Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party on Saturday was declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.The National Election Board of Ethiopia said the ruling party won 410 seats out of 436 contested in the federal parliament. Dozens of other seats will remain vacant ; one-fifth of the constituencies didn’t vote because of unrest or logistical reasons. Ethiopia’s new government is expected to be formed in October.The vote was a major test for Abiy, who came to power in 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms that led in part to a Nobel Peace Prize the following year, but critics say he is backtracking on political and media freedoms. Abiy also has drawn massive international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead.June’s vote, which had been postponed twice because of the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical issues, was largely peaceful, but opposition parties decried harassment and intimidation. No voting was held in the Tigray region.Abiy has hailed the election as the nation’s first attempt at a free and fair vote, but the United States has called it “significantly flawed,” citing the detention of some opposition figures and insecurity in parts of Africa’s second most populous country.200-plus complaintsThe leader of the main opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, Berhanu Nega, lost while opposition parties won just 11 seats. The Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party has filed 207 complaints with the electoral body over the vote.Popular opposition parties in the Oromia region, the largest of Ethiopia’s federal states, boycotted the election. The ruling party ran alone in several dozen constituencies.The head of the electoral board, Birtukan Mideksa, said during Saturday’s announcement that the vote was held at a time when Ethiopia was experiencing challenges, “but this voting process has guaranteed that people will be governed through their votes.”She added: “I want to confirm that we have managed to conduct a credible election.”Voter turnout was just more than 90% among the more than 37 million people who had been registered to vote.The Prosperity Party was formed after the dismantling of Ethiopia’s former ruling coalition, which had been dominated by Tigray politicians. Disagreements over that decision signaled the first tensions between Abiy and Tigray leaders that finally led to the conflict in the region in November.Though Abiy hinted in 2018 that Ethiopia will limit a prime minister’s terms to two, it is not clear whether he will act on that.
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The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have designated Malawi a COVID-19 high risk country, and they are warning people against traveling to the southern African nation. The warning follows a surge in COVID-19 cases in a third wave of the pandemic.Malawi is facing an unprecedented rise in COVID-19 cases in its third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, with an infection rate of 22%. That’s up from about 2 percent in May.Statistics from the Ministry of Health released Friday show that for the previous 24 hours, Malawi confirmed 451 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths.In Its travel notice this week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised people to avoid traveling to Malawi.It says if travel is necessary, individuals must make sure they are fully vaccinated before making the trip.The CDC also says in the current situation in Malawi, even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.The World Health Organization has added Malawi to a list of African countries that expose people to a high risk of COVID-19 infection.Malawi Facing COVID Vaccine Shortage after Burning Expired DosesThe shortage comes just weeks after Malawi destroyed about 20,000 doses that expired, partly due to vaccine hesitancyGeorge Jobe is the executive director of the Health Equity Network. He says although the CDC’s travel notice was not expected, it hasn’t come as a surprise, considering the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.  “Therefore, declaration should be an eye-opener for Malawians to be very strict, observing the regulations that we have, and also for Malawi to enforce compliance of the regulations,” said Jobe. “That is what we need, especially that only 1 percent of Malawians have been vaccinated. Therefore, we are still prone to serious infections”   Malawi Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told a local radio station the announcement is not surprising and said it would affect the country’s tourism sector.  Economists say although the travel notice is logical, they nonetheless worry it will have a negative impact on the country, which depends greatly on international trade. Betchani Tchereni is a professor of economics at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences.”If travel restrictions are being placed against us, we are going to face problems with having people to be attracted to come to Malawi for tourism purposes,” said Tchereni. “The second thing is, we want to attract the best investors from elsewhere, but if people cannot come here because they feel there is high risk of COVID-19, or indeed because they have been advised so, then you have problem. Remember, we are busy creating jobs in this country.”To curb the pandemic, the Malawi government has reintroduced strict COVID-19 preventive measures.  Restrictions include a ban on political rallies, no fans at stadiums for football games, no gatherings of more than 50 people, and a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.But Tchereni said Malawi has never been serious about enforcing the measures.  “Look, we have never been as very serious in Malawi. We have always said people should not gather, but have you been to markets? People are gathering in markets. People are gathering in schools, are everywhere people are doing so many things,” said Tchereni. “Yes, it is because of the nature of our economy, but you see what, we are going to lose lives and that is not good for the economy.”   The government says it has engaged the police and the military to help enforce the measures. For example, police officers say that on Friday alone, they arrested about 40 people in a crackdown on those ignoring COVID-19 preventive measures. 
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A suicide car bomb targeting a government convoy exploded at a busy junction in Somalia’s capital on Saturday, killing at least eight people, an eyewitness told Reuters.The convoy was carrying senior police official Farhan Qarole, who survived the attack, the government news agency reported.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but al-Shabab, which wants to overthrow the government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law, frequently carries out such bombings.”I have seen eight dead bodies at the scene including a woman,” Hassan Sayid Ali, a driver of a three-wheeled motorized vehicle taxi told Reuters at the scene of the blast at Banadir junction in Mogadishu.
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When South Sudan gained independence ten years ago, the new nation’s constitution required the government to support those deeply impacted by the secession conflict. But some of those disabled war veterans and the widows and orphans of those killed say Juba has fallen short on that promise.The civil war between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the Sudanese government in Khartoum, which ended in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, left thousands in desperate need of welfare, health care and education — and the perceived lack of these essentials has left some embittered.One is SPLA veteran Chol Ayom, 55, who lost his right leg in the independence struggle and describes his feelings of being let down after dodging bullets.“We didn’t lose heart and kept fighting because we wanted freedom and liberty for our people,” he told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus, adding “What I cannot explain well now is what happened after we achieved the goal.”Another is 50-year-old Mary Dook, who lost her SPLA soldier husband during the 21-year war. Now, she told VOA, she struggles to raise her children on little or no government support.“The orphans and widows have been completely forgotten … by those now managing the country,” she said.Dook says that if those who died fighting for liberation “knew that this would happen to their families after giving their lives … I think many of them would have left the struggle.”FILE PHOTO – In this photo taken on July 09, 2011, the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir waves the newly signed constitution of his country for the crowd to see during a ceremony in the capital Juba to celebrate South Sudan’s independence.She noted the 10th anniversary of South Sudan’s founding with irony, calling on President Salva Kiir not to “forget his colleagues who sacrificed their lives for the good of the country.” She added: “Are we widows and orphans expected to celebrate? What would we celebrate when we are still suffering?”War widow Awur Chol Adol lost her husband a year after the secession fight began in 1983. At the time, she says she believed his sacrifice would provide her children with a better education and health care, and while she still supports the liberation fight, help for her and others has not been there.She also says words of support for her and others like her ring hollow.“Talking to the widows and orphans and telling them all the sweet words in rallies all the time is not what we need,” she said. “We need good schools for our children, we need good hospitals, we need business training centers for the widows.”Adol told South Sudan in Focus that she keeps her family fed with a second-hand clothing business she started in order to survive.The problems and perceived neglect suffered by the disabled and war survivors are highlighted by civil rights activist Bol Deng Bol, with the advocacy group INTREPID South Sudan.“The disabled community was not even heard, and they were not represented when the government was being formed. There was no mention of them in the ministries, in the commissions and all of them,” Bol said. “If you look at the ministries, you see no representation, so they are so marginalized, and all of this is the government to blame. If you cannot include them in the government or in the decision making, then why not provide them with basic services?”South Sudan Episcopal Bishop Reverend James Deng Akeer has added his voice, saying these vulnerable people need to be heard and helped by the government.“In any level of leadership,” he said, “if the people under you are crying, it is your responsibility to listen to their cry, and if there is something at all you need to do, (then) do it.”In 2015, South Sudan’s Ministry of Defense and Veterans Affairs created a pension program to support the families of those who died. That same year, the national parliament held a hearing on a bill to improve the welfare those families. The “Martyrs’ Family Fund Bill” was presented to parliament but never brought up for a vote.Three years ago, President Kiir said that government inaction to help widows, war veterans, and others from the independence struggle was “a mistake” and apologized to those affected. Kiir also asked them to be patient.“Fellow citizens, as your leaders we are likewise happy to receive and act on your concerns when presented in a constructive manner. We consider your inputs as a crucial guide for us as we implement the revitalized agreement,” Kiir said.But despite those words, the casualties of the struggle for independence say Juba still isn’t fully listening or acting on what is being said. 
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On South Sudan’s 10th anniversary of independence Friday, President Salva Kiir pledged to improve security across the country and initiate widespread economic reforms – but many citizens said there is little to celebrate after living through a civil war, poverty and widespread hunger.One day earlier, a group of religious leaders called it “a wasted decade.” In his televised speech from the State House in the capital, Juba, Kiir himself referred to the last 10 years as “a lost decade,” but also touted some achievements of the country’s unity government.Kiir said the post-civil war cessation of hostilities is holding because of “a new spirit of dialogue among the parties,” which he said has “reduced the huge trust deficit that existed before the signing of the revitalized peace agreement” in 2018.He said the priority of the Transitional Government of National Unity is full implementation of the agreement, with a focus on the security sector and economic reforms.“What has been achieved so far in peace implementation was arrived at through sustained discussions, and this itself is a great achievement because it puts us on the path of resolving our disputes peacefully,” said Kiir.No celebrations were organized in Juba because of the COVID-19 pandemic.Salary boost for civil servantsKiir vowed that the government would use revenue from thousands of barrels of crude oil sold each day to pay the salaries of civil servants, many of whom have not been paid in several months. He also admitted salaries had not been adjusted for inflation, which has skyrocketed in recent years, but he vowed that would change.“In the 2021-2022 budget the government has resolved to increase salaries by 100 percent as phase one with immediate effect and will be fully reviewed later on during the financial year as the economy improves,” said Kiir.Continuing with his pledges to improve the economy and usher in good governance, the president said the unity government is implementing a series of measures designed to strengthen and reform the ministry of finance and central bank. This comes after the Kiir administration has faced years of criticism from civil society activists and South Sudanese political analysts about widespread government corruption.The president also used his speech to admonish young people who staged recent attacks on aid workers and aid agencies, while urging NGOs operating in South Sudan to open up more employment opportunities to young South Sudanese.“I urged you not to undermine our nationalism by focusing on ethnic and regional activism,” he said.  “Demands for equitable employment in the sector should not set us against one another, nor should it force us into confrontation with our partners in the NGO sector.”South Sudanese people celebrate as the country marks the 10th anniversary of independence, in Juba, South Sudan, July 9, 2021.The national government has heard concerns and has resolved to form a high-level committee under the first vice president and deputized by one of the vice presidents and other relevant ministers to study and develop a road map to permanently resolve the matter, Kiir said.He urged young citizens to “exercise calm and restraint in the interest of peace and stability.”New roadsAddressing long-standing complaints from farmers and commuters about the country’s poor roads, the president said the government was also setting aside oil proceeds to pay for new road construction.“We have dedicated 20,000 barrels a day of the Nile Blend crude for construction of major highways and roads linking production areas with consumption centers in our major cities and towns,” Kiir said. “Presently, road construction is ongoing on the Juba-Bor highway, Juba-Torit- Nadapal highway, Juba-Rumbek-Bahr al Ghazal highway, Juba-Yei road and Juba-Mundri-Maridi-Tambura highway, among others.”Churches lament ‘wasted decade’In a statement released Thursday, the South Sudan Council of Churches called the last 10 years “a wasted decade,” adding that millions of South Sudanese who in 2011 were proud of their independence now feel hopeless because many have found themselves dependent on humanitarian support for survival.”We expected a new ray of hope, optimism and reign of sustainable peace with prosperity. However, those jubilations and celebrations were short-lived as the nation in just a span of two years descended into violent conflicts that have devastated all aspects of South Sudanese lives,” said Bishop Isiah Majok Dau, general overseer of the Sudan Pentecostal Church, who read the statement on behalf of the council.He said the hearts of South Sudanese “continue to groan with pain, anguish, turmoil, despair and misery as lives are lost every day in every corner of our country.”GrievancesDau ticked off a long list of grievances that included rampant intercommunal violence, increasing cases of sexual violence, revenge killings, land grabbing and child abductions.“These protracted armed conflicts have not only destabilized our peace but have also retarded the socioeconomic development of our country,” said Dau.Dau said the 2018 revitalized peace agreement was a beacon of hope for South Sudanese, but the country’s leaders have been slow to implement it.  He called on all signatories to stop the violence and embrace peace.“It must not be another lost decade! It is an opportunity to rescue our people from imposed destitution and sustain their livelihoods,” he said.In response to the council’s statement, Baba Medan, South Sudan’s deputy minister for information, urged citizens and institutions not to solely focus on the government’s weaknesses but appreciate what the government has achieved so far.“Before independence in 2005, South Sudan was not like now. Juba was having only five cars and today there is thousands of vehicles in Juba. There were no good buildings but now there’s towers in Juba and many achievements. You don’t [need to] always focus on the failures. You also see the achievements,” Medan said.“So although there was insecurity at that time, the government achieved a lot of things and with the peace agreement, I believe we are going to achieve a lot, because now, the government is focusing,” said Medan.This is one in a series of stories marking 10 years of South Sudan’s independence.
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