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Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni made a surprise stop in Kyeirumba village in Isingiro district to make a roadside phone call shortly after attending the World Population Day commemoration in Isingiro district.

Curious resident soon started garthering when they saw the president casually talking while acknowledging cheers.

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Rita Akana

12.Jul.2016

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The newly created Special Forces unit of the defence forces of Cameroon will be based in Kribi in the South Region of Cameroon.

The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo visited the site to host elite forces. The visit instructed by the Minister Head of Government, Philemon Yang sought to evaluate the level of execution of construction works at the garrison.

The Special Forces unit that was created less than a year ago made their first public appearance during the Military air show at the 101 Military Air Base in Yaoundé on the eve of national day celebrations and during the military parade on the 20th of May 2016.

The unit is composed of highly trained soldiers equipment to fight terrorists and hostage takers amongst other special missions.

CRTV
 

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Rita Akana

12.Jul.2016

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A plan by Africa's richest man to transform one of the continent's largest oil industries is taking shape on a swampy piece of land outside Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos.

Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote is constructing a refinery that has the capacity to turn 650,000 barrels of oil into gasoline, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel — enough to potentially satisfy all the country's daily needs.

When completed, it could end Nigeria's reliance on imported gasoline and diesel.

A weeks-long shortage of imported fuel that occurred earlier this year is one reason why economists believe Africa's biggest economy is poised to enter a recession.

"By and large, you are looking at the future of the country," Dangote, who made his $14.4 billion fortune from his sugar, flour and cement companies, told journalists during a visit to the construction site of the refinery and adjoining fertilizer plant.

When Nigerians go to the pump, they're usually filling up with imported gasoline and diesel. The country has four refineries, but they barely work, so Nigeria exports its crude and buys back the fuel it needs.

Disputes and strikes have periodically led to disruptions in fuel importation, leading to shortages across the country.

By refining oil at home, Dangote says importation will end.

"I mean, it's simple, you have it here. As you're producing, it's going into the market," he said.

Supply and demand

Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and most populous country. Those aspects may ultimately undermine Dangote's ability to serve the country's fuel needs, said oil and gas analyst Bala Zakka.

Nigeria doesn't produce enough power to keep the lights on all the time, and those who can afford it rely on gasoline or diesel generators.

As the population grows, Zakka says demand may outstrip supply.

"Strategic domestic, strategic commercial and strategic industrial are being run on generators. And those generators will require so much diesel and petrol. And that will mean we will not have even enough for the automobiles," Zakka said.

Another problem Dangote may face is oil supply. Pipelines are targets for oil thieves and, more recently, organized militants. Attacks by a group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers have cut Nigeria's oil production by as much as half.

Refinery administrators have cited pipeline attacks as one reason they can't produce enough gasoline.

Dangote plans to build the pipeline supplying oil to the refinery underwater, in hopes that will keep saboteurs away. He also plans to build two natural gas pipelines to feed power plants.

If Dangote's refinery pays off, Zakka said it will be a signal to other refiners that Nigeria is ready for investment.

"I wouldn't want to say he's a guinea pig, but Dangote is definitely going to be a pilot test," Zakka said.

VOA

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Rita Akana

12.Jul.2016

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Ghana has commenced the issuance of visas on arrival to African nationals as announced by President John Dramani Mahama in February this year.

The policy, which took effect July 1, allows citizens of African Union member states to obtain visas of up to 30 days on arrival in the country. This policy does not affect citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) who can enter the country without a visa.

The AU, in its call for action, urged the abolishing of all visa requirement for Africans travelling to other African countries by 2018 and also, each citizen issued an African passport as part of its Agenda 2063 roadmap.

President Mahama said at a luncheon with senior citizens in the capital Accra on July 1 that Ghana has also established a special visa regime with Kenya and Mauritius and the implementation would increase the influx of tourists, Ghana’s news agency reports.

Ghana has been commended by the African Union which believes the Visa on Arrival policy will foster the African continental integration and the realisation of Agenda 2063.

“After Ghana, I am convinced that many other African countries will follow suit in the interest of achieving an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa,” Dr. Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the AU Commission said when Ghana announced its intention.

Ghana therefore becomes the first African Union member state to implement the policy which is expected to fast track socio-economic development on the continent.

African News

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Rita Akana

07.Jul.2016

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Saif al-Islam, second son of Libya’s former ruler Muammar Gaddafi has been released after he was captured in 2011 and sentenced to death by the Libyan government in Tripoli in 2015 for war crimes.

His lawyer at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, told France 24 on Wednesday that the former Libyan political figure was released on April 12, 2016 and “he is well and safe”.

“Saif al-Islam was released under an amnesty and in accordance with (Libyan) law,” his lawyer added.

The ICC had issued a warrant to try him in The Hague for crimes against humanity, but the Libyan government held on to him till their sentencing drawing widespread condemnation specifically directed at the credibilty of the divided country’s legal system.

Karim Khan said he would file an application to make the ICC case inadmissible, arguing that his client has already been tried by his home country. “It is prohibited to try an individual twice for the same offense,” he said.

Saif al-Islam, who was regarded as Gaddafi’s possible successor, has been kept in detention since 2011 by a militia in Zintan, north western Libya, that captured him.

After the death of his father and brother during the 2011 civil war, Saif al-Islam was the only member of the Gaddafi family left in Libya and he announced on television that “he was willing to fight to the end and take revenge”.

He was however captured in an ambush with four of his aides by rebel fighters while trying to flee from the country.

France24

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Rita Akana

07.Jul.2016

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father have both been given a 21-month prison sentence for tax fraud, according to Spanish publication El Periodico. However, the pair are not expected to serve any time in jail due to Spanish laws regarding non-violent crimes, where prison sentences under two years do not require any incarceration.

The fifth time Ballon D'or and his father appeared on trial on 2 June after being accused of avoiding to pay over €4.1m (£3.5m, $4.5m) in tax on the Barcelona star's earnings by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay between 2007 and 2009. They already paid the Spanish authorities a voluntary corrective payment of around €5m after being formally charged in 2013 but the state lawyers decided to continue the chase by requesting a time in prison.

Messi denied in court any knowledge of his alleged attempts to avoid tax payments claiming that he signed documents without reading them because he trusted his father and the lawyers responsible for managing his finances.

Meanwhile, his father deny any wrongdoing after adding: "I understand these laws as much as I understand Chinese. I didn't have any knowledge of the laws and simply said yes or no to the proposals presented to me. My intention was to make life easier for my son, to accompany him and to allow him to focus on football. Eventually, we needed legal and accounting help."

But the Barcelona authorities have now decided to hand both the Barcelona star and his father a 21-month prison sentence.

Ibtimes

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Rita Akana

06.Jul.2016

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