A Congolese woman who may have spread the deadly <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/who-declares-ebola-outbreak-is-international-health-emergency-but-not-global-threat-236767&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwilocmK_8DjAhWK63MBHc44BcIQFjAAegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw36jBRmQSlTHNt370njuF1s">Ebola virus</a> in Uganda did not go to Rwanda or the Congolese city of Goma while contagious, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

On Thursday, a report written by Uganda's Health Ministry and published by the WHO's Africa office had said the woman, a fishmonger, was suspected of going to Goma and Rwanda as well as Uganda before she died.

That raised fears of the outbreak spreading in Rwanda, which has never had a recorded case of Ebola.

But the WHO later withdrew the report and shut down the website where the daily updates were being posted, saying some of the information had not been verified.

"We have investigated fully, and there was no travel to anywhere but Uganda," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said, adding that inaccurate conjecture had unfortunately found its way into the reports.

Health workers have mounted a massive campaign of vigilance and vaccination on key routes and borders in the region, and have screened almost 75 million people since the outbreak was declared 11 months ago. It has killed more than 1,700 people.

The 22-year-old woman was thought to have crossed the border between Uganda and Congo at an unmonitored crossing point, the deleted reports said. Harris said there no chance she had also slipped into Rwanda without being spotted.

"We are absolutely certain," she said. "Our team... went across and talked to everybody and tracked it day-by-day. Now in her life, she may have gone to Rwanda... but the important thing is she did not spend any time in Rwanda while symptomatic."

It was extraordinary that a woman with end-stage Ebola had managed to cross the border and sell fish for a day, she added.

A lot of people at potential risk were now being followed up and people were being vaccinated on both sides of the border, Harris said. But it would take several days before it became clear if the woman, who vomited several times at a market, had infected anyone.

Other details in the withdrawn reports were also unverified, including information about a second Congolese Ebola patient travelling to the same market, and about a group of Ugandan health workers who may have been exposed to Ebola.

A Congolese woman who may have spread the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda did not go to Rwanda or the Congolese city of Goma while contagious, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

A Congolese woman who may have spread the deadly Ebola virus in Uganda did not go to Rwanda or the Congolese city of Goma while contagious, the World Health Organization said on Friday. On Thursday, a report written by Uganda's Health Ministry and published by the WHO's Africa office had said the woman, a fishmonger, was suspected of going to Goma and Rwanda as well as Uganda before she died. That raised fears of the outbreak spreading in Rwanda, which has never had a recorded case of Ebola. But the WHO later withdrew the report and shut down the website where the daily updates were being posted, saying some of the information had not been verified. "We have investigated fully, and there was no travel to anywhere but Uganda," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said, adding that inaccurate conjecture had unfortunately found its way into the reports. Health workers have mounted a massive campaign of vigilance and vaccination on key routes and borders in the region, and have screened almost 75 million people since the outbreak was declared 11 months ago. It has killed more than 1,700 people. The 22-year-old woman was thought to have crossed the border between Uganda and Congo at an unmonitored crossing point, the deleted reports said. Harris said there no chance she had also slipped into Rwanda without being spotted. "We are absolutely certain," she said. "Our team... went across and talked to everybody and tracked it day-by-day. Now in her life, she may have gone to Rwanda... but the important thing is she did not spend any time in Rwanda while symptomatic." It was extraordinary that a woman with end-stage Ebola had managed to cross the border and sell fish for a day, she added. A lot of people at potential risk were now being followed up and people were being vaccinated on both sides of the border, Harris said. But it would take several days before it became clear if the woman, who vomited several times at a market, had infected anyone. Other details in the withdrawn reports were also unverified, including information about a second Congolese Ebola patient travelling to the same market, and about a group of Ugandan health workers who may have been exposed to Ebola.

Investigators conclude Ebola victim did not enter Rwanda: World Health Organisation

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a "public health emergency of international concern", saying the recent risk of its spread in the city of Goma and into Uganda had increased the threat.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had accepted the recommendations of a committee of international experts which stressed there should be no restrictions on travel or trade, and no entry screening of passengers at ports or airports outside the immediate region.

The committee said there were worrying signs of possible extension of the epidemic and that the recent case in Goma was a cause for concern.

But it also maintained that although the risk was very high at national and regional level it was not a global threat.

The WHO has warned that the nearby countries of Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Uganda are the most at risk, while Central African Republic, Angola, Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Zambia are in a second tier.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a "public health emergency of international concern", saying the recent risk of its spread in the city of Goma and into Uganda had increased the threat.

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to be a "public health emergency of international concern", saying the recent risk of its spread in the city of Goma and into Uganda had increased the threat. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he had accepted the recommendations of a committee of international experts which stressed there should be no restrictions on travel or trade, and no entry screening of passengers at ports or airports outside the immediate region. The committee said there were worrying signs of possible extension of the epidemic and that the recent case in Goma was a cause for concern. But it also maintained that although the risk was very high at national and regional level it was not a global threat. The WHO has warned that the nearby countries of Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Uganda are the most at risk, while Central African Republic, Angola, Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Zambia are in a second tier.

WHO declares Ebola outbreak is international health emergency, but not global threat

The World Health Organization reported a new incidence of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/first-ebola-patient-in-eastern-congos-main-city-dies-236497&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiY2qrd-bvjAhU463MBHbv0AiMQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LZU9STBUo4EzS2VTy-J6B">Ebola</a> in Uganda on Wednesday, fuelling concerns that the virus may be spreading beyond Democratic Republic of Congo, as an expert panel weighs whether to sound the alarm internationally.

The WHO said a Congolese fisherwoman travelled across the border to sell fish at Mpondwe market on July 11, where she had four vomiting incidents before returning to Congo and dying of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/first-ebola-patient-in-eastern-congos-main-city-dies-236497&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiY2qrd-bvjAhU463MBHbv0AiMQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1LZU9STBUo4EzS2VTy-J6B">Ebola</a>.

Ebola is highly infectious and spread through bodily fluids. The current outbreak, largely confined to Congo apart from three deaths in Uganda last month, has killed 1,676 people - more than two-thirds of those who contracted it - over the past year.

The health response relies on tracking down people who may have been exposed to the virus and vaccinating them and anybody they have had contact with.

The WHO report said 19 other fishmongers were listed as possible contacts in the Uganda incident. It said 44 currency exchange workers had volunteered to be vaccinated, while another 590 fishmongers could be targeted for vaccination.

Local leaders were very cooperative, but none of the market traders were willing to provide further information for fear of losing business, given that it was a market day, the WHO added.

WATCH : Ebola Virus reaches Goma in Dr Congo

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Health workers had not established where the fishmonger spent nights, how she travelled or who transported her merchandise, or who cleaned up her vomit.

News of the incident came as the WHO's emergency committee of international experts met for a fourth time to decide if the 11-month outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC).

Such a designation would include recommendations for international action and could help unlock funds, which the WHO has said are sorely needed.

It would be only the fifth such designation, after the 2013-2016 West African Ebola epidemic that killed over 11,300 people, the 2009 flu pandemic, polio in 2014 and the Zika virus that caused a spate of birth defects across Latin America.

Last month the committee decided against declaring a PHEIC because the potential disruption risked causing economic harm while achieving nothing.

But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week that a case of the highly infectious disease in Goma was a potential gamechanger since Ebola could spread among the urban population for the first time and into neighbouring Rwanda.

A separate WHO report said there was also very high risk in the Arua district of Uganda, which borders a Congolese area where an Ebola patient died after having had contact with over 200 people. Two deaths in Arua were under investigation.

The World Health Organization reported a new incidence of Ebola in Uganda on Wednesday, fuelling concerns that the virus may be spreading beyond Democratic Republic of Congo, as an expert panel weighs whether to sound the alarm internationally.

The World Health Organization reported a new incidence of Ebola in Uganda on Wednesday, fuelling concerns that the virus may be spreading beyond Democratic Republic of Congo, as an expert panel weighs whether to sound the alarm internationally. The WHO said a Congolese fisherwoman travelled across the border to sell fish at Mpondwe market on July 11, where she had four vomiting incidents before returning to Congo and dying of Ebola. Ebola is highly infectious and spread through bodily fluids. The current outbreak, largely confined to Congo apart from three deaths in Uganda last month, has killed 1,676 people - more than two-thirds of those who contracted it - over the past year. The health response relies on tracking down people who may have been exposed to the virus and vaccinating them and anybody they have had contact with. The WHO report said 19 other fishmongers were listed as possible contacts in the Uganda incident. It said 44 currency exchange workers had volunteered to be vaccinated, while another 590 fishmongers could be targeted for vaccination. Local leaders were very cooperative, but none of the market traders were willing to provide further information for fear of losing business, given that it was a market day, the WHO added. WATCH : Ebola Virus reaches Goma in Dr Congo × Health workers had not established where the fishmonger spent nights, how she travelled or who transported her merchandise, or who cleaned up her vomit. News of the incident came as the WHO's emergency committee of international experts met for a fourth time to decide if the 11-month outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). Such a designation would include recommendations for international action and could help unlock funds, which the WHO has said are sorely needed. It would be only the fifth such designation, after the 2013-2016 West African Ebola epidemic that killed over 11,300 people, the 2009 flu pandemic, polio in 2014 and the Zika virus that caused a spate of birth defects across Latin America. Last month the committee decided against declaring a PHEIC because the potential disruption risked causing economic harm while achieving nothing. But WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this week that a case of the highly infectious disease in Goma was a potential gamechanger since Ebola could spread among the urban population for the first time and into neighbouring Rwanda. A separate WHO report said there was also very high risk in the Arua district of Uganda, which borders a Congolese area where an Ebola patient died after having had contact with over 200 people. Two deaths in Arua were under investigation.

World Health Organisation reports new Ebola incident in Uganda amid fears of virus spreading

The first Ebola patient in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's largest city, Goma, has died, the government said on Tuesday.

The spread of the virus to Goma, a city of roughly 1 million people on the border with Rwanda, has raised fears the outbreak, which is already the second deadliest Ebola epidemic ever, could spread more widely.

The patient was a priest who became infected during a visit to the town of Butembo, one of the epicentres of the outbreak, before taking a bus to Goma, according to Congo's health ministry.

He was being driven from Goma to a clinic in Butembo on Monday to receive treatment when he died, North Kivu province's Governor Carly Nzanzu told an Ebola response meeting.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that health officials had identified 60 people who had come into contact with the pastor since he was taken ill and that half of them had been vaccinated.

Goma, a lakeside city more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of where Ebola was first detected a year ago, is the largest city to be affected by the outbreak, which has infected more than 2,500 people and killed nearly 1,700.

Three Ebola cases which originated in Congo were confirmed in neighbouring Uganda a month ago, but no new cases have since been registered in that country.

The first Ebola patient in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's largest city, Goma, has died, the government said on Tuesday. The spread of the virus to Goma, a city of roughly 1 million people on the border with Rwanda, has raised fears the outbreak, which is already the second deadliest Ebola epidemic ever, could spread more widely.

The first Ebola patient in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's largest city, Goma, has died, the government said on Tuesday. The spread of the virus to Goma, a city of roughly 1 million people on the border with Rwanda, has raised fears the outbreak, which is already the second deadliest Ebola epidemic ever, could spread more widely. The patient was a priest who became infected during a visit to the town of Butembo, one of the epicentres of the outbreak, before taking a bus to Goma, according to Congo's health ministry. He was being driven from Goma to a clinic in Butembo on Monday to receive treatment when he died, North Kivu province's Governor Carly Nzanzu told an Ebola response meeting. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that health officials had identified 60 people who had come into contact with the pastor since he was taken ill and that half of them had been vaccinated. Goma, a lakeside city more than 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of where Ebola was first detected a year ago, is the largest city to be affected by the outbreak, which has infected more than 2,500 people and killed nearly 1,700. Three Ebola cases which originated in Congo were confirmed in neighbouring Uganda a month ago, but no new cases have since been registered in that country.

First Ebola patient in eastern Congo's main city dies

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - June 15th, 2019

Three cases of Ebola have emerged in Uganda, a neighbouring country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), officials said on Wednesday (June 12).

New Ebola cases in Uganda raise fears of further spread

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-death-toll-rises-to-565-201603">outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus</a>, which has infected more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has spread to Uganda, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

&nbsp;A 5-year-old Congolese boy has been diagnosed with Ebola in Uganda, CNN reported while quoting the country`s Ministry of Health and WHO."The child and his family entered the country through Bwera Border post and sought medical care at Kagando hospital where health workers identified Ebola as a possible cause of illness," the WHO said in a statement issued on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The child is currently at an Ebola treatment unit in the Ugandan town of Bwera which falls in the Kasese district. This is the second largest Ebola outbreak in history.

&nbsp;Over 1,300 people have lost their lives due to the virus since August. The main areas which have been severely affected are DR Congo`s North Kivu and Ituri provinces.

&nbsp;A recent spike in the number of those found to be infected with Ebola has raised concerns about the spread of the virus across DR Congo`s borders. In anticipation of this, health workers in Uganda have been vaccinated against it and trained to recognise symptoms of the infection.

"Although there have been numerous previous alerts, this is the first confirmed case in Uganda during the Ebola outbreak on-going in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo," WHO said.

&nbsp;The world health body added that a Rapid Response Team has been dispatched to Kasese "to start contact tracing and management of cases that are likely to occur".

Around 11,000 people had lost their lives in the deadliest Ebola outbreak which occurred in 2014.&nbsp;

Ebola first appeared in 1976 in Sudan, followed by DR Congo. The virus can be transmitted to humans from wild animals.&nbsp;

Symptoms of the disease include fever, severe headache and haemorrhaging. In the 2014 outbreak, the virus infected approximately 28,600 people in the western African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which has infected more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has spread to Uganda, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, which has infected more than 2,000 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has spread to Uganda, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). A 5-year-old Congolese boy has been diagnosed with Ebola in Uganda, CNN reported while quoting the country`s Ministry of Health and WHO."The child and his family entered the country through Bwera Border post and sought medical care at Kagando hospital where health workers identified Ebola as a possible cause of illness," the WHO said in a statement issued on Tuesday. The child is currently at an Ebola treatment unit in the Ugandan town of Bwera which falls in the Kasese district. This is the second largest Ebola outbreak in history. Over 1,300 people have lost their lives due to the virus since August. The main areas which have been severely affected are DR Congo`s North Kivu and Ituri provinces. A recent spike in the number of those found to be infected with Ebola has raised concerns about the spread of the virus across DR Congo`s borders. In anticipation of this, health workers in Uganda have been vaccinated against it and trained to recognise symptoms of the infection. "Although there have been numerous previous alerts, this is the first confirmed case in Uganda during the Ebola outbreak on-going in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo," WHO said. The world health body added that a Rapid Response Team has been dispatched to Kasese "to start contact tracing and management of cases that are likely to occur". Around 11,000 people had lost their lives in the deadliest Ebola outbreak which occurred in 2014. Ebola first appeared in 1976 in Sudan, followed by DR Congo. The virus can be transmitted to humans from wild animals. Symptoms of the disease include fever, severe headache and haemorrhaging. In the 2014 outbreak, the virus infected approximately 28,600 people in the western African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Deadly Ebola virus spreads to Uganda from Democratic Republic Congo

Exclusive: Uganda prime minister Ruhakana Rugunda speaks to WION

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation.

Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda unveiled the campaign on Wednesday at a press conference attended by a bevy of curvaceous women.

"Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction," Kiwanda told AFP on Thursday.

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<h5>'Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction,' Tourism Minister George Kiwanda said</h5>
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Part of the plan to market Ugandan women is a beauty pageant, Miss Curvy Uganda, to be held in June.

"The winner of the Miss Curvy contest was to be part of our tourism campaign brand using beauty as one other product of tourism," Kiwanda said.

Ugandan women were outraged at the proposal and have called for Kiwanda's resignation.

"This is a perversion. To think women can be used as sex objects in this age and time is an absurdity and we condemn it," Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women's Network, told AFP.&nbsp;

Ugandan entrepreneur and activist Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi launched an online petition to stop the campaign, which she said was "totally unacceptable and demeaning to us."

"Women in Uganda have been attacked while on the streets. What happens now that the government is confirming a stereotype that women are sexual objects and can be touched regardless and more so made a product of tourism," she told AFP.

She said that if the campaign was not stopped immediately, the petitioners would take their case to court.

In addition to Kiwanda's resignation, she has demanded an apology from the government.&nbsp;

Former opposition leader in parliament Winnie Kiiza told AFP the move came "at the time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society."

"We have been outraged by this campaign that a government can parade curves of women as a tourist attraction," she said.

Kiwanda, trying to stem the anger, insisted the campaign was not aimed at demeaning women.

"Diverse as we are as a country we have a message to put out there about the different curves our women have, which we believe is a tourist attraction."

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation.

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation. Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda unveiled the campaign on Wednesday at a press conference attended by a bevy of curvaceous women. "Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction," Kiwanda told AFP on Thursday. 'Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction,' Tourism Minister George Kiwanda said × Part of the plan to market Ugandan women is a beauty pageant, Miss Curvy Uganda, to be held in June. "The winner of the Miss Curvy contest was to be part of our tourism campaign brand using beauty as one other product of tourism," Kiwanda said. Ugandan women were outraged at the proposal and have called for Kiwanda's resignation. "This is a perversion. To think women can be used as sex objects in this age and time is an absurdity and we condemn it," Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women's Network, told AFP. Ugandan entrepreneur and activist Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi launched an online petition to stop the campaign, which she said was "totally unacceptable and demeaning to us." "Women in Uganda have been attacked while on the streets. What happens now that the government is confirming a stereotype that women are sexual objects and can be touched regardless and more so made a product of tourism," she told AFP. She said that if the campaign was not stopped immediately, the petitioners would take their case to court. In addition to Kiwanda's resignation, she has demanded an apology from the government. Former opposition leader in parliament Winnie Kiiza told AFP the move came "at the time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society." "We have been outraged by this campaign that a government can parade curves of women as a tourist attraction," she said. Kiwanda, trying to stem the anger, insisted the campaign was not aimed at demeaning women. "Diverse as we are as a country we have a message to put out there about the different curves our women have, which we believe is a tourist attraction."

Uganda wanted to draw tourists with 'curvy women', it got outry instead

At least 29 people died when a cruise boat capsized in poor weather on Saturday in Lake Victoria, Uganda, the deputy police spokesman said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Police had said on Saturday at least 10 people were dead following the accident off Uganda’s Mukono district, close to the capital Kampala. 
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“The boat was overloaded and secondly there was bad weather,” Patrick Onyango told Reuters, adding the boat was carrying 84 people. He did not say what the boat’s capacity was.

Another 26 people had been rescued from the water, Onyango said, a lower figure than the initial 40 given by the police on Saturday. He attributed the discrepancy to some survivors’ failure to register with the police.

“Our rescue team is still on the ground trying to rescue whoever we can find,” he said. Among those rescued on Saturday was Prince Daudi Kintu Wasajja, a brother of Ronald Mutebi, the king of Buganda kingdom, Uganda’s largest, police said.

The East African nation has several kingdoms, whose kings wield considerable social clout but little political influence.

At least 29 people died when a cruise boat capsized in poor weather on Saturday in Lake Victoria, Uganda, the deputy police spokesman said on Sunday. Police had said on Saturday at least 10 people were dead following the accident off Uganda’s Mukono district, close to the capital Kampala.

At least 29 people died when a cruise boat capsized in poor weather on Saturday in Lake Victoria, Uganda, the deputy police spokesman said on Sunday. Police had said on Saturday at least 10 people were dead following the accident off Uganda’s Mukono district, close to the capital Kampala. Advertising “The boat was overloaded and secondly there was bad weather,” Patrick Onyango told Reuters, adding the boat was carrying 84 people. He did not say what the boat’s capacity was. Another 26 people had been rescued from the water, Onyango said, a lower figure than the initial 40 given by the police on Saturday. He attributed the discrepancy to some survivors’ failure to register with the police. “Our rescue team is still on the ground trying to rescue whoever we can find,” he said. Among those rescued on Saturday was Prince Daudi Kintu Wasajja, a brother of Ronald Mutebi, the king of Buganda kingdom, Uganda’s largest, police said. The East African nation has several kingdoms, whose kings wield considerable social clout but little political influence.

Death toll from Uganda boat cruise accident jumps to 29

At least 34 people were killed after a river in eastern Uganda burst its banks, sending thick sludge and rocks barrelling into homes, disaster officials said Friday.

Rescue teams were picking through the rubble, looking for survivors and victims of the disaster which took place on Thursday in the town of Bukalasi in the Bududa district. An unknown number of people were still missing.

"I can confirm 34 people are dead. We have to wait for our assessment to be completed before we can say how many are missing," said Uganda Red Cross spokeswoman Irene Nakasiita.

On Thursday she shared photos on WhatsApp of the scene of what she described as a "massive landslide", including images of dismembered corpses caked in mud laid out by the river.&nbsp;

Some of the bodies had been partly covered with banana leaves by members of the public.&nbsp;

"The cause was the river bursting its banks upstream following heavy rain. When the water flowed down it brought a number of big stones with it that destroyed people's houses," Nakasiita said.

"Our search and rescue team is still on the ground evacuating people and removing them from the rubble."

She said the Red Cross was sending relief supplies to the area, such as tarpaulins, blankets and water purification tablets.

Landslides high risk

Nathan Tumuhamye, director of an organisation that helps communities recover from natural disasters and conflict, told AFP that "four to five villages", and possibly a primary school had been affected.

"I have received the sad news of landslides wreaking havoc in Bududa district... The government has dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas," President Yoweri Museveni wrote on Twitter.

He said the government was looking at other options to help prevent more disasters.

Bududa district in the foothills of Mount Elgon, which lies on the border between Uganda and Kenya, is a high-risk area for landslides.&nbsp;

At least 100 people were reported killed in a landslide in Bududa in March 2010, and in 2012 landslides destroyed three villages.&nbsp;

Government efforts to move vulnerable people to neighbouring districts have faced resistance from residents.&nbsp; 
Government meteorologist Godfrey Mujuni said it was the River Sume, a tributary of the River Manafwa, that had burst its banks.

"It's a mountainous region and because of the high altitude and steep slopes even a small amount of rain can trigger landslides. There is no early warning system in that particular area hit yesterday."

"The rains are still coming and the government and NGOs need to keep their preparedness levels high."

At least 34 people were killed after a river in eastern Uganda burst its banks, sending thick sludge and rocks barrelling into homes, disaster officials said Friday.

At least 34 people were killed after a river in eastern Uganda burst its banks, sending thick sludge and rocks barrelling into homes, disaster officials said Friday. Rescue teams were picking through the rubble, looking for survivors and victims of the disaster which took place on Thursday in the town of Bukalasi in the Bududa district. An unknown number of people were still missing. "I can confirm 34 people are dead. We have to wait for our assessment to be completed before we can say how many are missing," said Uganda Red Cross spokeswoman Irene Nakasiita. On Thursday she shared photos on WhatsApp of the scene of what she described as a "massive landslide", including images of dismembered corpses caked in mud laid out by the river. Some of the bodies had been partly covered with banana leaves by members of the public. "The cause was the river bursting its banks upstream following heavy rain. When the water flowed down it brought a number of big stones with it that destroyed people's houses," Nakasiita said. "Our search and rescue team is still on the ground evacuating people and removing them from the rubble." She said the Red Cross was sending relief supplies to the area, such as tarpaulins, blankets and water purification tablets. Landslides high risk Nathan Tumuhamye, director of an organisation that helps communities recover from natural disasters and conflict, told AFP that "four to five villages", and possibly a primary school had been affected. "I have received the sad news of landslides wreaking havoc in Bududa district... The government has dispatched rescue teams to the affected areas," President Yoweri Museveni wrote on Twitter. He said the government was looking at other options to help prevent more disasters. Bududa district in the foothills of Mount Elgon, which lies on the border between Uganda and Kenya, is a high-risk area for landslides. At least 100 people were reported killed in a landslide in Bududa in March 2010, and in 2012 landslides destroyed three villages. Government efforts to move vulnerable people to neighbouring districts have faced resistance from residents. Government meteorologist Godfrey Mujuni said it was the River Sume, a tributary of the River Manafwa, that had burst its banks. "It's a mountainous region and because of the high altitude and steep slopes even a small amount of rain can trigger landslides. There is no early warning system in that particular area hit yesterday." "The rains are still coming and the government and NGOs need to keep their preparedness levels high."

At least 34 dead after Uganda landslide

At least 31 people were killed when floodwaters triggered by a landslide swept debris through a town in eastern Uganda, destroying homes and burying livestock, a government official said on Friday.

The landslide, which followed heavy rains, struck Bukalasi, situated on the slopes of Mount Elgon, on Thursday afternoon.

"Most of the people were caught at the market, the landslide pushed huge boulders into a river which burst its banks and the water swept away the people," said Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness and Management Martin Owor.

A picture tweeted by Uganda Red Cross showed uprooted and twisted trees. The aid agency said both "animals and people were swept away in this disaster."

Relief teams were combing the area to search and rescue survivors, Owor said.

"There are people who were displaced and they need shelter, food and all other support and we're moving that relief to the area," he said.

The rainy season in that part of Uganda, about 250 km (155 miles) from the capital Kampala and close to the Kenyan border, runs from September to December.

An avalanche in the same area in 2010 killed at least 80 people.

Large swaths on the slopes of Ugandan mountains have been denuded of their forests and other vegetation covers for cultivable land, increasing the risk of landslides.

Officials have previously said there were plans to move people away from some of the most vulnerable areas, but those relocations have yet to be carried out.

Many of the East African country's mountainous regions, also including areas in the southwest and west near the borders with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, often experience landslides at this time of the year if rains are unusually heavy.

At least 31 people were killed when floodwaters triggered by a landslide swept debris through a town in eastern Uganda, destroying homes and burying livestock, a government official said on Friday.

At least 31 people were killed when floodwaters triggered by a landslide swept debris through a town in eastern Uganda, destroying homes and burying livestock, a government official said on Friday. The landslide, which followed heavy rains, struck Bukalasi, situated on the slopes of Mount Elgon, on Thursday afternoon. "Most of the people were caught at the market, the landslide pushed huge boulders into a river which burst its banks and the water swept away the people," said Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness and Management Martin Owor. A picture tweeted by Uganda Red Cross showed uprooted and twisted trees. The aid agency said both "animals and people were swept away in this disaster." Relief teams were combing the area to search and rescue survivors, Owor said. "There are people who were displaced and they need shelter, food and all other support and we're moving that relief to the area," he said. The rainy season in that part of Uganda, about 250 km (155 miles) from the capital Kampala and close to the Kenyan border, runs from September to December. An avalanche in the same area in 2010 killed at least 80 people. Large swaths on the slopes of Ugandan mountains have been denuded of their forests and other vegetation covers for cultivable land, increasing the risk of landslides. Officials have previously said there were plans to move people away from some of the most vulnerable areas, but those relocations have yet to be carried out. Many of the East African country's mountainous regions, also including areas in the southwest and west near the borders with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, often experience landslides at this time of the year if rains are unusually heavy.

Video: At least 31 people dead after landslide in eastern Uganda

Landslide in eastern Uganda kills at least 31 people

Ibrahim Abiriga, a leading politician from Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, was shot dead Friday along with his bodyguard, police said.

Abiriga, known for wearing all-yellow suits and driving around in a yellow VW Beetle -- the colour of President Yoweri Museveni's NRM party -- was "assassinated this evening near his home in Kawanda," north of the capital, Kampala, by "unknown assailants," police chief Okoth Ochola tweeted.

Abiriga, 62, was MP for the Arua municipality in the north-west of the country. He was a also a key supporter of a reform bill adopted last December to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years.

The move was seen as a bid to pave the way for Museveni -- who has been president since 1986 and is currently 73 -- to seek a sixth term in power.

As part of the mooted reform, the number of terms a president can serve would be limited to just two. But that part of the reform would only come into effect after the next election, meaning Museveni could run for two more terms.

Museveni responded to the news of Abiriga's murder on Twitter, saying: "I have received news about the senseless killing of Arua Municipality MP, Hon Ibrahim Abiriga, and his bodyguard on the city's outskirts.&nbsp

"I have tasked security agencies to expeditiously find these killers and the nation will be updated soon. May Hon Abiriga's soul rest in peace."

Museveni, a veteran former rebel leader who seized power in 1986, ending years of brutal and murderous rule under Idi Amin and Milton Obote, once said leaders who "overstayed" in power were the root of Africa's problems.

However, he successfully changed the constitution in 2005 abolishing a two-term limit, and has since gone back and forth on the age requirement.

In March 2017, the spokesman for Uganda's police, Andrew Kawessi, was murdered along with two other officers &nbspin his car outside his home in Kampala. The case has not been solved.

In March 2015, Joan Kagezi, a director in Uganda's public ministry in charge of investigating the jihadist attack in Kampala in 2010, was shot dead by men on motorbikes as she returned home.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Ibrahim Abiriga, a leading politician from Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, was shot dead Friday along with his bodyguard, police said

Ibrahim Abiriga, a leading politician from Uganda's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, was shot dead Friday along with his bodyguard, police said. Abiriga, known for wearing all-yellow suits and driving around in a yellow VW Beetle -- the colour of President Yoweri Museveni's NRM party -- was "assassinated this evening near his home in Kawanda," north of the capital, Kampala, by "unknown assailants," police chief Okoth Ochola tweeted. Abiriga, 62, was MP for the Arua municipality in the north-west of the country. He was a also a key supporter of a reform bill adopted last December to scrap the presidential age limit of 75 years. The move was seen as a bid to pave the way for Museveni -- who has been president since 1986 and is currently 73 -- to seek a sixth term in power. As part of the mooted reform, the number of terms a president can serve would be limited to just two. But that part of the reform would only come into effect after the next election, meaning Museveni could run for two more terms. Museveni responded to the news of Abiriga's murder on Twitter, saying: "I have received news about the senseless killing of Arua Municipality MP, Hon Ibrahim Abiriga, and his bodyguard on the city's outskirts. "I have tasked security agencies to expeditiously find these killers and the nation will be updated soon. May Hon Abiriga's soul rest in peace." Museveni, a veteran former rebel leader who seized power in 1986, ending years of brutal and murderous rule under Idi Amin and Milton Obote, once said leaders who "overstayed" in power were the root of Africa's problems. However, he successfully changed the constitution in 2005 abolishing a two-term limit, and has since gone back and forth on the age requirement. In March 2017, the spokesman for Uganda's police, Andrew Kawessi, was murdered along with two other officers &nbspin his car outside his home in Kampala. The case has not been solved. In March 2015, Joan Kagezi, a director in Uganda's public ministry in charge of investigating the jihadist attack in Kampala in 2010, was shot dead by men on motorbikes as she returned home.

Prominent Ugandan MP shot dead: Police

At least 22 people including three children died when a bus hit a tractor driving with no lights at night and a truck in northern Uganda, police said on Saturday.

"Evacuation teams are working tirelessly to rescue the injured", said Ugandan police spokeswoman Emilian Kayima, adding that all three drivers had died.&nbsp

The accident happened on Friday night in Kiryandongo, about 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the capital Kampala.&nbsp

The bus collided first with the tractor before hitting a truck transporting beer.

Local media said the death toll exceeded 30.

Uganda has one of the worst records for road safety, due to the poor condition of vehicles and roads as well as dangerous driving.

More than 9,500 people died in a road accident in the country between 2015 and 2017, according to figures from the transport ministry, with the situation worsening each year.

The bus collided first with the tractor before hitting a truck transporting beer

At least 22 people including three children died when a bus hit a tractor driving with no lights at night and a truck in northern Uganda, police said on Saturday. "Evacuation teams are working tirelessly to rescue the injured", said Ugandan police spokeswoman Emilian Kayima, adding that all three drivers had died. The accident happened on Friday night in Kiryandongo, about 220 kilometres (140 miles) north of the capital Kampala. The bus collided first with the tractor before hitting a truck transporting beer. Local media said the death toll exceeded 30. Uganda has one of the worst records for road safety, due to the poor condition of vehicles and roads as well as dangerous driving. More than 9,500 people died in a road accident in the country between 2015 and 2017, according to figures from the transport ministry, with the situation worsening each year.

22 killed as Uganda bus rams into tractor and truck

Israel has started handing out notices to 20,000 male African migrants giving them two months to leave the country or risk being thrown in jail.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s government is offering the migrants, most of whom are from Sudan and Eritrea, $3,500 and a plane ticket to what it says is a safe destination in another country in sub-Saharan Africa.

The fate of some 37,000 Africans in Israel is posing a moral dilemma for a state founded as haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government is under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants, while others are calling for them to be taken in.

The government says the migrants are &quot;infiltrators&quot; looking for work rather than asylum, but there is a growing liberal backlash against the plan, including from rabbis, a small group of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust and ordinary people who say Israel should show greater compassion to the migrants.

The first eviction notices were handed out on Sunday and job advertisements for immigration inspectors to implement the deportation plan have been posted on government websites.

Rights groups advocating on behalf of the migrants say many fled abuse and war and their expulsion, even to a different country in Africa, would endanger them further.

&quot;I don&#39;t know what to do. Rwanda, Uganda are not my countries, what will a third country help me?&quot; said Eritrean Berihu Ainom, after receiving an eviction notice on Sunday.

The deportation notices do not name the country migrants will be flown to but Netanyahu has said it will be a safe destination. Rights groups have named Uganda and Rwanda as possible host countries.

In a poor neighbourhood in the south of Tel Aviv that has attracted thousands of African migrants, shops are dotted with signs in Tigrinya and other African languages while abandoned warehouses have been converted into churches.

&quot;I came to Israel to save my life,&quot; said Eritrean Afoworki Kidane, sitting on a street bench.

He said he would rather go to jail than take the cash and plane ticket on offer to leave the country that has been his home for nine years.

Backlash building

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Israel&#39;s first obligation was to its own citizens, rather than the migrants.

&quot;They are not numbers, they are people, they are human and I am full of compassion and mercy,&quot; Deri told Army Radio. &quot;But the small state of Israel cannot contain such a vast number of illegal infiltrators.&quot;

But opposition to the plan has been building and some Israelis are now offering to take migrants at risk of expulsion into their homes.

On Thursday, a group of 36 Holocaust survivors sent a letter to Netanyahu asking him not to deport the migrants. The US-based Anti Defamation League has also urged Israel to reconsider the plan, citing &quot;Jewish values and refugee heritage&quot;.

Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and a Holocaust survivor, said in a statement the issue required &quot;as much compassion, empathy and mercy that can possibly be marshalled. The experiences of the Jewish people over the ages underscore this commitment.&quot;

Rabbi Susan Silverman has launched a campaign called Miklat Israel (Israel Shelter) for Israelis to take migrants into their homes.

&quot;It&#39;s unconscionable for the Jewish state to deport people to harrowing vulnerability,&quot; she said.

Miklat Israel&#39;s Rabbi Tamara Schagas said 600 Israeli families had already signed up and the organisation would begin to connect migrants with potential hosts this week.

Moral compass

The Supreme Court ruled in August that Israeli authorities can hold illegal migrants for up to 60 days in custody.

Immigration officials have said women, children and men with families in Israel were allowed to stay for now, as was anyone with outstanding asylum requests.

Out of 6,800 requests reviewed so far, Israel has granted refugee status to 11 migrants. It has at least 8,000 more requests to process.

Israeli authorities have said Israeli officials will keep in touch with migrants accepted in a third country to oversee their progress. Rwanda has said it will only accept migrants who have left Israel of their own free will.

Nonetheless, the UN&#39;s refugee agency has urged Israel to reconsider, saying migrants who have relocated to sub-Saharan Africa in the past few years were unsafe and ended up on the perilous migrant trail to Europe, some suffering abuse, torture and even perishing on the way.

Rights groups in Israel say the government is simply ridding itself of people it should be recognising as refugees in Israel and that there was no real guarantee for their safety.

A fence Israel has built over the past few years along its border with Egypt has all but stopped African migrants from entering the country illegally. Beginning in the previous decade, when the border was porous, a total of 64,000 Africans made it to Israel though thousands have since left.

Emmanuel Asfaha from Eritrea crossed into Israel in 2011 with his wife and baby son. His second child was born in Israel.

A narrow grocery store stockroom stacked with bags of flour leads to their two-room apartment in Tel Aviv, a poster of Jesus hanging on the cracked walls above his son&#39;s bed. Asfaha is concerned Israel will eventually deport families too.

&quot;I am worried about the situation,&quot; he said while cooking Shiro, a traditional stew. &quot;Tomorrow it will be for me also.&quot;

A few kilometres away, in a hip, upscale part of Tel Aviv, Ben Yefet, a 39-year-old stockbroker, said he had signed up with Miklat Israel to house two or three migrants in his two-room apartment.

&quot;As Israelis and Jews we are obligated. We have a moral compass, we just have to do it,&quot; he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is offering the migrants, most of whom are from Sudan and Eritrea, $3,500 and a plane ticket

Israel has started handing out notices to 20,000 male African migrants giving them two months to leave the country or risk being thrown in jail. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is offering the migrants, most of whom are from Sudan and Eritrea, $3,500 and a plane ticket to what it says is a safe destination in another country in sub-Saharan Africa. The fate of some 37,000 Africans in Israel is posing a moral dilemma for a state founded as haven for Jews from persecution and a national home. The right-wing government is under pressure from its nationalist voter base to expel the migrants, while others are calling for them to be taken in. The government says the migrants are "infiltrators" looking for work rather than asylum, but there is a growing liberal backlash against the plan, including from rabbis, a small group of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust and ordinary people who say Israel should show greater compassion to the migrants. The first eviction notices were handed out on Sunday and job advertisements for immigration inspectors to implement the deportation plan have been posted on government websites. Rights groups advocating on behalf of the migrants say many fled abuse and war and their expulsion, even to a different country in Africa, would endanger them further. "I don't know what to do. Rwanda, Uganda are not my countries, what will a third country help me?" said Eritrean Berihu Ainom, after receiving an eviction notice on Sunday. The deportation notices do not name the country migrants will be flown to but Netanyahu has said it will be a safe destination. Rights groups have named Uganda and Rwanda as possible host countries. In a poor neighbourhood in the south of Tel Aviv that has attracted thousands of African migrants, shops are dotted with signs in Tigrinya and other African languages while abandoned warehouses have been converted into churches. "I came to Israel to save my life," said Eritrean Afoworki Kidane, sitting on a street bench. He said he would rather go to jail than take the cash and plane ticket on offer to leave the country that has been his home for nine years. Backlash building Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Israel's first obligation was to its own citizens, rather than the migrants. "They are not numbers, they are people, they are human and I am full of compassion and mercy," Deri told Army Radio. "But the small state of Israel cannot contain such a vast number of illegal infiltrators." But opposition to the plan has been building and some Israelis are now offering to take migrants at risk of expulsion into their homes. On Thursday, a group of 36 Holocaust survivors sent a letter to Netanyahu asking him not to deport the migrants. The US-based Anti Defamation League has also urged Israel to reconsider the plan, citing "Jewish values and refugee heritage". Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and a Holocaust survivor, said in a statement the issue required "as much compassion, empathy and mercy that can possibly be marshalled. The experiences of the Jewish people over the ages underscore this commitment." Rabbi Susan Silverman has launched a campaign called Miklat Israel (Israel Shelter) for Israelis to take migrants into their homes. "It's unconscionable for the Jewish state to deport people to harrowing vulnerability," she said. Miklat Israel's Rabbi Tamara Schagas said 600 Israeli families had already signed up and the organisation would begin to connect migrants with potential hosts this week. Moral compass The Supreme Court ruled in August that Israeli authorities can hold illegal migrants for up to 60 days in custody. Immigration officials have said women, children and men with families in Israel were allowed to stay for now, as was anyone with outstanding asylum requests. Out of 6,800 requests reviewed so far, Israel has granted refugee status to 11 migrants. It has at least 8,000 more requests to process. Israeli authorities have said Israeli officials will keep in touch with migrants accepted in a third country to oversee their progress. Rwanda has said it will only accept migrants who have left Israel of their own free will. Nonetheless, the UN's refugee agency has urged Israel to reconsider, saying migrants who have relocated to sub-Saharan Africa in the past few years were unsafe and ended up on the perilous migrant trail to Europe, some suffering abuse, torture and even perishing on the way. Rights groups in Israel say the government is simply ridding itself of people it should be recognising as refugees in Israel and that there was no real guarantee for their safety. A fence Israel has built over the past few years along its border with Egypt has all but stopped African migrants from entering the country illegally. Beginning in the previous decade, when the border was porous, a total of 64,000 Africans made it to Israel though thousands have since left. Emmanuel Asfaha from Eritrea crossed into Israel in 2011 with his wife and baby son. His second child was born in Israel. A narrow grocery store stockroom stacked with bags of flour leads to their two-room apartment in Tel Aviv, a poster of Jesus hanging on the cracked walls above his son's bed. Asfaha is concerned Israel will eventually deport families too. "I am worried about the situation," he said while cooking Shiro, a traditional stew. "Tomorrow it will be for me also." A few kilometres away, in a hip, upscale part of Tel Aviv, Ben Yefet, a 39-year-old stockbroker, said he had signed up with Miklat Israel to house two or three migrants in his two-room apartment. "As Israelis and Jews we are obligated. We have a moral compass, we just have to do it," he said.

Cash or custody: Israel begins deporting African migrants

This is an interactive guide to the travel history of the dreaded Zika virus

Interactive: Zika's origin and global spread

More than 37,000 people have fled South Sudan for neighbouring Uganda in the last three weeks following intense fighting between rival troops that left hundreds dead, the United Nation&#39;s (UN)&nbsp;refugee body said today. 
 
An already shaky 2015 peace deal signed after a bloody civil war in the world&#39;s newest nation looks uncertain after the clashes between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those allied with former rebel leader Riek Machar. 
 
&quot;In the past three weeks there have been more refugee arrivals in Uganda than in the entire first six months of 2016,&quot; when 33,838 crossed the border, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. 
 
More than 90 per cent of the arrivals were women and children, UNHCR said, with men forcibly recruited by armed groups and prevented from crossing the border. 
 
Those who fled were from South Sudan&#39;s Eastern Equatoria region, as well as from the capital, Juba, and the last week has seen the greatest surges. 
 
Facilities on the Ugandan side were overwhelmed at first with the sheer size of the influx, UNHCR said. 
 
It used the example of Elegu, northern Uganda, where more than 11,000 refugees were at one point staying in a shelter designed for 1,000. 
 
Underfunding of the UN bodies helping those displaced compounded the problem, the refugee agency said, adding that 831,582 South Sudanese were now refugees, scattered across Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. 
 
South Sudan&#39;s President Salva Kiir announced on Monday that former rebel leader Riek Machar had been replaced as vice president, confirming signs of serious divisions within the opposition. 
 
Kiir said he had appointed Taban Deng Gai to the post on the &quot;recommendation of the top leadership of the SPLM/A (IO)&quot; -- the group Machar heads. 
 
Machar has refused to come back to Juba until the deployment of a neutral force of African troops -- a plan approved by the African Union but rejected by Kiir. 
 
Machar and Kiir fell out in 2013, little more than two years after South Sudan became independent, when Kiir accused his vice president of plotting against him. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

'In the past three weeks, there have been more refugee arrivals in Uganda than in the entire first six months of 2016'

More than 37,000 people have fled South Sudan for neighbouring Uganda in the last three weeks following intense fighting between rival troops that left hundreds dead, the United Nation's (UN) refugee body said today. An already shaky 2015 peace deal signed after a bloody civil war in the world's newest nation looks uncertain after the clashes between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those allied with former rebel leader Riek Machar. "In the past three weeks there have been more refugee arrivals in Uganda than in the entire first six months of 2016," when 33,838 crossed the border, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. More than 90 per cent of the arrivals were women and children, UNHCR said, with men forcibly recruited by armed groups and prevented from crossing the border. Those who fled were from South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria region, as well as from the capital, Juba, and the last week has seen the greatest surges. Facilities on the Ugandan side were overwhelmed at first with the sheer size of the influx, UNHCR said. It used the example of Elegu, northern Uganda, where more than 11,000 refugees were at one point staying in a shelter designed for 1,000. Underfunding of the UN bodies helping those displaced compounded the problem, the refugee agency said, adding that 831,582 South Sudanese were now refugees, scattered across Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir announced on Monday that former rebel leader Riek Machar had been replaced as vice president, confirming signs of serious divisions within the opposition. Kiir said he had appointed Taban Deng Gai to the post on the "recommendation of the top leadership of the SPLM/A (IO)" -- the group Machar heads. Machar has refused to come back to Juba until the deployment of a neutral force of African troops -- a plan approved by the African Union but rejected by Kiir. Machar and Kiir fell out in 2013, little more than two years after South Sudan became independent, when Kiir accused his vice president of plotting against him. (AFP)

In 3 weeks, more than 37,000 people fled South Sudan for Uganda: UN

South Sudan President Salva Kiir replaced his vice president and rival Riek Machar on Monday, a move that could potentially undermine last year&#39;s peace deal and reignite war in Africa&#39;s youngest nation. 
 
Machar was sworn in as first vice president only last April, eight months after a peace agreement that ended two years of fighting that broke out the last time that Kiir sacked him as his deputy in 2013. 
 
But the rivalry between the two men led to violence in the capital Juba early this month as forces from both sides battled each other with tanks, helicopters and other heavy weapons. 
 
Machar, from the minority Nuer ethnic group, left Juba with his troops, saying he would only return when an international body had to set up a buffer force between his fighters and those supporting Kiir, leader of the dominant Dinka group. 
 
Kiir issued an ultimatum last week, saying Machar had 48 hours to contact him and return to Juba to salvage last year&#39;s peace deal, or face replacement. 
 
He made good on that threat on Monday (July 25) when he issued a decree &quot;for the appointment of the first vice president of the republic of South Sudan&quot;, naming General Tabal Deng Gai to the post. 
 
A former minister of mining, Deng Gai was a chief negotiator on behalf of Machar&#39;s SPLM-IO group in the talks that led to last year&#39;s deal. But last week, he broke ranks with Machar and backed Kiir&#39;s ultimatum to him. 
 
South Sudan&#39;s politics has long been plagued by splits and rivalries as leaders switch allegiances in a struggle for power an influence in the oil-producing nation, which only emerged from Sudan five years ago. 
 
Its last war, which started after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in 2013, killed more than 10,000 people and displaced over 2 million, many of whom fled to neighbouring countries. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Salva Kiir swears in General Tabal Deng Gai as the replacement for vice president Machar, a move which puts last year's peace deal at risk

South Sudan President Salva Kiir replaced his vice president and rival Riek Machar on Monday, a move that could potentially undermine last year's peace deal and reignite war in Africa's youngest nation. Machar was sworn in as first vice president only last April, eight months after a peace agreement that ended two years of fighting that broke out the last time that Kiir sacked him as his deputy in 2013. But the rivalry between the two men led to violence in the capital Juba early this month as forces from both sides battled each other with tanks, helicopters and other heavy weapons. Machar, from the minority Nuer ethnic group, left Juba with his troops, saying he would only return when an international body had to set up a buffer force between his fighters and those supporting Kiir, leader of the dominant Dinka group. Kiir issued an ultimatum last week, saying Machar had 48 hours to contact him and return to Juba to salvage last year's peace deal, or face replacement. He made good on that threat on Monday (July 25) when he issued a decree "for the appointment of the first vice president of the republic of South Sudan", naming General Tabal Deng Gai to the post. A former minister of mining, Deng Gai was a chief negotiator on behalf of Machar's SPLM-IO group in the talks that led to last year's deal. But last week, he broke ranks with Machar and backed Kiir's ultimatum to him. South Sudan's politics has long been plagued by splits and rivalries as leaders switch allegiances in a struggle for power an influence in the oil-producing nation, which only emerged from Sudan five years ago. Its last war, which started after Kiir sacked Machar as vice president in 2013, killed more than 10,000 people and displaced over 2 million, many of whom fled to neighbouring countries. (Reuters)

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir sacks deputy and rival Riek Machar

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