{jcomments on}OMAR, BXL, AGNEWS, le 22 juillet 2010 — Some 4000 people have been driven from their homes in the area of Beni, in North Kivu, and they are now arriving in small groups in Mbau, said the Red Cross through ‘Radio Okapi’.

BURUNDI :

Burundi: Free Journalist Detained on Treason Charges
Posted by mincho2008 /Source: Human Right Watch (HRW)/pr-canada.net/Thursday, 22 July 2010 

The Burundian authorities should release Jean Claude Kavumbagu, a journalist arrested on treason charges on July 17, 2010, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, and Human Rights Watch said today. The arrest violates his right to free expression, the groups said. 

Kavumbagu, editor of the online news service Net Press, is believed to have been arrested for a July 12 article in which he criticized Burundi’s security forces and questioned their ability to defend the country against attack. The article was in response to the July 11 bombings in Kampala, Uganda and threats from the Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab to target Burundi because of the presence of Burundian troops in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). 

“Kavumbagu’s arrest is a big step backward for freedom of expression in Burundi,” said Rona Peligal, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “His continued detention and prosecution will have a chilling effect, sending a message that no criticism of the security forces is tolerated. The charges should be dropped immediately.” 

In the article, Kavumbagu wrote that, “the anxiety has been palpable in Bujumbura and all those who have heard about [the bombings] yesterday in Kampala were convinced that if the al-Shabaab militants wanted to try ‘something’ in our country, they would succeed with disconcerting ease, [given that] our defense and security forces shine in their capacity to pillage and kill their compatriots rather than defend our country. 

The authorities charged Kavumbagu with treason under article 570 of Burundi’s criminal code, which penalizes “any Burundian who, in times of war… knowingly participates in an attempt to demoralize the Army or the Nation, with the object of weakening national defense.” The penalty for treason is life in prison. 

The authorities have not provided Kavumbagu’s lawyer with any explanation as to how his article is aimed at weakening national security. Nor have they explicitly stated that Burundi is “at war” to justify the charge of treason as defined in the criminal code. Kavumbagu’s lawyer was not present during his interrogation. 

“Burundi’s vibrant press is tarnished every time authorities single out journalists solely on the basis that they have expressed opinions that are provocative or unpopular among government circles,” said Tom Rhodes, East Africa consultant at the Committee to Protect Journalists. “The government must reverse this trend.” 

At the time Kavumbagu was charged, the magistrate, without explanation, ordered his detention, pending trial. Under article 71 of the Burundian criminal procedure code, pre-trial detention of suspects is to be used only when necessary to preserve evidence; to protect public order; to protect the suspect; to prevent the crime from continuing; or to guarantee that the suspect appears before a court. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, and Human Rights Watch said that Kavumbagu’s criticisms of the security forces constitute speech that is protected by international law and should not result in criminal penalties. Under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Burundi is a party, restrictions on free expression for reasons of national security must be provided by law and be strictly necessary and proportional to the purpose being sought. 

The Johannesburg Principles on National Security, Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, drawn up by leading experts in freedom of expression in 1996 and endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council, provide that any law restricting free speech “must be accessible, unambiguous, drawn narrowly and with precision so as to enable individuals to foresee whether a particular action is unlawful.” In addition, “[n]o one may be punished for criticizing or insulting the nation, the state or its symbols, the government, its agencies, or public officials…unless the criticism or insult was intended and likely to incite imminent violence.” 

“Jean Claude Kavumbagu should be freed immediately,” said Hassan Shire Sheikh, executive director of the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project. “The current security situation both in Burundi and East Africa in general cannot be used as an excuse to violate fundamental principles of freedom of expression or lead to a step back in efforts to decriminalize press offenses throughout the world.” 

Background 

Kavumbagu was arrested at approximately noon on July 17 by police Col. David Nikiza, who came to his office with a mandat d’amener (order to appear before a prosecutor) issued by the Bujumbura prosecutor’s office. Kavumbagu was taken to a magistrate for questioning. 

The interrogation largely centered around an article by Kavumbagu in which he claimed that Burundi was vulnerable to al-Shabaab. On the day the article was published, al-Shabaab’s Sheikh Ali Mohamed Raghe told journalists that Burundi would be attacked unless it withdrew its forces from Somalia. 

After two hours of interrogation, Kavumbagu was charged with treason and immediately transferred to Mpimba prison in Bujumbura. 

Burundian and regional media organizations, including the Burundian Journalists’ Union and the East African Journalist Association, have condemned the arrest. 

Burundi is often recognized for its vibrant media, which includes over a dozen private radio stations, a private television station, and several newspapers, many of which express opinions critical of the government. However, journalists have been arbitrarily arrested, harassed, or threatened on numerous occasions. 

In April 2006, 30 journalists were briefly detained by police at a news conference at the residence of a former member of parliament. In June 2006, Aloys Kabura of the Burundian Press Agency was sentenced to five months in prison for defamation after he questioned, during a private conversation in a bar, police conduct during the April events. In November 2006, three more journalists – Serge Nibizi and Domitille Kiramvu of Radio Publique Africaine and Mathias Manirakiza of Radio Isanganiro – were all detained for alleged violations to the national security of the country. They were tried and acquitted in January 2007. 

Kavumbagu has been arrested on five previous occasions. On the most recent occasion in 2008, he was held in pre-trial detention for seven months on defamation charges after he published an article accusing President Pierre Nkurunziza of misuse of public funds during the 2008 Olympics in China. Kavumbagu was tried and acquitted in March 2009, although the prosecutor appealed the acquittal, and the case remains open. 

In recent months, several Burundian journalists have been beaten or threatened by police or by political party activists while covering the elections currently under way. In other cases, human rights activists, including members of the Burundian organizations Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH), Forum for the Strengthening of Civil Society (FORSC), and the Anti-corruption and Economic Malpractice Observatory (OLUCOME), have
been threatened or subjected to surveillance after criticizing the government. 

A Human Rights Watch researcher, Neela Ghoshal, was expelled from Burundi in May, after Human Rights Watch published a report documenting pre-election violence. The government argued that the report aimed to tarnish the image of the security forces.

RWANDA

Singapore signs open skies accords with Barbados, Brazil
By EDU H. LOPEZ/www.mb.com.ph/ July 22, 2010

Singapore has concluded open skies agreements (OSAs) with Barbados, Brazil, Jamaica and Rwanda, at the International Civil Aviation Organization Air Services Negotiation Conference 2010 (ICAN 2010), held recently in Jamaica.

ICAN 2010 offers a central meeting place for air services officials from various countries to meet and conduct bilateral air services negotiations.

The OSAs with Barbados and Jamaica are the first between Singapore and the Caribbean community. The Singapore-Brazil OSA comes on the back of the Singapore-Peru OSA, which was concluded in 2009 together with the establishment of Air Services Agreements with Colombia and Ecuador.

The OSA with Rwanda is Singapore’s second with an African country, after the Singapore-Zambia OSA that was concluded in 2008.

Without restrictions on capacity, frequency or routing, OSAs allow carriers the full flexibility to introduce services when market opportunities arise.

Carriers are also able to tap on traffic from and to third countries to improve the commercial viability of their operations.

Direct air links with Singapore will allow businesses in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbeans to access more markets by tapping on Singapore’s excellent connectivity to the Asia Pacific region.

This will reinforce the growing people and trade flows between these regions and the Asia Pacific. 

The establishment of liberal air services frameworks between Singapore and more countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbeans pave the way for such benefits.

There are currently no direct flight connections between Singapore and Latin America or the Caribbeans. In Africa, Singapore Airlines operates passenger services to Egypt and South Africa, while Singapore Airlines Cargo operates cargo services to Kenya and South Africa.

Apart from sealing OSAs with the four countries at ICAN 2010, Singapore and Fiji also concluded an open skies framework for cargo services and expanded traffic rights entitlements for passenger operations between and beyond both countries.

Yap Ong Heng, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore welcomed the recent developments, saying, “airlines operate in a challenging environment with dynamic markets. It is thus critical for countries to proactively put in place air services frameworks that enable airlines the commercial freedom to respond to market opportunities.”

Rwanda: Tigo’s Market Share Up 12 Percent
Berna Namata/The New Times/22 July 2010

Tigo Rwanda, a Subsidiary of the Luxembourg based Millicom International Cellular S.A says it has 12 percent of market share within seven months of their launch into the Rwandan market.

Tigo entered the Rwandan market last year after its parent company, Millicom, purchased the country’s third mobile network license for US$ 60 million.

“Rwanda showed a strong pick-up in momentum, with 259,000 customers added in the last three months. Overall, we expect customer intake to continue to be quite volatile, due to variable factors including the macro environment, seasonality, SIM card registration, competitor promotions and our own marketing activities,” the mobile operators said, Tuesday, in a press release.

The press release also indicates the group financial performance for the Millicom brand for the period ended June 30, this year.

While the company’s revenue in total went up by 14 percent to $929 million in three months, Tigo contributed $4 million (Rwf2.4 billion) of revenues between March-June in 2010.

The parent company says the Rwanda brand is “continuing to develop in line with our expectations”.

“We continue to invest heavily in Africa to capitalize on the growth potential and to address the likely increase in traffic as tariffs continue to decline.”

Commenting on the results, Mikael Grahne, the Millicom President and Chief Executive Officer observed that the Group has made continued good progress in the second quarter.

“Our customer market share continues to increase In Africa, we have maintained a good rate of growth and are outperforming our competitors,” he said.

In Africa, Millicom’s customers increased by 34 percent with 1.3 million net add in the quarter.

The best performing markets in terms of customer growth were Central Africa country of Chad which grew by 53 percent year-on-year, DRC 44 percent and Tanzania 43 percent – which also operate under the Tigo brand.

Rwanda’s Utility and Regulatory Agency (RURA) is seeking to issue a fourth license by the end of this year.

But according to the regulator’s policy, Tigo must first acquire about 300,000 subscribers then the bidding process for another operator will be issued out. Rwanda expects to hit 6 million mobile subscribers by 2015.

Climax of Violence Must Come to an End’, Demands Rwandan Opposition
Jul-22-2010/www.salem-news.com

Alysha Atma Salem-News.com African Affairs Correspondent 
The assassination of a Vice Presidential candidate and growing unrest, lead to less patience over unmet demands. 

(PORTLAND, Ore.) – Members of the Democratic Green Party (DGP) confirmed for Salem-News.com that on July 15th 2010, the National Police Spokesperson, Sup. Eric Kayiranga made known the arrest of Thomas Ntivuguruzwa.

He is the last known person to have contact with First Vice President Mr. Andre Kagwa Rwisereka. 

“The DGP welcomes the National Police’s efforts and hopes that this suspect will not divert the police investigations but lead us to the killers of our Vice President and their real motives”.

The First Vice President went into political exile in the early 1960’s, living in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Here, he obtained a degree in Education and became one of the senior members of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). 

He is strongly recognized for his efforts to liberate Rwanda. Later, as a prominent businessman in Butare town, he was among the founding members of the DGPR in Kigali. 

The First Vice President went missing July 13th, 2010, he was then found dead the following day with his head almost completely severed. He is survived by four children.

A spokesperson for the Permanent Consultative Council of opposition parties in Rwanda (PCC), expressed deep concern and shock by the death of the First Vice President, Mr. Andre Kagwa Rwisereka. 

“We strongly condemn this inhuman action. We call upon the Rwandan Government to quicken its investigations and bring these criminals to justice. We also call for an international independent inquiry over the assassination of a key opposition leader and the murder of the journalist Jean-Léonard Rugambe and all other allegations of tortures or death threats to opposition members”.

Every week the list of the assassinated and exiled continues to grow, blacklisting of media and the oppression of political members have steadily risen incessantly.

June 24th, 2010 Mr. Jean-Léonard Rugamage, Rwandan Editor of Umuvugizi Newspaper, shot dead in front of his home. Opposition members arrested, mistreated and tortured; Mr. Andre Kagwa Rwisereka.

June 21st, 2010, Gisenyi, Northern Rwanda of Denis Ntare Semadwinga, former Chief of Staff to General Laurent Nkunda; assassinated.

June 19th, 2010, Johannesburg, a Rwandan former Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Kayumba Nyawasa survived an assassination attempt.

June 13th, 2010, Sibomana Rusagwa Amiable Private Secretary for the Founder President of PS Imberakuri, was reported missing whereabouts are still unknown.

Umuseso and Umuvugizi, two local newspapers have been suspended while all the editing team of Umurabyo newspaper are now in police custody.

With only weeks before the presidential elections, the Rwandan opposition is facing overwhelming concerns.

The founding President of PS (Social Party) Imberakuri is currently in a Kigali maximum prison for politically motivated crimes. Most of his colleagues were also arrested and then released on bail, revealing to the told court and prosecution that they had been tortured while in detention.

The DGP has been prevented from registering several times, its most recent attempt on June 4th 2010 never received response from Gasabo District. The request to the Ministry of Local Government in charge of political parties was asked to intervene though a response has never been met. “DGP continues to request for participation and hopes still that the Government will respond positively to our earlier requests”.

The Fdu Inkingi is not yet registered, facing a very critical situation. It’s Chair, Ms Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza is still under extended house arrest; Mr. Sylvain Sibomana, the party Secretary General and Ms. Alice Muhirwa, the party Treasurer, have been released on bail. FDU Inkingi also has tried several times to register but continues to be denied participation.

In a statement issued earlier in the week, Mrs. Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, stated: 

“We call upon the Government of Rwanda to use all means possible to ensure that there is peace and tranquility in Rwanda, especially before and after the August Presidential elections. We also call upon the Rwandan Government to allow the opposition parties the ability to register and work freely, release Maitre Bernard Ntagnda of PS Imberakuri and waive all criminal charges leveled against opposition members”.

Joining the appeal of the opposition members, Former Prime Minster Faustin Twagiramungu is adamant in demanding answers and clarification from the Rwandan government. Mr. Twagiramungu reiterates already declared cries for the International Community to change its complacent attitude; he requests the European Union and to the United States of America to end their support of the Kigali regime.

In doing so to freeze the intended 5.3 million Euros granted to the Rwandan Electoral Commission and the withdrawl of the Presidential Advisory Council, PAC. Whose members include former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, the powerful American Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, Dr. Cletus Niyikiza of GlaxonSmithKline (Vice President of Worldwide Research & Development) of Rwandan origin, and Dr. Liliane Ubarijoro, Professor at the prestigious McGill University in Canada, also of Rwandan origin.

“The murder of the Vice President of the Green Party of Rwanda, Mr. André Kagwa Rwisereka, is yet another proof that General Kagame’s regime has definitely reached the point of no return in its political repression. I am personally appalled by this murder and wish to pay my last tribute to that martyr of democracy, extending my sincere and deepest sympathy to his family. All my condolences are also aimed to the Chairman of the party Mr. Frank Habineza, all members and party activists, and all youth partaking in opposition to General Paul Kagame’s dictatorship. You have my full support in this heroic struggle inside the country, which undoubtedly will lead to final victory.

“I unreservedly condemn this despicable and cowardly act that reminds us of the violence that prevailed in Rwanda in 1993 and 1994, violence that was a prelude to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and opponents of President Juvenal Habyarimana’s regime. At the same time I also condemn the arbitrary arrest of journalist Sayidat Mukakibibi of Umurabyo newspaper who joined in prison the Managing Editor of the newspaper, Ms Agnes Uwimana Nkunsi I reiterate my appeal to all my compatriots to refrain from the electoral farce scheduled for August 9, 2010. I urge them to stay in their homes as their only peaceful means to express their rejection of the dictatorial regime of Paul Kagame”. – 
Faustin Twagiramungu
Sources:
Faustin Twagiramungu, Former Prime Minister
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda – Frank Habineza

UGANDA

Bugolobi child murder suspect in U-turn
22 July, 2010/By Andante Okanya and Mark Owor /www.newvision.co.ug

THE key suspect in the murder of baby Kham Kakama of Bugolobi in Kampala yesterday asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for the father. 

He also disowned the statement he recorded at the time of his arrest confessing to the murder. 

Gordon Tumusiime told Grade II Magistrate Robert Imalingat he was “forced to record falsehoods” and requested court to allow him make new statements. 

Speaking in Luganda, Tumusiime told the stunned court that he had proof that the boy’s father knew the circumstances under which he died. 

The three suspects who were charged with the murder last month were appearing before the court again yesterday. 

The other two suspects are Brian Sajjabi and the maid, Mellon Nabaasa. 

The magistrate, however, declined to grant Tumusiime’s requests, saying he should wait until he has been committed to the High Court for trial. 

The 18-month Kakama was kidnapped on June 8 from home and his body was found in a sisal sack dumped in a Kamwokya swamp, also in Kampala, on June 13. 

His father Sven Karekaho works with the Uganda Revenue Authority, while his mother Naome Karekaho is the spokesperson of the National Environmental Management Authority. 

On June 28, Tumusiime and Sajjabi recorded extra-judicial statements before the Nakawa Court in which they confessed to killing the boy and extorting a sh30m ransom. 

The prosecutor, Prossy Ayebale, said they murdered Kakama between June 8 and 13 this year in Kisenyi II zone, Kamwokya, Kampala district. If convicted, they will be hanged. 

Ayebale said yesterday investigations were incomplete and asked for an adjournment. 

Accordingly, magistrate Imalingat adjourned the case to August 4, and further remanded the accused to Luzira Prison where they have been since July 1. 

The two men looked calm and 
healthy, but Nabaasa appeared miserable and sobbed uncontrollably. She had to be whisked back to the holding cells by prison warders. 

Barefoot, she wore the same clothes she had the last time she was in the court: a red T-shirt and a purple skirt.

Lesbian seeks U.S. help amid Ugandan crackdown
Andrew Aylward, Chronicle Washington Bureau/www.sfgate.com/Thursday, July 22, 2010

PDT Washington – — Ugandan lesbian activist Val Kalende says she lost her newspaper job for her outspoken opposition to a proposed Uganda law that would impose life imprisonment and even the death penalty on gay people. She blames her country’s virulent homophobia on misunderstanding and a scheming president.

“It’s ignorance and fear, that’s the best I can describe it,” Kalende said last week in Washington as she completed a speaking tour sponsored by the State Department that was intended to raise awareness of the challenges gays and lesbians face in Uganda. “People are always afraid of things they don’t understand, or new things.” 

Uganda’s proposed anti-homosexuality law has drawn international rebuke and threats by several Western countries to withdraw aid. The Obama administration has not taken that step. Kalende’s tour is an effort by the State Department to apply more subtle pressure by raising public awareness. 

The anti-gay legislation was introduced in 2009 by Uganda parliament member David Bahati. In June, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni gave a vitriolic, anti-gay speech at a prominent religious festival where he praised the work of churches in fighting the influence of homosexuality.

Kalende said she was fired from her job in Uganda after her work was criticized by Martin Ssempa, a prominent anti-gay Ugandan pastor and self-described AIDS activist who has testified to Congress and worked with U.S. foreign aid programs. 

Now she works for her nation’s only gay advocacy group, Freedom and Roam Uganda, and said Museveni is using the gay criminalization bill to crack down on political opponents. 

Kalende said U.S. evangelical Christians stoked the nation’s homophobia. In 2009, Scott Lively of Citrus Heights (Sacramento County) traveled to Kampala, Uganda’s capital, where he told residents that homosexuality was evil and threatened family values. Lively advised the Ugandan government as it drafted the bill. 

Kalende thinks the law is too extreme to pass in its current form but worries that an amended version could become law. She plans to return home after her tour, which Ugandan newspapers have covered closely. She said she fears she could be arrested.

“There is hope, when we look at the success we’ve managed to achieve in the last seven years,” she said. “The bill has been a blessing in disguise in the way it has created a debate and visibility for LGBT issues and brought some allies to our side.”

Uganda Faces Fuel Shortage Due To Import Delays -Officials
www.nasdaq.com/Jul 22, 2010

KAMPALA, Uganda -(Dow Jones)- Uganda is facing a fuel shortage due to delays in imports from the Kenyan port of Mombasa, trade officials said Thursday.

Congestion at the Mombasa port, and new regulations requiring fuel trucks to be fitted with electronic tracking devices, are causing the shortage, Kobil Uganda Ltd. Marketing Manager Peter Ochieng told Dow Jones Newswires.

A number of gasoline stations in the country have been without fuel for around a week, and pump prices have increased by around 8% to 10%, according to fuel traders.

Other trade officials, who spoke off the record, said that new security measures for truck drivers of Somali origin entering the country are worsening the situation.

The Ugandan intelligence agencies consider most Somalis a risk in the wake of fatal terror attacks in Kampala this month, and drivers are now subjected to rigorous checks before they are allowed to enter the country.

Security sources say that Somali drivers have been ferrying illegal immigrants into the country.

The Ugandan police have arrested dozens of Somalis in connection with the terror attacks. The bulk of Uganda’s fuel import trucks are driven by Somalis.

Landlocked Uganda relies on Kenya for the majority of its fuel imports, which total about 20,000 barrels a day.

Uganda is prone to fuel shortages, usually due to disruptions in supply from Kenya. The country relies on fuel-fired thermal plants to generate nearly 40% of its electricity. 

-By Nicholas Bariyo, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires

TANZANIA:

Bharti promises more than just telecom services to Tanzania
22 Jul 2010/AGENCIES/economictimes.indiatimes.com

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, which acquired the African telecom assets of Kuwait’s Zain recently, has committed itself to bringing affordable phone 
services to Tanzania and becoming a pro-active partner in the country’s growth. 

“We want to be a partner in Tanzania’s growth and will work with the government to take telecom networks deep into small towns and villages to touch the common man,” Bharti’s global chief executive Manoj Kohli said. 

“Bharti Airtel will achieve affordability for masses through passing on the benefits of infrastructure sharing and lower interconnect rates to its customers,” Kohli said in a statement from the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam. 

The country, little over a quarter of India’s size, is situated in east-central Africa along the Indian Ocean. It has a population of 39.5 million and is home to Africa’s highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, the famous Serengeti National Park and Lake Victoria. 

On his part, Tanzanian Minister for Communication Science and Technology Peter Msolla welcomed Bharti Airtel’s entry into the telecom industry in his country and hoped its investments will help drive the nation’s economy. 

“We welcome Bharti in Tanzania and trust their investments will bring positive changes and hope for rural population. We still have areas that have no mobile communications today and believe Bharti Airtel strategy will focus on them,” he said. 

The Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company said it will also bring global partners to Tanzania to add employment opportunities in the country, apart from becoming a good corporate citizen by setting up schools with free quality education for the underprivileged. 

The company also appointed a new managing director for Tanania in Sam Elangalloor, who has over 20 years of professional experience in key areas of telecom business, from sales to products development and operations. 

Elangalloor was also the chief executive of Telemedia, one of the Bharti’s strategic business units offering high speed broadband internet – and has driven its its data, retail fixed line broadband and voice operations units. 

The other countries in which Bharti has acquired the operations from Zain are Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. 

According to Bharti, Zain was the market leader in 10 of the 15 countries and second in four others. With the acquisition, the group is now the fifth largest mobile company in the world with over 180 million customers. 

Zanzibar to Hold July 31 Election on Unity Government, Daily News Reports
By Sarah McGregor /www.bloomberg.com/Jul 22, 2010 

Residents of Zanzibar, a semi- autonomous archipelago in a political union with mainland Tanzania, will vote on July 31 on a proposal to change the constitution and form a unity government, the Daily News said. 

The referendum to create a coalition government, which is seen as key for the islands’ political reconciliation, will cost 3.7 billion Tanzanian shillings ($2.5 million), the Dar es Salaam-based newspaper said today, citing the United Nation’s Election Support Program. 

Violent clashes in Zanzibar have followed successive presidential and legislative elections in Tanzania since 2000 because of disputes over the results. The next presidential vote is scheduled for October.

CONGO RDC :

DRC/North Kivu: Civilians Continue to Flee from Fighting
Source: Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA)/www.reliefweb.int/Date: 22 Jul 2010

Some 4000 people have been driven from their homes in the area of Beni, in North Kivu, and they are now arriving in small groups in Mbau, said the Red Cross through ‘Radio Okapi’. Most of the refugees are women, children and elderly peoples who need food, clothing, tents and other basic items. Some have found shelter in schools and churches, but many more are sleeping outside. Civic associations in Beni said that the number of refugees is increasing day by day asnd that there are now some 70,000. The new wave of violence has been caused by clashes between the regular armed forces and the so called self styled rebels of the ‘Allied democratic forces’ (ADF) and the ‘National army of liberation of Uganda (NALU), two Ugandan groups, which like so many others, pursue violent and aimless campaigns in fringe regions of the Congo and North Kivu in particular; they have even managed to recruit local militiamen. Human rights groups, as can be expected, have noted that the FARDC are guilty of much abuse and that they recruit former rebels from the other so-called rebel groups, or factions thereof, which appear to find such fertile ground in this area. [AB]

Mining Faces New Restrictions Under Finance Reform
Philip Burgert/www.resourceinvestor.com/ 7/22/2010 

CHICAGO — Activists campaigning for restrictions on “conflict minerals” and “dirty deals” for resource extraction with other governments are claiming victory following the signing Wednesday of the new U.S. financial reform law containing provisions calling for new regulations and “transparency” in extractive industries.

The law is being called a “major success” by Publish What You Pay, a coalition of 600 developmental, environmental, faith and human rights groups in more than 50 countries, and Enough! , a group based in Washington working against genocide and crimes against humanity, described it as an “incredible victory.”

The legislation requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to within nine months write regulations implementing public disclosure of payments to the U.S. or foreign governments for commercial development of oil, natural gas and minerals. The new resource extraction company rules will “support the U.S. commitment to international transparency promotion,” a Congressional summary of the law said.

Manufacturers using in their products “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries will also be required to report to the SEC on “measures taken to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of such materials” and products manufactured. Independent audits of the reports are also required.

The State Department is also required by the law to submit to Congress a strategy for addressing illicit materials trade in Africa and provide a map showing linkages with armed groups to conflict minerals including tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold.

“This bill offers a ray of hope to people in the DRC and around the world who suffer violence and human rights abuse at the hands of armed groups,” said Jennifer Krill, executive director of Washington-based Earthworks, a member of the Publish What You Pay campaign that promotes extractive industry transparency.

KENYA :

Kenyans’ Right to Affordable Drugs in Hands of Court
Suleiman Mbatiah/IPS/Jul 22

NAIROBI, Jul 22 (IPS) – Kenya’s Constitutional Court is due to set a date on Jul 22 for a hearing on the application against the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008, of which clauses pertaining to medicines have been suspended pending the court’s decision on whether the law violates the right to health and life.

Three people living with HIV and AIDS applied in July 2008 for the act to be suspended as it threatens the importation or manufacturing of affordable and life-saving generic antiretrovirals, thus denying Kenyans their constitutional right to health and life. 

In April 2010, Justice Roselyn Wendoh appreciated that the petitioners would suffer irreparable damage if their plight were not addressed. In her ruling, Justice Wendoh issued a conservatory order on the application of the law to medicines until a verdict is delivered in the case. 

Parties enjoined in the case are supposed to file written submissions for the main constitutional application before Jul 22. 

Jacinta Nyachae, executive director of the Aids Law Project, told IPS that the law contravenes sections of the Industrial Property Act of 2001, including section 58 (2) providing for parallel importation and section 80 on government use. 

Parallel importation is when a product that is not counterfeit is imported from another country without the patent holder’s consent. The AIDS Law Project is a non-governmental organisation defending access to adequate healthcare and treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. It is one of the parties to the case. 

Section 58 (2) waives patent rights pertaining to some products on the market in Kenya or in any other country or imported into Kenya. 

“This provision facilitates, among other things, access to affordable medicines by all,” Nyachae said. Section 80 on government use allows the government or its agents to exploit a patent in the public interest. 

With the Industrial Property Act of 2001, Kenya used the flexibilities afforded least developed countries in the Doha Declaration of 2001 with regards the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) agreement. 

Health rights activists argue that developed countries are trying to force TRIPs-plus agendas (intellectual property rights protection that goes beyond TRIPs) regarding medicines on developing countries in favour of IP rights holders, of which the majority are multinational companies from the North. 

Activists argue that the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 fails to acknowledge and to specifically exempt generic medicines from the definition of counterfeits. 

Moreover, TRIPs identifies intellectual property (IP) rights as “territorial rights”. IP on medicines would only be protected in the territory where it is registered. However, the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 upholds IP rights registered in countries outside Kenya. 

“This automatically makes generic drugs imported into or transiting through Kenya illegal if a patent exists anywhere in the world,” noted Christa Cepuch, programme director at Health Action International (HAI) Africa. HAI Africa is part of an independent global network that supports the right to health. 

For the Eastern Africa Treatment Access Movement (EATAM) the April court ruling on generics set a precedent in the public interest and, more specifically, regarding the rights of people living with HIV, said Rose Kaberia, EATAM’s regional coordinator. 

A favourable court ruling will keep the doors of treatment open for affordable drugs, Kaberia told IPS. EATAM works towards access to treatment for all. 

She also thinks that it would demonstrate that public health rights are respected by the judicial system in Kenya. “It would be a great success for the common person who cannot afford branded drugs.” 

However, a ruling in favour of the act would threaten and undermine the fundamental health rights of people living with HIV and the general public. 

“This would therefore mean that the common person in Kenya has no voice and it would be tantamount to denying Kenyans one of their basic rights, namely to access affordable treatment,” Kaberia told IPS. 

Cepuch is confident that the court will ultimately uphold the injunction barring the newly created anti-counterfeit agency from implementing the act regarding medicines. 

“We hope the court will provide clear direction on how to protect public health and ensure access to medicines for all Kenyans vis-à-vis the widely acknowledged risks that this act poses,” Cepuch told IPS. (END/2010) 

Kibaki at Kenya MPs pay meeting
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU/www.nation.co.ke/Thursday, July 22 2010 

President Kibaki is attending an informal meeting of Kenya MPs called to deliberate on the thorny issue of their salary increment in Parliament’s Old Chambers.

The MPs have said the President has the final word regarding their decision to award themselves a pay raise that will push their monthly salary to Sh1.1m from the current Sh851,0000.

The legislators have also dismissed the intervention of the Attorney General, Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the matter.

They accuse Mr Kenyatta and the PM of making populist statements on the issue with an eyen firmly on 2012, the year Kenya is expected to go to elections.

The meeting (Kamukunji) is a culmination of three weeks of negotiations between House Speaker Kenneth Marende, the head of parliament’s administrative wing –the Parliamentary Service Commission and key officials at the Treasury and in government.

Although The Nation could not independently confirm a meeting between government and MPs, it is believed that Mr Kenyatta and Mr Wako met the legislators to explain to them that their perks won’t be taxed if the proposed Constitution sails through in the August 4 referendum.

Take break

The feedback from the meeting between the PSC and government is what MPs will seek in Thursday’s Kamukunji.

The MPs had vowed not take a break or end their silent go-slow on government’s legislative agenda, until they meet President Kibaki to get his position on their unanimous resolution that their income should be increased and then taxed.

The President’s stand, according to Mr Kenyatta and the AG, is that MPs perks will not be affected until the next Parliament, if the proposed law is endorsed at the referendum. 

But MPs still want an assurance cast in the country’s statutes to cushion them against an impending loss of income, should they be forced to pay tax.

The MPs have threatened to shoot down the Appropriations Bill whose deadline is August and the Finance Bill, traditionally approved in October.

ANGOLA :

Angola: Minister Assures Conditions for Updating Electoral Registration
22 July 2010/AngolaPress

Luanda — The Angolan minister of Territory Administration, Bornito de Sousa, Tuesday here spoke of the preparations for updating of electoral registration process set from 30 July to 30 September in the country.

According to a note released by Ministry of Territory Administration, delivered to Angop, the minister announced this during a meeting held with the members of National Electoral Council (CNE).

He stated that the conditions for the beginning of updating of registration process have been created and the launching ceremony will be held in northern Uíge province.

Bornito de Sousa also informed on the philosophy to be employed during the registration of those to benefit, for the first time, from the process, in district and communal administrations.

In his turn, the chairman of National Electoral Council, Caetano de Sousa, praised the state of preparation of updating of electoral registration and ensured that the conditions are created for the supervision of the process.

Angola: Millennium Goals Great Challenges to Nations – Deputy Speaker
22 July 2010/AngolaPress

Geneva — The first deputy speaker of the National Assembly (Angolan Parliament), João Lourenço, said Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, that the millennium development goals represent great challenges to all nations, in view of the need to create rich, social justice and sustainable development.

The Angolan MP was speaking at the 3rd World Conference of parliament speakers.

He said the above mentioned goals can be attained through a combined action towards the strengthening of dialogue among the nations and the retrieval of the spirit of international solidarity with a view to the common wellbeing.

João Lourenço underlined that the world crisis whose first signals appeared in the world major economies has reached a universal dimension and has come to confirm the growing inter-dependence and reveal the insufficiency of a merely national perspective of the common wellbeing.

“The world has not learned from the lessons of the recession of the 1930’s of the 20th century, as it continued to follow the teachings of the neo-liberalism whose tendency to separate the State from the economic matters dominated, considering that an invisible hand of the free forces of the market would be capable of regulating the market and the economies,” he stated.

He also argued that the reality has come to show the failure of the policies based on those principles and, even against very disturbing signals, the advocators of those theories, mostly decision makers from top countries, ignored, which led to a greater gap between the rich and the poor, increase in unemployment and the relations between the north and the south became more and more unequal.

According to João Lourenço, today’s reality suggests an intervention of the State in the economy, more and more as a regulator and often as a relevant actor.

The 3rd World Conference of Parliament Speakers closing on Tuesday, is going under the motto “Parliaments in a world in crisis: guaranteeing the world democratic responsibility for the common wellbeing”.

Angola: CPLP Called to Help Settle Guinea Bissau Crisis
22 July 2010/AngolaPress

Luanda — The Portuguese Speaking Community (CPLP), the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOAS) and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) have been called to play a relevant role in the solution to the crisis in Guinea Bissau.

The appeal was made by the member of the Mozambican ruling FRELIMO party’s Central Committee, Mariano Matsinhe.

Speaking to Angolan journalists in Maputo, Mozambique, Mariano Matsinhe, a reservist general, said the situation in Guinea Bissau is actually very worrying and called for a combination of effort of CPLP and other regional organisations to help solve the crisis.

To the politician, Guinea Bissau can not operate with an army above the party that leads the country as, he added, this hinders the country’s development.

The situation in Guinea Bissau is one of the topics to be analysed during the 8th Summit of CPLP Heads of State and Government that will be held in the Angolan capital, Luanda, on July 23.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Kumba Reaches Interim Iron Ore Supply Deal With ArcelorMittal South Africa
By Ron Derby /www.bloomberg.com/Jul 22, 2010 

Kumba Iron Ore Ltd., a unit of Anglo American Plc, said it reached an interim supply agreement for deliveries of the steelmaking ingredient to ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd. 

Kumba, based in Pretoria, on March 1 canceled a nine-year- old supply agreement under which ArcelorMittal South Africa, a unit of the world’s largest steelmaker, bought iron ore at 3 percent above the cost of production. The South African steelmaker has refused to pay the “market prices” it’s being charged, Kumba has said. 

Concerned about the impact that the dispute may have on South Africa’s economy, Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies had held mediation talks with the companies earlier this week. 

The duration of the agreement will be retrospective, dating back to March 1 and running until the end of July next year, the companies said in a joint statement today. 

The interim agreement will allow ArcelorMittal South Africa to keep its Saldanha steel plant operating, the company said. It will also continue to export steel. 

ArcelorMittal South Africa said on July 16 that it planned to shut its Saldanha mill and halt exports as talks over an interim supply agreement stalled.

OECD Praises and Criticises South Africa
Thursday, 22 July 2010/ Written by Satish Bhaskaran /IDN/australia.to

PRETORIA (IDN) – A new report has commended South Africa for its growth performance which has improved over the past two decades, but pointed out that this was not sufficient either to offer enough employment opportunities for the young and growing population or to close the aggregate income gap with OECD countries.

The report is the first Economic Survey of South Africa by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a 31-nation group, the core of whose rich countries are providing more than one billion U.S. dollar a year as official development assistance (ODA). 

The Survey launched by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría on July 19, 2010 in South Africa’s capital city of Pretoria listed a large number of ToDo’s for South Africa, which he summed up in an upbeat message: “South Africa should leverage the positive impact of the World Cup to improve living standards by boosting job creation and exports.”

On the economic outlook for South Africa, he said that by 2011 “annual growth could move above trend, which we estimate to be around 4 percent”. But the economy is still around 3 per cent below potential, and will probably take at least three years to reach potential. “The key short-term task is therefore to consolidate the emergence from recession,” he added.

The Survey followed the ‘OECD Economic Assessment of South Africa’ in July 2008. Presenting that report Gurría lauded the country’s economic performance since 1994, which he said, had been “impressive, especially considering the social and political challenges of the transition to democracy and the difficult economic legacy of the apartheid era”. But those who might have been expected to benefit most from the transition to democracy have lagged in economic terms.

“The black population formerly confined to remote ‘homelands’ and sub-urban townships, disadvantaged by a segregated education system, and held back by discriminatory labour market rules, still suffers disproportionately from unemployment, poverty, and inadequate education,” Gurría stated bluntly.

1994 marks a watershed in South Africa’s history: the first multi-racial democratic elections, out of which the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela emerged victorious, brought to an end long and excruciating years of apartheid in operation since 1948. 

The roots of the OECD’s Economic Survey go back to the year 2007 when the OECD invited South Africa — along with Brazil, China, India and Indonesia — to enter into a relationship of ‘Enhanced Engagement with a view to possible membership’. This initiative offers each partner country the opportunity to work more closely with the OECD with a view to possible membership in the future, in ways that are focused, comprehensive and mutually beneficial. 

“Over the coming years, we will seek to have an increasingly active dialogue between the OECD and South Africa, a dialogue through which you can both draw on international best practice in a range of policy areas and share your own valuable experience and insights with OECD Members,” Gurría stated in presenting the Economic Assessment in July 2008.

The Economic Survey two years later points out that despite a strong macroeconomic policy framework, job creation and productivity growth remain too low to underpin sustained rapid GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita growth. Better performance on these fronts is needed to make sustainable the remarkable alleviation in poverty brought about by expanded social transfer programmes by gradually augmenting it by income from economic activity, it adds. 

BEYOND GDP GROWTH

However, growth objectives should not be limited to a higher increase of GDP per capita. Because, the Survey argues, several aspects of welfare are not captured by GDP, and not all are necessarily even correlated with it. 

In addition, even to the extent that GDP is an adequate proxy for wellbeing in a given period, focusing only on output would ultimately be self-defeating if sustainability were compromised. In particular, environmental conditions affect both current well-being and whether prevailing levels of well-being can be sustained. 

The Survey notes that South Africa tends to score relatively poorly on broad indices of environmental conditions, especially in the area of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “Better incentives would make the economy more environmentally sustainable, including by reducing GHG emissions, and could also provide a boost for the development of industries which provide solutions in this respect,” the Survey advises.

This Survey was prepared in the OECD Economics Department by Geoff Barnard and Tatiana Lysenko under the supervision of Andreas Wörgötter. Substantial contributions were made by Justine Burns, Lawrence Edwards, Evan Gilbert, Ceecil Mlatsheni, Duncan Pieterse and Stan du Plessis. 

The authors of the Survey says that the multi-faceted issues facing the South African economy pose policy challenges for the government on many fronts that need to be addressed simultaneously. For this reason, the focus of this first OECD Economic Survey of South Africa is on increasing the trend growth rate and thereby achieving higher employment, albeit through a broad range of policies, they say.

Measures which could help to achieve this goal include support through structural reforms of a shift of resources from either inactivity or serving domestic demand to the export sector, and refinements to South Africa’s already strong macroeconomic framework to make policies more growth-friendly overall. To this end the following policy priorities are advised: 

– Increasing the employment rate by reforms to wage determination mechanisms, improved school-to-job transition, reducing general skill/location mismatches in the labour market, developing entrepreneurialism and addressing bottlenecks in the implementation of employment protection regulation. 

– Reforming the regulatory environment by reducing entry barriers, increasing the scope for competition in network industries and reducing direct government influence on the economy, which should also widen the scope for productivity-increasing innovation. 

– Refining the macroeconomic policy framework to build on the successes already achieved in delivering a greater degree of monetary stability coupled with fiscal sustainability while also reducing the real exchange rate relative to a no-policy-action scenario in order to facilitate an export-led growth acceleration. 

“One issue to bear in mind with respect to all policy actions is administrative capacity, which, as recognised in the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) economic strategy of 2006, is limited,” says the Survey.

Stressing the need of structural reforms to improve the functioning of labour markets, the Survey says: Cost competitiveness has been jeopardized by insider dominated wage bargaining. “One promising direction to endow outsiders with more voice might be to increase the degree of coordination in wage bargaining.” 

It goes on to say: OECD experience suggests that high levels of coordination are associated with better employment outcomes. Government involvement in the process could help to make the trade offs
between wages, employment and unemployment clearer to social partners. 

Then follows an array of measures: Weakening the legal extension of sectoral bargains would likely also help with wage moderation. Further important measures to raise employment over the long term include improved basic education, reduced spatial mismatches between jobseekers and jobs, and better access to credit for small enterprises Increasing the scope for competition by making product market regulations less cumbersome is a promising option to boost entrepreneurship and innovation.

Leaping whale lands on yacht
From: AdelaideNow /July 22, 2010 

A COUPLE who took a yacht for a quiet sailing trip were stunned when a 40-ton whale crash-landed on their boat off Cape Town. 
The pair were enjoying calm seas off the South African coast when the animal flipped into the air and smashed into their mast.

Ralph Mothes, 59, and Paloma Werner, 50, were helpless as the beast thrashed around on their 33ft vessel before slipping back into the water.

Miss Werner said: “It really was quite incredible but very scary. The whale was about the same size as the boat.

“We’d spotted it about 100 metres away and thought that was the end of it. Then suddenly it was right up beside us.

“I assumed it would go underneath the boat but instead it sprang out of the sea. We were very lucky to get through it, as the sheer weight of the thing was huge

“There were bits of skin and blubber left behind, and the mast was wrecked. It brought down the rigging too”

“Thank goodness the hull was made of steel and not fibreglass or we could have been ruined.”

Moments before the animal leapt it had pounded its tail on the surface of the water in a ‘lob-tailing’ ritual to communicate with other whales.

The shaken couple, who are experienced seafarers with the Cape Town Sailing Academy, used their engine to get back to shore in Table Bay.

Whales are a common sight in the Atlantic Ocean off the Western Cape coast at this time of year as they come near the shore to breed.

Thousands of tourists flock to the region’s seaside resorts every year to spot the mammals during the South African winter from June to November.

Hermanus, a popular destination around 80 miles east of Cape Town, employs a ‘whale crier’ to walk through the town announcing where whales have been seen

AFRICA / AU :

Ghana’s Greatest Contribution to Africa
Thursday, 22 July 2010/www.ghanaweb.com

When Ghana attained her independence from the British, it paved the way for several other African countries to attain their independence. Fifty three years later, those African countries are still politically independent from their erstwhile colonial masters. However, illiteracy, disease, and abject poverty are still the terms of choice that several people use to describe Africa. 
Maybe the best way to describe our efforts at independence is that we thought we killed the snake but could it be that the snake is really not dead? The only way to make sure the snake is dead is to cut off its head! We have uncompleted business to attend to. We are quick to make reference to the fact that we were the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence and that we led the way for the other African countries to follow suit. We cannot continue to enjoy the benefits of the first born status without bearing the responsibilities that status requires of us. Could it be that one important reason why Black Africa is poor is that its first born child has not led the way in socio-economic development? Our greatest contribution to Africa is yet to come. If we create a more orderly society in which by and large the population adheres to the laws of the land; if we create a society of well educated scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs who will create goods and services for both local consumption and export; if we produce political leaders (of integrity) who will inspire our citizens to advance in all aspects of life; if we improve our per capita GDP to the level of those who were supposed to be our peers (about $10,000 – $15,000 per year), then we would have fulfilled our role as the first born of Sub-Saharan Africa! This will be our greatest contribution to Africa!
Can Ghana make strides in development? Yes, but we have to face the fact that we cannot develop in chaos. Certain things have to be in place to foster socio economic development. First, we need a political administration that is passionate about bringing the nation together. We should turn our tribal differences into an advantage for development. Every ethnic group has been endowed with unique abilities and culture that the other ethnic groups can learn from. A leader who truly believes that no tribe is superior to another will possess the wisdom and the passion to instill that fact into the citizenry. Next, our leaders should demonstrate a very high level of integrity in public life and then wield the moral authority to punish corruption severely and consistently until this menace is reduced to a very low level in our society. Corruption kills motivation, innovation and hard work and we should be serious about fighting it. Why can’t we use hidden cameras to expose leaders and officials who demand bribes before rendering services to citizens who have already paid for these services? Why don’t we punish these culprits severely when they are caught? Ethical standards should be emphasized at every level of our educational system.
Think about the numerous advantages we will enjoy as a nation and the impact we will have on the rest of Africa if we develop a more orderly society where people pay for goods and services and get those goods and services delivered to them promptly and efficiently, and where corruption and tribalism have been reduced to insignificant levels. Ghana would be propelled into a level of development that we haven’t even dreamed of yet. Nations that wish to do business with other Africa countries will establish their African corporate head offices in Ghana and we will attract significant foreign direct investments. Ghana will soon be a major industrial economy. We will be the envy of the rest of Africa. Soon, citizens of other African countries will demand accountability, competence and integrity from their leaders. This is how a first born should behave!
Finally, let me say a few words about the use of oil revenues. A major challenge facing Ghana as we travel the road towards socio-economic development is our weak infrastructural base. In my opinion, we should not use the oil money for the construction of housing units. We should, instead, use the money to develop the necessary infrastructure – sewage and drainage systems, roads, hospitals, gas pipelines to residences and businesses etc. These are things that the individual Ghanaian cannot develop. It is only the government that can adequately put these foundations in place. I strongly believe that if the infrastructural base is developed, Ghanaian investors (sometimes with their foreign partners) can handle the building projects. It is a shame that we have to grant a contract worth billions of dollars to South Koreans to build houses for us.

Charles E. Appeadu, Ph.D., CFA, FRM, CAIA

Nuclear power plans in the Gulf and beyond-FACTBOX
July 22, 2010/Reuters

NUCLEAR-MIDEAST/ (FACTBOX)July 22 (Reuters) – Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa have said they want to develop civilian nuclear programmes to meet rising power demand.
The Gulf Cooperation Council — a loose economic and political alliance of six Arab states, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE — said in 2007 it was studying a joint nuclear energy programme.
Across the world, nuclear is seen by many as a long-term solution to high fuel costs and an effective way to cut carbon emissions from the electricity generation sector.
Below are the nuclear aspirations of OPEC members, who are seeking to burn less oil in power generation and to maximise its availability for export, as well as the energy aspirations of other Middle Eastern countries.

UAE

The United Arab Emirates in December awarded a South Korean consortium the contract to build four nuclear power plants with total capacity of 5,600 megawatts.

The contract calls for the first plant to come online in 2017 and for all four reactors to be completed by 2020. The plants will be the first nuclear generation plants in the Gulf Arab region.

The UAE said it expected to order more nuclear power plants in the future.

SAUDI ARABIA

This year, Saudi Arabia commissioned Finnish management consultancy Poyry to explore the possibility of getting involved in as many stages of the nuclear energy cycle, including the enrichment process, as possible.

U.S. Shaw Group and Japan’s Toshiba Corp said this month they had formed a partnership to chase potential nuclear power projects in Saudi Arabia.

The firms said they would team with Exelon Nuclear Partners “to pursue opportunities to provide a full complement of services to design, engineer, construct and operate new nuclear electric generating plants in Saudi Arabia”.

France and Saudi Arabia said last year they were close to finalising a civilian nuclear energy cooperation agreement, while the United States and Russia are also interested in helping the world’s top oil exporter to develop nuclear energy.

IRAN

Russia has been Tehran’s main nuclear partner, building Iran’s first nuclear power plant near the city of Bushehr, which is set to begin operations later this year.

Tehran says the 915-megawatt plant would only be used for generating electricity.

But the West accuses Iran of covertly seeking to make nuclear weapons. Iran has announced dates for starting the power plant in the past that have been missed. (For a FACTBOX-Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant click here) 

KUWAIT

Kuwait is considering developing nuclear power to meet demand for electricity and water desalination. It has held talks with France’s Areva SA.

ALGERIA

Algeria aims to build its first commercial nuclear power station by around 2020 and to build another every five years after that, energy minister Chakib Khelil said last year.

He said Algeria had atomic energy agreements with Argentina, China, France and the United States and was also in talks with Russia and South Africa.

“Towards 2020 we will probably have our first reactor and we’ll probably have a reactor every five years after that,” he said.

The country has big uranium deposits and two nuclear research reactors but no uranium enrichment capacity.

Algeria and China agreed in 2008 to cooperate on developing civilian nuclear power.

Algeria also has atomic energy agreements with several other countries. 

LIBYA

Moscow and Libya said in November 2008 they were negotiating a deal for Russia to build nuclear research reactors for the North African state and supply fuel.

Officials said a document on civilian nuclear cooperation was under discussion at talks between Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Under the deal, Russia would help Libya design, develop and operate civilian nuclear research reactors and provide fuel for them.

QATAR

Initial Qatari interest in nuclear power plants has waned with the fall in international oil and gas prices, a Qatari official said in November 2008.

“It is less economically viable now, and less attractive. The potential costs are changing with the turmoil in financial markets, the economic slowdown and development of alternative fuels,” Yousuf Janahi, manager of business development at Qatar’s state-owned power company Kahramaa, said.

If Qatar decided to go ahead with building a nuclear plant, feasibility studies showed it would be unlikely to bring a reactor into operation before 2018.

French power giant EDF signed a memorandum with Qatar in early 2008 for cooperation on development of a peaceful civilian nuclear power programme.

EGYPT 

Egypt announced plans to build several nuclear reactors to meet rising power demand in 2007. China, Russia, France and Kazakhstan have all offered to cooperate in building them.

Egypt signed a deal in June 2009 with Australia’s WorleyParsons for nuclear power consultancy.

Industry observers have suggested the United States could be willing to help Egypt develop its nuclear programme if Egypt gave up the right to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, processes that can be used to make weapons-grade nuclear materials.

JORDAN

Amman plans to build a nuclear power plant by 2017.

Jordan has signed cooperation agreements with France, China and Canada to co-operate on the development of civilian nuclear power and the transfer of technology.

Jordan had talks with French nuclear energy producer Areva in 2008 on building a nuclear power reactor. (Compiled by Daniel Fineren, Simon Webb and Amena Bakr; Editing by Barbara Lewis and William Hardy)

Trillions of shs await health sector investors
22 July, 2010/www.newvision.co.ug

There is $20b for private health care expansion 
By Conan Businge 
HEALTH care providers and investors looking for markets to invest and expand are fortunate to have $11b (sh23 trillions) to $20b (sh42 trillions) waiting for them in sub-Saharan Africa. 

The latest study on the health business in Africa, by the International Finance Cooperation, shows “there is $11–$20b in private health care expansion opportunity for health care companies looking for markets in which to expand and for investors looking to invest in health care businesses.” 

The report, presented in Uganda last month, also shows the private sector is still a giant in health care provision. 

The private sector in sub-Saharan Africa constitutes an important, diverse component of the region’s health care systems. 

Of the total health expenditure of $16.7b in 2005, around 60% (predominantly out-of-pocket payments by individuals), was financed by private parties. 

Sub-Saharan Africa has about 11% of the world’s people, but it carries 24% of the global disease burden in human and financial costs. 

Almost half the world’s deaths of children under five take place in Africa. This challenge is significant but not insurmountable. 

Uganda’s picture: 
In Uganda, close to half of the population heavily relys on private health sector providers, according to a report by the International Finance Cooperation. 

The private providers own 72% of Uganda’s health sector services and facilities provisions. 

The private sector also has a broad geographic reach among rural populations. Based on self-reported usage, over 50% of the rural populations of Nigeria and Uganda use private providers. 

There is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the private sector in ways that improve access and increase the financing and quality of health care goods and services throughout Africa. 

Health care financing 
In a region where public resources are limited, the private sector is already a significant player. 

Around 60% of health care financing in Africa comes from private sources, and about 50% of total health expenditure goes to private providers. 

The vast majority of the region’s poor people, both urban and rural, rely on private health care. A poor woman with a sick child is as likely to go to a private hospital or clinic other than a public facility. 

Private healthcare providers are likely to reap big because most Governments seem not so committed to investing much, especially in the infrastructure development of the health sector. 

Based on projected economic and population growth rates, the health care expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow from $16.7b as of 2005 to $35b in 2016. 

This report also estimates that around $25b (sh52 trillion) to $30b (sh63 trillion) in incremental investment will be required for the physical assets (hospitals, clinics, and distribution warehouses) needed to meet this increased demand over the next 10 years. 

On investing in health, history suggests that the private sector has a major role to play. In 2000, 53 Sub-Saharan African heads of state pledged to allocate 15% of their national budgets to health care. 

This pledge was reaffirmed in the Gaborone Declaration during the October 2005 session of the Conference of African ministers of health in Botswana. 

However, according to the latest available figures for 2003, only one country (Liberia) has reached this level of expenditure, while 33 countries have not even reached 10%. 

In select countries where the environment is favourable to private sector participation in health care, this report estimates that private sector entities have the potential to deliver between 45 and 70% of the needed increase in capacity. 

This should not be surprising, because for instance, in other markets, such as India, the development of health care has been heavily underwritten by the private sector, and in China the government has openly acknowledged the need for private sector investment to supplement the public sector in building health care capacity. 

The continentwide study on the business of health in Africa shows that in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda; more than 40% of people in the lowest economic quintile receive health care from private, for-profit providers. 

But, the report adds that the poor and rural populations rely more on informal private sector providers, especially unregulated drug peddlers, while upper and middle class city dwellers benefit more from higher-quality providers and facilities. 

The report shows that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the private sector is diverse and fragmented. This leads to the quality being inconsistent and sometimes poor, even when the intentions are good. 

“These conditions, coupled with the lack of accreditation and a largely uninformed population, have created an environment in which an unscrupulous minority can sometimes prevail over responsible providers. 

Unethical practices: 
“While many private sector providers are honest and well-intentioned, there are too many examples in which the pursuit of excessive profits leads to unethical business practices,” explains the report. 

Cited among the unethical conducts include under or over-servicing, collusion, false billing, price gouging, and unlicensed practice. 

The report adds that the region is also plagued by substandard drugs often resulting from small, sub-scale manufacturers without the skills, processes, and technologies required. 

Drugs with inadequate levels of active ingredient are all too common, and some have none at all. Consistent with international trends, this growth in GDP will drive a greater demand for health care and an increase in per capita expenditure on health related goods and services. 

If Governments are not ready, private investors will take up arms to save lives. 

But at what cost will that be? 
Will the poor people afford commercial investors in the health sector?

Nepad to network SADC infrastructure
Written by Mxolisi Ncube /www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/22 July 2010

JOHANNESBURG – Zimbabwe is one of the African countries expected to participate at the second NEPAD Summit – a special business networking service for the continent, which was introduced last year.

This year’s summit, dubbed the “NEPAD Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2010 and Africa Expo”, is slated for October 13-15 in Midrand, north of Johannesburg. 
While the summit discusses key infrastructural development issues on the continent, Meetings Direct sets up one-on-one meetings for delegates with similar business interests, enabling them to start immediate discussions without the usual effort of conference networking.

This year’s summit is once again expected to bring together government leaders, experts, key individuals, stakeholders, regulators, consultants and key decision-makers from both the private and public sector.

Also expected to attend are suppliers, contractors, manufacturers, service providers, financial houses, Importers, exporters, investment banks or partners, finance and insurance brokers, warehousing, safety and security, distribution, construction companies, operations managers, stock management, transport companies, logistics companies, supply chain managers and other service providers.

“Zimbabwe is one of the countries that have confirmed participation at the summit, alongside Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, DRC, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana, Gambia and Gabon,” says a statement from the organisers.

Tanitha Jolly, director of the NEPAD Transport and Infrastructure Summit 2010 and Africa Expo, said the summit would discuss key issues involved in the development of Africa’s transport infrastructure as a major factor in the continent’s economic growth.

She said that the summit was a major effort to prioritise and promote infrastructure development across the continent against the backdrop of a recently published World Bank report, which blames poor infrastructure for inefficiencies and wastage costing Africa billions of dollars a year.

“Road and rail construction in the cross-border trade corridors as well as operation and ongoing maintenance are of major concern for the representatives of the regional economic communities. And the development of facilities at the main harbours affects everybody,” added Jolly.

“The need for investment and the opportunities for investment are enormous and will be carefully scrutinised at the summit by executives from the donor agencies and investment banks.” 

Presentations on possible solutions to immediate and long-term infrastructure needs will be made by international experts, leading the way for discussions at sector-specific parallel sessions, where delegates will debate and seek consensus, exchange ideas and experiences.

On water issues, also high on the agenda, the summit will discuss the wide range of issues involved in the development, management and protection of Africa’s water resources.

The crucial role of water in these issues will be the focus of presentations by international experts who will not only be covering the immediate challenges but will also be raising the continent’s long-term needs.

Chad rules out arresting Bashir
Written By:BBC/www.kbc.co.ke/ Thu, Jul 22, 2010

Chad’s government has said there can be no question of the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, being arrested during his current visit to the country.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said Mr Bashir should be detained on charges of genocide and war crimes.

Chad recognises the ICC, but a minister insisted that it was a sovereign state which did not depend on the injunctions of international organisations.

Mr Bashir, who denies the charges, is attending a meeting of a regional bloc.

It is the first time he has set foot in a country which is an ICC member since he was first indicted in 2009.

The charges relate to the conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which the UN estimates has cost the lives of 300,000 people and displaced a further 2.7 million.

The Sudanese government puts the death toll at 10,000 and says the problems in the region have been exaggerated for political reasons.

‘Opportunity for justice’

Mr Bashir was greeted warmly by President Idriss Deby on arrival in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, on Wednesday ahead of the meeting of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (Censad).

Speaking to reporters, Sudan’s leader seemed more focused on improvements in relations between the two neighbours, which have often clashed bitterly over Darfur, than on the possibility of his incarceration.

“Chad and Sudan had a problem in the past. Now this problem is solved. We are brothers,” he said. “We are in a new phase of the history of our two countries, in the interests of our two peoples.”

Sudan once accused Ndjamena of supporting anti-government rebels in Darfur, while Chad said Khartoum was backing rebels attempting to overthrow Mr Deby.

An ICC spokesman said Chad was obliged to implement its judges’ decisions and co-operate with the request for Mr Bashir to be arrested.

But Chad’s Interior and Security Minister, Ahmat Mahamat Bachir, insisted the president would be allowed to return home unmolested.

“What country has ever arrested a sitting head of state? Bashir won’t be arrested in Chad,” he told the AFP news agency. 

Sudanese government spokesman Rabie Abdel Attie said the two countries’ relations were more important than the fact Chad was a party to the ICC.

“I don’t think Chad will do anything to harm the president. There is an agreement to end hostilities,” he told the Associated Press.

Human rights organisations condemned the Chadian authorities.

“Chad risks the shameful distinction of being the first ICC member state to harbour a suspected war criminal from the court,” said Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch.

Amnesty International also called on Chad not to shield Mr Bashir and said the visit was an opportunity for justice.

The African Union has accused the ICC of targeting the continent and recommended its members do not co-operate, but like Chad, Uganda is a signatory of the court.

Relations between Sudan and Uganda have blown hot and cold so often that Mr Bashir may well decide not to ride his luck and instead head home.

UN /ONU :

Darfur rebels sign deal with the UN to protect children
By Faith Karimi, CNN/July 22, 2010

(CNN) — A Sudanese rebel group has signed a deal allowing access to its bases to ensure children are not being used as soldiers and to protect them from sexual violence, the United Nations said.

As part of the agreement Wednesday, the rebels pledged to release and hand over to the United Nations anyone under age 18 caught up in the Darfur conflict.

The Justice and Equality Movement rebels also agreed to release children “not directly associated” with the group but used by others in the conflict.

“It’s taken more than two years to get here,” said Nils Kastberg, Sudan representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund, which signed the deal with the rebels.

In the deal, rebels vowed to stop the recruitment and use of child soldiers, including in noncombatant or supportive roles, the United Nations said. They also plan to end their killing, maiming and sexual violence of children.

Sudanese forces have clashed with the rebel group for years, most recently in May. The latest conflict was over a breach of a deal reached this year to cease hostilities, according to the United Nations.

Kastberg said the deal makes it easier to deliver supplies to children, who join armed groups to get basics such as food and water. He hoped it would be an incentive for other rebels in the region to protect minors.

“We gradually see that armed movements recognize that involving children has consequences … [and that] there can’t be impunity,” Kastberg said.

United Nations officials estimate that 300,000 people have died in the past seven years and more than 3 million displaced as a result of fighting between rebels and government forces.

The Darfur conflict started when two rebel groups — the Sudan Liberation Army and Justice and Equality Movement — started attacking the government in 2003. The groups accused Khartoum of favoring Arabs and oppressing black Africans.

Government forces have been backed by the Janjaweed, a militia accused of murdering, raping, and burning homes in Darfur

Darfur, a province of Sudan, has suffered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.

European Parliament hearing on the EU towards the UN summit on the MDGs
www.epha.org/22072010

Alliance2015 – a partnership of cross-European non-government organizations working in the field of development cooperation – urged the European Commission (EC) at a hearing in the European Parliament on June 1st to show bold and responsible leadership in the preparations towards the UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). EPHA was present during the hearing..

The sixth 2015-Watch Report “The EU’s Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals. Keeping the Goals Alive”, launched at the hearing, expressed concern about alarmingly low EU aid levels for food, health and education, especially to Sub-Sahara Africa. EC aid increased from €7.5 billion in 2005 to €12 billion in 2009, but the percentage of allocations to food decreased from 4% of total funding in 2005 to 1.5% in 2008, basic health from 4.7% (2005) to 1.3% (2008) and basic education from 2.7% (2005) to 1.1% (2008).

Gay Mitchell MEP expressed his disappointment and promised to take the matter forward with the European Parliament’s Development Committee.

According to the report, if the responsibility for health and education investment was shared equally, the European Commission would onlu need to increase funding from €605 million (latest figures) to €971 million annually for education and from €460 million (latest figures) to €1.5 billion for health.

Alliance 2015 is urging the EU to agree on a legally binding target to ensure that 20% of all aid is allocated to basic health and education, and to strongly advocate for an international target at the UN MDG Summit.

The event gathered such figures as Mr. Stefano Manservisi (Director General, DG Development), Mr. Aristotelis Bouratsis (Director, EuropeAid), Ms. Dominique Dellicour (EuropeAid), Ms. Helene Bourgade (EuropeAid), Mr. Roberto Bissio (Coordinator Social Watch), Mr. Marcus Leroy (Special Advisor MDG Summit to the Belgian Government), Ms. Francoise Moreau (Acting Director, DG Development), and a variety of non-state actors.

UN worried about lack of aid funds for Somalia
Thu Jul 22, 2010/By Louis Charbonneau/Reuters

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. humanitarian activities in Somalia are severely underfunded, hurting Somalis who are outside areas controlled by Islamist rebels, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday.

Humanitarian coordinator Mark Bowden told reporters health, water and sanitation assistance for Somalia’s massive population of internally displaced people, who fled conflict zones across the lawless Horn of Africa nation, was now “seriously underfunded.”

“The lower funding that Somalia receives affects not only the al Shabaab-controlled areas,” Bowden said. “It also has affected non-food programs across the country.”

Somalia has been deprived of an effective central government and mired in violence since warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

More than 40 percent of Somalis — 3.4 million people — need humanitarian assistance, including 1.4 million uprooted by a three-year insurgency waged by Islamist al Shabaab rebels who are targeting the government and African Union peacekeepers.

So far, this year’s U.N. humanitarian aid appeal for some $596 million has generated $335 million, just over half, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

Only 25 percent of the nearly $50 million requested for water, sanitation and hygiene aid has been supplied, it said.

The United States, Canada, Britain and Australia have reduced or frozen aid to Somalia, according to U.N. figures. The United States has only provided $15.2 million this year compared with $86 million last year and $211 million in 2008.

The main reasons for the decline in aid, diplomats and U.N. officials say, are the ongoing violence and concerns about whether aid is being diverted to al Shabaab and other groups.

DEALING WITH ABUSES

A report submitted to a Security Council committee this year by a U.N. panel of experts that monitors compliance with U.N. sanctions against Somalia said up to half the food aid for needy Somalis was being diverted to a network of corrupt contractors, al Shabaab militants and local U.N. staff.

Bowden said the United Nations had already begun taking steps to screen contractors before the expert panel’s report was released in March to make sure they are legitimate.

He added that he had just delivered a report to the Security Council’s Somalia sanctions committee that describes how the United Nations is dealing with concerns about “misappropriation, politicization and misuse of assistance.”

Without giving details, Bowden said he had raised specific concerns about three of the 400 to 500 contractors that have been working with U.N. agencies in Somalia.

Bowden added that U.N. agencies in Somalia had established a policy of not paying fees to “non-state actors” — a U.N. codeword for militant groups.

He added that they agreed the United Nations should not “participate in any mechanism that would provide legitimacy or financial support to listed organizations.”

Al Shabaab and another Islamist militia have been fighting the Western-backed Somali government since the start of 2007. They control much of the capital but have failed so far to drive President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed from office.

Time to halt the UNAIDS gravy train
Thursday, 22 July 2010/news.myjoyonline.com

In his address to this week’s international AIDS conference in Vienna, Bill Clinton told some home truths about aid for HIV: “In too many countries, too much money pays for too many people to go to too many meetings and get on too many airplanes to do too much technical assistance.” A good start to cutting the waste derided by the former US president would be to close down UNAIDS, the UN’s lobbying organization that costs tax-payers the best part of a billion dollars a year.

It was set up in 1996 by UN agencies claiming that HIV was so special it should be removed from the purview of the World Health Organization. From the start, UNAIDS has been self-serving, providing the UN with data and arguments for massively expanding HIV funding regardless of HIV’s place in global health priorities or the cost-effectiveness compared with other health needs.

Much of its data and arguments have been proved wrong and much of its lobbying has been based on alarmist prevalence figures (in 2007 it had to halve its estimates for India and other countries) and misleading projections, like the pandemic long-predicted to be just about to hit East Asia and which never has (no thanks to UNAIDS). This has contributed to disproportionate HIV spending across Africa in countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and most of West Africa where prevalence is low, stable or declining.

Data from a few hard-hit southern African countries has been used to secure an excessive 25% share of global funding for health, depriving the fights against bigger killers such as malaria and diarrhoea.

In addition to claims of impending disaster, UNAIDS has been slow to listen to scientific evidence that was inconvenient. This includes the UNAIDS mantra that HIV is a “disease of poverty,” wilfully ignoring the evidence of many years that prevalence is higher in the middle classes of Africa than the poorer.

On prevention, the record of UNAIDS has been dismal. It has resisted admitting the key role of concurrent sexual partners in driving transmission, instead promoting broad prevention schemes aimed at the general population, most of whom are at minimal risk.

UNAIDS has not hesitated to take credit for recent data showing global declines in HIV rates but in fact HIV has been declining in Africa since the late 1990s, before UNAIDS was working and before the huge input of money. The decline is more a result of the natural course of the disease.

How important is HIV? Globally it is insignificant, accounting for less than 3% of deaths. Even in Africa, HIV is not significant for the vast majority of the continent’s 53 countries. Excluding just five countries with the highest number of HIV deaths (South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Zimbabwe) relegates HIV for the rest of Africa to around 6% of deaths–below deaths from diarrhoea, childhood diseases, malaria, respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and accidents and injuries.

Yet this week in Vienna UNAIDS continues with its misleading propaganda that, globally, AIDS is the biggest killer of women of reproductive age, when this is true in only a handful of southern African countries.

For the cost of putting four million people on expensive HIV treatment, we could save the lives of 10 million children every year from pneumonia and diarrhoea that are simple and cheap to treat–and no less fatal. It is a tough choice–but most people don’t even realise it is a choice or who has been doing the choosing and why.

President Barack Obama is right to shift new aid to supporting all health needs not just one disease, an approach mirrored by the UK’s Department for International Development. The self-serving lobbying of UNAIDS, by contrast, illustrates vividly the folly of a single-disease UN agency. Time to put those billions of dollars to better use.

Roger England is Chairman of the Health Systems Workshop, an independent think-tank promoting health systems reform in poor countries. He has worked for several international agencies including secondments to the World Bank and the World Health Organization.
By Roger England

FAO/IFAD Review Anti-Poverty Potential Of Jatropha Development
Capital Market /www.indiainfoline.com/ Jul 22, 2010 

Using the energy crop jatropha for biodiesel production could benefit poor farmers, particularly in semi-arid and remote areas of developing countries, according to a report published by FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). But the report stresses that jatropha is still essentially a wild plant sorely in need of crop improvement. Expecting jatropha to substitute significantly for oil imports in developing countries is unrealistic. 

Many of the actual investments and policy decisions on developing jatropha as an oil crop have been made without the backing of sufficient science-based knowledge, the report said. Realizing the true potential of jatropha requires separating facts from the claims and half-truths.

Jatropha curcas L. grows reasonably well in dry areas on degraded soils that are marginally suited for agriculture. The roots of the low-growing jatropha trees reach water deep in the soil. The surface roots assist in binding the soil and can reduce soil erosion.

Jatropha seeds can be processed into lesser polluting biodiesel than fossil diesel to provide light and cooking fuel for poor rural families. Seed cake, a by-product from this process may be valuable as fertilizer and animal feed after detoxification. Unlike other major biofuel crops, such as maize, jatropha is not used for food and it can be grown on marginal and degraded lands where food crops can not grow.

In 2008, jatropha was planted on an estimated 900 000 hectares globally, 760 000 in Asia, 120 000 ha in Africa and 20 000 ha in Latin America. By 2015, it is estimated that jatropha will be planted on 12.8 million ha. The largest producing country in Asia will be Indonesia. In Africa, Ghana and Madagascar will be the largest producers, in Latin America it will be Brazil.

The report says jatropha has the biggest potential in dry and remote areas where – because of the high price of inputs such as fertiliser and transport costs – food production is not competitive. However, to obtain sustained yields in degraded soils in dry areas, inputs such as water and fertilizer are needed.

Particularly smallholder farmers, oil mill outgrowers and members of community plantation schemes or workers on private-enterprise jatropha plantations can earn an income from jatropha production. 

The cultivation of jatropha would be particularly beneficial to women because milling machines powered by engines fuelled with jatropha oil reduce the amount of tedious work they must do. Replacing traditional biomass cooking fuels with cooking stoves that run on jatropha oil is also healthier, as cooking is done in a smoke-free environment, and women do not have to spend time gathering fuel wood. The lower use of fuel wood also relieves pressure on forest resources. 

Jatropha could eventually evolve into a high yielding crop and may well be productive on degraded and saline soils in low rainfall areas, the FAO/IFAD report said. Its by-products may possibly be valuable as fertilizer, livestock feed, or as a biogas feedstock, its oil can have other markets such as for soap, pesticides and medicines, and jatropha can help reverse land degradation.

USA :

[Updated] 37 states join probe into Google Wi-Fi data collection
July 22, 2010 /latimesblogs.latimes.com

A multistate investigation is raising more questions about how Google Inc. may have improperly gathered people’s private information through their unsecured wireless networks while collecting data for its Street View feature.

Connecticut Atty. Gen. Richard Blumenthal, who has been leading the month-old investigation, sent a third letter to Google on Wednesday asking, among other things, whether it had tested the feature’s software before putting it to use. Doing so, he said, should have uncovered any glitches responsible for the unwarranted collection of e-mails, passwords and other personal data of those who failed to protect their networks with passwords.

“Google’s responses continue to generate more questions than they answer,” he said in a statement. “Now the question is how it may have used — and secured — all this private information.” 

Blumenthal, who is running for Sen. Christopher J. Dodd’s seat, also said that attorneys general from 37 states and the District of Columbia have officially joined the probe, including those from Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Massachusetts. Eight states would not be identified because their laws bar them from disclosing investigations, he said.

The office of California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has not yet responded to a question about whether the state is a participant.

“As we’ve said before, it was a mistake for us to include code in our software that collected payload data, but we believe we did nothing illegal,” a spokesperson for Mountain View, Calif.-based Google said in a statement. “We’re continuing to work with the relevant authorities to answer their questions and concerns.”

The investigation, which follows similar probes in Germany and Australia, is also considering whether federal and state laws need to be changed or updated as a preventative measure.

The Street View function was launched in 2007 and since expanded to most major cities in the U.S, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. It uses vehicles to photograph street layouts in every direction to give Web users a 360-degree view of streets and roadways. 

But the vehicles were also equipped to detect Wi-Fi access points, which Google hadn’t disclosed until recently, in order to help computers figure out where they are without having to use a GPS system. 

At the same time, Google said it mistakenly picked up 600 gigabytes of data from unsecured networks over the last three years.

— Kristena Hansen

International clean energy initiatives launched
July 22 2010 /(Carbon Capture Journal) 

Projects / Policy,
– At the world’s first Clean Energy Ministerial, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the U.S. is helping launch more than 10 international clean energy initiatives, including one for CCS. 

The overall aim is to eliminate the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants world-wide in the next 20 years.

Ministers pledged to establish a Carbon Capture Use and Storage Action Group to be led by the United Kingdom and Australia to “facilitate political and business leadership and develop a Global Strategic Implementation Plan to examine how to overcome key barriers to the deployment of Carbon Capture Use and Storage (CCUS)”.

The Action Group will be made up of Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Business and other partners include Aker Clean Carbon, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, the Center for American Progress, the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, the International Energy Agency, Sasol, Scottish Power, Shell, the World Coal Institute, and the World Resources Institute. Additional partners are invited to get involved.

Through the Global Strategic Implementation Plan, governments, businesses, and organisations will seek to develop recommendations for the next Clean Energy Ministerial, to be held in the UK in 2012, on overcoming barriers to CCS deployment under five key themes: strategic direction, financing, use and storage, regulation, and knowledge sharing.

A number of countries have already announced new activities to progress these themes:

Use and Storage

1. The United States has announced the selection of five new projects in the third round of the Clean Coal Power Initiative program. The projects will demonstrate advanced coal technologies with carbon capture utilization and storage at commercial scale. These projects represent an investment of more than US$1.25 billion, including funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which will be leveraged by more than US$4.5 billion in private capital cost share. When operating, the five projects will capture and sequester or beneficially reuse a total of nearly 8 million tons of CO2 per year.

2. The United States will be selecting key projects for pilot scale development for phase two of the Industrial CCS (ICCS) program, which is part of a US$1.4 billion effort to capture CO2 from industrial sources for storage or beneficial use.

3. The United States of America and Australia launched a project to examine CO2 reuse opportunities and their commercial value, which could play a transitional incentive to offset the cost of capture. This will be supported by a UK-funded study on the abatement potential of CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery with permanent storage.

4. South Africa announced a new national storage atlas which will be published in August, which sets out a high-level storage assessment of South Africa. This will be further developed through a collaboration with the UK to map selected basins in detail.

5. The North American Carbon Atlas Partnership (NACAP), comprised of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, announced the development of an atlas of North America that identifies the major sources of CO2 and the potential geological formations available for its storage. They have agreed to compatible methodologies and identified geological basins suitable for storing CO2, and are working to ensure that the applicable information technology systems in our respective countries can be linked to provide the complete North American database.

6. The UK, Norway, and Germany announced the findings of a study on behalf of the North Sea Basin Task Force (which also includes the Netherlands), highlighting that the North Sea Basin could play a significant role in the deployment of CCS in Europe and that cross-border CO2 transport and storage would be an important factor in the North Sea Area if CCS is deployed widely from 2020.

7. The United States and Canada announced US$5.2 million in new funding for the Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project, which will further the knowledge and research in measurement, monitoring and verification of CO2 storage in depleted oil reservoirs, and the creation of a Best Practices Manual to guide all aspects of CO2 geological storage projects in depleted oil fields worldwide.

Regulation

1. The Action Group acknowledged the principles developed by the IEA/CSLF in cooperation with the Global CCS Institute on CCS readiness and will consider them in developing locally appropriate guidelines.

2. The UK will support Indonesia in undertaking a study on the feasibility of designing new coal-and gas-fired units as CO2 capture-ready in Indonesia, with a report due in March 2011.

Knowledge Sharing

1. The Action Group acknowledged principles developed by the IEA/CSLF in cooperation with the GCCSI on knowledge sharing and agreed to consider how they can be taken forward as part of the Action Group.

A considerable amount of work is already underway through existing forums such as the IEA, the CSLF and the Global CCS Institute. The Action Group will complement and build on these activities and request the IEA, CSLF, and Global CCS Institute to continue to provide analysis as necessary, and to track the progress of CCS development. As part of this support, the Global CCS Institute is developing a stocktake of progress against the MEF Technology Action Plan to highlight what is already being done and identify gaps.

U.S. Department of Energy

Global CCS Institute

US to boost training, aid for troops in Somalia
The Associated Press/ July 22, 2010 

The U.S. military is looking for ways to expand the training and equipping of African forces to help battle al-Shabab militants in Somalia who claimed responsibility for recent bombings in Uganda, a top commander said Tuesday.

Army Gen. William “Kip” Ward said that the African nations who are contributing forces in Somalia are still committed to the peacekeeping effort there despite the attacks last week that killed 76 people.

Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaida, has threatened more attacks in what worried officials see as the first moves to expand its violence beyond Somalia’s borders. The group has said that the bombings were revenge for Uganda’s deployment of peacekeepers in Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu with the African Union force, known as AMISOM.

Speaking to a gathering at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ward said that the unrest in Africa creates a security threat to other nations, including the United States.

“Violent extremism can grow unchecked in the Horn of Africa and across the Sahel, leading to attacks against U.S. persons and interests around the world, or, in the worst case, against the U.S. homeland,” said Ward, who is the head of U.S. Africa Command.

The U.S., which maintains troops at a base in the nation of Djibouti, has not sent forces into Somalia, but instead works through the African Union. Direct U.S. or other foreign involvement in Somalia’s internal affairs, said Ward, would be “an irritant and a distraction.”

But Ward acknowledged that while a number of African nations are willing to participate in peacekeeping efforts, they may be overburdened. The U.S., he said, must help those countries beef up their security capabilities.

Somalia has been without a functioning government for nearly 20 years, and militants control much of the country’s southern and central regions, including large portions of Mogadishu.

U.S. officials say insurgents, including a number of foreign fighters from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region, gather and train in Somalia’s vast lawless regions.

The Pentagon, said Ward, is looking for ways to expand the aid it is already providing the African nations, including additional training, equipment, logistical support and transportation for the troops there. He did not provide details and said decisions have not yet been made.

The leader of al-Shabab, Sheik Muktar Abu Zubayr, released an audio message saying that more attacks would be carried out in Uganda and Burundi. There are currently more than 5,000 AU troops in Mogadishu from those two nations. African officials have said that as many as 20,000 more troops are needed.

The twin bombings struck as people watched the World Cup final on television.

CANADA :

DiManno: Fighting Zimbabwe’s ‘blood diamond’ greed
By Rosie DiManno/www.thestar.com/22072010

MUTARE, ZIMBABWE—Diamonds are blinding, their glitter fuelling greed and corruption and war.

Farai Maguwu says he was trying to pry eyes open.

For that, the human rights activist was arrested, thrown into jail for 39 days and released on bail Monday only after an international outcry — a gesture of appeasing compliance by Zimbabwe.

“I turned myself in after I learned that they had taken 

my nephew into custody, that they’d spent four days beating him in the jail cells, Maguwu, 36, told the Star during an interview at the ransacked offices of his Centre for Research and Development.

“The police had been hunting me military-style. They camped at my house. They terrorized my relatives. When I went to the police station, I was expecting the worst, and that’s what I got — threatened with torture, denied blankets and made to sleep on the floor. It was hellish.”

Maguwu was charged with spreading falsehoods prejudicial to the state. He claims he was simply speaking the truth, with supporting documentation — naming names — to prove assertions of appalling human rights violations against ordinary civilians by the military and diamond syndicates.

A country economically and politically deranged, soaked in violence for the past decade, has now fallen under the diabolical thrall of gem lucre.

Zimbabwe is sitting on vast diamond resources, potentially one-quarter of the world’s unmined stones lying beneath the weird geological rock formations of the Marange diamond fields, 48 kilometres from Mutare and discovered only four years ago.

But a government with much blood on its hands had been barred from legally selling its “blood diamonds” on the international market, with Canada, the United States and Australia — an “axis of evil” as described by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe — leading the opposition to global trade.

Now Zimbabwe has triumphed, at least conditionally, with the announcement of a deal allowing for the export of stockpiled diamonds — estimated worth: $1.7 billion — under monitoring regulations devised by the World Diamond Council and a voluntary group known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

Abbey Chikane was the first chairman of the Kimberley Process. Last year, KP appointed him to review and monitor Zimbabwe’s bid to receive certification for its diamond extraction at militarized mining fields widely condemned for smuggling by soldiers and human rights abuses against impoverished panners, hundreds reportedly killed.

It seemed not to matter that Chikane is South African and South African companies are involved in the only two joint government syndicates thus far licensed to mine the Marange deposits.

Maguwu’s calculated error was delivering his documentation to Chikane. For reasons he has not explained, Chikane promptly reported Maguwu’s approach to Zimbabwean security officials. He has made no apology for doing so. His tattling might presumably expose the Kimberley Process’s pre-existing favouritism toward the Zimbabwe regime.

Maguwu has pleaded innocent to the charges against him. The Star has been made privy to the contents of the documentation allegedly turned over but has agreed not to publicize them at this point, since they constitute the thrust of the defence.

Meanwhile, there is glee in government circles at the Kimberley Process caving — there’s no other way to describe it — to Zimbabwe’s will, though human rights organizations remain leery of transparency as promised by the government. Partnership Africa Canada, one of the leading advocacy groups skeptical of Zimbabwe’s commitment to fair practices, released a cautious statement saying the agreement was “far from perfect, and it will take considerable efforts by all parties to the Kimberley Process, especially Zimbabwe, to make it work.”

In his May report to KP, Chikane said only that the two mining companies already at work in the Chiadzwa sector of the Marange fields — Canadile Miners and Mbada Diamonds — met “minimum KP standards.”

At the meeting last week in St. Petersburg, Russia, International Diamond Manufacturers president Moti Ganz stated: “The claim is that there was, or is, illegal mining there, that the local population is being abused and that atrocities are being perpetrated while the government gains wealth. Now two serious companies have come and established serious mines that meet all the stringent international standards regarding alluvial mining. They created jobs for local residents, provided them with good working conditions and paid — and are still paying — reasonable wages.”

Ganz added: “Do the governments of the United States, Canada and Australia want to provide an opportunity for thousands of miners in Zimbabwe to make a legitimate living or do they want the illegal mining to continue?

“Do they want legal activity or do they want to encourage those who are corrupt, who are inevitably found in a place where diamonds need to be smuggled under the noses of legitimate government and international organizations? What do we want — Abbey Chikane or Al Qaeda?”

Military authority over Chiadzwa sector has reportedly been given to Brig.-Gen. Douglas Nykiaramba, the man who covertly took control of the electoral machinery that was to make damn well sure Mugabe would win a runoff vote in the 2008 presidential election. That preposterously rigged election ultimately resulted in a reluctantly shared power arrangement with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, installed as prime minister.

Nykiaramba got the Chiadzwa assignment, it’s rumoured, not only as a sinecure for his loyalty to Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party but also to rein in junior officers who’ve been making out like bandits as diamond profiteers at the mining fields. Cynics note that party “chefs” — big-boy officials — resent profits siphoned out that should accrue to them. And those under-the-table profits have been huge. 

Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently admitted the government treasury had not recovered a single cent from $30 million worth of Chiadzwa diamonds sold earlier this year by the state’s mineral corporation, without the international imprimatur.

At the opening of parliament just over a week ago, Mugabe boldly declared Zimbabwe would go ahead and sell its diamonds, with or without KP approval. That struck fear into the heart of the diamond industry, which depends on strict control of supply to keep stone prices high. A flood of illegal diamonds would have caused chaos in the markets.

It is, as usual, all about the markets and the money. Those boosting Zimbabwe’s cause, in particular other African nations, insist the world diamond agency shouldn’t be in the business of monitoring human rights abuses associated with stones — a process long championed by Canada, which was integral in establishing an international agreement for certification of rough diamonds as originating from non-conflict regions, requiring documentation proving their origin and legitimacy.

Technically, it’s been argued, Zimbabwe’s gems aren’t conflict diamonds because they won’t be sold (as in neighbouring Congo) to fund wars. But they’ve certainly caused a great deal of violence, as in 2008, when the
military moved in, using helicopter gunships to eliminate poor locals panning for gems. 

The fear is, with KP certification, none of those diamond profits will be put toward salvaging Zimbabwe from its desperate economic plight, going instead to Mugabe and his cohorts.

“I was hoping international pressure would compel this government to demilitarize the diamond fields,” says Maguwu. “No, the situation is not like the Congo or Angola. In Zimbabwe, what you’ll have is profit from diamonds being used to sustain a certain cabal of people who want to stay in power. I’m defending the illegal panhandlers who were there before — but should we kill them for it, these poor villagers?”

Maguwu is urging KP and the World Diamond Council to expand their definition of human rights abuses to include governments exploiting profits in order to maintain power and military control.

“Blood diamonds are used by rebel groups to unseat a government they don’t like. In Zimbabwe, the government will use diamonds to stay in power. If this isn’t stopped, what you will see is the slow death of a people.”

The sluices haven’t been opened completely. The St. Petersburg agreement allows Zimbabwe to export batches of rough diamonds before Sept. 6 under supervision of KP monitors. There’s been no indication that the entire diamond stockpile can be sold. Monitors will visit Zimbabwe twice to review proceedings. Their report will determine whether KP would give its stamp of approval to further Zimbabwean sales of rough diamonds on the international market.

“The agreement is temporary,” emphasizes Maguwu. “This is a stopgap measure because the government is pleading that they need to sell the diamonds to help restore our economy. But the KP is well aware of the issues we’ve raised.

“Our cause has not been lost.”

AUSTRALIA :

Racist leaflets not ours: Australia First
www.abc.net.au/2010/07/22

A minor party that opposes immigration says leaflets which breach electoral rules are being distributed in western Sydney to discredit its candidates.

One pamphlet, purporting to be from the Australia First Party, portrays some African refugees as sub-human and violent.

Other anti-immigration leaflets seen by the ABC are anonymous.

The New South Wales chairman of the Australia First Party, Jim Saleam, says the pamphlets were not made by his party.

He says they are similar to dirty tricks leaflets distributed in western Sydney in the last election.

“They take the strong argument that we put up against certain types of refugee immigration, but they add what I’ll call inflammatory, injudicious and unreasonable remarks into it with the intention of getting the party into some sort of legal trouble,” he said.

EUROPE :

EPHA report on European Parliament event on HIV/AIDS treatment gap widening in Sub-Saharan Africa
www.epha.org/22072010

Hosted by Michael Cashman MEP and organised by the European Parliament Working Group on Innovation, Access to Medicines and Poverty-Related Diseases, a debate on the widening HIV/AIDS treatment gap in Sub-Saharan Africa and the European Union`s action on it was held on 23 June 2010..

Opening the event, Michael Cashman MEP welcomed the Working Group and warned against the discontinuation and reduction of HIV/AIDS treatment which could destroy the results achieved so far.

Ms. Mit Philips from Medicines Sans Frontieres presented a recently published report “No time to quit : HIV/AIDS treatment gap widening in Africa”. She pointed out that while the HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a huge crisis, donors lose interest in prevention and treatment initiatives.

She claimed that one of the reasons for such proceedings might be the fact that HIV/AIDS had become a victim of its own ’success’ : by having made significant progress in limiting the spread of the infection, having provided many of the infected on treatment, and loosening an emergency approach to HIV/AIDS actions. That would possibly cause a major donor retreat from scale-up and shift towards health systems strengthening (HSS) or MDG5, and less direct service delivery. On the role of the European Commission and the Member States, she asked to urge them to reconfirm commitments to universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment, match these committments with available budgets, to fully support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), and to look for possible innovative mechanisms of financing to be chanelled to health initiatives (Financial Transaction Tax explicitly mentioned).

Ms. Marielle Hart of the Stop AIDS Alliance presented an overview of the European Union`s funding mechanisms for HIV/AIDS, including global geographic and thematic support, and contributions to the GFATM. 

Geographic support covers the European Development Fund (EDF) which is the cooperation between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The previous (before 2006) budget lines relevant for health and AIDS were replaced by a single instrument, the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) on human and social development. Those changes clearly marked a shift from earmarked disease speciifc project financing towards budget support approaches (in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and stated in the European Consensus on Development) and now embrace four broad priority areas : health, education, gender equality and other aspects of human and social development.

Ms. Hart stated that much evidence points out that the current General Budget Support does not benefit health sectors which had a too low priority in the overwhelming majority of sub-saharan countries. Specific attention was brought towards the MDG Contracts initiative under the EDF (as additional budget support).

President Girma holds talks with departing European Union Ambassador
Thursday, 22 July 2010 /(ENA) /www.waltainfo.com

Addis Ababa, July 22 – President Girma Wolde-Giorgis saw off on Wednesday Ambassador of European Union (EU) to Ethiopia, Dino Sinigallia. 

President Girma thanked the ambassador for his efforts made to strengthen development cooperation between Ethiopia and the EU. 

He also said the ambassador had also helped enhance the bilateral relations existing between the two sides. 

Sinigallia said on his part that the bilateral cooperation and relations between the EU and Ethiopia is at excellent stage. 

The development assistance being provided by the EU to Ethiopia has been growing significantly. 

The ambassador said Addis Ababa is on a good development stage. 

He also expressed appreciation to the economic growth in which Ethiopia has been registering.

EU Welcomes Agreement on Zimbabwe’s Diamonds
22.07.10/www.israelidiamond.co.il

The European Union welcomes the agreement reached on Zimbabwe diamond exports, an EU press release to that effect stated.

The EU praised the agreement, finalized during the recent World Diamond Congress in Moscow, saw the Kimberley Process sanction a work plan which allows Zimbabwe a limited export of rough diamonds harvested from its Marange diamond field.

Under the agreement reached, Zimbabwe could be authorized to export some of the diamonds mined in Marange in the course of August 2010; provided it meets certain prior requirements, including the provision of an audit of its diamond stocks, and the receiving of a review mission. 

“The EU urges Zimbabwe and all KP parties to spare no effort to ensure the good faith implementation of the agreement in full, so that it can pave the way to a lasting solution,” said the statement. 

“The EU also welcomes the recent judicial decision on the release on bail on of Farai Maguwu, a prominent Zimbabwean human rights activist, arrested in June and Zimbabwe’s restated commitment to the key role of civil society in the Kimberley Process.”

CHINA :

Chinese firm to set up car assembly unit in Cameroon
2010-07-22/www.apanews.net

APA-Yaounde (Cameroon) The China General Technology Group (Geneterc) consortium will soon establish a tractor and bus assembly plant, in the northwestern Cameroonian city of Bamenda, official sources told APA.

The disclosure followed the talks held Tuesday in the capital Yaounde, between Chinese businesspeople and Prime Minister Philemon Yang.

The Bamenda region was chosen because of its proximity to Central and West Africa that are the market targets, according to Geneterc’s CEO, He Ponxing.

The procedure should be clearer after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Geneterc and a local bank, he said.

The Chinese Consortium plans to install a drug manufacturing unit in Cameroon.

Chinese learn African languages to grow trade
By IPS/www.businessdailyafrica.com/ Thursday, July 22 2010 

China’s interest in Africa is frequently portrayed simply as that of a rising economic power seeking natural resources. 

Deborah Brautigam, author of The Dragon’s Gift: the Real Story of China in Africa, argues that in contrast to Europe and the United States, China also sees Africa as an important market.

As well as dominating exports of consumer goods to Africa, Chinese companies are exploring manufacturing and infrastructure construction across the continent, and coming up with innovative ways to profit from and pay for it. She spoke to Davison Makanga of IPS.

Q: Let’s talk about the recent deal to build refineries in Nigeria: how does it illustrate what you’ve called “resource-backed infrastructure loans” by China in Africa? 

A: First of all, it was a only a memorandum of understanding. The key thing to look at is where the financing is. There is no financing mentioned in this [May] deal. [In July, some details of funding for a first refinery were reached.] I think it will be very brave Chinese bank that takes on a 20-something billion dollar project in Nigeria because, yes, Nigeria is much more stable than Democratic Republic of Congo, but the DRC projects are much smaller. 

I think they would be much smarter to start with one oil refinery and see how it goes. Right now 85 per cent of the petroleum products consumed in Nigeria are imported and they export raw oil, so it’s really a bad situation. But the reason the situation is like that is political. 

What are the strengths and weaknesses of China’s involvement in Nigeria? 

Nigeria is a country in which there have been a lot of discussions of doing these resource backed infrastructure loans. My understanding is that the Nigerian government came up with this idea. Perhaps they looked at Angola and some of the things the Chinese were doing there.

They proposed this to the Chinese, Indians, Koreans: so a number of different Asian companies and government got a proposal that they do oil-backed trades, getting access to concessions out in the Niger Delta and in return they could do the infrastructure projects. It is a different kind of deal than the DRC and Angola. 

Because in Angola the oil is being pumped so you can secure loans with oil that is already being exported. In Nigeria, you can get a concession but there is no guarantee that you will actually get oil there and of course there are expenses. 

In DRC, the Chinese made very sure that they put in the contract that the copper concession had to be evaluated so they could be sure there was enough copper in there, and copper that could be mined at a cost-effective price. 

What is in it for China in the end? Why get involved in complex, risky deals? 

I think it is useful to look at China’s relationship with Africa as part of its strategy of going global. It’s about China being part of globalisation.

You can call this neo-colonialism, imperialism but what globalisation is all about is moving up the ladder, it’s about becoming a world economic power and so China looks at Africa as a partner in this. So what do the various parts Africa provide for their partnership? 

What they are largely providing is raw materials; but the other side of it is, [Africa is] a huge market. The West has by and large been competed out or they have given up on African markets but these markets are huge. China is the single largest exporter to Africa all across the board. 

The Chinese look at Africa in a different way. The West looks at Africa as a place of war, disease, chaos and terrible things and a place to be pitied. The Chinese look at Africa as a place for consumers and business partners and it’s a very different picture. 

Chinese products and retailers are highly visible in African markets. What is their role in Africa’s economies? 

Chinese traders are playing two roles. On the negative side, they are competing with other traders. In Tanzania for example, Chinese traders are sitting on the pavement next to the Tanzanian traders and laying out their groundnuts, speaking Kiswahili, calling customers to come buy their groundnuts. 

And this has happened in a lot of countries. To see a Chinese person there… people are not comfortable and the same applies in small shops. That provides a lot of competition for local traders who may not want someone coming in speaking their language selling right next to them. 

On the other hand, the Chinese traders are creating more opportunities for consumers. They bring in cheaper things. Sometimes the quality is not good, but often the quality is good and consumers learn which traders to trust. 

There has been very interesting research into how Africans are reacting to these kinds of products. There has been a problem of copying— this is not so much on the level of traders but Chinese coming from China and taking African fabrics back to China, having them duplicated there at a cheaper price and bringing them back to sell in Africa.

What role should governments, civil society and business play to benefit more from China? 

For African governments, it is very interesting to learn more about the things the Chinese have done in order to raise themselves out of poverty. Not to copy their policies but to look and adapt their programme of experimentation and try new things out. 

There is a lot we can learn from what the Chinese have done over the past years. So I think for African governments they also have another kind of partner and they can use this as leverage for policy space. 

African governments over the past couple of decades haven’t had a lot of policy space because they have been subject to conditionalities. It’s not just about governance but economic policies. What the Chinese are saying is that there is a lot different ways to develop and it doesn’t all have to be by Washington consensus. 

Business people have new partners. A lot of African traders have been going to China and picking up Chinese goods and services. What’s been happening in some parts of Africa is that traders have been going to China and looking at their factories and say, ‘This is not difficult to do.’ 

And they have been seeking Chinese technical assistance to help them set up factories. 

For civil society, what will be helpful is if they can learn as much
as possible about what the Chinese are doing – both the negatives and positives. 

As with any new partner, they need to be sure that they keep the partner on their toes. 

They want to push for greater transparency, they want their government to release information, they want to have figures: how much aid are we getting, how much investment are we getting, how much trade are we doing, how many export products, do we have debt, can we repay it? 

That is what a democratic society is entitled to know and that’s the role for civil society. And also pushing for standards and enforcement of standards.

INDIA :

New codeshare agreement to further connect India, Africa
Thursday, 22 July 2010/www.etravelblackboardasia.com

Jet Airways is confident that a new codeshare arrangement and network-wide frequent-flyer partnership with Kenya Airways will lead to greater air traffic between India and Africa.

The Indian carrier announced the partnership last Thursday when the codeshare flights first opened for sale. 

Flights will be open for travel from 22 July 2010, the same date that the frequent flyer partnership comes into effect.

The Jet Airways code will be placed on Kenya Airways’ daily services between Mumbai and Nairobi. This means that Jet Privilege members who book tickets for flights marketed by Jet Airways, but operated by Kenya Airways, will still be able to earn Tier Points, Tier JPMiles and Tier Bonus JPMiles.

The frequent flyer partnership between the two carriers will also enable each airline’s members the chance to earn and redeem miles on the other network’s entire line.

Jet Airways CEO Nikos Kardassis said that Africa was an important market.

“There is significant demand from our customers to travel to Kenya and beyond,” he said. “We are confident that this partnership will translate into greater air traffic between India and Africa.”

He added that the frequent flyer partnership was one of significant mutual benefit.

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and CEO Dr. Titus Naikuni said that the partnership would enable his customers greater access to Indian destinations.

“Kenya Airways seeks to strengthen its presence in India by offering better connection options to its passengers from Africa, and our association with Jet Airways gives us an opportunity to offer our customers a seamless connection to more destinations in the Indian sub continent.”

BRASIL:

EN BREF, CE 22 juillet 2010… AGNEWS /OMAR, BXL,22/07/2010