East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 09 December 2022; 557

Fighting between rival army groups in remote areas of South Sudan's Upper Nile State has spread into a camp housing people displaced by the violence, religious leaders said Thursday.

The bloodshed has killed an unknown number of people while rape, murder and kidnapping have been reported as the conflict intensifies.

Father Paolino Tipo Deng, a Comboni missionary priest and chairman of Upper Nile Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, urged warring parties to embrace peace and dialogue in a bid to restore stability.

“We condemn and reject such senseless and unnecessary war among people of one nation who are supposed to be living in peace and harmony, collaborating together for their good,” Deng told Anadolu Agency in the nation’s capital of Juba. “We urge the warring parties to a cease-fire and stop blood-shedding.”

The conflict erupted in August between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-opposition (SPLA-IO) faction, led by Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual, and the Agwelek militia force under Gen. Johnson Olony.

The conflict later on expanded to members of the Nuer and Shiluk communities. The root cause of the conflict concerns land.

Deng urged the government to intervene and stop the conflict which has resulted in the deaths of civilians and displacement of thousands from their homelands.

“We call on the president, first vice president and all peace partners to take immediate action to stop the fighting and open up their hearts in a sincere dialogue to address the root causes of this conflict,” said Deng.

The abduction of women and children and the destruction of properties and livelihoods have also been reported.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is alarmed by the escalating conflict which has displaced at least 20,000 people, some of them forced to flee for their lives up to four times as the conflict rages. At least 3,000 have already fled to neighboring Sudan, further intensifying South Sudan’s refugee crisis, the largest in Africa.

The armed conflict erupted in the village of Tonga on August 15. Violence has since spread further to northern parts of the states of Jonglei and Unity. It is currently advancing in the Upper Nile’s Fashoda county and is threatening the town of Kodok.

“Desperation is rising, and more people are fleeing as conflict intensifies,” said UNHCR’s Representative in South Sudan, Arafat Jamal. “Civilians are under attack in this ruthless conflict; we must ensure their protection.”

Women and children and others at high risk make up the majority of those displaced. Some elderly people or those with disabilities, have been unable to flee and are compelled to hide in bushes and along the White Nile River during attacks.

Fleeing civilians are visibly traumatized and report killings, injuries, gender-based violence, abductions, extortion, looting and burning of properties. Many have lost their homes and have been separated from their families.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has directed the Chief of Defense Forces, Santino Deng Wol, to deploy unified forces to conflict-affected areas in the Upper Nile state. - Benjamin Takpiny, Anadolu Agency

Details: East Africa; 07 December 2022; 527

President Museveni

President Museveni yesterday said all government departments will purchase electric buses as one of the ways to reduce costs associated with high fuel prices.

He said when fuel prices went up due to a war in Ukraine, Ugandans begged him to subsidise fuel and consumables such as food, something he could not do.

“I don’t agree with subsidising fuel for driving to night clubs. People kept on pressuring me that Kenya had subsidised. If Kenya did, I wish them good luck. The only thing I can accept to subsidise is fertilisers, not consumables,” Mr Museveni said.

President Museveni, who was speaking yesterday during the 3rd Bi-Annual Presidential CEO Forum at Chobe Safari Lodge in Karuma, Kiryandongo District, said as one of the ways to avoid high prices of fuel, he advised people to substitute diesel and petroleum vehicles with the electric ones but that the process is slow.

“Kira motor boss called for take-off agreements to promote E-mobility and this is going to be done. As a result, all government departments will buy electric buses and I encourage Uganda Development Bank (UDB) to give cheap loans to all Ugandans who want to buy electric motorcycles,” Mr Museveni said.

His revelation followed a request from the chief executive officer of Kira Motors Corporation, Mr Paul Musasizi, who asked the government to sign the take-off agreements.

Mr Musasizi also asked the government to give tax holidays to all people dealing in equipment of electric cars.

“Over 2.5 million people use public means to Kampala Metropolitan areas. If the UDB can give transport associations cheap loan to purchase only 2,000 buses, Kampala would be a better place,” Mr Musasizi said.

President Museveni directed the Ministry of Technology to set up an institute that will train people who will maintain electric cars.

He also said all people dealing in electric cars should be given tax holidays.

Meanwhile, President Museveni listed a number of business stimulus his government had been able to achieve such as peace health, education.

He said his government is now working on improving transport networks by ensuring that all districts are given enough money to work on their roads.

He added that the government is renovating railway transport as one of the means of reducing cost of cargo transport.

“Apart from road transport, I want put to emphasis railway and water transport. You can avoid road transport, which is expensive. We are going to renovate Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Pakwachi railway” Mr Museveni said.

He also said they are working on reducing the power tariffs, something he said will also stimulate businesses. By Damali Mukhaye, Daily Monitor

Details: East Africa; 07 December 2022; 539

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino during a past political rally FILE

Embakasi Member of Parliament Babu Owino on Wednesday, December 7, put President William Ruto on the spot over unmet promises.

While addressing a public rally at Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi, the lawmaker told a charged crowd that Ruto rose into power by outrightly lying to Kenyans.

With his first 100 days in office lapsing, Owino argued that Ruto was yet to fulfil any of many pledges he made.

A file image of President William Ruto FILE

“Ruto lied to Kenyans that he will lower the prize of maize flour in first 100 days yet it has gone up,” Babu Owino lamented.

Ruto on September 13, had asked Kenyans to give him one week to lower maize flour price.

“We start the journey of reforming the agriculture sector next week so as to lower the cost of living in Kenya,” Ruto spoke back then.

Babu Owino further argued that Ruto had promised Kenyans free airtime something that was not actualized.

In the run up to the polls on June 29, while on the campaign trail, Ruto promised Kenyans, “You will no longer require airtime bundles; phone calls will be free in my government.”

The parliamentarian further faulted the president for giving Kenyans Hustler Fund loan instead of grant as earlier promised.

“Ruto promised Kenyans a grant but instead offered them a loan, I urge everyone to apply the loan and not pay.”

“There is no jail that accommodate every Kenyan if they default on payments,” Babu Owino told a charged crowd.

The MP further accused William Ruto of sabotaging the economy by banning clubs and Kazi Mtaani.

Babu warned Kenyans to prepare for tough times ahead as the country was heading to autocratic rule.

“We have dictatorship now in the country because the president has already captured the Judiciary, National Assembly and the Office of Directorate of Public Prosecutions,” the MP warned Kenyans.

A collage of ODM supporters in Kamukunji Nairobi, with Azimio Party leader Raila Odinga. By Kioko Nyamasyo, KENYANS.CO.KE

Details: East Africa; 07 December 2022; 596

Azimio coalition party leader Raila Odinga has arrived at the historic Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi for a public consultative forum. The meeting, according to Mr Odinga, is a coming together of Kenyans to share views on the state of affairs in the country. The meeting, according to Mr Odinga, is a coming together of Kenyans to share views on the state of affairs in the country.

Azimio coalition party leader Raila Odinga has arrived at the historic Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi for a public consultative forum.

The meeting, according to Mr Odinga, is a coming together of Kenyans to share views on the state of affairs in the country.

He's accompanied by other Azimio leaders including Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Wycliffe Oparanya, Eugene Wamalwa and Edwin Sifuna among others

The consultative forum made 12 key resolutions to address the challenges facing Kenyans.

The leaders resolved that the William Ruto-led administration should be pressured to institute measures to reduce the cost of basic commodities, particularly by restoring subsidies of maize flour, fuel, school fees and electricity beginning January 2023, “failure to which Kenyans will be free to take such steps as they may deem fit to ease the burden of the yoke upon their shoulders”.

They said the government should also restore the school fees subsidy that saw the Education ministry reduce fees in all secondary schools and special needs schools.

They said that President Ruto should understand that “while his fortunes may have changed for the better”, for a majority of parents if not all, the economic situation has become worse or remained the same.

He's accompanied by other Azimio leaders including Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Wycliffe Oparanya, Eugene Wamalwa and Edwin Sifuna among others

The consultative forum made 12 key resolutions to address the challenges facing Kenyans.

They said the government should also restore the school fees subsidy that saw the Education ministry reduce fees in all secondary schools and special needs schools.

Details: East Africa; 07 December 2022; 591

Former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo alias Latoni has protested a move by the state prosecution to present new documents in court as evidence without prior disclosure to his defense team.

Speaking through his defense lawyers on Monday, Kwoyelo alleged that some of the correspondents presented in court recently are new and could have been fabricated with the intent to add more evidence to pin him.

Kwoyelo was on Monday appearing before the international crimes division (IDC) at Gulu High court where he is facing trial for 93 counts of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Evans Ochieng, Kwoyelo’s lawyer told the four judges of the IDC that his client is concerned about the manner in which some pieces of evidence were being brought in court recently.

He particularly cited a letter written by the director of public prosecutions (DPP) Jane Frances Abodo in September this year asking authorities of St Mary’s Hospital Lacor to provide records of patients treated after the May 16, 2004, attack on Pagak IDP camp. Pagak is one of the incident locations in Pabbo sub-county in Amuru district where Kwoyelo is accused of masterminding its attack.

The DPP’s letter also requested two of the hospital staff to be availed to testify in court with medical records of those who are alleged to have been treated at the time. But according to Ochieng, Kwoyelo has viewed the new evidence as part of the prosecution evidence which is being collected and fabricated against him since he has already been charged and committed for trial years ago.

"Some of the challenges he was raising had something to do with the late disclosure of certain documents. For instance, where you're bringing documents or collecting correspondences of 2022. He was like; these people are collecting or fabricating evidence against me. This case started way back. Some of those challenges he is raising, we have raised it with court and I think they will be addressed," saod Ochieng.

Ochieng says his client had threatened not to appear in court over the presentation of such evidence and prayed to the court to direct the prosecution to disclose their evidence early enough for the defence team.

Last week, the prosecution presented five victim witnesses before the court who testified on the alleged atrocities committed by the LRA rebels at Pagak IDP camp in which they sustained grave injuries and witnessed killings. Another witness presented was the institutional director of St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor Dr Martin Ogwang who testified about medical forms presented as evidence by the LRA victim witnesses.

However, Charles Kamuli, the assistant DPP told UN in an interview that they are not presenting any new evidence to pin the accused. He says the letter the accused is challenging is about an old investigation that had already been disclosed in court and to the defense lawyers.

"What happened last week was that there was a letter. You know, when we deal with institutions, we write and notify them about the trials and the dates when we shall need them in court. The DPP wrote to the CEO of Lacor hospital asking for records of the victims of Pagak incident who were treated at Lacor. The list of those victims is already known, the medical forms - we already have them and disclosed them. But what came in was our letter we wrote this year asking the CEO of Lacor hospital to come and testify and also to come along with his registrar in which those victims who were injured were documented. There is nothing new that we introduced," he said.

Kamuli also notes that the victims who testified are old witnesses adding that no new statements as been added to the testimony of the witnesses. Lillian Omara, one of the state prosecutors however apologized to the defense for failure to disclose the document in question on time.

“My lord, we only concede to the time of disclosure which wasn’t observed by the prosecution and we do apologize because the matter came up when we were already in court and that we hadn’t foreseen. The only remedy was would have been to give for defence to study the document in question,” Omara told the court.

Presiding judge Michael Elubu noted that the general principle of disclosure must be made on time, adding that the defence must have adequate resources to respond and prepare for their defence. He however says in an instance where both the defense and the prosecution need to produce evidence that has come into their possession late during the trial, the court can make a decision.

Elubu adjourned court till Tuesday when the state is expected to start presenting witnesses to testify on incidents. At least 41 state witnesses have so far been presented by the state in court since the trial of Kwoyelo commenced in 2018.

Kwoyelo who has been in custody for 13 years is accused of sexual violence, murder, hostage-taking and kidnapping, robbery, and pillaging among others allegedly committed between 1993 and 2005 in Pabbo sub-county, Amuru district. - URN/The Observer