The African Union (AU) is “hopeful” the DR Congo will “definitely” turn the page of the fratricidal confrontation” in order to focus all efforts on its development, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra said on Saturday in Kinshasa after meeting Congolese President Joseph Kabila.

“We are hopeful that a new page will open for the situation in North Kivu,” said Lamamra, whose visit in the Congolese capital came a month after African Union Commission chairman Jean Ping’s visit.

The African Union envoy’s optimism is based on the steps taken by the continental organization to restore peace in the restive country.

His two-day visit (14-15 November) is meant to monitor the field operations in the east of the country for a solution to the war raging in the region.

This war broke out on 28 August between the rebel National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) led by dismissed Congolese general Laurent Nkunda and the Armed Forces of DRC (FARDC).

It displaced 250,000 people, according to humanitarian organizations.

The AU expressed its resolve to mobilise the African and international communities to restore peace in the Great Lakes region.

Lamamra will also meet Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito as well as UN Secretary General’s special representative in DRC Alan Doss, who also heads the UN Mission in DRC (MONUC).

An AU release said Lamamra will next travel to Kigali (Rwanda) for talks with the Rwandan authorities.

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API/Source.apa

U.S President George W. Bush made a passionate appeal to the American people to cherish comments made by Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete on the difference the Millennium Challenge (MC) program makes to the millions of people in Tanzania, APA has learnt.

According a statement the U.S embassy in Dar es Salaam availed to APA on Saturday, Bush was speaking at the 2008 Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner in Washington mid this week.

“My fellow citizens need to hear what President Kikwete said. He said that the Millennium Challenge programme is a “source of pride” making it possible for the people of Tanzania to chart a brighter future, the statement said.

Bush added “…notice he didn’t say, making it possible for the American people to chart a brighter future for Tanzania. He said, making it possible for the citizens of Tanzania to chart their own future.”

The US President was referring to the five-year, nearly USD 700 million, Millennium Challenge Compact he signed with President Kikwete when he visited Tanzania.

The MCC will help build up Tanzania’s infrastructure.

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API/Source.apa

Ahmed Ouyahia the Algerian Government Leader in the outgoing government was nominated Premier Saturday, following the promulgation of the law on the revision of the Constitution, APA learns from official sources.

The new Algerian constitution adopted on Wednesday had eliminated the position of Government Leader to be replaced by the position of Prime Minister in charge of implementing the programme of the head of state.

After consulting the Prime Minister, Abdelaziz Bouteflika also proceeded with the nomination of the cabinet members.

Among those who were promoted, are Azzedine Mihoubi now Secretary of State in charge of communication at the Prime Ministry. He was previously the Director of the National Radio.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika also nominated Ahmed Noui as the Secretary General of the government.

Eventually, President Bouteflika asked the Prime Minister to present during the cabinet meeting his plan of action for the implementation of the programme of the President, which will be tabled before the National People’s Assembly, then, before the Council of the Nation, in line with the relevant provisions of the Constitution.

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API/Source.apa

NOTICE TO READERS
 

There will be no articles published on the above-mentioned topics until further notice and the contents of all articles published until now on the two above-mentioned topics, including the articles approved by counsel and those written by persons who are not members of African Press International, will no longer be available until further notice. In consultation with API, I will decide when the temporary suspension will be lifted.

Meanwhile and for public knowledge, note that the airing of the Michelle Obama tapes will take place any time with no prior announcement. This is a precautionary measure taken to avoid a repeat of any kind of influence that any persons may wish to exert on the contracted parties, (API and the MBO’s).
 
(Counsel, J.A.B.)

We are informing our readers that there has been a fire in our email service provider premises in Norway. Due to the fire in the building the company has been unable to service many of their customers, ourselves included.

Our readers who are trying to reach us by email are now experiencing problems and we do not know when the lines will be in order. The company employs are now doing the best they can to repair the unit so that service may be restored. 

We apologise the inconveniences caused to our readers. We will soon be opening for comments with less moderation but with strict surveillance in order to detect and register IP addresses of those trying to destroy the site. We look forward to having you back soon today.

Chief Editor Korir, API, africanpress@getmail.no

No comments will go straight to pubishing. Comments will go to moderation for scrutiny before we publish them. Bad comments coming in will have their IPs blacklisted and connot post anything again.

API apologises to the good supporters of our mission. While cleaning the site, we have discovered that an imposter took charge of the site from 21.00 Norwegian time, pretending to be the Chief Editor.

Our site monitors and the Chief editor were in a crucial meeting from 21.00.

The imposter has fooled everybody and gave a bad name to API.

We are sorry for that. We are still cleaning the site and because there are very comments to go through, it could take us 2 days, we have decided to delete all the comments posted between 21.00 on the 14th until 02.30 the 15th.

By doing so we will be able to get back soon.

By Chief Editor Korir

Thanks to the nice people on the site and to those who have been happily destroying the peace here, we give you no more chance. Now we will have a permanent site manager who will block you at once when you become disturbing.

We will need enough time to go to the comments and delete all bad ones. We are doing it now.

To the good people, if you see change on the post numbers please understand we are doing the job.

We will be back as soon as we are ready

By API Night Monitor