NRM’s oppressive behavior is the reason why the FDC had to give the citizens of Katakwi a silent food relief this weekend!

Picture from the 5th April 2017 in Toroma!

During the weekend the Forum for Democratic Change wanted to continue with their food relief program in Katakwi, the region that has been hit by famine and by drought. Therefore earlier in April the FDC sent a team and maize flour, that was on the 5th April of 2017. This was blocked by the Uganda Police Force and the Regional Police Commander Francis Tumwesigye. Take a look!

So on the 22nd April 2017 the FDC went through with it:

FDC officials secretly distribute food relief in Toroma County, Katakwi, after earlier being barred by police Earlier this month, the FDC team, led by Dr. Kizza Besigye were blocked from giving out the food to vulnerable persons who include child headed families, the elderly and persons with disabilities who are hard-hit by the famine that has ravaged the sub-counties of Toroma, Magoro ,Omodoi and Kapujan. However, yesterday the FDC officials resorted to giving out the food secretly with each parish receiving bags of maize flour and beans for the households in the county. This time, Katakwi’s Resident District Commissioner Ambrose Tumwesigye said FDC should have first sought permission from his office to distribute the food” (NTV Uganda, 22.04.2017).

Minister of Disaster Preparedness Musa Ecweru have had the whole month to deliver the State organized food relief to their own citizens, earlier him together with the Police shut-down the food relief. The FDC tried to the citizens something good. While the loyalty of the Police, RPC Tumwesigye and RDC Tumwesigye, are both prepared to stop the opposition.

That the FDC had to decide to do it secretly says more about the state of affairs, than of the will of going against the state. That the National Resistance Movement and the local state officials haven’t been positive before.

So even the State Minister Musa Ecweru had to apologize to the residents of Katakwi:

All willing humanitarian agencies or parties have the right to distribute food, if they consult with the line ministry, the Ministry for Relief and Disaster Preparedness,” Mr Ecweru explained. He added that FDC will be allowed to distribute food if they make arrangements with the Ministry for Relief and Disaster Preparedness in order to avoid duplication” (…) “The chairperson Teso Parliamentary Group, Mr Patrick Okabe, also at the weekend, condemned the actions of police to deny the people of Toroma County food, saying: “Teso Parliamentary Group stands firm with the people of Teso in this trying moment.” (NTV Newsnight, 11.04.2017).

So if the FDC had consulted directly with the minster and the regional leadership. Still, I doubt they would allow it, as the NRM hasn’t really been positive to anything involving the opposition parties, unless they are the “Good DP”. So the FDC would no matter what they do, get blocked and stopped, with tear-gas and get people into hospital treatment. Even if the RDC Tumwesigye had been informed or RPC Tumwesigye had been told, I doubt they would have said: “Yes be kind, just do it”.

Since the NRM and their government forces haven’t really showed any finesse in those matters. So that the FDC had to yesterday and this weekend do it in silence, because of their lacking faith in the government entities. That the RDC and RPC would stifle the efforts of the FDC. We can know how the oppressive behavior of the security forces towards the FDC, when they are doing food relief in silence and in the dark in Katakwi. As the last time the violence and disruption of it, destroyed the willing to help the drought hit region.

That the government doesn’t themselves show that they are grateful and the considerate effort of the FDC. Therefore, the reality that the Government says: “please just tell and we will allow” isn’t truthful or sincere. If it was so, then the FDC would have done it and pleased the government. Still, the reality of it is, that the NRM tries what it can to silence the FDC and their leadership. By any means possible, even when citizens who starve are blocked because of the giver. Shows the ice-cold hearts and the oppressive acts of the ruling regime. Peace.

UN World Food Programme in diplomatic tangle because of the Rwandese beans exported to Burundi (12.04.2017)

MFFPS press statement strongly condemns Imbonerakure militia’s “call for rape and impregnation” of women and girls in Burundi (08.04.2017)

Burundi: La Video de l’Horreur (05.04.2017)

Response:

The Calvary blocks Opposition Food relief in Katakwi!

Jubilant reception as we arrived in Toroma, Katakwi District this morning. Situation quickly changed as police started attacking the people” – Dr. Kizza Besigye

You would think that under Presidency of Yoweri Museveni, that his Security Organization would show some sense, but there aren’t any common sense in the Uganda Police Force. As Inspectorate General of Police Kale Kayihura. This reports are coming from Katakwi town today, as the Police dispersed the public gatherings as the food relief from Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) was passing by the starving region.

This is something the government themselves wouldn’t have the capacity to do. They would let the people starve, with their Regional Police Commander (RDC) of Katakwi Francis Tumwesigye. The went all in with gun-shots, tear-gas and other violence as the FDC tried to do a good deed.

Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago explains: “We have just wound up our visit to Teso Region. Despite the fact that police unleashed brutality and teargas to disperse peaceful and jubilant supporters, we managed to comb through various parts of Soroti and Katakwi. We handed over food relief to Bishop Obaikol, paid respect to the grave of the former Toroma MP and that of our fallen comrade, Counsel Okiring in Magoro” (Lukwago, 05.04.2017).

That a food relief in Toroma we’re delivered not only with the local Bishop Obaikol, but by the FDC leadership and leaders in the region, who has traveled in the region of late. The RDC Tumwesigye said earlier today: “No giving them food. Let them die of hunger”. How can such a person has a leadership role? What sort of government hires a person like this? The skirmishes from the Police Force have officially lead to five hurt people, the citizens who showed up to get fed.

That National Resistance Movement (NRM) government and the Honorable Minister of Disaster Preparedness Musa Ecweru have not delivered to the public, because of the FDC had prepared posho to the Toroma town, the Police to prove the point, the UPF even had to tear-gas and stop an 84 year old who went to the car of Dr. Kizza Besigye, so as he passes by the police went after the old man. This proves the little care the police has for the civilians.

You can wonder if the citizens matters to the police as they was even blocking Besigye from visiting the hospital to see to the ones who had to go to Toroma Health Centre. That the FDC leader was blocked to see the ones hurt by the police, when the food relief from FDC came into Toroma, Katakwi.

That the Police had to disperse and block a food relief proves how little they care and that the RDC would utter words and stop it. UPF and NRM proves that they doesn’t care and the world should take notice if the government cries. The FDC could have provided the posho to the citizens as an act of kindness, instead the police brutality will be remembered, not the gift from the opposition party!

Peace.

EU’s new regulation plans to scrap imports of conflict minerals by 2021!

The people back home wouldn’t buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand”Maddy Brown (Blood Diamond, 2006).

The European Union are acting out of care and thinking of transparency for the industrial imports and mineral exporters. This is happening just a little month after the United States opened up their legislation for importing more from conflict zones. While the European Union plans to close the gate from areas and from sources that export Conflict minerals.

So the EU laws are becoming more stricter than the United States, even if the law they have enacted in the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, will be effective from 2021. So it is 4 years until it has giant effect and gives time to refinery and importers to change behavior. Something that is necessary, as well as the public have to grow concern of the affects of buying conflict minerals. Even as the conflict minerals still come into the market of Europe and into the refineries so the consumers doesn’t know and cannot follow where their products who contain minerals comes from war-zones.

That the European Union takes this serious and acts upon this Nobel, and proves that they does not want to support militias and guerrillas that keeps control of mineral rich areas and their exports to supply weapons and continue warfare in for instance the African Great Lakes Region. Take a look!

Background of new rule:

This Regulation, by controlling trade in minerals from conflict areas, is one of the ways of eliminating the financing of armed groups. The Union’s foreign and development policy action also contributes to fighting local corruption, to the strengthening of borders and to providing training for local populations and their representatives in order to help them highlight abuses” (EU, P: 8, 2017).

Conflict Minerals from Great Lakes Region:

The Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should regularly review their financial assistance to and political commitments with regard to conflict-affected and high-risk areas where tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold are mined, in particular in the African Great Lakes Region, in order to ensure policy coherence, and in order to incentivise and strengthen the respect for good governance, the rule of law and ethical mining” (EU, P: 16, 2017).

Trade of Minerals funds armed conflicts:

Preventing the profits from the trade in minerals and metals being used to fund armed conflict through due diligence and transparency will promote good governance and sustainable economic development. Therefore, this Regulation incidentally covers areas falling within the Union policy in the field of development cooperation in addition to the predominant area covered which falls under the common commercial policy of the Union” (EU, P:17, 2017).

Important Article:

Article 3: Compliance of Union importers with supply chain due diligence obligations

1. Union importers of minerals or metals shall comply with the supply chain due diligence obligations set out in this Regulation and shall keep documentation demonstrating their respective compliance with those obligations, including the results of the independent third-party audits” (EU, P: 23, 2017).

Date of Application:

Articles 1(5), 3(1), 3(2), Articles 4 to 7, Articles 8(6), 8(7), 10(3), 11(1), 11(2), 11(3), 11(4), Articles 12 and 13, Article 16(3), and Article 17 shall apply from 1 January 2021” (EU, P: 51, 2017).

What the statements on the law:

The Commission will consider making additional legislative proposals targeted at EU companies with products containing tin, tantalum, and tungsten and gold in their supply chain should it conclude that the aggregate efforts of the EU market on the responsible global supply chain of minerals are insufficient to leverage responsible supply behaviour in producer countries, or should it assess that the buy-in of downstream operators that have in place supply chain due diligence systems in line with the OECD guidance is insufficient” (…) “In the exercise of its empowerment to adopt delegated acts pursuant to Article 1(5), the Commission will take due account of the objectives of this Regulation, notably as set out in recitals (1), (7), (10) and (17). In doing so, the Commission will, in particular, consider the specific risks associated with the operation of upstream gold supply chains in conflict affected and high-risk areas and taking into account the position of Union micro and small enterprises importing gold in the EU” (…) “In response to the request of the European Parliament for specific guidelines, the Commission is willing to develop performance indicators specific to the responsible sourcing of conflict minerals. By means of such guidelines, relevant companies with more than 500 employees that are required to disclose non-financial information in conformity with Directive 2014/95/EU would be encouraged to disclose specific information in relation to products containing tin, tantalum, tungsten or gold” (EU, P: 57-58, 2017).

The European Union is doing something positive with this. That they show effort and care for the imports and what affects the export has locally, so if the minerals export is shady, the export will cease. So if the due diligence regulation works and the industry complies, the effect can be enormous. The consumer will also know that there are not supporting by third party purchase to pay for ammunition rebels, warlords or guerrillas in far away lands. This should all be seen as step of making a better world and honorable society. Where the money is where the mouth is! Peace.

Reference:

Council of the European Union – ‘Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a Union system for supply chain due diligence self-certification of responsible importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas – Outcome of the European Parliament’s first reading (Strasbourg, 13 to 16 March 2017) – (20.03.2017).

Communiqué of the Consultative Meeting of IGAD Member States on the Current Drought Situation in the Region (31.03.2017)

IGAD: Nairobi Declaration on Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees and Reintegration of Returnees in Somalia (25.03.2017)

 

New Study Finds Worrying Climate Trend in Karamoja Over Last 35 Years (20.03.2017)

Released in Kampala today, the ‘Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security and Livelihoods in Karamoja’ found that temperatures have been rising in Karamoja over the last 35 years.

KAMPALA, Uganda, March 20, 2017 – A new study carried out by the Government of Uganda and its partners has found a new weather pattern that threatens to worsen food insecurity in the Karamoja region if no action is taken.

The study found that the average monthly rainfall in the region increased over the last 35 years and that the rainy season is now longer by two months. However, the rains – which now fall from around March to the end of the year – increasingly varied in volumes. This unpredictability was found to undermine agricultural production, thereby threatening to aggravate food insecurity in Karamoja.

Released in Kampala today, the ‘Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security and Livelihoods in Karamoja’ found that temperatures have been rising in Karamoja over the last 35 years.

The rising temperatures threaten to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in the region, therefore reducing availability of water for crops and animals. This too undermines food security.

A large majority of people in Karamoja, particularly women, were not aware that changes to the climate had been taking place over decades, the study states. However, most of the people that had perceived changes to the climate had not taken any action to adapt, typically because they did not know how to do so. Where trees were planted as an adaptation measure, the sale of charcoal and firewood were also a common measure that people took in response to climate-related crop failure.

Sponsored by the Swedish Government, the study was carried out in 2016 by the Ministry of Water and Environment with support from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the CGIAR Consortium’s Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

The Uganda Minister for Water and Environment, Sam Cheptoris, said today, “These are significant findings that threaten any hope for Uganda achieving its Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), if no immediate action is taken.”

Cheptoris said that his Ministry was already calling for a national and regional response, advocating for climate change sensitive approaches across all Government sectors, educating the population about climate change, and undertaking emissions profiles.

“Karamoja’s population is heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to climate change,” said El Khidir Daloum, WFP Country Director for Uganda. “However, little has been known previously about the impacts of climate change on food security, and in particular, the ability of households in the region to adapt.”

WFP hopes that the findings and recommendations of the study will contribute to efforts toward appropriate adaptation measures while helping to identify policies that will safeguard the most vulnerable communities in Karamoja.

The study recommended that the Government and its partners increase investments in water harvesting and agroforestry schemes, education of the people, improved access to climate change information and the cultivation of drought-resistant crop varieties.

Within the Ministry of Water and Environment, the study was carried out by the Climate Change Department and the Uganda National Meteorological Authority.

Burundi: Degagement autour du site qui va arbiter le Palais Presidentiel a Gasenyi (14.03.2017)