Africa

Where do world leaders go when they're cast out of power and need to find a safe haven fast?

Why political veterans like Robert Mugabe still command the respect and goodwill of their opponents.

We look at some of the options for Zimbabwe, its president, and his wife after the military takeover

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

The shortlist for the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year is a blend of youth and experience, but who might follow in their footsteps in future years?

The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) &#8211 a pool of funding which supports critical relief operations in crises around the world &#8211 has allocated $11 million to help meet the life-saving needs of some 147,000 people in southern Chad, where aid operations are faltering in want of resources.

Reality Check looks at the fake news shared online after the military takeover in Zimbabwe.

The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga finds abandoned hospitals and desperate patients in Uganda.

World leaders Robert Mugabe has seen come and go since he began his presidency 30 years ago.

The political process for a successful post-conflict transition in Libya has made significant headway over the past two months, the United Nations envoy for the North African country said Thursday.

Five things you need to know about the background to Zimbabwe's political crisis.

Meet the 10-year-old girl in Liberia who is helping to change the perception that football is for men and wants to be "like the great Marta".

Zimbabwe's first lady, or "Gucci Grace" to some, was tipped to be the country's next president.

University founder in Ghana wins major international education award.

How an intrepid band of African footballers are achieving their footballing goals in some of the sport's most remote outposts.

Ghanaian journalist Elizabeth Ohene looks at how parenting styles in Ghana compares to those in the US.

Tanzanian women travel to Oman to become maids and get trapped with abusive employers.

November 13, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Technical Committee for Border Demarcation (TCBD) has said the Joint Border Commission (JBC) between Sudan and South Sudan would meet next week in Khartoum.

Sudanese military personnel inspect the belongings of South Sudanese on the Sudanese border on 18 April 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) has quoted the TCBD chairman and Co-chair of the JBC Abdalla al-Sadiq as saying the meeting will discuss ways to accelerate border demarcation process between the two countries.

He pointed out that the JBC has made great progress in its work during the previous meetings, saying 80% of the 2,400 kilometres borders between the two countries have been marked on paper.

According to al-Sadiq, the next meeting of the committee will be held in Juba at the end of December.

Claimed and disputed areas of the Sudan and South Sudan border include Abyei, 14-Mile area, Joudat Al-Fakhar, Jebel al-Migainais, Kaka, and Kafia Kingi enclave (Hofrat al-Nahas).

Since South Sudan's independence, the agreed border between the two countries is not yet demarcated (marked on the ground). Also, talks between the two sides continue to delimit the remaining 20% disputed boundary.

In September 2012, both Sudan and South Sudan signed a series of cooperation agreements, which covered oil, citizenship rights, security issues, banking, border trade among others.

In March 2013, the two countries signed an implementation matrix for these cooperation agreements. However, the execution of the agreements didn't go according to the plan.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9th, 2011 following a referendum on whether the semi-autonomous region should remain a part of the country or become independent. 99% of the southern voters chose independence.

Relations between the two nations soured after South Sudan's independence following a series of disputes over a number of issues.

(ST)

November 13, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Finance Minister Mohamed Osman al-Rikabi Monday has denied intentions to float the exchange rate of the Sudanese pound.

A Sudanese man shows freshly-minted notes of the new Sudanese pound in Khartoum on July 24, 2011 (Getty)

A floating exchange rate is a regime where the currency price is set by the forex market based on supply and demand compared with other currencies.

This is in contrast to a fixed exchange rate, in which the government entirely or predominantly determines the rate.

In November 2016, the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) introduced an incentive policy, increasing the exchange rate in commercial banks by 131%. As a result, the U.S. dollar exchange rate went up in banks to 15.8 SDG from the official rate of 6.5 SDG.

However, this measure didn't halt the rise of the dollar against the pound which has reached 24.7 SDG in the black market.

Several economists, including former Finance Minister Abdel-Rahim Hamdi, have recently called on the government to give up the system of managed floating exchange rate and allow the market mechanisms to set the price of the pound.

They say the move would allow drawing foreign capital back to the country, improving Sudan's external competitiveness, supporting exports and attracting foreign investment.

In press statements at the National Assembly Monday, al-Rikabi said the government has no intention to float the price of the Sudanese pound, describing any reports in this regard as mere “rumours”.

He pointed out that his ministry would take a number of measures to strengthen the price of the pound, stressing the value of the pound would stabilize in the few coming days.

The Sudanese pound has lost more than 100% of its value since South Sudan's secession in 2011, pushing inflation rates to record levels given that the East African nation imports most of its food.

The most recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report indicated that Sudan's foreign reserves cover approximately one and a half months of imports.

November 13, 2017 (JUBA) - Elders and church leaders involved in the negotiations to break the standoff that existed between the government and former military chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan have praised the decision President Salva Kiir took to allow the former travel out of the country for medical reasons.

Former South Sudanese army chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan speaking at a Dinka Malual community meeting in Juba on 1 November, 2012 (ST)

The head of the elders described the decision as an exhibition of leadership.

“This is a very important step to end tension and renewing confidence between of the president of the republic, the command of the army and the general public. It is an exhibition of leadership. It shows what our leaders are capable of doing. The way it has been managed shows that our leaders can amicably resolve issues like this without external intervention”, Deng Macham Angui told Sudan Tribune Monday.

According to the official, withdrawal of the government troops initially stationed around the residence of the ex-army chief and resumption of movement signalled the return to normalcy in the life and tranquillity of the compound.

Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, South Sudan army spokesperson said the decision follows the “peaceful” resolution of misunderstandings between government and Awan.

“Armoured Personnel Carriers and security forces initially deployed around the residence of Gen Paul Malong have been withdrawn,” said Koang.

“[The] Withdrawal came about after Gen. Paul accepted the presidential order on a reduction of his bodyguards”, he added.

Awan, a former elected governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, lost his position of army chief in May, and his movement had to be restricted.

The army spokesperson, however, said the decision to withdraw security forces from the ex-military chief's home came after a security review reportedly showed the latter posed no security threats to the government in particular and citizens in general.

The spokesperson for the presidency, Ateny Wek Ateny said the president's decision to free the former military chief was made on “compassionate grounds and to allow the former chief of staff travel to seek medical attention”.

Last week, attempts by government forces to disarm the former army chief's bodyguards failed, prompting an uprising from some troops loyal to Awan. He warned of bloodshed should government disarm and arrest his guards.

(ST)