DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi signs the deed of Accession to the Treaty establishing the EAC at a ceremony held on Friday at State House Nairobi. PHOTO | COURTESY | STATE HOUSE KENYA
Recently East African Community leaders okayed entry of Democratic Republic of Congo into the bloc, ending a long journey. As we celebrate history and welcome our Congolese brothers and sisters into the region, we should grab opportunities along the way. We anticipate increase in number of French speakers, trade, culture, entertainment and marriages.
However, for non-French and Swahili speakers it’s an opportunity to learn this language to communicate well with our counterparts. English and Swahili are currently the official languages of the East African Community, although there has been talk about introducing French, which is spoken in Rwanda and Burundi.
Although EAC heads of state have approved the admission of DR Congo into the bloc, Congolese lawmakers still have to ratify the EAC laws and regulations before they come into effect. Congolese citizens wishing to visit the other member countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda – without a visa may need to wait a little longer because full integration into the EAC could take months or even a year.
This will allow Congolese citizens to travel freely to the other countries and trade will become much quicker, simpler and cheaper, which should benefit businesses and consumers in all countries. The country shares borders with all EAC members except Kenya, and hopes to attract more investors from the region, however DRC joining the bloc gives better access to facilities such as the Indian Ocean ports of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa.
Import taxes for goods accepted as being made in DR Congo will be removed or greatly reduced when entering the other countries, while transporting goods will become much cheaper. There will be faster clearance of goods. Once the one-stop border post opens, customs officials from both Uganda and DRC will sit in the same building to clear goods and people. The inclusion of DR Congo’s consumer market of close to 90 million people will expand the EAC market to almost 300 million, and open the bloc to the Congolese economy which is rich in all kinds of natural resources.
DR Congo’s inclusion will boost the bloc’s bargaining power globally as you wish to know numbers matter in international trade – the addition of DRC’s economy to the community implies increased purchasing power. This potential expansion of trade links from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic would help expand the region’s economic potential at a time when the continent is working to implement the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Source: Daily Monitor
Armed clashes, floods and drought in South Sudan have left more the 7.7 million people – some 63 percent of the population – facing a food crisis.
The United Nations and South Sudan government said on Saturday that extreme weather conditions, increased armed violence, and the number of internally displaced people have led to increased food insecurity, which had worsened since last year.
“We will continue to have the situation we have in South Sudan if we don’t start to make that transition to ensuring peace at the community levels,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan Sara Beysolow Nyanti said.
Populations suffering most from the food shortages are located in the Unity, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Warrap, and Eastern Equatorial states, according to a joint UN and government report.
“Until conflict is addressed, we will continue to see these numbers increase because what it means is that people do not have safe access to their lands to cultivate,” said Adeyinka Badejo, World Food Programme acting country director in South Sudan.
“We appeal to the leaders of the country to continue towards the path of peace.”
South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his vice president, Riek Machar, agreed last week to resume talks on integrating their rival forces under a unified command after weeks of escalating conflict.
Despite the agreement, fresh fighting erupted on Friday between government and opposition forces in oil-rich Unity State.
Though signing on to a peace deal in 2018 that ended five years of civil war, and forming a unity government two years ago, clashes between Kiir and Machar’s opposing sides have continued amid disagreement about how they would share power.
South Sudan has suffered continuing instability since independence in 2011. Both leaders have been criticised by the UN for their role in the violence, as well as for stifling political freedoms and plundering national coffers.
The conflict has cost almost 400,000 lives and uprooted millions from their homes.
Last month, the UN launched an international appeal for South Sudan to raise $1.7bn in aid needed to provide urgent, life-saving assistance to help millions through 2022. More than two-thirds of the population – almost nine million people – are in need of humanitarian assistance, the UN said. - Al Jazeera
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has issued an alert warning motorists of scammers purporting offer driving licence services.
The authority has distanced itself from four social media pages offering fake driving licence services.
"The public is advised to be aware of the following pages purporting to offer NTSA services," NTSA said.
Further, NTSA requested members of the public who have been conned through the pages to report to the nearest police station.
The development comes amidst a clash between NTSA and driving schools over the continued closure of the authority’s portal.
Kenya Driving Schools Association (KDSA) national vice chair John Magara noted that many students have completed their learning but cannot be examined because the NTSA portal is dysfunctional.
The hitch has affected about 1.5 million students in over 700 driving schools.
However, NTSA emphasised that the portal was closed because of the court order resulting from the suit that was filed by KDSA.
KDSA filed a petition in 2020 to quash the Traffic Driving School Instructor and License Rules 2020 on grounds that the rules had not been subjected to public participation.
In a statement, the authority’s communications office said the court held that there was public participation and hence declined to quash the rules. - PURITY WANGUI, The Star
The entertainment industry is undoubtedly a lucrative one world over. Owing to the countless success stories, more and more people are willing to invest and leave a mark in the ever-growing industry.
This is the case for 31-year-old Moses Midas, a Kenyan-born Disc Jockey (DJ) now based in the United Kingdom. Midas has built his brand over the years and this has seen him land lucrative deals to play at exclusive events in England.
Midas is one of the few resident DJs who play at The O2 Arena, a famous entertainment joint in southeast London.
In an interview with KTN News, the Kenyan DJ stated that it took him many years to build his brand, noting that he started his career working as a radio host for a local University in the UK.
He recounted venturing into the music industry after a friend requested him to play some music at a party. It was at that point that he discovered he would make a good DJ.
"I had an opportunity through a friend of mine who was running events. At the time, I was just presenting for radio and he asked me to play music for them," he narrated.
Despite spending most of his life in the UK, Midas disclosed that he maintains close ties with his family in Kenya and visits them every year.
"I go back to Kenya every year. It is a must as I reset my soul and recalibrate my head. I also take the opportunity to see my family. It is important," he stated.
He added that his DJ career has enabled him to introduce British party revelers to some Kenyan music.
His unique approach and the blend of Kenyan and UK music have seen him get praise from revelers who acknowledge that he is highly talented.
"The DJ is the highlight of the event. He is just vibes. The fusion of the DJ and the instruments are just amazing," a UK resident stated at an award ceremony in London.
Midas explained that his success stems from paying attention to the audience. He urged Kenyans who have a passion for music to pursue their dreams as it can be a lucrative venture with hard work and determination.
"The audience is the most important part of being a DJ. If you have that then you do not need to have technical skills," he advised.
Photo Courtesy
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch Wednesday accused armed forces in Ethiopia of participating in the ethnic cleansing of the Tigrayan minority. The Tigray region in Northern Ethiopia has been dealing with ethnic cleansing fears since the Ethiopian military conflict began in November 2020. The conflict has led to millions of refugees, including thousands to neighboring Sudan.
In 2019, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in ending the war with Eritrea. However, the Tigray conflict replaced the Eritrea war. Human Rights Watch claimed the conflict amounted to war crimes. Amnesty International explained the conflict stems from ethnic divides. The underlying problems are not new nor unique to the Ali government. Ethiopia’s various ethnic groups have caused former governments to grapple with ethnic federalism based on ethnic and regional autonomy. The presence of multiple ethnic groups has caused ongoing problems in the region.
Human Rights Watch compared the Tigrayan ethnic cleansing to the Darfur cleaning at the start of the century. Human Rights Watch stated that Eritrean forces were taking advantage of the situation in the Tigray region. While the cleansing has not reached the level of genocide, those fears are present. Unfortunately, with recent genocides in Rwanda, Darfur—and accusations in Ukraine—the fears are ever-present. By Nazo Demirdjian | U. Nevada Las Vegas School of Law, US, Jurist
Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.
To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.
We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.
UNESCO has commended the annual Mundari Cultural Festival for preserving culture and promoting unity...
They say Africa is splitting along the Great East African Rift valley. The ongoing volcanic activiti...
Gachagua said it was unfortunate that the country continues to remain without an electoral body. In...
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. [Standard, File] Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua...
