Feed aggregator

Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, faces sentences on seven verdicts.

July 31, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The family of the former leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Monday, expressed deep concern about his health and safety and called for his immediate release.

SCoP leader Ibrahim al-Sheik (ST Photo)

The security agents arrested al-Sheikh, and SCoP political Secretary Abu Bakr Youssef, on July 19 in Jabal Awlia, south of Khartoum, after visiting a group of students from Darfur who resigned from the University of Bakht Al-Ruda in the White Nile State.

Following a demand to release the detainees filed by the SCoP lawyers to the director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Sunday, the security authorities said the two opposition figures are in good shape and in contact with their families.

However, Amani Malik, the spouse of Ibrahim al-Sheikh, contested the accuracy of the information provided by the NISS Information Office to the SCoP lawyers alleging that his wife visits him and knows the place of his detention.

"The family of detainee Ibrahim Al-Sheikh was surprised to learn the false statements made by the NISS Information Office to the SCoP's legal sector lawyers who submitted a request for his release along with Abu Bakr Youssef on Sunday," says a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

The security service did not inform the Sheikh's family about the location, reasons and circumstances of his arrest, she further stated. "The family also confirms that they did not meet Ibrahim al-Sheikh and did not receive his car".

The statement underscored that his family was only allowed to hand over his clothes to the NISS reception office.

"The family expresses its deep concern over al-Sheikh's health and safety, and calls for his immediate release and all the detainees."

The opposition parties earlier this month showed their solidarity with the case of Darfurian students who resigned from the university to protest the detention and dismissal of their colleagues following the death of two police officers during violent student clashes last May.

Al-Sheikh and Youssef are the only two arrested among the other opposition groups and organisations.

(ST)

Turkish presidential spokesman takes exception to remarks by Brett McGurk that links Ankara to terror groups in Syria.

"Azerbaijan's defense products are exported to more than 10 countries."

Il s'agit d'une première depuis le début de la crise, née de la volonté du président burundais de briguer un troisième mandat il y a plus de deux ans. Lundi 31 juillet 2017, les représentants du pouvoir et de l’opposition en exil regroupée dans le Cnared sont en discussion dans la capitale finlandaise. Des rencontres très discrètes, mais qui pourraient à terme ouvrir la voie à de véritables négociations.

Il s'agit d'une première depuis le début de la crise, née de la volonté du président burundais de briguer un troisième mandat il y a plus de deux ans. Lundi 31 juillet 2017, les représentants du pouvoir et de l’opposition en exil regroupée dans le Cnared sont en discussion dans la capitale finlandaise. Des rencontres très discrètes, mais qui pourraient à terme ouvrir la voie à de véritables négociations.

Le Secrétaire général adjoint aux opérations de maintien de la paix, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, est arrivé mardi à Juba, la capitale du Soudan du Sud, pour une visite de trois jours dans ce pays.

Les Nations Unies intensifient leurs efforts pour s'attaquer à la crise humanitaire dans le nord-est du Nigéria avec l'allocation de 10,5 millions de dollars alors que le chef de l'Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM), William Lacey Swing, vient de conclure une visite dans la région.

The United Nations has scaled up its efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis in northeast Nigeria, through a visit by its top migration official and the allocation of $10.5 million from a new fund.

The conflict in South Sudan has to end in order to give the peace process there &#8220a better chance of success,&#8221 the top United Nations peacekeeping official said today, kicking off a three-day trip to the African country.

Describing the situation in Yemen as &#8220very bleak,&#8221 with &#8220no end in sight,&#8221 a senior United Nations official envoy today said the war-torn country, already reeling from malnutrition and dwindling health care, is plummeting into further distress amid a deadly cholera outbreak and looming famine.

The wisdom, experience, energy and ideals of the old and the young are vital to realizing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said today, stressing that they together can help break the cycles of poverty that have lasted for generations.

The top United Nations human rights official today expressed deep concern about the detention of two opposition leaders by Venezuelan authorities after Sunday&#39s elections for a Constituent Assembly convened by President Nicolás Maduro.

Kicking off World Breastfeeding Week, the United Nations today stressed that although breastfeeding has cognitive and health benefits for infants and mothers, investment shortcomings impede the practice.

The United Nations has scaled up its efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis in northeast Nigeria, through a visit by its top migration official and the allocation of $10.5 million from a new fund.

The conflict in South Sudan has to end in order to give the peace process there &#8220a better chance of success,&#8221 the top United Nations peacekeeping official said today, kicking off a three-day trip to the African country.

July 31, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - The East African Standby Force (EASF) is due to conduct the fourth upcoming field training exercise in Sudan next November.

This was announced on Monday during the extraordinary policy organ meeting of EASF member states which kicked off today here in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

As the regional standby force faces a lack of funding, member states Monday discussed possible ways of securing fund gaps.

Sudan Tribune was told that out of the total $ 5.3 million appealed to conduct the unified military operation, only $ 2.5 million is secured from global peace partners.

During the three-day meeting, EASF member states are also slated to discuss on best ways how to boost the capacity of the regional force in order to effectively deal with security challenges in the volatile east African region.

EASF is one of the five continent's regional multidimensional force capabilities including military, police and civilian components consisting 10 east African countries.

Africa's newest nation, South Sudan, enjoys the status of observer in EASF since April 2013 and it is expected to own full membership anytime soon.

The regional organization is mandated to enhance peace and security in the volatile east African region by

The regional force was established following decisions made by the African Union (AU) summit held in Ethiopia in 2004.

(ST)

Avec les œuvres d’une trentaine d’artistes venus d’Afrique ou de la diaspora, Lille, la ville du Nord de la France, se transforme jusqu’au 3 septembre en carrefour d’« Afriques Capitales ». Mis sur les rails sous la thématique du voyage par le curateur emblématique Simon Njami, l’événement artistique se passe dans la gare Saint-Sauveur, une ancienne gare de marchandises construite au XIXe siècle. Et le sous-titre « Vers le Cap de Bonne-Espérance » promet un voyage plein d’inventions et d’espoir à travers des images, des installations et des idées.

Tizenkilenc európai város pályázik a Nagy-Britanniából távozó Európai Gyógyszerügynökség (EMA), nyolcan pedig az Európai Bankhatóság (EBA) befogadására. Bár a miniszterelnök korábban jelezte, Budapest végül nem nyújtott be pályázatot egyik ügynökségre sem.

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

July 31, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) – A group of South Sudanese activists have expressed dismay at the persisting mass displacement of the civil population due to renewed fighting between government loyalists and opposition forces across South Sudan's three greater regions.

IDPs shelter near the UNMISS base in Wau (IOM/Gonzalez 2016)

The peace activists' group, Forhowlong, said the ongoing provocative attacks and delusional pursuit of gaining more territories will yet perpetrate another humanitarian crisis to what already exists.

“There is an urgent need to find a promising solution that will yield sustainable peace and stability in the Republic of South Sudan, rather than flexing muscle on tribal lines” Ngor Mariano Ajuet, the group's representative told Sudan Tribune.

He said the continuous displacement of the civil population along the Ethiopia- South Sudan border in the surrounding areas of Maiwut and Bieh state showed irresponsible undertaking of government and opposition groups with response to the suffering of the innocent women and children affected by the ongoing war.

“This man-made humanitarian catastrophe, killing and compelling the entire civil population to seek refuge in neighbouring countries,” he added.

The group urged all the youth, community leaders and church elders to protest against “this cruel and uncivilized approach of our politicians” in dealing with national issues affecting the country.

“We shouldn't merely contemplate on external help, which is intensified with individual's interest”, stressed Ajuet.

The group called upon the parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostility and purge way to find peaceful means for ending the conflict in the world's youngest nation.

It called upon friends of South Sudan (lobbyists) peace partners, IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] and the Troika to quickly find a possible solution to end the ongoing civil war.

“South Sudanese leaders will never think to help the civilians but continue to fight each other's on the level of personal hatred using the country's resources to defeats their antagonists”, said Ajuet.

Forhowlong is a newly established South Sudanese peace activists' organization operating in at least 10 countries across the globe.

South Sudan's civil war broke out in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. However, a peace agreement signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a coalition government but was again devastated by fresh violence that broke out in July last year.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced since 2013.

(ST)