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African press review 23 May 2017

South Sudan's Salva Kiir has a busy day, declaring a unilateral ceasefire in the civil war and getting used to the feeling of being reconciled with Paul Malong, the man he sacked as army chief. South Africa auctions animals in an effort to defeat poachers. Rwanda starts the process of ensuring reelection for President Paul Kagame.

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South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has held talks with sacked former military chief Paul Malong Awan, regional paper the East African reports.

The presidential press office in Juba says the two men are now reconciled.

General Malong had been one of President Kiir's closest allies, credited with mobilising an ethnic militia in 2014 to fight rebels led by Riek Machar. He was sacked last month following accusations of ethnic bias.

South Sudan soldiers told to react only in self defence

Kiir has declared a ceasefire in South Sudan's civil war.

According to the main story in the Sudan Tribune, Kiir yesterday rejected the return of his former first deputy and rebel leader, Riek Machar to the country to participate in the national dialogue.

Kiir, who spoke at the swearing-in ceremony of the members of the dialogue committee formed earlier this year, claimed the return of Machar would lead to another conflict in the country.

Machar, he said, could participate in the dialogue through people delegated to represent him and his movement. The security of his delegates will be guaranteed by the government.

The South Sudanese leader cautiously declared a unilateral ceasefire, instructing the national army to fight back in self-defence in the event of an attack against their positions by rival forces.

More condemnation of violence against women and children in South Africa

The United Nations childrens' fund (Unicef) has added its voice to the condemnation of the recent spate of violence against women and children in South Africa.

This is the main story in South African tabloid paper the Sowetan.

The latest outcry follows last week's murder of 22-year-old Karabo Mokoena‚ allegedly by her boyfriend‚ in the Johannesburg township of Soweto.

The week also saw the rape of a pregnant woman by several men and the abduction of a nine-year-old boy from Lenasia. The child's body was later found in a field.

One in three children in South Africa experience violence and one in five of school-going age are the victims of sexual attacks‚ according to data provided by Unicef.

Rhino prices hold, hippos happy, giraffes droop at animal auction

Swazi wildlife conservationist Ted Reilly celebrated his 79th birthday yesterday by spending over 100,000 South African rand (7,000 euros) on wild animals. For his money he got an adult waterbuck bull and a small herd of sprinboks.

The creatures were part of an auction organised by the cash-strapped Ezemvelo Reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal, reported in this morning's Johannesburg-based BusinessDay.

There was brisk bidding for white rhinos, 10 of them fetching a total of 250,000 euros. A pair of hippos went under the hammer for 4,000 euros each. But giraffe prices were down, selling for about half what they went for six years ago.

The money raised in the auction will be used to improve Ezemvelo's campaign against poachers. Ninety-three rhinos have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal so far this year.

Entire South African province declared disaster zone

The Western Cape government has declared the entire province a disaster zone because of the ongoing drought, according to the Mail & Guardian.

The declaration is intended to speed up the deployment of resources to tackle water scarcity in the province.

Will the next president of Rwanda please stand up

The ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front has started the formal process of choosing President Paul Kagame as its candidate in elections due in August.

The party, which has been in power since 1994, over the weekend started holding primaries at the lowest levels to pick the candidate, with no surprises expected, according to the East African.

Candidates who emerge from the party primaries at provincial level will run against Kagame at an extraordinary national congress to elect the party flag-bearer.

President Kagame, who is also the RPF chairman, is expected to win endorsement from the party, having earlier expressed his intention to contest the election following a December 2015 referendum which allowed him to seek a third term.

In 2010 the ruling party endorsed Kagame unopposed after all other candidates pulled out.

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