SWAZIKA

Warring parties in eastern DR Congo should stop hostilities and give priority to peace talks, Parliamentarians from the Great Lakes Region have said.

The lawmakers are meeting in Kigali for a two-day 7th Ordinary Session of the Executive Committee of the Forum of Parliaments for the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR).
Yesterday, members of the Committee gave presentations and debated on the security and political situation in ICGLR member countries, with focus on conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic, Sudan and South Sudan.
The need to quell the latest bout of clashes in eastern DRC took centre stage at the discussions with a Congolese delegate asking for a minute of silence to pay respect to victims of the violence along with other sufferers of armed conflicts in other ICGLR member states. Most legislators called for talks between the warring parties in eastern DRC.
“We invite all parties involved to give dialogue a chance,” said DRC’s Senator Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga, who also heads FP-ICGLR’s Executive Committee.
Senator Kisanga is also the Deputy Rapporteur of the Congolese Senate.
He urged member states in the ICGLR to remain loyal to all the peace pacts that were signed in relation to preserving peace in regional countries, including his troubled country.
On the renewed clashes in eastern DRC between the Congolese army and M23 rebels, Kisanga called for immediate resumption of peace talks in the Ugandan capital, Kampala between the rebels and the Kinshasa government.
“There will never be a military solution to this crisis,” he said in an interview with journalists shortly after addressing the parliamentary session.
Latest fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese army, allegedly backed by FDLR militia, have seen thousands of refugees cross into Rwanda over the last few days and two mortar bombs fired from DRC into Rwanda’s Rubavu District.
The president of the Rwandan Senate, Dr Jean Damascène Ntawukuriryayo, called upon legislators in member states of the ICGLR to spread the message across the countries that solutions for all political and security issues in the region will come from regional leaders themselves.
He criticised so-called international experts ‘for spreading rumours’ in reports accusing countries like Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels in the DRC, while Kigali remained active in regional peace efforts.
Political, not military 
“Rwanda should be considered part of the solution and not as part of the problem,” he said. “We have to work to achieve a political solution because a military solution will never work.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, in an interview with this paper last week noted that Rwanda had registered progress in implementing the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the region, which was signed in Addis Ababa in February this year.
The accord seeks a complete restoration of peace in the region, mainly in the eastern DRC.
Rwanda received refugees and disarmed them, collaborated with the US in sending Bosco Ntaganda to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and participated in the technical committee meetings establishing the evaluation mechanism of the Framework as part of implemention of the Framework, Mushikiwabo said.
A UN Security Council Debate on Supporting the Great Lakes Framework’ is scheduled for today at the United Nations Headquarters in New York,  where Mushikiwabo is expected to make a presentation on what Rwanda has done towards the implementation of the Framework.
Under the FP-ICGLR, which remains the main inter-parliamentary organisation of African Parliaments in the Great Lakes Region, members discuss regional security and the prevention and management in the region.

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, July 24, 2013 – Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission, announced today the appointment of two new Heads of Delegation. Michael Ryan has been appointed Head of the EU Delegation to Rwanda. Currently Acting Head of Delegation to Syria, based in Brussels, he was previously Head of the Political Section in the Delegation to Egypt. He has spent much of his career in Delegations in the Middle East.
High Representative Catherine Ashton said: “I am delighted to announce the appointment of these excellent candidates to key jobs in the EEAS. Their talent and expertise are significant assets for the EU’s external action and I look forward to working with them in their new roles”.
NB: To complete appointments as Head of Delegation, an accreditation request for a new Head of Delegation is sent to the host country. The selected candidate may take up duty only once accreditation of the host country has been granted and a number of administrative formalities have been completed.

Marine accidents in Tanzanian territorial waters have claimed 245 lives between July 2012 and June 2013, while no incidents of piracy were reported during the period, it was said in Dar es Salaam.

The Minister for Transport, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, has directed the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) Management to speed up the exercise of paying 12bn/- compensation to people who would be affected by the construction of an international airport to be constructed at Kajunguti village.

Uganda Cranes are under greater pressure ahead of their return leg match of the Africa Nations Championship  (CHAN) qualifier against Taifa Stars at Namboole this Saturday.

Industry and Trade Minister Abdallah Kigoda has cautioned Tabora regional authorities to handle prospective investors with care and work out measures to stem corruption and red tape that scare off potential investors into the region.

The Mkuju River Project, a uranium mining project in Namtumbo District, Ruvuma Region, is expected to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) amounting to US$ 1bn (about 1.6tri/-) over the project’s life. The project is owned by Mantra Tanzania and operated by Uranium One Incorporation.

The East African Golf Federation has release fixture for the inaugural African Zone Five Golf Challenge Trophy.

The government and One UN Rwanda have signed a five year agreement aimed at helping the country achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the Economic and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRSII) as well as Vision 2020.

The assistance, worth of US$400 million (Rwf264 billion), is a mid-term strategy running until 2018 under the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP), through which the organisation seeks to consolidate its support to Rwanda’s development strategies.
The initiative, according to Lamin Momodou Manneh, the UN Resident Coordinator, is in response to constant demands for the UN to be more efficient.
“We have said it before and we will not be shy to say it again that like any other large organisation encompassing the whole globe, the United Nations is prone to certain internal and external weaknesses and, consequently, it has had its share of fair and unfair criticism,” Manneh said yesterday in Kigali.
Positive impact 
“But over the years UN has demonstrated willingness to face up to constructive criticism and take corrective measures. The introduction in 2007 of delivering as one initiative is a corrective measure which has very positively impacted on the way the UN works in Rwanda.”
The Minister for Finance, Claver Gatete, said the assistance agreement is aligned to the national annual planning cycle and will focus on key areas in economic transformation, human development and government accountability.
“The Rwanda UNDAP budget will be financed through prioritisation where inclusive economic transformation will be allocated US$82 million, accountable governance US$42 million and human development US$276 million,” Gatete said.
“Our development results are due to strong and innovative leadership and the support of development partners, as we embark on widespread and innovative reforms at a time of great national need, guided by a bold vision for development.”
The UNDAP initiative replaces several joint programmes and multiple agency-supported initiatives previously captured in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), with a single business plan for all UN programmes in Rwanda.
The US$400 million budget will be financed through funds that UN agencies will invest from their core and non-core resources, as well as through mobilisation efforts headed by the resident coordinator.
UN announced in 2007 that it would explore new ways of enhancing its efficiency at country level, naming Rwanda, Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uruguay, and Vietnam as pilots in its “One UN” agenda.

The Men’s volleyball team takes on Egypt in the opening match of the 2014 FIVB Sub-zonal world champinship this evening at Amahoro indoor stadium.

The Pool I teams will play a two-legged match to decide the winner according to the Confederation of African Volleyball.
The first match is due this evening while the second match will be played tomorrow.
Head coach Paul Bitok is looking to use the Egyptian challenge as a platform of assessing the quality of his young troops who are set to surprise the North Africans and even secure a win which will boost their confidence ahead of the Zone V championship due in November.
As part of their preparations, Bitok’s team beat APR 3-0 [25-18, 25-10, 24-26, 23-25 and 15-13] in a friendly match on Tuesday.
In the other sub-zonal Pool H, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda will be battling for the top three slots which will enable them to join Rwanda and Egypt who have already qualified for the zonal championship.
Today, Amahoro indoor stadium
Rwanda vs. Egypt [6pm]

Absa Group and Barclays will complete integration of their African businesses by 31 July 2013, following regulatory approvals in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

According to Banking Business Review, the integration, which is a part of its ‘One Bank in Africa’ strategy to strengthen pan-African financial operations, will boost Barclays’ stake in Absa from 55.5% to 62.3%.
The integrated entity will operate under the brand name of Barclays Africa Group and serve nearly 14.4 million customers through a network of over 1,300 outlets and more than 10,400 ATMs, employing over 43,000 people across ten nations.
As per terms of the transaction, the proposed consolidation will be executed through the acquisition of Barclays Africa by Absa Group for £1.3bn.
Absa Group chief executive and Barclays Africa chief executive Maria Ramos said, “It means that we can accelerate Africa’s true global potential by supporting the development of capital markets and providing a greater range of financial services on the continent.”
The proposed grouping, which was initially started by both banks in 2011 to integrate their African businesses, will expedite their strategy to boost corporate banking, market activities and bancassurance in Africa.
In 2005, British lender Barclays acquired 55% stake of Absa for $4.5bn as part of an expansion plan into emerging markets.

China has charged disgraced politician Bo Xilai with bribery, corruption and abuse of power, state media say.

Bo Xilai, formerly the Communist Party chief of Chongqing, was expelled from the party after a scandal surrounding the murder of a British businessman.
His wife Gu Kailai was jailed in August for the killing of the Briton, Neil Heywood.
Mr Bo was charged by prosecutors on Thursday in Jinan in Shandong province, state media said.
The Bo Xilai scandal, which exposed corruption claims and infighting at the top of the Communist Party, was one of the biggest to rock China in years.
Mr Bo had taken advantage of his office to accept an “extremely large amount” of money and properties, state-run news agency Xinhua said, citing the indictment paper.
He is also charged with embezzling public money, Xinhua said.
Murder investigation
The sending of the formal indictment to a court in the city of Jinan suggests the trial is now imminent, the BBC’s John Sudworth in Shanghai reports.
However, no trial date has been announced yet.
It is common for high-profile political trials to take place in provinces away from where the accused is based, as they are considered more likely to gain beneficial treatment in their home province.
Mr Bo’s wife Gu Kailai was tried in a court in Hefei, Anhui province, far from Chongqing.
Mr Bo was previously considered a rising star in the Communist Party, and one of the country’s most powerful officials.
However, he came under criticism after his former police chief, Wang Lijun, fled to the US consulate in Chengdu in February 2012, spending a day there.
Wang made allegations about British businessman Neil Heywood’s death while at the consulate, reports said.
Heywood had died in Chongqing the previous year. The Wang Lijun incident prompted an investigation into his death.
Mr Bo’s wife Gu Kailai was charged with Heywood’s murder, and given a suspended death sentence, which is usually commuted to life imprisonment in China.
Wang, meanwhile, was jailed for 15 years for defection, power abuse and bribe taking.
Populist policies
Mr Bo was popular in his role as party chief in Chongqing.
He was known for two high-profile campaigns: a large-scale crackdown on crime, and a drive to promote China’s old communist values.
Despite his charisma, his penchant for the limelight set him apart from other Chinese politicians.
According to analysts, his ambition and flamboyant style earned him enemies and was considered controversial by party leaders.
His populist brand of Maoist nostalgia, such as his encouragement of the public singing of old communist songs, was seen as dangerous by China’s more reform-minded leaders, our correspondent says.
On China’s microblogs, many users expressed support for the indictment against Mr Bo.
“The handling of Bo Xilai’s serious disciplinary violations has again proved the party’s ‘zero tolerance’ attitude to corruption,” a user by the name of God’s Drop Shadow wrote on Sina Weibo, a Chinese Twitter-like site.
“I support President Xi’s efforts to fight the tigers when it comes to corruption, and clear corrupt elements for the good of the country and the people,” user qixiya0 said.
Xi Jinping had previously used the terms “tigers” and “flies” to describe corrupt officials at all levels.
However, evidence of Mr Bo’s popularity could still be found online.
“I don’t really understand politics, but from when I first knew of Bo Xilai, my impression of him has been of a leader who would teach young people, just like an elder. Despite what has happened, in my heart he will still be like that,” Sina Weibo user Small Ears are the Two Large Flowers in Legends wrote.

Tunisian opposition member Mohamed Brahmi was shot dead outside his home in the capital on Thursday, a political source and local radio said.

Mr Brahmi, 58, led the nationalist Movement of the People party.
It is Tunisia’s second assassination of an opposition party leader this year.
In February, prominent secular politician Chokri Belaid was also shot outside his house in Tunis. His murder sparked angry protests and prompted the resignation of PM Hamadi Jebali.
“Mohamed Brahmi was shot dead outside his home in Ariana,” state television and the official TAP news agency reported.
Gunmen on a motorbike killed Mr Brahmi in front of his wife and daughter on Thursday morning, Movement of the People party officials told local media.
It is not known yet who is behind the attack.
Mr Brahmi was a member of the National Constituent Assembly, which is drafting a new constitution.
He founded the Movement of the People party after the Arab Spring uprising ended the 23-year-rule of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Mr Brahmi was not as big a political figure as Mr Belaid, but he too was a leftist critical of the governing Islamist Ennahda party, which came to power following Mr Ben Ali’s overthrow.
After Mr Belaid’s assassination in February, many Tunisians accused Ennahda of not doing enough to stamp out a rise in Islamist violence, with some critics saying the party was actively fomenting it, correspondents say.

In the aftermath of the Colorado movie theater shooting in the United States, the two leaders, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who at that time were locked in the most heated campaigns, suspended their campaign evens called on all Americans to came together and show their good heart and love.

There was no political signage or euphoria but rather silent reflection. Romney in a statement said “I stand before you today not as a man running for office, but as a father and a grandfather, a husband, an American”. President Obama on his part said, “ there are going to be other days for politics, this, I think is a day of prayer and reflection” The same united front has been evident whenever tragedy strikes in the U.S, be it a hurricane or a tornado, terrorist attack or killing of twenty helpless school children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.
Kenya has had its share of tragedies too. But the one on the minds of many Kenyans is the tragic loss of 15 school children from the same county in a grisly road accident. This is a tragedy that hit at the heart of a nation. The frantic efforts by medical personnel to save lives, the airlifts of those critically injured and government waiver of hospital and funeral expenses as well as the outright concern from every corner of the country brings home the point that although tragedy may bring grief and even helplessness, there can be those who offer comfort to those who are suffering and mourn with those who mourn.  Who better can comfort and rally a stunned nation than leaders from opposite political spectrum?
If the events at the mass funeral service for the 15 departed young children in Kisii are to go by, Kenyan leaders have once again failed to rise above political mediocrity in the wake of a national tragedy.  A tragic event that called for reason from all leaders was lost inchaos of hysteria and opportunism as a solemn moment of reflection turned into divisive political platform. Cheered on by a frenzied almost fanatical crowd, those who project themselves as unbending fighters for progress scrambled for microphones to rip their political opponents.
The grief and sorrow notwithstanding, this tragedy exposes the ugly underbelly of politics in Kenya. The complete lack of civility and decency at this mass funeral service reflects the repulsive form of inter-party relations and regional politics. As the entire country was mourning over the tragic loss of young lives, the lack of decorum that has been rife in exchanges between CORD and the Jubilee government at national level was evident as people in Kisii came face to face with an abhorrent form of regionalism that poses a great danger to national unity. One wonders which one of this is a greater tragedy – It is the continued loss of lives of Kenyans or the lack of national unity and absence of civilized conduct among Kenyan politicians.
If the news reports are to go by, nothing seemed to have been said about uniting in tragedy by either the CORD leadership or Jubilee government. The CORD leadership which enjoys the goodwill of people in this area failed to defend the freedom of speech for the government officers send to deliver the president’s speech.One would have thought that the former Prime Minister, a crusader of the rights of the people, and a darling of crowd at hand would borrow from the famous quote by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who said in her biography on Voltaire that “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”. Instead he sat in bemused silence while the government officials were humiliated and denied their right to speak.
The fact that the president’s speech was never delivered by extension denied the rights of those families that were grieving their fundamental right to public information. The government stood with these families throughout the tragedy. Personal intervention by the president through an executive order for airlifts, medical and funeral expenses showed a unity of purpose on the part of government.Therefore these grieving families had the right to know what the president had to say to them.  Unfortunately, their rights to public information were denied in the presence of those who purport to be the custodians and champions of human rights.
Playing politics as the blood of innocent Kenyans flow on depleted roads is worse than pointing fingers at a corrupt traffic officer. Preaching vengeful and divisive politics where hearts are breaking with sadness of unspeakable tragedy is worse than skipping the event all together. This day was no longer about politics. This was a day to seize the opportunity and stand before the broken hearted not as Jubilee or CORD, but as parents, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. This was the day to offer comfort to those affected by this tragedy and mourn with those who are mourning.

Tsuma Clive Katiba PhD
cktsuma@yahoo.com
Faculty, Public Policy and International Relations
Research Fellow, International Center for Information Development (ICITD)
USA

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have named their son George Alexander Louis, Kensington Palace has said.

George had been the bookmakers’ favourite for the first name of the prince, who is third in line to the throne.
He will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.
They are currently at the duchess’s family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire, after spending a night at Kensington Palace.
The Duke and Duchess had been expected to pick a traditional royal name for their son, who was born at St Mary’s Hospital in London on Monday at 16:24 BST, weighing 8lbs 6oz.
Royal infants usually have historical names which are passed down through the generations.
This is a relatively quick announcement of a name compared to previous royal babies.
It was seven days before the name of a newborn Prince William was announced in 1982, and there was a wait of a month following the Prince Charles’s birth in 1948.
All births in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, regardless of parentage, must be registered within 42 days at the hospital before leaving or a register office.

 

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) yesterday transferred to Rwanda Genocide suspect Bernard Munyagishari from its custody in Arusha, Tanzania.

The former head of the genocidal party MRND in former Gisenyi prefecture, was in pre-trial detention and his transfer is part of the court’s completion strategy. He was the last suspect in the custody of the UN-backed court.

Munyagishari’s transfer came after he lost a petition for a stay of his transfer from ICTR to Kigali.
He was arrested in May 2011 in DR Congo and charged with conspiracy to commit genocide, genocide, complicity in genocide, as well as murder and rape as crimes against humanity.
A seemingly pensive Munyagishari arrived at the Kigali International Airport aboard a commercial RwandAir flight from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, at around 5p.m, under the custody of ICTR officials.
He was then delivered to Rwandan prosecutors, who, in turn, handed him over to designated judicial police officers.
The suspect under tight security, was paraded before journalists for about 30 seconds and later whisked off to the special transit facility at Kigali Central Prison. He joins former Pastor Jean Uwinkindi, who was transferred by the ICTR in April last year but whose trial is yet to start in substance.
“We would like to thank the ICTR generally for the significant vote of confidence it has given to the Rwandan justice system, and for the smooth execution of this transfer. What happens next is following the Rwandan laws, particularly the law on transfer of Genocide suspects from ICTR and other jurisdictions,” said the spokesperson of the Rwandan Prosecution, Alain Mukuralinda.
Munyagishari will be under police custody for a maximum of five days before being handed to Prosecution. Prosecution could request for 30 days from the judiciary to prepare his dossier as stipulated by the law. ICTR Spokesperson Roland Amousouga said the transfer process is part of the ICTR completion strategy.
“The opinion of the judges at the ICTR is that Munyagishari will get a fair trial in Rwanda and the court will monitor the case the same way it is doing in the case of Uwinkindi…we are confident that the trial process will go smoothly,” said Amousouga.
The ICTR approved a prosecution request for Munyagishari’s transfer on June 6, 2012 and confirmed it on appeal on May 3 this year.
In a last-ditch appeal filed three days later, Munyagishari asked the Tribunal to stay his transfer until he had received the French versions of the Appeals Court decision and his amended indictment. He also sought information about the setting up of a mechanism to monitor his trial and prison conditions in Rwanda.
But on May 30, ICTR Appeals Court president Theodor Meron noted that the accused received his amended indictment in French on May 10, and was only waiting for the translation of the decision confirming his transfer. Meron then ordered that Munyagishari’s transfer be effected not less than three days after he had received the French version of the Appeals Court decision. The suspect’s request for information about a monitoring mechanism was rejected.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Munyagishari, 53, was general secretary of the then ruling party, National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development (MRND), in Gisenyi prefecture and president of the Interahamwe militia.
His indictment says due to his rank in both the MRND and the militia, Munyagishari exercised effective control and authority over the Interahamwe militants operating under the Intarumikwa and the Impuzamugambi militia groups, in Gisenyi and its surroundings. He is accused of killings at St Fidele College and the Catholic Church, convent in Nyundo parish in Gisenyi, now Rubavu District. Also, at the beginning of 1994, Munyagishari received a list of Tutsis to be killed in the town of Gisenyi and its surroundings, according to the ICTR charge sheet .
After the assassination of former president Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, Munyagishari organised a house-to-house search for Tutsis to be eliminated, the charge sheet says.
In addition, from April 7 to July 17, 1994, he is accused of having supervised roadblocks in Gisenyi, particularly the notorious la cornice roadblock and its surroundings, and ordered the pogrom, the indictment adds.
According to the prosecution, Munyagishari is further alleged to have conspired with then high ranking military commanders, including Colonel Anatole Nsengimana, Augustin Ngirabatware, and Joseph Nzirorera all of whom have been tried by the ICTR. The ICTR has also confirmed five other case transfers to Rwanda, but they all concern suspects who are still on the run. They include, Lieutenant-Colonel Phénéas Munyarugarama, former mayors Charles Sikubwabo, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, Aloys Ndimbati and former judicial police inspector Fulgence Kayishema
Apart from Rwanda, the only other country to which the ICTR has transferred cases is France. Two cases have been transferred there.
These transfers are part of the closure strategy of the ICTR, which must complete its work by December 2014 at the latest, according to the UN Security Council.
The ICTR has already started transferring some of its functions to its eventual successor organ – the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT).