Africa

As thousands of refugees return from Cameroon to north-eastern Nigeria, straining the few existing services and creating a new emergency, the United Nations refugee agency is stepping up its response to improve conditions.

More than 9,000 children who have arrived at two temporary reception centres in a northern Angolan city from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) need urgent support, the United Nations Children&#39s Fund (UNICEF) said today.

Briefing the Security Council for the final time as the United Nations mission in Côte d&#39Ivoire draws down, the UN envoy for the country thanked the Government for its support and said that though more needs to be done, but the West African nation has shown its resolve for a peaceful, stable and prosperous future.

June 1, 2017 (AIN SIRO) - The governor of North Darfur, Abdel Wahid Youssef, denied on Thursday the displacement of civilians from Ain Siro area after the recent fighting with armed groups in the state.

Youssef made the denial in a speech to the residents of Ain Siro and the Rapid support Forces where he arrived with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (aka Hametti), and North Darfur security committee members.

The governor told the civilians to not listen to those who call them to go into displacement camps adding, "We will not allow anyone who attacks you or takes your belongings". Also, he called on the civilians to report any attack immediately to the government forces in the area.

Ali Adam Taher, an Ain Siro resident told Sudan Tribune two days ago that some RSF militiamen attacked them under the command of Mohamadine Arko Jalu, a former rebel commander who broke away from the SLM-Minni Arko Minnawi and joined the government.

"This commander has an old hatred with some people in those areas. The attack forced thousands of civilians to flee towards the mountains," Taher said.

"They live in difficult conditions, some in the mountains of Kula, Diri, Adri and Matarj," he said.

Also, leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Girbil Ibrahim and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) Wednesday have accused government forces of committing mass crimes against civilians in more than 90 villages in North Darfur State.

The two rebel leaders stressed that Ain Siro area was the most affected by the attacks, saying the government forces and the RSF burned, looted and raped large numbers of girls and terrorised the residents by the intense and indiscriminate aerial bombardment.

However, RSF commander Hametti emphasised that there is no displacement from the area, adding that those who fled the fighting to the mountains returned to their villages and vowed to provide them with the needed protection.

"Our instructions are very clear and we will not accept any mistake. We have strongly advised you to give the needy and follow the straight path," he further said.

RSF Brigadier General Essam Saleh Fadil said that the Rapid Support Forces managed to seize 18 Land Cruiser vehicles, including two ambulances in the Ain Siro battle, in addition to sophisticated weapons in the hands of the armed groups.

"Among the seized weapons that indicate a new development in the arming of the Darfur rebels, the laser-guided rockets that hit their targets from incredible distances," he said.

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

June 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Troika and European Union countries Thursday have called the Sudanese government and armed groups in Darfur region to return to the negotiating table to reach a cessation of hostilities.

"The Troika (United States, United Kingdom, Norway) and the resident European Union Embassies in Khartoum are deeply concerned about reports of renewed fighting in Darfur between the Government of Sudan and Darfuri armed movements led by the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), which began on May 20 after a reinforcement from outside Darfur by the armed opposition elements," said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune .

Recently, Khartoum called for an international condemnation of the joint attacks carried out by the SLM-MM and SLM-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) saying the assailants came from Libya and South Sudan. Further, the Sudanese authorities accused Egypt of providing armoured vehicles to the Sudanese rebels.

By mentioning "reinforcement from outside Darfur" for the armed groups, the Troika and EU countries reject the claim of the rebels that the Sudanese government militiamen attacked their positions in Darfur where UN reports repeat that the region was free of rebels.

"These new incidents of violence underscore the urgent need for the parties to finalise a negotiated cessation of hostilities and an agreement to return to political negotiations leading to a sustainable peace," points a statement issued by the Embassies of the Troika and the EU in Khartoum.

The statement urged the hybrid peacekeeping force to reach the areas where the fighting has been reported to verify and assess the extent of the violence and its impact on civilian populations.

" We call on all parties to show restraint, cease all military actions, return to the unilaterally proclaimed ceasefires and finalise as soon as possible a joint cessation of hostilities agreement," further stressed the statement.

The western embassies encouraged the government to show willingness to compromise in negotiations saying "This should allow for a swift return to cessation of hostilities talks, including the safe return of opposition groups outside of Sudan, and entry into a broader and inclusive peace process under the auspices of the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP)'s Roadmap Agreement".

Following the failure of the last round of peace talks in Addis Ababa in August 2016, the National Congress Party (NCP)-led government held its national dialogue conference and endorsed a framework for democratic reforms called the National Document.

Since the government omitted the Roadmap Agreement saying the holdout opposition groups can join the implementation of the National Document conclusions.

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Warning that violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) is quickly escalating, the top United Nations aid official in the country today urged the international community to assist the tens of thousands of newly displaced civilians.

Authorities probe how over a tonne of ivory went missing from government stores.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has signed a new one-year deal with the Premier League club.

Zambia coach Beston Chambeshi praises his players as they prepare to face Italy in a Fifa Under-20 World Cup quarter-final tie.

A former friend of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi says he met so-called Islamic State in Libya.

The group were travelling from West Africa to Libya and their truck broke down, six survivors say.

One government official claimed the blackout was designed to prevent online leaks of exam papers.

The 51-year-old suspect was arrested in east London and a second property was also searched.

Senegal's young Lions of Teranga exit the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in South Korea after a 1-0 defeat to Mexico.

The United Nations human rights chief today urged Egyptian officials to repeal a new law on non-governmental organizations, saying that it &#8220further tightens the noose&#8221 around NGOs trying to hold the Government to account for human rights obligations.

The first study to look at twins in the region says urgent improvements are needed.

In our series of letters from African journalists, veteran Ghanaian journalist Elizabeth Ohene reflects on the "galamsey" phenomenon.

Despite “vast improvement” in security in parts of the Central African Republic (CAR), there are still deep tensions and some fear of a sudden relapse, a top United Nations human rights official said while visiting the strife-torn country.

Kenya has opened a major new railway between the port city of Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi.