[A bishop from the Nile delta was chosen to lead the Coptic Orthodox Church on Sunday when a blindfolded altar boy picked his name from a glass chalice in a ceremony resonant with tradition but marked by anxiety over heightening tensions between Christians and Muslims across Egypt. Bishop Tawadros became the Church’s 118th pope after his name was selected from three finalists at a Mass in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. He succeeds Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after four decades as patriarch of the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Copts make up about 10% of Egypt’s population of 82 million.]
BURUNDI :
RWANDA :
Rwanda: Rwangombwa Gives Peers Tips to Speed Up Economic Growth By Kenneth Agutamba/Rwanda Focus (Kigali)/ 5 November 2012
Finance minister John Rwangombwa says there is no reason why most African countries, with vast assets, can't achieve higher economic growth rates that Rwanda has managed with scant resources.
"If Rwanda--a small and land-locked country with few resources can achieve this growth, Africa as a whole can achieve double-digit growth if we do a few things the right way," Rwangombwa said at the sidelines of the 2012 African Economic Conference (AEC) in Kigali last week.
The AEC, an annually event by the African Development Bank (AfDB), UNDP and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), discussed how Africa can achieve inclusive and sustainable development in this era of uncertainty.
According to Rwangombwa, AEC could not have come at a better time when uncertainties in the global economy, turmoil in the capital markets and debt problem in the developed world pose big challenges to Africa's economic development.
But he hastened to add that the current problems should be seen as an opportunity to come up with new solutions based on lessons learned from current challenges.
"Africa needs economic transformation over the coming decade if it is to develop at all. We cannot continue being the continent of primary commodities," he said.
Presenting a paper on the flow of funds and Africa's economic transformation, Rwangombwa warned African policymakers to continuously work to make the continent attractive to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) because the debt problem in the developed world pose big challenges to the flow of FDI into Africa.
Rwangombwa, who was named finance minister of the year for Sub-Saharan Africa by Emerging Markets HSBC, advised that that too can be seen as an opportunity to look for solutions.
"Policy-makers working closely with researchers and think tanks of the continent can turn these challenges into opportunities. We must present ourselves as the most profitable and secure destination of investors' funds that are scared of the problems in the Western markets. It is worrying to know that Africa attracts less than 9% of FDI. We need as much as possible to continue reducing the uncertainties about the evolution of our economies," he said.
Asked whether Africa has any hope for positive growth prospects, the minister said there's absolutely no reason to worry.
According to Rwangombwa, the fact that Africa's economy has been growing at an average of 5% despite the global economic crisis is an indication that the continent is on the right track.
"However, we can do even better. Rwanda has been growing at an average of 8.3% over the past 10 years. I am convinced that if Rwanda, a small, land-locked country with few resources, can achieve this growth, Africa as a whole can achieve double-digit growth if we do few things the right way. We are currently elaborating our second economic development plan and are targeting 11.5 percent growth," he said.
However, he emphasized that research is one of the ways this undertaking can be enhanced - and Africa, in its search for economic transformation, will increasingly need to develop understanding of key economic opportunities and challenges.
"It is important to devise policies that will ensure optimal allocation and use of those funds in an economy. It is important that we also better understand the responses and reactions of funds to various shocks. This is the basis of good policy design. We would need to ascertain what should be the role of governments, private sectors, as well as what should be the priority sectors that would expedite economic development in Africa," he said.
Experts reckon that Rwanda's progress and achievements over the last decade should be closely scrutinized by other African countries and an open book advisory for many countries on the continent that are immerging out of conflict and need to revive their stalled economies and liberate their citizens from poverty.
AfDB president Donald Kaberuka encouraged participants to learn from Rwanda's experience.
Rwanda: DRC Soldiers Enter Rwanda, Two Killed in Shoot Out By Sam K Nkurunziza/The New Times/4 November 2012
Two soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who, on Saturday, allegedly entered Rwanda illegally on a spy mission, were killed in a shoot out with Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF).
One of the deceased was identified as Corporal Mbanza Numba Bisogolo. His slain colleague could not be readily identified because he was immediately whisked away during the gun battle.
Mbanza's body was last evening handed over to the DRC Government in Rusura village, Busasamana sector in Rubavu district.
The body was received and identified by DRC's head of 8th Regional Command, Col Everest Somo Kakule.
Kakule declined to speak to the press after receiving the body. Defence Attachés from Uganda and France were on site to witness the handover of the body. Mbanza's identification documents and recovered ammunition (including one sub machine gun, 173 rounds of ammunition and six complete magazines) were retained by officials from the Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM).
Col Gabriel Ntirandekura, the team leader of the JVM said that a thorough investigation about the incidence would be conducted and a full report compiled.
Available information shows that Mbanza was a member of the 69th Battalion mainly comprised of military intelligence personnel.
According to reliable sources, at about 12:00 p.m., on Saturday, a contingent of between 70 and 100 soldiers, including Mbanza, illegally crossed and opened fire on Rwandan military observers about 400metres into the Rwandan territory.
During an interview, RDF Spokesperson Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita said RDF soldiers acted in self defence.
"We were alerted by residents and our soldiers fought back when they started shooting at us," he said.
Nzabamwita said that one RDF soldier was injured in the process and is currently admitted at Kanombe Military Hospital.
RDC CONGO :
UGANDA :
East Africa: Uganda Holds Somalia Hostage in High-Stakes Diplomacy By Simon Allison/Daily Maverick/5 November 2012 analysis
Anxious to cover up its illicit involvement in neighbouring DRC’s on-going rebellion, Uganda has played its trump card: threatening to pull its troops from Somalia and derail that country’s slight but fragile progress.
It’s fair to say that the Ugandan government was not particularly happy with the contents of a United Nations report that unequivocally implicated it in the ongoing rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report, compiled by a “group of experts” appointed to look into the issue, found that Uganda was assisting the M23 rebel movement “in the form of direct troop reinforcements in DRC territory, weapons deliveries, technical assistance, joint planning, political advice and facilitation of external relations”.
It was a damning conclusion, and caused diplomatic shockwaves throughout the region; with Rwanda also blamed for assisting the rebels, the conflict in North Kivu started to look less like a rebellion and more like a regional war. Uganda denied wrongdoing in no uncertain terms, and Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi castigated what he described as a baseless, unfair and malicious report; one that was compiled without following due process and with minimal input from concerned stakeholders. This was two weeks ago.
Since then, the Ugandan government has got even angrier, until on Saturday it decided to play its trump card. Fine, they said; if the international community insists on propagating these baseless accusations about Uganda, then they shouldn’t expect Ugandan troops to keep on keeping the fragile peace in a country where the international community fears to tread: Somalia.
Since 2007, Ugandan soldiers have been the backbone of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom). At any one time since then, there have been at least 5,000 Ugandans on the ground in Somalia, and the number is often higher. Given the unwillingness of other countries to contribute troops (with the exception of Burundi initially, and now Djibouti, Kenya and Sierra Leone), it is no exaggeration to say it was the Ugandan military that kept Somalia’s unstable transitional government in some semblance of power for so long, providing the foundation for the recent assault on Al-Shabaab that severely damaged the Islamist militant group.
Even in the wake of the recent successes, Somalia is a dangerous country, and its capital, Mogadishu, particularly so. With no real security forces of its own to rely on, the Somali government continues to be propped up by Amisom, which is still disproportionately reliant on Ugandan soldiers, which account for a full third of its troop contingent in Somalia. Take the Ugandans away, and it is likely that the entire fragile edifice will come crumbling down.
But that is what Uganda wants to do, according to Security Minister Wilson Mukasa. “We are tired of being maligned even after sacrifices have been made to ensure that our friends, our neighbours are okay. The ‘thank you’ we get is that you are now aiding this, you are this and that, so we are tired,” he told reporters in Kampala. This has forced the government to conclude that it is safer and easier to forget about this business of international peacekeeping and intervention: “Let’s stop all these initiatives. We will concentrate on ourselves. Whoever wants to cause us trouble, they will find us at our home.” He added that Uganda had already despatched an official to New York to inform the United Nations of this decision.
While in New York, one suspects that this unnamed official will also have a few meetings with other unnamed officials from the United States, which has its own vested interests in Somalia. The US has been deeply concerned for a long time about the threat posed by Al-Shabaab, and in particular its links with al-Qaeda. This makes Somalia another front in the War on Terror, but one in which the US is reluctant to participate directly. A happy solution was found in which African countries – primarily Uganda – were supported, both technically and financially, to put non- American boots on the ground. If Uganda is thinking about deserting its position on the frontline of the War on Terror in Somalia, risking an Al-Shabaab resurgence, it is likely the White House or State Department will have a few things to say.
Chances are, however, that Uganda has no intention of actually going through with its threat of summary withdrawal. “It’s just politics and playing to the gallery. They won’t pull out,” said analyst Hamza Mohamed, a specialist on Somalia. His sources in Mogadishu suggest there have been no plans to follow through on the threat, which is likely designed as a warning to the international community to ease its criticism of Uganda’s Congolese adventures. “Things will be quietly settled behind closed doors with perhaps future reports not being so critical,” he added.
It’s hard to see any other outcome. With the international and African community happy to outsource the establishment of Somali democracy to countries like Uganda, which doesn’t exactly have a wonderful governance record itself, it should come as no surprise when those countries demand their quid pro quo.
In this case, Uganda is asking the international community to choose between exposing the roots of the conflict in the eastern DRC and maintaining Somalia’s tenuous hold on stability. There’s no doubt that Somalia will win this particular trade-off, especially given America’s heavy investment in a successful outcome there. It seems less likely, however, that Uganda’s involvement in the DRC will be forgotten. If anything, the heavy-handedness of its response – coupled with the evidence in the controversial UN report – suggests that there is some truth to the accusations.
The Daily Maverick is a unique blend of news, information, analysis and opinion delivered from our newsroom in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Uganda's Move Out of Somalia Betrays Fallen Gallant Soldiers By Edward Ojulu/Rwanda Focus (Kigali)/5 November 2012 opinion
It appears the chaotic and seemingly confused approach adapted by the international community to deal with the mess in the vast jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo will simply not go away.
Instead, the UN-sponsored blame game, which started with accusation against Rwanda that have since expanded to include Uganda, appears to be leading to more chaos in the fragile Grate Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.
Last week, Uganda announced that it would pull out its troops from the war-ravaged and ethnically torn Somalia in protest against allegation by the UN Panel of Experts accusing Kampala of supporting a Congolese rebel group, M23.
Operating under African Union Mission in Somalia (Amison) Ugandans and Burundian soldiers have been credited for restoring order in the Somali capital Mogadishu, having outgunned the al- Qaeda-linked militant Islamists, al-shabaab.
And this has been at a very high toll to Ugandan - that some estimates say over 500 men have died. This perhaps explains Kampala's anger and frustration over the UN report. For authorities in Uganda, the country has sacrificed a lot to ensure peace and stability in the region and therefore deserved more respect and compliments than scorn from the international community.
In other words, Kampala thinks that it should viewed as a peacemaker and enforcer of stability in the region and not as an anarchist seeking to benefit by plundering resources of its western neighbor.
Of course this is not the first time Uganda or Rwanda have been accused of some form involvement DR Congo - their huge neighbor that appears to suffer an endemic governance gap. The jungles of the vast country are indeed a safe haven for all sorts of bandits in the region.
So, it is easy to understand Kampala's bitterness and the threat to abandon a mission that all agree is yielding the best chance ever to restore sanity to the Horn of Africa where lawlessness in form of piracy and terrorism has been the order of the day for the last two decades that Somalia has had no effective administration.
That is not however to suggest that Uganda is right to quit Somalia at this point in time. In fact that would be a cowardly act that hands victory to those who are jealousy of the visible success of an African solution to an African problem.
Pulling out of Somalia now would also be betrayal of hundreds (some say thousands) of Ugandan soldiers who have sacrificed their lives with the hope of making Africa a safer place to live in. Those true sons of Africa will have died in vain if the mission for which they lost their lives is abandoned prematurely.
Remember, Uganda and Burundi did not deploy in Somalia in anticipation for reward and prize from the United Nations. It was out of realization by the African Union that it was time for Africa to deal with the insecurity that was costing many countries a lot in terms of lives and lost business.
Success in Somalia should therefore open a new chapter in the way the African Union will in future deal with internal problems of member states.
Gone are the days of "non-interference in the internal matters of other countries" when the continental body simply stood and watched as lawlessness reigned large in member-states.
Forget about the UN Panel of Experts, the real solution to DR Congo's problem will not come from the UN Security Council or the so-called international community. It will come from Africa with Uganda and Rwanda playing a major role.
It is therefore high time President Joseph Kabila turned to his counterparts in Kigali and Kampala for practical solutions to problems dogging his country instead of crying at the UN. By virtue of sharing common borders, Uganda and Rwanda have genuine interest in the stability of Congo and are therefore better placed to offer working solutions.
That is why I think that instead of wasting time denying allegation after allegation about their involvement in DR Congo, Uganda and Rwanda should instead initiate serous dialogue at the AU to sort out the mess in Congo.
And part of the conversation should include building infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals to help instill effective administration in Congo.
Uganda: OPM- Denmark Freezes Aid, Bigirimana Remains Defiant By Charles Etukuri/The New Vision/ 4 November 2012
EMBATTLED Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Pius Bigirimana, is still in the office despite a vote by Members of Parliament on Thursday to force Government to suspend him and tough conditions by the donor community before the aid taps could be reopened.
In a phone interview on Friday with Sunday Vision Bigirimana said he had not been interdicted, contrary to reports, and was still the Permanent Secretary.
"I am still in office and I am working normally," he said. He also maintained his innocence and said he was being victimised.
On Thursday, Parliament presided over by the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, overwhelmingly voted to have Bigirimana kicked-out over the scam that has since seen the country suffer aid cuts.
Funds for the Government Marshal Plan to reconstruct Northern Uganda was being channelled through the Peace Recovery and Development Programme (PRDP), a programme under the OPM, that funded by donors.
Denmark, Britain and Ireland announced they were freezing their financial assistance to the Government.
Donors also set tough conditions before they could resume aid, with Denmark insisting that the Government had to make a written confirmation of the commitment to crack down on corrupt officials 'with indications of concrete actions taken'.
"We have immediately suspended all direct payments of assistance through the Government of Uganda. We have zero tolerance to fraud. There have been tough meetings with the Prime Minister and finance minister. We have demanded money refunded and all those responsible brought to justice, and the introduction of more and better control systems which ensure that the type of fraud will not occur again. The Government has promised this will happen," read a statement by Christian Friis Bach, Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark.
Revelations of massive theft of money aimed at helping the poor were brought to light following a request by Bigirimana to the Police chief to investigate the principal accountant, Geoffrey Kazinda, who had absconded from duty.
He, however, tried to control attempts by CID to interrogate him and the other staff. A special report by the Auditor General discovered massive irregularities that implicate the PS and his staff.
A source at State House told Sunday Vision that the President was going to pronounce himself over the matter this week.
SOUTH AFRICA :
South Africa: Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe urged to challenge President Jacob Zuma By Associated Press/ Monday, November 5
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s deputy president is being urged to challenge President Jacob Zuma for the leadership of the ruling African National Congress — a position that would all but guarantee him the presidency of the nation.
Kgalema Motlanthe, who fought against white rule and was imprisoned on notorious Robben Island, is not a name that’s immediately recognized around the world, even though he once served as president of South Africa for eight months. But in December, Motlanthe will have a chance to run for the top spot in the ANC when the party holds its leadership conference.
The ANC leader will be the party’s candidate for president in the 2014 national election. Such is the strength of Nelson Mandela’s party that the ANC candidate is virtually assured victory. Dubbed Zuma’s “silent opponent” in the South African press, Motlanthe has not announced his candidacy for the ANC’s top spot but some have been pushing the self-effacing politician to make a stand and challenge Zuma.
“We have to restore the dignity of the ANC. You can’t fight the struggle in a white suit ... Get out of the white suit and into overalls and get your hands dirty,” ANC Youth League Deputy President Ronald Lamola said at a rally Motlanthe attended Saturday, according to The Sunday Independent, a local newspaper.
Motlanthe has not publicly hinted at his plans, even as Zuma faces persistent criticism of his leadership of the ANC. But a new authorized biography of Motlanthe has sparked conjecture that he may challenge Zuma next month. “Kgalema Motlanthe” by Ebrahim Harvey appeared barely two months before ANC members gather for the crucial conference and as some ANC branches openly declared their support for Motlanthe as ANC president.
“The timing would suggest that he meant to try and say, ‘Here I am,’” said Shadrack Gutto, a professor of African renaissance studies at the University of South Africa. Gutto said Motlanthe would offer a “totally different type of leadership” and that “he would be a credible leader” in a way Zuma is not.
The biography portrays Motlanthe as someone who could rescue the ANC’s credibility in the eyes of those who are disappointed with the party’s failure to stem social and economic inequality. But the book also suggests that he may lack the aggressive political drive needed to battle the 70-year- old Zuma.
Still, some analysts believe Motlanthe, 63, has a fair chance following what many see as Zuma’s poor handling of labor unrest in South Africa’s crucial mining sector and criticism for spending a purported $23 million and more in government funds on improving his rural private residence.
Harvey writes that Kgalema is “acutely aware of the ills in the ANC and that, unless they are dealt with sooner rather than later, the future for the ruling party will be bleak.”
Motlanthe himself is being cagey. One of his spokesmen, Thabo Masebe, said Motlanthe “doesn’t want to think about a particular position.”
“It is up to the will of the (ANC) branches,” Motlanthe is quoted as saying in the biography. “My position is that nobody must try to canvass for themselves in the run-up to elections ... But if I am nominated for such a position when the electoral commission approaches me and says I have been nominated for such a position, I will then either accept or decline.”
Motlanthe was president of South Africa from September 2008 to May 2009 after then President Thabo Mbeki resigned. Mbeki had been ousted as the leader of the ANC and the divided party agreed on Motlanthe as a safe, non-controversial caretaker president until the national election, which Zuma won. Motlanthe was widely credited with offering measured, sober leadership as president, according to his biographer.
“Most of those I spoke with say it is gravitas that strikes them most when they think of Kgalema as a leader,” Harvey writes. “Kgalema has a dignified seriousness to him. In mass meetings he would probably not be as spontaneous with ululations as Zuma.”
Motlanthe was an altar boy and as a young man had hoped to become a Roman Catholic priest, but the apartheid government denied him permission to train outside South Africa. Motlanthe was later influenced by Steve Biko’s Black Consciousness Movement and was a voracious reader of general literature as well as Marxist texts. He became well educated despite not having a university degree. He favors wire-rim spectacles and wears a goatee, which has gone gray.
Motlanthe has solid anti-apartheid credentials. In 1977, he was convicted of sabotage and other charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, most of which he served on Robben Island at the same time as Mandela and Zuma. On his release he joined the National Union of Mineworkers, a powerful labor group, where he grew in stature until 1997, when he was elected secretary-general of the ANC. Since then he has been an influential member of the ruling party, praised as a unifier who shies away from populism.
But Harvey notes that many of those who have worked with Motlanthe describe him as indecisive and averse to taking risks. Those are traits Motlanthe would have to overcome to take on Zuma, a veteran politician who still retains a good deal of charisma.
Budget airline in South Africa applies for liquidation By Associated Press/ Published: November 2
JOHANNESBURG — A budget airline in South Africa says that it has applied for liquidation.
1Time Airline said Friday that all of its operations have been grounded with immediate effect after it applied for business liquidation. The low cost airline that flies in southern Africa filed and operated under business rescue since Sept. 17. It said a financial consultant advised the company “there was no viable way forward to recapitalize the airline to a profitable state.”
The firm says it had been in negotiations with creditors since March and had short-term debt of about 320 million rand ($38 million).
Hundreds of passengers booked with the airline were stranded after the announcement.
Another budget airline in South Africa, Velvet Sky, shut down earlier this year because of financial problems
TANZANIA :
Tanzania: Form II Failures for Expulsion By Rose Athumani/Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)/5 November 2012
AS candidates sit for National Form II Examinations on Monday, the government has said that those who will fail the exam twice will not proceed to the next class.
Addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam, the Minster for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa said those who will fail to attain 30 marks and above in the examinations will repeat the class.
This means that repeating students who will fail the examination for a second time will be sent home but be allowed to continue with secondary education outside the formal system.
"The government is now focused on improving the quality of education in the country, and this is among the strategies being employed. Those who will fail the exams will get one opportunity to repeat for a year only, and if they fail again, they will go home and continue their secondary education outside the formal system," Dr Kawambwa noted.
A total of 442,925 candidates are registered to sit for the examinations , out of which 214,325 (48.39%) are girls and 228,600 (51.61) are boys. Dr Kawambwa noted that the candidates will sit for the exams in 4, 242 examination centres, which is an increment of 55 examination centres compared to 4, 187 in 2011.
The ministry has directed all stakeholders in the education sector, including parents, to ensure all registered candidates sit for their national examinations.
"Parents, guardian, teachers and the society in general are advised to prepare the students well so they can avoid cheating in the exams and adhere to rules and regulations," Dr Kawambwa said.
In a bid to improve the quality of education in the country, Dr Kawambwa said the government plans to improve education infrastructure, including ensuring enough teaching facilities such as books, construction of teacher's houses and remunerations.
"We have attained and surpassed our targets in enrollment and building more schools at district and ward levels, such that we are being revered worldwide for this. So for the next five years, we are focusing on improving the quality of education and these exams is one of the areas we are looking into," he explained.
Dr Kawambwa observed that every year there will be changes in primary and secondary schools system in a bid to improve the quality of education. He said for the past seven years the number of secondary students countrywide was 524, 000 but now it is at 1.8 million, while secondary schools have increased from 1, 200 to more than 4,000.
Meanwhile, Dr Kawambwa has issued a stern warning to schools and higher learning institutions that charge tuition fees in US dollars to stop immediately. Dr Kawambwa said Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), together with the ministry and some universities that had been charging and receiving payment in US dollars, have agreed that the same should be paid in Tanzanian shillings.
Tanzania: Rwanda-Tanzania Border to Expand By Stephen Rwembeho/The New Times/4 November 2012
Kirehe — The construction of the One Stop Border Post (OSBP), at Rusumo along the Rwanda- Tanzanian border has commenced.
Upon completion the border is expected to accommodate the increasing trade volumes.
Goods from the Tanzanian port of Dareselaam enter Rwanda through the Rusumo border post.
The construction of the Post consists of three phases; including the construction of Rusumo Bridge, building of a new two kilometer road between the border facilities and putting up the actual OSBP facilities.
The government of Japan, through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) financed the project through a grant scheme for both countries. Each country received Rwf1.5bn for the project.
The project chief engineer, Hitoshi Kameda, told The New Times, that the new facility will allow the border to cope with the increase of traffic.
"The bridge will be long (80m) and wide (10.5m) enough...sidewalks of 1.5m on both sides, so traffic congestion will no longer be an issue," he said.
In 2008, a joint inspection by experts from Rwanda and Tanzania was conducted and recommended the construction of a new two lane bridge at the downstream side of the existing bridge.
Hitoshi Kameda, however, said that the project was over three and a half months behind the schedule.
Honere Munyanshongere of Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) said that the new facilities were timely, adding that the existing bridge was constructed 40 years ago.
He noted that the Rusumo Bridge was not only important to Rwanda and Tanzania, but also to the whole of Great Lakes Region.
"The existing bridge is out of date and capacity...it can only safely carry 32 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW), as opposed to current traffic vehicles with GVW of up to 60 tons," he said.
He added that the existing border posts in both countries were small, lacked warehouses and inadequate parking
"The modern OSBP is timely...it will be important for traffic safety at the border and across the bridge".
RTDA and TANROADS of Tanzania signed a contract with Daiho cooperation for the execution of the construction works of new Rusumo international bridge and OSBP facilities.
Tanzania: Firm Promises to Invest More to Decongest Dar Port 5 November 2012/Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)
A MULTINATIONAL logistics company plans additional investment in expanding and improving Inland Container Depots (ICDS) to help ease congestion at the Dar es Salaam port.
Bollore Africa Logistics South and East Africa Director, Mr Tony Stenning, said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that in the past two years the company has invested over 5 million US dollars in improving ICDs.Mr Stenning was speaking at a news conference during the rebranding of the firm from SDV Transami Tanzania to Bollore Africa Logistics.
He noted that the potential for the port of Dar es Salaam to be a strong contender as a main gateway for cargo has placed Tanzania in good stead to provide a network for the importation and exportation of goods."Being the second largest economy in East Africa, Tanzania has a great potential to develop especially through its projects related to natural resources and infrastructure and we are confident in its development and will continue to support it," he said.
He also observed that the company has realised the importance of supporting the increase in trade that has developed not only in Tanzania but also with countries in the hinterland. "That's why we have progressively opened offices at various borders with neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda," he noted.
In 2012, he said, Tanzania has seen a significant growth in the economy at approximately six per cent. According to the World Bank, the country's economy is expected to continue to expand at the rate of approximately 6.5 and 7.0 per cent in the next few years, said Mr Stenning.
Bollore Africa Logistics Tanzania provides logistic and industrial projects solutions for local and international companies and settled in the country 82 years ago.The company's activities include providing logistics solutions in freight forwarding, sea and air freight, multimodal platform operator, dedicated commodities services and value-added warehousing.
Tanzania: Fuel Supply Improves in Filling Stations By Pius Rugonzibwa, Alvar Mwakyusa/Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)/ 5 November 2012
Dodoma — SERVICES at a majority of fuel stations in Dar es Salaam resumed to normal with a few reporting that they still have a shortage of diesel.
A survey by the 'Daily News' in the city witnessed no queues where motorists were buying petrol products as was the case three days ago, with many pump attendants saying they started receiving consignments on Saturday evening.
However, attendants at three stations including the popular Victoria at Kijitonyama said they had no diesel but hoped to receive a consignment of the product later in the day. At Big Bon in Sinza, a pump attendant who preferred anonymity said unlike in the past few days when they were forced to sell fuel by rationing specific amounts to individuals, the situation improved since.
"On Saturday we were instructed to sell fuel to our special customers only and for unfamiliar customers one could not be sold more than 10 litres but that has stopped now," he said. Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) Communications Manager, Mr Titus Kaguo said the flow of products in the market was slowly gaining momentum.
The relief, he said, is a result of a government directive allowing for 50 per cent of transit cargo to be offloaded for local consumption.Following the directive, he said, about seven companies instantly complied and offloaded 5 million litres of petroleum products, 21 million litres of diesel and 1.5 million litres of kerosene.
"What I can say for now is that the flow of fuel is generally improving and we are still monitoring the situation," he said.However, he said, the EWURA Board of Directors which met yesterday to brainstorm on the matter and other issues might come out with resolutions that will be communicated later.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, is Monday expected to issue a detailed report regarding the shortage of petroleum products that has faced some parts of the country. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Anne Makinda, ordered the ministry last Friday, to ensure it presents a report to the National Assembly today on what had transpired and caused the shortage.
Ms Makinda gave the order following a preliminary report on the scarcity of fuel in the local market by Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr George Simbachawene. The Deputy Minister had attributed the shortage to a "wrong" decision made in September, this year, by authorities to allow priority berthing for vessels carrying transit fuel destined for neighbouring countries.
"A wrong decision was made to allow priority berthing for transit oil tankers in September. This resulted in a country-wide shortage," Mr Simbachawene said. Various authorities are involved in the process of importing oil through the bulk procurement system namely the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) and the Petroleum Importation Coordinator (PIC).
Earlier on Friday, Mwibara MP, Mr Kangi Lugola, had sought the Speaker's guidance, citing Parliamentary Standing Regulations number 47 and requested that the House should suspend business to discuss the fuel shortage as a matter of emergency.Ubungo MP, Mr John Mnyika (CHADEMA) attributed the problem to the absence of a parliamentary committee to oversee the sector following the dissolution of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals on allegations of corruption during the previous session of the National Assembly.
Over the weekend, the Minister for Energy and Minerals Professor Sospeter Muhongo was quoted as saying the government had decided to revoke licences of some fuel wholesalers who violated terms and conditions.
The licences, he said, had been revoked on grounds that instead of ordering and ensuring smooth supply of fuel products, the companies remained idle resulting into unnecessary fuel scarcity. The minister was also quoted as saying that it was a serious oversight on the part of the government to fully trust the dealers and that the government will introduce alternative solutions.
In another development, Parliament office is Monday expected to release names of MPs who will be moving private motions on Thursday and Friday this week.The Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr Thomas Kashililah, told 'Daily News' in a telephone interview that the names of MPs and their respective motions will be made known on Monday.
KENYA :
Kenya: Nine Injured in Grenade Attack in Northern Kenya 4 November 2012/The New Times
At least nine worshippers were injured on Sunday in a grenade attack on a church in northern town of Garissa near the border with Somalia.
An eye witness told Xinhua that suspected Al-Shabaab militants hurled a grenade on the roof top of a structure in the Anti-Shifta Administration of Police (AP) camp in Garissa, injuring nine including a pastor at the Utawala Interdenominational Church.
The structure is usually used on Sunday as a prayer house by officers and their families since it is located inside the AP compound.
"We were about 30 worshippers inside the church when unknown persons hurled grenades on the rooftop and then what followed was gunshots. All worshippers had to lie down amid total confusion," Bett Mwasi who was one of the worshippers told Xinhua. He said the grenades were thrown from outside and penetrated the iron sheets of the church and landed inside the church, forcing worshipers to scamper for safety.
"There was total confusion. Some people including an Administration Police were injured and have been rushed to the hospital. The thugs escaped after hurling the grenades and then followed it with gunshots to scare away the rescues," Mwasi said.
Regional police commander, Philip Tuimur confirmed the incident saying security forces have been mobilized to pursue the attackers.
"We have rushed to injured to the hospital and also mobilized police officers who pursue the attackers. No arrests have been made but the search is underway," Tuimur said.
The latest incident comes barely a week after a police officer was shot dead and another injured by unknown gunmen.
Kenya's northern region particularly Garissa County has of late witnessed a spate of grenade and gun attack on innocent Kenyans, refugees and the police over the past two weeks which are seen as retaliatory attacks from the embattled Al-Shabaab militia in Somalia since the capture of the port city of Kismayo.
More than 25 security officers and scores of civilians have been killed, many maimed and property worth millions of U.S. dollars were destroyed in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Nairobi and Mombasa since the Kenyan soldiers entered Somalia in a bid to forestall dangers facing from threats of al- Qaida linked Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab.
Xinhua
Election rekindles memory of Kenyan village's love affair with President Obama By David McKenzie and Lillian Leposo, CNN/November 5, 2012
Kogelo, Kenya (CNN) -- Four years ago this village was the center of "Obama mania."
The celebration of 2008 "was exceptional, it is something not any of us would have imagined to have happened because we were at the brink of history being made," said village resident Malik Obama, half-brother of the president.
In 2008, Malik Obama peered into a tiny TV with a flickering CNN signal for an all-night vigil watching results come in. After a rain-soaked night that stranded more than a few reporters who had come to the village, Malik Obama emerged bleary-eyed but dancing. A crowd of supporters chanted his name.
Kogelo is the birthplace of Barack Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr. Then-Sen. Barack Obama visited in 2006 and paid special homage to his grandmother, Sarah Obama (now universally known as Mama Sarah). It's not just Sarah and Malik, there is a whole wing of the Obama clan here: cousins, aunts and half-cousins.
If 2006 was the start of the love affair, in 2008 it went full-blown.
Everywhere there were Obama T-shirts, DVDs and cakes (a black forest cake with an edible picture of the president-to-be and Mama Sarah was a favorite). Things have certainly cooled down since then.
To many Africans (and Americans, if polls are correct), Barack Obama's presidential campaign of "hope" and "change" hit a wall of reality when he came into office.
Africans, in particular, saw great hope in the new American president with African roots. But after just one brief swing through Ghana in four years at the White House, many feel let down by Africa's "favorite son."
The administration contends that Africa is a priority, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been a regular fixture in Africa.
But to Africans, and especially to Kenyans, it is not the same.
"Under the circumstances with what he has had to deal with we understand," said Malik Obama, "and we hope that circumstances will change. We hope he has the opportunity to come here and say hello."
Even without a visit from President Obama, Kogelo is still trying to make good use of the connection.
Where there was once just a dirt track running through town, now a paved road is nearing completion. Electricity is connected to many houses. Water projects have increased.
Simply put, President Obama's win put Kogelo on the map. Locals here say that charities flooded into Kogelo to get a bit of the "Obama cache."
With a tight race looming in 2012, many here are nervous.
"I don¹t know the other person who is contesting," said Pastor Joseph Omundi of the Christian Life church in Kogelo, "but we know Barack Obama is the son of this land."
Omundi, a fiery preacher who delivers sermons with a translator in a staccato double act, said his congregation has been praying for "peace, the economy, and Barack Obama."
Everyone a CNN crew spoke to in Kogelo is for Obama: the fruit vendors; the commuters streaming by in matatu, or minibus, vehicles; and even the opinionated boda boda, or bicycle and motorcycle, drivers. Many just refer to Mitt Romney as "the other guy."
While Kogelo has changed, with a new recreation center and lodge for foreign tourists, it is still just a rural village some 260 miles (418 kilometers) west of Nairobi, the capital. The flood of foreign visitors predicted by the government hasn't materialized, and the much-touted road isn't quite finished.
But Malik Obama stays positive.
"Washington, D.C., is the capital of the United States, but Kogelo is the capital of the world, because everybody comes to visit," he said.
Kenya set to showcase diversified tourism in Britain Updated: 2012-11-05/(English.news.cn)/usa.chinadaily.com.cn
NAIROBI, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is due to lead over 50 tourism industry players for a three-day World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition in Britain as the East African country seeks to showcase its diversity in tourism products.
Acting Managing Director Jacinta Nzioka-Mbithi said on Friday the event to be held on Nov. 5-8 provides an opportunity for the country to benchmark with the best practices, from the best travel and tourism companies in the world.
"The tourism industry is very dynamic and this being the premium fair provides us with an opportunity to showcase Kenya as a preferred tourism destination. This will also provide an opportunity for Kenyan travel trade to interact with their counterparts from all over the world," Mbithi said.
The event will be an opportunity for the country to reassure her tourist source markets of the improved security following successful capture of the port of Kismayo in Somalia believed to have been the harboring rag tag militia attributed to the cases of insecurity along the coastal part of Kenya.
"We will be attending the exhibition with our new title as the best tourism board in Africa following the recent voting of KTB as Africa's leading Tourism Board 2012 in the Africa category, positively propelling the country's image globally as a tourism destination," she said.
Kenya has been playing a pivotal role in ensuring that terrorism and other forms of criminal activities threatening the country's security were minimized if not eliminated.
The country's coastal towns are the backbone of its thriving tourism industry, which has been hit by the fear of terror attacks and the kidnapping of foreigners by Somali pirates from resorts near the border with Somalia.
Police have particularly warned against the laxity in the screening of cars for explosives at all shopping malls and any business or social gatherings with at least 10 people at any given moment that these might be vulnerable to attacks.
The Kenyan Tourism Ministry is championing measures to boost domestic tourism. The country's marketing arm, the KTB, is also planning to boost domestic tourism revenues by up to 50 percent in three years.
Britain is the top tourist source market to Kenya with 203,290 arrivals recorded from the market last year, a 16.8 percent improvement from 2010 which posted 174,051 arrivals.
Nzioka said that KTB will endeavor to deliver to the industry players committed service as we show-case all the diversity of the Kenyan tourism products, a factor that boosted the board's campaigns in netting tourists to the country.
She however added that while the recent reported incidents of insecurity have had a negative impact on the destination but assured tourists that the stringent measures on insecurity investment by the government and persistent marketing efforts in partnership with the private sector will bear fruits.
Effects of economic recession on tourism, stimulating jobs and investment in the industry, elimination of barriers to travel such as visa restrictions and taxation are among key challenges to be faced during the deliberation by key industry players in the WTM exhibition.
Kenya's tourism has suffered a decline the number of tourists arriving since September 2011 when the Somali militant group, the Al-Shabaab, carried out the kidnappings of tourists in the Lamu archipelago and the kidnapping of the Spanish volunteers.
The port city, the capital Nairobi and other parts of Kenya have suffered a series of grenade attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia last year to try to pursue Al-Shabaab insurgents it blames for a surge in violence and kidnappings threatening tourism.
Kenya: IEBC Prepares to Register Diaspora By Maureen Waruinge/The Star/5 November 2012
The IEBC is gearing up to register Kenyans living in the Diaspora in preparation for the next general election. It intends to hire about 47 voter registration clerks outside Kenya to identify and register all Kenyans abroad who have a valid passport. The clerks will be posted to select embassies with BVR Kits where the exercise will be conducted.
ANGOLA :
AU/AFRICA :
Southern Africa: Exposing the Good, the Bad and the Lack of Media Freedom By Stanley Kwenda/IPS/ 4 November 2012 interview
Johannesburg — Reporter Stanley Kwenda spoke to PANSY TLAKULA, the African Union's Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information
Pansy Tlakula, the African Union's Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, has done her best to address the continued harassment of journalists in the Gambia.
In her role as commissioner of the African Commission on Human Peoples' Rights, she has appealed many times to the government of the West African nation to respect people's right to freedom of expression.
"I have written several letters to the government with regard to the recent arrest of journalists - the government is now tired of my letters. We have done everything possible to highlight the issue in the Gambia and other African countries," she told IPS.
But it has not been enough to prevent the Gambian government's crackdown on the media.
In September, the government arrested two journalists and shut down their newspapers, The Standard and The Daily News, as they had extensively covered opposition to the government's execution of nine death row inmates.
In June, the country's former Minister of Information and Communications Amadou Scattred Janneh and three others were arrested for printing and distributing T-shirts that called for an end to the dictatorship in the Gambia.
Janneh, who is also a U.S. citizen, had been charged with treason and jailed for life and was only released after U.S. civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson intervened.
Tlakula said that the African Commission on Human Peoples' Rights had taken up Janneh's case with the Economic Community of West African States.
"But unfortunately the Gambia has not ratified the protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights and we cannot take them to the court," she said.
But the failure with the Gambia has not curbed Tlakula's passion to ensure media freedom on the continent. Recently, she took the unprecedented step of instructing African governments to establish independent media regulatory bodies, saying that politicians and governments have no business owning the media.
Tlakula, who is an advocate of the South African High Court, a former member of the South African Human Rights Commission and current chairperson of the country's Independent Electoral Commission, wants to see legal conditions implemented in Africa that allow journalists the freedom to do their jobs.
Excerpts of the interview follow:
Q: What role should journalists play in Africa?
A: Journalists have to expose corruption, criminal activity and all the bad things on the continent, but at the same time we also have to expose good things happening on our continent because this is our home.
We can't expose only the bad things to the world about what's happening in Africa. We have to take our destiny in our hands and tell our own stories as Africans as we see them and experience them and not let other people tell our stories.
Q: Several countries in Africa still don't have laws that promote the right to information. At a continental level how would you want the issue pushed to ensure that we have the right to access information across the continent?
A: We have pushed that a little bit. We have developed a model on access to information in Africa. We started the process of developing it in five African countries and now we have 10 that have adopted access to information laws.
More than a dozen countries now have access to information bills pending before their parliaments. We are hoping that this model will give a push to these initiatives because we feel we should not just criticise the countries, but assist them to achieve freedom of expression. Without the right to information, all other rights cannot be realised.
Q: Zimbabwe has had a very bad media freedom reputation in the past. As it now drafts a new constitution, what is your advice to the country? A: The new constitution will not resolve all the problems. Even after the new constitution is put in place, you will still have to deal with laws that impede expression like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Public Order and Security Act, and all the other laws that are not in conformity with the regional and international instruments that Zimbabwe has ratified.
Those laws remain a source of concern for us but we are hoping that with the adoption of the constitution, the constitutionality of these laws will be revisited.
Once the new constitution has been adopted, these laws have to either be revisited or repealed. If not, then they can be challenged in court. The new constitution is a step in the right direction, though the laws will have to be in conformity with the constitution.
Q: Are we making any progress with regard to media freedom on the continent?
A: Yes we are making progress by encouraging some countries to adopt laws that promote media freedom. We now have a campaign aimed at the decriminalisation of libel.
The first phase of this campaign is to identify where these (libel) laws exist because where they are they have a chilling effect on expression. We are piloting this campaign in Zambia and Botswana.
Q: How are you dealing with the increasing arguments by some countries that their reluctance to adopt freedom of expression is a result of national security concerns?
A: This raises a serious question about the need to draw a line about the need to make information available and accessible in a way that would not compromise national security. It's a big issue and we are trying to come up with guidelines on access to information and national security. It's a matter that pre-occupies the whole world, and that work is on-going.
Q: What do you make of South African President Jacob Zuma's move to withdraw his lawsuit against journalist and cartoonist Jonathan Zapiro, whom he was suing for thousands of dollars over a cartoon which showed him preparing to rape a woman with the help of his government and political party members?
A: I am very, very happy. It's a victory for freedom of expression and journalism in Africa.
Africa - Shared Benefits Require Bold Economic Reforms 3 November 2012/African Development Bank(Tunis)/allafrica.com
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Participants at the closing session of the seventh African Economic Conference, on November 2, 2012 in Kigali, Rwanda, urged African leaders to put in place bold economic reforms, aimed at sustaining growth and boosting human development.
The four-day conference highlighted the need for policy-makers to create diversified economies capable of generating employment, implementing better social policies and inclusive growth. Participants agreed that good governance and fair competition will help Africa meet its sustainable development agenda. Carefully calibrated government support can help fulfill Africa's economic potential, reducing political risks and bolstering financial accountability to open new markets. Africa has become the world's second-fastest growing region. Hosting the AEC for the first time, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that in this era of economic uncertainty, the world has high expectations for the African continent.
According to the African Economic Outlook 2012, economic growth across the African continent is expected to rebound from 3.4% in 2011 and accelerate to 4.5% in 2012 and 4.8% in 2013.
"Some countries have even done better than these statistics depict. And because some countries from other continents show signs of economic stagnation, commentators have been inclined to think that this is Africa's time," said Kagame.
However the continent's poverty rates have remained stubbornly high, and progress on health, education and job creation have been too slow to accommodate its fast-growing population. These challenges are likely to become more difficult to tackle in the current global economic environment.
"Rich countries are very much concentrated on their own immediate problems to fix," said Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank. "As we can see from the trade and climate negotiations, there is limited appetite for the multilateral solutions, so we need to trade our way out of poverty and deal with the impact of climate change."
During the closing press conference, Mthuli Ncube, Chief Economist and Vice President of the African Development Bank, said that "Africa can have a brighter future, and has the potential to become the next emerging market by the end of this decade if political, social protection, quality education, private sector and regional integration are implemented."
Ncube urged each and every one "to see inclusive growth in action in Africa." He also affirmed that the continent's long-term growth prospects are strong, propelled by both external trends in the global economy and internal changes in the continent's societies and economies.
He also said investment in infrastructure will promote regional integration and trade, creating an environment that is more conducive to economic growth, the development of markets and paving the way for an acceleration in human development.
"Deliberate policy measures and targeted investments are needed to make growth not just fast, but also inclusive and sustainable," said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, who opened the conference along with Kaberuka on October 30. She added that "the rising tide is capable of lifting every boat."
One of the running threads of the conference was how to use natural resources to create economic benefits for ordinary citizens. The discussants said African countries can raise money by negotiating international contracts from a position of strength, using proceeds from land and mineral deals to invest in rural infrastructure, diversify the economy and boost human capital.
"If politically the leadership is right, there is no doubt that leadership will focus on inclusion in almost everything it does," said the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.
The 2012 AEC meeting was also marked by an award for the best paper of the conference submitted by an African under the age of 40. Forty-three papers were shortlisted out of 500 submissions. Dick Nuwamanya Kamuganga's paper, titled, "Does Intra-Africa Regional Trade Cooperation Enhance Export Survival?" met the selection criteria set out by the African Economic Research Consortium, in terms of methodology and policy relevance.
Organized each year by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the conference brought together some 500 participants under the theme "Inclusive and Sustainable Development in an Age of Economic Uncertainty".
Head of AU standby force arrives in Mali on intervention proposals Xinhua/By Agencies/ 2012-11-5
The head of the African Union (AU) standby force, general Sekouba Konate, arrived in the Malian capital Bamako on Sunday for a meeting of international experts on how to regain control of northern Mali after rebels seized the region in the aftermath of the March 22 military coup.
Konate was met by Mali's Defense Minister Yamoussa Camara at the airport to start a five-day visit to the West African country,
His arrival marked a new step toward the military intervention to be spearheaded by the regional bloc ECOWAS.
Representatives of partners including organizations, governments and the military have since Tuesday met in Bamako to discuss the harmonization of an operational strategy of the international force in Mali.
A military source told Xinhua that the experts were scheduled to meet with Konate on Monday and Tuesday to brief him on the proposals made by the conference.
The source said the planned intervention must not considered a mission only by the standby force from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
"The intervention will be jointly carried out by the ECOWAS forces and AU forces in consultation with the international community," he noted.
The meeting of experts has agreed that the Malian army must play a major role while other forces "will come to assist them in their efforts to reconquer the northern regions which are under occupation."
If the proposals are validated, they will be submitted to the UN Security Council on Nov. 26 in New York.
Mali : la diplomatie au service de l'intervention militaire Par Isabelle Lasserre/lefigaro.fr/ le 05/11/2012
La communauté internationale tente de convaincre le groupe touareg Ansar Dine de lâcher ses alliés d'al-Qaida.
Les négociations avec une partie des islamistes qui contrôlent depuis sept mois le nord du Mali en y appliquant une charia brutale ont-elles franchi une nouvelle étape ce week-end? Oui, si l'on en croit les premières informations ayant filtré d'une rencontre, samedi, au Burkina Faso avec des responsables d'Ansar Dine, l'un des trois groupes extrémistes implantés dans la région. Pressé par le président burkinabé, Blaise Compaoré, de rompre avec ses alliés djihadistes d'Aqmi (al-Qaida au Maghreb islamique) et du Mudjao (Mouvement pour l'unicité et le djihad en Afrique de l'Ouest), Ansar Dine a affirmé à Ougadougou son «indépendance» et sa volonté de «négocier» pour la paix. La veille, des représentants du mouvement s'étaient également rendus à Alger, qui pousse une solution négociée au Mali. Selon le quotidien algérien El Watan, «il n'est pas exclu» que ces nouveaux pourparlers «débouchent rapidement sur une prise de distance publique par rapport à Aqmi et au Mudjao».
Paradoxalement, cette ouverture diplomatique ne remet pas en cause l'intervention militaire activement préparée par les pays de l'Ouest africain, soutenus sur le plan logistique par la France et les États-Unis, pour rétablir l'autorité de Bamako au nord du pays et éradiquer al-Qaida de la région. Au contraire, elle pourrait même l'aider. Indispensable soutien algérien
Les partisans d'une opération militaire, France en tête, sont en effet conscients que l'utilisation de la force ne sera efficace que si elle s'appuie sur des alliés locaux, capables de pérenniser dans le temps les effets de l'intervention. C'est-à-dire, concrètement, d'empêcher la reconstitution d'un sanctuaire terroriste dans la région. Si Ansar Dine - mouvement composé de Touaregs maliens, contrairement à ses alliés Aqmi et Mudjao qui s'appuient sur les djihadistes étrangers - accepte de rentrer dans le rang, la partie militaire n'en sera que plus facile à jouer.
Quel que soit leur résultat, les négociations avec Ansar Dine et son chef, Iyad ag Ghaly, facilitent également le versant diplomatique de l'affaire malienne. Acteur incontournable de la crise, l'Algérie n'a jamais été très favorable à l'intervention militaire. Citant une source algérienne «autorisée», El Watanestime que l'objectif d'Alger est aujourd'hui de «remettre les Touaregs dans le jeu politique, isoler et affaiblir les terroristes en prévision de leur traitement en termes sécuritaires».
Le soutien à l'intervention internationale du grand voisin algérien, de son armée, de ses services de renseignements et de sa longue expérience avec le GIA (Groupe islamique armé), l'ancêtre d'Aqmi, est jugé indispensable par ceux qui planifient l'opération. Washington et Paris travaillent main dans la main à son ralliement.
Que les promesses du mouvement djihadiste soient ou non suivies d'effets, les autorités algériennes auront en tout cas été au bout de leur démarche vis-à-vis d'Ansar Dine, avec qui elles entretiennent des liens. Elles pourraient se considérer désormais libres de changer leur position…
New Coptic Christian leader selected in Egypt November 4, 2012/latimesblogs.latimes.com
CAIRO -- A bishop from the Nile delta was chosen to lead the Coptic Orthodox Church on Sunday when a blindfolded altar boy picked his name from a glass chalice in a ceremony resonant with tradition but marked by anxiety over heightening tensions between Christians and Muslims across Egypt.
Bishop Tawadros became the Church’s 118th pope after his name was selected from three finalists at a Mass in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo. He succeeds Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after four decades as patriarch of the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Copts make up about 10% of Egypt’s population of 82 million.
Tawadros inherits a Church uneasy over simmering sectarianism amidst the rise of hard-line Islamists. Many wonder if he will choose to be a vibrant voice for a Christian community that has endured recent church burnings, deadly attacks and fears that Copts will be further isolated by the government of President Mohamed Morsi, a former leader of the once-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Cheers echoed through the cathedral when the acting head of the Church, Bishop Pachomious, read out Tawadros’ name, picked by a blindfolded boy whom the devout believed was guided by God. The new 60-year-old pope was a pharmacist before entering a monastery in 1986, according to the official state news agency. He had been serving as a bishop in Beheira in northern Egypt.
The Coptic Laity Council was reported as praising Tawadros for “his wisdom, firmness and ability to maintain good rapport with everyone in his province, both Christians and Muslims alike.”
The Coptic Church, which was founded in the 1st century by St. Mark and predates Islam, has, despite periods of unrest, long co-existed with Muslims. The secular government of deposed President Hosni Mubarak routed radical Islamist movements and offered Copts a degree of security. But Christians have felt increasingly marginalized in recent years and thousands began leaving the country when Islamists rose to political prominence with the ousting of Mubarak in 2011.
Similar apprehensions have gripped non-Muslims across the region as the upheaval of the so-called Arab Spring has reshaped the political landscape. Morsi has promised inclusive government but has appointed no Copts or women to key positions. Copts worry about civil rights and demands by ultraconservative Islamists to filter the country’s new constitution through Sharia law.
Young Christians -- inspired by the same uprising that brought the Islamists to power -- have turned politically active and no longer want to rely on the Church to advance their rights. Shenouda was revered by most Copts but he was criticized for being compliant to Mubarak and for attempting to buffer his congregation from the realities of living in a Muslim-dominated nation.
The new pope “shouldn’t hide Christians like before. He shouldn’t say, ‘I’m worried about you and worried that you might get hurt,’” said Remon Amin, a 23-year-old stock trader. “We don’t want any more of that. No more hiding. We want to be the same as anyone else.”
Saad Katatni, head of the Brotherhood Freedom and Justice Party, said on his Facebook page that he was “optimistic about fruitful cooperation with [the new pope] as spiritual leader of Coptic brethren.”
Sectarian suspicions are high, however, and Copts, who have been adrift since Shenouda’s death, are bitter after a number of bloody assaults. A church bombing in Alexandria in 2011 killed 21 people and an attack months later by soldiers and thugs on a peaceful protest left more than 20 Christians dead.
The pope should “stay away from politics. He’s a spiritual man,” said Emad El Erian, a spokesman for a Coptic youth coalition. “President Morsi has a file on his desk with everything that happened to the Copts. The church burnings. The evicting of Christians. . . . He should be the one who is judged on how Copts are treated.”
Tawadros is expected to be formally installed as pope during a ceremony Nov. 18
EN BREF, CE 05 Novembre 2012... AGNEWS/DAM,NY, 05/11/2012