KENYA

Make public coalition deal, Azimio parties now demand 

Five disputes are derailing the Azimio la Umoja agreement, with protests by some parties about the document that named Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga the coalition’s presidential flag bearer.

The Nation has established that many of the more than 20 parties, including Wiper of Kalonzo Musyoka, which appended signatures on the document, have not seen its contents.

They are querying the secrecy surrounding the document they say they were hastily told to sign last Saturday as the principals were rushing to a rally in Jacaranda on the understanding they would review its contents later.

Wiper Secretary-General Shakila Abdalla said her colleagues only signed the last pages bearing the names of their respective party leaders. “We were to be called to go through the document later,” she said on Thursday, March 17.

Two days after the March 12 event, Mr Musyoka said the parties had signed up for a coalition named Azimio One Kenya, drawing protests from the Odinga camp.

Sources said the contentious issues are the name and slogan of the alliance, zoning and fielding of candidates, the presidential running mate and the party’s structure.

(Source: The Nation)

TANZANIA

The legacy President Suluhu seeks to leave behind 

President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Wednesday said that upon the end of her term in office, she longs to leave Tanzania as a country which continues to cherish and protect its sovereignty against foreign meddling.

She also emphasised on the need for political dialogue, stressing on its importance in forging national unity among Tanzanians.

The Head of State made the remarks while appearing on a special television interview aired by Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).

She was sworn-in as the sixth President of the United Republic of Tanzania on March 19, 2021, following the passing on of the then President John Magufuli, who breathed his last on March 17, last year at Mzena Hospital in Dar es Salaam.

(Source: The Daily News)

UGANDA

Uganda military denies resignation of president’s son 

Uganda’s military has said that President Yoweri Museveni’s son, a lieutenant general, who is widely believed to be trying to succeed his long-ruling father, had not, in fact, resigned.

Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced on Twitter on March 8 that he had retired from the military after almost three decades in service. His father has been president of the eastern African country since 1986.

The tweet was widely interpreted as a sign that Kainerugaba, commander of the military’s land forces, was preparing to enter politics on a possible path to contest the presidency in the next election in 2026.

“The general has not retired from the army, he is still in active service,” Chris Magezi, spokesman for the land forces, told Reuters. “The army promotions and the commissions board, which is the military body mandated with handling retirement requests, has not received his application.”

According to Ugandan law, serving soldiers cannot participate in politics. Kainerugaba, 47, has himself not said whether he wants to run for president but his supporters have been conducting online and street campaigns for his candidature.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

RWANDA

HRW: Rwanda silencing YouTubers with ‘abusive’ legal framework 

Opposition leaders and commentators in Rwanda are being persecuted by the authorities for “their speech and opinions”, intensifying a culture of intolerance towards dissent, a human rights group has said.

In a damning report published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said it had monitored court documents, verdicts and judges’ arguments against several Rwandans who have ended up behind bars due to the country’s “abusive legal framework”.

Researchers also pointed to violations of the right to freedom of expression after analysing content posted on YouTube by several reporters now on trial, and interviewing 11 opposition members.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

ETHIOPIA

Video of armed men burning man alive in western Ethiopia sparks outrage 

A video posted on social media showing armed men burning a man to death in western Ethiopia has drawn condemnation and renewed fear over increasing horrific incidents of ethnic violence.

Eleven people, including nine ethnic Tigrayans, were killed on March 3, in the Ayisid Kebele of Metekel zone, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region where waves of ethnic violence over the last year have killed hundreds of people.

Ten of the people were shot dead while the 11th, a Tigrayan man, was burnt alive according to the Ethiopia Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The commission said the “extra-judicial killings” were carried out by Ethiopian forces and other armed groups according to its investigations.

In response to the video of the burning, Ethiopia’s government said on Saturday: “A horrific and inhumane act was recently committed” and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

(Source: The Guardian)

ERITREA

Excerpt of Q&A with Amb. Sophia Tesfamariam, Eritrea’s Permanent Representative to the UN 

What can you tell us about the Africa Group and its influence in the UN General Assembly, or the Security Council?

The Africa Group at the UN is a very prominent group. With the 54 memberships that we have, I think we meet frequently, almost weekly with the African Group and we address issues that are common to us. We address issues of candidacy, issues of UNSC reforms, and in the UNSC if there are issues relating to Africa. Unfortunately, almost 100% of the files in the UNSC are African issues although we don’t have permanent representatives. We have neither permanent seats nor veto power in the UNSC.

Nevertheless, we want less interference in the internal affairs of our States because sometimes, the UNSC ends up raising issues that are bilateral matters in the name of normalisation of relations. That shouldn’t be within the purview of the UNSC. It should be something that the two relevant countries are able to work on; unless it is critical to the peace and security of the countries or the region.

So, the group gives us two platforms; it helps us to have bilateral relationships with the African states and on the other hand, it serves as our own group that represents us in the UNSC. It’s a sizable group that permits us a platform in terms of vote and bringing our issues to the floor in the GA. AG is an effective group that needs to be strengthened and it is our group.

(Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea)

SUDAN

Protests in Sudan after alleged gang-rape of woman by security forces 

Demonstrations took place across Sudan on Tuesday in protest at the alleged gang-rape of a teenager by security forces.

The 18-year-old said she was attacked in Khartoum on Monday by up to nine men dressed in the uniforms of the security forces involved in dispersing regular protests held across Sudan since October’s military coup.

The woman said she was travelling home when the police officers stopped the minibus looking for people who had been involved in that day’s protests.

“We told them no,” she said. She said that the officers then fired teargas inside the bus and when she tried to get off she was raped and beaten.

(Source: Al Jazeera)

SOMALIA

US Extends Sanctions On Somali Leaders 

The United States has expanded the number of Somalis subject to visa restrictions, following a recent US embargo on Somali leaders.

The United States has accused the banned Somali leaders of undermining Somalia’s democratic process, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday.

The move comes after another delay in the completion of parliamentary elections, while the United States has not yet released the names of the sanctioned individuals.

Leaders of the National Consultative Assembly recently agreed to hold elections for the 11th House of the People of the Federal Parliament on March 15, but another delay came.

Only the South West Somalia and Galmudug administrations have completed the Parliamentary elections, while the Puntland, Hirshabelle and Jubbaland elections are yet to be completed and the second constituency is in a difficult position.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)