TANZANIA HOSTS SOUTH SUDAN TALKS

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former vice-president

Riek Machar are expected at the official launching of the talks

Tanzania's ruling party on Monday is hosting talks aimed at reconciling rival factions within South Sudan's ruling Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

"These new talks are coming at the request of the leadership of the SPLM and will be bringing together various groups in the ruling party," Abdulrahaman Kinana, secretary-general of Tanzania's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, told Anadolu Agency.

He said the meetings, held at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge some 30km outside Arusha, would seek to reconcile both the SPLM leadership and the people of South Sudan.

"South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former vice-president, Riek Machar, are expected at the official launching [of the talks], which is expected to take place today," said Kinana, who will chair the discussions.

"Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who is also CCM national chairman, is expected to officiate the talks, [which are] aimed at resolving the internal strife which has claimed thousands of lives [in South Sudan]," he added.

The official launch of the process follows a week-long intra-SPLM dialogue in Arusha that began on October 12 behind closed doors.

"During the week-long discussions, we agreed to establish a framework for the SPLM dialogue, including shared principles, objectives and an agenda," said Kinana.

"The initial phase of the dialogue was held in a frank, honest and cordial manner," he noted.

South Sudan, which became the world's newest nation after seceding from Sudan in 2011, descended into bloodshed late last year following an alleged coup attempt against Kiir by Machar.

Hundreds of thousands of people have since lost their lives while more than 1.7 million have been displaced by the conflict.

In recent months, South Sudan's warring camps have held on-again, off-again peace talks in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), a Djibouti-based East African regional bloc.

The ongoing turmoil in South Sudan has dimmed its prospects for joining the Arusha-headquartered East African Community (EAC), which has urged the troubled country to first put its house in order.

MWANASHERIA MKUU MPYA ZANZIBAR AAPISHWA!

Rais wa Zanzibar na mwenyekiti wa Baraza la Mapinduzi Dr.Ali Mohamed Shein amemuapisha mwanasheria mkuu mpya wa Zanzibar Said Hassan Said akichukua nafasi ya Bw. Othman Masoud.

Hafla ya kumuapisha Bw. Said ilifanyika ikulu ya Zanzibar Jana (Friday , 17th Oct , 2014) na kuhudhuriwa na viongozi mbalimbali wa seriklai akiwemo makamu wa kwanza wa Rais Malim Seif Sharrif Hamad, Waziri wa Bishara Viwanda na Masoko Mhe. Nassor Mazrui, mkuu wa mkoa wa Mjini Magharibu Abdullah Mwinyi, Mufti mkuu wa Zanzibar Sheikh Saleh Omar Kabi, Mstahiki Meya wa Zanzibar Mhe. Abdulrahman Khatibu na vingozi wengine wa serikali.

Uteuzi wa Bw Said Hasan Said ambaye kabla ya uteuzi huo alikuwa naibu mwanasheria mkuu imekuja baada ya Dr Ali Shein Rais wa Zanzibar kumfuta kazi mwanasheria mkuu wa Zanzibar Bw Othman Masoud Othman wiki iliyopita huku kukiwa hakuna sababau yeyote iliyotolewa na serikali.

Ingawa Duru za siasa zianoyesha wazi wazi kuwa kufutwa kwake kazi ni kutokana na kupinga baadhi ya vifungu vya Katiba Inayopendekezwa wakati wa upigaji kura na kabla ya hapo kujiondoa katika kamati ya uandishi wa Katiba hiyo.

MANDELA, MKAPA WALIVYOMWANGUSHA NYERERE!

BABA wa Taifa, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, alimaliza siku zake za mwisho katika hali ya masikitiko kutokana na vitendo vya mwisho vya watu aliowaamini sana.

Wakati Watanzania wakiadhimisha miaka 15 tangu kufariki kwa Mwalimu katika Hospitali ya Mtakatifu Thomas jijini London, Uingereza mwaka 1999, taarifa mpya zimeibuka kuhusu namna alivyotumia siku zake za mwisho.

Katika mahojiano ambayo vyanzo vya habari hii vilifanya na watu waliokuwa karibu naye ikiwamo familia yake na watu aliokuwa akifanya nao kazi, mambo makubwa mawili yameelezwa kumuumiza Mwalimu.

Mambo hayo ni mchango mdogo wa serikali za Tanzania na Afrika Kusini kwa taasisi yake ya Mfuko wa Mwalimu Nyerere (MNF) na ubinafsishaji wa iliyokuwa Benki ya Taifa ya Biashara (NBC).

Mmoja wa viongozi wa MNF aliyezungumza na vyanzo vyetu vya habari  kwa masharti ya kutotajwa jina, alisema Mwalimu alihuzunika sana wakati alipokwenda nchini Afrika Kusini kutafuta fedha za taasisi hiyo na kuambulia mchango kidogo sana.

“Wakati Nelson Mandela akiwa Rais wa Afrika Kusini, Mwalimu alikwenda kutafuta fedha kule akiwa na matumaini makubwa sana. Unajua Tanzania ilijitolea sana kwa ajili ya Uhuru wa Afrika Kusini.

“Afrika Kusini ina uwezo mkubwa wa kiuchumi. Mwalimu alitaraji makubwa sana kutokana na uhusiano baina ya nchi hizi mbili. Cha ajabu, alipokwenda kule serikali ilimpa kiasi cha dola 60,000 (takribani shilingi milioni 60 wakati huo).

“Hebu fikiria uwezo wa kiuchumi wa Afrika Kusini na mchango ambao Mwalimu na Tanzania kwa ujumla walikuwa nao kwa Taifa hilo na halafu Mwalimu anapewa dola 60,000. Nyerere returned a broken man (Nyerere alirudi akiwa amefadhaika sana),” alisema kiongozi huyo.

JESHI LA MAREKANI KUPAMBANA NA EBOLA!

Rais wa Marekani Barack Obama amethibitisha wito wa kulitumia jeshi la nchi hiyo na wale wa akiba iwapo watahitajika kupambana na mlipuko wa ugonjwa wa Ebola Afrika magharibi.

Rais Obama amesema wanajeshi hao wataongeza nguvu ya jeshi katika kutoa misaada ya kibinadamu katika eneo hilo. Kundi la kwanza la wanajeshi hao linatarajiwa kupelekwa kusaidia ujenzi wa vituo 17 vya kutolea tiba ya ugonjwa huo, katikati mwa Liberia, moja ya nchi iliyoathiriwa vibaya na ugonjwa huo.

 

Maafisa wa kikosi cha ulinzi wameelezea agizo hilo la Raisi Obama kama agizo la muhumu ili kuongeza kasi ya kutekeleza mipango ya kwenda kuisaidia mapambano ya ugonjwa huo na itamfanya rais kutuma majeshi mengine zaidi iwapo watahitajika. Marekani imeahidi kupeleka askari wake wapatao elfu nne huko Africa Magharibi kusaidia mapambano ya kuzuia na kuumaliza kabisa ueneaji wa ugonjwa wa Ebola.

Rais Obama amesema hajapinga wazo la kutekeleza katazo la kuziuia watu wanaoingia nchini Marekani kutoka nchi zilizo athiriwa na ugonjwa huo,na hadhani kama wazo hilo litafanikiwa. Ameyasema hayo mwishoni mwa mkutano aloufanya katika ikulu ya Marekani na maafisa wa shirikisho juu ya ushiriki wa nchi ya Marekani katika mapambano na ugonjwa huo.

 

VIRUSI HATARI KWA VIUMBE VYAGUNDULIWA

Watafiti wa masuala ya viume vya ardhini na majini, wamegundua virusi vipya vinavyoangamiza kwa kasi kizazi hicho kusini mwa nchi ya Hispania.

 

Wahafidhina wa mambo ya viumbe wanasema kwamba virusi hivyo vinauwezo wa kurukia viumbe wakiwemo vyura,uyoga,mijusi na majini na kuna uwezekano nyoka pia wakaathiriwa na virusi hivyo.

Virusi hivyo vinauwezo mkubwa wa kushambulia ngozi ya tumbo la viumbe hivyo na kusababisha kansa na hufa kutokana na kuvujwa kwa damu mfululizo tumboni.

Kiongozi wa utafiti huo Dokta Stephen Price kutoka katika chuo kikuu cha London anasema kwamba kuna dalili kuwa ugonjwa huo unasambaa. Na ugonjwa huo umeshaonekana katika nchi za China, Ufaransa na hata

Netherlands.