Nigerian Times

Prof. Wole Soyinka and Prof. Chinua Achebe, the great titans of modern African Literature. The following news should not surprise those who are close to Kongi. Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has backed his literary colleague, Prof. Chinua Achebe, in the raging controversy over the roles of some prominent Nigerians during the Nigerian civil war. Soyinka, in an interview published in The Telegraph of London, but obtained by THISDAY yesterday, said the Igbo were victims of genocide during the three-year civil war, which was fought to break up Nigeria. Achebe had stirred the hornet's nest in his civil war memoir, "There Was A Country", when among others, he accused wartime Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and the then Finance Minister, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of carrying out a genocide against the Igbo. The claim has generated considerable controversy, with many commentators accusing Achebe of re-writing history. Click here for the complete report . Twee...

Darfur - George Galloway by inet 21 Nov 2011 06:35 Africa/Lagos Darfur / UNAMID Media Brief EL FASHER (DARFUR), November 21, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- UNAMID Media Brief / 20 November 2011 UNAMID supports sports competition in North Darfur In its continued efforts to engage the local community, UNAMID presented today sports equipment to five secondary schools from Abu Shouk, Al Salaam and Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in North Darfur, which will participate in the Back to School Tournament. The kits included balls, nets, footwear and clothes for female and male volleyball and football teams. UNAMID Director of Communications and Public Information Kemal Saiki said that “UNAMID has been very active working for the community, essentially for the youth. We are keen to see the youth engage in activities that promote competition in a peaceful way”. On behalf of the Principals of the schools and the Umdas (community leaders) from the three camps, Ibrahim Al...

Act of War by Sudan Requires Change Of Course For Obama Administration’s Sudan Policy Action Not Words is Needed Now (Washington, DC) – United to End Genocide President Tom Andrews released the following statement today condemning Omar al-Bashir’s attacks on civilians in South Sudan and calling on the United States to hold Bashir and other perpetrators responsible for their crimes: “Omar al-Bashir has driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes in the last six months, and now he is attacking these same men, women and children in the South Sudan villages where they have sought refuge. These attacks are not only an escalation of Bashir’s brutality against civilians, they are an act of war against a sovereign nation whose independence the United States hailed and celebrated only four months ago. What more evidence does Secretary Clinton and the Obama administration need that its Sudan policy has failed and needs to be fundamentally changed? The United States needs to be deman...

GI-NET/SDC Welcomes Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities (Washington, DC) – Tom Andrews, President of Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition issued the following statement welcoming today’s release of the Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities: “President Obama is exactly right – preventing mass atrocities is very much a core moral responsibility of our nation while also being in our national interest. We welcome the release of the Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities and steps outlined by the administration to strengthen our nation’s capacity to prevent mass atrocities and genocide. These include ensuring that vital early-warning information about a possible mass atrocity or genocide is able to get from the ground to the highest levels of government decision making.” “Strong action to stop mass atrocities is needed now more than ever. President Bashir of Sudan, wanted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, is...

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir 17 Jun 2011 12:42 Africa/Lagos China must arrest Sudanese President LONDON, June 17, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Chinese government should immediately withdraw its invitation to Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, and arrest him if he travels to Beijing, Amnesty International said today. Omar Al-Bashir is due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and other high-ranking officials as part of a visit from 27-30 June The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued two arrest warrants for Omar Al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. The warrants, issued in 2009 and 2010, charge him with criminal responsibility on 10 counts, including murder, extermination, forcible transfer of population, torture and rape. “If China welcomes Omar Al-Bashir it will become a safe haven for alleged perpetrators of genocide”, said Catherine Baber, Deputy Asia Pacific Director at Amnesty Internati...