Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

{Pope Francis, on a trip to Egypt, has visited a church where 29 people died in a suicide bombing in December.}

He attended a service at St Peter and St Paul church in the capital Cairo with Coptic Christian leader Pope Tawadros II.

The Pope’s visit comes at a time when Egypt’s Copts are facing an increased threat from extremist groups.

Just three weeks ago, suicide bombers struck two other Coptic churches, killing a further 45 people.

Pope Francis had earlier urged an end to the funding of groups that promote violence, an act which could not be committed in the name of God, he said.

During a speech at al-Azhar University, a key centre of Sunni Islamic learning, which aimed to improving Christian-Muslim dialogue, the pontiff said religious leaders were “duty-bound” to unmask such violence.

He also condemned the “rise of demagogic forms of populism”, adding it was essential” to “block the flow of money and weapons” bound for those who promote violence “which purports to be carried out in the name of the sacred”.

Pope Francis shaking hands with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar

The recent rise of populism, he said, was detrimental to worldwide peace and stability.
“It is disconcerting to note that, as the concrete realities of people’s lives are increasingly ignored in favour of obscure machinations, demagogic forms of populism are on the rise,” the pontiff said.

Before the 27-hour visit – the first papal trip to Cairo in 20 years – he said he was travelling as a “messenger of peace”.

The visit came as the Egyptian branch of so-called Islamic State (IS) put Christians under increased threat, describing them as its “favourite prey”.

Coptic Christians – who make up 10% of the country’s mainly Muslim population – have been particularly targeted. The majority of the Copts are Orthodox, with less than 150,000 of them Catholic.

IS said it was behind the Palm Sunday bombings, as well as the St Peter and St Paul church attack.

Hundreds of Egyptian Christians fled northern Sinai earlier this year in the wake of at least seven killings by suspected Islamist militants.

{{‘Brotherhood and reconciliation’}}

The 80-year-old Pope – leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics – is in Egypt as a guest of Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of the 1,000-year-old seat of Islamic learning, al-Azhar.

The conference on Friday forms part of efforts to improve relations after Egyptian Muslim leaders cut ties over comments made by Pope Francis’s predecessor, Pope Benedict.

In a message ahead of the trip, Francis said he wanted the visit to be “a witness of my affection, comfort and encouragement for all the Christians of the Middle East” and “a message of brotherhood and reconciliation with all the children of Abraham, particularly the Muslim world”.

A three-month state of emergency is in place in the wake of the Palm Sunday bombings, and security has been boosted around churches.

But many Copts say the government should have done more to protect them, and say they are also under pressure from sectarian tensions and long-standing discrimination.

Source:BBC

{French nuclear giant Areva was solely responsible for a controversial $320m (£250m) uranium deal, a parliamentary investigation in Niger has said.}

The 2011 deal, known as “uranium-gate”, involved companies in Niger and abroad. Activists have begun legal proceedings.

It caused an uproar after a local paper said it had served as cover for officials to embezzle public funds.

The report did not find any evidence of wrongdoing by any officials. Areva says it cannot comment on the report.

The French company says it has not yet received the report. It has previously said it was co-operating with a French investigation into the case.

Niger is one of the world’s biggest uranium producers and the metal is the country’s largest export.

Opposition parties say the report has been botched and lacks integrity.

They say that two of their lawmakers who were part of the group which led the inquiry were not associated in drafting the document.

Last month, activists in Niger started legal action into the deal, saying they feared the parliamentary investigation would lead to a whitewash.

Their complaint alleges embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, forgery and conspiracy to defraud.

According to the parliamentary inquiry: “A transaction took place indeed between Sopamin [a local mining company], Areva and other international partners.”

“The uranium used in that transaction is not uranium from Niger. The money transferred to [a bank account] in Dubai to fund the transaction is neither money of the state of Niger nor of Sopamin – it is Areva’s money.”

The on-going legal action centres on the allegation that Areva in 2011 bought a stock of uranium from Niger at a discounted price, causing the national treasury to lose money.

{{‘Trading operation’}}

Areva used the transaction to provide funds requested by Niger to secure uranium sites in the north against militant attacks, the report said.

Niger’s uranium mines are located in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert, an area where Islamist groups such as a local branch of al-Qaeda are active.

The report said that Finance Minister Hassoumi Massoudou had been involved as a mandated “representative” of Sopamin to facilitate the transfer of the requested funds.
He has previously denied any wrongdoing.

A separate French enquiry has been looking into the “uranium-gate” allegations as part of a wider investigation into Areva’s business dealings.

A spokesperson for the nuclear giant told the BBC the company maintains that the 2011 transaction was a “trading operation”.

“We have not seen the report and cannot comment on it,” the spokesperson added.
Niger has two significant uranium mines that provide 7.5% of the world mining output from Africa’s highest-grade uranium ores, according to the World Nuclear Association, the international organisation that represents the global nuclear industry.

Niger’s first commercial uranium mine began operating in 1971, with a strong government support for expanding uranium mining.

Source:BBC

{Tanzanian President John Magufuli has sacked nearly 10,000 civil servants for having fake education certificates.}

He was responding to the release of a government report into fraudulent qualifications in the public sector.

The education minister said that some had been using their relatives’ school certificates, while others did not appear on official records at all.

President Magufuli has given those on the list until 15 May to resign or face legal action.

“These people occupied government positions but had no qualifications… they robbed us just like other common criminals,” Mr Magufuli said, urging officials to “name and shame” offenders.

“We have been working hard to create new jobs while there are people in government who hold fake degrees,” he added.

He has also asked newspapers to publish the names of everyone on the list.

There isn’t a particular place which is well known for making fake certificates here, but it’s easy enough to get hold of one on the black market.

It is very common for people to use fake certificates in Tanzania.

Police raided a house in Dar es Salaam last year and found two individuals with machines, stamps and piles of templates for fake secondary school, birth and even business licence certificates stacked up in a room.

It is also very common for people to use their friends’ or family members’ certificates.
In this case, when someone gets a job or goes on to higher education, they will actually change their name to match the one on their certificate.

The 9,932 people named in the report account for more than 2% of the country’s estimated 450,000 civil servants.

Officials convicted of fraud could face up to seven years in jail.

Last year, Tanzania removed more than 10,000 so-called ghost workers from its public sector payroll in a crackdown on corruption.

Payments to the non-existent employees had been costing the government more than $2m (£1.4m) a month, it said.

When President Magufuli came to power two years ago, the government temporarily suspended recruitment in some government sectors while they checked up on existing employees’ qualifications.

The report focused exclusively on secondary school qualification and did not examine university degree certificates.

Source:BBC

{An unemployed South African man appeared in court Friday charged with conspiracy to commit murder in a mysterious alleged plot to assassinate 19 politicians and other prominent figures.}

Local media said President Jacob Zuma was on the list of targets, along with several ministers and the Gupta business family who are alleged to have influenced government appointments and contracts.

Elvis Ramosebudi, 33, wearing a dark jacket, appeared in Johannesburg Magistrates Court after being arrested on Wednesday.

He was remanded in custody and the case was postponed until May 2.

The elite Hawks police investigation unit said the defendant had sent letters to companies asking for 140 million rand ($10.5 million) to fund assassinations of “various members from the cabinet, state owned entities and prominent South Africans”.

It said the killings were to be carried out by snipers, and added that Ramosebudi was a founder of the Anti-State Capture Death Squad Alliance (ASCDSA), a previously unknown group.

“State capture” refers to the alleged corruption by associates of President Zuma who have been accused of using government contracts for personal gain.

State prosecutors asked that Ramosebudi undergo a psychological evaluation.

They said mining giant Anglo American was among the companies he had approached for funds.

Source:AFP