Benin: 18 mois de prison ferme pour 3 tweets (24.12.2019)

Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte – Christmas Message (25.12.2019)

Cameroon: Union des Populations du Cameroun – Communique de Presse (23.12.2019)

Trump-Ukraine: Sen. Charles Schumer letter to fellow Senators (23.12.2019)

RDC: Lamuka – Communique de Presse (23.12.2019)

Opinion: The ECO seems like halfbaked CFA

By my reckoning, the rebranding of Central African Franc (CFA), which was the relic of the colonial French rule in Western African states. During the last few 48 hours, there is news of a new currency, which has implications, but also imperfections.

The ones praising this move is naive. The reason is simple, Emmanuel Macron or the French is still not giving way to power nor influence. They are still having their hand in the cookie jar. They are still involved with the inner-works of the financial sphere of the former colonies. They are maybe stopping the control directly from the National Bank of the French.

This move is to ease the pain of the past, but still the French and the European Union will have their stakes in it. As the pegged currency will be accordingly traded towards the Euro. A Euro, which the French has influence over in the EU. Therefore, the former colonies and the ones accepting this “ECO” Currency are accepting control from Paris and Brussels still.

They are maybe done with the regulations of CFA and the banking system as known today. But the ECO will be measured after the Euro. This is all a condition, that still benefits the former colonizer. If it wouldn’t, he wouldn’t have accepted it. Not like the French wants to loose influence nor the ability to easy trade with former colonizes. Why do you think most of the cars in Tunisia is French and not a random Skoda?

With that in mind, the ECOWAS was not launching this, but Macron was. Therefore, the whole thing seems like ploy to leave one relic behind, hoping people would be so happy that they don’t look into the mechanisms of the new currency. Not like the French would ever drop influence nor their strong hand over Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal & Togo. All of these will still be semi-controlled by Paris.

I have a hard time believing the intent of the French is to give way. No, this is just a shift to extend their power and find new measures to secure it. By remaking the former currency and the monetary union these nations have. Not like they are suddenly creating their own or having 8 separate ones. If they did that, then it might been significant. Where the own national banks, together with Ministry of Finance would make and ensure the safety of own national currency accordingly and necessary for their own Republic.

To remake and rename, only questions the motives behind the move. Other, than trying to clean the dirt of your hands and call it good days work. After years of questioning the currency and the stranglehold of these Republics. By having appointed men in their National Banks and having their gold in Paris.

I lack faith, but I am also very cynical about it. I’m not easily buying into it. I am hopefully wrong. Until the measures, until the mechanisms are all out and the proof of a vital change. It just seems like a small ploy to trigger hope for a difference, when its really just a new name and the same landlord over it. Its still the same farm and the same output, but the master just renamed the land differently. Peace.

Zambia: A tale of two gay men and one U.S. Envoy

In Lusaka, the United States Envoy Daniel Foote have been recalled for making remarks and statements about the two gay men who was charged and sentenced to 15 years in prison for making love to each other.

In this regard, some will see their act as sinful, some will see their acts against nature, that is both in your making. Your allowed to think that and have some basis in religion to do so. However, there should also be legal basis for people to love whomever they choose. Just like you should be allowed to join whatever party or religion, as your conscience deems fit. Therefore, for the state to arrest and detain people for who they love. Its a big fail, if it is their gay or inter-racial, already married or an illegal alien, so whatever reason that should be no grounds for legal remedies. Unless, they are breaking laws and statutes, which violates the sovereign state and have illegal activity as theft, crimes and so on. To make love criminal is just weird to me.

However, what is even more striking in this case. Is the need to recall and send an U.S. Envoy home for his actions in this matter. It is not like he has the power to change the laws of a sovereign nation, neither does he has the capacity to start riots or anything on his own. Unless, he does some coordination with CIA and gets busy, like the US does in Latin America. In this case, that seems like ordinary wide-far-fetched conspiracy talk. Especially, just over two gay men.

That President Edgar Lungu makes such a case and such a stance, is to only be more popular with his evangelical and Christian voters, who deem this as a sin against God and nature. That these two violated the world order and their belief in their activities. The state has laws and statutes where they make Homosexuality illegal. This is all to prove their loyalty to the fate and to the ones who believes this. Which is fine as a personal belief, but a state should be open to more than one mind-set.

Surely, Lungu has more dire problems, more issues of financial deficit, lack of power to repay Chinese loans, loadshedding and whatnot that is troubling his days in the office. As well as monitoring the activities of all opposition leaders. There are plenty of things to keep him busy. Other, than two gay man making love. He should fix the economy and the civic space. However, his busy with how people are using their privates, instead of actually governing. While spreading propaganda of a Western ploy of making Africa gay. Which it is not, it is just one expression and one part of a person’s life, which the state shouldn’t interfere and take away the liberty of a person. That it does, when it criminalize one way of love. If it is this or another.

This is the story of two gay men, who apparently is so vital and important. More important than the cordial relations between two nations. That they have to show their sovereign ways, but recalling him. As they got insulted by what he said.

What is Lungu’s next step now? He cannot get the man back and U.S. has to send another man. Whoever that might be. Still, the Zambian authorities got to ask themselves, was it worth it? What is it to gain to make this illegal and what justification is there to donors to aid this republic, who clearly only gives rights for some, but detains others. Peace.

RDC: Ensemble – Communique de Presse (22.12.2019)

RDC: Communique – Gecamines dement formellement toutes les allegations diffusees sujet du pret de 200 millions d’euro (22.12.2019)

Opinion: POLAD is Mnangagwa’s vanity project

““The President has invited all members of Polad for them to appreciate what he is doing at the farm,” presidential spokesperson George Charamba said yesterday” (Moses Matenga – ‘ ED meets Polad members at his farm’ 21.12.2019).

Today, all propaganda stations and whatnot has proclaimed the greatness of POLAD or the Political Actors Dialogue in Zimbabwe. The President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his team needs to hang on to something as they pass into the decade and new year. He wants to look inspirational and likeable character, which is hard when his government isn’t doing its job, neither reforming as promised after the coup d’etat.

That’s why the state has pushed the achievement of it, which is a hallow list of mediocre things. Things that are really not to be proud of, its like we got validated and meet, we talked and not forget the cuppa of tea in the afternoon last summer. It was like that. Nothing to scream of victory or achieving anything.

This is why POLAD was launched in May 2019. Not like it was made for really doing much, other than buying time and look relevant. Because, it is the President acting like his doing dialogue and talks with the opposition. However, it is not really that deep, as he even uses one of his farms to hold a meeting. Not even trying to meet on a sort of neutral ground or venue. That shows the value of the meeting itself today.

The POLAD is only made for the ZANU-PF to act like it cares about others, when it really doesn’t. This is a vehicle to pay them and meet the ones they can compromise. So, they can bask in the glory of the ruling party and be their loyal subject. Not like these people have achieved anything since May 2019.

If so, why give it a mediocre list and call it a day. You have not even been able to really talk with the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change – Alliance (MDC-A). You have the other MDC with Khupe hanging around, but what relevance has that?

That is why this is just a smokescreen, a play for the guards and a mockery of dialogue. Mnangagwa can talk game, but there are nothing offered on the plate. It is not bringing the meat to the barbecue and its not shocking. Because, if they brought the beef, they had to buy it and offer it in a way that seems promising. However, they cannot do that, because that means they have to bend to demands and accountability for the other parties.

POLAD is just a smack-daddy vanity project, which will create as much stuff as the President deem fit. If not, why else would they meet on his farm just mere days before Christmas eve? Peace.