France/Rwanda: Genocide claims against Kagame!

Rwanda has been angered by a call by a French judge to have Rwandese President Paul Kagame to be tried for genocide over the killing of the former president. His death sparked hate between the two tribes, Tutsi and Hutsi.

From that day, the two tribes could not see eye to eye. They started killing one another in a big way. There are now many who are facing trial for genocide that took place in 1994.

Many Rwandese ran out of the country when Kagame took over power.

Many accused of genocide have asylum in many countries, Norway included.

The Rwandese government have started a process to have them handed over to stand trial.

According to BBC, “Rwanda’s foreign minister said France was trying to cover up its own complicity in the 1994 killings of some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.”

But in new developments, “Lawyers defending those accused of genocide at a UN court have backed the idea of putting Mr Kagame on trial.”

Former President, Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down on his return to Rwanda from Tanzania. 

“The French are trying to appease their conscience for their role in the genocide and are now trying to find someone else to hold responsible for their acts here,” Foreign Affairs Minister Charles Murigande told Reuters news agency;” reports BBC.

If the Judge initiates charges against Kagame, the president may be forced to defend himself in court, otherwise he may have problems should he travel abroad.

Former Chilean president Pinnochet was arrested when he travelled to the UK, because one European judge had issued a warrant of arrest against him on charges of mass murder when he was President.

Due to his weak health, Britain did not hand him over for trial. He was send back to Chile where he has been tried on the same charges. But due to poor health, his case stalled.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN.

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC 

Missing Africa: The beauty of a woman’s behind appreciated by Luo musician!

A Luo woman married to an Italian says Africans know how to have fun. While in Italy, she has said something she missed most is the life in Africa.

She misses Africa mostly because of fun; “our way to support each other, even in circumstances where we have no money at all;” she says 

Perry Akinyi Brusotti married to an Italian says Africans know how to enjoy life!

In African funerals, you cry as loud as you want. Comparing to funerals in Europe where it is rare to see anyone crying in funerals, we understand how one can miss Africa and the African people’s social network!

Infact, African funerals, although you cry with all the might, the funeral attendees will feast and eat in a big way as if it is a party.

People in the continent help each other a lot. They care for one another and they enjoy doinge doing things together.

And Akinyi says, “Africa, a place where I can leave my child with the neighbour when the babysitter runs away, and I will find the baby intact.”

On music she says, “It is a place where I learnt to appreciate music: how I miss how each Friday we would all dress up in our best to go out and dance to Luo and Lingala music like there was no tomorrow. The rhythm of Luo music, the words of the Luo musician that appreciated nothing but the beauty of a woman’s behind.”

For a European, this may sound grazy, but for those who understand African culture and traditions, they know how to enjoy and have fun as Akinyi says, “Oh Africa, the land where big bottoms are not blamed on cellulite, but the beauty of an African heritage. The land where each time I bought new shoes or clothes, I went from office to office to say hello to my friends so they could admire my new acquisition. And where we smile on the streets and we all go to mourn with our neighbours when there is death, and go to see their new-born babies. Africa, where Friday is like the end of the world and we all dance and forget about the political corruption that is surrounding us. There is no African life without music, without dance, without love for life: we love life, we live life in Africa.”

African people know how to enjoy their culture with or without riches!

Europe is full of riches and rich people, but doe snot enjoy life as Africans in Africa. Most of them are lonely and have no time for one another.

You will find children praying hard for their parents to get old quickly so that they put them in old age institutions to be looked after by health workers. They look forward to the day they get old so that they take over the parents’s property and houses they live in.

It is a life without love but a life for love of owning things!

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN.

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC

Darfur: Peace negotiations to start in two weeks!

In a press release by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Raymond Johansen says  there is now an agreement to strengthen the African Union operations in Darfur and to establish a monitoring force comprising of AU and UN forces.

During a top meeting in Addis Abeba, delegates at the meeting agreed on a three-point plan for a new monitoring and defence mechanism for Darfur

 In the plan, the Sudanese authorities accept the United Nations proposals in support of the African Union’s monitoring force in Darfur: A principle document on a joint UN-AU monitored operation was also agreed upon.

 Political discussions will soon begin in an effort to find a political solution to the problem.

The Norwegian Foreign Affairs Minstry, will now ask the Sudanese President to accept the proposals.

It has also been suggested that the number of soldiers to be in the operation will be 17.000 plus 3000 from the police force.

These number of personnel, their mandate during operations and structure will have to be approved by president Bashir, Security Council and the AU.

AU og FN, in the next two weeks will invite all parties involved in Darfur negotiations to a meeting to discus ways and means to reach a lasting peace.

Norway will participate in the peace talks.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN.

africanpress@chello.no

Source: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lebanon: Minister assasinated!

Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was gunned down today.

The late Gemayel was the leader of the Christian Party. His father was Lebanon’s President some years back.

Gemayel’s uncle was also killed when he was President-elect, preparing to take over power as Lebanon’s President.

Late Gemayel is one of the anti-Syrian ministers in the ruling coalition. He has been one of the driving force to establish an international tribunal to deal with the case of the late Prime Minister Hariri who was aslo assasinated. Hariri was anti-Syria.

Syria has, however, denied involvement in the killing today. The country has also denied it was involved in late Prime Minister Hariri’s murder.

The Late Hariri’s son who is now a parliamentarian fears for his life, and now that his closest ally has been killed, the young Hariri may become the next victim.

During a recent debate on establishing a tribunal, pro-Syrian ministers in the Cabinet resigned, when they realised the creation of a tribunal was imminent.

By Korir, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source: BBC, CNN.

Kenya: Runners placing the country on the world map!

Distance running lore, Kipchoge “Kip” Keino wishes his country were known for something more.

“There is a lot to be done,” said Keino, who chaired the Kenyan Olympic Committee. “So far, we haven’t produced anything in this country. We are not producing anything other than some farm goods.”

Even Iowa has felt the impact of Kenyan runners. Nine of the past 10 winners of the Bix 7 road race in Davenport are Kenyans. The record holder in the 800 in the boys state track meet, Joseph Kiptanui, was a Kenyan who attended Indianola High School.

Mike Boit and Kip Koskei won three outstanding performers awards at the Drake Relays in the 1970s. Keino’s son, Bob, shared the award with Michael Johnson in 1997.

Reminded of all the runners his nation has produced, Keino just shrugged.

“What is runners?” he said in an interview with the Quad City Times, which sponsors the Bix 7. “The runners, they come and go.”

Keino, 60, was the man who put the country on the path to become a nation of runners. He set world records in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters in 1965 and won two medals in a courageous performance at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Suffering from gallstones at the time, Keino was told by doctors he was risking his life if he ran. He ignored their advice.

In the 10,000, Keino was leading before stumbling onto the infield in pain with two laps to go, but staggered to the finish taking the fifth place.

Then he ran the 5,000 and finished second to earn the silver medal. With a medal in hand, Keino decided to follow his doctor’s advice and skip the 1,500 and the highly anticipated duel with American Jim Ryun.

But on the day of the race, Keino changed his mind and jumped into a bus and headed to the stadium. When the bus got tangled up in traffic, Keino jogged the last two miles and arrived just minutes before the race.

“I was determined,” he said softly before taking a sip of tea.

Keino beat Ryun by 20 meters. Though he wasn’t Kenya’s first gold medalist, Keino was the most inspirational. His homeland had a new hero and Kenya started a never ending tradition of having good runners placing the country on the world map.

“Many other idols have come along since then,” said Brother Colm O’Connell, who has helped perpetuate the tradition as the coach at St. Patrick’s High School in Kenya. ‘But people in the athletics community still recognize Kipchoge Keino.”

Boit, who became Kenya’s minister of sport, calls Keino the father of Kenya distance running.

“He put this country on the map,” Boit said.

Keino won two more medals at the 1972 Olympics, a gold in the steeplechase and a silver in the 1,500.

Since retiring from running, Keino has settled into the life of a farming gentleman and enjoys being involved in humanitarian work. He lives on a 200-acre plot near Eldoret in western Kenya. He also operates a tea farm and a combination book/music/sporting goods store in down-town Eldoret, Kenya’s fifth-largest city.

And then there’s his labor of love: the Kip Keino Orphanage and Training Center. For more than three decades, Keino and his wife, Phyllis, have taken homeless orphans into their home. In the beginning, Keino could count the children on his fingers. Now they care for 87, most of them girls.

“Our main objective is love and then shelter,” Keino said. “You also need education. You need knowledge today to survive.”

Keino’s 20-room home is a winding, maze-like structure that includes a huge kitchen, a library filled with children’s books, eating and sleeping rooms for all the kids. Two other homes on his farm houses athletes who train and learn from the master.

As many as 40 athletes live there at a time. Many countries are represented including, Zambia, Uganda, Lesotho, and Tanzania among others.

By Ira Ndunda, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

UNICEF: Swahili web game to educates on Hiv/Aids prevention!

The United Nations Children’s Funda, (Unicef) has launched the first computer game in Kiswahili, aimed at educating against the spread of HIV/Aids.

The game titled, “What would you do?” (Ungefanyaje?) takes players through various scenarios to explain the importance of prevention and testing.

The UN estimates that around 80% of all young people do not know how to protect themselves from Hiv/Aids.

Africa accounts for most of the world’s 2.3m children who are HIV-positive.

More than 100 million people speak Kiswahili across Africa, notably, East African countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the Unicef game, players choose from different options, as two male and two female characters embark on relationships.

By Ira Ndunda, African Press in Norway, APN.

africanpress@chello.no

Kenya: International matches to be televised!

Some Kenya international matches
will be televised. Can we have a place to meet and watch together? Why not begin ” harambeestars” Norway? Here note what they have undertaken since last year and the future planning.

DATE and VENUE - SCORE COMPETITION:

• 08/09/2007 Angola - Kenya - Africa Nations Cup qualifiers
• 02/06/2007 Swaziland v Swaziland - Ancq
• 24/03/2007 Swaziland v Kenya - Ancq
• 07/10/2006 Angola Angola - Ancq
• 04/09/2006 Eritrea v Kenya - Ancq
• 03/09/2005 Tunisia v Kenya 0-2 Ancq/Wcq
• 17/08/2005 Tunisia v Tunisia 0-1 Ancq/Wcq
• 18/06/2005 Morocco v Kenya 0-0 Ancq/Wcq
• 05/06/2005 Guinea v Guinea 0-1 Ancq/Wcq
• 26/03/2005 Botswana v Kenya 1-0 Ancq/Wcq
• 23/03/2005 Ghana v Kenya 2-2 Fr
• 12/03/2005 Rwanda v Kenya 1-1 Fr

By Ira Ndunda, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no

 

African TV networks reached through internet!

African television thru computer? Yes!

It is not all African countries but it is surely a beginning! yes the website is called JumpTV.com and is a subscription service, which is billed monthly, semi-annually, or annually depending on which offer best fits your needs. For a norminal fee you have access to your selected channel(s), 24 hours a day, from anywhere you can access the Internet.

You can get high quality international television, without having the complication of installing and maintaining a satellite dish.

JumpTV even allows you to view your channel even if satellite or cable service does not provide the signal in your location, because they deliver the signal completely through the Internet.

East africa is well represented among the nine countries they cover now in Africa. Kenya with KBC and Family TV, Uganda with UBC and WBS and Tanzania’s Star TV. To the north they have Morocco with 2m channel, Egypt with both ABC and MEHWAR among others.

Worth noticing to the amazement of many is  aljazeera TV now in English is among the channels to watch. Here you got a good insight of the muslim world and the politics that have affected all foreigners in Norway - muslims and non-muslim?

Click on and try. And if you have more links to good African sites please send it to us.

And radio? Well heres one that is free.

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/home/index.asp

By Ira Ndunda, African Press in Norway, APN

africanpress@chello.no