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@observer Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:13:21
Six new countries join BRICS bloc
The BRICS group of emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – is admitting six new members, its leaders announced today Thursday on the final day of their annual summit. The group considers itself an alternative to the US-led world order.
On the third and final day of the summit in Johannesburg, its host, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, announced that BRICS had decided to admit Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in January of 2024.
While the bloc’s leaders all expressed their support for the decision, analysts say expansion has been spearheaded mainly by a Russia increasingly isolated by Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine — and China, which hailed the move as “historic.”
While critics are divided over the success of the bloc so far, with some saying it’s mainly symbolic, the group already collectively accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s global population and about a quarter of global GDP — and the new members will certainly add to both.
But like the current disparate group, which includes three democracies and two autocracies, the new members are not all natural allies, noted Priyal Singh, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.
“My first impression is that it’s quite a strange, odd grouping of countries to be admitted,” he said. “It’s, you know, very highly concentrated amongst Middle East and North African countries, which is going to give that region of the world a lot of sway over the BRICS grouping moving forward.”
Singh said that like two of the bloc’s current members, China and India, which are involved in a border dispute, several of the new additions also have tense relations.
“Tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt, for example, will also very likely escalate over the coming years and could undermine the coherence of the BRICS grouping, very similar to what we’ve already seen between India and China over the last couple of years.”
Ethiopia and Egypt have had differences over the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile River.
Likewise, Iran and Saudi Arabia have a history of diplomatic and military hostility, and they have been involved for years in a proxy war in Yemen. They also make strange diplomatic bedfellows, according to Steven Gruzd, from the South African Institute of International Affairs.
“There might be some surprises there, particularly Iran and Saudi Arabia in the same organization, given their rivalry over many years … although the Chinese did broker a rapprochement earlier in the year,” he said.
The six nations that will be admitted next year are only a fraction of some 40 countries that have expressed interest in joining the bloc, which positions itself as a champion of the developing world, or what’s dubbed the Global South.
In its final declaration at the end of the summit, the BRICS leaders also spoke about the need to reform global financial institutions and move away from the dollar-dominated system toward greater use of local currencies.
Throughout the summit, Ukraine was the elephant in the room, with Russian President Vladimir Putin attending remotely to avoid possible arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant. While all BRICS leaders expressed their desire for peace, there was no direct criticism of Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine also went unmentioned, at least directly, in the group’s final declaration, which referred to numerous other conflicts by name and expressed support for other nations’ sovereignty.
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@observer Fri, 25 Aug 2023 22:49:49
Govt engages Turkey over 87 detained Ugandans
The ministry of Foreign Affairs is seeking a viable resolution for the predicament of Ugandans who have been apprehended for overstaying in Turkey.
Last month, the Ugandan embassy in Ankara announced that a substantial number of Ugandan nationals had been detained across various locations within the eastern European nation. The figure had been initially put at 59 persons.
The permanent secretary ministry of Foreign Affairs Vincent Waiswa Bagiire says that the embassy has verified and validated the existence of 87 Ugandan nationals who have been detained for contravening the immigration statutes of the Republic of Turkey, during a visit to six distinct detention centers where they are detained.
He added that they are in the process of engaging Turkish authorities in meaningful discourse to collaboratively identify and implement equitable solutions that address the concerns at hand. He adds that the embassy is offering the necessary consular services and legal assistance required by all Ugandans in detention.
“The ministry wishes to assure the general public of its commitment to contained engaging with the relevant Turkish authorities to find a mutually acceptable solution to address these concerns...” he added.
Remaining in Turkey beyond the designated duration is governed by the Turkish Passport Law 5682, which carries extensive legal consequences. These consequences encompass prompt deportation, the imposition of a monetary penalty, and a prohibition lasting for a duration of five years, barring reentry into the country.
According to the Turkish Directorate General of Migration Management, foreigners can stay in Turkey for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period with an e-visa, regular visa, or visa exemption.
There are three ways someone might stay longer than allowed in Turkey: by exceeding the 90/180-day rule, overstaying on the original visa used to enter Turkey, or by not renewing an expired Residence permit.
In recent years, many Ugandans were also detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) when their visas expired. This situation became more political when the people who were affected recorded videos calling for government help and more than 1,500 Ugandans with expired visas were allowed to return to Uganda without having to pay fines for overstaying.
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@observer Fri, 25 Aug 2023 23:52:27
24 Ugandans, Congolese injured in Kisoro road accident
24 people sustained injuries in a motor accident that occurred on Friday in Kisoro district, western Uganda.
The accident occurred at Kibande village along the Kabale-Kisoro road when a motor vehicle registration number UBG 645E that was heading from Rwamwanja refugee camp in Kamwenge district lost control and overturned several times.
17 adult passengers and six juveniles were injured. The injured include three Ugandans and 21 Congolese nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The causalities have been identified as Bahati Faustine,36, Bizimana Nfamushobora,38, Pascazia Ntawindurindi,42, Muhimbo Oliver,17, Shirimpuwe Kadodo,47, Faraha Sifu,21, Eriranze Sofia,33, Habyarimana Ntaugiraw,36, Nsekera Budoma,38, Olivia Emerance,27, Nyirasinunvayo Marensi,50, Mukarukundo Merive,38, Kinamubanze Gistanve,42, Nzabakurikiza Ntegeimisi,41, Hakizimana Luke,32, all Congolese nationals.
The others are Nyakaranbi Olivia,40, Mukamutara Veneranda,38, all residents of Muramba sub county in Kisoro district and Dan Batumbya,46 the driver of the vehicle and a resident of Kigombya village, Gulu ward Mukono district. The identities of the six juveniles could not be immediately established.
Elly Maate, the police spokesperson for the Kigezi region says that all causalities have been taken to Kisoro and Mutorere hospitals for treatment and the wreckage of the vehicle has been towed to Kisoro police station pending inspection.
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@observer Sun, 27 Aug 2023 18:14:43
Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa wins reelection
Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission has declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner of Wednesday’s general election. The main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change, is disputing the results.
Those are members of the ruling ZANU-PF party early Sunday saying Mnangagwa is as sweet as honey. The praise follows the announcement by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairwoman Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba that Mnangagwa won reelection, beating challenger Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change party — by about 380, 000 votes.
“Now therefore, I, Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba, the chairperson of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, hereby declare that, Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo of ZANU PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect from 26 August 2023,” she said.
Those are ZANU-PF officials applauding Mnangagwa’s reelection. On Sunday, at the State House, Mnangagwa appealed to Zimbabweans for peace as he starts his final term. He also addressed his 10 presidential competitors.
“I am happy that I have won the race," he said. "I think those who feel the race was not run properly should know where to go to complain. I am so happy that the race was run peacefully, transparently and fairly [in] broad daylight. And I am happy that there was [a] huge turnout by our people. I am sure that very few people will say the elections were marred by any violence because there was no[ne] at all.”
Not everyone agrees with him. Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change party Sunday told reporters that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had rigged the polls for Mnangagwa. VOA asked him what he plans to do.
“The next step is that we are ready to form the next government on account of correcting all the errors that we have identified," he said. "We have the results, and we are going to form the next government. We are on a peace offensive, we are on a diplomatic offensive. And we are going to take an offensive stance in a progressive and democratic manner to make sure that the voice of people is respected.”
Even election observers — such as the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition — are condemning the way the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission conducted the polls, accusing it of withholding ballots in urban areas — like Bulawayo and Harare — where the opposition has strong support. Obert Masaraure is the spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.
“Once again, the illegitimacy crisis of those in power remains with us," he said. "The consequences are one, we are going to have [a] serious challenge of internal tensions where those in power are going to try [to] force citizens to work under them, obviously citizens don’t recognize them as the leadership, so a lot of force is going to be used."
Secondly, this is a big dent on SADC and Africa in as such as holding credible elections is concerned— this is a bad precedence for Africa.”
He was referring to SADC, the Southern African Development Community. Zimbabwe’s previous elections have been disputed but the results were never reversed.