UN Hosts Humanitarian Talks in Geneva, as Sudanese Army Leader Refuses to Participate
he United Nations confirmed the arrival of delegations from the warring Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Geneva for indirect discussions aimed at facilitating humanitarian aid delivery and civilian protection. However, the Sudanese army leader reiterated their refusal to engage in talks until the RSF withdraws from occupied towns, casting a shadow over the UN-led initiative. UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, revealed that the delegations were invited by the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, for discussions commencing on July 11th. However, one delegation failed to attend the initial session. Lamamra has since extended a renewed invitation for both parties to meet on Friday. “We urge the Sudanese delegations to rise to the challenge and engage in constructive discussions with the Personal Envoy for the sake of the Sudanese people,” stated Dujarric, while declining to disclose which party abstained from the first meeting. … The impasse in negotiations further exacerbates the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, with millions in need of urgent assistance. The international community calls for both parties to prioritize the well-being of the Sudanese people and engage in meaningful dialogue to resolve the conflict and alleviate the suffering of civilians. Sudan Tribune
RSF Assassinate Five Civilians, Destroy University College in Dinder
The Al-Dinder Emergency Room in Sennar state, southeast Sudan, said that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) destroyed a university college, assassinated five civilians, and injured dozens during their attack on the surrounding villages. By the end of June, the RSF took control of Dinder, but the army was able to regain control before losing it again after fierce battles, causing most of the city’s residents to flee to their villages and the neighbouring Gedaref state in eastern Sudan. The Dinder Emergency Chamber, a group of volunteer professionals and activists, in a statement received by “Sudan Tribune”, said that “the RSF militia killed three civilians from the village of Bayda and two dignitaries from the village of Habuya in the western countryside of Dinder.” Sudan Tribune
Migrants Flock to Libya Despite Lack of Law and Order
Human traffickers, militias, mass graves — nothing seems to discourage migrants from coming to Libya. Observers believe only international pressure can change the conditions. The raid by the uniformed Libyan security forces came out of the blue. On Wednesday morning, officers stormed into a coffeeshop in the coastal town of Zuwara, near the Tunisian border, where a group of migrants was waiting for potential employers. The men were rounded up, and some were subsequently arrested and taken away, apparently at random. Michael Shira, a 19-year-old from Nigeria … has been hiding out in Libya for a few months, trying to get work and waiting for an opportunity to get on a boat to reach Europe. “First, I was in Tunisia but I was chased by the Tunisian police,” he recalls. He then tried to escape to Libya where Tunisian border forces almost arrested him. “They intended to hand us migrants over to the Libyan authorities and everyone knows what happens then,” the teenager said. More often than not, migrants like him end up in one of Libya’s detention centers. DW
UN: Libya Remains Mired in Crisis as Political Leaders Violate Human Rights to Cling to Power
The U.N.’s chief human rights official accuses Libya’s political leaders of crushing political dissent to cling to power, leaving the country divided and its people mired in crisis, poverty, and misery. In a report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council Tuesday, Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, presented a stinging rebuke of the methods employed by Libya’s governing elite to eviscerate its political opponents and remain in charge. “A stalled political process, hijacked by actors whose interests align in preserving the status quo, is decimating the hope of Libyans for a more stable, open and thriving society. Hopes they have had to carry for far too long, with little in return,” he said. … “Targeting of political opponents and dissenting voices across the country has accelerated,” he said. … He warned that lack of accountability for the violations and abuses committed 13 years ago “remains a serious obstacle to reconciliation today and serves as a driver of conflict.” VOA
‘There Will Be No Surprises’: Kagame Set to Sweep to Fourth Term as Rwandan President
Two weeks ago Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, launched his presidential re-election campaign in front of thousands of people dressed in the blue, white and red colours of his party on a university campus in the northern district of Musanze. The former military leader is seeking a fourth term in office as Rwanda goes to the polls for presidential and parliamentary elections next Monday. A win would extend his presidency to three decades. Given the longstanding dominance of Kagame’s party, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, and widely reported cases of his administration’s stifling of criticism and open dissent, political analysts and civil society members fear that the elections will further tighten his iron-fist grip on the country of 13 million people. … while some view Kagame as a visionary leader, others see him as an oppressive despot. During his reign, many dissidents and critics have been jailed and others have died or disappeared suspiciously, instilling fear and suppressing freedom of speech, expression and association. Rwandan officials have long denied claims of wrongdoing. At least five opposition members and four government critics and journalists have died or disappeared in suspicious circumstances since the 2017 presidential election, according to Human Rights Watch. The Guardian
Rwanda’s Besieged Opposition Lives in the Shadow of Paul Kagame
For a week in September 2021, Serbian activists that helped topple Slobodan Milošević held encrypted audio sessions with the Dalfa-Umurinzi party, one of Rwanda’s last remaining opposition parties, on how to non-violently oust autocratic leaders. One discussion focused on using music for peaceful dissent; another detailed Mahatma Gandhi’s 1930 Salt March against British colonial rule. … The group left the training energized by the hope that they too could peacefully overthrow the autocrat who’s ruled their tiny central African country for three decades – Rwandan President Paul Kagame. … Like all opposition parties in Rwanda, the Dalfa-Umurinzi party operates in a constant state of danger – three of its members died in mysterious circumstances in recent years and four disappeared in the months prior to the sessions – but the link they’d used was secure, they thought, and the means they learned were peaceful. Still, a month later, nine people on the call were arrested – they haven’t been seen in public since, according to the party. … Interviews with dozens of opposition members both in Rwanda and in exile, human rights workers and lawyers, along with hundreds of pages of US court documents and Interpol red notices targeting defectors and critics illustrate how opposition to Kagame has been systematically suppressed during his decades in power – with political foes and longtime allies alike arrested, exiled, disappeared or assassinated. Bloomberg
‘People Started to Point the Finger’: How the M23 Conflict Endangers DR Congo’s Tutsi Communities
The war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s military and the Tutsi-led M23 armed group is having a harmful impact on the country’s Rwandophone Tutsi communities, some of whom have been unfairly typecast as rebel collaborators. Interviews with nearly a dozen Tutsi civilians underscore the diverse ways their communities have been affected by the war, which began in late 2021 and has seen the M23 seize large chunks of eastern DRC with the military backing of neighbouring Rwanda. “People started to point the finger and say we were Rwandans, to say we were complicit in this war,” said Providence Muhorakeye, speaking from a tarpaulin tent at a displacement camp in Goma, eastern DRC’s largest city. “But we didn’t contribute. We don’t know anything about it.” … The M23 began its insurgency because it felt the Congolese government had failed to implement a 2013 peace accord with the group. Yet the rebels are now using the abuse against Tutsi as a justification for the ongoing rebellion. … Analysts say the combat increasingly resembles a regional conflict, with the Rwandan soldiers fighting next to the M23, and southern African troops – from Malawi, South Africa, and Tanzania – as well as Burundian soldiers, fighting with Congolese government forces against them. New Humanitarian
A Truce in Congo Ends in a Week. Aid Groups Say It Could Be a Lost Opportunity to Help Civilians
A two-week truce in eastern Congo has heavily reduced fighting, but with a week left aid workers and local civil society groups say not much help has reached millions of people who are trapped in one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. The two-week humanitarian cease-fire was announced by the U.S. a week ago, bringing a pause to clashes between Congolese forces and rebels allegedly backed by neighboring Rwanda in the mineral-rich region. Fighting has intensified this year, especially in the North Kivu province where hundreds of thousands have been displaced. The two-week period is not enough, and even during the truce there have been reports of continuing violence in Masisi territory near Goma, the capital of North Kivu, said Abdoulaye Barry, head of the sub-office of the U.N. refugee agency in the region. … Far from the nation’s capital, Kinshasa, eastern Congo has long been overrun by more than 120 armed groups that have carried out mass killings as they seek a share of the region’s gold and other resources. The most active is the March 23 Movement, or M23, which once occupied Goma and now controls about half of North Kivu province, according to Richard Moncrieff, the Crisis Group’s Great Lakes region director. AP
‘We Now Face Guns’: Small-scale Miners Fear Wagner’s Advances in CAR
Local miners in the Central African Republic face eviction and violence as the Russian group takes over gold and diamond mines. … After President Faustin-Archange Touadera asked for help to deal with rebel groups in CAR in 2017, Russia’s Wagner Group arrived. The group has since amassed significant security and economic power and according to investigative group The Sentry, it is believed to have laid a blueprint for state capture, with reports that Wagner has “created a complex network of operations to plunder diamonds, gold, and other natural resources” in CAR. In 2019 the Kremlin-linked group began taking control of gold mines in the central and eastern parts of CAR. In recent years they have also extended northwards. In October … locals told Al Jazeera that Russian paramilitaries, in an attempt to seize a gold mine, allegedly executed at least a dozen people who had been rounded up in the town [of Koki] where less than 5,000 people live. … Since the Russian Ministry of Defence stepped in to oversee the operations of Russian mercenaries in CAR, now operating under a paramilitary structure referred to as Africa Corps following the death of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash near Moscow last August, Russian-linked entities have been attempting to seize new gold mines. Al Jazeera
Opposition Mounts against Security Bill in South Sudan
In South Sudan, opponents of President Salva Kiir want him to send back to parliament a recently passed bill over concerns it will give state security agents too much power. Critics of the bill say it will allow the National Security Service to arrest and detain suspects without a warrant, thereby stifling dissent from the opposition and civil rights activists. South Sudan’s main opposition party, the SPLM-IO, and various civil rights activists, have united to oppose the security bill. The party’s deputy chairperson, Oyet Nathaniel, expressed dismay over the rushed passage of the bill, despite calls to revise certain sections beforehand. … He argued that granting security agents the power of arrest would exacerbate constitutional breaches and human rights violations. … “Their mandate is explicitly to gather and analyze information and provide advice to relevant authorities,” he said. “Nowhere in the constitution does it grant them the authority to engage in armed conflict or war, make arrests or detentions without a warrant, or intimidate and harass.” Ter Manyang Gatwech, executive director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy in South Sudan, argued that the bill’s provisions threaten all citizens, regardless of party. VOA
Mali Junta Reauthorises Political Activities it Suspended in April
Mali’s ruling junta announced on Wednesday that it was re-authorising activities of political parties and political associations which it had suspended in April. “The government decided to lift the suspension that barred political parties and the activities of political associations,” said a statement from the council of ministers, which is dominated by the military leaders who took power in a 2020 coup. The head of the military government, Colonel Assimi Goita, had justified the suspension by citing the political parties’ “sterile discussions” and “subversion”, which he said posed a danger to an ongoing national “dialogue” on the political future of Mali. The parties at the time were protesting the colonels’ decision to stay in power beyond a March 2024 deadline for returning to civilian rule. The main parties and what remains of the opposition boycotted the “dialogue”, which went ahead anyway with supporters of the regime, who in May issued “recommendations” that the military remain in power “for two to five additional years”, and that the current head of the junta be allowed to run in any future presidential elections. AFP
Inmates Escape Niger Prison Holding Militants
Niger’s interior ministry said it had ordered search units to be on alert after inmates escaped on Thursday from the high-security Koutoukale prison whose inmates include Islamist militants. The ministry statement did not say how many prisoners had escaped Koutoukale, which lies 50 km (30 miles) northwest of the capital Niamey, or how they had done so. In 2016 and 2019, attempted jail breaks at the facility were repelled. The prison’s inmates include detainees from the West African country’s conflict with armed groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State and suspected Boko Haram insurgents. Local authorities imposed an overnight curfew in the urban commune of Tillaberi, which is in the same region as the prison, but did not give further details. Reuters
Kenya’s Ruto Dismisses Almost Entire Cabinet after Deadly Protests
Kenyan President William Ruto announced on Thursday the dismissal of almost his entire Cabinet and consultations to form a “broad-based government” following widespread anti-government protests. He said the move affects all ministers including the attorney-general but excluded Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Ruto said he decided on the dismissals “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my Cabinet and its achievements and challenges”. The action follows largely peaceful protests led by young Gen-Z Kenyans that have widened into a broader campaign against Ruto and his government, with some demonstrations degenerating into deadly violence. Ruto also said he will “immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government”. AFP
Botswana Pledges Continued Support for Mozambique after Regional Troops Leave
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi has promised to continue supporting Mozambique in its fight against violent extremism in the oil-and-gas rich province of Cabo Delgado, even after the imminent departure of southern African troops from the troubled region. Addressing a media conference upon his arrival in the Mozambican capital Maputo late Wednesday, Masisi said the withdrawal of troops from Cabo Delgado does not mark the end of his country’s support in combating violent extremism. Masisi said Botswana remains ready to assist Mozambique. … Botswana is the second country, following Tanzania to pledge continued support for Mozambique after the departure of troops from SADC, the Southern African Development Community. The SADC troops are due to leave Mozambique on July 15 due to financial issues. … The mission, known as SAMIM, has been in Mozambique since July of 2021 and was able to destroy the terrorist bases, reduce the number of attacks, and restore normal functioning to public and private institutions. However, Webster Zambara, a senior project leader of peace-building initiatives at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa, predicted a long road ahead before terrorism is vanquished in northern Mozambique. VOA
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune Says He’s Running for Reelection
Algeria’s president announced on Thursday, July 11, that he intends to run for a second term in office, five years after ascending to power as the military and establishment-backed candidate during widespread pro-democracy protests. The 78-year-old political veteran, Abdelmadjid Tebboune … had avoided declaring his intentions even after setting the Sept. 7 election date almost four months ago. Despite repeated demurrals , his intentions were “an open secret” and his candidacy a byproduct of discussions among the political elite, says political scientist Rachid Grime. … A second Tebboune term would entrench the power of Algeria’s political and military elite and further distance the country from the aspirations voiced by its “Hirak” movement, which held weekly street protests that pressured the country’s ailing octogenarian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to resign in April 2019, after two decades in office. Tebboune, a former prime minister under Bouteflika, emerged the victor in an election with a low turnout election in 2019. Protesters boycotted it and decried it as a rushed affair designed to maintain the old regime’s grip on power over the nation with a population of 45 million. Le Monde
How Cameroon’s Paul Biya, 91, Plans to Stay in Power
When Cameroon holds its next presidential election, Paul Biya will be 93. But the country’s presidency confirmed this week that he will contest on his ruling party’s ticket, as he has done in the past. Both decisions—to delay the elections by a year and to allow him to contest despite his age—have infuriated opposition politicians in Cameroon. But even these opponents may not be allowed to contest, leaving Biya free to win again. Here is how he did it: Cameroon’s parliament on Wednesday approved President Biya’s request to postpone the country’s parliamentary and municipal elections until 2026. The presidency argued that the calendar of political events was crowded and that the polls needed to be delayed to allow some breathing space. A minority opposition challenged the move, but the country’s 180-member National Assembly is dominated by lawmakers from Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) with 152 seats. CPDM lawmakers voted in favour of the bill to extend the mandate of their members for another 12 months when it expires on March 10, 2025. … “Extending the mandate might be legal but it is undemocratic [said former candidate Akere Muna]. The people gave them a five-year mandate. They now turn around and misuse the people’s trust.” The East African
How Risky is Guinea-Bissau’s China Dependence?
Guinea-Bissau’s overreliance on China is immense. Hardly any investment occurs without Chinese planning or financing. Some observers consider this problematic. “The influence of China on Guinea-Bissau is undeniable, especially in economic terms,” Bissau-Guinean sociologist and China expert, Diamantino Lopes, said in an interview with DW. Since the country’s independence from Portugal five decades ago, almost all infrastructure measures have been carried out and financed by the Chinese, the analyst added. … This week, Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo is in China with a high-ranking delegation. During the three-day visit, cooperation between the two countries is expected to be “further developed and intensified.” … Without Beijing’s support, practically nothing works in Guinea-Bissau: China is currently building the country’s only highway, which connects the international airport with the town of Safim. … What returns could interest China? “China’s interests in Guinea-Bissau are mainly in the geostrategic area. From the Chinese perspective, Bissau can certainly act as a gateway to the sub-region due to its location. But there are also tangible economic interests at play,” Lopes said. Currently, more than 70 Chinese fishing boats are operating in nearby territorial waters. … “The contracts our government signs with the Chinese side are not discussed publicly and are not made available to the public. Therefore, the public does not know what China expects and possibly receives in return for its generous development aid,” so Lopes. DW
Desperate Zimbabweans Cross Zambia Border for Cheaper Healthcare, Medicines
With essential drugs and specialised care expensive or unavailable, poor Zimbabweans opt to travel long distances to seek treatment. At 5pm at the Victoria Falls border post, Margaret Tshuma – who has a 24-hour day pass to be in Zambia – is in a rush to return home to Zimbabwe before dusk. This is not the first time Tshuma, 53, has travelled from her rural home in Diki village, 120km (75 miles) away, to cross into Zambia for the day. It has become a routine trip she makes monthly to buy medication for her husband who has scleritis. … Buying the medicines in Zimbabwe costs Tshuma about $85 a month, whereas just across the border in Livingstone she pays 320 kwacha ($13). Even with travel, it works in her favour, as a two-way trip from Hwange to Livingstone costs $14. Zimbabwe’s economy has been hit hard by decades of economic crises and soaring inflation. Many basics are not as easily available or affordable, and Zimbabweans themselves have lost confidence in the local currency. Al Jazeera
African Anti-corruption Day: Group Urges Governments to Make Laws to Protect Whistleblowers
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) has called on the Nigerian and other African governments that have yet to enact whistleblower protection laws to take urgent steps to do so to encourage their citizens to expose corrupt acts and other illegalities hampering good governance and accountability in the continent. In a press statement to commemorate the 2024 African Anti-Corruption Day, the Coordinator of AFRICMIL, Chido Onumah, said, “We find it most disappointing that so far only about 10 countries including Ghana and South Africa, out of the 54 countries in Africa, have put in place initiatives such as legislations to promote whistleblowing.” … The African Union (AU) Assembly declared 11 July of every year as the African Anti-Corruption Day. The AU Advisory Board against Corruption will be having the 8th edition of the Anti-Corruption Dialogue followed by this year’s celebration under the theme: Effective Whistleblower Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight against Corruption. Premium Times