Tuesday, 16 June 2020
Sudan: Mass grave found of Sudanese conscripts killed in 1998: prosecutor
DRC: Six killed as militia torches homes in east DR Congo: local official
Mali: Ambush blamed on jihadists kills 24 Malian troops
Malawi: Malawi courts stop forced retirement of chief justice
Libya: Turkey says Libya talks with Russia will continue
The AU Situation Room Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division (CPEWD), Peace and Security Department (PSD) Tel. (251-11) 5526 373 Ext. 4150 Tel. Direct: (251-11) 5515 143 Fax: (251-11) 5519 321, 5514 227 P.O. Box: 3243, Addis Ababa Email: [email protected] Website: www.peaceau.org
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... 2 CORONAVIRUS ...... 4 KENYA ...... 4 Kenya president's staff test positive for Covid-19 ...... 4 TANZANIA ...... 4 Tanzania shares latest Covid-19 data after freeze ...... 4 UGANDA ...... 5 Uganda's Bobi Wine and Besigye 'plan nationwide protests' ...... 5 NIGERIA ...... 5 Nigerian doctors strike for better benefits during coronavirus crisis ...... 5 Nigeria reports surge in rapes during virus lockdown ...... 6 BOTSWANA ...... 7 Botswana lifts coronavirus lockdown in capital city ...... 7 EAST AFRICA ...... 8 SUDAN ...... 8 Mass grave found of Sudanese conscripts killed in 1998: prosecutor ...... 8 Darfur suspect rejects 'untrue' war crimes charges ...... 8 Sudan prosecutor suggests Bashir may not be extradited to ICC ...... 9 REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN ...... 10 South Sudan army kills new rebel leader in Lakes State ...... 10 SUDAN-REPUBIC OF SOUTH SUDAN ...... 11 UN appoints new force commander for Abyei mission ...... 11 CENTRAL AFRICA ...... 13 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO ...... 13 Six killed as militia torches homes in east DR Congo: local official ...... 13 BURUNDI ...... 13 Burundi's new president Ndayishimiye to be sworn in Thursday ...... 13 WEST AFRICA ...... 16 MALI ...... 16 Ambush blamed on jihadists kills 24 Malian troops ...... 16 SENEGAL ...... 17 Senegal says two soldiers killed after vehicle hit anti-tank mine ...... 17 NIGERIA ...... 17 Buhari orders investigation into shooting at his home ...... 17 SOUTHERN AFRICA ...... 19 SOUTH AFRICA ...... 19 S.Africa's Ramaphosa condemns surge in femicides as lockdown eases ...... 19 ZIMBABWE ...... 20 Zimbabwe opposition trio charged with lying over torture denied bail ...... 20 MALAWI ...... 21
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Malawi courts stop forced retirement of chief justice ...... 21 NORTH AFRICA ...... 22 LIBYA ...... 22 Turkey says Libya talks with Russia will continue ...... 22 France wants talks about 'aggressive' Turkish role in Libya ...... 22
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CORONAVIRUS
KENYA
Kenya president's staff test positive for Covid-19
Four staff members working in the office of Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta have tested positive for coronavirus, a statement from the presidency says.
All four have been referred to a nearby hospital for treatment, it adds.
The president and his family are "safe and free from Covid-19", the statement says.
All staff, including the president and his family, are tested on a regular basis.
But to ensure that the spread is contained there will now be "extra access protocols" for those staff members who live outside state house.
Kenya currently has more than 3,000 confirmed cases of the virus and more than 80 people have died after catching Covid-19. (BBC)
TANZANIA
Tanzania shares latest Covid-19 data after freeze
Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said there are 66 active coronavirus cases in the country, the latest data by the government on the pandemic since it stopped giving updates on 29 April.
Mr Majaliwa said the 66 patients were hospitalised in 10 regions and that the rest of the 16 regions did not have an active case.
President John Magufuli had days ago declared the country "coronavirus-free" thanks to prayers by citizens.
The US embassy last month warned that hospitals in Dar es Salaam were "overwhelmed" and that the chances of contracting the virus was "extremely high" - but did not give evidence to back up its claims.
The prime minister in his briefing on Monday said the number of infections in the country had reduced. He urged Tanzanians to keep following the safety guidelines issued to prevent the spread of the virus.
The country's total number of confirmed cases remains unclear. On 29 April, the last day official data was released, the government said it had recorded a total of 509 cases including 21 deaths. 4 Disclaimer: Any views or articles presented in this email are solely those of the media source and do not represent those of the African Union
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu on 1 June said Dar es Salaam city only had four patients.
High schools, colleges and universities were re-opened on 1 June and sport events allowed to continue. (BBC)
UGANDA
Uganda's Bobi Wine and Besigye 'plan nationwide protests'
Uganda's opposition figures Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, and Kizza Besigye will plan nationwide protests against the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
They said the government had not put in place measures to protect and revive the economy after the effects of the pandemic.
In a joint press conference, the two leaders said they will join forces to unseat President Yoweri Museveni.
Bobi Wine, who before becoming an MP was a pop star, serenaded those in attendance with a song that criticised the president. (BBC)
NIGERIA
Nigerian doctors strike for better benefits during coronavirus crisis
ABUJA, June 15 (Reuters) - Resident doctors in Nigerian public hospitals went on strike on Monday to demand better benefits, including the provision of more protective equipment, as they battle the coronavirus, the union said.
Those treating COVID-19 patients will stay on the job but their union, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), gave the government two weeks to meet the demands or else they would also walk out.
Resident doctors are those who have graduated from medical school and are training as specialist consultants. They are pivotal to frontline healthcare in Nigeria as they dominate the emergency wards in its hospitals.
Strikes are common in Nigeria's public health system, with clinicians frequently seeking pay rises and improvements to under-funded infrastructure to meet the rising burden of healthcare in the West African country of 200 million people.
"If the government fails to meet our minimum demands within two weeks, the resident doctors working in (COVID-19) isolation centres will automatically join the strike," Aliyu Sokomba, the head of the union, said in a statement.
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The resident doctors are seeking a COVID-19 pay supplement in addition to life insurance for doctors and more funds in the federal budget for their training, among other demands.
The union has complained about inadequate protective equipment to treat COVID-19 patients and has said that 10 doctors have died so far from the highly infectious respiratory disease.
Health Minister Osagie Ehanire told reporters government officials were holding talks with the union.
Nigeria has had more than 16,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 420 deaths. Most cases have been in Lagos, sub-Saharan Africa's biggest city of 20 million inhabitants.
Last month, doctors in Lagos staged a one-day strike over what they described as police harassment of health workers trying to move through the city to treat patients during a coronavirus curfew. (REUTERS)
Nigeria reports surge in rapes during virus lockdown
Nigeria's police chief on Monday said the country had seen a sharp increase in cases of rape and domestic abuse of women during coronavirus lockdowns.
"It has come to the public knowledge now that because of the COVID-19 restrictions, we have a surge in cases of rape and gender-based violence," Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu told reporters in the capital Abuja.
"From January-May 2020, we have recorded about 717 rape incidents that were reported across the country", he said, adding that 799 suspects have been arrested.
Last week Women Affairs minister Pauline Tallen said that the number of abuse cases against women and children had "escalated three times" as victims were trapped at home.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with 200 million people, has been rocked by a string of high-profile killings and rapes of women in recent weeks.
The attacks have sparked an outcry online and street protests that forced officials to pledge renewed efforts to tackle widespread sexual violence in the country.
Governors from across the country announced a "state of emergency" over the issue and said they were "committed to ensuring that offenders face the maximum weight of the law".
According to the United Nations children agency UNICEF, one in four Nigerian women are sexually abused before they turn 18 -- and the majority of cases of sexual abuse in country are not prosecuted.
Last year the country launched its first national register of sexual offenders, a move seen as an important step towards clamping down on abuse.
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Nigerian authorities imposed lockdowns across the country to try to halt the spread of the coronavirus -- but most of these have now been eased.
Health officials have recorded 16,085 infections and 420 deaths from the virus in Nigeria since the first case in late February. (AFP)
BOTSWANA
Botswana lifts coronavirus lockdown in capital city
GABORONE, June 15 (Reuters) - Botswana on Monday lifted a recently reinstated coronavirus lockdown on its capital city Gaborone and surrounding areas after most of the cases reported last week turned out to be negative, the health department said.
Botswana ended a 48-day national lock down on May 21, allowing businesses and schools to reopen, but reinstated strict control on movement in the greater Gaborone region on Friday after health officials reported eight new coronavirus cases at one hospital.
But on Monday health officials said national government had retested the patients and the results had come back negative.
"We ended up having a total of 16 new suspected local cases on Friday but from those, 10 have been confirmed to be negative whilst the results on the six remaining are still pending," director of health services Malaki Tshipayagae said in a televised announcement.
"As a result the lockdown on the greater Gaborone region will be lifted at midnight today", said the official.
Botswana has reported a total of 48 confirmed infections, one death and 24 recoveries. (REUTERS)
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EAST AFRICA
SUDAN
Mass grave found of Sudanese conscripts killed in 1998: prosecutor
Sudan's public prosecutor announced Monday the discovery of a mass grave of conscripts killed in 1998 after trying to flee a military camp.
The committee tasked with investigating the killings at Ailafoon military camp "found the mass grave in the past four days after hearing witness accounts", said public prosecutor Tagelsir al- Hebr, without giving details on the number of bodies found.
"The grave was exhumed and now the committee will continue to work with forensic authorities and examine the evidence," said Wael Ali Saeed, a member of the investigation committee.
The Ailafoon military camp, located southeast of the capital Khartoum, was used for training new conscripts under the rule of now-ousted president Omar al-Bashir.
In 1998, a group of conscripts were killed as they attempted to escape the base for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays.
The Sudanese government said at the time that 55 young conscripts who fled the military base drowned when their overloaded boat capsized in the Blue Nile river.
Opposition groups accused the Khartoum government of carrying out the killings and reported a higher death toll of more than a 100.
Many Sudanese families reported that their sons went missing and their remains were never found.
Compulsory military service was widespread under Bashir, who used conscripts in the civil war against rebels in the oil-rich south, which seceded in 2011.
Sudan's military ousted Bashir in April 2019 following mass protests against his 30-year rule, triggered by steep price hikes on basic goods. (AFP)
Darfur suspect rejects 'untrue' war crimes charges
A Sudanese militia leader denied charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the Darfur conflict in his first appearance before the International Criminal Court on Monday.
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Ali Kushayb was formally told of the more than 50 charges against him as he appeared by videolink from a detention centre in The Hague due to coronavirus measures.
Kushayb, 70, turned himself in earlier this month in the Central African Republic after 13 years on the run stemming from allegations relating to the devastating conflict in the western Sudanese region.
"Yes I was informed of them (the charges) but this is untrue... they made me come here and I hope that I will get justice," said Kushayb, wearing a light grey suit and tie, and speaking in Arabic through an interpreter.
Judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala pointed out that Monday's hearing was not a trial, only a formality to confirm the identity of Kushayb, who is also known as Ali Muhammad Abdelrahman, and the charges against him.
"This is not the hearing for presenting your defence, you will have opportunities to do that. This is only the hearing for the judge to be satisfied that you have been informed of the charges," the judge told Kushayb.
A court official took nearly half an hour to read out the list of 53 charges including murdering civilians, destroying and burning villages, rape, pillage and forcible displacement.
The Darfur conflict broke out in 2003 when ethnic African rebels who complained of systematic discrimination took up arms against the government of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir.
The state hit back with violence by the mostly Arab Janjaweed militias, a campaign that saw the ICC accuse Bashir of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The United Nations says the conflict killed 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million.
Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron fist for three decades, was deposed in April 2019 following months of protests in Sudan, and is also wanted by the ICC.
Kushayb fled to the Central African Republic in February when the new Sudanese government announced its intention to cooperate with the ICC's investigation. (AFP)
Sudan prosecutor suggests Bashir may not be extradited to ICC
A Sudanese prosecutor suggested Monday that nationals wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes like ousted president Omar al-Bashir may not be extradited to The Hague.
Bashir, who was overthrown by the army in April last year amid huge protests against his rule, has been wanted by the ICC for his role in the Darfur conflict and faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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But prosecutor Tagelsir al-Hebr said "individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court are not required to be (physically) present at the court's headquarters (in The Hague)" for a judgement.
Hebr, who did not refer to Bashir by name, said "legal obstacles" concerning Sudan's "sovereignty" stand in the way of extraditing people to the ICC.
Hebr did not elaborate but said Sudan would "coordinate" any future action with the ICC.
His comments came as Sudanese militia leader Ali Kushayb, who turned himself in earlier this month after 13 years on the run, appeared Monday before the ICC via video-link from a detention centre in The Hague.
Kushayb, who was not in court due to coronavirus measures, was informed of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against him over the Darfur conflict. He denied the accusations.
The Darfur conflict broke out in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels who complained of systematic discrimination took up arms against the Arab-dominated government of Bashir.
The long-time dictator was ousted in April 2019 after months of street demonstrations against his three decade rule.
In December, Bashir was sentenced to two years detention in a correctional facility in an initial corruption case.
Pending rulings in other cases, he remains in Khartoum's Kober prison.
In February, a transitional government now ruling Sudan approved in principle the transfer of suspects wanted by the ICC to The Hague.
Several former aides to Bashir, including ex-government minister Ahmed Haroun, are also wanted for war crimes committed in Darfur. (AFP)
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN
South Sudan army kills new rebel leader in Lakes State
June 15, 2020 (JUBA) - South Sudanese army killed a leader of a new rebel group the 7th October Movement, in the Lakes State, said Maj Gen (PSC) Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesman of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF).
A former political detainee Kerbino Agok Wol announced on 5 June, the formation of a new armed opposition group saying that the "corrupt (ruling) elite" was the root cause of the political crisis in the country.
Wol was killed at Ayen Mayar village, Rumbek East County, Lakes State on Sunday 14 June.
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He "was killed along with three fighters, local youth leader (Monydiar Maker Mangar) who hosted him, Son of youth leader was killed, (while) his wife and 2nd son sustained gunshot wounds," Koang told Sudan Tribune on Monday.
"The injured are receiving treatment at Rumbek hospital," he added.
Asked about the circumstances of the killing, the SSPDF said they had received intelligence that provided justifiable reasons to launch pre-emptive offensive operations, without elaborating about the nature of these reasons.
"SSPDF had succeeded in containing a rebellion at infancy," he further said.
Sudan Tribune received photos showing Kerbino’s body on the ground surrounded by soldiers. He was wounded by a bullet on his left cheek.
Born in 1982, he joined the SPLA at the age of twelve, becoming a member of the “Red Army,” a contingent of child soldiers, after the arrival of his family to a refugees camp in Ethiopia.
Wol had been detained on 27 April 2018 without charge and incarcerated at the Blue House in Juba. After the riot of 7 October 2018, he had been imprisoned for 10 years for taking part in the organized insurrection by the inmates of the detention facility.
President Kiir, however, pardoned him and he was released on 3 January 2020, as part of the government commitment to create a conducive environment for peace implementation. (SUDAN TRIBUNE)
SUDAN-REPUBIC OF SOUTH SUDAN
UN appoints new force commander for Abyei mission
June 15, 2020 (JUBA) - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Monday announced the appointment of Major General Kefyalew Amde Tessema of Ethiopia as Force Commander for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
Tessema succeeds Major General Mehari Zewde Gebremariam who will complete his assignment on 7 July 2020.
The new UNISFA force commander has a distinguished military career with the Ethiopian Armed Forces spanning more than 30 years. He has also been a Council Member of the Ethiopian Ministry of National Defence since 2017. Recently, he served as the Head of Main Engineering Department of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces.
Also, he served as the Western Command Commander from 2017 to 2018, Deputy Central Commander from 2016 to 2017 and the Division Commander from 2012 to 2016. In 2015, he served as an AMISOM Sector Commander in Somalia.
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Major General Tessema holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Ashland University in the United States and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Command and Control of Military Unity and Formation from the Russian Federation Compound Force Academy.
The UNISFA was established on 27 June 2011 after the signing of an agreement on the border disputed Abyei area between Sudan and the SPLM ahead of the South Sudan independence.
The two parties agreed to demilitarize the area and to deploy Ethiopian troops to monitor the agreement implementation. Also, the mission has the authority to open fire in self-defence, to protect civilians and humanitarian aid. (SUDAN TRIBUNE)
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CENTRAL AFRICA
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Six killed as militia torches homes in east DR Congo: local official
Six civilians were killed and dozens of homes were torched in an attack in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo blamed on the notorious ADF militia, a local official said Monday.
The attack took place Sunday near the Eringeti-Kainama road, leaving four women and two men dead, said Sabiti Njiamoja, an official at the governor's office in Eringeti, in North Kivu province. "Six (other) civilians are reported to be missing and more than 60 homes were torched, " he told AFP.
Locals are burying the dead after the six civilians "were gratuitously murdered by the ADF," added Njiamoja, whose town along with Oicha and Mbau have become a triangle of death in North Kivu's Beni region.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have killed hundreds in the region since late last year, in apparent retaliation for a military offensive against their bases.
The ADF is a mainly Muslim movement that originated in neighbouring Uganda in the 1990s, opposed to the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
In 1995, it moved into the DRC, which became its base of operations, although it has not carried out attacks inside Uganda for years.
In January the army announced it had dislodged the ADF from its main strongholds and neutralised several of the group's leaders after months of military activity.
However attacks such as the one on Sunday have continued, with more than 500 people killed since the end of October, according to UN figures.
More than 1,000 civilians have died in attacks blamed on the ADF in the Beni region since October 2014. They often target farmers returning from the fields or at home in their villages at night. (AFP)
BURUNDI
Burundi's new president Ndayishimiye to be sworn in Thursday
Burundi's newly-elected president Evariste Ndayishimiye will be sworn in on Thursday, the foreign ministry announced, in a ceremony fast-tracked by the sudden death of the incumbent, Pierre Nkurunziza.
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Nkurunziza died on June 8 aged 55, of what authorities said was heart failure.
His death came less than two weeks after his wife had been flown to a Nairobi hospital for treatment for coronavirus, according to a medical document seen by AFP.
The foreign ministry invited diplomats and foreign organisations to "take part in the inauguration ceremony" in the capital Gitega, in a letter sent out on Monday.
Ndayishimiye, 52, a former army general and Hutu rebel like his predecessor, had been handpicked by the powerful ruling CNDD-FDD to run in a May 20 presidential election.
He won the vote with 68.7 percent, and an opposition bid to have the results overturned due to alleged fraud was overturned just days before Nkurunziza's death.
Normally, following the death of a president, the speaker of Burundi's parliament would step in as head of state.
But as the country already had a president-elect, the constitutional court ruled last week he should be sworn in immediately, instead of in August as planned.
Nkurunziza, a devout evangelical who believed he was chosen by God to lead Burundi, leaves behind a deeply isolated country in political and economic turmoil after his divisive 15-year rule.
His 2015 run for a third term in office sparked protests and a failed coup, with violence leaving at least 1,200 dead while some 400,000 fled the country.
United Nations human rights investigators have said the period since 2015 has been marked by likely crimes against humanity committed by state forces, citing extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, disappearances, torture and sexual violence.
Nkurunziza's decision not to run in the May 20 election stunned many, as it came after the constitution was changed to allow him to do so.
The government has yet to announce a date for Nkurunziza's funeral.
Suspicions are high that the president had contracted the new coronavirus, after months of assuring Burundi it was being protected by God from the pandemic, and taking few measures to combat it.
Officially the country has recorded only 104 cases and one death.
Nkurunziza's wife Denise Bucumi was hospitalised at the end of May with the virus. A medical document seen by AFP said she had tested positive for the virus and suffered "respiratory distress".
A medical source at the Karusi hospital where Nkurunziza died, told AFP he had also been in "respiratory distress" before his death.
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A medical source at the Kamenge university hospital in Bujumbura told AFP that the head of the institute of public health "came to requisition our hospital's only ventilator" last Monday.
Both were flown to the hospital in Karusi, but it was "too late, president Nkurunziza was already dead," a medical source in Karusi said. (AFP)
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WEST AFRICA
MALI
Ambush blamed on jihadists kills 24 Malian troops
A weekend ambush on a military convoy in central Mali left 24 soldiers dead and an unspecified number missing, the army said Monday, blaming the assault on jihadists.
In posts on social media, the army did not enumerate the missing but said eight soldiers escaped the attack on around a dozen vehicles Sunday at Bouka Were, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the border with Mauritania.
It was the latest in a string of assaults by jihadists who unleashed a revolt in northern Mali in 2012 that has spread to Burkina Faso and Niger despite the presence of thousands of French and UN troops.
A senior military official said earlier that some of the vehicles were able to extricate themselves from the ambush, but that of the 64 troops who had been in the convoy, only about 20 were present at a roll call, the source said.
"A search is under way to determine the fate of soldiers who have been listed missing," he said on condition of anonymity.
Another military officer and an official in the nearby town of Diabaly, who also asked not to be named, confirmed his account.
The Islamist insurgency, mainly led by groups linked to Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State group, has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Violence in recent months has engulfed central Mali, an ethnic mosaic where the state exercises little control and jihadist atrocities feed tit-for-tat assaults among rival communities.
The al-Qaeda-linked group Katiba Macina, led by an ethnic Fulani (Peul) called Amadou Koufa, is recruiting among the Fulani herding community, which has long been at odds with the Bambara and Dogon farming groups. These groups, in turn, have created their own "self- defence" organisations.
On Saturday, two Egyptian soldiers with the UN peacekeeping force MINUSMA were killed when their convoy came under attack in northwestern Mali, the United Nations said.
- Keita under pressure -
The violence has weakened the hand of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who is facing a rising clamour of protest and demands for political renewal.
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Tens of thousands of people rallied in the capital Bamako on June 5 on the heels of demonstrations in May over the outcome of parliamentary elections, which the president won, as well as over coronavirus restrictions.
More protests have been scheduled for this Friday.
Keita, who has been in power since 2013 in the former French colony, on Sunday reached out to the coalition behind the protests, saying, "My door is open and my hand always extended."
After jihadist attacks surged in February, Keita broke with precedent to say that he was seeking to forge a dialogue with certain rebel leaders.
"The number of deaths in the Sahel is becoming exponential and it's time that certain paths be explored," he said in an interview with French media.
However, Keita said at the time of his announcement that he had not received a response from jihadist leaders, and indications have yet to emerge that any such dialogue has developed. (AFP)
SENEGAL
Senegal says two soldiers killed after vehicle hit anti-tank mine
DAKAR, June 15 (Reuters) - Two Senegalese soldiers were killed and several others injured after their vehicle hit an anti-tank mine in the south of the country, the army said in a statement on Monday.
The incident occurred in the Casamance region of the country, home to separatist rebels who in 1982 formed the Movement of Democratic Forces for Casamance (MFDC), one of Africa's oldest rebellions fighting for independence.
The army said the soldiers were carrying out an operation aimed at accompanying residents back to the area, while combating illegal trafficking and armed groups. (REUTERS)
NIGERIA
Buhari orders investigation into shooting at his home
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an investigation into a shooting incident inside he grounds of his official residence involving security guards.
The incident reportedly happened following an altercation between one of his aides and some aides to his wife Aisha Buhari, and included her security guards.
The guards insisted that the presidential aide must self-isolate for 14 days on returning from a trip outside the capital, Abuja - in accordance with government issued guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 17 Disclaimer: Any views or articles presented in this email are solely those of the media source and do not represent those of the African Union
The security guards reportedly fired in the air. No casualties were reported.
Some staff attached to the first lady have been taken into custody by the police.
The incident happened last week but the news emerged at the weekend with both President Buhari and his wife making statements.
Mr Buhari says armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the presidency were given the necessary training especially in weapons handling and "where they come short, their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them".
A government statement says that the president ‘’is not, and was not at anytime in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation".
A statement issued by Mr Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said the "minor" incident happened outside the main residence of the president.
Earlier, in a tweet, First Lady Aisha Buhari called on the chief of police to release her staff ‘’in order to avoid putting their lives in danger or exposure to Covid-19 while in their custody". (BBC)
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SOUTHERN AFRICA
SOUTH AFRICA
S.Africa's Ramaphosa condemns surge in femicides as lockdown eases
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday condemned as "barbaric" and "acts of inhumanity" a surge of femicides since South Africa eased anti-coronavirus stay-at-home measures.
Murders of women have spiralled since the start of June, when lockdown restrictions were loosened allowing for more movement of people, according to the police.
Speaking at a ruling African National Congress virtual meeting, Ramaphosa said gender-based violence "continues to plague our country and we have been saddened by the continuous and recurring news of men attacking and killing women in the past few weeks."
"Men continue to kill women in the most horrific and barbaric fashion" he said, warning "it must end".
In a weekly newsletter earlier, he described the attacks as "acts of inhumanity".
One of the most gruesome attacks was that of an eight-months pregnant woman whose stabbed body was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort, a western suburb of Johannesburg.
Five days later, the body of another young woman was found on Friday dumped under a tree in Soweto.
Police have reported several other cases of femicide across the country in recent days.
The reasons for the sudden increase are being investigated. Police Minister Bheki Cele has said that an overall rise in crime was caused by the lifting of a ban on the sale of alcohol.
On Saturday Ramaphosa referred to the past week as "a dark and shameful week for us as a nation".
"We note with disgust that at a time when the country is facing the gravest of threats from the pandemic, violent men are taking advantage of the eased restrictions on movement to attack women and children," he said in a statement.
Ramaphosa called on young men to become even more active in fighting gender-based violence as he spoke on the eve of the 44th anniversary of the June 16 Soweto massacre of black school children by the apartheid regime.
Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi joined calls to end femicide saying "enough is enough".
"Let's be the generation of men to break this attack on women," he said to his half-a-million Instagram followers. 19 Disclaimer: Any views or articles presented in this email are solely those of the media source and do not represent those of the African Union
South Africa is ranked among countries with one of the highest levels of intimate partner violence in the world.
A woman is killed every three hours in South Africa, according to police statistics -- a rate five times the world average. Around one in two are murdered by men with whom they had a close relationship. (AFP)
ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe opposition trio charged with lying over torture denied bail
A Zimbabwean court on Monday denied bail to an opposition lawmaker and two activists accused of lying to police about being abducted and tortured last month, a lawyers’ group said.
Movement for Democratic Change Alliance MP Joana Mamombe and party youth assembly activists Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova were arrested at their lawyer's offices last Thursday.
They had visited the lawyer to discuss another case in which they were charged for staging a protest last month.
The three women were admitted to hospital with various injuries after they were arrested in that case and said they had been taken to a location out of town by unidentified men who allegedly beat them and sexually assaulted one of them.
"They have been denied bail," a spokesman for Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Kumbirai Mafunda, told journalists after they appeared in court.
"The magistrate agreed with the prosecution’s submission that there were compelling reasons for not releasing them on bail, saying they are likely to abscond coming to court for trial," he said.
They have denied making false reports to the police.
MDC-Alliance spokeswoman Fadzai Mahere has queried how the women could be said to have lied about their abduction and torture when they had injuries to show for the assaults.
Last Wednesday, nine UN special rapporteurs — who do not speak for the UN but report their findings to it — called on Zimbabwe to drop the earlier charges against the women and stop the reported pattern of disappearances and torture. (AFP)
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MALAWI
Malawi courts stop forced retirement of chief justice
The courts in Malawi have issued two separate orders stopping the government from sending the country's Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda on leave pending retirement.
By law, judges in Malawi have to retire when they reach 65, but Mr Nyirenda will only turn 65 at the end of next year.
The government said that seeing as he had accumulated so many leave days - more than he had time left to serve - he should step down now.
But the courts have tried to put a stop to this.
Malawi's courts and the presidency have been on a collision course since judges nullified President Peter Mutharika's re-election last year and ordered fresh presidential elections, which will now be held on 23 June.
Mr Mutharika is facing a stiff challenge from opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera who is heading a coalition of nine opposition political parties. (BBC)
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NORTH AFRICA
LIBYA
Turkey says Libya talks with Russia will continue
Turkey and Russia will continue to hold talks on a ceasefire in Libya despite a high-level meeting being cancelled on the weekend, Turkish officials said on Monday.
Russian ministers were due to visit Istanbul on Sunday but both countries said the visit would not take place, and neither gave a reason.
"We decided it would be more helpful to continue talks at a technical level," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in Istanbul on Monday.
Turkey supports the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, which is fighting against Russia-backed military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
Reports in Turkish media suggested the two sides disagreed over the details of a ceasefire and agreed to downgrade the level of talks to try to resolve the issues.
However, Cavusoglu insisted there were no differences in opinion over "fundamental principles" regarding Libya, but that it was important to prevent another failed ceasefire.
A previous truce attempt collapsed earlier this year and shortly afterwards the GNA began to register battlefield victories -- with the help of Turkish military advisers and drones.
Cavusoglu said it would be "unrealistic" for Turkey and Russia to make decisions without consulting the Libyans, "especially the legitimate government".
He dismissed speculation of a link with the situation in Syria, where Turkey and Russia are also on opposing sides of the war. (AFP)
France wants talks about 'aggressive' Turkish role in Libya
PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) - France wants talks with NATO allies to discuss Turkey's increasingly "aggressive" role in Libya, a presidential official said on Monday, and the foreign ministry accused Ankara of thwarting truce efforts by breaking a U.N. arms embargo.
Turkey, which backs the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, has secured a foothold in Libya by helping to repel an assault on the capital by the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia.
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A Turkish source said on Monday that the Tripoli government was discussing possible Turkish use of two military bases in Libya, with a view to establishing a lasting Turkish presence.
Paris has been accused of supporting Haftar politically, having previously given him military assistance to fight Islamist militants. France denies backing Haftar but has stopped short of castigating his allies, while repeatedly criticising Turkey.
In a statement on Monday, the ministry said that "foreign interference, in particular the intensification of Turkish support", including what it said was a violation of the arms embargo, was thwarting efforts to secure a ceasefire.
"These interferences are becoming very problematic and, despite our efforts, the situation is getting bogged down. This increasingly aggressive posture is not acceptable," the presidential official said.
"Turkey is supposed to be a NATO partner, so this cannot continue."
Asked what Paris had in mind, the official said there would be discussions soon with Turkey and other NATO partners.
NATO defence ministers are due to hold talks on Wednesday and Thursday.
Ties between Turkey and France are already strained on issues ranging from Syria to oil exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan this month said France's support for Haftar had "really upset" him. (REUTERS)
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