The Calvary blocks Opposition Food relief in Katakwi!

Jubilant reception as we arrived in Toroma, Katakwi District this morning. Situation quickly changed as police started attacking the people” – Dr. Kizza Besigye

You would think that under Presidency of Yoweri Museveni, that his Security Organization would show some sense, but there aren’t any common sense in the Uganda Police Force. As Inspectorate General of Police Kale Kayihura. This reports are coming from Katakwi town today, as the Police dispersed the public gatherings as the food relief from Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was passing by the starving region.

This is something the government themselves wouldn’t have the capacity to do. They would let the people starve, with their Regional Police Commander (RDC) of Katakwi Francis Tumwesigye. The went all in with gun-shots, tear-gas and other violence as the FDC tried to do a good deed.

Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago explains: “We have just wound up our visit to Teso Region. Despite the fact that police unleashed brutality and teargas to disperse peaceful and jubilant supporters, we managed to comb through various parts of Soroti and Katakwi. We handed over food relief to Bishop Obaikol, paid respect to the grave of the former Toroma MP and that of our fallen comrade, Counsel Okiring in Magoro” (Lukwago, 05.04.2017).

That a food relief in Toroma we’re delivered not only with the local Bishop Obaikol, but by the FDC leadership and leaders in the region, who has traveled in the region of late. The RDC Tumwesigye said earlier today: “No giving them food. Let them die of hunger”. How can such a person has a leadership role? What sort of government hires a person like this? The skirmishes from the Police Force have officially lead to five hurt people, the citizens who showed up to get fed.

That National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and the Honorable Minister of Disaster Preparedness Musa Ecweru have not delivered to the public, because of the FDC had prepared posho to the Toroma town, the Police to prove the point, the UPF even had to tear-gas and stop an 84 year old who went to the car of Dr. Kizza Besigye, so as he passes by the police went after the old man. This proves the little care the police has for the civilians.

You can wonder if the citizens matters to the police as they was even blocking Besigye from visiting the hospital to see to the ones who had to go to Toroma Health Centre. That the FDC leader was blocked to see the ones hurt by the police, when the food relief from FDC came into Toroma, Katakwi.

That the Police had to disperse and block a food relief proves how little they care and that the RDC would utter words and stop it. UPF and NRM proves that they doesn’t care and the world should take notice if the government cries. The FDC could have provided the posho to the citizens as an act of kindness, instead the police brutality will be remembered, not the gift from the opposition party!

Peace.

Air Tanzania Revival: Tender for Provision of Indvidual Consultancy Service to Prepare a Comprehensive Five Year Business Plan for Air Tanzania Company Limited (21.03.2017)

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Weaken mandate of MONUSCO is a gift-wrapped surprise to Kabila!

We don’t want to just cut for the sake of cutting. There are places we can cut. Everybody knows there’s fat at the U.N. Everybody knows there’s fat in the peacekeeping missions. So that’s why we’re taking each one.” – Nikki Haley U.S. Ambassador to the UN (Westcott, 29.03.2017).

There is something very wrong with our current day of leadership and their pride. If a mission had been finalized and done, than I would understand why they decided to change the mandate or suspend it. What happen at the United Nations Security Council this week, the 31st March 2017 is a mystery to me. It is a unique act of ignorance and lack of understanding, as if the less is better when the acts of oppression and killings happens on a day-to-day basis. When villages and towns are silenced by either government forces or rebels. That the UNSC see it fit to cut their mandate and have less soldiers to be there monitor and control the acts against the civilians. Take a look!

The worrying news from the United Nations:

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year but reduced the number of troops” (…) “In a resolution unanimously adopted, the 15-member body decided to keep the UN Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) until 31 March 2018, but approved 16,215 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel, and 1,050 personnel of formed police units” (…) “In a previous mandate extension, the Council approved 19,815 military personnel, 760 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel, and 1,050 personnel of formed police units” (MONUSCO, 2017).

That the United Nations Security Council cuts with 3,600 military personnel into the MONUSCO Peacekeeping Operation mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is like a wrapped Christmas gift in early March. Also the cut in in military observers by a 100, only keeping the same amount of police personnel and police units, shows the lack of understanding the fragile situation inside Congo. The Congolese Authorities are oppressive and silencing the citizens, while citizens are dying and even mass-graves are appearing in Kasai-Oriental, as M23 have resurfaced, the Mayi-Mayi creating issues, Kamwina Nsapu rebellion, the ADF-NALU inside the Kivu’s. There are so much violence and killings, still the International Community play foul by stepping down their mission as the situation isn’t becoming clearer or better.

There been issues in North Kivu and South Kivu for long as Rwandese and Ugandan based rebel groups, together with relics of the great-wars of the 1990s are still at large, these are done in systematic oppression, as well as the resources have been exported through channels that even lead to the building of gold refinery in Entebbe recently. Still, this is all happening under the nose of the United Nations Security Council, they know this as of late two of the UN Experts together with their interpreter lost their lives while following up on the mass-graves of Kasai-Oriental. Therefore, that after months of killings in yet another province, that the MONUSCO getting weaker is gift to President Kabila and his violent oppressive army FARDC.

Important cuts of MONUSCO according to the U.S. Ambassador to the UN on the DRC Mission:

““We can reduce the troops tremendously,” Haley would later tell a gathering of foreign-policy mandarins and reporters at the Council on Foreign Relations. President Joseph Kabila’s “corrupt” government, she suggested, may be unworthy of international support from the United Nations. And the U.N. mission, she added, might be compromising its integrity by “aiding a government that is inflicting predatory behavior against its own people.” (Lynch & McCormick, 2017).

Well, what the new Ambassador Haley doesn’t see that if the UN didn’t have a genuine mandate and forces there, than the escalation and the possible worsen efforts from the government could have appeared, as the price of power from the central government hasn’t really showed lack of use of excess force in the past. As well as giving way to rebels to steal and take resources so they can export it to Rwanda and Uganda. That has happen over a decade and shaped the mineral industries, as well as the relationship between the Republics. But I am sure that Haley haven’t read the bloody history or the extended warfare and warlords that has affected the Congolese heartland. That would surely make her think of other than corruption, but also of the amount of innocent people killed. She and the U.S. can replicate their dollars and drop silver dollars again to crash economies as they did in the past. But, to use economy as a reason to give way to President Kabila, seems futile and like monkey-wrenching the UN Peacekeeping mission.

So the cutting of the fat, will also cut the will and possible effects of the UN Mission in the DRC. They are maybe saving some funds, but even creating most likely unknown effects where the stakes are higher than a service adjourned and continues peace. The Kabila Government are far likely fearing the UN and their MONUSCO while knowing that the UN will cut their support and their mandate to save U.S. Tax payers monies. Instead of seeing the benefit of securing the peace in the Congo. Certainly, the nation who was partly involved in the killing of President Patrice Lumumba, should feel their needed support of a peaceful transition and recognize that they also kept the funding of President Mobutu Sese Seko for decades upon end. So the US history in the DRC comes with a price and they should not talk budget, but talk on how to strengthen the MONUSCO’s mandate to secure the civilians, who are used as pawns on the chess-set, while the leaders are trading favors and finding paths to stay in power. Kabila knows this and using all tricks to be able to stay without holding an election or respecting the CENCO agreement. Therefore, the weaken MONUSCO by 3,600 military personnel is gift, a splendid gift to Kabila and his cronies.

Kabila, should be delighted and have an afternoon delight with some liquor and prime cut beef. However, the US administration shows that they are not thinking long-term in policies in their respects to the UN. This will cost more and take more time on their involvement in peacekeeping mission in the future, as the resolving mechanisms and the results of stifling the powers are gone. The mission themselves sometimes doesn’t deliver great results in change, but they keep the violence at bay and also make sure the governments doesn’t extended their power grab. That would change if the weaken mandate of MONUSCO would be even more axed. Peace.

Reference:

Lynch, Colum & McCormick, Ty – ‘Nikki Haley Threatened to Withhold Backing for U.N.’s Congo Mission, Then Blinked’ (30.03.2017) link: http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/30/nikki-haley-threatened-to-withhold-backing-for-u-n-s-congo-mission-then-blinked/

MONUSCO – ‘DR CONGO: SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS PEACEKEEPING MANDATE, BUT REDUCES TROOP STRENGTH’ (31.03.2017) link: https://monusco.unmissions.org/en/dr-congo-security-council-extends-peacekeeping-mandate-reduces-troop-strength

Westcott, Lucy – ‘U.N. AMBASSADOR NIKKI HALEY: ‘I BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE CUTS TO THE U.N.’ (29.03.2017) link: http://www.newsweek.com/nikki-haley-un-budget-cuts-peacekeeping-575967

RDC: Declaration de la Societe Civile du Sud-Kivu relative au drame socio politique en cours en RDC (31.03.2017)

European Council: Draft Guidelines following the United Kingdom’s notification under Article 50 TEU (31.03.2017)