Thursday 19, Sep 2024 {HMC} A series of ambushes and explosions across military-run Niger killed at least 12 soldiers and wounded 30 others recently, the army announced on state-run television Wednesday.

In the first attack, in western Tillaberi region on Sunday, “a horde of criminals who arrived in their hundreds” killed five soldiers and wounded 25 more, according to the army.

The ground and air response killed “more than 100” attackers, the army said, without giving further details about them.

On Monday, in the restive southwest Diffa region where there are frequent attacks by Boko Haram and the West African branch of the Islamic State group, five patrolling soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device.

A “surgical strike” in retaliation “killed several terrorists” responsible, the army said.

In the latest attack, militants from a new resistance group called the Patriotic Movement for Freedom and Justice (MPLJ) claimed an operation against a military outpost in the Agadez region in the north.

The army said two soldiers were killed and six wounded in Tuesday’s attack.

“A pursuit operation was immediately launched to track down the fleeing assailants, who were heading for the Libyan border,” the army added.

The MPLJ claimed to have killed 14 soldiers and two gendarmes in the attack, and to have lost two of its own fighters.

Created in August, the MPLJ is an offshoot of the Patriotic Liberation Front (FPL) armed group, which is fighting the junta for the release of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Democratically elected Bazoum was overthrown in a coup in July 2023 and has since then been held at the presidential palace.

While the military justified its power grab by citing the deteriorating security situation, violence persists.

According to the independent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, about 1,500 civilians and soldiers in Niger have been killed in militant attacks over the past year, compared with 650 between July 2022 and 2023 when Bazoum was in charge.

Thursday 19, Sep 2024 {HMC} The government requires Sh106 billion to implement the reforms within the National Police Service, the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Youth Service, President William Ruto revealed yesterday.

The police reforms were proposed by a task force led by former Chief Justice David Maraga.

Ruto made the remarks during the launch of a strategic framework for the implementation of reforms in the services.

The framework provides an integrated approach to reform priorities in a strategic and coordinated manner to ensure coherence among institutions.

From all the police reform initiatives, this is the first that has a strategic framework for implementation developed by relevant institutions.

The National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and other Reforms for the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service was appointed by Ruto on December 21, 2022.

The terms of reference for the team chaired by Maraga were to identify the legal, policy, administrative, institutional and operational constraints on effective service delivery and to recommend solutions.

It was also to review the terms and conditions of service for the three services and recommend their improvement.

The team presented its final report to Ruto on November 4, 2023.

On September 13 this year, the National Steering Committee, chaired by Interior PS Raymond Omollo, was gazetted. It was tasked to, among other key deliverables, develop an implementation framework to guide the reforms process.

Ruto said funds will be allocated to address key challenges that faced the services, career progression, digitisation of records, including police OBs and purchase of new equipment.

Out of the money, Sh22 billion will finance improvement in compensation package for officers while Sh37 billion will go to the upgrading of the hardware and welfare reforms and Sh45 billion is required to implement modernisation of the services.

Ruto said the National Treasury will provide part of the funds while the rest will be availed by investors.

“We appreciate the considerable financial implications of the full implementation of the changes prescribed by the Maraga task force. It is estimated that it will cost Sh106 billion to fully actualise these recommendations,” he said.

Ruto said the government had procured 1,000 e-vehicles for police officers to enhance mobility.

He said plans were also in place to construct 32,000 houses for security officers.

“Some of our officers live in houses that are not different from the prisons themselves. That cannot be the case. That’s why we extended the housing programme to include institutional houses for our military, police, NYS and prisons,” the head of state said.

To implement the reforms within the three services, the President said ministries and agencies will oversee the implementation of the reforms in coordination with the National Steering Committee that was recently appointed by Interior CS Kithure Kindiki.

He said any challenges encountered must be resolved without delay through the committee and public participation must be included in developing policies and any form of constitutional changes.

NPS, KPS, NYS will be required to complete their modernisation strategies and plans and Treasury is required to ensure funding to implement these reforms, Ruto said.

A national inter-agency team was formed to guide and start the implementation process.

The National Inter-Agency Steering Committee, led by the Ministry of Interior and National administration, includes senior officials of the Ministry of Public Service, the National Treasury, Salaries and Remuneration Commission and the National Police Service Commission.

Others include officers drawn from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Public Service Commission, National Youth Service Council, the Judiciary and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

The committee started its work with the unpacking of at least 200 recommendations contained in the report.

The team finalised the guidelines that informed the implementation of the first phase.

It singled out recommendations that could be implemented through administrative action without requiring funding.

In this phase, service charters of the three services were reviewed and service standards developed.⁠

Staff training and sensitisation focusing on the new service standards and far-reaching service delivery reforms have started, PS Omollo said.

The PS said the implementation of this phase of the reforms are at 65 per cent for NYS, 42 per cent for Kenya Prisons Service and 37 per cent at NPS.

The complaints handling processes for the three services have been reviewed in line with the recommendations of the task force.

Consultations on the implementation of recommendations that require funding without policy or legislation are at an advanced stage.

One such recommendation is on new basic salary scheme for the police, prisons and NYS officers.

The report identified specific issues such as political interference in NPS, corruption in employment and promotions and police training curriculum.

Others are inadequate National Police Service Commission, the role of the Cabinet secretary responsible for national security and the structure of the Internal Affairs Unit in the police.

SOURCE

By  JOHNSON LAI and BASSEM MROUE

Thursday 19, Sep 2024 {HMC} Guinea’s most wanted fugitive – a former senior military officer who escaped from prison last November – has been extradited from neighbouring Liberia, along with his son, officials say.

Ex-Col Claude Pivi will now serve his life sentence after being convicted in absentia for his role in a massacre of opposition supporters at a stadium in the capital Conakry in 2009, Guinea’s military prosecutor said.

He and his son, Verny Pivi, were arrested on the border of the two states during a routine security check on Tuesday.

Photos circulating online showed Pivi looking frail and handcuffed alongside his son, who is accused of orchestrating the prison break that freed his father.

Ex-military leader Moussa Dadis Camara was also freed, but was quickly recaptured.

He is serving a 20-year prison sentence for crimes against humanity.

The charges stemmed from one of the worst massacres in the nation’s history – the killing of more than 156 people after troops opened fire at an opposition rally in September 2009 to demand a return of civilian rule.

Scores of women were also raped.

Known as “Coplan,” Pivi served as minister of presidential security in Camara’s regime.

The authorities had offered a reward of $58,000 (£43,700) for his capture.

Pivi is back in the main prison in Conakry to serve his life sentence, military prosecutor Colonel Aly Camara said on Thursday.

“He was brought back to the central prison to serve his sentence in accordance with the law,” Col Camara added.

Fatoumata Diariou Camara, one of those caught up in the violence at the rally, told the AFP news agency she was “overjoyed” that he had been recaptured.

“I pray that he will remain in prison forever,” she said.

SOURCE BBC