TERRORISM AND UNSAFETY OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES OVER THE A TROCIOUS ACTIVITIES OF HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. PAUL KAGAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA

Our ref RPRK/004/19

Your ref…………………

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 

OF RWANDA AND CHAIRMAN,

 EAST AFRICAN 

COMMUNITY,

Your  Excellency,

RE: TERRORISM AND UNSAFETY OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES OVER THE A TROCIOUS ACTIVITIES OF HIS EXCELLENCY, MR. PAUL KAGAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA:-

Reference is made to the above subject matter and particularly to ours dated 31^st December 2011in which we demanded for your immediate and unconditional resignation from  presidency of  Rwanda to reasons mentioned therein and we now address you in same regard as herein below:-

We reiterate our demand letters and would wish to supplement our demand with the following factual information:-

Mr. President, to the best of your own knowledge and ours, your government, under your personal supervision and control stage managed the 1994 “Tutsi genocide” by the Hutus in your country whereas you were, knowingly  and advertently  superintending the “Genocide” against the Hutus using the RPA and their supporting Militias.

Your Excellency, your current Government has also organized crimes against the people of Rwanda and assassinations of both Rwandese nationals and those of neighboring countries. Examples of your heinous killings include the late Colonel Patrick Karegeya (former Rwandan spy chief in South Africa), attempted assassination of Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa in South Africa, the Murders by poisoning of late His Majesty King Kigeli V Ndahindarwa Jean Baptist in the USA, Journalist Ingabire Charles (killed  in Uganda) and Business man Rwigara  Asinapol who died in an accident organized / stage managed by your regime among others.

With due respect your Excellency, you also planned and executed the murder of Burundi senior government officers such as Gen. Adolph Nshimirimana , Maj. Didier Muhimpundu, Lt Col. Darius Ikurakure, Minister of Environment Emmanuel Niyonkulu and others.

Too among those murdered / executed under your orders and supervision were Congolese Army officers including Col. Mamadou Ndala, Col. Makoma Semivumbi Jacques and Maj. Gen. Lucien Bahuma, among others.

This basically was done to destabilize the country in Burundi so that the citizens would lose confidence in the Regime and cause a civil war that would fail the current Regime of President Mr. Pierre Nkurunziza.

In Uganda, your Excellency, you sponsored civil strife/ striks financially and militarily, the assassination of former Police Assistant Inspection General of police, late Andrew Felix Kawesi, Late Major Kigundu , Late Assistant DPP MS. Joan Kagezi, late Hon. Abiriga Ibrahim, late. Brigadier Gen. Noble Mayombo, late, General Aronda  Nyakairima and Many Moslem clerics. You also sponsored the Arson of  Buganda Royal Tombs at Kasubi in revenge that Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa was housed by Uganda en route to exile. The list is long.

As if the above were not enough, you have been sponsoring and also deploying armed personnel to your neighboring countries to destabilize their regimes for example Kenya ,Tanzania, Congo, Uganda, and Burundi to mention but few!!

On 4^th April and 26^th November, 2016 respectively, you armed and supported guards in the kingdom of  the Bakonjo against their king, His Highness Charles Mumbere iremangoma to attack and kill innocent policemen, soldiers and security personnel in Uganda. This was done under the cover and umbrella of ADF/ UNLA. It is apparent that this was a diversionary tactic to confuse Ugandan security to concentrate on security in Kasese as you were planning to attack and capture power in Kampala. Had it not been for the Ugandan security consciousness and ever –decisive defense, you would have caused serious bloodshed and destruction on Ugandan territory.

You ought to apologize  both to your fellow countrymen, Ugandans, Kenyans ,Tanzanians, Burundians, DR Congolese, Counterparts and the common wealth countries and their citizenry for your actions of a planned unlawful unseating,(coup d’ Etat),  against the democratically elected Governments of a sovereign neighboring state.

In addition to the above and as if the same were not belligerent enough, you have conscripted and sponsored some of your nationals to train as policemen, soldiers and cadets in neighboring countries in  order to win the interest of that country and  You have armed and deployed in Towns and cities of your neighboring countries as agents of espionage (spies) against elected governments which is against the East African community spirit of combined security in the region, non-intervention in matters of sovereign states, protection of territorial  integrities of the member –statesand acts of war in the region.

The above accelerated / worsened by the fact that you have  assumed  superiority  by even  deploying  in independent countries/ states with a view to exterminating both real and assumed  political  and military opponents which  is contrary to both domestic, regional and international law under their independent conventions.

We note that you have totally lost the pan African spirit that is exemplified by other positive pan African presidents which is the more basis of this missive.

We the RPRK do demand and urge notwithstanding the above however, your Excellency to be courteous enough and resign from the Rwandan Presidency and apologize to the people of Rwanda and East Africa at large for the above crimes and others that have not been mentioned, which on request, we shall detail all the information with the consent of the EAC very soon.

By copies, hereof, we request the international community to exert pressure and prevail over on you to make an open apology to the international community and the affected countries in particular and make an undertaking to desist from further belligerent activities that might isolate Rwanda from East African and Africa peace loving and law –abiding countries and make amends to create lasting peace in Rwanda, East African and Africa generally; of course pending your immediate step down.

The integration of the AU and the EAC similarly has been frustrated by the imperialist perpetrators who have ignored Africa’s development in favor of western interests.So if Africa had been united, we would have developed much earlier in the absence of imperialist interests and their cohorts like President Paul Kagame of your type.

RPRK now calls upon fellow pan-African politicians to support our cause.

We hope you will act positively and expect your response soonest and we thank you in anticipation, otherwise we shall have no visible alternative than the inevitable; and expect no further warning.

FOR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY.

……………………………

CHAIRMAN, RPRK

Eugene Nkubito

Cc   Secretary General, UN

Cc   The European Union

Cc   The sitting Presidents, Common Wealth Countries

Cc   International Human Rights Organizations

Cc   The sitting Presidents, Francophone Countries

Cc   The Chairman, African Union

Cc   All Presidents, African Countries

Cc   Members of RPRK

Cc   The press

By Jerry Chifamba

Cape Town — The full line-up for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations has been completed, after the final fixtures on March 24.

South Africa – Bafana Bafana secured the last spot in Egypt following a 2-1 win over Libya in Tunisia on March 24, 2019.

Zimbabwe – The Warriors seal their place with a 2-0 win over Congo to finish top of Group G ahead of DR Congo.

DR Congo -  China-based Cedric Bakambu’s goal on March 24 ensured DR Congo made it to Egypt instead of Liberia.

Tanzania – The Taifa Stars beat rivals Uganda 3-0 in Dar es Salaam on Sunday to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 1980.

Cameroon – Defending champions, The Indomitable Lions sealed qualification on the final matchday after beating Comoros 3-0 in Yaounde on March 23.

Madagascar – T he Barea secured qualification following a 1-0 home victory over Equatorial Guinea in early October.

Burundi – The Swallows qualified for the African Cup of Nations finals for the first time after a 1-1 draw with Gabon on March 23.

Tunisia -  The Eagles of Carthage qualified after they finished top of Group J, two points above Egypt.

Egypt -  The host nation took part in the qualifiers and secured their spot after finishing second behind Tunisia.

Senegal – The  Lions of Teranga secured an early qualification with 1-0 victory over Sudan in Khartoum in October.

Mauritania  – The Lions of Chinguetti secured their first ever qualification with a 2-1 win over Botswana in November.

Angola – The Giant sable antelopes clinched a place in Egypt with a 1-0 win over hosts Botswana on March 22 to finish top of Group I.

Côte d’Ivoire – The Elephants qualified after sharing the spoils with Guinea in Conakry in November.

Nigeria – The Super Eagles needed a last-minute Moses Simon goal to seal a 3-1 home win over Seychelles in a to qualify as leaders of Group E.

Uganda – The Cranes sealed qualification with a 1-0 win over Cape Verde in November.

Ghana – The Black Stars will be hoping to end their 37-year-wait for the title in Egypt after they qualified for their eighth straight tournament.

Mali – The Eagles completed their campaign unbeaten.

Guinea – The National Elephants finished top of Group H, one point above Ivory Coast.

Kenya – The Harambee Stars finished second behind Ghana in the qualifiers.

Namibia – The Brave Warriors, despite being thrashed 4-1 by Zambia in Lusaka, qualified in second place in Group K ahead of Mozambique on the head to head results between the two countries.

Benin – The Squirrels battled past a Togo side led by former Real Madrid and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor to qualify for the first time since 2010.

Guinea-Bissau – A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser from Frederic Mendy secured The Djurtus top place in Group K after a 2-2 draw at home to Mozambique.

Algeria - The Desert Warriors topped Group D with 11 points to qualify for the finals.

Morocco – Herve Renard’s Atlas Lions booked their spot in the Afcon following 2-0 win over Cameroon in Casablanca in November.

By Misairi Thembo Kahungu

Kampala — President Museveni has issued a warning to anyone planning to destabilise Uganda, saying they will be met with decisive destruction.

« Those who want to disturb Uganda, they don’t know our capacity. Our capacity is very big. Once we mobilise, you cannot survive. I can assure you of that if you are a trouble maker, » the President said at the weekend while commissioning five factories in Mbalala Village, Nama Sub-county in Mukono District.

Mr Museveni did not direct his warning to any particular person or group but his remarks come at a time Uganda and Rwanda are having tense bilateral relations.

The simmering fallout has resulted in Rwanda closing its border with Uganda at Katuna.

As Mr Museveni issued the warning, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking at a government retreat in Kigali, said he had heard of people who have said they don’t want to be destabilised but added that those same people should also not disturb others.

Mr Kagame too did not mention anyone in particular but in the past one week, the two neighbouring countries have been exchanging unpleasant bilateral statements.

Factories commissioned

During the Saturday function, Chinese investors commended President Museveni for deploying security around the factories following an armed robbery on CCLE Rubber Factory in the same area in October last year.

Mr Paul Zhang, the chairperson of Tian Tang Group, said at the time of establishing the Tian Tang Industrial Park, the biggest threat was insecurity with few investors interested in setting up factories there. Mbalala, formerly a swampy area, hosts 21 factories of the 42 in Mukono.

The five factories which were commissioned include mattress and steel manufacturing plants at Tian Tang Industrial Park, Royikems Industries for mattresses and plastics, Landy Industries that manufacture sandals and shoes, Sino Textiles factory for blankets and CCLE Rubber that produces motorcycle tyres, tubes and lubricants.

The President said he has always assured all people seeking to invest in Uganda that the country is peaceful with a strong security system which makes it the right investment destination.

« I want to thank the investors for coming to invest in our country. This is a correct decision. They are in the right place at the right time. There was a little bit of crime but I told the investors that pending installation of cameras on these roads, and even before other security measures are put in place, we can guarantee security by purely human means, and they saw it, » Mr Museveni said.

The President said the request by the investors to increase import duty on goods produced outside the region, would be discussed at the East African Community (EAC) level because it is provided for in the protocol.

Responding to a call by the Mukono District chairperson, Mr Andrew Ssenyonga, to compel investors to raise wages for more than 50,000 Ugandans working in the different factories in the area, the President said the Minimum Wage Bill recently passed by Parliament will address such labour issues.

He, however, warned leaders and the people working for different investors to go slow on demands for wage increment because the latter are also still incurring high costs of production.

On wages

« In order to enable our investors to pay good wages, we must help them to have low costs. We intend to bring down the cost of electricity to not more than 5 cents (of American dollar) per unit and then also lower the cost of transport from the ocean to here, » Mr Museveni said.

The investors said they have been supplying the Ugandan and regional market.

The Tian Tang Group said they export Ugandan-made mattresses and cardboards to the region and beyond while CCLE Rubber has been exporting 50 per cent of their products.

Mr Fang said their motorcycle tyres and tubes manufactured here help Uganda save $10m (about Shs36.8b) that would have been spent on importing the same products and save another $6m (about Shs22.1b).

The Chinese ambassador to Uganda, Mr Zheng Zhu Qiang, said Chinese have not only set up factories to make profit but have transferred new technologies and subsidise imports and improved people’s incomes.

State Minister for Investment Evelyn Anite said the demand for products made in Uganda is growing because of the good quality.

Observers say Saturday’s vote to re-elect Muhammadu Buhari or his main rival Atiku Abubakar is too close to call. The election was marred by technical issues that delayed the opening of polling stations in some areas.

Most polling stations closed at 2 p.m local time (1300 UTC) in Nigeria on Saturday following a delayed election to pick the president of Africa’s most populous nation and leading oil producer.

Despite a promise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it had overcome logistical difficulties that forced the postponement of last weekend’s vote, some polling stations still opened hours late.

A coalition of civic groups said there were delays to the delivery of some materials and deployment of staff. Election officials allowed those stations to remain open past the afternoon deadline.

Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari was one of the first to vote, and he emerged from the polling booth in his home town of Daura, in the northwest state of Katsina, to say he was confident of victory.

His main challenger, Atiku Abubakar, who represents the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), voted in Yola, in the northeastern state of Adamawa.

Early results have revealed Abubakar lost at his home polling station in the northern city of Yola, with Buhari coming in first place with 186 votes compared to 167 for Abubakar.

Economic woes weigh on Nigerians

Most observers say victory for either frontrunner is still too close to call, with the outcome set to hinge on which man voters most trust to revamp an economy still struggling to recover from a 2016 recession.

The results — including for a parliamentary election that ran alongside — are to be announced in the early part of next week.

Saturday’s election was postponed by a week just hours before polls were due to open on the morning of February 16 with officials blaming logistical challenges. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP accused each other of conspiring with INEC to rig the result.

Hours before polls opened on Saturday, suspected Islamist insurgents attacked the northeast town of Geidam, forcing residents to flee.

Despite the delays and concerns that heavy security may intimidate potential voters, Buhari described the voting process as « smooth. »

Some voters who made it to the polls encountered frustrating logistical problems. Before casting their ballot, registered voters must check to see if their serial number is listed on the wall at the polling station. But would-be voter Grace could not find her number on the list at a polling station in Abuja.

« I have checked, I can not see my own, » she told DW. « I have a voter’s card but I cannot vote because I don’t have my serial number. »

Grace was eventually assured by a polling station official that she would still be allowed to vote, however, DW cannot confirm that she cast her ballot.

#DefendYourVote

Nigerians are still divided over who deserves the top job. The majority of voters are under 35 and many young Nigerians want Buhari out.

« A lot of us are not happy, » one young woman told DW. « There is bloodshed, the government is not doing a lot [to fix] what is happening in this country. »

But others think Buhari deserves a second term, with one young male vote in Abuja telling DW: « He has fought corruption and he has actually provided direction. »

Despite the record number of registered voters, militant group Boko Haram warned people not to cast their ballots. The group and its offshoot, Islamic State in West Africa Province, have carried out deadly sporadic raids in the northeastern Borno state.

The election campaign has coincided with fresh violence in northern Nigeria, blamed on criminal gangs as well as Boko Haram jihadists. More than 200 people have died since the start of this month alone.

72.8 million voting cards

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the INEC, said that 72.8 million cards had been collected out of 84 million registered voters. Candidates need to win the most votes and at least 25 percent support in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.

Buhari was elected president in 2015, but many Nigerians believe he has failed to live up to his initial campaign promises which included cracking down on rampant corruption and fighting Boko Haram. For Abubakar, it is his fifth attempt at the presidency on the PDP ticket. The 72-year-old businessman-turned-politician has been implicated in a number of corruption scandals over the years.

Fanny Facsar contributed to this article

analysis By Paulin Maurice Toupane, Aissatou Kanté and Adja Khadidiatou Faye

Senegal will choose its president on 24 February in an atmosphere clouded by suspicions that the incumbent, Macky Sall, has engineered recent electoral reforms to secure a second term in office.

Shortly after the start of the electoral campaign, on 7 February, Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) leader and former president Abdoulaye Wade declared: ‘Macky Sall already has his percentage, some say 55%, others say 65%, so why go to these elections? He rigged everything and we understood … he chose his candidates and defrauded on the electoral file.’

Wade’s statements echo the feeling of the opposition and some of the public that changes to the electoral code in July 2018, and legal proceedings against two of Sall’s main opponents, were aimed at removing important rivals to facilitate the incumbent’s re-election.

Recent reforms have heightened opposition parties’ suspicions. Given the large number of candidates (47) during the 2017 legislative elections, the government considered it necessary to limit the number for local, legislative and presidential elections. The aim was to lower election costs and enable citizens to better engage with candidates’ campaign programmes.

The two parties that dominated politics for four decades are absent from the upcoming polls

A law was passed on 18 June 2018 establishing a citizen sponsorship system. It requires presidential candidates – whether independent or affiliated to a party or a coalition – to obtain citizen sponsorship (through signatures) of at least 0.8% and at most 1% of the electoral roll in at least seven regions of the country.

This was boycotted by the opposition. Of the 87 original candidates for the presidential election, 27 finally submitted their applications to the Constitutional Council and only seven were validated by the council.

In theory, government’s arguments in favour of citizen sponsorship are acceptable. In practice, the introduction of the system barely a few months before the elections – and without consensus – casts doubt about the real objectives of the process.

First, the electoral roll that would have allowed candidates to verify the existence and accuracy of their sponsors’ names, preventing signatures from being invalidated, was not made available to them. Second, the software-based data verification mechanism wasn’t subjected to consultation among stakeholders. Finally, the lack of explanation of the reasons for certain rejections has increased the feeling of a lack of transparency among the opposition and sectors of the public.

Unlike 2007 and 2012 when 15 and 14 candidates ran for election, only five will stand in 2019

The review of Article L57 of the electoral code in July 2018 introduced a pre-condition requiring all presidential candidates to be eligible to vote before submitting their candidacies. The opposition sees this as another move to disqualify Karim Wade and Khalifa Sall – two of Sall’s main opponents.

Their candidacies were invalidated by the Constitutional Council when they lost their voter status because of their respective convictions for illicit enrichment and embezzlement of public funds. This rejection provoked strong reactions from their supporters.

Karim Wade, the PDS’s candidate, was sentenced in 2016 to six years in prison. Khalifa Sall, former mayor of Dakar and leader of the coalition Manko Wattu Senegal, who was excluded from the Socialist Party (PS), was sentenced in 2018 to five years in prison.

Their two parties, which have dominated Senegal’s political history for at least four decades, are the main absentees from the upcoming polls. For the first time since 1960, the PS won’t participate in a presidential election. Since 2012 its leader Ousmane Tanor Dieng has supported the candidacy of Macky Sall in the form of the Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition.

For the first time since 1960, the Socialist Party won’t participate in a presidential election

The PDS, whose leader Abdoulaye Wade has run in all the presidential polls since 1978, won’t have a candidate since Karim Wade was disqualified. Unlike the 2007 and 2012 elections, which had 15 and 14 candidates respectively, only five will stand in the 2019 presidential elections.

Macky Sall, who is running for a second term, Idrissa Seck, leader of the Rewmi, and Madické Niang, from the Madické 2019 coalition, are all former senior PDS officials. Two rising figures on the political scene are also in the running – Ousmane Sonko, from the Pastef les Patriotes party, a former tax inspector; and El Hadj Issa Sall, of the Unity and Rally Party (PUR).

As 24 February approaches, suspicions persist and political tensions are rising. The president’s refusal to appoint a neutral minister of interior to organise Senegal’s elections reinforces this feeling. The current minister, a ruling party member, stated in February last year that he would do his best to ensure Macky Sall’s victory.

With the public debate focused on how the elections are being organised, voters are missing out on the chance to make an informed choice about what the candidates have to offer. The current situation shows how important it is to ensure the confidence of all stakeholders in the ballot process.

Free and transparent elections will help consolidate the country’s democratic gains. The government agencies responsible for organising the elections – such as the interior ministry and the National Electoral Commission – must do everything in their power to make sure the polls are credible.

Paulin Maurice Toupane, Researcher, Aissatou Kanté, Junior Researcher, Adja Khadidiatou Faye, Junior Fellow, ISS Dakar

Source: ISS

The National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus.

The national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, on Saturday condemned the postponement of the 2019 general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

In a statement his spokesperson, Ike Abonyi, Mr Secondus described the development as a deliberate plot by President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power even when it has become obvious to him that Nigerians want him out.

Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, announced at about 2:40 a.m. Saturday that the election had been postponed, barely hours after Nigerians were set to hit the polling units.

The elections would now hold on new dates scheduled as February 23 for presidential and National Assembly elections and March 9 for governorship and state assemblies elections.

Mr Yakubu said the announcement came hours after a string of strategic meetings were held by top INEC officials to review preparedness for the exercise. It was concluded that a rash of logistics challenges that arose on Friday informed the postponement.

Ekiti, Niger and Taraba States were identified as some of the states that faced glitches in distribution of voting materials that would be difficult to resolve in time for the elections Saturday morning, thereby forcing the postponement.

Nigerians online expressed severe disappointment in INEC’s decision, with many criticising the umpire for displaying incompetence since it had four years to prepare for the exercise.

Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate, also condemned the postponement and accused the Buhari administration of inflicting it on Nigerians to disenfranchise them.

Mr Secondus warned that the party will not accept anything short of a well organised electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and opposition elements.

« Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable », Mr Secondus said.

Mr Secondus alleged that the APC in connivance with the INEC has been trying to undermine the exercise, including burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act.

« With several of their riggings failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

« For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away, » Mr Secondus said.

The National Chairman recalls that the PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians that the APC was coming up with lined up rigging strategies including burning down of INEC offices and engineering crisis in PDP strong hold areas to scare away the people.

Mr Secondus also blamed the killing of about 66 persons, including women and children, in Southern Kaduna on the APC, saying it was a scheme by the ruling party to frighten the people away from voting states.

Mr Secondus did not present any evidence to support his allegations against the APC on either the elections shift or the deaths in Kaduna State.

Earlier, Festus Keyamo, a spokesperson for Mr Buhari’s campaign, released a statement criticising the PDP as being behind the postponement, and called on Nigerians and the international community to safeguard the independence of the electoral commission from sinister influence of the opposition.

Source:Premium Times

Adagom refugee settlement, run by UNHCR, was established in August 2018 to host some of the Cameroonian refugees living in local communities around Cross River. In early December 2018, it was hosting more than 6,400 refugees.

analysis By Peter Fabricius

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a remarkable achievement, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) enthuses. ‘At a time when trade is questioned in some parts of the world,’ African leaders have taken a ‘bold step in favour of trade and of the economic integration of the continent’, it notes. UNCTAD believes this free trade area could boost intra-African trade by 33%.

Albert Muchanga, the African Union’s (AU) Commissioner for Trade and Industry, is equally optimistic. At least 19 AU member states will have deposited their instruments of ratification with the AU Commission by the end of the AU summit in Addis Ababa this week, he says.

One of those will be South Africa, which has already ratified the treaty through Parliament. But President Cyril Ramaphosa wants to personally deposit the instrument of ratification at the summit to show the importance Pretoria places on the agreement, says Muchanga.

Nineteen will be just three short of the 22 ratifications needed to bring the AfCFTA into force. Muchanga confidently predicted to ISS Today that those extra ratifications would be done by July at the latest, allowing for the ‘launch’ of the free trade area at a special AU summit in Niamey in July.

The AU took the unusual step of launching AfCFTA before schedules to scrap import tariffs were agreed

That would however be the second launch of the AfCFTA. The first was in Kigali last March when 44 AU members showed their in-principle support by signing the agreement. Another five have since signed.

Given all the pomp and ceremony, it’s necessary to caution that no goods will cross any border duty-free under the agreement for some time to come. This is mainly because the AU took the unusual step of launching – and now relaunching – the agreement before the crucial schedules on scrapping import tariffs had been agreed.

‘There are no tariff schedules, no Annex on rules of origin, nor rules for specific services sectors to regulate such trade,’ writes Gerhard Erasmus of South Africa’s Trade Law Centre (TRALAC). ‘And it may take quite some time before they will be finalised. These are sensitive and technically complicated matters; especially when 55 countries at very different levels of economic development are involved.’

Muchanga remains optimistic, however, insisting that negotiations on rules of origin are 80% complete and will be done by June. But he doesn’t put a date on the completion of the real nitty-gritty in this as in any free trade agreement – negotiations for Protocols on Trade in Goods and Trade in Services. These determine precisely which imports countries will let in duty-free and which not. The framework agreement requires them to liberalise 90% of trade, allowing them to exempt 10%.

UNCTAD has cautioned that with levels of intra-Africa trade generally so low anyway, it is theoretically possible to exempt almost all trade between certain countries and still be compliant with the letter, though certainly not the spirit, of the AfCFTA.

Negotiations on the rules of origin are difficult and critical, and must be agreed by June this year

Aware of this problem, AU trade ministers meeting in Cairo in December agreed that products to be excluded from liberalisation may represent no more than 3% of tariff lines, accounting for no more than 10% of the value of imports from other African countries. The overall 10% exemption also includes sensitive products that will be liberalised over 10 years for Africa’s 21 developing countries and 13 years for the 33 least developing countries.

The trade ministers also agreed that countries should be given until January 2020 to adopt their negotiated market access offers, and that rules of origin must be agreed by June this year. The negotiations over these rules are difficult and critical though.

On the one hand they can be too strict, and a country can use them as a protectionist instrument by insisting that all or nearly all the inputs into African goods they import must be made in Africa.

On the other hand, some countries – and South Africa is evidently among them – fear that if the rules are too lenient, China for example could channel a flood of clothes into Africa just by adding a few buttons to them on the continent and calling them African goods.

There is also still some concern about the participation of bigger economies. South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia are in. Nigeria so far is not, although Muchanga believes it will be soon. He says the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, which initially spearheaded opposition to the AfCFTA, is now in favour of it. Egypt, which this year chairs the AU, has also not ratified, although it is expected to.

The framework agreement requires countries to liberalise 90% of trade, allowing them to exempt 10%

Is there cause for concern? Trade negotiations inevitably take longer than originally planned. It is no doubt because of the lack of implementation of past agreements that the AU – under the assertive direction of Rwandan president and AU chairperson Paul Kagame – rushed to launch the AfCFTA in March last year, and has been cracking the whip ever since.

This political pressure is maintaining the momentum of the remaining negotiations. And the eventual prize could be significant. UNCTAD estimates that full liberalisation – 100% liberalisation of tariffs on trade in goods – would boost intra-African exports by 33% in value over the transition period. These goods are now worth about US$62 million, representing about 18% of total exports. Most African countries’ GDPs would rise by 1% to 3% and total African employment would rise by 1.2%.

However the hype around the AfCFTA could backfire if negotiations drag on too long or fail. Erasmus warns that, ‘The benefits of the AfCFTA have been actively sold by the AU leadership during the preceding negotiations. Expectations are high.’

If traders and investors don’t reap the promised benefits and begin to suspect they have been sold a political project with little concrete value, this will undermine the AfCFTA’s legitimacy – and the whole notion of free trade. That comes with a price, in large lost customs revenues and business lost to competitors. The compensating benefits must also be large and real.

Peter Fabricius, ISS Consultant

This is the fifth in a series of articles focusing on the African Union summit which starts this week. The 2019 AU theme focuses on finding solutions to forced displacement in Africa.

Source: ISS

Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo after his shock acquittal at the International Criminal Court.

He was granted a conditional release by the ICC. He must remain in his host country. He is also not allowed to contact any witnesses from his case or speak publicly about the case.

Gbagbo’s lawyer Emmanuel Altit unsuccessfully argued that conditional release went against the very principle of this client’s acquittal.

Belgium spokesman Karl Lagatie said his government took in Gbagbo because it is « part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions. »

bagbo and his co-defendant Charles Ble Goude were acquitted of crimes against humanity on January 15, but the ICC refused to release them until a host country was found.

Judges said the prosecution’s case was exceptionally weak in trying to link the men to election-related violence in Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011 that left roughly 3,000 people dead.

Prosecutors are planning to appeal.

Last month’s acquittal has intensified criticism of the ICC, which has convicted only four people in nearly 20 years of operation. One of them—former Congolese vice-president Jean Pierre Bemba—was later acquitted on appeals.

Critics say the court is ineffective and overly focused on African cases. Supporters note the so-called « court of last resort » is probing other regions of the world, and they say the court has insufficient means to realize a daunting mandate.

Belgium has agreed to take in former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo after his shock acquittal at the International Criminal Court.

He was granted a conditional release by the ICC. He must remain in his host country. He is also not allowed to contact any witnesses from his case or speak publicly about the case.

Gbagbo’s lawyer Emmanuel Altit unsuccessfully argued that conditional release went against the very principle of this client’s acquittal.

Belgium spokesman Karl Lagatie said his government took in Gbagbo because it is « part of the framework of our support for international criminal jurisdictions. »

SEE ALSO:

ICC Panel Places Conditions on Gbagbo’s Release

Gbagbo and his co-defendant Charles Ble Goude were acquitted of crimes against humanity on January 15, but the ICC refused to release them until a host country was found.

Judges said the prosecution’s case was exceptionally weak in trying to link the men to election-related violence in Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011 that left roughly 3,000 people dead.

Prosecutors are planning to appeal.

Last month’s acquittal has intensified criticism of the ICC, which has convicted only four people in nearly 20 years of operation. One of them—former Congolese vice-president Jean Pierre Bemba—was later acquitted on appeals.

Critics say the court is ineffective and overly focused on African cases. Supporters note the so-called « court of last resort » is probing other regions of the world, and they say the court has insufficient means to realize a daunting mandate.

Source: VOA

DR Congo has experienced its first transition of power via an election. Felix Tshisekedi has taken over from President Joseph Kabila despite questions over last month’s vote.

Opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, replacing longtime President Joseph Kabila following disputed elections.

During his inaugural speech, Tshisekedi briefly fell ill and left the stage. He later returned to finish his remarks, saying that he was exhausted by the election process and overcome by the emotion of the occasion.

In his remarks, Tshisekedi pledged to release all political prisoners in the country. He also appealed for peace and tolerance.

Ahead of the swearing in ceremony, Kabila on Wednesday said he would hand over power « without regret » and urged Congolese to support Tshisekedi, the 55-year-old son of the late opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.

Kabila, 47, had ruled the mineral-rich African giant since 2001 following the assassination of his father, rebel-turned-president Laurent.

Tshisekedi was declared the surprise winner of the December 30 election, which was held after Kabila delayed a vote for two years amid violent protests.

Thursday’s ceremony marked Congo’s first transfer of power via an election since gaining independence from Belgium in 1960. The country has been marred by a tumultuous history of coups, despots, assassinations, foreign interventions, civil war and the gutting of state institutions.

Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the election with 38.5 percent of the vote, while the opposition runner-up Martin Fayulu gained 34.8 percent. Kabila’s preferred successor, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, got 23.8 percent.

Fayulu has claimed he was the true winner of the election and that Kabila and Tshisekedi carried out an « electoral coup. » But Fayulu lost a court challenge for a recount.

His supporters accuse Kabila and Tshisekedi of striking a deal once it was clear Shadary had lost.Kabila and Tshisekedi deny there was a backroom deal.

Tallies made by Congo’s Catholic Church, which deployed 40,000 election monitors, found that Fayulu won. An pre-election opinion poll by the Congo Research Group, an organization affiliated with New York University, put Fayulu in the lead with 44 percent, followed by Tshisekedi at 24 percent and Shadary lagging behind with 18 percent.

Tshisekedi gets international backing

African and Western powers that had previously questioned voting irregularities have since shifted their response to support Tshisekedi in an apparent bid to avoid sparking more violence in the conflict-ridden nation. The previous two presidential elections, in 2006 and 2011, were marred by bloody clashes.

The United States said Wednesday it looked forward to working with Tshisekedi and urged authorities to address « reports of electoral irregularities » and be inclusive.

France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that « doubts » remain about the outcome of the election, but he stressed that the priority was to preserve peace and stability in the country.

Much of the population also appears to be simply content with Kabila leaving power and calls by Fayulu for protests have largely gone unheeded.

Kabila lurking behind the scenes?

Kabila’s ruling coalition will still retain power in the legislature and be able to appoint the prime minister. In legislative elections held alongside the presidential vote, Kabila’s coalition secured about 70 percent of the seats.

Kabila’s critics fear that he could rule from the shadows to protect his wealth and network of loyalist power structures, including in the security forces.

Kabila was barred from three consecutive terms but has not ruled out another run for office in 2023.

The runner-up in the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Martin Fayulu, had said he was the real winner in the contest. But a high court ruling said the challenge was « unfounded. »

The Constitutional Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo rejected a challenge to last month’s presidential election results. The high court said early Sunday that runner-up Martin Fayulu’s challenge to Felix Tshisekedi’s win was « inadmissible. »

In the verdict, the court also rejected a request to carry out a recount and declared Tshisekedi « President of the Democratic Republic of Congo by simple majority ».

The ruling comes shortly after the African Union had asked Congo to delay announcing the final election results, casting « serious doubts » about the vote.

On January 10, DR Congo’s Electoral Commission said Tshisekedi had provisionally won with 38.57 percent of the vote against Fayulu’s 34.8 percent.

Fayulu had denounced the figures and called the results as an « electoral coup, » which he said was forged by Tshisekedi and President Joseph Kabila. Fayulu then filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court.

Upon hearing the top court’s decision Fayulu remained defiant and declared himself president.

« The constitutional court has just confirmed that it serves a dictatorial regime … by validating false results, (and enabling) a constitutional coup d’etat, » he said in a statement.

Hundreds of supporters of opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi, the declared winner of the election, gathered outside the court holding placards saying « No to interference » and « Independent country » as riot police stood nearby.

Source: AFP

press release

Today, 15 January 2019, Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (« ICC » or « Court »), by majority, Judge Herrera Carbuccia dissenting, acquitted Mr Laurent Gbagbo and Mr Charles Blé Goudé from all charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Côte d’Ivoire in 2010 and 2011. A fully reasoned decision will be issued in writing in due course. The Prosecutor may appeal the decision after the full decision is filed.

As a consequence, the Chamber ordered the release of Mr Gbagbo and Mr Blé Goudé. The Prosecutor may request that Mr Gbagbo and/or Mr Blé Goudé remain in detention for exceptional reasons. Trial Chamber I will hear the parties and participants on this matter tomorrow 16 January 2019 at 10 hours.

Judges Cuno Tarfusser (presiding) and Geoffrey Henderson, forming the Majority of the Chamber, noted the violent political conflict in the context of the 2010 presidential elections, in Abidjan and in other parts of the country. The Majority, however, considered that the Prosecutor has failed to submit sufficient evidence to demonstrate the responsibility of Mr Gbagbo and Mr Blé Goudé for the incidents under the Chamber’s scrutiny.

In particular, having thoroughly analysed the evidence, the Chamber concluded by majority that the Prosecutor has failed to demonstrate several core constitutive elements of the crimes as charged, including the existence of a « common plan » to keep Mr Gbagbo in power, which included the commission of crimes against civilians « pursuant to or in furtherance of a State or organisational policy »; and the existence of patterns of violence from which it could be inferred that there was a « policy to attack a civilian population ».

Furthermore, the Chamber concluded, by majority, that the Prosecutor failed to demonstrate that public speeches by Mr Gbagbo or Mr Blé Goudé constituted ordering, soliciting or inducing the alleged crimes. The Chamber decided that, accordingly, there is no need for the defence to submit further evidence.

Source: ICC

By Njoki Kihiu

Nairobi — Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi announced late Tuesday that the situation at the 14 Riverside Drive in Nairobi, which was the scene of a terror attack had been contained.

« I can now report that we have secured all the buildings that had been affected by these events, » he told a late night news conference.

« The security teams have evacuated scores of Kenyans and other nationalities from the buildings. »

He did not however give details of casualties, only confirming that several people had been injured.

He said security forces on the ground were documenting evidence after securing all the buildings.

« I can also report that we are now in the final stages of mopping up the area and securing evidence and documenting the consequences of these unfortunate events, » he affirmed.

« The country is now secure and the nation remains calm. Kenyans and all of our visitors are safe and should feel free to continue getting about their businesses, » he added.

He told reporters that President Uhuru Kenyatta was fully briefed of the situation and that the National Security Advisory Committee was in charge of coordinating the crisis.

« Even as I speak, the committee remains seized of the situation not just Dusit, but throughout the country and will continue to remain seized of the situation until this current matter is brought to a close and the entire country is brought back to normality, » he said.

Source: Capital FM