Karisimbi Project
Statement from the Governement of Rwanda : [FEBRUARY 2011]
Rwanda signed an agreement on Tuesday to host the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s (COMESA) ’Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Project’.
Speaking at the signing, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Louise Mushikiwabo said, "I must stress the multiple benefits this has for all of our nations and it sends a clear signal right across our region. This advances integration, information technology, and air travel safety, all of which our people will benefit from."
The CNS/ATM will centralise air traffic control for the entire COMESA region and allow for the seamless flow of traffic in the airspace. The project will focus on increasing communication, navigation, surveillance and air traffic organisation in order to maximise security. A grant worth $5.7 million from the African Development Bank will finance the project.
Rwanda was chosen to head this project during the 2006 Heads of State meeting in Djibouti. The project will eventually lead to Rwanda additionally hosting the ’COMESA Climate Change Observatory’ and the ’COMESA Broad Band Interactive System’.
12/09/2013 :
Rwanda Air Traffic Center will be ready by 2017 : HERE
About COMESA :
The history of COMESA began in December 1994 when it was formed to replace the former Preferential Trade Area (PTA) which had existed from the earlier days of 1981. Members states are Burundi, Comoros, Congo DR, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lybia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.