{{The Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA)has contributed over Frw166,229,084 to Agaciro Development Fund.}}
Minister Kamanzi Stanislas said the contribution was a way of MINIRENA staff expressing their self worth and supporting the development of the country.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (MINICOFIN) Sayinzoga Kampeta commended the MINIRENA staff for their contribution.
{{President Barack Obama will nominate a new leader for the Pentagon command in charge of Africa.
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday the president is picking Gen. David Rodriguez to replace Gen. Carter Ham as head of the U.S. Africa Command.}}
Rodriguez is the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command, responsible for the training, equipping and oversight of active duty, National Guard and reserve soldiers.
The choice comes during a turbulent time across the continent. Political turmoil rages in Libya, fighting continues to engulf the fractious state of Somalia, a militant presence has emerged in Mali, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has made its presence known in northern Africa, and sectarian strife plagues Nigeria.
The command, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is one of six geographic commands operated by the Pentagon. Djibouti hosts the only U.S. forward operating base the United States has on the continent with 3,000 U.S. service members at Camp Lemonier.
The command was created by presidential order and officially activated in 2007.
It became fully operational in 2008. Gen. William E. “Kip” Ward served as its first commander. Ham, a U.S. Army general, became the second commander in 2011.
The U.S. Africa Command is responsible for all military activities and military relations with 54 African countries, including the islands of Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, and Sao Tome and Principe, along with the Indian Ocean islands of Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
U.S. Central Command maintains a traditional relationship with Egypt. Africom says it works with Egypt “on issues relating to Africa security.”
“The command has no plans to move its headquarters from Stuttgart and will be located here for the foreseeable future.
In addition, USAFRICOM is not seeking the establishment of bases in Africa or anywhere else,” the command said on its website.
{{Leaders of the European Union in Brussels have agreed October 18, to a deal for a eurozone-wide banking supervisor in 2013 that is designed to help prevent future catastrophic bank failures that could threaten the monetary union.}}
The agreement sets the stage for development of a legal framework to allow the European Central Bank to give emergency funds to ailing banks directly without going through national governments — bailouts which, in turn, have required bailouts for the nations themselves, as was seen in Greece and Ireland.
The move is necessary to “break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns,” said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in a press conference early Friday.
“Next hurdle to set up a single supervisory mechanism to prevent banking risks and cross-border contagion from emerging … built with the integrity of the single market in mind.”
The leaders set a goal of approving the legislative framework by January 1, with the new supervisory mechanism “operational in the course of 2013,” Van Rompuy said.
{{According to the Portuguese consulate in Maputo, there is a rise in experienced, university-educated Portuguese migrating to Mozambique looking for a brighter future.}}
“In the last two or three years, people began to come increasingly,” she says. “Lots of people for small investments, some others working with the companies, some others working contract by other people.”
According to the African Economic Outlook,Mozambique’s real gross domestic product grew by 7.2%, boosted by the country’s first overseas export of coal, as well as strong performances by the transport, communications, construction and financial services sectors.
Portugese couple Bruno Gabriel and his girlfriend, relocated to the southeastern African country a few months ago, making a deliberate career move to swap the economic uncertainty of their crisis-hit country for the prospect of a better future abroad.
They are part of a growing Portuguese community fleeing the severe eurozone crisis in search for jobs and economic opportunities in their country’s former colony.
“In Europe everybody is a little bit afraid with their own future because (of) the crisis, worldwide crisis, in terms of economics,” says Gabriel, a marketing director who has head-hunted to work in Maputo.
“Once we start to enter the labor business, once we start to work, we understand that to plan the future is a little bit more difficult than what you expected.”
{{Rwanda is among five nations elected to the U.N. Security Council.
Rwanda won a two-year non-permanent seat on the council, starting in 2013.}}
Other nations joining the Security Council in 2013 include Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg and South Korea. Each gained the required two-thirds majority in the General Assembly.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo thanked UN members for the faith they have shown in Rwanda.
“We are grateful to have won the support of so many of our fellow member states who responded to our message Rwanda Values Peace, and we are honored to serve. We particularly thank our friends and allies throughout Africa for their overwhelming support,” Mushikiwabo said.
Rwanda, which enjoyed unanimous backing of the African Union, last served on the Security Council in 1993-94 during which period the country endured a genocide against Tutsis that saw more than one million victims.
In eighteen years of focused nation-building, Rwanda is an active member of the UN, on track to meet or surpass all the MDGs and the sixth largest contributor to peacekeeping worldwide.
“The contrast could not be sharper between that previous tenure — when a genocidal government occupied a prized Security Council seat as its agents waged genocide back home — and the Rwanda of today: a nation of peace, unity, progress and optimism,” Mushikiwabo said.
Mushikiwabo stressed how this troubling recent history allows Rwanda to offer a unique perspective on matters of war and peace at the Security Council.
“Working with fellow members, Rwanda will draw on its experience to fight for the robust implementation of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine that demands that the world takes notice — and action — when innocent civilians face the threat of atrocities at the hands of their governments, with the understanding that situations have specificities that need to be taken into account.” Mushikiwabo said.
Mushikiwabo also promised that Rwanda would seek opportunities to work with fellow UNSC members to ensure it is responsive and reflective of the views and aspirations of the developing world, in particular the African continent.
“The world is undergoing a period of exciting but uncertain change. Africa is not just growing economically, but our vision of ourselves and the contribution we can make to the world is also expanding. Over the next two years, we hope to ensure that this new reality is reflected in the way the UN Security Council conducts itself in the 21st century,” Mushikiwabo said.
{{Proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Tana River clashes were adjourned for 30 minutes on Thursday when a green snake appeared at the roof of the Maridhiano Hall at Minjila, Tana River sending officials scampering for safety.}}
Trouble begun with an unusual chirping of birds at the roof of the hall. It attracted those in the hall to look up whereupon they noticed the green serpent coiled on the makuti fronds.
At that time, the advocate for the Pokomo Council of Elders (Gasa) Mr Joel Obura was in the middle of making an application for the council to be granted full standing to give evidence on the clashes.
Joint secretary Mr McDonald Oguya sent a notice to the Commission chair Lady Justice Grace Nzioka.
Lady Nzioka gave the ‘warning snake note’ to Ms Emily Ominde, the assisting commissioner who was sitting beside her. They then waited nervously for Mr Obura to end his submission.
When he finished, Ms Nzioka gave the assisting counsel Mr Wamuti Ndegwa the opportunity to respond to the application, after which the hearing was adjourned.
“This Commission adjourns for two or three minutes,” she announced, and with her colleagues quickly dashed out to safety with tension building among participants who had now spotted the reptile.
Administration Police officer Mr Amin Hussein, from the Minjila DC’s office, climbed on the roof to battle the snake. But it slithered and disappeared into the makuti roofing.
But that was not the end of drama. The serpent re-appeared after about five minutes causing another round of anxiety.
The three commissioners, Ms Nzioka, Ms Ominde and Mr Abdulkadir Lorot, were still at their rooms a few meters from the hall and were alerted not to come out yet.
Pokomo elders present and staff of the Maridhiano CBO Center volunteered to pursue the snake on the roof with sticks. One of them managed to hit it. It was then dumped in a pit latrine ending the drama and to the relief of all.
The commissioners were called in after at the end of the 30-minute interlude.
{{Tanzania has sent yet another invitation to Malawi for talks in Dar es Salaam aimed at resolving the border dispute between the two countries which have been entangled in the Lake Nyasa ownership.}}
John Haule, Tanzanias official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation disclosed wednesday.
Malawi failed to show up for talks that were scheduled to take place last week in Dar es Salaam, an indication Malawi could still be reluctant to get back to the negotiation table over the Lake Nyasa dispute.
Malawians have declared that they preferred to take the issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a United Nation’s body whose Article 36 Tanzania, though a member, isn’t a signatory to.
Article 36 of the ICJ requires all parties to a dispute to accept ICJ’s jurisdiction and declarations on all legal disputes concerning interpretation of a treaty or any question of international law.
“We understand they might have failed to show up due to the misunderstanding over some issues, which prompted President Joyce Banda to announce suspension of talks early this month. But we have invited them again for talks that should take place on October 27,” said Mr Haule.
{{Rwanda’s Energy utility company EWSA has contributed over Frw600Million to the Agaciro Development Fund. }}
Muyange Yves, the Director of EWSA said that the contribution comes from the EWSA staff who have contributed a part of their salaries in order to support the fund.
Muyange pledges continuous support to Agaciro Fund since it is aiming at development of the country.
Dusenge Lenata who represented MINECOFIN appreciated the contribution adding the fund will be well managed.
She added that currently the contribution to the fund stands at Frw 21 billion.
{{Veterans of the Mai-Mai militia have created a new armed group called “Raïa Mukombozi.”}}
MONUSCO military spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Prosper Basse, said, October 17 the leaders of this new armed group intend to fight their former comrades and control Shabunda territory.
Felix Prosper Basse reveals that the two former executives of Mai-Mai Raïa Mutomboki who created the new militia could not stand the regular clashes between the two factions of their former internal movement.
“These two factions have been fighting for a long time to control Shabunda, especially control of the mines that are in this area,” he noted.
It’s alleged that the new armed group wants to recruit in Shabunda, Lt. Col.Felix Basse is very concerned by the situation, announcing that the Congolese military “will soon launch operations in this sector.”
In September, the Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights (UNJHRO) expressed his concern for violations of human rights committed by militia Raïa Mutomboki between mid-August and early September 2012 in the territory of Masisi in North Kivu.
The militia was accused of killing dozens of civilians and burned villages.
The Raïa Mutomboki claim to be a self-defense militia fighting against Rwandan FDLR rebels. But they illustrate regularly abuses against civilians.
In April 2012, they signed an agreement in principle with the FARDC Shabunda-center for the pacification of the territory.
The militiamen were committed to disarm and return to civilian life. The military authorities had promised to guarantee security if they laid down their arms. The agreement was never followed.
In September, the militia had even taken control of some areas of North Kivu including Njingala and Walikale-center, before being dislodged by the FARDC.
{{The Cuban government-run newspaper Granma has published a letter signed by Fidel Castro, the first by the 86-year-old former president to be made public since July.}}
The letter, dated Wednesday, comes in the wake of rumors this month that prompted Castro’s relatives to deny that his health had worsened.
Castro has not been seen in public since video images showed him greeting a visiting Pope Benedict XVI in late March, and the last of his essays known as “Reflections” was published June 19.
The letter, which appeared in Granma’s online version Thursday, congratulates a Cuban medical institute on its 50th anniversary.
Castro, whose revolution seized Cuba in 1959, left office in 2006 due to a life-threatening intestinal condition.