Weekly Report 113 on Central Africa

Summary

1. Economy and Energy

Rwanda: WB Approves U.S.$115.6 Million for Rwanda

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved a US$115.6m from the International Development Association to assist Rwanda implement its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS). The amount includes US$29.5m under the Crisis Response Window (CRW) of which US$14.3 is a loan to the government while US$15.2m is a grant. It was said by the economists that economic growth in Rwanda will improve the lives of citizens and would change the fate of country.

2. Politics

Rwanda Opposition Leader Says Government Silencing Dissent

The leader of Rwanda’s opposition United Democratic Forces (UDF) says President Paul Kagame’s government is determined to prevent her from participating in the scheduled August general elections. She states that Kagame’s government is not allowing her to come into political arena which is my right. She said that she has been investigating in order to prove her links with FDLR and involvement in Genocide. But she argues that they do not have any evidence of it. Therefore she is highly criticizing on Kagame’s government.

Rwanda: PAC Concludes Three-Day Meet

The Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), yesterday, concluded a 3-day meeting in Kigali where they have been assessing and discussing the country's education sector and development of skills and the financial sector. The group which consists of eminent Rwandan and International experts, who offer strategic advice and guidance to President Paul Kagame on Rwanda's development, visited several projects in the country and held discussions with the President and members of his cabinet.

Rwanda: Country, Kenya to Strengthen Ties

The seventh Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) between Rwanda and Kenya ended at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kigali yesterday with commitment from both sides to implement agreed on decisions.

3. Peace keeping/ Conflict Resolution and Security matters

MONUC Official Says Regional Cooperation Could Counter LRA Atrocities

VOA

A top official of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) says better intelligence cooperation between Uganda, the Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR) could stop massacres allegedly committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group. MONUC spokesman Madnoudje Mounoubai said LRA rebels have been committing atrocities in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other countries despite efforts to counter their insurgency. Following the latest Human Rights Watch report on the atrocities committed by the rebels, analysts have suggested that increase in troops and cash are needed to counter threats posed by the LRA. The report accused LRA rebels of killing over 300 unarmed Congolese civilians last December.

Central Africa: Ban Names New Head for UN Mission in Chad and Central African Republic

UN News Service

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today named a veteran United Nations official as his Acting Special Representative for the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), which was set up over two years ago amid increasing unrest, partly due to the war in neighboring Sudan's Darfur region Chad. Earlier this month the Security Council extended MINURCAT's mandate through 15 May, with Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy saying this technical roll-over would "give some time to try to find agreement with the Chadian authorities."

4. Military/ Rebels/ Terrorism/ War on Terror

DR Congo massacre uncovered

The DRC army has been attempting to quell unrest in the north and east of the country. The Lord's Resistance Army killed about 300 people and kidnapped 250 more in a rampage in the Democratic Republic of Congo in December 2009, according to an international rights group and the UN. The previously undocumented massacre, undertaken over four-days in the remote Makombo area of DRC's northeastern Haute Uele district, was highlighted in reports by Human Rights Watch and the UN. The UN said that its investigation had shown that the LRA had killed at least 290 people, perhaps more than 300, during the rampage and following LRA threats of such massacres the year before. LRA fighters killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 1,400 others - including 630 children and more than 400 women - in the DRC during a 10-month period in 2008 and 2009, the UN has said.

Rwanda: FDLR Attacks on Civilians Declining - DRC Army

Attacks by the FDLR on the population of the Eastern Democratic Republic Congo have drastically reduced in the past months, Congolese army spokesman has said. In January, the three military chiefs of the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL), a regional grouping that brings together Rwanda, the DRC and Burundi, agreed to maintain military pressure on FDLR rebels in eastern of DRC. They also recommended setting up a joint monitoring mechanism and the sharing of intelligence information as well as the need for regular meetings between FARDC and RDF to harmonize plans.

5. Human Rights/ Social Issues

Congo-Kinshasa: UN Helps Women Fight Under-Representation in Government

The United Nations is boosting the efforts of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to overcome decades of low female participation in politics and achieve their rightful role in governing the vast African country and rebuilding it after years of civil war. The conference was organized by the Congolese Women's League for Elections in collaboration with the UN, the Government, and the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa.

Rwanda: Cleric Says Approval of Second Gay U.S. Bishop is Divisive

Anglican Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda has warned that the approval of a second openly homosexual bishop in the U.S. Episcopal Church will further tear apart the 77-million-member worldwide Anglican Communion. The Rev. Mary Glasspool, who has lived with a female partner for 22 years, on 17 March, received the required number of votes from bishops and standing committees to be elected as the bishop of Los Angeles, making her the Episcopal Church's second openly homosexual bishop. Kolini in the past has used the terms "moral genocide" in referring to homosexuality among Christians in his country, which suffered genocide in 1994. He said in the interview he believes that the churches in the South have a responsibility to show the way to their people over the matter. Kolini believes that homosexuality is being forced on the developing world. He described this as a new form of "cultural imperialism".

Rwanda: Media Coverage on Genocide Improves, MHC Report

A report by the Media High Council (MHC) has indicated that the local media has stepped up efforts to report about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This was announced by the council's Executive Secretary during a press conference ahead of the 16th Genocide commemoration at the CNLG headquarters. The report is aimed at analyzing the role of the various media in educating the public and making in-depth content analysis of programs and newspapers that were broadcast and published from April 1 - 30 2009. The media played a crucial civic role of informing and educating Rwandans and foreigners about Genocide, the security and welfare of genocide survivors and unity and reconciliation. It shows that the media reports were more event-based than issue-based. In both print and electronic media, most items fell into news category compared to interviews, features and opinions. In broadcasting, news items tallied up to 95.18 percent of the total stories about the Genocide, while in print, constituted 62.03 percent of the total items that were published. It shows that benign forms of revisionism like genocide memory trivialization in some print media outlets were cited.