Dozen Killed in NATO Friendly Fire

Misrata, Libya

 A NATO airstrike besieged Libyan city of Misrata has killed 12 anti-government fighters and injured three others, local doctors and a survivor have revealed.

 The raid which occurred at about 1700 GMT on Wednesday is believed to have been an accidental attack on a unit of rebel forces who were gathered near a salt factory ten miles from the city centre. The 15-man unit which was said to have been transferred from their previous position in the city centre to guard the city’s port had just finished having tea with an ambulance crew when they suddenly heard a strange noise in the sky.

 Rebel forces are fighting in Libya to end the 41-year rule of Col Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, which started in February as peaceful demonstrations demanding for his exit.

 Ahmed Swesi who survived the attack said from his hospital bed that they had a message from NATO to paint a special identification mark on top of their vehicles, which they did, further saying that they obeyed an order from their military council not to go beyond certain points and so they thought they were safe.

 Swesi who was preparing to join university before the uprising began, was left with shrapnel wounds on his stomach and head besides a badly wounded leg and hand, where he lost four fingers. 

 He said that his group was happy with NATO’s Tuesday’s attack of Col Muammar Gaddafi’s installations in the region, effectively putting off their attack on the port.

 Dr Ali Ahmed, a neurologist at Hikma hospital where the victims were taken confirmed the death toll of the victims believed to be between age 20 and 40. The other three survivors are being treated at the hospital.

 Head of Misrata transitional council Khalifa al-Zwawi, an appeal court judge told The Guardian that the matter was under investigation which he said might have been a fault with the rebel forces.

 “The coordinates we gave NATO [of our positions] were correct, it seems that our freedom fighters may have exceeded the limits that we gave them,” he said.

He acknowledged the efforts of the international community towards protecting Libyan civilians, but made urgent plea for weapons not just to defend the city but also to topple Col Gaddafi. He also appealed for technical support to maintain the city’s electricity and mobile network which were destroyed by pro-Gaddafi forces in the initial stages of the revolt.

 The ongoing fighting has left much of the city centre in ruins, grounding most operations in Libya’s third largest city. By keeping control of the port, the rebels have been able to get most supplies by sea, but still there is urgent need of humanitarian intervention.

NATO airstrike continues, as the government declared that it was stemming its operation in Misrata, but continued to fight for control of other positions. Fighting between the two sides on its border with Tunisia has received much condemnation from the Tunisian authorities, after violence spilled over to its territories.

Harare, Zimbabwe

Kenyan PM MDC Visit Stirs Storm

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s invitation of his Kenyan counterpart to the opening of his Movement for Democratic Movement (MDC) party congress has attracted a lot of criticism from the state owned media.

 Tsvangirai opened his MDC party’s third congress on Thursday with a call to his supporters to gear up for the upcoming 2012 elections. He warned his party supporters of strict measures against those who will resort to violence inside or outside the party.

 Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was in Zimbabwe on Friday after accepting invitation from Tsvangirai to attend opening of the MDC party’s third congress. Mr. Odinga also paid President Robert Mugabe a courtesy call at the state house before proceeding to the city of Bulawayo where the convention is being held.

 Also Mr. Odinga delivered a key note address at the convention which has been largely criticised by the government.

 In an article on the opinion page of the State-run The Herald by Rugare Chingarande, he described Odinga as “the merchant of violence” whom he said the 2007/8 post poll violence in Kenya was perpetrated in his name.

 “Raila Odinga is a political schizophrenic. His rhetoric oozes with refined contemporary democracy dogma”, read the article.

 The article further accused Mr. Odinga of being corrupt during the short time he served under former leader Daniel Arap Moi.

 Much of the criticism follows Odinga’s public declaration that Mugabe should step down from power. Mugabe reacted angrily, declaring that the Kenyan Premier was not welcome in Zimbabwe.

 The coalition government continues to differ over equal sharing of power and full implementation of the peace accord signed in 2008 ending much of the violence that had rocked the southern Africa nation following presidential elections.

 The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that there will be grave consequences if the fragile inclusive government collapses. The US-based group raised concern over deteriorating situations in Zimbabwe due to rising political tension in the country.

The group stated that more international pressure is needed on Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party to implement reforms ahead of any election. There have been reports of renewed political violence targeting opposition supporters, as cracks in the coalition government continue to become more visible.