American killed in Uganda shunned the spotlight, aid group says

Nate Henn, seen on the Invisible Children's website, was a native of Raleigh, North Carolina.

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Nate Henn advocated for the rights of child soldiers in the east African country
• Aid group: "The life he lived inspires reflection and imitation"
• Henn is the only confirmed American fatality 

The American believed killed in the Uganda bomb blasts advocated for the rights of child soldiers in the east African country, a California nonprofit said Monday.
In a post on its website, the organization -- Invisible Children -- said Nate Henn was in the country on its behalf to work with Ugandan students.
"Nate was not a glory seeker and never sought the spotlight. He asked not to be made a hero of," the post said. "But the life he lived inspires reflection and imitation."
CNN could not independently verify the information on the site.
Henn -- a native of Raleigh, North Carolina -- was a former rugby player at the University of Delaware, the group said.

He had worked with Invisible Children for a year and a half and raised funds to help educate Ugandan students affected by war.
At the time of the bombings, he was with some of the students he worked with, the group said.
The nonprofit works with Ugandan children affected by decades of war between rebels and government forces. Rebels abduct the victims -- referred also as invisible children -- and force them to fight the government. Some younger girls are forced into sex slavery.
Aid groups estimate tens of thousands of children have been abducted by one such group, the Lord's Resistance Army.

 "These are some of our Ugandan students who fell in love with Nate's wit, strength, character and steadfast friendship," the post said. "They gave him the Acholi name 'Oteka,' which means 'The Strong One.'"
Henn is the only confirmed American fatality. The explosion killed at least 64 people, Ugandan officials said Monday.
At least 71 people were injured, including six Americans, authorities said.

 The three explosions Sunday ripped through two venues where crowds were watching the World Cup in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The first one struck an Ethiopian restaurant in a neighborhood dotted with bars and popular among expatriates; two were at a rugby sports center.
Henn was watching the game at the rugby center, the organization said.
He was living his dream in Uganda.

"A selfless dream of putting others first, seeking peace and living a life of integrity," the post said.

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Uganda bombings: Why the world should care

Islamist militia members walk past a training camp in Somalia's lower Shabelle region in October 2009

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Suspicion growing that Somali militants killed dozens of people in Uganda
• Uganda possibly targeted because of its activities in Somalia
• Al-Shabaab has issued previous threats against Uganda
• Analysts say there could be global implications for businesses across Africa

Suspicion was growing Monday that a Somali militant group trying to overthrow the U.N.-backed transitional government in that country was to blame for attacks that killed dozens of people in Uganda.
Analyst Alex Vines, from London-based think tank Chatham House, told CNN that if Al-Shabaab did carry out the attacks there could be global implications as countries and businesses vie for opportunities across Africa.
Why is Uganda important?
Vines: Historically it's been important for the export of coffee and fish out of Lake Victoria, but now oil has been found, Uganda could become a significant, if not major, oil exporter. So there's much international interest, and not just western. The deal that's been struck with Tullow Oil looks as if it'll be farmed out to the French company Total and the Chinese state oil company CNOOC. So these attacks in Uganda could have global implications for business, be they Chinese or Western.
Will they deter investors?
Vines: I think investors will do a stricter risk assessment and practice due diligence. They will look at where they think it's safe for their workers to go and advise them to be careful when socializing at night, but I don't think it will stop investment at all.
Does Uganda have a history of violence?
Vines: Uganda has had a low-intensity conflict linked to the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), of Joseph Kony, but this has been much subdued in recent years. There have been recent acts of random terrorism in Kampala but nothing like that seen last night.
(United Nations humanitarian chief Jan Egeland has described the 20-year conflict in northern Uganda between government forces and the LRA as the most neglected humanitarian crisis in the world. Kony has said he wants to rule Uganda according to the Ten Commandments but the LRA campaign has been marked by brutality, including the abduction of many school children with girls forced to be sex slaves and boys pressed into the guerrilla army.)

Uganda is on the U.N. Security Council and is going to play a more global role as U.S. and other countries want to impose sanctions on countries like Iran and North Korea. Is Uganda's international role the reason it's been targeted?
Vines: Al-Shabaab are the leading point of inquiry because of its previous threats against Uganda and because of its contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the presence of the EU training mission in Mogadishu.
I think Uganda has been targeted for these bombings because of its activities in Somalia. Uganda is on the Security Council but it is going to step down at the end of this year. So that's a transitory issue. Uganda certainly sees itself as playing a regional role: President Museveni was instrumental in pushing for U.N. sanctions on Eritrea that came into force earlier this year so clearly he has many enemies as well as friends.


What are the implications of the attacks?
Vines: If radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab is involved, this will be its first attack outside Somalia. If this is true the bombings will show it has the capability against soft targets outside Somalia. Also it's important to understand Somalia isn't a monolithic, single state. There's extreme violence in the south of the country but north of Mogadishu and in an area called Somaliland it's been pretty stable. In fact in Somaliland recently there's been an election with what looks like the peaceful transition of the head of state of that area. So this is a complicated region for sure.
Is there any possibility of peace in Somalia?
Vines: The West's policy is to support the transitional government in Mogadishu but it only controls a few streets. The part of Somalia around Mogadishu and to the south is controlled by Al-Shabaab, who do not recognize the transitional government and want to impose a strict Islamist code. My own personal view is that rather than ignoring al-Shabaab we should be discussing with them what they want.

And in that way it's similar to the situation in Afghanistan with the Taliban ... the debate going there about whether one must engage with them rather than just fight them. The country remains very vulnerable and reliant on AU peacekeeping forces and AMISOM, which is what Uganda is part of, and I think that's why Uganda was attacked.

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Somali militants claim responsibility for Uganda bombings

People watch the World Cup final at a restaurant in Kampala late on July 11, moments before blasts tore through the crowds.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Al-Shabaab says it is waging war against "collaborators"
• NEW: Ugandan president declares week of mourning for victims
• Death toll from Uganda bombings at 74
• Group: American killed was working with students

A Somali Islamist militant movement on Monday claimed responsibility for a trio of bombings that killed at least 74 people Sunday in the Ugandan capital.
"And the best of men have promised and they have delivered," said an Arabic statement issued by Al-Shabaab's press office and obtained by CNN. "Blessed and exalted among men -- (taking) full responsibility ...We wage war against the 6,000 collaborators; they have received their response."
The 6,000 is an apparent reference to African Union peacekeepers in Somalia. Uganda contributes troops to the peacekeeping effort.
Earlier Monday, Sheikh Abu Al Zubeir, identified as "the Emir of Al-Shabaab in Somalia," said in an Arabic website posting, "My message to the Ugandan and Burundian nations is that you will be the target for our retribution to the massacres perpetrated against the Somali men, women and children in Mogadishu by your forces." The statement was posted on an al-Qaeda affiliated website which previously has carried statements and videos from Al-Shabaab.
The website set up a page Monday to "receive congratulations" on Al-Shabaab's behalf for the "blessed operations" in Uganda.
The three explosions ripped through two Kampala, Uganda, venues where crowds were watching the World Cup final match on Sunday.
Suspicion had centered on Somali Islamist groups shortly after the incident. Islamic militants battling Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government had previously threatened attacks on Uganda and Burundi, which also contributes troops to the peacekeeping effort in Somalia.
President Yoweri Museveni declared a week of national mourning for victims of the bombings, beginning Tuesday, according to a government statement. All flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-staff during the mourning period, the statement said.
Meanwhile, a journalist in Mogadishu reported that shelling was underway in the city as of Monday night.
Police said more than 70 people were injured in the Kampala blasts.

 

Map: Uganda bombings

 

Video: Bomb blasts in Uganda capital

 

Video: Surviving in Mogadishu

"If you want to fight, why don't you attack soldiers or military installations instead of fighting innocent people watching football?" said Museveni, who on Monday visited a rugby sports center where two of the blasts occurred Sunday.

The blasts hit in the capital, Kampala, within 50 minutes of each other. The first one struck an Ethiopian restaurant in a neighborhood dotted with bars and popular among expatriates; two others exploded at the rugby center.
A senior Ugandan government official confirmed there were three bombs. The second one at the rugby club was the most severe, said the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media because of the sensitivity of the situation.
The U.S. Embassy said one American was killed. An organization that works with children in Uganda identified him as Nate Henn.
In a post on its website, the organization -- Invisible Children -- said Henn was in the country working with Ugandan students. CNN could not independently verify the information.
"Nate was not a glory-seeker and never sought the spotlight. He asked not to be made a hero of," the post said. "But the life he lived inspires reflection and imitation."
At least six other Americans were injured.
Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said President Barack Obama is "deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from these deplorable and cowardly attacks." He said the United States is ready to provide assistance to Ugandan officials.
"We wish to condemn the criminality of these attacks," Museveni said. "From a casual look at the scene, I'm confident police will be able to reconstruct the crime scene ... We shall go after them because we know where they come from."

People were wailing, some were trying to find their relatives, others were trying to run away from the scene
--Mark Keith Muhumuza

RELATED TOPICS

• Uganda
• Kampala
• Somalia
• United Nations

The bombings, he said, show "criminality, and terrorism has always been hovering over us."
In a government statement, Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also blamed Al-Shabaab, saying he "condemns in the strongest terms the despicable terrorist acts that killed over 60 people in Kampala."
Ahmed said "the fact that the victims were enjoying the World Cup reveals the evil and ugly nature of the perpetrators and the need to uproot from (the) region those who do not value the sanctity of human life," the statement said.
"The president also denounces the fringe Al-Shabaab terrorist groups (who) rejoice of the carnage and stated that Somalia mourns with the brotherly people of Uganda."
Stone Atwine was watching the game at the rugby center when the blast occurred.
"It happened toward the 90th minute of the game ... this loud explosion," he said. "We didn't know what was happening, we were running around, scampering for safety. I saw dead guys still seated in their chairs with blood."
Atwine said a second explosion struck the venue seconds later, knocking out power.
"At that point, we ran off. My friends and I ran into the car and drove off."
Relatives flocked to hospitals and mortuaries to look for loved ones Monday.
"I was watching the game with my brother at the rugby center," said Ian Lule, who was among a group gathered at a city hospital. "The blast left him unconscious. I don't know how he is."
In the capital, crowds huddled around newspapers, talking in hushed tones.
"Everyone is shocked, everyone is talking about it," said Mark Keith Muhumuza, who was watching the game at a stadium near the rubgy center explosion. "We were in panic mode at the stadium because we thought we would be attacked next."
Muhumuza said when the game ended, he went to the rugby center. "People were wailing, some were trying to find their relatives, others were trying to run away from the scene."
"You can never stop attacks in the world," said FIFA president Sepp Blatter. "During the World Cup, the world should have been touched by the emotions of football. I'm very sad and I was very touched.
"Can you link this to the World Cup? I don't know," Blatter said. "It was when the World Cup was on TV, but it's not for us to investigate a link. But being linked or not to football, we as human beings condemn the attacks ... I deplore what has happened and look forward to the good that football can bring to our world."
The sites of the bombings remained cordoned off as authorities intensified security in the east African nation. Police and military forces patrolled the capital.
"We have more security forces, and are asking everyone to be cautious," Nabakooba said. "We are also asking people to avoid large crowds, but the most important thing is to be cautious."
Some of the injured at the restaurant included six members of an American church mission working with a local congregation, according to the Rev. Kathleen Kind, pastor of Christ Community United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
All the church members were accounted for and families had been contacted, Kind said. Their injuries ranged from broken bones and flesh wounds to temporary blindness and hearing problems, she said.
Nabakooba called the bombings "definite acts of terrorism."
The African Union summit is scheduled to be held in Kampala next week.
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World Cup celebrations turn bloody as bombs hit Kampala

Bombs went off across Kampala last night, killing at least 45 people – many of whom had been watching the World Cup final match.

Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura told Daily Monitor last night that he could not rule out the al-Shabaab militia in Somalia being behind the attacks. “We have set up a team to carry out investigations to establish the cause and the explosives that were used,” Gen. Kayihura said. “The people who carried out the attack were targeting World Cup fans.”

Related Stories

• A survivor tells his tale

The first explosion ripped through the Ethiopian restaurant in Kabalagala at around 10pm, killing at least 13 people, many of them foreign nationals, and injuring several others. More than an hour later, an explosion ripped through a crowd of revellers at an open-air screening of the game at Kyadondo Rugby Club, setting off scenes of mayhem.

Less than a minute later, as the crowd scrambled for safety, another explosion went off, ripping through the sea of humanity. Police officers at the scene in Lugogo could not confirm the death toll at the scene. However, a Daily Monitor photojournalist counted 32 bodies at the scene.

What had earlier been a scene of joy and football celebration had been reduced to a theatre of death and destruction. White plastic chairs lay abandoned, save for about a dozen in the centre of the viewing area which remained occupied – by dead revellers, their lives ended abruptly, their bodies frozen in time. The angry sirens of police pick-up trucks and hospital ambulances filled the air as the dead and injured were ferried to the city mortuary and hospital respectively.

There were blood stains in the grass, amidst the abandoned bags and shoes and half-drunk bottles of beer. Klaus Sanga, who survived the blast at Lugogo, said: “There was blood all over. It was really scary. There was just running and screaming. It was really bad. I’d never expect something like this. I carried 15 people [to the ambulances].” Another survivor who declined to give his name added: “I was coming here because all my brothers are here. I came and stopped at Nakawa. I don’t know why; only God knows.”

Chaos amid casualties
There were chaotic scenes at Mulago, one of many hospitals where the injured and the dead were taken, with police officers asking bystanders to help take the dead and injured off the police pick-up trucks. At one point, the casualty unit, where the dead and injured were off-loaded from the trucks, got filled to capacity, prompting the police and the medics to temporarily put the bodies in a nearby store.

Many people, including survivors with blood-stained clothes kept turning up at the hospital late into the night, looking for information about their relatives and friends, forcing security operatives to close off the city mortuary.

Mr Fred Opolot, the Executive Director of the Government Media Centre confirmed three bomb blasts had gone off in Kabalagala and Kyaddondo. He said nothing in relation to those responsible for the blast could be confirmed immediately.

“We have had Al Shabab threats before, they could be initial suspects but at the moment, nobody can be ruled out,” he said. In January flights between Entebbe and Juba, the capital of South Sudan were temporarily halted after the United States government warned that “regional extremists” were planning an attack on aircraft on the route.

In October 2009, al Shabaab threatened to strike at Kampala and Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, in retaliation for rocket attacks by peacekeeping forces in which about 30 people died in Mogadishu in Somalia.

“We shall make their people cry,” Sheikh Ali Mohamed Hussein, al Shabaab’s self-styled governor of Banadir region, which includes Mogadishu, said at the time. “We shall attack Bujumbura and Kampala ... We will move our fighting to those two cities and we shall destroy them.” The US government believes that al Shabaab’ has close links with al Qaeda.

Major Felix Kulayigye, the army spokesman, said at the time that the UPDF was aware of the extremists’ threat and was taking precautionary measures, adding that Uganda has been a constant target for extremists and the country is “always on alert” and there is no cause for alarm.

Burundi and Uganda both have about 2,500 peacekeepers in the Somali capital for the African Union’s Amisom peacekeeping force. The African Union last week agreed to send 2,000 more troops to the war-torn Horn of Africa.

In Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, Sheik Yusuf Sheik Issa, an al Shabaab commander, told the Associated Press early Monday that he was happy with the attacks in Uganda. Mr. Issa refused to confirm or deny that al Shabaab was responsible for the bombings. “Uganda is one of our enemies,” he said. “Whatever makes them cry, makes us happy.’’

More than 40 die in Kampala bomb blasts at World cup Finals night

Survivors search for the dead and injured friends at the Kyadondo Rugby Club yesterday

Via Uganda's Daily

WHAT should have been a feisty viewing of the 2010 World Cup finals between Netherlands and Spain turned tragic as three bomb explosions ripped through the city suburbs, killing over 40, leaving scores critically injured.

By this morning (2:00am), 15 bodies had been received at the city mortuary at Mulago as ambulances and Police patrol teams ferried the injured to various hospitals. Most of the deceased were part of the revellers at the popular Kyadondo Rugby Club in Lugogo.

The first bomb went off in Ethiopian Village in Kabalaga. The explosion went off during the half-time of the match between Spain and Netherlands. The other two went off at the Kyadondo Rugby Club in Nakawa at 11:18pm – one after the other in close succession.

The Police yesterday suspected that the Al Shabaab militants from Somalia could have been behind the attacks.

“We have been suspecting that these people could be planning something like this. At least I can confirm that 13 people have been killed in the Kabalagala incident and I am still waiting for reports from Kyadondo,” the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, said on phone last night.

Asked who he meant by “these people”, Kayihura said: “Al Shabaab.” The Kabalagala bomb, the Police said, could have been targeting foreigners.

The Police could not put a figure on the casualties at Kyadondo though eyewitnesses put the dead at more than 40. There were also unconfirmed reports of other blasts in Ntinda and Bwaise.

Over 40 were injured. By 1:00am, Kyadondo was deserted, save for the injured awaiting evacuation as security operatives sealed off the place.

Witnesses said the two bombs exploded right in front of the giant screen relaying a live telecast from South Africa.

The night was soon after punctured with sirens on racing Police patrol trucks as the Police and counter-terrorism unit moved in.

The explosions took the victims by surprise as many were blown off their chairs and others died in their seats. Many others could have been killed and injured in the pandemonium that ensued.

In Kamwokya, a suburb popularly frequented by expatriates, all was quiet save for the car park which was full of vehicles where the Dutch Community hosted a live telecast of the match at Iguana restaurant.

Ntinda, a suburb that “never sleeps”, was deserted as several bars emptied hastily. Public transport was scarce save for a few brave boda boda riders. Most revellers in groups were seen walking home, some still carrying the famous vuvuzela, a trademark of the 2010 World Cup, South Africa.

Africa needs science revolution, conference hears

[TURIN, ITALY] Africa needs more global science partnerships and a new generation of scientists trained to solve the continent's pressing problem of sustainable development, according to Mohamed Hassan, executive director of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS).

The continent needs to set up inter-disciplinary centres of excellence in areas of science and technology critical to its economic growth and sustainable development, Hassan said in a keynote address at the fourth EuroScience Open Forum, in Turin, yesterday (6 July).

These areas include biotechnology and its applications in agriculture and medicine, information and communication technologies, nanoscience, and the use of space technologies for exploring natural resources and monitoring the environment.

Centres of excellence could promote regional and international collaboration. They could also become innovation hubs that offer affordable technologies to help meet the continent's pressing needs, such as safe drinking water and renewable energy sources, Hassan said.

His main concern is the widening scientific 'knowledge gap' between Africa and the rest of the world. Africa contributes only 0.01 per cent of the world's share of international science publications in science and engineering and very few come from Sub-Saharan Africa, he said.

Other causes of concern include the high rates of brain drain because of poor working conditions and research infrastructure, unfulfilled promises of donor aid, and declining investment in science by national governments.

The centres of excellence could also help boost the capacities of African scientists and of science teachers, whose training should include basic science but also innovative teaching methods that promote independent investigation and problem-solving skills.

Africa needs urgently to revitalise its school and university education systems to develop a pool of skilled scientists in partnership with European universities, said Hassan.

"Each country deserves a top-class research university," he said. But to do this they need to connect research and education systems, set high standards for science education, and attract the best students to science.

He also suggested setting up science academies that foster scientific excellence. Africa accounts for just 17 out of 107 science academies worldwide, although seven of them have been set up recently.

Earlier in the week (3 July), Lidia Brito — director for science policy at UNESCO and the former science minister of Mozambique — told a session on advancing science in developing countries that European scientists need to "research for Africa and with Africa, and not just about Africa".