Kenya

Raila declares official start of countrywide mass action

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga on Thursday declared the official start of countrywide mass action after the lapse of an ultimatum issued to the Kenya Kwanza government.

Azimio has also launched the Movement for Defense of Democracy (MDD), an initiative that is against the current regime.

This follows Wednesday’s lapse of the 14-day ultimatum the Azimio leader had issued to President William Ruto to expedite the opening of the 2022 presidential election servers and address the high cost of living.

(Source: Nation)

Tanzania

New era in TZ politics

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has engraved her name in the history books by being the first leader to attend an opposition party’s event since the ushering in of a multiparty system. As Chadema National Chairman Freeman Mbowe clearly put it, many took it as a joke when the politician announced that Dr. Samia would grace the event.

Yesterday’s gesture by the president was akin to extending an olive branch to the opposition, which has for many years played second fiddle to the ruling party. It is also her clear intention of realising her self-crafted 4Rs philosophy (Reconciliation, Resilience, Reform, and Rebuild), which she has repeatedly touted as impressive pillars for multiparty democracy as well as for economic prosperity.

As she had once stated, reconciliation was key for building a society that enjoys equal rights before the law without discrimination and that provides equal economic opportunities for all. And, for the second time in a month’s time, President Samia hinted at the possible constitutional reforms for the betterment of the country’s political landscape.

(Source: Daily News)

Uganda

Kisoro leaders call for release of detained Ugandan businessman in Rwanda

Kisoro district authorities have protested the prolonged detention of Ugandan Valence Kibyeye, a  prominent fabrics dealer in Rwanda. They have asked President Paul Kagame to intervene. According to Kisoro authorities, Kibyeye, who deals in African fabrics alias “Bitenge” was arrested and detained in Rwanda about two and a half years ago for alleged tax evasion.

The officials argue that there is no clear information on how Kibyeye’s case is progressing since his arrest. John Muftimukiza, the Nyarusiza Sub-county LC V councillor, says that the continued detention of Kibyeye has enraged the people of Kisoro against the Rwandan government. According to Muftimukiza, Rwanda has no reason to continue detaining a person from another country without giving updates about the matter.

He wants Rwandan President Kagame to intervene and order Kibyeye’s release. Amos Hakizimana, the Kisoro District speaker, says that the continued detention of Kibyeye in Rwanda is a testimony of how Ugandans are mistreated by shooting, arrest, and whipping whenever they cross to trade in Rwanda.

(Source: The Independent)

Ethiopia

SahleWork congratulates Tinubu on his election as president of Nigeria

President SahleWork Zewde has congratulated Bola Tinubu on his election to the Office of President of Nigeria, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She expressed her conviction that his election would serve as an opportunity to bring the longstanding and cordial relations between the two countries to new heights.

It is to be recalled that Bola Tinubu has been declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election.

(Source: ENA)

Sudan

UN Security Council extends sanctions on Sudan

The United Nations Security Council convened in New York on Wednesday, to extend Sudan’s imposed sanctions for an additional year. The sanctions, which broadly cover an arms embargo, are targeted sanctions to improve Sudan’s national peace-building capacity.

The Security Council’s 13 member states which voted in favour of extending the mandate out of the 15-nation-organ, see the sanctions as a positive development, as they are caveats which will be “progressively lifted”, as long as the Sudanese government commits to fulfilling key benchmarks, vis-à-vis the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement and the protection of civilians.

The two countries which chose to abstain were the Russian Federation and China. The Permanent UN Representative to Russia, Dmitry Polyanskiy, expressed that the sanctions served as an impediment to Sudan’s capability in “state-building and achieving socioeconomic development”.

The Chinese representative, Dai Bing, also added that the sanction’s caveated benchmarks were “outdated and should be lifted to reflect improved circumstances on the ground”. Bing stated that certain Security Council members “have no intention of lifting the sanctions and only seek to perpetuate them by setting benchmarks that cannot be met”.

The mandate will run until March 12, 2024, despite Sudan’s repeated demands that the UN Security Council lift the arms embargo on the Darfur region, originally pursuant to resolution 1591 by the council in 2005.

(Source: Dabanga)

Somalia

Somalia’s president signs new legislation, including legislation governing spy agency

Somalia’s President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has enacted a set of bills for the Targeted Financial Sanctions, the Intelligence and National Security Agency, and the National Electricity Authority. The nation has once again shown its commitment to fighting against insurgent terrorist groups across the nation following Wednesday’s approval of the anti-terrorism law which gives government security agencies a legal framework to fight violent extremist groups which have been causing instability.

The President thanked the two Houses of Parliament for their efforts to pass the bills, which he said reflected the needs and circumstances surrounding our country, at the signing ceremony at Villa Somalia.

President Hassan Sheikh praised the country’s executive and legislative bodies for their collaboration, which has resulted in the passage of numerous important laws since 2022. The president signed several bills into law, including one for the National Intelligence and Security Agency, which is the agency’s first since its inception 56 years ago. The President said the government is doing a great task, including the fight against Al-Shabaab which aimed at liberating the country from the group before 2023 ends.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)