Africa

The top UN official working to end rape during wartime said she was encouraged by recent “positive steps” taken by the South Sudanese army to bring perpetrators to justice, thereby underscoring the Government’s commitment to zero tolerance.  

The Nigerian Government must establish a credible, independent inquiry into the recent killing of at least 12 peaceful protestors by soldiers, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday, as demonstrations against a discredited police unit continue across the country.

Several thousand people have fled from election-related violence in Côte d'Ivoire to seek sanctuary in neighbouring Liberia, Ghana and Togo, fearing a repeat of the major conflict that followed the election in 2011, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday.  

The army is accused of carrying out revenge killings after three policemen and six soldiers were killed.

Nigeria #EndSars protester Anthony Unuode, who was killed in Abuja by thugs, was buried at the weekend.

Crowd1 is a high-tech crowd marketing business and has been accused of running a pyramid scheme.

Behind the promises and the hype, Crowd1 hides some ugly truths, some wealthy scammers, and a whole pyramid of lies.

Polly Irungu wants to empower black women photographers to be able to tell their own stories.

Egypt and Ethiopia are at loggerheads over the mega dam, with Sudan literally stuck in the middle.

Athletes of African heritage based in the United States, are hoping to inspire their fans to vote in the US elections.

On Friday, the eve of the presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for all Ivorians to ensure that the polls are “conducted in a peaceful manner”.  

Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won 2020 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilities.

In Kenya, a major UN-led cash and nutrition relief project is underway for informal workers facing a hunger crisis brought on by COVID-19, amidst warnings on Friday that the situation is likely even worse in many poorer countries. 

In the deadliest shipwreck recorded so far this year, at least 140 people have drowned after a vessel carrying around 200 migrants sank off the Senegalese coast, the UN migration agency confirmed on Thursday.

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM)- The Sudanese government officially announced the new liberalized fuel prices, with an increase of more than 400% over the previous price.

In a press conference held in Khartoum, the Minister of Energy and Mining Khairy Abdel-Rahman Khairy stated the liberalized fuel price will be effective as of Tuesday evening.

He added that a litre of gasoline will be sold at 120 pounds instead of 28 pounds previously, while the price of a litre of diesel will be 106 from 23 pounds.

Sudanese government decide to cancel fuel subsidy as part of an unpopular economic reform rejected by the leftist groups but endorsed by a national economic conference held in Khartoum recently.

The Sudanese Communist Party held a press conference to denounce the removal of fuel subsidy and vowed to organise popular protests against this reform.

Salih Mahmoud, a member of the SCP leading political bureau said they cannot remain silent while the country is heading straight for the abyss.

He added they will exert peaceful pressure on the government to respond to the popular demands and pedal back from these economic reforms.

"If (the government) refuses to back down from its policies through memoranda and peaceful demonstrations, the people of Sudan must come out and continue in the same approach to change this government".

The government released a clip to explain the purpose of the removal of subsidy and its immediate and future benefits for the economy.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and South Sudan agreed to open the 10 border crossing points along the 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) boundary, said the Sudanese defence minister on Tuesday.

Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the two countries closed border and accused each other of supporting rebel groups from both sides affecting traders and communities on both sides.

However, during recent years, the two Sudans felt the need to work together to bring peace and stability on the two sides and create a conducive environment for joint cooperation.

On Monday, South Sudanese Defence Minister Angelina Teny arrived in Khartoum to participate in the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism with her Sudanese counterpart Yassin Ibrahim to discuss the implementation of the 2012 cooperation agreement including border control and security issues.

On Tuesday, they flew together to Kosti of the White Nile State for laying the foundation stone of a free trade zone.

Speaking at the event, Ibrahim announced the mechanism's decision to open the 10 border crossing points agreed in the cooperation agreement and the resumption of river navigation between the two countries.

He stressed that these developments imply to set up a long-term joint strategy to serve the peoples of the two countries.

Landlocked South Sudan, only implemented the oil transit deal among the other protocols of the cooperation agreement.

Minister Teny, for her part, underscored that laying the foundation stone for free trade zones and resuming river and road transport is a big step in the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two countries.

She further said that arrangements are underway to start joint cooperation through the dry port in Kosti through training, clearance programs and all customs procedures.

The dray port is a terminal directly connected by road to the Kosti river port, operating as a centre for the transhipment of river cargo to inland destinations.

Sudanese finance and trade ministers also spoke about their plans to develop border trade and economic cooperation between the countries.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese and Egyptian heads of state reiterated the need for a legally-binding agreement on the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday as a tripartite committee met on the same day to prepare the resumption of talks.

Last July, Ethiopia brushed aside the negotiations under the Khartoum Declaration of Principles of 2015. Instead, Addis Ababa proposed to negotiate a guidelines-and-rules agreement on the first filling of the dam that could be unilaterally modified and even repealed in certain cases.

The head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss with President Abel Fattah al-Sisi, the stalled crisis of the giant dam.

In a statement released at the end of the one-day visit, the spokesman of the Egyptian presidency stated that both al-Burhan and President al-Sisi reiterated their commitment to the initial 2015 declaration and called for a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Bassam Radi went on to say that the two leaders agreed on the water issue's significance to the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples, as it is also "an issue of national security".

"So, the two countries adhered to reaching a binding legal agreement," he stressed.

It is worth mentioning that Sudan had called for a greater role for the African Union, the EU, and the U.S., suggesting that they become mediators rather than mere observers or facilitators.

However, Ethiopia is now accusing the U.S. of being biased particularly after the recent statement by President Trump that “They (Egypt) will end up blowing up the dam” due to the Ethiopian intransigence in the ongoing talks.

Ethiopian officials, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, have firmly condemned and rejected Trump's “threat,” which they believe to be a declaration of his pro-Egypt position.

On Tuesday, the irrigation ministers of the three countries took part in a videoconference meeting convened by the South African foreign minister with the presence of the US and EU as observers.

After Tuesday the meeting, Sudanese Minister of Irrigation, Yasir Abbas, issued a statement in Khartoum reiterating his country's insistence on continuing negotiations with the same previous approach.

"Sudan submitted a proposal to give a greater role to experts and observers in the negotiation process to narrow the gaps in the positions of the three parties," said Abbas in a statement to the official news agency SUNA.

The meeting agreed that Sudan calls for a follow-up meeting within a week to submit a report to the AU chairman on ways to achieve substantial progress in the stalled negotiations.

The Minister concluded that the parties agreed to set a clear and detailed agenda, a strict timetable for the negotiation, and a clear list of the goals that must be reached with the help of observers and experts — a manner different from the previous rounds.

(ST)

The UN Secretary-General has called on everyone involve inTanzania's political process to ensure that Wednesday’s general elections are held in a safe, inclusive and peaceful manner, amid reports of intimidation and harassment of political opponents, journalists and activists. 

October 26, 2020 (CAIRO) – The Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly on Monday met South Sudan's Irrigation and Water Resources minister, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth to discuss water issues.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (R) shaking hands with South Sudan's President Salva Kiir at the presidential palace in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, January 10, 2017. (Photo: AFP)

Speaking during the meeting held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Madbouly said Egypt would support South Sudan in various fields, with particular focus on South Sudanese students currently in Egypt.

The Egyptian Prime Minister further said his country is ready to set up investment projects in South Sudan, focusing on its priority areas.

He also directed the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to speed up the formation of a Joint Higher Committee between Cairo and Juba, with its first meeting to be held in Cairo before the end of this year.

For his part, Gatkuoth thanked Madbouly for the North African nation's support for South Sudan during recent floods in the country.

He said Juba is ready to benefit from Egypt's experience in building South Sudan's capacity of South Sudan as well as Egyptian investments in agriculture, irrigation, electricity and other projects.

The minister lauded Egypt's support for South Sudan in the field of education, citing the establishment of industrial schools in South Sudan and its government's decision to increase the number of scholarships for South Sudanese students studying at Egyptian universities.

(ST)

October 26, 2020 (JUBA) - The Chinese government has donated 1,500 tons of rice in support of the peace process in South Sudan.

The unified force of instructors pose for a group photo in Juba, October 5, 2019 (Xinhua)

The donation, which was given to the National Transitional Committee (NTC), will be used to feed thousands of soldiers assembled in the various cantonment sites across the country.

While receiving the donation from the Chinese government on Monday, Stephen Pal, South Sudan's Minister of Peace Building said the items would speed up the unification of the joint military force.

"On behalf of the government and the people of South Sudan, I would like to express my profound pleasure to the people and the government of China for the assistance towards the peace process," he said.

For his part, however, Hua Ning, the Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, said Beijing has supported South Sudan's peace process with 2,500 tents, 50,000 blankets and 3,000 tons of rice since last year.

"As friends and partners of the South Sudanese government and people, we wish for a smooth implementation of the peace process, especially the reunification of the army," he said.

The ambassador pledged China's continued support to South Sudan's peace process.

"Our support will not end here, we are still in discussion with the ministry of defense and related institutions to see the possibility of further support for the cantonment of the army," he stressed.

The process of gathering government and opposition forces into training sites with a view to forming a unified army is a cornerstone of the 2018 peace agreement.

At least 83,000 unified forces are expected to form the national army

(ST)