutions drawn from British and U.S. constitutional models. Like the American system, it provides for the sharing of powers among a president, a legislature, and an independent judiciary through a system of checks and balances designed to limit the power of any one branch of government.

The president has executive authority as head of state, head of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces. As in the United States, the president is limited to two four-year terms. Jerry Rawlings (b. 1947) won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 and was succeeded by John Kufuor (b. 1938) in a free and fair election in 2000. The National Parliament, a unicameral body of two hundred members, performs legislative functions. Members of parliament are popularly elected by universal adult suffrage to four-year terms. Unlike the American system, members of parliament can also hold dual positions as ministers appointed by the president. The president, who has a qualified veto over all bills (except those to which a vote of urgency is attached), must consent to any legislation before it becomes law. The structure and the power of the judiciary are independent of all other branches of government. The Supreme Court has broad powers of judicial review, and it has the authority to rule on the constitutionality of any legislative or executive action at the request of any aggrieved citizen.



A salient feature of the 1992 constitution is the inclusion of fundamental human rights and freedoms enforceable by the courts. In a further effort to guarantee these basic human rights and freedoms, the constitution provides for an autonomous Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, which is empowered to investigate alleged human-rights violations, injustice, corruption, abuse of power, and unfair treatment of any person by a public officer. This commission can also take action to remedy proven abuses. The constitution guarantees the freedom and independence of the media and makes any form of censorship unconstitutional. Although there have been a few challenges to the implementation of these constitutional provisions, experts believe the foundation has been laid for improvement in democratic governance, an independent press, and the active participation of civic society in Ghana. Freedom House, therefore, rated Ghana as a "free" country in 2003.
10 Emma Africana
IP: 72.43.168.82

Friday 05/30/2008 17:27:54 EDT
great site. 6(^)6
9 Kwame Naphtali
IP: 68.166.227.42

Friday 05/16/2008 18:27:08 EDT
continue the good work and help save lives in Africa. thanks very much 6(^)6
8 No 1. African Queen
IP: 149.68.105.82

Tuesday 05/13/2008 12:46:31 EDT
this is a great site. very informative and well expressed. thanks and keep it up :-)
7 World's Top 10 poorest countries
IP: 207.38.250.33

Sunday 05/11/2008 21:11:27 EDT
Here are the details for the World's top Ten (10) poorest countries. Hope that helps. thanks



1. Niger

Niger has an estimated total population of 12,525,094 and is ranked as the "poorest country in the world" (last out of 177 countries) by the United Nations Human Development Report 2005. Niger is a landlocked country bordered by Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali and Nigeria. As one of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), it received $1.2 billion as debt relief from the World Bank and the IMF in 2004 but the next year, the population suffered from drought and faced a severe food crisis with an estimated 1.8 million people suffering. During this period, agricultural production fell by 12%.



On the other hand, some improvements were made as primary enrolment rose 24% (1990) to 38% (2002). As part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the 10-year development plan for education was launched in 2002.



Assistance to Niger by donor countries has mainly focused on girls education, humanitarian assistance and debt relief. For example, the UK Department for International Development has pledged to provide £7 million over the next 3 years.



In 2002-2005, Niger had an average growth rate of 3.7 percent, a positive sign of a stronger economy. In April 2004, Niger reached the HIPC Completion Point, including topping-up equivalent to US$142 million.



Statistics:

Per capita GDP: US$280 (2005).

Population below poverty line (live on less than $1 a day): 63% (1993 est.)

External Debt: $2.1 billion (2003 est.)

Adult literacy rate: less than 15% (2003)

Gross primary school enrollment: 52.4%

Infant mortality: 126 per 1,000

Life expectancy: 46 years old

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 70,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 4,800 (2003 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)



2. Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone has significant mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, but has an underdeveloped economic and social infrastructure with agriculture as the main source of subsistence by two-thirds of the working population but with an increasing labour force in productive sectors such as diamond mining with an output expansion of 44% in 2003.



It is bordered by Liberia in the southeast, Guinea in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. It is one of the extremely poor countries in the world, ranked 176 of 177 countries in the 2005 United Nations Human Development Index.



Statistics:

People living below poverty line: 5 million

Population: 6 million (CIA Factbook July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.3% (2006 est.)

GDP growth: 7.4% (2004)

GNI per capita: $200 (2004 est.)

GDP per capita (PPP): $800 (2005 est.)

Life expectancy: 37 years old (male), 39 years old (female) (UNCTAD est. 2005)

HIV prevalence for adults: 7% (2001 CIA Factbook est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 11,000 (2001 est.)

Fertility rate, total (births per woman): 6.5

Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births): 284 (2003 est.)

Adult literacy rate: (2000 est.) 51% (m), 23% (f)

Population growth (annual %): 4.2

Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24): 37.2

Export growth: 17% (2004, mainly alluvial diamonds)

Birth rate: 45.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 23.03 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate (2006 est.): 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (female)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)



3.Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country bordered by Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo and is ranked 175 (out of 177 countries) by the UNDP - Human Development Index. Majority of the population (90%) engage in agriculture with cotton as the key crop but recurring droughts make it one of the poorest countries.



Statistics:

Population below poverty line: 45% (2003 est.)

Population: 13,902,972 (July 2006 CIA est.)

Population growth rate: 3% (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity): $16.95 billion (2005 est.)

Labor force: 5 million (note: a large part of the male labour force migrates annually to neighbouring countries for seasonal employment)

Infant mortality rate (2006): 99.17 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 83.3 deaths/1,000 live births (female)

Life expectancy at birth (2006 est.): 47.33 years (male), 50.42 years (female)

Total fertility rate: 6.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: 4.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 300,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 29,000 (2003 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
6 next 4 of top 10 poorest
IP: 207.38.250.33

Sunday 05/11/2008 21:05:20 EDT
4. Mali

Mali is a semi-desert landlocked country with 10% of the population nomadic and 80% of the working population subsisting on farming and fishing, with gold and cotton as its main exports. It is also heavily dependent on foreign aid and in 2003 ranked 174 out of 177 countries (UNDP HDI).

Through an IMF-inspired structural adjustment and a gradual process of political stability, Mali’s GNI per capita rose from US$240 (1994) to US$370 (2005), a 4% average annual increase.



Statistics:

GDP (2005): US$ 4.9 billion

GDP annual growth: 2.2%

Population: 13.5 million (UNCTAD 2005 est.)

Annual population growth: 3% (UNCTAD and CIA Factbook, 2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 48 years old

Mortality rate, infant: 121/1,000 live births

Adult literacy rate (UNCTAD 2000): 36% (male), 16% (female)

Primary school enrolment: 63.8% (2004 est.)

Secondary school enrolment: 22.3%

Tertiary school enrolment: 2.1%

Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above): 19.0

Birth rate: 45.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate (2006 CIA Factbook): 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 142.8 deaths/1,000 live (female) births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth (2006 est.): 38 years old (male), 42 years (female)

HIV/AIDS prevalence in adults: 7% (CIA 2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 170,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 11,000 (2001 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Erosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever (2005)



5. Chad

Foreign Direct Investments in the oil sector began in 2000, helping boost its economy. Although Chad’s total oil reserves has been estimated to be 2 billion barrels, farming and livestock-raising still remains as a major source of livelihood due to Chad’s landlockness and a history of civil war. Its border countries are Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan. Cotton, cattle, and gum arabic are the country’s non-oil export earnings, with oil exports beginning only in 2004. The UNDP’s HDI ranks Chad among the world’s ten poorest countries, placing 173 out of 177 in 2003, the same period that Chad adopted a Poverty Reduction Strategy to improve the social, judicial, political and economic situation in the country.



Statistics:

Population: 9.9 million (July 2006 est.)

Per capita income: less that US$250/year

GDP (purchasing power parity): $14.79 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $4.799 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Gross primary enrollment rate (GER): 88% (male), 55 % (female), 2000 est.

Population growth rate: 2.93% (2006 est.)

Population undernourished: 34% (2000-2002, UNCTAD est.)

Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 45 years (male), 49 years (female), (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 200,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS – deaths: 18,000 (2003 est.)

Adult literacy rate: 52% (male), 34% (female), (UNCTAD 2005 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)



6. Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is ranked 172 out of 177 by the UNDP HDI and its economy depends on farming and fishing. It exports fish, seafood, peanuts, palm kernels and timber. There is a vast income disparity in the country and in December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP provided $107 million emergency budgetary support to help forward the country’s economic development.



Statistics:

Population: 1.4 million (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.07% (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.185 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $280 million (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.3% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $800 (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 37.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 16.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 115 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 94 deaths/1,000 live births (female), (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 45 years (male), 48 years (male), (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 10% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 17,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,200 (2001 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)



7. Central African Republic

The Central African Republic is ranked 171 by the UNDP Human Development Index. Agriculture and forestry are the main source of subsistence by the labour force with the agricultural sector generating more than half of the country’s GDP. Due to its landlocked position, poor transport, unskilled work force, and a history of misdirected economic policies, CAR has been unable to develop economically.



Statistics:

Population: 4.3 million as of July 2006 (CIA Factbook Note: estimates for this country explicitly takes into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected)

Population growth rate: 1.53% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 33.91births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 18.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate (2006 est.): 92.44 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 78.61 deaths/1,000 live births (female

Life expectancy at birth: 43.46 years (male), 43.62 years (female), (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.784 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $1.462 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 13.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 260,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 23,000 (2003 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
5 poorest countries 8 to 10
IP: 207.38.250.33

Sunday 05/11/2008 21:02:28 EDT
8. Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries, ranking 170 out 177 countries in the Human Development Index. More than half of its GDP is dependent on the agricultural sector, which suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee exports bring in $156 million but low market prices have forced farmers to result to cultivating qat to supplement income. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the International Monetary Fund forgave Ethiopia’s debt.

Some notable improvements have been recorded as well by the DFID. These are:

1. Contraceptive use has doubled from 6% in 2000 to 14% in 2005.

2. A decline in the incidence of new HIV infections in urban areas, from 2.5 new cases of infection per 100 adults in 1990-92 to below 2 since 1995.

3. The number of births attended by skilled health professionals increased from 3.5% in 1998 to 9.5% in 2003.

4. The heavy investment in roads has increased the proportion of people living less than 5 km from an all-weather road from 37% in 2000 to 42% in 2004.



Statistics:

Population: 74.7 million. CIA Factbook Note: estimates take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS which can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.31% (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity): $62.88 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $900 (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.) note: 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

Annual income is just over $125 per person)

Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 103.43 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 83.51 deaths/1,000 live births (female), (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 47 years (male), 50 years (female), (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Population undernourished: 46% (2000-2002)

Adult literacy rate (UNCTAD 2000 est.): 47 (male), 31% (female)

Population using improved drinking water (UNCTAD 2002 est.): 81% (urban), 11% (rural)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.4% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1.5 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 120,000 (2003 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and hepatitis E

Vectorborne diseases: malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks in some locations

Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis

Animal contact disease: rabies

Water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)



9. Burundi

Ranked 169 by the UNDP’s HDI, Burundi is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector, bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The working population is highly dependent on the agricultural sector (coffee and tea exports), accounting for 90% of foreign exchange earnings. World Bank and UN estimates state that one in two children go to school and one in 10 adults has HIV/AIDS.



Some notable improvements:

1. Increasing youth literacy particularly among girls

2. An increase in infant and child mortality

3. Free health care for pregnant women and children under 5.



Statistics:

Population: 8.1 million (July 2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity): $5.654 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $700 (2005 est.)

Labor force: 2.99 million (2002) - agriculture: 93.6%, industry: 2.3%, services: 4.1% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 68% (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.7% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 70 deaths/1,000 live births (male), 55 deaths/1,000 live births (female), (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 50 years (male), 51 years (female), (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 250,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS – deaths: 25,000 (2003 est.)



Major infectious diseases:

Degree of risk: very high

Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)



10. Mozambique

Mozambique is ranked 168 in the UNDP Human Development Index. The main source of livelihood is agriculture followed by manufacturing, then commerce, construction and transport and communications.



Among the significant progress Mozambique has achieved are:

1. Declining poverty rates 69% 1997, 54% 2003, meaning 3 million fewer people live below the poverty line.

2. Large increase in primary enrolment 44% 1999 to 76% 2004, (1 million primary school enrolment in 2004)

3. Decrease in child and maternal mortality 195 between 1997 and 2003 (219 deaths/1000 live births to 178 in 2003), meaning an estimated one less child in every 25 is dying before their fifth birthday

4. Maternal morality rates fell by over 50% since 1995

5. Economic growth rate 8%/year since 1997



Statistics:

Population: 19.6 million. CIA Factbook Note: estimates take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS which can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected; the 1997 Mozambican census reported a population of 16,099,246 (July 2006 est.)

DP (purchasing power parity): $26.03 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,300 (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: 70% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.38% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 21 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)<