EU Letter to H.E. Yoweri Museveni on Inter-Burundian Dialogue (14.12.2015)

EU Burundi Uganda Letter

Press release: UNHRC Should Suspend Burundi from Membership (16.12.2015)

BurundiNTVNews

In response to Burundi joining the United Nations Human Rights Council for a three year term beginning January 1, 2016, Freedom House issued the following statement:

“Burundi should be suspended rather than be allowed to formally join the UNHRC, given the flagrant human rights abuses committed by the government of President Pierre Nkurunziza,” said Mark P. Lagon, president of Freedom House. “Suspending Burundi from the UNHRC, as the Council did with Libya in 2011, sends a strong message to the government that violent tactics are not acceptable, and may pressure the government to participate in an internationally mediated dialogue on neutral soil.  We welcome the Council’s special session on Burundi, scheduled for this Thursday, and the Council’s intention to send an investigative team there in January.”

Background:

The UN has received reports that as many as 200 people died December 11-12, when rebel forces attacked three military installations and Burundian security forces responded with door-to-door searches. Burundi’s military maintains the death toll was about 80.

Since April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza violated the Arusha Peace Accords by deciding to run for a third term, more than 300 people have been killed and over 240,000 have been forced to flee the country. In November, the Burundian government ordered the suspension of more than 10 local human rights organizations.

Burundi is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2015, and Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2015.

Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.

2016/169/AFR: World Bank Group unveils $16 Billion Africa Climate Business Plan to Tackle Urgent Climate Challenges (24.11.2015)

Gado World Bank

One third of funds expected to come from Bank’s fund for the poorest countries

WASHINGTON, November 24, 2015—The World Bank Group today unveiled a new plan that calls for $16 billion in funding to help African people and countries adapt to climate change and build up the continent’s resilience to climate shocks.

Titled Accelerating Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Development, the Africa Climate Business Plan will be presented at COP21, the global climate talks in Paris, on November 30. It lays out measures to boost the resilience of the continent’s assets – its people, land, water, and cities – as well as other moves including boosting renewable energy and strengthening early warning systems.

Sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to climate shocks, and our research shows that could have far-ranging impact — on everything from child stunting and malaria to food price increases and droughts,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim.  “This plan identifies concrete steps that African governments can take to ensure that their countries will not lose hard-won gains in economic growth and poverty reduction, and they can offer some protection from climate change.”

Per current estimates, the plan says that the region requires $5-10 billion per year to adapt to global warming of 2°C.

The World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme estimate that the cost of managing climate resilience will continue to rise to $20-50 billion by mid-century, and closer to $100 billion in the event of a 4°C warming.

Of the $16.1 billion that the ambitious plan proposes for fast-tracking climate adaptation, some $5.7 billion is expected from the International Development Association (IDA), the arm of the World Bank Group that supports the poorest countries. About $2.2 billion is expected from various climate finance instruments, $2.0 billion from others in the development community, $3.5 billion from the private sector, and $0.7 billion from domestic sources, with an additional $2.0 billion needed to deliver on the plan.

“The Africa Climate Business Plan spells out a clear path to invest in the continent’s urgent climate needs and to fast-track the required climate finance to ensure millions of people are protected from sliding into extreme poverty,” explains Makhtar Diop, World Bank Group Vice President for Africa. “While adapting to climate change and mobilizing the necessary resources remain an enormous challenge, the plan represents a critical opportunity to support a priority set of climate-resilient initiatives in Africa.”

The plan will boost the region’s ability to adapt to a changing climate while reducing greenhouse emissions, focusing on a number of concrete actions. It identifies a dozen priority areas for action that will enhance Africa’s capacity to adapt to the adverse consequences of climate variation and change.

The first area for action aims to boost the resilience of the continent’s assets. These comprise natural capital (landscapes, forests, agricultural land, inland water bodies, oceans); physical capital (cities, transport infrastructure, physical assets in coastal areas); and human and social capital (where efforts should include improving social protection for the people most vulnerable to climate shocks, and addressing climate-related drivers of migration).

The second area for action focuses on powering resilience, including opportunities for scaling up low-carbon energy sources. In addition to helping mitigate climate change, these activities offer considerable resilience benefits, as societies with inadequate access to energy are also more vulnerable to climate shocks.

And the third area for action will enable resilience by providing essential data, information and decision-making tools for climate-resilient development across sectors. This includes strengthening hydro-met systems at the regional and country levels, and building capacity to plan and design climate-resilient investments.

The plan is a ‘win-win’ for all especially the people in Africa who have to adapt to climate change and work to mitigate its impacts,” said Jamal Saghir, the World Bank’s Senior Regional Adviser for Africa. “We look forward to working with African governments and development partners, including the private sector, to move this plan forward and deliver climate smart development.”

The Africa Climate Business Plan reflects contributions and inputs from a wide variety of partners with whom the Bank is already collaborating on the ground, in a coordinated effort to increase Africa’s resilience to climate variability and change. The plan aims to help raise awareness and accelerate resource mobilization for the region’s critical climate-resilience and low-carbon initiatives.

The plan warns that unless decisive action is taken, climate variability and change could seriously jeopardize the region’s hard-won development gains and its aspirations for further growth and poverty reduction. And it comes in the wake of Bank analysis which indicates climate change could push up to 43 million more Africans into poverty by 2030.

International reactions to the assassaination plot and killings in Burundi

Burundi Cartoon

If this is not interesting and see how the government and multi-national organizations reacts to the continuations of violence from the Government towards its opponents. The staggering fleeing of people to neighbor countries and the escalations of killings should be put on the map and be addressed.

Nyamitwe 061115

THE AFRICAN UNION REITERATES ITS CONCERN ABOUT

THE SITUATION IN BURUNDI

Addis Ababa, 4 November 2015: The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, reiterates the AU’s deep concern about the situation obtaining in Burundi. She notes the continuation of acts of violence and the increase of statements that are likely to further aggravate the current situation and create conditions for more instability, with devastating consequences for Burundi and the whole region. She expresses the AU’s strong condemnation of all acts of violence and violations of human rights, as well as of all statements that can inflame the situation.

Against this background, the Chairperson of the Commission reminds all concerned Burundian stakeholders that the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), at its 551st meeting, held on 17 October 2015, decided, in support of the efforts aimed at finding an early and consensual solution to the crisis facing Burundi, to impose targeted sanctions against all Burundian actors whose action and statements contribute to the persistence of violence and impede the search for a solution. The Chairperson of the Commission stresses, once again, that only an inclusive dialogue, bringing together all Burundian stakeholders, will enable Burundi to overcome the serious prevailing challenges and prevent the situation from totally undermining the gains made since the signing of the Arusha Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation. She urges the Burundian authorities and other concerned actors to demonstrate the sense of responsibility that the situation demands and to place the interests of the Burundian people above any other consideration.

The Chairperson of the Commission reiterates the AU’s support to the mediation efforts led by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, on behalf of the East African Community (EAC), and urges the Government of Burundi and all the other concerned stakeholders to lend him their full cooperation.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights statement:

“I unreservedly condemn the killing of the son of one of Burundi’s most prominent human rights defenders, Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, in Bujumbura earlier today. This is second member of Mbonimpa’s family to have been killed in recent weeks. Welly Nzitonda was reportedly arrested by police this morning around 11 a.m. His body was found this afternoon in the neighbourhood of Mutakura. Pierre Claver Mbonimpa himself narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in August 2015 and is still undergoing treatment abroad. One of his sons-in-law was also killed on 9 October” (OHCHR, 2015).

“Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa Thomas Perriello will travel to Burundi November 8-11 to express urgent concerns over the political and security crisis there. He will communicate the U.S. government’s alarm at violence by government and non-government actors inside of Burundi, and the recent dangerous rhetoric by the Burundian government surrounding the expiration of President Nkurunziza’s five-day ultimatum to turn over all illegal arms. He will also call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to follow through on commitments to dialogue” (…)”The Envoy also intends to visit Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia between November 11 and 18, to consult with regional leaders on restoring stability to Burundi and emphasize the United States’ belief that a comprehensive, inclusive dialogue, as laid out in the AU’s October 17 communique, is the best means of doing so” (US GOV, 2015).

Belgium Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Reynards Statement 6th November:

“Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders is shocked by the murder of Welly Fleury Nzitonda, son of Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, the human rights activist who took refuge in Belgium. This murder follows that of his son-in-law, Pascal Nshimirimana. Tens of anonymous victims already died because of the instability in recent months. The Minister expresses his sympathy to the family of Pierre Claver Mbonimpa and to the people of Burundi.  The death of Mr. Nzitonda illustrates once again that incitement to hatred and violence can have tragic consequences. The Minister noted with deep concern the public statements in this regard. These brought to memory the darkest pages in the history of Burundi. The Minister calls on all parties, both from government and opposition, to exercise utmost restraint in declarations and to avoid new violence at all costs”.

Hey! What do you think about it? Peace!

Reference:

OHCHR – ‘Comment by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Burundi killing (06.11.2015) link: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx#sthash.bqxnw4Hf.dpuf

 

US GOV – ‘Special Envoy Thomas Perriello’s Travel to Burundi and the Great Lakes Region’ (06.11.2015) link: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/11/249291.htm

Press Release: Kenya must review Double Tax Agreement with Mauritius (02.11.2015)

kenya-money-1

(Nairobi, November 2, 2015) – Kenya is teetering on the brink of financial meltdown with the implosion of at least two private commercial banks in the last few months and signing of loophole-ridden double taxation agreements with tax havens Mauritius, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Tax havens are countries or states that position themselves as low tax jurisdictions allowing companies and rich individuals to hide their wealth without paying appropriate taxes where they actually make their profits or wealth. Tax Justice Network-Africa (TJN-A) in October 2014 sued the Government of Kenya (specifically the Cabinet Secretary to the Treasury, Kenya Revenue Authority and the Attorney-General) challenging the constitutionality of the Kenya/Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed in Port Louis, Mauritius on May 11, 2012 and as contained in Legal Notice 59 published in the Kenya Gazette of May 23, 2014.

The Agreement significantly undermines Kenya’s ability to raise domestic revenue to underpin the country’s development by opening up loopholes for multinational companies operating in the country and super- rich individuals to shift profits abroad through Mauritius to avoid paying appropriate taxes. For example, provisions under Article 11 of the Agreement relating to interest limit Kenya’s withholding tax to 10 per cent whereas the Kenyan domestic rate currently stands at 15 per cent. This will significantly affect the tax base of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). The Agreement also sharply contravenes Articles 10 and 201 of the Constitution and is inconsistent with the principles of good governance, sustainability and accountability. The Agreement is open to abuse and this could endanger the growth and development of Kenya.

Three main reliefs sought by TJN-A are: that the High Court declares the government’s failure or neglect to subject the Kenya-Mauritius Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement to ratification in line with the Treaty Making and Ratification Act 2012 as a contravention of Articles 10 (a), (c) and (d) and 201 of the Constitution of Kenya.

That the Court directs the Cabinet Secretary for Treasury to immediately withdraw Legal Notice 59 of 2014 and commence the process of ratification in conformity with the provisions of the Treaty Making and Ratification Act 2012.  And award cost of the petition with interest against the Government of Kenya. The case came up for mention at the Nairobi High Court today, November 2, 2015. The court will fix a date for hearing the case on November 9, 2015. Speaking at a press briefing earlier today, the Executive Director of TJN-A, Alvin Mosioma said “there is need for public participation in the process of ratification of double tax agreements…double tax agreements kill the competitive edge of local firms”. 2 Senator Hassan Omar of Mombasa County who also addressed the press said Kenya’s “Parliament needs to appreciate its responsibility in safeguarding the public’s interests,” adding that “the reason people steal is because there is complicity and people are aware of it”. Provisions under Article 12 of the Agreement which relates to royalties also restrict at- source withholding tax to half (10 per cent) of Kenya domestic rate of 20 per cent. This will significantly weaken Kenya’s ability to raise revenue to finance its development. Additionally provisions under Article 20 of the Agreement reserves all taxation of “other income” not dealt with in specific Articles to the residence state.

This effectively reduces withholding tax to zero per cent on services, management fees, insurance commissions among others, whereas Kenyan domestic withholding tax rate currently stands at 20 per cent. This is a major gap that will lead to massive revenue leakages. The Agreement is neither United Nations nor OECD compliant and it also fails to address the issue of disposal of shares in companies. The Agreement effectively reserves under Article 13.4 all taxation of capital gains from selling shares in companies to Mauritius where the effective Capital Gains Tax is zero per cent. Under the Agreement foreign investors in Kenya can acquire Kenyan companies through Mauritius holding companies and Kenya cannot tax any of the gains when they sell these businesses again. This is open to abuse. Similarly, domestic Kenyan investors can dodge Kenyan taxes by round-tripping their investments illicitly through Mauritian shell companies. Kenyan companies can also easily avoid Kenyan taxes in dividends paid to foreign investors through devices like share buy-backs therefore deny the government of development funds.

The provision is very similar to the Capital Gains Tax Article in the India-Mauritius treaty which has proved very controversial costing India an estimated US$600 million a year in revenues as a result of tax avoidance and illicit round-tripping by Indian business executives driving the Government of India to initiate steps to renegotiate its agreement with Mauritius. Under the definition of ‘bilateral treaty’ in Section 2 of the Treaty Making and Ratification Act an ‘agreement’ such as the one between Kenya and Mauritius and which is the subject matter of this legal case, is a treaty subject to the Act and therefore requires that the Cabinet Secretary to the Treasury in consultation with the Attorney General, submit to the Cabinet the treaty, together with a memorandum outlining, inter alia – 1. Policy and legislative considerations, 2. Financial implications 3. Implications on matters relating to counties, 4. The views of the public on the ratification of the treaty.

Mauritius presently has tax treaties with 13 African countries namely Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Swaziland, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Apart from Kenya, Mauritius also has signed Double Taxation Agreements with Congo, Zambia and Nigeria. Currently Mauritius is negotiating DTAs with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania. Unlike Mauritius’ DTA with Uganda and Nigeria, for example, which have specific provisions for withholding tax for management/technical services fees, Kenya failed to negotiate any such provisions. 

In a related development, the Government of Kenya has signed an equally harmful Double Tax Agreement with United Arab Emirates and Qatar – both of which are tax havens – in which Kenya further deems its right to tax as unnecessary in a bid to attract investment from these two countries. These agreements will deepen Kenya’s current cash crunch by allowing the further erosion of the country’s tax base. – END.

ABOUT TJN-A: Tax Justice Network-Africa (TJN-A) is a Pan-African initiative and a member of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice. It is a network of 29 members in 16 African countries. TJN-A collaborates closely with these member organisations in tax justice 3 advocacy at the national and regional levels. TJN-A seeks to promote socially just and progressive taxation systems in Africa, advocating for pro-poor tax policies and the strengthening of tax systems to promote domestic resource mobilisation. TJN-A aims to challenge harmful tax policies and practices that favour the wealthy and aggravate and perpetuate inequality. For further enquiries, please email Kwesi Obeng at kobeng@taxjusticeafrica.net (+254 726 804 400) and/or Michelle Mbuthia at mmbuthia@taxjusticeafrica.net (+254 724 994 796).

Press Statement: AfDB marks World Statistics Day – “Better Data. Better Lives” (26.10.2015)

AfDB STATS

The African Development Bank (AfDB), one of the leading institutions driving statistical development progress in Africa, joined the world in celebrating World Statistics Day on Wednesday, October 20, 2015. The theme for this year’s event was “Better Data. Better Lives”.

Each year since 2010, World Statistics Day provides a platform for the global statistical community – producers, suppliers, users and all relevant stakeholders – to showcase their achievements and ongoing statistical work. This year’s celebrations follow a significant decision by world leaders to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “The SDG agenda provides the political impetus and will help to shape the course of statistical capacity development in the years to come,” said Oliver Chinganya, Manager of AfDB’s Statistical Capacity Building Division.

As part of the celebrations, the AfDB Statistics Department held a series of seminars from October 19-23, 2015 with the aim of showcasing statistical activities already underway within Bank’s Statistical Capacity Building (SCB) program. Also highlighted were future programs planned in response to the current demands of the Data Revolution and the post-2015 development agenda.

The Bank’s SCB program is expected to gather momentum in response to the UN’s clarion call to harness the Data Revolution in order to enhance sustainable development. This will entail more data communities coming together and collaborating in a sustainable manner in the context of a data ecosystem.

Reliable and timely statistics are crucial for formulating policies that can positively impact the lives of millions of people. Without the numbers, development impacts cannot be measured. “Improved data sources, sound statistical methods, new technologies, and strengthened statistical systems continue to be actively promoted and financially supported through the AfDB’s Statistical Capacity Building Program,” observed Chinganya.

He underlined the importance of accurate and timely statistics being freely available to all stakeholders when they are most needed.

Through its ground-breaking Africa Information Highway (AIH) initiative, the AfDB provides free and open access to all stakeholders including the public, the Bank’s regional member countries, civil society organizations, academic and research institutions, UN agencies, and the media.

The inaugural World Statistics Day was declared by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 2010 to recognize the importance of statistics in improving lives.

Fighters of Justice: UPF and M7 Hails to No One On their duty as the “Crime Preventers” in the General Election of 2016

MuseveniNRM2016Election

You think that the issues between police and Ugandans are inflicted with a huge rise of crime. Since they have hired such numbers of Crime Preventers! If you don’t know its election season and it will continue until the General Elections in February to March 2016. The Inspectorate General of Police Kale Kayihura has spoken out again. Therefore has to show how arrogant and also how his rhetoric is so demanding while pushing the public and opposition figures at every move. While he is using laws to benefit and not policing the actual public or citizens, but controlling them with force. I might be called a foreign influence, still I shouldn’t be feared or putting him against for instances the public. It’s about check and balance. We all should be able to ask for transparency and accountability, something that is hard to see and being held accountable because the police have the right to charge with violence in case of security. It’s hard to see accountability from the Police and Government when they don’t shed the light on their own misbehaving and claiming everybody else is the troublemakers. We should all wonder what the use for all those Crime Preventers and so sudden the amount of people that are affiliated with the police, but not official police force. They will surely create animosity during the election and spread more fear, then the sectarianism and tribalism that supposed to be the issue that usually the President Museveni calls out. That I fear for all the other parties and independents running in this coming election. I hope I am not alone. Because the evidence and numbers of people is crazy! Period, just take a look!  

Kale Kayihura

IGP Kale Kayihura on a press conference today:
“This is now foreign influences. We want to turn the population against the government. It is absolutely rubbish. It is not true. Absolutely not true. Absolutely not true! (Kale Kayihura shakes his head). Yes off course what I cannot deny is that there is something called National Security. Forget it! We target, in fact we should be faulty, we should have, we should have known these groups you talking about. Through protection, protection is constitutional, protection involves off course involving some bad characters like terrorism. Terrorism! We shouldn’t carry out to intelligence work to protect terrorist” (WBS TV, 26.10.2015) .

Uganda Police Force deal with North Korea:
“The panel discovered that the Ugandan government had contracted with North Korea to provide police force training. Ugandan government officials purported that they did not realize that UN sanctions prohibited this type of activity, according to a USUN official” (GAO, 2015).

There been released and having public rallies with President Museveni like yesterday in Lira. The same has happen in Kasese and Gulu. Therefore there been set into force lots of Community Crime preventers. That’s the once that IGP Kale Kayihura discussing on the Press conference today. The real issue is the manhood and level of upgrade towards this group of Crime Preventers into society.

Crime Preventers

In August President Museveni did this:
“President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has passed out 30,000 crime-preventers from the district of Ngtungamo who has completed a cadership and crime prevention course conducted by the Uganda police force at Kyamate secondary school grounds” (…)”Recently, Museveni presided over the passing out over 8,000 crime preventers at Nyakasharara grounds in Kiruhura districts” (TheInsider.co.ug , 2015).

On the 5th of October 2015 President Museveni presided over and passed out 50,000 Crime preventers in Mbale. The National Youth Crime Preventers:
Mbale residents have pledged full support to the National Crime Preventers Forum (NCPF) on the pass-out of over 50,000 Crime preventers due to take place tomorrow.The Business community who are the biggest beneficiaries of a Crime free society which is a result of Police coordinating or Cooperating with the people (Community Policing) confirmed their attendance and Support to the cause”. That is what they self-claimed about the actions happening on the 5th of October in Mbale”.

Earlier the UPF commented like this:
“His Excellence the president of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who was the Guest of honor on Monday 12th October passed out 23,000 crime preventers at Nyakakinda grounds in Kasese district” (UPF, 2015).

Budget wise:
Plans by the Uganda Police Force to recruit up to 7,000 officers ahead of the 2016 general elections may stall following the failure by the Ministry of Finance to provide Shs 8.3b required for the activity” (…)”He also said that in order to professionalise the Uganda Police Force, there is need to improve quality of personnel through continuous training in basic courses which include leadership, command and control, public order management, traffic control, investigation and crime management” (Uganda Parliament).

Why I do this now is to show the numbers of crime preventers that Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has now on his hands and also the how the NRM regime is arguing for the necessity of this kind of security agents “right” before the general election of 2016 in Uganda. What scares me is the unfolding of it and at the same time the old reports of the budgets for the Police. Especially with the way that IGP Kale Kayihura and his rhetoric towards everybody else, like he has attacked the opposition and the media. Together with amount of extra personnel should be looked up and followed up by the donors and international society to address the matter.

Nobody has address the Crime Preventers and their role up to the 2016 General Election. YKM is surely starting to be afraid of his own people when he has to get that amount of people together with the army, police and special police squads to target individuals of fear. The fear should also be with the special training of police from the North Korean Police forces and training of parts of the Ugandan Police Force. Together with the Crime Preventers in this certain levels that is surreal. This is reality and the fear that IGP Kale Kayihura and President Museveni are staggering. Also the rhetoric that been used by them both is also more onto “them” and “us”. The citizens and the National Security issue. It doesn’t seem like the population isn’t what needs National Security, but the NRM-Regime. The Police has been inconsiderate when it comes to people who is not in the Yoweri Kaguta Museveni wing of the NRM, and their loyal cronies. Then the Police even shot and spray tear-spray over them. As they have done to the opposition as well for a long time, ever since they has followed them and policed them since the 2005, Uganda Police Force and Crime Preventers will surely make this election messy.

And without them IGP Kale Kayihura, his DPCs and Special Forces like the Flying Squad can easily do damage to any Election rally that is supposable “illegal” by the Public Order Management Act. That will surely happen, also the coming actions of Police against DP, UPC and FDC rallies will happen in due time. Secondly also the leaders of these parties will be handled in a fashion called Preventive Arrest and house arrests. We will also see that they also without any court judgement taken to custody by law enforcement before them even send their kids to school. This will happen because they are affiliated with the wrong political party. Peace.

Reference:

The Insider – ‘Museveni masks 30, 000 militias as crime preventers’ (12.08.2015) link: http://www.theinsider.ug/museveni-masks-30000-militias-as-crime-preventers/

Parliament of Uganda – ‘Police needs to recruit 7,000 officers for 2016 elections’ link: http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/398-police-needs-to-recruit-7-000-officers-for-2016-elections

United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) GAO:15-485  – ‘NORTH KOREA SANCTONS – United States has increased Flexibility to impose Sanctions, but United Nations is impended by a lack of member state reports’ (May, 2015) link: http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/670170.pdf

UPF – ‘They aren’t militias groups’ (23.10.2015) link: http://www.upf.go.ug/they-arent-militias-groups/

UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner – Alleged execessive use of Force and Degrading treatment by Uganda Police Force (20.10.2015)

OCHR Uganda

Good-Deeds list of 2015: A Global report of the East African Countries

Dadaab Refugee Camp

This here is to prove what I have found in this report. There would be more meat to the bone if it wasn’t just from one source. But is still worth looking at and from the perspective of the donors, also who the recipients are and the size of the monies. I will take the perspective and look at directly how this affect the East African Countries. Some of the numbers aren’t surprising to those who have followed it. More the amount and changes that has been. Essentially that so many of the countries have been in the top 20 of countries receiving Humanitarian Assistance. That should be a worrying sign of the leadership. The good news for the matter in this case is that Tanzania is nearly out of it all; Burundi stopped being in the top 20 after 2008, also that Uganda went out of the list since 2010. But take a look and see if you catch some wisdom!

Humanitarian assistance is this:
“Humanitarian action is designed to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain
and protect human dignity during and in the aftermath of emergencies”
(…)
“4 Principles:
• “humanity – saving human lives and alleviating suffering wherever it is found
• impartiality – acting solely on the basis of need, without discrimination between or within affected populations
• neutrality – acting without favouring any side in an armed conflict
or other dispute
• independence – ensuring autonomy of humanitarian objectives from political, economic, military or other objectives” (GHA, P: 20).

UN-Coordinated Appeals:
“The UN-coordinated appeals represent the largest collective request for international humanitarian assistance” (…)”The UN-coordinated appeals are based on the needs assessed and responses planned by a group of UN agencies and NGOs in specific countries” (GHA, P: 22).

Where are the money coming from:
“The group of 20 largest government donors of international humanitarian assistance in 2014 was largely the same as in previous years, and the US continued to provide the largest sums. However, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined the ten largest and 20 largest donors respectively. Driven by the conflicts in the region, total contributions from Middle Eastern donors increased by 120% from 2013” (GHA, P: 29).

Government donors:
“Government donors gave a record amount of international humanitarian assistance in 2013, but in 2014 they gave even more – reaching a new high of US$18.7 billion. This was up by nearly a quarter (24%) from the US$15.1 billion given in 2013 and was the largest rise in volume in the past 15 years” (GHA, P: 30).

Largest recipients of international humanitarian assistance, 2013:
“Five of the ten largest recipients were in sub-Saharan Africa – Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – and these received a combined total of US$2.8 billion, 13% of international humanitarian response” (GHA. P: 52).

Country by County facts for the East African Countries:
This is the countries on the listed as the ones getting the most Humanitarian Assistance from 2004 – 2013. In that period the South Sudan country got 2% which is combined $2Bn. Uganda got also 2% which is combined $1,6Bn. Ethiopia got 6% which is combined $5,9Bn. Somalia got also 4% which is combined $4,7Bn. Democratic Republic of Congo got also 4% which is combined $4,6bn. Kenya got also 3% which is combined $3Bn (GHA, P: 53).

From the Top Country recipients from 2004 – 2013:

Country/Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Burundi 10 – $176M 14 – $182M 14 – $162M 18 – $177M
Democratic Republic of Congo 9 – $331M 6 – $472M 3 – $451M 6 – $573M 6 – $623M 7 – $501M 12 – $449M 8 – $472M 10 – $449M
Ethiopia 4 – $481M 5 – $709M 9 -$383M 7 – $334M 2 – $924M 3 – $747M 4 – $685M 5 – $693M 6 – $488M 8 – $457M
Kenya 19 – $100M 11 – $273M 14 – $208M 11 – $327M 9 – $426M 8 – $305M 8 – $538M 11 – $407M 14 – $314M
Tanzania
South Sudan 10 – $495M 1 – $875M 4 – $664M
Somalia 11 – $174M 11 – $213M 10 – $349M 8 – $299M 5 – $646M 7 – $611M 10 – $256M 2 – $1,073M 4 – $589M 7 – $458M
Uganda 9 – $183M 13 – $197M 12 – $249M 12 – $248M 13 – $257M 16 – $167M

(Source: Development Initiatives based on OECD, DAC, UN, OCHA FTS, UN CERF, IMF, WED and UN SCEB data).
– The first number is the actual place on the table because this is the ones that was a part of the 1-20.
– The amount of money is US Dollars in Millions.

Some information about the different Countries:
Democratic Republic of Congo:
6, 8 Million people affected including refugees (GHA, P: 12).
4, 7 Million people targeted in UN-Coordinated Appeals. (GHA, P: 13).
The percentage of the UN Appeals that was met in 2014 was totally 46% /GHA, P: 23).

The Country got in total $449M, which was the top ninth country in the world, of the pledges it got 71% and underfunded 29% this was in the year of 2013 (GHA, P: 51).

The things they have mentioned the forgotten crisis the Humanitarian assistance there has no more than 3 Incidents on the FCA index since 2004. This incidents are caused by the troubles of LRA (GHA, P: 64).

Ethiopia:
The Country got in total $449M, which was the top ten country in the world. This was in the year of 2012-2013 (GHA, P: 51).

Kenya:
“Periodic incidences of inter-communal violence combined with climatic shocks and food and livelihood insecurity have left many people vulnerable and in need of assistance in Kenya over recent years. In 2013 approximately 1.7 million people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance, compared with over 4.4 million people in 2012” (GHA, P: 55).

The country received directly support from Saudi Arabia $ 43M in 2014, which is 6 % of the total allocations from the Arabic country (GHA, P: 35).

The things they have mentioned the forgotten crisis the Humanitarian assistance after result of the refugee crisis from Somalia, there has more than 1 Incident on the FCA index since 2004 (GHA, P: 64).

Tanzania:
The things they have mentioned the forgotten crisis the Humanitarian assistance there has no more than 1 Incident on the FCA index since 2004 (GHA, P: 64).

South Sudan:
“Insecurity and displacement has left millions of people in South Sudan vulnerable and in need of assistance. Approximately 4.4 million people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2013. This compares to the estimated 4.6 million people requiring assistance in the country in 2012″ (GHA, P: 55).

7, 8 Million people affected including refugees.
64% of the people in the country affected (GHA, P: 12).
4, 5 Million people targeted in UN-Coordinated Appeals.
40% of population targeted in UN-Coordinated Appeals (GHA, P: 13).
South Sudan Refugee Response Plans (RRP) UN-Coordinated Appeals in 2014 was 54 % met. The main South Sudan Appeal in 2014 was 90% met (GHA, P: 23).

The Country got in total $644M, which was the top third country in the world, of the pledges it got 72% and underfunded 28% this was in the year of 2013 (GHA, P: 50).

Somalia:
“Somalia has suffered over two decades of conflict, displacement, poor basic service provision and severe food insecurity. In 2013 around 3.2 million people were estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. This compares to 2012 when, at the beginning of the year, an estimated 3.8 million people were in need of humanitarian response” (GHA, P: 55).

19 % of population targeted in UN-Coordinated Appeals (GHA, P: 13).
The country received directly support from Saudi Arabia $ 1M in 2013, which is 0, 4% of the total allocations from the Arabic country (GHA, P: 35).

The Country got in total $458M, which was the top eight country in the world, of the pledges it got 51% and underfunded 49% this was in the year of 2012-2013 (GHA, P: 51).

The things they have mentioned the forgotten crisis the Humanitarian assistance there has no more than 2 Incidents on the FCA index since 2004 (GHA, P: 64).

Uganda:
The things they have mentioned the forgotten crisis the Humanitarian assistance after result of the war against the LRA, there has more than 3 Incidents on the FCA index since 2004 (GHA, P: 64).

The numbers here are set for certain amount of time and most for the biggest receivers and donors. So what other has gotten is not in the report. But knowing the areas and situation there been more money donated then I have seen here. This money and contexts are set for one set of people and their struggles.

The numbers will be different for 2015 because of the new progressions that has been in the countries. The results and share difference is not only with the more Internal Displaced People (IDPs), but also with refugees from their neighboring countries. This with the continuation of fighting internally in the South Sudan has led into people fleeing to Kenya and Uganda. We will hope that the new peace agreement will lead again to more stability in South Sudan. As there has been people fleeing from LRA in DRC as they still have ability to come down there from C.A.R. The Burundian sham election and third term for Pierre Nkurunziza will make more humanitarian assistance in Tanzania and Uganda. This will lead to more pledges in the next year, even if there might be cuts of direct Governmental donor funds directly to Burundi as reactions to the situation which is now in place. So because of this I am sure the numbers and statistics will be different.

Still, it’s still healthy to see what it was in this report. And what it really says about the countries. That you usually wouldn’t read in the paper. That’s why I picked this numbers and quotes in, so you get something inspiring and seeing how things are changing. All amounts of monies are in US Dollars. Just so you know! Peace.

Reference:
Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2015