Africa

In our series of letters from African journalists, Ghanaian writer Elizabeth Ohene reflects on Muhammadu Buhari's recent comments about his wife and offers her view of what Nigeria's president got wrong.

The Gambia is known to tourists as "the smiling coast of West Africa", but this masks something more troubling, as Chris Simpson has been finding out.

Following a report that more than half of the population in southern Madagascar – 840,000 people – is experiencing alarming rates of food insecurity, United Nations agencies are responding to the most severe cases of malnutrition and acute hunger to prevent a catastrophe.

The United Nations food relief agency is providing emergency aid to 8,000 people affected by an upsurge in violence in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR), in addition to regular food and nutrition support for some 120,000 people.

The Ethiopian authorities have detained more than 1,600 people as they try to boost security under the state of emergency, a government minister tells the BBC.

Nollywood star Rita Dominic talks about her role as an army wife in Seventy-Six, a film about a failed coup.

After six weeks of political maneuvering, the so-called “national dialogue” – aimed at resolving a political impasse ahead of presidential elections originally scheduled for November in the Democratic Republic of Congo – concluded yesterday with dim hopes of easing tensions in the country.

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Two dozen members of the pro-democracy youth movement LUCHA led a march to the electoral commission’s office in the eastern city of Goma, and delivered a list of youth volunteers available and willing to help organize elections, on October 18, 2016.

© 2016 Private

Under the signed agreement, President Joseph Kabila will remain in office beyond December 19 – the end of the constitutionally mandated two-term limit – and until presidential elections are held. The pact lays out a process for holding elections no later than the end of April 2018 – but doesn’t provide a specific polling day and it describes a number of challenges that could further delay the vote. The agreement also provides for a new “government of national unity” to be appointed within 21 days – November 8 – and that the prime minister post will be given to someone from the opposition.

Most of Congo’s main opposition parties either refused to participate or merely observed the dialogue, fearing it was just a ploy for President Kabila to stay in power past his term and buy time to try to amend the constitution to allow a third term.

Many opposition figures have already rejected the agreement, calling instead for a transitional leader, who could not be a presidential candidate, to lead the country while elections are organized. They also called on Kabila to step down on December 19 to avoid further delays and potential instability. Some argue that the president of the Senate should lead during the transitional period, given the constitutional provision for the Senate president to temporarily take over the functions of the presidency in the case of a “vacancy.”

Jean-Marc Kabund, secretary general of the opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), rejected the agreement, demanding a “genuine dialogue.” The Research Institute for Human Rights (Institut de Recherche en Droits Humains, IRDH), a Congolese human rights group, also denounced the agreement and said it would only intensify the country’s political crisis. The Bukavu-based human rights organization Héritiers de la Justice called the agreement a “blatant violation” of the country’s constitution.

To protest the dialogue’s conclusions, two dozen members of the pro-democracy youth movement Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) led a march to the electoral commission’s office in the eastern city of Goma, and delivered a list of youth volunteers available and willing to help organize elections.

Opposition leaders and others have called for protests and “ville mortes” (or general strikes) on October 19.

The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council called on Monday for “a new phase of a more inclusive political process in the coming weeks,” with participation by all major political families and civil society. Contrary to yesterday’s agreement, the council urged Congolese stakeholders that the “dialogue must lead to the holding of presidential and legislative elections as soon as possible in 2017.”

The conclusion of the national dialogue failed to ease tensions and has left a political impasse. That keeps the door open for more protests, violence, and repression in the coming weeks.

October 20, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan president, Salva Kiir has threatened to personally lead and direct military operations in Equatoria region, particularly in Yei county, vowing to relocate to the area if armed groups continue causing insecurity.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (AFP)

“We will not just sit in Juba. We will go out. I will relocate to go and stay in Yei and all the operations that will go out will go out under my directives and my supervision”, an emotionally Kiir said Tuesday during an occasion marking official reception of the registration of one the factions of the divided Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) under his leadership in government controlled areas.

He said those who have taken up arms in the region to cause havoc were sons of the area; hence the leaders from the region ought to them so that they stop carrying out hostile activities. This message, he said, was delivered by two of his advisors whom had recently dispatched to the area to calm down the situation after reports shows that insecurity has been deteriorating in Central, Western Equatoria state.

“And I said the other time when I sent my advisors to Yei, I told them you go to Yei and tell the people that those who are now disturbing them are their own sons. If they don't call them back, I will go to Yei myself," he said.

Kiir warned of more violence in the region if targeted killings do not stop.

“These targeted killings, if they are not stopped by the people who are actually engineering them, how long do you think people will remain patient?” stressed Kiir.

He added, "There is a need to urgently return peace to the country".

Observers have expressed concern that such remarks may be interpreted by members of the victims in the army predominantly his ethnic Dinka to mean a directive to carry out military operations in the Equatoria, which if not properly commanded and guided, may affect innocent civilians as a punishment for not cooperating with the army in identifying and exposing armed dissident youth in the region.

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October 19, 2016 (YAMBIO) - The International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said it is extending support to nearly 50 disabled people in Gbudue, one of South Sudan's newly-created state.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

ICRC's wheel chair specialist, Geoffrey Bilal is in the state capital, Yambio to screen the disabled people who will be flown to the South Sudan capital.

“I came here for physical rehabilitation program activities. We have people with disabilities here who are not able to reach where they could get services,” he said, adding that the screening was being done to identify beneficiaries of the program ICRC is supporting.

“Based on their assessment, there are many people living with disability in Western Equatoria state and most of them don't get support which could help them live better among the community and to cater for their needs independently,” further said Bilal.

“This is because the headquarters of the ICRC in Juba where they have resources and facility is far to be accessed due to the conflict and no one to support the patients to reach Juba,” he added.

The process involves screening polio victims, amputees and war victims.

ICRC, Bilal said, will provide proteases for amputees, hothouses for those paralysed and wheel chairs for those who cannot completely walk.

The state minister for education, Simon Alkangelo Anibiko said they have started registering disabled people across the state as they await ICRC's screening process.

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October 19, 2016 (KHARTOUM) –The head of Opposition's Reform Now Party (RNP) Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Attabani Wednesday said the national dialogue should prioritize political reforms before to discus other reforms.

RNM leader Ghazi Salah Eddin Attabani speaks in a press conference held in Khartoum on 30 August 2015 (Photo ST)

On 10 October, the government parties and several political forces participating in the national dialogue process approved the national document which constitutes the basis for drafting a permanent constitution.

The RNP and its allied parties of the Future Forces of Change (FFC) which was not part of the process attended the National Dialogue Conference and vowed to narrow the gaps between the dialogue forces and the holdout groups.

Speaking at a symposium organised by the Youth's Secretariat of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Attabani said that the dialogue must focus on reforming the political environment before to discuss reforms of civil service, judiciary, or economic policy.

He said that the dialogue is held to achieve political reforms and to reform the state. He also urged to include the reform of political movements in the process.

Attabani who is also the leader of FFC alliance said his party would carefully study the recommendations of the dialogue conference, adding that "there is no alternative to dialogue".

He further said that it should begin by basic requirements and not to be founded on injustice or political settlement. But it should leads to a fair outcome.

The RNP was part of the national dialogue but suspended its participation in the process in response to what it described as a series of setbacks to political freedoms in the country.

The political and armed opposition groups refuse to join the process saying to release political freedoms, and to free political prisoners.

They also call to consider the dialogue conference as the first phase, pointing that its recommendations would represent the position of the ruling party and the dailogue groups.

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October 19, 2016 (JUBA) – The International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) has, in response to a confirmed measles outbreak in Abyei Administrative Area, led a mass measles vaccination campaign reaching over 21,500 children under the age of five years.

IOM - International Organization of Migration logo

The vaccination campaign took place from 10 to 17 October, 2016.

South Sudan's health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the measles outbreak in September after approximately 50 cases were reported across Abyei. Many of the cases were reportedly among children under one year and would have been too young to be vaccinated during the early 2016 campaign.

“To stem the spread of the outbreak, an IOM rapid response team deployed to Abyei on 5 October 2016 and immediately began training vaccination teams to ensure wide coverage across Abyei Area,” IOM said in statement Sudan Tribune obtained.

It further said that staff from the health ministry, WHO, Goal, Médecins Sans Frontières and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) worked to ensure the success of the campaign by supporting efficient cold chain management, training vaccinators, supervising missions and providing vaccines and logistical support.

According to IOM, heavy rains and poor roads also disrupted access to several areas for several days of the campaign, requiring vaccinators and supervisors to endure difficult conditions to reach target populations. Protection support from the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) enabled vaccinators to safely reach populations in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

“Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children in the region, where access to health care is limited for thousands of children,” said IOM South Sudan's Chief of Mission, William Barriga.

“At IOM clinics across the country and through rapid response missions, we are helping displaced and vulnerable communities get immunized against common diseases, including measles, through regular vaccination programmes,” he added.

The Abyei Administrative Area, an oil-rich territory of more than 10,000 square kilometers, is contested by Sudan and South Sudan.

Inter-communal conflict in Abyei and the absence of public institutions in Abyei, particularly since the heavy fighting which occurred in the disputed area in 2011, have resulted in significant humanitarian needs and increased likelihoods of disease outbreaks.

The United States aid arm's office for Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Japanese government supported IOM's rapid response mission in Abyei region.

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October 19, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan will levy a 100 per cent tax on alcoholic products in the proposed 2016/2017 financial budget.

South Sudan finance minister Stephen Dhieu Dau (Getty)

The new proposal, it finance minister said, will also see higher taxes placed on telecommunications companies and on tobacco sales.

“We will increase excise [duty taxes] on alcohol from 50% to 100% and tobacco from 30% to 50%. This tax on luxury [goods] will improve health,” Stephen Dhieu Dau told Parliament on Tuesday.

South Sudan fiscal year 2015/16 expired three months ago, but government was not able to prepare a new budget for 2016/2017.

However, the country's lawmakers now need at least one month to study the proposed resource envelope of SSP 22 billion. With inflation at more than 700%, SSP 22 billion is less than half a billion U.S dollars.

According to the finance minister, there will be financial deficit of $225 million, which translates into inability to raise 40% of the proposed budget to fund government for the next 12 months.

Dhieu also warned against borrowing from the country's Central Bank, which involves printing more cash to meet the financial gaps.

“We need to stop borrowing from the Central Bank of South Sudan in order to bring inflation down and prevent further depreciation of the currency and reduction of households' incomes,” he said.

The minister admitted that the current inflation in the country was “impossible to overstate the gravity, but called for operating within the limited ability to prevent severe depreciation and further conflict.

“As government we have run down of our foreign reserves and servings and we have limited ability to prevent the severe depreciation we have seen,” Dhieu told lawmakers.

He proposed tougher measures against individuals siphoning taxes, but did not elaborate on how government intends to undertake this.

South Sudan depends on oil revenues for more than 90% of its annual budget.

According to the finance minister, increasing taxes of non-oil revenues such as alcohol, tobacco and reducing government expenditure, will boost the young nation's economic outlook.

Telecommunication companies in South Sudan will now pay at least 50% of taxes.

Meanwhile, the finance minister has proposed a departure tax of $20 per person on international travels at the airport, emphasising that long term economic stability requires peace in the country.

“Improving security, transparency, and infrastructure will incentivize the development of our mining, forestry and agriculture sectors,” he said.

Dhieu further disclosed that donors were unwilling to support the budget in absence of full implementation of the peace agreement.

“We require external support to help our country (…), however, our international partners have made it clear that external support will not be offered without peace and economic reforms,” he said.

The peace agreement signed in August 2015 hangs in balance after renewed violence in July forced the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar to flee the country. Machar was replaced by former peace negotiator Taban Deng Gai, a move the former said was “illegal”.

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October 19, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour Wednesday belittled the allegations of use of chemical weapons in Darfur, saying his government was not concerned by these accusations.

Ibrahim Ghandour (Photo Suna)

"The government has not to respond to anyone who makes accusations against the Armed Forces" he said in press statements at the Sudanese parliament. "Up to date no one complained of any immoral practices or abuses," Ghandour further stressed.

The minister was commenting on the accusations by Amnesty International that the Sudanese army had carried at least 30 chemical weapons attacks in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur since January 2016.

Human rights activists have called for an international investigation on these claims, as the report says that 250 people may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents.

Also, France and Britain called on the Sudanese Government to allow an international investigation of chemical weapons use. In addition, the head of the UN Peacekeeping Department, Hervé Ladsous urged Khartoum to cooperate with any investigation by the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

However, Ghandour brushed aside calls to investigate Amnesty report, saying there was no complaint by any person injured by weapons that could be chemical. He further pointed that the peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) didn't receive any complaint from the IDPs supporting these allegations.

The minister played down demonstrations and protests organized by activists abroad calling to investigate the use of chemical weapons in Darfur.

"We saw a lot of calls for rallies. In New York, there was a demonstration organized by 18 organizations denouncing the (human rights)violations by the government and calling for the fall of the regime, but there was only 12 people (at this protest)."

The purpose of these allegations is to impede the national dialogue and to spoil the improvement of Sudan's relations with the international community, he stressed.

Following the release of Amnesty's report on the use of chemical weapons in Darfur last September, OPCW Director-General Rogelio Pfirter requested the Sudanese government, a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, to provide "its official position and any other relevant information on the matter".

Sudan in its response to the request reiterated its commitment to the convention and denied the allegations reported by the international human rights group, says the OPCW in a statement released on 8 October.

"Sudan would not act in any way to undermine its obligations and responsibilities towards the Convention and Organisation and emphasized that the position of the Sudanese Government on this matter had been publicly expressed and confirmed ,'' said the Sudan's ambassador in his letter to the Hague based organization.

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October 19, 2016 (JUBA) - Four South Sudanese lawmakers in the country's national assembly have announced their defection to the armed opposition faction led by former First Vice-President, Riek Machar.

South Sudanese MPs stand during a parliamentary session in Juba on 31 August 2011 (AFP)

The lawmakers represent Maridi, Nasir, Nagero and Rubktna constituencies.

They include, Lam Puoch, from Nasir of the Upper Nile, Pasquale Clement Batali representing Nagero in Western Equatoria, Justin Joseph Marona of Maridi in Western Equatoria, and Martin Mabil Kong, from Rubktna in Unity region.

In a joint statement Sudan Tribune obtained, the defectors said recent waves of violence have watered down hopes and expectations from the people they represent in various constituencies, who, they say, are yearning for sustainable peace.

"Sadly, the breakout of the dog fight at presidential palace on July 8th 2016 marked the beginning of another era of senseless war. The fingers pointed largely on president [Salva] Kiir, and his JCE [Jieng Council of Elders] as primary instigators of the uncalled for violent", partly reads the statement.

However, the lawmakers said the renewed violence in the national capital, Juba in July was a coordinated attack to assassinate the first vice president Riek Machar to abrogate the 2015 peace accord.

The legislators condemned the violation of peace agreement, alleging president Kiir was responsible after replacement of his peace partner, Machar with former rebel chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai.

"We have witnessed the apparent lack of political will to implement peace and absence of meaningful role of the government in providing services, security and space of freedom of expressions in all spheres of lives", the lawmakers further said in their joint statement.

The current Parliament, they claimed, does not function independently due to restrictions on lawmaker during debates, thus weakening legislators' abilities to freely oppose any given motion.

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October 19, 2016 (JUBA) – The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), the body overseeing implementation of the shaky South Sudan's peace agreement signed in August last year insisted that the peace deal is still “alive” and warned against suggestion that it has collapsed, although it has been “compromised” and “derailed' by the July's renewal of violence in the country.

JMEC Chairman, Festus Mogae, briefs the UN Security Council, on the implementation of the peace agreement on 31 March 2016 (ST Photo)

JMEC chairman and former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, told a meeting in Juba on Wednesday that an inclusive Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) is needed and urged for accommodating of political rivals of Juba government.

“The [August] 2015 Peace Agreement, which I hold here in my hand, is still alive. No one Party can unilaterally dissolve or renegotiate this Agreement,” said Mogae, speaking to JMEC meeting attended by government officials, peace guarantors and the media.

Eruption of fighting in Juba in July that forced SPLM in Opposition (SPLM-IO) leader and then First Vice President, Riek Machar, to flee Juba threatened the implementation of the peace agreement.

The SPLM-IO faction in Juba selected Taban Deng Gai to replace Machar, a move Machar has denounced as “illegal.” The former first vice president, who is now in South Africa for medical check-ups declared the agreement “dead” and pledged to revive it through another political process or using all means – including armed resistance against what he calls “fascist” regime of President Salva Kiir.

President Kiir, on the other hand, has warned Machar against returning to South Sudan's politics, claiming that his working relationship with the new first vice president, Gai, will restore peace.

JMEC chairman said “we do not make peace with our friends; we reconcile with those with whom we disagree” without referring to President Kiir.

“For the Peace Agreement to have legitimacy, it must be inclusive and representative and I am concerned that, whereas we welcome the commitment demonstrated by the TGoNU, regional guarantors and the international community to the continued implementation of the ARCSS, it is clear that not all Parties are currently included or fully represented,” he noted.

He acknowledged that the implementation of the peace agreement is “undoubtedly compromised and partially derailed” but remain optimistic for the future.

Mogae demanded end to violations of the permanent ceasefire and condemned both the government and the SPLM-IO forces for “hostility.”

“We are reporting an increase in offensive operations by both Government Forces and Opposition Forces, specifically in and around Yei, Leer, Jezeera and Nassir. The situation in Equatoria states is of particular concern, where we are deeply concerned about the unacceptable targeting of civilians,” he added.

He also encouraged the government to expedite the deployment of Regional Protection Force to Juba as authorized by the UN Security Council in August this year. He said the force “remains a prerequisite for a secure, peaceful and stable environment within which political inclusion can be pursued.”

(ST)

October 19, 2016 (EL-FASHER) - Two people were killed and three others injured on Tuesday by unidentified gunmen in the town of Mulagat in Kutum locality, some 100 kilometers west of North Darfur capital, El-Fasher.

Pro-government janjaweed militiamen on top of a heavily armed pickup patrol the main road out of the Kirinding-2 refugee camp at the outskirts of Al-Geneina, April 24,07 (Reuters)

A resident from Mulagat named Adam Sulieman told Sudan Tribune that five gunmen riding motorcycles attacked the town and opened fire on the residents killing two people and wounding three others, saying they stole 350 heads of sheep.

Gunmen commonly use vehicles and motorcycles that don't hold license plates to carry out killing and looting crimes.

Sulieman added that the killed persons are Musa and Ahmed and the injured are Adam Marrain, Aisha Ibrahim and Halima Abdalla.

He pointed that they notified the police in the locality of Kutum, saying that the injured were rushed to Kutum Hospital while the perpetrators fled the area following the incident.

It is noteworthy that the police station and attorney office reopened in Kutum locality in November last year for the first time since the outbreak of violence in September 2012.

The Sudanese army pacified the area after tense clashes with an Arab militia that sparked violence in Kutum to revenge the murder of the commissioner of Al-Waha locality by unknown gunmen.

Earlier this month, the commissioner of Kutum locality had resigned following disagreements with North Darfur governor over lack of personnel and equipment to maintain security in the area.

Last June, North Darfur governor Abdel-Wahid Youssef accused unnamed parties of seeking to keep the “insecurity and instability” situation in Darfur, pointing to “hidden hands that prompt the security chaos in all Darfur's five states not only North Darfur”.

He declared a state of maximum readiness among regular forces to control the lawlessness situation in the state and prevented riding of motorcycles, wearing of Kadamool (a turban which covers the face) and holding arms inside the capital, El-Fasher.

October 19, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The political consultation committee between Sudan and Romania has held its first meeting in Bucharest on Tuesday, said Sudan's Foreign Ministry.

Sudan's Foreign Ministry said the two sides agreed to work jointly during the coming period to revive bilateral ties and mutual cooperation.

According to the press release, Sudan's Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Na'im has discussed with his Romanian counterpart Daniela Grigore Gîtman ways to promote bilateral relations in the political, economic, cultural and scientific domains besides mutual support in internationals forums.

It added the committee also agreed to activate agreements between the two countries in areas of higher education, health, agriculture and livestock besides the economic and cultural cooperation.

They agreed to hold the Sudanese economic forum in Bucharest during the spring in order to encourage businessmen from both countries to enhance trade and investment cooperation.

According to the press release, Gîtman said that her country is keen to promote cooperation with Sudan, expressing appreciation to Sudan's pivotal role in the fight against illegal migration and terrorism.

She pointed out that several bilateral agreements and joint projects would be launched during the coming period.

The two sides further agreed to exchange visits at the foreign ministers level during the coming period.

Sudan's foreign relations have recently witnessed a remarkable rapprochement with several European nations particularly with regard to joint cooperation in the fight against illegal migration and human trafficking.

The East African nation also suffers from a two-decade economic embargo imposed upon it by the United States in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses.

(ST)

October 19, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's President, Salva Kiir, will soon issue another controversial order to increase the number of states from 28 states to undisclosed number, according to his second deputy and longtime ally.

South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, delivers a speech in the capital, Juba, on 10 June 2013 (Reuters)

Speaking after Tuesday's meeting, Vice President, James Wani Igga, flanked by the controversially newly appointed First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, said the presidency has agreed to increase the number of states but will soon start with the issue of Malakal and Lol state as the first priority.

Malakal, is a contested capital between West Nile and East Nile states, but which was given to the East Nile by the presidential decree in October last year. Lol is another controversial state in Bahr el Ghazal region.

The two places, according to the Vice President in a statement broadcast by the state owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), are where communities have protested either splits, asserting the order had divided their communities or have been annexed to communities with whom they share nothing in common in that they would prefer to remain alone.

"We have resolved and agreed to increase the number of states but the first thing is the issue of Raja and Malakal. A committee has been formed under the First Vice President and this committee will have to complete their work and report back to the President within seven days,” revealed Vice President, Igga.

He did not say how many more states will be added to the already controversial 28 states.

The two issues the presidency had discussed and resolved, he further added, were the reinstatement of the civil servants who either abandoned their positions or rebelled, either in Juba or in the states, when the conflict erupted in 2013.

The other issue was the issue of cantonment sites for the opposition forces of the SPLA-IO. Two cantonment sites, he said, will be in central Equatoria, one in Eastern Equatoria and another in Western Equatoria.

(ST)

Voicing serious concern over recent intensified crackdown by the Mauritanian Government on the imprisoned anti-slavery activists, a group of United Nations human rights experts today urged the authorities to ensure a fair hearing and provide needed medical treatment for the detainees.