IGIHE

Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • UN Peacekeeper Shot Dead in eastern DRC

    {{Unidentified gunmen have killed a Pakistani peacekeeper in an ambush on a United Nations convoy in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesman for the U.N. mission has said.}}

    The attack took place on Tuesday evening in the province of South Kivu and comes as the U.N. reinforces its mission with an aggressive force tasked with defeating rebels at the heart of two decades of conflict.

    “We’re trying to piece it together, it happened between Walungu and Bukavu,” said Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the U.N.’s 17,000-strong mission, referring to towns south of Bukavu, the province capital.

    The U.N. is preparing to deploy its first “intervention brigade” – 3,000 soldiers charged with carrying out targeted offensive action rather than just protecting civilians or themselves.

    {wirestory}

  • Somalia Seeks for International Support

    Fifty countries and organisations have gathered in London for an international conference aimed at preventing Somalia from slipping back into lawlessness.

    David Cameron, UK prime minister, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali president, are co-hosting Tuesday’s meeting, which hopes to bolster political stability in the Horn of Africa country.

    Britain has pledged $15m to help train Somali security forces and judges.

    “The Somalia conference in London aims to capitalise on the significant progress made over the past year and to agree coordinated international support for the government of Somalia’s plans to build political stability by improving security, police, justice and public financial management systems,” Britain’s Foreign Office said.

    Organisations such as the UN, the African Union, the International Monetary Fund and Somalia’s neighbours are among those invited.

    Al Jazeera’s Peter Greste, reporting from Mogadishu on Tuesday, said the feeling in Somalia seemed to be that this was one in a line of international conferences, and it was unlikely the results would be seen.

    “A lot of people mention that this is one in a series of international conferences and people are yet to see the outcome of these on the ground,” he said.

    “If the security situation in Somalia breaks down, there is a fear we could see a resurgence of Islamic extremism and piracy. The key reason for the drop in hijackings is seen as the increase of security.”

    {aljazeera}

  • DRC Named Worst Place to be Mother

    {{The Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday displaced fellow African nation Niger to gain the unenviable distinction of being the worst place in the world to be a mother, according to the annual report of Save the Children.}}

    Countries in sub-Saharan Africa took up each of the bottom ten places for the first time first time in the 14 years that the report has been produced.

    In contrast, Finland took the top spot, with its Nordic neighbours filling the other leading positions.

    The London-based charity’s “State of the World’s Mothers” compared 176 countries in terms of maternal health, child mortality, education and levels of women’s income and political status.

    The group called for investment to close the “startling disparities” in maternal health between the developed and developing world and for a push to fight inequality and malnutrition.

    The report found that a woman or girl in the DRC has a one in 30 chance of dying from maternal causes — including childbirth.

    In Finland the risk is one in 12,200.

    “By investing in mothers and children, nations are investing in their future prosperity,” said Jasmine Whitbread, Save the Children International’s Chief Executive.

    “If women are educated, are represented politically, and have access to good quality maternal and child care, then they and their children are much more likely to survive and thrive – and so are the societies they live in,” she added.

    “Huge progress has been made across the developing world, but much more can be done to save and improve millions of the poorest mothers and newborns’ lives.”

    After the DRC, the next worst countries were listed as Somalia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Niger.

    The report blamed the high death rates for babies in sub-Saharan Africa on the poor health of mothers — citing figures which show 10 – 20% are underweight.

    It also highlighted the number of mothers giving birth “before their bodies have matured”, the low use of contraception, poor access to satisfactory healthcare and a dearth of health-workers.

    The study identified four potentially lifesaving products which it claims could be rolled out universally.

    They are corticosteroid injections to women in preterm labour; resuscitation devices to save babies who do not breathe at birth; chlorhexidine cord cleansing to prevent umbilical cord infections and injectable antibiotics to treat newborn sepsis and pneumonia.

    The top countries after Finland were Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the Netherlands, with the USA trailing in 30th place behind Slovenia and Lithuania.

    The report blamed the poor placing on its “weaker performance on measures of maternal health and child-wellbeing”.

    {AFP}

  • S.Sudan May Soon Benefit from IMF Credit Facility

    {{The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has earmarked South Sudan as one of the countries set to benefit from its rapid credit facility, an initiative extended to countries recovering from war and external shocks.}}

    The young nation, according to the institution’s South Sudan representative, could benefit from up to 25% of its quota; a subscription fee, each country pays when joining IMF.

    “I will not be able to share with you much about this because the program is still under discussion and awaiting approval from our board,” Joseph Karangwa told reporters in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

    “The amount is not yet determined, but usually the country does not exceed more than 25% of its quota,” he added Friday.

    South Sudan, IMF said, paid about $185m as its quota, implying that its rapid credit facility is about $47m. The credit, paid over a 15-year period, is usually interest free.

    The new nation became IMF’s 188th member in April last year, making it eligible for all services the institution offer, including capacity building assistance.

    In October 2012, at least 13 staff drawn from the country’s Finance ministry and the National Bureau of Statistics benefited a macroeconomic policy formulation and analysis course, organized in by IMF in Nairobi, Kenya.

    {ST}

  • Uganda Bans Sudanese Rebels’ Meetings on its Territory

    {{The Ugandan government has banned Sudanese rebel movements of meeting in its territories arguing that such gatherings would negatively impact the country.}}

    The director of the Ugandan Security Services informed the rebel leaders in a secrete meeting that they should immediately refrain from holding any meetings in Kampala.

    Uganda informed the rebels of the decision on Monday which included Minni Minnawi of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Minnawi (SLM-M), Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur of the Sudan Liberation Movement/AW (SLA-AW), and Ayoub Mohamed of Darfur People’s Unity Movement.

    The rebel leaders are said to have apologized for their “mistakes” and promised not to hold further meetings on Ugandan territory.

    The source said that Kampala has been under pressure take this move, without providing further details.

    Khartoum and Kampala have a long history of troubled relations over alleged support to rebel groups on both sides of their borders.

    Kampala says that Khartoum is still providing support and refuge to the notorious Ugandan rebels, the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), even after South Sudan’s secession created a buffer zone between Sudan and Uganda.

    Khartoum on the other hand says that Kampala has become a safe harbour for Sudanese rebel leaders.

    Last January, Sudanese opposition parties and rebel groups signed a charter in Kampala known as the “New Dawn”, putting their stated goal to topple the Khartoum government via different political and military means.

    This has prompted Khartoum to lodge several complaints with the African Union (AU) and other regional blocs against Kampala saying the latter is supporting regime change in Sudan.

    Last March, the speaker of the Sudan’s national assembly Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir said that the Sudanese government is working with forces in Uganda that are opposed to president Yoweri Museveni to bring about “positive political influence”.

    {ST}

  • Tanzania to Introduce New Weighbridges

    {{Tanzania government has announced plans to introduce modern weighbridges, known as ‘multi deck and weigh in motion,’ in a move to address the problem of delays by vehicles on major roads.}}

    The ministry of Transport revealed this in Parliament over the weekend, noting that the first such modern weighbridge would be constructed at Vigwaza area.

    Transport minister Gerson Lwenge said the decision was part of the government’s efforts to add efficiency in reducing traffic congestion on roads.

    She said for a long time stakeholders and businesspeople from neighbouring countries who use the Dar es Salaam port have complained of delays.

    However, the country’s Road Traffic Act of 1973 and the Road Traffic Maximum Weight of Vehicles Regulations of 2001, requires all vehicles carrying cargo of 3.5 tonnes and above should pass through weighbridges.

  • NASA study Shows Rain will get Extreme

    {{A NASA-led study provides new evidence that global warming may increase the risk for extreme rainfall and drought.}}

    The study shows for the first time how rising carbon dioxide concentrations could affect the entire range of rainfall types on Earth.

    Analysis of computer simulations from 14 climate models indicates wet regions of the world, such as the equatorial Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions, will see increases in heavy precipitation because of warming resulting from projected increases in carbon dioxide levels.

    Arid land areas outside the tropics and many regions with moderate rainfall could become drier.

    The analysis provides a new assessment of global warming’s impacts on precipitation patterns around the world.

    The study was accepted for publication in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

    “In response to carbon dioxide-induced warming, the global water cycle undergoes a gigantic competition for moisture resulting in a global pattern of increased heavy rain, decreased moderate rain, and prolonged droughts in certain regions,” said William Lau of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and lead author of the study.

    The models project for every 1 degree Fahrenheit of carbon dioxide-induced warming, heavy rainfall will increase globally by 3.9% and light rain will increase globally by 1%.

    However, total global rainfall is not projected to change much because moderate rainfall will decrease globally by 1.4%.

    Heavy rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of more than about 0.35 of an inch per day.

    Light rain is defined as months that receive an average of less than 0.01 of an inch per day.

    Moderate rainfall is defined as months that receive an average of between about 0.04 to 0.09 of an inch per day.

    Areas projected to see the most significant increase in heavy rainfall are in the tropical zones around the equator, particularly in the Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon regions.

    Some regions outside the tropics may have no rainfall at all. The models also projected for every degree Fahrenheit of warming, the length of periods with no rain will increase globally by 2.6%.

    In the Northern Hemisphere, areas most likely to be affected include the deserts and arid regions of the southwest United States, Mexico, North Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, and northwestern China.

    In the Southern Hemisphere, drought becomes more likely in South Africa, northwestern Australia, coastal Central America and northeastern Brazil.

    “Large changes in moderate rainfall, as well as prolonged no-rain events, can have the most impact on society because they occur in regions where most people live,” Lau said. “Ironically, the regions of heavier rainfall, except for the Asian monsoon, may have the smallest societal impact because they usually occur over the ocean.”

    Lau and colleagues based their analysis on the outputs of 14 climate models in simulations of 140-year periods.

    The simulations began with carbon dioxide concentrations at about 280 parts per million — similar to pre-industrial levels and well below the current level of almost 400 parts per million — and then increased by 1% per year.

    The rate of increase is consistent with a “business as usual” trajectory of the greenhouse gas as described by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

    Analyzing the model results, Lau and his co-authors calculated statistics on the rainfall responses for a 27-year control period at the beginning of the simulation, and also for 27-year periods around the time of doubling and tripling of carbon dioxide concentrations.

    They conclude the model predictions of how much rain will fall at any one location as the climate warms are not very reliable.

    “But if we look at the entire spectrum of rainfall types we see all the models agree in a very fundamental way — projecting more heavy rain, less moderate rain events, and prolonged droughts,” Lau said.

  • Kenya Beats India, China as Major Investor in East Africa

    {{It has emerged that Kenya has toppled the Asian powerhouses India and China in terms of investment in the region.}}

    According to TradeMark East Africa, the publishers — in collaboration with the World Bank — of the Doing Business Report, Kenya dominates in financial, retail and agro-processing sectors.

    “Investments from China and India are picking up quite significantly, but the bulk of the investment in East Africa is still from the United States and Europe,” TradeMark Chief Executive Frank Matsaert noted.

    The integration of East African countries saw the launch of a common market in July 2010, opening up trade between the five member states.

    Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Equity Bank and Cooperative Banks have expanded operations across the region, while retail chains Nakumatt and Uchumi are scouting for more opportunities.

    Uchumi has a presence in Uganda and Tanzania, while Nakumatt has stores in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

    Matsaert also underscored the huge investment potential in the innovation and services industry within the East African Community.

    The region is a top destination for dealmakers who are being drawn in by the improved business environment and discovery of commercially viable oil and gas deposits in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

    Further, business confidence and consumer demand saw inflows from private equity (PE) funds into the region double from 2011 to hit US$475 million.

    {Standard}

  • Arusha Church Explosion Kills 1, Over 30 Injured

    {{One person died and over 30 others seriously injured in an explosion at a church on Sunday in Arusha Tanzania.}}

    The Arusha regional Police commander Liberatus Sabas said one suspect had been apprehended in connection with the explosion but the cause of the explosion was not immediately known.

    The Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said on his Twitter account that he was “greatly shocked” by the explosion.

    For now, we do not know if it’s a bomb, “said Arusha official Magesa Mulongo .” This is a sad day. Our security forces are mobilized and the guilty will be arrested and brought to justice, “he added.

    Tensions have increased in recent months between the Christian and Muslim communities in Tanzania.

    “Religious fundamentalism is a reality, but the government does nothing,” lamented a local MP, Godbless Lema, who described the perpetrators of the explosion as ‘criminals.’

    The explosion occurred just outside a Catholic church in Arusha, a city frequented by tourists visiting the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro National Park, located in the region. The first Mass had been celebrated in this church recently built.

    {Agencies}

  • M23 Rebels Demand Ceasefire

    {{The M23 rebels in Eastern DRC have said they would only resume peace talks if the government signs up to a ceasefire.}}

    Bertrand Bisimwa the M23 political leader said that DRC troops and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebels were advancing on two fronts “and we don’t know what their intentions are.”

    “Our delegation will return to Kampala if — and only if — the government agrees to sign a ceasefire with us immediately, “ he said.

    Military spokesman Olivier Hamuli rejected any links with the FDLR, and refuted claims that the army had moved on the ground.

    “It’s false, it’s propaganda. We could never join forces with an armed group, and even less so with FDLR, and we’re not preparing an offensive against them (M23),” he told media.

    The group’s ultimatum Thursday came shortly after a visit by the new UN special envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes region, former Irish president Mary Robinson.