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Ethiopia has woken up to the shocking news of the assassination of Oromo musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa who was shot dead in the capital Addis Ababa.
Hundreds of Oromo youth took to the streets of the capital Tuesday morning to express their anger at the killing of the musician they fondly called "Hache"
Questions are now been raised by the public over who killed the popular musician and why.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has sent his condolences following the assassination and promised a full investigation in to the killing.
In a Facebook post PM Abiy Ahmed termed the killing "an evil act" and said the police had launched an investigation to ascertain who was behind Hacaaluu's death.
Oromo activist turned politician Jawar Mohamed said the killing targeted the whole Oromo nation.
"They did not just kill Hachalu. They shot at the heart of the Oromo Nation, once again !! It was Tadesse Biru, Haile Fida, Elemo Qilxuu, Eebbisaa Addunyaa...now Hacaaluu! You can kill us, all of us, you can never ever stop us!! NEVER !!" Said the influential politician who last October claimed the Abiy administration had plotted to eliminate him.
At his Addis Ababa residence security has been beefed up as tension heightened in the Oromia region where the musician hails from.
Haacaaluus assassination comes less than a week after he appeared on Oromo language tv OMN live interview to give his stance on the current political situation in Ethiopia.
In the interview he stated that the Oromo people are "not free yet".
He denied reports that he supported the country's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and that he had received monetary benefits from backing the Premier.
Hacaaluu criticised the former Ethiopian monarch Menelik II and the presence of the Emperor's statue in the capital Addis Ababa.
Reports of his death has shocked the entire Oromo nation and in his home town Ambo residents took to the streets to condemn the killing.
Popular Oromo Musician and activist Haacaaluu Hundesssa was on Monday night shot dead by unknown assailants in the capital Ethiopia.
A Police source confirmed to Horn24News that the musician known for his politically critical lyrics is reported dead. Haacaaluu was shot around the Galan Condominium site.
He was rushed to Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital where he succumbed to the gun injuries.
Poachers have killed at least six elephants in just one day at the Mago National Park in southern Ethiopia.
The poachers used more than 30 bullets for just one elephant with the park's warden describing it as a 'massacre'.
All the elephants were from one group that had been drinking at the Oromo river when they were attacked.
The tusks were all removed.
Poaching is not normally seen at this scale in the area.
Last year authorities officially documented 10 elephant deaths.
BBC Africa
A former Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) commander identified as Lemmo Wariyo was on Thursday kidnapped near Sololo in Kenya by a armed men from a rival OLF faction.
According to a Moyale Sub County official who seek anonymity Wariyo an Ethiopian national had visited his Kenyan wife at Dambala Fachala for a naming ceremony of their newly born baby when he was accosted by armed men and taken to an unknown location.
Sources told Horn24News that Wariyo had belonged to the Brig.Gen. Kemal Gelchu faction of OLF.
Ethiopia in 2018 removed OLF, ONLF and Ginbot 7 among other rebel groups from terror list with hundreds of political prisoners released and ex rebels returning from exile.
Kemal Gelchu is now the leader of Oromo National Party (ONP) a political outfit that will be competing in the upcoming Ethiopia general elections while Dawud Ibssa heads OLF Party after officially ending an armed struggle. Together with Prof Merera Gudina led Oromo Federalist Congress the three parties in January signed a pact to form a regional coalition called "Coalition For Democratic Federalism".
However several bands of fighters are yet to down their weapons and remain in the bush including on the Kenya-Ethiopia border and have been involved in alleged kidnappings and assassination of rival factions members.
Wariyo who hails from Bale has been living as a political exile in Nairobi Kenya under UNHCR since 2008.
Italian aid worker freed by Al-Qaeda linked Somali militant group Al-Shabaab has revealed that she is now a Muslim, an Italian news outlet reports
In an interrogation with Italian security agents upon her arrival in Rome Italy at the end of 18 months hostage Silvia said she converted to Islam out of her own will.
"It happened in mid-captivity, - she said - when I asked to be able to read the Koran and I was satisfied".
Silvia had dispelled the doubts that the decision had taken place due to the psychological conditions faced in Africa, making it clear that it was her free choice.
"Nobody forced me. And it's not true that I was forced to get married, I didn't have any physical constraints or violence," she said.
The hypothesis of a forced adhesion to Islam would also be supported by news circulated in recent months, according to which the young co-worker would have been forced to marry one of the jailers
The captivity was spent in closed rooms, where Silvia says she never felt "imprisoned" because she was free to move in the lairs, at least four, inside villages.
"A Quran was made available to me and thanks to my jailers I also learned some Arabic. They explained their reasons and their culture to me. My conversion process was slow" she is quoted.
The plane carrying Silvia Romano landed at the Ciampino Airport in Rome at 2.00pm local time.
Silvia was veiled in a light green Islamic "Jilbab" and a "Bata" loose dress commonly dressed by Somali women.
"I'm fine, physically and mentally. I'm fine, now I just want to be with my family for a long time." were her first words after she came from an interrogation at the Ros military barracks.
Silvia got off the ladder of the plane that brought her back to Italy after the long imprisonment. She greeted the Prime Minister and Minister Di Maio with her elbow, - in compliance with the anti-Covid-19 regulations - then she was able to tighten her father Enzo, her mother Francesca and her sister again. Then the transfer to the barracks to meet the prosecutors who started an investigation into kidnapping for terrorism.
"I am calm. During the kidnapping, I was always treated well," she told Ros agents in a four-hour interview to reconstruct the stages of the affair.
"Every three months I changed my lair", Silvia told the investigators giving new details of those past months without ever having been tied up or seeing her captors in the face. Many transfers from one hiding place to another, and always in inhabited places, where Silvia has never met other women. So the jailers, - always the same and present in three, she explained - managed to keep it hidden.
"They assured me that I would not be killed and so it was," said the cooperator to the prosecutors of Sergio Colaiocco who listened to her with the anti-terrorist unit agents.
Silvia an aid worker with Italian charity Africa Milele was kidnapped by gunmen in Kilifi county, Kenya in November 2018 before her captors smuggled her into Alshabaab held territory in neighbouring Somalia.
She was released on Sunday some 30km from the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Mogadishu, Sunday (Horn24) Aid worker Silvia Romano was set free on Sunday in the Somali capital Mogadishu after her abduction in neighbouring Kenya in November 2019.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte confirmed on Twitter of the release of Romano.
"Silvia Romano has been freed. I thank the women and men of the intelligenfe services. Silvia we are waiting for you in Italy" PM Conte tweeted.
" I've been strong. I didn't give in. I'm fine and I'm looking forward to going back to Italy" Romano is quoted by an Italian agency.
Horn24 established that Romano is at a safe location in Mogadishu.
Gunmen kidnapped the 23yr Italian aid worker and shot and wounded a woman and four children in Kilifi county, Kenya in November 2018.
Somali speaking men armed with AK-47 rifles seized the aid worker from a guesthouse in Chakama, a small town close to the south-east coast. Romano was working for Italian charity Africa Milele.
She was seized after she came out of her room to find out what was going on.
The attackers opened fire as they left, wounding a woman and four children, he added. A 10-year-old child was shot in the eye and a 12-year-old was hit in the thigh.
A University of Pittsburgh researcher who claimed to have been on the verge of a significant breakthrough in his research on the coronavirus was killed in what appears to me a murder-suicide on Saturday, WTAE, a local ABC News affiliate, reported.
Police found 37-year-old Bing Liu, who worked as an assistant professor at the university, dead in his house in Ross Township, having been shot by someone who then went to his car and shot himself.
The second man, identified as 46-year-old Hao Gu, was found dead in his vehicle.
Liu was working at the Pitt School of Medicine's department of computational and systems biology and was supposedly on the verge of a significant breakthrough in his studies on the coronavirus, according to a written statement by the department.
"Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications," the department said.
"We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence."
While police have stated that Liu and Gu knew each other, authorities have not yet discussed a possible motive.
Pittsburgh police are treating Liu's death as a homicide, "we haven't had anything at this point that has come to the investigation that has anything to do with Mr. Liu's employment or his research," Ross Township Detective Brian Kolhepp said.
daily mail
The African Express cargo plane that crashed on Monday killing 6 people was shot down by projectile a few minutes before it's schedule landing at the Bardale airstrip, Horn24 has learnt.
A Kenya security source told Horn24news that Kenya Air force officials had gathered initial accounts that "strongly" indicate Ethiopia National Defence Force fire downed the Eubreur 120 plane.
ENDF cordoned off the crash site minutes after it came down.
Bardale Airstrip in South West State is manned by Ethiopian Amisom troops. Recently however there have been recorded movement of non Amisom ENDF troops near Bardale.
2 Kenyan pilots, a Kenyan flight engineer and 3 Somalia national were on Monday killed when their plane was hit and crashed near Bardale in Somalia.
The cargo plane registered 5Y AXO belonging crashed 5km to Bardale Airstrip .
Those killed in the crash are identified as
The 2 others are Somalia nationals identified
The plane is said to have been taking a consigment of medicine for aid agency ICRC.
A Kenya military source has told Horn24 that the Somalia government and ENDF are stalling on allowing team from the Kenyan airline and Kenyan military from visiting the crash
site to retrieve the black box.
Negotiations are now being escalated to high-level officials.
Somalia government issued a statement early Tuesday in which it said an investigation had been launched to ascertain the cause of the crush.
2 Kenyan pilots, a Kenyan flight engineer and 3 Somalia national were on Monday killed when their plane was hit and crashed near Bardale in Somalia. The cargo plane a Eubreur 120 registered 5Y AXO belonging to African Express was crashed 5km to Bardale Airstrip.
Those dead are identified as ;
The 2 others are Somalia nationals identified
The plane is said to have been taking a consigment of medicine for aid agency ICRC.
There has been no official statement frkm Somalia Civil Aviation Authority as to what caused the plane crash.
Bardale Airstrip is manned by Ethiopian Amisom troops. Recently however there have been recorded movement of non Amisom ENDF troops near Bardale.
As the Covid19 lock down in Uganda takes holds, The Ministry of Health is planning to turn Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) into a health facility if the number of COVID-19 cases increase.
This was revealed on Wednesday by Dr Diana Atwine, the health ministry’s Permanent Secretary while appearing before the parliamentary committee on the budget.
The committee was scrutinizing a supplementary request by government of Shs284b to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
Dr Atwine, was responding to questions from Members of Parliament in regard to the ministry’s preparedness to handle the cases if at all they increase. She said that at the moment, the cases are being handled from Entebbe Grade B hospital and Mulago national referral hospital.
Dr Atwine, however, told the committee that arrangements are already being made to have the stadium gazzetted in case the two facilities get filled up.
“In case Mulago has a spill over, we shall use Namboole, we have a mobile hospital that we can put there and operationalize, right now I can’t tell but we shall handle as we go along,” she said.
Many residents in Uganda are still coming to terms with the total lock down put by the president Yuweri Museveni.
The President on Monday ordered a two-week nationwide lockdown in a bid to combat further spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
The President said that because some people had misused the earlier measures citing 'indiscipline and inconsideration', stringent measures had to be taken to prevent further spread of the virus.
This was Mr Museveni's sixth address to the nation in a space of just two weeks.
He noted that out of the 33 already confirmed cases, 14 had interacted with the public citing the Masaka incident where the patient infected his wife and daughter.
"If people were not behaving carelessly, we wouldn't have spread the virus. Since we are not sure, we should not take risks," Mr Museveni said.
"We have decided to take additional measures. I would have given the public time to adjust. But they may transfer the sickness we are trying to prevent. They may think they are running away from danger when they are taking death to our people in the villages," he added.
Rep. Ilhan Omar has tied the knot again.
The Minnesota Democrat announced on Instagram Wednesday night that she’d remarried, apparently to the political consultant she allegedly had an affair with.
“From partners in politics to life partners, so blessed,” Omar captioned a black and white shot of her and her new husband canoodling with rings on their fingers.
While Omar, 38, didn’t identify her hubby, the photo appeared to be of Tim Mynett, 55, her chief fundraiser who she’s been romantically linked to.
The pair, who finalized their respective divorces late last year, were spotted exiting DC-based Mediterranean restaurant Café 8 last Thursday.
In August, The Post was first to report that Mynett’s then-wife Beth alleged in court papers that he walked out on their marriage after admitting to having an affair with Omar and declaring his love for her.
Both Omar and Mynett denied the affair.
Omar and her then-husband, Ahmed Hirsi, filed for divorce less than two months after the affair allegations came to light. Hirsi has also since remarried.
A rep for Omar didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hirsi married a new wife in January 2020.
Kenya is expected in the coming days to start negotiating its troops exit plans from the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), the Nation has learnt.
The talks to be led by Ministry of Defence CS Monica Juma are part of the anticipated Amisom withdrawal by 2021, the year in which the peacekeeping and enforcement mission is expected to close down its operations in Somalia.
The negotiations aim to end about eight years of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) incursion in Somalia in which the presence of forces potentially reduced possible terrorist attacks as well as exposed Kenyans to varied reasons behind terrorism.
KDF crossed into Somalia on the night of October 16, 2011. The objective of invading Somalia was to destroy and degrade Al-Shabaab, topple its leadership and prevent prospects of terrorist attacks locally.
The talks to be led by Ministry of Defence CS Monica Juma are part of the anticipated Amisom withdrawal by 2021. The negotiations aim to end about eight years of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) incursion in Somalia
Kenya is expected in the coming days to start negotiating its troops exit plans from the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), the Nation has learnt.
The talks to be led by Ministry of Defence CS Monica Juma are part of the anticipated Amisom withdrawal by 2021, the year in which the peacekeeping and enforcement mission is expected to close down its operations in Somalia.
The negotiations aim to end about eight years of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) incursion in Somalia in which the presence of forces potentially reduced possible terrorist attacks as well as exposed Kenyans to varied reasons behind terrorism. KDF crossed into Somalia on the night of October 16, 2011. The objective of invading Somalia was to destroy and degrade Al-Shabaab, topple its leadership and prevent prospects of terrorist attacks locally.
Kenya shares a 684km-long border with Somalia which has remained porous with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks and a string of terrorist attacks affecting communities living along the border as well as within the capital Nairobi.
Although there was a succession of quick military victories by KDF in Somalia, the operation has not managed to shield Kenya from attacks by Al-Shabaab.
The negotiations come at a time when fights between Federal Government of Somalia forces and various regional government troops have risked drawing back the gains made against the terrorists.
On Monday, Somalia was fighting itself after its national forces ambushed Jubbaland regional troops allied to a fugitive minister, Mr Abdirashid Janaan, near the Kenyan border with Somalia.
Fighting broke out between special troops of the Somali National Army (SNA) deployed to Gedo region to guard the border and Jubbaland forces loyal to Mr Janaan, who reportedly fled prison in Mogadishu with the help of some officials in President Farmajo’s government.
The fighting in Gedo is fuelled by inter-clan fighting between Maheran sub-clans allied to Somali President Mohamed Farmajo and the Maheran clans in the larger Gedo region.
“The incident being referred to happened today afternoon (Monday) in Bulla Hawa in Somalia which borders Kenya’s Mandera Town. We wish to reassure Kenyans that our security teams are on high alert to avert any attempt by militants in Gedo region straying into the country,” Mr Charles Owino, the National Police spokesman, said in a statement.
Experts say the move could potentially aid Al-Shabaab in spreading terror. The fight broke out a day after 11 Kenyan lawmakers secretly travelled to Somalia and met President Farmajo.
As part of exit preparations, KDF is currently deploying a Battle Group which will facilitate the anticipated withdrawal of troops under the Somali Transition Plan aimed at the gradual transition of security responsibilities to Somalia’s security institutions.
The ongoing rotation of KDF troops between Amisom 8 and Amisom 9 Battle Groups under the command of Brigadier Dickson Rono will be the major undertaking for KDF in Somalia this year.
The Somali Transition Plan follows the development of a Concept of Operations (CONOPs) 2018-2021 that provides for an effective outline for the implementation of the Somali Transition Plan. This CONOPs provides guidelines as it marks the final phase of AMISOM and eventual exit from Somalia.
The withdrawal timelines come at a time when Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe is expected to be exiting the military after initiating widespread reforms in improving the welfare of KDF troops.
The reforms range from the modernisation of KDF operational and technological warfare capacity as well as establishing a welfare Directorate with an ambitious welfare programs to cater for the psychosocial and physical well-being of wounded soldiers and their families.
The Board One meeting which decides on the promotions and appointments of KDF leadership is set to meet anytime from this month to consider promotions within the senior-most military ranks.
The meeting of Board One is followed by a defence council meeting which may either extend the tenure of the current General or replace him.
Last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the term of General Mwathethe after the National Defence Council recommended for the extension of his term citing impressive performance.
Under General Mwathethe’s term, the military has been contributing to President Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda especially through the new Kenya Navy Slip Way and the Blue Economy, which the General chairs. Both projects have contributed towards the improvement of national food security and creation of employment.
The Kenya Navy Slip Way which is being built at Mkunguni in Mtongwe Navy Base and is set to be completed by 2021. The slipway will enable Kenya to establish a foothold in ship building and maintenance in the region and to compete with similar facilities located in South Africa and Djibouti. A slipway is a ramp/rail on the shore by which ships or boats can be launched into or out of water. It is also used for building or repairing ships or boats and for launching small boats.
It will also be expected to boost tourism, create employment and accord the Kenya Navy and other Kenya government’s maritime agencies flexible docking and planned maintenance of vessels.
At the Kenya Air Force, there is an ongoing modernisation through various multibillion investments like the establishment of the Air Defence Regiment (ADR) and acquiring an effective Air Defence System (ADS) to be used to defend the country from all airborne aggression.
An ADS system is able to detect an impending attack in time and destroy it before it reaches the target. New acquisitions include Fennec helicopters, 530F planes and the Italian Spartan aircraft C-27J for transport. Across the military, there is the establishment of the ultra-modern Rehabilitation Centre at Lang’ata barracks which will be used for treating soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and welfare centres in various barracks and military bases.
“The impact of the massive modernisation and welfare programme from General Mwathethe, offers the Kenyan security architecture a chance to rethink and create a robust security campaign along the Kenya Somalia border, especially now that the soldiers are expected to withdraw from AMISOM” says Major (Rtd) David Omondi, a security expert.
Across the military, there is the establishment of the ultra-modern Rehabilitation Centre at Lang’ata barracks which will be used for treating soldiers suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) and welfare centres in various barracks and military bases.
“The impact of the massive modernisation and welfare programme from General Mwathethe, offers the Kenyan security architecture a chance to rethink and create a robust security campaign along the Kenya Somalia border, especially now that the soldiers are expected to withdraw from AMISOM” says Major (Rtd) David Omondi, a security expert.
Durban – Leading Muslim scholar and activist Yousuf Ahmed Deedat, who was shot in the head outside the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, died at St Anne’s hospital in Pietemaritzburg on Friday afternoon.
His son Raees Deedat said family and friends were at his bedside when he passed away peacefully at 2.40pm.
The details of the funeral are being finalised.
“The family conveys their heartfelt gratitude for the support they received from family, friends and the community. May his soul rest in peace,” Raees Deedat said.
Also breaking the news via his official Facebook page on Friday, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi called on the South African government to bring the evil perpetrator to justice.
According to Sheikh Qadhi, “Inna lillah wa inna ilayhi raji’ūn. Yusuf Deedat, son of Ahmed Deedat, just succumbed to his wounds and passed away.
“I strongly urge the South African authorities to find the murderer who did this heinous deed and bring him to justice in this world – and as for the ultimate Justice, that will be meted out on Judgment Day.
“May Allah grant Yusuf Deedat the status of a shahīd, and forgive his sins and exalt his ranks, and give sabr to his family!,” he prayed.
Meanwhile, it is not known what the late Deedat was doing at court when he was shot.
The director of private security company Reaction Unit South Africa, Prem Balram, said a man simply walked up to Deedat, shot him, and fled to a vehicle parked along Groom Street. “On arrival, the victim was found lying face down on the pavement,” said Balram.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said Deedat was walking with his wife when he was shot. Mbele said the motive for the shooting was not known. She confirmed the suspect was still on the run.
The chairperson of the Imam Hussein mosque in Verulam, Azad Seedat, paid tribute to Deedat, who he’s known for 30 years, describing him as a wonderful person.
“He got along with everybody. He visited our mosque and supported us during our time of need. We are shocked at what transpired,” Seedat said.
A former neighbour of Deedat’s, Sharmaine Sewshanker, said he was a well-known community activist who was always willing to help. “He never turned anybody away that pitched up at his door for assistance. He always went the extra mile,” she said.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian Airlines will start constructing a new $5 billion airport later this year, its chief executive officer was quoted as saying on Wednesday, as the rapidly-expanding carrier outgrows capacity at its current base in Addis Ababa.