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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 16, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia's tourism revenue has shown a decline after months long violent protests, Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Wednesday.

According to the ministry's report, revenue obtained from tourism has fallen by over 7.4 million USD during the first quarter of the current Ethiopian budget year.

The turn down the ministry said was due to decline in tourists visiting the country in fear of safety after violent protests in many parts of the country.

The state of emergency declared last month was also mentioned as a cause for the turn down in tourists flow to the country.

The ministry said the revenue collected in the first quarter of the year was some $ 872 million, which was below the target set for the quarter.

Thousands of tourists have reportedly cancelled planned trips to the horn of Africa's nation following the violent protests and state emergency.

In the last decade number of tourist visiting Ethiopia has steadily increased.

Ministry Public and International Relations Director, Gezahegne Abate told journalists that the ministry has began dispatching up-to-date information about the current situation of the country to allow tourists get the right information.

Ethiopia is among the top 10 countries recommended to be visited in 2017 by Lonely Planet, the world's prominent travel publisher.

Since last year the east African nation has faced an unprecedented wave of violent protests that claimed the lives of over 500 people.

But the country's most recent protests were sparked after a religious festival in Oromia region turned into violet anti-government protests claiming lives of 55 in stampede.

After the protests spread to many parts of the country, Ethiopia imposed a six-month state of emergency to contain the deadly the anti-government demonstrations which were most held the Oromia and Amhara regions.

The protests first erupted over demands for land rights however later turned in to calling for increased political and economic rights.

Last week, Ethiopia has lifted a ban on diplomats travelling more than 40km from the capital Addis Ababa without permission.

Officials say the travel ban against diplomats was imposed for the safety of diplomats.

The travel restrictions were lifted as the situation nationwide appears to be more stable.

Ethiopia's State of Emergency Inquiry Board last week announced that authorities have arrested 11,607 people under the state decree.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government on Wednesday has welcomed Russia's decision to withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Wednesday on the orders of the president, Vladimir Putin, saying the tribunal had failed to live up to hopes of the international community.

“The court has unfortunately failed to match the hopes one had and did not become a truly independent and respected body of international justice” said Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement Wednesday.

Russia signed the Rome statute of the ICC in 2000 but did not ratify the treaty and thus remained outside the ICC's jurisdiction.

Moscow's decision comes a day after the ICC published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, Sudan's Foreign Ministry welcomed Moscow's decision, saying it gives strong support to the African stance against the Hague-based tribunal.

“[Russia's] decision is a major step on the road to achieve large-scale international consensus to withdraw from this tribunal which has become a mere political tool exploited by some Western powers to achieve its own interests at the expense of the values” read the statement.

Several African governments and the African Union (AU) have voiced concerns over the ICC's fairness, and accused it of targeting African leaders.

They further to say that war crimes court has violated its founding treaty the Rome Statute, when it prosecutes cases investigated by the national jurisdiction.

The 27th AU summit held in the Rwandan capital Kigali last July did not call for a mass withdrawal from the court, despite calls by several African leaders including Sudan.

However, an African Union ministerial committee is debating the issue and is expected to present reform demands at the next meeting of ICC assembly of states parties, in November.

Last month, three African countries who were all full members of the ICC – South Africa, Burundi and Gambia – said that they intend to withdraw from the Hague-based court, alleging it is biased.

Sudan which is not a state member to Rome Statute has been campaigning for an African withdrawal from the ICC which has charged President Omer Hassan al-Bashir with ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide connected to the Darfur conflict.

Established in 2002 to try war criminals and perpetrators of genocide never tried at home, the ICC has opened inquiries involving nine nations, including Kenya, Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, Mali and, most recently, Georgia.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (EL-FASHER) - Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday have attacked a resident in downtown El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state and stole his money at gunpoint.

Abdalla Abdel-Kabeer told Sudan Tribune that three gunmen on an unlicensed vehicle have attacked him in front of the premises of the Ministry of Urban Planning, saying they stole 25,000 Sudanese pounds from him at gunpoint and “drove off in less than half a minute”.

Gunmen commonly use vehicles and motorcycles that don't hold license plates to carry out killing and looting crimes.

Earlier this week, commissioner of El-Fasher locality issued a decision banning movement of unregistered vehicles into the town as of last Sunday, demanding cars owners to register their vehicles.

The decision, which was seen by Sudan Tribune, directed the traffic police and the competent authorities to implement its provisions immediately, saying those who violate the decision will subject themselves to legal accountability and their vehicles could be confiscated.

It is noteworthy that last Friday was the deadline set by the North Darfur government for the registration of the smuggled vehicles.

During his five-day tour in April, President Omer al-Bashir directed the authorities in Darfur's five states to register the smuggled vehicles to prevent the looting and killing crimes.

Last June, a joint campaign between the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and the traffic police in North Darfur had led to the seizure of dozens of vehicles illegally smuggled from the neighbouring countries and in particular noteworthy.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reportedly granted amnesty to 750 troops loyal to his main political rival and the country's former First Vice-President Riek Machar.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

Those pardoned crossed in to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when fighting erupted in the capital, Juba in July this year.

Local media reports quoted South Sudan's Defence Minister Kuol Manyang saying the Juba regime was ready to welcome the armed opposition forces residing in refugee camps in DRC.

“The President of the Republic made an amnesty for those who will be ready to come back and this is the message we were carrying to the authorities in DRC,” Manyang told the Dawn newspaper.

A team, the minister disclosed, would be sent to convey the amnesty message to the rebels, whose leader declared armed resistance against President Kiir in September.

“Those who will want to go back to the army; we will send them to contentment sites where they will be screened. And those who will want to be in the police, will be re-trained,” added the minister.

Violence broke out in South Sudan's capital in July when the two rival forces clashed, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced. The incident forced Machar to flee Juba into the DRC.

The Defense Minister, however, said Machar who is currently in South Africa, would have to denounce violence before he is allowed to return into the young nation.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced since conflict erupted between South Sudan's main rival political factions in December 2013.

(ST)

MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. The provisional deal on the EU Budget 2017 with the Council was reached in the early hours of Thursday. After Budget MEPs and Council have formally endorsed the agreement, the new EU budget will be voted in plenary in December.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. The provisional deal on the EU Budget 2017 with the Council was reached in the early hours of Thursday. After Budget MEPs and Council have formally endorsed the agreement, the new EU budget will be voted in plenary in December.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. The provisional deal on the EU Budget 2017 with the Council was reached in the early hours of Thursday. After Budget MEPs and Council have formally endorsed the agreement, the new EU budget will be voted in plenary in December.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

MEPs have fought for and obtained better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. The provisional deal on the EU Budget 2017 with the Council was reached in the early hours of Thursday. After Budget MEPs and Council have formally endorsed the agreement, the new EU budget will be voted in plenary in December.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Les voyageurs de pays tiers n'ayant pas besoin de visas pour entrer dans l'espace Schengen devront à l'avenir obtenir une autorisation préalable de voyage avant leur départ, via un nouveau système automatisé payant. C'est la proposition qu'a faite la Commission européenne mercredi 16 novembre.

Will Nigeria's first police complaints unit reduce corruption?

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A man with HIV who says he had ritual sex with 104 women and girls faces up to five years in jail, if convicted. But some ask why the children's parents are not in the dock too.

The UK Navy's Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel (RFA) Argus has resumed one of its primary roles as an aviation training ship after completing operational sea training.

SENER engineering and technology group has received the 11th Masterinstal Award in the Energy Efficiency and Energy Management category, for a power cogeneration project developed jointly with GTEL and Siemens for the Brazilian industry.

MBDA Deutschland has successfully conducted tracking tests with its new high-energy laser effector under real environmental conditions for the first time.

Insitu has successfully demonstrated its ScanEagle unmanned aerial system’s (UAS) newest wide-area maritime surface search and identification technology at the UK Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise.

Argentine and Chilean sea platforms are to monitor the Antarctic from 15 November 2016 to 31 March 2017 under the Joint Antarctic Naval Patrol (Patrulla Antártica Naval Combinada: PANC) framework. The operation includes search-and-rescue missions, monitoring maritime traffic, potential cleanup

The first battalion for the new Central African Armed Forces (FACA) should be fully formed and trained by mid-2017, the commander of the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA) has said. Addressing reporters in Brussels on 16 November, Major General Eric

The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hizbullah showed off its recently established armoured unit in a parade held in the Syrian town of Al-Qusayr on 11 November. Held to mark the group's annual Martyrs' Day, the parade involved dozens of armoured vehicles, including T-72 and T-54/55 tanks, BMP-1

Indonesia's Ministry of Industry has said it will support defence exports from state-owned aerospace firm PT Dirgantara (PTDI) by providing its prospective customers with access to credit from the Indonesian Export Financing Agency, otherwise known as the Indonesia Eximbank. "We [will] give