Africa

To mark 50 years of Botswana's independence, Alexander McCall Smith writes an exclusive short story featuring his lady detectives.

A Somali regional government official has demanded an explanation from the US after 22 civilians and Somali soldiers were allegedly killed in an airstrike.

A new database suggests a dramatic under-reporting of the live, illegal trade in great apes including orangutans, chimpanzees and gorilllas.

With Africa set to play an ever-growing role in feeding the world’s bourgeoning population, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) today stressed that the sub-Saharan region needs modern, efficient – and above all mechanized and environmentally sound – farming system to meet global demand and transform the lives and economies of millions of rural families.

Armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) are told to leave the schools they are occupying or face forceful eviction by UN troops.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revised its humanitarian appeal for Nigeria from $55 million to $115 million in order to be able to assist an additional 750,000 people who can now be reached across conflict-affected areas in the north-east of the country.

Regretting an extension to the 2016 electoral process in Somalia announced by the country’s electoral body, the United Nations Security Council has called on all parties in the country to upload their commitments on the elections and to come to an agreement on the remaining political challenges without further delay.

The authorities in Nigeria's main city of Lagos are cracking down on street hawkers, blaming them for traffic jams.

September 28, 2016 (JUBA) – Over 15,000 South Sudanese refugees arrived in Faradge and Aru in Haut-Uele and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a resurgence of violence in South Sudan, aid agencies said.

South Sudanese refugees fleeing violence in their home country wait to be transported to Uganda's Arua district settlement camp on 6 January 2014 (Photo: AFP/Isaac Kasamani)

Neigbouring Congo has been experiencing an influx of refugees into Aru territory in Ituri, close to the border with South Sudan, since October 2015.

Currently there are 27,250 registered South Sudanese refugees in the territories of Faradge and Aru in Haut-Uele and Ituri provinces, according to aid agencies.

Much as the new arrivals of South Sudanese refugees have received little humanitarian assistance, those in Ituri reportedly lack food, shelter, and medicine.

There are also fears that the security situation in South Sudan could remain volatile over the coming months, amid reports that fighting could intensity between government and opposition forces across the country, including across parts of Central and Western Equatoria states thus forcing people to flee into the DRC.

Aid agencies, including the United Nations, say refugees would be in need of psychosocial support as grave human rights abuses, including a high incidence of sexual violence, have been reported in South Sudan since conflict escalated in July.

Meanwhile, authorities in the DRC on Friday handed over more than 300 South Sudanese Refugees to Uganda and UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representatives.

The South Sudanese had sought refuge in DRC, but lack of resources and poor governance systems prompted Congolese authorities to hand them over to Uganda.

The violence in South Sudan, aid agencies say, has forced more than 195,000 people to flee the country since 8 July, bringing the number of South Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries to over 1 million. In South Sudan, over 1.6 million people are internally displaced and another 261,000 are refugees from Sudan, DRC, Ethiopia and CAR, according to latest figures from the UN refugee agency.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - U. S. officials Wednesday said that U.S. sanctions on Sudan do not include private and remittance humanitarian aid to the eastern African country and encouraged transactions with Khartoum within the framework of many authorizations and licenses.

The US imposed comprehensive sanctions on Sudan in 1997 (US Embassy in Khartoum website)

Sudan has been under U.S. sanction since 1997, so financial institutions and banks are very careful when it comes to transaction and business in connection with this country.

After a severe punishment of $9 billion on the BNP Paribas in May 2015, many institutions stopped banking transfers and transactions fearing sanctions.

In a bid to clarify the situation, the Department of State organized a workshop in New York on September 19, 2016 attended by foreign and domestic financial institutions and members of the private sector U.S.-Sudan Business Council.

Addressing the workshop, U.S Special Envoy For Sudan and South Sudan Donald Booth "voiced the U.S. Government's hope that existing authorizations and licenses, many of which are humanitarian in nature, would be used to their fullest to benefit the people of Sudan."

According to a statement released by the Department of State on Wednesday, Booth further said the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury which is tasked with the administration and enforcement of economic and trade sanctions can help them to understand what is permitted or prohibited.

"Above all, Ambassador Booth encouraged banking institutions to ask OFAC, the agency that administers U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, for guidance on specific transactions, stating, “When in doubt, ask!”, said the statement.

During the past years, several banks said the regime of sanctions is very obscure and unclear, as they do not necessarily have the qualified staff in their branches to deal with this situation in their day-to-day activity.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Andrew Keller, attended the meeting. he led the U.S. delegation, consisting of representatives from the State Department, the OFAC, and the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security.

Keller said the purpose of the workshop is to explain the extent of permissible business activities, which include commercial transactions.

During the one day seminar, the American officials explained "the jurisdictional limits of U.S. sanctions for transactions which do not involve U.S. goods or have a U.S. nexus".

Also, Keller underlined that "non-commercial, personal remittances and humanitarian assistance" are authorized under the Sudan sanctions program.

“Effective sanctions are not just about the sanctions target feeling the pinch, they are also about making sanctions relief palpable,” Keller stressed.

Agriculture equipment and services are excluded from Sudan sanctions, Washington also allowed exports of personal communications hardware and software. Further, the US Treasury Department removed the private Bank of Khartoum from a blacklist of Sudanese entities.

The workshop was attended by the Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan Abdel Rahman Hassan Hashim who addressed the workshop.

Earlier this year Sudan's Minister of Finance Badr al-Din Mahmoud, said his government is not affected by the sanctions as it deals with other currencies but not the dollar.

He further called to explain the American sanctions on Sudan to the commercial banks saying Sudanese people are the most affected by this programme..

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (JUBA) – Deputy Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs and former leader of Murle armed Cobra Faction, David Yau Yau, has met President Salva Kiir in Juba on Wednesday, a day after his deputy declared resumption of armed rebellion against the government.

Members of the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army (SSDM/A) faction march in Gumuruk on 13 May 2014 after their leader, David Yau Yau, signed a peace deal with the South Sudanese government on 9 May 2014 in Addis Ababa (Photo: AFP/Samir Bol)

General Yau Yau, who was appointed deputy minister of defence in April after joining the ruling SPLM party in January and left his South Sudan Democratic Movement/Cobra (SSDM/Cobra) faction which he formed after losing in local elections in 2010, said he was still loyal to the president although his former deputy has defected with their forces.

Yau Yau said the meeting with President Kiir was an assurance of his loyalty.

“I came with all Murle elders to inform His Excellence the President that we have not defected from him. Those people who left are just individuals and do not represent us,” he told reporters after meeting in the State House, known as J1.

Yau Yau's former deputy, Lieutenant General, Khalid Botrus Bora, has announced his defection from the government of President Kiir on Tuesday in Nairobi, Kenya. Botrus accused the government of failing to honour the provisions of May 2014 agreement that promised appointment of a presidential advisor for SSDM/Cobra and administering of Pibor county.

Pibor is currently a state called Boma but SPLM governor, Baba Medan Konyi, was appointed to head it in December. Yauyau previously led the Greater Pibor Administrative Area from 2014 to December 2015 before it was upgraded to a state.

Yauyau did not give details of the meeting but observers say it is a show of loyalty to President Kiir who is facing numerous rebellions against his government.

DIALOGUE WITH DEFECTORS

Meanwhile, South Sudan's government under the leadership of President Kiir has slammed the defection, saying there is need to dialogue with the defected officers and forces of the Murle ethnic group. They also asserted that the issues behind the decision could have been addressed through peaceful dialogue.

Acting government spokesman, Akol Paul Kordit, told reporters on Wednesday that the reasons cited in the press statement by the defected commanders of the Cobra faction could have been addressed through peaceful dialogue instead of taking up arms to wage a destructive war against innocent people.

“We just learnt this development in the media where we obtained their statement but the things they raised, like the issue of presidential advisor and the construction of the roads do not need a rationale person to take up arms to kill people and destroy properties. These are things which could be addressed through peaceful dialogue. They do not need taking up arms and go to the bush,” Kordit told reporters, saying the government was ready to talk to the defected commanders.

The official claimed more than 80% of the agreement has been implemented. He cited the creation of the greater Pibor Administrative Area, detachment of the area from Jonglei state and attached to the office of the president with the status of a state and the subsequent appointment of the chief administrator.

The creation of the 7 counties was one of the provisions which he said had been successfully implemented in accordance with the provisions of the agreement.

Another area where the agreement has been honoured and successfully implemented, Kordit further claimed, was in the area of integration and promotion of the three commanders to the rank of lieutenant generals and 5 major generals and several brigadiers and colonels into the ranks and files of the Sudan People's Liberation army (SPLA).

He was reacting to the statement announcing defection of the top commanders in the Cobra Faction in which they accused the government under President Kiir to have not honoured key provisions.

Signed by General Khalid Boutros, the statement called for joining efforts with other armed opposition groups, probably the SPLA-IO under the leadership of former First Vice President, Riek Machar, to remove the government of president Kiir from power and to rebuild the nation.

“By this statement, the SSDM/A is announcing that it shall from today join the struggle against the authoritarian tribalistic regime in Juba,” the statement seen by Sudan Tribune reads in part.

“Being conscious of the need to unify the ranks of all the forces opposed to the regime, SSDMA/Cobra shall immediately enter into serious dialogue with the like-minded patriotic forces already in the field of combat with the aim of cooperation, coordination or merger. Any dispersion of efforts shall only serve this ruthless regime and should not be allowed,” said General Boutros.

He called on the people, especially his ethnic Murle, to take up arms to wage a popular struggle to restore peace and unity of South Sudan.

“We call upon all the masses of our people to close ranks behind the struggle to rid themselves of a regime characterized by oppression, tribalism, corruption and anarchy to install instead a national democratic state that addresses the twin issues of national-building and state-building,” the statement said.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (JUBA)- The State Department has strongly condemned South Sudan's armed opposition leader's call for armed resistance against the government, describing it as "inexcusable".

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar addresses a news conference in Uganda's capital Kampala January 26, 2016 (Reuters photo)

Rebel leader, Riek Machar issued a statement saying his armed opposition would re-organize to “wage a popular armed resistance against the authoritarian and racist regime of President Salva Kiir,” raising fears young nation could plunge into a renewed civil war.

This came in a resolution passed by the political bureau meeting convened on Saturday in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, under the leadership of Machar, also commander-in-chief of the rebels, who spoke for the first time since leaving Juba.

The State Department spokesman, John Kirby, however, said violence would never resolve the ongoing armed conflict in the world youngest nation.

"We find it inexcusable that he would continue to promote armed resistance," said Kirby, adding "It indicates a lack of concern for the well-being of the South Sudanese people, many of whom continue to struggle just to survive and just as much want to see peace."

Machar, the country's former first vice president, fled the capital, Juba in July after his forces violently clashed with those loyal to President Salva Kiir; an incident that left more than 200 soldiers dead.

Kiir, citing his former deputy's absence, later sacked Machar and named ex-rebel negotiator Taban Deng Gai as first vice president.

The armed opposition faction said it had dismissed all its senior members, including Gai, who are part of the coalition government.

Article 2 (d) of the resolution passed by the armed opposition's political bureau, “Called for reorganization of the SPLA (IO) so that it can wage a popular armed resistance against the authoritarian and fascist regime of President Salva Kiir in order to bring peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law in the country.”

The group, in their resolution, also accused President Kiir's regime of allegedly attempting to “assassinate” the leadership of the armed opposition when fighting erupted at the presidential palace in July.

The opposition group, however, said they were for peace and to “resuscitate” it, calling for rapid deployment of regional forces in order to salvage the peace agreement signed in August 2015.

They claim both the peace accord and the transitional national unity government have collapsed in its absence as a peace partner. In August last year, a peace deal was signed by both Machar and Kiir, but fighting has put the accord at risk of collapse.

“(The SPLM-IO) call on the international community to declare the regime in Juba a rogue government,” the resolution reads in part.

It urged those monitoring the peace deal to suspend their activities.

Barely five years after its independence from neighbouring Sudan, South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese civilians were killed and more than 2 million displaced.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan police has blamed intensive shootings on Tuesday night in the suburb of the capital, Juba, on criminals, claiming that no casualty was also reported.

Residents of Thonpiny and Munuki were scared when shooting started at about 10pm local time and lasted for at least 20 minutes.

South Sudan's police spokesman, Brigadier General, Daniel Justin Boulo, said the shooting was an attempted robbery.

“Those were some criminals trying to rob people at night and they were engaged by security forces,” said Boulo when contacted for comment on Wednesday.

Boulo said an investigation is underway to establish any loss from the house attacked by “criminals” but indicated that no arrest has been made. He said no person was injured.

But residents of Munuki said there was apparent exchange of fire and movement of vehicles.

“It started like two men exchanging fire and then there many people involved,” said Munuki resident John, declining to use his second name.

“Ten minutes after [the shooting started], some vehicles came and the fighting intensified,” he added.

Robberies are common in Juba but rarely involved exchange of fire between security forces and the criminals. South Sudan police blame the robberies on “unknown gunmen” but residents suspect security forces of violent stealing in the town.

Also the checkpoint at Jebel was attacked twice this week by armed men suspected to be members of the opposition group of the SPLA-IO. Authorities however described them as unknown gunmen.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (BOR) - Over 80 heads of cattle were stolen from Bor west county in South Sudan's Jonglei state by suspected Murle men, officials said.

Cattle keeper Abraham Thon stands in front of some resting cows outside Bor, the capital of South Sudan's Jonglei state, on 20 September 2014 (ST)

The attack reportedly occurred days after the government and community representatives from both Boma and Jonglei states held a consultative peace meeting in Bor town to end cattle rustling and child abductions.

The commissioner of Bor West county, Simon Thon Ayuen, said the “criminals” were those opposed to the peace process.

“The prime suspects are from Boma state. They came took some cattle and they are heading towards Boma state. The youth of the county are now pursuing them”, he said.

There were, however, disparities in number of cattle stolen. For instance, while the commissioner said 400 heads of cattle were stolen, multiple eyewitnesses estimated the numbers of the stolen cattle to be between 80 and 90.

The incident, Ayuen stressed, will not block the ongoing peace process.

“We are still committed to peace, but anti-peace agents are still doing this. We must take care of these criminals on both sides before we reach the final peace agreement,” said the commissioner.

He further added, “Authorities in Pibor have to wait for these criminals, when they reach, they have to be captured and detained, and the government may immediately report back to our government”.

The Boma state governor, Baba Medan, told Sudan Tribune said he was aware of the stolen cattle, but did not hint on how the criminals would be traced.

He accused some elements in both Boma and Jonglei state of allegedly working very hard to disrupt the peace process.

Medan named some government officials and prominent people in both states as being against the peace process.

There are fears among the public about the fate of the ongoing peace initiative between the two states in the wake of the recent defection of former top cobra officials like Khalid Boutros, among others.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Five Sudan Call groups have decided to cut organizational ties with the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF) following mounting differences over participation in the African Union-led peace process.

Leaders and delegates of the Sudan Call forces pose in a collective picture at the end of their meeting outside Paris on November 13 2015 (ST Photo)

Last week, the NCF suspended membership of five Sudan Call groups including the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), Sudanese Baath Party (SBP), Center Alliance Party (CAP), Sudanese National Party (SNP) and Sudanese National Alliance (SNA).

“Since last February, the above mentioned parties, participate in the meetings of the Sudan Call and take a number of decisions on the relationship with the Sudan Call without consulting with the NCF,” said the NCF.

In a press release extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, the five parties said their decision to “cut organizational ties with the NCF” came after objective and transparent deliberations, noting they seek to avoid unnecessary disputes that could further divisions among opposition forces.

The press release stressed commitment to coordinate with the NCF on the mutually agreed upon issues, saying the two sides should focus their efforts to fight against the corrupt and tyrannical regime.

It added the Sudan Call groups decided to be part of the NCF in order to promote the unity of the opposition work and expand the resistance front.

The Sudan Call, which was established in Addis Ababa on 3 December 2014, includes the NUP and rebel umbrella of Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), the NCF and the Civil Society Initiative (CSI).

Since several months, the NCF has been divided over its participation, within the framework of the Sudan Call, in the negotiations for a peaceful settlement to end war in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states and Darfur region and a national constitutional dialogue conference.

While the five groups were willing to take part in the political process alongside the armed groups and National Umma Party (NUP), the other forces including the Sudanese Communist Party say they want the Sudan Call to focus on the regime change agenda and popular uprising.

They believe that the current process would not bring democratic change in Sudan but would be a repetition to previous peace agreements and reinvigorates the regime of President Omer al-Bashir.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

September 28, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Wednesday said large numbers of South Sudanese refugees have continued to cross into neighbouring Ethiopia.

A South Sudanese refugee with her child on one of the buses that moved volunteers from the flood-prone Leitchuor and Nip Nip refugee camps in western Ethiopia (Photo courtesy of the UNHCR)

The month of September, the agency said, recorded rising flows of South Sudanese refugees fleeing due to renewed fighting in parts of the young nation.

The new arrivals, according to UNHCR branch office in Ethiopia, include large numbers of unaccompanied children. The UN refugee agency said 29,769 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Gambella, Ethiopia since 3 September 2016.

The new arrivals, the majority being women and children, cite fear over the renewed fighting in its Upper Nile State areas of Nasir, Maban, Mathiang and Maiwut.

Other refugees said food insecurity coupled with on going fighting over the spread of the conflict to the Jonglei State (Ayod, Akobo, Fangak and Uru) is also a major factor forcing South Sudanes flee their home country.

64% of the total new arrivals are children. Out of the registered new arrivals, 3,188 are unaccompanied and separated children.

The new arrivals, mostly originating from the Upper Nile State (80%) and Jonglie State (17%), reported to have fled from insecurity, recruitment and food shortage in war torn South Sudan.

According to UNHCR officials, an average of 1,000 South Sudanese asylum-seekers arrive on a daily basis to the Pagak Transit Centre in Ethiopia's Gambela region

“Of this population, 12,756 refugees have been registered (level 1) and relocated to Jewi, Kule and Tierkidi refugee camps. 4,406 have been registered and awaiting relocation” UNHCR said

While over 12,600 have received wristbands and are awaiting registration around the border town of Pagak.

The refugees currently at Pagak and camps said they were crossing the border through Burbiey before having found their way towards Pagak.

“UNHCR is seeking alternate solutions to prevent further congestion at Pagak as well as to facilitate relocation to camps directly from the Barbiey” the UN refugee agency said.

Several aid agencies, like UNHCR, are reportedly constructing emergency shelters.

So far over, 1,700 emergency shelters have been constructed in Jewi and Tierkidi camps.

As of 26 September, Ethiopia hosts more than 311,000 South Sudanese refugees, including more than 12,000 awaiting registration.

Most of the new arrivals originate from Upper Nile, Jonglei and Unity states.

Sudan Tribune has reliably learned that of the total $113.8 million appealed by UNHCR for the situation in Ethiopia, only 10% has so far been secured.

(ST)

September 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir Wednesday said the implementation of the national dialogue outcome would require the parliament to approve limited legal and constitutional amendments during its coming session.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir listen to the National anthem during opening session of Sudan National Dialogue conference October 10, 2015 (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Following his meeting with the speaker of the National Assembly Ibrahim Ahmed Omer on Wednesday, al-Bashir urged legislators to get ready to incorporate the outcome of the dialogue into the constitution and the laws, saying the nation will witness intensive and important political work during the coming period.

He pointed out that incorporation of the dialogue's recommendations would require making limited constitutional amendments, saying those amendments will be introduced to the parliament in its coming session.

Last year, Sudanese lawmakers approved three controversial constitutional amendments introduced by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) amid the protests of opposition MPs who did not take part in the vote.

The first bill allowed the president to appoint governors who will no longer be elected through universal suffrage. The second transformed the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) into regular force to legitimise the creation of its militia the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Finally the third reform was the inclusion of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in the constitution.

Al-Bashir further stressed the need to endorse the outcome of the national dialogue by consensus during the dialogue conference in order to develop the national document which would constitute the basis to draft a permanent constitution for the nation.

In January 2014, al-Bashir called on political parties and armed groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss four issues, including ending the civil war, allowing political freedoms, fighting against poverty and revitalising national identity.

Launched on 10 October 2015 for three months, the dialogue process was initially expected to wind up in January 2016 but it was delayed until October 10th.

The opposition groups refuse to join the process and call on the government to implement a number of confidence building measures aimed to create a suitable atmosphere for dialogue. But the government refuses their claims.

(ST)

Kenyan plans to build a railway across a national park, but could it be a new version of the so-called "lunatic line" to nowhere, asks Alastair Leithhead.

A new delay in Somalia’s elections is a matter of “immediate concern,” raising fears that the process is being politically manipulated and that the latest postponement may only be one of yet further rolling delays, the top United Nations official in the long-troubled East African country warned today.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today cautioned that unless it receives $3 million in urgent funding, it will have to suspend its school meals programme in Mali, affecting nearly 180,000 children in about 1,000 schools.