South Sudan: Weary, frightened displaced civilians in Upper Nile at imminent risk of further violence (04.05.2017)

 

The High Commissioner also called on the Government to grant the UN Mission in South Sudan access to Aburoc and Kodok, and to ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to deliver crucial aid to the internally displaced population.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 4, 2017 – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Thursday urged the Government of South Sudan to halt any further military offensives towards Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile in the Upper Nile region. The town holds between 35,000 and 50,000 people, most of whom arrived in recent weeks after terrifying journeys of up to 150 kilometres on foot, after SPLA* attacks on areas to the south of the town of Aburoc. Civilians in Aburoc now find themselves in areas controlled by the opposition SPLM/A-IO* armed group, facing a military offensive by the SPLA.

There are concerns that the SPLM/A-IO has positioned itself in close proximity to civilian areas, placing civilians clearly in harm’s way in the event of an attack by the SPLA and affiliated forces. The SPLA forces, meanwhile, reportedly include new recruits of Dinka ethnicity from the Western Bahr el-Ghazal area. The civilians in Aburoc are mostly of Shilluk ethnicity.

“Civilians in Aburoc are at serious and imminent risk of gross human rights violations, inter-ethnic violence and re-displacement,” Zeid said. “These are people who fled from towns like Tonga and Kodok to the south in the most horrifying circumstances, forced to walk through the bush for up to 150 kilometres in searing temperatures. Many reportedly died along the way due to dehydration and exhaustion. The rest ended up in Aburoc where, weary and frightened, they face grave violence and shortages of food, water and healthcare.”

“These are women, children and men at the mercy of military commanders, on both sides of the political divide, who have consistently shown little or no regard for the protection of civilians.”

The High Commissioner urged the Government to adhere to the pledges made by President Salva Kiir on 25 March, when he committed to declare a unilateral ceasefire, and to work towards political engagement to bring the conflict to an end. The High Commissioner called on all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law, including taking all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties.

“The civilians in Aboruc have nowhere left to go, with the SPLA closing in from the south and options to flee northwards severely limited and fraught with danger,” Zeid said. “I urge the SPLM/A-IO to ensure that areas containing large numbers of civilians, including Aburoc, are demilitarized and that measures are taken to ensure the protection of civilians under their control.”

The High Commissioner also called on the Government to grant the UN Mission in South Sudan access to Aburoc and Kodok, and to ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to deliver crucial aid to the internally displaced population.

Kenya: 2017 elections: broken promises put human rights defenders at risk (03.05.2017)

Publication of an International fact-finding report.

PARIS, France, May 3, 2017 – The abduction, torture and killing of renowned Kenyan human rights lawyer Willie Kimani in June 2016 shocked the entire world, provoking a wave of outrage at national and international level. This is only the tip of the iceberg of a widespread pattern of violence and harassment aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating impunity, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH partnership) has concluded after a recently conducted mission.

Kenya, a country that in 2010 voted a very progressive Constitution strengthening the country’s human rights framework in compliance with international standards, has in recent years chosen a different path. Unfortunately, so far the freedoms enshrined in the constitutional Bill of Rights have not been fully incorporated into domestic legislation, and, most importantly, are not upheld or implemented in practice.

“To date, the effective implementation of this progressive framework unfortunately remains a mirage and still needs substantial improvement”, declared OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock. “With all the right instruments put in place to bring about change, lack of implementation and political will appear to be the main reasons for such disillusionment”.

On the contrary, a report published today by the Observatory accounts for high levels of police and security forces’ violence, especially against human rights defenders involved in the fight against impunity for human rights violations. The mission report compiles several testimonies of incidents of violence, including cases of harassment, threats, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Moreover, human rights defenders are often criminalised on the basis of trumped-up charges, which aim at intimidating them through episodes of frequent arrests, detentions in police stations, long trials and punitive bail and bond terms. This inevitably prevents them from pursuing their legitimate human rights activities.

Adding to this, the lack of a clear legal framework regulating the civil society sector due to the failure to commence implementation of the Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act 2013 creates a legal limbo which obliges NGOs to operate in a hostile environment, characterised by the threat of arbitrary de-registration and asset freezes, continuous attacks and smearing campaigns.

“In such a context, and ahead of the upcoming general elections, it is urgent that Kenyan authorities publicly recognise the crucial role of human rights defenders as pillars of democracy and watchdogs of the rule of law. They must improve their safety, truly implement the police and security sector reforms, hold perpetrators accountable, acknowledge the misuse of criminal law to harass defenders, and finally commence the PBO Act of 2013”, concluded FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos.

The full report is available online in English: on OMCT website here and on FIDH website here.

Burundi fuel crisis: Not only lacking foreign currency, also gov. sanctioned only 2 Petroleum importers!

The Ministry of Energy Come Manirakiza have ordered that the Petroleum at Petroleum Stations are ordered to only sell their Petroleum products between 07.00 AM to 18.00 PM. As part of the order from the Ministry this was ordered: “Distribution of petroleum products is carried out solely at petrol stations and only during the day, ie from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm. Any distribution of these products outside the above mentioned times and places will be severely penalized in accordance with the law, in particular by closing the service station, seizing the product, administering the fine, without prejudice to criminal proceedings” (Ministere de l’Energie et des Mines – N/Ref: 760/CAB/710/2017).

So the state plans to fine the stations that are selling later and not in scheduled time will be fined and penalized. This is measured done because of the fuel crisis, since the state struggles with imports. To prove how volatile the situation is this part of the measure from the Ministry to the Petroleum Stations:

All distributors of petroleum products are required to distill, without interruption, all the quantity purchased from the importers. For this purpose, they must keep daily records of the distillation indexes of these products informing them, with accuracy on the indexes of departure and closing of the day” (Ministere de l’Energie et des Mines – N/Ref: 760/CAB/710/2017).

There are reports why the Republic under President Pierre Nkurunziza lacks fuel:

“Daniel Mpitabakana, director in charge of petroleum in Burundi’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, attributed the crisis to “a technical problem at the Burundi Revenue Authority.” (…) “Another source said that fuel importers have run short of foreign currency to buy fuel, hence the shortage” (Havyarimana, 2017). So the other source are most like more honest than the Director who doesn’t want the CNDD-FDD to lose face abroad.

But the fuel crisis has been rolling for awhile as the reports goes back into early March, as the world are finally catching on it. Therefore, the reports earlier in March proves how bad it really it is:

““For over two weeks, we have no fuel. I do not know what has happened, “said one“KOBIL” gas station attendant” at Kamenge. The same situation is observed at ‘ENGEN’ gas station in Kamenge, north of Bujumbura. The pump attendant says it has been almost one month they have no fuel” (…) “Only the ENGEN and KOBIL gas stations were not providing fuel but others were supplying fuel to their customers. “We have not had fuel for over two weeks. The ‘KOBIL’ company could not stock up fuel because of the lack of foreign currency,”says the manager of the KOBIL gas station in Musaga, south of Bujumbura” (Manishatse, 2017). So if the East African Report took from this sort of report, the fuel crisis has been running before beginning of February 2017.

Here some other local reports that directly says it all: “OLUCOME, a local corruption watchdog, says mismanagement of the fuel department is the source of the problems. It accuses the director of the department of having shown favouritism and reduced from eight to two (Delta and Interpetrol) the number of companies allowed to import fuel” (Habonimana, 2017). So there are not only the foreign exchange, but also the Director Mpitabakana who has made decisions to cut importers. Therefore, the ones who are left are making it more fragile to get fuel into the republic. Not only just the lacking foreign currency, but also the favoritism of certain importing companies. Peace.

Reference:

Havyarimana, Moses – ‘Fuel shortage adds to Burundi’s woes’ (02.05.2017) link: http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Fuel-shortage-Burundi-economy/2560-3910928-iuyh07/index.html

Habonimana, Innocent – ‘Cause of fuel shortage: “No one will tell you the truth”’ (02.05.2017) link: http://www.iwacu-burundi.org/englishnews/cause-of-fuel-shortage-no-one-will-tell-you-the-truth/

Manishatse, Lorraine Josiane – ‘Fuel shortage in Bujumbura city’ (07.03.2017) link:http://www.iwacu-burundi.org/englishnews/fuel-shortage-in-bujumbura-city/

Opinion: President Duterte isn’t one call away! President Trump: If you want an ally you need to be cordial about it!

Its might be true that the political game of President Rodrigo Duterte is rough, harsh and brutal. That might be true and so, the people should maybe, also study why he acts like he do and why he is still gained massive respect in the Philippines. That the drug-war has been bloody, the new rules on curfew among others has hit hard. Still, the realm is calm and the business has moved-on. As well as his friendship with China, Brunei and other partners in Asia. Therefore, it is not like the Island state has fought or created issues abroad.

On the other hand, you have an erratic and irresponsible figure as Commander-in-Chief in the United States, which does not play any rules or understands any sentences deep enough to grasp the implications to his actions. He bombs in nations without any plans and start covert missions without any forewarning or any get-go from the United Nations or fellow partners on the ground. His sudden approach to bombing an airstrip in Syria, which was open again a few hours later. The bombing in Afghanistan, that might have damaged some installations of ISIS in the mountains, but not gotten rid of them. Then you have the golden pocket of all, the Yemen strike that killed civilians and innocent, while not even determine the consequences and losing lives of American soldiers. Therefore, President Trump has his battles and has his own issues.

Donald Trump has also enforced the ICE, the Police and Department of Justice in the battle on immigration, his executive orders and his acts against fellow human beings is not sincere and humane. It is more degrading certain individuals and then trying to deport them. Even stopping them from entering. So when people call President Duterte all sort of killer and such, President Trump is not much better, they are similar, but have different approach.

That President Duterte is ruthless when it comes to his drug-war that everyone should know by now. The same could you say about the hatred and concern for immigrants and uncertain warfare approach the Trump Administration have. Therefore, that this happen is not something be concerned about:

President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. It was a very friendly conversation, in which the two leaders discussed the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea. They also discussed the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world. President Trump enjoyed the conversation and said that he is looking forward to visiting the Philippines in November to participate in the East Asia Summit and the U.S.-ASEAN Summit. President Trump also invited President Duterte to the White House to discuss the importance of the the United States-Philippines alliance, which is now heading in a very positive direction” (White House, 29.04.2017).

So out of the phone call, President Trump invited him without any protocol or guidelines behind him. Just after a friendly chat, this has happen before, they talked together in December 2016 as well. But then more cordial as you should do with foreign leaders. That being an official invite and not just brief talks.

Speaking to reporters in Davao City, Duterte said he has not made any confirmation due to other commitments” (…) “I’m tied up I cannot make any definite promise…I’m supposed to go to Russia, Israel…” he said” (…) “ Asked for more details on their phone call, Duterte said he expressed Manila and other Southeast Asian leaders’ concerns over tensions between the US and North Korea” (…) “It is the concern of everybody not only us but the ASEAN guys,” Duterte said” (…) “I said Mr. President, you cannot scare Kim Jong Un with firepower,” he said” (Merez, 2017).

So President Duterte didn’t just follow the erratic President Trump, as he shows that he is sovereign himself, also that he has loyalty other places. The Philippines are not only allied with the Americans more, they have also agreements with China and others who helps and develops the Republic without interference. Therefore, for Duterte the United States are less important as the Chinese and others are offering more for less. Especially, knowing that Trump only tries to get fellow leaders who can help him, since he doesn’t know anything about North Korea. If he knew he might have said and done things differently, but Trump doesn’t know better. He wants to take a shortcut and an use Duterte in his short-con.

Certainly, if the United States wants to have the President of the Philippines to visit Washington D.C. they should invite him with due process, he runs a nation as well and isn’t the lap-dog of the USA. That is how they have acted towards the Asian Republic in the past. With President Duterte they have to show some more tact and be more cordial. Certainly, he will not buy into the bullshit of Washington. Which, shows the changing ways of diplomacy is now between Manila and Washington D.C. Peace.

Reference:

Merez, Arianne – ‘Duterte says he has yet to accept Trump invitation’ (01.05.2017) link: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/01/17/duterte-says-he-has-yet-to-accept-trump-invitation

Burundi: “Association pour la Memoire des Martyrs des Manifestations de 2015” – “APM2015” en Sigle – Le Ministre de l’Interieur et de la Formation Patriotique (03.05.2017)

Eritrea must free prize winning journalist, says UN human rights expert (03.05.2017)

Mr. Isaak was arrested in September 2001 during a political crackdown on the so-called G-15, a group of politicians, and journalists critical of Government policies.

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 3, 2017 – The Government of Eritrea must free journalist Dawit Isaak who has been awarded a prestigious press freedom prize some 15 years after he was detained, a United Nations human rights expert says.

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, is also calling on the authorities in Asmara to release unconditionally all others detained unlawfully.

“The Eritrean authorities should stop the practice of arrests and detention carried out without legal basis instantly,” said Ms. Keetharuth, welcoming the award of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2017 to Mr. Isaak.

Dawit Isaak, who is 52 and a playwright, journalist and writer, moved to Sweden in 1987, where he later became a citizen. He returned to Eritrea only after independence in 1993 and was one of the founders and reporters of Setit, the first independent newspaper in the country.

Mr. Isaak was arrested in September 2001 during a political crackdown on the so-called G-15, a group of politicians, and journalists critical of Government policies. Some were detained and tortured, others disappeared. The last known sighting of Mr. Isaak was in 2005. His whereabouts now are unknown.

“The case of Mr. Isaak is emblematic of all those who have been subjected to enforced disappearances by the Government of Eritrea and remain unaccounted for,” said Ms. Keetharuth.

The Special Rapporteur recalled the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea, which concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Eritrean officials had committed crimes against humanity, including the crime of enforced disappearance, in a persistent, widespread and systematic manner since 1991.

“The Government of Eritrea has an obligation to urgently provide information on the fate and whereabouts of all those deprived of physical liberty. This would be a first and long-overdue indication that the Government is committed to rebuilding trust with the Eritrean people,” Ms. Keetharuth said.

“By allowing independent monitors immediate and unhindered access to all places of detention, official and unofficial, the Government would send a strong signal that it acknowledges human rights violations of the past, while taking steps to improve the situation on the ground now.
“The arrests of Dawit Isaak and his fellow journalists remain the most visible sign of repression of freedom of expression. The Eritrean authorities continue to stifle all forms of expression that could be perceived as critical of the Government and its policies,” she said.

Ms. Keetharuth reaffirmed that freedom of expression was a basic human right, and a free press one of the tenets of a democratic society, providing a valuable check on potential excesses by government.

The Calvary’s villain Kayihura gets a renewed contract to harass and intimidate the public until 2020!

Again and again, the cronies and loyal head honcho’s are usually put in order so that the Wonderful Dictator has his check and balances in order. So that the Republic is following his drum and his vision. The man who follows the orders of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his ruling regime. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) have not used the Police Force only to fight crime, but more to intimidate the political opponents and the media.

Therefore that his contract was renewed until 2020 wasn’t unexpected, as Museveni wants a loyal man in charge of the Police, to do his dirty-work and stand on the front-line taking all the heat. That is what the Police Spokesperson does and what the IGP Kayihura does. Even with the backlog of cases going far back into history and pending treason charges on high-profile individuals like Obusingwa bwa Rwenzururu Charles Wesley Mumbere and Dr. Kizza Besigye. He still gets renewed without anything else to show, that he at least kept the Opposition more silent and has in his time killed of demonstrations!

So the IGP Kayihura, the ruthless man who leads the Police Force, who has embezzled funds and is as mafia as it can be, are now in charge for longer. While murders, abductions and threats are getting more common. As con-men and thieves are continuing rooming, as the state fails on its duty. While the Army and President has supreme power over them all. So he can use the relationship and the knowledge of how Kayihura uses the Police Force to misspend monies to gain fortunes. Therefore, because of the knowledge of the ICT scandal and others proves that those allocated maladministration is pay-off for the loyalty between them. A conniving man as the President, needs to hang around similar crowds and people, who also wants to eat of the State Reserves, if there is a self-righteous individual, than he might whistle-blow and show the secrets in public. None of these fellas like that!

A little history to why he became appointed IGP in the first place:

The appointment last month of Maj-Gen Kale Kaihura as IGP has been met with some indignation. A man seen as a military hardliner close to State House, Kaihura has long been a Museveni assistant, either commanding operations in Congo or Sudan, in the Revenue Authority, or acting as Chief Political Commissar for the army. Opposition politicians believe the army is being sent to the police to help the regime rig the 2006 elections. But they say that the government is breaking the law in the creation of shadow forces. Part of the reason for the ongoing expansion of the police force ahead of the 2006 elections are the inadequacies noted in the last presidential and parliamentary elections. At the time, it was reported that the police force was only about 15,000 strong. This number was expected to man 17,000 polling stations at the time. The Parliamentary Report on election violence in the 2001 polls said the disparity was used as an excuse for bringing other armed forces into the elections” (Kaiza, 2005).

I am sure no-one else has gotten the ill-educated police force to detain more Opposition and civil activist than the Police Force under IGP Kayihura. He must have had wet-dreams on the day the Public Order Management Act came into effect, it gave him so much more powers than the colonial laws or even the Penal Code! Man, nobody has interpreted and founds ways of getting people detained for being part of political activity. While he himself has been the shadow and the proud leader at NRM festivities. Like the Police Force are only for them and not for public safety.

The IGP have used force, violence against civilians and hit on public when in need. They have tear-gassed so many and imported anti-riot gear for massive amount funds. While the schools are in a sorry state and the hospitals lack medicines. You know that his department and agency is important in the NRM regime and under President Museveni.

IGP Kayihura is a key figure and the man who has no quarrel to silence the media nor the opposition. He can let killers go loose, let public violators and others roam the streets. This has been proven with the tactical training of thousands of Crime Preventers who has gone far intimidate and harass the public. This together are together with the small-gangs vicious attempt of justice, that turns into public display of injustice.

Like the story of the Investigator Ronald Leonard Egesa:

Yesterday, as I drove along Bombo Rd to go and attend a family engagement, I was kidnapped by overzealous operatives purportedly working on behalf of the Police leadership. They blindfolded me, drove my car away and detained me in a house that I suspect to be in Naguru or Muyenga” (…) “After midnight, a bulky figure only referred to as ‘afande’ appeared to interrogate me. In our exchange, he was pushing me to tell them who is using me and other journalists to fight Gen. Kale Kayihura and the Police. I politely asked him to go through my phone contacts and call log. After this, he simply remarked that it seems things are complicated. He stepped out, worked his phone and came back to ask if I wanted to leave. It was 1 am and I could not trust my captors to safely deliver me to town in the dead of the night. I asked to be released in the morning after 7 am” (…) “’Safe’ houses are back. Panda Gari might slowly be returning. The philosopher said that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’ I know very many comrades, distinguished officers and men who are now ashamed to be serving in the current Uganda Police Force” (The Investigator, 02.05.2017).

So this is the Police Force that has returned under IGP Kayihura and President Museveni. This sort of affairs and brigades that uncontrolled and does their own justice, which in turns edges the tyranny, as the journalists and opposition members are under-fire because of them. The Police are impartial and used as a tool of oppression. Both Museveni and Kayihura knows it. Therefore, Museveni pay back for the loyalty, even as the Public is tired of Kayihura and his own understanding of justice.

The serving and trust to the Police isn’t there, they are coming spawning to eat of the ones they pass by, with orders and bills for the ones who are near. Making minor offenses into murder if they could. The Police Force and Police Command wants to control the public, not keep them safe, but monitor the elements that are issues to the State House. The knowledge of the intelligence gathering and the tapping of the citizens. Together with all sort tricks and illegal activity around Kasangeti and around the other opposition parties. So the Police Force are not there for the people, but for the President, alone!

So was it surprising the man who is doing the dirty work for Museveni and done it for so, long would get to do it longer? Well, I am not surprised about it all. What would be more surprising if the President and hired someone honest and who would secure true safety, but that is Museveni’s goal anyway?

Museveni’s goal is to have power and keep power by every means necessary and at total price, even destroying all civilian life and civil society, as journalism and opposition, also other who questions the powers of the government as NGO’s who has been robbed and destroyed. Without anyone taken to court or charged for the petty theft. That is the Uganda under the National Resistance Movement (NRM)… the steady progress of safe houses, abduction of people who questions the powers to be and the others who are near people of opposition. Might get hit by sticks, live-bullets and tear-gas, because the Police is for the NRM and not for the Public Safety. That is the paradigm under Museveni and Kayihura, as he has extended his contract, don’t expect them to change quick. As the volatile state of affairs isn’t quitting shortly, as the wonderful dictator needs people to respect his authority and not his just hands. Peace.

Reference:

Kaiza, David – ‘Growing concern as Ugandan army ‘infiltrates’ police force’ (24.11.2005) link: http://humanrightshouse.org/noop/page.php?p=Articles/6974.html&d=1

RDC: Lettre – “Motion de Censure contre le Gouvernment provincial du Haut-Lomami” (02.05.2017)

Kenya: Update on the Process for an Investor to take an Equity Interest in Chase Bank (Kenya) Limited (In Receivership) – (02.05.2017)

EAC: “Re: A Briefing Session for Civil Societies Religious Groups, Youth and Woman in Bujumbura 3-5 May 2017” (27.04.2017)