Africa

A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent.

The UN has released $36.6 million for civilians caught up in the conflict that has roiled Ethiopia’s Tigray region since early last month, in order to secure water, sanitation and lifesaving medical supplies.

Amidst a “critical shortage” of resources, hundreds of thousands of refugees in Kenya will lack food unless new funds are swiftly received, the UN’s food relief agency warned on Thursday. 

South Africa's record-breaking skateboarder Jean-Marc Johannes on what putting his sport into the Olympics will mean for the continent.

Wadih Jalasi became known as "cage man" during the Arab Spring, after a photo of him went viral.

On the anniversary of the Arab Spring, the BBC looks at defining moments of the movement.

Ethiopian doctors tell the BBC about their efforts to treat wounded civilians during fighting last month.

Photographer Elena Heatherwick captures the stories behind them in villages in Rwanda and Madagascar.

How and and when are African countries likely to get access to Covid-19 vaccines?

New Desert Locust swarms are forming in the Horn of Africa, threatening agricultural livelihoods and the food security of millions of people, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Wednesday. 

Concerns grow for people's safety in Sudan's war-torn Darfur as peacekeepers prepare to leave.

The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has appealed for the international community to remain focused on the country as it continues to make gains on the political and peacebuilding fronts.   

Providing aid to millions of children uprooted by the ongoing crisis in the Tigray region of Ethiopia must be a priority, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. 

The United Nations voiced grave concern on Tuesday for the safety of thousands of refugees and internally displaced in the wake of a deadly attack on Toumour, a town in southeastern Niger’s Diffa region, near the border with Nigeria. 

Abdulhadi avoided the mass kidnapping in Nigeria's Katsina school but his twin brother Mustapha was lost in the chaos.

A student who escaped after gunmen raided an all-boys school in Nigeria speaks to the BBC.

The United Nations Secretary-General has called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hundreds of boys, believed abducted by suspected bandits, after an attack on their school in northwest Nigeria. 

The catwalk in Dakar has been moved into a baobab forest due to Covid-19 restrictions.

December 11, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - A driver was killed and passengers travelling with him were looted in a new attack by the Popular Defence Forces in Al-Abbasiya area of South Kordofan State

The attack which occurred on Monday was reported by a local group Hudo Center in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday.

"On 7th December 2020, Mr Ali Mohamed Zaitouna, 63years, a driver of a mini truck was shot dead and the passengers on board were robbed and assaulted while they were travelling from Kosti to Al Abbasiya,".

The attack was carried out by four gunmen dressed in military uniform Popular Defence Force (PDF) and riding motorbikes, added the statement.

After killing the driver, they assaulted the passengers and took their money and smart-phones, before to flee.

The transitional government dissolved the PDF militia after the collapse of the former regime. However, the forces of this militia have been integrated into the army and operate under its command.

At the contrary of the Rapid Support Forces, they are formed from civilians who have other occupations and dedicated to fighting local rebel groups or the Ethiopian militiamen on the eastern Sudan border areas.

Hudo said that the Abbasiya police did not investigate the case filed against the unidentified attackers and expressed deep concern about the security situation in the area.

The group further called on the Sudanese authorities to hold the police accountable for negligence and to address the security situation in the state.

The government and the rebel SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu say committed to the unilateral cessation of hostilities but failed to hold peace talks to end the armed conflict in South Kordofan state.

(ST)

December 11, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan, urged the Security Council to lift the arms embargo imposed on the country over the conflict in Darfur, under the resolution 1591 (2005).

On Friday, the Council was briefed in a videoconference meeting by the Sudan sanctions committee on the situation in Darfur region during the period from 15 September to 10 December 2020.

The resolution 1591 (2005) imposes an arms embargo banning the supply of arms and related materiel to actors operating in Darfur. Also, it imposes travel ban and assets freeze on individuals designated by the Committee.

A year after the removal of the al-Bashir's regime, Sudanese transitional government keeps calling on the international community to end all the sanctions imposed during the former era.

"Lifting those sanctions was essential to ensuring lasting stability, as they no longer reflect the present circumstances in Darfur, compared to 2005 when the resolution was adopted," said Sudan's Ambassador to the United Nations Omer Siddig during the meeting.

Siddig added that the end of sanctions will allow his government to rebuild the capacity of the security forces and law enforcement agencies to preserve and enhance peace in Darfur and beyond.

On 2 November, Michael Pompeo the United States Secretary of State vowed to work with the Sudanese Government and international partners to identify circumstances that could lift the sanctions related to the Darfur conflict.

The two Governments have already begun consultations at the United Nations and Sudan is ready to engage with the United States and other Council members to swiftly end these sanctions.

For his part, the Chair of the Sanctions Committee Sven Jurgenson of Estonia told the meeting that "peace remains elusive as long as land use and ownership issues in Darfur remain unresolved and the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdel Wahid remains outside the peace process".

Jurgenson further warned that the return of the former rebel groups to the region to integrate the national army after the peace agreement may bring instability in Darfur due to the increasing tribal tensions.

The Security Council will receive the final report of the sanctions committee next February. Accordingly, it will decide to end its activities or to extend it for an additional year.

(ST)