Senegal has changed its decision to resign from the Agency for the Safety of Aerial Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), APA learnt here Thursday from reliable sources in Dakar.

Senegal-ASECNA

Former Regional Manager of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for West and Central Africa, and Special envoy of the Burkina Faso-headquartered West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEAMOA) Amadou Cheiffou made the announcement following his audience with the Senegalese head of State, Abdoulaye Wade.

Mr Cheiffou expressed happiness over Senegal’s decision to resume membership in ASECNA.

On 15 November, Senegal had, through its Transportation Minister, Farba Senghor, confirmed its willingness to withdraw from the agency as Dakar was not satisfied with its services.

Senegal’s decision to withdraw from ASECNA was « irrevocable », Mr Senghor echoed at a press conference before stressing that a commission was set up to assess the modalities including the potential moving of the agency’s headquarters to another country.

According to the minister, the move to withdraw from ASECNA would enable Dakar to “ensure the safety of its airspace as of May 2008 through a Senegalese aerial safety Agency that was to be set up in the “coming days”.

In early November, Senegal had announced its decision to withdraw the management of its airports and airfields from ASECNA, arguing that the country “loses 50 billion CFA Francs per year due to ASECNA’s inadequate investment in the equipment, training and upgrading of the facilities”.

During a meeting with the press on last 9 November, the Managing Director of ASECNA, Youssouf Mahamat of Niger, had downplayed the Senegalese authorities’ decision, which follows Madagascar’s decision to withdraw from the pan-African agency for good.

The Managing Director had argued that some countries had withdrawn from ASECNA but ended up rejoining it.

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Goma – (DR Congo) The Congolese armed forces and the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) have resolved to launch mopping-up operations against the soldiers still loyal to the rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda, the DRC Chief of staff Gen. Dieudonne Kayembe said.

Accompanied by the MONUC Commandant Gen. Babacar Gaye, the visiting DRC Chief of Staff said at a press conference in Goma on Wednesday that the government troops would devote themselves to coerce all the rebel groups into joining the integrated centres in North Kivu.

Down playing the incidents that happened on Wednesday morning in Rutshuru (northeast of North Kivu), the DRC Chief of Staff said they were minor skirmishes and that the government troops backed by the MONUC forces managed to control the situation.

The visit of Gen. Kayembe to North Kivu is the fourth of its kind in two months.

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Kampala (Uganda) Queen Elizabeth II on her official visit to preside over the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Wednesday tasked the extraordinary session of Parliamentarians to protect and uphold democracy.

She said the deliberations and decisions of the House, together with its respect for the rule of law will have an essential bearing on the country’s success in addressing many serious issues.

In her short speech, Queen Elizabeth hailed Uganda for its role in establishing peace and security in the region. She specifically paid tribute to the work of Uganda’s soldiers who are serving in the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. .

President Yoweri Museveni and his wife attended the Parliamentary session, which was part of the Queen’s whirlwind visit to Uganda.

Last night, executives from Uganda’s media industry were hosted to a cocktail with the Queen.

The queen arrived at Serena Hotel shortly after 8 p.m. and interacted with about 70 media executives for nearly half an hour. The atmosphere at the cocktail was noticeably relaxed, with only a handful of plain clothed British security officers and no photography allowed in the room.

The Queen shook hands with about half of the group, taking a minute to ask each guest’s name, what they do and making comments about the country. In one such comment she said she was surprised by how much development had taken place in Kampala city since her last visit more than half a century ago.

Tonight a State Banquet will be held in honor of the queen at the newly-refurbished State House in Entebbe.

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Kampala (Uganda) The Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meeting Thursday ahead of the heads of state and government encounter with the Queen in Kampala, have pledged support for the ongoing peace talks between the Uganda and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Movement/Army (LRM/A).

Ugandan Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa, told a press conference that the ministers remained deeply concerned with the 20-year old insurgency that has claimed millions of lives of innocent civillians and forced millions more into refugee camps.

The minister also called for the suspension of Pakistan from the organisation and pressurise General Perves Musharraf to resign.

Such measures, the ministers contend, would help put Pakistan back on the road to democracy and good governance in keeping with the ideals of the Commonwealth organisation.

Among other things, the minister expressed regrets that only a few countries have really made significant moves towards attaining the Millennium Development goals (MDGs).

It is the role of the 53 member states of the Commonwealth to improve the welfare of its members, the ministers said.

The press briefing was also attended by the common wealth secretary general Don Mackinnon.

The ministers meeting which was held at the Serena hotel in Kampala, also insisted on fair terms of trade among the member countries and underscored the need for more efforts to help push forward issues concerning positive climate change.

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Kinshasa (DR Congo) Rutshuru in DR Congo’s north Kivu regained calm Thursday following Wednesday’s fighting between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the insurgents loyal to dissident General Laurent Nkunda, APA learnt from reliable sources.

According to sources, the soldiers loyal to Nkunda attacked the FARDC positions first in Rukoro (75 kilometres away from Goma) then in Rutshuru.

But the loyalist forces have not lost any of the positions they control.

Sources of the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC) quoted Radio Okapi, the UN radio station in Congo, as saying the insurgents withdrew after MONUC pilled pressure on them.

According to FARDC’s Commander in the province, Wednesday’s combats killed 5 among the FARDC against 13 among Nkunda’s forces.

United Nations sources said thousands of displaced persons headed towards Kiwandja (10 km away from Rutshuru), in northern Goma.

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Salma Hayek praises her breasts! Saying: – “My breasts is God’s gift.”

There are many women who will agree with her.

There are those who worship their own breasts, there are those who make money using their breasts, and there are those who treat their breasts as a private affair.

What about the men? What is God given to them? Many would answer – the ability to run successful business.

Published by African Press International(API)/ African Press in Norway(APN) africanpress@chello.no source.Her og Nå

By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

API/APN in Kampala

The tiny Republic of Rwanda which had earlier applied to be admitted to the Commonwealth will have to wait for another two years.

This followed the disclosure that this week’s meeting of the Commonwealth heads of States and Government (CHOGM) will not admit new members to the 53 member States Club.

Rwanda, a former French colony, has been applying to join the Commonwealth since 2003.

It was the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs James Mugune disclosed last week that the Kampala summit would only deal with criteria of joining the Commonwealth.

‘’There is only one report on membership and it’s about criteria. What CHOGM 2007 will discuss is the criteria for joining the Commonwealth,’’ said Mr. Mugune, adding that the report on who will join will be tabled and adopted at the next meeting.

Rwanda along with six other countries, has mooted plans to join the 53 nation group, but its admission can only be determined at the next CHOGM, to be held in 2009 in Trimdad and Tobago.

Besides Rwanda, there are applications from other countries like Madagascar and Algeria, Yemen, Sudan, Israel and Palestine have been mentioned as potential future members.

Pundits were, however, quick in pointing out that even without considering of criteria for admission is expected to be a sensitive one. Among other things, member countries must have had historical tie as former colonies of Britain.

Rwanda, Madagascar and Algeria are all former French colonies and the latter’s official language is French. Mozambique is currently the only non-English speaking country that has been admitted to the Commonwealth.

However, Rwanda’s recent history has swung the country AWAY FROM ITS French ties and strengthened its Anglophone connections. The country has officially adopted English as the second official language in the past – 1994 genocide period, with a good number of its citizens having lived in English speaking countries as refugees.

But according to sources within the Commonwealth there are economic benefits that attract non-members with its present membership of 53 countries, the commonwealth constitutes over 40 per cent of the World Trade Organization, making its influential in global trade.

Commonwealth countries handle trade worth USD 2.8 trillion annually and with foreign direct investment outflows of USD 100 trillion, which account for more than 20 per cent of international trade and investment.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame is one of key speakers at the Kampala’s Commonwealth Business Forum, which is running alongside the main CHOGM summit.

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By Wilfred Zulu

API/APN in Lusaka– Zambia and a Chinese firm have signed a US$243 million deal to construct a 360 megawatts capacity power plant – a move meant to avert the looming power deficit caused by increased demand in a Southern African country. much of the funding is expected to come from  a  named Chinese Bank.

Synohydro Corporation of China has been engaged to extend the 600 megawatt Kariba North Bank power station owned by state utility, Zesco. The project is located on Zambezi River at Kariba Dam, 223 kilometres south of the capital, Lusaka. The projected is expected to be completed within three years.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract will be financed by the Export Import (EXIM) Bank of China to the tune of 85 percent of the total project cost, while the balance will be sourced from other institutions.

Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala told API*APN that discussions so far indicated that the financial closure of the deal would take place early next year and the implementation would commence immediately afterwards.

He added that Zesco had engaged a consortium of transaction advisors to assist in negotiations and mobilizing the required financing resources to cover up the remaining 15 percent financial void.

The advisors include Development Bank of Southern Africa, United States’ based Fieldstone, and Le Boeuf Lamb & Mc Rae.

And Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said at the signing ceremony on Tuesday that Government had set high targets for industrial and household access to electricity that would require large amounts of power.

“Bearing in mind the rapid electricity demand growth being experienced and the anticipated deficit, the country is in a hurry develop new power generation sources,” said Konga.

Studies by Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) show that due to the high economic growth taking place in the region, the demand would exceed the installed capacity from next year.

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