Africa

BBC Africa

• ‘Peace pact’ signed by two Sudans
  Sudan and South Sudan sign a non-aggression pact and agree to respect each other’s sovereignty, says the chief mediator at crisis talks.
• Strike to mark Egypt anniversary
  Activists in Egypt call for a day of strikes and civil disobedience to mark the anniversary of President Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow.
• Renard seeks vindication in final
  Zambia coach Herve Renard believes reaching the Nations Cup final vindicates the decision to reappoint him.

AllAfrica News

• South Africa: Ruling Party to Debate Sweeping Changes to Mining Industry
  [SAR]

  The 600-page State Intervention in the Minerals Sector (Sims) report submitted to African National Congress (ANC) leaders in Johannesburg on Friday (3 February 2012) is not about nationalising South Africa’s mines.

• Somalia: Al-Qaeda Endorses Al-Shabaab
  [ISS]

  The offensive against Al-Shabaab and the complexities surrounding the quest for peace in Somalia is set to assume another dimension with the formal endorsement of the group by Al-Qaeda. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a video message posted on jihadist forums shows Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri breaking the news of the admission of the Somali group into the ranks of the global terror group.

• Liberia: Judges Reject Taylor’s Request to Reopen Case
  [CharlesTaylorTrial.org]

  Judges of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague have rejected a request by former Liberian President Charles Taylor to reopen his defense case.