Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

Saudi Arabia, Iran, others react to US strike in Syria

{Regional and world leaders are quick to react to the news after US fires missiles at Syria air base.}

The United States had fired nearly 60 Tomahawk missiles at a military airfield in Syria, the first direct military action Washington has taken against Syrian government forces in the six-year-old conflict.

The US said the missiles on Friday severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure and equipment at the airfield.

US President Donald Trump said he ordered the strikes against Shayrat air base in Homs province, saying it is believed that a suspected gas attack on a town in Idlib province had been launched from there. Trump said he acted in America’s “vital national security interest”.

World and regional leaders and countries were quick to react to the news.

Russia, which has been bombing rebel-held areas in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September 2015, condemned the strikes, saying Washington’s action would “inflict major damage on US-Russia ties”, according to Russian news agencies.

In its first public response to the attack, the Kremlin labelled the US move as “aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law”.

“Washington’s step will inflict major damage on US-Russia ties,” Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was quoted as saying.

In contrast, Saudi Arabia said it “fully supports” the strikes, adding that it was a “courageous decision” by President Donald Trump in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, in northwestern Syria

“A responsible source at the foreign ministry expressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s full support for the American military operations on military targets in Syria, which came as a response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians,” a statement carried by state news agency SPA said.

The statement said it holds the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad responsible for the deaths of dozens of civilians in in Khan Sheikhoun.

Iran, also an Assad ally, said it strongly condemned the missile strikes against the Syrian army’s Shayrat air base.

“Iran strongly condemns any such unilateral strikes … such measures will strengthen terrorists in Syria … and it will complicate the situation in Syria and the region,” ISNA news agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying.

Turkey, which hosts three million Syrian refugees, said it views the US missile strikes positively and called for the establishment of a no-fly zone, as well as safe zones, in Syria.

“What happened in Idlib on Tuesday proved again that the bloody Assad regime show complete disregard for the prospect of a political transition and efforts to enforce the ceasefire,” read a statement by presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.

“The destruction of Sharyat airbase marks an important step to ensure that chemical and conventional attacks against the civilian population do not go unpunished.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supports the “strong and clear message” sent by the US strikes.

The Israeli military said it had been informed in advance of the attack.

“In both word and action, President (Donald) Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said.

“Israel fully supports President Trump’s decision and hopes that this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime’s horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere.”

European Council President Donald Tusk also voiced support for the missile strikes.

“US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks. EU will work with the US. to end brutality in Syria,” Tusk wrote on his Twitter account.

Britain said the US action was an appropriate response to the “barbaric chemical weapons attack” launched by the Syrian government, according to a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May.

Italy also gave its support, saying it was a suitable response to Syrian aggression.

The strike was “a commensurate response … and a signal of deterrence against the risks of further use of chemical weapons by Assad”, Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said in a statement.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also weighed in, saying that he supported the strike, calling it a “proportionate and calibrated response”.

In a televised statement, he also called on Russia to play its part in bringing peace to Syria.

Meanwhile, Bolivia has requested the UN Security Council hold closed-door consultations on Friday about the missile strikes, a senior Security Council diplomat said.

Source:Al Jazeera

April 7, 2017
Homs governor: Strike clear sign US backs ‘terrorists’

{Homs Governor Talal Barazi says US attack would not impact the Syrian government or its ability to fight ‘terrorists’.}

A United States military attack on a Syrian airfield in Homs province is a clear message that Washington is supporting “terrorists” trying to take over the country, a top Syrian official has said.

The US strike on the Shayrat air base on Friday followed international condemnation over a suspected chemical weapons attack earlier this week that killed dozens of people, including many children, in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province.

Homs Governor Talal Barazi said the US army’s direct military involvement in the country’s long-running conflict would not impact the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or its ability to fight “terrorists”.

“We knew from the beginning that this conspiracy against Syria has means and that ISIL, al-Nusra and others are means of American, Israel and other Arab regimes,” Barazi told local media.

“We are not surprised today to see the supporting parties interfering directly after the failure of terrorists in targeting Syria,” he added.

“We will not be surprised to see the Americans playing direct role on the ground to support its means everywhere.”

Conversely, a Syrian opposition group welcomed the strike, saying Washington’s direct military involvement could be an “opportunity to end” the war, now in its seventh year.

“We welcome these strikes,” Najib Ghadbian, special representative of the Syrian National Coalition to the United States and the United Nations, told Al Jazeera.

“They are first good steps but we would like them to be part of a bigger strategy that would put an end to the mass killing, an end to impunity and eventually we hope that they will lead to a kind of a political transition [in Syria].”

Source:Al Jazeera

April 7, 2017
Donald Trump’s full statement on Syria missile strikes

{Trump said the strikes hit the airbase used by Syria to launch a deadly chemical weapons attack earlier this week.}

The US launched dozens of missiles against an airbase in Syria in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack earlier this week that the US blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he ordered the missile attack to hit the airbase that Syrian government forces used to launch the deadly chemical weapons attack.

{{Here is his full statement: }}

My fellow Americans: On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians.

Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many.

Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.

It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.

There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council.

Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behavior have all failed, and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilise, threatening the United States and its allies.

Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.

We ask for God’s wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed.

And we hope that as long as America stands for justice, then peace and harmony will, in the end, prevail.

Goodnight. And God bless America and the entire world. Thank you.

Source:Al Jazeera

April 7, 2017
Al-Shabab dismisses Somali president war declaration

{Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab has dismissed President Mohamed Abdullahi Faramajo’s declaration of war.}

The response was carried on the Somali Memo website which is affiliated to the al-Qaeda-linked group.

On Thursday, President Farmajo offered the militants an amnesty at the same time as declaring war on the group.

The UN-backed government in Mogadishu has been fighting the militants for control of Somalia for nearly a decade.

Mr Farmajo promised that fighters who gave themselves up within 60 days would get training, employment and education.

The president’s statement was made “just to please the West”, an al-Shabab official is quoted as saying.

Mr Farmajo announced the amnesty at a news conference in the capital, Mogadishu, dressed in full military fatigues.

“We want to pardon the Somali youth who were misled by al-Shabab,” he said.
He also announced a major shakeup in the drought-stricken country’s security services.

Senior officers in Somalia’s intelligence service and police force have been replaced to prepare for the escalating war against the militants.

Mr Farmajo named a new military commander, director of national security and intelligence, commander of police and a new head of prison forces.

The new president was elected in February promising a “new beginning” for the country.

Source:BBC

April 7, 2017
Anti-Zuma protests across South Africa

{Protesters are gathering in major South African cities calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down after the sacking of a respected finance minister.}

Crowds are building ahead of demonstrations in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and the capital, Pretoria.

Mr Zuma’s sacking of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan led to the country’s credit rating being cut to junk status.

The move has added pressure to South Africa’s already embattled economy.

Thousands are expected to march and pictures shared on social media on Friday show large crowds assembling in Church Square in Pretoria, despite confusion over whether demonstrations in the capital are permitted by law.

Police said on Thursday that marches in Pretoria were illegal because they had not been granted permission by city authorities. But this was later overturned by a magistrate.

Protesters in the capital are planning to march to the seat of government, the Union Buildings.

In Johannesburg, where people are due to converge a short distance from the ANC headquarters, motorists have been advised to avoid the city’s central business district.

Hundreds of veterans of the ANC’s armed anti-apartheid struggle and members of the ruling party’s youth wing have gathered outside its headquarters to protect the building.

The government, which has appealed for peace during the countrywide protests, tweeted that the laws in South Africa are also there to “protect the right of those who would not like to participate in protest action”.

Earlier this week, a major decision-making body within the ruling ANC party discarded a complaint against Mr Zuma that he had failed to consult executives before reshuffling his cabinet.

The move to drop Mr Gordhan from office angered both Mr Zuma’s opponents and allies, causing a rift in the ruling ANC party, which has governed South Africa since 1994.

It left some in the ANC leadership questioning whether Mr Zuma should remain as president.

Key ANC allies, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the main trades union federation Cosatu, joined in the calls for him to go.

But the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), discussing the cabinet reshuffle, later gave the president its backing.

Mr Zuma has been described in local media as the Teflon Don because of his survival skills following the acceptance of his explanation for his controversial sacking of the finance minister.

Opposition parties, together with some in his own governing alliance, planned Friday’s mass action through public protests to demand his resignation.

The Economic Freedom Fighters went to court asking permission for his impeachment.

Source:BBC

April 7, 2017
Some 100 children among 311 killed in Colombia mudslide

{Some 100 children were among the 311 people killed in the giant mudslide that slammed into the southern Colombian town of Mocoa last week, the government said Thursday.}

The mudslide hit late Friday after heavy rains caused three rivers to flood, sending a sea of mud, boulders and debris crashing into the town.

The latest death toll was given by the country’s Disasters Risk Management office.

More than 300 people remain missing, according to President Juan Manuel Santos.

Mocoa, the capital of the department of Putumayo, was home to 70,000 people, about 45,000 of whom were affected by the disaster, according to the Red Cross.

In an effort to speed up reconstruction, the government formally declared a 30-day state of economic, social and ecological emergency in Mocoa, which will allow direct contracting of services without the need for formal, more time-consuming procedures.

The hardest-hit areas were impoverished neighbourhoods populated with residents uprooted during Colombia’s five-decade civil war.

Authorities are investigating whether local and regional officials correctly enforced building codes and planned adequately for natural disasters.

The mayor, the governor and their predecessors are also being probed to see whether they bear any responsibility, according to Colombian media reports.

The mudslide turned Mocoa into a wasteland of earth, boulders and debris.

Many survivors have had to take the disaster response effort into their own hands, clawing through the mud for their loved ones, digging their graves themselves and defending what belongings they have left from looters.

Source:AFP

April 7, 2017
Detectives link Ugandan Ronnie Nsale to IEBC hacking

{Kenyan police are holding a Ugandan on suspicion of attempting to hack into the electoral agency’s systems and working with the Islamic State group.}

Mr Ronnie Nsale is also being investigated over hacking into databases of banks, mobile phone companies and money transfer service providers.

He was arrested on Friday and after spending the weekend in cells, police took him to court on Monday and asked for more time to complete investigations into claims that he stole money from Safaricom and several banks.

{{Theft }}

Police were allowed to detain him for three days. They said it was while in custody that the terrorism angle was discovered.

Mr Nsale was taken to court for the second time Thursday. The court allowed anti-terrorism detectives to hold him for 15 days.

He was in court with Mr Morgan Kamande, who is also being investigated for links to terrorist groups.

Safaricom issued a statement saying one of its customers lost Sh266,000 “through an unauthorised SIM Swap”.

“However, proactive action saw him refunded immediately,” the statement said.

{{High-tech }}

The company added that it foiled an elaborate cybercrime fraud attempt to hack into its systems.

According to the statement, Safaricom’s risk management unit detected the intrusion and immediately escalated it to security agencies.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said the company maintains a state-of-the-art information security system, which easily triggers an alarm if a breach is detected.

“This matter is being treated with the seriousness it deserves with the suspects due to be arraigned for hacking and fraud. I wish to assure our customers that their data is safe and we have no evidence of any money being removed from the system,” Mr Collymore said.

{{‘Terrorist’}}

He said the issue was sensitive and that details would be provided at a later date “to avoid jeopardising the ongoing investigations”.

But it is the issue of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the IS, the terrorist group that declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, that has escalated the importance of the investigation.

An officer close to the investigation told the Nation that the two men were found with Internet Protocols (IPs) of IEBC and Safaricom servers as well as those of several banks.

Investigators said Mr Nsale’s other associates were in contact with wanted IS agents in and outside Kenya.

The prosecution said the two were being investigated for hacking into computer systems of “vital and key installations, agencies and a telecommunication service provider”.

{{More time }}

The court was told that the hacking resulted to a loss of unspecified “huge amount of monies”.

The prosecution said more details would be disclosed in camera.

“Their actions can jeopardise the country’s security,” Mr Duncan Ondimu, the prosecutor, said.

“The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit has been investigating the presence of ISIS/ISIL cyber caliphate in the country and whether the hacking of computer systems was linked to the terror groups, but will require more time since the information to be examined is about one terabyte,” Mr Ondimu said.

The two were arrested on March 31 in connection with fraudulent activities at Safaricom.

{{Travel }}

They were initially released on bond but were rearrested immediately thereafter and locked up at Central Police Station, Nairobi.

Later, they were transferred to the ATPU headquarters.

According to an ATPU detective, they are being investigated for “providing property and services for the commission of terrorism, collection of information for the same and obstructing the course of justice”.

“Pursuant to intelligence information received and evidence gathered so far, there has been an increase in the use of the cyber space by ISIS/ISIL/DAESH propagating terrorism and related activities,” the court heard.

The prosecution said Mr Nsale refused to produce his passport and that his travel history was yet to be ascertained “as he frequently leaves and jets back into the country”.

{{Accomplices }}

The prosecution also told the court it intended to contact the Ugandan Immigration department on the matter.

The court was told that the pair had associates who were yet to be apprehended and that they had refused to reveal their identities.

A senior manager at Safaricom’s fraud investigation department reported on March 10 an unlawful access to the company’s protected systems and the two were held at Parliament Police Station and later released.

Investigations had initially targeted Safaricom staff on suspicion of targeting the system remotely.

Detectives also pointed to a number belonging to a Mr Edward Migwi Waweru, who is still at large.

Police are looking for a Safaricom agent who registered the line. The case will be mentioned on April 21.

{{Compliance }}

Safaricom moved to reassure its customers saying the company routinely and proactively implemented preventative and detective controls around its information security on its platforms.

“The firm holds the globally acclaimed ISO 27001 Information Security Management System certification that confirms adherence and implementation of appropriate processes and controls relating to mobile data, mobile money services, cloud services, billing and customer support,” the statement said.

“Safaricom complies with laws regarding protection of customers’ privacy and consumer data in line with Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya and the Kenya Information and Communications Act.”

In his LinkedIn account, Mr Nsale markets himself as senior information security consultant at Lockheed Martin.

He also says he is a “certified information systems security professional specialising in IT security solutions, with notable success directing a broad range of IT initiatives while participating in planning and implementation of information security solutions in direct support of business objectives”.

Source:Daily Nation

April 7, 2017
US warns its citizens of election violence in Kenya

{The US State Department issued a travel alert on Thursday warning Americans residing in or traveling to Kenya of possible violence in the run-up to the August elections.}

“Rallies, demonstrations and protests may occur with little notice and even those intended to be peaceful can escalate into violence,” the notice said.

“As with all large events, there is also the opportunity for criminal elements or terrorists to target participants and visitors,” the State Department added.

It urged US citizens to avoid areas where protests or demonstrations are occurring and to “exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of any such events.”

Candidate selections for national and county offices are taking place this month, the State Department noted.

A travel alert last June urged US citizens to avoid visiting Lamu, Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood and Kenya’s northeastern counties.

{{Safety concerns }}

That warning also cited a US embassy recommendation to avoid using the Likoni ferry “due to safety concerns” and to visit Mombasa’s Old Town only during daylight hours.

US Ambassador Robert Godec has made pleas for a peaceful election in 2017.

“Youth need to make a commitment to use their power peacefully — a commitment to reject violence, and those who would call for violence,” the US envoy declared in February.

“The future doesn’t just depend on who wins the election; it also depends on how the elections happen,” Ambassador Godec added in a speech in Kariobangi.

Source:Daily Nation

April 7, 2017
Tanzania:Ivory case suspect was not tortured, witness tells court

{Two witnesses have confirmed before a Dar es Salaam court that Manase Philemon (39), who is accused of leading organized crime and unlawful dealing in government trophies worth 5.4bn/-, was not tortured while making his statement.}

Philemon who is charged alongside the alleged Queen of Ivory, Chinese Yang Feng Clan (66) and Salivius Matembo (39) had claimed to have been tortured by the police to agree to the charges.

Before Kisutu Principal Resident Magistrate, Huruma Shaidi, the prosecutor, Mr Faraja Nchimbi, informed the court that the case had come for trial within a trial.

A police officer, Sergeant D 7847 Beatus (46), alleged that he had taken Philemon’s statement at Kijitonyama Police Station after his arrest at Njiapanda Segerea and held at Stakishari Station before being transferred. Sergeant Beatus told the court that before taking the statement, he notified his superiors and went through with the interrogation.

He further claimed that at that moment, the accused was in good shape and was accorded all rights before beginning the interrogation. “I informed him of his right to speak before a lawyer or a relative but he had agreed for us to proceed with neither the persons and upon finishing, he placed his signature and confirmation on the sheet,” alleged Sargent Beatus.

Sergeant Beatus also notified the court that he had received a call from the then Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Mngulu, ordering him to go to Stakishari Station to transfer a suspect who was involved in an illegal business of elephant tusks.

“The interrogation went on from around 4.05pm to 5.28pm in the evening before handing the accused to the head of the station to place him under custody,” alleged the witness.

He also denied to having guarded the accused in a Hospital at Sinza where Philemon claimed to have been admitted after being tortured. Responding to a question which was asked by Defence Attorney, Nehemiah Nkoko, Sergeant Beatus said there was no time he had heard that the accused was admitted to a hospital but rather heard of him being sick but he has never guarded him.

Another witness, Corporal F 29 Lugano (36), notified the court that he was the one who carried out Philemon’s arrest and handed him over to Sergeant Beatus and he had not complained of any illness or injuries.

“The arrest was carried out on April 18, 2014, when he was tipped off by an informer on the whereabouts of the accused,” he said. The prosecution alleges that between January 1, 2000 and May 22, 2014 in the city, all the three accused carried out business of the said government trophies.

It is alleged that the trio bought and sold 706 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 1,889 kilogrammes valued at 5,435,865,000/-, the property of United Republic of Tanzania, without a permit from the director of wildlife.

The prosecution alleged that within the same period and place, intentionally, Clan organized, managed and financed a criminal racket by collecting, transporting or exporting and selling elephant tusks without a permit from the director of wildlife or CITES permit.

Within the same period and place, Matembo and Philemon allegedly furnished assistance and directions in the conduct of business of collecting, transporting and selling the said government trophies with intent to reap benefits, promote and further the objective of criminal racket. Philemon is facing a separate count of escaping from lawful custody.

Source:Daily News

April 7, 2017
Lt. Gen. Frank Mushyo Kamanzi appointed UNMISS Force Commander

{United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced yesterday the appointment of Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of Rwanda as Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). }

Lieutenant General Kamanzi brings to the position more than 28 years of national and international military experience, as well as command and staff experience. Before his current appointment as the Force Commander of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) since 2016, he served as Army Chief of Staff in the Rwanda Defence Force (2012-2015). He served as Commander of the Rwanda Military Academy (2010-2012) and commanded an infantry brigade (2007-2010). He held the position of Deputy Force Commander in the African Union Mission in Sudan (2006-2007) and also served as a member of Joint Military Commission, Lusaka Peace Process for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1999-2000).

Lieutenant General Kamanzi has a Master’s degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Makerere University in Kampala. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College in Jaji, Nigeria, and the Army Command College in Nanjing, China.

Born in Uganda in 1964, Lieutenant General Kamanzi is married and has five children.

Source:UN

April 7, 2017