Somalia: Somali National Armed Forces Letter of Agreement to Red Four Security Group (26.04.2018)

United Nations Officials condemn targeted and widespread sexual violence in South Sudan and call for the immediate cessation of the attacks against civilians (11.05.2018)

Sexual violence as a widespread and systematic tactic of war continues in South Sudan, reportedly to punish civilians who are perceived to be associated with a particular political or ethnic group.

The United Nations has received reports of attackers demanding money, alcohol and cattle through threats of violence and intimidation, including sexual violence. Testimonies indicate that women and girls of all ages have been subjected to rape, including pregnant women, lactating mothers, and girls as young as four years old. Information collected over the past week indicates that at least 66 women and girls have been raped since attacks began on 21 April, with the total number of cases likely to be much higher. In addition, dozens of women and girls are believed to have been abducted, with some having been released after enduring days in captivity.

In former Unity state, young armed soldiers, reportedly affiliated to the SPLA, allegedly attacked the island of Meer, where a number of civilians, including women, children and the elderly, were reportedly killed and injured, while others, including children, drowned as they tried to escape. Instances of abductions and sexual violence against women and girls, were also reported.

The three United Nations Officials call on all parties in South Sudan to immediately end the use of sexual violence, cease the commission of atrocities, and hold the perpetrators of these heinous acts accountable as a matter of priority. The three Officials urge the parties to the conflict to honor the commitments they have made to address conflict-related sexual violence and to protect the civilian population, and further call on the Government of South Sudan to abide by the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access they signed in 2017. In 2014, the Government of South Sudan signed a Joint Communiqué to end sexual violence and recommitted to an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children and all other grave violations against children. In 2015, the SPLM-IO signed an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment and use, as well as the killing and maiming, of children and in 2014 issued a Unilateral Communiqué on conflict-related sexual-violence. “The United Nations stands ready to support national efforts to end, prevent and address conflict-related sexual violence in South Sudan and to improve the protection of civilians, including children”, the three Officials stated.

Opinion: It is rich to hear that Kenyatta wants to fight corruption!

Its weird, it’s rarely a week goes by without any sort of cronyism, any sort of scandal or anyone are eating of the public plate. Still, the President proclaims his fight against corruption and corrupt civil servants. He has hired corrupt men; he has hired corrupted individuals to all sorts of positions. To say otherwise, is to look behind their history and their acts. The Members of Parliament, the Local Government and the Governors are all in on it. In some way or another. The system is built to be corrupt, to be friendly envelopes for services rendered.

Therefore, it’s a broken record when Uhuru Kenyatta again yesterday proclaims, that he will fight corruption! How? What will you do? When all the kings men around are eating and misusing their positions to gain personal gain. When the Deputy President is known for being the hustler and the one who eats everything in sight!

That is why its rich coming from Kenyatta that he will fight this, as his party is eating of the spoils, the growing levels of debt and the lack of oversight. Where all parts of government are used to favour his elite and cartels, where the consumers and citizens are paying the price. That is the reality of it all. And the circle of evil exploits continues.

Don’t be shocked if a Cabinet Secretary, if someone involved in State Owned Enterprises is thieving, getting kickbacks and not have done proper procurement, even bought it from ghost shell companies. Don’t worry it happens all the time, the Big 4 Agenda is built for that, the whole Cabinet is made for looting. They are not there to serve you, they are computer generated elections, though sophisticated rigging. Therefore, the public service, the true governance and the real representations are happening elsewhere.

Kenyatta knows this, that why he said to dozens of people during the campaigns, I don’t even need your votes, that is because he knew, that the system would rig him in. The people are just pawns that he uses when needed, the rest of the time he serves the cartels and their wishes. That is why the prices are going up, the inflation of core prices rising, while the state is adding more debt. Therefore, the next generation will pay for the reckless spending by his administration. However, then he is out of office and he will not pay it no mind.

Kenyatta can say he wants to fight corruption, however, it is not believable, it’s a lie and he knows it. He can say otherwise, but the proofs are in the inaction and the appointments that he has. There isn’t any proof of significant changes, only more dire consequences of lack-luster government oversight. No-one in the right mind can say it fantastic, because the results comes steadily.

The time will tell, but I am not buying the hype, the generated message of fighting something, I am sure of more ghost-projects, ghost-businesses and ghost employees on the payrolls. Not of better governance and oversight. That belief has vanished. Kenyatta has disappointed the first term and surely after these horrendous elections, will disappoint again. Peace.

The Patel Dam burst: Government neglect as the owner allowed to build an illegal dam!

Whats the saddest about the tragedy in Solai, Nakuru County in Kenya, it is that it could have been avoided, but the common greed is the reason for the fatal dam. That it burst and hit the village. This is where the owner of the farm had put up an illegal dam called the Patel Dam, which was not legally built or constructed. It had already leaked before, but not burst. Therefore, the uncertainty was there, but nothing happen.

That the owners of the Patel Dam should answer for their illegal construction of the dam. Where the forces of water shredded lives, lives that could have had a longer life, if it hadn’t been for the greed of the Patel Coffee Estate Limited. That did this for the benefit of better farming, but dodged the law and built a dam. So that the harvest could be good. Build a cheap dam of sand and rock. Even forgetting a vital principal of having concrete as foundation of it. So that the dam has strength to oppose the currents of the water. Instead, the poor construction burst and took dozens of lives. Innocent lives who couldn’t be prepared for this. Even if there was leaks before, no one would have considered that the construction of it was this weak. That the owners had considered the possibility of it bursting. 

The land was bought and renamed by the current owner, the old name was Milton Siding. That the building of this dam should have caused a stir by the Local Government in Nakuru. The Governor of Nakuru at the time, should have sanctioned the farm as the reports of the building should have been reported to his desk. The Police and the authorities should have inspected it and questioned its papers. Not to allow this sort of installation, unless he had permits and solid foundations for building it. This isn’t a tool-shack or a mere extension of a house. This is a major construction that has to follow certain technical specificity. Even the Kenyan government hire wrong people and building bad constructions, that has happen at ports and even bridges. Therefore, they should be careful to let private farmers and enterprises building dams like this.

That is why this is neglect by the government, the local government and the contractors, finally also the owners. All of them has failed the people of Solai, the Nakuru County Local Government should step-up and take blame, as they should seen this coming. They without actions, has given consent to the farm and its owner to do it. After getting knowledge of the construction, they should have informed needed authorities to stop the building of it, until the proper legal paperwork and shown the plan to safety standards. So that the public shouldn’t fear of what happen yesterday on the 9th May 2018.

The public shouldn’t be responsible for what owners tend to do on their land, they should trust that the owner has legal ability and has hired people with technical expertise to do this. Especially a project like this, building a dam and making sure the waters are steady. However, that didn’t happen here, as the foundation was built on the wrong premise. Cheap construction not built for securing the water. That is why it burst. The contractors, the owners and local government should have answers. Come up with reasons and answer in court for the deaths of innocent civilians. They are innocent people who got caught in the greed of the farmer.

That is the sad thing, that the farmer didn’t build a proper dam. He built a cheap one, that instead of thinking of consequences, only thought of profits. That is the sad reality and the authorities, should really be shaken, as they could let this happen on their watch. They are also responsible, since they didn’t take action and sanction the owner of the estate. That would have been the right thing and gotten the owner to strengthen the dam. However, that is just 20/20 and we know that didn’t happen.

We know how serious the burst is at it affected 2500 people and 500 families, as well as over 40 people are officially announced dead. All of them is too many, when this could have been avoided. They died over state neglect and lack of oversight. Peace.

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement Youth League – Uganda Chapter: “Youth League decries USA’s Diplomatic Overtones on Peace Process” (09.05.2018)

KRC/CCCC: SGR Operation ‘Secrecy Agreement’ is a disgusting way of muffling the employees!

You know that Kenya Railways Corporation sucks, you know that the Standard Gauge Railways project is fatigued. As the circulations of the Secrecy Agreement that all employees has to sign onto. Which states that the employees cannot tell the truth about the operations or the works of the corporation.

They expect all employees to be strictly confidential about all matters connected with the SGR and the Kenya Railways Corporation. You are not allowed “to record, store copy any information or violating the SGR Operations”. Therefore, the SGR and Corporation are clearly muffling its staff. This includes “participating in negative articles, writings or videoes or photoes on social media or Facebook or Youtube and etc. that involving SGR Operation”. So when the company goes this far, it says how dire the operations are, they cannot be golden, but instead grim.

This is happening after the state orders all Containers from Mombasa to be put on the SGR and also pushing for the public to use the rails. However, it is still not profitable. As the project has been costly and also embarrassing as the grace period for the loans are soon hitting the government. Meaning, the huge loans for the infrastructure investment comes to roost. Therefore, the needs for revenue is even more important. To patch the hurt, before moving on to other projects.

That is why these sort of leaks and showing how far the Company takes it. Shows how bleak the situation is. When they have to muffle and silence the employees. Since the Secrecy Agreement has Chinese signs on them, it could be given by the tendered company, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), which have the 4 extensions tenders to the previous built railway from Mombasa to Nairobi. Therefore, this could be the direct interference of the contractor CCCC, that would explain why the agreement wrote Youtube as Yutube. Because, that is a site that is banned in China. So, if the CCCC employees wouldn’t know about it and its spelling it would make sense.

Because if the employee was to break the agreement, they would meet the SGR discipline, whatever that means. If that would be termination or put on leave, its hard to know, since their protocols are not out and the KRC/CCCC are not that open on this matter. I am sure they didn’t want the Contracts into the public sphere anyway. Since this is disgusting silencing of the workers and taking away their rights as citizens. This is all communications outside the operations is not allowed. This is not about keeping away company secrets, but keep negative social media impact of the company. However, now that the agreement is out.

I can assure the negative articles will come, not only that the state has order transports of containers directly, that its not profitable and not a wholesome company, instead its a mismanaged State Operated Enterprise (SoE). Surely, the Kenyans should feel betrayed, as they are silenced by outside forces, who are building railways in their republic. The CCCC is acting as kings and they are the servants on the spot. Not allowed to talk or express opinions, just work on the clock and shut-up. That is initially what the contract is saying. Peace.

SPLM-IO: “Statement from the Press Statement on the Civil War in South Sudan” (10.05.2018)

South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA): The Regime in Juba is tireless working to undermine the prospect of success of the High Level Revitalization Forum (09.05.2018)

South Sudan: Response to the US Government Press Statement on the Conflict in South Sudan (09.05.2018)

More than half a million Somalis affected by floods and heavy rain (09.05.2018)

World Health Organisation (WHO) calls for redoubled efforts to assist Somali communities in need.

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 9, 2018 – Flash and river floods, caused by heavy rainfall, in Somalia have affected more than 695 000 people, and displaced nearly 215 000 of these, in the last few days.

Most flooding occurred in the regions of Bakool, Banadir, Bay, Hiraan, Lower Juba, Middle Juba and Middle Shabelle. One of the worst-hit areas includes Belet Weyne, Hiraan, in the Hirshabelle State, where more than 120 000 people — some of whom have already been displaced from their original homes — were forced to flee riverine villages after the Shabelle River burst its banks, destroying houses and crops.

As part of an immediate response, WHO, in close collaboration with the Federal Government’s Ministry of Health, airlifted and prepositioned 30.1 tonnes of emergency medical supplies to Belet Weyne, Baidoa and Kismayo to treat illnesses commonly spread during emergencies. These provisions include basic, essential, medical drugs, oral rehydration supplies (ORS), water-testing kits and cholera treatment supplies. Similar medical supplies will soon be sent to the South West and Jubaland States.

However, WHO estimates an additional US$ 2 million will be required to purchase and distribute emergency supplies to other flood-affected areas. These resources would also fund staff needed to deliver services; monitoring and response to disease outbreaks; and the coordination of all these efforts.

“Once heavy rains pour into the river basins of Ethiopia and Somalia, this spells danger for communities living along the Shabelle and Jubba rivers. The flooding has taken a toll on people living in Gedo, Hiraan, Lower Shabelle, Lower Jubba and Middle Shabelle,” said HE Excellency Dr Fawziya Abikar, Minister of Health, Federal Government of Somalia.

At the onset of the floods, His Excellency Hassan Ali Khayre, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, briefed international development and humanitarian partners on the heavy flooding and its impact, and requested for emergency assistance to the flood-affected population.

However, the needs are outrunning the support available. “Urgent action is needed to respond to this emergency,” warned Dr Ghulam Popal, WHO Representative for Somalia. “A well-coordinated response by authorities, and local and international organizations averted a cholera epidemic last year. We need a similar response again, now, to save livelihoods and prevent the spread of diseases among an already vulnerable society.”

The Somali Health Cluster, a group of international and national agencies working jointly to improve health in the country, also called for national and regional partners to convene coordination meetings to discuss ongoing response activities and gaps, as well as to scale up the provision of lifesaving health and nutrition services to the people in need.

Flooding can trigger the transmission of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, such as cholera, malaria and dengue fever, and contaminate water sources. To respond to and manage any resulting disease outbreaks in a timely manner, health authorities and WHO have alerted the Early Warning System in Somalia and WHO’s communicable disease surveillance officers to look out for the emergence of any waterborne or vector-borne diseases. Senior Ministry of Health and WHO officials have conducted joint missions to Belet Weyne and Baidoa to meet state and local health authorities, and gather crucial information on the situation.

Urgent needs of the afflicted communities include shelter, food, health, nutritional supplies, access to water and sanitation, latrines, mosquito nets and tents.

Short-term forecasts made by the UN Food and Agriculture-managed Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) suggest river levels inside Somalia are expected to continue rising in the coming days with more cases of flooding along the Juba and Shabelle rivers.

Somalis have suffered from natural calamities and civil strife over the years and endured drought, disease outbreaks, and insecurity among other challenges. This has resulted in malnutrition, poor access to health, and prevalent poverty all across the country.