Africa

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined his envoys from the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today in strongly condemning the killing of dozens of civilians during an overnight attack in Beni, located in restive eastern part of the country, where the UN mission and national authorities have now deployed forces in the wake if the incident.

Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby is sent home after he refused to shake the hand of Israeli opponent Or Sasson at the end of their bout.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reported that after a standoff with a convoy of heavily-armed men near Sibut, the capital of Kémo Prefecture, UN forces detained 10 of the suspects and recovered a “significant quantity” of weapons and munitions.

Seasonal floods, resulting in crop damage and inundation of pastures, following a severe El Niño-induced drought in Ethiopia may be further exacerbated by its cool weather counterpart, La Niña, expected from October onwards, the United Nations agricultural agency has warned.

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu is re-elected, according to official results, which are being challenged by the main opposition party.

A South African court jails a woman to 10 years for kidnapping a baby 19 years ago and raising her as her own, in a case which has gripped the nation.

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk broke a world record at the Rio Olympics as he won gold in the 400m - who is this amazing 24-year-old?

August 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government and rebels have failed to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile as the African mediation team decided to indefinitely suspend the current round of talks.

Direct talks between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-N) pertaining to humanitarian and security arrangement in South Kordofan and Blue Nile has been ongoing since last Tuesday in Addis Ababa.

Also, on Wednesday the government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Minnawi kicked off direct negotiations on the Darfur track.

On Sunday, the head of the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki told the negotiating parties that this round of talks was suspended indefinitely amid an exchange of accusations between the government and the rebels.

In a press conference on Sunday night, head of the government delegation for the Two Areas track, Presidential aide Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid held the SPLM-N responsible for the collapse of talks, saying the rebel group seeks to prolong the war by demanding to transport humanitarian aid from South Sudan.

“SPLM-N doesn't seek to stop the war and bring peace but it sought to hamper the Roadmap” he said

“SPLM-N wants to kill the Roadmap and planned to abort it as it [was forced] to sign it under pressure from the international community” he added

On the other hand, SPLM-N Chief negotiator Yassir Arman said the Sudanese government has missed the greatest opportunity to achieve peace, holding it responsible for the collapse of this round of talks.

In a press conference at the negotiation venue in Addis Ababa on Sunday, he said the government didn't make any concessions despite the huge efforts exerted by the Chief mediator Mbeki.

“This round of talks has failed and Mbeki, for the first time, told us that talks have been delayed indefinitely” he said

Arman pointed that during the past four years the government continued to say that it would only allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid from inside Sudan while the SPLM-N calls for mixed tracks

“SPLM-N delegation conceded and accepted mixed tracks from inside Sudan and abroad, we accepted that 80% of the relief comes through Khartoum and 20% from outside. We also gave another concession by determining [the type of assistance] needed from inside and abroad” he said

Since several years ago the SPLM-N demands the transportation of humanitarian aid from outside the country, saying such procedure would prevent Khartoum from using humanitarian aid as a tool of political pressure. Also, it also refused the participation of Sudanese government relief workers saying they are infiltrated by the security apparatus.

Meanwhile, talks on the Darfur track have also reached a dead end following four days of marathon meetings.

Leader of the SLM-MM Minni Minnawi said the member of the AUHIP Abdel-Salam Abu Bakr told the negotiating teams on Sunday night that this round of talks has been suspended to a later time.

He told reporters following the final session of talks that they were hoping to reach a peace agreement after they gave a number of concessions.

“Among more than 20 items [under discussion] we only asked the government to make concessions on 3 items but unfortunately this evening we received a [conciliatory] paper from the mediation and we found it expressing the government position .. We didn't find even a single letter showing government concession” he said

Minnawi added they informed the mediation of the missing items in its paper, saying however the government delegation refused to make any concessions.

“Unfortunately, it [the government] came to this forum to ship us to Khartoum” he said

For his part, leader of the JEM Gibril Ibrahim attributed the failure of this round of talks to the attempt by the mediation to impose the Doha peace document on them.

He pointed that the mediation told them that it finds it too hard to continue this round of talks and was forced to suspend it until a later time.

On the other hand, head of government delegation for Darfur track, Amin Hassan Omer pointed to the SLM-MM and the JEM lack of seriousness to achieve peace, saying they brought up 15 contentious points instead of the already known 5 points.

In press statement on Sunday night, Omer declined to describe the end of talks as “collapse”, saying the talks have been extended to its fullest possible time.

On Saturday, the government delegation demanded an alleged 13 rebel locations that could be defined by coordinates are disclosed, saying signing cessation of hostilities agreement will be impossible unless rebels disclose their locations.

However the Darfur rebels have entirely rejected the governments' demand.

The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

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Everton sign DR Congo international midfielder Yannick Bolasie, 27, from Crystal Palace for £25m on a five-year deal.

A South African woman is to be sentenced for kidnapping a child, Zephany Nurse, 19 years ago. But, as the BBC's Pumza Fihlani asks, is this the best outcome?

August 14, 2016 (LEER) - 45 people died and dozens were injured when armed youth clashed with government forces in Tharjiathbor county of South Sudan's Unity state, an aid worker said.

The map of Unity state

The incident in Rubkuai area occurred over the weekend.

An aid worker, who spoke to Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity, said youth who attacked government controlled areas came from neighbouring Koch county which is under the administration of Northern Liech state.

He said the numbers of the dead could rise from among those were critically injured.

Due to the deadly fighting in the area, mass displacement of residents is ongoing and there is fear of humanitarian gaps, as most aid workers were evacuated from the scene of the conflict, the official told Sudan Tribune by phone on Sunday.

Some humanitarian workers were reportedly injured in the oil-rich Unity state attack.

It remains unclear why youth from neighboring Koch attacked government positions, with others claiming the attackers supported former First Vice President Riek Machar.

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August 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's rival forces killed and raped civilians, extensively looting their property, including humanitarian goods, during and after clashes that occurred in Juba last month, a New-York based rights body said.

Arms and light weapons have been used by both warring parties in South Sudan to commit abuses (Photo courtesy of SSANSA)

In many cases, according to Human Rights Watch, government forces appeared to target non-Dinka civilians.

As a result of indiscriminate attacks, including shooting and shelling, shells landed in camps for displaced people inside United Nations bases, and in other densely populated areas in the city, killing and wounding civilians, the rights group said.

Clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar clashed in the capital left over 270 people dead and displaced thousands.

The rights body mainly faulted government soldiers for the multiple crimes committed on civilians in the young nation.

“A year after South Sudan's leaders signed a peace deal, civilians are dying, women are being raped, and millions of people are afraid to go home,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch in a report issued Monday.

“On August 12, the UN decided to send more peacekeepers to Juba but put off a long-overdue arms embargo. The continued supply of arms only helps fuel the abuses on a larger scale,” he added.

The latest violence came barely four months after the formation a coalition government under a peace agreement signed in August 2015. The rival factions agreed to integrate their forces and establish the hybrid court.

Under the deal, however, the African Union Commission was to set up the court, with South Sudanese and other African judges and staff to be completed by October 2016.

This follows the series of documented cases of targeted killings, rapes and gang rapes, beatings, looting, and harassment, often along ethnic lines, said to have been committed several areas of the capital and its outskirts.

“South Sudanese leaders have time and again failed to end abuses against civilians, been unwilling to rein in abusive forces or ensure justice for crimes by those under their command,” said Bekele.

“There is no more excuse for delay: top leaders need to be sanctioned and an arms embargo imposed. The UN has to be more effective in protecting civilians and the AU should move ahead with the hybrid court,” he added.

Officials from the country's two rival factions are yet to comment on the damning report.

Meanwhile, the rights body has appealed to the United Nations and its member countries to impose targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on those responsible for serious human rights abuses in South Sudan.

The African Union Commission and donors, it added, should proceed without delay with preparations for a hybrid court to investigate and try the most serious crimes committed since the start of South Sudan's new war in 2013, including during the recent fighting.

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South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk breaks Michael Johnson's 17-year-old 400m world record to win Olympic gold at Rio 2016.

August 14, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese capital, Khartoum will host on Thursday the Arab Forum for Combating Terrorism (Role of the Arab Media in Combating Terrorism) which is jointly organized by the Arab League and Sudan's Information Ministry.

SAF troops march during the concluding ceremony of Northern Thunder in Saudi Arabia on March 12, 2016 (ST Photo)

In a press conference on Sunday, Sudan's Information Minister Ahmed Bilal said the forum was one of the recommendations of the 47th session of Council of Arab Ministers of Information.

He added that the forum would be held in three of the Arab capitals, pointing to Sudan's rich experience in fighting against extremism and terrorism.

Bilal pointed that the forum would be based on the Islamic-Arab strategy to fight against the phenomenon of terrorism, saying that Islam is a religion of peace and respect for human life.

The Sudanese minister further mentioned several reasons behind the emergence of the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism, saying the forum seeks to achieve a unified vision to fight against these phenomena.

He said that Sudan is among the countries with least numbers of youths who joined the extremist groups' camps, saying however the government is not satisfied with the current situation and would continue to protect the youths intellectually via the various means in order not to join these groups.

Last year, Sudan's interior ministry said that about 70 Sudanese, of both sexes have joint the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and Libya.

Bilal underscored completion of all arrangements to hold the forum on Thursday, saying it would discuss three working papers besides holding a symposium.

He added that the opening session will be addressed by the First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih, and the Arab League's Secretary General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Islamic thinker Fahmi Huwaidi said he declined to accept an invitation extended to him by the Sudanese embassy in Cairo to attend the forum, expressing resentment over what he called “State Terrorism” which became the basis of actions of undemocratic regimes.

In an article published by the Egyptian-based Al Shorouk newspaper Saturday, he said the Sudanese authorities continued crackdown on press, pointing to mass confiscation of newspapers and attacks against journalists.

“Hence it was not surprising that Sudan ranked 174th out of 180 countries in the 2015 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index” he said.

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August 14, 2016 (JUBA) – The official spokesperson for the leader of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has described as “self-deception” President Salva Kiir's cabinet resolution on Friday which resolved to integrate SPLA-IO forces, saying the “illegal” new First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, has no army to integrate.

“This is a self-deception. The new illegal First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, has no army to integrate, or actually to surrender to his new commander-in-chief, Salva Kiir,” said James Gatdet Dak, official spokesman for the SPLM-IO leader, Riek Machar.

Dak was responding to the resolution passed in Juba in the Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Kiir during which it resolved to integrate SPLA-IO forces.

Information and Broadcasting Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, announced on Friday that the cabinet had agreed to approve the establishment of the cantonment sites and to integrate members of the SPLA-IO forces after getting into the assembling points.

But Dak said SPLA-IO army is with Machar including the top army leadership, saying Gai had only defected to President Kiir's faction with his bodyguards.

He said even another SPLA-IO General which Gai lured to his side in Unity state also defected with only less than 50 soldiers, adding “unless this is the number they wanted to integrate.”

Dak however claimed that the numbers of SPLA-IO forces are in hundreds of thousands and are all loyal to Machar across the country.

“SPLA-IO forces are the ones now besieging Juba, closing all routes from different directions. They are in full control of Juba-Yei road. They are in full control of Juba-Mundri road. They are in control of northwest of Juba city. They have cut off Lobonok, southwest of Juba. They are closing Juba-Bor road. Soon they will also close Juba-Nimule and Juba-Torit roads. And they will soon move on Juba to capture it and restore law and order. These are the members of the SPLA-IO forces under the leadership of Dr. Riek Machar, the legitimate First Vice President and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA-IO army,” Dak said.

He said the cabinet should have asked Taban Deng Gai if the SPLA-IO forces who have been fighting President Kiir's forces around Juba and closing all roads are the ones he claimed to be commanding and should be integrated.

Dak also said the peace agreement did not provide for immediate integration of the SPLA-IO forces, but rather gradual “reunification” of the two armies “unit by unit” after implementation of security sector reforms which would take at least two years into the transitional period.

He said Kiir and Gai are violating the peace agreement to avoid reforms, saying Gai was trying to surrender the SPLA-IO army as he has already surrendered the parliamentary leadership to President Kiir.

He also said it will not be surprising if Gai will also surrender and approve the controversial 28 states.

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August 14, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese civilians whose items were stolen during the fighting in Juba last month have questioned sincerity of the South Sudanese national army, the SPLA, to return the loots.

SPLA spokesman Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang announced on Friday that items including generators, cars and other valuable households have been recovered from soldiers allied to President Salva Kiir. But Koang said owners must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the items are theirs.

"We would like the owner to come forward with engine number, serial number and the power number, the capacity of the generators and cars,” said Lul in a recovered message to state-owned SSBC TV.

He said failure to present those identifiers, anyone claiming ownership may not be allowed to take it.

But South Sudanese whose items were looted from their shops and homes decried the conditions laid down by the military. John Andruga had his shop broken into in Gudelle, a western suburb of Juba that witnessed fierce clashes between the SPLA in Government (SPLA-IG) loyal to President Salva Kiir and those SPLA in Opposition (SPLA-IO) loyal to former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

"The soldiers took my generator and damaged the shop after looting everything," he said, speaking to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

"So I don't have any document because all items were destroyed or completely taken away by the soldiers," he added.

He said he cannot remember the serial number of his generator.

"If the SPLA is serious about returning the looted items, let them ask the soldiers from whom the item was recovered to tell them where he got it," he added.

Alongside Gudelle, Jebel Market, the second largest shopping center in Juba, was also vandalized. David Madavi, a Ugandan trader, owned a shop in Jebel Market. His items were taken when soldiers broke the door to his shop.

"I am completely frustrated and last thing I can remember about my stolen items is their serial numbers," said Madavi, who has refused to return to Uganda after Kampala evacuated her citizens last month.

Deng, a South Sudanese national who wished to be identified by one name, said his car was robbed by soldiers with all the documents including car logo book and other registration documents.

"Now, if the army is saying we should go to Bilpam [headquartes of the SPLA in Juba], where will I get the identification documents to claim my car?" said Deng.

"I think the SPLA is not sincere. They simply don't want to return the loots items to owners," he added.

Government soldiers, who forced small number of SPLA in opposition forces out of Juba in fierce streets battle for four days in Juba, turned to shops, homes and took civilians items.

The army headquarters in Juba constituted a martial court to try soldiers accused of engaging in looting but the court has not sat yet. SPLA spokesman, Koang, said 19 soldiers have been arrested and will be arraigned in the military court soon.

South Sudan army is struggling to modernize its ranks amidst accusations of abusing their power against civilians. The former rebels became the national army at independence from Sudan in 2011 but the 2013 conflict led to division along tribal lines.

Critics say the current army constituting SPLA under President Kiir and SPLA IO under Machar are tribal armies fighting for political power of their bosses.

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August 14, 2016 (BOR) - Hundreds of ghost names are expected to be eliminated in the payroll system in the newly created Jonglei state's government institutions. The move is expected to reduce the financial constraints on the budget overstretching.

Jonglei state governor, Aguer Panyang joined by others to light candles in Bor on July 31, 2016 (ST)

To curve down the existence of ghost names, and a huge number of absentees who are still paid, the cabinet resolved that the previous committees that were formed to conduct and oversee payment of salaries in the state, were to be extended to the counties to continue polishing and clean out ghost names in the payrolls.

After the siting on Thursday, the state minister of information, Akech Deng, told Sudan Tribune, that the state had had a lot of financial difficulties as all the state money goes to salaries.

“We have a huge chapter one, employees are more than anything, and even the ghost names are many. There are those who are paid like twice, or three times in the state, it becomes awesome,” the minister explained to Sudan Tribune over the weekend.

“If you have two jobs, you may not do a half of your job, so the government is taking measures to make sure that every civil servant should be in the right work place. Any ghost name should be screened out, so the council has extended the committees of payments until farther notice,” Deng explained on Thursday.

The state government formed payment committees three months ago to screen out ghost names in the ministries' headquarters. These committees were said to have recovered thousands of money in the process, but the concerned officials from the finance ministry failed to tell the exact amount of money recovered, or the number of employees screened out by the committees.

Attempts made by Sudan Tribune to find out about the state grant that normally comes from the central government in Juba had not been successful. Even the total number of employees that existed in the state before this screening exercise, was not communicated either.

“All what we get from Juba goes to chapter one. Every now and then, there is money being recovered for people who don't report to work, or may be from the ghost names,” Deng continued.

This month salaries would be paid through the committees, if possible, in the counties.

“The people in the counties are going to be paid by the committees, to make, if you are not at your work place, the government will not pay you. If you have two names in the government, know that you will only go home with one salary,” he cautioned.

The cabinet also thought of reshuffling the cashiers and account controllers who served in grades 3 to 5, so that this issue of ghost names is completely brought to an end.

“Cashiers and account controllers, from grade three to five will be reshuffled in the ministries, so that there is a change,” Deng noticed.

Among the key ministries under question, education was expected to be the major ministry in which people had either resigned without giving notice to the management, or served in other places, thereby creating doubling of names.

“In education a lot of work needs to be done, because many teachers are not at the work stations. They have resigned without giving their resignation or they are working with NGOs [Non-governmental Organizations],” Deng said.

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August 14, 2016 (MAYOM) - At least 22,000 people have been displaced due to heavy rainfall in Mayom county of Unity region, west of the state capital of newly created Northern Liech state, according to an official on the ground.

Heavy rain in July flooded the temporary shelters of displaced people at a UNMISS camp in Unity state's Rubkotna area (Facebook photo)

John Bol Mayak, county commissioner of Mayom county, told Sudan Tribune that the situation is dire as majority of the surrounding villages and payams have been heavily flooded.

“As I speak to you now all houses in the surrounding areas have been occupied by the water, and thousands of people are displaced and they have nowhere to go,” he told Sudan Tribune over satellite phone interview.

He said areas submerged under water include Riak, Kuerbokni, Ruathnybol, Wangkei, Bieh, and Mayom headquarters, and described the situation as worse ever seen.

Commissioner Mayak added that most of the crops in those areas under current flood were all destroyed, adding the lives of the community members remain unpredictable after the heavy rainfall.

He further said that many of victims had no food after they lost everything in the current violence, adding most areas remain inaccessible putting the lives of the residents at great risk.

“A lot of people are now at great risk of death, the situation is very terrible no humanitarian organization intervention on the ground right now,” he said.

He explained that over 15 people have died as a result of Malaria outbreak and other waterborne diseases in the areas which are flooded by water.

“Many of [the] residents are dying every day, the health facilities on the ground are not enough and the long distance walk is putting at risk the people,” he said.

He called on the humanitarian organizations and other United Nations aid agencies in South Sudan to come and assist the tens of thousands who are in dire need for emergency assistance.

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The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram releases a video showing some 50 of the schoolgirls seized by the group from Chibok more than two years ago.

The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has released a video showing some of the schoolgirls they abducted from the northern town of Chibok.