Category: News

{{In Ethiopia, government troops have intervened in ethnic fighting in south of the country involving the Borana and Garri communities in the Moyale area.}}

The clashes are thought to have been sparked by disputes over land rights. At least 18 people died and 12 others injured.

Over 20,000 people are reported to have crossed into Kenya to escape the fighting.

Local reports speak of armed militias taking up positions in outlying villages on Wednesday, with the fighting spreading to Moyale town, on the Ethiopia-Kenya border, on Thursday.

{{Police in Kirehe district has destroyed a sizeable amount of illegal drugs and large quantities of illicit brew.

The illegal stuff including 150 litres of kanyanga and 733Kgs of cannabis were seized in a cordon operation conducted at Kigarama sector, Kirehe district.}}

The seized illicit beverage and narcotics were destroyed in presence of local population, Police, Army and Prosecution.

The operation aimed at eradicating drugs within the district given that illicit alcohol and narcotics are still an issue of concern.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Kagorora, Kirehe Police Station commander warned “Police shall not tolerate those involved in these illegal businesses. We shall continue to fight these crimes.”

Kagorora further urged them to share information with security organs to ensure that those involved in crimes are arrested.

“I urge Kirehe residents to continue identifying people involved in criminal activities as the consequences of their actions affect us all,” Kagorora said.

Kigarama Executive secretary Theoneste Nizeyimana said the drugs have negative impact to citizens such as theft, rape, as well as others and called citizens to timely give information to security organs for those implicated in such crimes are brought to justice.

{{The congolese Army was today surprised when another Col. Eric Badege defected with more than a hundred FARDC soldiers, Local congolese media has reported.}}

Col. Badege was commander of 2nd Battalion, 410th Regiment Nabiondo FARDC base, about thirty miles northwest of Goma in North Kivu.

Masisi local adminstration authorities are quoted to have confirmed the defection that happened on Friday when Col. Badege and other several soldiers were seen headed towards Rubaya, 80 Kilometres North of Nabiondo.

The administrator of Masisi, Marie-Claire Bangwene, confirmed that the commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 410th regiment of FARDC was not at her station Nabiondo since Friday.

Before arriving at Rubaya, the source said, Col. Badege met the commander of the 810th regiment Birambwe to justify his departure from Nabiondo.

Col. Badege is said to have deserted with an unknown number of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment.

According to the local congolese media, the commander of the 810th regiment of FARDC in Nabiondo and the president of civil society in Sake confirmed this information.

{{In a 4-hour emergency visit to Angola, DRC’s President Joseph Kabila Thursday begged Angola government to help him deal with the Crisis in Kivu, Eastern DRC.}}

The Angolan Presidency said in a statement that the meeting was aimed at discussing the DR Congo situation.

Currently, DR Congo is trying to neutralise an armed insurrection by the M23 rebel group.

“The four-hour visit to Angola aimed at discussing DRC situation that has been plagued in recent times by an armed rebellion”, the statement reads in part.

Angola and DRC enjoy good relations in various fields such as defence, security, transports, energy, tourism, trade, fisheries, geology, mining and oil-exploration.

Antoine Ghonda President Kabila’s Special envoy to Angola had Two-weeks ago been sent to Angola to seek help due to prevailing political situation at home.

“I am in Angola to explain that DRC has difficulties and we need your help” Ghonda said while on a visit in Luanda, Angola.

{{Representatives of the Khartoum government at the ongoing negotiatons in Addis Ababa announced Friday that Sudan had lowered its demand on oil transportation fees to US$32 from previous demand of US$36.}}

Sudan initially demanded $36 per barrel for both GNPOC and Petrodar pipelines saying it owns all the facilities and provides all the services.

“We made a new offer to transport South Sudan’s oil at US$21 instead of US$25 and we ask $6 for transit fees, we also cancelled the marine terminal charges and reduced the processing fees. So we reduced our demand from $36 to US$32”, Awad Abdel-Fatah, undersecretary of Sudan’ oil ministry.

Khartoum negotiators stressed that no deal can be signed without the implementation of security agreement.

For oil produced by GNPOC, South Sudan offers US$7.40 for the transportation , including the marine terminal fees, US$1.07 for the processing facilities and US$0.63 for the transit fee.

Regarding the Petrodar oil Juba proposes US$5.50 for the transportation and the marine terminal, US$1.07 for the processing and US$0.69 for the transit.

Last Sunday chief negotiator, Pagan Amum, tabled South Sudan’s “last offer” saying Juba proposes US$9.10 and US$7.26 per barrel for its oil transported through the two Sudanese pipelines.

He pointed out that they offer “a 7% increased processing fees”.

{{The Foreign Affairs Minister of Rwanda Louise Mushikiwabo has demanded some respect from donor countries that wave their big chequebooks to intimidate Rwanda.}}

“This child-to-parent relationship has to end.There has to be a minimum respect,” Mushikiwabo said Saturday in an address to a Kenyan business club called Mindspeak.

She said, “As long as countries wave chequebooks over our heads, we can never be equal.”

Mushikiwabo added that Africans have to work hard to develop their economies in order to stop relying on western donors.

Minister Mushikiwabo said it was too early to tell what kind of damage the withholding of aid would do to the government’s economic development push.

“We have been in much worse situations than dollars being withheld from us,” she said.

German has also (Saturday) canceled its planned aid budget of US$26 Million in contributions to Rwanda’s budget planned from this year through 2015.

The UK also terminated US$25m financial support to Rwanda saying in a statement that it was delaying in budget support due July 2012 while considering whether aid conditions had been met.

Earlier, US government had blocked $200,000 in military aid to Rwanda and the Netherlands suspended 5 million euros of aid after a United Nations interim report said Rwanda was backing rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

{{Five Police officers have been promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP).

They had sucessfully completed a Cadet course in Kenya at the General Service Unit Training School in a period of over seven months.}}

The minister of Internal Security Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana urged the newly promoted police officers to work hard and promote professionalism.

“You have to triple your efforts as the rank bestowed upon reflects commitment and hard work in Police duties,” Harerimana said.

He pointed out that through hard work and discipline they are assured to continue rising through the ranks.

The Police officers attended the Kenyan Cadet course as part of the collaboration between the two Police forces.

{{The German Development Ministry has announced (Saturday) suspension of its planned aid budget to Rwanda citing allegations that Rwanda supports eastern Congo’s latest rebellion.}}

Germany’s development ministry said Saturday that it suspended US$26 Million in contributions to Rwanda’s budget planned from this year through 2015.

Britain and the Netherlands already have suspended support and the U.S. cut planned military aid.

German Development Minister Dirk Niebel said he expects “unreserved cooperation” by Rwanda with the U.N. experts.

He added ,”The accusations must be cleared up completely, and it must be clear that Rwanda does not support any illegal militias in eastern Congo.”

{{The UK government has suspended aid to Rwanda worth £16m ($25m) saying in a statement that it was delaying in budget support due July 2012 while considering whether aid conditions had been met.}}

Total UK aid to Rwanda in the year 2012-13 is projected to be about $118m.

Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said that UK’s decision to terminate aid was “one sided”.

“More importantly I think it’s a wake-up call for Rwanda and other aid recipient countries to actually start fending for ourselves and figure out a way to sustain our development without being subjected to bullying and pressure from donors,”

This Follows simillar actions against Rwanda by the Netherlands that have also withheld aid to Rwanda over alleged backing of rebels in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mushikiwabo said (Friday) that she regreted the “hasty decisions based on flimsy evidence” made by donor partners on Rwandan budget support.

The brief UK announcement emerged after the Dutch foreign ministry confirmed it would no longer be making payments worth $6.15m (£3.9m) to Rwanda’s aid budget until it had received reassurances from Rwanda government.

Mushikiwabo said any decision to suspend aid based on the UN report was “taken on evidence that does not exist”.

{{Private sector’s contribution to the East African economy currently stand at about 80% in terms of wealth creation, production of goods and services and poverty alleviation, according to the EAC secretary general, Dr Richard Sezibera.}}

Based on this fact, he underscored the need to design a framework for collaboration and dialogue between the community secretariat, private sector, civil society organisations and other interest groups.

Addressing company CEOs from across the region in Kigali on Monday, Dr. Sezibera said dialogue between different players would ensure the integration process creates better business environment aimed at enhancing EAC competitiveness and boost economic growth.

He said in a speech, a copy of which was sent to The Citizen, that EAC has prepared a draft framework to help engage the private sector in a more robust way.

The current EAC Development Strategy postulates, among its priority areas, to include improving regional/global competitiveness for faster and sustainable economic growth and move closer to the status of the newly industrialised nations.

At the same time the strategy focussed on establishing a robust legal and administrative framework that would facilitate regional economy to generate more income and wealth.

He noted that the private sector interests were at the top of the list of priorities of the EAC Strategic Plan, whereby the Strategy identifies critical constraints to be addressed —including limited supply capacity to take advantage of the available regional preferential market access and underdeveloped regional infrastructure.

The EAC boss also disclosed that measures were being taken to conclude a Public-Private Partnership Framework for the EAC, which would go a long way to enhance private sector participation in public enterprises.

He said a study had been completed by the World Bank in consultation with EAC, which presented a “needs assessment” on the formulation of a suitable policy framework and strategy and awaits consideration and guidance by the EAC Council of Ministers.

The proposed framework will facilitate private sector participation in public enterprises with a regional dimension particularly in industrial and infrastructure projects.