East African Legislative Assembly
The
Speaker, Rt Hon Daniel F. Kidega communicates to the Assembly at the
start of the Special Sitting. In the foreground is Clerk, Kenneth Madete
(left) and Senior Clerk Assistant, Stephen Mugume.
Hon Peter Mathuki, the mover of the Resolution condemning the killing of the late Hon Hafsa Mossi
A bird’s eye view of the Assembly at the Special Sitting yesterday
Hon Dora Byamukama pays tribute to the late Hon Hafsa Mossi
A section of Members at the tree-planting ceremony in honour of the late Hon Hafsa Mossi.
…Condemns killing, asks for speedy investigations
East
African Legislative Assembly, Arusha, Tanzania: July 22, 2016: It was an
emotional send-off for the late Hon Hafsa Mossi at a one-day Special
Sitting held in Arusha yesterday with EALA legislators condemning in the
strongest terms possible, the despicable, brutal and dastardly murder.
With that, the Assembly underscored the need for instituting
independent investigations by credible organization(s) to unearth the
killers of the late Hon Mossi, while remaining resolute that peace,
security and stability should be immediately restored in Burundi.
The
Resolution which condemned the killing of the fallen legislator while
paying special tribute to her, was moved by the Chair of the Committee
on Legal Rules Privileges, Hon Peter Mathuki, seconded by Hon Dora
Byamukama and supported by the entire House.
In the
foregoing, the Assembly urged the Summit of EAC Heads of State to
ensure the on-going mediation deliberations are taken seriously by all
parties.
“The
Assembly calls upon the Summit of the East African Community Heads of
State to reign in their powers and authority and take such stern
measures as to ensure that both sides in Burundi take the ongoing
mediation efforts seriously so that peace, security and stability are
restored in the said country in shortest time possible”, a section of
the Resolution read.
The
House was unanimous that the use of political assassinations or murder
as a tool to settle political differences was not only myopic, cowardly
and despicable but that it had no place in the political dispensation of
the modern world of democracy, freedom of expression and association.
In the
regard, EALA underscored the need for the Government of Burundi to put
in place security measures that ensure safety of lives and property of
all people irrespective of their political leanings.
The
Resolution notes with deep concern that a spate of targeted murders of
political leaders and politically active citizens have been realized on
both sides of the political divide since the country plunged into a
political crisis resultant from the controversial Presidential elections
held in July 2015.
The
Resolution further calls upon the EAC Secretariat to monitor, assess and
report to this Assembly at its next Plenary Sitting in August, on the
safety and security situation in Burundi.
Hon
Hafsa Mossi was gunned down by unknown assailants a week ago in
Bujumbura, Burundi. She is survived by three daughters, Nahimana
Astona, Nahimana Dada and Semanyenzi Ummu-Aiman.
Hon
Mossi was elected as a Member of EALA in 2012. At time of death, the
late Hafsa Mossi was the Chapter Chair of Members of Burundi and
Chairperson of the Assembly’s Women’s caucus.Prior to her election, the
late Hafsa Mossi, then Minister for EAC Affairs in the Republic of
Burundi since 2010, had played a critical role in Burundi’s integration
into the EAC.
The
late Mossi joined Government in 2007 then as Minister for Information,
Communication, Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson.
She was also a politician and a Member of the CNDD-FDD party in
Burundi.
She is
a former journalist and national correspondent broadcasting for the
British Broadcasting Corporation Swahili Service, having had stints in
Bujumbura and in London.
During
debate, the entire House eulogized Hon Mossi as a peace maker and said
her death was a big blow to Burundi, the Assembly and the EAC in
totality.
The
Minister for EAC, Burundi, Hon Leontine Nzeyimana assured the House the
Government of Burundi was investigating the matter and appealed to the
Assembly not to isolate the country.
The Speaker of EALA called for the meeting in accordance with Rule 10 (2) of the Rules of Procedure of the House.
No comments:
Post a Comment