Kagame says it is now Rwanda's and Burundi’s turn for EAC post
The President of Rwanda Paul Kagame has spoken out on the increasingly heated discussion over the position of the Secretary-General of the East African Community (EAC), which falls vacant in April. His statement comes out four months before the tenure of the current Secretary-General expires, with tensions growing on who is going to succeed him. The EAC's founding members are Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; the position is currently occupied by Tanzania’s Juma Mwapachu. Kenya’s Francis Muthaura and Uganda’s Amanya Mushega, served as EAC secretary-generals before Mr Mwapachu . Rwanda and Burundi joined three years ago. Some media have reported Rwanda and Burundi may not qualify to fill the slot on account that the two countries are not well versed with the operations of the bloc, raising speculation that there could be a dispute in filling the position. But President Kagame, speaking at a press conference in Kigali mid this week indicated that the two countries would not be ready to have their chance denied to take the helm of the regional body. He noted that since the rules are clear and the position is not elective, there will be no problems in filling it.
Gbagbo team urges AU to replace Odinga
President Laurent Gbagbo's team has opted out of mediation talks led by Kenyan leader Raila Odinga. Mr Odinga is the African Union’s mediator in the Ivorian election stalemate that pits incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo against Alassane Ouattara who is internationally recognised to have won. Mr Gbagbo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alcide Djédjé accused Mr Odinga of bias against their side at the press conference in Abidjan “He (Mr Odinga) has failed in his mission and we are no longer ready to receive him here." The minister was quick to clarify that his team was still committed to talks as long as the AU was ready to send another mediator.
African Union said that the talks on Cote d'Ivoire are not yet over
According to AU sources, Mr Ban Ki-Moon is scheduled to sit with influential African leaders to deliberate on Cote d’Ivoire and other major crises in Africa. On Thursday evening, AU Peace and Security Council Commissioner Ramate Lamamran told reporters in Addis Ababa, that peaceful efforts to unlock the Cote d’Ivoire crisis were on course and a solution would soon be reached. Referring to the role of AU mediator Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Mr Lamamran said that the AU summit will discuss this. The camp of Cote d’Ivoire's incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo has asked the AU to replace Mr Odinga as a mediator after the Kenyan PM's efforts had in his opinion failed this week. Mr Odinga will prepare a report to be presented to the summit and it is up to the summit to decide his next step in Cote d’Ivoire mediation said the commissioner
UN Global Compact will prevented genocide in Kenya
United Nations officials said on Wednesday that the “collective will of the international community” had stopped the post-election violence in Kenya from “escalating to genocide levels” .Dr Francis Deng, the special advisor to the Secretary-General on the prevention of genocide, cited the global response to the chaos three years ago as “a very good demonstration” of preventive action on the part of the UN and other international players He suggested that the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, in which the UN played a passive role, had “clearly sharpened the readiness of the international community to act”. His comments came at a news conference at UN headquarters on current efforts to prevent mass atrocities from occurring in Cote d'Ivoire. Dr Deng suggested that, as in Kenya, the international community is again demonstrating its “collective will” to stop violence from rising to the level of genocide.
Elections will not be postponed, Niger junta decrees
Niger’s junta leader has rejected an appeal by nine presidential candidates that the elections planned for January 31 is postponed. The appeal for postponement was also meant to include legislative elections planned for the same date. The call reflects the frustration felt by politicians with the results of municipal elections last week which many complain were poorly organised. But the military junta headed by General Salou Djibo has since declared the polls free and fair. He also vowed that the regime will not renege on its decision to hold presidential elections on January 31. ECOWAS-designated special emissary to Niger, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who is a former Nigerian head of state, arrived in Niger on Wednesday to resolve the disagreement