The United States slams Sanctions on Rwanda Over M23 Rebels Acts

Rwanda continues to be the potential target for the activities of the M23 rebels whom it has been accused of supporting without remorse. The M23 was founded by former Tutsi rebels who were incorporated into the Congolese army under the 2009 peace deal. In April 2012, the M23 revolted and launched the latest rebellion, ravaging DR Congo's mineral-rich and conflict-prone east.

The United Nations also accuses Rwanda of backing the M23, a charge the country has rigorously adamantly denied. Various human rights groups not excluding the UN rights body have also accused the M23 rebels of committing serious atrocities; including rape and murder, in addition to the use of child soldiers, in a conflict that has caused tens of thousands of refugees to flee.

The United States, due to all these allegations, slammed sanctions on Rwanda centrally over the use of child soldiers by the rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the United States was invoking the 2008 Child Soldiers Protection Act in sanctioning Rwanda, as Washington seeks to end "any involvement in the recruitment of child soldiers".

The sanctions were linked to actions by the M23. Thomas-Greenfield said the US will continue to have discussions with the Rwandan government on the issue. The sanctions terminate financial and military assistance for the fiscal year 2014, which began on 1 October. The sanctions will end all international military education and training in financial year 2014.

The US will however continue to support peacekeeping training that is not restricted to this child soldiers prevention act. United Nations Brigade, created by the Security Council and composed of Tanzanian, South African and Malawian soldiers has been able to record tremendous gains in DR Congo. It has driven the rebels far into the border with Rwanda which made resumption of peace talks in Uganda almost inevitable.

Fear of Al Shabaab brings Wisdom: Uganda Boosts its Security after Kenya's Westgate Disaster

Every country responsible for the ouster of Al Shabaab in Somalia must brace up for the challenges ahead after the Westgate Mall Disaster in Kenya. An African adage says the death killing one's closest allies is a proverbial message to one. This proverb is perfectly understood by Uganda and sure Ethiopia too must not sleep.

NAN reports that Uganda, which like Kenya has sent troops to fight Islamist militants in Somalia, said on Monday it had stepped up security after a raid by Somali-linked gunmen on a Kenyan shopping mall that killed at least 68 people.

The last big attack by Somalia's al Shabaab gunmen, which has claimed responsibility for the Nairobi attack, was a double bombing in Uganda in 2010, targeting people watching the soccer World Cup final on television in Kampala, killing 77 people.

"We have generally stepped up security across the board in terms of streamlining border security so that we plug all the loopholes at entry points that could be potentially exploited by these characters," said Ugandan Army Spokesman, Lt.-Col., Paddy Ankunda. There was no obvious sign of heightened security at two of the capital's main shopping malls, beyond the usual check by private security personnel.

"We have strengthened our cooperation with our neighbouring countries in intelligence sharing and all other ways in which we can collaborate to defeat these terrorists," Ankunda added. Apparently, Ethiopia too must be ready to increase its alert level and step up its security capacity and capability.

Over 55,000 Congolese refugees flee to Uganda as clashes intensify

Uganda is gradually being extremely flooded by refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo with the incessant rise and intensification of communal clashes. About 3,000 were earliest recorded to have fled but the number represented a drop in the ocean with the latest reports. From 3,000, it soared to about 30,000.

The number of Congolese refugees to Uganda was recorded to have exceeded 55,000 late Saturday and increased by nearly 20,000 compared with the day before. Thousands of newcomers temporarily settle at schools in Bundibugyo, about 20km (12 miles) from the border with Congo.

Mass exodus began as the town of Kamango in the northernmost part of DR Congo's North Kivu province was attacked Thursday by a Ugandan-led rebel group, the Allied Democratic Forces, which was formed in the mid-1990s. Congo is really battling with heavy insurgencies and high cases of militants attacks with that of and from the M23 rebels being the most prominent and the highest national headache.

The United States Boosts its Military Presence in Africa

The US military presence in Africa is on the rise yet still relatively calm and esoteric; striking Islamist militants with drones, supporting African forces in stabilising Somalia and Mali and deploying dozens of training teams. Its presence remains mostly low key, barely mentioned in the context of President Barack Obama's visit this week to Africa.

Nevertheless, with some 4,000-5,000 personnel on the ground at any given time, the United States now has more troops in Africa than at any point since its Somalia intervention two decades ago according to Reuters. That ended in humiliation and withdrawal after the 1993 "Blackhawk Down" debacle in which 18 U.S. soldiers died.

The build-up of US military presence is due to seemingly two main reasons; al Qaeda and China. It wants to stem the tide of the rising influence of Islamic insurgency and other militant groups as well as win influence in a continent that could become an increasingly important destination for American trade and investment as China's presence grows in Africa.

Obama's week-long African tour will focus on military and security issues apart from food security and democracy. He is expected to douse fear that the US is militarising Africa for its own benefits shrouded in the war against terror. In the Horn of Africa, the vast majority of US forces deployed in Africa are at a major French military base in Djibouti, a tiny country sandwiched between northern Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Experts reveal the military base has provided a staging post for occasional special forces deployments and drone and air attacks against Islamist militant targets in Somalia. However, US officials have refused to comment. The base was also allegedly instrumental for NATO's operations in Libya.

The US views its military presence in Africa as key in a continent where China is rapidly expanding and has surpassed the United States in terms of trade relations in Africa. China has huge investment in mining, energy and infrastructure and also a key ally of Sudan's President, Omar al Bashar which of course has always bolstered him against the West.

US officers believe its limited military missions have gone a long way in reducing initial African scepticism over Germany-based AFRICOM, set up in 2008 to bring all US military activities in Africa under one unified command, rather than dividing responsibility between commanders in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

"We are focusing on building human capital," says Major General Charles Hooper, head of strategy and plans at AFRICOM. "The smaller missions can be some of the most effective when it comes to gaining trust."

In Angola, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere, US engineers have helped train local counterparts in landmine clearance. In southern Africa, military medics have helped local armies tackle HIV infection while in Mauritania, the focus has been on veterinary aid to local ranchers.

US warships combating piracy off both East and West Africa are increasingly frequent visitors to local ports. One US aim is to convince African militaries their interests are best served by remaining democratically accountable and not interfering in politics.

Some operations, however, have hit just that problem. The hunt in Central African Republic for Ugandan warlord and head of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army Joseph Kony has largely been suspended following a March coup in CAR.

The anti-LRA mission had been the only one in Africa in which combat troops were deployed, involving just over 100 US special forces personnel. US forces continue to train Ugandan and other armies as part of that operation.

Critics in Africa complain Washington's approach to the continent has become increasingly militarised and focused on counterterrorism. Others worry US military clout may ultimately be used to seize resources. Administration officials disagree and point to Obama's visit as evidence of US intentions.

"This trip ultimately disproves the notion that we're somehow securitising the relationship with Africa," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told a conference call last week. "This trip is expressly devoted to trade and investment, democratic institution-building, young people and unleashing economic growth through some of our development priority."

In general, US forces have only been able to operate when African governments - or sometimes France, which maintains a network of bases in former colonies - allow them to. Permission can be quickly withdrawn for political reasons. The United States still treads carefully in Somalia, the scene of a serious reverse in 1993 when militia fighters killed 18 Americans on a mission to capture a Somali warlord in support of a UN mission.

US officials say there are often one or two US liaison officers deployed inside Somalia helping African Union forces fight Islamist group al Shabaab - which is linked to al Qaeda - on behalf of Somalia's transitional government. Most of the US support for the African Union mission AMISOM remains outside the country, training forces in Kenya, Uganda and elsewhere.

It is a similar picture on the other side of the continent, where the US military is also acting primarily in support of local nations and France. The aftermath of the 2011 Libya war has seen a flood of weapons and militants across the Sahel, fueling the rise of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which briefly captured much of northern Mali before a French offensive there earlier this year.

The US Air Force provided much of the transport for both African and French reinforcements in Mali, while US air tankers from RAF Mildenhall in England have flown long missions over the Sahara refuelling French combat jets. Some 100 US personnel deployed to Niger to set up a drone base. Unlike in East Africa, however, the drones will be unarmed and used only for reconnaissance to track Islamist militants like Boko Haram in Nigeria.

The US and African officials say Washington has long been reluctant to share its most sophisticated intelligence with African partners, in part over worries it might fall into the wrong hands. African officers say that if they are to be truly effective at fighting militants in their own countries and as part of broader Mali-type missions, they need to know as much as possible about rebel movements, locations and plans.

"The Americans are our friends - but often they are friends who are not frank," says former Senegalese army chief Mansour Seck, also an ex-ambassador to Washington. "They have a tendency to ask you what you have but will not tell you what they have."

African Leaders prefer United States to China - Obama

President Barack is in Johannnesburg for his second stop on his week-long African tour where he is expected to promote democracy and food security.

White House officials hope Obama's three-nation tour of Africa - his first substantial visit to the continent since taking office in 2009 - will compensate for what some view as years of neglect by America's first black president.

Obama has been conscious on the second country he is visiting which is South Africa because of the health condition of the man who is just like him; the first black president of South Africa - Nelson Mandela. Mandela's ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, said his condition had improved in the past few days. The visit has not been all rosy and jaw-jaw.

Nearly 1,000 trade unionists, Muslim activists and South African Communist Party members marched through the capital to the US Embassy, where they burned an American flag and called Obama's foreign policy 'arrogant and oppressive'.

Muslim activists held prayers in a car park outside the embassy. Leader Imam Sayeed Mohammed told the group: "We hope that Mandela feels better and that Obama can learn from him."

New York Times reports that Obama sees Mandela, also known as Madiba, as a hero. Whether they are able to meet or not, officials said his trip would serve largely as a tribute to the anti-apartheid leader. Like Mandela, Obama has received the Nobel Peace Prize and both men were the first black presidents of their nations.

Madiba was enamoured by the young Illinois senator's charisma while Mandela enthralled Obama when they met in 2005. Obama is to visit Robben Island, where Mandela spent years in prison under South Africa's former white minority regime. He told reporters his message in South Africa would draw from the lessons of Mandela's life.

"If we focus on what Africa as a continent can do together and what these countries can do when they're unified, as opposed to when they're divided by tribe or race or religion, then Africa's rise will continue," Obama said.

White House officials said Obama would hold a "town hall" on Saturday with youth leaders in Soweto, the Johannesburg township known for 1976 student protests against apartheid.

He will discuss a new exchange programme for African students with US colleges and universities. The event will include youth in Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya participating through video conference, and will be televised in those countries, White House officials said. Obama's only previous visit to the African continent was a one-day stopover in Ghana at the beginning of his first term.

While acknowledging that Obama has not spent as much time in Africa as people hoped, the White House is eager to highlight what it has done, in part to end unflattering comparisons to accomplishments of predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

"Given the budget constraints, for us to try to get the kind of money that President Bush was able to get out of the Republican House for massively scaled new foreign aid programmes is very difficult," Obama said. Obama and the Republican-controlled House of Representatives have fought bitterly over government spending. US foreign aid is a perennial target for lawmakers who want more budget cuts.

Reuters report that before departing Senegal, Obama met farmers and local entrepreneurs to discuss new technologies helping to raise agricultural output in West Africa, one of the world's most under-developed and drought-prone regions. The technical aid in the US government's "Feed the Future" programme leverages money from the private sector and aid groups to help small farmers.

Obama said he would announce an initiative to use the same strategies for the power sector, a model he said makes the most of the shrinking US foreign aid budget. "I think everything we do is designed to make sure that Africa is not viewed as a dependent, as a charity case, but is instead viewed as a partner," he said.

Obama acknowledged that China, Brazil, India and other countries have been increasingly active in Africa and said the United States risks being left behind. But he said the US approach to development is preferred by African leaders.

"They recognise that China's primary interest is being able to obtain access for natural resources in Africa to feed the manufacturers in export-driven policies of the Chinese economy," Obama said. he stated that "Oftentimes that leaves Africa as simply an exporter of raw goods" as opposed to creating long-term jobs.

Nigeria and South Africa lose out in Foreign Direct Investment in 2012

A United Nations report reveals that Foreign Direct Investment into the economies of the African Giants; Nigeria and South Africa plummeted despite the high record in Africa in 2012 which was among the two continents to witness such in the year. Year-on-year rise in FDI inflows was witnessed by South America; it which grew 12 percent, though flows to the Latin America and Caribbean region as a whole declined.

Reuters report that while global FDI fell by 18 percent last year, Africa bucked the trend with inflows increasing 5 percent to $50 billion, as countries like Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda reaped the benefits of new discoveries of oil and gas, according to the 2013 World Investment Report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Although West Africa had the biggest share of investment, flows to the region declined by 5 percent to $16.8 billion largely due to decreased investment in the continent's top oil producer Nigeria. Its FDI inflows fell from $8.9 billion in 2011 to $7 billion last year due to political insecurity and a weak global economy, UNCTAD said.

FDI flows to South Africa slumped 24 percent to $4.6 billion in 2012, largely due to a foreign mining company offloading its stake in a South African subsidiary, the report said. The case of Nigeria is complex because it is fighting an insurgency in the north which is drastically affecting investors confidence.

However, inflows to Mozambique, where companies like Brazil's Vale and London-listed Rio Tinto are developing huge offshore gas and coal deposits, doubled to $5.2 billion. FDI to central Africa surged 23 percent to a record $10 billion, while in east Africa recently discovered gas reserves in Tanzania and oil fields in Uganda resulted in a 40 percent jump to $6.3 billion.

The report also found that African countries, led by South Africa and Angola are stepping up their investment overseas, with FDI outflows from the continent nearly tripling from $5 billion in 2011 to $14 billion last year.

Uganda to launch her first Space Observer

Uganda will soon launch the first space observer called Cadimella, Capt. Chris Nsamba, the chief executive officer and founder of the African Space Research Programme (ASRP), has revealed.

Nsamba was briefing the Vice-President, Edward Ssekandi, who inspected the launch pad of the space observer at Kimaka Airfield in Jinja said "This has demonstrated that Ugandans can also participate in sophisticated programmes. This is impressive and the Government will support the association. I am going to brief the President about this," Ssekandi said.

Nsamba and his eight-man team demonstrated to Ssekandi how the space probe works while in transit in the orbit. The team also hid the space probe and demonstrated to the Vice-President how it can be tracked using satellite in case it lands in another country.

Nsamba revealed that the space probe has self-defence, anti-time missile features, which protect it from being hit by missiles destined to destroy it in case it passes in the space of another country. After its launch, they will put a mouse in it and will have it lifted to the stratosphere by a helium balloon.

The space probe is fitted with cameras with a wide angle fish-eye lens to be used in taking pictures of Uganda from space and other features on the planet. The others are a thermometer and Global Positioning System trackers.

"We shall send a mouse to space. If it comes back alive, it will mean that Uganda is able to send human beings into space and we shall embark on constructing a new space observer that a person can use," Nsamba said.

"As the space probe orbits the planet, it will pick dust molecules for our laboratory research," he noted. His team had already launched a prototype test and was able to take some pictures while in space. Cadimella will orbit the space twice and come back with samples. In case it lands on water, they can command back to the surface.

ASRP has a core representation in Dallas, US which handles all international matters outside Africa.
The space probe will be used to scan meteoroids and asteroids closest to earth's orbit.

However, this like any other project, Uganda's space ambition will come with some challenges. Nsamba said they faced some challenges like building the motherboard and problems with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which had prevented them from flying it due to space laws.

Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation and African Leaders

Pope Benedict XVI became the first Pope in 600 years to willingly resign from office. The Papal Nuncio has no rival forcing him to quit. There is neither a protest or a mass uprising in the Catholic fold demanding the great hero of Christiandom steps down. Upon the realisation that his health can no longer serve as the foundation of his ordained mission, the Pope, to the amazement and shock of the world announced he will exit the prestigious seat in the Vatican by February 28, 2013.

The Pope is within the age bracket of Robert Mugabe (80) yet Mugabe still seek rounds of years in Zimbabwe. Lacking in ideas and foresight, Mugabe has led flowering and blossoming Zimbabwe into the abyss. So many African leaders exist today who continue to rule and hold on to power despite failing health and lack of sagacity. Paul Biya of Cameroon has no date of exit. Yahya Jammeh has turned Gambia into a personal property.

Eyadema Jnr in Togo does not look as if he is ready at all to consider death not to talk of leaving the Presidential Palace. Idris Deby rules on in Chad despite the growing opposition to his rule. How about Yoweri Museveni of Uganda? He went as far as telling BBC that he is too experienced to leave and exit office. If he will not leave by himself, death will. 

Many African leaders die in office due to stupidity. Umar Bongo of Gabon spent 47 years in office before death bade him farewell. Nigeria's erstwhile President's case is the most pathetic. Despite having good intentions and leading truly with a patriotic mind, Umar Musa Yar'Adua died in office due to pressure within his party or better still pressure from the national 'godfather' Olusegun Obasanjo not to leave the stage so that he can achieve his nefarious whims and caprices.

He was sick like the Pope but never considered resignation as an option. Maummar Gaddafi despite being a leader with good track records in the betterment of the lives of Libyans and advancement of his country was killed due to the sit-tight syndrome of African leaders. They are many. Just too many. Is it Hosni Mubarak of Egypt or Ben-Ali of Tunisia? Too numerous.

One singular error people especially foreigners and their apologists in Africa make is to say the sit-tight syndrome is Africa's culture. During the era of the monarchs in traditional African societies, sick men never ruled. When a leader was sick, he must step down. If a society with a calamitous economy like that of Zimbabwe existed in traditional African societies, the people would have risen against such a leader and in Yorubaland, he would be made to open the 'calabash' as a sign of rejection.

African leaders are nothing but bunch of destroyers. They believe resignation is an act of cowardice. Though I do not subscribe to this because I know resignation is never in their minds not to talk of it as an act of cowardice. All they harbour in their corrupt souls is GREED. The irony is that they have successfully built a team of successors among the youths who cannot wait to continue the plundering. The have trained successors. The Pope's announcement that he will never influence the choice of his successor is not an act African leaders can buy or subscribe to.

Paul Kagame: A model for Africa

When I read about the genocide of Rwanda, I begin to wonder what sort of humans my people have turned into in Africa. Beasts. The conclusion and end to the genocide did not come from outside of the continent, at least Rwanda has no oil majorly or gold centrally. In that case, neither the US nor France can intervene.

Bill Clinton and the United Nations refused to label the genocide with its proper appellation thus extricating themselves of any R2P. The solution to the Hutus' killing of Tutsis came from the sagacious, bold and farsighted courage of a Rwandan himself; Paul Kagame.

Kagame raised a rebel group composed of Tutsis, the tribe being hatched in the pogrom and crossed into Rwanda from Uganda. After winning the battle against the Hutu majority, he became President and since then, he has led Rwanda to a glorious era in which ethnic animosity is fast becoming a forgotten past.

No other leader has achieved this feat in Africa; of leading a massively divided country based on ethnic bigotry into prosperous 'united' nation. Nigeria currently still finds it hard to discuss her ethnic divide from the past to the present especially finding ways to get off the hook of the Civil War.

Kagame continues to show the result of what dedicated leadership is. A book has been written about him and his leadership style. In the book authored by the New York Times bestselling author, Patricia Crisafulli and Andrea Redmond, he is said to lead more like a company's CEO than a political leader and that is exactly what he is. With just a secondary school certifcate, Kagame has shown great wisdom in governance. Read More