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NEPAD

Two more countries sign ICT protocol

20 October 2006 - Zachary Ochieng
Source: Nepad e-Africa Commission Press release

Cape Town--Two more countries signed the Protocol to roll-out the NEPAD ICT Infrastructure Project. The ICT Ministers of Botswana and Zimbabwe signed the Policy and Regulatory Framework Protocol for the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network, bringing the number of countries committed to the protocol to nine. The occasion was also attended by ICT Ministers of South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia as well as the AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Dr Benard Zoba.

The signing of the protocol follows an earlier ceremony held in Kigali, Rwanda on 29 August 2006, during which, seven countries signed the protocol at a ceremony presided over by the Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The Ministers present at the Kigali meeting agreed to extend the Protocol signing period to 30 November 2006 to allow more countries to sign.

South African Minister of Communications, Dr Ivy Matsepe Casaburri, who chaired the meeting, said “this African-led, predominantly African owned and managed project based on values of equitability, open access and self determination, will be judged by history as the beginning of our long road to freedom. By cooperating and working together, I have no doubt that history will judge us kindly.

“This move is our collective step of self-reliance and self determination; it is a move toward getting solutions of our own problems through appropriation of our collective intellectual capacities and knowledge.” added Casaburri.

The NEPAD e-Africa Commission, under the auspices of the African Union (AU), hosted the signing ceremony of the protocol on the NEPAD Broadband ICT Infrastructure Network Programme, including the Eastern Africa Sub-marine System (EASSy) cable.

Dr Henry Chasia, of the NEPAD e-Africa Commission stated that “all stakeholders agree on the need for the network and the need for it to be constructed as soon as possible.” He added that there was a growing constituency in the eastern and southern Africa region in support of the development of the network.

The signing of the Protocol will allow for the setting up of a Project Steering Committee to kick-start the implementation of the NEPAD ICT Broadband Infrastructure Network that includes the EASSy cable.

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