Sudan Tribune
25 July 2009
Regional officials from Ethiopia and from the semi-autonomous southern Sudan on Thursday winded-up their three-day Juba consultation meeting and signing an enforcement agreement to further put in effect the implementation of ongoing joint development cooperation .
Both parties have signed agreements that enable to jointly speed up the completion of ongoing development projects in their respective adjacent states and regions, said a statement from the Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among others, signed agreements include social affairs, economic, infrastructure, capacity building and security issues.
During the joint regional development cooperation consultation meeting Ethiopian deputy foreign minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu who led the Ethiopian delegation reaffirmed that his country will provide additional support for south Sudan’s capacity building efforts.
The Ethiopian Minister further pledges that Ethiopia will remain dedicated to stick to its promises to implement all agreements reached by both sisterly governments.
Juba meeting has evaluated the implementation of the agreements from its first Addis Ababa meeting to be in good performance. Accordingly the construction of a road that links south Sudan with southern Ethiopia and Gambella regions is said to be well underway.
Ethiopia and south Sudan share over 1000 kilometer long common border. Peoples of both sides that lie along the joint border have strong cultural and tribal links. They have never been beneficiaries of such joint cooperation until a landmark comprehensive peace agreement was signed between Sudanese parties in 2005.
Both sides have decided their third cooperation meeting next year to be held in Ethiopia’s southern state’s capital, Awassa.
After their first meeting in Addis Ababa last year, the joint cooperation of both neighbors has executed wide range of joint projects.
Standing agreements between both governments include road, air transport, telecom, trade, Investment and security.
25 July, 2009
U.S. Congressman rejects to meet with Somaliland official.
Garowe Online
25 July 2009
U.S. Congressman Donald Payne has refused to meet with an official from the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, inside sources tell Garowe Online.
Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Du'ale, Somaliland's foreign minister, was recently in Washington, D.C., and asked to meet with the U.S. Congressman but he was "rejected" on at least three separate occasions, the sources added.
Congressman Payne, who chairs the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, organized a Congressional hearing on Somalia and invited officials from the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu, and the self-governing regions of Somaliland and Puntland.
The June 25 hearing in Washington, D.C., was attended by Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole" and a Somali Embassy official read a statement on behalf of TFG Foreign Minister Abdullahi Oomar.
But Somaliland Foreign Minister Du'ale, who initially accepted to attend the congressional hearing, canceled at the last minute after demanding a "separate panel" to focus on Somaliland's separatist agenda.
This demand was rejected by Congressman Payne and the hearing's organizers, who forwarded the argument that "common issues" were covered at the hearing, namely humanitarian aid delivery, the counterterrorism effort and the anti-piracy campaign.
Meanwhile, Somaliland opposition parties have accused President Dahir Riyale's administration of failing to take advantage of a venue in Washington, D.C., to present Somaliland's case for independence.
President Riyale continues to face domestic pressure and international criticism, including charges that the Somaliland administration has violated press freedoms by arresting two radio journalists and shutting down an independent television station this month.
Somaliland, comprised of regions in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the Horn of Africa country in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.
25 July 2009
U.S. Congressman Donald Payne has refused to meet with an official from the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, inside sources tell Garowe Online.
Mr. Abdullahi Mohamed Du'ale, Somaliland's foreign minister, was recently in Washington, D.C., and asked to meet with the U.S. Congressman but he was "rejected" on at least three separate occasions, the sources added.
Congressman Payne, who chairs the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, organized a Congressional hearing on Somalia and invited officials from the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) in Mogadishu, and the self-governing regions of Somaliland and Puntland.
The June 25 hearing in Washington, D.C., was attended by Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole" and a Somali Embassy official read a statement on behalf of TFG Foreign Minister Abdullahi Oomar.
But Somaliland Foreign Minister Du'ale, who initially accepted to attend the congressional hearing, canceled at the last minute after demanding a "separate panel" to focus on Somaliland's separatist agenda.
This demand was rejected by Congressman Payne and the hearing's organizers, who forwarded the argument that "common issues" were covered at the hearing, namely humanitarian aid delivery, the counterterrorism effort and the anti-piracy campaign.
Meanwhile, Somaliland opposition parties have accused President Dahir Riyale's administration of failing to take advantage of a venue in Washington, D.C., to present Somaliland's case for independence.
President Riyale continues to face domestic pressure and international criticism, including charges that the Somaliland administration has violated press freedoms by arresting two radio journalists and shutting down an independent television station this month.
Somaliland, comprised of regions in northwestern Somalia, unilaterally declared independence from the rest of the Horn of Africa country in 1991 but has not been recognized internationally.
'Ethiopia troops return' to key road in central Somalia.
July 25 2009
Garowe Online
A heavily armed convoy of Ethiopian troops has returned to a key road in central Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.
Witnesses and local sources reported that the Ethiopian army convoy crossed the common border and arrived at Kala-Beyr junction in the central Hiran region on Saturday morning.
Kala-Beyr is a strategic crossroads that connects the central regions and the northern of Somalia and provides access to the Somali-inhabited region of eastern Ethiopia.
Ethiopian troops had withdrawn from Kala-Beyr junction earlier this month and it was not immediately clear whey the troops returned.
But their return comes at a time when two consecutive days of fighting among Islamist militias in parts of Hiran and Galgadud regions killed at least 31 people, according to local sources.
Al Shabaab and the pro-government Sufi militia, Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a, have been fighting for control of districts in the central regions since late 2008.
Garowe Online
A heavily armed convoy of Ethiopian troops has returned to a key road in central Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.
Witnesses and local sources reported that the Ethiopian army convoy crossed the common border and arrived at Kala-Beyr junction in the central Hiran region on Saturday morning.
Kala-Beyr is a strategic crossroads that connects the central regions and the northern of Somalia and provides access to the Somali-inhabited region of eastern Ethiopia.
Ethiopian troops had withdrawn from Kala-Beyr junction earlier this month and it was not immediately clear whey the troops returned.
But their return comes at a time when two consecutive days of fighting among Islamist militias in parts of Hiran and Galgadud regions killed at least 31 people, according to local sources.
Al Shabaab and the pro-government Sufi militia, Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamee'a, have been fighting for control of districts in the central regions since late 2008.
Hillary Clinton in State Visit to Nigeria Next Month.
This Day
By Yemi Adebowale
25 July 2009
United States Secretary of State and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton is set for a visit to Nigeria from August 10 to 12.
Sources said a letter from the US State Department notifying the Nigerian government of Hillary's visit has been received at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The source further confirmed that the US ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Rene'e Sanders and Nigeria's Foreign Affairs minister, Ojo Maduekwe met yesterday in Abuja to kick off arrangement for the visit.
During the visit, Hillary is expected to hold discussion with President Umaru Yar'Adua on a number of issues affecting both countries.
Because Nigeria is key to the US as it continues to look beyond the strife-torn Middle-East for its energy needs, sources said the Niger Delta crisis is expected to top the agenda of Hillary's meeting with Yar'Adua.
US's crude oil import from Nigeria is on the upswing with Nigeria recording a 16.2 per cent rise in its crude export to the U.S. last year.
"The US government is keen about a speedy resolution of the Niger Delta crisis because Nigeria is a key source of crude oil for the US. This is why it is top of the agenda," a foreign ministry source told THISDAY last night.
Two other issues likely to dominate discussion during Hillary's meeting with Yar'Adua are corruption and electoral reforms in the country.
By Yemi Adebowale
25 July 2009
United States Secretary of State and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton is set for a visit to Nigeria from August 10 to 12.
Sources said a letter from the US State Department notifying the Nigerian government of Hillary's visit has been received at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The source further confirmed that the US ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Rene'e Sanders and Nigeria's Foreign Affairs minister, Ojo Maduekwe met yesterday in Abuja to kick off arrangement for the visit.
During the visit, Hillary is expected to hold discussion with President Umaru Yar'Adua on a number of issues affecting both countries.
Because Nigeria is key to the US as it continues to look beyond the strife-torn Middle-East for its energy needs, sources said the Niger Delta crisis is expected to top the agenda of Hillary's meeting with Yar'Adua.
US's crude oil import from Nigeria is on the upswing with Nigeria recording a 16.2 per cent rise in its crude export to the U.S. last year.
"The US government is keen about a speedy resolution of the Niger Delta crisis because Nigeria is a key source of crude oil for the US. This is why it is top of the agenda," a foreign ministry source told THISDAY last night.
Two other issues likely to dominate discussion during Hillary's meeting with Yar'Adua are corruption and electoral reforms in the country.
Ukraine halts missile-loaded Russian convoy.
Press TV
24 July 2009
Ukraine has stopped two Russian military convoys, one of which was transporting missiles to the disputed naval base of Sevastopol.
Police stopped a convoy of three vehicles and found each was transporting a cruise missile to Russia's fleet in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.
The convoy did not have the necessary authorization from Ukraine but was later allowed to continue its journey, the ministry added.
Russia has had a fleet in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol for more than 200 years, but the base has recently become a source of tension as relations between the two nations frayed.
Moscow has a lease on the base until 2017 and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for the fleet to leave when the lease expires.
Vasyl Kyrylych, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, told Interfax that Russia must beware to avoid "possible violations" of Ukrainian law and agreements on the Russian fleet.
The Russian Black Sea fleet is just one of several disputes driving a wedge between Moscow and Kyiv.
24 July 2009
Ukraine has stopped two Russian military convoys, one of which was transporting missiles to the disputed naval base of Sevastopol.
Police stopped a convoy of three vehicles and found each was transporting a cruise missile to Russia's fleet in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.
The convoy did not have the necessary authorization from Ukraine but was later allowed to continue its journey, the ministry added.
Russia has had a fleet in the Ukrainian port of Sevastopol for more than 200 years, but the base has recently become a source of tension as relations between the two nations frayed.
Moscow has a lease on the base until 2017 and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for the fleet to leave when the lease expires.
Vasyl Kyrylych, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, told Interfax that Russia must beware to avoid "possible violations" of Ukrainian law and agreements on the Russian fleet.
The Russian Black Sea fleet is just one of several disputes driving a wedge between Moscow and Kyiv.
Puntland leader meets oil company executives.
July 24 2009
Garowe Online
The president of Puntland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," has held a meeting with executives from oil companies while in Dubai, Radio Garowe reports.
A press release issued from the Puntland President's Office stated that President Farole and members of the delegation met with executives from Range Resources, Ltd., and Africa Oil Corp.
The meeting took place on Wednesday at Millennium Hotel, where Africa Oil executives did a presentation for the Puntland government delegation, including Interior Minister Gen. Abdullahi Jama "Ilkajir" and Petroleum and Minerals Director, Isse Mohamud "Dholowa."
Gen. Mohamud "Adde" Muse, Puntland's former president, was also present at the meeting with the government ministers and oil executives.
President Farole, who won an election in January, has promised that oil contracts will be reviewed by experts before the Puntland administration can move forward with oil drilling.
Then-President Muse signed an agreement with Australia-based Range Resources in Aug. 2005. That agreement has undergone several phases and Canadian explorer Africa Oil signed a joint-venture deal with Range in Jan. 2007.
President Farole's delegation has visited Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and London, before returning to Dubai ahead of an expected stopover in Djibouti.
The Puntland delegation has held important meetings with government officials in the U.S., the U.K. and the U.A.E. The delegation has also attended community events in all four cities visited during this trip.
Located in northeastern Somalia, Puntland considers itself part of a future federal Somalia.
Garowe Online
The president of Puntland, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," has held a meeting with executives from oil companies while in Dubai, Radio Garowe reports.
A press release issued from the Puntland President's Office stated that President Farole and members of the delegation met with executives from Range Resources, Ltd., and Africa Oil Corp.
The meeting took place on Wednesday at Millennium Hotel, where Africa Oil executives did a presentation for the Puntland government delegation, including Interior Minister Gen. Abdullahi Jama "Ilkajir" and Petroleum and Minerals Director, Isse Mohamud "Dholowa."
Gen. Mohamud "Adde" Muse, Puntland's former president, was also present at the meeting with the government ministers and oil executives.
President Farole, who won an election in January, has promised that oil contracts will be reviewed by experts before the Puntland administration can move forward with oil drilling.
Then-President Muse signed an agreement with Australia-based Range Resources in Aug. 2005. That agreement has undergone several phases and Canadian explorer Africa Oil signed a joint-venture deal with Range in Jan. 2007.
President Farole's delegation has visited Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and London, before returning to Dubai ahead of an expected stopover in Djibouti.
The Puntland delegation has held important meetings with government officials in the U.S., the U.K. and the U.A.E. The delegation has also attended community events in all four cities visited during this trip.
Located in northeastern Somalia, Puntland considers itself part of a future federal Somalia.
24 July, 2009
Chinese firm to invest $3.6bn in Zambian copper projects.
Reuters
23 July 2009
A Chinese firm plans to invest about $3.6 billion in copper exploration and mining in Zambia, reflecting growing Chinese interest in the country's mineral wealth, a senior investment official said on Wednesday.
Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Spokeswoman Margaret Chimanse said Zambia and Zhonghui Mining Group signed an investment agreement on Tuesday.
"The $3.6 billion will be invested by Zhonghui in the first five years (from 2009) and it is likely to be increased depending on economic factors affecting the copper industry," Chimanse told Reuters.
She said the Chinese firm also plans to construct a major copper smelter in Kitwe, 350 km (217 miles) north of the capital Lusaka, and that exploration of minerals by Zhonghui in the Northwestern and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia had already started.
Industry officials said the smelter's capacity could be 300,000 tonnes per year.
Chimanse said Zhonghui Mining Group would set up projects to be implemented by its Zambia-registered subsidiaries for copper mining and exploration in the southern African country.
"The total number of jobs to be created directly by all the projects is 32,425. The project for copper refining will create 1,200 jobs," Chimanse said.
The Chinese are currently developing mining infrastructure in Zambia and in March commissioned another 300,000 tonnes per year copper smelter in Chambishi, where up to 50 Chinese companies will begin to operate, under a separate $900 million programme.
Zambian authorities are waiving a 25% customs duty on imported equipment, 16.5 percent value added tax and several other taxes for Chinese companies investing in the Chambishi economic zone.
23 July 2009
A Chinese firm plans to invest about $3.6 billion in copper exploration and mining in Zambia, reflecting growing Chinese interest in the country's mineral wealth, a senior investment official said on Wednesday.
Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Spokeswoman Margaret Chimanse said Zambia and Zhonghui Mining Group signed an investment agreement on Tuesday.
"The $3.6 billion will be invested by Zhonghui in the first five years (from 2009) and it is likely to be increased depending on economic factors affecting the copper industry," Chimanse told Reuters.
She said the Chinese firm also plans to construct a major copper smelter in Kitwe, 350 km (217 miles) north of the capital Lusaka, and that exploration of minerals by Zhonghui in the Northwestern and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia had already started.
Industry officials said the smelter's capacity could be 300,000 tonnes per year.
Chimanse said Zhonghui Mining Group would set up projects to be implemented by its Zambia-registered subsidiaries for copper mining and exploration in the southern African country.
"The total number of jobs to be created directly by all the projects is 32,425. The project for copper refining will create 1,200 jobs," Chimanse said.
The Chinese are currently developing mining infrastructure in Zambia and in March commissioned another 300,000 tonnes per year copper smelter in Chambishi, where up to 50 Chinese companies will begin to operate, under a separate $900 million programme.
Zambian authorities are waiving a 25% customs duty on imported equipment, 16.5 percent value added tax and several other taxes for Chinese companies investing in the Chambishi economic zone.
Rio Removes Rig From Disputed Guinean Iron-Ore Site (Update2).
Bloomberg
23 July 2009
By Brett Foley
Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second- largest producer of iron ore, said it’s complying with a Guinean ministerial directive and will remove a drilling rig from the disputed Simandou deposit in the West African country.
The removal will be completed today, London-based Rio said in an e-mailed statement.
Guinea ordered Rio in December to hand over the northern half of Simandou to BSG Resources, a closely held company controlled by Israeli diamond investor Beny Steinmetz. Rio, which plans to develop a $6 billion project at the site, has told the government it has a legal claim to the whole deposit.
Rio doesn’t need the whole of Simandou and the decision to split the deposit is irreversible, Guinean Mines Minister Mahmood Thiam said from Conakry today on a conference call with reporters. The company had ignored a written request last month to remove the equipment until it acted this week, he added.
“We asked them to respect the decision of the state and comply with a request to remove equipment from territory we no longer consider theirs,” Thiam said. “We don’t think Rio will leave this country. They have invested over $400 million. They would have stopped investing at $200 million if they thought the environment was murky and uncertain.”
Development Costs
“We want someone who will put that ore on the market as soon as possible,” Thiam said, adding that Rio had “inflated” some of its costs to build the project.
Rio, which this month had four of its employees arrested in China after claims of stealing state secrets, wants to develop Simandou as part of its plan to triple output of the steelmaking raw material to more than 600 million metric tons. CEO Tom Albanese called Simandou the world’s “top undeveloped” deposit in May 2008.
BSG has given Guinea a verbal agreement it will start iron- ore exports in the next 3 1/2 years, Thiam said. BSG is in “advanced talks” with potential partners to develop half of Simandou, he said, adding that some of the unidentified parties were interested in signing so-called off-take agreements to buy ore from the project.
“We have looked at those groups and vetted them,” Thiam said. “We are satisfied if they want to develop it, either as a financial or strategic partner.”
Jon Simmons, a London-based spokesman for BSG, declined to comment. BSG has been drilling and exploring on adjacent sites since 2006, Chief Executive Officer Marc Struik said in December. Steinmetz also controls resources in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Macedonia, according to BSG’s Web site.
Rio gained 95 pence, or 4.1 percent, to close at 2,410 pence in London trading, climbing as the FTSE 350 Mining Index led advances among the 39 industry groups.
A military junta headed by Moussa Dadis Camara seized power in Guinea on Dec. 23, a day after the death of former President Lansana Conte, who ruled for more than two decades. Elections will take place in December 2010, the government said.
23 July 2009
By Brett Foley
Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second- largest producer of iron ore, said it’s complying with a Guinean ministerial directive and will remove a drilling rig from the disputed Simandou deposit in the West African country.
The removal will be completed today, London-based Rio said in an e-mailed statement.
Guinea ordered Rio in December to hand over the northern half of Simandou to BSG Resources, a closely held company controlled by Israeli diamond investor Beny Steinmetz. Rio, which plans to develop a $6 billion project at the site, has told the government it has a legal claim to the whole deposit.
Rio doesn’t need the whole of Simandou and the decision to split the deposit is irreversible, Guinean Mines Minister Mahmood Thiam said from Conakry today on a conference call with reporters. The company had ignored a written request last month to remove the equipment until it acted this week, he added.
“We asked them to respect the decision of the state and comply with a request to remove equipment from territory we no longer consider theirs,” Thiam said. “We don’t think Rio will leave this country. They have invested over $400 million. They would have stopped investing at $200 million if they thought the environment was murky and uncertain.”
Development Costs
“We want someone who will put that ore on the market as soon as possible,” Thiam said, adding that Rio had “inflated” some of its costs to build the project.
Rio, which this month had four of its employees arrested in China after claims of stealing state secrets, wants to develop Simandou as part of its plan to triple output of the steelmaking raw material to more than 600 million metric tons. CEO Tom Albanese called Simandou the world’s “top undeveloped” deposit in May 2008.
BSG has given Guinea a verbal agreement it will start iron- ore exports in the next 3 1/2 years, Thiam said. BSG is in “advanced talks” with potential partners to develop half of Simandou, he said, adding that some of the unidentified parties were interested in signing so-called off-take agreements to buy ore from the project.
“We have looked at those groups and vetted them,” Thiam said. “We are satisfied if they want to develop it, either as a financial or strategic partner.”
Jon Simmons, a London-based spokesman for BSG, declined to comment. BSG has been drilling and exploring on adjacent sites since 2006, Chief Executive Officer Marc Struik said in December. Steinmetz also controls resources in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Macedonia, according to BSG’s Web site.
Rio gained 95 pence, or 4.1 percent, to close at 2,410 pence in London trading, climbing as the FTSE 350 Mining Index led advances among the 39 industry groups.
A military junta headed by Moussa Dadis Camara seized power in Guinea on Dec. 23, a day after the death of former President Lansana Conte, who ruled for more than two decades. Elections will take place in December 2010, the government said.
Trade partnership with Iran keeps Uganda afloat in financial storm.
The Observer
Written by Devapriyo Das
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 17:46
As traditional sources of donor money from Western governments dry up due to the global economic recession, aid-dependent Uganda has been thrown a financial lifeline by an old ally: Iran.
Iran’s disputed presidential elections of June 2009 returned hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second, four-year term, in what should keep the negotiations the country had with Uganda about two months ago intact. However, in an interview with The Observer, Iran’s Ambassador to Uganda, Ali A. Dabiran, said his country’s policy priorities remain intact, and that it is determined to resume business as usual.
“I don’t accept ‘instability’ or something like that”, he said, “or creating turmoil, or some intervention in the affairs of Iran, because the Iranian people, after 30 years, know the way to go about problems.”
Stable regime, stable money
The emphasis on stability and non-interference has long-distinguished Iran’s relations with governments of developing countries, including Uganda. The two nations have shared close diplomatic ties for more than 30 years. Western political analysts believe the protests signal the demise of Iran’s cherished Islamic Revolution. But Dabiran accuses Western powers of backing the recent agitation, and rubbishes any prospects for regime change.
“None of the [four election] candidates has given support for this matter because they are, according to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini, sons of the Revolution. They are brothers, they have a very good record in the Revolution.”
Indeed, it is unlikely that Iran’s domestic turmoil will unhinge relationships with economic partners such as Uganda. As Dabiran puts it, “For Uganda, the changing of presidents [in Iran] doesn’t matter because the Islamic Revolution is itself not changed.”
Co-operation has grown over the past decade, encompassing agriculture, education, business-to-business venture. Today, some 30 Iranians are permanently resident in Uganda, while another hundred, mostly traders, shuttle between the two countries.
Following Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s state visit to Iran in May 2009, the energy, banking, insurance, ICT, mining and aviation sectors are expected to attract more Iranian investors.
The oil cure?
The centerpiece of President Museveni’s Tehran visit was a pact for refining Ugandan crude oil. Mr. Dabiran, who was formerly Head of the Bureau of Statistics and Information at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reveals: “There is a joint communiqué that both countries have explained and announced their readiness to co-operate in every dimension, from exploitation to refining.”
He stresses that the technical aspects will be executed in a co-operative manner involving private sector players in Uganda and Iran. “It is better that [the] private sector is the body responsible for business affairs,” he argued, adding that “the governments will guide this matter”.
Iran currently operates nine oil refineries, and is building another seven. The proposed transfer of oil-processing technologies to Uganda could underwrite President Museveni’s desire to have Ugandan crude oil value-added at home.
Uganda has estimated reserves of 600 million barrels of oil in the Albertine Graben, and two billion barrels overall. Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil, two Western prospecting firms that have struck black gold in Uganda, are considering transporting crude for refining abroad. This makes Iran’s offer to finance the entire value chain of Uganda’s oil production, and to support the construction of a local oil refinery, quite irresistible.
Ambassador Dabiran is emphatic that, “This co-operation [expresses] the right of every country to have and exploit natural resources for the benefit of their people and nation.” However, the value of investment, risk, debt and royalty demands by various prospectors, the cost of building a local refinery, and the distribution plans adopted by the Ugandan Government, all remain a mystery. When asked what Iran’s financial outlay is for the project, the Ambassador laughingly warned, “Not now!”
Uranium
He was coyer still when asked about potential collaboration on nuclear power generation. “I have not received any information on that”, he replied. Uganda has undisclosed reserves of uranium. President Museveni has previously stated that this precious mineral must be used for the benefit of Ugandans before any thoughts can be entertained about its export.
However, Uganda might be convinced to supply Iran’s indigenously developed nuclear reactors as the monetary and technical benefits that would flow in return, might sustain Uganda’s own ambitions for nuclear power generation.
Agriculture
Less contentiously, Iran has used its private sector to promote mechanised agriculture for commercial production of food in Uganda. In June 2008, the UGIRAN Company commenced operations at a tractor-assembly plant in Kampala.
Co-owned by Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation and the Iran Tractor Machinery Company, which supplies the parts, UGIRAN intends to employ 2,000 people, develop local ancillary tractor industries, supply tractors to the home market (at subsidised rates) as well as abroad, and according to Dabiran, is expected to assemble 800 tractors per year.
With so much at stake, Iran cannot afford domestic instability to undermine its economic interests in countries such as Uganda. Indeed when asked if a solution to the post-election violence is imminent, the ambassador replied, “It is solved now.”
Written by Devapriyo Das
Wednesday, 22 July 2009 17:46
As traditional sources of donor money from Western governments dry up due to the global economic recession, aid-dependent Uganda has been thrown a financial lifeline by an old ally: Iran.
Iran’s disputed presidential elections of June 2009 returned hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second, four-year term, in what should keep the negotiations the country had with Uganda about two months ago intact. However, in an interview with The Observer, Iran’s Ambassador to Uganda, Ali A. Dabiran, said his country’s policy priorities remain intact, and that it is determined to resume business as usual.
“I don’t accept ‘instability’ or something like that”, he said, “or creating turmoil, or some intervention in the affairs of Iran, because the Iranian people, after 30 years, know the way to go about problems.”
Stable regime, stable money
The emphasis on stability and non-interference has long-distinguished Iran’s relations with governments of developing countries, including Uganda. The two nations have shared close diplomatic ties for more than 30 years. Western political analysts believe the protests signal the demise of Iran’s cherished Islamic Revolution. But Dabiran accuses Western powers of backing the recent agitation, and rubbishes any prospects for regime change.
“None of the [four election] candidates has given support for this matter because they are, according to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini, sons of the Revolution. They are brothers, they have a very good record in the Revolution.”
Indeed, it is unlikely that Iran’s domestic turmoil will unhinge relationships with economic partners such as Uganda. As Dabiran puts it, “For Uganda, the changing of presidents [in Iran] doesn’t matter because the Islamic Revolution is itself not changed.”
Co-operation has grown over the past decade, encompassing agriculture, education, business-to-business venture. Today, some 30 Iranians are permanently resident in Uganda, while another hundred, mostly traders, shuttle between the two countries.
Following Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s state visit to Iran in May 2009, the energy, banking, insurance, ICT, mining and aviation sectors are expected to attract more Iranian investors.
The oil cure?
The centerpiece of President Museveni’s Tehran visit was a pact for refining Ugandan crude oil. Mr. Dabiran, who was formerly Head of the Bureau of Statistics and Information at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reveals: “There is a joint communiqué that both countries have explained and announced their readiness to co-operate in every dimension, from exploitation to refining.”
He stresses that the technical aspects will be executed in a co-operative manner involving private sector players in Uganda and Iran. “It is better that [the] private sector is the body responsible for business affairs,” he argued, adding that “the governments will guide this matter”.
Iran currently operates nine oil refineries, and is building another seven. The proposed transfer of oil-processing technologies to Uganda could underwrite President Museveni’s desire to have Ugandan crude oil value-added at home.
Uganda has estimated reserves of 600 million barrels of oil in the Albertine Graben, and two billion barrels overall. Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil, two Western prospecting firms that have struck black gold in Uganda, are considering transporting crude for refining abroad. This makes Iran’s offer to finance the entire value chain of Uganda’s oil production, and to support the construction of a local oil refinery, quite irresistible.
Ambassador Dabiran is emphatic that, “This co-operation [expresses] the right of every country to have and exploit natural resources for the benefit of their people and nation.” However, the value of investment, risk, debt and royalty demands by various prospectors, the cost of building a local refinery, and the distribution plans adopted by the Ugandan Government, all remain a mystery. When asked what Iran’s financial outlay is for the project, the Ambassador laughingly warned, “Not now!”
Uranium
He was coyer still when asked about potential collaboration on nuclear power generation. “I have not received any information on that”, he replied. Uganda has undisclosed reserves of uranium. President Museveni has previously stated that this precious mineral must be used for the benefit of Ugandans before any thoughts can be entertained about its export.
However, Uganda might be convinced to supply Iran’s indigenously developed nuclear reactors as the monetary and technical benefits that would flow in return, might sustain Uganda’s own ambitions for nuclear power generation.
Agriculture
Less contentiously, Iran has used its private sector to promote mechanised agriculture for commercial production of food in Uganda. In June 2008, the UGIRAN Company commenced operations at a tractor-assembly plant in Kampala.
Co-owned by Uganda’s National Enterprise Corporation and the Iran Tractor Machinery Company, which supplies the parts, UGIRAN intends to employ 2,000 people, develop local ancillary tractor industries, supply tractors to the home market (at subsidised rates) as well as abroad, and according to Dabiran, is expected to assemble 800 tractors per year.
With so much at stake, Iran cannot afford domestic instability to undermine its economic interests in countries such as Uganda. Indeed when asked if a solution to the post-election violence is imminent, the ambassador replied, “It is solved now.”
U.S. Continues to Train Honduran Junta Soldiers.
Monthly Review
by James Hodge and Linda Cooper
18 July 2009
A controversial facility at Ft. Benning, Ga. -- formerly known as the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas -- is still training Honduran officers despite claims by the Obama administration that it cut military ties to Honduras after its president was overthrown June 28, NCR has learned.
A day after an SOA-trained army general ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint, President Barack Obama stated that "the coup was not legal" and that Zelaya remained "the democratically elected president."
The Foreign Operations Appropriations Act requires that U.S. military aid and training be suspended when a country undergoes a military coup, and the Obama administration has indicated those steps have been taken.
However, Lee Rials, public affairs officer for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the successor of SOA, confirmed Monday that Honduran officers are still being trained at the school.
"Yes, they're in class now." Rials said
Asked about the Obama administration's suspension of aid and training to Honduras, Rials said, "Well, all I know is they're here, and they're in class."
The decision to continue training the Hondurans is "purely government policy," he said, adding that it's possible that other U.S. military schools are training them too. "We're not the only place."
Rials did not know exactly how many Hondurans were currently enrolled, but he said at least two officers are currently in the school's Command and General Staff course, its premier year-long program.
"I don't know the exact number because we've had some classes just completed and some more starting," he said. "There's no more plans for anybody to come. Everything that was in place already is still in place. Nobody's directed that they go home or that anything cease."
The school trained 431 Honduran officers from 2001 to 2008, and some 88 were projected for this year, said Rials, who couldn't provide their names.
Since 2005, the Department of Defense has barred the release of their names after it was revealed that the school had enrolled well-known human rights abusers.
The general who overthrew Zelaya -- Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez -- is a two-time graduate of SOA, which critics have nicknamed the "School of Coups" because it trained so many coup leaders, including two other Honduran graduates, General Juan Melgar Castro and General Policarpo Paz Garcia.
Vasquez is not the only SOA graduate linked to the current coup or employed by the de facto government.
Others are:
Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, the head of the Honduran air force, who arranged to have Zelaya flown into exile in Costa Rica;
Gen. Nelson Willy Mejia Mejia, the newly appointed director of immigration, who is not only an SOA graduate, but a former SOA instructor. One year after he was awarded the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal, he faced charges in connection with the infamous death squad, Battalion 3-16, for which he was an intelligence officer.
Col. Herberth Bayardo Inestroza Membreño, the Honduran army's top lawyer who admitted that flying Zelaya into exile was a crime, telling the Miama Herald that ''In the moment that we took him out of the country, in the way that he was taken out, there is a crime," but it will be justified.
Lt. Col. Ramiro Archaga Paz,the army's director of public relations, who has denied harassment of protesters and maintained that the army is not involved in internal security.
Col. Jorge Rodas Gamero, a two-time SOA graduate, who is the minister of security, a post he also held in Zelaya's government.
The ongoing training of Hondurans at Ft. Benning is not the only evidence of unbroken U.S.-Honduran military ties since the coup.
Bourgeois -- accompanied by two lawyers, Kent Spriggs and Dan Kovalik -- visited the Soto Cano/Palmerola Air Base northwest of Tegucigalpa, where the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force-Bravo is stationed.
"Helicopters were flying all around, and we spoke with the U.S. official on duty, a Sgt. Reyes" about the U.S.-Honduran relationship, Bourgeois said. "We asked him if anything had changed since the coup and he said no, nothing."
The group later met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens, who claimed that he had no knowledge of ongoing U.S. military activity with the Hondurans, Bourgeois said. The ambassador also said that he himself has had no contact with the de facto government.
That has apparently changed. Christopher Webster, the director of the State Department's Office of Central American Affairs, said Monday that Llorens has in fact been in touch with the current coup government, according to Eric LeCompte, the national organizer for SOA Watch.
LeCompte met with Webster Monday along with other representatives of human rights groups and three Hondurans -- Marvin Ponce Sauceda, a member of the Honduran National Congress, Jari Dixon Herrera Hernández, a lawyer with the Honduran attorney general's office, and Dr. Juan Almendares Bonilla, director of the Center for the Prevention, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Victims of Torture.
Webster told the group that Llorens and the State Department are engaging the coup government to the extent necessary to bring about a solution to the crisis.
Webster "told us that military aid had been cut off, and that the return of Zelaya as president is non-negotiable although the conditions under which he returns are negotiable," LeCompte said.
Herrera Hernández, the lawyer with the Honduran attorney general's office, told Webster that the coup government has disseminated misinformation by claiming the coup was legal because the court had issued an arrest warrant for Zelaya for pushing ahead with a non-binding referendum on whether to change the Honduran constitution.
However, the order to arrest Zelaya came a day after the coup, he said. And contrary to coup propaganda, Zelaya never sought to extend his term in office, and even if the survey had been held, changing the constitution would have required action by the legislature, he said.
Whatever legal argument the coup leaders had against Zelaya, it fell apart when they flew him into exile rather than prosecuting him, the attorney said. The legal system has broken down, he added, for if this can happen to the president, who can't it happen to?
by James Hodge and Linda Cooper
18 July 2009
A controversial facility at Ft. Benning, Ga. -- formerly known as the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas -- is still training Honduran officers despite claims by the Obama administration that it cut military ties to Honduras after its president was overthrown June 28, NCR has learned.
A day after an SOA-trained army general ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint, President Barack Obama stated that "the coup was not legal" and that Zelaya remained "the democratically elected president."
The Foreign Operations Appropriations Act requires that U.S. military aid and training be suspended when a country undergoes a military coup, and the Obama administration has indicated those steps have been taken.
However, Lee Rials, public affairs officer for the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, the successor of SOA, confirmed Monday that Honduran officers are still being trained at the school.
"Yes, they're in class now." Rials said
Asked about the Obama administration's suspension of aid and training to Honduras, Rials said, "Well, all I know is they're here, and they're in class."
The decision to continue training the Hondurans is "purely government policy," he said, adding that it's possible that other U.S. military schools are training them too. "We're not the only place."
Rials did not know exactly how many Hondurans were currently enrolled, but he said at least two officers are currently in the school's Command and General Staff course, its premier year-long program.
"I don't know the exact number because we've had some classes just completed and some more starting," he said. "There's no more plans for anybody to come. Everything that was in place already is still in place. Nobody's directed that they go home or that anything cease."
The school trained 431 Honduran officers from 2001 to 2008, and some 88 were projected for this year, said Rials, who couldn't provide their names.
Since 2005, the Department of Defense has barred the release of their names after it was revealed that the school had enrolled well-known human rights abusers.
The general who overthrew Zelaya -- Romeo Orlando Vásquez Velásquez -- is a two-time graduate of SOA, which critics have nicknamed the "School of Coups" because it trained so many coup leaders, including two other Honduran graduates, General Juan Melgar Castro and General Policarpo Paz Garcia.
Vasquez is not the only SOA graduate linked to the current coup or employed by the de facto government.
Others are:
Gen. Luis Javier Prince Suazo, the head of the Honduran air force, who arranged to have Zelaya flown into exile in Costa Rica;
Gen. Nelson Willy Mejia Mejia, the newly appointed director of immigration, who is not only an SOA graduate, but a former SOA instructor. One year after he was awarded the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal, he faced charges in connection with the infamous death squad, Battalion 3-16, for which he was an intelligence officer.
Col. Herberth Bayardo Inestroza Membreño, the Honduran army's top lawyer who admitted that flying Zelaya into exile was a crime, telling the Miama Herald that ''In the moment that we took him out of the country, in the way that he was taken out, there is a crime," but it will be justified.
Lt. Col. Ramiro Archaga Paz,the army's director of public relations, who has denied harassment of protesters and maintained that the army is not involved in internal security.
Col. Jorge Rodas Gamero, a two-time SOA graduate, who is the minister of security, a post he also held in Zelaya's government.
The ongoing training of Hondurans at Ft. Benning is not the only evidence of unbroken U.S.-Honduran military ties since the coup.
Bourgeois -- accompanied by two lawyers, Kent Spriggs and Dan Kovalik -- visited the Soto Cano/Palmerola Air Base northwest of Tegucigalpa, where the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Task Force-Bravo is stationed.
"Helicopters were flying all around, and we spoke with the U.S. official on duty, a Sgt. Reyes" about the U.S.-Honduran relationship, Bourgeois said. "We asked him if anything had changed since the coup and he said no, nothing."
The group later met with U.S. Ambassador Hugo Llorens, who claimed that he had no knowledge of ongoing U.S. military activity with the Hondurans, Bourgeois said. The ambassador also said that he himself has had no contact with the de facto government.
That has apparently changed. Christopher Webster, the director of the State Department's Office of Central American Affairs, said Monday that Llorens has in fact been in touch with the current coup government, according to Eric LeCompte, the national organizer for SOA Watch.
LeCompte met with Webster Monday along with other representatives of human rights groups and three Hondurans -- Marvin Ponce Sauceda, a member of the Honduran National Congress, Jari Dixon Herrera Hernández, a lawyer with the Honduran attorney general's office, and Dr. Juan Almendares Bonilla, director of the Center for the Prevention, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Victims of Torture.
Webster told the group that Llorens and the State Department are engaging the coup government to the extent necessary to bring about a solution to the crisis.
Webster "told us that military aid had been cut off, and that the return of Zelaya as president is non-negotiable although the conditions under which he returns are negotiable," LeCompte said.
Herrera Hernández, the lawyer with the Honduran attorney general's office, told Webster that the coup government has disseminated misinformation by claiming the coup was legal because the court had issued an arrest warrant for Zelaya for pushing ahead with a non-binding referendum on whether to change the Honduran constitution.
However, the order to arrest Zelaya came a day after the coup, he said. And contrary to coup propaganda, Zelaya never sought to extend his term in office, and even if the survey had been held, changing the constitution would have required action by the legislature, he said.
Whatever legal argument the coup leaders had against Zelaya, it fell apart when they flew him into exile rather than prosecuting him, the attorney said. The legal system has broken down, he added, for if this can happen to the president, who can't it happen to?
23 July, 2009
China, Russia Kick Off War Games.
The Moscow Times
23 July 2009
By James Pomfret, Dmitry Solovyov / Reuters
BEIJING — China and Russia kicked off joint military exercises Wednesday, with the drills seen as a chance to beef up anti-terrorism cooperation after a recent flare-up of violence in the Xinjiang region.
The “Peace Mission 2009” five-day exercises in northeast China come weeks after China’s worst ethnic unrest in decades between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in the far western region of Xinjiang, which killed at least 197 people.
“To some extent, the July 5 Xinjiang riot pushed forward anti-terrorism cooperation between China and Russia,” said Major Wang Haiyun, a former Chinese military attache to Russia, the China Daily newspaper reported.
Russia has also been grappling with rising violence in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya. In addition, Russia and China are wary of a rising tide of instability in Central Asia that has spilled over from Afghanistan.
“The situation in Central Asia itself, including Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, is not so good, so that’s the most likely area of practical cooperation. And in fact, they’re learning new ways to fight against Islamic insurgents and Uighurs,” said Vasily Kashin, a Chinese military analyst at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies with the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The two countries are core members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which some analysts see as an attempt to form an alternative military bloc to NATO to counter the rising threats of separatism and extremism in Central Asia. The SCO’s members also include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. “Some NATO officials … fancy it is up to them to look after world order, performing the role of the world’s policeman,” said Viktor Litovkin, a military analyst. “But the situation in Afghanistan shows that NATO without Russia, without assistance from the Central Asian states, China and other leading nations of the region, is unable to deal with the Taliban and al-Qaida by itself.”
Some analysts, however, said the smaller scale of the current exercise compared with a similar one in 2007 under the SCO reflected a recent cooling of military ties between Moscow and Beijing.
“In reality, they are downgrading or reducing their military ties for the past couple of years,” said Andrew Yang, head of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taiwan. “[The Chinese have] already reached a stage where they can produce or develop their own indigenous and advanced weapons systems. They’re no longer totally reliant on Russian support.”
When asked what new weapons Russia would show off during the drills, Litovkin said he believed that there would not be any.
The exercise will involve some 3,000 army and air force personnel and more than 40 fighters and helicopter gunships. Zvezda state television said the movement of Russian troops and weapons to China for the exercises was the biggest deployment of forces abroad by the nation’s Far Eastern Military District since World War II. A Chinese fighter-bomber crashed during preparations for the military drill with Russia on Sunday, killing two pilots.
23 July 2009
By James Pomfret, Dmitry Solovyov / Reuters
BEIJING — China and Russia kicked off joint military exercises Wednesday, with the drills seen as a chance to beef up anti-terrorism cooperation after a recent flare-up of violence in the Xinjiang region.
The “Peace Mission 2009” five-day exercises in northeast China come weeks after China’s worst ethnic unrest in decades between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese in the far western region of Xinjiang, which killed at least 197 people.
“To some extent, the July 5 Xinjiang riot pushed forward anti-terrorism cooperation between China and Russia,” said Major Wang Haiyun, a former Chinese military attache to Russia, the China Daily newspaper reported.
Russia has also been grappling with rising violence in Ingushetia, Dagestan and Chechnya. In addition, Russia and China are wary of a rising tide of instability in Central Asia that has spilled over from Afghanistan.
“The situation in Central Asia itself, including Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, is not so good, so that’s the most likely area of practical cooperation. And in fact, they’re learning new ways to fight against Islamic insurgents and Uighurs,” said Vasily Kashin, a Chinese military analyst at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies with the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The two countries are core members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which some analysts see as an attempt to form an alternative military bloc to NATO to counter the rising threats of separatism and extremism in Central Asia. The SCO’s members also include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. “Some NATO officials … fancy it is up to them to look after world order, performing the role of the world’s policeman,” said Viktor Litovkin, a military analyst. “But the situation in Afghanistan shows that NATO without Russia, without assistance from the Central Asian states, China and other leading nations of the region, is unable to deal with the Taliban and al-Qaida by itself.”
Some analysts, however, said the smaller scale of the current exercise compared with a similar one in 2007 under the SCO reflected a recent cooling of military ties between Moscow and Beijing.
“In reality, they are downgrading or reducing their military ties for the past couple of years,” said Andrew Yang, head of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies in Taiwan. “[The Chinese have] already reached a stage where they can produce or develop their own indigenous and advanced weapons systems. They’re no longer totally reliant on Russian support.”
When asked what new weapons Russia would show off during the drills, Litovkin said he believed that there would not be any.
The exercise will involve some 3,000 army and air force personnel and more than 40 fighters and helicopter gunships. Zvezda state television said the movement of Russian troops and weapons to China for the exercises was the biggest deployment of forces abroad by the nation’s Far Eastern Military District since World War II. A Chinese fighter-bomber crashed during preparations for the military drill with Russia on Sunday, killing two pilots.
SPLM Says Abyei Oil Fields Still Up for Grabs.
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services -- Unrestri
7/23/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78536
A number of senior officials from Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) suggested that the oil fields in Abyei are still subject for dispute with the North.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) awarded North Sudan the area's key Heglig and Bamboo oil fields placing them in the north Sudan district of Southern Kordofan.
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) hailed the ruling for granting it control of the oil fields.
The SPLM said they accepted the PCA ruling on Abyei but their tone was different on the fate of the oil rich areas.
The GoSS Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, Michael Makuei Lueth, explained in a televised interview after the ruling that the fate of the area under which Heglig oil fields fall will be resolved in the North-South border demarcation process.
"What we want is Abyei Area [of nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms] not oil fields," he explained, adding that the issue of Heglig oil fields will be tackled by the North-South Border Committee.
The former SPLM administrator of Abyei Edward Lino hinted at the same thing.
"They (the NCP) are talking about Meram in the west being redefined in order to know exactly where to put the boundary. In the east, they don't want Heglig and some two other oil-producing areas to be part of the Abyei area. But in fact, Heglig is part of Upper Nile [Unity state], it is not part of the Abyei area" Lino told Sudan radio service in an interview.
The SPLM and NCP have a commission to demarcate the North-South borders. It is not clear if the issue will be raised during their meetings to include Heglig oilfields as part of Upper Nile state as Lino claims.
Earlier today the Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor said the SPLM accepts the tribunal decision but that it contains "grey areas".
Asked why he has repeatedly called the ruling as grey, he said, we have lost strategic places in both west and east of Abyei town.
"These areas are part of Abyei with Dinka names clearly shown on the map," he said.
7/23/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78536
A number of senior officials from Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) suggested that the oil fields in Abyei are still subject for dispute with the North.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) awarded North Sudan the area's key Heglig and Bamboo oil fields placing them in the north Sudan district of Southern Kordofan.
The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) hailed the ruling for granting it control of the oil fields.
The SPLM said they accepted the PCA ruling on Abyei but their tone was different on the fate of the oil rich areas.
The GoSS Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, Michael Makuei Lueth, explained in a televised interview after the ruling that the fate of the area under which Heglig oil fields fall will be resolved in the North-South border demarcation process.
"What we want is Abyei Area [of nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms] not oil fields," he explained, adding that the issue of Heglig oil fields will be tackled by the North-South Border Committee.
The former SPLM administrator of Abyei Edward Lino hinted at the same thing.
"They (the NCP) are talking about Meram in the west being redefined in order to know exactly where to put the boundary. In the east, they don't want Heglig and some two other oil-producing areas to be part of the Abyei area. But in fact, Heglig is part of Upper Nile [Unity state], it is not part of the Abyei area" Lino told Sudan radio service in an interview.
The SPLM and NCP have a commission to demarcate the North-South borders. It is not clear if the issue will be raised during their meetings to include Heglig oilfields as part of Upper Nile state as Lino claims.
Earlier today the Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor said the SPLM accepts the tribunal decision but that it contains "grey areas".
Asked why he has repeatedly called the ruling as grey, he said, we have lost strategic places in both west and east of Abyei town.
"These areas are part of Abyei with Dinka names clearly shown on the map," he said.
Communique of the 198th meeting of the peace and security council PSC/PR/COMM (CXCVIII).
African Union (AU)
21 Jul 2009
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 198th meeting held on 21 July 2009, reviewed the situation in Darfur and adopted the following decision:
Council,
1. Takes note of the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Darfur [PSC/PR/2(CXCVIII)], as well as the statements made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security, the Joint AU/UN Special Representative for UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan;
2. Recalls its previous decisions and communiqués on the situation in Darfur;
3. Notes that the security situation on the ground has generally been calm over the past few months. Nevertheless, Council expresses concern at the occasional armed clashes that have taken place between various armed parties, including the incidents that took place in Muhajirya and around Karnoi and Um Buru, in January and May 2009 respectively, inter-tribal fighting among Arab communities, kidnapping of humanitarian workers and the prevailing insecurity in and around the IDP camps, as well as tensions along the Chad-Sudan border;
4. Notes the progress made in the deployment of UNAMID, particularly the military component, which has now reached 69% of the authorized strength of 19,555 military personnel, and the aim of UNAMID to reach 97% deployment by the end of the year. Council commends the personnel and leadership of the Mission for their dedication and contribution to the promotion of lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur. In particular, Council pays tribute to the outgoing UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai (Nigeria), and welcomes the appointment of Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba from Rwanda as the new Force Commander as of 1st September 2009;
5. Welcomes the existing cooperation between UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan. In this respect, Council notes the regular consultative meetings of the Tripartite Coordination Committee comprising the Government of the Sudan, the AU and the United Nations, which has been an effective mechanism in addressing all matters relating to the deployment and operations of UNAMID. Council welcomes the agreed outcome of the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee, which took place in Khartoum on 12 July 2009;
6. Notes that, in spite of the progress made, UNAMID still faces critical gaps in the area of aviation and force enablers. In this respect, Council reiterates its call on all the countries having the necessary capabilities to provide UNAMID with the required military enablers, to enhance the capacity of the Mission, and allow it to carry out its mandate more effectively. Council reiterates its appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia for agreeing to provide five tactical helicopters, and looks forward to their early deployment to the Mission area;
7. Expresses concern at the lack of progress in the talks between the Government of the Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the impasse in the implementation of the Agreement of Goodwill and Confidence Building for the Settlement of the Conflict in Darfur signed between the two parties in Doha, Qatar, on 17 February 2009.
Council strongly calls upon the signatories to work towards the implementation of the Agreement and to engage in substantive negotiations without preconditions. Council encourages the efforts being deployed by the AU/UN Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, Libya and the Government of Qatar, as well as other regional and international partners, especially the newly appointed US Special Envoy for Darfur, Jonathan Scott Gration, to push forward the peace process, including the support provided for the process of unifying the armed movements signatories to the Tripoli Pact;
8. Stresses the need for speedy progress in the search for peace, security, justice and reconciliation in Darfur, bearing in mind that civilians in that region continue to be exposed to an unacceptable risk of violence, millions of people continue to live in IDP camps or as refugees in neighboring Chad and the increasing frustration in the IDP camps, as well as the need to create inclusive and broad-based conditions conducive for the successful holding in Darfur of the April 2010 national elections, provided for by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and the fact that some provisions of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) of 5 May 2006 will expire in 2010, with the elections and the scheduled referendum on whether Darfur should be one region or remain as constituted presently with three regional States;
9. Calls on all the Sudanese parties to demonstrate the necessary political will and engage in dialogue without preconditions. In this respect, Council notes the expressed readiness of the Government of the Sudan to engage in negotiations with the armed movements. Council strongly condemns the military operations in Muhajirya and around Karnoi and Um Buru, as well as all other acts of violence, and urges the Government of the Sudan and the armed movements, in particular the JEM, to refrain from any military action;
10. Expresses its conviction that the achievement of lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur requires that the Sudanese stakeholders take full ownership of the process, with the international community playing a supportive role. In this respect, Council welcomes the increasing engagement of all the Sudanese stakeholders in search for a solution to the crisis in Darfur, as demonstrated by the Sudan's People Forum (SPF) of October 2008, and encourages them to build on the recommendations made by the SPF in their quest for peace and reconciliation in Darfur;
11. Stresses the need for the ongoing efforts to re-energize the political process between the conflicting parties and accelerate the deployment of UNAMID to be complemented by renewed initiatives for peacemaking at local level. In this respect, Council reiterates its support for the efforts being made by local authorities, tribal chiefs and, in selected places, UNAMID, including through Quick Impact Projects, which have succeeded in reducing violence, principally through a succession of inter-tribal peace agreements. Council underlines the importance of the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC), as a means of ensuring the involvement of all the Darfurian stakeholders in the search for peace and reconciliation, and calls for increased financial support to the DDDC process;
12. Expresses its profound appreciation to the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD) and to its Chairperson, former President Thabo Mbeki, for the extensive consultations it has undertaken with the Sudanese and international stakeholders, including the public hearings organized, in Khartoum and Darfur, with a wide range of stakeholders (Darfurian military commanders, political parties, civil society organizations and tribal leaders). Council eagerly anticipates to the recommendations to be submitted by the Panel and is confident that they will provide a clear roadmap on how best to achieve peace, justice, reconciliation and healing in Darfur, thereby contributing to the overall objective of sustaining peace and stability in the Sudan as a whole;
13. Reaffirms the commitment of the AU to combat impunity, in line with the relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act, and strongly condemns the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including attacks against humanitarian workers and all other acts of violence against civilians. In that regard, Council, once again, requests that concrete steps be taken to investigate the abuses committed in Darfur and bring their perpetrators to justice;
14. Urges, once again the UN Security Council to heed the AU's call for the deferral of the process initiated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in the interest of peace, justice and reconciliation. In the meantime, Council reiterates earlier AU decisions on the ICC process, in particular the non cooperation of AU member States with the arrest and surrender of President Al Bashir. In this respect, Council requests all AU member States to respect decision Assembly/AU/Dec.245 (XIII) adopted by the Assembly of the Union at its 13th ordinary session held in Sirte, Libya, from 1st to 3 July 2009;
15. Underscores, once again, the importance of the normalization of the relations between Chad and Sudan, as part of the efforts to promote regional stability and facilitate the resolution of the conflict in Darfur. In this regard, and in light of the decision adopted by the 13th ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union on the report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa [Assembly/AU/Dec.252(XIII)], stresses the need for renewed efforts in promoting relations of good neighbourliness and trust between the two countries, calls for the scrupulous implementation of the Agreements they have concluded, and urges the co-chairs of the Contact Group established by the Dakar Agreement of 13 March 2008 to resume its work;
16. Stresses the importance of continued and improved delivery of humanitarian assistance in Darfur and expresses its satisfaction with the establishment of a Joint High Level Committee on Humanitarian Affairs comprising the Government of the Sudan and some major UN humanitarian agencies, which has the mandate of tackling the humanitarian situation;
17. Decides to extend , for a further period of 12 months, the mandate of UNAMID as defined by UN Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) of 31 July 2007, and requests the Security Council to do the same;
18. Stresses the importance of the full respect for the hybrid nature and African character of UNAMID, in line with the relevant decisions and resolutions of the Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council, for the successful implementation of its mandate. In this respect, Council requests the Commission to conduct an assessment of the Mission, with the view of making recommendations on how to strengthen the partnership between the AU and the UN and draw lessons for future operations;
19. Decides to remain seized of this matter.
21 Jul 2009
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 198th meeting held on 21 July 2009, reviewed the situation in Darfur and adopted the following decision:
Council,
1. Takes note of the report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the situation in Darfur [PSC/PR/2(CXCVIII)], as well as the statements made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security, the Joint AU/UN Special Representative for UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan;
2. Recalls its previous decisions and communiqués on the situation in Darfur;
3. Notes that the security situation on the ground has generally been calm over the past few months. Nevertheless, Council expresses concern at the occasional armed clashes that have taken place between various armed parties, including the incidents that took place in Muhajirya and around Karnoi and Um Buru, in January and May 2009 respectively, inter-tribal fighting among Arab communities, kidnapping of humanitarian workers and the prevailing insecurity in and around the IDP camps, as well as tensions along the Chad-Sudan border;
4. Notes the progress made in the deployment of UNAMID, particularly the military component, which has now reached 69% of the authorized strength of 19,555 military personnel, and the aim of UNAMID to reach 97% deployment by the end of the year. Council commends the personnel and leadership of the Mission for their dedication and contribution to the promotion of lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur. In particular, Council pays tribute to the outgoing UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai (Nigeria), and welcomes the appointment of Lieutenant General Patrick Nyamvumba from Rwanda as the new Force Commander as of 1st September 2009;
5. Welcomes the existing cooperation between UNAMID and the Government of the Sudan. In this respect, Council notes the regular consultative meetings of the Tripartite Coordination Committee comprising the Government of the Sudan, the AU and the United Nations, which has been an effective mechanism in addressing all matters relating to the deployment and operations of UNAMID. Council welcomes the agreed outcome of the last meeting of the Tripartite Committee, which took place in Khartoum on 12 July 2009;
6. Notes that, in spite of the progress made, UNAMID still faces critical gaps in the area of aviation and force enablers. In this respect, Council reiterates its call on all the countries having the necessary capabilities to provide UNAMID with the required military enablers, to enhance the capacity of the Mission, and allow it to carry out its mandate more effectively. Council reiterates its appreciation to the Government of Ethiopia for agreeing to provide five tactical helicopters, and looks forward to their early deployment to the Mission area;
7. Expresses concern at the lack of progress in the talks between the Government of the Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the impasse in the implementation of the Agreement of Goodwill and Confidence Building for the Settlement of the Conflict in Darfur signed between the two parties in Doha, Qatar, on 17 February 2009.
Council strongly calls upon the signatories to work towards the implementation of the Agreement and to engage in substantive negotiations without preconditions. Council encourages the efforts being deployed by the AU/UN Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Yipènè Bassolé, Libya and the Government of Qatar, as well as other regional and international partners, especially the newly appointed US Special Envoy for Darfur, Jonathan Scott Gration, to push forward the peace process, including the support provided for the process of unifying the armed movements signatories to the Tripoli Pact;
8. Stresses the need for speedy progress in the search for peace, security, justice and reconciliation in Darfur, bearing in mind that civilians in that region continue to be exposed to an unacceptable risk of violence, millions of people continue to live in IDP camps or as refugees in neighboring Chad and the increasing frustration in the IDP camps, as well as the need to create inclusive and broad-based conditions conducive for the successful holding in Darfur of the April 2010 national elections, provided for by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and the fact that some provisions of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) of 5 May 2006 will expire in 2010, with the elections and the scheduled referendum on whether Darfur should be one region or remain as constituted presently with three regional States;
9. Calls on all the Sudanese parties to demonstrate the necessary political will and engage in dialogue without preconditions. In this respect, Council notes the expressed readiness of the Government of the Sudan to engage in negotiations with the armed movements. Council strongly condemns the military operations in Muhajirya and around Karnoi and Um Buru, as well as all other acts of violence, and urges the Government of the Sudan and the armed movements, in particular the JEM, to refrain from any military action;
10. Expresses its conviction that the achievement of lasting peace and reconciliation in Darfur requires that the Sudanese stakeholders take full ownership of the process, with the international community playing a supportive role. In this respect, Council welcomes the increasing engagement of all the Sudanese stakeholders in search for a solution to the crisis in Darfur, as demonstrated by the Sudan's People Forum (SPF) of October 2008, and encourages them to build on the recommendations made by the SPF in their quest for peace and reconciliation in Darfur;
11. Stresses the need for the ongoing efforts to re-energize the political process between the conflicting parties and accelerate the deployment of UNAMID to be complemented by renewed initiatives for peacemaking at local level. In this respect, Council reiterates its support for the efforts being made by local authorities, tribal chiefs and, in selected places, UNAMID, including through Quick Impact Projects, which have succeeded in reducing violence, principally through a succession of inter-tribal peace agreements. Council underlines the importance of the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation (DDDC), as a means of ensuring the involvement of all the Darfurian stakeholders in the search for peace and reconciliation, and calls for increased financial support to the DDDC process;
12. Expresses its profound appreciation to the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD) and to its Chairperson, former President Thabo Mbeki, for the extensive consultations it has undertaken with the Sudanese and international stakeholders, including the public hearings organized, in Khartoum and Darfur, with a wide range of stakeholders (Darfurian military commanders, political parties, civil society organizations and tribal leaders). Council eagerly anticipates to the recommendations to be submitted by the Panel and is confident that they will provide a clear roadmap on how best to achieve peace, justice, reconciliation and healing in Darfur, thereby contributing to the overall objective of sustaining peace and stability in the Sudan as a whole;
13. Reaffirms the commitment of the AU to combat impunity, in line with the relevant provisions of the AU Constitutive Act, and strongly condemns the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including attacks against humanitarian workers and all other acts of violence against civilians. In that regard, Council, once again, requests that concrete steps be taken to investigate the abuses committed in Darfur and bring their perpetrators to justice;
14. Urges, once again the UN Security Council to heed the AU's call for the deferral of the process initiated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in the interest of peace, justice and reconciliation. In the meantime, Council reiterates earlier AU decisions on the ICC process, in particular the non cooperation of AU member States with the arrest and surrender of President Al Bashir. In this respect, Council requests all AU member States to respect decision Assembly/AU/Dec.245 (XIII) adopted by the Assembly of the Union at its 13th ordinary session held in Sirte, Libya, from 1st to 3 July 2009;
15. Underscores, once again, the importance of the normalization of the relations between Chad and Sudan, as part of the efforts to promote regional stability and facilitate the resolution of the conflict in Darfur. In this regard, and in light of the decision adopted by the 13th ordinary session of the Assembly of the Union on the report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the state of peace and security in Africa [Assembly/AU/Dec.252(XIII)], stresses the need for renewed efforts in promoting relations of good neighbourliness and trust between the two countries, calls for the scrupulous implementation of the Agreements they have concluded, and urges the co-chairs of the Contact Group established by the Dakar Agreement of 13 March 2008 to resume its work;
16. Stresses the importance of continued and improved delivery of humanitarian assistance in Darfur and expresses its satisfaction with the establishment of a Joint High Level Committee on Humanitarian Affairs comprising the Government of the Sudan and some major UN humanitarian agencies, which has the mandate of tackling the humanitarian situation;
17. Decides to extend , for a further period of 12 months, the mandate of UNAMID as defined by UN Security Council resolution 1769 (2007) of 31 July 2007, and requests the Security Council to do the same;
18. Stresses the importance of the full respect for the hybrid nature and African character of UNAMID, in line with the relevant decisions and resolutions of the Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council, for the successful implementation of its mandate. In this respect, Council requests the Commission to conduct an assessment of the Mission, with the view of making recommendations on how to strengthen the partnership between the AU and the UN and draw lessons for future operations;
19. Decides to remain seized of this matter.
NEW GOVERNMENT FORMED, ALI BONGO REMAINS AS DEFENSE MINISTER.
MISNA
23 July 2009
The confirmation of Ali Bongo Ondimba as minister of Defense and the replacement of two ministers who are running in the August 30 presidential elections are the most significant developments in the formation of the new government of Gabon, which was announced last night. Ali Bongo, son of Omar Bongo Ondimba, who died last June after 40 years in power, has held the role of Defense minister since 1999. The confirmation is noteworthy given that he has won the presidential nomination for the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which has been the main political force in the country since the 1960s. The new cabinet has excluded André Mba Obame and Casimir Oyé Mba, who were the respective ministers of Mining, Oil and Hydrocarbons and of the government’s Action Coordination. Both are running in the presidential elections after having complained about the legitimacy of the election of Ali Bongo as presidential candidate for the PDG. Led by Paul Biyoghé Mba, the new cabinet has the mandate to take Gabon to the Aushgut elections. The terms for the presentation of presidential candidatures were supposed to expire last night, but afte the appeal of two opposition parties, the government has decided to evaluate the potential for an extension.
23 July 2009
The confirmation of Ali Bongo Ondimba as minister of Defense and the replacement of two ministers who are running in the August 30 presidential elections are the most significant developments in the formation of the new government of Gabon, which was announced last night. Ali Bongo, son of Omar Bongo Ondimba, who died last June after 40 years in power, has held the role of Defense minister since 1999. The confirmation is noteworthy given that he has won the presidential nomination for the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), which has been the main political force in the country since the 1960s. The new cabinet has excluded André Mba Obame and Casimir Oyé Mba, who were the respective ministers of Mining, Oil and Hydrocarbons and of the government’s Action Coordination. Both are running in the presidential elections after having complained about the legitimacy of the election of Ali Bongo as presidential candidate for the PDG. Led by Paul Biyoghé Mba, the new cabinet has the mandate to take Gabon to the Aushgut elections. The terms for the presentation of presidential candidatures were supposed to expire last night, but afte the appeal of two opposition parties, the government has decided to evaluate the potential for an extension.
Rio Tinto agrees to Guinean government's demands.
Reuters via Mineweb
By Eric Onstad
23 Jul 2009
Rio Tinto agreed to remove equipment from two disputed iron ore concessions in Guinea awarded to private firm BSGR, which is seeking partners to develop them, Guinea's mines minister said on Thursday.
Rio, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, said it would comply on Thursday with the order by Guinea, which had threatened to shut down the firm's total operations there.
"Rio Tinto is complying with the ministerial directive and will complete the process of removing the drilling rig today," it said in a statement.
Rio declined to say whether it planned to press on with its fight against the removal of blocs 1 and 2 of the huge Simandou concession, leaving it with blocs 3 and 4.
The row with Guinea comes on top of Rio's confrontation with China over the arrest of four employees on suspicion of spying during iron ore contract negotiations.
Rio said it has spent more than $450 million on exploration at Simandou and considers it the world's largest undeveloped iron ore deposit. It had planned to spend a total of $6 billion to develop the whole concession.
Guinea's Mining Minister Mahmoud Thiam said BSGR, owned by Israeli diamond trader Beny Steinmetz, had asked the ministry to vet potential partners to develop its new concessions.
"We understand they are in advanced talks with them. Whether they develop it alone or with financial or strategic partners... to us it is not really relevant," Thiam told a conference call.
A spokesman for Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR), which hopes to become one of the world's four biggest iron ore producers, declined to comment about possible partners.
SHARE INFRASTRUCTURE
Guinea hoped that all parties operating in the region would contribute to building the required rail and port infrastructure to cut costs and speed up the development process, Thiam added.
The two concessions were taken away from Rio by the previous government because it did not follow the mining code which required exploration and development of the entire concession, said Thiam, a former vice president of bank UBS in New York.
"I believe that if and when Rio realises that this decision is firm and irreversible, then they'll start concentrating on actually developing the site," he said.
"A company of their stature and size can only be good for a country that has mining ambitions such as Guinea."
A letter Thiam dated June 26 criticised Rio for delays in developing Simandou project and said the global miner was destabilising the West African country.
The company had previously forecast that Simandou's production would begin in 2013 at 8 million tonnes, rising to 70 million tonnes by 2018.
In the conference call, Thiam said his comments in the letter about Rio threatening civil unrest referred to the mining firm's efforts to rally local people to oppose the removal of the two concessions.
He praised Rio for its development work in the region to help build roads, schools and hospitals.
BSGR has been active in Guinea since 2006 and discovered the Zogata iron ore deposit before the government awarded it part of Rio's Simandou concession in December 2008.
The firm hopes to launch production at the Zogata mine in 2012 with 25 million tonnes of output a year and at the Simandou blocs 1 and 2 the following year, eventually ramping up that operation to 100 million tonnes a year.
Rio's shares in London rose 3.9 percent to 2,404.5 pence by 1435 GMT, lagging a 4.5 percent gain in the UK mining index .FTNMX1770.
(Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
By Eric Onstad
23 Jul 2009
Rio Tinto agreed to remove equipment from two disputed iron ore concessions in Guinea awarded to private firm BSGR, which is seeking partners to develop them, Guinea's mines minister said on Thursday.
Rio, the world's second biggest iron ore producer, said it would comply on Thursday with the order by Guinea, which had threatened to shut down the firm's total operations there.
"Rio Tinto is complying with the ministerial directive and will complete the process of removing the drilling rig today," it said in a statement.
Rio declined to say whether it planned to press on with its fight against the removal of blocs 1 and 2 of the huge Simandou concession, leaving it with blocs 3 and 4.
The row with Guinea comes on top of Rio's confrontation with China over the arrest of four employees on suspicion of spying during iron ore contract negotiations.
Rio said it has spent more than $450 million on exploration at Simandou and considers it the world's largest undeveloped iron ore deposit. It had planned to spend a total of $6 billion to develop the whole concession.
Guinea's Mining Minister Mahmoud Thiam said BSGR, owned by Israeli diamond trader Beny Steinmetz, had asked the ministry to vet potential partners to develop its new concessions.
"We understand they are in advanced talks with them. Whether they develop it alone or with financial or strategic partners... to us it is not really relevant," Thiam told a conference call.
A spokesman for Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR), which hopes to become one of the world's four biggest iron ore producers, declined to comment about possible partners.
SHARE INFRASTRUCTURE
Guinea hoped that all parties operating in the region would contribute to building the required rail and port infrastructure to cut costs and speed up the development process, Thiam added.
The two concessions were taken away from Rio by the previous government because it did not follow the mining code which required exploration and development of the entire concession, said Thiam, a former vice president of bank UBS in New York.
"I believe that if and when Rio realises that this decision is firm and irreversible, then they'll start concentrating on actually developing the site," he said.
"A company of their stature and size can only be good for a country that has mining ambitions such as Guinea."
A letter Thiam dated June 26 criticised Rio for delays in developing Simandou project and said the global miner was destabilising the West African country.
The company had previously forecast that Simandou's production would begin in 2013 at 8 million tonnes, rising to 70 million tonnes by 2018.
In the conference call, Thiam said his comments in the letter about Rio threatening civil unrest referred to the mining firm's efforts to rally local people to oppose the removal of the two concessions.
He praised Rio for its development work in the region to help build roads, schools and hospitals.
BSGR has been active in Guinea since 2006 and discovered the Zogata iron ore deposit before the government awarded it part of Rio's Simandou concession in December 2008.
The firm hopes to launch production at the Zogata mine in 2012 with 25 million tonnes of output a year and at the Simandou blocs 1 and 2 the following year, eventually ramping up that operation to 100 million tonnes a year.
Rio's shares in London rose 3.9 percent to 2,404.5 pence by 1435 GMT, lagging a 4.5 percent gain in the UK mining index .FTNMX1770.
(Additional reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Rwanda Army General Gets Darfur Top Job.
The Citizen
Kezio-Musoke, David
23 July 2009
A top Rwandan army officer, Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyanvumba has been chosen over other candidates from Nigeria and Ethiopia to be selected the overall Force Commander of thee peace keeping mission in the troubled region of Darfur, Sudan.
According to a press report in Kigali, the United Nations Security Council has appointed Lt Gen.Nyanvumba to head the United Nations-African Union Mission (UNAMID). UNAMID a hybrid UN-African Union (AU) has a primary mission to support the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, as well as to protect its personnel and civilians.
At full strength, UNAMID which had about 20,000 troops, 6,000 police and a significant civilian component, is still one of the largest UN peacekeeping operations in history.
Though faced with lots of logistical and deployment challenges the force aims to protect civilians in Darfur, where more than 2.5 million people have fled their home. An estimated 200,000 have died in the conflict in the past four years.
The New Times, an English daily in Kigali, reported that Gen. Nyanvumba resume was scrutinised in May this year and he passed the interviewing process on the 5th of May 2009 in New York. Information attributed to an army sources said that the General's notification of his approval came in on the 16th of July 2009.
The General starts work on the 10th of September for a period of one year.
Maj Jill Rutaremara, the Military Spokesman in Rwanda said in statement issued Tuesday that,"His (Gen. Nyanvumba) initial tour of duty will be from 1st September 2009 for a period of one year."
"Lt Gen. Nyamvumba will attend an official briefing at the UN Secretariat in New York before reporting to the UNAMID Headquarters in El Fasher, Darfur.
The notification letter was signed on 16 July 2009," the statement added.Lt Gen Nyanvumba currently heads the Military High Court and is the Chief of Military Logistics (J4).
Rwanda has sent about 3,000 soldiers in Darfur.Lt Gen Nyanvumba's ascendance to the UNAMID top military position makes him the first Rwandan to head this peacekeeping force.
Kezio-Musoke, David
23 July 2009
A top Rwandan army officer, Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyanvumba has been chosen over other candidates from Nigeria and Ethiopia to be selected the overall Force Commander of thee peace keeping mission in the troubled region of Darfur, Sudan.
According to a press report in Kigali, the United Nations Security Council has appointed Lt Gen.Nyanvumba to head the United Nations-African Union Mission (UNAMID). UNAMID a hybrid UN-African Union (AU) has a primary mission to support the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, as well as to protect its personnel and civilians.
At full strength, UNAMID which had about 20,000 troops, 6,000 police and a significant civilian component, is still one of the largest UN peacekeeping operations in history.
Though faced with lots of logistical and deployment challenges the force aims to protect civilians in Darfur, where more than 2.5 million people have fled their home. An estimated 200,000 have died in the conflict in the past four years.
The New Times, an English daily in Kigali, reported that Gen. Nyanvumba resume was scrutinised in May this year and he passed the interviewing process on the 5th of May 2009 in New York. Information attributed to an army sources said that the General's notification of his approval came in on the 16th of July 2009.
The General starts work on the 10th of September for a period of one year.
Maj Jill Rutaremara, the Military Spokesman in Rwanda said in statement issued Tuesday that,"His (Gen. Nyanvumba) initial tour of duty will be from 1st September 2009 for a period of one year."
"Lt Gen. Nyamvumba will attend an official briefing at the UN Secretariat in New York before reporting to the UNAMID Headquarters in El Fasher, Darfur.
The notification letter was signed on 16 July 2009," the statement added.Lt Gen Nyanvumba currently heads the Military High Court and is the Chief of Military Logistics (J4).
Rwanda has sent about 3,000 soldiers in Darfur.Lt Gen Nyanvumba's ascendance to the UNAMID top military position makes him the first Rwandan to head this peacekeeping force.
East Africa gets high-speed web.
BBC News
23 July 2009
The first undersea cable to bring high-speed internet access to East Africa has gone live.
The fibre-optic cable, operated by African-owned firm Seacom, connects South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to Europe and Asia.
The firm says the cable will help to boost the prospects of the region's industry and commerce.
The cable - which is 17,000km long - took two years to lay and cost more than $650m.
Seacom said in a statement the launch of the cable marked the "dawn of a new era for communications" between Africa and the rest of the world.
The services were unveiled in ceremonies in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam.
School benefits
The cable was due to be launched in June but was delayed by pirate activity off the coast of Somalia.
“ It's not good. It's hanging and keeps wasting time and frustrating me ”
Kenyan internet user
The BBC's Ben Mwangunda in Dar es Salaam says five institutions are already benefiting from the faster speeds - national electricity company Tanesco, communications company, TTCL, Tanzania Railways and the Universities of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says the internet revolution trumpeted by Seacom largely depends on how well the service is rolled out across the region.
To the disappointment of many consumers, our correspondent says some ISPs (internet service providers) are not planning to lower the cost of the internet, but instead will offer increased bandwidth.
But businesses, which have been paying around $3,000 a month for 1MB through a satellite link, will now pay considerably less - about $600 a month.
The Kenyan government has been laying a network of cables to all of the country's major towns and says the fibre-optic links will also enable schools nationwide to link into high quality educational resources.
But our correspondent says it is not clear whether the internet revolution will reach the villages, many of which still struggle to access reliable electricity.
Are you in Africa? How will the new broadband cable help you, or your business? Have slow internet speeds been holding you back? Have you noticed any difference in speed today? Send us your comments.
Here are some of your comments:
It's good news that we are getting the submarine cable. The last cable landed almost a month ago and we have not experienced any changes in the cost of prices and speed. Seems it will take a while for these changes to apply. Just hope its better this time. The speeds are hopelessly slow. Even watching YouTube is painfully slow Githaiga, Nairobi
Hopefully this means the website I want to create for my business can become a reality. Previous attempts have failed to lure foreign customers. They would give up half way through the online order process because the web pages would load so slowly. This was caused by the speed of the connections out of South Africa being too slow. I also run a website for a radio control car club where I would like to host video files of the races we have. Greg, Cape Town, South Africa
Whilst this is great news for everyone annoyed by slow internet connections, I am afraid to raise a few doubts: It is unlikely that fast internet connections are going to be available to users "up country" any time soon. This is because cables allowing such high traffic will have to be laid first, and then there's always the issue of electricity, which is so far restricted to larger towns and cities. However, here in Dar es Salaam I'm sure the change will bring great relief, as internet connections are especially slow in Tanzania's economic capital due to the high demand. Johannes, Dar es Salaam, TZ
Promises promises promises, but when will small inland towns like Gulu in northern Uganda enjoy the benefits of the long awaited data transfer fibre optic cables? I am spend too much time trying to send this comment. Is it about to change in the near future?Hopefully. Rachkara, Gulu, Uganda
I am a web developer in Nairobi and the new fibre optic initiative couldn't come at a better time. Currently, we have to worry about how interactive the websites we develop are due to slow access speeds and this limits the look and feel of our work to the users. Now however, I hope that with speed as a non-issue, everyone can enjoy the "work of our hands".... and brains of course! Stephen, Nairobi, kenya
The upgrading of internet services to the fast broadband will certainly boost online communication with the rest of the world. Especially for our school, located deep in the slums of Kawangware in Nairobi, and currently exchanging programmes with UK schools through the global gateway will be made easy. Several partner schools have left us due to poor communication records we have had with them. Through the broadband, we expect to heighten our communication with the, enabling our children to appreciate the world through interactions online. Pictures that have been a problem to download, will hopefully be quick to reach the outstretched hands! Simon, nairobi, kenya
This is very good and encouraging news to hear. I have been waiting for this for such a long time now and will now encourage me to move my business to Uganda very quickly. I am delightened that last it has arrived. Herrick, France
it has been holding us back like to make call in Tz when your in Rwanda it cost much even hearing each other become's problem. for internet cafe you can't watch live football or Music and BBC news. Sound's good for East Africa. Ivan, Kigali, Rwanda
I work in a college which offers some of the country's best diplomas (and we've just introduced a few degree courses, recently). However, poor internet connections have significantly hindered our activities and objectives of delivering "first class" education. It has not been easy to access online materials such as journals and books. Likewise, our students and colleges, at large, have always been failing to purchase books and other learning materials from various websites. I genuinely hope that this new technology will have positive impact on the development of African continent. Juma, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This is going to change everything. Am anxiously waiting for it to reach Uganda. Congratulations SEACOM. Kyomuhendo, Fort Portal, Uganda
Maybe I'll finally be able to PvP as a normal human being in world of warcraft. Its really not fun trying to interrupt a 1.5 second heal with 1.49 seconds delay. Nick, Middelburg, South Africa
Very great start of a wonderful achievement. The effective development of the region and the whole Africa is coming from that way (The EASSY Cable). Sylvestre, Bujumbura&Burundi
The impact fast internet connection (broadband)will make on my business will be phenomenal. About 95% of my work is internet based because sometimes i am online to three people across two or more continents daily. It will make me more efficient and increase my output. Patrick, Lagos, Nigeria
This is fantastic for our business, There will be no more waiting for ages download and no more echo on voice. More savings for our business too. Victor, Nairobi Kenya
Living and working in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, I can only envy the residents of the east coast of Africa. Here, we are still waiting for broadband. Those who have it have no choice but to sign up to an insanely expensive wireless relay system which is unreliable, slow and expensive. 80 pounds a month for a speed of 2Mb and a capped limit of a few Gb. The council don't care; they are too busy trying to stop ferries running on a sunday to bother with issues such as technology I need to earn a living. Maybe I should move my family to Somalia, which has entered the 21st century before here? Angus, North Uist, Outer Hebrides
23 July 2009
The first undersea cable to bring high-speed internet access to East Africa has gone live.
The fibre-optic cable, operated by African-owned firm Seacom, connects South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mozambique to Europe and Asia.
The firm says the cable will help to boost the prospects of the region's industry and commerce.
The cable - which is 17,000km long - took two years to lay and cost more than $650m.
Seacom said in a statement the launch of the cable marked the "dawn of a new era for communications" between Africa and the rest of the world.
The services were unveiled in ceremonies in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam.
School benefits
The cable was due to be launched in June but was delayed by pirate activity off the coast of Somalia.
“ It's not good. It's hanging and keeps wasting time and frustrating me ”
Kenyan internet user
The BBC's Ben Mwangunda in Dar es Salaam says five institutions are already benefiting from the faster speeds - national electricity company Tanesco, communications company, TTCL, Tanzania Railways and the Universities of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.
The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says the internet revolution trumpeted by Seacom largely depends on how well the service is rolled out across the region.
To the disappointment of many consumers, our correspondent says some ISPs (internet service providers) are not planning to lower the cost of the internet, but instead will offer increased bandwidth.
But businesses, which have been paying around $3,000 a month for 1MB through a satellite link, will now pay considerably less - about $600 a month.
The Kenyan government has been laying a network of cables to all of the country's major towns and says the fibre-optic links will also enable schools nationwide to link into high quality educational resources.
But our correspondent says it is not clear whether the internet revolution will reach the villages, many of which still struggle to access reliable electricity.
Are you in Africa? How will the new broadband cable help you, or your business? Have slow internet speeds been holding you back? Have you noticed any difference in speed today? Send us your comments.
Here are some of your comments:
It's good news that we are getting the submarine cable. The last cable landed almost a month ago and we have not experienced any changes in the cost of prices and speed. Seems it will take a while for these changes to apply. Just hope its better this time. The speeds are hopelessly slow. Even watching YouTube is painfully slow Githaiga, Nairobi
Hopefully this means the website I want to create for my business can become a reality. Previous attempts have failed to lure foreign customers. They would give up half way through the online order process because the web pages would load so slowly. This was caused by the speed of the connections out of South Africa being too slow. I also run a website for a radio control car club where I would like to host video files of the races we have. Greg, Cape Town, South Africa
Whilst this is great news for everyone annoyed by slow internet connections, I am afraid to raise a few doubts: It is unlikely that fast internet connections are going to be available to users "up country" any time soon. This is because cables allowing such high traffic will have to be laid first, and then there's always the issue of electricity, which is so far restricted to larger towns and cities. However, here in Dar es Salaam I'm sure the change will bring great relief, as internet connections are especially slow in Tanzania's economic capital due to the high demand. Johannes, Dar es Salaam, TZ
Promises promises promises, but when will small inland towns like Gulu in northern Uganda enjoy the benefits of the long awaited data transfer fibre optic cables? I am spend too much time trying to send this comment. Is it about to change in the near future?Hopefully. Rachkara, Gulu, Uganda
I am a web developer in Nairobi and the new fibre optic initiative couldn't come at a better time. Currently, we have to worry about how interactive the websites we develop are due to slow access speeds and this limits the look and feel of our work to the users. Now however, I hope that with speed as a non-issue, everyone can enjoy the "work of our hands".... and brains of course! Stephen, Nairobi, kenya
The upgrading of internet services to the fast broadband will certainly boost online communication with the rest of the world. Especially for our school, located deep in the slums of Kawangware in Nairobi, and currently exchanging programmes with UK schools through the global gateway will be made easy. Several partner schools have left us due to poor communication records we have had with them. Through the broadband, we expect to heighten our communication with the, enabling our children to appreciate the world through interactions online. Pictures that have been a problem to download, will hopefully be quick to reach the outstretched hands! Simon, nairobi, kenya
This is very good and encouraging news to hear. I have been waiting for this for such a long time now and will now encourage me to move my business to Uganda very quickly. I am delightened that last it has arrived. Herrick, France
it has been holding us back like to make call in Tz when your in Rwanda it cost much even hearing each other become's problem. for internet cafe you can't watch live football or Music and BBC news. Sound's good for East Africa. Ivan, Kigali, Rwanda
I work in a college which offers some of the country's best diplomas (and we've just introduced a few degree courses, recently). However, poor internet connections have significantly hindered our activities and objectives of delivering "first class" education. It has not been easy to access online materials such as journals and books. Likewise, our students and colleges, at large, have always been failing to purchase books and other learning materials from various websites. I genuinely hope that this new technology will have positive impact on the development of African continent. Juma, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
This is going to change everything. Am anxiously waiting for it to reach Uganda. Congratulations SEACOM. Kyomuhendo, Fort Portal, Uganda
Maybe I'll finally be able to PvP as a normal human being in world of warcraft. Its really not fun trying to interrupt a 1.5 second heal with 1.49 seconds delay. Nick, Middelburg, South Africa
Very great start of a wonderful achievement. The effective development of the region and the whole Africa is coming from that way (The EASSY Cable). Sylvestre, Bujumbura&Burundi
The impact fast internet connection (broadband)will make on my business will be phenomenal. About 95% of my work is internet based because sometimes i am online to three people across two or more continents daily. It will make me more efficient and increase my output. Patrick, Lagos, Nigeria
This is fantastic for our business, There will be no more waiting for ages download and no more echo on voice. More savings for our business too. Victor, Nairobi Kenya
Living and working in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, I can only envy the residents of the east coast of Africa. Here, we are still waiting for broadband. Those who have it have no choice but to sign up to an insanely expensive wireless relay system which is unreliable, slow and expensive. 80 pounds a month for a speed of 2Mb and a capped limit of a few Gb. The council don't care; they are too busy trying to stop ferries running on a sunday to bother with issues such as technology I need to earn a living. Maybe I should move my family to Somalia, which has entered the 21st century before here? Angus, North Uist, Outer Hebrides
Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels name new leader.
AFP
22 July 2009
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have named a man accused of running a vast arms smuggling operation as their new leader, two months after government forces fought the separatist movement.
The new leader has pledged to remake the insurgents into a nonviolent separatist movement.
Selvarasa Pathmanathan was the rebels' chief of international relations and allegedly ran an international weapons smuggling ring. The Sri Lankan government has appealed to foreign governments to find and arrest him.
Pathmanathan "will lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle according to the vision of our esteemed leader," said the Tiger's executive committee in a statement released Tuesday.
He replaces Velupillai Prabhakaran, who led the Tigers for decades before being shot dead by Sri Lankan forces in May.
The Tigers said they have set up a head office and an executive committee to move forward their campaign for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have claimed discrimination at the hands of Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese.
Pathmanathan said earlier the Tigers would abandon their armed struggle and use nonviolence to achieve their goals, and he promised the group would reorganize itself based on democratic principles — a major change from Prabhakaran's dictatorial leadership style.
"Like all liberation struggles, we will modify the form and strategies of our struggle according to times and demands," the statement said.
The government declared in May that its forces had crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and ended the civil war that began in 1983.
The rebels once controlled a shadow state across northern Sri Lanka backed by thousands of guerrilla fighters, a navy and even a nascent air force. In the final days of the battle, the military killed much of the senior Tiger leadership, including Prabhakaran.
About 10,000 former insurgents are held in government custody.
It was not immediately clear whether Pathmanathan would get the support of an estimated 800,000 Tamil expatriates living in Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries.
Signs have emerged that the Tamil diaspora is divided over whom to support. The TamilNet Web site, seen as a mouthpiece for the rebels, has refused to carry statements from Pathmanathan.
Reports have surfaced that many Tamils are furious with Pathmanathan for quickly acknowledging Prabhakaran's death while others refused to believe the rebel chief had been killed.
22 July 2009
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have named a man accused of running a vast arms smuggling operation as their new leader, two months after government forces fought the separatist movement.
The new leader has pledged to remake the insurgents into a nonviolent separatist movement.
Selvarasa Pathmanathan was the rebels' chief of international relations and allegedly ran an international weapons smuggling ring. The Sri Lankan government has appealed to foreign governments to find and arrest him.
Pathmanathan "will lead us into the next steps of our freedom struggle according to the vision of our esteemed leader," said the Tiger's executive committee in a statement released Tuesday.
He replaces Velupillai Prabhakaran, who led the Tigers for decades before being shot dead by Sri Lankan forces in May.
The Tigers said they have set up a head office and an executive committee to move forward their campaign for an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils, who have claimed discrimination at the hands of Sri Lanka's majority Sinhalese.
Pathmanathan said earlier the Tigers would abandon their armed struggle and use nonviolence to achieve their goals, and he promised the group would reorganize itself based on democratic principles — a major change from Prabhakaran's dictatorial leadership style.
"Like all liberation struggles, we will modify the form and strategies of our struggle according to times and demands," the statement said.
The government declared in May that its forces had crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and ended the civil war that began in 1983.
The rebels once controlled a shadow state across northern Sri Lanka backed by thousands of guerrilla fighters, a navy and even a nascent air force. In the final days of the battle, the military killed much of the senior Tiger leadership, including Prabhakaran.
About 10,000 former insurgents are held in government custody.
It was not immediately clear whether Pathmanathan would get the support of an estimated 800,000 Tamil expatriates living in Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries.
Signs have emerged that the Tamil diaspora is divided over whom to support. The TamilNet Web site, seen as a mouthpiece for the rebels, has refused to carry statements from Pathmanathan.
Reports have surfaced that many Tamils are furious with Pathmanathan for quickly acknowledging Prabhakaran's death while others refused to believe the rebel chief had been killed.
Boeing, Lockheed see US-India defence deal as chance to make big money.
AFP
22 July 2009
by Pratap Chakravarty
Two US defence industry giants, each vying for a huge fighter-jet contract with India, Wednesday hailed a bilateral accord promising to open the door to greater military commerce between the countries.
Lockheed Martin and Boeing are neck-and-neck in the race for the world's richest fighter aircraft deal in 15 years, worth almost 12 billion dollars, to sell 126 jets to the Indian Air Force.
On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna agreed on an "end-use monitoring" arrangement that would provide safeguards for the sale of sophisticated US weaponry to India.
Clinton said the deal, which also provides for co-operation in providing nuclear technology, would pave the way for billions of dollars in exports of military hardware and civilian reactors to technology starved India.
Vivek Lal, India head of Boeing Defence Integrated, praised the accord as a "cornerstone of the increasing trust forged by both countries."
"The agreement will make it easier to share important US defence technology with India," he said in a statement.
"Boeing looks forward to working within the framework of this agreement to support India in modernising its defence forces," he said.
Boeing is touting its F-18 "Superhornet" while Lockheed Martin is offering a the F-16 to the Indian Air Force, the world's fourth-largest.
Richard Kirkland, Lockheed Martin's South Asia president, also applauded the deal.
"We look forward to supporting the requirements of the Indian armed services in partnership with Indian industry," Kirkland told AFP in an email.
Industry sources say Boeing and Lockheed have emerged as frontrunners in the bidding for the 126-jet contract, which is also being sought by European Russian, French and Swedish contractors.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company has offered its Typhoon Eurofighter, while the Russian manufacturers of the MiG-35 and MiG-29 along with Sweden's Saab, which makes the Gripen fighter, are also in the running.
French firm Dassault Aviation is offering its Rafale fighters but these are viewed by defence analysts as too costly for India.
India is slated to begin field trials of the aircraft in the race for the contract next month. The trials will continue until July 2010.
India issued the request for proposals to the six short-listed global aviation giants in August 2007 and the companies submitted their bids last year.
The contract includes the outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 with another 108 to be built in India under a "transfer of technology agreement."
India also wants the option to buy 64 more jets. It is the largest arms buyer among emerging economies.
India announced in March it plans to buy six Hercules transport planes from Lockheed for nearly one billion dollars, marking the country's biggest ever military aircraft deal with the United States.
In January, India signed a 2.1-billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy six maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian navy.
22 July 2009
by Pratap Chakravarty
Two US defence industry giants, each vying for a huge fighter-jet contract with India, Wednesday hailed a bilateral accord promising to open the door to greater military commerce between the countries.
Lockheed Martin and Boeing are neck-and-neck in the race for the world's richest fighter aircraft deal in 15 years, worth almost 12 billion dollars, to sell 126 jets to the Indian Air Force.
On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna agreed on an "end-use monitoring" arrangement that would provide safeguards for the sale of sophisticated US weaponry to India.
Clinton said the deal, which also provides for co-operation in providing nuclear technology, would pave the way for billions of dollars in exports of military hardware and civilian reactors to technology starved India.
Vivek Lal, India head of Boeing Defence Integrated, praised the accord as a "cornerstone of the increasing trust forged by both countries."
"The agreement will make it easier to share important US defence technology with India," he said in a statement.
"Boeing looks forward to working within the framework of this agreement to support India in modernising its defence forces," he said.
Boeing is touting its F-18 "Superhornet" while Lockheed Martin is offering a the F-16 to the Indian Air Force, the world's fourth-largest.
Richard Kirkland, Lockheed Martin's South Asia president, also applauded the deal.
"We look forward to supporting the requirements of the Indian armed services in partnership with Indian industry," Kirkland told AFP in an email.
Industry sources say Boeing and Lockheed have emerged as frontrunners in the bidding for the 126-jet contract, which is also being sought by European Russian, French and Swedish contractors.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company has offered its Typhoon Eurofighter, while the Russian manufacturers of the MiG-35 and MiG-29 along with Sweden's Saab, which makes the Gripen fighter, are also in the running.
French firm Dassault Aviation is offering its Rafale fighters but these are viewed by defence analysts as too costly for India.
India is slated to begin field trials of the aircraft in the race for the contract next month. The trials will continue until July 2010.
India issued the request for proposals to the six short-listed global aviation giants in August 2007 and the companies submitted their bids last year.
The contract includes the outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 with another 108 to be built in India under a "transfer of technology agreement."
India also wants the option to buy 64 more jets. It is the largest arms buyer among emerging economies.
India announced in March it plans to buy six Hercules transport planes from Lockheed for nearly one billion dollars, marking the country's biggest ever military aircraft deal with the United States.
In January, India signed a 2.1-billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy six maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian navy.
Supreme Court Summons Musharraf.
Daily Times
23 July 2009
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf to answer questions next week about his decisions to oust the judiciary and impose emergency rule in 2007.
“In terms of Order 25 Rule 9 of the Supreme Court Rules 1980, issue notice to General (r) Pervez Musharraf, leaving for him an opportunity to appear before the court or otherwise, notice be issued to his residence in Islamabad,” a 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said in its order, asking the former president to appear on June 29, in person or through a lawyer.
The bench heard petitions filed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) against non-confirmation of two SHC judges, Justice Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani and Justice Abdul Rasheed Kalwar, and challenging the appointment of judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
Resuming his arguments, SHCBA’s lawyer Hamid Khan said the Nov 3, 2007 emergency was imposed for the benefit of a single individual.
Compliance is not mandatory, but failure to show up will mean Musharraf will have no further chances to defend himself in a case that is aimed at determining whether it was constitutional for him to oust the judiciary and impose emergency rule in November 2007. Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa said this would be Musharraf’s only opportunity to defend himself.
“We’ve made it clear to the bench that we aren’t prepared to defend him. The government doesn’t consider his actions lawful or constitutional,” Khosa said after the hearing. Musharraf’s moves in late 2007 triggered nationwide protests and were seen by political opponents as a bid to extend his presidency for another five years.
However, the unpopularity of emergency rule, together with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, weakened support for Musharraf.
Editor's Note: Mr. Musharraf has consulted senior legal expert Sharifuddin Pirzada, former attorney general Malik Qayyum and former law minister Dr Khalid Ranjha and discussed various aspects of the petition being heard by the SC. US Special Representative Holbrooke claimed the US respects Pakistan’s judiciary and would not interfere with whatever decision it took against Musharraf.
23 July 2009
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf to answer questions next week about his decisions to oust the judiciary and impose emergency rule in 2007.
“In terms of Order 25 Rule 9 of the Supreme Court Rules 1980, issue notice to General (r) Pervez Musharraf, leaving for him an opportunity to appear before the court or otherwise, notice be issued to his residence in Islamabad,” a 14-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said in its order, asking the former president to appear on June 29, in person or through a lawyer.
The bench heard petitions filed by the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) against non-confirmation of two SHC judges, Justice Zafar Ahmed Khan Sherwani and Justice Abdul Rasheed Kalwar, and challenging the appointment of judges who took oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).
Resuming his arguments, SHCBA’s lawyer Hamid Khan said the Nov 3, 2007 emergency was imposed for the benefit of a single individual.
Compliance is not mandatory, but failure to show up will mean Musharraf will have no further chances to defend himself in a case that is aimed at determining whether it was constitutional for him to oust the judiciary and impose emergency rule in November 2007. Attorney General Sardar Latif Khosa said this would be Musharraf’s only opportunity to defend himself.
“We’ve made it clear to the bench that we aren’t prepared to defend him. The government doesn’t consider his actions lawful or constitutional,” Khosa said after the hearing. Musharraf’s moves in late 2007 triggered nationwide protests and were seen by political opponents as a bid to extend his presidency for another five years.
However, the unpopularity of emergency rule, together with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, weakened support for Musharraf.
Editor's Note: Mr. Musharraf has consulted senior legal expert Sharifuddin Pirzada, former attorney general Malik Qayyum and former law minister Dr Khalid Ranjha and discussed various aspects of the petition being heard by the SC. US Special Representative Holbrooke claimed the US respects Pakistan’s judiciary and would not interfere with whatever decision it took against Musharraf.
22 July, 2009
Ukraine general 'killed reporter.'
BBC News
22 July 2009
A former Ukrainian general suspected of carrying out the high-profile murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze has reportedly confessed to the killing.
A senior police official said Oleksiy Pukach had also implicated senior political figures in the murder.
Mr Gongadze's decapitated body was found in a forest in September 2000.
Three others - all former policemen - were jailed for the murder last year but Gen Pukach remained on the run until his capture on Tuesday.
Mr Gongadze was an investigative journalist who had exposed high-level corruption.
He was abducted in 2000 and his body was found months later. He had been beaten and strangled, his body doused in petrol and burned.
Prosecutors allege that Gen Pukach - who was detained near the capital, Kiev - organised the abduction and personally strangled Mr Gongadze.
Gen Pukach was the chief of the interior ministry's surveillance department at the time of the killing.
Three others were jailed for the murder last year.
Mykola Protasov was given a sentence of 13 years, while Valeriy Kostenko and Oleksandr Popovych were each handed 12-year terms.
Tape recordings
But Mr Gongadze's family has always claimed someone more senior was behind the killing.
His widow, Myroslava, told the BBC's Europe Today programme: "For me and Ukraine it's a very important step in bringing justice to my husband... and generally to society. It's a cleansing process.
"He knows the name of people who ordered the crime," she went on.
"The thing is, it's easy to mention names, but it's not that easy to collect all the evidence to present in court against instigators and organisers."
Secret tape recordings released soon after the killing appeared to implicate the then-President, Leonid Kuchma.
In the recordings - made secretly by a member of his personal guard and then released by an opposition politician - Mr Kuchma allegedly discussed ways of removing the journalist, with a former interior minister, Yuri Kravchenko.
The latter was later found dead and was said to have committed suicide.
Mr Kuchma did not deny the voice in the recordings was his, but insisted it was doctored to make him appear to say things he did not actually say.
The scandal prompted massive street protests against Mr Kuchma's government. He was later overturned in Ukraine's Orange Revolution.
22 July 2009
A former Ukrainian general suspected of carrying out the high-profile murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze has reportedly confessed to the killing.
A senior police official said Oleksiy Pukach had also implicated senior political figures in the murder.
Mr Gongadze's decapitated body was found in a forest in September 2000.
Three others - all former policemen - were jailed for the murder last year but Gen Pukach remained on the run until his capture on Tuesday.
Mr Gongadze was an investigative journalist who had exposed high-level corruption.
He was abducted in 2000 and his body was found months later. He had been beaten and strangled, his body doused in petrol and burned.
Prosecutors allege that Gen Pukach - who was detained near the capital, Kiev - organised the abduction and personally strangled Mr Gongadze.
Gen Pukach was the chief of the interior ministry's surveillance department at the time of the killing.
Three others were jailed for the murder last year.
Mykola Protasov was given a sentence of 13 years, while Valeriy Kostenko and Oleksandr Popovych were each handed 12-year terms.
Tape recordings
But Mr Gongadze's family has always claimed someone more senior was behind the killing.
His widow, Myroslava, told the BBC's Europe Today programme: "For me and Ukraine it's a very important step in bringing justice to my husband... and generally to society. It's a cleansing process.
"He knows the name of people who ordered the crime," she went on.
"The thing is, it's easy to mention names, but it's not that easy to collect all the evidence to present in court against instigators and organisers."
Secret tape recordings released soon after the killing appeared to implicate the then-President, Leonid Kuchma.
In the recordings - made secretly by a member of his personal guard and then released by an opposition politician - Mr Kuchma allegedly discussed ways of removing the journalist, with a former interior minister, Yuri Kravchenko.
The latter was later found dead and was said to have committed suicide.
Mr Kuchma did not deny the voice in the recordings was his, but insisted it was doctored to make him appear to say things he did not actually say.
The scandal prompted massive street protests against Mr Kuchma's government. He was later overturned in Ukraine's Orange Revolution.
Camec's Zimbabwe platinum project threatened.
Mining MX
18 July 2008 (Corrected)
By Brendan Ryan
Zimbabwe's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), intends on canceling the deal struck between Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF led government and Central African Mining and Exploration (Camec) over its new platinum mine. The reason is the circumstances under which Camec came to own the mineral rights to the mine, which were previously held by Anglo Platinum as part of its Unki Platinum project.
Roy Bennett, MDC treasurer-general, told Miningmx today that, when the MDC gets into power in Zimbabwe, “any deal done under the kind of circumstances surrounding the Camec acquisition of those mineral rights will be not be honoured and will be undone.” Camec MD Andrew Groves replied: “Assuming the MDC gets into power, then let them try. That deal was done in accordance with all the laws of Zimbabwe. The US$100m loan provided was used to pay off Zimbabwe’s external creditors. They will find the deal very difficult to undo and we will take the issue to international arbitration if necessary. This kind of thing was tried on us before in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
According to Bennett, the MDC will come to power in Zimbabwe. “What is underway now are negotiations leading to a transitional government. That, in turn, will lead to free and fair elections which will confirm the position of the MDC as the elected government.”
Camec acquired the claims in mid-April immediately after they were surrendered to the Zimbabwe government by Anglo Platinum in terms of the country’s newly introduced indigenisation legislation.
But, according to an industry source, the rights only became available because Anglo Platinum was subjected to extreme pressure from the Zimbabwe government at a time when the state was desperate for cash.
Allegations are that the pressure included coercion in the form of visits from Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation to various Anglo executives in Zimbabwe and that the money was used, amongst other things, to fund President Robert Mugabe’s election campaign.
Asked about this, Anglo American spokesperson James Wyatt-Tilby said on June 26: “Negotiations and discussions had taken place during the past two years between Anglo Platinum and the Zimbabwean government and these resulted in a cession of the claims in April this year. Anglo Platinum will receive empowerment credits for this transaction.”
Camec announced on April 11 it had bought control of these claims through a company called Lefever Finance which was registered in the British Virgin Islands. Lefever owned 60% of a Zimbabwean company called Todal Mining which held the rights.
The other 40% of Todal is held by state-owned company, Zimbabwe Mineral Development Corporation (ZMDC).
Camec bought Lefever from a company called Meryweather Investments to which it paid US$5m in cash and issued 215m new Camec shares worth about $238m.
But Camec also lent $100m to Lefever to, "enable Lefever to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Repayment to Lefever is to be made from the ZMDC’s share of dividends from Todal.”
Camec’s results statement for the year to end-March this week said work had already started on the site of the Zimbabwean mine. The report said, “we are confident that we can bring the mine into operation during 2009, ultimately producing 120,000 to 150,000 ounces of four element (platinum group metals) per annum.”
The Camec report added, “Todal has negotiated the right to export platinum from Zimbabwe and has also secured agreement to allow it to expatriate the profits generated by its mining operations in the country.
“In addition, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has extended to Todal the same fiscal incentives that had been granted to Anglo Platinum under the special mining lease agreement for the development of the project. These incentives cover royalties, income tax, import duties value added tax and withholding taxes.”
Camec said that a management team led by Gordon Thompson, formerly the head of operations at the South Deep gold mine in South Africa, had been appointed.
Camec added it also retained its interest in Pfula Investments which owns 51% and 40%respectively of the Inkosi and Imbasa platinum projects on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.
Camec said it is, “Very proud of its record of investing in Africa and it believes that its approach of making early stage investments in countries in transition is the best way to generate shareholder value, while at the same time helping the people of Africa.”
18 July 2008 (Corrected)
By Brendan Ryan
Zimbabwe's opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), intends on canceling the deal struck between Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF led government and Central African Mining and Exploration (Camec) over its new platinum mine. The reason is the circumstances under which Camec came to own the mineral rights to the mine, which were previously held by Anglo Platinum as part of its Unki Platinum project.
Roy Bennett, MDC treasurer-general, told Miningmx today that, when the MDC gets into power in Zimbabwe, “any deal done under the kind of circumstances surrounding the Camec acquisition of those mineral rights will be not be honoured and will be undone.” Camec MD Andrew Groves replied: “Assuming the MDC gets into power, then let them try. That deal was done in accordance with all the laws of Zimbabwe. The US$100m loan provided was used to pay off Zimbabwe’s external creditors. They will find the deal very difficult to undo and we will take the issue to international arbitration if necessary. This kind of thing was tried on us before in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
According to Bennett, the MDC will come to power in Zimbabwe. “What is underway now are negotiations leading to a transitional government. That, in turn, will lead to free and fair elections which will confirm the position of the MDC as the elected government.”
Camec acquired the claims in mid-April immediately after they were surrendered to the Zimbabwe government by Anglo Platinum in terms of the country’s newly introduced indigenisation legislation.
But, according to an industry source, the rights only became available because Anglo Platinum was subjected to extreme pressure from the Zimbabwe government at a time when the state was desperate for cash.
Allegations are that the pressure included coercion in the form of visits from Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation to various Anglo executives in Zimbabwe and that the money was used, amongst other things, to fund President Robert Mugabe’s election campaign.
Asked about this, Anglo American spokesperson James Wyatt-Tilby said on June 26: “Negotiations and discussions had taken place during the past two years between Anglo Platinum and the Zimbabwean government and these resulted in a cession of the claims in April this year. Anglo Platinum will receive empowerment credits for this transaction.”
Camec announced on April 11 it had bought control of these claims through a company called Lefever Finance which was registered in the British Virgin Islands. Lefever owned 60% of a Zimbabwean company called Todal Mining which held the rights.
The other 40% of Todal is held by state-owned company, Zimbabwe Mineral Development Corporation (ZMDC).
Camec bought Lefever from a company called Meryweather Investments to which it paid US$5m in cash and issued 215m new Camec shares worth about $238m.
But Camec also lent $100m to Lefever to, "enable Lefever to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Repayment to Lefever is to be made from the ZMDC’s share of dividends from Todal.”
Camec’s results statement for the year to end-March this week said work had already started on the site of the Zimbabwean mine. The report said, “we are confident that we can bring the mine into operation during 2009, ultimately producing 120,000 to 150,000 ounces of four element (platinum group metals) per annum.”
The Camec report added, “Todal has negotiated the right to export platinum from Zimbabwe and has also secured agreement to allow it to expatriate the profits generated by its mining operations in the country.
“In addition, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has extended to Todal the same fiscal incentives that had been granted to Anglo Platinum under the special mining lease agreement for the development of the project. These incentives cover royalties, income tax, import duties value added tax and withholding taxes.”
Camec said that a management team led by Gordon Thompson, formerly the head of operations at the South Deep gold mine in South Africa, had been appointed.
Camec added it also retained its interest in Pfula Investments which owns 51% and 40%respectively of the Inkosi and Imbasa platinum projects on the western limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.
Camec said it is, “Very proud of its record of investing in Africa and it believes that its approach of making early stage investments in countries in transition is the best way to generate shareholder value, while at the same time helping the people of Africa.”
Country Gets Sh80 Billion for Oil, Energy Sectors.
The New Vision
By Chris Kiwawulo
17 July 2009
The government of Norway has donated $37.4m (about sh80b) to boost Uganda's oil, energy, forestry and meat sector and bridge the budget gap.
Of this fund, $13m (sh28b) will help to strengthen the management of Uganda's oil and gas sector while $11m (sh24b) is for supporting the National Forestry Authority (NFA) with enhanced focus on planting more trees in northern Uganda.
A total of $10m (sh22b) will help to bridge the funding gap for the financial year (2009/2010) while $3m (sh6b) will be used to develop the meat processing industry in the country.
Another undisclosed amount has been earmarked for the feasibility study and processing of tender documents for six rural electrification projects countrywide.
Keith Muhakanizi, the deputy secretary to the treasury in the finance ministry, signed on behalf of Uganda while Leite Bjorg, the Norwegian envoy to Uganda , signed on behalf of her country. The ceremony took place at the finance ministry headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday.
Bjorg said: "Norway will continue assisting Uganda to develop its petroleum sector and rural electrification."
Muhakanizi said the support towards the rural electrification programme was timely since the Government was committed to improving energy access in rural areas.
By Chris Kiwawulo
17 July 2009
The government of Norway has donated $37.4m (about sh80b) to boost Uganda's oil, energy, forestry and meat sector and bridge the budget gap.
Of this fund, $13m (sh28b) will help to strengthen the management of Uganda's oil and gas sector while $11m (sh24b) is for supporting the National Forestry Authority (NFA) with enhanced focus on planting more trees in northern Uganda.
A total of $10m (sh22b) will help to bridge the funding gap for the financial year (2009/2010) while $3m (sh6b) will be used to develop the meat processing industry in the country.
Another undisclosed amount has been earmarked for the feasibility study and processing of tender documents for six rural electrification projects countrywide.
Keith Muhakanizi, the deputy secretary to the treasury in the finance ministry, signed on behalf of Uganda while Leite Bjorg, the Norwegian envoy to Uganda , signed on behalf of her country. The ceremony took place at the finance ministry headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday.
Bjorg said: "Norway will continue assisting Uganda to develop its petroleum sector and rural electrification."
Muhakanizi said the support towards the rural electrification programme was timely since the Government was committed to improving energy access in rural areas.
Bolivia Completes Nationalization of Oil and Gas Sector.
Xinhua News Agency
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78490
Bolivia's state-owned oil giant YPFB announced on Tuesday it has completed nationalization of the country's oil and gas sector.
YPBF, abbreviation for Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos in Spanish, acquired a natural gas supplier in Cochabamba, a step concluding its nationalization efforts in the country's hydrocarbon industry.
"At this moment facilities like the oil and gas pipelines, including those under construction, are completely the property of the Bolivian state," YPFB interim president Carlos Villegas said.
"The state is now the owner of domestic hydrocarbon resources under and above the ground," Villegas said.
The state has also taken full control of the hydrocarbon storage capacity by nationalizing the Guillermo Elder Bell Refinery in Santa Cruz and the Gualberto Villarroel Refinery in Cochabamba.
"The nationalization process has allowed YPFB to regain control of the domestic oil and gas sector," Villegas said. He said the company's management of this sector will contribute to state revenues and the welfare of the Bolivian people.
YPFB was created in 1936 as a state owned and run gasoline company. It underwent partial privatization under the presidency of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada in the 1990s.
The Bolivian government also announced a plan on Tuesday to invest US $5 billion over the next five years in oil and gas explorations, operations and distribution.
Bolivia has the second largest reserves of natural gas in Latin America after Venezuela.
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78490
Bolivia's state-owned oil giant YPFB announced on Tuesday it has completed nationalization of the country's oil and gas sector.
YPBF, abbreviation for Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos in Spanish, acquired a natural gas supplier in Cochabamba, a step concluding its nationalization efforts in the country's hydrocarbon industry.
"At this moment facilities like the oil and gas pipelines, including those under construction, are completely the property of the Bolivian state," YPFB interim president Carlos Villegas said.
"The state is now the owner of domestic hydrocarbon resources under and above the ground," Villegas said.
The state has also taken full control of the hydrocarbon storage capacity by nationalizing the Guillermo Elder Bell Refinery in Santa Cruz and the Gualberto Villarroel Refinery in Cochabamba.
"The nationalization process has allowed YPFB to regain control of the domestic oil and gas sector," Villegas said. He said the company's management of this sector will contribute to state revenues and the welfare of the Bolivian people.
YPFB was created in 1936 as a state owned and run gasoline company. It underwent partial privatization under the presidency of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada in the 1990s.
The Bolivian government also announced a plan on Tuesday to invest US $5 billion over the next five years in oil and gas explorations, operations and distribution.
Bolivia has the second largest reserves of natural gas in Latin America after Venezuela.
Noble Gets Go-Ahead for Aseng Oil Project in Equatorial Guinea.
Noble Energy, Inc.
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78463
Noble Energy announced that the Plan of Development for the Aseng oil project has been sanctioned by the Company, its partners, and the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Noble Energy serves as technical operator of the development with a 40 percent working interest.
Formerly known as Benita, Aseng was originally discovered in 2007 as a gas-condensate field in Block "I" offshore Equatorial Guinea. Subsequently, two appraisal wells were drilled in the structure, with the first identifying the oil resources and the second determining downdip reservoir limits.
Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy's Chairman and CEO, said, "The sanctioning of the Aseng project is a very important milestone for our Company. This stand-alone project is a key component of our long-term growth strategy in West Africa and will provide critical infrastructure for our various other discoveries in the area. In addition, Aseng will be the first operated development in the region for Noble Energy, and we look forward to bringing this project online with our partners and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea."
The Minister of Mines, Industry, and Energy, H.E Marcelino Owono Edu, stated, "My Ministry is pleased to be able to approve the Aseng Plan of Development in Block I, as it represents the first oil development in the Equatorial Guinea part of the Douala Basin. My Ministry looks forward to the development and monetization of gas resources already discovered in Blocks I and O and to continued exploration activity in this area. The approval of the Aseng Plan of Development will help Equatorial Guinea to accelerate its plans for the regional utilization of gas and oil. The Ministry recognizes the important part the Noble Aseng Plan of Development will play in the development of a regional gas hub."
Initial development of the field will include five subsea wells flowing to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) where the production stream will be separated. The oil will be stored on the vessel until sold, while the natural gas and water will be reinjected back into the reservoir to maintain pressure and maximize oil recoveries. The FPSO, to be located in approximately 3,100 feet of water, will be designed with capacity to handle 120,000 barrels of liquids per day, including 80,000 barrels of oil per day. In addition, the vessel will be capable of reinjecting 170 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. Storage on the vessel will be approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil and condensate.
Total cost of development, excluding the cost of the FPSO, which will be leased, is estimated at $1.3 billion ($530 million net). The majority of this capital is to be invested in 2010 and 2011. First production from the field is estimated to commence by mid-year 2012 at 50,000 barrels of oil per day gross (16,500 barrels per day net). Over the life of the project, the Company expects to recover gross hydrocarbon liquids of approximately 100 to 120 million barrels, with initial reserve bookings beginning in 2009. In addition, there is an estimated 450 to 550 billion cubic feet of gas resources at Aseng that will be produced as part of an integrated gas monetization project once the pressure maintenance phase is completed.
Extensive engineering and design work has been done over the past year, the project team is in place, and all long lead items have been secured. The tender process for the FPSO and subsea equipment has been completed, and the Company is preparing to award most of the major contracts.
Noble Energy has secured two rigs to support the development work at Aseng. The Atwood Hunter semisubmersible, which has been working for Noble Energy offshore Israel, is estimated to arrive in Equatorial Guinea for development activities in mid-2010. A letter of intent has been signed on a second rig, which is expected to be delivered to Noble Energy in the first quarter 2010.
The next development objectives for Noble Energy in West Africa will be to accelerate and maximize condensate production at Belinda through gas-cycling, as well as advance an integrated gas monetization project. Exploration activities are also expected to resume in 2010 on the 1.5 million gross acres the Company holds in the under-explored Douala basin.
David L. Stover, Noble Energy's President and COO, said, "Aseng represents the first sanctioned project in our extensive lineup of major developments set to transform Noble Energy over the next few years. Our disciplined investment approach, strong balance sheet, and the phased-in project timing puts us in a very good position to execute these projects on schedule and bring significant growth to our business. We are excited about the path ahead and our ability to continue delivering strong value for Noble Energy and our shareholders."
Noble Energy's partners on Block "I" include Atlas Petroleum International Limited (the Administrative Operator) with a 29 percent participating interest, Glencore Exploration EG Ltd. with a 25 percent participating interest and Osborne Resources Limited, a company within the PA Resources Group with a six percent participating interest. GEPetrol (the national oil company of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea) has a five percent carried interest.
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78463
Noble Energy announced that the Plan of Development for the Aseng oil project has been sanctioned by the Company, its partners, and the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. Noble Energy serves as technical operator of the development with a 40 percent working interest.
Formerly known as Benita, Aseng was originally discovered in 2007 as a gas-condensate field in Block "I" offshore Equatorial Guinea. Subsequently, two appraisal wells were drilled in the structure, with the first identifying the oil resources and the second determining downdip reservoir limits.
Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy's Chairman and CEO, said, "The sanctioning of the Aseng project is a very important milestone for our Company. This stand-alone project is a key component of our long-term growth strategy in West Africa and will provide critical infrastructure for our various other discoveries in the area. In addition, Aseng will be the first operated development in the region for Noble Energy, and we look forward to bringing this project online with our partners and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea."
The Minister of Mines, Industry, and Energy, H.E Marcelino Owono Edu, stated, "My Ministry is pleased to be able to approve the Aseng Plan of Development in Block I, as it represents the first oil development in the Equatorial Guinea part of the Douala Basin. My Ministry looks forward to the development and monetization of gas resources already discovered in Blocks I and O and to continued exploration activity in this area. The approval of the Aseng Plan of Development will help Equatorial Guinea to accelerate its plans for the regional utilization of gas and oil. The Ministry recognizes the important part the Noble Aseng Plan of Development will play in the development of a regional gas hub."
Initial development of the field will include five subsea wells flowing to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) where the production stream will be separated. The oil will be stored on the vessel until sold, while the natural gas and water will be reinjected back into the reservoir to maintain pressure and maximize oil recoveries. The FPSO, to be located in approximately 3,100 feet of water, will be designed with capacity to handle 120,000 barrels of liquids per day, including 80,000 barrels of oil per day. In addition, the vessel will be capable of reinjecting 170 million cubic feet per day of natural gas. Storage on the vessel will be approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil and condensate.
Total cost of development, excluding the cost of the FPSO, which will be leased, is estimated at $1.3 billion ($530 million net). The majority of this capital is to be invested in 2010 and 2011. First production from the field is estimated to commence by mid-year 2012 at 50,000 barrels of oil per day gross (16,500 barrels per day net). Over the life of the project, the Company expects to recover gross hydrocarbon liquids of approximately 100 to 120 million barrels, with initial reserve bookings beginning in 2009. In addition, there is an estimated 450 to 550 billion cubic feet of gas resources at Aseng that will be produced as part of an integrated gas monetization project once the pressure maintenance phase is completed.
Extensive engineering and design work has been done over the past year, the project team is in place, and all long lead items have been secured. The tender process for the FPSO and subsea equipment has been completed, and the Company is preparing to award most of the major contracts.
Noble Energy has secured two rigs to support the development work at Aseng. The Atwood Hunter semisubmersible, which has been working for Noble Energy offshore Israel, is estimated to arrive in Equatorial Guinea for development activities in mid-2010. A letter of intent has been signed on a second rig, which is expected to be delivered to Noble Energy in the first quarter 2010.
The next development objectives for Noble Energy in West Africa will be to accelerate and maximize condensate production at Belinda through gas-cycling, as well as advance an integrated gas monetization project. Exploration activities are also expected to resume in 2010 on the 1.5 million gross acres the Company holds in the under-explored Douala basin.
David L. Stover, Noble Energy's President and COO, said, "Aseng represents the first sanctioned project in our extensive lineup of major developments set to transform Noble Energy over the next few years. Our disciplined investment approach, strong balance sheet, and the phased-in project timing puts us in a very good position to execute these projects on schedule and bring significant growth to our business. We are excited about the path ahead and our ability to continue delivering strong value for Noble Energy and our shareholders."
Noble Energy's partners on Block "I" include Atlas Petroleum International Limited (the Administrative Operator) with a 29 percent participating interest, Glencore Exploration EG Ltd. with a 25 percent participating interest and Osborne Resources Limited, a company within the PA Resources Group with a six percent participating interest. GEPetrol (the national oil company of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea) has a five percent carried interest.
Total Snaps Up Lungahe Exploration Block Offshore Cameroon.
Total S.A.
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78465
Total Exploration & Production Cameroon has been awarded by the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Technological Development of Cameroon the Lungahe exploration block in the offshore Rio del Rey basin. Total Exploration & Production Cameroon will operate this block with a 100% participation stake.
The 83.6 square kilometer block is located near concessions and permits operated by Total in Cameroon. Entering into this block allows Total to consolidate its presence in the areas where the Group has operations.
7/22/2009
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=78465
Total Exploration & Production Cameroon has been awarded by the Ministry of Industry, Mining and Technological Development of Cameroon the Lungahe exploration block in the offshore Rio del Rey basin. Total Exploration & Production Cameroon will operate this block with a 100% participation stake.
The 83.6 square kilometer block is located near concessions and permits operated by Total in Cameroon. Entering into this block allows Total to consolidate its presence in the areas where the Group has operations.
Renamo re-elects Dhlakama.
SAPA
22 July 2009
The leader of Mozambique's main and oldest opposition party Resistencia Nacional de Mocambique (Renamo), Afonso Dhlakama, will head the party for another five years.
This comes after he was elected at the party's congress which ended on Wednesday morning in the northern Nampula province.
A report on the state controlled Radio Mozambique said Dhlakama emerged a winner after he beat Rogerio Francisco Joao, a former guerrilla in the 16-year war which pitted ruling Frelimo against Renamo.
Dhlakama had led the then rebel movement since 1979 and stayed on as leader when it became a political party in 1992.
The opposition party divided after most of its members defected to a new party led by Daviz Simango, a former Renamo member and mayor of Beira, the second capital.
Simango was fired from Renamo after he disobeyed party instructions to step down as a candidate for Beira. He instead opted to run as an independent.
Dhlakama will be his party's candidate for the October 28 presidential election.
22 July 2009
The leader of Mozambique's main and oldest opposition party Resistencia Nacional de Mocambique (Renamo), Afonso Dhlakama, will head the party for another five years.
This comes after he was elected at the party's congress which ended on Wednesday morning in the northern Nampula province.
A report on the state controlled Radio Mozambique said Dhlakama emerged a winner after he beat Rogerio Francisco Joao, a former guerrilla in the 16-year war which pitted ruling Frelimo against Renamo.
Dhlakama had led the then rebel movement since 1979 and stayed on as leader when it became a political party in 1992.
The opposition party divided after most of its members defected to a new party led by Daviz Simango, a former Renamo member and mayor of Beira, the second capital.
Simango was fired from Renamo after he disobeyed party instructions to step down as a candidate for Beira. He instead opted to run as an independent.
Dhlakama will be his party's candidate for the October 28 presidential election.
Three detained in Madagascan attacks probe.
IOL News
22 July 2009
Three top officials in the government of Madagascar's ousted president Marc Ravalomanana wanted in connection with weekend attacks that left three dead have been detained, police said on Wednesday.
Jean-Marie Ramangason, the attorney general of the island's transitional government, had announced Tuesday arrest warrants against five people.
"Three of the five pretender's supporters turned themselves in yesterday (Tuesday) to police," said the capital's police chief, Colonel Richard Ravalomanana.
"They are currently being held for questioning, but there are still individuals at large who are key people in this investigation," he added.
Among the three is the ousted president's party spokesman Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, he added.
Jean-Louis Rakotoamboa, an official of the movement against transitional leader Andry Rajoelina, has criticised the move, saying it was only meant to make criminals of the interim leader's foes and undermine their peaceful campaign.
Rajoelina, backed by the army, toppled the president in March but has faced opposition from his rivals ever since.
On Monday he withdrew from talks aimed at resolving the country's political crisis and condemned the weekend attacks as "acts of terrorism."
One man was killed and two others injured early Sunday when a bomb they were handling in a vehicle exploded, according to police.
In addition, two security guards were killed in an attack late Saturday on private radio station Viva, which is owned by Rajoelina, police said.
They were killed "in cold blood" by assailants who were trying to plant a bomb inside the radio station, the police chief said.
The attackers fled without planting the explosive after an exchange of fire with soldiers stationed inside, he added.
22 July 2009
Three top officials in the government of Madagascar's ousted president Marc Ravalomanana wanted in connection with weekend attacks that left three dead have been detained, police said on Wednesday.
Jean-Marie Ramangason, the attorney general of the island's transitional government, had announced Tuesday arrest warrants against five people.
"Three of the five pretender's supporters turned themselves in yesterday (Tuesday) to police," said the capital's police chief, Colonel Richard Ravalomanana.
"They are currently being held for questioning, but there are still individuals at large who are key people in this investigation," he added.
Among the three is the ousted president's party spokesman Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, he added.
Jean-Louis Rakotoamboa, an official of the movement against transitional leader Andry Rajoelina, has criticised the move, saying it was only meant to make criminals of the interim leader's foes and undermine their peaceful campaign.
Rajoelina, backed by the army, toppled the president in March but has faced opposition from his rivals ever since.
On Monday he withdrew from talks aimed at resolving the country's political crisis and condemned the weekend attacks as "acts of terrorism."
One man was killed and two others injured early Sunday when a bomb they were handling in a vehicle exploded, according to police.
In addition, two security guards were killed in an attack late Saturday on private radio station Viva, which is owned by Rajoelina, police said.
They were killed "in cold blood" by assailants who were trying to plant a bomb inside the radio station, the police chief said.
The attackers fled without planting the explosive after an exchange of fire with soldiers stationed inside, he added.
Sudanese accept oil border ruling.
BBC News
22 July 2009
Editor's Note: For the official PCA document on the ruling:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/JBRN-7U7HRV/$File/full_report.pdf
North and south Sudan have accepted a ruling by judges in The Hague which gives the north control of an oilfield.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration redrew the boundaries of Abyei region, which became a flashpoint during a 22-year-long war between north and south.
The judges decided not to abide by the borders proposed after the 2005 peace deal, which the north had rejected.
Instead it ruled that several areas - including the Heglig oilfied - were not part of Abyei.
Although The Hague court was deciding where Abyei's borders lay rather than who owned the land, analysts say the ruling was crucial in determining the ownership of the oilfields.
Abyei's inhabitants will be asked in a referendum in 2011 whether they want to be a part of north or south Sudan - and analysts say they are likely to opt for a union with the south.
By reducing the size of Abyei compared with the 2005 proposals, the court has effectively awarded more land and mineral wealth to the north.
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Khartoum, says the reaction on the ground to the judges' ruling will be a key test of the peace between north and south.
'Victory for peace'
Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, the head of the northern government delegation at The Hague, called the decision a victory.
"We welcome the fact that the oilfields are now excluded from the Abyei area, particularly the Heglig oil field," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.
The south's delegate Riek Machar, vice president in southern Sudan's semi-autonomous government, described the decision as "balanced" and said he was committed to respecting it.
"I think this is going to consolidate peace in Sudan. It is a victory for the Sudanese people and a victory for peace," he said.
The issue was referred to The Hague last year after clashes broke out in Abyei town, killing about 100 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee.
UN peacekeepers beefed up their presence in Abyei this week amid fears that a controversial ruling could spark violence.
Douglas Johnson, who was part of the international panel who drew up the 2005 border proposals, said the Hague agreement had respected ethnic boundaries as well as north and south rivalries.
"Each side can say they were right about something, and each side can come away feeling that they have been given something from this arrangement," he told the BBC World Service.
Rights 'guaranteed'
The area is home to Arab cattle herders known as the Misseriya who are loyal to the north, and the Dinka Ngok, part of the largest ethnic group of the south.
Both sides compete for resources like land for grazing and water - rivalries that were exploited during the civil war with both sides being used as proxy armies.
UN special envoy to Sudan Ashraf Qazi said the Abyei border ruling would pave the way for the 2005 peace deal to be implemented as a whole.
"The rights of both communities have been guaranteed as a matter of international law," he said.
"So even if anybody is not 100% satisfied, I do believe this has been a win-win decision for both sides."
As part of the peace agreement the south will hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to become independent from the north.
22 July 2009
Editor's Note: For the official PCA document on the ruling:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/JBRN-7U7HRV/$File/full_report.pdf
North and south Sudan have accepted a ruling by judges in The Hague which gives the north control of an oilfield.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration redrew the boundaries of Abyei region, which became a flashpoint during a 22-year-long war between north and south.
The judges decided not to abide by the borders proposed after the 2005 peace deal, which the north had rejected.
Instead it ruled that several areas - including the Heglig oilfied - were not part of Abyei.
Although The Hague court was deciding where Abyei's borders lay rather than who owned the land, analysts say the ruling was crucial in determining the ownership of the oilfields.
Abyei's inhabitants will be asked in a referendum in 2011 whether they want to be a part of north or south Sudan - and analysts say they are likely to opt for a union with the south.
By reducing the size of Abyei compared with the 2005 proposals, the court has effectively awarded more land and mineral wealth to the north.
The BBC's James Copnall in the capital, Khartoum, says the reaction on the ground to the judges' ruling will be a key test of the peace between north and south.
'Victory for peace'
Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, the head of the northern government delegation at The Hague, called the decision a victory.
"We welcome the fact that the oilfields are now excluded from the Abyei area, particularly the Heglig oil field," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.
The south's delegate Riek Machar, vice president in southern Sudan's semi-autonomous government, described the decision as "balanced" and said he was committed to respecting it.
"I think this is going to consolidate peace in Sudan. It is a victory for the Sudanese people and a victory for peace," he said.
The issue was referred to The Hague last year after clashes broke out in Abyei town, killing about 100 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee.
UN peacekeepers beefed up their presence in Abyei this week amid fears that a controversial ruling could spark violence.
Douglas Johnson, who was part of the international panel who drew up the 2005 border proposals, said the Hague agreement had respected ethnic boundaries as well as north and south rivalries.
"Each side can say they were right about something, and each side can come away feeling that they have been given something from this arrangement," he told the BBC World Service.
Rights 'guaranteed'
The area is home to Arab cattle herders known as the Misseriya who are loyal to the north, and the Dinka Ngok, part of the largest ethnic group of the south.
Both sides compete for resources like land for grazing and water - rivalries that were exploited during the civil war with both sides being used as proxy armies.
UN special envoy to Sudan Ashraf Qazi said the Abyei border ruling would pave the way for the 2005 peace deal to be implemented as a whole.
"The rights of both communities have been guaranteed as a matter of international law," he said.
"So even if anybody is not 100% satisfied, I do believe this has been a win-win decision for both sides."
As part of the peace agreement the south will hold a referendum in 2011 on whether to become independent from the north.
Tribunal Cuts Size of Disputed Abyei Region.
AllAfrica
22 July 2009
An international tribunal has cut the size of the disputed Abyei region of Sudan, rejecting the formal claims of both north and south Sudan and slicing at least 18,000 square kilometres from the disputed territory.
A tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled Wednesday that a boundaries commission set up under the 2005 north-south peace accord had exceeded its mandate, and moved the region's northern border about 25 kilometres to the south. It also reduced the size of the region to the east and west.
The tribunal's cuts excluded from Abyei more than 45,000 square kilometres of land formally claimed at the tribunal by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), which dominates southern Sudan. But the newly-drawn boundaries nevertheless render Abyei more than twice the size formally advocated by the northern government.
The area is rich in oil. The issue of oil rights was not addressed by the tribunal, but The Associated Press reported from The Hague that a spokesman for the Khartoum-based government in the north called its ruling a victory.
"We welcome the fact that the oil fields are now excluded from the Abyei area, particularly the Heglig oil field," AP quoted him as saying.
Abyei is in central Sudan, lying roughly between the north and the south. Its residents will have the right in 2011 to decide in a referendum whether they want to be part of northern or southern Sudan.
The Hague tribunal was at pains to emphasize that its decision did not affect the grazing rights of either the Ngok Dinka people who live in the heart of Abyei, popularly held to support the government of Southern Sudan, or the Misseriya people to the north.
It pointed out that a protocol on Abyei which formed part of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005 guaranteed the traditional rights of the Misseriya and other nomads to graze cattle and move across the Abyei area.
The decision would therefore not have any impact on these people's lives, said the presiding arbitrator, Professor Pierre-Marie Dupuy of France. "Grazing rights will not change... boundaries are not barriers," he added.
The Abyei protocol of the CPA provided that a boundaries commission should demarcate Abyei, which was defined as "the area of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan (a province of Sudan) in 1905." The commission's decision was referred to international arbitration when the Sudanese government contested it.
The tribunal comprised five arbitrators, two appointed by either side and one, the presiding arbitrator, appointed by the court. Four of the arbitrators endorsed the ruling, including the two appointed by the SPLM/A and one appointed by the Khartoum government.
But the fifth, a Sudanese government appointee, attacked the majority in a scathing dissent in which he accused his fellow panelists of "dabbling into compromise" and of failing to take into account "the fundamental rights of the Misseriya tribe."
The AP quoted Riek Machar Teny, deputy chairman of the SPLM, as saying: "I think the decision is balanced. We are committed to respecting it... I think this is going to consolidate peace in Sudan. It is a victory for the Sudanese people and a victory for peace."
The members of the tribunal were: Judge Awn Al-Khasawneh of Jordan (the dissenting panelist) and Professor Gerhard Hafner of Austria (both appointed by the Sudanese government); Professor W. Michael Reisman and Judge Stephen W. Schwebel of the United States (appointed by the SPLM/A) and Professor Dupuy, appointed by the court.
22 July 2009
An international tribunal has cut the size of the disputed Abyei region of Sudan, rejecting the formal claims of both north and south Sudan and slicing at least 18,000 square kilometres from the disputed territory.
A tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled Wednesday that a boundaries commission set up under the 2005 north-south peace accord had exceeded its mandate, and moved the region's northern border about 25 kilometres to the south. It also reduced the size of the region to the east and west.
The tribunal's cuts excluded from Abyei more than 45,000 square kilometres of land formally claimed at the tribunal by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), which dominates southern Sudan. But the newly-drawn boundaries nevertheless render Abyei more than twice the size formally advocated by the northern government.
The area is rich in oil. The issue of oil rights was not addressed by the tribunal, but The Associated Press reported from The Hague that a spokesman for the Khartoum-based government in the north called its ruling a victory.
"We welcome the fact that the oil fields are now excluded from the Abyei area, particularly the Heglig oil field," AP quoted him as saying.
Abyei is in central Sudan, lying roughly between the north and the south. Its residents will have the right in 2011 to decide in a referendum whether they want to be part of northern or southern Sudan.
The Hague tribunal was at pains to emphasize that its decision did not affect the grazing rights of either the Ngok Dinka people who live in the heart of Abyei, popularly held to support the government of Southern Sudan, or the Misseriya people to the north.
It pointed out that a protocol on Abyei which formed part of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005 guaranteed the traditional rights of the Misseriya and other nomads to graze cattle and move across the Abyei area.
The decision would therefore not have any impact on these people's lives, said the presiding arbitrator, Professor Pierre-Marie Dupuy of France. "Grazing rights will not change... boundaries are not barriers," he added.
The Abyei protocol of the CPA provided that a boundaries commission should demarcate Abyei, which was defined as "the area of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan (a province of Sudan) in 1905." The commission's decision was referred to international arbitration when the Sudanese government contested it.
The tribunal comprised five arbitrators, two appointed by either side and one, the presiding arbitrator, appointed by the court. Four of the arbitrators endorsed the ruling, including the two appointed by the SPLM/A and one appointed by the Khartoum government.
But the fifth, a Sudanese government appointee, attacked the majority in a scathing dissent in which he accused his fellow panelists of "dabbling into compromise" and of failing to take into account "the fundamental rights of the Misseriya tribe."
The AP quoted Riek Machar Teny, deputy chairman of the SPLM, as saying: "I think the decision is balanced. We are committed to respecting it... I think this is going to consolidate peace in Sudan. It is a victory for the Sudanese people and a victory for peace."
The members of the tribunal were: Judge Awn Al-Khasawneh of Jordan (the dissenting panelist) and Professor Gerhard Hafner of Austria (both appointed by the Sudanese government); Professor W. Michael Reisman and Judge Stephen W. Schwebel of the United States (appointed by the SPLM/A) and Professor Dupuy, appointed by the court.
Ex-top officials accused of connection with bomb.
AFP
21 July 2009
Madagascan authorities said on Tuesday they were searching for five top officials in the government of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana in connection with failed bomb attacks over the weekend.
Jean-Marie Ramangason, the attorney general of the island's transitional government, said arrest warrants had been issued against the five.
"Arrest warrants have been issued against five people. Soon, there could be arrests," Ramangason told AFP. "We are also looking for others."
Among the five are Ravalomanana's party spokesperson Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, the former trade minister, the ex-finance ministry secretary and a former director in the ousted president's office.
'Acts of terrorism'
Jean-Louis Rakotoamboa, an official of the movement against transitional leader Andry Rajoelina, criticised the move and claimed it was only meant to make criminals of the interim leader's foes and undermine their campaign.
On Monday, Rajoelina withdrew from talks aimed at resolving the country's political crisis and condemned the weekend attacks that left three people dead as "acts of terrorism".
One man was killed and two others injured overnight from Saturday to Sunday, when a bomb they were handling in a vehicle exploded, according to police.
In addition, two security guards were killed in an attack late on Saturday on private radio station Viva, which is owned by Rajoelina, police said.
They were killed "in cold blood" by assailants who were trying to plant a bomb inside the radio station, police officer Colonel Richard Ravalomanana told AFP on Monday.
The attackers fled without planting the explosive after an exchange of fire with soldiers stationed inside, he added.
Five supporters of the ousted president have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incidents, police said on Monday.
21 July 2009
Madagascan authorities said on Tuesday they were searching for five top officials in the government of ousted president Marc Ravalomanana in connection with failed bomb attacks over the weekend.
Jean-Marie Ramangason, the attorney general of the island's transitional government, said arrest warrants had been issued against the five.
"Arrest warrants have been issued against five people. Soon, there could be arrests," Ramangason told AFP. "We are also looking for others."
Among the five are Ravalomanana's party spokesperson Raharinaivo Andrianatoandro, the former trade minister, the ex-finance ministry secretary and a former director in the ousted president's office.
'Acts of terrorism'
Jean-Louis Rakotoamboa, an official of the movement against transitional leader Andry Rajoelina, criticised the move and claimed it was only meant to make criminals of the interim leader's foes and undermine their campaign.
On Monday, Rajoelina withdrew from talks aimed at resolving the country's political crisis and condemned the weekend attacks that left three people dead as "acts of terrorism".
One man was killed and two others injured overnight from Saturday to Sunday, when a bomb they were handling in a vehicle exploded, according to police.
In addition, two security guards were killed in an attack late on Saturday on private radio station Viva, which is owned by Rajoelina, police said.
They were killed "in cold blood" by assailants who were trying to plant a bomb inside the radio station, police officer Colonel Richard Ravalomanana told AFP on Monday.
The attackers fled without planting the explosive after an exchange of fire with soldiers stationed inside, he added.
Five supporters of the ousted president have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the incidents, police said on Monday.
MSS/KIVU et BUSHENGE/OCCIDENT: FERME OPPOSITION AU PLAN D’INTRODUCTION AU NORD-KIVU, DE 106.000 CITOYENS RWANDAIS PRÉSENTÉS COMME RÉFUGIÉS CONGOLAIS.
A Mr le HAUT COMMISSAIRE DE L’ONU POUR LES REFUGIES (UNHCR)
94, RUE DE MONTBRILLANT à GENEVE (SUISSE)
S. E. M. Ban Ki-moon - Secrétaire Général de l’ONU United Nations New York, NY 10017
S. E. M. Barack Obama
Président des ETATS UNIS D’AMERIQUE - The White House - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW -Washington, DC 20500
S. E. M. GORDON BROWN - Premier Ministre du ROYAUME UNI - 10 Downing Street - London SW1A 2AA
Excellences,
L’Association communautaire des populations de Masisi, Rutshuru et Walikale (Kivu, R.D. Congo) en Europe, nommée Bushenge-Occident, en collaboration avec le Mouvement sociopolitique MSS-Kivu, Mouvement Solidaire pour la Survie du Kivu, ont l’honneur et la grande tristesse de vous adresser une VIGOUREUSE OPPOSITION au récent Plan du HCR (UNHCR) d’introduction au Nord-Kivu, de 106.000 Citoyens Rwandais présentés comme Réfugiés congolais.
Il est de notoriété publique nationale et internationale que la plupart des personnes concernées sont des Rwandais refoulés de la Tanzanie et qui n’ont jamais été en République Démocratique du Congo. Tout aussi grave, leur nombre change selon les besoins de la cause. Ainsi, alors que fin 2007, on parlait de 40.000 Réfugiés, l’UNHCR a élevé le nombre à 106.000 sujets (52.000 depuis le Rwanda, et 54.000 depuis l’Ouganda). Mais le CNDP des criminels Laurent Nkunda et Bosco Ntaganda, suscité par le Rwanda, vient déjà de porter leur nombre à 500.000 personnes, dont 100.000 depuis le Rwanda, 100.000 depuis l’Ouganda et 300.000 depuis la Tanzanie (Interview de MUNYAPENDA, directeur politique de CNDP)1 Ainsi le Rwanda et ses agents infiltrés au Congo font de l’UNHCR leur instrument d’occupation du Kivu. Et ce, depuis 1994 jusqu’à ce jour.
Dans une totale mauvaise foi et une complaisance envers le Rwanda et certains agitateurs extrémistes Tutsi, l’UNHCR et la Communauté Internationale présentent toujours les hautes régions du Kivu comme peu peuplées et donc déversoir du trop plein du Rwanda. Ce qui est tout à fait faux. Et les zones de Rutshuru, Masisi et Est-Walikale, choisies par le UNHCR pour y déverser les Rwandais sont précisément aussi surpeuplées que les collines du Rwanda. Ainsi le démontrent ces chiffres :
- Masisi : 4734 km2 ; 729.057 habitants en 2007, soit 154 hab./km2.
- Rutshuru : 5289 km2 ; 689.462 habitants en 2007 ; soit 130 hab/km2.
- L’Est-Walikale avoisine déjà les 100 hab/km2
- Nyiragongo (Territoire) : 163 km2 ; 38.689 habitants en 2004 et 78.886 en 2007, soit
une évolution de densité de 237 hab./km2 en 2004 à 484 hab/km2 en 4 ans.
- Goma-ville : 75,7 km2 ; 249.862 en 2004, et 633.899 en 2007, soit une densité passant
de 3.300 hab/km2 en 2004 à 8.374 hab/km2 en 4 ans2.
- La province du Nord-Kivu est après le Bas-Congo, la plus petite province du Congo (59.483 km2), mais avec la plus forte densité : 6.062.700 habitants en 2007, soit 102 hab/km2, loin avant toutes les autres provinces du Congo.
Ceci est confirmé par les Experts qui déjà 35 ans plus tôt, lors du Colloque de Bukavu en 1974, avaient déjà mis nos pays en garde : « Sur les hautes terres de l’Est, les populations sont nombreuses… Le problème essentiel de cette région est d’ordre démographique et écologique à la fois : dans un contexte de peuplement déjà très dense, la croissance rapide des effectifs entraîne la saturation des bonnes terres et leur dégradation, et débouche sur une sous-nutrition aggravée. Une étude prospective aboutit à de conclusions alarmantes pour l’horizon 2015 et fait souhaiter une émigration planifiée vers l’ouest… Un Article annonce la réalisation d’une carte de densité du Kivu d’altitude et commente l’évolution des zones (Territoires) de Rutshuru et de Masisi où, du fait de l’immigration, la population s’accroît le plus vite » 3
Alors que cette situation est déjà difficile pour les Autochtones du Kivu, le Rwanda, s’emploie depuis plusieurs années, à les chasser de leurs villages et de leurs terres, déjà plus de 2.000.000 déplacés, errant sur les routes ou parqués dans des camps d’infortune, et remplacés progressivement par des sujets rwandais. Tout ceci avec la bénédiction de la Communauté Internationale et la complicité de l’actuel gouvernement de Kinshasa.
Comme si cela n’était pas suffisamment injuste et inhumain, voici que l’UNHCR veut y déverser 106.000 autres. L’UNHCR contribue ainsi à la concrétisation du plan rwandais d’invasion et d’annexion du Kivu et de la balkanisation de la RD Congo.
Depuis des années, nous avons crié, informé, dénoncé cette invasion continuelle. Nous avons attiré l’attention de la Communauté Internationale, des Instances de l’ONU et des grandes Puissances sur le caractère hautement criminel de cet acharnement rwandais sur le Kivu. En effet, Kigali possède depuis plusieurs années, UN PLAN D’EXTERMINATION DES AUTOCHTONES DU KIVU. Et, avec la complicité d’organismes comme l’UNHCR, il est occupé à pratiquer systématiquement cette EPURATION ETHNIQUE, c’est-à-dire UN VERITABLE GENOCIDE DES AUTOCHTONES DU KIVU, progressivement et inéluctablement voués à la disparition.
Comme au Rwanda en 1994, l’UNHCR et autres Instances de l’ONU, et les Puissances du Nord, assistent en bons complices à cette chasse à l’homme congolais. Face aux 800.000 victimes du génocide interethnique du Rwanda, le Congo compte déjà 6.000.000 victimes. Ceci accompagné de la tragédie des 7.000 à 8.000 viols de femmes et de fillettes par an, et l’enrôlement des milliers d’enfants-soldats.
A cette hécatombe, voici que l’UNHCR va en ajouter une autre. Car, sachez-le, le Rwanda et ses Agents infiltrés dans les Institutions du Congo ne vont pas se reposer avant ‘d’avoir achevé le (sale) travail’ ! à savoir l’annexion du Kivu et l’éclatement de la RD Congo.
Mais cela comporte un risque majeur que l’UNHCR ne pourra pas contrôler : l’absence de garantie de sécurité pour ces Tutsi rwandais qu’on envoie aveuglement au Kivu. Car, outre la haine que cela suscite déjà, ils pourraient être les victimes des conséquences de la réaction d’autodéfense des Congolais.
De plus, le fait que certains autochtones congolais commencent à être tentés de considérer certains hutu rwandais comme un moindre mal, cela devrait interpeller tous les Congolais, la Communauté internationale et surtout le Gouvernement de Kigali quant à la l’avenir de la sécurité des tutsi rwandais qu’on envoie aveuglement au Kivu.
Epargnez-nous donc de ces provocations car nous sommes un peuple pacifique et accueillant.
A ce titre, nous acceptons seulement le retour des anciens habitants du Kivu que nous allons reconnaître, identifier et accueillir, les bras ouverts.
- Pour cela, il faudra qu’ils présentent des documents d’identité valables autres et antérieurs aux fameuses Cartes d’Electeurs, dont on sait qu’elles furent distribuées à des Citoyens rwandais en vue de gonfler le nombre d’électeurs de certains candidats aujourd’hui au pouvoir.
- De même, il faudra un témoignage de l’administration et des chefs coutumiers du Kivu qui les reconnaîtront et connaissent leurs anciens lieux d’habitation.
Le témoignage de certains acteurs politiques récents, tels des Rwando-congolais ayant accédé au pouvoir à la faveur des conquêtes militaires, à l’instar de certains membres du CNDP, ne devra pas entrer en ligne de compte. Ceux-là, en effet, ont les pieds au Congo, mais le cœur et la tête au Rwanda.
- Tous les autres, y compris ceux qui viennent d’entrer au Kivu à la faveur de l’opération militaire conjointe rwando-congolaise “Umoja wetu”, devront être refusés et/ou refoulés chez eux au Rwanda..
C’est ici l’occasion de condamner vigoureusement les initiatives révoltantes du Président français Nicolas Sarkozy visant à accélérer l’annexion du Kivu et la balkanisation du Congo-Kinshasa. Avec lui, l’Américain Herman Cohen. Avec eux, Tony Blair, qui ancien chef du prestigieux Gouvernement de sa Gracieuse Majesté, s’est ridiculisé en se faisant nommer Conseiller du régime génocidaire et annexionniste de Kigali. Car tout ceci dévoile les véritables causes de la tragédie du Rwanda et maintenant du Congo-Kinshasa.
Désormais toute opération “Gestion des Réfugiés rwandais”, devrait remplir au moins les trois conditions ci-après :
1.- Que l’initiative de l’accueil et du choix du lieu d’établissement vienne des Autorités congolaises qui le feront, après consultation avec le HCR ou la Croix Rouge, et moyennant la désignation d’une région non exposée aux crises rwandaises.
2. Les régions choisies ne devront en aucun cas se situer en deçà de 300 km à vol d’oiseau par rapport à la frontière rwandaise. Soit, environ, à partir des rives du fleuve Lualaba/Congo, et toujours plus à l’ouest.
3.- Le Kivu doit être désormais exclu des zones de nouvelle installation des Réfugiés, vu les dangers et catastrophes démographiques et écologiques exposés plus haut,
4. –N’envoyer aucun arrivant dans la région d’où n’était parti aucun réfugié (cas du territoire de Walikale).
Si ces marques de bonnes dispositions ne sont pas prises en considération, alors la preuve est faite une fois de plus, que le HCR, les autres Instances des Nations Unies et les Puissances du Nord, cherchent délibérément à poursuivre le Génocide perpétré par le pouvoir minoritaire de Kigali sur le paisible mais malheureux peuple congolais. Avec le bilan malheureux et partiel de 6.000.000 de morts !
Dans ce cas, le même Peuple congolais n’attendra pas indéfiniment que le Pouvoir faible ou complice de Kinshasa continue à l’exposer à ces massacres et humiliations. Il se prendra désormais en charge, et ce, sans exclusive sur les moyens et la méthode de défense.
A cet effet, prenez au sérieux les quatre avertissements ci-après :
1.- Le Mémorandum des Femmes du Nord-Kivu (12 juin 2009) qui après avoir donné le bilan macabre de la récente agression rwandaise, et signalé que le phénomène FDLR est devenu un prétexte pour perpétuer les abus, exigent sans ambages :« Nous femmes de la Province du Nord Kivu, toutes tendances confondues, vous exigeons de reprendre vos responsabilités et de procéder au rapatriement pacifique des réfugiés rwandais sans distinction dans leur pays d’origine. »
2.- L’Article du Journal belge la Libre Belgique du 23 juin 2009 « Vers une nouvelle débâcle dans les Kivu ? Une nouvelle fois, le Kivu (est du Congo) semble au bord du gouffre, alors que se profile une possible débâcle de l’armée congolaise et un retour à la situation de guerre antérieure (..) Les rapports d’organisations de défense des droits de l’homme se sont multipliés, ces dernières semaines, pour dénoncer l’accroissement des exactions commises par l’armée congolaise et les FDLR. Mais cela pourrait empirer encore.… De facto, on assiste donc à un développement des violences interethniques hutu-tutsi, partiellement sous uniforme congolais. »
3.- Lettre du 01 juin 2009, de 76 éminents Professeurs et défenseurs occidentaux des droits humains exigeant que le TPIR (Tribunal Pénal Interntional pour le Rwanda) arrête les criminels de guerre du FPR.
4.- Lettre ouverte du 06 mai 2009 de Madame Irène KHAN, Secrétaire générale de Amnesty Internationale, au Président Joseph Kabila pour qu’il cesse de cacher et de protéger le criminel Bosco Ntaganda.
Ces démarches montrent clairement qu’il n’y aura ni paix ni sécurité au Congo et dans la région tant qu’on continuera à protéger les Tueurs, ceux-là mêmes qui viennent d’être démasqués par le journaliste investigateur camerounais Charles ONANA dans son dernier livre : ‘Ces Tueurs Tutsi au cœur de la Tragédie congolaise’ (Duboiris, Paris, avril 2009)
Ainsi donc, nous réitérons notre rejet, notre ferme opposition à ce programme d’introduciton des sujets rwandais dans notre région d’où on a déjà préalablement chassé plus de 2.000.000 des nôtres.
Pour une paix véritable au Kivu et dans la région des Grands Lacs, il n’y a pas d’alternative à la baisse de la tension interethnique au Rwanda. D’où la nécessité et la priorité absolue d’organiser UN DIALOGUE INTERRWANDAIS, seule voie juste et équitable d’aplanir le long conflit occasionné par l’assassinat des deux présidents du Rwanda et du Burundi.
Fait à Bruxelles, le 8 juillet 2009
POUR LE MSS – KIVU
Michel MOTO MUHIMA - Secrétaire – Général & Porte Parole
POUR LE BUSHENGE – OCCIDENT
Franck MULISI-KAEMBE – Président - Cr50735@chello.be
1 AfricaNews 05 juin 2009/Congoindependant.com, 07 juin 2009: Le mystère percé du CNDP new look ; Les confidences de Munyapenda, interview à AfricaNews
2 Cf. Recensement de la province du Nord-Kivu en 2007 ; Goma, novembre 2007
3 J.-Cl. Bruneau : Quinze ans de recherches géographiques en langue française au Zaïre, in Centre d’Etudes de géographie tropicale, LE ZAIRE ESPACE ECARTELE, 1993, p.166)
Transmis Copie pour information :
A Monsieur le Président en exercice du Conseil de Sécurité, à New York;
A S. E. Monsieur José Manuel BARROSO, Président de la Commission de l’UNION EUROPEENNE, à Bruxelles,
A S. E. Monsieur Friedrik Reinfeldt Premier Ministre de la Suède, Président en exercice de l’Union Européenne, à Stockholm
A S. E. Monsieur Muammar el-Kadhafi, Guide suprême de la Révolution de La Grande Jamahiriya arabe libyenne populaire et socialiste, Président en exercice de l’Union Africaine, à Tripoli,
A S. E. M Jean PING, Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine à Addis Abeba,
A S. E. Monsieur le Président NICOLAS SARKOZY, à Paris,
A S. E. Monsieur le Président HU JINTAO, à Beijing,
A S. E. Madame ANGELA MERKEL, Chancelière de l’Allemagne à Berlin,
A S. E. Monsieur le Premier Ministre Vladimir POUTINE, à Moscou,
A S. E. Monsieur Herman Van Rompuy, Premier Ministre de Belgique, à Bruxelles,
A S. E. Monsieur STEPHEN HARPER, Premier Ministre du Canada à Ottawa,
A S. E. Monsieur José Luis ZAPATERO Premier Ministre d’Espagne, à Madrid,
A S. E. Monsieur TARO ASO, Premier Ministre du Japon, à Tokyo,
A S. E. M. le Procureur Général de la COUR PENALE Internationale à La Haye,
A Sa Sainteté le Pape Benoît XVI, Cité du Vatican, à Rome,
- A S. E. Monsieur ALAN DOSS, Chef de la MONUC, à Kinshasa,
- A Monsieur le Responsable du HCR en RDC à Kinshasa;
- A S. E. M. le Président de la RD Congo, Chef de l’Etat, à Kinshasa
- Honorable Président du Sénat en RDC à Kinshasa
- Honorable Président de l’Assemblée nationale en RDC à Kinshasa
- S. E. M. le Premier Ministre Chef du Gouvernement congolais à Kinshasa
- S. E. Madame la Secrétaire Exécutive de la CIRGL à
- S. E. Madame Hillary Clinton, Secrétaire d’Etat USA, à Washington.
- S. E. Madame Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General, The Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs, UN , New York
- M. le Juge Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- Prosecutor Hassan Jallow, Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- S. E. M. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa
- S. E. Madame Dr. Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations
- S. E. M. Clint Williamson, US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
- Senator Russell Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs
- Senator John F. Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
- Donald M. Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
- Rt Hon David Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary, London
- Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, London.
- RT Hon Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development
- HE Sir John Sawers, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, London.
94, RUE DE MONTBRILLANT à GENEVE (SUISSE)
S. E. M. Ban Ki-moon - Secrétaire Général de l’ONU United Nations New York, NY 10017
S. E. M. Barack Obama
Président des ETATS UNIS D’AMERIQUE - The White House - 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW -Washington, DC 20500
S. E. M. GORDON BROWN - Premier Ministre du ROYAUME UNI - 10 Downing Street - London SW1A 2AA
Excellences,
L’Association communautaire des populations de Masisi, Rutshuru et Walikale (Kivu, R.D. Congo) en Europe, nommée Bushenge-Occident, en collaboration avec le Mouvement sociopolitique MSS-Kivu, Mouvement Solidaire pour la Survie du Kivu, ont l’honneur et la grande tristesse de vous adresser une VIGOUREUSE OPPOSITION au récent Plan du HCR (UNHCR) d’introduction au Nord-Kivu, de 106.000 Citoyens Rwandais présentés comme Réfugiés congolais.
Il est de notoriété publique nationale et internationale que la plupart des personnes concernées sont des Rwandais refoulés de la Tanzanie et qui n’ont jamais été en République Démocratique du Congo. Tout aussi grave, leur nombre change selon les besoins de la cause. Ainsi, alors que fin 2007, on parlait de 40.000 Réfugiés, l’UNHCR a élevé le nombre à 106.000 sujets (52.000 depuis le Rwanda, et 54.000 depuis l’Ouganda). Mais le CNDP des criminels Laurent Nkunda et Bosco Ntaganda, suscité par le Rwanda, vient déjà de porter leur nombre à 500.000 personnes, dont 100.000 depuis le Rwanda, 100.000 depuis l’Ouganda et 300.000 depuis la Tanzanie (Interview de MUNYAPENDA, directeur politique de CNDP)1 Ainsi le Rwanda et ses agents infiltrés au Congo font de l’UNHCR leur instrument d’occupation du Kivu. Et ce, depuis 1994 jusqu’à ce jour.
Dans une totale mauvaise foi et une complaisance envers le Rwanda et certains agitateurs extrémistes Tutsi, l’UNHCR et la Communauté Internationale présentent toujours les hautes régions du Kivu comme peu peuplées et donc déversoir du trop plein du Rwanda. Ce qui est tout à fait faux. Et les zones de Rutshuru, Masisi et Est-Walikale, choisies par le UNHCR pour y déverser les Rwandais sont précisément aussi surpeuplées que les collines du Rwanda. Ainsi le démontrent ces chiffres :
- Masisi : 4734 km2 ; 729.057 habitants en 2007, soit 154 hab./km2.
- Rutshuru : 5289 km2 ; 689.462 habitants en 2007 ; soit 130 hab/km2.
- L’Est-Walikale avoisine déjà les 100 hab/km2
- Nyiragongo (Territoire) : 163 km2 ; 38.689 habitants en 2004 et 78.886 en 2007, soit
une évolution de densité de 237 hab./km2 en 2004 à 484 hab/km2 en 4 ans.
- Goma-ville : 75,7 km2 ; 249.862 en 2004, et 633.899 en 2007, soit une densité passant
de 3.300 hab/km2 en 2004 à 8.374 hab/km2 en 4 ans2.
- La province du Nord-Kivu est après le Bas-Congo, la plus petite province du Congo (59.483 km2), mais avec la plus forte densité : 6.062.700 habitants en 2007, soit 102 hab/km2, loin avant toutes les autres provinces du Congo.
Ceci est confirmé par les Experts qui déjà 35 ans plus tôt, lors du Colloque de Bukavu en 1974, avaient déjà mis nos pays en garde : « Sur les hautes terres de l’Est, les populations sont nombreuses… Le problème essentiel de cette région est d’ordre démographique et écologique à la fois : dans un contexte de peuplement déjà très dense, la croissance rapide des effectifs entraîne la saturation des bonnes terres et leur dégradation, et débouche sur une sous-nutrition aggravée. Une étude prospective aboutit à de conclusions alarmantes pour l’horizon 2015 et fait souhaiter une émigration planifiée vers l’ouest… Un Article annonce la réalisation d’une carte de densité du Kivu d’altitude et commente l’évolution des zones (Territoires) de Rutshuru et de Masisi où, du fait de l’immigration, la population s’accroît le plus vite » 3
Alors que cette situation est déjà difficile pour les Autochtones du Kivu, le Rwanda, s’emploie depuis plusieurs années, à les chasser de leurs villages et de leurs terres, déjà plus de 2.000.000 déplacés, errant sur les routes ou parqués dans des camps d’infortune, et remplacés progressivement par des sujets rwandais. Tout ceci avec la bénédiction de la Communauté Internationale et la complicité de l’actuel gouvernement de Kinshasa.
Comme si cela n’était pas suffisamment injuste et inhumain, voici que l’UNHCR veut y déverser 106.000 autres. L’UNHCR contribue ainsi à la concrétisation du plan rwandais d’invasion et d’annexion du Kivu et de la balkanisation de la RD Congo.
Depuis des années, nous avons crié, informé, dénoncé cette invasion continuelle. Nous avons attiré l’attention de la Communauté Internationale, des Instances de l’ONU et des grandes Puissances sur le caractère hautement criminel de cet acharnement rwandais sur le Kivu. En effet, Kigali possède depuis plusieurs années, UN PLAN D’EXTERMINATION DES AUTOCHTONES DU KIVU. Et, avec la complicité d’organismes comme l’UNHCR, il est occupé à pratiquer systématiquement cette EPURATION ETHNIQUE, c’est-à-dire UN VERITABLE GENOCIDE DES AUTOCHTONES DU KIVU, progressivement et inéluctablement voués à la disparition.
Comme au Rwanda en 1994, l’UNHCR et autres Instances de l’ONU, et les Puissances du Nord, assistent en bons complices à cette chasse à l’homme congolais. Face aux 800.000 victimes du génocide interethnique du Rwanda, le Congo compte déjà 6.000.000 victimes. Ceci accompagné de la tragédie des 7.000 à 8.000 viols de femmes et de fillettes par an, et l’enrôlement des milliers d’enfants-soldats.
A cette hécatombe, voici que l’UNHCR va en ajouter une autre. Car, sachez-le, le Rwanda et ses Agents infiltrés dans les Institutions du Congo ne vont pas se reposer avant ‘d’avoir achevé le (sale) travail’ ! à savoir l’annexion du Kivu et l’éclatement de la RD Congo.
Mais cela comporte un risque majeur que l’UNHCR ne pourra pas contrôler : l’absence de garantie de sécurité pour ces Tutsi rwandais qu’on envoie aveuglement au Kivu. Car, outre la haine que cela suscite déjà, ils pourraient être les victimes des conséquences de la réaction d’autodéfense des Congolais.
De plus, le fait que certains autochtones congolais commencent à être tentés de considérer certains hutu rwandais comme un moindre mal, cela devrait interpeller tous les Congolais, la Communauté internationale et surtout le Gouvernement de Kigali quant à la l’avenir de la sécurité des tutsi rwandais qu’on envoie aveuglement au Kivu.
Epargnez-nous donc de ces provocations car nous sommes un peuple pacifique et accueillant.
A ce titre, nous acceptons seulement le retour des anciens habitants du Kivu que nous allons reconnaître, identifier et accueillir, les bras ouverts.
- Pour cela, il faudra qu’ils présentent des documents d’identité valables autres et antérieurs aux fameuses Cartes d’Electeurs, dont on sait qu’elles furent distribuées à des Citoyens rwandais en vue de gonfler le nombre d’électeurs de certains candidats aujourd’hui au pouvoir.
- De même, il faudra un témoignage de l’administration et des chefs coutumiers du Kivu qui les reconnaîtront et connaissent leurs anciens lieux d’habitation.
Le témoignage de certains acteurs politiques récents, tels des Rwando-congolais ayant accédé au pouvoir à la faveur des conquêtes militaires, à l’instar de certains membres du CNDP, ne devra pas entrer en ligne de compte. Ceux-là, en effet, ont les pieds au Congo, mais le cœur et la tête au Rwanda.
- Tous les autres, y compris ceux qui viennent d’entrer au Kivu à la faveur de l’opération militaire conjointe rwando-congolaise “Umoja wetu”, devront être refusés et/ou refoulés chez eux au Rwanda..
C’est ici l’occasion de condamner vigoureusement les initiatives révoltantes du Président français Nicolas Sarkozy visant à accélérer l’annexion du Kivu et la balkanisation du Congo-Kinshasa. Avec lui, l’Américain Herman Cohen. Avec eux, Tony Blair, qui ancien chef du prestigieux Gouvernement de sa Gracieuse Majesté, s’est ridiculisé en se faisant nommer Conseiller du régime génocidaire et annexionniste de Kigali. Car tout ceci dévoile les véritables causes de la tragédie du Rwanda et maintenant du Congo-Kinshasa.
Désormais toute opération “Gestion des Réfugiés rwandais”, devrait remplir au moins les trois conditions ci-après :
1.- Que l’initiative de l’accueil et du choix du lieu d’établissement vienne des Autorités congolaises qui le feront, après consultation avec le HCR ou la Croix Rouge, et moyennant la désignation d’une région non exposée aux crises rwandaises.
2. Les régions choisies ne devront en aucun cas se situer en deçà de 300 km à vol d’oiseau par rapport à la frontière rwandaise. Soit, environ, à partir des rives du fleuve Lualaba/Congo, et toujours plus à l’ouest.
3.- Le Kivu doit être désormais exclu des zones de nouvelle installation des Réfugiés, vu les dangers et catastrophes démographiques et écologiques exposés plus haut,
4. –N’envoyer aucun arrivant dans la région d’où n’était parti aucun réfugié (cas du territoire de Walikale).
Si ces marques de bonnes dispositions ne sont pas prises en considération, alors la preuve est faite une fois de plus, que le HCR, les autres Instances des Nations Unies et les Puissances du Nord, cherchent délibérément à poursuivre le Génocide perpétré par le pouvoir minoritaire de Kigali sur le paisible mais malheureux peuple congolais. Avec le bilan malheureux et partiel de 6.000.000 de morts !
Dans ce cas, le même Peuple congolais n’attendra pas indéfiniment que le Pouvoir faible ou complice de Kinshasa continue à l’exposer à ces massacres et humiliations. Il se prendra désormais en charge, et ce, sans exclusive sur les moyens et la méthode de défense.
A cet effet, prenez au sérieux les quatre avertissements ci-après :
1.- Le Mémorandum des Femmes du Nord-Kivu (12 juin 2009) qui après avoir donné le bilan macabre de la récente agression rwandaise, et signalé que le phénomène FDLR est devenu un prétexte pour perpétuer les abus, exigent sans ambages :« Nous femmes de la Province du Nord Kivu, toutes tendances confondues, vous exigeons de reprendre vos responsabilités et de procéder au rapatriement pacifique des réfugiés rwandais sans distinction dans leur pays d’origine. »
2.- L’Article du Journal belge la Libre Belgique du 23 juin 2009 « Vers une nouvelle débâcle dans les Kivu ? Une nouvelle fois, le Kivu (est du Congo) semble au bord du gouffre, alors que se profile une possible débâcle de l’armée congolaise et un retour à la situation de guerre antérieure (..) Les rapports d’organisations de défense des droits de l’homme se sont multipliés, ces dernières semaines, pour dénoncer l’accroissement des exactions commises par l’armée congolaise et les FDLR. Mais cela pourrait empirer encore.… De facto, on assiste donc à un développement des violences interethniques hutu-tutsi, partiellement sous uniforme congolais. »
3.- Lettre du 01 juin 2009, de 76 éminents Professeurs et défenseurs occidentaux des droits humains exigeant que le TPIR (Tribunal Pénal Interntional pour le Rwanda) arrête les criminels de guerre du FPR.
4.- Lettre ouverte du 06 mai 2009 de Madame Irène KHAN, Secrétaire générale de Amnesty Internationale, au Président Joseph Kabila pour qu’il cesse de cacher et de protéger le criminel Bosco Ntaganda.
Ces démarches montrent clairement qu’il n’y aura ni paix ni sécurité au Congo et dans la région tant qu’on continuera à protéger les Tueurs, ceux-là mêmes qui viennent d’être démasqués par le journaliste investigateur camerounais Charles ONANA dans son dernier livre : ‘Ces Tueurs Tutsi au cœur de la Tragédie congolaise’ (Duboiris, Paris, avril 2009)
Ainsi donc, nous réitérons notre rejet, notre ferme opposition à ce programme d’introduciton des sujets rwandais dans notre région d’où on a déjà préalablement chassé plus de 2.000.000 des nôtres.
Pour une paix véritable au Kivu et dans la région des Grands Lacs, il n’y a pas d’alternative à la baisse de la tension interethnique au Rwanda. D’où la nécessité et la priorité absolue d’organiser UN DIALOGUE INTERRWANDAIS, seule voie juste et équitable d’aplanir le long conflit occasionné par l’assassinat des deux présidents du Rwanda et du Burundi.
Fait à Bruxelles, le 8 juillet 2009
POUR LE MSS – KIVU
Michel MOTO MUHIMA - Secrétaire – Général & Porte Parole
POUR LE BUSHENGE – OCCIDENT
Franck MULISI-KAEMBE – Président - Cr50735@chello.be
1 AfricaNews 05 juin 2009/Congoindependant.com, 07 juin 2009: Le mystère percé du CNDP new look ; Les confidences de Munyapenda, interview à AfricaNews
2 Cf. Recensement de la province du Nord-Kivu en 2007 ; Goma, novembre 2007
3 J.-Cl. Bruneau : Quinze ans de recherches géographiques en langue française au Zaïre, in Centre d’Etudes de géographie tropicale, LE ZAIRE ESPACE ECARTELE, 1993, p.166)
Transmis Copie pour information :
A Monsieur le Président en exercice du Conseil de Sécurité, à New York;
A S. E. Monsieur José Manuel BARROSO, Président de la Commission de l’UNION EUROPEENNE, à Bruxelles,
A S. E. Monsieur Friedrik Reinfeldt Premier Ministre de la Suède, Président en exercice de l’Union Européenne, à Stockholm
A S. E. Monsieur Muammar el-Kadhafi, Guide suprême de la Révolution de La Grande Jamahiriya arabe libyenne populaire et socialiste, Président en exercice de l’Union Africaine, à Tripoli,
A S. E. M Jean PING, Président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine à Addis Abeba,
A S. E. Monsieur le Président NICOLAS SARKOZY, à Paris,
A S. E. Monsieur le Président HU JINTAO, à Beijing,
A S. E. Madame ANGELA MERKEL, Chancelière de l’Allemagne à Berlin,
A S. E. Monsieur le Premier Ministre Vladimir POUTINE, à Moscou,
A S. E. Monsieur Herman Van Rompuy, Premier Ministre de Belgique, à Bruxelles,
A S. E. Monsieur STEPHEN HARPER, Premier Ministre du Canada à Ottawa,
A S. E. Monsieur José Luis ZAPATERO Premier Ministre d’Espagne, à Madrid,
A S. E. Monsieur TARO ASO, Premier Ministre du Japon, à Tokyo,
A S. E. M. le Procureur Général de la COUR PENALE Internationale à La Haye,
A Sa Sainteté le Pape Benoît XVI, Cité du Vatican, à Rome,
- A S. E. Monsieur ALAN DOSS, Chef de la MONUC, à Kinshasa,
- A Monsieur le Responsable du HCR en RDC à Kinshasa;
- A S. E. M. le Président de la RD Congo, Chef de l’Etat, à Kinshasa
- Honorable Président du Sénat en RDC à Kinshasa
- Honorable Président de l’Assemblée nationale en RDC à Kinshasa
- S. E. M. le Premier Ministre Chef du Gouvernement congolais à Kinshasa
- S. E. Madame la Secrétaire Exécutive de la CIRGL à
- S. E. Madame Hillary Clinton, Secrétaire d’Etat USA, à Washington.
- S. E. Madame Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General, The Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs, UN , New York
- M. le Juge Charles Michael Dennis Byron, President, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- Prosecutor Hassan Jallow, Office of the Prosecutor, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
- S. E. M. Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa
- S. E. Madame Dr. Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations
- S. E. M. Clint Williamson, US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
- Senator Russell Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs
- Senator John F. Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
- Donald M. Payne, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
- Rt Hon David Miliband, UK Foreign Secretary, London
- Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown, Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, London.
- RT Hon Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development
- HE Sir John Sawers, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, London.
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