The Africa Global Village: Event List

Event List

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All the Events in July:

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - British Commander-in-Chief (Middle East) Claude Auchinleck, acting on information obtained by Ultra, sends troops south to outflank General Erwin Rommel's PanzerArmee Afrika but hits them head-on

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Emperor Haile Selassi tells the Abyssinian parliament in Addis Ababa that it is "better to die for freedom than to live as a slave" and that he would lay down his own life for the country. &

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Hampered by sandstorms, General Erwin Rommel's PanzerArmee Afrika overrun an infantry brigade at Dier el Shein as his troops move towards El Alamein.

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Creation of the Somali Democratic Republic from two ex-colonial states: Somaliland (was British Somaliland, gained independence on 26 June 1960) and Somalia (was Italian Somalia, gained independence t

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - European rivals in North Africa, France and Germany agree to confer over the Moroccan crisis.

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Anglo-Boer War

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Zola Budd and Annette Cowley, South African runner and swimmer respectively, are banned from the Commonwealth Games.

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - The British government closes its consulate and evacuates British citizens from the country

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Ghana, which gained independence on 6 March 1957 is declared a republic with Kwame Nkrumah as President. It will remain part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Tuesday 01 July 2008 - Burundi and Rwanda achieve independence from Germany. They had been past of the German colony Deutsche Ostafrika and then held as a UN trust territory since World War II.

Wednesday 02 July 2008 - Egyptian and Israeli forces clash across the Suez Canal.

Thursday 03 July 2008 - General Erwin Rommel's PanzerArmee Afrika attack Ruweisat Ridge after an advance of nine miles. However he recognizes that he is now over-extended and orders his forces to defend their current po

Thursday 03 July 2008 - President Samuel Kanyon Doe of Liberia publically offers to resign in response to rebel incursions in his country. Doe is ultimately kidnapped during a truce meeting, his subsequent torture and execut

Thursday 03 July 2008 - Hostages are freed at Entebbe airport by Israeli forces during Operation Thunderball (later re-named Operation Yoni).

Thursday 03 July 2008 - Algeria Independence

Posted by: africael Category: Independence Contact: admin@africa-eltas.com
When: Thursday 03 July 2008
Location: Algeria
Emerging from more than 132 years of French colonial domination and nearly eight years of the War of Independence, Algeria was officially declared independent of France on July 3, 1962, but recognizes July 5 as its Independence Day. Exhausted from so many years of warfare and internally divided into fiercely competitive factions, the military/political leadership of the victorious FLN quickly deteriorated into incohesive groups vying for control of the new state. The three major contenders for political predominance were the provisional government established by the FLN in 1958, the military officials, and the wilaya commands (administrative district councils established by the military in the preindependence period). The confrontation was characterized by fierce personal and ethnic loyalties as well as ideology and surfaced even before independence was officially declared. A May 1962 meeting in Tripoli of FLN leaders closed with Ahmed Ben Bella assuming control of the party and what would become the nation of Algeria under a tentative alliance with Colonel Houari Boumediene. Government and Politics ALGERIAN POLITICAL CULTURE and government reflect the impact of the country's colonial history and its cultural identification. The legacy of the revolutionary War of Independence (1954-62) and its lingering implications are still evident in recent political events and in the evolution of political processes. A strong authoritative tendency and the supremacy of the military, both remnants of the war for liberation, have resulted in a sharply divided society in which the political elite remains highly remote from, and generally unaccountable to, the masses of its impoverished, unemployed, and dissatisfied citizens. State-supported socialism, largely fed by petroleum exports, and "depoliticization" of the masses during the 1970s replaced any real source of legitimacy for the regime and left the masses almost no form of political expression short of violent confrontation. The consequences of this political tradition materialized in January 1992 when a conservative military coup overturned four years of significant political and economic liberalization undertaken by President Chadli Benjedid in the late 1980s. Benjedid's extensive political and economic reforms, pursued to restore political legitimacy and public confidence in the government leadership, had opened the way for political opposition. The rise of the Islamic Salvation Front (Front Islamique du Salut--FIS) as the most significant opposition group threatened to challenge the secular orientation of the state. The coup took place only days before the second round of the first freely contested national elections, elections that were likely to usher in a new government dominated by Islamists (sometimes seen as fundamentalists). Since then, the virtual elimination of constitutional government and the resurrection of military authoritarianism have returned Algeria to the familiar situation of placing power in the hands of a small elite, nullifying almost all of the democratic freedoms and many of the free-market reforms of the preceding few years. Algeria's bloody overthrow of colonial rule resulted in independence in 1962 and a legacy of an authoritarian political structure dominated by several competing interests. The main actors in the national revolution continued to govern the Algerian polity after independence, struggling during the immediate postindependence period and throughout postindependence Algerian history for political control. This tradition has evolved into a triangular system of government in which the army, party, and state apparatus share power but continually compete. Benjedid's reforms in the 1980s effectively eliminated the party (the National Liberation Front--Front de Libération Nationale-- FLN) from a prominent position in the political configuration while strengthening his hand as president through constitutional reforms. The military, also having suffered a reduction of authority with the political changes implemented by the 1989 constitution, appeared to have little tolerance for the liberalization visualized by Benjedid and the more liberal faction of the FLN. Resurfacing in the early 1990s to "ensure the security of the state," the military has demonstrated once again that the army remains the dominant arm of the political triangle. Recent political events are as much a reflection as a determinant of political culture in Algeria. The nation in late 1993 was under a state of emergency, its condition since the military coup in January 1992. Martial law ruled, essentially invalidating all political structures and institutions. The outcome of this period will be determined not only by the political leaders but also by civil society, political competition within the state, and by mass culture. If the Algerian state is to overcome its political crisis, it needs to resolve its myriad socioeconomic problems. If it is to successfully conquer its economic problems, it will need to become more democratic and decentralized. The current situation is potentially dangerous because of the explosive nature of the political tensions inherent in the repression of a discontented population.
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Thursday 03 July 2008 - Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria achieves independence from France. Abderrahmane Farès is appointed as President of the Provisional Executive.

Friday 04 July 2008 - British Commander-in-Chief (Middle East) Claude Auchinleck, believing General Erwin Rommel to have pushed to far with such limited resources (approximately 50 tanks and a total of 2,000 men) attempts

Friday 04 July 2008 - Despite Haile Selassie's call for the League of Nations to protect Abyssinia, the League decides to drop sanctions against Italy.

Friday 04 July 2008 - British posts at Kassala and Gallabat, on the borders of Abysinnia (now Ethiopia), Eritrea, and Sudan, are attacked and captured by the Italian Northern Army under the command of the Duke of Acosta.

Friday 04 July 2008 - Ahmed Ben Bella is released in Algeria after being held for 14 years as a political prisoner.

Friday 04 July 2008 - President Mitterand is the first world leader to visit South Africa since the post Apartheid multi-racial government came to power.

Saturday 05 July 2008 - During the most recent drive against terrorism in Kenya, ninty-nine Mau Mau are killed.

Saturday 05 July 2008 - om Mboya, Kenyan Minister of Economic Affairs, is assassinated. Allegations which linked the assassin to prominent KANU party members are dismissed, and in the ensuing political turmoil Jomo Kenyatta

Saturday 05 July 2008 - As France announces that the Sahara will not be included in it's plan for an independent Algeria, 80 people are killed and another 260 injured in nationalist lead riots.

Sunday 06 July 2008 - Two hundred and seventy-eight children and staff are kidnapped from a Roman Catholic mission school by guerrillas in Rhodesia.

Sunday 06 July 2008 - Malawi Independence

Sunday 06 July 2008 - Malawi gains independence from Britain (was Nyasaland, then federated with Northern and Southern Rhodesia between 1953 and 1963), with former Prime Minister, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, as president.

Sunday 06 July 2008 - Comoros gains independence from France (Archipel des Comores), except for the island of Mayotte which remains a French Overseas Territory.

Monday 07 July 2008 - The newly independent Republic of Congo's army mutinies against Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba's government. Europeans are reported to be fleeing the country.

Monday 07 July 2008 - Federal troops are sent into Biafra, the oil rich eastern region of Nigeria, which declared its intent to secede on 30 May.

Monday 07 July 2008 - Dora Bloch, one of the elderly British hostages taken on hijacked Flight 139 (an Air France A-300B Airbus hijacked from Athens on 26 June) is reported as still missing.

Monday 07 July 2008 - Prince Charles Ndizeye, the Burundian royal heir, announces that his father, Mwami Mwambutsa IV, is to abdicate on his behalf.

Wednesday 09 July 2008 - African Union

Posted by: africael Category: Anniversary Contact: admin@africa-eltas.com
When: Wednesday 09 July 2008
Location: Addis Abbab
The advent of the African Union (AU) can be described as an event of great magnitude in the institutional evolution of the continent. On 9.9.1999, the Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African Unity issued a Declaration (the Sirte Declaration) calling for the establishment of an African Union, with a view, inter alia, to accelerating the process of integration in the continent to enable it play its rightful role in the global economy while addressing multifaceted social, economic and political problems compounded as they are by certain negative aspects of globalisation. The main objectives of the OAU were, inter alia, to rid the continent of the remaining vestiges of colonization and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations. Indeed, as a continental organization the OAU provided an effective forum that enabled all Member States to adopt coordinated positions on matters of common concern to the continent in international fora and defend the interests of Africa effectively. Through the OAU Coordinating Committee for the Liberation of Africa, the Continent worked and spoke as one with undivided determination in forging an international consensus in support of the liberation struggle and the fight against apartheid. Quest for Unity African countries, in their quest for unity, economic and social development under the banner of the OAU, have taken various initiatives and made substantial progress in many areas which paved the way for the establishment of the AU. Noteworthy among these are: Lagos Plan of Action (LPA) and the Final Act of Lagos (1980); incorporating programmes and strategies for self reliant development and cooperation among African countries. The African Charter on Human and People's Rights (Nairobi 1981) and the Grand Bay Declaration and Plan of Action on Human rights: two instruments adopted by the OAU to promote Human and People's Rights in the Continent. The Human Rights Charter led to the establishment of the African Human Rights Commission located in Banjul, The Gambia. Africa's Priority Programme for Economic recovery (APPER) - 1985: an emergency programme designed to address the development crisis of the 1980s, in the wake of protracted drought and famine that had engulfed the continent and the crippling effect of Africa's external indebtedness. OAU Declaration on the Political and Socio-Economic Situation in Africa and the Fundamental Changes taking place in the World (1990): which underscored Africa's resolve to seize the imitative, to determine its destiny and to address the challenges to peace, democracy and security. The Charter on Popular Participation adopted in 1990: a testimony to the renewed determination of the OAU to endeavour to place the African citizen at the center of development and decision-making. The Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) - 1991: commonly known as the Abuja Treaty, it seeks to create the AEC through six stages culminating in an African Common Market using the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as building blocks. The Treaty has been in operation since 1994. The Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (1993): a practical expression of the determination of the African leadership to find solutions to conflicts, promote peace, security and stability in Africa. Cairo Agenda for Action (1995): a programme for relaunching Africa's political, economic and social development. African Common Position on Africa's External Debt Crisis (1997): a strategy for addressing the Continent's External Debt Crisis. The Algiers decision on Unconstitutional Changes of Government (1999) and the Lome Declaration on the framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Changes (2000). The 2000 Solemn Declaration on the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation: establishes the fundamental principles for the promotion of Democracy and Good Governance in the Continent. Responses to other challenges: Africa has initiated collective action through the OAU in the protection of environment, in fighting international terrorism, in combating the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, malaria and tuberculosis or dealing with humanitarian issues such as refugees and displaced persons, landmines, small and light weapons among others. The Constitutive Act of the African Union: adopted in 2000 at the Lome Summit (Togo), entered into force in 2001. The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) : adopted as a Programme of the AU at the Lusaka Summit (2001). Back to top Advent of the AU The OAU initiatives paved the way for the birth of AU. In July 1999, the Assembly decided to convene an extraordinary session to expedite the process of economic and political integration in the continent. Since then, four Summits have been held leading to the official launching of the African Union: The Sirte Extraordinary Session (1999) decided to establish an African Union The Lome Summit (2000) adopted the Constitutive Act of the Union. The Lusaka Summit (2001) drew the road map for the implementation of the AU The Durban Summit (2002) launched the AU and convened the 1st Assembly of the Heads of States of the African Union. Back to top The Vision of the AU The AU is Africa's premier institution and principal organization for the promotion of accelerated socio-economic integration of the continent, which will lead to greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples. The AU is based on the common vision of a united and strong Africa and on the need to build a partnership between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular women, youth and the private sector, in order to strengthen solidarity and cohesion amongst the peoples of Africa. As a continental organization it focuses on the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent as a prerequisite for the implementation of the development and integration agenda of the Union. Back to top The Objectives of the AU To achieve greater unity and solidarity between the African countries and the peoples of Africa; To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States; To accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent; To promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples; To encourage international cooperation, taking due account of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent; To promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance; To promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments; To establish the necessary conditions which enable the continent to play its rightful role in the global economy and in international negotiations; To promote sustainable development at the economic, social and cultural levels as well as the integration of African economies; To promote co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise the living standards of African peoples; To coordinate and harmonize the policies between the existing and future Regional Economic Communities for the gradual attainment of the objectives of the Union; To advance the development of the continent by promoting research in all fields, in particular in science and technology; To work with relevant international partners in the eradication of preventable diseases and the promotion of good health on the continent. Back to top The Organs of the AU The Assembly Composed of Heads of State and Government or their duly accredited representatives. The Assembly of Heads of State and Government is the supreme organ of the Union. The Executive Council Composed of Ministers or Authorities designated by the Governments of Members States. The Executive Council is responsible to the Assembly. The Commission Composed of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, eight Commissioners and Staff members; Each Commissioner shall be responsible for a portfolio. The Permanent Representatives' Committee Composed of Permanent Representatives of Member States accredited to the Union. The Permanent Representatives Committee is charged with the responsibility of preparing the work of the Executive Council. Peace and Security Council (PSC) By decision AHG/Dec 160 (xxxvii) of the Summit of Lusaka, July 2001, a decision was made for the creation within the African Union of the Peace and Security Council. The Protocol establishing the PSC is in the process of ratification. Pan-African Parliament A Pan-African Parliament, and organ to ensure the full participation of African peoples in governance, development and economic integration of the Continent. The protocol relating to the composition, powers, functions and organization of the Pan-African Parliament has been signed by Member States and is in the process of ratification. ECOSOCC The Economic, Social and Cultural Council, an advisory organ composed of different social and professional groups of the Member States of the Union. The statutes determining the functions, powers, composition and organization of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council have been prepared and will be submitted to Maputo Summit. The Court of Justice A Court of Justice of the Union shall be established. The statutes defining the composition and functions of the Court of Justice have been prepared and will be submitted to the Assembly in Maputo. The Specialized Technical Committees The following Specialized Technical Committees are meant to address sectoral issues and are at Ministerial Level: The Committee on Rural Economy and Agricultural Matters; The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs; The Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters; The Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment; The Committee on Transport, Communications and Tourism; The Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs; and The Committee on Education, Culture and Human Resources. The Financial Institutions The African Central bank The African Monetary Fund The African Investment Bank Back to top Progress in the implementation of the Constitutive Act Since the Lusaka Summit decisions on the transition from OAU to AU, progress has been made as follows: The preparation and adoption of the Legal Instruments for the operationalization and the launching of the 4 principal organs: The Assembly, The Executive Council, The Commission and the Permanent Representatives Committee. The elaboration of the Structure of the Commission and the conditions of service of staff. Completion of the Studies and Legal instrument for the operationalization of ECOSOCC Completion of the Studies on the Financing of the AU Preparation of the Statutes of the Court of Justice Transfer of assets and liabilities from the OAU to the AU Preparation of a Protocol on Relations between the AU and RECS Finalization of the Protocol on the Pan-African Parliament (under ratification) Finalization of the Protocol on the Peace and Security Council (under ratification) Preparation of the Policy Framework for the establishment of the African Standby Force and the Military Staff Committee Finalization of the process of electing Members of the Commission by the Assembly of the Union in Maputo. Back to top The AU Commission The Commission is the key organ playing a central role in the day-to-day management of the African Union. Among others, it represents the Union and defends its interests; elaborates draft common positions of the Union; prepares strategic plans and studies for the consideration of the Executive Council; elaborates, promotes, coordinates and harmonizes the programmes and policies of the Union with those of the RECs; ensures the mainstreaming of gender in all programmes and activities of the Union. Members of the Commission Chairperson; Deputy Chairperson; Eight (8) Commissioners. Staff members Portfolios of the Commission 1. PEACE AND SECURITY (Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, and Combating Terrorism...) 2. POLITICAL AFFAIRS (Human Rights, Democracy, Good Governance, Electoral Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Humanitarian Affairs, Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons) 3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENERGY (Energy, Transport, Communications, Infrastructure and Tourism.) 4. SOCIAL AFFAIRS (Health, Children, Drug Control, Population, Migration, Labour and Employment, Sports and Culture.) 5. HUMAN RESOURCES, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Education, Information Technology Communication, Youth, Human Resources, Science and Technology.) 6. TRADE AND INDUSTRY (Trade, Industry, Customs and Immigration Matters.) 7. RURAL ECONOMY AND AGRICULTURE (Rural Economy, Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock, Environment, Water and Natural Resources and Desertification.) 8. ECONOMIC AFFAIRS (Economic Integration, Monetary Affairs, Private Sector Development, Investment and Resource Mobilization.). Back to top Interim Arrangement In accordance with Article 33 (4) of the Constitutive Act, the Secretary General, the Assistant Secretaries General (ASGs) and the Staff of the former General Secretariat of the OAU have been designated as the Interim staff of the Commission. After the Durban (South Africa) Summit, an interim period began with effect from July 9, 2002 to last for a duration of one year, after which the 2nd Ordinary session of the Assembly in Maputo (Mozambique) shall elect the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson and appoint the Commissioners through the Executive Council.

Wednesday 09 July 2008 - A month long cease-fire ends in the Middle-East as Egypt attacks Israeli positions by air. At the same time Iraq attacks by land.

Wednesday 09 July 2008 - Nelson Mandela arrives in Britain for a four day state visit.

Thursday 10 July 2008 - The German South West Africa Army surrenders to General Louis Botha at Grootfontein.

Thursday 10 July 2008 - Mussolini returns to Rome having given up on his plans for a triumphal entry into Cairo.

Thursday 10 July 2008 - Moïse-Kapenda Tshombé, leader of the Confederation of Tribal Associations of Katanga, becomes prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Thursday 10 July 2008 - One American and three British mercenaries are executed by firing squad in Angola.

Thursday 10 July 2008 - Moustafa Ould Mohamed Salek, the Chairman of the Military Committee for National Salvation, takes control in Mauritania, after a coup removes President Ould Daddah from power.

Friday 11 July 2008 - The SMS Königsberg, which has been based in the Rufiji delta is sunk by the British Navy.

Friday 11 July 2008 - The United Nations is asked by Egypt to end British rule in the Sudan.

Friday 11 July 2008 - One hundred and twelve Peace Corps workers are detained and then expelled from Uganda by President Idi Amin Dada.

Friday 11 July 2008 - Only eleven days after achieving independence as the Republic of Congo, its richest province, Katanga, has declared itself independent under the rule of Moïse-Kapenda Tshombé.

Saturday 12 July 2008 - Zaghlul Pasha, the Egyptian premier, survives an assassination attempt by a student.

Saturday 12 July 2008 - Manuel Pinto da Costa becomes the first president of the newly independent Democratic Republic of Sâo Tomé and Príncipe.

Sunday 13 July 2008 - Emperor Haile Selassi rejects Italian suggestions that Abyssinia should fall under the Italian sphere of influence.

Sunday 13 July 2008 - The island of Malta, an important base for Britain's naval superiority in the Mediterranean, is bombed by Italian aircraft. Aden, across the Red Sea from Somaliland, is also bombed.

Sunday 13 July 2008 - French President, General Charles de Gaulle, announces an amnesty for 5,000 Algerian nationalists currently held in internment camps.

Sunday 13 July 2008 - Death of Sir Seretse Khama, nationalist leader and first president of Botswana, due to pancreatic cancer. (Date of birth 1 July 1921.)

Monday 14 July 2008 - Death of Stephanus Johannes Paulus (Paul) Kruger, president of the South African Republic (Trasnvaal), whilst in exile in Clarens, Switzerland.

Monday 14 July 2008 - US Senator Thomas Dodd accuses Ghana of being a Soviet satellite in Africa.

Monday 14 July 2008 - Patrice Lumumba breaks off diplomatic relations with Belgium and calls on the United Nations and Soviet Union for aid in the growing crisis.

Monday 14 July 2008 - Fifthy thousand Ethiopian troops are involved in an attack against 'guerrillas' in Eritrea.

Tuesday 15 July 2008 - UN troops arrive to help deal with the political crisis following Moïse-Kapenda Tshombé's delcaration of independence for Katanga province on 11 July.

Wednesday 16 July 2008 - Martial Law is proclaimed in Morocco by the frecnh Resident-General.

Wednesday 16 July 2008 - Emperor Haile Selassi announces the creation of a constitution for Ethiopia.

Wednesday 16 July 2008 - Nigeria is the first English-speaking country in Africa to become an associate member of the European Economic Community, EEC.

Wednesday 16 July 2008 - Soviet advisers are expelled from the Republic of Somali by orders of the president, Muhammad Siyad Barre.

Thursday 17 July 2008 - King Leopold retains control of his Congo Free State despite attempts by the Belgian government to annex the region. International protest at the treatment of the indigenous peoples prompted the move

Thursday 17 July 2008 - Following yesterday's proclamation of Martial Law, French armoured cars are used to quell riots in the Medina, Casablanca's old walled city. The riot apparently started when a mob stoned a S

Thursday 17 July 2008 - The Congolese National Movement splits into two.

Thursday 17 July 2008 - British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock is held at gun point by security forces in Zimbabwe when his plane lands at the 'wrong' airport.

Friday 18 July 2008 - Nelson Mandela Birthday

Friday 18 July 2008 - Birth of South African statesman and anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo, Umtata District, Transkei.

Friday 18 July 2008 - Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela marries Graca Machel, widow of Samora Moisés Machel the former president of Mozambique (who was killed in a mysterious plane crash on 19 Oct 1986).

Friday 18 July 2008 - The Organisation of African Unity, OAU, summit at Khartoum, Sudan, is attended by 30 African nations.

Saturday 19 July 2008 - Egyptian King Faud ended parliamentary government in Egypt by Royal Decree - he has effectively instigated a coup.

Saturday 19 July 2008 - The United States withdraws its offer of help to build the Aswan Dam in Egypt.

Saturday 19 July 2008 - Biafra and Nigeria agree to return to peace negotiations in Addis Ababa.

Saturday 19 July 2008 - Ja'far Muhammad an-Numeiry is removed from power in the Sudan in a military coup. Abu Bakr an-Nur `Uthman takes the position of Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council.

Saturday 19 July 2008 - A South African government minister has revealed that the Inkatha Freedom Party, IFP, was funded by the government through the Department of National Security (formally known as the Bureau of State Se

Sunday 20 July 2008 - The border between Algeria and Morocco is fixed during the Franco-Moroccan accord. Trade and police functions are firmly placed under French control.

Sunday 20 July 2008 - The League of Nations agrees to award former German colonies as mandates:

Sunday 20 July 2008 - Death of Chief Albert (John Mvumbi) Luthuli whilst 'crossing' a railway track near his home at Stanger, Natal.Chief Luthuli was an aclaimed anti-Apartheid leader and president of the African