Tag: GreatLakesNews

A Somali journalist was freed after being detained without charges for more than a week for speaking out against the imprisonment of a fellow reporter.

Daud Abdi Daud was released but he said Wednesday that the Somali government wants to charge him in court with “offending the president’s wife.” Government officials declined to comment on Daud’s claim that he will be charged.

Daud, a Radio Kulmiye reporter, said he was released Tuesday after more than a week in custody, though authorities treated him well.

He said his arrest stemmed from an incident last week when a Mogadishu court handed down one-year prison sentences to a woman who said she was raped by security forces and a reporter who interviewed her.

Daud said he spoke at the court saying that a journalist can interview any woman at her home, even if she is the president’s wife, and that prompted his arrest.

Journalists’ rights groups expressed outrage over Daud’s arrest. Human Rights Watch asked Somali authorities to immediately charge or release Daud.

“They should not be shutting down free expression by jailing journalists and throwing away the key,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Somali authorities declined to comment on Daud’s arrest.

Reporters Without Borders said the arrest is an obvious act of intimidation, one that casts doubt on the sincerity of the Somali authorities.

“The police and courts must not become an additional threat to Somali journalists, who are already exposed to enormous dangers,” the group said.

Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon on Tuesday said that due process must be observed in the administration of justice.

Shirdon said that the Independent Task Force on Human Rights, which was launched earlier this month, will be looking at human rights abuses committed over the past 12 months.

“I reiterate my government’s commitment to a free press and freedom of speech. Journalists should feel that they are not alone. It is essential that they are able to work freely and effectively without facing additional difficulties,” Shirdon said.

Somalia is one of the world’s most dangerous countries in which to practice journalism, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Last year 18 Somali journalists were killed yet no one was arrested.

So far this year one reporter has been killed making it 45 journalists killed since 2007.

The alleged rape victim in the case Daud attended was charged with insulting a government body, inducing false evidence, simulating a criminal offense and making a false accusation.

Freelance journalist Abdiaziz Abdinur was charged with insulting a government body and inducing the woman to give false evidence.

Three others charged in the case, including the woman’s husband, were acquitted. All the defendants denied the charges in court.

Rights groups said the handling of the rape case is politically motivated because the woman had accused security forces of the assault.

Rape is reported to be rampant in Mogadishu, where tens of thousands of people who fled last year’s famine live in poorly protected camps. Government troops are often blamed.

Agencies

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has admitted prosecuting the post election violence cases facing four Kenyans is “difficult”.

ICC President Sang-Hyun Song cited the imminent elections and logistics as a cause for worry.

Two of the suspects, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, are contesting the elections on a joint presidential ticket in the March 4 vote.

South Korean judge Song said the trials are meant to start in April, but “since there are so many variables here, we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“At the moment, I must admit that the logistics aspect of the Kenya case, for example, is not necessarily easy,” Justice Song said in a speech at Columbia University in New York Tuesday.

He said the suspects are free and the court has to rely on their word to cooperate with it.

“These four suspects are under summons to appear. They are not arrested people. They kept on saying they will comply with the ICC procedures and so on and so forth.

“How they will come all the way to The Hague to attend the trial and for how long?”

On Thursday, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto will attend a status conference through video link but other accused former Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and former radio presenter Joshua arap Sang will travel to The Hague.

On Tuesday, the government and ICC officials in the country were working to agree on a venue — either a hotel or institution — where Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto will link with the sitting at the Hague led by ICC Trial Chamber presiding judge Kuniko Ozaki.

The video conference will bring together judges Christine Van den Wyngaert and Chile Eboe-Osuji, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, registrar Silvia Arbia, defence legal teams, lawyers for victims and friends of the court.

“The court, in cooperation with Kenyan authorities, would work on the modalities to ensure the possibility of the accused participating in the hearing via video link.

The location of the video link is made confidential for security reasons,” said ICC Outreach coordinator for Kenya and Uganda Maria Kamara.

The ICC Trial Chamber had ordered the four suspects to either appear in person or attend through a video link.

“The main purpose of the status conference is to discuss the conditions of the summonses to appear issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber/ as well as to address any practical, financial and/or legal matters related to the attendance of the accused at trial, including the modalities of the accused’s stay on the territory of the Host State during the trial,” they said in their communication.

“Given that these issues impact directly on the accused, the Chamber considers this to be a hearing requiring the accused’s attendance and the accused are ordered to attend the status conference, either in person or via video link.”

On Friday, the High Court will rule on a case challenging the eligibility of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to contest the General Election.

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Uganda has submitted to the African Union (AU) its candidature for the post of President of the UN General Assembly, a position if acquired will allow it greater influence on the international scene.

In submitting her bid Uganda will have to fend off a similar bid by Cameroon which has also expressed interest in the seat for the 69th session that will run from 2014-2015.

However, the AU has deferred its decision on the matter and Uganda’s other bids to host the AU center for post conflict reconstruction and development till further notice, ostensibly to allow for further consultations.

Addressing the press Tuesday on the outcome of the recent AU summit held in Addis Ababa, foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa reiterated that it was Africa’s turn to hold the seat, more so East Africa.

“The continents have held the seat including other parts of Africa, with the exception of East Africa which held the seat in 1979. This is East Africa’s turn,” he said.

If Uganda’s bid sails through, he said, Uganda would use her position to push for the inclusion of an African country on the UN Security council. Africa has never been represented on the council.

“We will lobby for the representation of Africa on the Security Council and that country should enjoy that same veto powers like any other country on the Council,” Kutesa said.

Uganda has in the past held stints at the UN but as a non-permanent representative to the Security Council, the most recent being in 2009-2011.

The Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) is considering taking legal action against the Ugandan representatives in the regional Parliament over truancy.

The House was on January 31, 2013, the last day of the Eala sitting in Bujumbura, Burundi, seriously disrupted.

Eala Speaker Margaret Zziwa, also Ugandan, had to adjourn proceedings of the House for 15 minutes over lack of quorum.

An inside source told the Political Platform that Ms Zziwa suspended the proceedings following an Eala member from Rwanda Patricia Hajabakiga pleading with the House to look for the absent lawmakers.

Rule 13 stipulates that the quorum of House or a committee of the whole assembly shall be 12 elected members, provided it is composed of at least three of the elected members from each partner state.

“If at any time of sitting, or when the House is in committee, any member objects that there is no quorum present, the Speaker or the Chairman shall, on ascertaining it to be true, suspend the proceedings of the House for an interval of 15 minutes during which a bell shall be rung,” reads the rule.

It further says that if on resumption of proceedings after the expiry of the 15 minutes, the number of members present is still less than 12, the Speaker or the Chairman, as the case may be, shall adjourn the House or the committee of the whole House.

After efforts to trace the Eala members proved futile, sergeant at arm Ezekiel Migosi conducted a roll call, which confirmed that almost all Ugandan representatives were absent.

The Eala Speaker announced the attendance of the regional members from each country. All eight members from Burundian were present, as one was out on permission.

The attendance of the Eala members from Kenya was four. Two of them though had asked for permission, three others were nowhere to be seen.

While all nine lawmakers from Rwanda were present, seven Eala members from Tanzanian were present. One of them was on an excuse duty and another one was outside of Parliament hall.

On the Ugandan side, only two representatives had asked for permission, while seven others had snubbed the sitting for unknown reasons.

Adjourning the Eala session until April 2013 due to the dearth of quorum, Ms Zziwa said she would consult the counsel to the EAC in order to advise the apt action to be taken against the absent MPs.

Efforts to get word from counsel to the EAC Wilbert Kahwa and the Eala Senior Public Relations officer Bobi Odiko proved futile as both were out of the country on official duties.

But lawyers privy to the Eala rules told the Political Platform, however, that there was nothing in the Rules of Procedure of the House enabling the Speaker to punish errant members at the moment.

To an extent, nonetheless, rule 52 allows for suspension of members if they are grossly disorderly, but in this case, a motion must be moved.

However, one of the Eala members told the Political Platform that Eala is set to amend the procedures at a later date to ‘tighten them’.

Anna Mghwira, a Tanzanian political commentator, has voiced her support for the first female Eala Speaker to punish members of the august House for absenteeism in a bid to curb the challenge of poor attendance among lawmakers in the region.

“In addition to punishing the absentees at the Eala level, the Ugandan national Parliament should also consider questioning its representatives at the regional assembly,” she explained.

A man who says he is the son of former DR Congo President Laurent Kabila has been charged in South Africa with plotting to overthrow the government of Joseph Kabila.

Etienne Taratibu Kabila is alleged to be the leader of 19 other people who were charged last week.

Etienne Kabila says President Kabila is not the true son of Laurent Kabila.

His claims about the president and to be the former leader’s son have been dismissed by DR Congo’s government.

Etienne Kabila handed himself in to police at the weekend.

He was not asked to enter a plea and the case was postponed until Thursday, when his case will be joined to that of the other 19.

Prosecutors said they belonged to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Union of Nationalists for Renewal (UNR) rebel group.

South Africa’s counter-terrorism forces arrested them last week in the northern Limpopo province under the country’s Foreign Military Assistance Act, which is intended to crack down on mercenary operations in the country.

DR Congo has been hit by numerous rebellions throughout Joseph Kabila’s rule.

He took power in 2001, after the assassination of Laurent Kabila and has since won two elections.

BBC

Members of FROLINA party in Burundi were attacked by unknown assailants while they were attending a meeting at Gatete near Rumonge region.

According to media reports, the meeting was to explain the reasons that pushed them to replace the former party president Joseph Kalumba.

The same reports say that the attack was sponsored by Joseph Kalumba allegations he categorically denied.

The Burundian police says they are investigating the matter .

Five people have died of cholera of the twenty cases recorded last week at the Central Prison of Boma Kipushi in the district of Haut-Katanga (Katanga) of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Prison sources indicate that two of the victims died in prison and 3 others at the referral hospital of Kipushi, where the management of the epidemic is assured.

According to the same sources, 19 prisoners were released last weekend to avoid being infected.

Among them, thirteen Congolese were handed over to the district of Haut-Katanga for their return to their families, while Zambians were accompanied to the border of Kasumbalesa to facilitate their return.

More than 2,300 cases of cholera, 76 deaths were registered in Lubumbashi and several territories of Katanga, from December 2, 2012 to February 3, 2013.

Burundi Legislators who arrived in Mogadishu at the weekend have met Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and Speaker of the Federal Parliament Mohamed Osman Jawari.

Speaker Jawari said on Monday, during one of the meetings that the government is happy to establish links with the legislative house of Burundi.

Burundi is one of the African nations that deployed troops to Somalia to keep peace under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).

Mr Emalein Hakizima, the Chairperson of the Burundian Parliament Defence Sub-committee, stated that the visit would enhance collaboration between the two governments.

The ten-man delegation also met President Mohamoud at Villa Somalia, the country’s State House in Mogadishu.

The MPs later met commanders of Amisom and the African Union’s Special Envoy to Somalia, Mohamed Salah Anadif.

“Somalia is recovering from years of bitter wars. We are engaged in diverse activities meant to rebuild the country and to restore security,” he said.

Other countries that form Amisom are Uganda, Kenya and Djibouti.

A UK report has advised Uganda oil debate should move beyond politics.

The report notes that Uganda has built up considerable technical knowledge in the preliminary phases of oil development, a new oil report has noted.

This underscores the long-term efforts of President Yoweri Museveni to building strong individual and institutional capacity to manage Uganda’s nascent oil and gas sector.

The report, “Oil in Uganda: International lessons for success,” authored by the Royal Institute of International Affairs, however, noted that the management of the oil sector is set to change with oil-related legislation currently before Parliament or just passed.

“These changes bring risks that the role of Uganda’s technocrat will be confused, overshadowed by the involvement of political actors or subverted,” the report predicts.

“In Norway responsibility for management of the oil sector is split between a national oil company, a petroleum authority and the government. It is the model that Uganda seems set to follow.”

The report warns that while the checks and balances built into such a system are positive, the complexity of setting up such an institutionally heavy system risks confusion over roles and expense.

It recommends that it will be important for Uganda to monitor the effectiveness of its systems carefully, to ensure that expert voices are not drawn out.

The report notes that the process of rebuilding Uganda’s politics and society after years of war and misgovernment was driven by the National Resistance Movement, and the Government has achieved a transformation of the country, including economic and social stability.

However, challenges remain, especially the need for confident and well-respected social voices to emerge that are able to rise above the short-term political imperatives that are normal in any democracy and instead offer a longer-term, nuanced view, the report says.

“Though there are long-established social actors in Uganda, from churches to traditional kingdoms and NGOs, they are sometimes controversial and potentially divisive. Uganda’s private sector, though growing, remains nascent.”

The report adds that one of the biggest challenges in coming years will be ensuring that strong social actors emerge.

“They should not be considered as acting in opposition to government, which will remain the task of political parties, but instead be able to articulate alternative views and perspectives on the overall direction of the country.”

Notably, according to the report, this is likely to demand the emergence of a commercial class.

Given Uganda’s natural advantages such as fertile land and a large rural population, it is likely that agriculture will play a central role.

“But agriculture, along with all export-led business, is sensitive to currency appreciation, one of the possible results of large-scale oil-related spending,” the report notes. It is for that reason that some form of mechanism to regulate spending is important.

“Such mechanisms take many forms around the world, from sovereign wealth funds of the type instituted in Norway to fiscal rules limiting the percentage of revenues governments are able to spend.”

The report asserts that Uganda is in the advantageous position of being an established democracy with enshrined legal media freedoms.

“But the fact that much decision-making remains relatively centralised and the population is spread across remote rural communities’ means that many may feel disconnected from a collective development goal,” the report states.

The report cautions that Uganda has time on its side, but must not waste it.

“The debate on oil must move beyond the politics of the present and look to the long-term. Oil will be central to Uganda for decades to come.”

NV