Africa

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela says South Africa is in a political crisis and the ANC has "messed up".

The United Nations human rights arm today voiced deep concern for the safety of individuals taken prisoner by members of the Libyan army after recent fighting in Benghazi, noting that they may be at imminent risk of torture and even summary execution.

The Africa Cup of Nations could be moved to June or July as part of changes being discussed by the continent's ruling body.

More than 60,000 people signed a petition in the battle to save May Brown from leukaemia.

Indris, the largest lemurs, are threatened by illegal mining in their native Madagascar.

Renewed fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) is increasingly targeting children, while there are concerns that the humanitarian needs in the country could escalate to levels not seen since the crisis four years ago, United Nations humanitarian officials today said.

Trade in African lion bones faked as tiger products is thriving in Asia, a wildlife group says.

The BBC Somali service is celebrating 60 years since its first broadcast. Today, it reaches an audience of four million people across radio, TV and online.

United Nations, the Republic of Congo&#39s Government and humanitarian partners today appealed for $23.7 million to aid Congolese in the area of southern Brazzaville known as &#8220the Pool&#8221, where fighting and insecurity has displaced one out of every three people.

New radio telescopes far more powerful than any used before aim to shed light on extra terrestrial activity.

In our series of letters from African journalists, veteran Ghanaian journalist Elizabeth Ohene reflects on whether people are being inspired by science.

Every month we travel to a different African country to discuss a chosen topic.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

Amid rising terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the United Nations envoy for the region called on the Security Council to further support national and Regional efforts to combat this "serious threat", including strengthening the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel.

The humanitarian situation in Eritrea – which is quite isolated and off the media radars – is “on a positive trajectory” but international donors need to give malnourishment and food insecurity continued attention, a senior United Nations relief official today said.

July 13, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir has issued a republican order sacking 14 judges who spearheaded a campaign seeking to improve working conditions in the the country's judiciary.

The republican order, read on the state-owned SSBC on Thursday, affected five courts of appeal judges, two from the high court, five first grade county judges and two second grade county judges.

President Kiir did not give reasons for the move and neither the office of the president nor that of the country's chief justice commented on the matter.

The chairperson of the judges and justices committee, Khalid Abdulla Mohamed and several colleagues who went on strike, demanding higher wages and the chief justice's resignation are among those affected.

The directive came after negotiations between judges and a committee formed by the president to hear their grievances failed to meet the demands set by the judicial officials.

The committee chaired by the minister of justice, his information and cabinet affairs counterparts did not, however, make any public comment about recommendations they presented to the president in relation to the grievances of the judiciary.

Meanwhile, the courts of appeal judges sacked by the president include Khalid Mohamed Abdallah, Malek Mathiang Malek, Geri Raymondo Lege, George Anger Riing and Charles Abyei Jok.

High court judges affected include, Nyok Monyrok Akwai, Awol Moyak Deng, while the first grade county judges affected are, Thor Andrew Makur, Geri Leon Wani, David Eriko Kati, George Phillip Laku, Maker Tong Kiir. Also, the second grade county judges affected by the president's order are Bullen Isaiah Kulan and Paulino Duk Wayo.

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July 13, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudan government admitted that its forces launched offensives to take control of Pagak, a stronghold of rebels loyal to former First Vice-President Riek Machar.

SPLA soldiers sit at the back of a pick-up truck in Malakal, Upper Nile state January 12, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

The presidential adviser on military affairs, Daniel Awet Akot said Thursday that the move resulted from the rebels' failure to observe the declared ceasefire.

“What can one do when the other side does not reciprocate the good gesture and the will to end the conflict? There are people who continue to advocate war. They have refused dialogue and refused to observe ceasefire,” Akot told Sudan Tribune.

He added, “They [rebels] did not declare ceasefire, instead what they are doing is attacking civilians and holding them hostage and using them as their bargaining card”.

Meanwhile, the information Michael Makuei Lueth said the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Kiir does not include Pagak area, a war-time opposition headquarters when the civil war began in 2013.

The minister equally justified the military offensives taken against the armed opposition fighters, saying rebels loyal to the exiled former First Vice-President had rejected the government's offer of a ceasefire.

“The SPLA-IO [Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition] movement led by Riek Machar does not recognize the peace agreement. It is saying the signed peace agreement is over, so they are not part of the peace agreement. The area of Paged has nothing to do with the ceasefire deal,” Lueth said on Thursday.

He, however, said the coalition government only recognizes the armed opposition faction loyal to Machar's successor, Taban Deng Gai, saying the latter recognizes the existence of the August 2015 peace agreement.

“We don't have any problem with the peace wing led by Taban Deng. The president had declared a unilateral ceasefire, but the rebels of Riek Machar failed to reciprocate the unilateral ceasefire and started attacking our positions, then we have the right to defend ourselves”, stressed the South Sudanese information minister.

About 5,000 civilians, the United Nations said, have been forced out of their homes in Pagak.

The head of the U.N mission in South Sudan said thousands of South Sudanese civilians are fleeing to neighbouring Ethiopia as government troops advance towards Pagak, expressing grave concern on the growing refugee crisis.

“At least 25 aid workers have been forced to relocate from Pagak and surrounding areas due to increased insecurity,” said Shearer.

Stressing there was no military solution to the South Sudan conflict, the senior U.N official called upon all the warring both factions to stop the fighting.

“It's unacceptable that 250 innocent children, and the people who care for them, find themselves in no-man's land between the warring parties,” stressed Shearer.

The South Sudanese conflict started in mid-December 2013 when President Kiir accused Machar of a coup attempt. Since then, tens of thousands of people have died and over 2 million displaced.

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Former Ivory Coast international Olivier Tebily has forged a new career away from football - as Africa's first maker of Cognac.

July 13, 2017 (WASHINGTON) - U.S. officials Wednesday praised the efforts exerted by the Sudanese in the five-track engagement stressing that their decision to postpone the permanent lift of sanctions on Sudan was just motivated by the need for more time to conclude this robust process.

On Wednesday the State Department organised a press background briefing to explain a decision by an interagency team to extend the review period for the revocation of the economic embargo on Sudan for additional three months. However, the three officials who are members of the assessment team preferred to remain anonymous during the call.

The three-month delay came after a tense campaign carried out by human rights activists and Congressmen to maintain the sanctions, insisting on the human rights record of the Sudanese government. Although there were some doubts over Khartoum commitment to the humanitarian access, the pressure remained high on human rights particularly when the activists pointed that the 1997 sanctions were also imposed against the bad human rights record of the Sudanese government and not only its support to terrorist groups.

"Sudan has made significant progress in these areas (five tracks) over the last six months, but given that a new administration came in January and looking at where we've gone and where we will go, the administration decided that it needed more time to review Sudan's actions and to establish that the government has demonstrated sustained, positive actions across all the areas that are set out in the executive order," said the senior administration officials.

They further reiterated that Washington remains committed to continuing this discussion on the five tracks but also to engage Khartoum "on other vital issues outside of the five-track arrangement", including "dialogue on improving Sudan's human rights and religious freedom record, and also to ensure that, like we are on track with that throughout the globe, committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea".

Angered by the additional postponement, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir ordered on Wednesday to suspend the ongoing discussions with the American administration over the normalisation of bilateral relations and the lift of sanctions.

But the senior officials minimised the decision saying they are waiting for official notification and more accurate details on the suspension.

The five track agreement, which was negotiated by the former U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Donald Both, includes the counterterrorism cooperation, the humanitarian access to the conflict areas, Sudan support to regional efforts to end the South Sudanese conflict and to fight against the Ugandan rebel group Lord Resistance Army.

Asked about the impact of the campaign by human rights activists and the Christian right group hostile to Khartoum, the senior officials ruled out such influence pointing that they haven't made a decision yet on the sanction but only delayed it.

Further, they went to explain that the three-month delay was motivated by the five tracks and the humanitarian access particularly.

"Humanitarian access has always been a real problem, and I think we've succeeded in reversing a number of longstanding impediments. The extended review period is going to let us do even more, and we want to make sure that our principle – which is unfettered humanitarian access in all contexts – is something that we could go forward with the Government of Sudan, and (those) restrictions on travel and other issues - that are inconsistent with the freedom of movement- are addressed and overcome," they said.

NORTH KOREA

"The implementation of Security Council resolutions in North Korea, and especially efforts to stem North Korean missile proliferation and financing activities, is a top security priority for the President," said the officials to explain why they included it in agenda of bilateral talks even if it is not part of the five-track process.

Hover ever they stressed the North Korean matter has not been added to the five track framework but "it has been a continual concern we have with the Sudanese Government, and we've expressed that all along".

During a visit to Seoul on 1 November 2016, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour announced that Khartoum had severed its diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and added there was no longer any military cooperation with the government of South Korea.

In March 2017, a report released by UN experts said that North Korea in 2013 supplied Sudan with sophisticated air-to-ground missiles that use satellite guidance systems.

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July 12, 2017 (WAU) – The governor of South Sudan's Wau state, Andrea Mayar Acho has slightly reshuffled his cabinet.

Those affected were the deputy governor, two ministers, two commissioners, the state security advisor and the town mayor.

Acho, in a gubernatorial decree issued Tuesday, relived his deputy, Anthony Charles Barende, state security advisor, Dominic Emilio Bafuka, local government minister James Joseph Uyu, among others.

Also sacked was the council of ministers' secretary general Acho Modesto Wol.

Although no reason was given in the decree, the governor thanked the outgoing officials for the services they delivered during their time in office.

(ST)