Thusday , 24 Oct 2024 {HMC} – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) officially handed over the Kuday Forward Operating Base (FOB) to Somali Security Forces (SSF) in Jubaland State on Wednesday.

Kuday FOB, located in Lower Juba, has been manned by ATMIS Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) since 2015. It has played a critical role in safeguarding the port city of Kismayo as a strategic buffer zone.

The area was liberated from Al-Shabaab by ATMIS and SSF in 2015, dismantling the group’s operations in southern Somalia.

ATMIS Sector Two Commander Brig. Rashid Seif presided over the handover ceremony attended by senior officials from ATMIS, Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), including ATMIS Military Chief Engineer, Col. Suleiman Ibrahim; Chief of Joint Support Operations Centre (JSOC), Sekou Trawally; SNAF representative, Maj. Sakariye Mohamed Omar; incoming FOB Commander, Maj. Hud Tohwari; outgoing FOB Commander, Maj. Joseph Kamaret and UNSOS Transition Planning Cell representative Santosh Koka.

“This handover demonstrates the Federal Government of Somalia’s capacity and willingness to continue to take over security responsibilities, supported by ATMIS,” said Col. Ibrahim ATMIS Force Headquarters representative.

He also commended the KDF troops for securing Lower Juba and urged the incoming SNAF contingent to remain vigilant and uphold the legacy of their predecessors.

Brig. Seif, ATMIS Sector Two Commander, thanked ATMIS KDF troops for their commitment to peace and Somali-led transition.

“We have engaged in extensive discussions for a long time, planning the exit from Kuday and today we are witnessing the culmination of our efforts. We will ensure a smooth transition moving forward,” said Brig. Seif.

Maj. Omar, SNAF representative, emphasized the importance of collaboration between KDF, SSF and Jubaland Forces against Al-Shabaab in the region.

“Al-Shabaab is an enemy to Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and every country in Africa and the entire world. We must work together to degrade the threats these enemies pose,” said Maj. Omar.

Maj. Tohwari, the incoming Kuday FOB Commander, signed the handover documents on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), with Col. Ibrahim and Koka signing for ATMIS and UNSOS, respectively.

The Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Kuday Police Post, Suleiman Abdule Ali, highlighted the cordial relationship with ATMIS KDF troops through civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) projects.

“We are grateful to KDF troops for building two school classrooms, one madrassa, constructing a fish waiting bay, and purchasing a dhow, all of which support the local community,” said Ali.

As part of the handover, UNSOS gifted the SSF with UN-owned equipment, including generators, refrigerators and boreholes.

ATMIS has so far transferred six FOBs to SSF and reduced troop numbers by 2,000 as part of the UN and African Union-approved phase three drawdown.

Other FOBs handed over include Bariire, Jowhar Town, Ceel Eglow, Abdalla Birolle and Orahsan.

Thursday 24 Oct, 2024 {HMC} Mozambique’s ruling party, Frelimo, has won the country’s divisive, violence-marred election, extending its 49-year grip on power in the southern African nation, according to official results.

Daniel Chapo, Frelimo’s relatively unknown presidential candidate, seen as an agent of change, will replace Filipe Nyusi, who has served two terms.

At 47 years old, Chapo, who gained 71% of the vote, will be the first president born after Mozambique’s independence in 1975. His closest challenger, Venancio Mondlane got 20%.

Following the announcement of the result, there have been violent protests in several towns.

The election has been marred by allegations of rigging and the killing of opposition supporters, prompting protests across the country.

Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa, who has also been hit by allegations of election fraud over the years, prematurely congratulated Chapo on his “resounding victory”, even before the results were announced.

Ossufo Momade, the candidate of former rebel group Renamo, which was previously the main opposition party, came in third with 6%.

Political analyst Tomas Viera Mario told the BBC that Renamo had lost its “historical position” because Momade, 68, had failed to attract young voters.

The electoral commission says 43% of the more than 17 million registered voters took part in the elections.

Parliamentary and provincial elections were held simultaneously.

The election had been seen as a turning-point for the resource-rich country which is wracked by economic problems, corruption, and poverty.

The main opposition candidate, Mondlane, has called for a national strike on Thursday in protest at the alleged rigging.

Mondlane has until December to contest the results.

He added that the protests would honour his lawyer and a party official who were shot dead last week in what he described as politically motivated killings.

He claims that he won the election despite preliminary polls showing that Chapo was well ahead.

On Monday, he organised nationwide protests, which were dispersed by police firing live rounds and tear gas.

The election has also been criticised by EU election observers, who said some results may have been doctored.

They said there were “irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results”.

Political analyst Adriano Nuvunga decried what he called a pattern of fraudulent elections in Mozambique.

The electoral commission has declined to comment on allegations of vote-rigging, according to Reuters.

Chapo will be officially sworn into office in January.

SOURCE BBC

Thursday 24 Oct, 2024 {HMC} The presidents of the Commonwealth of Independent States are preparing to confront the UK and agree plans for a justice reform of the slave trade.

The UK Downing Street office insists that it is not part of the agenda of the 56th meeting of the Commonwealth of Nations which starts on the island of Samoa tomorrow on Friday.

Diplomatic sources say the leaders are negotiating a deal to continue a meaningful inquiry into the matter, which could lead to the UK paying millions of dollars in compensation.

Fair reparations for slavery can take many forms, including financial, debt forgiveness, official apologies, educational programs, financial and medical assistance.

However, the UK does not want the statement to include words about fair compensation but has so far agreed to include 3 paragraphs describing the position of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Thursday 24 Oct, 2024 {HMC} While U.S. officials express the view that the BRICS grouping meeting in the Russian city of Kazan is not evolving into a geopolitical rival, analysts say BRICS members are working on issues that could further decouple them from Western influences.

Among the topics discussed between members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are ways to establish an alternative payment system that would not be dependent on the U.S. dollar, a BRICS digital currency and an alternative to Western financial institutions like the International Monetary fund.

China, Russia and Iran – countries that face severe trade restrictions imposed by the United States – have been particularly keen about advancing BRICS’ stated goals and circumventing what they regard as illegal sanctions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi indicated at the BRICS meeting that he was equally interested. “We welcome efforts to increase financial integration among BRICS countries. Trade in local currencies and smooth cross-border payments will strengthen our economic cooperation,” Modi said.

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyachaslav Volodin, writing ahead of the two-day meeting on the cloud-based messaging app Telegram, said the BRICS’ priorities reflect the divide between the West and the South. “The time of the hegemony of Washington and Brussels is passing. Countries choose the path of equal dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of people, and not to please the US and its minions,” he said.

U.S. officials say they are not concerned.

“We’re not looking at BRICS evolving into some kind of geopolitical rival. That’s not how we look at it … to the U.S. or anyone else,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday at a press briefing.

Meanwhile, India’s Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting, signaling a thaw in relations between the two sometimes-adversarial nations that some analysts suggest could have geopolitical implications.

Two days before the BRICS meeting, Indian and Chinese officials agreed to resolve the vexing issue of their militaries patrolling along the India-China border. The goal is to ensure that both sides pull back troops from advanced positions in disputed areas and return to the situation that existed before the last border conflict in 2020.

“We welcome the consensus reached on the issues that have arisen in the last 4 years along the border. It should be our priority to ensure there is peace and stability along our border,” Modi told Xi during the initial minutes of the meeting, which was telecast live. Xi responded saying that the rapprochement was “in the fundamental interests of both countries.”

Analysts are trying to gauge what prompted India to seek rapprochement with Beijing when it is closely tied to U.S.-led arrangements meant to counter China’s influence.

India plays a key role in the United States’ Indo-Pacific strategy and the Washington-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) involving Japan, India, Australia and the United States. China views the QUAD, which regularly holds exercises among the militaries of the four member countries, as a group bent on hurting its interests.

“Being a part of the QUAD is not helping India, which needs support in countering China’s military challenge in the Himalayan Mountain region. Besides, the U.S. is developing a relationship with Pakistan, which is against India’s interest,” P. Stobdan, former Indian diplomat and author, told VOA.

The Chinese media quoted Lin Minwang, a professor at the Institute of Strategic Studies and International Security in Fudan University, as saying that India is seeking reconciliation with China because the United States has not supported its efforts to develop its manufacturing sector.

“India’s policy that aims at decoupling from China has failed to attract meaningful support from the US-led West to help ‘Made in India’ and the country’s modernization and industrialization,” Lin said. “This proves that India can’t profit from being hostile to or decoupling from China, and it is even making it difficult for India to realize its own development,” he added.

Some experts believe the United States would not be surprised at the turn of events.

“The U.S. knew all along that India and China would connect at some point. There are strong political and economic reasons for them to engage with each other,” said Manoranjan Mohanty, a China expert based in New Delhi.

SOURCE VOA