Burundi Crisis: No noise, so please don’t worry!

Nkurunziza Military

The situation in the nation that got the third term President Pierre Nkurunziza, the leader of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) who has been in power since 2005. Have since a special election in 2015 been in tangled with his own population; even had struggle with most of the opposition. Opposition leaders have either been abducted, killed, assassinated or fled the republic.

Certainly the violence has escalated as much as even central government and such has even been said to flee the war-torn country. That had potential of years of conflict that ushered in Pierre Nkurunziza, now he makes sure to tighten the grip by circulating his Imbonerakure together with the National Police to follow and monitor the opposition.

The killings and the round-ups of people are rampant and the numbers of victims is hard to know as the government want the numbers not to be known. The indication of the violations against humanity comes with small leaks like proposed new constitution that the Parliament has to have over 60% Tutsi and under 40 % Hutu (Proposed Article 143). Also that minister has to be over 60 % Hutu and Vice Ministers not over 40 % (Proposed Article 129).

When also seeing this is happening together with the wish from the government to of get rid of the peace negotiator from East African Community (EAC) former Tanzanian President William Mpaka. As well as monitoring his movement in the country as he is supposed to assemble the opposition talks, while the Opposition is dwindling together with the refugees who have been fleeing to Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Their stories have not been hopeful of the rounding-up and machetes of the Imbonerakure against those who might be hostile to the regime.

Typical Story nowadays:

 “A man brutally abducted by SNR agents in downtown Bujumbura” (RPA, 14.12.2016).

Another ordinary story:

Alerted by the noise, the capita general returned to the passing mansion. He seizes the Kalashnikov and launches in pursuit of the assassin Nimubona “the Captain General Reussia to beat his fellow prisoner assassin” indicates Pierre Nkurikiye.

“One of the accused in the assassination of General Adolphe Nshinirimana has been killed in unclear circumstances”. That after the leaving the bar the accused and another one we’re also killed has the military confirmed today. That proves the levels of extra-judicial killings.

Another abducted fellow:

“Colonel Tito Serudugo (retired exFAB) was  arrested this morning at his home in Kinanira II by SNR. His whereabouts unknown” (IBurundi, 14.12.2016). This is typical stories where Ex-Fab either is assassinated or disappeared as the government are looking for them to make sure they doesn’t work against the government. Therefore the situation in Burundi isn’t about talks; it’s about surviving and wondering who is the next to be gone. The Security Forces and Imbonerakure could be looking for the next victim or family to take away some suspicious elements in the district.

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As well as government propaganda has hit staggering levels:

The students of Stella Matotina School in Bujumbura destroy the notebooks granted by UNICEF. The Reason is because they are Satanic!

We can just be worried when people get abducted, vanish and never get heard of again, some numbers of dead or assassinated since 2015 is estimated to be a 1,000, but I would think more as the SNR are piling up stories of lost people! You can also consider that  the estimation of refugees are now up to 330,000 who has left the country during this year.

This all has happen because one man wanted to counter the newly written constitution and also put the fragile Arusha Peace and Reconsiliation Agreement for Burundi from 28th August 2000 in limbo. Just so he could rule and take all controll of the Republic. All of this doesn’t seem to matter for President Pierre Nkurunziza, that his policies  creates bloodshed and tears. While his country goes into panic, into a deeper crisis and where the regime tries to silence the ones who isn’t in favour of the President or his party. The Inclusive Inter-Burundian Dialogue is only legitimizing the regime at the moment. Still, some in international community thinks the talks going to stop the SNR from abducting citizens as they see fit.

Because of the fear of foreign interference the regime has recalled ambassadors as well:

“Alain Aime Nyamitwe said on Saturday that Burundi’s embassy in Brussels remains open despite the recalling of Ambassador Jeremie Banigwaninzigo” (…) “Nyamitwe says relations with former coloniser Belgium “are not really good. We have called our ambassador to assess relations between the two countries.” (News24.com, 12.12.2016).

So with this in mind the Burundian Authorities are now caving themselves into own cocoon and trying to avoid criticism while abducting and assassinating oppositions. This just now happening in silence and without any concern even if they recall and cut all contacts, because they connect be able to get guns, ammunition and all the needed supplies to obtain the power. The power in the hands of Nkurunziza is now paved with blood, with tears and with no mercy for the citizens or justice! Peace.

Somalia: ASWJ says it will not recognise election results alleging a wide spread election conspiracy by President HSM’s Party (14.12.2016)

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The rise of #ThisFlag Movement Pastor Evan Mawarire: the Civil Rights Activist and leader that Zimbabwe and the world needs right now!

Evan Mawarire 13.07.2016

Pastor Evan Mawarire, the Zimbabwean Civil Rights leader who started wearing the Zimbabwean Flag and called for demonstrations wearing it in public. The Zimbabwean Flag became a tool of resistance and defiance of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), the ruling regime that has been in power since 1980 and under the current President Robert Mugabe.

Robert Mugabe reign started hopeful, but has turned sour over time. President Mugabe has forgotten his struggle is keener on buying jewellery for his wife than caring about his citizens. Therefore the rise of men and civil rights activists like Evan Mawarire is extremely important to change the republic. A republic that has become corrupt cronyism and where the foundations are shaking; where the police brutality and impunity runs rapid. Where massive amount of citizens are living in the diaspora and flee to live in shacks in South Africa.

This is the legacy that is left behind after decades under the President Mugabe, the real change never came, only that that the Zanu-PF elite got to eat and takeover lands from the inherent former colonial tribes and given that away to Zanu-PF elites and generals. So this has shackled the production of a former breadbasket, as the El Nino even made the lacking foods worse. The drought together with the lacking agricultural policies made the former proud farmer nation into a nation who needs help to feed it; so the independent nation needs more help than before existence of Mugabe Administration.

The thieving of export funds together with the problematic inflations, as well as faltering currency policies that lead to the depleted economy, as well as International Monetary Fund and World Bank put sanctions or suspended needed loans to the Zanu-PF government. The Zanu-PF has used the funds on their own and had famous parties for the President and his family. As well as the Vice-President putting hotel bills on the government as he lived over 1,5 year at hotel in Harere and sponging of the government coffers.

With the knowledge of this, with the lacking medication on the hospital, the lacking payments of salaries to the civil servants and others proves the lack of governance. The allocations and misuse of funds is rampant as the Zanu-PF elite rides in expensive imported SUVs while the common-man cannot get out enough funds at the ATMs to pay their rent or pay for food suppliers at the market.

In this context came the monumental rise of a simple man, not a man of wealth or kin of former renegades against the colonial Ian Smith Government. Evan Mawarire was close to nobody before 2016 and #ThisFlag Movement. He wasn’t somebody who was well-known. Still, his cause through peaceful means became too much for the government to handle. Therefore they abducted him and as the whole day in Court happen with a dozens of the lawyers who worked Pro-Bono for the man, because they saw his cause and his rise. Pastor Mawarire, we’re a citizen and an outspoken one, who showed no fear for the repression of the Zanu-PF. That because it seems like a genuine cause and heart for his nation. The Republic that birth him and raised him, he wanted a republic with a government that would represent the people and not just bow-down and bend knees for Mugabe.

That is what it is now. The Zimbabwean nation with their mismanaged bond-notes who are another tactic of the Zanu-PF to gain spoils on loans and trying to get more out of the foreign currency in the nation. So the Zimbabwe Reserve Bank together with the President Mugabe hustling more out the poverty with the transaction of  loaning a fortune and then exchanging the foreign currency surplus to the elites. White-washing the bond-notes at the same time; a successful receipt to destroying faith in monies and getting a new 2008 crash-course in hyper-inflation; something the Zanu-PF under Mugabe has created before!

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So the #Tajamuka, #NotoBondNotes and #ThisFlag together with the rising men and woman who acts against Mugabe and his regime are currently rising with 2016 year coming to the end. Evan Mawarire is a symbol, not only a man who sadly had to flee to United States after the short trial where the public waited for him to released. They proved the people power over a corrupt crony government with draconian laws and a security apparatus that takes the freedom, liberty and opportunity away from the citizens.

The Zanu-PF under Mugabe isn’t giving the Zimbabwean people hope, he is destroying while eating the spoils, while running away from his killings and his damaging rhetoric that has barricaded himself and left him alone. The ones that are loyal to Mugabe isn’t there because the love him, but they love the brown envelopes. There isn’t a policy or political framework that can build the nation or change the pattern of destruction under Mugabe. He has only his own will, which he believes is the will of the Zimbabweans.

If it we’re so, the people wouldn’t felt touch and felt the need for Pastor Evan Mawarire, there wouldn’t be a unknown pastor who turned civil rights activist who would make the headlines, it would been men like Morgan Tsvangirai and Acie Lumumba should be in charge, they should blaze the winds of change. Tsvangirai under the Movement for Democratic Change that had a popular rise a decade ago and nearly toppled the Mugabe regime. The current youth leader and populist Acie Lumumba his VIVA Zimbabwe we’re supposed to garn support, but it doesn’t. Their ties with Mugabe and history are making people sceptical of their will to change the cronyism.

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Zimbabwe needs people like Evan Mawarire, the world needs people like him and that has faith in peaceful disobedience against greedy oppressive regimes. Mawarire needs Zimbabweans and the world needs to support his cause for peaceful change. Mugabe isn’t automatically entitled to be president, than he is a Zimbabwean King. Kings are entitled to their role as leaders of their people and to be monarchs. But a President is elected to represent the people and ones in the dominion that the President has the power to rule, because the hand over that power to the person through elections or other functions that make it just. That hasn’t happened in Zimbabwe.

The people in Zimbabwe deserve a government that represent them and work for their will, not being in Harare to earn on the public coffers and earn on loyalty to Executive Mugabe. So the rise of a man like Mawarire is bound to happen because of the injustice happening time and time again. Too many people and their stories dwindle away, so many people have suffered while the rich has eaten, as they have built mansions and owning land instead of building institutions and invested in the people.

Charge Against Evan Mawarire

#ThisFlag and Evan Mawarire are the signs of hope, the signs of people wanting justice and development for their nation. That would be well deserved, the liberation from the Ian Smith regime wasn’t to make sure the liberators could eat the spoils, but actually the free-men of Zimbabwe could live free and earning a proper living for their work. That is dream right now, the rights are only for the entitled in the Zanu-PF the others has to beg. The justice is of two nations, the ones living in the elite and the rest. It’s the rest that needs men and woman like Mawarire, the world need people like him to address the concerns of people in need and who deemed poverty with no voice for their concerns. They are the ones that needs help and needs a government working for them. Instead they are keener on fixing the riches for the elite and finding new ways of short-conning the population. So the Mawarire has to rise-up and say “enough is enough” the Zanu-PF has used their time and taken the people for granted; the Zanu-PF doesn’t deserve anymore, they have used their time and spent it unwisely. Mugabe forgotten his struggle and his riches has blinded him from the cause that lead him to power.

Therefore he had to call out Mawarire and claiming his cause we’re useless. He was hurt that one of his citizens called him out and acted against him. Mugabe made this way and now have to see what he has made, but his stubborn acts of ignorance, his will of keeping enriching himself, is the reason for the rise of the Pastor. The Pastor wouldn’t be anybody if it wasn’t for the oppressive and brutal regime. The regime of Mugabe has lost their way and lost the reason for existing… Peace.

Burundi: CNARED-GIRITEKA – “Recusation de votre Facilitation” (12.12.2016)

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Burundi: Statement published by SOS-Torture/Burundi one year after its creation. Awareness was born after the tragic #1212Massacre (12.12.2016)

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European Countries accept to offer tax-exemptions that benefits Europe while stifling the rest, report claims!

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“Considering the strong democratic traditions in Europe, and the fact that taxation is considered an issue of great importance to national sovereignty, it seems rather odd that the EU has taken such a negative approach to the inclusion of developing countries in the setting of global tax standards” (Eurodad, P: 33, 2016)

There are in this world, lots of greedy people and states that want to earn on their own benefit and get the little extra without the second party. That is why the European States do what they can to keep as much benefit of businesses inside their own dominion, even as the businesses are earning their profits in developing countries, this is happening with sophisticated business transactions, sweetheart-deals, letter-box companies and stashing profits into tax-havens.

The ones that doesn’t this tactic, this way of earning higher profits and getting better rates on the production; the reality is that European States has worked coherent to avoid their thieving of funds as the taxation deals and openings of the multi-national companies in Europe. So with these possibilities, there comes also the reasoning that the companies do what they can to stifle the European states in their own scheme to keep them. Certainly the countries getting a point on the dollar instead of multiple points on it; they could get a fair trade out of, but when they are tricking the businesses there, the businesses will do what they can to trick out of them too. The Businesses are not in the country out of love, they are there to earn profits and doesn’t’ care how as long as they get. So long the States are having the set-up to be used, they will use them and the citizens will wonder why the sophisticated businesses pay so little why earning fortunes, while the citizens are paying fairly high tax on the dollar.

Just take a look!

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Letter box companies:

“The setting up of letterbox companies is one of the practices used by multinational corporations to avoid paying taxes in countries where their economic activity takes place” (…) “Looking at global investment flows, it is clear that several European countries are major centres providing attractive tax regimes for letterbox companies and thus functioning as conduits for multinationals’ investments. By comparing the statistics of foreign direct investments (FDI), Dutch organisation SOMO shows that the Netherlands is by far the largest exporter of FDI in the world, ahead of much bigger economies such as the United States and China” (Eurodad, P:17, 2016).

Sweetheart deals:

“In November 2014, the LuxLeaks revelations exposed the secret world of Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) – also known as sweetheart deals – which benefited multinational corporations, in some cases with tax rates lower than 1 per cent.89” (…) “Public insight into these kinds of deals is very rare indeed, since they are kept highly confidential. In fact, the LuxLeaks revelations were followed by legal charges against the two whistleblowers, as well as one of the key journalists, who brought the story to the public. The case is still ongoing in Luxembourg (see ‘Lack of whistleblower protection’)” (…) “Other examples of problematic APAs have been highlighted by the European Commission’s state aid cases. For example, APAs played a central role in the tax arrangements between Luxembourg and Fiat, the Netherlands and Starbucks, and Apple and Ireland. In these cases, the European Commission found the tax advantages given to the multinational corporations, through APAs, to be a violation of the EU’s State Aid rules” (Eurodad, P: 19, 2016).

Tax Treaties:

“Another key concern related to tax treaties is that they often include provisions to lower – or remove – withholding taxes on cross-boundary financial flows, and thus can lead to lower tax income in the countries signing on to such treaties, including developing countries. For example, research by ActionAid shows that a tax treaty between Uganda and the Netherlands, signed in 2004, completely takes away Uganda’s right to tax certain earnings paid to owners of Ugandan companies if the owners are resident in the Netherlands” (…) “The underlying problem in the international tax system today is that multinational companies are treated as a collection of ‘separate entities’ even though in reality they function as unified firms, with subsidiaries under the central control of the parent company. In today’s system, subsidiaries of the same company are expected to trade with each other ‘at arm’s length’, as if they did not have any connection to each other” (Eurodad, P: 21-24, 2016).

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Bank Secrecy:

“In order to deal with the tax evasion and avoidance risks related to banking secrecy, some developed countries, such as the EU Member States, have agreed to start exchanging information on financial accounts automatically amongst each other” (…) “This means that, for example, the Belgian tax authorities will, automatically and on a periodic basis, receive information on any bank accounts or assets held by Belgians in other EU Member States. The aim of this automatic information exchange is to improve the efficiency of tax collection and prevent taxpayers from hiding capital or assets abroad” (Eurodad, P: 27, 2016).

Interesting findings from European Countries:

“The Austrian government is against full public country by country reporting, and even the European Commission’s proposal for partially public country by country reporting” (Eurodad, P: 41, 2016).

“Belgium generally has a relatively high number of tax treaties with developing countries, but the average reduction in developing country tax rates through these treaties is low. However, that the average does not show is that several of Belgium’s tax treaties with developing countries are ‘very restrictive’. There are also clear indications that Belgium’s tax treaties have significant negative impacts on the developing countries that sign them. A conservative estimate puts the fiscal cost to 28 developing countries at €35 million in 2012”(Eurodad, P: 41 , 2016). “The Belgian tax treaty system is also an issue of concern. A conservative estimate suggests that 28 developing countries lost €35 million in 2012 due to tax treaties with Belgium” (Eurodad, P: 57, 2016).

“The position of the Czech government on the issue of ownership transparency is ambiguous. On the one hand, the new Czech law is very restrictive in terms of access to information in the Czech beneficial ownership register (in fact, it seems that the definition of the “legitimate interest” is so narrow that in practice it will be inaccessible for the public, no matter if they have a legitimate interest or not)” (Eurodad, P: 42, 2016).

The Danish government does not support full public country by country reporting. Instead, Denmark supports the proposal from the European Commission, which would only allow the public to get a partial picture of the activities and tax payments of multinational corporations” (Eurodad, P: 42 , 2016).

“Although the French tax treaties with developing countries on average reduce the tax rates less than most other countries covered in this report, France has eight ‘very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries. In total, France also has the highest number of treaties with developing countries among all countries covered by this report” (Eurodad, P: 43, 2016).

The German government has previously worked very actively against the adoption of full public country by country reporting at EU level. Germany remains very sceptical, even towards the proposal from the European Commission, which would only introduce partially public country by country reporting” (…) “Germany’s tax treaties with developing countries are a cause of concern due to the high number of very restrictive treaties. Also of concern is the fact that Germany’s total number of treaties with developing countries is significantly above average” (Eurodad, P: 44, 2016).

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“Of all the countries covered by this report, the Irish tax treaties with developing countries introduce the highest average reductions on the tax rates of their developing country treaty partners. Among the Irish tax treaties with developing countries are three ’very restrictive’ treaties” (Eurodad, P: 44, 2016).

“Although the Italian tax treaties with developing countries on average reduce the tax rates less than most other countries covered in this report, Italy and the UK are the countries that have the highest number of ’very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries” (Eurodad, P: 45, 2016). “An Italian investigation is also ongoing into Credit Suisse Ag. The Switzerland-based group’s parent company is charged with systematically having helped 13,000 Italian clients to hide their assets of more than €14 billion abroad” (Eurodad, P: 73, 2016).

“According to the Financial Secrecy Index, Luxembourg has the highest level of financial secrecy of all the countries covered by this report (and ranks at number 6 at the global level). The government’s position on the issue of public registers of beneficial owners is unclear” (Eurodad, P: 46, 2016). “In spite of the LuxLeaks scandal, Luxembourg has continued to issue a very high number of advance pricing agreements (or ‘sweetheart deals’) to multinational corporations – with a 50 per cent increase during the year following the scandal. This, as well as the fact that Luxembourg generally has a significant amount of indicators of aggressive tax planning, is highly concerning. Also, on the issue of financial secrecy, Luxembourg remains a high concern – currently placed as number 6 at the list of the world’s most secretive countries” (Eurodad, P: 79, 2016).

“Netherlands currently has some extremely restrictive tax treaties with developing countries, which make it difficult for those developing countries to collect taxes. Netherlands generally also has more tax treaties with developing countries, and is more aggressive in negotiating the lowering of tax rates in developing countries, than the average among the countries covered in this report. In addition, the government does not levy withholding taxes on outgoing payments to tax havens, which would be an effective anti-abuse measure that would not require lengthy treaty renegotiations” (Eurodad, P: 46, 2016). “Leaked EU documents show that the Netherlands is attempting to undermine EU plans to tackle harmful tax practices by introducing a minimum tax rate of 10 per cent for royalties and interest payments. They reveal that the Netherlands has proposed exceptions in the plans for its patent box provision, which can reduce taxation on revenues resulting from research and development to 5 per cent. This provision, which is a key component of the Dutch tax system, would be threatened by a 10 per cent minimum rate” (Eurodad, P: 82, 2016).

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“Norway has a high number of ‘very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries” (Eurodad, P: 47, 2016). “Norway’s tax treaty with Benin completely prevents Benin from taxing royalty payments to Norway. This is problematic since multinational corporations can use royalty payments between subsidiaries to minimize their profits and thereby avoid taxes in the countries where they have business activities” (…) “Norway does not have a patent box. It does however have a very favourable tax regime for shipping companies, albeit in line with EU countries’ legislation. Shipping income is tax-exempt and qualifying companies instead pay a small tax based on the tonnage of its vessels” (Eurodad, P: 84, 2016).

“Poland has a significant number of ‘very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries” (Eurodad, P: 47, 2016).

“Spain has on average been the second most aggressive negotiator when it comes to lowering developing country tax rates through tax treaties. Spain also has a relatively high number of tax treaties with developing countries, which gives even more reason for concern” (Eurodad, P: 48, 2016). “Wealthy Spanish people have doubled their money stashed in Luxembourg (more than €13 billion) – afraid of uncertainty and looking for lower tax rates” (…) “Inside Spain, the Canary Islands (located close to the African Atlantic coast) have a special economic and tax regime that make them “one of the most profitable tax regimes in Europe”, according to PwC. A tax rate of 4 per cent for companies located there is one of the several tax benefits. Special incentives also are applied in Ceuta and Melill” (Eurodad, P: 90-91, 2016).

“Sweden has four ‘very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries” (Eurodad, P: 49, 2016).

“Together with Italy, the UK has the highest number of ‘very restrictive’ tax treaties with developing countries. On average, the UK’s tax treaties with developing countries contain relatively high reductions in developing country tax rates. The fact that the UK at the same time has the second highest number of treaties with developing countries gives even more reason for concern” (Eurodad, P: 49, 2016).

If this isn’t eye-opening, than I don’t know, but it shows the systematic state of easy taxation to benefit big-business, the multi-national companies, so they can set-up show and get grander profits, while the states works the perks between them to settle score. The negotiations and the tax-havens gives more space for the companies to fuel money out of Europe and of the Developing Countries, which hurts all sort of government operations as the end-game is that the government doesn’t get the supposed tax-base as that flee to offshore or overseas where the taxations is lax or non-compliance with the place the business actually operates. We all should get our MPs, Senators, MEPs, Governors and all other Elected Representatives, to take action against this sophisticated thieving from the Multi-National Companies and the Representatives who opens the gates for this activity. Peace.

Reference:

EURODAD – ‘Survival of the Richest – Europe’s role in supporting an unjust global tax system 2016’ (15.11.2016).

Joint Civil Society Statement: Zimbabwe Must Respect and Protect the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, Participation in Political and Governmental Affairs, and Personal Integrity (10.12.2016)

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Burundi: “La jeunesse burundaise fait une marche manifestation pour la paix dans toutes les provinces du pays depuis 8h du matin” (05.12.2016)

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Burundi: Communique de Press de CNARED-GIRITEKA sur le Inter-Burundia Dialogue (09.12.2016)

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Burundi: Ministrere des Relations Exteriures et de la Cooeration Internationale – Note Verbale: ” Le gouvernement burundais veut maintenant contrôler le mouvement de l’Organisation internationale!” (24.11.2016)

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