Africa

Rules which could force some female runners with high testosterone levels to race against men or take medication are "blatantly racist", says the ANC.

The food giant "regrets" an ad campaign in Morocco that saw women compete to win a man by cooking.

The United Nations human rights chief on Thursday expressed hope that Ethiopia continues its economic development in which human rights are respected and people can freely speak their minds about public policies.

Life in sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarchy.

The largest ever survey of western lowland gorillas shows most are living in unprotected areas.

April 25, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Malik Agar, Wednesday said the government's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched an attack on its troops in Blue Nile state.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the SPLA-N Agar General Commander, Ahmed al-Omda, said the attack means to retake the control of the in the gold-rich mountainous area of Kalgo which is part of the Ingessana Hills, about 32 kilometres south of the Blue Nile state capital of Ed Damazin.

Omda said the SRF artillery intensively shelled their positions with the support of military aviation which sought to determine the positions of their fighters.

The ground "attack is at any time from now," he added.

The rebel general commander said "the government encouraged by the split within the SPLM-N try to evacuate our forces to loot the resources of the region", pointing that the corrupt leaders of the ruling National Congress Party signed agreements with foreign companies to loot the gold of the area.

The RSF spokesperson was not reachable for comment on this claim.

The government and the SPLM-N factions declared a unilateral cession of hostilities in a bid to create a suitable environment for the African Union-brokered negotiations to end the conflict in the Two Areas of the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

Following the split of April 2017, The African Union mediators excluded the SPLM-N Agar from the talks on a cessation of hostilities agreement saying the majority of rebel fighters are loyal to the other faction led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, a matter that Agar denies.

(ST)

April 25, 2018 (KAMPALA) - South Sudan has urged the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to enact a law barring its political opponents from getting asylum in the region.

S. Sudan cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro (Photo KT Press)

Speaking during a meeting of IGAD officials and member states in Kampala, Uganda, South Sudan's acting foreign affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro warned that rich South Sudan politicians currently residing in the region's capitals could wage war against the Juba government.

“Some of them [politicians] have huge properties and investments inappropriately earned from South Sudan. This undeserved wealth is used to advocate violence and war against South Sudan,” he said.

Lomuro was addressing high level experts discussing the ratification of IGAD's Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in Kampala.

He urged the IGAD member countries to expel political refugees.

“These kind of people cannot just be treated like ordinary asylum seekers because according to the IGAD Instrument of Establishment no member state should harbor rebels or allow such negative elements to use its territory against member states,” he stressed.

The meeting, held at Sheraton Kampala hotel, is a follow-up on first consultations, which the regional bloc held with South Sudan government officials and national stakeholders in Juba last year.

Resolutions on the provisions of the protocol are expected to provide a political endorsement to fast-track its negotiation and adoption.

According to IGAD, the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons would enhance regional economic integration and development.

Once adopted, however, the protocol will also help regulate the high volume of informal movement taking place in the IGAD region.

A number of senior officials, who included foreign and internal affairs ministers, lawmakers and immigration experts from the regional bloc, attended the meeting. Also in attendance were representatives from partner United Nations agencies such as International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN refugee agency (UNHRC), UN International Labour Organisation (UNILO) and the European Union (EU).

Currently, war-torn South Sudan has more than two million refugees living in neighbouring nation, with Uganda alone hosting over a million of its refugees.

(ST)

April 25, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim and the French Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Stéphane Gruenberg Wednesday Sudan's peace process and issues of common concern including the Horn of Africa refugees.

Gruenberg is the first French special envoy for Sudan to support the African Union-led process for a comprehensive settlement for the armed conflict in Darfur region, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

The director of the European department at the Foreign Ministry Khalid Musa told reporters the meeting discussed the peace process with armed groups.

Musa further said the presidential aide expressed the government's desire to negotiate with the rebel movements particularly in the Two Areas, pointing to the stable security situation in Darfur.

The Sudanese diplomat pointed out that Ibrahim also briefed the French envoy on the recent developments in the country including implementation of the national dialogue outcome, drafting of the new constitution, the 2020 elections and the democratic transformation.

For his part, Gruenberg underscored France's desire to support peace and stability in Sudan, pointing to Paris support for the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to achieve comprehensive peace in Sudan.

Sudanese government and armed groups in Darfur recently held an informal meeting in Bon to discuss a pre-negotiation but the government rejected rebels' demand for declaration of principles proposing that they join the Doha framework document.

In addition, the government says Darfur region is free of the holdout groups pointing they are now a source of regional instability doing mercenary activities in the neighbouring countries.

The Sudanese diplomat added the meeting discussed a number of issues including refugees, illegal migration and human trafficking.

While the French envoy praised Sudan's efforts to host the refugees and cooperate with the international community on combating illegal migration, smuggling and human trafficking.

The former French ambassador to Asmara, toured Eritrean refugees camps in Kassala state before to meet Sudanese officials in Khartoum.

France supports local initiatives to support Eritrean refugees in Eastern Sudan through education, healthcare and professional formation.

The presidential assistant stressed Sudan's keenness to promote bilateral relations with France and to coordinate in all issues of common concern.

Ibrahim further called on the French envoy to enhance the economic cooperation between the two countries by encouraging the French companies to invest in Sudan.

Sudan and France resumed bilateral meetings after several years of strain over rebel presence in France. In the past, Sudan accused France of backing rebel groups in Darfur region.

France denied the accusation and reiterated that it encourages the armed groups to join the peace process.

(ST)

April 25, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby have pledged to remove all obstacles hindering cross-border relations between the two countries.

Presidents Omer Hassan al-Bashir (R) and Idriss Deby brief the media in Khartoum on 28 January 2015 (SUNA)

On Wednesday, the two leaders attended the closing session of the Sudanese-Chadian border development conference in West Darfur capital, El-Geniena.

In his remarks before the meeting, al-Bashir expressed commitment to implement the recommendations of the conference at the federal and state levels.

He pointed to the need to develop the free-trade area between the two countries to facilitate the exchange of goods, calling to establish industrial zones and new residential compounds to develop the border area.

The Sudanese president stressed the border conference would be held alternately in Sudan and Ethiopia.

Al-Bashir also underlined the success of the joint Sudanese-Chadian border control force, saying the two sides agreed to dispatch police units to reinforce the troops according to the recommendations of the conference.

He also stressed Sudan's commitment to providing the necessary services to allow Chad make use of the Sudanese seaports,

For his part, the Chadian president vowed to implement the outcome of the conference and provide the required support to promote cooperation between the two countries.

He pointed to the need to complete the railway linking Sudan to Chad and strengthen transportation between the two countries to transfer people and goods.

In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other's insurgents.

The joint border force has been deployed along the joint border in 2010 in line with a deal to stop support to rebel groups and cross-border attacks.

Last year, the two countries announced their intention to expand the deployment of the joint force to include counter-terrorism and disarmament.

Also, incursions by Sudanese and Chadian from Libya should push the two countries to consider the redeployment of a joint in the triangle border area.

(ST)

April 25, 2018 (JUBA)- Rival parties in South Sudan peace talks have drawn up lines and toughen positions over key issues requiring compromise from both sides to end the more than four-year civil war.

The South Sudanese presidential adviser on decentralization and intergovernmental linkage, Tor Deng Mawien told Sudan Tribune he is optimistic the next round of peace talks would result in a peace deal unless opposition groups insist President Salva Kiir steps down and demand the dissolution of key institutions.

“The position of the transitional government of national unity has been clear from the revitalization talks started. The IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] was also clear. The objective of the revitalization was to examine the peace and see areas where there is a need to expedite implementation. It was not new negotiations. But in Addis now, the opposition has taken revitalization to mean renegotiations and that is why they came up with demands which have nothing to do with the peace agreement,” Mawien said on Wednesday.

“The IGAD was not calling for a renegotiation of the agreement,” he added.

The presidential aide, instead, proposed what he called as a "comprehensive plan" that included an "expanded government".

There are, however, no indications that the Juba government would accept that the president step downs as the first stage of a political transition, a demand earlier proposed by all the opposition groups.

The official, during the interview, repeatedly referred to "plots" against his country and the role of the opposition, long portrayed as an element in what started as a political wrangle for power in 2013.

Mawien said the young nation was not facing a revolution, but simply a “bunch of power hungry politicians” and "western puppets.

“We are now in a state of war in every sense of the word and actions”, stressed the presidential aide.

The spokesman for the group of the country's former detainees described president Kiir as “a clear obstacle to peace and stability”.

“When the president regrets saying he saved lives of some people, what does it mean? It means it he has no intention to stop the war and this implies that he is a clear obstacle to peace and return of stability to the country. With such thinking, even if he is forced to sign the peace, he will not honour it,” Kosti Manibe said Wednesday.

He added, “That is why our proposal advocates stepping down because he [Kiir] will not implement the agreement. The agreement requires a genuine partner but Salva Kiir can never be a genuine partner”.

The South Sudanese leader on Tuesday rejected calls from sections of opposition groups that he resigns as part of a peace deal to end the country's ongoing civil war.

Addressing mourners of the late army chief, Gen. James Ajongo Mawut in the capital, Juba, Kiir accused the opposition of working to ensure he relinquishes power.

(ST)

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