Kenya: National Police Service on ‘Malicious Social Media Post’ (20.01.2017)

kenya-police-statement-20-01-2017

New Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan arrives in Juba (20.01.2017)

unmiss-20-01-2017

Kenya: Government Statement on False ID Claims by Former VP Kalonzo Muysoka (19.01.2017)

iebc-19-01-2017-p1iebc-19-01-2017-p2

Kalonzo Musyoka shocked after BVR reveals this crucial information (Youtube-Clip)

Letter: Buzzfeed try to claim that South Sudan’s National Courier and the Newspaper answers (16.01.2017)

nc-south-sudan-16-01-2017

South Sudan: Statement attributable to the Office of the Spokesperson The UN Mission denies accusations of bias (16.01.2017)

unmiss-16-01-2017

Continued Impunity Following Grave Human Rights Violations in July 2016 (16.01.2017)

 

South Sudan Rebels

In early January 2017, fighting in and around Yambio in Western Equatoria resulted in a further displacement of at least 7,000 civilians, mostly women and children.

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 16, 2017 -A UN report published today details the grave human rights violations and abuses – including killings and gang rapes – as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Juba during and after the fighting that occurred between 8 and 12 July 2016. Six months after the violence there remains widespread impunity, as violations continue unabated.
The report by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the UN Human Rights Office found that throughout the fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), “the belligerents blatantly ignored international human rights law and humanitarian law.”

The July 2016 events in Juba demonstrated the extremely fragile political and security situation in South Sudan and the complete disregard of civilians by the SPLA and SPLM/A-IO, given the serious human rights violations and abuses that were perpetrated, including the direct targeting of civilians, along ethnic lines and the extreme violence against women and children, the report states.

“Information documented and verified by the Human Rights Division suggests that hundreds of people including civilians were killed and many more wounded during the fighting in various areas of Juba,” the report states. “Moreover, UNMISS documented 217 victims of rape, including gang-rape committed by SPLA, SPLM/A-IO and other armed groups during and after the fighting between 8 and 25 July. According to victims’ testimonies and witnesses’ accounts, most cases of sexual violence were committed by SPLA soldiers, police officers and members of the National Security Services (NSS).”

Testimony from victims interviewed by the Human Rights Division paints a horrifying picture of the violence that civilians were subjected to during the fighting. On one occasion, women and girls were ordered to cook for the soldiers at checkpoints when their friends or family members were raped. According to other testimony, Nuer men and women appeared to have been particularly targeted for attacks, including killings and arrests, during house-to-house searches, with Nuers with tribal markings on their foreheads particularly vulnerable. The whereabouts of some of those arrested remain unknown.

“The fighting that erupted in July 2016 was a serious setback for peace in South Sudan and showed just how volatile the situation in the country is, with civilians living under the risk of mass atrocities,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

“In total, a staggering 1.38 million South Sudanese have fled to other countries and another 1.8 million are displaced in their own country. In the absence of any semblance of justice and accountability for the violations perpetrated – including possible war crimes – such unbridled outbursts of violence could quickly escalate civilians will continue to suffer immensely. Concrete steps to halt this downward spiral must be urgently taken, beginning with justice and accountability.”

The report emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for all human rights violations. It urges the Transitional Government of National Unity to take action to “break the cycle of violence and impunity” and take steps to fully support the prompt establishment and operationalization of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan by the African Union. The report also recommends that the State ensure that all victims of human rights violations and abuses, as well as violations of international humanitarian law, have access to an effective remedy, just and fair reparation, including compensation and rehabilitation.

The human rights situation remains grave in South Sudan. In Greater Equatoria, the UN Human Rights Office has received credible reports of serious human rights violations and abuses committed by SPLA and SPLM/A-IO in and around Yei, including killings, sexual violence, abductions and destruction of civilian property.  As a result, thousands of civilians have fled Yei and surrounding towns. They have sought refuge in other regions and in neighboring countries. In early January 2017, fighting in and around Yambio in Western Equatoria resulted in a further displacement of at least 7,000 civilians, mostly women and children.

High Commissioner Zeid reminded the Government of its obligation to protect the rights of all South Sudanese and bring to an end the desperate suffering of the people.

UN mission in South Sudan confirms discussions on regional protection force continuing (16.01.2017)

unmiss-southsudan

“It may be recalled that the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 2304 decided that UNMISS force levels should be increased to a ceiling of 17,000 troops, including 4,000 for a Regional Protection Force”.

NEW YORK, United States of America, January 16, 2017 –  The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has confirmed that it continues its discussions with the transitional national unity Government on a 4,000-strong regional protection force, which was authorized by the Security Council last August but has yet to be deployed.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) “confirms that in preparation for the arrival of the Regional Protection Force, it continues to be engaged in discussions with the Transitional Government of National Unity as to the various modalities for the new Force, including where they will be deployed in Juba,” said a statement issued by the Mission’s Office of the Spokesperson. The confirmation followed various media reports, including those suggesting that the Government may have changed its position on the deployment of the Force.

The Mission’s attention has been drawn to recent statements reported in the media concerning the deployment of the Regional Protection Force, said the spokesperson’s statement.
“It may be recalled that the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 2304 decided that UNMISS force levels should be increased to a ceiling of 17,000 troops, including 4,000 for a Regional Protection Force. This was reaffirmed by the Security Council in its recent Resolution 2327, renewing the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for one year,” the spokesperson’s statement added.
Further in the statement, the Mission noted that the Transitional Government of National Unity confirmed its “unconditional” consent to the deployment of the Regional Protection Force by communique to the Security Council on 30 November 2016, and in renewing the UNMISS mandate, including the deployment of the Regional Protection Force, the Council reaffirmed that the security situation in South Sudan remains fragile, with serious consequences for the civilian population.

In early July last year, close to the fifth anniversary of the country’s independence, the youngest nation was plunged into fresh violence due to clashes between rival forces – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), loyal to President Salva Kiir, and the SPLA in Opposition, backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar. That led to deaths and injuries, including many civilians and several UNMISS peacekeepers, jeopardizing the peace agreement between the political rivals in August 2015, which formally ended their differences.

Gov. Joho we’re arrested and only show the weakness of Jubilee leadership, nothing else!

joho-police-station-13-01-2017

“We firmly stood by our rights & questioned the illegal and frivolous charges under which were placed under arrest” – Hassan Ali Joho (13.01.2017)

Again and again the Kenyan Authorities goes against the Orange Democratic Movement own Coast or Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho. Like he is the terminator or the villain out of one of the superheroes films that he is going to shot wild and go on a rampage against civilians because he owns a few guns that he has licensed. That isn’t weird as the Police are following him and detaining him when they have the ability.

The Police chief of the Coast are a remarkable man, one of kind who has to follow order, smile and grin to media, still looking mad and angry because the citizens shouldn’t go for a ODM candidate or stand by their elected ODM Governor. That is what the Police Commander Nelson Marwa is saying, but not in words, in actions!

Others arrested with him and was listed by the Police because they have licensed firearms, we’re the Mombasa Senator Hassan Sarai, because why not right? Got to silence the Opposition, especially knowing that the election season is around the corner.

On that day as he was arrested and others Deputy Vice-President William Ruto at a Jubilee Rally sneezed this out: “Today we face a rudderless, clueless, disorganized and leaderless opposition”. Well, if you we’re arbitiary charged and taken to the Police Office at any sort of junction your organization skills and campaigning would lag behind honourable Ruto, right?

So the arbitrary arrest of Joho is evident that the Jubilee government doesn’t plan to have a fair race in the coming months. They plan to suffocate and give no breathing space for the opposition as their own misgivings and scandals are brining lots of eating receipts from government funds, as much as the giant promises of previous elections has by all means to get shuffled. Like the promises of fancy stadiums in bigger towns and other investments in infrastructure that hasn’t been brought to court.

So the Joho and the ODM, the other opposition might get under fire from the authorities, they get challenged as they cannot get time to focus or keep their parties in check. If they did they could have the time to undress the kings and queens in the Jubilee party that thinks this is sure WIN and without any questions they should have a second term.

There were only Sarai who parts of the group that the ruthless Police Commander detained at his Police Station today. Another lucky one was MCA Ali Azhar. So the Police had decided to be hampering with freedoms of their elected citizens. Since they could so and show the world that Jubilee can make anybody criminals. That is what this shows. They have no integrity to do it or any sustainable evidence of any criminal intent of the elected officials. Still, they all ended with spending the day in the Police Station.

IGP Boinnet will claim he wasn’t taken to the Police Station or even arrested, but did it seem like he was there for a cup of tea and biscuits, are you serious with the trying to deceive your citizens Mr Officer? That Hassan Ali Joho we’re all free, if he was so free? Why wasn’t the politicians who showed up at the Police Station leaving the premises and not themselves stuck there trying to get him out of the Police Custody?

Did you IGP Boinnet see what I did there? I questioned your motives and the reason why other people in the same position of Joho happen to be arrested in an arbitrary arrest at the station today. So I wonder what their reasoning will be, not like the pictures of his release and his time in the Police Station will be forgotten quickly.

The Jubilee has not played smart detaining a political leader on the same they are claiming the opposition are rudderless, as much the election is coming up the government and ruling regime better act more mature. This is petty crap that isn’t honouring the democratic values and neither the openness of the Kenyan political landscape. That they are closing the doors and making it hard for the opposition before the election will only give leverage to the Opposition. That is unwise of Jubilee, but they have worked for months and for years pending things on Joho. So they will continue to pound him for his popularity in the Mombasa County.

Certainly the arbitrary arrest of the Governor Hassan Ali Joho of Mombasa today is a supposed to frighten and show power of the current leadership. Instead it shows their weakness, since they don’t believe in their own policies and leaders to challenge him in fair fight. They have to criminalize a political opponent. Cheers and hurray for Jubilee! Peace.

South Sudan: Statement attributable to the Office of the Spokesperson on the deployment of the Regional Protection Force (13.01.2017)

south-sudan-gov

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan’s attention has been drawn to recent statements reported in the media concerning the deployment of the Regional Protection Force. It may be recalled that the United Nations Security Council in its Resolution 2304 decided that UNMISS force levels should be increased to a ceiling of 17,000 troops, including 4,000 for a Regional Protection Force. This was reaffirmed by the Security Council in its recent Resolution 2327, renewing the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for one year.

The Mission notes that the Transitional Government of National Unity confirmed its “unconditional” consent to the deployment of the Regional Protection Force by communique to the Security Council on 30 November 2016. In renewing the UNMISS mandate, including the deployment of the Regional Protection Force, the Security Council reaffirmed its determination that the security situation in South Sudan remains fragile, with serious consequences for the civilian population in South Sudan.

The Mission confirms that in preparation for the arrival of the Regional Protection Force, it continues to be engaged in discussions with the Transitional Government of National Unity as to the various modalities for the new Force, including where they will be deployed in Juba.