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Congo Republic's President Denis Sassou Nguesso claimed he held a clear lead in Sunday's election to extend his long rule, preliminary results showed on Tuesday, as an internet and phone blackout was extended into a third day. Election commission president Henri Bouka, an acolyte of President Nguesso, told reporters that Sassou Nguesso, who has ruled Congo for 32 of the last 37 years, had won 67 percent of the vote in Sunday's election based on results from 72 of 111 voting districts. He must win an outright majority against eight opposition candidates to avoid a run-off. 

Former minister Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas was second in the preliminary results, with 16.8 percent. The remaining votes are expected to take another day to collect. Police and soldiers patrolled the capital Brazzaville on Tuesday and the government extended the communications blackout it says will help prevent unofficial results circulating and creating unrest. Authorities fear riots after at least 18 people were killed by security forces in protests ahead of a referendum in October that removed term and age limits that would have prevented Sassou Nguesso from running again.

The opposition says Sunday's vote was fraudulent and plans to publish its own results, an action the government says would be illegal. The U.S. State Department said it had "received numerous reports of irregularities that have raised concerns about the credibility of the process", urging authorities in a statement to restore communications. Many residents of opposition strongholds in southern Brazzaville have left the city, fearing violence, and most shops remained closed. Voting was peaceful on Sunday but later police fired tear gas at crowds who had gathered to follow the count in the southern Bacongo neighbourhood.

Congo's election is being watched closely across Africa, where several long-ruling presidents are seeking to stay on beyond constitutionally mandated term limits. In neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, opponents of President Joseph Kabila accuse him of trying to delay a presidential election scheduled for November. Kabila has declined to comment publicly on his political future.

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23.Mar.2016

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Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in southern France has been evacuated for security reasons, police say. The evacuation of the airport started from early Wednesday morning. Passengers on board planes were also being disembarked. According to a France TV channel, a suspicious package was the reason for the evacuation. France Bleu newspaper reported that military and police patrols have been deployed in the airport. It wrote that troops have arrived to secure the tracks and the area around the airport. They are conducting patrols, with identity checks and vehicle searches. 

France had already stepped up security measures in the wake of Tuesday bomb attacks in Brussels that was claimed by the Daesh terrorist group. Two bombers blew themselves up at the Zaventem airport, killing at least 11 people and injuring over 90 others. Shortly after the attacks on the airport, another explosion was reported at the Maelbeek metro station in Brussels, where 20 people are thought to have been killed and 106 others injured. The bombers, believed to be brothers, have been identified as Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, reports say.

Belgian authorities also identified the third suspect as Najim Laachraoui, who is said to be the chief bomb maker. He fled the scene after the deadly bombings at the airport and is wanted by the police.

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23.Mar.2016

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Police and soldiers patrolled Congo Republic's capital and cellphone networks remained cut on Tuesday as authorities took action to stem possible unrest before announcing partial results from a presidential election.

Veteran President Denis Sassou Nguesso is widely tipped to have won Sunday's vote, whose credibility the country's opposition and the United States have questioned.

Hundreds of police guarded major roads and troops were deployed near the presidential palace, the defence ministry and the main traffic circle, witnesses said, as the government extended the telecommunications blackout into a third day.

Sassou Nguesso, 72, pushed through constitutional changes at a referendum in October to remove term and age limits that would have prevented him from running again.

He has ruled the oil-producing state for 32 of the last 37 years and must win a majority against eight opposition candidates to secure a third consecutive term without a run-off.

The electoral commission said on Monday it expected to publish initial results on Tuesday. Votes from remote areas of the country are expected to take at least another day to collate.

Many residents of opposition strongholds in southern Brazzaville left the city fearing violent protests and most shops remained closed.

Voting was peaceful on Sunday but later police fired tear gas at crowds who had gathered to follow the count in the southern Bacongo neighbourhood.

At least 18 people were killed by security forces in protests ahead of October's referendum.

The government had announced a shutdown of mobile phone and internet services for Sunday and Monday, which it extended into Tuesday without explanation.

The blackout was designed to prevent unofficial results circulating, Evan O'Connell, a consultant to the electoral commission, said by email.

"Rumours of landslide victories of one camp or another are already circulating online, mainly driven by the diaspora - which are the easiest way to create tensions," he said.

The opposition says the vote was marred by fraud and plans to publish its own results, an action the government says would be illegal.

The U.S. State Department said it had "received numerous reports of irregularities that have raised concerns about the credibility of the process", urging authorities in a statement to restore communications.

Congo's election is also being watched closely across Africa, where several long-ruling presidents are seeking to stay on beyond constitutionally mandated term limits.

In neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, opponents of President Joseph Kabila accuse him of trying to delay a presidential election scheduled for November. Kabila has declined to comment publicly on his political future.

(Reuters)

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22.Mar.2016

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Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has joined the condemnation of the attacks in Belgium's capital, Brussels in which at least 31 people have died.

In a post on the Facebook page of the office of the president Mr Buhari says that the events "reinforce the need for greater international cooperation to effectively confront and destroy global terrorism".

The president also says that "Nigeria will continue to work with other countries of the world to ensure that terrorism never triumphs over free, peaceful and law-abiding nations".

Nigeria was ranked third in 2015 on the Global Terrorism Index for countries most affected by terror attacks.

(BBC)

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22.Mar.2016

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The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attacks in a statement issued on the IS-linked Amaq agency.

The bombings come four days after Salah Abdeslam, the main fugitive in the Paris attacks, was seized in Brussels.

Belgium has raised its terrorism alert to its highest level. Three days of national mourning have been declared.

Prime Minister Charles Michel called the latest attacks "blind, violent and cowardly", adding: "This is a day of tragedy, a black day... I would like to call on everyone to show calmness and solidarity".

European Council President Donald Tusk said: "These attacks mark another low by the terrorists in the service of hatred and violence."

US President Barack Obama called the blasts "outrageous attacks against innocent people".

The airport and the entire public transport system in Brussels are closed, although some train stations are due to reopen shortly.

(BBC)

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22.Mar.2016

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Two bomb explosions have rocked Brussels Airport, followed by another blast at a metro station in the city, reportedly killing at least 34 people in total. Belgian state broadcaster said the Tuesday blasts had left several dead and many injured. National security level was raised to its maximum. 

Belgian broadcaster VRT said at least 13 people were killed and 35 severely injured after the explosions. Another explosion was reported at Brussels Metro Station close to EU institutions, Belgian broadcaster RTBF said.

Some 10 people were killed the in metro station blast, local television channel VTM reported. Several people were also injured in the explosion at Maelbeeck metro station.

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22.Mar.2016

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