INAUGURAL ADDRESS BY DR. JONES A. kILLIMBE DIRECTOR GENERAL/CEO
RASCOM THE 11TH MEETING OF THE RASCOM ASSEMBLY OF PARTIES
7-8, DECEMBER 2009 BANJUL, THE GAMBIA

Your Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia;

Honourable Minister of Posts, Information and Communications Technologies of Sudan and Chairman of the Assembly of Parties of RASCOM;

Honourable Ministers in charge of ICTs and Parties of RASCOM;

Honourable Ministers;

Honourable Representative (s) of the African Union;

Heads of Delegations Parties of RASCOM;

Members of the Diplomatic Corps and International Organizations;

Chairman of the RASCOM Board of Directors;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen;

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

This meeting is taking place at one of the most exiting and crucial moments in the history of RASCOM because after the launch of our first Pan African satellite on 21st December 2007, RASCOM transformed itself from a concept into a reality.
This major achievement is a result of a lot of factors for which we are very thankful.
On this note, I want to thank our leaders for believing in this project since its inception. We would like to express our deep appreciation to the African Union for its role in providing a platform from which our leaders renew their political will in support of this Project.
RASCOM has benefited from the personal support of a number of leaders in Africa. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of them.
Let me on a very special note thank the outing Chairman of the Assembly of Parties under the leadership of His Excellency President Omar Hassan El BASHIR, of the Republic of Sudan and my brother Hon. Al Zhawi Ibrahim MALIK, minister of Information and Communication of the Republic of Sudan for all what Sudan has done for RASCOM. Hon Minister MALIK we thank you for allocating a lot of time for RASCOM, despite of your heavy schedule as Minister of Information and Communicatios. It was also during your Chairmanship that a key milestone of launching the satelite was achieved.
During this meeting the Chairmanship of Assembly of Paries will be handed over to The Gambia. RASCOM is already a beneficiary of the personal support from His Excellency, President Jammeh of the Gambia. RASCOM feels very priviledged as we reasure ourselves of the continued support from, The Gambia as the Chairman of the RASCOM Assembly of Parties under the leadership of His Excellency jammeh.

Your Excellency,
Distiguished Guests,

Another key factor for the success of this project was to a large extent dependent upon availabilty of funds.
Allow me at this moment to recognized the following financial institutions which participated in RASCOM and contributed to the current success:
Libyan Foreign Bank(LFB)
Libyan African Investment Porfolio (LAP)
West African Development Bank (BOAD)
African Development Bank (AFDB)
Central African Devlopment Bank (BDEAC)
Allow me also to thank all the RASCOM Signatories who responded positively and paid their contributions while at the same time through this Assembly, request for the continued active participation of all the members in fulfilling their financial obligation in RASCOM.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

We are living in a global information society where communication and knowledge are vital tools for the creation of wealth and prosperity for our continent. in recongnition of the role of ICT in the socio-economic, political and cultural development and the challenges Africa is facing in ICT, the theme for the 14th African Union Assembly of Heads of States and Governments which wil be held in January 2010 will be "Information and Communication in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development". As far as ICT development in Africa is concerned, the facts and figures are speaking for themselfs. Itis evident that Africa is not only the least served, but also the most unconnected continent. Just imagine, Africa the region with the lowest income levels is where the relatives prices for ICT services are the highest in the world.

In Africa, there is only one fixed broadband subscriber for every 1,000 people compared to Europe where there are 200 subscribers for every 1,000 people. Africa has the lowest internet penetration rate in the world and it spends over USD500million a year on internet local traffic transit.
RASCOM is the only continental ICT project which cuts across the whole continent. It is for this reason that we appeal for more political will from our leaders in support for granted of this project.
RASCOM does not take this sustained political support for granted because it gives us more strength, keeps us focused on the objectives for which RASCOM was created and is a source of inspiration for us to continue with the implementation of the mission of RASCOM.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

As we are aware of, after the successful launch of our satellite, it experienced some technical problems associated with the leakage of the helium gas whose role is to manoeuvre the satellite in the geostationary orbit. In line with the risk management scheme which was put in place, this incidence of replacement satellite. I am delighted to inform you that the replacement satellite will be launched between July and September 2010 and there are indications that the launch could happen before June 2010.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

Despite what I have just mentioned, RASCOM satellite is commercially operational and we are very proud that this satellite is providing connectivity several countries in Africa to support the Pan African e-Network which is another continental initiative bringing together the Indian Government and Africs throungh the AU.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

As RASCOM through our Company-RascomStar-QAF, we have fulfilled our part, to launch the satellite for the objectives which were defined by our leaders and which form our mission and vission. We are handing the satellite capacities to Africa for use. One key objection is to create a Pan-African Connectivity Network which will achieve the africanization of the intra African traffic among countries and hence reducing the huge transit costs. This is the right time to urge all member countries to interconnect and create the much awaited Pan African Connectivity Network . by so doing we will all be implementing Africa's aspiration of intergrating our people into the information society.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

At this junction allow me to pay tribute and recognized the Management and board of our commercial company, RascomStar-QAF, for doing a very good job.
I equally want to thank the staff of RASCOM for their dedication and very hard work.
I would also want to express my sincere thanks to all Board members for their support.
May I again thank the outgoing Chairman of the Assembly of Parties, Honorable Minister Al Zhawi Ibrahim MALIK, for his support to the management of RASCOM and commitment to the project.

Your Excellency,
Distinguished Guests,

We consider the RASCOM mission as al ong term commitment and as such, the launching of the first satellite marks the beginning of the next one.
We are currently in the planning stage of the next satellite which will even support boardband connectivity with rates comparable to optical fibre within the Ka-bands.
We therefore appeal to all RASCOM member states, the African Union, Signatories and Policy and Regulatory Authourities in Africa to continue providing the necessary support to RASCOM as we continue to fulfill the mission.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.