Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Construction of the Standard Gauge Railway to link Tanzania and locked East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi and facilitate transport in the central corridor is expected to start in December.
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The Minister for Works, Transport and Communications, Professor Makame Mbarawa, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the exercise to seek a contractor who will carry out the project is in good progress.

According to the minister, completion of the projecte is expected to take three years. “The project, which will facilitate railway links between four countries (Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Uganda) and the Dar es Salaam Port, will be implemented in four phases,” Prof Mbarawa said while briefing journalists on the resolutions of the Seventh Interstate Council of Ministerial (ICM).

The ICM, which is composed of ministers of transport from Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda and Tanzania, was preceded by a Central Corridor meeting under the chairmanship of the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications, Dr Leonard Chamuriho. According to Dr Chamuriho, the meeting centred on how to address challenges facing transport in the Central Corridor and the implementation of the SGR project.

Last month, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Exim Bank of China to get a loan to finance the construction of a 2,190-kilometre central railway line to SGR standards.

The railway line will run from Dar es Salaam to Tabora-Isaka-Mwanza, Tabora-Mpanda-Kalemela, Tabora-Uvinza-Kigoma and Isaka-Keza-Musongati and Burundi. The railway lines connect landlocked East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

The line to Kigali, Rwanda, will ultimately connect the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The entire project is estimated to cost about 16 trillion/- in which the railway line is expected to connect the port of Dar es Salaam to Rwanda and Burundi, while two additional lines will connect Dar es Salaam to the coal, iron ore and soda ash mining areas in the south and northern parts of the country.

Burundi Minister for Transport, Engineer John Bosco Ntunzwenimana, expressed gratitude to the government of Tanzania for spearheading the project, noting that the Burundi government was committed to the project.

“The project will tremendously address the challenge of transport from the Port of Dar es Salaam to Burundi,” he observed. Central Corridor Transit Transport Agency Board member and former chairman of Uganda Shipping Association, Mr Charles Kareba, expressed delight in the construction of the SGR to connect Uganda.

{Tanzania is studying allegations that some Turkish organisations operating in the country are linked to terrorist groups and has requested the government in Istanbul to furnish it with details so that the two countries can collaborate in establishing the truth before taking appropriate measures.}

After the military coup attempt on July 15, the Turkish Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Yasemin Eralp, raised serious allegations associating some Turkish organizations operating in Tanzania with terrorist activities.

The envoy said that some rebels behind the coup belonged to an organisation, which operates in many countries, including Tanzania.

Foreign Affairs and East African CooperationMinister Ambassador Augustine Mahiga told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that his government has seriously taken concerns raised by the Turkish Embassy.

“The Turkish Embassy has informed our government about companies and institutions operating in Tanzania being associated with terrorist groups … we are making serious follow-up to find out the truth,” Dr Mahiga said.

He said after the attempted coup, the Turkish government raised serious allegations accusing not only its military force but also its political opponents. According to Dr Mahiga, the allegations raised included other institutions such as the police, media, universities, and workers.

He explained that the Turkish government has arrested several people, accusing them not only with intent to overthrow the government but also preaching the terrorist ideology.

“We have a sizeable Turkish community conducting businesses in Tanzania. Business between the two countries has grown. Turkey has been accusing some of the companies conducting business here of financing opposition groups in its country.”

According to him, the government normally conducts thorough scrutiny of foreign companies or institutions before issuing them with permits to operate in the country.

“ We request the Turkish government through its embassy in Tanzania to provide us with details, which will help in evaluating the activities conducted by these groups in the country… the government needs sufficient evidence to prove whether the schools mentioned and other institutions are engaging in terrorist activities,” Dr Mahiga insisted. The minister further said that the government of Tanzania was making close monitoring of its people in Turkey through its embassy in Rome.

The government has directed Tanzanian officials in Rome to visit Turkey, particularly Istanbul and Ankara, to get more details about Tanzanian students studying in the cities following the closure of some colleges. “What is happening in Turkey needs close follow-up.

Therefore, we have directed our officials in Rome to do the work as the government is working to establish an embassy in Turkey,” he said. Dr Mahiga noted that he is expecting to meet with the Turkish Ambassador to Tanzania next week to get more details about the colleges which have been closed and how the government can help Tanzanians in Turkey.

Last month, international media reported that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused a US-based Turkish Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of plotting the overthrow of the democratically elected government.

Mr Gulen has been living in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania in the US since 1999. President Erdogan has repeatedly accused Mr Gulen of trying to foment an uprising in the military, media and judiciary.

Fethullah Gulen’s organisation runs various activities across the world. There are more than 100 primary, middle and secondary schools in Africa that belong to Gulen.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahiga has said that the government is working on reports that some Tanzanians are engaging in a rebel group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) of DRC Congo, which has camped in the eastern part of the country .

He said that during the Southern African Development Community (SADC) conference held in Maputo early this month it was discovered that this group has been a threat not only to Congo but also to the regional bloc because it has been associating with terrorist groups.

“There are reports that some Tanzanians, Kenyans and Somalis have been engaging with this group … We are going to find out which part sof the country these rebels are coming from and take appropriate action against them,” Dr Mahiga stated.

He, however, noted that during the conference, Tanzania took over the chairmanship of the SADC Troika.

Mr Mahiga said that the Double Troika Summit of the Heads of State and government will be held on August 29 and 30 whereby Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi will hand over the chairmanship to President John Magufuli.

{Burundian Political Analyst Innocent Karabagega has asked United Nations (UN) to ensure Burundian refugees access education and not just food.}

He said that the UN should instead stop sending money to feed the refugees but use the huge money they to create education centers or help the refugees who were learning to join universities and colleges to empower them. Speaking to The Standard in Nairobi on Tuesday, Karabagega said food alone cannot help the refugees to be self-reliant in future but education will.

“The UN should ensure the refugees wherever they are,especially those young ones access education so that they can go back home educated and be useful people in the society when the country attains peace. This will prevent them from being thieves, beggars among other crimes,”said Karabagega.

He blamed the plans by Kenya to close refugee camps saying it is not the solution since many of them are running from their countries to seek safety. “It is in fact a threat to their lives. If someone is running from his/her country to look for safety and you chase him to go back,you will not be helping him,” said Karabagega.

Kabaragega regretted that there are many Burundian refugees in Kenya, some living in the streets, who were pupils or students while in Burundi but due to war, many were converted into refugees and cannot afford education-which is the key to success.

He also called upon Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza to listen to people, end war and allow the healing of the nation. “The problem when you tell our president that what you are doing is wrong you become his enemy. President Nkurunziza should listen to the people, apologise and take the country to recovery both in peace and development,” said Karabagega.

He called upon Burundian youths, some who are refugees not to lose hope and desire to have entrepreneurial skills wherever they are to be resourceful people in future.

Karabagega also urged those involved in peace talks to involve the real Burundians who have experienced the war since they know the pain of war and not elites from other countries.

According to United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees(UNCHR), by March 4, 2016, at least 250,473 refugees had fled to DR Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced run for third term.

{FSU officers were deployed in the village and were able to trace the robbers’ residence.}

Police have killed four armed robbers in Gangu village, Busabala, Wakiso District.

The robbers were killed on Tuesday by the Flying Squad Unit (FSU), one of the police’s elite units in charge of combating violent crimes.

Mr Herbert Muhangi, the FSU commander said the hunt was launched on Thursday last week after one Scovia Bamuleete, a resident of Gangu reported a case at Kajjansi Police Station that she was robbed at gunpoint.

He said FSU officers were deployed in the village and were able to trace the robbers’ residence. He said the four suspects were killed during crossfire after resisting arrested and engaging the police.

Mr Emilian Kayima, the political commissar and Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson said an AK47 gun with 12 bullets was recovered during the operation.

“The police recovered the gun that was robbed from a police officer in Entebbe in June,” Mr Kayima said.

The police identified the deceased as Henry Mugisha, Ronald Bwambale, George Kikomeko and Joshua Were.

In April, FSU gunned down four armed thugs who had raided a home of a local businessman in Ggangu.

Maiden police examinations revealed that the suspects had gone to pick their gun which they had hidden in a banana plantation near the home of Mr Rogers Male, a businessman dealing in car spare parts in the city.

In same month, FSU gunned down six suspected armed robbers and recovered three guns in a space of one week.

Mr Muhangi said the suspects were behind the violent and gruesome robberies in Kampala and Wakiso region

{Flying Squad trailed the gangsters from Kiambu.}

Four suspected gangsters were on Thursday morning shot dead at Cabanas on Mombasa Road in Nairobi.

Nairobi County Police Commander Japheth Koome said officers from the Flying Squad trailed the gangsters from Kiambu.

A pistol and a revolver were found.

A Ceska pistol and revolver, each with nine rounds of ammunition, were found in the 3.20 am incident.

Police also found a magazine with 10 bullets and detained a motor vehicle the four were travelling in.