Africa

University buildings and a historic windmill have been destroyed in the blaze.

Phillip Lühl was told he must take a paternity test before returning home with his new-born twins.

A "forgotten" coffee plant that grows in warmer conditions could help ensure the drink's future.

A new proposed new European Super League could see Ivory Coast lose five players from its international squad.

Uganda and Tanzania have signed a $3.5bn oil pipeline deal which is to create up 10,000 jobs.

Everyone views each other as a person they can get something from, Tsitsi Dangarembga says.

Eleven people were killed and 98 injured when four carriages of a train derailed north of Cairo.

Special correspondent Feras Kilani on what it's been like to cover the 10 years since Colonel Gaddafi was deposed and killed.

A 77-year old nun from the southern African country of Lesotho has been telling the UN how she survived a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in her convent and why it’s important to embrace the vaccine.

The militants claiming of a recent attack got publicity but they may not have actually been behind it.

More than 31 million people across West and Central Africa may not have enough to eat in the coming months as hunger rises due to an “explosive mix” of skyrocketing food prices, conflict and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. 

The story of the first South African Grand Prix, and the nail-biting title showdown between Graham Hill and Jim Clark.

April 15, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan has the potential to become a tourist destination and the oil and mineral riches to spur economic progress if it can eliminate corruption and establish a transparent and open government, a top United Nations official said Thursday.

David Shearer UNMISS head briefs the Security Council on 26 September 2017 (UN photo)

“If you [South Sudan] had stability, you would have a tourist industry that could rival any of the countries in East Africa, the Nile, the animals, and its extraordinary,” David Shearer, the outgoing head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said at a press briefing.

He added, “What I'd really like to see is a government that is transparent and open with its finances, where it's starting to take its own responsibility providing services, and it's turning around with the confidence to say to the international community.”

The UN official expressed concerns that financial resources coming to the government are being siphoned off by these very people and there is very little understanding of where the money goes.

“It's not going to services for the people of South Sudan and there's a problem with holding the government accountable,” he said.

Shearer said to hold elections, the appointed legislature needs to approve a constitution and electoral legislation, stressing that there are growing voices for election preparations to begin.

"That needs to be the rallying cry as we go forward - to bring everybody on board and to put pressure on the government to actually speak up and hold those elections," said Shearer.

South Sudan has been struggling to recover from five years of a civil war that killed almost 400,000 people, according to reports. A coalition government formed in February last year between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar is implementing a revitalized peace agreement that is behind schedule, while deadly violence continues in parts of the country.

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People in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan collect food from WFP (WFP/eter Testuzza Photo)

April 15, 2021 (WASHINGTON) – The United States on Thursday announced more than $95 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of South Sudan who are affected by the ongoing political conflict and are facing extreme food insecurity, including likely famine.

The funding includes more than $52 million from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and nearly $43 million from the US Department of State, which brings the total US humanitarian assistance for this year to over $482 million.

“With this new assistance, USAID will help provide emergency food and nutrition assistance, essential healthcare, shelter, safe drinking water, and sanitation and hygiene services to some of the nearly 4 million people impacted. When possible, the Agency procures food from South Sudanese farmers who were able to harvest their crops,” USAID said in a statement.

This life-saving assistance will also support the internally displaced people and South Sudanese refugees in host communities in neighbouring Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

South Sudan is facing the highest levels of food insecurity and malnutrition since its independence in 2011. The upcoming May-to-July lean season is expected to be the most severe on record and has the potential to leave more than 7 million people, including more than a million children, in need of food assistance.

Recent floods, political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic have further exacerbated a dire situation in the East African nation.

“The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the South Sudan response efforts, and we remain committed to helping the people of South Sudan. Humanitarian assistance will not solve the conflict, but it is vital to keeping civilians alive,” stressed the statement.

The United States, however, said a political solution in South Sudan remains the only way to end the suffering of people in the world's newest nation.

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April 15, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Darfur joint forces including former rebels will be formed within two weeks, said the head of the government negotiating team with the armed groups in western Sudan on Thursday.

Mohamed Hassan Eltaishi who is also a member of the Sovereign Council told the Sudan News Agency on Thursday that several reasons delayed the formation of the joint force to maintain peace and security in Darfur.

"This led to a change in the security arrangements implementation matrix in the various fields related to the peace agreement," he stressed.

He further said the formation of the joint force has been disturbed by the financial conditions of the country because the preparation of the troops requires training, uniforms, logistical support and other commodities.

"Now the signatory groups have handed over the lists of the forces participating in the first batch that will be formed. Also, It has been agreed on the lists (of troops ) and equipment that will be used by the force," he said.

"I think that a joint force of 3000 to 5000 troops will be formed during the next two weeks," he further said.

In line with the Juba peace agreement, a 12000-troop force will be formed to protect civilians after the withdrawal of the African Union-United Nations peacekeepers from the region.

Regarding the forces of the SLM Minni Minnawi and SLFA of Tahir Hajar, Eltaishi said only 45 troops will remain in the capital for the protection of their leaders.

On Wednesday, the rapporteur of the South Sudanese mediation Dhieu Matouk told reporters in Khartoum that the presence of heavily-equipped former rebels in Khartoum violates the provisions of the peace agreement.

The peace pact provides that the former rebels should not bear their weapons outside the cantonment sites in Darfur.

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April 15, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's acceptance to the United Arab Emirati (UAE)'s initiative on the border standoff with Ethiopia depends on placing border markers first, said the spokesperson of the national security council on Thursday.

In a statement released after a meeting chaired by the head of Sovereign Council with the participation of the prime minister, Defence Minister Yssain Ibrahim said the meeting discussed the UAE's initiative among others.

Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi were in Abu Dhabi to discuss the initiative with the Emirati officials on 26 March. However, the government did not make public a statement on the initiative, which further proposes to mediate the stalled talks over the filing and operation of the giant hydropower dam.

"Sudan's position on the initiative depends on placing border markers in accordance with the 1902 Agreement as a basis for any subsequent cooperation or understandings," said the minister.

Sudan refuses Ethiopia's call for negotiations to demarcate the border at the fertile triangle of Al-Fashaga, but Sudan rejects the claim pointing to the 1902 and 1972 agreements on the border.

Officials in Khartoum say Ethiopian farmers can cultivate Al-Fashaga as foreign investors, once the markers are installed.

The UAE's initiative on the border dispute speaks about investing money to establish agriculture schemes in the Fashaga area and to ensure the UAE's food security. The land will be cultivated by the Ethiopian farmers and the benefits will be distributed between the three countries.

The UAE and Ethiopia signed some 92 investment agreements, after a visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to Addis Ababa in 2018.

The spokesman did not speak about a second Emirati initiative related to the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the UAE proposed to the three riparian countries.

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The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), together with the African Union (AU) Commission, launched a new continent-wide framework on Thursday, to boost trade and improve food security. 

Lam Paul Gabriel

April 14, 2021 (JUBA) - The recent changes in the top leadership of the South Sudanese army (SSPDF) are likely to delay the graduation of the unified forces, an official said.

Lam Paul Gabriel, the ministry of defense spokesperson said the sacking of the army chief of staff, Gen. Johnson Juma Okot and replacing him with Santino Deng Wol will affect implementation of the security arrangement.

"The pending tasks on the security arrangement are paused due to the new SSPDF deployments and are expected to be completed by the new army chief," Lam told Xinhua in Juba on Wednesday.

"As far as security is concerned we just received new deployments, the chairperson (Okot) was relieved and now we have a new chief of defense forces who is going to become the chairperson of the Joint Defense Board" he added.

Under the 2018 revitalized peace deal, the Joint Defense Board (JDB) is is the body charged with overseeing security reforms in the country.

The peace deal calls for establishment of unified forces made up of 83,000 soldiers to take charge of security during the three-year transitional period.

According to Lam, the number of soldiers supposed to form the first batch of unified forces to be graduated is unknown after several soldiers from training centers deserted due to lack of food, safe water and medicines.

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April 14, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The first Sudanese delegation to visit Israel will arrive in Tel Aviv on Friday or Saturday to coincide with the celebration of National Day.

On Tuesday, Reuters unveiled that a Sudanese delegation will visit Israel next week for the first time after the normalization of bilateral relations under the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration.

Government officials in Khartoum confirmed to Sudan Tribune the visit saying it would take place on Friday or Saturday and include representatives of the civil and military components.

"The first official visit to Israel will intentionally coincide with the National Day to symbolize recognition of the State of Israel," said the Sudanese officials who requested anonymity.

The Minister of Justice, Nasr al-Din Abdal-Bari would be part of the Sudanese delegation, which will also include military, security and political officials, added the sources.

The military component of the transitional government was more enthusiastic about the normalization of relations with Israel.

Some political groups in the Forces for Freedom and Change voiced opposition to the contacts between the head of the Sovereign Council and the Israeli Prime Minister.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan recently reaffirmed that his approach on this matter was guided by Sudan's interest and the need to break the international isolation of the country.

Israel supported Sudan' removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and pledged investment of transfer of agriculture technology to the east African nation.

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April 14, 2021 (EL-GENEINA) - Sudan's Interior Minister Wednesday discussed with West Darfur tribal leaders the implementation of security measures to restore social peace and bring to justice the responsible of the intercommunal violence.

Minister Izzeldin al-Sheikh arrived in El-Geneina on Monday with the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to inspect the security situation, visit the areas affected by the recent attacks and met with the different social components in the state including traditional and political leaders.

Before his return to Khartoum on Tuesday evening, al-Burhan issued several decisions including the deployment of additional troops to restore security, investigation of attacks, bring the culprits to justice, weapons collection and humanitarian aid to the affected people.

Also, he instructed the interior minister to remain in the capital of West Darfur to oversee the enforcement of all the security measures to end the tribal violence and prevent its resumption.

Al-Sheikh Wednesday held two separate meetings with tribal Quintet Committees of the Arab and Massalit tribes to brief them about al-Burahn's decisions and urged them to collaborate with the state security committee to ensure its implementation.

Speaking to the official news agency SUNA after the meeting, Tajeldin Mohamed Bahrain Massalit paramount tribal leader and head of their five-member committee confirmed their full commitment to all decisions taken to enforce the law, restore the state authority and enhance social peace.

Bahrain reiterated they would fully cooperate with the competent authorities to arrest culprits and collect weapons. He further said they would brief their community about the government's decisions and call to observe it.

For his part, Hamid Aldawai Dabuk head of the Arab five-member tribal committee affirmed their full readiness to implement the decisions of the Chairman of the Sovereign Council to address the situation in El Geneina after the recent violence.

Dabuk further stressed the need to deter the outlaws, expedite the implementation of the security arrangements of the Juba Peace Agreement.

On 12 April, al-Burhan met with tribal leaders in El-Geneina and urged them to contribute to the government efforts to curb tribal violence in the West Darfur State.

Also, he agreed with them to form quintet committees that will be the interlocutors of the security authorities and cooperate with them to arrest the responsible for the attacks and weapons collection.

Over 144 people were killed during the latest clashes between the Massalit and Arab tribe in El Geneina during the first week of April.

All the intercommunal attacks and revenge attacks were triggered by quarrels between individual and murders cases.

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