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40 civilians killed in paramilitary forces attack in Sudan

Several corpses remained exposed in the village, as the RSF is preventing displaced villagers from returning to bury the dead..reports Asian Lite News

At least 40 civilians were killed on Sunday in an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a village in central Sudan, according to a local resistance committee.

“An RSF attack on Gouz Al-Naqa village of Abu Gouta area in Gezira State killed at least 40 civilians,” the Abu Gouta Resistance Committee, a non-governmental group, said in a statement.

Several corpses remained exposed in the village, as the RSF is preventing displaced villagers from returning to bury the dead, according to the statement.

The committee called on civil society organizations to put pressure on the RSF to allow residents to enter the village and bury the deceased. The RSF has not yet made any comment about the attack.

The RSF took control of Gezira State in December 2023 after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) withdrew from Wad Madani, the capital of the state. Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has resulted in at least 16,650 deaths and displaced millions of people.

UN chief ‘gravely alarmed’

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “gravely alarmed” by reports of a full-scale assault on North Darfur’s city of el-Fasher in Sudan, says a UN spokesperson.

Guterres on Saturday called on the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to immediately halt the attack, warning that any further escalation threatens to spread the conflict along intercommunal lines throughout the country’s Darfur region, the spokesperson said in a statement.

“He calls on Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemedti’ Dagalo to act responsibly and immediately order a halt to the RSF attack,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Saturday, referring to the RSF commander.

“It is unconscionable that the warring parties have repeatedly ignored calls for a cessation of hostilities.” Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital Khartoum and spread to other regions, including Darfur.

The UN has said that more than 14,000 people have been killed and 33,000 injured as the war triggered the world’s largest displacement crisis. UN officials have warned the worsening violence around el-Fasher threatens to unleash more intercommunal strife.

Darfur has seen some of the war’s worst atrocities, and the RSF has besieged el-Fasher since May – but fighting has escalated in the past week.

United States National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Saturday that the conflict will be on the agenda when US President Joe Biden meets United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday.

Sudan and the UAE have clashed at the UN Security Council (UNSC) over accusations by the army-aligned Sudanese government that the UAE is arming and supporting the RSF.

“Hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in el-Fasher are now at risk of the consequences of mass violence,” Martha Pobee, the UN’s assistant secretary-general for Africa, told the UNSC on Wednesday.

“As fighting engulfs the city, it has further exposed an extremely vulnerable population, including internally displaced persons living in large camps near el-Fasher. This violence has also affected healthcare facilities.”

In June, the UNSC adopted a resolution calling for “an immediate halt to the fighting and for de-escalation in and around el-Fasher”. In January, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, said there are grounds to believe both the warring sides may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Darfur.

Earlier this month, the UN’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan called for an “independent and impartial force” in Sudan and the widening of an arms embargo to protect civilians in the escalating conflict.

A 19-page report by the mission based on 182 interviews with survivors, their family members and witnesses conducted between January and August 2024 said both the Sudanese army and the RSF were responsible for attacks on civilians “through rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, as well as torture and ill-treatment”.

Sudan reports over 9,500 cholera cases

Sudan’s Ministry of Health said that 9,533 cases of cholera, including 315 deaths, had been recorded in the country.  The ministry said in a statement that the cumulative infection rate of the latest outbreak had reached 9,533 cases as of Sunday.

Last month, Sudan’s Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim officially declared a cholera outbreak in the country. “The lab test of watery diarrhoea at the Public Health Laboratory proves it to be cholera,” Ibrahim said in a statement.

The announcement came shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) said that about 316 people died of cholera in Sudan. WHO’s spokesperson Margaret Harris reportedly said in a media call that 11,327 cholera cases with 316 deaths had been reported in Sudan and that dengue fever and meningitis infections were also on the rise.

She also said that the WHO expects the actual number of cholera infections to be higher than what had been reported. Since the war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, epidemic diseases such as cholera, malaria, measles, and dengue fever have spread, leaving hundreds dead.

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IMF urges Kenya to intensify reforms

Haimanot Teferra said that the IMF and Kenyan officials had talks on policies and reforms to address the economic and fiscal challenges…reports Asian Lite News

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday urged Kenya to intensify efforts to tackle budgetary and economic challenges, following reforms in the East African country that sparked mass protests in June.

Haimanot Teferra, the IMF team leader who concluded a six-day visit to Kenya, said discussions centered on policies and reforms to tackle the country’s growing fiscal issues.

“We remain fully committed to supporting the authorities on their efforts to identify a set of policies that could support the completion of the reviews under the ongoing program as soon as feasible,” Teferra said in a statement Tuesday evening.

She said that the IMF and Kenyan officials had talks on policies and reforms to address the economic and fiscal challenges. Kenyan authorities reaffirmed their commitment to advancing economic and governance reforms essential for fostering sustainable and inclusive growth for all Kenyans. “We will continue our discussions with the authorities,” she added, Xinhua news agency reported.

The IMF’s visit comes a few months after Kenyan President William Ruto withdrew the Finance Bill 2024 from the parliament following nationwide protests. The bill sought to raise an additional 346.7 billion shillings ($2.7 billion) through new taxes on essential goods and services, such as bread and mobile money transfers, to meet government revenue targets.

Some protesters accused the IMF of contributing to the crisis, arguing that the institution’s loans come with stringent conditions that disproportionately impact the poor.

Report for energy consuming facilities released

Meanwhile, Kenya has published a performance benchmarking study report for energy-consuming facilities to reduce greenhouse emissions in the country.

Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria, Director-General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, told journalists in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the study targeted the cement, sugar, tea, dairy, flower sectors, fast-moving consumer goods and hospitality sectors.

“The study is central to our collective efforts on improving energy efficiency in our industries and other businesses,” Kiptoo said. According to the study, some of the industries performed poorly in terms of energy use index, while others performed better compared to other jurisdictions.

Kiptoo noted that the Kenya tea sector lags behind Sri Lanka and India in energy efficiency performance while the sugar industry performs worse than Brazil and Thailand. He revealed, however, that in the cement sector, Kenya outperformed Egypt and Canada while the country’s fast-moving consumer goods categories performed above that of Nepal.

Kiptoo said that the study recommends that Kenya adopt electricity efficiency utilization ratio benchmarks because it provides some of the quickest and most cost-effective emission mitigation options while lowering the overall cost of production.

Awareness campaign on ozone layer depletion

Kenya has pledged to scale up an awareness campaign on the devastating impacts of ozone layer depletion. Aden Duale, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said the campaign will provide an opportunity to further educate the public on the health and ecological impacts of depleting the ozone layer, a part of the earth’s atmosphere that absorbs the bulk of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

During the 2024 World Ozone Day national celebrations held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Duale said the government is committed to phasing out ozone-depleting substances.

Kenya is in full compliance with phase-out obligations of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and it is also on course to meet the 67.5-percent reduction target by 2025 under the Montreal Protocol, Duale said.

“We have made significant strides in phasing out ozone-depleting substances and are working diligently to meet our obligations under the Kigali Amendment, which calls for the phasedown of HCFCs,” he added.

According to the Kigali amendment, countries are supposed to phase down the production and consumption of HCFCs, thus creating the potential to avoid up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century.

Duale said the Montreal Protocol has put the ozone layer on the road to recovery by phasing out Ozone-Depleting Gases and, in the process, helping mitigate climate change.

He added that the Montreal Protocol has directly contributed to reducing global warming by targeting substances like chlorofluorocarbons and HCFCs, which are also potent greenhouse gases. Duale said that Kenya has developed policies and legislation to guide cold chains for fresh produce to cooling in the transport and hospitality sectors as efforts aimed at achieving low global warming potential and energy-efficient alternatives.

World Ozone Day celebrates the Montreal Protocol, a landmark UN agreement adopted in 1987 that united the world to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances to protect the ozone layer.

Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, urged nations to promote activities under the objectives of the Montreal Protocol and its amendments.

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China’s defence tech shine at Africa airshow

Chinese enterprises participating in the air show displayed China’s star products in the fields of armored assault, fire strike, air defense and anti-missile, intelligent ammunition, unmanned and anti-unmanned systems through models and multimedia…reports Asian Lite News

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠China’s leading defense equipment displayed at the 2024 Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (AAD) grabbed the spotlight in South Africa, attracting delegations from various countries.

The 2024 AAD, Africa’s largest airshow, kicked off on Wednesday at an air force base near Pretoria, South Africa’s administrative capital.

Chinese enterprises participating in the air show displayed China’s star products in the fields of armored assault, fire strike, air defense and anti-missile, intelligent ammunition, unmanned and anti-unmanned systems through models and multimedia.

On the first day of the air show, South African Defense Minister Angie Motshekga visited the exhibition area of Chinese defense enterprises.

“For me, it’s very interesting to show the world that war or defense has really become highly technical, it has become highly scientific. And therefore, of any relevance, you have to move quicker on science and technology,” said Motshekga.

As the largest air show in Africa, the AAD is held every two years. This year, the air show will open for the public on Saturday.

Daniel du Plessis, marketing and communications director at South African company Milkor, announced the debut of their new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Milkor 380. “This is the largest UAV to be produced on the African continent. It could be used for continuous border surveillance and send back information for those on the ground to react accordingly, which is very effective in reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and surveillance,” he said.

Companies from China, Botswana, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, India, Russia, Armenia, and Albania participated in the exhibition.

China’s ‘Chubby Girl’ Y-20 on display

Nicknamed ‘Chubby Girl’, the Y-20 (Kunpeng) aircraft, which is reportedly China’s largest multi-role tanker aircraft, is expected to take to the skies during the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (AAD 2024) being held from Wednesday to Sunday.

The multi-role transporter is expected to perform “carefully choreographed manoeuvres” during the five-day AAD 2024, which is South Africa’s largest aerospace and defence exhibition.

“We will strive to demonstrate the outstanding performance of the Y-20 and the excellent combat prowess of Chinese air force pilots,” PLA Daily quoted a Chinese defence personnel as saying.

An export-oriented version of the aircraft the Y-20BE, developed by the state-owned Xian Aircraft Corporation, is being promoted by China at various airshows. It was showcased at the recently concluded Egypt International Airshow.

Notable for its significant transport capacity and advanced technology, the Y-20 has a maximum cargo capacity of 66 tons, making it suitable for transporting military equipment such as tanks and helicopters over long distances.

It has been dubbed as “a plane from China that the US truly fears,” as it significantly boosts the Chinese military’s amphibious attack capabilities.

The aircraft was first delivered to the PLAAF(People’s Liberation Army Air Force) on July 6, 2016. Since then it has participated in various missions, including humanitarian aid deliveries and military exercises.

Indian defence industry optimistic

Eight public sector and two private defence sector companies of India participating in the Africa Aerospace and Defence expo are showcasing high quality of products and the level of after sales service offered to garner more business.

Harping on maintenance as a key factor in ensuring support, these top defence sector companies are confident that India’s prowess in air, land and maritime products will find favour on the continent and globally, officials attending the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) said.

Held biennially at the Waterkloof Airforce Base in the City of Tshwane – South Africa’s administrative capital, the AAD Expo is one of the largest contributors to the country’s GDP.

This year’s edition of AAD, which combines both a trade exhibition and an air show, is being held from September 18 till 22.

“Our products in combat situations have done well and therefore offer a good choice for the African countries. I’m sure, they will go back with good orders,” said High Commissioner Prabhat Kumar after officially opening the India Pavilion at AAD on Wednesday.

Sanjay Dwivedi, chairman and managing director of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a government of India enterprise within the Ministry of Defence, said it the first time that they are participating as an exhibitor.

The AVNL has manufactured different types of tank variants, combat  vehicles and their variants and different types of mine-protected vehicles and engines used in the tanks since 1962.

“We know that there is a lot of potential in the African defence market where we can sell our products as well as support makeup and modernisation of their vehicles,” Dwivedi said.

Stating that he did not see South Africa, also a strong tank developer, as a competitor, Dwivedi said, “Today’s world is not only one of competition. Today’s world is one of collaboration and partnership.”

Manoj Yadav, General Manager Marketing at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, said his company is showcasing its latest product, an advanced light helicopter.

Girish Pradhan, executive director of Bharat Dynamics Limited, said there was a lot of potential for the combat weapons being supplied to the Indian armed forces to be deployed in South Africa.

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Humanitarian Crisis in East Africa

473 Dead, 410,350 Displaced in East Africa by May 17…reports Asian Lite News

Heavy rains and flash floods have affected an estimated 1.6 million people in eastern Africa, the United Nations relief agency said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday that as of May 17, 473 people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Tanzania have lost their lives, and nearly 410,350 people have been displaced, Xinhua news agency reported.

Humanitarian agencies across the region continue to support governments in search and rescue operations, conducting needs assessments, pre-positioning available stocks, and providing urgent assistance, OCHA added.

“Additional funding to scale up response as heavy rains and floods spread is needed,” it said in a Floods Update released in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

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AU appoints special envoy to combat genocide in Africa

As a legal and human rights expert, Dieng has a distinguished career in contributing to the strengthening of rule of law…reports Asian Lite News

Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat on Saturday appointed Adama Dieng of Senegal as the first AU special envoy for the prevention of the crime of genocide and other mass atrocities.

As the 55-member continental organization’s first special envoy for the prevention of the crime of genocide and other mass atrocities, Dieng will drive the AU’s agenda to combat the ideology of hate and genocide on the African continent, Faki said on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.

African Union.

Dieng has previously served as the former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

As a legal and human rights expert, Dieng has a distinguished career in contributing to the strengthening of rule of law, fighting impunity and promoting capacity-building in the area of judicial and democratic institutions, including through fact-finding missions, publications and media, according to the UN.

Dieng’s appointment came as the AU is set to hold a high-level event in relation to the 30th commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda under the theme “Remember-Unite-Renew” on Sunday.

Since 2010, the AU has been organizing annual commemoration events every year on April 7 as per the decision of African leaders.

According to the AU, the year 2024 signifies “a significant moment to honor the deceased, stand in solidarity with survivors, and join together to prevent such atrocities from occurring ever again.”

It said the commemoration event serves as a crucial platform to continuously awaken greater awareness of the African people and the international community about the value of life and humanity, and to renew collective commitments to protecting and upholding fundamental human rights.

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