World Watch: Whose presidency is it anyway?

* Africa: Ivory Coast officials are divided as to who won last week’s presidential elections while tensions continue in Guinea after opposition leader Alpha Conde was declared as president-elect.

* India: As the 26th anniversary of the Bhopal industrial disaster approaches, some victims are seeking $1.1 billion in compensation from Dow Chemicals.

* World: According to a new survey released by Pew Research Center most Muslims in countries with large Islamic populations rejected Al Qaeda as well as the tactic of suicide bombings.

* Spain: An increased tobacco tax and pension reforms could be the next steps to strengthen an already weakened Spanish economy.

Image – Luc Gnago/REUTERS via The Guardian (“Supporters of opposition leader Alassane Outtara in the city of Gagnoa, Ivory Coast. The president's camp alleges vote rigging.”)
Online Sources- Bloomberg, Reuters, BBC News, CNN

Weekend World Watch: Freeze frame

* U.S.: The F.B.I. has egg on their face after Spanish legislator Gaspar Llamazares discovered that part of his image was used in a mock photo image of how Osama bin Laden could look like.

* Guinea: The country is one step closer to transitioning into civilian rule roughly four months after 150 anti-military junta demonstrators were massacred.

* Iran: Diplomats from six countries including the five permanent members of the UN Security Council met behind closed doors today in order to discuss possible sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program.

* Japan: The man described as “Japan’s most influential politician” has come under fire over his alleged role in a fundraising scandal.

Image – Guardian UK (“Digitally enhanced photo of Osama bin-Laden released by the US Department of Defense and Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] which shows an age-progression image of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden.”)
Online Sources- The Telegraph, The Latin Americanist, New York Times, Xinhua, BBC News

World Watch: African repression

* Guinea: According to Human Rights Watch last month’s massacre of over 150 people in the Guinean capital city of Conakry “was clearly a premeditated attempt to silence opposition voices" by the government.

* Pakistan: What has been described as “the deadliest (bombing) to hit Pakistan this year” occurred today and has claimed the lives of at least 91 people.

* South Korea: Disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk was sentenced to two years in jail for “embezzling money and illegally buying human eggs.”

* U.S.: President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a law expanding hate crime legislation to include assaults motivated by sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Image- AFP (“Soldiers unload bodies of victims shot dead by Guinea junta forces” as part of a brutal crackdown last month.)
Online Sources- MSNBC, The Latin Americanist, BBC News, NPR, CNN

Guinea massacre highlights LatAm drug ties

At least 157 people were killed in the Guinean capital city of Conakry yesterday as part of a brutal repression by government forces.

The massacre occurred as 50,000 protestors demonstrated against military leader Capt Moussa "Dadis" Camara who came to power via a 2008 coup. The violence did not limit itself to the killings as local human rights activists also denounced troops for raping women under the guise of a “crackdown.”

In a televised address, Camara blamed “uncontrollable” soldiers for the heinous murders and banned all “subversive” gatherings. Nonetheless, his opponents remain defiant with some threatening to continue taking to the streets in protest.

The Conakry massacre brings to light the seeming lawlessness of numerous West African countries. As we’ve mentioned before, countries like Guinea Bissau have virtually turned into narco-states with close ties to Latin American drug gangs. Traffickers from countries like Colombia take advantage of the rampant corruption, abject poverty, and geography of Guinea Bissau as part of a drug “highway” from the Americas to Europe and Asia.

Despite being entitled “Guinea junta lead war on drugs” the following video from France 24 highlights the deteriorating situation in the country which is turning into a major drug production zone:

Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, YouTube, The Telegraph, BBC News, Guardian UK

Son of ex-African dictator nabbed for drugs

The oldest son of late Guinean president Lansana Conte was arrested yesterday for drug trafficking in that West African country.

Ousmane Conte- a commander in the Guinean army- was nabbed by army officials and taken to a military camp for detention. According to AFP, Conte was named by other alleged drug traffickers and had been implicated in a 2008 investigation of intercepted plane carrying cocaine into Guinea.

A military junta has led Guinea since Lansana Conte died in late December after 24 years in power. Since then, details of widespread corruption during his time in power have emerged as western Africa has become a de facto safety haven for drug trafficking from Latin America into Europe.

According to BBC News:

On Monday a relative of the former president was shown on state television confessing that he had received tens of thousands of dollars from a Colombian partner.

The army officers who seized power when President Conte died, after more than 20 years in power, said they intended to punish the corruption associated with the illegal drugs trade.

Image- BBC News (“About 50 tones of cocaine are shipped through West Africa each year.”)
Online Sources- BBC News, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, AP, AFP