Somali and world news

Somalia's president dismissed a U.N. report that accused senior leaders of corruption and defended his record as he campaigned for re-election in a landmark vote. Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, who took over as head of a Western-backed transitional government in 2009, also promised he would step down if he lost - in an apparent answer to some critics who are concerned he could be planning to cling on to power. Mired in conflict for more than two decades, the Horn of Africa state is on the cusp of a presidential election that will end a succession of United Nations-backed transitional governments, in place since 2004. Western and regional states have pumped in millions of dollars in aid, and sent African troops to help crush al Qaeda-affiliated militants. But the United Nations' Somalia monitoring group in July said it had found that, out of every $10 received by the transitional federal government (TFG) between 2009-2010, $7 never made into the state's coffers. "We

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni reappointed three senior government officials on Wednesday 10 months after they stepped down over corruption allegations, a move analysts said undermined the veteran leader's promises to fight graft. Corruption is rife in the east African country which is on the cusp of an oil boom. Museveni, in power since 1986, has come under increasing pressure from donors and watchdogs to stamp out graft. Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, government Chief Whip John Nasasira and junior Labour Minister Mwesigwa Rukutana resigned on October 12, a day before they were charged with abuse of office and causing financial loss. In April this year, Uganda's constitutional court quashed their trial, ruling that the office of the Inspectorate of Government, which was prosecuting the three men, was not properly constituted. A new cabinet list issued by the president's office on Wednesday showed Kutesa, whose daughter is married to M