Natural Resource Issues Liberia

Africa: Food Versus Biofuels Debate Continues

2010-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Article from IPS:

Africa: Food Versus Biofuels Debate Continues
Mantoe Phakathi
2 December 2010

"We're going to Cancún no better off than we were in Copenhagen," said Thuli Makama, the director of Friends of the Earth Swaziland, as she prepared to leave for the climate negotiations in Mexico.

Makama is worried about one particular proposal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: biofuels. She feels industrialised countries are promoting the production and use of biofuels to fulfill their energy needs, but this will leave more people in the developing world without food.
"We face the danger of growing food for the machines instead of our stomachs," Makama told IPS. Swaziland faces serious shortages of food, with 170,000 of it's million-strong population in need of food aid this year.

Makama and Friends of the Earth campaigned hard against a project to establish biofuels production from jatropha in Swaziland.

A UK-based company called D1 Oils signed contracts with the farmers to grow jatropha for them. An initial agreement with the government planned to put 20,000 hectares into biofuels production, possibly expanding to 50,000. The company website states that there are millions of hectares of marginal land in developing countries that cannot effectively be used to grow food.
"Much of this land is suitable for growing energy crops such as jatropha," says the company, which planned to establish its operations in drought-stricken areas of Swaziland.

FoEI spoke to many of the farmers involved with the project. One of these, Sam Dube, told the environmental campaign group he had devoted all three of his fields to the energy crop, where previously he was growing food on two of his plots, and cotton for a cash income in the third.
He faced a three-year wait while his jatropha matured and he could begin to make a profit.
He could be in trouble. D1 Oils pulled out of the project before it properly took off because, according to the company's CEO in Swaziland, Gaetan Ning, the Swazi government was unwilling to support the project with necessary legislation.

"They wanted us to do a national strategy on biofuels, yet it's not our job to do this but government's," said Ning. After spending more than $8 million over five years cultivating this crop on private farms, the company called it a day.

"We had hired 500 people to work on these farms and we had to retrench them," said Ning.
Gcina Dladla, spokesperson for the Swaziland Environment Authority, said it was a pity that D1 Oils abandoned the project after being asked to do the Strategic Environmental Assessment.
"We wanted to ascertain factually the impact of jatropha on food security, quality of the soil in response to the outcry by civil society organisations," said Dladla.

Prudent, but environmental consultant Rex Brown, who was working with D1 on the jatropha project, argues that food insecurity cannot be blamed on biofuels. The reasons why people in Swaziland and elsewhere go hungry may include inadequate food policies, food availability, market forces, distribution and logistics and suitable climates.

"What is often critical is a person's ability to pay for his food," said Brown. Cultivating jatropha on marginal land in arid Swaziland, he argues, could provide a steady income for rural people either as farm labour or growers in their own right.

Brown says the jatropha-based biofuels project D1 Oils proposed had the added benefit of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon.

"The role of agriculture, and tree crops in particular, in mitigating climate change revolves around the capacity of the plant to store carbon for extended periods of time," said Brown.
Defending biofuels against charges that widescale cultivation will displace farmers and food crops, Brown said it was a case of criticise one, criticise all.

"Rubber, cotton, cocoa, sisal, for example, are crops grown on large plantations globally," said Brown. "Using the argument put forward by biofuel opponents, we should also question the food security of these crops."

No doubt Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss, from GRAIN, an international NGO that supports biodiverse, community-based food systems, would question the role played by plantation farming of any type.

Pschorn-Strauss says that biofuels - which GRAIN prefers to call agro-fuels - have already displaced farmers from their land, negatively affected food production and caused the destruction of forest.

"So many promises of agro-fuels like jatropha have not materialised," she said.
She does not want to see biofuels gain wider acceptance as part of a mitigation strategy negotiated in Cancún.

"[The industry] has managed to develop mechanisms and agreements that will allow them to legitimately exploit the environment and people for financial gain," said Pschorn-Strauss.
The answer may lie somewhere between the opposing positions. Researcher David Tilman, from the University of Minnesota in the United States, was the lead author of a paper that outlined the potential bases of sustainable and responsible biofuels production.

To gain the maximum carbon emissions reductions over fossil fuels while conserving forest cover and biodiversity, biofuel feedstock should come from municipal and industrial waste, residues from crops and sustainably harvested wood, and from perennial plants grown on degraded land - already abandoned from agricultural use.

Copyright © 2010 Inter Press Service. All rights reserved.

###

Talk, talk, talk.....

At the turn of the millennium Countries (mostly European) and corporations have been cued up to take Africa's arable land and water wherever they can. THE ONLY REASON THE DEBATE CONTINUES IS THAT THE EUROS HAVE NOT THE RESULT THEY WANTED.

Come on now! What do WE want?

NEARLY 4 years ago, the FAO banner read, "Combustion Or Consumption? Balancing Food And Biofuel Production." The consequences of large-scale bioenergy production for worldwide food security and biodiversity, takes on new meaning when it is the developing countries providing the biomass. Alexander Maller, Head of FAO's Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, said "While there is legitimate concern among some groups that bioenergy could compromise food security and cause environmental damage, it can also be an important tool for improving the well-being of rural people if governments take into account environmental and food security concerns." Is it only me, or does that sound like the ghost of old colonials.

And the debate continues??????

"Rome is burning it's own crops," is not a phrase we are likely to hear as long as they can conveniently shift the biomass burden to those who have the weakest voice and the most to loose.

EarlyBird

A Railroad Is Not Just A Rail And A Road

2010-11-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Just concluded a visit from his eminence, Guinea's interim Prime Minister Jean Marie Dore.
Here is the story in the Observer:
http://www.liberianobserver.com/node/8885

We are pleased about the good relations and the discussions. But people let's think about this...

To move four billion tons of high-grade iron ore through Liberia is no small thing. The proposed railroad option is what cooks this soup! All other options for Guinea are far, far inferior.

As we have been saying for years Liberia needs to wake up to the economic development opportunities. GROWTH WITHOUT DEVELOPMENT should never happen again. From the top of Mount Nimba to the Port of Buchanan will be a fantastic number of chances to taste this soup. A Railroad is not just a Railroad. It requires a long term commitment for operation and maintenance. That means support for bridges, rails, roads, and equipment. This will be jobs, housing, schools and infrastructure development.

Are the people of Nimba and Bassa going to be left with dry rice toped with the red dust of Guinea or are we going to enjoy the soup!

Anthropogenicagent

Simba Energy - "Onshore" Reconnaissance

2010-11-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

News Story from Proactiveinvestors just in: "Simba Energy finds itself surrounded by the lions of oil and gas exploration"

http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/22668/simba-energy-finds-itself-surrounded-by-the-lions-of-oil-and-gas-exploration-22668.html

They have acquired the Liberia’s first onshore reconnaissance licence – a 1,366 square kilometre area close to the airport in the capital Monrovia.

BUT WHAT DOES "ONSHORE" MEAN????

Their exploration project will take them into the most fragile environment possible. The target is the mangroves!

Oil and Mangroves do not mix!see: http://mangroveactionproject.org/issues/petroleum/oil-mangroves-do-not-mix

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS.... WOULD THEY ALLOW THIS IN THEIR HOME OF CANADA?

ANSWER: NO!

###
Anthropogenicagent

Foreign mining companies - bullying?

2010-10-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Stay tuned....

World briefs (excerpt)
Saturday Star (SA)
October 30, 2010 Edition 1

Mines accused of bullying

TARKWA, Ghana: Foreign mining companies in gold-rich Ghana are accused of regularly seizing people's land, polluting the environment and violently suppressing critics. A report by the Human Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law said the mining firms in Ghana's west took land from farmers without compensation. Officials in Ghana could not be reached for comment.

This website is ACAP-enabled © 1999 - 2010 Star & Independent Online (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliance on the information this site contains is at your own risk. Please read our Terms and Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.

###

EarlyBird

The Guinea Deal

2010-10-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

More rumblings across the boarder... News from The Africa Report

All part of the master plan (Guinea)
The Africa Report
Written by Honoré Banda in Conakry Wednesday, 27 October 2010 13:16

Guinea is one of the world’s leading producers of bauxite, and its government plans to make it the biggest producer of iron ore. In the final days of President Lansana Conté in December 2008, the regime announced it had revoked 50% of the rights to Rio Tinto’s huge iron ore concession at Simandou and transferred them to Israeli diamond magnate Benny Steinmetz, a friend of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Officials had warned Rio Tinto six months earlier that it had held Simandou for too long without developing it, a breach of the mining code.

The key official behind this more muscular approach is mines minister Mahmoud Thiam. A former banker with Merrill Lynch and UBS, Thiam was asked to return to his native Guinea to take over the mining portfolio after the palace coup in December 2008 that brought Captain Moussa Dadis Camara to power. A canny and well-connected operator, Thiam carries a US passport and contributed to President Barack Obama’s election campaign.

Thiam has masterminded deals with companies from Israel, Brazil, Australia and China to expand iron and bauxite production. Sometimes the new alliances work as a political insurance policy: In October 2009, the military junta signed an infrastructure and minerals deal worth $7bn with China International Fund just days after soldiers killed 150 demonstrators at an opposition rally which triggered calls for international sanctions.

In June, Thiam brought in Brazil’s mining giant Vale to take a 51% stake in a venture with Steinmetz for $2.5bn. That suddenly made the Steinmetz project look serious and added to pressure on Rio. Under a special deal, the Steinmetz-Vale consortium would be able to use a railway on the Liberia side of the border to transport their ore but Rio would have to part-finance a multi-billion-dollar railway project in Guinea. In June, the Conakry junta told Rio that if it did not accept the transfer of 50% of Simandou to Steinmetz and Vale, it risked losing the remaining 50% of the concession. The following month, Rio strengthened its agreement to invest in Simandou by partnering with Beijing’s Chinalco. Rio’s engineers have also started assessing railway routes through the mountainous interior.

According to a message sent by Thiam to a friend in August, he wanted the Steinmetz, Bellzone and Rio Tinto-Chinalco deal resolved before the final round of elections in September when the military is due to hand power back to civilians. "Then I can go home," he said.

This article was first published in the October-November 2010 edition of The Africa Report. The Africa Report; TheAfricaReport.com. All rights reserved.

EarlyBird

Sarpo National Park Cleared of Illegal Miners and Poachers

2010-10-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS!

The Analyst (Monrovia)
Liberia: Sarpo National Park Cleared

8 October 2010

Sinoe County Superintendent J. Milton Teahjay has announced that his administration has cleared the Sarpo National Park of more than 20,000 illegal miners and poachers, thanks to the enormous support he said he got from President Sirleaf, international partners, and his colleagues in River Gee and Grand Gedeh counties.

The some in the group that had occupied the park, he disclosed, have been digging large holes indiscriminately in the forest in search of diamond and gold as others killed and poached endangered species of animals, while the rest ripped off rare flowers and tree species carefully selected and planted by horticulturists for research and tourist attraction.

“So going in the park was to preserve the park for research purposes by universities all over the world in agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal raring and all kinds of things. Secondly, when we get to that point of preserving that park and creating an environment in which tourists can go in there to see the animal species that will be a major center of tourists’ attraction in Liberia and perhaps the biggest in the sub- region,” the Sinoe boss said.

The Sarpo National Park, the largest national conservation zone in the country, borders River Gee, Grand Gedeh, and Sinoe counties, about 85% of the Park being in Sinoe.

The illegal miners and poachers had swarmed and occupied the national park dating back to the takeover of the region by the rebel MODEL faction in 2003.

They have since defied efforts by the government and international conservationists to get them out in order to protect endangered species until recently when Superintendent Teahjay booted them out “without firing a bullet”.

Many had thought that clearing of the park of armed felons would have resulted into a firefight, something the superintendent said did not become necessary because the illegal miners and poachers simply complied with his ultimatum to leave the area within a given period.
The former MICAT Deputy Boss, who lavished praises on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for affording him the opportunity to serve his people, said he was grateful to the president, the citizens of Sinoe, his colleagues in the region and donors for the smooth completion of the exercise.

“The Sarpo National Park has been 100% cleared now, without firing a bullet and it is important to state that here. Those who were occupying the park were given a timetable to vacate the park to avoid government forces going in there and having military confrontation with them,” Mr. Teahjay said.

Besides the Liberian government, the authorities of River Gee and Grand Gedeh counties, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), the Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the International Conservation Union (ICU), and the ICUMU have contributed immensely to the success, Superintendent Teahjay told The Analyst in an interview this week.

He did not say what roles the county authorities and each of the organizations have played in getting the illegal miners out, but he said what was now important was for the government to barricade the park to prevent the illegal miners and poachers from reoccupying it.

President Sirleaf recently mandated Superintendent Teahjay to clear the Sarpo National Park of illegal miners in preparation for its rehabilitation.

“Now that we have achieved the goal she gave us, we need to now go to her and give our own practical recommendations as to how we can preserve what we have achieved,” he said.

He said he was planning recommending to the President the deployment of a unit of the security forces to work with FDA to keep illegal miners out of the park as removing them once they reoccupied the park would require unnecessary expenditure as well as be time consuming.

“The only way to achieve that objective is for the national security forces to go in there, get posted for a while for the next few months while the FDA is trying to prepare its rangers to take over from the national security forces,” Mr. Teahjay said, noting that a delay would be create a difficult situation.

He said the clearing of the park was one of three major assignments the President gave him upon his induction as Superintendent of Sinoe County in November 2009.

The other two were the clearing of the Sinoe Rubber Corporation (SRC) plantations of illegal tappers, which ended with the intervention of armed guards of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the Liberian National Police (LNP), and the gem-rich Government Camp.

Unlike the park and the SRC situation, which required the forced removal of illegal occupants, he said he was successful in getting the Government Camp miners to upgrade their operational licenses from 23% to 92%.

He did not say what the increased percentage point meant for government revenue generation in the region or in terms of illegal cross-border trade, which UN says has become an emerging problem in Liberia as border security improved in the region, but he said he was satisfied that the miners were operating legally.

Meantime the Sinoe County Superintendent has disclosed that some of the yellow machines the county has ordered for road and bridge construction have arrived in the country.

He said the caterpillar machine was still en route and would take few more months to arrive in the country because it was being shipped on a separate vessel because of its size.

“The equipments are being bought and they are currently in Monrovia and you can go on the 13th Street and those machines are there on display, except for the caterpillar that is still on the way coming,” he said.

He said the presence of the equipment, which would be transported to Sinoe when road condition improved, settled the suspicion that he had withdrawn US $250,000.00 from the Sinoe Development Fund to construct a private mansion.

“Even if the people of Sinoe County were stupid, they will not allow me to go and withdraw US $250,000.00, where do I get that kind of trick from to do it? So, the equipments are here and they are on display now for verification. But I am disappointed that while we are trying to put Sinoe County on the right path in terms of development, there are those who are still bent on destroying Sinoe County,” he said.

The Sinoe boss, who graded himself “A” for achieving presidential assignments on time, said his administration has reconciled the people of Sinoe to the extent that there was no distinction between Sarpos, Krus, Jelapoans, and Americo-Liberians.

“Sinoe County now is reconciled, everybody in the country is now considered to be Sinoans and not tribal elements,” he claimed, grateful to the youth and student population of the county for supporting his administration in its endeavor to undertake meaningful development.

“I also want to assure them that the scholarship scheme which was mismanaged many years ago before I became superintendent of Sinoe County is back on course,” he declared.

Meanwhile the former United People’s Party (UPP) presidential hopeful said his only political ambition now is to serve the people of Sinoe County as superintendent.

He then disclosed plans by President Sirleaf, in collaboration with the Governance Reform Commission (GRC), to submit a bill to parliament calling for the election of county superintendents.

“If that bill passes the House, it will be a good thing to try to serve my people if they want me to serve them. Any other thing beyond the superintendent position is possible, but I want to keep my card to my chest at this point,” Mr. Teahjay said.

Copyright © 2010 The Analyst. All rights reserved.

###

EarlyBird

Putu Development - Grand Gedah Association in the Americas register Disappointment

2010-09-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

GGAA Disappointed With Gedeh Mountain Concession Agreement

(Letter published in the Liberian Journal)

(Sep 13, 2010)
[photo: Jeremiah Garwo Sokan, Sr. Secretary General, GGAA]

The National Administration of Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas learned this past week that the Putu Mountain (Gedeh Mountain) concession agreement presented to the Liberian legislature few days ago was passed by the august body and is now enacted into law.

We the citizens of Grand Gedeh County are disappointed in the manner in which the Government of Liberia handled the entire process:

1) Government of Liberia failed to include a representation from the Grand Gedeh County on the committee responsible for the drafting the Putu Ore Mining Concession Agreement and inform the people at least about key provisions.

2) The draft concession agreement was kept as a secret from the people of Grand Gedeh County by the Committee-in-Charge and the Government of Liberia. Drafting a document that would affect the lives and livelihood of people residing in the areas of mining should not have been kept as secret until it passes into law. This practice is unfair and overlooked the opinions of the citizens of the region.

3) Government of Liberia blended the deliberations on this critical agreement with the complex debate of the 2010 Annual National Budget of the Republic of Liberia. As a result, the 150-page, plus document (the Putu Mountain Concession Agreement) was rushed down the throats of the people of Grand Gedeh County without them knowing the content.

In this 21st century, a participatory leadership style is the bedrock to good governance. It is incomprehensible that such aspect of civil service will elude our leadership on critical issues that will affect the lives and livelihood of people who live in the areas of the mining activities.

Signed:

Jeremiah Garwo Sokan, Sr.
National Secretary General, GGAA

Tel: 484- 948-9484, e-mail: jsokansr7@msn.com

Editor's Note: GGAA press release.

© Copyright 2008 The Liberian Journal - All Rights reserved.

Women Researchers Recognised

2010-08-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

Anthropogenicagent says: What is good for rural women will be good for natural resource managemnt.

Of course this is slightly off topic... But it is news too good not to share:

East African Business Week (Kampala)

Africa: Sixty Women Researchers Recognised
Joseph Olanyo
23 August 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kampala, Uganda — A passion fruit pathologist, a catfish breeder, and a pigeon pea researcher are among the 60 outstanding women agricultural scientists from 10 African countries who received a fellowship from African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).

The fellowship will help these top researchers strengthen their research and leadership skills, and enhance their contributions to poverty alleviation and food security across the continent.

"Today we debunked the myth that qualified African women researchers 'aren't out there'-an excuse that's often used to justify why women are not hired or promoted equitably within agricultural research institutions, universities, and corporations," said Vicki Wilde, AWARD Director in a statement sent to East African Business Week.

"We've proven that top-notch female scientists do exist in significant numbers and, equally important, they are conducting critical food security research that is desperately needed to feed future generations. We are recognizing and supporting these women today with an AWARD Fellowship."

Dr. Ruth Amata, a senior research officer at the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute, is one of this year's 60 fellowship winners. "I am so excited about this great opportunity," said Amata.

"My main goal is to help rural women farmers to improve production of their food crops, including sweet potato and cassava, through disease management. This fellowship will help me link up with and learn from other women scientists who are making an impact, and to develop the leadership skills I need."

Amata was selected from 784 applicants representing 54 institutions in 10 countries; she joins 120 AWARD Fellows currently in the program. In total, 1,681 female scientists from 450 institutions have applied for the prestigious fellowships since AWARD began in 2008. AWARD Fellows benefit from a two-year program focused on mentoring partnerships, science skills, and leadership development.

The fellowships are awarded on the basis of intellectual merit, leadership capacity, and the potential of the scientist's research to improve the daily lives of smallholder farmers, especially women.

"Agriculture is key to economic growth in Africa," said Haven Ley, Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports AWARD through a grant to the CGIAR's Gender & Diversity Program.

"AWARD is changing agricultural research and development to better respond to the needs and challenges of women producers on the continent."

AWARD addresses many of the barriers, including a lack of role models and mentors, which prevent African women from playing a more active role in agricultural research and from considering a career in agricultural science.

Recent research conducted in 15 African countries by AWARD and Agricultural Science and

Technology Indicators (ASTI) shows that between 2000 and 2008, the number of African women professionals employed in the agricultural sciences grew by 8 percent per year, while the number of African men grew by 2 percent per year.

However, women still represent less than one quarter of AWARD is a professional development program that strengthens the research and leadership skills of African women in agricultural science, empowering them to contribute more effectively to poverty alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

"AWARD offers two-year fellowships focused on mentoring partnerships, science skills, and leadership development. African women working in agricultural research and development from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia who have completed a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in selected disciplines are eligible," the statement further said.

A project of the CGIAR's Gender & Diversity Program, AWARD is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID.

Copyright © 2010 East African Business Week. All rights reserved.

ICUN list - Mount Nimba Nature Reserve

2010-08-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

NEWS from the Daily Independent:

Africa Tops List of Endangered World Heritage Sites
Daily Independent (Lagos)

4 August 2010

African heritages comprise 11 out of the 16 listed endangered world heritage sites by the world heritage committee.

At the recently concluded world heritage annual meeting in Brazil, the list of endangered heritages include rainforests of the Atsinanana - Madagascar, Everglades National Park (USA), Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Central African Republic), Comoé National Park (Cote d'Ivoire), Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Cote d'Ivoire/ Guinée), Virunga National Park (DRC), Kahuzi-Biega National Park(DRC), Garamba National Park (DRC), Salonga National Park(DRC), Okapi Wildlife Reserve(DRC), Simien National Park( Ethiopia) , Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves(Niger), Niokolo-Koba National Park( Senegal), Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (India), Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) and Los Katíos National Park (Colombia).

According to a press release by IUCN media relations officer, Pia Drzewinski, the World Heritage Committee decided to remove the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) from the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger, despite IUCNÂ´s recommendation to the contrary.

It noted that the Rainforests of Atsinanana are critically important to the survival of Madagascar's unique biodiversity. Over 80 percent of species there are endemic and include rare and threatened lemurs. But since the 2009 political crisis, illegal logging of precious woods has drastically increased and lemur poaching for bush meat, previously unheard of in Madagascar, is developing at a worrying rate, with a reduction in population density of 30 to 75 percent observed in some places.

"The ongoing illegal logging of precious woods in parts of Madagascar is of serious concern and is having serious impacts on endangered lemurs," says Tim Badman, Head of World Heritage at IUCN. "In adding this site to the Danger List, we are calling for international action to halt illegal logging and to also ensure that no illegally logged precious woods from Madagascar enter national markets."

The Everglades National Park, a sanctuary for birds and reptiles and home to 20 rare, endangered and threatened species, has been added to the Danger List upon request by the USA. It had previously been on this List from 1993 until 2007 because of the large amount of water diverted from the Park to nearby cities, which dried out the wetland habitats and caused a 90 percent drop in the population of wetland birds.

"We commend the USA's request to re-inscribe the site on the danger list, and its plans for major infrastructure overhaul to restore the Everglade's fragile wetland ecosystem," says Mariam Kenza Ali, IUCN World Heritage Conservation Officer "It reflects the role of the World Heritage Convention in supporting restoration efforts for the wetland habitats."

The Galapagos Islands, which have been called a unique "living museum and showcase of evolution" were inscribed on the Danger List in 2007 because of threats posed by invasive species, unbridled tourism and overfishing.

"IUCNÂ´s recommendation for the Galapagos was that it should not be removed from the Danger List as there is work still to be done," says Tim Badman, Head of IUCNÂ´s World Heritage Programme. "But we recognize the major efforts of the Ecuadorian government to rectify the situation there."

Copyright © 2010 Daily Independent. All rights reserved.

Chinafrica (29) Watching for PRC Influence in Africa

2010-06-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

We felt that this coming Article from Time was useful, this is definitely not for commercial distribution.

China's New Continent
Time
By Alex Perry / Kinshasa, Cape Town and Lusaka Monday, Jul. 05, 2010

If you want to see what's wrong with Africa, take a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The size of Western Europe, with almost no paved roads, Congo is the sucking vortex where Africa's heart should be. Independent Congo gave the world Mobutu Sese Seko, who for 32 years impoverished his people while traveling the world in a chartered Concorde. His death in 1997 ushered in a civil war that killed 5.4 million people and unleashed a hurricane of rape on tens of thousands more. Today AIDS and malaria are epidemic. Congo, then, is not a place you'd normally associate with a yuppie.

Tell that to Mathis Xu, 26, a manager at a Chinese state construction company I met last year. As a languages student in Beijing, Xu took French to be different - and different is what he got. In April 2008, he was picked to translate for the Congolese government and the state-owned China Railway Engineering Corp. (CREC) in negotiations over a $9 billion deal. CREC and others would build thousands of kilometers of roads and railways, 32 hospitals, 145 health centers and two universities, an investment of $6 billion in the kind of infrastructure Congo desperately needs. As part payment, China would receive $3 billion in concessions to mine the copper and cobalt essential to its growing industries. When the deal was struck that month, Xu found himself posted to Kinshasa as CREC's liaison with the government. "We will transform this city," he exclaimed, watching CREC's giant road builders level a hillside in Kinshasa next to the Congo River. "It will be fantastic!"

As more than 300 political figures, business leaders and champions of civil society gather in Cape Town for a Global Forum sponsored by TIME and our corporate cousins at FORTUNE and CNN, China's role in Africa will be a key part of their discussions. Notwithstanding the Great Recession, many observers think the African economy is poised for great things. Fueled by a commodities boom, the continent's output grew by 5% to 7% in both 2007 and '08 and even managed 2% growth in 2009. China is not the only nation that has noticed the opportunities in Africa, but it is the one that has taken them most seriously, in ways that may change not just the region's economic landscape but its political one too.

The ambition, speed and scale of Chinese involvement in Africa is extraordinary. According to Chris Alden, author of China in Africa, two-way trade stood at $10 billion in 2000. By 2006, it was $55 billion, and in 2009 it hit $90 billion, making China Africa's single largest trading partner, supplanting the U.S., which did $86 billion in trade with Africa in 2009. Today the Chinese are pumping oil from Sudan to Angola, logging from Liberia to Gabon, mining from Zambia to Ghana and farming from Kenya to Zimbabwe. Chinese contractors are building roads from Equatorial Guinea to Ethiopia, dams from the Congo to the Nile, and hospitals and schools, sports stadiums and presidential palaces across the continent. They are buying too. Acquisitions range from a $5.5 billion stake in South Africa's Standard Bank to a $14 million investment in a mobile-phone company in Somalia.
(See one of the most ambitious public-works programs in China.)

Beijing insists it is a partner in Africa's development, delivering investment and gaining a new market for its products and new access to resources. Western businesses say China is on a resource grab. They worry that it is playing unfairly, undercutting them by paying low wages and skirting standards on safety, the environment and human rights, and coordinating commerce, assistance and diplomacy in ways impossible, not to say illegal, in the West. The truth is somewhere in between. To the extent that China is using Africa as an experiment - to try out ideas of how it might be in the world - its African adventure is worthy of close study. To do that, we must answer two questions: How is China changing Africa? And how is Africa changing China?

Let's go back to Kinshasa. Congo's got problems. The Western way of helping has been with aid - multilateral, bilateral or through self-funding religious groups and NGOs. To stem the fighting in the east, Congo has a 21,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force - MONUC - the biggest in the world. These efforts have had mixed success. The war hasn't ended, and the world's loans to Congo have helped fuel corruption. Little has been done to address Congo's infrastructure deficit. Coordinating aid among so many groups and nations remains difficult.

Enter China. Beijing doesn't do gifts; it does deals. In Congo, China's infrastructure-for-mines deal irked the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund argued that Congo's guarantee to China that it would recoup at least $3 billion in minerals was an IOU on Congo's national assets and therefore a new debt. That fell afoul of debt-write-off conditions, which require that the debtor take on no new loans. "If the Congolese take the Chinese deal," said a Western official familiar with the negotiations in mid-2009, "they will not get any more [Western] support." A standoff ensued. An earlier deal, in 2007 with Angola, also outraged the IMF. It had been negotiating a new loan with Angola for years, with carefully calibrated conditions to block corruption and alleviate poverty. By paying Luanda $5 billion in return for oil concessions and infrastructure contracts, China effectively made the IMF redundant. Diplomats across Africa like to say the continent offers space for everyone. But what's happening in Angola and Congo is a new scramble for Africa. Xu, the translator, has no doubt that he is engaged in an intense rivalry. "Not everybody is pleased to see us here, that's for sure. But we are not going to lose."

For all the heat, even IMF officials admit that the Chinese model for African development has some advantages. First, it's quick. Loan talks with multilateral agencies take years. The China-Angola discussions took weeks. "With the West, there are studies, analyses and bureaucracy," says the Western official. "The Chinese just ask what the government wants, and they don't question or comment or judge. They just do it." China also works as visibly as it does quickly. Drive across almost any African country today and you'll find Chinese engineers by the side of the road, sleeves rolled up, overseeing work crews. IMF officials in suits crunching numbers inside air-conditioned compounds just don't have the same kind of dash. "What we do is always in the shade," complains an IMF staffer in Africa. "Macroeconomic stability - what is that? You can't show it on camera."

Apart from aid, the Asian model of development is looking increasingly attractive. African governments look at Western economic instability over the past two years and find a better model in Asia's extraordinary growth. Special economic zones, one of the engines of China's growth for two decades, are popping up across the continent. But what really distinguishes Chinese businesspeople from their Western rivals in Africa is how risk-happy they seem. Barely a month goes by without the announcement of a new billion-dollar investment in one of the world's least stable countries. The latest? A stunning $23 billion deal in May to rebuild Nigeria's oil-refining capacity. For Chinese businesses, backing by a rich state that packages aid with commerce and has an extended time horizon cuts risk significantly. Chinese ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo Wu Zexian elaborates on this new model of development assistance. "Before, African countries never profited from their resources. Now they help them build infrastructure. Other countries say, This country has a lot of problems. We say, This country has huge potential." The key is long-term vision. "Yes, there is a risk," says Wu. "But in 50 years, we will still be here. So will Congo and the mines. Short term: sure, problems. Long term: not much risk."

So how is Africa changing China? In 2005, 49 workers died in an accident at a Chinese mining-explosives factory in Chambishi, Zambia. Populist opposition leader Michael Sata accused the government of selling out the country to Beijing, a stance that earned him wide support in the 2006 and '08 elections. His views on China are colorful and expressed in terms that many Chinese would find deeply offensive. "In every part of Zambia, the Chinaman is there, packed eight to a room," he says at his office in Lusaka. "What the Chinaman is doing, nobody knows."

Zambia is just one country in Africa where China's presence has provoked criticism. In South Africa, China found itself rebutting warnings from former President Thabo Mbeki about a new "colonial relationship." In Ethiopia, in April 2007, China had to take sides in a separatist conflict when Ogaden National Liberation Front rebels killed 74 workers, nine of whom were Chinese, at a Chinese oil-field installation. The same year, a Chinese engineer was killed in an attack on a stone-material plant in Mombasa, Kenya, and Chinese oil workers have been kidnapped by rebels in Nigeria. Chinese migrants fought pitched battles with Algerians in the capital, Algiers, last year.

So China is trying to explain itself. Chinese bankers, academics and diplomats now take star turns at economic summits across the continent. "There is a mistrust of China," says Wu. "We have to speak to be understood." China has done more than just speak. It has also, in some cases, abandoned its long-standing policy of noninterference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Liu Guijin, China's special representative to Africa and its top diplomat on the continent, calls himself a "political troubleshooter" and says he spends a lot of time in Sudan mediating the conflict in Darfur. That sounds like a definite departure. "Perhaps we are having a flexible interpretation of noninterference," Liu replies with a laugh. After an earlier reluctance, China is now the fourth largest contributor of troops to peacekeeping operations: its soldiers are on the ground in Liberia, Sudan and Congo as part of U.N. operations there.

One man's flexibility can be another's willingness to do deals with anyone. But China is becoming more sensitive to that criticism too. In Zimbabwe, China is often accused of helping keep Robert Mugabe in power. Not so, contends a senior member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who says China went to "huge lengths" to ensure that MDC Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, not Mugabe, got credit for a new $950 million loan in July 2009.

Mirroring the changes taking place in China itself, China's relationship with Africa is "changing and maturing month by month as both parties better understand each other," says Geoffrey White, CEO of the trans-African conglomerate Lonrho. It was that spirit that persuaded China to drop details in its Congo deal that the IMF found so objectionable, as well as cut the infrastructure part of the deal from $6 billion to $3 billion. Liu says that while China and the West have "different priorities, different approaches and different ways of doing things, we need China and [the West] to make efforts to align their interests and policies."

There are limits to how far China will go. It will continue to pursue warm relations with all African countries, whether they are democracies or dictatorships, partly because each African country represents a potential vote against Taiwan's efforts to gain diplomatic recognition. China's commitment to nonintervention also remains strong; it has, for example, not supported the International Criminal Court in its attempts to prosecute Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes.

For all the tangled tale of aid, investment and diplomacy, what China has really brought to Africa is a change in the way that the rest of the world thinks of the continent. China has helped transform the idea of Africa from a destination for charity to a place for business. In 2006, for the first time, flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Africa were greater than those of aid - $48 billion of FDI compared to $40 billion of aid, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. And the numbers keep growing. In 2008, according to the U.N. trade body UNCTAD, FDI hit $88 billion. "Trade, not aid" is the new mantra of influential African leaders like Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

China's largesse, whatever the explanations for its arrival in Africa, has left a mark. As the representative of the Zambian Mineworkers Union at the Chambishi complex where 49 workers died, Mwinbe Stanslas, 45, might be expected to sound a note of caution about China's expansion. He does not. "I've worked for the British, the Americans, a Jew and the Swiss," he says. "They all closed. The way the Chinese are investing, they're not leaving. My boy will get a job in this mine, and his boy after him. China is taking over. And I tell you, it's a blessing."

© 2010 Time Inc. All rights reserved

Extractive Inustries - Potential Oportunities

2010-05-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Penelope Chester writing for the UN Dispatch got this right...

Extracting Benefits From The Natural Resource Industry
UN Dispatch
Penelope Chester - May 24, 2010 - 9:25 am

Development

Mining giants haven't failed to take note of opportunities in West Africa. The Financial Times reports that six major mining groups are planning on spending billions of dollars in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in a bid to profit from the region's rich resources, particularly iron ore.

In Guinea, for example, Vale - a Brazilian company, the world's largest iron ore mining firm - bought a $2.5-billion majority stake in BSG Resources (Guinea). In addition to the cash value of the deal for the Guinean government, Vale's indispensable infrastructure investments to move minerals from mine to port will also be significant. Plans include the renovation of 410 miles of railway between the two countries, and the construction of a $1-billion port in Didia, a town in southeastern Liberia. Infrastructure investments will total between $5 billion to $8 billion by 2020.

The recent deal by Vale underscores the West African region's increasing appeal for mining companies, who - for better or worse - are well-equipped to work in politically and economically unstable countries. Recent trends in corporate social responsibility are slowly paving the way toward greater transparency and social accountability. This includes the creation of international regulations and standards for the natural resource industry, like the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, or theGlobal Reporting Initiative. For publicly-traded mining companies, whose shareholders are becoming increasingly more aware of the human and environmental costs, a real shift is beginning to occur in tems of how a company works with the communities in which they operate.

The natural resource industry can be as much of a bane as it is a boon in developing countries, and there is plenty of evidence showing just how corrupting of a force the industry can be in places with poor governance. That said, mining can also bring about significant economic gains – if the revenues generated are reinvested properly. Furthermore, mining companies often come into remote areas and communities where they generate employment and demand for services. Companies who are leading in social responsibility take it one step further, and partner with governments and development organizations to ensure that sustainable investments are made in infrastructure, health and educational facilities, helping to support local businesses.

In Tanzania, for example, Canadian gold mining giant Barrick is partnering with USAID and EngenderHealth, an international reproductive health organization, to fund and implement the Lake Zone Initiative, aiming to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and improve the availability and quality of health services for underserved populations in the Lake Zone region (home to nine million residents in Tanzania).
The key to having these new investments in West Africa truly benefit the local population is to ensure that the investments correspond to local development priorities. New infrastructure such as railways and ports should benefit the people of Liberia and Guinea as much as it facilitates a company's operations. Vale, for example, intends to reconstruct a railway line for passenger use in Guinea. If a company plans to spend significan amounts of money on infrastructure or health care (building hospitals, for example), they should be doing so in coordination and partnership with local authorities.

Countries like Liberia and Guinea can catalyze potential development opportunities by creating a regulatory environment that attracts foreign mining companies. They can also help secure positive outcomes for their populations. Liberia, for example, has launched the Liberian EITI, an initiative meant to ensure proper and transparent management of forestry revenues.

At a time when foreign aid and development assistance budgets are under tremendous pressure, there is a real opportunity for governments and local populations to leverage the additional revenues and ancillary investments that come from natural resource companies operating in their countries.

Image: Derelict iron mine facility in Bong County, Liberia (Penelope Chester)

UN Dispatch

link: http://www.undispatch.com/node/9906

ALERT - Possible Oil Exploration of Liberia's Mangroves

2010-05-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

In the news:

Simba Energy Raises Additional Funds As Investors Warm To Its Liberian Exploration Project
Minesite
May 19, 2010

These may be uncertain times but it seems there is still a market appetite for wildcatting in new energy frontiers. Canada’s Simba Energy, which is hoping to find black gold in the untested mangrove swamps of Liberia in West Africa, recently announced a near doubling of a non-brokered private placement launched in April.

Originally the company, which is listed in Toronto and Frankfurt, planned to raise C$1 million through a private placement of up to 14,285,715 units - comprising one common share and one transferable share purchase warrant to buy another common share within two years at a price of C$0.15 per share - priced at C$0.07 per unit. Now the company has increased the private placement to 28 million units to raise C$1.96 million, with the proceeds used to fund general working capital. This...

© 2009 Minesite

###

Liberia, Not so fast!

Mangroves are the wetland communities found in the intertidal zone of estuaries.
It is important that we look after these areas and protect them. Not only because they are vital to the continued health of many of our fish stocks but also because we have a moral and social responsibility to look after our environment and to leave it in a healthy condition for future generations.

Oil activity in mangroves causes a series of environmental impacts:

interruption of fresh water flow to the trees;
alteration in the flow of sea water both toward and within the forests, altering the drainage patterns and causing changes in vegetation and soils and a general instability in the area;
deforestation, caused by construction of infrastructure such as: drilling platforms, camps, wells, access roads, heliports, refineries, pipelines etc;
well drilling completely destroys the surrounding area, and alters the natural hydrology of the mangrove;
changes in the soils can provoke alterations in the pH of the soil and water, leading to a chronic deterioration in the quality of the mangroves;
discharging of solid wastes can destroy the mangrove forest by asphyxiation of the pneumatophors or by the formation of a barrier to the ebb and flow of water;
dumping of liquid wastes (formation water) produces negative impacts on the animal life of the mangrove.

The recovery of the mangroves after such impacts can take 10 to 20 years, even if no new spills occur.

Damage the Mangroves and say goodby to recreational and commercial fisheries.

Damage the Mangroves and say goodby to feeding and breeding areas for many species of fish and crustaceans that support an abundance and diversity of birdlife.

Damage the Mangroves and say goodby to important physical protection of the coast from erosion and storms (as if our problems are not big enough already).

Damage the Mangroves and say goodby to biologically productive natural systems contributing organic matter to estuaries.

Damage the Mangroves and say goodby to filter of sediments and other substances that may accumulate from land runoff.

There have been international calls for moratoriums on oil exploration in the mangroves, including the Oilwatch Declaration to the 7th Conference to the Parties (COP) to the Ramsar Convention (San José, Costa Rica, 10-18 May 1999)

The EarlyBird Foundation calls for:

The stoppage of any new oil exploration in mangrove zones.

The avoidance of mangrove zone in the planning of oil and gas pipeline routes.

The integration into the RAMSAR Convention of all mangrove zones which are at risk or under pressure from oil activity, with the objective of preserving their integrity.

An inventory under the Convention, of tropical mangrove zones which have already suffered some intervention, in order to begin their immediate restoration.

A socio-environmental impact study of all oil activities in mangrove zones to be carried out under the auspices of the Convention. The study should cost the impacts of oil activity and their restoration, and establish responsibilities. The results of this study to be made legally binding for RAMSAR member countries.

Efforts to be made by the Secretariat of the RAMSAR Convention to integrate those countries, which while not members are confronting problems with, or threats of, oil extraction activities in their mangrove zones.

Oil and Mangroves do not mix!
see: http://mangroveactionproject.org/issues/petroleum/oil-mangroves-do-not-mix

SAPO Photos

2010-05-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Check out Glenna Gordon's photos

Sapo National Park, some nice shots of a beautiful rainforest.

here:

http://www.scarlettlion.com/2010/05/sapo-national-park.html

Enjoy.
Anthropogenicagent

Job - Construction Superintendent - Railroad

2010-05-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Construction Superintendent - Railroad
http://www.careerstructure.com/JobSeeking/Construction-Superintendent---Railroad_job47429335

Location:
Liberia jobs
Salary:
$10k USD per month + Package
Date posted:
14/05/2010 15:40
Sector:
Oil / Gas / Power jobs
Job role:
Site manager jobs
Job type:
Permanent jobs
Company:
The Highfield Company
Contact:
Toby Ball
Ref:
CareerStructure/TJ-CM-Liberia
Job ID:
47429335

My client is one of the world’s leading civil engineering and project management companies. Having extensive knowledge in the international construction arena they currently focus on a variety of projects including; Oil, Gas, Building, Petrochemical, civil works, rail and infrastructure.

They have recently started work on a major railroad revitalisation project in Liberia, Western Africa. The project itself requires a senior rail superintendent who has extensive experience in the construction and rehabilitation of rail projects, ideally in the mining sectors.

You will also have an in depth understanding Africa and working on major civils projects in the region. Liberia is classed as a hardship location and you will need to be able to drive projects forward and get local staff working together.

This role is available for an immediate start and offers a rotation of 70 days on 15 days off. On top of this you will be supplied with a comprehensive package as well.

For more information please contact Toby Ball on 0044 2380 554 334 or toby@thehighfieldcompany.com

###

Interesting, EarlyBird

Chinafrica (28) Watching for PRC Influence in Africa

2010-05-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

ET China Defends Activities in Africa
Wall Street Journal
MAY 12, 2010, 9:43 A.M.

By J.R. WU
BEIJING - China Vice Commerce Minister Fu Ziying pushed back against Western criticism over China's activities in Africa, describing Chinese investment as "more market-driven" and defending Beijing's stance on recent flare-ups.

Economic activity in Africa has surged in recent years with Beijing becoming an important investor, creditor and donor for many African nations. But with the rise of China's financial influence on the continent, concerns persist that Beijing is preying on the continent's resources to feed the Chinese economy, contributing little significant improvement to African livelihoods.

Amid such criticism and as China asserts that its presence in Africa is increasingly being shaped by nongovernment actors, Beijing has put in place some mechanisms to deal with issues surrounding its investment and trade on the resource-rich continent...

Read on... link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704247904575240021751743004.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

###

Chinafrica (27) Watching for PRC Influence in Africa

2010-04-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS:

Africa Confidential (London)
Africa: CADF Expands Africa Network: The State Investment Fund is Launching Chinese Companies Into Overseas Markets Where they Pick Up Assets Abandoned by Western and African Companies

22 April 2010

analysis

The China-Africa Development Fund’s expansion plans moved a step forward with the opening of a new branch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 30 March. The office will pursue greater cooperation with the African Union, also headquartered in the city. CADF’s chief representative in Ethiopia is Wang Yong, who was Managing Director of CADF’s Eastern Africa Investment Department in Beijing.

The Fund opened its first overseas branch in Johannesburg, South Africa, in March 2009, giving it a listening post in the continent’s largest economy. A third office is planned for Zambia. CADF executives have scoured the continent for investment opportunities. But while the Fund had more than 100 projects under study in 2008, no more than 20 deals have been signed since then.

In March, CADF Chairman Zhao Jianping met officials from the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the Economic Commission on Africa, the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank to discuss areas of potential cooperation. The AU and the CADF agreed to work out a memorandum of understanding that could lead to joint projects in the tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, transport and telecommunications sectors.

The CADF, originally promised at the November 2006 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, is now the go-to financier for troubled Chinese companies and for manufacturing firms seeking to set up operations in Africa. The Fund was then launched in June 2007 with an initial US$1 billion from the China Development Bank (CDB) and is expected to reach $5 bn. within the next few years.

The CDB is controlled by the State Council, China’s highest decision-making body, and the CADF is treated with the secrecy expected from top-level institutions. CADF executives have been especially careful about information security after a hacking incident led to someone accessing ‘sensitive’ information. People are now wary of information leaks. When contacted byAfrica-Asia Confidential about agricultural company Hua Lien’s CADF-backed plans for ethanol production in Benin, a spokesman for the Fund replied that it was a ‘high security’ project.

CADF officials say that by the end of 2009, the Fund had invested nearly $700 million in over 30 projects, leading to a total investment of about $3 bn. by Chinese enterprises. The aim of the Fund is to ‘support and expand the investment of Chinese enterprises in Africa and promote mutual benefit of China and Africa and beyond,’ according to a spokesman in Beijing.

As a start-up in the financing business, the CADF has shown quick progress, but not always as quick as had been expected. CADF executives announced in 2009 that they would use up the initial $1 bn. two years ahead of schedule and would seek a cash injection of another $2 bn. While the first tranche had been supplied by the CDB, the CADF said that it would have to diversify its sources and seek funding from other Chinese financial bodies. The original target for the arrival of the new cash was the end of 2009, but it has not materialised.

Few of the projects chosen by the CADF lead to quick results. Shenzhen Energy’s 500 megawatt thermal power project in Ghana was one of the first to be signed by the Fund in 2008, but it is still not operational. The Chinese side blames its Ghanaian partners, who were charged with finding a reliable gas supply. The now-functioning West African Gas Pipeline brings natural gas to Ghana from the Niger Delta, which could solve supply problems.

A CADF source mentioned other ‘headaches’ like the China Union iron ore deal in Liberia. The source said that the CADF’s involvement has been problematic because of ‘conflicts of interest’ rather than financial issues. Since it won the $2.6 bn. bid to rehabilitate the Bong Mine iron ore project and build associated infrastructure, the small, Henan-based China Union has been unable to raise the necessary finance or begin work on the ground (AAC Vol 3 No 2). Dealing with billions of dollars and state and private companies seeking to expand their activities in Africa, the CADF has a politically sensitive task. It stepped in to save China Union, but sold off a majority stake to a state-owned mining house for a fraction of the cost.

The Fund typically invests in a joint venture with a Chinese company that wants to do business in Africa. It can only take a minority stake in such ventures, leaving the controlling stake to the Chinese companies which manage the projects. The CADF claims to have no strict guidelines on the industries and countries it targets. It says that it focuses instead on investments that can ‘improve the living standard of African people and promote the economic development of Africa’. However, it gives priority to agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure and natural resources.

Though it came as part of a package of measures to boost relations and development in Africa, China has promoted the Fund as being different from the aid and loans previously made to Africa, which were criticised in the West for failing to take governance into account. The CADF says that it distinguishes itself from economic aid to Africa because it is not allocated by nation but independently operated and based on market economy principles.

According to a spokesperson, the Fund selects projects for investment according to market conditions and potential for long-term returns. Investment decisions follow policies set by the board of directors. Investments can range from $5 to $50 mn. per project, though they currently tend to be less than $25 mn. In April 2009, CADF legal advisor Mark Fung said that the Fund would begin to make larger and more active investments when it had gained a sufficient level of experience and expertise in Africa.

CADF projects are also supposed to take into account environmental and social responsibility. A CADF source says that it must have a regard for ‘ethnic customs and conventions and conform to local labour protection and environmental protection standards. The CADF prepares social and environmental assessment requirements for investment projects according to international practices.’

The Fund was aimed at pushing Chinese presence in Africa up another gear, enabling its partner companies to invest in higher-risk projects. ‘Because this is an equity investment the risk is held by the Fund, and the company does not have to find a guarantor, which it would do if it went to the bank,’ Chief Executive Chi Jianxin said after the Fund’s launch. In addition, companies are under no pressure to generate immediate profits. ‘We think we will stay in a project for 5-8 years but if some need a bit longer we can do that,’ said Chi. However, partnering up is not easy. Most companies fail because they cannot produce the required documentation.

African embassy officials in Beijing and Chinese companies agree that CADF’s due diligence process is stringent. ‘The Chinese company should have industrial advantages, investment experience and contacts,’ says Amanda Zhao from Camaco, the joint venture established by tractor maker YTO and the CADF. This was the case for YTO, which had four subsidiaries in Africa before signing an agreement with the CADF last year. ‘We’re already an international company with operations on every continent. But we needed more funds to expand,’ said Zhao.

For some companies, the easier access to Africa and high-level backing is more important than the financial support CADF offers. Angel Yeast, a Chinese company, said last November that it plans to build a $51 mn. plant in Egypt. The CADF is only investing $2 mn. in the plant. ‘It will be easier to achieve the project. They can give us support in obtaining government permits,’ said one of the firm’s sales managers.

YTO’s Zhao sees similar benefits. The Fund, she says, ‘creates positive conditions and provides opportunities for Camaco, with its experience of investment in Africa. YTO group needs a partner to enhance its reputation and market share. The CADF can provide consulting and financial advice.’ The CADF draws on CDB’s ‘profound’ experience in investing through its ‘Going Global’ initiative. Still, getting the CADF to agree to a 45% stake in the RMB250 mn. ($36.6 mn.) Camaco venture took almost two years, Zhao says.

The process may be even more difficult for African companies. Under its mission guidelines, the CADF can also directly invest in African projects involving international financial institutions or African companies in joint ventures. One African ambassador in Beijing told AAC that many companies are not able to put together valid feasibility assessments. So far, only Chinese companies have received CADF investments.

CADF’s regulations allow it to invest in offshore projects that have operations in Africa, though none have been pursued yet. CADF officials have shown an interest in using Seychelles’s financial system for offshore banking. In September 2009, Mauritius’s Finance Minister Rama Sithanen said that the government had begun discussions with the Fund to use the island as an offshore destination through which to invest in Africa.

The Fund’s managers spend a lot of time meeting African companies. ‘When we’re in Africa, we meet local companies. We’ll go back to China to find the leading companies working in the same areas to partner with the African ones,’ said a CADF manager. ‘Sometimes we go to countries simply because we haven’t been there yet and we have to find some projects. Other times we go there because we have Chinese partners who want to invest in Africa.’ In the last three years, CADF executives have prospected in Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius,Mozambique, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Last year, CADF Managing Director Zhou Chao announced that the Fund would begin to push companies to build infrastructure through joint ventures with governments. Public-private partnerships could help overcome an obstacle to disbursing funds in Africa: the lack of detailed government plans for infrastructure projects.

Copyright © 2010 Africa Confidential. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)

BHP/ArcelorMittal Alliance????

2010-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings people.

Three months have passed and still we await the emergence of the BHP, ArcelorMittal alliance

Remember it was mid January when steel giant ArcelorMittal and miner BHP Billiton began discussing combining their iron ore interests in Liberia and Guinea, creating a platform for a West African iron ore business.

After a flurry of excitement - nothing.

Yet it is potentially one of the biggest deals ever for Liberia. At stake is ArcelorMittal's 70 per cent interest in five Liberian leases and rights to upgrade Liberia's Yekepa-Buchanan railway and Panamax port. BHP retains 43.5 per cent interest in Guinea's Euronimba, which owns 95 per cent of the Nimba project, including exploration leases at Dieke and Nimba North, as well as the miner's four Liberian leases.

Has anyone out there heard anything?

Anthropogenicagent

EARS for the Masses - Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (LEITI)

2010-03-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

Local NGO on LEITI’s Awareness in Nimba
Publication Date: March 22, 2010 - 8:56pm
Updated: March 22, 2010 - 8:56pm
News Section:Community News

Mr. Aaron L. Dayee: ‘It is EARS for the Masses’ own way of helping to achieve LEITI’s effort’
By: Joaquin Sendolo
A local non-governmental organization, Effective Activities for the Restoration of Stability for the Masses (EARS for the Masses), has begun a massive awareness campaign in towns and villages in Nimba on the activities of the Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (LEITI).

LEITI is a non-governmental organization that is responsible for informing citizens of Liberia how much government receives from revenue generation and what they should benefit from their resources.

According to EARS for the Masses Executive Director Aaron Dayee, the decision to sensitize the locals on the activities of LEITI was due to the fact that LEITI’s presence had not fully been felt among people in the county.

Mr. Dayee, who walked into the offices of the Daily Observer last week, said it was important for citizens to be sensitized so that they would not feel that their resources were being freely taken away by some people without any benefit accruing to them (the citizens).

He said as an advocacy group that has been actively engaged in speaking for the voiceless, they as members see a need to create awareness so that people will know their rights and entitlement in terms of the available resources they have.

Mr. Dayee said because of the significance of LEITI to the Liberian populace, his outfit took the initiative to carry on the sensitization program.

He disclosed that they were carrying on the sensitization through sporting activities, quizzes among students and cultural exhibitions.

Mr. Dayee said his organization was in close partnership with the Foundation for International Dignity (FIND) and the Women in Peace-building Network (WIPNET) in the pre-awareness campaign for LEITI.

He added that after the awareness campaign, LEITI itself will be moving to the county to begin workshops with the locals in towns and villages to fully acquaint them with its activities as being done in other areas.

Copyright Liberian Observer - All Rights Reserved. This article cannot be re-published without the expressed, written consent of the Liberian Observer. Please contact us for more information or to request publishing permission.

Liberia: Just two of 22 candidate countries

2010-03-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Liberia will not be left behind in the twenty-first century, see the story below.

Transparency program results 'dismal'

March. 9, 2010
ArticlePhotosListenComments

ShareWASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Participation has been "dismal" in an international program designed to show how nations profit from oil, gas and mining, human rights activists said.

Just two of 22 candidate countries met Tuesday's deadline to fulfill basic requirements for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Human Rights Watch said in a release.

Azerbaijan and Liberia met the filing deadline while Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe were among the countries that did not.

The lack of participation raises serious doubts about the commitment to disclose revenues, said Arvind Ganesan, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch.

"It's easy for governments to sign up for the initiative and claim they are open about the money they earn from lucrative natural resources," Ganesan said. "But the proof is in whether they actually do what they promised, and so far the results have been dismal."

The initiative, supported by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, was created to help combat corruption and mismanagement in energy-rich countries.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Vacancy In The Public Service Project Coordinator-Ministry Of Fisheries And Marine Resources

2010-02-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

VACANCY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
PROJECT COORDINATOR-MINISTRY OF FISHERIES AND

MARINE RESOURCES

Applications are invited from Citizens of Sierra Leone for appointment to the posts listed below subject to the following conditions in every case:

(a) Canvassing of members of the Commission by or on behalf of candidates will result in the candidate’s application being immediately rejected.

(b) Persons who have been dismissed from Government Service or have been convicted of a crime will not be considered.

(c) Applicants are reminded to read and comply with the instructions at page one of the application Form P.S.C. Form 8.

(d) Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

PROJECT COORDINATOR-Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources

1. JOB DATA

BACKGROUND

The West Africa Regional Fisheries Program is a World Bank funded project that is coordinated by the regional coordination Unit at the Sub Regional Fisheries Commission Office in Dakar, Senegal. The initial phase of the project will focus on four countries, that is Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia and Cape Verde. The objective of the project is to increase the ‘wealth’ generated from sustainable exploitation of the fish resources in these countries through fostering good governance for sustainable management of the fisheries, combating illegal fishing activities and adding economic value to the fisheries. The ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources wishes to recruit a National Project Coordinator for the investments of the West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme in Sierra Leone.

Job title: - Project Coordinator

Job Grade: - Grade 11

MDA: - Fisheries and Marine Resources

Location:- Freetown

Reports to:- Director Fisheries/National Steering Committee

Supervise:- Professional Staff of the Unit

2. JOB PURPOPSE:

· To coordinate all activities and investments of the West Africa Regional Fisheries Programme (WARFP) in Sierra Leone for and on behalf of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

· To strengthen the capacity of the country to govern and manage targeted fisheries, reduce illegal fishing and increase value added locally to fish products.

3. MAIN DUTIES/TASKS:

a. To prepare Annual work Progammes, updated budget, update procurement plan and update Monitoring and Evaluation plan for approval by the Director of Fisheries of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and subsequently the National Steering Committee, and then upon approval transmit these documents to the Regional Coordination Unit at the Sub- Regional Fisheries Commission by November 15th each year;

b. To coordinate and ensure the timely preparation and implementation of the institution capacity building measures. i.e. prepare training plans and implement training of staff;

c. To initiate and coordinate community mobilisation and beneficiaries i.e. training plans, field activities, community support, training of beneficiaries etc.;

d. To carry out project disbursement, accounting and financial management, fully accountable and in a transparent manner;

e. To supervise all procurement transactions as well as the selection of contractors, suppliers and service providers, in the line with World Bank rules and regulations;.

f. To prepare quarterly an annual report to be approved by the Director, before submitting them to the Regional Coordination Unit at the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission and the Project Steering Committee;

g. To coordinate and work with relevant Ministries, Department, Agencies, Community Based Organizations, Local government authorities and institutions, international agencies, non governmental organizations ect. in order to ensure full stockholders participation for effective and efficient implementation of planned project activities;

h. To organize quarterly meetings of the National Steering Committee, prepare and facilitate these committee meetings, to ensure that the committee is fully briefed on project activities,;

i. To coordinate activities of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and introduce and implement the concept of territorial rights in fisheries (turfs);

j. To participate in all projects reviews;

k. To implement the WARFP in Sierra Leone applying appropriate administrative, financial and technical management methods with due diligence and efficacy;

l. Performs other duties within the scope and intent of the job, as may be assigned from time to time.

4. JOB SPECIFICATION:

(i) Education:

A Minimum of a Masters Degree in Fisheries Science from a recognized University.

(ii) Experience:

A minimum of 5 years, of relevant working experience in fisheries policy, fisheries development and fisheries management, preferably in Sierra Leone.

(iii) Others:

- Work experience in local capacity building and cooperation with local government and NGOs, especially in fishing communities is highly desirable.

- Experience in project implementation and familiarization with co-management concept in fisheries management

5. Competencies:

(i) Technical:

- Ability to deal with International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and donor agencies.

- Ability to prepare budget estimates, strategic plans and procurement plans.

- Ability to supervise and develop subordinate staff.

- Ability to facilitate trainings and seminars

- Reports writing skills

- Computer literate in MS Word ms Excel and MS Access

(ii)Managerial:

- Ability to plan the annual work progamme of the unit.

- Ability to control the budget and resources

- Ability to submit periodic reports to government

- Ability to build, manage and work in team.

(iii) Personality:

- Be firm and fair

- Analytical and broad-minded in orientation

- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; and demonstrated enthusiasm to deliver results.

6. Key Deliverables:

- Project documents (Intermediate Outcome Indicators) and budgets.

- Strategic Action and work plan

- Periodic reports

7. Duration: Initially one (1) year and subject to renewal based upon satisfactory performance.

Application forms are obtainable from the Secretary, Public Service Commission, Freetown or from the Sierra Leone High Commission 41 Eagle Street, WIR 1LF Holborn London or from the Sierra Leone Embassy 1701, 19th Street N.W., Washington D.C. 2009, U.S.A. or any of the Sierra Leone Embassies and High Commissions abroad. Completed applications should reach the Secretary, Public Service Commission, Gloucester Street, Freetown not later than 4th March, and 2010.

© Copyright by Awareness Times Newspaper in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

###
Best of Luck
Anthropogenicagent

ArcelorMittal and BHP Billiton Deal: What Commitment?

2010-02-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here we go again just as it was 4 years ago; the announcement of the big deal, then nothing. It all goes underground. If the people of Nimba and Bassa could reach down that hole and grab that porcupine they might ask for a little transparency.

The Nimba and Bassa Communities care very deeply about natural resources, the wildlife and environment. They are entitled to some portion of the benefits resulting from the extractive endeavors that are about to take place on a scale we have never seen before.

ArcelorMittal and BHP Billiton and their sub-contractors must conduct their activities in a manner that recognizes the needs of society and the needs for economic prosperity, national security and a healthy environment. They must commit on paper to integrating social, environmental, and economic principles in the mining operations from exploration through development, operation, reclamation, closure and post closure activities, and in operations associated with preparing our products for further use.

There should be real and tangible targets for development. We should never go down the road of growth without development. It is never too late for public debate. Let Nimba and Bassa Counties be the model for the future development of Liberia as a whole.

If the Nimba and Bassa Communities for a moment could put their ear to the ground, here is what they will be listening for:

Assurance of transparency. the citizens must in someway be part of all decisions that directly or indirectly affect their lives, environment and natural resources.

A well-balanced revenue sharing agreement must be made between the Liberian government and these counties.

Money set aside for the control, management and remediation of potential pollution as well as wildlife dislocation.

Reforestation project must cover all areas affected.

Infrastructure improvements and maintenance provisions, roads, bridges, pipe-born water built to state of the art standards.

Hospitals built by Old LAMCO in these counties should be revitalized to meet the needs of the local people with provisions for employment of Liberian staff and capacity building.

In all hiring, Liberians should be given first priority not only for labor-intensive jobs for but also managerial positions within the company. Competitive wages must be paid to the local people.

The Vocational Training Center in Yekepa should be revived to train more local technicians to enable them to gain employment locally.

Liberia's great heritage of natural resources has been handed to us by our ancestors, but we must not forget, at the same time we are only borrowing from our children. A sustainable future is the prize. We are listening........

EarlyBird

Chinafrica (26) Watching for PRC Influence in Africa

2010-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

FOUND IN THE NEWS:

Debate: Africa and China: Is their relationship good or bad for the continent?
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 10:47 katende Bob Roberts

China is increasingly investing in Uganda. Recently, its oil company, Cnooc, agreed to buy a stake in Uganda’s oil fields. Today, distinguished academicians discuss whether the continued involvement of China in Africa is good or bad for the continent. Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development, The Belfer Center, Harvard, argues that "China's rising demand for Africa's natural resources helped to re-establish Africa as a source of valuable commodities for the global market. But it also helped to focus Africa's political attention on why the continent still remains poor" while Prof. George Ayittey, a distinguished Economist, American University argues that: "China's increased engagement with Africa has impeded the continent's halting steps towards democratic accountability and better governance. African countries receiving Chinese aid have little incentive to improve governance."

Calestous Juma says: China's involvement in Africa has become a highly emotive debate in international diplomacy. The intensity has been fuelled by the sheer scale of its operation. In November 2009 China pledged to offer African countries $10 billion in low-interest loans over the next three years, set up a $1 billion loan facility for small and medium-size firms, and to forgive debt on some interest-free loans. The pledge is nearly 10% of the total trade between the two blocs.

The suddenness with which the details have come to the fore and general lack of transparency in the relationships have helped to fuel suspicion over its role in Africa. The concerned have been compounded by its close association with African regimes that have been singled out for human rights violation.

There is no doubt that China's involvement in Africa is driven by its long-term economic objectives, especially in regard to demand for natural resources and export opportunities.

But despite these concerns, China's involvement in Africa is welcome for a variety of psychological and pragmatic reasons.

The end of the cold war marked a dramatic reduction of interest in Europe and Africa. This shift was also associated with declines in demand for Africa's basic exports. For example, Africa's share in the European Union's foreign trade has fallen 3.2% to about 1.3% between 1989 and 2009. The bulk of the decline occurred in historic partners of Africa like the UK and France. This shift dealt a major blow to Africa's self-esteem.

China's rising demand for Africa's natural resources helped to re-establish Africa as a source of valuable commodities for the global market. But it also helped to focus Africa's political attention on why, despite its vast resources, the continent still remains poor. This has recently been captured by Malawi's president, Bingu wa Mutharika, who recently told the African Union, "Africa is not a poor continent; but the people of Africa are poor."

Growing trade relations between the two regions have forced Africa to start reflecting more deeply about its own economic future. The growing presence of China in Africa has played a key role in inspiring a re-examination of Africa's economic prospects.

Which brings me to the next important benefit: China's is an important role model for Africa. There is a lot Africa can learn from the West or how to solve many of its economic challenges. But these lessons are buried in the archives of economic history.

China's phenomenal economic growth serves as a source of inspiration for much of Africa. It gives the countries renewed hope that they too can start to grow out of poverty and become important players on the global scene.

There are a few key lessons that China is offering Africa today. First, China's large domestic market has served as a major stimulus for economic growth and innovation. It has played a key role in helping to attract foreign direct investment. African countries are currently focused on promoting regional integration to expand their internal markets.

Second, China's economic rapid economic growth also offers specific lessons that Africa is learning from. For example, China has in recent decades made massive investments in infrastructure as a foundation for economic renewal. Africa is benefiting from this in two ways. First, it is learning from China about the importance of infrastructure. Second, China is providing infrastructure support to Africa.

It is instructive that most Western countries have for decades shied away from support infrastructure and higher technical training in Africa, two areas that are vital for economic growth. China's involvement in Africa has helped to restore these two important factors in economic discourse.

Third, China's economic transformation has been associated with increased investment in science, technology, engineering and math. African leaders, operating mostly under the auspices of the African Union, are starting to focus on higher technical education practical measures. African presidents, for example, have consistently chosen innovation-oriented topics as themes for their annual summits.

China has not only increased its admission of African students in its universities, but it is also focused on strengthening the continent's scientific infrastructure. More recently, China launched a postdoctoral programme for Africans. The candidates will understudy China's science parks, but each will also return home with scientific equipment worth $22,000. No other country in the world has offered such support to African scientists and engineers.

In February 2010, China launched the China-Africa Economic and Technology Cooperation Committee of the China Economic and Social Council aimed at helping Africa to learn from China's development experiences. Speaking at the launch ceremony in Beijing, Ghana's ambassador to China, Helen Mamle Kofi, said the country's economics provide Africa with an "example to follow in terms of economic, financial, social, technological and cultural integration".

Finally, China is also offering Africa additional ways to approach the linkages between economic growth and governance. Over the last two decades Africa has experimented with multi-party democracy. The assumption was that Western-style democracy was a prerequisite for Africa's economic growth. But the evidence is inconclusive. Democracy fosters growth just as much as growth enables growth. But none of it happens automatically; it takes concerted collective effort.

There are also negative lessons that Africa should be aware of as it learns from China. China's rapid economic growth has come with immeasurable environmental costs. Africa would be better served to adopt low-carbon growth strategies for its economic transformation. This may also be an area of common interest between Africa, China and the rest of the industrialised. In fact, China's own investments in clean technologies provide additional lessons for Africa on the feasibility of adopting low-carbon economic strategies.

The involvement of China in Africa should therefore provide new opportunities for the Western industrialised countries to engage with Africa on new terms that recognise Africa's aspirations. Indeed, countries such as the UK are responding to the challenge by seeking to build new relations with African countries, especially through regional integration bodies. Such smart responses are likely to benefit all the parties involved.

These are issues that go beyond access to natural resources and markets; they are the centre of global security and stability. China's involvement in Africa would add more to global security if it can set the stage for new global relations guided by greater international understanding rather than crass competition.

To echo the words of Denis Tull at the German Institute for International Security Affairs in Berlin: "Only ill-informed observers would see Africa's embrace of China as a zero sum game."

George Ayitteh says: To feed the voracious appetite of its economic machine galloping at a dizzying 9% clip, China has been trolling for resources in Africa. It has spent billions of dollars securing drilling rights in Angola, Nigeria, Sudan and Angola; has exploration or extraction deals with Chad, Gabon, Mauritania, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia; and has invested in the copper industry in Zambia and Congo as well as buying timber in Gabon, Cameroon, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia. Across Africa, Chinese companies are muscling out Western and other foreign companies, winning contracts to pave highways, build hydroelectric dams, upgrade ports, lay railway tracks and build pipelines.

China's engagement with Africa should be a boon. Its overall trade with Africa rose from $10.6 billion in 2000 to $75.5 billion in 2008, propelling Africa's growth rate to 5.8% in 2008, its best performance since 1974. China is now Africa's second-largest trading partner after the United States, importing a third of its crude oil from Africa. Further, Africa needs the investment, in particular, to rebuild its decrepit infrastructure. A November 2009 World Bank Report states: "The poor state of infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa-its electricity, water, roads and information and communications technology (ICT)-cuts national economic growth by two percentage points every year and reduces productivity by as much as 40 percent." To close the infrastructure gap, an annual spending of $93 billion would be required. Thus, Chinese investment in Africa's infrastructure should be most welcome. But China's engagement is increasingly being seen as odious, predatory and brutish. The initial enthusiasm that greeted Chinese investments in Africa has now cooled.

"There is mounting objection to China's deepening forays into Africa" said News Africa (March 2007). The former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, warned against allowing China's push for raw materials to become a "new form of neo-colonialist adventure" with African raw materials exchanged for shoddy manufactured imports and little attention to developing an impoverished continent.

In the 1980s, human rights groups pushed Western companies to maintain certain ethical standards when doing business in Africa. An African American pastor, Leon H. Sullivan, developed the Sullivan principles for Western companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. Similar campaigns were mounted against Western oil companies in Sudan on account of the genocide in Darfur. In addition, the 1975 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits US companies from paying bribes to foreign government officials. By contrast, Chinese companies operate with no such moral scruples or ethical constraints in Africa.

China deals with just about any rogue and unsavoury regime in Africa. It supplies jet fighters, military vehicles and guns to Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia and other repressive governments. At the UN, China has used its veto power to block sanctions against tyrannical regimes in Sudan and Zimbabwe.

The nature of China's contracts is most objectionable. They are secured through outright bribery by building presidential palaces (Namibia, Sudan and Zimbabwe) and sports stadiums (Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea). Namibian prosecutors are investigating allegations of bribery and kickbacks on government contracts with China to supply Namibia with scanners at security checkpoints. Nuctech, the Beijing-based manufacturer and headed until 2008 by the son of Hu Jintao, China's president, is accused of paying $4.2 million in kickbacks to a Namibian front company (New York Times, July 31st 2009, p. A4). Another investigation involves a Chinese contract to build a key railroad link.

Most alarming, the deals are opaque and on barter terms dictated by China. For example, in exchange for oil exploration slots, China will rebuild Nigeria's dilapidated railway system. But China will supply nearly all the equipment and technical personnel at prices determined by itself. There is no protection against overcharging or cost overruns. As with other projects in Africa, China will supply most of the workers. The potential for exploitation and plunder of Africa's resources is enormous in such contracts, leading irate African commentators to denounce what they see as "chopsticks mercantilism". With chopsticks dexterity, China can pick off mineral dumplings with relish in Africa, all to its advantage.

Further, China's engagement has devastated local industries in Lesotho, Nigeria and Zambia. In Nigeria, the influx of Chinese products has destroyed Kano's manufacturing sector. In 1982, 500 factories churned out textile products in Kano, but fewer than 100 remain operational today, most at far less than full capacity. In South Africa, the textile union says some 100,000 jobs have been lost as Chinese synthetic fabrics replace cotton prints in street markets across Africa.

Angry Africans are sounding off. In 2007, South Africa's unions threatened to boycott anyone selling Chinese products. In April 2007, nine Chinese workers were killed in an attack by armed men on an oil field in eastern Ethiopia. In Nigeria, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has vowed to expel all Chinese workers in the area.

Anti-Chinese sentiments even became a campaign issue in Zambia's September 2006 presidential election because of workplace accidents, poor working conditions and below-minimum wage pay at Chinese-run copper mines. More than 50 Zambian workers died in a 2005 mine explosion. The opposition leader, Michael Sata, called the Chinese profiteers, not investors, in a country where unemployment is about 50% and more than 73% of people live in poverty. "Chinese investment has not added any value to the people of Zambia," he charged (Washington Post, 25 September 25th 2006, p. A16).

More troubling, China's increased engagement with Africa has impeded the continent's halting steps towards democratic accountability and better governance. The West has made its aid conditional on progress on these fronts. But since China attaches no such conditions, African countries receiving Chinese aid have little incentive to improve governance. Indeed in 2003, when the IMF suspended $2 billion in aid to Angola, citing rampant corruption, China came to the rescue with a $2 billion oil deal.

The claim that China's intentions in Africa are noble is fatuous. Its real intentions are well known: to elbow out all foreign companies and gain access to Africa's resources at cheap prices; canvas for African votes at the UN in its quest for global hegemony; isolate Taiwan; and seek new markets for Chinese manufactures as European markets become saturated with Chinese goods. Less well known is its quest for African land to dump its surplus population. As a condition for Chinese aid, African states must accept large numbers of Chinese experts and workers as part of their investment packages. Chinese communes are springing up across Africa. In Namibia, the number of Chinese expatriates has reached 40,000, with 100,000 in Zambia and 120,000 in Nigeria. China even has a secret plan, called the ChongqingExperiment, to resettle 12m of its farmers in Africa.

As Rene N'Guetta Kouassi, the head of the African Union's economic affairs department, warned: "Africa must not jump blindly from one type of neo-colonialism into Chinese-style neo-colonialism" (AFP, September 30th 2009).

You can check more on the debate about Africa-China relations. http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/465

ArcelorMittal X BHP Billiton = Railroad to the Atlantic

2010-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

In the Story below keep in mind BHP is finally getting what it has been waiting for years (we will follow with the history later this week) to acquire. The question is do the people of Liberia get a fair share?!

EarlyBird

BHP, Arcelor in alliance talks over West Africa
Andrea Hotter
The Australian
January 20, 2010 12:00AM

STEEL giant ArcelorMittal and miner BHP Billiton are discussing combining their iron ore interests in Liberia and Guinea, creating a platform for a West African iron ore business.

The assets include BHP's 43.5 per cent interest in Guinea's Euronimba, which owns 95 per cent of the Nimba project, including exploration leases at Dieke and Nimba North, as well as the miner's four Liberian leases.

Also at stake is ArcelorMittal's 70 per cent interest in five Liberian leases and rights to upgrade Liberia's Yekepa-Buchanan railway and Panamax port.

Talks to combine the assets were expected to take several months, and the companies were seeking the support of the west African governments, BHP said.

"At this stage it is premature to comment on the nature of the overall investment. We are at early stage of reviewing the opportunities and development options," a BHP spokeswoman said.

Mining companies have had a rough ride in Guinea since the death of longtime dictator Lansana Conte in December 2008.

Junta chief Captain Moussa Dadis Camara seized power but the self-appointed president's behaviour became increasingly autocratic.

Holding negotiations with international mining companies live on national television, he threatened to close mines and confiscate projects.

The country now has an interim leader, General Sekouba Konate, after Dadis fled following an assassination attempt.

Dow Jones Newswires

Eco-Tourism Job

2010-01-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Robertsport Community Works is looking for an Eco-Tourism and Ecology intern
to develop, formalize and promote rainforest walks in the coastal rainforest
around Robertsport. A full job description is posted online at
http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Internship/147344-203.

Thanks for sending this around. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best,
Elie Losleben
Director of Programs
Robertsport Community Works
077-339-647

The Trouble Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI)

2010-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

At EarlyBird we are disturbed by the recent developments at Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, Bong County. The wanton destruction of the nursery. It may have been and accident or as the article below suggests something more. Let's call it ignorance. I spent some time at Suakoko in the mid-1980's. The research was world class and community outreach was outstanding.

We hope and pray things get back on track and soon!

JCD

--=*=--

Biting the Hand that Feeds
Liberian Observer (http://www.liberianobserver.com)
By Anonymous
Created Jan 8 2010 - 4:45am

One of the important pillars upon which this government is constructing its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) is by increasing production in the supply of homegrown crops heavily relied upon for daily consumption and subsistence in Liberia.

This policy is designed to increase production in the agricultural sector. Where successful, increased production will be followed by the building of adequate storage facilities, a marketing strategy and improved road conditions to facilitate rapid farm-to-market activities.

At the end of last year, the President was asked about accomplishments made in her government by her various ministries that had directly improved the lives of the people.

The President readily referred to the strides made in the agricultural sector. There were bumper crops of rice, cassava and of other food groups on which the population depends largely for consumption and for revenue generation.

It goes without saying that apart from rice, the population largely relies upon cassava. In its versatility, it can be boiled and eaten with a variety of sauces, or pounded to make fufu and dumboy. Because of our dependence on cassava as one of the staple foods of the nation, a project designed to promote the cassava industry is being carried out at the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI) in Suakoko, Bong County.

Several varieties of high yielding cassava in an area spanning 16 acres had been planted. The plan was to distribute the sticks to farmers for planting.

Mysteriously, or shall we say, mischievously, elements in Gbarnga torched the area and destroyed the nursery. Fingers are pointing to subsistence farmers, who use the slash-and-burn method to clear their farmlands.

Authorities at CARI and in Gbarnga need to establish a no-go area where squatters cannot enter; those caught within the no-go area should be held for criminal trespass.

The farmers and community dwellers in those areas bordering CARI should be made mindful that the activities of CARI are intended to improve farmers’ agriculture pursuits, and that therefore, they should be cooperating with the effort - not destroying it. Perhaps it has now become imperative for local governments to monitor and or control slash-and-burn operations.

Community dwellers must be conscious that they too have a responsibility to embrace government efforts and promote programs that are intended to make them stand on their own feet.

Any action that is counter-productive to government’s development efforts and programs is akin to biting the hand that feeds you. A continuation is interpreted as sabotage.

In carrying out its programs, government seeks community and individual cooperation in order to meet the common goal of improving life and raising standard which is the expectation of all Liberians.

Copyright Liberian Observer - All Rights Reserved. This article cannot be re-published without the expressed, written consent of the Liberian Observer. Please contact us for more information or to request publishing permission.
Editorial
Copyright 2009 | Liberian Observer Online | www.LiberianObserver.com

###