Africa – 27 October 2015

African Standby Force closer to becoming a reality
The Amani Africa II field training exercise — made up of over 5 400 troops and police — kicked off at the Army Combat Training Centre in the Northern Cape.
The training will last until 5 November and is conducted by the African Union (AU) with the intent of evaluating the state of readiness of the African Standby Force (ASF) and its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC).
The Southern Times

India, Africa cannot be excluded from UN Security Council
Making a fervant pitch for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, India on Tuesday said it along with Africa comprising nearly 2.5 billion people “can no longer be excluded from their rightful place” in the world body.
“Although Indians and Africans comprise nearly 2.5 billion people, our nations continue to be excluded from appropriate representation in the institutions of global governance. India and Africa can no longer be excluded from their rightful place of the permanent membership of the UN Security Council,” External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said.
The Economic Times

S. Sudan President in South Africa
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is in South Africa for talks on the peace agreement aimed at ending his country’s 22-month civil war.
According to a spokesman, Kiir met Sunday with South African President Jacob Zuma and briefed him about efforts to implement the agreement he signed in August with rebel leader and former vice president Riek Machar.
The spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, says Kiir urged Zuma to convince rebels to sign a security arrangement deal that is part of the process of the peace agreement.
“The government of South Sudan has already initialed [it]; the rebels are still intransigent,” says Ateny.
Voice of America