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  • EA region Lacks Local oil Expertise

    EA region Lacks Local oil Expertise

    {{East African countries are grappling with the challenge of how to fast-track training of oil and gas engineers after unexpected and continuing discoveries have positioned the region as a future global oil hot spot.}}

    Tanzania may have 40-billion cubic metres of gas, expected to double by 2015, while Uganda has an estimated 3.5-billion barrels of oil. Kenya’s deposits may be up to 10-billion barrels, according to Tullow Oil’s chief operating officer Paul McDade.

    Authorities in the region have been putting pressure on exploration companies to start pumping oil and gas.

    The lure for money and agitation for equity in distribution of oil and gas wealth by local communities have reduced focus on the priority issue of training local oil and gas human resources, industry players said.

    The dearth in local experts has paved the way for skilled labour from the Middle East and West Africa where oil and gas extraction is already established.

    In the meantime, locals could watch from the sidelines as expatriates take dominant positions when oil and gas pumping starts by 2016, a rough date set by Tullow Oil.
    “Our universities rarely teach oil and gas courses.

    We need international partnerships to start such training here,” said Petroleum Institute of East Africa CE Wanjiku Manyara.

    The exact number of qualified oil and gas engineers in three East Africa countries — Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania — is not known but engineering associations say it is less than 20.

    NMG

  • M23 Rebels Vow to Defend Territory under Their Control

    M23 Rebels Vow to Defend Territory under Their Control

    {{The M23 rebels in DRCongo have this morning announced that their fighters are engaged in a fierce battle against a coalition of Congolese forces, UN intervention brigade and FDLR rebels.

    According to a statement released by the M23 rebels, the allout attack on their positions is seen as a rapture of the Kampala peace talks and an invitation of an allout war.}}

    Below is a full statement from the M23 rebels

    {The leadership of the Movement of March 23 informs the national and international opinion that the Congolese Government has just decided to launch, this morning, a large-scale offensive on all the positions of the Movement of 23 Mars to the North of Goma.

    Several FARDC and FDLR infantry brigades alongside U.N. special intervention brigade troops , beefed up by dozens of Tanks and helicopter gunships, troops of the Brigade of Intervention including, have simultaneously been fielded. They are right now exchanging fires with our troops on the KANYARUCINYA-KIBATI and MUTAHO axis.

    Our Movement reckons that the option of the violence made by the Government of Kinshasa for the resolution of this conflict is a clear decision to rupture the Kampala peace talks from which all the Congolese delegates were ordered to pull out some time back.

    The Movement of March 23, which unreservedly chose the path of dialogue, is now regrettably compelled to defend itself against the government, FDLR and U.N. coalition. We call on the entire Congolese national community and the international community to witness the consequences of this unjust and useless war for which the Congolese Government along with its partners bear total responsibility.

    Our Movement regrets that the strategy we adopted consisting in not drawing advantage from the losses we inflicted upon the enemy, and to content ourselves only with the defense of our positions, as determined by the Declaration of the ICGLR Heads of State on November 24th, 2013, was reckoned as a sign of weakness. This has regrettably induced the Government’s violence option.

    We invite all the populations living within the confines of the area protected by the Movement of March 23 to remain at peace. Our forces have been given strict orders to defend our territory and ensure the protection of all the inhabitants and their property.

    God save our People.}

    Done at Bunagana, August 28, 2013

    The Chairman of the Movement of March 23

    Bertrand BISIMWA

  • EALA Retains Rotational Sittings

    EALA Retains Rotational Sittings

    {{EALA Members on Thursday resolved to continue with the rotational sittings in the Partner States. The debate on the Resolution of the Assembly to decide the issue of rotational sittings in the Partner States concluded in the affirmative with amendments, in effect giving the rotational principle a nod. }}

    The motion moved by Hon Peter Mathuki and seconded by Hon Dr James Ndahiro reiterated that rotational sittings were a laudable practice of the Assembly supported by all the Heads of State of the EAC and that no individual or group had to date challenged the issue.

    The mover maintained that in addition, rotational sittings enable regular interactions with the Speakers of respective National Assemblies and that EALA further understands the aspirations and concerns of East Africans.

    ‘Rotations capture spirit and aspiration of the summit members going by their previous address to the assembly and through their addresses they have guided the assembly that rotational sittings are good for the people of East Africa’ Hon Mathuki noted.

    According to the Resolution, Article 55(1) of the Treaty to remain in force-it states that it is the meetings of the Assembly shall be held at such times and places as the Assembly may appoint.

    The procedure of rotational sittings was mooted by the 2nd Assembly during the tenure of the Speaker Emeritus, Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi.

    ‘The matter has lately attracted media attention/speculation in all the Partner States thus misguiding the public on the way forward, according to Hon Mathuki. The media speculation has adversely affected the integrity of the whole house’ the legislator maintained.

    On Wednesday, debate on the matter was halted immediately after the submission by Hon Abdullah Mwinyi following a quorum hitch. Hon Abdullah Mwinyi stated the Rules of Procedure and Administration of EALA Act clearly stipulate the role of the EALA Commission and that they needed to urgently address the predicament.

    ‘I also urge all colleagues to respect the Office of the Speaker as by doing so, we also respect ourselves’, he added.

    Hon Dr. James Ndahiro remarked that Article 55 succinctly gave guidance on the matter with respect to sitting in other Partner States. The practice of rotation has enabled the Assembly to get closer to the people. They now appreciate and understand integration more. The Address by the Heads of State is unrivalled as well.

    When debate resumed today, Hon Dan Kidega supported the motion but with amendments that two Sittings be held in Arusha (the Budget Session and review audit of the audited accounts of the EAC) with the other four remaining meetings in all the Partner States.

    Hon Kidega proposed that the EALA Commission would determine the venues of the rotational sittings in the calendar year.

    Under Rule 11 (7) of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, the Assembly may on a Resolution adopted by a majority of its Members decide to hold one or more Sittings elsewhere within the Partner States other than at its seat.

    NV Photo

  • Security Council Statement on DRCongo

    Security Council Statement on DRCongo

    {{The following Security Council statement was issued by Council President María Cristina Perceval ( Argentina):}}

    On 22 August 2013, the members of the Security Council heard a briefing by Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    The members of the Security Council condemned the resumption of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    They condemned in the strongest terms the repeated and targeted attacks by the M23 against civilians and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), which have led to civilian casualties and loss of life, the death of a peacekeeper and the injury of several others, and damage to a MONUSCO ambulance.

    The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the family of the peacekeeper killed in the attack, as well as to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and to MONUSCO.

    They called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

    They recalled that intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a peacekeeping mission in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, as long as they are entitled to the protection given to civilians or civilian objects under the international law of armed conflict, constitutes a crime under international law.

    They reiterated their demand to M23 and other armed groups, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), to cease immediately all forms of violence and that their members immediately and permanently disband and lay down their arms.

    In this regard, they reiterated their readiness to adopt additional targeted sanctions against those acting in violation of the sanctions regime and the arms embargo.

    The members of the Security Council also expressed concern at reports of repeated mortar shells and bombs from Democratic Republic of the Congo territory landing in Rwandan territory, and called for a thorough investigation into the sources of these shells and bombs by the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM).

    The members of the Security Council commended the active steps taken by MONUSCO to implement its mandate, in particular the protection of civilians, and encouraged the continuation of these efforts.

    They welcomed Special Representative of the Secretary-General Kobler’s order to the force to take all necessary actions to protect civilians. They emphasized that any effort to undermine MONUSCO’s ability to implement its mandate will not be tolerated.

    UNSC

  • Mbeki Attacks Mugabe’s ‘chaotic’ land reform

    Mbeki Attacks Mugabe’s ‘chaotic’ land reform

    {{Former president Thabo Mbeki has taken a swipe at Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s chaotic land reform programme, saying the Zanu-PF leader had “set a bad example which we don’t want any country in Africa to follow”.}}

    Mbeki said this during a Thabo Mbeki African Leadership Institute presentation at the University of South Africa in Pretoria last Friday, a day after attending Mugabe’s inauguration in Harare.

    “The way the land reform was done offended other players in the world. I told them [Mugabe and Zanu-PF], they could not listen; they did what they wanted with their own country.

    They set a bad example which we don’t want any country in Africa to follow. So they must pay a price. I think this is the reason why, apart from diamonds, there is too much attention on Zimbabwe.” he said.

    Integrity of Africa

    The former South African leader also blasted the West for refusing to endorse the Zimbabwean polls when Africa had done so, claiming such actions were tantamount to undermining the integrity of Africa.

    Mugabe won last month’s elections by 61% votes, but his rival Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai immediately challenged the poll outcome citing several irregularities.

    Tsvangirai later filed a Constitutional Court application challenging Mugabe’s victory, but withdrew the petition arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had denied him access to the poll material which he wanted to support his case.

    “Yes, indeed there were problems, but we did not need Washington, Brussels and London to say Africans were wrong in endorsing the elections. I know why the special interest in Zimbabwe, a small country by any standards.

    Zimbabwe has been on the frontline in calling for Africa to determine its future. It’s high time Zimbabwe should be supported in order to put an end to that African contempt.”

    Mbeki helped broker a power sharing agreement between the MDC and Zanu-PF following a disputed election in 2008 which left at least 200 people dead.

    – News24

  • South Africa Defence to Give Briefing on DRC

    South Africa Defence to Give Briefing on DRC

    {{The South African defence department is expected to brief the media in Pretoria on Friday about the deployment of SA National Defence Force troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).}}

    Last week, President Jacob Zuma informed Parliament that 1 345 soldiers had been deployed to the DRC as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in the eastern DRC.

    The deployment of the FIB followed the passing of a UN resolution in March authorising a force to intervene in cases where negative forces threatened people’s lives and property in the east of the DRC.

    Zuma said on Thursday that no South African soldiers had been critically wounded in clashes with rebels in the DRC.

    “Three of our soldiers have been injured in the conflict since the weekend, largely from shrapnel wounds. None have been seriously wounded,” Zuma told reporters at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

    “Our soldiers are well-trained and are ready for their responsibilities towards building a better and more peaceful Africa. South Africa has deployed troops in fulfilment of our international obligations towards the United Nations,” he said.

    news24

  • Kenya:Human Head found at Police Commission HQ

    Kenya:Human Head found at Police Commission HQ

    {{A freshly chopped head of a man has been found in a box that was left outside the National Police Service Commission offices in Nairobi.}}

    The carton had the writing – Kavuludi you are next – which detectives have interpreted as death threat to the Commission’s chairman Johnston Kavuludi.

    A pair of hands chopped from the wrist was also found in the box, together with the head which was covered with blood.

    The box that was wrapped in a yellow polythene bag was abandoned for about two hours before police were alerted.

    It was dropped on a flower bed, just outside Luther Plaza, where the Mr Kavuludi’s office is situated off Nyerere Road near the University of Nairobi.

    Nairobi police chief Benson Kibui linked the incident to an earlier one where a torso, was found in a farm in Ruai.

    The Torso had the head and hands missing.

    “Judging by the decapitation of the head and hands, we can be able to connect. We shall start by seeking the identity of the victim, then we find the killers and establish their motive,” said Mr Kibui.

    Workers at the Commission told police that the carton was dropped there at around 4pm, and the police chief said his officers were alerted two hours later.

    Officers from the nearby Central Police station who were the first to arrive at the scene sealed it off and called in their colleagues from the Bomb Disposal Unit.

    “The experts did not detect any explosives and so scene of crime analysts took over and found the head,” Mr kibui added.

    He estimated the deceased was 30 years old.

  • Windows 8.1 update Coming October 18

    Windows 8.1 update Coming October 18

    {{Microsoft says that Windows 8.1 — the first major update to it’s radically altered operating system — will arrive as a free update to existing users on October 18.}}

    The new update is not another huge re-imagining of Windows in the way that Windows 8 was. Instead, it focuses on a handful of substantial improvements to its touch-friendly user interface, such as improved multitasking and a better Start screen.

    More importantly, this update will mark a lot of firsts for Microsoft.

    Windows 8.1 will be the first annual, incremental update to add new features to Windows, and it will be the first time new features will be added for free.

    Although the company has previously issued “Service Pack” updates for Windows, those mostly consisted of bug fixes and security updates.

    There are good reasons for Microsoft’s new approach to updates.

    The old strategy made sense in the era of CD-ROMs, but software updates can now more consistently and effectively reach consumers via the internet. It makes sense to roll out upgrades and improvements when they’re ready, instead of waiting for a huge release every three to five years.

    And since Microsoft is pushing towards becoming more of a devices and services company, it needs to more tightly the Windows 8 experience.

    The easiest way to get people on board with that? Give updates away for free.

    It may seem odd that Microsoft is just handing out its market-dominating PC operating system for free, when even Apple still charges for OS X. But times are changing.

    Mobile OS updates are always free, and Microsoft built Windows 8 to work just as well on a tablet as on a desktop. Charging for an incremental update would deter a large subset of Windows 8 users from bothering with the update at all.

    Instead, when October 18 rolls around, Windows 8 users will have little reason to avoid the prompt to update its system software. It will make computing easier for everyone.

    For the first time, Microsoft will offer a free Windows update

  • US Told to Remove Sudan From List of Terrorism-sponsoring states

    US Told to Remove Sudan From List of Terrorism-sponsoring states

    {{The United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday phoned his Sudanese counterpart Ali Kart to inform him officially of President Barack Obama’s decision to appoint Ambassador Donald Booth as his special envoy for north and south Sudan.}}

    the White House made the announcement on Booth’s pick while stressing that “supporting peace between and within Sudan and South Sudan remains a priority” for his administration.

    It noted Booth’s experience with African affairs given his tenures in Ethiopia, Liberia and Zambia.

    According to Sudan official news agency (SUNA), Kerry told Karti that the new envoy will be tasked mainly with helping resolve outstanding issues between north and south Sudan as well as improving bilateral relations between Washington and Khartoum.

    The Sudanese top diplomat on his end expressed hope that Booth will focus on steps to normalize ties that would eventually result in fulfilling previous pledges by the Obama administration of removing Sudan’s name from the list of states that sponsor terrorism and lifting economic sanctions.

    Prior to South Sudan’s referendum on statehood in early 2011, Washington promised Khartoum to delist Sudan from terrorism-sponsoring states if it facilitates the vote and let it be conducted peacefully.

    South Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating their own state and Sudan was the first country to swiftly to recognize their new neighbor.

    But conflicts that emerged later in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile prompted the US to shy away from its earlier promises much to the frustration of Sudanese officials.

    In 1993 Sudan was placed in the US terrorism list on allegations of harboring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets. Despite close cooperation on counterterrorism issues over the last decade which Washington repeatedly acknowledged, Khartoum remained on this blacklist.

    Sudan is also subject to comprehensive economic sanctions since 1997 over terrorism charges and human right abuses. Further sanctions, particularly on weapons, have been imposed since the 2003 outbreak of violence in the western Darfur region.

    Neither the White House nor Kerry made any reference to the prospects of lifting sanctions on Sudan in their statements regarding Booth’s appointment.

    ST

  • Samsung launches Android Tablet for Children

    Samsung launches Android Tablet for Children

    {{Samsung Electronics has continued to try and fill every single possible niche with a dedicated product, and has now launched a child friendly version of its Galaxy Tab 3 tablet.}}

    Samsung said that the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids was built specifically for children with the educational tools and safety features parents want.

    “It’s no secret that kids are using technology more than ever before,” said JK Shin, CEO and Head of IT & Mobile Communication at Samsung Electronics.

    “We saw an opportunity to create a device just for kids that provides them with an intuitive, fun and kid-friendly user experience filled with rich, interactive and educational content that parents will love.”

    Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids comes pre-loaded with top ranked chidren’s apps and brand new Kid’s Store aimed at driving the educational possibilities of technology for kids.

    Pre-loaded content includes educational, games, entertainment and e-book apps. The tablet also offers parents the ability to select the apps they want their kids to have access to using the Application Manager.

    The tablet also includes a Time Management feature that allows parents to set specific time periods for use.

    When the designated use time is up, a password protected lock screen appears, requiring a parent or adult to enter the password to unlock the device. This tool will help parents ensure the time their children spend on smart devices is balanced.

    Technical specifications include a 1.2GHz dual processor, 1GB RAM, 3 megapixel front-facing camera and 1.3 megapixel rear-facing camera.

    The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids will be available in Korea in early September and subsequently available elsewhere.