Trending #AfricaThisWeek Volume 1, No. 1 - ITREALMS

#AfricaThisWeek@ITREALMS:

Highlights:

1. Political parties sign peace accord
2. Court orders govt to compensate 16 Rwandese, Ugandan businessmen
3. TAEF condemns Sudan over newspapers seizure
4. La Nouvelle Tribune shuts down
5. Enters deal with China, Court removes age limit on presidential election
6. Over 50 legislators decamp to opposition parties

Follow on Twitter: @#AfricaThisWeek. 

Full edition: #AfricaThisWeek Volume 1, No. 2. This edition is also available in French.

*Courtesy Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Siemens signs MoU with Uganda, Sudan for closer ties

ITRealms:

The global technology powerhouse reputed for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for over 165 years, Siemens has entered a Memorandum of Understanding to work more closely with two African countries of Uganda and Sudan in the areas of power supply, industry, transportation and healthcare, reports ITRealms.

Siemens and the two African states signed the corresponding Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) at the World Economic Forum 2017 in the South African city of Durban.

The documents were signed in the presence of Brigitte Zypries, German Federal Minister for Economics and Energy, Joe Kaeser, President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG and further high-ranking personalities.

“Africa’s economies are gaining ground and can develop their full potential with the right partner. Siemens wants to support their sustainable development – with solutions and projects in Africa, for Africa. The agreements with our African partners are important steps along this path,” said Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “Our goal is to double our order intake in Africa to more than €3 billion by the year 2020.”

Brigitte Zypries, German Federal Minister for Economics and Energy, said: “Africa is a continent with economic opportunities and the German industry is an outstanding partner for the countries of Africa to realize these opportunities. I am very pleased that with the agreements signed today, good progress is being made towards the goal of better infrastructure and thus more growth and employment. I particularly welcome the training program because well-trained skilled workers are a key pillar of prosperity and development. And it is precisely these elements that I also support with the ‘Pro! Africa’ plan.”

“Siemens is a company that invests for the long term, and we are interested in the long-term fundamentals of these markets and the diversification of their economies,” said Sabine Dall’Omo, CEO of Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa. “The opportunity for industrialization in Africa is now. It is estimated that Africa imports one-third of the food, beverages and other similar processed goods it consumers. The potential exists for Africa-based companies to meet this domestic demand and in so doing create sustainable revenue streams and opportunities for job creation.”

Under these agreements, Siemens and its partners will develop solutions in the areas of power supply, transportation, industry and healthcare. Another key point in the agreements relates to continuing training programs for various technical fields in order to create a pool of well-trained local workers. Furthermore, Siemens is joining the “Make IT Alliance” of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development to promote start-ups and technology companies across the African continent. The agreement was signed in the presence of Guenter Nooke, German Chancellor's Personal Representative for Africa in the ministry.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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Uganda, Sudan others understudy Nigeria’s DMO

 ITRealms

 

Some countries including Uganda, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe have approached Nigeria for their debt management offices, central banks and national planning to understudy Nigeria’s experience in public debt management, as the country’s DMO has become a model in Africa, ITRealms reports.

Information reaching ITRealms has it that Uganda had twice visited Nigeria for same reasons, which had impacted efficiently on the economy of the East African country.

The first was in November 2006 when a delegation came to learn from Nigeria’s debt management office model as basis for institutional arrangement, towing same line, a delegation from Sudan also came on a study tour to Nigeria on two occasions.

Disclosing this, the President of Heritage Savings, Mr. Adegboye Ikiola, who has a deep knowledge of the workings of DMO, said‘’The first delegation came in December 12-16, 2005. Similarly, another delegation from the External Debt Management Unit in the Central Bank of Sudan and Domestic Debt Unit in the Ministry of Finance of the same country, visited the DMO for a month secondment programme from Monday, June 23 - Tuesday July 15, 2014.

The core objectives of both visits by the Sudanese teams, ITRealms gathered, were to learn from the Nigeria’s debt relief and restructuring phases as well as Nigeria’s debt management experiences prior to the establishment of the DMO.’’

Another instance, he said, was a visit by: “A delegation from the Ministry of Finance and National Planning of the Republic of Zambia  which undertook a one-week study tour of the Debt Management Office in Nigeria, from 20th - 24th September, 2009. The purpose of the study tour was to enable the Zambians learn how the Debt Management Office, Nigeria is structured, the functions of the Office and how it carries out its responsibilities of managing the country’s public debt and issuance of the FGN Bonds.’’   

‘’I can continue with the examples, because we have to understand what the DMO is doing at this time. A seven-man team from the Zimbabwe Aid  and Debt Management Office (ZADMO) in the Ministry of Finance of Zimbabwe visited the DMO for a week study tour from July 17 to 27, 2011 to understudy the processes of establishing and running an effective debt management office in its efforts to set up a centre of excellence in debt management in Zimbabwe.’’

Industry players are of the opinion that given the successes of the DMO the Nigerian model should be extended to other African countries to emulate in order to strengthen

their debt management profiles.They are as well quick to add that the Office should be encouraged to sustain the training and equipping of her staff for the challenges ahead, particularly in this period that our nation is facing some economic challenges, ITRealms learnt.

CyiacusNnaji/GEE

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Sudanese jubilate over Al-Bashir’s escape from ICC

ITRealms:

There was jubilation in the city of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan as the escape plane bringing back their president, Omar Al-Bashir touched down, just as the South African judge who approved the arrest of Sudanese president due to his links to genocide has called for investigation, reports ITRealms.

President Al-Bashir, ITRealms recalls is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for a 10-count charge leading to genocide during the war in the Darfur region of Sudan, following his ascension to power through a coup in 1989; for Crimes Against Humanity and Crimes of Genocide over his government’s actions and alleged atrocities.

Bashir was in Johannesburg, South Africa since last Saturday for the 25th African Union (AU) Summit. But soon after his arrival, ICC approached a South African High Court to execute his arrest warrant.

Bashir arrived in his traditional white garments waving his trademark cane as he stepped off the plane and shouted, “God is greatest!”

Reports have it that South African President, Mr. Jacob Zuma, may not have been willing to hand Al-Bashir over to ICC and also to avoid political and diplomatic row between the two country just as some diplomatic experts have said that his visit to South Africa was on the invitation of AU and upholding the arrest warrant would be an insult on AU leadership and of the continent.

ITRealms notes that the United Nations estimates that at least 300,000 people have been ruthlessly killed in Darfur region of Sudan under Bashir’s watch.


+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 
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PIX: President, Omar Al-Bashir