The Police say the Boycott from “FDC is Illegal!” The Police use their holy grail POMA, and that some actually stay home in solidarity with Besigye today; Actual shop-keepers get arrested for closing their store in Rukungiri today!

Today it is first Thursday when many people stay home in solidarity to Dr. Kizza Besigye’s house arrest and the stealing of the votes on 18^th Feburary 2016. The Police can’t handle that people are staying home and not talking. They can’t gather evidence and find out who really is opposition to harass. Therefore the CP of the Police said this to the media! And he had to use Public Order Management Act (POMA) the bill who is more used in Uganda then the Constitution to give the Police right to whatever they want.

“These demonstrations are deemed illegal because they are not authorized by Police as required under the Public Order Management Act, due to the potential of culminating into riots across the city; including arson, looting of properties, destruction and vandalism, and violent clashes between Police and rock throwing protesters. It is on record during the last such unlawful protests that several businesses reported damage, buildings destroyed, vehicles vandalized and injuries sustained,” says Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson” (Afunah, 2016).

That not going to work is illegal and not authorized from the Police is amazing. That the Police can state that you are making arson and potentially destroying property by not going to work is flamboyant at best.

Take look here:

Eyewitness: “Time check. 9:00 am I am at home i mean staying at home. The thought rung in my mind..go out and access the situation and find out the public response towards call for stay at home. Here i took a 5 minute walk to Kitintale taxi stage. This is one of the busiest stages in Kampala”

And if the police has issues with black or blue t-shirts while walking to work, it proves their partisanship and really, really foolish to demolish this way of showing their agony in public. The Police might not gotten a petition or form filled in with the planned demonstration, but the issue is that if they had filled it in, they would not been accepted. They have themselves aggressively preventative arrests of FDC and GO-Forward activists/officials/agents. Therefore the initial activities from the Police is not giving justice, but securing the Presidency and the elite of NRM. Not caring about democratic actions as they have sieged the home of Dr. Kizza Besigye since before the Election Day, the way the Police has attacked the Najjankumbi Headquarter have been raided twice. So if the Police expected that the FDC would comply with their rules now, it would be strange as they themselves has no regards for laws or regulations as they attack the FDC and Go-Forward by any means since the 18^th of February.

The Demonstration of the FDC and their supporters is peaceful defiance and defying the institutions and businesses that supply funding to the NRM-Regime. They do not say that people should stay home if they fear of losing their job! It is a demonstration of character as they will defy the regime by peaceful means. The destruction and vandalism is more the way of the Police and Army as they hurt and kill. While the FDC want to wear a shirt and stop using MTN. If that is hard for Police to understand, I understand that as they have shown that they only understand violence, as they create it or harass the public. The Police cannot harass the public if they stay in their own home. They are allowed not to listen to Bebe Cool or Dr. Jose Chameleone or anybody else who supported President Museveni during his campaigning. They can listen to Bobi Wine or Lucky Dube if they want to, with that should cause tension. As much as staying home is a way of showing disaffection, if you couldn’t do that; than the public could do that through clothing as a sign of defying the regime; both of them are is soft and peaceful ways of demonstrations, not making the violence and creating vandalism.

So Uganda Police I do not know what you do in your homes if that is violent or vandalism, but that is up to you, and if the public is wearing something dangerous by wearing blue or black. Than you should start to wear that yourself since the Police are often the most dangerous, as you throw tear-gas, live-bullets and other aggressive behavior towards the people. And telling people that they are breaking the “Public Order” by staying home or even wearing some other clothing is just unserious, even if the FDC and the FDC NEC didn’t send a form displaying the articles and decisions to demonstrate peacefully in the country.

The actions of Rukungiri where shops have been closed in solidarity of the FDC and “Free My vote” campaign; the shop owners are now being arrested and detained by the Police;  So the Police have now lawful power to tell if the stores can be open and closed. By the assumption of the public display arresting Mr. Batuma and Mr. Sonko of Sonko Electronics in Rukungiri who has been arrested today after their store been closed. The FDC has been informed that UPF is looking out for business-owners that closed their businesses voluntarily. Is this the proud state of Police and NRM-Regime that you order businesses to be open or be detained by government forces? Is that parts of President Museveni’s pledges and speaking of peace during the pre-election period. As nobody could create violence or unrest in the country as long as he was President, the old man with hat and his security organizations has gone to far, when they take the men who lay down the work in solidarity for a cause and then detaining them, while looking for the other ones.

The people do this without creating any of the violence and vandalism. Even if a government car got burnt by the Electoral Commission offices in Kampala, compared to the violence you created when Dr. Kizza Besigye was crossing town to go to the Makerere rally on the 15^th February 2016, this here has been nothing. I am sure the Police will blame it on the opposition, even if it was the Police themselves blazing the car, even if it was just a disgruntled employee of the Electoral Commission, who hadn’t gotten his/hers pay-check.

So if the Police struggle with the sit-home demonstrations and the clothing to show allegiance with opposition, with boycotting NRM and showing public disobedience. That should be allowed and not be questioned. Peace.

Reference:

Afunah, Badru – ‘Police Warns As FDC’s Protests Begin’ (10.03.2016) link: http://news.ugo.co.ug/police-warns-fdcs-protests-begin/

Press Releases on the Coup d’etat in Burkina Faso

It’s been a day with heavy deployment in Burkina Faso. The recent activities are still under way and the reports from the ground and they will continue to come. The Coup d’etat which is happening as we speak is strange especially thinking about the recent process that the nation has been under in recent months. That the military has all of a sudden carried out! The releases that are released are from certain big organization, multilateral organization and bigger nations that have a say in the world.

African Union statement:

“The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, continues to follow with deep concern the situation in Burkina Faso following the abduction yesterday, in Ouagadougou, of the President of Faso, Michel Kafando, Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac Zida and some members of his Government, by elements of the

Régiment de sécurité présidentielle (RSP), as well as today’s announcement of the appointment of “new authorities” (…)”She welcomes the unanimous condemnation by the international community of these acts, which constitute a serious threat to peace, stability and security in Burkina Faso, the region and the rest of the continent. She calls on all the AU Member States and the international community as a whole to ensure that this attempt to undermine the Transition is defeated. The AU considers the announcement by the military of the “dismissal” of President Michel Kafando and the attempt of substituting him with “new authorities” as null and void” (…)”The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the imperative for the defense and security forces to operate under the control of the political authorities. She stresses that the repeated destabilization attempts by elements of the RSP since the beginning of the Transition highlight the need for security sector reform in Burkina Faso, as part of the efforts to deepen democracy and strengthen the rule of law in this country” (African Union, 2015).

Amnesty:

“The situation in Burkina Faso is deeply worrying. The interim president and all those detained must be immediately freed and their physical integrity protected,” said Gaetan Mootoo, Amnesty International’s West Africa Researcher” (…)“The security forces must respect the right of the population to protest peacefully, and take action to avoid any more deaths or injuries,” (…)”The coup d’état comes just two days after the National Reconciliation and Reforms Commission recommended that the RSP be disbanded following accusations that its guards opened fire on unarmed protesters during last year’s anti-government protests” (Amnesty, 2015).

Freedom House:

“The Presidential Guard’s decision to detain key members of the transitional government weeks before the election is a direct threat to Burkina Faso’s transitional process,” said Vukasin Petrovic, director of Africa programs. “It is imperative these officials be released and citizens of Burkina Faso be given the opportunity to peacefully vote for their new government” (Freedom House, 2015).

South Africa;

“South Africa strongly condemns any attempt to seize power through extra-constitutional means or the resolution of political disagreements through the use of force. This incident is a serious violation of Burkina Faso’s Constitution and the country’s Transitional Charter. South Africa calls for the immediate release of Interim President Kafando, Prime Minister Zida and other leaders, and appeals to the people and all political leaders in the country to refrain from any violent activities that may further undermine peace, security and stability in the country. We urge all involved, including Burkina Faso’s security forces, to adhere to non-violence, and to debate issues in a peaceful and inclusive manner” (RSA, 2015).

United Nation:

“The United Nations stands firmly behind the transitional authorities and President Kafando.  The Secretary-General notes the strong support of the people of Burkina Faso for a peaceful transition and urges compliance with the transitional calendar, including the upcoming elections.”(United Nation, 2015).

U.S. Statement:

“The United States strongly condemns any attempt to seize power through extra-constitutional means or resolve internal political disagreements using force” (Kirby, 2015).

On a total different note:

“today confirms that operations at its Mana Mine in Burkina Faso have not been interrupted by the coup d’état that erupted yesterday in the Ouagadougou area” (…)”The Mana Mine is located 270 kilometers southwest and a five-hour road trip from the capital of Ouagadougou. We are closely monitoring the situation with our partners to ensure the continued safety and security of SEMAFO employees” (La Valliere, 2015).

Afterthough:

Hope this was some insights and hope when it has transgressed over the recent day. I have nearly ever read that governments and human rights organizations have been positive to a coup d’etat in any country. So that they are telling and condemning of the actions of the military should been seen as reasonable in any sense. The process of the matter and the reactions is normal. I and other just pray that this lead to security and safety for the public. The Burkinabe should get political and economic freedoms that they deserve, because there to many coup d’etat’s in the country. If they get this by yet another coup d’etat we cannot be sure of. That this will generate wealth or generate any kind of stabile government is not certain. Especially when they jail the ones that we’re leading the transitional government that was in place for the moment and time. And the outcome of this will lead to outrage and issues between the public and the new military government. The issues between the Burkina Faso and the outside world will also be in jeopardy and the legitimacy of the government would be hard task. Reasons for the coup and knowledge will be dropped later and the stories behind will surface. For now we will hope and pray that this will lead to something good. Though it’s hard to know since the ones grabbing guns and taking it by force isn’t often a way to a healthy democracy or peoples republics. The last one who stepped aside and made a difference this way was Ghana’s Jerry Rawlings. But he is a rarity in this world. Peace.

Reference:

African Union – ‘THE AFRICAN UNION REJECTS AS NULL AND VOID THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE MILITARY OF THE “DISMISSAL” OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE TRANSITION IN BURKINA FASO’ (17.09.2015) link:http://www.peaceau.org/uploads/auc-press-release-burkina-faso-17-9-2015-.pdf

Amnesty- ‘Army must free detained leaders in Burkina Faso and avoid violent repression of protests’ (17.09.2015) link: http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/army-must-free-detained-leaders-in-burkina-faso-and-avoid-violent-repression-of-protests

Kirby, John – ‘Recent Actions by Elements of the Presidential Guard in Burkina Faso’ (16.09.2015) link: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246990.htm

LaValliere, Robert – ‘Business as Usual at SEMAFO’s Mana Mine in Burkina Faso’ (17.09.2015) link: http://www.canadianminingjournal.com/press-releases/story.aspx?id=1003706346

Freedom House – ‘Burkina Faso: President and PM Detained Ahead of Vote’ (16.09.2015) link: https://freedomhouse.org/article/burkina-faso-president-and-pm-detained-ahead-vote

RSA – ‘South African Government expresses concern over the Republic of Burkina Faso’ (17.09.2015)

UN – SG/SM/17080-AFR/3208: ‘Outraged over Reported Detention of Burkina Faso Leaders, Secretary-General Calls for Immediate Release’ (16.09.2015) link: http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sgsm17080.doc.htm