Michael Jackson, the King of the Pop, was “KILLED” by the US prosecutor when he chose to�humiliate him by being naked photographed before being dragged through the courts.

Or what would you as a reader call what happened to Michael Jackson, a star and King of Pop music being character assassinated and tainted, now slain-looking though alive and pushed to a corner?

We say he was killed because he has since not managed to come back and meet the needs of his fans after winning the case having been accused of having sex with boys he had visiting in his bedroom.

Michael Jackson, like we see�now with� OJ Simpson being “KILLED” slowly had to be reduced to a nothing by the system that was angered to see him flourish and become an icon representing the Black people in the US.

This should serve as a warning to the blacks in the US. You make yourself popular and an icon, expect anything to happen to you at any time.�Some are forced to undergo psychological murder like it happened to Mike Tyson, having been terrorised by prosecutors who managed to jail him reducing him to a lame duck and no more black boxing icon.

When somebody is psychologically killed or murdered, they cease to exist living because they are dead, and yet when we compare Michael Jackson’s type of killing or murder, it is not far from a true killing and murder because of the psychological fights he has to overcome in order to live a day at a time and not have the ability to perform for his loving fans.

When a system decides a person is guilty even before having faced the courts and the media branding such icons as molesters, it leaves scars in the person’s life and it is only the strong that will manage to come back and live a normal life.

Since it is not the real type of physical elimination, we of course will not send any condolences, but it is important to bring this type of silent psychological killings and murders to light so that those in the risk zone may take the necessary precautions in order to avoid being caught in the prosecution net.

By Chief Editor Korir

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo

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The majority of Ugandans consulted in the on-going public hearings by members of the East African Legislative Assembly have totally rejected foreign ownership of land by citizens from other East African states, a position that has also been articulated by Tanzania.

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The Ugandans say that consultations on land in the on-going Common Market negotiations should be suspend until the region has formed a political union.

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�We have to move very slowly on land issue process of different tenure system and legal regimes in the region. Let us wait until after the political federation, then we can talk about land�.

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��the land issue is very sensitive and crucial within Uganda and Tanzania. There is no need to rush, said a Ugandan Legislator John Arupa Kgyagi during a recent public hearing conducted in Mbarara Town.

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The Ugandans according to the analysts would force partner states within the East African Community (EAC) back to drawing board since technocrats from the five capitals have already recommended in the draft common market proposed that land as a prime factor of production should be available to East Africans for ownership on equal terms.

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Mr. Clement Kandole, the District Commissioner for Mbarara who has been involved in the negotiations between Uganda and Tanzania after he later expelled thousands of Ugandans and Rwandese from the country, also did not mince words about the protocol

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�If Tanzania is concerned about land, why cant we go slow, Mr. Kondole said. They harbor quite suspicions about our people (occupying Tanzania) when we are talking about slow tracking, they track about comprehensively, look at the underlying factors. Let us first build consensus in the region, said Mr. Kandole.

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Uganda is currently reviewing its land laws to stop end massive evictions experienced in the past, which ignited violent conflicts between tenants and land lords who acquired huge chunks of land as colonial tenure. It is suspected that the view held by Ugandans on land is pegged on their experiences in these violent land clashes.

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This development reinforces a sharp split between the partner states that emerged� since the common market negotiations kicked off.

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Tanzania has been viewed by other EAC members as a stumbling block to the negotiation process due to its apparent refusal to agree with other partner states on a critical provision of the draft protocol such as free movement of persons, rights of establishment and residence, and permanent residence.

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Dr. Kaula added that Tanzania had attended the next meeting held in Nairobi where it made known its stand on the proceedings from the Kigali meeting.

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In all regional meetings held in Kigali, Bujumbura, Nairobi, and Kampala and recently in Zanzibar, the Tanzanians have either stayed away or flatly rejected the proposals to consolidate the fore economies into one giant regional economy.

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However, all the disagreements have been exhibited at the technical level of negotiations. This was one of the major reasons the East African Legislative Assembly Launched parallel consultations to collect the views on the public on the common market negotiation.

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Meanwhile Tanzanians has detected itself saying its track records in the on going regional integration process again of allegation that is delaying negotiation of the East Africa Common Market protocol, saying it is nearly putting the interest if its Citizen interests.

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Tanzanians Minister for East African Affairs and Corporation Dr Diodorous Kamala explained �I have told our expert involved in the negotiation to be very conscious before they sign anything that may go against our national interest�

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The Minister emphatically cleared that Tanzanians would only sign agreement and treaties that safeguard its national Interest

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�These are very technical issues hat needs careful consideration,� said the Minister.

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Dr Kamala took a swipe at people who were �ignoring the facts on the ground� while accusing the country of delaying the whole process.

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�It is surprising to hear these allegations� because the common market negotiation should have started in 2006 when consultant should have started in 2006, when a consultant was to study a protocol: However, talks only got underway in August 2007>when the model was presented,� Dr Kamala told a Nairobi publication the EAST AFRICA.

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Clarifying the chronology� of the events, Dr Kamala said that the discussion were further delayed when Uganda wrote a letter to the secretariat to deter the talks as they were preparing rot the common wealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM)

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The political crisis in Kenya also complicated matters and added to the delay as many more meetings were deterred. And when the next meeting was prepared, Tanzanians was posting the8th Leon Sullivan�s summit and so we wrote to the EPC secretariat requesting a postponement, that they (secretariat) claimed no to have received the letter and went head and convened the meeting in Kigali/Rwanda which ended up been consulted meeting because one member, Tanzania was missing, �Dr Kamala said�

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According to the laid down rule a quorum for any substantial meeting of the EPC requires the attendant of all partner states.�

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In essence if you look at the whole scenario, Tanzania has in no way delayed the discussions because most of the issues were highly technical and needed time to conclude.. even th4e experts tasked with the work have said it is bigger and tougher than they had anticipated� said Dr. Kamala.

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Dr. Kawola had made similar statements at a recent public hearing on the EAC common market protocol in Zanzibar, where he alleged that there was a lot of �hypocrisy� and �selfishness� in the way the integration process was being conducted. He said that even the Zanzibar hearing, the EAC Secretariat asked for more time.

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The public hearing session in Dar-es-salaam follows similar forums conducted in Kigali, Nairobi, Bujumbura, Zanzibar and Kampala.

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The Minister disclosed that the EAC Secretariat was in the process of engaging a consultant who would study how the service industry could be liberalized. The protocol on its own isn�t enough because there are schedules involved. Imagine, the schedule on goods �took four years to complete. Now we have those on labor, capital and services.

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Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

KENYA: For many, home is still where the tent is

Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN

An IDP constructs his shelter in this file photo: Thousands of Kenyans remain displaced a year after election-related violence forced around half a million people to flee their homes, according to humanitarian sources

NAIROBI, 2 January 2009 (IRIN) – Many thousands of Kenyans remain displaced a year after election-related violence forced around half a million people to flee their homes, according to humanitarian sources.

�Despite government claims that the vast majority of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home or been resettled, civil society and media sources report that hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced as a result of election-related violence, security operations, inter-clan conflicts over resources, and activities of militia groups in some parts of the country,� according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), a project of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“While widespread violence has ended, and the political situation has greatly improved during 2008 (thanks partly to international pressure), displacement has continued on a smaller scale in different parts of the country due to ethnic conflicts over water resources and the government�s response to these conflicts, and due to a government operation against the Sabaot Land Defence Force in the Mount Elgon region of Western Kenya,” the IDMC said.

According to the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), the lead agency appointed by the government to coordinate humanitarian response during the post-election violence, at least 110,000 IDPs are still in so-called �transit� sites, mainly in Rift Valley Province, which bore the brunt of the chaos that erupted following the disputed presidential election in late December 2007.

Poor sanitation

In an overview of Kenya�s IDP situation the UN�s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted: �Many of the transit sites lack basic services, including adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as access to schools and health facilities.

�Food assistance is currently being provided on a monthly basis by WFP (World Food Programme) and the KRCS to IDPs in transit sites through established food distribution points. The continuous movement of IDPs and the dispersed nature of the transit sites is presenting challenges to adequate service provision and the humanitarian community is also focusing on conflict-sensitive investment in areas of return to help ensure that returns are sustainable,� the OCHA report said.

Titus Mung’ou, the acting communications manager for KRCS, told IRIN that construction of shelters for IDPs waiting to return home would be the main challenge in 2009.

Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN

An IDP camp in the Rift Valley province – file photo

“Some of the displaced are not sure that adequate reconciliation and peace efforts have taken place for them to return to their homes,� he added.

Government�s return programme

The government launched an IDP return programme, Operation Rudi Nyumbani (return home), in May 2008, and according to the IDMC, put pressure on IDPs to leave camps by cutting off essential services such as water.

“The programme also failed to meet standards set out in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as it did not establish the conditions for voluntary and safe return, for example by informing people of the security situation in areas of return or by undertaking reconciliation initiatives” IDMC said.

Mount Elgon

Regarding displacement not related to the post-election violence, the IDMC said up to 45,000 people were displaced in the Mount Elgon area of Western Province from 2006 to December 2007 by a combination of fighting between communities and between government security forces and a militia group called the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF).

“In Mount Elgon, security operations by the government against the SLDF have continued to lead to loss of lives and livelihoods and displaced thousands of people,” the Centre said.

js/am/cb source.www.irinnews.org

SENEGAL: Scores flee town after riot over living conditions

Photo: IRIN

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DAKAR, 2 January 2009 (IRIN) – Scores of youths are hiding in the bush near the town of K�dougou, southeastern Senegal, having fled following riots and mass arrests by police.

�Many, many youths are still hiding in the bush, living and sleeping under the trees,� said a man in K�dougou who did not want to be named. He said he spent two days among the displaced. �They are afraid to return.�

A Senegal-based human rights group, RADDHO, has said security forces wrongfully arrested and �tortured� citizens after protests over poor living conditions in the mining region turned violent.

In a 28 December communiqu�, RADDHO said the unrest in K�dougou – some 700km from the capital Dakar – mirrored problems in most mineral-rich areas of Africa. �Everyone knows that in Africa mining resources become threats to peace and security.� RADDHO is calling for talks among the authorities, political parties, civil society and mining companies to ensure that local residents benefit from mineral resources.

On 23 December youths took to the streets of K�dougou, the main city in the region of the same name, to demonstrate over what residents say are longstanding grievances. Residents told IRIN K�dougou�s population is marginalised by the government, and young people are consistently passed over for jobs linked to gold-mining operations.

When the march turned violent, demonstrators torched several government buildings, witnesses said. Residents told IRIN early in the march youths damaged government property but that it was when forces opened fire that demonstrators began widespread vandalism. A 30-year-old man�- who witnesses say was�not among the protesters -�died from a gunshot wound.

In a 24 December�communiqu� the Senegalese information ministry said the government is investigating the events.�The government regrets the loss of life and presents its condolences to families affected, and “is committed to get to the bottom of these events, in a spirit of transparency and justice”, the statement said.

The�communiqu� said 23 demonstrators, 10 gendarmes and two soldiers were wounded.

Authorities said several weapons went missing during the riot, and in the days that followed police began searching homes and making arrests.

Beaten

One man told IRIN he was arrested while at home eating with family members; he said he was beaten before being released hours later.�

The 40-year-old�said gendarmes entered the home and asked for someone by name, becoming agitated when the family said the person was not there. �At one point I stood up to do something in the next room, and they grabbed me by the collar, saying I had no right to get up.��

The man said�he was beaten during several hours in detention. �They hit me on my face, my neck – all over. They struck my feet to force me to the ground. One of them stood on my chest� They poured hot water on my face and chest. They hit me with a rifle butt.�

�They were saying: �We�re going to kill you.��

When arrests began scores of youths fled the town,�according to the�man who spent two days in the bush with other displaced youths.

�Those carrying out the arrests were not worried about who the people were or whether they were guilty of anything,” he said.

He said the young people in the bush were living mostly on bread and�cookies brought to them by�people in the town of K�dougou or nearby villages. The man said several�young men�had crossed the nearby border into Guinea.

Fear

Residents of K�dougou told IRIN that as of 1 January life was slowly returning to normal but people were afraid – particularly those whose relatives were still in detention. The 26 people reportedly arrested were taken to the neighbouring region, Tambacounda, as the judicial facilities in K�dougou had been destroyed.

National gendarmerie spokesperson Daouda Diop told IRIN the authorities carried out their work in K�dougou �by the book, in conformity with the law�. He said: �Searches are taking place according to the rules and with the consent of the people on the premises.� He added: �It is normal that we search for [these missing] arms to assure public security.�

On the charges of human rights violations he said: �I would ask that these organisations [making the charges] go to the site in question, K�dougou, 700km from Dakar, to see for themselves what�s going on.�

The Information Ministry in its�communiqu� said the government is pleased with�the involvement of religious and community leaders, youths and�authorities in working to restore calm.

np/sab/cb source.www.irinnews.org

SWAZILAND: Justice Dube,”I am just doing what my forefathers did”

Photo: James Hall/IRIN

Justice Dube, a former mechanic forced to return to his roots

MBABANE, 2 January 2009 (IRIN) – Justice Dube, 35, was forced to return to his roots when the company he worked for as a mechanic shut down recently. He has taken up cultivating the family farm 100km northeast of Mbabane to support his young family. Coping with the sky-high cost of fertilizer was his main obstacle, until he turned to traditional practices.

�Fertilizer was too expensive before. But now it costs double what it did last year, if you can get it. But I�m not looking because I can�t afford even the old price. If I was farming last year I would be doing like I am now: I am using substitutes for the chemical fertilizer you buy at the wholesalers� I am just doing what my forefathers did.

�My family – my uncles, my father, and my cousins – we all have some cattle and we collect the dung they leave in our kraals. It�s our fertilizer. I also get some dung from Nxumalo, my neighbour. I barter for it. I fix Nxumalo�s car and he gives me fertilizer.

�I am also making fertilizer from the chicken droppings. The children collect the droppings and we burn them on a metal sheet over the fire. It is like burning roots to make traditional medicines. The charcoal that�s left we use to fertilize our vegetable garden.

�Water is a problem. We collect rainwater in basins and it has been raining this summer. The stream is far. The children go there with the wheelbarrow and fill up jugs. It�s a lot of work if you are watering a vegetable garden. That garden is important for us because now that I am out of work we must survive on what we produce ourselves.

�I try not to worry about the future, but I do everything I can to see that my family has everything we need. You thatch your own huts, and do other things, not alone but with the adults and older children of your greater family and the neighbours. You help them and they help you. You try to be self-reliant. Africans are like that. We are all in it together�.

jh/jk/cb source.www.irinnews.org