Africa

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A selection of the best photos from across Africa and of Africans elsewhere in the world this week.

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It’s eight o’clock in the morning and fifty-year-old Falmata Mboh Ali paddles her small dugout canoe to the shores of a tributary of Lake Chad in Bol, a small town 100 miles north of the capital of Chad, N’Djamena.

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Tunisia are open to the idea of a tri-nation bid for the 2030 World Cup along with Morocco and Algeria.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan's rebel leader, Riek Machar has appointed a new governor for Bieh, one of the country's newly created states.

South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar looks on during an interview at his residence on August 31, 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Photo AFP /Zacharias Abubeker)

Machar, in a statement, appointed Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol, replacing Brig. Gen. Koang Rambang Chuol who died last month.

“Pursuant to the resolutions of the SPLM Political Bureau September 23, 2016 and SPLM (IO) Constitution, I Riek Machar-Teny Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, SPLM/SPLA(IO), do hereby appoint Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol Bol as governor of Bieh State with effect from 3rd July 2018,” partly reads Machar's 3 July statement.

Duol was previously the deputy governor of Bieh state prior to his latest promotion.

Machar, in another statement, appointed Pal Mai Deng as the state's deputy governor.

Last week, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader agreed to a "permanent" ceasefire to take immediate effect, raising hopes of a peace deal to end the country's civil war.

In the past, however, several ceasefire agreements have been violated by both warring parties.

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July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has announced a ban on wood and charcoal exportation, arguing that the practice has negatively impacted on the country's environment.

'Southern Sudan still retains the majority of its forest cover, but deforestation is occurring at a steady rate' (UN)

The country's minister for trade and investment, Musa Hassan Tiel said on Wednesday that illegal logging was now punishable by law.

“A lot of people are engaged illegally in cutting of trees for the purposes of producing charcoal for export,” Tiel told reporters in the country's capital, Juba.

The new move, according to the minister, follows the massive destruction of forests in the country, instructing all environment agencies and other departments to ensure the ban is implemented.

“We urge our citizens and those who are engaged in those kinds of activities to stop doing that,” further stressed the minister, adding “Our citizens should look for new ways of cooking our food”.

South Sudan has no forestry policy and its authorities are worried they could lose the country's tropical forests, unless stringent measures are put in place to curb rampant rates of illegal logging.

The world's youngest nation faces a civil war and while its population grapples with hunger, they are also experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, partly blamed by officials on the conflict.

In South Sudan, the deforestation is compounded by an increase in illegal exports of wood and charcoal largely by foreign companies.

But, while up to 95 percent of South Sudan's population is dependent on climate-sensitive activities like agriculture and forestry for their livelihoods, the ongoing civil war worsens the problem.

South Sudan is currently embroiled in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of the population, displacing nearly two million of them.

Last year, officials from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) warned of dangers as the country's wildlife and natural resources faced alarming expansion of illegal exploitation, trafficking and logging.

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July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Khartoum Wednesday has praised the Sudanese government cooperation with the American administration to put maximum pressure on the North Korean government to abandon its nuclear programme.

Speaking during a National Day reception at the embassy in Khartoum, Ambassador Steven Koutsis stressed that North Korea's denuclearization is a top policy priority for his government as Washington still has doubts over Pyongyang's commitment despite a pledge to denuclearize.

"For this reason, we would like to emphasize our appreciation for actions taken by Sudan and all our allies and partners around the world who support our diplomatic and economic pressure on the North Korean regime," said Koutsis according to the AFP correspondent in Khartoum.

This is the first statement on Sudan's cooperation with the U.S. government on North Korea since a visit to Khartoum by U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea. The latter met the Sudanese defence minister on 30 April to discuss issues related to Sudan's military relations with North Korea.

Billingslea's visit to the Sudanese capital came after a report to UN Security Council on 5 March 2018, by a panel of experts pointing to the persistent military cooperation between Sudan and North Korea.

Referring to the negative of the sanction on the Sudanese economy, Koutsis admitted that Sudan presence in the terror blacklist contributes to complicate Khartoum efforts to improve the economic situation and attract investors.

"I pledge to you that this embassy will work with all its energy and focus to create the conditions for Sudan's removal from the list," he further said.

In October 2017, Washington removed the economic embargo on Sudan but maintained the east African country on the list of state supporting terror groups.

Khartoum and Washington since have agreed to resume talks on the needed requirements to clear Sudan from the list.

Washington points to the need to improve religious freedom and human rights in the country.

Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed said he would visit Washington soon to resume talks with the U.S. officials on the matter.

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Former Super Falcons striker Mercy Akide talks to BBC Sport Africa about her future dream of coaching the Nigeria women's football team.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – Unknown gunmen on Wednesday attacked two trucks carrying education supplies for the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), killing a person on Juba-Bor road in South Sudan.

Trucks on un-paved road in South Sudan (UNHCR)

The deceased, the agency said, was an assistant driver.

“We strongly condemn this senseless assault directed against civilians working to deliver humanitarian supplies to those in need, in trucks that were clearly marked with the UNICEF insignia,” partly read's UNICEF's statement.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim,” it added.

Attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel have been frequent in war-torn South Sudan. At least 107 charity workers have been killed in the country since a civil war started in December 2013.

(ST)

This symphony orchestra in Ghana is making new audiences 'fall in love with classical music'.

July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer al-Bashir and Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu Wednesday discussed recent border clashes saying they are determined to promote the strategic relations between the two countries.

Earlier this week, several reports said a number of Sudanese farmers and an army officer were killed by Ethiopian gunmen in Al-Fashaga area.

Gebeyehu, accompanied by a senior security official, on Wednesday arrived in Khartoum to convey a verbal message from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to al-Bashir.

Following the meeting, Sudan's Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed described recent border clashes as “normal incidents that occur during the rainy season every year”.

He added the Ethiopian premier stressed his country's determination to overcome such incidents, saying al-Bashir also called to address these clashes through cooperation and coordination in order not to adversely impact on the distinct relations between the two countries.

For his part, Gebeyehu said Sudan and Ethiopia will work together to address all border problems, pointing to the strategic ties between the two countries.

Ethiopian and Sudanese farmers from two sides of the border dispute the ownership of land in Al-Fashaga area located in the southeastern part of Sudan's eastern state of Gedaref.

In the past years, Sudanese authorities accused Ethiopia of controlling more than a million acres of Sudanese agricultural land in the area of Al-Fashaga, saying the area has been completely isolated from Sudan.

Al-Fashaga covers an area of about 250 square kilometres and it has about 600.000 acres of fertile lands. Also, there are river systems flowing across the area including Atbara, Setait and Baslam rivers.

The current borders between Sudan and Ethiopia were drawn by the British and Italian colonisers in 1908. The two governments have agreed in the past to redraw the borders and to promote joint projects between people from both sides for the benefit of local populations.

The joint Sudanese-Ethiopian High Committee announced in December 2013 that it reached an agreement to end disputes between farmers from two sides of the border over the ownership of agricultural land.

In November 2014, the former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President al-Bashir instructed their Foreign Ministers to fix a date for resuming the border demarcation. The operation had stopped following the death of Ethiopia's former premier, Meles Zenawi.

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July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Wednesday travelled to Djibouti to participate in the China-Africa Economic Forum and Exhibition from 5 to7 July.

According to the official news agency SUNA, al-Bashir will also attend the inauguration of pilot zone of Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) on July 5.

Al-Bashir's accompanying delegation includes Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of the Presidency Fadl Abdallah Fadl, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Services Salah Abdallah and Director of the President's Offices Hatim Hassan Bakhit.

Al-Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.

Djibouti is State Members of the Rome Statute and therefore obliged to comply with arrest warrants the ICC issues, even for incumbent heads of state.

However, Djibouti failed to arrest al-Bashir in 2016 when he arrived in its territory on an official visit prompting the ICC to report the East African nation to the United Nations Security Council.

Since the issuance of the two arrest warrants, Bashir limited his trips abroad to ICC non-party states but he also travelled to five signatory states including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Malawi, Djibouti and South Africa.

His trip to South Africa in 2015 drew international attention after he flew out of the country defying a High court order which orders the government to ban his departure until an application calling for his arrest had been heard.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese parties Wednesday have discussed with the Sudanese mediators the draft agreement on the outstanding security arrangements as they expect to receive the final draft agreement by Thursday.

South Sudan information minister Michael Makuei Lueth shakes hands with Lam Akol during the revitalization forum on 19 December 2017 (ST Photo)

The IGAD-led face-to-face round of talks in Khartoum have started in Khartoum on 25 June. Two days after, the South Sudanese parties signed a framework agreement, providing to implement the permanent ceasefire even before to settle the outstanding issues in the security arrangements.

The Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told the official SSBC TV they met on Wednesday with the Sudanese mediation team headed by the Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf to discuss a draft agreement on the security arrangements

"After lengthy discussions, it was agreed that by tomorrow we will be getting the final draft and hopefully this final draft will be the document that we will sign," the minister said.

Lueth further said if things as it was agreed then they sign the final draft agreement the mediators will submit on Thursday.

"If things remain the same then definitely we will be signing the final document on the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangement," he said.

Khartoum talks on the security arrangements deal with four outstanding issues including the determination of demilitarized areas; modalities of the cantonment, a timeframe for the unification of forces and the number of representatives of every party in the Joint Transitional Security Committee.

The SPLA-IO made a major concession during the previous phases of the peace revitalization process as it accepted to amend the peace agreement and integrate the armies before the end of the transitional period.

Minister Makuei said once this agreement on the security arrangements is signed the will move immediately to discuss the outstanding issues in the power-sharing or governance chapter.

On the governance, the parties have to settle their differences on the number of states in South Sudan, the size and composition of the Legislature and the responsibility sharing ratio in the executive and the states.

Once all these issues have been settled, the IGAD leaders have to persuade President Salva Kiir to accept the participation of SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar in the transitional government.

The Khartoum round of peace talks will be concluded on 8 July as the parties have to move to Nairobi to resume discussions there.

The signatories of the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement pledged to settle all the pending issues in the security arrangements and governance in Khartoum.

(ST)

France’s president has visited a nightclub founded by legendary musician Fela Kuti in Lagos.

Malawi's president is accused of receiving a kickback from a $4m contract, which is being investigated by the anti-graft agency.