Somalia: Dadaab Youth Statement on the Murder of the Slain Minister, Abas Siraji (05.05.2017)

UNMISS peacekeepers repel attack on base in famine area (05.05.2017)

Between 11pm and midnight on Wednesday, the Mission’s Temporary Operating Base (TOB) in Leer town in the former Unity State came under small arms attack from the direction of the nearby Government-held town.

JUBA, South Sudan, May 5, 2017 – An attack on a United Nations base has been strongly condemned by the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), David Shearer, as being carried out with callous disregard for the lives for civilians as well as UN and humanitarian workers.

Between 11pm and midnight on Wednesday, the Mission’s Temporary Operating Base (TOB) in Leer town in the former Unity State came under small arms attack from the direction of the nearby Government-held town.

The Ghanaian company of UNMISS peacekeeping forces based there quickly and robustly returned fire, deterring the attack.

David Shearer praised the response of the Ghanaian forces for successfully repelling the attack and remaining on high alert throughout the night.

“They reacted in the best possible manner, according to the true spirit of peacekeeping. Their quick defensive action secured the safety of all of the internally displaced people who had sought UN protection adjacent to the base,” he said.

“We strongly condemn the attack, and call on all parties to the conflict to respect the sanctity of UN premises.

“We are here to protect and support the people of South Sudan. The base is located at Leer for that reason. The people are hungry and deprived as the result of the famine. However, it is clear the attackers have no consideration for their plight, given those who most desperately need help will suffer more because of a likely resulting delay of humanitarian aid,” said David Shearer.

There were no UNMISS or other casualties within the base from the attack.

Currently, there is no confirmation of which party to the conflict carried out the attack. UNMISS is continuing to investigate the incident and will examine whether the TOB needs to be further strengthened.

Kenya: 2017 elections: broken promises put human rights defenders at risk (03.05.2017)

Publication of an International fact-finding report.

PARIS, France, May 3, 2017 – The abduction, torture and killing of renowned Kenyan human rights lawyer Willie Kimani in June 2016 shocked the entire world, provoking a wave of outrage at national and international level. This is only the tip of the iceberg of a widespread pattern of violence and harassment aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating impunity, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OMCT-FIDH partnership) has concluded after a recently conducted mission.

Kenya, a country that in 2010 voted a very progressive Constitution strengthening the country’s human rights framework in compliance with international standards, has in recent years chosen a different path. Unfortunately, so far the freedoms enshrined in the constitutional Bill of Rights have not been fully incorporated into domestic legislation, and, most importantly, are not upheld or implemented in practice.

“To date, the effective implementation of this progressive framework unfortunately remains a mirage and still needs substantial improvement”, declared OMCT Secretary General Gerald Staberock. “With all the right instruments put in place to bring about change, lack of implementation and political will appear to be the main reasons for such disillusionment”.

On the contrary, a report published today by the Observatory accounts for high levels of police and security forces’ violence, especially against human rights defenders involved in the fight against impunity for human rights violations. The mission report compiles several testimonies of incidents of violence, including cases of harassment, threats, torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.

Moreover, human rights defenders are often criminalised on the basis of trumped-up charges, which aim at intimidating them through episodes of frequent arrests, detentions in police stations, long trials and punitive bail and bond terms. This inevitably prevents them from pursuing their legitimate human rights activities.

Adding to this, the lack of a clear legal framework regulating the civil society sector due to the failure to commence implementation of the Public Benefit Organisations (PBO) Act 2013 creates a legal limbo which obliges NGOs to operate in a hostile environment, characterised by the threat of arbitrary de-registration and asset freezes, continuous attacks and smearing campaigns.

“In such a context, and ahead of the upcoming general elections, it is urgent that Kenyan authorities publicly recognise the crucial role of human rights defenders as pillars of democracy and watchdogs of the rule of law. They must improve their safety, truly implement the police and security sector reforms, hold perpetrators accountable, acknowledge the misuse of criminal law to harass defenders, and finally commence the PBO Act of 2013”, concluded FIDH President Dimitris Christopoulos.

The full report is available online in English: on OMCT website here and on FIDH website here.

Kenya: Letter from the Office of the President – “Re: Suspending the Operations of the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation & Intention to Deregister the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation” (02.05.2017)

Opinion: Can someone please teach Mr. Manoah Esipisu the inner-works of the constitution?

Part 1—Principles and Structure of the National Executive 129. (1) Executive authority derives from the people of Kenya and shall be exercised in accordance with this Constitution. (2) Executive authority shall be exercised in a manner compatible with the principle of service to the people of Kenya, and for their well being and benefit. 130. (1) The national executive of the Republic comprises the President, the Deputy President and the rest of the Cabinet. (2) The composition of the national executive shall reflect the regional and ethnic diversity of the people of Kenya” (Kenya Constitution 2010).

It is weird, I am not supposed to do this but I have, I have to tarnish the State House spokesperson Manoah Episisu again. I wished he still worked for the Kenya Defense Force (KDF), then he spoke about missiles and Somali pirates, it is bit more technical and legislation, apparently, when speaking out the chambers of the head of state. Still, the man has the capacity to not think of the words he saying. He is not Sean Spicer, but the brightest goblin walking the streets, he is not. So, if I was President Kenyatta, I would consider to appoint another brother or someone with more flair. Because this attack from the State House towards the National Super Alliance (NASA) is just pure nonsense. Take a look!

Decisions taken and announced at polling centres, as you saw, were allowed to stand. While on the political front, let me comment briefly on stories that have been doing the rounds, peddled by opposition figures – and may I say that these stories are peddled by people who should know better – that somehow they will enact constitutional changes within 90 days of taking office to create three jobs. Making constitutional changes that require a referendum will simply not take three months. It will take years. And considering how citizens have rejected MPs and Governors that they don’t believe have used their resources prudently, they are unlikely ever to agree to spend billions of shillings to create jobs for the three men promised phantom ones. You know, people have agreed to take Jobs that don’t exist … so, one of the opposition leaders was saying in a media interview that the first job for the team will be to use billions of shillings to change the constitution so the three phantom jobs can be legitimised” (State House Kenya, – MBS Manoah Esipisu, 30.04.2017).

What he is discussing the NASA deal between the NASA flagbearer’s who made a coalition to overrun the re-election of the Jubilee Alliance Party and the ruling regime. This coalition agreement between the NASA is put in this way: Raila Odinga as the President, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka as the Deputy President. Under them is Musalia Mudavadi as Premier Cabinet Secretary, as well as Moses Wetan’gula as Deputy Premier Cabinet Secretary and Isaac Rutto as Deputy Premier Cabinet Secretary. Therefore because of the roles as Premier Cabinet Secretary and two Deputy Cabinet Secretaries, that the spokesperson of the State House claims is breaking the law. Let’s look a bit more into the constitution:

152. (1) The Cabinet consists of—

(a) the President;

(b) the Deputy President;

(c) the Attorney-General; and

(d) not fewer than fourteen and not more than twenty-two

Cabinet Secretaries” (Kenya Constitution, 2010).

So if the ones under neath the President and Deputy President in a NASA coalition cabinet, with the agreed secretaries already, they can either hire 11 more cabinet secretaries or 19 for that matter. I don’t know what the State House Spokesperson read or understood the legality, but the law is clear and the NASA coalition is not breaking the law. They are making a new understanding of the cabinet, but not in a way that counter the ability to appoint them in this way or in other if they wanting to.

So the Constitution also states this also from section 152:

(2) The President shall nominate and, with the approval of the

National Assembly, appoint Cabinet Secretaries.

(3) A Cabinet Secretary shall not be a Member of Parliament” (Kenya Constitution 2010).

So if, the spokesperson had known the constitution, he would know that Raila Odinga, if winning the coming election in August 2017. Than he could appoint his fellow coalition leaders into the cabinet. So they could become Cabinet Secretaries, as they are in the way of the leadership of the NASA. Therefore, by that reasoning alone it is not a violation.

Secondly, Jubilee and the President Uhuru Kenyatta said:

While they are lying to each other about Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister’s positions which is not in the Constitution, we in the Jubilee Party are committed to entrenching democracy to develop the country,” (PSCU, 2017).

I hate to repeat, but the man who is running the nation and the Republic of Kenya for near end of a Presidential Term, should have the capacity to understand the ones underneath the Deputy President are appointed as Cabinet Secretaries. So they are part of the 14 appointed cabinet secretaries or even up to 22. So the man who has appointed his share of Cabinet Secretaries and ruled the Nation should know this part of the Constitution. Apparently, he is himself misunderstanding the law. To make sure the coalition looks foolish and himself trying to look wise. Instead he looks ignorant of the laws that guides his government.

Time for both the President and the State House Spokesperson to study their constitution before teaching the NASA Coalition on their Flagbearer’s, the President and Deputy President; also their Premier Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Premier Cabinet Secretaries. Time to man up and read the Constitution and they might know the parts before August 2017 and not just misuse it during the campaigns. Peace.

Reference:

Kenya Constitution 2010

PSCU – ‘President Kenyatta dismisses NASA line-up as ‘jobs for the boys’ (27.04.2017) link: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2017/04/president-kenyatta-dismisses-nasa-line-jobs-boys/

SPLM-IO: “Response to Reuters Article: Some African States Oppose a return by South Sudan Rebel Machar” – Wednesday April 26, 2017 (28.04.2017)

South Sudan: Intense Fighting Around Kodok Forces Up to 25,000 People to Flee Without Humanitarian Support (27.04.2017)

The humanitarian organizations that have up until now been providing essential medical services, water, food, non-food items and shelter have had to temporarily suspend activities on the west bank of the Nile River because of the increasing insecurity.

GENEVA, Switzerland, April 27, 2017 -Over the last three days, close to 25,000 people have been displaced by intense fighting between the South Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the Agwelek forces around the town of Kodok. The humanitarian organizations that have up until now been providing essential medical services, water, food, non-food items and shelter have had to temporarily suspend activities on the west bank of the Nile River because of the increasing insecurity.
“This is a disaster in the making, just as the demand is greatest,” said Marcus Bachmann, Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) head of mission for South Sudan. “Hospitals in the area are not operational, and water deliveries are unreliable. Yesterday no water deliveries were made to the IDPs because of the fighting. Given the scorching heat and the exposure of population to the elements, soon we will see people suffering from chronic dehydration and diarrhea as well as diseases like cholera.”

MSF had been providing emergency medical support—including at a field hospital and through two mobile units in the area—to the 13,000 displaced people who had fled fighting in the area in January. However, MSF has been forced to suspend activities because of the recent surge in violence.

Escaping the violence is difficult as positions are rapidly changing hands between the different forces, and displaced people find themselves surrounded by conflict on all sides. Without protection, many will have few other options than to leave for camps in Sudan where they can find refuge. Those who decide to go face a long and arduous journey on foot with hardly any access to food or water.

“We are calling on both parties to ensure that all civilians are protected from the fighting and provided with safe and secure access to essential humanitarian services,” Bachmann said. “As we have been forced to suspend most of our operations, we have provided runaway bags which contain essential medicines and supplies so that our staff who are with the fleeing IDPs can provide basic treatment in the field.”

With the rainy season approaching, it seems likely that the flow of people leaving for Sudan will increase as they avoid being trapped in the area.

Water remains a major concern for these new IDPs. On Tuesday, the people in and around the nearby town of Aburoc only had access to about 16,000 gallons of water per day. This is only an average of less than half a gallon per person, well below the amount needed for survival. On Wednesday, there were no deliveries of water because of the fighting. Water trucks are on hand to resume limited deliveries, but only if the situation becomes safer.

The South Sudanese Pound continue to lose value!

As the results of the instability in South Sudan, the Republic’s currency continues to be devalued and lose trust compared to the United States Dollars, as the people using it has to use more to get the services needed. The news from Juba of the amount of South Sudanese Pounds needed to exchange to US Dollars are showing the little value the currency currently have. That even in midst of years, the taxi-fares in the capital has risen 50 times from 1 SSP to 50SSP. This show’s the lacking financial structure and the fiscal policies to underline the paradigm. Certainly that is dwindling with the civil war between the government and rebels, as well as famine and use of funds to buy arms! Take a brief look!

In Juba: The South Sudanese Pounds continue to depreciate against the U.S. dollars, early this morning at Konyo Konyo Market trades were buying $100 at 21,500 SSP. Taxi drivers have also lifted the fare by charging 50 SSP for a distance that used to cost 1 SSP in 2014” (MirayaFM, 24.04.2017)

That this is the reality, proves the problems in the simplest forms, that the Republic of South Sudan, cannot keep their inflation at bay. The SSP are losing value and it happens quick. The local currency is soon worthless and the paper is more expensive, than the real value of the currency. This is the reaction to the violence, the despair and famine. The Currency is just the proof of the dire situation, as the Taxi Drivers are hurting and have to gain more money to be able to sustain their living in Juba. Therefore, this is the evidence of the issues that are in the country, by just seeing the numbers and the value of their currency. This should be so easy to grasp and understand. When the price of the same service has not only doubled or tripled, but gone up 50 times! Peace.

Kenya: LFA condemns shooting of Mrs. Kuki Gallmann in Laikipia, urges swift restoration of law and order (23.04.2017)

Kenya: Statement by Rt. Hon Raila Odinga on Laikipia Attacks (23.04.2017)