Monthly Archives: July 2012

Choking off freedom in The Maldives

Posted on July 29, 2012 by

By Benedict Rogers In February, a cabal backed by an ousted dictator and a group of extremist Islamists dealt a severe blow to nascent democracy in a country many people consider an island paradise: the Maldives. In the past few weeks, the forces behind the new rulers have driven the knife deeper into the country’s wounded democracy. Without serious international pressure, people who struggled for freedom against dictatorship for so many years — and briefly tasted liberty — will be plunged into authoritarian rule coupled with a rapidly growing extremist Islamist agenda. Three Danish legal experts published a report this month on their independent investigation into the events surrounding the … Continue reading →

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Afghanistan after NATO pulls out:
Will it stand or will it fall?

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

By Rita Payne There have been dire predictions about prospects for Afghanistan after the bulk of NATO forces withdraw from the battle-scarred country in 2014. A panel of experts took part in a discussion in London on July 10, organized by the Commonwealth Journalists Association, to share their views on what lay ahead for Afghanistan. BBC correspondent, Humphrey Hawksley, chairing the discussion, began by presenting a potted history of Afghanistan beginning with the two British Afghan wars of the 19th century, the years of relative stability under King Zahir Shah, followed by the Soviet invasion, the installation of President Najibullah, his subsequent overthrow and murder, the rise and fall of … Continue reading →

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As in 1957, Ghana once again shows the way

Posted on July 26, 2012 by

By Henry D Gombya Just as she did in 1957 when the country became the first African nation to gain independence from Great Britain, Ghana on Tuesday showed the so-called Third World countries how to exercise democracy without resorting to threats and the misuse of the gun. Shortly after the sudden and untimely death of President John Atta Mills from yet to be announced illnesses, his cabinet hastily met and the country’s Chief Justice was called to administer the oath of office to Vice President John Mahama who woke up on Tuesday morning not knowing that by the end of the day he would become Africa’s newest head of state. … Continue reading →

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History of Buganda Part 70
Queen Victoria recognised Baganda battle courage

Posted on July 22, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill In our history “When Buganda was Africa’s Might” we came across Queen Victoria’s message of thanks on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in which were published  her thanks to the troops and Baganda chiefs for their courageous battle quality. In the course of his plans for enlisting more Sudanese, Colville had raised the question of the status of his troops, suggesting that they should be regarded as part of Her Majesty’s regular forces and that those commissions should be granted to the native officers. The Foreign Office referred this question to the Colonial Office for advice, asking whether any precedent could be quoted elsewhere in the … Continue reading →

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Why Israel needs to pursue a Middle East piece deal now

Posted on July 22, 2012 by

By MJ Rosenberg I wonder if the Israeli government now regrets that it didn’t consider the Arab League peace offer that was first issued in 2002 and then again in 2007. Every Arab state signed it and it was strongly backed by the Saudis who, in fact, drafted it. Under its terms, in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories and resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem: The Arab countries affirm the following: (I) Consider the Arab-Israeli conflict ended, and enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region; (II) Establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace. … Continue reading →

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Why Libya’s old rifts are unlikely to heal soon

Posted on July 13, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill Writing from Site in Libya for the Times, James Hider states: “Libya is very unstable right now. It will be tough for anyone to rule.” Of course we saw this coming and the West is to blame whilst flapping a flag of Arab Spring which has brought confusion death and misery to millions for the entire Arab and African is at present unsettled and we are only to think of Timbuktu, once a hidden deeply religious society with wisdom that went back long before Europe could call itself civilized, now today being cut to pieces under the Arab Spring to realize the West and America should not … Continue reading →

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History of Buganda Part 69
The road to British Protectionism

Posted on July 8, 2012 by

By Robert Asketill There could be little hope of lasting peace in Bunyoro while the Arab trade in arms and ammunition continued. Regulations forbidding the importation of arms into Uganda except through a bonded warehouse were not passed until 1896, and at this time such goods were constantly being brought up from the coast through German territory. In July Colvile therefore sent Captain G. G. Cunningham (Derbyshire R.) with 57 Sudanese to establish a post in Ankole. Ntale, the ruler of Ankole, fled at his approach, but a treaty was made with his representative and, after a visit to Fort George, Cunningham returned into Buddu and built a fort at … Continue reading →

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Why President Kagame is in defiance of international law

Posted on July 2, 2012 by

Mounting evidence that Rwanda is supplying arms and recruits to a rebellion led by an indicted war criminal in the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.) is the latest indication that, in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, President Paul Kagame’s government will ensure its own security and interests even to the detriment of its neighbors and in defiance of international law. Rwanda’s relations with Congo are defined by the genocide, in which 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered by Hutu death squads. In the face of international inaction, Kagame, then-leader of a Tutsi-dominated rebel army, beat back the genocidaires, many of whom fled to Congo with millions of … Continue reading →

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History of Buganda Part 68:
A deep look into the Buganda noble history

Posted on July 1, 2012 by

We would like to apologise to all our readers for the recent absence of this column due to unavoidable circumstances. We are now happy to inform everyone that the Buganda History series as researched and written by Robert Asketill are now back and will be posted once a week every Sunday from today. Hope you enjoy them. We now seek deep into Buganda’s noble history by researching the British war diaries which every officer in any campaign had to write up as a daily duty and Buganda was to see scores of Britain’s best die in the Buganda campaign, mainly from Black Water Fever as can be seen on the … Continue reading →

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