Burundi: En bref ce 27 MAI 2006 ...

UGANDA

Good oil found on Lake Albert in Uganda

Source: Xinhua May 27, 2006

Efforts to explore oil in Uganda have gained momentum following the discovery of a carbon dioxide free oil well on Lake Albert by an Australian company.

An official with the Ministry of Energy, quoted by New Vision on Saturday, confirmed the finding at Mputa II, Kaiso-Tonya on Lake Albert by Hardman Oil and Gas Company.

The relevant tests on the oil were conducted last week. The oil is now at appraisal level to assess its environmental impact, ascertain its flow in the reservoir and pipeline construction and storage.

Ernest Rubondo, the assistant commissioner in charge of petroleum in the Ministry of Energy, revealed that the oil contains hydro-carbons that certify its purity as the standard commercial fuel.

"The local petroleum sector is promising despite the international crisis. All indicators show that there is a chance to get commercial wells in plenty and this is encouraging," he said.

He added that many oil wells were discovered in the Lake Albert region but they contained carbon dioxide, which is a negative element in petroleum exploration.

He did not specify the exact time-frame when drilling starts, saying, "it is a transitory process but on fast track."

He named Waraga I, Turaco I, Turaco II, Turaco III, Mputa I and Mputa II, all around Lake Albert bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the east of Uganda, as the current oil exploration sites.

Rubondo said Neptune, Heritage, Energy Africa and Hardman were the firms licensed to drill and explore the oil.

He explained that another well, Turaco III, was at appraisal level and the government had injected 200,000 U.S. dollars in surveying and mapping potential oil fields, adding that drilling firms would require between 3 to 8 million dollars to install oil facilities and begin production.

He said Uganda spent 250 million dollars on petroleum products last year and the consumption rate was increasing at 6 percent per day. A barrel of oil is currently about 72 dollars.

The Discovery of oil in Uganda is expected to offset this enormous import bill and also aid the ongoing efforts to solve the power problem.

Due to change of depots procedure, the fuel price has shot up by 4.5 percent to 2,350 Ugandan shillings (1.3 dollars) at the pumps across the east African country.

Kikwete’s foreign trips haul in $115m for Tanzania

May 27, 2006, Source : IPP Media By Andnetwork .com

President Jakaya Kikwete’s tours in Africa, Asia, Europe and America fetched the country an estimated $115 in pledges.

Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Minister, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro, told the Press in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the money was in the form of pledges.

Dr Migiro said the grants totalled US$ 115.3 million (144.2bn/-) after the President signed assistance agreements with France, Unesco and Denmark.

In the US, she said, the President landed a deal with Unesco through the Millennium Challenge Account.
Dr Migiro said that through Millennium Challenge Account, Tanzania will receive US$11 million on account of its impressive record on good governance, democracy, human-rights and anti-graft fight.

She added that Tanzania was also lucky to get the first direct budgetary support package from Denmark of US$100 million for the next the next five years.

Development support sought by President Kikwete during his tour covered education, water, infrastructure, agriculture, energy and trade.

In the education sector, Dr Migiro said that Unesco had pledged US$3 million in the form of books for Zanzibar. Another grant of US$1.3 million will be used to fight human trafficking. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the monarchy donated US$10,000 for the famine kitty.
The UAE government promised to support Tanzania’s agriculture, health and water sectors.

Dr Migiro said that US Corporate Council for Africa had promised to visit Tanzania to participate in the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair in July.

The President jetted back in Dar es Salaam on Thursday evening.

Britain appoints new envoy to Tanzania

May 27, 2006 Source : IPP Media By Andnetwork .com

The British government has appointed Philip John Parham as its new High Commissioner to Tanzania.

Parham, who is arriving in Dar es Salaam next week to take up the post is succeeding Dr Andrew Pocock who was transferred to Harare last February.

Speaking prior to his departure from London, Parham said he was delighted to be coming to Tanzania at this time of great progress.

’As the fourth phase government unveils its programme for the next 5 years, I look forward to working closely with it, parliament, the civil society and the business community,’ he said and added that he will ensure that the United Kingdom is as effective a partner as possible in the growing prosperity and dynamism of Tanzania.

Relations between Tanzania and Britain are strong and it is one of Tanzania’s largest trading partners, with British companies having invested nearly USD 400 million in Tanzania over the last 10 years.

Financial support to the Government of Tanzania from the Department for International Development (DFID) is also rising, and over the next three years it will come close to USD 500 million. In addition, approximately 50,000 British citizens visit Tanzania annually.

On the international stage, Tanzania is a leader in Africa - at the forefront of good governance and democracy, and playing an important regional and international role in conflict resolution, in both the Great Lakes region and Darfur.

Tanzania is also an active partner in the United Nations Security Council.

Former President Benjamin Mkapa has been a key member of the Commission for Africa established by Tony Blair while the British Government enjoyed working closely with President Jakaya Kikwete in his previous role as Foreign Minister, and looks forward to a similarly fruitful partnership within him as President.

’I am excited at the prospect of being a part of this, and my family is thrilled to come to a country which they have heard so many good things about.’

Saturday, 27 May, 2006,Reuters
KINSHASA: International donors accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s government of exploiting an alleged coup plot to harass political opponents before July elections.
Government officials say the 32 foreign security experts detained a week ago sought to destabilise DRC ahead of the first free national polls in four decades.
CIAT, an international committee which groups leading diplomatic missions in Kinshasa, denounced what it called “the political exploitation of the so-called coup attempt”.
The statement criticised harassment by the authorities of political leaders and presidential candidates.
CIAT includes diplomats from the US, Britain, Russia, China and France, as well as some African and other European nations and the UN.
“We’re angry at the use of the so-called coup to intimidate the opposition and scare the population,” said one diplomat, who asked not to be named.
Those held over the alleged plot included South Africans, Nigerians and Americans.
Some of the men, who worked for a South African firm, were contracted as consultants by Oscar Kashala, who is among the candidates challenging incumbent Joseph Kabila for president in the July 30 elections.
Kashala, a wealthy Harvard-trained doctor who has lived in the US, says the arrests are part of a campaign by the government to intimidate him and others and undermine their election chances.
Suspicion of a political motive increased yesterday when it emerged that Etienne Tshisekedi, an influential opposition politician and fierce government critic, had indicated he might back Kashala.
The international community is contributing more than $400mn to help stage the elections, intended to draw a line under the DRC’s five-year war that officially ended in 2003.
The war sucked in six foreign armies and caused a humanitarian crisis that has killed 4mn people.
Fighting by rebels and renegade militias is continuing in the east and the UN has its biggest peacekeeping operation in the world – nearly 17,000 troops and police – in the DRC.
Beyond denouncing the suspected plot, the government has given few details of the accusations against the men.
Most of the arrested foreigners were South Africans working for a Pretoria-based security firm, Omega Risk Solutions, which had been contracted by US consultancy firm AQMI Strategy Corp to help provide security for Kashala.
An internal document from AQMI, seen by Reuters, details links between Kashala and the popular Tshisekedi, a veteran opposition figure with a large following in Kinshasa and two southern provinces known as the Kasais.
Tshisekedi is boycotting the elections because he believes the process is flawed. –

Kenya : Govt to revive cotton industry
May 27, 2006, Source : KBC News By Andnetwork .com
The government has set aside over sh 250 million to revive the cotton industry, Minister Kipruto arap Kirwa revealed on Friday.
The minister disclosed that already the government has employed 300 extension workers to work directly with cotton farmers at the grass root level to put in place sustainable structures to ensure the industry is rehabilitated.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Agriculture Secretary Dr. Wilson Songa, during the official launch of Mwea Cotton Promotion Project in Kirinyaga district, the minister further revealed tat the World Bank has already released 288 million shillings to compliment the government initiative in reviving coffee cotton and pyrethrum industries.
He said that Kenya through the AGOA initiative last year managed to sell cotton apparels worth 18 billion shillings and created employment for over 25,000 workers in 25 industries dealing with cotton textiles.
The minister stressed on the government committement to revive the industry which he noted could transform the lives of all living in drought and famine prone areas.
He promised that over 11,000 cotton farmers spread through out the country would benefit from the government facilitated value adding to the products to produce quality competitive products for export.
The minister assured farmers that already a team of officers from trade cooperative and agriculture ministry were working with cotton farmers at the grass root levels to spearhead the revival and success of the industry which collapsed 13 years.
The launching ceremony was attended by cotton farmers from Embu, Machakos Maragua, Mwea and Isiolo districts.

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Regional security meet opens in Rwanda
Friday, 26th May, 2006 By Hellen Mukiibi
http://www.newvision.co.ug
A regional defence and security meeting opened in Kigali yesterday.

The security and defence sub-committee of the Tripartite Plus Joint Committee is attended by top military and security officials from Uganda, DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi and facilitated by the US.

The Uganda delegation was led by the ambassador to Rwanda and Burundi, Richard Kabonero and includes Col. Buturo of the Ministry of Defence.

“Issues to be discussed include pursuit of the leaders of negative forces in Eastern Congo, the operations of the Kisangani Intelligence fusion cell and regional security,” a source at the Uganada embassy in Kigali said.

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