A smaller force to stay behind as ATMIS exits ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma, the new Force Commander of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), arrived in Mogadishu on July 28 to oversee the last phase of a troop drawdown process that started five years ago. …
Read More »Africa’s Russia-Ukraine peace mission
What can be achieved by a fact-finding mission of the `Africa six’ that is misrepresented as mediation? COMMENT | GILBERT M. KHADIAGALA | South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa led an initiative of six African heads of state to explore an end to the year-long Russia-Ukraine war. Announcement of the initiative followed his …
Read More »Stay in Somalia or get out?
Debate rages on the future of UPDF in Somalia mission COVER STORY | IAN KATUSIIME | Jonathan Odur, the opposition MP of Erute South constituency and Shadow Minister for Defence, says the Ugandan contingent in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has done a good job in keeping peace. …
Read More »AU transition mission in Somalia steps up preparation to withdraw 2,000 soldiers in June
Mogadishu, Somalia | Xinhua | The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said on Sunday that it has stepped up preparations for the withdrawal of 2,000 soldiers by June 30 from Somalia. Mohammed El-Amine Souef, special representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia and head of ATMIS, …
Read More »Which way for East African Regional Force in DRC?
How mismatch in the regional force’s objectives and expectations of the Congolese government may render the failure of peace mission COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | Maj. Gen. Jeff Nyagah, the Kenyan Commander of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) has abruptly returned to Nairobi five months after landing in …
Read More »UN mission in Mali strongly condemns attack in central Mali
Bamako, Mali | Xinhua | The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) strongly condemned the Saturday morning attack against the Malian Armed Forces camp in central Mali. “The perpetrators of this attack must be identified quickly and brought to justice. To this end, MINUSMA is ready to provide …
Read More »EAC armies pose new risks in DR Congo
Expert reports warn of weak links, mission creep Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | The Eastern African Community Regional Force (EACRF) deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo seems to be the fastest growing movement in the region. But the presence of additional armed personnel in an area crawling with numerous …
Read More »EU boosts Somalia peacekeeping mission
Offers 120m Euros as ATMIS marks one year Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is marking one year since its mandate began with a shot in the arm: Euros 118 million ( Approx. Shs481 billion) from the European Union for its 2023 operations. …
Read More »NASA descends on Icelandic lava field to prepare for Mars
The Lambahraun lava field, Iceland | AFP | To prepare for the next mission to Mars in 2020, NASA has taken to the lava fields of Iceland to get its new robotic space explorer ready for the job. With its black basalt sand, wind-swept dunes and craggy peaks, the Lambahraun …
Read More »THIS WEEK: Stella Nyanzi’s new mission in Luzira prison
THIS WEEK: Stella Nyanzi’s new mission in Luzira prison Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Makerere University researcher and activist Stella Nyanzi declined bail by the Magistrates Court to teach inmates at Luzira prison how to use social media. Nyanzi was charged with cyber harassment and offensive communication after she wrote …
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