Opinion: The acts against the will of people, as the Opposition are under-fire in the Burundi, Rwanda, DRC, Uganda and Kenya. Impressive how the Opposition is burning while the government tries to get away with it!

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We live in a Post-Modern world they say, still our leaders acts like medieval times, they are forcing themselves on their nations, on their economies and use their knights to secure their kingdom, their republic and fiefdom. The Opposition who is not accepting the legitimacy of these medieval acts upon their nations are harassed and taken to court, by them who act like they are above the law, as they decree the laws and are the head of state. Therefore this pattern isn’t new; Machiavelli would be proud and wonder if these leaders had read his work “The Prince”.

ZediFeruzi

Just as the wreckage of the local laws and ushering in the third term for CNDD-FDD President Pierre Nkurunziza, who has used the Army and Police to control the country by all means, as the Opposition are dwindling away… like the assassination and killingsof Zedi Feruzi (Union for Peace and Democracy – UPD), Jean Paul Ngendakumana (Front for Democracy in Burundi – Frodebu), Patrice Gahungu (Union for Peace and Democracy – UPD) and Pontien Barutwanayo (National Liberation Forces). Are some men who are gone in the wind by the power-hungry president in Burundi, while Opposition leader who wanted to live like UPD Agathon Rwasa accepted the role as Deputy Speaker in Parliament; so the leadership of CNDD-FDD controls while the real dissidents are either dead or fled as the safety to be opposition in Burundi is not a safe position as the leadership have proven vigilant in getting rid of the ones who stands in the way of Nkurunziza.

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While in Rwanda, the neighbor who have had a government under the Rwandan Patriotic Front since 1994, where the current second term President Paul Kagame is consolidating his position while the opposition lingers or have no place in the landscape as the militarized politics there does accept anything else then the will of Paul Kagame. Therefore the leader of the FDU (Forces Democratiques Unifies) Victorie Ingabire Umuhoza is lingering in jail since 2013 and is sentenced to a 15 year jail time. While the fighting Democratic Green Party of Rwanda with their leader Frank Habineza have worked to stifle the abolishment for Presidential term limits, but before that it took the party four years to be verified through the lawful process of the country when it was allowed to exist in 2013. So it is not like the President Kagame is happy about having the DGPR and the FDU in the country. Today the Lawyer (20.05.2016) representing Victorie Ingaire Umuhoza has been expelled from the African Court of Human and People’s Rights, the African Union Courts in Gambia. So the case on human rights must have tanked or been dismissed by the court, but nothing is clarified on the situation on the matter and Victorie Ingabire Umuhoza (FDU) there!

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In the Democratic Republic of Congo the leadership around the Second Kabila, or Second term President Joseph Kabila, where there are supposed to be an election later this year and the running up to it. As the MLC have lost their leader at the ICC with Jean-Pierre Bemba charged there recently, as he was part of the “unity” government together with Kabila until the ICC caught up with him. While the Opposition have been under fire as Felix Tshisekendi is even behind the main contender in the DRC. As the Opposition went behind Moïse Katumbi, the ones behind on the 4th May 2016 was the G-7, the Collectif des Nationalistes and also Alliance pour la Republique. So the Football Tycoon and former Governor of Katanga have gotten heavy loads behind him and his candidature, while Kabila have been driving together with the military in Lubumbashi and other places. While that intimidation have not been enough as the supporters of the opposition have felt the tear-gas and Police Force dispersing them. Moïse Katumbi is now charged with hiring mercenaries and threatening National Security, with an arrest warrant on him. Certainly an effective to silence main candidate before the Presidential Election later in the year, since the Kabila government have not lead to progress or any clear-cut development. Just to put some intelligence on it: “The Police has” embarked on the track of an operation called OP Congo whose objectives, human resources , logistics, finance and modus operandi , appear to be known today as Cow Boy “, the code name that refers to Moïse Katumbi ” (LE SOFT INTERNATIONAL, 19.05.2016). With this in mind we can see how the Police have planned to take down the candidacy of Hon. Katumbi in favor of Kabila and continue the supremacy of the Kabila Family over the Congolese Republic!

Besigye 18.05.2016 Nakawa

In Uganda after a hectic and shady election, with the Police involved directly in Opposition parties movement and also government control of the Electoral Commission that had to select the men that was decided by the Executive, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President since 1986 who have total control of National Resistance Movement and tries to crash the opposition. The way he does that is to get rid of strong leaders from Parliament like Dr. Olara Otunnu while paying loyalty to new Party Leader Hon. Jimmy Akena of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) and also not allowing Norbert Mao from Democratic Party of Uganda, therefore weakening that party to. Finally to by decree of loyal judge Stephen Kavuma who banned the Defiance Campaign for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), that has made it “legal” for the authority for the Police to house-arrest, detain and siege the Headquarters, in general making all activities of the Opposition Party illegal. By that extent making the Presidential Candidate of FDC Dr. Kizza Besigye that had the support of the people while the Ruling Party rigged the election with amp-speed had a mock swearing-in the day before the “official” one towards the Seventh Term of Museveni. Since then has been taken airlifted from Kampala to Moroto, and after local unrest in Moroto, taken back to Kampala, and he is now charged with “Treason” as he has questioned the powers to be and the President, as the sham election that we’re held is righteous to ask the legitimacy of it. So now the People’s President Besigye is now behind bars, while Museveni does what he can to again consolidate all power and continue everything as usual, while the FDC is harassed, detained and silenced by the Court Order. Even JEEMA Fourm has had visits of Police Force and even artist of Bobi Wine have been detained because they speak up against the regime. So the Police Force and the Army is the strength behind Museveni, not loyalty or love from the People, that he has lost and dwindled away, therefore he pays MPs to get the votes he need, not because of his vision or wisdom of building the nation. Therefore he prosecutes and takes down the FDC as they are everything he is not…

Odinga 25.04.2016

In Kenya, where there are some kind of calm, though there is not criminalized the Opposition, as the Opposition parties are in a Coalition, the same as the ruling regime under the Jubilee, who will become one-party instead of Coalition into the General Election in 2017. Jubilee Alliance Party will soon be truly founded though existed without legal paperwork. While the Opposition in the Coalition of Democratic and Reform (CORD-Kenya) are demonstrating against a biased Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC); something IEBC are under fire by the Opposition coalition CORD-Kenya on three Mondays. The Nairobi Metropolitan Police have gone too far in dispersing the Opposition demonstrators, as the Police Brutality is not only water-cannons and the tear-gas against leaders or the people, together with the violence of fighting and kicking civilians, even shooting at Hon. Raila Odinga car at the last demonstrations. So the violent Police are now showing hatred against the Opposition. The Kenyan Government is not detaining or directly harassing the Opposition, but the tear-gas of demonstrations and not listening to claims, instead counter-claiming they are trying to use the laws and Electoral laws to shun them from power, while even making laws to fix and allow the Jubilee Coalition to become a legitimate party in the state. So the leadership of Jubilee allows them to fix as they need, but not see the questions of opposition and use tear-gas to silence them before the General Election 2017. There are worrying signs of oppressive behavior… and also Jubilee MPs who attacks the legitimate demonstrations and questionable acts from the IEBC in the past and in the coming future election. That shouldn’t be masked to the side as the dialogue and discussion between Jubilee and CORD-Kenya, should settle this early, so they could work initially for peaceful election in unison political climate, instead of creating a valley between the Coalitions. That is not something Kenya needs…

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The Oppositions does not have it easy and the levels are proven, the worst are Rwanda and Burundi, even if the DGPR is allowed to exist as long as they don’t really challenge the presidency and their regime, because if they do they will be behind bars for National Security sake like FDU Victorie Ingabire Uhuhoza. While in Burundi the Opposition to the third term president Nkurunziza have been assassinated or killed, this while the government together with stakeholders have had peace-talks with stakeholders and also the remaining Opposition; the Opposition that has not already been killed or assassinated. In Uganda the FDC former Presidential Candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye is charged with “Treason” and still many of the FDC leaders and supporters detained, while the headquarters are sieged by the Police. In Democratic Republic of Congo the Opposition Presidential Candidate Moïse Katumbi is charged for hiring mercenaries and causing problems for National Security, while the incumbent President tries to stifle the best candidate in the up-coming election by doing so, as the Opposition Parties have gone behind candidature of Katumbi. Also in Kenya, the place where it is the best in these countries to be a Opposition, as they are more free, but to an extent, if they question the government or the Electoral Reforms of the IEBC; that is not accepted by the Nairobi Police who brutally disperse the demonstrators of the Opposition and the Opposition leader Hon. Raila Odinga have been tear-gassed and his car been shot at. So there is time to settle down for the government and time for dialogue, so the escalated violence doesn’t continue into the elections, as the citizens of Kenya doesn’t deserve that and neither does the demonstrators who are being violated around the Anniversary Tower.

That’s enough for now. Peace.

Tanzania: Burundi Refugees Tell of New Horrors (Youtube-Clip)

“One year on from the political violence that swept Burundi’s capital Bujumbura and spread across the country, new arrivals to refugee camps in neighbouring Tanzania denounce a litany of ongoing horrors at home. They say torture, disappearances, massacres of loved ones and neighbours and arrests on the border are rife” (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2016).

Press release on PBF support to AU in Burundi: UN Peacebuilding Fund Finances African Union Human Rights Observers in Burundi (04.05.2016)

Burundi Violence

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, May 4, 2016Thirty-two (32) African Union human rights observers will be able to continue their work in Burundi for another six months after the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) transferred $2.26 million to the African Union Commission late last week, the AU and the PBF announced today.

This is the first time the PBF provides direct support to the African Union Commission and it represents a move toward strengthened cooperation between the UN and the AU in peacebuilding, in line with the resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly and Security Council last week, calling on the UN to strengthen its cooperation with the AU and other regional organisations.

In this latest round of financing, the PBF also supports the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Burundi with just over $300,000 for training and joint monitoring missions with the AU.

The observers were deployed in response to the decisions of the African Union Peace and Security Council of 14 May 2015 and 13 June 2015, expressing its concern with the increased cases of human rights abuses in Burundi. They are tasked with observing, monitoring and documenting human rights violations in the country as well as human rights advocacy with the government.

The observers have been deployed since July 2015 with funding support from the European Union, which is also supporting the AU military experts in Burundi. The PBF funds cover 32 human rights observers’ presence from April to September 2016. Their deployment is the second step in the AU’s planned deployment of 100 human rights observers and 100 military experts.

This support builds on existing PBF financing for human rights in Burundi. Human rights have been one of the key areas of PBF support to Burundi from the initial stages of PBF engagement in 2008. The AU and the PBF welcomed this fruitful cooperation and hope that the presence of the AU human rights observers will help to reduce the violations of human rights in Burundi.

Burundi’s crisis talks postponed (Youtube-Clip)

“The inter Burundian dialogue that was scheduled to take place from May 2 to 6 in Arusha, Tanzania has been postponed. This was announced on Friday by the office of former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa who is also the facilitator of the talks.”Following consultations between the facilitator in the Burundi dialogue, former Tanzanian President Benjamin William Mkapa and East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Liberat Mfumukeko, the resumption of the dialogue which was due on May 2-… READ MORE :  http://www.africanews.com/2016/04/30/…” (Africa News, 2016).

Dr Kach Ononuju interviewed on Tutsi general killed in Burundi attack (Youtube-Clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7un-sd39k98

 

Gen. Kararuza of Burundi assassainated this morning

General in Burundi Assassainated 25.04.2016

Gihosha (Bujumbura): the obit of general kararuza confirmed. The general kararuza died in the attack on army this morning. The Presidency and the 1St Vice-President of burundi where he was advising the confirmed. According to our information, the wife of the military and one of its agents of transmission have perished in the attack. source of security, the military was just dropping off his daughter in high school when individuals heavily armed have a risen and opened fire. The vehicle of general has just been evacuated. 

13th Summit of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects – Joint Communique (23.04.2016)

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Interview of US Special Envoy for Great Lakes of Africa, Thomas Perriello (Youtube-Clip)

“My interview with US Special Envoy for Great Lakes of Africa Thomas Perriello after his visit to DR Congo and Burundi” (Sammi Awami, 2016)

Press Statement: “Torture and illegal detention on the rise in Burundi” – Zeid (18.04.2016)

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GENEVA, Switzerland, April 18, 2016 –  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein warned Monday of “a sharp increase in the use of torture and ill-treatment in Burundi” and voiced concerns about worrying reports of the existence of illegal detention facilities, both in Bujumbura and in the countryside.

“Since the beginning of the year, my team has recorded at least 345 new cases of torture and ill-treatment. These shocking figures are a clear indicator of the widespread and growing use of torture and ill-treatment by government security forces,” said Zeid. In all, some 595 people have been ill-treated or tortured since April 2015, a figure which is likely to be an under-estimate.

“Torture and ill-treatment mainly take place at the time of arrest, upon arrival or during detention, especially in facilities run by the Service national de renseignements (SNR), the police and, to a lesser extent, the army. Perpetrators of torture and ill-treatment have so far enjoyed total impunity,” the High Commissioner said.

“Many detainees visited by our team in the past few weeks had fresh wounds on their bodies. Some were unable to walk without assistance after being beaten with belts, iron rods or sharp objects, or burned. I am profoundly disturbed by these terrible accounts and I urge the Burundian Government, in the strongest terms possible, to put an immediate end to these unacceptable and illegal practices,” said Zeid.

Most of the tortured and ill-treated detainees say they were denied medical treatment. Some said intelligence services hid them in the toilets for days so their torture wounds could heal before they were returned to cells holding other prisoners.

During a visit by a UN human rights team to SNR facilities in Bujumbura last week, 30 of the 67 people held there displayed physical signs of torture. Many irregularities were identified during the visit, including the fact that 25 of the detainees had been kept in custody beyond the prescribed maximum time limit. In addition, while all detainees had been arrested for what were reportedly minor offences, the accusations entered against many of them in the SNR registry were for much more serious criminal offences, including undermining State security, illegal possession of arms and espionage.

Several cases of ill-treatment and torture have also been reported at police stations, especially in those located in the two Bujumbura neighbourhoods of Citiboke and Musaga, and at the Mutakura military camp.

The High Commissioner noted that the use of torture and ill-treatment was also widespread in the countryside, noting a case of two men who said they were arrested by SNR agents in Nkamba province at the end of March. They said they were seriously beaten and repeatedly dropped in Lake Tanganyika with their hands tied on several occasions in order to force them to confess to crimes.

“I recognize the efforts made by the Government in releasing at least 45 demonstrators following the Secretary-General’s visit. However, in addition to the reports of torture and ill-treatment in official detention facilities, I am deeply concerned about information emerging about the existence of secret detention facilities across the country,” the High Commissioner said. A man who was arrested at the end of March by unidentified armed individuals stated that he was taken blindfolded to an unfinished building in an unknown location, where nine other people were also being held. The victim reported witnessing the execution of two fellow detainees before he managed to escape. Reports have also been received of another illegal detention facility, allegedly set up by the police with the support of the Imbonerakure militia, in the city of Ngozi, in the northern part of the country.

The High Commissioner said he had also received “persistent reports of arrest, detention, torture, ill-treatment, enforced disappearances and assassination of certain members of the police and military by other government forces.” Members and officers of the former Burundian Armed Forces – known as ex-FAB and which was predominantly Tutsi – appear to have been particularly targeted, including some retired soldiers.

Many soldiers interviewed by the UN Human Rights Office while in detention said that the torture or ill-treatment they endured was aimed at forcing them to confess their support for rebel groups or to provide names of other people suspected of supporting them.

Some soldiers detained at the SNR facilities claimed to have witnessed the killing of a number of their colleagues. On 10 April 2016, the body of an ex-FAB soldier, who had been arrested the previous day by the police, was found in Gesenyi, near Citiboke. At least five soldiers have also been reported missing following their arrest by police or military forces over the last few weeks.

Zeid also deplored the increase in attacks by unidentified armed men, reportedly linked to rebel groups. At least 30 attacks in Bujumbura and in several provinces took place in March, killing one civilian and four soldiers. Around five civilians were also reportedly killed during a rebel attack near the Tanzanian border on 11 April.

The High Commissioner also condemned the targeting of members of the ruling party, the CNDD-FDD, including the assassination of a local official and member of the CNDD-FDD who was shot at his home by unidentified armed men on 13 April in the town of Kajaga, in Bujumbura Mairie province.

Why are the leaders of our time so hooked-on Power? And some theories for why they don’t leave the Executive Power to somebody else..

Mugabe Military

We are living in a day and age where leader’s doesn’t leave from their office. You have likes of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasongo who is making himself ready for another election in his country this year and he has been in power since 1979. You have the likes of President Paul Biya of Cameroon who has been the President since 1982 and was in government since 1970s. In Zimbabwe the President of the day President Robert Gabriel Mugabe has been the Commander in Chief.  And the list goes on.

Kagame Nkurunziza 2011

We have the third term phenomenon of President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda both of them have changed the laws or used Courts to allow them to stay in power. So the leadership roles are sufficient to stay. You have the likes of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who has been in charge since 1986 and stayed ever since, changed laws again and again to linger in power and is rumored to fix the age limit to stay passed his 7th Term.

Mittrand Rwanda President

So with this in mind, I will discuss it today. It is not a new phenomenon or a new change of guards. There are always leaders who linger and overstay their time in power. As President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda took power with a coup d’état in 1973 and was in power until his plane got shot down in 1994. Just like the overthrow of first President Patrice Lumumba of Democratic Republic of Congo in 1965, who by foreign powers supposed to install Mobutu Seko Seko Kuku Ngebendu Wa Za Banga who was born Joseph-Desire Mobutu who was the President of DRC from 1965 until 1997. So there are leaders of the past who has not left office and is now long gone.

The issue with this is the way we build society around people instead of institutions and government structures. The Structures of government is kept weak and is not strong with procedure and predicated work for the civil service. That is why the leaders can linger and the way they keep it is fueling resources away from the government structures and institutions, keeping the progress weak and keeping the circle around them tight knit. Instead of having inner-circles with wits, knowledge and people who wants to succeed in their field; the leaders around the president is instead hungry men and woman who works for more and better civil service for the citizens.

US Dollar Campaign

That is because the leaders who circle all of government around themselves are not interested in great policies or deliver the promised pledges to the communities since then they have to give away power. When a leader tries to strengthen the power all around themselves then the necessary leadership is not about the government, but about the person who rules. The ruler set the standard ,not the laws of the state or the laws of the Parliament. As the Executive can fix the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, can rig the Constitution and make draconian laws that issues more help for the Executive; instead of the Constitution and the Parliament representing the citizens and for the citizens it becomes for the Executive.

That is why the Executive or the Ruler, the President doesn’t want to leave power since the whole state is built around the one person. The One Person who has in his image or her image built the government around themselves. And when they have it all for themselves they don’t have to fight for anything else then themselves. That is what matters, if he schools is depleting, health care is non-functioning, roads have bigger potholes then the ones on the moon, the government loans are worse than the subprime-mortgage and so on. That doesn’t matter because the situations doesn’t hit the Executive, because the government funds goes directly to him instead of the ministries, departments and sections of government than really-really need it!

Zim 2008

The Power that starts with personal movement of fights and liberation, the ones that are personalized towards the one man who saved them all and then doesn’t leave is that the EGO and used to be center of attention. To have the voice of being right, so they can’t do things wrong in their own mind as they risk to lose their wealth and strength if they are out of office.

Barre Somalia

Some of these leaders have lived on the strength of the loyalty to foreign powers as they need their alliance in a region to secure peace in the neighbor country or during the cold war as the Americans did whatever they could to control the world and not lose nations to the Soviet communism. Therefore they fall of Said Barre of Somalia and the struggles of the Ethiopian Dirg of the 1970s. As the Cold War complex policies dissolved and built governments with influence of American and Russian strengths of the time. Take the example of President Mengistu Hailemariam who kept the Power from 1974 – 1991 with the Soviet influx and the Communist agenda that made the result of Somalia invasion with support of the Americans in 1977. So he himself had taken power in 1969 in Somalia the army fueled government of Said Barre as his power-play internally to keep the power together with the back and forth from the leadership at the time led to his fall, as he also had long-term squabble with Ogaden and Ethiopian neighbor after the tried invasion there. This the fall after 20 years might be because he circulated all power amongst himself and not in the powers of structures and department to delegate the powers.

That is the problem with the leaders who get fueled with power. They circulate all power and decisions are under the Executive. So with this in mind instead of building institutions and government structures, they build the armies and police force to enforce the Power of the Executive, not only to enforce national security, but to secure the Power of the Executive. Therefore the first to get payment are the armies and police officers before the teachers and other civil servants.

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The Rulers and the Executives keeps the ignorant yes-men around them to secure that they don’t get to opportunist or wanting to get the Executive position. Therefore they elite around the Ruler get lots of perks, tax-exemptions, cars, housing and servants while the rest of the country can’t afford that. Unless it is foreign investors in businesses owned by the Party Elite or the Government elite that belongs to the inner-circle of the Executive; as the license and openings happens on the watch of the Executive and the Power not the legal justice system or the society binding corporate bondage towards the procedures of setting up business in the country. So the way the Executive get drunk on power is set on the fact that they having everything at nearly no cost.

The Presidents who are drunk on Power have centralized all powers around them and not the government structures and the decrees and the policies are made to keep them in power; not to build a grand state who offers their citizens what they need. Therefore the laws becomes for the MPs and the Elite that fuel the money and Power towards the President, then the President delivering to the People.

The remains of Mobutu's Palce
The remains of Mobutu’s Palce

So with the Inner-circle finding ways to support the President instead of serving the citizens as a government is supposed to do. Why are the Executive and rules high-on-power you asked?

That is because all of the Power, all of the resources and all of the goodwill of the nation is determined by the Executive. As the Power is resumed and determined by the Executive there is hard to leave that, as the knowledge of the system given to coming new leader can take away what the Executive already have built around itself. Therefore the security of having the power instead of giving it the next; that is why the lingering Executives and Presidents are like alcoholics!

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Let me explain why the similarities are there. An Alcoholic has the hunger and need for another drink and beer. They do whatever they can to get another drink and beer, at all means and steal if they have to get that fizz. So the Alcoholic is so used to the alcohol that the feel of it weaken and needs much of it to feel it. The Alcoholic just need another brew and another brew. And never stops taking in the alcohol. In the beginning the alcoholic never think that they would end being so, and the same with power-hungry individual. It just became a habit. The alcoholic needs the alcohol, just as the Executive is drunk on power and needs some more drinks. The Executive gotten so used to and the habit of getting their will and generating the funds out of the governmental funds; so if they don’t get more the donor-funds or the Bretton-Woods Loans to their nations then they feel something is missing. They need the spotlight to be the king of the nation and the supreme ruler.

So the drunkenness and needed attention, the needed judgement and decision rate from the Executive that lingers in powers while they build the government system around themselves and weakens the people around them. So they are more needed and so that ambition gets squirrelled around them. There can only be one vision, one leader and one nation under God. That is the usual factor and the events that unfold as the dissidents and opposition get harsh treatment without any cost spared. Something that happens because they crossed the territory of the Executive and the rules of set-up by the President and the predicated actions are seen as violations of laws and constitution; that apparently been rigged in favor of current leader. Therefore another bottle of beer for the President as the sufficient drunkenness of power is staggering. Suddenly change would be hard and taken with haste. Because the drunken leaders will with force and madness go all-inn if they all of sudden loose it, they will be become bush-warriors or stealing elections to continue their Presidency. As we have seen through 2015 and 2016 that is how far these leaders goes to get the shot of power and not stop drinking from the fountain of government power. Peace.