WATCH: chaos in HARARE as police provoke Zimbabweans to loot shops and burn cars (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjNkrzYTHDo

“In what has been seen as an attempt to forestall Friday’s multi-party mega demonstration, police in Harare on Wednesday descended on MDC-T youths who were marching in the city centre, resulting in chaos as police fired teargas and randomly truncheoned members of the public, leaving many shops closed and city centre deserted. In the ensuing melee, angry protesters retaliated against the police brutality…” (African Yellow, 2016)

WATCH: Zimbabwe police fire tear gas, gunshots to quell HARARE protests (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BOapu9wogE

“Zimbabwe police have fired tear gas, water cannons and gunshots to stop hundreds of youths protesting against police brutality in the capital, Harare. Police and protesters fought running battles downtown Wednesday. Police fired water cannons and gunshots into the air after some protesters attacked a supermarket owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko. Protesters also set on fire a vehicle belonging to state-run broadcaster Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation. A journalist was among those beaten by police. The main opposition MDC-T party’s youth wing organized the protest to denounce what they described as worsening police brutality against political and civil rights activists. Police were deployed heavily outside Parliament and on the main streets in late afternoon, forcing shop owners to abandon their business…” (Africa Junkies, 2016)

Barclays and Standard Chartered picketed in London over Bidco business (23.08.2016)

Bidco Protest

Members of Prince Charles’ Banking Environment Initiative fail to cut ties with companies that deforest in Africa.

KAMPALA, Uganda, August 23, 2016 – East African protesters have taken to the streets of London to demonstrate against banks that do business with Bidco Africa, highlighting the connection between global financial institutions, The Prince of Wales and widespread deforestation in Africa.

Barclays and Standard Chartered saw their London headquarters picketed due to their funding of Nairobi-based Bidco, a company that cuts down thousands of acres of pristine rainforest in Uganda, and engages in human rights and tax violations in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Bidco Truth Coalition (No2Bidco.org), an activist alliance, has revealed that the Banking Environment Initiative (BEI), based at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership under the patronage of The Prince of Wales, is failing in its mission to lead the banking industry in collectively directing capital towards environmentally and socially sustainable economic development.

The BEI’s nine member banks are Barclays, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds, Northern Trust, RBS, Santander and Westpac.

By signing up to BEI’s ‘Soft Commodities’ Compact, the nine banks have committed to only direct capital towards sustainable business models and achieve zero net deforestation among their client Companies.

Under BEI guidelines, member banks must drop clients that don’t measure up to socially and environmentally responsible policies.

Bidco Africa, which has engaged in multiple human rights, labour, tax and environmental violations, has publically stated that it does business with Barclays, Standard Chartered, Citibank, Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank.

Bidco owns an oil palm plantation that has deforested 18,000 acres of rainforest in Uganda. Bidco has also grabbed land from over 100 smallholder farmers.

The environmental impact of the palm oil project has led activists to call on the UN Global Compact to eject Bidco from its roster of members.

In 2004, the World Bank pulled out of Bidco’s Uganda project, citing violations of the World Bank’s anti-deforestation policies.

But BEI has remained silent, and Barclays, Standard Chartered and other banks continue to do business with Bidco Africa.

The Bidco Truth Coalition calls on BEI, its patron, The Prince of Wales, and BEI’s nine member banks to publically state that they will no longer do business with Bidco and other companies that destroy the environment.

Press Statement: Vote for UPC in Omoro and Rubanda Districts (24.08.2016)

UPC 24.08 P1

UPC 24.08 P2

Major General (retired) Patrick Cammaert of The Netherlands to lead an independent Special Investigation into the violence in Juba (23.08.2016)

UN House Juba

The Special Investigation team will undertake a field visit to Juba to interview the relevant interlocutors.

NEW YORK, United States of America, August 23, 2016 – The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Major General (retired) Patrick Cammaert of The Netherlands to lead an independent Special Investigation into the violence in Juba, South Sudan, in July 2016, and the response of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The investigation will review reports of incidents of attacks on civilians and cases of sexual violence that occurred within or in the vicinity of the UN House Protection of Civilians (POC) sites in Juba. It will also determine the actions of UNMISS and whether the Mission responded appropriately to prevent these incidents and protect civilians within its resources and capabilities at the time. In addition, the investigation will review the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Terrain Hotel and assess the Mission’s response.

The Special Investigation team will undertake a field visit to Juba to interview the relevant interlocutors. A final report will be presented to the Secretary-General within one month, the findings of which will be made public.

Major General (retired) Cammaert recently led a HQ-Board of Inquiry on the circumstances of the clashes that occurred in the UNMISS Protection of Civilians site in Malakal, South Sudan, on 17-18 February 2016. He previously had a distinguished military career in both The Netherlands with the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the United Nations, including as Force Commander in United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), as Military Advisor to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), and as General Officer Commanding the Eastern Division in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

DP Statement on current affairs Omoro Election, Kifeesi Police, Parliament Amendments and Police Reshuffle (23.08.2016)

DP 23.08.2016

Kampala August 23, 2016– The Elections for the Omoro District Woman MP will be held next week Monday 29th August 2016. We wish to retaliate that our Candidate Pamella Grace Lanyero is still a front runner in the race. We have finalized all efforts to protect the vote and this week we shall round up the campaigns with three Main Rallies. We shall with effect from tomorrow send our teams led by Members of Parliament; DP Whip Hon Ssewungu Joseph Gonzaga and the Women President Florence Namayanja. The Party President Norbert Mao will be the overall Field Commander. We have mapped the Constituency to the effect that the DP District Leaderships are to be deployed in respective sub-counties. This therefore puts a straight forward warning to all those with ill intensions of pandering in malpractices. The Kifeesi teams, crime preventers and police should therefore limit themselves only to the constitutional provisions pursuant to Electoral laws. We wish to participate in a free and fair process and we shall not be liable for any repercussions pursuant to contradicting the process.

Constitution Amendment Bill 2016

We are also concerned about the proposal, which is part of several amendments proposed in the Constitution Amendment Bill 2016 and is spearheaded by the Nakifuma County MP to provide for an open term of office for Commissioners under the Electoral Commission. The Bill seeking to extend the term of office of the Commissioners from the current ten-year non-renewable term to an open in a guise to allow for the Commission to retain more experienced individuals to run it is a blunder. This move by all means serves interests of Government and the President in particular. The appointment and permanent retention in such a move is ploy of recycled inefficiency and reward for stealing a vote at a period when no one has trust in the Commission as the President’s employees. This is evidenced in rewarding Eng. Badru Kiggundu in his new appointment as in-charge of Karuma and Isimba Power Dams Construction for the job well done in the EC. We are aware that this is a pilot plot to pave way for Life Presidency and we ask the President and his team to put their hands off the destiny of Uganda.

Police Public Relations Office Reshuffle
The country received the news of the reshuffle of the former Police PRO Fred Enanga. It is never astonishing that the Police Spokesperson is reshuffled because we have seen many come and go. What is startling is how a one Fred Enanga is replaced by the cantankerous Andrew Felix Kaweesi. The move saves Fred Enanga from living a life with his foot perpetually in his mouth. The Party is convinced that this reshuffle at such a time is uncalled for, diversionary and a political move from the IGP to cover up his recent mess in the Police but worse still; the organized mob he aided to attack the Courts of Judicature. We wish to stand clearly and state that the appointment of Kaweesi as the Police image, whether in interim or utilitarian capacity is not welcome at all. The personality of the Spokesperson brings out the entire image of the institution and that cannot be Kaweesi. We have a track-record of him from the days when he was in charge of the Police training school in Masindi. All Police officers who were passed out during his time have messed up the institution and haven’t acted any different from Aron Baguma, Arinaitwe Bwana among others. These are the fruits of Kaweesi!

When he was appointed Kampala Metropolitan Zonal Police Commander, his rough, inhuman and deadly actions as an individual are still fresh in the minds of the people of Kampala and the Metropolitan. This was a bit covered up when he was transferred to head the Human Resource Department and AIGP Director of operations. We have for long known that this is the true image of the Police, but the appointment of a person of such calibre will leave all Ugandans weeping whenever he appears in the media to justify police positions. Whereas the entire institution is rotten, we are convinced there is a better rot than Kaweesi! As a Party, we task Kaweesi in his new capacity to parade IGP Kale Kayihura instead of parading lower officers such as the truck driver. The IGP is at large and he disobeyed Court Criminal Summons.

Kakande Kenneth Paul
Publicity Secretary

 

Pakistan: Notice under Rule 256 of Rules of Procedure of Provincial Assembly of Sindh, 2016 to move the following Resolution (23.08.2016)

Pakistan Resolution 23.08.2016

ALCU of North Dakota Statement on First Amendment violations at Dakota Acess Pipieline Protests (22.08.2016)

DakotaAccessPipeline

Cannon Ball, N.D.The curbing of peaceful protests at the site of the Dakota Access Pipeline construction is in violation of our core principles of free speech.

Jennifer Cook, policy director of the ACLU of North Dakota has released the following statement on the government action regarding ongoing demonstrations at the site of the Dakota Access Pipeline construction in Cannon Ball, ND.

“The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy and the interference with that right by agents of the counties and the state of North Dakota violates both the spirit and letter of the First Amendment.  As the courts in this state have recognized, the First Amendment forbids the enactment of laws ‘abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.’  The protest at the Dakota Access pipeline is precisely the type of assembly protected by the First Amendment.  Peaceful protest is at the core of the First Amendment and restrictions to such activity, such as the closing of highways with the effect of preventing assembly or effective messaging of protesters, should be viewed skeptically.  Law enforcement agents have a duty to ensure that the rights of protesters are protected, not just the rights of corporations. While law enforcement officers have a right to ensure the safety of all of our citizens, this goal should be achieved by ensuring that all citizens, including protesters, are protected and that there are enough police in place to prevent violence, but not prevent peaceful protest or assembly.

The ACLU of North Dakota supports peaceful protests and encourages protesters to know their rights.  Anyone who believes their First Amendment rights have been violated should contact us at www.aclund.org/get-help.”

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (23.08.2016)

drc-election

The Secretary-General continues to follow closely the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in particular the political dialogue process. He takes note of today’s meeting of the preparatory committee to the national dialogue convened by the Facilitator of the African Union, Edem Kodjo.
The Secretary-General recalls that in resolution 2277 (2016) the Security Council underlined the importance of a credible and inclusive political dialogue to ensure peaceful, credible, inclusive, transparent and timely presidential and legislative elections, in line with the Constitution.
The Secretary-General once again calls on all political stakeholders in the DRC to engage in an inclusive political dialogue in good faith to overcome the impasse in the electoral process. He notes that there is no alternative to a credible political dialogue in the DRC and further urges all actors to refrain from any action that could increase tensions or lead to violence.

Opinion: The U.S. we’re hoodwinked by Kenyan Government on Dadaab; If not it looks like it!

Dadaab Refugee Camp

The Jubilee Government and their leadership have conned themselves from a giant heist today. The heist includes innocent civilians who fled civil wars and disasters in their home country either in South Sudan, Ethiopia or Somalia for safety in Kenya. The reality is that these refugees are pawns in the money game made-up by the Kenyan Government under the lead of CS Interior Joseph Nkaissery who used his powers to succumb the West with their ideals and wishing for the bail-out they needed.

The Dadaab Refuguee Complex we’re a pawn on the chess-set in the fitted schedule of the Government. Therefore the debt-rising government of Kenya just needed to schedule a closure of the settlement to spread fear of their hospitality. With the sense of national security that they could sell to own citizens and also the international community; the news of the closure just happen about the time the European Union we’re triggering negotiations with Turkey about the immigrations and transport of refugees from the Greek Islands toward the Turkish hinterland. This is the kind of cash-flow that Deputy President William Ruto wanted to taste and also President Uhuru Kenyatta. They got their loyal man CS Nkaissery to speak their peace and pay respects to the Somalian Authorities with threats of serving them the fleeing population back to the shores of Mogadishu. Take a look!

Joint Communique from Kenya and Somalia:

“H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta and H.E President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held bilateral talks at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, 7th June, 2016. The meeting reviewed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues in particular peace, security and stability in Somalia, repatriation of refugees from Dadaab and economic cooperation” (Full Joint Communique from Kenya & Somalia ‘On Dadaab’, 2016).

Update from Ministry of Interior:

“For reasons of pressing national security that speak to the safety of Kenyans in context of terrorist and criminal activities, the Government of the Republic of Kenya has commenced that exercise of closing Dadaab Refugee Complex. The refugees will be repatriated to their countries of origin or to third party countries for resettlement” (…) “What is worse is that Kenyans have to pay for the water while refugees get it for free, not to mention the enormous economic cost to businesses in Kenya furthered by the use of the camps as smuggling centres for contraband goods. Refugee camps have become centres for poaching human trafficking and proliferation of illicit weapons which compromises Kenya’s international security rating” (…) “Finally, government shall be putting out a timetable for the execution of the representation process once the Taskforce presents in report, which should be ready by or before 31st May” (Kenya Ministry of Interior, 2016)

From the US to Kenya:

“WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, August 23, 2016 – Today, Secretary of State John Kerry announced in Nairobi that the United States is providing more than $146 million in additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to support refugees, voluntary returnees, and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This new funding includes a significant new contribution of more than $59 million for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to protect and assist refugees in Kenya, and support voluntary refugee returns to Somalia. In addition, the funding includes new humanitarian assistance of more than $87 million in food and non-food support for refugees and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This announcement brings the total of U.S. humanitarian assistance in Kenya and Somalia to nearly $265 million in fiscal year 2016” (…) “The funding announced today will support UNHCR and other international humanitarian organizations as they provide for basic survival of thousands of vulnerable people and durable solutions for refugees, and as they help assist with efforts to improve conditions for return inside Somalia. This contribution is available to support UNHCR’s enhanced plan for the voluntary return and reintegration of Somali refugees from the Dadaab camps and to ensure that any returns that take place from Kenya are truly voluntary, safe and dignified, consistent with international law, and within the framework of the Tripartite Agreement among UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia” (U.S. Department of State, 2016).

Kerry Kenyatta

So the initial plan payed off for the Kenyan Government that they made sure to get extra funds using the Dadaab Refugee Complex and supposedly close it. Well, that doesn’t have to happen if you give us some more donor-aid or general agreement for funding it. Then we can walk away from it. That is how it looks like as the closure of Dadaab happens as the UNHCR and voluntary return of refugees. This is seems like a scheme for me. Not a legit action from the Government of Kenya. They did it when the refugee transports and the negotiations in Europe happen and the Kenyans thought! Why can’t we do the same?

Seemingly with time the U.S. Government knows the issues on the Horn of Africa and in East Africa, as they are allies with Ugandan counterparts, Ethiopian counterparts and also the Kenyans. All of them are involved in the AMISOM mission in Somalia. So the liability of making it more fragile will make it not feasible for the economic development projects from United States to the area if the place turns into shambles. The stability is needed and the Dadaab isn’t a hotbed, but is giant fatigue on the NGOs and the Governments as they are not temporary housing anymore. It’s been static for decades now and the Kenyan wants to get their rewards for their humanitarian activity. So why not the extra donations from the American Government as the looming election and the other prospects as the U.S. Government want to be in peace and diplomatic to the Kenyans.

The Kenyan Government felt the pressure of the International Community as they planned to close the Dadaab. The Multi-National Organizations that are supporting the Camp would be frustrated as much as all the people who wouldn’t have a place to go to or secure future. The mentality of the government proves to what level they will use leverage to gain capital and the fiscal funds. While shipping the rest of the billing are going on the USAID and UNHCR. Peace.

Reference:

U.S. Department of State – ‘Additional Funding for Kenya and Somalia’ (23.08.2016)

Kenya Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government – ‘GOVERNMENT STATEMENT AND UPDATE  ON THE REPARATION OF REFUGEES AND SCHEDULED CLOSURE  OF DADAAB REFUGEE CAMP’  (11.05.2016)

Full Joint Communique Republic of Kenya and Federal Republic of Somalia ‘on Dadaab’ (09.06.2016)