Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

South Africa President Jacob Zuma gets backing from ANC

{South Africa’s embattled president has been backed by a major decision-making body within the ruling ANC.}

It was looking at a complaint by some of the ANC top executives that Jacob Zuma had failed to consult them over reshuffling his cabinet.

After considering the complaint, the ANC has decided not to press for Mr Zuma to resign, a party official said.

Mr Zuma has been under growing pressure since sacking respected Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

That led to South Africa’s credit rating being cut to junk status putting more pressure on a troubled economy.

Mr Gordhan was dropped as part of a major cabinet reshuffle which 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, has given the president its backing.

It accepted that the dismissal came because of the “irretrievable breakdown” of Mr Gordhan’s relationship with the president, the ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe told a news conference in Johannesburg.

Mr Mantashe praised new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, saying that he “is going to do a good job”.

Mr Zuma has been cleared by the NWC of the charge that he reshuffled the cabinet without consultation.

He is said to have briefed top ANC officials in December of his decision to dismiss Mr Gordhan, but the leaders persuaded him to delay the sacking.

The NWC is the ANC’s second most important decision-making body, the first being the party’s integrity committee.

It now remains to be seen how the integrity committee will proceed from this point, the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg says.

What is significant with this situation is that it is the first time key ANC’s allies publicly turned on Mr Zuma, our correspondent adds.

At his press conference on Wednesday, Mr Mantashe lashed out at the SACP and Cosatu for speaking to the media about ANC’s internal affairs.

He accused the two allies of betraying the ANC’s confidence when they went public with disagreements over the reshuffle list.

Source:BBC

April 5, 2017
Benin’s parliament rejects one-term limit on presidency

{Benin’s National Assembly has narrowly rejected a proposal by President Patrice Talon to amend the constitution.}

He was seeking to limit his successors to a single six-year term in office.

Mr Talon was elected last year, saying he wanted to shorten presidential terms to combat complacency.

He needed the approval of three-quarters of the National Assembly to go ahead with the change.

The one-term proposal appears to be in contrast to what is happening in some countries, such as Rwanda and the Republic of Congo and Burundi, where presidents have had their time in office extended.

The term-limit proposal was part of a raft of changes to the constitution including setting a cap on political party funding.

But some of Mr Talon’s critics say that singe term presidencies are open to abuse, as the president would not have to court the favour of voters at the end of his term.

It is not known if the president, who was elected last year, will seek a second term as provided by the constitution. Or whether he will organise a referendum to amend the constitution, as he had promised before he came to power.

Source:BBC

April 5, 2017
Somalia al-Shabab Islamist militants kidnap aid workers

{Four aid workers have been kidnapped by members of the Somali Islamist militant group, al-Shabab.}

The Somali nationals, doing work paid for by the World Health Organization (WHO), were abducted in the town of Luuq in the southwestern Gedo province.

Negotiations are said to be under way for their release.

Al-Shabab, which is behind many attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya, is also known for using kidnappings to raise money.

The four who were taken were carrying out a WHO-funded vaccination programme.

Gedo province, where the kidnappings occurred, is one of several areas where al-Shabab militants say they have been delivering aid to people facing starvation.

Source:BBC

April 5, 2017
Uganda:Opondo dismisses Besigye dialogue reports

{The government has denied reports that President Museveni is planning a dialogue with former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye and his Forum for Democratic Change party. }

This followed Dr Besigye’s confirmation in Soroti District on Tuesday that it is possible for him to have a dialogue with President Museveni.

Dr Besigye who was addressing a workshop for his party members in Soroti District said that an agreement had been reached to have an audit of the 2016 presidential election results.

However, the Director of the Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo dismissed the idea saying neither State House nor government ever mooted a dialogue or an audit of the 2016 polls.

Mr Opondo insists that there is no dialogue likely to take place between Dr Besigye and President Museveni adding that such talk is “drama and comedy” being preached to Ugandans.

He challenged Dr Besigye to come out and explain who approached him for a dialogue because Mr Museveni was declared as the winner which fact cannot be changed by anyone.

“No one from the government has approached the government of Sweden to be the mediator. There is no international country that can interfere in issues concerning the government of Uganda,” Mr Opondo said.

{{OFWONO OPONDO’S FULL STATEMENT}}

Response to Dr Warren Smith Kizza Besigye Kifefe’s false claim on dialogue

For some time now Dr Kizza Besigye, the four-time presidential candidate and loser, and some of his political allies have been going around the country making many false claims. In spite of the clear provocations, false insinuations and misrepresentations of material facts, government had deliberately ignored Mr. Besigye, and he has not on his own found the decency for self-restraint.

Among the many falsehoods Mr. Besigye has pandered are;

1.That he won the 2016 presidential elections with 52% votes cast, but that he was cheated

2.Consequent upon that false claim Besigye has been calling for an independent election audit by an international neutral body

3.That there should be dialogue between him and President Museveni over these election results and the possibility of varying those results and outcome

4.Yesterday, in a bizarre twist he added that they (Besigye & group) had been approached by President Museveni over the dialogue and that there was an agreement to audit election results.

5.That the dialogue should include president Museveni’s possible exit.

Government today wishes to categorically inform the country as follows; first, we believe that Mr. Besigye is doing all this for political grand-standing, continuous publicity and comedy because the title of presidential candidate ended with elections, and indeed no other former participants in that election goes by that title anymore except him

The 2016 presidential elections were over and results lawfully and appropriately declared and gazzetted by the Electoral Commission as mandated by the Constitution of Uganda. Those that were dissatisfied with the results went to the Supreme Court in accordance with the established procedures and the Court gave its public verdict, and therefore that matter is settled and won’t be revisited by anybody including the purported foreign countries. So, the claim by Mr. Besigye that there is an agreement presumably between him on one side, and government and President Museveni to audit the election results is not only false but grossly preposterous. No such an audit has been a subject of discussions anywhere within government. Never the less, we hereby challenge Mr. Besigye to publish the results he claims to have so that you the media and public scrutinize his absurd claims government would like to state categorically that neither government nor President Yoweri Museveni has approached Mr. Besigye or anyone else to solicit for dialogue over the election results as Mr. Besigye has falsely claimed.

There is no mediation efforts by anybody, country, power, local or international institution. We further challenge the Swedish government to come clean on who actually approached it on the said dialogue otherwise it is a hoax.

It is as laughable, as it as an absurdity for anyone to imagine government can at this point discuss President Museveni’s possible exist as if he was unlawfully in office. It demonstrates the utter bankruptcy and desperation on the part of Mr. Besigye and those he seeks to mislead.

While it is true that government has been approached by multiple groups mainly local (Inter-religious Council, elders, and women among others) to have dialogue with opposition groups in the country to handle and hopefully resolve some of the outstanding political, social and economic issues facing the country none of the efforts has taken off. As a principle, the NRM government is open to and welcomes all efforts at constructive engagement including talks with those we may have some disagreements, Therefore o, in principle, talking is not an issue.

The claim that Makindye military barracks is full of detained soldiers seeking to mutiny in support of the opposition [sic. Besigye] to bring about speedy and unconstitutional political regime change is false. Again we challenge Besigye to provide the full names of those soldiers, their ranks, and units they came from otherwise he shuts up. This type of false claim by Besigye isn’t entirely new or surprising because he first made it way back in 2001 when he claimed that he enjoyed then 90% political support within the army. Today, as everybody knows Mr. Besigye has been crying that the UPDF and Police is President Museveni’s loyalist outfit to keep him in power, and so it is really difficult to believe which Mr. Besigye is right. We see this as part of futile efforts to sow cracks within the security service.

On the economy, it is not the first time Mr. Besigye has claimed it is in total ruins. An economy that is in total ruins cannot support the multiple huge infrastructure projects currently underway, and as well at the same time simultaneously support our national recurrent expenditure including paying the public servants and fund our democracy one hundred percent. Obviously, the Uganda economy like that of much of Africa is under-going internal structural strain, and global pressures. The answer is not to run away from governance and leadership, but rather staying firm, and the NRM and its leadership has proven its capability over these past three decades. Just how many times in Mr. Besigye’s view will Uganda’s economy will collapse is hard to tell. To Mr. Besigye and other doomsayers, we can only advise them to organise better after-all the next circle of general elections at which Ugandans shall have an opportunity to renew the mandate of their leaders is only four years away from now.

Source:Daily Monitor

April 5, 2017
AfCHPR makes case for Egypt and Tunisia’s access to court

{The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (AfCHPR) is actively pushing for more countries to award their citizens the rights to access it in order to promote justice in the continent.}

The Arusha-based court is set to undertake sensitisation visits to Egypt between Sunday and Tuesday next week prior to undertaking the same exercise in Tunisia.

A statement from the court affirmed that the AfCHPR members will hold discussions with various players to promote this venture.

“During (these) Missions, the Court delegation will pay courtesy calls on the Presidents, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Ministers of Justice and the Speakers of Parliament, among others,” the statement read.

{{RAISE AWARENESS}}

AfCHPR President Sylvain Oré stressed the benefits of the sensitisation efforts both in raising awareness of the Court’s existence and also encouraging more AU member states to ratify the protocol and drafting the declaration to allow individuals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to access the court directly.

‘’For the Court to achieve its objectives and further strengthen African human rights systems, a greater number of countries must ratify the Protocol and make the declaration under Article 34(6),’’ he said.

Since December 2010, the Court has carried out region-wide promotion programmes which have seen it undertake 25 sensitisation visits so far and hold 12 regional seminars and conferences.

{{OBJECTIVES}}

Despite the main objective of the sensitisation visits being the enhancement and protection of human rights in Africa, more specific objectives include raising public awareness about the Court; encouraging the ratification of the Protocol and deposit of the Declaration that allows individuals and NGOs direct access to the Court; sensitizing would-be applicants on how to access the Court and the procedures before the Court; encouraging the public to utilize the Court in settling human rights disputes and encouraging the utilization of the Court for advisory opinions.

AfCHPR was established to complement the protective mandate of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights; which has a view to enhancing the protection of human rights on the continent.

{{AU MEMBERS}}

Since the Protocol’s adoption in June 1998, merely 30 of the 55 AU member states have ratified it and only seven State parties to the Protocol have made the Declaration under Article 34(6).

However, the success of the Court as a human rights protection mechanism requires much wider ratification of the Protocol by Member States, as well as their acceptance of the competence of the Court by making the Declaration under Article 34(6).

This “universal” ratification will give the Court the legitimacy it needs to effectively discharge its mandate.

Egypt signed the Protocol establishing the Court in February 1999 but is yet to ratify it and make a Declaration while Tunisia followed suit in August 2007 but is also yet to make a Declaration under Article 34(6).

Source:Daily News

April 5, 2017
EAC Heads of State summit shelved

{Presidents of the six countries making up the East African Community who were to gather here for the 18th EAC Ordinary Heads of State Summit Meeting, have postponed their schedule.}

The Head of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs at East African Community Secretariat, Mr Richard Owora Othieno, said the EAC Heads of State Summit which was to be held in Arusha on the 6th of April, 2017 under the Chairmanship of President John Magufuli, will now be convened at a later date.

“The 6th of April is a special day for Burundi and therefore the Chairman of the Heads of State Summit agreed to push forward the meeting to a later date,” said Mr Othieno.

Heads of State who were to meet in Arusha under the Summit Chair, John Magufuli, include President Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Pierre Nkurunziza (Burundi) and for the first time, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan which is the newest member State in the EAC fold.

Source:Daily News

April 5, 2017
Congo-Kinshasa: Brazilian Capoeira Heals Wounds in the DRC

{Rio De Janiero, Brazil — On the earthen floor, to the sound of a single-string percussion instrument called a Berimbau, Congolese children stand in a circle practicing rhythmic movements with their arms and feet and chanting.
}

They are doing Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that merges the practice of sports, acrobatics, music and popular culture.

This Afro-Brazilian cultural practice, simultaneously a fight and a dance, functions as an affirmation of mutual respect between communities.

It was started in Brazil by the descendants of African slaves, and in 2014 Capoeira was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This Afro-Brazilian cultural practice, simultaneously a fight and a dance, functions as an affirmation of mutual respect between communities and individuals promoting social integration and the memory of resistance.

Capoeira has been used as a powerful tool to help demobilized children and adolescents from armed groups and victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With the practice comes self-confidence, emotional strengthening, community-building, overcoming gender differences, and reducing inequalities.

Independent Brazilian journalist Fabíola Ortiz and photographer/videomaker Flavio Forner intend to visit in loco how Capoeira is being used with Congolese children in North Kivu.

Both media professionals recently launched an in-depth reporting project that aims to report on the benefits of this martial art to heal trauma. The duo plan to immerse themselves in the universe of Brazilian Capoeira in the DRC.

Forner and Ortiz are dedicated to the coverage of development and human rights. They believe in the role of independent in-depth journalism to promote public debate, encourage change and keep the UN Sustainable Development Goals on the global agenda.

“There is a need for groundbreaking and innovative storytelling approaches to report on conflict and trauma. Information has a powerful role in defusing tension, reducing conflicts, and contributing to the healing process of traumatic events,” said Ortiz.

Independent journalism may act as unifier in a polarized society and has a pivotal role in conflict prevention, management and resolution, they believe.

{{Capoeira in North Kivu}}

Twice a week, girls at the Heal Africa hospital in central Goma, North Kivu’s capital, are taught Capoeira. Boys at the Transit and Guidance Centre (CTO) run by the Concerted Action for Disadvantaged Young People and Children (CAJED) also learn this martial art. The CTO is a place for helping the reintegration into society of child victims of violence and who have been demobilized from armed gangs.

This centre for vulnerable children directs its efforts towards demobilizing, supporting and reintegrating children into their families. Partnering with UNICEF since 2003, CAJED has hosted more than 11,000 children removed from armed groups of the DRC.

Since August 2014, around 40 children join Capoeira classes on a weekly basis. With the support of UNICEF, the Brazilian Embassy in Kinshasa, AMADE-Mondiale and HSH Princess Caroline of Monaco, this initiative led by a Brazilian Master Flavio Saudade introduces children to the practice.

In a war-torn country with ethnic roots and embedded with commercial interests, it is crucial to rebuild community ties and restore a culture of peace.

“Capoeira is a social technology developed in Brazil from a cultural tradition of African origin. Its use in conflict zones to reduce violence is a recent phenomenon with encouraging results,” stressed the Brazilian Ambassador to the D.R.C Paulo Uchôa Ribeiro when the initiative started in 2014.

So far, the initiative has benefitted around 3,000 children, according to Flavio Saudade, a Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF and a Capoeira master.

“We are trying to address a serious problem: the forced child recruitment. Today I see that Capoeira has a great mission, the one of building a society free of so many violence. We hear testimonies from children who went through forced military trainings and were obliged to kill their parents and commit grave crimes,” said Saudade.

Instead of carrying an AK-47 rifle, Congolese children are now taught how to play a Berimbau. “How many lives we might save when we teach them how to play an instrument rather than shooting a weapon,” he said.

Source:All Africa

April 5, 2017
Burundi:Students stand firm despite punishment threat by University administration

{The Rector of the University of Burundi has announced on 3 April that the signatories of the strike notice will be punished exemplarily due to the swindle and use of false documents. Burundi University students say University officials only want to persecute them instead of finding solutions to their claims.}

“About 7800 students signed the strike notice scheduled on 6 April. Those who were not available gave us their permission to put their cell phone numbers in the place of their signatures”, says one of the Burundi University students’ representatives. This was said when the Rector of University of Burundi, Gaspard Banyankimbona, accused them of swindle and use of false documents while signing the strike notice sent to Burundi President on 24 March.

“The Rector wants to persecute us. He said he would punish us exemplarily though he couldn’t indicate which offence we have committed”, says a student at Burundi University. He also accuses Burundi University administration of being complicit in the arrest of students by agents of the intelligence service. “Twelve of our representatives are detained in unknown dungeons”, he says.

Those students say that the strike will start on 6 April as planned if nothing is done. “Given the absence of consultations and talks between the students and University of Burundi management, nothing will change the deadline set for the strike”, he says.

Gaspard Banyankimbona, Rector of the Burundi University said the signatories of the strike notice will be punished according to the academic regulations and law. “Some of the signatories do not know the content of the strike notice and start to withdraw their signatures. They were manipulated”, said Banyankimbona.

For this University official, it is not easy to identify students who are on strike and those who are not because the University of Burundi is composed of three groups of students. He says the first group is made of students who do not receive the scholarship for academic reasons. The second group is composed of students living outside the campus but who receive the scholarship.

“Both groups say they are ready to receive any kind of funds including the scholarship loan”, says Banyankimbona.

The Rector of the University of Burundi also says the third group is composed of recalcitrant students living on the campus and fed by the university. He says this group is composed of the signatories of the strike notice who are easy to manipulate because it is a small group including all students’ representatives. “They defend their own interests”, says Banyankimbona.

Source:Iwacu

April 5, 2017
Tigo awards best science students with smartphones, internships

{Tigo Rwanda has awarded ten science students from the 2016 National Examinations for achieving the best results in STEM subjects. Each of the students received a 4G-enabled smartphone and year-long 4G internet connectivity.}

This is part of Tigo’s goal to increase digital inclusion among the youth while encouraging academic excellence in the sciences under the ‘JAMA’ youth platform.

Furthermore, the two best-performing male and two best-performing female students, who excelled in combinations that included Computer Science have received a two-month mentorship programme within Tigo Rwanda.

JAMA is a Tigo platform that offers young Rwandans products and services that cater to their specific needs, lifestyle and aspirations as they graduate from school and join the workforce.

The ten students, who studied STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects and excelled in the 2016 Senior Six National Examination were Jean Stephane Ndayishimiye, Fabrice Ishimwe, Afsanat Ineza, Celestin Habimana, Kevin Ganza, Yves Iraguha, Jean Stephane Ndayishimiye, Gisele Uwamahoro, Fabrice Mugenzi and Fabrice Ishimwe.

The award ceremony, which was organized in partnership with Rwanda Education Board (REB), took place at the Kigali Marriot Hotel.

Speaking to the gathering that included parents and officials from the Ministry of Youth and ICT as well as the Ministry of Education, the Chief Executive Officer of Tigo Rwanda, Philip Amoateng, said;“Tigo wants to celebrate the academic excellence of the ten young Rwandans men and women who, through their hard work and perseverance, excelled in the 2016 national examinations as the best ICT and mathematics students in the country.

As has been highlighted by the Government, Tigo believes that science and technology is the foundation in which Rwanda’s development is based. We have shown our support for this in the past and today’s event is further proof of this support.

Last year Tigo supported different youth empowerment and entrepreneurship programmes based on ICT to the tune of over Frw 70 million. This was through our Tigo Digital Changemakers contest, ICT holiday boot camp for school teachers as well as through funding for Klab’s ICT programmes for students. Our support is aimed at increasing both digital literacy and digital inclusion”

Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Josephine Nyiranzeyimana, acting Director General ICT, urged students to embrace STEM.

“In the 4th Industrial Revolution that is upon us technology is continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives. The ability that one gets from STEM training will allow you to embrace this new technology. We should not only celebrate the young people here who have excelled in STEM but also Tigo for encouraging young people in STEM”.

The Guest of Honor, the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Isaac Munyakazi, thanked Tigo for setting the pace.

“I thank Tigo for its close cooperation with the Ministry of Education, and most especially the Rwanda Education Board. In order to be competitive in the global marketplace, Rwandans need to be competitive in STEM. This can only be possible through partnerships between the academia, government and the private sector. I laud Tigo for working to encourage STEM and I challenge other organisations to follow Tigo’s lead”.

April 5, 2017
RNP deploys second FPU contingent to South Sudan

{At approximately 8:40am on Tuesday, a plane carrying 144 Rwanda National Police (RNP) officers left Kigali International Airport bound for Juba where they are to serve under the auspice of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).}

The officers, who left aboard the national flag carrier – RwandAir –, constitute a Formed Police Unit (FPU) contingent of 160 under RWAFPU II-1, an additional force that joins RWAFPU II hybrid of 240 officers. There are also 29 other Rwandan officers working as ‘Police Advisors’ under UNMISS

RWAFPU II-1, which includes 26 female officers, is headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bosco Rangira as its contingent commander.

They were saluted off at the airport by the Commissioner for Training, Commissioner of Police (CP) Joseph Mugisha.

Prior to their deployment, the officers were on Sunday briefed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, who challenged them to stay focused to their mission mandate with professionalism and maximum discipline.

“Maintaining the police doctrines, national values, respecting and looking out for each other is part of our tradition to success that should define your daily operations during your one year peacekeeping mandate,” IGP Gasana told the officers.

While highlighting Rwanda’s commitment to international peace, the Police Chief urged them to set forth the image that the country maintains in peacekeeping.

RNP spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege, while addressing journalists at the airport, shortly after the departure of the contingent, , said the officers were well trained and well-equipped to counter the mission challenges and effectively execute their duties.

“The mandate of the FPU contingent will be protecting civilians from eminent threats, public order management, protection of UN key installations and personnel, and humanitarian assistance,” said ACP Badege.

This new FPU contingent brings the number of Rwandan police peacekeepers in all missions to about 1200 personnel.

The new contingent is the sixth that RNP currently maintains in peacekeeping missions, with three of them in Central African Republic (CAR) and one in Haiti, each composed of 140 officers.

Source:Police

April 5, 2017