Mediators call for Sudanese ceasefire talks to resume

By Samy Magdy, CAIRO Egypt

Saudi Arabia and the United States urged Sudan’s warring parties Sunday to agree to and “effectively implement” a new cease-fire as fighting showed no signs of abating in the northeastern African nation.

People board a bus to leave Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, June 3, 2023, as fighting between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces intensified.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting broke out in mid-April between the military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

For weeks, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been mediating between the warring parties. On May 21, both countries successfully brokered a temporary cease-fire agreement to help with the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. Their efforts, however, were dealt a blow when the military announced on Wednesday it would no longer participate in the cease-fire talks held in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah.

Following the military’s decision, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia said they were suspending the talks “as a result of repeated serious violations of the short-term cease-fire.” President Joe Biden’s administration imposed sanctions against key Sudanese defense companies run by the military and the RSF and people who “perpetuate violence” in Sudan.

ALSO READ: Sudan's army suspends cease-fire talks with rival RSF

In their statement on Sunday, Washington and Riyad said they continued to engage representatives of the military and the RSF who remained in Jeddah. They urged the Sudanese warring sides to agree to and implement a new cease-fire following the latest one which expired late Saturday. The aim is to eventually establish a permanent cessation of hostilities in the war-wrecked country, they said.

The statement said the discussions focused on “facilitating humanitarian assistance” and reaching an agreement on “near-term steps the parties must take” before resuming the talks.

The fighting has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, resulting in widespread looting and destruction of residential areas across the country. The conflict has also displaced more than 1.65 million people who fled to safer areas in Sudan and neighboring countries.

Aid groups’ offices and warehouses, health care facilities and other civilian infrastructure have been attacked and looted, including most recently the warehouses of the World Food Program in the city of Obeid in North Kordofan on Jan. 1.

There have been reports of sexual violence, including the rape of women and girls in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, which have seen some of the worst fighting in the conflict. Almost all reported cases of sexual attacks were blamed on the RSF, which didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Residents reported intense fighting over the past two days in Khartoum and its neighboring cities of Omdurman and Bahri.

Shelling and gunfire were heard early Sunday in parts of Omdurman, as the military’s aircraft bombed RSF positions in the capital area.

Fighting was also reported in the northern part of the Darfur region, which has witnessed some of the worst battles since the fighting began on April 15.

The clashes intensified between the military and the RSF in the town of Kutum in North Darfur province. Residents reported that the town’s market, many houses, and a camp for displaced people were burned down. There were reports of dozens of casualties among civilians.

Darfur Gov. Mini Arko Minawi said on Twitter on Sunday that Kutum residents have experienced “terrible violations” including killings and looting.

Minawi, a rebel leader who was named governor of the western region as part of a 2020 peace deal, declared Darfur a “disaster area.” He urged the international community to send humanitarian assistance “by all available means to save people in the stricken region.”

Guinea-Bissau votes to elect legislature a year after president dissolved parliament

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau   

Bissau-Guineans voted Sunday in a highly anticipated election to fill Guinea-Bissau’s national legislature, more than a year after the West African nation’s president dissolved parliament.

People line up to cast their ballots in Guinea-Bissau's legislative elections in Bissau, Sunday June 4, 2023.

Nearly 1 million voters were registered to elect more than 100 lawmakers from six parties with active seats in the National People’s Assembly, according to the Centre for Democracy and Development, an African human rights organization.

Guinea-Bissau is a small nation that gained independence from Portugal nearly five decades ago. The country has endured continued political turmoil, including multiple coups, since then.

President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, a former army general, took office after he was declared the winner of a December 2019 runoff election. He survived a February 2022 coup attempt when assailants armed with machine guns and AK-47s attacked the government palace.

Since assuming office, Embalo has cracked down on civic freedoms, while government bodies have lost significant independence, according to analysts. He dissolved the parliament in May 2022 and postponed the legislative election scheduled for the following December.

Lucia Bird Ruiz Benitez de Lugo, director of the West Africa Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said that Embalo has consolidated his grip on power since his controversial inauguration in February 2020.

“These elections are key in determining how much support the ruling party retains in parliament,” she said. “They will shape how isolated, or otherwise, the president, who has strained relations with the powerful military, will be during the remaining 18 months of his tenure.”

Polls opened early Sunday with more than 3,500 voting stations expected in the country and the diaspora. This is the country’s seventh legislative election since opening a multi-party system nearly three decades ago.

Citizens hope this vote will help set the country on the right path.

“This is a decisive election for the country, given the situation in which the country finds itself at the moment. Everyone is witness to the difficulties experienced,” voter Justino dos Santos Leguissimo said.

Others were thankful that they were able to vote at all.

“Today is a very special day for all Guineans, because we have finally come to exercise our civic rights again,” said Eunice Mafalda Lopes Queita Esteves, who cast her vote.

Results from Sunday’s election were expected to be contested after the results are announced in the coming days.

Senegal’s government suspends mobile internet access amid deadly clashes

DAKAR, Senegal

Senegal’s government temporarily suspended mobile phone data on Sunday as the country reels from days of deadly clashes between police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

Police in riot gear stand guard during clashes with demonstrators in Dakar, Senegal, Saturday, June 3, 2023. The clashes first broke out, later this week, after opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was convicted of corrupting youth and sentenced to two years in prison. 

The ministry of communication, telecommunications and digital economy said that because of the diffusion of “subversive messages in a context of public disorder in certain localities,” cellphone internet data would be suspended during certain time periods.

The statement comes after days of deadly clashes throughout the West African nation between Sonko’s supporters and police. The official death toll is unclear. The government says that 15 people, including two members of the security forces, have been killed, while the opposition says 19 people have died.

ALSO READ: Death toll from Senegal protests rises to 15 as opposition supporters clash with police

The clashes first broke out on Thursday, after Sonko was convicted of corrupting youth but acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. Sonko, who didn’t attend his trial in Dakar, was sentenced to two years in prison. His lawyer said that a warrant hadn’t yet been issued for his arrest.

Sonko came third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters maintain that his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.

Sonko is considered to be President Macky Sall’s main competition and has urged Sall to state publicly that he won’t seek a third term in office. Sonko hasn’t been seen or heard from since the verdict.

The international community has called on Senegal’s government to resolve the tensions.

The government had already suspended access to some social media sites, such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter, which it said was being used to incite violence.

At a news conference on Saturday evening, the government said it would take all necessary measures to secure the country.

ALSO READ: Senegal opposition leader Sonko convicted of corrupting youth, acquitted of rape

“I would like to reassure the Senegalese people that whatever attacks we have, the state will face them,” Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said. Around 500 people have been arrested across the country, including those belonging to political parties as well as those who are just trying to scare people, he said.

Rights groups have condemned the government crackdown, which it says has included arbitrary arrests.

Death toll from Senegal protests rises to 15 as opposition supporters clash with police

DAKAR, Senegal 

The number of people killed in days of clashes between Senegalese police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has now risen to 15, including two security officers, the government said on Saturday.

While Dakar was calmer on Saturday, clashes continued into the evening. In residential neighborhoods, protesters threw rocks at police, barricaded roads and set tires on fire. The army patrolled the streets as police fired tear gas at the demonstrators, inspecting and detaining people deemed to be causing trouble.

Residents peered over the rooftops of buildings, both shielding for cover and watching the clashes.

The clashes first broke out on Thursday, after Sonko was convicted of corrupting youth but acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her. Sonko, who didn’t attend his trial in Dakar, was sentenced to two years in prison. His lawyer said a warrant hadn’t yet been issued for his arrest.

However, the government said that Sonko could ask for a retrial once he was imprisoned. It was unclear when he would be taken into custody.

If violence continues, it could threaten the country’s institutions, say analysts.

"Never in their worst forms of nightmare (would) Senegalese have thought of witnessing the prevailing forms of apocalyptic and irrational violence,” said Alioune Tine, founder of Afrikajom Center, a West African think tank.

The most shared feelin

g about the current situation is fear, stress, exhaustion and helplessness. Thus what the people are now seeking for is peace,” he said.

The West African country has been seen as a bastion of democratic stability in the region.

Sonko hasn’t been heard from or seen since the verdict. In a statement Friday, his PASTEF-Patriots party called on Senegalese to “amplify and intensify the constitutional resistance” until President Sall leaves office.

Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said the damage caused by months of demonstrations had cost the country millions of dollars. He argued the protesters posed a threat to democracy.

These calls (to protest), it’s a bit like the anti-republican nature of all these movements that hide behind social networks and don’t believe in the foundations of democracy, which are elections, freedom of expression, but also the resources that our (legal) system offers,” Fofana said.

USM Alger claim Confederation Cup despite defeat

ALGERS, Algeria

USM Alger claimed a first CAF Confederation Cup title despite suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Young Africans in the second leg of the final, played at Stade du 5 Juillet in Algiers on Saturday night.

The Algerian hosts came into the match as clear favourites to claim the title, thanks to their 2-1 win in the first leg in Tanzania last weekend, but Yanga took the victory on the night thanks to an early penalty from Djuma Shabani.

The result left the tie 2-2 on aggregate, but USMA won on the away goals rule to secure a first continental title in their history, and become the first Algerian team to win the CAFCC.

Young Africans were awarded a penalty in just the fifth minute, as Saadi Radouani clumsily pushed down Kennedy Musonda in the box. Djuma Shabani expertly sent a shot into the top corner from the spot for 1-0 in favour of the visitors on seven minutes.

In response, USMA struggled to find an attacking rhythm, with their only notable highlights in the opening half-hour a wayward long-range shot from Tumisang Orebonye and a desperate penalty appeal from Aymen Mahious.

In the 31st minute the hosts created their first clear scoring chance, with Khaled Bousseliou’s chip into the penalty area finding the head of Mahious, but he put his effort wide of the mark.

Yanga could have doubled their advantage on the night shortly thereafter, with Fiston Mayele controlling a long pass into the box and being faced with only the goalkeeper to beat, but Adim Alilet made a brilliant recovery challenge.

USMA almost levelled the game in injury time before the interval, with Islam Merili teeing Bousseliou up to shoot on goal from the edge of the box, but Yanga goalkeeper Djigui Diarra made an excellent save to see his side 1-0 up at the break.

Eleven minutes into the second half came a potential turning point, with Yanga’s Ibrahim Hamad slightly mis-timing a challenge on Orebonye to give away a penalty. However, USMA skipper Zineddine Belaid saw his spot kick saved by Diarra, who also kept out a follow-up effort from Mahious, to see his team remain 1-0 up on the night.

As the second half wore on, USMA somewhat withdrew their attacking intent and looked to control the game via possession and time-wasting, knowing that they were on course for the trophy provided they denied Young Africans a second goal.

And the Tanzanian side never really provided a genuine threat, as they struggled to build momentum and take advantage of any nerves that may have afflicted USMA, even in the dying minutes of the match.

This allowed the hosts to see out the game before celebrating a famous triumph in front of their vociferous fans.

USM Alger (0) Young Africans (1) 1 (Shabani 7’ pen)2-2 on aggregate, USMA won the tie on the away goals rule

USMA:Benbot, Loucif, Alilet, Belaid, Radouani, Bousseliou (Belkacemi 74’), Merili, Chita, Merbah (Meziane 46’), Mahious (Benkhelifa 90+5’), Orebonye

Yanga: Diarra, Shabani (Moloko 90+6’), Hamad, Mwamnyeto, Job, Mudathir (Mzize 84’), Salum, Kisinda (Morrison 62’), Mutambala (Mussa 84’), Musonda (Azizi 72’), Mayele

Zimbabwe outlaws criticism of government ahead of elections

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Parliament in Zimbabwe has approved a controversial new law that criminalises acts that damage "the sovereignty and national interest" of the southern African country.

The new law was passed hours after the government announced nationwide elections for August 23rd. 

Critics claim the new law kills free speech.

"What they are criminalizing is differing opinion against Zanu-PF and different opinion from Mnangagwa himself, who is a presidential candidate for Zanu-PF and this happens at the edge of an election showing without any doubt that the envelope of reform is being done by Zanu, contrary to what they put particularly in the international community, that they are reforming", said Ostallos Siziba, National Deputy Spokesperson for the opposition's CCC party. 

A lawmaker from the ruling Zanu-PF party, told parliament the new law aimed to encourage Zimbabweans to be "patriotic".

The bill is the latest in a series of moves that critics say are aimed at shutting down dissenting voices in the run up to the elections.

Njabulo Ncube is the National Coordinator for the Zimbabwe Editors Forum:

"They want to be seen to be hardliners so they want this law to try and put fear in the hearts of the electorate, the hearts of the opposition by using this bad law which is coming on the eve of an election", said the national coordinator.

Eighty-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced strongman ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup, is seeking a second term in August.

His main challenger is Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year-old lawyer and pastor, who leads the recently formed CCC party.

Doctors' strike constrain health servises in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The provision of health care was constrained country-wide yesterday by the strike called by sector professionals seeking improved working conditions and wages.

The strike, led by the Association of United Health Professionals of Mozambique (APSUM) results from the alleged lack of consensus in the dialogue between nurses, laboratory technicians, drivers, assistants and the government regarding salary adjustment, the availability of work material and resolution of other grievances.

At the Mavalane Health Centre, in the country’s capital, services were suspended and patients referred to Maputo General Hospital emergency room [Banco de Socorro do Hospital Geral].

At Mavalane General Hospital, the pharmacy was closed for the first part of the day but opened later staffed by doctors who, however, appeared to be having some difficulty identifying and locating the medicines required by patients.

Eswatini government warns the US over conviction of pro-democratic legislators

MBABANE, Eswatini

Eswatini government Spokesperson, Alpheous Nxumalo, has warned the United States to stop interfering with judgements of the courts, Eswatini Observer, a State-owned newspaper has reported.

This comes after the US Embassy eSwatini issued a statement on Thursday afternoon, condemning the guilty verdict on incarcerated pro-democracy Members of Parliament Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube.

The MPs who were demanding democratic reforms inside Parliament, were arrested on politically motivated terrorism charges as per an order allegedly issued by King Mswati, an absolute Monarch.

“The U.S. Embassy is deeply disappointed by the June 1 guilty verdict for Members of Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube. Due to the arrest, long detention, and now guilty verdict, these elected representatives are prevented from representing the voices of their constituents.” Reads the statement in part, released by the US Embassy eSwatini.

But the Spokesperson quoted by the eSwatini Observer said, since time immemorial, the government of the Kingdom of Eswatini has never attempted to pronounce itself on the United States of America judicial verdicts.

"The genuine question now is what right does the USA Embassy in Eswatini has to interfere with our Kingdom Judiciary verdicts? The verdicts can always still be appealed in the higher courts of the land. The Kingdom of Eswatini remains highly committed to safeguard, protect and advance the enduring and warm diplomatic relations between the two States, however partners in a mutual contract must treat each other as such; not treat one as a subordinate.” said the Spokesperson.

Joe Biden 'fine' after fall on stage in Colorado

COLORADO, US

President Joe Biden tripped on a sandbag and fell as he completed handing out diplomas at the US Air Force Academy commencement in Colorado on Thursday.

Biden appeared fine afterward, walking without assistance to his seat in the stands. He was seen smiling and jogging toward his vehicle at the ceremony’s conclusion.

The White House said the president was fine after the fall and he later joked about it, yelling “I got sandbagged!” to reporters after stepping off Marine One Thursday evening.

The stumble began as Biden was jogging away from center stage, where he earlier delivered a commencement address to the academy’s graduates. He spent more than 90 minutes handing out diplomas and congratulating hundreds of cadets.

As he was moving toward his seat, he tripped, falling to the ground. The president landed on his right hip before lifting himself up on his right hand.

A group of men, including an official with the Air Force Academy and two Secret Service agents, grasped onto Biden’s arms to help him back to his feet.

As he got back up, Biden pointed back toward the ground where he tripped, indicating something had gotten in his path. Video of the moment showed sandbags placed in front of the podium near where Biden had been standing. Earlier, the sandbags had been used to weigh down two teleprompters.

The president returned to his seat in the stands without assistance, and appeared in good spirits as the ceremony concluded.

“He’s fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands,” communications director Ben LaBolt wrote on Twitter.

The president didn’t respond to questions about the episode as he departed Colorado about an hour after he tripped.

Biden is 80 years old, the nation’s oldest president, and is running for a second term. He’s had previous stumbles in public, including falling to the ground during a bike ride last year in Delaware. He’s also been seen slipping on the stairs as he boards Air Force One.

Despite those incidents, Biden’s doctor has said is physically fit to serve in office. In recent physicals, Biden’s doctor has examined the president’s stiff gait, determining it was a result of “wear and tear” changes on Biden’s spine.

The most recent physical determined the condition was unchanged, albeit with “possibly tighter hamstrings and calves.”

Biden’s aides say his schedule remains busy, and point to lengthy days on foreign trips as evidence of his continued vigor.

In his speech to graduates, Biden did make light of his age, which his political rivals have seized upon as evidence of an inability to serve another term.

“When I was graduating from high school 300 years ago, I applied to the Naval Academy,” he said to laughter.

Biden told US Air Force Academy graduates they were entering a rapidly changing world as he stressed the critical role of US support for its allies and partners and emphasized ongoing US assistance for Ukraine.

Biden said that the cadets will have “a lot to deal with” as they enter service amid a changing world with “proliferating” global challenges from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to strategic competition with China, as well as climate change and Artificial Intelligence.

And he stressed how America’s global partnerships are a “sign of strength” and praised the “incredible” people of Ukraine.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver. We always stand up for democracies, always,” Biden said to applause. - CNN

Senegal opposition leader Sonko convicted of corrupting youth, acquitted of rape

By Babacar Dione, DAKAR Senegal 

Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was convicted Thursday of corrupting youth but acquitted on charges of raping a woman who worked at a massage parlor and making death threats against her.

A riot police officer shots tear gas at demonstrators during a protest at the Cheikh Anta Diop University campus in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, June 1, 2023.

The court sentenced Sonko to two years in prison. He did not attend his trial in the capital, Dakar, and was judged in absentia. His lawyer said a warrant had not been issued yet for the politician’s arrest.

“With this verdict, the authorities want to prevent him from standing in the next presidential election,” lawyer Cire Cledor Ly said.

Sonko placed third in Senegal’s 2019 presidential election and is popular with the country’s youth. His supporters maintain his legal troubles are part of a government effort to derail his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election.

Sonko is considered President Macky Sall’s main competition and has urged Sall to state publicly that he will not seek a third term in office.

Corrupting young people, which includes using one’s position of power to have sex with people under age 21, is a criminal offense in Senegal that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to more than $6,000.

Under Senegalese law, his conviction would bar Sonko from running in next year’s election, said Bamba Cisse, another defense lawyer.

“The conviction for corruption of youth hinders his eligibility because he was sentenced in absentia, so we can’t appeal,” Cisse said.

However, the government said Sonko can ask for a retrial once he is imprisoned. It was unclear when he would be taken into custody.

Tensions were rising across the country before Sonko’s conviction and sentencing. Tight security surrounded the court as well as Sonko’s house on Thursday, and many businesses closed for fear of violence.

Shortly after the verdict was announced, clashes erupted throughout the country. At least one person was killed in the Casamance region, according to the government. In Dakar, protesters threw rocks, burned vehicles and in some places erected barricades while police fired tear gas.

“The verdict cements the criticism that Sall’s government is weaponizing the judiciary to eliminate prominent rivals that could shake his rule,” Mucahid Durmaz, senior analyst at global risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said.

“Despite being presented as a beacon (of) democracy, the Sonko cases demonstrate the structural issues Senegal grapples with. The court decision and the prospect of Sall’s bid for a third term in the election next year will fuel fierce criticism around erosion of judicial independence and democratic backsliding,” Dumaz said.

Earlier demonstrations turned violent in the leadup to the trial. At least one person was killed and several injured during a “freedom caravan” orchestrated by Sonko last week from his hometown of Ziguinchor, where he is the mayor, to the capital some 750 kilometers (465 miles) away.

US imposing sanctions as Sudan’s warring sides fail to abide by cease-fire deal

WASHINGTON, US

The White House announced Thursday that it will impose sanctions against key defense companies and people who “perpetuate violence” in Sudan as the warring sides failed to abide by a cease-fire agreement in the northeastern African nation.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan visits the troops in Khartoum, Sudan.

New visa restrictions apply to officials from the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces and leaders from the former government led by Omar al-Bashir who are “responsible for, or complicit in, undermining Sudan’s democratic transition,” according to the State Department.

President Joe Biden on May 4 laid the groundwork for the penalties when he issued an executive order that expanded U.S. authorities to respond to the violence and help bring an end to the conflict.

“These measures are intended to hold accountable those responsible for undermining the peace, security, and stability of Sudan,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

The Treasury Department said in a statement that four companies were designated: Al Junaid Multi Activities Co. Ltd., which is controlled by RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and his brother, RSF Deputy Commander Abdul Rahim Dagalo; United Arab Emirates-based Tradive General Trading LLC, a front company controlled by RSF Major Algoney Hamdan Dagalo, who also is a brother of the RSF commander; Sudan’s largest defense company, Defense Industries System; and the arms company Sudan Master Technology, which is linked to the SAF.

Tradive has purchased vehicles for the RSF that have been retrofitted with machine guns and been used to patrol the streets of Sudan. Al Junaid, also known as Algunade, operates 11 subsidiaries across multiple economic sectors, including the gold industry and has been a vital source of revenue for the Dagalo family and the RFS.

The SAF-connected Defense Industries System has hundreds of subsidiaries that manufacture small arms, conventional weapons, ammunition, and military vehicles. The company uses a complex system to hide its ownership of these subsidiaries and to obtain favorable letters of credit from the Sudan Central Bank and frequently defaults on those loans, according to the Treasury Department.

“Through sanctions, we are cutting off key financial flows to both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, depriving them of resources needed to pay soldiers, rearm, resupply, and wage war in Sudan,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. “The United States stands on the side of civilians against those who perpetuate violence towards the people of Sudan.”

People board a bus preparing to leave Khartoum, Sudan, on Thursday, June 1, 2023. On Wednesday, heavy shelling near a market in a neighborhood in the south of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum killed at least 17 civilians, the Sudan Doctor's Syndicate said.

It remains unclear how the sanctions will impact either force’s financing or the trajectory of the conflict, now entering its seventh week. The Biden administration says it is coordinating with the African Union, Saudi Arabia and others in the region, trying to press both parties to end the conflict.

Kholood Khair, the founder and director of Confluence Advisory, a think tank in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, said the sanctions will need the support of other regional stakeholders.

“The U.S. was likely motivated to act because repeat violations are undermining its clout, globally,” Khair said.

Late Thursday, the United States and Saudi Arabia suspended peace talks that had been taking place in the Saudi city of Jeddah since late May. In a joint statement, the two mediating countries said “the decision comes as a result of repeated serious violations of the short-term ceasefire and recent ceasefire extension” on Monday.

Sudan’s military had suspended its participation in talks the previous day.

The fighting between the Sudanese military, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, broke out in mid-April. The violence has killed at least 866 civilians, according to a Sudanese doctors group, though the actual toll is likely much higher.

Washington and Riyadh brokered a cease-fire on May 21, to allow for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restoration of vital services. There have been seven declared cease-fires since the conflict broke out and all have been violated.

The warring generals were the military wing of Sudan’s democratic transition following the ouster of Islamist leader al-Bashir in 2019, before seizing complete power in a coup in 2021. After agreeing to restore the transition, the pair clashed over the terms of RSF’s merger into the army, a disagreement that exploded into open conflict.

According to the U.S.-Saudi joint statement, the countries have told both sides what they need to do to “show a meaningful commitment to the Jeddah talks.” It also said the RSF and the military have privately informed each other of “confidence-building measures they want to see implemented” by the other force before resuming peace negotiations.

Earlier in the week, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia called out both sides for cease-fire violations, accusing the military of continuing to carry out airstrikes and criticizing the RSF for occupying people’s homes and seizing properties.

The fighting has reduced Khartoum to an urban battlefield, with many districts lacking electricity and running water. The conflict has also stoked ethnic violence in the western Darfur region, killing hundreds there.

Defiant Museveni stands ground against 'imperialists' threats over Anti-Homosexuality law

KAMPALA, Uganda

President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni has defended the move to assent to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law, urging Ugandans to remain firm as no amount of intimidation or actions will make him change the decision.

Speaking at Kyankwanzi, Museveni commended MPs for their support adding that once they are fighting for the right cause no one can defeat them.

He explained that he returned the bill to parliament because he had identified some illogicalities that had to be amended.

“If you are fighting for the right cause, there’s no force which can defeat you, but the problem I sometimes get with some of your groups is that you don’t take care to make sure that you are on the right side. This is why, I returned the bill last time, because I could see some illogicalities in it,” Museveni said.

He noted that the issue of homosexuality is a very serious one that centers around the human race, saying it requires a lot of seriousness when handling it.

The president said homosexuality was whispered and rumored about 200 years ago in this part of the world but was not publicized or promoted; it was considered purely private.

“Homosexuality existed in Buganda, Bunyoro and Karagwe in Tanzania in the last 200 years with a few people rumored to be homosexuals but there was no proof.  The people were not encouraging it, but also, they were not fighting it because it was like a hidden, small secret of some few people”.

He that when the issue emerged again in 2014, he tried to study the root causes of the vice to determine the genesis of it , whether it was genetic, hormonal or hereditary.

“So, when it came up in 2014, this time I tried to study this issue. What is it? Is homosexuality genetic? Is it inherited by some people? Is it hormonal, for example somebody gets an imbalance of hormones and ends up with some distortion?”

“When we had a long discussion, including a group that was brought by Sarah Opendi to Entebbe involving many African people; the conclusion was a no. This is a psychological disorientation by some people at some stage – it’s not genetic, it’s not hormonal, it is psychological disorientation where somebody, because of some experience, hates the people you should love and loves the people you should not love. It’s like a sickness.”

He  said that after thorough analysis with the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, three positions were identified which led to the clarification and amendment of the Homosexuality Bill.

“So, if that is the case, then what do you do? That’s why, therefore, I advised your whips, the ones I invited, to say, if somebody is psychologically disoriented, you can’t punish him for that. You can’t criminalize him for that. So that’s why, therefore, I persuaded your whips who came, to go back to Parliament and persuade you, that please make it clear that suspicion or merely being suspected cannot be criminalized, cannot and should not be criminalized because it is like a sick person.”

“Now I’m glad when they went back, apparently, they cured this. This was what was cured and because the Attorney General was there, he captured it. They did, and they added something saying that for the avoidance of doubt, mere suspicion will not be a problem. So, then what is the problem? The problem is that, yes, you are disoriented. You have got a problem to yourself. Now, don’t try to recruit others. If you try to recruit people into a disorientation, then we go for you. We punish you.”

He said when someone violently grabs children and they rape them, the law ensured the perpetuators are killed.

“If you are suspected of being a homosexual, it is not an offense in itself. You are a person to be helped on the issue of homosexuality. If you want help it should be given, because it was said that some of the people can be helped to get back to normal. But secondly, if you want now to disorient others, we go for you, we punish you by imprisonment. If you go beyond that and you start raping children and so on, we kill you. So there, we are,” he said.

President Museveni however told the NRM Caucus members of the concern by one of the officials from the World Bank who pointed out two issues in the current bill, that, if necessary, will be referred back to Parliament for scrutiny and amendment.

He said the two issues by the officials include requiring employers to make sure there are no homosexuals in their company  and blaming real estate owners for houses being rented by homosexuals.

“If that is there, then we should sort it out. So, these are the two areas which you should check again.

“What we tell you in the day is what we shall tell you in the night. Therefore, the signing is finished, nobody will move us. The other time when I met you at Kololo, I said you people should be ready for a war. And you cannot fight a war when you are a pleasure seeker, if you like a soft life. So, war is not for soft life.” - Africa

Ugandan troops regain control of base overran by Al Shabaab in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The Ugandan army, UPDF has finally regained full control of the forward operating base in Buulo Mareer, approximately 120km southwest of Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle region which had been overran by Al Shabaab militants last week.

The UPDF also uprooted the militants from the nearby Buulo Mareer town and surrounding villages which had also been captured by the terrorist group.

According to Maj Peter Mugisa, the spokesperson of the UPDF in Somalia, the combined infantry and motorized units of the Ugandan armed met resistance from Alshabaab sniper fire positioned in storied buildings and other pockets of resistance from fleeing remnants.

However, after heavy fire, the insurgents were overpowered, prompting many of them to flee and according to Maj Mugisa, some civilians who had abandoned the area due to the fire fight are now back to reoccupy their homes.

Brig Peter Gaetano Omola, the sector one commander overseeing the operation at Goloweyn tactical base noted that after thorough combing of the area, there is normalcy with civilians and travelers now free to carry on with their normal duties.

“We have combed the area to ensure no Alshabaab element is hiding and the road has been cleared of bombs. Normalcy has returned. People can now go on with their daily work,” Brig Omola reassured.

“As UPDF serving under African Union Transition Mission in Somalia remain committed to supporting a Somali led peace and stability process as mandated by African Union.”

The development comes on the backdrop of a deadly attack on a UPDF forward operating base in the area by Al Shabaab who overran it and killed several Ugandan soldiers while some were taken as prisoners.

Whereas no official figure has been given in regards the number of casualties, the attack has been described as the biggest defeat to the Ugandan army in Somalia since its deployment in 2007 under the African Union to fight Al Shabaab insurgents.

President Museveni has since blamed this heavy loss on panicking by the Ugandan soldiers at the base but was quick to warn that the Al Shabaab will dearly pay for its actions.

A board of inquiry has since been set up to investigate circumstances under which the attack happened.

South Africa mulls options on ICC arrest warrant for Putin

PRETORIA, South Africa

South Africa is mulling its options over an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin should he accept an invitation to a BRICS summit in August, a government official said on Wednesday.

A member of the ICC, South Africa would theoretically be required to arrest Putin under the warrant issued in March by the court, which accused him of the war crime of forcibly deporting children from Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.

Moscow denies the allegations.

However, South Africa had on Jan. 25 already invited Putin to the Aug. 22-24 meeting in Johannesburg of BRICS leaders of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

"There has been no firm decision," said Zane Dangor, director-general of the department of international relations, adding that ministers assigned to the matter would soon meet to consider a report setting out the options.

One option gaining traction among South African officials would be to ask the group's previous chair China to host the summit, said a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Putin would attend the gathering, the Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia would take part at the "proper level".

Former President Thabo Mbeki, whose views on international relations hold a lot of sway among government officials, said in a May 25 interview with radio station 702 that the summit was unlikely to take place in South Africa.

"Because of our legal obligations, we have to arrest President Putin, but we can't do that," Mbeki said.

A deputy minister, Obed Bapela, told Britain's BBC on Tuesday that South Africa was planning to pass legislation that would give Pretoria the option to decide whether or not to arrest leaders wanted by the ICC.

Bapela did not respond to requests for comment. However, a justice department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there wouldn't be enough time to get such a law approved by parliament before the summit.

 

South Africa on Monday issued diplomatic immunity to all leaders attending the meeting and a gathering of BRICS foreign ministers in Cape Town this week. The international relations department said this was standard procedure, however, for all international conferences in South Africa.

"These immunities do not override any warrant that may have been issued by any international tribunal against any attendee of the conference," department spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.

South Africa previously signalled its intention to withdraw from the ICC following protests about its failure to arrest Sudan's former president Omar al-Bashir, wanted on genocide charges, when he attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg in 2015.

The governing African National Congress decided in December that South Africa should abandon the process and try to effect changes to the ICC from within. - Africa

Regional force tackling East Congo violence extended to September

GOMA, DR Congo

A regional force set up to tackle militia violence in east Democratic Republic of Congo has been extended to September, a minister and a spokesperson for the force said on Wednesday.

The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force in April last year to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east.

The force's future had been uncertain since its mandate expired in March, and EAC leaders had expressed differing views on how it should operate.

Doubts over its effectiveness grew in April after the force's head, Major General Jeff Nyagah, said he had resigned due to obstruction and threats to his safety.

An EAC spokesperson confirmed reports that the force's mandate had been extended to September during a summit in Burundi on Wednesday.

Congo's Defense Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba also confirmed the reports.

President Felix Tshisekedi has been openly critical of the EACRF. He accuses it of not being aggressive enough and failing to rein in the M23 rebel group, which launched an offensive in the east of the country last year.

Tshisekedi had initially agreed to extend the EACRF's mandate until June.