Category: Information Center

Israel’s civilian air traffic was halted for several minutes on Wednesday morning after an unidentified flying object was spotted inside Israeli air space, Israel’s army radio said.

Air force jets were briefly scrambled and Israeli air space was closed, it said, without saying what caused the scare. The closure was lifted several minutes later.

Closing Israeli air space was an “exceptional” measure which demonstrated the level of tension in Israel after the air force shot down an unidentified and unarmed drone which had entered the country’s airspace on Saturday from the Mediterranean.

Fresh details about the weekend incident emerged on Wednesday with both army radio and the top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily saying the air force had only managed to shoot down the drone on the second attempt.

Both reports said that the first missile fired by the F-16 jet missed the drone which was eventually brought by a Panther missile, the military’s most advanced air-to-air projectile.

Senior air force sources quoted by Yediot played down the incident saying it was not unreasonable given the drone’s small size.

“This is not a failure, no other army in the world with Israel’s aerial defence systems could prevent the infiltration of such aircraft.”

The military had no immediate comment on Wednesday’s false alarm, nor did they comment on the report suggesting the F-16 had only downed the drone on a second attempt.

At the time, the military described the operation as a “success” but did not go into details about how the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was intercepted.

Military officials are investigating where the drone came from, with suspicions it was operated by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia.
In July 2006, Israel shot down another unarmed drone operated by Hezbollah over the Jewish state’s territorial waters.

A year earlier, in April 2005, another pilotless Hezbollah aircraft succeeded in overflying part of northern Israel without being downed.

Amnesty International has asked Democratic Republic of Congo to put an end to the fighting in the east of the country where several local and foreign armed groups are committing abuses.

“The DRC government must take urgent steps to stop the violence in the east of the country and hold to account all who have committed human rights abuses, the London-based watchdog said, as the DRC prepares to host a major gathering of Francophone leaders” Amnesty stated.

Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s Africa Director told AFP that “Human rights abuses continue unabated and with total impunity,”
“We are urging member states of International Organisation of Francophonie to ensure that the numerous violations of the values and principles stated in the Francophone Charter and the Bamako Declaration are condemned in the strongest possible terms,” He added.

An Amnesty International delegation has recently returned from eastern DRC, where delegates documented cases of rape, summary killings, forced recruitment of civilians including children, looting and illegal taxation by different armed groups.

“The organisation should use all existing mechanisms to ensure that the Congolese authorities fulfil their obligations as a member state of Francophonie.”

Audrey says the leaders of Francophone nations are assembling in a country where there are daily reports of egregious abuses.They cannot ignore the context in which this major summit is taking place.”

“They have a responsibility to engage with the Congolese authorities and demand action to stop the violence and hold perpetrators to account,” said Audrey Gaughran.

Since conflict began between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group in April 2012, over 226,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in North Kivu province while about 60,000 have crossed the border to seek refuge in Uganda and Rwanda, the statement said.

Amnesty International says it is also concerned about the increase of ethnic-related violence.

Between May and September 2012, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Nyatura and Raia Mutomboki armed groups in Masisi territory specifically targeted civilians who belonged or who were believed to belong to certain ethnic groups.

“Impunity for breaches of international law has become entrenched in the DRC.”

The Prime Minister Dr.Habumuremyi Pierre Damien October 9, joined the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) in the launch of the Family Campaign in Ruhango.

The 2012 Family Campaign focuses on Sustaining Families through the Promotion of Rwandan Cultural Values.

The annual celebration aims at addressing issues affecting the Rwandan family and promotes the need to build strong families as a solid foundation to national development and stability.

Priority issues for this year include well being of Rwandans, improving relationships among family members and promotion of child rights and positive parenting.

The Prime Minister reminded that the family is the essential, the core for every development, including intellectual and cultural adding that it is the cornerstone for the well being.

“Let’s stand together and fight against conflicts in family that have resulted in death for the past days, home based violence, indiscipline and lack of polite manners from children and other immoral acts” The premier urged.

He warned against drunkenness and drugs among the things which result in most cases as source of family abuse.

The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) calls for applications for funding by the Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund.

The Rwanda Innovation Endowment Fund is an initiative of the Government of Rwanda in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the ONE UN.

It was established in April 2012 with the vision to transform Rwanda’s currently agriculture based economy to a knowledge based economy by year 2020 and to use science, technology and ICT as a key enabler of this transformation.

The Fund’s initial three funding priority focus areas include, agriculture, information communication technologies, and manufacturing.

Dr. Marie-Christine Gasingirwa, Director-General of Science Technology and Research said, “RIEF will offer entrepreneurs and researchers who have innovative, market oriented products, services, or processes that they want to develop and commercialize, an opportunity to secure funding.”

Applications that demonstrate innovation and marketability, as well as a strong potential to contribute to the economic and social transformation in Rwanda will receive up to $50,000.

Mr. Soteri Gatera, Head of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Development Cluster at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (UNECA SRO/EA) ,

“the fact that Rwanda is among the first African countries to develop such a fund to support its innovators demonstrates its belief that investment in research and development in innovation is a national priority for development.”

The Ministry of Education is working closely with the Private Sector Federation, Business Development Centers, Higher Learning Institutions, Youth Associations, and the media to reach out to potential applicants in Rwanda and Rwandans living in the Diaspora.

The Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, has called on local leaders not to ignore contingencies when planning for their districts.

Musoni made the call at the opening of a weeklong training for Mayors in Gashora, Bugesera district.

Musoni said not planning for contingencies can affect the implementation of other development projects.

The objective of the training is to empower local leaders with skills and capacities to enable them improve their performance and speed up the realisation of the country’s socio-economic transformation.

Heads of states of the Great Lakes Region have reaffirmed their commitment to pursue sustainable peace based on home-grown solutions to the recurrent crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The commitment was pledged October 8, during the 4th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), held in Kampala, Uganda, Monday.

The Summit, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni was attended by Presidents Paul Kagame, Joseph Kabila of DRC, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan.

It acknowledged steady progress and cooperation of member states.

Opening the discussions, ICGLR Executive Secretary, Prof Ntumba Luaba said: “I strongly encourage continued and sustained high-level dialogue at the bilateral and regional level… I welcome the recent progress in strengthening confidence building measures, notably the Joint Verification Mechanism.”

The French President François Hollande has attacked DRC government for surffocating democracy and recognistion of political opposition.

Hollande made the remarks Tuesday October 9, during a joint press conference with the secretary general of the UN.

The French Leader also denounced the situation in Eastern DRC saying, “The situation is totally unacceptable in terms of human rights, democracy and the recognition of the opposition Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Hollande will travel to Kinshasa on October 13 to hold the 14th Summit of the Francophonie, held for the first time in Central Africa.

Through the Francophonie Summit will be held in Kinshasa, Hollande said he also sees the opportunity to tell Africans that the French language is theirs, but it also involves values, principles, among which there are democracy, good governance and the fight against all corruptions.

Since his election to the French presidency, it is also the first time that Hollande makes his first trip to Africa.

This first trip to Africa aims at ..according to him, not to differentiate himself from his predecessors, but bringing a message of hope.

“We need to bring a message of confidence to Africans, a message of solidarity with their development, a message of friendship because we need a vibrant Africa,” said Hollande.

However, DRC’s government spokesman Lambert Mende responded, “We are the most advanced country in the rights of the opposition.”

Mende proposed that the French president should “supplement the information” to make his trip to Kinshasa “very useful”.

By 2015, some 1.7 million more teachers will be needed to achieve universal primary education, the second of the eight anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The heads of various United Nations agencies jointly said in a statement while marking World Teachers’ Day on October 5.

“On this day, we call for the creation of supportive teaching environments, adequate teacher training and safeguards for the rights of teachers,” the agency chiefs said, calling on governments to provide required training and fair salaries reflecting the importance of the profession while teachers, in turn, must be accountable to their students and communities.

“We must break the vicious cycle of declining professional conditions for teachers in order to improve the quality of learning for all,” they added. “The world expects a lot from teachers – they, in turn, are right to expect as much from us.”

The statement was issued by UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova; the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director, Anthony Lake; the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Administrator, Helen Clark; the UN International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Director-General, Guy Ryder; and Fred van Leeuwen, the General Secretary of Education International, which represents teachers’ organizations across the globe.

“Attracting committed and diverse teachers requires environments that value professional autonomy and equality,” they said. “Teachers need to be supported in fulfilling their responsibilities to students, and their voices must be listened to by school leaders, education systems and public authorities.”

According to UNESCO, teacher shortages remain a major obstacle for countries to achieve the goal of universal primary education, with a quality education offering hope and the promise of a better standard of living, while also noting that there can be no quality education without competent and motivated teachers.

World Teachers’ Day, held annually since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the signing in 1966 of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers, and celebrates the essential role of teachers in providing quality education at all levels.

The Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers has, essentially, served as a charter of rights for teachers worldwide.

The slogan for this year’s observance is ‘Take a stand for teachers!’ which, according to UNESCO, relates to the need to provide adequate training, ongoing professional development, and protection for teachers’ rights.

The 63-year-old UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which assists some five million registered Palestine refugees in the Middle East, marked the Day by launching two programmes focussed on school-based teacher development and quality improvement that underscores the Agency’s broader human development and humanitarian agenda.

Education is UNRWA’s largest programme, accounting for more than half of the Agency’s regular budget, with one of the largest school systems in the Middle East, providing half a million Palestine refugee children with free-of-charge basic education every day.

“Across the Arab World, countries are striving to improve the quality of their education system through reform,” UNRWA’s director of education Caroline Pontefract said.

“Many lessons have been learned about what is important, what to focus on, and the way in which to change and improve on what we have. UNRWA’s education reform reflects these lessons with the focus it places on teachers and school leaders, who are key actors in achieving quality education.”

President Omer Al-Bashir praised a Russian initiative to bring, before the Security Council, Sudan’s compensation for the damage caused to oil facilities in Heglig during the 10-day occupation by the South Sudanese army last April.

Sudan and South Sudan accused each other of the damage to the pipeline and central processing facility in Heglig following the seizure of the oil producing area by the South Sudanese army on 10 April 2012.

The African Union and United Nations called to investigate the claims.

Speaking before the National Assembly on Monday where he urged to endorse the agreements recently signed with South Sudan, Bashir welcomed a Russian proposal lodged before the U.N. Security Council urging to adopt a resolution supporting Sudan’s demand for compensations.

“We applaud the role of the Russian Federation, and the proposal of its representative to U.N. Security Council on the need to compensate the government of Sudan and its partners from all countries as a result of the losses they suffered during the attack on the Heglig area,” Bashir said.

Russian has tabled a proposal before the U.N. Security Council urging to adopt a resolution supporting Sudan’s demand for compensations after South Sudan seceded.

President Omer Al-Bashir praised a Russian initiative to bring, before the Security Council, Sudan’s compensation for the damage caused to oil facilities in Heglig during the 10-day occupation by the South Sudanese army last April.

Sudan and South Sudan accused each other of the damage to the pipeline and central processing facility in Heglig following the seizure of the oil producing area by the South Sudanese army on 10 April 2012.

U.N. Security Council resolution 2046, calls for “an impartial fact-finding effort to assess the losses and economic and humanitarian damage, including to oil facilities and other key infrastructure, in and around Heglig.”

Meanwhile, Al-Bashir announced earlier the opening of the border as well as the border land and river passages with South Sudan, directing for implementation of the co-operation agreement between the two countries, official Sudan Radio reported.

Al-Bashir made the announcement at a meeting with Sudan’s Ambassador to South Sudan Mutrif Siddiq, who is to head to Juba to assume his tasks

Sudan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Al-Obeid Ahmed Marawah, on Monday indicated Sudan’s preference for a political agreement over the disputed Abyei’s area, stressing that a referendum might bring war between the two sides.

He added that Juba supported the organisation of a referendum while Khartoum called for a political solution over the disputed region.

“The referendum would end by attributing Abyei to one of the two countries. And this will not satisfy the other party,” he said.

A seven-man delegation from the German Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs visited the EAC Headquarters and were received by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Dr. Julius Tangus Rotich.

Accompanying the German Parliamentarians was H.E. Klaus-Peter Brandes, the German Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania.

Leading the delegation was Hon. Siegfried Kauder, MP, and Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs of the German Federal Parliament.

The MPs October 9, toured the new EAC Headquarters which was funded by the German government and is due for occupation by the EAC Organs on 15 October 2012.

They were later briefed on the developments in the regional integration process by the Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Rotich.

The Deputy Secretary General noted, “As you are aware, the German Government has crowned this relationship with the support in the construction of the new EAC Headquarters, due for official launch in November 2012.”

Dr. Rotich added that “this high level visit, to us goes beyond a symbolic significance and reaffirms the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between the EAC region and the Federal Republic of Germany and I welcome the Hon. Members to engage in discourse with the EAC freely”.

Dr. Rotich briefed the delegation on the latest developments taking place in all the four pillars of regional integration from the Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union, to the Political Federation.