[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Mali, South Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, Djibouti, and Comoros Islands and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the On the Margins Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each month's roundup to info@jadaliyya.com.]
Comoros
Ex-Comoros president charged in passport sale scandal Former Comoran President Ahmed Abdullah Sandi has been charged with selling passports in connection with Kuwaiti and Emirati negotiations.
Q&A: Comoros Power Grab Rejected by Opposition, Amid Pleas for International Intervention Opposition figures in the Comoros are accusing President Azali Assoumani of stifling dissent, including by arresting a predecessor in a passport scheme
Comoros opposition rejects reform referendum 'farce' The Comoros opposition has derided the results of a referendum to extend President Azali Assoumani's powers as a power grab.
Resilience in the "Perfume Islands" - Adapting agriculture to climate change in Comoros ReliefWeb outlines efforts the Comoran government has taken for the island nation to adapt to climate change.
Comoros eager to dance after joining the old boy's club Comoros has enthusiastically sought to participate in the Southern African Development Community after it recently attained membership.
Djibouti
DP World CEO: All options open following Djibouti port court ruling The CEO of Dubai Ports world condemned Dubai's nationalization of a port previously under UAE operation.
Somalia president in Djibouti for talks amid diplomatic tension The presidents of Somalia and Djibouti met to discuss tensions related to sanctions on Eritrea
Will Djibouti Become Latest Country to Fall into China's Debt Trap American policymakers are concerned Djibouti may accede to Chinese ambitions because of Djibouti's large debt to China
Djibouti Ports Sufficient for Serving Ethiopia - Official - allAfrica.com A Djiboutian official played down Ethiopian concerns that its ports are insufficient to handle Ethiopian cargo.
Djibouti border dispute could roil Ethiopia-Eritrea peace deal - Daily Nation The recent Ethiopian-Eritrean peace agreement has implications for Djibouti's relations with Ethiopia over a disputed region.
Djibouti betrayed and belittled and then she is betrayed and left in the lurch, then what? Two commentators from Somaliland argue Djibouti has abandoned Somaliland for an alliance with the Somali government in Mogadishu.
Djibouti: The Rise of Djibouti as a Global Trade Hub - allAfrica.com Djibouti is increasingly attempting to establish itself as a stop-off point for global trade.
Djibouti’s greatest threat may come from within - Somalilandpress.com The greatest challenge for Djibouti is its growing dependence on China for financial largesse.
Landlocked Ethiopia makes Djibouti port request - Journal du Cameroun Djibouti Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed requested that Ethiopia be included in Djibouti's port development plans.
US military flights grounded in Djibouti, exercise canceled following crashes The US military has decided to temporarily stop flying aircraft in Djibouti after a spate of recent accidents.
Mali
Canadian helicopters in Mali conduct 1st full-fledged UN missions Canadian forces have participated in a mission in Mali for the first time since their deployment.
Mali peacekeeping mission divides Canadians along partisan lines: poll Canadian Liberal voters and their New Democrat counterparts are supportive of the Malian peacekeeping mission, with Conservatives mostly opposed.
Mali election witnesses low turnout due to security fears, others Security worries have many Malian citizens unwilling to vote in the presidential election scheduled for July.
Mali airport hit by shelling 6 days before election An airport in central Mali has been the site of an apparent terrorist attack six days prior to the presidential election.
Mali's Keita reaches out to opposition As he seeks to mend divisions, President Keita of Mali claimed to be reaching out to the opposition after his re-election, as challenger Soumaila Cisse disputed the results.
Mauritania
Ex-Slave Seeks Office in Mauritania to Fight for Freedom Former slave Haby Mint Rabah is campaigning for a seat in the Mauritanian parliament.
Man deported to Mauritania after 17 years in U.S. Seyne Dagne, a sixty-four-year-old Mauritanian citizen residing in the United States for seventeen years, was deported out of Dulles Airport by ICE.
Campaigns kick off in Mauritania in the run up to municipal polls | CGTN Africa Mauritania's municipal elections are to be held on 1 September, the same day as parliamentary elections.
Algeria, Mauritania open first land border crossing Algeria and Mauritania opened the first legal border crossing on their desert border.
Area's undocumented immigrants from Mauritania fearful of deportation Immigrants from Mauritania residing in Ohio are afraid that the Trump administration will seek their deportation.
Kinross pauses Phase 2 expansion of Mauritania mine Canadian mining company Kinross Gold announced it is delaying expansion of a mine located in Mauritania.
Mauritania voices solidarity with Saudi Arabia in Canada row Mauritania is supporting Saudi Arabia's decision to sever diplomatic relations following criticism by a Canadian minister.
Newspaper crisis in Mauritania highlights media freedom issues and link to declining economy Mauritania's newspapers are missing from newsstands as the state-run printing press is affected by a workers' strike.
Somalia
Somalia: Sudan's spy chief pays surprise visit to Mogadishu The director of Sudan's NISS intelligence force played an unexpected visit to Mogadishu recently.
Troubling trend sees evictions in Somalia double Over two hundred thouasnd Somalis have been forced to leave their homes during the current conflict due to eviction, with some evicted multiple times.
Denton: Amanda Lindhout recounts 15-month Somalia ordeal Former hostage Amanda Lindhout discussed her fifteen-month period of captivity during a trip to Somalia intended to last one week.
Mystery of Somali state official with Kenyan passports - Daily Nation Kenyan authorities discovered a senior Somali intelligence officer was in possession of forged Kenyan identity documents, and are investigating.
Somalia, Eritrea restore diplomatic ties Somalia and Eritrea agreed to restore diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Sudan
Sudan announces resumption of South Sudan oil pumping Sudan announced that it has resumed transporting oil from South Sudan in its pipelines.
Sudan's prosecutor appeals to reinstate death sentence against Noura Hussein A Sudanese prosecutor is seeking to reinstate the death sentence of Noura Hussein, a nineteen-year-old in a forced marriage accused of killing her husband, sparking international criticism.
Sudan: Flash floods devastate homes, shops in West Kordofan, Kassala | Radio Dabanga Residents of West Kordofan in the Kassala region have been affected by severe flash flooding.
Sudan's NCP denies nominating al-Bashir for re-election in 2020 The ruling National Congress Party denied deciding to re-nominate President Omar al-Bashir for another term, saying the decision was pending.
South Sudan
Kiir under pressure to free political detainees Human rights groups have urged South Sudanese President Kiir to free political prisoners.
Sacked minister renews his support and loyalty to South Sudan President - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan A former South Sudanese minister reaffirmed his loyalty to South Sudanese President Kiir despite the latter's recent sacking of him.
South Sudan’s president grants amnesty to Machar, all rebels South Sudanese President Kiir granted amnesty to Reik Machar, the leader of the rebels, though the rebels said it was mischaracterized.
A Ray of Hope for South Sudan - But Will the Peace Deal Hold for Long An analysis of whether or not the recent peace agreement in South Sudan is sustainable.
AU chief welcomes South Sudan's power-sharing deal - Journal du Cameroun The head of the African Union Commission announced his support for the power-sharing and peace agreement in South Sudan.