World Food Programme expands emergency operation in Zimbabwe as drought and economic hardship plunge millions into hunger (03.12.2019)

Funds are required immediately if WFP is to meet the growing needs of the hardest-hit Zimbabweans.

HARARE, Zimbabwe, December 3, 2019 – The World Food Programme (WFP) is rapidly expanding an already sizeable emergency operation in Zimbabwe where drought, flooding and macro-economic meltdown have plunged 7.7 million people – half the population – into severe hunger.Funds are required immediately if WFP is to meet the growing needs of the hardest-hit Zimbabweans.  It plans to more than double the number of people it is helping by January to 4.1 million, providing life-saving rations of cereal, pulses and vegetable oil and a protective nutrition ration for children under 5 years of age.

“We’re deep into a vicious cycle of sky-rocketing malnutrition that’s hitting women and children hardest and will be tough to break,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “With poor rains forecast yet again in the run-up to the main harvest in April, the scale of hunger in the country is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Zimbabwe’s hunger crisis – the worst for more than a decade – is part of an unprecedented climate-driven disaster gripping southern Africa. Temperatures in the region are rising at more than twice the average global rate and ever more erratic rainy seasons are hitting the country’s subsistence farmers hard.

The crisis is being exacerbated by a dire shortage of foreign currency, runaway inflation, mounting unemployment, lack of fuel, prolonged power outages and large-scale livestock losses, afflicting urban residents and rural villagers alike.

WFP’s planned scale-up is a huge logistical undertaking, with the limited availability of Zimbabwean dollars and surging prices for basics presaging a near wholesale switch from cash assistance to food distributions.

It envisages the sourcing, purchase and delivery to the land-locked country of more than 240,000 metric tons of commodities through June, a challenge all the more daunting because drought and flooding have eroded food supplies across much of Africa.

An estimated US$293 million is required for WFP’s emergency response with less than 30 percent of that sum secured.

“We must not let our immediate focus on emergency aid distract us from investing in the resilience programs that will help chronically hungry people cope with the ever-more severe impacts of erratic weather,” Beasley said. “We urge the international community to step up funding to address the root causes of long-term hunger in Zimbabwe.” 

UNMISS acts to deter further violence between communities in Maper (03.12.2019)

Intercommunal clashes continue to result in the killing and injuring of civilians, cattle raiding and the looting of property.

JUBA, South Sudan, December 3, 2019 – Seventy-five United Nations peacekeepers have been temporarily re-deployed from Rumbek to Maper to deter further violence between communities in the northern Lakes region of South Sudan.The fresh deployment of Nepalese troops serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan follows reports from local authorities that as many as 79 people have been killed and a further 101 injured in a series of communal clashes and revenge attacks between the Gak and Manuer communities, about 100 kilometres north of Rumbek.

While political violence has largely subsided in South Sudan since the signing of the revitalized peace agreement in September 2018, intercommunal clashes continue to result in the killing and injuring of civilians, cattle raiding and the looting of property.

“This fighting must stop,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, David Shearer. “We are urging the communities involved and their leaders to put an end to the violence and to come together in reconciliation and peace for the good of their people.” 

An attempt was initially made by UNMISS to deploy its troops to Maper by road. However, damage caused by heavy rains left the main route impassable. Instead, the Mission transported the peacekeepers into the area via helicopters. It is also flying in heavy equipment, including vehicles, to enable the peacekeepers to travel more easily between the remote communities. The troops will continue to patrol the area in the coming weeks to provide a protective presence.

The UNMISS Force Commander and the Head of the Mission’s Field Office in Rumbek along with human rights and civil affairs staff also travelled to Maper yesterday to assess the security situation. They were welcomed by local authorities and community members who indicated a willingness to take part in mediation and peace-building activities supported by UNMISS.

Guinee: Front National pour la Defense de la Constitution (FNDC) – Communique No. 032 (02.12.2019)

Haiti: Ministere de la Justice et de la Securite Publique – Communique (01.12.2019)

Tanzania: CCM leaves the Continental Human Rights Court, which is located in Arusha!

The United Republic of Tanzania revoked or withdraw from the African Charter and the Protocol, which states their membership and the possible rights for trying cases from the state its located in. This means the African Court on Human Rights, which was opened in 2004 and based on the “Banjul Protocol” from the year of 1993. Therefore, the Chama Cha Mapundzi (CCM) are leaving the Courts after its been existing for 15 years on its own soil.

That’s why its rich for all other African Countries to ratify and be apart of this, when the one state where the Courts are, doesn’t have a mandate to investigate and follow up cases. As the CCM and the United Republic of Tanzania withdraws from the Court connected to the “Banjul Protocol” on Human Rights. That is how faulty and week it is. As it sent its declaration signed on the 14th November 2019 and delivered to the African Union by the Permanent Mission to the African Union (AU) on the 21st November 2019.

This is what stipulation they used:

4. For any State Party ratifying or acceding subsequently, the present Protocol shall come into force in respect of that State on the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession.

5. The Secretary-General of the OAU shall inform all Member States of the entry into force of the present Protocol.

6. At the time of the ratification of this Protocol or any time thereafter, the State shall make a declaration accepting the competence of the Court to receive cases under article 5 (3) of this Protocol. The Court shall not receive any petition under article 5 (3) involving a State Party which has not made such a declaration. 7. Declarations made under sub-article (6) above shall be deposited with the Secretary-General, who shall transmit copies thereof to the State parties” (Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, 1993).

So, now the Tanzanian government withdraw themselves from the Banjul Protocol. They have now left the Court, which is located in Arusha. Until CCM did this, it was 26 countries, where the cases could be heard from here, but now its 25. that is really rich from the President and the government there. It is like the United States withdrawing from the United Nations, which has its Headquarters in New York or the French leaving the European Court of Human Rights, which is located in Strasbourg, France.

The CCM left now and has withdrawn itself from the “Banjul Charter” because this state doesn’t want to answer to their crimes against humanity, against the oppression or their acts which limits the citizens their freedom, liberties and possible opportunities to assemble.

That’s why the CCM leaves this court, because its afraid to answer to their actions against their own. They cannot manage to be questioned or investigated, if any citizen or party petition a case and the Courts cannot investigate, since the state has withdrawn. The Court can do this in 25 states, but not in Tanzania where its located.

This Court should be moved from Arusha, Tanzania. It is located in a Republic where the “Banjul Protocol” is ratified and followed. Because, apparently that is not happening anywhere in the United Republic. That ship has sailed under President Magufuli and his team. Peace.

Zimbabwe: SHDA Press Statement (01.12.2019)

Comores: La coordination des femmes de Mwali – Communique (02.12.2019)

Opinion: Will deconstruct two things from Jajja’s response to social media comments…

“When I was the minister of Defence in 1979/80, my in-laws used to bring me milk and flour from Buhweju. That was my food since the salary was not enough to buy food in Kampala.” – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Daily Monitor Daily interview, June 26, 1997

Well, time is a wasting and a liberator, a freedom fighter whose become obsessed with looking righteous after becoming alike the ones he brought down got to rewrite history to fit him now. With this in mind. The President of the Republic does this to a T. I will breakdown two of the sentences from this one. Which I seem fit to do. Since I got the first statement form the President in 1997 and then a piece from an article in 1998, before his sentence, which was released today.

Like he has forgotten this piece: “His new palatial home at Rwakitura is seen as his castle. And he certainly treats it like one. He makes a point of inviting foreign royalty, while they are visiting Uganda, to meet him there” (GRACE PATRICK KARAMURA – ‘THE INTERPLAY OF CHRISTIANITY, ETHNICITY AND POLITICS IN ANKOLE, UGANDA, 1953-1993’ December 1998).

Therefore, him stating this today: “One reason I bought land in Rwakitura in 1967 was because it was very far away from the tarmac roads” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Response to social media comments on my recent messages’ 02.12.2019).

So, surely the Rwakitura isn’t an old possession of his. He couldn’t even afford a plate of food as Minister of Defence during the year before he went to the bush. Not like he could afford to own land and not eat at his office in Kampala. That seems farfetched, but he was a student before he joined the Tanzanian invasion together with Obote in the end of 70s. Therefore, he wouldn’t have the time to earn wealth nor property during that period. Still, he wants to seem entitled to that land. A land he bought when he was a Fresher at the University in Dar Es Salaam.

Secondly, Obote sent goodwill letters to Nyerere to get a scholarship for Museveni back-in-the-day. So wealthy landowner he couldn’t be, if so he wouldn’t need handouts from Obote nor Nyerere to be a student. He studied in Dar from 1967-70. Therefore, to own land as fresher, seems a bit of stretch. Unless, his royalty, which he was not.

Now let me breakdown the final piece of statement from his response of today.

“Some of the responders were negative. Retire, they shouted at me. That will be decided by our Party, the NRM and the People of Uganda” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni – ‘Response to social media comments on my recent messages’ 02.12.2019).

So, with this in mind. The man who went to armed resistance against Obote and never left office. The man who used the armed struggle to get into office, talks about never retiring. Because, that is the will of the people? Really?

When you have revised the Constitution of 1995, twice, once to abolish term limits and the second time age limit. So, that no matter how old a person, he can still be President, but a civil servant has to retire much earlier, than the President. You go figure the logic behind that. That is the President concisely.

In addition, when he speaks about the decision made within the NRM. That means the decision made by himself. Because, the ones aiming for his throne is bounced out quickly, losing their titles and appointed positions and has to beg for mercy to get into the good graces. No one challenges President Museveni. His the Sole-Candidate for life and that is just the mere reality.

Secondly, the rigged elections, the buying votes and misuse of the government to gain the upperhand. Not like, he would be loved, for his misuse of the army, the misuse of the police nor any security outfit, to get on top. The President will use all tools to stay in power. Nothing left without his touch or his blessing. That is just the way the man is.

“The people” is just a shield his using. The People aren’t really for this man anymore, but they are fearing standing up to the army and the armed groups around the Head of State. As he brutally assault, arrests and silence his opposition. Therefore, the shield and election is pure nonsense, but still he has to use it. Since, there is nothing else he can do as a President. He got act as if he got the support of the people, when he really doesn’t, if not his just a tyrant. Moreover, no one will openly say they are a tyrant, that just doesn’t make sense, alas he just want to be a saint. When his far from it. Peace.

Somalia: Wadajir Party – Press Statement on Ethiopian army interference in internal Somali affairs (29.11.2019)

Burundi: Le Counseil National «C.N.R» – Communique (30.11.2019)