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DR Congo Catholics protest against M23 rebels, accuse Western countries of failing to hold Rwanda to account

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Thousands of Catholics on Sunday, took to the streets in several cities across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to protest violence in eastern regions perpetrated by the M23 rebels in the eastern parts of the country.

The protesters which included priests, church leaders and their congregations, also accused the international community of hypocrisy over failure to hold Rwanda a accountable over their alleged role in the fighting.

Local media reports on Monday that the protest began after Sunday services with churchgoers in the capital Kinshasa and other major cities heeding a call from the Conference of Catholic Bishops to demonstrate against the the M23 rebel group.

The mass protests, the media said, were the most significant since an escalation in fighting in recent weeks between federal forces and the rebels which has killed over 10,000 people and displaced an estimated 390,000 people.

Demonstrators in Kinshasa sang and carried banners reading “No to Balkanisation, no to the hypocrisy of the international community. The DRC is not for sale,” while one of the organisers of the protests, Blaise Emmanuel, who is the vicar at St Elizabeth’s Parish in the capital, said
“We say no to war, no to a divided Congo,” while leading a procession in Montgafula, one of the poorest municipalities in Kinshasa.

Another priest, Father Theophile Landu, who also spoke with journalists, said:

“It is the small country, Rwanda, that is fighting us. And behind it are the United States and the European Union. We tell them that they must stop the hypocrisy.”

For years, Congolese have accused the West of failing to hold Rwanda to account for its alleged role in stoking insecurity in the east, and instead have been giving aid to Kigali.

One media report cited an instance where the European Parliament in late November, called on Rwanda not to support the M23 rebels.

“But last week, the same European Commission gave €20 million ($21m) to support Rwandan troops helping fight rebels in Mozambique,” it said.

Metro

Nigeria to begin seasonal reviews of oil firm’s plans on gas flaring

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Nigeria’s Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako, has revealed that the government intends to begin seasonal reviews of the plans of international and indigenous oil companies.

The minister said the plan will be executed through the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to ensure the companies stay on course to end routine gas flaring by 2030.

Salako made this statement at the national stakeholder’s engagement meeting on methane mitigation and reduction in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector on Tuesday in Abuja.

The health and well-being of present and future generations, as well as the objectives of climate protection, are seriously threatened by methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that has a far higher warning potential than carbon dioxide.

Methane emissions reductions will bolster climate action and yield advantages for public health, food security, and economic growth, particularly in the oil and gas industry.

He noted that “Collaborative efforts of government institutions have led to the development of methane guidelines.  In addition, the Federal Ministry of Environment through the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency will be commencing the periodic review of the plans of international and indigenous oil companies to ensure they stay on course to end routine gas flaring by latest 2030.

“Furthermore, Nigeria is poised to embark on methane reduction projects that will enable Nigeria’s commitment to methane reduction and meeting net zero emissions by 2060. It is therefore reassuring to see initiatives such as the project methane mitigation and reduction in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, which is being initiated with today’s event.

“This national stakeholders engagement event is expected to serve as a platform to discuss the complexities of methane mitigation and reduction within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Presentations here today, will provide insights and an overview of existing policies, and implementation strategies, including key stakeholders involved in these efforts. Through rigorous research and collaborative efforts, we can identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for effective national actions.”

Nigeria is one of the largest oil producers in the world, as well as being a mineral-rich state but has had to deal with environmental hazards from the exploration of the resources. Nigeria is dealing with a wide range of environmental issues, including water and air pollution, oil spills, deforestation, desertification, erosion, and flooding (induced by insufficient drainage systems), which are primarily the results of mineral extraction activities.

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US earmarks $10m concessional loan to Zambian enterprises

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About 260 Small and Medium Scale enterprises in Zambia will benefit from $10 million concessional loans by the United States government.

This was revealed by some US Senators who met with President Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka on Tuesday on the sidelines of a meeting to learn more about the impact of US government investments and programmes in the country.

US Senator Patty Murray who led the delegation that met with Hichilema said the funds would be made available by the International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC) and would be used as concessional loans for the enterprises to expand their storage and production capacity for maize and soya beans.

Murray added that the loan would also improve production of other nutritious and affordable consumer food products, thereby strengthening food security in the country which is currently being ravaged by devastating drought.

“The loan facility was a follow up to the earlier support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, last month at the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Lobito Corridor Private Sector Investment Forum in Zambia,” Murray said.

The delegation, which had Senators Christopher Coons, Gary Peters, Catherine Cortez Masto and Peter Welch in tow, also met with key government ministers and officials over the two days they spent in the country.

As part of the meeting, the US delegation said they would explore how the US government can support reforms to the business enabling environment to attract greater investment and better spur economic growth.

The delegation also discussed decades-long US support for the health and agriculture sectors and strategies for systematically expanding agricultural productivity and sustaining Zambia’s improvements in public health, as well as emphasizing the central roles of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms to accountable and responsive democratic governance.

After the meeting, President Hichilema took to his Facebook page to post about the positive outcome of the dialogue.

“This morning at State House, we held a meeting with the U.S. congressional delegation led by Senator Patty Murray.

“The other senators included Senator Chris Coons from Delaware, Senator Gary Peters from Michigan, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto from Nevada and Senator Peter Welch from Vernmont.

“During the meeting, a wide range of issues were discussed including the friendship that Zambia shares with the United States.

“We briefed the delegation on how Zambia is repositioning its social, economic and political journey, with the national development plan as the blue print

“We also discussed other issues including the drought, food security and jobs for the women and youth.

“We also thanked them for the support in the recently concluded debt restructuring process. We shall continue to engage with partners for the betterment of our country.”

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