African press review 4 July 2015

Burundi continues to dominate the continental news agenda, with another death in clashes in Bujumbura and another crisis meeting of regional leaders. The last crisis meeting was the cue for a failed military coup. President Pierre Nkurunziza isn't sure if he'll show up for this one.

Several papers report the news that aast African leaders are to meet on Monday in an attempt to resolve the political crisis in Burundi.

South Africa's BusinessDay reminds readers that at least 70 people have been killed in more than two months of protests and a failed coup attempt sparked by Nkurunziza’s decision to stand for a third term. An estimated 144,000 refugees have fled Burundi into neighbouring countries.

The East African Community meeting will be held in Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam, where two regional summits on the crisis have already been held.

It was not immediately clear if Nkurunziza will attend Monday’s meeting.

The East African Community includes Burundi, along with Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Burundi's presidential election is due to be held on 15 July.

The main story in regional paper The East African reports that the US is suspending all training programmes with Burundi's police and army.

Intensifying its pressure on Nkurunziza, Washington also said it will rescind Burundi's eligibility for the Agoa trade preference programme.

The US State Department said Nkurunziza had disregarded the terms of the agreement that ended Burundi's civil war by running for a third term, adding that his insistence on remaining in power has resulted in dozens of deaths, the exodus of thousands of refugees and "a freefall in the Burundian economy".

In South Africa itself BusinessDay reports that opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is refusing to let the question of the Marikana massacre rest and says Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and former police minister Nathi Mthethwa must not go unpunished for the tragedy.

The findings of the Farlam inquiry, released last week by President Jacob Zuma, said no member of the executive could be blamed for the 2012 massacre of striking mineworkers by police officers.

But Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema says the party will bring criminal charges against Ramaphosa and Mthethwa for conspiring to commit the murder of the Marikana workers.

The EFF won the majority of votes in Wonderkop, where the tragedy unfolded, in last year’s elections.

In Kenya The Daily Nation reports that Garissa Governor Nathif Jama yesterday presented himself to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission following allegations of graft.

The county chief did so to avoid the possibility of an arrest. He is expected to be taken to court on Monday to face corruption charges.

On Thursday the Director of Public Prosecutions approved the anti-graft agency’s recommendation to have Jama prosecuted over claims of irregular leasing of ambulances.

The authority’s investigations centred on dealings between the Garissa County Government and Emergency Plus, which is owned by the Kenya Red Cross.

Jama has dismissed the charges as a cheap and flimsy political witch-hunt by his rivals.

The main story in The Egypt Independent reports that a civilian was killed yesterday during a protest rally in Cairo in support of Egypt's former president Mohamed Morsi, on the second anniversary of the army's overthrow of the Islamist leader.

Supporters of Morsi's now-banned Muslim Brotherhood said interior ministry forces had opened fire at the protest. The ministry was not immediately available for comment.