Biden convenes more than 100 nations for world ‘democracy’ summit

WASHINGTON, US 

President Joe Biden, who took office amid the biggest US political crisis in decades, hosts representatives of more than 100 countries for a democracy summit Thursday that is drawing fire from China and Russia.

The event, held by video link because of the coronavirus pandemic, is billed by the White House as US leadership in an existential struggle between democracies and powerful autocracies or dictatorships.

“Make no mistake, we’re at a moment of democratic reckoning,” said Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

“It’s no secret that democracies around the world are facing increasing challenges from new and novel threats. Countries in virtually every region of the world have experienced degrees of democratic backsliding.”

The summit, running Thursday and Friday, will feature opening remarks from Biden at the White House and is set to gather representatives from some 100 governments, as well as NGOs, private businesses, philanthropical organizations and legislatures.

But the fact that Biden continues to face a shocking challenge to US democratic norms from Donald Trump and his attempt to overturn the 2020 election provides a troubling backdrop for the summit.

And even before summit attendees could meet, tensions erupted simply over who should be on — and off — the list.

China and Russia, which Biden sees as champions of the autocracies camp, were pointedly left out, something they say is stoking an ideological “rift.”

“No country has the right to judge the world’s vast and varied political landscape by a single yardstick,” wrote ambassadors Anatoly Antonov of Russia and Qin Gang of China in a joint essay last month.

Further prickling Chinese sensibilities, the Biden administration has invited Taiwan — the democratically ruled island that mainland China considers part of its territory, albeit not yet under its control.

On Monday, the Biden administration also announced it would not send US government officials to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February in protest at human rights abuses, including “genocide” against the Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang.

Australia, Britain and Canada have joined the diplomatic boycott, although the countries’ athletes will still compete. Again, Russia joined China in criticizing the decision.

Deciding when other countries should be excluded from the summit for human rights abuses or vote rigging hasn’t been any less fraught.

For example, Pakistan and the Philippines are in, while EU member Hungary’s nationalist government is out. Brazil’s right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro is invited, while the leader of NATO member Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been shunned.

The most awkward element to the summit, however, is the fact that Biden is struggling to restore faith in democracy at home, let alone on the other side of the world.

Trump refuses to recognize the results of the 2020 election, in which Biden defeated him.

With the help of sympathetic media outlets, including the powerful Fox News, the former Republican president continues to spread lies about fraud to his tens of millions of supporters.

And with shockwaves from the January 6 storming of Congress by Trump supporters still reverberating, there are growing fears over the 2022 legislative elections and the 2024 presidential vote in which Trump may seek a comeback.

Bruce Jentleson, who teaches political science at Duke University, said the summit was “never a good idea.”

“Our problems here are much worse than in any other Western democracy. We had our Capitol building attacked, an attempted coup. We haven’t seen that happen in Paris, or at the Bundestag, or at the EU headquarters in Brussels,” he said.

“If we want to compete, we’ve got to do our best and that is really more up to us within the country than somehow getting 100 leaders together and saying, ‘We like democracy.'” - AFP

Mozambicans in Tanzania asked to be vigilant against terrorists

By Carol Banze, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

President of the Republic of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi, yesterday called on the Mozambican community residing in the United Republic of Tanzania to be vigilant against terrorist groups operating in the districts of Cabo Delgado province.

He was speaking on Wednesday in Dar-es-Salaam, at a meeting with Mozambicans residing in that neighbouring country, on the first day of his visit to Tanzania, where he is expected to participate in the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of the independence of the sister nation of Mozambique.

Nyusi mentioned different points that were targets of terrorist attacks and highlighted the failed attempts, as a way of illustrating the work carried out by the Defence Forces in the northern operational theatre.

“They had already taken Mocímboa da Praia, tried to enter Palma, but they couldn’t. They repeatedly attacked the districts of Muidumbe and Quissanga. They tried to enter Mueda and Macomia many times, but they couldn’t because they were repelled”, he said.

According to the President, the attacks that started in 2017 have already left more than 1,000 people dead and 800,000 displaced who sought safety in the southern districts of Cabo Delgado, such as Metuge, Chiúre, Montepuez, Balama while other displaced persons headed for the provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Zambézia .

“Some tried to flee to here (Tanzania), but without success. They were sent back,” he noted.

Nyusi stated that the defence forces are in permanent combat, against the enemy whose provenance still raises doubts, as no one knows who they are.

“The great part of those who were captured are young people recruited in Mocímboa da Praia, Palma and Quissanga and in other provinces of Mozambique”, said the President of the Republic, adding that among the terrorists there are Tanzanian nationals, and often Rwandans, Kenyans, Congolese, Ugandan and even Asians”, he enumerated.

He spoke about the areas recovered by the Defence and Security Forces with the support of SADC and Rwandan forces, stating that in these areas the population is returning to their zones of origin despite not having been given the command to return.

Responding to a concern presented by Mozambicans residing in Tanzania, about the need to have a post for issuing civil documents, Nyusi raised security issues.

He urged caution, warning that some might say they are Mozambicans when they are individuals who intend to commit atrocities. Still, Nyusi guaranteed that the safest possibility for solving the problem will be analysed.

Olaf Scholz formally sworn in as German chancellor

BERLIN, Germany

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has been sworn in as Germany’s new chancellor, ending 16 years of conservative rule under Angela Merkel and paving the way for a pro-European coalition government that has promised to boost green investment.

Scholz, 63, who served as vice chancellor and finance minister in Merkel’s outgoing government, got a clear majority on Wednesday of 395 votes from lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, Bundestag President Baerbel Bas said.

Scholz exchanged fist bumps with lawmakers from across the political spectrum. 

He nodded wearing a face mask and waved as he received a standing ovation, receiving bouquets of flowers from the leaders of the parliamentary groups.

He was formally named as chancellor by Germany’s president and sworn in by the speaker of parliament later on Wednesday.

Merkel, 67, who is no longer a member of parliament, looked on from the spectators’ gallery as parliament voted. She has said she will not seek another political role after shepherding Germany through a turbulent era. 

She has not disclosed any future plans but said earlier this year that she will take time to read and sleep, “and then let’s see where I show up”.

After being nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Bellevue Palace, Scholz returned to parliament to take the oath of office in front of the lawmakers.

Merkel is handing over the chancellery to the new leader of Europe’s largest economy, which is facing a brutal fourth wave of coronavirus infections.

With his down-to-earth and no-nonsense manner, Scholz has positioned himself as Merkel’s natural successor and a safe pair of hands to steer Germany through challenges ranging from tackling the climate crisis to dealing with a more confrontational Russia and a more assertive China.

"A whole generation grew up with Angela Merkel,” she said. “Scholz is seen as calm and charismatic. He has promised change.”

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Scholz, pledging “we will write the next chapter together” while EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working together for a “strong Europe”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was offering “constructive ties” with the new government, while China’s Xi Jinping said Beijing was willing to work with Scholz to promote bilateral ties to a new level.

Malawi arrests former cabinet ministers and former bank governor for fraud

LILONGWE, Malawi

Malawi police have arrested former governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Dalitso Kabambe and former Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha for alleged abuse of office, authorities said.

Former Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha

Former Minister of Local Government Ben Phiri has also been arrested for alleged corruption and fraud during his term of office, and Malawi Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed the arrests in a statement released on Tuesday.

While in office, the former RBM governor and the former finance minister “respectively procured and masterminded the falsification of Gross Liability and Net Reserve Base returns with intent to make International Monetary Fund believe that the Government of Malawi was meeting conditions connected to the Extended Credit Facility (ECF),” the spokesman said in the statement.

According to Kadadzera, the alleged scheme led to the IMF suspending the ECF “to the prejudice of innocent ordinary Malawians.”

The statement also indicated that more arrests will follow and that the former finance minister, and those yet to be arrested, will be questioned in connection with fraudulent sale of Malawi Savings Bank, a government entity, in 2015.

On the arrest of the former local government minister, the police statement said Phiri, as registered owner of a local firm called Beata Investment, was involved in fraud and corruption.

Phiri is also suspected to have committed some procurement fraud and corruption at the Ministry of Gender between 2018 and 2020, according to the statement.

38 perish, 69 injured in huge Burundi prison fire

GITEGA, Burindi

A massive fire tore through an overcrowded prison in Burundi before dawn on Tuesday, killing dozens of inmates and seriously injuring many more, the country's vice president said.

Many prisoners were still asleep when the blaze took hold in a penitentiary in Burundi's political capital Gitega, witnesses said. Much of the facility was destroyed.

Vice President Prosper Bazombanza, who visited the scene of the tragedy with several ministers, told reporters that 38 people were killed and 69 seriously hurt.

The blaze broke out at about 4:00 am (0200 GMT) and grim images posted on social media showed huge flames engulfing the prison, and bodies of men lying on the floor.

"We started shouting that we were going to be burned alive when we saw the flames rising very high, but the police refused to open the doors of our quarters, saying 'these are the orders we have received'," one inmate reached by phone told AFP.

"I don't know how I escaped, but there are prisoners who were burned completely," he said.

The interior ministry said on Twitter that the disaster was caused by an electrical short-circuit at the nearly century-old prison.

A police source said the emergency services were late to the scene, with the first fire truck arriving two hours after the start of the blaze.

Victims with the most serious burns were taken to hospital, some ferried in police pick-up trucks, while others with milder cases were treated at the scene, witnesses said.

The fire was later brought under control, but many parts of the site were left in charred ruins behind a stone wall showing the date of construction in 1926, when Burundi was a Belgian colony.

A large contingent of police and soldiers surrounded the site and prevented journalists from approaching or taking pictures until the arrival of the ministers.

Teams from the Red Cross in Burundi were also at the scene to tend to victims.

The facility, the third largest in Burundi, housed a number of political prisoners in a high-security compound, and there was also a women's wing.

In all, it was home to more than 1,500 inmates at the end of November, according to prison authority figures, far higher than its designed capacity of 400.

The same prison in Gitega, which lies in the heart of the tiny country, was struck by another fire in August, according to the interior ministry, which also blamed an electrical fault.

No casualties were reported from that incident.

Chronic overcrowding is a problem in prisons in Burundi, one of the poorest nations in the world, and inmates often complain about their cramped living conditions and lack of food.

There were a total of 12,878 inmates living in accommodation designed for 4,294, according to November figures, despite a presidential amnesty in March which saw 5,200 prisoners released.

"Sometimes we have gone for up to three days without being given supplies by the prison, and our families cannot help us because since June 2020 we have not been allowed visits under the pretext of protecting us from Covid-19," one prisoner told AFP.

Inmates feared dead and many severely injured as fire guts prison in Burundi

GITEGA, Burundi

A massive fire ripped through an overcrowded prison in Burundi before dawn on Tuesday, with fears of heavy casualties as inmates were still confined to their cells at the time, witnesses said.

The blaze at the facility in the political capital Gitega broke out at about 4:00 am (0200 GMT) and destroyed several areas of the prison, they said. One said about 20 injured people were taken to hospital.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known and as yet there has been no official comment on the incident.

Pictures shared online show bodies of individuals thought to be prisoners.

Authorities in Burundi haven’t yet released any insights concerning the incident.

“We started shouting that we were going to be burned alive when we saw the flames rising very high, but the police refused to open the doors of our quarters, saying ‘these are the orders we have received,” one detainee told by phone.

“I don’t know how I escaped, but there are prisoners who were burned completely.”

The prison housed more than 1,500 inmates at the end of November, according to prison authority figures, far higher than its capacity of 400. A large contingent of police and soldiers were surrounding the site and preventing journalists from approaching or taking pictures, the witnesses said.

A police source said the emergency services were late to the scene, with a fire truck arriving only two hours after the start of the blaze.

In August, the prison was also struck by another fire without causing any casualties, according to the interior ministry, which blamed it on an electrical short-circuit.

A journalist from a private media house situated close to the prison says firefighters entered the prison, yet a major piece of the office had effectively been scorched.

Uganda shores up DR Congo base to hunt down ADF rebels

KAMPALA, Uganda

Ugandan forces were on Monday shoring up supply routes into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo where its army has set up an advance base to track down ADF rebels blamed for deadly attacks in Kampala. 

Just before the entrance to Virunga Park in the east of the DRC, rows of army tents sprang up in the village of Mukakati.

About 13 kilometres (eight miles) from the base is the Nobili border crossing, through which columns of Ugandan soldiers, 4x4s, tarpaulin-covered trucks, tankers, armoured vehicles and heavy machine guns have been passing every day for almost a week, tearing up the dirt road.

On Monday morning, an AFP correspondent saw two earthmoving machines arrive in Nobili. 

The road is "really not good", Major Peter Mugisa, an information officer, told Ugandan TV. "We need to halt a bit for a week... (and) try to open up the road so that our heavy vehicles can move forward."

There were also problems securing supplies of drinking water, he said.

Early on the morning of November 30, Ugandan aircraft and artillery pounded areas where bases of the Allied Democratic Forces had been spotted.

The ADF, which traces its origins back to Uganda and has been active since 1995 in the eastern DRC, where it is considered the deadliest of the armed groups operating in the region, is responsible for the massacre of thousands of civilians, kidnappings and looting.

After the Ugandan jet strikes, both countries' armies said they were following up ground searches. 

The Ugandan defence ministry said the joint operation was codenamed "Shujaa" -- the strong one, in Swahili. 

While the Ugandan military is viewed with suspicion by some locals -- having been accused, along with Rwandan forces, of being a major destabilising factor in eastern DRC for decades, the failure of DRC forces to contain the armed groups has left little hope for a domestic-only solution.

Even "a devil" would be welcome if he brought peace and security, said Samy Kabonabe, the president of a local youth group. 

"On the other hand, it is a failure of our Congolese military."

The North Kivu and Ituri regions have been under a state of siege for the past seven months, an exceptional measure that gives full power to the military but which has failed to curb the violence. 

"We have suffered for a long time, we don't go to work our fields anymore" because of the insecurity, said Zawadi Pendeza, 34, adding that she is also happy to see the arrival of an army that seems experienced and well-equipped. 

On the track linking Nobili to Mukakati, roadblocks were manned by soldiers from both armies, who checked travellers' papers and luggage.

On Monday afternoon, two officers, one Congolese and the other Ugandan, explained the operation and took questions from people in the centre of the village of Kamango, about eight km from Nobili.

"The message was that they had come to find the enemy," one resident said. 

Terrorists attack village in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

A terrorist group burnt down 15 houses in an attack on Friday morning against the village of Nova Zambezia, in Macomia district in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, reports Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique”.

The village is 30 kilometres from Macomia town, and near the road linking Macomia to other districts in the northern part of Cabo Delgado – Mocimboa da Praia, Palma, Nangade, Muidumbe and Mueda.

It is also ten kilometres from the Fifth Congress village, where a unit of the Mozambican armed forces (FADM) is stationed.

“The attackers came from the side of the Fifth Congress, and that’s where the soldiers have their base. It’s strange”, said one source quoted by the paper.

Another villager said “We were convinced this wouldn’t happen again because there are soldiers in Macomia town.

After the Friday attack, the villagers fled into the bush – reliving an experience they had hoped would never happen again.

A report in a second newssheet, “Mediafax”, said that the raiders caught one villager in nearby fields and beheaded him.

“Mediafax” also reported that, across the provincial boundary, in Niassa, the administrator of Mecula district, Antonio Paulo, has tried to stop public officials from leaving the district in the wake of the terrorist attack on 25 November against a village 150 kilometres from Mecula town.

At a meeting on Friday with local workers of the public administration, Paulo said no-one should flee from Mecula, since the defence and security forces are guaranteeing security in the town and the surrounding villages.

Anyone leaving the town was doing so at his own risk, the administrator warned, even suggesting that those who wanted to leave might be intent on joining the terrorists.

Paulo promised that, if the district government were to note any signs of danger, it would instruct residents on the measures they should take. In the meantime, they should remain calm and focus on their work. Anyone who had already left Mecula should return to their jobs at once, he said.

“Mediafax” reports that Mecula town is currently calm. A unit of the defence forces arrived on Saturday, and was sent to the area of Macalange, where gunfire had been heard.

10 hurdles to Africa’s COVID-19 recovery - Mo Ibrahim Foundation report

By Sara Jerving

Efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic across the African continent, have been met by formidable hurdles. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation report, released Monday, examines these challenges through the lens of governance performance in 54 African nations between 2010 through 2019, marking gains and losses during that time frame.

People stand in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Narok, Kenya

“To be frank, the potential is there, but so are the hurdles and the challenges,” said Nathalie Delapalme, executive director of the foundation, during a press briefing.

Below are the foundation’s top 10 takeaways:

• Unvaccinated and unregistered. Only about 6.8% of the continent’s population is vaccinated for COVID-19 and only five African countries are expected to hit the year-end global target of vaccinating 40% of their populations. According to the foundation, there can be “no real recovery” at these levels of vaccination.

Also, many people living on the African continent aren’t legally registered — and that impacts health policy and the ability for people to access public services. More than 50% of children in Africa are not registered, and only 10% of deaths are. This means COVID-19 cases and deaths could be vastly underestimated and people might be left out of vaccination campaigns. Overall, registration efforts on the continent were worse in 2019 than in 2010.

The most improved countries in civil registration include Liberia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, Chad, and Côte d’Ivoire. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Eritrea, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, and Sudan.

 • Out of reach. There is a high cost for many people to access health care and not enough public investment. Only 10 countries provide citizens with free, universal health coverage. Countries, through the 2001 Abuja Declaration, were supposed to aim to allocate 15% of their budgets toward health spending, but only seven countries have done this at least once since this goal was set.

In sub-Saharan Africa, domestic health spending as a share of gross domestic product was only 1.9% in 2018. Overall, health is less accessible in 2019, as opposed to 2010.

The most improved countries in this area were Mali, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Comoros, and Morocco. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Uganda, Namibia, and Eritrea.

• Pandemic preparedness. Following the International Health Regulations is a sign of a country’s preparedness to handle health emergencies, such as pandemics. Overall, Africa performs worse than other regions in the world in compliance with these IHR rules. While there have been improvements, there are warning signs since 2015 on deterioration of compliance in nations.

The most improved countries were Seychelles, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Mozambique. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Benin, Gambia, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Malawi.

• Learning crisis. Even before the pandemic, African students overall had the lowest minimum education proficiency levels in the world. Since 2019, schools are better staffed, access is more equal for genders, and there are higher enrollment and completion rates than in 2010, but quality has also dropped.

The most improved countries were Burundi, Burkina Faso, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Libya, Eritrea, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Tunisia.

• Gender inequality. COVID-19 reversed gains in maternal and child care in many African nations, and exposed women and girls to increased gender-based violence. While socioeconomic progress for women has overall increased equity among genders since 2010, legal systems to protect women against violence are still insufficient.

The most improved countries were Somalia, Kenya, Gambia, Republic of Congo, and Zambia. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Uganda, Ghana, and South Africa.

• Shrinking civil society. The space for civil society organisations, media, and activists has declined since the early 2000s, with “these actors facing restricting laws and policies as well as physical attacks, threats and discrimination,” according to the report.

In media freedom, Gambia, Tunisia, Libya, Ethiopia, and Angola are the most improved, whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Benin, and Algeria.

• Insufficient safety nets. Overall, there are not enough social programs for populations to weather rough times, such as cash transfers, food support, and energy subsidization. “In many African countries safety nets remain smaller in scope, and new initiatives have often failed to reach all of those in need of assistance,” according to the report.

The most improved countries were Cabo Verde, Djibouti, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, São Tomé and Príncipe. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritius, and Gabon.

 • Low energy access. There are over 600 million people on the African continent off energy grids. Only Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Seychelles had universal electricity access in 2019.

Almost all African nations have increased energy access to its citizens since 2010, with Mauritius and Libya as the only countries in decline.

• Digital divide. “The digital economy is an area of strength for African countries, enabling them to boost their economic recoveries and in the process draw on a young generation of digital entrepreneurs adapting to the new global conditions,” according to the report. But access to computers and the internet is still unequal. In 2019, only 10 African countries had at least 50% of the households accessing the internet.

All countries improved in this area on the continent, with Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Kenya, and Cabo Verde improving the most.

• Inadequate intercontinental transport networks. While the newly established African Continental Free Trade Area aims to empower countries economically by facilitating trade through a single African market, there is still a need to address nontariff barriers, such as the continent’s insufficient transport infrastructure. “Without the infrastructure to ease movement within the continent, intra-regional trade will continue to be costly and inaccessible, regardless of tariff reductions,” according to the report.

The most improved countries were Guinea, Tanzania, Burundi, Egypt, and Senegal. Whereas the countries experiencing the sharpest decline include Togo, Liberia, Republic of Congo, Libya, and Tunisia.

CDC advises against travel to France, Portugal, Tanzania, Jordan amid COVID-19 surges

WASHINGTON, USA

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised Americans against travel to France, Jordan, Portugal, and Tanzania, citing COVID-19 concerns.

The CDC now lists 83 destinations at "Level 4: Very High" classification and also on Monday added Andorra, Cyprus and Liechtenstein to the highest travel advisory level.

France said Monday it would close nightclubs ahead of Christmas and tighten social distancing measures in response to the emergent Omicron variant of the coronavirus, but that there was no need for new lockdowns or curfews.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said a fifth wave of the pandemic was surging, but with 52 million people now vaccinated - nearly 90% of those eligible - the situation was better than in previous outbreaks.

The United States imposed new rules, effective Monday, requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel.

Under the prior rules, vaccinated international air travelers could present a negative test result obtained within three days of their day of departure.

Some airline officials told Reuters there is a three-day grace period to allow for some travelers to return to the United States with tests taken outside of the one-day window.

A CDC spokeswoman declined to confirm that but said "CDC is exercising some enforcement discretion as this requirement is put in place."

Destinations that fall into the CDC's "Covid-19 Very High" Level 4 category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days.

People should avoid traveling to locations designated with a "Level 4" notice, the CDC recommends. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises.

In its broader travel guidance, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

"Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread Covid-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some Covid-19 variants," the agency said.

All of these European destinations, plus Jordan in the Middle East, had previously been considered "high" risk at Level 3. Previously, safari favorite Tanzania had been rated "unknown" for lack of reliable information.

Effective Nov. 29, the White House barred nearly all foreign nationals from entering the United States from eight southern African countries over fears of the spread of the Omicron variant, but has not extended those travel restrictions to other countries where the new variant has been discovered.

France said Monday it has now identified 25 positive cases of the Omicron variant.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Monday that the African travel restrictions were "being evaluated and discussed on a daily basis."

Rwanda jail prison director for stealing from British inmate

KIGALI, Rwanda

A court in Rwanda has sentenced to five years in prison a former director of Kigali’s main prison for stealing money from a British inmate.

Innocent Kayumba, who was sentenced on Friday evening alongside his former deputy Eric Ntakirutimana, has appealed against the judgement, a court document shows.

The court acquitted an IT specialist inmate who used his skills to hack the victim’s Visa card after telling the court that he was forced by the prison director to do so.

He said he was asked to “decode” the card kept by the prison authorities after they realised that the bank account linked to it had a large sum of money.

A British-Egyptian inmate had told the court that more than £7,000 ($9,300) was taken away from his account using his card last year without his knowledge.

The court ruled that Mr Kayumba and his deputy conspired to the theft while the IT specialist was coerced to work for them, hence found not guilty.

Mr Kayumba, a senior military officer, was transferred to the prison services in 2014, heading a prison in western Rwanda before moving to the capital’s main prison.

He was arrested early this year.

S. Africa to deport illegal migrants to Kenya in a new deal

By Brian Ngugi, NAIROBI Kenya

South Africa will deport all illegal migrants including from other nationals to Kenya as part of a new deal that will relax the current strict Visa restrictions for Kenyans.

President Uhuru Kenyatta during a formal welcome ceremony by his host President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.

Under the new deal, brokered by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa following a state visit to the country by the President last month, it will now be the responsibility of Kenya to block all illegal migrants from entering South Africa from Kenya.

Kenya will also be required to take back the deported illegal migrants from South Africa who entered the country from Kenya, shifting the burden of curbing the flow of illegal migrants to Nairobi.

South African Foreign minister Naledi Pandor said on Sunday Kenya and South Africa reached the deal about the deportation amid an increase of people from abroad to Kenya then driving to South Africa.

“We have now signed agreements on returning illegal entrants, so now we are moving towards granting an e-visa, which we have piloted in India and which is working quite well,” she was quoted saying by South Africa news outlet Daily Maverick.

“We have been saying to Kenya, ‘you have a responsibility to stop people’ because if you’re an asylum seeker, the first country they come to should be the one they remain in. They shouldn’t be crossing borders. We have agreed now that we can send [people] back if there is clear proof that they have been through Kenya.”

Tough South African visa restrictions for Kenyan travellers and traders have prevented free entry into South Africa and made it difficult to do business in South Africa for Kenyans.

The restrictions, which have remained a thorny issue for the two countries, include a Sh5,350 processing fee that takes at least five working days to process.

Kenyan Visa applicants must also provide sufficient proof of funds, return flight air tickets among others.

South African nationals on the other hand have it easier as they can get a Kenyan visa for free on arrival to the country.

South Africa exported Sh45.7 billion worth of goods to Kenya in 2020, against imports from Kenya of Sh3.48 billion signaling trade is heavily skewed in favour of South Africa amid the restrictions.

Kenya and South Africa set up a committee to deal with difficulties related to visas following a state visit by President Kenyatta.

Zimbabwe court clears journalist Hopewell Chin’ono of incitement charges

By Kitsepile Nyathi, HARARE Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's High Court has cleared prominent journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who was facing charges of incitement over tweets deemed critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government. 

High Court Judge Siyabona Musithu on Monday quashed the incitement charges against Chin’ono, who was arrested in July last year ahead of street protests against government corruption that were brutally crushed by the military.

Justice Musithu said the police were “on a fishing expedition” when they arrested Chin’ono and that the charges against him were unclear.

“It means my arrest and my case were trumped up as I have always argued,” Mr Chin’ono tweeted after his acquittal.

“I spent the past 15 months in jails and courts for something that I didn’t do. It was cruel and tragic. This is the second case thrown out by the High Court from my three arrests.”

Mr Chin’ono, a fierce government critic, has been arrested at least three times in the last three years for sharing information that is deemed critical of the government. 

He spent at least 40 days in prison for the incitement charges before he was released on bail. 

The journalist has also been acquitted on two separate charges of communicating falsehoods prejudicial to the State. 

He is yet to be charged on a case where he is accused of obstructing justice after he exposed an alleged plot to set free a nephew of President Mnangagwa, who was arrested at the country’s main international airport for trying to smuggle gold to Dubai.

The President is accused of clamping down on critics using draconian laws that were enacted during the Robert Mugabe era.

He is also accused of going back on his promises to return Zimbabwe to democracy after years of authoritarianism under the late Mugabe.

African Sports Personality 2021 shortlist revealed

LONDON, UK

The shortlist for BBC African Sports Personality of the Year 2021 award has been announced.

The six contenders for the accolade were chosen by a panel of journalists from Africa and the United Kingdom.

The panel selected a shortlist based on the best African sporting achievements on the international stage in 2021 (between January and September).

The impact of the person’s achievement beyond their particular sport was also taken into account.

The nominees are:

Eliud Kipchoge (athletics)
Faith Kipyegon (athletics)
Ntando Mahlangu (para-athletics)
Christine Mboma (athletics)
Edouard Mendy (football)
Tatjana Schoenmaker (swimming)

There is more information on the nominees below, where you can also vote for the winner.

Voting closes at 23:59 GMT on Sunday, 19 December and the winner of the award will be announced on Friday, 7 January 2022 on Focus On Africa television and radio and on the BBC Sport website.

Meanwhile, Conor Benn wants to take on Amir Khan or Kell Brook in 2022 – before setting his sights on a world title fight

Former world champions Khan and Brook fight in a catchweight bout on 19 February in Manchester – their first meeting after years of bitter rivalry between the two Britons.

Benn, meanwhile, takes on American Chris Algieri in Liverpool on Saturday.
“They both keep saying my name, saying they’ll fight me after. Well we’ll see, won’t we?” Benn told BBC Sport.

“[The way] the year could pan out perfectly for me would be [first] stopping Algieri in great fashion within eight rounds because I’d like to get some rounds in.

“Then you have Kell Brook and Amir Khan fighting, then me fighting the winner, just as another fight under my belt and gaining experience. And then [I’d want to be] really looking at world title honours.”

The fight between Khan and Brook – to be held at a catchweight of 10st 9lb, two pounds above the welterweight limit – was confirmed last month after years of failed negotiations.

Kenya police officer kills 6 before turning gun on self in Nairobi city

NAIROBI, Kenya

A Kenya police officer shot and killed six people before committing suicide in Nairobi’s Kabete area in a bizarre incident.

The deceased included his wife, neighbours and bodaboda riders who had rushed to his house to check what had happened when they heard gunshots on Tuesday morning.

Police said the constable Benson Imbatu attached to Kabete police station went home with his AK47 rifle and picked a quarrel with his wife Carol Imbatu. This degenerated into the shooting.

Neighbours and bodaboda riders who operate near the Heights Apartment where the officer stayed rushed to the house to check what had happened.

This was after they also saw a fire emanating from the house, police said.

And in the process, Imbatu stepped out with his gun blazing and felled five other people including two bodaboda riders and his neighbours in different locations near the house.

“He went on a shooting spree pursuing his targets far away from the house,” said a neighbour Jane Wanjiru who hid in her house.

Two other people were shot and seriously wounded and are admitted at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

Police who were called to the scene surrounded the house before they heard a gunshot and later discovered he had committed suicide by shooting himself in the neck.

The shooting incident later sparked protests along Thiongo Road with locals demanding explanations why it happened.

The locals lit bonfires at the scene where some of the victims died asking to be told how it happened.

“We have been told the officer had mental issues. Why was he at work?” asked one local.

Dagorreti police boss Francis Wahome said the couple stayed alone in the house.

“We do not know the motive of the incident but we have lost seven people including the officer who died by suicide,” said Wahome.

The bodies were taken to the mortuary.

The officer is among thousands who had hired houses outside the police lines in a new programme launched by authorities.

This is the latest incident to happen affecting police officers in a worrying trend.

The incident could be linked to increasing cases of suicide within the service, which have been associated with trauma.

Officials say trauma is the main reason for such behaviour.

According to Kenyatta University research, the major factor contributing to suicide and murder among police officers in Kenya is work-related trauma.

The study found out that police are generally at the receiving end of all community problems.

They are expected to maintain law and order in very difficult situations. They put their lives at risk as soon as they leave home every day.

Police officers are often in touch with extremely painful issues in the community such as murder and rape, which stresses them. The stress can be passed to immediate members of the family.

Inspector General of police Hilary Mutyambai had in 2019 launched a new programme Muamko Mpya-Healing the Uniform Initiative to give psychological support to officers.

Mutyambai said police officers, who are often exposed to trauma that creates deep emotional scars, need healing.

“The ultimate goal of the initiative is to provide officers with knowledge, tools and a framework to assist them to support each other while handling traumatic situations,” Mutyambai said.

“They encounter most of these situations on personal and professional levels.”

He ordered police heads to ensure counselling is integrated into the police training curriculum.