Africa

Alleged serious abuses and rights violations in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are to be investigated by the UN, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Thursday.

Islanders Comoros make history when drawing with Togo to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.

The ivory trade and habitat loss combine to push Africa's elephants closer to extinction.

Four passengers were taken out of buses after an apparent ambush and shot dead, MSF says.

Agaezichi Joy is challenging stereotypes as a mother with spinal muscular atrophy.

The "priceless" work in Aberdeen is described as having been looted by British soldiers in Africa in 1897.

A photography exhibition in Somalia by two women challenges the way the country is seen.

An information war has been raging over the Tigray conflict with both sides sharing misleading claims.

After years of “paralysis and internal divisions”, progress towards a lasting peace through stable national government and dialogue, is being made in Libya, the top UN envoy for the country said on Wednesday. 

The United Nations Secretary-General has reaffirmed the Organization’s support and solidarity with Niger, as the second deadly attacks against civilians in less than a week rocked the west African nation. 

The island nation of Comoros - a country that only joined Caf in 2003 - stand on the brink of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.

Some South Africans have been turning to 'rage rooms' to help them cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

March 22, 2021 (JUBA) - Police in South Sudan and Ethiopia have agreed to work together to fight cross-border crimes and ensure security on borders.

South Sudan's police spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Justin was quoted saying the agreement includes cooperation on security intelligence, information sharing and the control of organized crimes.

The accord, he added, also involves training of police officers in both nations.

South Sudan police chief Gen. Majak Akech Malok and Ethiopian police head C. G. Demelash Gebremicheal signed the agreement in Juba Saturday.

Also present at the signing of the agreement were South Sudan's ambassador to Ethiopia and designated Ethiopian envoy to South Sudan.

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March 22, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's national census will include the areas under the control of the armed movements to provide complete and accurate census information.

Last February, Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok announced his government's plan to conduct a national population and agricultural census from April 2021 until April 2022.

In statements to the Sudan News Agency SUNA on Monday, the Director of the Sixth Population and Housing Census, Alnaim Suleiman Abbas, said that the census includes areas under the control of some armed movements in the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile State and areas of security unrest and conflicts.

He added that the counting operations will include also count will encompass livestock and agricultural lands to reduce the cost.

Civil war and lack of adequate transportation, modern counting techniques in the past prevented enumerators from covering the remote areas and provide accurate information about the number of population.

The initial budget for the 6th census is estimated at $94 million, while its total cost exceeds $300 million. The government will provide about 53% of the budget, while 47% of it will be provided by international donors.

It is expected that 50,000 enumerators will participate in the 6th population census. They will be selected from among the residents of the areas where they will operate and will be trained to use modern technologies to obtain accurate data.

Alnaim explained that the geographic information system (GIS) and satellite images are among the techniques that will be used to produce reliable information.

Also, the army and traditional leaders will facilitate the counting process as they help to reach the population of remote areas and nomads.

The census is necessary to prepare for the general elections in the country at the end of the transitional period.

Further, the government needs accurate and updated information to identify the areas of poverty in the country to use it in its development plans to address it radically.

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March 22, 2021 (JUBA) - The European Union (EU) has imposed sanctions on a South Sudanese army general allegedly involved in serious human rights violations, such as arbitrary executions and killings.

The EU, in a statement issued on Monday, said Major Gen. Gabriel Moses Lokujo of South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF), directed the abduction and execution of three armed opposition (SPLA-IO) officers in May last year.

"As a consequence, several deaths and injuries were reported on both sides during the last quarter of 2020, and civilians were also displaced, especially in the Kajo-Keji area of Central Equatoria State. Major General Lokujo's forces remained in the area where several further clashes have been reported and the safety and security of the civilian communities continue to be in jeopardy," partly reads the statement.

The sanctions involve freezing assets in the EU and a ban on travels within the EU nations.

The EU, further noted the statement, also imposed sanctions over human rights violations and repressions in North Korea, Libya, Russia and China.

Reacting to the latest EU sanction, John Prendergast, Co-Founder of The Sentry, said it was a case of the EU using the right tool on the wrong target.

"For sanctions to be effective, they need to target the senior-most commanders and their companies to have the kind of impact on the calculations of the South Sudanese leadership that is being sought," said Prendergast.

"This sanctioning of a minor target is not going to have an impact, unfortunately," he added.

Lokujo was not immediately available to comment on the EU's sanctions.

In February 2018, the EU imposed similar sanctions on former military chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan, former deputy chief of staff, Malek Reuben Riak and Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth for their alleged role in serious human rights violations and obstructions of the political process.

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Health worker disinfencts Juba airport from coronavirus on 31 January 2020 (AFP photo)

March 22, 2021 (JUBA) - China and South Sudan have signed a development agreement for the expansion and modernization of Juba Teaching hospital.

Speaking at the event, China's ambassador to South Sudan, Hua Ning said the second phase of project is more comprehensive than the first one, with multi-functional facilities including infectious disease division and several Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

“I am very pleased to sign the agreement on the new project as we are going to celebrate South Sudan's 10th anniversary of independence and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Sudan,” Hua said in a statement issued Thursday.

He added, "It is another major achievement in our health cooperation and concrete action in building China-Africa community of health for all. I trust the new project will significantly improve the healthcare delivery and pandemic control capacity in South Sudan when it is completed".

The envoy said China, South Sudan and other African countries have enhanced solidarity and cooperation by supporting each other in the fight against coronavirus.

“We will also donate 100,000 doses of vaccine to South Sudan in line with the country's vaccine policy,” said Hua.

He said Phase 1 of the project was completed and handed over to the government in 2019.

For his part, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in South Sudan, Mayen Dut Wol lauded China for undertaking the implementation of the two health projects.

“This is a tremendous health infrastructure project which will culminate in a profound improvement of health care and welfare of the people of South Sudan,” Wol said.

He said signing of the pact marked a new chapter on the existing thriving bilateral relations between Beijing and Juba, adding that the deal has come at a time when the young republic will celebrate its 10th anniversary of the strong establishment of good diplomatic relations with China in July.

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March 22, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan called on Ethiopia to accept its proposal for a four-party mediation on the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

After over 9 years of difficult talks, Sudan proposed that the United Nations, the European Union and the United States take part in a mediation led by the African Union, which facilitated previous rounds of negotiations.

Ethiopia rejected the proposition while Egypt announced its support for it.

"We believe that international experiences under the leadership of the African Union will provide a political impetus to the stalled negotiations between the three countries (...) despite several rounds of talks," said Yasir Abbas Sudanese Minister of Irrigation in remarks at a celebration of the World Water Day, in Khartoum Monday.

"We call on Ethiopia to accept the quartet's mediation to reach a fair and legal agreement that satisfies the three countries," he further said.

He expressed his surprise at Ethiopia's objection to the four-party mediation, underscoring that his country had previously called on the parties to accept that the African Union experts broker the talks.

Ethiopia rejected the quadripartite mediation saying that the African Union can play this role alone. But during the past rounds, Addis Ababa rejected the African Union mediation for the talks.

On 8 January 2021, Ethiopia informed the African Union that it was resolved to fill the reservoir for the second year next July with 13.5 million cubic meters of water, whether an agreement is reached or not.

Sudan rejects the decision saying it would negatively impact its two dams and threaten the lives of 20 million Sudanese.

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Dan Gertler formed a close relationship with DR Congo's ex-leader, even getting a diplomatic passport.

Senior leaders with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Monday of the urgent need  to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique, where an ongoing  insurgency has uprooted  hundreds of thousands of people.  

March 21, 2021 (JUBA/KHARTOUM) - A delegation from South Sudan's Civil Registry Directorate in the Ministry of Interior are on a five-day study visit to Sudan's capital, Khartoum to learn about Civil Registry and Identity Management from their counterparts.

The visit, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, is intended to provide an opportunity for members of the Civil Registry's Technical Working Group to enhance their knowledge on the operational aspect of Civil Registration including Identity Management to contribute towards the establishment of guidelines on Identity Management in South Sudan.

The benchmark visit is organized by IOM South Sudan mission in coordination with the IOM mission in Sudan within the framework of the ‘Technical Support to the Civil Registry Department' project funded by the Government of Japan.

Sudan was reportedly selected not only because of its shared history with South Sudan; it is also known to have a strong civil registry and identity management systems within the East African Community (EAC).

Head of the South Sudanese delegation, Major Gen. Daniel Manyang said the visit will improve management of essential and vital facts of citizens and residents and help address issues related to lack of personal identification systems of citizens, stateless persons, and foreign residents.

“Cooperation between South Sudan and Sudan is very important, and we look forward to exchanging good practices and tapping into the experiences and lessons learned from our counterparts – lessons that we look forward to implementing when we return,” he explained.

The delegation will visit the headquarters of the Directorate of Passports and Civil Registry, Ministry of Interior in Khartoum and hold a series of meetings with authorities and technical experts working in the area of civil registry and identity management.

“IOM is committed to supporting the government of South Sudan in improving its civil registry and identity management towards an effective, robust and internationally compliant system that will help improve citizens and residents, including migrants, access to services and protection, and allow citizens to exercise their civil rights,” said Peter Van der Auweraert, the Chief of Mission of IOM South Sudan.

The five-day visit to Khartoum commenced on March 21, 2021.

(ST)