Africa

Although the debate on migration has largely focused on Europe, the global compact being negotiated must be adapted to the realities and peculiarities of each region, including Africa, where more than half of migrants moved to other countries on the continent, a senior United Nations official said Thursday.

On the third day of his visit to the Central African Republic (CAR), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday called on the international community to support the conflict-ravaged country’s peacebuilding and recovery strategy.

Kenya faces continuing uncertainty after a presidential re-run marred by boycotts and violence, the BBC's Alastair Leithead says.

If Africa is to keep pace with an unprecedented demographic transition – African’s under-18 population will reach 750 million by 2030 – scaled-up investment in health, education and women’s protection and empowerment will be needed or the continent will face a ‘bleak’ future, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported Thursday.

October 25, 2017 (NYAL) - At least 10 children have died from Measles and over 100 have been admitted in South Sudan's Payinjiar county, an area health official disclosed.

Three-year-old Sarah is immunised against measles in South Sudan (Photo: UNICEF)

Stephen Gatliah Kuay, a county health supervisor, said on Wednesday that seven of the 10 children died before reaching the area health facility.

He described as “worrying” the situation in the area, stressing that lack of enough health kits makes it hard to treat children affected.

“I would like to request United Nations agencies like the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization if they can support us through our health partners like IRC [International Rescue Committee] and UNIDO [United Nations International Development Organization],” Kuay told Sudan Tribune.

He said those below five years are at great risk of getting the disease, adding that the spread of Measles is fast in the community.

Measles, or rubeola, is a viral infection of the respiratory system. Measles is a very contagious disease that can spread through contact with infected mucus and saliva.

Measles is a leading cause of death in children. Of the 114,900 global deaths related to measles in 2014, majority were under the age of five, World Health Organization (WHO) said.

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October 25, 2017 (JUBA) – Dozens of protesters, preaching anti-government messages, briefly interrupted the visit of Nikki Haley, the United States diplomat on a visit to South Sudan from touring the United Nations camp, which houses up to 30,000 displaced people.

Nikki R. Haley, United States Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on 7 February 2017 (UN Photo)

The demonstrators, mainly supporters of South Sudan's former vice-president and rebel leader, Riek Machar carried messages that portrayed government in bad light.

“South Sudan IDPs [internally displaced people] and refugees love President Trump, the peacemaker and supporter of human rights,” reads a message carried by the angry protesters.

A UN official was quoted saying the US diplomat's failure to hold talks with the demonstrators could have angered the pro-Machar group.

Eyewitnesses said UN security guards fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of over 100 people who rioted after Haley left UN premises.

US President Trump last month announced Haley's visit to Africa during a meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Haley becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit South Sudan, where nearly five years of civil war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

While in Juba, however, Haley had what she described as a “very frank” conversation with President Kiir about the lack of progress towards peace since civil war broke out almost four years ago.

The senior US diplomat said Washington, particularly under the new Donald Trump administration, would not accept to wait anymore.

“We have lost trust in this [Kiir] government and we now need to regain that trust. The only way to regain that trust is through the actions of taking care of all of the people. President Kiir is the president of everyone, not just one tribe, not just one group. In order to be a leader you have to be willing to take care of all of your people,” said Haley.

“Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away”, she further stated.

While speaking in Ethiopia on Tuesday, the US official said her government would not abandon the people of South Sudan who have been put a cross point since the president does not does care about the suffering of his people”.

“So first to go back to that you know when you look at South Sudan, you have to really think hard before you pull U.S. aid because President Kiir doesn't care if we pull U.S. aid. He doesn't care if his people suffer”, the US diplomat said as a press briefing organized after she held discussions with Ethiopia's prime minister and African Union officials.

“And that is the concern we have as we don't know that it will make a difference by pulling U.S. aid or not. That is the conversation we will have. And we will try and see exactly what will move President Kiir so that he does take the moral high ground and start to really look at creating a safe position for his people,” she added.

The senior US official said President Trump was likely to pile pressure on regional leaders to end South Sudan war.

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Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned today&#39s attack against a logistic convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), which left three Chadian peacekeepers dead and two injured.

October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - South Sudanese President Salva Kiir will visit Khartoum for talks with his Sudanese counterpart on bilateral relations next Tuesday, announced Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Wednesday.

President Kiir will discuss with President Omer al-Bashir several issues of common interest, most notably the IGAD peace and security forum in South Sudan, Ghandour further told reporters at Khartoum airport after his return with the president from a tour in the Gulf countries.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed by the two countries in September 2012, as the two countries have failed to finalize border demarcation and reached an agreement on the border disputed areas or settle their difference on Abyei referendum.

South Sudan, which separated from Sudan after a referendum on self-determination in 2011, plunged into civil war in December 2013.Thousands of civilians were killed and over millions have been displaced.

The warring parties signed a peace deal in August 2015 brokered by the IGAD countries including Sudan but failed to implement. In June, the IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government decided to hold a high-level forum for revitalization to discuss concrete measures to restore a permanent ceasefire and achieve full peace in southern Sudan.

Last July, South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth announced that President Kiir would visit Sudan in response to an invitation from the Sudanese President al-Bashir.

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October 25, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president on Wednesday pledged full commitment to the revitalization of the peace agreement, citing acceptance to participate in the revitalization of the peace agreement, declaration of the permanent ceasefire, and the cessation of hostilities as well as granting unhindered access to humanitarian organizations for relief activities.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation at the South Sudan National Parliament in Juba, November 18, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Jok Solomon)

President Salva Kiir made the pledge during a meeting with the United States representative to the UN, Nikki Haley in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

The senior presidential advisor, Nhial Deng Nhial described as “fruitful and constructive” the meeting which President Kiir had with Haley.

“The two exchanged views and opinions on different issues,” said Nhail, adding that the South Sudan leader had the opportunity to further emphasize the commitment and the readiness of his government to fully commit to the revitalization process.

The meeting, the official said, focused on three main agendas: the Revitalization of the peace agreement, the permanent ceasefire, and the cessation of hostilities and access to humanitarian aid.

The president reiterated the commitment and readiness to fully commit himself to the revitalization process with the high-level revitalization forum launched by regional leaders, Nhial said.

Haley reportedly raised concerns on humanitarian access to which President Kiir reportedly assured her of his government's continued support, citing ongoing the collaboration between the Juba government and the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

“We have been able to establish a mechanism that works jointly to improve and address problems of humanitarian access, and indeed there have been some improvements. The Government acknowledges that more is needed to be done”, said Nhial.

Halley said Washington was already at a cross point and it was not about talk but time for action and seeing the willingness of the government and the military to stop violence and abuses continuing to happen in the country despite the assurance of commitment.

“The United States is at a cross point...It's not about the talks, it's about the action. We have to see a willingness of the Government and the military to stop the violence and stop the abuses that are happening in the country,” said Haley.

"Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away," she added.

In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.

IGAD unveiled the timetable for the revitalization forum with South Sudanese leaders and the nation's citizens. It process began on 13 October and ended on 17 October.

The South Sudanese government warned that the revitalization forum by IGAD, the regional bloc which mediated the 2015 peace accord, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace accord between the two factions to the conflict.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

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October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The leading figure at the Reform Now Movement (RNM) and member of the parliament Hassan Osman Rizq Wednesday has called to end the presence of the Sudanese troops in Yemen.

Sudanese troops arriving in Aden, Yemen (Al-Arabiya TV)

The Sudanese army has been participating in the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 in a regional effort to back the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels.

Speaking during the deliberations on the Prime Minister's speech in the National Assembly, Rizq said “the armed forces must come out of Yemen”, pointing that “many disadvantages are emerging due the participation in this war”.

However, the MP didn't elaborate on the nature of those negative consequences but he objected to Sudan's submission to the Saudi will in the Yemen war.

“If we entered the war for the sake of our friendly relations with Saudi Arabia, it doesn't need that because Saudi Arabia has many friendly countries that didn't enter the war to fight alongside it,” he said.

“And if we entered the war to restore the legitimacy, that should be determined by the Yemenis because we wouldn't allow [foreign countries] to decide on our legitimacy and if we entered the war for the sake of Mecca and Medina, there is no war in the two cities,” he added.

Last June, Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir praised the role of the army in Yemen, vowing to continue to participate in Saudi-led alliance until it achieves its goals.

In May, Sudanese military sources dismissed media reports that 80 Sudanese troops have been killed in Yemen saying only 21 were killed, including 4 officers.

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October 25, 2017 (JUBA) - The visiting United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley on Wednesday said it was time for South Sudan president Salva Kiir to act, not talk, if the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people in the young nation is to end.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L) looks on as she meets President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir at The President Office in Juba on October 25, 2017 (AFP)

“What I told him [Kiir] was that the United States does not want to hear a lot of talks. I was not to listen what he wants to say. I was here to say the United States is at a cross point. It not about the talks, it's about the action. We have to see a willingness of the Government and the military to stop the violence and stop the abuses that are happening in the country," Haley remarked.

While in Juba, however, Haley had what she described as a “very frank” conversation with President Kiir about the lack of progress towards peace since civil war broke out almost four years ago.

The senior US diplomat said Washington, particularly under the new Donald Trump administration, would not accept to wait anymore.

“We have lost trust in this [Kiir] government and we now need to regain that trust. The only way to regain that trust is through the actions of taking care of all of the people. President Kiir is the president of everyone, not just one tribe, not just one group. In order to be a leader you have to be willing to take care of all of your people,” said Haley.

“Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away”, she further stated.

While speaking in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on Tuesday, the US official said her government would not abandon the people of South Sudan who have been put a cross point since the president does not does care about the suffering of his people”.

“So first to go back to that you know when you look at South Sudan, you have to really think hard before you pull U.S. aid because President Kiir doesn't care if we pull U.S. aid. He doesn't care if his people suffer”, Haley said as a press briefing held after she had discussions with Ethiopia's prime minister and African Union officials.

“And that is the concern we have as we don't know that it will make a difference by pulling U.S. aid or not. That is the conversation we will have. And we will try and see exactly what will move President Kiir so that he does take the moral high ground and start to really look at creating a safe position for his people,” she added.

She said President Trump is likely to pile pressure on regional leaders.

“But I think if there is not a response from South Sudan, you will continue to see added pressure coming from the IGAD and I think that the AU obviously is going to continue to move and work with the IGAD as they go forward. Our goal is to have one voice [saying] we have to see peace in South Sudan. We have to see that women are being taken care of. We can't see any more death. We can't see any more famine,” further said Haley.

She added, “We've got to start seeing the situation get better and I think that the pressure is only going to continue until President Kiir makes the difference in that area”.

Last month, President Trump announced Haley's visit to Africa during a meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Haley becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit Africa during the President Trump administration.

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October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - King Salman of Saudi Arabia has pledged to continue to exert efforts to lift Sudan's name from the U.S. list of states sponsors of terrorism.

Sudan was placed on the U.S. terrorism list in 1993 over allegations it was harbouring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets.
Despite intense lobbying by Khartoum, the U.S. administration kept Sudan on the terrorism list drawing frustration and rebuke from Sudanese officials.

Following his meeting with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir in Riyadh on Tuesday, King Salman said: “Sudan is of special importance to the Kingdom and we want it to enjoy security and stability”.

According to Sudan's official news agency SUNA, King Salman said the security of Sudan is part of the security of the Kingdom, stressing they would continue to render support to Khartoum.

“We appreciate Sudan's stances towards the Kingdom and we would continue to demand the United States to lift Sudan's name from the list of states sponsors of terrorism and help it improve its relations with Washington and other countries,” King Salman said.

The Saudi King further proposed to hold a coordination meeting among the concerned bodies in Khartoum and Riyadh to develop a plan to enlighten the international public opinion on the role played by Sudan to achieve international peace and security.

For his part, al-Bashir praised the Saudi role in the full lifting of the U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, expressing hope the Kingdom will continue its efforts to lift Sudan's name from the terror list.

He underlined Sudan would continue to defend the security of Saudi Arabia and the Two Holy Mosques, describing the Saudi-led Arab alliance to fighting against terrorism as “one of the most important achievements”.

Al-Bashir on Tuesday paid a surprise one-day visit to Riyadh where he met with King Salman.

The Sudanese president was touring the Gulf countries in a visit to Kuwait and Qatar, officially he was there for talks on Sudan reconstruction conference sponsored by the Arab League and will be held in Saudi Arabia.

However, observers speak about a possible mediation he is undertaking to settle the five-month crisis between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

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Journalist Yousra Elbagir looks at why the #MeToo hashtag was not widely used in Sudan.

Mausi Segun, executive director of Human Right Watch's Africa Division, oversees the work of the division in approximately 30 countries. Segun joined Human Rights Watch in September 2013 as the senior researcher for Nigeria. Segun has conducted field investigations to several parts of northern Nigeria, authored extended press releases and dispatches on the cycles of violence in north central Nigeria, the humanitarian crises, the abduction of girls and women and the violations committed by both sides in the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast. She has written pieces and opinions for the New York Times, The Independent UK, Sunday Independent SA, and Salon and has been quoted in the Huffington Post, Washington Post and other major news media.

Before Human Rights Watch, she worked with Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission where, as southwest zonal coordinator, she worked tirelessly to document and promote human rights in six southwest states.

Prior to joining the Commission, she worked as a senior legal officer with the federal ministry of justice.

She has written countless papers on various rights and governance issues.

Mausi has a bachelor of law degree from Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria, and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

On the second day of his visit to the Central African Republic (CAR), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on the international community to show solidarity in helping the crisis-torn country chart a new future while warning against religious divide.

What does call for "resistance movement" mean for Kenya?

October 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer Hassan al-Bashir Tuesday paid a surprise visit to Riyadh where he met with King Salman but no statement has been released on the details of the meeting.

Al-Bashir since three days is touring the Gulf countries in a visit to Kuwait and Qatar, officially he was there for talks on Sudan reconstruction conference sponsored by the Arab League and will be held in Saudi Arabia.

However, observers speak about a possible mediation he undertaking to settle the five-month crisis between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

"The King and the visiting president held official talks, during which they discussed bilateral relations binding the two sisterly countries, in addition to the latest regional developments," said the official Saudi Press Agency.

The meeting was attended by Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Riyadh Region, Prince Mansour bin Miteb bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of the National Guard, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Massed bin Mohammed Al-Ayban, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz Al-Assaf and Minister of Finance Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jada'an.

Sudan refused to take part in the ongoing diplomatic crisis and declared its support for the Kuwaiti efforts to settle the rift.

In a speech delivered before the Kuwaiti parliament on Tuesday, Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, warned that the dispute could escalate and open the door for regional and international intervention in the Gulf region.

"History and future generations will not forgive anyone who contributes, even one word, to fuelling this dispute," he further said.

President al-Bashir previously tried in the past to convince Riyadh to end the crisis but he failed.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who is visiting Paris nowadays told the France24 TV that they have 13 demands and Doha should respond to all without exception.

Qatar rejected the demands saying it means an effective end to its independent foreign policy.

After his meeting with King Salman, al-Bashir left Riyadh to Al-Madinah to visit the Prophet's Mosque. From where he is expected to return to Khartoum without meeting the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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October 24, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia sent 200 peacekeepers over the weekend to South Sudan to help stabilize the war-torn east African nation, an Ethiopian official said on Tuesday.

UN peacekeepers from Ethiopia patrol the outskirts of the disputed Abyei town that straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan on 16 September 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

The country's foreign affairs minister, Meles Alem was quoted saying the peacekeepers were sent in line with a United Nations resolution to stabilize South Sudan.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2327 on Dec. 16, 2016, which called for an increase in the overall force levels of United Nations Mission in South Sudan to 17,000 military and 2,101 police personnel.

The resolution also extended the UNMISS mission until December 2017 and gave stronger a mandate to the peacekeeping forces to protect civilians.

South Sudan, the world's youngest nation, has been embroiled in a major conflict since December 2013, after clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the country's former deputy president, Riek Machar, spiraled into an all-out civil war.

Several rounds of peace negotiations mediated by the African Union, the regional body Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the UN have so far failed to stop the bloodshed.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million displaced in the country's worst violence outbreak since its independence.

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October 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) Tuesday announced that a person suspected of causing the death of its late spokesperson Lam Kuei Lam has been arrested by the Sudanese police.

Fallen South Sudan rebel leader's spokesperson Lam Kuei Lam (File photo)

In a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune, Pouk Both Baluang, the SPLM-IO's director for information and public relations announced that the forensic report of Lam's autopsy has indicated that the cause of death was a small bowel explosion as a result of a severe blow he received.

"Accordingly, the Sudanese police began a criminal investigation with a suspect who voluntarily surrendered to the police on the morning of Sunday, October 22, 2017. Also, it (the police) summoned some eyewitnesses to testify in order to find out the real circumstances of the incident," Baluang said in a statement written in the Arabic language.

Lam, died in Sudan's capital, Khartoum on Saturday.

The statement didn't give further details but said the SPLM-IO leadership is closely following the investigation and called for calm and to avoid fake news.

"We ask everyone to be patient and careful, and not to false fabricate information in respect of the feelings of the family and friends of the deceased," he said.

Lam succeeded James Gatdet Dak, the former spokesperson in Machar's office who was handed over to the South Sudanese government by Kenyan authorities in November 2016.

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October 24, 2017 (JUBA) – At least nine Namibian police officers have been sent to war-torn South Sudan on a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

The contingent of Namibian police headed for South Sudan (The Namibian)

Namibian Police Inspector, Sebastian Ndeitunga said the contingent, under the command of Jona Nairenge, would be tasked with general policing, maintaining of peace and security and the restoration of law and order in the war-torn country.

Ndeitunga was quoted saying said the Namibian police contingent would form part of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which is mainly mandated to provide support for peace efforts and to support longer-term state-building and economic development.

The peace keeping mission in South Sudan is also tasked with supporting the South Sudanese government in conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution and to protect innocent civilians.

“Our forces are disciplined. That is why they have always been accorded appreciation on their hard work, discipline and professionalism,” Ndeitunga told The Namibian.

“Up to now we have not received any negative report from the areas we served. They were all doing very well,” he added.

Ndeitunga was further quoted saying the international operations division of the Namibian Police was preparing to send a 50-member contingent to the Sudanese region of Darfur and to support the United Nations interim security force in the disputed region of Abyei.

“This is an indication that the Namibian Police will continue to honour their international obligations by committing to UN peacekeeping missions,” Ndeitunga said, adding “The police has so far made 45 deployments to several peacekeeping missions across the world.

Currently, there are already around 12,000 troops operating under UNMISS in South Sudan, but the Security Council authorised the deployment of the regional forces after the July 2016 violence amid complaints the UN failed to protect the civilians.

In August 2016, the UN Security Council, following a request by the regional body Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), approved the deployment of 4,000-strong RPF force to secure Juba in the aftermath of renewed clash there.

The 4,000-strong force is meant to protect civilians from the gang rapes and other abuses seen during the fighting that erupted in the capital, Juba, a year ago. This additional force would beef up the existing 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping troops.

South Sudan's civil war has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million civilians in less than five years, according to the world body.

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