Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has praised former state prosecutor, Joan Kagezi as a beacon of justice, a guardian of rule of law and a fearless warrior who diligently handled very serious cases before her assassination in 2015.

At the time of her death, Kagezi was the lead prosecutor of the suspects of the 2010 twin bombings in Kampala. “Joan Kagezi was not just a prosecutor; she was a beacon of justice, a guardian of the rule of law, and a fearless warrior in the battle against transnational organized crimes such as terrorism, human trafficking, and the smuggling of migrants; challenges that Uganda continues to face,” Among said.

Speaker Among made the remarks during the Seventh memorial lecture in honour of the former acting Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which was presided over by President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday, 25 April 2024 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

She urged President Museveni to support proposals by arms of government to enhance their budgets, to facilitate smooth running of the government. “Your Excellency, you, being the finance minister of this country, it’s just prudent enough that you find it necessary to support the Judiciary and Office of DPP. If we support all other arms of government, then running this country will be easy and effective,” she said.

In an affirmative response, Museveni said he will ensure that all heads of arms of government are actively involved in the budgeting processes.

“When we are budgeting, I will invite the Speaker and the Chief Justice so that we budget together because there is nothing to hide,” he said before paying tribute to late Kagezi as a freedom fighter who died on duty. He said government has duly taken care of Kagezi’s children and ensured they get quality education. “It is not good to have a culture of forgetting people, that is why it is good to organize these annual memorial lectures…Kagezi died as a freedom fighter and so, we need to support children of freedom fighters. When a freedom fighter dies, you, who is left behind must take care of the children so that they succeed,” Museveni said.

He assured the public that government is avenging the death of Kagezi and that the people behind her death were arrested.

This was confirmed by the Head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, AIGP Maj. Tom Magambo who said that the financiers of Kagezi’s killers are now known.

“I want to assure you that we have good leads on the people who paid these people [suspected killers in court] … As usual, we are going to brief you,” Magambo said.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo described the late Kagezi as an ideal prosecutor who mentored all of them and was instrumental in setting up the International Crime Division.

On the other hand, the Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny Dollo underscored the need to strengthen the justice system, including the investigative capacity in order to handle transnational crimes which he said, have become extremely complicated and sophisticated by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“There is need to strengthen the investigative, prosecuting and adjudicatory capacity in this country so that these acts of terrorism, trafficking, etc are quickly and effectively investigated. That is the only way we can make Uganda a no-go area for transnational crimes. If not, we shall turn out to be a bee hive for such activities,” he said.

This year’s Joan Kagezi memorial lecture was celebrated under the theme, “Prosecution of transnational organised crimes to foster security and socio-economic development: the linkage between terrorism, human trafficking, and smuggling of migrants.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Ethiopia is facing one of its most severe humanitarian crises in recent history, with millions of lives at risk due to widespread hunger, disease outbreaks, conflict, and climate-related challenges. As the situation continues to deteriorate, urgent action is needed to prevent further suffering and loss of life.

On April 16, 2024, global leaders and representatives from international organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, for the High-level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Situation in Ethiopia. The event aimed to raise funds to support Ethiopia’s urgent humanitarian needs.

Dr. Mike Ryan, WHO Deputy Director-General, highlighted the critical situation in Ethiopia, particularly in regions like Tigray, Amhara, Afar, and Oromia. Widespread hunger, disease outbreaks, and infrastructure degradation due to conflict have left millions of people without access to essential services.

Ethiopia is grappling with multiple deadly outbreaks, including the largest cholera outbreak in its history, a significant increase in malaria cases, and a surge in measles cases. Dr. Kaluwa, Owen Laws, WHO Ethiopia representative, emphasized the critical situation in Ethiopia, where disease outbreaks are occurring in areas with limited access to healthcare, exacerbating the crisis. Despite concerted efforts by WHO and its partners to provide life-saving health services, funding shortfalls loom large, threatening to necessitate a scale-down of operations. With only a fraction of the required funding secured thus far, urgent additional support is imperative to sustain and expand operations and prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation. 

Investing in WHO and its health cluster partners is crucial to saving lives in Ethiopia. This includes sending mobile health and nutrition teams to remote areas, providing vaccinations to prevent disease outbreaks, and supporting health facilities in conflict-affected areas.

The High-level Pledging Event resulted in financial announcements totaling $610.1 million to support Ethiopia. However, more support is needed to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and prevent further suffering.

The humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia demands immediate attention and action from the international community. With millions of lives at stake, it is imperative to provide the necessary funding and resources to support life-saving efforts and alleviate the suffering of the Ethiopian people. Time is of the essence, and every contribution can make a difference in saving lives and rebuilding communities ravaged by conflict, hunger, and disease.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Ethiopia.

The World Bank is providing immediate support for millions of Malawians severely affected by the ongoing food security crisis. A quick-release of $57.6 million in innovative grant financing is designed to provide the country immediate liquidity through the Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO1). This CAT-DDO support comes in the context of the severe food crisis the country is suffering due to El Niño conditions in the wider southern Africa region. Moreover, a series of intense disaster events over the last few years has left almost no time for the country to recover and has resulted in a severe erosion of food security at the national level.

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors in December 2023 approved the Malawi First Growth and Resilience Development Policy Operation of $80 million to support core structural reforms in the economy together with the $57.6 million CAT-DDO that could be triggered in the event of a natural disaster or crisis. Following the declaration of the national disaster by President Lazarus Chakwera on March 23, 2024, the World Bank has now made available the CAT-DDO resources.

“Malawi, together with the wider Southern Africa region, currently faces very serious food insecurity, impacting millions. This crisis comes as the country is struggling to stabilize its macro-economy and get on a path of inclusive growth. We are pleased the Government of Malawi had the foresight to lock in a CAT-DDO instrument when securing IDA budget support in late 2023: this innovation can help the Government of Malawi’s efforts to mitigate the impact on the most vulnerable,” says Hugh Riddell, World Bank Country Manager for Malawi.

Malawi’s ongoing food crisis is linked to the ongoing strong El Niño conditions which is driving rainfall deficits in southern districts and above-average rainfall in central and northern districts, resulting in flood events. Moreover, the number and severity of climate-related disasters in Malawi have increased in recent decades, with devastating consequences. Since 2010 alone, Malawi has experienced 16 major flooding events, five storm-related disasters, and two severe droughts. Climate change-related events are affecting vulnerable households and could increase poverty rates in the country, potentially pushing millions of people into poverty over the next 10 years. In the near term (by 2030) climate change shocks to the economy are projected to reduce GDP by 3-9%, growing to 6- 20% in 2040 and 8-16% by 2050 as the climate impacts intensify.

“We are pleased with the World Bank’s response to the call made by President Chakwera by providing additional budget resources under the CAT-DDO which will significantly leverage the support from other development partners and well-wishers as we intensify the mobilization of resources to respond to the food crisis caused by El Nino,” said Simplex Chithyola Banda, M.P. Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.

Implementation of climate adaptation measures beyond those outlined in Vison 2063 will require that Malawi optimizes the use of the public resources and secures additional funds from other sources, especially the private sector. The Regional Climate Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa 2 (RCRP-2), approved by the World Bank in December 2023 aims at supporting improved disaster risk management, social protection systems and protects households from exposure to water-related climate shocks, including flooding and droughts. Overall, the recently approved Disaster Risk Management Act (2023) presents an opportunity to support the country’s shift from a disaster response approach to preparedness, risk reduction, and sustainable post-disaster recovery, aimed at addressing Malawi’s high level of risks.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

“We are deeply disturbed by reports of the killing of large numbers of civilians, including children, in several villages in the Yatenga and Soum provinces in northern Burkina Faso in recent months in an overall context of fighting between armed groups and Burkinabè forces.

While we have not been able to independently verify these reports due to lack of access, it is crucial that allegations of such serious violations and abuses by various actors are brought to light and that the transitional authorities promptly undertake thorough, impartial and effective investigations. Perpetrators need to be held accountable and victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparations must be upheld. Fighting impunity and pursuing accountability is paramount to ensure people trust in the rule of law and social cohesion.

We are also concerned by the temporary suspension of at least two international media outlets following their reports on some of these incidents. Restrictions on media freedom and civic space must stop immediately. Freedom of expression including the right of access to information is crucial in any society, and even more so in the context of the transition in Burkina Faso.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).