RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
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RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
EDCONOMY
Burundi Becomes the Latest African Nation to Ban Plastic Bags. Burundi has declared that the imports of non-biodegradable bags are prohibited from 22nd August 2019, thus becoming the latest African Nation to ban plastic bags.
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THE BIG PICTURE: Burundi now joins other African nations such as Eritrea, Rwanda, Kenya, Morocco that have already enforced the ban on plastics. Burundi decided to bring forward the implementation of the ban, ahead of the earlier deadline granted to phase out plastic bags. The ban was supposed to come into effect in February next year. The Minister of the Environment, Referring to data from Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Déo- Burundi Revenue AuthorGuide Rurema, held on August 13, ity (OBR), the Minister of 2919, a press briefing on the status the Environment said that of implementation of Decree No. analysis of statistical data 100/099 prohibiting the import, on imports of plastic bags manufacture, marketing and use during the period of 11 of plastic bags and another pack- months before the impleaging. mentation of that decree According to Mr. Rurema, the problem of plastic bags is now on the agenda of almost all countries in general and Burundi in particular. Harmful effects of the non-biodegradable material He added that Burundi is the only country in the East African Community that is still reaping the harmful effects of plastic waste because, according to him, it does not yet have a clear policy on the management of plastics. Minister Rurema indicated that a grace period of 18 months has been granted to dispose of stocks and orders placed.
and the 11-month period after its establishment shows that imports after the implementation of the decree are very significant and give worrying results.
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He took the opportunity to inform the public that from Thursday, August 22, 2019, all imports of ethylene polymer bags (non-biodegradable) and raw materials used to manufacture the latter are prohibited, and all authorizations already granted for that purpose will be canceled.
He asked the OBR and the police to help ensure that those measures According to him, there is, as an are adopted. indication, one of the importers whose imports of plastic bags went However, he said, the ministry will from 700 packages before the de- verify the authenticity of the aucree to 55 038 618 packages after thorizations that were used in difthe decree. ferent imports. Dispose of waste material before it He reassured the public not to is too late worry about substitute products, Compared to the raw material, he saying that they already exist even gave the example of one of the im- on the market. porters whose imports went from 364 566 kg before the decree to Minister Rurema noted that to en997 382 kg after the decree. courage proponents of substitute products, a joint ministerial ordiMr. Rurema explained nance has been drawn up and will that if imports of plassoon be put in place to define intic bags and imports of centive arrangements.
Today, he said, within six months of the expiry of this grace period, the situation is that the bags are still used as before and are observed in raw material continue large quantities in the markets. at this rate, it will be There are also huge stocks in the depots of pouch factories. Even difficult to dispose of the stocks before the grace some manufacturers and importperiod expires. ers say there are still orders outstanding, he added.
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But this grace period must be respected, and this requires measures that must be taken in accordance with the law, he said.
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AFRICA
RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
Details on how Huawei has been spying on Bobi Wine on behalf of Uganda Gov’t
Huawei, the Telecom tech giant has been reportedly caught redhanded spying on Uganda;’s opposition members on behalf of the Uganda governement, the US-based, Wall Street Journal reported. The Wall Street Journal’s scathing article cites credible information that the Chinese tech company, Huwaei, helped Museveni’s administration to hack into Bobi Wine’s conversations by accessing his WhatsApp and Skype chats. Technicians from the Chinese tech giant, employed by Museveni have been intercepting Bobi Wine’s private communications and also his social media accounts. According to an investigative piece done by The Wall Street Journal, a group of six intelligence officers struggled to contain a threat to the 33year old regime of President Yoweri Museveni launched by Bobi Wine last year. THE BIG PICTURE: Bobi Wine had launched a determined plan to end the three-decade rule of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Bobi Wine had already partnered with other opposition members, such as Kizza Besigye, to reach the objective. Bobi Winer has the full support of the Western World, especially the US, in his quest to usher in a ‘democratic rule’. How Huawei git into the play Museveni ordered Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit to intercept Bobi Wines encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests”, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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The hired Huawei employees based on the third floor of the capital’s police headquarters spent days trying to penetrate Mr. Wine’s WhatsApp and Skype communications using spyware but failed. Then they asked for help from the staff working in their offices from Huawei, Uganda’s top digital supplier.
Related: Bobi Wine and Kizza Besigye ‘to work together’ to end Museveni’s rule. Authorities used this intercepted informa-
tion to disrupt Bobi Wine’s plans to organize street rallies and arrested the politician and dozens of his supporters. This helped Museveni tame Bobi Wine’s rising influence in Uganda, local media reported. Huawei, a threat to Africa and the World? The Wall Street Journal’s report did not stop there saying that Huawei had spied on Uganda’s opposition, but also it did the same in Zambia when it helped the Edgar Lingu’s administration to crack down on the opposition members. Zambia’s opposition members, as the Wall Street Journal puts it, were hacked in their Facebook pages by Huawei Tech company which well issuing critical views of the Edgar Lungu administration and on his re-election. Related: Uganda’s Bobi Wine lawyer asks Trump to freeze US aid to Uganda. The US administration, especially Donald Trump, has been very critical of the Chinese Tech Company, Huawei, accusing it of spying on foreign countries affaire on behalf of Chinese governement. Since 2012 the U.S. government has accused Huawei— the world’s largest maker of telecom equipment and the second-largest manufacturer of smartphones—of being a potential tool for the Chinese government to spy abroad, after decades of alleged corporate espionage by state-backed Chinese actors.
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Thi standoff between Beijing and Washington, called Trade War, led to blacklisting Huawei as non-wanted in the United Syates and certain western countries. Trump stated that Huawei posed a ‘threat to the national security’.
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Beware of Huawei. Its Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents@ahmednasirlaw@ WMutunga@bettymurungi@DonaldBKipkorir @ItsGeorgeKegoro @Maina_Kiai@ johngithongo https://t.co/EhVVbFjjBE — Prof Makau Mutua (@makaumutua) August 14, 2019
Google followed suit by revoking the right of Huawei to use Google’s Operating System(Android OS) to incorporate in its phones sold at the market. Facebook also banned Huawei from using its pre-installed app in Huawei phones. This ban by Google led Huawei to fight back and usher in its Operating system, codenamed HarmonyOS to rival Google’s Android OS. Huawei has always denied these accusations of Spying. China also denies the reports of using The Telecom tech giant, Huawei to spy on behalf of its government.
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BURUNDI
RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
Former Burundi Ambassador to Uganda, Jean Bosco Barege, re-assigned to Kenya.
Jean Bosco Barege, the former Ambassador to Uganda, has been re-assigned in his duties to be Burundi ambassador to Kenya, he told RegionWeek. Barege had the last meeting with Uganda Head of State, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, where they apparently were giving each other goodbye and wishing him a new fresh start in his duties assigned to him. “It was a great honor to be received by H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,President of the Republic of Uganda to bid him farewell at the end of my term. Opportunity to present greetings of H.E Pierre Nkurunziza to reiterate the will to strengthen the long-standing ties between our countries”, Jean Bosco Barege wrote on Twitter.
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It was a great honour to be received by H.E @KagutaMuseveni,the President of #Uganda to bid him farewell at the end of my term.Opportunity to present greetings of H.E @pnkurunziza and reiterate the will of strengthening the long-standing ties between our two countries. pic.twitter.com/ MpiY2VskcS “I am going to work hard to bring the happily existing cordial relations between Burundi and Kenya to another higher level”, Jean Bosco Barege said when asked how he is anticipating to work with Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
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“I am going to work hard to bring the happily existing cordial relations between Burundi and Kenya to another higher level”, Jean Bosco Barege said when asked how he is anticipating to work with Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. Very delighted to bid farewell to Hon.Sam Kutesa,Minister of Both Burundi and Uganda work together in the East Foreign Affairs of the Republic of African Community block…, and in Somalia, through #Uganda at the end of my tour AMISOM, and this from 2007 when none of the African of duties as #Burundi AmbasCountries were not envisaging to go there”, Jean Bosco sador to #Uganda.Reiterated Barege told RegionWeek. the will of #Burundi to further strengthen the long-standing RegionWeek asked Jean Bosco Barege he will do in his new asties between our two countries signment to shore up Kenya and Burundi relations and said that pic.twitter.com/jvJ2MXGxwC ‘he will do everything he can to reach this goal’. RegionWeek asked Jean Bosco Barege he will do in his new as- Kenya and Burundi are having good resignment to shore up Kenya and Burundi relations and said that lations since all of these two countries share the same goal in the East African ‘he will do everything he can to reach this goal’. Community through the lasting development of the latter. Barege had the last meeting with Uganda Head of State, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, where they apparently were giving each other goodbye and wishing him a new fresh start in his duties assigned to him. Asked by RegionWeek how he sees Burundi and Uganda relations, Jean Bosco said that ‘Uganda and Burundi have cordial relations’.
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BURUNDI
RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
Burundi launches Ebola vaccination campaign
On 13th August, the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control kicked off the vaccination campaign for frontline staff against the Ebola virus disease. The campaign started at the Gatumba entry point at the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Ebola vaccination campaign is part of Burundi’s preparation for a possible case of Ebola. The campaign will be implemented under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO). Financial support is provided by GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Burundi has received doses of the Ebola vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV) to provide protection against the Zairian strain of the virus, which is currently affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
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Related: Burundi on high preparedness against Ebola outbreak.
Although this vaccine is not yet approved and its commercial use is not yet authorized, it has been shown to be effective and safe during Ebola outbreaks in West Africa. Further scientific research is required before the vaccine can be licensed, reported Relief Web. The vaccine is used for humanitarian purposes to protect people most at risk of an Ebola outbreak. It will be administered to health and front-line staff working in priority areas where there is a risk of transmission. These are health workers working at points of entry into the country as well as other people potentially exposed to the Ebola virus disease, such as laboratory
workers, surveillance teams and people responsible for carrying out dignified and secure burials. “The vaccination of health and
front-line staff is a significant step forward in preparing for the response to this disease,” said Dr. Kazadi Mulombo, WHO
“The vaccine proved highly protective against Ebola in a trial conducted in Guinea in 2015. Pending consideration by the relevant regulatory authorities, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization recommended that the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine be used as part of a protocol on expanded access and compassionate use during Ebola outbreaks related to the Zaire strain, such as the current one in the DRC. In Burundi, we will use it for prevention purposes.”
Vaccination means of preparedness Vaccination is one of the many preparedness measures that Burundi has planned to put in place. WHO deployed experts to support these activities and trained 50 national immunization workers on behalf of the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control. The training consisted of familiarization with the principles of good clinical practice and standard protocol procedures. This new knowledge is necessary for the administration of the Ebola vaccine and includes the ability to conduct ring vaccination, vaccinating only those people who are most likely to be infected in case of a reported Ebola case in Burundi. According to the World Health Organization, No cases of Ebola have been reported in Burundi, but preparation remains crucial. WHO, which supports Burundi in preparedness activities, has provided logistical support to ensure the cold chain and facilitated the pro-
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vision of supplies and equipment necessary to carry out the vaccination campaign. Related: WHO declares DR Congo Ebola an ‘international health emergency’. WHO provided special vaccine carriers and upgraded the cold chain of the Expanded Programme on Immunization of the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control, through the installation of additional freezers adapted to this type of vaccine. The capacity of local laboratories to analyze samples taken from people suspected of being infected with the Ebola virus has also been strengthened through the upgrading of the laboratory of the National Institute of Public Health. WHO also supports the Government of Burundi in engaging with communities, community-based active surveillance, capacity building for infection prevention and control and case management and the dissemination of information on Ebola through the mass media. Source: WHO
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AFRICA
RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
‘Rwanda manipulates its economic data to hide its poverty’, FT reports. Ther British financial magazine, Financial Times, has debunked Rwanda and said that Kigali administration has ‘manipulated its economic data to hide its global ranking poverty’.
The Financial Times on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, released a lengthy survey of Rwanda showing that Kigali changed its poverty statistics in 2015. The article of the Financial Times entitled “Rwanda: Where even poverty data must toe Kagame’s line“(paywalled) simply sends a strong message to Kigali and it may appear a ‘coup’ to Kagame’s administration. THE BIG PICTURE: According to the World Bank, Rwanda is reported to be progressing in the economy, with its Kigali city reported to be among the greenest in Africa. But, the reality is that there some grassroots Rwandans still hanging on less than a dollar every day as other figures show.
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France24, which took up from the Financial Times’ article, stated the same that it had done the preliminary analysis back in 2015 and found that Rwanda manipulated its figures to hide its global poverty ranking.
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According to France 24, four years ago, credible sources said that Rwanda had changed its economic statistics to mask increasing poverty. France 24 states that when Kagame Paul change the constitution that would allow him to rule until 2034, its administration did not want official data to be shown as an increase in the number of poor Rwandans. According to the Financial Times, the “analysis of the
14,000 data in the report, as well as interviews with academics, shows that the skyrocketing prices for Rwandan families have led to an increase in poverty between 2010 and 2014”. Another magazine has released, back in March this year, striking facts to be considered about the poverty of Rwanda. The magazine also came to the conclusion that Rwanda skews or manipulates its economic data to hide its poverty.
THE BIG PICTURE: According to the World Bank, Rwanda is reported to be progressing in the economy, with its Kigali city reported to be among the greenest in Africa. But, the reality is that there some grassroots Rwandans still hanging on less than a dollar every day as other figures show. Financial Times adds that there have been “recurring attempts since 2015 to manipulate the results” on poverty. Rwanda has rejected the Financial Times’s accusations.
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But, as analysts say, it appears that this Finacial Times report comes to confirm the deep report done by France24 back in 2015.
AFRICA
RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
UNAIDS appointed Ugandan diplomat, Winnie Byanyima as Executive Director
The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Ugandan diplomat, Winnie Byanyima as the new Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Born on the 13th of January 1959, Byanyima, who is a prominent Ugandan diplomat and humanitarian, will be the first woman Executive Director to lead the agency since its launch in 1996. Ms. Byanyima, former executive director of Oxfam International, has more than 30 years of experience in political leadership, diplomacy, and humanitarian engagement. Byanyima’s appointment comes in the wake of a leadership transition at UNAIDS which was precipitated by the departure of its previous Executive Director, Michel Sidibé, following an alleged cover-up of a sexual harassment investigation involving senior agency staff and reports of abuse of office during his tenure.
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“I am honoured to be joining UNAIDS as the Executive Director at such a critical time in the response to HIV,” said Ms. Byanyima after her appointment. “The end of AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 is a goal that is within the world’s reach, but I do not underestimate the scale of the challenge ahead.
Working with all its partners, UNAIDS must continue to speak up for the people left behind and champion human rights as the only way to end the epidemic.” According to United Nations lowed “a comprehensive seSecretary-General, António lection process that involved Guterres, Byanyima’s appoint- a search committee constiment as the UNAIDS Executive tuted by members of the UNDirector and United Nations AIDS Programme Coordinating Under-Secretary-General fol- Board.” “The UNAIDS Committee of Co-sponsoring Organisations made the final recommendation on the appointment to the Secretary-General.” Winnie Byanyima has a wealth of experience and commitment in harnessing the power of governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector, and civil society to end the AIDS epidemic around the world. She has been the Executive Director of Oxfam International since 2013. Before that, she served for seven years as the Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme.
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In addition to her work as the Executive Director of Oxfam International, Byanyima has the distinction of being the first female Ugandan to become an aeronautical engineer. She has served as Uganda’s ambassador to France, co-chaired the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2015 and was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the High-Level Panel on Access to Medicines.
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RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
AFRICA
Burundi: Catnip and Artemisia plants to be used in the fight against Malaria Burundi: Catnip and Artemisia plants to be used in the fight against Malaria
Burundi Miniter of heath Dr. Thaddée Ndikumana, Thacien Masharabu, a researcher at the University of Burundi and Ginette Karirekinyana founder and director of the Consultative Agency on Ethics of International Cooperation (ACECI) said that catnip seedlings and artemisia will soon be planted in the country to fight against malaria. “A recent study found that the Malaria-borne female mosquitoes sting during the day, which is unusual. This has led to the research for other strategies to prevent the disease at any time of day, hence the introduction of these medicinal plants, “said the Minister of Public Health in Burundi, Thadée Ndikumana. “The research initiated by the University of Burundi, and approved at the EAC level, in collaboration with the BioInnovate Africa Program, has revealed that the catnip contains mosquito repellent elements that can prevent malaria,” the report said.
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THE BIG PICTURE: The introduction of these mosquitoes repellents in Burundi comes as various reports of Malaria disease report that the latter has become an epidemic according to the UN report. However, Burundi Ministry of Health denied this UN report as ‘over-exaggerated’. The UN put it that Malaria had already affected almost half of Burundians. Related: Health Minister denies UN report of ‘epidemic Malaria in Burundi’. The multiplication will be launched Tuesday, August 27 at the Hotel Source of the Nile, by the Association of the Natives of Bujumbura-Mairie “. These plants are also used essentially as oils, soap, insecticides, etc. These plants are said to have been tested in some parts of Burundi and will soon be planted throughout the country, as Thadee Ndikumana put it. “These plants will soon be planted throughout the country via the project” Ewe Burundi Urambaye “The mosquito nets impregnated certainly protect, but only at night”, the Minister said.
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What are Catnip and Artemisia plants? The catnip plant is a plant of the mint family, with downy leaves, purple-spotted white flowers, and a pungent smell attractive to cats. Its strong smell could be repellent to mosquitoes.
RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
DJ Arafat dies after a motorcycle accident
NEWS
Ivorian artist Ange Didier Huon popularly known as DJ Arafat died after a motorcycle accident in the night of Sunday 11 to Monday, August 12 in Abidjan. According to various local media reports including Maurice Bandaman, the Ivorian Minister of Culture. The star of the “coupe-décalé” died Monday, August 12 at the Polyclinic of Two Plateaux in Abidjan. The artist died as a result of his injuries after a serious road accident that occurred during the night from Sunday to Monday. Jeune Afrique reported that his motorcycle hit a car which was driven by a journalist from Radio Côte d’Ivoire. After the accident, DJ Arafat, unconscious, was quickly taken care of and admitted to intensive care. Unfortunately, he did not survive.
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“He was admitted to emergencies in a vegetative state. He had a fractured skull and edema, “a doctor of the institution told Jeune Africa on condition of anonymity. Two Ivorian government ministers, who visited the artist’s bedside, confirmed the death as did a senior official in Abidjan. “I’m at the clinic where DJ Arafat was admitted. I can confirm that the artist is deceased. I am with Minister of State Hamed Bakayoko, to sympathize with the family, “said Maurice Bandaman, Ivorian Minister of Culture and Francophonie.
The information has also been confirmed on the antennas of the RTI and through its Twitter page, the public channel of Ivory Coast, in his diary of 13h.
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[Nécrologie] Décès de l’artiste DJ ARAFAT de son vrai nom Houon Ange Didier ce lundi 12 août à 8 heures, des suites d’un accident de la circulation qui s’est produit dans la nuit du dimanche 11 août à Abidjan.#RTIinfo @RTIOfficiel pic.twitter.com/GRxkh531Vg About Dj Arafat DJ Arafat, sometimes called Yôrôbô, Commander Zabra and formerly Sao Tao the Dictator, whose real name is Ange Didier Huon, born January 26, 1986, in Abidjan and died in the same city on August 12, 2019, was a singer, composer, producer, and arranger Ivorian music. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest singers in sub-Saharan Africa and an ambassador of the coupé-décalé. He had a considerable influence on Ivorian musical culture. He won the Best Francophone Award at the 2015 MAMAs and he was nominated for Best African Act at the 2015 MTV EMA. Victim of a motorcycle accident in the night of Sunday 11 to Monday, August 12 in Abidjan, the Ivorian artist Ange Didier Huon – aka DJ Arafat – died from his wounds in a clinic in Abidjan, according to several official sources Ivorians RIP @yorobo86 pic.twitter.com/qtA7U2Wx5s — Loud Music Officiel (@OfficielLoud) August 12, 2019
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AFRICA
RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
AL Shabaab attacked Burundian AMISOM troops in Somalia, unknown casualties.
Reports from Somalia say that the Al Shabaab militants attacked Burundians troops in Somalia, on Saturday, August 10, 2019, grouped in the UN&AU-led AMISOM forces tasked to maintain and repel Al Shabaab militants in Somalia As the local media reported, heavy clashes erupted on Saturday in some districts in Lower Shabelle region. The Lower Shabelle district is understood to be home of Burundian troops serving in AMISOM. Reports of the local media said that heavy fighting took place at the base of the AMISOM contingent, particularly Burundi. Related: AMISOM-Somalia: 6 Burundian soldiers killed in the attack. Residents said they heard gunfire and artillery shelling between the two sides, as well as attacks in Barawe district and Shalanbod district, which has bases for AMISOM forces.
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THE BIG PICTURE: In a recent AL Shabaab attack on Burundian troops serving in AMISOM, six Burundians troops succumbed to the attack which was confirmed to have taken place by the Burundi Defense Ministry Speaker, Floribert Biyereke. The AU Chairperson, Mussa Faki Mahamat, sent his deepest condolences to Burundi government over the tragical loss. It is yet to be confirmed of the casualties from the last Saturday attacks on AMISOM troops by Al Shabaab. It should be noted that the AMISOM administration has not said any comment on the Saturday attacks. Related: The African Union sends condolences to Burundi over the loss of 6 soldiers in Somalia. Today, clashes between Al Shabaab militants and the Somalia government forces
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have taken places where it is reported that the clashes have resulted in 10 deaths. At least 10 people have been killed and more than 10 others injured in a fierce gun battle in the Afgooye corridor, local media reports. Related: The African Union Top Envoy praises Burundian troops in Somalia. Burundi has around 5000 troops participating in the peace and security maintenance in Somalia under the UN&AU-sponsored AMISOM forces.
RegionWeek N° 018 August 2019
SPORTS
Incredible debut: Saido Berahino scores for Zulte Waregem Saido Berahino was part of the scorers for Zulte Waregem. The Burundi International spent no time impress his fans and the club, scoring in his debut 1 one of the 2 goal-victory over Stephen Odey’s Genk.
The 26-year-old was on target for Essevee as they beat Felice Mazzu’s side in their first season match played on Saturday. Berahino didn’t take long to make an impact for Waregem. The Burundi national team captain scored for his side’s second goal in the 78th minute after Henrik Bjordal netted the opener.
Berahino scored only five goals since joining the England Championship side in January 2017. The Burundi international has signed a twoyear deal; however, with this incredible debut, there can be an option of a third year. anything.
Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta The victory halts Francky Dury’s men’s losing could not rescue the reigning league champi- streak after bowing to Mechelen and Standard ons from crumbling at home despite being on Liege in their opening fixtures. parade for 90 minutes. Berahino and his teammates will next paly Also, manager Felice Mazzu replaced Ianis Sporting Charleroi at Regenboog stadium. HagiArticle by Nigeria international Stephen Odey after 68 minutes, the later didn’t change “The past month I have regained my conFormer Stoke City and West Brom striker Saido Berahino signed for Belgian top-flight side Zulte Waregem on Wednesday 8 August after leaving Stoke by mutual agreement. The Burundi Swallows striker has three years remained on his contract with Stoke City, but Stoke’s chiefs have agreed to pay the former England Under-21 striker nearly half of the £5million remaining on his contract. The move reportedly came after lawyers said sacking him was not an option.
fidence and regained my pleasure in football.” “Similar when I made my debut with West Bromwich in the Premier League,” Berahino describes his feeling after signing his new contract. “I’m looking forward to discovering this new competition and giving t he best of myself.” “I am aware of that. If you have played in the Premier League you are a bit busy. It is up to me to perform on the field every day and make my teammates, trainers and the fans happy. If we get everyone behind us, we can achieve something nicely. “
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BURUNDI
RegionWeek N° N° 018 August 2019
Japan donates 1 million USD to help in fight against malnutrition in Burundi of Kirundo, “said Virginia Villar Arribas, Director and Representative of WFP in Burundi at the symbolic reception of this gift from the Government of Japan. Kirundo is one of the provinces most affected by chronic malnutrition and food insecurity. WFP will use the contribution to distribute nutritional food supplements to pregnant women and nursing mothers to cover nutrient gaps and prevent low birth weight and infections that lead to increased child mortality. Related: Japan donates 1 million $ to Burundi to assist victims of “epidemics and natural disasters”. WFP supports community nutrition education where women teach other local women. Main topics include dietary diversity, exclusive breastfeeding, hygiene practices, and family planning. Through this approach, women exert social control among themselves to facilitate behavior changes at the household level and to impact social and cultural norms in the longer term. “I am delighted to be able to work with WFP again to improve the health and well-being of people and we thank WFP Burundi. Japan will continue to support the development of Burundi,” said Takayuki Miyashita, Japanese Ambassador to Burundi. The Government of Japan has contributed US$1 million to help prevent chronic malnutrition and support vulnerable families with pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under two years in Burundi’s northern province of Kirundo. The project is run by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) working with the Ministry of Public Health and the Non-Governmental Organization Concern Worldwide.
Japan’s government has supported Burundi together with WFP for many years. This contribution is the second for food assistance this year. The last was signed in February. Related: Japan and Burundi cooperation to cope with Food Insecurity.
“Improving the health and well-being of people requires investment in the prevention of factors that influence their nutrition and wellbeing. We are honored to receive this contribution from the people of Japan to help respond to nutrition needs and build the resilience of the people of Kirundo,” said Virginia Villar Arribas, WFP Country Director and Representative in Burundi.
Overall in 2019 so far, WFP received US$2.8 million from the people of Japan for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition and the provision of daily school meals to students in areas that are most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition across the Related: Japan offers $270 000 to support Burundian refugees living in country. Rwanda. The WFP representative in Burundi added that improving the lives of people involves investing in nutrition and health. “Improving the health of the entire population requires investing in the factors that influence upstream nutrition and health. I am honored to receive this contribution from the Japanese people to meet the nutritional needs and support the resilience of the people of Kirundo, “said Virginia Villar Arribas, Director and Representative of WFP in Burundi at the symbolic reception of this gift from the Government of Japan.
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“Improving the health of the entire population requires investing in the factors that influence upstream nutrition and health. I am honored to receive this contribution from the Japanese people to meet the nutritional needs and support the resilience of the people
The Government is very active in fighting malnutrition and has been a member of the Scaling Up Nutrition network since 2013. WFP supports the efforts of the Government of Burundi to address poverty and undernutrition and end hunger through assistance to vulnerable people, including refugees, internally displaced people, and returnees, food-insecure households, malnourished children under 5, and pregnant women and nursing mothers.
RegionWEEK is a Weekly News Briefing about Brurundi and East Africa. Publisher: RegionWeek Ltd Editor in chief: Fabrice Iranzi Head of Africa Bureau: John Nshimirimana 11, Avenue du Gouvernement, Rohero Bujumbura-Burundi Tél: +257 79 43 28 86 P.O Box 6402 Bujumbura
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