Lagos (Nigeria) The new Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Moshe Ram, has stated that Israel would support Nigeria’s development aspirations, especially in agriculture, where Israel had the technical know-how.

Presenting his letter of credence to Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua, in Abuja, Ram said that Israel had taken it upon itself to be Nigeria’s partner in development, because of the long-standing relations between them, and the desire to further strengthen the mutually beneficial relations.

Speaking on the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks currently going on in Annapolis, United States, Ram said that Nigeria could play a positive role in the peace efforts in the Middle East.

“Nigeria has good relations with Israel and the Arab nations,’’ he added, describing Nigeria as “a regional super-power’’ in peace keeping.”

Ambassador Ram said that Israel was glad because all those involved in the talks had agreed that there should be constant negotiations in the region.

Six other new foreign ambassadors and high commissioners to Nigeria also presented their letters of accreditation to the Nigerian President in Abuja. They include the Egyptian ambassador Sheriff Naguib and the Tanzanian high commissioner Msuya Mangachi.

In response to the Israeli diplomat, President Yar’adua said that Nigeria and Israel enjoyed “excellent relations,’’ with the two peoples already “integrated’’ even before formal diplomatic ties were established between them.

Yar’adua also assured the other envoys of the Nigerian government’s cooperation and support in their efforts to strengthen relations with Nigeria during their tenures.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source.apa

Korhogo (Côte d\’Ivoire) Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo said on Friday evening in Korhogo, in the far-north of the country that “more progress has been made within eight months towards normalising the situation in Cote d’Ivoire than in four years”.

“I am here for peace, for all Ivorians to see that one can leave Abidjan for Korhogo in a car, plane or train and calmly return”, the head of state said at a meeting marking the end of his visit to the Big North, a part of the country he last visited during the start of the 19 September 2002 rebellion.

“One cannot say that nothing has been done. One can say that we are impatient therefore are moving faster. But one cannot say that nothing has been done since the signing of the Ouagadougou Accord. Saying that would be fooling oneself which is not a problem but fooling the others”, the president said.

“I am still keeping my post and within eight months I realize that there has been more progress than in four years. That does not mean those before Soro (Guillaume Soro) were incompetent or useless. That just means that their position did not allow them to make the progress we have achieved “, he explained.

“The one who could help us make this progress is the man who is here today”, Gbagbo added while calling on all people to help Prime Minister Guillaume Soro move forward “instead of attacking him particularly as we can spare these attacks because he is not a candidates for the forthcoming elections”.

“Instead of attacking him, let’s help him move forward” the Ivorian leader added, standing by his PM.

“Africans have a tragic mind. When they face a problem, they are ready to draw their sword; they want to break up immediately. No! One should not draw his sword at any time” he concluded.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source.apa

Khartoum (Sudan) The president of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, who is also chairman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), is on Monday scheduled to meet with the President of the government of South Sudan, as well as chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Salva Kiir Mayardit, to try and remove the remaining political tensions that erupted between the government and the SPLM in October, APA has learnt

The minister of Presidential Affairs of the government of South Sudan, Dr. Luka Biong, who is to accompany Salva Kiir said here on Saturday that the SPLM did not propose any new suggestion to find a solution for the outstanding issues that prompted their withdrawal from the national unity government.

He however said that the unity government is intending to set up a proposal to find out a mechanism to overcome the current crisis depending on what has been achieved by the joint six-member committee from the two parties in regard to the implementation on the peace deal signed in 2005.

The joint committee last month reached a deadlock on the pending protocols that include the north-south border and the oil rich area of Abyei that belongs to the south but which the NCP insists belongs to the north.

The experts report on the Abyei Border Commission (ABC) of September 2005 stated that Abyei area originally belongs to the south but in 1905, it was annexed to South Kordofan state of northern Sudan for administrative purposes only. However, he said the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) stipulated that Abyei should be administered by an independent administration to be set by the presidency during the six years of the interim period but he said that administration until now has not yet been set-up. According to the CPA, the people of Abyei will choose whether to belong to the south or the north in the middle of the six-year interim period before the Southern Sudan referendum in 2011.

Recently, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismeal, presidential advisor on diplomatic affairs reiterated that: “The NCP will not accept Abyei to secede to the South even if the SPLM stay out of the national unity government up to 2011 the year South Sudan will vote for either to remain in unity or separate from Sudan and form its own nation.”

On the other hand, the deputy secretary general of the SPLM and the spokesperson in the committee of the six-members to iron out the differences reiterated on Saturday that “SPLM will not surrender the issue of Abyei to the NCP”.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source,apa

Banjul (The Gambia) The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s third trade fair on Sunday entered its second day at the Independence stadium in Bakau, some 11 kilometres from the capital, Banjul.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Saturday, Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy, underscored the importance of trade fairs in economic development and congratulated the chamber for this year’s fair which is being attended by 40 international companies.

The companies come from Spain, India, Indonesia and the West African sub-region and, for the first time, a motor vehicle company.

The fair, which is organised on the theme “Tapping the growth of the Small and Medium Enterprises,” will last till the 9th of December, 2007.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no source,apa