In disregard of China’s grave concerns and firm opposition, Nancy Pelosi insisted on visiting Taiwan. This constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs. It gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, seriously tramples on the one-China principle, and severely threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson added.
The 44-year-old resident of a serene village overlooking a mangrove swamp on the northwestern edges of Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa is proud of the modern railway project for the high importance it attaches to the conservation of marine life.
The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR — which connects Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city — is Kenya’s largest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963.
{{Mangrove forests well protected }}
Mohamed, also the founder of Bidii Creek Conservancy, a Mombasa-based green lobby, said during a recent interview with Xinhua that the SGR has provided best practices on blending conservation with infrastructure development.
“I visited the SGR when its construction started and witnessed restoration of the previously degraded sections of the mangrove forest in our locality,” said Mohamed.
“The installation of overpasses and culverts ensured there was minimal disturbance to the mangrove forest which is an important fish breeding site, besides regulating coastal weather,” he added.
Adjacent to Mohamed’s ancestral village, tall concrete pillars support an overpass snaking through pristine beaches and mangrove swamps to allow seamless movement of SGR passengers and cargo trains.
Mohamed and his conservation peers lauded efforts made by China Road and Bridge Corporation, contractor of the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR, to ensure that ecological integrity of the marine ecosystems including mangrove forests and estuaries was not harmed by the infrastructure project.
Five years since its launch, the SGR has earned accolades from local officials and conservationists for prioritizing ecological protection along its corridor.
Philip Jamuhuri Mainga, managing director of Kenya Railways Corporation, said that green ethos has been placed at the center of SGR operations, bringing benefits to local communities in terms of clean air and tranquil landscapes.
“We have performed very well in terms of environmental conservation. The SGR corridor has reduced carbon emission, the trains are well maintained and do not produce waste,” said Mainga.
Unlike trucks, the SGR trains plying along the corridor have not been emitting smoke to the atmosphere, boosting Kenya’s quest for improved air quality, said Cosmas Makewa, station master at the Mombasa SGR Terminus.
According to Makewa, the design and execution of the modern railway project adhered to local environmental protection laws, ensuring a healthy relationship between the contractor and local communities.
“The project had a positive impact on the environment. It did not cut through the sea nor interfered with mangroves. We made temporary culverts to make sure water flowed from the sea to the other side,” said Makewa.
He added that SGR bridges cause minimum disturbance to the ground even as the contractor strengthens partnership with coastal communities to restore depleted sections of mangrove forest.
{{Wildlife taken good care of}}
At the idyllic plains that dot Tsavo National Park, Kenya’s oldest and largest wildlife sanctuary, iconic species including elephants, giraffes and zebras are always spotted passing through underpasses installed by the SGR contractor, to ensure they can migrate uninterruptedly.
The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR snakes through Tsavo National Park, a world-famous tourist destination.
To enhance safety of wildlife, the SGR contractor erected electric fences on both sides of the track besides installing wide underpasses at short intervals to facilitate movement of both large and small animals.
Nancy Githaiga, country director for Kenya at Nairobi-based African Wildlife Foundation, said that establishment of bridges and underpasses aided protection of iconic wildlife species at Tsavo National Park.
Initial fears that the SGR could harm biodiversity, including wildlife, were laid to rest, thanks to the erection of safe passways by the contractor, Githaiga said.
Wildlife protection measures initiated by the SGR contractor should inform future efforts to develop mega infrastructure projects while safeguarding integrity of biodiversity hotspots in Kenya, she added.
{{China’s ecological civilization vision}}
In the view of Leopold Omondi, a campaigner with Nairobi-based green lobby Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project highlighted the viability of China’s vision of ecological civilization.
“The SGR contractors somehow tried to prevent environmental harm as they laid down the rail from Mombasa to Nairobi. Wild animals’ habitats and the animals themselves were taken care of,” said Omondi.
By learning from China’s ecological civilization model, Kenya stands a better chance of achieving nature-positive growth, he added.
Isaiah Andebe, programs coordinator with Pan-African Media Alliance for Climate Change, said commendable protection of mangroves and wild animals points to successes of the ecological protection plan adopted by the contractor.
He commended the SGR contractor for providing migration corridors for wildlife at Tsavo and Nairobi national parks, and encouraging rainwater harvesting to cater for the animals.
“The SGR adopted greening measures as grass and trees were planted at various sections along the railway line. This not only helps in beautification but also in environmental protection,” said Andebe.
The ins and outs of the current tension over the Taiwan Strait are crystal clear, so are the rights and wrongs. It is the United States which started the trouble, created the crisis, and continuously escalated the tensions, Wang said on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation.
“The flagrant provocation by the United States has set an egregious precedent. If it’s not corrected and countered, will the principle of non-interference in internal affairs still exist? Will the international law still be upheld? How can the regional peace be safeguarded?” he asked.
Wang stressed that the statement of the G7 foreign ministers distorts facts and confounds right and wrong.
“Where did they get the right to groundlessly criticize China’s reasonable and lawful measures for safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity? Who granted them the authority? Isn’t it absurd that the infringer is shielded whereas the defender is accused?” he asked.
Noting that the G7’s wrongdoing has aroused great indignation among the Chinese people, Wang said the sovereignty and independence of China and other countries were earned through bloody battles fought by the people and should never be infringed upon again.
Today’s China is no longer the China of the 19th century, and history should not and will not repeat itself, he stressed.
The international community should unequivocally oppose any act that challenges the one-China principle and resist all infringements on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Wang said.
Regional countries should be more united against any hegemony bullying the region, he said, adding only in this way can regional countries truly safeguard their own security as well as regional peace and stability.
It is said that the incident took place in the evening of Thursday as a Congolese soldier chased children grazing sheep to seize their livestock. They were grazing sheep in a plain separating Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Spokesperson of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga has told IGIHE that the soldier was shot after crossing into Rwanda.
Following the incident, his body was handed over to Congolese leaders at Kabuhanga Border.
There have been different incidents in the plain separating Rwanda and DRC where smugglers attempting to sneak into Rwanda and Congolese soldiers crossing into Rwanda were confused with enemies and shot dead.
Combatants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) terrorist group have been also maneuvering through the same plain to attack nearby sectors including Bugeshi, Busasamana and Cyanzarwe.
In June this year, a Congolese soldier was shot dead as he attacked Rwandan Policemen on guard with a rapid fire at the country’s small border with Rwanda in Rubavu District commonly known as ‘Petite Barrière’.
At the time, RDF released a statement indicating that the attacker who also opened fire on civilians crossing the border was shot back in self-defence.
“This morning at around 08:45 a.m., an unidentified Congolese soldier armed with an AK 47 rifle crossed the “Petite Barrière” border in Rubavu District and began shooting at Rwandan security personnel and civilians crossing the border, injuring two Rwandan police officers. A Rwanda National Police officer on duty shot back in self defence, to protect civilians crossing the border and border agents,” reads part of the statement released in June.
RDF also disclosed that the Congolese soldier was shot dead 25 metres inside Rwandan territory and requested probe into the circumstances.
The agreement will see Nziza Training Academy representing and selling its technological solutions in Rwanda.
Based in the United States of America (USA), Bentley Systems develops, manufactures, licenses, sells, and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Nziza Training Academy is a skills development center for architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing professionals that offers high-level professional training on computer aided programs used in technical projects’ studies.
Apart from existing professional training programs, Nziza Training Academy enjoys the exclusivity to represent, train, and resell engineering and design technologies in architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing industries from other world’s giant companies including Autodesk, Midas, Protasoftware, Microsoft and Planswift.
With the recent agreement, Bentley Systems joins the circle of the world’s giant tech companies that have already approved working partnership with Nziza Training Academy.
The approval was also witnessed by the management of Bentley Systems all the way from their office in Dublin- Ireland to sign the deal authorizing Nziza Training Academy to work as a channel partner in Rwanda.
As per regulations of Bentley Systems, Bentley Channel Partners deliver, implement, train, support, and enhance its offerings to users through their industry expertise and proven sales and technical knowledge of our products and solutions.
Its channel partners are carefully chosen, selectively authorized companies that focus on small and medium-sized organizations to improve Bentley users’ long-term growth and satisfaction.
Following the agreement, Nziza Training Academy will be offering the full-size delivery of Bentley’s famous products including AutoPipe, MicroStation, OpenFlows, OpenGround, Plaxis, ProjectWise, SoilVision, Staad Pro, Synchro Pro, and so on.
Recently on January 31, 2022, Bentley Systems completed the acquisition of Power Line Systems, an American company also known as a leader in software for the design of overhead electric power transmission lines and their structures that owns software technologies known as PLS-CADD, PLS-POLE and TOWER among others.
The move will see Rwandan companies and entities within the energy sector benefiting from access to Bentley and power lines systems locally.
For any software needs or more information, you can contact Nziza Training Academy at +250785568718 or email the sales department via sales@nzizatraining.ac.rw
“Effective from 08.08.2022, the booster dose will be administered at all vaccination sites focusing on members of the elderly aged above 60 and others with low body immunity,” reads a statement released by the Ministry of Health.
Figures from the ministry show that a total of 8,870,113 people (97.9%) have so far received two doses of COVID-19 while 5,269,254 (58.1%) received the first booster dose.
Among others, the country has registered 1466 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic emerged in March 2020.
The types of vaccines used to administer booster doses include Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna among others.
The supposedly leaked report of UN Group of Experts indicates that it has “solid evidence” that Rwandan troops have been fighting alongside the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and providing it with weapons, ammunitions and uniforms among other support.
The Government of Rwanda released a statement announcing that it cannot comment on an unpublished and unvalidated report.
Reuters has published a story featuring findings of the supposedly leaked report that Rwandan troops and the M23 jointly attacked the Congolese army camp in Rumangabo in May.
“When the M23 took control of the strategic border town of Bunagana in June, Rwandan soldiers were either present or had provided equipment to the rebels,” reads part of the report’s findings published by Reuters.
The report reads that the target of the M23 and Rwandan operations in Congo has been the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a terrorist group which Rwanda accuses Congo of using as a proxy.
It also indicates that some members of Congo’s army have supported and fought alongside a coalition of armed groups including the FDLR.
These allegations were not part of a recent experts’ report submitted to UN Security Council in June 2022.
On the other hand, it is said that the mid-term report will be released in December where the Government of Rwanda considers the allegations as a tactic to distract people from the real issues.
“Until the problem of FDLR, which operates in close collaboration with the DRC army, is taken seriously and addressed, security in the Great Lakes region cannot be achieved. This is happening in full view of MONUSCO, which has been present in DRC for more than twenty years, but with no solution in sight,” reads part of a statement released by Rwanda.
Meanwhile, Rwanda reported different incidents where rockets shelled on its territory from DRC injured civilians and destroyed houses.
It is said that investigations were made and were part of UN Group of Experts’ report in June.
“Rwanda has a legitimate and sovereign right to defend our territory and citizens, and not just wait for disaster to unfold,” adds the statement.
It also indicates that the presence of M23 and its origins are well-known as a problem of the DRC, which they seek to make a burden of other countries yet Rwanda hosts tens of thousands of Congolese refugees, some of whom stayed there for more than 25 years.
“As regional frameworks are trying to manage the situation in Eastern DRC, Rwanda has consistently raised the alarm with the United Nations and other international actors about this infringement of the security of our country. Rwanda is working for peace and stability, from which Rwanda and all our neighbours can benefit,” reads the statement.
Among others, the beverage’s revenue increased by 28.2% to Rwf72.9 billion in the first half year of 2022 from Rwf 56.8 billion of 2021. The revenue growth was driven by the increase in volume and pricing to mitigate rising input costs.
Bralirwa’s operating result also increased to Rwf20 billion from Rwf12.6 billion of the same period last year resulting from good topline performance and strict cost management.
In the second half of this year, Bralirwa expects continued increase in volume and revenue in line with the trend of the first half of 2022 even though further impact of input cost increase is expected.
Commenting on the performance, the Vice Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of Bralirwa, Etienne Saada said: “Bralirwa Plc has been able to perform well in the first half of 2022. Both volume and revenue increased driven by the relaxation of COVID-19 related restrictions on trade, events and gatherings and continued execution of Bralirwa’s commercial strategy. This promising first half top line performance, translated to a favorable operating result further improved by a continued focus on cost management.”
{{About Bralirwa}}
Bralirwa Plc is a Rwandan company producing and selling beers and soft drinks.
The Company’s beer brand portfolio includes Heineken, Primus, Mützig, Legend, Amstel and Turbo King produced in the Gisenyi Brewery. Primus, the Company’s largest selling beer brand has been available to consumers since 1959.
Since 1974, the Company has been producing and selling soft drink brands under a licensing agreement with The Coca-Cola Company. These include Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Krest, Tonic, Stoney, Pineapple and the Company’s own brands Vital’O and Cheetah – energy drink.
The Company was founded in 1957 with the construction of a brewery located in Gisenyi. Since 1971, Bralirwa is a subsidiary of Heineken N.V., which holds 75% of the shares of Bralirwa with the remaining 25% listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange. As a socially responsible company, Bralirwa supports a variety of projects from Health to Environment.
Blinken is awaited in Kigali next week for the first visit of US top official since the incumbent President Joe Biden took office.
MINAFETT has through statement disclosed that Rwanda looks forward to further strengthening the relationship with the United States and discuss partnership in the areas including peacekeeping, global health, global food and energy security, trade and investment, counterterrorism and climate action.
Discussions with Blinken are also expected to address security challenges in the Great Lakes Region where Rwanda remains committed to various regional mechanisms in place to find durable solutions.
“Rwanda looks forward to a robust exchange of views on governance and human rights, as has always been the case in the Rwanda-U.S. relationship,” reads the statement in part.
The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee recently told the media that Blinken will meet with President Paul Kagame on his visit to Rwanda where the arrest of Rusesabagina will be part of topics of discussions.
She said that the State Secretary has been expressing concerns that Rusesabagina was illegally arrested.
Rwanda and US enjoy cordial relations but some of its officials have been exerting pressure on Rwanda over the arrest of Paul Rusesabagina, the former President of MRCD-FLN terrorist group who was handed 25-year jail term.
Some US lawmakers proposed sanctions against Rwanda accusing the country of having kidnapped Paul Rusesabagina.
As the statement released by MINAFFET reads, Rwanda will make clear that the arrest of Rusesabagina was lawful.
“On the case of Rwandan citizen Paul Rusesabagina, on which we had engaged with the United States for more than a decade, Rwanda welcomes the opportunity to once again make clear that his arrest and conviction for serious crimes against Rwandan citizens [alongside 20 other accomplices in the same trial], while residing in the United States, were lawful under both Rwandan and international law,” adds the statement.
[{{Related story:}} {{Rusesabagina handed 25-year sentence}}->https://en.igihe.com/justice/article/rusesabagina-sankara-and-co-accused-to-return-to-court#:~:text=The%20court%20convicted%20former%20President,to%2020%20years%20behind%20bars.]
