Africa

Footage shows a man being arrested after the Libya Malta hijack. He acted with another man who was also arrested.

Amid reports that dozens of people have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in recent days, the top United Nations human rights official has warned that repression of dissenting voices and a heavy-handed and irresponsible response to the protests risk provoking more violence and could cause further conflict in the country.

Event company owner Ibidunni Ighodalo talks to the BBC about her wedding business.

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

Senegal is the highest ranked football team in Africa and one reason is local academies such as Generation Foot.

Photographer Boukary Konate is documenting scenes from rural life in his native Mali for the "internet generation", and before this way of life disappears entirely.

A United Nations human rights expert today called on the Nigerian Government to increase funding for water and sanitation in next year’s budget to address the needs of 21 million residents of Lagos, the country’s largest city, which continues to grow while access to basic services dwindles.

Kenyan businessmen are tapping into the honey industry with the introduction of modern methods, which local farmers say present a shift away from long-held tradition, writes the BBC's Nicola Kelly.

Kenyan girls are hiding in schools this Christmas to escape parents who want them to undergo FGM.

How a meeting between two of the BBC's 100 Women of 2013 led to an English girl's school reopening in a Kenyan slum

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the killing of a peacekeeper from South Africa deployed with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in North Kivu earlier today.

Amid growing tensions and increasing despair among South Sudan’s population, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today warned that the international community’s failure to act now could put the country on a trajectory towards mass atrocities.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended decisions by a bloc of West African countries to take all necessary actions to enforce the outcome of the presidential election in Gambia, guarantee the protection of President-elect Adama Barrow, and attend the new leader’s inauguration ceremony on 19 January 2017.

Raising alarm over “double standards” applied by the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – allowing pro-government youths to conduct public political activities while repressing dissenting voices – a group of United Nations rights experts today called on the Government to end the “targeted repression” and to guarantee conditions that allow fundamental rights and freedoms to be exercised peacefully.

Following a major measles outbreak in Somalia, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners supported a swift delivery of 55,000 doses of measles vaccine to Kismayo along with Vitamin A supplementation to boost the immunity of the some 54,000 children under the age of 10 that are expected to be vaccinated.

December 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - South Sudanese Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkouth Sunday arrived in Khartoum for talks with his Sudanese counterpart on the oil transit fees, as result of the collapse of oil prices.

In August 2013, South Sudan agreed to pay to Khartoum $9.10 for the oil produced in Upper Nile state and $11 for that of Unity region. Also Juba agreed to pay the Transitional Financial Assistance (TFA) to the average of the agreed oil transportation fees.

Despite the rise in oil prices recently to over $54 for the barrel, they remain far from the over 100 dollar per barrel when the two countries signed the oil deal in 2013.

Leading a delegation including officials from South Sudan central bank, finance and oil ministry, and the Nilepet, Gatkouth is expected to sign an new agreement Monday.

The official news agency SUNA reported that oil Minister Mohamed Zayed Awad held a meeting with the visiting minster to discuss the renewal of the oil agreement which will expire by the end of the year.

The visit comes after a meeting of joint technical committees chaired by the undersecretaries of oil ministries in the two countries on the review of oil fees to cope with the falling oil prices.

Minister Awad said his ministry is willing to provide Juba with all the data related to oil blocks in South Sudan. Also, he reiterated readiness to train South Sudanese oil workers.

According to SUNA, Gatkouth called to strengthen joint cooperation as they plan to resume oil production in the Unity region outside Bentinu. He added that such cooperation will benefit to the two countries.

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December 18, 2016 (PRETORIA/NAIROBI)- South Sudan rebel leader, Riek Machar has rejected President Salva Kiir's call for national dialogue in the war-torn nation, describing the move as “bogus”.

First Vice-President Riek Machar (L) and President Salva Kiir (R) listen to the national anthem following a ceremony during which Machar was sworn in on April 26, 2016. (Phot AFP/Samir Bol)

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) from South Africa, Machar said there must be peace talks to end the civil war before any such dialogue, as announced by the president, takes place.

Last week, President Kiir announced an inclusive dialogue which he says will be led by “eminent personalities” accepted as credible, genuine and trusted by all rival parties in the young nation.

Addressing members of South Sudan's Parliament in the capital, Juba Wednesday, President Kiir asked for forgiveness for all the wrongs he could have committed.

"National dialogue in my view is both a forum and process through which the people of South Sudan can gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, and sense of belonging," said the South Sudan leader.

"In the light of national endeavor, I am calling upon all of you to forgive one another, enter dialogue with one another in your personal capacities, embrace yourself," he added.

However, although the South Sudanese leader did not mention Machar's name in the speech, he insisted that armed groups opposed to his government will be represented at grassroots level.

Tens of thousands have been killed in South Sudan's civil war, and more than a million refugees have fled the country. The United Nations recently warned that South Sudan is at risk of genocide as fighting escalates in the southern Equatoria region of the country.

DIALOGUE WELCOMED

Meanwhile, South Sudan's former political detainees have welcomed President Kiir's “belated” call for a national dialogue.

“We are happy that he has finally listened to the yearning of the people of South Sudan for dialogue and broader engagement to resolve the current conflict, heal and reconcile our nation,” Kosti Manibe, a member of the ex-detainees, said in a release.

He said meaningful dialogue will be possible if, and only if, certain principles are adhered to as has been suggested by many experts and those concerned South Sudan's current situation, citing transparency and public participation; credibility of the convener (preferably an institution with political and moral clout); the agenda to address the root causes of the conflict; clear mandate that appropriately tackles structure, rules and procedures; and agreed objectives and outcome of the dialogue.

“We encourage all the political actors and stakeholders to come up with their view on the dialogue being proposed,” said Kosti.

“In the end, our objective is to pull our country out of the present quagmire and put it back on the track of state and nation building on new basis,” he added.

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December 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Several Sudanese officials have downplayed the December 19th civil disobedience describing the general strike as “big zero” and “nonsense”.

Large segments of the Sudanese people have engaged in a three-day civil disobedience act from 27 to 29 November to protest the recent austerity measures and the lack of freedoms.

Activists have launched a wide electronic campaign to mobilize the Sudanese to engage in a second civil disobedience action on December 19th.

Opposition forces and armed groups expressed support for the general strike and called upon their affiliates to play an active role to ensure its success.

Last week, President Omer al-Bashir said his government wouldn't be overthrown by the “WhatsApp”, pointing he wouldn't hand over the country to the activists who hide behind the “keyboards”.

Sudan's Presidential Assistant and Deputy Chairman of the ruling party Ibrahim Mahmoud told reporters Sunday that “the outcome of the previous call for civil disobedience was zero and the upcoming one would be a big zero”.

He denied that his government is holding any political detainees, but he was so quick to say “that is not part of my job”.

Commenting on the recent crackdown on the press, Hamid said the authorities have the right to take all the necessary measures to maintain the security and stability if there is any security threat to the country.

The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has recently intensified crackdown on newspapers for publishing news reports and articles on the nationwide civil disobedience act which took place between 27 and 29 November. During the last three weeks, it seized copies of various dailies 23 times.

Also, the NISS launched a large arrest campaign and detained more than 40 opposition figures from the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) , National Umma Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Arab Ba'ath Party, National Alliance Forces (NAF) as well as civil society activists and journalists.

Meanwhile, vice-president Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman said the civil disobedience “wouldn't achieve anything”, calling on the youth to launch an electronic media campaign to increase production in the country.

Abdel-Rahman, who addressed the program “Youth for Production” in Khartoum on Sunday, said true independence is to achieve national will and self-sufficiency, sending a message to who he called the “saboteurs” saying you “won't be able to break our will”.

For his part, the chairman of the Liberation and Justice Party (LJP) party and Health Minister, Bahar Idris Abu Garda, has criticized the opposition forces who supported the civil disobedience call, saying they are “unserious and have no political alternative”.

Commenting on the National Umma Party's (NUP) support for the general strike, the former Darfur rebel leader told reporters on Sunday that “al-Sadiq al-Mahdi has no alternative political project”, saying any person has the right to oppose or change the government through the “legitimate means”.

He called on the opposition to lay out its alternative programme first and then call for general strike, saying “any civil disobedience without an alternative programme is doomed to fail”.

On the other hand, the leader of the rebel Sudan people's liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Malik Agar on Sunday released a short audio message where he calls on the Sudanese army and other regular forces to stand by the sudanese people and to join the general strike.

DETENTION CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Meanwhile, the opposition forces have announced more detentions among its members across the country as the date of the civil disobedience approaches.

The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) on Sunday said the NISS arrested a number of its members in various parts of Sudan including Ahmed Hassan Ahmed in the White Nile state, Zaki Masour and Ahmed Bort in Atbara, River Nile state, Mohamed Koko and Mohanad Ramadan in Khartoum East and Mohamed Al-Tayeb in the Gazeera state.

It added the NISS has also summoned Zaineb Ahmed Abdel-Bagi, Kamal Mohamed Al-Ni'ma, Hamad Kashar and al-Amin Maarouf to its headquarters in Al-Managel, Gazeera state.

Also, the National Umma Party (NUP) on Sunday said the NISS detained its member Aymen Hamad Bakr in Al-Obayyed, North Kordofan state.

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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

December 18,2016 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopian authorities said on Saturday that thousands of suspects arrested under the state of emergency decree would be freed.

Demonstrators chant slogans while flashing the Oromo protest gesture during Irreecha, the thanksgiving festival of the Oromo people, in Bishoftu town, Oromia region, Ethiopia, October 2, 2016 (Reuters Photo)

Ethiopia declared a state decree last October after anti-government protests that sparked in Oromia region over territorial, political and economic rights turned violent claiming hundreds of lives.

The command post tasked to oversee the implementation of the six-month long state emergency announced that a total of 9,800 detainees will be freed on Wednesday next week.

Those to be freed next week are among the 11,607 suspects jailed in the first round measures taken following the imposed state decree.

It said the detainees had received training ahead of planned release from detention.

At a press briefing he gave to local journalists, Ethiopian defense minster and Secretariat of the command post, Siraj Figesa, however said 2,449 individuals suspected to have been responsible in inciting and spreading the violence will come before court.

The minister further said that an additional 12,500 suspects have been arrested in second round measures which Sudan Tribune understands would bring the total figure of suspects arrested after the decree to over 24,000.

However Siraj said those second round detainees will be released after completing training might face justice based on criminal roles they had.

He added that the command post has detained 19 groups of mobsters who had been at the forefront in escalating the violence.

Since last year the horn of Africa's nation had been engulfed by unprecedented wave of violent unrest which killed at least 500 people.

The state emergency imposed in a bid to contain the violence has among others led to restrictions on movement of both citizens and diplomats, ban on internet, social medias and some news outlets.

A new report released this week based on a research conducted jointly by Amnesty international and Open Observatory Network Interference revealed that Ethiopian government has blocked access to WhatsApp and to at least 16 news outlets between June and October while tensions strain in the Oromia region.

The report added that Ethiopia's move to block social media as well as news outlet's was "illegal" and further expressed concern that the censorship might become institutionalized under the state decree.

The state emergency, country's first in about quarter a century has also gave police power to arrest and to search anyone's home without court authorization.

Last week, Ethiopia partially lifted ban on internet and access to social media.

The minister said the country has put in place a system to control individuals who attempt to incite violence via mobile internet service.

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December 18, 2016 (JUBA)- The South Sudanese army (SPLA) chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan has downplayed fears of impending genocide, describing it a work of anti-peace elements.

President Salva Kiir, (L), accompanied by army chief of staff Paul Malong Awan, (R), waves during an independence day ceremony in the capital Juba, on July 9, 2015 (Photo AP)

He said this on Friday during a military function where several military officers, who underwent training, were passed at the general headquarters in Juba.

“We are all Equal people in South Sudan, and there is nobody who is superior to others in South Sudan, we should not do things based on tribal basis, because anybody can be a leader of this country”, he said, adding that the country belongs to all the 64 tribes of South Sudan.

He cited General Joseph Lagu and Genral Gismalla Abdalla Rasas as some of the leaders who served because of the leadership abilities, but not their tribal affiliations.

The general also stressed the need to respect rules and laws of the country.

“We as South Sudanese should respect the rule of law and work for the future generation; our times have or will soon come for us to leave the power to you. You the graduates of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, so you must show good example to the people of South Sudan by doing the right things all the time regardless of where you are coming from”, he explained.

Last month, the United Nations special advisor on genocide, Adama Dieng warned that the South Sudan violence risks spiraling into genocide, urging the world body and the international community investigate grave human rights abuses in the nation.

South Sudan has been riven by ethnic violence since the eruption of armed conflict between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and forces supporting Riek Machar in December 2013 .

A peace agreement was signed in August 2015, but violence has resumed in different parts of the country since July 2016. Tens of thousands have been killed and millions displaced.

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