REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS:

Lovely, meanwhile we can buy from our western neighbor. Good news foe EAC/Kenyana:-
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Kenya-to-start-oil-production-in-six-years/-/539552/1766782/-/d7snd0/-/index.html

Seems like we have seen this movie before. And instead of myoping of "we-are-considering", why don't they just admit that the dang things are somewhere around Tel Aviv undergoing final Testing? Someone should tell these people that the World isn't full of such insignificant-intellectuals to be dragged around in circles Innocently-forced to buy such BS, not anymore.

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/world/US-reconsidering-whether-to-arm-Syria-rebels/-/1068/1840166/-/n9qthu/-/index.html/

GOSS really needs to do something.the number of people from neighboring nations being killed within their borders is simply too much.in the past few weeks Kenyans, Ugandans & now Sudanese have been killed.they have to assure traders that it's safe to do business with them

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Eleven-Sudanese-traders-shot-dead-by-gunmen-in-South-Sudan/-/1066/1840160/-/d62j86/-/index.html

mchoraji wrote:GOSS really needs to do something.the number of people from neighboring nations being killed within their borders is simply too much.in the past few weeks Kenyans, Ugandans & now Sudanese have been killed.they have to assure traders that it's safe to do business with them

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Eleven-Sudanese-traders-shot-dead-by-gunmen-in-South-Sudan/-/1066/1840160/-/d62j86/-/index.html

These people have very little regard for human life. Most grew up in war hence it is normal for them to kill even on the slightest provocation. Their government must rein in on them if it is serious of attracting foreign direct investment which is vital for their development. Short of that, these fools might just have to remain in stone age for the foreseeable future.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/06/302193/nigerian-fighter-jet-crashes-in-niger/

mchoraji wrote:http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/06/302193/nigerian-fighter-jet-crashes-in-niger/

It appears they have alpha jets in their fleet. Kenya used to have those ones too if my memory serves me right. What happened to them?

Fabrizio wrote:

mchoraji wrote:http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/06/302193/nigerian-fighter-jet-crashes-in-niger/

It appears they have alpha jets in their fleet. Kenya used to have those ones too if my memory serves me right. What happened to them?

No, for Kenya i think they were the BAE Hawks. They are either in storage or retired.

This probably what you meant @ Fabrizio:-



It is the BAE Hawk.

And below is the Alpha jet. They almost resemble.

Bw. ON is this a warning shot before the intervention force lands in theater? seems so to me.
Note the kids in the photo saluting the blue helmets

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/09/302546/pakistani-peacekeeper-killed-in-congo-un/

A Ugandan journalist working for The London Evening post has reason to believe that Cameron did everything in his power to avoid a photo of him with Ole Man and Kenyatta.

The story was picked up by Kenya-today.com here. If I didn't know better, I would also be offended, but they have internal politics and a really strong civil society lobby so I'll cut him some slack.

Spartan wrote:A Ugandan journalist working for The London Evening post has reason to believe that Cameron did everything in his power to avoid a photo of him with Ole Man and Kenyatta.

The story was picked up by Kenya-today.com here. If I didn't know better, I would also be offended, but they have internal politics and a really strong civil society lobby so I'll cut him some slack.

A very sad state of affairs. The semblance of peace currently prevailing in Somalia is largely as a result of sacrifices made by East African countries. To snub our leaders in this manner is not only in bad taste, but arrogant. There cannot be a Somalia government without the presence of our troops. It is Britain who invited these leaders. Next time they should probably give such invites a wide berth. We can do with our own conferences in East Africa. Why indeed should our leaders travel thousands of kilometers away to discuss Somalia which is just next door? Why can't we discuss the same in Nairobi, Kampala, Addis or even in Dar?

This was in Kivu South where the M23 doesn't have presence. Negative Forces there are unlike the ideologically motivated and better regimented Rebels in North Kivu and Ituri, really being local bandits masqueraded as Tribal Militia. From the on-site reports I've seen it is undoubtable the insolence of the lazy Pakistani Blue Helmets resulted in this contact going badly for them. I see no congent collation between this one incident and the dangerous military/civil preparations in North Kivu to outclass & outlast SADC's adventure in that Sector.

Any Uniform that looks at this SADC jaunt in the DRC is aghast with incredible stupidity of this insertion. There is just not one Military nor Political sense in it. A fact that the Ole Lion M7 told the UNSC in hos typical crisp and unflinching manner. Now, only the South Africans and Tanzanians are sold to this birdbrained concept - and both of them for all the wrong reasons. Because Iam not allowed to splash the dirt that lands on my desk, lemme share this well researched and written article by an Ugandan Journalist (no doubt fed delicate tasty morsels by the Ole Lion's Army Intelligence!) on the dangerous cauldron seething with violent explosive expectations in North Kivu / Ituri. Enjoy.
http://www.independent.co.ug/cover-story/7583-how-dr-congo-conflict-could-ignite-regional-war

mchoraji wrote:Bw. ON is this a warning shot before the intervention force lands in theater? seems so to me.
Note the kids in the photo saluting the blue helmets

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/09/302546/pakistani-peacekeeper-killed-in-congo-un/

Interesting how deep these "Evil Society" is embedded with Western Media Houses. But this was really not unexpected after the spectacular failure to generate controversy in Europe with that "..invite a criminal president..." and Maina Kia inability to find a mob for hire to picket the C-in-C London entrance.

There was a follow up BBC interview of Cameron where Innocent-until-proven-guilty was rammed down forcefully down Media Throats bila maji!

The London Conference was at risk of failure when IGAD instigated by the Ole Lion collectively refused to attend without Uhuru - not even Djibouti was induced by British chocolate of their support for the intended Infrastructure Bond listing! Do Cameron dispatch Sheikh to Mombasa to plead Uhuru attendance. Uhuru insistent he would only if Cameron made the invitation directly and through established diplomatic format.and that was the last breathe of the mongrel HCC Turner named "Essential Contacts".

Then Uhuru, Ethiopia PM and the Ole Lion threw down the gauntlet without blinking - no parallel initiatives in Somalia would be accepted nor tolerated by IGAD/EAC! None! Do you expect Johnny to be happy being outsmarted by Kenyana? People need to see this renewed Mzungu interest in the Horn of Africa without wearing blinkers, aiseeei!

Spartan wrote:A Ugandan journalist working for The London Evening post has reason to believe that Cameron did everything in his power to avoid a photo of him with Ole Man and Kenyatta.

The story was picked up by Kenya-today.com here. If I didn't know better, I would also be offended, but they have internal politics and a really strong civil society lobby so I'll cut him some slack.

ole Nkarei wrote:Then Uhuru, Ethiopia PM and the Ole Lion threw down the gauntlet without blinking - no parallel initiatives in Somalia would be accepted nor tolerated by IGAD/EAC! None! Do you expect Johnny to be happy being outsmarted by Kenyana? People need to see this renewed Mzungu interest in the Horn of Africa without wearing blinkers, aiseeei!

I am beginning to see events that are going to determine the diplomatic outlook and alignment of the EAC take shape:

1. The insertion of the 'Neutral' Intervention Force into the DRC: If the M23 come out on top Tz may never forgive what they see as the invisible hand of Rwanda, and who knows, Uganda.

2. The reduction of aid, or in some cases total removal of aid to Uganda and Rwanda, blamed on corruption in Uganda and support for M23 in Rwanda. This happening while China is ramping up financing of major infrastructure projects in Kenyana generally, while Uganda and Rwanda are discovering that there is freedom and true uhuru when one finances their own budget.

3. The capitulation of western governments to western civil society belief that Kenyatta and Ruto are guilty of crimes against humanity (never mind that they're supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty).

@ole Nkarei, although the article by Andrew Mwenda, you will agree with me, is mostly factual and well informed (I admit I hadn't read it), he is closer to Kigali than he is to the establishment in Kampala. The Rwanda diaspora believes he's in the Tall Thin One's pocket, and have said and published as much. There's actually a requisition from Independent Publications that's been bandied around on the net by his detractors to lend credence to those theories.

A very informative article here of how "Evil Society" (common Mwananchi) envisions Kenyana Geopolitically and Diplomatically, although, to me, the chap generally missed the point. Very true.

http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/DN2/Provocative-neighbours/-/957860/1846886/-/item/1/-/695lss/-/index.html/

Saw yesternight's News-bulleting of the Gov't technocrats' vetting & heard the State Secretary of Defence tell the vetters that "She-is-not-intimidated-by-Generals"!! I thought TEA Uniforms were such intimidating, but again, I could be wrong.

@Al Bashir, Usipotee tena bwana. Keep the flame alit!

Will revert back to give my take on this Kivu/Ituri maneno.

http://freebongo.blogspot.com/2013/05/wanajeshi-wengine-waagwa-kwenda.html

There we go.hope it ends well.Meanwhile SANDF was conducting some exercises & hyping it all over.show of force maybe.I'l sit back see how it plays out

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/09/us-safrica-military-idUSBRE9480SN20130509

mchoraji wrote:There we go.hope it ends well.Meanwhile SANDF was conducting some exercises & hyping it all over.show of force maybe.I'l sit back see how it plays out

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/09/us-safrica-military-idUSBRE9480SN20130509

So they're taking Rooivalks and Hawk M2's, good for for them. The Rooivalk looks impressive in training, it's time it faced real action. But why do I feel like I am rooting for the M23? I mean, just a little. Maybe it's coz I believe South Africa and Tanzania believe they're actually taking on Rwanda and to some extent Uganda by going after the M23.

I guess I'll get over this feeling and fall in line with everyone else who thinks without M23, the DRC will have solved all its problems.

Airpower may not be the game changer the Boers believe it will be because; 1) MONUSCO employed the use of attack choppers without much success. 2) Ituri and East DRC is mountainous, heavily forested and most importantly, has mist most of the time (remember Gorillas in The Mist) in the areas the rebels call home. DRC has the worst air safety record I beleive in the world, and more than half of its accidents occur in the East. 3) The M23 are very ideological and believe they are facing an existential threat because they're Tutsi.

The M23 has employed many techniques first used by NRA and later RPF (unsurprisingly), which I generally refer to collectively as 'Low Budget Warfare'. Move undetected, on foot, preferably at night and force the enemy into very close quarter combat where his superior equipment is of no use. This is exactly what they're likely to do. It is highly EFFECTIVE way of fighting because many times, the enemy will withdraw with only what he can carry on his person, gifting you equipment and ammunition. Lets wait and see.

It isn't that anyone is rooting for the M23. And it is certainly correct the SADF sees themselves going in after a belligerant interfering external State-player and not indigenous rebellious highly motivated and organised Citizens of the DRC with an obvious Samsonite Complex. To Nzuma and Kikwete, it is the Old Lion and Kagame they will be facing - without the full force of their Military ability. What delusions! If the UPDF or even the smaller less equipped RDF was involved in Kivu, not even the entire pampared SANDF with the Proletarian TPDF fully mobilised would put a toe inside KIVU!

Hello Gumships on a mountainous theatre such as Kivu would be decisively functional against Armour and Large Infantry formation and Arty Batteries. Now, against the unique organisation of the M23 which I personally observed last month, a squad behind every hill with a couple of basic Manpads and one Chain Gun or a very rudimentary .50 Calibre SAW on a tripod - only an idiot will send the Heliios in. Not for CAS. Not for Troop Insertions or dispersals. Probably for CASEVACS with a Red-Cross emblem brazenly painted on the fuselage?! Take out a full Team of Hellos in a couple of engagements and ....

Kenyana has demanded Observer-status with a front seat. We will continue to have elements of the 30th in Theatre. And so will Spartan's SpeOps Command. Just watching!

Spartan wrote:

mchoraji wrote:There we go.hope it ends well.Meanwhile SANDF was conducting some exercises & hyping it all over.show of force maybe.I'l sit back see how it plays out

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/09/us-safrica-military-idUSBRE9480SN20130509

So they're taking Rooivalks and Hawk M2's, good for for them. The Rooivalk looks impressive in training, it's time it faced real action. But why do I feel like I am rooting for the M23? I mean, just a little. Maybe it's coz I believe South Africa and Tanzania believe they're actually taking on Rwanda and to some extent Uganda by going after the M23.

I guess I'll get over this feeling and fall in line with everyone else who thinks without M23, the DRC will have solved all its problems.

Airpower may not be the game changer the Boers believe it will be because; 1) MONUSCO employed the use of attack choppers without much success. 2) Ituri and East DRC is mountainous, heavily forested and most importantly, has mist most of the time (remember Gorillas in The Mist) in the areas the rebels call home. DRC has the worst air safety record I beleive in the world, and more than half of its accidents occur in the East. 3) The M23 are very ideological and believe they are facing an existential threat because they're Tutsi.

The M23 has employed many techniques first used by NRA and later RPF (unsurprisingly), which I generally refer to collectively as 'Low Budget Warfare'. Move undetected, on foot, preferably at night and force the enemy into very close quarter combat where his superior equipment is of no use. This is exactly what they're likely to do. It is highly EFFECTIVE way of fighting because many times, the enemy will withdraw with only what he can carry on his person, gifting you equipment and ammunition. Lets wait and see.

As for mimi i am under no obligation whatsoever to be politically correct. I'm firmly behind M23 in this. Here's why-
1. If this mission is successful it may usher in a new era of American style African intervention by forces seeking to control the economies of target regions. I am particularly uncomfortable about South Africa because they represent an extension of the same colonialist European mindsets that believe Africa is the farm complete with workers.
2. Should this succeed, Tanzania would be under absolutely no obligation to tow the E.A.C line. This makes me very very uncomfortable as having a neighbour the size of Tanzania this close to my country's borders openly going to bed with people who do not represent the best interest of my nation is dangerous. Tanzania (from my experience) is a nation with a very bad case of inferiority complex. They conceal a dangerous phobia of Kenyans behind the 'Mambo vipi blaza'. This country makes me very very uncomfortable.
3. If E.A.C looses eastern D.R.C the collective future of our economies looks bleak. We must have this cake and eat it.

My opinion of these numerous regional conflicts we periodically try to quell is this, GET THE ARMS SMUGGLERS. These are the people giving us a headache and not the rebels themselves. Most of the time, u find one arms smuggler supplying his/her merchandise to 3 or 4 rebel groups with a region. If we bomb the rebel armories then hit the smugglers as they come back to re-supply, than should put enough risk into the business to push up the price of arms so high that only very serious rebels would want to take the risk of arming. It is useless trying disarmament or going to war with them when in some areas the price of a Kalashnikov goes for as much as a goat.

jasiri wrote:As for mimi i am under no obligation whatsoever to be politically correct. I'm firmly behind M23 in this. Here's why-
1. If this mission is successful it may usher in a new era of American style African intervention by forces seeking to control the economies of target regions. I am particularly uncomfortable about South Africa because they represent an extension of the same colonialist European mindsets that believe Africa is the farm complete with workers.
2. Should this succeed, Tanzania would be under absolutely no obligation to tow the E.A.C line. This makes me very very uncomfortable as having a neighbour the size of Tanzania this close to my country's borders openly going to bed with people who do not represent the best interest of my nation is dangerous. Tanzania (from my experience) is a nation with a very bad case of inferiority complex. They conceal a dangerous phobia of Kenyans behind the 'Mambo vipi blaza'. This country makes me very very uncomfortable.
3. If E.A.C looses eastern D.R.C the collective future of our economies looks bleak. We must have this cake and eat it.

My opinion of these numerous regional conflicts we periodically try to quell is this, GET THE ARMS SMUGGLERS. These are the people giving us a headache and not the rebels themselves. Most of the time, u find one arms smuggler supplying his/her merchandise to 3 or 4 rebel groups with a region. If we bomb the rebel armories then hit the smugglers as they come back to re-supply, than should put enough risk into the business to push up the price of arms so high that only very serious rebels would want to take the risk of arming. It is useless trying disarmament or going to war with them when in some areas the price of a Kalashnikov goes for as much as a goat.

I like it when you fire on all cylinders, bro. I am reliably informed that the 'new fighter jets' that arrived in Uganda and touched off a storm in the press are 3 South African attack helios and four Gripen fighter jets. The jets flew in with laden with IRIS-T air-to-air missiles and long range flight tanks from Waterkloof Air Force Base, refueled at Ndola Airport before continuing onward to Ebbe. Entebbe, I am told, is the forward operating base of the South African contingent of the enforcement brigade and most of the support crew will be based there. The other airport that's seen significant Boer activity is Gemena airport in the DRC where an Ilyushin-76, Antonov 24 and Hercules C-130 being used by South Africa to ferry equipment and men have been landing.

Now, I've worked with members of the SA military before and I don't know, but they easily get distracted by anything in a skirt. With their official HIV-in-the-military figure at 20% (some say it's as high as 60%), you don't want a large group of them on your turf.

Depending on how you look at it, you can say that we are lending a hand to the Boers in this adventure, and frankly, I don't like the look of it. But we should also understand that MONUSCO's logistics base is at the old airport in Entebbe. Being part of MONUSCO now, I don't think the Boers needed to even ask coz they're covered under the original agreement between Uganda and MONUSCO. All they have to do is declare the deadly equipment ahead of time.

One thing's for sure though - we will have an accurate count of the body bags.

Interesting stuff, bro. It would look like Nzuma is all set to start a major War in Kenyana, not confront irregular armed groupings in North Kivu. And his Batallion in Burundi has been refitted and reinforced to act as Ready Reserves for the other one going in North Kivu. A Hercules, a Tupelov, an Antonov . Gripens Hawks and Apache-crones. Pumas and Mil17s. All to persuade Mai Mai and the likes to be peaceful? Unsurprising that request to transit through +254 was restricted to unarmed personnel on Civilian scheduled Aircraft only.

+256 can do little to hinder this muscled arrogance from staging through the MONUSCO facility at Entebbe since the Protocols for MONUSCO's use of the facility existed and SADC cleverly hide this NIF under nominal MONUSCO Command just for this purpose!

My GOC has called for a position paper on (a)" what will the Old Lion do when refugees in thousands flood across the border when NZuma starts his rampage through North Kivu?" And (b) " probable reactions of the Tall Thin One to NIF starts dismantling and dispersing from North Kivu the Tutsi Hegemony and populations". Wanna hazard a few guesses, @Spartan?

[/quote]

I am reliably informed that the 'new fighter jets' that arrived in Uganda and touched off a storm in the press are 3 South African attack helios and four Gripen fighter jets. The jets flew in with laden with IRIS-T air-to-air missiles and long range flight tanks from Waterkloof Air Force Base, refueled at Ndola Airport before continuing onward to Ebbe. Entebbe, I am told, is the forward operating base of the South African contingent of the enforcement brigade and most of the support crew will be based there. The other airport that's seen significant Boer activity is Gemena airport in the DRC where an Ilyushin-76, Antonov 24 and Hercules C-130 being used by South Africa to ferry equipment and men have been landing.



Depending on how you look at it, you can say that we are lending a hand to the Boers in this adventure, and frankly, I don't like the look of it. But we should also understand that MONUSCO's logistics base is at the old airport in Entebbe. Being part of MONUSCO now, I don't think the Boers needed to even ask coz they're covered under the original agreement between Uganda and MONUSCO. All they have to do is declare the deadly equipment ahead of time.

One thing's for sure though - we will have an accurate count of the body bags.[/quote]

my point exactly, Tanzania will become the 'Turkey' and the rest of us will be the 'Syria'. With the resources that TZD will bring into play in 10-15 years might be a game changer and they might dictate the norm in the region. This is one of the reasons why they will frustrate the EAC union until when they are ready to say piss off. wonder what the Pres and Zuma converstion would be about. The funny thing is that the citizens of SA are not into the fiasco in Central Africa, I wonder if a few more casualties might be a game changer for the M23.

jasiri wrote:As for mimi i am under no obligation whatsoever to be politically correct. I'm firmly behind M23 in this. Here's why-
1. If this mission is successful it may usher in a new era of American style African intervention by forces seeking to control the economies of target regions. I am particularly uncomfortable about South Africa because they represent an extension of the same colonialist European mindsets that believe Africa is the farm complete with workers.
2. Should this succeed, Tanzania would be under absolutely no obligation to tow the E.A.C line. This makes me very very uncomfortable as having a neighbour the size of Tanzania this close to my country's borders openly going to bed with people who do not represent the best interest of my nation is dangerous. Tanzania (from my experience) is a nation with a very bad case of inferiority complex. They conceal a dangerous phobia of Kenyans behind the 'Mambo vipi blaza'. This country makes me very very uncomfortable.
3. If E.A.C looses eastern D.R.C the collective future of our economies looks bleak. We must have this cake and eat it.

My opinion of these numerous regional conflicts we periodically try to quell is this, GET THE ARMS SMUGGLERS. These are the people giving us a headache and not the rebels themselves. Most of the time, u find one arms smuggler supplying his/her merchandise to 3 or 4 rebel groups with a region. If we bomb the rebel armories then hit the smugglers as they come back to re-supply, than should put enough risk into the business to push up the price of arms so high that only very serious rebels would want to take the risk of arming. It is useless trying disarmament or going to war with them when in some areas the price of a Kalashnikov goes for as much as a goat.

Hold it there! That is one fecked up man, @mbs. Tz doesn't have any major Diplomatic/Geostrategic/Geopolitical role in Kenyana's Matrix, (Read @Jasiri's postulation above to see where they are currently). Kenya has been on it since the 70's- Somalia's disintegration in case, we couldn't allow a strong Somalia to thrive- & it was contained 'till present time. You can peruse through the Nairobi Chronicles, (s/one please provide the links) to see what exactly happened in the case of Soomaliya, Ris & ON detailed the info well. A broad picture of Kenya's postion on Strategic-Planning will humbly paint itself. According to you again, SA plays USA? Personally I don't give a hoot about the Zulus & their fancy misadventures. We will always keep 'em in Limbo of even the possibility of going back home.

We have a situation currently at hand to figure out. From all indications, it is true that SA will be gagging for a redemption, a bad for the locals. What about a "Kivus+M23" seccesion-group? Should we be spectators?

Hey, this going to be nasty. Some egos will be badly punctured:-
http://news.yahoo.com/south-african-military-flexes-muscles-ahead-congo-mission-183003718.html

Olekoima wrote:Hey, this going to be nasty. Some egos will be badly punctured:-
http://news.yahoo.com/south-african-military-flexes-muscles-ahead-congo-mission-183003718.html

Read this too, the writer is alive to the dangers of the planned intervention:-

http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/05/is-african-peacekeeping-mission-in-drc-doomed-to-fail/

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/05/11/303021/tanzanian-troops-arrive-in-eastern-congo/

The UN Deputy Secretary General has 'updated' former Kenyan Minister Richard Onyonka's figure of 2,700 AMISOM troops killed, by figuring that since one year has passed since that figure was raised, the new figure must now be 3,000. I think it's about time the UPDF publicised the list of dead and injured because in this era of Google,people will define you if you don't define yourself.

Aggressor One, why are we sitting on that figure, which I reckon is around 300 or thereabouts? The UN pays $100,000 for every fallen AMISOM soldier if my memory serves me right. Multiplied by this figure of 3,000 'dead' the total figure would come to $300m for a mission with a budget of $400m. What about allowances for the 17,000 who are alive? Equipment? Food? Medical treatment? Logistics and fuel?

Secondly, for every soldier killed, about three are relegated to casualty (injured). That would mean another 9,000 - 10,000 soldiers without limbs or in hospitals, which figure is unsustainable for any military. I certainly have'nt seen any spike in war injured numbers.

Unsurprisingly, the UN has had to walk back those remarks.

AMISOM, too, belatedly and unconvincingly dismissed the figure.

I ask again, what damage would be caused if we acknowledged each and every single death on such a noble cause instead of leaving it all to whoever has a computer and access to the internet?

This is the most hapless, bungling set of UN officials to ever assume office. Just last week the UN was in a simmilar faux pas when it had to walk back claims by leading UN Investigator Calra Del Ponte after she claimed that sarin was used by rebels in Syria.

Onyanka is just a rubble-rousing bus-park manamba in the mould of a political party accidentally in government. Endless preening for media attention thro senseless activism. Ignore him completely - kDoD clarified those statistics kitambo - every AMISOM Uniform's Egress & Exfil. (dead, carried-wounded, walking-wounded, alive) is processed with greater detail in several Command Centres including Nairobi than a de beers diamond sorting lab in Kimberley mines.

You cannot win that battle of propaganda-type statistics, @Spartan. The French move two mixed Brigades into Mail and lost upwards of 87men - Whitey's media trumpets total French KIA at 4! KDF move a similar force into Somalia and announce KIA calls as they happen, and Whitey declares our combat 5 men loses as untrue and scoffs at our eventual Sector KIA of 17 as bloody lies! And despite putting out in the Public the Honour's Roll, running every burial with Full Military Protocols, attendance by Corps and Doe Brass and Politico-Civilian Oversight! Doe it surprise anyone that Whitey makes such outrageously false claims of AMISOM KIA? Give up, Soldier. In any case Africans don't loudly count their children and War Dead Heroes - we sing their praise! Let's honour our Dead Heroes and not trash their sacrifice with these side-shows of Whitey!

Ama?

Spartan wrote:The UN Deputy Secretary General has 'updated' former Kenyan Minister Richard Onyonka's figure of 2,700 AMISOM troops killed, by figuring that since one year has passed since that figure was raised, the new figure must now be 3,000. I think it's about time the UPDF publicised the list of dead and injured because in this era of Google,people will define you if you don't define yourself.

Aggressor One, why are we sitting on that figure, which I reckon is around 300 or thereabouts? The UN pays $100,000 for every fallen AMISOM soldier if my memory serves me right. Multiplied by this figure of 3,000 'dead' the total figure would come to $300m for a mission with a budget of $400m. What about allowances for the 17,000 who are alive? Equipment? Food? Medical treatment? Logistics and fuel?

Secondly, for every soldier killed, about three are relegated to casualty (injured). That would mean another 9,000 - 10,000 soldiers without limbs or in hospitals, which figure is unsustainable for any military. I certainly have'nt seen any spike in war injured numbers.

Unsurprisingly, the UN has had to walk back those remarks.

AMISOM, too, belatedly and unconvincingly dismissed the figure.

I ask again, what damage would be caused if we acknowledged each and every single death on such a noble cause instead of leaving it all to whoever has a computer and access to the internet?

This is the most hapless, bungling set of UN officials to ever assume office. Just last week the UN was in a simmilar faux pas when it had to walk back claims by leading UN Investigator Calra Del Ponte after she claimed that sarin was used by rebels in Syria.

Spartan wrote:The UN Deputy Secretary General has 'updated' former Kenyan Minister Richard Onyonka's figure of 2,700 AMISOM troops killed, by figuring that since one year has passed since that figure was raised, the new figure must now be 3,000. I think it's about time the UPDF publicised the list of dead and injured because in this era of Google,people will define you if you don't define yourself.

Aggressor One, why are we sitting on that figure, which I reckon is around 300 or thereabouts? The UN pays $100,000 for every fallen AMISOM soldier if my memory serves me right. Multiplied by this figure of 3,000 'dead' the total figure would come to $300m for a mission with a budget of $400m. What about allowances for the 17,000 who are alive? Equipment? Food? Medical treatment? Logistics and fuel?

Secondly, for every soldier killed, about three are relegated to casualty (injured). That would mean another 9,000 - 10,000 soldiers without limbs or in hospitals, which figure is unsustainable for any military. I certainly have'nt seen any spike in war injured numbers.

Unsurprisingly, the UN has had to walk back those remarks.

AMISOM, too, belatedly and unconvincingly dismissed the figure.

I ask again, what damage would be caused if we acknowledged each and every single death on such a noble cause instead of leaving it all to whoever has a computer and access to the internet?

This is the most hapless, bungling set of UN officials to ever assume office. Just last week the UN was in a simmilar faux pas when it had to walk back claims by leading UN Investigator Calra Del Ponte after she claimed that sarin was used by rebels in Syria.

That figure translates into 500 KIA per year, 40+ every month and 1.5 KIA everyday. No mission, the size of AMISOM could stand such losses and then move on to chase the Kebabs out of Mogadishu and beyond. Remember that combined deployed figures stayed as around 4,500 until late 2010, so if they were dying in thousands, how then did they manage to keep control of their sector in Mogadishu? Besides, even if one can claim that the dead were replaced immediately, deploying troops to Somalia has not been easy so such scenario cannot arise.

I agree with you Spartan that we must find a way of publishing the names of the dead, may be that will settle this whole madness.

Spartan wrote:

ole Nkarei wrote:Then Uhuru, Ethiopia PM and the Ole Lion threw down the gauntlet without blinking - no parallel initiatives in Somalia would be accepted nor tolerated by IGAD/EAC! None! Do you expect Johnny to be happy being outsmarted by Kenyana? People need to see this renewed Mzungu interest in the Horn of Africa without wearing blinkers, aiseeei!

I am beginning to see events that are going to determine the diplomatic outlook and alignment of the EAC take shape:

1. The insertion of the 'Neutral' Intervention Force into the DRC: If the M23 come out on top Tz may never forgive what they see as the invisible hand of Rwanda, and who knows, Uganda.

2. The reduction of aid, or in some cases total removal of aid to Uganda and Rwanda, blamed on corruption in Uganda and support for M23 in Rwanda. This happening while China is ramping up financing of major infrastructure projects in Kenyana generally, while Uganda and Rwanda are discovering that there is freedom and true uhuru when one finances their own budget.

3. The capitulation of western governments to western civil society belief that Kenyatta and Ruto are guilty of crimes against humanity (never mind that they're supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty).

@ole Nkarei, although the article by Andrew Mwenda, you will agree with me, is mostly factual and well informed (I admit I hadn't read it), he is closer to Kigali than he is to the establishment in Kampala. The Rwanda diaspora believes he's in the Tall Thin One's pocket, and have said and published as much. There's actually a requisition from Independent Publications that's been bandied around on the net by his detractors to lend credence to those theories.

it would then be of great interest for some kenyana reps to head to malawi and talk down madam president, maybe throw in a few scary stats as per the SANDF and TZ army, even promise full support on matters the lake claimed by TZ and malawi..if the NIF does suffer the casualties as predicted by TEA forummers then madam president would cling to our word in everything else, even though she belongs southern africa direction