South Sudan: Extreme levels of Food Insecurity expected across South Sudan in 2017 (December 2016)

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SPLM-IO: On the Allegations of detention of Tanzanian Citizen (02.01.2017)

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End of the year 2016 message, on behalf of Moustapha Soumaré, the Acting UNMISS SRSG and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (30.12.2016)

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JUBA, South Sudan, December 30, 2016 –  End of the year 2016 message, on behalf of Moustapha Soumaré, the Acting UNMISS SRSG  and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan:

I would like to extend warm greetings to all the people of South Sudan as we enter this holiday season. As we approach the end of 2016, let us be reminded of the universal values of unity, equality and compassion, which bind us together as human beings – the spirit of Ubuntu (humanity). These values should always be far stronger than anything that divides us.

Sadly, our hopes for sustainable peace were not realized this year and prospects for an end to the conflict have been thwarted with a resurgence of violence in the capital and in many other areas of the country. This has resulted in terrible humanitarian and economic consequences for many South Sudanese. I call on all those engaged in conflict, be with organized forces, armed groups, militias, youth groups with arms and others, to stop all fighting and silence the guns immediately.

While there is no doubt that the fighting has cast a dark shadow over the implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement, we must never lose sight of the ultimate goal – a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of South Sudan. My colleagues and I serving with the United Nations stand ready to support South Sudan as it renews its commitment to the peace process and to help address its pressing humanitarian needs.

Kenya – IEBC “Subject: Talks on Election Law need Fast-Tracking” (30.12.2016)

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Kenya: “Re: Consent to Institute Criminal Contempt Proceedings against Honourable Aden Duale Leader of Majority in the National Assembly and Member of Parliament for Garrisa Town Constituency” (28.12.2016)

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Kenya: “Re: The Contempt of Court committed by Adan Duale, the majority leader in the National Assembly and the Threat to the Independence and Integrity of the Judiciary (23.12.2016)

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Opinion: Polarization will be the key protocol to follow in 2017!

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No matter if it is local politics, if it international or trade, the most important backbone to policies in the next year will be polarization. That is not Polar Bears dancing on the dwindling ice, if so the U.S. TV station would have better ratings. No, this is the importance of local and national industries, while stressing ignorance towards immigration and imports to add more GDP value and also stop inflation. A balance that is hard to carry as the trust in local currency and local production doesn’t change overnight. That has to happen with steady policies and ability to trade products and create market for the ones that we’re in the past produced far away.

Definition of polarization

1:  the action of polarizing or state of being or becoming polarized: as

a (1) :  the action or process of affecting radiation and especially light so that the vibrations of the wave assume a definite form (2) :  the state of radiation affected by this process

b :  an increase in the resistance of an electrolytic cell often caused by the deposition of gas on one or both electrodes” (…) “2 a :  division into two opposites b :  concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum” (Merriam-Webster – Polarization, link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polarization).

We are dividing ourselves while the world is into more conflicts that need assistance and securities to secure peace. There internal conflicts in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Where the conflict is bloody, where people are detained for the political affiliation, where innocent dies in the streets and where guns are imported to silence the ones who is not succumbing to the regimes who hold power.

We are living in a time where opposition victors doesn’t get into power, because the leaders of old are not allowing and keeping power by the gun, are using the police force and army to monitor the opposition and even rigs the election to secure the “validation” of their rule. This has happen in many Republics and Nations this year and proves that progress of governance and accountability is dying, like innocence and justice is impartial and only for the elites. The rest of us just have to be lucky to see just systems and laws for the common folk.

Like Adama Barrow is the President-Elect in Gambia, Jean Ping should have become the President in Gabon, Dr. Kizza Besigye in Uganda and Moise Katumbi should have risen to power in DRC if there we’re any justice and transition of Power in the Republic. But the big-man and long ruling Presidents of these nations doesn’t give-in or leave office. They continue to stay without any fear or without any mercy as the monarchs they acts of. Instead keep polarising the political elites and societies with paying the elites and silencing the ones who stand in their path. Also, by forging alliances with nations to make sure justice doesn’t prevail in their path.

While these tragedies are appearing in front of our eyes in our times, the borders and the helping hands are not appearing, the funds and allocations of necessary funds to the refugee camps, the direct food aid and agents of humanitarian actions are not sufficient. The reality of these missing steps should boggle our mind and should freeze our hearts out, as the news of burning convoys into Aleppo, lack of food into refugee camps in Adjumani in Uganda and the lacking rations of food in refugee camps in Tanzania. These should all be a reminder of the fate we have put our world in. The steps of lost grace and mercy on the weakest of humanity, where hospitals and humanitarians are put in the lines of bullets and grenades in between the battlefield as the soldiers fight for keeping merciless tyrants to stay in power.

While the superpowers are claiming the fight for justice, the innocent dies, the towns are battlefields and turns into dust, the graves are not cleared and the lives are lost in vain. This while UN cannot impose arms-embargoes or create a possible cease-fire to get civilians into safety, this while Italian and Greece authorities are working and trying to find ways to impose fleeing civilians on Turkey, because the rich European states fears that fleeing civilians could be terrorists. The humanity and just behaviour is dying while the states are flogging their responsibility to the ones in need.

We can question ourselves if this is right, if we can sleep knowing the indebtedness we have in riches. In the time of peace in our states, where we have possible houses and shelter for the ones fleeing possible genocides and acts against humanity; Europe impose stricter rules on immigration and Brexit proves the fear of Polish and other ethnic groups as they want to secure their borders as key argument to stop being an EU Member State.

We can wonder why the world has come to this that polarization of between ourselves the ones who see the innocent die and the ones who want to keep their own by any means. That the own nationals are going against each other and seeing it as only fit, instead of thinking for instance for a hot minute, what if the war came to our shores and to our homes, wouldn’t we flee? Wouldn’t we do what we could to leave our wealth, our riches to save our own?

Why shouldn’t the Syrians and all other who are in conflicts leave grenades, tanks and bombs, would we live on the streets with daily shooting and killing if we had an option to flee? Would we stay and risk everyday our lives to get a loaf of bread? I doubt that. We would travel to safety and to places where we could resettle and rehash the future of ourselves and our kids. If not we would be risking ourselves and the future of our kin. That is because it’s natural.

Still, the Europeans and citizens of fellow states don’t see it this way with fear-mongering politics and internal polarization of demagoguery, which is out of proportion. This will continue as these conflicts leads to more hurt and damage of lives, where more shelter and more merciless killings to stay in power, where more rigging of elections and more police-states are controlling the civil society. Where the states are more totalitarian and the power controlled by a little elite, while the average citizens are struggling, they will seek fortunes other places instead of in their birth-nations. Just as we would do if our destiny we’re in the limbo, if our homes were shacks and our sockets could electrocute us.

So the world of 2017, will be inflicted with the unfinished business of past, like all years has been, with as much uncertainty as the start of 2016, but with new issues and new struggles, with new people behind bars because of political affiliation, more families lost loved ones because of demonstrations, more people fleeing as the machetes and burning villages for land-grabbing, foreign investors taking land while locals cannot get deeds, as the central government are getting needed funds to supply the army with equipment and salaries, civil servants are left behind with reunification and it is happening so many places. Nobody confess nobody impose on it or even sanction this. We should question the economic challenges and the way they allocate funds, especially when many of these states get based government loans from the IMF and World Bank to basically could function; together with the reasonable taxation they can be able get from their citizens.

We shouldn’t silent on the merciless acts of men, we shouldn’t be ignorant of the world of oppression and fear, as the grand masters of our times are destroying and depleting lands for fortunes, as the multi-national companies see only profits and not see the populations they are forcing into unjust working conditions to trade resources into high profits abroad. These acts shouldn’t be forgotten, as industries and the trade are made for the international companies to gain and not all locals, therefore the polarization are created in these, create more havoc and even more injustice, as the unfair world we live in doesn’t give hands to ones in need. The rich can get it all, while the poor is lucky if they have enough for a jerry-can to buy water. That isn’t justice, that isn’t right when others are only drinking imported expensive French Water.         

We should questions the systems and revise them for more balanced between the rich and poor, for more functioning United Nations, for more diplomatic efforts and for stronger laws that cannot make Presidents into Emperors! The reality is that 2017 will start where 2016 and that is not in positive looks into the future, because the powers we have, the armies and police are targeting fellow citizens who deserves better. We all deserve better and we all should know better. Peace.

Security Council Decides against Imposing Arms Embargo on South Sudan, Designating Key Figures for Targeted Sanctions (23.12.2016)

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Adoption Fails by 7 Votes in Favour, 8 Abstentions amid Doubt over Wisdom of Punitive Steps as Government Reports Progress on Ground

The Security Council voted this morning against imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions on three key Government and opposition figures whose dispute has spiralled into widespread violence in the young nation.

Defeated by a vote of 7 in favour to none against, with 8 abstentions, the draft would have instituted a ban on arms sales to South Sudan as well as designating three officials as subject to an asset freeze and travel ban: Paul Malong, Chief of Staff of the Government’s Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA); Michael Makuei Lueth, Minister for Information; and former First Vice-President Riek Machar, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLAM/A-IO).

Voting in favour of the draft resolution were representatives of France, New Zealand, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Uruguay. Speaking after the vote, they recalled that United Nations officials had sounded multiple warnings about an impending deterioration of the carnage in South Sudan, and about long-term non-cooperation with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on the part of parties to conflict. They said that although the measures proposed in the text would not have been a panacea, they would have reduced the violence, addressed impunity, kept the country from spending precious resources on arms, and created momentum for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Delegations that abstained were China, Russian Federation, Angola, Egypt, Japan, Malaysia, Senegal and Venezuela. China’s representative said his country was committed to restoring peace and stability in South Sudan as soon as possible. Describing the Government’s announcement of an inclusive national dialogue and the approved deployment of the Regional Protection Force as positive steps, he emphasized that the international community should support them instead of taking counter-productive actions. It should also support full implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (the Peace Agreement) and the mediation efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), he added.

The Russian Federation’s representative and others who abstained criticized the readiness of those who had voted in the draft’s favour to impose sanctions, maintaining that such measures had failed to have a positive effect in other situations of a similar nature.

South Sudan’s representative, described the tabling of today’s draft as unfortunate, given that President Salva Kiir had ordered the formation of the National Dialogue Steering Committee just a few days ago. Such a commitment pointed to a more encouraging direction. Those targeted for sanctions were critical to implementation of all agreements, he said, emphasizing that the draft had revealed a lack of good faith. It could have invited controversy, disagreement and hostility, rather than the necessary cooperation, he said, warning that punitive measures could only harden positions.

The meeting began at 9:33 a.m. and ended at 10:39 a.m.

Opinion: Jubilee proved today their true colours with the closed sessions on amending the Electoral laws!

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“I won’t stop nor be discouraged by the noise and insults peddled by a few individuals because we know that every market has its own mad man”Uhuru Kenyatta (21.12.2016 on Twitter).

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto are the ones in charge together with Speaker Justin Muturi who today held a blocked Plenary Session from the Media and Internet at the National Assembly at 22nd December 2016. This proves the alleged acts of misfortune as this set the precedence for the General Election 2017. None can say anything else, that all broadcast, all journalist are kept outside as the Members of Parliament and the Cabinet Secretaries are enacting a law.

Because of that matter, because of the tear-gas outside and the blocked Parliament, a disgrace to any nation and to the will of dialogue between the ruling regime and opposition is now broken, the trust between the National Assembly with the Jubilee Party under President Kenyatta does not trust their own. They do not trust the people understanding the ramifications of the law or the basic understanding of transparent acts of Parliament as they represent the people of Kenya. The Kenyans are supposed to be representing there and get people who will make the greater good for their constituency, but with this act they are hiding from the Kenyan citizens and the Republic!

“Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo has been kicked out as chairperson of Kenya Women Parliamentary Association after she insulted President” (Kenya Parliament, 22.12.2016)

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You should also worry when the MPs from Jubilee we’re carrying guns inside the chambers and there we’re 200 plain-clothed police officers presiding the events that followed in Parliament. So when they needed that much security and close of the session they had to have something powerful inside the law here is some exceptions:

Outtakes from today’s session, the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2016:

BVR regulations:

Section 5: 6A “The Commission shall, not later than ninety days before the date of a general election, open the Register of Voters for verification of biometric data by members of the public at their respective polling stations for a period of thirty days” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).

New rules for Polling Stations:

Section 24: 38A “For the efficient and effective conduct of elections, the Commission shall determine the number of voters per polling station but such number shall not exceed five hundred voters” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).

Section 39: “(1C) For purposes of a presidential election the Commission shall-

(a) electronically transmit, in the prescribed form, the tabulated results of an election for the President from a polling

station to the constituency tallying centre and to the national tallying centre;

(b) tally and verify the results received at the national tallying centre; and

(c) publish the polling result forms on an online public portal maintained by the Commission” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).

48 Hours deadline to Declare Presidential Election Results:

Section 12: 39.2 “The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall, within a period of forty-eight hours from the date of the service of a presidential election petition, submit to the Supreme Court certified copies of the documents used to declare the results of the presidential election, including the forms used to announce the results of the election at the polling station and the constituency tallying centre and to declare the result at the national tallying centre” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).

DPP take control over investigate after the Election:

“Clause 30 of the Bill seeks to amend section 4 of the Independent Electoral Commission and Boundaries Act, 2011 to remove the investigative and prosecutorial powers previously granted to the Commission which are proposed to be exercised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions” (The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016).

When you just see this pieces and not the whole law you see the possible reaches of the IEBC and the DPP to control the BVR technology that will come shortly before the General Election, as much as they have to revise the Polling Stations as the numbers of voters are getting bound and they need more manpower to secure the amounts of polling stations during the General Election. For a new Committee it must be a headache to secure enough locations to have only 500 eligible voters in an area. Just imagine districts and parts of Nairobi County that has to revise electoral borders for each Polling Station alone and this is close to coming election. This together with the electronic biometric voting data and the generated levels of ID material that can be backlogged by the IEBC; so that can be a measure for future elections, but in the first one; it’s more of validating the results as they has such a short time to deliver the declared results to the Supreme Court to be Announced.

Still, 48 hours can buy lot of time since the die is cast and the ability to start rigging the result. We should also question the change from the independent committee to the DPP to have the power to investigate and powers of prosecution of the ones breaking the Electoral Law. That means that the Jubilee has centralized it to somebody they have also nominated and has the loyalty towards the Central Government. The DPP Keriako Tobiko will now be in charge of the investigations of election petitions and look into possible frauds and rigging. Instead of the IEBC who had the ability to do so.

If these measures we’re fine and splendid, if they we’re made to make the Government to account and make sure the Jubilee, the IEBC and the citizens who should put the trust in the Government; A government making sure for free and fair election, so the right representatives are elected by the people and for the people, to represent them and make sure the needs are met for citizens who vote for these representatives. Still, now we can see that these representatives try to fix the Electoral laws so they can fix the results with sophisticated means. It is so much more insulting, how close they try to amend the electoral laws to the General Elections of 2017. It’s like President Kenyatta following the crash-courses in governance from President Museveni, as he has done the same right before, again and again. So Jubilee government we’re scrupulous for doing it now! Peace.

Kenya: IEBC – “Concerns over Development in the Electoral Enviroment” (22.12.2016)

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