In December, two Swedish journalistswere found guilty on terror charges afterthey were arrested with members of anoutlawed group, the Ogaden NationalLiberation Front (ONLF). They weresentenced to 11 years in prison.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildtsaid on May 11th he had met with thetwo and had taken up their case withPrime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The ONLF, who have demanded therelease of the ‘‘innocent journalists,’’have been fighting for independence ofthe remote southeastern Ogaden regionsince 1984, claiming they have beenmarginalised by Addis Ababa. (� AFP,Addis Ababa 11 ⁄ 5 2012)

Five of 11 people accused of links withAl-Qaeda and Somalia’s Al Shabaabrebels and of plotting to overthrow Ethi-opia’s government appeared in court onMay 18th. Another six have beencharged in absentia with terrorism.

Government spokesperson ShimelesKemal said the 11 are suspected of plot-ting a series of attacks ‘‘to overthrowthe lawful government’’.

‘‘They have tried to plant explosives inpublic places targeting civilians. Anumber of handguns and weapons havebeen seized,’’ he said.

Weapons training manuals were alsoseized when the suspects were arrestedin December in Bale in southeasternEthiopia, he said.

Some of the suspects had also beencharged with money laundering ‘‘forthe purpose of carrying out their terror-ist enterprise’’. One witness told thecourt members of the group had spo-ken of preparing for holy war. (� AFP,Addis Ababa 18 ⁄ 5 2012; Walta informationcentre 19 ⁄ 5)

A business district in the town of Mete-ma in the northwest on the border withSudan was burnt down on April 28th,Ethiopian Unity and Freedom Force(EUFF) told Ethiomedia on April 30th.The 60 units allegedly housed govern-ment security agents, rebels said.

Metema has been a transit point forthose who import and export, legally orillegally, items into Sudan and Ethio-pia. (Ethiomedia website 1 ⁄ 5)

GUINEA BISSAUContinuing Instability

An ECOWAS peace force starts todeploy to bolster security as leadingfigures flee.

The UN High Commissioner forHuman Rights, Navi Pillay, hasexpressed concern over continuing

instability in Guinea-Bissau, followingthe April 12th coup and reports ofhuman rights violations, including theviolent repression of a peaceful demon-stration, looting and arbitrary deten-tion of civilians.

She, however, noted that the MilitaryCommand had on May 23rd handedover power to a transitional civiliangovernment, following the signing of apolitical agreement and a transitionalpolitical pact.

Pillay said: ‘‘I hope that, with theestablishment of a transitional govern-ment, the right of individuals to freemovement will be guaranteed’’. Shealso urged the authorities to withdrawa list, reportedly circulated by the Mili-tary Command, containing the namesof 57 people forbidden to leave thecountry until further notice.

In addition, the High Commissionerwelcomed the release on April 27th offormer interim president RaimundoPereira and Gomes Junior, who werearrested and kept in detention in theaftermath of the coup. The release wasthe result of mediation by the Eco-nomic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS).

The UN Security Council imposed atravel ban against five military officersinvolved in the coup and demandedthat the military leadership take imme-diate steps to restore and respect con-stitutional order. (PANA, New York26 ⁄ 5)

Ex-Army Chief Flees

Former Armed forces chief Jose Za-mora Induta has fled the country. Alocal government official in Senegalsaid Induta, who had voiced fears forhis life after another top military offi-cial was assassinated, had arrived withthree other people in the Casamanceregion and had since left for Gam-bia.The official denied earlier reportsthey had been arrested.

A Guinea-Bissau army officer said Ind-uta had fled to Senegal along with elec-tions commission chief Desejado LimaDa Costa and Fernando Gomes, whowas Interior minister in the governmentoverthrown in the coup. He said allthree had taken refuge in the EuropeanUnion (EU) mission in the capital Bis-sau following the coup and had crossedthe border into Senegal without author-isation.

Induta was ousted as military chief twoyears ago by General Antonio Indaj,considered the man behind the Aprilcoup, which was launched in betweenthe first and second rounds of a presi-dential election. Induta sought refugein the EU mission after the murder of

former military intelligence chief SambaDjalo on the day of the first round voteon March 18th. He was joined there byDa Costa and Gomes after the April12th coup.

A regional peace force has starteddeploying in the country in an attemptto help the transitional authorities sta-bilise it and organise elections in a year.The first 70 of the intended 650 ECO-WAS troops arrived on May 18th. Themission has a 12-month mandate whichincludes securing the withdrawal of theAngolan Technical Assistance Group (abilateral military mission put in placeto aid security sector reform), and toensure security during the transitionperiod. Troops for this force will beprovided by Nigeria, Togo, Cote d’Ivo-ire and Senegal, under the command ofColonel-Major Barro Gnibanga, fromBurkina Faso. (IPS 2 ⁄ 5; AFP, Ziguinchor26 ⁄ 5; IRIN 18 ⁄ 5)

KENYAGrenade Attacks

The military is to intensify bordersurveillance to boost homeland secu-rity.

Police have arrested a man suspected ofhaving taken part in a grenade attackon a Mombasa restaurant that killedone person, police chief Mathew Iteeresaid on May 16th.

The suspect is one of three peoplewounded in the May 15th attack, whenmen opened fire and threw explosivesinto a busy bar and restaurant in thecoastal city.

Since Kenya sent tanks and troopsinto Somalia, it has been hit by a ser-ies of grenade attacks and explosions,mostly in Nairobi and in northerntowns and camps housing Somali ref-ugees close to the border. In a set oftwin attacks on the Mombasa regionin late March one person was killedand 18 wounded.

Countrywide, targets have ranged frompolice vehicles to local bars tochurches. The Kenyan authorities oftenblame such attacks on Somalia’s alShabaab rebels.

The Kenyan Muslim Youth Centre, anorganisation linked to the Shabaabaccording to UN reports, hailed theattacks, saying that ‘‘grenades workvery effectively’’ although they did notspecifically claim responsibility.

‘‘This morning, who’s rejoicing andwho’s mourning? Think about it. LeaveSomalia!’’ one message on its Twittersite read. ‘‘One or two grenades in theright locations and boom goes Kenya’seconomy.’’

May 1st–31st 2012 Africa Research Bulletin – 19275

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2012.