Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- The presidential bid by Messaoud Ould Belkheir, a former slave and leader of the banned opposition party, Action for Change (AC), for the 7 November election in Mauritania has been extensively commented on by newspapers this week in Nouakchott. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- South Africa newspapers Thursday focused on the 11 September 2001 terror strikes in New York and Washington that left more than 3,000 people dead, but disapproved of President George Bush's approach to the war against terrorism. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Going by their national calendar, Ethiopians will celebrate 1996 New Year Day on Friday and, according to a private weekly here, they look forward to better days than the previous years. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Beninese newspapers were during the week consumed by the celebration Tuesday of the 70th birthday of President Mathieu Kerekou, reviving the debate that he was planning a constitutional review for another term. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- South African newspapers which have recently dedicated their coverage to the controversial arms deal scandal implicating some top government officials, this week shifted their force to allegations of racism in the South African national rugby team. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- The rugby row over racism claims occupied center stage in most newspapers Wednesday with reports of a new inquiry into sensational claims that the sport was dogged by cover-ups. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The formation Wednesday of a new 34- member government by Prime Minister Idrissa Seck dominated the Senegalese press during the week under review. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- Cameroonian dailies have hailed the performance of Francoise Mbango who gave the country its first and maybe only medal at the ongoing 9th World Athletics Championships of Paris. Full text...

Ouagadougou- Burkina Faso (PANA) -- Newspapers in Burkina Faso this week concentrated on the deteriorating situation in Cote d'Ivoire, especially the consequences of the alleged coup plot that France said it foiled. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- Information Technology has come to Ethiopia lately and people jumping on the IT bandwagon should beware of the gimmicks applied by the so-called instructors of information systems, a local daily warned Friday. Full text...

Bangui- Central African Republic (PANA) -- Newspapers in the Central African Republic this week focused on the announcement by the State prosecutor of an arrest warrant for ousted president Ange Felix Patasse. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Most Ivorian dailies on Monday expressed concern about the possible resumption of war between the National Armed Forces (FANCI) and the New Forces, the coalition of the three ex-rebel movements. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- The dismissal of Air Force chief of staff Colonel Meissa Tamba, the director of the Merchant Navy and six other military officers guilty of negligence in the capsizing of the ferry Le Joola last September made headlines across the local press this week. Full text...

Tripoli- Libya (PANA) -- Libyan dailies took a swipe Thursday at certain Arab media over the way they treated the Lockerbie deal between Libya, Britain and the US. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Benin newspapers widely commented this week on the rise of cross-border crimes, which nearly provoked a diplomatic row with neighbouring Nigeria. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- The decision by the Democratic Social Front (SDF) and the Cameroonian Democratic Union (UDC), the country's main opposition parties, to form an alliance for next year's presidential polls scooped the media limelight this week. Full text...

Kampala- Uganda (PANA) -- Two Ugandan dailies have criticised President Yoweri Museveni's unilateral decision to deploy troops in Iraq. Full text...

N'djamena- Chad (PANA) -- Two Chadian weeklies, Le Temps and Notre Temps focused on President Idriss Deby's health, the country's 43rd independence anniversary on 11 August and other national issues. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Last Monday's suspension of six dailies for non-payment of printing cost arrears was the focus of editorials and commentaries in the Algerian media during the week. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- Malian dailies lengthily commented this week on the liberation of the European hostages abducted last February in the Algerian desert and later transferred to Mali. Full text...

Kampala- Uganda (PANA) -- The death of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada boosted sales of local newspapers here this week with the late tyrant's history occupying more space both on the covers and inner pages. Full text...

Conakry- Guinea (PANA) -- For the past week Guinean papers focused attention on the resignation and subsequent fleeing into exile of Charles Taylor in spite of government's silence about that event which greatly interests Guineans. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- The effervescence across the political landscape in Cameroon several months ahead of presidential polls expected in October next year was widely echoed by the local press this week. Full text...

Cotonou- Benin (PANA) -- Beninese dailies this week widely commented on the unilateral decision of the Nigerian government to close its land borders with neighbouring Benin. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Replacement of Maj. Full text...

Bamako- Mali (PANA) -- Malian papers this week focussed commentaries on the resignation of Charles Taylor as president of Liberia and his exit into exile. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Monday's arrival in Nigeria of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, a few hours after he stepped down from office and handed power to his deputy, Moses Blah, dominated Nigerian newspapers this week. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghanaian newspapers say Monday's departure of former Liberian President Charles Taylor into exile in Nigeria is the lesser evil for his country. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian papers on Tuesday widely commented on the resignation of Charles Taylor as president of Liberia on Monday. Full text...

Paris- France (PANA) -- French dailies on Tuesday widely commented on the latest developments of the political situation in Liberia, marked by the departure of former president Charles Taylor and his replacement by Moses Blah. Full text...

Brazzaville- Congo (PANA) -- Congolese papers this week widely comment on the just ended Pan-African Music Festival (FESPAM) in Brazzaville and Kinshasa. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian papers this week have focused on the passing of the country's amnesty bill by the National Assembly. Full text...

Kigali- Rwanda (PANA) -- Rwanda's presidential election campaign has been the focus of newspaper editorials this week. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- The resignation of Harry Olympio as Minister in charge of relations with the parliament in Togo's new government formed on 29 July, dominated Lome press this week. Full text...

Algiers- Algeria (PANA) -- Algerian papers this week focused on the reactions of the Kabylia delegates to the government's offer of dialogue to end the crisis rocking the region since April 2001. Full text...

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia (PANA) -- International peace and security would remain a pipe dream if the global community did not show a concerted resolve to end terrorism, an Ethiopian weekly said Friday. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- The state-owned Daily Graphic has called on Ghanaians to be vigilant against military coups, warning that a misadventure by misguided soldiers could endanger the country's fragile democracy. Full text...

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Nigerian newspapers Tuesday played up the deployment of the country's soldiers to Liberia, at the vanguard of the ECOWAS Mission in Liberia (ECOMILI), with many of them reporting the deployment on their front pages. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- The funeral of former Interior Minister Emile Boga Doudou, killed at the onset of the military insurrection on 19 September 2002 that eventually turned into a rebellion in Cote d'Ivoire, has been the subject of Ivorian editorials on Monday. Full text...

Johannesburg- South Africa (PANA) -- The week has ended as it started for South African newspapers - front pages dominated by bribery allegations against Deputy President Jacob Zuma. Full text...

Yaounde- Cameroon (PANA) -- though Cameroon was not included in the recent tour of French Foreign minister Dominique de Villepin in Central Africa, the visit stole the limelight in editorials published in Yaounde this week. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Senegalese dailies and weeklies this week amply dwelt on the book written by journalist Abdou Latif Coulibaly, entitled "Wade an opponent in power: a booby-trapped political change?" The book has continued to be the focus of attention, arousing anonymous death threats against the author. Full text...

Libreville- Gabon (PANA) -- Parliamentary approval of constitutional amendments repealing limitation to presidential terms and sanctioning only one round for presidential elections in Gabon, dominated the press this week in Libreville. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Newspapers in Cote d'Ivoire this week concentrated on the death of ex-Sierra Leonean rebel leader Foday Sankoh while awaiting war crimes trial, and Prime Minister Seydou Diarra's current visit to France. Full text...

Accra- Ghana (PANA) -- Ghana's biggest selling newspaper, Daily Graphic, Friday said the "avoidable and meaningless agony" that ordinary Liberians are experiencing because of the intransigence of the government and two rebel groups would have to be accounted for one day. Full text...

Lome- Togo (PANA) -- The formation of Togo's new cabinet is the main centre of interest in newspaper editorials published this week. Full text...

Dakar- Senegal (PANA) -- Guinea-Bissau's refusal to host the forthcoming meeting of Senegal's separatist Movement of the Casamance Democratic Forces (MFDC) and the project to build a Black Civilisation Museum in Dakar are the main issues highlighted by the press this week. Full text...

Nouakchott- Mauritania (PANA) -- Mauritanian newspapers devoted much space this week to the extradition from Senegal of Lieutenant Didi Ould M'Hameid, one of the presumed leaders of the 9 June failed coup against President Mouaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya Taya. Full text...

Abidjan- Cote d'Ivoire (PANA) -- Ivorian major newspapers this week devoted their headlines to the escalating civil war in Liberia, although some of them also focused on the nationwide tour by leaders of the Ivorian ex-rebel New Forces. Full text...

Kinshasa- DR Congo (PANA) -- Setting up the transitional institutions as part of the process of restoring peace to war- torn Democratic Republic of Congo got the limelight in the country's media during the week. Full text...