MP Fatuma Ndangiza, Chairperson of the East African Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution, on Saturday, December 11, delivered a solidarity statement during the “special occasion” of the adoption of the Southern African Development Community Model Law on Gender-Based Violence.

Her message of solidarity, delivered on behalf of EALA, was delivered at the 50th SADC Parliamentary forum plenary session. 

The SADC Model Law on Gender-Based Violence, she noted, is “such an important legal instrument” that provides an opportunity to strengthen synergy with the SADC Parliamentary Forum to “outlaw GBV from our respective regions.”

Ndangiza said: “Gender based violence is a serious concern that constitute gross human rights violation of women’s rights and a threat to peace and security in the African Continent and globally. 

“The Model Law is very comprehensive and has best practice provisions that can be adopted by member states or adapted to fit their existing laws.”

The adoption of the SADC Model Law happened a day after the 16 days of activism against gender based violence themed: ’’Orange the world: end violence against women now.”

It also took place after a few weeks when DR Congo President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi  - who is the AU 2021 Chairperson - organized a men’s conference in Kinshasa, on the positive masculinity: Galvanizing to end the scourge of violence in Africa. 

The high level event was attended by a number of African Heads of State including  President Paul Kagame and former Liberian President, Ellen Johnsson Sirlief.

Ndangiza noted that it is well established that sexual and gender-based violence is caused by unequal power relations between men and women, socio-cultural norms that normalize GBV practices and changing gender roles.

Poverty and illiteracy, she said, breakdown of the family unit and support systems, insecurity, crisis and conflict and political instability also contribute to sexual and gender-based violence. 

“It is very important therefore to ensure that we address the root causes of GBV and tackle all its enabling factors,” Ndangiza said.

“To that effect, Parliament should discharge its mandate to advance gender equality through gender-responsive legislation, equal representation in decision-making, governance and holding our governments accountable on gender commitments.”

According to the UN women, globally, one in three women have been subjected to intimate partner violence or both at least once in their life (30% of women aged 15 and above). 

“This figure excludes sexual harassment. Despite a number of interventions against GBV by various stakeholders, the magnitude of GBV, as amplified by the impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic remains at a very alarming level. The latest figures of UN women confirm that during the pandemic, levels of violence against women and girls have increased,” she said.

As noted, across 13 countries, almost half of all women reported GBV or saw a woman who experienced GBV during the pandemic and almost a quarter of women reported household conflicts had become more frequent. The same proportion felt less safe at home. 

In the EAC region, a Regional Forum themed Borderless Partnership against Gender Based Violence which was convened to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against GBV observed that Partner States reported a 48 per cent sharp increase in the number of GBV cases due to Covid-19 pandemic.  

The forms of violence include rape, defilement, unwanted pregnancies, increased infection rates of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV as well as injuries and mutilation of body parts. 

Ndangiza said: “We are also aware that these data do not include many unreported cases of GBV for fear of stigmatization and avoidance of family shame.”

The AU categorises violence against women as “one of the most egregious forms” of discrimination and a critical impediment to women’s realization of their fundamental human rights. 

Ending violence and discrimination against women and girls is thus one of the AU priorities so as to achieve full gender equality in all spheres of life on the continent.

Ndangiza assured SADC lawmakers of EALA’s readiness and commitment to partner with them  “as we strive” to achieve effective implementation of regional and national laws against GBV.  

“To that effect, we should explore joint actions to be undertaken within our traditional roles of legislation, representation and oversight. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable, we must join our efforts to tackle the root causes of violence, change patriarchal mindsets and engage men to eliminate violence against women and girls.” - James Karuhanga, The New Times

By NANGAYI GUYSON

Kampala, Uganda- After a year marked by big political events, Ugandans greeted the year 2021 with fears of political turmoil ahead, owing to general elections scheduled for 14 January 2021 to elect the President and Parliament. President Yoweri Museveni, the veteran dictator, was pronounced the winner of the election, which was marked by outbreaks of violence and a violent crackdown on opposition gatherings during the campaigning period. 

More than 50 people were killed as a result of harsh policing tactics, including the use of live ammunition fired without notice, and at least 20 more died in incidents related to the election riots.

Hundreds of individuals have gone missing in the East African country, according to human rights organizations. In March, Bobi Wine's party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), produced a list of 243 people, the majority of them were activists, who had been kidnapped by security personnel.Some of those who were released claimed they had been tortured before being placed in remote regions at night.

UN calls on Uganda to end post-election crackdown.

This prompted Human rights experts from the United Nations to urge Uganda government to put an end to the ruthless crackdown on political opponents that began in the run-up to the disputed general elections in January and increased afterward.

"We are especially concerned about reports of widespread and ongoing repression of opposition leaders and sympathizers," the experts warned.

"More than 50 people have been killed as a result of harsh policing tactics, including the use of live ammunition fired without notice, and at least 20 more have died in incidents related to the election."

They asked Kampala to investigate and punish all claims of extrajudicial murders, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and ill treatment, among other human rights crimes.

Machete attacks and Bomb blasts 

In the months of July and August, at least 26 people were reported killed by suspected ADF Machete Wielding terrorists  using machetes, clubs and other blunt objects in Masaka city and Lwengo district.

Two bomb blasts in Kampala's downtown area in November brought back memories of the 2010 bombings, which killed 76 Ugandans who were out enjoying the city's renowned nightlife.

Since an explosion rocked a pork shop in a Kampala neighborhood three weeks ago, Uganda has been subject to a series of bombings targeting various sites, wounding, and killing Ugandans.

The bombs that exploded outside the Central Police Station and a few meters from Parliament on Nov. 16, killing six people and injuring more than 30 others, have been cited as a game changer for the country's security in terms of how they raise alert levels and prepare for the next attack.

Bomb alarms abound in Kampala and other major Ugandan cities, with counter-terrorism police officials and the military swarming everywhere.

Security services have been on the offensive against ADF, which has been designated as Uganda's number one target, for some months.

As an apprehensive public watches, the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), and the Counter Terrorism Directorate, all of which are part of the Police, have all sprang into action.

Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have met several times this year to discuss the possibility of Ugandan forces being deployed in the eastern portion of the DRC to flush out the ADF, which has been hiding there for years.

President Museveni met with his DRC counterpart Felix Tshisekedi in Kasese in June to commission a 223-kilometer road project aimed at increasing trade between the two countries.

In an operation agreed upon with Congolese forces, the Ugandan military has commenced air and artillery raids on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group in eastern DRC.

"We commenced coordinated air and artillery strikes against ADF camps with our Congolese friends this morning," a Uganda People's Defence Force spokeswoman said on Twitter on Tuesday.

"Targeted and concerted action with the Ugandan army commenced today with air strikes and artillery fire from Uganda against locations of the terrorist ADF in the DRC," said Patrick Muyaya, the DRC's government spokesman and communications minister.

The ADF has been implicated by Ugandan police for a series of deadly suicide attacks in the capital, Kampala, earlier this month. Hundreds of attacks have been blamed on the armed organization in the eastern DRC.

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo stated on Monday that the two forces had been exchanging information for months and that no Ugandan troops were currently in the nation.

"We haven't stated anything about cooperative activities."

We've said there will be coordinated operations," Muyaya said at a press conference, without going into detail.

"If there's a need to step it up a notch, we'll do so."

Photo via Anadolu Agency

Tanzania has secured an overseas market to sell fresh avocados to India, a move that is expected to strengthen bilateral trade ties and bring higher returns to smallholder growers.

Despite being the third-largest avocado producer in Africa after South Africa and Kenya, Tanzanian farmers have largely failed to access the export market for their produce due to quarantine pests believed to exist in the country.

However, the latest move by India is a huge boost for the local avocado industry since it opens doors for many smallholder farmers to reach international consumers instead of crowding the domestic market, officials said.

Traditionally, about 80% of the avocados grown in the East African country are consumed locally, but observers say export is an important and developing sector for the industry.

In 2003, India imposed an import embargo on avocados due to concerns that the fruits might be infested with dangerous pests.

However, Tanzania's government said last week that India's health authorities had allowed the export of the highly nutritious fruit -- typically used as a spread on toast, following lengthy negotiations.

Gaining traction

Driven by the global surge in prices and demand, the avocado business is rapidly gaining traction among local farmers, thanks to the government’s painstaking efforts to develop the fruit value chain in the country.

The development comes just a day after a key player in the multibillion-dollar horticulture industry set its eyes on the $133 million Chinese avocado market. South Africa also recently granted Tanzanian avocados access to its relatively large market, local media reported.

“As we sincerely salute the government for its painstaking efforts to strike a bilateral deal for Tanzanian avocados to access the Indian market, we are now eyeing the Chinese market,” said Jacqueline Mkindi, group CEO of the Tanzania Horticulture Association (TAHA).

As a champion of horticulture in the country, TAHA played a central role in supporting the government to persuade the Indian government to open up its expansive avocados market to Tanzania, which officials believe is a significant step forward.

Scent of money

Mdili Katemani, a senior official in the Agriculture Ministry, has expressed optimism in Tanzania's ability to explore a new market, which he believes will provide fresh impetus for economic growth.

“We are quite delighted for this opportunity and we are ready for business,” Katemani told Anadolu Agency.

According to him, avocado shipments to India will begin soon, and Tanzania's government has identified export companies to help facilitate lucrative trade opportunities.

“We expect that our avocado growers will immensely benefit from this opportunity,” he asserted and added that the overseas market will help its growers improve their livelihoods by providing a reliable market for their produce.

Avocado is prized for its high nutritional value, as it contains more protein than any other fruit, as well as fiber, potassium, and vitamins, and provides cholesterol-free plant-based fat.

Blessed with huge production potential in different agro-ecological zones, the country has the potential to supply avocados to the global market for nine months during the calendar year, agricultural experts said.

The fruits, mostly grown in the northern Kilimanjaro region, Iringa, Mbeya, and Njombe regions in the southern highlands, take at least three years to reach commercial fruition.

Tanzania's avocado export destinations include India, China, the US, and South Africa, which together account for a market worth over $1 billion annually, according to government estimates.

All clear

Officials said India and Tanzania have agreed on an avocado verification protocol and are about to implement phytosanitary measures to flag off the shipment of the fruits.

Avocado demand has risen due to India's strong appetite for ready-to-eat healthy fruits. And that impact is being felt thousands of miles away on farms in the country's southern highlands where growers’ fortunes are changing.

Aloycia Mndeme, a farmer in the Njombe region who frequently loses avocados due to local market conditions, is hoping to seize the opportunity. “I don’t want this opportunity to slip away. It is my only chance to make money,” she told Anadolu Agency.

“I just can't wait to see a shipment of my fruits sold in India,” she said.

Mushobozi Baitani, a plant protection specialist with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), urged farmers to seize the opportunity to gain economic benefits.

“Pests and diseases have affected the quality of avocados produced in the country, but the situation has improved,” Baitani explained.

In 2018, Tanzania earned $8.5 million by exporting 7,551 tons of avocados to Europe and Asia through six companies.

Data from TAHA shows that avocado exports nearly quadrupled from 1,877 tons in 2014 to 9,000 tons in 2019, bringing in about $12 million to the country. - Kizito Makoye, Anadolu Agency