Africa

After two children were paralyzed by polio in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, the first cases of wild poliovirus in more than two years, the United Nations health agency today stressed the need to prioritize immunization of children in hard-to-reach areas such as the Lake Chad region, spanning several countries and often affected by conflict.

Guinea is now free of Ebola but pregnant women are still afraid of the virus and are avoiding hospital, writes the BBC's Tamasin Ford.

Recently returned from a three-day visit to South Sudan, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien today painted a grave picture of the enormous humanitarian crisis facing the world’s newest country and the devastating impact of the ongoing violence on its people.

Farming is threatening the lives of a semi-nomadic community in Nigeria, unleashing violence that has already claimed hundreds of lives this year, writes the BBC's Martin Patience.

The United Nations health agency and its partners are continuing their programmes against yellow fever outbreaks even though the epidemic, first reported in January 2016, appears to be declining, with no new cases confirmed in the last six weeks.

Welcoming the signing by Sudanese opposition groups of an African Union-brokered roadmap for ending conflicts in the country, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called the parties to “maintain this positive momentum” and work towards agreement on cessation of hostilities.

Welcoming today the announcement by Somalia of a timetable for the 2016 electoral process, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that process for the upcoming polls, which sets October for presidential elections, is an important milestone in the country’s journey towards democracy.

As more areas previously controlled by Boko Haram become accessible to humanitarian assistance, a critical opportunity has arisen to tackle “alarming levels” of food insecurity in north-east Nigeria, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said today.

Photographs of an Egyptian beach volleyball player wearing a hijab at the Olympics have gone viral. But people are divided on whether they illustrate a culture clash, or the unifying power of sport.

The Hungarian who met and married a Ghanaian she met in a London judo hall is now competing for Ghana in the Olympics, writes Chris Matthews.

The BBC's Tulip Mazumdar returns to Sierra Leone to meet Ebola survivors and look at how well the country is equipped to handle future health crises.

By Hafiz Mohamed

After the acceptance of Sudan Call Alliance to sign the Road Map each of the four parties to the alliance came out with a scenario trying to sell that out to their constituency, instead of putting brave face for their retreat from their first position which denouncing it, and try to get the best out of it.

In the build up to the 8th August 2016 the date in which they supposed to sign there are many activities and moves to give the signing some sort of inclusivity and portrayed it as a national event, such as the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) on the 9th January 2005, as everyone knows there is no comparison.

I don't understand why all this fuss is about, it is just a signing of a road map not a framework agreement or an agreement which is going to immediately end Sudan multiple crises and elevate the suffering of millions of Sudanese people as life become untenable due to the failed policies of the National Congress Party (NCP).

The opposition groups with their two components civilian and military still have a long way to go in terms of negotiating the terms of their engagement in the National dialogue, the interim security arrangements and the terms of delivery of humanitarian assistances, for Darfur and the two areas, the political arrangement which supposed to lead to the final status of those areas.

Sudan call alliance wanted to turn its signing of the road map into a victory with big signing ceremony by inviting some national Sudanese figures to make it look as a national agreement but I don't think the signing deserve all that row, and doesn't worse it to spend all these amount of resources now, they better wait until they reach a final agreement and if it put Sudan in a pave to genuine peace and democratic transformation all Sudanese will celebrate with them.

The signing will take place on the 8th August but the hard work will start on the 9th with the negotiations of the terms of cessations of hostilities, delivery of humanitarian assistance and the monitoring mechanism between the government of Sudan (GoS)and Sudan People Liberation Army – North (SPLM-N), and that will not be an easy task taking into consideration their five years negotiations for delivery of humanitarian assistance and cessation of hostilities , many rounds of talks regarding the terms of the ceasefire failed that include the implementation of the tripartite agreement ( UN, AU and the Arab League) and the UN resolution 2046, disagreement over from where the assistance supposed to be delivered , as that prevented the two parties from reaching agreements denying millions of people from humanitarian assistance at the same time denying children the high needed vaccination.

The remaining question will still be, will the government accept an agreement in line with the terms of Switzerland 19th January 2002 cease fire agreement which managed to opened access for delivery of humanitarian assistance, allowed freedom of movement, people and trade at the same time established a joint monitoring mechanism (JMC) headed by Norwegian General.

The parallel tracks of the negotiations for the two areas and Darfur, will not be the easiest parts as GoS will insist on not giving any ground for a new negotiation on Darfur because according to them the Darfur Doha Peace Document (DDPD) has achieved its objectives and concluded the only offers they have for Darfuri armed movements is allocation of ministerial posts and some others positions, and that will not be acceptable for them.

With regards to the two areas negotiations in the last 5 years the chief negotiator of SPLM-N has wasted great opportunities to address the roots causes of the conflicts in the two areas instead he insisted on focusing the discussion on national issues, by signing the Road Map all the National Issues will be address through the National Dialogue, at the same time the road map already stated the ceilings for the negotiations of the two areas and I don't thinks that up to the expectations of the people of the Nuba mountains at least I can't tell about Blue Nile because I simply don't know.

The problem which has been deliberately created by SPLM-N leadership and led to the current state of mayhem because they insist on not consulting the people and trying to impose settlement through military orders that can only work temporary with the army but not with the people, ignoring other sectors of communities and trying to force through settlement which is not acceptable will not lead to sustainable peace. They are ignoring SPLM own practice, immediately after the signing of Machakos Protocol in July 2002, an all Nuba conference was held in Kuda South Kordofan state in October 2002 , attended not only by members of SPLM by civil society activists and communities leaders at the same time attended by the late Dr John Grang , at that conference people gave SPLM a mandate to negotiate on their behalf , but when it came to the two areas negotiations Dr John delegated the political leaders of the areas to negotiate the terms of the two areas protocols and promised to accept any outcome of that negotiation,, I think the process which SPLM leaders adopted in 2002-2004 regarding the two areas was correct and look more democratic even though many people from the Nuba mountains were not happy about the outcome. But since the start of the current war no single consultation is carried to the people of affected areas but even with senior members of the movement, everything is run by Arman selecting the majority of his advisers from outside these areas, and when senior members of the movement such as Ramdan Hassan, Ahmed Balga others voiced their concerns the got the sack.

I do understand that there is national dimension to the conflicts in Sudan peripheries, as the conflicts are centre-peripheries mainly created by the central political elites through deliberate policies of marginalisation, but SPLM-N policies of not allowing even leaders from these areas to voice their concern on issues which they carry arms to fight for will replicate and deepen the same problem instead of working towards resolving it.

The negotiations for the two areas within the road map must be assigned to SPLM-N leaders originate from the two areas with consultation with others people from their areas because at the end they supposed to oversee the implementation of any agreement in partnership with others in these states, and must not allow Arman to run the show, dictating his views on the people of these areas as that will waste other golden opportunity to address some of the concerns of these people , he can lead SPLM- N negotiations with others members of Sudan Call Alliance on issues related to national dialogue and its process. But insisting in imposing Arman on people specially from South Kordofan/ Nuba Mountains will be an insult to these people as they are well aware that the majority of the people in the Nuba mountains don't want him and that will have very serious ramification in the future.

The voice of the people of the Nuba mountains must be heard in this very critical juncture of their history at the time when half of the population either Internal Displaced People (IDPs) or refugees, collective effort is needed to rebuild the region from the shattered, destitution, prolong wars, marginalisation and discrimination.

The war has run its course and the case of fighting Khartoum from the Nuba mountains and making the people of these areas pay the price of change in national level is neither fair nor moral, as they need tenth of years to overcome the impacts of the last two wars. We hope the two parties to war sign a cessation of hostilities agreement at least to stop the killing, immediately after that we need to mobilise the people to build a wide civic coalition for activists, communities/tribal leaders, women, youth so they work together through civic struggle to restore their rights and rebuild the region from the ruins of the wars, learning from the 6 years of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) interim period (2005-11) which ended with more destructive war.

Hafiz Ismail Mohamed is CSOs activist and can be reach at: hafiz2502@hotmail.com

August 7, 2016 (JUBA) - African leaders of the East African regional bloc, IGAD, have issued a strong worded communiqué, calling on the United Nations and global community to extend support to end conflict in South Sudan. The also warned that a delay to act to avert a deteriorating humanitarian situation represents a security threat to countries in the region.

In the communiqué released in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, IGAD said its member states have been shouldering heavy burden.

“Underlines once again that the situation in South Sudan is a serious threat to regional peace, security and stability, and recognizes that the neighbouring countries have been shouldering the heavy burden of the conflict since its outbreak in December 2013, including continued and intensive flow of refugees, as well as proliferation of illicit small arms and weapons and instability,” reads the communique of the outcome of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the IGAD Plus held on 5th August 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The leaders pointed out the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, has the duty and moral responsibility to act decisively and swiftly in support of the IGAD and AU efforts with a view to bringing to an end the suffering of the people.

The meeting also condemned the "continuing obstruction of Ceasefire and Transitional
Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism - Monitoring and Verification
Teams (CTSAMM-MVTs) and UNMISS from implementing their tasks and
mandates".

It further called upon the Transitional Government of National Unity
(TGoNU) to issue the necessary orders to guarantee CTSAMM and UNMISS
freedom of movement and to respect the Status of Forces Agreement
between the Republic of South Sudan and UNMISS.

The South Sudanese government delegation was chaired by First Vice President Taban Deng Gai who informed the meet of his decision to resign in favour of the former FVP Riek Machar.

The meeting ''welcomes the gesture of H.E. General Taban Deng Ghai to step down with a view of returning to the status quo ante in line with the ARCSS for the sake of peace and stability in the Republic of South Sudan," said the statement.

The meeting was chaired by Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and current Chairperson of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government, and was attended by Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti; . Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan; Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.

Other prominent African leaders and personalities at the summit include Rwandan president Paul Kagame, Rachid Benlounes, representing the President of Algeria, Kettong Doradji, representing the President of Chad, Godfrey A.E. Odudigbo, representing the President of Nigeria and Ndumiso N. Ntshinga, representing the President of South Africa. Ellen Margrethe Loej, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General and the Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Festus G. Mogae, Chairperson of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC); and Mahboub Maalim, IGAD Executive Secretary were among those who attended the high level summit on the situation in South Sudan.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government on Sunday has renewed its keenness to implement a gradual and smooth exit for the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

A UNAMID peacekeeper from from Burkina Fasso and based in Forobaranga, West Darfur, checks a map during a patrol to Tamar village. (Photo UNAMID/Albert González Farran)

Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Naem on Sunday has discussed with the Deputy Joint AU-UN Special Representative Jeremiah Mamabolo cooperation between Sudanese government and UNAMID.

In a press statement extended to Sudan Tribune, al-Naem expressed his government's keenness to continue to cooperate with UNAMID in all aspects including the implantation of a smooth and gradual exit strategy according to the mechanisms agreed upon.

For his part, Mamabolo has praised the continued cooperation between his mission and the Sudanese government particularly with regard to facilitating UNAMID's imports clearance procedures and visa issuance.

He expressed hope that peace will prevail in Darfur in light of the signing of the Roadmap Agreement for peace and dialogue brokered by the African Union.

Sudan, African Union and the United Nations since two years hold discussions on the UNAMID's exit from western Sudan. Khartoum says the security situation is stable and its efforts to curb the tribal violence have been successful.

But the UN proposed a limited and gradual withdrawal from some sectors saying the full exit should intervene after the signing of peace agreement with all the rebel groups and to ensure the protection of displaced civilians.

The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the western Sudan's region.

It is the world's second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

UN agencies say there are nearly 2.5 million displaced persons in Darfur, despite the signing of peace agreement in Doha in July 2011.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) on Saturday has elected its Politburo besides the secretariat of the Central Committee and reelected Mohamed Mukhtar al-Khatib as political secretary.

Sudanese Communist Party Political Secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib (ST Photo)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, SCP said the Central Committee has elected Mukhtar Abdalla as organizational secretary, al-Harith al-Toum as financial secretary, Al-Sir Babo as cultural secretary, Fathi al-Fadl as information secretary and official spokesperson and Mohi al-Din al-Galad as administrative secretary.

The statement added that the Central Committee also elected Siddig Youssef as political communication official, Salih Mahmoud as foreign relations official, Faiza Nugud as trade unions official, Hanadi al-Fadl as students official, Kamal al-Gizouli as writers bureau official, Sidgi Kaballo as economic bureau official and Masoud Ahmed al-Hassan as political secretary for Khartoum.

Sudanese Communist Party Political Secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib (ST Photo)

It pointed that the Central Committee has unanimously approved the final communiqué of the sixth convention following extensive discussions.

Last week, SCP held its sixth convention and elected a 41-member Central Committee besides 10 reserve members.

The statement further said the Central Committee will hold its next meeting early September.

The SCP was established in 1946 under the name of the “Anti Colonialism Front” and it was later known as the “Sudanese Movement for National Liberation” before its final name was adopted in 1956.

(ST)

August 7, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The outcome of the Addis Ababa summit of the heads of state and government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is “encouraging”, said the official spokesperson of the leader of the opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

Riek Machar, left, first vice president of the Republic of South Sudan, and Salva Kiir, the president, at the first meeting of the new transitional coalition government in Juba, South Sudan, in April, 2016 (Jason Patinkin/AP)

James Gatdet Dak, spokesperson for Riek Machar, Former First Vice President who was replaced two weeks ago in a controversial process rejected by IGAD, said the resolutions of the East African regional body could revive the “collapsing” peace agreement if implemented with speed.

“We welcome the fact that IGAD has not supported the illegal transitional leadership changes in Juba. Their resolution, although weak, expects Taban Deng Gai to step down. Whatever process that took place in the temporary absence of the legitimate First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, will be undone before he returns to Juba,” said James Gatdet Dak.

He also said all their ministers who were replaced illegally will be reinstated to their ministerial portfolios and the new ministers who were “sneaked in” will be removed.

He condemned the action by President Salva Kiir to replace SPLM-IO ministers “unilaterally per the recommendation of a defector, Gai, who is no longer a member of the SPLM-IO”, saying it was a serious violation of the Article 6.5 of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS).

The opposition leader's spokesman however commended the IGAD heads of state and government for resolving to deploy a third party force in the capital, Juba, saying this has been the position of the SPLM-IO leadership but which “President Kiir's faction was reluctant to accept it.”

PROTECTION OR INTERVENTION

While the government under President Kiir said it would accept a protection force, but not an intervention force, Machar's spokesperson, Dak, said there is no reason to quarrel over the terminologies as the two words mean the same thing.

He said as long as the government accepted a third party force whether by protection or intervention, adding the two practically carry out the same task.

“Protection force also means intervention force. You cannot protect leaders, officials, citizens or government's key installations without intervening. The two are interchangeable words where one cannot be applied without doing the other militarily,” Dak said.

“Foreign troops separating two rival national armies, even bodyguards, or protecting leaders and citizens by itself is an intervention,” he added.

He said officials of the government delegation who were “lectured” about the outcome of the summit did not tell the truth to the public in Juba about what actually transpired at the IGAD summit in Addis Ababa, adding that the chiefs of general staff of the armies in the region will visit Juba soon to make ground preparations for the deployment of the at least 14,000 strong force to take control.

He said President Kiir should now reverse his recent decrees by reinstating Machar and his ministers to their rightful positions per the peace agreement.

Dak also said the opposition forces will “optionally” be in a position to take control of Juba if President Kiir's faction will not comply with the IGAD resolutions.

He accused the government's forces of continuing with “suicide mission” offensives against their forces around Juba, saying the SPLA-IO forces have been moving closer to Juba “slowly but surely” from different directions as they defeat forces loyal to President Kiir.

He further claimed that Juba-Yei road and Juba-Mundri road as well as northwest of Juba around Terekeka have remained closed as their forces are in control on all these routes.

(ST)

Oscar Pistorius is treated in hospital for wrist injuries but his brother says reports the jailed athlete hurt himself intentionally are "completely untrue".

Kenya's anti-doping agency says it will investigate claims an athletics official offered to warn athletes about drug tests in return for money.

August 6, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – In an unexpected development, the opposition Future Forces of Change (FFC) Saturday boycotted the National Dialogue General Assembly to protest the organizers' refusal to give them the opportunity to address the consultative meeting.

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

The FFC which gathers some Islamist groups that splinted from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) are not part of the government sponsored dialogue but they held a series of meetings facilitated by the African Union mediation to prepare them to join a holistic process.

In a statement released Saturday evening, the alliance said they accepted to attend the General Assembly meeting after the emergence of new positive developments in support of an inclusive process.

“The Future Forces of Change agreed to attend the General Assembly with the understanding that it will have an opportunity to address the meeting to explain its position (...) and to express its perception on how to move the dialogue process forward".

Especially since the written invitation extended to the FFC has provided that the meeting is" a continuation of consultations over the upcoming period programme of the dialogue National," the group further stressed.

The FFC went to say they reached some organizers to confirm that they would be allowed to address the meeting as it was said in the invitation.

“But three hours before the beginning of the meeting they informed us that we can not address the meeting,” the group said.

So, the alliance decided not to attend the General Assembly "because it is not acceptable to attend a consultative meeting that will last for long hours without having the opportunity to speak".

However, the coalition reiterated its commitment to work with all the political forces including the governing parties and the 7+7 mechanism to achieve peace and democratic reforms.

The General Assembly will hold its next meeting next October to adopt the final resolution of the internal dialogue process.

The FFC groups, are National Forces Alliance (NFA), National Forces of Change (NFC) and National Unity Parties (NUPs). Some members of these groups, like Reform Now Movement (RNM) and Just Peace Forum (JFM), were part of the national dialogue process.

(ST)

August 6, 2016 (JUBA) - The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said it had started responding to the growing food security emergency causing malnutrition in children in both rural and urban areas of, a month after violence broke out in South Sudan.

Acute food insecurity Feb- Sept 2016 (Photo credit: FEWS NET)

“The situation in South Sudan is catastrophic, and even more so for children,” UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said in a statement on Friday.

This year, UNICEF has reportedly treated 120,000 children under age five for severe malnutrition, a figure higher than what the agency had in the same period last year.

“Initially, UNICEF had been planning to provide support to 166,000 children in 2016, but that figure has been revised to more than 250, 000,” the official said.

Last month, clashes between South Sudan's rival forces in the capital, Juba displaced over 40,000 civilians, the world body said.

Seven out of the country's 10 states have reached the malnutrition-rate-emergency threshold of 15 per cent, while in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, the malnutrition rate stands at 33 per cent, noted Boulierac.

According to agency, a sharp rise in malnutrition in urban areas, including Juba, where the rates of children admitted for malnutrition to UNICEF-supported Al-Sabbah children's hospitals were some 20% higher in the first six months of 2016 than for the same period last year.

The official, in the statement, also cited the country's inflation rate as one of the main reasons for the high increase, explaining that it made basic household staples too expensive for many families.

He, however, said although UNICEF could not provide the numbers of children dying from starvation, “one quarter of a million children in South Sudan are facing severe malnutrition.”

Inaccessibility of roads due to the ongoing conflict has further limited UNICEF's ability to respond in the most urgent cases, leaving the more expensive option of air transport to deliver supplies, said Boulierac.

“Due to insecurity and the rainy season, UNICEF staffs in South Sudan are unable to be fully mobile and deliver their goods and services,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, of the $154.5 million UNICEF needs for South Sudan in 2016, the agency has reportedly received only $52 million to assist with water and sanitation, child support services, nutrition, health and education.

More than 900,000 children, Boulierac further disclosed, have been displaced in the country, which – with 1.8 million children, or 51 per cent of school-age youngsters out of school – also had the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world.

“An estimated 16,000 children had been recruited by armed groups, and there were concerns that the renewed violence would lead to a further expansion of that practice,” he explained.

Meanwhile the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said a total of 917, 418 South Sudanese refugees have been displaced, mostly in Uganda.

(ST)