Author: Publisher

{{The United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi (UNON) has heightened its security in the face of increased terror activity in the country.}}

UNON Director General Sahle-Work Zewde has therefore directed that several measures be taken including further restricting entry into their Gigiri complex only to persons with official business.

“Unfortunately, Kenya has been a consistent target of terrorist groups over the last several months, the latest tragic attacks having occurred on May 16 at the Gikomba Market,” she explained in a communiqué to UNON staff.

And in the drive to restrict access to the UNON complex, Zewde also directed that guided tours of the facility be suspended and deliveries be restricted to the hours 6pm and 10pm.

“Deliveries should be announced beforehand and the registration number and names of the driver provided to the Security and Safety Service in advance,” she underscored.

She also directed that the UN Petrol Station be shut down temporarily and alternative fuelling options sought.

“All Staff and all Agencies, Funds and Programmes with official vehicles should make alternative arrangements for fuelling their vehicles,” she stated.

Managers have also been encouraged to provide a flexible working environment by staggering work hours, through telecommuting and a compressed work week.

“This will, inter alia, reduce the congestion along UN Avenue,” she explained.

The UN recreation centre and commissary, Zewde added, would also forthwith only cater to UN Staff.

“Visitors will not be allowed, and access will only be granted to those with a valid UN Identification Card, duly programmed for the pedestrian turnstiles within the UNON complex,” she said.

The increased security measures at the UNON complex follow travel advisories issued by the United Kingdom and the United States of America which is also expected to make staffing changes to its Kenyan Embassy in the near future.

“The most important responsibility of every US ambassador and embassy is to protect American citizens and to keep them informed,” the US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec explained.

The Kenyan government has however said the travel advisories as unnecessary and an over-reaction as it has the security situation in the country firmly in hand.

{{Fighter jets pounded a key base of Somalia’s Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab, in the latest push by African Union troops against the insurgents, the Islamists and witnesses said Sunday.}}

The air strikes on the town of Jilib are understood to be part of the offensive by the 22,000-strong UN-backed AU force, who launched in March a fresh bid to wrest remaining towns from the Islamists.

“I heard two heavy explosions, military jets were flying over the city,” said Osman Mohamed, a resident of Jilib.

The impoverished town is a key Shabaab hub in southern Somalia’s Middle Juba region, some 320 kilometres (200 miles) southwest of Mogadishu.

Senior Shabaab commander Sheikh Ibrahim Abu Hamze said war planes had struck the town, but denied any casualties.

“The enemy tried to terrorise the children and women by dropping bombs in the suburbs of the city, but thanks to God, there were no casualties at all,” Abu Hamze told media.

“The mujahedeen fighters have managed to repel the enemy with anti-aircraft weaponry, they have fled.”

It was not immediately clear where the jets were from, but Kenya is part of the AU force and has used its air planes to strike Shabaab bases before.

Witnesses said bombs had landed on the main route out of the town.

“Two of the bombs struck the main road that goes south to Kismayu,” resident Mohamed Hashi said.

Hardline Shabaab insurgents once controlled most of southern and central Somalia.

After withdrawing from fixed positions in the capital Mogadishu nearly three years ago, they have lost most large towns to the AU and government soldiers. However, they still regularly launch guerrilla raids.

{{Malawi’s Joyce Banda, under the cloud of a huge corruption scandal and a donors’ aid freeze, is fighting to hold on to the presidency in an election Tuesday in one of the closest races ever in the tiny southern African state.}}

Voters will decide whether to stick with former Vice-President Banda who came to power after the death in office of president Bingu wa Mutharika two years ago.

Her bid to be elected president in her own right is overshadowed by a scandal involving the disappearance of $30 million from the national coffers that rocked the dirt-poor country last year.

Mrs Banda, who had launched an anti-graft crusade, ordered the audit that revealed the theft — known as Cashgate — and charges have been brought against 68 ministers, civil servants and business people.

Mrs Banda denies any personal involvement in the scandal, saying in fact Cashgate is her trump card and will not damage her performance at the polls.

“In fact that’s my greatest achievement,” she told reporters before her final campaign rally, adding that the graft had been going on before she came into office.

But her opponents charge that she and her supporters have syphoned off public money to fund her campaign and handouts to voters ahead of the May 20 presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections.

Donor nations which finance a large chunk of Malawi’s budget have pulled the plug on $150 million in vital aid over the scandal.

It has also led to a heated presidential race that an Afrobarometer survey shows is too close to call. Although there are 12 hopefuls, the real contest is between Banda and three other candidates, including her predecessor’s brother.

“We have never really had elections that are this close, that are really hard to call,” said Boniface Dulani, Afrobarometer coordinator in Malawi.

NMG

{{The secretary-general of the rebel SPLM-N, Yasir Arman, has warned against Islamist militant groups and the growing threat they pose for peaceful coexistence and political stability on the African continent.}}

Arman who was in Paris where African leaders held a summit for security in Nigeria to discuss a joint action against Boko Haram terrorist group told Sudan Tribune that “Khartoum remains one of the important centers for spawning Islamist and Jihadist elements in Africa”.

He said that the recent arrest of Aminu Sadiq, a member of Bako Haram involved in a deadly bomb explosion in the Nigerian capital Abuja last April, was not a coincidence because the International University of Africa is a main center to form the Islamists and extremists in the continent.

The British-born Nigerian who was arrested last Tuesday by the Sudanese police is studying Arabic at the International African University in Khartoum from where he travelled to Nigeria several times since last year.

The SPLM-N secretary-general and chief negotiator further mentioned the death sentence for apostasy against a Sudanese woman, saying there is no difference between this case and the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls by the Nigerian group.

The SPLM-N which fights the government army since nearly 3 years in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states is calling to not involve religion in politics.

In a peace process brokered by the African Union, the rebel group calls to hold comprehensive talks ensure democratic transition in the country and refuses to negotiate a separate peace deal for the Two Areas.

The Sudanese government and the SPLM-N are expected to meet before the end of this month to resume discussions over a framework agreement before to engage in negotiations.

Arman said the current political situation in the country and the lack of a conducive environment do not encourage them to participate in a political dialogue the government proposes to hold inside the country.

“We will not participate in the national dialogue under the current political climate particularly because of the atrocities and war crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia in Darfur and the Two Areas, bloody repression against university students, death sentence against Dr Miriam and the arrest of Sadiq Al-Mahdi,” he said.

{sudantribune}

{{After the East African Court of Justice halted Speaker Margaret Zziwa’s censure by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) members, the house is set to resume business after a one and half month indefinite adjournment.}}

Zziwa adjourned the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) sittings indefinitely on April 1, after a motion to remove her from office backfired.

However according to Bobi Odiko the EALA senior public relations officer, the regional parliament was set to resume business starting May 26 in Arusha Tanzania.

In a press statement, Odiko noted that high on the agenda was the deliberations on the 2014/2015 financial year budget and bills that have been pending in the house.

“The East African Legislative Assembly will resume business next week in Arusha Tanzania, and we shall have plenary sessions from Monday 26th to Friday June 6th.

He noted that the sitting which will be chaired by EALA Speaker Zziwa is the sixth meeting of the second session of the third Assembly.

During the sitting, the Assembly will receive and discuss the EAC budget speech for the financial year 2014/2015.

The Budget Speech will be delivered on May 29, by the chairperson of the Council of Ministers Phyllis J Kandie.

The Assembly is also expected to consider the East African Community (EAC) integration (Education) Bill 2014, the EAC Appropriation Bill 2014 and the EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2014 and receive and consider reports from various committees of the Assembly.