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Nicknamed “Dr No” during the Greek debt crisis, German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble may attract a similar moniker for the Brexit negotiations.

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State officials commemorated the fall of the Croatian town of Vukovar to Yugoslav troops and Serbian paramilitaries in 1991 and mourned the victims of the three-month siege.

Around 800 representatives of the Albanian diaspora from all around the world are gathering for the first-ever such summit in Tirana, aimed at harnessing the energies of dynamic emigre communities.

Lavdrim Muhaxheri, commander of Albanian ISIS fighters, has been named a serious threat for Kosovo once again after 19 suspected terrorists were arrested within days.

Simmering tension in Skopje's Criminal Court over the contoversial Court President, Vladimir Pancevski, has burst into the open since a number of fellow judges publicly demanded his removal.

Montenegro's strongest opposition alliance, the Democratic Front, has announced new street protests aimed at forcing out the ruling party, if it tries to form a new government.

A Bosnian version of the Islamic State’s new online magazine is aimed at justifying violent deeds to poor and unemployed people it hopes to attract, according to an expert spoken to by BIRN.

Coal power does more to harm the world’s poor than to help them, even before the devastating impacts of climate change are taken into account, according to a recent report published by 12 international development organisations. Yet despite commitments made under the Paris Climate Change agreement the world could go over the threshold of two […]

November 17, 2016 (JUBA) - A South Sudanese official Thursday denied that rebels had seized a locality in his state and described the armed group led by the former First Vice President Riek Machar, as nothing than "organized criminals".

SPLA-IO Spokesperson William Gatjiath Deng Wednesday said they took control of Kaljak in Unity state, in Bazi at the South Sudan-DRC border and Morobo in Central Equatoria.

Northern Liech State Information Minister, Lam Tungwar, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that it is not true that armed opposition forces are holding any strategic town in the area, describing reports attributed to the military spokesperson of SPLA-IO as "false and mere propaganda".

“What I am telling you is the truth. These people do not have a base. They are only doing hit and run because they are a small force which cannot fight with our forces. They are just there to cause havoc and terrorize civilians. They are just organised criminals,” Tungwar said Thursday.

Tungwar, a former artist turned politician and became a key official in the administration of Unity State before being divided into three separate states, condemned the manner in which armed opposition forces conduct themselves in the area, accusing them of “doing bad things against innocent civil population”.

He claimed some humanitarian workers were actually abducted by the rebel fighters before abandon later about them in the swampy areas into which the rebels fled after clashing with the government forces.

Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the claims of the two sides because armed activities take place in remote villages where journalists are denied access by the government and armed opposition .

While government officials deny the existence of armed opposition, local residents and humanitarian workers say there are still rebel checkpoints along some main roads. Also, they said that the rebels control many villages the flat, fertile agricultural region creating pockets that function as informal safe zones free of government troops.

Others say that although vast swathes of the area may have fallen out of government control, but they are not necessarily firmly held by the armed opposition.

Humanitarian workers and religious leaders say criminal elements have also taken advantage of absence of the government in the area to function within these pockets. Therefore, armed gangs use these hideouts to kidnap people for ransom or to carjack vehicles.

The armed opposition also tries to police their own ranks, while fighting the government and competing for supplies, supporters and resources with other armed factions.

(ST)

November 17, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan main opposition party, the Democratic Change Party (DCP) of former Minister of Agriculture Lam Akol has suspended its Secretary General for allegedly maintaining ties with the party's previous leadership.

Onyoti Adigo Nyikec (mcclatchy)

Akol, a former minister, left the South Sudan capital, Juba in August and declared the formation of an armed rebellion movement to fight President Salva Kiir's government.

The DCP selected Onyoti Adigo as chairman last week in a process described as “illegal” by Secretary General Deng Bior. The DCP acted on Deng and four other “disgruntled” members, despite assurances that the matter would be sorted out peacefully.

“A committee has been formed to investigate them and if the five members fail to comply with the committee, their membership will be terminated,” said acting Secretary General, Yeka Peter Hillary.

He said Deng and his group are “linked” to former DCP leader Lam Akol – allegation the former strongly deny.

“They will have to prove that and if we get substantial evident written by them, we have to open a [police] case against them for trying to incriminate us,” Deng told journalists on Thursday.

Deng insisted that the process leading to Adigo's selection as party chairman were not legally organized in accordance to party rules and regulations.

It is, however, not clear how long the committee would take before reaching a decision and Deng did not say if he will respect their decision.

(ST)

November 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - A United Nation official on Wednesday said they are working to connect humanitarian action in Sudan's Darfur region with the development projects.

In a press briefing following his return from a visit to Sudan, South Sudan, and Haiti the Director of the Operational Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, pointed to the low funding for aid operations around the world adding the situation challenges prompt and needed relief.

He told reporters he visited Darfur where he met with newly displaced civilians adding that the troubled region hosts over 2.6 million IDPs. He said there are 5.8 million people in Sudan need of some form of humanitarian assistance, including 3.2 million (IDPs) in the whole county

“we have a situation of a protracted crisis for these people who are looking for solutions to their livelihood needs and also for rebuilding their lives,” he said.

Ging added that he focused on connecting humanitarian action with the development event if there is still a need for humanitarian assistance and aid groups are not allowed to reach the needy in some areas of Darfur.

However after so many years, people are also expecting the international community to help them with recovery, “and we in the humanitarian community absolutely echo that expectation,” he stressed.

Sudanese government says its forces have crushed the 13-year rebellion in the Darfur. However, since January of this year 2016 the Sudanese and allied militias launched a military campaign in western Jebel Marra area against the fighters of the Sudan Liberation Army – Abdel Wahid (SLA-AW).

Despite the low density of the armed conflict in the recent months, civilians continue to flee the Jebel Marra area seeking refuge mainly in North Darfur state.

Peace talks with the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi and Justice and Equality Movement are stalled, also the warring parties failed to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement.

(ST)

November 17, 2016 (JUBA) - A commissioner in South Sudan's newly created Yei River State has resigned in protest over the human rights abuses allegedly committed by pro-government forces in the area.

South Sudanese SPLA soldiers are pictured in Pageri in Eastern Equatoria state on August 20, 2015 (Photo AFP/Samir Bol)

Jacob Toti, the commissioner of Lujulo county, accused government forces of committing “human rights violations," in recent weeks.

Last week, he said, the soldiers launched heavy attacks, in which they carried out heavy destruction on the civil population, resulting in brutal murder of a school head teacher, religious leader, burning of market centre, church building and looting of properties belonging to the civil population in the county.

These actions by government soldiers, he said, caused many civilians to flee into bushes while others ran to Uganda and Congo for safety.

“I don't feel happy to see my own people being killed, tortured and houses burnt down. As such I have taken this hard decision to quit this position. Reasons are: last week our government forces looted a church, followed by shooting and burning of a market centre in the village. They also killed one person working for a local church and also killed the head teacher of Nyei primary school,” his letter reads.

It adds, “I am really very disappointed on the way the government soldiers are mistreating their own people and their unprofessional actions has made me to quit this position.”

The former county commissioner also dismissed reports claiming he was assigned by the state and central governments to hunt down Yei intellectuals residing in the West Nile region and Uganda at large.

“I also want to take this opportunity to dismiss an allegation that my name is in a document to hunt down people who hail from Yei River State to be deported back to South Sudan. My position is very clear, the situation in South Sudan needs inclusive dialogue but not deportation of people to South Sudan,” Toti further clarified.

“People have come to Uganda as individuals with their own different reasons. There is no way to join any group against the will of God by deporting them back to South Sudan to be killed. I wanted to be clear on this point that I cannot and I am not part of this mistake,” he added.

Toti urged the state governor to replace him with the person of his choice and proposed that dialogue be initiated if the country is to achieve peace.

In May, Human Rights Watch accused government soldiers of a wide range of deadly attacks on civilians in and around the western town of Wau. The army, it said, killed, tortured, raped, detained civilians and looted properties.

(ST)

Milyen megélni, hogy hirtelen nemkívánatos lettél az országban, ahol pedig mindent megtettél a beilleszkedésért? Angliai magyarokat kérdeztünk a brexit utáni hangulatról.

Milyen megélni, hogy hirtelen nemkívánatos lettél az országban, ahol pedig mindent megtettél a beilleszkedésért? Angliai magyarokat kérdeztünk a brexit utáni hangulatról.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has begun one of its largest maritime warfare activities, Exercise Ocean Raider, at locations off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division has launched the US Navy's future Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer, Paul Ignatius (DDG 117).

The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded a $125.18m-worth engineering services contract modification to Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems.

CACI International has secured a prime position on a $192m indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract to provide training and curriculum development to Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

Remise en cause des règles du débat, question jugée indigne, manque de respect… les sept candidats de la primaire ont tour à tour taclé les questions de leurs interlocuteurs journalistes. Retour sur le débat en vidéos.

Americas

• An agreement has been signed between Airbus and the Chilean government to pursue collaborative business development in the defense and aerospace industry. Both sides will cooperate on manufacturing and maintenance for future projects while exploring further possibilities. The Airbus deal is one of several agreements Chile has made with defense firms which includes a contract with Lockheed Martin to produce spare parts for C-130 aircraft.

Middle East & North Africa

• The Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik stated that the first two of a batch of 24 more Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft will be delivered in 2018. 24 of the Joint Strike Fighter will be ordered over the next three years, of which six, including the two expected in 2018, had already been ordered. Ankara has committed to procuring a total of 115 F-35s.

Europe

• Greece has taken delivery of three second-hand CH-47SD heavy-lift helicopters. The transfer of the ex-National Guard Chinooks was completed on November 11. Seven more are expected by the end of 2017 as part of a $120 million deal with the US.

• European Defense Ministers agreed to raise the budget of the European Defence Agency (EDA) ending a six-year freeze. While small, the increase will see 2016’s $32.7 million increased to $33.1 for 2017’s activities. All 27 EU members gave their resounding support for the measure and will use the extra funds to develop and procure additional aircraft and other defense materials.

• Spain’s Air Force has received its first A400M transporter from Airbus. Aircraft MSN44 carried out its maiden flight from Airbus’s Seville final assembly site in September, and is the first of 27 examples on order for Spain. The delivery came days after Airbus announced that two A400Ms had successfully demonstrated the in-flight transfer of fuel using a fuselage-housed hose-and-drum unit.

Asia Pacific

• South Korean investigators have raided the offices of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). An official from DAPA is suspected of leaking confidential information on military equipment to BAE Systems during a mismanaged project to upgrade the KF-16 fighter jet. The 2011 modernization award with the company has since been dissolved.

• Boeing is eager to sell its KC-46A aerial refueling tanker to India. The Indian Air Force has yet to procure a capability to refuel its C-17 and P-8I aircraft, and New Delhi has eyed up the Pegasus to fill such a role. A laborious search has been underway to fill a six multi-role tanker capability soon to be vacated by their aging IL-76 aircraft. Earlier attempts to procure Airbus A 330 MRTT never came to fruition.

• The first flight of India’s Rustom-II UAV has been successfully completed. Conducted by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the drone accomplished all main objectives during the test, including takeoff, bank, level flight, and landing. While this marks a good milestone for the program, officials maintain that a lot more evaluation and testing needs to be done before operational evaluation and eventual entry into service with India’s military branches can take place.

Today’s Video

Live demonstration of South Korea’s K30 Biho twin 30 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun: