Africa

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated the people and Government of Algeria for the peaceful conduct of the 4 May parliamentary elections, for which he dispatched a group of electoral observers, his spokesperson said today.

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 17, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - A number of Ethiopian institutions were affected by a global cyber attack which hit some 155 countries, Ethiopia Information Network Security Agency (INSA) disclosed on Thursday.

INSA, a government body tasked to defend threats against country's Information Technology (IT) infrastructures said various government owned and private institutions were hit by a computer virus called "WannaCry Malware" or "Decrypt WannaCry".

The state-run Telecom company, Industries and hospitals were few among others affected by the computer virus.

INSA, however, didn't reveal the levels of damage caused to the institutions by the latest cyber attack.

According to INSA, the virus particularly affected institutions that use Windows operating systems and advised on those institutions to update it to avert dangers of cyber threats which are considered to continue.

INSA called on institutions seeking help to upgrade their Windows operating systems to contact INSA on toll-free local number 933 or email to ethiocert@insa.gov.et to get the necessary support.

It also warned them from opening email messages sent from unknown address.

Ethiopia is one of the 11 African countries targeted by the latest cyber attack.

Officials say the horn of Africa's nation has been hit by 256 cyber attacks during the past six months.

Last year, INSA introduced counter cyber attack solutions to banks enabling the financial firms to detect threats ahead of attacks.

(ST)

May 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The newly appointed defence attaché at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum Lieut. Col. Jörn Pung Wednesday held consultations with the governor of the troubled Blue Nile state and senior army commanders in Damazin.

The meeting was attended from the government side by Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Mohammed Abdel-Rahim, second commander of the 4th infantry division, Brig. Gen. Atef Youssef, state director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) besides a number of army commanders.

Following the meeting, the official news agency SUNA quoted Blue Nile governor and head of the security committee Hussein Yassen Hamad as saying “the state government and all regular forces are observing the ceasefire declared by the President of the republic recently.”

Last January, President Omer al-Bashir decided to extend the unilateral cessation of hostilities in war zones for six months.

Yassen reiterated the call for arms bearers to join the dialogue and peace process, praising the U.S. stances and genuine support for the peace efforts in the country.

He pointed that the meeting discussed challenges facing peace and stability in the region besides government efforts to ease the tasks of the humanitarian and development groups operating in the Blue Nile.

According to SUNA, the U.S. defence attaché stressed his country's support for peace and stability in Sudan and particularly in the Blue Nile, expressing appreciation for the Sudanese army and its sincere adherence to the ceasefire.

He renewed the U.S. call for all arms bearers to join the dialogue and peace process.
For his part, the second commander of the 4th infantry division said Pung's visit comes within the framework of assessing the five-track talks between Sudan and the U.S.

Last January, former President Barack Obama eased the 19-year economic and trade sanctions on Sudan. The decision came as a response to the collaboration of the Sudanese government on various issues including the fight against terrorism.

Washington is involved in a five-track engagement process with the Sudan over the permanent lift of sanctions on Sudan. Several agencies, including the State Department, have to present to President Donald Trump next June their findings and recommendations over the fate of the sanctions.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since last August. The SPLM-N demands to deliver 20% of the humanitarian assistance through a humanitarian corridor from Asosa, an Ethiopian border town.

But the government rejects the idea saying it is a breach of the state sovereignty and a manoeuvre from the rebels to bring arms and ammunition to their locked rebel-held areas in the Two Areas.

The SPLM-N last November declined an American proposal to transport humanitarian medical assistance directly to the civilians in the rebel-held areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

(ST)

May 18, 2017 (JUBA) –President Salva Kiir said that "evil forces" were trying to destroy the country so that they can rewrite the history of the country by driving a wedge among the citizens.

President Kiir spoke on Thursday at the 34th anniversary of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA) which was attended by senior military officers and high-level government officials. Last week's celebrations were postponed on the recommendation of the security situation.

“Obviously, in the last three years we have seen how the forces of evil have tried to bring our country down, they are bent on trying to rewrite history and drive the wedge among our people. They have gone as far as portraying our historical army as an ethnic army,” said the President.

Kiir went on to point out how the South Sudanese military has been compromised from different ethnic groups in the country and called to keep its diversity.

“We should not allow our own hands to destroy the most precious gains we have made since we took arms in 1983,” he said.

Regarding, the national dialogue, Kiir downplayed the criticisms of the delay of launching the political process which has been announced since last December. He announced that the initiative would kick off next week Monday.

“I wanted to inform you that we had been talking about this national dialogue, and this national dialogue has raised so many questions especially those who pretend to be friends to SPLM or friends of South Sudan when they are actually enemies trying to destroy South Sudan," he said.

"On Monday, 21 of this month, the general secretariat of the national dialogue will be sworn in so that they can start to operationalise the national dialogue,” President Kiir further said.

(ST)

May 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Counterterrorism Authority (NCA) Wednesday disclosed it has frozen bank accounts of unnamed persons linked to terrorist activities and included them in the UN Security Council Sanctions List.

The Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) in Khartoum (Photo: Reuters)

The European Union (EU) has held a two-day workshop in Khartoum under the title “Combating Terrorism and Money Laundering” from 17 to 18 May to enhance the efficiency of the regular forces, judicial organs and central banks.

The head of the NCA and chairman of the Technical Committee for Combating Terrorism Financing, Brig. Gen. Muawiya Madani, told reporters on the sidelines of the workshop that they froze assets of persons suspected of having links to terrorist activities and included them the UN Security Council Sanctions List.

He pointed that the NCA conducted a thorough investigation regarding those suspected persons and froze bank accounts belonging to their Sudanese agent who oversees their funds.

Madani also revealed that preliminary investigations are underway regarding some additional suspected persons, saying the case will be referred to the prosecution after completion of investigation in a prelude to file criminal charges against them.

He said the decision to freeze these funds comes in implementation of the Council of Minister's decree pertaining to terrorism financing and money laundering which adapts to international resolutions in this regard.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international agency on combating money laundering and terrorism financing, in 2015 removed Sudan from its blacklist, saying the east-African nation is no longer a threat to the integrity of the international financial system.

Sudanese parliament adopted in June 2014 a law to combat money laundering and terrorism financing that contained articles related to consolidating investigations and financial intelligence which is the enforcement mechanism that receives notifications and information from financial institutions and other parties.

(ST)

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

The 17-year-old girl had arrived from West Africa after being offered work as a cleaner, police say.

In April 2014 Islamist militants kidnapped 276 girls from their school in Chibok in north-eastern Nigeria.

Filmmaker Danny Boyle travels to the townships of Johannesburg to search for talented dancers.

A race against the clock has begun to contain an outbreak of Ebola in a remote northern area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has commended the Government of Côte d&#39Ivoire for restoring security following a mutiny over pay, his spokesperson said.

The humanitarian crisis in Somalia is worsening, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council, calling for more than $800 million in aid to offset the impact of a severe drought in a country that is already battling insecurity and poverty.

The lawyer behind the release of 82 women captured by Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

During his first working visit to Mali, United Nations peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix met today in the capital, Bamako, with President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and other senior Malian officials, whom he thanked for their constructive and sustained cooperation with the UN integrated mission in the country, known by the French acronym, MINUSMA.

May 16, 2017 (YAMBIO) – A high-level committee from the government in Juba has arrived in Yambio to finalise the preparations and to graduate the former rebel South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM) forces who signed a peace agreement with the Government last year in April 2016.

Citizens riding bicycles in Yambio to promote peace April 17, 2017 (ST)

The Governor of the newly created Gbudue State, Daniel Badagbu said he had come from Juba with a high-level committee from the national government tasked with the final scrutiny and arrangement to graduate the SSNLM forces.

The leaders of SSLNM who have been in Juba after signing the peace agreement in April last year also came along with the commanders of SPLA-IO who surrendered to the government to call upon their forces to surrender.

“I went to Juba without your notice because I don't want to lie, but I brought a high-level committee headed by John Daniel from National Security to finalise arrangement and graduate the SSNLM,” said Governor Badagbu.

The Governor urged all the armed groups who are still in the bushes to come report themselves to the government and join their colleague for the graduation. He went on to encourage the groups to present their grievances before the graduation because there shall be no more peace agreement
with the armed groups in the State.

He thanked the citizens of Gbudue State for listening to his call to stop fighting and to “silence the guns” since his appointment early this year. He reiterated his calls for peace and armed men to come back home to end the suffering of the citizens of Gbudue.

Meanwhile, Major General John Daniel who headed the delegation from Juba said a representative from the police would be in charge or organise the integration of the forces. Daniel added that a representative from South Sudan Defence Force and National Security would also continue to finalise the arrangement and would immediately graduate SSNLM in few days.

Major John urged all the stakeholders and commanders of SSNLM to cooperate because the ranks they were going to receive would be screened according to the retirement in the military provision.

He went on to warn the SSNLM and SPLA-IO not to arrest any civilian, along with desisting from any further criminal activities that would affect their graduation.

Several reports came to the County authority in Yambio accusing the SSLNM of arresting civilians and demand money from them.

(ST)

May 16, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) Tuesday said it will launch an appeal to provide relief to meet needs of the increasing influx of South Sudan's refugees.

Nearly 500,000 refugees from neighbouring South Sudan, United Nations Higher Commissioner Refugees (UNHCR) estimates show, have fled to Sudan since mid-December 2013.

Famine was officially declared in South Sudan in February, where the government and the U.N said 100,000 people are facing starvation, with one million people classified as being on the brink of starvation.

Speaking at a press conference in Khartoum Tuesday, SRCS Secretary General Osman Gaafar said they are “in the process of launching an appeal within the next two days to provide assistance to the refugees coming from South Sudan”.

He pointed to the continued and increasing influx of South Sudanese refugees crossing into the border states, saying “the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will release the reserve fund to provide the necessary assistance to South Sudan's refugees”.

The world's newest nation has been engulfed by war since 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his rival and former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

The troubled country has reportedly now become the world's fastest growing refugee crisis with more than 1.8 million refugees, including one million children, having sought safety in Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Central African Republic (CAR).

The UN humanitarian agencies said they are seeking $1.4 billion to provide life-saving aid to South Sudanese refugees in the six neighbouring countries until the end of 2017.

(ST)

May 16, 2017 (JUBA) – A prominent Dinka tribal leader has praised the patriotic role played during the 2013 conflict by the former army chief Paul Malong Awan, claiming he safeguarded the nation from disintegration.

Malong recruited the Dinka youth from Bahr el-Ghazal region to fight the SPLM-IO rebels led by the former Vice-President Riek Machar. With the support of Ugandan troops, he successfully stopped the progress of the opposition troops towards the capital Juba.

"This was the man who saved the country. He saved the lives of millions of people who could have fallen victims of hatred and revenge," said a prominent member of the self-appointed Jieng Council.

"Indeed the patriotic role General Paul Malong played helped the country, it would have collapsed, disintegrated if it were not the efforts he and others made from the region,” he further emphasised in a statement to Sudan Tribune under the cover of anonymity.

This is the first time that a tribal leader voices his support to Awan, braving the unanimous public approval of his dismissal.

The member of the tribal body described Malong as someone who would not be bullied into submission, pointing out that that is a trait of a leader.

“He is bold and you cannot fool him, he is someone you can trust. Malong is very respected in the army and it would be surprising why he would not be respected in the whole country,” the council member added.

After his removal, Awan abruptly left the capital heading to his home region in the northern Bahr el-Ghazal region, but President Salva Kiir forced him to return to Juba.

His return followed reports that he would foment a coup against the President Kiir.

Observers say his sack was a result of several reports by the security services against him.

Infighting in the government has focused on the future of President Salva Kiir, who has faced several scandals and continuous allegations of incompetence from opposition parties during his presidency.

(ST)

May 16, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A visiting team from the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) Tuesday has started a visit to Darfur to assess the situation in the restive region.

The AUPSC delegation on Tuesday met with the governor of North Darfur state Abdel-Wahid Youssef and the security committee in El-Fasher to discuss the recent developments in the state.

Youssef has briefed the African team on the security and humanitarian situation besides refugee issues and development and services programs, pointing to the coordination between his government and the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

He also pointed to challenges facing his government including illegal migration, human trafficking and arms proliferation, mentioning efforts to collect illegal arms and address employment, refugee and IDP's issues.

The security committee, for its part, gave a detailed explanation of the political, security and humanitarian developments besides efforts to impose state authority across the state.

In press statements following the meeting, the Ugandan envoy and head of the AUPSC delegation Molu Katandi said they came to assess the situation in Darfur, pointing the team will also visit Central Darfur's state capital, Zalingei.

He praised the significant improvement of the situation in the region, pointing to the joint cooperation between North Darfur government and UNAMID.

MEETING UN PANEL OF EXPERTS

Meanwhile, the governor of North Darfur has met with the United Nations Panel of Experts on the Sudan established pursuant to the UN Security Council resolution 1591 (2005).

In press statements after the meeting, Youssef said he briefed the delegation on government efforts to combat illegal migration and human trafficking operation on the border.

He pointed to cooperation between his government and the UNAMID, saying the people of Darfur are the most affected by the sanctions imposed on Sudan.

UN Security Council Resolution 1591 imposes travel bans and asset freezes on parties involved in the conflict in the western Darfur region.

Also, it imposes an arms embargo on Darfur and called on states that supply Sudan with military equipment to take measures to prevent its use in Darfur.

(ST)

May 15, 2017 (NEW YORK) - The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Monday has decided to reduce Abyei force and warned it may withdraw its support to the Sudan-South Sudan border monitoring force if they continue to impede the activation of the operation.

The 15-member body unanimously adopted the resolution 2352 (2017) which provides extending until 15 November 2017 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Also, the Council decided to reduce UNISFA's troops from 5,326 to 4,791, marking the first change in the Force's troop levels since 2013. Further, it urged the two countries to resume direct negotiations in order to agree on a final settlement of the Abyei question.

The resolution drafted by the U.S. reiterated concerns about persistent delays and stalled efforts to operationalise the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM) which the two countries agreed in the Cooperation Agreement of September 2012.

The Council "takes note that continued investment in achieving full operational capability of the JBVMM should be based on a set of conditions, including resolution of the dispute over the SDBZ, and calls upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of South Sudan to make timely and effective use of the JBVMM, JPSM and other agreed joint mechanisms to ensure the security and transparency of the SDBZ, including the “14 Mile Area,” said the resolution.

The Security Council went to decide that UNISFA's support to the monitoring mechanism will be ended within six months unless the two countries activate the border monitoring mechanism.

"Decides that this extension of the mandate modification set forth in resolution 2024 (2011) shall be the final such extension unless both parties demonstrate through their actions clear commitment and steadfast guarantees for implementation of the JBVMM," reads the resolution.

The JBVMM is intended to monitor the Sudan-South Sudan border, in line with the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ) the two countries agreed to establish in the cooperation agreement.

But, the JBVMM was suspended on 22 November 2013 following South Sudan's withdrawal from the mission.

Michele Jean Sison, the United States Deputy Representative to the United Nations hailed the adoption of the resolution. She further regretted that Sudan and South Sudan had yet to take the steps necessary to make the Mechanism fully operational.

“Five years of obstacles to deployment […] is enough,” she said, adding “The status quo must be questioned when the status quo is not working,”.

The Sudanese Ambassador Magdi Ahmed Mofadal Elnour blamed the South Sudan for delaying the implementation of the cooperation agreement and Abyei interim intuitions.

On the joint monitoring body, he declared: “We have never restricted the movement of this Mechanism.” He was pointing to the UN Secretary general report which said that the JBVMM had cancelled 18 air patrols due to delayed approval by South Sudan.

He further called on Juba to implement the temporary arrangement for the administration of Abyei and all provisions in the 2012 cooperation agreement. He further renewed accusation that South Sudan continue, instead, to harbour rebel groups in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur.

South Sudan's Ambassador Joseph Moum Malok said that the withdrawal of support for the JBVMM would negatively impact the cooperation agreement between South Sudan and Sudan, emboldening each side to take a more combative posture along the border, he cautioned, pointing out that ceasing support could lead to proxy fights.

He further pointed to the need fill the "vacuum of State responsibility", and called on the international community to provide the need support adding it is "urgently needed to stabilise the situation in the area and create a conducive environment for a more constructive and fruitful dialogue on the future of Abyei."

In line with the 2005 peace agreement, the residents of the disputed area have to hold a referendum to determine whether Abyei will remain part of the Sudan or join the South Sudan. But the two countries failed to agree on the participation of the Misseriya pastoralists who reside there several months every year.

(ST)

May 15, 2017 (JUBA) - A senior South Sudanese official says he is mediating a peace dialogue with the Sudan People Liberation Army-In Opposition in (SPLM-IO) faction in the country's Imatong state.

David Otim (R), principal representative for the SPLM/A in Opposition in Uganda, and Oyet Nathaniel Pierino speak at a press conference in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on 22 September 2014 (ST)

Governor Tobiolo Alberto told Sudan Tribune he is in talks with rebels allied to the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar to lay down their arms and return home.

“We are in negotiation with rebels group. We welcome their positive response to initiating a home base South Sudanese dialogue,” he told Sudan Tribune.

The rebels, however, said the official's claims on talks were “white lies”.

“I want to overstate that the SPLM/A-IO is not fighting to be included in the national dialogue, or cantonment or any position in the country. Such claim by government authority especially at the level of a government or state government only speaks for the level of ideological bankruptcy and disorientation the regime has descended into,” said the rebel-appointed governor of Imatong state, General Pierino Nathaniel.

He said their forces remain intact under the SPLA-IO Commandership of Riek Machar and are fully committed to the full pursuit of what he said was an infallible demand of the people of South Sudan.

“Federalism, democracy, liberty, justice, accountability and prosperity and not national dialogue and self-enrichment or a plate of food. If anything the national dialogue has been born dead and buried in Presidential palace,” he stated.

The rebels' governor says Imatong state remained hopeful to South Sudanese aspirations with other brothers in Equatoria region, Western Bar el Gazel and Upper Nile regions.

“The grievances of land grabbing, marginalisation, exclusion, targeted killings, genocide, atrocities and ethnic cleansing have made our resolve to fight for the total liberation and freedom of South Sudan stronger than ever,” he said.

He accused the Juba regime of running a "bankrupt of political program" and allegedly uses an ethnic-shell mobilisation as a tactic to fight wars against other tribes in South Sudan.

“The Dinka ethnic community has been victimised by the regime in the name of power and wealth yet it's only the members of Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) whose families have settled abroad who benefit,” he further stressed.

(ST)