
Theji Da Adwad Deng Letter: “Resignation from SPLM-IO and Declaration for Rejoining the SPLM Mainstream (IG)” – 23.03.2017



This year alone, more than 172,000 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Uganda, with new arrivals in March averaging more than 2,800 daily.
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 23, 2017 – The Government of Uganda and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi today jointly appealed to the international community for urgent and massive support for the thousands of South Sudan refugees who continue to arrive to Uganda every day, fleeing brutal conflict, compounded by the limited availability of food.
Uganda currently hosts more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees. Among them are some 572,000 new arrivals who have poured into Uganda in desperate need of safety and help since 8 July 2016. With present rates of arrival, that figure will surpass a million before mid- 2017. This year alone, more than 172,000 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Uganda, with new arrivals in March averaging more than 2,800 daily.
“Uganda has continued to maintain open borders,” said Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of Uganda. “But this unprecedented mass influx is placing enormous strain on our public services and local infrastructure. We continue to welcome our neighbours in their time of need but we urgently need the international community to assist as the situation is becoming increasingly critical.”
“We are at breaking point. Uganda cannot handle Africa’s largest refugee crisis alone,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “The lack of international attention to the suffering of the South Sudanese people is failing some of the most vulnerable people in the world when they most desperately need our help.”
Chronic and severe underfunding has reached a point where critical life-saving help risks becoming dangerously compromised. Transit and reception facilities are rapidly becoming overwhelmed. Significant challenges are being faced in providing refugees with adequate food rations, health and educational services, and sufficient clean water; a dire situation further compounded by the onset of heavy rains. Currently, UNHCR urgently needs more than a quarter of a billion US dollars to support South Sudanese refugees in Uganda in 2017.
Uganda’s approach to dealing with refugees has long been among the most progressive anywhere on the African continent. Upon receiving refugee status, refugees are provided with small areas of land in settlements integrated within the local host community; a pioneering approach that enhances social cohesion and allows both refugees and host communities to live together peacefully. In Uganda’s Mid and South-West, land for these settlements is provided by Government. In northern Uganda, where the vast majority of South Sudanese refugees are being hosted, the land has been donated by the local host community, an outstanding display of generosity towards people fleeing war and conflict.
As a result Uganda was chosen as a role model for pioneering a comprehensive approach to refugee protection that complements humanitarian responses with targeted development action, benefiting both refugees and the communities hosting them. This was adopted as part of the New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants at the UN General Assembly last year, and is now also being rolled out in other displacement crises – offering hope to millions of refugees worldwide. However, in the face of severe underfunding and the fastest-growing refugee emergency in the world, Uganda’s ability to realise a model that allows refugees to thrive now risks being jeopardized – and the future of the new comprehensive refugee response framework thrown into question.

There is an ongoing civil-war inside the Kasai-Oriental, a region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, there has been battles between rebels, militias and foreign mercenaries in other regions like North and South Kivu. That Beni, Goma and other towns has been embattled for a decade or more. There are now more worrying reports from Kasai-Oriental province where there are now questioning of the result of the skirmishes and running warfare between rebels against the Kabila government in Kinshasa. This is the militants of Kamuina Nsapu who have fought the civil war against Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
“The violence in the former province of Kasai, shaken by the rebellion of the militiamen of Kamuina Nsapu, was invited to a meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on Wednesday 22 March. While the Congolese authorities confirm overflows, the indictment of seven military personnel for crimes against humanity and an investigation into two mass graves in the former province of Kasaï, the United Nations, on their part, are worried about the The alleged existence of at least 17 mass graves in the central and eastern Kasai, as well as barriers to access to these sites and the exercise of their mandate” (RFI, 2017).
“After the revelations about the massacres perpetrated by the Congolese army, the Voice of the Voiceless for Human Rights association is asking the judiciary to extend its ongoing investigations to similar crimes it has documented in the Kasai Oriental. Rostin Manteka, the executive director of La Voix des sans voix, spoke about abuses in the Kabeya-Kamwanga and Miabi territories” (…) “In these two territories the FARDC soldiers have also perpetrated many crimes. Several militiamen were killed there, including innocent people. There were even entire villages burned and people buried for several weeks in forests and bushes. So we want these crimes to be taken into account as well, and I believe that an international investigation would be essential in order to fight against the impunity of crimes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and that all victims of these crimes The injury suffered ” (RFI, 2017).
Executed Rebels:
“In a report released on Wednesday (March 23rd) in Kinshasa, the NGODH revealed that 33 people were summarily executed and shot in the territory of Kabeya Kamuanga by soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo sent to the scene. “The victims were buried, piled up like cattle in latrines with feet or hands outside in order to terrorize the rest of the population and prevent young people and children from joining the militia. Any bereavement organization was formally banned under pain of suffering the same fate, “regrets Rostin Manketa, executive director of the VSV” (MCN Team, 2017).
That the State and Republic can create 17 Mass Graves and can be in-charge while these crimes and deaths are committed, than we know something is wrong. President Kabila and the Kinshasa regime are now hostile to their own citizens. Citizens that acts upon the unjust behavior and the use of army to oppress their voices and their ballots. The Kabila government are on overtime and doesn’t seem interested in stepping down, as the Presidential Election of 2016 didn’t appear.
Therefore, the violence and killings in Kasai-Oriental province is a proof of the injustice and the illegitimate regime. That they have to kill and bury the reactionary men and woman in the province. 17 mass graves with militia-men and the villages that are burned down. This all done with the force of the Republic Army. An army who has suppressed their own. There was not to long ago a video-clip of the use of killing innocent villagers, that the Kabila government called “Hollywood”, but with the UN findings of 17 Mass Graves! Proves that these video isn’t a rare incident, but more mere fact of the killings done by government.
The villages burned, all men and woman killed, while the world haven’t really acted, as the spiral of violence and all the loss of life. The uncertainty, the fragile situation as the army and rebels are killing each other. There are so many members of families, friends, uncle and unties that has lost their lives and is buried in the mass graves. This is acts of civil war that is occur there.
Clearing Kasai for explosives:
“Central DRC has a legacy of explosive remnants of war (ERW) that limit the safe access to certain locations. Thanks to the generosity of the People of Japan, UNMAS, along with its implementing partner MAG, conducted ERW survey & clearance operations in Kasai Central, Kasai Oriental, Lomami, Maniema provinces. In one year, 124,872 m2 of land have been cleared and over 6,000 ERW and 20,000 rounds of ammunition have been destroyed to avoid potential misusage and proliferation towards armed groups, such as the militias currently operating in the area” (UNMAS, 17.03.2017).
So the violence and armed battles happens with all sort of arms, as there are even use of mines and explosives to explode on civilians and army battalions. All of this together with the other acts of harm, shows the ability to warfare that is in the province of Kasai. Peace.
Link:
MCN Team – ‘Affaire Kamuina Nsapu : la VSV appelle la justice militaire à élargir ses enquêtes au Kasaï Oriental’ (23.03.2017) link: http://mediacongo.net/article-actualite-24995.html
RFI – ‘RDC: l’ONU soupçonne l’existence d’au moins 17 fosses communes dans les Kasaï’ (23.03.2017) link: http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20170323-rdc-onu-fosses-communes-enquetes-kasai

The President since 1986 doesn’t seem to care about succession, that isn’t surprising. President Museveni haven’t left anyone to take over, he have even stopped the ones with ambition from getting roles inside the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Therefore, the lacking protocol and procedure of the party, a party created by him and for him. Clearly, the laws that has been amended so that the President could lawfully run again and again. So what he said to the press yesterday is not shocking!
“I teach [but not] about those things like age limit and I don’t know what – all those small topics of yours. I talk about the future of Africa. What should be done, not who. Because for you, you spend all the time on the who, the who, the who. For me, my issue is [the] what. So, because the age limit is; you are talking about the who now. NRM is not an anarchy group. Right now, am concentrating on alleviating poverty. That is my mission now. After poverty then we shall talk about those other topics that you are interested in. Right now, we are implementing our manifesto. When we were campaigning, we presented our manifesto. Succession was not part of what we presented to the electorate. That is not to say it is not important, but the right time has not yet come. We shall talk about it when the time is right.” – President Museveni told journalists at Kawumu State Lodge in Luweero district yesterday” (The Observer, 22.03.2017).
Succession is only right when the time is right, you can wonder if that time ever will come for the rebel and the former freedom fighter. It is not like there been any steps in the last decade that Museveni ever wanted to give way for someone else. Museveni doesn’t want to give in or thinking of a future without being President. The Regime is built around him and his decisions, therefore, Museveni wants to be the man to go instead of institutions. The Ministries and the Government have been put-on hold if he doesn’t or anyone he has gotten anointed.
With this in mind, the NRM are built around him and the same is the State. That this is not accountability or transparent is evident. That the President has kept it all close to himself, that the NRM are addicted and needs Museveni is like the plants needs water and sun to grow. In the same regard does the party and the state now Museveni. Not that it is healthy position since it is based on the individual and not the institutions or laws. That is the weakness of the NRM party and the NRM regime, the junta, the illegitimate rule under the 31 year long Presidency of Musveni.
Not like he would give in and give up his life, his legacy is already outlived and the use of force against opponents and the ones questioning him is certainly evident of his lacking bones for real-democracy. Even if he spoke of that in the Bush, the one today would vomit of the words he said in the 1980s and early 1990s. One of the men who was the future African leaders, who traded their promise into greed and power, instead of governance and institutions. Therefore, the state is based around his individual powers, instead of what it is supposed to be.
The Patronage, the clientele and elite is all circling him and the State House, to make sure of the funds and license to operate. The others have to be silenced and not speak against the master. President Museveni decides and if you don’t like it, than you better accept it anyway. Now, it is time to eradicate poverty, even has he had the decades before to finish his project. Still, he has to fight the same fight he did in the first days he left the bush with UNLA, UPM and the NRA. Nothing new and it must be horrific to know that the State is in the same or worse state since your rule. That must the pride of the old man, that the individual reason and the man who created this way of systems are him. He will blame anyone else and their loyal subjects. Still, deep in his heart, he knows that its his own making.
President Museveni doesn’t won’t anyone else to rule, not in the NRM that was built around him. President Museveni doesn’t won’t anyone else to reside in the Okello House and be the Commander-in-Chief and Executive in Uganda. The both roles belongs to him and succession isn’t key. The door will only open, when he dies. By that time, the ones trying to isn’t his business, since he is dead.
President Museveni will not step down and has no plan to do so. Because he doesn’t have the heart, he doesn’t have the ability and doesn’t seem to care about his legacy, or the state that will be left behind when he is really gone.
His time to leave office is only when his pump stops beating, until rest assured, every excuse made under the moon and stars will be used. An if you thought he would stay on the farm to irrigate with jerrycans into oblivion, you are clearly wrong. He just needs to be office a few more days and months, to be sure to take every dime he can. Peace.

The United States continues to be a long-standing partner and the largest single donor to WFP in Sudan, contributing nearly US$1 billion to WFP Sudan’s operations since 2012.
JUBA, South Sudan, March 20, 2017 – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), today welcomed the second of two recent shipments carrying urgently required food assistance for Sudan and South Sudan.
The ships, Maritime Faith and Liberty Grace, docked in Port Sudan and discharged over 47,880 metric tons of sorghum, over 20,000 metric tons of which will be transported through Sudan into South Sudan. In March and April, WFP will receive additional ships carrying 47,500 metric tons of sorghum, more than 5,000 metric tons of lentils and nearly 1,700 metric tons of vegetable oil. The commodities on these ships, also donated by the United States, will feed South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Sudan.
“This food assistance comes at a critical time when continued conflict has resulted in life-threatening hunger in Sudan and famine in South Sudan. The United States and WFP are pleased to be working with the government of Sudan to ensure safe and secure transport of the majority of this assistance to South Sudan,” said US Chargé d’Affaires Steven Koutsis. “We hope to overcome obstacles that impede timely delivery of urgently needed food assistance and urge all parties to allow food and other humanitarian aid to reach those who need it the most.”
The United States continues to be a long-standing partner and the largest single donor to WFP in Sudan, contributing nearly US$1 billion to WFP Sudan’s operations since 2012. These contributions of cash and commodities, including U.S.-grown sorghum, lentils, and vegetable oil, donated by the American people, has enabled WFP to provide critical food assistance to severely food-insecure populations in Sudan in a timely and professional manner.
“WFP is grateful to the United States and the American people for their continued support to our operations,” said WFP Sudan Representative Matthew Hollingworth. “The arrival of these two ships could not have been more timely, given the situation in both Sudan and South Sudan. This again proves the generosity of the U.S. Government and its people, who have always been willing to extend a helping hand to those in need of assistance.”
In 2017, WFP plans to assist more than 4 million vulnerable people in Sudan—IDPs, refugees, climate-affected populations, and host communities—through a range of activities, including emergency food aid, cash-based transfers, nutritional support, and resilience-building activities to help communities become independent.





