By Our Staff Writer

Al-Shabab Fighters

Mogadishu-Somalia: A suicide bomber and gunmen wearing military uniforms attacked a hotel near Somalia’s Presidential Palace; AP has reported.  The Monday attack sparked a one-hour gun battle with security forces.  At least 32 people were killed, including six Somali parliamentarians.

Witnesses described a horrific scene of dead bodies throughout the Muna Hotel and guests scrambling to safety by escaping out of windows.   The multi-pronged assault came less than 24 hours after the country’s most dangerous militant group – Al-Shabab, a group allied with al-Qaida, threatened a “massive” war against what it labelled as invaders, a reference to the 6,000 Ugandan and Burundian African Union troops in Mogadishu. (more…)

By Dennis Otim  23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

Sudan's JEM Rebels

The government of Sudan has once again accused Yoweri Museveni’s government of supporting anti-Khartoum rebels.  The diplomatically explosive accusations were contained in the pro-government Sudanese news paper Akhir Lahzah of August 16^th 2010.

According to the report, the Sudanese armed forces in particular, warned Uganda against extending any form of support to the Darfur based Justice and Equality Movement [JEM] rebel group; arguing that such a move by Uganda “…would lead to a loss of trust” between the two neighbouring States supported each other’s opponents for a long time in the past. (more…)

By John Stephen Katende  23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

UPC Party Logo

Is UPC, one of the oldest parties in Uganda, about to follow in DP’s footsteps and split into two rival factions?  Well, in truth, we can’t say for sure.  But it is also fair to say that UPC does not appear to be as united as it used to be in its glory days when its fiercely charismatic founder President Dr. Apollo Milton Obote [RIP] enjoyed near cult admiration across the party.

The irony of it all is that it is that same near cult admiration that Milton Obote enjoyed may explain UPC’s present challenges to remain as one united party.  For a very long time, Obote had a very firm moral and political grip on the party; much in the same way as Museveni does over his NRM today. (more…)

By Dennis Otim 23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

Attacked by Govt

The NRM government has taken serious issue with UPC President Dr. Olara Otunnu’s decision to launch his 10 Point “Radical Renewal” Agenda in London as opposed to doing it in Uganda before the Ugandan electorate.

Uganda Correspondent exclusively reported last week that perhaps for the very first time, Dr. Olara Otunnu, in a two hour speech to hundreds of Ugandans in London on Saturday 14^th August, had set out his 10 Point “Radical Renewal” Agenda for Uganda.  Reacting to the news of Otunnu’s London policy launch, NRM Deputy Spokesperson Mr. Ofwono Opondo attacked the UPC President for choosing to launch his agenda for Uganda outside Uganda. (more…)

By Timothy Nsubuga 23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

Invited to North

UPC Party President Dr. Olara Otunnu has for the second time, extended an open invitation to the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II to visit the Acholi sub-region.  Dr. Otunnu’s latest invitation to the Kabaka came as he talked about the “The Uganda Question”; one of the issues on his 10 Point Radical Renewal Agenda that he launched in London on Saturday 14^th Aug 2010.  “As a son of Chua in Kitgum District, a resident of Gulu District, and a citizen of Uganda, I would like to invite the Kabaka of Buganda to come and visit northern Uganda”; Otunnu said. Dr. Otunnu first invited the Kabaka of Buganda to visit northern Uganda a few months ago while he was addressing a public rally at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu Municipality. (more…)

By Our Staff Writer – 23^rd–29^th Aug 2010

Saint Lucia has joined the growing list of nations that have ratified the 1998 Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court [ICC]. (more…)

By Timothy Nsubuga

New York: An international tribunal set up by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter is among several options to prosecute pirates operating off the Somali coast; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has suggested. (more…)

By Our Staff Writer- 16^th-22^nd Aug 2010

Dr. Olara Otunnu

London: UPC party president Dr. Olara Otunnu has, perhaps for the very first time, set out a detailed 10 point agenda for what he called the “radical renewal” of our motherland.

In a captivating speech on Saturday 14^th August, the UPC president’s eloquence held an audience of approximately 500-600 Ugandans hostage for over 2hrs.  The Keyworth Centre auditorium at South Bank University in London was packed beyond its normal capacity with approximately 50-100 people left standing without seats.  Otunnu said he was setting out his “radical renewal” agenda because “…Uganda is facing a grave national crisis”. (more…)

By Justin S. Tibenda – 16^th-22^nd Aug 2010

The confessions on 12^th August 2010 by Edris Nsubuga, Mohamood Mugisha, and brothers Haruna and Issa Luyima, the key suspects in the 7/11 Kampala bombings, have been called into serious question by a cross section Ugandans. (more…)

By Timothy Nsubuga- 16^th-22^nd Aug 2010

International human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused the UK government of developing a “shadow justice system” to impose severe restrictions on the rights of individuals suspected of terrorism-related activity. (more…)