[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
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Staff completes mission to Comoros on possible emergency financial assistance following Cyclone Kenneth (24 June 2019) The International Monetary Fund has dispatched an emergency mission to Comoros in the aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth to discuss emergency assistance.
Comoros fails to qualify (4 June 2019) Comoros failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations finals after losing a chance at arbitration.
Djibouti
US, China fight it out in Djibouti, accuse each other of aggression (25 June 2019) The United States and China traded mutual accusations of aggression in Djibouti between the respective countries' military forces.
Ethiopia inaugurates toll road linking with Djibouti (19 June 2019) Ethiopia has officially announced the opening of a 220km toll road that connects Dire Dawa in Ethiopia with Dewale in neighboring Djibouti.
Terra Drone Aids Port Flooding Survey in Djibouti (25 June 2019) Japanese drone manufacturer Terra Drone supplied the drone that assisted crews in examining the flooding patterns at the port in Djibouti. The drone's survey work will enable Djiboutian port officials to upgrade the port's drainage facilities.
Shortages of food, water and electricity: how Djibouti has been destroyed by climate change (18 June 2019) Djibouti became independent with ambitions of self-sufficiency in food production, but recent decades have meant that it is dependent on imports from Ethiopia for food and electricity.
Mali
Experts Warn Mali Border Violence Could Spiral Out of Control (29 June 2019) Experts on Mali argue that militant groups moved to other areas when faced with defeat, and they remain a threat to civilians in Mali.
U.N. Says At Least 95 People Killed In Attack On Mali Village (10 June 2019) Armed militants have killed at least 95 people in an attack on a village in Central Mali, the deadliest such incident since a 23 March attack resulted in the deaths of 157 civilians.
2018 the most violent year since conflict began (11 June 2019) According to the Norwedian Refugee Council (NRC) the current year has been the most violent in Mali's civil conflict since the war began.
Canada-Mali FIBA U19 Recap (30 June 2019) Canada was defeated by Mali in the FIBA under-19 Basketball world cup with a final score of 71-70.
Proposal to deploy to Mali to go before cabinet (9 June 2019) The Irish government will consult the parliament before deploying peacekeeping forces to Mali.
Amnesty International condemns killings by security forces (10 June 2019) Amnesty International is calling for an investigation into the killings of Malian civilians by security forces.
Mauritania
Mauritania president-elect hails ‘pluralism’ (29 June 2019) Mohammad Ould Ghazouani prevailed in the June 2019 Mauritanian Presidential election Ghazouani is a close ally of the outgoing President.
‘Historic’ Mauritanian elections contested by opposition | | AW (29 June 2019) Protesters have been arrested by Mauritanian authorities ahead of the 21 June 2019 Presidential election.
Afcon 2019: Tunisia game is a final for us- Mauritania coach Martins | Goal.com (30 June 2019) Mauritania's football coach discusses the Afcon 2019 tournament, saying his team will treat an upcoming contest "like a final" after being able to play Angola to a draw in their previous match.
Mauritania: Opposition denounces "electoral hold-up" [The Morning Call] | Africanews (27 June 2019) The Mauritanian opposition parties are refusing to accept the results of the June 2019 Presidential election. They condemn the arrests of opposition supporters. The regime-backed candidate won with 52 percent of the vote.
ICE is Shipping Ohio's Mauritanians Back to Slavery's Last Stronghold in Northwest Africa | Features | Cleveland | Cleveland Scene (9 June 2019) The United States is deporting Mauritanians who gained refuge from persecutation against black Mauritanians by the country's regime in the 1990s. One of them was arrested as soon as he landed in Mauritania.
Somalia
Cholera vaccination drive begins in high-risk districts in Somalia (24 June 2019) There is a major vaccination drive targeting Somalis living in areas at high risk for cholera.
Kenya-Somalia Border Case Hearing to Start in September (26 June 2019) The International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands will hear the international maritime boundary dispute between Kenya and Somalia between 9 and 13 September 2019.
Kenya-Somalia Border Case Hearing to Start in September (26 June 2019) The International Court of Justice at the Hague, Netherlands will hear the maritime boundary dispute between Somalia and Kenya between 9 and 13 September 2019.
Sudan
AU, IGAD propose to establish Sudan's executive bodies and postponing parliament (26 June 2019) IGAD and the African Union have proposed a delay in the establishment of the transitional legislative assembly in Sudan. Under the agreement, the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) will choose a technocratic government to lead the country in the interim period.
AU, IGAD propose to establish Sudan's executive bodies and postponing parliament (26 June 2019) The African Union and IGAD have proposed a postponement of Sudan's new Transitional Legislative Assembly. Under this proposal, the opposition FFC would chose 67 percent of the transitional assembly.
Sudanese in Nashville stand in solidarity with those at home during time of unrest (30 June 2019) The Sudanese community in Nashville, Tennessee protested against the military junta currently holding power in the country.
The Old Guard Are Killing the World’s Youngest Country (14 June 2019) Since independence, South Sudan has suffered from a political old guard whose frequent infighting has brought the country to civil war.
South Sudan: Enough Project Condemns Military Attack on Civilian Protesters in Khartoum - allAfrica.com (3 June 2019) The Enough project has condemned the military crackdown on protesters seeking a democratic transition following the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir.
11 Books About Sudan That Will Help You Understand The Ongoing Crisis (15 June 2019) An outline of ten books that discuss the historical background behind the current crisis of legitimacy between the military government and opposition.
South Sudan
Peace dividend palpable in South Sudan, but ‘grassroots’ are moving faster than elites, says Shearer (10 June 2019) The rate of South Sudanese returnees has increased rapidly from 18,000 a month to 76,000 a month, which - according to the chief of UN Peacekeeping operations - demonstrates a grassroots commitment to the peace process.
The New Humanitarian | South Sudan food crisis, slow storms, and sitting on the Sudan fence: The Cheat Sheet (14 June 2019) South Sudan is currently in a lean season and rainfall totals are already less than average, creating a risk of food shortages among the population.
My rise as a refugee girl: Why I’m giving back to girls in South Sudan (19 June 2019) A South Sudanese refugee describes her journey to the United States from a refugee camp in Uganda, and learning about her country of South Sudan secondhand.
South Sudan: Government Forces Abusing Civilians | Human Rights Watch (4 June 2019) Human Rights Watch reports that security forces in South Sudan are engaged in abuse of civilians despite a peace agreement in the country's conflict.