Ethiopia: Notification Note on COVID-19 Situational Update (10.05.2020)

Zimbabwe: Ministry of Health and Child Care – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update (09.05.2020)

Niger: Communique du Ministere de la Sante Publique (09.05.2020)

Opinion: Here we go again, it’s not the tormentors fault, but the ones tortured

We have been here before, this story isn’t new. Just like suddenly a shell of a man comes out from one of the ungazetted safe-houses and has to sue the state to get some compensation for the hurt. This has happen with several of people with this regime. They have continued this practice and never let anyone has any oversight over this. Only continued the same regime as the ones they overthrow with several of security organization doing the bidding of the “high above” and ensuring they are intimidating the ones who challenge the throne and its rights.

With this in mind, there are big-men and high ranking opposition figures who suddenly fall into the demise of these security organizations. These are just the few ones I can remember and can reflect upon. There is surely more of these.

Than, you have the arrest in march 2001 of Major Okwir Rabwoni.MP Who was arrested by military police and alleged torture of himself before going into exile. Something the authorities back then denied.

It could be the likes of Dr. Kizza Besigye, who in 2011 was shot with a rubber-bullet and destroyed his finger. He travelled to Nairobi to get treatment. While the Army Spokesman, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye said that he wasn’t “hurt at all”. Claiming, indirectly, that Besigye travelled abroad for treatment just on a whim.

You have the likes of Betty Bakireke Nambooze MP, who in march 2018 dared to insult the authorities, therefore got into an “accident” while in custody. Prolonged detention before allowed to be released to India for future treatment.

Later in 2018, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine was tortured and kept at a secret location after the Arua By-Election. Which damaged his feet and other parts of his body. Where it is still not to this day verified what sort of actions they did. But after a long time awaiting, he was allowed to fly for the US for treatment.

In the same year and after the by-election in Arua. Francis Zaake MP in late 2018 was arrested, taken to a secret location and was tortured. He was suddenly dropped from detention and left at the gates of a hospital. A hospital he was not allowed to leave, because he was a “fugitive”. At this point he wanted to get treatment in India, which his lawyers and fellow MPs fought for.

Now in 2020 since April, Francis Zaake MP has been through this ordeal again. He has been beaten and hurt during detention with the authorities. Just been released yesterday from the hospital. That from being transferred and been between the Courts. The MP has proven his illness and the damage done to him. Therefore, it is very unique, when the minister claims he did damage on his own.

These is just a mere reflection, I am sure there plenty of more stories that could be told. Because, with what happen to Zaake over the recent month. I just felt the need to drop these stories. To show how this is something the state does.

Right now its Zaake whose in the spotlight. A man who has been through this before and gotten similar returns from the state. It is sad, but that is the reality. Again, the state will deflect and say its self-created, which would be a miracle. Just like the other cases or stories, which I have put together here today.

These are just a few and quickly mashed together. Not even that deep. It however, gives an insight and show over the years what the state has done to MPs and leaders of the Opposition. Peace.

South Sudan: Communication from the Presidency No. Fifty-Two (52) – The High Level Task-Force on COVID-19 Pandemic (09.05.2020)

Statement by the People Power Movement on the IMF Rapid Credit Facility Announced on 6th May 2020 (09.05.2020)

Burundi: Isabelle Ndahayo letter to East African Community Amb. Liberat Mpfumekeko – Re: Deployment of the Election Observation Mission for the General Election in Burundi (08.05.2020)

Burundi: Communique du Movement des Femmes et Filles pour la Paix et la Securite au Burundi (07.05.2020)

Mali: Communique No. 68 du Ministere de la Sante et des Affaires Sociales sur le Suvi des Actions de Prevention et de Riposte Face a la Maladie a Coronavirus (09.05.2020)

Venezuela: Guaido foiled coup attempt [the 2020 “Wonga Coup”]

The opposition leader and Washington D.C. ally Juan Guiado together with friends hired mercenaries this month to overthrow the government of Venezuela. We already knows that the United States supports Guiado and even let him attend the State of the Nation of 2020. Therefore, there is no secret of the relationship between the Trump Administration and Guiado.

However, the man has hired mercenaries together with Overall Project Supervisor Sergio Vergara, Chief Strategist Juan Jose Rendon and would also have a On Site Commander. Therefore, there was a team around Guiado. This was an agreement and contract between them and the Silvercorp CEO Jordan Goudreau. This was an agreement signed on the 16th October 2019. So, this been in the works and now they determined to strike.

All of this is happening while the United States already put charges on Nicholas Maduro and his associates. The US has already designated this and pushed for it in March 2020. So, the chips was already down. The cards was already in play. Not like the Trump Administration has the skills nor the ability to diplomatically sway the opinion.

They hoped in Washington D.C. that they could pull of another Bolivian enterprise and get rid of a socialist President in Latin America. Last time it was Evo Morales in Bolivia and now they wanted a few months later take down Manduro in Venezuela.

It’s not like the United States hasn’t been participating in changing regimes across the globe. That is what they do, when they have regimes whose not favouring the needs and the political ambitions of the Secretary of State. Right now its Michael Pompeo, who wants the US interests in Venezuela coming first and therefore, they are ensuring the Caracas regime getting sanctions and whatnot.

That Guiado has powerful friends is known. He was able to hire mercenaries and tried to do his business. Because, he knows he cannot get power through the polls nor through popular uprising. He doesn’t have the character nor the message to sell in Venezuela. This is why he had to get foreign support and hire US mercenaries to get power.

Silvercorp is a Florida based company run by Goudreau, whose a former US soldier and highly decorated one. A company made to solve “irregular problems”. In this regard that was the irregular problem of not having power in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

The Silvercorp has sort of initiated the remembrance of the “Wonga Coup” in Equatorial Guinea. Where British mercenaries together with Simon Mann planed to topple President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. However, that failed and he was charged with 34 years in jail for doing so. Now Silvercorp and its mercenaries can await something similar in Venezuela. Since they acted and did something very similar to Mann in 2004. 

For me in 2020, Goudreau are doing the same as Mann did. He went in for fortunes and failed. Now, the cat is out of the bag. This is how you try to impose a brother on a Republic and not making it. The 60ish mercenaries who went to Venezuela was signalled and therefore intercepted before they could do the contracted and obligated mission to fulfil Operation Gideon.

If Guiado thought this was a good idea? To put it mildly, it was a foolish enterprise and only shows that his illegitimate himself. There is nothing sincere about his rise to prominence and neither is his backers. They cannot even use the means of elections, but instead has to install a puppet. That is the sort of efforts the US decides to do. They hoped for a Bolivia, but instead got into a Wonga Coup. Now the mercenaries are detained and they will be punished.

This is just a lesson in how not to make regime change. It is neither popular nor have the capacity to topple the regime in Caracas. The only thing this is achieving is to solidify Maduro and his allies. They are getting the boost it needs, as foreign forces and backers wants to bring it down. This is free political capital and the US pays for it. Peace.