Tag: GreatLakesNews

{The United Nations announced aid worth $5m on Saturday to help people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the violence-wracked Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.}

The remote, central region has been plagued by violence since mid-August when government forces killed a tribal chief and militia leader, Kamwina Nsapu, who had rebelled against the central government of President Joseph Kabila.

At least 400 people have been killed since September, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in DR Congo.

“Today, throughout the three (areas of) Kasai, we count 200 000 internally displaced people, 32,000 returned, and more than 400 dead, including 66 in the month of January alone,” OCHA said in a press release.

The $5 million grant, released through its Central Emergency Response Fund, will be for a maximum period of six months to save the lives of about 108 000 people.

“The majority of the affected population is still sheltering in places often located in the bush,” OCHA said. “These displaced people have no access to drinking water, nor to basic food or health services.”

The UN organisation added that the insecurity that continues to plague the province has forced many schools to close, “depriving some 53,000 students of normal schooling” this year.

Kasai is a particularly isolated and under-developed region in DRC.

Clashes between government forces and Nsapu supporters, which began in the central Kasai. have steadily also engulfed the east and west areas of Kasai.

In February, a seven-minute video posted to social media, which appeared to be taken by a cellphone, purported to show a massacre of unarmed men and women by Congolese soldiers apparently in the central Kasai area.

The government first qualified the video as a “ridiculous montage,” rejecting international pressure to investigate. But two days later, it did an about-face, saying it was looking into the video “as a precautionary measure”.

Source:AFP

{One UPDF soldier was shot dead while another sustained minor injuries in a cross fire as the army and Uganda Wildlife Authority security officials repulsed M-23 rebels that attempted to cross into Uganda at Sabinyo in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Kisoro District on Tuesday.}

The head of the district security committee, also the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, Mr Shafique Ssekandi, identified the deceased UPDF soldier as Lance Corporal David Ojuna and the injured as John Busoborwa.

According to Mr Ssekandi, the incident happened at around 3pm on Tuesday. Three M-23 rebels were arrested and another one shot dead during the gun fight.

He said on Thursday that the body of the deceased soldier was to be transported to his home for burial, while the deceased M23 rebel was buried in the Kisoro Municipality cemetery.

He added that the captured M-23 rebels have been handed over to the UPDF Second Division headquarters in Mbarara Municipality.

Source:Daily Monitor

{The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Tuesday stealthily flew out to Somalia the soldier who lost his manhood after he was tortured by senior army officers. }

His lawyers now fear that Cpl Majibu Ssebyara, whose horrid account of beastly torture by his superiors Daily Monitor exposed in December 2016, could be summarily tried and “unfairly convicted, sentenced and in the worst case scenario executed.”

Human rights lawyer Ivan Mugabi, who has been representing the embattled soldier for two years, told Saturday Monitor: “I talked to him on phone on Tuesday and he inquired what he would do. I told him to plead to the army that he has had lawyers for two years so he can’t take part in proceedings without his lawyers. He was meant to be tried yesterday (Wednesday) but I have lost communication with him and the army is not giving his attorneys and family audience.”

According to the lawyer, the soldier, alongside four unidentified others, was picked from Makindye Military Barracks detention cells in Kampala at 4am, driven at breakneck speed to Entebbe International Airport from where they were hauled into a waiting plane. It is at this point that the soldier sent his lawyer a text message, seen by this newspaper, which read: “I am being flown to Somalia. I don’t know what to expect. Pray for me and my family.”

The five soldiers were flown out alongside officers of the General Court Martial who will try them in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, where a contingent of the UPDF is deployed as part of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

“My reliable sources in the army say the plot is to have them convicted in Somalia because the lawyers in Kampala are a stumbling block. We condemn and shall resist this impunity and gross violation of his right to a fair trial to the best of our human ability. We shall resist attempts by a few rogue elements to take Uganda back to the dark days of Idi Amin and even worse,” lawyer Mugabi said.

When contacted on Thursday, army spokesman Brig Richard Karemire said: “We don’t sneak people out of the country; least our own. If he was taken to Somalia that becomes a court matter and it will be handled by the court martial.”

Cpl Ssebyara’s troubles date back to June 12, 2015, when tension heightened at the UPDF base in the lower Shabelle region in Somalia after a tin containing ammunition for a 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun vanished, leaving him as a suspect. He would later be tortured culminating in the loss of his manhood. Pictures seen by this newspaper that were adduced and admitted in court as credible evidence show the soldier screaming as he balances in space with his hands tied to a metal bar and a black sack suspended and dangling between his thighs, the navel area growing red and his male organs subjected to the pressure and weight of the sack.

In an August 8, 2016 affidavit sworn in support of his application challenging the trial at the General Court Martial, Cpl Ssebyara recounted how he was, “undressed, insulted and tied by the hands on a steel bar, a bag of about 15 kilogrammes tied and hanged on the penis and testicles.” He was then handcuffed and dumped in a metallic container for 24 hours.

Medical reports dated October 6 and November 2, 2015, from Nakasero Hospital in Kampala and Bombo Military Hospital respectively indicate his right testicle had become smaller than the contralateral (opposite) testis, was non-tender and he suffered from “chronic right testicular infarction and internal echogenicity with no flow.”

The 15-kilogramme weight blocked blood flow to the testicles of the father of three, causing decay. Cpl Ssebyara can neither get an erection nor pass urine normally. Attempts by his lawyers to get him further treatment have fallen on deaf ears of the military authorities. Under Section II of the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012, the errant soldiers can be held liable in their individual capacity for the torture.
On September 2, 2015, Cpl Ssebyara was arraigned before the General Court Martial in case file UPDF/GCM/15/2015 (Uganda versus RA/145680) and charged with failure to protect war material contrary to section 122(1)(2)(g) of the UPDF Act, 2005, an offence that attracts a death sentence. He pleaded innocent to the charge and challenged his trial before the army court in the High Court.

In their affidavit dated August 25, 2016, and September 14, 2016, army witnesses Col Frank Kyambadde, Maj Tom Bbalibya, and Maj Raphael Mugisha claim Cpl Ssebyara admitted he handed the missing ammunition to a Somali citizen.

In a November 22, 2016 judgment, High Court Judge Patricia Basaza Wasswa declared the trial “illegal, null and void” and issued an order staying the proceedings and ordered that the army court, which the Supreme Court in a landmark case of Attorney General Vs Joseph Tumushabe (constitutional appeal number 3 of 2005), ruled was subordinate to the High Court, to discharge the soldier and never use evidence obtained through torture to try him.

She also rejected as unfounded the army’s claim that Cpl Ssebyara attempted to sell ammunition to the unnamed Somali at $1,000 (Shs3.8 million) and on failure to seal the deal, he buried the same in a hole in a compound of the potential buyer.

Rather than obey the High Court judgment, the army instead charged Cpl Ssebyara afresh on December 12, 2016, with, “offences relating to security,” contrary to section 130(1)(a) of the UPDF Act. It is for this offence that Cpl Ssebyara has been sneaked out of the country for a trial his lawyers now allege is designed to secure a conviction and sentence outside the “inconvenience of lawyers in Kampala.”

When this newspaper first broke the story, Gen Katumba Wamala, the former Chief of Defence Forces, promised the army would investigate the matter but no results have emerged from that promise.

This newspaper understands the court martial has a session in Somalia but lawyer Mugabi says: “It is strange to take a soldier facing trial in Uganda for another court session there ordinarily is meant for soldiers serving in Somalia.”

{{Trial annulled}}

On September 2, 2015, Cpl Ssebyara was arraigned before the General Court Martial in case file UPDF/GCM/15/2015 (Uganda versus RA/145680) and charged with failure to protect war material contrary to section 122(1)(2)(g) of the UPDF Act, 2005, an offence that attracts a death sentence. He pleaded innocent to the charge and challenged his trial before the army court in the High Court. In their affidavit dated August 25, 2016, and September 14, 2016, army witnesses Col Frank Kyambadde, Maj Tom Bbalibya, and Maj Raphael Mugisha claim Cpl Ssebyara admitted he handed the missing ammunition to a Somali citizen. In a November 22, 2016 judgment, High Court Judge Patricia Basaza Wasswa declared the trial “illegal, null and void” and issued an order staying the proceedings and ordered that the army court, which the Supreme Court in a landmark case of Attorney General Vs Joseph Tumushabe, (Constitutional appeal number 3 of 2005), ruled was subordinate to the High Court, to discharge the soldier and never use evidence obtained through torture to try him.

Source:Daily Monitor

{A senior Kenya Wildlife Service officer was shot dead and a ranger injured by suspected poachers at Galana Kulalu near the Tsavo East National Park.}

Four poachers were also killed during the Friday evening shootout.

The injured ranger is being treated at St Joseph Shelter of Hope Hospital in Voi, Taita Taveta.

According to Voi police boss Joseph Chesire a manhunt is underway for two suspected poachers who escaped. One of them escaped with serious gunshot wounds.

Sources from KWS said the suspects escaped with guns recovered from the slain officer.

Two weeks ago another poacher was killed at the Tsavo East National park.

Poaching incidents in the Tsavo escalated in the recent past with some citing the invasion of livestock into the park as the main reason for the spike.

More than 80, 000 livestock from the North Eastern part of the country have invaded the Tsavo in search of water and pasture.

Source:Daily Nation

{Three most wanted poachers have been found guilty and sentenced to 12 years in jail each by the Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dodoma, in one of the heaviest penalties aimed at stopping poachers who target endangered species.}

The court ordered the three convicts, notably Boniface Methew Malyongo, infamously known as ‘The devil has no mercy’ or ‘Shetani hana huruma’ in Kiswahili, to remain behind bars for such period for illegal possession of 118 pieces of elephant tusks worth over 2bn/-.

Apart from ‘Shetani’, who the prosecution described as ‘the King of Ivory’, other convicts are his brother Lucas Malyongo, alias ‘Ruksa Mponze’, alias ‘Shimie’ and Abdallah Ally Chaoga, alias ‘Babu’. The long sought ‘Shetani’ was charged with other accused persons for sabotage crime.

The case was presided over by Resident Magistrate Joseph Fovo, who is Resident Magistrate-in-Charge. The prosecution led by State Attorneys Paul Kadushi and Salimu Msemo, said the poachers committed the offence between January 2009 and October 2015, contrary to the Economic and Organised Crime Control Act, 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009.

A total of 11 prosecution witnesses gave evidence to support the charges. The prosecution had also tendered 15 documentary exhibits, including three motor vehicles (Mitsubishi Cantre with Registration Number T. 765 DAC, Honda CRV T 674 ARL and RAV 4 T 922 ATZ.

Mr Msemo had requested the trial magistrate to provide the convicts with a tough penalty to serve as a lesson not only to them but also to whoever else would be tempted to commit similar crimes.

He submitted that elephants are among the endangered species that need heavy security, thus a deserving penalty is needed on those found guilty.

According to him, killing of elephants was disrupting ecological system as it takes years for one elephant to glow long tusks. The trial attorney further requested the court to seize all the cars used as per the Wildlife Conservation Act No 5 of 2009.

The magistrate granted the prosecution’s request, ruling that the three vehicles used in the transportation of the government trophies, are seized and forfeited to the state.

The Anti-Poaching National Task Force arrested ‘Shetani hana Huruma,’ in September, last year, in connection with the crime. He was charged with leading organised crime and unlawful dealing in government trophies.

The prosecution alleges that between January 1, 2009 and October 23, 2015 at diverse places within Dodoma and Dar es Salaam regions, all accused persons jointly and together accepted, transported and sold 118 pieces of elephant tusks valued 1,929,300,000/-, the property of the government.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons had no trophy dealer’s licence or a permit from the Director of Wildlife Conservation.

Source:Daily News

{President Museveni yesterday, in the company of Ethiopian premier Hailemariam Desalegn, capitalised on the opportunity to express displeasure with the impasse over the new framework that seeks to replace colonial agreements on sharing and usage of the River Nile.}

Although careful and measured not to upset Egypt, which is very sensitive over the use of the Nile waters, Mr Museveni took an indirect swipe at Egypt for its refusal to put signature to the new agreement, saying now is the time to wrap up discussions over the matter.

“The Nile issue is very important and hence the need to have equitable use and ensure cooperation,” Mr Museveni said, adding that “the ongoing issues that never come to an end are because of disinformation or misinformation.”

The Nile issue was a top agenda yesterday during bilateral talks between the two heads of state, who also discussed the political crisis in South Sudan, Somalia and trade between Uganda and Ethiopia.

With an estimated length of 4,132 miles, the River Nile is considered the longest river in the world. Its catchment area is shared by the 10 countries of Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, better known as the Nile riparian states.

The Nile riparian states 17 years ago established the Nile Basin Initiative, an intergovernmental body, to iron out differences over sharing of the Nile waters, but in 2010, a new charter known as the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) or the Entebbe Agreement was adopted to guide a new course of cooperation.

Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo, Ethiopia, and Kenya signed the new agreement but Egypt and Sudan declined, insisting on the pre-colonial agreements which grants them bigger quotas of the Nile waters but which the former interpret[ed] as granting “monopoly” over the river. Egypt signed an agreement with Britain in 1929 and Sudan signed another with Britain in 1959, granting them larger quotas of the river flow.

The CFA’s main principles are equitable and reasonable utilisation of the waters of the Nile. In 2013, Sudan made a U-turn and requested admission into the CFA leaving isolated Egypt, which continues to repudiate the new agreement arguing that it negatively affects its current share.

President Museveni, when asked whether they did not need to first scrap the colonial agreements, skirted the question, saying “we don’t have to go into debate over colonial agreements; we were not there then, but are here now and it us to resolve the issues of the river.”

But as a way forward he indicated they had resolved to hold a Nile Summit in June to be attended by all Nile riparian head of states to conclude the matter.

Egypt [and Sudan] declined to sign the CFA specifically over Article 14(b) which requires members “not to significantly affect the water security of any other Nile Basin States.”

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was in Uganda last December in attempts to drum up the matter and rally President Museveni as an ally. The use of the Nile already sowed discord in relations between Egypt and Ethiopia, especially after the latter undertook construction of the mega Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Mr Desalegn, on his part, expressed optimism that the June heads of state summit over the matter would have it concluded. “Since the agreement (CFA) was adopted here in Entebbe, we hope it will be concluded here as well,” he said.

The Nile has two main tributaries, the White Nile that starts its journey from Lake Victoria in Jinja, and the Blue Nile that has its source at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, which both merge in the Sudan en route to the Mediterranean Sea.

Source:Daily Monitor

{Magufuli tells investors to invest domestically in smelting plants.

President John Magufuli yesterday banned investors from exporting mineral sands, directing the Energy and Mineral Minister, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, to fully enforce the sanction.}

Dr Magufuli earlier outlawed the export of mineral sands in July last year during his tour of Kahama District. But, it seems, the order was not fully executed, prompting the head of state to reissue the directive afresh.

“I believe this event is beamed live and the minister (of energy and minerals) is following it closely… no more exports of sand from the country is allowed because these people have stolen from us for many years,’’ the President said here on his first day of a working tour of three regions — Coast, Lindi and Mtwara — that kicked off at Mkuranga-based Goodwill Tanzania Ceramic Company Limited.

He was invited to lay the foundation stone for the ongoing construction of the tile production factory. The President said it was high time the country owned its own mineral processing industries right here in the country to purify the mineral sands.

“It’s surprising to see that the country has huge unpaid debts, yet we are endowed with natu ral resources, including minerals that are exported to Europe for processing, leaving our people languishing in poverty,’’ he said, adding: ‘‘That is why I’m opposed to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which if signed, will favour Europeans and kill our industries and jobs for our people.”

At a joint press conference with visiting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni at the State House last week, Dr Magufuli disapproved EPA, which aims at creating a free trade area between EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, describing the agreement as not only bad for the country but another form of colonialism.

The country’s top office occupant underscored the need for total independence in the country, saying Tanzania targets establishment of many industries.

The transportation of mineral sands from various mines for smelting outside the country, according to Dr Magufuli, was robbing the nation of its rightful earnings due to weak monitoring on the amount and value of minerals recovered from the sands. Sand

Source:Daily News