African press review 11 April 2012

Is someone plotting to assassinate Rail Odinga? Can Nigeria's finance minster help tackle child malnutrition around the world? Can Joyce Banda clean up Malawi? And why isn't SA replying to a UN probe's questions about mercenaries? And why did so few Africans compete for the World Gay Crown?

There's an update on the story of the plot to assasinate Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The Kenyan Daily Nation reports that there has been news of tensions between ethnic groups in Kisumu following allegations of a plot to kill Odinga.

According to the daily, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has received credible information about tensions beteen Luo and Kisii communities.

The plot allegations were made by MP Jakoyo Midiwo on Saturday.

The head of the commission, Mzalendo N Kibunjia, berated Midiwo for making this information public instead of reporting it to the police for investigation.

He has also sent him a letter urging him to refrain from using language likely to enflame tensions during this time when the country is preparing for general elections.

Midiwo and others are being questioned by the police in relation to the affair.

Nigerian paper The Punch reports that the Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iwaela has been selected to participate in a worldwide effort to address child malnutrition.

This comes the day after she was interviewed for the head at the World Bank, which is likely to go to the American candidate.

Much of the Nigerian press had been behind her candidacy for the World Bank job in recent weeks.

The status quo of electing an American to the Bank has faced its most important challenge yet from the developing world.

The South African based Mail and Guardian reports on Malawi’s new president, Joyce Banda, unveiling what it calls her "clean-up plans".

Loyalists of the late leader Bingu wa Mutharika have been purged, along with top officials with government finance and media.

Interestingly, she has also announced an investigation into the mysterious murder of a student activist.

Former chief of police, Peter Mukhito, whom she sacked on Monday, is implicated in this affair.

Also in the Mail and Guardian the news that South Africa has “refused to indulge UN’s mercenary probe”.

The government has failed to respond to the UN’s questions regarding South African mercenaries and security companies which allegedly aided the Kadhafi regime during the uprising.

The three-member UN panel was set up in January to investigate these questions. But they have been impeded in their enquiries by the lack of response from the South African government and difficulties of travelling to Mali and Niger.

An expert in security, Sabelo Gumedze, told the Mail and Guardian that the government's lackadaisical response is due to its failure to properly implement anti-mercenary legislation.

Since this legislation was enacted in 2006, South Africa has not had the best record. In 2009 President Jacob Zuma travelled to Equitorial Guinea and the trip resulted in the self-confessed mercenary Nick du Toit being released.

The Kenyan Daily Nation reports that African contestants dropped out of the World Gay Crown.

All three of the Kenyan contestants were apparently intimidated into abandoning the competition, according to gay rights activists. Contestants from Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania also dropped out for reasons ranging from intimidation, government pressure and lack of funding.

Only three Africans participated, despite the event being held in Africa for the first time.

And the Daily Nation laments that Africa is still known for its intolerance of sexual minorities. In some countries people can be punished with death for their sexual orientation.