East Timor jails 23 rebels for shooting president

A court in East Timor has convicted 23 rebels over the attempted assassination of the president and prime minister in 2008.

The defendants - most of them former soldiers and police officers - were jailed for up to 16 years.

President Jose Ramos-Horta was shot and seriously wounded in the attack outside his home in the capital Dili.

The Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao, escaped injury when his motorcade was ambushed on the same day.

A further five defendants were acquitted, including an Australian woman, Angelita Pires, who was the girlfriend of the rebel leader killed in the assassination attempt.

"Today is the most important day of my life. I have rightfully regained my freedom," Ms Pires said outside the court after judges dismissed the prosecutors' argument that she was a key player in the plot.

Coup attempt

Most of the accused were army and police deserters who turned to the rebels after rivalries within East Timor's security forces erupted into violence in 2006, killing dozens and toppling the government.

Analysts said the case had been the biggest test of East Timor's fledgling judicial system since the country gained independence in 1999.

The confused incident, on 11 February 2008, saw guards and rebel soldiers shooting around Mr Ramos-Horta's home.

Rebel leader Alfredo Reinado and one other rebel were killed in the attack, which Mr Gusmao described as a coup attempt.

The shooting of Mr Ramos-Horta provoked a declaration of a state of emergency in East Timor, and heightened fears for the state's stability.

Gastao Salsinha, who took over the rebel leadership on Mr Reinado's death and surrendered to the government in April last year, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The shortest sentence was nine years and four months.

The rebels had been on the run since violent protests in 2006 that left more than 30 people dead. They had been triggered by plans to sack 600 striking members of the army.

Voters in Mauritania Prepare for Saturday Election

By Scott Stearns Nouakchott 17 July 2009

Supporters of Mauritania's former military leader Mohamed Ould Abedl Aziz attend a political rally in the southern city of Rosso, 17 Jul 2009

Voters in Mauritania go to the polls Saturday to choose a new president. It is an election to restore constitutional order following last year's military coup.

Friday is a day of reflection in Mauritania for voters to consider what they have heard from candidates over the past two weeks.

So what are people thinking?

This university student in the southern city of Rosso says former military leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is the right man to lead Mauritania because he is determined to fight corrupt politicians.

"I support him because President Aziz is a man of actions and thought," he said. "Most Mauritanian people support him because he came and tried to make dramatic change in this country, and we as people, we as poor people, we must go with him side-to-side and shoulder-to-shoulder."

Aziz led the coup last August that toppled Mauritania's first democratically-elected leader.

He refused African Union demands to restore civilian authority and changed the constitution to allow retired soldiers to run for office before resigning his commission to run for president.

Opposition candidate Ahmed Ould Daddah's campaign posters ask, "Do you want to be finished with coups d'etat?" Daddah is a former Central Bank Governor who says Mauritanians can end the cycle of coups and transitional governments in favor of a real democracy where decisions are made by voters not soldiers.

This Daddah supporter in the capital says Aziz is going to fall and break because of the electoral alliance between Daddah and opposition lawmaker Messaoud Ould Boulkheir.

Dadah and Boulkheir have both vowed publicly to support the other in a potential runoff against Aziz. Boulkheir is a former president of the National Assembly who says this is a vote about defeating those who take power through military force.

This woman leaving Boulkheir's closing campaign rally says he is the one who will become president, God willing. She says he represents and supports all Mauritanians and is the one who can do things for the whole country.

More than 250 electoral observers from the Arab League and African Union are here to monitor Saturday's vote. Results are expected within 48 hours. If no one wins more than 50 percent, the top two vote-getters will face-off in a second-round of balloting August 1.