Malawi President to stay out of sight

By KItsepile Nyathi, LILONGWE Malawi

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has cancelled all public engagements to “attend to emerging regional and national matters”, his office announced on Tuesday. 

President Chakwera, who is facing increasing domestic pressure over his failure to turn around Malawi’s troubled economy, is the current chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). 

SADC has in recent days been slapped with travel bans by some Western and African countries following the emergence of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in the region after cases were reported in Botswana and South Africa. 

Dr Chakwera has been outspoken about the travel restrictions saying they are not backed by science.

“The public is hereby informed that Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, has cancelled all his upcoming public engagements with immediate effect in order to attend to emerging national and regional matters requiring his attention,” his secretary Zangazanga Chikhosi said in a brief statement.

Mr Chikhosi said government officials would be delegated to represent the President in such events.

Before the announcement, President Chakwera had presided over centenary celebrations for the police force in the capital Lilongwe. 

He was expected to attend World Aids Day commemorations in the northern town of Rumphi on Wednesday.

Malawians have been holding protests against President Chakwera’s frequent travels around the world amid the economic problems in the southern African country.

They also accuse the former church leader of failing to fulfil his election promises as Malawi battles the high cost of living and unemployment.

The Malawians are frustrated by the skyrocketing prices of basic goods and services. 

Last month, the government increased the price of fuel by more than 20 percent and economists said this contributed to the rise in prices of other commodities.

The government blamed the price increase on the impact of Covid-19 and the global increase in the prices of fuel.

President Chakwera rose to power last year after beating the incumbent Peter Mutharika in hotly contested polls.

President Kenyatta hit out at Western nations over travel bans

NAIROBI, Kenya

President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta has hit out at Western nations over the recent move to issue travel bans, mostly against African countries, following the new strain of COVID-19 dubbed Omicron.

President Kenyatta, speaking during his State of The Nation address at Parliament buildings on Tuesday afternoon, urged Western nations not to isolate other countries where the new variant have seemingly been detected.A

According to the Head of State, this will only make the situation worse as cooperation is necessary between all countries if the world is to have a chance at completely getting rid of the virus.

“…I look forward to all our international and global partners…Covid will not be defeated by locking us all down and by shutting off parts of the world that you think is problematic,” he said.

“No one will be safe from Covid until we’re all safe. Please, jameni, tumefanya kazi, msitufungie tena jameni.”

This comes after the United States on Friday announced that it will bar entry to most travellers from eight southern African countries starting on Monday, after Omicron - a potentially more contagious new coronavirus variant - was identified in South Africa.

The travel restrictions do not ban flights or apply to U.S. citizens and lawful U.S. permanent residents, President Joe Biden said.

The restrictions apply to South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. Most non-U.S. citizens who have been in those countries within the prior 14 days will not be allowed into the United States.

Countries around the world rushed to suspend travel from southern Africa after the World Health Organization said Omicron was "of concern." Many of those bans kicked in immediately.

Chad gives amnesty to rebels and dissidents

N’DJAMENA, Chad

Chad's military-led government on Monday decreed an amnesty for nearly 300 rebels and political dissidents, meeting a key demand by opposition groups invited to join a forum on the troubled country's future.

President Mahamat Idriss Deby

The amnesty will apply to 296 individuals sentenced for offences including "crimes of opinion", "terrorism" and "harming the integrity of the state," according to a ruling by the Council of Ministers received by AFP.

Rebel groups have said the amnesty is a pre-condition to joining a round table proposed by President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, 37, who took the reins after his father Idriss Deby Itno was killed fighting insurgents in April.

On taking office, the younger Deby dismissed the government, dissolved parliament and repealed the constitution, promising to stage "free and transparent" elections within 18 months.

In August, he offered to launch a dialogue that would include rebel groups.

After contacts in Qatar's capital Doha and Paris, the rebels last month set down preconditions.

These include "the release of prisoners of war, a general amnesty for all political-military figures, and the return of rebel property seized by the government."

The decree issued Monday said it was "indispensable to sweep away the remnants handed down from the dark periods of our times, by granting a general amnesty to those who, for one reason or another, chose the path of exile and/or violence to express their political divergences."

A former French colony in the heart of central-northern Africa, Chad has a long history of coups and fighting.

The older Deby, like his son a career military officer, seized power in 1990.

He governed the country with an iron fist for 30 years, staying in power after being repeatedly returned in elections that opponents condemned as flawed or rigged.

Relying on air support from his ally France, he thwarted attempts by exiles crossing from Libya or Sudan to advance on the capital N'Djamena.

The amnesty applies to those who are in jail and others who have been sentenced but are not in detention. 

It affects 39 people sentenced for harming state integrity or crimes of opinion.

It also covers 257 members of armed groups who were jailed after an attempt by the rebel coalition, the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) to overthrow Deby senior in 2019.

Government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah said the decree included a list of the names of people benefiting from the amnesty.

"The rebel leaders are not on it because they were already amnestied in 2018," he said.

Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol, spokesman for a large rebel group called the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), whose forces were fighting Deby senior when the former president was killed in April, welcomed the announcement.

"If it is confirmed and is borne out in facts, this amnesty will be a major step forward towards, among other things, dialogue, reconciliation and peace, which all Chadians want," he told AFP.

Timan Erdimi, the head of the UFR who lives in exile in Qatar, said the amnesty is "part of our preconditions. This is a first step."

He also pointed, however, to the "release of Tom Erdimi," his brother -- who according to relatives is being held in Egypt -- as well as "prisoners of war and the return of seized property."

Kelma Manatouma, a Chadian political researcher at Nanterre University near Paris, said the move was "an important step towards reconciliation, and a political act to give legitimacy to (Deby junior)... who had been contested because of the dynastic succession."

"He will pick up a capital of goodwill, both domestically and abroad, which will include a potential presidential election bid," Manatouma predicted.

Chad, whose military is considered to be the best in the Sahel, is a key country in France's anti-jihadist campaign in the region.

The handover of power to the younger Deby was quickly endorsed by Paris, and also supported by the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU). 

WHO warns Omicron variant poses ‘very high’ global risk

GENEVA, Switzerland

The heavily-mutated Omicron coronavirus variant is likely to spread internationally and poses a very high risk of infection surges that could have “severe consequences” in some places, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

No Omicron-linked deaths had yet been reported, though further research is needed to assess its potential to escape protection against immunity induced by vaccines and previous infections, it added on Monday.

In anticipation of increased case numbers as the variant, first reported last week, spreads, the UN health agency urged its 194 member states to accelerate vaccination of high-priority groups and ensure plans were in place to maintain health services.

“Omicron has an unprecedented number of spike mutations, some of which are concerning for their potential impact on the trajectory of the pandemic,” the WHO said.

“The overall global risk related to the new variant … is assessed as very high.”

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, sounded the alarm at the start of an assembly of health ministers on Monday that is expected to launch negotiations on an international agreement on preventing future pandemics.

“The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is,” Tedros said.

“Omicron demonstrates just why the world needs a new accord on pandemics: Our current system disincentivises countries from alerting others to threats that will inevitably land on their shores.”

The new global deal, expected by May 2024, would cover issues such as sharing of data and genome sequences of emerging viruses, and of any potential vaccines derived from research.

European Union member countries and others had sought language calling for work towards a treaty, but the United States and some other countries countered that the substance of any accord should be worked out first before any such document is given a name.

A “treaty” would suggest a legally binding agreement that could require ratification – and would likely incur domestic political haggling in some countries.

On Sunday, the United Kingdom’s ambassador in Geneva, Simon Manley, tweeted a copy of the draft text that was agreed by consensus – as required under WHO rules on such issues – and praised Chile and Australia for their work as co-chairs.

“The #Omicron variant shows yet again why we need a common understanding of how we prepare for and respond to pandemics, so we’re all playing by the same rules,” he wrote.

COVID ‘is not done with us’

The draft makes no reference to the word “treaty” but, among other things, calls for the creation of an “intergovernmental negotiating body” among WHO member states to work out a possible deal to improve pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

The world should now be “wide awake” to the threat of the coronavirus, “but Omicron’s very emergence is another reminder that although many of us might think we are done with COVID-19, it’s not done with us,” Tedros said.

Omicron was first reported on November 24 in South Africa, where infections have risen steeply.

It has since spread to more than a dozen countries, many of which have imposed travel restrictions to try to seal themselves off. Japan on Monday joined Israel in saying it would close its borders to foreigners.

The WHO reiterated that, pending further advice, countries should use a “risk-based approach to adjust international travel measures in a timely manner”, while acknowledging that a rise in coronavirus cases might lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates.

“The impact on vulnerable populations would be substantial, particularly in countries with low vaccination coverage,” it added.

In vaccinated people, meanwhile, “COVID-19 cases and infections are expected … albeit in a small and predictable proportion”.

Overall, there were “considerable uncertainties in the magnitude of immune escape potential of Omicron”, and more data was expected in the coming weeks.

Uganda and DRC launched joint raids against ADF

KAMPALA, Uganda

The Ugandan military has said it launched joint air and artillery raids with forces from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group.

“This morning, we have launched joint air and artillery strikes against ADF camps with our Congolese allies,” a spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Force said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.

Ugandan authorities have blamed the ADF for deadly suicide bombings in the capital, Kampala, earlier this month. The armed group has been accused of carrying out dozens of attacks in the eastern DRC.

The DRC’s government on Monday had said the two armies have been exchanging information for many months, and that no Ugandan troops were currently in the country.

“We have not said there will be joint operations. We have said there will be concerted actions,” spokesman Patrick Muyaya told a news conference, without elaborating. “If there is a need to go up a notch, we will.”

On Tuesday, Muyaya wrote on Twitter that “targeted and concerted action with the Ugandan army started today with air strikes and artillery fire from Uganda against positions of the terrorist ADF in DRC”.

Locals said they heard explosions on Tuesday morning in Watalinga territory, North Kivu province, in the borderlands of eastern DRC.

“There is a real panic here at home, especially because we were not informed of this situation,” resident Julien Ngandayabo told Reuters news agency. “We have suffered too much with the ADF, who have massacred our families. We are waiting to see if this is the solution.”

Pascal Saambili, head of the Watalinga chiefdom, said the community woke up to the sound of heavy bombardment which continued during the morning.

The ADF was founded in Uganda in 1995 and later moved to the DRC where it is one among dozens of armed groups seeking control over territory and mineral resources in the east of the country.

The group, which the United States has formally linked to ISIL (ISIS), was blamed for the November 16 suicide bombings in the heart of the Ugandan capital which killed seven people, including the three bombers, and wounded dozens more.

The November 16 attack was the third ISIL has claimed in Uganda. It also claimed responsibility for an attack at a pork restaurant in a suburb of Kampala on October 23 that killed a waitress while a third attack on October 8 killed no one.

In recent days, news reports about the proposed cross-border campaign have sparked anxiety amongst some Congolese, who recall Uganda’s role in civil wars that ended in 2003.

The Congolese government is still seeking more than $13bn in reparations from Uganda for its involvement in the conflict.

Uganda refutes report that it could ‘lose’ Entebbe airport to China

KAMPALA, Uganda

Government has dismissed reports that China could take control of the country’s only international airport because of a failure to honour a loan agreement. China’s embassy in Uganda also dismissed the report. But analysts note the loan deal could become a problem if Uganda ever has trouble paying it back.

Daily Monitor reported last week that Uganda risked losing its only international airport to China over a $200 million loan to expand the facility. According to documents shared with Daily Monitor, China rejected Uganda’s request to re-negotiate some clauses in the 2015 loan deal.

This included a clause that required Uganda’s civil aviation authority to set up an escrow account to hold all of its revenues. Under the clause, the revenues in this account cannot be spent by the aviation authority without approval from Beijing.

"It is true that UCAA opened up a Sales Collection Account in Stanbic Bank where all the Authority's revenues are deposited in line with the Escrow Account Agreement terms, but it does not mean that anyone is to control UCAA's finances. The Authority enjoys the freedom and liberty of spending what is collected (as per the budget). The arrangement is only similar to what happens when one gets a salary loan or any other loan for that matter, and the bank requests that the salary is channeled through their bank. It does not mean that the lending bank takes over the borrower's salary," said a statement released earlier by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA)

Vianney Luggya, UCAA spokesperson said that the Ugandan government has no intention of defaulting on loan repayments to China.

“It is not true that Uganda is going to lose Entebbe International Airport in any way whatsoever. This is not the first time that this allegation is coming up. Uganda is not about to default in honoring the loan obligation. We are still within a grace period of seven years and during that period we have been paying interest,” said Luggya.

The loan agreement also gives China’s Export-Import Bank oversight over monthly operating budgets for the airport. The bank is also authorized to inspect both the Aviation Authority and Ugandan government books of accounts, which some see as eroding the sovereignty of the state.

ALSO READ: Uganda surrenders airport for China cash

When contacted the Chinese Embassy in Uganda, they said they were not in position to comment and referred VOA to a statement they issued yesterday Sunday.

In the statement, the embassy said the loan agreement between China Exim Bank and Uganda was signed voluntarily through dialogue and negotiation on equal footing without any hidden terms or political conditions attached.

They said China-Uganda economic and trade cooperation and financing in the field of large-scale infrastructure follows the principle of equality and mutual benefit and has been conducted in accordance with the laws and rules of the international market and strictly abided by the laws of the host country.

Economic analyst Fred Muhumza explains that technically, any loan received from an EXIM Bank is not treated as a loan but as an export, thus making it difficult to renegotiate. Muhumuza said it is time for the government and its lawyers to re-examine how it handles its agreements with donors.

“These loans are reviewed by solicitor general’s office, who are the lawyers. It also indicates, in case of arbitration, we go to China. We are really at the mercy of China. They have an upper hand on this,” he said.

Uganda currently owes China $1.6 billion in loans extended to the East African country for financing of major infrastructure development projects.

In a 2018 report, Uganda’s auditor general raised concern that Uganda had agreed to several stringent conditions in the loans and these had not only increased the cost of borrowing but also exposed Uganda’s sovereignty to risk. 

Israel allows 3,000 Ethiopian Jews to immigrate

JERUSALEM, Israel

Israel's government on Sunday approved the immigration of several thousand Jews from war-torn Ethiopia, some of whom have waited for decades to join their relatives in Israel. 

The decision took a step toward resolving an issue that has long complicated the government's relations with the country's Ethiopian community. Some 140,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel. Community leaders estimate that roughly 6,000 others remain behind in Ethiopia.

Although the families are of Jewish descent and many are practicing Jews, Israel does not consider them Jewish under religious law. Instead, they have been fighting to enter the country under a family-unification program that requires special government approval.

Community activists have accused the government of dragging its feet in implementing a 2015 decision to bring all remaining Ethiopians of Jewish lineage to Israel within five years.

Under Sunday's decision, an estimated 3,000 people will be eligible to move to Israel. They include parents, children and siblings of relatives already in Israel, as well as orphans whose parents were in Israel when they died.

"Today we are correcting an ongoing injustice," said Pnina Tamano Shata, the country's minister for Immigration and herself an Ethiopian immigrant. She said the program was a response to people who have waited "too many years to come to Israel with their families" and to resolve a "painful issue."

In a joint statement with Israel's Interior minister, she said the decision came in part as a response to the precarious security situation in Ethiopia, where tens of thousands of people have been killed over the past year in fighting between the government and Tigray forces.

It was not immediately clear when the airlift would begin. The government appointed a special project coordinator to oversee the effort. Kasaw Shiferaw, chairman of the group Activists for the Immigration of Ethiopian Jews, welcomed Sunday's decision but said there was still a long way to go.

"On one hand, this decision makes me happy. Three thousand people are realizing a dream and uniting with their families," he said.

"But it's not a final resolution. Thousands are still waiting in camps, some for more than 25 years. We expect the government to bring all of them," he said.

Pandemic to cost global tourism $2.0 trillion in 2021 - UN

NEW YORK, USA

The coronavirus pandemic will cost the global tourism sector $2.0 trillion in lost revenue in 2021, the UN's tourism body said Monday, calling the sector's recovery "fragile" and "slow".

The forecast from the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization comes as Europe is grappling with a surge in infections and as a new heavily mutated Covid-19 variant, dubbed Omicron, spreads across the globe.

International tourist arrivals will this year remain 70-75 percent below the 1.5 billion arrivals recorded in 2019 before the pandemic hit, a similar decline as in 2020, according to the body.

The global tourism sector already lost $2.0 trillion (1.78 trillion euros) in revenues last year due to the pandemic, according to the UNWTO, making it one of sectors hit hardest by the health crisis.

While the UN body charged with promoting tourism does not have an estimate for how the sector will perform next year, its medium-term outlook is not encouraging.

"Despite the recent improvements, uneven vaccination rates around the world and new Covid-19 strains" such as the Delta variant and Omicron "could impact the already slow and fragile recovery," it said in a statement.

The introduction of fresh virus restrictions and lockdowns in several nations in recent weeks shows how "it's a very unpredictable situation," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili told AFP.

"It's a historical crisis in the tourism industry but again tourism has the power to recover quite fast," he added ahead of the start of the WTO's annual general assembly in Madrid on Tuesday.

"I really hope that 2022 will be much better than 2021."

While international tourism has taken a hit from the outbreak of disease in the past, the coronavirus is unprecedented in its geographical spread.

In addition to virus-related travel restrictions, the sector is also grappling with the economic strain caused by the pandemic, the spike in oils prices and the disruption of supply chains, the UNWTO said.

Pololikashvili urged nations to harmonise their virus protocols and restrictions because tourists "are confused and they don't know how to travel".

International tourist arrivals "rebounded" during the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere thanks to increased travel confidence, rapid vaccination and the easing of entry restrictions in many nations, the UNWTO said.

"Despite the improvement in the third quarter, the pace of recovery remains uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence," it added.

Arrivals in some islands in the Caribbean and South Asia, and well as some destinations in southern Europe, came close to, or sometimes exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter.

Other countries however hardly saw any tourists at all, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, where arrivals were down 95 percent compared to 2019 as many destinations remained closed to non-essential travel.

A total of 46 destinations - 21 percent of all destinations worldwide - currently have their borders completely closed to tourists, according to the UNWTO.

A further 55 have their borders partially closed to foreign visitors, while just four nations have lifted all virus-related restrictions - Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Mexico.

The future of the travel sector will be in focus at the WTO annual general assembly, which will run until Friday.

The event - which brings together representatives from 159 members states of the UN body - was original scheduled to be held in Marrakesh.

But Morocco in late October decided not to host the event due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in many countries.

Before the pandemic, the tourism sector accounted for about 10 percent of the world's gross domestic product and jobs.

22 die in attack on DR Congo displaced people's camp

ITURI, DR Congo

A new attack on the Ivo displaced people's camp in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday claimed the lives of 22 civilians, an aid worker said.

The same camp was attacked less than a week ago when 29 people were killed.

Red Cross coordinator Mambo Bapu Mance told AFP that 20 people were buried immediately in two common graves, while another two who died of their wounds were buried later.

He accused the armed group Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) of carrying out the attack.

The Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a respected US-based monitor of violence in the region, cited the same death toll.

The army spokesman in the region, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, said the CODECO rebels were repelled, but did not elaborate.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles called for strong action against the perpetrators.

"The EU condemns the new appalling attacks committed by the militia against civilian populations, particularly the internally displaced persons," he wrote on Twitter.

"Decisiveness against the perpetrators and support & justice for the victims are necessary for a lasting peace in the region."

Gold-rich Ituri province has been plunged back into a cycle of violence since late 2017 with the rise of the CODECO militia, which has since split into rival factions.

Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu have been under a state of siege since May 6, an exceptional measure to combat armed groups including CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Pentagon to build up US bases in Guam and Australia to meet China challenge

By Ellie Kaufman, WASHINGTON USA

The Pentagon will focus on building up bases in Guam and Australia to better prepare the US military to counter China, a senior defense official said on Monday.

The moves have been prompted by the Department of Defense's global posture review, which President Joe Biden ordered Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to undertake shortly after taking office in February. Austin started the global posture review in March. The review is classified, but a senior defense official provided some details about the review's findings.

Biden "recently approved" Austin's findings and recommendations from the global posture review, Dr. Mara Karlin, performing the duties of deputy under secretary for policy, said at a briefing on Monday.

The Indo-Pacific region was a major focus, because of Secretary Austin's emphasis on "China as the pacing challenge," for the Department, the senior defense official said.

The Biden administration has made countering China its main foreign policy priority as tensions have increased with Beijing, particularly over the issue of Taiwan and senior Pentagon officials have publicly expressed alarm about China's efforts to upgrade and modernize its military. Last month Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said China had successfully tested a hypersonic missile in what was "very close" to a Sputnik moment.

To counter China, the review directs the Department to enhance "infrastructure in Guam and Australia," and to prioritize "military construction across the Pacific Islands," the official said, as well as "seeking greater regional access for military partnership activities."

"In Australia, you'll see new rotational fighter and bomber aircraft deployments, you'll see ground forces training and increased logistics cooperation, and more broadly across the Indo-Pacific, you'll see a range of infrastructure improvements, in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Australia," Karlin said during the briefing.

The global posture review also directs the Department to focus more on the Indo-Pacific region by "reducing" the number of troops and equipment in other areas of the world, "to enable improved warfighting readiness and increased activities" in the Indo-Pacific, the official said.

On Russia, the Department declined to provide specific information about how the global posture review is directing the US military to prepare to counter threats from Moscow. Broadly speaking, one of the goals of the review is to "re-establish readiness standards," so that the US military is "agile and responsive to crises as they emerge," the official said.

The US military is working to "re-establish readiness" in Eastern Europe "with the goal of strengthening a combat credible deterrent vis a vis Russia and the specific requirements of that region," the official said when pressed on the issue, but they would not go into more detail on how the US military is preparing to counter Russia.

In the Middle East, the review directed the Department to "continue to support the defeat ISIS campaign," with the current US military presence in Iraq and Syria, as well as continuing to work on building up "the capacity of partner forces," in those countries. But overall, the review directs Austin to "conduct additional analysis on enduring posture requirements in the Middle East," the official said.

Afghanistan was not officially included in the global posture review, because there is a "separate" National Security Council-led "process" that is "reviewing the way ahead for US presence there," the official said.

Overall, the US had "something like 75 consultations," with allies and partners when putting together the review, among them "NATO allies, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and over a dozen partners across the Middle East and Africa," Karlin said.

The review also did not include "functional capabilities" like nuclear, space and cyber, because those are being addressed in other Department specific reviews, the official said. - CNN

Sudanese authorities rearrested political detainees after release

KHARTOUM, Sudan

The Sudanese authorities re-arrested seven former officials shortly after their release on the same day under criminal charges.

Sovereign Council Member Mohamed al-Faki, Minister of Industry Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Empowerment Removal Committee, Wajdi Saleh, FFC Spokesperson Gaafar Hassan, SPA leading member Ismail al-Taj have been rearrested after their release on Saturday.

A defence team member Iqbal Ali confirmed their detention and told the Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the lawyers submitted a request to visit the detainees.

The authorities informed the lawyers that they are held under articles 58 and 62 of the Criminal Code related to inciting the regular forces to revolt, and inciting discontent among the regular forces.

Iqbal indicated a detainee under the two charges may be released on bail.

Also, that the Public Prosecution Office informed the lawyers that they had begun the investigation with some detainees and they would consider their release once the investigation is completed.

The lawyer further added that the authorities have to prove that the lawsuits are not malicious behaviour to prolong the detention period of the four detainees who were defiant to the military component.

The head of the Sovereign Council Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan signed a political agreement with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok including the immediate release of the political detainees arrested after the coup of October 25.

However, al-Burhan spoke about criminal charges against some of them without elaborating adding they have to face justice first.

There was no comment from the office of the prime minister.

The Sudanese Congress Party issued a statement saying they hold the Sudanese government responsible for the life and safety of the party leading member al-Sheikh and the other detainees.

A member of the Legal Committee of the Forces for Freedom and Change, Muez Hadrat, told Al-Jazeera TV on Sunday that the Sudanese army filed lawsuits against 25 leaders of the coalition immediately after their release from detention, including some ministers in the ousted government.

However, the authorities did not release any information about the number of detained persons after the coup. Some anti-coup activists say there are over a hundred pointing to detained resistance committees members.

Rwanda to start giving third doses of Covid-19 jabs

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda’s health ministry has announced that it will start giving third doses to the elderly and those who have underlying conditions starting on Tuesday.

The ministry says the implementation will be done in phases and will begin in the capital, Kigali.

Rwanda’s minister of state in charge of primary healthcare says third doses will be given to those who are over the age of 50.

Those between 30 and 50 will only get the extra shot if they have an underlying condition.

The World Health Organization says this group should get an additional jab, as they are at higher risk of infections after their first vaccines.

Health workers are also eligible for the third dose.

Out of a population of about 13 million people, more than three million Rwandans have been fully jabbed to date. - BBC

Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or as best player in world football for seventh time

PARIS, France

Paris St-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or - awarded to the best footballer of the year - for a record seventh time.

Messi, 34, helped his country win the Copa America, his first international honour, and has scored 40 goals in 2021 - 28 for Barcelona, four for Paris St-Germain and eight for Argentina.

Bayern Munich and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski came second, Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was third and Real Madrid's French striker Karim Benzema finished fourth.

The Ballon d'Or is voted for by 180 journalists from around the world, although there was no award in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (five wins) collected the award every year from 2008 to 2019, apart from in 2018 when Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won it.

Messi had already won the trophy more times than any other player and his seventh success comes after wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.

"It's incredible to be here again," he said at the ceremony, held at Paris's Theatre du Chatelet.

"Two years ago, I thought it was the last time. People were starting to ask me when I was going to retire but now, I'm here in Paris and very happy.

"It's a special year for me with this Copa America title. It meant a lot to win [1-0 against Brazil in the final] at the Maracana stadium and I was so happy to celebrate with the people from Argentina.

"I don't know if it's the best year of my life - I've had a long career - but it was a special one with the title with Argentina after the tough times and the criticism."

Messi also had warm words for the runner-up, 33-year-old Poland captain Lewandowski.

"I wanted to say to Robert that it was an honour to go up against him," said Messi. "He deserved to win it last year."

Lewandowski scored 53 goals in all competitions in 2021 for Bayern and was awarded the Striker of the Year prize, a new award that was only announced hours before the ceremony began.

Paris St-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma, who helped Italy win Euro 2020, won the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, while Champions League winners Chelsea were named Club of the Year.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri, 19, won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21, with England internationals Jude Bellingham, Mason Greenwood and Bukayo Saka coming second, fifth and sixth respectively.

Fourteen of the 30 players shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or currently play in the Premier League.

Chelsea had five players represented, with third-placed Jorginho joined by N'Golo Kante in fifth, Romelu Lukaku in 12th, Mason Mount in 19th and Cesar Azpilicueta, who tied for 29th.

Premier League champions Manchester City had the same number as Kevin de Bruyne came eighth, Raheem Sterling 15th, Riyad Mahrez 20th, Phil Foden 25th and Ruben Dias 26th.

Manchester United pair Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were sixth and tied for 21st respectively, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah was seventh and Tottenham's Harry Kane 23rd.

Ballon d'Or results

1.   Lionel Messi (Paris St-Germain/Argentina, forward)

2.   Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland, forward)

3.   Jorginho (Chelsea/Italy, midfielder)

4.   Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/France, forward)

5.   N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/France, midfielder)

6.   Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Portugal, forward)

7.   Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/Egypt, forward)

8.   Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City/Belgium, midfielder)

9.   Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain/France, forward)

China's president promises Africa 1bn Covid vaccine doses

DAKAR, Senegal 

China's president pledged to offer Africa one billion Covid vaccine doses on Monday, with the continent struggling to acquire enough jabs to immunize against the disease.

In a speech made via video link to a China-Africa summit near Senegal's capital Dakar, President Xi Jinping said his country would donate 600 million doses directly.

Further 400 million doses would come from other sources, such as investments in production sites, which are sorely lacking across much of Africa.

Xi's promise comes as part of a forum between China and African states with an emphasis on trade and security, among other issues, held in the city of Diamniadio near Senegal's seaside capital.

China invests heavily in Africa, and is the continent's largest trading partner with direct trade worth over $200 billion in 2019, according to the Chinese embassy in Dakar.

Beijing has also donated millions of doses of its home-produced Sinopharm vaccine to poor African countries since the start of the pandemic.

Critics charge that China's largesse forms part of a diplomatic offensive, however.

"We must continue to fight together against Covid," Xi told the summit. "We must prioritize the protection of our people and close the vaccination gap".

Vaccination rates in Africa are low compared to the rest of the world, with many states at the mercy of foreign donations due to the lack of local production facilities and prohibitive costs of mass purchases.

The summit in Senegal follows a visit this month from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal, against a backdrop of the growing rivalry between Beijing and Washington.

Blinken discussed boosting local vaccine-production sites with leaders during the visit and alluded to the sometimes fraught nature of the continent's deep relationship with China.

Last month, US President Joe Biden also announced vaccine donations to Africa, pledging 17 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine to the African Union.

At the forum, Senegalese economy minister Amadou Hott told attendees that a shift in the commercial relationship with China was needed -- away from projects financed by African governments taking on large debts.

We need more equity investment," he said, pushing for Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in local companies.

Beijing has often faced accusations of "debt-trap diplomacy" due to the scale of its lending to developing countries in Africa and elsewhere, using its creditor status to extract diplomatic and commercial concessions.

Blinken, in his recent trip to Africa, made reference to the accusations without naming China explicitly, saying in an address in Nigeria that Africans have been "wary of the strings" that often come with foreign engagement".

But China rejects the charges.

Wu Peng, the head of the Africa department at China's foreign ministry, told a news conference in Beijing on Friday that "debt-trap" accusations amount to a cliche.

China takes debt sustainability seriously, state-run news agency Xinhua reported him as saying.

Peng added that a general lack of funding is holding back African development, rather than unmanageable debts.

COVID VACCINE

G7 health ministers meet to discuss Omicron COVID-19

LIVERPOOL, UK 

G7 health ministers were to hold an emergency meeting Monday on the new Omicron COVID-19 strain spreading the globe and forcing border closures, as experts race to understand what the variant means for the fight to end the pandemic.

The meeting was called by G7 chair Britain, which is among a steadily growing number of countries detecting cases of the heavily mutated new strain.

Omicron, first discovered in southern Africa, represents a fresh challenge to global efforts to battle the pandemic. Several countries have already re-imposed restrictions many had hoped were a thing of the past.

"We know we are now in a race against time,” said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Vaccine manufacturers needed two to three weeks “to get a full picture of the quality of the mutations”, she added.

A long list of countries has already imposed travel restrictions on southern Africa, including key travel hub Qatar, as well as the United States, Britain, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Netherlands.

Angola became the first southern African country to suspend all flights from its regional neighbours Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday called on countries to lift the travel bans “before any further damage is done to our economies”.

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera accused Western countries of “Afrophobia” for shutting their borders.

The head of the World Health Organization in Africa also urged countries to follow the science rather than impose flight bans in a bid to contain the new COVID strain.

“With the Omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity,” said WHO regional director Matshidiso Moeti.

Dutch health authorities said they had identified at least 13 cases of Omicron among 61 quarantined passengers who tested positive for coronavirus after arriving from South Africa.

Border police there announced Sunday they had arrested a couple on a plane at Schiphol Airport after they fled a hotel where the passengers were being quarantined.

Despite the new threat, tens of thousands rallied in Austria to protest the government’s introduction of compulsory vaccination – the first EU country to do so.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said it was “a minor interference” compared to the alternative for a country with one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe.

With many European nations, including Germany and France, already re-introducing restrictions to counter surges in infections, Swiss voters firmly backed a proposed COVID pass law in a referendum Sunday.

In Britain, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said new COVID rules will be enforced from Tuesday, including mandatory mask-wearing in shops and on public transport in England, and tighter restrictions on passengers arriving from abroad.

As scientists try to determine the level of threat posed by the new strain, one South African doctor said dozens of her patients suspected of having the Omicron variant had only shown mild symptoms, such as fatigue.

Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, told AFP she had seen 30 patients over the past 10 days who tested positive for COVID-19 and who all fully recovered without hospitalisation.

Senior US government scientist Anthony Fauci said he “continues to believe that existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of COVID”, during a briefing on the new variant with President Joe Biden on Sunday.