CONGO DEM REP: Congo Airways Orders Two Embraer E175 AIrcraft

Embraer and Congo Airways have signed a firm order for two E175 aircraft, with purchase rights for a further two.

The deal has a total value of US$194.4 million at current list prices, with all purchase rights exercised.

Desire Bantu, chief executive of Congo Airways, said: These new jets will replace our current turboprop offering and allow us to serve routes both within the Democratic Republic of Congo, and regionally to west, central, and southern Africa, from our hub in Kinshasa.

“We will now have the flexibility and the right sized aircraft to serve our market, which is growing so rapidly an additional order may be required, for which the E2 is a particularly compelling option.”

The aircraft will be configured in a dual class layout seating 76 passengers in total, with 12 in business class.

Deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Raul Villaron, vice president sales, Africa and Middle East, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “It’s great to welcome another airline to the Embraer family of operators, especially in Africa where the demand for regional travel is growing strongly.

“We look forward to supporting Congo Airways as they continue to upgrade their offering to their customers.”

Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers across the world.

Congo Airways, the flag carrier of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), is exploring the possibility of basing an aircraft in the neighboring country of Congo Brazzaville.

The airline recently grounded its fifth-freedom route from Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, via Douala in Cameroon to Cotonou in Benin, citing low passenger demand. But the two overseas markets could re-join the network as part of a five-point service originating in Brazzaville.

We want to open also Abidjan in Cote d'Ivoire and Libreville in Gabon, but according to our study we must connect Libreville to Brazzaville,chief executive Desire Balazire Bantu said.

If the aircraft goes Brazzaville, Libreville, Douala, Cotonou and Abidjan it will make a nice job.

The round trip could be completed in one day with two sets of flight crews, he added.

Congo Airways launched Kinshasa-Douala-Cotonou flights in December 2018 with a 160-seat Airbus A320. Management had hoped to serve the route with a 69-seat De Havilland Canada Dash-8 Q400, but settled for the larger jet due to maintenance and scheduling commitments elsewhere in the network.

The original routing is unlikely to be restored even if a Q400 becomes available, Balazire said, as the first leg can only attract about 35 passengers each way.

Opening a base in Brazzaville would also allow Congo Airways to launch flights to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.

The airport asked us to go there, but there is no market for travel from Bangui to Kinshasa, he noted. But there is from Brazzaville to Bangui.

Congo Brazzaville has not had a flag carrier since 2016, when Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECAir) collapsed under a huge debt pile.

Two privately owned local airlines – Canadian Airways Congo and Trans Air Congo – maintain operations from the capital and Pointe-Noire.

Congo Airways launched in 2015 and currently deploys two A320s and two Q400s on flights between 14 airports in the DRC plus Johannesburg in South Africa.

CONGO DR: Virunga National Park, Africa’s Oldest Park Closed To Tourists Over Securityconcerns

Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced on June 4 that it will not be welcoming tourists again until 2019.

Virunga is suspending activities for security reasons.

The decision was made following the death on May 11 of Rachel Makissa Baraka, a ranger who was attacked by armed assailants.

Baraka was the eighth ranger to be killed this year, bringing the total number of ranger deaths to more than 175 and making Virunga one of the deadliest conservation endeavours in the world.

During the incident, two British tourists and their Congolese driver were captured and taken hostage, before being released.

Overseen by Belgian aristocrat Emmanuel de Merode, the park was established in 1925, making it the oldest of its kind in Africa, and is celebrated for its mountain gorillas.

However, it faces numerous challenges, from violent militia to poaching.

In a statement announcing the closure, de Merode, who was himself critically injured by gunmen in 2014, said, It is abundantly clear that Virunga is deeply affected by insecurity and that this will be the case for some time.

For Virunga to be safely visited, much more robust measures are necessary than in the past.

In 2014, Netflix released an Academy Award-nominated documentary called Virunga about the park’s conservation efforts and the individuals who risk their lives to help preserve the natural habitat of the mountain gorillas.


Tourism Observer

WEST AFRICA: Gorillas And Chimpanzees Under Threat

Gorillas and chimpanzees may be twice as numerous in West Africa as previously thought, but the apes are still endangered, declining fast and in dire need of protection, an international study found Wednesday.

Prior estimates were based on nest counts taken from isolated areas across the great apes’ habitat range, said the report in the journal Science Advances.

The new count uses mathematical modelling to project likely ape numbers in areas where their nests haven’t been directly surveyed by people.

The estimates are based on other factors known to influence ape numbers, such as proximity to roads and people, and recent outbreaks of Ebola virus which can be deadly.

Spanning 59 sites in five countries surveyed over 11 years, it is the most comprehensive and accurate dataset ever compiled on these apes, said one of the lead authors, Fiona Maisels, conservation scientist for the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The results show that western lowland gorillas in western equatorial Africa number nearly 362,000, up from prior estimates of 150,000-250,000 individuals.

And chimpanzees in the area are expected to number almost 129,000, up from earlier counts of 70,000 to 117,000.

But despite the larger numbers, researchers still found a speedy drop in the population in recent years, which means the apes are still in danger of going extinct.

Some 19.4 percent of the gorilla population was lost between 2005 and 2013, said the report.

At this rate, the gorilla population is expected to plunge 80 percent in just three generations.

Maisels said researchers are pleased to have a more accurate number, but cautioned that it does not change the gorillas’ status as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Nor does it change the characterization of chimpanzees as endangered.

What we are worried about is the gorillas are going down to a tune of 2.7 percent per year, Maisels said.

The other kind of worrying thing is that the majority of gorillas and chimps do not live in protected areas, she said.

As many as 80 percent of the great apes live outside protected areas, according to the study.

About 60 percent of all known gorillas and 43 percent of chimpanzees live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while Gabon is home to 27 percent of the gorilla population and 34 percent of chimpanzees.

High densities of both apes also live in southern Cameroon.

Even though killing gorillas is illegal worldwide, hunting remains the top threat to survival, followed by disease and habitat loss.

More anti-poaching efforts are needed, both inside and outside protected areas, said the report.

Better land planning could help preserve the apes’ high-quality habitat.

Given that gorillas are more numerous and chimpanzees are more ecologically resilient than expected, and that large areas of ecologically functional great ape habitat remain, we are hopeful that robust conservation policies.

Well-managed parks, and responsible industrial practices can stop their declines and provide for secure and thriving populations, the study concluded.


Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Two British Tourists Kidnapped And A Female Ranger Killed In Virunga National Park

Some tourists were kidnapped and a convoy attacked in the Virunga National Park, the Democratic Republic of Congo's famed haven for gorillas and other endangered species, a park source said.

The source did not specify the nationality of those abducted but said their guard was seriously injured.

A local journalist also tweeted about the kidnapping.

I confirm an attack on our convoy, Joel Wengamulay, the park spokesman said, without specifying if tourists were targetted or had been kidnapped.

On April 9, five rangers and a driver were killed in an ambush in the park, which was established in 1925.

One of the most important conservation sites in the world, it covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,011 miles), or three times the size of Luxembourg, along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

Virunga is home to about a quarter of the world's population of critically-endangered mountain gorillas, as well as to eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis, lions, elephants and hippos.

But it is located in DR Congo's North Kivu province, where armed groups are fighting for control of territorial and natural resources, and poaching is a major threat.

It is believed they were visiting the world-famous gorilla sanctuary the Virunga National Park.

The tourists were reportedly taken on a route after a ranger was killed in the park today in North Kivu.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that the two Brits have been kidnapped.

An FCO spokesperson said We are in close contact with the authorities in Democratic Republic of the Congo following an incident involving two British nationals, and our staff are providing support to their families.

Radio Okapi, a local radio station said two British tourists were kidnapped and a female ranger had been killed 10km from Goma, which is a region south of Virunga National Park.

The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation confirmed that two British tourists and their driver were kidnapped while a park guard was killed this morning.

A park spokesman told CNN that security staff were immediately deployed after there learned of the incident.

The Congo is currently faced with an outbreak of Ebola and the World Health Organisation is planning for the worst case scenario.

The WHO’s Deputy Director-General of Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama is waiting for the country’s government to allow them to deploy a vaccine.

This will be the ninth time the virus has affected Congo and nine countries have been warned to prepare for the “worst case scenario”.

Between 2014 and 2016 Ebola swept across West Africa killing at least 11,000 people.



Tourism Observer

KENYA: Kenya Airways Ready For Competition With Regional Airlines Of Uganda, Tanzania And Zambia

Kenya Airways is not worried at a possible competion following the planned revival of national carriers in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Kenya Airways, popularly known by the code KQ, has been enjoying a big presence in these countries capitalising on lack of national airlines.

Air Tanzania is welcoming a new aircraft- Bombardier Q-400, which is the third since President John Magufuli rose to power, in an effort to revive the ailing airline.

The airline has also lined up three more jet aircraft, including two Bombardier C300s and one Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to arrive in the country before the end of this year.

Uganda is also in the process of reviving Uganda Airlines before the end of the year after the cabinet approved the plan.

This will affect the 15 years dominance that KQ has been enjoying at Entebbe which might result in revenue loss as Uganda is anticipating to take back regional routes to kick-start an ambitious global outreach.

Kenya’s Transport Principal Secretary Paul Maringa, however, says the move will not affect KQ’s earnings as part of the efforts to revive the local airline are aimed at making it competitive in the regional market.

There will be increased competition obviously, but this does not mean it will affect the operations of KQ.

We are banking our strength on the services that we offer, which will keep us going even in the presence of stiff competition, said the PS.

Prof Maringa said there is nothing wrong with competition, adding that what matters is how effective Kenya Airways will be in handling the situation.

Kenya Airways, remains dominant in most routes and it has a good partnership in Europe.

Kenya Airways is relying on the direct flights to the US scheduled to start in the next few months to remain the most preferred regional airline, he said, adding that KQ good brand will give it an edge in the wake of competition.

Ethiopian Airlines, arguably Africa’s most profitable career, is also focusing on reviving some of the stalled airlines in the region. The airline has acquired a 45 per cent stake in Zambia Airways that is set to be re-launched after more than two decades.

Under the pact, the Zambian government will be the majority shareholder with a 55 per cent stake.

Kenya Airways has at least four daily flights to Dar es Salaam, five to Entebbe, four to Lusaka Zambia and at least one more other daily flight to Livingstone (Zambia).

Ethiopian Airlines is also seeking to set up hubs in southern Africa, Central Africa and the Horn that connect neighbouring countries.

According to the airline, it is working with Malawi and Zambia as southern Africa hubs. Another hub would be in central Africa, covering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville and Chad.

Former Kenya Airways chief executive officer Mbuvi Ngunze said in 2016 that their focus was on African routes, which was proving to be profitable.

Kenya Airways prefers increasing frequencies in the current destination other than growth to others. Our focus is clearly Africa and we can see the strategy in Africa has started paying dividends, said Mr Ngunze then.

The Kenya Airways’ shareholder value moved into positive territory riding on last year’s balance sheet restructuring that reduced its annual debt payment obligations, leaving room to revamp its operations.

Kenya Airways equity position stood at Sh417 million in the nine months between April and December 2017 compared to negative Sh45 billion in the year to March 2017, according to a financial report that was released last month.

The change in fortunes follows a complex restructuring of the business that saw Kenya Airways main creditors — 10 commercial banks and the government — convert Sh44.2 billion loans into equity to save it from total collapse.



Tourism Observer

DR CONGO: Virunga National Park Sadly looses Six Rangers To Poachers Or Rebels

Six rangers were killed on Monday in an ambush in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Virunga National Park is a popular home for the rare mountain gorillas.

“We have sadly lost six rangers,” park spokesman Joel Malembe said, adding that the team was ambushed while driving between the sectors of Lulimba and Ishasha, near the border with Uganda.

A seventh ranger, the team’s leader, was wounded, he said.

The park, established in 1925, describes itself as Africa’s oldest national park.

One of the most important conservation sites in the world, it covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,011 miles), or three times the size of Luxembourg, along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

Virunga is home to about a quarter of the world’s population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, as well as to eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis, lions, elephants and hippos.

Virunga National Park is located in North Kivu province, where armed groups are fighting for control of territorial and natural resources, and poaching is a major threat.

The park’s director, Emmanuel de Merode, a Belgian national, was himself wounded in a road ambush between the park and Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in May 2014.


Tourism Observer

ZAMBIA: Barking Baboons At Luangwa River

Michael is currently hosting at Nkwali, and then will be scooting up to our Mobile Walking Safaris when we open that for the season in June.

During his first few days, we decided to send him off to Luangwa River Camp to see the camp, meet the team and learn the ropes. In the true, unpredictable style of South Luangwa, it was not long until he found himself in the middle of the action.

When you’re in the wild, barking baboons are often a good indicator signal before a leopard sighting. So, when Michael and few of the other guys suddenly heard the local troop of baboons going crazy, they poked their heads around the fence to see what was happening.

While there was no leopard in sight, the baboons were not letting up and something was clearly agitating them.

With their curiosity piqued, the team began investigating. The baboons appeared to be looking at something on the floor and were tentatively attacking it.

On closer inspection, it turned out to be a 3m long python, coiled tightly around a young baboon. The rest of the troop were attacking the snake in an attempt to free their comrade.

Michael and the rest of the team noticed that the python was a breeding female and made the decision to try and save her from the baboons, which were clearly not letting up.

All the options were evaluated and finally, the decision was made to physically remove the snake from the area.

She was pretty shaken up, bruised and had a few superficial wounds, and by this stage was starting to lose interest in the food. Michael carefully picked her up and moved her to a nice quiet bush behind camp and away from the baboons, where she could lick her wounds, recover and get ready for her next meal.

Every year, approximately 10 million fruit bats make their way from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Zambia’s Kasanka National Park, where they take up residence in a small forest.

This is the largest mammal migration on earth, and seeing the fruit bats cover the sky at sundown is a unique Zambian experience. But the bats are under threat, and that could have dire consequences on the overall ecosystem in Kasanka.

The fruit bats play an invaluable role in Kasanka National Park for instance, they scatter seeds and pollinate blossoms.

The fruit of the forest attracts animals, and if the forest were to disappear, it would be a deadly loss for them.”

The two biggest threats to the bats are poachers and habitat loss, which are often inherently linked: poachers often start fires in the forest to scare animals out into the open, and this destroys the forest.

Environmentalists are trying to protect the bats’ habitat. One of their main tools is education. In communities surrounding the national park, protected wildlife is often still seen as a source of food, while many inhabitants, particularly children, fear the bats, as they can be carriers of ebola.

Educational outreach programs are helping to increase awareness of the importance of preserving Kasanka’s incredible biodiversity for the benefit of locals and international visitors alike.

Below is an informative short video about the park and its quest to protect the bats’ habitat, courtesy of DW.

To be in the heart of the South Luangwa National Park at peak flood time, with the river as your only access to the first camp built in Zambia, is quite the safari experience.

During Robin Pope Safaris’ annual River Journeys, guests get to explore parts of the valley which are normally inaccessible to the traditional game vehicle while staying at three different camps – Luangwa River Camp, Nsefu, and Nkwali. For eight days, safari lovers have the opportunity to twist and turn down the many lagoons and channels spotting Africa’s biggest and smallest river dwellers.

The rains are almost at their expected seasonal level which means we’re ready for River Journeys down the Luangwa!

Here are a few quick reasons why you should be ready for one too:

1. It is a genuinely relaxing way to experience a safari as you tranquilly float through the many lagoons, especially during sunrise and sunset.

2. It is a unique vantage point to witness wildlife in the water as well as the animals that surround the channels. We’re even talking about the occasional lion and leopard sighting.

3. It is a quieter and smoother form of travel compared to a traditional game drive. This makes it less-invasive to the wildlife and allows for some special encounters with animals that you can’t normally get too close to.

4. It is a time of prosperity. Every animal is in great condition during the rainy season. The impala leap higher, the elephants swim joyfully, and birds are busy building nests and raising their young.

5. Speaking of birds, there are plenty for birdwatchers to spot on a boating safari. South Luangwa National Park boasts approximately 400 of Zambia’s 732 species, including 39 birds of prey and 47 migrant species.

6. You are almost guaranteed to witness a good old-fashioned summer thunderstorm. One that flashes with ferocity through the doom-laden skies and echoes throughout the valley.

7. The dramatic skies and lush, green vegetation make for brilliant landscape and wildlife photography.

8. The Luangwa River is one of the last remaining major rivers in Africa, and even in the world, that has not been dammed by hydropower.

RWANDA: New Visa Policy For Rwanda

The government of the Republic of Rwanda has renewed and updated its immigration and visa. As approved by the laws of Rwanda, the law takes effect on 1st November 2014.

The nationals of Germany, Australia, Israel, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States of America shall get entry visas and pay visas fees upon arrival at any entry point in Rwanda without prior application. The entry visa is USD30 valid for a period of 30 days. Nationals of these countries may also choose to get visas at Rwanda Diplomatic Missions (except the UN Mission in New York) or online.

East African Community (EAC) Partner states shall continue to be issued 6 months visitor pass (renewable) at entry points with no fee.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) citizens will continue getting visitor visas for a stay not exceeding 90 days with no fee as provided by the CEPGL agreement.

Nationals of Singapore, Hong Kong, Mauritius and Philippines are exempted from entry/tourism visas for a stay of up to 90 days

National of African countries not exempted from visa fees shall continue getting entry visa at Rwandan entry points (Kigali International Airport and all land borders)

The rest of the nationals not mentioned shall get visa upon application before travelling and pay prescribed fees.

For more information, please, contact the Rwandan embassy in your country before travel to Rwanda.

P. O. BOX 6229, KIGALI
Tel. +250 78 815 2222 / +250 78 889 9971 Fax +250 0252585292

Email: info@migration.gov.rw | visa@migration.gov.rw |passport@migration.gov.rw

https://www.migration.gov.rw/

CONGO DR: South Africa’s Vodacom Sued For $14B In DR Congo

South African-based telecoms operator Vodacom Group has been sued for $14 billion in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the controlling shareholder of the company’s minority partner.

Alieu Conteh is suing Vodacom for undermining his “position as a statutory director of Congolese Wireless Network (CWN), which owns a 49 percent stake in Vodacom Congo”.

“Conteh’s action in the Commercial Court of Kinshasa/Gombe also seeks to overturn a court decision stripping him of his directorship,” stated the report.

“Vodacom International Limited is opposing Mr Conteh’s claim, which we believe is unfounded and unsubstantiated,” Vodacom’s Tshepo Ramodibe said.

South African companies operating in other African countries have in recent months come under heavy penalties with the most prominent one being a $5.2 billion fine levied on another telecom operator, MTN Group in Nigeria for not switchi off 5.1 million unregistered SIM cards.

In its interim results, Vodacom also alluded to regulatory changes affecting some of its African operations. Vodacom says the implementation of customer registration requirements in the DRC, Tanzania and Mozambique is under way.

“In each country, the industry is engaging with authorities to improve the process to ensure customer registration,” Vodacom said in its results announcement.

The telecoms firm indicated in the result that t Conteh has launched a legal challenge against a previous court decision in that country to remove him as a “statutory manager of CWN”.

Vodacom has dismissed Conteh’s claim as being “without merit” and the company says it is opposing the court bid.

“There has been no change in regards to this matter since the interim results were published. We reiterate that Vodacom International Limited is opposing the action and view the claim as unfounded and without merit,” Vodacom executive head of corporate affairs Tshepo Ramodibe said.

DR CONGO: Poachers Kill Four rangers, Army Colnel In Congo Park

Poachers in Democratic Republic of Congo killed three park rangers and an army officer this week as authorities seek to re-exert control over a national park, a conservation group said on Friday.

The illegal hunters opened fire on a patrol including nine rangers and a military colonel that had tracked an elephant's transmitter collar to a poachers' camp in northern Congo's Garamba National Park on Monday.

A helicopter operated by African Parks, which manages Garamba, rescued six of the men but was unable to return for the remaining four, the group said. Their bodies were recovered later.

Garamba's park manager Erik Mararv said clashes with poachers were on the rise. Eight people have so far died this year in Garamba, which has long been home to poachers and armed groups, including members of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army.

"We have increasingly and more fiercely started to expand our protection zone to cover the whole park in the last six months and this has obviously brought us in to a number of confrontations with various armed groups," said Mararv.

Poaching has received renewed international attention in recent months, with the United Nations calling on member states to improve efforts against trafficking and poaching, arguing the profits fund insurgent and rebel groups operating in Africa.

Africa's elephant population is estimated to have dwindled by 60 percent over the past decade with around 30,000 elephants poached each year largely to supply ivory to Asian countries.

UGANDA: Pope Francis Visit To Attract Religious Tourism

The Uganda Tourism Board has launched a campaign to promote Uganda’s heritage across Africa anchoring it on Pope Francis’ visit to the country on November 27. “We are ready and have already designed posters to different African countries pending distribution at different churches. We hope to talk to the priests to publicise the Pope’s visit and also use social media,” said John Ssempebwa, the deputy UTB Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The visit is seen as an opportunity to boost faith-based tourism. Some of the countries being targeted are Nigeria, Rwanda, Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo which has the highest Catholic population in Africa.

“We are going to break the global world record of the number of people attending the Pope’s mass. The current record of six million people is held by Philippines, which invested about $40 million in publicity. We don’t need that. We are collaborating with the Catholic Church and we are going to break that record mark this year,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

Currently, Uganda receives more than 3,000 pilgrims on June 3 every year for the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations in Namugongo.

“We have never advertised Martyrs Day in any of those countries. This is a one-off and importantly we are treating this as faith-based tourism. For the first time we have the Protestants and Muslims on board,” he added.