Category: Rubrique

Jean Ping, the chairman of the African Union Commission,is on a West African tour which political strategists perceive as intended to woo west African leaders ahead of the next round of electing the Commission chief.

Ping is being challenged by South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that already enjoys the support of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The AU summit convenes this July to elect the AU Commission chairman.

The incumbent AU commission boss Ping ,met Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday before leaving for Monrovia for talks with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Earlier in January, a tight election last failed to come up with a clear winner with neither candidate able to secure the necessary two-thirds majority vote.

South Africa has also been lobbying African nations to back Mrs Dlamini-Zuma.

However, West Africa, under the leadership of regional power Nigeria, is said to be backing Ping from Gabon.

Ping has accused the continent’s largest economy of disregarding an unwritten agreement which bars it and other regional powers like Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt from vying for the presidency of the AU Commission.

It is understood that Ping has personally enlisted the support of Gabonese President Ali-Ben Bongo Ondimba in the lobbying campaign.

Leaders of the four-nation Mano River Union (MRU) comprising Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast, during their recent gathering in Conakry, agreed to adopt a common position on the AU Commission chairmanship election.

Congolese Army Chief of General Staff Didier Etumba Longila (pictured above) is requesting for substantial resources to completely crash the M23 rebels.

Gen. Etumba was speaking on June 22 at Mount Ngaliema at a ceremony to present the new deputy Prime Minister Luba Ntambo Alexander, Minister of National Defence and Veterans Affairs.

The congolese army general said the national army, FARDC was facing “multiple challenges” in defense matters, including the issue of mutineers led by Bosco Ntaganda and his cohorts in North Kivu.

This is why he is seeking for”substantial resources” to completely crush the
rebels of M23.

Earlier June 6, President Joseph Kabila told the Congolese General officers and Senior FARDC at a meeting in Kinshasa that the “only choice” to neutralize armed cells (M23, Mai Mai, Fontaine, Cheka, Yakutumba) “is to continue to hunt them down, to weaken and crash them totally, totally in order to bring peace to the East part of DRC. ”

“First and foremost we need to mobilize substantial resources now that legal texts are there to achieving the first phase of reform in the army. I also think the challenge of this new security dimension in North Kivu which is the issue of mutineers led by Bosco Ntaganda and his cronies, “he said.

Gen. Etumba promised the minister of defense of “obedience, working full and frank” FARDC, “loyal to the institutions of the Republic” for the performance of its “heavy burden”.

The Appoinment of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Luba Ntambo was subject to the Presidential Decree No. 12/004 of 28 April 2012.

Ntambo holds a degree in pharmacy from the University of Kinshasa in 1975. He was born December 14, 1947 at Manono (Katanga).

He previosuly served in capacity as Chief of staff of the Special Advisor of the Head of State Security (2001-2002), Deputy ADG as agent for Gecamines to Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) (2009 to 2012 ).

Additional reporting: Le Potentiel

Sudans President Omer Al-Bashir has warned protesters against his government saying they are ‘bubbles’ who will be dealt with”.

Bashir was making his first reponce to protesters that have been pressuring Khartoum government for eight years.

During a Sunday adress to students pro-ruling National Congress Party (NCP), President Bashir described the protesters as “aliens and bubbles” who failed to mobilize the streets.

Sudanese authorities reported Sunday that they had detected participation of “foreign elements” in the protests that have been spreading across the country.

The mayor of Khartoum locality, Lt-Gen Omer Ibrahim Nimir, told pro-government media Center (SMC), that foreigners from neighboring countries were seen participating in “the sabotage plot that is targeting the interests of citizens and the state.”

Protests erupted on Sunday, 17 June, as Khartoum government moved to lift fuel subsidies as part of what officials say is an austerity package that includes downsizing of the government’s bureaucracy as well as cuts in the salaries and perks of senior state officials in order to make up for a budget deficit of 2 billion US dollars.

The protests, which were initially started by students against worsening economic conditions, gained unprecedented momentum in the following days as demonstrations spread to several parts of the capital as well as other towns including Al-Obaiyd in north Kordofana, Madani in Al-Jazzera State, and Port Sudan in the east.

MONUSCO has yet again reaffirmed its support to the Congolese forces in their campaign to route M23 rebels who have since the past several weeks put up a tough resistance against the government forces.

The Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary General in the DRC, Leila Zerougui (see photo), reiterated Sunday, June 24 in Goma, North Kivu, to support troops Monusco and Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC), engaged in the fight against the mutineers of the M23.

She also assured that Monusco was desperate to protect civilians. Meanwhile, in Beni, the FARDC confirm that about twenty soldiers, including officers above, joined the rebels of the M23.

The Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General visited the combat zones between the FARDC and the mutineers, including Rumangabo, Rugari and Bunagana.

Zerougui says the rebels will soon be isolated and monitored using the FARDC if they receive no cooperation of the communities. Thus it has urged people to dissociate themselves from them.

“We need people to understand that peace is in their interest, and that the war serves the interests of the warlords,” she said.

The Deputy Representative has also expressed concern that the displaced families remain without assistance, humanitarian not acceding to these areas still exposed to the fighting.

Zerougui also states that the peacekeepers are present in major centers and sensitive areas to strengthen the protection of civilians.

About Seventeen soldiers including seven senior officers of the Congolese national army (FARDC) of units formerly based in the main town of Lubero territory have defected during the night of June 21 to join the M23 rebels.

Local Congolese media has reported that the defecting soldiers have all joined the rebellion led by the M23 in Rutshuru.

Col. Serushago, Commander of the Congolese National Police (PNC) / Lubero told local media that the seventeen deserters left their camp at about 22 hours (local time), Wednesday, June 20.

They took the direction of Kasuo, 45 km Southwest of Lubero.

These deserters assured custody of Lt.Col. Douglas, in charge of information within the FARDC to Lubero fifth sector, which is “also absent from his post last Monday,” the source said.

It is also reported that Kasuo locality is, since last May, under the control of Mai-Mai Kakule.

Since last weekend, another group of former soldiers of the National Congress for People’s Defense (CNDP), led by Lt.Col. Mboneza, arrived in kasuo village from the forest of Beni via Mangurejipa.

Col. Mboneza who was the commander of the 808th regiment second FARDC in Beni also defected last Sunday.

Presence of armed groups in the area has created panic among the local population most of whom have started fleeing to the towns of Lubero, Kitsombiro or Kirumba a source noted to local press.

As opposition forces in Sudan call for the overthrow of Field Marshal Bashir’s regime, the Sudanese Armed forces attacked a disputed border zone inside South Sudan killing four people.

The attacked which was repulsed by the SPLA troops, occurred Tuesday.

The Commissioner of Manyo County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, Mr Al-Taieb Okeij Ajang, said Sudanese troops attacked Kaka Al-Tijaria, one of the six disputed border zones.

Sudanese opposition forces slammed the recent austerity measures announced by Presient Omer Al-Bashir to overcome the severe economic and called to overthrow the regime.

In a call to topple the regime, the Sudanese Communist Party said the plans announced by Bashir last Monday are only “administrative measures” that do not bring true and radical solutions to end the economic collapse the country is witnessing.

The communist party called on the Sudanese “to take to the streets to overthrow the regime”, stressing the government did not leave any other alternative.

The opposition forces say the austerity plan announced by the government did not affect the huge budgets of the army, police, security apparatus, and sovereign sector which acquire 70% of wages and salaries line or 56% of the whole 2012 budget.

The communist party said only 30% of the budget is concerned with the drastic measures including the cut of 380 constitutional positions.

Students continue to protest against the government for the fourth day in Khartoum chanting “the people want to overthrow the regime” while the riot police use tear gas to break up the demonstration.

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

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, 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.

On Monday, 18 June, the ‘Gacaca’ or community courts in Rwanda were officially closed. The traditional justice system has been credited for easing tensions and promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans especially after the 1994 genocide against ethnic Tutsi.

Since being set up in 2001 the tribunals have tried nearly two million people, convicting 65% percent of them.

President Paul Kagame noted at the closing ceremony held in Kigali Capital, “This event is not simply to mark the closure of the courts, but also to recognise the enduring value of the process”.

An official statement from the office of the presidency said, “It is a celebration of the restoration of unity and trust among Rwandans, and reaffirmation of our ability to find our own answers to seemingly intractable questions”.

Some 12,100 grass-roots gacaca courts, inspired by onetime village gatherings in which elders would adjudicate disputes, have tried the vast majority of suspects in the 1994 genocide that killed a million ethnic Tutsis.

President kagame explained that, “We had three choices: first was the more dangerous path of revenge, or secondly, grant general amnesty, both of which would have led to further anarchy and destruction,” he said.

“But we chose the third and more difficult course of dealing with the matter decisively and restoring the unity and integrity of the nation.”

“It received criticism both from within and outside Rwanda, yet those criticizing offered no viable alternatives that could deliver the results we needed.”

The gacaca were introduced to reduce the backlog of genocide cases that threatened to swamp the country’s traditional court system after the weeks-long genocide. They were also meant to foster national reconciliation.