UN helicopter carrying ‘several’ foreigners captured by al Shabaab in Somalia
Two UN sources familiar with the matter said the aircraft carried nine passengers. The identities or nationalities of the foreigners captured could not be independently verified.
German software firm fined $222m for bribery schemes in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana
The Walldorf, Germany-based company said it “separated from all responsible parties” more than five years ago, and that the accords end all compliance-related investigations in the United States and South Africa.
Church and state: Polluting religion with politics is fomenting revulsion and rebellion in Uganda
Since 1992, the most polarising personality in religio-politics has been Pastor Aloysius Bugingo, who has increasingly not hidden his support for the ruling party in his summons and recently, for President Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to rule Uganda beyond Museveni.
Somalia, Al Shabaab in rare unity in condemning Ethiopia over Berbera seaport deal with Somaliland
Somalia fears that Ethiopia may have quietly recognised Somaliland as a sovereign state, which has also been a source of diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Somalia after Nairobi opened a consul office in Somaliland a few years.
SADC mission deploys to Congo and unlike UN and EAC forces, it has an offensive mandate
SAMIDRC’s deployment is in line with a decision taken last May at an extraordinary SADC Heads of State Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.
South Africa leads new military force in DRC, but faces heavy odds of neutralising M23 rebels
The SADC force is expected to attempt, in cooperation with the local security forces, to neutralise the main rebel groups operating in the eastern DRC. This is something that Monusco and the East African Community Regional Force have not been able to do for the last 20 years.
Nigerian, Kenyan and Ugandan currencies tumble further against US dollar in January
Commercial banks quoted the Kenya shilling at 157.00/158.00 per US dollar compared with last Thursday’s close of 156.50/157.50.
PMI: Kenya private sector activity declines in December n the back of easing inflation
Inflation slowed to 6.6 per cent year-on-year in December from 6.8 per cent the previous month, data from the statistics office showed.
Row looms between Ethiopia and Somalia after breakaway Somaliland leased coastal land to Addis Ababa
Somaliland seceded from Somalia more than 30 years ago, but is not recognised by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state. Somalia still considers Somaliland part of its territory and reactions by officials from there were swift.
Pariah economy: Museveni’s ‘life presidency’ turned Uganda into a basket case on life-support
Cultural erosion through schemes such Operation Wealth Creation, Myooga and Parish Development Model, which emphasise the individual and money rather than community integrity, cohesion, unity and resilience, which were subserved by culture.
