Category: Rubrique

Reports from Kivu indicate that Julien Paluku(pictured) the Governor of North Kivu appointed, Saturday, June 15, Christopher Ndibeshe as new Provincial Minister of Justice, Rights and Community Rehabilitation.

Ndibeshe replaces Francois Ruchogoza who resigned two weeks ago to join the March 23 rebel Movement (M23), according to sources close to the governorate.

Prior to his appointment, Ndibeshe was the executive secretary of the provincial government.

Ruchogoza resigned following the defection of his political party of the Presidential Majority (MP).

He said on June 3, that his party had left the presidential majority to pressure the provincial government to restore peace in the provinces.

“This is in accordance with the decision of the political leadership of the CNDP including myself, who decided that we were leaving the province.

Last time there was the beginning of hostilities in North Kivu, we pressured the Congolese government to cease hostilities and virtually the Government replied in the negative.

That is why the political leadership of our party decided that I leave the government, “he said.

But he denied any desire to join the M23, indicating that his party, the Congolese government’s CNDP requires compliance with the agreements of 23 March 2009 which provided in particular the integration of former rebels of the CNDP in the police and the army and that of his senior civilian in the country’s political institutions.

These agreements also provided for the return of Congolese refugees living in Rwanda and Uganda.

These same claims are made by the M23, a politico-military movement created by mutineers from the Congolese army in May and who faces the Congolese soldiers in North Kivu.

The first lady of South Sudan Mary Ayen Mayardit (Photo above) has threatened to moblise women for military operations against the Northern neighbour-Sudan.

She said, “If the border is not demarcated this month, we the women of South Sudan will all put on military uniforms; and go the front lines to fight”.

A joint security and political mechanism meeting between Sudan and South Sudan failed last week to implement a buffer zone they agreed due to their difference over the disputed border areas.

Talks will resume on 19 June.

“We the women of South Sudan are ready to go to the frontline. Am ready to go to the front line to fight because we cannot leave our borders to others, this border issue cannot be left at all,” she said.

She said women of South Sudan currently have two battalions; the girls’ battalion and Shatta or red hot pepper, adding that the two divisions can join the front line when called upon any time.

Ayen made the remarks while handing over food items to members of the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) as part of efforts by the country’s citizens to individually or collectively give moral and financial support to the national army.

Reacting on the recent oil shut down, the first lady equated the matter to a situation whereby an outsider intentionally comes and takes a meal specifically prepared for people in a particular home.

“If you prepare meal for your people, others cannot come and take it by force; the oil in South Sudan is ours. It doesn’t belong to Jalaba (Mundukuru). Munduku have no right to take our oil, they have stolen enough,” she said in reference to the North Sudanese.

Meanwhile, the first lady further said she was no longer in good relations with her Sudanese counterpart, perhaps considering the current trend of events between Sudan and South Sudan.

“I was a friend to the wife of President Bashir [Omar Hassan] of Sudan, but now we are not friends anymore,” she said.

The governors of border provinces of the States of the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) have decided to keep open 24 hours the borders between the DRC and Burundi.

The decision became effective from June 8 it was the last weekend at the third meeting on border security of member countries of the CEPGL in Bujumbura.

Marcellin Cishambo the Governor of South Kivu said opening of the boundaries would restrict illegal immigration between the two countries.

“We have resolved to think quickly on the erection of new border crossings because infiltrators never pass through the natural boundary.”

He said the border is porous, particularly along River Ruzizi, can be crossed either by swimming or by jumping from one stone to another or outright to the canoe.

Open borders and increased border crossings will control the flow and thus increase safety, the governor added.

“Absence of well-known border crossings pose problems of infiltration, and contrary to what people think, it’s not DR-Congo that complains of infiltration people coming from neighboring countries, but it’s more the Burundi who complains of infiltration of the FNL who are here,” he said.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has appointed an envoy to the East African Community.

The Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Republic of Tanzania presented to the EAC Secretary General a letter of accreditation as his country’s envoy to the Community.

HE Dr. Ishaya Samaila Majanbu presented his letter of accreditation to Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera at a brief ceremony held at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, where the High Commissioner declared that the Federal Republic of Nigeria was happy to identify with the EAC.

HE Dr. Majanbu lauded the progress registered by the Community since its revival, saying it was an inspiration for the other regional economic communities on the African continent.

He spoke of the need to encourage deeper integration through increased business exchanges and expressed his country’s readiness to share experiences with the EAC for the mutual benefit of the two.

Amb. Sezibera on his part conveyed the EAC’s condolences to the Nigerian people following the tragic air crash that occurred in Lagos last Sunday claiming more than 150 lives.

The Secretary General welcomed the move to enhance cooperation between the EAC and Nigeria, noting that the latter would provide especially valuable lessons for the bloc in its quest to become a single state, citing the fact that Nigeria is one of the few federal states on the continent.

He also observed that the bloc, which has recorded significant oil finds in recent times, would harness this newly enhanced relationship to pick lessons from Nigeria with regard to exploitation and management of petroleum resources.

A Ugandan woman Margaret Zziwa (above) is the new Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly with its headquarters in Arusha Tanzania.

Zziwa beat her Ugandan rival in a hotly contested race which went in a second round to get a winner.

Zziwa beat her sole rival Dora Byamukama. Both Zziwa and Byamukama belong to the Uganda ruling party NRM.

In the first round Byamukama got 18 votes while Margaret Zziwa 27. The winner had to obtain about 30 votes which is two-thirds of the members.

Before the voting exercise, Byamukama was seen as a front runner for speaker job.

Two Ugandan women are today contesting for the position of the SPEAKER of the third East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

The Members are Hon Dora Byamukama (Uganda) and Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa (Uganda). A new speaker shall be elected following the end of tenure of Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi.

According to the Rules of Procedure (rule 7) of the Assembly on election of Speaker, the Members shall directly elect the Speaker by secret ballot from among their number on rotational basis.

Once elected and sworn in, the Speaker who shall serve for a period of five years, shall proceed to administer oath to the Members.

All Partner States are entitled to nine Members totalling 45. The 7 ex-officio Members include the 5 Ministers- in- charge of the EAC Affairs from the respective Partner States, the Secretary General and the Counsel to the Community.

All Partner States have recently finalised the elections of Members with twenty of the current Members returning to the august House. Rwanda returned eight of Members while United Republic of Tanzania and Kenya returned one Member each from the 2nd Assembly. Uganda on its part voted in 6 Members of the out-going Assembly. The Assembly thus has thirty two new faces.

The Members from Burundi are Hon Emerence Bucumi, Hon Hafsa Mossi, Hon Isabelle Ndahayo, Hon Leonce Ndarubagiye and Hon Dr. Martin Nduwimana. Others are Hon Emmanuel Nengo, Hon Jeremie Ngendakumana, Hon Frederic Ngenzebuhoro and Hon Yves Nsabimana.

The Republic of Kenya is represented by Hon Nancy Abisai, Hon Abubakar Zein Abubakar, Hon Sarah Bonaya, Hon Peter Mathuki, Hon Mumbi Ngaru, Hon Saole Ole Nkanae, Hon Abubakar Ogle, Hon Joseph Kiangoi and Hon Judith Pareno.

Rwanda’s representatives to the Assembly are Hon Christophe bazivamo, Hon Patricia Hajabakiga, Hon Abdulkarim harelimana, Hon Jacqueline Muhongayire, Hon Dr. James ndahiro, Hon Straton Ndikuryayo, Hon Valerie Nyirahabineza, Hon Dr Odette Nyiramilimo and Hon Pierre celesitin Rwigema.

United Republic of Tanzania on its part has Hon Shy-Rose Bhanji, Hon Adam Kimbisa, Hon Angela Kizigha, Hon Bernard Murunya, Hon Abdullah Mwinyi, Hon Dr. Perprtua Nderakindo, Hon Makongoro Nyerere, Hon Issa Taslima and Hon Mariam Ussi Yahya.

Uganda has Hon Dora Byamukama, Hon Dan Kidega, Hon Fred Mbidde Mukasa, Hon Bernard Mulengani, Hon Susan Nakawuki, Hon Chris Opoka-Okumu, Hon Mike Sebalu, Hon Nusura Tiperu and Hon Margaret Zziwa.

The list is completed by the EAC Ministers, the Secretary General of the EAC and the Counsel to the Community who are the Assembly’s ex-officio Members.

At its last day of Sitting on May 31, 2012, EALA adopted seven reports of the Standing Committees of the House cover the period July 2007 –June 2012. The Reports comprehensively inform the Assembly of the activities, programmes and projects carried out.

The Assembly also paid tribute to outgoing Speaker, Rt. Hon Abdirahin Abdi for the excellent, focused dedicated and determined leadership exhibited during his tenure as Speaker.

The Motion moved by Hon Patricia Hajabakiga wished the outgoing Speaker good health and a fruitful political career ahead and it received overwhelming support as tributes flowed freely.

Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo has warned against reckless interference by non-state actors in the region.

“We will not fall for all these provocations and so-called leaked reports designed to inflame tension and create conflict. Far from it. Rwanda and the DRC have been working even closer than before to resolve the situation in DRC.”

Minister Mushikiwabo said that the government was aware of a new fundraising effort by Human Rights Watch who are planning to release another batch of recycled rumours designed to implicate Rwanda, and warned that the region is not a playground for non-state actors to play politics or raise money while fomenting violence and human suffering.

“Who benefits from continued instability in the eastern DRC? Not the Rwandan people, not the Congolese people. The primary beneficiaries are the FDLR terrorists who feast on insecurity.

But unaccountable actors like Human Rights Watch also profit from this by raising millions of dollars through the dissemination of simplistic reports based on the same old unverified reports and lies.”

The Government of Rwanda warned Human Rights Watch and other non-state actors in the region against conduct that can result in human suffering, including more than one hundred women who have been raped by FDLR and other rebels who have taken advantage of the insecurity breach.

“The irresponsible words of lobbies like Human Rights Watch are no less dangerous than bullets or machetes. We read today in the Guardian newspaper of killings and the disfigurement of dead bodies.

Rwanda knows these tell-tale signs too well. These are the same forces who killed over one million people in Rwanda in 1994. We know their modus operandi. Their actions today carry a chilling ring of familiarity.”

Minister Mushikiwabo said that the government of Rwanda understands that the stakes are too high for the region.

That is why she has requested Roger Meece, UN Special Representative to the DRC to come to Kigali to explain why MONUSCO is spreading false rumours aimed at aggravating the volatile situation in Eastern DRC, undermining ongoing collaboration between Rwanda and DRC governments to manage insecurity and shelter refugees fleeing the conflict.

“We are not involved in internal DRC political or military affairs. Allegations to the contrary have no basis in fact. Even the source of this week’s rumours has backed off them, admitting there is no evidence for any involvement by the Rwandan Government.”

A Rwandan legislator Juliana Kantengwa has been elected the Fourth Vice-President of The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) based in South Africa.

Hon. Kantengwa beat other contenders to take the post to represent the Eastern African Region, a Kenya Member of Parliament with 89 votes over 59.

Rwanda’s high commissioner to South Africa, Vincent Karega, said Madame Kantengwa’s vote reflects the trust Rwanda has won overtime among countries.

Together, other five Members will form the Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament, during its Third Parliament, which will extend for a period of three years.

The Pan-African Parliament was established in March 2004, by Article 17 of The Constitutive Act of the African Union, as one of the nine Organs provided for, in the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community signed in Abuja, Nigeria, in 1991.

The Government of Rwanda has rubbished accusations in a UN Report that its forces are involved in the ongoing war in the neighbouring vast DRCongo.

Louise Mushikiwabo, the minister of foreign affairs and the government spokesperson said, “Rwanda has no hand in war in Eastern DRC that has been ongoing for several weeks.

It is a naked lie. Ever since the war broke out, Rwanda has been interested in strengthening cooperation with DRC.

Instead the UN has been insisting on simple problems rather than the major causes of the conflict in the Great Lakes region”.

UN has failed to fulfill its mandate considering the tragic history the region has experienced.

Mushikiwabo refuted allegations that M23 fighters received training inside Rwanda.

The UN had alleged that it has evidence that a rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being fuelled by recruits and support from neighbouring Rwanda.

An internal UN report cited defecting soldiers, who claimed they had been trained in Rwanda under the pretext of joining the army, before being sent over the border to fight.

The report claims the deserters were Rwandan nationals, recruited in Rwanda under the pretext of joining the Rwandan military alleging that they were given weapons and training, and were then sent into DR Congo.

Sudan President Omar El Bashir has ruled out holding a summit meeting with President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan before security dossiers between the two countries are tackled and common understandings are reached.

The head of government negotiation team Idriss Mohammed Abdulgadir announced the readiness of the delegation to embark on negotiations on the pending issues on Tuesday.

He pointed out in an interview with Sudan Radio on Saturday 26 May to the discussion of the main points which come at the top of the negotiation table.

He stressed the importance of deciding upon the security dossier and the related arrangements first, indicating that the political, security and military committee headed by the Minister of Defense Lt. General Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein will look into the issues of security dossier in an accurate manner in order to decide upon them and finally settle them in order to move to other dossiers.

Undersecretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Rahmtallah Osman Ahmed ruled out holding of a summit between President Al-Bashir and President Salva Kiir before understandings are reached on the contentious issues particularly the security dossier.