The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi has threatened to expel East African Community (EAC) regional forces if its efforts do not yield by June this year.
East African Community (EAC) formed a military force to respond to the crisis last June, with Kenyan soldiers deploying in November followed this year by Burundian, Ugandan and South Sudanese contingents.
Speaking at a press briefing in Botswana, Tshisekedi said the EAC force’s mandate ends in June and if we feel that the mandate was not fulfilled will return them and thank them for having tried. We have the confirmation of the coming of SADC troops which we will have to put in place.

He said there is cohabitation that we have noticed between the contingent of the East African Community and the rebels.
“That is a genuine problem when it comes to the mission assigned, and also compels to ask, what is the purpose of the mission?” he said, claiming that except for the Burundi troops, others “are now living together with M23,”he said.
His comments come a day after a special summit of the 16-bloc Southern African Development Community (SADC), held in Namibia, resolved to deploy forces “to restore peace and security in eastern DRC”.

In November 2022, Kenya’s Parliament approved the deployment of nearly 1,000 soldiers for a new regional force in DRC. The approval followed EAC Heads of State Conclave on Inter-Congolese Dialogue deliberation to jointly deploy in Congo. The soldiers later flew into Goma from Nairobi to fight rebels in DRC.

Last month, Uganda’s contingent of the East African regional force joined Kenyan troops to foster peace in the war torn Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC. Uganda will as well deploy 1,000 soldiers as part of the regional military force.
The North Kivu province is occupied by different militia groups including the M23 rebels who are fighting government forces and causing civilians to flee.

Last month, EAC Regional Force Commander Major-General Jeff Nyagah exited the mission in the DRC due to an aggravated threat to personal safety and systematic plan to frustrate efforts of the force.
Gen Nyagah said there was an attempt to intimidate his security at his former home by deploying foreign military contractors, who placed monitoring devices, flew drones and conducted physical surveillance at his home earlier this year.
“There has been a well-orchestrated and financed negative media campaign targeted at my personality and false accusations for the force’s complacency on the handling of the M23 label group,” he said.

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The president Yoweri Museveni has mourned the fallen State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Late Rtd Col Okello Charles Patrick Engola, saying he was a sacrificial lamb.
Engola was on May 2, 2013 shot and killed by his bodyguard, Pte Wilson Sabiiti at his residence in Kyanja, a Kampala suburb. The killer fired several shots at close range before fleeing the scene up to the trading center where he entered a salon and shot himself dead.

“Engola was really a sacrificial lamb. He has been sacrificed by some problems that were not his and we should use them to really sort out all these dark areas,” Museveni said at Kololo Ceremonial grounds.
He said Engola had nothing to do with the cause of his death. There is no way you can say the soldier did what he did because of the actions of Minister Engola. The soldier had been there for only one month. It was not Engola, it was something else that triggered him.

“Engola was a patriot but he ended up being killed by a bad product produced by our system. I want to apologize to the family and to the people who belong to the people of Uganda,” he said.
“I first saw him in 1986 at Lubiri Barracks, manning a 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun. You could tell at the time that he was a patriot because initially, the political elite from the North were disorganizing people to be against the National Resistance Army (NRA). He was part of the cadres from the North who rejected that nonsense,” he said.
“When the soldiers come from the army and mix with the civilian sector, they get involved with parasite mercenaries who don’t think about their country just for money.” he said.

He revealed that the guard battalion at Bombo was sending food to these escorts through the ADC of their principals. Bodyguards should not be the responsibility of the principal to feed them. It should be the unit who sends them food, they may not cook it for them, and they can cook for themselves and the guard battalion should make arrangements for accommodation, not necessarily renting buildings. They can have tents.

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Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa has expressed disappointment with international financial institutions, which have shied away from funding the $5 billion East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) amid pressure from climate change activists.

Speaking during the 10th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition in Kampala on Tuesday, 09 May 2023, Ms Nankabirwa said such funders are complicit to Africa remaining stuck in energy poverty.

The minister said energy access and security are an important aspiration for the East African region and therefore there is a need to exploit all the available energy resources, including oil and gas.

“We are closely watching international financing institutions that are burying their heads in the sand at a time when Africa is fighting energy poverty. I can assure you we shall get the funding needed for the EACOP,” Nankabirwa said.

She was speaking days after it emerged that another prospective funder, Standard Chartered Plc, withdrew from funding the project, flagging it as an environmental risk.

The construction of EACOP, the world’s longest heated crude oil pipeline proposed by French Oil Company Total and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has already been delayed by the complexities and grievances regarding environmental concerns.

But according to the minister, it is not fair for the funders to pull out yet they financed the exploration.

“It is not fair for financing institutions to pull out of our projects when you financed the exploration, as Africa, we may not have enough finances but we are not poor. Africa is to start looking for financing from alternative sources,” Nankabirwa said.

The conference, which ends on May 11 is being held under the theme “East Africa; a hub for investment in exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources for sustainable energy and social economic development.”

In her remarks, Ms. Irene Batebe, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy, said there is a lot of oil potential in many areas, which are yet to be explored.

“We are looking at operational sustenance, so we have an aggressive program where we are exploring new basins.  We are happy to report that we have encountered some prolific seepage  in the Moroto-Kadam Basin,” Batebe said.

She added that Uganda has 88% drilling success, with 85% of the Albertine Graben unlicensed, while 5 blocks up for grabs in the 2nd licensing round.

NJ Ayuk, an author, who was a guest speaker, said despite the funding challenges, encouraged African countries to become energy independent.

“Wealth nations need to decarbonise and East Africa needs to industrialise. East Africa must use its resources to eradicate poverty,” he said.

“East Africa must continue on its mission to exploit its resources and keep moving, keep driving, keep exploring because it’s through exploration that we shall make more discoveries of new resources,” he added.

Dr Elly Karuhanga, a businessman, called on the public and private sector in the region to unleash their full potential while devising practical solutions to local challenges in the sustainable development of the oil and gas sector.

“A good father leaves behind wealth for his children’s children, and as East Africans, we should ensure we leave wealth for our East Africa’s children’s children,” he said.

Vice President Jessica Alupo was the chief guest at the exhibition and toured several stalls.

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President Yoweri Museveni has directed for compensation of each family which lost their loved ones in the recent floods in the areas of Kigyezi and Ntoroko.

At least 23 people died, 16 injured and hundreds displaced as floods cut off 10 villages in Bweramule Sub County, Ntoroko District after River Semliki burst its banks.

“I have directed the State House Comptroller to give Shs5 million each to the families of those who died and Shs1 million each for those who were injured. Those losses of life re-emphasize the need to observe the environmental requirements strictly,” he said.

Museveni directed that there should be no buildings or gardens 50 metres from river banks, 200 metres from the Lake shore, no building on hills with a gradient greater than 30 degrees.

He said forests hold the soil and prevent the land slides. The roots of the trees hold the soil. The forests near the river banks and Lake shores filter the water going into the rivers or Lakes, so that they do not silt.  It is therefore wrong to interfere with this delicate work of God and nature.

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Parliament is set to hold a special sitting to pay tribute to the Late Rtd Col Okello Charles Patrick Engola, the former State Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development who was shot dead by his bodyguard.

His body was brought by Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) funeral team. The body was received by Speaker Anitah Among and legislators.

The fallen MP for Oyam north was shot and killed by his body guard Pte Wilson Sabiiti at his residence in Kyanja. The killer fired several shots at close range before fleeing the scene up to the trading center, ring road where he entered a salon and shot himself dead.

Eye witnesses claimed that the two had a quarrel before the body guards couched the gun and shot at the minister as he entered his car to go for work. The body guard allegedly faulted the minister for failure to avail him some funds to cater for his pregnant woman after taking a long time without being paid.

Following his death, President Yoweri Museveni said his killing by this body-guard was a big crime to Patriotism in Uganda. We would have hunted him to exact justice on him. Unfortunately, he took his own life; hence, we did not have that opportunity.

He ordered that the slain retired soldier be accorded official burial. Engola will be laid to rest on Friday at his ancestral home in Oyam district.

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