Burundi

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East African ports are trailing their global peers in operations through red tape and under performance, a global report says.

The region’s busiest ports by cargo handled — Mombasa and Dar es Salaam — are still a far cry from gateways in the Middle East, for example. They are ranked 293 and 362, respectively, out of 370 in the global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI).

Importers using the Mombasa port are experiencing delays in cargo delivery and collection following a payment dispute between the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC) and shipping lines.

The Nation has learnt that several containers are stuck at different port facilities in Mombasa and Nairobi after KPA, which is owed billions of shillings by KRC and shipping lines, suspended collection of cargo until all debts are cleared.

Arusha. The vast natural resources in the East African Community (EAC) bloc have not been fully tapped for tourism.

Visitors to the recently-held Tourism Expo said the world acclaimed attractions the region is endowed with do not match the number of visitors.

Richard Gafabusa, a lawmaker from the Uganda Parliament said joint efforts must be undertaken to promote the bloc jointly for tourism.

"EAC is endowed with a lot of resources that still remain largely untapped", he said at the Magereza grounds in Arusha where the Expo took place.

Arusha. The private sector in the East African region wants finalisation of Rules of Origin under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) speeded up.

The call was made early this week in Nairobi by the business leaders during a consultative meeting organised on AfCFTA and Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).

It emerged at the forum co-organised by the East African Business Council (EABC) and Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) that 43 out of 55 African countries have ratified the AfCFTA agreement.

Mombasa port is to underline its position as the gateway to East Africa as operations at the new Sh32 billion Container Terminal 2 started Tuesday following the successful docking of the first ship.

It brings an additional capacity of 450,000 containers, which will increase the port’s cargo handling volume from 1.42 million to 1.732 million.

It is part of the Mombasa Port Development Programme designed to accommodate larger vessels, giving it a competitive edge over Dar es Salaam and Djibouti ports.

Witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks against African children are hidden and ignored, yet are one of the most gruesome forms of violence against children.

New research from African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) shows that every year, thousands of African children are accused of witchcraft and suffer ritual attacks, abuse, and physical and psychological violence, yet most governments are turning a blind eye.

Arusha. Bilateral trade between Tanzania and Kenya hit $905.5 million in the first eleven months of last year as their trade relations improve.

Records indicate that total trade between the two states for January to November 2021 trade picked up, enough signs of measures taken on long standing trade disputes.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) $325 million (about Shs 1 trillion) in reparation for the 1998-2003 war.

The judgment was read by the court’s president, Justice Joan E Donoghue yesterday Wednesday in the Hague, Netherlands.