Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

Somalia drought fuelling piracy – US Africa command head

{The recent rise in piracy off the Somali coast has been partially fuelled by drought and famine, a top US army officer has said.}

General Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, said there had been half a dozen attacks in the last month.

About three million Somalis face food insecurity and a national disaster was declared last month.

Piracy was rampant off the Somali coast until increased patrols by European naval forces contained the problem.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis expressed concerns about the resurgence of Somali piracy during a visit to the American military base in Djibouti.

Mr Mattis suggested commercial vessels should consider stepping up onboard security to guard against attacks at sea, saying the situation is being monitored but there was no plan of an immediate response.

One reason for the increase in the attacks is famine and droughts in the region, as some of the vessels targeted were carrying food and oil, Gen Waldhauser told a press conference.

“The bottom line is there have been a half dozen or so [incidents],” he said.

“We’re not ready to say there is a trend there yet but we’ll continue to watch.”

The number of attacks peaked in 2011 before dropping to zero, mainly as a result of naval patrols and improved security measures by shipping companies.

Last month, an oil tanker was hijacked by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia, the first such hijacking in the region in five years.

The vessel was en route from Djibouti to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and was then diverted towards the port of Alula in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland.

Some of the men who are blamed for the attacks deny the allegations of piracy, saying they are fishermen who suffer from foreign trawlers fishing illegally in the area.

Somalia is one of four countries in Africa and the Middle East identified by the United Nations as currently at risk of extreme hunger and famine.

The humanitarian crisis is the result of drought that has been partly caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon which has affected east and southern Africa but all four countries are also suffering from conflict.

Source:BBC

April 24, 2017
Malaria: Kenya, Ghana and Malawi get first vaccine

{The world’s first vaccine against malaria will be introduced in three countries – Ghana, Kenya and Malawi – starting in 2018.}

The RTS,S vaccine trains the immune system to attack the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquito bites.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the jab had the potential to save tens of thousands of lives.

But it is not yet clear if it will be feasible to use in the poorest parts of the world.
The vaccine needs to be given four times – once a month for three months and then a fourth dose 18 months later.

This has been achieved in tightly controlled and well-funded clinical trials, but it is not yet clear if it can be done in the “real-world” where access to health care is limited.

It is why the WHO is running pilots in three countries to see if a full malaria vaccine programme could be started. It will also continue to assess the safety and effectiveness of the vaccination.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, said: “The prospect of a malaria vaccine is great news.

“Information gathered in the pilot programme will help us make decisions on the wider use of this vaccine.

“Combined with existing malaria interventions, such a vaccine would have the potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa.”

The pilot will involve more than 750,000 children aged between five and 17 months.

Around half will get the vaccine in order to compare the jab’s real-world effectiveness.
In this age group, the four doses have been shown to prevent nearly four in ten cases of malaria.

This is much lower than approved vaccines for other conditions.

It also cuts the most severe cases by a third and reduces the number of children needing hospital treatment or blood transfusions.

But the benefits fall off significantly without the crucial fourth dose.

Ghana, Kenya and Malawi were chosen because they already run large programmes to tackle malaria, including the use of bed nets, yet still have high numbers of cases.
Each country will decide how to run the vaccination pilots, but high-risk areas are likely to be prioritised.

Despite huge progress, there are still 212 million new cases of malaria each year and 429,000 deaths.

Africa is the hardest hit and most of the deaths are in children.

The pilots are being funded by: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Unitaid, the WHO and GSK.

Dr Seth Berkley, the chief executive of Gavi, said: “The world’s first malaria vaccine is a real achievement that has been 30 years in the making.

“Today’s announcement marks an important step towards potentially making it available on a global scale.

“Malaria places a terrible burden on many of the world’s poorest countries, claiming thousands of lives and holding back economies.

“These pilots are crucial to determining the impact this vaccine could have on reducing this toll.”

Source:BBC

April 24, 2017
Kuki Gallmann shot and wounded at Kenya conservation park

{Renowned Italian-born conservationist Kuki Gallmann has been shot and injured in an ambush at her conservation park in central Kenya.}

The author of the best-selling memoir I Dreamed of Africa was airlifted to hospital for treatment.

Ms Gallmann, 73, owns the Laikipia Nature Conservancy.

She also ran a luxury safari lodge that was burned down last month by suspected cattle herders, who have been in conflict with landowners.

Herders have been invading private property in search of fresh grazing in the drought-stricken Laikipia region.

British rancher Tristan Voorspuy, who also ran a safari company, was shot dead in early March while inspecting his lodges in Laikipia.

There is no confirmation of who carried out the attack on Ms Gallmann, who was reportedly shot in the stomach.

She was flown by helicopter to hospital in Nairobi to undergo treatment.

Ms Gallmann owns about 360 sq km in Laikipia, which is home to rare wildlife, birds and trees. Her organisation also runs community, education, arts and sports projects.

She moved to Kenya in 1972 with her husband and son who both later died in separate accidents. She later became a Kenyan citizen.

I Dreamed of Africa was turned into a film starring Kim Basinger.

The arson attack on Ms Gallmann’s Mukutan Retreat last month left it in ruins. There were no visitors staying at the time.

Police believed that attack may have been in retaliation for a police operation that killed 100 cattle in the conservancy.

The herders accused police of trying to force them off the land by shooting their livestock. Police say the livestock were killed in crossfire with the herders, who were using the animals as shields.

Laikipia, which covers about 10,000 sq km in Kenya’s central highlands, is where some of the country’s largest white landowners are based.

Insecurity has risen sharply in recent months as the drought has led armed herders to seek out new pasture, pitting them against big landowners and smallholders.

Tens of thousands of cattle are thought to have been driven on to private land and at least a dozen people have been killed.

The BBC’s Alastair Leithead tried to approach herders last month to ask about their grievances, but was forced to retreat when they shot at him.

Source:BBC

April 24, 2017
Congo-Kinshasa: Stability in the DRC – a look beyond political agreements

{Once again, the cycle of instability and political uncertainty has the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on high alert and agreements between prominent political actors have done little to stem the tide of violence.}

The situation has become so dire that Congolese nationals at home and abroad have raised concerns about the safety of civilians. These were echoed by the United Nations during a recent Security Council meeting.

Until the end of 2016, the insecurity was limited to the country’s eastern Ituri region but violence is now being reported in Kasai in the central region of the country.

Lives are lost daily and there have been reports of increasing human rights abuses. As a result, the International Criminal Court is following the situation closely.

The renewed instability is partially a consequence of the failure by the Congolese government to organise the general elections in 2016, as per the country’s constitution.

This is considered by some as a deliberate political move orchestrated by the “Majorite Presidentielle” ruling coalition. In response, frustrated local communities have used violent protests to send a strong, clear message of dissent to the government. Of course, these protests are also politically motivated and maintained.

In the face of this persistent insecurity, violence and political instability, scholars and policymakers have not been able to map out a viable peace plan. Peace talks alone are proving to be ineffective because the problems are structural. Institutional crisis, poverty, inequality, individualistic leadership – and lack of political will to resolve these – are all key factors in the ongoing conflict. These need to be addressed if the DRC is ever to break the cycle of insecurity it’s caught up in.

{{Struggle for legitimacy}}

Ever since the 2016 elections were postponed, parliament, the senate and other executive institutions have been operating “off mandate”. Officials within the executive and legislative branches of government will continue to perform their functions until fresh elections are held.

This is in line with the constitutional court’s interpretation of the constitution. But this doesn’t address the issue of legitimacy.

Legitimacy must be socially as well as legally recognised. Recent protests suggest that the current government isn’t perceived as legitimate by the people of the DRC. And they are likely to continue until a legitimate government is installed.

Institutional legitimacy is key to the stability and security of the DRC. This legitimacy can only be rebuilt through fair and inclusive elections. Failure to follow this route will result in a cycle of violence and instability.

{{Addressing social and economic inequality}}

While institutional illegitimacy is a major hurdle to peace and stability in the DRC, the violence is also anchored in poverty and economic inequality.

The UN’s latest Multidimensional Poverty Index reports that 77.1% of the Congolese population live below the poverty line. Therefore, any peace plan that doesn’t take a proper look at the social and economic factors that feed conflict will be meaningless.

The more people are deprived of basic human needs, the greater the chance of violent protest. Conversely, poverty alleviation and access to economic opportunities would reduce violence in the DRC.

To raise the majority of the country out of poverty the government must invest in initiatives that promote economic and financial inclusion from the ground up. Change in the DRC will only occur if it’s nurtured from the grassroots.

{{Good governance and leadership}}

The stability of any country also depends on its ability to transition peacefully from one leader to another. If the DRC had invested in a mechanism for the peaceful transition of power the country wouldn’t be in turmoil today.

Source:All Africa

April 24, 2017
Uganda:Our gang meetings are facilitated, guarded by police- suspect tells Kayihura

{One of the suspects arrested for masterminding the wave of insecurity in Masaka, Kampala and Wakiso districts has pinned police officers for knowingly providing protection to criminal gangs.}

Juma Muyirwa, a suspect who was paraded before the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kale Kayihura this morning, said their planning meetings, often held in Kampala, are guarded by policemen with patrol cars. He observes that one of the meetings police guarded was attended by more than 250 thugs at Mt Zion hotel in Makerere.

“The hotel where we went to meet our commanders; BK and Senga, was guarded by police. They were dressed in khaki,” Muyirwa said while pointing at one of the police officers at Katwe Police Station. Muyirwa said he commanded a group of 30 people in the criminal gang prior to his arrest.

Police has so far arrested more than 50 suspects in Kampala, 100 in greater Masaka region (comprising of the districts of Lwengo, Rakai, Kalungu, Bukomansimbi and Masaka) and 40 from Mbarara District.

The group is believed to be behind the rampant house break-ins and circulation of anonymous letters warning locals of impending attacks in villages. The letters, first seen in greater Masaka, were recently dropped in suburbs of Kampala and Wakiso districts.

In some of the anonymous letters, the thugs asked residents to prepare enough money and gadgets for them. They asked the underprivileged residents to leave at least Shs20,000 at their doorsteps while the wealthy residents have been asked to keep enough money to be offered to the attackers.

According to the confessions made by more than three suspects, the letters were a brainchild of a criminal gang headed by Charles Bukenya, also known as BK.

Siraj Ssekandi, one of the gang commanders says they have been working for BK. However, their mission was cancelled on March 21, after an initial group that had gone to Lwengo was captured.

“I was asked to bring my crew of 30 people to Zion by BK and Senga; we were there until 3am when the operation was cancelled. They even brought us weapons including Pangas, Machete and hammers,” Ssekandi says.

But Bukenya (BK), a stylish businessman who was arrested two days ago has denied knowledge of the accusations against him.

“He has been interrogated but he says he doesn’t know anything even though very many young men have pinned him as the gang commander,” a source at Katwe Police station told this reporter.

Gen Kayihura says if there is any police officer involved in this they will be brought to book adding that Police has information that there are also some politicians using the same criminal gangs to terrorize residents with an aim of discrediting government.

Source:Daily Monitor

April 24, 2017
Al-Qaeda or ISIS? Shabaab militants fight

{Security agencies have been placed on high alert after fighting broke out among Al-Shabaab factions in Somalia, with some militants fleeing to Kenya.}

Some Al-Shabaab commanders want to remain committed to Al-Qaeda while a new crop of leaders want to be allied to the Syrian-based Islamic State group.

The war broke on April 15 when Al-Shabaab executed Sheikh Said Bulbul and Abu Karim, who ranked high in the organisation’s hierarchy.

The two had sworn allegiance to IS.

{{Executions }}

Soon, Al-Shabaab, which years ago joined Al-Qaeda, started what security agencies described as cleansing of militants who could not be trusted, most of them foreign fighters.

Ahmed Yusuf Hassan, 26 and Ahmed Nur Abdi Osoble, 20 — both Kenyans — were executed by firing squad at Buq Aqable in Hiraan region on March 27.

Other Kenyans killed include a fugitive identified as Asum from Majengo, Nairobi, Omambia Jared, a former Moi University student, and Faraj Abdumajid from Mombasa.

{{Spies killed }}

Al-Shabaab squads also publicly beheaded four foreign fighters in Lower Juba, accusing them of spying for the Kenya Defence Forces and Somali National Army.

Civilians suspected of spying by the terrorists have not been spared either.

Security sources say at present, only one Kenyan is in the good books of the terrorist organisation.

Ahmed Iman, a former Kenyatta University student who grew up in Majengo, Nairobi, is in-charge of prosecutions and executions.

He was previously in charge of Al-Shabaab propaganda on the internet.

Iman is a common figure in internet videos, and if often seen wearing military fatigues and taunting the KDF and AU missions in Somalia.

Kenyan soldiers entered Somalia in October 2011 to neutralise the Al-Shabaab threat.

{{Police remain vigilant }}

A confidential dispatch seen by the Nation says security agencies have been placed on alert after an audio recording by Abu Musab, an Al-Shabaab militant, was intercepted.

In the clip, he is seen castigating the execution of the two and pledging loyalty to IS.

The audio urges recruits to join a new faction of Al-Shabaab called Dini ya Kiislamu Super Power or DKSP.

Security agencies say the faction is headed by a Sheikh Mumin.

According to estimates, he has 1,035 followers in Kenya.

Seven are known to security agencies and are on the police list of the country’s wanted terrorists.

Source:Daily Nation

April 24, 2017
Kenyans believe IEBC will deliver credible polls: survey

{Most Kenyans will readily accept the outcome of the August 8 General Election, new survey says.}

Results of an Infotrak survey commissioned by Integrated Development Network (IDN), a non-governmental organisation that deals with peace, cohesion and security, show 89 per cent of respondents agreed that, no matter the outcome, they will accept the election results.

The study was conducted in all the former provinces, out of a sample size of 1,500 and with a margin error of +/-2.53.

{{Election violence }}

It also revealed that 93 per cent of Kenyans believe that communities living around them exist harmoniously and cohesively.

Releasing the results, Infotrak CEO Angela Ambitho attributed this positive outlook to the fact that Kenyans have learnt from their past mistakes, are wiser and do not want a repeat of post-election violence.

However, should there be violence, Kenyans believe that national politics might be the highest cause, at 49 per cent.

Those who would blame county or constituency politics were 19.8 per cent and both levels of governance 16.6 per cent.

People from the former Nyanza and Eastern provinces highly believe national politics will be a trigger to violence, at 63.1 and 52.1 per cent, respectively, as do less than a half of those from North Eastern (35.2 per cent).

{{Credible polls }}

The study also showed that 72.8 per cent of Kenyans believe the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) is capable of handling the elections well, and that 73.2 per cent believe the polls will be free and fair.

IEBC leads in terms of confidence in institutions associated with elections, those that are trusted “a lot”, at 66.2 per cent. Religious organisations follow at 64.2 per cent and the media 59.6 per cent.

Political parties did badly here as they led in “not at all” at 29.4 per cent. Police suffered similar fate, at 27.1 per cent.

According to the study, more than half of Kenyans, or 58.9 per cent, are not happy with how politicians are conducting themselves.

A whopping 94.2 per cent of the respondents are in agreement that politicians who incite violence should be barred from running for elective positions while 95.6 per cent say political parties should take stern punitive action against culprits.

Source:Daily Nation

April 24, 2017
Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visits Saudi Arabia

{Egyptian president heads to Riyadh for meeting aimed at ‘bolstering strategic relations’ between the two powers.}

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received a royal welcome from King Salman as he landed on Sunday in Saudi Arabia for a visit to boost ties after months of tension.

Salman, surrounded by key Saudi officials, greeted Sisi as he stepped off the plane in the capital Riyadh and hosted him for lunch, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The Egyptian presidency announced the visit in a statement on Friday, saying Sisi’s trip was in response to an invitation by Salman and aimed at “bolstering strategic relations between the two countries”.

It said Salman and Sisi would discuss “regional and international issues of common interest”.

“The struggle against terrorism which threatens security and stability” in the region and beyond would top their agenda, it said.

Sisi met Salman on the sidelines of an Arab League summit in Jordan last month to break the ice after months of apparent tensions between the two Middle Eastern allies.

That encounter on March 29 came days after Egypt announced that Saudi energy giant Aramco had resumed delivering shipments of petroleum products after abruptly suspending them in October.

Aramco halted agreed monthly deliveries of 700,000 tonnes of petroleum products without explanation.

But the move came after Egypt voted in favour of a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution on Syria that Saudi Arabia strongly opposed.

“These are two former giants in the region who are trying to regain their roles, and they understand that by working together they can help each other,” Rami Khouri, a senior public policy fellow with the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera.

Moscow is a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Riyadh is a key backer of the rebels who are fighting his government.

Ties between Cairo and Riyadh also suffered after an agreement to hand over to Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands – signed during a visit by Salman to Cairo last year was blocked by a court ruling.

Earlier this month, an Egyptian court ruled the decision to block the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia was invalid.

Cairo has said the islands were Saudi territory that had been leased to Egypt in the 1950s.

Saudi Arabia supported Egypt with billions of dollars in aid after Sisi toppled President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 when he was head of the Egyptian army.

Saudi Arabia is opposed to the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, to which Morsi belongs.

Source:Al Jazeera

April 24, 2017
Kinyinya residents construct police station worth Rwf25 million

{The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda, yesterday inaugurated a police station in Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo District.}

The inauguration event was also attended by the Mayor of Gasabo, Stephen Rwamurangwa.

The fully-fledged police station is worth over Rwf25 million, which was fully contributed by the residents. It was constructed in a space of two months.

In expressing his appreciations, DIGP Marizamunda said: “This is a proof of people with a vision and a result of good partnership. It’s clear that you understand well the concept of finding our own solutions to our problems.”

He added that security is a major pillar to Rwanda’s development and the initiative of residents to construct their police stations indicate that they are determined to put security ahead of anything so as they can achieve their aspirations.

“On behalf of Rwanda National Police, we will ensure that this police station serves you with to the required standard to further ensure that Kinyinya and the country in General continues to safer for all,” he said.

Mayor Rwamurangwa said that after residents of Gisozi sector constructed their own police station, others picked the idea and integrated it in their performance contracts.

He, however, said that the district in partnership with RNP and the sectors and residents, will continue to work together to face-lift other police stations to the required standard.

Saddick Ntakirutimana, a resident of Kinyanya said that the idea to construct a police station was hatched by his fellow residents who value the work of the police.

“We decided to construct a police station because we believed RNP is doing a great job for us. Each resident contributed whatever they had… we managed to have enough funds to finish the construction,” he said.

Residents in many sectors across the country have for the last two years contributed financial and manpower towards the construction of police stations in their areas.

Source:Police

April 24, 2017
Effects of alcoholism on the brain’s reward system may be different in women than in men

{A collaborative study between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has found evidence implying that alcoholism may have different effects on the reward system in the brains of women than it does in men.}

In their paper published in Psychiatry Research Neuroimaging, the team reports that reward system structures are larger in alcoholic women than in nonalcoholic women, and their report confirmed earlier studies that found the same structures were smaller in alcoholic men than in nonalcoholic men. The study, which enrolled currently abstinent individuals with a history of long-term alcohol use disorder, also found a negative association between the length of sobriety and the size of the fluid-filled ventricles in the center of the brain, suggesting possible recovery of the overall brain from the effects of alcoholism

“Until now, little has been known about the volume of the reward regions in alcoholic women, since all previous studies have been done in men,” says co-author Gordon Harris, PhD, of the 3D Imaging Service and the Center for Morphometric Analysis in the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at MGH. “Our findings suggest that it might be helpful to consider gender-specific approaches to treatment for alcoholism.”

The brain’s reward system is a group of structures — including the amygdala and the hippocampus — that reinforce beneficial experiences, are involved in memory and complex decision-making and have been implicated in the development of substance use disorders. Since there are known difference between the psychological and behavioral profiles of women and men with alcoholism — women tend toward having higher levels of anxiety, while men are more likely to exhibit anti-social characteristics — the current study was designed to investigate whether the alcoholism-associated reward system differences previously observed in men would also be seen in women.

The study enrolled 60 participants with histories of long-term alcoholism — 30 women and 30 men — and an equivalent group of nonalcoholic volunteers. The alcoholic participants had been abstinent for time periods ranging from four weeks to 38 years. Participants completed detailed medical histories and neuropsychological assessments with the BUSM researchers before having MRI brain scans at the Martinos Center that were analyzed both in terms of the total brain and of the structures in the reward network.

Replicating the results of earlier studies, the average sizes of reward region structures of alcoholic men were 4.1 percent smaller than those of nonalcoholic men, but the average sizes of the same structures were 4.4 percent larger in alcoholic than in nonalcoholic women. While factors such as the duration and intensity of heavy drinking appeared to reinforce these gender-specific effects, the research team notes that the current study cannot determine whether these differences preceded or resulted from the development of alcoholism. Among participants with alcoholism — both women and men — each year of sobriety was associated with a 1.8 percent decrease in the size of the ventricles, suggesting recovery from the damaging effects of alcoholism on the brain.

“We’re planning to take a more detailed look at the impact of factors such as the severity of drinking and the length of sobriety on specific brain structure, and hope to investigate whether the imaging differences seen in this and previous studies are associated with gender-based differences in motivational and emotional functions,” says co-author Marlene Oscar-Berman, PhD, a professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Anatomy & Neurobiology at BUSM.

Source:Science Daily

April 24, 2017