African press review 25 February 2014

Uganda's new anti-homosexuality law, the latest political developments in Egypt and a giant mango all feature in today's African papers ..

Uganda's Yoweri Museveni finally stopped dithering yesterday.

According to this morning's Daily Monitor, the tough-talking president told a packed room at State House, Entebbe, that western powers which have been pressuring him not to sign the anti-homosexuality bill into law are social imperialists who want to impose their culture on Africans.

The president said supporters and promoters of homosexuality had lost the argument and warned development partners that Uganda was ready to live without aid.

Museveni went on to say that Africans had survived the slave trade and colonialism. He remains sure they will also “win the war” against homosexuality.

However, the tone was different from the West, with the UK’s Foreign Secretary William Hague, saying he was “saddened” by the decision.

The US Mission in Uganda said President Obama’s earlier statement, where he warned of a “complicated” relationship if President Museveni assented to the bill, still stands. Washington is expected to issue an official statement later.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, warned that the law would institutionalise discrimination and is likely to encourage harassment of homosexuals.

Maria Burnett of Human Rights Watch said Museveni has dealt a dramatic blow to freedom of expression and association in Uganda by signing the controversial bill.

They've stopped dithering in Egypt as well.

According to the main story in this morning's Cairo-based Independent, analysts are interpreting yesterday's resignation of the cabinet as a prelude to Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi officially running for the presidency.

Though many had been expecting a cabinet reshuffle prior to Sisi's candidacy, the extent of yesterday's changes came as a shock, sparking a wave of speculation amongst political figures and parties as they try to guess the hidden intentions.

The Strong Egypt Party said the cabinet resignation was an indication that the government was not strong enough to survive until the next elections.

The Social Popular Alliance Party expressed surprise at the extent of the changes, saying they had expected the reshuffle of one or two ministries.

The leader of the Social Democrats Party said that, although the cabinet resignation is surely in preparation for Sisi's presidency, it could also have been influenced by the latest nationwide worker protests. He believes that this decision will not help the current turbulent situation in Egypt.

The Independent also reports that a delegation from the Russian air force arrived in Cairo on Monday to discuss bilateral relations.

Defense Minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy visited Moscow and met Russian President Putin earlier this month.

Cairo has been seeking closer ties and enhanced cooperation with Russia following tensions with the United States, after Washington suspended a large portion of its financial aid following the army's violent dispersal of protest sit-ins in 2013, in which almost 600 protesters lost their lives.

Russia has a deal with Egypt for defence systems and arms worth nearly one billion euros, to be delivered in the course of 2014.

In Nigeria, the Lagos-based newspaper This Day reports that President Goodluck Jonathan has once again called on members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect to drop their weapons and come to the negotiating table.

The presidential statement coincided with the warning issued by the opposition All Progressives Congress against a rumoured plan to remove the elected governor of Borno State and appoint a military administrator to oversee the affairs of the state.

The governor, who has refused to be cowed by the level of destruction visited on his state by the Islamic sect, stated yesterday that no one should underrate the spirit of the Borno people who are determined to overcome everything that has befallen them.

Finally, from the South African Sowetan, the headline of the day, which reads "Thieves make off with giant Australian mango." I kid you not.

The small print explains that bad guys equipped with heavy machinery and cranes made a daring midnight heist in northern Australia, stealing a 10-metre, seven-tonne mango monument.

The Big Mango, a towering likeness of the fruit which is abundant in Queensland, is one of more than 150 "Big Things" erected as kitschy tourist attractions across Australia.

Police said that the famous fruit, which was unveiled in 2002, appeared to have been harvested overnight at the weekend.

The authorities are examining security camera images from the site and are confident that they'll get the big buggah back very soon. An official is quoted as saying "it's a bloody big mango and I'm sure someone will see it."