Newsletter30

Bolivarian Government of Venezuela

Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs

Embassies of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the World

Vol. 3: Issue 30, 25th July, 2017

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Inside This Issue

Simón Bolivar Day

1. Simón Bolivar Day 2. United States threaten to Impose sanctions against Venezuela

Bolivar is the historical character with more statues in the world because his ideas represent freedom and struggle,the fight for ideals and liberty.

He was born in Caracas,Venezuela

3. How to resolve the diplomatic rift 5. Dialogue needed to solve Gulf crisis, Erdoğan says in Qatar 7. France facilitates talks on Gulf crisis

Bolivar in Washington DC

Bolivar in Paris

8. Gulf diplomatic crisis: China asks Qatar, Arab countries to resolve standoff within Gulf Cooperation Council 9. The Qatar crisis has global implications 11. Moscow ready to assist Qatar in crisis settlement 12. Africa: Understanding the ongoing Qatar Gulf crisis 14. Venezuela needs negotiation, not American intervention

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Bolivar in Ecuador

15. Rwanda's essential oil offer big profits from little land

UNITED STATES THREATEN TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AGAINST VENEZUELA In a statement released on, President Trump threatened to impose economic sanctions on Venezuela should the nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro, follow through on his pledge to create a “constituent assembly”.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects the unbelievable statement published today by the White House on 07/17/2017. It is a document of a sort that has never been seen before, which, due to its poor level and awful quality, makes it difficult to intellectually understand the intentions of the assailant country. Without a doubt, the government of the United States is used to humiliating other nations in its international relations and believes that it will receive as a response the subordination to which they are accustomed. The trench that the government of the United States is digging in its relations with Venezuela makes it difficult to rationally predict its actions for the entire international community.

The government of the United States, unashamedly, shows its absolute bias towards the violent and extremist sectors of Venezuelan politics, which favor the use of terrorism to overthrow a popular and democratic government. The moral ruin of the Venezuelan opposition has dragged President Trump to commit an open aggression against a Latin American country. We know not who could have written, let alone authorized, a statement with such a conceptual and moral poverty.

The thin democratic veil of the Venezuelan opposition has fallen, and it reveals the brutal interventionist force of the U.S. government, which has been behind the violence suffered by the Venezuelan people in the last four months. It is not the first time that we denounce and confront threats as ludicrous as those contained in this unbelievable document.

We call on the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as on the free peoples of the world, to understand the magnitude of the brutal threat contained in this imperial statement and to defend the sovereignty, self-determination, and independence, fundamental principles of international law. The original constituent power is contemplated in our Constitution and it only concerns the Venezuelan people. The National Constituent Assembly will be elected by the direct, universal, and secret ballot of all Venezuelans, under the authority of the National Electoral Council, as contemplated in our legal framework. It is an act of political sovereignty of the Republic, nothing and no one can stop it. The Constituent Assembly will go on!

Today, Venezuelan people are free and will respond united against the insolent threat posed by a xenophobic and racist empire. The antiimperialist thought of the Liberator is more valid than ever.

“The United States seems destined by Providence to plague America with misery in the name of liberty” Simón Bolívar 2

www.mppre.gob.ve

How to resolve the diplomatic rift

On Monday 5 June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt cut ties with the Gulf state of Qatar, claiming Doha’s regional policies were fueling extremism and terrorism. Within days, other states severed or downgraded ties and the rift appeared to be widening.

A week earlier, Gulf media—including social media—had erupted amid reports that Qatari Emir, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, made critical remarks against America in a speech, as well as offered support for Iran and backing to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatari officials denied the reports and countered that state media had been hacked. As that crisis quickly turned into a rift with Qatar’s Gulf and Arab neighbors, the need for serious mediation to head off further trouble became obvious.

negotiation by local leaders whose authority does not threaten the key adversaries—could work in this particular context. Certainly U.S. Secretary of State has called for mediation as a way out of the present predicament.

Inter-generational fissures—among the ruling elite of the GCC as evident in the “Crown Prince” factor—are emerging. Hence, an approach recognizing that elders can still command deference and authority among the power bids of young crown princes and others is particularly effective. The diplomatic rift we see today involves power structures that rely on family and tribal fealties that have transcended modern borders.

Those power structures are also built on rigid cultural conceptions of power, bargaining, mediation, and pride.

In 2014, a diplomatic rift broke out between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain on one side, and Qatar on the other. Like the current dispute, that too centered on allegations about Qatari foreign policy, with a GCC statement charging that Qatar failed to “implement a November 2013 agreement not to back anyone threatening the security and stability of the GCC whether as groups or individuals—via direct security work or through political influence, and not to support hostile media.” In the spring of 2014, the three GCC states ordered their ambassadors out of Doha.

Religion and timing may also play a role: Forgiveness and reconciliation are seen as cornerstones of the holy month of Ramadan. Arab and Muslim leaders can invoke such appeals to seek a route out of the current dispute in ways no others can legitimately claim to.

The meaning of mediation

Mediating conflict is never easy. Nevertheless, traditional mediating approaches—including applying tested methods of bargaining and 3

Shuttle Sheikh

One individual who is clearly equipped to undertake this mediation role is the octogenarian Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait. This apparently indefatigable local leader played a vital role in the efforts to resolve the 2014 dispute. In the latest rift, he has again shuttled between Gulf capitals. He is more than a mere intermediary—rather, he can leverage Arab and Gulf-based cultural, religious, and identity norms of appeal that resonate with all sides.

Local Arab leaders—more so than parties from outside the region—can play a crucial mediating role in ending the downward spiral. Past disputes, including in 2014, have relied on active mediation and traditional bargaining approaches by Arab state actors such as Kuwait. This is more likely to be successful because Arab mediators possess an authority that resonates with local norms in dispute resolution. They understand the power of particular appeals to dimensions of local, Gulf-based identities, including patrilineal networks and the role of Islam.

Kuwait does not threaten any of the principal protagonists in this current conflict. Kuwaiti mediation reflects an important culturally empathetic approach to the dispute that in these early stages can facilitate dialogue and conciliation.

Because of its role in solving past disputes Kuwait—as opposed to other state actors—is an embedded mediator. Its leadership understands the political, tribal, familial, religious and cultural nuances of power in the GCC region.

No matter how invested non-Arab, outside parties may become in resolving this conflict, they are not the best actors for a mediating role.

President Trump declared early in the conflict—via a series of tweets—that he sided with Qatar’s rivals.

President Trump then attempted to intervene through direct phone calls to them, including to offer to host resolution efforts at the White House. U.S. positioning on the crisis has also been damaged by apparent incoherence in contradictions between statesments from Secretary of State Tillerson and President Trump’s statements and tweets. This incoherence distracts from the efficacy of any prospective mediating role that the U.S. could play.

Furthermore, this undermines the principle of neutral arbitration, which is central to effective conflict management.

In 2014, the Emir actively pursued and led rounds of negotiations that culminated in the return of Arab ambassadors to Qatar’s capital and to a more public signal at the GCC Summit that differences had been overcome. Today, al-Sabah faces many of the same themes and issues of contention. However, this time around it is unclear whether international actors such as the United States or European Union will help or hinder conflict management.

Routes out of conflict There is an important consensus that the current GCC crisis is damaging for all the parties involved and, therefore, that there is an imperative to resolve it sooner rather than later. The economic cost of the dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors and others may well spiral into billions of dollars as trade and investment revenues are affected. Qatar is the richest country in the world per capita, but neither it nor its Gulf neighbors should underestimate the impact of the rift on their domestic economies at a time when energy prices are low and economic right-sizing projects have been necessary.

Even if the Trump administration does decide to play a role in resolving the worst crisis to affect the GCC, then involvement by Kuwait or another appropriate local actor would still prove helpful. But overall, the best approach would be for Washington to stand back and adopt a more impartial stance, in order to give regional dispute resolution efforts a real chance to work.

By: Beverley Milton-Edwards www.brookings.edu The views expressed here are the author’s own 4

Dialogue needed to solve Gulf crisis, Erdoğan says in Qatar

Monday the 24th July, Erdoğan held talks with Qatar's Thani on the Gulf crisis and bilateral relations. The Turkish president was accompanied by a high-profile delegation that includes Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) head Hakan Fidan.

As part of Ankara's efforts to help ease the recent crisis between several Gulf and other Arab states and Qatar, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Sunday 23rd July, and later visited Qatar on the 24th where he was received by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

During his visit, it was highlighted that Turkey supports continuing dialogue and diplomatic efforts to overcome the crisis, according to a statement released by the presidential spokesman.

Prior to arriving in Qatar, Erdoğan met with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman al-Saud in Jeddah.

On several occasions, Erdoğan urged the Saudi leadership to take a constructive role in the crisis and said they should act as the "older brother" in finding a solution.

Ankara has tried to not take any sides during the dispute, as it seeks to maintain strategic relations with both the Saudi administration and also the Qataris. Prior to his departure for the two-day visit, Erdoğan on Sunday also said that the crisis was a lose-lose game for the Gulf states.

In a statement released by presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın, Turkey supports continuing efforts to find a solution to the crisis through dialogue. Kalın's statement added that Turkey supports Kuwait's mediating efforts.

In addition to the Gulf crisis and bilateral relations, the parties also discussed recent developments in Syria and Iraq as well as counterterrorism issues, Kalın's statement said.

"Nobody has any interest in prolonging this [Qatar] crisis anymore," Erdoğan told reporters, adding that Turkey supports an immediate solution to the issue.

"Moreover, the importance of acting in unity for the Muslim countries and respecting each other's sovereignty was highlighted," the statement said.

"It is the enemy circles who benefit from the current crisis in Qatar. We have made the necessary suggestions to the parties, and continue to do so. The first stop of the visit is Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a large role in finding a solution to the Qatar crisis," the 5

president said and also added that Qatar has made significant diplomatic efforts during the process.

After his visit to Jeddah, ErdoÄ&#x;an also met with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah in Kuwait, the second leg of the official visit. Kuwait has also been acting as a mediator between the Saudi-led axis and the Qatari administration.

The Saudi-led anti-Qatar axis have imposed a land, sea and air blockade on Qatar and presented a list of demands to Doha to end the siege, including the closure of the Al Jazeera television network and Turkish base in Doha, or face further sanctions.

The Qatari leadership has said they are open to dialogue as long as their national sovereignty is respected and the demands are not imposed unilaterally.

In addition to diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis, Turkey has also been sending food, including fruits, dairy and poultry products by ship and air, to help Qatar beat an embargo.

The shipments of supplies were sent in nearly 200 cargo planes since the crisis began.

Meanwhile, EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini held talks with Kuwaiti officials Sunday. Earlier this month, Mogherini voiced the EU's support for Kuwaiti mediation to end the Gulf crisis. www.dailysabah.com The views expressed here are the author’s own

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France facilitates talks on Gulf crisis French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Doha on Saturday that Paris wants to assist Kuwait-led mediation on the crisis between Qatar and four other Arab states.

"France should be a facilitator in the mediation" led by Kuwait, Le Drian told reporters following talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Le Drian arrived in Qatar for a Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt. "France is very concerned by the sudden deterioration in relations between Qatar and many of its neighbours," he said.

"France is talking to all these countries to help in the search for a solution," he said, calling for "dialogue and calm" between the Arab states concerned.

Le Drian is to travel on to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE, following a four-day mediation mission by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that made little progress in defusing mounting tensions in the Gulf. www.afp.com The views expressed here are the author’s own

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Gulf diplomatic crisis: China asks

Qatar, Arab countries to resolve standoff within Gulf Cooperation Council

China's foreign minister has called on Qatar and four Arab nations to resolve their diplomatic crisis through talks within the Gulf Cooperation Council, state media reported on Friday the 21st July.

Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said his country is willing to launch constructive talks on the basis of respecting sovereignty, non-interference in domestic affairs and complying with international law, according to Xinhua.

Wang Yi made the remarks after meeting with his Qatari counterpart in Beijing on Thursday the 20th, a day after he held talks with a top official from the United Arab Emirates, one of the nations at odds with Doha.

Wang met with UAE minister of state Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber on Wednesday 19th July and called for the crisis to be resolved through diplomatic means, Xinhua had reported this week.

"All sides should continue restraint and conduct face-to-face talks as soon as possible, so as to avoid escalation of the situation, send out a positive signal in addressing the crisis through political and diplomatic means, and reassure the role of the GCC," Wang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The Gulf crisis is the worst to hit the region since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.

www.firstpost.com The views expressed here are the author’s own

Wang said China supports Kuwait's mediation in the dispute and stands ready to play a constructive role in promoting peace through talks if necessary.

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The Qatar crisis has global implications

For the past six years, there have been two Arab worlds. The world of violence and tragedy; and the world of glitz and globalisation. Syria, Iraq, Libya and, to a lesser extent, Egypt — have been engulfed by conflict. But Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have prospered as global hubs for travel, leisure, business and finance. The booming Gulf metropolises seemed untouched by the violence in the rest of the Middle East. They even profited indirectly, as safe havens in a region in turmoil.

But the wall between the two Arab worlds is breaking down. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai) have imposed a blockade on Qatar — claiming that the Qataris have been supporting jihadi movements across the region, and particularly in Syria and Libya. As a result, the illusion that the wealthy Gulf could remain uncontaminated by the wider conflicts in the Middle East has been shattered.

The obvious question is whether the dazzling rise of the Gulf states could be followed by an equally dazzling fall. If that were to happen, the implications would be global. Some analysts say, without taking into acount the key geopolitical implecations, that one of the reasons that the world has been able to look on with chilling indifference as Syria and Libya disintegrate is that neither country plays a major role in the world economy. But that is not true of the Gulf states. A security crisis there would be felt in boardrooms and finance ministries all over the world.

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Although they are tiny places — Qatar and the UAE have populations of 2.2m and 9.1m respectively — the Gulf states play an outsize role in the global economy. Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. The Qatar Investment Authority holds large stakes in important western companies such as Volkswagen and Barclays — and has also invested its petrobillions in trophy assets around the world, including the Shard, London’s tallest building, and Harrods department store. The Qataris are also due to host the football World Cup in 2022.

Dubai, meanwhile, has cleverly leveraged its proximity to Europe, South Asia, Africa and Russia to turn itself into the playground of the Middle East. The world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, stands in downtown Dubai and Emirates airline is one of the largest in the world. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority controls assets of more than $800bn, which makes it the second-largest sovereign wealth fund in the world — and one of the world’s largest property owners.

And then there is Saudi Arabia — the biggest and most powerful country in the region — whose status as the world’s largest oil producer has long underlined its significance to the global economy.

It is hard to believe that the Gulf elites would risk their pleasantly privileged lives by plunging into conflict. But even before the Qatari crisis, tension has been rising in the region.

The Saudi and Emirati complaint that the Qataris have been funding jihadis across the region has been echoed by western officials. Qatar termed the accusation ‘baseless’.

For some analysts, the reality is that the Saudis have long resented Qatar’s successful efforts to strut the international stage as an independent actor — something symbolised by the country’s sponsorship of Al Jazeera, which has provided a platform for the Muslim Brotherhood, a group detested by the Saudis. Saudi Arabia also believes Qatar has got far too close to Iran.

Qatar has reason to be thankful for the large US military presence in the country. Were it not for that, the Qataris would be much more vulnerable to a Saudi-led military intervention.

Even so, it is unclear whether the Saudis and Emiratis have a plausible endgame in mind, short of total capitulation by Qatar. If that is not achieved in short order, the risks of a military conflict will remain and the economic damage from the blockade will grow and contaminate the region.

In the opinion of the international media,this fear of rising Iranian influence across the region has already led the Saudis and the Emiratis to go to war in neighbouring Yemen — with grim consequences for the civilian population. One ironic consequence of the blockade of Qatar is that it could force the country to get closer to Iran.

Under normal circumstances, the US would do its utmost to smooth over a dangerous dispute between its Gulf allies. But these are far from normal times in Washington. Donald Trump has taken the Saudi side in the dispute — indeed the US president may well have given the green light to the Saudi-led blockade, during his visit to the kingdom last month. By contrast, the State Department and the Pentagon are clearly trying to play a more neutral role, not least because Qatar is host to the largest American air base in the Middle East.

For residents and tourists in the Gulf, the wars in the Middle East have been taking place in flyover country — places that they can glance down at from thousands of feet, as they take their Emirates or Etihad flights to Europe or the US. But the Qatar crisis suggests that the days when the tragedies of the Middle East could be kept at a safe distance from the booming Gulf may be over.

“Gulf states have been untouched

by Middle Eastern turmoil but that is changing” By:Gideon Rachman www.ft.com

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The views expressed here are the author’s own

Moscow ready to assist Qatar in crisis settlement On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and said they were severing diplomatic relations with that country Russia is ready to assist in the settlement of a crisis around Qatar if the mediators deem it necessary, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Kurdish Rudaw television on Monday the 24th July. the UK would also be ready to assist. We will support everything that leads to averting the situation when this major region of the world will be turned into the zone of a never-ending crisis," he said.

"We are interested in having this crisis settled on the basis of taking into account mutual concerns, search for such solutions that will be acceptable for all participants in this process," the foreign minister said. "We support mediatory efforts taken by Kuwaiti Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah. If all parties decide that Russia can also do something useful within the framework of these efforts or in addition to them, we will be ready to respond to such appeals," Lavrov said.

On June 22, four Arab states advanced 13 demands to Qatar for restoring relations and gave it a 10-day deadline to comply with them.

Qatar’s government said that the demands were unacceptable as they had nothing to do with the fight against terrorism but aimed to limit the country’s sovereignty.

He said Russia "contacts with practically all participants in this conflict". The senior diplomat also noted that Russia is aware of "the efforts taken by other countries interested in normalization of the situation in the Persian Gulf area".

On July 5, the deadline expired, but Doha’s response handed via Kuwait was met with regret by the boycotting nations. They vowed to continue their political and economic pressure on Qatar until it changes its policy.

"US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been to the region with a rather active mission," he went on. "As far as I understand, France and

Russian Politics & Diplomacy www.tass.com The views expressed here are the author’s own 11

Africa: Understanding the ongoing Qatar Gulf crisis The ongoing Qatar-Gulf crisis has been described by many as a significant world event that could have a long-lasting impact on geopolitics in the Middle East and its surrounding areas.

The diplomatic row between Qatar and its Arab neighbors is gradually enveloping African Muslim-majority nations. Several countries have already taken sides but Somalia and Sudan have decided to stay neutral.

The diplomatic spat which has threatened the stability of the Gulf is one of the worst in decades, experts have warned.

"The Muslim majority nations in Africa feel that they need to make a decision for or against Qatar," according to Annette Weber, an expert on the Middle East and Africa at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

The choice whether to side with Qatar or the rest of the Arab nations could later deeply affect the African countries. "Sudan and Eritrea for example are members of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, however, they both have very close ties to Qatar", Weber said. Qatar is one of the main sponsors for Sudan's Darfur mediation.

Khartoum has mantained active contac with Qatar and the other countries involved since the outbreak of the crisis and offered support for a kuwaiti initiative to defuse tensions. Sudan´s Foreing Ministry called the crisis “an unfortunate development between brotherly Arab States” The Turkish news agency, Anadolu, reported that Somalia had chosen to stay neutral in the Gulf crisis. Abdi Halane Hirsi, a senior Somali 12

diplomat said his country had issued a statement calling on all parties to resolve the impasse through dialogue.

"We shall not end ties with either Saudi Arabia or Qatar", Hirsi who is based in Pretoria said. Somalia has also offered to help resolve the crisis.

Besides, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation released statement about the crisis, expressing concern. They called on all parties to engage in dialogue and find a peaceful solution to the problem, saying they would support any efforts for mediation.

This scenario, however, is unlikely to happen as Qatar believes that its Qatar Charities do not promote terrorism but its national interests. Some countries within the region and outside may boycott this air, sea and land blockade and continue trading, thereby making the sanctions ineffective and reinforcing Qatar's position.

In the framework of the gulf crisis, if diplomacy is not allowed to work, this would trigger a major regional conflict which will most likely attract non-regional allies of Qatar to join the conflict. The result will be too ghastly to contemplate.

The world must therefore set in motion a series of diplomatic initiatives to calm nerves of the disputants with a view to negotiate a comprehensive settlement for the benefit of Qatar, the Gulf region and the international community.

World supply of oil will definitely be reduced significantly and this will impact negatively on the world economy. A change in policy by Qatar might propel a turnaround with regard to the tension that has arisen in the Gulf region.

By Cathrine Mudyanadzo www.allafrica.com The views expressed here are the author’s own

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Venezuela needs negotiation, not American intervention What kind of role should Washington play in Venezuela's crisis? Well, what kind of role should Russia play in U.S. politics and elections?

The answer to both questions is the same: None at all.

Unfortunately, recent U.S. involvement in Venezuela's domestic affairs has dwarfed anything anyone has even accused Vladimir Putin of doing here.

According to the U.S. State Department, Washington "provided training, institution building, and other support to individuals and organizations understood to be actively involved" in the 2002 military coup against former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that ultimately failed. And since the coup, Washington has provided tens of millions of dollars to the Venezuelan opposition.

In 2013, when the opposition initiated violent protests to overturn the results of a democratic election, Washington supported the protesters. The same was again true in 2014.

Today, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., openly threatens governments in the region, including those of the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Haiti, with punishment if they do not cooperate with Washington's abuse of the Organization of American States to delegitimize the government of Venezuela.

And the administration of President Donald Trump is threatening more economic sanctions against Venezuela, which will only

worsen shortages of food and medicine there.

Deeper involvement is dangerous. Venezuela, after all, remains a divided country.

After the 2002 coup, with the short-lived opposition government in power, government officials were detained and dozens of people were killed. And today's opposition leaders have rarely denounced the sometimes-fatal violence their supporters have carried out in the current wave of protests.

Because of this political polarization, Venezuela needs a negotiated solution that provides credible, constitutional guarantees that whichever side loses the next election will not be politically persecuted.

There is a real risk Venezuela's current strife could escalate into civil war.

Those who are familiar with the tragedies of the Washington-fueled civil wars of the 1980s in Central America, which took hundreds of thousands of mostly innocent lives, must take this threat seriously, particularly because the Trump administration could block or sabotage a negotiated solution if it appears within reach.

By Mark Weisbrot www.venezuelanalysis.com The views expressed here are the author’s own

KENYA:

RWANDA:

UGANDA:

TANZANIA: SOMALIA:

Rwanda's essential oil offer big profits from little land Inside a metal shed in southeastern Rwanda, Nicholas Hitimana brandished a plastic container holding a green liquid: geranium essential oil, freshly distilled and ready for export at more than $200 (175 euros) a kilo.

With 25 hectares of plantations, it produces 1,000 kilogrammes of essential oils derived from patchouli, lemon grass and eucalyptus as well as geraniums. The oils are exported to Canada, South Africa, the US and elsewhere for use in the perfume industry.

The pioneer of essential oils in Rwanda, Hitimana said he understood over a decade ago "the need to develop high-value crops" in his hilly nation of just 2.6 million hectares (6.4 million acres).

The company employs 70 farmers. "At first, it was not easy to convince them to abandon subsistence for commercial agriculture," he says, adding the work is more precise than growing beans.

Agriculture accounts for nearly a third of GDP and employs four-fifths of the population and, as a result, there is "little arable land" remaining. "On a hectare, if we grow beans, we earn about $2,000 a year, whereas on the same land, if we grow geranium, the income can reach $6,000 or even $8,000," Hitimana says.

"We need to plant on time, manure on time, hoe, turn the soil, irrigate and harvest on time", or risk a "drastically" reduced yield, Hitimana says, noting that it takes between 600-1,000 kilos of geraniums to produce a single kilo of oil.

A few years on, and the employees seem convinced. "Since I've been working here, I've been able to build a house with a tin roof, I can pay for my son's schooling and buy everything I need," says 55-year-old Stephanie Mukamana, busily weeding around a geranium plant. Last year, Rwanda exported around 14 tonnes of essential oils -- geranium, moringa, patchouli and tagetes -- bringing in $473,000, according to the National Agricultural Export Development Board.

The trained agronomist embodies Rwanda's ambition of diversifying its agriculture and increasing the value of exports by getting into the lucrative global market for essential oils. To this end, Hitimana has been importing geraniums from South Africa since 2004.

At the time the flower was virtually unknown in Rwanda, but Hitimana was convinced of the "great potential" of the essential oil sector.

Rwanda is also cultivating pyrethrum, used in natural insecticides.

- Four crops a year –

"In South Africa there can only be two harvests a year, but here, as there is no winter, it is possible to get up to four crops a year," says Hitimana, whose company Ikirezi Natural Products has since grown and diversified.

By AFP www.dailymail.co.uk The views expressed here are the author’s own

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