Mali: Adema – Parti Africain pour la Solidarite et la Justice (Adema-P.A.S.J) – Declaration suite au Sommet Extraordinaire de la Conference des Chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement de la CEDEAO du 04 Juin 2022, a Accra (Republique du Ghana) – (06.06.2022)

Opinion: Besigye is paying a to high fee for his freedom

Dr. Besigye whisked away from CPS Kampala where he had gone to demand for his impounded vehicle moments after Buganda Rd court released him on bail at a fee of UGX 3m relaxed from UGX 30m by high court judge Michael Elubu!” (Ekyooto, 06.06.2022).

Dr. Kizza Besigye,the Former FDC Party President who was earlier on arrested and remanded to Luzira prison, has been granted bail by the High Court after his bail fee was reviewed by reducing from the earlier UGX 30 million to UGX 3 million” (SpiceFM 89.9 Hoima, 06.06.2022).

Dr. Kizza Besigye who two weeks ago was on the streets and after over month of his “Waking Up” Campaign. As he is fighting on the streets and with the people to demonstrate against the rising prices on basic commodities. Since the inflation is growing worse and the salaries are not following the adjusted prices. Therefore, the public have to scrape by and has less purchasing power. So, the campaign is a justified one…

Though we know under the reign of President Museveni and his National Resistance Movement (NRM) no demonstration or protest is justified. No, sort of dissent or voice of reason, which isn’t the “high above” is worthy or deemed fit. That’s why the dissent and the rebellious Besigye is getting into trouble and been “felon” again for a while.

Besigye paying 3 million shillings to get his “freedom” is extremely high. It isn’t like he committed murder or actually burned down Kampala Central Business District. No, he just tried to get people to demonstrate and speak the public who was around Arua Park. That all he did as he dipped through traffic and was able to get out of house-arrest in Kasangati, Wakiso District.

It isn’t like he did something directly wrong. His within his rights to drum up protest and be vocal on the sidelines of streets in Kampala. The law enforcement is just taking away that right and stripping of his liberties. Which has become so common, that people can spell out the regulations of the Public Order Management Act (POMA) and the Penal Code(s) as well. Since, these are used against anyone who dares too and voices grievances in public spaces.

Besigye price for freedom is to large. This is just another matter of injustice. Just like his prolonged house-arrests, the pre-emptive arrests and the taking away of vehicles. The impounding of his vehicle and other gadgets. Which are just what the state does…

You would think Besigye was a danger to society. That his a serial criminal and villain of epic proportions. When all he is a political activists and a freedom fighter. His an actual renegade for justice and liberty, which he seems to never get himself. That’s because the system is built against him and the likes of him. They are all facing the law and become criminals for doing the bidding of a righteous cause.

Besigye is paying a price, which has already paid in ten-folds. Not only this bail or bond payment. No, all the time spent behind bars, all the charges and the bruises, which his skin has felt countless of time. He has suffered, been scorned and dealt an unfair hand. Still, he has played with those cards and tried to forge a way. A road that is never coming, a peaceful ending, which never seems to come.

Still, he hangs in and never gives up. That is resilience. That is inspiring. He deserves so much better, but somehow his ends up with a losing hand. Peace.

Sudan: Executive Office of the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces – Press Statement (06.06.2022)

The Foreign Relations and Communication Committee of the Executive Office of the Forces of Freedom and Change held two meetings this morning, the first with the tripartite mechanism in the presence of the envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr. Volker Perthes and envoys of the African Union and IGAD, Dr. Mohamed El Hassan Labat and Mr. Ismail Weiss, at the United Nations premises in Khartoum.

This was followed by a meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ms. Molly V. The two meetings dealt with the current political developments in the country and the progress of the political process.

We summarize the position of freedom and change in the two meetings of the masses of our people, public opinion and the media as follows:

1- The representatives of the coalition conveyed the complete and correct non-compliance with the procedures for creating a democratic climate that we demanded and announced by the coup authority which is represented in lifting the state of emergency, releasing detainees, ending violence and repression and protecting civilians, and the measures did not include stopping the regressive decisions that canceled the decisions of the dismantling committee and returned the employees of the former National Congress regime. Despite the announcement of the lifting of the state of emergency, the violence continued, live bullets fired at protesters and stormed residential neighborhoods and health facilities, which resulted in the death of a martyr and a number of wounded last Friday, bringing the number of martyrs to hundreds all over Sudan, the coup authority failed to protect civilians, and not all detainees were released and new numbers of them were arrested. The Forces for Freedom and Change requested the formation of mechanisms that work with the tripartite mechanism to release all detainees and stop violence, especially since there are active civil society organizations, led by lawyers and doctors.

2- The Forces of Freedom and Change received an invitation from the tripartite mechanism for a technical meeting next Wednesday in the presence of military and civil parties, and the Forces of Freedom and Change conveyed their apologies for attending the meeting, as it does not address the nature of the current crisis represented by the October 25 coup which any political process must lead to its complete end and the establishment of a civil and democratic authority, which cannot be done by flooding the political process with parties representing the coup camp or linked to the former regime, or by following recipes that express the coup and its goals. All steps of the political process must be designed in consultation with the main parties of the revolution and resistance forces, and any subsequent step must be preceded by the actual implementation of the climate preparation measures.

3- The Forces of Freedom and Change affirmed to help the US Secretary of State their keenness that the political process lead to ending the coup and establishing a real democratic transformation led by a full civilian authority aligned with the revolution and its issues, and to lead the army away from politics and a comprehensive security reform that leads to building a single professional national army. And that the issue of justice be placed at the heart of any political solution, which requires that this process be designed in a way that ensures the achievement of these results and does not deviate from them.

4- The forces of freedom and change with the inclusion of the political process and the participation of other parties, such as the forces of armed struggle and the actors who believe in democratic transition.

The Forces of Freedom and Change affirm the continuation of their efforts with all regional and international actors to serve the issues of our people and achieve their goals of freedom, justice and peace.

Executive Office of the Forces of Declaration of Freedom and Change

June 6, 2022 AD

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Kenya: Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) – Registration of Presidential Candidates (06.06.2022)

Pakistan: Veterans of Pakistan (VOP) – Press Briefing on External and Internal Threats to Pakistan (06.06.2022)

Burma: Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) – Regarding Stated Execution of 4 Sentenced to Death Political Prisoners (06.06.2022)

Syria: UNAMI – Visit to Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria (06.06.2022)

Somalia: “The drought has brought despair. I don’t know what will become of us”: Families on the move as drought takes its toll on Somalia (06.06.2022)

The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive failed rainfall season with harrowing impacts for families and children, raising fears of a repeat of the 2011 famine.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 6, 2022 – Somalia’s crippling drought, the worst in at least 40 years, has forced more than half a million people to abandon their homes in search of food and water in the last four months, with mothers terrified they will also lose their children, Save the Children said today.

The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive failed rainfall season with harrowing impacts for families and children, raising fears of a repeat of the 2011 famine that killed over a quarter of a million people- half of them children under five. Experts are warning there is now a credible risk the next rainy season in October – December will also fail, which would further deepen the already severe humanitarian emergency.

With the prolonged drought combined with inadequate humanitarian funding, globally disrupted supply chains, and food prices skyrocketing due to the conflict in Ukraine, mothers in the country are telling Save the Children they are unable to feed their children and fear for their lives.

55-year-old Suad, a farmer, lives in a camp in the Sanaag region. She arrived at the camp four week ago with her seven children and disabled mother after the drought killed off her livestock.

Suad told Save the Children that the previous drought in 2017 devastated her livestock. At the time, she had 400 cows and goats and was left with just two, although she was able to recover some of them. Now, the drought has left her with almost nothing, and this time she fears she will not be able to salvage what remains of her pastoralist lifestyle.

She said: “The drought has brought despair. I don’t know what will become of us. I can’t feed my family, I feel helpless. How can you provide a living for your children when you’ve lost your livelihood? It’s a very difficult time, we’re all on the move in search of a better life.”

Sitting from across her mother,12-year-old Samia, said: “If we had rain, life would be so different. I wouldn’t need go out in search of water and I would have more time for my studies.”

The number of new arrivals to camps in Hargeisa from drought affected regions is rising daily, Save the Children said. Saud is among 524,000 people in Somalia who have been forced to abandon their homes in search of food and water in the last four months. Across Somalia, 6 million people are suffering extreme hunger, with over 81,000 living in famine like conditions. The UN estimates that 1.4 million children could be acutely malnourished by the end of this year if the deteriorating situation is not addressed.

As the threat of famine looms, with estimates suggesting as close as next month, the UN warns, an urgent and timely scale up of humanitarian assistance is required to avert death and devastation for families across Somalia.

Mohamud Mohamed, Save the Children’s Country Director in Somalia, said:

“We saw this coming. A two-year drought in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, which has decimated crops and livestock and eroded people’s ability to cope, with mothers having to make the difficult choice of putting their children to sleep hungry. Malnutrition rates among children is on a steady rise and the UN has warned that as many as 350,000 children could die by the summer if we do not act and yet the window of opportunity to act and avert a catastrophe is shrinking with every passing day.

We are calling on governments and the international community to make the right decision and prevent the suffering of millions of people and possible deaths of thousands of people from this climate-induced hunger. A localized response that targets saving lives and livelihoods must be prioritized including supporting local food production, protecting the poorest, and making food affordable.”

Save the Children is working to help affected communities in Somalia to cope with the immediate humanitarian effects of drought. We are providing emergency water supplies, treating children who are malnourished, supporting education systems so that children do not miss vital learning while displaced by drought, running health facilities, and providing cash and livelihood support to the most vulnerable.

United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson letter to fellow MPs (06.06.2022)