Feed aggregator

Le sélectionneur portugais du Gabon, Jorge Costa, a été suspendu de ses fonctions à presque deux mois du match d'ouverture de la Coupe d'Afrique des nations 2017 à Libreville, et remplacé p

read more

Des milliers de manifestants se sont de nouveau rassemblés vendredi à Al-Hoceima, dans le nord du Maroc, afin d'exiger justice pour un vendeur

read more

Le Conseil constitutionnel ivoirien a validé vendredi la victoire du "oui" au référendum sur la nouvelle constitution voulue par le président Alassane Ouattara. 

read more

La campagne pour les élections municipales du 20 novembre au Mali a débuté vendredi dans la morosité, sur fond d'incertitudes quant à la possibilité de tenir le scrutin dans tout le

read more

read more

Marrakech au Maroc accueille, du 7 au 18 novembre 2016, la 22e conférence de la Convention cadre des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques (CCNUCC), la COP 22. Ce rendez-vous annuel, qui doit être celui du passage à l’action, va devoir préparer et organiser la mise en marche du pacte mondial de lutte contre le réchauffement climatique dont les objectifs ont été fixés dans l’Accord de Paris.

Marrakech au Maroc accueille, du 7 au 18 novembre 2016, la 22e conférence de la Convention cadre des Nations unies sur les changements climatiques (CCNUCC), la COP 22. Ce rendez-vous annuel, qui doit être celui du passage à l’action, va devoir préparer et organiser la mise en marche du pacte mondial de lutte contre le réchauffement climatique dont les objectifs ont été fixés dans l’Accord de Paris.

November 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - A group of thirty two U.S. lawmakers have urged Secretary of State John Kerry to ask the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use by the Sudanese army in Darfur.

US secretary of state John Kerry (Photo: Daniel Getachew/EPA)

Late last month, Amnesty International reported that over 200 people had been killed in Darfur Jebel Marra area by banned chemical weapons since January 2016. But the government denied the claims.

In a letter to Kerry, the lawmakers expressed serious concern about “increased civilian displacement in Darfur and the recent allegations that the Sudanese government has used chemical weapons against its citizens”.

“We find the use of such measures against innocent men, women, and children appalling and urge you to take every appropriate step to ensure unfettered humanitarian access to the Jebel Marra region so that the victims of these attacks can receive the medical attention they require,” said the lawmakers.

The letter also called on the Secretary of State to ask the OPCW to investigate these allegations in Sudan, “and to strongly encourage Sudan to cooperate with such an investigation”.

“Sudan has acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and as such has a legal responsibility not to use, produce or stockpile chemical weapons” read the letter.
“If OPCW is not granted access to conduct its investigation, we will have to assume that the government is hiding its complicity in these atrocities” it added.

Following the release of Amnesty's report on the use of chemical weapons in Darfur last September, OPCW Director-General Rogelio Pfirter requested the Sudanese government to provide “its official position and any other relevant information on the matter”.

Sudan in its response to the request reiterated its commitment to the convention and denied the allegations reported by the international human rights group, says the OPCW in a statement released on 8 October.

“Sudan would not act in any way to undermine its obligations and responsibilities towards the Convention and Organisation and emphasized that the position of the Sudanese Government on this matter had been publicly expressed and confirmed” said the Sudan's ambassador in his letter to the Hague based organization.

It is noteworthy that the letter was co-signed by House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, Chairman Edward R. Royce, along with Reps. McGovern, Rooney, Lee, McCaul, Capuano, and Pitts of the Sudan and South Sudan Issues Caucus and 24 other Members of Congress.

The U.S. congressmen also underscored importance to support “a peaceful Sudan in which its citizens can enjoy increased stability, civil liberties, and economic growth”.

“However, we remain deeply concerned that peace talks have failed to bring security for the people of Darfur. We thank you for your sustained work towards these ends and await your response on this important issue” they added.

The Sudanese army and its allied militias have been fighting a number of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

Last August, direct peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, between Sudanese government and Darfur rebel movements under the auspices of the African Union have collapsed after rebels throw out government requests to disclose fighters' locations.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)

Le 30 octobre dernier, un tremblement de terre secouait le centre de l’Italie. L'épicentre qui a atteint 6,5 sur l'échelle de Richter se trouvait dans les monts Sibyllins qui font partie de la chaîne des Apennins. Une semaine plus tard, les communes de la région sont toujours désertes.

November 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese opposition has rejected the government decision to raise fuel and electricity prices and called for resisting it by all civil means.

Khaled Omer Youssef, deputy head of the Sudanese Congress Party speaks in a spontaneous meeting Al-Diam neighbourhood in Khartoum on 4 Nov 2016. He was arrested by the security service in his home in the afternoon. (ST Photo)

On Thursday, Sudanese government scrapped fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to stop the surge in inflation and control the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

Accordingly, the price of gasoline went up to 6.17 pounds per litre, (27.5 per gallon) while the litre of diesel reached 4.11 pounds (18.8 pounds per gallon).

Also, electricity tariff for consumers of more than 400 kilowatts has increased, in order to not affect low-income households who are classified as low energy users.

The move, which took effect at midnight local time on Thursday, comes as part of a series of austerity measures to reduce the trade deficit following the collapse of oil prices and as the economy of east African country is already affected by the U.S. economic sanctions.

The opposition National Umma Party (NUP) on Friday has declared the “civil Jihad” to resist the price increase, calling on the Sudanese people to organize general protests, strikes and sit-ins.

“We would resist these unjust policies by all means of civil Jihad”, said the NUP in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday.

It pointed out that the country's crises could only be overcome by establishing a new regime, describing the government decision to raise fuel and electricity prices as a “declaration of war against the citizens”.

The statement called for unifying efforts to overthrow the regime, saying the raised police preparedness level to 100 percent in concurrent with the declaration of the austerity measures in order to violently repress protests as occurred in 2013.

In September 2013 following the government's decision to lift fuel subsidies, demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.

NUP further described the government economic policies as unjust, failed and blundering, calling for holding a genuine national economic conference to develop alternative policies.

It added that the economic problem would only be resolved within a wider framework that addresses the entire Sudanese crises, describing the regime as bloody, corrupt and failed.

For its part, the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) has called on the Sudanese people to take to streets to protest against the price increase and to change the regime.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, SCoP said the Sudanese has no option but to build momentum to achieve change and overcome the troubled reality.

It added that the government policies would only further poverty and suffering of the Sudanese people, calling for public mobilization to confront the corrupt regime and its flabby security organs and political apparatus.

The statement pointed that deteriorating economic situation is a natural consequence of the lack of strategic and scientific planning; saying government policies are only driven by unruly lust for wealth and power.

Meanwhile, the Arab Ba'ath Party (ABP) on Friday said the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has arrested its member Akram Abdel-Wahab and took him to an unknown destination.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, ABP said Abdel-Wahab was arrested for distributing leaflets denouncing regime policies.

Sudan has been reclassified by the IMF in 2012 from a net exporter to a net importer after the oil-rich south became an independent state, taking with it 75% of the petroleum reserves that existed in the united Sudan.

Price of the US dollar witnessed significant increase in the black market in Khartoum since last April settling at 16, 00 pounds (SDG).

(ST)

(B2) C’est une première attaque depuis près de deux ans et demi. Le QG de l’opération européenne anti-piraterie à Northwood (Londres) a confirmé l’attaque d’un chimiquier battant pavillon britannique au large de la Somalie (à hauteur de Ceeldhere) le 22 octobre dernier.

Un skiff avec six hommes armés

« Six hommes armés à bord d’un skiff ont tenté de prendre le contrôle du CPO Korea [appartenant à la compagnie Offen Tankers de Hambourg], à 330 milles nautiques à l’est des côtes somaliennes », annonce ainsi le QG d’Atalanta, au terme « d’une enquête approfondie ».

« Un certain nombre de tirs ont été échangés entre les [assaillants] et l’équipe de sécurité à bord du navire ». L’équipage du chimiquier a aussi mis en œuvre les mesures d’autoprotection en augmentant la vitesse, en modifiant le cap et en activant les tuyaux d’incendie.

A 300 miles au large des côtes somaliennes

Selon nos informations, l’attaque a eu lieu dans la matinée à 10h UTC très au nord de la zone habituelle de la piraterie, par 04.28 nord et 53.22 Est. Les tirs d’avertissement de l’équipe de sécurité à bord ont suscité des répliques en retour des assaillants qui ont fini par fuir.

Aucun blessé n’a été relevé parmi les marins et équipes de sécurité. Et le navire « a été en mesure de continuer son transit dans l’océan Indien ».

La vigilance de mise

Le commandant de l’opération navale de l’UE, le général britannique Rob Magowan a aussitôt lancé un appel de « vigilance continue en mer » rappelant « la nécessité » de respecter toutes les règles de sécurité. « Cette attaque montre que les pirates ont toujours l’intention d’attaquer des navires pour la rançon et de causer du tort aux gens de mer et leurs familles. Il est impératif que la communauté internationale reste vigilante. »

NB : Selon nos informations provenant de sources maritimes, une autre attaque au RPG a été relevée en mer rouge contre un tanker trois jours plus tard, le 25 octobre. Une attaque qui n’a pas été confirmée par le QG d’Atalanta (que B2 a contacté).

(NGV)

Le rapporteur public de la cour administrative d'appel de Nantes a indiqué, vendredi, qu'elle demanderait l'annulation de deux des trois arrêtés préfectoraux autorisant le projet d'aéroport de Notre-Dame-des-Landes lors du procès en appel, lundi.

November 4, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudanese armed opposition leader and the former First Vice President Riek Machar has regretted a decision taken by the Kenyan government Kenya to deport his spokesperson James Gadet Dak.

A Kenyan official for the first time admitted that Dak was deported over a Facebook posting where he applauded a decision by United Nations chief firing a Kenyan general commanding the UN peacekeeping forces in South Sudan.

" (Dak) became an inadmissible person, so we cancelled his visa and he was taken to his country of origin," Kenyan government spokesman Eric Kiraithe told The Associated Press.

Machar, according to several armed opposition figures, who spoke to Sudan tribune on Friday, called the Deputy Kenyan President William Ruto by phone on Thursday to plead with him not to deport his spokesperson to Juba, “due to profound fear for his life.”

“This was unfortunate decision. All attempts were made at the highest level. Our chairman, Dr. Riek Machar himself reached out personally to top authorities in the Kenyan government. He spoke to officials at the ministry of foreign affairs. He spoke to Kenya ambassador in South Africa. He also spoke to Deputy President William Ruto appealing to him in person that Gatdet not be deported to Juba. Unfortunately all these efforts and appeals were ignored. It appears that the Kenyan government decided to take side and abandon their role in the peace process”, a high ranking armed opposition figure told Sudan Tribune when reached on Friday to comment on the matter.

He expressed fear that decision of the Kenyan government to deport SPLM-IO official from Nairobi could have an impact on the peace agreement, given that Kenya was one of the countries which played a key role in the negotiation of the peace agreement which Machar and President Salva Kiir signed last year.

While government supporters were jubilant and appears in celebratory mood, supporters and sympathizers of armed opposition reacted with fury to the news of Gatdet's arrest and deportation.

SPLM-IO Youth League leader Puot Kang wrote, “The illegal kidnapping of James Gatdet will never and ever silence any SPLM-IO supporter instead it shall radicalize them”. He added Gatdet's deportation “shall always define the relation between the two nations for the next century.”

Machar, reacting from South Africa, described Kenya as a guarantor to the peace agreement signed in August 2015 and “we do not expect that it would put in danger the life of an innocent person.”

James Dak, who studied in the United States of America returned to South Sudan after the 2005 peace agreement where he joined the office of Riek Machar as spokesperson of the Vice President of the semi-autonomous Southern Sudan.

After the eruption of South Sudanese crisis, he moved to Nairobi from where continued to exercise his duties as Machar spokesperson. After Machar return to Juba in April 2016 , he remained in Nairobi and didn't return to Juba.

Kenya was seen as safe and secure country for opponents from different east African countries who reside there.

However, human rights activists and workers say Kenya has violated international law when it deported Dak who is a UN registered refugee.

By deporting Dak "Kenya has exposed him to a serious risk of persecution," said Gerry Simpson, senior refugee researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"Kenya is steadily shredding any of respect for its fundamental refugee protection obligations," Simpson further told The Associated Press..

South Sudan researcher at Amnesty International Elizabeth Deng pointed in a statement to The Associated Press. that "(Dak) is now at risk of arbitrary detention and torture" by the South Sudanese authorities

(ST)

November 4, 2016 (JUBA) - The head of the Department of Peacekeeping Operation (DPKO) of the United Nations said the world body respects the sovereign position of the Kenyan government to pull its peacekeeping troops from South Sudan.

The head of the UN peacekeeping mission, Herve Ladsous speaking in Juba (UNMISS photo)

"It is their sovereign decision but I respect that but of course I regret it and we are assessing what consequences this will have on the regional protection force that was recently decided upon by the UN Security Council that we are trying into existence as soon as possible,” said Hervé Ladsous,

Ladsous was speaking to the media at a press conference on Thursday evening at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York. He was reacting to Kenya's rejection of the UN Secretary General's decision in which he recommended the sacking of the force commander, who hails from Kenya, from the UN mission in South Sudan.

Kenya argued that failure of the mission was systemic to the individual commander.

The UN chief, Ban Ki-moon asked for the sacking of General Johnson Ondieki, after an internal investigation found that the mission failed to protect civilians in Juba in July.

The UN, Ladsous said, has established a task force to carry out the recommendations of the report, which include ensuring greater accountability of the mission's leadership.

He said the recommendation of the internal report has already been approved for implementation and the world's body will just continue with the implementation.

“The Secretary-General has approved these recommendations, so we will try to move things forward as quickly as possible,” he said, further stressing that the world body was also assessing what consequences the Kenyan government decision will have on the regional protection force its 15-member Security Council approved in September.

“That of course is something we are the first to regret very much because Kenya has been a solid contributor of troops and police to the peace keeping operations,” he added.

(ST)

Voicing concern over the many pressing human rights impacts on some six million people since the worst mine disaster occurred in Brazil one year ago, a group of United Nations human rights experts today issued a strong call on the Government to immediately redouble efforts to solve health problems and speed up the resettlement process of those affected.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticized the stance of EU on Turkey's fight against the PKK terrorist group, Anadolu reported.

With the Paris Agreement on climate change entering into force today, famed chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca are joining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDG Fund) to tackle climate change from a different perspective: sustainable cooking.

Badische Neueste Nachrichten: Karlsruhe (ots) - Seit dem Putsch sind zahlreiche Beamte und Mitarbeiter des öffentlichen Dienstes ihrer Posten enthoben worden; fast 40 000 angebliche Putschhelfer sitzen in Untersuchungshaft. Die Hexenjagd wird benutzt, um die Vorherrschaft der ...

MOHAWK INDUSTRIES: Calhoun, Georgia (ots/PRNewswire) - Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE: MHK) veröffentlichte heute einen Reingewinn des dritten Quartals 2016 in Rekordhöhe von 270 Millionen USD sowie ein verwässertes Ergebnis je Aktie (EPS) von 3,62 USD, eine Erhöhung ...

From the US Presidential election to the colourful characters that got the region talking. Read some of our top stories in the Pick of the Week column.