PAP calls for restoration of elected government in Mauritania
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Johannesburg
The Pan African Parliament has added voice to the African Union’s call for the restoration of Mauritanian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to power after his overthrow in a bloodless coup two months ago.
Presenting their report that was read by Lassane Savadogo from Burkina Faso to the house, the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution called for the reinstatement of the former president as a prerequisite for solving the crisis in the far western African country. They also proposed instituting constitutional reform and called for the release of Sidi Mohamed.
Sidi Mohamed was ousted from power by a group of high ranking generals he had dismissed from office on 6th August led by General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz who has been a central figure in the politics of Mauritania in recent years.
Only last week, the military coup leader rejected an AU ultimatum to reinstate Sidi Mohamed, saying it was not in the country's best interests.
Reacting to the report PAP representatives called for the AU to set a committee for good governance and corruption control. Dr. Georgette Kalimi from Egypt suggested this committee as an effective measure in fighting rampant corruption on the continent. “We should also set an a Pan African Criminal Court such that we avoid a situation as we are facing in Sudan where a sitting president is being threatened by the International Criminal Court.”
Kalimi added that peace and security in Africa cannot be guaranteed by texts as the AU is currently doing: “the commission is writing documents which are kept in files while conflicts persist.”
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
DR Congo urged to solve crisis instead of accusing constantly Rwanda
DR Congo urged to solve crisis instead of accusing constantly Rwanda
BY GEORGE KAGAME&
ARTHUR MORDAUNT
Johannesburg
The Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Liberata Mulamula has called upon the DR Congo government to find a solution to the strife in the Eastern part of the country instead of its continued accusations against Rwanda
Mulamula who was addressing journalists at the sidelines of the 10th session of the Pan African Parliament in Johannesburg South Africa said the Great Lakes Region was facing conflicts because countries in this area were emerging from longstanding conflicts and therefore do not have mechanisms to control internal problems. She added that DR Congo was at the epicenter of all conflicts in the region.
Talking about the recent outbreaks of war in the Eastern part of DR Congo, Mulamula said the country had failed to deal with the issues that led to the raise of dissident General Laurent Nkunda: “the Nkunda factor is an internal problem for DR Congo but it has heightened relations between the country and Rwanda. They constantly allege that Rwanda supports Nkunda but nobody even the UN force in the region –MONUC has comer up with evidence to suggest this is true.”
She continued that accusations of Rwanda’s support to Nkunda do not help anybody in bringing peace to Eastern Congo. Mulamula advised the Congolese government to deal with the negative forces of Interahamwe which cause legitimate security concerns for Rwanda: “there was no Nkunda factor before the Interahamwe issues; it is only when these negative forces are repatriated that peace will prevail in the region,” Mulamula said.
Mulamula further congratulated Angola and Rwanda for creating stable economies with even peaceful and successful elections while some of its neighbours were fighting.
She however lamented the various initiatives that have been undertaken to bring about peace IN THE Great Lakes Region saying they were documents which are not implemented because of limited political will from some stakeholders.
Eastern Congo is currently in crisis after heavy fighting between the government forces against those of the troops under the command of dissident General Laurent Nkunda, the fighting between the two warring sides has displaced over 150,000 people in the region.
BY GEORGE KAGAME&
ARTHUR MORDAUNT
Johannesburg
The Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Liberata Mulamula has called upon the DR Congo government to find a solution to the strife in the Eastern part of the country instead of its continued accusations against Rwanda
Mulamula who was addressing journalists at the sidelines of the 10th session of the Pan African Parliament in Johannesburg South Africa said the Great Lakes Region was facing conflicts because countries in this area were emerging from longstanding conflicts and therefore do not have mechanisms to control internal problems. She added that DR Congo was at the epicenter of all conflicts in the region.
Talking about the recent outbreaks of war in the Eastern part of DR Congo, Mulamula said the country had failed to deal with the issues that led to the raise of dissident General Laurent Nkunda: “the Nkunda factor is an internal problem for DR Congo but it has heightened relations between the country and Rwanda. They constantly allege that Rwanda supports Nkunda but nobody even the UN force in the region –MONUC has comer up with evidence to suggest this is true.”
She continued that accusations of Rwanda’s support to Nkunda do not help anybody in bringing peace to Eastern Congo. Mulamula advised the Congolese government to deal with the negative forces of Interahamwe which cause legitimate security concerns for Rwanda: “there was no Nkunda factor before the Interahamwe issues; it is only when these negative forces are repatriated that peace will prevail in the region,” Mulamula said.
Mulamula further congratulated Angola and Rwanda for creating stable economies with even peaceful and successful elections while some of its neighbours were fighting.
She however lamented the various initiatives that have been undertaken to bring about peace IN THE Great Lakes Region saying they were documents which are not implemented because of limited political will from some stakeholders.
Eastern Congo is currently in crisis after heavy fighting between the government forces against those of the troops under the command of dissident General Laurent Nkunda, the fighting between the two warring sides has displaced over 150,000 people in the region.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Students to benefit from use of English in tuition;RNEC
Students to benefit from use of English in tuition;RNEC
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Director General of Rwanda National Examinations Council-RNEC- John Rutayisire has welcomed the decision recently by government to adopt English as a medium of instruction in the country’s educational sector.
Speaking in an interview with The New Times today, Rutayisire said the language is needed as a tool of communication as well as a development tool. He said it would help students attain similar advantages in the East African job market as those from the established members of the regional black.
He said: “Because of the unique nature of the country’s political theorists, the decision could be differently interpreted by politicians but as education experts, we support government programmes in tourism promotion and creating an ICT hub in the region, if we want to achieve this objective in this region, we must produce labour that equally competes with our rivals in the region.”
Last week, the cabinet endorsed English as the major language that all levels of the education and speaking last week while touring a primary school in Kimiruhura, Kigali suburb, President Paul Kagame said cabinet changed from French to English because of the requirements of the labour market in the region-whereby most of the jobs in the region are held by mostly products of Uganda and Kenya's education system which uses English as the official medium of instruction.
Kagame said inorder for products of Rwanda's education system to compete favourably with others in the region, there was need to allign students towards English because it would open a wider market and opportunities for skilled labour.
According to Rutayisire, Rwanda's entry into the East African Community now ensures that education products of the education system here-which hitherto has been in French-competes with those from the established three members, as a result, many Rwandans are unfavoured by regional labour market demands.
As a result, one of the hot issues under debate in the EAC-Commom Market union negotiations curently underway are fears by some member countries that the free movement of labour will favour mainly Kenyans and Ugandans.
Commenting on the issue, Rutayisire said: "We shall emphasize to our students to learn all languages including Swahili, this will enable us to we are now calling for the support of teachers and parents because education reforms are part and partial of the rebiulding proccess we are undergoing to catch up with our competitors in the region."
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The Director General of Rwanda National Examinations Council-RNEC- John Rutayisire has welcomed the decision recently by government to adopt English as a medium of instruction in the country’s educational sector.
Speaking in an interview with The New Times today, Rutayisire said the language is needed as a tool of communication as well as a development tool. He said it would help students attain similar advantages in the East African job market as those from the established members of the regional black.
He said: “Because of the unique nature of the country’s political theorists, the decision could be differently interpreted by politicians but as education experts, we support government programmes in tourism promotion and creating an ICT hub in the region, if we want to achieve this objective in this region, we must produce labour that equally competes with our rivals in the region.”
Last week, the cabinet endorsed English as the major language that all levels of the education and speaking last week while touring a primary school in Kimiruhura, Kigali suburb, President Paul Kagame said cabinet changed from French to English because of the requirements of the labour market in the region-whereby most of the jobs in the region are held by mostly products of Uganda and Kenya's education system which uses English as the official medium of instruction.
Kagame said inorder for products of Rwanda's education system to compete favourably with others in the region, there was need to allign students towards English because it would open a wider market and opportunities for skilled labour.
According to Rutayisire, Rwanda's entry into the East African Community now ensures that education products of the education system here-which hitherto has been in French-competes with those from the established three members, as a result, many Rwandans are unfavoured by regional labour market demands.
As a result, one of the hot issues under debate in the EAC-Commom Market union negotiations curently underway are fears by some member countries that the free movement of labour will favour mainly Kenyans and Ugandans.
Commenting on the issue, Rutayisire said: "We shall emphasize to our students to learn all languages including Swahili, this will enable us to we are now calling for the support of teachers and parents because education reforms are part and partial of the rebiulding proccess we are undergoing to catch up with our competitors in the region."
EAC lawmakers call for more involvement in new EPA negotiations
EAC lawmakers call for more involvement in new EPA negotiations
BY GEORGE KAGAME
East African law makers have asked governments of the respective five member countries comprising the block to scrap the interim Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the East African Community and the European Union late 2007 and begin a fresh round of negotiations.
Speaking recently during the 4th Annual Inter-Parliamentary Relations Seminar in Kigali, the parliamentarians declared that the EPA Framework Agreement that was initialled between the EAC and EU last November was a raw deal and poorly negotiated. The controversial EPA, was signed in Lisbon after East African governments were allegedly coerced with the the threat of the Cotonou pact governing trade between the European Union and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The 2007 negotiations were limited only to ministers and technocrats, the legislators are now demanding that they be involved in EAC Common Market negotiations and to have their concerns considered before the final signing of the Comprehensive EPA Agreement. Their concerns include the flexibility and exceptions in market access, periodic and specific reviews, dispute settlements, and relevant institutions. The new round of negotiations the legislators pointed out should take place before June 2009.
They highlighted the "rapid developments" in East Africa and said the EAC now should focus more on South-South co-operation, which they consider to be more advantageous than that with the West, in order for the new negotiations to take place in a more transparent manner, the parliamentarians recommended that all EAC partner states assent to the East African Joint Trade Negotiation Bill recently.
Dr Francis Mangeni, a consultant on African trade and international trade policy, said the EU is once again moulding the developing world in its own image, and to negotiate itself into a permanent preferential place that assures its continued influence in order to secure an edge over competitors for resources, services and goods."
The seminar, officially opened by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, brought together over 200 participants who included all the 45 EALA(East African Legislative Assembly) members; 15 Members of Parliament from each of the five EAC National Assemblies; East African ministers, senior government and EAC officials and 15 members of the Economic Community of Western African States parliament.
It was called to discuss the roles of national and regional legislators in the EAC integration process, ongoing negotiations on the EAC Common Market Protocol and the EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement. EALA speaker Abdirahin Haithar Abdi,said parliaments should be constantly appraised of the progress and developments on the ongoing negotiations of the EAC Common Market Protocol and the EPA negotiations.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
East African law makers have asked governments of the respective five member countries comprising the block to scrap the interim Economic Partnership Agreement signed between the East African Community and the European Union late 2007 and begin a fresh round of negotiations.
Speaking recently during the 4th Annual Inter-Parliamentary Relations Seminar in Kigali, the parliamentarians declared that the EPA Framework Agreement that was initialled between the EAC and EU last November was a raw deal and poorly negotiated. The controversial EPA, was signed in Lisbon after East African governments were allegedly coerced with the the threat of the Cotonou pact governing trade between the European Union and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The 2007 negotiations were limited only to ministers and technocrats, the legislators are now demanding that they be involved in EAC Common Market negotiations and to have their concerns considered before the final signing of the Comprehensive EPA Agreement. Their concerns include the flexibility and exceptions in market access, periodic and specific reviews, dispute settlements, and relevant institutions. The new round of negotiations the legislators pointed out should take place before June 2009.
They highlighted the "rapid developments" in East Africa and said the EAC now should focus more on South-South co-operation, which they consider to be more advantageous than that with the West, in order for the new negotiations to take place in a more transparent manner, the parliamentarians recommended that all EAC partner states assent to the East African Joint Trade Negotiation Bill recently.
Dr Francis Mangeni, a consultant on African trade and international trade policy, said the EU is once again moulding the developing world in its own image, and to negotiate itself into a permanent preferential place that assures its continued influence in order to secure an edge over competitors for resources, services and goods."
The seminar, officially opened by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, brought together over 200 participants who included all the 45 EALA(East African Legislative Assembly) members; 15 Members of Parliament from each of the five EAC National Assemblies; East African ministers, senior government and EAC officials and 15 members of the Economic Community of Western African States parliament.
It was called to discuss the roles of national and regional legislators in the EAC integration process, ongoing negotiations on the EAC Common Market Protocol and the EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement. EALA speaker Abdirahin Haithar Abdi,said parliaments should be constantly appraised of the progress and developments on the ongoing negotiations of the EAC Common Market Protocol and the EPA negotiations.
East African political integration still a long shot: Kiraso
East African political integration still a long shot: Kiraso
BY GEORGE KAGAME
East African Political Federation is still a long time away but the economic and social integration of the community is due to be realized soon, it has been revealed by the deputy secretary general of the EAC Beatrice Kiraso.
Kiraso was last week addressing a workshop of national consultative committees set up in Rwanda and Burundi to help both countries speed up their fast tracking such that they can set out mechanisms similar to those existing in the three original members of the EAC before the onset of regional policies like the Common Market and the Customs Union.
She said that consultations are on course in the two new Partner States to embrace the policies of the East African Community.
Hon. Kiraso informed delegates that negotiations on the EAC Common Market were in high gear and that for fast tracking the integration process, the Summit of the EAC Heads of State directed that the EAC Common Market Protocol be in place by early 2010 while the EAC Monetary Union by 2012.
Political integration and federation of the EAC remains so far a major concern for Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who in the 2006 presidential campaigns of his country promised his voters that the East African Community would achieve political integration by 2013. Kiraso said the timeframe for political federation has not yet been fixed: “The road map (of political integration) shall only be developed after the two NCCs of Rwanda and Burundi have presented their report and findings of the national consultations.”†
She said as the EAC integrations deepens and widens, the need for a central political authority to consolidate the gains that will have been achieved from integration cannot be over-emphasized. Economic integration is certainly, significant, but there is need for clear mechanisms for equitable distribution of the benefits of integration, enforcement of policy decisions and exploitation of the existing economies of scale in all sectors through a single planning unit.
†
Kiraso added that the EAC political federation is not an event (with a timetable) but a process which calls for institutional development through development of policies, mechanisms and frameworks that lay the foundation for the ultimate stage of the EAC integration - the Political Federation. “That is why the Secretariat is working towards developing a regional framework on good governance, which encompasses four major pillars namely; Democratization processes; Justice and Rule of Law; Anti-corruption, Ethics and Integrity; and Human Rights and Social Justice”,
BY GEORGE KAGAME
East African Political Federation is still a long time away but the economic and social integration of the community is due to be realized soon, it has been revealed by the deputy secretary general of the EAC Beatrice Kiraso.
Kiraso was last week addressing a workshop of national consultative committees set up in Rwanda and Burundi to help both countries speed up their fast tracking such that they can set out mechanisms similar to those existing in the three original members of the EAC before the onset of regional policies like the Common Market and the Customs Union.
She said that consultations are on course in the two new Partner States to embrace the policies of the East African Community.
Hon. Kiraso informed delegates that negotiations on the EAC Common Market were in high gear and that for fast tracking the integration process, the Summit of the EAC Heads of State directed that the EAC Common Market Protocol be in place by early 2010 while the EAC Monetary Union by 2012.
Political integration and federation of the EAC remains so far a major concern for Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who in the 2006 presidential campaigns of his country promised his voters that the East African Community would achieve political integration by 2013. Kiraso said the timeframe for political federation has not yet been fixed: “The road map (of political integration) shall only be developed after the two NCCs of Rwanda and Burundi have presented their report and findings of the national consultations.”†
She said as the EAC integrations deepens and widens, the need for a central political authority to consolidate the gains that will have been achieved from integration cannot be over-emphasized. Economic integration is certainly, significant, but there is need for clear mechanisms for equitable distribution of the benefits of integration, enforcement of policy decisions and exploitation of the existing economies of scale in all sectors through a single planning unit.
†
Kiraso added that the EAC political federation is not an event (with a timetable) but a process which calls for institutional development through development of policies, mechanisms and frameworks that lay the foundation for the ultimate stage of the EAC integration - the Political Federation. “That is why the Secretariat is working towards developing a regional framework on good governance, which encompasses four major pillars namely; Democratization processes; Justice and Rule of Law; Anti-corruption, Ethics and Integrity; and Human Rights and Social Justice”,
New land reforms to spur economic growth and social harmony
New land reforms to spur economic growth and social harmony
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Government today launched the first phase of land tenure reforms stating that the new changes in land ownership and management would increase investments throughout the country.
Stanislas Kamanzi the minister of Lands, environment, forests, water and mines said the reforms are part of Rwanda’s mechanism for registering land titles and the proper use to ensure long equity in land ownership among all Rwandans.
The reforms are part funded by government and British aid organization, FID-Department of Foreign and International Development who have been funding land reforms in the country since 2002 spending Frw 3billion since then.
The reforms started off with the passing of the National Land Policy passed in 2004, and were amended by the launching of Organic Land Law in 2005.
Sandra Pepera said upon its completion, the land reforms in the country will stimulate investments and growth because it caters for the rights and protection of especially vulnerable groups in the country. She added that reforms would also help in resolving disputes in communities and promoting social harmony.
Pepera further said the whole land regularization would need 40m USD to be completed in the next five years. She called upon Rwanda’s other donor partners to contribute to the process.
Land issues have been a thorn to both local and national leaders in the country, in the Eastern province it took President Paul Kagame’s personal intervention in resolving matters connected to unequal distribution of land.
In large parts of the province, senior security officials had acquired large portions of land making many peasants landless and reducing them to squatters. Currently there are, according to the ministry of lands, 7.5 million plots of land in the country serving a population expected to be above 10 million now.
In the first phase of the land tenure reforms launched today, Kamanzi said the government will ensure that land owners are given their titles and guarantee security of these titles, leasing arrangements for land owners ranging between 29 to 99 years, and strengthening the existing district land commissions. He added that the second phase would begin in March 2009.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
Government today launched the first phase of land tenure reforms stating that the new changes in land ownership and management would increase investments throughout the country.
Stanislas Kamanzi the minister of Lands, environment, forests, water and mines said the reforms are part of Rwanda’s mechanism for registering land titles and the proper use to ensure long equity in land ownership among all Rwandans.
The reforms are part funded by government and British aid organization, FID-Department of Foreign and International Development who have been funding land reforms in the country since 2002 spending Frw 3billion since then.
The reforms started off with the passing of the National Land Policy passed in 2004, and were amended by the launching of Organic Land Law in 2005.
Sandra Pepera said upon its completion, the land reforms in the country will stimulate investments and growth because it caters for the rights and protection of especially vulnerable groups in the country. She added that reforms would also help in resolving disputes in communities and promoting social harmony.
Pepera further said the whole land regularization would need 40m USD to be completed in the next five years. She called upon Rwanda’s other donor partners to contribute to the process.
Land issues have been a thorn to both local and national leaders in the country, in the Eastern province it took President Paul Kagame’s personal intervention in resolving matters connected to unequal distribution of land.
In large parts of the province, senior security officials had acquired large portions of land making many peasants landless and reducing them to squatters. Currently there are, according to the ministry of lands, 7.5 million plots of land in the country serving a population expected to be above 10 million now.
In the first phase of the land tenure reforms launched today, Kamanzi said the government will ensure that land owners are given their titles and guarantee security of these titles, leasing arrangements for land owners ranging between 29 to 99 years, and strengthening the existing district land commissions. He added that the second phase would begin in March 2009.
Government aims to connect all primary school pupils to lap tops by 2012: Murenzi
Government aims to connect all primary school pupils by 2012: Murenzi
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The launch of the 'One Lap Top Per Child' scheme in Rwanda by President Paul Kagame earlier in the month is a big step in the government's objective of creating a knowledge based economy by 2020, this was revealed by Professor Romain Murenzi the Minister in Charge of Science and Technology while meeting Japanese design and textile experts at Village Urugwiro over the weekend.
The experts from Tama Art University in Tokyo were in Rwanda promoting a new technique whereby banana leaves-after the edible part is taken-the remains can be turned into textile material, the discovery was made from the design university. Murenzi said the discovery would be very helpful if the experts opened a processing plant in the country, he added that Rwanda was committed to innovative technology as already the government was involved in using the banana wastes for its bio-diversity programmes, these Murenzi said include the Bio-mass projects which are producing energy that supplements the requirements of institutions like prison facilities scattered across the country.
Recently President Kagame launched the highly publicized One Lap Top per child in the country, Rwanda being only the third country in Africa adopt it after Libya and Nigeria.
In this scheme, which was initiated by US academician Professor Nicholas Negroponte and was adopted by the UN is promoted as one measure in establishing or and bridging the wide information gap among developing countries and developed ones.
Murenzi said that government needed 2.5 million lap tops to serve "all primary school going children" in the country that qualify to access to them, he said the project needed the support of parents, local government, civil society and donors to be a success. Kagame said government had already bought 5000 computers which have already been supplied in three districts.
The laptops ,according to Rwanda Information and Technology Authority director Nkubito Bakuramutsa will soon be translated into Kinyarwanda.
"My ministry is working with that of education in ensuring that the transfer, promotion of knowledge among school going children, it is our goal to have all primary school children have these laptops by 2012," Murenzi emphasized.
The 10 man delegation from Japan through their leader Koichi Hagiwara said in the spirit of promoting the use of this new technology in Rwanda-which has capacity to produce 6 tonnes of bananas annually-would send 40 banana growers to the Japanese to learn about the process of turning banana wastes into textile materials.
BY GEORGE KAGAME
The launch of the 'One Lap Top Per Child' scheme in Rwanda by President Paul Kagame earlier in the month is a big step in the government's objective of creating a knowledge based economy by 2020, this was revealed by Professor Romain Murenzi the Minister in Charge of Science and Technology while meeting Japanese design and textile experts at Village Urugwiro over the weekend.
The experts from Tama Art University in Tokyo were in Rwanda promoting a new technique whereby banana leaves-after the edible part is taken-the remains can be turned into textile material, the discovery was made from the design university. Murenzi said the discovery would be very helpful if the experts opened a processing plant in the country, he added that Rwanda was committed to innovative technology as already the government was involved in using the banana wastes for its bio-diversity programmes, these Murenzi said include the Bio-mass projects which are producing energy that supplements the requirements of institutions like prison facilities scattered across the country.
Recently President Kagame launched the highly publicized One Lap Top per child in the country, Rwanda being only the third country in Africa adopt it after Libya and Nigeria.
In this scheme, which was initiated by US academician Professor Nicholas Negroponte and was adopted by the UN is promoted as one measure in establishing or and bridging the wide information gap among developing countries and developed ones.
Murenzi said that government needed 2.5 million lap tops to serve "all primary school going children" in the country that qualify to access to them, he said the project needed the support of parents, local government, civil society and donors to be a success. Kagame said government had already bought 5000 computers which have already been supplied in three districts.
The laptops ,according to Rwanda Information and Technology Authority director Nkubito Bakuramutsa will soon be translated into Kinyarwanda.
"My ministry is working with that of education in ensuring that the transfer, promotion of knowledge among school going children, it is our goal to have all primary school children have these laptops by 2012," Murenzi emphasized.
The 10 man delegation from Japan through their leader Koichi Hagiwara said in the spirit of promoting the use of this new technology in Rwanda-which has capacity to produce 6 tonnes of bananas annually-would send 40 banana growers to the Japanese to learn about the process of turning banana wastes into textile materials.
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