MTANZANIA BLOG

Thursday, 6 March 2014

US: We may shift Uganda aid to alternative needy country

US ambassador to Uganda Scott DeLisi, (2nd left) with some of the guests he hosted at his residence in Kololo on Monday.US Ambassador Scott H. DeLisi has come out to explain why he kept away from the launch of an HIV-prevention campaign organised by First Lady Janet Museveni.

Mr DeLisi said he had to weigh whether attending the End Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (EMTCT) programme made sense, especially after President Museveni’s remarks to donors while signing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.

Last week, the United States and Irish envoys to Uganda kept away from the government despite having confirmed attendance earlier. Mr DeLisi was speaking to journalists at his residence in Kololo during a pre-departure reception of more than 50 Ugandans travelling to the International Home and House wares Trade Show in Chicago next week.

He said his absence at the Kololo ceremony last week does not imply the US doesn’t support EMTCT.

While assenting to the anti-gays law recently, President Museveni said he is ready to stand up to the West if they chose to cut aid over the legislation.

The US is one of Uganda’s donor countries and its president Barack Obama had warned that the relationship between the two countries would become ‘complicated’ if Mr Museveni signed the Bill into law.

Mr DeLisi said the United States was critically analysing the developments in Kampala. “We are looking at this very carefully and not acting in haste, we are assessing where we stand if our aid is not welcome and appreciated,” he said.

He said the US was ready to turn its assistance to another country if Uganda made it clear that it did not want it. “If Uganda doesn’t want our assistance, let the government tell us and we shall turn to another African country,” he added.

But he said America had too many partnerships and cared about the country to just walk away.

Ambassador DeLisi also said America’s position on the Anti-homosexuality law had been misunderstood in Uganda.

“People don’t want to hear this but we are not promoting homosexuality, we are promoting basic rights like equal protection under the law and protection of non-discrimination. And those who say that we have not spoken about other rights are so wrong,” he said.

Transport authority appeals for dialogue

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Matatu operators have been urged to embrace dialogue in solving disputes instead of resorting to protests.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) expressed concern following the move by operators to block major roads in and outside Nairobi on Wednesday to protest new parking levies introduced by Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero.

The protest, which caught many Kenyans by surprise, saw Nairobi residents walk to work while others had their vehicles damaged by rowdy youth during the protest.

“As the body responsible for management of public transport in Kenya, we are concerned with the inconvenience the protest is causing innocent commuters who are not party to the dispute,” said NTSA director General Francis Meja.

“We wish to advice all parties involved to embrace dialogue and consultation whenever they have grievances instead of resorting to protests which end up inconveniencing innocent commuters and the general public,” added the authority official in a statements sent to newsrooms Thursday.

Mr Meja said the authority initiated discussions with the County Government of Nairobi and the concerned transport operators following the protests.

“Arising from the discussions, it was agreed that the protesting vehicle operators should remove the vehicles that they had used to block roads and observe the law,” he said.

He added the operators were also asked to resume operations immediately awaiting further discussions between them and Dr Kidero.

Meanwhile, Transport Cabinet Secretary Engineer Michael Kamau has vowed that stern action would be taken against matatu operators who blocked roads in Nairobi to protest increased parking levies. (NMG)

Niger hands Gaddafi son over to Libya govt

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Niger has turned over a son of the late dictator Moamer Daddafi to Libyan authorities, Tripoli said Thursday, as a government-allied militia released pictures of him in captivity.

The government said Saadi Gaddafi, who fled across the Sahara desert to Niger during the 2011 uprising that saw rebels capture and kill his father, ending his four-decade dictatorship, was in Libyan custody.

The Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade, a militia made up of former rebels, released five pictures on Facebook of a disconsolate-looking Saadi in a blue jumpsuit getting his head and beard shaved.

He knelt on the floor as his hair was removed by a man wielding an electric razor.

Libya’s government said he would be held in accordance with “international standards regarding the treatment of prisoners”.

Saadi Gaddafi was best known as the head of Libya’s football federation and a player who paid his way into Italy’s top division.

The playboy footballer, born in May 1973, had been off the radar since fleeing across the desert in September 2011.

Interpol had issued a “Red Notice” for him, for “allegedly misappropriating properties through force and armed intimidation when he headed the Libyan Football Federation”.

Libya had repeatedly called for Saadi’s extradition from Niger, which had granted him asylum since September 2011 on “humanitarian” grounds, saying it had insufficient guarantees Libya’s new rulers would give him a fair trial.

Saadi is subject to UN sanctions including a travel ban and assets freeze. Three of Gaddafi’s sons were killed in the 2011 uprising, including Mutassim, who was killed by rebels in Sirte on the same day as his father.

Their bodies were later put on public display in Misrata, 215 kilometres (135 miles) east of Tripoli, before being buried at a secret location in the desert.(AFP)

Ministry in ICT awareness drive

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The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Rosemary Mbabazi, has urged citizens to embrace the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Mbabazi was on Wednesday speaking at the 10th Edition of the ICT Literacy and Awareness Campaign road show in Nyaruguru District, Southern Province. Thousands of local residents participated in the two-day campaign drive.
“Using ICT enables you to access a variety of services. It is in this regard that we all have to be passionate about technology,” Mbabazi told journalists in Nyaruguru.
She likened ICT to basic necessities like water and electricity.
ICT campaigns are helping residents to understand the various services offered by companies and how they can be used. James Nibeho, a resident, said he is able to use various online services like filing a complaint in court.
PS Mbabazi commended the private sector for partnering with the government to foster technological development.
The campaign enables residents to learn the contribution of ICT to daily performance in various activities.
During this drive, local residents are learning the benefits of the digital migration, during which girls and young women are encouraged to join the career to embrace the use of ICT.

Japan pledges $3.1m for Congolese refugees in Kigeme refugee camp

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Japanese envoy Kazuga Ogawa and his wife play with children after the inauguration of the centre. Collins Mwai.

The Japanese government has pledged $3.1 million dollars for the facilitation of activities in health, education and gender-based violence prevention in the newly established Congolese refugee camp in the Southern Province.
The Japanese Ambassador to Rwanda, Kazuya Ogawa, announced the support during a visit to Kigeme refugee camp, Nyamagabe District yesterday.
Ogawa’s visit to Kigeme aimed at inaugurating initiatives under One UN (Unicef, UNHCR and WFP) that the Japanese government has been funding.
The initiatives he inaugurated include the early childhood development centre that will provide services, including daily meals and home-based support to approximately 2,500 children and build capacities for over 30 care givers.
The envoy also officially opened a school, dispensary, disability centre and handed over educational materials provided by his government.
“Japan is committed to supporting refugees from DRC. This support will be utilised for activities in health and gender-based violence prevention in the newly established camp,” the envoy said.
The government of Japan has been one of the main development partners supporting refugees in Kigeme camp and other camps in the country. It has been working closely with Rwanda’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midmar).
Early in 2013, the Japanese government gave $5.9 million to One UN for various activities such as hygiene, education and environmental protection in the camp that hosts more than 18,000 people, most of them women, children and disabled persons.
Unicef has been using the funds to implement activities such as supporting Early Childhood Development through provision of materials and teacher training. UNHCR, on the other hand, has been providing medicine and health services, strengthening skills for community health workers and providing materials for environmental protection.
The envoy noted that his country was concerned about the plight of refugees in Rwanda.
The Midmar minister, Seraphine Mukantabana, on behalf of her government expressed gratitude to the Japanese government, saying that Japan’s involvement has made it easy for Rwanda to manage the refugee situation.
Rwanda is home to more than 73,000 refugees, the majority of them Congolese.
“They have been facing challenges of limited education and child protection. It would have been such a heavy burden to the Government of Rwanda to address these challenges but your support as partners has eased the situation,” the minister said.
She commended One UN for their role in dealing with the refugee issues and asked them to join efforts with Rwanda and the international community to advocate for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The sustainable solution that we should push for is to have all Congolese refugees repatriated to their home country,” Mukantabana said.
Eugene Buturu, the camp president and executive committee representative, hailed the support and called upon the partners to advocate for a peaceful Congo.
“We appreciate the support although the sustainable solution would be to advocate for peace in Congo to facilitate our return home,” Buturu said.
Rwanda UNHCR country representative Neimah Warsame commended the refugees for being organised on matters of their own welfare. She said the camp was a model to other refugee camps around the world because of its community-based approach where issues are addressed from the grassroots.

Rwandan exporters exhibit products in Uganda

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Eleven Rwandan companies on Wednesday concluded a high level sales mission in Kampala, Uganda where they held meetings with several Ugandan business owners.
The meeting was organised by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Traidlinks, a non-profit making organisation based in Ireland.
The Rwandan companies introduced to the Ugandan market a wide range of products which include organic pyrethrum-based insecticides, furniture, granite tiles, and high quality chalk for schools.
“There is ready market and interest for our products,” said Jessie Kalisa, from G-MART, a manufacturing company of chalk in Rwanda.
Ugandan businesses expressed interest in the products.
“Our customers have already appreciated the quality of these products,” said Phiona Senyonga, a sales executive with Grakes General Supplies.
Therese Karitanyi, the General Manager of Agropharm Africa, said without such meetings, it would be difficult to get to the right consumers and distributors in the region.
Dan Mutezintare, the First Counsellor at the Rwanda High Commission in Uganda, urged the traders to ensure production of quality products and to also seal meaningful business relationships that will create a positive impact.

Ukraine crisis: ‘Illegal’ Crimean referendum condemned

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Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (L) holds a new conference with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels March 6, 2014. Net photo.

BRUSSELS. The EU and US have joined Ukraine’s government in condemning as “illegal” a move by the Crimea region to set up a referendum to join Russia.
The EU, meeting in Brussels, threatened “serious consequences” if Russia did not act to de-escalate the crisis.
Crimean MPs earlier set a date of 16 March for a vote on the referendum.
Russian troops took de facto control of Crimea, whose population is mostly ethnic Russian, in the wake of the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president.
The Crimean parliament on Thursday said it had decided “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation”.
It said it had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin “to start the procedure”.
Before the Brussels summit, some EU members - led by Germany - had indicated they preferred mediation with Russia to try to solve the crisis, rather than any stronger measures.
But the BBC’s Matthew Price in Brussels says the Crimean MPs’ move has clearly toughened the line taken by the EU.
In a press conference after the talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy both said the Crimean referendum was contrary to the Ukrainian constitution and therefore illegal.
The EU said it was suspending talks with Moscow on easing travel restrictions on Russians entering the EU.
It said that if Russia did not move to de-escalate the situation quickly, it would “decide on additional measures, such as travel bans, asset freezes and the cancellation of the EU-Russia summit”.
The EU statement said that “any further steps by the Russian Federation to destabilise the situation in Ukraine would lead to severe and far-reaching consequences... which will include a broad range of economic areas”. The US had earlier issued visa restrictions on a number of unnamed Ukrainian and Russian officials and individuals “to deny visas to those responsible for, or complicit in, threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
In a televised address, Ukraine’s Interim President Olexander Turchynov denounced the referendum as “illegitimate and unnecessary, it contradicts the will of the Ukrainian people”.
He cited Article 73 of the Ukrainian constitution which says issues relating to borders must involve a “referendum across the whole of Ukraine”.
Mr Turchynov said: “Ukraine’s territory within the boundaries recognised by the whole world is inviolable and sovereign.”
But Crimea’s First Deputy PM Rustam Temirgaliev said Crimea viewed the new authorities in Kiev as illegitimate and that Crimea was now in Russia.