Category Archives: Tanzania

TANZANIA: STATEMENT ON A STARTLING SITUATION FACING MEDIA PRACTITIONERS IN THE PUBLIC MEDIA OUTLETS

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From: Abdalah Hamis

The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC) recently completed a country Security Needs Assessment Survey for human rights NGOs, and for journalists being one of its thematic groups. According to our observations and what was recorded in the questionnaires that we distributed, media practitioners working for public media outlets are facing severe hatred from fractions of the citizenry or from supporters of certain political parties. These have led to commotions during political rallies and in situations where there is a tug of war between the citizenry in one hand and the government and investors on the other.

Given this situation this Coalition can foresee of worst scenario as this country is heading towards the 2015 General Elections. Incidents of throwing out, hurling stones and other forms of humiliations to this group are a common practice according to leaders of the 16 regional press clubs that were visited by this coalition.

Good examples to elucidate this scenario are in all regions which are a strong mainstay of the opposition, or which are endowed with rich reserves of natural resources. In this category regions like Mbeya, Iringa, Mtwara, Arusha, Kigoma and Dar es Salam have witnessed incidents of humiliating journalists like what happened to the TBC announcer Mr. Marin Hassani Marin when he was rounded up and harassed by sympathizers to the main Opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA), when it was launching the presidential campaigns of their candidate Dr Willibrod during the 2010 General Elections at the Jangwani grounds following a sudden blackout of the national television coverage. Happenings like this could hinder the work of media practitioners in public media outlets which are run on coffers money.

Any sudden blackout of this media outlets have always created a critical risky situation towards these journalists as the public at large tend to assume that it is the journalists who decides what should and should not be aired without any attempt to understand that reporters operate under orders from their managements and editors. Just to mention a few, a similar blackout of news from the TBC led to the unprecedented violence against the Mtwara based TBC reporter Kassimu Mikongolo in May this year, whose house was set ablaze by the irate mobs condemning him of having terminated this coverage deliberately.

Other similar incidents have also occurred in Arusha whereby TBC reporters have been sidelined starting from the Arumeru by-election, and in other rallies by the Opposition CHADEMA. This has forced them to use stories which have been collected by their colleagues from such rallies. Scribes from public outlets that have faced difficulties are Leonard Manga, Sechela Kongola, Khalfan Mshana and Ben Mwaipaja.

In Kigoma scribes in the public media outlets have a working confidence with leaders from all parties. However, citizens at large do not have trust with such outlets. In Kigoma TBC reporter Dotto Elias once faced a stiff challenge when at the CHADEMA rally when he was harassed by its sympathizers. In that occasion CHADEMA’s leaders came to his rescue. Gervas Msigwa also with TBC has been facing harassments whenever he attends CHADEMA’s rallies he escaped narrowly an attack during the by-election in the Lisabon Songea in 2011.

The current chairman of the Iringa Press Club Mr. Frank Leonard, who is employed by a public media outlet publisher of Daily News and Habari Leo, says there is a problem with politicians who fail to construe journalists as members of the community and that whatever they report reflect people’s wishes. In the 2010 General Election the ruling CCM top leadership had substituted its candidate who emerged an overall winner and replaced him with one who happened to their own choice. By reporting this discrepancy he was seen as an agent of the opposition so he was confronted by the CCM’s Green Guards on grounds that he was working against their party, at the end of the day the ruling party lost in the Iringa Urban Constituency.

Due to insecurity that these journalists are facing they have been forced at times to remove the TBC emblem and stickers from their cars and cameras in an attempt to rescue their lives. Vivid examples were when they were covering cases of Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda Islamist leader and Willfred Rwakatare CHADEMA’s cadre. In these incidences George Kasembe and Nora Uledi almost lost their cameras to the angry mobs, let alone the booing from these fanatics of the two suspects.

The Source of these Commotions

• Our attempts to understand the core of this problem detected that the problem could be not with the scribes at the reportage level, but with their top management and editorial policies guiding their works. Journalists in this category always are at cross roads whenever they are engulfed in a tug of war between the citizenry and their government.

• Another challenge in a related situation is when some government functionaries like district and regional commissioners together with their district executive directors who choose to use such journalists as their public relations officers on an assumption those media outlets in electronic and print forms are their mouth pieces and of the government of the day and the ruling party.

• This has gone hand in hand with providing offices for them in shared public buildings between government administrators and journalists. This has always been at the peril of the journalists who must report in the tunes of the bigwigs whether it is through inducements and pay offs or the forced dictates.

• In another stance it is when public media outlets are sidelined by some institutions that do not trust public media outlets on grounds that they cannot get a fair coverage. This tells that some groups in the citizenry, political parties, or even public institutions do not have a trust towards public media outlets.

Under these circumstances journalists from the public media face a stiff challenge due to a failure to understand where they should stand and how their news coverage would be perceived by political fanatics, and whether their reportage will be against the expectations of the citizenry.

In an attempt to get a position of the TBC management recently there was a face to face discussion on the matter and TBC admitted some of these challenges such as those facing journalists in Mtwara, Arusha and Kigoma. Responding to the issues of being perceived as pro ruling party, the TBC denied the allegation saying that it is a non-political, non-biased entity and that it operates and it will continue to operate within its own guidance and editorial policy which moreover, guarantees fair coverage to all despite their political postions.

Solution to these Challenges

• On the question of security to journalists the TBC management admitted that there has been provision of training on security management but usually when General Elections approaches. This management acknowledged the importance of forming alliance with the THRDC in provision of security management trainings.

• There is a need to improve managerial capacity to the runners of these institutions so that they can get well acclimatized to the multiparty era in which this country is now operating.

• Also there is a need for a joint meeting between leaders of public media outlets, political parties, and the THRD-Coalition in order to underscore security of scribes in the forthcoming elections.

• This coalition urges all Tanzanians to stop harassing these journalists whenever they are in their routine coverage, and that any challenging matter should be reported to their management.

• We urge media practitioners in public institutions and their management to understand that public media should remain neutral and they should not have any kind of inclinations to either the government of the day or to any one political party.

• In order to maintain neutrality all offices of the public media outlets should be located outside the government buildings. Therefore the need to construct their own houses in order to get rid of an assumption that these are mere public relations officers of government leaders.

• We thank the TBC management for assisting Kassim Mikongolo during his trying moment including his subsequent transfer from Mtwara an area that could endanger his life. Moreover this Coalition will also assist him financially in order to meet some of the expenses that he has undergone following the tragedy.

Brought to you on behalf of the THRD-Coalition by:

Onesmo Olengurumwa
NATIONAL COORDINATOR THRD –COALITION

Tanzania: Reasons why Pres. Kikwete got an honorary degree from the University of Guelph

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From: Abdalah Hamis

The Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete is going to receive an honorary degree during a visit to the University of Guelph today, Friday September 20th, 2013, during a 4 p.m. ceremony in the University’s War Memorial Hall, which will be followed by a public lecture on agriculture, food production and innovation.

A press release posted on the University’s website says the event is free and open to everyone.It lists the reasons to award the President with an honorary degree as recognition for:

His contributions as a politician, negotiator and humanitarian.

Helping lead efforts in Africa to improve agriculture and ensure food safety.

Becoming the continent’s pioneer and spokesperson for the “Grow Africa” initiative, and has promoted a green revolution Agriculture First – to update farming practices and increase productivity.

Championing community development, education and literacy

Fighting corruption

Promoting women’s rights, particularly by improving access to education and health care.

“President Kikwete truly exemplifies what it means and what it takes to build a better planet,” said Kevin Hall, vice-president (research).

Hall led the honorary degree nomination and has met Pres. Kikwete several times to discuss agriculture, food security, water and health in East Africa: “President Kikwete has a steadfast commitment to helping his people, country and continent. He is a model and inspiration for our University as we strive to improve life in Canada and beyond,” Hall said.

While in Guelph, he is expected to meet faculty, students and researchers working in East Africa, tour campus research facilities, and attend a dinner with local and national government leaders and dignitaries.

U of G is establishing a Guelph East Africa Institute to help solve regional problems. The institute, which will be located in Tanzania, will bring together academia, business, government and NGOs to support research and teaching in food, health, water, education, environment and community.

Tanzania’s Islamist Militants: A Domestic Threat from a Domestic Context

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From: Yona Maro
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BY HANNO BRANKAMP

On 5 May, 3 people were killed and 67 injured in a grenade attack on St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in the Olasiti suburb of Arusha, Tanzania. The assault was blamed on Islamist militants and has raised concerns about Muslim-Christian relations in parts of the country.

In recent months, tensions between elements of Tanzania’s Christian community – who make up an estimated 60% of the population – and some of the country’s Muslim community – who make up around 35% – have escalated, with a handful of outbreaks of communal violence.

The Arusha bombing perhaps signals one of the most serious threats yet, given the scale and type of violence, but policymakers ought to be careful not to elide Tanzania’s domestic militants with their more potent regional counterparts. Tanzania’s Islamist fighters have emerged out of locally-specific contexts and histories, and the government ought to ease tensions through reconciliation and by addressing underlying grievances.

The rise of militant Islamism

In 1992, when multiparty politics were introduced in Tanzania, militant Islamism was on the rise in the wider region, especially in the then stateless Somalia and on the Swahili coast of Kenya. In Tanzania, the one-party system of the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party had left the urban Muslim youth in a state of economic frustration and political paralysis. The emergence of the Islamic organisation Baraza la Uendelezaji wa Koran Tanzania (BALUKTA) – Swahili for ‘Council for the Promotion of the Koran in Tanzania’ – in the late 1980s gave a new voice to those seemingly disenfranchised Muslims, primarily in Tanzania’s economic hub of Dar es Salaam.

BALUKTA staged major protests in opposition to the government’s plan to incorporate church institutions into national healthcare and education programmes. The protest movement culminated in the occupation of the headquarters of Baraza kuu la Waislamu Tanzania (BAKWATA) – Swahili for the ‘Supreme Council of Muslims in Tanzania’– a less radical and government-sponsored Islamic organisation, which had alienated many Muslims due to its staunch support of CCM’s liberalisation policies.

Around this time, street battles sometimes erupted between Christian youth and their Muslim counterparts over inflammatory sermons held in mosques in Dar es Salaam. These inter-religious clashes were further sparked by agitation from BALUKTA leader Sheikh Yahya Hussein, whose followers were involved in the destruction of pork butcheries and raids on shops selling alcohol in Dar es Salaam. In April 1993, BALUKTA was officially banned on the grounds of allegedly plotting the overthrow of the government.

Attacks and the economy

In a new upsurge of Islamist activity in February 1998, the militant group Simba wa Mungu (‘God’s Lion’) – apparently linked to the ‘radical’ cleric Sheikh Ponda Issa Ponda – stormed the Mwembechai mosque in central Dar es Salaam. The forcible re-capture of the premises by police led to the death of at least three people. In 2002, violence erupted again when Islamic activists gathered to commemorate the Mwembechai shootings of 1998. Two more people were killed.

Sheikh Ponda, allegedly an initiator of the gathering, was subsequently portrayed as the face of Islamic radicalism in Zanzibar and the coastal mainland. In recent years, Ponda has assumed leadership of the Jumuiya na Taasisi za Kiislamu (‘Association of Islamic Organisations’), making provocative public appearances and holding lectures about the necessity of a ‘Muslim liberation’.

Currently, the marginalisation of Tanzania’s Muslims is most clear in Zanzibar, which has a Muslim-majority population. Zanzibar has witnessed the rise of the Uamsho (‘Awakening’) movementdemanding the island’s secession from the Tanzanian mainland. In April 2012, government forces violently cracked down on the Uamsho protesters that had rallied in spite of a public ban on demonstrations.

The rift between Muslims and Christians has also widened in the recent past. In mid-February this year, Catholic Priest Evarist Mushi was shot dead in Zanzibar’s touristic capital Stone Town. It was the second attack of its kind, following the shooting of another priest on Christmas Day. Last year, the reported desecration of a Koran also provoked the vandalising of numerous churches in Dar es Salaam. And now, the Arusha bombing further stirred the hornets’ nest.

These incidents arouse serious concerns about Muslim-Christian relations in both the archipelago and the mainland. However, cross-cutting fault-lines within Tanzanian society mean broader mobilisation of Muslims against Christians is highly unlikely. Unemployment and political frustration underlie civil unrest more so than sectarian animosity. Indeed, it is from this popular discontent and feelings of abandonment by the ruling elite that the likes of Uamsho and Sheikh Ponda have drawn support. By trying to criminalise those voices, the CCM government has failed to acknowledge their legitimate political demands for economic opportunities, jobs and recognition as Muslim Tanzanians.

It is crucial to distinguish between Islamic activists voicing legitimate concerns and demands – as provocative as those might sometimes be – and militants that promote the indiscriminate use of violence such as the Arusha bombing.

The need for reconciliation

Tanzania’s domestic militant Islamist movements are currently far more modest in capacity and scope than their regional counterparts such as al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in East Africa (AQEA). These transnational movements may increasingly influence and manipulate Tanzania’s indigenous militants – and the 1998 bombings in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi show how easily regional Islamism can turn against a country – but the danger of this seems limited at least for the moment.

To avoid this, it is crucial to recognise the unique domestic grounds out of which Tanzania’s militants have emerged and to tailor an agenda accordingly. President Jakaya Kikwete’s vow to beef up security measures at religious places of worship is a sign of pragmatism in the face of an immediate physical threat. But whilst acts of violence must be tackled decisively and without delay, the same must be done for underlying grievances.

First of all, Tanzania’s Islamist movements must be seen as what they are: a home-grown domestic threat. An attempt to put Islamic activists – militant or not – under general suspicion by portraying them as the potential fifth column of al-Qaeda is likely to backfire. Instead, it is now more important than ever for the government to reassure the Muslim public that their demands are being taken seriously.

The administration’s investment in long-term measures – i.e. the empowerment of civil society and the creation of public spaces for all religious communities – will be decisive for the prevention of both enduring sectarian violence and militant domestic Islamism. Despite a healthy anxiety for the security of Tanzanians, concern should not be translated into fear and paralyse societal dialogue.

Australia election: Tony Abbott defeats Kevin Rudd – Any lesson learnt for Tanzanians?

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From: Mwema Felix

Australia’s opposition has crushed the governing Labor party in a general election that has returned the Liberal-National coalition to power for the first time in six years.

The coalition won 88 seats to Labor’s 57 in the 150-seat parliament.

Liberal leader Tony Abbott, who will be prime minister, promised a competent and trustworthy government.

Outgoing PM Kevin Rudd earlier admitted defeat and said he would not stand again for the Labor leadership.

The main election issues were how to tackle an expected economic slowdown, whether to keep a tax on carbon emissions, and how to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Mr Rudd had called the election after defeating Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June, amid dismal polling figures that showed Labor on course for a wipe-out.

Under Mr Rudd, Labor initially saw its figures improve. But Mr Abbott, who enjoyed the strident support of Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers, then widened the gap again.

“From today I declare Australia is under new management and Australia is now open for business”, Mr Abbott told a cheering crowd as he delivered a victory speech.

He said that he would put the budget back into surplus, and stop boats bringing migrants from Asia.

He added that support for Labor was at its lowest ebb for 100 years, and that the results showed the Australian people would punish anyone who took them for granted.

Mr Rudd said he had phoned Mr Abbott and wished him well.

“I gave it my all but it was not enough for us to win,” he said. But he was pleased that Labor was preserved as a “viable fighting force for the future”.

Mr Rudd retained his seat in the Brisbane constituency of Griffith but said he would not re-contest the Labor party leadership because the Australian people “deserve a fresh start”.

“I know that Labor hearts are heavy across the nation tonight. As your Labor leader I accept it as my responsibility,” he said.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24000133

Oil and Gas in Tanzania: Building For A Sustainable Future

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From: Juma Mzuri

A call for a moratorium on new offshore exploration.

Tanzania is on the precipice of an economic evolution with the recent discoveries of gas. We have now confirmed reserves of 43 Trillion Cubic feet (TCF), roughly valued at USD 430bn[i]. Plans for LNG production are moving ahead of schedule. As a result there will be considerable new gas resources available for power generation and other needs for our economy and people including domestic use, petrochemical industries and fertilizer plants.

Our nascent oil and gas industry is set to expand greatly with the upcoming Fourth Licencing Round, which, according to Minister Sospeter Muhongo, is scheduled to be launched in Houston, Texas on September 13. We are now informed that the licencing round has been delayed. This is not enough and more work needs to be done.

The Fourth Licencing Round should be put on hold – postponed for ten years. In this, we echo the demand of Parliament’s Energy and Minerals Committee earlier this year (April 2012, Annual Report of the Committee) and the concerns of other informed citizens. It is very unfortunate that the recommendation to postpone the licensing round, supported by a Parliamentary Committee on Public Investments (POAC) and approved by a Parliamentary resolution, was largely ignored by the Ministry and TPDC. A moratorium will not only allow us to manage our new resources effectively it will also ensure the welfare of future generations. This is something the Government must take seriously.

We, as responsible leaders, have a duty to safeguard this country’s resources for future generations. This will require effective and sustainable management of our oil and gas reserves. The licencing round for the oil and gas offshore blocks announced by the Ministry through TPDC undermines our mandate to the Tanzanian people. If all exploration blocks are being licenced, what will our grand-children and great-grandchildren, who will be more educated and well prepared, do? It is critical that we approach these issues not in a short-term strategic thinking but long-term. We may not be here tomorrow but Tanzania will be.

We are not prepared for an expansion of exploration activity. Current legislation is out-dated and does not mirror the current political and economic status quo. We have no overarching Gas Policy, however progress has been made as both the Gas Act and Policy are currently being crafted. Nevertheless to continue on with a new round of licensing before these policies are complete is irresponsible. More importantly, we do not have legislation that will manage revenues from the sector. We need more time for the policies and legislative acts to be implemented. We will also need more time for institutions to be in place.

A ten-year moratorium will give us the space to develop our capacity in key areas. TPDC can be overhauled to become an active exploration and production company, modelled on Malaysia’s Petronas. Currently, TPDC does not have the capacity or resources to be an effective and strong partner in developing our reserves. These capacity deficits include the ability to conduct basic geological surveys, contract negotiations and management as well as production and processing. A moratorium will allow us to support TPDC to become a strong and reliable trustee and gatekeeper of the country’s resources.

A ten-year moratorium will allow us to build the necessary institutions that we will need to effectively benefit from these resources. These include establishing and supporting a Sovereign Development Fund , to manage revenues; coordinating with our educational institutions to train and foster young Tanzanians so they can confidently work and engage in this industry; and an oversight committee that would include parliamentarians, civil society organizations and local communities. These stakeholders would be mandated to ensure that our resources are used effectively and fairly.

A ten-year moratorium on offshore exploration will ensure that our increasingly young population will enjoy the benefits of our natural resources for generations to come. We kindly request the Government to stop any new licencing of exploration blocks and refocus all efforts into building the capacity to manage the discovered resources, make wise decisions and prepare the nation for a Natural Gas Economy in a timely manner.

Our past mistakes in the mining sector should guide us, as we comprehend the challenges and opportunities presented by the oil and gas sector. The country must first build strong accountability measures, ensure transparency, develop critical human capital and learn from case studies of other gas economies before licencing any new blocks. We need to think strategically and understand the long-game rather than thinking about short-term gains. As a result, we think 10 years will be enough to implement the necessary interventions and build a strong and sustainable oil and gas economy for all Tanzanians.

Kabwe Zuberi Zitto, MP
Shadow Minister of Finance.

Toxic Toil: Child Labor and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Article by Fumbuka Ng’wanakilala, DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 28 (Reuters) – The Tanzanian government said it was committed to stamping out child labour in small-scale gold mines after a U.S. rights group said thousands of minors were at risk from working in dangerous conditions.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said children as young as eight years old were working in small mines in Tanzania, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer.

They are at risk of injury from pit collapses and accidents with tools as well as of long-term health damage from exposure to mercury, breathing dust and carrying heavy loads, it said.

“Child labour is a serious problem in small-scale mines,” Tanzania’s deputy energy and minerals minister, Stephen Masele, told Reuters on Wednesday, the same day the report was published.

“More advocacy is needed to ensure parents understand the importance of education for their children,” he
said. “We have been carrying out frequent surprise inspections at mines to crack down on this problem.”

There are more than 800,000 miners working in small-scale gold operations in Tanzania, thousands of whom are children, the rights group said.

“They dig and drill in deep, unstable pits, work underground for shifts of up to 24 hours, and transport and crush heavy bags of gold ore,” said the report titled, “Toxic Toil: Child Labour and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines.”

The government has pledged to end the practice, but Human Rights Watch said it was not doing enough.

“On paper, Tanzania has strong laws prohibiting child labour in mining, but the government has done far too little to enforce them,” said Janine Morna, a researcher at the rights group.

“Labour inspectors need to visit both licensed and unlicensed mines regularly and ensure employers face sanctions for using child labour,” she said.

The group said girls who work on or near mining sites sometimes become victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. (Editing by Edmund Blair and Jane Baird)

via Trust.org

Source: http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2013/08/tanzania-government-pledges-to-end-child-labor-in-gold-mining.html#ixzz2dLMP3cpV

On Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:58:23 PM UTC+3, Abdalah Hamis wrote

Children as young as eight-years-old are working in Tanzanian small-scale gold mines, with grave risks to their health and even their lives, Human Rights Watch said in a reportreleased today. The Tanzanian government should curb child labor in small-scale mining, including at informal, unlicensed mines, and the World Bank and donor countries should support these efforts.

The 96-page report, “Toxic Toil: Child Labor and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines,”describes how thousandsof children work in licensed and unlicensed small-scale gold mines inTanzania, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer. They dig and drill in deep, unstable pits, work underground for shifts of up to 24 hours, and transport and crush heavy bags of gold ore. Children risk injury from pit collapses and accidents with tools, as well as long-term health damage from exposure to mercury, breathing dust, and carrying heavy loads. A 17-year-old boy who survived a pit accident told Human Rights Watch, “I thought I was dead, I was so frightened.”

“Tanzanian boys and girls are lured to the gold mines in the hopes of a better life, but find themselves stuck in a dead-end cycle of danger and despair,” said Janine Morna, children’s rights research fellow at Human Rights Watch. “Tanzania and donors need to get these children out of the mines and into school or vocational training.”

Many children who work in mining are orphans or other vulnerable children who lack basic necessities and support. Human Rights Watch also found that girls on and around mining sites face sexual harassment, including pressure to engage in sex work. Some girls become victims of commercial sexual exploitation and risk contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.

Human Rights Watch visited 11 mining sites in Geita, Shinyanga, and Mbeya regions, and interviewed more than 200 people, including 61 children working in small-scale gold mining. The employment of children in dangerous mining work is one of the worst forms of child labor under international agreements, to which Tanzania is a party.

“On paper, Tanzania has strong laws prohibiting child labor in mining, but the government has done far too little to enforce them,” Morna said. “Labor inspectors need to visit both licensed and unlicensed mines regularly, and ensure employers face sanctions for using child labor.”

Child laborers, as well as children living near mining sites, are at serious risk of mercury poisoning. Mercury attacks the central nervous system and can cause lifelong disability to children, whose developing bodies are more easily affected by the heavy metal. The miners, including children, mix mercury with crushed ground ore and burn the resulting gold-mercury amalgam to release the gold, exposing them to poisonous mercury fumes. Even small children who are not working are often present during this process, which is sometimes carried out in the home.

Most adult and child miners are unaware of these health risks. Health workers lack training and facilities and are not equipped to diagnose or treat mercury poisoning. Existing laws and initiatives on mercury have largely failed to reduce mercury use.

Tanzania has helped craft a new global treaty to reduce mercury exposure worldwide, which more than 140 governments agreed upon in January 2013. The Minamata Convention on Mercury, named for the site in Japan of a mercury poisoning disaster half a century ago, will be adopted in October near Minamata.

“Tanzania helped bring about the Minamata Convention on Mercury,” Morna said. “Now, to protect the future of its own people and of its own growing mining industry, it needs to take the lead to protect its children – by monitoring, testing, and treating them for mercury exposure and getting them out of the mines.”

Working in the mines interferes with children’s education. Children working in mining sometimes skip classes or drop out of school altogether. Teachers told Human Rights Watch that school attendance and performance decreased when a gold mine opened nearby. In addition, many adolescents seek full-time employment, including in mining, because they lack access to secondary school or vocational training.

A 15-year-old boy in the Geita district summed up the impact of mining on his life: “It is difficult to combine mining and school. I don’t get time to go through tutoring [which takes place on the weekends]. I wonder about the mine, it distracts me…. One day … I fell sick [after mining and missed classes]. I had pain all over my body.”

The Tanzanian government should expand access to secondary school and vocational training and improve child protection, Human Rights Watch said. The government and donors should provide financial and political backing for the new action plan on the most vulnerable children and include orphans from mining areas in the Tanzania Social Action Fund’s program of grants and conditional cash transfers to vulnerable populations.

The World Bank and other donors to the mining sector should also support steps to end child labor in mining and reduce the exposure of children and adults to mercury, Human Rights Watch said. For example, they should help children transition from work in unlicensed mines to schooling, and ensure that newly licensed mines do not use child labor. A current US$55 million World Bank project to support the mining sector does not directly address child labor.

The gold industry has a responsibility to ensure it does not benefit directly or indirectly from unlawful child labor, Human Rights Watch said. Yet most gold traders Human Rights Watch interviewed in Tanzania had no procedures to keep gold mined by children out of their supply chains.

Small traders typically purchase gold directly at the mines or in mining towns and then sell it to larger traders in Tanzania. Sometimes the gold passes through several intermediaries before reaching the traders who export the gold. According to the Tanzanian government, small-scale miners produced about 1.6 tons of gold in 2012 – worth about US$85 million.

The top destination for gold from Tanzanian small-scale mines is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Gold is also exported to Switzerland, South Africa, China, and the United Kingdom.

“Whether small or large, Tanzanian or global, businesses should avoid becoming entangled with unlawful child labor in their supply chain,” Morna said. “As those with the buying power, gold traders have leverage over their suppliers. They should use it to protect children and to protect consumers from buying gold tainted by child labor.”

Tanzania denies presence of North Korean army experts

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Tanzania’s army chief has dismissed reports that North Korean military experts were working in the country in violation of UN sanctions against Pyongyang.

Chief of Defence Forces Gen Davis Mwamunyange said that the Tanzanian army had not engaged engineers from North Korea to repair its Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter jets and other military aircraft as claimed in widely circulated reports.

Online magazine Africa Confidential had on August 2 said that 18 North Korean military technicians and army officers were in Mwanza repairing fighter jets.

There also had been no pressure exerted by either US or South Korean diplomats on Tanzania to end what are claimed to be close military relations between it and North Korea, Gen Mwamunyange added.

“There has been no communications whatsoever from the US or South Korean governments on any such issue. We have not been under any pressure,” Gen Mwamunyange told The Citizen newspaper last week during a handover of military vehicles from India.

The report said a North Korean merchant ship that was intercepted in the Panama Canal on July 16 carrying two MiG-21s from the 1950s was headed to Tanzania. The ship reportedly originated from Cuba.

The publication alleged that the US and South Korean governments were pressuring President Jakaya Kikwete’s government to sever any military relations with North Korea.

‘No reason’

Earlier, the army said it had no reason to engage North Korean technicians.

“We don’t have any aircraft or other military equipment manufactured in North Korea. Why then should we hire their technicians?” Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) spokesperson Major Eric Komba told The Citizen in a telephone interview.

Maj Komba said it did not make sense to hire North Koreans to repair Soviet-manufactured military equipment.

Africa Confidential suggests that Tanzania could be in breach of UN sanctions if indeed it was engaging with North Korea.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1718 was adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on October 14, 2006, and imposes a series of economic and commercial sanctions on North Korea in the aftermath of that nation’s nuclear test of October 9, 2006.

Scrutiny on North Korea became more intense following more missile and nuclear tests by Pyongyang and its threats to attack South Korea and the US.

‘Read carefully’

Contacted, Foreign Affairs minister Bernard Membe, while not denying or confirming the alleged presence of the North Korean engineers, said he doubted if Tanzania would have breached UN sanctions by hiring technicians from that country.

“Try contacting the Minister for Defence and National Service, but I advise you to carefully read the UN resolution in question to see if hiring technicians from North Korea to repair warplanes amounts to violating sanctions,” Mr Membe said in a telephone interview last week.

The UN sanctions have placed bans on imports and exports of North Korea military equipment and “related material, including spare parts” and any other items identified by the sanctions committee. The section does not directly mention personnel.

Africa Confidential reported that while Pyongyang has no diplomatic representation in Tanzania, its two senior officers were seconded to the Tanzanian Peoples Defence Forces..

It claims that the two may also be involved in a private company set up to import arms and quotes a US diplomat in Dar es Salaam as saying that his country was concerned by Tanzania’s “breach” of the UN sanctions.

“US and South Korean diplomats may step up the pressure if discreet contacts do not yield results,” the magazine quotes the diplomat saying.

Earlier this year, there were allegations that Iranian tankers were circumventing sanctions by flying the Tanzanian flag, allegations which Dar es Salaam strongly denied.

http://www.africareview.com/News/Tanzania-denies-presence-of-North-Korean-army-experts/-/979180/1947716/-/11vcmgpz/-/index.html

Tanzania’s Public Safety and Security: Whither the classic “fire brigade” approach?

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From: Yona Fares Maro

Hii movie inaitwa OLYMPAS HAS FALLEN ni nzuri sana inahusu mahusiano ya Korea zote mbili pia unaweza kuangalia WHITE HOUSE DOWN – hii inahusu mahusiano ya ndani ya nchi yao ya marekani .

Kwa maoni yangu movie zote mbili hazina uhusiano wa moja kwa moja na matukio ya Tanzania labda hii white house down kidogo sana .

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On Monday, August 12, 2013 8:48:48 PM UTC+3, Pauline Mengi wrote:

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

Tanzania’s Public Safety and Security: Whither the classic “fire brigade” approach?

YESTERDAY, Saturday, August 10, or was it today, Sunday, August 11, 2013? I can’t remember; been having a lot on my mind these days. Anyway, what I was trying to say is I watched this really great movie, about the White House of America – literally taken hostage, invaded and occupied by a group of a really well-trained “paramilitary” force; a.k.a. terrorists. I mean these guys are really mean “badasses”. Excuse me, I didn’t mean to use that word, but, heck, there wasn’t any other word that would best fit their description. I mean, think of the meanest, well-organized, well-trained commandos, who speak several languages, are fully-trained in martial arts, are the best sharp shooters – they never miss – and who ALSO understand how computers, computer networks and software, security systems (access control, counter measures, etc.), the whole deal, and you get the picture of what I’m trying to say. If you haven’t seen the movie, I suggest you do; it should be playing in a theatre near you. Or you could call your buddy with that high-speed Internet connection to “torrent” it for you. Well, I did “torrent” it, and my money and time was well worth it, because it was a complete surprise. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but it was well worth it. If I was watching the movie at Mlimani City’s 20th Century Cinemax, I would be holding on tight to that chair, praying that one of those bullets from those high-powered extra advanced automatic 50 caliber machine guns don’t mess up my handsome face. Haha! Just kidding. I aint handsome; just an average guy.

Ok, here’s the synopsis.
An ex-Special Forces operative and former presidential bodyguard must fight to take back the White House from terrorists who have kidnapped the Commander in Chief (i.e. President) in this high-stakes action thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua of the “Training Day” and “Shooter” legacy, and starring Gerard Butler. In the aftermath of a tragic accident involving the president, played by Aaron Eckhart and the first lady Ashley Judd, Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Butler) is handed his walking papers. Basically this means he is put out to pasture; confined to a desk job. He unwittingly – to avoid from becoming completely “crazy” due to the new emotional and psychological stress in his life – accepts a measly “security officer” at the Department of the Treasury, which is, nevertheless, a desk job. You can imagine his frustration, as his military background of being a Special Forces US Marines soldier, being used to an “action” environment, this is something he never expected in his life. He was as much of a friend to the President and the First Lady, as he was their protector. His sense of guilt, for failing to rescue the First Lady in the fatal accident that took her life, while on the way back to the White House, under such bad weather – snow everywhere, almost-zero visibility, the presidential convoy going at breakneck speeds, foryou can imagine the situation!

But Banning, just like the rest of the US Secret Service team is quite unprepared for the events that were to unfold, unsuspecting amongst them a traitor at the highest ranks within the presidential protective service force. The traitor, Fred Forbes, had sold out the country to the KUK; the North Korean paramilitary group that, literally, had almost taken the US for dead, rendering its arsenal of nuclear missiles into self-detonating bombs by deploying the “Cerbus” protocol.

Hey! Am I giving too much of the plot of this movie? We are already on the fifth paragraph and I haven’t said WHY I am giving you a “sneak peek” review of this movie. Well, I won’t go on; just go see the movie, but before you do, here is why I chose this movie for today’s Blog entry.

What’s my point?

If you want to take over a country, whether or not there are dissenting voices, you must forge alliances with, possibly, mildly disgruntled but highly placed individuals, who will prove useful to your cause. You must take it from within, and that is what exactly what “Kang” – one of the world’s most wanted terrorist mastermind – played by Rick Yune, who played his part superbly! For authenticity, the directors and producers HAD to find an Asian actor, most likely with Korean background, which Yune probably is! He HAD to be believable, and you can’t do that unless you are the “real McCoy”!

Kang carefully studied the First Family, which was key to America’s takeover. When you take over a country from its highest vertices, it becomes more effective, as all the other protective agencies must take contingency measures, which sometimes aren’t so effective and/or practical. And that’s exactly what happened in this high-octane thriller of a movie. While the story is completely fictional, it poses several questions about most countries’ safety and security.

Such questions such as “How safe or how secure are we?” begin to pop up, while watching this movie. Hey, I am someone who is a little bit more observant than the rest of my peers. For example, after the 9-11 event, I began to take note of how “unsafe and unsecure” my country, Tanzania, is. For the benefit of those in charge of our safety and security, here is some advice on what must be done NOW to deal with all the weak spots and loopholes in our country, starting with Dar es Salaam, where our president lives.

Please don’t take this the wrong way; don’t ask me how I know what I know. I just observe and analyze the situation at hand. Let’s just say that God has graced me with an above average intellect, and if I don’t responsibly use this intellect to good use, then I will be just as guilty as any terrorist that would successfully attempt to take over our country! Trust me; we are in more danger now than we were, say, 10 years ago. Why? It’s now become global common knowledge that Tanzania is abundantly endowed with resources such as precious minerals and metals; wildlife; natural gas and oil; as well as a huge land area of arable land that has remained unexplored for years! The rest of the world – and I say this with confidence – is looking at Tanzania with much envy, its’ leaders and captains of industry saying: “Here! Look at this country called Tanzania guys! It’s got the world’s riches, but its people are asleep, and its’ leaders are so corrupt, they can be bought for pennies!” I remember, a white man once said: “Tanzania is the only country where you can go with a dollar in your pocket, and become a millionaire in less than one year!” I find that statement to be quite true!

So, without much further ado, here is my advice, point by point, the theme being “The take-over of Tanzania”. But before I go on, shall I be legally held liable for “exposing” our country’s security weaknesses on the Internet? So, I believe I must end here this feature, until I get proper advice from my beautiful legal counsel. This thing has already been blown out of proportion: Leaders coming out, foaming at the mouth – these bloody criminals, spraying Sulfuric Acid on innocent people and giving us a bad name on the international arena! I spoke out about this several months ago, when the spate of attacks started happening in Zanzibar; churches being burnt, several people – including the Qadhi’s Secretary – being sprayed with acid, several people being shot, while the Parochial Leader of the Zanzibar Catholic Church, Reverend Evarist Mushi was shot and killed, not too long ago, and asked this one key question: “Why, instead of sitting on our behinds, don’t we ask about the motives of these people committing all these crimes?” I posted the question on Facebook last year, before I became greatly disappointed with this social network, as it had become a forum for vicious and malicious verbal attacks between our youth; I cancelled my account. Never been back since. No regrets! The only regret is, I wasted my precious time!

There is always a “motive”, in Latin, it’s called “modus operandi” or “M.O.” as cops like to say in movies and TV shows. It’s the “motive” of the criminal’s mind; his/her motive. People just DON’T go around committing crimes; the motive could be to gain money and/or property; revenge; jealousy; or creating the environment for a “hostile takeover” by sabotaging a nation’s safety and security mechanism, tarnishing its’ public image, at both local and international levels.

The people who burned down churches in Zanzibar; who shot and severely wounded people; who sprayed people with acid; who shot and killed religious leaders; ALL had a singular motive, which is – Make Zanzibar an unlivable country for foreign tourists and/or visitors with social agendas, such as those working in schools, health institutions, etc. The two British girls, both 18, were volunteer teachers, who had worked in Zanzibar for about a month. They had only one day left to leave before they were attacked. One could safely conclude that their attackers had investigated them from the day their feet touched the ground in Zanzibar.

These attackers were well organized; they planned everything, starting with choosing the “perfect victim(s)”; someone with a pure soul, possibly female, working in charitable organizations – such as schools, hospitals, etc. – and most definitely foreign! They succeeded, for their agenda was to make sure that Zanzibar, and consequently Mainland Tanzania, become blacklisted at the international level as being “unsafe”, so whoever may dare tread within its’ territories would do so “at own risk”. Virtually, foreigners are being told: “It’s your own grave you’re digging if you choose to go to Zanzibar…”

First, Europeans are so scared right now, they don’t want to think about Zanzibar; it’s all over social forums. Second, it will be North Americans. The US Federal Department of State, through US Embassies worldwide, publishes what it calls “Travel Advisory Statements”, for every country. This is a document that advises US citizens who wish to travel to a particular country on its’ safety and security ranking; if the statement says “travel at own risk”, US citizens would tend to translate that as being “Hell no! I aint going over there! No way!” Third will be South America, then fourth will be the Far East, and lastly, fifth, will be Australasia as well as the Pacific Islands including the Caribbean Island. The entire world – even our own neighbours – will mark us as deadly terrorists, walking around with acid canisters, ready to pour it on anyone we don’t like or we have a “beef” with! We won’t be any different from the Arabs, who have literally been branded as “Al Qaeda”. What will they brand us with? Acid Terrorists?

We have already been branded as “drug” mules; here’s a pat on the back to CCM for successfully managing to have us branded as “Acid Terrorists”! A new accolade to us all! Bravo! Heck, if I’m gonna blame someone, I must start with the ruling party CCM and its’ Government, starting, of course, with President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, right? But maybe Kikwete shouldn’t be blamed all by himself, however, he must be asked a lot of pertinent questions.

Hey Mr. President, where were you when innocent civilians, such as the infamous Musa Tesha were being attacked with acid (the Police arresting CHADEMA cadres for the crime – have you read their scathing report on the kind of abuse they had to suffer at the hands of the Police, who tortured them with electric shocks forcing them to implicate CHADEMA’s leadership with “acts of terrorism” but they said “NO! We wont!” ?); or when a Sheikh was recently attacked with acid during the few days prior to the postponed Ward Elections in Arusha? Countless of people have been attacked with acid. In Igunga, Tabora, a CHADEMA cadre from Dar es Salaam was brutally murdered and dumped in a forest; to-date, no suspect(s) have ever been called to stand in front of the courts. The police allegedly know the culprits, but for political reasons, are protecting them, because they allegedly belong to the “Green Guards” militia unit of CCM!

Heck! We all want to live as long as possible, don’t we? We’re all – well, most of us anyway – afraid of dying, especially a violent death such as being shot by a gun, or getting into other troubles. Now, think! Who in their right mind would go to a country where they are being told “Don’t say we didn’t warn you…”? Do they have a death wish?

I am rather surprised, or let me say, dismayed, at our Government leaders approach to this situation, calling it a “new and recent crime” while spates of acid attacks, brutal killings, beatings and maiming have been going on since 2009! What’s so “new” about acid attacks?

When it was our own Tanzanian brothers and sisters who succumbed to these attacks, the Government did nothing; it was nothing to worry about. Now that the situation has gone out of control, the Government suddenly “wakes up and smells the bad, sour tasting coffee”, that the matter must be immediately controlled. It’s “damage control” time, which, in most cases, is very difficult to achieve.

Right now, ever since CNN International went “global” with the Breaking News about two teenage British girls being victims of an acid attack in Zanzibar, damage had already been done. As the audience of CNN International is in the hundreds of millions, the news item was seen and heard by scores of people everywhere that CNN iInternational is viewed. The story – I am certain – must have been translated into several “key” international languages, probably even Mandarin Chinese! There is an old adage that says: “There is no news like bad news!” I don’t know who said it, but I tend to agree with them, because, indeed, these days – such as it was during the Jingoistic Journalism times of the US – bad news seems to follow people wherever they go! And it sells faster than Aunt Jemima’s Chocolate Syrup on top of a buttered hotcake, at Wendy’s! Ha ha ha! My African brothers and sisters here may/not get this pun here… Oh! Heck! I told y’all in my first post that my writing style is influenced by many factors! If you want clarification, speak up!

Conclusively, while the “Olympus Has Fallen” story IS in fact purely fiction, for me, it’s a little too close to reality. It addresses all the normal social issues we are all faced with in this globalized society; greed, revenge, hunger for power and/or money, and of course, the vulnerability of man due to the love of money, power, social status, luxury and wealth.

There are people like Fred Forbes, who are highly placed Government officials in key and sensitive jobs. They all have a price – you meet theirs, you get what you want, sometimes for almost free, and they may even throw in a couple of bonuses just for the heck of it. You gave them what you wanted, didn’t you?

During one of the scenes in the movie, Acting President who is also Speaker of the House of Representatives, who, in case neither the President nor the Vice President can actively dispense their duties, the Speaker of the House of Representatives becomes Acting President. The Acting President must be sworn in by the Supreme Court Chief Justice, and in his absence, a highly-ranked National Security or Pentagon official can “swear” him in. A notification comes in to the Pentagon Crisis Room, that a Hydra weapon has just been activated and is firing at the convoy of choppers of US Navy Seals who had been sent in to search for and rescue the President, who, at the time, was being held hostage by Kang and his KUK group of North Korean paramilitary members.

“Sir! They have just launched a Hydra weapon!” says one of the Pentagon officials in the Criris Room.

Acting President, brilliantly played by Morgan “Old Man” Freeman, responds: “What’s a Hydra?”

“It’s one of our most advanced military equipment, still in its prototype stages,” responds the man.

“And how the hell did they get it?” asks Acting President.

“Well, they have it…” responds the middle aged, chubby Pentagon ‘man in black’.

At this time, nobody in the Pentagon Crisis Room knows that Fred Forbes is the ‘mole’ within the US Secret Service, who opened doors for Kang and his group. Forbes gave all the key information and weaponry to Kang. He opened doors to allow the United States of America to be taken over by a bunch of misguided ragtag paramilitary terrorists, whose only motive was to see America crumble to its knees. They failed, however!

There could be well over one hundred such ‘moles’ within Tanzania’s safety and security organs; the Fred Forbes of Tanzania, unlike him, aren’t clearly as well trained and well versed in matters of proper security. They just aren’t prepared for such an attack; neither am I, so I must admit. In fact, 90% of Tanzanians are not.

Our Disaster Management Department at the Vice President’s Office is clearly not doing enough to counter any man-made or natural disaster that may occur. We witnessed their “effectiveness” in managing disasters, all the way from the Mv. Bukoba disaster on Lake Victoria to the Mv. Spice Islanders disaster on the Ras of Nungwi in Zanzibar, to the Mv. Skagit disaster, and most recently, the collapse of the 16-floor dangerously built skyscraper on Indira Gandhi Street in Dar es Salaam!

While they pat themselves on the back, they couldn’t come up with a clear figure of how many people were killed or survived during the collapse of the high riser; they tended to water down figures, so as to make people believe that the disaster wasn’t so drastic, while word on the street said as much as 60-70 people died, and scores more – in hundreds – are still missing! Yeah! Job well done!

I won’t say much about the Presidential Security Services of the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), because they seem to know it all. I dare not expose their obvious – literally common sense, not rocket science – weaknesses, for fear of being kidnapped, tortured and left for dead in Mabwepande, as Dr. Stephen Ulimboka and Mr. Absalom Kibanda were recently. Kibanda was attacked right outside his gate, as he returned home coming in late from work. It happened so fast he had no time to even call out for help. “These were professionally trained assassins, not your ordinary muggers,” Kibanda said.

Meanwhile, in a new turn of events, Commissioner of Police for the Dar es Salaam Region Special Zone, Suleiman Kova has blamed Ulimboka for being “uncooperative”. “We have called him in several times so that we may take his statement but so far he has refused, which is delaying our investigation. We can’t finish if he doesn’t cooperate with us,” said Kova.

Prior to his being sent to South Africa and upon his return, Ulimboka named one Ramadhani Ighondu, who is a State House official, working on the Presidential Security Advisory team, which is also part of TISS. Ulimboka said Ighondu and his colleagues orchestrated his kidnapping, beating, torture and being left for dead in Mabwepande. A weekly, which had been carrying and following up the story, also found conclusive evidence to implicate Ighondu, which was published, a little over a year ago. The Ulimboka Gate story is believed to have been the last straw on the Government’s back, which led to the decision to suspend the weekly – MwanaHalisi – for an indefinite period of time, citing among many other reasons, lack of cooperation (for what?) and publishing distorted information and, of course, lies!

Instead of addressing the issues at hand, which are many, such as the Police-coordinated and Police-orchestrated organized crime and wildlife poaching as well as narcotics trafficking and distribution, the Government is tackling only ONE issue – acid attacks – while, in terms of our safety and security, there are so many more! At the speed that the Government is dealing with acid attacks, it’s as if we have been invaded and we are in our Crisis Room, left with only one thing: Praying that the likes of Mike Banning to save the day! What if? I ask again? Our version of Mike Banning fails to do the job because he is not properly prepared for it, what will happen? What then?

Mr. President, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, your House is not in order; it has demonstrated that it is unprepared and poorly trained to do the job of ensuring the safety and security of the people of Tanzania and their country at large. Any terrorist – and this is a fact, take it or leave it, Mr. President – can come in and study us, as a tourist! We won’t know a thing, because we don’t have the intelligence mechanisms to scrutinize people as they carry on their daily activities, whether during the day or night.

Simple things, such as CCTV cameras mounted on traffic lights, which were proposed on the 2007 ICT Strategic Plan of the Tanzania Police Force (TPF), have yet to be implemented. High rise buildings such as the PPF Plaza on Ohio Street and Garden Avenue in downtown Dar es Salaam has, clearly, a poorly designed access control system. A person who tells the check-in personnel that he is going to such and such an office on the Sixth Floor, can easily get off any floor and, if that person doesn’t have good intentions, can easily open the exit doors on the staircase, walk to another floor and carry out his version of “justice”.

Literally, unsuspecting tenants of PPF Plaza and many other valuable buildings in Dar are NOT safe! I’m just pointing out some of the more obvious weaknesses and challenges to our public safety issues, so y’all don’t come and arrest me, to start labeling me a “terrorist”.

You are better off, Mr. President, to work with me as I clearly have observed these challenges for a long time. As I said, I can’t list ALL the weaknesses because that would put the country at risk. If I’m going to be consulted, Mr. President, I will ONLY do so in your presence and under the presence of your most trusted national security advisors; I know two of them, and I trust them all. I even had the pleasure of working with one of them a few years back, after I contacted you and you sent both men to me. One had called me earlier but I told him that his colleague had already contacted me, so he said: Good!

I am open 24-7 to assist you Mr. President, because this issue of acid attacks is too blown out of proportion. I can advise you accordingly what must be done, because I know that our country has the resources to protect itself. I am a committed patriot, which is why I am raising the issue and how best NOT to tackle it. While we are busy dealing with only one piece of the safety and security issues, others will take advantage of our preoccupation with acid attacks, and concentrate their criminal activities in areas not addressed by us.

When CNN International labels Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania as being “unsafe”, they do not do so lightly; they have clearly done their homework. They have insiders within the US safety and security systems, they have ears and eyes, and they ask the right questions to get right answers.

How many times, Mr. President, have we put our country literally at ransom, by failing to completely address the issue of corruption by Government officials, most of them being held in key positions, such as one Mr. Achacha of the Department of Immigration at the Julius Nyerere International Airport? Have you heard how he terrorizes both Tanzanians and foreigners wanting to depart the country from JNIA, citing a myriad of stupid reasons, just because he CAN deny people their right to leave the country, and, most often, because he wants to be bribed, so say people who have suffered at his hands?

We have many problems, Mr. President. It is time we addressed them all, at once, instead of taking the piecemeal and/or fire brigade approach. It won’t work.

I propose we urgently form the National Safety and Security Advisory Commission (NSSAC); there are good people who can be appointed to serve on NSSAC, such as Hon. Judge Francis Mutungi, but you already gave him another job, didn’t you? He is well placed at that office; he will do it justice.

Can we get started? Bring me a list and I will tell you who is fit to lead and sit on the Commission; that will be my first contribution. You can pay me when we get done… but an allowance will be essential for me to continue offering my services to you. If you want my email, ask my Aunt Grace in Trinidad.

Kikwete : This is my position on Rwanda

Leave a reply

from: Judy Miriga

Good People !

East Africa is very important and is a focal point for Emerging Markets in the world.

Political Leadership engagements to providing Responsibility with integrity, Security, Law and Order as the genesis drivers to Unity and Peace in pursuit for happiness; is therefore extremely very important for moving forward progressively.

While I stand tall in supporting President Kikwetes stand over President Kagames’ instigation bully in the Region, the following should be observed:

1) providing security for all is crucial. Shoot to kill by police is unacceptable. The Police must not take laws in their own hands. The law must charge the Police who shot the Radical Preacher Ponda and the law should instead be applied to charge Ponda.

2) Dar could take the lead in East Africa’s Industrial Hub progressiveness for the World Emerging Markets, and Public Corporations system must be made functional through strict Government Departments’ Regulations that put Public Mandate and needs top of any negotiation deals. This includes observing all tenets of Human Rights, Security and protection.

3) Since Kagame and Museveni are both sneaky bullies, we all must unite to put them on checks. As much as Kagame wants to provide for his Rwandese people, all other leaders too have responsibilities to provide for their people. So all want a freer conducive environment where all play fair for the goodness of all and Museveni and Kagame must not be given chance to steal or acquire Port Kismayu and Migingo for their evil plan of selfish greed. We must not allow Museveni and Kagame to acquire the Port of Kismayu and Migingo for Salim Saleh to destroy East Africa for their selfish greed.

4) All Rebel Groups and Mercenaries including Salim Salehs’ must be condemned and be forced to face justice for all evils with instability caused in the Great Lakes of East Africa.

5) United Nations led by Ban-Ki-Moon must show Responsibility with Integrity by pushing for quick Returns with good Results, instead of compromising and playing dummy in slackness that fuel rising of insecurity, loss of Lives and rapping of women and children. This is abuse of Sovereign territorial invasion, that have been witnessed and believed to have been a long engineered conspiracy planned to open opportunity avenues that aids evil to benefit Special Business Interest greed. This is unacceptable and we all will stand against this type of behavior.

People of Africa too want to enjoy Liberty in pursuit for happiness and when this is achieved, the world will be a happy place to live. We must all face reality and know that, Unity for Peace is crucial to all….

Cheers everybody…….!!!

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

Kikwete : This is my position on Rwanda

In an address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him

In Summary

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflammatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of East African Community to its lowest levels

In an address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him

By Songa wa Songa The Citizen Reporter (email the author)

Posted Saturday, August 3 2013 at 08:37

In Summary

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflammatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of East African Community to its lowest levels
Dar es Salaam. For the first time, President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday admitted that relations between Tanzania and Rwanda were tense but maintained it was not in the interest of his government to escalate the situation.

In a carefully worded address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him personally and the leadership of Tanzania in general, but played down fears that the matter could further strain the two countries’ relations.

The President said any hard feelings against him in the neighbouring country were misplaced and amounted to unfair and unwarranted criticism of a friendly nation such as Tanzania.

The head of state used the traditional end of the month speech to speak out on a matter that has in recent months raised political temperatures in the region and there were fears thatit could boil over into a full-blown conflict.

“I have been shocked and dismayed at the verbal attack and criticism levelled against me by Rwandan officials,” Mr Kikwete said. “What they are doing and saying does not reflect the true position …. (it is) completely out of proportion and out of context.”

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflamamatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of the East African Community to its lowest levels. Without naming them, the President said: “Utterances of Rwandan leaders towards me and our country is evidence of that (turbulent relations).”

The origin of the war of words between Kigali and Dar would appear to be President Kikwete’s recent suggestion that Rwanda should negotiate with the rebels fighting it from bases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kigali has been greatly offended by Mr Kikwete’s call during the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa, with state officials and the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front operatives going into overdrive in their rejection of the appeal.

Rwanda’s minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Louise Mushikiwabo, was the seniormost official to speak against Mr Kikwete. She equated Mr Kikwete’s remarks with defending those accused of the 1994 genocide against the minority Tutsi. Bloggers from both sides have also traded barbs and taken the stand-off to a higher level–which probably explains Mr Kikwete’s move to break the ice.

In his address yesterday, Mr Kikwete declared that his call for dialogue had been misunderstood. He said he had restrained himself as there was no reason to jump on each other’s throats or escalate a non-issue. “Two wrongs do not make a right,” he added.

The President said he had chosen to ignore insults from Rwanda in the best interest of the people of the two nations.

“It is not because I do not know how to speak or that I do not have anything to say,” he added. “I haven’t done so because I do not see its benefit.I want to assure my fellow Tanzanians and our Rwandan friends that I, my government and the people of Tanzania want to have good relations and close cooperation with Rwanda as we have with all our neighbours.”

He pledged that Tanzania would continue pursuing and nurturing good neighbourliness and foreign policies.

Subject: Kikwete : This is my position on Rwanda
To: jbatec@yahoo.com

from: Judy Miriga

Good People !

East Africa is very important and is a focal point for Emerging Markets in the world.

Political Leadership engagements to providing Responsibility with integrity, Security, Law and Order as the genesis drivers to Unity and Peace in pursuit for happiness; is therefore extremely very important for moving forward progressively.

While I stand tall in supporting President Kikwetes stand over President Kagames’ instigation bully in the Region, the following should be observed:

1) providing security for all is crucial. Shoot to kill by police is unacceptable. The Police must not take laws in their own hands. The law must charge the Police who shot the Radical Preacher Ponda and the law should instead be applied to charge Ponda.

2) Dar could take the lead in East Africa’s Industrial Hub progressiveness for the World Emerging Markets, and Public Corporations system must be made functional through strict Government Departments’ Regulations that put Public Mandate and needs top of any negotiation deals. This includes observing all tenets of Human Rights, Security and protection.

3) Since Kagame and Museveni are both sneaky bullies, we all must unite to put them on checks. As much as Kagame wants to provide for his Rwandese people, all other leaders too have responsibilities to provide for their people. So all want a freer conducive environment where all play fair for the goodness of all and Museveni and Kagame must not be given chance to steal or acquire Port Kismayu and Migingo for their evil plan of selfish greed. We must not allow Museveni and Kagame to acquire the Port of Kismayu and Migingo for Salim Saleh to destroy East Africa for their selfish greed.

4) All Rebel Groups and Mercenaries including Salim Salehs’ must be condemned and be forced to face justice for all evils with instability caused in the Great Lakes of East Africa.

5) United Nations led by Ban-Ki-Moon must show Responsibility with Integrity by pushing for quick Returns with good Results, instead of compromising and playing dummy in slackness that fuel rising of insecurity, loss of Lives and rapping of women and children. This is abuse of Sovereign territorial invasion, that have been witnessed and believed to have been a long engineered conspiracy planned to open opportunity avenues that aids evil to benefit Special Business Interest greed. This is unacceptable and we all will stand against this type of behavior.

People of Africa too want to enjoy Liberty in pursuit for happiness and when this is achieved, the world will be a happy place to live. We must all face reality and know that, Unity for Peace is crucial to all….

Cheers everybody…….!!!

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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Kikwete : This is my position on Rwanda

In an address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him

In Summary

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflammatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of East African Community to its lowest levels

In an address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him

By Songa wa Songa The Citizen Reporter (email the author)

Posted Saturday, August 3 2013 at 08:37

In Summary

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflammatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of East African Community to its lowest levels
Dar es Salaam. For the first time, President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday admitted that relations between Tanzania and Rwanda were tense but maintained it was not in the interest of his government to escalate the situation.

In a carefully worded address to the nation, Mr Kikwete expressed concern about Rwanda’s unease with him personally and the leadership of Tanzania in general, but played down fears that the matter could further strain the two countries’ relations.

The President said any hard feelings against him in the neighbouring country were misplaced and amounted to unfair and unwarranted criticism of a friendly nation such as Tanzania.

The head of state used the traditional end of the month speech to speak out on a matter that has in recent months raised political temperatures in the region and there were fears thatit could boil over into a full-blown conflict.

“I have been shocked and dismayed at the verbal attack and criticism levelled against me by Rwandan officials,” Mr Kikwete said. “What they are doing and saying does not reflect the true position …. (it is) completely out of proportion and out of context.”

He accused Rwanda’s leaders of making inflamamatory statements that have sent engagement between the two members of the East African Community to its lowest levels. Without naming them, the President said: “Utterances of Rwandan leaders towards me and our country is evidence of that (turbulent relations).”

The origin of the war of words between Kigali and Dar would appear to be President Kikwete’s recent suggestion that Rwanda should negotiate with the rebels fighting it from bases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kigali has been greatly offended by Mr Kikwete’s call during the last AU Summit in Addis Ababa, with state officials and the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front operatives going into overdrive in their rejection of the appeal.

Rwanda’s minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms Louise Mushikiwabo, was the seniormost official to speak against Mr Kikwete. She equated Mr Kikwete’s remarks with defending those accused of the 1994 genocide against the minority Tutsi. Bloggers from both sides have also traded barbs and taken the stand-off to a higher level–which probably explains Mr Kikwete’s move to break the ice.

In his address yesterday, Mr Kikwete declared that his call for dialogue had been misunderstood. He said he had restrained himself as there was no reason to jump on each other’s throats or escalate a non-issue. “Two wrongs do not make a right,” he added.

The President said he had chosen to ignore insults from Rwanda in the best interest of the people of the two nations.

“It is not because I do not know how to speak or that I do not have anything to say,” he added. “I haven’t done so because I do not see its benefit.I want to assure my fellow Tanzanians and our Rwandan friends that I, my government and the people of Tanzania want to have good relations and close cooperation with Rwanda as we have with all our neighbours.”

He pledged that Tanzania would continue pursuing and nurturing good neighbourliness and foreign policies.

Radical preacher wanted over Zanzibar acid attack shot in police raid

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From: Abdalah Hamis

By Mike Pflanz, Stone Town
6:24PM BST 10 Aug 2013

A radical Muslim preacher wanted for questioning over the acid attack on two British tourists in Zanzibar was shot on Saturday night as he fled police trying to arrest him.

Sheikh Issa Ponda is understood to have survived the raid and was on the run but injured, police sources told The Daily Telegraph.

He had visited Zanzibar in the weeks running up to the attack on Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both from north London, who were on Saturday still in hospital being treated for their injuries.

Ponda earlier this month met with the imprisoned leaders of a Muslim separatist group, Uamsho, who police believe may have inspired the attack on the two women.

Tanzania’s director of public prosecutions, Elieza Feleshi, on Friday ordered that the cleric be arrested after accusing him of inciting violence, for which he was convicted earlier this year and given a 12 month suspended sentence.

“He narrowly escaped from the police in Morogoro, he was shot by our officers, but we are pursuing him,” said Faustine Shilogile, a senior police commander in Morogoro, the town 110 miles west of Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, where Ponda was shot.

The women, both aged 18, were admitted to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London on Friday where they were receiving treatment for burns inflicted in an unprovoked attack while they were on a volunteering holiday.

Family members of the pair are believed to be keeping a bedside vigil, after the teenagers were flown home yesterday and immediately sent to the capital’s regional burns centre.

A hospital spokesman confirmed the women continued to be treated by medics, and their conditions were described as “stable”.

Miss Gee has already taken to Twitter to say: “Thank you for all your support x”.

Their doctor, Andy Williams, a consultant burns and plastic surgeon, said: “We can confirm that Katie and Kirstie have been transferred to our care at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s burns unit where we’re still assessing their injuries.

“Both families would like to thank everyone that’s helped to bring the girls back.

“The families now wish to have time with the girls and that the media would respect their privacy at this difficult time.”

A photograph released by the girls’ families showed the injuries one of them suffered in the attack.

The girl is shown wearing an open striped shirt and a silver necklace.

What appear to be acid burns are clearly visible on her chin, neck and upper chest.

One of the girl’s injuries are much worse than the other’s, it was reported, because helpers used dirty water on her burns.

One of the victims was reportedly immersed in the sea in the aftermath of the attack at Stone Town, a beach resort, and the salt water helped her skin.

“That completely altered the result: the salt water and the acid,” Miss Trup’s father, Marc, said.

“The other girl panicked, ran around, made her way to a public toilet.”

When “they got to the medical centre there was no shower,” he added. “They were throwing dirty water at her.”

Tanzanian President ready to retaliate if Attacked in DR Congo

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from: Tracy John

By Gasasira,Sweden

Ever since the Tanzanian President urged countries in the great lakes region to enter talks with their opposition as the only way of finding everlasting peace in the great lakes region. President Kagame responded in wildly way of declaring war at a neighbouring country Tanzania .

This was due to the remarks which president Jakaya Kikwete repeatedly made questioning reasons as why countries which have continued to support M23 rebels and at the same time forcing president Joseph Kabila of DR Congo to enter into peace talks with the notorious armed group M23 yet they have also failed to held peace talks of armed groups in their own countries and among those he sighted President Kagame who has continued involving himself in DR Congo internal politics yet he has also chronologically failed to negotiate with his own armed group, credible opposition, suffocating free media and lack of freedom of expression in his own country yet he tries to style himself as a saint and a liberator than an autocratic leader.

This prompted president Kagame to make different ruthless public remarks full of war mongering and attacking president Kikwete . It’s in this regard that president Kikwete also in return responded to President Kagame’s war mongering by warning him that his country is ready to defend her self using all possible means to give him a lesson he will never forget in his life if at all he dares to attack Tanzania or her Special Forces under the UN Intervention Forces in DR Congo .

Our Sources also reveals that the Tanzanian forces are on high alert due to intelligence information which confirms that Rwanda is in it’s last preparation of carrying out isolative counter attacks on Tanzanian Special Forces which are under the UN Intervention Forces in DR Congo. Reliable Intelligence sources within President Kagame Intelligence Services reveals to Umuvugizi that the war mongering President Kagame has of recently been repeatedly making in his different public remarks where none apart from vowing to target the Tanzanian forces among the UN Forces in the neighbouring DR Congo which were given mandate by the UN Security Council in her resolution 2028 which created and gave directives UN intervention Forces to work with the existing UN peace Keeping Forces together with the National Forces “FARDC” to save millions of innocent civilians who have been repeatedly cleansed and displaced to neighbouring countries by president Kagame’s proxy rebel group M23 which acts as his bridge to Plunder DR Congo wealth mineral Resources .

Tanzania, Come Now, Let Us Reason Together Over Lake Malawi Dispute!

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From: shedrack maximilian

Thank you Pastor , Well written

From: Charles Banda
Sent: Monday, 29 July 2013, 19:15
Subject: Tanzania, Come Now, Let Us Reason Together Over Lake Malawi Dispute!

Since the Lake Malawi dispute egressed some 50 years ago, a lot has been said but less has been done to completely put it to rest. Malawi has for many times challenged that not even an inch of this lake will go to Tanzania citing 1890 treaty between German and Britain while on the other hand Tanzania challenges, “we will make sure that we own half of Lake Nyasa/Malawi, we have to correct mistakes made by our colonial masters”, citing international water body law.

When you look at these statements, you’ll note that each side has effectual argument. I see that neither Malawi nor Tanzania should underestimate the other’s argument.

What I would wish the two countries is to come and reason together just as God called Israelites to come to Him and reason together (Isaiah 1:18). We can’t fight now, please. I know that either national reading this is anxious as to what am I trying to say.

I see that Malawi is right that Lake Malawi belongs to it according to 1890 treaty and Tanzania is right to suggest rectifying colonial errors and follow international water body law. Colonial masters decided on how the borders should go, against the will of the locals since we had no authority to decide on our lands if we did maybe we could not face these wrangles today. This applies to all African countries since all were on one time under colonialism. These border demarcations are still the ones used in all African countries today. Through them, other countries are savouring enough space while others such as Malawi have no space to breathe, so rectifying colonial errors would be a good idea.

What is needed in this dispute is clear and conscience reasoning without competition, selfish ambition or thinking about war. In every dispute, it is unwise to talk about war because there can always be a civilized solution. Like I said in my other article, in real sense, no country wins war because even if it goes in one’s favour, both countries loose lives of their citizens, resources, peace, development is retarded, friends from the two countries get separated. During war, there is serious hunger, diseases, rape, loss of property, education and worship get interrupted and almost all government resources go to war etc., so please, consider these before you mention war. It is easy to merely talk about war but when it starts you wish it was never there. It is unfortunate that even ordinary citizens are mentioning about war forgetting that when it starts, politicians will be the very last ones to face a bullet if at all, any. Tell me, how many frontline politicians died in Rwanda, Congo, Libya, Iran, Iraqi, Mali and other war-tone countries? Tell me, how many ordinary citizens died? They died in millions. When politicians say, “we are ready to shed blood for our land”, they actually mean ordinary citizens’ blood, not theirs. Tell me, which politician died during July 20, 2011 anti-government demonstrations in Malawi? None of them, but they were the ones who instigated it.

There have been war threats from Tanzanian side for some time but of late, it has stopped and adopted civilized way of solving the dispute. When Tanzania kept on issuing war threats to Malawi, one time Joyce Banda said, “I am ready to die for my land” without mentioning Lake Malawi dispute, something that Tanzanian government trashed interpreting it directly to the Lake Malawi dispute. When Tanzania’s President mentioned about Tanzanian Defence Force being ready to defend their land, some Malawian citizens interpreted it as if he made reference to Lake Malawi dispute. In his speech, Kikwete did not mention Malawi for Tanzania is also exchanging words with Rwanda. Recently Paul Kagame publicly threatened to hit Jakaya Kikwete, perhaps he referred to him, who knows. This link will take you to what Kagame saidhttp://www.afroamerica.net/AfricaGL/2013/07/03/i-will-just-wait-for-you-at-the-right-place-and-i-will-hit-you-rwandan-general-paul-kagame-threatens-tanzanian-jakaya-kikwete/. All this shows that no country
wishes to loose part of its land or resources, but let’s be patient. It is good to get things with clear mind before provoking war. It is good that Malawi has not officially responded to it and I wish it doesn’t so that peace may prevail. Let the peaceful negotiations take course.

Right now we are enjoying cordial relationship with Tanzania apart from exaggerated dispute which some sectors want to magnify. As we are talking, Tanzanians are freely passing through Malawi and Malawians are freely passing through Tanzania going to other countries or even settle in either country.

Malawians are trading with Tanzanians getting cars and other goods through Tanzania’s port. Diplomatic ties are still intact. As I am writing, Tanzanians and Malawians are using Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Isn’t that good? So why talk about war?

My reasoning is as follows; since time in memorial, Malawi and Tanzania have both peacefully used Lake Malawi/Nyasa up until Malawi issued Sure-stream oil drilling license. Probably Tanzania is thinking about its citizens that they will suffer if oil drilling starts on Lake Malawi. That can be good reasoning, isn’t it? On the same note, an ordinary Malawian who benefits from fishing will also suffer. When oil drilling starts, it is only the political elites who may benefit. Tell me, what have we really benefited from Kayerekela millennium mine since it begun? Have we experienced any economic growth through it? Almost none and we are just like before or even worse! We only bank on farming. Apart from oil drilling, we can increase on manufacturing industry which for many years we have not put much effort. I suggest, Malawi government haut oil drilling for the sake of an ordinary citizen. I think Tanzania will also be happy, isn’t it Tanzanians?

Coming to Tanzania’s point of correcting border colonial errors, if they so wish, though not affecting other African countries, I suggest we do. One Malawian national called Pef, on his response to my earlier article on Lake Malawi dispute rebuked me saying, “Musanditukwanitse mwanva! Intelligent people are busy solving problems but only the wise avoids problems. Kodi iwe ukudzitcha pastor Masikmau iwe, ukati negotiations should end without war, ukuganiza zingatheke popanda wina kugonja?….” (Give me a break, you who call yourself pastor Masikamu, do you think the dispute can end without one country giving up?…”. He thinks I call myself a pastor while I am not one, so interesting. However, don’t you think what he said has some sense? Probably yes. He suggested that for the sake of peace, Malawi should give up. I believe he was a Malawian because he wrote in efficient Chichewa language. Pastor Salanje had a similar idea also. While agreeing with them, I believe we can do it in a better way by implementing a win-win game, or what do you think my fellow Malawian citizens? Malawi has a very small land size than our good neighbour, Tanzania. Since Nyasaland lost some land to Tanganyika under British-Germany treaty, we can reason together with our neighbours to give us part of their land while we hand over part of Lake Malawi. In this way, correcting colonial border errors will go in favour of both of us because the errors made by colonial masters did not only affect Tanganyika on Lake Nyasa but also Nyasaland on the land size. I think if any of the two countries deny this equal lion’s share, that country is provocative and aggressive.

In my conclusion I would like to say that, let both Malawi and Tanzania pray that no country looses on the resolution taking place through SADC former heads of states but that we will have a win-win type of conflict resolution. I suggest that we do not in any way mention war for such an idea is truly not from God but the evil one to disrupt our peace because the devil hates peace but delights in deaths. Thank God, Jesus brought life through his death on the cross so that we can live beyond death. We are brothers and sisters from way back before colonialism of which colonialism separated our families into these two countries. If either of the countries is not satisfied with the results of these negotiations, we can still seek help from International Court of Justice (ICJ), and if its resolution will go in favour of one of the two countries or both, we shall keep peace.

God bless Tanzania and Malawi!
Pastor Robert Masikamu (Public Advisor).

Tanzania to investigate killing of 7 Peacekeepers in Suda

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From: Judy Miriga

Are Kagame and Museveni bullies in the great lakes of East Africa in their persistance quest to destroy DRC Congo livelihood with take-over of Migingo Island???

Will the world just sit and watch when innocent are killed with pain and suffering on the faces of the innocent?

Advancing to Goma means, the organized terrorist Rebel group of Tutsi M23 are inciting people to war and are asking for full-fledged-war. The M23 is trouble and they must be wiped out from the Great Lakes region of East Africa.

Peace is important in this region, but if the two cannot behave themselves, the world leaders must unite to stop them from taking what does not belong to them by force of the gun. They must also be made to pay for the damages they have caused in their terrorism and invasions with crimes committed. They must not be let to get away with it.

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson &
Executive Director for
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
email: jbatec@yahoo.com

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DRC wants all rebel groups to disarm

Published on Jul 13, 2013

The DR Congo government has warned all rebel groups operating in the country to lay down weapons or face retaliation.Congolese Army spokesperson Olivier Amuli told CCTV that now is the time to disarm. This comes days after UN peacekeepers clashed with a group of unknown gunmen, killing four of the attackers, a few kilometers outside Goma. CCTV’s Hillary Ayesiga reports

M23:LE GENERAL SULTANI MAKENGA ET SES 100% M23

(speaking in Ki-Rwanda is confirmation these are Rwandese Rebel group)

Published on Mar 3, 2013

PASS OUT ( sortie d’une formation militaire) DES MEMBRES DU M23. OBSERVEZ L ‘ELEGANCE DU GENERAL DE BRIGADE SULTANI MAKENGA 100%. LE TACITURNE. L’HOMME FORT.

DRC refugees stream into Uganda

Congolese refugees flood into Uganda

Congolese government troops fight M23 rebels

Sudan: Tanzania to Investigate Killing of 7 Peacekeepers in Sudan

15 July 2013

Related Topics

Tanzania: Dar Seeks Peace Missions Review

Dar es Salaam — The Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) on Sunday announced the appointment of a team of experts to investigate the killing of seven Tanzanian soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Unidentified armed assailants on Saturday ambushed a convoy composed of troops and police of the African Union and the United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) at Khor Abeche in southern Darfur, killing the seven Tanzanian soldiers.

Colonel Kapambala Mgawe, spokesman for TPDF, said the experts will travel to Khartoum and Darfur to have talks with authorities over the deadly attack, which also left 14 others injured.

However, Mgawe declined to mention the composition of the experts and the day the team will leave for Sudan.

In February, Tanzania sent 875 soldiers to Darfur on a peacekeeping mission according to a UN declaration.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday also expressed “outrage” over the deadly attack on peacekeepers in Darfur.

In a statement issued by the UN Information Center in Dar es Salaam, the UN chief expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, the government of Tanzania and all UNAMID personnel.

“The Secretary General condemns this heinous attack on UNAMID, the third in three weeks, and expects that the Government of Sudan will take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said the statement.

Congo-Kinshasa: UN Blue Helmets On ‘High Alert’ As M23 Rebels Advance Towards Goma

15 July 2013

United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are on high alert today and stand ready to use force to protect civilians in Goma from an advancing rebellion by the March 23 movement (M23), the top UN official in the country said, urging all parties to exercise restraint.

The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) expressed “deep concern” about the latest bout of fighting which broke out after a significant group of the M23 attacked the national forces (FARDC) on 14 July in Mutaho, eight kilometres northwest of Goma, in eastern DRC. According to the Mission, heavy artillery and a battle tank were used in the attack.

“Any attempt by the M23 to advance toward Goma will be considered a direct threat to civilians,” the Mission warned. It also noted that the UN blue helmets stand ready to take any necessary measures, including the use of lethal force, in order to protect civilians.

The acting Special Representative of the Secretary General in the country, Moustapha Soumaré, urged restraint to avoid a further escalation of the situation.

“I call on all to abide by the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement and to allow the political process towards peace to move forward,” Mr. Soumaré said, referring to the UN-brokered accord adopted in February with the support of 11 nations and four international organizations (11+4), with the aim of ending the cycles of conflict and crisis in the eastern DRC and to build peace in the long-troubled Great Lakes region.

“I urge all signatories of the PSC Framework to exercise their influence in order to avoid an escalation of the situation,” he added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Mary Robinson, the UN Special Envoy for Africa’s Great Lakes Region, along with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, visited the DRC in May to bolster support for the PSC Framework which Ms. Robinson dubbed a “framework for hope.”

Last month, there was talk of a possible resumption of peace talks between the Government of the DRC and the M23. At that time, Mrs. Robinson had urged both sides to engage in earnest discussion under the auspices of the Chairperson of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Mr. Robinson was convened in Burundi last week a conference to help develop a road map for women’s engagement in efforts to bring peace to Africa’s long-trouble Great Lakes countries.

Since March, tensions in the region have been heightened, leading to the Security Council to authorize in March the deployment of an intervention brigade within MONUSCO to carry out targeted offensive operations, with or without FARDC, against armed groups that threaten peace in eastern DRC.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Congo-Kinshasa: UNHCR Rushes Aid As 66,000 Congolese Refugees Stream Into Western Uganda

15 July 2013

Bundibugyo — The UN refugee agency is providing emergency shelter, blankets and other essential relief items to some 66,000 Congolese refugees who have fled fighting for the safety of western Uganda in the last five days.

Refugees began fleeing after a reported attack last week on the town of Kamango in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist rebel group said to be operating around the Ruwenzori Mountains of DRC’s North Kivu province.

By the early morning hours of last Thursday, the refugees had reached Bubandi sub-county in western Uganda’s Bundibugyo district, with 13,000 arriving on the first day alone. By mid-afternoon Sunday, the Uganda Red Cross Society said it had registered 66,139 people. Whole families have been carrying mattresses, pots and pans, and children were even carrying chickens.

“This is an extraordinarily swift and concerning influx of refugees into an area with very limited preparedness to extend humanitarian assistance to such a large number of people,” said Mohammed Adar, UNHCR’s representative in Uganda. “We are, however, moving to mount the initial response as quickly as possible while preparing at the same time for an enhanced operation.”

With no indication the refugees will go home soon, UNHCR joined the Office of the Prime Minister and other agencies in providing emergency aid. UNHCR sent plastic sheeting for shelter construction, plates and cups, and temporary latrine kits as well as soap. The agency has also provided fuel for transfers to a new transit centre, 23 kilometres from the DRC border, and the first 300 refugees were moved on Sunday.

Today, UNHCR plans an emergency shipment of tents, blankets and sleeping mats.

Bundibugyo is a mountainous and densely populated area about a seven-hour drive from the Ugandan capital Kampala. The new arrivals are being received in five primary schools, and other sites. Some are staying with families in the community.

The World Food Programme has delivered enough food to feed 20,000 people for five days, with more food due to arrive on Monday. The Ugandan Red Cross has organized communities to cook and serve hot meals, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners are providing water.

Even before the arrival of the newest refugees, Uganda was already home to more than 210,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, 63 per cent of whom came from the DRC.

Uganda Police Deny Migingo Torture Claims

By Charles Etukuri, 3 July 2013

Ugandan police force has refuted reports appearing in a section of Kenyan media that its officers beat up their counterparts on Migingo Island, a piece of land that is the centre of a row between the two east African countries.

These reports indicate that Ugandan police beat up three Administration Police (AP) deployed at the controversial island, seriously injuring three others.

“There was no fight as it was being portrayed by the Kenyan media,” deputy police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said.

He termed the incident as a minor disagreement between the two sides.

“The Kenyans were beaten by Ugandans in public glare after they were stopped at Nyandiwa Islands in Kenyan waters. As per procedure, the Ugandans were told to register at Ugingo Island, and leave their weapons behind which angered them,” The Star newspaper quoted a Kenyan Government official.

Nyatike deputy county commissioner, Moses Ivuto was quoted by the paper saying Rashidi Agore – the new head of Ugandan police at the island – was not aware that when his officers cross over into Kenya they are supposed to leave their firearms behind.

“The officer was pushed, slipped and injured his leg and was taken to hospital. We have sent more officers on the ground to ascertain the situation,” Ivuto said.

On the contrary Onyango said some of the officials were blowing the matter out of proportion.

“Our boat had got spoilt and our officer Agore asked his Kenyan counterpart for permission to take it over across to Nyandiwa so that it could be repaired and he was granted permission. But then another officer who was leading the AP, which controls the rural border, stopped them.”

The regional police commander of Busoga East, Echodu Egapytus told New Vision that there was lack of communication between the officer in the communiqué between and their counterparts on the ground.

But even as the Ugandan authorities sought to claim that the officers slipped, The Star quoted Juma Ombori, the island Beach Management Unit (BMU) chairman as stating that the officer didn’t slip but was beaten up by the Ugandans who are more superior in ranks and better facilitated than Kenyans.

“The Ugandan contingent is led by Senior Superintendent of Police, have better pay and weapons with 18 officers while Kenya’s head Richard Omaya is just an inspector with about eight officers,” Ombori said.

The row over the one-acre island has simmered since 2004 when Ugandan security pitched camp at the island to fight piracy in Lake Victoria.

Uganda Police is controlling security in Migingo in line with an agreement signed in Arusha in April 2009 by President Yoweri Museveni and his former Kenyan counterpart Mwai Kibaki to resolve the dispute.

In 2009, the two countries instituted a survey to determine who owns the island but the outcome of that survey has never been conclusive.

Echodu said both sides had met to try and calm any tensions in the area and that more meetings will be held over this weekend to calm down the tension.

Kenya, Uganda Police Clash At Migingo Island

By Manuel Odeny, 2 July 2013

Tension is high at Migingo Island after three Kenyan Administration Police (AP) officers were seriously beaten and hurt by a group of Ugandan police.

Officers from the two countries at the island have been keeping vigil with residents fearing that the tension may escalate if top official from the two countries don’t met.

The Kenyans were beaten by Ugandans in public glare after they were stopped at Nyandiwa Islands in Kenyan waters. As per procedure the Ugandans were told to register at Ugingo Island, and leave their weapons behind which angered them.

Nyatike deputy County Commissioner Moses Ivuto termed the incident unfortunate incident saying Rashidi Agore the new head of Ugandan police in the island was not aware that when his officers cross over into Kenya.

“The officer was pushed, slipped and injured his leg and was taken to hospital, we have sent more officers in the ground to ascertain the situation,” Ivuto said.

Yesterday senior officers in the county met in a security meeting and they planned to visit the island yesterday. But residents said tension has been building between Kenyan and Ugandan officers in the island and it was further fueled by President Uhuru Kenyatta recent visit in Uganda.

“When Uhuru visited Kampala the island was abuzz that the two presidents could find an amicable solution to the issue. Sadly it wasn’t mentioned to the delight of Ugandans,” Juma Ombori, the island Beach Management Unit chairman said.

Ombori said the officer didn’t slip but was beaten up by the Ugandans who are more superior in ranks and better facilitated than Kenyans.

“The Ugandan contingent is lead by Senior Superintendent of Police, have better pay and weapons with 18 officers while Kenya head Richard Omaya is just an inspector with about eight officers,” Ombori said.

According to agreement signed between the two countries, each was to have 12 officers but Ugandans have just ignored the agreement.

“These coupled with demoralization of the Kenyan officers as most are poorly paid and equipped has led to the problem,” he said.

Peacekeeping

United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (Kinshasa)

Congo-Kinshasa: Monusco Expresses Deep Concern Over M-23 Attack and Warns Against Any Action That Will Threaten Gom

Kinshasa — In the afternoon of 14 July, heavy fighting broke out in Mutaho, 8 km NW of Goma, after an FARDC position in the locality was attacked by a significant group of the M-23.

The attack occurred after the M23 had reinforced its positions around Kibati, close to Mutaho, earlier in the day, including with heavy artillery and a battle tank.

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) expresses deep concern over this development and calls for restraint to avoid a further escalation of the situation.

“I call on all to abide by the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement and to allow the political process towards peace to move forward”, said the acting Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC, Moustapha Soumaré. ” I urge all signatories of the PSC Framework to exercise their influence in order to avoid an escalation of the situation”, he added.

MONUSCO has put its troops on high alert and stand ready to take any necessary measures, including the use of lethal force, in order to protect civilians. Any attempt by the M23 to advance toward Goma will be considered a direct threat to civilians.

I will Just Wait For You At the Right Place And I will Hit You, Rwandan General Paul Kagame Threatens Tanzanian Jakaya Kikwete

by AfroAmerica Network on July 3, 2013

“Those people [Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete] you just heard siding with Interahamwe and FDLR and urging negotiations… negotiations? Me, I do not even discuss this topic, because I will just wait for you [Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete] at the right place and I will hit you! He[Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete] did not deserve my answer. I did not waste my time answering him…It is well known. There is a line you cannot cross, there is a line, a line that you should never cross. It is impossible…”“

It is in these ominous terms that the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame threatened to get even with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, while addressing Rwandan Youth on June 30, 2013 during a summit called “Youth Konnect””, sponsored by his wife, Janet Kagame.

Relations between Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and Rwandan leaders have soured in the last weeks. On several occasions Rwandan leaders called the Tanzanian President “a genocide and terrorist sympathizer”, “ignorant”, “arrogant”, and “mediocre leader”. The relations have deteriorated following the recommendation by President Jakaya Kikwete of open negotiations between Rwandan, Ugandan and Congolese leaders and their respective armed opposition in order to bring durable peace and security in the African Great Lakes region.

First the Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo and Defense Minister, James Kabarebe, publicly cursed the Tanzanian President and called him a sympathizer of “genocidaires”, a “genocide denier”, and other names.

Then, General Paul Kagame, while addressing a closed door meeting with his close aides, called the Tanzanian President “4Bs”, which in Rwandan language means “an opportunist, attention seeker, arrogant and contemptible person.”

Then the Rwandan puppet Hutu Prime minister Prime Minister called the Tanzanian President a mediocre leader .

The latest public threats by General Paul Kagame against the physical person of the Tanzanian President are arguably the most serious sign of how worse the relations among the two countries and the their leaders have become. According to sources in Kigali, General Kagame has also been frustrated by the attention Tanzanian President has been receiving from World powers. Until a few years ago, Rwanda and its dictator was the darling of the West. The attention from the West has since dwindled.

The recent visit by US President Barack Obama to Tanzania may have further increased the frustration and perhaps led to the grave public threats by General Paul Kagame against the Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

The upcoming days and months promise to be full of anticipation and sursprises in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

2013 AfroAmerica Network. All Rights Reserved.

Tagged as: FDLR, General Kagame, Jakaya Kikwete, President Barack Obama, Rwanda, Tanzania

Tanzania deserves praise for good job

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Editor–I think we Tanzanians did ourselves very proud last week.

We hosted several heads of states, including two US presidents!

By nature, we Tanzanians are not boastful people, but there comes a time when one must recognise a job well done.

President Kikwete and his team were first class in the way they hosted all these dignitaries. Most of us were inconvenienced. However from what I saw on television, I think it was worth it. Am sure President Obama has gone back with nice thoughts about Tanzania.

Much has been written about the visits by the leaders from the first two economic giants of the world. But like President Kikwete put it, Tanzania is a friend to all.

Those willing to give a helping hand are welcome as long as it improves the livelihood of Tanzanians.

http://www.busiweek.com/opinion/letters/5405-tanzania-deserves-praise-for-good-job

British, UK terror suspect arrested in Tanzania

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Police in Tanzania said they have arrested a British national suspected of involvement in unspecified “terrorism activities” in the UK.

Iqbal Ahsan Ali was arrested in Tanzania’s southern Mbeya region suspected of trying to cross border to the neighbouring county.

He was found in possession of both British and Tanzanian passports, a crime in Tanzania which forbids dual citizenship.

“We have been in contact with our counterparts in the UK and they have confirmed that the suspect is wanted in their country for involvement in terrorism activities,” Robert Manumba, director of criminal investigations (DCI).

He said Mr Iqbal was also found to be carrying a laptop containing “seditious material” designed to cause “religious incitement”.

Mr Manumba said in a statement on Friday: “At the border he presented a Tanzanian passport, but when the immigration officers spoke to him in Swahili he was unable to communicate.

“That raised suspicions that led to him being detained for further questioning and in the course of that he was found with the UK passport.”

He continued: “We have been in contact with our counterparts in the UK and they have confirmed that the suspect is wanted in their country for involvement in terrorism activities.”

He said a Tanzanian man travelling with Mr Iqbal was also arrested and questioned.

Tanzanian officials said Assan Ali Iqbal was being held in connection with bombings in the north of the country. The Foreign Office confirmed the arrest and said it was offering consular assistance. (BBC)

Several people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Tanzania since bombings killed at least eight people in May and June.

Authorities in Tanzania, one of the region’s most stable countries, are concerned at the growth of an Islamist movement accused of indirect links to Somalia’s al Shabaab rebels.

Police said they had verified Ali’s British passport as being authentic. They said the Tanzanian passport he was carrying was a fake. – Reuters

Tanzania: Dar to trace cash lost in smuggling of minerals

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Tanzania has launched an investigation to trace millions of dollars lost through smuggling of minerals out of the country.

The move is the latest in a string of attempts by the government to track down a group of international smugglers who have been exporting minerals to overseas markets in China, Italy, Vietnam and Europe.

Senior government officials said that more than Tsh13 billion ($8 million) in cash and commodities has so far been confiscated from mineral smugglers after state security agencies intercepted them.

Government statistics released last week show that the country loses Tsh2.2 billion ($1.36 million) every month on illegal export of minerals.

Minister for Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo said the key points of smuggling have been identified as the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) in Kilimanjaro and Mwanza airport. He said the government is investigating several people behind the syndicate who have been working with “rogue” airport officials.

The mining sector contributes at least 4.6 per cent to the Tanzanian economy.

Eliakim Maswi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) was working with police and the Tanzania Mineral Audit Agency (TMAA) to dismantle the syndicate and bring the crooks to book.

“Once smuggled out, the thieves either sell the minerals in the blackmarket overseas or attempt to integrate it into the legitimate commodity trade,” said Mr Maswi. “Smuggled minerals are becoming hard to trace.”

In February this year, authorities confiscated a consignment of tantalite worth $10 million belonging to a Rwandan company, exposing a web of theft and corruption involving officials of key agencies and departments in Tanzania’s government working in cahoots with cross-border criminals.

READ: Consignment theft exposes rot at Dar port

The investigations showed that officers from Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), TRA, TMAA and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) were involved in the theft from the port of Dar es Salaam.

The government has also arrested some Chinese nationals who were smuggling minerals from the Lake Zone mining area to the port of Dar es Salaam using land transport.

The Mining Act of 2010 stipulates that an individual mineral smuggler is liable for a fine of Tsh10 million ($6,250) or three years in jail, whereas a company must pay a Tsh50 million ($31,250) penalty.

Weak penalties

“Such penalties are no deterrent to people who make hundreds of thousands of dollars through smuggling activities,” said Charles Ole Ngereza, a mining industry analyst.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Dar-to-trace-cash-lost-in-smuggling-of-minerals-/-/2558/1906952/-/y6gj5w/-/index.html

Tanzania: The untold story of Mtwara gas riots

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From: Abdalah Hamis

On 22 May, 2013 protests and street battles erupted in the southern Tanzanian region of Mtwara in response to the government’s handling of mineral resource wealth and the contracts it has signed with various international actors.

The army and police were sent to quell the unrest, using teargas and live rounds, in the main southern town of Mtwara and in Mikindani, a smaller town around ten kilometres away in which at least three people died.

Government and state-friendly media sources have typically portrayed the events as thoughtless violence and wanton criminality. However, this detracts from a widespread and more urgent malaise about how the government has handled the discovery of natural resources.

The ‘hidden agenda’ against the south

Until recently, the Mtwara region, on the border with Mozambique and looking across the Indian Ocean, did not receive much attention from the media, multinational corporations or the government. The region had been best known for its Makonde wood carvings, its cashew nuts, and little else, and was often perceived as somewhat traditional or backward.

It is common for Tanzanians from other parts of the country to refer to those from the south – which conventionally means the Ruvuma, Lindi, and Mtwara regions – as washamba, which can be literally translated as ‘farmers’ but is often used as a pejorative term more accurately translated as ‘hicks’ or ‘peasants’.

These regions are not particularly well connected to the rest of the country, especially owing to the fact that the main trunk road south from Dar es Salaam remains tantalizingly unfinished – in spite of a promise made at independence in 1961 that the road would be completed quickly.

Many view this physical detachment as symbol of southern dislocation from the broader history of Tanzania, and some contend it is the result of deliberate ostracism by central government.

Some have argued that this marginalisation has an historical precedent, a ‘hidden agenda’ against the south that apparently followed the Maji Maji rebellion against German colonial rule (1905-7).

The south has also been a testing ground for various government policies, perhaps most infamously the disastrous Groundnut Scheme under British colonial rule during the late-1940s and early-1950s, but also the violent means used to forcibly resettle millions as part of socialist villagisation during the 1970s. Interestingly, some of these means – especially the burning of properties and crops – have effectively been replicated to deal with the recent unrest.

The rise of the south?

Since 2005, however, and especially in the last couple of years, far more interest has been paid to the region in light of massive offshore natural gas discoveries. Now more than ever, southern Tanzania (and particularly Mtwara town) is in the process of being dragged into the global capitalist economy – notwithstanding the infamous Groundnut Scheme.

During long periods of living and working within the region between 2006 and 2010 – initially with an NGO, then later when conducting and completing PhD fieldwork – Mtwara did not seem to be a part of the world wrought with tension nor did it display obvious signs of potential unrest. Apart from a few isolated protests at cashew nut subsidies and a lack of government support for farmers (not least regarding the provision of fertilisers), the Mtwara region was largely peaceful as well as extremely poor.

During the eight weeks I spent in various places up and down the coast of the Mtwara and Lindi regions last summer, it became clear that half a century of continuous rule by the CCM party (‘The Party of the Revolution’) has generated a palpable sense of frustration.

This must have been coupled with widely held perceptions that natural gas revenues would either be squandered, benefit other countries or regions of Tanzania, or both. While it may be the case that critical views had been articulated in the past, there seemed to be a clear shift in many of the perspectives offered – resentment towards the authority of the government crystallised around perceptions of what might happen to the newfound natural gas wealth.

Political pluralism and opposing government

But this hostility should not be looked at in isolation from broader political processes. It needs to be understood in the context of the arrival of seemingly viable political alternatives to the CCM in the form of two opposing political parties: CHADEMA (‘The Party of Democracy and Development’) and the CUF (Civic United Front).

The former tends to garner support from the increasingly vocal and politically significant younger generation across the country, selling the ideology of ‘People Power’, while the latter garners a fair degree of support in coastal areas, including the islands of Zanzibar.

A younger generation of educated, tech-savvy Tanzanians is emerging and their knowledge and understanding of the Arab Spring has engendered a great deal of hope for political change across the country (similar views were voiced in Arusha and Moshi in the north, as well as in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam), whether peaceful or through force.

The burgeoning youth population has been emboldened to speak more freely given the emergence of such opposition political forces. Anecdotally, there also seems to be increased political engagement, as reflected by the numbers of people who watch and listen to parliamentary discussions across urban Tanzania.

At an All Parliamentary Party Group (APPG) meeting on Tanzania (co-chaired by the APPG on extractive industries) held at the Houses of Parliament in London on 13 March, a lot of back slapping went on between the Head of Political Risk at BG Group (a British natural gas company), a retired advisor from the UK Department for International Development who works on extractive industries, and the Tanzanian High Commissioner in London, who at least presented some nuance in his understanding of the delicacy of the situation in Mtwara and the necessity to manage expectations.

The only vaguely dissenting voice came from a researcher for the NGO Tearfund, who highlighted that it is necessary to engender genuine engagement with local populations when organising natural resource extraction.

However, when asked about the nature of the supposedly ‘broad-based’ consultation, few detailed responses were forthcoming from the panel, possibly reflecting the fact that key powerbrokers in the process of natural resource extraction were ignorant of the increasing sense of frustration at a lack of popular engagement. This has been latched onto by opposition political parties in Tanzania.

These opposition parties are gaining traction in calling for greater transparency over the contracts that the government has signed with natural resource extraction companies.

There are further demands for the publication of all of the contracts signed with foreign governments, especially regarding the construction of the pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam that is to be funded with a discounted loan from the Chinese government.

In spite of the fact that the conditions for unrest have been palpable in Mtwara for some time and that smaller skirmishes have taken place over the past year, the government has perhaps done more to fan the flames than to extinguish them in the past six months or so.

As recently as 21 May, a visibly angered President Jakaya Kikwete pronounced on national television that Tanzania’s natural resources are there for the benefit of all Tanzanians. This is a message that he repeated on 23 May following major unrest in Mtwara and Mikindani, and has become a narrative repeated ad infinitum since.

Unrest in Mtwara

In most of the media sources that reported the developing situation in Mtwara (few and far between), there has been a regular suggestion that the unrest was caused by the content of the Energy and Minerals budget delivered by Minister of Energy and Minerals, Sospeter Muhongo.

The budget confirmed the construction of a pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam/Bagamoyo – funded again by a low-cost loan secured from the Chinese government – thus creating industrial jobs in processing the gas outside the Mtwara region.

In the same parliamentary session, Muhogo also announced that around 0.3% of the revenues from natural gas sales would remain in Mtwara, alongside enhanced social service provision and the largely empty promises of Corporate Social Responsibility.

This announcement is seen to have sparked the violent unrest in spite of the fact that public television networks mysteriously went off air in the Mtwara region that afternoon, and remained unavailable for the duration of the budget announcement.

Nevertheless, pay-per-view channels allowed some in Mtwara town to view the proceedings, leading to outrage and violence, with government offices and some of the houses of their staff burnt to the ground.

The protestors then set up road blocks and fought running battles with the army and police on the streets of Mtwara and Mikindani.

There have also been reports that a journalist was attacked and his house burnt down because he failed to accurately report the level of discontent in the region. In response to the violence, riot police and soldiers used tear gas in an attempt to disperse crowds.

But while the budget announcement might have effectively ‘lit the blue torch paper’, it has been clear that something of this nature has been on the cards for some time, and is an indication of the failure to manage expectations surrounding the natural resource discoveries coupled with an existing perception of a ‘hidden agenda’ against Mtwara.

Whether such an agenda exists is secondary to the perception it does, and this should have been considered in all dealings. The most sceptical analysis might point to the failure to learn key lessons from the Niger Delta in spite of a rhetorical claim to have done so.

Some media sources (perhaps those most closely aligned to the government) claim that there is some mkono was nje (‘outside hand’) aiming to create tension and that it stems from Western governments in light of Chinese involvement.

However, this seems to belie the fact that the companies working on gas extraction in Mtwara are predominantly from Europe and North America such as BG Group (UK), Statoil (Norway), ExxonMobil (US), Ophir (UK).

Brazilian company Petrobras – an increasingly significant global actor – is also involved, while the only major and publicised Chinese involvement is the aforementioned low cost loan for the construction of the controversial pipeline.

Spreading such thinly-veiled rumours is perhaps a diversionary tactic to absolve the Tanzanian government of the burden of responsibility, which would make sense in light of how excessive the response of the police and the army seems to have been.

While there has been relative silence over the outcome of the unrest, reliable sources in Mikindani have referred to at least three deaths in the town, all at the hand of violence perpetrated by the police, whilst official pronouncements maintain that there has only been one death – that of a woman who was seven months pregnant in Mtwara.

It is likely that the number of deaths and injuries is far higher than has currently been suggested while many remain in police custody, being fed by family members outside jail so that they do not become severely malnourished. Furthermore, the army and police seem to have arbitrarily destroyed several houses, businesses, and therefore livelihoods, as part of a supposed search for protestors.

Placing unrest in the historical context

Both the unrest itself and the responses to it are perhaps indicative of a broader political shift across Tanzania, which some on Twitter are referring to as a change from subjects to citizens.

However, this situation must also be framed within the specific historical experiences of southern Tanzania. From the colonial groundnut scheme of the 1940s and 1950s, via the government mandated resettlement scheme (villagisation) during the 1970s, it has often been the case that southern Tanzanians have only experienced political engagement as subjects of policies and projects imposed and rarely discussed.

It seems clear that the government has responded with a clear show of strength to guarantee future security for gas and oil extraction companies working in the region and to attempt to curtail potential protests. Unfortunately, it is likely that this unrest will lead to a far greater militarisation of gas extraction, exacerbating and clarifying the already vast inequalities surrounding natural resource extraction.

Calm was largely restored within a couple of days but it can perhaps be argued that the conditions for unrest were already in place before the latest incarnation of change imposed by central government on an apparently placid population.

The region has witnessed levels of violence previously unseen in Mtwara, perhaps outside some of the most nefarious policies employed during villagisation.

In overlooking the specific historical experiences of the Mtwara region, coupled with the contemporary political context and the lack of genuine engagement with people through broad-based consultation, the risk of such outcomes in the future remain.

While fears of a ‘new Niger Delta’ amongst Mtwarans, gas company employees at various levels, and many other interested parties in the region might be scaremongering, it is now a much clearer possibility and one that must be avoided at all costs.

http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=56502

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Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts — Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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From: Judy Miriga

Very nice and Tanzania is Blessed………they must keep the forward strategy focusing on progressive development ….

Cheers……!!!

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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Tanzania gets its third Air Force One visit

Published on Jul 1, 2013
For more on this and other stories please visit http://www.enca.com/

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 1 – Tanzania is for the third time hosting an American president. eNCA correspondent Soni Methu was there when Air Force One touched down at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam for Barack Obama’s visit.

U.S. President Barack Obama, arrived in Tanzania this afternoon.

Published on Jul 1, 2013
Some say U.S. President Barack Obama on a scramble for Africa, as Washington is losing out to Beijing.
Others say he wants to make up for neglecting the continent in the earlier years of his Presidency.

U S PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA IN TANZANIA

Published on Jul 1, 2013
US president Barrack Obama is in Tanzania for the final leg of his week long tour of Africa// at the same time as his predecessor. Sam Gakunyi.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
July 01, 2013
Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts — Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

State House
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

8:58 PM EAT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Kikwete, Madam First Lady, distinguished guests — on behalf of myself and Michelle, our delegation, our daughters — we want to thank you for the incredible warmth and hospitality with which you’ve greeted us throughout the day. We could not be more grateful.

I am not the first American leader to visit this beautiful country. Other Presidents and prominent citizens have come before me. We just came from South Africa, where Robert Kennedy famously spoke of how every time we stand up for an ideal, we send out a “tiny ripple of hope.” Less known is that after that trip to South Africa, Robert Kennedy also came here to Tanzania. It was a little different back then. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, rode in the back of an open truck. The Secret Service has me and Michelle inside a fortified limousine. We call it “The Beast.” (Laughter.) As Kennedy’s truck made its way through the crowds, he picked up two boys and let them ride alongside them. The Secret Service doesn’t let me do these things. (Laughter.) When Kennedy came, it was a public holiday here. I apologize to Tanzanians that you all had to work today. (Laughter.)

But while these times have changed, the good feelings stay the same. We’ve been deeply touched by the welcome and the warm wishes from the Tanzanian people along the streets as we came in here with you tonight. Dar es Salaam means “harbor of peace,” and we thank you for sharing that sense of peace and brotherhood for which this country and its people have long been known.

Mr. President, you’ve shown wisdom and strength in seeking reforms so that more Tanzanians can enjoy progress, more opportunity. And like me, you’re strengthened by a woman who is a leader in her own right. (Applause.) I am told that Mama Kikwete is fond of a traditional Tanzanian saying — “My neighbor’s child is my child.” And that sentiment I think also captures the feeling, the partnership between — our two countries must have. We live thousands of miles apart, but as fellow human beings, we share a sense of obligation to each other, especially to the youngest among us.

So you might say an American child is my child. We might say a Tanzanian child is my child. In this way, both of our nations will be looking after all of our children and we’ll be living out the vision of President Nyerere. The core values that he proclaimed for Tanzania also describe what both our countries seek — wisdom, unity, and peace — Hekima, Umoja, na Amani. (Applause.)

So what I’d like to do is to propose a toast — if I can get my water here — to our gracious Tanzanian hosts, to our Tanzanian friends and to wisdom, unity and peace that we all seek in the world. Cheers.

END
9:01 P.M. EAT

Tanzania’s Victims of Torture

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From: Yona Maro

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Author(s):
Neela Ghoshal
Published in:
Think Africa Press

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/26/tanzanias-victims-torture?origin=from_home

On June 26, the world commemorates the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. In Tanzania, however, such commemorations are likely to be muted. Tanzania is among a small minority of countries that have not signed or ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, a United Nations treaty.

Yet Tanzanians, including those who are marginalized and most vulnerable in society, are sometimes tortured and ill-treated by police officers, and often have no recourse to justice. I have spoken with many such victims.

One of them, “Zeitoun,” from Tandika, told me during an interview in 2012:

“They [police officers] arrived and started to beat me around the waist with the butt of their gun. They took my own belt and tied it around my neck and dragged me to the police post. They tied my legs with cuffs, the two legs were tied together and the two hands were handcuffed. I was handcuffed to the gate of the holding cell… hanging like a goat to be roasted.”

Another victim, “Walid” from Zanzibar, described being arrested and sexually abused by police andpolisi jamii (community police): “They [beat me with] water pipes and electrical wires. Two of them raped me…. They had canes and pipes, and they hit me on the bottoms of the feet. I couldn’t walk afterwards.”

“Rosemary,” a 14-year-old girl in Mbeya, has had several experiences with police torture. “One time they burned me on the arm with a lighter,” she said, showing me the burn mark. She had also been raped by police “at least seven times.”

Why were they treated this way by the police? Because they are members of marginalized groups who are considered “criminals” under Tanzanian law. They are also victims of social stigma. Zeitoun injects heroin. Walid is gay, or “MSM” – a man who has sex with men. Rosemary is engaged in sex work.

A recent study by Human Rights Watch and the Wake Up and Step Forward Coalition (WASO) found that some members of these marginalized groups are tortured by security forces simply because of who they are.

Of course, they are not the only Tanzanians at risk of torture, according to a recent study by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC). The report includes the notorious case of Dr. Stephen Ulimboka, who said he was abducted by intelligence agents and then tortured because of his leadership in the doctors’ strike. In another reported case, police broke a man’s legs because he was suspected of stealing.

Despite such horrific abuses, the police have expressed a willingness to address the problem. When we submitted the Human Rights Watch and WASO report to the police, several commissioners, including those responsible for internal affairs, training, and the gender and children’s desks, welcomed the report’s publication and did not deny that abuses occur. They said they will distribute the report to regional commanders, and that they will hold accountable police officers who commit these crimes. Whether police officers’ behavior will improve remains to be seen.

Tanzania’s constitution prohibits torture, but no such prohibition appears in the penal code, making it difficult to hold abusers criminally accountable. At its last Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, Tanzania accepted member states’ recommendations to ratify the Convention against Torture. But it has not yet done so.

One outcome of this inconsistency may be that, although some police officers told Human Rights Watch that torture is unacceptable, that view is not shared at all levels. Police have used heavy-handed methods to quell recent political dissent, encouraged by some government officials who have said that beating protesters is the right thing to do.

Why this emphasis on the Convention against Torture? What difference does it make to ratify a treaty? For one, it sends a clear message to the security forces that when they torture detainees, they are violating both national and international law. Second, it affirms that rights are, in fact, universal. As a party to the Convention against Torture, Tanzania would be required to report on the convention’s implementation, and to demonstrate that it applies to all citizens. It would be required to domesticate the convention, integrating it into national law and providing torture victims with a solid legal basis for filing complaints. And it would be required to prosecute those who violate the law, regardless of their position or rank.

Often, the application of international human rights standards is most urgent for vulnerable groups. In some countries, these may be minorities, including ethnic, political, or religious minorities, whom those in power may have an interest in silencing. In some countries, these may be children, who may lack sufficient protections under national laws. And in Tanzania, sex workers, sexual and gender minorities, and people who use drugs, among others, fall into this category of most vulnerable. A clear commitment to international law on the part of the authorities would provide them, and all Tanzanians, an additional layer of protection.

Any discussion of protecting the rights of marginalized groups elicits controversy in Tanzania. That is normal: the unknown always provokes fear. Only recently have sex workers, sexual and gender minorities, and people who use drugs begun to speak out. Public debates around these issues are still in their early stages. But today, can we all agree on one thing: that no one deserves to be tortured?

Ratifying the Convention against Torture would not end torture or ill-treatment in Tanzania overnight. But in light of persistent recurrences of torture – and in a context where the most vulnerable lack a clear legal framework that sets forth consequences for those who abuse them – it is a critical step toward ensuring that
the security forces respect the rights of all Tanzanians.

TANZANIA AND RUSSIA WILL SOON BE EMBROILED IN MAJOR LEGAL TUSSLES THROUGH COURT OVER DISPUTED URANIUM MINING IN MKUNJU RIVER MINING FIELDS.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Tanzania and Russia may soon face each other in court in ne of the toughest legal battle against a Russian firm in a multimillion dollar engaged in the business of mining uranium over tax evasion.

Information emerging from Dar Es Salaam says that state is demanding nearly USD 206 million, which is equivalent to Tshs 329 billion taxes from the Russian firm ,Rosatom disputes the taxes invoices.JSC Atomredmetzoloi {ARMTZ} OF Russia in relation to its Mkunju River Uranium mines that the state owned mining arm of Russia’s nuclear watchdog

As a result the ARMZ, Uranium Holdings through its lawyer FB Attornery has filed a case before the Tax Appeal Tribunal of Tanzania to challenge the tax claim.

Gandasiosus Ishengoma also a lawyer confirmed last week that the ARMZ has challenge the state over its claim and filed a case through theTax Apeal Tribunal.

The Energy and Mineral Minister Prof. Sospeter Muhongo was quote by a source in Dar Es Salaam as saying that the Tshs 329.01 billion {205.80 million tax had originated from MkunjuRiver uranium mining.

TAnzania law was enacted in 2011 in order to close loophole in a tax holiday incentive because that allowed foreign firms to operate tax-free for first five years.

He same law stipulates that any foreign firm operating in the country must pay capital gain tax, when it changes to a third party.

Mantra Tanzania Ltd the former owners of Mkunju River uranium mine in December 2010 cedeed the project operations to AMZ after the firm had acquired the percentage. Mantra Resources of Australia For Tshs .1.667.1 billion USD.O43.8 million..

And immediately after the transactions, the state through the Tanzania Revenue Authority [TRA] issued invoices demanding that ARMTZ settles Tshs 327.7 million out of the total USD 9.8 in stamp duty.The sum is quoted as being equavalent to 43 per cent of the current Tazania’s health and social welfare budget of Tshs 753.85 billion..

Observers and watchers of Tanzania-Rusia relations have maintained that the tax battle between the two countries could create bad blood between the two business partners.

In April last year Tanzania licensed ARMTZ RANIUM Holding to establish the first uranium mines in Mkunju River which is located in the south of the country.

This licence is the first to be issued by Tanzania and the newly enacted mining laws.

Ends