by Scott A Morgan

Over the last year that has been growing concern in both Africa and amongst the activist community here in the United States about the role of AFRICOM (Africa Command).  Since January of this year there has been a plethora of activites that the country has been involved in.

The US began this year by intervening diplomatically in the Violence plagued Kenyan Elections. Working in conjunction with the EU and AU a Government of National Unity was agreed upon. The year began also with the APS (African Partnership Station) in place in the Gulf of Guinea. That region which is where 20% of the American Oil Imports Originate from has a problem with Militants, Drug Trafficking and Piracy. So this program was an effort to train Regional Military Forces to conduct such Operations.

The National Security Strategy Document published in March 2006 states that the United States “recgonizes that our security depends on partnering with African States to strengthen failed and failing states and bring ungoverned areas under the control of effective democracies. This statement can be seen as a base for the US efforts to bring about a regime change in Zimbabwe, restore the rule of law to the Kivu Provinces in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and limit the Influence of Al-Qaida in the Sahel Region of West Africa.

This Strategy has had its failures as well. The US Proxy efforts to restore a Strong Centralized Government in Somalia by Ethiopian Arms continues to muddle on. A report that Addis Ababa is considering withdrawing will be seen as a failure of US Policy. The Situation in Darfur with the apparent unwillingess of the US and its European Allies to take any action smacks of hypocrisy.

So why is the Pentagon taking the lead in this? They are not the only US entity that is formulating policy. There have been several instances where the CIA has taken steps to investigate the status of Militia Forces Operating in the African Great Lakes Region. The easy answer is that currently the State Department is in a weakened state. After all they did put out conflicting signals during the Kenya post-election crisis.

In General it is bad policy to have the Soldiers make Key Foreign Decisions. With the inability of the State Department to articulate what the goals of the United States are someone has to do it. There are some that would like to have AFRICOM to have some sort of accountability. Well as a DOD Command it does have to request funds from the Congress. After all the easiest way to force change on someone is to impact the flow of funds.

Whether it comes to Energy Supplies, Radical Islamists or even the Rogue Military Officer that cannot be reined in by his Country the US will have interests in Africa. This means US Diplomats and Soldiers will be seen as both Friends and Targets. There will be chances for both Praise and Criticism of US Activities as well. And in January a New President will be the one taking the heat.

The Author Publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet. It can be found at morganrights.tripod.com

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 News Feature By Leo Odera Omolo

Kenya Flourspar Company Limited, which is based in Kerio Valley in the North Western Kenya has made a major marketing breakthrough by securing orders from two leading European manufacturer in the face of fierce competition from the Chinese suppliers.

The Companyʼs Executive Director, Canadian based entrepreneur Charles Field, Marsham, has said that the biggest challenge to the company has been competing against the Chinese, who have dominated the fluorspar market  and have historically produced a proximately 40 to 50 percent of the worldʼs supply

The Chinese stronghold in the international markets has had the effort of depression prices indeed, during the 1980s and 1990s international prices remained so low that they threatened to put other suppliers out of business

The director said that Kenya Flourspar had met the challenge head-on, recently investing over Kshs 120 million (USD. 81 million) in plant and machinery in order to increase production and ensure Kenya fluorspar maintain its reputation for top quality

Besides making inroads in the European market the company is also eyeing uncreative markets in the middle East in addition to its traditions outlets in India.

Kenya Flourspar General Manager Nico Spangeberg was recently quoted as saying that the investment programme included improvement at the Mbaraki Port facility upgrading of the crashing system, new laboratory facilities and enhanced environmental compliance

He pointed out that the company was fortunate that operational were largely mattered by the recent post-election violence earlier in the year , suffering only, minor problems in transporting the fluorspar are by railway to Mombasa

Flourspar is the second most important  Mineral mined in Kenya after Soda ash. It is sued to produce hydrochloric acid for various industrial use, including the manufactures of perfumes and cleaning detergents.

The Kimwerer field deposits located in the Kerio Valley has been in operation since he 1970s and was many years a state-owned enterprise

It was acquired by Mr. Field- Marsham in 1996, when the government was privatizing some unprofitable enterprises

Since then, He Company has experienced an impressive for fur around and now produces around 100,000 tonnes of fluorspar per year and has a total work force of 400. It has a railway siding near Kipsagat Railway station on the main Nakuru Malab  railway line that links Kenya and Uganda where its made products are usually loaded on railways wagons

As he only major corporate concern in the region an din Keiyo district he company provided housing units health care, education and recreation facilities for local community

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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By Leo Odera Omolo,

THE East African Community {EAC} member states have agreed to address reservations by some members over the establishment of a common market in the region.

While opening an EAC meeting in Nairobi a week ago, A Kenyan Permanent Secretary to the EAC David Nalo attributed the aparthy and delay in the formation of a regional common market to deep-rooted suspicions and fear of losing control of market by some member states.

The PS said some member countries of the EAC were apprehensive that the proposal would distort their market as regional powerhouse were likely to dominate the trade in the region.

“There is fear of losing out as far as balance of trade is concerned, but we are optimistic of reaching a consensus, he said.

Early this year Tanzania failed to attend a crucial EAC meeting in Kigalui, Rwanda, a move interpreted other member states as lack of commitment to negotiating and implementing the common market protocol.

Tanzania has, however, maintained it is committed to the implementation of a common market, but has raised a number of issues on the deal.

The Kigali negotiations held in April this year were meant to clear the way for free movement of persons, labour, goods, services and capital within the region by the end of 2010..

Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi the other members of the EAC have agreed on the new measures to allay Tanzania fears over the common market during a High Level Task  meeting, which concluded second round of the negotiation in Nairobi on August 23,2008.

The meeting reviewed Tanzania’s position on the Kigali Agreement, which among other things, addressed free movement of goods, people and labour.

The EAC Secretariat at Arusha has reported that work was in progress towards a protocol that would establish a development fund.

Meanwhile the East African Community {EAC} national airlines are undergoing major aviation tests to enhance safety.

Regional aviation safety body, Civil Aviation Safety and Security Agency{CASSOA} is undertaking a re-certification exercise for the airlines that do not meet the standard by the agency would not be certified for operations.

The executive director of CASSOA Mtesigwa Maugo said  the agency working through its experts and local civil aviation authorities, would help such carriers achieve required standards. The exercise, which was to be conducted on August 19, 2008 and scheduled for conclusion this week.

The first phase involved pre-application, where the airline operators were to meet with CASSOA officials for briefing on the exercise..

The next four stages were the formal application  {by operators},evaluation documents {by CASSOA}, demonstration {physical assessment of operators systems and equipment} and the eventual approval for operation.

Representatives from the regio0n’s major carriers met with CASSOA officials and agency’s appointed aviation experts in Tanzania last week and this week.

Kenya  Airways and East African Safari Express were some of the major players in Arusha for the meeting. Tanzania carriers were to follow on Thursday and Friday last week before Uganda air operators complete the phase this week

The re-certification exercise follows the end of a one-year grace period provided to the carriers to adjust to new regional aviation requirements, put in placer after EAC member states harmonized air safety regulations.

Rwanda and Burundi carriers, the two countries that joined EAC last year, are yet to be included in this arrangement, CASSOA was set up in April last year to help partner states implement recommended standards and ensure a safe and secure aviation industry for the region.

It held its first board meeting in Arusha in January this year where CASSOA approved several activities to improve then safety and security of civil aviation industry in East Africa.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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PRESS RELEASE

 EAC Headquarters, Arusha, 2 September 2008:  H.E. President  Paul Kagame, President  of Rwanda and Chairperson  of the Summit of Heads of State  of the East African Community has said  that  time has come to turn around  the EAC project and render it more effective and rapidly achieving.

President Kagame  said  that during  his term as Chair  of the EAC Summit he would  marshal  the collaborative  effort of the Summit , all  the organs and institutions  of the Community , the broad spectrum  of EAC  stakeholders  and the development partners to steer  the East African Community  to a new era of greater  efficiency  and effectiveness.

EAC delegation

President Kagame, who held  a three hour Strategic  Meeting  with  the Secretary General  of the East African Community Juma Mwapachu and  Senior EAC officials  who called on him at the Office of the President in Kigali  on 27 August  2008 ,  unveiled his vision of the 5-nation  EAC regional bloc  of 120 million population  and  a combined GDP  of $50 billion.

The Secretary General was accompanied during the mission to Rwanda by Senior Officials of the East African Community: Amb. Julius Onen , Deputy Secretary General, Projects and Programmes; Hon Wilbert Kaahwa, Counsel to the Community; Dr Tom Okurut, Executive Secretary , Lake Victoria Basin Commission; Dr John Ruhangisa, Registrar, East African Court of Justice, Mr. Justin Bundi , Clerk to the East African Legislative Assembly ; Brigadier General Fred Tolit, Defence Liaison Officer;  Mr. Philip Wambugu , Director, Planning and Infrastructure, Dr Nyamajeje Weggoro, Director, Productive and Social sectors; Dr Flora Musonda, Director of Trade, Mr. Magaga Alot , Head, Directorate of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs; Mr. Abdul Katabaro , Principal Administrative Officer; Ms Grace Okungu , Principal Human Resource Officer, and Mr. Henry Obbo , Chef de Cabinet.

Welcoming  the EAC delegation, President Kagame  said, “we are grateful    to have worked with you  and other  partners in the region  to make it possible  for Rwanda  and Burundi  to join  the Community  and for giving  us  the honour, so soon thereafter , to  chair the Summit…I understand  clearly  that the opportunity  to chair  the  Summit  does not  represent  any dramatic  development  but  an opportunity to continue  on the good  path  that  has been laid . We’ll do our best to ensure that we can build on what there is to realize more efficiency and effectiveness in the integration process”.

President outlines priorities of dynamic EAC

President Kagame said  the EAC was operating in a dynamic and challenging  environment  , adding that his contribution would be to render the EAC into a  more efficient and effective regional organization that was  focused  on its mission to  realize  the expectations and desires of the East  African people in greater  liberty, unity and prosperity.

The President said among the regional projects that would receive priority attention, and moved to advanced stages of implementation during his tenure, were the ongoing regional infrastructure development master plans in roads, railways, inland waterways, ports and harbours as well as the Lake Victoria investments and development master plan. 

He said  that other priority projects and programmes  would be  the  promotion   of East Africa as a single  tourist destination;  the introduction  of a common  East  African   visa for tourists and business persons as well as intensification  of the programme of elimination of non tariff barriers (NTBs)  under the ongoing  programme of the EAC Customs Union  and the negotiations of the EAC Common  Market. He sad the  immediate measures would be aimed at reducing the costs  of doing  business  in East Africa  and, on the whole,  promote  East Africa  as a competitive  single market and investment area with  a thrust  on tourism, trade and investments promotion.

The President noted that the programme of marketing and promoting East Africa as a single tourist destination , which was launched in 2005,  had proceed well with the EAC Partner States participating  jointly in the leading travel and tourist source markets in Europe  .  The President directed the EAC tourist boards to extend the joint marketing of East Africa to Asia, Far East , Australia and America , stating that EAC had great tourist potential with significant multiplier effects on the economies of the five countries.

The President also noted that the aviation industry had great strategic significance to the EAC regional integration and development. He said the tourism industry would also be among the priorities of his tenure, including revival of the East African Flying School / East African Aviation School in Soroti , Uganda for training of pilots and aviation engineers. He said the aviation industry in East Africa would be revamped with promotion of investments to the sector to raise aviation standards and safety, open and safe skies and overall air traffic management in the region to the highest competitive levels.

 Strengthening authority of EAC Secretariat

Meanwhile the EAC delegation during a three day (25-27 August 2008) Strategic consultative mission to Rwanda on the EAC integration process in Kigali addressed a series of meetings attended by Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and Senior Officers of the Rwanda government.

During the launching session, the Counsel to the Community, Hon Wilbert Kaahwa  reviewed  the  judicial and  legal challenges facing  the Community  stating that  the EAC concentrated  its legal  and judicial  affairs on the  promotion and protection  of peoples  rights  within  the Community. He said  the  Treaty  for the Establishment  of the EAC  which  was signed  in 1999  was currently being reviewed  to address  some  of the challenges and shortcomings that  have been  noted during  the past  eight  years as well as the demands of the EAC enlargement and expansion of the regional programme.  Hon  Kaahwa said  the issue  of  sovereignty  at the national level was  at the core of  the  implementation  bottlenecks  the EAC was experiencing . He said that the issue of sovereignty should be revisited so that decisions are more binding and their implementation more expeditious.

Hon Kaahwa said the enforcement processes as well as the sanctions provided under the Treaty were weak.  He  quipped that  the provisions were negotiated “more by diplomats than lawyers” , noting that the provisions of decision-making by consensus posed a great  challenge to  the  Community’s performance adding that , “How do you  enforce  sanctions against  a Partner State  where  you have  decision  by consensus  and the Partner States are  expected  to take  sanctions  against  one of  them by consensus?” .

The Secretary General said that the requirement of decision making by consensus had posed a logjam on the operations of the Community which needed to be addressed by the Partner States ceding adequate authority to the EAC to speed up the decision making process and enable the EAC Secretariat to act with greater confidence and more decisively in implementing regional projects and programmes.

Directorate of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

EAC ,Arusha

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New Analysis by Leo Odera Omolo

A Kenyan weekly newspaper has become whistleblower in a matter of high profile and sensitive top secret deal between Kampala and Cairo over the fresh Nile pact.

The EASTAFRICAN reported this week that diplomatic row is simmering between Tanzania and Uganda  over the alleged suspicion by Dar Es Salaam that President Yoweri Museveni and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak were secretly negotiating a deal over the use of Lake Victoria waters without involving  other members of the Nile Basin Initiative.

“Apparently Tanzania government officials believe that the two countries are suspected to have already concluded an exclusive secret bilateral deal daring the recent visit to Kampala by the Egyptian leader”

Tanzania and Uganda are key members and stakeholders of the Nile Basin Initiative that also include Kenya, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Burundi.

Tension rose recently when Tanzania demanded that Kampala should share with it details of the discussions and bilateral arrangement it has entered into with Egypt.

Tanzania is also said to be uncomfortable  with what it sees as an upsurge of diplomatic activity between Kampala and Cairo, especially recent and frequent visit to Cairo by the Ugandan Minister for Water and Environment Ms Maria Mutagamba.

The minister is the Uganda’s chief negotiator on Nile basin issues.

President Hosni Mubarak made a brief unscheduled stopper in Entebbe at the end of July this year and Tanzania has demanded that Kampala share the details of the alleged secret bilateral arrangements on the use of the River Nile’s waters that were agreed with Egypt.

Tanzania suspects that the two leaders secretly entered into a pact to take more water out of the river for their mutual benefit.

Tensions were fanned further after Ugandan Water and Environment Minister Maria Mutagamba made three unofficial successive secret visits to Cairo that Dar now suspects could have been intended to draw up the framework for the Mubarak-Museveni pact.

According to information made available by impeccable sources, President Hosni Mubarak made a brief stopper in Uganda on his way home from South Africa where he had gone for rally support for Sudanese President Omar El Bashir against his likely indictment for crime against humanity by the International Criminal court of Justice.

According to a source in Kampala who sought anonymity among other bilateral issues, the two presidents also have specific discussions on the use of the Nile Waters. Neither of the countries, however, shared the minutes of these talks with the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) an Inter-Governmental Organizations that brings together the Nile Basin countries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ,Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Sudan and Uganda.

The influential weekly, the EASTAFRICAN which is published by the Nation Group of Newspaper in Nairobi further revealed in what it termed an exclusive article that it has learnt that Dar had placed an urgent requests with Kampala for the minutes for NBI in vain and consequently asked the organizations to use its mandate to follow up on the matter.

Tanzania’s interest in the matter is said to arise from concerns that Uganda is releasing waters beyond the normal flow from Lake Victoria into the river Nile for purposes of hydropower generation, which in the process ensure more water flowing towards Egypt but hurts the ecosystem of the lake.

  Kampala according to the papers, confirmed that the Nile issues was high on the agenda of the two presidents meeting, but insisted that Tanzania should not intervene in two countries bilateral relations because whereas Uganda hosts the major exit to the Nile, Egypt lifeline depends on the river.

“Besides, whatever we discuss withegypt that is regional is subject to approval by all in the countries in the Nile Basin so they should not be suspicious “Isaac Musumba, Uganda’s Minister of State for foreign Affairs and Regional Integrity was briefly quoted as having made the remark.

It is understood that NBI member states are yet to agree on a new deal that will govern the use of the Nile waters after throwing out the outdated bilateral agreement between Egypt and the former British colonialists because not all the countries in the basin had consented to them.

Against that background, Uganda recent behavior on issues regarding the Nile is being seen as potentially undermining the confidence and trust that had so far developed among the member over the past 10 years of  negotiating a new agreement.

It has been further reveled that Minister  Maria  Mutagamba, Uganda’s political negotiator on Nile Basin issues is alleged to have made three unofficial secret visits to Egypt over several months without the knowledge of her country’s diplomatic mission in Cairo. Such moves made some riparian states suspicious.

The quarrel over the Nile has escalated differences between Uganda and Tanzania to such an extent that Ms Mutagamba was recently snubbed in Dar Es Salaam when she unsuccessfully sought an audience with President Jakaya Kikwete.

Ms Mutagamba who formerly chaired the Nile Council of Ministers, earlier wanted a head of state summit to be convened so that the agreement would be finalized and signed by the Presidents, a development that would see a permanent Nile Basin Commission established and implementation of many development programmes commenced.

Informed sources in Dar have hinted that Uganda Minister had planned her strategy, which was to persuade President Kikwete, the current Chairman of the African Union (AU) to squeeze in a side meeting for the Nile Basin Heads of State into the agenda of the AU summit held in June in Sharm El Sheikh Egypt, so that they would be briefed on the status of the agreement and be requested to schedule the historical summit.

Ms Mutagamba and Sortie Byamukamua one of the directors in the Uganda ministry of Water and Environment and his country’s technical negotiator on the agreement, and Andace Ndayizeyeye executive director of NBI had travelled to Tanzania for that purpose. But on arrival, the office secretary of the Tanzania Minister of water received them, but the permanent Secretary would not grant the trio access to the Minister let alone President Kikwete.

As it turned out no side meeting was held during the AU summit in Egypt and endorsement of the draft agreement by the heads of state is still pending.

One of the sticking points preventing an agreement is a clause in its draft pertaining to the security of water for all the riparian states. Observers were quick in pointing out that it is for this same reason that countries like Tanzania are demanding that Uganda and Egypt come clean on their meeting and release the minutes of their discussions on the Nile to NBI that will in return inform the other eight countries in the sub-region.

There have been concerns expressed within and out side Uganda that the country is releasing more water into the Nile than the normal flows naturally from lake Victoria in order to achieve enough water pressure to run the turbines at the twin Nalunbale and Kiira power plants in Jinja in order to generate more electricity to reduce the energy deficit facing the country.

Uganda has in the past argued that the real cause of falling water levels in Lake Victoria  is tied to the climate change phenomenal and catchment area degradation in countries where the major rivers that discharge who the lake originate.

The falling levels have affected the ecosystem of the lake resulting in declining fisheries, difficulties in water navigation. But for Egypt, it means more water flowing towards it.

An Egyptian government communiqué following President Mubarak visit reads in parts “Uganda holds an important place on the Egyptian agenda as 15 percent of the Nile water flow from Lakes Victoria and Albert. It is an important Nile basin country and the Nile artery is vital for aspects of Egyptian national Security. It has influence on the conditions in other Nile Basin Countries”

Egypt through its negotiations and actions has made it clear that it does not want the flow and quantity of water in the Nile to be interrupted either artificially of by natural occurrences.

Currently it is sponsoring a 10-year programme in Uganda to rid the Nile and Lake Albert of the water hyacinth on top of advising on any planned activities on the rivers such as hydropower generation

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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