Police on Tuesday severely assaulted and injured more than 30 members of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) political pressure group for attempting to march to Parliament to protest against constitutional reforms agreed between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition last month.

The government in the West African state of Mali plans to abolish the death penalty, three decades after it carried out its last execution, it said on Thursday. A Cabinet meeting on Wednesday adopted a Bill that "stipulated that the death penalty be abolished and ... that it is replaced by life imprisonment", said a statement.

War-ravaged northern Uganda is to be reconstructed at a cost of $600-million, according to the government. The rehabilitation, announced by President Yoweri Museveni on October 16, is intended to restore stability to the region after 20 years of warfare pitting the Ugandan government against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a brutal insurgency that often targeted civilians for murder, maiming and abduction.

Despite a peace agreement with the south and a fast-growing economy, Sudan faces critical environmental issues including land degradation, deforestation and the impacts of climate change, that threaten the Sudanese people’s prospects for long-term peace, food security and sustainable development. Furthermore, the ongoing conflict in Darfur is evidence of how conflict and environmental degradation fuel one another.

Disabled people in Zimbabwe are more likely to experience poverty and discrimination due to social and cultural norms as well as problems with accessing health, education and employment. Legislation makes no provision for affirmative action or positive discrimination and policies remain vague or unenforced. Where rights have been enshrined by law, professionals in health and education, employers and disabled people themselves remain largely unaware of what these are.

The UN refugee agency has successfully redeployed transport resources and aid supplies from Liberia to southern Mauritania after a gruelling 25-day cross-country journey. The 20 UNHCR trucks and their cargo of humanitarian assistance arrived at Rosso in southern Mauritania on Monday. They will be used to support the voluntary repatriation and reintegration of Mauritanian refugees from Senegal and Mali, which is due to start later this month or early next month.

Chadian rebels attacked government troops in the eastern town of Goz Beida on Thursday, humanitarian workers said, just two days after the government declared a state of emergency in the remote border region. "Since 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) there has been shooting on the streets and fighting in town," said one Goz Beida resident who works for a foreign aid agency.

A Rwandan genocide suspect accused of coordinating the massacre of up to 25,000 people in one incident has been arrested in France, the United Nations said on Thursday. Dominique Ntawukuriryayo was detained by French police in the southern town of Carcassonne earlier this week and is due to be transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, in the coming days.

The two sides in Sudan's national coalition met on Thursday to try to salvage their fragile peace deal after former southern rebels walked out of the government, but the talks adjourned with no resolution. "There was agreement to complete discussions on the outstanding problems in the deal," presidential spokesman Mahjoub Fadul said after the meeting in Khartoum. He did not specify when the talks might resume.

The International Criminal Court has announced that suspected war criminal Germain Katanga, former senior commander of the militia group Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was surrendered to its detention centre at The Hague. The latest suspect joined Congolese suspect Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who will be tried on crimes relating to the recruitment of children as soldiers in what is widely viewed as a milestone in international attempts to fight immunity on the issue.

Efforts to change the race-based systems of land ownership and land tenure in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe have pushed land issues to the forefront of social and economic discourses in Africa. This collection examines the broader context of the reemergence of land reform and resource conflicts.

“The latest global maternal death statistics indicate that of the 536,000 women that died in 2005 of childbirth related complications, about half or 261,000 were African women. These figures also indicate that Africa is the only region where maternal deaths have increased since 1990 up from 205,000.

Africa Public Health Rights Alliance Issues Maternal Death Scorecard At Start of Women Deliver International Conference on Investing in Women’s Health.

Relentless Increase in African Maternal Death Could Be Equated To Genocide By Inaction – Says Africa Public Health Rights Alliance “15% Now” Campaign.

* Health financing Scorecard indicates that average annual per capita health expenditure of $13.5 in bottom 10 countries is equal to a night’s cinema expenses in the top 10 countries.
* Health worker scorecard indicates that more developed countries that steal health workers from less developed countries instead of training theirs are culpable for maternal deaths.

In a statement ahead of it’s scorecard to be launched on the second day of the Women Deliver International Conference on Investing in Women’s Health holding in London from 18 to 20 October, Rotimi Sankore Coordinator of the Africa Public Health Rights Alliance “15% Now!” Campaign stated that:

“The latest global maternal death statistics indicate that of the 536,000 women that died in 2005 of childbirth related complications, about half or 261,000 were African women. These figures also indicate that Africa is the only region where maternal deaths have increased since 1990 up from 205,000. Maternal deaths dropped in every other continent over the same period. In Europe from 4,800 to 2,900, and in the America’s from 21,000 to 16,000. We are very concerned that the prevalent maternal death risk also reflects a much bleaker picture of overall reproductive health in Africa.” “The scorecard based on the 2005 figures and latest comparable global health financing and health systems data[1] shows that in the bottom 10 countries globally - all of which are African except Afghanistan, maternal death risk is between 1 in 7 (Niger) and 1 in 15 (Mali). In the top 10 the risk is between 1 in 47,600 (Ireland) and 1 in 13,800 (Switzerland). Possibly every family in the bottom 10 countries will suffer 1 maternal death. Overall 1 in 23 African women have a lifetime risk of maternal death compared with 1 in 2,300 in Europe. This is not acceptable and African governments have to act without delay to end this waste of African women’s lives.” Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and APHRA 15% Campaign partner underlined that: “The scale of maternal death anywhere is tied to two key factors: overall levels of sustainable health financing, and the ratio of health workers to the population especially midwives, nurses and doctors. The scorecard shows graphically how lack of both combine to undermine the lives of African women. In the top 10 countries, government health expenditure far surpasses private expenditure, while in the bottom 10 citizens are mostly left to fend for themselves. If deliberate state action to exterminate a social group is interpreted as genocide, its difficult not to infer that persistent inaction could mean the same. The practice of government without responsibility in Africa must stop” “International human rights law calls for health systems that are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality. Governments must make it an urgent priority to build and support public health systems that integrate primary and reproductive health care with guarantees of sexual, reproductive, and all other rights of women. This is the only way we will turn the tide on maternal deaths,” emphasised Frank Donaghue, Chief Executive Officer, of Physicians for Human Rights and APHRA 15% Campaign partner.

“It is also crucial to highlight that women’s health is not only about Maternal Deaths” added Felicita Hikuam Global Programs Manager of the Worlds Aids Campaign and APHRA 15% Campaign Partner. “There is a direct link between lack of sexual and reproductive health and rights and a wide range of issues including HIV and AIDS which is now one of the leading killers of women. Women are still not able to universally uphold their rights to: choose their partner, decide to be sexually active or have consensual sexual relations, have consensual marriage or decide whether or not to have children. Lack of education, economic dependence, poverty and lack of legislation to protect women in many parts of the world means that women, especially young women, are still very vulnerable to sexual abuse, and subsequently, HIV infection. These issues must be addressed alongside issues of maternal deaths and as part of reproductive health and rights.” Key Notes for Editors:

One of the key MDGs is the reduction of maternal death by 75% between 1990 and 2015. The APHRA 15% Campaign scorecard not only shows how bleak the present situation is, it also indicates what needs to be done if the lives and dignity of African women are to be protected and the MDG target for reducing MM is to be met.

The Scorecard underlines that to reduce their disease burden and improve overall public health including reproductive health, African countries must drastically raise investment in health to :

* Meet the 2001 Abuja pledge to allocate 15% or more of annual budgets to health (excluding external resources)

* Increase annual per capita expenditure on health to a minimum of $1000 over 5 years in the first instance.

* Increase and maintain percentage government expenditure on health (as against private expenditure) at between 50% and 90% (excluding external resources) in order to approach similar levels in top 10 countries.

* Ensure that a minimum of 10% of GDP excluding external resources is spent on health.

On Health Systems / Workers - Invest in infrastructure, training and retention of personnel towards ensuring: ü A minimum density of 3 doctors per 1000 between now and 2015.

* A minimum density of 10 nurses per 1000 between now and 2015.

* A minimum density of 1 midwives per 1000 between now and 2015.

* A minimum density of 1 pharmacist per 1000 between now and 2015.

* Appropriate levels of dentists, public health, community health, scientific and technological staff.

The most developed countries must show sincerity in their offers of development aid and:

* Stop subsidising their health systems with African health workers and professionals and immediately end official policies recruiting health workers from where they are most needed.

* Raise their own domestic expenditure on health, education and training to meet domestic needs.

* Ensure that dependency is ended sooner by asking African governments to match aid by meeting the Abuja 15% pledge to ensure sustainable health financing.

* Ensure that health development aid is holistically targeted at the intertwined problems of reproductive health, child mortality, HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria.

ENDS Support the Africa Public Health Rights Alliance 15% Now campaign for sustainable financing for health in Africa -

For Further Information Please Contact the Following: Internationally / At the Conference in London: Africa Public Health Rights Alliance “15% Now! Campaign Int. office: +44 207 424 5744; Or Africa Office +234 1 4925568, email: 15percent[at]africapublichealth.org.

In the United States: Physicians for Human Rights Barbara Ayotte, Director of Communications w) [617] 695-0041, ext. 210 , email: bayote[at]phrusa.org In South Africa: World Aids Campaign Tel: + 27 21 466 7827, (Or Netherlands International Office Tel: +31 20 616 9045), email: waccapetown[at]worldaidscampaign.org

In Nigeria: Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC):
Tel: +234 1 8197344 , womenadvocate[at]yahoo.com or wardc[at]womenadvocates.org

The Africa Public Health Rights Alliance [and the “15% Now!” campaign] launched on December 10 2006 - International Human Rights Day - is the first to articulate Public Health for Africa as a Rights and Development issue across Africa and beyond. It brings together actors from various key sectors of civil society.

The Campaign is based on the premise that “we all have to be alive and well to exercise any other rights in any meaningful way” and therefore that Right to Health and to Healthcare is arguably the most crucial right of all as articulated by both the constitution of the World Health Organisation and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Current social development and health indicators from international and African institutions show that over 8 million African lives are lost annually to preventable, treatable and manageable health conditions and diseases. Child Mortality, HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Maternal Mortality, and TB mainly account for these.

Any loss of life to disease is bad enough. The annual loss of populations equivalent to entire African countries - and over a few years greater than the losses from all modern day global wars and conflicts combined is both unacceptable and unsustainable, and brings Africa closer to the slippery slope to collapse of society and extinction.

The key objective of the Alliance is to engage the African Union, sub-Regional Economic Communities such as the East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) etc, their institutions / member countries, and the African public towards: 1) Promoting greater awareness and understanding of African Health Issues and; 2) Adopting Comprehensive Health Policies based on a Public Health Rights and Development philosophy - and mobilising and committing resources for sustainable implementation.

The Alliance will also engage global stakeholders and actors including donors, the UN, EU and their institutions, World Bank, IMF, and international Non-governmental Institutions and organisations especially those concerned with health, social and economic development.

[1] Health Finance, Health Systems and Maternal Death Data from WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and World Bank. Latest comparable figures are for 2004 and 2005 respectively. Figures have been computed by sources to ensure comparability and are therefore not necessarily official statistics of individual countries, which may use alternative methods.

* The Africa Public Health Rights Alliance (APHRA)

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

Amnesty International has announced the unconditional release of its two delegates who had been detained in The Gambia, along with the local journalist detained with them. The organization said that no charges had been brought against any of the three. "The fact that these people were detained solely for their human rights work is deplorable," said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme. "While we welcome the releases, all restrictions on the work of human rights activists in The Gambia must be lifted immediately."

Catholic Relief Services Egypt is seeking to fill the post of Social Counsellor for it\'s Refugee Education Project: 2007 - 2008. The Social Counsellor (SC) will assume responsibility for working with rest of team and beneficiaries in support of the awarded (sub) grant.

Artists for Human Rights recently presented its International Human Rights Hero Award for 2007 at the Celebrity Centre International in Hollywood, Los Angeles USA. among the recipients of this year’s award was Sammy Jacobs Abbey, Director of the International Centre for Conflict and Human Rights Analysis (ICCHRA). His 2007 International Human Rights Hero Award was in recognition for successfully implementing Human Rights Education and leadership program in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, at the United Nations and all over the world, providing hope to thousands of youth and potential leaders.

A United States appellate court on Friday allowed claims brought by victims of apartheid against dozens of major companies to go forward, saying a lower court erred in ruling it did not have jurisdiction over the matter. The corporations named in the suits include oil companies such as BP and Exxon Mobil, banks such as Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and UBS, as well as other multinationals such as IBM, General Motors and Ford.

Two Egyptian rights activists, Mohammed al-Dereini and Ahmed Sobh, have been arrested and detained for promoting the rights of the country’s Shi’a minority and criticising the prevalence of torture in Egyptian prisons. Mohammed, who heads the Supreme Council for the Care of the Prophet’s Family, was taken away from his home by security agents before dawn on Monday. Ahmed, the Imam of Ali Center for Human Rights, was arrested on 28 August but was not questioned by the state prosecutor until 29 September.

Mounting tensions in the oil-rich Abyei region are the most dangerous threat to reignite that war, as the latest report from the International Crisis Group, Sudan: Breaking the Abyei Deadlock,* demonstrates. It examines the dispute over Abyei, the most volatile aspect of the CPA, the deal that ended the country’s twenty-year civil war in which over two million people died. The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is violating the CPA by refusing the “final and binding” ruling of the Abyei Boundary Commission, leaving an administrative and political vacuum.

The last of the 3,200 miners trapped deep in a South African gold shaft for more than 24 hours has been rescued. Buyelwa Sonjica, South Africa's minister for minerals and energy, said that the operation finished on Thursday as the last group was brought to the surface.

Six Bushmen have been arrested for hunting in New Xade resettlement camp, according to First People of the Kalahari, a Bushman human rights organisation. The latest arrests bring the total number of Bushmen arrested for hunting since last year’s landmark court ruling to at least forty-eight, with most being arrested since June this year.