Africa

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called an Emergency Committee meeting on the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has already claimed around 130 lives.

October 14, 2018 (JUBA) - Former South Sudanese army chief of staff Paul Malong strongly denied allegations of embezzlement of public funds or committing atrocities against civilians during the five-year civil war in the country.

A recent documentary by investigative journalist and filmmaker John-Allan Namu once again reiterated accusations against Malong who is under UN and US sanctions about his wealth and his involvement in the war crimes during the conflict.

In a 25 minute interview with the Kenya Citizen TVreleased on Sunday, Malong further said he didn't take advantage from his position as Governor of Northern Bahr El-Ghazal or profited from his position when he was the chief of staff.

"They did not tell us where I got the money," he said. He further said the documentary and those who accused him have to prove that he has stolen money, give the details of these accounts and the country where these funds are deposited

"I'm not a rich man I'm just taking care of myself and my family. I have nothing," he said.

"Northern Bahr El-Ghazal is not an oil producing state and everybody knows that," so why the accuse me, he wondered.

Regarding the time when he was the army chief of staff, he said the minister of defence is the one who plans the army budget while the chief of staff is the implementer.

I use what is given to me for certain jobs that I'm going to do. if people say I took the tents and sold them that may be, I took ammunition and guns and sold them that may be, (...) but I do not get cash," he said.

The same for the war crimes and atrocities, Malong said he executed the orders he received from his military hierarchy the army commander in chief President Salva Kiir.

"I was not operating independently," he repeated.

Also, he dismissed any responsibility for the killing of civilians in Juba following the clashes at the South Sudanese presidency in July 2016.

"During the J1 fight, I was in control of the army more than any time," he said stressing that the clashes ended at Jebel Kogor.

When asked about the rape of women in Juba, he said it was done by security soldier but not his army.

"I know what happened. It was in one of the hotels and one of the ladies said that the person who had raped her is an agent of security soldier and his name was written," he said.

On the UN sanction, Malog said "they are missing the point. If they speak about the cause of the war, the cause of war is Salva and Machar. Whatever I did in the army was just orders," he said again.

The old friend of the South Sudanese president avoided criticising Salva Kiir for his sack from the position of the army chief of staff.

However, Malong said that he was disappointed when Kiir accused him of asking Kenyan, Ugandan presidents and even Ethiopian prime minister to support him to overthrow Salva Kiir.

The South Sudanese tycoon Lawrence Lual Malong Yor Jr. took part in the interview to explain that General Malong was not his father and he is not his relative.

He and General Malong said they would pursue those who continue to repeat such claims in order to prove the corruption of the former South Sudanese official.

(ST)

PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 14, 2018

Africa's leading entrepreneurship-focused philanthropic organisation, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), has announced October 25, 2018, as the date for its 4thannual TEF Entrepreneurship Forum.

The largest gathering of African entrepreneurs and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem will unite over 5,000 entrepreneurs, global investors, leaders from the African public and private sectors and developmental organisations at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. The event is a unique opportunity to generate ideas, forge networks and bring policymakers and the private sector together, in a spirit of robust debate and interaction. The 2018 cohort from the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, as well as mentors and partners, will be present, as the culmination of their intensive twelve-week induction.

In keeping with the Foundation's track record?most recently with President Macron of France?of bringing politicians face to face with the new generation of young business women and men shaping Africa, the Forum will include an interactive session with President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, moderated by TEF Founder, Tony O. Elumelu.

5,000 Entrepreneurs to be welcomed in Lagos for Africa's largest entrepreneurial convening

The Forum will also feature the launch of the TEFConnect, the world's largest digital platform for African entrepreneurs, dedicated to connecting African entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Founder, Tony O. Elumelu, CON, stated: “In just four years, we have directly impacted 4,460 entrepreneurs, and we are beginning to see the results – job creation, ripple effects, but most importantly a recognition that Africa's economic well-being is driven by entrepreneurs: female and male, large and small – they are the engine of our continent's transformation. We will be championing and celebrating them. This year, we are truly achieving scale and impact; we received over 150,000 applications in 2017 alone, up from 20,000 applications in 2015.

We are now calling on the current generation of African success stories and others to partner with us to see how we can all further create impact, genuinely transform millions of lives and increase the number of inspiring stories we will be hearing in Lagos”.

TEF CEO, Parminder Vir OBE stated: “The TEF Entrepreneurship Forum is the only event across the continent that brings together the complete African entrepreneurship ecosystem, demonstrating our commitment to capturing the whole continuum – from the entrepreneurs themselves, governments who must provide enabling environments, to capital, advice and perhaps most importantly access and network”.

About Tony Elumelu Foundation:

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) is Africa's leading entrepreneurship philanthropy. Inspired by Tony Elumelu's economic philosophy of Africapitalism and his vision to institutionalise luck and democratise opportunity for a new generation of African entrepreneurs, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has implemented one of the most ambitious entrepreneurship programmes globally.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor, and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs. Its goal is to invest in businesses that will generate at least 1,000,000 new jobs and contribute at least $10 billion in new annual revenues across Africa.

In its 4th year, TEF Entrepreneurship Programme has empowered 4,460 entrepreneurs with a total investment of USD20million; 4,000 funded directly by the Foundation and 460 have been funded by partners.

October 14, 2018 (JUBA) - South Africa's Deputy President David Mabuza arrived in Juba on Sunday for talks with President Salva Kiir on the implementation of South Sudan revitalized peace agreement.

Mabuza was received at Juba airport by the Minister in the Office of the President Mayiik Ayii Deng who told the press that the South African guest comes as a special envoy of South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa.

During his two-day visit Mabuza "would be conducting bilateral talks with his Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit on a number of bilateral issues," Mayiik further said.

For his part, Mabuza's spokesperson Thami Ngwenya stated that the South African deputy president will discuss with President Kiir ways through which South Africa can assist in the implementation of 12 September peace agreement.

He further said that the South African official would travel to the other IGAD countries involved in the peace process to discuss the enforcement of a lasting peace in South Sudan.

Mabuza “will also visit the neighbouring countries that are part of the guarantor of Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan. He will look at the kind of assistance that South Africa can provide to people and the government of South Sudan," he added.

South Africa, together with Tanzania, sought in the past to bring peace in South Sudan through the reunification of the historical Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in what is known as Arusha process which had been concluded by the signing of an agreement on 21 January 2015.

(ST)

October 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf has praised bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) describing it as strong and extended.

On Sunday, Ibn Ouf received the UAE Ambassador to Khartoum Hamad Mohammed Al-Junaibi in the presence of the newly appointed military attaché Ajlan Obied.

During the meeting, Ibn Ouf welcomed the newly appointed military attaché, wishing him success in his new position.

He underscored that bilateral relations between Sudan and the UAE are developing steadily.

Sudan managed to achieve a breakthrough in ties with UAE after a long period of strained relations over Khartoum's close ties with Tehran.

UAE is in a long-standing territorial dispute with Iran over the three Gulf islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb.

Iran refuses international arbitration over the dispute and insists that its sovereignty over the islands is non-negotiable.

In 2014, Sudanese authorities ordered the closure of Iranian cultural centre in the capital Khartoum, and other states in a move which was seen as a gesture to the Arab Gulf states.

The estimated size of UAE investments in Sudan is $11 billion approximately, of which about $5 billion are projects in progress while the rest are still in the pre-execution phase.

In May 2015, Sudan said it offered UAE's companies $59 billion in investment opportunities mainly in agricultural projects.

(ST)

October 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's foreign minister will travel to Ndjamena and Bangui on Monday to discuss his government efforts to settle the armed conflict in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

Last month in a meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the African Union integrated the Sudanese initiative to end the armed conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) between Muslim and Christian militias that continue to destabilize the country despite the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Sudanese foreign ministry said Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed will hand over a message from President Omer al-Bashir to President Idriss Deby of Chad and President Faustin-Archange Touadéra of CAR.

The Sudanese initiative, which involves Russia also, provides to bring together the leaders of the warring armed groups to discuss ways to end the conflict and build confidence between the different communities in the country in order to repair social fabric.

The African Union has its African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, however, the mediators failed to bring the armed groups together.

Last August, the Sudanese government hosted a meeting including the main armed groups, the Christian anti-Balaka militia of Maxime Mokom and Muslim Seleka armed faction led Noureddine Adam.

At the end of the two-day meeting on 29 August, the two groups signed a framework agreement pledging to cease hostilities and to not obstruct free movement of persons and goods with the neighbouring countries and committed themselves to the African Union process for peace and reconciliation in CAR.

Khartoum counts on Chad which has good relations with the Seleka militia group to support its efforts to achieve peace in the landlocked country which has growing commercial relations with Sudan.

(ST)

October 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The U. S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, Alan Patterson, has expressed his country's desire to establish strategic relations with Sudan.

On Friday, Patterson discussed with the visiting Sudanese Army's Chief of General Staff Kamal Abdel-Marouf issues of common concern besides the regional situation and ongoing arrangements to launch the second phase of dialogue between the two countries.

According to Ashorooq TV, the U.S. official praised Sudan's efforts to achieving security, peace and stability in the region, pointing to its cooperation with neighbouring countries in this regard.

He expressed his country's desire to forge strategic ties with Sudan, pointing to the latter's resources and wealth besides its important geo-strategic position in the African continent.

The U.S. official also mentioned Sudan's efforts to combating cross-border crime, human trafficking and illegal migration, renewing his country's support to these efforts in the prelude to lifting the East African nation's name from the U.S. list of states sponsors of terrorism.

In October 2017, the U.S. Administration permanently lifted 20-year-old economic sanctions against Sudan citing positive actions on humanitarian access and counter-terrorism.

Khartoum, accordingly, authorized humanitarian access to civilians in Darfur and unilaterally declared a cessation of hostilities in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

However, Washington left other sanctions in place for the time being, including those against individuals with arrest warrants related to atrocities committed during the conflict in Darfur.

Further, it didn't remove Sudan's name from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The two countries are engaged in a five-track process towards full normalization of relations.

The process includes the fight against terrorism, Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Sudan's role in the peace process in South Sudan, Sudan's peace and the humanitarian situation in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Last month, Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed met the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan in New York on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The two sides agreed to resume talks on the normalization of bilateral talks and the lift of remaining sanctions particularly Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorist groups. The measure is crucial to get a debt relief and allow Sudan to get international aid to build its economic infrastructure.

(ST)

Strongly condemning twin suicide attacks in Baidoa, southwestern Somalia, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated the Organization’s support and solidarity with the country’s people and Government.

Successful, educated and attractive - Arlène Agneroh's friends said the only thing she was missing was a husband.

The United Nations welcomed on Friday as an “important milestone” the release in Nigeria of 833 children by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF); a group formed in 2013 to protect communities and support the country’s security forces against Boko Haram extremists.

Ramla Ali is an English and British boxing champion with Olympic ambitions despite having had to hide her passion from her strict Muslim family.

December elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remain on course, but still face “major challenges”, including violence from armed groups in the country’s east, the top United Nations official in the country said on Thursday.

In an effort to better protect people and their property throughout Mali, the international community must honour commitments to help reduce violent extremism, chronic insecurity and ineffective government, said the United Nations expert on human rights in the country, Alioune Tine, on Thursday.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday he is “deeply saddened”, as the Government of Nigeria announced that some 200 people have died, and a further 1,310 injured, due to flooding across a dozen states. Overall, around two million have been affected.

Atrocities suffered by child and adult migrants from West African States “should shock the conscience of humanity” into action, a UN rights investigator said on Thursday, before calling for Algeria to halt the collective expulsion of thousands of foreign nationals to Niger.

A South Sudanese woman has been telling a high-level delegation of officials from the African Union and United Nations how she walked for five days and nights to find sanctuary in a UN protection site,  from violent clashes.

Farmers in the Comoros islands are learning, with the support of the UN, to adapt to dramatic shifts in the climate which have contributed to the deterioration of agriculture across the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Putting the latest peace deal into real effect across South Sudan, must include addressing “in a stronger manner, the challenges facing women and girls”, said the UN’s leading voice for gender-equality, who is part of a joint United Nations-African Union delegation to the country this week.

Senior United Nations officials on Sunday called for stronger joint humanitarian and development interventions in Chad as the crisis-riven central African country as it tackles poverty, displacement, malnutrition, and lack of access to basic social services.

The dream of visa-free travel for Africans on the continent is still a long way off.