Tag: GreatLakesNews

{The UN has removed from its peacekeeping mission Major Nicolas Budigi over allegations of human rights violations in Burundi.}

The UN has repatriated Burundi army officer Major Nicolas Budigi from MINUSCA, a UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic (CAR).

The repatriation followed allegations that the officer has been involved in acts of human rights violations in Burundi in 2015.

“We were asked [by the Inner City Press] about allegations of human rights violations regarding an individual staff officer from Burundi deployed to our mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, in January”, said UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq during the noon briefing session on 21 February 2017.

He said that after looking into the “information received by the Secretariat regarding these serious allegations from 2015, prior to deployment with MINUSCA, we have decided to repatriate the officer with immediate effect”.

Gaspard Baratuza, the spokesman for the Burundi Army, reticently says the repatriation was made on the basis of unfounded accusations relayed on Twitter by detractors of the officer who “attacked him starting when he was deployed”.

“Those who decided to expel him from the peacekeeping mission did not come and make their own investigations”, he says. “They relied only on allegations by people like Pacifique [Nininahazwe, an exiled rights activist] who are against him probably because he refused to do what they asked him to do for them”.

Major Budigi was deployed to the MINUSCA last January. The UN Deputy Spokesman said he didn’t know how the officer avoided the first screening. He said after the allegations were brought to the UN, “there has been some further look into the allegations against Mr Budigi and as a result of that he’s been repatriated”.

The UN has banned from its peacekeeping missions a number of Burundi army officers, including the current Army Spokesman Gaspard Baratuza, alleged to have violated human rights.

Source:Iwacu

{The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) justice Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi is set to jet into the country for a historic visit to Northern Uganda that was affected by Joseph Kony’s rebellion.}

According to a statement released by the office of the ICC field outreach, justice Gurmendi’s visit is aimed at having first-hand experience of the activities of the victims affected by the two-decade war.

Ms Fernandez is expected to arrive in the country tomorrow (Thursday) at the invitation of the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV). She is expected to stay in the country for one week.

Mr Jimmy Otim, the Assistant outreach filed coordinator of ICC further explained that justice Gurmendi’s visit will create an opportunity to generate awareness and support of the Rome Statute Act.

The ICC president is expected to visit war victims at Lukodi village in Bungatira Sub County, Gulu District, where 54 locals were massacred allegedly under the command of former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander Dominic Ongwen in May 2004.

Mr Ongwen is currently at ICC detention centre in The Netherlands facing 70 counts of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity he allegedly committed in northern Uganda during the insurgency.

Ms Fernandez will be accompanied by delegation of the Trust Fund for Victims who include Mr Motoo Noguchi, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Ms Mama Koite Doumbia, Member of the Board of Directors.

Her visit to Northern Uganda comes barely two months after the Registrar of the same court; Mr Herman Von Hebel had also visited Northern Uganda.

He among others visited Lukodi massacre site in Gulu where several civilians were killed by LRA rebels in internally displaced camp.

Source:Daily Monitor

{Four young men have been found strangled and dumped in vehicle in a garage at Gitaru in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.}

Police say the vehicle, which was parked at the garage on Wednesday morning, spent the whole day there without mechanics inspecting its cargo.

The man who parked it left and Kikuyu police chief Joseph Ongaya said they were hunting for him.

Also wanted is the owner of the vehicle, whose identity police are likely to get from the Kenya Revenue Authority.

Mr Ongaya on Thursday told the Nation that the bodies had head injuries that they suspected were caused by blunt objects.

The corpses did not have any identity documents and have been taken to the City Mortuary in Nairobi.

Source:Daily Nation

{Kinshasa – The Democratic Republic of Congo said on Wednesday it was investigating “facts brought to the public’s attention” after a video purportedly showing government troops massacring civilians prompted outrage.}

The seven minutes of footage that emerged over the weekend shows a group of uniformed men opening fire, then walking among at least 20 bodies, apparently in the violence-wracked central Kasai region.

Past calls to probe the incident were rejected by the government but a statement issued by Kinshasa signalled a change of tack.

“After the broadcast on social networks of this atrocious video caused gossip in past days… a commission of military judges has been sent to verify the facts,” the statement said.

The aim is to “shed light after the declarations of international opinion about the persistent allegations of serious violations of human rights attributed to elements of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces” it added.

The alleged incident occurred during an operation in a village called Mwanza Lomba in Kasai, according to the government, which said the commission had already made arrests.

Anyone with information about the alleged crimes committed has been urged to come forward.

The United States and France on Monday urged Kinshasa’s government to open an inquiry, with a US State Department spokesperson condemning the “heinous abuses” seen in the video.

The Kasai 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.

At least 200 people have been killed since then, leading the UN mission in the country to pledge at least 100 peacekeepers for the region.

The authenticity of the Kasai video has not been proven.

It appears to have been shot with a mobile phone by a member of an eight-man squad of troops who speak Lingala (the army’s official language) and Swahili (the language of the eastern DRC).

Two other videos emerged on Monday, supposedly taken in the same region, also purportedly showing abuses by DRC forces.

Source:AFP

{A number of killings have taken place recently in the DR Congo (DRC), including one allegedly perpetrated by military personnel. Nick Elebe says that it is necessary to have a real response to real issues.}

A video surfaced on social media recently purportedly showing members of the Congolese army opening fire and killing unarmed civilians in the central Kasai region.

Government officials have rejected international calls to investigate the video. In an unrelated incident in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 25 Hutus were killed by a rival ethnic group over the weekend.

Nick Elebe is the Democratic Republic of Congo country manager at the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa based in DRC and he told DW that the government needs to address these killings directly.

DW: The government initially dismissed the video as fake but later referred to “excesses” and said that two soldiers, including an officer, were already facing military justice. What do you make of this rather confused response by the government?

Nick Elebe: The video of the shooting has been done by someone taking part in the operation but there simply is no way to authenticate this video. I also listened to the spokesperson of the government try to explain that the video was a montage done by an opponent, which I don’t think is the right way to go. The important thing for now is to have a real investigation into what exactly happened in Kasai.

What can you tell us about the killing of Hutu civilians reported over the weekend in the east of the DRC. Has ethnic tensions in the region been getting worse recently?
I think the ongoing situation in Beni, Butenbo, in North Kivu is a long story. And again, there is no investigation being taken by the Congolese authorities. There is a lot ofd talk about the situation over there and about the responsibilities that are shared between the different actors. But there is no initiative to all hold those who committed this accountable.

{{What impact will this violence have on efforts to set up a transitional regime in the DRC?}}

I think this is one of the reasons why it is important now to have real response to real problems. Maybe your question should be “what will be the impact of all this violence on the electoral process itself.” And clearly, this violence will have an impact. One of these impacts might be on the capacity of voters to go and register, because the voter role to register is ongoing. Number two will be, what will be the role of these militias on trying to influence voters.

Source:DW

{A cross-section of leaders and ordinary Ugandans yesterday welcomed reports of planned talks between President Museveni and ex-presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, calling the development a manifestation of political maturity.}

Whereas Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze said he was not aware of the dialogue initiative, which has been a highly controlled process over the months, the President of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party on whose ticket Dr Besigye stood for president last year; was more measured.

“Since 2011 we (FDC), among other opposition parties and civil society organisations (CSOs), set four pre-conditions that would have to be met before we engaged in any dialogue with the government,” Maj Gen Muntu Mugisha noted, without giving specifics, adding: “The same pre-conditions have been our basis for any dialogue (post 2016 elections) in all interactions between us and all actors who have approached us on the issue of dialogue. I am not aware that those preconditions have been fulfilled. Without their fulfillment I do not see any dialogue (taking place).”.”

“As far as we (as government) are concerned, we have no comment,” minister Tumwebaze said, calling the reports a “Daily Monitor story”.

This newspaper, based on conversations with sources close to both President Museveni and Dr Besigye over the last three months, yesterday broke the story that the principals have agreed on a foreign mediator, a neutral venue and broad agenda for imminent talks.

The dialogue could start with a one-on-one meeting between the duo as early as next month, according to individuals briefed on the matter. The historic development is expected to be announced soon by the foreign mediator and the talks are expected to last six months and will involve the government on the one hand, political parties, religious leaders and civil society on the other hand.

The parties have spent the last several months behind the scenes discussing its modalities in a highly controlled process involving the Prime Minister’s office on the one side and a technical committee of FDC party on the other hand.

The legal framework to ensure implementation is still being thrashed out.

In an interview with this newspaper for yesterday’s story, Dr Besigye neither denied nor confirmed the talks, saying that the conditions he set for any such undertaking, as far as he knew, had not been met.

Those terms include a mutually-agreed foreign mediator, treatment of the parties as equals, a clear mechanism of implementation of agreed terms, and
He, however, added: “There are a myriad of people undertaking initiatives about talks and none of them has, to the best of my knowledge, [materialised] yet. At an appropriate time, if there’s anything significant, it will be communicated to you.”

A source close to the presidency, in a strikingly similar response, told this newspaper that: “The government is committed to dialogue. There are many initiatives going on, if one of them succeeds, the government will go with that.”

Individuals familiar with the ongoing preparations, technically referred to as “talk about talks”, are cautiously optimistic because the consensus by the President and Dr Besigye on a mediator and, in principle the agenda, is considered an unprecedented progress which in theory places them closer to actual dialogue.

The news about arrangement for the talks has received nationwide backing and across the political divide, except that some supporters of the initiative want the agenda to be expanded and participants to include more interest groups.

“DP has been the biggest promoter of dialogue. It is good for people to talk even when they disagree, they should talk,” the Democratic Party (DP) president-general Norbert Mao said.

Such dialogue, he said, should be on “national issues such as corruption, free and fair election, rule of law and should not be about resolving Luweero Triangle disputes”.

Uganda Peoples Congress leader Joseph Bossa said the it should not be bilateral talks only between Mr Museveni and Dr Besigye and respective parties NRM and FDC but representative of the country’s diversity.

“Uganda is bigger than the two and what we want is a structured dialogue, means of implementation, a mediator and agreed agenda,” he said, adding: “The key issue in the dialogue should be ensuring a free and fair election that will quarantee peaceful transition, which is good for Mr Museveni and the country.”

The push for clarity on Uganda’s political direction, a campaign involving political parties and civil society actors, has gained urgency due to concerns about transition from President Museveni to the next leader since the incumbent, under the current constitutional arrangement, would, on account of age, be ineligible to seek re-election when his tenure lapses in 2021.

“It’s good that Besigye and Museveni have accepted to come together and talk in front of a mediator. I welcome and endorse it because it was the move of the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda that advised the two to dialogue so that their tensions are cleared off,” said Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama who chairs the Uganda Episcopal Conference.

The prelate said he will pray for the success of the planned talks which, if it happens, will provide the political heavy-weights a face-to-face to tackle head-on Uganda’s intractable political problems. President Museveni and Dr Besigye have, since falling out in 1999, only publicly met twice during the Pope’s visit in November 2015 and again during a presidential debate for the February 2016 election.

If there is an opportunity to solve political standoff through dialogue to avoid bloodshed, said Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) Dr Arthur Bainomugisha, it is welcome “but whether it will succeed or not, time will tell”.

He said: “Uganda has many legal, political and constitutional reforms which I think is very critical that dialogue can help solve. Uganda has many precedents in resolving conflicts. We had many processes that resulted into peaceful ending of rebellions and many people [former rebels, political opponents who] are now in government.”

There are some sceptics, among them Ambassador Harold Acemah, the former deputy Head of Uganda’s Mission in Brussels, who said President Museveni cannot be trusted.

His reservations notwithstanding, Ambassador Acemah said “this should be an open dialogue where religious, political and civil society organisations should not be left out to discuss key issues of poverty, security and corruption in the country”.

The career diplomat is not alone. Mr Hebert Nakabugu, a resident of the eastern Jinja town, said he doubts that President Museveni and Dr Besigye can sit together and genuinely discuss the national development issues because “each one knows the other`s weakness; that will lead the country into big challenges”.
FDC assistant secretary-general Harold Kaija told journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, a Kampala suburb, that there were no talks in the works.

Attempts by different actors to get President Museveni and Dr Besigye, a four-time challenger, to the negotiating table, following some false starts over the years, began soon after the February 2016 elections when several emissaries went to Dr Besigye’s home. He was also visited by a retired judge in his prison cell in Luzira with a message of dialogue.

The three-pronged efforts that have culminated into the latest development involved religious leaders and elders, Women’s Situation Room that monitored last year’s elections and some NRM leaders.
All these efforts have converged and seem close to bearing fruit. Uganda’s new Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, is one of those involved in the shuttle diplomacy.

“I didn’t know about the planned talks; I have only read it in papers. But this is a good idea for the future of our country,” said Mr Stanley Katembeya, the FDC party chairman in Mbarara District.

His NRM counterpart Jomo Mugabi said: “It is a very good development. Besigye and Museveni are not enemies of this country; everyone says they want to see a better Uganda.”

Source:Daily Monitor

{Five members of the US Congress are urging the Kenyan government to reconsider a proposed sh43 billion purchase of 12 armed aircraft and related elements intended for use in Somalia against Al-Shabaab.}

Four Republicans, joined by a Democratic member of the Congressional Black Caucus, suggested on Tuesday in a letter to Nairobi’s envoy to Washington that the potential deal appears to be a bad deal for Kenya.

The lawmakers told Ambassador Robinson Njeru Githae that they “have reason to question the propriety of the acquisition.”

At the same time, the congressional sceptics are urging their colleagues to block the proposed transaction. They are also calling on Congress to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kenya’s pending agreement to buy a dozen armed Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft, two trainer planes and technical support and programme management services from L3 Technologies.

{{FAR LOWER PRICE}}

The five congressmen said in their letter to Ambassador Githae that L3 “has no experience converting agricultural aircraft into intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft with precision-strike capability.”

“One aspect of his process that concerns us,” the US House members added, “is whether any misrepresentations about capabilities have been made.”

A different company with proven experience could provide Kenya with field-tested aircraft and related elements at a far lower price, the congressmen said.

“Spending sh43 billion of Kenyan national funds on aircraft that could be acquired for over sh20 billion less from a company that has years of past performance and an existing production line is not an optimal allocation of scarce defence dollars,” Ambassador Githae was told.

The alternate company, which goes unnamed in the letter, is IOMAX USA. It is based in a part of the state of North Carolina represented in the US House by Congressman Ted Budd, the leader of the effort to halt the proposed deal with L3.

“We believe Kenya would benefit by exploring its options in regard to this acquisition,” Mr Budd wrote in a letter also signed by Congressman Sanford Bishop, an African-American Democrat, and three Republicans: Walter Jones, Jeff Duncan and Mark Meadows.

{{ONGOING INVESTIGATION}}

“We ask that the government of Kenya take these facts, in particular the prospect of an ongoing congressional investigation of this sale, under consideration as it decides whether or not to proceed with this arms purchase.”

James Braid, a senior aide to Congressman Budd, said in an interview on Tuesday that the type of converted agricultural aircraft manufactured by IOMAX has been used to drop at least 2000 bombs on Islamic State targets in Yemen, Syria and Libya. Those attacks were carried out by the United Arab Emirates, which purchased 48 of the planes from IOMAX, Mr Braid noted.

Kenya’s proposed deal with L3 has been approved by the State Department, which declined to comment on the five Congress members’ allegations. The process for finalising a deal under the US Foreign Military Sales programme also involves a 30-day review by Congress. That period came to an end last Sunday without any formal expression of opposition to the proposed Kenya-L3 agreement.

But Mr Braid says the deal can still be blocked if Congress supports Mr Budd’s call for an investigation. The US government’s executive branch, headed by President Donald Trump, could also intervene to halt the sale, Mr Braid noted.

{{TRANSPARENT BUYING PROCESS}}

US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec has defended the propriety of the process whereby an arms sale to Kenya would be made.

“The process underway is transparent, open and proper,” the US envoy declared in a statement issued last Saturday. “This potential military sale would be carried out wholly in keeping with appropriate laws and regulations.”

No deal would be concluded, Ambassador Godec added, until the Kenyan Ministry of Defence receives “a detailed US government document that will clearly describe each item to be purchased and service to be provided along with an estimated cost.”

Kenya can then negotiate a purchase price, he said.

Kenya will thus have “the opportunity to review the offer line by line and make a final determination on the Air Tractor aircraft package,” Ambassador Godec stated.

Source:Daily Nation