International Report:

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JOHANNESBURG
South Africa condemns Madagascar's Ravalomanana verdict

JOHANNESBURG, 6/9 - South Africa has strongly criticised Madagascar over the life sentence passed on exiled President Marc Ravalomanana last week.

Such sentences would not help end Madagascar's political turmoil, said International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Mr Ravalomanana is in exile in South Africa after being toppled in March 2009.

He was sentenced for the killing of some 30 people during street protests.

Those who died were supporters of Andry Rajoelina, who took over the government with the support of the army after Mr Ravalomanana fled.

Mr Rajoelina's government has not been internationally recognised and South Africa is leading efforts to end the political stand-off.

Ms Nkoana-Mashabane hinted that the judge's decision may have been politically influenced.

The former president's defence lawyers walked out on the trial shortly after the hearings began, saying the court was being used by Mr Rajoelina's administration.

Madagascar has been in the midst of a political crisis for the past 19 months.

It is the third sentence given to Mr Ravalomanana by a court since he left the country.

Source: Angop

MAPUTO
Mozambique police on alert for more bread protests

MAPUTO, 6/9 - Mozambique police were on high alert on Sunday on reports fresh protests over soaring bread prices might erupt in the capital following demonstrations last week that left ten dead and hundreds injured.

Riots erupted in the southern African state on Wednesday after the government raised bread prices by 30 percent in one of the world's poorest countries, saying the increase was a consequence of higher global wheat prices.

After two days of looting and street battles with police last week, there was relative calm at the weekend but police expecting more demonstrations have now increased their presence in the capital.

Disturbances saw 10 people killed and 443 injured in the deadliest riots since at least eight people died in 2008 in violence over price increases.

The dead included two children who were killed when police fired on protesters who blocked streets, set tyres alight and looted stores in the deadliest riots to hit the southern African country of 23 million since 2008.

Opposition parties and human rights groups have criticised the government, saying it failed to gauge the anger that would be unleashed by the bread price rise and other increases in water and electricity tariffs.

Although Mozambique is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, it has never fully recovered from one of Africa's bloodiest civil wars, which ended in 1992, and it has a 54 percent unemployment rate.

It is heavily dependent on imports from South Africa which have become more expensive as the South African currency rose. Mozambique's metical has lost around 29 percent against the dollar and 33 percent against the rand this year.

Source: Angop

Many feared dead in DR Congo after boats capsize

KINSHASA, 6/9 - One of the boats was carrying up to 300 people when it caught fire on the Kasai river near the border with Angola.

Information Minister Lambert Mende Omalanga told that the BBC the vessel had been transporting fuel and was not supposed to be carrying any passengers.

In the other accident, at least 24 people died in the province of Equateur when a boat capsized on the Ruki river.

The boat had up to 100 people on board, Mr Mende told the BBC.

A spokeswoman for Equateur's provincial government, Rebecca Ebala, said more than 70 people were believed dead. Fifteen survivors had so far been found, she added.

Officials are investigating why the boat was sailing at night without lights.

'Full of people'

The accident in Kasai-Occidental province happened the previous day.

One of the survivors confirmed that fuel drums on board the vessel had caught fire before it capsized near the village of Mbendayi.

Romaine Mishondo said the boat was so crowded it had reminded her of "a whole market in the village full of people".

When it began to sink and people began jumping overboard, local fishermen ignored their pleas for help, she added.

Boats and ferries are commonly used in DR Congo, which has few viable roads or railways but several major lakes and rivers.

However, the vessels are often overloaded or badly maintained, and accidents are commonplace.

Source: Angop

KHARTOUM, 6/9 - The referendum commission in Sudan has unanimously agreed on who should take up the key position of secretary-general of the body.

Representatives from northern and southern Sudan had for months been unable to agree on who should head the commission.

Work on the referendum had stalled.

The appointment of northerner Mohamed Osman al-Nijoumi, and the fact that he was chosen unanimously, are signs of progress.

Both sides had previously insisted that their own representative fill the post.

The southerners eventually gave in and said they would be prepared to accept someone from the north.

Voter registration has not started yet, and the eligibility of who exactly will be allowed to vote has not been decided.

The commission will have to buy all the registration materials, and deliver them around the vast territory of southern Sudan during the rainy season.

With relations between the north and south already tense, and conflict intensifying in the separate western region of Darfur, Sudan is likely to experience a very difficult next few months.

Source: Angop

LONDON, 6/9 - Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns related to climate change pose a major threat to food security and economic growth, water experts said on Monday, arguing for greater investment in water storage.

In a report by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), experts said Africa and Asia were likely to be hardest hit by unpredictable rainfall, and urged policymakers and farmers to try to find ways of diversifying sources of water.

The IWMI research estimates that up to 499 million people in Africa and India could benefit from improved agricultural water management.

The U.N. panel of climate experts has projected more extreme weather such as droughts, floods and heatwaves this century, caused by global warming.

The report said that, despite a great expansion in irrigation in recent decades in Asia, around 66 percent of agriculture there is still dependent on rainfall.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion is even greater at 94 percent, it said. These are the regions where water storage infrastructure is least developed.

The report cautioned against over-reliance on single solutions such as big dams, and said an integrated approach combining large- and small-scale storage was a better strategy.

Source: Angop