Kagame Clean Sweep Loading - With the backing of now 7 political parties, It’s looking like another term for President Kagame is pretty much secured, come the elections in July. And with that, Rwandan positions on neighbors like Burundi, DRC and Uganda will most likely remain the same.

Another one bites the dust? Puntland, one of the semi - autonomous states that make up Somalia, has announced that they do not recognize the Somali Federal Government, and will continue to operate independently until reforms suggested by the federal government are approved by the Somali people through a referendum. With the Somaliland - Ethiopia collab still ruffling feathers, Hassan Sheikh Mohamed must be having a tough time keeping his house in order.

Free money!  Everyone is calling the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia episode a “glitch.” The Boys at Mob Jazz posed every conspiracy theorist favorite question; what if it was an inside job?😂

Uri🕵🏾

Q1 has been quite a ride for the region!

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

You think you will scare us with big words 🌚

Uri🕵🏾

😂😂😂😂

Uri🕵🏾

No but for real though, I’ll keep on saying, we picked an interesting time to do this newsletter.

Uri🕵🏾

Our last issue touched on the risk of unresolved conflict on the horizon. It is sad to see that there hasn’t been much success in avoiding all out war.  Civil war rages on in Sudan and in the DRC. All efforts to bring the two sides to a negotiating table in Khartoum have so far been unsuccessful. In Congo, the M23 rebels are on the doorstep of Goma - the biggest city in Eastern DRC. And more and more people are being displaced. The UN estimate puts that number at about 7.1 million people.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

On the bright side though, there seems to be a willingness to squash the beef between DRC and Rwanda. Tshisekedi announced that there would be talks with Kagame in Kinshasa “soon”. Hopefully it manifests in something real. The two have so much to gain from working together. 

Uri🕵🏾

Meanwhile in Arusha, there was a shake - up at the top of the EAC leadership. Dr. Peter Mathuki was recalled from office by Ruto. I saw some reporting by NTV that revealed that EAC MPs accused him of being corrupt.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

And despite those allegations, There was no “commission of inquiry.” No investigations. Instead, he was shipped off to Moscow as the new Russian ambassador. Lots of slap on the wrist, “don’t do it again vibes”🤔

Uri🕵🏾

And then there was this;

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

This one really rocked up the airwaves😂 

Uri🕵🏾

Man, that pic is highly charged! From the tension that was cooking between UG and KE over oil routes, and then of course the massive rivalry between Ruto and Raila, no wonder it was such a surprise to see them all together.

Uri🕵🏾

The meeting was supposedly to allow Museveni and Ruto to talk oil, and also for the three to discuss backing Raila for his African Union Chairmanship campaign.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

Sometimes I wonder what a post-Museveni East Africa would look like. He has arguably been the strongest supporter for regional collaboration. And regional leaders see him as a key part of any regional mobilization. Explains why Raila would seek out his endorsement

Uri🕵🏾

Raila’s chairmanship would really thrust East Africa to the forefront of African geopolitics. I figured it would be a collective push from the region, but Somalia’s ex foreign minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam has also thrown her hat in the ring. May the best person win.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

We can’t forget the bombshell of the Ethiopia  - Somaliland MOU in this recap

Uri🕵🏾

Yes! We gave an overview of this in our last issue, but I couldn’t help but feel that there was some nuance we weren't aware off, especially given our research into these matters is still largely from secondary sources.

Uri🕵🏾

Luckily, I met someone who might be just what we need to give us some more context. Maya is a journalist based in Ethiopia. We met in Nairobi and she has some experience in covering Ethiopia’s relations with Somalia.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

Dope! Can we add her to the chat?

Uri🕵🏾

Way ahead of you

Uri🕵🏾

Hey Maya!

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

Hey Uri. And nice to meet you Malcolm!

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

Nice to meet you as well Maya! If you are ever in Kampala, don’t hesitate to have us show you around.

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

Right back at you, if you are ever in Addis.🤝🏾

Uri🕵🏾

So Maya, I was just telling Malcolm about how it would be dope if you could give us some context on the relationship between Ethiopians and Somalis, especially given the whole Somaliland situation.

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

I think it’s important to note that the people have a shared history. Ethiopia is divided into various states, and one of them, on the border with Somalia, is actually called Somali. There was a conflict though, over the border dispute in the 1960s, but the two communities continue to live side by side.

Malcolm👨🏽‍⚖️

Ooh interesting. And what does the word on the street look like according to you between the two communities?

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

TBH, I wouldn't say that the Somaliland - Ethiopia is a topic of everyday conversation, at least not in my spaces

Uri🕵🏾

And how much of the conversation is shaped by what the news in Ethiopia is saying? Does the media actually cover the subject?

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

Yes, particularly State run media like EBC. There are documentaries I've seen running on TV speaking to Ethiopia’s plans and needs for Red Sea access.

Uri🕵🏾

Would you say that’s by default? Like, is the media landscape restricted to being in line with the government narrative?

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

The media landscape is diverse; it is possible to have dissenting opinions, but significant resources still lie with the state media.

Uri🕵🏾

Also, while we have you, what’s the deal with this bank story? I heard that university students in Addis were withdrawing free money!

Maya🕵🏽‍♀️

It's a wild one. A “glitch” in the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s internal system allowed customers to withdraw and transfer very large amounts of cash that they did not have The bank has since both politely and threateningly asked the people who took money to return it.The even released the names of these customers to shame them into returning the money💀 Questionable approach to data privacy rights, I’d say.