Zelensky and Niinisto talked about regional security, the issues that directly affect the security of Ukraine and Finland, and bilateral defense cooperation, said a statement on the Ukrainian presidential website.
Zelensky thanked Finland for providing 12 defense assistance packages for Ukraine and helping in restoring Ukraine’s energy sector after the Russian strikes.
The Ukrainian president informed his Finnish counterpart about the current situation at the frontline of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We also discussed Finland’s participation in the coalition of countries aimed to provide Ukraine with modern Western tanks,” Zelensky said.
For his part, Niinisto informed that Finland has provided assistance worth almost 600 million euros (about 653 million U.S. dollars) for Ukraine and has sheltered about 50,000 Ukrainian citizens.
During their talks, the parties also touched upon the issues of Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration and exchanged their views on the Ukrainian Peace Formula proposed by Zelensky in November 2022.
Niinisto arrived in Ukraine earlier in the day for his first visit since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The strike, which was called to protest against new price display rules put in place amid rising fuel prices, was originally scheduled to last 60 hours.
The rules required distributors to post the full breakdown of their prices alongside a list of national price averages. The move is designed to increase transparency on prices and reduce price speculation.
But distributors said the new rules cast them as the entities responsible for the recent increase in prices when their fees amount to around 2 percent of the price charged to consumers.
On Monday, during a visit to Algeria aimed at securing new sources of fuel to replace imports from Russia, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the new rules were not aimed at shaming fuel station operators.
After negotiations with government officials last week, the strike was briefly called off and then rescheduled with a shortened duration of 48 hours.
On Tuesday, FAIB, one of the three major trade unions organizing the strike agreed to allow its members to begin operations again after just 24 hours.
But that still left millions of Italian drivers without the means to refuel their vehicles before late Thursday.
Mary-Ellen McGroarty, country director for WFP in South Sudan, said during the launching ceremony in the South Sudanese capital of Juba that the support will be channeled into areas impacted by conflict and climate shocks, both of which cause significant disruptions to education and access to food.
“When conflict or climate shocks strike a community, impacting livelihoods and food availability, schooling is often one of the first things to be deprioritized by families,” said McGroarty.
South Sudanese Minister of General Education and Instruction Awut Deng Acuil said school feeding is a fundamental aspect of education in the country. “Data from the annual education census 2021 indicated that schools that have a feeding program are better attended than schools that do not provide feeding.”
“Therefore, if we want to address the problem of out-of-school children in South Sudan, we must provide feeding in schools to retain our children and especially those who are vulnerable,” said Acuil.
Prolonged school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic caused enrolment rates to plummet across the country and a slow uptake in enrolment when they reopened in early 2021.
National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) told the media that the eight — five boys and three girls aged five to 12 — were among 20 pupils who were on their way to school in Wayokope, a community across the lake.
Ibrahim Wudonyim, a coordinator of NADMO, said the Marine Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service, assisted by some locals, have recovered the bodies of the deceased.
Investigations are underway to find out the cause of the accident.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni launched the drilling process at the Kingfisher Oil Field, operated by the Chinese oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
Museveni thanked China for its continued cooperation with Africa, right from the time the continent was fighting colonialism. He stressed that China is cooperating with the continent in the economic sector to ensure mutual benefit.
The president said the country would carefully use the oil revenues for the development of the country. The government has previously said the revenues would be used for transport and energy infrastructure development.
Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said the investment by the CNOOC in Ugandan oil fields is the largest investment by China in Uganda. Zhang was optimistic that the investment will contribute to the well-being of Ugandans.
Chen Zhuobiao, CNOOC Uganda president, said the corporation is committed to ensuring that there is skills, knowledge and technology transfer to Ugandans. Chen said the corporation will ensure that the local people benefit from the oil by providing, among others, contracts to local companies.
He reiterated that the CNOOC will continue to adhere to high standards of environmental protection.
Proscovia Nabbanja, chief executive officer of Uganda National Oil Company, a state-owned oil enterprise, told reporters that 31 wells will be drilled in the Kingfisher Oil Field, producing 40,000 barrels of oil per day.
Nabbanja said Kingfisher will be drilled at the same time with the Tilenga oil field operated by French oil giant TotalEnergies. She said 426 wells will be drilled in the Tilenga area producing 190,000 barrels of oil per day.
She said the crude oil drilled from both fields will be evacuated to a Central Processing Facility before it is exported to the international market through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga.
Nabbanja said Uganda is still on track to produce its first oil by 2025.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), the country also plans to construct an oil refinery.
At the same event, Uganda officially endorsed the start of the construction of the EACOP, after it handed over a construction license.
A construction license is required to enable the EACOP project to formally start on-the-ground construction activities in Uganda as part of the development of the 1,443-km pipeline from the oil fields to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga.
“This marks another step forward for EACOP as it allows the commencement of our construction activities in Uganda upon completion of the ongoing land access process,” said EACOP Managing Director Martin Tiffen.
Uganda in 2006 discovered 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are commercially viable, according to the MEMD.
The EAPCCO is a regional law enforcement body bringing together 14 member countries. It was founded in 1998 as a regional practical response to the need to join police effort against transnational and organized crime.
Sports is one of the disciplines devised by member states to bring together regional law enforcement agencies towards a common goal.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Jeanne Chantal Ujeneza, while opening the three-day preparation meeting, observed that sports is a unifying factor in realizing the EAPCCO agenda.
“This will not be a competition but getting together, playing together and showing our citizens of our mission as Police officers and Police institutions, which is to ensure security of our countries and the region,” DIGP Ujeneza said.
Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Bosco Gahigi, from Interpol central bureau in Nairobi, said sports carries critical ingredients of information sharing and fighting crimes through networking.
Law enforcement agencies from the 14 EAPCCO countries will compete in 16 sports disciplines, including athletics, football, basketball, handball and boxing. Others include beach volleyball, Karate, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, netball, Judo, rugby and shooting.
The arrest of Aaron Dushimimana, on Tuesday, January 24, came three days after another man was arrested at Remera automobile inspection centre for similar vehicle inspection violations.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police CP John Bosco Kabera said that Dushimimana’s vehicle, registration number RAE 514Y, Dyna type, had failed two gas emission tests.
“During two previous inspections, the same vehicle was found to be emitting gas, which he was supposed to fix.
On his third inspection on Tuesday, technicians detected a foul-play as Dushimimana had removed the air filter so as to pass the test. He was subsequently taken into custody for the serious violation of motor vehicle inspection regulations,” CP Kabera said.
The vehicle was also impounded, he added. Gas emission test is one of the key mechanical areas inspected at automobile centres to fight vehicle emissions in the country.
CP Kabera warned owners of vehicles and drivers against such violations.
He added that technicians are trained to detect these malpractices and commended the public, who report such irregularities.
This incident is a violation of Rwanda’s airspace for the third time since November 2022.
Short videos and photos shared on social media show the warplane’s left wing burning and the other side of the plane with bullet holes.
The warplane was shot but did not crash down immediately and continued to fly until it landed at Goma airport where firefighters rushed to put out fire on the burning wing.
Following the incident, the Government of Rwanda released a statement announcing that defensive measures were taken and warned the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) against repetitive provocations.
“Today at 5:03 pm, a Sukhoi-25 from the DR Congo violated Rwanda airspace for the third time. Defensive measures were taken. Rwanda asks the DRC to stop this aggression,” reads the brief statement.
Witnesses who were at the small border between Rwanda and DRC have told IGIHE that they heard loud explosion while returning from Goma and saw a jet in the sky flying back to Congo.
Previously, DRC’s fighter jets violated Rwanda’s airspace two times where one landed briefly at Rubavu airport.
Rwanda has condemned provocations by DRC which has been in the past few days making utterances alluding to imminent attacks on it.
On Wednesday last week, Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula released a statement whose conclusion reflected previous utterances by Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi at the United Nations (UN) Security Council on 20th November 2022 where he said that his country resolved ‘to put an end to insecurity in eastern part of the country whatever the cost’.
Reacting to the statement, Rwanda referred to it as a threat of war.
Goma airport where DRC’s jets are parked is currently used by mercenaries from Europe who manage it and oversee maintenance of the Sukhoi fighter jets acquired from Russia.
Recently, the Government of Rwanda released a statement indicating that the recruitment of foreign mercenaries by the DRC is a clear indication that the country ‘is preparing for war, and not peace’.
President Paul Kagame recently said that Rwanda is overstocked to deal with those mercenaries, if need be.
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[Rwanda says DRC fighter jet violates its airspace ->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-says-drc-fighter-jet-violates-its-airspace]
[Rwanda condemns repeated violations of its airspace by DRC fighter jets->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-condemns-repeated-violations-of-its-airspace-by-drc-fighter-jets]
[Rwanda condemns DRC over utterances alluding to imminent attacks->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-accuses-drc-of-making-utterances-alluding-to-imminent-attacks]
[Kagame assures that Rwanda is overstocked to deal with DRC’s mercenaries->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/kagame-assures-that-rwanda-is-overstocked-to-deal-with-drc-s-mercenaries]
[DRC turns back on negotiations with Rwanda->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-turns-back-on-negotiations-with-rwanda]
[The fate of DR Congo’s aircraft which violated Rwanda’s airspace 26 years ago->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/the-fate-of-dr-congo-s-aircraft-which-violated-rwanda-s-airspace-26-years-ago]
[DRC wants a war – Analysis->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/drc-wants-a-war-analysis]
At a joint press conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said the project will make Italy “a key distributor of Algerian energies to Europe.”
For her part, Meloni said in the light of the energy crisis in Europe, Algeria can “become a pioneer supplier at the African and global levels via Italy to all Europe,” noting Algeria is Italy’s first trading partner in Africa.
She also expressed Italy’s aspiration to diversify partnership with Algeria, especially in the areas of digital infrastructure, communications, biomedicine, industry, and renewable energies.
Earlier in the day, Algeria and Italy signed several cooperation agreements during a ceremony co-chaired by Tebboune and Meloni.
The Italian prime minister arrived on Sunday in Algeria for a two-day working visit.
The message was read by the Minister of Local Government, Jean Claude Musabyimana on Monday 23rd January 2023 during a ceremony to bid last farewell to late Prof Mbanda.
The ceremony took place at Regina Pacis Parish after a church service led by Cardinal Antoine Kambanda.
It was attended by various top government officials, the Secretary General of RPF Inkotanyi, François Ngarambe and former Senate President Dr. Augustin Iyamuremye among others.
Cardinal Kambanda said that the death shocks the most especially when it takes an important person like Prof. Kalisa Mbanda.
He eulogized him as a man of virtues who socialized, loved people and strived for common interests.
Cardinal Kambanda said that Prof. Mbanda left a legacy of loving one another, cultivating compassion and passing the values to others.
Through a message conveyed by Minister Musabyimana during the ceremony, the President of the Republic said that Rwandans will always remember the contribution of Prof. Mbanda.
“The President of the Republic and his family learnt about the sad news that Prof. Kalisa Mbanda passed away. We are shocked by the demise and stand in solidarity with Mbanda’s wife, children and his entire family during these days of deep sorrow,” he said.
“Prof. Mbanda served our country through various positions he assumed. Rwandans will always remember him for his dedication while assuming those duties. The President of the Republic and his family, extend wishes for Mbanda’s wife and the entire family to remain strong during this period of sadness. May Prof Mbanda rest in peace.”
Prof. Mbanda who breathed the last on 13th January 2023 succumbing to natural cause, was laid to rest in Rusororo Cemetery. He is survived by his wife, four children and six grandchildren.
Prof. Mbanda was named the Chairman of NEC in 2012 for five-year term that was renewed. He replaced Prof. Chrysologue Karangwa at the time. He has been also serving as the Chancellor of Kigali Independent University (ULK).
Prof. Mbanda held different positions where he once served as an Expert for Eco-development and Community-Base Projects, in charge of Planning and Monitoring between 1990-1995 and Consultant for Regional Rehabilitation and Development Plan (1998-99) at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He also spent long time in the education sector as he served as the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at the National University of Rwanda between 1995-1998, National Expert for Strategic Planning, in charge of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Sector 2000-2003 and Rector of the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry from 2003 to 2007.
Prof. Mbanda later worked as a consultant with different institutions including the ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), Rwanda Local Development Support Fund (RLDSF) and Genocide Survivors Fund (FARG) among others.
In 2006, Prof. Mbanda was the Chairman of Kigali City Council. He holds a PhD in Biology obtained from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. Prof. Mbanda also graduated as Tropical Agriculture Engineer at the same university.
[{{Click here to view more pictures of Prof. Mbanda’s burial. }} ->igihe.com/amakuru/u-rwanda/article/prof-kalisa-mbanda-yashyinguwe-amafoto]
