EFF Student Command statement on its eternal contribution to economic freedom in South Africa, to EFF and the world at large (21.11.2019)

United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Chief Urges Parties to Accelerate Efforts to Implement Peace (22.11.2019)

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS has urged parties to the peace deal to accelerate their efforts to fully implement the agreement so that a transitional government can be formed. rAt a press conference in Juba on November 20, 2019, David Shearer said the key ingredient needed to progress peace in South Sudan is political will. r“If parties want to fully implement the agreement and form a transitional government, they can, if that will exists,” he said. rProgress is also needed to reunify forces so that parties have the trust and confidence needed to join a transitional government, negotiation and political settlement of the states and boundaries issue is required and steps must be taken to resolve the status of Opposition Leader, Dr. Riek Machar, so that he can travel freely to Juba for peace talks. rThe SRSG also recommended that a trust fund or similar mechanism with independent oversight be set up to monitor the use of resources being used to implement the agreement.rUN Photo: Isaac Billy

The head of UNMISS urged parties to accelerate efforts to implement the peace agreement and detailed areas that he believes needs to be urgently progressed.

JUBA, South Sudan, November 22, 2019 – In Pibor, thousands of people watched as their homes were destroyed and crops washed away by heavy rains over the past few weeks.

Residents of this community in the Jonglei region of South Sudan are among 900,000 people affected by widespread destruction caused by flooding. An emergency humanitarian response is underway, but the devastation has exacerbated already immense human suffering caused by the five-year long civil war.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General David Shearer highlighted the plight of those affected by the downpours. At the press conference in Juba, he also thanked donors for contributing millions of dollars to the aid effort.

However, he noted that, while the water will subside, real relief for the people of South Sudan will only come when durable peace is achieved.

A peace deal was signed in September 2018. The ceasefire brought a welcome reprieve from the political violence that has plagued the country since 2013. However, implementation of the agreement has been slow and, earlier this month, parties delayed the formation of a transitional government for a further 100 days, on top of a previous six-month extension.

“The extension has eased some anxiety – at least temporarily – because the ceasefire will be preserved, and the implementation of the agreement can continue,” said David Shearer. “But, at a grassroots level, some people are expressing disappointment, and even anger at the further delay. They told us that they are frustrated by what they see as a failure to unite the country despite the promises made and they are beginning to feel disillusioned.”

The head of UNMISS urged parties to accelerate efforts to implement the peace agreement and detailed areas that he believes needs to be urgently progressed.

“First, and most importantly, the key ingredient that is needed is political will. If the parties want to fully implement the agreement and form a transitional government, they can, if that will exists,” he said. “Second, on the reunification of forces, we need a substantial amount of progress to give all parties trust and confidence coming into a transitional government. The progress made will be a measure of the parties’ commitment to peace.”

Other issues highlighted by the Special Representative are the need for negotiation and political settlement of the number of states and their boundaries, and for steps to be taken to resolve the status of Opposition Leader Dr. Riek Machar, so that he can travel freely to Juba for peace talks.

The matter of resources needed to implement the agreement is also a major talking point among South Sudanese.

“We hear different figures from different sources about how much funding has been released,” said David Shearer. “Transparency is urgently needed…Essentially we believe a trust fund or something similar with independent oversight is needed.”

Such a mechanism would enable accountability and provide reassurance that supplies purchased are reaching cantonment sites. This is important because troops from the various armed forces are gathering at sites across the country, but a lack of food and medicine at some locations is giving them no choice but to leave and find somewhere else where their basic needs are met.

Mr. Shearer highlighted the critical role of the guarantors, Uganda and Sudan, in continuing to show strong leadership in keeping the parties on task.

He said the formation of a transitional government is important because it signals the beginning of preparations for elections.

“Elections provide the opportunity to resolve differences through democratic rather than violent means. They give citizens the right to select their own leaders and hold them to account,” said David Shearer. “That will, however, require political space – the freedom for parties to campaign, organize and, even, criticize. That environment does not yet exist.”

He added that there is a palpable desire for peace in communities across the country. People’s expectations are high because they want the opportunity to rebuild their lives and enjoy the prosperous future that they fought so hard for when they won independence eight years ago.

“Those expectations must be met in 2020,” he said. “The clock is ticking.”

Opinion: RDCs getting cars isn’t governing, but a cheap trick!

The Minister for Presidency, Esther Mbayo has given out 65 cars to Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) from different regions to improve on service delivery. The RDCs who received the cars on Thursday constitute 50% of the total number of Resident District Commissioners currently deployed in the country” (Muhamad Matovu – ‘Minister Mbayo Gives 65 Cars To RDCs From Different Regions’ 22.11.2019).

There are 135 districts, which is operative in the Republic. This is November 2019. There will come more districts in 2020 and so-on. As the Republic is made into smaller and smaller units as political favours and for personal gains of the political elite. That is well-known, as well as a measure done to establish good grounds of new constituencies with no voting history ahead of any given election.

With this in mind, there is an up-coming election in 2021. It is not the first time the National Resistance Movement (NRM) run government have given cars to its officials. They are not only giving that to the MPs and the cabinet, but also anyone in association with the State House. Therefore, the State House and the Parliament should have a car-lot and a car-dealership, if they were supposed to run it smoothly and cheaper.

Because, back in 2015, the state bought 111 cars for District Chairpersons. Therefore, this sort of enterprise happens on near-regular basis. Just as the state bought cars for the CPC in Parliament in this calendar year. So, this is a business the state knows and deals with a lot.

The special thing about this, is that service deliver is important with a car. Not with a mandate or actual factual work that the RDCs do. The Residential District Commanders, the ones overseeing and oversight of the government works in the districts. This is 65 cars and in total, that is 50% of the appointed RDCs. This means there is 130 districts who has RDCs by what the Mbayo states. That means the state lacks funds, manpower and appointed leadership for 5 districts alone. Which is a rare move.

The President has the opportunity to give broader mandate, to give funds and opportunities to the RDCs to actually do more. But thinking a car would make a big difference is naive. As they have the same mandate, the same lacking structure and weak local government. Just today, the President and the state gives state officials cars, instead of building viable institutions.

The state is acting like a car dealership, not a governing institution nor following up on obligations in the districts. This is a cheap ploy for poor districts, for lacking funds and for not investing in all the created micro local-government units, which is now 135 districts and so-on. Where the RDCs and others has supervision and mandates to work. Therefore, there should be more than cars and more than a quick fix, which this is and nothing else.

To buy 65 cars will not fix the districts, it will only give for a short amount of time, mobility for some few persons in association with the RDCs. It doesn’t make the roads being built, schools being furnished nor town halls run properly. That is done over budgets, policies and actual governing being done.

To govern is an art and giving away cars isn’t building a nation, it is only cheap fix. You don’t give an alcoholic an beer, you take them to rehab and stops the availability to beer. Instead, here the state gives another beer and hope that it doesn’t catch on. Sooner or later, these cars will have a breakdown. As the cars are hit by driving miles upon miles every year.

Therefore, this isn’t it. Other than a rundown, over used idea, which isn’t scratching the surface. Peace.

Uganda-Rwanda Tensions XVIII: Uganda Media Centre – Press Statement on Fabrication of the alleged RNC Committee in Uganda (22.11.2019)

RDC: Ministere des Classes Moyennes, Petites et Moyennes Enterprises et Artisanat – Communique de Presse (22.11.2019)

South Sudan: SPLM/A-IO – Press Release – On the Statement of the AU Ambassador to South Sudan (22.11.2019)

Bolivia: ALBA-TCP Disabled OEA Intervention in comin Choices in the Community of Dominica (21.11.2019)

NGOs warn about the deterioration of food security in Haiti: More than 3.5 million people in need of emergency food and nutrition assistance (21.11.2019)

Kenya: Building Bridges for National Unity Taskforce – Press Release (22.11.2019)

Opinion: Mwiru’s motion to seek an inquiry of the UPDF involvement in civil matters is a righteous one

Hon. Paul Mwiru, the MP whose behind the motion: “MOTION TOR A RESOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT TO INQUIRE INTO THE RECENT REPORTED MISCONDUCT OF THE UGANDA PEOPLE’S DEFENCE FORCES DURING DEPLOYMENT IN CIVIL MATTERS”, which was in the plenary on the 21st November 2019.

This motion is important, also for the matter that its seconded by Christopher Kalemba, Anthony Okello and Noah Wanzala Mutebi. All four of them, these MPs are acting on their right instinct on the matter of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), the army. The army isn’t supposed to be involved directly in civil manners, but of late and recent years, the UPDF have done more and more state functions. They are entangled in things where the army got nothing with it. That’s why the Motion moved by Hon. Mwiru is the good one.

Not because the motion is perfect. Not because the motion has the answers nor the results we want to hear. No, it is the right one, because the UPDF and the NRM needs to be challenged on this. The President who likes to be the general and warrior. Got to be questioned for the involvement of the UPDF in other things, than defending the border and securing the territory of the Republic.

The piece that is good from the motion is this:

FURTHER AWARE that in the recent post there hos been increased intervention of UPDF in civil matters notably regulation of the fishing industry and quelling protests by students of Makerere University, NOTING THAT gross violations of human and people rights have reportedly marred the intervention of the UPDF in civil matters, which ordinarily should be a preserve of the Uganda Police Force as commended by Article 212 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda” (Motion, 21.11.2019).

The final important piece of the motion is this:

AND FURTHER COGNIZANT of the importance of duly holding public officials and institutions to account for their actions and inactions as on integral canon of good governance and a possible deterrent from repetitive transgressions, Now THEREFORE it be resolved by this August House that; Parliament institutes a Select Committee to inquire. Within 45 days of approval of this Motion, into the reported violations of human and people rights by the UPDF with a view of establishing and apportioning culpability” (Motion, 21.11.2019).

This is why this motion is good. Because, it asks the Select Committee to inquire and directly investigate into the matters. This is to reveal and gain documentation on the matters, where the army has been used in civilian matters, which is wrong. Where the army has intervened and used force against civilians. That’s why this sort of motion will show who did what and who has to answer for what they did. Who did the ordering and who actually was behind the mess of misusing the army to settle civilian problems. Instead of going the proper ways or going the whole due process.

The legality of it, the challenge with the law and the constitution is another matter too. Which makes this even a bigger question, as to where it might be fitting to solve the resolving issues after collecting the report from the authorities, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Defence and the other ones. Where they do have the documents and the paper-trail to prove the acts, which has been made. The ones whose secret, the ones whose confidential and the ones the army and neither the “high above” wants the Republic to see.

Therefore, this motion is needed. What it grants is important. It will not reveal everything, but if a select committee gets to work, gets into discovery and get to collect data. They might discover something unseen and show us the whole picture. Instead of the little fragments we have today. Peace.