Africa

November, 9th, 2018
The Honorable Michael Richard Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St NW,
Washington DC 20520
USA

RESPONSE BY SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT (SLM/A-AW) TO U.S. POTENTIAL DE-LISTING OF SUDAN FROM TERRORISM STATE SPONSORSHIP BLACKLIST

Dear Mr Secretary:

In the wake of recent talks held in Washington between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan and the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Dirdeiry Ahmed, it is with the gravest concern that the leadership of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army urges your office to reconsider the U.S. Government easing the pathway for the genocidal Sudanese dictatorship towards rehabilitation in the international community of nations and its hope for de-listing from the U.S. blacklist of states sponsoring terrorism.

In a long litany of well documented ongoing crimes and atrocities daily perpetrated by the regime in Khartoum, impossible to refute in light of the weight of empirical evidence testifying to their ugly reality, we cannot help but express bewilderment Washington keeps normalizing its relationship with a blood-stained criminal, hardline Islamist regime that aside from practicing state terrorism against its own people, has not ceased its support for a nefarious array of Salafi terror groups, to include many franchises of Al Qaida, and DAESH across the Arab World and from North to Sub-Saharan Africa.

We don't doubt you're well aware of this given your former stewardship as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Equally, you will be as aware of the regime's past sponsorship of the notorious Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army, both your own Special Forces and Ugandan People's Defense Force hunted to no avail. And though the messianic Christian terrorist is down to a handful of stragglers, his enjoying safe haven in Sudan and the Sudanese security forces looking the other way is an all but open secret. And while U.S. special operations commandos are active in Libya against Jihadist militias, surely you are as cognizant of Sudanese troops serving as mercenaries for the same warlords and in partnership with them engaging in human trafficking selling our people as human chattel, where the profits generated in this repugnant business, funds more terrorism and flows into Sudanese government banks.

We apologize for further belaboring the obvious and quoting the State Department's own language back to you where the recent U.S. statement citing progress by the regime in “counterterrorism cooperation, enhancing human rights protections and practices, including freedoms of religion and press, improving humanitarian access, ceasing internal hostilities and creating a more conducive environment for progress in Sudan's peace process,” reads almost as dark self-parody. It is as if Washington has discovered an alternate reality, we who have buried the bodies of our six hundred thousand, primarily civilian dead, whom the UN inexplicably stopped counting a decade ago, halving and freezing the butcher's bill, often cited erroneously, weren't aware of. It is rather remarkable what you see so clearly from so far away, our eyes have never gazed upon when we endure the waking nightmare of anunabated genocide and the institutional brutality, repression and multiple abuses of dictatorship. The dungeons of Khartoum, the vanished villages, mass graves, serial rape victims and the children burned and choked by chemical weapons in Darfur, tell a different story to yours.

What is so striking is merely the timing of the fictive statement, which only a cursory review of credible open source materials by a State Department intern, let alone a professional diplomat, of recent events in just past weeks and days, would have readily given the lie to, before it was penned. Does improved freedom of religion include the Darfuri Christians recently beaten and tortured back to Islamic fundamentalism and the existing legal statutes that specify capital punishment for apostasy? Does improved human rights protections refer to the popular female Sudanese singer arrested for indecency for wearing trousers or the most recently tortured peaceful human rights activists seized from the IDP camps? Is improved freedom of the press a reference to the journalists arrested by the secret police for having met with Western diplomats? Is the improved humanitarian access meant to be understood as the enduring government embargo on all food and medical relief to four million refugees, again listed as only half the true figure by the UN? And perhaps the more conducive environment for the peace process is the boast by the commander of the Rapid Support Forces overnight, to eradicate the SLM in just three months in a pending government offensive?

As a Republican administration presides in Washington we should like to remind you, Sir, that it was your counterpart, Secretary Powell, during the last Bush White House who correctly first decried the tragedy of Darfur as a genocide. Are your values so different to his, is yours a different United States? Are you no longer a beacon of freedom and democracy, an enemy of tyranny, extremism and genocide, or have you now for your own cynical purposes become the enabler for a mass murderer, President Omar al Bashir, and his henchmen, indicted by the International Criminal Court for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide?

And as you gird to place more pressure on the dictatorship in Tehran, from which we have also suffered in recent living memory, as it previously sponsored our oppressors, since Wahhabi Saudi Arabia has now replaced Iran as the primary sponsor for those that murder us, together with the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, we grasp your strategic alliance with Riyadh, makes our suffering an expendable, acceptable, sacrifice for you. It does not make it morally right or excusable, however, and history will record Washington's indifference and now direct tacit, complicity in the Darfur Genocide, as it marked the moral collapse of the Clinton Administration during the Rwadan Genocide and the lethal US military aid that earlier enabled Siad Barre's Isaaq Genocide in Somalia under President Reagan's tenure.

We are weak and you are the last superpower on earth, but are you a moral superpower at this juncture in history or do you wield great power just for its own sake and self-interest and not for the nobler cause of a greater humanity? And thus what will be your epitaph when posterity records that our mass murder meant nothing to you? We pray that in time, you may recognize that to live up to the promise of your nation's great ideals and the first American, founding father, Thomas Jefferson, to hold the very office you occupy, you should not turn away from us, and whitewash mass murders, and instead embrace us as your natural allies, who only wish to live in peace and democracy as you do.

Sincerely,

Abdul Wahid al-Nur, Chairman Sudan Liberation Movement & Commander in Chief Sudan Liberation Army.

By Tito Awen, Juba-South Sudan

I keep wondering if peace can divide or unite the partners. I am not so young nor unmindful not to have known what happened after signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) or not to have read other cases of peace in the World so as to draw a comparison to the recently signed peace agreement in South Sudan duped as R-ARCISS. After signing of the CPA, some of the Southern and Northern Parties joined Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) as opposition coalition while some of the Northern and Southern Parties joined the National Congress Party (NCP) as ruling coalition. Hold on reader, just know that my writing is not so much of the opinion leathered and loathed with any form of negative interest but just drawing the observation for future correction and reference by the analysts and opinion leaders of my kind.

To begin with, the word revitalization means rejuvenation or resuscitation of the Agreement on the Resolutions of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) which was at death bed then as a result of the J1's ‘‘dogs fight'' as popularly termed by most of the analysts and political commentators. That supposedly means that the agreement that was signed would have been the best agreement capable of addressing the root causes of post-independence issues and differences which possibly were the ones that led to 2013 and repeatedly led to 2016 aggressions and subsequently the present polarization & conflicts.

Papers were still not dry of the ink when the Revitalized-Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCIS) was signed on 12th September, 2018 when several breakaways emerged from different political parties that were parts and parcels or simply the signatories to the agreement (R-ARCISS). South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) which is the major opposition coalition was the first victim of split when most of its member parties defied & refused the call from the chairperson to sign the agreement though some were at a later date ‘intimidated' to sign. They made their position real after the final signature by its leader-Mr.Changson Chang.

Gen.Thomas Cirilo's National Salvation Alliance (NAS) was the second opposition organization to face the drama from within its ranks when some of NAS's high ranking officials ‘dismissed' him as their leader though it was contained at a later date. As if it was not enough, South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) of Eng.Garang Riiny was the third movement to face the test when Gen.Ayii Ayii Akol declared the dismissal of the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief (Eng.Garang Riiny) in ‘Support' of peace signed though it was also sorted through intervention of Gen.Agany's father-Gen.Ayii Akol. To follow suit, South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) of Gen.Bapiny Monytuil went through the same crisis as well. SPLM-FDs' (Former Detainees) and Dr.Lam Akol's National Democratic Movement (NDM) are harbouring splits and also seem to be fighting the fire behind the dark corridors of their houses. To contain such discontentions, SPLM-FDs have used their recent October's (Nairobi) meeting to put their house in order though the recent statement from their leader-Hon. Pagan Amum Okech is a proof that he was persuaded by his colleagues just to accept peace the way it is and not to his satisfaction. Furthermore, the recent resignation within the political files of National Democratic Movement (NDM) is another proof of the split on course.

For non-signatories, Gen.Malong Awan's South Sudan United Front (SSUF) has also seen and heard two splits in the same period of peace though the impacts are minimised and considered to be of no major consent and impacts by its members.

I think the same split might be within the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO (SPLM-In Government and SPLM-In Opposition) only that they feel being the major beneficiaries of the R-ARCISS and I believe the ceremony of the 31st October 2018 is litmus proof that the two went to bed better for this.

Digging deep into the splits: some parties split in support of peace per se while others do the same in opposition of the peace with a notion that it addresses nothing except the usual quest for power. This buys the questions: Are South Sudan and its political elites ready for peace or not? Or, does it means that the peace has not addresses the root causes of conflicts as said by some holdout parties? If so, are the parties to the agreement (SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO, SPLM-FDs and SSOA-IG) ready to bring to peace or to table the parties that are yet to support peace? If not so, are citizens ready for half meal only to see the politicians enjoying the resources the usual way while people are continuing to die?

The author is reachable through awenbol2007@yahoo.com

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The 6th meeting of the strategic dialogue between Sudan and the United Kingdom (UK) has been held in London on Thursday.

The Sudanese side was headed by the Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary for Political Affairs and International Cooperation Elham Shantair while the British side was headed by the Director of Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Harriet Mathews.

The meetings discussed in details bilateral relations between the two countries besides political, economic cooperation and coordination on the international forums as well as issues of human rights, illegal migration and terrorism.

The two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, stressing importance of Sudan's efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

The meetings underlined the need to continue the exchange of visits among senior officials from the two countries, pointing to the regional and international issues of common concern.

The two sides approved 6-month executive plan to implement cooperation agreements that have been reached.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Sudanese side welcomed the upcoming visit of the UK Under-Secretary of the Department of International Development to Sudan at the end of November to discuss development and economic cooperation.

Since 2015, Sudan and the UK have started a dialogue upon request from Khartoum to push forward bilateral ties.

In March 2016, Sudan and the UK held the first strategic consultations meetings between the two countries in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The meeting was considered the first talks of its kind at the ministerial level in 25 years.

The two countries agreed to exchange visits at the level of senior officials from the two countries along with increasing cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and culture.

The UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Chris Trott last year visited Khartoum several times to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations and encourage Khartoum efforts to reduce the illegal immigration from the Horn of African countries towards Europe and Britain especially.

The dialogue also was seen within the framework of the after-Brexit policy aiming to develop trade relations with the former British colonies.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Three armed groups in Darfur region extended the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three months, and called for the resumption of talks to reach a political solution to the conflict based on the African Union-brokered roadmap agreement.

Undated picture extended to Sudan Tribune on 28 April 2015 by the Justice and Equality Movement showing their fighters during a training exercise

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnwi (SLM-MM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) Friday declared "an immediate extension of their unilateral Cessation of Hostilities for Humanitarian Purposes".

"The Cessation of Hostilities shall enter into force at 11:59 pm (SLT) on the 9th of November 2018 and will extend for 3 months to 11:59 pm (SLT) on 8th of February 2019. The Cessation of Hostilities shall apply throughout the conflict areas of Darfur," said a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

The JEM and the SLM-MM have been committed to the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three years.

The first declaration of unilateral cessation of hostilities was on 17 October 2015. It was issued by the unified Sudanese Revolutionary Front including Darfur and the Two Areas of the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

The SLM-TC led by Hadi Idriss joined the humanitarian truce for the first time last year.

On Sunday, a joint delegation from JEM and SLM-MM will travel to Doha for a meeting with the Qatari officials to discuss the modalities of the negotiations which would take place in Qatar once a humanitarian cessation of hostilities is reached in Addis Ababa.

The statement recalled the need for a "durable peace" in Sudan and reiterated their adherence to the "AUHIP Roadmap Agreement of 2016 as the means of achieving peace for all Sudan through a truly inclusive political process".

Further, they called for the immediate resumption of negotiations for a peaceful settlement.

Two groups now accept to negotiate on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur after calling for a new process, also Khartoum recently made a concession as it agreed to form a new independent implementation mechanism for the deal that the parties would reach.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Minister of Defence Awad Ibn Ouf said arrangements are underway to establish joint border protection forces with Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia.

Speaking to the parliament on Wednesday, Ibn Ouf said consultations have gone a long way between the Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia to form these joint forces in order to achieve a secure neighbourhood, pointing to the successful experience of the joint Sudanese-Chadian border protection force.

According to the defence minister, the Sudanese army would establish a joint force with each of the abovementioned countries separately.

Ibn Ouf further pointed to the evolving Sudanese-Egyptian relations and cooperation on the various fields, saying Sudan's openness to its neighbours has enhanced its regional role.

In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other's insurgents.

The joint border force has been deployed along the joint border in 2010 in line with a deal to stop support to rebel groups and cross-border attacks.

Last year, the two countries announced their intention to expand the deployment of the joint force to include counter-terrorism and disarmament.

Also, the Sudanese and Ethiopian armies last August signed an agreement to withdraw troops from both sides of the border and to deploy joint forces to combat "terrorism", human trafficking and to eliminate any potential security tensions.

In a meeting held last April in Niamey, Sudan, Chad, Libya and Niger agreed to “coordinate the actions” of their armed forces to fight against the “transnational crime” in the region.

The four countries agreed “on the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for border security and the fight against transnational organized crime”.

Last June, they signed an agreement in Ndjamena to control and monitor the joint borders.

The political instability in Libya after the collapse of Muammar Kadaffi's regime impacted negatively the whole region and particularly, Niger, Chad and Sudan.

Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram pose a serious threat to Niger and Chad while Sudan seeks to prevent trafficking of arms to Darfur and migration of mercenaries to Libya.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan peace monitoring body (JMEC) facilitated a meeting for the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) of Gabriel Changson to discuss the membership and composition of the Joint Defence Board (JDB).

In a statement released on Friday, JMEC said it convened on Thursday a meeting for the SSOA leadership members attended by officials from the Office of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan after a disagreement within the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) on the correct interpretation of Article 2.4.2 of the R-ACRSS 2018 on nominations to the JDB.

The article 2.4.2 provides that the JDB is formed at the level of Chiefs of Staff (or the leaders of the armed groups) and Directors General of National Security Service, Police, and all other organized forces to exercise command and control over all forces during the Pre-Transitional Period.

At the end of the meeting which was chaired by the JMEC Acting Chairperson Augostino S.K. Njoroge, the SSOA Chair "Gabriel Changson Chang and his fellow members of the Alliance reached a common understanding," said the statement without elaborating.

The statement added that as result of the reached understanding, the SSOA's membership nominees to the JDB will be submitted to JMEC, stressing that "all outstanding issues surrounding the matter have been cleared up".

Commenting on the compromise reached by the SSOA factions, Njoroge hailed the deal saying “SSOA showed their unwavering support for the agreement, and were prepared to be flexible to abide by our impartial interpretation of provisions of the revitalized agreement".

He stressed the JMEC readiness to fulfil their role of facilitating wherever they can, to ensure that the peace implementation continues without delay.

(ST)

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