Africa

Burundi and Kenya kick off the inaugural 2016 Cecafa Women's Championship in Uganda with wins in the industrial town of Jinja.

Forces loyal to a Libyan general attack key oil ports held by allies of the UN-backed government with conflicting reports over who now controls them.

Three women have been killed after trying to stage an attack at the main police station in the Kenyan city of Mombasa, officials say.

Acting on humanitarian grounds and at the request of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations mission in the country has extracted hundreds of individuals, including the former Vice-President of South Sudan, Riek Machar, members of his family and aides, as well as a number civilians from a national park in the DRC.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake kills at least 13 people and injures more than 200 in northern Tanzania.

The opposition LDS in the Seychelles wins parliamentary elections for the first time since the start of multi-party politics in the country.

The International Paralympic Committee investigates why Algeria's women's goalball team failed to arrive in Rio for its match against Israel.

Pep Guardiola is victorious in his first Premier League battle with Jose Mourinho as Manchester City win a frantic derby at Old Trafford.

Egyptian police investigated Italian student Giulio Regeni shortly before his abduction, torture and murder, Egyptian prosecutors say.

September 9, 2016 (YAMBIO) - Acting governor of Gbudue state in Western Equatoria has issued an order authorizing all security and organized forces and any citizen in the state to shoot to kill any criminal found committing a crime in their neighborhood.

Gbudue state governor Patrick Zamoi speaking to journalists at in Nzara airstrip March 4, 2016 (ST)

The harsh and deadly order came in the awake of a series of incidents during which seven civilians have been killed by unknown gunmen in less than a week in Yambio county in particular.

Addressing the security and organized forces in Yambio on Thursday, the state minister of local government and law enforcement, Jackson Ezekiel Buguwa, ordered all the security organs to “shoot to kill any criminal found committing murder or shooting gun in the residential area.”

“Anybody who has a gun and you have seen anybody who is entering the neighbor's house who is breaking into somebody's house who is shooting gun, we have given orders for all of us to shoot at that person and kill him instantly,” he said.

“Not only that, all those arrested who are in police custody must be dealt with by firing-squad in the public so that people can see that justice has prevailed and to pass message to the criminals to desist from criminal activities,” he added.

Minister Buguwa blamed the neighbors of the young man who was murdered with his family on Tuesday night for failing to come out and take the law into their own hands in defending their dear ones.

He also said nobody can deny the fact that people have weapons in their houses; because the government did not conduct disarmament in Western Equatoria due to the volatile situation of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and presence of Ambororo who have been “terrorizing” people in the state.

“As a government we cannot stay aside watching our people being killed, neighbors cannot stay while their neighbors are being murdered we have to protect our people, we have to protect properties and protect our towns.”

He reminded that the government has also issued another order, banning boda-boda [motorbike] riders from operating beyond 9Pm until 6 am in order to protect lives of the boda-boda riders and also to give chance to security organs to do night patrols in Yambio town and in the state as a whole.

Series of security meetings have been held this week and resolutions have been passed at the state level which resulted into calling for general parade with all security organs in which the order was given to them to shoot to kill any criminal found committing a crime.

The order has raised fears and panic among the civil population with many saying it will attract even more killings because criminals and others seeking revenge will use it as a way to kill and then claim that it was an act of defence.

The minister however cautioned anyone not to take this order as a chance to revenge and kill innocent persons and warned that anyone found implementing the order to the contrary must be dealt with if found guilty after investigation.

“Peace must be promoted and create conducive environment for the citizens to do their business without fear,” he said.

Insecurity in the state has increased for the past two weeks where citizens continued to live in fear and panic as gunshots could be heard at night and people were being killed in their houses without looting any property.

The government has so far arrested at least five suspects in connection with the killings and causing insecurity in the state.

(ST)

September 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N) Friday accused the Sudanese army of violating a cessation of hostilities in South Kordofan state, pointing it was not the first time.

A SPLA-N rebel soldier, in South Kordofan (AFP)

Last June, Sudanese government declared a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities, in support of the efforts of an African Union mediation to persuade the opposition groups to sign a roadmap for peace in Sudan.

Also, in April 2016 the SPLM-N announced a six-month unilateral truce.

For five consecutive days, the government forces launched a long-range artillery shelling on civilians in the SPLM controlled areas in South Kordofan"s Um Dorain county, in Um Sirdiba, Alnagra, Kaen, Tblo Allbo areas, as well as Um Dorain town," said SPLM-N spokesperson Arnu Ngulutu Lodi in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday.

He further said the shelling killed Akoloma krends, 48- year old woman, and destroyed the house of another female Kaka Hassan Jelborha. Also as result of the artillery attack hundreds of civilians fled their areas and stopped their agricultural activities.

The rebel spokesperson further renewed the SPLM-N commitment to the truce and claimed that it was not the first time the Sudanese army violates the cessation of hostilities.

The warring parties are expected to meet this month for talks on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements.

The Sudanese army spokesperson was not reachable for comment

(ST)

September 9, 2016 (JUBA) – A senior official of the South Sudan's government said there is need to instill discipline among South Sudan army with strict application of the law, criticizing them for incidents of “rape and robbery” in the national capital, Juba.

SPLA soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion pose at the SPLA headquarters in Nyang, in the county of Yirol East, on February 15, 2014 (Photo AFP/Fabio Bucciarelli)

Peter Bashir Gbanda, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, told the newly composed Transitional National Legislative Assembly in a briefing on the latest peace implementation and a visit of the delegation of the United Nations Security Council to Juba.

"Let us restore the SPLA to what it used to be; a very commendable and respectable liberation army during the course of our liberation struggle. I know this SPLA has a very strict orders," said Gbandi, addressing parliament this week.

He was responding to questions from Members of Parliament regarding attacks by suspected government soldiers on expats hotel in Juba. Humanitarian aid workers were raped and their belongings looted in Terrain Hotel.

A government investigation committee commissioned by President Salva Kiir in July said it has found "sufficient evidence" to continue with investigation but did not mention if some soldiers are arrested.

Gbandi said the SPLA war time doctrine of severe punishment might be reinstated.

"If you temper with even an egg [during the war], you will be shot; court martialed and shot openly," he said, referring to bush punishments against SPLA rebel soldiers between 1983-2005.

But he added the death penalty cannot be passed without legal procedures as detailed in laws of South Sudan.

"We are now a nation state and we are governed, we are members of the UN, we are governed by international conventions. We could not be doing this [shooting soldiers]," he added.

Gbanda said the policy is integrating former militia fighters into the ranks and files of the original SPLA compromised its discipline.

"And you know that the goodwill of our president by then and what was provided in the agreement was that all the militias which were being used to fight the SPLA by proxy, by Khartoum were given an option either to join the SPLA or to join SAF [Sudan Armed Forces]," he said.

"But president because he had a vision of us being united as people of South Sudan because of the referendum which was coming, he decided to initiate what you very [well] know is ‘the Juba Agreement' – through [which] most of our militias had to be incorporated into the SPLA," he said.

He added that most the war SPLA fighters have left the army and retired to villages, explaining that government's efforts to stem out indiscipline will include disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs as part of restoring law and order in the country.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

September 9, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – A high level South Sudan government delegation on Friday held talks with Ethiopian Prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, in the Ethiopian capital, Adddis Ababa, on a range of bilateral and regional issues of common concern.

The South Sudanese delegation led by Taban Deng Gai, the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, arrived in the Ethiopia capital on Thursday.

Upon arrival, Gai accompanied by senior ministers was received at Bole International Airport by Ethiopia's senior government officials, Haile Menkerios the head of United Nations Office to the African Union and South Sudan Ambassador to Ethiopia and AU, James Morgan, as well as.

According to Ethiopia government officials, the fragile implementation of peace agreement signed in August between the two rival SPLM factions was high on the discussions between Hailemariam, also IGAD chairperson and the South Sudan's delegation.

Other areas of discussions between the two sides included cooperation on border Security, industry, opening trade corridors along shared border and construction of new roads linking the two neighbouring countries.

The two sides have agreed to establish a joint ministerial commission to implement the various cooperation plans.

Before the delegations departure late Thursday for Ethiopia, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, South Sudan's Petroleum Minister told reporters at Juba Airport that the high level delegation will discuss issues to do with trade, infrastructure development and regional security.

“Ethiopia is a strategic neighbour and we want to make sure that while we are implementing the agreement, we also make sure that trade between South Sudan and Ethiopia is booming” Gatkuoth said.

“We would like to make sure that the region is peaceful and all our neighbours are having good relations with us. So we will be normalizing relations with all the neighbours,” he added.

Here in Addis Ababa, the First Vice President and accompany delegation had conducted several meeting with leaders of SPLM/A- IO and various Communities living in Addis Ababa.

However an SPLM-IO official who requested anonymity said that Gai was trying to mobilize South Sudanese Nuers living in Ethiopia join the government.

Gai, was accompanied by senior ministers in the Transitional Government of National Unity that including Kuol Manyang Juuk, Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Ambassador, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Minister of Petroleum, Rebecca Joshua Okwachi, Minister of
Roads and Bridges, Peter Beshir Gbande, Minister of Parliamentarian Affairs among other dignitaries.

In recent weeks, particularly since the recent clashes that forced the former First Vice President and armed opposition leader, Riek Machar, flee the country, President Kiir government is trying to advance cordial relations with Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan, three IGAD countries that are seen as supporting Machar's reinstallation.

READY FOR DEPLOYMENT

Meanwhile, the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a regional rapid response force, said on Friday its troops are on standby and ready to deploy to South Sudan if the African Union (AU) gives the directive.

EASF Director Chanfi Issimail said the rapid-deployment force is well equipped and is ready for deployment to the war-torn youngest nation within two weeks.

However, he said the command must be confirmed and endorsed by the AU leaders ahead of deployment.

“EASF has a ready full operational capability force of 5,200 military, police and civilian personnel to fulfil its mandate of enhancing peace and security in the Eastern Africa region”.

EASF is one of the five regional components of the African Standby Force established by the African Union for the purpose of containing conflicts and enhancing peace and security on the continent.

The rapid deployment force draws its membership from ten member states from the Eastern Africa Region, namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Somalia, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Rwanda and Seychelles.

(ST)

September 9, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's government has denied responsibility for killing of a civil society activist on Thursday.

Anti-corruption activists demonstrate in the South Sudan capital, Juba,on 11 June 2012 (ST)

Emmanuel Wani was reportedly shot dead in Juba on Thursday by suspected government operatives, with speculations that he met his death purportedly for being part of the activists who met with visiting members of the United Nations Security Council in Juba.

The group of activists representing civil society organizations in South Sudan supported deployment of regional troops in Juba and establishment of a hybrid court to try leaders implicated in the war crimes and crimes against humanity from 15 December 2013 when war broke out in the world's youngest nation.

A senior government officials loyal to President Salva Kiir said they had no idea how the activist was killed.

“I am not aware. From where did you hear it,” asked Tut Kew Gatluak, presidential advisor on security affairs, when contacted by Sudan Tribune on Friday.

Also circumstances behind the death of the activist remain largely speculative and nobody among his family members has publicly come out to claim it. Government officials were denying any knowledge of his death as well as participation of a person called Emmanuel Wani during the meeting with the UN Security Council members.

Leading members of the civil society organizations told Sudan Tribune on Friday that they were divided into two separate groups after the arrival of the UN Security Council delegation to Juba last Friday for consultation with the government and other stakeholders.

“I know how our meeting with the Security Council delegation was arranged. Because there [were] two views, the delegation of the United Nations Security Council decided to meet separately with two groups of South Sudan Civil Organizations. The delegation met the South Sudan Civil Society Alliance together with the youth group, women group, Juba University students Union and representative of Chiefs who were supportive of the views of the government. The members of the Security Council later met our group, who are actually the active and independent members of the civil society and other activists, most of us are those in the field and advocate for peace as the only viable way to end the conflict in this country,” a leading member of the civil society organizations recalled.

“So for us we feel it would [be] wise to demilitarize Juba and expedite deployment of the protection [force] and begin the process of institutional reform and implement transitional justice mechanisms among others,” he said.

The activist however said he did not see Emmanuel Wani at the meeting but heard that he was shot dead on Thursday in Juba at around 1:15 pm by gunmen in military uniform.

“There are two Emmanuel Wani I know but which one is being talked about? There is Emmanuel Laku Wani and Emmanuel Subek Samuel Wani, both of them are activists but they were not in the meeting,” he clarified.

He confirmed that other civil society members who met the Security Council members have left the country for fear of their lives. The activists cited government intimidation in retaliation for meeting with the visiting UN Security Council last week as the reasons for fleeing the country.

These reports, if confirmed, are the latest sign of hostility by the government toward the international community as the East Africa's youngest country tries to recover from a civil war that threatens regional peace.

At least three local organizations have been told by South Sudan' government that they can no longer operate. On Wednesday, the U.S. envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, told Congress that the number of blacklisted groups could be as high as 40.

South Sudanese government accepted the deployment of 4,000 strong regional force during their interaction of the UN Security Council's delegation.

However, the government a day later came out with contradicting comments, saying they will further discuss the number of the troops, their weapons and areas of operation.

(ST)

September 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Chairman of the opposition alliance Future Forces of Change (FFC) Ghazi Salah al-Din Attabani said they handed the head of the African mediation Thabo Mbeki proposals to “avoid clogging” of the political process including merging the political and security talks.

FFC leaders at the launch ceremony held in Khartoum on 23 February 2016 (ST Photo)

Last month the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) suspended sine die peace talks on Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile after the failure of the parties to strike a deal over the security arrangements and humanitarian access from 9 to 14 August.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday, Attabani said the FFC handed Mbeki a number of proposals including the synchronized start of the political negotiations and the security arrangements talks to in order to avoid any adverse impact from one track on the other.

He pointed that the political talks could be launched through an unofficial consultative meeting among all political forces under the auspices of the AUHIP to discuss the outstanding issues pertaining to the dialogue conference including creation of conducive climate for dialogue, political guarantees for the rebel leaders and the recommendations of the government-led national dialogue.

It is noteworthy that the Sudan Call forces including the armed movements, National Umma Party (NUP) and the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) refuse to participate in the internal government-led dialogue and call for holding a preparatory meeting abroad.

Also, major political parties within the internal opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF) including the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) and the Arab Ba'ath Party (ABP) refuse to join the internal dialogue.

Attabani added they demanded the AUHIP to merge the two negotiation tracks, saying the political and security talks are being conducted in parallel, not identical, way which produced a dichotomy that could lead to many problems in the future.

He pointed that talks in Addis Ababa are being brokered by the AU and attended by regional and international powers while there is no similar talks in Khartoum and “that would produce two parallel political processes”, saying that is why the two tracks must be merged in order to reach an agreement among a well known and recognized parties participating the dialogue.

According to Attabani, the proposals also stressed the need for the government to create a climate conducive for dialogue and allow freedoms particularly freedom of expression, assembly and press.

“These proposals enjoy strong support from several political forces inside [Sudan] and also from the majority of the political forces and armed movements that recently signed the Roadmap Agreement,” he said.

The FFC, including some 41 opposition groups, was launched last February in Khartoum and called on the others to join them to achieve the shared goal of regime change.

The new coalition was met with skepticism from some political parties as it included Islamists figures while other forces including the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) gave it an unenthusiastic welcome.

SPLM-N REJECTS FFC PROPOSAL

Meanwhile, the SPLM-N has warned against any political process that doesn't stop the war and address the humanitarian issue saying it would be “doomed to failure”.

Responding to the FFC proposal, the movement described the humanitarian and security issues as the “backbone” of the talks, saying any credible political process can't be launched without addressing these issues.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, SPLM-N said the creation of conducive climate for dialogue has two wings including stopping the war and resolving the humanitarian issue besides allowing freedoms.

“The political process can't take off without those two wings,” the statement read.

“Our priority in the SPLM-N is to stop the war as a gateway to the political process and the comprehensive solution and we wouldn't participate in any political process that doesn't begin by stopping the war,” the statement added.

The movement stressed that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has not yet taken a strategic decision to stop the war or allow freedoms, pointing to the massive human rights violations.

The statement pointed the breaking of the political process stalemate requires intensification of the internal and external pressures on the regime as well as raising mass movement to change the current balance of powers.

“The regime wouldn't make any compromises whether we hold the preparatory meeting first or the cessation of hostilities second … the issue doesn't depend on the technicalities of [how to conduct the talks] but on changing the balance of power” the statement read.

(ST)

September 9, 2016 (EL-GENEINA) - Governor of West Darfur state Fadl al-Mula al-Haga has declared emergency orders to maintain security following a number of killing incidents in recent months.

An African Union-U.N. soldier stands in front of an old African Union APC during a patrol in West Darfur in El-Geneina February 19, 2008. (photo UN)

Al-Haga has replaced former Governor Khalil Abdallah last month after the latter failed to control the lawlessness situation that swept across the West Darfur state.

The newly appointed Governor on Thursday issued a number of local emergency orders aimed to maintain security and save lives.

The first order banned riding of motorcycles within the state's geographical territory without exception besides banning wearing the Kadamool (turban which covers the face).

The second order banned holding weapons and wearing military uniforms in public places with the exception of the regular forces while carrying out their tasks.

He also ordered the judiciary to set up a special tribunal to look into charges pertaining to the emergency orders, instructing the regular forces to take the necessary measure to implement the orders.

The first order would go into effect after two weeks from the date of issuance while the second order would be implemented immediately upon signing.

Al-Haga stressed his keenness to achieve security and impose the rule of law and justice across the state, saying the prestige of the state can't be compromised.

He called for launching a media campaign to educate the residents about the contents of the emergency orders and how the community would benefit from it, saying the orders were issued following the use of motorcycles and firearms as means to commit crimes.

The Governor added that 131 charges in which motorcycles were used in crimes have been recently filed, pointing that firearms have been used in 121 crimes including killing, looting and robbery and illegal drug smuggling.

He stressed those who violate the emergency orders will face trial and could be imprisoned and fined and their motorcycles could be confiscated, saying the work of the security organs would be highly coordinated to carry out the emergency orders.

Al-Haga also disclosed they seek to set up courts in all localities to look into the charges in coordination with the state judiciary.

Last May, eight people were killed and four others injured in a retaliatory attack by unidentified gunmen on a mosque in a village located 10 km. east of West Darfur state capital, El-Geneina.

Arms proliferation has become a major cause of instability in Darfur's five regions as it feeds tribal conflicts and banditry.

Last April, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir announced the formation of a national body for the collection of illegal arms in Darfur region.

(ST)

September 9, 2016 (JUBA) – A United Nations confidential report has revealed that the recent renewed fighting in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, from 8 July was ordered by both President Salva Kiir and army chief, Paul Malong Awan.

President Salva Kiir, (L), accompanied by army chief of staff Paul Malong Awan, (R), waves during an independence day ceremony in the capital Juba, on July 9, 2015 (Photo AP)

The report also revealed that President Kiir's army brought truckloads of ammunitions from the neighbouring Uganda in June, days or weeks before the fighting started in the first week of July at the Presidential palace.

The United Nations panel of investigation also said the opposition faction led by the former First Vice President, Riek Machar, did not buy ammunitions before the clashes.

The UN panel of experts report quoted by The Associated Press says President Kiir and army chief of staff, Malong, directed the fighting in Juba that killed hundreds, using MI-24 helicopters that only they had the authority to deploy. It cites "numerous reports" from South Sudanese senior military personnel and politicians.

The world body's report also said Kiir and Malong have been focusing on procuring new weapons and ammunition, including the apparent acquisition of two L-39 fighter jets.

South Sudan's civilians are "bearing the brunt of the resulting harm" as weapons continue to be procured, the report says. "By the government's own account, the vast majority of government revenue ... has funded security expenses and the war effort, including the procurement of weapons, rather than social services," AP quoted from the document.

There were conflicting arguments over which side was responsible for the fighting which erupted at the presidential palace as the two top rival leaders were in a meeting to resolve on an earlier incident a day before.

While President Kiir said he did not know what had happened in a press statement on the day of the fighting, he weeks later on said it was a coup attempt by Machar. The opposition leader dismissed the accusation, saying the fighting was a plan by President Kiir and his group to kill him.

Over 300 soldiers, mainly bodyguards, were killed on both sides and the fighting continued a day later into the residence of Machar. He was dislodged and hunted down in the bushes until he crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo several weeks later.

The UN Security Council has threatened to impose an arms embargo if South Sudan's government doesn't comply with a plan to deploy an extra 4,000 peacekeepers to protect civilians.

"The findings of the South Sudan panel of experts show the absurdity of waiting even one more day to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan," said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch.

The report also said officials have focused on "mobilizing their respective tribes," which has worsened ethnic tensions. The government and rebels' "arming of communities based on tribal affiliation continues to fuel widespread violence," it says.

The revelation comes just days after the Security Council visited South Sudan to pressure the government to allow in the 4,000 additional peacekeepers. A joint communique by the council and the government said South Sudan accepted their deployment, but just after the diplomats left, government officials announced conditions including prior approval of troop contributors and what weapons they carry.

The visiting diplomats also pressed South Sudan's government to hold accountable soldiers who have been accused of rampaging through a hotel compound popular with foreigners in the July chaos.

The new report says 80 to 100 soldiers overran the Terrain compound and "raped and gang-raped at least five international aid workers and an unknown number of staff working at the compound. They also executed John Gatluak, a Nuer employee of the NGO Internews in front of his colleagues in an "ethnically targeted killing."

South Sudan's civil war began in December 2013 between supporters of Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and former Vice President Machar, an ethnic Nuer.

The UN report added: "This attack was well coordinated and cannot be considered as an opportunistic act of violence and robbery."

(ST)

As the mobile revolution continues to drive change across Africa, governments are trying to curb cyber crime - but is this an excuse to crack down on social media?

It is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a mega-city like Lagos but sitting on the Atlantic Ocean means Nigeria's biggest city is a prime spot for surfers.

Today the UN refugee agency expressed concern over basic services and security in a territory formerly controlled by Boko Haram insurgents, as hundreds of internally displaced people are returning to their devastated villages and towns in the north-eastern state of Borno – only recently liberated by the Nigerian armed forces.