Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Ban Ki-moon to devise within 15 days a list of options for the proposed police force.}

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously backed a resolution that lays the groundwork for deploying a UN police presence in Burundi to help quell nearly a year of violence.

Drafted by France, the resolution tasks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with drawing up within 15 days a list of options for the proposed police force, in consultation with the Burundian government and the African Union.

The council is under pressure to take action in Burundi where the descent into violence has raised fears of atrocities, similar to those that convulsed Rwanda in 1994.

“This resolution is a first step towards a strengthened UN presence in Burundi to help ensure the respect for human rights and alert the international community on the reality of the situation on the ground,” French Ambassador Francois Delattre said.

The vote capped days of tough negotiations between France and the United States over the wording of the resolution, the second measure adopted by the council over the Burundi crisis.

The resolution provides for the “deployment of a UN police contribution to increase the capacity to monitor the security situation, promote the respect of human rights and advance rule of law” in Burundi.

Burundi’s UN Ambassador Albert Shingiro said he expected between 20 and 30 officers to be deployed as unarmed experts and observers.

“For the government, it is very important to have an international presence in Bujumbura in order to work in transparency,” Shingiro told reporters ahead of the vote.

Under an agreement with the AU, some 200 rights observers and military monitors are to be deployed in Burundi, but fewer than 50 have in fact arrived, US Deputy Ambassador David Pressman told the council.

Burundi has been in turmoil since President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans in April to run for a third term, which he went on to win.

Violence has left more than 400 dead and driven over 250,000 people across the border.

After France pushed for a quick vote on the resolution, the US complained that the text was being rushed through and raised objections to the language.

The final revised text dropped a reference to UN support for “disarmament” in Burundi — a term that the US saw as a potential source of problems after the Burundian government launched a crackdown to disarm opposition activists.

At a council meeting last week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said reports of torture were on the rise.

{The MCC board announced on March 28 that it was suspending a $473 million deal with Tanzania.}

Tanzania will decide what steps to take in order to get nearly half-a-billion dollars in suspended aid, a US official has said.

“The Government of Tanzania needs to determine how it will rectify the specific issues of concern,” Renee Kelly, spokeswoman for the Millennium Challenge Corporation said in an email message.

“It is up to MCC’s Board to determine if any such actions taken by the Government of Tanzania are sufficient to warrant re-instatement.”

The MCC board announced on March 28 that it was suspending a $473 million deal with Tanzania, partly on the grounds that the March 20 election in Zanzibar was unfair.

The US Government agency also objected to limits that Tanzanian authorities placed on free speech and association through the country’s Cyber Crimes Act.

Ms Kelly did not respond to questions as to whether resumption of aid was predicated on Tanzania organising a new poll in Zanzibar and making changes in the Act. “MCC does not provide checklists,” she wrote in an earlier email to the Nation.

At stake is a US-funded plan intended to expand access to reliable electricity and help Tanzania implement “ambitious plan to reform the energy sector”.

In 2012, Tanzania was deemed potentially eligible for the $473 million aid.

The country had previously received a $698 million MCC grant that financed projects in the transport, energy and water sectors.

That initial five-year agreement with Tanzania — concluded in 2013 — was the largest approved by MCC since its establishment in 2004.

Tanzania’s status as a favoured recipient of US aid is in jeopardy as a result of the decision.

{Efficiency Monitoring Unit and Lapsset among roles that have been moved to State House in new state structure.}

Deputy President William Ruto’s office appears to have lost some clout after key functions which previously fell under his docket were transferred to State House.

The Efficiency Monitoring Unit, the State Corporations Oversight office bringing together the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC) and the Inspectorate of State Corporations and the Oceanic Management Office are among institutions which have been moved to the office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr Nzioka Waita, based at State House.

Eyebrows have been raised over the shift of responsibilities in the new arrangement that appears to move power specifically from Harambee House Annex, Mr Ruto’s office, to State House.

The DP had inherited some of the departments from the office of the Prime Minister including oversight over the ambitious Lamu port Lapsset project.

RUTO STAFF

Eyebrows have also been raised over the failure to put in a replacement for the position of chief of staff previously held by Ms Maryanne Kitany.

Although the DP partly succeeded in acquiring financial autonomy when State House allocated a special vote to cater for his office, the authority to incur expenditure still remains with the State House comptroller. The situation has been made worse by failure to get a substantive chief of staff.

The Principal Administrative Secretary Daniel Waisiko Wambura is the most senior administrator in the DP’s office but receives authority to incur expenditure only after approval from State House. Mr Ruto also retains a private secretary, Mr Maiyo.

Asked about the changes and the shifting of functions the President’s spokesman Manoah Esipisu said: “This reorganisation by the President is meant to increase efficiency and nothing more.”

Mr Ruto’s spokesman David Mugonyi told the Sunday Nation that the operations of the DP’s office and the President’s are coordinated under the Presidency.

“There is really nothing unusual in this thing. All these offices under the Presidency are answerable both to the President and his Deputy,”Mr Mugonyi said.

He added that operations have not changed since they came to government with State House funding the DP’s office activities.

He insisted that crucial departments are still housed at Harambee House Annex adding that the President’s communication team and that of the Deputy President operate mostly from the same facility.

Kuresoi South MP Zachayo Cheruiyot, a retired career civil servant, said the new system could have been underpinned by the desire by the President to ensure corruption is dealt with directly by his office.

“When you look at the President’s concerns, it could be that he is worried over the pace of implementation of flagship projects like the Standard Gauge Railway and others. I am also thinking the President may have been concerned about runaway corruption emanating from the projects and wanted direct control and rapid response,” said Mr Cheruiyot without elaborating.

But when the Sunday Nation visited the DP’s office website such functions as the Lapsset, Oceanic Management Unit and Inspectorate Corporation are indicated to be under the Government Coordination Unit in Mr Ruto’s office.

The profile of Ms Kitany, who is under suspension, is still intact in the website as the Chief of Staff, a previously powerful office now lying unoccupied.

Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen described our inquiries as an attempt to rock the boat by individuals suffering from the grand coalition hangovers.

“Mr Waita is answerable to both the DP and the President. All those offices you are talking about including ministers are answerable to both. We are not in the half a loaf government,” he said.

He explained that Ms Kitany is on suspension and that is why her office remains vacant awaiting the final decision in the cases brought against her.

Mr Murkomen explained that the Presidency in Kenya is designed in the format of that of the United States.

He said: “You can’t see (US vice- president) Joe Biden undertaking autonomous functions. He deputises for the President. In Kenya we have one centre of power.”

Interestingly, the office of First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has a Chief of Staff, Ms Connie Gakonyo.

{The Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations (Zanzibar), Mr Salum Msangi, says police have detained four people in connection with the manufacturing and attempt to destroy by using an explosive, the house of the Commissioner of Police here mid-last month.}

Mr Msangi told reporters on Friday that there are indications the suspects had also planned to attack other homes, including the ones owned by the Second Vice-President, Ambassador Seif Ali Idi, and the Deputy CCM Secretary General (Zanzibar), Mr Vuai Ali Vuai.

Kijichi on the outskirts of the Stone Town. He named the suspects as Omar Bakar Nassor (26), Hassan Omar Issa (67), who is the Civic United Front (CUF) Chairman for West District, Saleh Mohammed Saleh (34), West District CUF Secretary and Suleiman Mohamed Bakari (50), CUF Secretary for Mfenesini.

“In the preliminary findings, Omar Bakar Nassor has admitted throwing an explosive device at the house. Investigations continue as the hunt for explosives manufacturer has been intensified,” DCP Msangi said. He also informed reporters that the other suspects in custody had admitted playing a role in planning the explosions targeting the houses.

Mr Msangi added that a massive operation is underway to track down criminals wherever they may be hiding in suspected hideouts. He warned political leaders and youth groups planning any criminal act, saying they will definitely be arrested and charged.

{Council asks UN secretary general to present options within 15 days for police deployment in violence-wracked country.}

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution setting the stage for deployment of UN police to Burundi, where nearly a year-long political unrest has killed more than 400 people and displaced tens of thousands.

The resolution, agreed upon by the 15-member council on Friday, asks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to present options within 15 days for deployment of UN police in order to monitor the security situation, promote respect for human rights and advance the rule of law.

Burundi has been hit by unrest since April 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced his decision to seek a third term, which he went on to win in a July election.

His government has been wary of outside intervention, last year rejecting the idea of an AU peacekeeping force and calling foreign troops an “invasion.”

The French-drafted resolution welcomed the consent of Burundi’s authorities to increase the number of African Union human rights observers from 100 to 200 and allow 100 AU military experts. It notes that 30 human rights observers and 15 military observers have been deployed so far.

The final draft was changed to overcome an objection from the United States.

A reference to “disarmament” was removed from a section calling for the UN team to work with the government and other parties “in the areas of disarmament, security and rule of law”.

The US had been concerned about linking the UN efforts to broker peace in Burundi with the country’s security forces, who have been accused of human rights abuses, one council diplomat told the Reuters news agency.

The resolution strongly condemns human rights violations including extra-judicial killings, sexual violence, torture, intimidation of civil society organisations and journalists and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.

More than 250,000 people have been forced to flee to neighbouring countries due to a climate of fear.

Burundi’s UN Ambassador Albert Shingiro was quoted by the the AP news agency as saying that the government “is ready to discuss and to come to an agreement on the nature, the size and the missions” of a UN police presence that is unarmed.

He noted that the option of an “international unarmed presence” was a recommendation of the last AU heads of state summit.

Two weeks ago, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein told the council that many people in Burundi are living in “terror” with almost daily grenade attacks and arbitrary arrests, while the perpetrators go unpunished.

The resolution reiterates deep concern at “the persisting political impasse in the country” and stresses the urgency of convening “a genuine and inclusive inter-Burundian dialogue.”

{The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo said late on Friday that it has received allegations of sexual abuse against Tanzanian peacekeepers based in Congo’s northeast, the latest in a series of such accusations against U.N. forces.}

The mission said in a statement that it received the allegations against members of its Force Intervention Brigade, tasked with offensive operations, in the village of Mavivi on March 23 and immediately launched an investigation.

“Initial results suggest that there is evidence of transactional sex and sex with minors,” the statement said. “There are also a number of paternity claims.”

The statement did not say how many cases of abuse had been alleged or provide any further details about the accusations.

U.N. peacekeeping missions have been beset by accusations of sexual abuse. The United Nations reported 99 such allegations against staff members across the U.N. system last year.

The United Nations said this week that it has expanded an investigation into new allegations of sexual abuse by foreign peacekeepers in Central African Republic. U.N. officials said they have interviewed some 108 alleged victims, most of them minors.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, which was initially put in place during a civil war that took place in 1998-2003, is the world’s largest, with around 20,000 uniformed personnel.

The Security Council renewed its mandate earlier this week for one year.

{Hundreds of people turned for a memorial marathon that kicked off at 7:45am.}

Thousands of Kenyans drawn from all walks of life on Saturday gathered at Garissa University College to mark the first anniversary since the deadly terror attack that left 148 people dead, majority of them students.

Security was tight in and around the university college, with those entering subjected to thorough frisking and screening by armed security personnel.

Hundreds of people turned for a memorial marathon that kicked off at 7:45am.

Local political and religious leaders, led by Garissa Township MP and National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, participated in the five-kilometre marathon.

Organisers said the marathon was aimed at bringing cohesion and integration between Kenyans after one of the worst terror attacks in the country.

Speaking after finishing the marathon, the Garissa Township MP said the fact that people of different walks of life turned up at the memorial was a true testimony that they were united against terrorism.

Mr Duale told a battery of local and international journalists that the Garissa University attack was one of his darkest moments.

He said the attack was not exceptional as terror acts could occur anywhere in the globe, citing the recent Brussels attack that left scores dead.

Mr Duale, however, appreciated the effort done by the government after the terror attack in Garissa.

He noted that the posting of top security chiefs who hail from the region had largely led to improvement of security in the area.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Kenyans for standing with Garissa at their hour of need, this clearly shows that we are united to defeat this menace by the name Al-Shabaab.

“I also appreciate the government because security was boosted and a request by leaders to post local security heads to the region was also granted,” he said.

The Garissa Township lawmaker said local residents had stood and mourned with parents and relatives who lost their loved ones during the attack.

“We will stand united and as Kenyans we will not allow the pen to be replaced by the bullet, we are here one year later to tell the nation and the whole world that what is happening in Brussels, Istanbul in Turkey can only be defeated when we come together globally,” he said.

The memorial was also attended by other leaders including Garissa Governor Nathif Jama, Elias Bare Shill (Fafi MP), Garissa Woman Representative Shukran Gure and Nominated MP Abdinoor Mohamed.

“We would like to tell parents and relatives who lost their loved ones that our spirits are with you and pray to Almighty God that God will comfort you and together as nation and country we remain united,” he added.

Mr Duale said the incident was a game-changer on security matters since many business were closed and many civil servants and teachers left the region.

He said, however, that most of them had returned, in solidarity with Garissa residents.

Various activities went on after the memorial marathon, including interfaith prayers.

{The 600 million US dollar bribery scandal involving London-based ICBC Standard Bank yesterday took a new turn following the arraignment of three Tanzanians, including former Commissioner General of the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Harry Kitilya.}

The accused are facing several counts, including money laundering. Other accused persons are former Miss Tanzania and head of investment banking at Stanbic Bank Shose Sinare and Sioi Graham Solomon, the former Chief Legal Counsel to the bank.

Other charges include forgery, uttering false documents and obtaining six million US dollars (about 12bn/-) by false pretence. Before Senior Resident Magistrate Emilius Mchauru, the trio denied the charges. They were remanded until April 8, when the court is set to deliver a ruling on an application for bail.

The defence team, led by Dr Ringo Tenga and Mr Semu Anney had requested the court to grant bail to their clients. However, the prosecution comprising Principal State Attorney Oswald Tibabyekomya, Senior State Attorney Christopher Msigwa and Stanley Luwoga from the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) remained opposed to the request as the case involving money laundering was unbailable.

The prosecution told the court that on diverse dates between August 2012 and March 2013, within the city of Dar es Salaam, the three accused persons conspired together and other people who are not in court to commit an offence of obtaining money by false pretence from the government.

On August 2, 2012 at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited headquarters in Kinondoni District in the city, with intent to deceit, Sinare made a false Standard Bank’s financing proposal dated August 2, 2012. She purportedly showed that Standard Bank London in collaboration with Stanbic Bank Tanzania would raise a loan amounting to 550 million US dollars for the government of the United Republic of Tanzania at a facilitation fee of 2.4 per cent of the principal amount, the fact she knew to be false.

The court heard that on August 13, 2012, the former Miss Tanzania allegedly fraudulently uttered the false document at the ministry of finance within Ilala District in the city. It is alleged further that on September 20, 2012, at Stanbic Bank, Sinare made a false mandate letter for proposed offering of 550 million US dollars financing, purporting that Standard Bank PLC in collaboration with Stanbic Bank would raise the money for the government if engaged as a lead manager.

The prosecution alleged that the same accused person uttered the said letter at the office of the ministry of finance for similar purposes. On November 5, 2012, at Stanbic Bank in thecity, all the three accused persons, with intent to deceit, allegedly made a false collaboration agreement purporting to show that the bank has established a consortium to collaborate with Enterprise Growth Market Advisors (EGMA) Limited.

The purpose, according to the prosecution, was to arrange for financing in the amount of 550 million US dollars to the government of Tanzania under which EGMA would arrange for negotiation and meeting involving the financing to facilitate understanding on the technicalities of the financing to the government.

It is claimed further that the EGMA was also to arrange for review finance documents and facilitate the provision of relevant documents or approval that would be required by relevant Tanzania authorities, the fact which the accused persons knew to be false.

According to the prosecution, in March 2013 in the city, Kitilya, Sinare and Solomon, with intent to defraud, jointly and together obtained from the government six million US dollars (about 12bn/-) by falsely pretending that the money was a facilitation fee payable to EGMA Limited. Such amount, it is alleged, was to facilitate together with Stanbic Bank Tanzania a loan to the government of the United Republic of Tanzania in the amount of 600 million US dollars.

The prosecution further charged the three accused persons with money laundering, an offence allegedly committed between March 13 and September, last year, within the city of Dar es Salaam. They are alleged to have directly engaged themselves in a transaction involving six million US dollars by transferring, withdrawing and depositing money relating to that transaction in different bank accounts maintained by EGMA Limited at Stanbic Bank Tanzania Limited and KCB Bank Limited.

The prosecution told the court further that the accused persons ought to have known that the said money was the proceeds of a predicate offence, which is forgery. It was reported recently that the London-based ICBC Standard Bank paid 33 million US dollars after admitting it failed to prevent bribery by two bankers at a sister firm in Tanzania.

Media reports from UK say the deal, sanctioned by a High Court judge, was the first time the SFO had used its powers to strike a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA).

The UK court heard two officials at Stanbic Bank in Tanzania, which is a subsidiary of the London bank, paid $6m to a third-party in Tanzania to help secure a deal for the bank to raise the 600 million US dollars for the Tanzanian government. It later emerged that six million US dollars was paid to Enterprise Growth Market Advisors, a company linked to two senior government officials.