Politics

Peace deal stalls in South Sudan

Published

5 years ago

June 23, 2018

The latest attempt at ending South Sudan’s five-year civil war has failed as President Salva Kiir declined to work again with rival Riek Machar after their first face-to-face meeting in almost two years.

“This is simply because we have had enough of him,” government spokesman Michael Makuei said.

The rivals had met in neighboring Ethiopia on its prime minister’s invitation, shaking hands and being coaxed into an awkward embrace as they held direct talks. They shook hands again as regional heads of state and government met to discuss the civil war in the world’s youngest nation.

But it became clear that while South Sudan’s government was open to having the opposition in the vice president’s role, it would not accept Machar’s return to that post. Machar fled the country after new fighting erupted in the capital, Juba, in July 2016, ending a brief attempt at peace in which he returned to his role as Kiir’s deputy.

Kiir and his archrival Riek Machar have, however, agreed to meet in Sudan’s capital for their second round of talks in nearly two years, the Sudanese foreign ministry said, even as expectations for a possible agreement are quite low.

The talks on Monday in Khartoum will follow meetings between the two leaders in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday and Thursday, as both sides face an end-of-June deadline to avert United Nations sanctions over a civil war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.

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Politics

EU agrees sanctions framework for actors linked to Sudan war— Sources

Published

14 hours ago

October 3, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Sources close to developments in Sudan have revealed that European Union ambassadors on Monday agreed on a framework of sanctions against actors linked to the ongoing crisis in the country.

The proposal for sanctions was submitted in July, but it was not approved until Monday. Later this month, the EU’s foreign ministers will give their final approval before the bloc can begin adding people and organisations to the list.

The sanctions are likely to be in the form of asset seizures and travel bans, similar to measures already taken by the United States, Britain, Norway and Germany, who all plan to submit a motion to the United Nations Human Rights Council to set up an investigation into alleged atrocities in Sudan, including ethnically motivated killings, a draft motion showed on Friday.

Last week, The US continued its sanctions on persons of interest in the crisis as it imposed sanctions on two companies, including one based in Russia, and one person. The move is the latest in sanctions imposed by Washington following a conflict that erupted in mid-April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over proposals for a political transition and the incorporation of the RSF into the military, four years after long-time ruler, Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in an uprising.

The United Kingdom has also penalised at least six commercial entities in relation to the conflict which has rendered more than 5 million people displaced and killed hundreds.

Politics

Tunisian opposition leader, Ghannouchi to begin hunger strike in prison

Published

4 days ago

September 30, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Embattled Tunisian opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, who has been a political prisoner since April, has threatened to begin a hunger strike in captivity.

Ghannouchi’s party, Ennahda made the announcement in a statement on Friday, stating that the 82-year-old fierce critic of President Kais Saied, has now decided to stay without food.

Ghannouchi was convicted in absentia in May after his refusal to appear before judges on the grounds that the accusations were false and the prosecution was politically motivated.

Along with other jailed opposition figures, who accuse Saied of a coup for closing the elected parliament and implementing rule by decree, he is also accused of planning against state security.

Since coming into power, President Saied has been firm on dissenting voices in the country. More than 20 political personalities, including Ghannouchi, have been detained by the police this year on suspicion of attempting to undermine state security.