The News Review:

- Africa: AU Discusses One-Government Proposal
- Peacekeepers in Darfur are robbed in humiliating ambush
- Food prices will remain high for years to come warns UN

Africa: AU Discusses One-Government Proposal
AllAfrica.com – May 23, 2008
Only five heads of state including President Jakaya Kikwete had turned up for the summit by mid-day yesterday at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge instead of 12 who were expected. GA_googleFillSlot( “AllAfrica_Story_Inset” );They included presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda Thabo Mbeki of South Africa Nigeria’s Yar’adua and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Delegates from six other states Libya Botswana Senegal Cameroon and Egypt were led by their respective foreign ministers or other high ranking officials. The minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr Bernard Membe could not explain anything on the low turnout of the heads ofstate who make up the Committee of Twelve and other officials. He insisted however that the two-day summit would go through recommendations on the proposed Union government made by the AU Executive Council (Foreign Ministers meeting) that took place here early this month. Mr Membe is the current chairman of the Council after President Kikwete became AU chairman during the summit which took place in Addis Ababa Ethiopia early this year. In his opening remarks President Kikwete admitted that Africa was still divided on the proposed Union government for the continent an agenda which dates back to 2005.

Peacekeepers in Darfur are robbed in humiliating ambush
International Herald Tribune – May 23, 2008
No one was hurt in the attack which took place near the regional capital of West Darfur El Geneina but it was nonetheless a humiliating blow to the hybrid United Nations and African Union peacekeeping force which is struggling to prove it can do better than the African force it replaced. The hybrid force is expected to be the world's largest peacekeeping force with 26000 soldiers and police at full strength. But the deployment has been slowed by foot-dragging by the Sudanese government and bureaucratic delays and so far only 9000 troops are in place. “Everyone is asking how can we protect anyone from these guys if we can't even protect ourselves” said a senior officer based in West Darfur who asked not to be identified.

Food prices will remain high for years to come warns UN
Hindu – May 23, 2008
High oil prices growing demand flawed trade policies panic buying and speculation have sent food prices soaring worldwide trigging protests from Africa to Asia and raising fears that millions more will go hungry and suffer malnutrition. Today tens of thousands of workers in Senegal — from teachers to tax officials fishery and port workers — stayed home as part of a strike staged by unions to protest the spiraling cost of rice fuel and other basic goods. Surging food prices have also sparked riots in Haiti and fed worries about supplies in the Philippines. The Food and Agriculture Organisation said it had some good news: The world prices of most agriculture commodities have started to drop. The bad news: The prices are unlikely to fall back to pre-2007 levels the agency said in a report on Thursday. “We are facing the risk that the number of hungry will increase by many more millions of people” said Hafez Ghanem assistant director-general of the FAO.