More Violence in Minembwe by Georges Budagu Makoko
October 11, 2022
Introduction:
(AmJamboa Africa) On October 9, in the city of Minembwe, in the eastern part of DR Congo, a 14 year old boy named Mugaza Ngenganyi Samuel was murdered. According to witnesses, he was tortured, and his hand was cut off by a member of the Congolese military, then displayed as a trophy to his miliary comrades. This is the latest in a long string of violent acts against the Banyamulenge minority community in DR Congo.
Richard Munyetwari, President of the Banyamulenge community in Maine, expressed his deep dismay over the loss of such a young boy. “I am a father of three, and I can only imagine the pain and grief that Samuel’s father and his siblings are going through right now,” he said. Munyetwari pointed out that this event is part of a slow genocide that is ongoing against the Banyamulenge. “The genocide started many years ago, but recently took a terrible turn in 2017,” he said.
caltrek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 9:19 pm
“I am a father of three, and I can only imagine the pain and grief that Samuel’s father and his siblings are going through right now,” he said.
Not to sound disrespectful but I think that child suffered by far the most.
weatheriscool wrote: ↑Thu Oct 20, 2022 9:23 pm
VIolence is extremely topically for a large percentage of africa. IT seems that every tribe hates each other.
It happens in many places, it's just that many African governments lack the means to prevent large-scale confrontations (or abuses like in this case).
As Ethiopia-Tigray War Parties Agree to a Pause, Experts Offer Insights into Two Years of Devastating Conflict by Julius Maina
November 2, 2022
Introduction:
(The Conversation) The main combatants in the two-year Ethiopia-Tigray war have announced a dramatic pause in hostilities. What started on November 3 2020 as a swift armed mission by Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed to bring the rebellious state of Tigray to order soon degenerated into a humanitarian nightmare in which innocent civilians have been killed and many more rendered homeless or destitute.
As many as 500,000 people had died as a result of war-related violence and famine by late 2022. In 2021, Ethiopia reported 5.1 million internally displaced people in 12 months. This, according to a report, is the highest number internally displaced in any country in any single year. Millions more have fled to Sudan as northern Ethiopia, especially Tigray, remains cut off from food, water and medical aid.
Over the course of the war, various scholars have written important articles for The Conversation Africa on the war and its devastating consequences. Here are five essential reads.
1. African Union’s failure to broker peace
The African Union pledged in 2016 to “silence the guns” by the end of 2020: to end armed conflict on the continent. But until now the AU has not exerted its influence to broker a ceasefire or find peace over the past two years.
Nigeria: A Democracy In Search Of Democrats by Kola King
November 21, 2022
Introduction:
(Eurasia Review) The recent simultaneous attacks on the offices of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Abeokuta, Ogun State and Ede, Osun State is as though a dagger thrust through the heart of democracy. Apparently, the perpetrators of that dastardly crime described as arsonists were acting on the prompting of their political paymasters. Whoever is behind those attacks are enemies of democracy. All these portend ominous signals for our democracy.
Also, Nigeria’s democracy may be imperiled judging by the litigious propensity of politicians to dispute the outcome of every election. Due to this proclivity on the part of political actors, INEC is saddled with hundreds of electoral cases across the country over the election of candidates in the party primaries, even as it prepares for the 2023 general elections. Specifically, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmud Yakubu, said recently in Abuja that the commission is currently facing 600 court cases that arose over the nomination of candidates for the 2023 general elections. This is outside cases that arise from election petitions from State and National Assemblies to gubernatorial and presidential elections.
The INEC chief who spoke at a seminar organized by the Court of Appeal for Election Petition Tribunal members billed to adjudicate on election disputes for next year’s general elections stated that the situation was worrisome when a political party served 70 court summons on the electoral body in one day on the same issue.
“From experience, he said that INEC has found that most politicians and political parties are litigation-happy, dragging the electoral body on frivolous and vexatious issues,” he stressed. The INEC Chairman said that most of the cases seeking an order of court to compel INEC to accept their nominations were instituted after the closure of time allowed by law for nominations. Despite the enormity of the court cases, Yakubu assured that the electoral body would obey and abide by all valid court orders at all times.
Notwithstanding, Professor Yakubu assured that the 2023 general elections would witness improved outcome, being the first to be conducted after the repeal of the 2010 Electoral Act and the first since the advent of the 2022 new Electoral Act that gives legal backing to the use of technology in the conduct of elections in the country.
Across Africa, Water Conflict Threatens Security, Health, and the Environment by Robin Scher
November 17, 2022
Introduction:
(Independent Media Institute) Water is a finite resource on our planet. We can only rely on what we have, which translates to about 2.5 percent of drinkable fresh water. Of that amount, only 0.4 percent currently exists in lakes, rivers, and moisture in the atmosphere. The strain of this limited supply grows by the day and as this continues, the detrimental impact will continue to be felt in places least equipped to find alternative solutions—in particular, the African continent.
The global population is estimated to reach around 9.6 billion people by 2050. This is triple the number of humans on the planet just a few decades ago, having to exist with the same amount of water, not taking into account the nonhuman animals and plants that also rely on water to survive.
More than a third of the planet’s population living without access to clean, safe water live in sub-Saharan Africa. And nearly two-thirds—some four billion people—live in water-scarce areas. With this number set to steadily rise, the United Nations predicts that around 700 million people across the world might be “displaced by intense water scarcity” by 2030.
Scarcity-Led Conflict and Crisis
Each year, the world is seeing extreme water-related events including heatwaves and droughts. In 2021 on the African continent alone, Madagascar, Kenya, and Somalia experienced severe water shortages. And with scarcity, conflict tends to follow.
Teodoro Obiang, Equatorial Guinea's Iron-fisted Ruler November 26, 2022
Introduction:
(AFP via MSN) Confirmed for a sixth term as president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled oil-rich Equatorial Guinea since August 1979, overseeing a regime notorious for crushing dissent and fearing coups.
The 80-year-old's 43 years in power are the longest of any leader alive in the world today, with the exception of monarchs.
He seized power from Francisco Macias Nguema, who in 1968 had become Equatorial Guinea's first president upon independence from Spain and later declared himself president for life. Macias -- Obiang's uncle -- was executed by firing squad two months after the coup.
Obiang's opponents say that under his iron-fisted, hermetic tenure, the country has become the "North Korea of Africa".
The regime's ruthlessness is regularly condemned by rights watchdogs, who have documented mass, arbitrary arrests, dissidents held in nightmarish prison conditions and frequent sweeps against suspected plotters.
Social Commerce Startup Kapu, by Ex-Jumia Executive, Comes Out of Stealth with $8 Million Funding by Annie Njanja
December 4, 2022
Introduction:
(TechCrunch) Kapu, a social commerce startup, coming out of stealth today having raised $8 million seed funding, is hoping to help lessen the burden of buying food for Kenyan consumers, many of whom are grappling with the sky-rocketing food prices.
Kapu founder, Sam Chappatte, former Jumia Group executive vice president, said the startup has since inception in January this year been building a B2C e-commerce service that enables consumers buy groceries at lower prices, through online and offline channels.
The startup is now expanding its network of local agents that consumers can place orders with. It will soon support WhatsApp orders too. By sourcing directly from manufacturers and producers, Kapu enables group bulk-buying of groceries and claims to help consumers save up 30% of the spend on fresh produce and packaged consumer goods.
“People spending like 40 to 50% of their household income on the grocery basket is a big problem for society, but it is also a huge opportunity … The reason we started Kapu is that we think that there is a more relevant model of e-commerce that can be built to target the grocery basket, which is the biggest portion of spend for the vast majority of consumers. And if by using technology we can bring efficiency then we can have a tremendous impact on society for consumers and businesses,” Chappate told TechCrunch.
Nigeria's ruling party candidate Tinubu wins presidential election - electoral commission
Source: The Guardian
Nigeria’s ruling party candidate, Bola Tinubu, was on Wednesday declared winner of the presidential election, after defeating two of his closest rivals in the most competitive election for decades.
Tinubu’s victory after the weekend vote signalled the continued dominance of the established political elite in Nigeria. Analysts had described the poll as a potential “inflection point” for Africa’s most populous country, which is struggling with economic turmoil, widespread violence and corruption.
The Independent Nigerian Election Commission (Inec) announced final results early on Wednesday, after a chaotic count lasting almost four days.
Though Tinubu’s victory appears to reinforce the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party’s grip on power, the count showed that reformist candidate Peter Obi overcame a lack of resources and weak organisation to make big gains.
Human Rights Office Told to Leave Uganda by Olive Mukahirwa
February 26, 2023
Introduction:
(Amjambo Africa) According to President Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, government institutions have been restructured, and Uganda does not need the United Nations to maintain a Human Rights Office in Uganda anymore. Uganda can protect the human rights of its own people, Museveni said. The United Nations Human Rights Office in Uganda is pushing back on Museveni’s decision.
Museveni is 78 years old and has been in office since 1986. His government has been widely accused of abusing, imprisoning, humiliating, and killing political dissidents over a period of many years. Ugandan authorities deny these allegations and say that any security forces who violate human rights are severely punished.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda, which was established in 2006, was responsible for monitoring the observance of human rights, especially in the northern and northeastern parts of Uganda – the area which suffered from the conflict between the Ugandan army and the fighters of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
Though the Ugandan government shows no will to renew the UNHuman Rights Office, it confirmed it will continue to work with the UN at its permanent office in Geneva, Switzerland.
The decision has been strongly criticized by Muwada Nkunungi, one of the members of the opposition party led by Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine. Nkunungi said the Ugandan government made the decision because it wants to continue to violate human rights without any accountability.
Airstrikes reported in Sudanese capital; paramilitary group claims to seize palace
Source: Washington Post
Airstrikes slammed into neighborhoods in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and three planes were set aflame in the main airport as the military and a heavily armed paramilitary force battled in the streets on Saturday, pushing the troubled Horn of Africa nation to the cusp of a civil war.
The outbreak of violence follows years of ratcheting tensions between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a major paramilitary group led by Vice President Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — universally referred to as Hemedti — and the military, headed by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the nation’s president.
Shooting broke out around 9 a.m., residents said, and fighting quickly escalated as artillery, armored vehicles and then fighter jets were deployed. Bridges were blocked and three planes at the international airport were hit, witnesses said.
The RSF claimed it had taken control of sites including the presidential palace, Khartoum International Airport, and the airport in Merowe, north of the capital. The Sudanese Armed Forces dismissed RSF statements as “lies.” Both sides blamed the other for attacking first.
Evidence Emerges of Russia’s Wagner Arming Militia Leader Battling Sudan’s Army
by Nima Elbagir, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Tamara Qiblawi and Barbara Arvanitidis.
Updated April 21, 2023
Introduction:
London CNN —
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has been supplying Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces with missiles to aid their fight against the country’s army, Sudanese and regional diplomatic sources have told CNN.
The sources said the surface-to-air missiles have significantly buttressed RSF paramilitary fighters and their leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo as he battles for power with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military ruler and the head of its armed forces.
In bordering Libya, where a Wagner-backed rogue general, Khalifa Haftar, controls swathes of land, satellite imagery supports these claims, showing an unusual uptick in activity on Wagner bases
The powerful Russian mercenary group has played a public and pivotal role in Moscow’s foreign military campaigns, namely in Ukraine, and has repeatedly been accused of committing atrocities. In Africa, it has helped to prop up Moscow’s growing influence and seizing of resources.
Dagalo and Burhan had been jockeying for power in negotiations over restoring civilian leadership in Sudan before talks broke down, erupting into some of the worst violence the country has seen in decades.
Sudan: First flight evacuating British nationals has left amid ceasefire, Downing Street confirms
Tuesday 25 April 2023 at 4:35pm
The UK government has said urgent rescue efforts are underway to rescue thousands of trapped British nationals in Sudan, Romilly Weeks reports
Downing Street has confirmed the first British military flight evacuating UK nationals has left Sudan after a 72-hour ceasefire was agreed, with two more trips to take place overnight.
After growing criticism of its failure to help civilians trapped in the country as violence escalates, the government later confirmed it would run evacuation flights for UK nationals from an airfield outside Khartoum.
The prime minister's official spokesperson said on Tuesday: "The first flight has left and you can expect that there will be at least two more flights overnight tonight but that is subject to change."
The situation is “fast-moving” but the flight that has already left is expected to arrive in Cyprus later.
U.S. Navy Sea Base to Reposition Off Sudan For Evacuation Contingency by Joseph Trevithick
April 24 , 2023
Introduction:
(The Drive)The U.S. Navy's Expeditionary Sea Base ship USS Lewis B. Puller is on its way to take up a position off the coast of Sudan where it could support evacuation efforts if required. The ship's unique abilities to support these kinds of operations are among the exact reasons why the Navy began working to acquire vessels of this type more than a decade ago.
Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that Puller was headed for Sudan earlier today at a routine press conference. The Navy had already deployed the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Truxtun to the area, where it is also on call, if necessary. The deployment of Puller follows a U.S. military operation this weekend to help American diplomats and their dependents evacuate Sudan's capital Khartoum, which you can read more about in The War Zone's past reporting on the crisis here.
UN Refugee Agency Warns More Than 800,000 May Flee Sudan May 1, 2023
Introduction:
(Al Jazeera) More than 800,000 people may flee Sudan as a result of the ongoing conflict, the United Nations refugee agency has said, including Sudanese nationals and thousands of existing refugees living temporarily in the country.
“In consultation with all concerned governments and partners, we’ve arrived at a planning figure of 815,000 people that may flee into the seven neighbouring countries,” Raouf Mazou, UNHCR assistant high commissioner for refugees, told a member-state briefing in Geneva, Switzerland.
Some 73,000 have already left Sudan, he added.
Mazou’s estimate includes approximately 580,000 Sudanese, while the others are refugees who had settled in the country for safety.
UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi later said the planning figure was indicative. “We hope it doesn’t come to that, but if violence doesn’t stop we will see more people forced to flee Sudan seeking safety,” he said in a tweet.
Humanitarian Agreement Announced in Sudan by Nolan Stout
May 12, 2023
Introduction:
(Courthouse News) — The United States and Saudi Arabia announced a humanitarian agreement from the warring factions in Sudan on Thursday night as senior State Department officials rebuffed speculation over what contribution U.S. foreign policy decisions had in the fighting.
Representatives for the warring Sudanese Army (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary have been meeting since Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to establish a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia stepped in to facilitate negotiations after a Western-backed agreement to transition to a civilian government unraveled last month into the ongoing conflict. The U.S. largely evacuated its personnel from Sudan almost three weeks ago, as did other countries, when fighting broke out and the State Department has facilitated the departure of more than 2,000 people from the country since that time.
An announcement on the agreement from the U.S. State Department says it “recognizes the obligations of both sides under international humanitarian and human rights law to facilitate humanitarian action to meet the emergency needs of civilians."
It seeks to promote the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, restoring essential services, withdrawing forces from hospitals and clinics, and allowing respectful burial of casualties.
Sudan’s Army, Rapid Support Forces Sign 7-day Ceasefire May 21, 2023
Introduction:
(Al Jazeera) Warring factions in Sudan have agreed to a seven-day ceasefire following talks in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, according to a statement from Washington and Riyadh, as fighting that has killed hundreds and displaced more than a million entered its sixth week.
The ceasefire agreement was signed late on Saturday.
It will take effect 48 hours after, at 9:45pm local time (19:45 GMT) on Monday, the sponsors of the talks, the United States and Saudi Arabia, said in their joint statement.
Numerous previous ceasefire agreements were violated. However, this agreement will be enforced by a US-Saudi and international-supported monitoring mechanism, the statement said without providing details.
The agreement also calls for distributing humanitarian assistance, restoring essential services and withdrawing forces from hospitals and essential public facilities.
Fire razes school dormitory in Guyana, killing at least 19 children, many of them Indigenous
Source: AP
By BERT WILKINSON an hour ago
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — A nighttime fire raced through a dormitory in Guyana early Monday, killing at least 19 students and injuring several others at a boarding school catering to remote, mostly Indigenous villages, authorities said.
“This is a horrific incident. It’s tragic. It’s painful,” President Irfaan Ali said, adding that his government was mobilizing all possible resources to care for the children.
The fire broke out shortly before midnight in the dormitory building of a secondary school in the southwestern border town of Mahdia, a gold and diamond mining community about 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of the capital, Georgetown, the government said in a statement.
Officials initially said 20 students were killed but later updated the toll to 19, with several others injured. National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia said the figure was revised after doctors revived a very critical patient that “everyone thought was dead.”
