IGIHE

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  • Democratic senator says Obama administration ‘fear-mongering’ on Iran

    Democratic senator says Obama administration ‘fear-mongering’ on Iran

    {The Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee accused the White House on Wednesday of using “over the top” rhetoric and “fear-mongering” tactics to try to halt new sanctions against Iran after the United States brokered an interim deal with Tehran over its nuclear program.}

    Senator Robert Menendez criticized President Barack Obama’s administration for agreeing to the deal under which Iran will accept restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions that have damaged its economy and cut deeply into its oil exports.

    Many Republicans already have criticized Obama over the agreement, and some Democrats, who tend to more hawkish on Iran than Obama’s administration, have been skeptical about it.

    A bill to impose further sanctions against Iran has been stalled in the Senate after Obama’s administration appealed for a delay to allow time to pursue a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear problem.

    “What I don’t appreciate is when I hear remarks out of the White House spokesman that … if we’re pursuing sanctions we’re marching the country off to war. I think that’s way over the top, I think that’s fear-mongering,” Menendez said on the National Public Radio program “All Things Considered.”

    The White House declined to respond to his comments.

    Menendez who often supports Obama, but is a hawk on Iran, said he would push ahead with fresh sanctions measures that would take effect if Iran stops cooperating with Western powers.

    The United States and six world powers agreed to the deal with Iran last weekend, but many members of the U.S. Congress, particularly those who strongly support Israel, have expressed concern about the agreement, even though it has reduced the risk of U.S. military action in the Middle East.

    “We have to worry about the hardliners in Iran,” said Menendez. “And it seems that the Iranians get to play good cop-bad cop, (Iranian President Hassan) Rouhani as the good cop, the hardliners as the bad cop.”

    Democrats and Republicans, including Menendez, said they would work together “over the coming weeks” to pass legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran.

    The White House and the Iranian government have said Congress could kill the deal if it enacts new sanctions now.

    The Senate and House of Representatives are scheduled to be out of session next week for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

    {{Reuters}}

  • Mani Martin in DRC for “Amani” Festival

    Mani Martin in DRC for “Amani” Festival

    {Due to his songs that contain a message of peace, Rwandan artist Mani Martin has been invited to “Amani” festival which will be held in the Democratic Republic of Congo from 14th December to 17th December 2013.}

    The festival will be attended by other regional artists whose songs contain messages of peace

    Amani Festival will bring together artists from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, DRC and many others from Great Lakes Region.

    The Festival is in line with the search of long lasting peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region.

    Watch Mani Martin singing the song of peace:

    angedelavictoire@igihe.com

  • France recalls its ambassador to Central Africa Republic

    France recalls its ambassador to Central Africa Republic

    {The Ambassador of France in Central Africa Republic, Serge Mucetti, prematurely terminates his mission. He was recalled by Paris earlier this week.}

    Serge Mucetti, was recalled by Laurent Fabius earlier this week, Jeune Afrique has learnt from diplomatic sources.

    He should soon join France and will not return to Bangui. The name of his successor is not yet known.

    Meanwhile the first French soldiers who are going to support the International Mission in Central Africa ( Misca ) are en route to the Central African capital.

    Mucetti Serge was appointed in March 2012 before François Hollande coming to power.

  • “Allegations that CoW isolates Tanzania and Bujumbura are simply politics”

    “Allegations that CoW isolates Tanzania and Bujumbura are simply politics”

    A railway line connecting Tanga and Kilimanjaro to Mombasa port is in the offing as Nairobi officially kick-started a mega railway project connecting Mombasa, Kampala and Kigali.

    Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said while inaugurating the cross- border railway line project that allegations that Nairobi has teamed up with Kampala and Kigali to isolate Dar es Salaam and Bujumbura ‘’are simply politics.’’

    Kenyatta launched the railway in-mombasa

    “The time for politics is over and now it’s time to work so let’s stop the talking,” said Mr Kenyatta after one Mombasa provincial official warned against plans to isolate Tanzania in the process of East African integration. President Kenyatta said the Mombasa, Kampala to Kigali railway line is just the beginning of implementing a regional integration project which will later extend to Kilimanjaro and Tanga.

    “This is just the beginning as we move towards integration of East Africa region,” the Kenyan leader pointed out as five EAC leaders converge in the Ugandan capital for a summit on Saturday.

    Reiterating that time for politics is over and that the Jubilee administration was moving towards implementation of the EAC integration, Mr Kenyatta emphasised that no member country in the region is being isolated.

    The 13.5 billion-railway project linking the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Kigali branching to Kampala is due for completion in 2018. The 2,935 kilometre line is one of several big infrastructure projects in the East African Community (EAC) region.

    Source: {{Tanzania Daily News}}

    Additional Reporting:{{ IGIHE}}

  • Court orders Kampala mayor back to work

    Court orders Kampala mayor back to work

    {There were scenes of celebration at the High Court and later on the streets of Kampala on Wednesday after a judge ruled that Mr Erias Lukwago is still the Lord Mayor.}

    In his ruling, Justice Yasin Nyanzi said an interim court injunction issued on Monday by acting registrar of the court, Mr Fred Waninda, still stands.

    Justice Nyanzi said the interim injunction would be in place until Mr Lukwago’s main application seeking a judicial review of the Kampala Capital City Authority Tribunal report is determined.

    The tribunal headed by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire had among others, found Mr Lukwago guilty of abuse of office, incompetence and misconduct.

    The tribunal was constituted by Kampala Minister Frank Tumwebaze after 17 councillors petitioned him.

    On the basis of the tribunal report, Mr Tumwebaze on Monday called a city authority council meeting where 29 councillors voted to impeach Mr Lukwago. Three voted in the mayor’s favour.

    However, minutes before the KCCA meeting could start, Mr Lukwago’s lawyers obtained an injunction issued by Mr Waninda, restraining Mr Tumwebaze and KCCA from proceeding.

    The order asked KCCA to wait for the ruling on the case challenging the tribunal report. Efforts to serve Mr Tumwebaze with the order turned chaotic as police denied Mr Lukwago’s lawyers entry into KCCA premises.

    The police under the command of the Kampala South regional commander, Mr James Ruhweza, beat up one of the lawyers, Mr Abdullah Kiwanuka, before bundling him onto a pick-up truck.

    Mr Allan Ssewanyana, a councillor, had to be bundled out of the meeting room by plain-clothed security operatives after he tried to serve a copy of the injunction to Mr Tumwebaze in vain.

    The government also contested the authenticity of the interim injunction, labelling it a forgery since it lacked a seal.

    But Justice Nyanzi on Wednesday upheld the injunction and said he was convinced that Mr Lukwago would suffer irreparable damage that would not be compensated in monetary terms if the interim injunction was not issued.

    The judge also explained that the position of the lord mayor is not commercial but elective one before directing the Attorney General, one of the respondents, to bear all Lukwago’s legal bills incurred in pursuing the case.

    Daily Nation

  • Over 1,500 combatants surrender after DR Congo’s M23 rebels defeated

    Over 1,500 combatants surrender after DR Congo’s M23 rebels defeated

    {{(Xinhua}}) — {The victory of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Armed Forces (FARDC) over M23 rebels has prompted over 1,500 combatants of various armed groups in North Kivu province to surrender, according to the Congolese and UN authorities.}

    “About 1,500 fighters from Masisi and Rutshuru territories have responded to the call by the president to surrender,” a FARDC officer who requested for anonymity said in the provincial capital Goma on Wednesday.

    According to the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo (MONUSCO) , from Nov. 19 to date, over 300 combatants from different armed groups had surrendered to the UN troops and to different offices for Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration and Repatriation (DDRR) set up across the eastern province.

    The MONUSCO military spokesman, Col. Basse said combatants who have surrendered include those from the Congolese Popular Front Mai Mai groups (FPC), Mai Mai Nyantura, Mai Mai Sheka-Nduma, Mai Mai Shetani, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the People’s Self Defense Movement (MPA) and M23.

    Since the defeat of M23 rebels early this month, the Congolese army and MONUSCO have urged various armed groups in eastern DR Congo to surrender.

  • US May Destroy Syrian Chemical Weapons at Sea

    US May Destroy Syrian Chemical Weapons at Sea

    {The Obama Administration is considering destroying the deadliest Syrian chemical weapons at sea in a bid to circumvent the various diplomatic, security and environmental problems that would come with land-based disposal. The plan has not yet been approved but is thought to be in favor as no other country has committed to neutralizing the weapons on their soil.}

    Jonathan Lalley, a spokesman for the National Security Council, was keen to stress that no decision had yet been made, but confirmed that discussions were taking place. “We and our international partners are pursuing alternative means of destruction,” he said in an emailed statement to the Associated Press, adding, “We remain confident that we will complete elimination of the program within the milestones agreed upon.”

    It is thought that a maritime disposal of the weapons would take place aboard the MV Cape Ray in the Mediterranean Sea, which would be fitted with a special hydrolysis system to render the chemicals unusable as weapons. The vessel would have a civilian crew but would be under the control of the Defense Department’s Military Sealift Command. Nearby U.S. warships would provide security.

    Central to the decision would be the verdict of the global chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The body recently highlighted the logistical difficulty of transporting the deadly material out of Syria while the civil war continues on the ground.

    [Associated Press]

  • Ireland / New Ambassador of Rwanda presents Credentials

    Ireland / New Ambassador of Rwanda presents Credentials

    { His Excellency, the Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda presented its Letters of Credence to the President at Áras an Uachtaráin on 28 Nov.2013.}

    Photo/Archive: Leonia and Nkurunziza on the carriage heading to Buckingham Palace

    H.E. Mr. Williams B.N. Nkurunziza, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda, was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Leonia Nkurunziza.

    Mr. Fergus O’Dowd, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, represented the Government at the ceremony.

    The following were also present: Mr. Loughlin Quinn, Deputy Secretary-General to the President; Mr. Fergal Mythen, Assistant Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Mr. Joe Brennan, Ms. Marion O’Donnell and Ms. Mary Cusack, Protocol, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

    The Ambassadors were escorted to and from Áras an Uachtaráin by an Escort of Honour consisting of a motorcycle detachment drawn from the 2nd Cavalry Squadron, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin, under the command of Lieutenant Cathal Daly.

    A Guard of Honour was provided at Áras an Uachtaráin by the 27th Infantry Battalion, Gormanston Camp, Co. Meath, under the command of Lieutenant Michael Barry.

    Captain Fergal Carroll conducted the Army No. 1 Band.

    {{SOURCE}}

    Ireland – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

  • Libya army depot blast kills dozens

    Libya army depot blast kills dozens

    {More than 40 people were reported killed on Thursday in an explosion at an army depot in southern Libya after locals had tried to steal ammunition, while four soldiers died in other violence in the restive east.}

    The incidents highlighted the turmoil in Libya where the government is trying to restore order in a country awash with weapons after the 2011 ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

    The blast in Brak al-Chati, near the main southern city of Sabha, happened after a group of 43 people were entering the army depot to steal ammunition, a security official said.

    “More than 40 people were killed,” said Khalifa Alsghair, commander of a border security guard brigade in Brak al-Chati.

    A local security official also put the toll at above 40 but medics in a hospital said the figure was probably too high because they had only received two dead bodies and four injured.

    It was unclear what caused the explosion, which set off a fire.

    Libya’s nascent military is struggling to secure army bases and curb Islamist militants, militias and gangs who fought in the uprising against Gaddafi but refuse to disarm and control parts of the country.

    The four soldiers were killed in Benghazi as clashes erupted between army special forces and militant Islamists of the Ansar al-Sharia group.

    The trouble started when soldiers stopped a car loaded with weapons, explosives and a large amount of money. “Three soldiers were killed in clashes with Ansar al-Sharia,” Wanis Bukhmada, commander of the special forces in Benghazi, told a news conference.

    He later said: “We will defend Benghazi.”

    Another soldier was assassinated by unknown gunmen in the morning in another part of the city, a security source said.

    Fighting had initially started on Monday between army special forces and members of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi, Libya’s second-largest city. At least nine people were killed before the Islamists retreated from their main base. Three more soldiers were killed on Wednesday.

    Army officials went on national television on Thursday to appeal to the Islamists and other militias to lay down their weapons in Benghazi and start a dialogue.

    “Brothers of the Ansar al-Sharia. You are Muslims and we are Muslims. We don’t differ on religion … but don’t impose something which is not part of the religion,” Salah Obeidi, army commander of the eastern region, told reporters.

    The security situation has sharply deteriorated in the past few months in Benghazi, where car bombings and assassinations are part of daily life.

    Most countries have closed their consulates in the city of one million inhabitants, home to several oil companies. Some foreign airlines have also stopped flying there.

    Ansar al-Sharia was blamed for the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in September last year when the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

    The chaos in Libya is worrying its neighbours and the western powers that backed the uprising.

    Hoping to co-opt former fighters, the government hired militia groups to provide security. But they remain loyal to their commanders or tribes and often clash in disputes over territory or personal feuds.

    Libya’s oil exports are down to a fraction of capacity due to seizures of oilfields and ports by militias, tribesmen and civil servants demanding more political rights or higher pay.

    {{The Guardian}}

  • 6th East African Media Summit kicks-off in Kampala

    6th East African Media Summit kicks-off in Kampala

    { The 6th EAC-EABC Media Summit themed Taking EAC Agenda to the People: Enhancing Media Knowledge and Participation yesterday was opened at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.}

    The 28-29 November EAC and the East African Business Council (EABC)-organized Summit has brought together at least 150 participants, including media owners, chief executive officers of media houses, publishers, editors and journalists from across the region.

    Delivering the keynote address at the Summit about EAC Vision on the Role of the Media in Regional Integration, the EAC Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera said Media has a critical role in the process of socio-economic transformation of the East African region as well as eliciting full participation of the people in the regional integration process.

    Amb. Sezibera reminded the media practitioners that popular involvement and participation can only be realized by ensuring that the public is aware of the aims and objectives as well as the ongoing and planned projects and programmes of the East African Community.
    He urged the media to engage stakeholders and rally support from citizens in the region and invent captivating ways of promoting the achievements that the region has accomplished.

    The EAC Secretary General challenged private and government media houses to offer more airtime or editorial space on EAC regional integration issues. “I appreciate those media houses that are already giving this kind of coverage on the integration agenda’’.

    Speaking on the tolerance and sensitivity of media while reporting, Dr. Sezibera implored the media to be at the forefront in helping to promote better understanding of the complexities of the regional integration especially the pillars i.e. Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union, and Political Federation.

    “I urge you not to be purveyors of shortcomings and pointing accusing fingers at some EAC partner states for lack of commitment’’
    On the impact of Social Media and Bloggers EAC chief asked the mainstream media houses to see how best they can make use of the resources being put across by the new Independent Media build synergy for the benefits of the ordinary citizens in our region.

    The outgoing chair of the EAC Council of Ministers and the Minister of East African Community Affairs of the Republic of Uganda Hon. Shem Bageine said the 6th East African Media Summit was taking place at a time when the East African Community was entering its most critical phase and needed to have its projects and programmes well understood and supported by the East African people.

    Hon Shem Bageine reiterated the critical role of the media to move regional integration faster and succeed in bringing benefits to all citizens of the region. “It is not enough for the media to simply play a secondary role of occasionally reporting about major event by Organs of the Community and related agencies”, added Hon Bagaine.

    “I appeal to the Governments in the East African Community to ensure that laws do not infringe on the freedom of the press and expression for the better and safer working environment for our Journalists’’.

    He commended CEOs and Media Owners for kick-starting the process to establish a regulatory body that will make policy to guide the establishment of East African media Council to safeguard media freedom in the region.

    Later today, winners of the third EAC Media Awards will be announced and rewarded for their excellence in reporting the EAC integration. The Awards ceremony and Gala Dinner will take place at Speke Resort Hotel in Kampala, Uganda

    Journalists from the five EAC Partner States are competing for the EAC Secretary General’s Award, which is the overall prize, and for prizes in six other categories that include Business (EABC Chairman’s Award); Agriculture and Food Security; Health; Environment; Political; and Higher Education reporting.

    The objectives of the Media Summit are to update the media practitioners on the latest developments in the East African integration process; discuss the role of the media in promoting the EAC agenda and; work out concrete mechanisms for collaboration between the media industry and the EAC and EABC.