Al-Beshir announces state of emergency in Sudan

Al-Beshir (foto Wikipedia)

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has declared a year-long state of emergency, dissolving his cabinet and local governments throughout the country.In a televised address on Friday,;Bashir also called on Sudan's parliament to ;postpone constitutional amendments that would allow him to run for another term in a presidential election in 2020.
Acknowledging the popular protests that have rocked his administration in recent months, the 75-year-old said the "demands of our people for better living conditions are lawful". "I will not stop calling for all parties to sit at the dialogue table," Bashir said, adding he would remain on the "side of the youth who represent the future of Sudan.
Hours after the announcement, Bashir issued two decrees which set up a caretaker administration comprising a senior official from each ministry and kept the defence, foreign and justice ministers in place. He also appointed 16 army officers and two security officers as new governors for the country's 18 provinces.

Protest in Algeria against candidature Bouteflika

Bouteflika (Foto Wikipedia)

Hundreds of demonstrators, in defiance of a ban on protests, rallied in the Algerian capital against a bid by ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika for a fifth term in office. The protesters chanted pro-democracy slogans at a rally on Friday in Algier's May 1 Square amid a heavy police presence, witnesses said.  Security forces cordoned off the square and prevented other protesters from entering it, the witnesses added.

"No fifth mandate," chanted the mostly young demonstrators, many waving Algerian flags, as they started to march through central Algiers.
Earlier this month, Bouteflika, who has ruled the North African country since 1999, announced his intention to seek a new five-year term in the elections scheduled for April 18, despite concerns over his health. The 81-year-old head of state uses a wheelchair and has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013.

Sisi wil probably be Egypt's president for another 12 years

Egypt's parliament has overwhelmingly voted to approve draft constitutional changes that could extend President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's time in office by another 12 years. Sisi (64) at present is due to stand down in 2022 when his second four-year term ends. But 485 of the country's 596 lawmakers which overwhelmely are supporters of the president, voted on Thursday to lengthen the presidential terms to six years and let Mr al-Sisi serve another two of these terms.
Several Egyptian human rights groups have spoken out against the decision.
The changes, first proposed earlier this month, will now be drafted into legislation and put to another parliamentary vote. If approved again, Egypt will then hold a referendum.
Article 140 of Egypt's constitution, approved in a referendum in 2014, currently states that the president serves four-year terms and may only be re-elected once. But under proposed changes, the  leader would be allowed to stay in power until 2034.

Yemen: agreement on gradual withdrawal from Hodeida

The two sides at war in Yemen have agreed on the first phase of a pullback of forces from the city of Hodeidah. The United Nations described the agreement as "important progress".

Hodeidah, on Yemen's western coast,  provides access to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait - the fourth busiest waterway in the world. It has been in possession of the Houthi's since these in 2014 started to take over large parts of Yemen.

The move prompted the military intervention of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and allies the following year on behalf of the so called 'official' government. It was the begin of  one of the world' worst humanitarian crises.

The deal about the pullback was concluded after two days of talks. The government and Houthis concluded a deal on the first phase of the pullback and agreed in principle on the second phase, a UN statement said on Sunday.
"After lengthy but constructive discussions facilitated by the RCC Chair, the parties reached an agreement on Phase 1 of the mutual redeployment of forces," the UN statement said.