UN report on Eritrean Gov. oppressive behavior towards its Citizens and its Systematic Evidence of Human Rights Violations!

IsaiasAfwerki

“Eritrea will wait three or four decades, maybe more, before it holds elections. Who knows?”President Isaias Afwerki

As you read the quotes from the UN Human Rights Council on Eritrea, the amount of paperwork and people involved in the report, there we’re alone 44,000 submissions and also interviews from the Eritrean diaspora in Europe and United States. Just as the report says: “the Commission received 44,267 submissions from 39 countries. Of these, 30,517 arrived by mail and 13,750 by email. The submissions were mostly in Tigrinya and English but a sizeable number were in Arabic” (UN HRC, P: 11, 2016). So there are lots of material and an edge to the evidence in the report, it is not hearsay when those amounts of people are describing certain situations and the state of affairs in a country. I will take out what I see as most interesting findings in this report. As I am sure I am not alone in discussing the findings.

Why the information came from the Diaspora and not inside Eritrea:

“The Commission recalls that it has repeatedly sought permission from the Government of Eritrea to visit the country. The Government of Eritrea has failed to respond despite calls by the Human Rights Council to cooperate with the Commission of Inquiry. The Commission was nonetheless able to interview Eritreans in 13 countries with significant Eritrean populations” (UN HRC, P: 13, 2016).

Financial transparency:

Eritrea is one of the least developed countries in the world, and most of the country’s economic enterprises are state controlled” (…)”As Eritrea does not publish a budget, it remains to be seen whether this substantial new income will be used to enhance implementation of social, economic and cultural rights in the country” (UN HRC, P: 17, 2016). “With respect to sources of Government income, the source added “that is a mystery. Money is deposited at the National Bank. The Ministry of Finance does not know where the money comes from. Only the President knows.” (UN HRC, P: 37, 2016). “For example, witnesses told the Commission that a bank account with 40 million USD in mining revenue had been opened in Qatar in the name of the Director of the PFDJ Economic Affairs department” (…)”Other information suggests that there may be private accounts belonging to the president or members of his inner circle in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Cyprus, and /or China” (UN HRC, P: 38, 2016).

Eritrea 25yrs

Freedom of Speech and the independence of the Media:

On Freedom of Speech and Media: “…since the media is Government-owned, you clearly are not supposed to cover anti-government issues. If interviewees say something anti-governmental, you listen but do not use it in your broadcast. A lot of items you didn’t broadcast. At first the bosses told me not to use such material, and then there’s self-censorship.” (UN HCR, P: 34, 2016). “Restrictions on freedom of speech are not limited to just those physically in Eritrea. A witness in Ethiopia told the Commission that after he had participated in a demonstration in Addis Ababa in late June 2015 in support of the Commission’s first report, his mother was arrested in Eritrea” (UN HRC, P: 35, 2016).

On Religious Freedom:

Government control of authorised religious groups also persists. The Government of Eritrea continues to detain under house arrest Orthodox Patriarch Abune Antonio, who was arrested over ten years ago for calling for the release of political prisoners and failing to excommunicate church members opposed to the Government” (UN HCR, P: 30, 2016).

On future Elections:

President Isaias Afwerki has regularly expressed his disdain for what he refers to as “western-style” democracy. In a 2008 interview with Al Jazeera, for example, the President stated that “Eritrea will wait three or four decades, maybe more, before it holds elections. Who knows?” The Eritrean delegation to the 2014 Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review stated that national elections would not be held until “the threats to national security and sovereignty had been eliminated” (UN HRC, P: 19, 2016).

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Rule of Law:

“Although low level community courts exist, most Eritreans interviewed immediately dismissed any suggestion that they could file a complaint for a rights violation. There was a palpable resignation among people towards the endemic injustices in Eritrea, as well as a fear of re-victimisation. In the absence of a constitution, an independent judiciary, a national assembly, and other democratic institutions, the Commission has found no progress in establishing the rule of law” (UN HCR, P: 20, 2016). The Cost of freedom from detention: “Witnesses cited costs of avoiding imprisonment ranging from 50,000 Nakfa to 2,000, 000 Nakfa, as well as confiscation of property, including homes, suggesting that the assessment of “fines” may depend on the wealth of the family” (UN HRC; P: 40, 2016).

Military Service:

“On the issue of duration of military/national service, a witness who was conscripted in 2003 and remained in national service until he fled Eritrea in 2015 stated that: “…the national service is still for an indefinite period; in fact when I joined the national service I was never informed as to when I was going to be released from service. The Government has not announced that it will reduce the service period to 18 months; it is still indefinite and we are all very aware of this.” (UN HRC, P: 22, 2016). “According to an expert on Eritrea, those discharged from national service remain in the People’s Army or militia or “reserve army” after their discharge, and must be available at any time the Government chooses to call them. Thus, most cannot qualify for Eritrean exit visas, and those who opt to leave without such a visa remain liable for the crime of “desertion.” (UN HRC, P: 22, 2016).

Military Equipment Eritrea

Using Military Service as a Working force for the state:

“According to one witness, “the Generals receive salaries, but also receive income from agriculture [and other commodities] that is not accounted for. Production costs are low because they use free conscript labour. This income is not disclosed to the Ministry of Defence. The President knows about this but does not interfere” (UN HRC, P: 41, 2016).

““Air Force planes are outdated and there is no proper maintenance. So, the Air Force has shifted to plantation activities. For example, there was a piece of land near the airport… [The Chief of the Air Force] took that land for plantations. [He] would bring almost three quarters of Air Force conscripts to work on the plantations, and the equipment used on the plantation comes from the Air Force and Ministry of Agriculture. It was very hot on the plantations. [Conscripts] were not paid any money for this work. They were told it is part of our duties. If they refused to work there, they would be sent to the [nearby detention facility].” (UN HRC, P: 23, 2016).

Eritrea Army

Generals are handpicking woman who are on subscription to be their “Wife’s” and solitary responsibility to please the General: “One day, …a female soldier…from my unit was…assigned to General […] to prepare food and do cleaning; it was also made clear to her that she [was] supposed to please [the General] in bed whenever he wanted. […] She provided this service to [the General] for many years. [Three years after it started], she got pregnant [from] him and gave birth to a baby girl… She told me that she did not do this voluntarily but [because] she was afraid. She said she was not allowed to leave the house and sometimes she was locked up.” (UN HRC, P: 58, 2016). A former female trainee in Sawa, who described the situation of these young women stated that “[t]hey are their personal slave.” Another female military trainee reported a typical day to her friend: “Dreadful life starts in the morning: I prepare his breakfast, wash his clothes, prepare lunch, prepare coffee ceremony, prepare dinner, and then prepare to be ‘his wife’. I have had this life for the last six years.” And more from the Sawa: “We watched sexual abuses. Systematically, they forced girls to obey their instructions; to have a relationship with them. If she doesn’t obey, they find any kind of military punishment. It is commonly the [d]ivision leaders, the highest ranks who would do that. All people would go back to their [d]ivision at the end of the day. The leaders select girls personally. After six months, he would change her, take a newly arrived. The 11th grade students…have to pass their last year’s exam in Sawa. They take them. Once a woman is assigned to a General, they stay there [to] do office work, chores, etc. ‘there is no rule, no law.’ Sometimes when the girls see the car of the General approaching they hide. What if they become pregnant? […] When it happens, they make abortion traditionally. The girl doesn’t even want to let the colonel know. One of my best friends was a ‘personnel’ of the Colonel. He told me that the nick name used to get a girl is ‘goat’. Sometimes when newcomers arrive they asked assistants to bring new ones.” (UN HRC, P: 56-57).

Another said that “in 2014, there was military training. I was sick and even had papers certifying that I was sick. But they didn’t believe me and I was [detained] for six months without due process.” (UN HRC, P: 23, 2016).

What the Government says about the Military Service and their work:

“Indeed, Presidential Advisor Yemane Gebreab himself has stated that: “the challenge for us is to be able to find jobs, skills, training, and business opportunities for [conscripts] when they are released,”100 suggesting that prolonged military/national service is not, or is no longer, motivated primarily by national security concerns” (UN HRC, P: 24, 2016).

eritrean_troops_control_ministry

Shoot-To-Kill Policy:

The Commission received credible evidence that a shoot-to-kill policy was issued and that it has not been rescinded. The writers denying the existence of a shoot-to-kill policy did not explain the basis on which they concluded that such a policy does not exist. Very few, for example, said that they had passed through a border without interference or without the assistance of smugglers. The Commission is aware that the policy has been implemented in a less rigorous manner in recent years” (UN HRC, P: 15, 2016). “An example of extrajudicial killing reportedly took place on 3 April 2016, as military/national service conscripts were being transported through the city centre of Asmara. When several conscripts tried to jump from the trucks, soldiers reportedly fired into the crowd, killing and injuring a considerable but unconfirmed number of conscripts and bystanders” (UN HRC, P: 32, 2016). A witness said this: ““In September 2015, the battalion commander told me if anyone attempts to cross the border to Ethiopia just shoot at them. He told us to shoot people down if we see them crossing. I couldn’t ask about this order because I would have been killed or jailed; I had to implement it. If you don’t implement it you won’t be seen again. I know 3 soldiers who spent 20 years in service. They told me I had to implement the order.” (UN HRC, P: 33, 2016).

This happen to some of fleeing Eritreans:

On May 22 2016, Sudan collectively expelled 313 Eritreans back to Eritrea. Another 129 were similarly sent back from Sudan several days earlier. According to UNHCR, the prior to the forcible returns, the Eritreans had been tried and convicted in Sudanese courts of “illegal entry” into Sudan. According to corroborated reports by unrelated witnesses, in the days prior to the expulsions, Eritrean authorities visited Eritreans in a Sudanese prison to register the identities of those to be returned. The witnesses also reported that upon arrival in Eritrea, the returnees were arrested and detained. They further indicated that those who were in the national service, prior to leaving the country, were detained at Adi Abeito prison on the outskirts of Asmara, and that those who had not yet undergone military training are currently detained elsewhere, including in Tessenei and Hashferay, apparently awaiting transfer to military training centres” (UN HRC, P: 25, 2016).

asmara

Afterthought:

There is so much evidence that come into a 94 page UN report; this one shows so much of it, I have focused on the witness reports and their testimonies, as this is Eritrean citizens who have fled the regime in haste to Europe or America. There even some men and woman who are creating issues for their families left behind.

The Eritrean state is all controlled around the President Isaias Afwerki, as he knows all about the finances, state media and the military. The Military or the Army is both “free working force” as the extensive breaches human rights and committed to keep away the state from lawful activities, as the Generals and Army Officials are themselves skimming of the system and use woman and men, as they please. This creates unlawfulness in the militarized society of Eritrea. The witness reports are a sad sight and the totalitarian control from the President Afwerki shows the extent to how they control their citizens and uses their manpower to earn money for the Government, but not support or being there for their citizens.

And if they try to flee or desert from the military or the country, the other army command can shoot-to-kill fellow citizens, as they do not follow orders from above, as they are in the hands of the government and the army. This together with the torture of fellow citizens; they are detained without trial and kept in jail to infinite, as there are no constitution or rule of law in the nation.

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The damning evidence is clear, the Eritrean government cannot just silence this, as there are over 400,000 who has fled from the country, and 44,000 have written in to the United Nation Human Rights Council, with their experience and witness reports shows the level of system behind these actions, it is not just one rare coincidence that certain people are detained, tortured or becoming slaves for the Generals of the Military. That even the Air-Force is so depleted that the men who are assigned work on labor unites instead of becoming air-men for the Eritrean Air-Force.

That is enough for now. It is not grand state of affairs, the level of impunity and lawlessness and the attitude of how the Eritrean State are treating their fellow citizens and keeping their records only in the hand of the President Afwerki and nobody else. Peace.

Reference:

UN Human Rights Council – ‘Detailed findings of the commission of inquiry on human rights in Eritrea’ (08.06.2016) – A/HRC/32/CRP.1

DP Press Statement: ” If Ugandans expected something different from business as usual they were badly disappointed” (07.06.2016)

Norbert Mao NTV

Kampala June 7, 2016. 
The long awaited cabinet list is finally out. If Ugandans expected something different from business as usual they were badly disappointed. True to its dominant nature of putting partisan loyalty above the public spirit and competence, the cabinet is another dose of more of the same. Apart from the laudable gesture of retiring those who were long overdue for retirement like Henry Kajura, Tarsis Kabwegyere and Dr. Nyiira, the cabinet doesn’t represent any change in political path. The tendency to entrench family rule and hegemony in our polity is still visible no matter the efforts to disguise it.

To the politically gullible, the inclusion of some members of opposition parties in the cabinet may appear to represent a spirit of inclusion. However to the adept and keen observers, the inclusion of people like Betty Amongi (UPC), Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi (DP) and Beti Kamya (UFA) in the cabinet is nothing but despicable tokenism and falls far short of any expectation Ugandans may have had that following a disputed election marred with unprecedented rigging and post election brutality and continued repression, an inclusive government based on a consensus reached through a national dialogue process. In a dialogue process, the direction of the country would be negotiated. We reject tokenism because it simply means trading a few crumbs for a fair share of the loaf of political power. As the Igbo of Nigeria say “No one gets a mouthful of food by picking between another person’s teeth”.

Florence MP

Uganda is a country that is deeply divided and hurting. The nation is badly in need of healing. Museveni’s one man rule ensures that no alternative voice will be heard in cabinet, parliament, the judiciary or even the streets. In terms of democracy, Uganda in the next five years will be nothing more than a political graveyard.

We therefore denounce the new cabinet as yet another lever in Museveni’s power arsenal. Museveni and his cabal are presiding over a malevolent and capricious state capture which is clearly seen in the tyranny of the majority in parliament, the elevation of so called cadre judges in the judiciary and the suppression of civil dissent. This cabinet therefore doesn’t represent a new direction. You cannot make an omelette by shuffling around rotten eggs.

DP 07.06.2016

On the State of the Nation Address delivered on 31 May, 2016, we await the National Budget. That is when we will give a comprehensive response. But we have something to say in the meantime. As expected the address skirted around the issue of governance without acknowledging the political logjam we have in Uganda today with an illegitimate government in place led by a person whose victory will continue to be questioned for ages. With characteristic arrogance Mr. Museveni declared, “Having followed closely world and historical events over the last 50 years, I am not aware of any society anywhere in the world that is more democratic than Uganda as far as the forms and structures of democracy are concerned….Democracy is one area where we do not need aid”. We note that this is a qualified statement. It is an admission that Uganda Is democratic only in form. In essence and substance Uganda is a totalitarian state.

The heart of the address was the economy. Mr. Museveni assured Ugandans that by 2020, that is in four years time, Uganda will be a middle income country. This may be an impressive jargon but let’s unpack it. That term is based on the so called Atlas Method that the World Bank uses to rank the economy of countries. Low Income countries where Uganda falls have a Gross National Income per capita of US$1,045 or less. Middle income countries have a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of between US$1,045 and US$12,736. (Of course middle income countries are further subdivided into lower middle income and upper middle income countries. Lower middle income countries have a GNI per capita of between US$1,046 – US$4,125. Upper middle income countries have a GNI per capita of US$4,126 – 12,735). High income countries have a Gross National Income per capita above US$12,735.

Ugandan shillings

Even without waiting for the National Budget we can say for certain that the absurd proclamation that Uganda will be a middle income country by 2020 is a political hoax smacking of deception and gimmickry. With a balance of trade of minus US$164.6 million, global business confidence of only 54 percent, military expenditure of US$340 million, inflation of over 6 percent and growth at only less than 4 percent, Uganda’s ambition of attaining middle income status under the current NRM economic framework is a pathetic pipe dream that no one can take seriously. This is coupled with an unsustainably high external debt of over 14 Trillion Uganda shillings which costs Uganda a lot of money to service. Then there is the lack of fiscal discipline, high military expenditure, unattractive wages that fuel brain drain, high unemployment of over 60 percent and the run away corruption. This is what constitutes the hemorrhage that Museveni dwelt on during his dull and unimaginative address to a demoralized nation. It is this hemorrhage that is responsible for the heavy tax burden under which Ugandans agonize. What the Uganda Revenue Authority is attempting to do is thus akin to a person collecting water using a basket. Unless the leakages are plugged the whole thing is an exercise in futility. The strategy of fighting corruption using the methods he used to fight indiscipline in the army will not work against corruption. It will be like treating a cancer using Vaseline. While indiscipline in the army is not profitable, corruption has grown into an institutionalized and highly profitable activity. Museveni will not win the war against corruption unless he becomes born again and offer leadership by example. You cannot exhort your flock to drink water while you gorge yourself on wine! Sooner or later the flock will follow your bad example. Therefore the fight against corruption requires a level of moral authority that Museveni lacks. He cannot point out the splinter in the eyes of his followers because he has a log in his eyes. As I have stated before, fish rots from the head. Today, I wish to advise Museveni that when you are sweeping a staircase you start from the top. Let him start from himself and those closest to him then move downwards. Fighting corruption is the one thing in which the bottom up approach cannot work because the bottlenecks in the war against corruption are in the top of the table.

Fortunately, for Ugandans there is a political party called the DP which shuns corruption, violence, dictatorship and militarism. We shall continue to illuminate our political space with viable alternative policies that shall be cogently presented in all platforms. Our impact shall not depend on our numbers but rather by the superior quality of our ideas and the firm foundation on which we stand.

We call upon Ugandans not to lose hope. We shall work hand in hand with other democracy seeking forces in our motherland to see that the NRM, like all totalitarian regimes that have persecuted and oppressed people throughout the ages, ends up in the dustbin of history. We will continue to speak out without fear or favor against all ills that afflict our country and continue to keep hope alive that we shall overcome. The darkest part of the night is just before dawn. Let that hope for a better future keep us focused on the tasks of the present.

Hon. Norbert Mao
President

Statement by Dr Tarek A. Sharif, Head of the AU Defence and Security Division at the 6th Biennial Meeting of States to Consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapon (07.06.2016)

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 7, 2016 – New York, USA 6-10 June 2016 – Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentleman, It is an honour for me to speak on behalf of the African Union and wish to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election as the Chair of the 6th Biennial Meeting, and commend you for the manner in which you are steering the meeting. The African Union assures you of its full support.

Mr. Chairman,

The African Union fully aligns itself with the statement made by the African Group and wishes to underscore that Africa is among the regions most affected by the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons.

These weapons have caused unspeakable death and suffering over the decades and remain a serious impediment to peace, security, stability, and development on the continent and globally. This is why the AU is strongly committed to regional and global efforts to eliminate illicit small arms, and we firmly believe that the Programme of Action remains a critical and comprehensive policy framework to achieve this end.

The Member States of the AU have made significant progress in implementing the different components of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument. In this regard, I wish to express the AU’s sincere thanks and appreciation to all the international partners for their continued commitment to support our Member States.

Mueveni Bundibugyo Pre-Campaign 2016 Gun

Mr. Chairman,

The AU recognizes that some challenges to the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action and the International Tracing Instrument still remain. These include limited financial and human resources and also the declining levels of international assistance and the lack of effective assistance coordination at the regional and global levels.

The AU wishes to seize this opportunity to call on all international partners to reboost their assistance in order to preserve the gains that have been made thus far. It is also imperative that the international community re-considers and improves the current funding modalities. While the AU commends the support provided through the UN Disarmament Trust Fund and UNSCAR, these funds do not match the existing and growing needs and gaps.

In this regard, the AU will support regional coordination and synergies in the implementation of the PoA, the ATT, and other regional instruments. The AU is also particularly keen to promote and support sustainable action that is fully owned and led by Member States. It is, therefore, critical that the relation between donors and recipient countries is transformed into a strong partnership that is based on a shared understanding of the priorities and where both parties are committed to institutional and capacity building and long term impact, in accordance with best practices and mutual agreements.

Moise Katumbi DRC 07.05.2016 Army

Mr. Chairman,

The important role of regional and sub-regional organizations in combating illicit small arms cannot be overstated. Over the years, their programmes and initiatives against illicit small arms have led to significant milestones. This makes them key potential partners in global efforts, and their role should be capitalized on in order to close the gaps in implementation as well as coordination.

The AU calls upon international partners to ensure that regional and sub-regional organizations are consulted and involved in project planning and implementation in order to ensure that regional dimensions and border security aspects of illicit proliferation are considered and addressed. Furthermore, the AU encourages a central role for regional and sub-regional organizations in coordinating resource mobilization and assistance.

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Mr. Chairman,

On its part, the AU is ready to provide a regional forum for States, the UN and international partners to discuss modalities to enhance the capacities of Member States to meet their obligations under the POA and ITI as well as on the strengthened role of regional and sub-regional organizations in this regard. In concluding, the AU delegation hopes that this meeting agrees on substantial and results-oriented recommendations to reinforce the Programme of Action.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman

Press Statement: IMF Executive Board Completes Sixth PSI Review for Uganda and Approves One-Year Extension of the Program (07.06.2016)

Bank notes Uganda

WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, June 7, 2016 –  The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund today completed the sixth review of Uganda’s economic performance under the program supported by the Policy Support Instrument (PSI).1.

In completing the review, the Board approved the authorities’ request for a one-year extension of the current PSI arrangement to facilitate policy continuity and allow sufficient time for ongoing structural reforms to progress and also granted a waiver of the nonobservance of the end-December 2015 assessment criteria on the overall deficit of the central government.

The PSI for Uganda was approved by the Executive Board on June 28, 2013 (see Press Release No. 13/78). Uganda’s program under the PSI aims at maintaining macroeconomic stability and alleviating constraints to growth. The program supports the authorities’ objectives on reforms to the monetary policy framework, tax revenue mobilization, public financial management, and financial sector development. It also backs efforts to improve the business environment, including by preparing the economy better for oil production.

Following the Board discussion, Mr. Min Zhu, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

“Despite external shocks, and amid election-related uncertainty, Uganda’s economy demonstrated resilience, with robust growth, low inflation, and strong international reserves. However, structural reforms have lagged and need to be revitalized to enhance competitiveness, promote economic diversification, and foster sustained and inclusive economic growth.

“Economic policies will remain focused on keeping inflation low and boosting growth. Fiscal priorities include shifting public spending toward infrastructure and poverty-alleviating expenditures, boosting domestic revenue mobilization, and enhancing public investment efficiency. Continued fiscal prudence could facilitate further monetary policy easing, which would help ease tight credit conditions.

“More progress is needed on key structural reforms. Prompt parliamentary approval of the Public Financial Management Act regulations in line with international best practice, decisive action to reconcile and validate the stock of domestic arrears, and finalizing the charter of fiscal responsibility are paramount steps to further improve governance and strengthen the budget process. Final approval of legal amendments to the Bank of Uganda Act will strengthen the central bank’s independence and support the inflation targeting regime.

“Vigilance is needed to ensure continued financial stability. Plans to further strengthen prudential supervision in line with the Basel III guidelines are welcome. Ensuring that regulatory oversight keeps pace with financial innovation will help preserve financial stability. Prioritizing prompt parliamentary approval of the Amendments of the Anti-Money Laundering Amendment Act and the Insurance Act should help Uganda exit from the FATF gray list, further strengthening the investment climate.”

1 The PSI is an instrument of the IMF designed for countries that do not need balance of payments financial support. The PSI helps countries design effective economic programs that, once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, signal to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets the Fund’s endorsement of a member’s policies (seehttp://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/psi.htm). Details on Uganda’s current PSI are available at imf.org/uganda.

Juba & Khartoum agree to open up common border (Youtube-Clip)

South Sudan and Sudan have begun talks that seek to expedite the bilateral cooperation agreement between the two countries. They have signed several agreements on security arrangements for demilitarized zones and the opening of 10 border cross points. The two also have agreed to stop supporting rebel groups along their border. Delegations from the two countries met in Khartoum on Sunday. CCTV’s Patrick Oyet reports from Juba” (CCTV Africa, 2016)

My letter to Electronics Producers who are responsible for supplying money to militias and guerrillas of the DRC!

Illegal Mining DRC

Dear Electronic Producers of end-products as Mobile Phones and such, I write to you in haste!

Then I mean the likes of Foxconn of China, Apple, Hitachi, Sanyo, NEC Tokin, Kemet, AVX, Vishay, Flextronics, Celestica Sanmina, Asustek, Jabil, Hewitt-Packard, Dell, Acer, IBM, Samsung, Motorola, Canon and Nokia. Also other suppliers who deliver the needed products for you too label and sell to the global market.  

I write too you with urgency, do you want your names to mentioned in blood, as your greed for the profits are no embedded with warlords and thieves of East Africa, as the exported mineral resources as Coltan, Tin, Tantalum and Tungsten. These minerals are needed in your production to make your phones, your electronics and others.

There been warlords, been warriors and presidents that have looted the Southern and Northern Kivu of Democratic Republic of Congo. They have all used AK-47 and other weapons while taking territories, towns and villages. These are the places, where the militias and guerrillas are raping the woman, burning villages and taking over mines even with child-labor if needed.

All the deaths and wars since the fall of Mobutu Sese Seko in the end of 1990s, where the proxy war of Uganda and Rwanda in the Kivu’s where the mines are; and you have accepted this as you vouch for their armies and their militias taking the area, eating of the minerals, eating the stones and lifting the burden they have to buy ammunition to continue their thieving. The thieving and capturing the miners, destroying and taking the minerals, the minerals you use in your products, the end-products you want to sell to me and the world.

DRC Minerals

What is the pride of your fiscal profits, knowing you were securing payments, securing buying of small-arms and killings of fellow men and woman, on your watch, on your payment and your production? The initial end-game of Electronic Products is that as long as we know that, the Laptops, Smart-Phone and others are tainted with blood; they are tainted with the operation of warlords.

That cannot be gone away in silence, as long as the President of Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, they are all in on it, and enjoy the monies with their proxy armies controlling various mines and different minerals, the issues and stages of exploitation of the Kivu’s.

If more people care, they would be aggravated, they would wonder if there was ways of producing the smart-phones and laptops without the minerals that are fueling the guerrillas and militias of Kivu, which is not extending the reign of Kabila, Kagame and Museveni. They are the reasons for these killings and these groups who extort this violence.

Kagame-Museveni-Kabila

The nonsense non-action, the deliberate assault for these minerals, and your plenty of usage, while knowing where it came from, with the extent of the force that it taken from the ground and into the factories, before sold with pop-song on the local TV-Station with a fancy name and image; that image should be tainted with the knowledge of how the minerals for it came to light of day, with the injustice, the impunity and dissolved society where the fear of violence, reckless warlords, relentless soldiers and murders keeping at bay the illegal logging of minerals of the Kivu’s. That is what the price of the profits.

The brave and Nobel men of the boardrooms of the companies, the men and woman of the PR firms, and the consumers, should be enlighten, should take a stand and we all should try to find ways to absorb and not buy the tainted electronics, or least spread the names of them who take the supply of blood-tainted minerals and make products for profit. That should be stopped, as the killings, the continued presence of militias and guerrillas, they are all been kept and fed by your money. The money you have supplied them, so they can continue to get guns and ammunition.

FARDC Beni May 2016

This money comes from the people, the citizens of the world, they should now and should extend their hands, if they about the atrocities and violence of the Kivu’s. They are serving your profits, the profits made on the guerrillas and militias controlling the mines and exploitations of the provinces with the enriched minerals of the Democratic Republic of Congo. That is what should be known, the silent and sudden killer of it all, the ones that responsible for the presence of modern technology, are militants and guerrillas who are fed on the violence as they export to industries that take it without questions.

It should be questioned and the people should care, the knowledge of these actions should be in the open and spoken more about. Last time the blood-diamonds movie and Leonardo DiCaprio played a reckless man who sold diamonds in Sierra Leone… maybe if they did the same with blood tainted minerals from the DRC, then the world citizens might care and asked for change of policy, but the average man don’t, they just want to enjoy 3G and 4G while surfing to read Tabloid papers and other madness, instead of using their waste opportunities to gain the needed knowledge of the affairs that is happening from afar with the technology at hand.

There is time to question; there are and been more than enough massacres and deaths happening in Beni, in Goma and in Kivu’s for the needed minerals. Time to ask the Electronics Companies and the Suppliers of these minerals to take actions, as their need for this is the reason why the atrocities and killings are happening. They are happing on our watch and with our knowledge. It is time to do something and ask for change, to pressure the DRC Government, to pressure the Electronic producers to use other suppliers if possible and stop fueling their profits into the warlords of East Africa, as they are responsible for their existence, as they are the ones giving them money and plenty to continue to harass and kill their fellow brother and sisters.

Best Regards

The Writer of Minbane

Opinion: Past and Present – Rwandan and Ugandan sponsoring proxy Guerrillas and Militias in the DRC, and is sad about the world ignorance of these activities.

kagame-kabila

What is my worry, well; it’s these warlords, generals in Politics, not ordinary men trying to become legislators, the former civilians, but these men who went with guns into battle and guerrilla; finally taking over and controlling nations, controlling territories with militias and youth wings that disperse and assassinate people. This happens with own Warlords, Proxy-Militias, Guerrillas and serious amount of looting from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I will look quickly into it and explain how I see it, with the looting and little responsibility, since this a question that should be asked, again and again, until there are taken down the men who support the militias, the guerrillas and warlords in the DRC.

That is where I am going as there are so many Warlords that have entered from the DRC during the last two decades; certain ones have earned lots on it and gotten away, like Gen. Paul Kagame, the former Intelligence Officer for Gen. Museveni. These are now Presidents of Rwanda and Uganda, as Kagame have been in central government of Rwanda since 1994, and Museveni have been in charge since 1986. The both took Power with the gun, and are still using it at any point of possibility.

Rwanda has had the CNDP (National Congress for the Defence of the People) that was established by Laurent Nkunda, they we’re a militia from 2006 to 2009, became a political party, while Nkunda have been in exile and in peace in Kigali. The others have been FDLR that have both fighting the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) and other militias. This fighting have been in mineral rich areas, both gold, cobalt and earth minerals that are used in cellphones, aircrafts and other important industrial production in the west and technology we are all used too, and expect naturally to be there.

M23 Picture

There is also Allied Defense Force (ADF-NALU) that is militias that came from Rwenzori region in Uganda, and have been moved over to the DRC. With that in mind they have constantly taken areas and territory with both minerals and burning villages, while not the focus of international media, as the other Ugandan Rebels of LRA have gotten, as they went from Northern Uganda, into DRC forest, then the armies of UPDF (Uganda People’s Defense Force) and FARDC pushed them into the uncertain areas of Central African Republic (C.A.R.) with their ‘Operation Thunder’.

With all of these militias, the biggest one of late M23 (Mouvement du 23-March) who controlled areas for 20 months before the peace-agreement, but the M23 leadership had deliverance of weapons from Uganda, as there was reported training in Kisoro, Uganda and Gisenyi of Rwanda. As the main routes for minerals from Democratic Republic of Congo towards the Rwanda; and there are over Rwenzori and Kabale from Congo as well. So with the well-known knowledge of the looting of DRC, the levels of impunity and fragile borders have been used by Rwandan and Ugandan Government earned money on the inflicted militias.

DRC Minerals

There been so much money involved that at one point the 2002 U.N. Panel  of Experts  report on Congo further notes: “A reliable source associated with the Congo Desk have circulated that income to the Desk provided 80 per cent of all RPA expenditure of 1999. The official Rwandan budget for 1999 allocated $80 million to the military… The Congo Desk’s contribution to the Rwandan’s military expenses would therefore have been in order of $320 million. The activities funded by revenues generated by number of domains. These transaction are, however, hidden from scrutiny of international organization,” U.N. Security Council “Final Report of the Panel of Experts” 5/2002/1164 Para 71.

With that in mind, as this was in the middle of the war that happen and took control of the nation together with Uganda, which toppled the Mobutu-Regime. As they we’re reporting on point: “Now it is Kabila, whose steady rebel advance has turned into a juggernaut, who apparently can afford to be coy. His rebels are less than 150 miles from Kinshasa and on Friday added the northwestern city of Lisala–Mobutu’s birthplace–to their conquests” (…)”Truckers attempting to bring food to Kinshasa returned home empty Friday, saying they turned back at Mbankana, a village 50 miles east of the capital, because the road was blocked by fleeing government soldiers and the rebel advance” (…)”Before the meeting, Kabila had said he was prepared only to discuss Mobutu’s swift departure from power. Aides to Mobutu, however, said the president wanted to obtain a cease-fire, to be followed by negotiations for a democratic transition in Zaire. Asked whether Mobutu would announce his resignation, Mobutu’s chief of staff Felix Vunduwe, said, “No. Why should he?” Overshadowing the diplomatic maneuvers has been the rebels’ swift advance, which has exceeded the expectations of military observers. “There’s obviously a plan they’re working to, and they’re doing a very good job at it,” said one diplomat” (Daniszewski, 1997). As this was the beginning, and certainly the Rwandan helpers was paid for their help. Something that was shown by the UN Security Council in 2002; still there haven’t been done much about it, as the violence and killings have lingered and done to this day.

Digging600

Now it is not Laurent-Désiré Kabila that only did his duty towards the men who put him in power and set in his son into power as well. With the history in mind there are really been looting of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as with the recent knowledge of court justice that says this: “Rubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi and other lawmakers, quoting an August 27 Daily Monitor story, demanded to know who was behind the plunder of DRC. “We would like to know the people who committed these atrocities in DRC and how we are going to pay DRC before our country is mortgaged,” Mr Lukyamuzi said. He added: “Our country is about to be mortgaged and none of us can afford to pay Shs82.8 trillion because we are one of the poorest nations.” (Mugerwa, 2015).  This was reported on what the Ugandans did in the DRC: “According to press accounts, the ICJ began hearing the DRC’s case against Uganda on April 11.  The Congolese delegation, headed by Justice Minister Honorius Kisimba Ngoy, reportedly called for the Ugandans to pay $10 billion in reparations for a host of crimes allegedly committed by Ugandan forces in the Congo from 1998-2003, including murder,  human rights abuses, destruction of public property and illegal exploitation of the Congo’s natural resources.  The Congolese also reportedly claimed that the Ugandans’ main objective had been to overthrow the Congolese government in Kinshasa, and cited public statements by Ugandan authorities to bolster their case.  Press accounts said the Ugandan side rejected these accusations and explained that Uganda had acted to protect its own territory from rebels based in the DRC” (WikiLeaks, 2005).

So with the big money in the looting, even if the official armies are out of Democratic Republic of Congo, wouldn’t Rwanda and Uganda, still earn big bucks on having proxy militias in the DRC as they would always earn good monies on the mineral resources… with the history and the “house-arrest” of Laurent Nkunda in Kigali, proved the connection between Rwandan Militias and the DRC, the same can be said with the M23 that have been pardoned and left in military camps in Kisoro and then went over with military training and weapons from Uganda unto the rebels who even forced the hand of Joseph Kabila.

drc-mineralssupplychain1

The chronic issue is that in the midst of this the training have in the Kivu’s have happened in the midst of Internally Displaced Camps and Refugee camps, where both the arms and military training of the militias, that either Interahamwe or Génocidaire who the Rwandan have fought and used as reason for their presence instead of their looting of Congo. That can be proven with the soft actions toward Nkunda, as he has not really been punished, the same with the treatment in Kampala for the leadership of M23. While others have been delivered to the ICC, but not key figures in the supply chain from the Ugandan and Rwandan Government; as there haven’t been questions of the Gen. Salim Selah or others who have been in charge of certain ones have deserved scrutiny from the international world!

As much as the Ugandans army has been involved in the DRC, they have also been together with SPLA/SPLM under President Salva Kiir, as they both have together fought LRA and opposition of the South Sudanese, as President Museveni wants loyal leaders in the region, so that they can all bounce on each other. President Kiir had the support without consent or mission from the United Nations to control the rebels of SPLM-IO and others who didn’t like the sacking of VP Riek Machar. As he is now reinstated the fighting is not between them and the Ugandan army is supposed to be out, as there is not mineral rich in the sense of DRC. If the Ugandans wanted a stake in the oil money there, that would be through military support to suppress the ones who does not want to support Kiir as the head in charge.

Ugandan and Rwandan governments involvement in rebels, in militias, guerrillas in Congo, is not a question worth answering yes or no, it is yes, and that there is still militias that are foreign supported as the Kinyarwanda speaking forces have been collected stripes in the Kivu’s and even French speaking mercenaries have been deployed in Kampala during election period, there are certainly significant connection and monies at stake. The Ugandan and Rwandan want Kabila Reign to continue, as he lets rob and steal for a percentage of the spoils, instead of actually govern, that is why the citizens concerned with killings in Beni in May 2016, was really oppressed, while on the birthday anniversary for the President on the 4th June, they we’re allowed to walk the streets; the impunity and arrogance while the militias, the proxy guerrillas to loot Congo. What saddens me, is the silence, the ignorance, the little care for the violence and killings, the wrong zip-code as it doesn’t matter, but the mineral resources can easily be taken and used in our modern society and smart-phones.

Why are the so little actions from the world society towards the Ugandan and Rwandan Government when they are sponsoring these militias and guerrillas in the Congo and the Kivu’s? That is what I wonder about… this is happening and there is no reactions or real movements, there are some blue-helmets, but they are a stand-by force with no will. The others let the Rwandan and Ugandan does as they please, as the FARDC doesn’t have the commando or the will to act towards them, as they have had a decade to get rid of these proxy miltias; and they are still there earning money on exporting minerals. Something is wrong with that picture, if you don’t see how the Kinshasa-Government are letting the Rwandan and Ugandan friends eat of the Kivu’s, as they would have taken more command, if they didn’t have agreement between Kabila, Kagame and Museveni. I hope you see, what I see? Peace.

Reference:

Daniszewski, John – ‘Zaire Rebel Leader Kabila Shuns Talks at Sea With President Mobutu’ (04.05.1997) link: http://articles.latimes.com/1997-05-04/news/mn-55301_1_rebel-leader

Mugerwa, Yasiin – ‘Uganda: Government Asked to Name DRC Looters’ (02.09.2015) link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201509020664.html

WikiLeaks – ‘CONGO DEMANDS $10 BN IN REPARATIONS FROM UGANDA’ (15.04.2005) link: https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/05KINSHASA640_a.html

RDC: CCPD – Declaration Politique (01.06.2016)

CCPD 01.06.2016 P1CCPD 01.06.2016 P2CCPD 01.06.2016 P3CCPD 01.06.2016 P4

Van Rees – Tea Market Report 30 May – 3 June, 2016

Tea Market 30-3.6. 2016 P1Tea Market 30-3.6. 2016 P2

“Greed is Good”, is it really so? There are more Gordon Gekko’s out there then we could imagine.

Gordon Gekko

“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind” – Gordon Gekko (Wall Street Movie 1987).

There are stories that fun, there are stories that are deep, there conspiracies, as I usually digs deep into things, there is more again of showing that the Corrupt behavior is not only set in Nigeria or in any other place there expected to be Corrupt civil servants or corporate businessmen, they are all around the world, as I like to show that there not a place without people wanting to take the short-cut and gain extra for their job or under their role at some function in society or in business.

This here is international issue, it’s in the skin and heart as the opportunity to gain quick funds and money. That is proven, as the Pharma Industry is implicated, FIFA scandal continues, former Belgian biker, NYPD, Prison Guards in New Zealand and civil servants in the Philippines; take a look!

drugs-pharmaceuticals-

Pharma industry corruption:

“It is shocking that despite scandal after scandal involving pharma companies, still policy makers simply are not taking seriously the corrosive effect of corruption,” Sophie Peresson, its head of pharmaceuticals and healthcare, said. “The red flags are being ignored.” (…)”GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), for example, paid a record fine of nearly $500 million in 2014 for bribery in China and many companies face investigation under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act” (Hirschler, 2016).

SeppBlatter

The ball is still round for FIFA:

“Per AP, Bill Burck of American law firm Quinn Emanuel, which is retained by FIFA, said: “The evidence appears to reveal a coordinated effort by three former top officials of FIFA to enrich themselves through annual salary increases, World Cup bonuses and other incentives totaling more than 79 million Swiss francs—in just the last five years.” In a statement, FIFA said it “will refer the matter of these contracts and payments to the Ethics Committee for its review.” (Simpson, 2016).

Eddy Merckx cycle AD

Tour De France Winner caught red-handed:

“The prosecutor, who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements, said Merckx is accused of corruption and the use of false documents in the sale of 46 bicycles by his then-company Cycles Eddy Merckx to police in southern Brussels in 2006-07” (…)”The contract, worth an estimated 15,000 euros ($16,700 U.S.), was allegedly obtained after a policeman furnished Merckx with inside information. Merckx allegedly rewarded the officer by selling him a carbon-fiber bicycle at a low price and giving a bicycle to the man’s wife” (Dahlburg, 2016).

NYPD Corruption Probe

NYPD Corruption Probe:

“An NYPD official said the planned retirements wouldn’t affect the ongoing investigation and denied that the cops were being forced out — even though Police Commissioner Bill Bratton last month said some may choose to leave to avoid humiliation.“No one was told to retire. If they’re being advised by their peers, or union, or families, that’s a personal decision,” the official said.“These guys are making personal decisions. They’re reading the writing on the wall.”But a rank-and-file source said the situation was “not going over well with us lower-ranking guys.” (…) “The feeling from the ground troops is that they all should be fired,” the source said” (…) “If it was us, we would be crucified. Now we’re looking at these chiefs and wondering if there’s a double standard here. Because they’re high ranking, they get to retire, they get to avoid discipline and collect their pension.” (…) ”Roy Richter, president of the Captains Endowment Association, cautioned against a rush to judgment” (…) “No one has filed for service retirement with administrative charges pending or has been identified by federal investigators as a target of their investigation,” he said. The police corruption probe is among several investigations that also target fund-raising efforts by Mayor de Blasio and his closest associates” (Cohen & Golding, 2016).

Serco cartoon

Convicted justice:

“Davis says he was contacted by the family member of a prisoner in Serco-run South Auckland Correctional Facility, Wiri Prison. “The guard will make an arrangement where they meet at a Caltex station not far from the prison,” said Davis.”And the family member will give over $500, and two 250 gram packets of tobacco will be taken in to their loved one.” (…)”Collins confirmed the Department of Corrections had taken the allegations seriously and made a complaint to the police. She was critical of Davis going to media, rather than going to Corrections. She revealed since 2007, four Corrections officers had been imprisoned because of smuggling or bribery charges, and two more were currently before the Courts. The Department of Corrections said the introduction of contraband into prisons, and corruption, was very serious. “Thorough security measures are in place at all New Zealand prisons to prevent the introduction of unauthorised items,” a spokesperson said. “Drugs, weapons and cellphones pose a serious risk to the safety of our sites. Prisoners, visitors, contractors and staff are all subject to random and targeted searches on entry to a prison, and anyone found to have facilitated the entry of unauthorised items will be held to account.” A Serco spokesperson said they have “zero tolerance” for any actions that compromise security. There is robust anti-corruption training and there is on-going supervision of all staff” (Price, 2016).

Duterte-and-Cayetano

On the Next Philippine Government:

“Philippine Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano warned corrupt public officials that their days are numbered under the administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte” (…) “Under the Duterte administration, there is no room for corrupt, slow and inefficient officials. It’s either they shape up or ship out. They have one month,” (…) “President Duterte is used to quick action and brave solutions. We must therefore match his political will and the people’s expectations for real change by making sure that we become the best agents of change,” (…) “The days of corrupt government officials are numbered. If you cannot mend your ways, you better resign. The Duterte government will give no quarter for the corrupt,” (…) “I have always believed in President-elect Duterte’s vision and leadership. I will help him by pushing and passing laws that are necessary for him to build a government that will be truly responsive to the people’s needs and aspirations,” (Ager, 2016).

Is greed really that good, then all kind of societies and all over the world when the money is spent on the government officials and used by sportsmen and others on corrupt behavior, instead of being used as they we’re supposed to be, either on the sport, on the people or generating business? Peace.

Reference:

Ager, Malia – ‘No room for corrupt govt officials in Duterte administration’ (01.06.2016) link: http://www.asianews.network/content/no-room-corrupt-govt-officials-duterte-administration-18511

Cohen, Shawn & Golding, Brian – ‘Massive corruption probe is sparking an exodus at the NYPD’ (01.06.2016) link: http://nypost.com/2016/06/01/massive-corruption-probe-is-sparking-an-exodus-at-the-nypd/

Dahlburg, John-Thor – ‘Former pro cyclist Eddy Merckx to be charged in Belgian corruption case’ (31.05.2016) link: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/05/31/former-pro-cyclist-eddy-merckx-to-be-charged-in-belgian-corruption-case.html

Hirschler, Ben – ‘Anti-graft group says drugmakers failing to tackle corruption’ (01.06.2016) link: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pharmaceuticals-corruption-idUSKCN0YN624

Price, Rosanna – ‘Whistleblower investigated over Corrections corruption and bribery’ (02.06.2016) link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80656844/labour-mp-kelvin-davis-alleges-corruption-in-nz-prisons-over-tobacco-smuggling

Simpson, Christopher – ‘FIFA Raided for Evidence in Corruption Investigation: Latest Details, Reaction’ (03.06.2016) link:  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2644045-fifa-raided-for-evidence-in-corruption-investigation-latest-details-reaction