Kenya

Revealed: How President Ruto got Raila ‘fired’ from AU job

Yesterday, what was not contested was the announcement that Mr Odinga’s tenure as the commission’s high representative for infrastructure development in Africa had ended after nearly five years. But a cloud of controversy swirled around the circumstances of his exit, whether he quit — Mr Odinga claimed that he had requested to be freed “to pursue other urgent matters” — or he was pushed out, as diplomatic and Kenyan government sources indicated.

Stoking the controversy further was the fact that the letter announcing the end of his tenure was dated February 19, on the day President William Ruto left Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the continental body, following a two-day visit to attend the 36th Ordinary Session of the African Union Heads of State and Government Summit.

AUC chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat wrote to Mr. Odinga thanking him for his service and informing him that the conversion of the Nepad Agency to the African Union Development Agency, Nepad is now complete and the new body has a “full mandate to implement the continental agenda on infrastructure.” By this, the diplomatic statement indicated that Mr. Odinga, who had been appointed to the role in October 2018 after a truce with then President Uhuru Kenyatta, had been tapped to help during the transition to the new continental body.

(Source: Daily Nation)

Tanzania

President Samia administers oaths of ministers, PS

President Suluhu Hassan has administered the oaths of two ministers who were involved in the minor cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday. Mohamed Mchengerwa who was leading Culture, Arts and Sport docket was transferred to the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources to fill the void left by Ambassador Pindi Chana. In the mini-cabinet reshuffle, Ambassador Chana was transferred to the Culture, Arts and Sports docket. Said Othman Yakub was also sworn in as the new Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports.

Yakub took over from Dr Hassan Abassi who has been transferred to the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources. After the trio’s oaths, President Samia Suluhu Hassan took a memorial photo with the appointees before holding a private discussion with them.

On his part, Vice President Dr Philip Mpango advised the appointees to discharge their duties diligently. Dr Mpango told the appointed officials to avoid conflicts in their respective working areas and encouraged them to cooperate with other staff. Meanwhile Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa delivered Mbozi residents in Songwe Region greetings to the President saying they have been satisfied by the Head of State’s performances.

(Source: Daily News)

Uganda

Court awards UGX 68bn compensation to families in Lango

The High Court in Lira has awarded 68 billion Shillings in compensation to more than 5,000 families after the government set up an Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) camp on their land.

In 2016, the families acting under their umbrella Lango Camp Host Association (LACHA) filed a suit before Lira High Court seeking compensation from the government for the degradation caused on their land during the Lord’s Resistance Army-LRA insurgency.

In their application, the former landlords claim that between October 2000 and 2006, the government erected several IDP camps in which millions of those who fled LRA atrocities were hosted on their land

Justice Ajiji awarded a compensation of 5 Million, 3 Million Shillings as general damages, 4 Million Shillings as the cost of restoring the environment, and 500,000 Shillings as exemplary damages to each of the families.

(Source: The Independent)

Rwanda

Kabuga Trial: Witness testifies on role of Simon Bikindi’s songs during rallies

The trial of Kabuga Felicien who is alleged to have financed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi continued with a hearing of a testimony from a witness detailing how the suspect’s radio station, Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) fueled the genocide.

The witness with the protected code-name KAB053 told the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) how Simon Bikindi performed songs that spread hate and discrimination during the rally that took place in Musave, a suburb in Kigali City.

The female witness pointed out that during that rally that had been called by Kabuga, Bikindi’s songs were played consistently yet they carried lyrics that dehumanized the Tutsi and branded them as enemies who should be killed.

(Source: The New Times)

Ethiopia

Ethiopia to Host IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labor, Employment and Labor migration

The second ministerial conference on labor, employment and labor migration of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will take place in Addis Ababa next week.

The ministerial conference which will take place on 2 March 2023 will review the progress made since the signing of the Djibouti Declaration on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration in the IGAD region and provide guidance on key priority areas of common concern on different pillars of the declaration, a press release of the authority stated.

Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda Labor and Employment ministers, representatives of African Union, social partners, development agencies and other key labor market actors in the region are expected to attend.

(Source:ENA)

Sudan

Hemeti’s speech sparks speculations about the SAF and RSF split in Sudan

Hemeti acknowledged that the October 2021 military coup was wrong, in his speech at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday, and admitted that the coup has become a gateway for affiliates of the former regime to return. 

These words sound perhaps surprising given the fact that Hemeti was one of the most important people behind the coup, together with SAF Commander and Chairman of the Sovereignty Council Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan.

Hemeti’s statements reportedly came against the background of the recent speeches by El Burhan in which he pledged his commitment to the formation of a civilian government and ‘integrating the RSF militia into the SAF’.

(Source: Dabanga)

Somali

Amid ongoing crackdown on media freedom, SJS condemns recent arbitrary arrests of journalists in Mogadishu and Somaliland

The Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the multiple, but separate arrests against journalists and media community in Mogadishu, Banadir region and Wajale town in Somaliland, the latest in a string of attacks against journalists in the country as well call for the end of these attacks.

On 10 February 2023, SJS lawyer and legal adviser for the journalists, Abdirahman Hassan Omar sustained multiple injuries after he was attacked by four armed men while he was heading home from work. Four men (three armed) and one driving a tuk tuk (bajaj) attacked him with several leg and hand injuries. SJS had reported the incident to the police who promised to investigate and we are waiting for more information from them.

Despite, his removal from the defense team by the court, which SJS considers weakening their defense, Avv. Abdirahman was part of the defense lawyers of SJS secretary-general, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin in the press freedom case at the Banadir Regional Court.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)