Congolese Blood Soaks Your Pocket [OPINION] · Correspondent Johann Hari sets the record straight about Congo, in his cutting reporting from the front-lines of the world's bloodiest civil war, which has killed 5.4 million people. The conflict is about the coltan used in your cell-phone, the cassiterite used in the tins you open, the gold and diamonds you buy, he writes. It is about business and western markets, not about tribalism. (The Independent)

Thousands Flee Congo Unrest, Aid Groups Evacuate · A rebel army advance in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has spread fear as tens of thousands of people flee and aid agencies evacuate their staff.  Looting, robbery, and acts of violence are rampant. Five million people have died in the world's worst ongoing civil war, fought over the coltan and cassiterite used in modern electronics. (BBC)

Ugandan District Bans Female Genital Mutilation · The Kapchorwa District in eastern Uganda has banned the practice of female genital mutilation, and submitted legislation to parliament for a nation-wide ban. (BBC) The District chairman said it was "outmoded" and "not useful" for the community's women.

Kenya Detains Muck-Raking ‘Swift Vet’ Author · Kenyan officials have detained a principal actor in the 'Swift Vet' group that opposed John Kerry. (NYT)  Jerome Corsi was in Kenya to "expose details of deep secret ties between Barack Obama and a plot to be executed in Kenya should Senator Obama win the American presidency." (Sources: NYT, World Net Daily)

Nobel Medicine Prize Awarded, Gallo Excluded · The Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded to three scientists who discovered the causes of AIDS and cervical cancer. But the prize is causing controversy because it excluded HIV researcher Robert Gallo. (Times Online)

25% Of Zimbabwe Dependent On Aid · Almost half the population of Zimbabwe could soon be dependent on food and medical aid, United Nations humanitarian chief said, calling for increased farming production in the country where 3 million people are already reliant on aid. (Guardian)

South Africa Swears In New President · South Africa's parliament elected the deputy leader of the ruling party Kgalema Motlanthe as its new caretaker president, replacing Thabo Mbeki. He will serve until elections take place next year. (BBC)

South African President Resigns · South African President Thabo Mbeki accepted the call from the governing African National Congress to resign after a court suggested that he may have interfered in the corruption case against his rival from the same party, Jacob Zuma. (BBC, FT,  NYT)

Zimbabwe Leaders In Gridlock · Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and newly appointed Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangiri are at loggerheads over the division of posts in the cabinet, days after signing a power-sharing deal brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki. (BBC)

South African Court Dismisses Corruption Charges Against Zuma · A South African court dismissed corruption charges against ruling party leader Jacob G. Zuma, clearing the way for him to become the nation's president next year. (NYT) The court said that the charges of fraud and money laundering relating to a multi-billion dollars arms deal in 1999 may have been politically motivated. (BBC)

Zimbabwe Leaders In Power-Sharing Deal · Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangiri has agreed to a power-sharing deal with President Robert Mugabe. (BBC) Tsvangiri will be the prime minister of the country and Mugabe will remain as the president under the deal, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.

World Bank Cancels Chad Pipeline Deal · The World Bank withdrew a $4 billion pipeline project in Chad after the government failed to honor an agreement signed in 2001 to ensure oil revenue would be spent on boosting the economy. The pioneering project was once dubbed as a model for oil wealth management in Africa. (Financial Times)

Governing Party Wins Angola Elections · Angola's governing party won the country's first elections in 16 years with 81% of the votes. (NYT) Unita, the country's opposition party and a former rebel group conceded defeat giving the ruling party a measure of legitimacy in the country that has been ravaged by civil war for 27 of the last 33 years.

Rice Meets With Libya’s Qaddafi · U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Muammar el-Qaddaffi, ruler of Libya.  It was the first time in more than 50 years that a sitting U.S. secretary had visited the country.

Mugabe Threatens To Appoint Ministers · Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe threatened to appoint the next cabinet unless the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agrees to sign a power-sharing deal, which will leave Mugabe in control of Zimbabwe's security services. (London Times, Daily Telegraph)