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THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


Global Village Rwanda threatens UN


ALL AFRICA.COM Rwanda


— Government has put contin- gents of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) serving under UN- backed peacekeeping opera- tions on stand by for pullout, if the UN publishes a report alleging that Rwandan troops were involved in mass killings in the DRC between 1994 and 2003.


Louise Mushikiwabo, Min-


ister of foreign affairs and gov- ernment spokesperson, made the announcement during a news conference to clarify on the government’s position on the recently leaked draft UN report.


“We are waiting to see what


the United Nations does with this report, but we are very seriously considering pulling out our troops,” Mushikiwabo said, adding that the RDF con- tingent commander in Darfur has already been instructed to be prepared.


“Our troops are on standby.


It is up to the United Nations,” the minister said, adding that the government is not happy about the imminent troop withdrawal but was being forced to.


She further pointed out that


the leaking of such a report was not an isolated act, but rather part of a larger pattern aimed at discrediting Rwan- da’s achievements.


“How could the UN accuse


Rwanda’s army of raping and killing, and at the same time want them to be the dedicated army that can protect people around the world?” she asked. “If they label us as a genocidal army, then they should be able to find another army to do it.”


Lt. Col. Jill Rutaremara,


army and defense spokesper- son, told The New Times that they were ready to pull out.


“The Rwanda Defence Force


has finalized a contingency withdrawal plan for its peace- keepers, in response to a gov- ernment directive, in case the UN publishes its outrageous and damaging report,” Rutare- mara said.


“The withdrawal will apply


to the RDF peacekeepers serving under the United Na- tions African Union Mission in Darfur [UNAMID] and the United Nations Mission in Sudan [UNMIS].”


Reacting to a question


regarding the possible in- volvement of Kofi Annan, UN secretary general during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi minister Mushikiwabo said that work on the yet to be published report started and was funded during his tenure. She said Kofi Annan is a man whose record, as far as Rwanda is concerned, is pitiful.


“He failed miserably,” she


said. “I am not surprised and my government is not sur- prised that he (Annan) would be the one making sure that there is funding for this kind of report to ensure that it was an important gesture he would pose before he leaves office,” Mushikiwabo stressed, adding that the involvement of Annan in the making of the report is unquestionable.


In a recently released


statement, the government described the draft report as malicious, offensive and ridic- ulous, adding that it appeared that the UN was trying to divert international attention from its latest failure in the Great Lakes region.


Nigeria in trade


talks with China Nigeria is building a multi-


billion dollar free trade zone with Chinese investors on the edge of its commercial capi-


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tal Lagos to try to develop a local manufacturing base and help reduce its import depen- dence.


The $5 billion first phase of


the Lekki Free zone, a 3,000 hectare site on the eastern fringe of the city, is 60 percent held by Chinese investors and 40 percent by the Lagos state government, the deputy head of the project told Reuters.


The consortium will provide


basic infrastructure including roads, power plants and water plants before manufactur- ing firms are invited to set up business, Lekki Free Zone De- velopment Co. (LFZDC) deputy managing director Adeyemo Thompson said.


“We have a number of Chi-


nese companies which are coming in the manufactur- ing area,” he said. “They are coming to produce furniture, electronics, pharmaceuticals and heavy machinery. We are having a fair in November. That is when we kick off op- erations.”


The Chinese shareholders


in the project include China Railway Construction Corp., the China-Africa Development Fund Ltd and the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd.


A total of 16,500 hectares


of land bordered by the Atlan- tic Ocean and the Lagos and Lekki lagoons has been ear- marked for the whole free zone, which will include a deep water seaport and a new international airport in close proximity.


The aim of the free zone is


to make it easier for foreign investors, particularly manu- facturers, to build a foothold in sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous nation and second- biggest economy while still owning 100 percent of their firms.


It is modeled on free zones


around China which have helped the Asian giant to de- velop its manufacturing base and economy over the past three decades.


“We have a one-stop shop


No investor has to deal with any government agency di- rectly. We license the enter- prises. You can register your enterprise within a week, get permits and everything you need to run your business,” Thompson said.


“The free zone allows you


to attract foreign direct in- vestment into the country and investors are given some incentives. It helps boost pro- duction, manufacturing, create employment and is a basis for sustainable infrastructure.”


The manufacturing and ag-


ricultural sectors have been neglected since the 1970s oil boom, when Nigeria began making easy money from crude oil sales. Oil accounts for more than 80 percent of revenues and more than 60 percent of exports.


Liberia signs US $1.6 billion oil agreement


The Government of Liberia


(GoL) and Golden VerOleum (Liberia) Inc. (GVL), on Sept. 2 announced a partnership for the cultivation of sustainable palm oil by the company and by Liberian smallholders and farmers, mill processing and value-added manufacturing. The investment is expected to total US $1.6 billion, creat- ing more than 35,000 direct jobs and building a whole new economic sector in Liberia’s southeastern counties.


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beria and is a subsidiary of the Verdant Fund LP (Ver- dant). Verdant’s initial and lead investor for this project is Golden Agri-Resources (GAR). Apart from GAR, Verdant


is expected to receive funding from other investors to meet its targeted US $1.6 billion investment amount. Addition- ally, GVL will draw on GAR’s expertise and more than 20 years of experience in Indo- nesia, where GAR cultivates more than 400,000 hectares (one million acres) of oil palm. GVL will be managed by a Li- beria-dedicated, experienced management team while GAR will maintain its plantations operational focus on Indone- sia and provide technical ex- pertise to GVL.


GoL and GVL are com-


memorating the partnership by establishing the VerOleum Scholarship Fund, with an ini- tial award of US $100,000 in the first year, to be followed by annual awards. The schol- arship will provide education, training and employment for outstanding Liberian students pursuing a career in agricul- ture.


“Sustainable palm oil de-


velopment will be a central growth pillar in rebuilding our economy and reducing pov- erty. It will not only provide income and create employ- ment for our people. Oil palm plantations will also provide infrastructure and education to the workers in those estates and lift the overall standard of living. We are excited about our partnership with GVL and by GAR’s investment.


As a leader in the industry,


GAR has a proven track record of large-scale palm oil pro- duction and best practices to achieve high productivity and at the same time maximize preservation of both high con- servation value areas and bio- diversity,” said Dr. Florence Chenoweth, Liberia’s minister of Agriculture at the signing ceremony.


Franky Widjaja, GAR chair-


man and CEO, said, “We are fully committed to sustainable palm oil development and un- derstand that this is the same ambition that the government of Liberia shares. With such a common ground, we believe that we can work together to develop the palm oil industry into becoming one of the main pillars of growth for Liberia.”


Matt Karinen, chairman of


GVL, said, “The partnership is a major step for Golden VerO- leum and Verdant. To partici- pate in the development of one of the fastest improving coun- tries in Africa is something we are very excited about. The VerOleum Scholarship Fund also signifies our deep com- mitment to playing a part in the development of Liberia.


“We believe that this will


give opportunities for out- standing students to be iden- tified and nurtured through our scholarship, and we look forward to employing success- ful candidates after they have finished their studies. Fur- thermore, we expect to make a major positive contribution to the environment.


“Today, and for more than


20 years, Liberia is being de- forested by slash-and-burn ag- riculture, driven by rural pov- erty. By offering employment, smallholder programs and making the degraded land pro- ductive, we hope to slow down and stop the deforestation.”


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