The magnificent Kigali Convention Center from outside.

As the one week shaky ceasefire seems to hold on in Juba, South Sudan, African leaders sitting at an AU summit in Kigali on Sunday agreed to re-enforce the UN-Mission with a regional force under IGAD if they are to save lives and pacify Juba.

IGAD called on the UN Security Council to give it a mandate that would allow it to separate the parties to the conflict and “pacify Juba”.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had the inception of the recent conflict called for an arms embargo on South Sudan. This however did not get past the AU summit because of opposition from Uganda, which has strong ties to Kiir.
The recent clashes in Juba and other parts of South Sudan are believed to have claimed over 300 lives after forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those supporting his rival Vice-President Riek Machar got engaged in a four-bloody battle.

The violence raised fears of a breakdown in protracted efforts to end a civil war that began in December 2013 with battles in Juba between the same rival groups.

As discussions went on at the meeting that ended on Monday, IGAD Executive Secretary, Mahboub Maalim, proposed a three-fold approach to addressing the South Sudan crisis.

“First, impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan. Second, enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders working to unravel the peace process. Third, fortify the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS,” the IGAD Executive Secretary said.

Many member states argued that it was better to have an African constituted armed force that can be used to handle conflicts like that in South Sudan.

“The UN doesn’t have the mandate to impose peace,” African Union (AU) Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui said at a summit in Kigali.

“They are there where there is peace to keep. African troops are ready to engage in very difficult situations. It is our responsibility,” he added.

There is currently a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, which has however  faced criticism on many occasions for what critics say is it’s for failure to stem the latest bloodshed or fully protect civilians during the fighting.

Chergui said the mooted force for South Sudan would be modelled on the 3,000 strong Force Intervention Brigade deployed within the UN’s mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which proved decisive in neutralising the M23 rebellion in 2013.

IGAD, a bloc of east African states and the key player behind the proposed force, on Sunday Chergui said the international community would have to persuade Kiir to drop his opposition to the deployment of the new force.

The summit also endorsed a plan for the AU to start withdrawing its 20,000 troops deployed in Somalia in the UN-endorsed AMISOM mission starting from October 2018.

Before that date, there would be “very robust and collective attacks” on Shabab insurgents in the south of the country.

South Sudan warring factions have received the decision to deploy a regional peacekeeping force in the country with mixed reactions.

The new developments have however been received with mixed reactions especially from the 2 warring parties with a government official from Prseident Salvar Kiir’s faction calling it “Unfortunate ” and that it “will not work”, in reference to the decisio taken by Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

“That proposal will not work, because a problem is not solved by another problem and this thinking is unfortunate” said Minister Martin Elia Lomuro in an interview with Sudan Tribune.

Meanwhile the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In opposition (SPLM-IO) under it’s leader Dr. Riek Machar welcomed the move saying it would guarantee security of its officials who feel threatened by attacks from government forces.

Machar’s Spokesperson James Gatdet told the media earlier that a peacekeeping force was long overdue.

“President Kiir is not in control of incidents that occur around him. He is not in control of his army commanders and other organized forces. So how do you trust protection from a leader who is not in control, or who might have been blessing violent actions of his commanders or security personnel?” Gatdet wondered.

IGAD in a statement asked warring factions in South Sudan to demilitarize Juba and give way for regional forces to harmonies relations in Juba.

Earlier, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta told UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon that the region, would urgently provide more troops to the UNMISS and provide protection to leadership and the citizens.

“We have all watched events in South Sudan with sorrow. Our youngest brother has fallen, yet again, into division and violence. It is our responsibility – all of us, but especially those in the region – to restore peace, and to restore it durably,” said President Kenyatta according to the statement from his office.

“Let me be clear: those of us in the region have primary responsibility for peace and security here. But that responsibility is also collective – all of us must think carefully, and work hard, in the cause of peace,” he added.

Kenyatta asked UN Security Council to modify the mandate of UNMISS “so that it can separate those who have turned to violence, so that it can protect the infrastructure South Sudan has built, and so that it can enforce the peace. That is what collective responsibility means.”

The top regional official said that the chiefs of staff from five countries comprising Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan and Uganda have proposed reinforcement of UNMISS troops from the region under the same UNMISS mandate.

Among the proposals was to task the south Sudan government to give way to humanitarian assistance to reach people in need.

“The government must uphold it responsibility and open up corridors to allow UN and humanitarian actors to provide vital supplies and other assistance to the affected civilians, as well as access for medical evacuations,” sounded the call from UNMISS.

Welcome back Morocco?

The summit also saw the first steps of the possible return to the AU of Morocco, the only African state that is not part of the union.

Morocco quit the bloc 32 years ago in protest at its decision to accept Western Sahara as a member.

Morocco maintains that Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is an integral part of the kingdom even though local Sahrawi people led by the Polisario Front have long campaigned for the right to self-determination.

“For a long time our friends have been asking us to return to them, so that Morocco can take up its natural place within its institutional family. The moment has now come,” King Mohammed VI said in a message sent to the summit.

“We consider Morocco a brother country and would be very happy to welcome them back,” said Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama.

“But I think a lot will also depend on the terms on which Morocco would like to come back,” he cautioned.

The heads of state failed to name a successor to Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to become the AU’s new commission chair.

None of the three candidates garnered the two-thirds majority necessary, and a new ballot will be held at the next AU summit, due in January 2017 in Addis Ababa.

The leaders did agree on financing the bloc through a 0.2 percent levy on imports, so as to reduce its dependence on donors, who currently contribute 73 percent of the $781 million (708 million euro) budget.

Rwanda’s Finance Minister Claver Gatete said this could bring in as much as $1.2 billion (1.1 billion euros).

Dlamini-Zuma welcomed the “historic landmark decision” as “an unprecedented leap forward for African self-reliance and dignity”.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, hosting the summit, said the plan “puts responsibility and ownership in our hands”.

“We need to start doing things differently, and better,” he told delegates at the opening ceremony.

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Southern Sudan went to the bushes 25 years back to fight the Arabs in Khartoum in a bid to get independence. Millions of lives were lost in this civil war.

At the end of the fight, Southern Sudan was curved out of the former main Republic of Sudan forming the new Republic of Southern Sudan. The people of Juba and Southern Sudan jubilated as Southern Sudan became an independent state.

But one year down the road, life in Southern Sudan is worse than what it was when the country was part of the greater Sudan.

The country is reeled through high inflation, border fighting, tribalism, immorality, murders, political persecution, political unrest, disease outbreaks, and aerial bombing by northern Sudan, shortage of hard currency, ethnic rivalry, political quarrels and corruption in government offices.

The post Life in Southern Sudan: High inflation, tribalism, poverty and corruption on increase first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Uganda and UN officials will meet in Entebbe next week to discuss how their secrets ended up leaking to the press.

The UN officials will also use the Kampala meeting to design a comprehensive regional strategy on combating the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.

The UN meeting will take place on Thursday and Friday. The first UN meeting this year on LRA rebels took place in Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the month of January.

The countries directly affected by the atrocities of LRA are Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan and the Central African Republic.

The post UN comprehensive regional plan to arrest Joseph Kony leaks first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Omara Bashir government in Northern Sudan is in trouble after intelligence reports indicated that the major rebel groups there are planning to carry out massive attacks onKhartoum.

The main rebel forces in Northern include the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)  and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF).

The Bashir government claims that the rebels troublingNorthern Sudanare being trained and supported by the National Resistance Movement (NRM). NRM is the ruling political organization inUganda. The senior advisor of president Bashir, Sheikh Mustafa Osman Ismail on Monday warnedUgandato stop the financial support it allegedly gives to the rebels fighting the Bashir administration.

Ultimate Media

The post Rebel groups in Khartoum plan massive anti government raids first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Omara Bashir government in Northern Sudan is in trouble after intelligence reports indicated that the major rebel groups there are planning to carry out massive attacks on Khartoum.

The main rebel forces in Northern include the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)  and the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF).

The Bashir government claims that the rebels troubling Northern Sudan are being trained and supported by the National Resistance Movement (NRM). NRM is the ruling political organization in Uganda.

The senior advisor of president Bashir, Sheikh Mustafa Osman Ismail on Monday warned Uganda to stop the financial support it allegedly gives to the rebels fighting the Bashir administration.

The post Rebel groups in Khartoum plan massive anti government raids first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The construction work is to commence in 2014 and it is expected to take three years and cost $4.7 billion. Burundi, Southern Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda are expected to contribute positively towards the construction of the multi-billion dollar railway network.

The construction of the multi-billion dollar railway network will run alongside the $3 billion Tanga-Arusha-Musoma-Kampala railway line that is expected to be completed in 2015 if all factors remain constant.

The multi-billion dollar railway network will be done by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. The multi-billion dollar railway network will be the main gateway of Mwambani Port in Tanga, Musoma dock and Port Bell in Uganda.

The feasibility study would be done in April this year while the construction of the railway line is expected to be completed in 2015.

The post Uganda to build longest multi-billion dollar railway network first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Many girls and old people around the world have spoken in favour of the practice saying that it reduces sex libido and in turn it saves them from contracting HIV. But it should not be forgotten that there are also other girls who speak ill about female circumcision. Scientists and doctors in different parts of the world have all confirmed that female circumcision as well as it has some advantages it also causes complications during pregnancy.

In many countries such as Sudan and Uganda female circumcision has been banned but millions of families secretly practice it and the girls keep quiet. For example UNICEF estimates that three million girls will be subjected to female circumcision inSudan this year.

 The treasurer of the National Council for Child Welfare in Uganda Gamar Habbani says that female circumcision is ‘massacre’ of the girls’ future. UNICEF says that female circumcision across the globe is mainly practiced in Africa andMiddle East.

By Walakira Nyanzi

The post Girls say female circumcision helps them to keep virginity first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

The Interior minister in Southern Sudan, Manani Magaya told the press that the people killed were from the cattle corridor of Warrap state.

There are reports allover Southern Sudan and the nearby states that the attacker might have been sponsored by the government in Khartoumover oil grievances.

 South Sudan seceded from northernS udanin July last year. But since that time Northern Sudan has been accusing Southern Sudan of backing rebels to over throw the government in Khartoum.

Southern Sudan is one of the countries in the world where insecurity is at its peak and almost everyone has access to guns to do ill motives. Ugandan, Rwandans and other businesspersons in Southern Sudan have been complaining that the people of Southern Sudan dress up in military attire and rob their property in broad day right.

By James Okello

The post An Arab kills Ugandans in Southern Sudan first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

Its application to enter into the bloc was accepted last month according to president Museveni. The new African country was allowed into the EAC because of the factor of proximity.

The EAC act provides that any country to join EAC block must be bordering with a member country-Southern Sudan boarders with the Republic of Uganda and Kenya .

Museveni has today told his cabinet that many countries are struggling to join the EAC block because of its growing influence on the continent but the hindering factor is the clause of geographical proximity.

By Christine Kate

The post Southern Sudan now member of EAC bloc, says president Museveni of the republic of Uganda, Uganda is the third largest economy in East Africa, a region which currently comprises of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.