Police launches security sweeps in mogadishu

 Police in Mogadishu launched major security sweeps across districts and outskirts on Wednesday, intensifying operations against Al-Shabaab militants. Authorities are cracking down amid rising efforts to boost security in the capital. Somalia.

From Kinshasha to Kampala and then to Bujumbura...what is Tshisekedi calculating at this time?

 The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, arrived in Entebbe, Uganda, on Wednesday for a working visit of a few hours with his counterpart, President Yoweri Museveni.

Welcomed at the airport by the Ugandan Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, Jacob Oboth-Oboth, President Tshisekedi went to State House Entebbe where he was received by his host.

The two heads of state immediately began a one-on-one meeting focused on security in Eastern DRC.

The discussions are expected to address joint military operations between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

The two principals are also anticipated to brainstorm on the M23 rebellion which has left a trail of destruction in North Kivu.

Also possible on the agenda is the joint plans by DRC and Uganda to build roads in North Kivu to boost regional trade and security.

The infrastructure projects have been affected by insecurity in the area.

This meeting comes two weeks after a gathering in Kinshasa between senior military officials from both countries to assess the effectiveness of operations against armed groups in the region.

The Congolese Minister of Infrastructure, Alexis Gisaro, as well as the Chief of Staff of the FARDC and other members of the presidential cabinet are accompanying the Congolese head of state during this mission in Uganda.

To Bujumbura:

From Kampala,President Félix Tshisekedi arrived this Wednesday in Bujumbura, Burundi, to take part in the 23rd summit of Heads of State and Government of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) which took place opens this Thursday October 31, 2024.

FARDC's commander of the 137th regiment reportedly defected to M23

Colonel Gilbert ekombe the commander of the 137th regiment based luberiki grouping  in walikale defected with his troops and joined the M23.These rebels are reportedly eyeing the city of kisangani.

Can the gorvement of Rwanda incarcerate a civilian because of tweets?

 There is rumour that a certain Francis Mushinzimana has been missing for nearly a fortnight,none knows his where about.There are claims that state security agents may have arrested him because of his tweets that apparently unveil some wrongs on government policies .His latest tweet was on the ownership of the Presidential jet that may have finally cemented the long awaited need for his arrest.Many claim that he is blamed for siding with Wazalendo,trying to blame Rwanda's relationship with neighbours,supporting FDLR and supporting Ingabire Victoire among others.Below are some of the tweets he did over time that may have landed him in trouble!

M23 captures a new significant entry point in Walikale

 Intense clashes broke out this Sunday, October 20, between the M23 rebels and the Wazalendo resistance fighters in the town of Kalembe, located between the territories of Masisi and Walikale. This attack was marked by an advance of M23 elements, who, for the first time according to our sources, managed to occupy part of the territory of Walikale, a sector hitherto spared by their military advance.

This is the very first entity in the Walikale territory (North Kivu) to be conquered by the rebels since the start of the conflict at the end of 2021.

According to intelligence Sources we gathered from Saturday  evening and on site reports say that the hostilities were launched around 4am this Sunday by a group of rebels, who allegedly came from Kashuga, and who allegedly set fire to a Wazalendo position of the NDC-Renové and APCLS group.

The news is corroborated by MP Willy Mishiki, elected member from Walikale. The latter fears the rebels' breakthrough towards the neighboring provinces of Tshopo, South Kivu and Maniema.

" The war in the East has just taken a decisive turn today with the fall of the town of Kalembe this Sunday at 9am. It is the first village reached by the aggressors and their puppets in the territory of Walikale, the last barrier to reach the provinces of Tshopo, South Kivu and Maniema with a conflagration effect towards other provinces of the country. Kalembe is a very strategic town, providing access to Lubero and Rutshuru and Tshopo via the Oninga grouping ," warns the national deputy.

The Wazalendo, deprived of weapons, retreated to the hills overlooking the locality, said the same source, which called on the National Assembly to urgently look into the matter.

The Walikale territory is now the 5th in North Kivu to be affected by the conflict after Rutshuru, Masisi, Lubero and Nyiragongo, despite the state of siege declared in early May 2021.

Furthermore, the territory of Beni, towards the north, remains the scene of terrorist attacks maintained by the ADF. Only the cities of Goma, Butembo and Beni, equally threatened by urban crime, still remain symbolic of the authorities of the state of siege.

On the ground, the Congolese army is still observing a ceasefire decreed by the Luanda peace process since August 4.

" This abandonment of the ex-Wazalendo risks complicating the situation on the ground while our government is distracted by the ceasefire in Luanda while our enemies are recovering areas and the FARDC are no longer fighting ," fears Willy Mishiki.

On Saturday, October 12, during the 5th ministerial meeting in Luanda, Congolese and Rwandan delegates agreed to work on a harmonized plan to neutralize the FDLR rebels as well as the lifting of Rwandan defense measures, without clearly mentioning the start of hostilities against the M23.

While the Congolese government, through Judith Suminwa, relayed that in Luanda, Kigali had agreed to withdraw its 4,000 soldiers present on Congolese soil, Olivier Nduhungirehe, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, denied this, continuing to deny the presence of soldiers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The fighting, which began in the morning, involved several surrounding villages, including Bwito, Ibuga-Kashuga, Kitunda and Ihula, with Kalembe as the main scene of clashes. Around 10 a.m., our Intelligence sources confirmed the occupation of Kalonge, part of Kalembe, by M23 forces. The latter came from Kashuga and launched attacks on these different fronts,with claims of reinforcements in men and combat equipment from Rwanda. These clashes were accompanied by a human toll marked by injuries among civilians: two young boys were were hit by stray bullets during the exchanges of fire. Many civilians took refuge in health facilities, others holed up in their homes, while some fled into the bush to escape the fighting. The occupation of Kalembe by the M23, an entry point into the territory of Walikale, is an unprecedented fact. This reveals not only the geographical extension of the zone of influence of this rebel group, but also the growing fragility of the region in the face of armed violence.

Two ADF commanders killed!UPDF and FARDC praised by civil society as they hold new operations in Lubero

 

The  military operations currently being carried out in the Bapere sector, Lubero territory (North Kivu) by the FARDC-UPDF coalition meet the expectations of the population.

" We are beginning to understand that there is a good work of the joint FARDC-UPDF military operations in the Bapere sector, because there is a significant advance in the restoration of state authority and peace in the area ," said the president of the civil society of Bapere, Samuel Kagheni.

On Friday two ADF commandos were killed,these commandos by names of  Mzee Mussa and Djaffar who used to be called Muhadari, were the brains of this terrorist group that often spoke to the Congolese.

These ADF commanders were among those responsible for identifying information and indicating where the attacks were to be carried out by this group that has been fighting for a long time with the cooperation of FARDC and UPDF.

He said, “The cooperation of FARDC and UPDF are in the area of ​​Bapere Sector. They continued to put pressure on the enemy, there were fights, we will defeat them. Today we are happy, we have pictures and proof that both of them were killed."

Colonel Mak Hazukay said that these military operations continue to be intensified especially in the areas threatened by this ADF unit.

According to him, all that remains is to carry out a sweep to completely neutralize the enemy and put an end to the massacres in the region. 

However, he calls on this coalition to make much more effort to neutralize the ADF rebellion and the population to collaborate with its army for a return to peace as soon as possible:

"We call on the FARDC and UPDF soldiers to make even more efforts and neutralize this enemy of peace. And on the population to be vigilant. We must pool our forces so that peace returns to the Bapere sector."

It was in June that attacks by ADF rebels began in the Bapere sector, causing several deaths and displacement of the population.

An Alshabaab affiliated radio releases an audio featuring the final will and testimony of the Jordanians who carried out an attack in Israel settlements

 An audio recording has been released by Alfurqan radio station in Somalia which is affiliated(Alshabaab), featuring the final will and testimony of the two Jordanian fighters who carried out a "martyrdom operation" (Istishhadi) in Israeli settlements near the Jordanian border yesterday.

Ex IGP and Bamporiki Edward pardoned !

 

The Cabinet meeting that met on Thursday, October 18, 2024, approved the President and the Minister, granting pardons to those who are members of positions in the National High Institutions.

Article 3 of the Resolutions of this Cabinet, states: "The Cabinet approved the President's Order granting amnesty to 32 people convicted by the Courts, and the Minister's Order approving parole for 2,017 people sentenced and Courts.”

This presidential decree granting amnesty, published in the State Gazette on Thursday, October 18, 2024, also lists the inmates who were granted amnesty including Bamporiki Edouard and CG (Rtd) Emmanuel Gasana.

This former Secretary of State in the former Ministry of Youth and Culture, was convicted of taking advantage of another person's property by fraud and using the authority given to him by law for his own benefit.

This is after he was accused of embezzling 10 million Frw from investor Gatera Norbert for his business activities in the Romantic Garden investment.

Bamporiki Edouard was about to complete two years in prison, because in January 2023 he was sentenced by the High Court to five years in prison and a fine of 30 million Frw, where this sentence had resulted from his appeal after in September 2022 the High Court of Nyarugenge had sentenced you to four years in prison and a fine of 60 million Frw.

This former Secretary of State in the former Ministry of Youth and Culture, was convicted of taking advantage of another person's property by fraud and using the authority given to him by law for his own benefit.

This is after he was accused of embezzling 10 million Frw from investor Gatera Norbert for his business activities in the Romantic Garden investment.

He was found guilty of using the power given to him by the law for his own benefit, based on the fact that he directed the project of irrigation in his activities which were for the public interest.

Alshabaab releases photos and videos of Wednesday's ambush

The Alshabaab have released aftermath of Wednesday's ambush near Gerille, Eldhere district, Galgadud region. Alshabaab claims that atleast 36 SNA soldiers were killed in the attack, with weapons and ammunition seized.

Ex minister becomes the ambassador to Luxemburg