[De violents combats ont opposé jeudi matin les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) aux soldats mutins du général dissident Bosco Ntangada, près de la frontière avec l’Ouganda et le Rwanda, a déclaré à Goma Thomas Kabuya, de la société civile du Nord-Kivu.]
BURUNDI :
Afrique centrale : Ouverture d’une réunion ministérielle sur la sécurité à Bujumbura
Vendredi 18 mai 2012/Xinhua
BUJUMBURA (Xinhua) – La 34ème Réunion ministérielle du Comité consultatif permanent des Nations Unies sur les questions de sécurité en Afrique centrale a commencé ses travaux jeudi à Bujumbura, capitale burundaise.
Le ministre burundais de la Défense nationale et des Anciens combattants, le général major Pontien Gaciyubwenge, qui a ouvert les travaux, a rappelé qu’il subsiste ici et là dans la sous- région des tensions et des groupes armés, des actes de piraterie maritime et d’insuffisances au niveau de la satisfaction des droits de l’homme qui continuent à saper la quiétude et le développement des populations et qui peuvent être des sources de déstabilisation et de mouvements migratoires incontrôlés.
Il faut barrer la route à tous les fauteurs de troubles, éliminer toutes les velléités et toutes les actions menant à une quelconque décomposition d’un Etat membre de l’organisation, a souligné le ministre burundais.
Les pays membres de ce Comité Consultatif Permanent des Nations Unies chargé des questions de sécurité en Afrique Centrale sont l’ Angola, le Burundi, le Cameroun, le Congo, le Gabon, la Guinée Equatoriale, la RDC, la République Centrafricaine, le Rwanda, Sao Tomé et Principe, et le Tchad.
RWANDA :
Rwandan rebels kill at least 50 civilians in DR Congo
17/05/2012 / By News Wires (text) /www.france24.com
Rebels fighters from the FDLR, or the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, have killed at least 50 civilians since the start of May in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN said Wednesday.
AFP – Rwandan rebels have killed at least 50 civilians in May in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Twenty-two of them died in an attack Monday in the village of Kamananga in Sud-Kivu province, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA said, blaming the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel group.
“The FDLR accuse the locals of collaborating with elements” of a local militia, a statement said.
“Since the start of this month, at least 50 people — including displaced persons — have been killed by presumed FDLR members under similar conditions,” it said.
On May 5, at least 10 people — including four women working in the fields — were killed by the presumed rebels in another Sud-Kivu village.
The FDLR is considered one of the main sources of instability in the east of the DR Congo, where several armed groups are still active.
The rebels have been targeted by the Rwandan army in joint operations with the DR Congo army, which continues to track them.
But the operations were suspended under the orders of President Joseph Kabila on April 11 after several former rebels integrated into the national army defected.
These soldiers, formerly members of the rebel National Council for the Defence of the People (CNDP), mutinied to protest bad conditions, food and pay and to demand the full implementation of the 2009 accords.
Following the defections, the FDLR has multiplied attacks in the region, in what many locals say is a bid to demoralise the Congolese army.
On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said rebel general Jean Bosco “Terminator” Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for recruiting child soldiers was again forcing boys into military service.
Between April 19 and May 4, troops serving Ntaganda forcibly recruited at least 149 boys and young men aged between 12 and 20 in Nord-Kivu province, the rights group said in a statement.
HRW researchers interviewed witnesses and victims, and said at least seven boys had died in the fighting. At least 48 of those recruited were under 18 years old and of these, 17 were aged 15 or younger.
HRW said one woman its researchers spoke to described how Ntaganda personally worked to recruit young soldiers in her village.
“Since you (villagers) have been with the government, you’ve gotten nothing. Why not join me?” HRW quoted the woman as saying.
Ntaganda “asked us to give our children, our students, to him to fight. He came to our village himself,” she added.
The ICC classes the recruitment of children under 15 a war crime.
RDC CONGO:
RDC : Violents combats entre les FARDC et les mutins près de la frontière avec l’Ouganda et le Rwanda
Xinhua/Vendredi 18 mai 2012
KINSHASA (Xinhua) – De violents combats ont opposé jeudi matin les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) aux soldats mutins du général dissident Bosco Ntangada, près de la frontière avec l’Ouganda et le Rwanda, a déclaré à Goma Thomas Kabuya, de la société civile du Nord-Kivu.
Selon lui, des violents combats se déroulent à Jomba et à Bunagana, non loin de la frontière entre la République démocratique du Congo, l’Ouganda et le Rwanda.
“Des violents combats entre les FARDC Virunga, plus précisément du côté des volcans éteints de Mikeno et Visoke, frontaliers du Rwanda, dans le territoire de Rutshuru”, a-t-il expliqué.
Les combats interviennent après une trêve de cinq jours que les FARDC avaient décrétée pour permettre aux soldats mutins de rentrer dans les casernes.
Le général Ntangada est recherché par la Cour Pénal Internationale (CPI) pour crimes de guerre et crimes contre l’ humanité dans l’est du Congo.
Pour échapper à son arrestation, le général Ntangada a créé, avec ses hommes, en début du mois de mai un mouvement rebelle appelé M23 et ont exigé des négociations avec le gouvernement de Kinshasa.
Mais, les autorités congolaises refusent toute négociation et soutiennent que Bosco Ntangada doit répondre de ses actes devant la justice.
Mardi dernier, le président Joseph Kabila a reçu dans sa ferme de Kingakati, à environ 130 km à l’est de Kinshasa, les députés élus du Nord-Kivu pour étudier ensemble des voies et moyens visant à neutraliser Bosco Ntangada et à restaurer la paix dans l’est.
Selon la société civile du Nord-Kivu, les affrontements entre les FARDC et les hommes du général Ntangada ont provoqué le déplacement de plusieurs milliers de personnes.
Le Haut commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés (HCR) a fait état de l’arrivée de plus de 8.000 personnes supplémentaires ces derniers jours dans les camps de Kamira, au Rwanda, où se trouvent déjà 55.000 réfugiés congolais.
Le HCR a mis en garde contre le risque d’épidémies comme le choléra, le paludisme, la fièvre typhoïde, en raison de cette présence massive des réfugiés congolais et de la promiscuité dans le camp de Kamira.
“Dans les camps de Kamira, au Rwanda, les réfugiés congolais vivent dans des conditions inhumaines et effroyables. Si la communauté internationale n’intervient pas dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo, nous risquons d’assister dans les prochains jours à un véritable désastre humanitaire”, a déclaré Juvénal Munubo Mubi, député national élu de Walikale, dans le Nord-Kivu.
UGANDA :
Uganda: Oil, Energy Attract More Cash, Jobs
The Observer (Kampala)/ By Moses Mugalu/17 May 2012
Prospects within Uganda’s oil and energy sector continue to attract foreign interest, with the Uganda Investment Authority noting that a new crop of foreign investors – together with other players eying sectors like forestry – were licensed in the first quarter of this year, and are to create more than 6,000 jobs.
UIA made the announcement this week in a typically optimistic quarterly press conference. UIA Board Chairman Patrick Bitature said the trend of licensed projects pointed to rising foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows. For instance, Bitature said that most of the companies licensed are from Turkey, Lebanon, Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden.
“These are non-traditional sources,” Bitature noted.
Uganda’s oil industry has regained momentum after a more-than-two-year hiatus in which disputes in the acquisition of Heritage Oil’s assets, and a tax impasse arising out of that deal, threatened to derail the sectors. It was only early this year that government finally offered a thumbs-up to investors to go ahead with their activities.
These activities – China’s CNOOC is to start drilling the Kanywataba prospect later this month, while Tullow’s work on the Ngege appraisal is already underway with two of the four wells drilled so far – have attracted other players in the downstream sector. Meanwhile, Uganda’s energy crisis, the cause of a traders’ strike early January, is being viewed as an investment opportunity.
Government will, in the next budget to be read mid-June allocate the biggest share of the funds to the energy ministry, while calling on investors to plough more money in power plants. UIA said 62 investment projects, worth $806 million, were licensed during the first quarter of this year. China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Kenya, the UK and Netherlands are the other sources of FDI to Uganda, according to the UIA report.
Bitature remarked that UIA continues to register a lot of foreign interest in the mining sector ever since the release of the results of the geological survey that showed commercial deposits of a wide range of minerals throughout the country. He added that some Swedish, Lebanese and South African companies will also invest in forestry, manufacturing and real estate respectively.
Tom Buringuriza, the new UIA executive director, admitted the number of newly licensed projects had fallen, but insisted this did not mean Uganda was losing its competitiveness as a business destination.
“It’s a calculated move (by UIA) to ensure that plans turn into investments,” he said.
To boost the country’s opportunities, UIA officials plan to utilize the forthcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) investment conference later this month to woo investors from the oil rich countries of the Middle East. The conference is set for May 28-29 in Kampala. Officials expect potential investors from Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman to attend the conference.
TANZANIA:
Tanzania: Dar Economy On Sound Footing
Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam) /By John Kulekana/18 May 2012
FINANCE and Economic Affairs Minister William Mgimwa has reiterated that the country has enough foreign reserves, dismissing as baseless claims that the government is ‘broke’.
He also refuted reports that the country’s development partners have withdrawn their support.Dr Mgimwa said central bank records show that as until mid-March, the country had 3.6 billion US dollars, which was equivalent to four-and-a-half months of imports of goods and other services.
“There is no reason at all for fear. People should just ignore such unfounded claims. We are economically strong and financially viable,” the minister told a news conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday.The minister was responding to claims by Mr Zitto Kabwe, the Kigoma North Member of Parliament (MP), who was recently quoted as saying that the government was on the brink of bankruptcy and had no enough foreign reserves.
He reported that Tanzania was still in good terms with most of the development partners, pointing out that the latter have just opted to change the modus operandi.”There are three options for them to channel their aid. Firstly, is through the general budget support (GBS). Secondly, they can do that through the general basket (GB); and lastly, by directly sending funds to the projects.
“They have now decided to give their support directly to the projects. I find no problem at all with this approach. After all they are supporting the country’s development endeavour.”Tanzania will remain accountable under that system of financial support and we will ensure that there is value for money,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Tanzania and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have pledged to maintain and promote 41-year-old partnership, where the country got over 3.0 billion US dollars (about 4.8trillion/-) financial support for various projects.
Dr Mgimwa said on Thursday that AfDB financial support covered various sectors, including infrastructure development, especially roads, energy, health, education, agriculture, water supply, mining and industry.
Dr Mgimwa said this during a news conference to brief journalists on preparations of the AfDB annual meetings to be held in Arusha from May 20 to June 1, this year. The meetings will be officially opened by President Jakaya Kikwete on May 31.
He said the meetings, to be held at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), are expected to attract over 2,000 delegates from Africa and other parts of the world.
He said delegates would include presidents, ministers, bankers and corporate leaders from public and private sectors.
The theme of the AfDB 2012 Annual Meetings is: “Africa and Emerging Global Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities.”
“This theme provides an opportunity to participants to debate on the position and the role of Africa in the world economy, as well as the bank’s role in promoting growth and development in the continent,” Dr Mgimwa said.
He said participants would have the opportunity to participate in a series of seminars, debates and workshops on various topics including opportunities and threats in the global economy, greening the economy, voice and accountability and emerging issues in African economies.
“Preparations are almost complete,” the minister declared.The AfDB Representative in Tanzania, Ms Tonia Kandiero, said this was the third time the annual meetings were being held in East Africa, after Kenya and Uganda hosted them earlier.
She said that the meetings were being held at an exciting time in Africa because economies in the region were doing well compared to other parts of the world.
Ms Kandiero said it would be the opportunity for Tanzania and other African countries to showcase their achievements.
The AfDB Representative also said that the bank was supporting the giant multi-million-dollar Iringa-Shinyanga power transmission back-bone upgrading projects.
KENYA:
Kenya: Court Seals Njoroge’s Exit At CCK
Capital FM (Nairobi) /By Correspondent/17 May 2012
Nairobi, Kenya — The High Court has sealed the fate of Charles Njoroge after ruling that he was illegally re-appointed as Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) Director General last year.
Justice Weldon Korir says the decision by Information Minister Samuel Poghisio to appoint Njoroge against the advise of the CCK Board was unreasonable and illegal.
Njoroge’s reappointment was challenged in court by the Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek).
In August last year, High Court Judge David Maraga halted Njoroge’s appointment at the helm of the CCK pending determination of the case by Cofek.
Justice Korir was of the view that although the minister under the State Corporations Act has the power to appoint the chief executive, he abused his power and ended up making a decision that went against the values and principles of the Constitution.
The judge held that public appointments should be made in accordance to the Constitution.
“To overrun the decision of the board, an organ which is best placed to recruit the Commissioner General, the Minister acted unreasonably and irrationally,” he ruled.
The judge criticised the minister for overturning the board’s recommendation without giving and sharing the reasons with the latter.
The judge disregarded arguments by the Minister and Njoroge through lawyer Waweru Gatonye that he was not bound by the board’s decision.
He said: “In rejecting the board’s advise the minister violated the law and failed to consider all the relevant issues.”
Gatonye had also contended that the power to appoint solely lies with the minister adding that he did not violate the law.
COFEK went to court complaining that the decision by Poghisio to re-appoint Njoroge was illegal, unjustified and in bad faith.
The federation claimed Njoroge’s relationship with the board is not good thus adversely affecting the operations and performance of the commission.
ANGOLA:
IMF lauds Angola’s economic stabilisation efforts
(AFP) /17052012
LUANDA — The International Monetary Fund on Thursday hailed Angola’s actions to stabilise its economy after the 2008 financial crisis caused the price of oil, its main export, to plummet.
“Three years after the abrupt decline in world oil prices that severely affected its economy, Angola has attained an improved fiscal position, a more comfortable level of international reserves, a stable exchange rate and lower inflation,” said IMF representative Mauro Mecagni.
“Domestic arrears have been settled. Significant progress has also been made toward improving fiscal transparency and accountability,” said Mecagni on the global lender’s website after a two-week observation mission.
The IMF forecasts Angola’s economic growth will pick up to eight percent in 2012 on the back of reforms and rising oil prices.
The praise follows an IMF report earlier in May that denounced a persistent lack of transparency in the Angolan budget.
IMF economists last December discovered $31.4 billion (24.7 billion euros) in irregular spending between 2007 and 2012 — a quarter of the country’s economy in 2011.
Most of the expenditures were identified after investigations, but $4.2 billion still needs to be accounted for, the IMF said.
“The authorities and staff remain committed to continue the reconciliation of fiscal accounts until a full understanding of the relevant transactions is achieved,” the IMF said.
It warned Angola to keep diversifying its economy, ensure its banking sector stays robust and find a balance between public spending and fiscal reserves.
The southwest African country is the continent’s second-largest oil producer after Nigeria, and most of its revenues come from oil.
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