Africa

With key presidential elections in Mali just two days away, the top United Nations official there on Friday stressed that candidates must accept the results and ensure that the democratic process in Mali is “irreversible”.

Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Queens retain the regional Cecafa Women's Challenge Cup, finishing ahead of Uganda on goal difference.

Areas named after genitals leave Ghana's parliament in fits of laughter.

Africa's representatives at the Under-20 Women's World Cup finals, Nigeria and Ghana, have named their squads for next month's finals.

Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in July 2017, announces his retirement from football.

Amateur cyclists in Sudan are challenging perceptions that biking is not for adults.

Aliou Cisse's contract as Senegal coach is extended by a year and is set the task of reaching the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Yrsa Daley-Ward says publishing on Instagram has connected her to previously untapped audiences.

Giving away your old clothes has consequences for African countries trying to develop their own textile industries.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

Nothing shows the desperate state of Zimbabwe's economy more than the severe shortage of cash.

Major progress has been made on preparations for the upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but “conditions for a level playing field are not yet in place”, said the most senior United Nations official based in the country.

Cairo's International Garden municipal park denies painting black stripes on the animal.

Each MP has received a loan of $40,000, about two weeks after extending President Kiir's term.

Of 11 rhinos moved to the Tsavo East National Park, 10 have died after the botched relocation.

It's one of the world's most mineral rich nations, so why are its people among the planet's poorest?

July 25, 2018 (KAMPALA/JUBA) – A South Sudanese human rights entity has condemned government's decision to give the country's lawmakers about $40,000 as car bonuses, urging the legislators to voluntarily return the money to the state treasury.

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

The bonuses were awarded to the lawmakers, barely a month after the lawmakers extended President Salva Kiir's mandate until 2021.

The executive director for the Center Peace and Justice's (CPJ), Tito Anthony said it a wrong decision at a wrong time, where citizens need the basic service such as hospitals, schools, shelter and food.

“I question the professionality of our MPs and it is clear they are just a rubber stamp of the executive and can encourage corruption if they can be rewarded like what has now been done,” Tito said Thursday.

He said the MPs should have questioned the executive about the source of the money they were each given, considering that the country's civil servant have gone unpaid for more than five months.

“It now clear that both the executive and legislature work only for their own interest, but not [for] the people of South Sudan as they claimed,” further explained Tito.

He added, “The money paid to MPs is a lot and it could have instead been used to rescue the suffering population, many of who have died of treatable diseases such Malaria and Typhoid because of lack of good hospitals and medicine, or they could use it to build schools or purchase relief and distribute to ordinary citizens whose humanitarian situations deteriorate on a daily basis due to inflation”.

Meanwhile CPJ has vowed to take legal action against the lawmakers should they fail to properly account for the state money.

South Sudan lawmakers are among the lowest paid in the region.

(ST)

July 25, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government on Wednesday condemned the attack on humanitarian facilities in Maban county in Northern Upper Nile state as President Kiir directed to investigate the incident.

Angered youth from Maban attacked and burned the offices and residences of aid workers in Bunj area, of Maban on Monday accusing the international organisation of recruiting people from outside Maban and refusing their demand for work.

The attack was discussed in a meeting of the National Security Council chaired by President Salva Kiir. The meeting received reports from the security service, army and the police and also a report from the governor of Northern Upper Nile State.

After the meeting, Interior Minister Michael Chiengjiek said the meeting condemned the attack on the humanitarian facilities.

Chiengjiek further said that the President of the Republic sent a high-level security committee to Maban to investigate into the attack.

In a separate statement, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) issued a statement condemning the attack on humanitarian workers and the destruction of facilities and equipment at the Maban.

"Attacks on aid workers who diligently offer their services to alleviate the suffering of people of South Sudan, are deeply regrettable and indeed a violation of the Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access signed in December 2017," said JMEC.

The peace monitoring body called on the South Sudanese authorities to carry out an independent investigation into the attack and to hold those responsible to account.

Maban which is not far from the Sudanese border hosts refugees from the Blue Nile state who are displaced by the armed conflict between the Sudanese government and the rebel SPLM-N.

(ST)

July 25, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and the SPLM Leaders (FDs) rejected the agreement on the outstanding issues of governance pointing to their small ratios in the power-sharing, the choice of the referendum to settle the difference over the 32 states.

Former SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum (AFP/Getty)

The South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) of Peter Gatdet Yak was the only faction of the SSOA to initial the agreement.

The two political opposition groups in two separate statements expressed similar concerns on their representation at the national and regional transitional institutions as many of them also claim representing minority ethnic groups even if the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO include many people from their tribes.

The SSOA spoke about "inconsistency in the responsibility sharing formulae" in the deal while the FDs stressed the "serious lack of consistency in allocating power-sharing ratios at all levels of governance".

Further, the two statements sought extensively to explain that a referendum to settle the issues of the 32 states was not a viable solution and thus it was a trick to legalize what is a violation of the 2015 peace agreement.

According to the FDs, the referendum "is a ploy to entrench the 32 States" because you cannot hold a credible popular consultation within this time frame and a transitional government controlled by President Kiir who imposed this new territorial administration.

For its part, the SSOA in case of disagreement over the state numbers, the solution is to return to the 10 states as it is provided in the decision of the 55th Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30-31 January 2016.

Also, the FDs contested a general disposition in the agreement saying that the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) shall be formed as follows by the President of the Republic of South Sudan within two weeks of signing the Revitalized peace agreement.

For the opposition group, the NPTC should be set up by IGAD in consultation with the parties and its composition shall include IGAD.

The SSOA and the SDs admitted the progress achieved in Khartoum and reiterated their commitment to the process. Also, the Sudanese foreign minister and chief mediator said they would continue their efforts to bring the holdout groups to sign the agreement on 5 August.

The SSOA include the Federal Democratic Party (FDP) led by Gabriel Changsong Chang, the National Salvation Front (NAS), headed by Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka, the National Democratic Movement (NDM) chaired by Lam Akol, the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) headed by Hakim Dario Moi, the SPLM-FDs, the SSLM/A of Bapiny Monytuil, the National Movement for Change (SSNMC) led by Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) of Costello Garang Ring and South Sudan United Movement (SSUM) of Peter Gatdet Yak and the United Democratic Alliance UDRA.

(ST)

Mohamed Salah wastes no time in returning to goalscoring form as Liverpool come from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 in New Jersey.