Burundi: En bref ce 24 JUILLET 2006 ...

BUJUMBURA, July 24 (Reuters) - Burundi rebels have fired mortars at the capital Bujumbura, injuring one person, in the third such attack since peace talks with the government began in Tanzania, the army and witnesses said on Monday.

The Forces for National Liberation (FNL) -- the only remaining rebel group from the tiny central African nation's civil war -- fired about five mortar shells from hills outside the capital late on Sunday night.

"The attack was directed again against the southern suburb of Musaga," army spokesman Colonel Adolphe Manirakiza said.

One man was seriously injured, witnesses said.

"The injured person was my close neighbour, he was going out when one mortar bomb just landed down inside the house," said a a Musaga resident. "He was bleeding a lot."

The FNL accused the government of staging the attack to discredit them in the slow-moving, on-off Tanzania talks which started in May.

"This is a ploy by the Burundian army to move talks backwards as now we are about to discuss serious matters," FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana told Reuters from Tanzania.

The talks, which resumed in Dar es Salaam 10 days ago, are seen as the one of the last steps to restore stability to the coffee-growing nation of 7 million after more than a decade of ethnic conflict since 1993 that killed 300,000 people.

Peace talks: Burundi rebels demand 60% stake in army
Bujumbura, Burundi 24 July 2006 AFP

Burundi's last active rebel group is demanding to have more than half of the slots in the country's army in peace talks with the government that have repeatedly faltered on the issue of the military, officials said Monday.

Representatives of the National Liberation Forces (FNL) in the South Africa-mediated talks being held in Tanzania are also demanding the post of the national army chief as a pre-condition to reaching a permanent ceasefire with Bujumbura.

"For the first time, the National Liberation Forces are forwarding concrete conditions. They are demanding the post of army general and 60% representation in the army as well as an expanded government," a diplomat told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on conditions of anonymity.

FNL spokesperson Pasteur Habimana confirmed the conditions.

"These are our conditions for peace to return to Burundi, but we are in Dar es Salaam to negotiate," Habimana told AFP from Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam, which is hosting the talks.

The FNL has been demanding the dissolution or at least major reform of Burundi's army as a condition to enter into a permanent ceasefire, while Bujumbura has rejected that stance as inappropriate for truce negotiations.

"The FNL put the same conditions when the talks resumed but we flatly rejected them," said Bernard Bandonkeye, head of the government delegation.

In addition, the FNL, the only one of Burundi's seven Hutu rebel groups to remain outside a 2000 peace process, want the army to reflect the country's ethnic make-up, mediators said.

That would give the 85% Hutu majority vast superiority in numbers to the 14% Tutsi minority, which had dominated the government and armed forces since independence until the adoption last year of a power-sharing Constitution.

Under the constitution, army representation is split equally between the two tribes.

"The FNL are no longer talking about disbanding [the army]; they concede that there should be reforms in the army, but the positions are still irreconcilable," said the diplomat.

The tiny Central Africa nation is still struggling from the devastation of a 13-year-old civil war that has claimed about 300 000 lives since it erupted with the assassination of the country's first democratically elected president, a member of the Hutu majority, by members of the then minority Tutsi-dominated army.

UGANDA

Many Tanzanian industries now ready for Comesa
By JOSEPH MWAMUNYANGE Special Correspondent
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican 24/07/2006
Even though some industries in Tanzania are still clamouring for protection from imported goods,others say they are now capable of competing.

According to a study on the effects of Tanzania’s withdrawal from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the competitiveness of Tanzanian industries in the region is being hampered by the high cost of utilities; water, telecommunication and electricity tariffs, taxes and high interest rates.

The study recommends that Tanzania should not have withdrawn from Comesa, as its exports are losing competitiveness in the Comesa market.

The government should address the problems facing industry, such as taxes, electricity costs, transport and trade policies, says the "Study of the Post-Effects of Tanzania's Withdrawal from Comesa on Tanzania Business Developments with Comesa Member States."

The study, presented in Dar es Salaam last week, says that some Tanzanian industries are however competitive.

Companies engaged in agro-processing are more competitive because they source most of their raw materials locally or from the region, unlike the rubber and plastic industries, which source their raw materials from abroad and so are less competitive.

The study was commissioned by the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, the Confederation of Tanzania Industries and the East African Business Council.

"The tax structure of iron and steel and cement factories depended on the type of technology, electricity cost, size of output-productivity and transport cost, while textile factories had industrial oil and taxes as the worst factors," the study says.

An important finding in all previous studies, however, was that many Tanzania industries were nevertheless exporting to Comesa countries, taking advantage of its tariff reductions, which ranged from 70-90 per cent.

For a long time now, Tanzanian industries have demanded protection from the government, claiming that they are still young.

One of the reasons for Tanzania's withdrawal from Comesa was that its industries were in their infancy and could not compete in the Comesa Free Trade Area.

Indeed, in the past four years, the government has taken a number of pro-active export promotion measures, including preparing and adopting in 2004 a comprehensive export-led economic growth policy; and the adjustment in electricity tariffs from 2000 to 2002.

Electricity tariffs for industrial consumers were reduced from Tsh97 per unit to Tsh54.5 per unit in 2002; tax on industrial oil was reduced in the 2003/04 budget and import duty on raw materials, machinery and intermediate goods has been zero-rated since 2002.

The study notes that the government has invested heavily in road and highway construction and rehabilitation over the past five years, especially the roads leading to Rwanda and Burundi, linking Dar es Salaam to the southern regions of Mtwara and Lindi and opening the way to Mozambique and Malawi through the Mtwara Corridor.

Tanzanian industries said to be competitive in the Comesa region are Aluminium Africa, Kioo Ltd, Kibo Match Corporation, Tanzania Distilleries Ltd, Tanzania China Friendship Textile Ltd and Jiemel Industries. Others are Allied Soap Company Ltd, Sumaria Group of Companies and Raffia Bags Ltd.

According to the study, many industries, that claim to be uncompetitive do not have expansion plans or plans to modernise technology and grow.

"The government has, therefore, to struck a balance between those seeking export marketing and those concentrating on the domestic market to ensure export industries are facilitated," says the study.

DRC: Lead-up to elections - backgrounder

KINSHASA, 24 July (IRIN) - The general elections due on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are billed as the first fully democratic vote to be held in the country since Patrice Lumumba became prime minister in 1960. Beginning with his murder a year later, and the coup in 1965 staged by Mobutu Sese Seko, who introduced a one-party system, the past 40 years have witnessed the systematic impoverishment of one of the potentially wealthiest countries on the African continent.

Turning the country around is vital for the continent as a whole, not just because of its sheer size - 2.5 million square kilometres, bordering nine countries - but because of its mineral wealth; it holds one-third of the world's cobalt reserves; two-thirds of its coltan, used in mobile phones; and one-tenth of its copper; as well as diamonds, gold, oil, silver, timber, uranium and zinc. Its river system could power the entire continent and the country contains 50 percent of Africa's forests. And yet, the DRC is one of the world's poorest countries, ranked 167 out of 177 in the 2005 United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) human development index.

The potential rewards of peace and stability are high. But so are the risks. While human rights groups have accused some foreign companies mining in the DRC of exploitation and corruption, encouraging investment is not straightforward in a country whose physical infrastructure is virtually non-existent - of 145,000 km of roads, only 2,500 km are asphalt - and poor governance is endemic.

Indeed, the weakness of state institutions, in particular the security forces, courts and parliament, and the fact that the Congolese state has suffered from corruption before and after independence in 1960, means that restructuring the economy and addressing issues of capacity-building are of particular importance if the new government is to effect meaningful change for its population.

Poor governance is of particular concern to aid agencies as the impact is severe in humanitarian terms: corruption means revenue losses, so state employees, such as soldiers, go unpaid and intimidate and harangue civilians, often brutally; continued fighting over mineral rights and cross-border raids result in displaced civilians. UN agencies and NGOs estimate that at least 1,000 people continue to die every day in the DRC as a result of non-existent health services and preventable diseases.

The legacy of Mobutu's 32-year Western-backed rule extends beyond endemic corruption; to offset potential political opposition his rule was absolute, with the 1974 constitution granting him authority over the executive, legislature and judiciary branches of government. Furthermore, he maintained a system of patronage while maintaining the loyalty of the police and army, all of which required money. By 1990, the country was US $14 billion in debt. With the end of the cold war, Mobutu was no longer of any use to the US in its fight against Soviet influence in Africa, and his lines of credit were cut off.

The first war was prompted by an invasion of Rwandan and Ugandan troops in a bid to flush out Hutu militia - at the same time capitalising on popular discontent to oust Mobutu. However Laurent-Desire Kabila's coup in 1997 did little to change the prevailing political and economic climate. He banned political activity, issuing laws by presidential decree. By 2000, inflation was 511 percent and GDP $100 per capita, compared with a rate of $259 at independence. When Kabila attempted to limit the influence of Rwanda and Uganda on the economy, a second war opened up in what has been called Africa's first world war. This involved Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe on Kabila's side against Uganda and Rwanda. A study by the International Rescue Committee in December 2004 estimates that 3.8 million people died, nearly half of them children, from disease, famine and violence, mainly in the east. An additional three million are in acute need of assistance, according to the UN.

The first peace accord was signed in 1999 and foreign armies agreed to withdraw troops but a power-sharing agreement between the rebel factions was not implemented until 2003. The resulting transitional government comprised three main factions: the DRC government (PPRD supported by Zimbabwe, Angola and Namibia), the RCD-Goma (Rwanda) and the MLC (Uganda). Fighting, however, continues in eastern DRC.

The present incumbent, Joseph Kabila, 35, who took over from his father, Laurent-Desire Kabila, who was assassinated in January 2001, is the favourite to win the presidential vote, which is being contested by 33 candidates. Another 9,000 politicians are vying for 500 parliamentary seats. However, security remains a problem, despite the presence of the largest UN peacekeeping mission in the world, comprising 17,000 troops, which will be backed up by 2,000 EU forces over the election period. In addition, 5,000 national and 500 international observers will oversee the polls.

Etienne Tshisekedi, 73, the veteran opposition leader, originally boycotted the polls only to change his mind - but too late to be included in the electoral process. His withdrawal means millions of his traditional supporters will be effectively disenfranchised.

Campaigning is a logistical nightmare in a country with poor transport facilities; most of the 50,000 voting stations are deep in the forest or along the river and accessible to officials only by air. The budget for the elections is put at $500 million, most of it donated by the UN, EU and others. While the results will not be known until September, analysts are concerned that international interest will wane once the immediate goal of successful elections is achieved. Programmes in support of good governance and strengthening state institutions and helping to repair the country's infrastructure need to be backed up by increased aid if a return to conflict is to be avoided. mw/js/os

SOUTH AFRICA:

Telecel plans to offer video-on-demand
By Thabiso Mochiko, Business Report, 24 July 2006

Cellular network operator Telecel would apply for a commercial subscription broadcasting licence through subsidiary Goal Technology Solutions (GTS) to enable it to offer video-on-demand services, Telecel founder Miko Rwayitare said on Friday.

GTS offers wireless high-speed internet broadband by using power lines to transmit the service in Pretoria. It plans to offer similar services in Johannesburg and eThekwini.

Chief operating officer Patrice Lasserre said the group would offer video-on-demand service over power lines. GTS plans to have decoders installed with broadband services. This would enable users to connect to the computer, access the internet and make telephone calls over the internet using voice over internet protocol.

The Independent Communications Authority of SA invited companies to apply for subscription broadcasting licences earlier this year in a bid to increase consumer choice. There is no limit to the number of licences that may be issued.

The closing date for applications is next Monday.

MultiChoice is the only company offering pay television but does not offer video-on-demand services.

Fixed-line operator Telkom, which also indicated earlier this year that it would apply for a licence, was busy with the trials on video-on-demand as well as triple play - television, internet and telephone access on a single machine - with Alcatel and Microsoft. Telkom did not want to comment on whether the trials had been successful and if it would still apply for a licence.

Lasserre said GTS was negotiating for content with the major studios and planned to spend R300 million on the first year of the roll-out.

Analysts were sceptical about whether video-on-demand would be a success as a stand-alone service.

Rajay Ambekar, a portfolio manager at African Harvest, said that although video-on-demand was in its infancy in Europe and US, the service was offered as a package with other channels and it might be difficult for it to succeed as a stand-alone.

Gavin Joubert, a portfolio manager at Coronation Fund Managers, said content was crucial for the success of the service.

"Although video-on-demand is big in the US, it does not mean it would be big in South Africa."

On whether it will affect video rental shops, Ambekar said: "It will depend largely on pricing, but even if it is priced slightly higher, there will be a negative impact on video rental shops due to the convenience factor."

Joubert did not expect video-on-demand to have a significant impact on video rental shops or the cinema market. "Customers still want to have that cinema experience."

Rwayitare founded Telecel in 1986. It operates networks in about 18 countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Benin.

AFRICA / AU :

New system to reduce price of phone calls in Africa
By JOSEPH MWAMUNYANGE Special Correspondent S
http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican
With telephone charges already started being reduced by some operators in Tanzania, the trend is expected to intensify after the East Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) is launched.

The pioneer of telecommunication services in the country the Tanzania Telecommunications Company Ltd (TTCL) has embarked on a modernisation drive, that has seen it reduce tariffs for most of its services.

It is expected that the EASSy project, which aims to develop an undersea fibre optic cable along the East African seaboard that will provide ample connectivity and capacity among African countries and the rest of the world, will greatly boost this reduction.

Following in the footsteps of TTCL, Tanzania’s cellular phone operator Vodacom has slashed international call rates by up to 62 per cent. This is one area where Tanzanian consumers stand to gain under EASSy, given that currently international calls from Tanzania are routed through Europe or the United States, making them expensive.

TTCL communications manager Issa Semtawa told The EastAfrican that the impact of EASSy will be immense, adding that countries should prepare themselves for the much bigger capacity to be provided through the marine cable.

"The cable will provide large capacity to our countries and it is up to us to get ready to make full use of this capacity. That is why every country taking part has been told to enhance local networks so as to take full advantage of EASSy," said Mr Semtawa.

TTCL was part of a consortium of telecommunications companies given the responsibility of initiating the project in 2002. Others were Telkom Kenya, Uganda Telecommunications Corporation, MTN, Zanzibar Telecommunications and data operators.

Mr Semtawa said that instead of using centres outside Africa to route calls, this will now be done between countries in Africa "instead of centres in Europe via satellite, which made the distance for calls longer and expensive. Currently if somebody wants to call the Democratic Republic of Congo from Tanzania, he has to go through Belgium or France. Once the EASSy cable is in place, this will be done between the two countries."

Countries on the path of the cable will tap from the submarine cable for onward transmission to the hinterland.

Currently, the level of international telephone traffic per line in sub-Saharan Africa is the highest in any region in the world.

However, international connectivity in Africa is scarce, expensive and unreliable. African carriers pay hundreds of millions of dollars per year to switch intra-Africa traffic through foreign carriers.

Experts say that existing and planned systems in East Africa are only partial solutions. Africa’s telecommunications are changing: deregulation and privatisation are introducing new telecommunications carriers thus requiring additional capacity.

Entities that have shown interest in the project include MTN Uganda, Botswana Telecom Corporation, Telecom Malagasy, Sudan Telecom (Sudatel), Zanzibar Telecom (Zantel), Rwanda Tel, Telkom South Africa and Djibouti Telecom.

Others are Dalkom Somalia, Uganda Telecom, Telkom Kenya, Malawi Telecom, Sentech-South Africa, TDM-Mozambique and Onatel Burundi.

Lesotho Telecom Authority, Vodacom SA, Teleglobe, Ethiopian Telecom Corporation, Telecel Burundi, Mauritius Telecom, Kenya Data Networks, Satcom Networks Africa Ltd, Zambia Telecom (Zamtel), British telecom (BT), and France Telecom have also shown an interest.

Eligible operators from Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Seychelles, Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo and Comoros and Mayotte are also expected to join and invest in the system.

UN /ONU :

USA :

CANADA :

AUSTRALIA :

EUROPE :

Programme Officer Central Africa
http://www.oneworld.nl/index.php?page=10&jobopeningId=957

Novib is an independent organisation for development co-operation and is a member of the international organisation Oxfam. Novib does not provide technical assistance in the field but collaborates with over 800 non-governmental organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We support initiatives from people who want to achieve sustainable improvements in their lives in an autonomous way. Additionally, we inform the Dutch public about the work of our partner organisations. Moreover, we make ourselves heard at the political level, both nationally and internationally. We call this "the Novib method".

There is a vacancy in the Central and East Africa Bureau, Projects Department, for a Programme Officer Central Africa; 26 hours per week

Expectations

In close co-operation with the bureau's members, you will make an important contribution to the formulation and implementation of Novib's policy in Central Africa (DRCongo, Rwanda, Burundi). Attention to the partners' programmes, from the identification phase to implementation and evaluation, will constitute the core of your work. You will synchronise, co-ordinate, negotiate, plan and bring plans to a conclusion in consultation with the other team members. You will maintain direct contacts with counterparts and other individuals and institutions, which are relevant to the execution of your work.
Job requirements

You have completed an academic course in a discipline relevant to development cooperation. You have excellent communication and networking skills and are prepared to learn Dutch.
You have demonstrable recent and substantial work experience (minimum of 2 years) with CBO's in Central Africa (preferably DRC). You are used to working in conflict regions and are willing to travel to the region on a regular basis.
You have developed a vision on socio-economic and political developments in Central Africa and have sound analytical and policy-making skills in relation to these issues. You have an in-depth knowledge of Novib's priority theme of Food and Income Security, as well as peace building and humanitarian assistance programmes. You are also able to analyse gender and HIV/AIDS issues as cross-cutting themes in your programmes.
Experience in lobby/advocacy would be an additional asset
You are a team worker and have excellent social skills.
You are fluent in French and English
Competences:

Acting in a result oriënted way, Planning and Organising, Verbal Communication, Written Communication, Coöperation and Analysing

Salary indication

You will earn a minimum of € 2.215,- and maximum of € 3.583,- gross per month on the basis of a 36-hour week.

Procedure

Are you interested? Send your application with reference number 5-3775 to Nathalie Schouten (HR dept.) before August 7, 2006 preferably by email to jobs@oxfamnovib.nl. Further information about the job can be obtained from Ute Jansen (Bureauhead of the East and Central Africa bureau), 070-3421663. Information on the procedure is available with Nathalie Schouten , 070-3421925.

Applicants must be Nationals of an European Union member State or have a valid workpermit for the European Union.

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