The US State Department approved a potential $2 billion sale of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft and related equipment to France

The US State Department approved a potential $2 billion sale of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft and related equipment to France, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release on Monday.
"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of France of three (3) E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2 billion", the release said.
Notice of a pending arms sale and notification of Congress, also announced in the release, is required before an arms sale can be concluded.
DSCA said the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping France meet current and future threats by maintaining interoperability with US naval forces. France operates earlier versions of the E-2C and will have no problem absorbing the upgraded versions of the aircraft, the release read.
Hawkeye manufacturer Northrop Grumman describes the aircraft as the 'digital quarterback' that leads and manages an attack, protecting carrier battle groups, according to a company website.

Two private universities closed in Rwanda.

The Rwandan authorities have declared the closure of two private universities on Sunday. They join the other ten sanctioned for non-compliance with the requirements of the quality of education.
The closure was closed on Sunday by the Minister of Higher Education. It concerns two private universities that would not have met the quality requirements laid down by the government. "These universities had temporary licensing, but did not meet the requirements for them to be certified", Valentine Uwamariya said on national television.
These are the of College of Education (ICE) and the Christian University of Rwanda (CHUR) whose sponsor Pierre-Damien Habumuremyi, former Prime Minister (2011-2014) was placed behind bars by Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) ).
The Rwandan investigation office is indeed accused of Mr. Habumuremyi of abuse of trust and blames him for having issued non-reserve checks worth more than 100 million CFA francs, or more than 62 million CFA francs (around 9 500 euros) between 2018 and 2019 while he was rector and owner of the University.
similar treatment for many other sponsors and officials of private universities in Rwanda. Among them, Professor Aegis Karuranga, Vice-President of the University of Kibungo (UNIK), recently closed, in the eastern province. He was detained for "poor use of university funds and nepotism" after the university closed last week.
These higher education institutions have just made the costs of an 2017 quality of education review. Operation that has already sanctioned a dozen schools including Mahatma Gandhi University in Kigali.
As for students, "It is up to closed universities to help their students sign up in other schools", says Ms. Uwamariya.

Civil society in (mahagi)DRC not happy at the popularity of Ugandan currency.They are calling the society to stop using Ugandan money.

After the observed rise in the Ugandan Shilling rate on the market in Mahagi territory located more than 180km north of Bunia, local civil society is calling for an end to the use of this foreign currency on Congolese soil.
According to Anican Tengo of this civic structure, the instability of the Shilling by money changers who have set fanciful rates for two months has negatively impacted the prices of essential goods in this country.
"The money changers set the rate at 60,000 FC per 100,000 Ugandan Shillings, which is exorbitant," notes this actor from civil society.
For him, the authorities must be able to suspend the circulation of this Ugandan currency on Congolese soil.
"We ask the authorities to intervene so that the money changers can go and settle at the border and wait until the passengers who go to Uganda can buy the Shillings there and those who return to the Congo can change the Shillings with the Congolese Francs "explains Mr. Tengo .
In Mahagi and many other localities along the Ugandan-Congolese border, foreign currency is used for market transactions.
Congolese Francs are completely ignored, since the DRC produces almost nothing to sell to Ugandans.
All the manufactured products consumed on the spot come from Uganda and the sellers demand from the Congolese buyers the Shillings, which causes the Congolese currency to lose all value.

The security situation in ituri is worrying and needs immediate solution

The security situation in Ituri remains very worrying. Investigative reports for the last 6 months shows an upsurge trend in attrocities committed by various groups that led to insecurities and displacement of local people.
On Monday July 6, 2020, a group of young people in Bunia, identifying with "social actors" organized a peaceful march. A memorandum has been filed with the Ituri provincial government and the UN mission, containing a series of recommendations.
"To the central government, to establish an advanced headquarters in Djugu and Mahagi, to reinforce the army in manpower and adequate equipment in the face of symmetrical warfare, to dispatch the ministers of defense and of humanitarian actions in order to assess situation and find a final solution, ”wrote Gloire Abasi, their leader.

"At Monusco, to extend their military base throughout Djugu and Mahagi, to properly ensure the protection of civilians against the assailants, to support the government in the process of precanting the militiamen".
Beyond an implication of the international community and the Congolese state to guarantee the peace and security of the Iturian population, an appeal is also launched to young people, the population as well as the provincial government.
The Ituri population is thus called to "refrain from attempting to create ethnic groups for self-defense (...). The youth must collaborate with the defense forces by denouncing any suspicious movement and anyone who wants to compromise the peace and tranquility of the population ”.
In their memo, these young people indicate that Djugu, Irumu, Mahagi and Mambasa remain insecure who did not say his name. Multiple armed groups are reported, at the root of the extreme atrocities. Situation which must "cease definitively".

ADF attacked Batongo on Sunday July 05,2020

The locality of Batongo in the chiefdom of Banyali Tchabi in Irumu territory was the target of a new incursion by the Ugandan rebels of the ADF on
Sunday, July 05, 2020 at around 10 p.m. local time.
According to Babanileo Tchabi Étienne, head of this area who delivered information ,shops were looted of their goods, including bags of rice and other consumer products.
The ADF also abducted some people found there to transport their spoils of war, but their number is not yet known.
After their attrocities,the rebels then withdrew into the forest, leaving behind a chaos and fear among the local population.
This is the third attack in the area by these Ugandan Islamists active in Beni in neighboring North Kivu, the latest of which occurred on June 20 in Vukaka village, killing 10 civilians.

The Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights presented a report that condemns ADF attrocities in DRC

In a report released on June 6, the Joint United Nations Office for Human Rights (BCNUDH) has returned to the atrocities that are being committed by ADF
rebels.A summary of  executions, physical integrity are mainly perpetrated using machetes, axes, knives and using AK-47 type guns, mortars and rocket launcher in Beni territory and part of Ituri province.
Attacks that have often taken the form of reprisals and incursions into villages that the ADF fighters have sometimes looted and burned in reprisals against FARDC military operations.
In this report, which identifies human rights violations from January 2019 to January 2020, the BCNUDH notes that, under international law, " these violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations committed by ADF fighters could, by their nature and magnitude, be crimes against humanity and war crimes ".
" In most cases, the means and mode of attacks clearly state the intention of leaving no survivors. Whole families have been completed with machete ", can read in the report.
According to the investigations, from January 1, 2019 to June 2020, 30, 1066 civilians were killed, 176 injured and 717 others abducted by ADF fighters in the provinces from North Kivu and Ituri. During the same period, 59 children were recruited; and one school, seven health centres and dozens of houses of civilians were attacked and looted. The violence caused massive population movements between September 2019 and June 2020.

President Tshisekede's team is in ITURI to compel CODECO rebels to stop killings and opt for peace

At the initiative of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, a delegation of former warlords recently released from prison arrived on Friday July 3, 2020 in Bunia to "preach peace" to CODECO attackers active in the territory of Djugu.
Part of the team are, Floribert Ndjabu, former head of the Lendu militia called "Front des nationalistes integrationistes, FNI" during the interethnic war between 1999 and 2003, Brigadier General Germain Katanga, ex leader of the FRPI militia having sentenced to 12 years in prison by the ICC, Pitchou Iribi Mbodina, former FRPI, Brigadier General Godas Emery, former rebel integrated into the Congolese army, Colonel Matthieu Ngudjolo, also former FNI, Jeannot Malivo Kagaba, an expert and other FARDC officers.
"We are envoys, messengers of the President of the Republic, as expert negotiators. We come to discuss, to negotiate with the armed groups so that there is peace in Ituri ", Floribert Ndjabu told the press when he got off the plane at Bunia airport.
Led by General FARDC Buamwanda Ntumba Franck, the team, made up of 13 people, arrived on an aircraft chartered by the President of the Republic.
How can ex-warlords become experts in negotiating peace?
This is the question that many have always asked themselves regarding this approach by Félix Tshisekedi.
However, the idea seems well thought out knowing the context of Ituri.
CODECO's current militiamen, the majority of whom are from the Lendu ethnic group, have been former combatants in the FNI rebel movement led by Floribert Ndjabu and Matthieu Ngudjolo.
These two personalities have a great influence on the current attackers who have mourned the territories of Djugu, Mahagi and Irumu for three years.
On the other hand, the presence in this mission of Germain Katanga and Pitchou Iribi, former leaders of the FRPI militia who agreed to lay down their arms and engage in a peace process with the Congolese government, can help to share their experience with CODECO to convince them to stop hostilities.
So far nothing has been filtered on the continuation of this mission which should last 10 days according to sources however our team I going to keep an eye on the mission.Lets all pray that ituri gets lasting peace...and let us thank the DRC authorities,MONUSCO and FARDC for listening and taking our leaks about the situation in ITURI into consideration.