Burkina Faso: Mouvement du Peuple pour le Progres (MPP) – Communique de Presse de la 6eme Reunion Ordinaire du Bureau Executif National du 18 Mai 2022 (18.05.2022)

Malawi: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – Mr. Ken Msonda Must Always Tell the Truth (18.05.2022)

Ethiopia: Reports of renewed skirmishes from the Issa Somali militia in the Afar region

This Morning, In Rarayta doolul, Gabi Rasu (Zone 3) somali Issa terrorist militas had opened attacks on Afar pastoralists. Fightings had spread in other areas in Gabi Rasu. Ambuli and Dat hamad, Somali Issa terrorists has been blocking the roads by stopping the vehicles and preventing Afar civilians from going past these areas. This isn’t the first time, they have been blocking the roads and preventing vehicles from going past” (Qafar Xaagu, 18.05.2022).

Ibrahim Osman, Vice President ordered his clan militia in the Sitti zone to invade the Afar region less than a week after the Afar and Somali regions signed a peace deal. His purpose is to destabilize the country’s east and make President Mustafa Omar’s peace strategy seem bad” (Ridwaan claahi, 18.05.2022).

There is clear indication of new attacks from the Somali Region attacking the Afar Region. This has happened before. We have seen before the Issa Somali attacking Afar before and it happens yet again. It is really tragic and civilians are caught in the cross-fire.

Whoever ordering this insecurity and skirmishes is creating more bloodshed. This internal and civil war as the Afar region and Afar people defending their own territory. While Issa Somali comes with force and also blocking movement in the area too.

This is a worrying sign. The Afar region has been targeted from multiple sides and from every border. This region has actually been attacked from both Tigray region and from Djibouti with another Issa Somali miltia.

Therefore, this is just a continuation and we should wonder what sort of value this has for the rulers and war-lords of these militias. Since they are only causing harm and not able to annex or control the territory for long. It is only bleeding the region and damaging it for a short-term. This will not be a long-term attack or such. Sooner or later it will be depleted or be ordered to retreat. Peace.

A bitter cup of coffee: A brief look into the Parliament Report on the agreement with Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited

Today the Plenary Session spoke about the “Report of the Sectoral Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industry on the Investigation of the alleged unfair terms in the MoU between Government of Uganda and Uganda Vinci Coffee Company Limited” published on the 29th April 2022. This is unravelling as the public and media is surrounding it. As the UVCCL company would get tax-wavers, coffee beans monopoly and other parts of the agreement, which is favourable to a company, which isn’t operational or fair for the farmers or coffee industry as a whole.

The UVCCL agreement is already questioned. The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and other high ranking officials adamant defence of it. Only shows how the faulty and unfair, partly illegal agreement was put into play. While this agreement would also endanger and certainly become a real hurdle for a growing coffee industry. A cash-crop turned into a monopoly.

I will not discuss the free-land, the lease or any of those sorts. That is interesting on it’s own, but there are several of other quotes, which just shows how bad this deal was and how in the wrong the authorities are to authorize it. Secondly, the UVCCL was supposed to do magic and get huge funds out of nowhere. While not being operational to build a big coffee processing plant. It just shows how this deal was the rig the economy and the whole coffee sector towards on entity. That’s really despicable…

Here are some quotes from the Parliament Report:

6.1.7.5 MOU is not sincere on the quantity of premium grades According to the MOU, UWCL’s coffee supply requirement for the start of the project is estimated to be 27,000 metric tonnes and 60,000 metrics tonnes at full capacity. The committee was informed by Uganda Coffee Private Sector that the conversion rate of Green coffee to soluble coffee is 3:1 and this means that UVCCL requires about 180,000 metric tonnes of green coffee. The committee however observes that Uganda’s average annual export for the past 5 years is about 5.2 million bags which is equivalent to about 309,000 metric tonnes. This implies that WCCL at full capacity will take 58.2% (180,000 metric tonnes) of Uganda’s coffee production. The committee notes that the stated reason for UVCCL’s desire to “ring-fence” is to ensure uninterrupted supply of high quality soluble beans” (P 23, 2022).

The Committee observes that whereas UVCCL has share capital of USD 10 Million, the money required to construct such a factory envisaged in the agreement is estimated by UCDA to cost about USD 44OM in the first year alone. The committee is convinced that UVCCL given its limited share capital cannot be in position to borrow a sum which is 44 times the value of the company” (P: 28, 2022).

The Committee observes that UVCCL was not eligible to benefit from the 49- year lease extension since it had not complied with the building covenants under the initial Lease agreement. This means that the lease was irregularly extended” (P: 30, 2022).

The Committee further observes that the UVCCL has not, even after the extension of the lease to a full 49-year, done any construction works on site to-date” (P: 30, 2022).

The Committee notes further that, the VAT Act does not grant any person, not even the Minister, the right to waive a tax. In that regard therefore, the Minister acted irregularly and illegally in granting the VAT exemptions to UVCCL” (P: 38, 2022)

The Committee observes that clause 4.2 creates a monopoly in favor of UVCCL to the purchase of superior quality coffee beans from Uganda by restricting Government from registering any contract or acknowledging any arrangement for the export of coffee beans. The Committee observes that this means that no export of super quality coffee beans shall be allowed by Government until the quantity required by UVCCL is attained. Further still, a monopoly is created in favor of UVCCL since it controls the prices it pays for the coffee beans supplied to it” (…) “The committee also observes that this monopoly is a threat to the already existing 47 licensed processors of coffee with possibilities of causing unemployment, loss of tax and in the worst long term scenario, shut down of operations” (…) “This means the farmer has the right to determine how and to whom he or she sells his or her coffee to. The Agreement therefore interferes with the exclusive rights granted to farmers over their coffee by article 26 of the Constitution by pledging the coffee to a single entity without the consent of farmers. The farmer’s proprietary rights have been affected by the Agreement, irreversibly” (…) “The Committee also observes that whereas farmers are being promised premium prices, the agreement is silent on the method of supply of coffee beans to the factory. This therefore, this opens a window for possible contracted brokers by UVCCL since the factory will need constant supply from different regions of the country. Thus reducing the margin on the farm gate price. The Committee is concerned that designating UVCCL as a price determinant will distort coffee prices in Uganda by disregarding the forces of demand and supply, both locally and internationally, in determining coffee prices” (P: 47-49 + 51, 2022).

It is really interesting the whole agreement, as the inept or the gravity of the whole situation was never there. If not, the MOFPED and other agencies involved never studied or thought of the implications of the arrangement. That a company with lacking funds was to build a big coffee processing plant. Secondly, the plant in question wouldn’t be able to fulfil its mission or planned monopoly itself. As the scale of production only will not meet the targets or the available beans for the plant in question. The farmers are producing to much beans for it process. Therefore, the monopoly is faulty from the outset. Thirdly, the agreement is done without thinking or considering the ones processing coffee-beans already, which is 47 companies and their livelihoods are in danger because of this agreement.

The agreement further has irregularly given a lease of land and it has done any construction work on the site. Meaning the company has some funds on paper and exists, but the operational and plant itself is far ahead of time. The UVCCL gotten dozens of advantages, but has nothing to prove for it. Neither does it has anything materialized.

The state has furthered breached several of tax-wavers to the company and given incentives, which is breaching with laws and regulations. It is like a whole enterprise of inept, incompetent and ill-advised high ranking officials inside the MOFPED. It just like all procedures, all protocols and all safeguards of the state has been thrown out of the window in a haste to sign a deal or amend it in favour of the paper-tiger called UVCCL. A brief-case company which is getting monopoly on the coffee-industry.

The company would further undermine the whole industry from the farmer to the exporters. This company would have all the rights and the positive outcomes. The farmers would be locked into selling to it and that after the price it would set. The UVCCL would practically be a state owned enterprise and be the only one allowed to operate. This giving no incentives and no rights to either farmers or former coffee processors of the Republic. Because, the UVCCL would have the monopoly of the industry for years. That is really bitter and shows how destructive this agreement is.

The MOFPED has served some “high above” or “interests” which we don’t know today. Because, we still don’t know who is behind Hawk Limited, which is the biggest shareholder of the company. However, sooner or later that information will trickle out as well. Because, that is the main benefactor of this agreement and a company like that is owned by somebody with influence and power to get such favours from the state. Peace.

Ethiopia: Oromo Youth Liberation Movement – Confusion made in the name of “Qeerro Bilisummaa Oromoo” is not accepted, and it is contrary to Oromo people struggle (18.05.2022)

Niger: Communique du Ministere de l’Interieur et de la Decentralisation (17.05.2022)

Tchad: Front pour l’Aternance et la Concorde au Tchad (FACT) – Communique de Presse No. 013 (18.05.2022)

Opinion: Besigye’s 6 Day’s of House-Arrest is the proof of everything that is wrong in the Republic

Since 12th May 2022 Dr. Kizza Besigye was arrested and detained in his own home. The surrounding areas of the compound in Kasangati was a “war-zone” with several of checkpoints and places of which the authorities was blocking any entry to him. This all happened after he tried to stage a demonstration or protest against the rising commodity prices in the Republic, which was supposed to go from Kasangati to Central Business District of Kampala. Alas, we know that didn’t happened.

What did happened was that the Anti-Riot Police came and squashed, quelled and silenced the small protest very quickly. It arrested Besigye brutally and dragged him away. They arrested him and swiftly transported him home. Where he has stayed ever since and wasn’t allowed to go out. Neither was people allowed to enter. First it was only his lawyers and yesterday they allowed several of MPs from his party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) to see him.

Besigye is a citizen and has his rights, which is based in the 1995 Constitution. However, those are violated and taken away at any given moment. The Public Order Management Act is a proof that demonstrations and protests are only allowed by some, but not by others. POMA is a law made to silence Besigye and his supporters. This because they could create a revolution and end the regime. That’s why POMA is a tool of oppression, since it takes away the citizens rights to demonstrate and protest. It is not only Besigye, but everyone else. That’s why the same law has been used to block Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine from having concerts and rallies. Therefore, it is just a proof of everything that is wrong in society.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) and President Museveni speaks of bringing democracy and multi-party-ism, but it has also brought a ruthless system. The NRM has brought militarism and an open brutality where all who dissent can be touched, detained, kidnapped and possibly die on their watch.

The NRM will say they came and created order. The NRM will say they came with peace. But a peace for who? An order for who? Not for the public or the citizens, but for the NRM Elite and the rest has to beg for mercy. The FDC and Besigye has met the blunt force countless times. The same has happened to the National Unity Platform (NUP) and Bobi Wine as well.

The state is using pre-emptive arrests without court-orders, warrants or any proper justifications. They are claiming to have intelligence or safeguard of public order, but there is no direct proof of that. Only that the designated person is taken out of public domain and is silenced. That is all there is too it.

This is what has happened to Besigye again and again. He has been silenced and stifled in his tracks. The authorities has been monitoring him and followed him. They have stopped him from acting or coordinating his work. Because, they fear the consequences of it and don’t want to allow it to go it’s natural cause. Instead, it stops early and isn’t finished causes.

The latest is stopping an early reaction to the rising commodity prices… this is in away of taking away people’s rights to demonstrate or even gather. That’s the cost of this regime. They are talking of democracy, but one fundamental part of that is to meet and protest when something is unjust. However, in the state of mind of the NRM… that is out of the question and you shouldn’t even bother.

Besigye is just a symbol of everything that is wrong in society. Not because of what he has done or who he is as a person. No, his is that because his showing the Republic how it serves injustice, delivers impunity and brutal crackdown on civil society. Besigye is by being who he is able not only to undermine the powerful, but also undress them in public. His able to show the sinister and the dark side of the regime. That’s what he has been able to do and done successfully for years.

It has cost him dearly. Besigye has paid a price for doing. He has lost so many people around him and so many has been hurt. Besigye has been hurt himself and gone into exile as a cause of it. That’s why he knows what they can do to him and what the authorities are doing to others. No parts are not a target and not a possible piece, which the state cannot cause harm upon. Because, that is what they are doing and they proud of serving their master while doing so. Peace.

Mali: Conseil National de Transition (CNT) – Communique (17.05.2022)

Ethiopia: Tigray External Affairs Office – Statement on outrageous and coordinated allegations of forceful mobilization in Tigray (17.05.2022)