Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has ordered an investigation into "recent events" after two weeks of violent protests against his 29-year autocratic rule, as he seeks to placate popular anger over worsening economic conditions.
The state news agency reported late Monday that Al-Bashir has tasked Justice Minister Mohammed Ahmed Salem with leading the investigation, without providing further details on the subject of the probe. Twenty-two political parties and groups meanwhile said they will call on Bashir to step down and transfer power to a "sovereign council" and a transitional government that would set a "suitable" date for democratic elections.
The parties include some Islamist factions that were once allied with al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 military coup, as well as breakaway groups from large traditional parties, like the Democratic Unionist and Umma parties, which did not join in the call. Click here to read... [2]
Election monitors from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have said the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) presidential election "went relatively well" despite chaotic scenes that prevented many from voting. The qualified endorsement from the regional body on Wednesday countered allegations by opposition candidates that the December 30 vote was marred by widespread irregularities.
Approval of the election's results by SADC powers like South Africa and Angola will be critical for the legitimacy of the administration of the next president, who will succeed incumbent Joseph Kabila on January 18. Click here to read... [3]
The Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a grim new milestone in the Ebola outbreak that began August 1: The total number of probable patients is 608 as of Wednesday, with 368 deaths, the Ministry of Health said. An additional 29 people who doctors suspect may be sick with Ebola are under investigation. The ministry also reported that 207 people have recovered from the life-threatening illness.
On average, Ebola - which causes fever, severe headache and in some cases hemorrhaging - kills about half of those infected, but fatality rates in individual outbreaks have varied. The latest outbreak has a case fatality rate of about 60%. Click here to read... [4]
Somalia’s government has ordered the United Nations envoy to the country to leave, amid questions over the arrest of the Al-Shabab extremist group’s former deputy leader who had run for a regional presidency. A foreign ministry statement late Tuesday accuses Nicholas Haysom of diplomatic overreach that violated the Horn of Africa nation’s sovereignty, declaring him persona non grata. He arrived as envoy a few months ago.
Haysom had questioned the legal basis used in the arrest last month of Mukhtar Robow, a former al-Shabab spokesman who defected from the group in 2017, and whether U.N.-funded regional police in the Southwest were involved. Click here to read... [5]
Sudan's largest opposition groups on Thursday called for a fresh wave of protests to demand that President Omar al-Bashir step down, as the longtime ruler made another attempt at staunching popular discontent by promising wage hikes and appealing to patriotism.
In a joint statement, four groups called for nationwide protests Friday and a march on the president's Nile-side palace on Sunday. They also called for a march on parliament in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman to present a petition demanding that the 74-year-old general-turned-president step down.
The demands are likely to turn up pressure on Bashir to find a way out of the crisis. Sudan has seen two weeks of violent street protests, with dozens killed. The protests were initially sparked by steep price hikes, a fuel shortage and a liquidity crunch that forced authorities to place a ceiling on bank withdrawals and led to long lines at ATMs. Click here to read... [6]
Thirteen civilians have been killed in ethnic violence in central Burkina Faso, the government said on Wednesday, echoing a rise in inter-communal conflicts in neighbouring Mali linked to Islamist violence.
Burkina has seen a spike in Islamist attacks in recent months as jihadists seek to increase their influence across the Sahel. On Dec. 31, the government declared a state of emergency in several Northern provinces bordering Mali. Attacks this week show how that violence may be fuelling ethnic clashes for the first time in Burkina. Click here to read... [7]
Troops and air strikes have killed more than 280 Boko Haram militants since the Nigerien Government started an operation against the group last week, the Defense Ministry said. Boko Haram has attacked Niger, Chad and Cameroon from its base in northeast Nigeria, where it has been fighting for more than nine years to carve out an Islamist caliphate.
Niger's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that the army mounted a sweep operation against the group last Friday along the south-eastern Komadugu River, which separates Niger from Nigeria. Click here to read... [8]
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Thursday. Wang said Ethiopia, a regional power in Africa and an emerging economy with huge potential for development, is an important strategic and cooperative partner of China on the continent.
The traditional friendship between the two countries has withstood the tests of fluctuating international situations and won profoundly support from the society and people, according to Wang. China has always viewed the development of the bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and will continue to pursue a friendly policy toward Ethiopia, Wang said. Click here to read... [9]
Burkina Faso President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has pledged to further the development of ties with China. Kabore made the remarks while meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the capital, Ouagadougou who is on an official visit to the country.
Reiterating that there is only one China in the world, the president noted that his country is committed to strengthening its relations with Beijing based on the one-China principle. Click here to read... [10]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/internationaldevelopments/2018/january/18
[2] https://www.voanews.com/a/sudan-s-president-orders-investigation-amid-protests/4724302.html
[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/dr-congo-election-managed-sadc-190102153342721.html
[4] https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/ebola-600-cases-africa-intl/index.html
[5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/somalia-declares-un-envoy-persona-non grata/2019/01/02/f4baa73a-0e66-11e9-8f0c 6f878a26288a_story.html?utm_term=.e26aa44eca64
[6] https://www.voanews.com/a/sudan-opposition-calls-for-more-protests-against-al-bashir/4727169.html
[7] https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1OX09WOZATP?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
[8] https://allafrica.com/stories/201901040352.html
[9] http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/04/c_137718000.htm
[10] http://www.africanews.com/2019/01/06/burkina-faso-strengthens-developmental-ties-with-china/
[11] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF News Digest: International Developments (Africa), 1 – 6 Jan 2019&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/internationaldevelopments/2018/january/18
[12] http://twitter.com/share?text=VIF News Digest: International Developments (Africa), 1 – 6 Jan 2019&url=https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/internationaldevelopments/2018/january/18&via=Azure Power
[13] whatsapp://send?text=https://www.vifindia.org/vifdigest/internationaldevelopments/2018/january/18