



Burundi: OLUCOME Lettre du President Museveni & H.E. Benjamin Mpaka – “Objet: Urgence de reprendre le dialogue Inter Burundais afin d’arrete la crise economique et ses consequence qui present sur les citoyens Burundais” (14.09.2017)









NEW YORK – The situation in Darfur has been largely calm in recent months, but there is continued violence fuelled by a proliferation of weapons and competition over natural resources, a senior United Nations official today told the Security Council.
“Most of the insecurity currently experienced in Darfur can be attributed to the tensions originating from the underlying causes of the conflict, exacerbated by the proliferation of arms in the hands of civilians and militia groups,” said Jeremiah Mamabolo, Special Representative and Head of the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
“Inter-communal disputes usually triggered by competition over land, water, livestock and mineral resources, have become increasingly violent due to the availability of weapons,” added Mr. Mamabolo.
The Government is carrying out an arms control campaign but reactions to the arms collection campaign “vary,” according to Mr. Mamabolo, who noted that the opposition and groups who did not sign the peace agreement are opposed to it.
Briefing the 15-member Council in New York on quarterly developments in the region of Sudan, Mr. Mamabolo noted progress on the implementation of the peace agreement is “limited.”
That agreement was signed in 2012 by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), based on the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), which calls for a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace agreement to end the fighting.
Progress is particularly limited on issues such as “durable solutions to displacement, the administration of land, water, and other scarce resources, and the issue of armed militias,” Mr. Mamabolo said.
He also noted that efforts on an inclusive peace agreement by the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), with support of UNAMID, remain “inconclusive” due to a stalemate between the Government and one of the parties.
“We call upon the Council and those with influence on the parties to stress the importance of a political settlement and desist from bringing more suffering to the very people that they profess to represent,” said Mr. Mamabolo.
Among other issues raised, Mr. Mamabolo said that cooperation between the UN and the Government of Sudan has “noticeably improved” with a more open humanitarian environment and faster approval of movements within Darfur and clearance of visas, except for human rights staff.




In line with the mandate, the Mission is reducing the number of military, police and civilian personnel, and has earmarked 11 team sites for closure across Darfur.
KHARTOUM, Sudan, September 11, 2017 – UNAMID is concerned about recent allegations of improper handover of team sites in North Darfur as part of its mandated reconfiguration.
The Mission would like to reiterate that as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2363, of 29 June, 2017, extending UNAMID’s mandate until 30 June 2018, its strategic priorities in Darfur remain the same—protecting civilians, facilitating access and security for humanitarian actors and working to ameliorate the root causes of communal conflict.
Furthermore, moving forward, UNAMID will take a two-pronged approach incorporating both peacekeeping and stabilization.
In line with the mandate, the Mission is reducing the number of military, police and civilian personnel, and has earmarked 11 team sites for closure across Darfur.
Four team sites have been closed to date: Malha, Mellit and Um Kadada, North Darfur, and Muhajeria, East Darfur. Seven team sites are yet to be closed. These are Abu Shouk, Tine, Habila, Forobaranga, Tulus, Eid Al Fursan and Zam Zam.
Closed team sites have been handed over to the Government of Sudan or appropriate private parties as per lease agreements signed by the Mission.



This was the third time this year that EU NAVFOR has had the opportunity to exercise and train with AMISOM forces
BRUSSELS, Belgium, September 11, 2017 – On September 7th crew members from ESPS Rayo continued the regional cooperation EU NAVFOR has established with the AMISOM Marine unit off the coast of Mogadishu.
This was the third time this year that EU NAVFOR has had the opportunity to exercise and train with AMISOM forces. This visit to Mogadishu followed on from ESPS Relampago in February and ESPS Galicia in May.
The training included briefings and exercises on fire fighting, search and rescue, first aid and boarding procedures.
Maritime training with regional partners, such as AMISOM, is an extremely important aspect of Operation Atalanta’s work to deter piracy off the coast of Somalia. The aim is to strengthen cooperation and increase the capability and capacity of regional maritime forces to help seafarers stay safe during their transits across the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.


The conclusions presented by the three Commissioners are the result of several months of investigations and interviews with more than 500 witnesses.
GENEVA, Switzerland, September 5, 2017 – The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi has reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed and continue to be committed in Burundi since April 2015, according to the Commission’s report published on Monday. These crimes are taking place in a context of serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and enforced disappearances.
“We were struck by the scale and the brutality of the violations. We also noted a lack of will on the part of the Burundian authorities to fight against impunity and guarantee the independence of the judiciary. As a result, there is a strong likelihood that the perpetrators of these crimes will remain unpunished,” said Fatsah Ouguergouz, President of the Commission of Inquiry. Among the alleged perpetrators, the Commission mentioned members, including high level officials, of the National Intelligence Services and the national police force, military officials, and members of the youth league of the ruling party, known as Imbonerakure.
The conclusions presented by the three Commissioners are the result of several months of investigations and interviews with more than 500 witnesses, including many Burundians living abroad as refugees and others who remain in Burundi, often at risk to their lives. The Commission gathered these testimonies in difficult conditions. “There is a climate of pervasive fear in Burundi. Victims have been threatened, even in exile. This meant that the Commission had to be extremely careful to ensure that their testimonies could not be used to endanger them,” said Françoise Hampson, one of the three members of the Commission.
These accounts, whether from victims, their families or witnesses to their ordeal, were rigorously checked and corroborated. They show that serious human rights violations are ongoing. “We continue to receive reliable, credible and consistent information confirming that these violations are still taking place in Burundi today. Some of these violations are occurring in a more clandestine manner, but they are still just as brutal,” stated Fatsah Ouguergouz.
The Burundian authorities rejected the Commission’s repeated attempts to establish a dialogue and to request information from the government, and did not allow its members to go to Burundi. “We deeply regret the Burundian government’s lack of cooperation, which, among other things, made it difficult for us to document human rights abuses committed by armed opposition groups. This is all the more regrettable given that Burundi, as a member of the Human Rights Council, has an obligation to cooperate with mechanisms set up by the Council,” said Reine Alapini Gansou, a member of the Commission.
The Commission is asking the Burundian authorities to immediately put a stop to serious human rights violations by state agents and Imbonerakure over whom the State exercises control.
In view of the impunity protecting the perpetrators of these violations, the Commission is asking the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into the crimes committed in Burundi as soon as possible. The Commission is also asking the African Union to retake the initiative to find a lasting solution to the crisis in Burundi, based on respect for human rights, and to remain actively involved.

In Mudugh Province or in Galmudug State in Somalia, there are clear reports that the Al-Shabaab, the terrorist organization in Somalia are using the mineral rich Galdumug state or the Mudugh Province, Federation Republic of Somalia reputation is on the line. There is also a letter from Yusuf Garad Omar to Stephen Schwartz in August 2017 is compelling. The story it tells is dire, but also shows the Federal Republic of Somalia loyalty to the United States. Its need a loyal state on the Horn of Africa. The letter explicit says it only can beat Al-Shabaab with the support of the US and not alone. That means the Somali government don’t believe in their own capacity or own strength. As the AMISOM mission are under review and more training of the Somali National Army are progressing.
However, the Uranium extraction and exporting are proving that the mineral resources could be for the benefit of the Somali people, but instead is for the militia causing havoc. So for the Federal Government to get more taxation and resources, these sort of industry has to be taxed and be under control of the central government. Now it is being used by militia and exported so the Al-Shabaab can afford expensive weapons to fight AMISOM and SNA. Take a look!
IAEA report in 1984:
“Surficial uranium deposits in Somalia are of the valley-fill calcrete type and occur in the arid Mudugh Province of the Dusa Mareb-EI Bur region. They are located in a belt about 240 km in length which is orientated parallel to the north-south regional tectonic framework. The uranium resources of the region amount to about 5 000 t U308 at an average grade of 0.1 % U308. Basement rocks constitute a 7 000 m thick succession of Jurassic to Quaternary ediments of the Somalian Basin. Uranium mineralization in the form of carnotite occurs in the uppermost Mercia Series. The origin of the uranium and vanadium is unclear due to a shortage of the favourable source rocks” (…) “The valley-fill calcretes of the Dusa Mareb-EI Bur region have formed in the Mercia Series of Miocene age. Collectively, the uranium resources are about 5 000 t at a grade of 0.1 % U308. Carnotite is the only uranium mineral present but the sources of both uranium and vanadium are largely speculative because accessible granite source rocks are situated several hundred kilometres to the north in Ethiopia. The geochemistry of the groundwater and the arid climate favours the precipitation of the carnotite in a manner similar to these fluviatile surficial uranium deposits in Namibia and Western Australia” (IAEA, P: 217, 220 1984).
Minerals of 2013:
“Uranium: Documented uranium deposits are found in three areas of Galgaduud-Mudug and in Alio Ghelle in Bur Massif. These deposits need further exploration and evaluation, though in 1984 work began to develop them. The Alio Ghelle deposit is small carnotite deposit, with a reported indicated resource varying between 10-25 Mt at 0.07-0.08% U₃O₈” (Hussain, P: 3, 2013)
Al-Shabaab trading Uranium to Iran:
“The letter, sent by Foreign Minister Yusuf Garad Omar, was addressed to U.S. Ambassador to Somalia Stephen Schwartz. Somalia’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ahmed Awad confirmed on Thursday that the letter “has indeed been issued” by Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Garaad Omar, whose signature is on the document. The Aug. 11-dated letter delivered an urgent warning to the U.S. that the Al-Shabaab terror network has linked up with the regional Islamic State (ISIS) faction and is “capturing territory” in the central part of the country. “Unlike past situations that required external intervention, the issue communicated today presents a problem for the larger global community and will not be constrained within the borders or our recovering country.” the Somali Foreign Minister’s letter said. Somalia and Iran had no diplomatic ties since January 2016, when Mogadishu officially severed Tehran relations and expelled its Mogadishu-based Ambassador accusing of spreading Shiism in Somalia. Nuclear weapons “This issue can be summed up in a single word: uranium,” the letter added. “Al-Shabaab forces have captured critical surface exposed uranium deposits in the Galmudug region and are strip mining triuranium octoxide for transport to Iran.” (Radio Simba, 2017).
This here should be interesting and also compelling, since the amounts of Uranium in the region and the powers it gives the Al-Shabaab. That the Al-Shabaab gets funding and shows they have the ability to trade uranium. Reports like that should worry anyone, and with that in mind, with the funding and resources of that trade. You understand why do not struggle to get enough money to buy ammunition and guns on the black-market. Since, the trades of lucrative uranium must be a splendid trade-off for some AK-47 and other weaponry. Peace.


Reference:
IAEA – ‘SURFICIAL URANIUM DEPOSITS’ (December 1984), SURFICIAL URANIUM DEPOSITS, IAEA, VIENNA, 1984 IAEA-TECDOC-322
Hussain, Abdulkadir Abiikar – ‘Minerals of Somalia: – From exploration to artisanal production to export’ (25.01.2013) link: http://somaliatalk.com/2013/minerals_of_somalia.pdf
Radio Simba – ‘(FULL DOCUMENT) Al-Shabaab Mining Uranium in Central Somalia to Send to Iran’ (02.09.2017) link: https://www.simbanews.net/full-document-al-shabaab-mining-uranium-in-central-somalia-to-send-to-iran/