Africa

Afghan volunteers transport an injured man on a stretcher to a hospital following a bomb attack in Taloqan in northeastern Takhar province on Oct 13. A motorcycle carrying explosives blew up among supporters of an Afghan election candidate

on Oct 13, killing at least 12 people, officials said, in the latest attack on a political rally. (AFP)

Ex-prez Al-Dahab dies in Riyadh:

Former Sudanese president Abdulrahman Siwar Al-Dahab has died in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Saudi-owned TV channel Al Arabiya, reported on Thursday. It provided no further details. Al-Dahab, a former army officer, served as president of Sudan from 1985 to 1986 after staging a coup. (RTRS)

‘Soldiers want to abort reforms’:

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said soldiers who marched to his palace last week had “nefarious aims” and wanted to abort the government’s reforms but that he managed to defuse the situation and prevent it from becoming dangerous.

Abiy gave details in an address to parliament about the incident that took place on Oct 10 in which he met with several hundred soldiers who had marched on his office to demand pay rises. The soldiers were invited into his office to see him. (RTRS)

Sudan appoints envoy to S. Sudan:

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday appointed a peace envoy to South Sudan, mired in conflict since it won independence from its northern neighbour in 2011.

Former ambassador to Juba, Jamal alSheikh, was put in charge of “following the implementation” of the peace deal signed last month by warring South Sudanese parties, Bashir told a gathering of Sudanese diplomats.

“Peace in Sudan cannot be separated from peace in the region, and achieving peace in South Sudan is a big step towards a comprehensive peace,” he said.

Civil war in the world’s youngest country erupted in December 2013, killing tens of thousands, displacing millions and triggering a regional refugee crisis. (AFP)

Comoros clashes worsen:

Comoros’ government claimed Wednesday that clashes between troops and opponents of President Azali Assomani on the island of Anjouan had subsided despite witnesses describing continued violence.

Interior Minister Mohamed Daoudou said “the situation is back to normal” after three days of deadly violence in Anjouan’s main city Mutsumadu which has pitted security forces against a nascent rebellion.

Three people have been killed in the violence, he added, although no independent verification was immediately available.

Assoumani’s bid to extend his term limits has fuelled anger in the Indian Ocean archipelago in recent months, especially on Anjouan which is administered by the main opposition Juwa party and is home to its leader Abdallah Sambi. (AFP)

Ibori loses UK conviction appeal:

Al-Dahab

Ibori

ANigerian politician who was jailed in Britain for laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds through British banks and properties lost an appeal against his conviction in London on Wednesday.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling against James Ibori, a former governor of oilproducing Delta State in southern Nigeria, is a relief for the British authorities at a time when they are trying to stem the flow of dirty money from overseas through London.

Ibori, who in his heyday was one of Nigeria’s richest and most powerful men, pleaded guilty in a London court in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money-laundering involving sums amounting to at least 50 million pounds ($66 million).

He received a 13-year jail sentence of which he served half, as is common in the British system, and is now back in Nigeria.

Anti-corruption campaigners had hailed the case as a milestone for Nigeria, where no one of his stature had been successfully prosecuted, and for its former colonial ruler Britain, long seen as too complacent about the proceeds of Nigerian corruption being laundered in the UK. (RTRS)