By Paul Ndiho
December 22, 2011
According to the United Nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo has the highest incident of domestic rape of any country in the world. A recent study finds that nearly two million women currently living in DRC have been raped. Now, a hard-hitting short film depicts rape, murder and mutilation in the Congo, but transposed to a white European setting, in order to shock people into taking a stance against conflict minerals in Africa.
The movie "Unwatchable" starts with a young blonde girl in a white dress, picking flowers next to a large country manor somewhere in rural England.
In the film, the characters are white and its plot - a gang of soldiers break into a posh country mansion, and proceed to rape, murder and mutilate.
It was made on behalf of the charity Save the Congo to illustrate the effects of the illegal minerals trade in DRC, and its associated horrors of war and violence.
"Essentially what Unwatchable does is that it brings the issues happening in the Congo into our homes and sitting rooms in Britain and across the world. It makes it much more personal. It kind of bridges the difference between, Africa, the Congo is seen as this distant place and this far away land. Issues happening in the Congo Africa simply doesn't matter to people in Britain.”
Since its release, the film has prompted both complaints about its graphic content and praise for its uncompromising approach. Co-director Marc Hawker says that the scenes were so horrific, even the actors found them hard to film.
"It was a really hard film to make I mean the teenage girl was traumatized by what happened. I mean the whole crew when we filmed the rape scene, we filmed the rape scene in just one cut because that was all that anybody could take and we had a support group for the teenage girl, for the mother afterwards because we knew they would be pretty upset by what was going on. But the soldiers, the actors that played the soldiers as well were extremely upset.”
Hawker is quick to point out that the scenes played out in the film are a reality for hundreds of men, women and children who live in fear of the conflict engulfing their homeland.
More than eight years after the formal end of a war that killed millions and drew in six other African countries, rebel groups and the Congolese army continue to battle for control of mine sites deep in the hills of eastern Congo.
Tampa says he hopes people who watch the film will support global efforts to stop conflict minerals, cutting off money to rebel groups and helping bring peace to the region.
"If we can stop the blood mineral market, if Europe can essentially take measures that stop blood minerals from Congo entering in to the market that would affect the financial means of rebel leaders to buy weapons and other equipment to carry out their campaigns”.
In 2010, U.S. lawmakers took steps to force companies to disclose whether they use minerals such as gold or tungsten coming from places like the DRC. Electronics firms such as Apple and Hewlett Packard are not waiting to see the fine print in the law, and say they are no longer sourcing from the region, having launched their own industry drive against such conflict minerals.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
A Ugandan Company Oribags Innovations is Turning Agricultural Waste into Eco Bags
By Paul Ndiho
December 14, 2011
A Ugandan company is turning what otherwise might end up in the trash into some very useful products, and quickly becoming the leading producer of environmentally-friendly products in the region.
For the conservation-minded, plastic bags are a blight on the environment causing waste in landfills and harmful pollution in the oceans. But ORIBAGS INNOVATIONS offers an eco-friendly alternative to the polythene bag. It manufactures a type of biodegradable paper bag, and other products from agricultural waste. Rusia Orikiriza is the CEO of Oribags Innovations.
“We are Liability Company meant for profit and we are into recycling of agricultural waste, such as banana fiber, pineapple waste, and everything that is regarded as waste as long as it's not metal and aluminum. We do produce paper, its handmade paper and we craft the products like, eco bags, visitor’s books, art paper, every kind of cards and also being a social enterprise, we do community programs geared at helping women in the community.”
Orikiriza says her company turns agricultural by-products and other paper waste into decorative and professional paper stationery, manufactured in harmony with nature and personalized to the client's needs.
“If we are making a paper bag, after drying the paper, we have to smoothen it because if it dries under normal sun, the paper will be very hard and strong and so we use rollers to smoothen it and make our paper smooth. Then after that we do the measurement according to the standard size of a client. And then after we've done that we do the printing because they must be personalized according to the clients address, logo, or a specific trendy word that you need on the Eco bag.”
Oribags have been recognized as eco-friendly by the United Nations Environmental Program and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And its future in the competitive marketplace looks promising. Since its founding in 2008, the company has already substantially expanded its presence outside the local community.
“Currently we supply supermarkets and embassies which have already embraced the utilization of the Eco bags.”
Rusia Orikiriza's innovative products are not only helping the environment, her company is helping empower women through skills development programs for entrepreneurs.
December 14, 2011
A Ugandan company is turning what otherwise might end up in the trash into some very useful products, and quickly becoming the leading producer of environmentally-friendly products in the region.
For the conservation-minded, plastic bags are a blight on the environment causing waste in landfills and harmful pollution in the oceans. But ORIBAGS INNOVATIONS offers an eco-friendly alternative to the polythene bag. It manufactures a type of biodegradable paper bag, and other products from agricultural waste. Rusia Orikiriza is the CEO of Oribags Innovations.
“We are Liability Company meant for profit and we are into recycling of agricultural waste, such as banana fiber, pineapple waste, and everything that is regarded as waste as long as it's not metal and aluminum. We do produce paper, its handmade paper and we craft the products like, eco bags, visitor’s books, art paper, every kind of cards and also being a social enterprise, we do community programs geared at helping women in the community.”
Orikiriza says her company turns agricultural by-products and other paper waste into decorative and professional paper stationery, manufactured in harmony with nature and personalized to the client's needs.
“If we are making a paper bag, after drying the paper, we have to smoothen it because if it dries under normal sun, the paper will be very hard and strong and so we use rollers to smoothen it and make our paper smooth. Then after that we do the measurement according to the standard size of a client. And then after we've done that we do the printing because they must be personalized according to the clients address, logo, or a specific trendy word that you need on the Eco bag.”
Oribags have been recognized as eco-friendly by the United Nations Environmental Program and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. And its future in the competitive marketplace looks promising. Since its founding in 2008, the company has already substantially expanded its presence outside the local community.
“Currently we supply supermarkets and embassies which have already embraced the utilization of the Eco bags.”
Rusia Orikiriza's innovative products are not only helping the environment, her company is helping empower women through skills development programs for entrepreneurs.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Emmanuel Tumusiime - Mutebile says Uganda’s economy is Sound and Resilient
By Paul Ndiho
December 7, 2011
Uganda's inflation rate has soared from single digits to more than 30 percent over the last few months, its highest level in years. Voice of America's Paul Ndiho recently spoke with the central bank governor of Uganda, and asked him how the government is coping with the problem.
The International Monetary Fund had predicted solid economic growth for Sub-Saharan Africa this year. The IMF said Africa's prospects were high, but a slowing global economy poses some risks. Analysts say that if the economic situation in high income countries continues to deteriorate significantly, sub-Saharan countries might be at risk. The Governor Central Bank of Uganda, Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, attributes his country's soaring inflation to external events but says there is little he can do to tackle inflation.
“Inflation for the last seven months has been unusually high. We have not had this kind of inflation for fifteen years but it's largely attributed to external shocks, in particular the sudden steep rise in world oil prices, as well as world food prices. These prices have caused inflation to rise to almost 20% which has not happened before. Because this inflation is external, so-called due to "supply shock," central bank instruments cannot do anything about it.
Mutebile is regarded as an official who gives foreign investors confidence in Uganda. Appointed in 2001, he spearheaded reforms in Uganda's troubled banking sector. He was recognized at this year’s “African Banker Awards” for being the architect of Uganda's economic revival.
“They told me that I was Central Governor of the year, because of what I have done as the governor, for what I have done for the banking sector in general. It is the best news that has happened to Uganda's banking system for a long time, in this award and I'm sure it will create a lot of confidence in the system.”
Tumusiime Mutebile has lived an eventful life in Uganda. In 1972, he was forced to flee the country after he gave a speech, publicly criticizing the expulsion of Asians from the country. His childhood friend and former schoolmate, Shaka Ssali, host of VOA’s flagship live TV Talk Show, Straight Talk Africa, describes Governor Mutebile as disciplined and hard working.
“What I can say frankly is that, if I can walk back in memory lane and see us sit in Kigezi High School Primary in Kabale. I’m not surprised when I look back, and I see him now as the Governor of the Ugandan Central Bank, the reason being very simple. Because, clearly even at that time, he was one of those kids that you would have said, he was most likely to succeed.”
Mr. Ssali says that he expected that Mr. Mutebile would become a top civil servant in Uganda.
“The only thing that surprises me about Mutebile frankly is that I should have expected him perhaps to be the President of the Republic of Uganda. Short of that, to be a Politician, Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs and ending up really serving people rather than being a civil servant.”
Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebil is serving his third term as the Governor of Bank of Uganda. In June 2011, he was quoted by the Financial Times News paper in a rare critic of President Museveni, saying Mr. Museveni continued embrace of “elements of Marxism” was undermining the economy. He says that the Ugandan government’s spending remains a serious problem.
“The biggest challenge is government spending. It's not easy to keep the government's spending in check, especially when you have every ministry wanting to spend left, right and center.”
Mutebile is cautiously optimistic about the discovery of oil in western Uganda, and says the resource could bring a relief to the struggling economy.
“When revenues start flowing, it will be a welcomed break from this period of no money. However, I must warn you that I don't see this coming soon. The first oil in large quantities will not start flowing until about three years from now so we have three years to wait.
Mr. Mutebile has his critics in Uganda, some of whom are demanding his resignation following revelations that he authorized President Museveni to withdraw 744 million dollars to buy fighter jets and other hardware from Russia. Opposition lawmakers say the procurement required parliamentary approval.
December 7, 2011
Uganda's inflation rate has soared from single digits to more than 30 percent over the last few months, its highest level in years. Voice of America's Paul Ndiho recently spoke with the central bank governor of Uganda, and asked him how the government is coping with the problem.
The International Monetary Fund had predicted solid economic growth for Sub-Saharan Africa this year. The IMF said Africa's prospects were high, but a slowing global economy poses some risks. Analysts say that if the economic situation in high income countries continues to deteriorate significantly, sub-Saharan countries might be at risk. The Governor Central Bank of Uganda, Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, attributes his country's soaring inflation to external events but says there is little he can do to tackle inflation.
“Inflation for the last seven months has been unusually high. We have not had this kind of inflation for fifteen years but it's largely attributed to external shocks, in particular the sudden steep rise in world oil prices, as well as world food prices. These prices have caused inflation to rise to almost 20% which has not happened before. Because this inflation is external, so-called due to "supply shock," central bank instruments cannot do anything about it.
Mutebile is regarded as an official who gives foreign investors confidence in Uganda. Appointed in 2001, he spearheaded reforms in Uganda's troubled banking sector. He was recognized at this year’s “African Banker Awards” for being the architect of Uganda's economic revival.
“They told me that I was Central Governor of the year, because of what I have done as the governor, for what I have done for the banking sector in general. It is the best news that has happened to Uganda's banking system for a long time, in this award and I'm sure it will create a lot of confidence in the system.”
Tumusiime Mutebile has lived an eventful life in Uganda. In 1972, he was forced to flee the country after he gave a speech, publicly criticizing the expulsion of Asians from the country. His childhood friend and former schoolmate, Shaka Ssali, host of VOA’s flagship live TV Talk Show, Straight Talk Africa, describes Governor Mutebile as disciplined and hard working.
“What I can say frankly is that, if I can walk back in memory lane and see us sit in Kigezi High School Primary in Kabale. I’m not surprised when I look back, and I see him now as the Governor of the Ugandan Central Bank, the reason being very simple. Because, clearly even at that time, he was one of those kids that you would have said, he was most likely to succeed.”
Mr. Ssali says that he expected that Mr. Mutebile would become a top civil servant in Uganda.
“The only thing that surprises me about Mutebile frankly is that I should have expected him perhaps to be the President of the Republic of Uganda. Short of that, to be a Politician, Minister of Finance, Minister of Foreign Affairs and ending up really serving people rather than being a civil servant.”
Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebil is serving his third term as the Governor of Bank of Uganda. In June 2011, he was quoted by the Financial Times News paper in a rare critic of President Museveni, saying Mr. Museveni continued embrace of “elements of Marxism” was undermining the economy. He says that the Ugandan government’s spending remains a serious problem.
“The biggest challenge is government spending. It's not easy to keep the government's spending in check, especially when you have every ministry wanting to spend left, right and center.”
Mutebile is cautiously optimistic about the discovery of oil in western Uganda, and says the resource could bring a relief to the struggling economy.
“When revenues start flowing, it will be a welcomed break from this period of no money. However, I must warn you that I don't see this coming soon. The first oil in large quantities will not start flowing until about three years from now so we have three years to wait.
Mr. Mutebile has his critics in Uganda, some of whom are demanding his resignation following revelations that he authorized President Museveni to withdraw 744 million dollars to buy fighter jets and other hardware from Russia. Opposition lawmakers say the procurement required parliamentary approval.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
An African Perspective on Climate Change
By Paul Ndiho
November 30, 2011
Environmentalists say the African continent has warmed about half a degree Celsius over the last century. And some argue that Climate change is a key development issue for Sub-Saharan Africa given the region’s widespread poverty and unique geography. Earlier this year, The World Bank and other partners launched Connect 4 Climate (C4C) campaign, using the social media to reach out a community that cares about climate change. The goal is to raise awareness about climate change with a special focus on Africa. I recently talked to Teddy Ruge, Social Media strategist, connect 4 climate campaign.
November 30, 2011
Environmentalists say the African continent has warmed about half a degree Celsius over the last century. And some argue that Climate change is a key development issue for Sub-Saharan Africa given the region’s widespread poverty and unique geography. Earlier this year, The World Bank and other partners launched Connect 4 Climate (C4C) campaign, using the social media to reach out a community that cares about climate change. The goal is to raise awareness about climate change with a special focus on Africa. I recently talked to Teddy Ruge, Social Media strategist, connect 4 climate campaign.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Opportunity International providing small loans to businesses in DRC
By Paul Ndiho
November 16, 2011
Opportunity International provides financial products and strategies to millions who are working their way out of poverty.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo there are providing small loans to emerging entrepreneurs to start or expand small businesses. And over the years, the microfinance sector has expanded its financial service offerings to better meet client needs.
I recently talked with Gilbert Lagaillarde, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity International - DRC.
November 16, 2011
Opportunity International provides financial products and strategies to millions who are working their way out of poverty.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo there are providing small loans to emerging entrepreneurs to start or expand small businesses. And over the years, the microfinance sector has expanded its financial service offerings to better meet client needs.
I recently talked with Gilbert Lagaillarde, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity International - DRC.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Hotel Rwanda Hero Awarded The Tom Lantos 2011 Human Rights Prize
By Paul Ndiho
November 16, 2011
The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice today awarded its 2011 prize for human rights. It was established in 2009 to honor heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission for the world.
Throughout his tenure in Congress, Tom Lantos was the leading advocate for human rights, calling attention to thousands of individual cases of torture, denial of rights, and abuse. Founder and Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Lantos was a voice for the rights of persecuted racial, religious, and ethnic minorities worldwide. He died in 2008 at age 80. This year, the Lantos Foundation is honoring Paul Rusesabagina, widely hailed as a hero of the Rwandan genocide. An estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in 1994 after extremists in the majority Hutu population turned on the Tutsi minority and moderate Hutus. A luxury hotel manager, Rusesabagina provided shelter to more than 12-hundred Hutus and Tutsis, saving them from certain death. His efforts are chronicled in the 2004 award winning film, "Hotel Rwanda," and his autobiography, “An Ordinary Man.”
In 2005, then-U.S. President George W. Bush awarded to Rusesabagina the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civil award.
“He was a hotel manager in his native Rwanda when the horror began to unfold in 1994. The hotel soon became heaven amidst carnage, with Paul, his family and more than 1000 other men women and children inside the compound. Without that shelter every one of them would almost surely been killed during those weeks and months of merciless terror.”
I spoke to Paul Rusesabagina recently, and he said he fears for his life because of threats from President Paul Kigame's government. Rusesabagina and Kagame don't have kind words for each other, and they challenge each other's actions during the genocide:
“I never told you anything for ins-tense threats from the Rwandan Government... I noticed that from the very day Hotel Rwanda came out, that was in September 2004. President Kagame, the president of Rwanda himself was the only person who felt very much threatened... Because he thought that Rwanda had one person and only he was supposed to be called a hero. Because he had talked to the international community, he had friends all over the world, he had made each and every one of them understand that he was the savior of the Rwandan nation, he had stopped the genocide and this was his message.”
In 2006, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in a VOA press conference, played down Rusesabagina’s heroism. Kagame said that Rusesabagina’s story of saving hundreds of people is misleading.
“He claims to have saved people in hotel Millcoline. One he had no possibility of saving them in the first place and secondly including our prime minister of Rwanda who was also there, including the lady here Senator Ordate - she was there in fact and she is the only one who can maybe say she was saved by Rusesabagina’s on the basis that they knew each other. Because while others were freeing going to the hotel to seek refuge, he contacted her and brought her to the hotel to seek refugee with others who were there.”
Paul Rusesabagina, dubbed by some as the "Oskar Schindler of Africa,” questions Paul Kagame's claims that Kagame stopped genocidal killing in Rwanda.
Oskar Schindler was a German Industrialist who outwitted Hitler and the Nazis to save more than 1200 Jews from the gas chambers by employing them to work for him in his factories during World War II.
“My whole question is this... Is President Kagame apart of the genocide solution or the genocide problem? Kagame has been a part of the genocide problem.”
Paul Rusesabagina, winner of the Lantos Foundation's 2011 award for Human Rights, the annual prize that commemorates the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include another Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate and writer Elie Wiesel, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has dedicated his life to fighting for equality and basic human rights in Tibet.
November 16, 2011
The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice today awarded its 2011 prize for human rights. It was established in 2009 to honor heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission for the world.
Throughout his tenure in Congress, Tom Lantos was the leading advocate for human rights, calling attention to thousands of individual cases of torture, denial of rights, and abuse. Founder and Co-Chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Lantos was a voice for the rights of persecuted racial, religious, and ethnic minorities worldwide. He died in 2008 at age 80. This year, the Lantos Foundation is honoring Paul Rusesabagina, widely hailed as a hero of the Rwandan genocide. An estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in 1994 after extremists in the majority Hutu population turned on the Tutsi minority and moderate Hutus. A luxury hotel manager, Rusesabagina provided shelter to more than 12-hundred Hutus and Tutsis, saving them from certain death. His efforts are chronicled in the 2004 award winning film, "Hotel Rwanda," and his autobiography, “An Ordinary Man.”
In 2005, then-U.S. President George W. Bush awarded to Rusesabagina the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civil award.
“He was a hotel manager in his native Rwanda when the horror began to unfold in 1994. The hotel soon became heaven amidst carnage, with Paul, his family and more than 1000 other men women and children inside the compound. Without that shelter every one of them would almost surely been killed during those weeks and months of merciless terror.”
I spoke to Paul Rusesabagina recently, and he said he fears for his life because of threats from President Paul Kigame's government. Rusesabagina and Kagame don't have kind words for each other, and they challenge each other's actions during the genocide:
“I never told you anything for ins-tense threats from the Rwandan Government... I noticed that from the very day Hotel Rwanda came out, that was in September 2004. President Kagame, the president of Rwanda himself was the only person who felt very much threatened... Because he thought that Rwanda had one person and only he was supposed to be called a hero. Because he had talked to the international community, he had friends all over the world, he had made each and every one of them understand that he was the savior of the Rwandan nation, he had stopped the genocide and this was his message.”
In 2006, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in a VOA press conference, played down Rusesabagina’s heroism. Kagame said that Rusesabagina’s story of saving hundreds of people is misleading.
“He claims to have saved people in hotel Millcoline. One he had no possibility of saving them in the first place and secondly including our prime minister of Rwanda who was also there, including the lady here Senator Ordate - she was there in fact and she is the only one who can maybe say she was saved by Rusesabagina’s on the basis that they knew each other. Because while others were freeing going to the hotel to seek refuge, he contacted her and brought her to the hotel to seek refugee with others who were there.”
Paul Rusesabagina, dubbed by some as the "Oskar Schindler of Africa,” questions Paul Kagame's claims that Kagame stopped genocidal killing in Rwanda.
Oskar Schindler was a German Industrialist who outwitted Hitler and the Nazis to save more than 1200 Jews from the gas chambers by employing them to work for him in his factories during World War II.
“My whole question is this... Is President Kagame apart of the genocide solution or the genocide problem? Kagame has been a part of the genocide problem.”
Paul Rusesabagina, winner of the Lantos Foundation's 2011 award for Human Rights, the annual prize that commemorates the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include another Holocaust survivor, Nobel Laureate and writer Elie Wiesel, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has dedicated his life to fighting for equality and basic human rights in Tibet.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Rights Activists warn that poll in DRC could spark off new violence
By Paul Ndiho
November 16, 2011
Tensions are high in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of this month's presidential election, with several people injured after supporters of the main opposition party clashed with supporters of incumbent President Joseph Kabila, during a rally earlier this month.
The national elections are due to be held on 28 November 2011 and will mark only the second time since its independence in 1960 that the DRC will be holding democratic elections. But human rights activists warn that the poll could spark off new violence. Ravina Shamdasani, is the Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We are very worried about security in the upcoming election and this is why we are sounding an alarm bell at this point. To try and prevent the kind of violence that accompanied the previous election in 2006.”
Incumbent president Joseph Kabila is favored to be re-elected. But Kabila facing stiff competition from tweleve other candidates Human rights activist Yussa Bunzigiye Prosper, says the opposition is prepared to take their political struggle to the streets.
“This time around the guy who is the leading opponent of Kabila has no blood, has no crime on his hands, he has never used army, he has never been a rebel, this guy he has been an advocate of people's rights and good governors for the past 30 years… he did it during Mobutu time. The only difference is that during Mobutu’s time is he was only advocating. But this time around the world environment is different; he has been given the chance to go to the battle… So what does that mean? It means that when the elections are over and it’s clear that Kabila has rigged the election, Tshisekedi Is going to run a parallel administration from the street.”
The human rights report released this week notes that the situation in the East of the country is of particular concern. Political parties have reportedly been targeted and their members detained, ill-treated and threatened. Most of the violations committed are said to involve elements of the Congolese National Police, or the National Intelligence Services.
“We've seen people destroy voting cards of citizens of the DRC so that they will not be able to vote. We've seen police prevent demonstrations from taking place; prevent press conferences from taking place from opposition political leaders. This has to stop and the Government has to send a clear message that there will be accountability for such violations. According to Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Violations have targeted the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and the Union pour la Nation Congolaise (UNC) parties.
President Kabila faces a struggle to hold onto the eastern provinces that sealed his victory in 2006, where voters now blame Kabila for failing to provide peace and security.
The Human Rights report calls upon the international community to step up efforts to train security forces and judicial officers, and to promote monitored, free and fair elections.
In Katanga Province, Governor Moise Katumbi supports the Kabila government, which he says has made great strides in the troubled east in just one term.
"In my view, we need to start a system of rotation. What has ruined Africa today are presidents who want to stay in power indefinitely or politicians or governors who want to stay in office for life. Thankfully, our constitution here only allows for two terms in office."
But human rights activists say that President Kabila has failed to deliver for Congo.
"There is no peace in the Kivu region I come from there … One of the biggest challenges Kabila has, is that he has failed to live up to the standards of his father."
Kabila promises that he will improve road infrastructure and higher education. The president's support base is in the east of the country, where he was born, and an area rich in minerals. Congo has about 4 percent of the world's copper reserves, about half its cobalt and is the largest supplier of tin ore in Africa.
November 16, 2011
Tensions are high in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of this month's presidential election, with several people injured after supporters of the main opposition party clashed with supporters of incumbent President Joseph Kabila, during a rally earlier this month.
The national elections are due to be held on 28 November 2011 and will mark only the second time since its independence in 1960 that the DRC will be holding democratic elections. But human rights activists warn that the poll could spark off new violence. Ravina Shamdasani, is the Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“We are very worried about security in the upcoming election and this is why we are sounding an alarm bell at this point. To try and prevent the kind of violence that accompanied the previous election in 2006.”
Incumbent president Joseph Kabila is favored to be re-elected. But Kabila facing stiff competition from tweleve other candidates Human rights activist Yussa Bunzigiye Prosper, says the opposition is prepared to take their political struggle to the streets.
“This time around the guy who is the leading opponent of Kabila has no blood, has no crime on his hands, he has never used army, he has never been a rebel, this guy he has been an advocate of people's rights and good governors for the past 30 years… he did it during Mobutu time. The only difference is that during Mobutu’s time is he was only advocating. But this time around the world environment is different; he has been given the chance to go to the battle… So what does that mean? It means that when the elections are over and it’s clear that Kabila has rigged the election, Tshisekedi Is going to run a parallel administration from the street.”
The human rights report released this week notes that the situation in the East of the country is of particular concern. Political parties have reportedly been targeted and their members detained, ill-treated and threatened. Most of the violations committed are said to involve elements of the Congolese National Police, or the National Intelligence Services.
“We've seen people destroy voting cards of citizens of the DRC so that they will not be able to vote. We've seen police prevent demonstrations from taking place; prevent press conferences from taking place from opposition political leaders. This has to stop and the Government has to send a clear message that there will be accountability for such violations. According to Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Violations have targeted the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and the Union pour la Nation Congolaise (UNC) parties.
President Kabila faces a struggle to hold onto the eastern provinces that sealed his victory in 2006, where voters now blame Kabila for failing to provide peace and security.
The Human Rights report calls upon the international community to step up efforts to train security forces and judicial officers, and to promote monitored, free and fair elections.
In Katanga Province, Governor Moise Katumbi supports the Kabila government, which he says has made great strides in the troubled east in just one term.
"In my view, we need to start a system of rotation. What has ruined Africa today are presidents who want to stay in power indefinitely or politicians or governors who want to stay in office for life. Thankfully, our constitution here only allows for two terms in office."
But human rights activists say that President Kabila has failed to deliver for Congo.
"There is no peace in the Kivu region I come from there … One of the biggest challenges Kabila has, is that he has failed to live up to the standards of his father."
Kabila promises that he will improve road infrastructure and higher education. The president's support base is in the east of the country, where he was born, and an area rich in minerals. Congo has about 4 percent of the world's copper reserves, about half its cobalt and is the largest supplier of tin ore in Africa.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Empowering the next generation of Women leaders
By Paul Ndiho
November 15, 2010
Earlier this year the U.S. Government, in partnership with Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency or CEDA a Ugandan based NGO launched the “Rising Stars Mentoring Program.” The program seeks to empower girls and women to become economically independent and socially responsible. The program enables girls to focus and re-frame their thinking, transform their lives, take charge of their destiny, and improve their communities. VOA’s Paul Ndiho recently spoke to Rehmah Kasule founder of CEDA International. She says Women in Uganda lack confidence, self-belief, negotiating skills, and have limited access to mentors and role models to inspire them.
November 15, 2010
Earlier this year the U.S. Government, in partnership with Century Entrepreneurship Development Agency or CEDA a Ugandan based NGO launched the “Rising Stars Mentoring Program.” The program seeks to empower girls and women to become economically independent and socially responsible. The program enables girls to focus and re-frame their thinking, transform their lives, take charge of their destiny, and improve their communities. VOA’s Paul Ndiho recently spoke to Rehmah Kasule founder of CEDA International. She says Women in Uganda lack confidence, self-belief, negotiating skills, and have limited access to mentors and role models to inspire them.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Africa’s Next Cheap Source of Light
By Paul Ndiho
November 8, 2011
As power cuts persist, many Africans who can’t afford expensive generators or solar panels have resorted to torches made of discarded computer discs, strips of wire and wood to light up their homes.
Many homes and businesses are forced to rely on generators for electricity because of the lengthy and frequent power cuts that happen regularly in most African countries. Some areas go for days at a time without electricity. Millions who cannot afford generators use kerosene lamps or candles. In order to solve this problem I have invented a new environmentally friendly source of light, and I’d like to produce it on a large scale to help out struggling families in my country, Uganda, or across the continent.
My home-made torches have become popular with people looking for cheap sources of light. The torches cost between (1-3 US dollars) depending on the configuration of the bulbs. People who have tried it in my rural village in southwestern Uganda say the three-battery kind lasts for a month, and is much cheaper than kerosene lamps.
The idea for the torch started as a result of the lengthy and frequent power cuts I experienced when I was in Africa. As a young kid growing I was always bothered by the “frequent power cuts” or “road shading” I decided to apply my simple knowledge of generating more light from my High School science project. Several years later, it became a reality and many people have benefited from this clean source of light.
Students in remote villages use the torch to study at night and others use it to see while cooking. At the moment there is no mass production of the torch, but the people I have entrusted with the business of assembling the torch and selling it say they are able to sustain their families and the extra money is spent on taking their kids to school.
Environmental experts who have used it say it’s a solution for dealing with the frequent power cuts in most rural communities, it’s a change from the norm, and does not burn fossil fuels.
“Africa’s Next Cheap Source of Light” is an alternative source of lighting for poor people; it’s made from recycled products, is affordable and is a ready remedy for Africa’s unreliable electric power delivery.
November 8, 2011
As power cuts persist, many Africans who can’t afford expensive generators or solar panels have resorted to torches made of discarded computer discs, strips of wire and wood to light up their homes.
Many homes and businesses are forced to rely on generators for electricity because of the lengthy and frequent power cuts that happen regularly in most African countries. Some areas go for days at a time without electricity. Millions who cannot afford generators use kerosene lamps or candles. In order to solve this problem I have invented a new environmentally friendly source of light, and I’d like to produce it on a large scale to help out struggling families in my country, Uganda, or across the continent.
My home-made torches have become popular with people looking for cheap sources of light. The torches cost between (1-3 US dollars) depending on the configuration of the bulbs. People who have tried it in my rural village in southwestern Uganda say the three-battery kind lasts for a month, and is much cheaper than kerosene lamps.
The idea for the torch started as a result of the lengthy and frequent power cuts I experienced when I was in Africa. As a young kid growing I was always bothered by the “frequent power cuts” or “road shading” I decided to apply my simple knowledge of generating more light from my High School science project. Several years later, it became a reality and many people have benefited from this clean source of light.
Students in remote villages use the torch to study at night and others use it to see while cooking. At the moment there is no mass production of the torch, but the people I have entrusted with the business of assembling the torch and selling it say they are able to sustain their families and the extra money is spent on taking their kids to school.
Environmental experts who have used it say it’s a solution for dealing with the frequent power cuts in most rural communities, it’s a change from the norm, and does not burn fossil fuels.
“Africa’s Next Cheap Source of Light” is an alternative source of lighting for poor people; it’s made from recycled products, is affordable and is a ready remedy for Africa’s unreliable electric power delivery.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Women Conserving the Environment in Tanzania
By Paul Ndiho
November 8, 2011
Recently here in Washington Mary Mavanza, manager of the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) TACARE program in Tanzania was recognized as one of six women heroes of global conservation on Capitol Hill, at an event sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, the Alliance for Global Conservation, and the Green Belt Movement. VOA’s Paul Ndiho talked to Mary Mavanza about her role in helping rural women in Tanzania conserve the environment.
Mavanza says that in most sub Saharan African countries, women are the main providers of water, firewood, food, medicine and other basic necessities. And because they are the most directly connected to the environment, women are the most directly affected by environmental degradation.
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) works in western Tanzania with local communities living near key chimpanzee habitats make a living in ways that do not destroy the forest. The program targets 52 villages that surround Gombe National Park, Masito and Ugalla. VOA’S Paul Ndiho’s talks to Emmanuel Mtiti, director, Gombe Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem Program.
Mtiti says that Jane Goodall Institute also educates local communities about global climate change, and sustainable agriculture practices and livelihoods.
November 8, 2011
Recently here in Washington Mary Mavanza, manager of the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) TACARE program in Tanzania was recognized as one of six women heroes of global conservation on Capitol Hill, at an event sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, the Alliance for Global Conservation, and the Green Belt Movement. VOA’s Paul Ndiho talked to Mary Mavanza about her role in helping rural women in Tanzania conserve the environment.
Mavanza says that in most sub Saharan African countries, women are the main providers of water, firewood, food, medicine and other basic necessities. And because they are the most directly connected to the environment, women are the most directly affected by environmental degradation.
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) works in western Tanzania with local communities living near key chimpanzee habitats make a living in ways that do not destroy the forest. The program targets 52 villages that surround Gombe National Park, Masito and Ugalla. VOA’S Paul Ndiho’s talks to Emmanuel Mtiti, director, Gombe Masito-Ugalla Ecosystem Program.
Mtiti says that Jane Goodall Institute also educates local communities about global climate change, and sustainable agriculture practices and livelihoods.
Ugandan Students design an Electric Car
By Paul Ndiho
November 8, 2011
Students from Makerere University faculty of technology test drive an electric car they have built and plan to use the prototype to entice potential investors to start mass production.
Like many capital cities, Kampala in Uganda has its share of pollution. A fast growing population and rapid urban development has meant more cars on the road and more fumes in the atmosphere.
Environmentalists warn the high level of urban pollution is set to rise, leaving Kampala residents at risk of health problems and adding to the country's carbon footprint.
But all that could change if a group of students from Makerere University in the capital have their way.
They've designed their very own version of the electric car, already making waves elsewhere in the world where it’s been touted as the solution to eradicating global car emissions.
Appropriately painted green to demonstrate its environmental credentials the Kiira EV can reach speeds of up to 60mph and lasts for three to four hours before it needs to be recharged.
It was test driven through to streets of Kampala last week. Jonathan Kasumba, a local resident who turned out to witness the green car's virgin outing said this is the best thing that has come out of Uganda in a longtime.
"To me it is a great achievement, it is something I would personally say, it's a change to the norm, everybody thinks this is from outside, this is from outside, now they can see, it is coming from within,"
The prototype for Kiira EV cost around 35,000 US dollars but engineers say that cost could be bought down to as little as 15,000 US dollars when it is mass produced.
Meanwhile, its designers already have their sights set on expanding the brand to include bigger vehicles. Paul Musasizi lead EV kiira engineering team.
"You know Uganda is well endowed with solar energy, we would like to tap that and put it into that commuter bus so that is where our energies are focused now that we know we can build a car, that one we have done, that one is history”.
The car was assembled by a team of eight engineers, supervised by one of Uganda's leading professors in electrical engineering and computing, Tickodri Togboa. It was funded mostly by a government grant given to the engineering department to propel technological research over a period of five years.
Mukibi Dan, a Ugandan environmental activist says the car represents an important milestone for Uganda, not only demonstrating a level of commitment to top level teaching and design in Kampala but also an assurance that green issues are high on the agenda.
"The issues as we talk now is about environmental protection and I think this prototype, being that it is not going to use fossil fuel as it were to be able to move, I think it is an innovation that as a citizen and an environmental activist am proud off,".
The car is yet to be fitted with a speedometer or a system to power its electric windows, but according to students they have already had requests from interested members of the public hoping to buy one when they hit the shops sometime in the future.
November 8, 2011
Students from Makerere University faculty of technology test drive an electric car they have built and plan to use the prototype to entice potential investors to start mass production.
Like many capital cities, Kampala in Uganda has its share of pollution. A fast growing population and rapid urban development has meant more cars on the road and more fumes in the atmosphere.
Environmentalists warn the high level of urban pollution is set to rise, leaving Kampala residents at risk of health problems and adding to the country's carbon footprint.
But all that could change if a group of students from Makerere University in the capital have their way.
They've designed their very own version of the electric car, already making waves elsewhere in the world where it’s been touted as the solution to eradicating global car emissions.
Appropriately painted green to demonstrate its environmental credentials the Kiira EV can reach speeds of up to 60mph and lasts for three to four hours before it needs to be recharged.
It was test driven through to streets of Kampala last week. Jonathan Kasumba, a local resident who turned out to witness the green car's virgin outing said this is the best thing that has come out of Uganda in a longtime.
"To me it is a great achievement, it is something I would personally say, it's a change to the norm, everybody thinks this is from outside, this is from outside, now they can see, it is coming from within,"
The prototype for Kiira EV cost around 35,000 US dollars but engineers say that cost could be bought down to as little as 15,000 US dollars when it is mass produced.
Meanwhile, its designers already have their sights set on expanding the brand to include bigger vehicles. Paul Musasizi lead EV kiira engineering team.
"You know Uganda is well endowed with solar energy, we would like to tap that and put it into that commuter bus so that is where our energies are focused now that we know we can build a car, that one we have done, that one is history”.
The car was assembled by a team of eight engineers, supervised by one of Uganda's leading professors in electrical engineering and computing, Tickodri Togboa. It was funded mostly by a government grant given to the engineering department to propel technological research over a period of five years.
Mukibi Dan, a Ugandan environmental activist says the car represents an important milestone for Uganda, not only demonstrating a level of commitment to top level teaching and design in Kampala but also an assurance that green issues are high on the agenda.
"The issues as we talk now is about environmental protection and I think this prototype, being that it is not going to use fossil fuel as it were to be able to move, I think it is an innovation that as a citizen and an environmental activist am proud off,".
The car is yet to be fitted with a speedometer or a system to power its electric windows, but according to students they have already had requests from interested members of the public hoping to buy one when they hit the shops sometime in the future.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
ANALYSIS - AFRICA’S LONGEST SERVING RULERS
By Paul Ndiho
November 02, 2011
The death of Moammar Gaddafi, one of Africa’s longest serving rulers, has put a spotlight on other African rulers who have been in power for decades. The way in which Mr. Gaddafi was brought down may have other dictators in sub-Saharan Africa wondering if they also might be the target of revolutionaries.
Three of the 10 longest serving rulers in Africa have fallen this year - Ben Ali of Tunisia, who ruled for 23 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, in power for 30 years, and Libya’s Col. Moammar Gaddafi who was in power 42-years
Now, Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea and Jose Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola take the number one spot as the longest serving Presidents with 32 years of ruling their countries respectively. There are other long serving leaders in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Uganda, Swaziland and Burkina Fasso.
Guinea's President has been in power for 32 years, after he seized power in a military coup in August of 1979.
In November 2009, he was re-elected for a seven-year term, winning over 95% of the vote.
In power for 32 years, Angola's President Dos Santos assumed the presidency of the mineral-rich country also in 1979, four years into a civil war with UNITA rebels that ended only in 2002. His ruling party won a landslide 2008 victory, leaving rivals in tatters; dos Santos changed the constitution and boosted his powers.
Following independence, Robert Mugabe became Zimbabwe’s prime minister in April of 1980. He became president in 1987, an office he still holds today. In February 2009, Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change were forced into a coalition government.
Cameroon's President Biya has been in power for 29 years. He was re-elected by almost 80% of the vote in October 2011 for another seven-year term. A 2008 constitutional amendment removed term limits in Cameroon.
The Congo's president has ruled the West African nation for 26 years.
In power all but five of the last 32 years, Sassou Nguesso seized power in a 1979 coup but then lost the country’s first multi-party elections in 1992 to scientist Pascal Lissouba. Nguesso regained the presidency in 1997 after a civil war and was re-elected in 2004 for another seven-year term.
Uganda's General Museveni has been in power now for 26 years.
He seized Kampala after a five-year guerrilla war in 1986, and Museveni banned multi-party politics until 1996. Museveni was re-elected 2011 with 68 percent of the vote, and his main rival Kizza Besigye received 26 percent.
Analysts watching sub-Saharan Africa say although recent rebellions have so far been limited to North Africa, increasingly there are protests against regimes in other parts of the continent, triggered by economic conditions - high food and fuel prices, poor job opportunities or service delivery. And they say that African leaders could be taking notice of this trend, as in Zambia, where ex-president Rupiah Banda graciously accepted defeat this year and made a voluntary exit from power.
November 02, 2011
The death of Moammar Gaddafi, one of Africa’s longest serving rulers, has put a spotlight on other African rulers who have been in power for decades. The way in which Mr. Gaddafi was brought down may have other dictators in sub-Saharan Africa wondering if they also might be the target of revolutionaries.
Three of the 10 longest serving rulers in Africa have fallen this year - Ben Ali of Tunisia, who ruled for 23 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, in power for 30 years, and Libya’s Col. Moammar Gaddafi who was in power 42-years
Now, Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea and Jose Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola take the number one spot as the longest serving Presidents with 32 years of ruling their countries respectively. There are other long serving leaders in Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Uganda, Swaziland and Burkina Fasso.
Guinea's President has been in power for 32 years, after he seized power in a military coup in August of 1979.
In November 2009, he was re-elected for a seven-year term, winning over 95% of the vote.
In power for 32 years, Angola's President Dos Santos assumed the presidency of the mineral-rich country also in 1979, four years into a civil war with UNITA rebels that ended only in 2002. His ruling party won a landslide 2008 victory, leaving rivals in tatters; dos Santos changed the constitution and boosted his powers.
Following independence, Robert Mugabe became Zimbabwe’s prime minister in April of 1980. He became president in 1987, an office he still holds today. In February 2009, Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change were forced into a coalition government.
Cameroon's President Biya has been in power for 29 years. He was re-elected by almost 80% of the vote in October 2011 for another seven-year term. A 2008 constitutional amendment removed term limits in Cameroon.
The Congo's president has ruled the West African nation for 26 years.
In power all but five of the last 32 years, Sassou Nguesso seized power in a 1979 coup but then lost the country’s first multi-party elections in 1992 to scientist Pascal Lissouba. Nguesso regained the presidency in 1997 after a civil war and was re-elected in 2004 for another seven-year term.
Uganda's General Museveni has been in power now for 26 years.
He seized Kampala after a five-year guerrilla war in 1986, and Museveni banned multi-party politics until 1996. Museveni was re-elected 2011 with 68 percent of the vote, and his main rival Kizza Besigye received 26 percent.
Analysts watching sub-Saharan Africa say although recent rebellions have so far been limited to North Africa, increasingly there are protests against regimes in other parts of the continent, triggered by economic conditions - high food and fuel prices, poor job opportunities or service delivery. And they say that African leaders could be taking notice of this trend, as in Zambia, where ex-president Rupiah Banda graciously accepted defeat this year and made a voluntary exit from power.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
A UGANDAN COUPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR RURAL COMMUNITY
By Paul Ndiho
October 25, 2011
Uganda guarantees all children of elementary school age a place in a government-funded school. But the system suffers from inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and the luck of qualified teachers. I sat down with John Wanda a native of Uganda and Co- founder Arlington Academy of Hope outside Washington DC about helping out Children in rural Eastern Uganda reach their full potential.
Joyce Wanda co- founder of Arlington Academy of Hope says that when Arlington Academy of Hope opened in 2004, there was no reliable medical care clinic in the rural Bududa area. Joyce and her Husband John built two-community health centers in the village that provides free medical care, and immunizations. She says that their main goal is to improve the quality of life and transform poor villages into self-sustaining communities.
October 25, 2011
Uganda guarantees all children of elementary school age a place in a government-funded school. But the system suffers from inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and the luck of qualified teachers. I sat down with John Wanda a native of Uganda and Co- founder Arlington Academy of Hope outside Washington DC about helping out Children in rural Eastern Uganda reach their full potential.
Joyce Wanda co- founder of Arlington Academy of Hope says that when Arlington Academy of Hope opened in 2004, there was no reliable medical care clinic in the rural Bududa area. Joyce and her Husband John built two-community health centers in the village that provides free medical care, and immunizations. She says that their main goal is to improve the quality of life and transform poor villages into self-sustaining communities.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Who is Muammar Gaddafi?
By Paul Ndiho
October 20, 2011
Libya’s long time leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed today by NTC fighters he once scorned as "rats", cornered, beaten and then shot in the head after his chaotic capture by fighters who overran his last redoubt on Thursday in his hometown of Sirte.
Two months after Western-backed rebels ended 42 years of eccentric, often bloody, one-man rule by capturing the capital Tripoli, his death and the fall of the final bastion ended a nervous hiatus for the new interim government, which is now set to declare formal "liberation" with a timetable for elections.
But confusion over Gaddafi's death was a reminder of the challenge for Libyans to now summon order out of the armed chaos that is the legacy of eight months of grinding conflict.
The killing or capture of senior aides, including possibly two sons, as an armored convoy braved NATO air strikes in a desperate bid to break out of Sirte, may ease fears of diehards regrouping elsewhere - though cell phone video, apparently of Gaddafi alive and being beaten, may inflame his sympathizers.
Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, reading what he said was a post-mortem report, said Gaddafi was unhealed unresisting from a "sewage pipe". He was then shot in the arm - it was not clear by whom - and then put in a truck, which was "caught in crossfire" as it ferried the 69-year-old to hospital.
"He was hit by a bullet in the head," Jibril said, adding it was unclear which side had fired the fatal shot.
The body, bloodied, half naked, Gaddafi's trademark long curls hanging limp around a rarely seen bald spot, was delivered, a prize of war, to Misrata, the city west of Sirte whose siege and months of suffering at the hands of Gaddafi's artillery and sniper made it a symbol of the rebel cause. Here is a look back at the life of Libya’s strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
In February, peaceful protests against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi were met with violence by the regime. Six months later, Gaddaffi, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders is a fugitive-- looking increasingly like other ousted autocratic leaders of the Arab Spring. Here is a look back at Gaddafi’s 42 years in power.
Muammar Gaddafi was born in 1942 in the coastal area of Sirte to nomadic parents. He went to school at Sebha, then to Benghazi University to study geography, but he dropped out to join the army.
Gaddafi debuted on the world stage in September 1969 when he led junior army officers in toppling King Idris in a bloodless military coup. The aging king had ruled the former Italian colony since gaining its independence 1951.
Gaddafi oversaw the rapid development of his poverty-stricken country, formulating his "Third Universal Theory," a middle road between communism and capitalism.
One of his first tasks was to build up the armed forces, but he also spent billions of dollars of oil income on improving living standards, making him popular with the poor.
Inspired by Arab nationalist sentiments, Gaddafi abandoned ties with Western powers and pursued the aim of uniting Arab countries. He instigated the Arab Federation with Syria and Egypt in April 1971, which soon crumbled in argument and recrimination.
Gaddafi's relations with the West, in particular the United States, became increasingly strained during the early 1980's. He denied involvement in bankrolling hijackings, assassinations and revolutions while insisting on his right to support national liberation movements.
Accusations that Gaddafi sent agents to blow up a Berlin club frequented by United States marines in 1986 led to U.S. airstrikes on Tripoli and Benghazi just days later. Gaddafi's home in the Aziziya barracks was attacked and his adopted daughter killed.
Gaddafi designed a political system of local congresses, where people were allowed to air their views and appoint representatives to the General People's Congress. In theory, the People's Congresses hold legislative and executive power but critics dismiss them as dedicated to maintaining power and wealth in the hands of Gaddafi and his family.
Gaddafi has poured money into giant projects such as the Great Man-Made River, a vast network of underground pipes that pump water from desert wells to coastal communities. The project, which Gaddafi has described as the eighth wonder of the world, is estimated to have cost 20 billion dollars.
United Nations Security Council sanctions, imposed in 1992 and strengthened in 1993, crippled Libya's economy, but did not appear to dampen Gaddafi's revolutionary spirit and his anti-capitalist, anti-Western rhetoric.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela played a key role in persuading Gaddafi to surrender two Libyan nationals suspected of involvement in the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people.
Libya subsequently agreed to accept civil responsibility for both the Lockerbie bombing and the bombing of a French UTA airliner over Niger in 1989-- and to pay compensation to relatives of the victims.
Gaddafi caught the world by surprise in December 2003 when Tripoli announced it would abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and agreed to short-notice checks of its nuclear sites by U.N. nuclear inspectors.
The announcement drew swift praise from London and Washington and virtually ending Libya's international isolation. British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Gaddafi in Tripoli in March 2004 and over the next two years the United States ended a broad trade embargo, removed Libya from a list of state sponsors of terrorism and resumed full diplomatic relations.
In 2006, Gaddafi made international headlines, the United States re-establish full diplomatic ties with Libya because Gaddafi had abandoned his nuclear weapons programs and helped in the campaign against terrorism.
In April 2009, Gaddafi's fourth eldest son Mutassim made an official visit to the U.S. State Department as Libya's National Security Adviser and was met by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In 2009, African heads of state as the new Chairman of the African Union, replacing Tanzanian President, elected Gaddafi Jakaya Kikwete.
In June 2009, Gaddafi made his first trip to Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler. Wearing a picture of hanged resistance hero Omar Al-Mukhtar pinned to his military uniform, Gaddafi was welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and given a red carpet reception. He returned to Italy the following month to attend a G8 Summit in his role as African Union chairman- there he also met U.S. President Barack Obama.
The return to Libya of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was released from jail in Scotland for health reasons in August 2009, was welcomed with celebrations. Gaddafi's second eldest son, Saif al-Islam, accompanied al-Megrahi back to Libya and state television showed coverage of the Libyan leader greeting the former intelligence agent later that evening.
In September 2009, Gaddafi marked the 40th anniversary of his leadership with six days of festivities designed to show that the long-isolated oil exporter was again open for international business after years of heavy sanctions. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was guest of honor at a military parade held to kick off the celebrations.
Later that month, in his first visit to the U.S. since taking power, Gaddafi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In his speech, Gaddafi accused major powers on the U.N.'s Security Council of betraying the principles of the U.N. charter and condemned the veto power held by the five permanent members of the Council.
The advent of the "Arab Spring" which saw autocratic rulers toppled in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt in early 2011 encouraged a popular revolt against Gaddafi's four decades in power.
Gaddafi's violent crackdown on dissent sparked a civil war, prompting the Arab League to call for a United Nations no-fly zone over Libya. On March 17th the U.N. Security Council voted to authorize a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians against Gaddafi's forces. Two days later a five-country coalition made up of the United States, France, Britain, Canada and Italy, launched air strikes on Libya in a joint operation called "Odyssey Dawn".
On June 27, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, for atrocities committed during a violent uprising that began mid-February.
In spite of the rebellion, NATO air strikes and the defection of some of his closest aides, Muammar Gaddafi has remained defiant and there was no shortage of fighters willing to claim they saw Gaddafi, who long vowed to die in battle, cringing below ground, like Saddam eight years ago, and pleading for his life.
One description, pieced together from various sources, suggests Gaddafi tried to break out of his final redoubt at dawn in a convoy of vehicles after weeks of dogged resistance. However, he was stopped by a French air strike and captured, possibly some hours later, after gun battles with NTC fighters who found him hiding in drainage ditch. NATO said its warplanes fired on a convoy near Sirte about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), striking two military vehicles in the group, but could not confirm that Gaddafi had been a passenger.
October 20, 2011
Libya’s long time leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed today by NTC fighters he once scorned as "rats", cornered, beaten and then shot in the head after his chaotic capture by fighters who overran his last redoubt on Thursday in his hometown of Sirte.
Two months after Western-backed rebels ended 42 years of eccentric, often bloody, one-man rule by capturing the capital Tripoli, his death and the fall of the final bastion ended a nervous hiatus for the new interim government, which is now set to declare formal "liberation" with a timetable for elections.
But confusion over Gaddafi's death was a reminder of the challenge for Libyans to now summon order out of the armed chaos that is the legacy of eight months of grinding conflict.
The killing or capture of senior aides, including possibly two sons, as an armored convoy braved NATO air strikes in a desperate bid to break out of Sirte, may ease fears of diehards regrouping elsewhere - though cell phone video, apparently of Gaddafi alive and being beaten, may inflame his sympathizers.
Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril, reading what he said was a post-mortem report, said Gaddafi was unhealed unresisting from a "sewage pipe". He was then shot in the arm - it was not clear by whom - and then put in a truck, which was "caught in crossfire" as it ferried the 69-year-old to hospital.
"He was hit by a bullet in the head," Jibril said, adding it was unclear which side had fired the fatal shot.
The body, bloodied, half naked, Gaddafi's trademark long curls hanging limp around a rarely seen bald spot, was delivered, a prize of war, to Misrata, the city west of Sirte whose siege and months of suffering at the hands of Gaddafi's artillery and sniper made it a symbol of the rebel cause. Here is a look back at the life of Libya’s strongman Muammar Gaddafi.
In February, peaceful protests against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi were met with violence by the regime. Six months later, Gaddaffi, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders is a fugitive-- looking increasingly like other ousted autocratic leaders of the Arab Spring. Here is a look back at Gaddafi’s 42 years in power.
Muammar Gaddafi was born in 1942 in the coastal area of Sirte to nomadic parents. He went to school at Sebha, then to Benghazi University to study geography, but he dropped out to join the army.
Gaddafi debuted on the world stage in September 1969 when he led junior army officers in toppling King Idris in a bloodless military coup. The aging king had ruled the former Italian colony since gaining its independence 1951.
Gaddafi oversaw the rapid development of his poverty-stricken country, formulating his "Third Universal Theory," a middle road between communism and capitalism.
One of his first tasks was to build up the armed forces, but he also spent billions of dollars of oil income on improving living standards, making him popular with the poor.
Inspired by Arab nationalist sentiments, Gaddafi abandoned ties with Western powers and pursued the aim of uniting Arab countries. He instigated the Arab Federation with Syria and Egypt in April 1971, which soon crumbled in argument and recrimination.
Gaddafi's relations with the West, in particular the United States, became increasingly strained during the early 1980's. He denied involvement in bankrolling hijackings, assassinations and revolutions while insisting on his right to support national liberation movements.
Accusations that Gaddafi sent agents to blow up a Berlin club frequented by United States marines in 1986 led to U.S. airstrikes on Tripoli and Benghazi just days later. Gaddafi's home in the Aziziya barracks was attacked and his adopted daughter killed.
Gaddafi designed a political system of local congresses, where people were allowed to air their views and appoint representatives to the General People's Congress. In theory, the People's Congresses hold legislative and executive power but critics dismiss them as dedicated to maintaining power and wealth in the hands of Gaddafi and his family.
Gaddafi has poured money into giant projects such as the Great Man-Made River, a vast network of underground pipes that pump water from desert wells to coastal communities. The project, which Gaddafi has described as the eighth wonder of the world, is estimated to have cost 20 billion dollars.
United Nations Security Council sanctions, imposed in 1992 and strengthened in 1993, crippled Libya's economy, but did not appear to dampen Gaddafi's revolutionary spirit and his anti-capitalist, anti-Western rhetoric.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela played a key role in persuading Gaddafi to surrender two Libyan nationals suspected of involvement in the December 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people.
Libya subsequently agreed to accept civil responsibility for both the Lockerbie bombing and the bombing of a French UTA airliner over Niger in 1989-- and to pay compensation to relatives of the victims.
Gaddafi caught the world by surprise in December 2003 when Tripoli announced it would abandon its weapons of mass destruction programs and agreed to short-notice checks of its nuclear sites by U.N. nuclear inspectors.
The announcement drew swift praise from London and Washington and virtually ending Libya's international isolation. British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Gaddafi in Tripoli in March 2004 and over the next two years the United States ended a broad trade embargo, removed Libya from a list of state sponsors of terrorism and resumed full diplomatic relations.
In 2006, Gaddafi made international headlines, the United States re-establish full diplomatic ties with Libya because Gaddafi had abandoned his nuclear weapons programs and helped in the campaign against terrorism.
In April 2009, Gaddafi's fourth eldest son Mutassim made an official visit to the U.S. State Department as Libya's National Security Adviser and was met by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In 2009, African heads of state as the new Chairman of the African Union, replacing Tanzanian President, elected Gaddafi Jakaya Kikwete.
In June 2009, Gaddafi made his first trip to Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler. Wearing a picture of hanged resistance hero Omar Al-Mukhtar pinned to his military uniform, Gaddafi was welcomed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and given a red carpet reception. He returned to Italy the following month to attend a G8 Summit in his role as African Union chairman- there he also met U.S. President Barack Obama.
The return to Libya of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, who was released from jail in Scotland for health reasons in August 2009, was welcomed with celebrations. Gaddafi's second eldest son, Saif al-Islam, accompanied al-Megrahi back to Libya and state television showed coverage of the Libyan leader greeting the former intelligence agent later that evening.
In September 2009, Gaddafi marked the 40th anniversary of his leadership with six days of festivities designed to show that the long-isolated oil exporter was again open for international business after years of heavy sanctions. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was guest of honor at a military parade held to kick off the celebrations.
Later that month, in his first visit to the U.S. since taking power, Gaddafi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In his speech, Gaddafi accused major powers on the U.N.'s Security Council of betraying the principles of the U.N. charter and condemned the veto power held by the five permanent members of the Council.
The advent of the "Arab Spring" which saw autocratic rulers toppled in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt in early 2011 encouraged a popular revolt against Gaddafi's four decades in power.
Gaddafi's violent crackdown on dissent sparked a civil war, prompting the Arab League to call for a United Nations no-fly zone over Libya. On March 17th the U.N. Security Council voted to authorize a no-fly zone and "all necessary measures" to protect civilians against Gaddafi's forces. Two days later a five-country coalition made up of the United States, France, Britain, Canada and Italy, launched air strikes on Libya in a joint operation called "Odyssey Dawn".
On June 27, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam, and the head of Libyan intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, for atrocities committed during a violent uprising that began mid-February.
In spite of the rebellion, NATO air strikes and the defection of some of his closest aides, Muammar Gaddafi has remained defiant and there was no shortage of fighters willing to claim they saw Gaddafi, who long vowed to die in battle, cringing below ground, like Saddam eight years ago, and pleading for his life.
One description, pieced together from various sources, suggests Gaddafi tried to break out of his final redoubt at dawn in a convoy of vehicles after weeks of dogged resistance. However, he was stopped by a French air strike and captured, possibly some hours later, after gun battles with NTC fighters who found him hiding in drainage ditch. NATO said its warplanes fired on a convoy near Sirte about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT), striking two military vehicles in the group, but could not confirm that Gaddafi had been a passenger.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
IMPROVING LIVESTOCK FARMING IN AFRICA
By Paul Ndiho
October 18, 2011
In Africa, more than 70% of the population earns their livelihood through farming. Most of these are small scale farmers who may need help and solutions from the feed industry. U.S.-based Novus International is a global developer of animal health and nutrition programs, and is working in some African countries.
One of Novus International’s goals in Africa is to provide farmers with accessible feeding solutions for livestock such as poultry, cattle, and pigs. Thad Simons, President and CEO, says it’s critical that Novus empowers African farmers to build their feeding and animal care capacity.
“Certainly having a reference lab in Kenya will be very important for the whole development of the live stock industry. So we've actually worked with small scale farmers, changed some packaging sizes to address the needs of the small scale farmers; we're also working, starting to work, with an organization in Kenya that's going to set up small veterinary clinics across the country so we can start making sure that our products and technologies can reach the small scale farmers.”
Africa’s demand for food is expected to increase exponentially this century, and the continent may soon need twice the amount of food it produces today. Novus CEO Simons says the company attempts to gear its products towards the needs of the farmer.
“We have local companies that are representing us in the market but we want to have a technical person there, either a veterinarian or animal nutritionist that really can understand what the local farmers' needs are, what are the local conditions, what are they actually experiencing in terms of access to raw materials, to grains, to what needs to go into the animals feeds and how we can help them to use our solutions and our technologies in the best ways that suits them.”
Bayella Thiam, Africa director at Novus, says high-quality research can help turn subsistence farming into income-generating enterprises.
"I think one of the key points is that we cannot deal with agribusiness or livestock without thinking about the small scale farmers. So our solution today is built for commercial guys around the world. In Africa, the large part is small scale farmers. That means we need to think about the packaging the message in small size.”
Thiam also says that there is a need to write the brochures in their local language so that farmers can understand what they need to know.
Analysts say improving small scale agriculture is fundamental to the economic growth of emerging markets, and access to affordable livestock inputs and technologies is essential.
October 18, 2011
In Africa, more than 70% of the population earns their livelihood through farming. Most of these are small scale farmers who may need help and solutions from the feed industry. U.S.-based Novus International is a global developer of animal health and nutrition programs, and is working in some African countries.
One of Novus International’s goals in Africa is to provide farmers with accessible feeding solutions for livestock such as poultry, cattle, and pigs. Thad Simons, President and CEO, says it’s critical that Novus empowers African farmers to build their feeding and animal care capacity.
“Certainly having a reference lab in Kenya will be very important for the whole development of the live stock industry. So we've actually worked with small scale farmers, changed some packaging sizes to address the needs of the small scale farmers; we're also working, starting to work, with an organization in Kenya that's going to set up small veterinary clinics across the country so we can start making sure that our products and technologies can reach the small scale farmers.”
Africa’s demand for food is expected to increase exponentially this century, and the continent may soon need twice the amount of food it produces today. Novus CEO Simons says the company attempts to gear its products towards the needs of the farmer.
“We have local companies that are representing us in the market but we want to have a technical person there, either a veterinarian or animal nutritionist that really can understand what the local farmers' needs are, what are the local conditions, what are they actually experiencing in terms of access to raw materials, to grains, to what needs to go into the animals feeds and how we can help them to use our solutions and our technologies in the best ways that suits them.”
Bayella Thiam, Africa director at Novus, says high-quality research can help turn subsistence farming into income-generating enterprises.
"I think one of the key points is that we cannot deal with agribusiness or livestock without thinking about the small scale farmers. So our solution today is built for commercial guys around the world. In Africa, the large part is small scale farmers. That means we need to think about the packaging the message in small size.”
Thiam also says that there is a need to write the brochures in their local language so that farmers can understand what they need to know.
Analysts say improving small scale agriculture is fundamental to the economic growth of emerging markets, and access to affordable livestock inputs and technologies is essential.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Uganda’s coffee earnings have risen by 63% in the last year
By Paul Ndiho
October 6, 2011
Uganda’s coffee earnings have risen 63 percent in the last year, with harvests boosted by good weather. The East African nation, which cultivates primarily Robusta coffee, is one of Africa's leading exporters of coffee and its earnings are a key revenue source.
Uganda’s Coffee Development Authority, UCDA, reports the country earned over 400 million dollars between October 2010 and August of this year, nearly doubling earnings from the same period of 2009.
The government-run agency says the surge in earnings is due to good weather and the rise in coffee prices on global market.
Over 300 thousand bags of coffee were shipped from Uganda in August, bringing total bean exports this season to close to 3 million bags.
David Barry is with Kyagalanyi coffee exporters.
"I think the weather conditions have been generally favorable but quite interestingly they have prompted a fly crop (secondary crop) in certain growing areas we had not factored in our numbers, the prices have indeed been very good on the world market, coffee prices for both Arabica and Robusta have increased tremendously, so the income for the Ugandan farmer has in real terms doubled over the last twelve to eighteen months".
Southern Uganda accounts for nearly half of the country's total coffee production.
Next year, Uganda will distribute coffee to farmers who may want to experiment with new varieties that can withstand drought.
Angelo Mukasa, is with the Kyagalanyi coffee research centre in central Uganda. He says the centre provides assistance to Uganda's coffee farmers, who are now harvesting this year's crop:
" We have at least three thousand registered farmers. We extend to them good agricultural practices and of course the good husbandry for coffee and also for post harvest handling the quality is good enough, so that ensures that we get a better market for our produce,"
Charles Mubiru is a coffee farmer in the Kayunga district. He says small Ugandan coffee farmers are still struggling:
"Coffee farming has improved greatly and the returns are good. Except that I think there is capacity to produce more, the problem is the taxes on farm inputs. We have pests that destroy our coffee crops, but there are no pesticides to treat our crops. We plead with the government to reduce taxes on farm inputs, so many people would love to grow coffee."
Two years ago, Uganda launched the first coffee packaging factory in Africa which processes the beans for export. Uganda’s long time leader General Museveni notes that the processing plant brings more money to farmers.
The same kilograms from which you are getting one dollar as beans, once it is processed this way -- roasting and grinding -- then the price of the same coffee goes up from one dollar to fifteen dollars. That is why I have been telling my European friends that we are the donors; we are the ones donating to you,"
However, some Ugandan farmers worry that they will remain at the mercy of the middle-men.
"We are hoping that they would be decent enough to share the additional profits with us, because if they come here they will see the high quality of coffee we have, if we get the benefits of the improved price, it will motivate us to improve the quality of our coffee so that they (roasters) fetch better profits in the market,"
Analysts say Uganda is among the top largest coffee producers in the world and could become be the largest producer in East Africa.
October 6, 2011
Uganda’s coffee earnings have risen 63 percent in the last year, with harvests boosted by good weather. The East African nation, which cultivates primarily Robusta coffee, is one of Africa's leading exporters of coffee and its earnings are a key revenue source.
Uganda’s Coffee Development Authority, UCDA, reports the country earned over 400 million dollars between October 2010 and August of this year, nearly doubling earnings from the same period of 2009.
The government-run agency says the surge in earnings is due to good weather and the rise in coffee prices on global market.
Over 300 thousand bags of coffee were shipped from Uganda in August, bringing total bean exports this season to close to 3 million bags.
David Barry is with Kyagalanyi coffee exporters.
"I think the weather conditions have been generally favorable but quite interestingly they have prompted a fly crop (secondary crop) in certain growing areas we had not factored in our numbers, the prices have indeed been very good on the world market, coffee prices for both Arabica and Robusta have increased tremendously, so the income for the Ugandan farmer has in real terms doubled over the last twelve to eighteen months".
Southern Uganda accounts for nearly half of the country's total coffee production.
Next year, Uganda will distribute coffee to farmers who may want to experiment with new varieties that can withstand drought.
Angelo Mukasa, is with the Kyagalanyi coffee research centre in central Uganda. He says the centre provides assistance to Uganda's coffee farmers, who are now harvesting this year's crop:
" We have at least three thousand registered farmers. We extend to them good agricultural practices and of course the good husbandry for coffee and also for post harvest handling the quality is good enough, so that ensures that we get a better market for our produce,"
Charles Mubiru is a coffee farmer in the Kayunga district. He says small Ugandan coffee farmers are still struggling:
"Coffee farming has improved greatly and the returns are good. Except that I think there is capacity to produce more, the problem is the taxes on farm inputs. We have pests that destroy our coffee crops, but there are no pesticides to treat our crops. We plead with the government to reduce taxes on farm inputs, so many people would love to grow coffee."
Two years ago, Uganda launched the first coffee packaging factory in Africa which processes the beans for export. Uganda’s long time leader General Museveni notes that the processing plant brings more money to farmers.
The same kilograms from which you are getting one dollar as beans, once it is processed this way -- roasting and grinding -- then the price of the same coffee goes up from one dollar to fifteen dollars. That is why I have been telling my European friends that we are the donors; we are the ones donating to you,"
However, some Ugandan farmers worry that they will remain at the mercy of the middle-men.
"We are hoping that they would be decent enough to share the additional profits with us, because if they come here they will see the high quality of coffee we have, if we get the benefits of the improved price, it will motivate us to improve the quality of our coffee so that they (roasters) fetch better profits in the market,"
Analysts say Uganda is among the top largest coffee producers in the world and could become be the largest producer in East Africa.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The IMF is projecting solid economic growth for Sub-Saharan African
By Paul Ndiho
September 28, 2011
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting solid economic growth for Sub-Saharan African countries. Their prospects are high, but a slowing global economy poses some risks. The IMF says the economic crisis in the developed world, could become a crisis for developing countries-- and despite the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, growth prospects for Sub-Saharan Africa remain robust.
Recent economic developments are however expected to reduce the momentum. The downside risks to the current forecast are significant according to the IMF's Director for Africa.
“Financial markets volatility and sharp slowdown in growth in advanced economies, it would affect Sub-Saharan Countries Of course by sub-doing the demand for the regions exports and private financial flows which have been significant in the region in the past couple years, therefore restricting in the regions integrated economies and the middle income countries in particular.”
Sayeh noted that in middle income countries like South Africa where unemployment is high and growth has been severely affected by the global economic crisis. Meanwhile, African Oil exporters are enjoying the fruits of their oil export because of the high prices. Despite this good news the IMF Africa director says there is a significant down side risk for the outlook on the global economy.
“Most low income countries have been doing well. One third of them are expected to grow by 6% this year but the poor households have been hit hard by the rising food and fuel prices and the famine that has devastated the Horn of Africa.”
Commonwealth Finance Ministers also met to discuss developing and emerging countries in the fields of international monetary funding and development finance. The group called on the international community to strengthen delivery and the use of aid in order to make it effective in creating jobs, improving livelihoods and combating poverty.
Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s Finance Minister noted that the manner in which aid is delivered may also impact domestic accountability of both partner and donor countries.
“It is generally accepted that we need to move away from Donor recipient relations to one where we encourage development partnerships and this is where even if these economies among the 54 nations of the commonwealth might be small and numerically on the margin, they are important potential sources of demand and growth as we go forward.”
Analysts say that prior to the crisis-- and following more than a decade of steady growth and debt relief African economies have strengthened. But, now if the economic situation in high income countries continues to deteriorate significantly beyond what is currently envisaged in the baseline scenario-- growth in Sub - Saharan countries might be downgraded beyond the current moderate slowdown.
September 28, 2011
The International Monetary Fund is forecasting solid economic growth for Sub-Saharan African countries. Their prospects are high, but a slowing global economy poses some risks. The IMF says the economic crisis in the developed world, could become a crisis for developing countries-- and despite the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, growth prospects for Sub-Saharan Africa remain robust.
Recent economic developments are however expected to reduce the momentum. The downside risks to the current forecast are significant according to the IMF's Director for Africa.
“Financial markets volatility and sharp slowdown in growth in advanced economies, it would affect Sub-Saharan Countries Of course by sub-doing the demand for the regions exports and private financial flows which have been significant in the region in the past couple years, therefore restricting in the regions integrated economies and the middle income countries in particular.”
Sayeh noted that in middle income countries like South Africa where unemployment is high and growth has been severely affected by the global economic crisis. Meanwhile, African Oil exporters are enjoying the fruits of their oil export because of the high prices. Despite this good news the IMF Africa director says there is a significant down side risk for the outlook on the global economy.
“Most low income countries have been doing well. One third of them are expected to grow by 6% this year but the poor households have been hit hard by the rising food and fuel prices and the famine that has devastated the Horn of Africa.”
Commonwealth Finance Ministers also met to discuss developing and emerging countries in the fields of international monetary funding and development finance. The group called on the international community to strengthen delivery and the use of aid in order to make it effective in creating jobs, improving livelihoods and combating poverty.
Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s Finance Minister noted that the manner in which aid is delivered may also impact domestic accountability of both partner and donor countries.
“It is generally accepted that we need to move away from Donor recipient relations to one where we encourage development partnerships and this is where even if these economies among the 54 nations of the commonwealth might be small and numerically on the margin, they are important potential sources of demand and growth as we go forward.”
Analysts say that prior to the crisis-- and following more than a decade of steady growth and debt relief African economies have strengthened. But, now if the economic situation in high income countries continues to deteriorate significantly beyond what is currently envisaged in the baseline scenario-- growth in Sub - Saharan countries might be downgraded beyond the current moderate slowdown.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
South Sudan’s President says his Country has to diversify its economy so that it is not overly dependent on oil.
By Paul Ndiho
September 27, 2011
The President South Sudan says his country needs to invest in massive infrastructure development, so the country is better interconnected. Salva Kiir, president of the world's newest nation explains:
“Our people have been patient for a very long time and what they are expecting from us the people leading them today is service delivery. They need many things, they need education, they need health facilities, they need safe drinking water, they need food security and physical security and there must be security at home. They know that we're taking measures to address all these things.
The South Sudanese President pointed out that while the country has abundant natural wealth, it must diversify its economy so that it is not too dependent on oil. He says that the ambition of the people of South Sudan “is to be able to transform their country into a regional agro- industrial powerhouse.”
"Oil is not a renewable source of revenue. It can be depleted at anytime in future but our main source of economy is agriculture. What we should do is to use the oil money that we have today to refuel the agriculture so that agriculture will become the backbone of South Sudan’s economy. We're planning on that and we are going to do it."
Security remains a key factor in ensuring the development of South Sudan. Mister Kiir emphasizes that his country is committed to peace both within its borders and with its neighbors. He says the issue of Abeyi will be resolved between the National Congress Party and the SPLM in South Sudan.
"I'm confident that we are going to resolve it. Abeyi is not part of the North and they cannot convince anybody. Even at the International court of arbitration, they were defeated there and they don't have any legal argument on Abeyi. If they have any legal argument on Abeyi it maybe because of oil resources that were found in Abeyi and this is their problem. If there was no oil in Abeyi these people would have not even fought in Abeyi and they would have withdrawn a very long time ago.”
Last week while addressing the U-N General Assembly President Kiir called for a speedy resolution of the border demarcation issues with Sudan-- and he also wants to begin serious negotiations between the two countries over economic issues, particularly arrangements over oil.
September 27, 2011
The President South Sudan says his country needs to invest in massive infrastructure development, so the country is better interconnected. Salva Kiir, president of the world's newest nation explains:
“Our people have been patient for a very long time and what they are expecting from us the people leading them today is service delivery. They need many things, they need education, they need health facilities, they need safe drinking water, they need food security and physical security and there must be security at home. They know that we're taking measures to address all these things.
The South Sudanese President pointed out that while the country has abundant natural wealth, it must diversify its economy so that it is not too dependent on oil. He says that the ambition of the people of South Sudan “is to be able to transform their country into a regional agro- industrial powerhouse.”
"Oil is not a renewable source of revenue. It can be depleted at anytime in future but our main source of economy is agriculture. What we should do is to use the oil money that we have today to refuel the agriculture so that agriculture will become the backbone of South Sudan’s economy. We're planning on that and we are going to do it."
Security remains a key factor in ensuring the development of South Sudan. Mister Kiir emphasizes that his country is committed to peace both within its borders and with its neighbors. He says the issue of Abeyi will be resolved between the National Congress Party and the SPLM in South Sudan.
"I'm confident that we are going to resolve it. Abeyi is not part of the North and they cannot convince anybody. Even at the International court of arbitration, they were defeated there and they don't have any legal argument on Abeyi. If they have any legal argument on Abeyi it maybe because of oil resources that were found in Abeyi and this is their problem. If there was no oil in Abeyi these people would have not even fought in Abeyi and they would have withdrawn a very long time ago.”
Last week while addressing the U-N General Assembly President Kiir called for a speedy resolution of the border demarcation issues with Sudan-- and he also wants to begin serious negotiations between the two countries over economic issues, particularly arrangements over oil.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Gabon's Infrastructure Development
By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C
September 21, 2012
As Gabon prepares itself to co-host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea, a coordinated effort is underway to improve the country's infrastructure. The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which Gabon is co-hosting with Equatorial Guinea, requires new infrastructure. In Libreville, a new multi-million dollar Hospital and Cancer Research center is nearing completion. It is financed by an Australian based company, VAMED.
“This project is a new general hospital and a Cancer Institute that we have here together 15,000 square meters of which 1,400 square meters is for the Cancer Institute and the rest is for the hospital. The Cancer Institute will be operational and running in 2012 and hospital including all departments, cardiology, and operational theatre and so on will be running end of November 2011.The project will be finished in 5 weeks and we have planned to hand over the keys of the project at end of November 2011.”
Meanwhile, across from this new hospital, a football arena, the Sino-Friendship Stadium, is being built for Gabon by the Chinese government.
“Chinese construction workers are putting final touches to this stadium that is going to be the place to be - come the next Africa Cup of Nations.”
Officials say this and other stadiums will be ready ahead of schedule. Overseeing this development is the new National Agency for Major Projects, with help from the US-based engineering company, Bechtel. Henri Ohayon is in charge of the construction projects.
"This project is approximately 140-150 million dollars. The stadium has around 40,000 seats, as explained today, it’s being designed to support and allow some of the best evacuation. If you see the construction you could see that each of the coolants aside one has 48 meters and the other one has 62 meters it’s like a bird whose coming to land and turning ...that's what we call coming from Asia to Africa.”
Despite having natural resources such as oil, timber and manganese, Gabon's infrastructure is underdeveloped. The country's transport links are in dire need for improvement. Paved roads, and inter-city connecting roads are scarce But earlier this year, a new luxury ferry - MS Bekelya - began service between Libreville and the second largest city of Port Gentile. The ferry is a joint investment between a Gabonese ferry Company, a U-S based company, and Norway. Captain Michael says this ship is the only one of its kind in the region.
“The name of this ship is MS Bekelya, it’s a high speed craft, we have two MT engines with 2700 horse power, the ship is made in Norway, and average speed is 32 knots and we take this craft from Port Gentile to Libreville, which is approximately 2.5 hours. We need 30 minutes to at least boat and un-boat the ship. On this ship we have 266 seats, 66 are VIP and business and 200 are economic class. The ship is 22 years old but very well maintained.”
Cutting 90 minutes off the previous journey time by an older ferry, the route is proving popular with both commuters and people in the city wanting a weekend getaway. Meanwhile, ferry service between Libreville and Port Mole is running six days a week and is expected to increase. Captain Michael says the MS Bekelya is one of the safest ferries in Gabon.
“When we are speaking about safety, this ship is okay. We have life rafts, we have complete safety equipment, fire equipment and we have everything that this kind of ship should have and even more.... Because like I told you, this ship came from Norway and Norway is top when we are speaking about safety because they have this big sailing tradition and this is very good."
Analysts say that this ferry service will be well established ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, when the demand for seats on flights, trains and boats is likely to rise sharply.
September 21, 2012
As Gabon prepares itself to co-host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Equatorial Guinea, a coordinated effort is underway to improve the country's infrastructure. The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which Gabon is co-hosting with Equatorial Guinea, requires new infrastructure. In Libreville, a new multi-million dollar Hospital and Cancer Research center is nearing completion. It is financed by an Australian based company, VAMED.
“This project is a new general hospital and a Cancer Institute that we have here together 15,000 square meters of which 1,400 square meters is for the Cancer Institute and the rest is for the hospital. The Cancer Institute will be operational and running in 2012 and hospital including all departments, cardiology, and operational theatre and so on will be running end of November 2011.The project will be finished in 5 weeks and we have planned to hand over the keys of the project at end of November 2011.”
Meanwhile, across from this new hospital, a football arena, the Sino-Friendship Stadium, is being built for Gabon by the Chinese government.
“Chinese construction workers are putting final touches to this stadium that is going to be the place to be - come the next Africa Cup of Nations.”
Officials say this and other stadiums will be ready ahead of schedule. Overseeing this development is the new National Agency for Major Projects, with help from the US-based engineering company, Bechtel. Henri Ohayon is in charge of the construction projects.
"This project is approximately 140-150 million dollars. The stadium has around 40,000 seats, as explained today, it’s being designed to support and allow some of the best evacuation. If you see the construction you could see that each of the coolants aside one has 48 meters and the other one has 62 meters it’s like a bird whose coming to land and turning ...that's what we call coming from Asia to Africa.”
Despite having natural resources such as oil, timber and manganese, Gabon's infrastructure is underdeveloped. The country's transport links are in dire need for improvement. Paved roads, and inter-city connecting roads are scarce But earlier this year, a new luxury ferry - MS Bekelya - began service between Libreville and the second largest city of Port Gentile. The ferry is a joint investment between a Gabonese ferry Company, a U-S based company, and Norway. Captain Michael says this ship is the only one of its kind in the region.
“The name of this ship is MS Bekelya, it’s a high speed craft, we have two MT engines with 2700 horse power, the ship is made in Norway, and average speed is 32 knots and we take this craft from Port Gentile to Libreville, which is approximately 2.5 hours. We need 30 minutes to at least boat and un-boat the ship. On this ship we have 266 seats, 66 are VIP and business and 200 are economic class. The ship is 22 years old but very well maintained.”
Cutting 90 minutes off the previous journey time by an older ferry, the route is proving popular with both commuters and people in the city wanting a weekend getaway. Meanwhile, ferry service between Libreville and Port Mole is running six days a week and is expected to increase. Captain Michael says the MS Bekelya is one of the safest ferries in Gabon.
“When we are speaking about safety, this ship is okay. We have life rafts, we have complete safety equipment, fire equipment and we have everything that this kind of ship should have and even more.... Because like I told you, this ship came from Norway and Norway is top when we are speaking about safety because they have this big sailing tradition and this is very good."
Analysts say that this ferry service will be well established ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, when the demand for seats on flights, trains and boats is likely to rise sharply.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Gabon Open for Business
By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C
September 20, 2011
The central African nation of Gabon recently launched a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Nkok, near the capital, Libreville. The zone is meant to attract foreign investment and create employment for its local population.
Gabon's government wants to diversify the country's economy amid declining oil production. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for more than 50% of Gabon's gross domestic product. Gabon’s special Economic Zone was initiated in July 2010 by President Ali Bongo Ondimba. He says that the time to diversify Gabon's economy is now.
“We have to follow the aspirations of our people and we feel that the time has come to move to another era and preparing for the post-oil era, so it’s important for me to diversify our economy.”
President Ondimba says that his government is putting more emphasis on investment and infrastructure development.
“We are a country of forestry, mining and also oil but we now want to go into processing because it’s important for us to have more revenue in order to satisfy the aspirations of our people. It’s also important for us to attract foreign direct investment because in our country the Government can no longer be the business man and do everything as was the case in the past.”
In 2010, the government signed a 200 million dollar strategic agreement with Singapore-based OLAM International, to jointly develop a special economic zone (SEZ) at Nkok for timber processing which will be completed in March 2012.
Mr. Gagan Gupta, OLAM’s Director General, oversees the S-E-Z and says it will be of great advantage to investors, and the local population.
“An economic zone is not about creating infrastructure, so you can spend 200 million dollars on building roads, water supplies and electric supplies that is what’s called hardware. But an economic zone is only successful if you are able to attract private companies to come and set up industries there. So what has been good about the economic zone is that in a very short span of time which is less than one year we have been able to attract an investment close to 1.2 billion dollars in this country.” Mr. Gupta aslo acknowledges that when the project started very few people believed in it.
“In Africa you get 20,000 projects like this announced every year. And you hardly see one project taking off on the ground, so when we signed last August 2010, six people believed this probably could happen. But as we started progressing, people came and saw the sight so how the progression was happening more and more people started turning favorite sites. Today Gabonese believes this project can happen. It’s a reality; it is no more a dream.”
Analysts say that a successful economic zone will create employment for Gabon.
"This economic zone is the first of its kind in this region. It’s going to solve the problem of unemployment in Gabon and there is going to a spin off a lot of other industries that will come off from this... This is a great job.”
Theophile Ogandaga, the government coordinator, notes that this economic zone will make Gabon more competitive:
“This project, is perusing two specific objectives, one is to contribute the diversification of our economy and to create employment for our young people.”
Critics say despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management continues to hobble the economy and that on paper, Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high-income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. A drive through the suburbs of the capital Libreville changes the narrative. People are on the streets trying to make living by selling everything from fresh foodstuffs, clothing and house hold items.
September 20, 2011
The central African nation of Gabon recently launched a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Nkok, near the capital, Libreville. The zone is meant to attract foreign investment and create employment for its local population.
Gabon's government wants to diversify the country's economy amid declining oil production. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for more than 50% of Gabon's gross domestic product. Gabon’s special Economic Zone was initiated in July 2010 by President Ali Bongo Ondimba. He says that the time to diversify Gabon's economy is now.
“We have to follow the aspirations of our people and we feel that the time has come to move to another era and preparing for the post-oil era, so it’s important for me to diversify our economy.”
President Ondimba says that his government is putting more emphasis on investment and infrastructure development.
“We are a country of forestry, mining and also oil but we now want to go into processing because it’s important for us to have more revenue in order to satisfy the aspirations of our people. It’s also important for us to attract foreign direct investment because in our country the Government can no longer be the business man and do everything as was the case in the past.”
In 2010, the government signed a 200 million dollar strategic agreement with Singapore-based OLAM International, to jointly develop a special economic zone (SEZ) at Nkok for timber processing which will be completed in March 2012.
Mr. Gagan Gupta, OLAM’s Director General, oversees the S-E-Z and says it will be of great advantage to investors, and the local population.
“An economic zone is not about creating infrastructure, so you can spend 200 million dollars on building roads, water supplies and electric supplies that is what’s called hardware. But an economic zone is only successful if you are able to attract private companies to come and set up industries there. So what has been good about the economic zone is that in a very short span of time which is less than one year we have been able to attract an investment close to 1.2 billion dollars in this country.” Mr. Gupta aslo acknowledges that when the project started very few people believed in it.
“In Africa you get 20,000 projects like this announced every year. And you hardly see one project taking off on the ground, so when we signed last August 2010, six people believed this probably could happen. But as we started progressing, people came and saw the sight so how the progression was happening more and more people started turning favorite sites. Today Gabonese believes this project can happen. It’s a reality; it is no more a dream.”
Analysts say that a successful economic zone will create employment for Gabon.
"This economic zone is the first of its kind in this region. It’s going to solve the problem of unemployment in Gabon and there is going to a spin off a lot of other industries that will come off from this... This is a great job.”
Theophile Ogandaga, the government coordinator, notes that this economic zone will make Gabon more competitive:
“This project, is perusing two specific objectives, one is to contribute the diversification of our economy and to create employment for our young people.”
Critics say despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management continues to hobble the economy and that on paper, Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high-income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. A drive through the suburbs of the capital Libreville changes the narrative. People are on the streets trying to make living by selling everything from fresh foodstuffs, clothing and house hold items.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)