Africa

Military officers from Libya’s warring parties have agreed practical steps towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, following the signing of an historic accord in Geneva last month, the UN mission in the country, UNSMIL, has reported. 

Somali environmentalist Ahmed Ibrahim Awale hopes it will inspire African researchers.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General on Tuesday urged the Security Council to do more to encourage combatants across the world to put down their guns and focus instead on fighting “our common enemy” – the coronavirus.

Inclusive dialogue is crucial to diffuse tensions across Ethiopia, said the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday, following reports of dozens killed and injured during brutal attacks in the west of the country over the weekend.

The top UN official working to end rape during wartime said she was encouraged by recent “positive steps” taken by the South Sudanese army to bring perpetrators to justice, thereby underscoring the Government’s commitment to zero tolerance.  

The Nigerian Government must establish a credible, independent inquiry into the recent killing of at least 12 peaceful protestors by soldiers, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday, as demonstrations against a discredited police unit continue across the country.

Several thousand people have fled from election-related violence in Côte d'Ivoire to seek sanctuary in neighbouring Liberia, Ghana and Togo, fearing a repeat of the major conflict that followed the election in 2011, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday.  

The army is accused of carrying out revenge killings after three policemen and six soldiers were killed.

Nigeria #EndSars protester Anthony Unuode, who was killed in Abuja by thugs, was buried at the weekend.

Crowd1 is a high-tech crowd marketing business and has been accused of running a pyramid scheme.

Behind the promises and the hype, Crowd1 hides some ugly truths, some wealthy scammers, and a whole pyramid of lies.

Polly Irungu wants to empower black women photographers to be able to tell their own stories.

Egypt and Ethiopia are at loggerheads over the mega dam, with Sudan literally stuck in the middle.

Athletes of African heritage based in the United States, are hoping to inspire their fans to vote in the US elections.

On Friday, the eve of the presidential election in Côte d'Ivoire, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for all Ivorians to ensure that the polls are “conducted in a peaceful manner”.  

Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won 2020 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilities.

In Kenya, a major UN-led cash and nutrition relief project is underway for informal workers facing a hunger crisis brought on by COVID-19, amidst warnings on Friday that the situation is likely even worse in many poorer countries. 

In the deadliest shipwreck recorded so far this year, at least 140 people have drowned after a vessel carrying around 200 migrants sank off the Senegalese coast, the UN migration agency confirmed on Thursday.

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM)- The Sudanese government officially announced the new liberalized fuel prices, with an increase of more than 400% over the previous price.

In a press conference held in Khartoum, the Minister of Energy and Mining Khairy Abdel-Rahman Khairy stated the liberalized fuel price will be effective as of Tuesday evening.

He added that a litre of gasoline will be sold at 120 pounds instead of 28 pounds previously, while the price of a litre of diesel will be 106 from 23 pounds.

Sudanese government decide to cancel fuel subsidy as part of an unpopular economic reform rejected by the leftist groups but endorsed by a national economic conference held in Khartoum recently.

The Sudanese Communist Party held a press conference to denounce the removal of fuel subsidy and vowed to organise popular protests against this reform.

Salih Mahmoud, a member of the SCP leading political bureau said they cannot remain silent while the country is heading straight for the abyss.

He added they will exert peaceful pressure on the government to respond to the popular demands and pedal back from these economic reforms.

"If (the government) refuses to back down from its policies through memoranda and peaceful demonstrations, the people of Sudan must come out and continue in the same approach to change this government".

The government released a clip to explain the purpose of the removal of subsidy and its immediate and future benefits for the economy.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and South Sudan agreed to open the 10 border crossing points along the 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) boundary, said the Sudanese defence minister on Tuesday.

Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the two countries closed border and accused each other of supporting rebel groups from both sides affecting traders and communities on both sides.

However, during recent years, the two Sudans felt the need to work together to bring peace and stability on the two sides and create a conducive environment for joint cooperation.

On Monday, South Sudanese Defence Minister Angelina Teny arrived in Khartoum to participate in the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism with her Sudanese counterpart Yassin Ibrahim to discuss the implementation of the 2012 cooperation agreement including border control and security issues.

On Tuesday, they flew together to Kosti of the White Nile State for laying the foundation stone of a free trade zone.

Speaking at the event, Ibrahim announced the mechanism's decision to open the 10 border crossing points agreed in the cooperation agreement and the resumption of river navigation between the two countries.

He stressed that these developments imply to set up a long-term joint strategy to serve the peoples of the two countries.

Landlocked South Sudan, only implemented the oil transit deal among the other protocols of the cooperation agreement.

Minister Teny, for her part, underscored that laying the foundation stone for free trade zones and resuming river and road transport is a big step in the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two countries.

She further said that arrangements are underway to start joint cooperation through the dry port in Kosti through training, clearance programs and all customs procedures.

The dray port is a terminal directly connected by road to the Kosti river port, operating as a centre for the transhipment of river cargo to inland destinations.

Sudanese finance and trade ministers also spoke about their plans to develop border trade and economic cooperation between the countries.

(ST)