Day: November 3, 2021

Here’s a look at what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other top diplomats have been doing this week:

Ethiopia

The U.S. State Department raised the travel advisory for Ethiopia to Level 4 on Tuesday, asking Americans not to travel to the country because of “armed conflict, civil unrest, communications disruptions, crime, and the potential for terrorism and kidnapping in border areas.” It came as the Ethiopian federal government declared a nationwide state of emergency Tuesday as its battle with Tigrayan forces reached the one-year mark and fighting had escalated in northern Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, will travel to Ethiopia on Thursday and Friday. The State Department said the U.S. was increasingly troubled by the expansion of combat operations and intercommunal violence in Ethiopia and was closely monitoring the situation, calling on all Ethiopians to commit to peace and resolution of grievances through dialogue.

Ethiopian Government Declares State of Emergency

Spyware

The United States has added four foreign technology companies to its restricted-companies list, saying that they “developed and supplied spyware to foreign governments” and that the spyware was used “to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, activists, academics, and embassy workers.” The State Department accused the companies of “engaging in activities contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.”

US Blacklists Four Foreign Companies for ‘Malicious Cyber Activities’

Sudan

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he admired the millions of Sudanese who protested peacefully to express their aspirations for a democratic Sudan on Saturday. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official said that the Sudanese military exercised restraint during Saturday’s demonstrations and that the restraint raised the possibility of the country’s return to a power-sharing agreement.

China

Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as part of the Group of 20 summit on Sunday — an outreach designed to ensure that the intensely competitive relationship between the world’s two largest economies doesn’t veer into open conflicts.

Blinken Raises Concerns about Taiwan with China

The State Department said Blinken affirmed the areas where the U.S. and China can work together, including North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, Afghanistan and the climate crisis, while raising concerns about a range of Chinese actions that undermine the international rules-based order, including those related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China seas, and Taiwan.

Afghanistan

U.S. officials have confirmed that a newly formed armed group resisting Taliban rule in Afghanistan has registered with the Justice Department to carry out political lobbying in the United States. A State Department spokesperson said over the weekend that U.S. officials “are aware that an entity calling itself ‘The National Resistance Front’ registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act on October 26.”

Anti-Taliban Group Registers with US to Try to Build Afghan Resistance

Iran

The State Department confirmed Wednesday that the next round of Iran nuclear talks will resume November 29. U.S. Special Envoy Robert Malley will lead U.S. participation in these talks. Spokesperson Ned Price said if all parties are to close the remaining areas of disagreement, the talks “should start precisely where the sixth round of talks were left off.”

Leaders of the U.S., Germany, France, and the United Kingdom warned Tehran that its continued nuclear advances and obstacles to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s work will jeopardize its return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

At G-20, US, Europe Urge Iran to Return to JCPOA Compliance

Meanwhile, the U.S. sanctioned individuals and companies allegedly associated with a network of companies linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Friday. Blinken said in a tweet that the U.S. is “firmly committed to countering all of Iran’s threatening activity and those who support it.”

Source: Voice of America

The chief administrator for the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) has issued a decree sacking his political advisor and the head of the area’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC).

Lokali Amae Bullen, in a decree which went public on Monday evening, relieved Gazuli Yar Korok as the advisor on political affairs and Nyinginga Okanho Kiro as the RRC director respectively.

The decree did not give any reasons for the sacking.

Meanwhile, in a separate decree, Lokali Amae reappointed the ex-RRC boss to lead the human rights commission and the relieved advisor as the administrator for the physical infrastructure and agriculture ministry.

He also appointed Simon Kongkong Lotiko as the new political affairs advisor and John Koko Maze as the head for RRC.

But speaking to Radio Tamazuj, the GPAA information minister, said the changes were administrative and were meant to ensure the smooth running of the government affairs.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Authorities and residents of Baliet County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State are calling for assistance to avert a looming health crisis following a surge in waterborne diseases months after parts of the county were hit by floods.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj from the county’s main Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in Baliet town over the weekend, several patients decried the lack of life-saving medicine and poor healthcare.

One patient Adur Deng said she has yet to be treated since being admitted to the facility a day earlier.

“I was admitted yesterday. But there are not enough drugs. So, I was told that I had malaria but that I had to go to Malakal town but there is no means of transport,” she said.

Monynak Nyok Lual, another patient, called for an urgent health intervention, saying: “There are doctors but they are telling us that there are no drugs. “

For his part, Peter Atiep, the Baliet County health director, said the dire health situation has been exacerbated by the floods and called on aid agencies to intervene, saying the county resources are overstretched.

“In the county, tens of malaria and typhoid cases, some severe are reported every day. At our six health facilities, there are no life-saving drugs but paracetamols. Also, last month, of the 350 screened, 14 tested positive for Kala-Azar which are being treated now,” Atiep said.

He added, “Another major problem is that the PHCC building is collapsing because it has not been renovated following the 2013 war. So, we call on well-wishers to come to our aid.”

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Ethiopia’s cabinet has declared a nationwide state of emergency effective immediately and authorities in Addis Ababa told citizens to prepare to defend the capital, as fighters from the northern region of Tigray threatened to march towards the city, Aljazeera reported Tuesday.

“The state of emergency is aimed to protect civilians from atrocities being committed by the terrorist TPLF group in several parts of the country,” state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported on Tuesday, referring to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has been fighting the federal government for a year.

The six-month state of emergency allows, among other things, for roadblocks to be established, transport services to be disrupted, curfews to be imposed, and for the military to take over in certain areas. Anyone suspected of having links with “terrorist” groups could also be detained without a court warrant, while any citizen who has reached the age of military service could be called to fight.

“Our country is facing a grave danger to its existence, sovereignty, and unity. And we can’t dispel this danger through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures,” Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos told a state media briefing.

He said anyone violating the emergency would face three to 10 years in prison, for offences such as providing financial, material or moral support to “terrorist groups”.

The move came after the Tigrayan fighters said they had captured the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha in the neighbouring Amhara region in recent days, and also indicated they might advance further south, on Addis Ababa.

The government said soldiers were still battling for control for the two key towns, some 400km (250 miles) from the capital.

Much of northern Ethiopia is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making battlefield claims difficult to verify independently.

Earlier on Tuesday, authorities in Addis Ababa told residents to register their weapons in the next two days and prepare to defend the city.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in November 2020 in response to what he said were attacks on army camps by the TPLF. The TPLF said the federal government and its allies, including Eritrea, launched a “coordinated attack” against it.

Abiy promised a swift victory, but by late June, the Tigrayan fighters had regrouped and retaken most of the region. Fighting has since spread to the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara.

On Tuesday, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman denounced the TPLF’s expanding military campaign.

“We have consistently condemned the TPLF expansion of the war outside Tigray and we continue to call on the TPLF to withdraw from Afar and Amhara,” said Feltman.

“The expansion of the war however is as predictable as unacceptable given that the Ethiopian government began cutting off humanitarian relief and commercial access to Tigray in June which continues to these days despite horrifying conditions of reported widespread famine,” he added.

Separately, the US government said on Tuesday it would revoke trade privileges to Ethiopia, including duty-free access to Ethiopian exports, due to “gross violations of internationally recognized human rights”. The move dealt a new blow to Ethiopia’s economy, which is already under pressure from the growing cost of the war and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis that has left hundreds of thousands of people facing famine-like conditions, according to the United Nations.

Thousands of people have been killed and more than 2.5 million people forced to flee their homes.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

South Sudan’s minister of public service Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro and a delegation from his ministry are in Western Equatoria State capital Yambio to assess the pension scheme and its challenges there.

Speaking to the media upon their arrival on Monday, Bakasoro said: “We have come today here in Yambio with my deputy Butrus Gali and Managing Director of Pensions Jacob Null with his members. We came to monitor the case of pensions, whether the money for pension is there or not, and where is it kept if it is there. Also, whether civil servants’ files are there because the money for pension is the right of everyone who worked with the government.”

Bakasoro urged the civil servants to use the correct procedure for their pension and post benefit he said

“I want to tell the public that there is a difference between pensions and post-service benefits for politicians. I heard some politicians wanted to go to court over post-service benefits, that is not a court case, just follow the legal procedure you will get your rights,” he advised.

Meanwhile, Western Equatoria State governor, Alfred Futuyo Karaba welcomed the visit saying the payment of pension is crucial to improve the lives of civil servants who have served the nation in different capacities.

The public service ministry officials led by minister Bakasoro have been to Eastern Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal state for the same mission.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Two prisoners were hacked to death by a fellow prisoner who was later shot dead by a prison officer in Twic County of South Sudan’s Warrap State on Monday night.

Three other prisoners at the Turalei Ayen Abil Prison were injured in the melee.

Major General John Machar Aweer, the Prison Director told Radio Tamazuj that the culprit attacked his fellow inmates using an axe at night but was gunned down before he could escape.

“People thought he wanted to visit his relative in the prison, he was not known as a prisoner. So he came at night carrying an axe and beat prisoners who were sleeping on the veranda inside Turalei Ayen Abil Prison. These are those with simple cases. He beat two persons dead and attempted to escape. Then our captain shot him dead and three other prisoners were wounded and taken to Mother Tereza hospital,” he narrated.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Atem Aguek, the acting county commissioner said that the culprit was imprisoned for murder.

“This prisoner, the late, was imprisoned for murder. He killed a man last year at Panyok and was sentenced to five years and to pay blood compensation. While in prison, he was given free movement within a limited area the so-called “move alone” without police after him,” he added.

He added that the security situation remained calm after the incident and that the bodies of the victims were given to their relatives for burial.

Source: Radio Tamazuj