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Scramble for Zimbabwe Ethanol

{{Some SADC countries are scrambling for Chisumbanje ethanol as the world embraces environmentally-friendly fuels amid indications that South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi have approached Green Fuel with a view to sealing deals. }}

This comes barely a week after Zimbabwe raised its ethanol blending ratio with petrol to 10 percent, with indications the figure will gradually increase.

Zimbabwe uses 1,5 million litres of petrol daily and with such a blending ratio of 90 percent, unleaded petrol and 10 percent ethanol, it means only 150 000 litres of ethanol will be used out of over half a million litres produced daily.

Green Fuel, which runs the Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant, is a joint venture between the Agricultural Rural Development Authority, Macdom Investments and Rating.

In an interview on the sidelines of a tour of Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant by Tanzanian People’s Defence Forces chief General Davis Adolf Mwamunyange on Wednesday, Green Fuel general manager Mr Graham Smith said other countries were after the ethanol.

“We have been approached by Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa which have introduced blending of petrol to ethanol at varying levels,” he said.

Mr Smith said Green Fuel had potential to become a key regional exporter of ethanol, earning the country millions of US dollars.

The company — whose operations were strangled by the inclusive Government — is now up and running with capacity to produce 120 million litres of ethanol a year, securing over 4 500 jobs.

herald

October 19, 2013
New RDB Chief Executive Officer takes Oath

{{President Paul Kagame has reminded Government officials to carry on joining their strength if the country is to continue achieving more benefits for every Rwandan citizen. }}

The President made the remarks while presideding over the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Amb. Valentine Rugwabiza Sendanyoye also a Member of the Cabinet.

A former deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since October 2005 Amb. Rugwabiza also served as Rwanda’s envoy to the United Nations in Geneva.

Before her diplomatic position, Amb. Rugwabiza had a long career in the private sector, where she occupied senior managerial positions in the private sector, in Rwanda and abroad.

RDB was created to fast track country’s development through investment. It overseas business registration and laying policies that facilitate doing business in Rwanda.

October 19, 2013
Rwandan Listed For Global Innovation Award

{{A Rwandan has been short-listed for an international innovation award for inventing an environmentally-friendly power device.}}

Henry Nyakarundi’s solar-powered device that charges cell phones has been short-listed among 23 projects for the global ‘Empowering People Awards.’

The winning project will be announced later this month.

Nyakarundi’s project was selected from the more than 800 entries that were made by individuals and firms from across the world.

According to Rolf Huber, the managing director of Siemens Stiftung, the initiator of the awards, the selection process was conducted by an international jury of experts, based on aspects such as technical quality, environmental impact, social and economic relevancy of the project submitted.

“Our aim is to recognise the most promising technological solutions and products suitable for solving basic problems of ordinary people in developing countries,” Huber is quoted in a statement.

The statement adds that voting for finalists will be online and open to public from 90 countries worldwide.

The winner will walk home with Euro 50,000 (about Rwf45 million), while the first and second runners-up will bag Euro 30,000 (about Rwf27 million and Euro 20,000 (about Rwf18 million), respectively.

Twenty other ‘best losers’ in the competition will receive Euro 5,000 (about Rwf4.5 million) each.

“I am glad that at last, four years of vigorous research and testing to develop this product have been recognised0,” Nyakarundi said.

“However, I cant celebrate now because a lot of work still has to be done to go through the final phase, but I am confident.”

source: {Newtimes}

October 19, 2013
Kagame, Great Lakes Envoys Discuss Conclusion of Kampala Talks

President Kagame on October 18, received a delegation of five Great Lakes Envoys led by UNSG Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Mary Robinson, and including Russ Feingold, US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the DRC; Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO; Koen Vervaeke, Senior EU Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region; and Boubacar Diarra, Special Representative of the African Union to the Great Lakes Region.

President Kagame expressed his full support for the continued efforts of the Great Lakes Envoys towards the conclusion of the Kampala talks within the agreed timeline:

“This window of opportunity should not be lost. The two parties involved should take advantage of international and regional goodwill to resolve this crisis. It is time that we focus our effort on unlocking the potential for peace and development in the region.”

Speaking to the press following the meeting with President Kagame, UNSG Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Mary Robinson shared her optimism for the peaceful resolution of the DRC crisis:

“We are not parties to the talks but we have been very supportive of a good resolution and we now return to Kampala hopeful to see that resolution. We have a strong indication of support from President Kagame.”

The envoys objective was to brief President Kagame on their support for the ongoing talks in Kampala between the Government of DRC and M23 as well as the progress of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC. The envoys returned to Uganda from Kigali and will continue on to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mary Baine said the envoys also told President Kagame that MONUSCO was committed to address the issue of other armed groups including FDLR and that they understand that sustainable peace in Eastern Congo will only be possible if all armed groups are held accountable.

The delegation included Mary Robinson, UNSG Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Russ Feingold, US Special Envoy for the Great Lakes and the DRC, Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of MONUSCO, Koen Vervaeke, Senior EU Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region, Boubacar Diarra, Special Representative of the African Union to the Great Lakes Region and Modibo Touré, Special Advisor to the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region.

October 19, 2013
Journalists Urged to Report on Climate Change

{{Increased media coverage of climate Change would create more awareness among citizens in the region and thus generate a response that would curb its dangers.}}

This was disclosed in Kigali at a forum of climate change journalists that attracted participants from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Zambia.

Patrick Luganda, the forum’s chairman said “I encourage Rwanda meteorology agency to train Rwandan journalists on how to write about climate, or environment in different regions.”

Mr. Luganda added that “Journalists are also supposed to seek news on small manufacturers and corporations work, because they also create greenhouse pollutants, or reduce the amount of oxygen in the air.”

This forum of climate change journalists in eastern and southern Africa (FCCJESA) seeks to have knowledgeable journalists to report on climate change professionally in the next 5years.

October 19, 2013
Anti-Drug Campaign Launched in Schools

{{Police has launched a country wide campaign in schools to discourage students from abusing drugs. The exercise is conducted by the directorate of community policing.}}

The campaign will cover 100 secondary schools, 20 from each province based on the level of drug abuse and indiscipline cases reported in districts where the schools are located. The target group is students of senior one to senior six.

According to the Director of Community Policing Senior Superintendent W.M Higiro, Community Policing has helps reduce drug abuse and related crimes through information sharing from anti- drug clubs in schools.

He said students will soon go into a three-month holiday. During the holidays, students tend to engage in bad acts such as drug abuse and premature sexual behaviours. This is the right time to sensitize them about the effects of drug abuse.

SSP Higiro further said that campaign is intended to instill a lasting impact on their behavior. “It will also help in crime reduction, cut down unwanted pregnancies and reduction of spread of HIV and other STD,” he said.

source: RNP

October 19, 2013
Downstream Countries to Hold talks with Ethiopia Over Dam Row

{{Officials from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan will meet next week to commence discussions over concerns about a massive hydropower plant project that Addis Ababa wants to build on the Nile River.}}

“The meeting is scheduled to take place on 22 October between officials of the three countries”, said Fekahmed Negash, boundary and trans-boundary rivers affairs director at the ministry of water, irrigation and energy.

According to Negash, the three parties will discuss ways of implementing the final recommendations announced in June by the international panel of experts who were tasked to assess the possible impacts of Ethiopia’s grand renaissance dam project on downstream countries.

In their final findings, a panel of 10 experts conclused that the dam project won’t have a significant effect on lower riparian countries.

Following the report’s release, Sudan accepted the final findings and even offered to send experts and technicians to help with the construction of the dam.

However, Egypt has refused to accept the report’s conclusions, calling for more studies and consultations with Ethiopia and Sudan.

The meeting, which has previously been cancelled twice before, will be held in Khartoum.

According to the ministry, the tripartite meeting will be the first since the international panel of experts submitted their final findings to the governments of the three countries.

The panel’s report hasn’t yet been made public, but Negash says experts recommended further studies to analyse the impact of the dam on Egypt’s water use and future Nile dams to be built by Sudan and Ethiopia.

Egypt fears that the $4.6-billion mega dam project, which Ethiopia is building near the Sudanese border, would diminish water flows to its territory and insists that its historic water rights be respected.

The Nile River, of which Ethiopia sources 85%, is a lifeline to over 90% of Egyptians.

When the 6,000 megawatt plant is completed, Ethiopia plans to sell clean and cheap energy to neighbouring countries, including Egypt.

The project, which Ethiopia is fully funding from its own coffers, is currently 23% completed.

{sudantribune}

October 19, 2013
Single Visa Set to Boost EAC Tourism – Uhuru

{{The East African region is set to attract an increasing number of tourists following proposals to have a joint tourist visa.}}

President Uhuru Kenyatta said Kenya is working with its neighbours to come up with a single visa that will enable tourists to visit all the five East African Community member states.

“We are also working on a joint marketing strategy so that as we sell Kenya as a tourist destination, we will also be selling all the attractions that the region has to offer,” President Kenyatta said.

The President underscored the importance of tourism, saying it generates around 12pc of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product and accounts for about 9pc of the country’s total formal employment.

He said his administration is focused on enhancing the country’s competitiveness in the sector to increase the number of tourists visiting Kenya every year.

“Specifically, we have committed to promote Kenya as a destination, rather than a stop-over, and to attract at least three million tourists annually,” he said.

President Kenyatta called for additional investment in hotel and other tourism-related infrastructure as the Government scales up interconnectivity through port, rail, and road infrastructure.

He singled out the ongoing expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the opening of the expanded Kisumu Airport as some of the initiatives to increase the country’s capacity to receive more visitors.

“Airstrips in our major safari destinations have also been refurbished. As a result, the tourists will soon be able to traverse Magical Kenya with ease and in a manner that enables them to optimize their safari experience,” he said.

He assured the Kenya tourism Board of increased budgetary allocation to enable it to promote a diversified range of domestic destinations.

President Kenyatta also said his administration has put in place measures to counter terrorism and other security threats.

He said the Government is vigilant and has embarked on heavy investment in security to ensure the safety of Kenyans and tourists.

“We are vigilant and are effectively countering all security threats to keep Kenya safe. We are investing heavily in our security to protect the whole country,” he said.

President Kenyatta said the Government will continue to mobilise international support to fight terrorism. He urged international partners to desist from issuing travel advisories which compounded the negative impact of terrorism.

To protect the country’s wildlife, the President said intensive lobbying is ongoing to stop the trade in poached animal products including ivory and rhino horns.

He said the illegal trade was decimating wildlife populations and compromising the region’s competitive advantage.

“We will complement this effort by increasing the capacity of the Kenya Wildlife Services to effectively curb poaching through intensified and focused investment in equipment, personnel and specialized intelligence,” he said.

The President spoke on Friday at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre when he opened the 3rd edition of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo.

More than 150 companies from all parts of the world were represented at the tourism exposition.

Speaking during the occasion, East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie said the expo was an important platform to promote the country’s tourism sector.

“It enables us to build partnerships that are instrumental to our growth as spelt out in our Vision 2030. It is both an exposition of opportunities and an interaction of possibilities for those who have attended,” Kandie said.

On his part, Kenya Tourism Board Managing Director Muriithi Ndegwa said the expo is meant to showcase Kenya as a tourism destination.

Ndegwa says over 100 tourism marketing companies from the world are in the country to sample tourism destinations in the country in bid to sell Kenya as a tourism destination to their clients.

He said the expo will also hold a seminar for the companies on various issues in the tourism sector.

{Capitalfm}

October 19, 2013
Angolan Troops Enter Congo, ‘Kidnap Soldiers

{{Angolan troops have crossed into neighbouring Congo-Brazzaville and taken a number of the country’s soldiers hostage, a senior Congolese officer said on Thursday.}}

The Angolan soldiers entered Congo’s southwestern Kimongo district from the Angolan enclave of Cabinda on Sunday, Colonel Christian Sansa, a senior commander with Congo’s gendarmes deployed in the area, told reporters.

“They claim they are in their own country’s territory. We think it’s a problem of their unfamiliarity with the borders,” he said.

Sansa said Congo-Brazzaville (also known as the Republic of Congo) had deployed soldiers to the area after learning of the incursion but they were quickly subdued by the Angolan forces.

“Our soldiers were surrounded by the Angolan soldiers, and as we speak there has been no change in that situation,” he said.

{{Rebels}}

The Angolan troops were pursuing rebels belonging to the separatist group the Front for the Liberation of the Cabinda Enclave (FLEC) when they crossed into Congolese territory, local journalist Hermann Bouess told reporters.

“Among the arrested soldiers, there are a colonel and a captain,” added Bouess.

French broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported that as many as 40 Congolese soldiers had been detained by the Angolans. Citing anonymous local sources, RFI said Angolan troops were controlling five positions in the area.

Angola’s ambassador in the Congolese capital Brazzaville told journalists on Thursday that he was still seeking information on what, if anything, had happened along the border, but denied that Angolan soldiers had detained Congolese personnel.

“It’s not true. It’s false. But you know that at any border there is always friction either among the population or with the services charged with monitoring the border,” said the ambassador, Fernando Pedro Mavunza.

The incident highlights tensions around Angola’s Cabinda province, which is separated from the rest of Angola and surrounded by Congo-Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Though small, Cabinda accounts for much of Angola’s oil production, which makes the country the second largest exporter in Africa. The FLEC and other separatist rebel movements have fought Angolan troops since independence in 1975.

{agencies}

October 19, 2013
Jacob Zuma talks Mandela, Marikana & ICC

{{South African President Jacob Zuma described his ageing predecessor Nelson Mandela as a “fighter” whose health was showing sings of improvement in an exclusive interview with media on Friday.}}

“He’s a fighter. I think even the doctors admitted he is a born fighter because I think he has been able really to fight as he has done and really to a stage where you are able to see progress,” Zuma told meida the South African capital of Pretoria.

“(Mandela) does things other people could not do, and I think even the doctors admit that he is an amazing kind of man,” added Zuma.

Almost 15 years after Mandela left the country’s highest office, Zuma has established control over the African National Congress and South Africa’s political landscape, despite drawing criticism over alleged authoritarianism and corruption.

Zuma also addressed controversial topics such as the massacre of striking miners at Marikana last year, the future of the International Criminal Court, and next year’s general election.

“We are confident that we could win,” Zuma said about the poll that could see him retain his grip on power until the end of the decade. “We’ll win the elections. I think from our point of view, there’s no question about it.”

{wirestory}

October 19, 2013