Africa

The band of entrepreneurs who believe pairing farming with technology could secure the future of Kenya's agricultural economy.

Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare will be out for up to six months after breaking his thighbone in a car crash, says manager Alan Pardew.

September 15, 2016 (TORIT) - The assembly in Namorunyang, one of South Sudan's new states has re-opened for its second session after a three-month recess.

Namorunyang state governor Louis Lobong Lojore (ST)

Majority of lawmakers who spoke at the occasion agitated for institutional reforms.

The assembly speaker, Peter Bosco specifically urged lawmakers to cooperate with line ministries so that a policy statement can drafted as soon as possible.

Government institutions works when there is policy guideline to help them run their activities smoothly with progress in the states institutions, Bosco told the lawmakers.

He specifically appealed to lawmakers to pass resolution allowing the executive to perform.

“There can be no activities done by the executive without resolution passed in the parliament,” he stressed.

Meanwhile the state governor, Louis Lobong Lojore appealed to the country's lawmakers to work hard towards the development of new state by promoting peace and reconciliation.

“Now that we have been given a state of our own, I wholeheartedly want to inform the people of Namorunyang state that you have been given it with its responsibility”, said the governor.

He appreciated the work of humanitarian agencies for supporting vulnerable people with basic needs especially at a time when the young nation was faces a political and economic crisis.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

September 15, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Eritrean government has dismissed recent reports alleging that Saudi Arabia has transferred some 5,000 Yemeni militants to Eritrea for training in the Red Sea country.

A Houthi Shiite rebel carries his weapon as he joins others to protest against Saudi-led airstrikes at a rally in Sanaa, Yemen on 1 April 2015 (Photo: AP/Hani Mohamed)

The report released by the Fars news agency (FNA), an Iranian news agency, says that Riyadh is transferring the militants from Aden to Eritrea's Assab port to go under military trainings and then be sent to the Saudi provinces bordering Yemen.

“The terrorists, some of whom are from the Al-Qaeda, will be dispatched to Najran, Jizzan and Asir provinces to fight against the Yemeni army and popular forces and prevent their further advances in Southern Saudi Arabia,” the FNA said.

In reaction, the Eritrean government said the report is “a preposterous lie”.

“The allegation by Farsi News Agency represents a preposterous lie peddled for some ulterior motives,” said a statement issued by Asmara.

“Those who are familiar with the dynamics of the Horn of Africa/Middle East region know full well that Eritrea has been at the forefront – if not a pioneer – in the fight against Al-Qaeda and all the variants and off-shoots of this terrorist scourge,” the statement added.

The Eritrea government said as early as 1996, when imminent threat of Al-Qaeda was posed, Eritrea was locked in the fight against emerging plots and designs of the Ben-Laden group which was operating from the region at that point in time.

“Eritrea's unremitting and long-standing stance against terrorism is thus a matter of historical record,” it said..

The Saudi-led war against the Iranian- backed Shi'ite Houthi fighters in Yemen begun in 2015, after the internationally recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi asked Arab countries for military assistance.

The request was made after an offensive by the Houthis who joined the former President Ali Saleh - ousted by Arab Spring protests in 2011 - and attacked the Hadi government at its provisional capital of Aden in March 2015.

(ST)

September 13, 2016 (JUBA) – The number of South Sudan's armed opposition fighters so far extracted from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached over 750, according to the United Nations spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.

“In addition to information we shared with you on Friday, the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), has continued to extract this group of individuals from the Garamba National Park in the DRC. Yesterday the Peacekeeping Mission extracted an additional 118 persons on humanitarian grounds,” Dujarric said in a statement.

“To date 752 individuals affiliated with the SPLM/A-IO have been extracted,” he added.

Among those extracted, he explained, 631 are in UN-run facilities in three locations inside the DRC, with some receiving medical treatment while others recovering from exhaustion.

“Security arrangements are in place in all locations,” Dujarric said.

He said the UN has continued to engage with both the DRC and the South Sudan authorities as well as regional actors to encourage them to find a solution to the presence of South Sudanese armed individuals in the territory of the DRC.

“Authorities of both countries are regularly informed of actions taken on the ground,” said Dujarric.

"All of those extracted were disarmed before boarding UN helicopters and the UN mission has those weapons secured," he further stressed.

The UN, however, reiterated that its operations were conducted on humanitarian grounds and within the role of contributing to stability in the DRC. It said authorities in South Sudan and of the DRC were all notified the UN's actions on the ground.

"The UN continues to engage with both DRC and South Sudan authorities to find a solution to the presence of South Sudan fighters within the territory of the DRC," said the UN official.

Meanwhile, the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) has confirmed that dozens of their officers who were extracted together with its leader Riek Machar in the DRC have already arrived in Pagak, the General Headquarters, at the Ethiopian border.

“Yes, some of our officers who were accompanying our leader from Juba to the DR Congo have already arrived in Pagak,” Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune Tuesday.

He said officers who arrived in Pagak last week included military spokesman, Colonel William Gatjiath Deng, extracted together with Machar at DRC border on 17 August.

(ST)

September 15, 2016 (JUBA) -The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (ADMISS) has issued a strong worded statement on Thursday in protest of the closure of an independent newspaper by government security personnel, describing it as a deliberate ploy to muzzle press freedom and access to public information.

A vendor sells newspapers in the South Sudanese capital, Juba (Photo: Al-Jazeera)

Alfred Taban, chairperson for the media association in the country said the organization views the closure of these media institutions as suppression of the press and clampdown on free speech.

He said the manner and nature through which these media institutions were closed speak to the fact that the government actions is geared toward silencing critical voices and information provided to our people.

"The Association for Media development in South Sudan strongly condemns the indefinite closure of the nation Mirror English daily newspaper by South Sudan national security", the statement bearing Alfred's signature, copy of which was extended to Sudan Tribune, reads in part.

The 15 September statement described the closure of the independent newspaper as a serious threat to freedom of expression and of the press. the unilateral decision, it further added, represents a clear sign of intimidation to scare media fraternity in the country from doing its work.

" AMDISS is deeply aggrieved with this unacceptable behaviour and calls on the concerned authorities to put to an end this act of interference and create a conducive environment for the media to play its role as the watchdog," the statement protested.

Meanwhile the Coalition of Civil Society organizations in South Sudan issued a statement in which they also protested the closure, saying such acts undermines freedom of the press.

According to the group, it is mind-boggling and breathtaking for the government led by officials who fought in a more than two decade conflict on promise of protecting democratic tenets to continue what it is terming as broad day closure of media institutions, thereby undermining the democracy with its attending tenets.

"We wish to categorically state that such acts undermine the objective of liberation struggle which culminated to the independence of this country. The behaviours themselves are confirming that allegations that the government does not tolerate an alternative view, which is unacceptable. We therefore call on the authorities to cease taking such decision in the interest of peace, love, harmony and tolerance," the group said in the statement.

The advocacy group and media association were reacting to a 14 September decision by the national security who asked the management of the Nation Mirror to stop publication with immediate effect after being summoned to headquarters of the national security service in Jebel area.

No reason was given for shutting down the paper. South Sudanese authorities have in the past shut down a number of newspapers, including The Citizen.

Many journalists have been killed in South Sudan for the past five years of its independence.

(ST)

September 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan Call forces are preparing to meet in the Ethiopian capital to coordinate positions ahead of meetings with the government over cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access followed by a national constitutional dialogue conference.

Leaders of the opposition "Sudan Call" sign an agreement on the alliance's structures in Paris on 22 April 2016 (ST Photo)

Opposition sources told Sudan Tribune that the leadership Council of the opposition alliance will meet from 25 to 30 September to coordinate positions and discuss some organizational issues.

Also, the meeting will agree on the delegation of Sudan Call for the Strategic Meeting with the government over other confidence building measures before the constitutional conference and adopt unified positions for this meeting.

The mediation didn't yet announce the date of the meetings between the government and the armed groups. But I become obvious that it would be held in October.

Last August, three armed groups and the National Umma Party signed the Roadmap Agreement paving the way for talks on the humanitarian truce. However the parties failed to strike a deal over these issues.

After what the mediation decided to suspend the negotiations.

Last week the Sudanese government said the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki would visit Khartoum to discuss the resumption of talks. Also the government spokesperson Ahmed al-Balal expected that the meeting the rebel groups over the cessation of hostilities would resume after Eid al-Dha Festival. which ends on 15 September.

Will participate in this meeting, the two factions of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, NUP, and civil society groups. For the National Consensus Forces will only take part in the meeting : the Sudanese Congress Party, the National Alliance, the Sudanese Ba'ath, the Sudanese National Party and the Center Alliance Party.

The Sudanese Communist Party and other groups said opposed to the process because it would not lead to regime change in Khartoum.

(ST)

September 14, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, should resign from the presidency after the exposure of his involvement in the documented corruption practices, says spokesperson for the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.

President adresses a joint press conference on 9 July 2016 (Reuters Photo)

A 65-page report by US-based ‘The Sentry' organization has revealed for the first time evidences of documented gross corruption practices involving President Kiir and his immediate family members, including his adolescent kids who also hold company shares worth millions of dollars.

Among Kiir's children involved in their father's revealed “groundbreaking” corruption in the report includes his 12-year-old son who held a 25% stake in a holding company formed in February this year.

Overall, the report has revealed evidences showing that at least 7 of Kiir's children – sons and daughters – with their names as well as companies' shares recorded in the report, and also with Kiir's wife, Mary Ayen Mayardit, have held stakes in various national and international business ventures through dubious deals at the expense of the suffering people.

Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, said the report has painted a “shameful” picture for the president who should resign for the sake of his dignity and leave others to change the nation.

“If Salva Kiir is part of the world where shame is a heavy burden to carry and quitting voluntarily from public office is a wise decision to attempt to regain one's dignity in the face of that shame, I think he should resign immediately following the shameful exposure of his immeasurable corruption, together with his family,” Dak told Sudan Tribune.

“This corruption revelation has shown one thing very clear, that these leaders in Juba and their family members are a bunch of people who do not have vision for the country and the lives of their people,” he added.

The Sentry has found evidence that the top officials responsible for mass atrocities in South Sudan have managed to accumulate fortunes and have been involved in illegal transactions, insider deals and outright fraud.

Dak said his boss, Machar, was not implicated in the report, arguing that the only properties claimed to belong to him are rented and temporary guest houses in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, which are not owned houses.

He also challenged the government for threatening to sue in court The Sentry organization, saying the report implicated President Kiir and his family members by their names and not the government.

It is therefore Kiir as an individual that should sue the organization in court and not the South Sudanese government, he said.

KIIR LOST OPPORTUNITY

Dak further said the South Sudanese president, Kiir, has lost his opportunity to go down the history as a leader whose leadership gave birth to the independence of South Sudan and would have united the people and laid the foundation for development for the future generations.

He said the president will instead go down the “anal of history” as the most corrupt and violent divisive political leader in the history of South Sudan, who had no idea how the nation was born, torn it apart and squandered its wealth in the most “primitive way.”

Dak argued that most dictators in Africa at least provide services to their people, open up roads, build schools, hospitals, and ensure that their people can feed themselves, unlike Kiir who he claimed could not even connect with tarmacked road the national capital, Juba, with his home town of Kwajok, let alone the rest of the country.

The opposition leader claimed that his boss, Machar, provided numerous chances to president Kiir to become a good leader, but wasted such opportunities.

He claimed that when Machar championed the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan since 1991 which finally brought the independence of South Sudan in July 2011, it was Kiir who was “made” to sign the “first protocol” on self-determination for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in July 2002. He said this was six months after the Nairobi declaration between Machar and late John Garang, who signed to the self-determination objective for the first time.

“You know the first time for Salva Kiir to actively surface politically was when he was made to sign the Machakos Protocol on self-determination for the CPA in July 2002 in Kenya. It was good that he held to it. But it is unfortunate that he did not know what to do for the people of South Sudan once that self-determination translated into independence,” he said.

When Kiir rebelled against Garang in Yei in November 2004, he added, it was Machar who took him to Rumbek and reconciled him with late Garang, which resulted to him being appointed as vice president in 2005.

Dak further said that when Garang died “mysteriously” in a Ugandan helicopter, Machar also recommended Kiir to replace the late leader, saying although he was not sure how to lead the people, Machar assured him that he was going to support him in the implementation of the agreement.

“But see what has happened now. He has been instead trying to kill Machar who was grooming him with the hope that he would become a good leader for the people and the country,” he said.

“Worst of all, he has turned the country into a madman's house with dying and suffering people,” Dak lamented.

President Kiir's spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny, on his part reacted angrily against the exposure of the president's corruption allegations, saying the government would take The Sentry to court.

However, a top official of The Sentry organization said they have “irrefutable” evidences that the president and his family have involved in the corruption, saying the information and documents were gathered from various partners involved.

“The evidence is thorough, it is detailed and it is irrefutable. It involves arms dealers, international lawyers, international banks, international real estate and it is because of these international actors that we are also able to provide solutions to help end this criminal behaviour to protect innocent civilians,” said Georg Clooney, co-founder of The Sentry, Enough Project.

(ST)

September 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's Jonglei Governor Philip Aguer Panyang has appointed 14 counties in the new state which has been established last year.

Jonglei state governor, Phillip Aguer speaks during the independence occassion July 9, 2016 (ST)

New Jonglei is one of four states created from former Jonglei state established by President Salva Kiir in October 2015 when he signed a presidential decree dividing the country into 28 states.

Also a presidential decision subdivided the new state into 14 counties even if Governor Aguer initially proposed 11 counties.

Aguer rejected the additional counties, calling them "mistaken." He however backtracked when his request to delete the extra administrative units was rejected by local communities.

This Thursday, Aguer nominated the following commissioners for the 14 countries :

1. Deng Mabior Deng (Bor South County, Chueiker)
2. William Majier Alier (Bor Gok County, Kolnyang)
3. Mading Akol Biar (Bor East County, Anyidi)
4. Nhial Awan Deng (Anyidi Makuach County, Makuach)
5. Deng Garang Deng (Bor Central County, Makuach/Werkok)
6. Simon Thon Ayuen (Bor West County, Baidit)
7. Kuot Jok Lual (Athooc County, Kactong)
8. Luis Garang Apiu (Bor North County, Jalle)
9. Deng Mabany Kuot (Twic North County, Panyagor)
10. Dau Akoi Jurkuch ( Twic Central County, Wangulei)
11. Daniel Deng Manyok (Twic South County, Adubaar)
12. Deng Achiek Jok (Duk Payuel County, Payuel)
13. Michael Malual Wuor Reath (Duk Padiet County, Padiet)
14. Peter Latjor Chol (Duk Panyang County, Pajut)

(ST)

Drones are usually in the news in relation to a military attack but that seems likely to change thanks to a new sport - drone racing.

Thirty years ago, Frank Westerman was shocked to find an African warrior's body on display in a Spanish museum. Here he tells the story of how it got there, and how it was eventually reburied.

Solar power is expanding fast in Africa, and innovative products and payment schemes are ensuring the poor and rural communities don't miss out.

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O&#39Brien, has approved the allocation of $10 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to bolster humanitarian operations in Chad.

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A man who has been at the forefront of protests against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government is in hospital after allegedly being tortured.

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Swiss commodity trading firms are criticised in a report on the sale to African countries of diesel containing toxin levels that would be illegal in Europe.

The repatriation of Somali refugees from Kenya does not meet international standards for voluntary return, a rights group says.

Taonere Banda has made history by becoming Malawi's first Paralympic athlete, competing in the women's T12-13 1500m in Rio.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari recently launched a behaviour change campaign similar to his successful war against indiscipline in the 1980s. The BBC's Isa Sanusi asks if it will work.