Next year, the Somalis must get it right IN SUMMARY What will 2013 hold in store for the world’s most infamous country? Will it be another successful year where the Somali military and Amisom regain more territory from al-Shabaab or will the militant group have another chance of taking over control of strategic locations such as Aden Adde Airport and Kismayu? Needless to say, the greatest wild card in predictions will be al-Shabaab. Will the violent al Qaeda-linked group regain [...]
Why does the Western world feed Africa with one hand while taking from it with the other? The world’s wealthy countries often criticise African nations for corruption – especially that perpetrated by those among the continent’s government and business leaders who abuse their positions by looting tens of billions of dollars in national assets or the profits from state-owned enterprises that could otherwise be used to relieve the plight of some of the world’s poorest peoples. Yet the West [...]
Police who shot and killed 34 striking miners say they fired in self-defence. The South African police have confirmed that its officers shot and killed 34 striking miners and injured 78 near a platinum mine in North West province. The officers shot at the workers who were protesting on Thursday afternoon over pay at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana, some 100km northwest of Johannesburg. The incident is being described as one of the bloodiest police operations in the country [...]
NAIROBI — Somalia’s transitional government ends its mandate next week after eight years of infighting, little progress and rampant corruption, but the process to replace it is “deeply flawed”, analysts warn. Set up in 2004, the Western-funded Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has already extended its mandate twice, and international backers have been determined it ends by an August 20 deadline. But analysts are gloomy that a United Nations-backed selection process will usher in nothing more than a reshuffle of leaders [...]
Clinton to visit South Sudan, Kenya on Africa trip WASHINGTON, Jul 31 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit troubled South Sudan on an 11-day Africa trip starting this week aimed at spurring economic growth, peace and security, a US official said on Monday. Clinton heads first on Tuesday to Senegal before travelling on to the world’s newest nation on a trip which will also take in Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.In Senegal, [...]
AFM special duties company deployed to Somali training mission Fourth successive deployment since 2009 for Armed Forces of Malta in EU efforts to train Somali soldiers within newly established security forces. The Armed Forces of Malta have deployed a three-person infantry training team consisting of members of C (Special Duties) Company to the European Union Training Mission to Somalia (EUTM Somalia) in Uganda. This is the fourth successive deployment since 2009 that the Armed Forces of Malta have been involved [...]
U.S. is the driving force behind the fighting in Somalia Washington has been quietly equipping and training thousands of African soldiers to wage a widening proxy war against the Shabab, the Al Qaeda ally that has sparked alarm as foreign militants join its ranks. The soldiers stood at attention, rifles at their sides, as U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Hogg walked down the ranks, eyeing the men heading off to fight in Somalia. “You will push … the miscreants [...]
Outbreak of Ebola in Uganda kills 13 An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has killed at least 13 people and infected a further seven in Uganda. The health ministry says emergency measures are in place to deal with the outbreak, which began in late June but has only just been confirmed as Ebola. The cases have been reported in Kibaale district, about 170km (100 miles) to the west of the capital Kampala. Officials say most are linked [...]
UPDF Somalia budget up by 78% Shs 672m per day, 245bn per year The UPDF is to spend Shs 672m every day on its operations in Somalia this financial year, The Observer can reveal. Available documents indicate that the money Uganda will pay for the presence of 6,700 UPDF troops in the chaos-marred county will increase by 78 per cent. The operations previously cost Shs 376m per day. This appears to contradict the widely held view that any major [...]
Ghanaian president dies, deputy sworn in John Atta Mills died suddenly on Tuesday, hours after being rushed to a military hospital. His vice president, John Dramani Mahama, has been sworn in as president for the remaining five months of his term. Ghana’s parliament convened for an emergency session late on Tuesday, swearing in a replacement president after the death of 68-year-old John Atta Mills. It was the first time in Ghana’s history that such a move had to [...]
