IGIHE

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  • UNSC Could Impose Sanctions on South Sudan

    UNSC Could Impose Sanctions on South Sudan

    {{The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said on Thursday it was prepared to consider imposing sanctions on South Sudan’s warring parties if attacks against civilians continues.}}

    The statement follows an ethnically motivated massacre in Bentiu, the capital of oil-rich Unity state in which at least 200 people died and the killing of dozens of internally displaced people (IDPs) who were sheltering at a UN base in Jonglei state capital Bor.

    The violence has shattered a January ceasefire deal signed between both parties, aimed at ending hostilities which erupted in mid-December last year amid escalating political tensions between president Salva Kiir and his sacked former deputy Riek Machar.

    UN peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous and UN assistant secretary-general for human rights Ivan Šimonovic briefed the 15-member council on Wednesday on the situation in South Sudan.

    In a press statement issued from New York by UNSC president U. Joy Ogwu of Nigeria following the briefing, members said they were willing “to take additional measures should attacks on civilians and violations of the cessation of hostilities agreement continue”.

    “The members of the Security Council strongly reiterated their demand for an immediate end to all human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, and expressed their readiness to consider appropriate measures against those responsible,” the statement adds.

    Both the US and EU have already threatened South Sudan with sanctions, while French UN ambassador Gerard Araud has indicated that UNSC member states are likely “ready to go down the road of sanctions”.

    US-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) this week also urged the UNSC to “act decisively” by imposing targeted sanctions on South Sudanese figures connected with human rights abuses.

    sudantribune

  • Kofi Olomide to Perform in Kampala

    Kofi Olomide to Perform in Kampala

    {{Congolese musician Koffi Olomide, is scheduled to perform in Kampala Friday night in a show aimed at raising funds for the establishment of Uganda’s first private blood bank.}}

    Olomide 57, is one of the many Congolese Soukous artistes whose music is popular in Uganda since the 90s.

    The France-based musician is a recipient of a couple of awards such as the Kora Award for “The Best African Artist of The Decade”.

  • Experts Discuss Use of Nuclear Medicine to Diagnose Cancer

    Experts Discuss Use of Nuclear Medicine to Diagnose Cancer

    {{Health Experts from 15 African countries have met in Kampala,Uganda to discuss the use of nuclear medicine for faster diagnosis and treatment of cancer.}}

    The use of nuclear medicine is an intervention that seeks to help detect the spread of cancer in patients much faster.

    According to experts, nuclear medicine was unrivaled in terms of accuracy particularly when examining the extent the cancer has spread.

    “If a patient has thyroid cancer and you want to determine the extent the disease has spread, you can use nuclear medicine. You use particular radiopharmaceuticals. These are given to patients and they go to the blood. From what they show, you can tell the body parts the disease has spread to. It is a one body scan,” explains Dr. Zeridah Muyinda Uganda’s consultant radiologist.

  • Juba Frees Four Top Political Detainees

    Juba Frees Four Top Political Detainees

    {{South Sudan on Friday released four top leaders accused of rebellion and treason, dropping charges for attempting to overthrow the government in a move aimed at ending a four-month-old civil war.}}

    The court order said the men were released “in order to promote peace and reconciliation among our people”.

    A reporter at the court said the four men were greeted by cheering supporters, who lifted them up onto their shoulders into the crowd.

    The detention of the four had been a major sticking point in peace talks, and the gesture comes as the leaders on both sides of the conflict face the threat of UN sanctions amid worsening violence and atrocities.

    The four are Pagan Amum, former secretary-general of the ruling party, ex-national Security minister Oyai Deng Ajak, former ambassador to the US Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, and ex-deputy Defence minister Majak D’Agoot.

    The four leaders were arrested in Juba after fighting broke out between members of the presidential guard.

    The fighting rapidly escalated into all-out war between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and defectors and ethnic militia loyal to sacked vice-president Riek Machar.

    President Kiir accused Dr Machar and his allies of attempting a coup, and initially 11 of his loyalists were put on trial.

    Dr Machar denied the allegation, and in turn has branded President Kiir a “genocidal leader” who started the war by carrying out a purge.

    Charges remain against Dr Machar, who fled the capital and is leading the rebellion, as well as other two key rebels, former governor of the oil-rich Unity state Taban Deng, and ex-minister Alfred Ladu Gore.

    However, charges were also dropped against seven leaders who were arrested shortly after fighting broke out but released in January into the care of neighbouring Kenya.

    {in photo above…former SPLM Secretary-General Pagan Amum}
    NMG

  • Two Arrested over Forging Driving Licences

    Two Arrested over Forging Driving Licences

    {{Two people were apprehended on Wednesday in Bugesera district in connection with forging and selling of driving licenses.}}

    The suspects were arrested separately in Ruhuha sector after one of them identified as Xavier Munyaneza, was found in possession of three forged driving licenses.

    Police also recovered passport photos of people, whom the suspects were allegedly trying to help acquire a driving licence through illegal channels.

    Supt. Jean Marie Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the Traffic and Road Safety department said forged licences are easy to detect and warned anyone that could be holding a fake one or forging them.

    “There are some individuals who take advantage of the ignorance of some people and con them of their money by selling them forged licence with or without knowledge that they are not real,” Supt. Ndushabandi said.

    “Those seeking a driving licence or any other road traffic related document should go through available legal channels. If you want a vehicle inspection certificate, you can only get it from the inspection centre.

    If you are looking for a provisional or definitive licence, register and sit for the tests because no any other you can have it. All other means are illegal and in one way or another they will be detected and arrested,” he added.

  • German City Legalises Public Nudity

    German City Legalises Public Nudity

    {{The Germany city of Munich has created designated “urban naked zones” where nudists can strip off without the risk of arrest.}}

    Officials in the city of Munich, in southern Germany, have declared six designated zones where naturists are invited to strip off and walk around in their birthday suits without the risk of being arrested.

    While the nudists areas do offer some privacy, they are neither hidden nor fenced off from the general public and are instead located in public parks with one as little as a ten minute walk away from the city’s main square.

    The city – which is the third largest in Germany – decided to introduce the “urban naked zones” after pre-existing laws on public nudity expired.

    agencies

  • Australian Navy Impounds $290m Heroin off Kenyan Coast

    Australian Navy Impounds $290m Heroin off Kenyan Coast

    {{Australian Navy sailors have seized 46 sacks of heroin worth Sh24.9 billion ($290 million) from a boat off Kenyan coast.

    According to Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the heroin was hidden among bags of cement.}}

  • Savannah Cement Invests in new Clinker Facility

    Savannah Cement Invests in new Clinker Facility

    {{Nairobi-based Savannah Cement has announced it will invest US$97.7mn to set-up a clinker manufacturing base at its production facility in Kitengela, Kajiado County
    Savannah Cement aims to become less dependent on imported clinker to deliver finished cement products, the company said.}}

    More than US$100mn has been invested to develop its cement manufacturing plants in sub-Saharan Africa, which has a 1.5mn tonnes annual production capacity, Savannah Cement stated.

    “As you may be aware, the local cement industry tilts heavily on the grinding aspect of cement production and remains heavily reliant on clinker imports to deliver finished products,” said company chairman Benson Ndeta at the firm’s Diamond Mark of Quality certification by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

    The Diamond Mark of Quality certification entails a number of product tests being carried out, compliance to the scheme of supervision and control assessments by the KEBS, according to Savannah Cement.

    “Our attainment of a KEBS Diamond Mark of Quality certification is a clear affirmation that our products are uniquely formulated to assure superior performance,” Savannah Cement managing director Ronald Ndegwa said.

    {Africanreview}

  • Senegal’s Wade Accuses Dakar of Return Delay

    Senegal’s Wade Accuses Dakar of Return Delay

    {{Senegalese ex-president Abdoulaye Wade, who is due to return home on Friday after two years in exile, has accused his successor Macky Sall of manoeuvring against him.}}

    Wade’s flight was grounded in Casablanca on Wednesday when he planned to make his way back to Dakar in a bid to be closer to his son Karim, who has been jailed in Senegal on corruption charges.

    “I understood a long time ago that Macky Sall did not want this day to happen”, Wade told the media in Morocco.

    He accused Sall, an arch rival who won a resounding victory against him at an election in 2012, of “manoeuvring” against him.

    Wade, who was in power from 2000 to 2012, moved to France after the defeat.

    The 87-year-old said his flight from France to Morocco had been grounded in Casablanca and that he waited for several hours for the green light to take off.

    He accused officials in Dakar of delaying his trip in order to disperse his supporters who had planned to welcome him on his arrival.

    Waded added, however, that he still expected to return to Senegal on Friday afternoon after “some small problems” are ironed out.

    Reports from Senegal said a large number of Wade supporters had gathered to welcome him on Wednesday amid heavy security.

    Wade’s son Karim, aged 45, whose wealth includes land in Dakar, a fleet of luxury cars and media and finance companies operating across Africa, has been on remand in Dakar for a year and is due to be tried in June.

    Senegal authorities accuse him of using corrupt means to acquire a fortune of $246m when he was a so-called “super minister” in his father’s cabinet.

    – AFP

  • Body Found Hanging From Pole in Soweto

    Body Found Hanging From Pole in Soweto

    {{The body of a 24-year-old man was found hanging from an electricity pole in Orlando East, Soweto on Friday morning, Gauteng police said.

    “[A child], a neighbour… noticed a man standing by an electric pole. He went to ask his parents who it was and they found that the man had been hanged,” Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela said.

    “His hands were tied behind his back, his mouth was closed with tape and one of his ears were cut off. This was at his yard.”

    He said police opened a case of murder.

    “We do not have a suspect yet,” Makhubela said.

    – SAPA}}