Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on official visit to Ghana

 

Information Minister Mahama Ayariga said in a statement, “President Ahmadinejad will arrive on Tuesday 16 April to hold discussions with President John Mahama on strengthening the NAM and also co-chair a bilateral meeting between the two countries.”

The visit is part of a three-nation tour of West Africa during which the Iranian premier is also visiting Benin and Niger, one of Africa's biggest uranium producers.

Former minister of trade and industry Alan Kyeremanteng has lost out in his bid to lead the WTO after failing to make it through the first round of the selection process.

Kenya's Amina Mohamed, the other African candidate, has also left the race. Jordan's Ahmed Hindawi, the first candidate from an Arab nation in the WTO's 18-year history was the third candidate not to make it through to the second round.

Five candidates remain in the running: Mexico's Herminio Blanco, Brazil's Roberto Azevedo, New Zealand's Tim Groser, South Korea's Taeho Bark and Indonesia's Mari Pangestu, the only woman still under consideration.

For more news and expert analysis about Ghana, please see Ghana Politics & Security.

© 2013 Menas Associates

Explosion at Iran's Revolutionary Guard base kills 18

Eighteen people have been killed by an explosion at a base belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Another fourteen people were injured in the blast caused by a fire spreading to the munitions store at the Imam Ali base near the provincial capital Khorramabad.

Revolutionary Guard commander, Yadollah Bouali, said some of the casualties in the blast were workers at the base, but did not specify whether they included members of the Guards.

The Revolutionary Guards was set up shortly after the 1979 Iranian revolution to defend the country's Islamic system. It has since become a major military, political and economic force in Iran.

The Guards were involved in the government's crackdown on opposition protests that erupted after lasts year's disputed presidential election results which gave President Ahmadinejad a second term.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.

Iran 'vote riggers' must be tried, Mousavi says

Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has called for the trial of those he claimed "committed fraud" in last year's presidential election.

He made the demand in a statement issued on the anniversary of violent protests that followed the vote.

Mr Mousavi also said the police and the military should stay out of politics. He demanded an independent judiciary.

Last week, he urged his supporters not to take to the streets to mark the anniversary to avoid bloodshed.

Scores of people were killed and thousands arrested during the violence that followed the controversial re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on 12 June 2009.

"A fair trial of those who committed the election fraud, tortured and killed protesters must be held," Mr Mousavi said in the statement released on his website Kaleme.com.

'New charter'

Mr Mousavi also announced a "new charter" of policy aims for the opposition movement. He urged authorities to release political prisoners and to lift restrictions on political parties and social movements.

Last week, Mr Mousavi and his reformist ally Mehdi Karroubi called off mass protests planned for the one-year anniversary of President Ahmadinejad's re-election, saying they did not want to cause the loss of innocent lives.

Only sporadic demonstrations in Tehran and other Iranian cities were reported, amid a massive security presence and warnings from the intelligence ministry that protesters would be "charged as criminals" for "any illegal action and contact with the foreign media".

Mr Mousavi has repeatedly vowed to continue his struggle against the government, even saying he is not afraid to die for the cause of reform.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Iran please see Iran Strategic Focus.