Tag: GreatLakesNews

{{United States has warned that lack of “professional militaries” could plunge the East African region into a bloody crisis.}}

“Strong, professional militaries are essential to regional security. Security, in turn, is essential to development as it allows economies to prosper and democratic institutions to grow,” said US Ambassador Scott Delisi on Monday in Uganda.

“If, however, those militaries threaten that prosperity, if they do not support the democratic institutions they are meant to uphold, then the foundation of our efforts crumbles, and East Africa risks falling back into the bloody cycle of revolution and counter-revolution,” he warned.

Scott was speaking at the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop dedicated to improving regional responses to transnational and irregular threats in eastern Africa.

The workshop was launched by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and co-hosted by the Government of Uganda.

The comments come hardly a week after Uganda Defence officials threatened that the army was “closely watching” political trends in the country and would not hesitate to seize government with the intention of “refocusing” the country.

{{Norway, Sweden and Denmark have followed Ireland’s lead and asked Uganda to return the money which was allegedly misappropriated by government officials.}}

An investigation by the country’s Auditor General found that $13.4m in aid had been diverted.

The diverted funds had been allocated for the northern Uganda reconstruction programme and misappropriated by officials in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and Britain froze their aid to Uganda after the scandal was revealed.

The AFP reported yesterday that following Ireland’s announcement in November that Uganda had pledged to return four million euros of Irish funds, the three Scandinavian countries have all asked to be reimbursed by the Ugandan Government.

Norway says its only asking for a partial refund, since its aid was paid into a special account that made it easier to identify fraudulent transactions.

“We have asked to be repaid 23 million Kroner ($4.2m) and we have been promised that we will be refunded,” AFP quoted Astrid Versto, a spokesperson for the Norwegian minister of international development, as saying.

{{At least six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up amongst a group of security officials outside the Somali prime minister’s office on Tuesday, army officials said.}}

“I saw the dead bodies of six people and several others were injured,” said Abdukadir Ali, a Somali military official who stayed near the scene of the attack in central Mogadishu.

It is believed that many of those killed or wounded were soldiers or police.

“The bomber was sitting near a perimeter wall and detonated himself in the midst of a group of security forces,” Ali added. “There was chaos, smoke and pieces of human flesh.”

Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Said was in his office at the time when the attacker struck, officials in his office said, but he was not harmed by the blast.

“The area was closed down by the security forces… I saw several dead soldiers and others injured being rushed to hospital,” said Mohamed Hussein, a witness.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, but the Al-Qaeda linked Shabaab insurgents have conducted a series of guerrilla style attacks in the capital.

The insurgents have vowed to topple newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office in September after being chosen by the country’s new parliament, bringing an end to eight years of transitional rule.

Shabaab fighters are on the back foot, having fled a string of key towns ahead of a 17,000-strong African Union force, which is fighting alongside Somali government troops to wrest territory off the Islamists.

Ethiopian troops are also battling the Shabaab in the southwest of Somalia.

But the Shabaab remain a potent threat, still controlling rural areas as well as carrying out guerrilla attacks – including suicide bombings – in areas apparently under government control.

War-ravaged Mogadishu was hit last year by a string of bloody bomb attacks, although it has been more calm in recent weeks.

A car bomb in December killed three people, while in November a suicide bomber attacked a restaurant.

{wirestory}

{{The Tanzanian High Court has finally granted bail to film actress Elizabeth Michael alias Lulu who was charged with manslaughter.}}

Lulu allegedly killed without intention a local movie star Steven Kanumba on April 7, 2012 at Sinza Vatican in the city.

Kanumba’s mother is allegedly on a hunger strike saying she will not eat anything in protest of the release of Lulu.

However, the actress did not walk free yesterday due to the absence of the district registrar of the Dar es Salaam zone who was to ensure compliance of bail terms imposed by the court.

Judge Zainabu Muruke wanted Lulu to secure two sureties who are government employees to sign a bond of Sh20 million each.

The court ordered her to surrender all her travelling documents to the district registrar and she is barred from travelling outside Dar es Salaam Region without the registrar’s permission.

She is also required to report to the Registrar office first date of every month until completion of her criminal case.

The ruling by Judge Muruke follows application by lawyers representing the actress who requested the court to grant bail to their client pending determination of her case.

According to the lawyers Peter Kibatala and Flugence Massawe, the offence that the accused is charged with is bailable and she has been in remand prison for more than seven months.

The application was filed under section 148 (1)(2) of the criminal procedure Act that give the court jurisdiction to grant bail to an accused person who is charged with bailable offence.

They stated that, the applicant who is currently remanded at Segerea Prison, awaiting trial, stands charged with the offence of manslaughter in Criminal Session Case No. 125 of 2012 which is pending before the court.

That the committal proceedings in respect of the charge that were instituted in the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Kisutu were completed on December 21, 2012, and the presiding magistrate, Christine Mbando, committed the applicant to the High court for trial.

“It is my understanding as the applicant’s advocate that if admitted to bail, the applicant is willing and able to fulfill all bail conditions which this court may deem just to impose,” the lawyers stated.

According to Kibatala, he had ample opportunity to be acquainted with the applicant as well as her family and on that basis he knows for a fact that the applicant is a person of good character, reliable and is under the care of her parents who all are ready to ensure the fulfilment of the conditions and to ensure that she appears in court as and when required for the trial or for any other purpose.

Lulu, the lawyers further explained, is a public figure and resident of Dar es Salaam and hence within the environs for easy monitoring of the fulfilment of any bail conditions.

On their side, republic led by State Attorney Joseph Maugo and Kishenyi Talemwa did not objected to the application.

{Thecitizen}

{{The spokesman of the Movement of March 23 (M23), Bertrand Bisimwa, said Sunday January 27, if the dialogue resumed with consideration of all the items on the agenda, a favorable outcome is possible.}}

According to him, M23 movement and the Kinshasa government will agree on several points, despite small differences that continue to oppose.

Negotiations between the rebels and the government have been suspended the last weekend due to the summit of the African Union, which opened Sunday, January 27.

Ugandan Minister of Defence, Crispus Kiyonga, facilitator of this dialogue said, the meeting of Heads of States and Governments, should in principle return to Kampala on Monday.

Until the facilitator convenes a meeting of sharing their views and plenary, delegates of the Kinshasa government and the M23 are hoping that this week will see intense work begins.

These negotiators should focus on the two reports they filed with the facilitation, on the first item on the agenda. It is on the evaluation of the agreement of 23 March 2009.

This agreement was signed between the Congolese government and the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) from which the M23 emerged.

{{A level playing field for both big and small airlines remains a key challenge in the complete liberalisation of air transport in East Africa, a senior aviation official has said.}}

The other challenge, according to Ladislaus Matindi, the principal aviation officer engineer, are the low EAC regional and international airport capacities, safety oversight and security concerns.

As a result, Matindi said, EAC partner states have been granting rights among themselves through outdated policies based on the old Bermuda type agreement with emphasis on bi-lateralism, reciprocity and protectionism.

“Some partner states with small and weaker airlines are concerned that full liberalisation may lead to the disappearance of their airlines as a result of anti-competitive behaviour such as abuse of dominant position by the bigger airlines,” said Matindi in a statement last week in Arusha while meeting EAC officials.

The aviation industry in East Africa faces several challenges but is also rife with opportunities and resources, especially the new found oil and gas.

Despite these challenges, Matindi said several efforts have been made to liberalise the sector following the ministerial decision relating to the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Declaration (of 7 October 1988) regarding Liberalisation of Access to Air Transport Markets in Africa.

He said the council was expected to consider a draft of proposals by the end of May this year.

Matindi said the framework and the application of the EAC Common Market Protocol will enable partner states eliminate, between themselves, all the economic restrictions in the aviation sub-sector related to capacity, frequencies, city pairs, cabotage, and designation of airlines.

“With the foregoing developments, it is hoped that operational efficiencies and increased frequencies and capacities will lead to higher levels of service in the aviation market in the region and also lower fares and freight charges,” said Matindi.

He added that the issues were being addressed through the development of airport projects and the EAC Civil Aviation and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), which is overseeing the implementation of the revised regulations covering aviation safety and airports and aerodromes security.

The council of ministers also approved amendments to Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASAs) between states.

There has been an increase in city-pairs connections among the EAC partner states and countries have adopted multiple designations of airlines and are progressively removing limitations on frequencies, capacity between the city-pairs in the region and traffic rights.

NV

{{South Sudan on Sunday expressed deep disappointment over the ongoing deadlock with its neighbor Sudan, blaming the international community for failing to resolve differences with the Sudanese government.}}

South Sudanese justice minister John Luk Jok said his government had done everything possible to resolve differences with Sudan, maintaining Khartoum had shown a lack of interest in ending the ongoing conflict.

Jok added there was also little courage from the international community to take “bold decision[s]” over the failure to respect and honour agreements which the two governments signed to end their long-running disputes.

“As the [South Sudanese] government, we have done everything possible to end this conflict but the problem has always been on the other side,” Jok said on Sunday.

“The government of Sudan has never shown interest in resolving differences through peaceful dialogue and the international community shows little courage to take bold decision[s] to ensure the peace agreements are implemented”, he added.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his Sudanese counterpart Omer Al-Bashir were summoned to high-level bilateral talks earlier this week at the AU ahead of an African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss the implementation of agreements they both signed last September.

This follows their failure to resolve ongoing disputes over border regions, rebel groups, oil exportation and the status of contested areas, as well as Abyei final status.

Jok said Sudan was taking advantage of the reluctance of the international community to live up to its moral obligations.

While expressing his country’s gratitude to the African Union (AU), regional bodies and the UN for their support during mediation efforts, “that were exerted to help us resolve through peaceful dialogue outstanding issues with Sudan”, Jok said stronger action was needed to end the cycle of conflict.

“This support should not end with [the] signing of the agreement. They should also extend them to implementation”, Jok said.

He said ongoing efforts must continue to focus on supporting peace and development in the continent, which would in turn bring stability and tangible results for member states and their endeavours.

Khartoum has also refused to allow the South to export its oil through Sudanese territory until it severs ties with the Sudan People’s Liberations Movement-North (SPLM-N) rebel fighters, active in the Sudanese border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

South Sudan denies it is providing support to its former allies, accusing its neighbour of stalling negotiations by reneging on earlier agreements and making unfair demands.

Speaking at the AUPSC meeting on Sunday, Kiir called on African leaders to “shift from rhetoric to action” and decide on a binding framework to end ongoing conflicts between the two neighbours, stressing that endless discussions with Khartoum would yield little results.

This year’s AU summit is focused on addressing crises and conflict situations across the continent, including Sudan and South Sudan.

(ST)

{{Sudanese authorities in South Kordofan have increased security measures on the border with the South Sudan after the failure of talks in Addis Ababa on the implementation of security arrangements.}}

Presidents Omer Al-Bashir and Slava Kiir failed to agree on the implementation of the security measures including the activation of a buffer zone they agreed in September 2012 to prevent a return of war between the two countries.

Khartoum and Juba failed to agree on the issue of South Kordofan and Blue Nile rebels. The Sudanese government accuses South Sudan of harbouring and supporting them, but Juba refuses to discuss the issue saying it is an internal Sudanese affair.

Juba also rejected a Sudanese demand aiming to extend the deployment of joint patrols to the border with South Kordofan to prevent cross border movements of SPLM-N rebels.

The border localities in South Kordofan are developing security measures on the border with the South Sudan in line with directives received from the state authorities, said a government-linked media on Saturday.

The SMC which is seen as a media close to the national intelligence and security services further said the security measures include the ring road of Talodi, Abu Jeibaihah, Rashad and Kllouki in South Kordofan.

The commissioner of Al-Abassiya-Tagali, Fatehi Abdallah Arabi, said the directives aim to protect the border towns, areas of agricultural production and grazing land after the collapse of talks with South Sudan.

The African Union peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in a statement released on Saturday said that the situation along the border between Sudan and South Sudan “remains calm overall, in spite of isolated incidents, while noting with concern that the situation nonetheless remains tense, with the continued threat of escalation”.

It however said concerned by the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the SPLM-N controlled areas and called on the mediation team to propose ” a Cessation of Hostilities Agreement” which is an imperative to provide the affected civilian with humanitarian assistance.

The AUSPC further urged the government and the SPLM-N to enter into direct negotiations without pre-conditions, in order to reach a political solution to the over one-year conflict in the two border states .

The Council asked the mediation to invite the two parties to start direct talks, “by no later than 15 February 2013, towards a political resolution of the conflict”.

Sudan refuses to negotiate with the rebels before Juba “disengages” with them. The SPLM-N on the other side, speaks about regime change saying an inclusive process dealing with Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan can only bring peace in the country.

The meeting extended the mandate of the mediation team led by Thabo Mbeki but asked the African panel to submit a final report next July “on all matters within its purview since its establishment in October 2009”.

The African leaders seemingly preferred to avoid taking any decision on the issue of Abyei despite the AUPSC support to the organisation of a referendum on Abyei final status next October.

Nonetheless, the meeting urged the Sudanese and South Sudanese presidents to resume their negotiations, on the key issue of the formation of the Abyei Area Referendum Commission, on the basis of the AUHIP 21 September 2012 Proposal.

The peace and security body in addition demanded the mediation to continue to assist the two Presidents to urgently resolve this issue, and requests “to report to Council, in March 2013, on the Parties’ progress for Council to make further determination on the matter”.

(ST)