Looting a Way of Life for Central Africa's Lost Generation

Bangui is deprived of schooling, because of this kids of Central Africa see raiding and plundering as the only career their country has to offer. It was already one of the worlds poorest nation, but now the Central African Republic is plundering itself into extinction. "Central Africa has given up the future of its youth on the altar of political gamesmanship. The future of our children is getting even darker." Says Jean-Gaberial Alba, a computer scientist.  "What is happening now is that young people are committing massacres, pillaging, raping, and stealing," He also says. When worthless loot is found they destroy everything in the area in rage. For most this is their everyday job now.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/looting-a-way-of-life-for-central-africa-s-lost-generation-481325

Kenya: Gay Activists in Kenya Protest Uganda Anti-Gay Bill

Members of the gays and lesbians association today stormed the Ugandan embassy protesting against Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The members were led by gay activist John Mathenge and their lawyer Eric Giltari. There argument was they weren't going to condone harassment and stigmatisation from private and state organs and demand that gays and lesbians be given their due respect.

Homosexuality is currently illegal in Kenya. Mathenge had stormed the Ugandan embassy to present a petition to the high commissioner Ms Angelina Chogo Wapakhabulo for the Ugandan President Museveni not to ascend to the Anti- Homosexuality Bill.

According to the association's lawyer Eric Gitari, the bill is discriminatory and full of ill will against the gay community in Uganda. Gitari said that though President Museveni has not ascended to the bill yet, gays in Uganda are already being harassed, a situation which has led them to seek asylum in Kenya.

Museveni has less than 30 days to decide whether or not to ascend to the bill which was passed by ugandan parliament in December last year.
 

http://allafrica.com/stories/201402102179.html

Burundi floods: Many dead in Bujumbura

The Burundi capital, Bujumbura in Africa was hit by floods and landslides. Reports say that there were at least 50 people that died from these floods and landslides. The floods were so high that they said it wasn't quite possible to give accurate figures to how many people died because the bodies my hidden under the mud and debris. So many people got hurt that all of the hospitals are full and patients are getting treated outside. People have also lost their houses because the floods have washed them away. Roads and crops have also been destroyed by the floods and landslides.


BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26118065

Violence in CAR forcing out muslims

It was only a few days ago that a story broke out of a citizen in the CAR region who was stabbed, shot,  burned, and finally lynched in an act of terrorism by the countries own military police. Now the violence has seemed to spread and take root into the very country and multitudes of people are suffering...considerably the Muslim populace. CAR is made up of a vast number of Christians (50%), with muslims rounding up as the minority (13%). Due to the recent attacks by Seleka members and Anti-Balaka rebels the country is apparently under a siege by its own people. Steadily the countries muslim populace have started to evacuate, 30'000 making it to chad and 10'000 to the neighboring Cameroon. Though this is a dark time for the country apparently there is some light as there are multiple reports of Christians helping some of the muslim families escape into those other countries.

BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26109987

Home News News Will $2.9b irrigation scheme deliver?

 

Three hundred kilometers east of Mombasa lies Hola, a vast, semi-arid expanse of nearly perfectly flat terrain. As we drive through it, a whirlwind suddenly appears, enveloping everything in a cloud of dust, then vanishes just as quickly.

Temperatures here are over 30 degrees Celsius for most of the year, and the only permanent source of water is Tana River, Kenya’s longest river. Despite the lack of rainfall, the river’s delta is fertile, and has long been the centre of attention for Kenya’s irrigation experts.

Early this month, Kenya sought a new solution to its food insecurity with the launch of a Ksh250 billion ($2.9 billion) million-acre irrigation scheme here in Galana/ Kulalu in Hola.

The scheme could help unlock the potential of the country’s arid and semi-arid lands, bringing 500,000 acres under maize and adding 40 million bags to the annual maize harvest — effectively doubling the country’s maize production.

Author: Christine Mungai, The EastAfrican
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Will--2-9b-irrigation-scheme-deliver-/-/2558/2199932/-/k7tqgm/-/index.html

Central African Republic soldiers Lynch a rebel

After a ceremony in which interim Central African President Catherine Samba-Panza finished speaking to the army, a man was later beaten and stabbed repeatedly by soldiers. The man was later burned to follow up the terrible assaults. This is but one of the many violent acts that Central African Republic citizens have been experiencing since a coup by Seleka. These are religious attacks that Human Rights activists are calling "Bestial, and barbaric." The victim was accused of being a rebel by the soldiers, dragged along the street, beaten, stabbed, and then subsequently burned in a way to instill terror in the soldiers.

BBC News, Africa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26055584

Heroin haul worth $5.5m seized in Tanzania

            Tanzanian authorities Tuesday impounded 201 kilograms of heroin worth $5.5 million, proving once more that the war on drugs remains a daunting task. The heroin was found aboard an Iranian vessel.

The arrest came just a few weeks after the Canadian military ship Toronto impounded 265 bags of heroin weighing more than 280kgs aboard a vessel while patrolling the Indian Ocean.  

In the meantime, a special task force dealing with transnational organised crime in Tanzanian waters has arrested 12 suspects.

Eight of the suspects held Iranian passports and four others were found with Pakistan travel documents. The suspects are being interrogated by police, according to the head of the Anti-Drugs Unit (ADU), Mr Godfrey Nzowa.

He told The Citizen that the drug dealers were arrested in the wee hours of Tuesday on board Aldahial, an Iranian dhow. It was sailing between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar at the time.

According to police, preliminary investigations indicate that the ship ferrying the drugs was registered in Kunak, Iran.

 Author:  Katare Mbashiru

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Heroin-haul-worth--5-5m-seized-in-Tanzania/-/2558/2194054/-/n04y0o/-/index.html