Africa Media Watch

In this week's Africa Media Watch:

• UN reports Somalia progress, but not everyone's happy
  
• Ivory Coast attention turns to presidential elections
  
• Handy hint for Ugandan calorie-counters
  

The UN reported progress in the Somalia peace talks in Djibouti, announcing that the Dir and Alliance clan groups had finally handed in their nominations for deputies to the Transitional National Assembly.

But, as the Qaran newspaper reported, the Digil and Mirifle clans, who have yet to announce their nominees, issued a statement saying they were considering pulling out.

"They said some of their proposals had been snubbed. Some of their recommendations had included a proposal on the strengthening of regional administrations until unity was forged among all Somalis," it said.

Another Qaran report said the Digil and Mirifle clans had called for the talks to be moved to another country.

Dijbouti only interested in making money

Digil and Mirifle

"The faction leaders said Djibouti was too poor to sponsor a Somali reconciliation conference.

They accused the neighbouring country of only being interested in making financial gains from the conference," Qaran reported.

The Xog-Ogaal daily said there were still major differences amongst clan representatives over the assembly participants, but reported optimism from conference chairman Hasan Abshir.

"Reports say sharp differences have emerged within each clan on who will represent them in the assembly...

"Mr Abshir said the conference was progressing well and said he was optimistic about success of the conference."

Xog-Ogaal interviewed Djibouti President Ismael Omar Gelleh who said the conference would succeed due to the wide range of people represented.

We have brought together the entire spectrum of Somali people

President Gelleh

"We have brought together the entire spectrum of Somali people," he said.

"The time for militia faction leaders is past and we want to restore self-confidence in the Somali people and free them from fear."

He said the conference organizers had "not lost hope" that the factions who had boycotted the talks would still take part.

"Whoever is concerned about the interest of the Somali people should attend the reconciliation conference and accept whatever is given to them."

Ivory Coast presidential poll

Speculation mounted in Ivory Coast that the former ruling Democratic Party (PDCI) could pick military ruler General Robert Guei as its candidate in September's presidential elections.

Le Jour newspaper thought it was part of a complicated ploy on the part of the PDCI.

"Let us suppose that the PDCI-RDA, through their magic wand, manage to turn Gen Guei into their candidate to the highest office, how will it manage to have him overcome the multiplicity of obstacles in his way?"

Ivory Coast's PDCI party will need a magic wand

Le Jour

The answer, it thought, was clear.

"If Gen Guei were running and he won the presidential election he would be so indebted to the PDCI that the 24th December coup would be politically meaningless and would lose it symbolic value.

"Then, once the terrible child is back home, he could be severely punished for his lese-majesty crime."

The daily L'Inter viewed Gen Guei's recent reshuffle as evidence of his overtures to the PDCI.

"Gen Guei's handout to influential party members provides evidence of Guei's intent to gain support from a political party with a view to be voted into power."

The personnel changes were "not the last of Guei's story of advances to the PDCI".

"He is still wooing the party and the days prior to the party convention will tell us what to expect."

Calories

Finally, a thought from the Coffee Break section in the Ugandan Monitor, entitled Today's Trivia:

"Banging your head against a brick wall uses 150 calories an hour."

Next week's Africa Media Watch is on 11 August

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.