Burundi: En bref ce 26 JUIN 2006 ...

LE MOUVEMENT REBELLE FNL-PALIPEHUTU REAGIT CONTRE LES ACCUSATIONS DU PORTE-PAROLE DES FORCES DE DEFENSE NATIOALE COMME QUOI CE MOUVEMENT CONTINUE D'ENROLER LES JEUNES ELEVES EN DEPIT DE L'ACCORD DE PRINCIPE DE NEGOCIATION
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-Le porte-parole du mouvement rebelle FNL/Palipehutu aile d'Agathon Rwasa a affirmé ce lundi 26 juin 2006 que le mouvement FNL/Palpipehutu continue de négocier avec le gouvernement après une semaine de travail. Le mouvement rebelle FNL a dénoncé le médiateur qui veut imposer un cessez-le-feu sans considérer les propositions de ce mouvement à en croire le porte-parole de ce mouvement Pasteur Habimana. Le même porte-parole du FNL/Palipehutu a rejeté les accusations du porte parole des forces de défense nationale comme quoi le mouvement FNL enrôle des jeunes élèves et continue la guerre alors qu'il a signé un accord de principe de négociations. Le porte-parole du FNL a indiqué que son mouvement a arrêté complètement de se battre après la signature de l'accord de principe.

LE FNL-PALIPEHUTU OPERE DES RECRUTEMENTS DANS LES LOCALITES FRONTALIERES AVEC LA KIBIRA
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-Au moment où les négociations entre le gouvernement et le FNL/Palipehutu viennent de reprendre dans la capitale tanzanienne, nous apprenons que le mouvement FNL/Palipehutu procède actuellement à des recrutements massifs des jeunes dans les localtés qui partagent la frontière avec la forêt naturelle la Kibira. La nouvelle a été confirmée à la radio nationale par le porte-parole de la FDN le major Adolphe Manirakiza. Il demande à l'administration de mener des activités d'encadrement de la population et ne pas la laisser prendre le chemin de la Kibira car selon lui la jeunesse peut perdre la vie du fait que le conflit sur le terrain n'est pas encore terminé.

LA LIGUE ITEKA VIET DE DECLARER QUE LA TORTURE EST UNE REALITE AU BURUNDI
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-La torture est encore une réalité au Burundi à en croire la ligue de la personne humaine ITEKA qui déplore la pratique de la torture qui ont été à maintes reprises relevées sur notamment les positions militaires dans différents cachots de police ou des parquets en àcroire madame Bénite Nyankima de la ligue ITEKA qui a dressé à la presse ce lundi 26 juin 2006, un sombre bilan du respect des droits de l'homme et particulièrement sur les lieux d'arrestation, c'est-à-dire dans les rues et rarement dans les cachots a-t-elle ajouté.

L'ASSOCIATION JED ADRESSE UNE CORRESPONDANCE AU CHEF DE L'ETAT BURUNDAIS AU SUJET DU JOURNALISTE ALOYS KABURA EMPRISONNE A NGOZI
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-L'association " Journalistes En Danger" (JED) vient d'adresser une correspondance au chef de l'Etat burundais pour demander la libération du journaliste Aloys Kabura, emprisonné à Ngozi depuis le 31 mai 2006. L'association JED estime que derrière cette arrestation il y a des mobiles non avoués.

Mbeki hails Burundi for peace progress
June 26 2006 - Sapa
Durban - The nation of Burundi received the Africa Peace Award in Durban on Saturday night.

Receiving the award on his country's behalf, President Pierre Nkurunziza said: "I and my government will continue to do everything to give Burundians peace, justice and democracy and to improve the lives of all Burundians."

Durban's city hall was packed with high-profile Burundians and South Africans, who were given a display of traditional Burundian drumming and dancing.

President Thabo Mbeki proposed the toast to Burundi's achievement. He did not speak.

Nkurunziza praised the late Julius Nyerere, former South African president Nelson Mandela, former deputy president Jacob Zuma and "all who made the peace process possible".

"Burundi is grateful for their commitment," he said.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu Ndebele congratulated Burundi on the award.

"It is a peace process that requires management and is more difficult to manage than war," he said.

South Africa's ambassador to Germany, Sibusiso Bhengu, who is chairperson of the board of trustees of the African Centre for the Corrective Resolution of Disputes (Accord) said: "We are immensely proud of their achievements, especially as they vindicate the efforts of dialogue."

Burundi's foreign minister, Antionette Butumubwira said: "Not only we have recognised our efforts. Others have too. It gives confidence to the people of Burundi. It gives us strength."

Nkurunziza was in Durban to receive the biennial Africa Peace Award, established by Accord, to honour peacemakers.

DEUX ANCIENS DIGNITAIRES SEVERIN NDIKUMUGONGO ET SEVERIN NTAHOMVUKIYE SONT EMPRISONNES A LA PRISON DE MPIMBA POUR CAUSE DE DETOURNEMENT
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-L'ancien ministre en charge des transports dans le gouvernement du président Domitien Ndayizeye monsieur Séverin Ndikumugongo et l'ancien directeur général de l'office National des Télécommunications monsieur Séverin Ntahomvukiye se trouvent à la prison centrale de Mpimba depuis le 24 juin 2006. Ils sont accusés d'avoir fait perdre à l'Etat un montant de six cent millions de francs burundais au moment de l'élaboration du projet de téléphonie mobile. La nouvelle a été confirmée par le procureur général de la République et rapporté par la radio nationale.

SAfrica sets July 1 deadline for Burundi deal
26 Jun 2006 Source: Reuters More By Manoah Esipisu

PRETORIA, June 26 (Reuters) - Burundi's government and the country's last remaining rebel group are expected to agree a comprehensive ceasefire by July 1, mediator South Africa said on Monday.

But a spokesman for the Hutu Forces for National Liberation (FNL) said that talks in Tanzania with Burundi's government were not going well and accused the South African mediators and the Burundi government of trying to bully them into agreeing a pact.

An agreement is seen as one of the final hurdles to stability in a nation recovering from more than a decade of civil war pitting the Hutu majority against a politically and economically dominant Tutsi minority.

Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza and FNL leader Agathon Rwasa signed a deal on June 18 to stop fighting.

Chief mediator Charles Nqakula, South Africa's safety and security minister, said that negotiators had started talks on a comprehensive ceasefire designed to lead to lasting peace in the central African country.

"The ceasefire agreement is based on the principles that have already been endorsed by all concerned including the principle of no further armed operatives or negative propaganda that would inflame the political situation," Nqakula told a news conference in South Africa's capital Pretoria.

"The negotiators are expected to finalise the current phase by Saturday, July 1, 2006," he said.

FNL fighters usually shell Bujumbura while government troops hunt the rebels in their bush hideouts with attack helicopters.

BULLYING

In Tanzania, the FNL accused South Africa and the Burundi government of trying to bully them into agreeing a pact.

"The talks are not going well because the government is coming here with arrogance and trying to dominate us," FNL spokesman Pasteur Habimana told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

"The mediating team, instead of listening to us, is saying that if we refuse to sign a ceasefire, Uganda, Tanzania, the Burundi government and South Africa will unite and finish us off," he added but offered no further details.

One of the sticking points at the peace talks was reform of the police and military, Rwasa said this month. Under Burundi's peace plan, the FNL's soldiers should be integrated into those organisations but the rebels have refused.

Under a comprehensive ceasefire package, repatriation of FNL members would start and FNL combatants who wished would be integrated into the army, Nqakula said, adding the FNL would also be registered as a political party.

Nqakula ruled out a fresh election to allow the FNL to participate. But he said FNL returnees would be granted provisional immunity from arrest and prosecution and all political prisoners would be freed.

At least 300,000 people were killed in a series of ethnic reprisals sparked by the 1993 assassination of the first elected Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye, by Tutsi paratroopers.

Earlier talks failed to produce a deal, although Tanzania brokered a May 2005 ceasefire which was broken within days.

Burundi, a coffee-growing nation of 7 million on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, has been lauded as a model on the continent because of its progress and relative stability in following a U.N.-backed peace plan drawn up by regional leaders.

(Additional reporting by George Obulutsa in Tanzania)

LES CENTRES DE SANTE DE GIHETA ET DE GASURU SONT SUR LE POINT D'ETRE DEBORDES PAR L'AFFLUENCE HUMAINE
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-Les centres de santé de Giheta et de Gasuru en province de Gitega sont sur le pont d'être débordés par une forte affluence de patients surtout les enfants de moins de cinq ans. Le correspondant de l'agence burundaise de presse qui a révélé la nouvelle, a également ajouté que cette affluence des patients auprès des centres de santé, intervient au moment où le centre de santé de Buhiga tournait déjà au ralentit après avoir été dévalisé par un groupe de bandits.

Rebels storm out of Burundi peace talks
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 26 June 2006 -- AFP

Peace talks aimed at finally ending Burundi's civil war foundered on Monday as the country's last active rebel group stormed out of the negotiations, officials said.

A senior Tanzanian official participating in the discussions between Bujumbura and the National Liberation Forces (FNL) said the rebels walked out after threats from South African mediators.

"They stormed out of the meeting," the official told Agence France-Presse on condition of anonymity. "They are annoyed because they were threatened by the mediator."

Officials said the talks ran aground after the South Africans told the FNL they would be attacked by neighbouring countries if they refused to sign a comprehensive ceasefire to halt more than a decade of fighting.

"The mediators said if we don't sign a ceasefire, they will organise foreign armies to attack us," FNL spokesperson Pasteur Habimana told AFP, adding that Bujumbura was also hindering the talks.

"We will not sign the truce and join the army because the government does not respect human rights," he said.

A senior Burundian official, Lazare Nduwayo, meanwhile, accused the FNL, the only one of the country's seven Hutu rebel groups not to have signed on to a 2000 peace process, of stalling.

"We have not gotten very far," he told AFP. "Nothing allows me to say that we will have finished our discussions within the agreed time frame."

After reaching a tentative agreement on June 18 in which the government pledged immunity for FNL fighters and recognition of the group as a political party after a formal pact is signed, the two sides set a July 2 deadline to forge a permanent truce.

But the start of the second round, which had been set to begin in the middle of last week, was postponed twice.

Despite Monday's developments, the chief mediator, South Africa's Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula, told reporters in Pretoria that a full cease-fire would be signed at the weekend.

"Negotiators in the Burundi peace process are expected to sign a comprehensive ceasefire agreement by Saturday July 1," he said.

The parties opened direct talks on May 29 in a new push to reach a lasting peace in Burundi, which is emerging from the devastation of more than a decade of civil war that has claimed about 300 000 lives.

The FNL, which has between 1 500 and 3 000 fighters, has shunned a government elected last year under a new power-sharing Constitution that is headed by a former Hutu rebel leader.

Burundi's war erupted in 1993 with the assassination of the country's first democratically elected president, a member of the Hutu majority, by officers in the then minority Tutsi-dominated army.

LE BURUNDI ORGANISE UN TOURNOI REGIONAL DE VOLLEY ALL
Bujumbura, le 26 Juin 2006 (RTNB)-Le Burundi organise à partir du 26 juin 2006 à Bujumbura, un tournoi régionale regroupant quelques pays de la zone 4. Dix pays avaient été invités mais seuls le Rwanda et la RDC ont répondu au rendez-vous de la capitale du Burundi du moins jusqu'à la veille des matches. Ce tournoi a été organisé sous le thème de la paix et la réconciliation. Le premier match devait avoir lieu ce 26 juin dans l'après-midi au département des sports.

Burundi ceasefire agreement on the horizon
26 Jun 2006 By David Masango, tel: (012) 314-2230 - BuaNews

Pretoria - Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula is optimistic that a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Burundi will be reached this week.

Mr Nqakula is the facilitator of the Burundi Peace Process between the country's government and the rebel group Palipehutu-FNL.

The process is in its second phase, after the first phase which started on May 29 culminated on 18 June with the signing of the Dar-Es- Salaam Agreement of Principles Towards Lasting Peace, Security and Stability in Burundi.

The second phase seeks to design a comprehensive ceasefire agreement to bring about lasting peace in Burundi, based on principles already agreed to by all concerned.

Briefing the media at the Union Buildings in Pretoria today, Mr Nqakula explained that the one of the elements of the accord was for the parties to stop all hostilities against each other, including armed operations and negative propaganda which would inflame the political situation there.

"The ceasefire therefore completely seeks to define what it means to stop hostilities," he added.

The second element, which Mr Nqakula said had an aspect he described as "problematic", relates to the composition of the defence and security forces there.

"The first view is that the defence force requires transformation and modernisation, and therefore there are certain changes that must be brought to bear in that defence force.

"The rebel group on the other side believes that that force should be dismantled completely so that a new force is established afterwards," he explained, adding that it was possible for an answer to be found.

He added that certain guarantees such as monitoring and evaluation by outsiders, were needed to ensure that transformation was taking place in line with the Arusha Agreement.

Following the expected signing of the ceasefire agreement by July 1, the programme to repatriate members of the Palipehutu-FNL and other exiles would commence.

"Those are the people who, amongst others, should be given immunity from arrest and prosecution but this matter will be finalised by their national truth and reconciliation commission, which will determine what needs to be done with people who had committed atrocities in the course of the struggle in Burundi," said Mr Nqakula.

However, he explained that there were certain other things that had to be done apart from the repatriation but also the proper resettlement of people, amongst others.

"Also Palipehutu-FNL itself will have to be registered as a political party so that they can participate in the political life of that country, and its combatants of rebel groups will be expected to register either as members of either the defence force or the security forces," he explained.

Meanwhile, Burundi received the Africa Peace Award in Durban on Saturday.

The awards were established by the African Centre for the Corrective Resolution of Disputes (Accord) to honour peacemakers.

President Pierre Nkurunziza received the award on his country's behalf.

Les dirigeants du Burundi reçoivent le Prix de la paix de l'Afrique
(Xinhuanet 26/06/2006)

Les dirigeants du Burundi se sont vus attribuer le prix de la paix de l'Afrique samedi dans la ville portuaire de Durban, en Afrique du Sud, pour leurs efforts visant à restaurer la paix dans leur pays déchiré par les conflits.

Le président du Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza, qui a reçu ce prix au nom de son pays, a promis de veiller sur la paix durement gagnée.

"Mon gouvernement et moi-même continuerons à faire tout pour apporter la paix, la justice et la démocratie aux Burundais et pour améliorer les conditions de vie de tous les Burundais," a-t- il déclaré lors d'une cérémonie à Durba, selon un reportage de l'agence de presse SAPA.

Le gouvernement burundais et le groupe rebelle actif dans le pays, Palipehutu-FNL (Forces de libération nationale) ont signé un accord de cessez-le-feu global dimanche à Dar es Salaam, en Tanzanie, marquant la fin de13 ans de guerre civile dans ce minuscule pays d'Afrique centrale.

L'hôtel de ville de Durban a accueilli pour l'occasion nombre de personnalités influentes du Burundi et d'Afrique du sud. Le président sud-africain Thabo Mbeki a porté un toast pour saluer la réussite du Burundi, sans prendre la parole.

L'Afrique du sud s'est activement impliquée dans la médiation des pourparlers de paix burundais.

M. Nkurunziza a fait l'éloge de l'ancien président tanzanien Julius Nyerere, de l'ancien président sud-africain Nelson Mandela et de l'ancien vice-président sud-africain Jacob Zuma, pour leurs rôles de médiateurs, et "tous ceux qui ont rendu le processus de paix possible."

"Le Burundi leur est reconnaissant de leur engagement," a-t-il affirmé.

Le Prix de la paix de l'Afrique, qui honore les personnes oeuvrant pour la paix sur le continent, est une récompense biennale établie par le Centre africain pour la résolution corrective des disputes.

L'un des précédents récipiendaires de ce prix est l'icône anti- apartheid Nelson Mandela.

South Korean diplomat arrested in Rwanda for drug trafficking
June 26, 2006, New Times - Rwanda By ANDnetwork .com

Police have arrested the South Korean Consul to Rwanda, Amos Kamugisha, for importing drugs and selling them from his house, in contravention of the law.

Police spokesman, Inspector Willy Higiro, confirmed that Kamugisha had, indeed, been arrested on Friday June 23, and was being held at the Kicukiro Police Station.

CID Director Costa Habyara told The Sunday Times that Kamugisha, a former diplomat, had imported drugs and was selling them from his house, in contravention of the law.

It was further established that the immediate former secretary-general in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ben Karenzi, who is a brother to Kamugisha, was also arrested by the military police on the same night and taken to Mulindi Military Prison.

On June 14, the Cabinet replaced Dr Karenzi with Caroline Kayonga. The Military Spokesman, Major Jill Rutaremara, confirmed Karenzi’s arrest.

“Yes, he is being held so that he does not interfere with investigations in a case he is involved in,” Rutaremara said on Sunday June, 25, adding that the military prosecution was still investigating Karenzi’s case.

A former Rwandan Ambassador to South Africa, Dr Karenzi at one time also served as an Army MP and head of Standing Committee on Budget in the Transitional National Assembly.

He has also served as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.

UGANDA

Power crisis pushing Uganda into recession
By Patrick Abila June 26, 2006 http://www.nationmedia.com

Finance Minister Ezra Suruma unveiled the 2006/06 financial year budget two weeks ago against a backdrop of falling revenue collections due to the energy crisis that has plagued Uganda. The theme of the budget was "enhancing economic growth and household incomes through increased production and productivity."

Dr Suruma outlined the three main purposes of the budget as being to stimulate economic growth and development, to provide resources for basic public goods and services; and to promote and maintain macroeconomic stability.

In order to ensure that the budget priorities provide tangible benefits to the people, he proposed interventions that will provide opportunities for both self and wage employment and remove constraints to labour productivity. Priority was given to sectors of the economy that contribute to employment, income generation and growth.

TOP ON the list of government priorities in this budget according to Dr Suruma is the energy sector. The prolonged drought has reduced generation capacity at the two dams in Jinja from 180MW to 135MW since the beginning of 2006. Coupled with increased demand for energy against a constrained supply, it has created a severe power crisis in the country.

The minister proposed immediate procurement of additional thermal power capacity of 100MW as a short-term intervention measure to deal with the crisis. Besides that, Dr Suruma announced the establishment of the Energy Fund and allocated Ush99 billion ($56 million) to finance the development of Bujagali and Karuma hydropower projects in partnership with the private sector.

President Yoweri Museveni promised in his swearing in speech on May 12 that the government will build the two dams concurrently in 44 months with or without donor support.

THE NEWLY created Energy Fund will be set up in Bank of Uganda and dedicated for investment (government's equity in the power project) and not routine recurrent expenditures. Though the Energy Fund is a drop in the ocean, the minister's move should nevertheless be applauded.

Still on the power sector, an extra Ush70 billion ($40 million) was allocated to thermal generation in addition to the deferral of loan repayments to the government from electricity generation, transmission and distribution companies amounting to Ush33 billion ($18 million) per year. The government is also encouraging the development of smaller hydropower options in various parts of the country, which should go along way towards addressing the energy crisis in the long term.

Further actions to improve efficiency in energy use and demand are being implemented through the importation of 500,000 energy saving bulbs while support will be extended to consumers installing solar lighting and water heating systems.

Another priority Dr Suruma announced in the budget was rural development and support to the urban poor. His stated aim was to re-orient public expenditures towards increased investment in agriculture, value addition through industrial processing and innovation. This takes the form of improved marketing and trade, increase access to rural finance services delivery and the establishment of a community information system to monitor progress.

UNLIKE THE last budget, the minister this time round placed the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Northern Uganda among key government priorities for the 2006/07 financial year.

The region continues to have the highest incidence of poverty principally due to the 20-year-old insurgency that has raged on there.

With renewed peace and security slowly returning to the region, the implementation of the Northern Uganda Recovery Development Plan got a shot in the arm with a Ush18 billion ($10.2 million) allocation. According to the minister, this is intended to cater for resettlement of internally displaced persons, post-conflict recovery and development of the region.

Another key priority sector announced in the budget was industrial development, which has suffered a Ð3.5 per cent growth due to the energy crisis in the country. The minister announced that there will be focus on export-oriented investments by establishing Export Processing Zones. This will be achieved through the completion and implementation of the National Industrial Policy, Namanve Industrial Park in Mukono and other spatial schemes.

Ush5 billion ($2.8 million) was allocated to the development of the park while a credit of $30 million has already been obtained from the World Bank for its completion. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards' capacity for quality assurance will also be improved to enable it to continue with product certification and monitoring of all imports on the mandatory list at all border entry points.

AS AN alternative source for lighting and cooking, and to increase its affordability, the minister exempted value added tax on cooking gas.

Although different stakeholders have received the budget with mixed reactions, the effect of the economic squeeze visited upon the country by the energy crisis is here to stay for sometime. Prices of most consumers goods are expected to stay unfavourably high and URA will still experience a shortfall in revenue collections in this financial year. It is disturbing that the country's economy is slipping into a depression induced by critical power shortages and the attendant undesirable effects.

Abila is a microeconomic consultant based in Kampala

Kikwete elected chairman of Tanzania's ruling party
Source: Xinhua June 26, 2006

The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party of Tanzania on Sunday elected Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete as its national chairman, according to reports reaching here.

The election was held during the seventh national congress of the party held in Dodoma in central Tanzania.

Kikwete, also president of the United Republic of Tanzania, therefore succeeded former Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa to become the fourth national chairman of the party, which has a membership of 4.6 million, about one tenth of the Tanzanian population.

The previous three CCM chairmen were also presidents of the country and they were Julius Nyerere from 1954 to 1990, Ali Hassan Mwinyi from 1990 to 1996 and Mkapa since 1996.

Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was the president of the then Tanganyika from 1962 to 1964 and then president of the united republic from 1964 to 1985.

Mwinyi served as president of the united republic from 1985 to 1995 while Mkapa served as president of the united republic from 1995 to 2005.

Kikwete was elected president of the united republic in December 2005.

The CCM party was created in January 1977 as the merger of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU), the then ruling party in Tanganyika, and the Afro-Shirazi Party (ASP), the then ruling party in Zanzibar.

The TANU/CCM has been dominating the politics of Tanzania since the independence of Tanganyika in 1961. And since 1977 it has also been the ruling party in Zanzibar, an Indian Ocean archipelago that is part of the united republic.

The CCM party has won all the elections of 1995, 2000 and 2005, presidential and legislative, held both in Tanzania at state level and in Zanzibar since the united republic resorted to multi-party politics in 1992.

Tanzania now has 17 fully-registered political parties, with the Civic United Front being the biggest opposition that has an estimated membership of 400,000 in the country.

In the last national elections for Tanzania's presidency and the National Assembly held on December 14 of 2005, CCM candidate Jakaya Kikwete won 80.28 percent of the vote. Out of the 232 parliamentary seats filled through direct election, the CCM won 206.

In the last elections for Zanzibar's presidency and the House of Representatives held on October 30, 2005, CCM candidate Amani Abeid Karume won 53.18 percent of the vote while the party won 30 seats out of 50 in the isles parliament.

Foreign firms dominate Tanzania's mining sector
By MIKE MANDE The EastAfrican June 26, 2006

http://www.nationmedia.com
Part of the reason why the mining industry is currently the whipping boy of parliament is because it is dominated by multinationals.

Except for the joint venture firm Williamson Diamond Ltd, which is co-owned by the government and the South African-based De Beers Ltd, local shareholding in mining companies is minimal.

And, with Tanzania having very few companies with the capacity to undertake large-scale works projects such as drilling, mining activity has not created major opportunities for Tanzanian business.

Tanzanian banks have not participated in the financing of these activities partly because they are risk averse in the sector but mainly because of lack of capacity to fund such capital intensive projects.

Gold mining in Tanzania is largely confined to a few major mines – Geita, Tulawaka and Kabanga, as well as several small alluvial operations in Nzega. It is believed that the country has more undiscovered deposits, which, are however largely in environmentally fragile areas.

In the past five years, Tanzania has been the focus of Africa’s gold exploration and development, with the gold mining industry growing by 27 per cent in 2004 compared with 17 per cent in 1999.

The mining sector contributes 2.3 per cent of GDP, which is projected to grow to 10 per cent in 2025, according to the Development Vision 2025. Currently, there are more than 20 mining companies involved in mining various types of minerals in Tanzania, with most companies focusing on gold, diamond and tanzanite.

The companies that operate in the country include Northern Mining Explorations Ltd, Albidon Ltd, Anglogold Ashanti Ltd, Barrick Gold Corporation, Goldstream Mining NL, Lonmin PLC, Resolute Mining Ltd, Uranex and Unified Resources Development Ltd.

Others are ALS Chemex Tanzania, Anmercosa Exploration, Bulk Mining Explosives (Tanzania), Corstor (Tanzania), East Africa Gold Corporation, East African Gold Mines (Tanzania) Ltd, El Hillal Minerals, Engineering Associates, Exploration and Mining Association, Gaily & Roberts Ltd, Geological Survey of Tanzania, Kabanga Nickel Company, Kilimanjaro Mines Ltd, LTA Construction Ltd, Mansons Mines Logistics, Williamson Diamond Ltd and Mgusu Mining.

Most of the gold mined is found to the east and south of Lake Victoria, and there are also some deposits in the south and southwest of the country. The base metals are found in Kagera, Kigoma, Mbeya, Ruvuma and Mtwara regions while the gemstones are found in the east, west and the areas bordering Kenya in the north and Mbeya and Rukwa regions bordering Mozambique in the south.

Tanzania has been a significant diamond producer for several decades, with the bulk of production coming from the Williamson Diamond mine at Mwadui, where commercial production began in 1925.

According to Tony Devlin, chief executive officer of Williamson Diamond Ltd, there are over 300 kimberlites known in Tanzania of which 20 per cent are diamondiferous, being mostly found in Shinyanga region with a large deposit at Mwadui District.

Mr Devlin says that some 600 dipolar magnetic anomalies with similar geophysical characteristics to known kimberlite pipes have been recorded during recent geophysical surveys.

Several world-class gold deposits have already been discovered in the Lake Victoria goldfields and are at different stages of development. Gold deposits have also been discovered in the Southwest of Tanzania.

Recent exploration in northwest Tanzania has revealed extensive nickel-cobalt-copper mineralisation in the Karagwe-Ankolean System, where Sutton Resources of Australia is evaluating the resources and where diamond drilling has outlined contained resources of 500,000 tonnes, nickel 75,000 tonnes and copper and cobalt at 45,000 tonnes.

In addition, chromium and platinum group metals (PGM) have been recorded with substantial deposits of nickel enriched with cobalt delineated over the ultramafics in the Kagera region. There is also an indication of stratiform copper-silver-uranium type mineralisation in Shinyanga region.

Iron ore deposits have been identified in Liganga in the southwest of Tanzania in close proximity to the coal resources of Ketewaka-Mchuchuma with a resource of 45 million tonnes. Tanzania is also home to titanium resources in the beach sands along its Indian Ocean coast.

Other gemstones mined in the country are ruby, rhodolite, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, chrysoprase, peridot and tormaline. Recently, a major alluvial occurrence was discovered in the southern regions of Ruvuma, Mtwara and Lindi.

Lawrence Masha, Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, told The EastAfrican recently that gemstone exports were worth approximately $10 million in 1996, most of which were exported uncut. Great potential exists in the establishment of lapidary and jewellery manufacturing industries.

The Mining Act of 1998 under which large and small-scale operations are regulated provides guidelines for issuing reconnaissance license for one year and renewals for a period not exceeding a year after paying a fee of $250, annual rent of $10 per square kilometre and renewal fees of $200. The license may be either exclusive or non-exclusive.

The government also issues prospecting license for a period of up to three years, renewable two times for a period up to two years each with a license preparation fee of $400, annual rental of $30 per square kilometre and renewal fee of $200.

The mining license can only be granted to the holder of a prospecting license over the area for a period of 25 years or the life of the mine and renewable for a period not exceeding 15 years.

The license preparation fee is $600, annual rent is $1,500 per square kilometre and renewal fee is $200 after submitting the feasibility report, including environmental and health safeguards, plans for local sourcing of goods and services and employment and training of Tanzanians.

The companies mining in Tanzania are also exempted from paying of import duty and VAT on equipment and essential materials up to the anniversary of start of production, whereafter a 5 per cent seal applies.

Britain to give $9mn in aid to DRC military
26 Jun 2006 Sapa-AFP

Kinshasa - Britain agreed to provide $9mn in aid to "improve the living conditions" of three brigades in the army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), officials said.

British Ambassador Andy Sparkes said the money would meet basic needs such as shelter and drinking water for the troops and their families, or some 40 000 people.

The troops were among 12 brigades recently integrated into the national army from various rival forces which opposed each other during the country's 1998-2003 civil war.

"The international community remains preoccupied by the weak level of logistical support to the integrated brigades," Sparkes said after signing the agreement with DRC Defence Minister Adolphe Onusumba.

He said this had contributed not only to deteriorating living conditions for the soldiers, but also rising crime rates and "endemic corruption" across the DRC.

Onusumba said the country had slashed its troops numbers by more than half to 233 000 since the end of the war, but noted that much work remained to be done to reorganise the armed forces.

"This army has not had a functional administration for more than 15 years," he said.

Kenya cracks down on firms using pirated software
By PHILIP NGUNJIRI June 26, 2006 http://www.nationmedia.com
Special Correspondent

Kenya will prosecute computer software pirates following the expiry of a deadline given to organisations to comply with the law.

The Attorney General's office and the global Business Software Alliance had given commercial enterprises and non-governmental organisations up to last Friday to stop using unlicensed software.

All those using computer software were required to return completed declaration and inventory forms to the country's copyright office. Those who fail to do so will be investigated and prosecuted.

"We have started in earnest," Silvester Ogella, a senior state counsel in charge of enforcement told The EastAfrican. The compliance alerts and deadline are part of our evidence gathering."

"Very soon, we will be arraigning owners of businesses using pirated software in court. We will start with the big companies, which will serve as an example to the rest. We recommend conducting an audit twice a year," said Mr Ogella.

According to a recent study by the South African arm of BSA that was released early this month, Kenya is among the countries with the highest prevalence of pirated computer software in the world. Kenya's piracy rate is 81 per cent. The report also indicated that Africa is doing worse than other regions of the world where the rate of piracy is 35 per cent.

Though Kenya's average piracy levels decreased by 2 per cent this year, it still accounts for $20 million in economic losses, calculated according to the retail value of pirated software.

The average piracy rate for the African countries surveyed was over 70 per cent, with Zimbabwe tying with Vietnam as the countries with the highest rate – 90 per cent. Together, the Middle East and Africa lost more than $1.6 billion to piracy last year. Globally, it is estimated that software piracy costs developers at least $34 billion in lost sales.

Stephan le Roux, chairman of the BSA in South Africa, says software piracy remains one of the major hurdles to realising the potential of the information economy in Africa.

"Local software industries are crippled by competition from pirated or counterfeit goods. Foreign direct investment by international software companies is jeopardised due to low market returns. And a lack of respect for intellectual property rights stifles the growth of the entertainment industry in general," he said.

According to him, stronger intellectual property protection and education and awareness continue to improve the software piracy situation around the world. However, as broadband growth continues and the IT sector expands, the influx of new users and the increased availability of pirated software means efforts are required to keep software piracy down, he added.

The BSA offers rewards for reports that result in successful action against those who use software illegally. That is why the BSA office has started with Kenya, which is one of the most affected countries.

"We will be working with the local government on broader intellectual property related issues," he told The EastAfrican.

At the beginning of this year, BSA, together with the copyright office, launched an initiative to curb the use of illegal computer software in Kenya. The initiative, focusing on small and medium size organisations, kicked off with the BSA and the AG's office contacting companies requesting them to evaluate the software they use and the number of licences they have.

"This was the first step towards ensuring that Kenyan companies only use legal software and, as a result, support the growth of the economy," said Mr Ogella who has been working closely with the BSA. "The government loses huge revenue from unpaid value added taxes on these products. That is why the local IT industry has not been able to develop to its full potential."

According to Mr Ogella, copyright protection for computer software is an important part of any nation's economic growth and development. If counterfeit software is purchased – or if companies don't pay for the software they use – the economy suffers.

"That is why the copyright office endorses the use of legitimate, licensed software and supports the BSA's fight to eradicate software piracy."

Mr Ogella added that the data that has already been gathered will provide an accurate picture on the use of illegal software in Kenya.

Under the Copyright Act of 2001, computer software is protected as a "literary work." Using it without the express permission of the owner or without paying for it is prohibited.

The BSA is dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world and is the voice of the world's commercial software industry. Its members include Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Avid, Bentley Systems, Borland and Cadence, Cisco Systems and Dell.

Angola surges back as China's top crude supplier
Mon Jun 26, 2006 BEIJING (Reuters)

China's crude imports from Angola surged over 40 percent in May, official data showed on Monday, allowing it to reclaim the title of Beijing's number one oil supplier after being overtaken by Saudi Arabia in April.

Sub-Saharan Africa's number two crude producer provided China with around one fifth of its total imports over the first five months of the year -- 11.2 million tonnes, or well over half a million barrels per day.

The closest major competition, Saudi Arabia, supplied over 9 million barrels less.

The data was released just days after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao wrapped up a visit to seven African nations including Angola, and China offered Luanda a new $2 billion credit line.

Beijing had already handed out $3 billion in oil-backed loans through state-run Eximbank, and its energy major Sinopec has offered unprecedentedly lavish signature bonuses for oil exploration and production contracts.

Angola pumps 1.4 million barrels a day (bpd), a figure the government sees rising to 2 million bpd by the end of 2007.

Petro-dollars have fuelled a restoration boom in the country torn by 27 years of civil war that only ended in 2002, and Chinese firms are also helping build roads, railways and housing.

Angola is China's second largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade totalling nearly $7 billion in 2005, and ties between the two nations look set to grow.

Chinese credit is attractive to Luanda because it typically comes without many of the financial requirements demanded by lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Angola: Parliament approves setting up of African Telecommunications Union
June 26, 2006, By ANDnetwork .com Source : Angola Press
The National Assembly (Angolan Parliament) recently approved the setting up of the African Telecommunications Union of 1999 and the Convention of the African Telecommunications Union, of that organisation, according to the resolution published in the 1st Series State Gazette nº 57 of last May 10.

For the effect, it considered as being of the interest of Angola, in the capacity of Member State of the African Union, and in respect to what was agreed during the Establishment of the African Telecommunications Union, fully participating and usufruct, of its rights and benefits.

The legislative organ also based itself on the need of fulfilling the legal regulations on Angola`s adhesion in the acts that have been authorised by ATU and in the internal norms that control the telecommunications services, paying attention to the strategic aim of turning Angola into a decisive partner for the development of telecommunications markets in the African continent.

The proponents were also inspired on the fact that the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) is a specialised continental organisation focused on the promotion of the development and adoption of appropriate policies and regulations.

In its Convention the ATU foresees to promote financing and funds for the development of telecommunications, preparing of special programmes for rural areas, besides encouraging co-operation and partnerships between its members in order to achieve a greater regional and international collaboration in the cultural, social and economic sectors.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Four police and eight robbers die in S Africa shoot-out
By David Blair in Johannesburg 26/06/2006
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Paramedics rushed to the scene of a "bloodbath" in central Johannesburg yesterday when a daylight gun battle between South African police and armed robbers left 12 dead.

Four of those killed were policemen. The other eight were among a gang of 20 criminals.

The shooting raged in the suburb of Jeppestown, east of the city centre and barely half a mile from Ellis Park stadium, one of the largest sports venues in South Africa and a key location for the next World Cup in 2010.

The gang had taken refuge in a house in the area after robbing a supermarket.

One paramedic who arrived after the first casualties were reported said he had encountered a "bloodbath".

Perumal Naidoo, the police chief for Gauteng province, said that four officers had "lost their lives in the line of duty". He added: "The robbers that were dealt with today were causing havoc in the whole province, and I am proud of the four policemen who paid with their lives to ensure that Gauteng will always be safe."

South Africa suffers one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world, with 19,824 murders recorded in 2004.

AFRICA / AU :

Rights watch urges AU to send more troops to Sudan’s Darfur

June 26, 2006 (BANJUL) — African leaders meeting at the African Union summit on July 1 and 2 must contribute more troops to protect civilians in Darfur and urge Sudan to consent to a U.N. force in Darfur, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the leaders.

AU peacekeepers patrol in Nyala, capital of South Darfur May 11, 2006.(Reuters)Tomorrow the AU Peace and Security Council meets to discuss Darfur. On May 5, AU mediators persuaded the Sudanese government and the largest rebel group to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja, Nigeria. But civilians in Darfur remain at high risk from continuing violence.

“Life is actually worse for the civilians suffering in Darfur, in spite of the peace agreement,” said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Violence is rising, and additional African forces are needed to reinforce the 7,000 troops now on the ground, so they can better protect civilians.”

Although the peace deal was signed by Khartoum and the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement led by Minni Minawi Arkau, two smaller rebel factions have yet to sign. Two million people remain displaced in camps, still targeted by the ethnic “Janjaweed” militia unleashed by the Sudanese government to wage its war against the rebels. The violence is hampering the delivery of humanitarian aid and the ability of displaced persons to return home. The Sudanese militia has now crossed the border to Chad and is attacking Chadian civilians.

In late 2004, the Peace and Security Council gave the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) a mandate to protect civilians. But, as Darfur is a vast territory with minimal infrastructure, the mission needs much greater capacity for communications, planning and logistics if it is to deter further attacks on civilians.

The mission’s operational difficulties in part prompted the AU in May to ask the Sudanese government to consent to the U.N. taking over AMIS operations in Darfur “at the earliest possible time.” In the meantime, the AU Peace and Security Council must strengthen the mandate and capacity of AMIS, which is supposed to undertake new tasks under the peace agreement.

“The AU council must equip AMIS to robustly and proactively protect civilians,’” said Takirambudde. “The alarming deterioration in security in Darfur means that even if Khartoum agrees to a U.N. force tomorrow, AMIS needs more support and capacity now.”

The Sudanese government initially said it would support the transition to a U.N. force, but only after a peace agreement was reached; now it has reneged on that commitment. On June 20, President Omar al-Bashir said Sudan would never allow U.N. troops into Darfur, even though a U.N. force of almost 10,000 is already in Sudan to support the 2005 peace agreement ending the 21-year war waged mostly in the south.

“African leaders should tell Khartoum to accept a U.N. force,” said Takirambudde. “The AU has transferred to U.N. forces in Burundi and elsewhere in Africa; why should Sudan be different?”

Human Rights Watch also called on international donors to contribute more to AMIS to enable its rapid deployment to trouble spots in Darfur, including helicopter airlift capacity to deter aggression against civilians.

To read the letter from Human Rights Watch to leaders convening at the African Union summit, please visit:

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/23/africa13615.htm

UN /ONU :

Sudan suspends UN work in war-torn Darfur
Reuters 26 June 2006 Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM — Sudan had suspen-ded the work of most of the United Nations (UN) missions in its violent Darfur region after accusing the world body of transporting a rebel leader who opposes a recent peace deal, a Sudanese official said yesterday .

The ban, which does not affect the work of the UN children’s agency, Unicef, nor of the World Food Programme, another UN body, follows days after a visit by President Thabo Mbeki to persuade Khartoum to allow UN peace- keepers to take over from African Union (AU) troops.

The UN co-ordinates one of the world’s largest aid operations in Darfur and monitors the health, malnutrition and human rights situation in a region the size of France.

“The suspension applies for all of Darfur and this will continue until we get an explanation,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim.

He said the ban was imposed because a UN helicopter had moved rebel leader Suleiman Adam Jamous, who rejected a peace deal signed on May 5 without consulting the government in Khartoum.

Jamous was the respected humanitarian co-ordinator for the main rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) before it split in November last year. He was the main contact for the more than 14000 aid workers in the region.

“He was picked up by the UN helicopter between el-Fasher and Musbat (in North Darfur),” Ibrahim said. “The authorities were not consulted, no permission was asked for and it was clear negligence,” he said. It was a “flagrant violation” of the sovereignty of Sudan.

UN spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said the mission had not received any formal communication from the government. “We have also seen the media reports but we have not received any formal and official confirmation of this from the government of Sudan,” she said.

She declined to comment on whether the UN had moved rebel leader Jamous in a helicopter.

Last week during a visit by Mbeki, Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir vowed never to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur and blamed a “Jewish conspiracy” for pushing UN deployment.

Al-Bashir made the assertion on Tuesday while a joint UN and AU team was in Sudan to plan for a large UN force to take over peacekeeping in Darfur from the AU’s poorly equipped 7000 troops, who have been unable to halt more than three years of violence.

“This shall never take place,” Bashir said on Tuesday. “These are colonial forces and we will not accept colonial forces coming into the country. If they want to start colonisation in Africa, let them choose a different place.”

In recent months, UN relations with the Islamic-dominated government have been strained as Khartoum has fiercely resisted international pressure for a UN takeover of the struggling AU mission monitoring a shaky truce in Darfur.

Only one of three rebel factions negotiating in the Nigerian capital Abuja signed the AU-mediated deal and tens of thousands in Darfur have demonstrated, at times violently, against it.

They say it does not meet their basic demands of proper compensation for war victims or enough political posts, and the rebels want to monitor the disarmament of pro-government militias, known locally as Janjaweed.

The leader of the SLA faction who signed the deal, Minni Arcua Minnawi, had imprisoned Jamous for his opposition to the deal, rights groups and other rebel leaders said.

UN officials and other rights groups had been involved in securing his release.

The UN is conducting the world’s largest humanitarian operation in Darfur, where up to 300000 people have died in three years of civil war. A further 2-million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict.

USA :

CANADA :

AUSTRALIA :

EUROPE :

Tunisian PM urges EU to invest in the North
June 26 2006 Sapa-AP

Tunisia's prime minister has called for greater European investment in North Africa, many of whose officials fear funds are being diverted to new European Union (EU) members in eastern Europe instead.

Mohamed Ghannouchi said on Sunday that an 11-year alliance of Mediterranean countries known as the Barcelona process “is far from answering the region’s expectations”.

The comments came after 10 economy and finance ministers from EU countries joined seven from North Africa and the Middle East for a meeting in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.

Ghannouchi called on European countries to “accompany and complement” efforts by boosting co-operation with the Middle East and North Africa and freeing up the flow of capital to the region.

He said the “great challenge” for those countries would be to create jobs for young workers.

It is estimated that about 40 million new jobs will need to be created in the region over the next 15 years.

The ministerial meeting took place just as the sixth conference of the Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership Facility, launched by the European Investment Bank in 2002, opened in Tunis.

The two-day conference was to focus on such issues as co-operation in the energy sector and was expected to lay out investment plans for the next six years.

EU economic and monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia and Karl-Heinz Grasser of Austria, which holds the rotating EU presidency, were on hand for the conference.

European Investment Bank vice-president Philippe de Fontaine Vive said their presence indicated Europe was making “a clear commitment” to investment in North Africa and the Middle East. –

EU not to sponsor Zambian election debates
Source: Xinhua June 26, 2006

The European Union (EU) will not sponsor political debates among Zambian presidential candidates contesting the general elections late this year.

EU Head of Delegation, Henry Sprietsma said in Lusaka Sunday that countries in the EU are happy that Zambia is now experienced in upholding tenants of democracy.

In the last general elections the EU sponsored television debates among aspiring presidential candidates to articulate their vision for Zambia once elected.

Sprietsma said this will not be done this year because arrangements by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) guarantees a clean election.

He said that Zambia's democracy has recorded tremendous gains as compared to many other countries in southern Africa.

The EU Head of delegation said this is why there should be less intervention by donors in the way Zambia conducts its general elections.

CHINA :

China eyes natural resources in Africa to support its growth
Michael Richardson, Singapore
June 26, 2006 http://www.thejakartapost.com

China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is in Africa this week shopping for energy deals to fuel his country's turbocharged economic expansion while seeking to expand its diplomatic influence. But these twin aims may not be easy to reconcile because China's push into the resource-rich continent is geared heavily to securing access to one key item: Oil.

With China and the United States locked in an uneasy relationship in Asia, Africa is becoming a new arena for contention between the world's leading power and one of its rising giants.

Hot on the heels of China's president, Wen started his tour of seven African nations at the weekend. The visit is part of Beijing's global quest to ensure future supplies of energy and raw materials for the Chinese economy. This is making China not just a commercial competitor but also a geopolitical adversary of the U.S., the European Union and Japan in some sensitive regions of the world.

The U.S. and its allies are more inclined than China to make arms proliferation, human rights and good governance factors of concern when deciding how to deal with other countries. As if to highlight the energy-first thrust of Chinese foreign policy, President Hu Jintao went straight from the U.S. in April to oil-rich Saudi Arabia, then on to Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya. Wen's itinerary from June 17 to 24 will take him to other major African states.

Trade between China and Africa has more than trebled since 2000, rising to $U.S.35 billion last year from $U.S.10 billion five years earlier. Chinese investment in Africa is also growing fast, with some 800 Chinese firms doing business on the continent. This investment is welcomed at a time when companies from other parts of the world have been deterred by graft, red tape, poor infrastructure and other obstacles to efficient business in the continent.

China's voracious appetite for raw materials is helping push sub-Saharan economies to their fastest growth in three decades. Chinese-made products have lowered prices for African consumers. However, some local governments have voiced concerns over whether they will be able to protect Africa's weak industrial base from the flood of cheap textiles, shoes and other goods from China. They worry this will increase unemployment. These issues will be a major topic at a China-Africa forum scheduled for November.

Much of China's African trade and investment is energy-related. Once the biggest oil exporter in Asia, China became a net importer of oil in 1993 as domestic demand grew and local production of crude oil plateaued.

It now imports more than 40 percent of the oil it consumes and this dependence on foreign oil is likely to increase in future as China's economy gets even bigger and its transport sector expands. About 25 percent of Chinese oil imports are from Africa and Beijing wants to increase access to this relatively low cost source.

China has oil investments in Angola, Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Algeria, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. In Nigeria in April, President Hu secured right of first refusal for China's largest state-owned petroleum company, CNPC, on four new oil-drilling licenses, and paved the way for purchase of a controlling stake in a Nigerian oil refinery.

Nigeria is the leading oil producer in Africa and the eleventh-biggest in the world. In Kenya, Hu signed a deal that allows another state-controlled firm, CNOOC, to prospect for oil in coastal waters and along the Kenyan border with Sudan and Somalia.

The inclusion of Angola on Wen's itinerary is significant. It is the second ranking oil producer in Africa after fellow west African producer Nigeria. About a quarter of Angola's oil output now goes to China. Beijing's focus on west Africa is being watched closely by the U.S. Some 15 percent of America's oil imports come from this region, a figure expected to rise to around 25 percent over the next decade. Western oil companies have long dominated the area. They have better technology, particularly for deep water drilling, and more experience than Chinese firms.

But China's state-orchestrated thrust into Africa has other attractions: Generous loans, technical assistance, trade and investment deals, debt forgiveness, aid packages and arms supplies. In Angola, for example, Chinese engineers are refurbishing three railway lines, government buildings and a new airport for the capital, Luanda, all paid for by a credit line worth some $U.S.2.5 billion from China's Eximbank.

Without Chinese support, these and other development projects would not have proceeded. Angola lacks a financing agreement with the International Monetary Fund, partly because of IMF concerns about how it accounts for the massive revenues it receives from oil.

Beijing justifies this approach by saying that it is upholding the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. However, China's aid-for-resources deals undermine local and international efforts to curb corruption and increase transparency and good governance in Africa.

The U.S., too, makes allowances for authoritarian states in Africa and other parts of the world that it considers are important energy partners or allies in the war on terror. But China goes much further. By selling arms and military equipment to repressive or conflict-prone African countries like Sudan and Zimbabwe, it buys short-term favors for long-term instability.

The writer, a former Asia editor of the International Herald Tribune, is a visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of South East Asian Studies in Singapore.

Resource-hungry China befriends Africa
Monday, June 26, 2006 http://www.canada.com/
The Edmonton Journal
With economic growth running at an astonishing annual rate of 10 per cent in the past quarter century, China has transformed its landscape, become one of the world's largest economic powerhouses, created development opportunities for its trading partners around the world, and in the process, generated huge demands for new sources of energy and other resources.

Now, the Chinese are bringing that dynamism to Africa, a continent so far left behind in the global quest for industrial modernization, economic prosperity and political stability. They are coming for trade, investment, joint ventures, and they seem to need all the energy, minerals and other raw materials the continent can supply.

Africa's importance to China is reflected by the current tour of the continent by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao: the seven countries on his itinerary -- Egypt, Ghana, the Republic of Congo, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda -- have a combined trade volume of over $20 billion U.S. with China, or 50.6 per cent of total China-Africa trade last year. And only two months earlier, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited three other African states -- Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya -- following his trip to the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Such high-profile visits, a reoccurring practice of the past few years, have aroused speculations that Beijing may have a new strategic plan regarding Africa in its pursuit of great power status. But China's ties with African countries can be traced all the way back to the 1950s, when one after another new African states declared independence. From the 1950s to the 1970s, China developed close relations with many of them primarily based on shared ideological belief and political identity: anti-colonialism, national independence, economic self-reliance, and Third World co-operation.

But things have changed. China's economic reforms since the late 1970s have gradually moved China away from its former radical-revolutionary world view. Beijing's open-door policy, mainly designed to attract foreign trade, investment and joint-venture opportunities, China's entry into the World Trade Organization have moved China much closer to a market economy.

In this process, China's relations with African and other Third World countries have also been restructured from anti-colonial brothers-in-arms to economic and trade partners based on market principles. And right now, all signs indicate that China-African relations are entering into a new phase centred on energy and raw materials.

China's relentless pursuit of economic development turned that country from a petroleum exporter to an importer by 1993, and by the beginning of the current decade, its dependency on foreign oil had jumped to about 40 per cent. Beijing's new target is to quadruple its economy again by 2020, as it did from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s. To achieve that goal, China must rely more and more on energy supplies from other nations.

It now burns 6.3 million barrels of oil a day -- and while that is still far behind the United States, which consumes some 20 million barrels a day, Chinese consumption is projected to reach a daily level of 10 million barrels within the next two decades or so.

Where does Africa fit into this? Chinese customs statistics show that from 2001 to 2005, trade with Africa increased 268 per cent (slower only than the growth of China's trade with the Middle East), and that energy is an important component.

There are a number of characteristics of this development. First, Beijing is willing to get into the "troubled zones" with bold investment and aid packages in exchange for energy. When Angola ended its 27-year civil war in 2002, few foreign countries were willing to go into the country. China then committed a $3-

billion oil-backed credit line for rebuilding the country's shattered infrastructure. Beijing also made Angola its largest foreign-aid destination. Now, Angola is the second-largest oil producer after Nigeria in sub-Saharan Africa, pumping 1.4 million barrels per day. And one third of that goes to China, making up 13 per cent of total Chinese imports. In the first four months of this year, Angola was the second-largest supplier of crude to the Chinese market after Saudi Arabia. Similar arrangements have been made with Nigeria and other countries as well.

Second, Chinese energy companies are committing large amount of funds and labour for exploration and development rights in resource-rich countries. Sudan is one of the earliest and largest overseas energy projects by China's major energy companies. Chinese activity in Sudan includes investment, development, pipeline building, and deployment of Chinese labour. Today, China has a $4-billion investment in the country.

And earlier this year, China National Offshore Oil Corp. announced that it bought a 45-per-cent stake in a Nigerian oil-and-gas field for $2.27 billion and

35 per cent of an exploration licence in the Niger Delta for $60 million. Chinese companies made similar investments in Angola and other countries.

Third, Chinese energy majors enter into joint-ventures with national governments, state-controlled energy companies or individual enterprises for a long-term local presence. It appears that Chinese firms often outbid their competitors in major contracts awarded by governments of African countries because their concerns are not short-term returns but rather strategic positioning for the future.

Fourth, China's selection of energy partners does not reflect the particular preferences of the United States or other Western countries. Sudan is a case long known in the international community. And China and Zimbabwe have just reached an energy and mining deal worth $1.3 billion. In exchange for building three coal-fired thermal power stations, among others, Zimbabwe is likely to repay the Chinese investment with its rich mineral deposits.

In the past few years, the demands from China, India and other developing economies for more oil and natural gas have been major factors, although not the only ones, that have driven up world energy prices. Chinese energy companies' extensive activities in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Central Asia in search of oil and gas assets have created some anxiety about the world's future supply of energy, with plenty of discussions of a new "Great Game" -- a term traditionally associated with competition among major world powers for the control of Eurasian oil resources since the late nineteenth century.

Today, Africa supplies China with nearly a third of its oil imports. Beijing's extensive engagement and its ascending status in Africa also raise important questions on the nature of China's involvement in the continent, who gets what and how from the rapidly growing China-African ties, and Beijing's long-term objectives in the region.

Critics charge that China has pursued mercantilist policies in the region for purely economic benefits without human or environmental concerns. Due to China's support, they argue, the Sudanese government continues its genocide in the Darfur region, and the Mugabe regime can survive and carry on its abuses of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Officially, Beijing rejects the criticism with two arguments: first, non-interference of domestic affairs, as Premier Wen put it: "We believe that people in different regions and countries, including those in Africa, have the right and ability to handle their own issues"; and second, emphasizing that China's involvement in Africa is different from the old or new colonialism of the past, and that an affluent China is now putting money back into the local African economy. As Chinese leaders like to say, it is a win-win situation.

With China's speedy expanding activities in Africa, international concerns over Chinese behaviour are also deepening, and calls for Beijing to be a more responsible world power are getting stronger.

There are also indications that Chinese policy-makers, academics, NGOs and even enterprises are beginning to reflect on China's role. Many African countries benefiting from a "China boom" will be better served when Beijing takes further steps to balance between economic interests and the welfare of African people -- and by so doing proves China's coming to Africa is indeed different from the old colonial powers.

Wenran Jiang is the director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta and a senior at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. The views expressed here are his own.

INDIA :

Africa to collaborate with India on UN Council expansion
Manish Chand (IANS) New Delhi, June 26, 2006
Africa will look at new ways of collaborating with India for expanding the UN Security Council, Ghana Foreign Minister Nana Addo Akufo-Addo said.

"We in Ghana are confident that the AU (African Union) summit at Banjul will give the issue of Security Council expansion a big impetus," Akufo-Adda said.

"The collaboration (between Africa and India) is there in the area of Security Council expansion. And it should be there. And we in Ghana are hoping that the forthcoming AU summit at Banjul will give a new push to that," said Akufo-Addo, a key African leader involved in creating AU consensus on Security Council expansion.

Most African heads of state and governments are expected to attend the weeklong 53-nation meet that kicked off at Bnajul on Sunday.

Akufo-Addo, known as the 'Ross Perot (maverick American billionaire-politician) of Ghanaian politics' because of his generous contribution to the ruling party and an array of philanthropic projects, is convinced that it is no longer possible for major powers to skirt the issue of Security Council expansion.

"We in Ghana are very much in favour of UN reforms and expansion of the Security Council. We believe that the Security Council as it is today is not reflective of the global realities of today," the Ghanaian foreign minister said.

Akufo-Addo, a passionate advocate of stronger India-Africa ties, was here on an official visit early this month.

"Even British Prime Minister (Tony Blair) has said that and that's what major nations like Japan and India are saying. The new impetus that will be coming out of Banjul will launch Security Council reforms," he added.

He stressed that the AU was trying hard to evolve a consensus on the issue, but there were still divisions and differences.

He, however, warned against making the consensus a sticky issue and underlined the point that nothing should come in the way of the reforms.

It was not Africa that was divided, but all other continents were divided on the issue, he pointed out.