(A) Highlights

(B) Middle East,Central Asia and Eastern Europe: (1) Lebanon

(C) East & Central Africa: (1) Burundi (2) Congo, DR (3) Ethiopia (4) Kenya (5) Rwanda (6) Somalia (7) Sudan (8) Tanzania (9) Uganda

(D) West Africa: (1) Cote d'Ivoire (2) Liberia (3) Niger

"When refugees are on the move they

KHARTOUM, Sept 1, 2006 (AFP) - Officials from Somalia's powerful Islamic movement and weak government met here separately Friday with Arab League mediators ahead of face-to-face talks aimed at easing tensions that threaten to plunge the anarchic nation into more chaos.

Arab and Sudanese diplomats, who are hosting the much-delayed second round of talks, shuttled between the deeply divided rival camps at the Khartoum hotel where the negotiations are due to formally open on Saturday, officials said.

Mediators were seeking to forge at least

Mogadishu has been quiet and calm since the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) took control of the city in June 2006.

People feel secure and safe despite the heightened political tension between UIC and the Transitional Federal Government. The UIC has taken control of most parts of Central/Southern Somalia.

Editors note: Talks took place between the two sides on 4 September in Khartoum, Sudan. An agreement was reached to unify armed groups allied to the TFG with forces loyal to the

Kenya- Food insecurity still extremely severe in pastoral areas- Highland cropping areas have reported a favourable harvest and prices have fallen in these areas. However, the rainy season has brought only modest improvements in marginal agricultural areas, where the harvest was poor. The situation is also still precarious in most of the pastoral areas, with high prevalence of acute malnutrition recorded in Mandera and Isiolo districts.

Somalia-Food insecurity persists-Somalia has suffered an upsurge in violence for some months, the Islamic Courts

As many communities in the Horn of Africa continue to suffer from the effects of drought and livelihood loss, a number

In Khartoum, the Sudanese government will be hosting open-ended Arab League-mediated negotiations that are to

Update of CPC Seasonal Outlooks at Four-Months Lead: December 2006 – February 2007 Forecasts

Southern Africa

There is a slight tilt in the odds favoring above normal rainfall over portions of eastern and central South Africa, and, locally, over northern and southwestern Angola. There is a low to moderate tilt in the odds favoring below normal rainfall across northern Mozambique, and the southern half of Malawi.