Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta has accused Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities of abandoning last year's agreement signed in the Angolan capital, Luanda, which aimed to address the crisis in the DRC's North Kivu province, where government forces are battling M23 rebels.

While briefing parliament on Thursday in the capital city Kigali on the country's diplomatic relations with its neighbors, Biruta said Rwanda maintains good relations with all its neighboring countries except those with the DRC, which he described as "very poor" due to tensions over the M23 rebel group.

Last November, African leaders at a mini-summit in Luanda agreed on an immediate ceasefire in North Kivu province, the immediate withdrawal of M23 rebels from the occupied areas, and the disarmament and repatriation of foreign armed groups, among others. 

"You hear the Congolese government saying, and the international community supports them, that the agreement was not respected because the M23 did not withdraw as required," Biruta said.

"They never talk about the rest... the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda rebels) disarmament or other foreign armed groups, the refugee issue, the political talks, yet all these are part of the (Luanda) communique," he said. 

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi has accused the M23 of "faking" withdrawal from areas it recently captured in the east.

Biruta said that Rwanda remains ready to participate in all initiatives aimed at finding solutions to the current violence in the eastern DRC.

Relations between the two neighboring countries have soured since fighting resumed between M23 rebels and DRC government troops. 

The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, a charge Rwanda denies.

Kigali has in turn accused the Congolese army of allying with the FDLR, whose elements are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. The Standard/Xinhua

TEHRAN - Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Tanzanian counterpart Stergomena Lawrence Tax on Thursday afternoon held talks over issues of mutual interest and expansion of cooperation between the two countries.

During the telephone conversation, Amirabdollahian congratulated Ms. Stergomena Lawrence Tax on her appointment as Tanzania’s new foreign minister and underlined the need for expansion of cooperation in different fields, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

The top Iranian diplomat said fortunately, Iran and Tanzania share the same views at international organizations and expansion of ties, especially in trade and economic fields, has always been their top priority.

Iran’s foreign minister further stressed that Iran is ready to share its know-how and experience, particularly in knowledge-based areas as well as in the fields of agriculture, fishery, dam construction, watershed and irrigation, with the African country. 

Tanzanian Foreign Minister Stergomena Lawrence Tax for her part thanked Amirabdollahian for his verbal and written messages of congratulations on her appointment as the new top diplomat of Tanzania.

She called for expansion of cooperation between the two nations in different areas.

Ms. Lawrence Tax added that Tanzania has put on its agenda the pursuit of cooperation with Iran, especially in trade and economic fields and also the holding of the joint commission of the two sides as soon as possible.

 Using fake name for Persian Gulf will not change realties: spokesman

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said the use of a fake name instead of “Persian Gulf” by Iraqi officials is at odds with the principle of neighborly ties and friendly relations between the two countries.

Kanaani called on Iraq to correct this trend.

He said the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Baghdad earlier objected to this move. Kanaani further said the Foreign Ministry’s Department General of Legal Affairs also filed an official note of protest with the Iraqi officials.
He stressed that the department described the move by the Iraqis as unacceptable and called on Baghdad to respect international names.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran expects the Iraqi officials to use the correct name for the body of water, which has been underlined by the United Nations as well. Kanaani said the name of “Persian Gulf” has been the same in documents, maps, diaries and ancient texts for thousands of years and the fabrication of unfounded phrases and words will not change this reality.

He noted that no country should seek friendship with others at the expense of the rich asset of historical solidarity among regional countries.

Iran condemns Israeli raid on Jenin camp
Kanaani has also strongly condemned Thursday’s brutal attack by the criminal forces of the apartheid Zionist regime against the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank that martyred and wounded dozens of oppressed Palestinians.

Kanaani said the silence and inaction of relevant international organizations and the fake defenders of human rights in the West toward the daily crimes of the occupying regime are painful and a cause for shame.

Kanaani also called for Islamic countries to adopt a united stance and act in concert in defense of the oppressed Palestinian people and their legitimate resistance against the Zionist occupiers.

Kanaani also demanded serious action in order to prevent inhumane and terrorist acts by the apartheid Zionist regime.

The Iranian foreign minister said on Twitter that the “ferocious attack and mass killing carried out by the Zionist entity in the Jenin camp” requires immediate action from the international community and Islamic countries against the criminals. Terhan Times

A court has ordered a woman in Kanungu, Uganda to pay her former fiancé more than Ush10 million ($2,700) as compensation for breach of a promise to marry him.

Court records show that Richard Tumwine and Fortunate Kyarikunda, both teachers, started their relationship in 2015, and that they later entered a marriage agreement in 2018.

The court also heard that Tumwine, a teacher, financially supported Kyarikunda including sponsoring her for a diploma in law at the Law Development Centre where he spent more than USh9.4 million ($2,500).

Kanungu Grade One Magistrate Asanasio Mukobi held that since Kyarikunda did not fulfil the promise to marry, then Tumwine is entitled to re-imbursement of his USh9.4 million spent on her.

Mr Mukobi also ordered Kyarikunda to pay USh1 million ($271) to Tumwine as general damages for inconveniences and psychological anguish suffered.

Legal costs

The magistrate also ordered Kyarikunda to pay legal costs incurred by Tumwine in prosecuting his case.

“I note from the exhibit that several mobile money transfer transactions from the plaintiff’s cell phone in names of Richard Tumwine to the defendant’s cell phone in names of Fortunate Kyarikunda,” the magistrate observed.

The magistrate added: “From the exhibit, it is indicated as a budget for introduction for Fortunate Kyarikunda’s parents’ home and several items worth USh5 million ($1358) are indicated on the list and the comments of the defendant appreciating the budget and requesting for more financial support to enable her go to Rubanda is clearly indicated.”

During the hearing of the case, Tumwine told the court that the introduction ceremony was slated for February 2022 but it did not take place and there was no justifiable reason given.

Excuse

The court heard that Kyarikunda came up with an excuse that her parents have stated that their daughter should not get married to an older man, referring to Tumwine.

But the court held: “This is equally unreasonable, a misrepresentation and a fraud. In any case, the defendant had all the opportunity to reject the plaintiff’s love requests at the earliest point possible and avoid interfering with his financial obligations.”

The court observed that the two people were engaged in a love relationship and that from the exhibits presented, arrangements for an introduction ceremony were made.

“The defendant (Kyorikunda) suggested that it takes place in February 2022 and the said date passed despite the plaintiff’s preparations for the introduction. The excuse the defendant gave was that she could not get married to an old man, the plaintiff, as if she did not see young men during their over four years [of] courtship,” the magistrate said. - JULIET KIGONGO, The EaatAfrican