#uganda news reuters

[reasonsforhope]

Determined to use her skills to fight inequality, South African computer scientist Raesetje Sefala set to work to build algorithms flagging poverty hotspots - developing datasets she hopes will help target aid, new housing, or clinics.

From crop analysis to medical diagnostics, artificial intelligence (AI) is already used in essential tasks worldwide, but Sefala and a growing number of fellow African developers are pioneering it to tackle their continent's particular challenges.

Local knowledge is vital for designing AI-driven solutions that work, Sefala said.

"If you don't have people with diverse experiences doing the research, it's easy to interpret the data in ways that will marginalise others," the 26-year old said from her home in Johannesburg.

Africa is the world's youngest and fastest-growing continent, and tech experts say young, home-grown AI developers have a vital role to play in designing applications to address local problems.

"For Africa to get out of poverty, it will take innovation and this can be revolutionary, because it's Africans doing things for Africa on their own," said Cina Lawson, Togo's minister of digital economy and transformation.

"We need to use cutting-edge solutions to our problems, because you don't solve problems in 2022 using methods of 20 years ago," Lawson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a video interview from the West African country.

Digital rights groups warn about AI's use in surveillance and the risk of discrimination, but Sefala said it can also be used to "serve the people behind the data points". ...

'Delivering Health'

As COVID-19 spread around the world in early 2020, government officials in Togo realized urgent action was needed to support informal workers who account for about 80% of the country's workforce, Lawson said.

"If you decide that everybody stays home, it means that this particular person isn't going to eat that day, it's as simple as that," she said.

In 10 days, the government built a mobile payment platform - called Novissi - to distribute cash to the vulnerable.

The government paired up with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) think tank and the University of California, Berkeley, to build a poverty map of Togo using satellite imagery.

Using algorithms with the support of GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that uses AI to distribute cash transfers, the recipients earning less than $1.25 per day and living in the poorest districts were identified for a direct cash transfer.

"We texted them saying if you need financial help, please register," Lawson said, adding that beneficiaries' consent and data privacy had been prioritized.

The entire program reached 920,000 beneficiaries in need.

"Machine learning has the advantage of reaching so many people in a very short time and delivering help when people need it most," said Caroline Teti, a Kenya-based GiveDirectly director.

'Zero Representation'

Aiming to boost discussion about AI in Africa, computer scientists Benjamin Rosman and Ulrich Paquet co-founded the Deep Learning Indaba - a week-long gathering that started in South Africa - together with other colleagues in 2017.

"You used to get to the top AI conferences and there was zero representation from Africa, both in terms of papers and people, so we're all about finding cost effective ways to build a community," Paquet said in a video call.

In 2019, 27 smaller Indabas - called IndabaX - were rolled out across the continent, with some events hosting as many as 300 participants.

One of these offshoots was IndabaX Uganda, where founder Bruno Ssekiwere said participants shared information on using AI for social issues such as improving agriculture and treating malaria.

Another outcome from the South African Indaba was Masakhane - an organization that uses open-source, machine learning to translate African languages not typically found in online programs such as Google Translate.

On their site, the founders speak about the South African philosophy of "Ubuntu" - a term generally meaning "humanity" - as part of their organization's values.

"This philosophy calls for collaboration and participation and community," reads their site, a philosophy that Ssekiwere, Paquet, and Rosman said has now become the driving value for AI research in Africa.

Inclusion

Now that Sefala has built a dataset of South Africa's suburbs and townships, she plans to collaborate with domain experts and communities to refine it, deepen inequality research and improve the algorithms.

"Making datasets easily available opens the door for new mechanisms and techniques for policy-making around desegregation, housing, and access to economic opportunity," she said.

African AI leaders say building more complete datasets will also help tackle biases baked into algorithms.

"Imagine rolling out Novissi in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast ... then the algorithm will be trained with understanding poverty in West Africa," Lawson said.

"If there are ever ways to fight bias in tech, it's by increasing diverse datasets ... we need to contribute more," she said.

But contributing more will require increased funding for African projects and wider access to computer science education and technology in general, Sefala said.

Despite such obstacles, Lawson said "technology will be Africa's savior".

"Let's use what is cutting edge and apply it straight away or as a continent we will never get out of poverty," she said. "It's really as simple as that."

-via Good Good Good, February 16, 2022

[rapeculturerealities]

Uganda passes a law making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ | Reuters

Uganda's parliament passed a law on Tuesday making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ, handing authorities broad powers to target gay Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and mob violence.

More than 30 African countries, including Uganda, already ban same-sex relations. The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), according to rights group Human Rights Watch.

[beardedmrbean]

The former boyfriend of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who killed her by setting her on fire, has himself died from burns sustained in the attack, a Kenyan hospital official has said.

Dickson Ndiema ambushed the marathon runner as she returned home from church more than a week ago. He then doused her with petrol and set her ablaze.

Local administrators said the two had been in conflict over a small piece of land in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained.

Ndiema died on Monday night at the intensive care unit, where according to the hospital, he had been admitted with burns on more than 40% of his body.

"He developed respiratory failure as a result of the severe airway burns and sepsis that led to his eventual death on Monday evening at 18:30 hours [15:30 GMT] despite life-saving measures," a press release from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital said.

Cheptegei died last Thursday - four days after she was attacked. She suffered burns to more than 80% of her body.

I saw athlete on fire running towards me after attack, neighbour tells BBC

'Running for her family' - Olympian mourned after vicious attack

Neighbours said that on the day of the attack,they heard screams before Cheptegei came running towards them shouting for help.

Local media reported that Ndiema had sneaked into Cheptegei's home in western Kenya’s Trans Nzoia county with a five-litre jerry can full of petrol.

Some of the fuel he poured on Cheptegei splashed onto his own body, according to reports. As a result, Ndiema got caught in the fire after he set his former partner alight.

Ndiema was to face charges as police said they were treating Cheptegei's death as murder, with the former boyfriend named as the main suspect.

But now that Ndiema has died, the criminal case has been dropped and an inquest into the two deaths will be opened instead.

Both Ndiema and Cheptegei were admitted to Moi Hospital before their deaths.

Cheptegei's death shocked people across the world, with fellow Ugandans saying she was an inspiration to them.

The 33-year-old Olympian was the third female athlete to be killed in Kenya over the last three years. In each case, current or former romantic partners were named as the main suspects by police.

In 2021, world-record holder Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death and six months later Damaris Mutua was strangled.

"I don't wish bad things on anyone, but of course I would have loved for him to face the law as an example for others so that these attacks on women can stop," Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary-general of the Uganda Olympic Committee, told the Reuters news agency.

Some observers are saying that female athletes are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

"[This is] because they go against traditional gender norms where the woman is just in the kitchen and just cooking and taking care of kids. But now female athletes are becoming more independent, financially independent," Joan Chelimo, who co-founded Tirop’s Angels to help highlight the issue of violence against women.

Cheptegei was born on the Kenyan side of the Kenya-Uganda border, but chose to cross over and represent Uganda to chase her athletics dream when she did not get a breakthrough in Kenya.

When she first gotinto running, she joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces in 2008 and rose to sergeant rank.

Her career included competing in this year's Paris Olympics. Although she came 44th in the marathon, people in her home area called her "champion".

She also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

Cheptegei is set to be buried on Saturday at her ancestral home in Bukwo, Uganda.

Attacks on women have become a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.

"We don't want this to happen to any other woman, whether an athlete or from the village, or a young girl," Rachel Kamweru, a spokesperson the the government's department for gender and affirmative action, told the BBC.

[warningsine]

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/uganda-provided-support-m23-rebels-congo-un-report-says-2024-07-08/

PARIS, July 8 (Reuters) - The Ugandan army has provided support to the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Monday said, as escalating clashes there fuel fears of a new all-out conflict.

Uganda denied involvement, saying it is cooperating closely with the Congolese government forces. The U.N. has long accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which has repeatedly seized large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo, allegations Rwanda denied.

Congo has been riven by conflict for decades. Uganda and Rwanda invaded in 1996 and 1998 for what they said was defence against local militia groups. Uganda is still conducting joint operations with Congolese troops against a rebel Ugandan group.

The Tutsi-led M23 rebels have been waging a fresh insurgency in Congo's militia-plagued east since 2022.

Ugandan troops were part of a regional force deployed in November 2022 to monitor a ceasefire with the M23. Congolese authorities called for the force to withdraw last year, saying it was ineffective.

"Since the resurgence of the M23 crisis, Uganda has not prevented the presence of M23 and Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) troops on its territory or passage through it," the U.N. Security Council's Group of Experts said in the report, which was sent to the U.N. Security Council Sanctions Committee at the end of April and then to members of the Security Council in June.

The U.N. group also said it had obtained evidence confirming active support for M23 by officials from the military and military intelligence, with M23 leaders, including the sanctioned Sultani Makenga, travelling to Uganda for meetings.

Contacted by Reuters, deputy spokesman for Uganda's armed forces, Deo Akiiki, said such reports falsely accuse the east African country's army when its relationship with the Congolese forces (FARDC) is at its best.

"It would be mad for us to destabilise the same area we are sacrificing it all to have it stable," Akiiki said.

The U.N. report said some 3,000-4,000 Rwandan soldiers were fighting the Congolese army alongside the M23. The Rwandan army's "de facto control and direction over M23 operations also renders Rwanda liable for the actions of M23", the experts said.

In response, Rwanda said Congo was financing and fighting alongside a Hutu rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), that has attacked Tutsis in both countries.

"The DRC has all the power to deescalate the situation if they want to, but until then Rwanda will continue to defend itself," Rwanda government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Reuters.

[usafphantom2]

China releases new images of its next-generation aircraft carrier

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 04/01/2024 - 11:00 in Military

Chinese state media released new images of China's most advanced aircraft carrier to date, including next-generation launchpads that can catapult a wider range of aircraft from its deck.

First displayed to the public in June 2022, the Fujian was entirely designed and built in-house.

However, to carry out its first tests at sea, the aircraft carrier is larger and technologically more advanced than the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning, which China bought second hand from Ukraine in 1998 and remodeled internally.

On state television on Tuesday night, the Fujian was seen being towed by a smaller vessel with all three rails of its electromagnetic catapult system visible on its deck.

“In the new year, we will take advantage of every minute, work with determination and strive to be ready for combat as soon as possible,” state television said, citing a Fujian official.

Fujian has been conducting tests, including mooring tests, before the tests at sea, which some observers expected to take place until 2023. The aircraft carrier began the launch tests of its electromagnetic catapult system in November, according to the state-controlled Chinese newspaper, Global Times.

In addition to the Ford Class aircraft carriers, a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that is being developed for the U.S. Navy, the Fujian will be the only aircraft carrier in the world equipped with the latest Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). The new images also show a model of the Shenyang J-15 fighter on the back of the flight deck.

The Chinese version of EMALS can launch more types of aircraft than Shandong or Liaoning, and will also be more reliable and energy efficient, a milestone in the modernization of the Chinese armed forces.

President Xi Jinping repeatedly called for greater combat readiness and technological advances before the 100º anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (ELP) in 2027. Some senior U.S. military officials previously said that China would launch a military takeover of Taiwan during that year.

TAP ARROW BUTTON TO VIEW VIDEO ☝️

In the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections of January 13, Taiwan reported that China continued its daily military activities in the Taiwan Strait and around the democratically governed island.

Chinese fighters also occasionally crossed the midline of the strait, which previously served as an unofficial barrier, but which Beijing says it does not recognize.

Source: Reuters

Tags: Military AviationChinaFujianPLAN - People's Liberation Army Navy / People's Liberation Army Navyaircraft carrier

Sharing

tweet

Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

Related news

MILITARY

Indonesia plans to modernize its fleet of Su-30 and F-16 aircraft

04/01/2024 - 08:40

MILITARY

US and allies warn Houthis of "consequences" if attacks on ships continue

03/01/2024 - 23:58

AERONAUTICAL ACCIDENTS

Uganda loses one of its new Mi-28 helicopters in an accident

03/01/2024 - 18:20

MILITARY

Norway will send its F-16 fighters to Denmark to train Ukrainian pilots

03/01/2024 - 16:00

COMMERCIAL

Boeing announces full return of the 737 MAX to the Chinese skies

03/01/2024 - 10:00

MILITARY

Aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford will return from mission in defense of Israel

03/01/2024 - 08:27

[ausetkmt]

Reuters: Interpol issues arrest warrant for Angola's Isabel dos Santos, Lusa reports

LISBON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Global police agency Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for Angolan billionaire and daughter of the country's former president Isabel dos Santos, Portugal's Lusa news agency reported on Friday.

According to Lusa, citing an official document, the INTERPOL warrant was issued after Angola's public prosecutors requested the agency to "locate, arrest" and extradite dos Santos.

INTERPOL and the public prosecutors did not immediately reply to Reuters' requests for comment.

Lusa, citing the same document, said dos Santos, 49, was wanted for various crimes, including alleged embezzlement, fraud, influence peddling and money laundering.

She has faced corruption accusations for years, including allegations by Angola in 2020 that she and her husband had steered $1 billion in state funds to companies in which they held stakes during her father's presidency, including oil giant Sonangol.

She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Latest Updates

Political veteran returns to Sudan opposing plan for military exit

Buses set on fire in South Africa's Cape Town as taxi strike starts

Uganda to send 1,000 troops to Congo as part of regional force

New desalination plant points towards Morocco's drought response

World's longest-ruling leader holds vote to extend rule of tiny African state

According to Lusa, the arrest warrant mentions the businesswoman is often in Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Dos Santos' father, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, died in July this year and ruled Angola for almost four decades until 2017.

[head-post]

Global Alliance procures half a million mpox vaccines for Africa

A batch of 500,000 mpox vaccines has been purchased by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance for delivery to African countries this year, according to The Guardian.

Presumably, 10 million vaccines are needed to meet demand, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo received only 100,000 vaccines earlier this month. The new Clade 1b strain killed more than 700 people and infected about 22,000.

Neighbouring countries Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya also reported sporadic cases. Gavi’s head, Dr Sania Nishtar, stated:

We are committed to working with affected governments and our partners to turn these vaccines into vaccinations as quickly and effectively as possible and, over time, to build a global vaccine stockpile if sufficient funding is secured for Gavi’s work through 2030.

Gavi claimed it was the first time it had used the First Response Fund, set up in June to procure vaccines in public health emergencies. The alliance added that it would spend up to $50 million, shortly after the World Health Organisation declared mpox a public health emergency in mid-August.

Reuters reported that rich countries, such as Japan, the United States, and Canada, stockpiled millions of mpox vaccine doses. However, only a few pledged to help stop the outbreak in Africa.

Manufacturer Bavarian Nordic praised the deal, arguing that it would significantly increase the amount of vaccine available on the African continent.

Read more HERE

[matovugodfreymg]

*🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎*

*🌍 A҉F҉R҉I҉C҉A҉*

The *𝑼𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏* army 🇺🇬 has been providing support to the *M23* rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo #DRC 🇨🇩, as escalating clashes there fuel fears of a new all-out conflict, a United Nations report says.

The *U.N.* Security Council's Group of Experts say it has obtained evidence confirming active support for M23 by officials from the military and military intelligence, with #M23 leaders, including the sanctioned Sultani Makenga, travelling to #Uganda for meetings.

🇨🇩 *_Congo_* has been riven by conflict for decades. Uganda and #Rwanda invaded in 1996 and 1998 for what they said was defence against local militia groups. Uganda is still conducting joint operations with Congolese troops against a rebel Ugandan group.

🇺🇬 *_Ugandan_* troops were part of a regional force deployed in November 2022 to monitor a ceasefire with the M23. Congolese authorities called for the force to withdraw last year, saying it was ineffective.

"Since the resurgence of the M23 crisis, Uganda has not prevented the presence of M23 and Rwanda Defence Forces *(RDF)* troops on its territory or passage through it," the *U.N.* Security Council's Group of Experts said in the report.

🇺🇬*Uganda* has denied involvement, saying it is cooperating closely with the Congolese government forces.

The U.N. has long accused Rwanda of backing the *_M23_* , which has repeatedly seized large parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo, allegations Rwanda denied

*Source: @Reuters.* #𝑫𝑹𝑪 🇨🇩

*@𝑴𝒈* 💕🕊️

_*#A҉F҉R҉I҉C҉A҉_U҉N҉I҉T҉E҉D҉*_ 🌍

*𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓸𝓯𝓪𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓪.𝓸𝓻𝓰*

*🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎🝮︎︎︎︎︎︎︎*

[recentlyheardcom]

KAMPALA (Reuters) - A U.S. couple previously charged in Uganda with aggravated torture and child trafficking pleaded guilty on Tuesday to lesser charges and will now pay a range of fines of up to 105 million shillings ($28,000), according to a court ruling.Nicholas Spencer and his wife Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both in their early 30s and from South Carolina, were detained in December last year and initially charged with the graver offences against a 10-year-old boy they had fostered and were living with in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.The charge of aggravated child trafficking carries the death penalty in Uganda while aggravated child torture draws a maximum sentence of life in prison. Both defendants denied those charges.High Court Judge Alice Kyomuhangi said on Tuesday that as a result of a plea bargain with prosecutors, the defendants - who have lived in Uganda since 2017 and had been free on bail since March - agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges.Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer pleaded guilty to inflicting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for which she was sentenced to a fine of 3.36 million shillings or two years in prison. Nicholas Spencer admitted one count of child neglect for which he was fined 1.5 million shillings or six months in jail.David Mpanga, counsel for the couple, told Reuters they had opted to pay fines for both those charges.The couple also pleaded guilty to staying illegally in the east African country and working without permits. For this, they were sentenced to two months in prison But these were deducted from the time they served while on remand. Both were also ordered to compensate the child with 50 million shillings each."The child was in need of help and support, having lost his father and having been abandoned by his own mother. Unfortunately the accused persons failed to manage his peculiar behaviours," Kyomuhangi said while delivering her ruling.Mpanga told Reuters the boy had psychiatric problems, including aggressive and anti-social behaviour, and that the couple was trying to manage a difficult child but because they had no experience in parenting, "they perhaps went too far."($1 = 3,780.0000 Ugandan shillings)(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; editing by George Obulutsa and Mark Heinrich)

[hicginewsagency]

Uganda to announce oil refinery bid winner in November.

Ugandan Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu gestures during an Interview at the African Energy Week in Cape Town, South Africa, October 17, 2023. Courtesy photo Uganda expects to announce the winning bidder among four groups competing for a new 60,000 barrel per day (bpd) oil refinery next month, the country’s Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa told Reuters on…

[ailtrahq]

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has witnessed a burgeoning interest in digital currencies. According to a report, Nigeria’s recent spike in crypto usage can be attributed to economic conditions and the nation’s youth-driven technological resurgence. The implications of this growing trend can’t be understated, especially considering Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest economy. Nigerians are seeking viable alternatives for their financial activities, with the naira experiencing significant devaluation and inflation rates soaring. Crypto Transactions Surge Amid Naira Devaluation According to a New York-based blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis report, Nigeria’s cryptocurrency transactions swelled 9% year-over-year, reaching $56.7 billion between July 2022 and June 2023. Nigeria’s Crypto Adoption is up 9% year-over-year. | Source: Chainalysis This growth in digital asset adoption is similar in neighboring countries: Uganda saw its crypto usage skyrocket by 245% to $1.6 billion. In Kenya, the situation is different as the country experienced a sharp decline in crypto adoption, with its usage plummeting by over 50% to $8.4 billion, according to Reuters. This uptick in Nigeria’s crypto activity coincides with significant economic turbulence. Notably, the naira’s value dropped considerably in June and July 2023. Such financial instability has pushed many Nigerians towards Bitcoin and stablecoins. These digital tokens, especially stablecoins, have their value anchored to stable assets, offering a semblance of financial predictability amid the wild fluctuations common to the digital currency world. Presidential Reforms And Cryptocurrency Regulation According to Reuters, the naira’s dive to record lows can be traced back to a series of bold measures instituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Some of the most significant changes involved the removal of a widely used petrol subsidy and lifting of certain exchange rate constraints. Moyo Sodipo, co-founder of the Nigeria-based digital currency exchange Busha, elucidated the populace’s sentiment, stating: People are constantly looking for opportunities to hedge against the devaluation of the naira and the persistent economic decline since COVID. However, it’s worth noting that the Nigerian government’s relationship with cryptocurrencies has been tenuous. In 2021, the country’s government banned banks and financial institutions from processing or facilitating cryptocurrency transactions. The ban was imposed, citing concerns over money laundering, terrorism financing, cybercrime, and the volatility of cryptocurrencies. Yet, in a seeming change of heart, Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rolled out a series of regulations for digital assets in the subsequent year. Titled the “New Rules on Issuance, Offering Platforms and Custody of Digital Assets” on its official site, the rule is detailed in a 54-page regulation structure for digital asset launches and safekeeping. This guideline positions these assets under the purview of the SEC as securities. The commission has clearly stated that any exchange dealing in digital assets must first obtain a clearance of “no objection” from them to operate legally. Moreover, these exchanges have a registered fee of 30 million naira (equivalent to $72,289) and other associated charges. Reuters describes this decision as an attempt by Nigeria to strike a balance between a total crypto ban and its rampant use. The global crypto market cap value on the 1-day chart. Source: Crypto TOTAL Market Cap on TradingView.com Source

[hardynwa]

World Bank halts Uganda funding over anti-gay law

The World Bank has suspended new loans to Uganda following the country's enactment of a tough law against same-sex relations. President Yoweri Museveni signed the anti-LGBT law in May, which imposes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" and a 20-year jail term for "promoting" homosexuality. The World Bank said in a statement on Tuesday that the law "fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values”, noting that its vision "includes everyone irrespective of race, gender, or sexuality”. It said that “no new public financing to Uganda will be presented to our Board of Executive Directors” pending a review of the efficacy of new measures put up in the context of the new legislation. Uganda has dismissed the move as unjust and hypocritical. "There are many Middle East countries who do not tolerate homosexuals, they actually hang and execute homosexuals. In the US many states have passed laws that are either against or restrict activities of homosexuality… so why pick on Uganda?" Uganda’s state minister for foreign affairs Okello Oryem was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying. The World Bank had provided $5.4bn ($4.2bn) in development financing to Uganda by the end of 2022, mostly in health and education projects, Reuters reports. In June, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the release of $120m to Uganda but warned of tighter restrictions on financing over the anti-gay law. The World Bank joins the US in imposing sanctions against Uganda over the anti-homosexuality law. Read the full article

[nedsecondline]

World Bank says Uganda's anti-LGBTQ law violates its values | Reuters

The World Bank said on Tuesday it would halt new lending to the Ugandan government after concluding that its anti-LGBTQ law, which has been condemned by many countries and the United Nations, contradicts the bank’s values. Source: World Bank says Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law violates its values | Reuters

[cyberbenb]

Putin attempts to bribe African leaders with free grain after pulling out of grain deal

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin told African leaders at the Africa-Russia Summit on July 27 that Russia is ready to offer their countries free grain to replace Ukrainian grain exports that are now virtually blocked after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative earlier this month.

Russia is expecting a record grain harvest and “will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25-50,000 (metric tons) of free grain each in the next three to four months,” Putin told the summit, Reuters reports.

The Kremlin leader also promised free delivery to consumers and stressed that in 2022, Russia exported 60 million metric tons of grain, including 48 million metric tons of wheat.

Reacting to Putin’s proposal, Zimbwabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa said that he is grateful for the offer but his country is “not in any grain deficit at all,” Sky News reported.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that a “handful of donations to some countries” will not mitigate the fallout of the grain deal’s collapse.

Other leaders were more receptive to Putin’s offer. Uganda’s Foreign Minister Jeje Odongo reportedly said that Russia’s decision to withdraw from the deal was “understandable."

Sawadogo Mahamadi, the head of Burkina Faso’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, appreciated the offer of Russian grain, saying that “Africa needs these vital products today,” according to Sky News.

Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, effectively terminating the deal. The agreement, brokered in July 2022 by Turkey and the U.N., allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products through its Black Sea ports.

The move sparked fears of food insecurity worldwide as prices of grain products began to rise following the deal’s collapse.

According to Deputy Chairman of Ukraine’s National Bank Serhii Nikolaichuk, the country expects to lose $2 billion in profits from grain exports this year unless the grain deal is revived.

Nikolaichuk also said that it is unlikely that the initiative will be restarted before the war ends, Sky News reported. He stressed that alternative export corridors, such as the EU’s solidarity lanes, are now vital for Ukraine.

Putin sought to justify the decision to terminate the initiative in a letter published ahead of the summit. The dictator claimed that the deal only served to enrich Western businesses and that promises about facilitating Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports had not been met.

Ukraine’s grain exports are vital to the world’s food supply. Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was the fifth-largest wheat exporter globally. The grain deal had allowed for nearly 33 million metric tons of food to be exported through Ukrainian ports while it was in force, according the the U.N.

Prior to the deal’s collapse, the Kremlin said that Russia’s demands regarding logistics, insurance, and movement of money when paying for Russian products had not been addressed by the West.

The two-day Africa-Russia summit started in St. Petersburg on July 27. The Kremlin is looking to tighten economic cooperation with African countries amid deepening isolation from the West.

According to Russian officials, 49 out of 54 invited countries have confirmed participation. Only 17 of them will be represented by their heads of state, however. This is significantly less than during the inaugural Sochi summit in 2019, where 43 heads of state took part in the event.

Russia’s influence on Africa exaggerated, experts say

When Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, it received nearly universal condemnation for its aggression. Yet, while most Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, most African states were mute. Many African countries chose to remain silent on the war – and became a major destinat…

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Romandash

[iobnewsnetwork]

Ugandan President Signs Anti-Gay Law That Includes Death Penalty as a Punishment

Uganda’s president, Yoweri Museveni, has signed into law the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ+ bill, which allows the death penalty for homosexual acts. The move immediately drew condemnation from many Ugandans as well as widespread international outrage. The UK government said it was appalled by the “deeply discriminatory” bill, which it said will “damage Uganda’s international reputation”. US President Joe Biden decried the act as “shameful” and “tragic violation of universal human rights”. He said Washington was considering “sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses” – a suggestion that Ugandan officials may face repercussions. Early on Monday, the speaker of the Ugandan parliament, Anita Annet Among, released a statement on social media confirming Museveni had assented to the law first passed by MPs in March. It imposes the death penalty or life imprisonment for certain same-sex acts, up to 20 years in prison for “recruitment, promotion and funding” of same-sex “activities”, and anyone convicted of “attempted aggravated homosexuality” faces a 14-year sentence. Described by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, as “shocking and discriminatory”, the bill was passed by all but two of 389 MPs on 21 March. Museveni had 30 days to either sign the legislation into law, return it to parliament for revisions or veto it. He sent it back to MPs in April, with a request for reconsideration. The bill would have still become law without the president’s assent if he returned it a second time. Among tweeted on Monday morning: “The president … has assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Act. As the parliament of Uganda, we have answered the cries of our people. We have legislated to protect the sanctity of family.

Uganda’s speaker, Anita Annet Among, addresses MPs as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill was passed. She urged the courts to begin enforcing the law immediately. Photograph: Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters “We have stood strong to defend our culture and aspirations of our people,” she said, thanking Museveni for his “steadfast action in the interest of Uganda”. The speaker said MPs had withstood pressure from “bullies and doomsday conspiracy theorists” and called for courts to begin enforcing the new laws. Martin Ssempa, one of the main backers of the bill, presented it as a victory against the US and Europe and suggested Uganda needed to push back against groups working to tackle HIV. He said: “The president has shown great courage to defy bullying of the Americans and Europeans. That bullying we shall not give you money. They intimidate and threaten you.” In a joint statement, the heads of the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, UN Aids and the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) reacted with “deep concern” and said progress on tackling Aids and HIV was “now in grave jeopardy”. “The stigma and discrimination associated with the passage of the act has already led to reduced access to prevention as well as treatment services. Trust, confidentiality and stigma-free engagement are essential for anyone seeking health care,” said the statement. “LGBTQI+ people in Uganda increasingly fear for their safety and security, and people are being discouraged from seeking vital health services for fear of attack, punishment and further marginalization,” added the statement, signed by Peter Sands, Winnie Byanyima and John Nkengasong. There has been strong condemnation of Museveni. A statement from the UN read: “We are appalled that the draconian and discriminatory anti-gay bill is now law. It is a recipe for systematic violations of the rights of LGBT people and the wider population. It conflicts with the constitution and international treaties and requires urgent judicial review.” Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, Africa deputy director for Human Rights Watch, said: “Museveni’s signing of the anti-homosexuality bill is a serious blow to the right to freedom of expression and association in Uganda, where instead of being restricted they ought to be strengthened. “The law is discriminatory and is a step in the wrong direction for the protection of human rights for all people in the region.” A 2014 anti-gay bill also prompted widespread international criticism and was later nullified by Uganda’s constitutional court on procedural grounds. “President Museveni’s decision to sign the anti-homosexuality act 2023 into law is deeply concerning,” said Steven Kabuye, a human rights activist in Kampala. “This act violates basic human rights and sets a dangerous precedent for discrimination and persecution against the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda. “As we have seen in the past, such laws can lead to increased violence, harassment and marginalisation of already vulnerable groups. It is important that we stand together in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in Uganda and around the world and fight against bigotry and hate.” In February alone, 110 LGBTQ+ people in Uganda reported incidents including arrests, sexual violence, evictions and being forcibly stripped in public to the advocacy group Sexual Minorities Uganda (Smug). Transgender people were disproportionately affected, said the group. “It is wishful thinking to assume a piece of bogus legislation will erase the existence of LGBTQI+ persons in Uganda!” tweeted Sarah Kasande, a Kampala-based lawyer and human rights activist.

Ugandan president calls on Africa to ‘save the world from homosexuality’ Read more “Queers are Ugandans, they belong to Uganda. No stupid law will ever change that!” Edna Ninsiima, an editor and social critic, said: “We should all be concerned that our collective homophobia as a country has, once again, culminated in the state signing a permission slip for hate and dehumanization.” On 17 April, a court in the eastern town of Jinja denied bail to six people working for healthcare organizations who had been charged with “forming part of a criminal sexual network”. Ugandan police confirmed that it conducted forced anal examinations on the six and tested them for HIV. Museveni claimed in March that his government was attempting to resist western efforts to “normalize” what he called “deviations”. “The western countries should stop wasting the time of humanity by trying to impose their practices on other people,” he said. Activists plan to petition the court to nullify the discriminatory legislation, “Of course, we are going to march to court and contest this draconian law in every way possible,” said Kabuye. The free press is under attack from multiple forces. Media outlets are closing their doors, victims to a broken business model. In much of the world, journalism is morphing into propaganda, as governments dictate what can and can’t be printed. In the last year alone, hundreds of reporters have been killed or imprisoned for doing their jobs. The UN reports that 85% of the world’s population experienced a decline in press freedom in their country in recent years. As you join us today from India we hope you will consider supporting us in our efforts to do something about this. Despite the financial challenges plaguing the media industry, we’ve decided to keep our journalism paywall-free, because we believe everyone has the right to high-quality, fact-checked reporting. And we maintain our independence thanks to generosity from readers all over the world, who understand that supporting the free press is an investment in an informed and empowered public. Unlike many others, we have no billionaire owner – this helps us maintain the freedom to fearlessly chase the truth and report it with integrity. Your support will allow us to continue to work with trademark determination and passion to bring you journalism that’s always free from commercial or political interference. Help power the IOB News Network's reporting for the years to come, whether with a small sum or a larger one Read the full article

[mycelebrityandi]

Ugandan lawmakers have passed a law that prescribes a punishment of up to 10 years in prison for identifying as LGBTQ+, among other things. The new legislation constitutes a further crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in a country where same-sex relations are already illegal. It targets an array of activities, including banning promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality. Reuters reported that opposition lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa introduced the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023 to parliament, saying that the bill aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, religious and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country.” Basalirwa said on Tuesday, March 21; “The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex.” Lawmaker Fox Odoi-Oywelowo however spoke out against the bill, saying that it “contravenes established international and regional human rights standards” as it “unfairly limits the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ persons.” #uganda #lgbtq #mycelebrityandi #law https://www.instagram.com/p/CqFtmF7IR4v/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=