Latest news with #IntergovernmentalAuthorityonDevelopment
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Uganda passes law to restore military prosecutions of civilians
FILE PHOTO: Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni addresses the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 42nd Extraordinary Session, at the State House in Entebbe, Uganda January 18, 2024. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo KAMPALA - Uganda's parliament on Tuesday passed an amended law that permits military tribunals to try civilians, prompting protests from the opposition who said the move violated a Supreme Court ruling in January that banned such trials. The practice, in use for the last two decades, has long been criticised by opposition politicians and rights campaigners who accuse the government of using courts martial to silence opponents, which it denies. In a post on the X platform, parliament said the legislation had been passed. The head of the military, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, praised the speaker of parliament and government lawmakers for passing the bill. "Today, you proved you are fearless patriots! Uganda will remember your courage and commitment," he said on X. Military spokesman Chris Magezi said the law "will deal decisively with armed violent criminals, deter the formation of militant political groups that seek to subvert democratic processes, and ensure national security is bound on a firm foundational base." During a debate on the law, opposition politician Jonathan Odur, said the legislation was "shallow, unreasonable and unconstitutional." "There's no legal basis to provide for trial of civilians in the military court." The next step will be for President Yoweri Museveni to approve the law for it to take effect. In a ruling in January, Uganda's Supreme Court forbade military trials of civilians, saying the tribunals lacked legal competence to handle criminal trials in a fair and impartial manner. The verdict forced authorities to transfer the trial of a major opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, who was undergoing military prosecution for offences including treason, to a civilian court. Besigye, who has previously challenged incumbent Museveni four times in elections, was detained in neighbouring Kenya last year and brought to Uganda to face a military court. His lawyers and his party, the People's Front for Freedom (PFF), have called the charges politically motivated. Opposition leader Bobi Wine was also in 2018 charged in a military court for alleged illegal possession of firearms although the charges against the pop star-turned-politician were later dropped. Human Rights Watch has previously criticised Uganda's military courts, saying they did not meet international judicial standards of competence, independence and impartiality. The courts also routinely use evidence extracted through torture of defendants while also ignoring other key fair trial rules, the rights group said. The military denies the accusations. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Zawya
02-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Accelerating Learning for a More Food Secure Future Across Eastern and Southern Africa
Eastern and Southern Africa are at a pivotal moment to transform their food systems into engines of economic growth, and development. With a rapidly growing population, urbanization, and shifting dietary preferences, the region is experiencing a surge in demand for safe, nutritious, and accessible food. At the same time, challenges like climate change, land degradation, and supply chain inefficiencies are forcing a rethinking of how food is produced, processed, and distributed. The region is home to over 230 million people, many of whom are extremely poor and face significant challenges accessing adequate, safe, and nutritious food every day. In 2024, approximately 62.9 million people, or 25% of the analyzed population in seven out of eight IGAD countries, are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity in 2024. These dynamics open up a wide array of opportunities—from leveraging digital innovations, scaling climate smart agriculture to strengthening regional trade. Governments, private sector players, and development partners are increasingly recognizing that transforming food systems is not only necessary for food security, but also a key pathway for job creation, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth. A first of its kind High-Level Learning Event for Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) for Eastern and Southern Africa, was held in Addis Ababa in March 2025. The event was convened by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), and the World Bank. The Food Systems Resilience Program is vital for job creation as it stimulates employment across the entire agricultural value chain—from production and processing to marketing and distribution. By investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and practices, the program opens up opportunities for rural employment. It also fosters entrepreneurship, particularly among youth and women, especially through providing access to market linkages. The learning event aimed to strengthen institutional learning and promote cross-country knowledge exchange within the FSRP. It focused on translating evidence into action, advancing digital transformation, supporting trade integration, and improving Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) compliance. The event created a dynamic, multi-level platform to accelerate learning, elevate policy dialogue, and align FSRP interventions with national, regional, and continental priorities. During the conversations at the event, participants highlighted an urgent need for continuous learning within and between countries to ensure lessons are applied effectively in program implementation. As expressed by Dr. Abdi Fidar, Director for IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center, 'Knowing what each country is doing in its program. Member states are learning from one another. What are the best practices, and how can we narrow existing gaps.' Participants also emphasized the need to have a more structured mechanism to capture knowledge capture from different countries to help it application. The event put a spotlight on the potential of digital technology to boost agriculture productivity and resilience, with many countries eager to adopt what others have done. 'We are already learning about digitization from Kenya, and we want to learn more from Ethiopia who are already more advanced,' said Teddie Nakhuma, FSRP Program Coordinator in Malawi. The benefits of digital technology can be truly achieved when they are scaled up. Digital tools like farmer registries and real-time advisory services were highlighted as important innovations. But the region faces challenges such as limited digital literacy and infrastructure, data protection and fragmented platforms. Participants stressed the need for regional coordination and better support systems to effectively use these tools. Participants also highlighted trade challenges, such as inconsistent policies and sanitary and phytosanitary standards, continue to hinder trade within Africa, and experts called for unified standards and investment in compliance systems. Trade scorecards and digital traceability tools were seen as promising innovations to address these challenges. However, there were concerns about the lack of common standards, weak enforcement, and underused data. More training would be needed to fully realize the potential of these tools. Finally, strengthening collaboration between African countries and aligning with the African Union's agenda is key to building a more resilient food system across the continent. A culture of continuous learning among the countries needs to be embedded in the region's efforts for a more food secure future. We need a platform for us to exchange ideas and learn from other partners. We need to learn how others are interacting with the countries and countries need to hear our expectations, so we can move forward together,' said Dr Majola Mabuza, APPSA Regional Coordinator. As Eastern and Southern African countries edge ever nearer to 2030 and the goal of ending hunger, there is no shortage of good ideas on how to get us there. Countries now have the opportunity to kickstart and accelerate investments that will drive better outcomes for generations to come. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.
Zawya
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kenya Discuss Enhancing Bilateral Relations and Regional Security
Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, met with His Excellency Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, to discuss bilateral relations between the UAE and Kenya, as well as opportunities to enhance people-to-people ties and joint cooperation across several sectors. During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the London Sudan Conference, the two sides also exchanged views on the ongoing crisis in Sudan and regional efforts to support a political resolution; where both sides agreed on the importance of constructive cooperation with African partners, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The UAE stressed the importance of an African role in addressing regional crises, including Sudan, and reaffirmed its constant calls for African-led solutions. Her Excellency Nusseibeh emphasized that 'The UAE stressed again the essential role of the African Union to help bring about a ceasefire in Sudan between the warring parties and a transition to an independent civilian led government.' Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of having institutions, such as the United Nations, take a stronger stance on the weaponization of humanitarian aid. Attendees from the UAE side included His Excellency Mansour Belhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Zawya
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
UAE, Kenya discuss enhancing bilateral relations, regional security
Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, met with Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of Kenya, to discuss bilateral relations between the UAE and Kenya, as well as opportunities to enhance people-to-people ties and joint cooperation across several sectors. During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the London Sudan Conference, the two sides also exchanged views on the ongoing crisis in Sudan and regional efforts to support a political resolution; where both sides agreed on the importance of constructive cooperation with African partners, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The UAE stressed the importance of an African role in addressing regional crises, including Sudan, and reaffirmed its constant calls for African-led solutions. Nusseibeh emphasised that 'The UAE stressed again the essential role of the African Union to help bring about a ceasefire in Sudan between the warring parties and a transition to an independent civilian led government.' Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of having institutions, such as the United Nations, take a stronger stance on the weaponisation of humanitarian aid. Attendees from the UAE side included Mansour Belhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Zawya
16-04-2025
- Climate
- Zawya
Tanzania battles floods as roads, farms damaged, people displaced
Tanzanian authorities have warned of floods from the ongoing rains and asked people in flood-prone areas to take precautionary measures. Already, some 300 homes have reportedly been submerged in the northern region of Kilimanjaro, leaving hundreds of families without shelter in the week. Kilimanjaro regional authorities said the floods caused significant damage to infrastructure, and more than 2,000 acres of farmland was destroyed. Many residents were forced to seek refuge in nearby schools and makeshift shelters. Kilimanjaro regional commissioner Nurdin Babu said that the flooding has cut off some roads. In the southern coast region, several roads have been damaged, disrupting transport to and from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, especially with after the collapse of Somanga and Matandu bridges which link the city with the south coast. The southern regions are important for cashew-nut, coal and gas production, and the road network there links Tanzania with between neighbouring Mozambique and Malawi. Minister for Works Abdallah Ulega said on Tuesday that a temporary road has been created to allow some 230 cars, 30 lorries and 10 buses and emergency vehicles to pass. Torrential rains have so far caused widespread flooding in Tanzania's Morogoro region and displaced hundreds of residents and destroyed farms. Morogoro region is located between the two capitals Dar es Salaam and Dodoma. Rescue operations were still going on, but damaged infrastructure slowed down aid delivery, leaving many people without shelter and food, regional administrative officials said. Shinyanga and Mwanza regions on the shores of Lake Victoria in the northwest have experienced heavy rains and floods. Security authorities in Lake Victoria zone have cautioned residents against crossing flooded bridges. The heavy rains were expected. Last month, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) issued an alert on heavy rainfall in 11 regions which are important for agriculture, mining, wildlife parks and business. The southern highlands, southern coast and central are the worst hit, with possible disruption of economic activity, mostly agriculture and transport. About 200,000 people were reported to be affected by El Niño rains which hit several parts of Tanzania between February and May last year and caused deaths in some areas. Read: Tanzania's hottest year: Five records broken as nation confronts new climate realityEast Africa floodsEastern Africa should brace itself for a wetter and warmer rainy season into early June. A situational forecast for the region shows that most parts will experience normal to above-normal rainfall by the end of May. Read: East Africa braces for floods after heatwaveAccording to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) weather forecast, the wetter conditions will be accompanied by warmer temperatures over most of the region. Parts of northern, eastern and southern Tanzania, southern Kenya and southern Somalia, western regions of Rwanda and Burundi, most of South Sudan, southern Sudan and western Ethiopia are expected to experience above-average rainfall. According to the Igad Climate Prediction and Forecasting Centre, most parts of the Greater Horn of Africa will experience persistently warmer than normal temperatures, with a high likelihood of extreme temperatures. It is a phenomenon first experienced in February. Further, analysis of the observed temperatures indicated that most areas in South Sudan, Uganda, northern and western Kenya experienced persistence of extreme temperatures. Extreme temperatures could negatively affect humans, livestock and socio-economic activities, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) report said. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
