Author: IGIHE

Shedding light on Earth’s first animals

{Complex and highly regulated development of Dickinsonia, one of the oldest fossil animals, broadens our understanding of early evolution}

More than 550 million years ago, the oceans were teeming with flat, soft-bodied creatures that fed on microbes and algae and could grow as big as bathmats. Today, researchers at the University of California, Riverside are studying their fossils to unlock the secrets of early life.

In their latest study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, Scott Evans, a graduate student in the Department of Earth Sciences, and Mary Droser, a professor of paleontology, both in UCR’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, show that the Ediacaran-era fossil animal Dickinsonia developed in a complex, highly regulated way using a similar genetic toolkit to today’s animals. The study helps place Dickinsonia in the early evolution of animal life, and showcases how the large, mobile sea creature grew and developed.

Dickinsonia was a flat, oval-shaped creature that ranged in size from less than an inch to several feet, and is characterized by a series of raised bands — known as modules — on its surface. These animals are of interest to paleontologists because they are the first to become large and complex, to move around, and form communities, yet little is known about them. For years, scientists have been debating the taxonomic status of Dickinsonia — placing it with fungi, marine worms and jellyfish, to name a few. It is now generally accepted that Dickinsonia was an animal, now extinct.

“Part of this study was trying to put Dickinsonia in context in the development of early life. We wanted to know if these creatures were part of a group of animals that survived or a failed evolutionary experiment. This research adds to our knowledge about these animals and our understanding of life on Earth as an artifact of half a billion years of evolution,” Droser said.

To study Dickinsonia, the researchers travelled to South Australia’s desert outback, which was once underwater and is now home to an abundance of Ediacaran fossils.

They measured the size, shape and structure of almost 1,000 specimens of Dickinsonia costata, paying attention to the number and size of the modules. The work was done in collaboration with James Gehling of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, Australia, who is a coauthor on the paper.

The study showed that Dickinsonia’s development, and particularly that of the modules, was complex and systematic to maintain the oval shape of the animal. The accumulation of new modules, by a process called terminal addition, suggests that Dickinsonia developed in a related way to bilaterians, a complex group that display bilateral symmetry, including animals ranging from flies and worms to humans. However, the researchers do not believe Dickinsonia was ancestrally related to bilaterians, since it lacked other features that most bilaterians share, most notably a mouth, gut and anus.

“Although we saw some of the hallmark characteristics of bilateral growth and development, we don’t believe Dickinsonia was a precursor to today’s bilaterians, rather that these are two distinct groups that shared a common set of ancestral genes that are present throughout the animal lineage,” Evans said. “Dickinsonia most likely represents a separate group of animals that is now extinct, but can tell us a lot about the evolutionary history of animals.”

Source:Science Daily

May 18, 2017
Presidential aspirant Mpayimana challenges Mbanda’s decision

{Presidential aspirant Mpayimana Philippe has said he won’t be discouraged by aspirants withdrawing from the presidential race as every contender has own national development targets.}

Mpayimana made the statement today in an exclusive interview with IGIHE as he responded to the withdrawal of Jean Mbanda who recently abandoned his presidential ambitions saying all his would-be agenda have been achieved by the current leadership.

“That man considered his self-interests but I am concerned with thoughts and wishes of many Rwandans. If he analyzed and found his ambitions in tandem with what has been achieved by the current leadership, that is up to him,” he told IGIHE.

Mbanda recently told IGIHE that he made the decision of abandoning presidential ambitions after reading three inspiring documents; Foundations of Social Democratic Party (PSD), Seven Year Government Plan (2010-2017) and another on ethics guiding a politician.

He said that the Seven Year Government Program document convinced him that his presidential manifesto has been implemented by the current government and therefore finds no need to stand.

Presidential aspirant Mpayimana Philippe has said the withdrawal of Jean Mbanda from presidential candidates should be taken as an independent decision not necessary to emulate because everyone one has own ambitions.

May 17, 2017
MTN Rwanda breaches license obligations, fined a hefty $8.5M by RURA

{Rwandan telecommunications regulator, the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) has fined MTN Rwanda, the country’s largest telecom operator by market share, Rwf7 billion (approximately USD 8.5 Million) for breach of license obligations.}

The Authority says MTN Rwanda Limited implemented IT managed services under an MTN Regional hub outside the country which was in contravention of the directive issued by RURA.

“MTN Rwanda Limited proceeded with this implementation despite having discussed the matter with the regulator and having been warned that such action would constitute a serious breach of license obligations,” reads part of a statement released by RURA.

“By doing so, MTN Rwanda breached its license obligations requiring it to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and any other regulatory instruments issued by the competent Authority,” the statement further reads.

The details of the directive issued by the regulator however remain unknown.

The statement indicates that RURA, on May 4th gave MTN the opportunity for a hearing where they were informed of the breach and allowed to defend themselves.

MTN reportedly admitted to the breach and accepted to pay the fine.

MTN Group has released statement indicating that the fines are related to failure to respect obligations restricting to match MTN Rwanda technology with MTN database from Southern and Eastern Africa based in Uganda.

The statement adds that MTN negotiations with RURA held in the past four months about the issue will be continued.

MTN started operating in Rwanda in 1998. It had 3,988,604 subscribers at the end of 2016.

May 17, 2017
PAM Rwanda to join the world in celebration of African Liberation Day

{The Pan African Movement-Rwanda Chapter (PAM-Rwanda) will join the rest of the World, especially Africans on 25th May 2017 to mark African Liberation Day 2017. }

According to a statement from PAM-Rwanda, this celebration shall be part of a two weeks long Pan African Movement Week (PAM Week) activities starting from May 14th to May 27th, 2017.

The continental theme for this year is, “Harnessing Demographic Dividend through Investment in African Youth”, while the local theme will focus on: “The Role of Media in nurturing the African Youth for the Total Liberation of Africa”.

The Pan African Movement Rwanda is in charge of taking the lead in promoting the Pan Africanism ideology within the nation by translating it into tangible results in line with the national development Agenda. The major objective is to build a self-reliant and totally liberated Africa; “Africa without Complex”.

{{The ALD to be celebrated with public participation will be centered on the objectives: }} mobilizing and creating public awareness on PAN Africanism and PAM Rwanda in particular; building a strongly committed Rwandan Media that can effectively contribute to the liberation of Rwandans and Africans at large from the vestiges of neo-colonial mentalities and initiating a program that encourages the Rwanda researchers, intellectuals and senior Government officials to interrogate and dialogue on the causes of Africa setbacks, their possible remedies and to codify and publish the successful home- grown solutions that have worked for Rwanda in Particular and can be best practices for other African nations.

It also intends to re-energize the Youth on their role in the liberation of Africa from the neo-colonialism dependency to self-reliance.

There will be Public talks at Rwanda Revenue Hall from 22nd to 24th May 2017, focusing on major challenges facing the Pan African dream-Africa We Want, and Umuganda activities in selected areas.

Furthermore, PAM Stricture will be established in grassroots at Cell level and Umuganda.

The event will commence at 2.00pm at Camp Kigali Tents Nyarugenge district, where the key note speeches will be delivered. ALD celebrations will include Africa Night that will showcase African Music, dance, films and dishes.

{{Background to ALD}}

On April 15, 1958, in the city of Accra Ghana, African leaders and political activists gathered at the first Conference of Independent African States.

This conference was significant in that it represented the first Pan-African Conference held on African soil. It was also significant in that it represented the collective expression of African People’s disgust with the system of colonialism and imperialism, which brought so much suffering to African People.

Further, it represented the collective will to see the system of colonialism permanently done away with. The meeting designated April 15 Africa Freedom day. In 1963, a historic meeting, the First Conference of Independent African States took place in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

On 25 May 1963, leaders of thirty–‐two independent African states met to form the Organization of African Unity (OAU). By then more than two–‐thirds of the continent had achieved independence.

At this meeting, the date of Africa Freedom Day was changed from 15 April to 25 May, and Africa Freedom Day was declared African Liberation Day. Since I963, 25 May is celebrated and known as Africa Day. On this day, many African countries Celebrate the hard–‐fought achievement of their freedom from European colonial powers.

May 17, 2017
UN: As many as 100 killed in CAR fighting

{Militia fighting spreads in rural areas of Central African Republic, with UN official calling it ‘highly worrying’.}

As many as 100 people were killed last week in militia violence in southern Central African Republic, the United Nations has said, expressing “grave alarm” over the spread of fighting fuelled by ethnic and religious rivalries.

Among the victims were six UN peacekeepers, marking the deadliest month for the UN mission MINUSCA since it began in 2014.

The violence represents a new escalation in a conflict that began in 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters seized power and ousted then-president Francois Bozize, prompting reprisal killings from Christian anti-Balaka militias.

The UN high commissioner for human rights warned on Tuesday the violence in areas previously spared major bloodshed was “highly worrying”.

“The hard-earned relative calm in [the capital] Bangui and some of the bigger towns in CAR risks being eclipsed by the descent of some rural areas into increasing sectarian violence, with defenceless civilians – as usual – paying the highest price,” Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said.

Clashes intensified on Monday in the town of Bria, about 300km from the southeastern border town of Bangassou, forcing about 1,000 civilians to seek shelter near the UN base, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said on Tuesday.

Medecins Sans Frontieres’ (MSF) hospital in Bria received 24 wounded people early on Tuesday as fighting continued, Frederic Lai Manantsoa, MSF’s head of mission in the capital Bangui, said.

Casualty counts have been difficult to confirm because of the ongoing violence and remoteness of the locations.

“I don’t know exactly how many but some were wounded and others died,” one Bria resident said.

Meanwhile, the UN peacekeeper mission said the situation in the border town of Bangassou was “under control” after an attack by Christian militiamen at the weekend killed nearly 30 people and forced thousands to flee.

In a statement, Dujarric said unverifiable figures indicate up to 100 people may have been killed in three days of clashes from May 7-9 in the town of Alindao between anti-Balaka fighters and an ex-Seleka group.

Up to 8,500 people were displaced in the fighting, he said, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs plans to lead an inter-agency fact-finding mission there.

In the town of Bangassou, at the border with Democratic Republic of Congo, MINUSCA troops captured strategic sites after air strikes on Monday, the mission said. A total of 26 bodies have so far been identified there after fighting.

“The worst is over,” the mission’s top General Balla Keita told reporters in the capital. “We are holding the terrain and our men are going to continue search-and-sweep operations.”

According to the UN refugee agency, the violence in Bangassou sent an estimated 2,750 refugees fleeing across the border into Congo over the weekend.

In Bangui, hundreds marched to demand that the perpetrators of attacks face justice after years of impunity.

“We notice, unfortunately, that the violence continues to claim victims,” said Evodie Ndemade, vice president of a victims’ association. “Justice must be done now.”

Source:Al Jazeera

May 17, 2017
DR Congo jail-break: Bundu dia Kongo leader flees Kinshasa prison

{Members of a religious political sect have stormed a prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, freeing their leader and about 50 other inmates, a government spokesman says.}

Gunfire was heard near the prison in Kinshasa, as Ne Muanda Nsemi and other inmates escaped, witnesses said.

Police are suspected to have shot dead several prisoners, witnesses added.
Mr Nsemi is a self-styled prophet and the leader of an outlawed group seeking to revive the ancient Kongo kingdom.

He was arrested, along with his three wives and son, in March following clashes between his supporters and police.

Mr Nsemi leads the Bundu dia Kongo movement, which is campaigning to restore a monarchy in parts of DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Angola and Gabon.

He was an MP when he was arrested in Kinshasa after police accused him of inciting violence.

“Followers of the Bundu Dia Kongo attacked Makala prison at dawn and broke out around 50 prisoners including their guru, Ne Muanda Nsemi,” government spokesman Lambert Mende said, AFP news agency reports.

A major operation is underway in Kinshasa to recapture the prisoners, reports the BBC’s Mbelechi Msoshi from the city.

He saw Red Cross officials loading the bodies of several prisoners into vehicles and and transporting them to the morgue.

In January 2016, every prisoner except one escaped from a jail in eastern DR Congo. They included murder and rape convicts.

Rights groups say prisons in the country are over-crowded and badly guarded.

Source:BBC

May 17, 2017
WHO prepares experimental Ebola vaccine for possible first use in Democratic Republic of Congo

{The World Health Organization and outside experts are making arrangements to send an experimental Ebola vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo, should officials there say they need it to quell an outbreak there.}

The DRC has not yet formally requested the vaccine, and it’s unclear if or when it will. The country’s drug regulatory agency would also have to authorize emergency use of the vaccine, which is not yet licensed.

But the WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, told STAT that preparations to have the experimental vaccine ready for use are being made on a parallel track with investigations in DRC into the scale of the outbreak.

“If the question is: Is it going to be used in this particular outbreak? It’s not clear yet,” said Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, a public-private partnership that provides vaccines to lower income countries.

“That being said, everything is being put in place to use the vaccine if it is requested or if it turns out the need accelerates.”

The outbreak, reported to the WHO last week, has grown to 20 suspected cases. Three of the infected have died.

This Ebola epidemic, the country’s eighth, is in a remote part of northern DCR, a province called Bas-Uele. It is a part of the country with few roads, which should help contain the epidemic. The three previous Ebola outbreaks in DRC involved dozens of cases as opposed to hundreds or thousands.

But the location also creates logistical difficulties. Transporting medical supplies and teams of investigators to the outbreak zone is slow work — as is getting patient samples back to the capital, Kinshasa, for testing.

It will also be challenging to get doses of vaccine to the area if the government decides to use it. The experimental Ebola vaccine must be stored at -80 Celsius, which would involve transporting it in freezers.

The vaccine, which goes by the working name rVSV-ZEBOV, is being developed by pharmaceutical giant Merck. Although there are other experimental Ebola vaccines at various stages of development, this is the only one so far which has been shown to protect people from the deadly virus.

That evidence comes from a clinical trial conducted in Guinea during the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014-2015. The trial showed the vaccine induced quick protection, a desirable characteristic for a vaccine designed for use in controlling outbreaks.

That study used what is known as a ring vaccination design, in which people who had been in contact with a confirmed case were vaccinated to prevent ongoing spread. The WHO has said if DRC uses the Ebola vaccine, it should vaccinate using the ring technique, said Tarik Jašarević, a spokesman for the WHO.

In an agreement with Gavi, Merck is required to have on hand at all times at least 300,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine. There is also currently a small number of doses — around 800 or 1,000 — in Geneva, Berkley said.

A spokeswoman for Merck said the company is in contact with WHO, Doctors without Borders — which has sent a response team to the outbreak site — and other organizations about the outbreak.

“We stand ready to ship our investigational vaccine for Ebola Zaire … once appropriate approvals are in place,” she said in an email.

Berkley pointed out that because the vaccine has not yet been licensed, there are regulatory hurdles to clear before it can be used, and that can take some time.

“It’s a little different than yellow fever vaccine, which can be stored in different places and used as a clinical vaccine pretty indiscriminately. There are some complexities with using this,” Berkley said.

So will this outbreak be the first in history where Ebola vaccine is used to help stamp out transmission? It’s too soon to say, he said.

“To be honest with you, I would hope that the epidemic would be over so quickly and there would be so few deaths that there would be no need to use it,” Berkley said.

“That’s the best-case scenario for everybody,” he said. “Of course, if the outbreak goes further or there’s an opportunity to use it, I would like to make sure we don’t have another large outbreak and that it does get used.”

Source:Stat

May 17, 2017
RNP launches ‘Police Week 2017’ activities

{Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, officially launched a month-long countrywide community development and anti-crime awareness activities as part of its 17th anniversary.}

The activities under the annual ‘Police Week’ flagship were launched currently in the Eastern Province (Kirehe District) and the Northern Province (Gicumbi District).

This year’s Police Week is held under the theme: “Towards Sustainable Safety and Security.”

The official launch drew senior government and security officials, and thousands of residents, and started with special Umuganda on both sites where about 10km of roads were either rehabilitated or constructed, as well as the official handover of solar home systems, cleans water sources and improved sanitation.

At least 117 households received solar systems in Rugarama Village of Giti Sector in Gicumbi while 155 others benefited in Nyamikori Village in Kigarama Sector of Kirehe.

Over 3000 households and 30 health centres will be installed with solar systems countrywide.

With four clean water sources inaugurated in Kirehe, it will serve about 500 households that were in need.

The activities in both Gicumbi and Kirehe also focused on raising awareness against illicit drugs, owing to the fact that both districts are considered as one of the major routes for drug dealers.

In Kirehe, the Minister of Local Government Francis Kaboneka, who presided over the event held in Nyamikori, Cyanya Cell of Kigarama Sector, appealed to the residents and beneficiaries in particular to protect and sustain the infrastructures.

He lauded RNP for “going beyond physical security to adopting the human security aspect to further improve the social well-being of Rwandans.”

“Light and evil don’t move together; the solar energy you have been given should further supplement your development activities as you continue to be agents of safety by fighting anything that can cause insecurity and affect your peace,” Minister Kaboneka said.

The Minister also emphasized the role of parents and bar owners to restrain minors from consuming alcoholic beverages, which is against the law.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana said that because of the existing partnership in policing with the people, it partly paved way for the current status of development, which RNP continues to build on in terms of support community development.

“This is a time for police to reflect on the success made in the fulfillment of our mandate, but also time to also lay strategies sustain our achievements and stop repeat or new crimes,” IGP Gasana said.

Meanwhile, in Gicumbi, RNP was joined by thousands of residents, who converged in Giti Sector where they created a feeder road in Rugarama Village of Gatobotobo Cell that connects Giti and Rutare Sector.

State Minister in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Germain Kamayirese, who officiated at the launch in Northern Province, embarked on the role of residents to break chains of illicit gin supply, which is still a challenge in the district.

“The solar energy, roads, clean water that police gave you is all meant to improve your social wellbeing and ensure sustainable security and development. However, we still have the obstacle of illicit drugs, which we should all address and report dealers,” the State Minister said.

Illicit gin worth 38.8 million were seized and destroyed in Gicumbi in the last two months alone.

Other dignitaries included Governors, division commanders and district mayors.

In line with crime prevention, the Police Week 2017 will mainly focus on raising awareness against narcotic drugs, gender based violence and child abuse, corruption, genocide ideology, human trafficking, fire outbreak, environmental degradation and improving road safety.

Meanwhile, earlier on, local artistes under their association, ‘Crime Ambassadors’ and RNP donated building materials and food stuff to a vulnerable genocide survivor in Kirehe Sector, Mukarukaka Madeleine.

Source:Police

May 17, 2017
Tigo Rwanda reduces call tariffs

{Tigo Rwanda customers can now call anyone on any of the three mobile networks in the country at a rate of only Frw 35 per minute. The same affordable tariff also applies to all calls made to the USA, India, China and Canada.}

Announcing the launch of the new tariff, Yaw Ankoma Agyapong, Tigo Rwanda’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “The launch of this tariff is a response to our customers’ need for a communications product that offers great value and a simple way to stay in touch with friends and family here in Rwanda and also abroad.”

These new tariff are available for all new and existing customers of the popular network.

In addition to the reduced call tariffs, Tigo customers will also be able to send an SMS to any local mobile network for only Frw 15. After a customer pays for the first 3 Tigo-to-Tigo SMSs in a day, theywill be able to send Tigo-to-Tigo SMSs for free for the rest of the day until midnight.

May 16, 2017
Burundi priest dies after DRC abduction ordeal

{A Roman Catholic priest who was abducted in Burundi in April has died, following an ordeal from which he never recovered.}

Adolphe Ntahondereye was the vicar of St. Francesco Saverio parish in Gatumba, near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. He was ambushed while traveling by bus on April 9, along with three other people, according to Vatican Radio and Burundi media reports.

The hostages were all passengers from different locations who were forced from the bus and made to walk barefoot for hours into DR Congo territory, a survivor told IWACU in Burundi. Three of them, Ntahondereye included, were elders who had difficulty with the journey. The priest himself required assistance in walking long distances through mountainous terrain, and was ill at the outset of the incident.

The hostages were released in late April after 17 days with the armed group, who identified themselves as rebels. Yet Ntahondereye, who was immediately hospitalized, never recovered and died May 11 in Bujumbura. Local church sources said he also was suffering from malaria.

A surviving witness said their abductors accused the priest of working with the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of Burundi’s ruling CNDD-FDD party under President Pierre Nkurunziza.

The death of Ntahondereye was announced by Monsignor Evariste Ngoyagoye, the Archbishop of Bujumbura, late last week.

Source:Africa Times

May 16, 2017