Category: News

{{Today September 4, the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim met Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara for talks followed by a dinner.}}

“Reducing poverty and creating opportunity for people to succeed are vital to the World Bank Group’s mission and I plan to continue to strengthen our work towards these goals,” he said in a statement.

“For this reason I chose Africa for my first official visit as World Bank Group President, recognising the priority given by the continent’s governments to faster growth and less poverty,” Kim said.

In his talks with Ouattara, who currently heads the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Kim will review regional crises and the way the World Bank can best support their resolution, the statement said.

Kim is expected to inquire about progress on security and reconciliation in Ivory Coast, where Ouattara came to power in April 2011 after a serious political and military crisis that cost some 3,000 lives in four months after his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to admit defeat in elections.

The World Bank group has invested about one billion dollars (793 million euros) in development programmes in the west African country.

Kim will “meet with women leaders to discuss the importance of women to the country’s efforts to create jobs, open more businesses, and achieve lasting reconciliation and development in the former war-torn country,” the bank said.

He will “meet unemployed young people, including former soldiers, who are learning new job skills in a World Bank-financed training program,” as well as visiting an industrial zone for small and medium-sized companies.

The World Bank chief will leave Abidjan on Wednesday for South Africa, where he is scheduled to meet President Jacob Zuma.

{{The East African Community Child Rights Conference that addressed Issues that negatively impact on the realization of Child Rights in the East African Community concluded September 3, at Royal Palace Hotel in Bujumbura, Burundi.}}

Children and participants knocked into shape the Bujumbura Declaration and Recommendations on Child Rights and Wellbeing in the EAC.

Hon. Leontine Nzeyimana, Burundi’s Minister for East African Community Affairs, who officiated at the closing ceremony informed delegates and the children that early childhood represents a window of great opportunities and the consequences of missing these opportunities are far-reaching, costing families and governments considerably.

She said by anticipating the issues that negatively impact on the realization of child rights, the Community shall have made not only savings, but also strong and sustainable investments and noted that Partner States were experiencing high levels of primary school registration but few children make it to secondary levels of education.

“This situation calls for action to live up to the commitments for a bright future of our children,” said the Minister.

Nzeyimana said as it is in the early period of life that values, attitudes, behavior and basic life skills were shaped, thus “it was our individual and collective responsibility to nurture and reinforce in our children the values that foster peace and harmony, tolerance, respect for others, sharing, justice and equality”.

Presenting the Bujumbura Declaration and Recommendations on Child Rights and Wellbeing in the EAC, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Hon. Jesca Eriyo said the Conference was a historic event that operationalizes Article 120 of the EAC Treaty.

“We are greatly indebted to the Partner States, our development partners and to all those who have lent critical support to the holding of this Conference which is of great significance to our region,” noted Hon. Eriyo.

She said the Community was overwhelmed by the participation in the Conference at the high level of Ministers of various Ministries of the Partner States, EALA, National Parliament and the Representatives from respective organizations and the Inter-Agency working groups (UNICEF, Save the Children, Plan International, World Vision, African Child Policy Forum, and Elisabeth Glaser Foundation), adding that “with this response, we are encouraged of the high importance attached to the issue of Child’s rights but also of the readiness to implement the outcome of this Conference.

{{The coalition of mainstream opposition parties in Sudan has warned against the consequences of failing to reach agreements on contentious issues with neighboring South Sudan within the deadline set by the UN Security Council (UNSC), accusing the Khartoum government of inviting such eventuality by procrastinating in the talks.}}

Kamal Omar, the leading member of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) and political secretary of its faction the Popular Congress Party (PCP), said in a press conference held in the capital Khartoum on Monday that the UNSC would likely carry out its threat of sanctions against Sudan in the event of failure to reach an agreement with South Sudan.

Sudan and South Sudan are due to resume negotiations over post-secession issues in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Tuesday.

The UNSC extended until 22 September the deadline it gave to both countries to conclude talks or face non-military sanctions as stipulated under resolution 2046 which the UNSC adopted following the eruption of fighting between the two neighbors around the oilfields of Heglig.

The previous round witnessed a yet-to-be-signed agreement on oil transit fees and the next round is expected to focus on the creation of a demilitarized zone along the border and cessation of alleged support to rebel groups.

Omar said he does not rule out the failure of the talks and referral of the disputes to the Permanent Court of Arbitration due to what he described as the procrastination of Khartoum government in reaching a comprehensive settlement.

The opposition official also touched on the issue of armed conflicts in Sudan’s border region of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. He said that the framework agreement that the government signed with the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) on 28 June and later disavowed could have contributed to resolving the problem in the two regions.

Omer accused some elements within the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of “vetoing” the agreement and obstructing its implementation.

Turning to the domestic arena, Omar commented on talk about the NCP’s intention to invite opposition parties for consultations on a new constitution.

According to Omer, NCF factions, which also include the National Umma Party (NUP) of Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), reject any dealing with the NCP and remain firmly committed to the goal of regime change.

“We are talking about the fall of the entire regime after it failed to run the country” he intoned. Omar added that the protests that occurred in the country in response to the ending of fuel subsidies were “a rehearsal for the upcoming revolution”

On a separate issue, Omar encouraged Islamist parties in the Arab world to boycott the Islamic Movement (IM) conference that the NCP intends to organize in November. He described the IM as a privately owned entity, in a veiled reference to its perceived conflation with the NCP.

Meanwhile, Omer’s boss and PCP leader Hassan al-Turabi is due to travel on 9 September to the Qatari capital Al-Doha. While the purpose of the visit is unknown, Al-Turabi’s previous visits to Doha were organized to hold interviews with the prominent TV channel Al Jazeera.

The latest interview Al Jazeera held with Al-Turabi was two years ago but Al-Jazeera failed to broadcast it for what some speculated as fears of fraying relations between Doha and Khartoum after the Islamist opposition leader spoke about sensitive issues including the alleged involvement of Sudanese officials in the attempted assassination of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 1995.

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Uganda capital Kampala is currently hosting a critical high level meeting of the eight member states of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The meeting is aimed at discussing challenges and solutions to cross-border conflicts in the Horn of Africa region.

It’s being held under the sidelines of IGAD’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CEWARN) committee.

Although the Democratic Republic of Congo is not a member of the IGAD, officials admitted yesterday that recent hostilities in the country, which borders Uganda to the west, would be up for discussion – given the vast effects such conflicts have on regional peace and stability.

Dr Martin Kimani, the CEWARN director, told reporters that IGAD “is looking towards the conflict because it is causing insecurity in member states.”

Envoys representing member states from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, South Sudan and host Uganda, observed a minute of silence in honour of former Ethiopian leader, Meles Zenawi, who at the time of his death on August 20, was IGAD chairperson.

{{The Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI)has contributed over Frw420 Million to the Agaciro Development Fund. The money is total contribution from the staff of the Ministry.}}

Each staff agreed to pledge money equivalent to each of their monthly salaries but in installments for a period of 10 months.

The staff of MINAGRI presented a Frw 420 Million cheque to the Minister of Finance John Rwanngombwa on Monday.

The minister of Agriculture Dr.Agnes Kalibata thanked staff of the ministry for this great contribution and also urged other citizens to make their contributions saying the contributions to the fund are a signal that Rwandans can achieve a lot together.

{{Police in Rusizi has arrested a group of 53 suspected idlers, prostitutes and street children. This operation follows the August 23, operation in which over 110 people suspects were arresred in the district.

The operation has been possible due to the cooperation between Police and district authorities. }}

Among the arrested include confessed sex workers, idlers,thieves and illegal drugs users and others whose activities in the area are not well known.

The operation is aimed at isolating such persons who indulge in activities that negatively affect security of the area.

Rukazambuga Gilbert, The Executive Secretary of Kamembe Sector says there will be more such operations until such crimes are totally wipedout from Rusizi town.

“There have been increasing cases of theft in the town. But with this operation such crimes will be reduced substantially.”

{{Three suspected robbers including Selemani Rutaremara, Christophe Nsengumuremyi and Ignace Nkundabo are being held at Muhima Police station.}}

The buglers allegedly broke into Faraz Ismail’s shop in Kiyovu cell, Nyarugenge sector, Nyarugenge District on Sunday 02/09/2012.

Faraz is a Pakistan national.

The trio is alleged to have stolen different items including eight Samsung mobile phones and six laptops among others.

According to Nyarugenge Police sources, the three destroyed the shop’s roof, creating passage to jump into the shop with the help of ropes.

After being informed about the robbery, Police immediately intervened and stopped the first suspects who were three persons, working for Faraz Ismail in the shop.

{{This afternoon residents of Sonatube at Rukiri 1 in Ubumwe cell were thrown into panic when multiple gunshots rocked the area.}}

This is a rare incidence.
It was a policeman who was shooting in the air for an unknown reason. Witnesses said that two policemen were as usual on foot patrol in the area.

One of the policemen branched off leaving his colleague behind and entered a compound of nearby church of the Presbyterian sect.He later the shooting began.

IGIHE reporter immediately rushed to the scene and found that a Policeman had entered the compound of Presbyterian Church at Sonatube and began shooting in the air.

An eye witness told IGIHE that “He (policeman) entered and sat in the church compound. He started shooting in the air over five times.

Meanwhile immediately other policemen surrounded the area and approached, asking him to stop shooting .

The shooting policeman demanded that they call ‘someone’ who has not yet been identified. Threatening that if that ‘someone’ doesn’t come he (someone) will be responsible for his life. Fortunately the shooting policeman didn’t take his life.

Later the shooting policeman dismantled the gun into separate parts as a sign to show that he had wasn’t going to shoot again. He was later arrested and taken to an unspecified location.

Our reporter tried to speed towards Remera police station but couldn’t find the shooting policeman nor the Police commander at the station for comment.

Nsengimana Thomas a guard at the church narrated with fear, “When we heard the rapid sound of bullets we got scared.”

Twagizimana Maurice a singer at the church said that he passed the policeman before he began shooting but minutes later he heard gun shots outside the church.

When people came close to the shooting policeman, he told them to leave.

When contacted for comment, Police Spokesperson Supt.Theos Badege remained non committal.

{More to follow}