Uganda offers to host Sexual Gender Based Violence regional training facility

BY UGAMEDIA

Uganda has offered to host the Great Lakes regional training centre that will impart skills to handle sexual violence cases, which initiative is part of the region’s efforts to scale-down sexual and gender based violence.

Under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), 11 African countries agreed to establish a research and documentation centre to enhance collection of gender disaggregated data on gender-based violence but also train and sensitize judicial officers, police units, social workers, medical officers and other categories of persons who handle sexual and gender based violence in the Great Lakes.

The ministers of gender at their high-level consultation meeting on sexual and gender-based violence in Arusha recommended that the training centre be part of the Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre for democracy, good governance, human rights and civic education base in Zambia.

However, Uganda and other countries argue that juxtaposing the training centre with the Levy Mwanawasa think tank would require amendment of the pact on security, stability and development yet no country has expressed to amend the pact.

“The Levy Mwanawasa Regional Center is responsible for Democracy, good governance, human rights and civic education. These functions are numerous and including the special regional facility on SGBV will overburden the centre. Besides the, the issues of SGBV may not be given adequate attention,” said Syda Bbumba, Uganda’s Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development during the ICGLR inter-ministerial meeting.

Uganda agued that to put the Special Regional facility under the Levy Mwanawasa Centre requires amending the pact on security, stability and development in the Great Lakes region, Article 34 on amendments and revision which requires a member state to propose an amendment in writing, six months.

|”In this particular case, Uganda is not aware of any country that has expressed interest to amend the pact in this direction,” Minister Bbumba said. “The Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre is responsible for civic education, think tank, observatories and research, which strains it further in addition to other responsibilities,” she added.

Uganda observed at the meeting that as the deliberation of the special session on SGBV have pointed out, the vice poses threat on the security and development of the Great Lakes region, it is therefore important that all actors who are addressing these issues should be equipped with skills on how to prevent, end impunity and provide support to SGBV survivors.

Uganda also proposed to fast tracking the establishment of the regional training facility to address the problem. Uganda also said that the facility should enhance equitable sharing of the ICGLR centres citing the Documentation centre in DRC, ICGLR Secretariat in Burundi, Forum for Parliamentarians in Sudan and Levy Mwanawasa Centre in Zambia.

“Uganda, therefore requests the ICGLR member states for support to host this centre,” the Minister added. Sexual violence against women has been one of the main features of conflicts in the Great Lakes region, which has been used as a weapon by all sides of the conflicts: rebels groups and national armies.

It is difficult to find reliable statistics on the number of women who have been raped and sexually assaulted but crude estimates by different NGOs indicate that about 250,000 women were raped during the war and genocide in Rwanda.

No official statistics exist for Burundi and the DRC although some UN agencies and local human rights organizations working in eastern DRC estimate that between 40,000 to 60,000 women were raped between 1996 and 2002.

The massive rape cases have risen very serious public heal issues. For instance, a high number of rape victims are infected with HIV/Aids. According to Human Rights Watch 4.6 percent of combatants involved in the war in the eastern part of DRC, are HIV-positive, which means that there is a high risk of infection.

Ambassador Liberata Mulamula as she moves out

Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, the Executive Secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region winds up her five-year term of office at the end of the organization summit on December 16 this year (2011).

In this post, Mulamula was charged with the responsibility of establishing and making the secretariat operational. She also coordinated activities of the ICGLR, which includes ensuring implementation of the region’s Peace, Security and Development accord; which seeks to build durable peace and stability in the region.

UGAMEDIA talked to Mulamula also commonly referred to as ‘Mama Great Lakes’ about her trials and tribulations while overseeing the Great Lakes region.

Qn: How have been you tenure?

Ans: It has been most challenging. I had to establish the organization from scratch and I have seen it grow within its mandate of establishing peace and stability. The region was very insecure five years ago. For instance there was rebellion in Burundi but today they are able to hold elections. In Dr Congo, the problem of Laurent Nkunda (Congolese rebel leader) has been settled. Generally, the guns in DRC have gone silent. This has given me a lot of satisfaction.

Secondly, in a period of only two years about nine countries have held elections, which required us to deploy observers. Overall, convening power of this Conference (ICGLR) has given me pride because it brings all civil society groups, the donor community and governments together.

Qn: Are the resolutions you make binding. What should be done to enforce them?

Ans: First of all I should clarify that we have legally binding resolutions since we operate under a pact (legal regime). The issue of implementation is what is still lacking. Although the Heads of State tend to agree on a set of things during the summit, they deviate from the common regional position back at home because according to their priorities. The ownership of implementation is still lacking. The other issue is lack of the institutional capacity to implement those resolutions. Again, lack of political will and limited resources frustrate our efforts.

Qn: We sense there is duplication of roles by different international and regional agencies like you (ICGLR), IGAD, EAC, AU and others; are there efforts to harmonize them?

Ans: our mandate as ICGLR is peace and stability to enable economic communities grow. Usually, however, our roles are complementary although that is not what the public see. There is no duplication as such but what happens is organizations making competing decisions, which is where we find problems. Fortunately, we have signed Memorandum of Understandings with other regional organizations.

Qn: What has been your personal relationship with the Heads of State?

Ans: It has been very cordial. As I leave office I can say I have met all the Heads of State in the 11 member states and they have all been very good to me. Their doors were always open for me. Even re carpets were laid for me.

QN: How have you managed all of this with your family?

Ans: It is a balancing act as a mother and wife I have responsibilities. There is also so much sacrifice. You have no life of your own. By now I should be planning a birthday party for my son but I am here. There is a lot of understanding from my two children and my husband.

But my father modeled us in this way. In terms of leadership, he said, you have to be respected but live to your commitments and integrity.

Who is Ambassador Liberata Mulamula

Ambassador Mulamula joined the Foreign Service in 1981 as Third Secretary in the Legal and Multi Lateral Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Her early experience in Foreign Service included participation in all meetings of the United Nations General Assembly in New York as a delegate from Tanzania held annually from September to December. She was then posted to the country’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York as the Ambassador’s Advisor in Political affairs and Decolonization issues.

She worked there in different capacities from 1985-1992. For three years (1989-1992), she was also a member of the UN/OAU Expert Group on the Denuclearization of Africa leading to the Treaty of Pelindaba.

From 1992-1994, Ambassador Mulamula participated in the Rwandese peace talks in Arusha Tanzania as part of the Facilitators team; attended UNITAR training workshop on conflict resolution and management, Vienna, Austria, 1996; and was appointed Special Assistant to the Permanent Secretary of the Tanzania Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1996-1999.

In that capacity she attended bilateral, regional and multilateral meetings, including successive UN General Assembly sessions, SADC and EAC Summits, Great Lakes Region peace initiatives and others. During the same period she was also a part-time lecturer on the “Art of Negotiations” at the Centre for Foreign Relations, Dar-el-Salaam.

She also served at the Tanzania High Commission to Canada as Minister Plenipotentiary and Head of Chancery from 2002 to 2003 when she returned home after being appointed Ambassador and Director of Multilateral Cooperation; the post she held up to the year 2006.

At the same time Ambassador Mulamula served as Tanzania’s National Coordinator at the International Conference on the Great Lakes. In recognition of her abilities, she was in December 2006 she was appointed by the Great Lakes Summit in Nairobi the first Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

In this post, she was charged with the responsibility of establishing and making the secretariat operational. She also coordinates the activities of the ICGLR, which includes ensuring implementation of the region’s Peace, Security and Development accord; which seeks to build durable peace and stability in the region.

Great Lakes Region to write own human rights story

By UGAMEDIA 

In what may widely be seen as a signal to the western world that Africa is taking charge of its own affairs a group of 11 Great Lakes countries have agreed to redefine research standards for human rights abuses.

Under the umbrella organization, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), member states including Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, Sudan, DRC, Central African Republic and Zambia have started a home-grown human rights initiative that gives priority to evidence-based research and root causes of human rights abuses.

The new governance project to be undertaken by an ICGLR think-tank is likely to water down misrepresentations about Africa as portrayed by the outside and their allied media.

The Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre for Democracy and Good Governance think-tank, which has started collecting data in Zambia and DR Congo will fully roll out its operations in the other Great Lakes region member states next year to try and present the true picture of Africa’s story on human rights violations.

“Ours won’t be armchair research based on media reports. We are interested in credible analysis and evidence-based reports. This implies that we shall be on the ground to establish a realistic picture rather than depend on media reports,” said Frank Okuthe, the think-tank Executive Director during the ICGLR special session on sexual gender based violence in Kampala, Uganda from December 11 to 16.

The think-tank was named after the late President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia died during his term as the chairperson of the ICGLR. The regional centre is poised to provide a strong foundation to the ICGLR’s programme of action on the promotion of good governance and democracy.

It appears the ICGLR has decided to take this latest approach after having been unfairly criticized on its human rights record which have recently culminated in the indictment of African politicians.

However, the decision by the Great Lakes region to have its way in redefining the context of human rights could pit Africa against the outside world most likely will place the two on a rugged path.

According to Mr Okuthe, the think-tank’s findings will help redesign governance policies in the region after adoption by partner States. “Since the data will be generated by ourselves (Africans) we hope our leaders will listen and buy our recommendations,” said Okuthe.

However, what remains unclear is how those Great Lakes regional leaders whose administrations ignite state-sponsored human rights violations will be made to account since those to conduct the investigations are under their jurisdictions.

“That will not be a problem at all. What is our main interest is to investigate the root causes of those violations to help us come up with appropriate policies,” said Okuthe.

Although foreign non-governmental organizations report extensive human rights abuses in several parts of Africa, often under the oversight of the state, the member states in Great Lakes region say there has been exaggeration and therefore, “the time has come for us to make our own research and determine our own standards.”

African leaders believe that partly it’s because of this exaggeration of human rights abuses that some of their colleagues like Sudan President Omar al Bashir and Laurent Gbagabo (Ivory Coast ex-President) were indicted.

Various forms of human rights abuses and mass atrocity crimes have been committed in numerous African states, ranging from genocide and crimes against humanity to war crimes. Most notable of these crimes have been unlawful killings of civilians and aid workers, the use and forceful recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual violence against women and children.

Rwanda leads in eradication of blood mineral trade

BY UGAMEDIA

Rwanda has assured it will issue the first regional certificate guaranteeing conflict-free sources of minerals at the beginning of early next year as required under the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region arrangement.

The east African country will be the first state to fully commit itself to the ICGLR Protocol against the Illegal exploitation of natural resource even though in the past it has been accused of fuel illicit mineral trade.

The DR Congo, which has also been at the forefront of fighting the illicit trade, will issue its first certificate in the second quarter of 2012 followed by Uganda in 2013. The other ICGLR member states are yet to decide on certification.

“Rwanda will deliver its first certificate between January and February next year (2012),” said Silas Sinyigaya, the ICGLR Programme Officer for Good Governance and Democracy, adding that 90 per cent of Rwanda’s minerals had been covered under the traceability mechanism.

Sinyigaya was speaking during the ICGLR special session on sexual gender-based violence summit meeting in Kampala on Monday 12 that started on December 11 and ends on 16.

The implementation of the protocol on illegal exploitation of natural resources was a basis under which the Rwanda Geology and Mines Authority early this year set up a mineral tagging and sealing scheme, internationally recognized as the iTSCi project, which aims to curb illegal trading of minerals.

It targets to curb illegal trade in four conflict minerals; gold, tin, tantalum and tantalite, between the Democratic Republic of Congo, marked as a conflict zone, and her neighboring countries.

Although in the past Rwanda mineral trade has been growing ($74 million in 2010 compared to $54.6 million earned in 2009) lately it has dropped due to mounting pressure from the regional initiative.

On 15 December 2010, the Lusaka Declaration of the ICGLR special summit to fight illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Great Lakes region underscored the commitment of respective governments to end the illicit trade in minerals.

But some member states of the ICGLR apart from Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Uganda appear to be dragging their feet to fulfill their regional obligations under ICGLR.

How they are smuggled

The minerals are transported in small aircraft from the mines in rebel-held areas or to the orders of some rich companies from outside the continent in collusion with corrupt government officials. Minerals mined in one country are often exported clandestinely to one or more neighboring countries in order to disguise their origins.

In April, an International Crisis Group report showed that the belligerents partly finance their activities from the sale of gold, wolframite, coltan and cassiterite — minerals much prized by the electronics industry and valued at around $60 million per year.

For instance, the DRC is estimated to have $24 trillion worth of untapped deposits of raw mineral ores, including the world’s largest reserves of cobalt and significant quantities of the world’s diamonds, gold and copper.

But because of the pressure from ICGLR initiative the DRC in September 2010 slapped a six-month ban on mining and trade in minerals in the volatile eastern districts of Maniema and North and South Kivu until the government succeeded in clamping down on illegal mining, with the government arguing that rebel groups had been exploiting some of the world’s most sought after minerals to finance military activities.

Global Witness (2005) claims that at least three-quarters of the minerals exported from Katanga were leaving illicitly. According to the 2004 DRC's recorded copper and cobalt exports amounting to $390m, the illicit trade rises to as much as $1.1bn.

The United Nations has in the past accused 27 Belgian and British multi-nationals of having violated set standards of practice by looting DRC's natural resources. In Africa, South Africa tops the list of plunderers, with 12 companies being blacklisted. Other companies named come from Ghana, DRC and Zimbabwe.

It is believed that the multinational companies, powerful politicians and businessmen have hired armed groups to facilitate the illicit trade.

Ends-

Great Lakes Region to write own human rights story

BY UGAMEDIA

In what may widely be seen as a signal to the western world that Africa is taking charge of its own affairs a group of 11 Great Lakes countries have agreed to redefine research standards for human rights abuses in total disregard of the approach taken by the Europeans and Americans.

Under the umbrella organization, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), member states including Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Angola, Sudan, DRC, Central African Republic and Zambia have started a home-grown human rights initiative that gives priority to evidence-based research and root causes of human rights abuses.

The new governance project to be undertaken by an ICGLR think-tank is likely to water down misrepresentations about Africa as portrayed by western non-governmental organizations and the media.

The Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre for Democracy and Good Governance think-tank, which has started collecting data in Zambia and DR Congo will fully roll out its operations in the other Great Lakes region member states next year to try and present the true picture of Africa’s story on human rights violations.

“Ours won’t be armchair research based on media reports. We are interested in credible analysis and evidence-based reports. This implies that we shall be on the ground to establish a realistic picture rather than depend on media reports,” said Frank Okuthe, the think-tank Executive Director during the ICGLR special session on sexual gender based violence in Kampala, Uganda from December 11 to 16.

The think-tank was named after the late President Levy Mwanawasa of Zambia died during his term as the chairperson of the ICGLR. The regional centre is poised to provide a strong foundation to the ICGLR’s programme of action on the promotion of good governance and democracy.

It appears the ICGLR has a decided to take a radical approach after having been international embarrassed by the negative and unfair reports on human rights violations which have recently culminated in the indictment of African politicians and rebel leaders.

However, the decision by the Great Lakes region to have its way in redefining the context of human rights could pit Africa against the West most likely will place the two on a rugged path.

According to Mr Okuthe, the think-tank’s findings will help redesign governance policies in the region after they being adopted by partner states’ Heads of State. “Since the data will be generated by ourselves (Africans) we hope our leaders will listen and buy our recommendations,” said Okuthe.

However, what remains unclear is how those Great Lakes regional leaders whose administrations ignite state-sponsored human rights violations will be made to account since those to conduct the investigations are under their jurisdictions.

“That will not be a problem at all. What is our main interest is to investigate the root causes of those violations to help us come up with appropriate policies,” said Okuthe.

Although foreign non-governmental organizations report extensive human rights abuses in several parts of Africa, often under the oversight of the state, the member states in Great Lakes region say there has been exaggeration and therefore, “the time has come for us to make our own research and determine our own standards.”

African leaders believe that partly it’s because of this exaggeration of human rights abuses that some of their colleagues like Sudan President Omar al Bashir and Laurent Gbagabo (Ivory Coast ex-President) were indicted.

However, the decision by the Great Lakes region to have its way in redefining the context of human rights could pit Africa against the West most likely will place the two on a rugged path.

Various forms of human rights abuses and mass atrocity crimes have been committed in numerous African states, ranging from genocide and crimes against humanity to war crimes. Most notable of these crimes have been unlawful killings of civilians and aid workers, the use and forceful recruitment of child soldiers, and sexual violence against women and children.

DRC, Kenya, Sudan contest for ICGLR ‘hot seat’

BY UGAMEDIA

Four members of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region have shown interest in taking over the seat of the Executive Secretary as Amb. Liberata Mulamula winds up her term of office at the end of regional organization’s Summit from 13 to 16 December in Kampala.

Kenya, DR Congo, Sudan and Zambia are candidates though Zambia a week towards the Kampala conference withdrew her candidature. Ambassador Mulamula, a Tanzanian who ends her successful five-year term this month (December 2011) leaves a remarkable record boosted by the establishment of the organisation’s infrastructure and creation of an enabling environment to end conflicts in the 11 partner states.

It is under Mulamula’s reign that warring parties in the DRC have negotiated peace, negative forces in eastern DRC have been dealt with, started election observer missions, trans-border cooperation has improved, proliferation of small arms have reduced and more recently illegal exploitation of mineral resources have reduced through certification.

Amb. Mulamula’s administration is also credited with the initiation of the establishment of the Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre for Democracy and Good Governance, a think-tank that is poised to provide a strong foundation to the ICGLR’s programme of action on the promotion of good governance and democracy whose vision is that of "a region characterized by deeply entrenched values, principles and norms on democracy, good governance and observance of human rights".

The think-tank seeks to capitalize on methodological approaches combining the principles of subsidiarity, the promotion of synergies among stakeholders at National, Regional and International levels and comparative analysis between different countries in order to promote the dissemination of good practices.

Therefore, it is not an over statement to claim that Amb. Mulamula is leaving huge shoes for her replacement to fit in considering that people in the 11 partner states want ICGLR more visible with a more positive impact on their daily lives.

Apart from Kenya the other candidates—Sudan and DRC—have experienced civil conflicts that have in the past distablised the entire Great Lakes region. One could argue that the candidature of those two suggests that ICGLR is being taken very seriously and its role could in a few years to come propel a fundamental change in the region.

ICGLR Executive Secretary commended

By UGAMEDIA

Delegates at the National Coordinators meeting preparing the ICGLR 4th ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Special session on Sexual Gender Based Violence have commended the work done by Ambassador Liberata Mulamula as her term as the Executive Secretary of this regional inter-government organization come to an end.

Uganda’s Permanent Secretary who is also the country’s national coordinator on SGBV, Ambassador James Mugume, said Her Excellency Mulamula’s term in office has increased the organisation’s visibility both in the region and the outside word.

“Ambassador Mulamula has been instrumental in promoting development, peace and stability in the region,” Ambassador Mugume said. “She has been able to reach out to all the constituencies right from the lower level to the Heads of State,” he added.

Ambassador Mugume’s commendation was echoed by various delegates from all the countries’ delegation that attended the meeting at the Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo, on the Lake Victoria shores near Kampala.

Ambassador Mulamula thanked the ICGLR member countries that have made her work and of the team at the Secretariat a success. She however, noted that there are still challenges that have to be overcome if this regional body is to achieve its mission and objectives.

“I wish in a special way to recognize the tireless efforts made by the Gender Ministry and Foreign Affairs teams in close collaboration with the ICGLR Secretariat in organising the hosting of this year’s Great Lakes Region Summit in Kampala and ensuring its success,” Ambassador Mulamula said.

She paid tribute to UNWOMEN, Norway, Sweden, Swiss Development Cooperation, USA government for their valuable financial contribution to ICGLR. The Executive Secretary presented to the meeting the summary report on the work of the ICGLR in the last five years she has been in office.

“To the national coordinators, you have been my strength and inspiration,” the Executive Secretary observed. “I thank you for making me what I am today, for allowing me to serve you and the membership with gratifying sense of accomplishment, however, modest”. 


She also thanked the Ugandan government for the unwavering support to the work of the Secretariat since its establishment.

She expressed solidarity with the peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the post electoral period and called for calm to allow the democratic electoral fruits to reach its people.

Uganda’s Minister for Gender, Labour and Social development, Hon. Syda Bbumba said, as leaders, they have made significant efforts I the areas of policy and legislation. She however, noted that research, media reports and the leaders’ assessment is that there are wide gaps between policy and legislation on one hand and the actual reality on other.

“To this I pose the questions” Have these wonderful laws suffered ‘infant mortality’ or is it a case of chronic still births? Clearly, the gap between commitments and implementation must be closed,” Hon. Bumba said.