Kenya's new Special Envoy for Somalia Bethwel Kiplagat, speaking in Eldoret, where he is now in charge of the peace process for Somalia. Kiplagat was appointed by the new Kenyan government that won elections last December. He takes over from Elijah Mwangale as chairman of the IGAD technical committee that is organizing the peace talks.

This post requires an experienced person in developing strategies for conflict management and poverty reduction. Demonstrable knowledge of the governance issues in Africa will be essential. You will be responsible for advising and supporting Oxfam in Rwanda in applying conflict sensitive approaches to development and supporting a regional policy-working group to implement, monitor, evaluate and refine the Oxfam GB regional peace building and conflict management programme.

Edison Mukwasi, 29, the former MDC youth provincial chairman for Harare province, died on Sunday at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare after his alleged torture by the police over the years. Mukwasi had been in and out of hospital after sustaining internal injuries after being allegedly tortured by the police.

A wave of strikes continued to sweep across the country this week as thousands of workers downed tools over various grievances. In the recent past, there has been a wave of workers strikes country-wide protesting exploitative employment.

According to agencies monitoring the Swaziland famine only 20-40 percent of the farming land has been cultivated in central parts of Swaziland this year and those lands cultivated are expected to produce low yields.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) general secretary has blamed lack of engagement and consultation within the tripartite alliance for the frequent differences between the African National Congress (ANC) and its partners, COSATU and the SA Communist Party.

COSATU this week admitted that six of its affiliated trade unions were among those the labour department has found to be in contravention of the regulations of the Labour Relations Act and thus being targeted for possible action against them.

COSATU this week joined its alliance partner, the African National Congress (ANC), and millions of people across the world in support of a call against the US’s intention to attack Iraq. President Thabo Mbeki wrote in last week’s ANC Today that the destruction of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq should be achieved peacefully and further stated that the ANC was not aware of information that suggested Iraq has not cooperated with the UN’s weapons inspectors team.

At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a blast on Sunday in Nigeria's economic capital, Lagos, officials and rescue workers said. The police authorities said they were investigating the cause of the explosion, which was still unknown.

The UN-NGO humanitarian coordination body in the Central African Republic (CAR) has set up a commission to identify all internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled war-ravaged parts of the country to Bangui, the capital, according to a local UN official.

Starting this week, refugees in Tanzanian camps will have their rations cut by up to 50 percent due to the lack of any "major food contributions" over the last six months, an employee of the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday. "Our pipeline is running on empty," Mario Leeflang, WFP pipeline officer, told IRIN from the Tanzanian commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

UN officials in Angola have noted that the government's programme for the resettlement of former UNITA combatants is behind schedule, and that tens of thousands of soldiers are expected to be dependent on humanitarian aid for at least another year.

Somali factions attending peace talks underway in Eldoret, Kenya, face expulsion or other sanctions if they continue to violate the ceasefire agreement, Kenyan Foreign Minister Kalonzo Musyoka warned on Monday.

Zimbabwe's once vibrant civic movement is facing its greatest challenge as the country sinks deeper into economic and political chaos, but analysts and ordinary Zimbabweans say civil society is failing the test amid worsening government repression and public apathy.

Opposition demonstrators in Cote d'Ivoire stormed onto the streets of Abidjan, Sunday, one week after pro-government supporters launched a series of anti-French rallies in the commercial capital. Sunday's violent protests were sparked by the alleged killing of a celebrated satirical actor and comedian, known to have close links with Cote d'Ivoire's political opposition and considered to be among the opposition's staunchest allies.

Citizens and residents expelled by both Ethiopia and Eritrea during their 1998-2000 border war should be offered repatriation and the restoration of citizenship, Human Rights Watch has said in a new report. The 64-page report, "The Horn of Africa War: Mass Expulsions and the Nationality Issue," recounts the plight of almost one hundred thousand citizens and residents of both countries who were uprooted and deprived of their residence and nationality without a semblance of due process.

An online forum – hosting some of the world's leading observers - on how individuals, communities, nations, and international organisations seek justice in the aftermath of mass violence and genocide will take place between February 20th - March 7th, 2003.

The latest figures released by the United Nations indicate that as many as 148,737 refugees are residing in Ethiopia. According to a report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the refugees include 50,906 Somalis, 93,500 Sudanese, 3,871 Eritreans and 460 Ethiopians.

Some 19,000 genocide prisoners granted provisional release by President Paul Kagame began two months of re-education last Friday at solidarity camps throughout the country's 11 provinces and the City of Kigali.

Students in Malawi have set fire to the ruling party offices over President Bakili Muluzi's attempt to alter the constitution to stay in power.