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Gangsters are telling those wishing to make it to Britain to "hurry", and claim the controversial plan will make it "impossible". They also warn that anyone who makes the trip after the deal takes effect will be sent to the African country.

A Border Force source said: "It is a scare tactic. But it is clearly working because even in bitterly cold and dangerous conditions they are trying their best to come here." 

"It's shocking. There will be more deaths soon."

"The migrants have no idea - they risk their lives to come to Britain, not Rwanda."

The source added: "This shows the gangsters will use every trick in the book to keep this lucrative business model going.

"They can easily adapt, just like drug dealers."

"It is a criminal enterprise on a global scale."

Earlier this month, one person died and 66 people had to be rescued when a crowded boat ran into difficulties.

The tragedy underlines the importance of Rishi Sunak's efforts to "stop the boats", Downing Street said.

At least eight other asylum seekers died while attempting to make the perilous trip this year.

The Prime Minister saw off a Tory rebellion over the Rwanda bill but still faces a battle to get it through Parliament.

The legislation passed its first Commons hurdle with a majority of 44 but there will be further votes in the new year.  By Jonathan Walker, Matthew Davis, Daily Express

 Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has encouraged Kenyans to maintain hope in the approaching New Year and unite against corruption and greed.

In his New Year’s message on Sunday, Kalonzo conveyed optimism, expressing his belief that Kenyans would diligently strive to rectify misguided policies in the country.

“As we welcome 2024, I wish my fellow Kenyans God’s blessings whether we are Christians, Muslims, or Hindus. All Kenyans, wherever you are here or abroad, please keep Hope Alive. We have only One Nation – our Motherland Kenya,” said Kalonzo.

The ex-Vice President noted that the upcoming year will mark a pivotal moment for Kenyans who endured both challenging and hard economic times, prompting the Opposition coalition to organize protests.

“Fellow Kenyans, as we bid farewell to 2023 a year that has been both challenging and at times overwhelming. Kenyans have lost their lives because of the Kenya Kwanza regime’s arrogant reaction to peaceful protests. They were overwhelmed to their graves. 2024, I believe, will be a crucial year, indeed, a watershed moment for all of us,” he said.

He criticized the Kenya Kwanza government for not swiftly implementing established measures to address the disaster caused by the El Nino rains in different regions of the country.

Kalonzo asserted that the allocation of funds from the National government to counties, aimed at protecting Kenyans from the El Nino threat, appeared to be unsuccessful, despite prior warnings from the Meteorological Department.

“The year has also seen the El Niño phenomenon visit us again. The elements of nature could not take orders from those in authority who denied its pending existence. The disbursement of funds to the counties seemed to be prevaricated. Those in control seemed confused, disorganized, and ultimately overwhelmed,” he said.

“Happy New Year and God’s Blessings I wish for all of you!” By Wangechi Purity, Capital News

Workers displaying bags of sugar at Mkulazi Factory site in Tanzania. PHOTO | COURTESY

A sixth sugar factory has started production, boosting the Tanzania government’s efforts to cut down on sugar imports and control retail prices.

The Mkulazi Sugar Factory, a joint venture by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Tanzania Prisons Service started production in December, aiming to produce 50,000 tonnes per year.

The $148 million factory is registered as a special strategic investment by Tanzania Investment Centre and will be the first producer of industrial sugar in the country. Tanzania imports all its industrial sugar.

Read: Tanzania U-turns on latest sugar imports ban

The retail price for a kilo of brown sugar is Tsh3,200 ($1.3), making it one of the most expensive food commodities in Tanzania.

Targeting to end the scourge of sugar shortages and high prices of imported sugar, the Sugar Board of Tanzania (SBT) is pushing for increased acreage under sugarcane and expansion of sugar factories by inviting more investors into the sector. 

The government spends about $150 million to fill the deficit caused by low production in local factories, the SBT said.

Production target

Current sugar production in Tanzania is about 342,000 tonnes per year, against a demand of about 630,000 tonnes for home consumption and industrial production. The SBT has set a production target of 750,000 tonnes for local consumption and export.

Sugar production has for a while been concentrated in five operational factories; Kilombero Sugar Company, Tanganyika Planting Company (TPC), Kagera Sugar, Mtibwa Sugar Estates and Bagamoyo Sugar Factory whose production kicked off in 2022.

Read: Tanzania plans to grow more cane

Agriculture Minister Hussein Bashe said that production of sugarcane between 2023 and 2024 is expected to reach 4.5 million tonnes and produce 465,000 tonnes of sugar.

Currently, Tanzania imports sugar from Uganda, India, Brazil, Thailand and India to meet its demand for domestic and industrial sugar. By Apolinari Tairo, The East African

FILE - South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, right, with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit at Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, Aug. 22, 2023.
 

NAIROBI, KENYA — Africa worked in 2023 to become a focus of global power and draw the attention of influential nations seeking to build political and economic relations with the 54 countries on the continent.

In the past 12 months, African leaders visited European Union headquarters in Brussels, as well as India, Russia, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. They also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Africa to discuss China’s Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure program, climate change financing, business and trade deals, global peace and security.

Professor Chacha Nyaigotti-Chacha, chairman of the Kenyan Commission for University Education and an expert in diplomacy and international relations, said that Africa is an important player in global affairs and that other countries want to engage with the continent.

“They want to create strategies on how they can continue assuring the African states that they are friends of the Africans and, consequently, expecting that African countries will be able to continue relating with them amicably,” Nyaigotti-Chacha said. “They expect a lot of economic gains and political goodwill."

With conflicts such Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, political experts say international gatherings provide a means for some countries to seek Africa’s support.

Paul Melly, a consulting fellow with the Africa Program at research organization Chatham House in London, said Africa can be an influential voice in venues where countries vote on political and security issues, including the United Nations.

"There is a simple numerical fact in Africa,” he said. “Depending on how you count them, you are looking at 50 votes at the U.N. That's quite an arguing power.”

Some other continents have many countries in them, he said, but “one of the things that stands out for Africa is it's a continent where there is ... a culture of collective action.”

“That's quite a lot of votes, and quite a lot of political leverage," Melly said.

The tone other nations take is important when connecting with African leaders, he said.

You can have as many summits as you like, you can mobilize as many resources as you like, but ... if the tone is seen as not sufficiently respectful or [if they seem] unwilling to sit and listen to what African leaders have to say, you can sometimes find it doesn't work,” Melly said.

Even as African nations reach out to the rest of the world, they will need to engage more among themselves to present a stronger image, Nyaigotti-Chacha said.

"They will remember the year 2023 as the year they have made so many interactions with other international and foreign countries,” he said. "They will remember that and learn very fast to network within themselves in order ... to have one voice." VOA

AT least 6,886 terrorists and other suspected criminals were killed by the military during various operations across the country in 2023, the Defence Headquarters has said.

The military during the period in review also arrested 6,970 suspects while 4,488 kidnapped citizens were rescued across the country.

The Director of Defence Media Operations,  a Major General, Buba Edward, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, December 29, while briefing journalists on the activities of the troops across the country in 2023.

He additionally mentioned that the troops’ efforts during the year resulted in retrieving 100 million litres of stolen crude oil and 60 million litres of diesel.

“During the period, troops neutralised 6,886 terrorists and other criminal elements. Troops arrested 6,970 suspects, rescued 4,488 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered 3,320 assorted weapons and 39,075 assorted ammunition.

“Additionally, troops recovered 100,316,600 litres of crude oil, 60,339,426 litres of AGO, 3,465,450 litres of DPK, and 3,544,990 litres of PMS. ‘” 

While providing an update on the 2023 threats, Buba identified banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, oil theft, secessionist movements, and conflicts between farmers and herders as prominent concerns.

He further highlighted how these threat dynamics were defined along geographic regions, with some extending beyond regional boundaries.

Buba added that the predominant threat in the North Central and North West regions is armed banditry/terrorism while the Boko Haram Terrorists/Islamic State West African Province lingering insurgency remains the main threat in the North East region.

“The major threat in the South-East and South-West was the secessionist agitations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and the Yoruba Nation respectively.

“The South-South region continued to experience oil theft, cultism, and youth restiveness. However, acts of criminalities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes and cattle rustling were common across the  geopolitical zones,” he added.

Buba also conceded that the surge in the crime rate in 2023 could be attributed to the influx of small arms via porous borders and local arm fabrication within the country. 

“It is pertinent to point out that most security threats in the country were fueled by the proliferation of small arms exacerbated by the influx of illegal arms and ammunition through our porous borders and the preponderance of local arms fabrication factories in the country.

“Thus, the armed forces’ kinetic and non-kinetic efforts were geared towards tackling these threats in all the geo-political zones, ” Buba said

Insecurity attacks in 2023

Nigeria has experienced a wave of violent attacks in, particularly in Benue, Niger, Zamafara, Sokoto, Plateau, and some southeastern states where a faction of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been enforcing sit-at-home orders.

Data collated by The ICIR showed that between January and October 2023, 7,046 people were killed in violent attacks across Nigeria. 

This implied that an average of 24 persons were killed daily within the month under review. 

The ICIR gathered the data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a data bureau that collects real-time data on the locations, dates, actors, fatalities, and types of all reported political violence and protest events worldwide. 

When broken down by geopolitical zone, states in the North-Central reported 1,589 deaths, the North-East reported 2,691 deaths, and the North-West region had 1,767 deaths.

According to the data, the states with the highest killings within the ten months are Zamfara (672 deaths), Niger (544 deaths), Benue (454 deaths) and Plateau (362 deaths).

The ICIR reports that Zamfara has remained one of the hotbeds for insecurity in Nigeria, following activities of terrorists who have terrorised the state for over a decade.

The ICIR reported at least 15 deaths resulting from terror attacks in Zamfara state between September and October, including 11 worshippers who were killed during Juma’at prayers at a community mosque in the Ruwan Jema community, Bukkuyum.

Terrorists in the state killed more than 100 people in January 2023 when a large number of men invaded at least nine villages and unleashed mayhem in violent attacks that lasted for about three days.

 

Similarly, in Benue State, The ICIR has done extensive reports on how communities were attacked, resulting in several persons being killed. Some of the communities have been deserted as a result of insecurity. 

In April, four communities of Entekpa ward – Umogidi, Upu, Olakpoga and Iwili— in Otukpo local government area were attacked by militias with sophisticated weapons, leading to the deaths of at least 46 persons.

The attacks on these communities on April 5 were just one of many that have occurred in recent times across the Idoma ‘nation’ and Benue State as a whole.

Also, on December 24, about 96 people were killed in the attack by gunmen on several villages in the Plateau state, with many people also injured during the attacks. By Mustapha USMAN, ICIR

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