Tag: GreatLakesNews

{{Salva Kiir, South Sudan’s president, has held bilateral talks with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum to discuss the outstanding issues that remain following secession in 2011.

As a result of the meeting, Bashir lifted a threat to block South Sudan’s oil exports. The two sides also agreed to implement a peace deal signed last year.}}

{{A man swallowed 90 palets of cocaine and smuggled it into Tanzania from Brazil, the Tanzanian High Court heard on Monday.}}

Pedro Alfredo Chongo, alias Salum Shaaban, had 90 pellets of cocaine in his stomach when he was arrested at Julius Nyerere International Airport, shortly after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight on April 4, 2011, State Attorney Veronica Matikila told Lady Justice Grace Mwakipesile.

She said the accused defecated the pellets on 13 occasions over five days.

Chongo developed serious abdominal complications after passing 65 pellets in a police cell at JNIA and was rushed to Muhimbili National Hospital, where he released 25 pellets.

“A day after his arrest he began complaining of severe stomach pains. Police took him to Muhimbili Hospital, where he passed more pellets,” Ms Matikila told the court.

Chongo was discharged from hospital after doctors confirmed that he no longer had drugs in his stomach. A sample of the substance passed by Chongo was taken to the Chief Government Chemist for analysis, and it was confirmed to be cocaine.

agencies

{{The Commonwealth Parliament Association has endorsed Speaker Rebecca Kadaga for the position of the chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians International.}}

Ms Kadaga said she expects to win the race and that winning brings enormous opportunity for women in “Uganda, Africa and the across the world”.

“The question of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) presidency is very important for Uganda because it gives me and the country an opportunity to speak on the international forum for Africa and for the women movement across the world on especially matters of democracy, good governance and easy access to social services and good leadership for the women,” she said.

The endorsement means that Ms Kadaga has the backing of all the 48 delegates with voting rights come the Wednesday contest with Australia’s Lisa Baker for the position.

By Monday, there were 86 voters out of which Africa has 48 voters, Asia four, Australia one, Britain has 13, Canada seven, Caribbean 10, The Pacific five, South East Asia five. India is not represented.

NMG

{{Kenya’s National Assembly has been recalled for a ‘special sitting’ this Thursday to discuss a Motion that seeks Kenya’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.}}

A gazette notice issued by Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso says the sitting has been convened in accordance with Standing Order 29(3) of the National Assembly.

“It is notified that a special sitting of the assembly shall be held in the National Assembly Chamber in the Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi on Thursday, 5th September 2013 at 2.30pm,” the notice says.

The purpose of the ‘special sitting’ will be to consider a Motion relating to the membership of the Republic of Kenya to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The sitting comes as Deputy President William Ruto prepares to travel to The Hague for the opening of his trial set for September 10.

{{The Sudanese government is poised to lift fuel subsidies for the second time since last year as the fiscal situation for the country continues to be leak, a senior official said.}}

The governor of Sudan Central Bank Mohamed Khair al-Zubeir was quoted by pro-government Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper on Sunday as saying that they will target diesel first as it would affect fewer economic sectors as compared to gasoline.

Al-Zubeir noted that Sudan imports petroleum worth $1.4 billion which he said never happened in the history of the country.

He warned that the economic picture is unlikely to change before three years and will be contingent upon boosting oil production.

Sudan lost 75% of its oil reserves after the southern part of the country became an independent nation in July 2011 denying the north billions of dollars in revenues.

Prior to the country’s breakup, Sudan produced close to 500,000 barrels but now its output is limited to 140,000 barrels per day. Oil revenue constituted more than half of the Sudan’s revenue and 90% of its exports.

Per cooperation deals signed between Khartoum and Juba the latter pays a fee to the Sudanese government for the use of its pipelines and oil installations in exporting its crude.

The Central Bank governor stressed that the balance of payment reached a critical stage with imports at $8 billion which is twice export figures of $4.

He also disclosed that Sudan’s gold exports so far stood at $650 million compared to last year which reached $2 billion.

In separate statements, the finance and national economy minister Ali Mahmood Abdel-Rasool revealed that Sudan sells oil for $49 a barrel while buying it for at least $100 adding that part of the subsidy goes to undeserving people which requires restructuring of the subsidy system.

Following the independence of South Sudan in July 2011, Khartoum was forced to introduce a contractionary budget that saw the partial lifting of fuel and food subsidies which triggered rare but small demonstrations across the country.

The government defended the measures saying that the country can no longer afford to pay for these subsidies.

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last April Sudan’s economy shrinking by -4.4% last year.

In 2013, Sudan is expected to achieve a 1.2% growth which is higher than the -0.6% projected by the IMF last year. Next year’s GDP is also forecasted to stand at 2.6% which is slightly better than the 2.1% predicted in the IMF last assessment of Sudan’s economy.

(ST)

{{Zimbabwe has given about 100 foreign companies a 14 day ultimatum to comply with its empowerment laws that force the firms to cede 51% of their stakes to locals.}}

President Mugabe says the empowerment policies are meant to correct the imbalances created by the country’s colonial past.

According to a statement by the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB), the companies must get certificates to show that they have complied with the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act laws.

The board also gave foreigners running companies trading sectors of the economy reserved for locals such as the retail sector until January next year to comply with the regulations.

“NIEEB also reminds companies that are trading in the reserved sector of the economy to apply for certification before 1st January 2014,” the board said.

“Any person who operates a business in the sectors prescribed under the Third Schedule without an indigenisation compliance certificate from 1st January 2014 shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level four or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”

Following his controversial re-election in July, President Robert Mugabe has promised to press on with the empowerment policies, which have unsettled foreign investors.

In its election manifesto, his Zanu PF said the empowerment policies would target over 1138 companies across 14 sectors of the economy.

President Mugabe has also vowed to seize British and American companies in retaliation against the sanctions imposed on his family and close associates for alleged electoral fraud and a bad human rights record.

A number of companies in the mining sector have since complied with the regulations.

{{Mantrac Tanzania, the sole authorised dealer for Caterpillar products in Tanzania, held an exhibition for showcasing the full range of CAT construction equipment in Dar es Salaam.}}

The Mantrac Tanzania team leader for used and rental machines, James Malonga said that the two-day exhibition that was held at the Mantrac grounds, was visited by contractors from across the country who had landed there for an opportunity to learn about the quality of Caterpillar machines used in undertaking various construction activities.

“The exhibition was a unique opportunity for small, medium and large contractors to learn more about the CAT equipment distributed by Mantrac Tanzania,” he noted.

Malonga said that the show provided contractors an idea about available credit facilities provided by Mantrac Tanzania and Stanbic Bank.

Such opportunities can offer builders the capacity to take informed decisions on the equipment to be procured, he noted.

“Limited capacity and high prices of the construction equipment have been hampering most small scale contractors to pursue big projects that could, at times, signify an automatic elimination from the tender process,” he said.

The Bona and Hubert Engineering managing director Hubert Chuwa said CAT equipment meet the highest quality standards which help builders to pursue and complete construction projects on time.

{africanreview}

{{South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir will visit Sudan on Tuesday for talks with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, officials said on Sunday, as the long-time foes seek to avert a halt of vital cross-border oil flows.}}

Diplomats hope what is only Kiir’s second visit to Khartoum since South Sudan’s secession in 2011 will help build trust between the neighbours, who fought one of Africa’s longest civil wars that ended in 2005.

Both countries agreed in March to defuse tensions and resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through the north, its only route to market.

But Sudan has threatened to halt oil flows by Sept. 6 unless Juba cuts ties with rebels operating across the disputed and unmarked border. South Sudan denies providing them any support.

Kiir and Foreign Minster Barnaba Marial Benjamin will travel to Khartoum to discuss implementing the March agreement with Bashir, South Sudan’s foreign ministry spokesman Mawien Makol Arik said.

Sudan’s state news agency SUNA also reported the planned visit, saying both heads of states would discuss bilateral cooperation. It gave no more details.

The African Union has stepped up efforts to prevent the production shutdown, starting an investigation of the Sudanese allegations.

South Sudan relies heavily on oil exports and the shut down could have serious economic and political implications.

Diplomats doubt Sudan will actually close the two cross-border pipelines as it needs South Sudan’s payment of oil transit fees. Khartoum has several times extended a deadline threatening a halt of oil flows.

wirestory