President Paul Kagame urged African leaders to work towards doing away with counterproductive political influence and concentrate on meeting the development aspirations of their people.The President was speaking at the seventh edition of the African Economic Conference in Kigali.Kagame said that the social and economic development of Africa must be Africa-owned and Africa-led. He added that leaders in particular, have to reshape political and economic thinking in order to address the development aspirations of their people and also to better cope with external factors.The continental meeting was organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).It aimed at exploring the continent’s prospects for sustainable and inclusive growth in the wake of the global economic crisis.The Presidents said that if Africa`s development depended on the advice of economists alone, tremendous progress would have been made. He said that but it is not the case. He explained that Africa`s economies operate in both national and international political contexts which have a huge impact on countries choices. DRC already has solution to conflict, says ObasanjoThe former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, said that solutions for the troubled eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is with , lies with the government in Congo, Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said.Obasanjo made the remarks shortly after meeting President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro, yesterday. He is in the country for the seventh edition of the African Economic Conference that opened in Kigali on Tuesday.The former Nigerian president and regional peace advocate pointed out that the DRC was given a set of resolutions to counter the conflict in its eastern region and should not expect anything different to work other than what is already available.Medical students get iPads for researchThe US-based Tulane University donated 97 Galaxy tablets to medical students of the National University of Rwanda (NUR) to help them research during their studies.The Samsung Galaxy tablets, which cost over $37 000 (about Rwf 22 million), were donated under the Tablets for Medical Education (T4ME) programme which seeks to improve the use of technology among medical students and practitioners. The computers were handed over by the Rwanda Office of Tulane.The gadgets are expected to enhance education and information sharing between the medical students and lecturers.Prof Patrick Kyamanywa, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, said the gadgets are a boon to future medical practitioners.He said that the gadgets will take students outside the classroom setting to search for information that is not provided in their classes.Kyamanywa said that the target is to ensure that students are able to read beyond what the lecturer gives them.Prosecution disappointed by Ingabire sentenceProsecutor General Martin Ngoga said that prosecution was unhappy with the eight-year jail term handed to Victoire Ingabire by the High Court.Ingabire, 44, was sentenced after court found her guilty of terror charges and denying the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.She was convicted of two counts of Genocide denial and conspiracy and planning to cause state insecurity, and was acquitted of four other charges that included genocide ideology, promoting ethnic divisionism and supporting armed groups.Ngoga said that the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) was not comfortable with some findings as well as punishment.Ingabire, who is leader of FDU-Inkingi, a political party that has up to now failed to fulfil necessary requirements for registration has been in detention since 2010.Her arrest was after evidence pining her to working with some elements outside the country to launch subversive attacks on the Rwandan territoryEAC SG woos German investorsThe Secretary General of the East African Community, Dr. Richard Sezibera called on the German business community to explore the various investment opportunities that the bloc offers. He made the call while addressing the first EAC-German Business Forum in Berlin.Sezibera called on the German business community to come to East Africa for both business and tourism so as to take advantage of the region`s integration.He told the gathering that the region offers opportunities in ICT, finance, insurance, tourism, agro-processing, mining, infrastructure and renewable energy.The EAC is viewed as one of the successful Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa.Sezibera told the Forum that was also attended by, Hans-Jurgen Beerfeltz, the German State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), that the World Bank Doing Business 2012 report revealed that EAC Partner States are among the fastest reforming countries in the world.Sezibera said that the Report acknowledges the progress made by the EAC Partner States in making the business environment better over the past five years.He added that EAC intra-regional trade also rose to 23 per cent of the total value of exports, the highest of all the African regional economic communities.BPR boosts Agaciro with Rwf141mThe staff members of Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) contributed Rwf141 million to Agaciro Development Fund.Handing over the cheque to the Minister of Finance, the bank’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Paul Van Apeldoorn thanked the employees and board for the enthusiasm with which they contributed to the fund.Apeldoorn said it’s a symbol of continued commitment to the development of the country with particular emphasis on rural areas, where the bank has had a very significant presence for over 30 years.The contribution is an addition to the bank’s contribution to the same fund during its launch in August this year.Apeldoorn is optimistic that the fund will mainly look at funding development projects that will boost the social and economic growth of the country especially rural areas.He said the contribution to the sovereignty fund will lead to the country’s economic growth which has always been the bank`s target.BPR is the country’s market leader by clientele and has had a strong footprint in rural areas, with presence across the country through 18 branches, 109 sub branches, and 61 outlets.Rwangombwa appreciated the staff for their contribution, reiterating the government approach of voluntary contribution.He also said the government appreciated any community contribution in terms of ideas on how to use the fund.
