March 2006 in Africa

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2006 developments by topic

Deaths • Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin Ongoing events • African Cup of Nations • Horn of Africa food crisis • Malawi food crisis • Niger food crisis • Zimbabwe home demolitions Upcoming events • none Holidays Ongoing armed conflicts • Chad-Sudan conflict • Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire • Conflict in northern Uganda • Darfur conflict in Sudan • Ivorian Civil War • Second Congo War Ongoing wars Elections March 5: Benin, Presidential March 26: São Tomé and Príncipe, Parliamentary Related pages About this page

Events in Africa

This page deals with March 2006 events in or of interest to the continent of Africa.

25 March 2006 (Saturday)

• Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo announced he would allow former leader Charles Taylor to be exradicted to Liberia, where he is wanted for numerous crimes. (News 24, South Africa)

22 March 2006 (Thursday)

• Ethiopia: Government procecutors withdrew charges against 18 out of 129 opposition figures and journalists facing charges following last year's violent skirmishes in the country. However, none of the party leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) were included in this action. Middle East Times
• Nigeria: The top nine floors of the Nigerian Investment Development Bank in Lagos collapse during a thunderstorm, killing at least one and injuring several others. ABC News

21 March 2006 (Tuesday)

• Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The growing rebel movement seeks to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Deby. (AP via Forbes)

19 March 2006 (Sunday)

• With the exception of Uganda and South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa is failing to meet United Nations standards for accessibility to clean water or sanitation. (Reuters)

18 March 2006 (Saturday)

• US Navy warships engage pirates off the coast of Somalia, killing one, capturing 12, after the U.N. Security Council on March 15, encouraged any naval forces near Somalia to take action against suspected piracy. This occurred after an attack on a UN World Food Program-chartered ship bringing drought relief food supplies on March 13. (AP)(UPI)

17 March 2006 (Friday)

• The European Parliament demands that Senegal turn over Hissène Habré to Belgium to be tried for his actions while he was President of Chad. Senegal is not expected to comply, as it already refused extradition demands from the African Union. The Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (ATDPH) has expressed its approval of the decision. (allafrica)
• Six people have been charged in connection with Kenya's biggest fraud, which cost the government about $600m. (BBC)

15 March 2006 (Wednesday)

• Two armed gunmen attacked the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) compound in Yei, Sudan, killing a local guard and leaving two others in critical condition. (Angola Press)

14 March 2006 (Tuesday)

• An attempted coup d'état against Chadian President Idriss Déby is foiled. (AP via The Guardian)

13 March 2006 (Monday)

• Pirates armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades attempt to hijack the MV Rozen, a UN World Food Program-chartered ship, after it had discharged its cargo of drought-relief food supplies. The ship managed to out-run the attackers and also rammed their vessel. (News 24, South Africa)

8 March 2006 (Wednesday)

• The Government of Chad renews accusations of Sudanese support for attacks by the UFDC into eastern Chad, despite the recent signing of the Tripoli Accord and the successful formation of the ministerial committee. Sudan has accused Chad of supporting ARFWS rebels in the past, and Chad is believed to have stepped up support in light of recent attacks. (AlertNet)

7 March 2006 (Tuesday)

• Kizza Besigye, formerly opposition presidential candidate in the recent Ugandan elections, is cleared of rape charges. (BBC)

3 March 2006 (Friday)

• Kenya and Sudan, completing trade talks that have gone on since 2001, announce plans to sign a landmark trade agreement. (AllAfrica) Kenya, which is currently in a drought, is in desperate need of food to feed 3.5 million Kenyans by the end of March, despite the presence of the U.N. food agency. Sudan has had a huge surplus this season. (Reuters)

Events in Africa by month

2007 in Africa: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2006 in Africa: January February March April May June July August September October November December
2005 in Africa: October November December

News collections and sources

• allAfrica.com
• Reuters, Africa
• ReliefWeb
• UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
• UN News Centre

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