[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
Banyana thrash Comoros 17-0 (31 July 2019) South African Bayana Bayana defeated Comoros in women's football in a 17-0 blowout victory.
Samaria names Warriors to face Comoros (26 July 2019) Namibia has selected its starting lineup for the team that will face the Comoros in the first round of the 2020 African Nations Championship Qualifier. The two countries are scheduled to play twice, once in Moroni and again in Windhoek.
Tullow Enters Comoros Offshore (25 July 2019) Tullow Oil plc is a multinational publicly traded oil company based in London. The company has announced it plans to conduct a seismic survey of 3000 square kilometers around the Comoros in search of oil.
Minister Shahid, as the Special Envoy of the President, calls on the President of Comoros (16 July 2019) Comoran President Assoumani met with the special envoy from Maldives to discuss ways to strengthen the relationship between the two island nations.
Djibouti
Djibouti's debt defying stunt: taking China's money without accepting China's control (16 July 2019) Djibouti has embarked on a major free trade zone with Chinese backing, but it carries the risk that China may attempt to intervene in Djiboutian affairs.
DP World slams Djibouti plan to nullify international adjudications (31 July 2019) DP World - a multinational port operator based in Dubai - condemned the decision by Djibouti to disregard international arbitration on the seizure of the Doraleh container port.
Sparkle chooses Djibouti Data Center as its IP Hub in Africa (12 July 2019) Nigerian-based telecom business Sparkle has annoucned it plans to base its data operations in East Africa at the Djibouti data center.
Mali
What did Canadian Peacekeepers Accomplish in Mali (15 July 2019) Canadian soldiers are preparing to withdraw from the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. CBC discusses the challenges they faced while deployed to that country.
A Revised Approach Is Needed To Implement Peace In Mali (13 July 2019) The Organization for World Peace is proposing changes be made to peacekeeping operations in Mali to help resolve the crisis.
Mauritania
Mauritania president sacks minister 5 days before leaving office – Middle East Monitor (27 July 2019) Outgoing Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz fired former Health Minister Boubacar Kane five days prior to the end of his term. Transportation Minister Ould Sayyed Al-Mukhtar was appointed his replacement, although reasons for the personnel change were not given by the Mauritanian government.
Mauritania’s 2018 budget in $130m surplus (19 July 2019) The Mauritanian finance ministry reported a $130m USD budget surplus, according to the country's Deputy Finance Minister.
Two journalists arrested, internet shut down amid disputed election in Mauritania (3 July 2019) Mauritanian authorities have arrested two journalists and disabled access to the internet in many areas following the June 22 presidential election. The total number of people arrested after the disputed election is approximately one hundred, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Mauritania: Authorities must stop using arbitrary arrests to crackdown on anti-slavery and anti-discrimination activists (12 July 2019) Amnesty International is calling for the release of Ahmedou Ould Wediaa, a Mauritanian anti-slavery activist. He was arrested during a police raid on his home on 2 July 2019.
Mauritania: Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 99th Session, 5 -29 August 2019, follow-up procedure (31 July 2019) Amnesty International is contending that Mauritania has failed to implement UN recommendations on its 2018 anti-discrimination law.
Trump sends Representative to August 1 investiture of new Mauritania president (30 July 2019) The United States will send the US Ambassador to Mauritania to attend the inauguration of President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani on 1 August 2019.
Mauritania: Blogger in ‘Blasphemy’ Case Freed After 5 Years (30 July 2019) Mauritanian authorities have freed blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, who has been held for the past five years and six months on charges of blasphemy. He has travelled to an undisclosed country outside Mauritania due to fears for his safety.
New discovery expands natural gas resource potential offshore Mauritania, Senegal (1 July 2019) Kosmos Energy annoucned the discovery of additional natural gas in the offshore region adjacent to Mauritania and Senegal.
Feasibility study completed for Mauritania uranium mine (29 July 2019) Aura Energy from Australia announced it has conducted a feasibility study on uranium mining in Mauritania, which has presented favorable results.
Somalia
FESOJ Condemns killing of journalists in Kismayo blast (13 July 2019) The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) condemned the killings of two journalists at the Media Hotel in Kismayo. Armed militants reportedly stormed the hotel and killed Hoden Nalayeh and Mohamed Sahal Omar.
Canada Promises More Cooperation Mogadishu in eradicating terrorism – Radio Dalsan FM 91.5 MHz (15 July 2019) Canada has pledged greater cooperation to address the problem of terrorism in Somalia following a recent bombing in which a journalist was killed.
Al-Shabab gives Clan Elders 45 day Ultimatum to repent or be killed for appointing Federal Mps – Radio Dalsan FM 91.5 MHz (16 July 2019) Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabaab is threatening to attack Somali clan leaders for appointing members of parliament. The group set a deadline of 45 days for them to "repent" their decision.
Amisom Funds Reduce as Withdrawal from Somalia Nears (31 July 2019) Foreign governments are making less funding available for the AMISOM peacekeeping mission ahead of its planned withdrawal from Somalia. Funders include the European Union and United Nations support office in Somalia. These funds pay the expenses of governments to deploy soldiers to Somalia on peacekeeping missions.
Pentagon Document Shows U.S. Knew of “Credible” Reports of Civilian Casualties After Its Attacks in Somalia (11 July 2019) The US military frequently claims in press releases that its missions in Somalia do not cause civilian casualties, but a report from the Pentagon indicates that they were aware of reports of such casualties.
Somalia: Puntland gears up for 21th anniversary of existence (30 July 2019) The breakaway Somali state of Puntland planned to celebrate the 21st anniversary of its independence on 1 August 2019. Members of the federal parliament were expected to travel to Garowe, Puntland for the celebrations.
Female Street Cleaners in Somalia (8 July 2019) Somali women are working in trash collection on an individualized basis in order to support their families. This work is seen by many Somalis as being "women's work" which furthers perceptions of gender roles in Somali society.
Somaliland: Escalating censorship, harassment and prosecution of government critics (4 July 2019) Authorities in Somaliland have cracked down on political opponents for exercising their freedom of expression, according to Amnesty International.
Sudan
FFC agree to include peace preamble to Sudan’s interim constitutional declaration (14 July 2019) The Sudanese Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) have agreed to terms with the Sudanese military regarding the preamble to the country's constitution, which will mention the centrality of the country's peace process.
Sudan OCHA bulletin 5: 13,000 people affected by heavy rains (23 July 2019) The United Nations office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHI) based in Sudan has reported heavy rains affecting approximately 13,000 people in the eastern region of Sudan and Darfur. These rains affected people starting in early June.
Sudan: 'Soldiers' Gang-Rape Two South Darfur Girls (18 July 2019) Sudanese government troops have allegedly raped two young women in the Darfur region in Arwatallah, the victims were reportedly ages 14 and 16 according to their relatives.
United States and Britain welcome signing of political agreement (17 July 2019) American and British officials welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese regime and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC)
Pro-Democracy Protests Fill Streets In Sudan, Calling For Civilian Control (1 July 2019) Seven people were killed and hundreds injured after Sudanese authorities opened fire on demonstrators calling for the military to relinquish power. Tens of thousands turned out to demonstrate throughout Sudan.
Sudan: Put Justice Up Front (9 July 2019) Human Rights Watch (HRW) is calling for an independent investigation into the killings of protesters during demonstrations against the Sudanese regime.
Sudan's revolutionaries must remove Hemedti by any means necessar (23 July 2019) The New Arab calls for Sudanese regime opponents to oust Mohamed Hamdan Dalago (aka 'Hemedti'), the commander of the Rapid Support Force (RSF) and a key figure in the repression of protesters since Bashir's ouster.
South Sudan
World Bank suspends S. Sudan firm over graft allegations (14 July 2019) The World Bank has suspended Universal for General Construction, a South Sudanese company that had been participating in a primary education project with a $33 million budget.
Professor Mahmood Mamdani’s controversial views regarding the crisis in South Sudan (3 July 2019) The author takes issue with Professor Mahmoud Mamdani's position on the crisis in South Sudan. In particular, he argues Mamdani's description of the country's ethnic makeup is flawed. He also argues that African nations face violations of sovereignty from within Africa, not just from the United States and other Western nations.
Coercion and mediation in South Sudan: Forcing agreements and ignoring reservations (14 July 2019) The author argues South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed a 2015 peace agreement under duress from foreign powers, which explains why fighting continued after the agreement. Outside powers such as the United States overlooked the reservations of leaders from South Sudan when this particular agreement was drafted.
South Sudan: End illegal detention of six detainees (26 July 2019) Amnesty International is urging South Sudan to release six detainees who were arrested recently by authorities without justification.
South Sudan strategising for more foreign trade via Kenya (3 July 2019) South Sudanese President Salva Kiir intends to visit Kenya in a bid to boost international trade between the two countries.