Facebook agreed to pay $5 billion fine for privacy violations Kenyan MPs back nationalization of Kenya Airways due to its mounting debts
Facebook Inc has agreed to pay $5 billion fine after user’s privacy breach, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday, July 24, 2019.
BURUNDI AND EAST AFRICA WEEKLY BRIEFING JULY 27th 2019 $ 3.50
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What message did Burundi security minister give to the Burundian students in Turkey? Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, Burundian security minister met and talked with students from Burundi continuing their studies in Turkey After arriving in Ankara for his official visit to turkey.
Facilitation in Business Creation, one of the Investment Promotion Authority’s activities(API).
South Sudan’s President bans singing national anthem in his absence. South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, has banned singing a national anthem in his presence, strictly ordering that the national anthem will be only be sung at his presence.
Angola President, João Lourenço, received Pierre Nkurunziza cooperation message. The President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, received on Monday in Luanda a message of cooperation from his Burundian counterpart, Pierre Nkurunziza, on strengthening bilateral cooperation. The message of the Burundi Head of state was delivered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ezechiel Nibigira. The Angola local media reported that the Angolan president hosted the Burundian envoy and received his letter during a meeting between the two on Monday.
Burundi Diaspora Development: Key takeaways from the Fourth Edition of the Burundi diaspora week. The Burundi diaspora is one of the key actors in the implementation of plans and policies for the country’s development. This was declared in Bujumbura on Monday, July 22 by the first Deputy President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Gaston Sindimwo(below), when he was opening the fourth edition of the Burundi diaspora week, meeting for five days at the Lake Tanganyika Club Hotel.
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Angola President, João Lourenço, received Pierre Nkurunziza cooperation message. The President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, received on Monday in Luanda a message of cooperation from his Burundian counterpart, Pierre Nkurunziza, on strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The message of the Burundi Head of state was delivered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ezechiel Nibigira. The Angola local media reported that the Angolan president hosted the Burundian envoy and received his letter during a meeting between the two on Monday. Although the content of the president’s message to his Angolan counterpart was not revealed to the press, one media reported that the intention of Nibigira travel to Angola may be to ‘gaining comprehension on the recent meeting between Uganda’s Museveni, Rwanda’s Kagame, Angola’s João Lourenço and DR Congo’s Tshisekedi. Speaking to the local press, Ezechiel Nibigica said that the Government of Burundi intends to increase relations of friendship and cooperation with Angola and, in this sense, invited Angolan businessmen to invest in their country.
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With regard to the political instability which has been raging for some time in Burundi, the head of the Burundian diplomacy said that “a climate of peace and security is now very calm.”
THE BIG PICTURE: Recently, the president of Angola invited Paul Kagame, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and Felix Tshisekedi to discuss the regional and security issues. Burundi was excluded from this quadripartite meeting. Related: Angola president, João Lourenço, invites Kagame, Museveni, and Tshisekedi for a ‘Quadripartite Summit’. The meeting between the four presidents saw the resumption of a thaw in relations between Museveni and Kagame, who are in a standoff over border closure row for months. The president of Angola urged Paul Kagame and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to ‘ cool down and end hostilities , and then bury the hatchet’. Related: Angola President, João Lourenço, convinces Kagame and Museveni to ‘cool down’ and end hostilities. Angola and Burundi are all member of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
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South Sudan’s President bans singing national anthem in his absence. South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, has banned singing a national anthem in his presence, strictly ordering that the national anthem will be only be sung at his presence. This was said by the Information Minister on AFP, Michael Makuei, on Monday strictly denying rights to anyone in the officials using the anthem unless the president is present. The Minister only said that the exception will be for embassies and schools, the anthem will only be sung in Kiir’s presence.
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Makuei told reporters in Juba following a weekly cabinet meeting that different leaders and institutions were playing the anthem at whim, which was an abuse of the national tune, written shortly before independence in 2011, Nyamilipedia reported.
“For the information of everybody the national anthem is only meant for the president, in a function only attended by the president, not for everybody,” Makuei said.
The minister said that military leaders have also been banned from addressing the public when in uniform, Al Jazeera reports. The Minister did not give details on what the punishment would be if the orders were not followed. “These are orders and of course when you disobey the orders of the president then you carry your cross,” Makuei said.
“We are seeing now even a minister, undersecretary, even governor or state min- South Sudan descended into chaos in 2013 ister, whenever there is a function the when civil war erupted after Kiir dismissed his entire cabinet over accusations he had plotted national anthem is sung,” he added. a coup. The order was passed by the president Since then, the country has been marred by himself on Friday during the cabinet internal conflicts, infightings, and famines almeeting with ministers when he strictly though the country is described as oil-rich. warned any official not using the national anthem unless the president is pres- The United Nations has been brokering peace deals between warring parties in South Sudan ident. for the restoration of peace and security and the repatriation of hundreds of refugees who fled to neighboring countries.
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Kenyan MPs back nationalization of Kenya Airways due to its mounting debts The nationalization of the Kenya Airways by Kenya has been backed by Kenyan Members of Parliament. The bid to nationalize Kenya Airways by Kenya MPs was to save the company from mounting debts, Al Jazeera reports MPs on Tauesday to accept a transport committee report on nationalization. Kenya Airways Chairman Michael Joseph told the Reuters news agency that the vote was “great news” and said that nationalization is “necessary to compete on a level playing field”. “It is not what we want, but what we need,” he added, referring to competitors such as Ethiopian Airlines that are state-run and profitable. The company is struggling to Nation reports that the debt mounting after failed get considerable revenues expansion drive and slump in air travel forces car- to liquidate all debts has rier to restructure $2bn of debt and accepted to since 2017. be nationalized and be converted into a state-run national carrier like Ethiopian Airways and others. According to a Bloomberg report , Kenya Airways airline The passage of the report now means the govern- is 48.9% owned by the Kenment will be forced to pay off Kenya Airways debt- yan government and 7.8% ors in a bid to pave way for the nationalization of by Air France-KLM. the national carrier. A group of 11 lenders collectively own 38.1% of the company after they converted their loans into equity in 2017. The company’s workTHE BIG PICTURE: Kenya’s parliamentary ers and retail investors own transport committee proposed , in June this the rest of the entity.
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year, the nationalization of Kenya Airways Plc after rejecting the airline’s proposal to allow it to manage the nation’s biggest airport.
The nationalization bid of Kenya Airways has been debated by the chamber on June 18 and voted by
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What message did Burundi security minister give to the Burundian students in Turkey? Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, Burundian security minister met and talked with students from Burundi continuing their studies in Turkey After arriving in Ankara for his official visit to turkey. Asked about passports, he said that expatriates who have expired documents have the right to use them until their expiry date and will have to buy new passports of the East African Community. Students who will need the new travel documents for travel to Burundi for specific reasons will be asked to submit an application for a special letter from the Burundi consulate in Ankara, TRT added. In his talks with the stuWHY IT MATTERS: Alain Guillaume Bunyoni went to Turkey dents from Burundi, Bunyoni in a bid to boost the bilateral ties and cooperation between has called for unity and paTurkey and Burundi. triotism to rebuild the nation while denouncing post-coloAccording to Turkey local TRT media, the Burundian security nial education that was of minister met with students from Burundi at the Burundian little benefit to the nation embassy and discussed various issues that they wanted and even to the rest of Afclarification from the Burundian security Minister. rica. Before leaving the opportunity for students to ask questions, Alain Guillaume Bunyoni has assured them that the current situation in Burundi is calm and free from any fears, that the police force is responsible for any task to maintain peace and security throughout the country.
TRT says that Bunyoni has congratulated the foreign students who have returned to the country for the development of the nation by citing the local Related: Burundi’s security minister arrived in Turkey on his hospital in Karusi “Twese official visit to boost bilateral ties. Turashoboye”.
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Commenting on the development, the minister said that Burundi has made significant steps in different fields by designing the electronic system used by the Police Force to enhance security across borders.
In conclusion, he wants the students to be envious of development, to be united and to protect themselves from anyone who will try to bring divisional ideas into society.
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Uganda Airlines set to start commercial flights to Nairobi Uganda Airlines is set to begin its flights to Nairobi Kenya from July 31 to the end of August, after delaying to acquire necessary certification, Ugandan local media reported. According to Uganda’s Works and Transport minister Monica Azuba, the launch has been put off to next month as the airline has not acquired the Air Operator Certification (AOC), which is the approval certificate granted to an airline to allow it to use planes for commercial purposes. The AOC is issued by a national regulator.
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“We expected to acquire the AOC by July 29 from the aviation regulator, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) but they decided to take more time to tie all the loose ends,” However, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said Minister Monica Azuba.
director-general Gilbert Kibe said that She added that reservation, bookings, they have not yet received any request ticketing and accounting systems of from Uganda Airlines. “When they are ready, they will Uganda Airlines have been activated as launch EntebbeNairobi route. part of the ongoing preparations, “but in As at now, we have not seen a test, environment using the IATA proviany request from Uganda sional codes”.
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Airlines. Maybe they have done it through the Ministry of Transport who is then supposed to inform us,” said Mr. Kibe.
The IATA is the trade association of the world’s airlines, with a membership of 290 airlines. The body is charged with global commercial standards for the air transport industry. Uganda Airlines stated to be in charge of two Bombardier CRJ900 jets has 76 “We (Ministry of Works) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seats for passengers.
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also wrote to the countries where we expect to fly first, informing them we intend to fly but without the AOC— the license for commercial flights — you cannot fly in their territories, and they require a copy of it,” said Minister Monica Azuba.
It will fly to regional destinations such as Johannesburg, Kigali, Addis Ababa, Juba, Zanzibar, Bujumbura, Accra, and Kinshasa. The first destinations will be Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, and Mogadishu
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Juba accuses Kampala of harboring rebels aimed at invading South Sudan.
RegionWeek Jully 2019
South Sudan accuses Uganda of endangering its security when it said that the latter is harboring rebels aimed at invading the country in a bid to disturb the already fragile peace and security prevailing in the country. Reports say that leaders from South Sudan and Uganda held a joint meeting in Magwi city in South Sudan, a meeting aimed at discussing security threats and challenges between the two countries.
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THE BIG PICTURE: It is the second time Uganda is accused by another nation of housing rebels aimed at invading foreign countries. Rwanda has been accusing Uganda of housing such rebels, then South Sudan follows suit by holding Kampala accountable for some rebels incursions from Uganda to South Sudan southern part. Rwanda accuses Uganda of offering succor or assistance to two foreign-based Rwanda rebel groups – Rwanda National Congress (RNC) and Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
South Sudan’s governor of Torit, Alberio Tobiolo Oromo, said they have intelligence information that some of the rebel fighters are living in refugees camps in Uganda and from there they have been plotting to invade South Sudan. According to AfricanExponent, the accusation by South Sudan follows an incident in which some South Sudan nationals disguised as asylum seekers who were returning home from Uganda to attend a traditional marriage ceremony in South Sudan but later laid an attack setting ablaze the immigration post and an Ebola scrutiny checkpoint at Owiny Ki Bul in South Sudan. Related: Rwanda brands Uganda as ‘state-sponsored terror’ country. Governor Oromo has mentioned the camps of Adjumani, Kiryandongo, and Lamwo as the center of the rebels plotting against the Juba government. Sudan Tribune reported words of the governor who appealed to authorities in Uganda to liaise with their counterparts in South Sudan to apprehend the suspected rebels, adding that their activities are a security threat to both countries. Reports add that suspected rebels recently carried out attacks in villages within South Sudan, causing fear and panic among citizens. The statement cames as South Sudan’s security situation continued to be spiraling out of control, following threats from armed groups in the country.
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Facilitation in Business Creation, one of the Investment Promotion Authority’s activities(API). The Director of the Burundi Investment Promotion Authority (API), Mr. Leonard Sentore, presented a report on the achievements of the 4th and last quarter of the fiscal year 2018-2019, during a press café organized on Thursday, July 25, 2019. Among the major activities that marked this quarter, which includes the months of April, May and June, are facilitation in the creation of enterprises, the setting up of services related to the implementation of the investment code, promotion of exports, the promotion of investments and the improvement of the business climate as indicated by Mr. Leonard Sentore. Regarding the establishment of companies, the evolution of registrations of companies for that quarter shows a particular growth compared to the same period last year. According to Mr. Sentore, this is due to the registration of a large number of cooperatives. Thus, he continued to say, 4,080 companies were registered of which 83% are co- Regarding job creation, out of 355 jobs operatives against 842 companies regis- planned, 529 jobs were created, representing a completion rate of 149%. tered in 2018 at the same time. In the same context, the API also organized a workshop to share information on the procedures for setting up a company and for additional registration in the commercial register for notaries and law firms.
API’s awareness-raising activities include an awareness campaign on standards of packaging, labeling and product quality in general to approximately 30 agro-food companies for a period from May 3 to 17, 2019.
In the field of investment promotion, the API, in collaboration with its partners, organized the 2nd edition of the Industrial Fair in Burundi under the theme, “Innovation, determining factor for industrial competitiveness”, at the Lake Tanganyika Club Hotel from June 13 to June 15th. Internationally, Regarding the implementation of the provi- the API was able to participate in two major sions of the Investment Code, Mr. Sentore business and investment meetings. indicated that 5 certificates of eligibility for the benefits of the investment code were For the future, the API intends to pursue granted, corresponding to the capital of several activities such as field visits for 16,206,642,700 BIF as well as a projec- monitoring and evaluation, the continuation and strengthening of training of young peotion of 277 jobs. ple and women entrepreneurs in business According to Mr. Sentore, during that quar- projects, the initiation of campaigns in comter, the API also issued 12 temporary certifi- pliance with standards required in the field cates of compliance with commitments un- of exports, and so on. der the Investment Code. They have already invested 66,439,980,001 BIF compared to the projected amount of 75,247,803,877 BIF, representing a realization rate of 88.3%. The purpose of that workshop was to enable legal practitioner partners to better understand the importance and process of founding a company to improve their services in charge of assisting entrepreneurs in authenticating well-drafted documents.
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Burundi Diaspora Development: Key takeaways from the Fourth Edition of the Burundi diaspora week.
The Burundi diaspora is one of the key actors in the implementation of plans and policies for the country’s development. This was declared in Bujumbura on Monday, July 22 by the first Deputy President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Gaston Sindimwo(below), when he was opening the fourth edition of the Burundi diaspora week, meeting for five days at the Lake Tanganyika Club Hotel. partner for the implementation of the NDP 20182027, Mr. Sindimwo said it is essential for the diaspora to sensitize investors, friends of Burundi and traditional technical and financial partners, to carefully adopt the main lines of development contained in that plan and make those partners understand the objective and vision of sustainable development that Burundi has adopted, taking into account the wishes of the people and master plans such as the strategic direction for development until 2030, the 2063 Agenda for Africa and the East Africa Development Plan.
Incentives have been put in place to encourage members of the diaspora who want to invest or return voluntarily to the country, including facilitating the granting of land, the exemption of their property and the agreement of a non-governmental association or organization of the diaspora that wants to invest in the country, Mr. Sindimwo said. He said that the adoption of the national policy of the diaspora by our government in 2016 confirmed the will of the government to go even further because the objective of that policy is to take into account the needs and the aspirations of the Burundi diaspora and maximize its contribution to the country’s development. He said that this policy is also a tool for strengthening national cohesion and restoring the essential foundations of trust between the diaspora and its country of origin. First Deputy President Sindimwo still hopes that, in agreement with national and international partners, the government’s policy is able to respond effectively, progressively and fairly to the real needs and concerns of the Burundi diaspora. The mobilization of the Burundi diaspora in the development of Burundi is not possible without the appropriation of the new strategic planning tool, namely the National Development Plan (NDP 20182027) which will lead Burundi towards the emergence by 2027, he added. Indeed, Mr. Sindimwo explained that the Burundi diaspora should know the major articulations and objectives for each sector and understand that this is a new battle in which Burundi is engaged and will last ten years, a fight that will help Burundi to achieve complete independence when Burundians are able to support themselves. Given that the Burundi diaspora is an important
He asked the diaspora to strengthen good communication and to work in synergy with the Foreign Ministry whose management of the diaspora is in its charge. In turn, the ministry will improve the knowledge of the diaspora to provide the support and assistance it needs and to consider the appropriate actions for its contribution to development, without forgetting to protect and defend the rights of Burundians abroad, thinking about the mechanisms of assistance and social protection to members of the diaspora in critical condition or dead member. Mr. Sindimwo thanked the development partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), for helping draw up a series of incentives for diaspora members wishing to return to the country. It is worthy to note that the delegates of the diaspora gathered at this fourth session came from more than 42 countries of the world.
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TECHNEWS
Facebook agreed Kenya: Finance Minister rejects corruption charges. to pay $5 billion The Kenyan Finance Minister has denied a ll fine for privacy corruption accusations involving the misuse violations of the State funds in the constructions of the
Facebook Inc has agreed to pay $5 billion fine after user’s privacy breach, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday, July 24, 2019.
two dams.
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THE BIG PICTURE: The Finance Minister, with some other officials, have turned themselves in for a hearing yesterday. The case involved two dams which were to be built in western Kenya to provide muchneeded water and electricity to residents.
Kenya’s finance minister is denying fraud-related charges over contracts for the construction of two dams in the country’s west. This is the first time a Kenyan finance minister has been charged while in office. Henry Rotich and 14 other officials appeared in court on Tuesday. They were arrested on Monday for their alleged roles in awarding contracts and payments to the Italian firm CMC di Ravenna. The company denies wrongdoing. The report of AFP says that Kenyan Finance Minister and 15 other top officials appeared in a packed Nairobi court to be charged with more than 10 financial crimes including fraud, abuse of office and receiving bribes, to which they replied in turn: “not true”. The charges allege that the officials conspired to defraud Kenya’s government in the building of Kimwarer and Arror dams in Elgeyo Marakwet county, where no construction work has started despite billions of shillings already spent. Related: Kenyan finance minister arrested on corruption charges. The prosecution has asked for stringent bail terms, The Associated Press reported. Corruption permeates all levels of Kenyan society and President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised to tackle it. Reports say that Nairobi is planning to extradite the Italian national who is accused in collaboration with the local Fiance Minister to siphon slush of state funds.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 3-2 along party lines to adopt the settlement, which requires court approval. Reuters reported that Democrats opposed it, saying it did not go far enough or require a large enough fine. “Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how personal information is shared Facebook undermined consumers’ choices,” FTC Chairman Joe Simons, a Republican, said in a statement. However, Democratic FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra said that the penalty provided ‘blanket immunity’ for Facebook executives ‘and no real restraints on Facebook’s business model’ and does ‘not fix the core problems that led to these violations.’ According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook agreed to pay an additional $100 million to settle allegations after failing to secure users’ data. “After months of negotiations, we’ve reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission that provides a comprehensive new framework for protecting people’s privacy and the information they give us,” Facebook issued in a statement on its newsroom. In a Facebook post published shortly after the FTC’s announcement, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of the company said, “We’ve agreed to pay a historic fine, but even more important, we’re going to make some major structural changes to how we build products and run this company. “We have a responsibility to protect people’s privacy. We already work hard to live up to this responsibility, but now we’re going to set a completely new standard for our industry.” Under the settlement, Facebook’s board will create an independent privacy committee that removes “unfettered control by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over decisions affecting user privacy.” Chopra and Democratic FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter said the $5 billion penalties may be less than Facebook’s gains from violating users’ privacy. “Until we address Facebook’s core financial incentives for risking our personal privacy and national security, we will not be able to prevent these problems from happening again,” Chopra said.
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The Republicans noted that Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives must sign quarterly certifications attesting to the company’s privacy practices. The FTC said Zuckerberg or others filing a false certification could face civil and criminal penalties. Facebook said the deal worked out with the FTC would give the company “a comprehensive new framework for protecting people’s privacy,” and that it expected to find additional problems as it initiates a review of its systems. “To implement this, we’ll have to review our technical systems to document any privacy risks and how we’re handling them.” Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on Facebook “Going forward, our approach to privacy controls will parallel our approach to financial controls, with a rigorous design process and individual certifications intended to ensure that our controls are working – and that we find and fix them when they are not,” Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch said in a statement.
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