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The BBC has been given rare access to an all-women prison in Tunisia, where facilities are becoming increasingly over-crowded.

March 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government Thursday decided to put an end to its open door policy for South Sudanese nationals fleeing the armed conflict in the neighbouring country and decided to treat them as foreigners.

South Sudanese refugees cook on an open fire at a camp run by the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in the western part of White Nile state, Sudan, on January 27, 2014 (Photo AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

The decision was announced following the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by President Omer al-Bashir. It ends the privilege of equal access to health services and education like the Sudanese citizens and possibility to enter and reside in Sudan without visa or residence permit.

The Sudanese government also decided to take all the necessary measures to establish and verify the identity of the South Sudanese nationals. Further it was decided to take legal measures against anyone who does not carry a passport and a visa.

When an armed conflict broke out in South Sudan, the Sudanese government refused to give the South Sudanese nationals the refugees status or to establish camps for them saying they are free to enter, reside and work in their former country and to receive health and education services.

The decision, at the time, was politically motivated and in harmony with Khartoum' policy hostile to the presence of foreign aid groups the establishment of refugee camps.

But very quickly, the Sudanese authorities to relocate the South Sudanese outside the capital Khartoum to the While Nile state near the border.

In line with the Cooperation Agreement of September 2012, Sudanese and South Sudanese can live and work in the two countries. But the protocol of the four freedoms is not yet implemented, and the South Sudanese nationals should also wait to get their identity documents from their government.

There are nearly 200,000 South refugees in Sudan following the eruption of conflict in South Sudan in December 2013. In addition there are some 300,000 who continue to reside in Sudan since the independence in 2011.

(ST)

The exact modalities of voting in the Serbian general elections in Kosovo have yet to be clarified but the OSCE Mission in Kosovo is set to facilitate the process once again.

Camil Durakovic, mayor of the town where an infamous massacre occurred in 1995, is thinking of running for a second mandate despite the cool reaction of the main Bosniak party.

At a time of rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific, it is wise to recall the lessons of the past.

Romania say it is willing to pay 11 million euro to buy a sculpture by the famous Romanian-born artist Constantin Brancusi, which has been the subject of a long legal battle.

The opposition Democratic Party has signed a new contract with the powerful Washington lobbying firm Podesta Group on the eve of its leader Lulzim Basha's visit to the US.

« Je n'ai pas l'impression que le Valls 2.0 ait convaincu beaucoup de jeunes », pianotait hier soir sur les réseaux sociaux William Martinet, le président de l'Unef, tout en siégeant à l'intersyndicale...

Ils n'ont ni troupes, ni moyens financiers, mais sont candidats à l'Elysée malgré tout. Ceux qui iront jusqu'au bout ne tutoieront pas les sommets. Pourtant, en une semaine, trois prétendants, Nathalie...

A Bruxelles, les tractations reprennent ce vendredi 18 mars après une journée de travail qui s'est prolongée tard hier soir, pour espérer aboutir à un accord avec sur la question des migrants. Le Premier ministre turc Ahmed Davutoglu, qui est arrivé dans la nuit, doit travailler avec ses homologues européens sur le projet d'accord qui lui a été soumis. Les discussions se tiennent à huis clos.

In dieser Ausgabe von "Utalk" geht es um eine Frage von Anita aus London: "Ein Jahr nach dem Absturz der Germanwings-Maschine über den französischen…

The top U.S. naval officer has expressed concerns that China may be expanding its presence at Scarborough Shoal.

François Hollande a choisi le 19 mars, jour du cessez-le-feu, pour la cérémonie, une date "au coeur d'un débat douloureux", écrit l'ancien chef de l'État.

"La Tunisie a choisi un chemin, on doit lui apporter toutes nos forces pour qu'elle réussisse", a promis Jean-Marc Ayrault, le ministre des Affaires étrangères.

Le ministre de l'Agriculture leur a écrit pour les convaincre d'éviter "l'interdiction brutale" des néonicotinoïdes dans le projet de loi sur la biodiversité.

The Hague Tribunal has legal precedents for some of the charges against Radovan Karadzic, but allegations that genocide was committed in 1992 and UN peacekeepers were taken hostage have never been proven by the court.

Le marché international  Dantokpa était hier aux couleurs du candidat de l’alliance républicaine Lionel ZINSOU. A la manœuvre, Brice Hondi, Directeur à la communication de la Renaissance du Bénin, représentant le président Léhady Vinagnon Soglo. 

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Encore un scandale sous le régime Yayi. Pendant que tous les regards sont tournés vers le second tour du scrutin présidentiel du 20 mars prochain,  il se murmure dans les coulisses de la Primature, un détournement de fonds belge.  

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March 15, 2016 (YAMBIO) – Communities in the greater Mundri region have asked the newly appointed governor of Amadi state to ensure peace and security are prioritized when he takes over office.

Amadi state governor Joseph Ngere Paciko (ST/File)

The governor of Amadi state, Joseph Ngere Paciko arrived in Mundri West county Monday, amidst of unconfirmed reports that his own people strongly opposed his appointment by President Salva Kiir.

Ngere, however, said he was determined to ensure peace was achieved in greater Mundri, forgive each other and reconcile to open a new page for the development of the newly-created state.

This example, he stressed, was shown to the people of Mundri when he unconditionally forgave unknown gunmen who attacked him and shot his leg at night as he traveled back home from a funeral.

The governor dismissed as false allegations that he was afraid to visit Mundri where his community reportedly threatened to end his life.

“The community of Mundri welcomes anybody,” he said, citing the huge numbers of political leaders, traditional leaders, youth and church leaders who showed up to witness his arrival into the region.

According to the governor, they toured the town and market after the rally and it was all calm and not chaotic as many have alleged.

He further asserted that meetings with security organs, military, youth, women, traditional leaders and the church leaders will continue to see how they could work together to bring total peace and harmony to the people of Mundri as long as he would continue to stay in his office from now, unless changes were made in his position.

In May last year, conflict erupted in Mundri between cattle keepers and farmers over grazing land and later involved the national army (SPLA) and the youth. Several people were reportedly killed including the executive director of Mundri, amidst lootings as thousands fled their homes to bushes and nearby areas for safety.

A recent report by the US-based Human Rights Watch faulted he South Sudanese military of allegedly committing crimes against civilians in Western Equatoria state, but the army denies these claims.

(ST)

March 17, 2016 (YEI) – Two people were killed and another wounded by unknown gunmen along Yei-Lainya highway on Tuesday, authorities said.

The Lainya county commissioner Augustino Kiri, March 16, 2016 (ST)

The Lainya county women association chairperson Ludia Mateyo said insecurity in the area had caused several murders, rape and many people were missing.

She attributed the worrying insecurity situation in Lainya county to the delays by the South Sudanese peace partners to establish the long-awaited Transition Government of National Unity (TGoNU).

A speedy implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement would immediately address the suffering of the citizens, Mateyo said.

“We as women in Lainya county are not able to go the forest to collect fire wood because two of our colleagues were raped by unknown men. Secondly two of our sons were killed”, she added.

The Lainya county commissioner, Augustino Kiri Gwolo confirmed the killings, but said security forces had been deployed to patrol the area.

He called on the population to cooperative with local authorities by availing information on suspicious movements of gunmen in the county.

“The security situation for the last few days is normal except the two incidents that happened the day before yesterday [Tuesday] and yesterday [Wednesday] between Kenyi and Limbe where two people were killed. Then the incident that happened at Yei-Lainya border at Limbe where a commercial car was attacked and one person was injured,” the commissioner told Sudan Tribune.

He added, “We are putting up security arrangements to protect the people. I have told both men and women to cooperate with the authorities in case they see unsuspicious movement of people and to inform us so that this incident does not repeat itself again”.

Commissioner Kiri appealed to the population to remain calm and support government in the implementation of the peace deal seeking to end the nation's over 20-month conflict.

(ST)