President Yoweri Museveni, who is in the US for the 70^th United Nations General Assembly, has said that the world will be more prosperous through the production and consumption of goods and services and an improved infrastructure base to link them up.

Speaking today at the 2015 African Heads of State Investment and Working Lunch on the theme, ‘Intra-African Investment: Programme for infrastructure development in Africa and Regional Economic Integration’, held at Thomson Reuters, Broadway, New York, Mr Museveni said the world’s common interest is prosperity through trade saying the production of goods and services creates jobs and enhances the purchasing power of Africans to be able to buy more goods.

“These three yardsticks when applied to Africa will see Africa as a continent of the present and future for the prosperity of the whole world. It is time for Africa to help ourselves and the world economy,” he said, adding that what Africa needs is entrepreneurs with spectacles to see opportunities and the money to take advantage of those opportunities.

The President was speaking along side other African leaders including Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Malawi’s Peter Mutharika, Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Desalegn and the South Sudan Vice President James Wani Igga. The leaders called for foreign investments on the continent describing it as the fastest growing region in the world despite various challenges including lack of infrastructure such as roads and electricity.

The leaders emphasized economic integration of Africa through regional blocs such as ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC and EAC. They said the USA administration opened access to their markets tax and quota free through Agoa and that other countries such as China, India and Japan have also opened up their markets to Africa.

“The point is when you invest in Africa, you not only access market of a country but also the region, the continent and the world,” President Museveni said.

The luncheon was organized by Africa Investor, the premier African investment and private sector development platform for domestic and global institutional investment decision makers, African governments, development Finance Institutions and business leaders working in Africa and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Mr Museveni has explained why he uses his left hand to greet following concerns from the public over his bandaged right hand.

“When I was going to Japan, while in a hurry, I strongly hit my right hand against the door of the car. The doctor applied some anti-inflammation gel when there was some swelling. We did not concentrate on it because it did not hurt but remained slightly discomforting. When later an x-ray was done, it was discovered that there was a small spiral fracture on the metacarpal bone of the right last finger (akahara) which is being managed conservatively. It is not painful except when direct pressure is applied on it.

That is why I use the left hand to greet. Managing conservatively means using a bandage for two weeks,” Mr Museveni said.

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Burkina Faso’s interim President Michel Kafando has been formally reinstated a week after the military takeover.

The ceremony took place in the capital, Ouagadougou, in the presence of several West African leaders who helped mediate an end to the crisis.

It comes a day after the presidential guard, who were behind the coup, signed a deal with the regular army to avoid violence.

They pledged to return to barracks and the army to withdraw from the capital.

• Africa Live: Transfer of power updates

The presidential guard (RSP) is loyal to Blaise Compaore, the country’s long-time ruler who was ousted in a popular uprising last year.

The elite troops installed Gen Diendere as the leader last week – a month before elections had been due in the landlocked country.

The army on Monday ordered the coup leaders to step down or be ousted by force, raising the spectre of a civil war.

At least 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in clashes between the RSP and protesters.

The BBC’s Maud Jullien in Ouagadougou says President Kafando thanked the West African leaders, to cheers from the audience of politicians and civil society leaders.

They put together a plan to end the crisis at an emergency meeting of the regional bloc Ecowas on Tuesday.

Benin’s President Thomas Boni Yayi, at the ceremony, said efforts must now be focused on efforts to quickly bring free, fair and transparent elections.

It is not clear whether the mediators’ peace plan includes key RSP demands for an amnesty for the coup leaders and the lifting of an electoral ban on those connected to Mr Compaore.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Kafando said he was not fully committed to the plan, put together on Tuesday by West African presidents at an emergency meeting of the regional bloc Ecowas.

• Why presidential guards stage coups
• What is behind the coup?
• Burkina Faso’s coup: Who’s who?

“We are proud of the mobilisation and fearlessness of the people of Burkina Faso, in particular of its youth, whose determination has stopped” the coup succeeding, Mr Kafando said.

“I salute the international community for having rejected unequivocally this action…

“Regarding the Ecowas proposals for a solution to the crisis, it is obvious that we will only commit to them if they take into account the will of the Burkinabes.”

He had been detained during a cabinet meeting last Wednesday.

The agreement overnight between the RSP and army was signed in front of the country’s most influential leader, Mogho Naba.

Regular army troops had entered Ouagadougou on Monday vowing to retake it.

The deal ended the 24-hour stand-off and defused the tension ahead of the African leaders’ visit.

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Forum for Democratic Change flag bearer and top contender for TDA joint candidature has this afternoon left the alliance’s meeting taking place at its offices in Naguru.

Clad in a white shirt and black trousers, Besigye, stormed out of the meeting and briefly talked to reporters camped outside the alliance’s offices before being driven away in his white landcruizer.

TDA  is expected to communicate its long awaited pronouncement on who becomes the opposition joint candidate to face off with President Museveni this evening.

Hon. Wafula Oguttu the official Spokesperson for the TDA says Besigye moved of the meeting because he had finished making his contribution and therefore was free to leave. “He has just finished talking to us and he is heading for another meeting,” he said.

Besigye on his part while talking to reporters said he is anticipating that the summit will decide in favor of him since he has convinced them to the best of his ability that he has the best credentials to out Museveni.

“Every white smoke will be in my favour because we are looking for TDA candidate not my candidate,” said the visibly confident Besigye.

However his main contender, John Patrick AmamaMbabazi is still inside the meeting while Former Vice President BalibasekaBukenya is said to be absent without apology.

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The top contenders for The Democratic Alliance presidential elections flag bearer have disagreed, with each of them deciding to pursue an individual political journey in the quest to replace incumbent President YoweriMuseveni.

According to sources, former Prime Minister John Patrick AmamaMbabazi and Col (rtd) Dr Warren KizzaBesigye have failed to reach consensus on who should be fronted by the TDA as the presidential candidate for the 2016 elections.

The retreat sitting at Royal suites in Bugolobi started Wednesday last week with the aim of announcing a successful joint candidate on Friday.

However when they failed to come to come up with a common position, they postponed the consensuses meeting to this week with the  four aspiring candidates engaging themselves to come up with one candidate but in vain.

According to an inside source speaking on condition of anonymity, Former Vice President, Hon. Gilbert Bukenya and DP PresidentGenearl,Nobert Maoare willing but disagreements have ensued between FDC flag bearer, Dr. KiizaBesigye and NRM leaning independent candidate, Hon. AmamaMbabazi.

The alleged disagreement follows weeks of intense lobbying and bickering by supporters of both contestants, with each side claiming its candidate has better credentials to wrest power from MrMuseveni and the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, which has been in power for close to thirty years.

Besigye’s supporters are citing his experience in opposition politics and the role he has played in building and sustaining opposition in Uganda. However, on the other hand, those in favor of Amama argue that he brings in a new image and NRM support to the opposition.

TDA summit members had said they would announce the choice candidate today, but information from the headquarters in Naguru indicates otherwise; Mbabazi will now run as an Independent while Dr.Besigye will run on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) platform.

As to whether the TDA itself will remain having failed its first test, is something that the TDA leadership has refused to comment on.

This is a developing story. We shall keep you posted as events unfold.

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The constitution-making process for a political federation of the East African Community, the ultimate stage of the EAC integration, is set to begin this year.

The revelation was made by the EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sezibera, while he was meeting India’s High Commissioner to Tanzania and Representative to the EAC, Mr Sandeep Arya.

On his part, Mr Arya, who was presenting his credentials to the EAC said the relations between India and the East African Community are to be revitalized especially in the areas of trade, cultural exchange and development cooperation.

Mr Arya noted that India already had bilateral projects in most of the EAC Partner States particularly in health and agriculture, adding that his country wanted to partner with the EAC to boost trade volumes and promote industrial growth in East Africa.

The envoy said he would work closely with the Confederation of Indian Industries and the Indian Exim Bank in these initiatives, noting that these partnerships should for a start be between the two institutions and the East African Development Bank and the East African Business Council.

Dr. Sezibera thanked India for its support to the Partner States singling out the scholarships granted to students from the region to study in India.

He also cited the support granted to the Community by India in the preparation of the East African Railways Master Plan, the implementation of which he said would revolutionize the transport sector in the region.

The Secretary General said there would be common rules of origin for goods within the EAC-COMESA-SADC Free Trade Area which is expected to become operational soon. He added that the EAC was also cooperating with COMESA and SADC on infrastructure development.

Later in the day, the Danish Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania and Representative to the EAC Ambassador Einar Jensen also presented his letter of accreditation to the EAC Secretary General, designating him as his country’s representative to the EAC.

In his remarks, the Danish Ambassador hailed EAC for the remarkable achievements so far recorded in the establishment of the Customs Union Protocol, Common Market Protocol and Monetary Union Protocol.

“Denmark has chosen to formalise its relations with the East African Community in recognition of the aspirations and ambitions of the EAC,” Amb Jensen said.

On his part Amb Sezibera lauded the long-standing ties between the EAC Partner States and Denmark, and reaffirmed the EAC’s commitment to strengthen the relationship.

Present at the function was the Counsel to the Community, Dr. Albert Kafumbe.

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