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  • Experts to Craft EAC Final Arms Treaty

    {{The East African Community (EAC) partner Statesare finalising plans to craft a common position that the region will present next month at the UN ArmsTrade Treaty (ATT) in New York.}}

    Ahmed Wafuba, the coordinator of Uganda’s National Focal Point (NFP) on Small Arms, says that the move will enhance efforts aimed at ridding the region of illegal firearms that have led to loss of innocent lives.

    “We have come up with a position and it remains to be sent to the council of ministers,” Wafuba said during the launch of the global week of action against gun violence in Kampala early this week.

    The awareness week in Uganda has been coordinated by the EAC secretariat in collaboration with the German International Development Agency (GIZ) and the Eastern Africa Action Network on Small Arms (EAANSA).

    Wafuba said that EAC partner States would support the UN arms trade treaty that is legally binding for it to achieve the highest common international standards for transfer of firearms.

    “The issue of conventional arms and small arms plus the ammunitions should be regulated,” he said, adding that Uganda had so far destroyed 97,000 pieces of assault and firearms over a period of three years. Many governments have voiced concern about the absence of globally agreed rules to guide their decisions on arms transfers.

    Citing Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who was once dubbed the “Merchant of Death”, Uganda’s State minister for Internal Affairs James Baba, urged that the treaty should stop manufacturers of weapons from giving them to wrong hands.

    “Our people aren’t killed by tanks or any sophisticated weapons, they are killed by light weapons supplied by these merchants of death,” said Mr Baba.

    Uganda’s minister of Internal Affairs Hillary Onek said that his government is now in the process of reviewing its laws on firearms and ammunitions to ensure that issues of small arms are expressly addressed to include severe and deterrent measures for offenders.

    Martin Ogango, an official from the GIZ-SALW programme on promotion of peace and security wondered why up to now there is no law that globally controls the movements of arms from the manufacturing stage to the final user.

    Preparations to address the absence of globally agreed rules for all Countries to guide their decisions on arms transfers have been underway since 2006, and are culminating into the UN Conference in New York to run from July 2–27 this year.

  • Baby Ineza Flown to India for Heart Operation

    {{Ineza Umugisha Ange is a young baby girl of 18 Months. She was born with a hole in her heart and this has been the cause of her frequent illnesses.

    Her condition can only be handled by specialised hospitals found outside Rwanda.}}

    It’s upon this realisation that a campaign was launched to raise funds for her treatment abroad.

    Good samaritans managed to raise the required funds and Baby Umugisha flew out of Rwanda to India on Tuesday.

    She is expected to spend between two weeks and two months at the hospital undergoing this specialised treatment of her condition.

    Her father Tuyizere Jean Baptiste thanked all the good samaritans especially the staff of the central bank of Rwanda who raised funds to ensure that Baby Umugisha would undergo a specialised heart operation in India.

  • New Microsoft Surface Windows 8 tablets Arrive

    {{Microsoft has unveiled Surface – its own-brand family of tablets.

    The touchscreen computers will be powered by its upcoming Windows 8 system and contain a choice of an Intel or ARM-based processor.}}

    It allows the firm to challenge Apple’s bestselling iPad with a device that can run standard applications such as its own Office programs and Photoshop.

    But it puts Microsoft in competition with other manufacturers planning to release tablets designed for Windows 8.

    The company’s chief executive, Steve Ballmer, said he had wanted to give the software “its own companion hardware”.

    The devices have 10.6 inch (26.9cm) displays, built-in kickstands and are housed in magnesium cases – which the company described as the first of their kind.

    The ARM-based tablets are 9.3mm (0.4 inches) thick – slightly less than the iPad – and run the Windows RT version of the new system.

    The Verge reported that the chipset will be built by Nvidia. Third-party developers must rewrite programs from scratch to run on the system’s Metro interface to work on these devices.

    The versions using Intel’s x86 technology run Windows 8 Pro and are 13.5mm (0.5 inches) thick. These can run Metro and an updated version of the “classic” desktop meaning they can use software designed for earlier editions of Windows, although some programs will need to be updated to be compatible.

    The specifications mean the Surface tablets have bigger screens than the iPad but are heavier.

  • Final joint communique between Rwanda & DRC

    {{As part of ongoing dialogue between Rwanda and DR-Congo held from 18 to 19 June 2012 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in DRC hosted a bilateral meeting between Congolese and Rwandan delegations.}}

    The delegations were respectively led by Their Excellencies Raymond Tshibanda Ntungamulongo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie of the Republic of Congo, and Louise Mushikiwabo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Rwanda.

    This meeting is the materialisation of the desire of both countries to restore and maintain an environment of peace, security and mutual understanding between the DRC and Rwanda, two neighbours and brothers.

    The two delegations exchanged information on security problems in the region and considered the concerns of each Party in connection with the situation in eastern DRC.

    Both delegations reaffirmed the commitment to continue working together for peace, stability and development in the sub region. They agree that their respective territories do not form the basis of destabilization of one or the other.

    They also agreed to operationalise the Joint Verification Commission whose duties include investigating suspicions of outside support to the mutineers and other opportunists.

    In the same vein, both sides reaffirmed the need to find lasting solutions to fundamental problems at the root of the prevailing insecurity.

    They therefore, renewed their determination to continue efforts to complete eradication of the terrorist group FDLR and other armed groups all skimming the sub region.

    A meeting for consultation and evaluation is provided for that purpose June 28, 2012 at GOMA between the defense ministers of both countries, which will be accompanied by the Chiefs of General Staff of the FARDC and RDF.

    In addition, both Parties expressed their wish to continue and intensify the existing cooperation in revitalizing all existing bilateral mechanisms of cooperation.

    The meeting took place in a constructive spirit of sincerity.

    The Foreign Minister of Rwanda thanked her Congolese counterpart for the warm and fraternal welcome which was reserved for her and the Rwandan delegation.

    Kinshasa, 19 June 2012

  • African Tobbacco Farmers Oppose WHO Ban

    {{Tobbacco has for several decades been produced in Africa and contributing to rural employment and economic development on the continent.

    African tobacco growers are lobbying their governments to resist the World Health Organisation’s ban on tobacco arguing that it will affect them economically.}}

    This came up at an International Tobacco Growers’ Association-Africa meeting held recently in Zambia.

    Tobacco growers opposed the ultimate eradication of tobacco growing as recommended by WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control draft policy.

    The growers emphasised the need for African governments to assist tobacco farmers that are affected by the drop in demand for the crop as a result of smoking reduction strategies and changing consumer preferences.

    “By restricting the available land for tobacco farming, denying farmers political and commercial rights to engage with governments through tobacco boards or commissions and ban leaf auctions, these advocate groups directly threaten jobs and livelihoods of millions of farm families worldwide,” said ITGA in a statement.

    “We are concerned that, while some working group members push for a cap on tobacco production and restriction on the amount of land available to tobacco farming, the FCTC has failed to provide credible options for governments seeking to help farmers diversify to other viable crops or livelihoods in anticipation of a potential reduction in demand for tobacco.

    “We note with great concern that the working group responsible for these proposals is being driven by health officers with little to no real world knowledge of agriculture, tobacco farming, or the challenges faced by farmers and farm workers living in rural areas,” said ITGA.

    The ITGA challenged the FCTC to involve the tobacco farming communities at every stage of policy development and implementation.

    The association urged governments to defend the interests of tobacco farmers that provide employment and income for many African farmers and families by rejecting the draft policy recommendations for Articles 17 and 18 and urging other governments to reject recommendations that destroy tobacco farmers’ livelihoods;

    “We urge governments to request the Working Group for Articles 17 and 18 to revise its draft policy recommendations, to seek input from tobacco farmers’ organisations and agricultural policy specialists on specific, detailed and credible options for diversification with alternative crops,” ITGA said.

    The association challenged tobacco farming communities to collectively defend their land, jobs and livelihood from efforts to deny the right to produce the legal crops that better assure their economic pros-perity.

    “We reaffirm the right of farmers to choose to grow tobacco for a living and recognise that tobacco provides a secure and stable income for hundreds of thousands of African farmers,” said the association.

    The ITGA represents millions of tobacco workers and farming communities in Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.

    The association recognises that tobacco has been produced in Africa for generations and acknowledges its contribution to rural employment and economic development.

  • New Book Offers Tips on Doing Business in Africa

    {{A Book presenting a Guide to Business and Investiment opportunities in Africa has been published by a financial Writer David Mataen ({pictured}).}}

    The book explores the growing investment opportunities in emerging Africa.
    The book “Africa — The Ultimate Frontier Market: A guide to the business and investment opportunities in emerging Africa” is an investor’s guide to the transformations that have occurred in the African business landscape in the last 60 years and the key areas of interest for the future.

    It should be of particular interest to individuals and corporations interested in doing business with the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa is now one of the world’s most talked about regions in terms of emerging investment opportunities and sources of new growth.

    Its economies represent a quintessential frontier market and they are set to develop into an area of long-term investment interest.

    “Africa — The Ultimate Frontier Market” provides a detailed but lucid look at the changing trends in social life, government and business since the 1960s.

    It explains the background to consumer market developments and why they have occurred, the enablers that have been laid down within Africa that ready it for business expansion, and the sectors where there is opportunity for investment and growth.

    By following the long-term developments described by Mataen, investors will understand the pace of change in Africa in the past and gain an appreciation for how its business and economy will progress in the future. At this time of great opportunity, this book is an essential addition to anyone’s investment library.

    With the launch of the Mobius Africa Fund set to test investor interest in this emerging market, Mataen’s book could not come at a more crucial time.

    Mataen says of his book: “What motivated me to write this book were two major factors which were mutually perpetuating. The growing interest in Africa as a business proposition or destination for investments which has been generating overwhelming inquiries and demand for information and appetite for knowledge on the continent and its economic attractions. This is about the demand.”

    “The second factor was the frustrations of the aridity and barrenness everyone quickly encounters when they embark on the search for organised and quality information on the continent. It is just not there. This is about the supply.

    “Hitherto, a dynamic stalemate has reigned between these two opposing forces. And this is where ‘Africa — The Ultimate Frontier Market’ comes in. It has sought to close the gap between the two forces, to bridge the chasm dividing demand for and supply of premier content on the emerging African economic appeal,” he said.

    Mataen was born and educated in Africa and has spent 13 years working there in financial services, including time in commercial and investment banking, stock brokerage, and management consultancy.

    He also spent two and a half years as a contributing columnist to Business Daily.

    In the course of his working life he has picked up invaluable insights that have become a foundation for his expert knowledge of business and investing in the continent; he is perfectly placed to comment on African society and business growth within it.

    He is currently the head of corporate finance at Faida Investment Bank in Nairobi, Kenya.

    “What makes this book most relevant at this moment in time is the time itself.

    It is by any measure Africa’s turn — the attention of the world has finally successfully turned to Africa as the ultimate and final source of long-term growth opportunities.

    Anyone not looking at Africa now may be making the same mistake made by those who ignored China and India 15 or 20 years ago.

    This book may well be the beacon light to this global pursuit and contest for Africa’s economic soul,” said Mataen.

  • Robert Mugabe’s Convoy Hits Van, One dead

    {{In Zimbabwe one person reportedly died and 15 others were seriously injured in a crash involving President Robert Mugabe’s motorcade on Sunday. This is the third such accident in two weeks.}}

    A car thought to have been leading the motorcade in the president’s convoy hit a commuter bus on the Robert Mugabe highway outside the president’s home town of Zvimba.

    Zimbabwe Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said Sunday’s accident happened because the bus failed to make way for the president’s vehicles quickly enough.

    Mugabe’s convoy involves an escort of around 10 vehicles including the presidential limousine, motorcycles and army vehicles.

    Bvudzijena said the bus driver had failed to heed the siren and beacon of the escort vehicle, leading to a head-on collision between the minibus and a police car.

    “One passenger in the commuter bus died on the spot while 15 passengers from both vehicles were injured in the accident,” Mr Bvudzijena told the AFP news agency.

    Police VIP protection spokesman Martin Mbokochena criticised what he called “some unruly elements in society who want to disturb”.

    Two weeks ago, a motorbike in the presidential cavalcade hit and killed a homeless man during another visit to the president’s home town.

    A member of the presidential guard died and seven others were hurt in a separate leg of the same trip, when a truck in the motorcade overturned after one of its tyres burst.

  • U.S. Man Has 29 Degrees

    {{71-year-old Michael Nicholson of Kalamazoo({above}) has earned 29 degrees and is now pursuing his 30th.

    Nicholson’s first degree was a bachelor’s in religious education from William Tyndale College in Michigan in 1963.

    Five degrees later, he was pursuing his doctorate in education from Western Michigan University in 1978.}}

    “I just stayed in school and took menial jobs to pay for the education and just made a point of getting more degrees and eventually I retired so that I could go full-time to school,” Nicholson said.

    “It’s stimulation to go to the class, look at the material that’s required and meet the teacher and students. It makes life interesting for me,” he said. “Otherwise, things would be pretty dull.”

    Nicholson has one bachelor’s degree, two associate’s degrees, 22 master’s degrees, three specialist degrees and one doctoral degree.

    Most of the degrees are related to education such as educational leadership, library science and school psychology, but other degrees include home economics, health education and law enforcement.

    Nicholson is currently working on a master’s degree in criminal justice.

    “I would like to get to 33 or 34. I’m almost there,” he said. “When I complete that, I’ll feel like I’ve completed my basic education. After that, if I’m still alive — that would take me to 80 or 81 — I would then be free to pursue any type of degree.”

    Nicholson’s early interest in education came from the encouragement of his parents, who wanted him to be well-educated. His Canadian father was forced to drop out of school after the third grade to work and his mother graduated from high school.

    “We were motivated to continue with our educations and go as far as we could go,” he said of himself and his siblings. “She [his mother] wanted something better for us than simply working at a factory, so she kept doing the necessary for us to continue.”

    While pursuing the doctorate, he met Western Michigan University Professor Tom Carey when Nicholson was working as a parking lot attendant writing tickets for the university. He wrote Carey three tickets in one day and the two have now known each other for 35 years.

    “I’ve had 18,000 students in class and I’ve never heard of anybody like this,” Carey told ABCNews.com. “He’s the ultimate life-long learner. I marvel at his tenacity to go to school.”

    Nicholson has earned all of his degrees; none of them have been honorary or awarded degrees. Though Carey was never Nicholson’s professor, the two meet at least once a year for Nicholson to give Carey an updated resume, which he shows students in his classes.

    “He’s intrinsically motivated. It’s unique, but it almost sounds bizarre,” Carey said. “Some people collect animals and he collects tassels.”

    And collect tassels he does. Nicholson has been to 28 of his 29 graduation ceremonies.

    What does he enjoy about the graduation ceremonies? “Just the pomp and circumstance. … I could do without the speeches,” he said with a laugh.
    “Eventually, it became getting as many as I could,” he said. “There’s the excitement of graduation, but the overall objective was to get the degree.”
    He has earned degrees from a dozen schools in places including Michigan, Texas, Indiana and Canada, and he always goes to class.

    “I would not take an Internet class. That’s far too difficult,” Nicholson said. “I’m not one of those all-A students.”

    He still works on a typewriter and his wife Sharon Nicholson helps him type up his assignments. His wife is highly educated in her own right, with seven degrees of her own.

    “She helps me with my homework all the time,” he said. “I cannot function on a computer, so she has to do it.”

    When asked what advice he would give to recent graduates, Nicholson paused before saying, “Don’t quit too soon. Keep up with your aspirations. A lot of people tend to throw in the towel and have to come back to it later.

    Don’t give up on your aspirations too soon.”

    And the admittedly competitive Nicholson has no plans to give up on his own aspirations, hinting that he has his eye on a few more degrees in the next few years.

    “He likes going to school and doesn’t want responsibility,” Carey said. “This is what Mike lives for. He’s about 70 and he’s not going to stop. It wouldn’t surprise me if at one point he tried law school or something else.”

  • Mushikiwabo in Kinshasa Over Crisis in Kivu

    {{Rwanda’s Foreign affairs Minister Louise Mishikiwabo arrived Tuesday 19 June morning in Kinshasa the capital of DRCongo to discuss the current security situation in troubled KIVU province of Eastern DRC.}}

    “I am officially in the DRC for a meeting of security and diplomatic institutions will on the support of Rwanda in resolving the crisis in the East,” she told Congolese Media after meeting with President Joseph Kabila.

    Mushikiwabo and her DRC counterpart Raymond Tshibanda ({pictured below}) met today in Kinshasa, on the sidelines of security situation in eastern DRC.Local Congolese Media reported early today.

    The two ministers discussed in front of their experts on defense and security.
    The Congolese Head of State, Joseph Kabila, received Mushikiwabo today (Tuesday) morning.

    Minister Mishikiwabo said, “the opinion must be educated and understood that Rwanda has long worked for the pacification of the Great Lakes Region,” she said while responding to questions on accusations against Rwanda for alleged support to Rebels.

    She expressed Rwanda’s willingness to assist the DRC in its stabilization work.

    Earlier the spokesperson for the Congolese government, Lambert Mende Omalanga, had accused Rwanda of “used in the preparation of a conspiracy that is evolving into a pattern of breaches of the peace between two countries in the Great Lakes region.”

    Mushikiwabo had also responded describing the allegations by DRC’s Mende, as very unfortunate. “It is regrettable that DRC has chosen to make allegations in the media shortly before we were to sign the joint verification taskforce report, whose purpose is to sift through allegations and separate fact from fiction.”

  • Mexico,Panama,Greece Appoint Permanent Observers to AU

    {{Mexico, Greece and Panama have appointed their First Permanent observers to the African Union Commission.

    The diplomats have already presented their credentials to the Chairperson of African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Jean Ping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.}}

    The permanent observers include; H.E. Nicolas Protonotarios of Greece, H.E. Rodrigo Chiari of Panama and H.E. Juan Alfredo Miranda Ortiz of Mexico.

    Dr. Ping observed that many of the Greeks who fled to Africa during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) chose to settle in Africa and today constitute an important segment of the successful business community in many African countries.

    He Added that Panama is interested in developing its relations with the African Union and AU Member States for several reasons, especially the fact that 15% of its population is comprised of people of African descent and that African culture is present in its society through food, music and other areas.

    The new Permanent Observer briefed the Chairperson on Panama’s economy, which is heavily dependent on international trade.

    He stated that Panama has the second largest Free Trade Zone in the world after Hong Kong and the biggest in the Western Hemisphere.

    With a growth rate of 8 to 10% per annum, Panama’s economy is the fastest growing economy in Central America, despite the country’s small population of 3.3 million inhabitants.

    Welcoming Ambassador Miranda, the Chairperson stated that the African Union is pleased to establish formal diplomatic relations with Mexico and commended Mexico for hosting the 7th Summit of the G-20, which is scheduled to take place in Los Cabos, Mexico, from 18-19 June 2012.

    The Chairperson described Mexico as an emerging world power and invited Mexican entrepreneurs to invest in Africa.

    “Africa is a market of over one billion inhabitants and we should work together to strengthen our ties of cooperation, especially in the areas of culture, trade and investment,” Dr. Ping stated.

    The Chairperson briefed the Ambassadors on recent developments in Somalia, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Sudan/South Sudan, and thanked the Mexican Government for its expression of support for the AU’s peacekeeping efforts.