Tag: GreatLakesNews

{President John Magufuli has assured Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that his government is keen on strengthening the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the implementation of development projects and promotion of trade and investments.}

President Magufuli made the remark in Dar es Salaam yesterday after receiving a special envoy from Malaysia, Mr Dato Sri Idris Jala, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

A statement issued in Dar es Salam yesterday said that President Magufuli held talks with Mr Jala on various issues including development projects of which the two countries can cooperate and both emphasise on the importance of using the private sector in investing development projects especially in industry, infrastructure and housing.

“Please convey my appreciation to Prime Minister Najib Razak and inform him about the readiness of my government to continue strengthening the cooperation with Malaysia.

I will be pleased if our relations will focus on sharing experience on how your country has managed to transform its economy, “ President Magufuli said. He, however, invited Malaysian businessmen and investors especially in the aviation sector to share experience with their Tanzanian counterparts as the fifth phase government is making efforts to revive its national carrier.

Meanwhile, President Magufuli yesterday met with the Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Hanne-Marie Kaarstand and held talks on development issues including intensifying the war on corruption and poaching.

The two agreed to strengthen the Prevention and Combatting of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and the office of the Director of Public Prosecution. For his part, Norwegian Ambassador Kaarstand said that her government has spent about two billion US dollars since the 1960s to support various development projects and social services.

She said her government will continue to cooperate with Tanzania as it is now working with the office of the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA). In another development, President Magufuli met with the Finish Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Pekka Hukka.

Mr Hukka told President Magufuli that his government supports efforts done by Dr Magufuli in encouraging hard work, tax compliance and the fight against corruption

{BUJUMBURA – Burundi’s Independent National Commission on Human Rights (CNIDH) said on Friday it was deeply concerned by the continued detention of 22 school pupils who were accused of scribbling on pictures of the country’s President Pierre Nkurunziza in their school textbooks.}

CNIDH President Jean-Baptiste Baribonekeza told reporters at a media conference that his commission was against any kind of sanctions which jailed schoolchildren or permanently excluded them from school.

“The commission does not agree with the decision to put pupils in jail. All those jailed pupils are the children of the country. They should be released to keep appearing in court from home,” said Baribonekeza.

However, he added that the commission was not against sanctioning pupils who made mistakes. “Authorities should focus on moderate penalties which are alternative to imprisonment and permanent exclusions, like community service or the obligation to change schools,” he said.

On Thursday, US Envoy for the Great Lakes Thomas Perriello, at the end of a two-day visit to Bujumbura, also expressed concern over the arrest and continued detention of students for defacing textbooks and for related demonstrations.

The group of human rights experts of the United Nations Independent Investigation on Burundi (UNIIB), led by South Africa’s Christof Heyns who came to Burundi two weeks ago, also criticized the arrests and detention of the schoolchildren.

The UNIIB was mandated by the UN to assess the human rights situation in Burundi since the beginning of this year.

The practice of scribbling on pictures of Nkurunziza has spread to many schools in the country and about 600 pupils were now being investigated.

Baribonekeza also criticised the surge of human trafficking of Burundians to Gulf States like Saudi Arabia and Oman. “Immediate actions have to be taken to address the problem,” he said.

Since the beginning of this year, 267 young girls had been trafficked by 11 companies, national police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said.

“The network was made of seven persons, three Burundians and four Kenyans. They have all been arrested. The police also identified 11 companies involved in the human trafficking: four companies are in Burundi, four others in Saudi Arabia, two in Oman and another in Kenya,” Nkurikiye said.

{Al-Shabaab militants are reported to have struck Damasa Town and destroyed a Safaricom mast and a water pump.}

Kenyan security officers are on high alert after Al-Shabaab militants on Friday destroyed a communication mast at Damasa in Mandera County.

Lafey police boss Bossita Omukolongo confirmed to Nation.co.ke the destruction of Safaricom communication mast.

Speaking on phone, he said the incident happened at 1am.

“At about 1am explosions were heard from that area only to be told that a communication mast had been destroyed and the only water source also destroyed,” he said.

Mr Omukolongo said the communication between his station and the Damasa military camp has been cut off.

“We are using Hormud network that is expensive for communication with those at Damasa for now.

Hormud is a Somalia communication network.

He said the perimeter wall securing the mast was destroyed, as well as water engines and solar panels at the borehole.

{{Hundred militants }}

On the reported presence of Al-Shabaab in the area, the police boss said his officers on night duty reported nothing but sources in Damasa have reported seeing more a hundred armed militants.

“We have seen nothing although those in the area are talking of more than a 100 armed men,” said Omukolongo.

He said it has been reported that locals on Damasa side of Somali were moving out of the area.

“We are hearing that those on Somali side are vacating the area since yesterday but we are yet to confirm that,” he said.

On Friday, intelligence reports indicated that 13 lorries carrying the militants were seen at Damasa town but Mr Omukolongo could not confirm.

“Lorries carrying people can be seen on Somali side but nothing has been reported here,” he said.

The intelligence report said the militants were from El-Adde Town and were moving towards Borache (El-Wak, Somalia) and had motorcycles and four Toyota Land Cruisers with them .

It further stated that the entourage was targeting Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) military camp in Damasa, El -Wak camp or the Somalia National Army (SNA) camp in Borache.

“We are unable to communicate to the military camp but all security measures are in place,” he said.

A security meeting scheduled to take place in area on Saturday, to be chaired by Mandera County Commissioner Frederick Shisia, has been postponed.

The destroyed mast and the water source are said to be two kilometres from the Damasa KDF camp.

{Kampala. Stick-wielding masked men who looked more of goons than security operatives unleashed violence on Opposition supporters during the recent public demonstrations in the city. The atrociousness of their actions provoked condemnation from both human rights activists and police officers. }

The men have now removed their masks and walk with bare faces. Everyone can see and know who they are. They are operating freely and armed with assortment of equipment, which are a police monopoly. The former masked men now confront motorists and Opposition supporters as the police officers look on.

{{Who are they?}}

They work for the Uganda Police Force and are paid for their services. In an interview with Saturday Monitor, police spokesman Fred Enanga admitted the masked men are their operatives and informers, although he insisted some of their actions against Opposition supporters are atrocious and condemnable.

“There is nothing wrong when they participate in any police operations. Worldwide, police work with informers and other volunteers,” Mr Enanga said.

He said they also pay these informers depending on the “weight” of information they bring to the police.

The masked men operate under a group code-named “Team No Sleep”. It is led by Mr Moses Mayanja, who once operated in war-torn Iraq as a guard in the US army bases.
A police source close to Mr Mayanja told Saturday Monitor that upon his return from Iraq, he became a private driver to Mr Jonathan Baroza, a personal assistant to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kayihura.

It was through that connection that he joined the daily surveillance of Opposition leaders and politicians in 2015.

{{Mayanja becomes link}}

Given Mr Mayanja’s closeness to Mr Baroza, he became the link between the Team No Sleep masked operatives and the police.

A senior police officer told Saturday Monitor that the masked men directly report to Mr Baroza for guidance and funding.

Efforts to get a comment from Mr Baroza were futile as our repeated calls to his cellular phone went unanswered. Our text messages to his phone did not yield any fruit either.

Mr Baroza is no stranger to controversy. In February, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Irene Mulyagonja, opened investigations to review several complaints against the promotion of some 496 police officers announced by Gen Kayihura on February 3, following a petition to her office.

The petition particularly questioned the promotion of seven police officers, including Mr Baroza, who was made to skip two ranks and was promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The IGG is yet to conclude the investigations.

When Saturday Monitor contacted Mr Mayanja, he confirmed being the leader of the Team No Sleep group.
Mr Mayanja said he was proud of his group’s work in subduing the political Opposition, whom he said want to cause chaos in the country.
“We are fighting for our country. We just want peace. Supporters of that man (Dr Kizza Besigye of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party) come to destroy our property through riots. That is why we retaliate against them,” Mr Mayanja said, proudly.
He said they have profiled Dr Besigye’s supporters at different events and when they strike, they know their targets.
“We have photographs of those people, including boda boda cyclists who escort Dr Besigye and [Kampala Lord Mayor Erias] Lukwago. We have taken their photographs from different parts of the country such as Rukungiri. Police had failed to deal with them, but when we beat them up, do you still see any of them following those two guys [Dr Besigye and Mr Lukwago]?” he said.

He claimed his group is not indiscriminate in their attacks. He said they only attack their targets and spare others.
“Has any journalist ever told you that we attacked him or her? No! We know the group we target,” Mr Mayanja said.
Mr Mayanja’s men possess pepper sprays, which they use to blind their victims before they use special sticks to hit them. After subduing their victims, they impound their motorcycles and belongings. They hand over the motorcycles to the police, except the victims’ money. The money is never recovered by the owners.
Mr Mayanja said the pepper spray, handcuffs and sticks were provided by the police upon their request for them for self-defence.

On the group’s relationship with Mr Baroza, he first claimed he did not know him, but later described him as “a good man.”
Another strong pillar in the group is Franco Ekea, alias Kanyama. When Saturday Monitor contacted him by telephone, he confirmed being a member of the group, but said he would only give details about their operations for a fee.
“I have the information you want, but I don’t give it for free,” Mr Ekea said.
Mr Mayanja is deputised by Mr Geoffrey Ddamba, alias Kisanja.
Former group members told Saturday Monitor that Mr Ddamba was a driver but later switched to distributing receipts of Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (Utoda) to taxi drivers.
When Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) threw out Utoda from the management of taxi parks in 2011, Mr Ddamba became jobless. Taxi operators did not want to see former Utoda agents anywhere closer to the taxi parks.

In his pursuit for survival, he joined police as an informer. The Opposition campaigns against the rise of fuel prices and commodity prices in 2011 dubbed walk-to-work had just started and were gaining momentum.
Mr Ddamba and others were assigned to keep track on Opposition members, whom police believed wanted to mobilise taxi operators to join the walk-to-work campaign. Their hunt against Opposition supporters continued up to the 2016 general election.
They set their base at Kampala Central Police Station, where they spent most of the time in the parking lot waiting for assignments.

Mr Michael Ssekiziyivu, the head of Taxi Parks and Stages Committee (Tapscom), also operates closely with Mr Mayanja’s Team No Sleep group.
Early this year, Mr Ssekiziyivu, dressed in a brown uniform, which many Iraq guard returnees possess, ordered women activists during Opposition prayers in the city to disperse and threatened stern action if they did not comply.
The women activists said when they questioned his authority, he identified himself as a security operative.

{{How they operate }}

A source within the group said during Opposition demonstrations, they are briefed by police about their mission a night before. They are given facilitation, equipment and fuel. Then they drive under the protection of police patrols to the targeted area.
The same source said if the demonstration is anticipated to be big, they summon more of their members for reinforcement at either the Constitution Square or any police station and they are transported to strategic places.

He said during demonstrations, the police are supposed to surround the principals or top Opposition leaders as the group members occupy the outer ring of the crowd and unleash violence on them, blind them with pepper spray and disperse anyone attempting to crowd around the Opposition leaders.

Mr Mayanja and his group sometimes carry out arrests and bundle their victims into a Toyota Noah, whose number plates are often changed depending on their operations. Then they flee the scene.

Sometimes the group uses registration number plates UAT 018Q or UAN 460N on their vehicles.

Saturday Monitor has established that UAT 018Q number is registered by Uganda Revenue Authority in the names of Mathew Odhiambo Owor, while UAN 460N is registered in the names of Bangladesh Consulate.

The Bangladesh Consul General, Mr Mahmood Mansurah, could not be reached for a comment but an official, who identified herself as Sheila at the Consulate, said she was not aware of any of their vehicles with private number plates.
“The only number plates the officials use are red in colour or start with letters C and D,” she said.

Saturday Monitor was unable to speak to Mr Odhiambo on whether he owns the vehicle the masked men use in their operations.

The URA spokesperson, Ms Sarah Banage, responding to our email declined to reveal the registered owners of the vehicles. She said URA policy doesn’t allow such disclosure, but she added that an investigation had already started to establish why the owner of the said Noah switches the number plates.

“After verification and investigations of the case, we shall be able to get back to you,” she said.

Police sources say the number plates used in the operations are plucked from vehicles impounded for different offences. This makes tracing the actual owner of the vehicle after the brutal operations extremely difficult. If victims crosscheck with the police, they will be led to vehicles that are already grounded at the police parking lot over criminal offences.

The Team No Sleep’s atrocious operations came to light after publication of graphic images of them beating up people using electric wires on Kampala Road when Dr Besigye visited Crane Bank recently. Aware of their heinous intentions and need for concealment, they came with masks.

{The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested 75 suspected militiamen for murder and rape in the province of South Kivu.}

They are accused of targeting very young girls, reportedly associating them with supernatural protection.

Those detained include the group’s alleged leader, Frederic Batumike, who is a provincial deputy.

Most of DR Congo has recovered from nearly a decade of war but rebel violence continues in eastern areas.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said Mr Batumike and 74 of his fighters had been arrested last week for repeated rapes of about 30 very young girls near the village of Kavumu.

“The militia that works for him recruited a fetishist who advises the militiamen to rape very young girls to be assured of having supernatural protection,” Mr Thambwe said.

The justice minister also said Mr Batumike was accused of ordering the killing of a German engineer, Walter Muller, and a Congolese human rights activist named as Evariste Kasali.

The director of the UN human rights office in the DRC, Jose Maria Aranaz, applauded the arrests.

“We welcome the authorities’ action to put an end to these horrible practices and bring those responsible to justice,” he said.

Some five million lives were lost in DR Congo’s conflict between 1994 and 2003.

{Uganda provides the biggest contingent of soldiers to the AU force, Amisom.}

Uganda will pull its soldiers out of the African Union mission fighting Islamist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia, its military chief has said.

Gen Katumba Wamala said the decision to withdraw Ugandan troops by December 2017 was taken because of frustration with the Somali army and military advisers from US, UK and Turkey.

Uganda provides the biggest contingent of soldiers to the AU force, Amisom.
Amisom has helped push Al-Shabaab out of most of Somalia’s major towns.
But the militants continue to mount deadly suicide bombings and guerrilla attacks.

{US pledges suport in ensuring that the needs of refugees and host communities are met.}

US President Barack Obama spoke by phone with President Uhuru Kenyatta Thursday and pledged his government’s support in ensuring that the needs of refugees and host communities are met.

Mr Obama reiterated his appreciation for the strong partnership between Kenya and the United States on a host of issues, including combatting global terrorism and hailed the progress Kenya has made on security.

According to a readout of the phone conversation released by the White House Press Office, the two leaders also discussed the challenges Kenya faces in hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees for more than two decades and the need for strong international support.

The US leader also acknowledged a condolence message sent to him by his Kenyan counterpart following the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead and 53 others injured one and a half weeks ago.

A press statement released by the White House on Thursday evening read in part:

“President Obama accepted President Kenyatta’s condolences for the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida.”

“President Kenyatta reiterated that Kenya will continue to respect the dignity and safety of refugees in Kenya and comply with its international legal obligations,” added the statement.

The press release also pointed out that Mr Kenyatta and Mr Obama agreed that the United States and Kenya would continue working closely on a number of other issues without elaborating.