Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) Press Statement on near collision on the 8th Sepember 2018 (10.09.2018)

South Sudan: Without peace deal, scorched-earth tactics and civilian suffering will continue (10.09.2018)

It is important that any political solution takes into account the needs of everyday South Sudanese people, especially marginalized groups like women.

GENEVA, Switzerland, September 10, 2018 – The signing of a peace agreement between South Sudan’s warring parties is a hopeful sign that a sustainable solution can be found for a conflict that has had tragic consequences for millions of civilians.

It is important that any political solution takes into account the needs of everyday South Sudanese people, especially marginalized groups like women, said Dominik Stillhart, the global director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“The human cost of continued conflict in South Sudan has led to humanitarian catastrophe inside the country. That’s not hyperbole. That’s fact,” said Stillhart, who visited South Sudan last week to speak with residents and view ICRC’s operations.

Civilians should not bear the brunt of conflict, but in South Sudan they often do. So far this year, the ICRC has admitted 69 children and 47 women into our hospitals with injuries from weapons. Untold thousands of children are being deprived of school and many are separated from their families.

The conflict has been particularly brutal on women. They are left to fight for the survival of their families, fleeing with their children and foraging for food. Thousands have endured rape or sexual assault. The ICRC calls on those at the negotiating table to make sure any agreement takes into account their needs, as well as those of other marginalized groups.

“Without a ceasefire, the past five years tell us that scorched-earth tactics will likely continue, as we have seen continuous and systemic disregard for international humanitarian law and the civilians that the law protects,” Stillhart said. “Aid organizations can provide relief but cannot end the violence and displacement the South Sudanese people have endured for five years — only a political solution can.”

Facts and Figures:

• From January – June 2018 the ICRC distributed 29,700 monthly household food rations to more than 223,000 people, gave 158,000 people seeds and tools for farming and 103,000 people fishing kits.

• ICRC performed 1,735 surgical interventions, evacuated 316 people with conflict-related injuries, provided consultations for more than 75,000 patients, and improved access to safe drinking water to some 273,000 people, and visited nearly 3,600 detainees.

• Together with the South Sudan Red Cross this year we have facilitated more than 29,000 phone calls between family members and their loved ones. We have also physically reunited 33 people, including children, with their families.

• We spread knowledge and respect for International Humanitarian Law. More than 1,500 military personnel and nearly 1,500 police personnel have been trained this year.

• The ICRC has been permanently active in South Sudan for 38 years.

 

Djibouti: Communique du Doraleh Container Terminal (09.09.2018)

SLM/A urges UK Parliamentary delegation to Sudan to raise issues of peace, accountability and (POWs) with the regime in Khartoum (09.09.2018)

Opinion: Al-Bashir’s government is broke, that’s why he is so invested in South Sudanese Peace Process!

Today’s news from Khartoum all makes sense, as the bread-riots and rising prices are now hitting the government, as the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir had to dissolve and cut-back on government spending, this is happening as the Khartoum government have been more involved in the Peace Process of Juba and South Sudan, than usual. Surely, there are with some reasons. I will get to those, but as there are some clear indications why, now as the Sudanese government clearly lack fiscal funds and needs to revise their budgets. As the Cabinet is shrinking in.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has decided to dissolve the country’s national reconciliation government, Al Arabiya News Channel can confirm. Instead, Bashir has reduced the number of ministries under a newly formed government to 21 portfolios. Among the changes included the appointment of Moataz Mousa as successor to Mohammed Osman Rikabi as finance minister and Sadiq Ahmed al-Nile as successor to Ibrahim Mahmoud as interior minister” (Al Arabiya English – ‘Sudan’s Bashir dissolves govt, appoints new ministers’ 09.09.2018).

Because, there was vital part of the Khartoum Declaration of 25th June 2018, that bugged me like crazy and now that Khartoum is clearly going into a deep economic struggle. Those parts of the agreement makes more sense and why Al-Bashir made himself such a sponsor of the agreement between the SPLM/A-IG, SPLM/A-IO, SPLM-FPD and the SSOA,

What was striking to me, was this article from June 2018:

To delegate the government of Sudan to take the necessary steps towards securing oil fields in South Sudan in coordination with the Government of South Sudan, and to work on the rehabilitation of the oil fields with the view to restore previous levels of the oil production. In this context, the outstanding issues between the two sisterly countries of Sudan and South Sudan related to oil sector shall be resolved” (Points of Framework Agreement, 25.06.2018).

Today, it makes even more sense, as the rise and production of oil, that will go through the pipelines will add revenue to the state on the brink of economic tragedy. Because, Khartoum cannot be in a good place economically, when they are scaling down the size of the government and ceasing ministries. That shows that the Sudanese are lacking fiscal funds and are in dire need of new revenue sources. However, that can come from South Sudan, if they get their act together, have peace and have less internal fighting. Than the pipelines can provide Khartoum steady rates of the flowing oil to Port Sudan and ensure petro-dollars. That would save the day and the face of Al-Bashir.

That is why he has taken a further stake, as he needs the oil revenue now, as his state are lacking funds. Because no sensible state overnight, makes order to scale-back without some lack of fiscal funds to run the operations of these ministries and pay for the civil servants there.

We can just await riots and trouble, unless Al-Bashir gets sudden funding. This is the writing on the wall and the reasons for sudden involvement in the peace process are now more evident too. As he needs all the barrels of oil he can, because that can save his fiscal revenue and ensure all his allies are paid. Peace.

Museveni inspired by Treebeard: Spoke for three hours and made little sense!

War, yes. It affects us all, tree, root and twig. But you must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say”Treebeard (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers).

In the dire time of need, what do you need? Yes, a long speech, longer than long Hollywood movies, so long that you forget time or even thinking of fact-checking. There was time my mind wandered everywhere, other ones that is following events, surely fell asleep in midst of the two hour history lesson and before the genuine interesting parts of the meat came to display, before that it was all liver and all fats, no pork-chops to barbecue.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni have clearly, learned a few tricks from the books of Ents, the people who speak Entish and are living trees in the middle of middle earth. Because, he used his time and wasted many people’s Sunday. Awaiting some of sort of care or consideration of the stalemate and the problems of our time. Little of that really got into the mix, as the President spoke more of his own deception and hopes that people will not questions his quotes or blended facts.

I never waste time finding out which pygmy is taller than the other one, which is a permanent occupation of some other actors; however, in terms of gauging Uganda’s recovery, it is not a useless yardstick” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

This is just a proof of his vile ignorance and his words used during this statement, as he wanted to prove a point, at the same time he was mocking one tribe of the Republic. That shows how little sense this man has, as he cannot respect the pygmy people and their struggles, but instead mock them.

Secondly, the indisciplined Opposition politicians that are accused of terrorism against the population, conspiracy to commit arson or treason should be handled firmly by all concerned – the Police, the Prosecution and the Courts. We should not allow these wrong doers to intimidate our people. Telling lies to foreigners will not help them because the facts are on the ground” (Musveni, 09.09.2018).

That he again accuse the opposition of being in conspiracy with foreign entities and powers, while also committing treason, show how he intend to destroy those elements, as they are a threat to his existence, as they are questioning his legitimacy and are also another force he cannot manipulate and control, like he does in-house within the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Where everyone are following him blindly and being Yes-Men as they need his support and meal-ticket to survive. That is why he is attacking them and issuing threats, as the Courts will ensure their demise.

Therefore, Ugandans, this lengthy speech is to assure you that Uganda is on the ascent; nobody will bring it down, no matter how hard they try. We have very powerful internal forces that will combine to defeat the primitive fascists backed by external parasitic elements. We are in the process of tightening the weak points. Be calm and supportive. The rest we shall handle” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

Just like the Ents, the Museveni had already spoken for long, when this quote came, as he continues ot pursuit the opposition and outside forces support of others. As he has to malign them and call them fascists, as he knows perfectly well, that they are not brown-shirts and oblivious to their intent. As he is just trying to picture them as something evil, to make himself look noble. While, not addressing these people with a humanizing way. Because they are primitive and parasites!

There has been so much talk about the torture by the security forces of people like Hons: Bobi Wine and Zaake. This talk is in the media and in other non-Court fora. Yet, these are matters in the Courts of Law. The questions in the minds of those who love fairness are the following: “What if those allegations turn out to be false? How will the accusers, local and foreign, rectify the injustice they have done to the Security forces? If any one of them implied or said that where I commented on the Arua events since I was on the scene, I was telling lies, will I be entitled to damages? That will be good for my Party, the NRM. Some of the NGO money via the Opposition may, in the end, help to fund the NRM. Final question in this connection: “Do the Security Forces personnel have rights according to these “human rights” activists or are they to be assaulted, beaten, stoned or maligned with impunity?.” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

Just as you thought it wouldn’t be worse, as he wouldn’t push this narrative into a darker timeline. He had to push it further, because he is not to blame and his orders of evil intent. Isn’t that bad, as the state actors acted with restraint torturing the Arua 33 and the MPs arrested at the Arua By-Election in Mid-August 2018. That is why this mess is like this and why he had this address, as the continued insecurity and the reactions to state sponsored violence are continuing. He is just trying to deflect it all and trying to make himself the victim, while his state nearly didn’t give the MPs and the other tortured victims their needed care. That is insulting.

Also, does the Security Force Command have the right to shoot and kill the driver the of Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, which you don’t even mention, because he is just mere victim of the evil opposition in your eyes, that your army and militias can attack to defend your honor. Because, your always the victim, even when everyone around are in dire straights and in the midst of violence. Your people still deserve credit and assurance, because the NRM and the ones you order around cannot act malicious. That is what your saying about the blatant disregard of people, as your SFC used bullets against civilians in Arua.

Ugandans you liberated yourselves from tyranny and death. See the mass graves in the Luwero Triangle. We are the only ones that can guarantee our future. The way it was in the past, so it is today and so it shall in the future. We are the ones to guarantee our future working with friends that respect our sovereignty and our intelligence” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

He had to 1986 people in the end, use the Bush-War as a metaphor and epistle to long Entish speech of his. Because the graves of the past, the graves of today, will be ruled by the same people, as those graves are memory of the ones lost, so that people like the Ents. As today, the latest victim of his rule had his funeral, the former high-ranking police officer Muhammed Kirumira. Therefore, it is so rich of him to end this way, as his rule started with the killings and deaths of others, and with time even more victims are piled up. Never ending story of tragedy for this one to rule.

Enough of the Ents, enough of this President who has the nerve and ways of brutally attack everyone else, but not take responsibility for the reality on the ground. That is what is striking. The pygmies should also raise up as they were insulted by their President. They should not accept to toyed around like that. Neither, should the rest of the Ugandans listening to this man, he has overstayed and continues to play with them, use intimidation and fear to control the public. Peace.

African Union Deploys Long-Term Election Observeration Mission ahead of Presidential Elections in the Republic of Cameroon (05.09.2018)

President Museveni has apparently hired a Spin-the-News Social Media Team!

There is now a leaked draft list of people circulating online, where there are known people who will be working for the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Whose job is spin the news and ensure the agenda is spread as he wishes, as the Minister of ICT and Communications Frank Tumbewaze and the Uganda Media Centre Ofwono Opondo cannot handle themselves, that is why more people are put on board.

There are certain individuals who are hired to directly spread their “news” on Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and so on. There is even one man hired to run the GCIC, which is Simon Peter Olara, who will spread the handpicked messages there. The man on conventional social media like Facebook and Twitter, who will manage that is Herbert Anderson. On Twitter there are 11 persons who is working there directly, there will be one in-charge of Diaspora and International Media Monitoring, he is Ibrahim Bagaya Kisubi. Radios and TV part of the team are Augustine Otuko. You have a Content Development made by Hussain Hudu. However, the Manager of this team is Duncan Abigaba.

What is important about the Manager of this Media Team, Duncan Abigaba is the Ex-Presidential Assistant-Research & Information. Therefore, he is a loyalist of the President and will make sure the Team is up to dropping the “knowledge” they need. He is a former leader within the NRM Youth League (NRM-YL) as well. So, he has been a voice from within. Abigaba has been until recently, the manager of the Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC). This man has really been in the midst’s of government agenda and spin, as they want.

So, when he becomes the manager of this team, that is partly hiring someone to handle the GCIC and getting the previous Presidential Assistant – Research and Information, are now making a Media Team to spin the news on the Social Media. The place where the President says it is all rumors and gossip. But clearly the President knows the importance of controlling the conservation and spread his message. That is why the state already controls the Vision Group and Uganda Broadcasting Company (UBC). This wouldn’t matter, if the President didn’t want set the agenda and not have the media looking into the facts.

This is to secure his message using a loyal man Abigaba to do this. The former leader of GCIC and NRM Youth League will ensure the message of the government is massaged to the masses. That is the clear message by the state, as they want to steer it and try to spin the news. As the need so many people as part of the Twitter Team, also the leadership of every single Social Media Page like WhatsApp and Facebook, and also Monitor the Diaspora or International Media.

Abigaba will really show his force and his ability as loyalist of the President. We will see if he can put this people up to speed, some calls this a micro-troll-farm for the President. That might be true, but if they will bring news like the GCIC handle, it will be super positive spin who is favor of the President. They will not generate facts and make sure the NRM looks like the golden goose of the world and at large. Peace.

President Museveni’s statement on the Assassination of Kirumira is just insulting!

Shiish. I rather that he didn’t write the public today, in the morning after the assassination of the former District Police Commander Muhammed Kirumira, whose been trouble ever since talking about the internal struggles of the Police Force. His been in hot-water and his house was at some point raided and he was even sent to Police Tribunal for stepping down as a Police Officer. That shows to what extent the Police does to cover-up for their own at this point.

Therefore, when reading, thank the almighty God, the short condolences message from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Still, it is infuriating as the lack of governance and lack of security protocol feaster the Republic. While he had to state this in his message today:

Condolences on the brutal killing of police officer Muhammad Kirumira at Bulenga. I visited the scene of crime at 23:00hrs. The criminals are still using the gaps I identified in my speech to Parliament. You remember the 20th June 2018 gaps? The Police Force are working hard to fill the gaps. They have started installing the cameras and other measures are being put in place. The electronic identification of boda bodas would have helped us to identify these people quickly. However, while still using the old methods, I want to salute the residents of Bulenga for, although not armed, some Boda Bodas gave chase to the killers- 4 of them riding on motorcycles – up to Mile 9” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

He had to do this and say it in this way, where he is speaking about misgivings and not counter-acting to the problems at hand. The lack of security and how easy it is to get rid of targets and problems of ths state. That is why these extra judicial killings and assassinations persist. This on-going slaughter of people by unknown men, who has targets and who guns them down. Those people must be known, which training and background, as the BodaBoda 2010 and the others should be exposed, but these killers who has taken down people in the recent years have lingered, while innocent people have been portrayed as killers in stories in the media. While, new targets are getting shot and dies. That is why these sorts of media statements and messages from the President is worth nothing.

It doesn’t help that he even writes this:

On the urban criminals, the sub- committee of security began meeting at 10:00hrs under my chairmanship and we are to stop these pigs by not just relying on the old police methods. Pending the installing of cameras etc everywhere, we are going to re-activate the Luweero methods to deal with these cowardly pigs. Wait for my announcement this afternoon” (Museveni, 09.09.2018).

Are you planning to kill more people, because you cannot really capture the real killers? Is that the method of Luweero, because the Luweero Triangle was a massive slaughter of innocent people and bush-war tactic of trying to starve the others out. Do you plan to do what you did to Obote and try to force the killers out, by killing their family members? What are you saying? Do you plan to ambush people without investigations or warrants, just sprint with guns and small militias hoping to capture the criminals? What is the initial plan with this?

You are calling them cowards, but intend to use violence against violence, continuing an evil circle, where more people will initially loose their lives. You are calling the killers pigs, just as you call your dissidents bad words these days, terrorists, fascists or bean-weevil for that matter.

By the way, your promise for installing CCTV Cameras are getting old, soon older than your hats and empty pledges. Instead of writing some heartfelt and concerning words for the deceased, you have targeted and promised bloodshed. Don’t you have a nerve or a heart, don’t you feel guilt and responsibility for the lack of actions and lack of concern?

That should bother the President, but it doesn’t as he has seen people die all his life, while he lingers on in power by any means. This is just another death and another assassination on his watch. It is like it doesn’t matter, as long as we all wait for his announcement later today. Peace.

Uganda Police Force statement on the Assassination of Muhammad Kirumira (08.09.2018)