South Sudan has assured that there will be maximum security at the Kenya-Sudan border and on South Sudan roads for Kenyan drivers transporting cargo into the country.
This was assured by the South Sudan Revenue Authority Commissioner of Customs, Adout Ajang, who met the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director, William Ruto, yesterday.
“The commissioner also engaged industry players assuring of security at the border with Kenya and on South Sudan Roads following concerns by Kenyan Drivers,” KPA stated on X.
Furthermore, the commissioner promised that South Sudan will implement the new Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) cargo clearance system that will enable the smooth clearance of South Sudan cargo.
“Equally, Mr. Aduot announced the implementation of a needed ECTN cargo clearance system by South Sudan that will soon be launched, to facilitate smooth clearance of South Sudan cargo,” they stated.
Acknowledging the enormous contribution that South Sudan plays in the transit markets for the Port of Mombasa, the two parties engaged in discussions for other opportunities for the transit markets, like in the Naivasha Inland Container Depot and the upcoming Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zones project in Mombasa.
“South Sudan is one of the major transit markets for the port of Mombasa with cargo volumes through Mombasa from the market steadily rising over the years.”
“To better facilitate this key market, KPA has continually engaged with the stakeholders, to understand the unique needs,” it added. By Ken Muthomi, Capital News
A top Tanzanian official has announced plans to open a new border post with Rwanda, as part of a raft of measures to scale up ties between the two East African countries.
January Makamba, Tanzania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, who has just wound up a visit to Rwanda, says the proposed border crossing will be set up in Tanzania's Kyerwa district in Kagera Region.
The two countries mainly rely on Rusumo border post to transact business.
Tanzania's top diplomat was on a four-day visit to Rwanda since March 12, leading a delegation of senior officials from the Ministries of Transport, Trade and Industry, ICT, Agriculture, Energy, and other key parastatals.
While reflecting on the key outcomes of his visit in a lengthy post on X, Makamba said President Paul Kagame reaffirmed the friendship between the two countries, describing them as "neighbours, brothers and sisters, joined by geography, history and culture -- and a shared destiny".
Reflecting on his audience with President Kagame, Minister Makamba said, "His guidance on advancing our relations was insightful."
Rwanda is the third largest user of Dar es Salaam port with more than 80 per cent of its cargo passing through it, with 1.4 million metric tonnes of cargo and 63,000 containers processed at the port in 2023 alone.
'Tanzanian farmers will benefit from Rwanda diary investment'
Makamba said: “We have also decided to work on opening a new border post in Kyerwa District in Kagera region to enable easier movement of goods and people.”
Makamba recalled that Tanzania offered Rwanda pieces of land set set up dry ports at Isaka and Kwala, urging the private sector to leverage the opportunity, and noting that Tanzania had the potential to become Rwanda’s number one trading partner.
"We’ve committed to be a reliable partner...and we’re keen to expand (business). Tanzania is Rwanda’s second largest trading partner. The potential to be first exists. We are going to work on it. Rwandans buy a lot cereals from Tanzania.
"We’ve decided to regularise this market. Rwanda has invested in diary factory in Mwanza, where farmers will get lucrative market for milk. We have ensured the success of this venture. We plan to do joint agriculture research through an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) on Agriculture Cooperation that will sign in May."
He added: “Rwanda uses Tanzania broadband infrastructure for a certain amount of capacity in its connectivity. We have committed to be a reliable partner in this area and we are keen to expand this business.”
'We are friends'
“We must work together to solve common challenges and prioritise things that will improve the lives of people from our two countries. The bilateral relations between our two countries have always been excellent and they keep improving to greater heights.”
The message of President Kagame "to me and my delegation was clear: we are friends, neighbours and brothers and sisters, joined by geography, history and culture - and a shared destiny," he said. "We must work together to solve common challenges and prioritise things that will improve the lives of people from our two countries."
The Tanzania minister added, "The bilateral relations between our two countries have always been excellent. They keep improving to greater heights. As diplomats, this is what we live for: to always improve on relations."
Rwanda's Biruta weighs in
Reacting to Makamba's social media comments, his Rwandan counterpart Dr Vincent Biruta posted on X on Thursday: "Thank you Minister @JMakamba for your successful visit to Rwanda and for our rich exchanges. It was a pleasure to host you and your delegation."
He added, "Looking forward to strengthening our bilateral relations through increased trade, investment and people-to-people interactions."
Rwanda and Tanzania are both members of the East African Community, an eight-nation bloc that seeks to foster socioeconomic and political integration among member states. - Alice Kagina, The New Times
Levelling up, housing and communities, Michael Gove has outlined the UK government's definition of extremism. Picture: Lucy North/PA Wire
The UK government’s new definition of extremism has been condemned as a “smash and grab” on human rights by Amnesty International. Launched by communities secretary Michael Gove on Thursday, the definition describes extremism as “the promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance” that aims to “negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others”, or “undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights”.
Groups covered by the definition, which is designed to include conduct that falls short of criminality, but is still deemed “unacceptable”, will be denied access to government funding and prevented from meeting ministers and officials or gaining a platform that could “legitimise” them.
However, the policy has attracted criticism from charities, human rights groups and opposition parties, as well as Tory MPs.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International’s chief executive, labelled the expansion of the definition a “dangerous gimmick”, that had come in the wake of protest calling for a ceasefire.
He said: “From the Prime Minister’s disturbing Downing Street speech earlier this month, the introduction of further anti-protest measures and now the expansion of the extremism definition, it looks as if the government is set on shrinking the space for dissenting views and the right to protest.
“An overwhelmingly peaceful protest movement seeking an end to Israel’s mass killing of civilians in Gaza is being used by ministers to clamp down on our civil liberties, the irony is crushing and frightening.
Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, announced a new definition of extremism.
“This dangerously sweeping approach to labelling groups and individuals ‘extremist’ is yet another smash and grab on our human rights by a government which has become a serial offender in this regard.
“This attempt to stigmatise legitimate, peaceful political activity is taking us further down the road toward authoritarianism. This expansion will lead to further misuse and discrimination. Today’s announcement is a dangerous gimmick and this whole enterprise should be abandoned.”
The Muslim Council of Britain also attacked the proposals as “flawed”, warning they were “undemocratic, divisive, and potentially illegal” and “may involve defining established Muslim organisations as extremist”.
Labour has claimed the new definition raises more questions than answers and was “very unusual”.
Shadow Treasury minister Darren Jones told the BBC: “The slight confusion really is that the government has focused on this definition today, which is not in relation to the counter-extremism strategy, which is now nine years out of date. It’s not an action plan for agencies and others about what action they should take in communities across the country. It’s not even a legal definition.
“All it really does is prevent the government from financing organisations or individuals. That rather implies that Michael Gove is worried they’re doing that at the moment, which raises more questions than he’s been able to answer this morning.”
Mr Gove insisted the definition would not impact free speech.
He told the Commons: “Our definition will not affect gender critical campaigners, those with conservative religious beliefs, trans activists, environmental protest groups, or those exercising their proper right to free speech.
“The government is taking every possible precaution to strike a balance in drawing up the new definition between protecting fundamental rights and safeguarding citizens.” By Alexander Brown, The Scotsman
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Ashanti region (Photo: Creative Commons/Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor)
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has issued a stern warning to 91 public hospitals across the nation, demanding payment of overdue bills worth a staggering $20.3m or risk power outages.
Failure to settle these debts within a week could result in disconnection from the national grid, potentially jeopardising critical healthcare services, mostly provided by the government. The African Report
South Africa plans to contribute 2,900 troops in total to a new regional force in DR Congo APA
The European Union announced Wednesday an aid package worth almost 70 million euros ($77 million) for the Great Lakes region of Africa which has been plagued by conflict and natural disasters.
“The humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region is desperate -– and is expected to deteriorate further in 2024 as the conflict intensifies and the root causes of violence persist,” Janez Lenarcic, EU commissioner for crisis management, said in a statement.
The statement said 63.75 million euros ($70 million) of the package was allocated to humanitarian projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) including 4.75 million euros ($5.2 million) for disaster risk reduction. CGTN
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