Opinion: Mwonzora should just join ZANU-PF [and the game is over]

The supposed “opposition” leader Douglas Mwonzora of the Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangrai (MDC-T). Have now told his Members of Parliament to not challenge the President or ZANU-PF. Mwonzora is loyal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Parliament itself. As the MDC-T is wing-clipping the MDC-Alliance as a token friend of the government.

Mwonzora is the perfect ally of Mnangagwa. A man that can be compromised and used. Douglas only usage is to weaken the MDC-Alliance. That is clearly working, as they are losing seats in the Parliament and going after the other perks of the MDC-Alliance. Therefore, Mwonzora is getting all the blessings of being allied with ZANU-PF.

Douglas is a supposed “opposition” leader, as he now says there should be no chants or dissent towards the President. Mwonzora is clearly aiming to please the President and his Court. The MDC-T leader is really showing his hand. He could just be another comrade of the ZANU-PF.

Mwonzora could just be another brother joining the ZANU-PF like Obert Gutu and James Makore. It would make sense and it would be fair. We know that Mwonzora and Khupe would enjoy to get more perks and allowances. They would surely accept new titles and wealth. It wouldn’t be shocking, if Mwonzora and Khupe suddenly became part of “new” Government of National Unity (GNU). Though, they wouldn’t challenge the government, but work loyally for it.

Thokozani Khupe will not challenge Mwonzora on these statements. Both of them would work directly for the President and be at his becking-call. Nobody should be shocked by this. They have both been serving allies and that is why they are used to dismantle the MDC-Alliance. Everything that is going to MDC-Alliance is given to the MDC-T.

What is the most tragic is that Mwonzora is flying under the banner of Morgan Tsvangirai. He is really selling out his legacy and misusing his name. The MDC-T could just be a named as a proxy party for the ZANU-PF. Especially, the way Douglas is acting this day.

It wouldn’t be a contrast with Khupe as the leader. She wouldn’t change a thing. These two would sing a long with Mnangagwa no matter what. The ruling regime must be giddy. They are getting so much for spending so little.

Mwonzora is now proving that his a loyal token friend. He should do us all a favour and become a comrade. Instead of acting as an “opposition”. Douglas is trying to fool the public, but in the end… his only fooling himself. We know what his up to and what his doing.

Douglas Mwonzora should just kiss the ring and stop playing. This act is over and the play is at your wits’ end. Peace.

Niger: Coalition pour l’Alternance politique en 2021 (CAP 2021) – Communique (19.03.2021)

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA): Six Lions Die in Queen Elizabeth National Park (20.03.2021)

Ethiopia: UNICEF – Continuing crisis for children in Tigray, Ethiopia, amid reports of atrocities (19.03.2021)

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore

NEW YORK, 19 March 2021 – “UNICEF remains deeply concerned about the continuing crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia, and its worrying implications for children and their access to basic social services.

“Five months since the start of the conflict, a clearer picture is emerging of killings and sexual violence against women and children in Tigray. The reported murder of at least 20 children at Maryam Dengelat Church last November will continue to haunt families and communities.

“Schools and health centers have been looted, vandalized and occupied by armed forces and groups. Organizations on the ground have reported deliberate attacks on health facilities and warned that the limited health services that are functional are unable to cope with the needs.

“According to assessments conducted at the end of February 2021, violence and looting have left nearly 60 per cent of health care facilities not operational. Some 57 per cent of boreholes in 13 towns surveyed are not functional and a quarter of the region’s schools have sustained damage from the conflict.

“Families continue to flee for their lives.

“We are working with our partners to ensure that critical supplies continue to reach those most in need and that populations can safely access essential services. We are also stepping up our staff presence in the region to respond to the scale of the challenge.

“However, humanitarian aid alone is not enough.

“Monitoring, reporting and protection services for those affected must be urgently expanded to meet the growing needs of survivors.

“Parties to the conflict must ensure that children are protected from harm at all times. Basic service outlets, such as health centers and schools, must be protected and the safety and security of everyone working in and accessing those services guaranteed.”

DRC: Armed attacks kill hundreds, displace 40,000 civilians in northeast DR Congo (19.03.2021)

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

GENEVA, Switzerland, March 19, 2021 – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning about an alarming increase in the number of attacks by an armed group on civilians in north-eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Since January, attacks blamed on the armed group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), have killed nearly 200 people, injured dozens of others, and displaced an estimated 40,000 people in DRC’s Beni Territory in North Kivu province as well as nearby villages in Ituri province.

In less than three months, the ADF has allegedly raided 25 villages, set fire to dozens of houses, and kidnapped over 70 people. This is in addition to the 465 Congolese killed in attacks attributed to the ADF during 2020.

Attacks and widespread human right violations also continue in other parts of North Kivu province.

The main reasons for these attacks are reported to include retaliation by armed groups against military operations, their search for food and medicine, and accusations against communities of sharing information on ADF positions.

Those forcibly displaced this month have fled to Oicha, Beni and Butembo towns in Beni Territory, with many fleeing on motorbikes. The majority are women and children, as men stay behind to protect properties, exposing themselves to the risk of further attacks.

Displaced people are living in dire conditions without shelter, food, water or health care. In the context of Ebola and COVID-19, the lack of access to toilets, clean water, soap and menstrual hygiene products is of particular concern. In addition, families do not have enough essential items like blankets, sleeping mats or cooking materials.

Prior to the recent mass displacement, an estimated 100,000 internally displaced people were already in need of protection and help with shelter in Beni. Funding shortages have curtailed UNHCR’s ability to respond with humanitarian assistance, including shelters.

In 2020, UNHCR was able to build more than 43,000 family shelters in eastern DRC. In 2021, with the funding currently available, only 4,400 families can be assisted out of hundreds of thousands in need. More funding is also needed to resume a cash programme for displaced women at risk which had to be cut.

UNHCR urgently needs US$2 million to reinforce its protection and humanitarian response in Beni, North Kivu and Irumu Territory in Ituri. Currently, the US$33 million UNHCR requires for the response in the whole of eastern DRC is just 5.5 per cent funded.

Malaysia: Statement by the Prime Minister of Malaysia on the Situation in Myanmar (19.03.2021)

Opinion: Abiy gives a “final notice” today after starting the “final phase” in the end of November 2020

Today’s statement by the Federal Police Commission was issued as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the start of final phase of law enforcement operation and called on “the people of Mekelle and its environs to disarm, stay at home and stay away from military targets and take all necessary precautions.”” (Addis Standard, 26.11.2020).

Today is a weird day. As the prolonged conflict between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Amhara Paramilitary Group ‘Fano’ against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that started early in November 2020. In the end of the month… about the 25th or 26th November 2020 the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali that the Law Enforcement Operation was going its final phase.

However, we are now in the middle of March 2021 and the Final Phase isn’t over. Even when the Ethiopian, Eritrean and Amhara armed personnel is fighting one enemy. This mechanical and conventional war is continuing. Where the devastation reports are coming out. Where hospital are looted and used as bases. Woman have been raped and civilians killed in massacres. Villages burned down and so fourth. The state are leaving no stone unturned to seal the victory.

Every time there is a report or an article in the Foreign Press. It is dismissed and debunked by the state. While the state is willing to lie about the current state of affairs. Therefore, the state never takes any responsibility for the efforts of the little reporting that is happening. While they are only accepting their narrative. The state are not accepting the ills of the wars and only points at the TPLF.

Yes, the TPLF have been an bad actor in the past. However, currently the baddest actor is the Prosperity Party and Federal Government who is killing its own, starving its own and getting many either internally displaced or seeking refuge abroad. That is the mere reality of this. The giant elephant in the room is the war-crimes and the crimes against humanity. That we know the state wants to blame on the TPLF. While not proving anything.

Already on the 18th December 2020 the state started to offer bounty on the TPLF leaders. However, that is not working or people are not co-operating with the interim government in the region. Neither is the state done with its final phase. That is why they got to send a final notice to the TPLF. This is happening after the warnings of late November 2020. The state is clearly not winning or having the control its speaking off. When they have to do this yet again.

Prime Minister Abiy is clearly not winning this war. Even when he has three armies against one. By share amount of numbers and abilities of the state. He should win, but they are clearly not able to outsmart or outplay the TPLF. If they was able to do so…

The Office of the Prime Minister wouldn’t say this:

The government is calling on senior TPLF military and political leaders, who are suspected to have played a key role in the crime, to surrender peacefully to law enforcement agencies. The government calls on these leaders to do their part by learning from the devastation and damage so far, presenting themselves to justice, preventing further national loss and not shedding the blood of citizens in vain” (Abiy, 19.03.2021).

This is the same government that said they had them in the end of November 2020 and put bounties on their head in the middle of December 2020. They are now in March 2021 thinking they would cease the battle and leave their swords. Knowing that they will never be accepted and be seen as “treasonous” by this government. The state will also ensure their demise and stop them from being a viable part of politics. Therefore, why would the TPLF do that?

Especially, when they had constitutional grievances, which the state used as reasons. The state had already for months retaliated and stopped the business between the leadership in Mekelle and Addis Ababa. Therefore, the state knows they played apart of this too and they we’re already prepared with mechanical brigades and soldiers on two fronts before the Northern Command was hit. This is why the state knew what they we’re doing and it was well planned.

We know the state will use all means to discredit and go after the TPLF. While never taking any responsibility or being accountable. Still, they will blame the aid agencies, media houses and all reporting happening, which isn’t directly copied from the state.

This is all known now. There is two types of truths in Ethiopia. The actual truth and what the state publishes as truth. The state could at one point say the Tigray region was accessible for aid agencies, but at that point …. most of the region was out of their reach. Which is still an issue and the state will still claim they are covering everything. That they are saying without proving it, but expecting us to eat out of their hands.

Prime Minister Abiy is again coming with a harsh warning. Like that will be “final”. If it would be final. The Final Phase would already be done, but the PM opened a can of worms and he cannot put them back in the can. He has already unleashed a monster he cannot control and his now a war-lord. That is who the Prime Minister is now.

Abiy is a warlord and acts like one now. That is why his continuing this and thinks he can end it all with statements like these. They look good with headlines, but they will not resolve the war. The war he has started will not end with words like these. No, he cannot bully the enemy like this and thinking he can overcome them this way. That will not happen.

Prime Minister Abiy might says otherwise… but we know the deal. The bullets will fly until the end of the enemies. He will ensure their end at all costs. With the knowledge of this and his will to get total control. The PM will let this region burn and its citizens suffer, because the TPLF hurt his pride and he cannot put that aside. Peace.

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) – Final Notice from the Government to all allied with the TPLF Outlaws (19.03.2021)

United Democratic Movement (UDM) – Missed Opportunites: “South Africa’s most watched TV news channel” has tipped over its ego (yet again) – (19.03.2021)

Kenya: Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Press Statement on the Maritime Delimitation Case (Somalia V Kenya) at the International Court of Justice 15th – 24th March 2021 (19.03.2021)