Uganda Releases Somali Minister
Somalia's junior minister for defence who was briefly held in Uganda has been released, Uganda's army spokesman says. Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad, a former Islamist warlord, was detained by Ugandan security forces during a trip to the capital Kampala on Tuesday. Army spokesman Lt Col Felix Kulayigye said he was arrested following a tip-off that a Somali dissident had entered the country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8294131.stm
5 Held After Pirates Attack French Vessel
Five people were detained off Somalia's coast Wednesday after pirates mistook a French ship involved in an anti-piracy operation for a commercial vessel, the French Defense Ministry said. There were no injuries as a result of the attack on the BCR Somme, the ministry said. The pirates opened fire at midnight local time, about 250 nautical miles (463 kilometers) off Somalia's coast, officials added. An hour after the attack, the French command and supply ship chased down one of the pirates' skiffs, and detained five suspected pirates, it said. A second skiff involved in the attack got away.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/10/07/somalia.pirate.attack/index.html
Kenyans 'Rearming for 2012 Poll'
Rival ethnic groups in Kenya who fought after the 2007 election are rearming in readiness for violence at the 2012 poll, a BBC investigation has found. It is feared villagers in Rift Valley province are moving from traditional weapons such as spears to machine guns. Government officials insist they are tackling the influx of illegal arms.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8293745.stm
Annan: Kenya Must Prevent Chaos
Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, has said Kenyans want their coalition government to take action on impunity and political reforms before the next general election in 2012. Annan, who chaired negotiations between the opposition and Mwai Kibaki, the president, after a disputed election triggered violence, said on Sunday that dealing with the issues would avoid a repeat of last year's unrest.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/10/200910510350194310.html
