[Jean Baptiste MANWANAGARI, l’ancien député de l’UPRONA, a été mis en cause par la police dans l’assassinat du sentinelle du siège du parti UPRONA.]
BURUNDI :
Jean Baptiste MANWANAGARI, l’ancien député de l’UPRONA, a été mis en cause par la police dans l’assassinat du sentinelle du siège du parti UPRONA.
Jeudi, 15 Décembre 2011 12:25 | Écrit par A.K | | | rtnb.bi
Jean Baptiste MANWANAGARI, ancien Président du parti UPRONA a passé la nuit ce mercredi 14 décembre 2011 dans le cachot de la police judiciaire.
Jean Baptiste MANWANGARI a comparu ce jeudi 15 décembre 2011 au Parquet de la République mais n’a pas été jusqu’ici auditionné.
Cet ancien député de l’UPRONA aurait été arrêté pour une affaire liée aux incidents survenus le dimanche 11 décembre 2011. à la permanence nationale du parti UPRONA dit KUMUGUMYA où une personne a laissé la vie et une autre personne a été tuée au cours d’un affrontement entre les militants de tendance différentes.
Le ministre en charge de l’agriculture clôture le Forum sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition
Jeudi, 15 Décembre 2011 07:45 | Écrit par A. N. |rtnb.bi | | Le ministre de l’agriculture et de l’élevage Madame Odette Kayitesi a clôturé le 14 décembre 2011, les travaux du Forum sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition au Burundi. Pendant 3 jours les participants ont mené des échanges fructueux en vue de faire face aux défis qui se posent dans ces secteurs. Parmi les recommandations émises figurent la lutte contre les maladies qui affectent les plantes, la rentabilisation des marais, ainsi que l’exploitation rationnelle du secteur de l’élevage et de la pêche pour procurer des protéines animales à la population. Les participants ont en outre proposé une meilleure gestion de l’eau pour permettre l’irrigation des plaines en particulier la plaine de l’Imbo. Ils ont également encouragé la création des groupements des paysans en vue de rentabiliser les exploitations agricoles. Enfin ils ont recommandé que l’éducation nutritionnelle soit initiée et renforcée pour que la population Burundaise soit au courant des aliments qui sont plus utiles à leur santé. Le Forum a été organisé par le ministère de l’agriculture en collaboration avec ses partenaires à savoir la FAO, le PAM et le FIDA.
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RWANDA :
Kenyan lawyers win appeal for Rwandan genocide convict
By Cyrus Ombati
Two Kenyan lawyers have won an appeal for their genocide convict at the UN-backed tribunal for Rwanda to have their client acquitted.
Lawyers Ken Ogeto and Gerishom Otachi had appealed a 2008 life sentence on Lieutenant-Colonel Anatole Nsengiyumva who was Commander of Military Operations for the Gisenyi sector in north-western Rwanda at the time of country’s genocide in 1994.
And on Wednesday, the appeals chamber for the first time acquitted Nsengiyumva, which sparked criticism that the mass murder of some 800,000 people could not have happened without planning.
But both Ogeto and Otachi praised the acquittal of their client saying they were happy so far.
“It is the first time that the appeals chamber quashes a life sentence and we are happy for that. We will fight the other case,” said Ogeto on the phone from Arusha, Tanzania.
Ogeto represents head of civil service Francis Muthaura while Otachi represents former commissioner of police Maj-Gen Hussein Ali before the Hague where they are among six Kenyans facing crimes against humanity charges.
The two together with deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua Sang will next month know if they have a case to answer at the Hague.
A statement on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda website said the Appeals Chamber composed of Judge Theodor Meron, presiding, Judge Patrick Robinson, Judge Mehmet G¸ney, Judge Fausto Pocar, and Judge Liu Daqun delivered the judgement.
The Chamber reversed Nsengiyumva’s convictions for the killing of Alphonse Kabiligi, as well as for the killings at Mudende University, Nyundo Parish, and Bisesero. It also reversed Nsengiyumva’s convictions for murder as a crime against humanity.
The Chamber also set aside the finding that Nsengiyumva was responsible for ordering the killings in Gisenyi town on 7 April 1994, but, Judges Meron and Robinson dissenting, found him liable as a superior instead.
It thus affirmed Nsengiyumva’s convictions for genocide, crimes against humanity (extermination and persecution), and serious violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II (violence to life) in relation to the Gisenyi town killings.
The Appeals Chamber considered that the reversal of nearly all of Nsengiyumva’s convictions called for a revision of his life sentence, and entered a new sentence of 15 years of imprisonment.
He was arrested in Cameroon on March 27, 1996. He was immediately released following the hearing in light of time served.
Nsengiyumva served as Commander of the Gisenyi Operational Sector.
Between 7 April and late July 1994, some 800,000 Rwandan Tutsi and moderate Hutu were massacred by the Interahamwe and other militia groups in a bid to “exterminate” the Tutsi population.
Nsengiyumva was charged with conspiracy to commit genocide; genocide; complicity in genocide; direct and public incitement to commit genocide; and murder, rape, persecution, extermination and “inhumane acts” as crimes against humanity.
Additionally, Nsengiyumva was charged with the killing of civilians and outrages upon personal dignity as serious violations of Common Article 3 (Geneva Conventions).
Nsengiyumva was tried in the so-called “Military I” case at the ICTR alongside ThÈoneste Bagosora. Nsengiyumva pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The chamber also reduced to 35 years the life sentence handed to the former army officer Bagosora who was accused of masterminding the 1994 genocide.
Bagosora was originally sentenced to life in 2008 after being found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
The appeals chamber argued that Bagosora did not order the killings, rapes and assassination of politicians, but as a top defence ministry official he knew the crimes were going to be committed and did nothing to stop them despite having the powers to do so.
On December 18, 2008, Trial Chamber I found Bagosora and Nsengiyumva guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious violations of Article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions and of Additional Protocol II for crimes committed in April and June 1994 in Kigali, Gisenyi, and Kibuye prefectures.
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RDC CONGO :
RD Congo – Le rapport UE aurait dû aller plus loin estiment majorité et opposition
afreeknews.com avec l’Afp 14 Décembre 2011 – 14:55
Majorité et opposition en RD Congo ont déclaré mercredi qu’ils auraient souhaité une conclusion favorable à leur candidat respectif des observateurs de l’Union européenne déplorant un “manque de transparence et des irrégularités” dans l’élaboration des résultats de la présidentielle.
“Il faut que les observateurs aillent plus loin en constatant clairement que c’est le président (sortant) Joseph Kabila qui est élu, quelles que soient les irrégularités”, a déclaré à l’AFP Aubin Minaku, secrétaire général de la Majorité présidentielle.
“Pour nous l’essentiel c’est que la plupart des observateurs internationaux -africains ou européens comme d’ailleurs- reconnaissent que Joseph Kabila est classé numéro un, (l’opposant Etienne) Tshisekedi 2e, et que ce résultat est irréversible quelque soit les irrégularités connues”, a-t-il ajouté.
Jacquemin Shabani, secrétaire général du parti de M. Tshisekedi, l’Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS), a jugé le rapport des observateurs de l’UE “plus ou moins satisfaisant”, mais ils “auraient pu faire plus”.
Selon la Commission électorale (Céni), Joseph Kabila a obtenu 48,95% des suffrages contre 32,33% à son principal rival Etienne Tshisekedi, qui a rejeté ce résultat et s’est autoproclamé “président élu” de la RDC. D’autres candidats ont demandé l’annulation du scrutin.
La mission d’observation électorale de l’Union européenne a relevé mardi un “manque de transparence” et des “irrégularités”, de la collecte à la publication des résultats par la Céni.
“Quand vous prenez le rapport de l’UE et que vous le rajoutez aux rapports des autres observateurs, vous arrivez à la même conclusion: (…) monsieur Ngoy Mulunda (président de la Céni) a altéré la vérité, et il est important qu’on puisse rétablir la vérité et qu’on permette au vainqueur (ndlr, Tshisekedi selon l’opposition) d’exercer sa fonction”, a ajouté M. Shabani.
La mission d’observation du Centre Carter a jugé que le processus électoral “manquait de crédibilité” en relevant des “irrégularités graves” mais n’a pas remis pas en cause l’ordre du résultat.
La Cour suprême doit proclamer samedi les résultats officiels de la présidentielle du 28 novembre.
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Uganda :
Sudanese president to skip Great Lakes summit in Uganda
December 14, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir will not participate in the heads of states summit of the International Conference of the Great Lakes region (ICGLR) that will start tomorrow in the Ugandan capital.
Sources in the foreign ministry told Sudan Tribune that Bashir is not planning on heading to Kampala but did not say who will represent the country in the summit.
Egypt official news agency (MENA) reported that Sudan’s 2nd Vice President al-Haj Adam Youssef will lead the country’s delegation instead of his boss.
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on ten charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
The ICC warrant has hindered Bashir’s movements to a large extent though he still able to travel to a number of friendly countries including members of the court such as Chad, Kenya, Djibouti and Malawi.
Uganda is a signatory to the Rome Statute which is the founding text of the Hague-based court and is therefore legally obligated to arrest the Sudanese leader if he visits.
An African Union (AU) resolution in July 2009 instructed countries in the continent not to cooperate with the ICC In apprehending Bashir.
Despite the continental body’s decision, Kampala in the past has warned Bashir not to try and visit forcing him to avoid the country since the arrest warrant was issued.
However this time Ugandan officials appeared to give assurances to the Sudanese president.
Local press in Uganda quoted the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem as saying that Bashir will be coming as head of state and will not be arrested even though Uganda is signatory of ICC Statute.
Oryem noted that Bashir had visited many countries and had not been arrested and Uganda will not be the first to commit such an act.
But diplomatic sources in New York said that Kampala privately asked Sudan to dispatch an official other than Bashir for tomorrow’s conference.
Relations between Sudan and Uganda have been frosty for almost two years over the latter’s support for south’s independence, position on the warrant for Bashir and hosting some Darfur rebel figures.
Last October, Sudan’s First Vice President Ali Osman Taha accused Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni of seeking a regime change in Khartoum as part of his broader agendas to halt Arab advances in Africa.
Museveni on his end condemned recent reports of aerial bombardments by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) inside South Sudan.
“Bashir must stop organizing aggression against the south. He should also deal with the agreements in the north,” Museveni said last month.
In a related issue the ICGLR summit is expected to discuss the possibility of sending a fact finding mission to Sudan to investigate events in Sudan’s border states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
Liberata Mulamula, executive secretary of the conference told reporters that the heads of state will assess the gravity of the allegations and make the final decision on the probe.
“It will depend on the leaders, if they find that the allegations warrant to make an investigation, they will take a position,” Mulamula said according to Xinhua.
An independent committee of the organization in November recommended that a fact finding mission be sent to Sudan.
“The committee pronounced itself and decided that they need to undertake a fact finding mission to Sudan so as to be able to verify these allegations,” she said.
A delegate from Sudan during the ongoing meeting requested that the committee’s report be stayed until Sudan is given chance to verify and respond to the allegations.
He said allegations should be treated as allegations until proven to be true or false.
The ministers agreed that Sudan’s concerns be registered noting that there is no contradiction with the proposed fact finding mission.
South Kordofan has been the scene of fighting since last June which followed gubernatorial elections in which incumbent Governor Ahmed Haroun was declared winner in his race against his SPLM-N candidate Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu, who was the deputy governor.
Last August a report from the UN’s Higher Commission for Human Rights said that abuses allegedly committed in South Kordofan may amount to “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity,” and must be fully investigated.
Khartoum dismissed the allegations and accused the world body of bias.
(ST)
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Kenya :
Kenya army: Somali villagers need food aid
BUR GARBO, Somalia—Trade stopped months ago when Kenyan soldiers came here in pursuit of al-Qaida-linked militants. Now thousands of unsold bags of charcoal are stacked 15 high, and fishermen are prohibited from going too far from the white sand shore.
That has left Somalis in this small seaside town dependent on handouts from the Kenyan military, which again asked aid agencies to step in during a rare food distribution Wednesday.
The Kenyans clearly realize that the ultimate success of their mission in Somalia depends on improving the lives of residents. But equally clear is that they did not plan on having to do it all themselves.
“Unless the humanitarians can help these people now, it might jeopardize our operation,” Maj. Solomon Wandege said.
Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October after a string of kidnappings and attacks on Kenyan soil. Yet what was originally touted as a punitive raid has become a long-term military commitment.
Kenyans have worried for years that insecurity in the failed state of Somalia would spill across into northern Kenya. They used the kidnappings as a reason to cross the border and advance into al-Shabab territory alongside a Somali militia the Kenyans had largely trained and recruited.
Rains, or politics, quickly stopped their advance and for now Bur Garbo is as far as they have pushed along the coast.
Residents in this town of mud and stick houses earn a little cash fishing or selling charcoal to Arab traders at around $2 a bag.
Now the Arab dhows have been replaced by Kenyan navy boats and the fishermen are not allowed to go too far from shore. Al-Shabab insurgents are waiting just across a creek, and the Kenyans are wary of boats going too far out. Wandege said they have exchanged fire perhaps 10 times in the two months that he has been in charge of the town.
On Wednesday, the Kenyan soldiers unloaded dozens of bags of rice and tea, and women came forward with plastic bags to collect some rations. A fighter from the pro-government Somali militia sifted through the bags, picking large clumps of mold out of one and throwing it on the ground.
“Before (food) came from Kismayo, but now there is no boats,” explained town elder Abdullahi Omar Bulgas, as his associates nodded their henna-red beards around him. “It was worse, but now it is more worse.”
Many Kenyan soldiers expressed their frustration that international aid agencies were not quicker to move into areas declared to be safe. The need is immediate and overwhelming, and the Kenyan military is not equipped to cope.
However, the head of the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia said it’s not their job to go in after military operations.
“We’re not in the business of winning hearts and minds,” Kiki Gbeho said. “We assess and the most vulnerable is who we target. Sometimes we have to make hard choices but that’s the job.”
When a Kenyan army medic began seeing a few patients in a dilapidated house whose crumbling walls were slowly caving in, the area was rapidly swamped with scores of would-be patients.
“I have never seen a doctor in this place,” said 27-year-old Sokorey Ahmed as she jiggled a sleeping, sweaty infant against her chest and used the other arm to press against a sore stomach. “I can never remember seeing one.”
She would only have been 7 years old when Somalia’s last central government dissolved into bloody clan warfare.
“We don’t even have enough malaria medicine to give these people. Sometimes we go to their house secretly to give medicine instead of being here because then they all come,” said Wandege as he looked over the robe-clad women and children lilted up patiently in the sun.
“It is a real headache for us. Let’s move from here. They are going to think we can help them.”
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Tanzania :
Tanzania: Central Bank Proud of NBAA Awards
14 December 2011 / The awarding of the Bank of Tanzania (BoT)’s financial statement for 2009/2010 as the overall winner in best presented financial statements by the National Board of Accountants and Auditors (NBAA) last week has proved that as a regulator of commercial banks it can lead by example.
This was said by Director of Finance, Mr Julius Angello in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday. He said the award is another milestone towards giving donors and other stakeholders confidence that the central bank has solid and sound financial accounting policies and procedures in force which comply with the requirements of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
“The award is also an indication that the central bank is among the top institutions in the country complying with accounting standards while preparing its financial statements, specifically the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and International Accounting Standards (IASs),” he said.
Mr Angello received the award on behalf of BoT during a ceremony held in Arusha last week from the Deputy Minister for Finance Mr Gregory Teu. At the colourful event, the NBAA also awarded the 2009/2010 BoT Financial Statements as the first winner in the Regulatory Agencies Category for the best presented financial statements.
“That the 2009/10 BoT financial reports got a clean audit report is an indication that the bank complies with accounting standards, laws and have solid, sound and effective internal controls in place as part of the governance requirements,” he said.
Mr Angello said the achievement was a result of collective efforts involving the BoT Board, Audit Committee, Management and Staff. However, he said since standards are continuing to change with new ones coming on board, the bank needs to continue investing in capacity building especially staff training.
“We have the challenge of ensuring that we continue to be the overall winner and ensuring that we are keeping abreast of all developments in the accounting profession,” Mr Angelo emphasized.
This is the second time the BoT has participated in this event. It also did so in 2006 and the 2005/06 financial statements, saw the bank emerging overall winner in the financial sector category.
The BoT has now been re-classified from the banking sector category to the Regulatory Agencies category. NBAA has made a significant contribution to accountancy development in Tanzania over the past decade, especially on administration and examination processes.
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Lire suite du document : bur15122011.doc
