Rwanda gets ‘capacity building’ as France’s arrogance persists

‘Capacity building’ is such a big phrase in Africa, that even if there’s no scientific evidence to back it, it is possible that many more millions of donor funds will be spent on building human resources on the continent. Rwanda has finally joined Africa’s capacity building band wagon donating US$300,000 to the latest organisation charged with building capacity in Africa which is predictably, a partnership between African governments and the international donor community to build sustainable human and institutional capacity for sustainable growth, poverty reduction and good governance in Africa. What else is new? Meanwhile France continued her vehement denial of their involvement in the Genocide. Rwanda has insisted and reports were rife during the week that Rwanda was in the process of formally charging one senior French official or his role in the Genocide. Mission unaccomplished The United Peace Keeping force in Eastern Congo have done wonderful job in helping destroy the peace they are charged with keeping. As if reports of Pakistan troops selling weapons in exchange for gold from rebel bandits holed up in the jungles of that vast country were not enough, Indian troops comprising the UN force in Eastern DR Congo are reported by UN officials to have sexually abused 10 year old girls. Now rebel groups have become partners in crime with the bandits instead of peacekeepers, after the Pakistan sold their weapons for gold, the Indians have chosen pre teenage girls as sex slaves. It remains to be seen what another contingent of the MONUC will do in the continuing misery of Eastern DR Congo. Packaged holidayPolitical talk of packaging the East African Community as a single destination is not dumbfounded after all. Last week it was revealed that the sector is so far the leading foreign exchange earner for many members of the community. Tourism is the leading sector in Kenya and Tanzania and is making important steps to become number one in Rwanda and Uganda. The East African Community Legislative Assembly in its 2008 budget set out a goal to market the region such that visitors can pay for one single visa and be able to tour all the five member states of the EAC. Tourists have in the past expressed their anger at having to pay visa fees separately for all five member countries of the EAC yet the community claims to be an economic block. Experts note that a strong EAC and her diverse features, a combined promotional initiative and information sharing, should see the region become the travel destination of the world. If EAC accepts that status, the biggest beneficiary of the decision will be Burundi which has so remained behind in all integration talk. Still in the EAC, the secretariat revealed in the week that it is negotiating to re-establish the East African marine and fisheries organization. Juma Mwapachu, the EAC Secretary General, was speaking in Kenya after a week long familiarisation tour of defence institutions and establishments in Kenya that are involved in the EAC co-operation agreement on defence matters. The joint EAC fisheries and marine organisation existed under the former EAC (1967-1977), Mwapachu said the new version would involve research and development to tap the maritime and fisheries resources of the East African water bodies - both offshore and inland - for the benefit of the East African people. donmuhinda@yahoo.com