A drone attack on an open market has killed at least 43 people in Sudan as rival troops battle
Source: AP
By SAMY MAGDY
Updated 7:57 PM CDT, September 10, 2023
CAIRO (AP) — A drone attack Sunday on an open market south of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, killed at least 43 people, activists and a medical group said, as the military and a powerful rival paramilitary group battle for control of the country.
More than 55 others were wounded in the attack in Khartoum’s May neighborhood, where paramilitary forces battling the military were heavily deployed, the Sudan Doctors’ Union said in a statement. The casualties were taken to Bashair University Hospital.
The Resistance Committees, an activist group that helps organize humanitarian assistance, posted footage on social media showing bodies wrapped in white sheets in an open yard at the hospital.
Sudan has been rocked by violence since mid-April, when tensions between the country’s military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, burst into open fighting.
In Conflict-ravaged Sudan, a Young Artist Uses Photography to Inspire Hope by Violet Ikong
September 6, 2023
Introduction:
(Amjambo Africa!) These days, when 32 year old Noory Taha is not at his food stall making and selling falafel, he is out on the streets and markets of his hometown of Karima, in Sudan’s Northern State, looking for images to capture with his cameras. Until late April, that’s what he was doing in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital city, which is 273 miles by road from Karima. He’d lived in Khartoum since 2016, photographing and documenting the daily activities of people on the streets.
But then fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out on April 15 in Khartoum and the Darfur region. At first Taha believed the conflict “…was just another bad day for the guys in power and that it [the fighting] would end soon.” Like so many others, he went into hiding in the capital, reasoning that the fighting would pass – after all, over the years Sudan had been the epicenter of several wars and many conflicts.
However, by the time the conflict had continued for more than a week, Taha realized the fighting was not going to stop anytime soon, so he and his wife fled to Karima with their 10-month-old daughter, Shama. Among the few personal belongings he carried were his cameras. Two months passed without Taha taking a single photo. He was consumed by the need to find a job to support his family, and he was dispirited.
While combing the streets for a job he saw many people like himself, who had been affected by the conflict, but still out buying and selling with hopeful smiles on their faces, not giving up in the face of the difficulties posed by the conflict. Inspired by what he saw, he picked up his cameras again.
South African anti-migrant ‘vigilantes’ register as party for next year’s polls
Tue 26 Sep 2023 06.30 BST
An anti-migrant vigilante organisation in South Africa has registered as a political party and plans to contest seats in next year’s general elections.
Operation Dudula, whose name means “to force out” in Zulu, wants all foreign nationals who are in the country unofficially to be deported.
The party, which first emerged in Johannesburg’s Soweto township after riots in 2021, claims to have widespread support, with a formal presence in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces. It claims to be planning to stand candidates in 1,500 of the country’s 4,468 voting districts.
Many Operation Dudula followers have faced allegations of hate speech and physical violence. They have staged protests outside embassies, turned people away outside hospitals to prevent foreign nationals from accessing state medical services, and conducted door-to-door searches of businesses in poorer areas demanding to see identity documents.
In August, Philani Gumede, a 36-year-old from Durban, was convicted of hate speech after sending a voice-note to members calling on them to evict foreigners from businesses in the city. Nomalungelo Ntshangase, a regional court prosecutor, told the court that this had led directly to xenophobic attacks and looting.
We Asked 1,000 Zimbabweans What they think of China’s Influence on Their Country − Only 37% Viewed It Favorably by Dr. William Hatungimana and Dr. Haruka Nagao
September 28, 2023
Introduction:
(The Conversation) China has big ambitions in Africa. Between 2000 and 2020, the economic superpower loaned African governments US$159 billion to build railroads, highways, stadiums and bridges.
Complementing those loans, foreign direct investment by Chinese-owned businesses that operate in Africa and employ Africans have grown from $75 million in 2003 to $5 billion in 2021.
China’s investment and influence in the region has garnered both recognition and criticism from scholars as well as Western media. Some see a mutually beneficial relationship that improves infrastructure and economic development for African countries. Others warn that China’s presence and noninterference policy is a guise for its intent to “colonize” Africa.
As professors of political science who study Africa-China relations, we’ve seen how the arguments on either side rarely factor in how the African public feels about China’s involvement on the continent. So in March 2023 we asked 1,000 urban professionals in Zimbabwe – 64% were college educated; 94% lived in urban areas – for their opinions on China’s economic and political influence on their country. Our study is currently under journal review.
Conclusion:
We believe the discussion surrounding China’s presence in Africa should be democratized by taking public opinion more seriously. Although China might win the hearts of African elites through economic investments, critical voices exist among the public, especially among those negatively affected by China’s presence. The public will ultimately decide the extent of China’s endeavors in African countries through the influence they exert on their elite representatives.
Angola Bets On Critical Minerals and the Lobito Corridor by Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
September 30, 2023
Introduction:
(Eurasia Review) The African continent has many, many natural resources, which are highly coveted by the rest of the globe, including critical minerals (CMs). Angola, a country already known for its oil wealth, will soon have a more significant role in the global race to access critical minerals.
A Critical Mineral-Rich Angola
The Angolan government is certainly openly showcasing its wealth of critical minerals. Case in point, the 2nd Angolan Mining Conference & Exhibition (AMC) will take place this upcoming 22-23 November. The conference is not too subtle about its objectives; it is titled “Developing Angola’s mineral resource potential to supply critical minerals for a global clean energy transition.” According to media articles about the upcoming AMC expo, “in the next half-decade, Angola is planning to start the production of neodymium and praseodymium, which are used in the manufacturing of batteries for electric cars, as well as copper and niobium. Angola possesses 36 of the 51 most critical minerals in the world, including chromium, cobalt, graphite, lead, lithium, and nickel.” In other words, Angola has the resources to be a major player in CM production.
Scott Morgan, a longtime analyst of African affairs, explained, “it’s a sign that Angola is seeking other revenue sources than just petroleum.”
While Luanda is touting its CM wealth, there are criticisms about African mining policies. African governments “have increasingly restricted or banned mineral exports in recent years in a bid to boost processing and retain more of the gains,” explains an analysis for Context. It makes sense that governments want international industries to set up refining and processing plants in African soil to boost technological development and local employment. It remains to be seen if this (risky) strategy will be successful.
Japan and Angola
China is known for controlling the production several critical minerals and rare earth elements, which has become a growing concern for some states. Many governments want to be independent of Beijing to access critical minerals and rare earth elements; thus, new, more reliable suppliers are being sought.
Africa’s Eswatini, One of the Last Absolute Monarchies, Holds an Election by Gerald Imray
September 29, 2023
Introduction:
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP via Courthouse News) — The small southern African nation of Eswatini held elections Friday to decide part of the makeup of its Parliament, even as its extremely wealthy king retains absolute power, political parties are banned and elected representatives can merely advise a monarch whose family has reigned supreme for 55 years.
Eswatini, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique, is the last absolute monarchy in Africa and one of the few remaining in the world. King Mswati III, 55, has been the monarch since 1986, when he became ruler days after his 18th birthday. His father was king for 82 years before him, although Eswatini only gained independence from Britain in 1968.
It was formerly known as Swaziland.
Parliamentary elections are held every five years. Candidates for the lower chamber, the House of Assembly, and for the Senate cannot belong to political parties, which were banned in 1973, and are nominated at a local level before they face a popular vote.
Mswati III appoints a minority of House of Assembly members, and the majority are elected. He appoints a majority of the Senate, the prime minister and other key members of the government.
(The Conversation) More than five months have passed since intense fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group also known as the RSF. In that time, more than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 4 million others displaced. The conflict is still ongoing, with little evidence of resolution.
The clashes were sparked by a disagreement over how the RSF, led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, more commonly known as Hemedti, could be integrated into the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, led by Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan.
Sudan is the third-largest country by area in Africa. It is also home to the Nile River basin, is mineral rich and strategically located on the Red Sea, close to the Middle East. So this conflict comes with heavy security and economic ramifications for the region and beyond.
Conclusion:
Despite the challenges ahead, Sudan cannot be ignored. However, a lasting resolution requires multiple measures that can augment each other. The lack of external interference, plus an impartial mediator and U.S. leverage, will be essential ingredients for mediation to move forward. And the mix of measures must be applied with the right timing and with the right actors involved.
Accused Sudanese Militia Leader Denies Involvement in Darfur Atrocities by Molly Quell
October 19, 2023
Introduction:
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Courthouse News) — Defense lawyers told the International Criminal Court on Thursday that their client was working as a pharmacist during the ongoing conflict in Sudan and played no role in any atrocities.
Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, has been charged with 31 counts of murder, pillaging, rape and torture by the world’s only permanent court for atrocity crimes, but he denies all of the charges against him.
Abd-Al-Rahman was “not a member of the government … not a general … not a politician,” defense attorney Cyril Laucci told The Hague-based court. His client sat expressionless behind him in a black suit and a checked blue shirt.
Rather, he operated a small pharmacy in a market in a remote Sudanese village, Laucci said, and was too insignificant to play a role in the conflict.
Prosecutors say the 74-year-old helped to recruit and organize for the Janjaweed militia, which engaged in an ethnic cleansing program and specifically directed attacks against four villages — Kodoom, Bindisi, Mukjar and Deleig — between 2003 and 2004.
