IGIHE

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  • Kenya Airport Head Removed After Blaze

    {{The contract of the managing director of Nairobi airport will end in October, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA)’s board has announced, a week after a devastating fire destroyed a large section of the capital’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), East Africa’s largest.}}

    In a statement released on Thursday, the board said Stephen Gichuki would “proceed on his terminal leave in accordance with the state corporations and regulations provisions”.

    The statement, published on KAA’s website, did not say Gichuki was being sent on leave in connection with the fire but it said the authority had decided to “follow due process” in hiring a new managing director.

    It added that the position would be advertised in the local media.

    Lucy Mbugua, who has been KAA’s general manager for marketing and business development, was named managing director in acting capacity, the statement said.

    A huge fire engulfed JKIA’s arrival hall on August 3, destroying the arrivals hall and causing the cancellation of dozens of flights.

    The airport reopened for domestic and cargo flights on the day the fire broke out, but only resumed international flights a day later after firefighters put out the blaze, which began as a small fire before it swelled into an inferno.

    {agencies}

  • UN Calls for ‘Maximum Restraint’ in Egypt

    {{The UN Security Council has called on the Egyptian government and the Muslim Brotherhood to exercise “maximum restraint”, after an emergency meeting.}}

    Thursday’s announcement comes a day after at least 578 people were killed when security forces broke up protest camps allied to the Muslim Brotherhood.

    The protesters had been demanding the reinstatement of President Mohamed Morsi, overthrown by the army on July 3.

    “The view of council members is that it is important to end violence in Egypt, and that the parties exercise maximum restraint,” Argentine UN Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval told reporters after the 15-member council met on the situation.

    The council was briefed on the situation in Egypt behind closed doors by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson.

    The meeting was jointly requested by council members France, Britain and Australia.

    Cairo’s military-backed rulers ordered the storming of pro-Morsi protest camps after dawn on Wednesday, six weeks after the army overthrew him.

    “The members first of all expressed their sympathy to the victims and regretted the loss of lives,” said Perceval, who is council president for August.

    “There was a common desire on the need to stop violence and to advance national reconciliation.”

    {agencies}

  • No action on BBC payouts, British Police Say

    {{Police have said no further action will be taken over allegations linked to payouts to senior BBC managers.}}

    The Metropolitan Police said an assessment of material found “insufficient evidence of dishonesty or criminal misconduct”.

    The force received allegations of misconduct and fraud over £25m paid to 150 outgoing executives.

    A National Audit Office (NAO) report found executives were not always entitled to the money.

    Conservative MP Rob Wilson called for a police investigation to examine whether any criminal offences took place at the BBC in the light of a damning report into the corporation’s £60m redundancy payouts to senior executives over the past eight years.

    In its report, published in July, the NAO found that the BBC spent £25m on severance payments for 150 senior staff in a three-year period up to December 2012 and £60m since 2005.

    The NAO found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing but criticised the BBC, saying the scale of the payments risked public trust.

    The NAO noted that former BBC director general George Entwistle was paid £475,000 after he announced his resignation in November 2012. This included three weeks’ salary worth £25,000 that was not part of his severance package of £450,000.

    In September 2012, the former chief operating officer, Caroline Thomson, left the BBC with a pay-off of £670,000, while the deputy director general Mark Byford received £949,000 when he departed in 2011.

    In a statement, the Met Police said: “These allegations have been carefully assessed by officers from the Fraud Squad, Specialist, Organised and Economic Crime Command.

    “The assessment, of available material, has concluded there is insufficient evidence of dishonesty or criminal misconduct to begin a criminal investigation, and the MPS will not be taking any further action.”

    {BBC}

  • US formally seeks extradition over child abuse images

    {{The US has formally requested the extradition of an Irish man described by the FBI as the “largest facilitator of child porn on the planet”.}}

    Eric Eoin Marques, 28, of Mountjoy Square in Dublin, is wanted on four charges linked to website images.

    He appeared before the High Court in Dublin on Thursday.

    The court heard a formal request for extradition has been received from the US and a certificate granted by Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

    Patrick McGrath, senior counsel for the Irish attorney general, said the accused – who has Irish and US citizenship – was wanted in connection with the advertising, distribution and conspiracy to advertise and distribute child pornography.

    The charges date from July 24, 2008 to July 29, 2013. He was arrested in Dublin on 31 July.

    He is accused of being the sole administrator of a hosting server where multiple websites were held and where it is alleged pornographic images were shared

    If convicted in the US he faces sentences of up to 30 years in prison.

    Mr Marques was arrested two weeks ago in the Irish capital on a provisional warrant and refused bail amid fears he was a flight risk and would interfere with evidence.

    Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, president of the High Court in Ireland, adjourned the case until 11 September and remanded Mr Marques in custody.

    Defence barrister Remy Farrell told the court he would apply for bail at the hearing.

    {agencies}

  • Rutsiro Residents Committed to Embrace Ndi Umunyarwanda Program

    {{Hundreds of residents from Rutsiro District in Western Province participated in Ndi Umunyarwanda session have committed to work towards Rwanda’s self-reliance.}}

    Rutsiro District pledged to work towards Rwanda’s self-reliance and embrace Ndi Umunyarwanda program and spread its message. They also agreed to support Genocide survivors in the society.

    An expert in Rwandan history, Kalisa Rugano told Rutsiro residents the origins and meanings of tribes and clans during the time of our encestors and how this meaning distorted during the colonialism.

    Edouard Bamporiki, the founder of Art for Peace testifies what he saw during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi; He stressed how he was invited to give a poem during the Genocide commemoration but he requested to give a testimony; then the gathering gave him a flow to testify what he saw in the genocide.

    Bamporiki noted that this was the beginning of his healing process.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Rosemary Mbabazi urged Rutsiro residents to contribute to development of the country by embracing the culture of hard working.

    She added that Ndi Umunyarwanda program emphasizes the importance of speaking the truth and continuously fighting to do what is right.

    The ultimate goal of Ndi Umunyarwanda is to build trust by telling and living the truth among peers (urungano) and pave way for them to be fully liberated and thus contribute to the development of the country; Building national identity.

    This is going to be achieved through a series of dialogue sessions with various categories of persons in society.

  • Libyan PM Ali Zeidan warns oil port protesters

    {{Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has threatened to use force to prevent guards striking at the country’s main ports from selling oil independently.}}

    He said any ship approaching the ports which does not have a contract with Libya’s official oil company would be “bombed from the sea or the air”.

    The workers have been striking over pay for several weeks.

    Officials say the protests have caused a drop in Libya’s oil exports and are harming the economy.

    “If the blockade of these oil terminals continues, the state will be obliged to use its power, and all the forces at its disposal, including the army,” Mr Zeidan warned.

    He said that the ports of Zeitunia, Brega, Ras Lanouf and Sedra had been closed by the protesters’ action.

    Oil Minister Abdelbari al-Arusi said that Libya had lost about $1.6bn (£1bn) in revenue since 25 July because of the disruption.

    Libya’s oil production has fallen from a peak of 1.6 million barrels per day to around 650,000, the lowest level since the uprising that ousted Col Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

    That in turn has been putting pressure on oil prices in global markets in recent weeks.

    {wirestory}

  • Rwanda Civil Society Condemns Human Rights Violations By Tanzania Govt Against Rwandans

    {{Following the recent decision by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to evict Rwandans living in Tanzania, more than four thousand (4,000) Rwandans expelled from Tanzania are now in transit camps in eastern Rwanda.}}

    This figure was confirmed by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees Affairs (MIDIMAR) during the site visit by a civil society platform delegation.

    The majority of the Rwandans evicted from Tanzania are children, women, aged people and other vulnerable people due to sicknesss as witnessed by the civil society delegation mentioned.

    Based on the facts collected from the ground by the delegation of the civil society platform; a notice of 14 days only was given to the survivors of the violence, and all of them were arbitrary deprived of their properties contrary to the provisions of the article 17 paragraph 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is a serious human rights violation they faced before eviction without any protection whatsoeveer.

    The delegation of the civil society platform that visited the transit refugee camps of Ndego, Rukara, Kiyanzi, Kigarama and Gacundezi and witnessed how the Rwandans evicted were first tortured, brutalized in many ways and some were injured by traditional weopons and guns.

    It was noted that some of the maniny consequences as reported by the survivors of he violence include but are not limted to; being separated from their families: there are many cases of women who were separated from thei children and husbands, many men were forced to leave their families, children wwere separated from their parents, etc. and may of them came with nothing in hands to live on;

    It was reported with disappointment that before eviction, media and some government officials circulated hate massages and engaged in hate speeches against Rwandans calling them snakes and other dehumanizing names, the exact ways the genocide ideology was propagated in Rwanda beefore the genocide against the tutsi, and further noted that this is dangerous behavior not only for Rwandans but also for Tanzanian People.

    It is worth mentioning here that these attitudes and actions of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania are completely contrary to the spirit and commitments of th united epublic of Tanzania with regard to international laws and conventions they personaly ratified, including:

    • The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Union on 11 July 1990;

    • Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989;

    • Convention against Racial Discrimination adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21st December 1965;

    • ICGLR Protocol for the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity and all forms of discrimination adopted on 29th November 2006;

    • The Universal Declaration of human rights;

    The Rwanda Civil Society Platform strongly condemns the various acts of human rights violation being perpetrated by the Government of Tanzania against Rwandans living in Tanzania, as these human rights violations hamper voluntary and peaceful returning of Rwandans, they deprive them of their human dignity and personal properties, and inflict much suffering to the survivors as they included severe tortures,

    We hereby request International Bodies and Organizations to which Tanzania is affiliated including the UN, the AU and EAC and other NGOs which protect human rights worldwide to take action to halt this situation as soon as possible, investigate the serious human rights violations committed against Rwandans living in Tanzania, to ensure safe repatriation of Rwandans who are yet to face the worst, and reunite families that are thus separated as well as restore their property rights,

    We hereby request that the United Republic of Tanzania be reminded of respecting international laws and conventions it ratified and refrain from committing human rights violations against Rwandans living in Tanzania, or else appropriate measures be taken accordingly against such irresponsible acts;

    We request the Government of Rwanda to initiate talks with the Government of Tanzania in order to ensure a safe repatriation of Rwandans living in Tanzania through bilateral cooperation as good neighbors and in the framework of East-African Community cooperation.

    We request that in the spirit of EAC integration process, appropriate laws be enacted and stringent measures be taken to ensure that such situation does not occur within and amongst EAC Member States in future, so that EAC development agendas are people-centered and the human rights principle are upheld rigorously,

    We hereby request that civil society organizations in Tanzania like East-African Civil society Organizations’ Forum (EACSOF) based in Arusha, the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation chairing the Civil Society Forum at the ICGLR based in Dar-es-Salaam, All Religious Denominations and Faith-Based Organizations and other human rights organizations based in Tanzania to request the Government of Tanzania to halt these human rights violations as soon as possible, and hold it accountable for human rights violation acts already committed,

    The Rwanda Civil Society Platform hereby makes a very urgent call for support for more than 4,000 Rwandans who survived human rights violations in Tanzania now in Rwanda.

    Any support from well wishers and humanitarian organizations is urgently needed for the survivors in Rukara, Kiyanzi and Gacundezi transit refugee camps in Eastern Rwanda.

    {{The Rwanda Civil Society platform

    Munyamaliza Edouard, Chairperson.}}

  • Rwanda Connection Launches 1st German-Rwandan Youth Meeting

    {{The first German-Rwandan Youth Meeting is scheduled to take place this month in the German cities of Berlin and Holzheim. }}

    The country wide meeting which will bring together young Germans and Rwandans is organized by Rwanda Connection, a Germany based youth network of young Rwandans and friends of Rwanda.

    Under the theme “Youth Engagement for Rwanda: From youths for youths, let’s move our world” meetings, cultural exhibitions and a conference are planned for the 24th August 2013 in the city of Holzheim and for 30th August 2013 in Germany’s capital Berlin.

    This was revealed during a preparation meeting that took place in Berlin this week. According to the organization’s project manager and coordinator, Marisa Twahirwa, the aim of this event is to highlight youth engagement for Rwanda and provide an opportunity for young people to exchange and learn from each other.

    “The German-Rwandan youth meeting will be the first of its kind. It will consist of meetings, a conference and a cultural evening. It’s our aim to enable Germans interested in Rwanda to experience Rwandan culture at first hand here in Germany, on the one hand. On the other hand, young Rwandans and Germans should get a public platform for exchanges.”

    Gisele Nubuhoro who is coordinating the cultural activities further said in a statement that the event is a great opportunity to share the richness of Rwandan culture with friends of Rwanda and bring together the Rwandan community in Germany. She called upon members of the community to participate actively.

    The activities for the two-day event will be realized thanks to the participation of different supporters, including the German Ministry of Development and Economic Cooperation and the Ministry of Interior of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate.

    Among the cooperation partners who will contribute to enrich the event’s programme are the Rwandan student association of Kaiserslautern (AERK), the youth network Ejo-Connect, Young Rwandan Professionals-Europe and the youth association “Akanyoni Kaguruka ” (Zugvögel e.V.).

    Other supporters and facilitators of the initiative include Isaro Foundation, Igihe Limited, Brussels Airlines and the Rwandan Diaspora association in Germany.

    The chairperson of Rwanda Connection, Elisabeth Kaneza, stated that this wide support is a significant sign for the promotion of youth engagement and a reflection of the unique friendship existing between Rwandans and Germans, as well as with other nations.

    “Young people matter. Across the globe, they are committed to changing the living conditions of other youths for the better. This event will celebrate their achievements and at the same time encourage other youths to do the same – to play a role in shaping a brighter future for all of us. Engagement requires examples and motivation.

    We need role models. We need young inspiring leaders. And we can find many of them in Rwanda and in Germany. It’s remarkable what young people have achieved for Rwanda by joining their hands together. This shouldn’t remain unnoticed. This is their time.”

    The event’s message is not limited to any location. Indeed, on the occasion of the German-Rwandan youth meeting Rwanda Connection is running a campaign titled “Rwanda in my heart” which calls upon youths to tell the world why they are engaged in Rwanda.

    Designed by Kigali based ICT-expert Akaliza Keza Gara, the campaign aims to showcase a selection of messages of young Rwandans and Germans during the event.

    Among the featured contributors are Isaro Foundation’s Jean Leon Iragena, Igihe’s Meilleur Murindabigwi and Rwandan App developer Sangwa Rwabuhihi. The campaign will be soon launched on Twitter and Facebook.

    The organizing committee calls upon Rwandans abroad, especially those living in Germany, to contribute to the success of this event by providing any ideas and facilitation possible.

    The team is still in need of more volunteers as well as contributors of Rwandan traditional items such as handcraft and fabrics to showcase the uniqueness of Rwandan culture.

    Rwandans from near and far are thus invited to attend the event and join the organizers in welcoming friends of Rwanda.

  • Ecuador Approves Yasuni Park Oil Drilling in Amazon Rainforest

    {{Ecuador has abandoned a conservation plan that would have paid the country not to drill for oil in previously untouched parts of Yasuni National Park in the Amazon rainforest.}}

    President Rafael Correa said rich nations had failed to back the initiative, leaving Ecuador with no choice but go ahead with drilling.

    The park is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

    Hundreds of people gathered in Quito to protest against Mr Correa’s decision.

    Oil exploitation has been taking place in parts of the Yasuni National Park, which covers nearly 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles), since the 1970s.

    Oil is Ecuador’s main export. Exploitation of the new area is expected to start in the coming weeks.

    {wirestory}

  • Japan July Exports Expected to Jump on Weak yen

    {{Japan’s exports are forecast to have grown in July at the fastest pace in almost three years, according to a Reuters poll, suggesting the benefits of a weak yen are finally starting to take hold.}}

    However, the trade balance is forecast to be in deficit for the 13th consecutive month in July, as the weak yen makes Japan surging energy imports even more expensive.

    An improvement in exports would help offset some disappointment over data released last week which showed economic growth slowed in the second quarter, and raised questions over how well Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s reflationary policies were working.

    “One concern is that oil prices are rising again, which will push up energy imports,” said Shuji Tonouchi, senior fixed income strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities.

    “Still, I expect a recovery in both the value and volume of exports to take hold. I think the trade deficit will improve.”

    Exports in the year to July rose a median 13.1 percent from a year ago, which would be the fastest increase since September 2010. The finance ministry will release the data on Monday.

    Economists will also closely scrutinize Japan’s exports to the United States to see if improvements in the world’s largest economy continue to help demand for Japanese goods.

    Japan’s exports to China could also provide clues as to the extent of a recent economic slowdown in the world’s second largest economy.

    China is Japan’s largest trading partner, though the United States was the biggest buyer of Japanese exports in the first half of this year.

    {agencies}