DRC: “Further mass graves and killings discovered in Kasais” says Zeid (19.04.2017)

This brings to 40 the number of mass graves documented by the UN in Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental Provinces since August 2016.

GENEVA, Switzerland, April 19, 2017 – UN investigators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have confirmed the existence of at least 17 further mass graves in Kasai Central Province, which has been the scene of clashes between soldiers and members of a local militia known as Kamuina Nsapu. This brings to 40 the number of mass graves documented by the UN in Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental Provinces since August 2016.

The presence of the additional graves was confirmed during an investigation mission to Kasai Central between 5 and 7 April by staff from the UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) and UN Police (UNPOL).

Fifteen of the mass graves were in a cemetery in the town of Tshimbulu and two in the locality of Tshienke. The UN team gathered information that soldiers from the Forces armées de la Republique démocratique du Congo (FARDC) had reportedly dug the graves, after clashing with presumed elements of the Kamuina Nsapu militia between 26 and 28 March. At least 74 people, including 30 children, were reported to have been killed by soldiers as a result of these clashes.

The UN team also visited Kananga to gather information about alleged abuses and violations there. Between 28 and 30 March, FARDC soldiers were reported to have shot dead at least 40 people, including 11 children and 12 women, in the Nganza commune of Kananga, and injured at least 21 others. The majority of the victims were said to have been killed in their homes as soldiers went door to door looking for militia members.

Two of the victims died in hospital, while the remaining 38 were reportedly buried by the local population in three mass graves. FARDC soldiers were also reported to have buried an unknown number of bodies in a fourth mass grave in Nganza cemetery.

UNJHRO also received reports that at least two women and three girls had been raped by FARDC soldiers during the same operation in Nganza. Defence and security forces were alleged to have arrested and detained 27 people, including 10 boys and a 15-year-old girl.

The UN investigators, who also visited the Katoka commune of Kananga, heard reports that during search operations by officers from the Police nationale congolaise (PNC) on 28 March, a 23-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy and a one-month-old baby had been killed. The UN team was told that the baby had been fatally injured after being trampled on by police officers searching their house.

The Kamuina Nsapu militia, which is loyal to a local customary chief killed by the army on 12 August last year, has been accused of recruiting hundreds of children into its ranks, and targeting state agents and symbols, including government premises, schools, hospitals, police stations, as well as churches. An example of such violence happened on 30 March when about 30 alleged Kamuina Nsapu militiamen attacked the parish church of Saint-Jean de Masuika in Luiza territory, where they ill-treated at least three nuns and a priest, threatening to kill them. In addition, the priest and one of the nuns were reportedly abducted and then released the next day after money was paid. The militiamen also vandalized the church, breaking doors and windows, and burning the priest’s chasubles.

“The discovery of yet more mass graves and the reports of continued violations and abuses highlight the horror that has been unfolding in the Kasais over the last nine months,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

“It is absolutely vital that the Government of the DRC takes meaningful steps, which to date have been lacking,  to ensure that there is a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation to establish the facts and circumstances of alleged human rights violations and abuses perpetrated by all parties, and other abuses of justice. My Office has offered its assistance in conducting such a credible investigation. We reiterate our request for access to all sites of mass graves, as well as to all witnesses, including those in detention, and other relevant information necessary to determine responsibility at all levels,” Zeid said.

“The scale and nature of the violence increasingly underscore the need to monitor the situation closely. Should there be no effective national investigation, I will not hesitate to urge the international community to support an investigation by an international mechanism, including the International Criminal Court, which recently reminded the DRC authorities of their primary responsibility under the Rome Statute to investigate and prosecute the alleged acts of violence in the Kasais,” the High Commissioner said.

Opinion: Too many Gangsters and too few Statesmen!

“The truth is that every intelligent man, as you know, dreams of being a gangster and of ruling over society by force alone. As it is not so easy as the detective novels might lead one to believe, one generally relies on politics and joins the cruelest party. What does it matter, after all, if by humiliating one’s mind one succeeds in dominating every one? I discovered in myself sweet dreams of oppression.” – Albert Camus

In the time of abundance of information, of knowledge and of history, we still reap of a world not of Statesmen, but of gangsters. These sort of people who collect themselves in dens at night to scheme and to plan their next theft. Instead of building nations, building republics and building the foundation needed for the future generations.

We have a leadership and a bunch of leaders, who are more around their wealth and their image, than their achievements, as the protocol is to standout, but not deliver polices that actually matter.

That the politician of our day, many of them and the ones who rule, wants to have power, they seek power and they grab power by any means. While the citizens in fear of answering the theft and the perfect crime, let it go for their safety and their families sake. The thieving from the highest offices, the might of these men. The vicious theft of state reserves done in broad day light, on the main-streets of the capitals of the world. As if the state coffers was personal reserves for Gucci or Fendi. Instead of serving the public with welfare and decent infrastructure.

The biggest thieves are the actual criminals, because they do in the dark and steal, they sell illegal dozes of drugs and violates justice with impunity. That is their role in society. They are supposed to be the ones who force ill and creates havoc if caught. The leadership of the nations are supposed to be the example of men, the one the citizens looks up to and want to become. They want to emulate and know that these men makes the future.

Instead, they are vicious, playing in codes and use all sort of tricks to get the public funds, to misuse and allocate the funds, so that the welfare dies and the state suffers. So that they can ride in the most expensive vehicles known to men, so they can afford the best cuts of meat, one prime real estate and wear the fancies imported suits. Still, the ones they are take care off; they suffer and can nearly scrap funds for the schooling for their daughters and sons.

Therefore, the biggest thief is not the ones who actually does direct crime, but the gangsters in Parliament, in local government and the Presidents. Who eats of the government plate, take the funds without any hesitation and spends their time sponging fortunes, which was supposed to benefit the public. These sort of acts of looting that skates by and leave nothing, but dust behind.

That the sweet dreams of oppression, the sanity of society and the knowledge of the culprit, the knowledge of the capacity of the leadership and regimes to misuse their power and their connections, the altercation of the norms to benefit the elite and the businesses surrounding the state. Instead of having a state that actually works of the citizens. There are certain signs of misbehavior that never should happen. So that the citizens are sure their representatives are men of honor and men of pride, not just who eats of the plate of the citizens. That doesn’t misuse the capacity as representative to get wealth, but to build their nations. As a functioning branch that support the citizens and listens to the will of the citizens. Since if, they get wealth by being connecting to corporations, to international community, more than the citizens. Then there is something wrong with the system between citizens and their representatives.

The leadership should not focus on the power they have, but the power that is bestowed them. They would not have it, if it were not for the people. They would just be citizens without any special function or be deserves anything else. The representatives are there as an acknowledgement from their constituency. If they forget that, then it is time to change them. Then the public should elect someone else, since the citizens deserves better representation.

Therefore, as we see today and look beyond for tomorrow, we should think of the reasons why we have so many gangsters in charge, why we let them and why we cannot get rid of them. They are there with force, but not with our will. We should act upon it and deservedly not let us, be taken for granted or being used by some gangsters. We should give time and effort to dismantle the leadership and finds way to forge a new future. With leaders who represent not only themselves, but also their constituent and their will.

That the people who are having nations run by gangsters should feel betrayed, they should find ways to get rid of them. Not just let it be status quo, let them run the shop and take the spoils. Leave nothing behind, but stolen promises and leaflets of pledges. The empty hope and the theft of nations, as the resources, the future generations and the present struggles become harder, as the crime of the gangster are determined in dens without knowledge of the commons.

These sort of acts should not have the time or the day, in our age, but they do and with a grander acts than before, and we let it happen. We let them take, we let them do and we let them justify their rule. As we are just citizens, they can walkover and does not need to serve. As long as we let the gangsters, we are at our own fault, as we let the crime go-on… and go-on… with no plan of change for the better. We just let our government sink as a ship, with no exit plan and no Plan B.

The Gangsters are eating, we are drowning, is this the supposed enlightenment we as society was supposed to have? Peace.

The NRM Regime have during the FY2015/2016 fallen behind on paying out UGX 2.7 trillion!

Today I am dropping numbers that are devastating, as the numbers of debt that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) isn’t paying, show’s sufficient motives for malpractice when it comes to budgeting and the structure of payments. There are certainly not enough transparency and clear audit of the state reserves, as the State is misusing seriously amount of funds. The NRM Regime and their President should be ashamed by their record.

Emmanuel Katongole is the Head Information Technology in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) in Uganda on the 12th April 2017, he dropped a document on their web-page that show’s the domestic arrears of the Republic of Uganda in the last Financial Year.

If you wonder what Domestic Arrears means: “The amount by which a government has fallen behind in its payment of interest and principal on debt to lenders within its own country” (Encyclo.co.uk). So Katongole will literately show how bad the National Resistance Movement is on paying their bills and expenditure. All the sums of this report is in Ugandan Shillings (UGX).

Like under the Office of the President and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) who itself leaves arrears in the margin of 3.8bn shillings and 8bn shillings in other payable arrears. That one part of the budget and current audit of the Office of the President as the total of verified arrears at June 2016 was 37bn shillings alone. So the Office of the President owes a lot of funds that it hasn’t paid, not only for the ISO!

The State House by the verified arrears at June 2016 was 1bn shillings. What is more unsettling is that the Pensions and Gratitude for Veterans are the sum of 183bn shillings, Survivors 315bn shillings, EXGRATIA 10bn and UNLA 26bn shillings. The Ministry of Defense by June 2016 verified arrears was 718bn shillings! So the MoD are a lax payer of their expenses and expenditure.

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs owes verified arrears by June 2016 the amount of 684bn. Shillings Court Awards unpaid by the Ministry is 203bn shillings. The Electoral Commission has growing verified arrears by June 2016 because of Unsettled penal insterest for URA in the total sum of 3.2bn shillings. Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has by June 2016 billed up verified arrears by 283bn shillings.

This is just some of the government that has not paid their dues and their expenses, their salaries or pensions, even their lacking covering of funds to pay debt, either internal or external. So the National Resistance Movement are clearly running an economy and fiscal policy that isn’t healthy for the republic.

Just to drop the total sum that the Government of Uganda has failed to pay or failed payments on their debt are by June 2016 the total of 2.7 Trillions of Uganda Shillings! Which is an insane number and amount of misspent monies by the state. The strategy by the Republic to fail so miserably cannot be sustainable, as the invoices and the target to pay their debt should be the most important. Still, the NRM doesn’t seem to think so. They are surely missing steps to having a sound economy when the verified arrears are hitting 2.7 trillions by June 2016. So the Financial Year of 2015/2016, the Ugandan government failed to serve out over 2 trillion of their needed expenses!

What is troubling that the year before, the total state had not paid on their debt and failing expenses in the Financial Year of 2014/2015 as by June 2015 we’re totally 1.389 or close to 1.4 Trillion shillings. So the miss-match between FY2014/2015 and FY 2015/2016 are 1.3 Trillion shillings. So the clear picture is that the Election Year for the NRM is very, very expensive.

Just think about that… eat the bill and pound on the amount of lost monies in the system. Peace.

 

Opinion: Theresa May has some nerve calling for elections!

Usually, I wouldn’t mind that the United Kingdom calls an election, any election for their House of Commons. As they are doing it now and then, especially as the Prime Minister Theresa May is playing her cards. She is playing them with high risks.

That there are 23 Tories that are under question for their Election spending in 2015 could be reason for her sudden approach as the By-Elections aren’t as easy as the Prime Minister expecting. Even as the Labour party is split between the Pro-Corbyn and the Blairites. So May thinks she can eats the spoils in June 2017.

Just as the people forgets as they we’re triggering the article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and the European Commission and the European Parliament are setting their standards for the Negotiations. She needs to risk her own party and her kingdom. Braze yourself, the United Kingdom is surely not UNITED.

The UK is not united, we should hope that the Northern Irish votes in drones for Sinn Fein and that the Scottish vote for Scottish National Party. That the Welsh are voting for whoever who isn’t the Tories. So that the Conservative Party can be hard hit for putting David Davis as Brexit Minister, Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary and so on. That David Cameron was a smug educated brother was well-known. But Theresa May is just arrogant!

That Theresa May weeks after triggering the Article 50 are triggering her own elections, proves her own, high and mighty belief in herself. Since when the Holyrood or the Scottish Parliament voted for a new referendum, they we’re told by the House of Commons and Prime Minister. “It was not the time; to have elections because of Brexit”. Still the same woman saying so is calling for elections. She herself is getting people to the ballots, as she said to the Scottish: “Fuck off!”.

That Prime Minister May could tell off Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Parliament without any cause of concern, but within a month call her own election. Show’s that she doesn’t care about other things than her own power. She doesn’t care about the sovereign, about the United Kingdom or the British Isle’s. What is more important and only thing that is important is that she has POWER.

PM May in Number 10, is creating her ‘Little Britain’, her own little chappie and image of Hard Brexit needs to have sufficient power inside the House of Commons. That she might get that after the election in June 2017. Might be true, but she shows that the risks it all, as the place of reality might have differed. The unknown facts of Brexit and how that will cost. If you think Scotland become an ugly duckling outside of United Kingdom, how do you think the United Kingdom will be outside the European Union?

Today’s Statement from Corbyn as PM May doesn’t want to debate before the Election!

Why can still the UK have their referendum, but PM May holding back the Scottish possibility for liberty, is it only fair to have their own sovereign in London and at Whitehall, but not Holyrood? Can she be a bit serious. The world is following and we now know that PM May has only her self interest and winning political gain for herself, not the better for United Kingdom or the provinces of the British Isle’s.

The Northern Irish and Scottish should prepare to vote against the Tories, the Welsh should also as their industry hasn’t been taken cared of under the Tories. If you don’t care for voting the Labour, than vote the Liberal Democrats (Lib-Dem) or even Greens as protest against the PM May arrogance. That would be healthy choice as the Conservative Party are just a cobbler covered of United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). Does the British people want to go totally to the Right? Or are the British Isle a right-wing country now, who fears Europe and cannot handle to import produce and people from the rest of the world?

Since this from the same country who had no problem being the empire where the sun never set. The country who could steal cotton, tea and labour from the whole planet earth. The country who could destroy the industry of clothes in India, so they had to import Tweed from London. So this country should be thinking twice, as their legacy as colonial, will never let go and their Leylands are still in the car graveyards all over the world. Peace.

Opinion: Maj. Gen. Elwelu shouldn’t be interviewed as he deserves ‘to be put on trial’!

A poor person is very dangerous. He can do anything to survive. We need to support projects such as Operation Wealth Creation and others that focus on the socio-economic development of this country,” Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Commander of Land Forces, Maj Gen Peter Elwelu (Daily Monitor 17.04.2017).

Let me be clear, when Brig. Peter Elwelu  was a bit unknown his voice and opinion might have mattered to me, as then he would just be another fellow human being with an understanding of the world. But people like him, now after the crime, I cannot let him discuss state and government matters and not talk about what overshadows for me.

Brig. Elwelu or Maj. Gen. Elwelu now, is for me until proven innocent, a man who was in-charge of unlawful attacks on the Royal Palace in Kasese and the massacre of unknown amount of guards, police officers, civilians and others. So while the Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu Charles Wesley Mumbere is in house-arrest in Baganda. The army commander in charge of the operation, the one that killed innocent and burned the palace without any forewarning is looming the streets.

That the army man who was in-charge has since than been promoted, while the families of Kasese does not know the consequence and the reason for their death. Other than the salaries and that the state sanctioned the army to do this at one point. That the Kasese attacks and tragedy escalated quick is easy to understand, that it became is evident and that the army had to hide their crimes with even burning. Letting the dead decompose while the “evidence” of it all was collected. Since the knowledge of who ordered it and who wanted it come from up-high.

That Brig. Elwelu just followed orders might be true, still he completed and directed the mission, with bravado as the dead was dug into mass graves while the priests we’re praying for the lost souls. They should have also prayed for the soldiers who killed innocent men and woman on the compound in Kasese. That Brig. Elwelu made happen with his ordered and persistent attitude during these days of violence.

That Brig. Elwelu believes poor people can be dangerous is true, but his voice on the matter. Shouldn’t he important. As he has poor record of caring about how people has it and how people live. He had no issues with burning and killing in Kasese, he could do the same in Teso, Tooro and Busoga, why not?

I do not trust this man and I can surely not be alone. His voice shouldn’t have space in the Daily Monitor, as Brig. Elwelu suddenly deserves to be in the public sphere. Lets be clear he don’t! Not until he has answered and maybe cleared his name for his possible, and most likely crimes against humanity in Kasese in 2016! Peace.

Opinion: These two ideas shouldn’t be thing in 2017: Goats for tuition fees and Jerrycan-Irrigation!

NRM in July 2016 in Kakinga in Western Uganda.

In the Republic of Uganda and Zimbabwe there are two issues that should not occur or need to happen, as the societies under Zimbabwean African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and National Resistance Movement (NRM), that President Robert Mugabe and President Yoweri Museveni has been the Executives for decades.

These two republics has both their issues concerning these gentleman, though not the same. Still, the republics has some dire needs. You know so, when President Museveni has to spread this message in the year of 2017:

I continue to encourage farmers to use drip irrigation. Even as we wait for government to roll out mass irrigation, farmers can irrigate their crops with basic tools like bottles. No one should let seedlings go to waste on claims of drought yet we are surrounded by water” (Yoweri Museveni, 16.04.2017).

The Jerrycan and bottle irrigation mantra in the land of steady progress, you can wonder and pound about the agriculture reforms that was about to happen when the NRM came into power. Where the wealth creation and the cash crops we’re supposed to change the economic landscape. Still, since the Movement ceased power in 1986, the same President as back-then has to spread the message of a drip-drop irrigation system based on bottles and jerrycans. Instead of modern agriculture, because of how he misused the state reserves and the donated aid. Therefore, the lacking facilitation of agriculture. So it is sad to know that the President Museveni has to propagandize the jerrycan irrigation system, like it is a fantastic invention and something that would really be a paradigm shift.

Than you have in Zimbabwe, the county of the Lancaster House Agreement, the ZANU-PF elite and the Bond-Notes, with a massive movement behind the voices of opposition, as well as the financial troubles under President Mugabe. Who has turned the Southern African breadbasket unto a food-import heaven as his land-reforms has destroyed the agricultural production as well as the economic climate. Therefore this news shouldn’t be a thing of 2017!

Parents who cannot raise tuition fees for children can offer livestock in lieu of payment or do chores for learning institutions, a Cabinet minister has said. The Sunday Mail understands that several State-run primary schools in Glen View, Harare have already adopted the arrangement. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora told this paper last week, “Our schools have to be flexible and ensure those who do not have money to pay fees can work. For example, if there is a builder in the community, he/she must be given that opportunity to work as a form of payment of tuition fees” (…) “On the issue of livestock, the community has to arrange a market where everyone participates; from the school authorities, local leadership and parents themselves to avoid parents being duped” (Gwete, 2017).

So in the proud republic of Zimbabwe the Cabinet Minister Dr. Lazarus Dokora, says parents who doesn’t have enough cash to pay tuition fees can now pay in livestock or goats. We know by now that the faith in the Bond-Notes is abysmal, still that the Republic has such little cash flow; that can take animals as payments. Shows the neglect of the state, the little money circulation and the financial vows right now. If the financial market and the currency we’re in a better condition, than such massive amount of parents wouldn’t have to trade their goats and livestock so their kids can go to school.

That under President Mugabe, the citizens have to use their livestock and goats as trading tools, or even as currency because of the lack of stable financial policies. This shows the draconian state and what sort of government that is in charge. When they are more concerned about their Mercedes Benz’s than the population!

That the Zimbabwean people and citizens of the Republic run by Zanu-PF should feel betrayed by the lack of governance and care of the taxpayers funds. The Zimbabwean people should be in sorrow as even as their state is insufficient, it now has a plan not to only eat their monies, but also take their animals. So that the future of Zimbabwe can learn how to read and write, even type and some hopefully understanding better what it means to be a Statesmen. A Statesmen that cares about its constituent and their struggles, not just eat of it and leave them to rot. That is what the Zanu-PF elite does right now.

What we have have seen with these two stories is clear lack of policies and wish to intervene in the struggles of the citizens. We can see two governments, that is Zanu-PF and NRM, who clearly are both out-of-time and out-of-pocket as they scrap their best ideas to salvage some hope. The hope is that some can be duped by the idea and support the so-called progress. That it is progressive to take goats as currency to pay for tuition and the other revolutionary idea of using bottles and jerrycans to irrigate the dirt. That President Museveni and President Mugabe is over-due is proof with this. The milk is thick and nasty. The milk is not drinkable and if so you will vomit. The reality is that these men doesn’t see or doesn’t want to see.

They are eating of the plate and sells their propaganda, the own mindset of lies and deception, and it has been said so many times that the old-men believes. Even if it isn’t so. The manufactured reality and the destruction of the society, is the reasons for these tales, many factors involved, but the Presidents has been there through the stages. They have seen it all and created policies that has changed to this level of underdevelopment. If they really did care, than the countries would have looked different. If they would have created parliaments for serving cadres for the people and not their own bellies like right now. That is why many of them think these sort of policies are acceptable and even profess to them. Therefore, the republic’s are living in a state they doesn’t deserve and the citizens are used as pawns. Peace.

Reference:

Gwete, Wendy – ‘‘Pay school fees with goats, labour’ (15.02.2017) link:

http://www.sundaymail.co.zw/pay-school-fees-with-goats-labour/

South Sudan: As genocide unfolds in South Sudan, much of the world looks away (17.04.2017)

Opinion: Gen. Muntu wished back to NRM by Lumumba, is this another sign of disarming the opposition?

Well,  since the General Election of 2016, there been all sorts of play from the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Where the Opposition parties has either gotten ministerial posistions, EALA slots or even been detained. In ways of solidifying the NRM regime and their President for life – President Yoweri Museveni. Therefore the news that the NRM Secretary General Justine Lumumba wishes the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) President Gen. Mugisha Muntu, shows there some foul play in the cards. The deck is usually sealed and this cannot be the party line, as the talks of succession is a stalemate as long as Museveni breathes on planet earth. But take a brief look at the quotes from the Secretary General Lumumba.  

“Ms Justine Lumumba, who represented First Lady Janet Museveni at a belated Women’s Day celebrations for Ntungamo District at Rwenanura Primary School playground in Rweikiniro Sub-county, said: “Gen Muntu comes from this district, from Kitunga, I even know the village where he comes from, he is a sober man but he is walking with wrong company. Talk to him as his brothers that he comes back, if there are any grievances or anything that angered him, we can resolve it.” (…) “He is someone who can bring back the presidency here; he is such a good player in a bad team,” she added” (Rumanzi, 2017).

That Lumumba said the FDC was a bad team, was expected as she has that view of anyone who isn’t in the NRM Organization or the Movement. Therefore, that Gen. Muntu is around Lukwago and Besigye, means he is in a bad team. That Muntu is suddenly in the wrong company, means that he isn’t directly a part of the NRM. The right party and company is the NRM. That is if you get the deeper meaning of what NRM Secretary Lumumba was saying yesterday.

The good company is the 31 year old regime under President Museveni. It is not like the NRM has ever consider succession and using that as sweet gift to Gen. Muntu is most likely hogwash. As the Maj. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerubaga is most likely the next in line, if the President get his wish. Why else would he stop the Daily Monitor Press a few years back when the Gen. Sejusa tale leaked to the Press?

If the NRM would offer anything it would be a ministerial role, an ambassador and trading away the normative and legitimate leadership role of Gen. Muntu. Even if Gen. Muntu sometimes isn’t progressive, aggressively enough against the regime, who use all sorts of tricks to manipulate and control the Republic. Therefore this must been seen as a ploy to destabilize the FDC. As they hope the fraction and people loyal to Muntu would be swayed back to fold. Leave Besigye and the hardliners behind.

This would be typical way of offering a gift and then destroy the competition, as they know many of the FDC NEC and FDC leadership has no real need of either going back to the NRM or any wish to be back there. Since many of the FDC leaders has been former NRM, especially the ones who established the party and wanted a significant different party than the NRM.

So the Machiavellian approach by Secretary General Lumumba and the NRM, can be seen as a tactic to undermine the leader in the FDC; while offering and saying he would be fit to come after President Museveni. Like the NRM could offer anyone that, as the NRM couldn’t do that to their own like Amama Mbabazi or back-in-the-day Kizza Besigye. So why should Gen. Mugisha Muntu suddenly be good enough? Do the NRM think their citizens are generally stupid?

Peace!   

Reference:

Rumanzi, Perez – ‘Return Muntu to succeed Museveni, says Lumumba’ (17.04.2017) link:http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Return-Muntu-to-succeed-Museveni–says-Lumumba/688334-3892216-h9ejj2/index.html

SPLM/A is now reported to have started Chemical Warfare in the Bieh State!

This is a game-changer as the conflict of South Sudan escalates, it has become less clear of all the actors, as there isn’t only SPLM/A and SPLM-IO, there are more rebels and even more armed deserters who works against the Juba Regime. Therefore, the picture be more distorted, but the similarities between the rebels are that they all work to end the Presidency of Salva Mayardiit Kiir. They are not interested in keeping his regime alive.

So this news are breathtaking:

South Sudanese government has dropped containers of toxic gas on rebel-held areas in Bieh State, a senior rebel military source told the South Sudan News Agency on Saturday. The official who declined to be named because he is not authorized to speak said the government used at least three military helicopters to drop the poison gas. “After days of failed attempt to capture our areas in Waat, the genocidal regime in Juba decided to use poisonous gas on our gallant forces and civilians. The gas is suffocating people. People affected by this gas attack are experiencing severe coughing,” the officer told the South Sudan News Agency” (SSNA, 2017).

That the SPLA, the Government forces has now taken it further, there has been earlier reports of sexual assaults, burning of villages and harassment of aid workers. So the situation in the different states is various condition, as the SPLM-IO and the other rebels are continuing to fight the government forces. This makes it harder for the SPLA, as they don’t have one enemy and one rebel outfit, but they have many. Therefore, even as the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) or the Juba Regime tries to kick-off the National Dialogue in the states of Lou Nuer, it is a bit disrespectful that they are delivering church services to the people of Bieh State and Akobo State. THis with the knowledge of the poison gas drops done by the TGoNU army SPLA.

“One senior rebel official in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, told the South Sudan News Agency today that the armed opposition intelligence branches have evidence showing Ugandan government is secretly assisting South Sudanese government in the gas campaign” (SSNA, 2017).

That the Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) are helping SPLA/M isn’t new, what is new that the UPDF are helping again the TGoNU, like they did before the newest peace agreement between SPLM/A and SPLM-IO. Certainly, this also shows why Gen. Taban Deng Gai, the Vice President spoke of peace with the President Yoweri Museveni recently. This seems to be fitting together in a glove. As the VP of South Sudan wasn’t travelling to Uganda with peace in mind, but with the intelligence of the help of Ugandan army inside South Sudan, wouldn’t be the first or the last time they are involved.

President Museveni likes to get his army hired for the foreign exchange and the wealth it creates for him, as the loyalty to UPDF is still strong. As the possibility for career inside the army is stil there. But the news that the UPDF are helping SPLA with doing crimes against humanity.

That the reports that the SPLA are together with the UPDF dropping chemical weapons in Bieh State. And certainly the fighting is monitored, but the UNMISS mission is clearly using a scripted language to make sure it doesn’t make headlines:

“Fresh fighting has broken out between government SPLA and opposition forces in a number of locations including Raga in the west of South Sudan, Waat in Jonglei to the east and in the area of Wunkur and Tonga in the northern Upper Nile region” (…) “UNMISS continues to push for access to areas affected by the conflict. Despite the challenges in reaching some parts of the country, the Mission has successfully deployed a number of peacekeeping patrols to deter violence and protect civilians. UNMISS is also monitoring any human rights abuses as a part of its mandate” (UNMISS – ‘Restraint urged on warring parties in South Sudan as violence escalates’ 15.04.2017).

That UNMISS has a mission, but the intelligence of chemical warfare in Bieh State is proving that the SPLA are keeping vital information hidden from the UNMISS. This is happening as the SPLA are fighting on multiple fronts. So the use of stronger force to silence the rebels seem needed and the knowledge of the use of chemical warfare should be put on display for the whole world to see. So that all the lives lost and the innocent dying for the greed of power get their justice proven. Since the SPLA and SPLA/M doesn’t care about now, they use all sorts of methods to stay in power. They even use the vile force of poison to kill civilians and rebels.

That SPLM-IO and other rebels should worry, as the unforgiven SPLA have now started to drop poisons gas on their own civilians as well as the possible rebels. This is proof of the extent that the SPLM/A or the TGoNU do now. That the innocent dies, that the refugees continue to come to the neighbouring countries like Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. So, the international community should be extra worried, as the new settlement are opened in Uganda and that the vicious attacks in Bieh State.

That chemical warfare are now happening together with the stalemate between the SPLA and all the other rebel factions in the Republic. This is not making a true statement of wishing peace or national dialogue as innocent civilians die in acts against humanity. Peace.  

Reference:

SSNA – ‘South Sudan drops poisonous gas on rebel-held territories’ (15.04.2017) link: http://www.southsudannewsagency.com/index.php/2017/04/15/south-sudan-drops-poisonous-gas-rebel-held-territories/