Terror Charge Upheld Despite ‘Torture’ Claims.....

Anti-anti-terrorists don’t much care what happens to al-Qaeda so long as we’re treated to the “reckoning” against Bush-administration officials promised by Eric Holder during the 2008 Obama campaign. These deranged souls have just suffered a black Monday. That was when Manhattan federal judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that allegations of torture were no reason to dismiss the case against a jihadist accused of conspiring to bomb the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Those simultaneous attacks in August 1998 killed at least 224 people, most of them Muslims. Afterwards, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, then a 23-year-old from Zanzibar, bounced around al-Qaeda’s havens until 2004, when he was finally captured in Pakistan after a fierce firefight. He was then turned over to the CIA. Deemed a high-value detainee, he was interrogated by the agency at one or more of its “black site” prisons outside the U.S. During this period, Ghailani alleges, he was subjected to what the CIA has called “enhanced interrogation techniques” and what he calls “torture.” Subsequently, he was detained at the Guantanamo Bay naval base until last June, when the Obama administration opted to transfer him for a civilian trial in New York City.

Unlike the similar effort — now stalled — to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 plotters in the same courthouse, Ghailani’s transfer caused nary a whimper. That was understandable. There was no military-commission system when the embassies were savaged. That is not a legal bar to trying pre-9/11 war crimes by commission; indeed, the Obama administration has consigned the bombers of the USS Cole to a commission trial, even though their attack occurred nearly a year before 9/11. There was, however, a second consideration in Ghailani’s case: The embassy bombings have already been the subject of a lengthy civilian trial, during which one terrorist pleaded guilty and four others were convicted. The Justice Department could plausibly argue that its case could be proved by relying, in the main, on evidence that has already been publicly disclosed. Thus, the classified-information-disclosure issues that beset post-9/11 prosecutions would not be as dicey.

Or would they? Ghailani fully intended to move them front and center. He made a pretrial motion to dismiss the case based on outrageous government misconduct. This claim, rooted in the oxymoronic doctrine of “substantive due process,” was drummed up by the Supreme Court in the 1952 case of Rochin v. California, in which police subjected a suspect to harrowing physical abuse, forcing him to emit the illegal narcotics that the state then used to prosecute him. The drastic remedy of dismissing an indictment is available only when there has been truly egregious misconduct that “shocks the conscience.” That amorphous standard is situational: Aggressive tactics that are shocking in some circumstances (like ordinary, peacetime law enforcement) may be justifiable in others (like wartime intelligence-gathering against mass murderers).

So, does the court’s rejection of Ghailani’s motion mean the judiciary has stamped its seal of approval on harsh interrogation? Not at all. In fact, the government declined to respond to the terrorist’s claims of abuse and took no position on whether, if true, those claims amount to a due-process violation. The court made no ruling on whether there had been torture.

The government instead contended that there was a critical element missing from Ghailani’s motion: causation. If the alleged torture didn’t have anything to do with the case — if the claimed abuse played no role in Ghailani’s being captured and brought into the court’s jurisdiction, if its fruits formed no part of the evidence against him — then, prosecutors argued, it is irrelevant for purposes of the criminal trial.

Carefully construing the precedents on this point, Judge Kaplan agreed. He stressed that the government had committed not to use anything Ghailani told the CIA against him. Thus, he reasoned, “any deprivation of liberty that Ghailani might suffer as a result of a conviction in this case would be entirely unconnected to the alleged due process violation. Even if Ghailani was mistreated while in CIA custody and even if that mistreatment violated the Due Process Clause, there would be no connection between such mistreatment and this prosecution.”

Ni Usafi ama Uchafu? - Mji Mkongwe

Wageni wa ajabu! FFU walipotua Mjini Munich na muziki wao!

Pichani, Mwenye Miwani Ras makunja kamanda wa Ngoma Africa band aka FFU katikati mwenye kofia nyeupe Afande Chris-B(Mshambuliaji wa solo) wa FFU pembeni ni MR.Reginald Temu mwenyekiti wa chama cha urafiki kati ya wajerumani na watanzania,akiwakaraibisha mjini Munich wageni wa ajabu! FFU wa Ngoma Africa ambao hawana huruma hata kiduchu washambuliapo jukwaani.

Bendi hiyo ya Ngoma Africa ilifanikiwa kuwatia kiwewe washabiki mjini munich usiku
wa 8-05-katika shamra shamra za kusherekea kombe la soka la dunia Afrika Kusini 2010.
Sherehe hizo ziliudhuriwa na wengi na wageni wa heshima, ambao walikuwa ni manaibu mabalozi wa Tanzania na Afrika Kusini nchini Ujerumani. Naibu Balozi wa Tanzania yuko Ujeruamani Mhe.Bw.Ali Siwa na Naibu Balozi wa Afrika Kusini nchini humo Mr.Martin Ngudze.

UN Official’s Visit to Tanzania Focuses on Development And Conservation

New York, May 10 2010 6:10PM The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today met with Tanzania’s finance minister to discuss the country’s progress towards achieving the social development and poverty alleviation targets known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Discussions between UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Mustafa Mkulo focused particularly on efforts to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, empowering women, and enrolling more children in primary school.

They also touched on the “Delivering as One” initiative – a programme under which countries work closely with UN entities to facilitate development – which they said had made a significant contribution to Tanzania’s anti-poverty strategy.

On Sunday, Miss Clark visited Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, where she had a meeting with President Amani Abeid Karume. She also visited the Jozani-Chwaka Bay Conservation Area, the single most important site for the conservation of Zanzibar’s biodiversity. UNDP supported the creation of the park and helped the Government put in place policies and legislative processes that made conservation possible.

The conservation zone consists of a protected core area of 34 square kilometres and a buffer zone of 48 square kilometres. It is a shallow open bay that supports the largest block of mangrove forest on Zanzibar and a wintering population of crab plovers, a bird species unique in making use of ground warmth to incubate its eggs.

It is also home to other unique species of birds, plants, invertebrates and mammals, including the red colobus monkey and the Ader’s Duiker antelope, as well as the Zanzibar leopard, which may have disappeared as it has not been seen for two years.

The area is a growing tourist attraction. The Jozani forest welcomes 20,000 visitors per year, more than 17 per cent of the total foreign tourists who visit Zanzibar. UNDP supported the local authorities in creating the national park, which protects the Jozani forest.

On arrival in Tanzania for the four-day visit on Saturday, Miss Clark had a meeting with Tanzania’s foreign minister Bernard Membe, during which they discussed UNDP’s support of the electoral process, including help on voter registration and civic education in the run-up to national elections in October.

On Tuesday, Miss Clark will visit the National Electoral Commission and meet recently-registered voters who will vote for the first time this year.

Miss Clark’s mission to four Africa countries has already taken her to Mali and Burkina Faso, and will also include a visit to South Africa.

Hijab...

Pemba imeanza kujaribu umeme toka Tanga

Huduma ya umeme mpya wa grid ya taifa kutoka Tanga hadi Pemba umewashwa leo kwa majaribio kiswani humo na kwa mafanio mafaniko.

Akizungumza katika zoezi hilo Naibu waziri wa maji ujenzi nishati na ardhi Tafana Kassim Mzee amesema umeme huo kisiwani Pemba umeanza kuwashwa majira ya saa tano Asubuhi.(Jana Jumapili)

Bw.Mzee amesema majaribio hayo yatachukua muda wa wiki mbili na umeme huo unatarajiwa kuwashwa rasmi Tarehe 2 June ambapo rais wa Zanzibar na mwenyekiti wa bara za la mapainduzi Dr.Amani Abeid Karume anatarajiwa kuuzindua rasmi huduma hiyo…
Akizungumza na zenji Fm Radio Miongoni mwa mafundi waliokuwa wakifanikisha kazi hiyo kutoka shirika la umeme Tanzania Tanesco amesema umeme huo ulitarajiwa kuwashwa saa 12 Asubuhi na umechelewa kutokana na kutokea hitilafu katika baadhi ya viungo vya waya wa umeme huo……

Kisiwa cha Pemba kwa muda mrefu hakina huduma ya umeme wa uhakika kutokana na vinu vya kuzalisha umeme kuwa vibovu.

Kuwepo kwa huduma hiyo ya grid ya taifa kutoka Tanga kutachochea maendeleo ya kisiwa hicho hasa katika uwekezaji wa sekta ya utalii na kukuza maendeleo ya kiuchumi kwa wanachi wake.

Source: ZenjFM

Mkapa's Position on Zanzibar Unity Vote

Referendum planned for Zanzibar later this year, should be given a chance as it might prove to be a solution to perennial instability that has haunted the Indian Ocean archipelago for years, former President Benjamin Mkapa said yesterday.

He said for a long time Zanzibar has been embracing the winner takes all policy, but the system has resulted into political instability.

He said it was encouraging that Zanzibar leaders have agreed to try the other model and they should not only be supported, but also be given a chance as the agreed system might prove to be useful in stabilising the Isles.

"And the good thing is that they have agreed to put the option through the people... let us give the referendum a chance," he said.

Retired President Mkapa made the remarks when reacting to a question during a press conference he jointly addressed with two other commissioners for Blair Commission for Africa, which has been re-launched to review progress of recommendations contained in a report that the team published five years ago.

He was asked on his comments over whether the tendency of establishing coalition governments was setting a bad precedent for Africa's governance.

He was referring to recent development in the Zanzibar political arena where two political rivals, Chama Cha Mapinduzi and the opposition Civic United Front have agreed to transform a political system and include in the Zanzibar Constitution an option for a coalition government as an answer to political misunderstandings.

The changes were triggered by the surprise meeting between Zanzibar President, Mr Amani Abeid Karume and his long time political rival, Mr Seif Shariff Hamad at the Zanzibar State House in November last year.

The meeting was followed by public pronouncements by both leaders that they have found a lasting solution to Zanzibar's political problems.

Later a private motion was tabled in the House of Representatives by the leader of official Opposition in the House, Mr Abubakary Khamis (CUF), seeking the changing the constitution through a referendum so that coalition government could be formed in Zanzibar.

The private motion was anonymously endorsed by the House culminating into drafting of a bill on referendum which has already been passed and signed by the President.

Preparations were now underway for the organisation of the referendum before the October General Election.

Mr Mkapa said since the winner takes all system has not worked well, there was a need to give the agreed system a chance to see if it would help solve problems.

On the trend of setting coalition governments in Africa, Mr Mkapa said all depends on prevailing situations.

Giving an example of Kenya, where he was involved in negotiations after the 2007/08 post polls violence, he said the situation necessitated the formation of such a government.

Chipping in, another commissioner who addressed the press conference, Ms Anna Tibaijuka, the UN-Habitat chief, said democratic institutions in Africa were to blame for such developments.

She said failure by democratic institutions to determine a winner after elections, ushered in all sorts of political problems.

"We have copied western democracies and in many instances we lack constitutional legitimacy on what to do especially when the institutions fail to determine and name the winner after elections," she said.

For his party, Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who also sits in the commission, said he was not comfortable for any kind of democratic recipes "every case should be judged on its own merit."

He said coalition governments could be part of the solution in some instances, but that does not mean that it should be applied in every case.

Meanwhile, Mr Mkapa reiterated yesterday that aid was another major factor which impedes Africa's development.

Reacting to question on why Africa was still poor despite its abundant natural resources, he said: "Most of us think that it is other people's responsibility to develop our continent."

He said it was dejecting that more than 50 years since most of African countries attained independence, they have continued to looking for aid as a way of emancipation.
"We chased away colonialists knowing that they will not give us independence. How come then that now we are returning to hem asking for aid?" he posed, adding: "We need to accept that change is our responsibility. Extraordinary dependence is not only a shock, it is disgraceful...we should get on our feet and think for ourselves."

According to former British ambassador to Ethiopia, Mr Myles Wickstead, the commission had been revived to assess progress made in the implementation of the recommendations contained in its report.

"We think that five years after the recommendations were made and five years before the millennium development goals target time, it is appropriate that we review progress made," he said.

1,000 Words About Tanzania

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Kigoma, Tanzania

We arrived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania excited to catch a flight to Kigoma, a region in the northwestern part of the country to visit a Jane Goodall Institute Tanzania project working with small farmers to promote sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately Precision Air, one of only two airlines that flies to the remote region, has suspended all flights for the next several weeks and the other airline is all booked.

No worries, we headed to Zanzibar instead....

Zanzibar is a place known for beautiful beaches, but the thing that I liked most about my visit there was the food. Everywhere you look there's a bounty of fresh vegetables, fruit, and, most importantly given the island's history, spices. Zanzibar is one of the "Spice Islands," a group of islands that supplied cloves, coriander, nutmeg, pepper, vanilla, and other spices to Europe in the 17th Century.

Today, those spices are grown much the same way they were then-organically, without the use of chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers, in response to consumer demand. And they're still grown on large plantations, but instead of slaves planting and harvesting the crops, local Tanzanian farmers use intercropping to grow many of the spices along with fruit trees and vegetables. The spice farms are also benefiting from tourism-I paid a shockingly low $12 for my day long trip to the spice farm, which included a wonderful (and spicy!) vegetarian lunch and a trip to a pristine and deserted beach.



The Tanzanian government, however, controls much of the land where the spices are grown and also where they are sold. Vanilla grown in Zanzibar, for example, is not used on the island or even in mainland Tanzania, but is grown exclusively for export. And Zanzibar is also the world's third largest supplier of cloves, the main export from the island.

When we arrived back to Dar Es Salaam we did have the opportunity to meet with Pancras Ngalason who is the Executive Director of Jane Goodall Center (JGI) in Tanzania and he explained how the Institute has evolved since it began in the 1970s. They've gone, according to Ngalason, beyond research to address questions of livelihood.

JGI started as a center to research and protect wild chimpanzee populations in what is now, thanks to their efforts, Gombe National Park. But in the early 1990s JGI realized that if it didn't start addressing the needs of the communities surrounding the park, their efforts to conserve wildlife wouldn't work. JGI first started by planting trees in the region, but soon found that communities cut them down, not because they wanted to, but because they needed them for fuel and for making charcoal. It was at that time, says Ngalason, that we "thought beyond planting trees" and more about community-based conservation.

JGI started working with communities to develop government- mandated land use plans, helping them develop soil erosion prevention practices, agroforestry, and production of value-added products, such as coffee and palm oil. They like to say that their products are "Good for All"-good for farmers by providing income, good for the environment by protecting natural resources, and good for the consumer by providing a healthy product.

They're also working training community health practitioners about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS prevention, educating youth, establishing micro-credit programs, and working with UNICEF and USAID to supply clean water to communities.

We then hopped on a bus to Arusha, Tanzania to meet with the World Vegetable Center...

As hunger and drought spread across Africa , there's a huge focus on increasing yields of staple crops, such as maize, wheat, cassava, and rice. And while these crops are important for food security, providing much needed calories, they don't provide much protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, iron, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, other important vitamins and micronutrients-or much taste. "None of the staple crops," says Dr. Abdou Tenkouano, the World Vegetable Center's Regional Director for Africa, "would be palatable without vegetables." And vegetables, he says, "are less risk prone" than staple crops that stay in the field for longer periods of time.

Because vegetables typically have a shorter growing time, they can maximize often scarce water supplies and soil nutrients better than crops such as maize which need a lot of water and fertilizer.

Unfortunately no country in Africa, according to Dr. Tenkouano, has a big focus on vegetable production. But that's where the Center steps in. Since the 1990s, the Center (which is a part of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center based in Taiwan) has been working in Africa to breed cultivars that best suit farmers' needs.

Despite the focus on staple crops, vegetable production generates more income on and off the farm than most other agricultural enterprises, according to the Center's website. And unlike staple crops, vegetable production is something that benefits urban and rural farmers alike (See our posts on urban farmers in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya).


Source: Ground Report

Rebounding Africa under pressure to keep up reform

DAR ES SALAAM: Africa will emerge from the global downturn more quickly and strongly than much of the world, but must shift policies and attitudes still further to benefit fully, business and political leaders said on Wednesday.

"We've come through it better than most and we've done that not because we're not integrated in the global economy but because we are," Maria Ramos, CEO of South African bank Absa, told a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) for Africa.

"There has been a big amount of reform of this continent over the past decade and a half." The world's poorest continent has defied the direst predictions that it would suffer more than others as a result of the global woes and the World Bank this week upgraded its growth forecast for sub-Saharan Africa to 4.2 percent in 2010 versus 1.7 percent last year.

In addition to rising commodity prices and investment from faster growing Asian countries, policy reforms and debt relief over the past decade have put many African countries on a more stable footing and better placed to attract investment.

Businesses in Africa talk up the potential of 1 billion consumers with ever increasing spending power and point to the explosion of mobile phone services as a sign of what can be done.

Results of a survey of CEOs by PricewaterhouseCoopers showed 77 percent of those in Africa were optimistic for the next three years compared to only 50 percent globally.



Opportunity

"We as Africans need to understand this opportunity," South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told Reuters.

"That's what this WEF is about and to fashion our thinking in a way in which we can take advantage of the opportunities that are there," he said, while stressing that the rest of the world also needed to understand Africa's emerging importance.

The fact Africa's biggest annual business gathering is being held in Tanzania rather than South Africa, as it usually is, was a sign of the growing importance of the countries outside the continent's biggest economic power.

But the east African country's own record on economic reforms has been looking patchy of late. Over two years, it slipped 20 places on the World Bank's ease of doing business survey to 131 out of 183.

President Jakaya Kikwete acknowledged this week that more needed to be done, but he told the summit that laws to promote investment by foreign countries were not enough by themselves.

"We need the support of the governments of these countries," he said, stressing in particular the difficulties created by foreign agricultural subsidies which put African farmers at a disadvantage.

Despite setbacks in some countries, business groups and donors believe that continuing reforms to open up economies and increase political freedoms are an important driver of growth.

"The political will is coming," said Omari Issa, who heads the Investment Climate Facility for Africa, which runs dozens of projects to help countries make it easier for businesses to operate and to eliminate red tape.

"We are creating competition between countries and within countries, competition between agencies. I think the formula is working," he told Reuters.

Source: Arab News

Hivi karibuni hapo Mlandege....

Mashaka ya Mvua....

Mahakama ya Mkoa wa Kaskazini Unguja

UNDP chief begins four-nation Africa tour

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (PANA) - UN Development Programme (UNDP) Chief Helen Clark begins a four-country tour of Africa Saturday to highlight progress towards t h e Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the run up to the MDGs Summit in Septem b er 2010.

Clark will travel to Mali, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and South Africa, the UNDP sa id.

In Tanzania, Clark will travel to Zanzibar to visit the Jozani Forest, protected in 2007, and tour the National Electoral Commission in Dar es Salaam to speak w i th newly-registered voters.

In South Africa, she will kick off a promotional pre-World Cup MDGs football mat ch in Pretoria with young girls and boys who are part of a sport and development

project.

''Achieving the MDGs means quite simply a better life for billions of people,'' Clark said. Ahead of her trip to Africa. ''In just under 150 days, world leaders

will come together in New York for a summit on the MDGs. The message I want to b r ing on this trip is that reaching the Millennium Development Goals is possible, a nd there is a range of tried and tested policies which ensure progress, particul a rly when backed by strong partnerships.''

During the tour, Clark will meet with Heads of State and ministers, as well as t ouch base with women leaders and members of civil society, and visit development

projects.

In Mali, she will also tour the historic city of Timbuktu and meet with women ma ngo farmers. In Burkina Faso, she will tour a project which facilitates access t o energy for rural women, and will visit a centre for the reintegration of sex wo r kers.

While sub-Saharan Africa remains the developing region with the highest number o f people living in extreme poverty, poverty rates have dropped rapidly since 199 0 , hovering around 46 percent in 2008.

The financial and economic crisis has slowed that progress, however, over the pa st year.

Sub-Saharan Africa has also succeeded in reducing by 17.4 percent, between 2001 and 2008, the number of adults and children newly infected by HIV and AIDS, and a ccess to Anti-Retroviral Therapy has been expanded in many countries.

Source: PANA

The Ngoma Africa Band kuwasha moto 8-May 2008 Munich,Ujerumani

Shamra Shamra za Wold Cup 2010 zinaripuka kila Kona ya duniani

FFU wa The Ngoma Africa Band kutumbuiza Munich! Ujerumani.

Mahala: Pfarrheim,St.Joseph, Joseph Platz 1.München,Germany

Ile bendi mashuhuri ya mziki wa dansi uko ughaibuni,The Ngoma Africa band alimaarufu kwa majina ya kutisha tisha,kama vile FFU,wazee wa kukaanga mbuyu,
yenye maskani yao uko Ujerumani,watapereka mzuka wao wa dansi mjini Munich
au bayern Munchen,kusini mwa Ujerumani.ambako wamehalikwa kwenda kutumbuiza siku ya Jumamosi 8 may 2010,katika kusherekea "FIFA World Cup 2010" kwa mara ya kwanza mashindano ya kombe hilo kufanyika Afrika.

Jumuiya za mshirika mbalimbali yasio ya Kiserekali ,Kikiwemo chama cha urafiki kati ya wajerumani na tanzania,ndio walioandaa onyesho ilo uko Munich,ujerumani ya kusini,ambako ndipo mjio huo ndio makao makuu ya timu maarufu ya kandanda ya Bayern Muchen.

Washabiki wa kandanda na washabiki wa mziki wa mataifa mbali mbali watapata
bahati ya kujumuika na kujimwaga uwanjani kwa kusakata mziki wa dansi kutoka
kwao bendi ya "The Ngoma Africa Band".bendi ambayo imezoeleka na washabiki
kwa tabia za kuperekana puta na wa shabiki kwa kutumia mdundo wake wa dansi!

Ni juzi tu bendi hiyo mashuhuri iliachia singo CD yake mpya "Jakaya Kikwete 2010".
Kikosi cha Ngoma Africa band,kitarajiwa kutua mjini Munich kwa kazi moja tu!
nayo ni kuwapa burudani ya kukata na mundu washabiki!Burudani ya pata shika na nguo kuchanika,kila moja na wake!

Wakazi na washabiki wa Muchen aka Bayern Munich kaeni mkao wa kula
pia unaweza kusikiliza mziki wao at http://www.myspace.com/thengomaafrica

Salaam za Siku ya Muungano na Hillary Rodham Clinton

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of the United Republic of Tanzania as you celebrate the forty-sixth anniversary of the union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar on April 26. This is an opportunity to celebrate the culture and accomplishments of your peaceful, tolerant and democratic country, and to reaffirm the bonds of friendship between our peoples.

We commend Tanzania for its work to promote regional stability, broad-based and inclusive prosperity, and democratic governance. And we salute your participation in peacekeeping operations from Sudan to Lebanon.

Your commitment to transparent governance and inclusive growth provides a foundation for the Millennium Challenge Compact we signed in 2008. Under this partnership, we are working together to support the Government of Tanzania’s efforts to reduce poverty through expanding remote populations’ access to transportation, electricity, and water. And through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative, we are working together to improve the health of Tanzania’s citizens.

Americans and Tanzanians learn from one another every day through our Peace Corps program, with volunteers serving in every corner of the country from Mtwara to Mwanza, as well as through an array of educational and cultural exchanges. I have been privileged to experience the warmth and generosity of the Tanzanian people myself during my own travel to your beautiful country.

May the coming year bring continued peace and prosperity to Tanzania. I offer you best wishes for a safe and happy holiday.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 25, 2010


Source: U.S. Department Of State

Winning the fight against malaria

We are making great strides in fighting malaria.

This was clear during my recent visit to Tanzania. I had heard about the success there, but it wasn’t until I looked at the hospital admissions book in Zanzibar that I saw how big the change was: only one malaria diagnosis in the past six months.

Just a few years ago, the clinic administrator said, there would have been 1,500 cases over the same period.

In 2010, Tanzania is expected to become one of the first African countries offering universal access to two of the most effective malaria weapons: insecticide-treated mosquito nets and affordable drug treatments.

Other African countries, including Ethiopia and Zambia, have also made rapid progress in the past few years.

But there are still places, like Sierra Leone, that desperately need help. One of the world’s poorest countries, Sierra Leone has the highest child mortality rate, largely because of malaria. In fact, malaria accounts for 40 percent of deaths there in children younger than age 5.

Decades of conflict have destroyed health infrastructures and created breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite.

This is a heartbreaking reality for a country far across the Atlantic. But what does it mean for the United States?

Plenty.

There are four reasons why it makes sense for Washington to invest in malaria-control efforts worldwide:

First, President Barack Obama’s Global Health Initiative includes reducing the effects of malaria by 50 percent for 450 million people. Even in the middle of the economic crisis, the Obama administration made global health a priority. This is not just an imperative to help those in need. It’s also because better health means better development — and a stronger global economy.

Second, malaria interventions are cost-effective with a high rate of return. For example, the cost for one insecticide-treated net, including distribution, is about $10. Each net has the potential to save several lives.

Kuoni exclusive camp, Serengeti Bushtops, is set to open in June 2010

Kuoni has announced that its exclusive new camp, Serengeti Bushtops, is set to open on June 1st 2010 just in time for this year’s famous wildebeest migration. Situated in the north west of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, this luxury five star tented safari camp is located directly in the path of the main migration route.

Just 25km from the Mara River, access to the tented safari camp is either by road through Arusha Lake Manyara, or by air via Kilimanjaro International airport and landing at the nearby Kogatende airstrip. Connecting flights to the Serengeti National Park are also available from Zanzibar, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, with transfers also available between the Serengeti Bushtops’ sister camp - Mara Bushtops, a top destination for Kenya holidays.

Serengeti Bushtops has a number of specially converted 4x4 vehicles to take customers on wildlife adventures, such as off road game drives, bush picnics and hippo and crocodile spotting along the Mara River. Safaris will be offered on a private or group basis, each with experienced guides. The big draw will be the yearly migration of thousands of wildebeest which occurs between June and November each year.

To view this spectacular event, Kuoni has 12 specially designed spacious tents for guests to stay in which are open on three sides, and which benefit from wooden flooring, ensuite bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, a hot tub, private veranda, writing desk, small library and telescope.

Other facilities include a mess tent with views across the Serengeti, a contemporary lounge with bar, library, camp fire and wine cellar as well as internet access and a 24 hour butler service.

What will be the fate of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani?

Facts about Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani: 1970 or 1974 born in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

1990-1994 Joined al-Qaeda and trained in bomb making.

1998 August, took part in the bombing of Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam embassies. In Narobi, 212 people were killed, and an estimated 4,000 wounded. In Dar Es Salaam, at least 11 were killed, and 85 wounded.

2000 November; In the Liberian capital, Monrovia, he ran a lucrative al-Qaeda financing operation, trading illegal "blood diamonds" for cash along with Fazul Abdullah Mohammed 2001 June; reports reached al-Qaeda that Ghailani and Fazul Abdullah Mohammed were lavishing money on women, in the form of presents and alcohol.

2001 October, Placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist list.

2004 July, After an eight hour battle in Gujrat, he was captured along with 13 others by the in Pakinstan military and turned over to the US.

2006 September, Transferred along with 14 other detainees from secret prison to Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba.

2007 March, in an military hearing, Ghailani, admitted delivering explosives used to blow up the US embassy in Tanzania in 1998. In the Tanzania bombing 11 were killed, and 86 injuried.

2009 June, On the direction of the Obama Administration (U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder), he was transferred to New York City to stand trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He is held in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.

2010 February, US District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan ordered the Prosecution to review the record of Ghailani's detention in CIA's network of black sites And any materials that show the decisions “were for a purpose other than national security,” must be turned over to Ghailani's lawyers. Reports that Kaplan is considering dismissing the charges on the grounds that due to Ghailani's long extrajudicial detention he was denied the constitutional right to a speedy trial.

2010 March, Ghaiani’s lawyers has petition the judge that Ghailani be immediately released and granted a permanent resident card.

We should soon know the fate of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, I wonder if he is released and granted permanent resident status if he will be allowed to bring his wife and family to the US also?


Source: Victoria advocate

Spitali ya Vinyama

Ukiwa Unguja, sehemu ya kutibu Vinyama ipo Mbweni, barabara ya Bakari Jabu.

China, Tanzania sign loan agreements on ICT, air transport infrastructure

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania and the Exim Bank of China on Friday signed two concessional loan agreements to finance the Tanzanian National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Broadband infrastructure Backbone Network Project and upgrading of the Zanzibar International Airport.

Under the National ICT broadband infrastructure Backbone Network Project (Phase II), the Exim Bank of China will extend to Tanzania 700 million RMB yuan (about 100 million U.S. dollars) to support the implementation of the project, which aims to contribute significantly to the Tanzanian government's effort to improve communication technology in Tanzania, according to the signed agreement.

In the second project, the Exim Bank of China will provide to the Tanzanian government 481 million RMB yuan (about 70 million U. S. dollars) for the purpose of supporting the upgrading of Tanzania's Zanzibar International Airport Terminal II, the agreement said.

The implementation of the project aims to improve the air transport for passengers and goods to and from the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar, providing safe and reliable airport for large aircrafts and large number of flights and increase the number of passengers from inside and outside of Tanzania.

Speaking at the agreements signing ceremony, Tanzanian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Mustapha Mkulo hailed China's assistance to his country, noting that the bilateral cooperation in sectors of development and technology between the two countries are highly appreciated.

The two projects would contribute to significantly to the Tanzanian Government's effort to improve communication technology in Tanzania, the national and social development and poverty reduction in the east African country, he said.

It is expected to lower the communication costs between Tanzania and the rest of the world, as well as promote the e- government, e-learning, e-health and e-commerce and economic growth, development of science and technology and government renovation, the minister said.

For his part, Zhu Hongjie, vice-chairman of the Exim Bank of China, said that the bank attached great importance to the issue of concessional loans to Tanzania, which covers the sector of communication, agriculture, transport infrastructure and public facilities among others.

He hoped that the implementation of the two above projects would play an active role in the economic and social development of Tanzania.

The Tanzanian government plans to spend about 4.76 trillion Tanzanian shillings (3.58 billion U.S. dollars) for special infrastructure projects annually from the 2010/2011 financial year, as part of an ambitious five-year public investment drive that has been hailed by the private sector as realistic and in order.

Source:People's Daily Online

Mabaharia Wa Kizenj Mikononi Mwa Wasomali...

New Delhi - A cargo ship with 26 crew members including 11 Indians was hijacked by Somali pirates near the Seychelles, local media reports said Monday.
The vessel MV Rak Afrikana belonging to a United Arab Emirates company was seized by pirates en route to Zanzibar, India's Directorate-General of Shipping based in Mumbai said, the PTI news agency reported.

"We have received information that a general cargo ship with 26 crew members including 10 Tanzanians, five Pakistanis and 11 Indians has been hijacked near the Seychelles en route to Zanzibar on 11th April morning," a senior official from the directorate told PTI.

The ship is believed to have been taken to the Somali coast by pirates.
"The Directorate of Shipping is in contact with the managers of the vessel for regular updates and measures initiated for the early and safe release of the crew and vessel," the official added.

Somali pirates seized 11 vessels with over 120 Indians on board during the past fortnight.

Of them, five vessels have been released along with 67 Indians while an Indian sailor died during rescue operations by the navies of the US and Oman in which eight Indian sailors were rescued, the report said.

Repeated attacks on Indian vessels had also prompted the Indian government to issue a warning to owners of cargo vessels about the dangers, particularly along the sea-lanes of Salalah and Male.

The number of attacks by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and further out in the Indian Ocean in 2009 was almost double the 2008 figure, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

Salum, "People say it takes a man to stop using hard drugs; it is no joke"

STONE TOWN, Salum, 40, from the western district of Zanzibar spoke to IRIN about his struggles with addiction. He is undergoing rehabilitation at an informal centre.

"I started using drugs in 1987 while in Karachi, Pakistan, where I had gone in the hope of travelling on to Europe. I made a living in the ghetto by repackaging 'crack' for trafficking in small sweet-like packages.

"I was introduced to drugs by a lady we were living with. I started by smoking joints [marijuana], then graduated to ‘riding three horses’ [a cocktail of marijuana, tobacco and heroin], then injecting [heroin].

"When I got a chance to go to Europe in 1992, I was arrested in Italy and deported to Zanzibar where I continued my drug habit.

"I did not want to become a thief but I ended up becoming one to buy drugs. I embarrassed my family; people here [in Zanzibar] are very sensitive, they know each other, they talk.

"My dad struggled to assist me until his death. My brothers and sisters did not help me, they said it was a choice I had made to use drugs and that it was up to me to stop.

"My mother did not abandon me; she would bail me out whenever I was arrested for stealing. When she died, a month before I was sentenced for robbery with violence, I felt responsible for her death; she had died of high blood pressure. I regret making her suffer; she sold her jewellery trying to get me treated.

"In jail, I continued using drugs; other prisoners would ask me to test their 'product' due to my Pakistan experience. Years later, I was released having wasted most of my life.

"I eventually found the courage to approach my brother to ask him to pay the fee at the drug recovery centre; he did not take me seriously. But I persisted and he paid 300,000 Tanzanian shillings [about US$222] for three months.

"I have struggled with addiction for more than 20 years; I was wondering why I was not able to stop. I would sit up at night and cry because I felt unwanted. I tried to quit but relapsed, I wanted a quick fix.

"Before, I felt no remorse at my violent actions; I used to live to be high... At the recovery centre, the trainers say we should seek forgiveness from those we wronged in the past; but how do I do this when I caused some people such harm? People used to be afraid to meet me in Stone Town's alleys.

"At the recovery centre, I have learned to be patient, to accept that I am sick and that if I give into temptation it will be a big mistake.

"During my detoxification, I went for eight days vomiting and passing loose stool at the sight of food. People say it takes a man to stop using hard drugs; it is no joke.

"I am putting on weight and getting positive encouragement but when my rehabilitation is over, I am not sure where I will go. My uncle, who is helping me now, does not want me to stay at his house incase I cause trouble. My siblings do not trust me. I hope to be reunited with my family someday. For now, getting rid of the addiction is my priority; God will take care of the future."

Tackling Drug Abuse in the Islands.....

From the outside, there is little that sets the three-bedroom house apart from its neighbours in this suburb of Stone Town. But inside, the building offers a rare lifeline to two dozen young men from across Zanzibar trying to kick their drug habits.

While reliable figures are hard to come by, specialists say there has been a significant increase in the use of hard drugs over the past few decades, and a corresponding increase in HIV prevalence among intravenous drug users (IDUs).

"When you stop using drugs you get so scared, you think you are going to die, but here you draw support from others. You ask why is the other person able to stop but not me?" Abdulrashid Salum, a recovering addict at the house, told IRIN.

The sober house provides classes on anger management, self esteem and drug relapse signs.

"We learn to accept that we are powerless against drugs, that we should avoid former leisure groups and the use of drugs such as alcohol to avoid sliding back into using drugs..." Salum added. "It is a dangerous thing to relapse; many end up in jail or dead. Relapse is a choice not bad luck."

The programmes are based on spiritual principles emphasizing abstinence and behaviour change, founder Suleiman Mauly said. "We have no counsellors, doctors or police here... it is based on people's free will to change," he said. The six-month programme costs about 100,000 Tanzanian shillings a month (US$74).

Meditation is a key component. "This helps recovering addicts to get rid of resentment. They identify situations which can cause them to relapse," said Mauly. Journal writing is encouraged and shared during peer sessions.

"It is from such sessions that we have learned the need to avoid engaging in promiscuous sexual relationships unlike in the past when this would happen when one was high," he added. Most affected are people aged 14-35, with marijuana and heroine most abused.

The sober houses are run by former addicts; rent is covered by the Detroit Recovery Project, while contributions from well-wishers meet other costs. Staff salaries are paid in kind too.

"We [former addicts] are experts to some extent, we know how it feels, the withdrawal effects, it helps make sense to the recovering addicts," Mauly said. "When you use drugs, you can influence others to use them, similarly when you are clean, you can influence them to recover."

Mauly, 29, who quit using heroin two years ago, recalled his experience: "I did not have any idea how powerful addiction was. I would try to limit my use to weekends but it did not work. I even tried substituting it with 'softer' drugs such as alcohol and marijuana, but failed.

"Addiction is a powerful disease, some of us were thieves and beggars; we have not come here from offices or mosques, so telling people to observe rules in the house after such a background is difficult."

HIV risk

The Zanzibar Association of Information Against Drug Abuse (ZAIADA) is among organizations linking affected youth to the sober houses through outreach workers and peer educators.

"When you ask them [the youth] why they use drugs, they say, because we are jobless," Mbarouk Said Ali, a programme officer with ZAIADA, told IRIN. Stone Town and the northern region, where most tourist resorts are located, are the most affected.

Easy access to drugs and the presence of many visitors to the island have fuelled drug availability, Mbarouk noted.

Long-term rehabilitation is, however, a problem. "We are seeking to build a skills training centre," he said. "For now, the most we can do is provide information and referrals for treatment."

With the community, ZAIADA is looking into supplying fresh syringes with a view to reducing HIV infection from syringe sharing by IDUs. "The community is okay with this as long as the reason is to prevent HIV," he said.

Zanzibar has a low HIV/AIDS prevalence in the general population at about 0.6 percent. However, HIV is more concentrated in high-risk groups such as drug users, men who have sex with men, and sex workers.

A 2006 government study found a link between substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. It showed that 30 percent of IDUs were HIV positive, compared with 12 percent of non-IDUs. Of the IDUs who shared needles, 28 percent were infected, against 5 percent who did not share needles.

Mohamed Dahoma, director of HIV/AIDS at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, told IRIN the number of drug abusers had been growing in Zanzibar. He said easier infiltration, as in most coastal areas, and a demand-driven supply were among the causes.

Surveys in 2005 and 2007 found a high correlation between drug use and high-risk behaviour, he said. "The surveys found that substance abusers were more likely to engage in flash-blood and needle sharing, low condom use and transactional sex," he said. Hepatitis B and C and HIV/AIDS were also documented.

The lack of trained personnel and insufficient funding are other challenges, Reychad Abdool, the regional HIV/AIDS adviser, Africa and Middle East, at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), told IRIN. UNODC is helping to build the capacity of government and civil society organizations to address drug abuse, including injecting drug use and related HIV prevention, and drug dependence treatment, Abdool added.

Meanwhile, the sober houses are helping to make a difference. "We are helping some drug users quit. We get a chance to save some lives," Mauly said. However, he added: "There are other issues such as the lack of jobs for former addicts. We do not want dry junkies [people who quit drugs but lack vision]."

One Square Mile: Zanzibar

Zanzibar is about the size of London, for BBC World News Zeinab Badawi explores just one square mile.

There’s evidence of 2000 years of contact with the African mainland, the Gulf and India. It was the centre of the East African slave trade, ended by the British when they colonized the place at the end of the 19th century.

Zanzibar has seen its fair share of troubles – most recently, a bloody revolution in 1964 that saw Zanzibar make a union with mainland Tanzania.

But despite a turbulent past, this autonomous Tanzanian island now appears to be an oasis of peace and stability in a part of the world no stranger to strife.

More at BBC EXPLORES

Zanzibar: Too much work, too little school

STONETOWN, 7 April 2010 (IRIN) - Malindi fish market in Zanzibar's Stonetown is a bustle of economic activity, but the prospect of a quick buck attracts too many children who should be in school, say activists.

"The children want to go to school but they have to [work to] support their parents," Mubarak Maman, Zanzibar Programme Manager for Save the Children, told IRIN.

In the market, they are mostly seen serving tea or selling snacks in the morning and early afternoon when the fishermen arrive with the day's catch.

The situation is replicated across East Africa's spice islands. Despite a global reputation as a major tourist destination, the semi-autonomous Zanzibar islands are poor - fuelling child labour and exploitation.

"When you go to Pemba [one of Zanzibar's constituent islands], there is a large number of children involved in fishing and rock-breaking for gravel," Maman said. "The parents say they cannot afford to send the children to school."

However, according to a 2001 assessment by the International Labour Organization (ILO), children in Zanzibar face a tougher time working in clove plantations and seaweed farms, as well as in the hotel and tourism sector. Many are also engaged in child prostitution.

More than 100,000 children between the ages of five and 17 are employed in Zanzibar, according to a 2006 government survey.

Hamza, 15, a juice seller for a year, said he works six hours daily, earning about 7,000 Tanzanian shillings (US$5), most of which goes to his older brother. The remainder is sent off to his parents on the mainland.

"My parents are poor, they could not afford to keep me in school," he said, adding that he would like to return to school. "I am afraid that if I ask my brother to take me back to school he may send me back home to my parents."

Education

Basic education in Zanzibar is compulsory for 12 years – eight years of primary and four of secondary school - but there are no legal provisions for enforcement. There are also other costs, such as uniforms, which lock out the poor.

The perception of low returns on education means parents and children value short-term gains from child labour at the expense of education, according to Zanzibar’s 2009-2015 National Action Plan (NAP) for the elimination of child labour.

"For the majority of children who do not go beyond Basic Education, the prospects for gainful employment are minimal," it stated. This contributes to low demand for schooling and high drop-out rates.

Maman of Save the Children said it was not easy to draw a line between working children and domestic labour. "This is because some of the children work and then go to school; others are not working but are in exploitative situations," he explained.

Some residents also consider it a form of training for the children to take on future roles, such as fishing.

Raising awareness

Fatma Rashid, a liaison officer with ILO in Zanzibar, told IRIN that while child labour was a big problem, community awareness about its effects was low.

"We use mass media for awareness, conduct seminars... we invite parents and shehas [community leaders] to go back and educate others," said Rashid.

ILO is developing a school curriculum so that children in schools are aware of the issues, she said.

According to the NAP, weak implementation capacity and lack of coordination among agencies, together with poor awareness of child rights and weak enforcement of laws and regulations, need to be addressed.

The application of labour laws mainly in the formal sectors has left informal and traditional sectors - the main employers of children - unregulated.

The NAP expects to address these issues and undertake a review of the school curriculum to enhance relevance in addressing local community needs with a view to improving enrolment and retention.

A child labour steering committee, comprising officials from relevant agencies, will provide implementation guidance.

"The child protection issue is overlapping; it is the responsibility of many departments. There is a need for national coordination among the various actors as well as awareness-raising to encourage people to report cases of child abuse," said Maman.

"There should be a legal framework to make it mandatory to report for whoever comes across such a case."

Asha Aboud Mzee of the NGO, Catalyst Organization for Women Progress in Zanzibar, said women should be involved. "If something happens, they [the women] do not know where to report," she said.


Source: IRIN Africa

Karume Day: What Nkrumah advised Mzee Karume in 1958

President Amani Abeid Karume's unity government idea is being viewed in some quarters as being ultimate fulfillment of his late father's dream. The first President of Zanzibar, the late Abeid Amani Karume, believed in unity government but died before forming one, it has been said.

It was Kwame Nkrumah in 1958 who first advised the late Abeid Amani Karume, the leader of the then Afro Shiraz Party (ASP), and Ali Mukhsin Barwani of the Zanzibar National Party (ZNP) to work together, win elections together and win independence together, revealed Mr Salum Rashid Maulid.

Apparently, the late Ghana president was audacious enough to make such a suggestion as he was the leader of the only free African country then. Karume accepted the idea and started advocating for unity government as proper mode of governance.

Mr Maulid, who was the first Secretary to the Revolutionary Council and a graduate the prestigious London School of Economics and a prominent member of the UMMA party, told this paper recently that he was deeply involved at the time before independence and worked closely with Karume in an effort to form a coalition government.

Mzee Maulid, who is now retired from the civil service and politics, said the urge to form a coalition government was very strong after 1963 elections, which did not give any party the required majority to form government.

“We tried to talk to some MPs from ZNP after the election and we succeeded in convincing three of them. I can remember names of only two , Mohamed Mshangama and Balaal and a third gentlemen was from Pemba,” says Mr Maulid who later went on to serve as deputy finance minister in the Union Government.

He told The Citizen in an exclusive interview at his residence in Zanzibar last week that even before independence, the late Karume was very anxious to form a coalition government. Late Karume expressed his disire for a unity government in 1962, at the Constitutional Conference in London.

He suggested that a coalition government for Zanzibar, according to Mr Maulid, would eliminate the political differences. His dream failed could not come true although attempts were made during the first Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar to institute a coalition government.

This is reminiscent of what is happening in Zanzibar today, where political rivals have come together and agreed in principle to work together. Coincidentally, it is late karume’s son, President Amani Abeid Karume, who has succeeded in bringing the adamant Civic United Front (CUF) to agree to the idea of forming an inclusive government.

It was in November last year when President Karume and CUF Secretary General Seif Sharrif Hamad met , in a surprising and unexpected move, announcing they were ready to burry hatchets and work together.

Just as advocated by late Karume during his time, the recent move was also described by both parties as geared towards promoting peace, stability and unity in the isles.

Following the meeting, Mr Hamad went ahead and announced in two public rallies held in Unguja and Pemba that the party had decided to recognise Mr Karume as the legitimate President of Zanzibar, which was a departure from their earlier stand after the 2000 and 2005 General Elections. In response, President Amani Karume also held a rally in Unguja, praising Mr Hamad for his courageous and bold move.

A private motion seeking the formation of the government of national unity was subsequently introduced in parliament by the leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives, Mr Abubakar Khamis Bakary.

When launching a peaceful march to mark the commemoration of his father’s death 38 years ago in Zanzibar last week, President Karume said policy on peace and unity was introduced in Zanzibar by the late Mzee Karume.

He said the 1964 Revolution was aimed at uniting Africans from different political parties so as to build a strong community.

Mr Karume emphasized that Zanzibar can develop as a country only if it cherishes peace and unity, urging his people to support him.

Mr Hassan Nassor Moyo, a trade unionist, first President of the Afro Shiraz Party Youth legue and one of the first ministers in the first Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar told this paper that during the 1963 elections, ASP won 13 seats which did not give the party the mandate to form the government.

“ZNP won 12 seats and ZPPP 6, Mzee Karume approached Mohamed Shamte, the leader of ZPPP and asked him to form a coalition government of the oppressed, Shamte refused and opted to go with the predominantly Arab party ZNP,” Said Mzee Moyo.

According to him, the move by the late Shamte denied Zanzibar the opportunity to form a coalition government. Mr Moyo says the late Karume’s intention was to bring unity and understanding amongst Zanzibaris that is why he brought into the first Revolutionary Government three Arabs from the opposition UMMA party.

“The concept of unity was initiated by our father of the nation Mzee Karume, what you see today is not new, Karume’s dream was unity and not divisionism amongst Zanzibaris,” he said.

Mr Mohamed Aboud, Deputy Minister for East African Corporation, who served in the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar in the past, said during the last election before the Revolution, ASP had 87,402 votes equivalent to 53.1 percent while ZNP/ZPPP had 73,553 votes equivalent to 44.6 percent.

“This division led to about half of the Zanzibaris to accept the British independence of December 10, 1963 just like the way the other half rejected the January 12, 1964 Revolution,” said Aboud.

He told the Citizen that a fifty-fifty political divide amongst Zanzibaris have remained like that for the last 50 years until the dispensation by President Karume and Maalim Seif brought it to an end.

He said as a result of the dispensation, Zanzibar is today enjoying unity and peace that has never been experienced in Zanzibar for the last fifty years, a sure platform for a better future.

Source: The Citizen

Kissing UK couple lose Dubai jail appeal

Katika Zanzibar hairuhusiwi kupiga au kupigwa busu ama kupigana busu. Iwapo utashikwa, Unaweza kuhukumiwa kwenda jela kwa miezi mitatu, ama kulipa faini isiyo zidi shilingi laki mbili na elfu hamsini au kutumikia adhabu zote mbili kwa pamoja(jela na kulipa faini)

Cha kujiuliza nini faida ya sheria kama hizi?

Dubai's appeals court has upheld a one-month prison sentence against a British couple for kissing in public in the Muslim emirate, their lawyer said.

"The court has upheld the verdict" of the court of first instance, the lawyer, Khalaf al-Hosani, told AFP.

The Britons had been on bail since their arrest in November last year, when an Emirati woman accused them of kissing in a restaurant in the trendy Jumeirah Beach Residence neighbourhood.

The pair have been named in the British press as Ayman Najafi, 24, a British expat, and tourist Charlotte Adams, 25, whose surname was previously reported as Lewis.

They said they only kissed on the cheek, but pleaded guilty to charges of consuming alcohol.

The two are entitled to challenge the sentence in the cassation court, the highest court which can review cases in the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf state made up of seven members including Dubai.

They were convicted in January and sentenced to one month in prison, but were released on bail with their passports held by the authorities, Hosani said.

The lawyer said he would discuss with the defendants whether they wish to take the case to the cassation court, but he said "the hope is dim" of overturning the verdict.

Hosani had told court last month that the only witness, a 38-year-old Emirati woman, had presented different statements.

"She told the police that she saw them kissing, while she told the prosecution that her children saw them," he said, adding the defence is arguing that the couple only kissed on the cheek "as a greeting" which is allowed.

Dubai, which despite its pro-Western outlook still adheres to certain strict Islamic rules and bans sex out of wedlock, is a popular destination for British tourists.

Around 1.1 million Britons visited the United Arab Emirates in 2009, and more than 100,000 British nationals live in the country.

In 2008, a British couple, Vince Acors and Michelle Palmer, were convicted of having sex on the beach in Dubai but an appeals court suspended their three-month jail term.

Acors and Palmer, both their thirties, were expelled from the Gulf Arab country, however, and fined 1,000 dirhams ($A294) for drinking alcohol.

A mother-of-two and her alleged lover, a fellow Briton, were convicted of adultery and jailed for two months in June 2009 after her estranged British husband tipped off police who caught the couple leaving a Dubai hotel at 2:30am.

The British Foreign Office warns Britons travelling to the UAE that the Muslim country has strict rules on public displays of affection and points out women should dress modestly in public.

"Proportionally, Britons are most likely to be arrested in the UAE than any other country in the world," says the travel advice, also highlighting the UAE authorities' zero tolerance of possession of drugs.

African Development Bank, Govt Sign Loan Agreements

Two loan agreements for Sh322.5 billion to be used in the improvement of infrastructure were signed yesterday by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and government of Tanzania.

However, the funds would be disbursed after the fulfilment of conditions that include opening of a special account.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr Ramadhani Kijjah, said Sh319.1 billion would be directed to the Road Sector Support Project. This would finance the construction of the Iringa to Dodoma (260km) and Tunduru to Namtumbo (193km) roads.

"We would like to take less than the given time of five years to implement the project. We want to see the roads that connect southern regions to other parts of the country being in a good condition to facilitate development in those areas," said Mr Kijjah.

He said part of the loan would also be used to improve Mtwara port and restructure the Zanzibar Ministry of Communications and Transport.

The remaining Sh3.4 billion will be used to fund the second phase of the Dar es Salaam-Isaka-Kigali/Keza- Musongati railway project that aims at connecting Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

For her part, the AfDB resident representative, Dr Sophi Moyo, urged the Tanzania government to expedite the fulfilment of conditions for entry so that they come into force.

Elaborating, she said the government was supposed to open a special bank account and fully compensate people (if any) who would be affected by the project.

"We look forward to working with Tanzania for the successful implementation of the projects that, when completed, will have a positive impact on poverty reduction and regional integration," added Dr Moyo.

According to Mr Kijjah, in addition to updating the railway- feasibility study of 2008, phase two of the study would also propose to the three countries the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach in securing funds for constructing railway lines to landlocked Rwanda and Burundi.



Source: All Africa. com

Mzalendo.net waonja umuhimu wa Zanzibar

Nii baada ya kuandika pumba nyingi.....

Stone Town: Narrow street at Night

Zanzibar ya leo....

Tanzania Grants Five More Mobile Licenses.....

Tanzania's Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has given mobile network operating licenses to five more companies, bringing the tally for the country to twelve. The country now has one of the highest ratios of licenses to potential customers in the world, although with a population penetration level of just 43%, there is space for new companies to grow. The five new entrants are MyCell, Egotel, Rural Netco, Smile and ExcellentCom.

"They are expected to enter the country's communication industry when the process to give them network facility licensees is completed," TCRA director-general John Nkoma told The Citizen newspaper.

"There is an indication that the telecommunication industry is profitable and that's why more companies are entering the market," Mzumbe University economics lecturer Honest Ngowi told BusinessWeek. According to him, the trend is positive but it will reduce tariffs.

The country has seven licensed companies, only three have a sizeable customer base: South Africa listed Vodacom, Kuwait listed Zain and US listed Millicom (Tigo) - while a fourth local operator, Zanzibar Telecom operates only in Zanzibar island. According to the Mobile World analysts, the country has around 17.1 million mobile phone users, representing a population penetration level of 42.9%.

The government passed a controversial law earlier this year that will require any mobile network operating in the country will have to list their shares on the local stock exchange. The companies will have up to three years to list their shares on the stock exchange.

Jambiani

Picha inajieleza yenyewe!

Siku ya Maji Duniani: Zanzibar na mfumo mpya wa huduma ya maji.

Siku ya Maji Duniani: Zanzibar na mfumo mpya wa huduma ya maji

Kwa miaka mingi tumekuwa tukishuhudia ama kushiriki katika miradi kadhaa inayoanzishwa kwa lengo la kusukuma mbele maendeleo ya huduma kwa wananchi.

Hata hivyo miradi mingi imekuwa ikifa kabla ya kukamilisha malengo yake yaliyokusudiwa. Hali hii ilifanya kuwepo na tafiti mbalimbali kujua ni kwa nini miradi hiyo imekufa huku mingine ikiwa imegharimiwa kwa gharama kubwa sana.

Tafiti mbalimbali zilionyesha kuwa miradi hufa kutokana na kutokuwepo na ushirikiano wa dhati kati ya wenye wazo la mradi na wale ambao watanufaika na mradi huo tokea mwanzo wa maandalizi ya mradi hadi ukamilishaji wake. Kutokuwepo kwa ushirikiano ama uhusishwaji wa jamii husika katika miradi hiyo kulielezwa kuchangia kufa ama kuzorota kwa miradi mingi.

Nimeshawahi kuzungumzia jinsi ya kuondokana na kadhia hii katika baadhi ya mabandiko yangu yaliyopita. Aidha kwa leo nitaendelea kuangalia hatua moja kubwa na muhimu iliyofikiwa katika kusimamia miradi inayoanzishwa. Hatua hii ni kwa wananchi kupewa uwezo wa moja kwa moja wa kutoa taarifa juu ya uendelevu wa mradi husika kwa asasi husika.

Mapema mwaka huu, Shirika la Umoja wa Kimataifa la Maakazi UN-HABITAT, Google, Zantel, ADB na ZAWA, walianzisha huduma ya kuwashirikisha wananchi kutoa taarifa kutokana na huduma ya maji wanayopata. Hii ni hatua moja muhimu sana katika kuona uendelevu wa huduma hiyo muhimu.

Leo hii wakati dunia nzima wakisherehekea siku ya maji, kuna vituo vipya hamsini vya maji vilivyojengwa katika maeneo ya shule, zahanati na sehemu nyingine muhimu za kijamii katika kisiwa cha Unguja, ambavyo vinasimamiwa na wananchi wenyewe. Wananchi wa maeneo hayo wananwajibika kutoa taarifa za upatikanaji wa maji, ubovu wa mabomba na matatizo mengine yoyote yanayoendana na huduma hiyo kwa kutumia njia ya simu.

Katika dunia hii ambayo kuna zaidi ya watu bilioni 2 ambao hadi sasa bado wanaendelea kusubiri kupata huduma ya maji, hii mimi ninaona ni hatua muhimu sana ya kuwawezesha wananchi kuona mradi huo kama ni sehemu ya maisha yao. Utoaji wa taarifa kwa huduma hiyo ni sawa na kukabidhi moja moja usimazi wa huduma hiyo kwa wananchi hao. Hii itawapa changamoto kubwa katika kuhifadhi na kuendeleva huduma hiyo. Zaidi hatua zingine zilizoanzishwa sambamba na mradi huu zinapaswa kufahamishwa kwa wananchi wa maeneo husika sambamba na kuwashirikisha ili kuwepo na uendelevu wa miradi hiyo.

Hapana shaka lengo lililokusudiwa la kuwezesha wananchi kulinda na kusimamia huduma hiyo litafanikiwa, kwa asasi husika kutekeleza taarifa wanazopokea juu ya uendelevu wa huduma hiyo.