Africa

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr is disappointed that Germany youth star Jordan Torunarigha turned down the possibility to play at the World Cup.

The ex-UK prime minister launches a scheme for 20 million school places in the world's poorest countries.

Seeds of hope; one social entrepreneur is using specially-coated tree seeds to restore Kenya’s lost forests.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

May 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir Thursday pardoned five members of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) who had been sentenced to death by military courts.

The presidential decree includes Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman Saffi al-Nur, Yahia Abbaker Musa al-Nur, Ibrahim Ali al-Rashid Abdel-Gadir, Mohamed Ibrahim al-Doma and Azrag Daldoom Adam Haroun.

Except for Yahia Abbaker Musa al-Nur who was arrested with Ibrahim al-Maz in West Darfur state in January 2011, all the others took part in the attack in the attack on the Sudanese capital in May 2008.

The decision to drop the death penalty has been taken in response to an appeal by the of the national dialogue parties and to promote the national reconciliation atmosphere, reads the decree.

JEM leadership member Mohamed Zakaria who is also the spokesperson of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front led by Minni Minnawi welcomed the presidential amnesty and called to release the remaining prisoners of war.

He pointed that JEM members detained after Goz Dango operation in April 2015 are still in jail.

The armed groups call to release all the rebel fighters who are in detention including over 200 prisoners of war arrested in May 2017 after a joint attack by SLM- Minni Minnawi and SLM- Transitional Council.

In line with the roadmap for peace inked by the rebel groups and the government, the release of detainees is part of the confidence-building measures before to engage in talks for peace in Darfur and the Two Areas.

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The overall security situation in Sudan’s Darfur region “remains calm”, despite continuing low-level skirmishes, a top United Nations envoy said on Thursday; updating the Security Council on the UN mission’s work on the ground.

Human rights groups call for the conviction of former child bride Noura Hussein to be overturned.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson tells Gary Lineker how Wilfried Zaha is happy at his boyhood club.

By Abdel Wahid al-Nur

Beloved people of Sudan, brothers and sisters, the hour of destiny is upon you. Awaken in your burning hearts the brilliant light of a new dawn of freedom that can longer be denied to you and seize the liberation that is your God-given right with your own two hands. The time has come for you to act, to rise up, united, as one and overthrow the dictatorship that has kept our nation imprisoned in fear, poverty and oppression for nearly thirty years. We have had enough of the misery and hopelessness the regime has fed us, while they, the corrupt, privileged few whom rule over us with impunity, have grown fat on all they steal from us, when we have been denied the prosperity and opportunity we long for, working countless hours to exhaustion for wages that do not allow us to live in dignity and we are then told to be content with a miserable crust of bread.

Now there isn't even enough bread and too many of us are hungry. And look at the corpulent tyrant, Omar al Bashir, does he look like he ever skipped a meal? How many babies that die of malnutrition could be fed from what he feasts on at his table every day, where the tears of every mother who loses a child to hunger, poverty and lack of medical care, never diminish his appetite? Now let him taste the bitter flavour of your righteous anger, not the delicacies on his plate while you eat nothing and see if he will be able to digest it. Let your empty stomachs punish him. And why should we or our children go hungry when Bashir has stolen nine billion dollars from the nation for himself and hidden it in foreign bank accounts? He has taken what does not belong to him, he has taken food out of your mouths and it makes him the greatest robber in Sudanese history.

The dictatorship must face the justice of the people. Sudan is not destined to remain impoverished, stagnating and hungry. The genius and creativity of its hard working people and all the natural resources Sudan enjoys, from the waters of the Nile to our rich soil, our petroleum and mineral wealth, even the sun over our heads and many other riches, can chart an entirely different future for our nation, if that nation is at last, truly in the hands of the people and responsive to their will, in a transparent democracy and the just, free, society we yearn for, where no man or woman will be regarded as worth less than any other, regardless of the color of their skin, faith, class, tribe or gender. Either we are all Sudanese and one nation and Sudan is for all Sudanese or we are nothing.

But our history and the many glories of our illustrious past shows us eloquently that we were always destined for greatness, that we were meant to be a mighty nation and so we shall be again. We who were once Pharaohs and no less than the children of Moses, were not meant to live as prisoners of the thieves, liars and killers that rape our nation and keep it on its knees, abusing us just as colonialism ravaged us but even worse so because they consciously perpetrate their crimes against their own people. So now we must stand up to the enemy within and cast them off, where our refusal to submit any further to their subjugation will ensure their doom. They are a plague of locusts consuming the lifeblood of the people, but our united voice, roaring the cry of freedom, a sound so powerful they cannot silence it any longer, will scatter them to oblivion.

Our patience is at an end because we recognize what the outside world and the regime itself does not recognize, that Omar al Bashir like all of his henchmen is a dead man walking, that the blood-stained and dishonourable page turning in history he has written is in its final chapter. We must help him finish writing his epilogue, where he will come to the same end all the butchers and betrayers of their own people always meet. In this, we must keep faith in the certain knowledge that evil and greed never triumph forever. In the end, all dictatorship always collapses and always for the same reason, because an oppressed people will not withstand their humiliation indefinitely. We have reached the same defining moment that determines we cannot and will no longer submit to the endless injustice we endure.

He will call us traitors, but he is the greatest traitor of them all, to his own people, to God, to all that is decent in humanity and he dares to pretend he is a father to his nation? Let us recognize that like a cornered, wounded, wild animal, his increasing brutality towards us, is not a sign of strength, but instead of weakness, where he hopes against hope, that by trying to crush the people, he shall break their spirit and silence their yearning for freedom. He will not and he gravely underestimates the courage of the people whom will no longer suffer in silence.

Thus summon your courage noble people of Sudan. In every city, in every town, in every village, make your voices heard as never before. Refuse to cooperate with your own oppression. Stand tall. Resist! Shout your demand for change with all your might. Resist! Paralyze the dictatorship. Resist! Refuse to work. Resist! Go on strike. Resist! Immobilize the infrastructure of the criminal state and boycott a government that has already ceased to function and no longer has a legitimate hold over you. Resist! Flood the streets in your millions in a sea of angry humanity demanding change. Resist! Let the dictator, his servants and his thugs know that they are finished, that it is the end for them and you will no longer let them imprison your mind, your body or your future or your nation. Resist! Do so at the very gates of the Presidential Palace. Resist! Let Omar al Bashir know you do not fear him any longer and that instead, he should fear you for all he has made you suffer. Resist! You have nothing to lose except the chains that keep you in bondage.

Mighty people of Sudan, take back your nation, take back your future, rally far and wide across the country and send the dictatorship to hell where it belongs. Resist with all your heart, with every breath, with every ounce of your courage and strength of character, with the certainty of the righteousness of your cause, of your plea for justice that is the battle cry upon your lips. It is in your hands if you will rise to meet your destiny. Freedom is never gifted, it must be taken and that day has come. We will no longer accept a living death as the national condition. There is no alternative, there is no negotiation possible with a regime that only speaks falsehoods and empty promises, and answers only by trampling upon us. There is only one path to freedom now. See the road to liberation clearly, that despite all the sacrifices that we must still bear, a national uprising is our only dignified course of action to emerge from the long dark night that has held our nation captive. Fight for the light! Strike now and all of us together will overcome our oppression, for as a prophet of freedom once said:“all the armies of the world cannot defeat an idea whose time has come.” Our time has come. We will not be defeated if we stand together. Arise Sudan! Awaken Sudan! Resist my Brothers and Sisters and take your freedom! God is with you and future generations will remember you as the heroes that you are and will become.

The author is the Chairman Sudan Liberation Movement & Commander in Chief Sudan Liberation Army

May 10, 2018 (JUBA) – The Governor of South Sudan's Central Bank, Othom Rago Ajak has been fired and his deputy Tier Tong Ngor was on Thursday named as his immediate successor.

Former South Sudan Central Bank Governor Othom Rago Ajak (Getty)

President Salva Kiir signed the decree removing Ajak, but no reason was given for his decision.

Since the outbreak of a civil war in South Sudan, inflation has been on the rise in an economy largely dependent on oil revenues.

The president appointed Ajak to be the Central Bank Governor in January last year. He succeeded Kornelio Koryom Mayik.

STRATEGIC PLAN

In March this year, the Central Bank under Ajak launched an ambitious five-year strategic plan to tackle hyperinflation and revitalize the oil-dependent economy worsened by more than four years of conflict. It was hoped the new plan would help transform the central bank, regain lost credibility and help in fostering and ensuring price and financial system stability within five years.

The plan involved among others, building a new bank headquarter, increasing public exchange reserves, organizing its system, operations as well as building human resource capacity.

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May 9, 2018 (JUBA) – Members of South Sudan's National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC) on Tuesday began the process of finalizing the review of draft bills containing amendments to the National Elections Act and Political Parties Act 2012.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir holds the Transitional Constitution on July 9, 2011 (AP)

The bills will be presented to stakeholders at a meeting scheduled for June after the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister acknowledges it.

The committee chaired by constitutional lawyer, Gichira Kibara has made commendable progress in the review and amendment of key national security related legislation as required by the 2015 peace agreement, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) said.

According to the report, during the month of December 2017, the committee continued with the review and finalization of the amendment bills to the five security laws.

These, it stated, were handed over to the Justice minister in January, in accordance with Article 13.1.2 of the August 2015 agreement.

The submitted Bills include SPLA Act 2009 (Amendment) Bill, 2018, National Security Act 2014 (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Police Service Act 2009 (Amendment) Bill, 2018, Prisons Service Act 2011 (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Wildlife Service Act 2011 (Amendment) Bill, 2018.

In January 2018, the report further said, the committee provided a detailed report to JMEC on the approach, methodology and process of carrying out the amendments to the security Laws. This methodology included consultations with experts and stakeholders.

In January 2018, the committee met with and received joint submissions on proposed amendments to the Political Parties Act, 2012 and the National Elections Act, 2012, from representatives of 12 of the 14 registered political parties.

“The NCAC has since completed an initial review of these two laws incorporating the submissions received from the parties and stakeholders. A stakeholders meeting has subsequently been scheduled for May to validate the proposed amendments,” the report added.

The ratification of bills including the Constitution Amendment Bill (2018) and the Security Bills by the Transitional National Legislature, reconstitution of several transitional institutions and mechanisms, including the Political Parties Council and National Elections Commission, which are critical for paving way for the registration of political parties, and the preparation and conduct of elections at the end of the transitional period are some of the pending issues in the draft law, the report says.

“These are all tasks that will require a considerable amount of time and resources to be credible,” the notes.

The NCAC is established under Chapter 1 Article 13 of the ARCSS as one of the organs for implementation of the Agreement.

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May 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - UNAMID Force Commander, Leonard Muriuki Ngondi, Wednesday said the Sudanese government has often restricted the Mission's freedom of movement.

The Kenyan military was speaking in meeting for the Security Council with the forces commanders of all the United Nations peacekeeping missions across the world to discuss the challenges they face during the implementation of their mandates.

Ngondi told the meeting that the mandate of Darfur peacekeeping mission was " fairly robust" and the Mission has all the relevant components to implement it.

The four pillars of its mandate "were simple, understandable and implementable, so long as there were political will and commitment among all parties to the conflict," he said according to the UN news centre.

"The Government of Sudan could be persuaded to adhere to the Status of Forces Agreement and allow UNAMID freedom of movement, including unhindered flights in its area of operations," he further said.

Also, he proposed that the transition strategy to be included in the UNAMID mandate when its mandate is renewed next June.

The UN Security Council has reduced over 40% of the Mission's troops and more can be considered in the next months as a result of the relative security the government forces have established in the region.

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May 9, 2018 (JUBA) – Exiled South Sudanese rebel leader, Riek Machar will not return to Juba without his forces, an armed opposition official said.

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar addresses a news conference in Uganda's capital Kampala January 26, 2016 (Reuters photo)

"We do not trust Salva Kiir. We cannot allow our chairman to return to the capital without heavily armed forces that are equal to the forces of the government in Juba," Peter Gatkuoth, the deputy head of the armed opposition's information committee told Radio Tarmajuz.

The official's remarks came days after President Salva Kiir publicly admitted he had allowed the rebel leader, currently exiled in South Africa, to return the nation he fled from after the July 2016 skirmishes.

Kiir said this during last week's National Liberation Council (NLC) meeting of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

But Gatkouth said the exiled armed opposition leader needed to be protected especially after what occurred when he returned to Juba.

“Machar will return to Juba when there is a negotiated peace agreement through the revitalization forum. We are committed to peace because we know our people are suffering,” he stressed.

During last week's meeting, the NLC endorsed the Arsuha reunification agreement to reunify fragmented factions of the SPLM.

In January 2015, delegates from three factions of the SPLM party signed a 12-page agreement in Arusha, Tanzania, laying out key steps toward reunifying the party.

Those who signed include the party loyal to President Kiir, the SPLM-in-Opposition led by former vice president Riek Machar, and a third made up of party officials who were detained when the conflict began in mid-December 2013.

The SPLM, South Sudan's ruling party, was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The party, in the aftermath of the civil war that broke out in the country in mid-December 2013, split into the SPLM-Juba faction headed by Kiir, SPLM-IO led by Machar and that of the ex-political detainees.

The civil war in South Sudan, the United Nations says, has killed tens of thousands of people and forced a quarter of the country's 12 million people from their homes. More than half of the population are reportedly in need of food aid.

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By Telar Deng*

“If you think education is expensive, wait until you see how much ignorance costs in the 21st century.” -Barrack Obama.

We all know why education is good for individuals like me and you. In a competitive world, you stand a better chance of earning more, leading a better life and you can also take good care of your health and your family. You are prone to make better decisions that will affect you and your family positively. What we never really talk about as much is education in leadership and politics.

I am of the opinion that education must be compulsory when it comes to leadership and politics. It is fundamental for at least a leader to be educated, because this makes it easier for him/her to be able to manage the country and make informed decisions. It's been proven that leaders who have an education, have a vision while leaders without an education do not have a vision whatsoever. In this article, I will highlight on educated leaders and their strengths and also on uneducated leaders and their ignorance.

As it's been stated time without number, once you fix the politics, you fix a peoples livelihood. Electing a leadership that is able to decipher and be sensitive to its citizen's plight goes a long way into fixing the politics. Leaders play an important role by affecting policy and economic outcomes and more intrinsically, present evidence shows that leaders' quality, measured by their educational level and personal background, matters for economic growth and reforms in a country. The need to have more educated leaders stems from the fact that highly educated leaders are also better citizens and are more likely to act in the benefit of public interest. It is no wonder that bad leadership in many of the countries globally could be traced to poor educational background of their various leaders. This is because education and intelligence are indispensable components of good leadership. Plato, one of the ancient philosophers, has argued that a learned leader stands a better chance of doing well more than his uneducated counterpart.

As a leader of any country, one has to grapple with a myriad of issues. You are entrusted with running the affairs of the country and helping the citizenry lead a better life. Considering the various challenges and issues a leader of a nation has to deal with, a college education becomes extremely essential in order for one to be of better judgment. Yes you may not know everything since one can only be a master of a few disciplines, having a college education expands one's scope of thinking. Your ability to dissect different issues is enhanced and you're even better placed to pick the very best advisors to help in areas you may not have the requisite education. And this doesn't mean I look down on people without an education, we have very many global leaders who did not get a college education but still managed to give the best leadership they could give. Sir John Major, the prime minister of Britain from the year 1990-1997 only completed his O-level and did not go to college and he gave the best leadership to his ability. This does not only apply to leadership but it also applies to entrepreneurship, Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple dropped out of college after one semester and he is arguably one of the worlds valued and admired business tech and innovators.

Throughout the history of the nations, we have had various types of leaders and some of them have had a humble educational background. This does not mean that all leaders with a humble educational backgrounds have been catastrophic while those with an education the very best. There are always exceptions to the rule, however, some of the worst leaders we have seen yet have had minimal education. This is best exemplified by the brutal regime of Idi Amin, the former President of Uganda and others globally.

It is always better to wage your bet on an educated leader since you are guaranteed he would have an understanding of his job and an appreciation of what is to be expected of him as compared to an uneducated leader who will mostly depend on his instincts or advisors who are often court jesters.

In the year 2004, Dr. John Garang while on a visit to Arizona, Phoenix as he was addressing the young men and women of South Sudan, said ‘I have come to wake you up and remind you that your day has come, tomorrow is already here and so take over leadership of your movement, take over leadership of the SPLM/A; you have very little time left to prepare yourselves to take over that leadership in whatever fields; in agriculture, carpentry, architecture, medicine, politics, economics, even in a raising a family… all these require leadership and all contribute to building the New Sudan for which we have fought and sacrificed for over the last twenty-four years.'

My understanding of this quote is that we as the older generation fought in the bush and it is time for the young leaders to come in with their various expertise from the different fields to help improve our country. It is therefore imperative for the young leaders now to take their education seriously because only then would we realize the country we have all been yearning for. I imagine a South Sudan where all the young South Sudanese who are in the diaspora coming back home to work home, Doctors who will assist with the medical sector, economists who will improve our economy, lawyers who will be able to tirelessly work on giving us a better legal system where justice is served to all regardless of your financial status or your standing in society, architects and engineers who will build on our infrastructure and also role models for the younger South Sudanese boys and girls who are still within South Sudan. All these different experts in their various fields would, therefore, give civic education to the South Sudanese back at home. An informed citizen has better knowledge of their rights and would not let anyone take advantage of them because they know what is owed to them. We will have built on our human resource, which in return will help us develop our natural resources and assist us to get more revenue to our country. This will increase our Gross domestic product (GDP Per capita). If countries like Jordan with no natural resources can have a higher GDP per capita, why not South Sudan that has more natural resources coupled up with human resource.

It is my wish that all South Sudanese in Diaspora, whether in Africa or the West or the East will take up their leadership positions just as Dr John Garang had said. We are already at a disadvantaged position because of the war, therefore our only ticket out is our young leaders who will have a better education than us and leadership qualities because of the exposure they are getting now.

The author is a former minister and diplomat in South Sudan

May 9, 2018 (JUBA) – The United States should halt any move the seeks to cut its aid assistance to South Sudan, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said, a day after the White House announced plans to review of its aid programs.

President Donald Trump (Photo Getty Images/Tom Pennington)

“For most of its young life, South Sudan and its people have been trapped in a vicious cycle of conflict punctuated by flawed and failed peace attempts, “ said Ciaran Donnelly, senior vice president of international programs at the International Rescue Committee.

“As an operational humanitarian agency working to alleviate the conflict-driven suffering of the South Sudanese people, we share the US government's frustration at the unwillingness to reach a speedy and peaceful resolution to the conflict and the heartbreaking disregard for human life displayed by all parties to this conflict”, she added.

The Donald Trump administration said Tuesday that it will initiate a comprehensive review of its assistance programs to South Sudan to ensure its aid does not contribute to or prolong the country's ongoing conflict, or facilitate predatory or corrupt behavior.

Such a review, it said, will involve appraising the U.S. support for the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (JMEC) and other mechanisms intended to support the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS), which was signed in August 2015.

“We are deeply frustrated with the lack of progress toward an agreement, and we must ensure our shared efforts reflect the urgency of the situation,” the White House statement reads in part.

The IRC, however, said it welcomes US efforts on conflict resolution and inclusive and accountable political process, as both are essential foundations for durable peace and inclusive development.

“And only focused and determined US and international diplomacy can make these long-sought goals a reality,” it stressed.

One of the countries that recognized South Sudan's independence in 2011, the US played a key role in helping create the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that laid the groundwork a referendum, through which the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly voted for independence.

The US is the leading international donor to South Sudan and provides significant humanitarian assistance to the hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese citizens displaced or otherwise affected since the start of the country's crisis in December 2013.

The IRC said it recognizes the US's generosity as the largest humanitarian donor to South Sudan, but urged Washington to use this review as an opportunity to recommit to the people of South Sudan by affirming that life-saving humanitarian assistance, delivered by credible international partners, will not be affected by the review.

While frustration and anger with the government of South Sudan is justified, the US and the international community must not give up on the people of South Sudan, the IRC statement further stated.

“Halting or cutting humanitarian aid would only punish innocent civilians, not their leaders who are responsible for the ongoing crisis,” it added, while stressing that by the US cutting humanitarian assistance, it will not hasten an end to war, but only lead to further suffering and certain, yet preventable, death of South Sudan's most vulnerable.

Founded in 1933, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 28 offices across the U.S. helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.

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May 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Central African Republic (CAR) Wednesday has proposed to form a joint committee with Sudan to investigate the killing of a Sudanese security agent inside the residence Sudanese ambassador in Bangui last week.

CAR Prime Minister, Simplice Sarandji, arrived in Khartoum to offer the condolences of his government for the killing of the Sudanese security officer by the CAR forces who took him for a local militia member after the death of some 24 people in attacks on a church and a mosque on 5 May.

Speaking to reporters after meeting his Sudanese counterpart Bakri Hassan Saleh, Sarandji said the incident meant to harm relations between the two neighbouring countries, and pointed to the strength of bilateral relations between Khartoum and Banqi to overcome it.

He said that he was tasked by the President of the Central African Republic to offer warm condolences to the people of Sudan and to the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, stressing that this incident will not affect the relations between the two countries.

"We proposed sending a Sudanese judicial police mission to work with authorities in the Central African Republic to investigate the unfortunate incident," he further stated.

The visiting prime minister also was received by President al-Bashir who regretted the death of the Sudanese security agent but stressed it would not affect the strong relations between the two neighbours, according to the official SUNA.

Following the attack on the Sudanese embassy in Bangui, the foreign ministry in Khartoum summoned CAR ambassador and handed over an official protest note to him demanding to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Sudan further requested to provide the needed security to protect its mission, the ambassador and its team members in the troubled country.

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CAR Prime Minister Simplice Sarandji (C) pose for a picture with a delegation of Sudanese Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Khartoum on 27 July 2017 (SUNA photo)

May 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese-Turkish political consultation committee would meet in Khartoum on Thursday.

The Sudanese side would be headed by the Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Nai'im while the Turkish side would be headed by the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Umit Yalcin.

The two sides would discuss a number of issues of common concern including bilateral relations and ways to promote economic, technical, development, educational, cultural and consular cooperation.

Also, the meeting would discuss coordination between the foreign ministries on regional and international forums to achieve interests of the two peoples.

The Turkish-Sudanese relations have reached a high level, especially after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visit to Sudan last December.

During Erdogan's visit to Khartoum, the two sides signed 12 cooperation agreements and agreed to launch a strategic partnership covering agriculture, industry, minerals and health.

They also approved the establishment of a higher political committee headed by the two presidents, saying the committee would annually meet in Khartoum and Ankara alternately.

The two sides agreed to raise trade exchange between the two countries to $1 billion within one year to reach $10 billion in the future.

According to a report issued by the Sudanese Ministry of Investment, the volume of Turkish investments in Sudan amounted to 2 billion dollars from 2000 to 2017. It further indicates that there are 288 Turkish investment projects in the east African country.

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May 9, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan regretted a decision by the White House to review all types of financial support provided to South Sudan, saying such measures would encourage the opposition to resist regional efforts to end the civil war.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L) looks on as she meets President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir at The President Office in Juba on October 25, 2017 (AFP)

The White House Tuesday denounced the "inability and unwillingness" of South Sudanese leaders to end the over-four-year armed conflict and announced a comprehensive review of its assistance to the troubled country.

The purpose of the review is to ensure that U.S. "assistance does not contribute to or prolong the conflict, or facilitate predatory or corrupt behaviour". It will include support for the 2015 peace deal implementation and monitoring.

"Now as we are about to go for consultations (in Ethiopia) tomorrow, we are getting negative comments from the U.S., said South Sudan Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Mawen Makol Arik.

"Does the American government really want peace in South Sudan? Such statements are the ones emboldening the opposition not to work for peace," Arik wondered.

Pointing to the strongly worded statements against the Transitional National Unity Government led by President Salva Kiir, the South Sudanese diplomat stressed Juba commitment to reach a negotiated settlement to the conflict.

"Whatever decision they have arrived to, it is their legitimate right to do. We government of South Sudan cannot decide for the U.S.. The government is committed to the peace process through the (IGAD-led) revitalization forum and the national dialogue," Arik said.

"If they have decided not to help us, we will urge other people who are supporting the peace process to continue with their support," he stressed.

The White House said the government of President Kiir "is no longer inclusive. Further, it underlined that "the forced exile of key leadership representatives who signed the ARCSS further demonstrates the Kiir regime's cynical repudiation of the peace process."

OBSTACLE TO PEACE?

Meanwhile, South Sudan's coalition government released a similar statement accusing the US of being a "real obstacle" to a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

"The united States has actually been quite a real obstacle towards achieving a peaceful settlement in South Sudan. Its actions in the Security Council says nothings about wanting a peaceful settlement as its obstruction to the agreement on the reunification of the SPLM goes a long way to suggest that the united states want a particular settlement to the conflict, not the one we have been pursuing", partly reads the statement released Wednesday.

The latest US move, it further stressed, represent "a naked direct interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state and hurts peace process and restrain relations".

South Sudan's coalition government said Washington's "issuing ill considered statements such as this can only hurt the process and further restraint relationship".

Last March, the U.S. State Department announced that it would take measures against 15 South Sudan oil-related entities “whose revenues have contributed to the ongoing crisis in South Sudan.”

Before, Washington in February 2018 established a weapons embargo on South Sudan and imposed targeted sanctions on several South Sudanese officials from the government and the rebel groups.

However, it failed to convince the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution imposing arms embargo despite several attempts in this respect. Russia and China reject the ban.

(ST)

May 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have discussed ways to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L) shakes hands with UAE vice-president and prime minister Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in Abu Dhabi on 22 February 2015 (WAM)

On Monday, Sudan's Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Nai'im discussed with the UAE's Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs Mohamed Sharaf and his accompanying delegation mutual investment opportunities as well as the exchange of economic and technical expertise.

The meeting comes as the Sudanese government is facing strong pressure from the opposition parties for its participation in the Saudi-led alliance which wages war against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Khartoum was criticised for the poor financial support provided by the oil-rich Gulf monarchies to the country despite its significant involvement in the Yemeni conflict.

The criticism prompted Sudan's State Defence Minister Ali Mohamed Salim last week to reveal that his ministry is currently evaluating pros and cons of the participation in the Yemen war in order to decide on it soon.

Also, the Saudi ambassador in Khartoum was quick to hold a press conference to say his country would sign a number of defence and economic cooperation agreements with Sudan very soon.

Following the meeting, al-Nai'im told reporters the visit of the UAE delegation comes as the economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries is growing steadily.

He pointed out that leaders of both countries seek further cooperation and mutual investments, pointing to Sudan's vast investment opportunities and President Omer al-Bashir initiative to achieve Arab food security.

For his part, Sharaf underscored his government desire to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

He expressed his country's keenness to cooperate with Sudan to explore more investment opportunities and increase the volume of trade exchange between the two brotherly countries.

Last March, the official news agency SUNA said the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) has received a deposit of some 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from the UAE).

However, no statement had been issued from the UAE government or the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, which SUNA said was the agency that has provided the investment deposit, to confirm the provision of the deposit.

(ST)

May 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) The Sudanese government has regretted statements attributed to the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry blaming the failure of recent meeting over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Sudan and Ethiopia.

The three countries held a technical meeting including irrigation ministers and experts in Addis Ababa on 5 May to discuss their difference over a report by French consulting firms over the GERD impact on the water shares of the downstream countries.

On Monday, Shoukry said the meeting failed to reach an agreement over the technical report because Ethiopia and Sudan maintain their rejection of the report.

In a press release on Wednesday, Sudan's Ministry of Water Resources, Irrigation and Electricity said the only objective of Addis Ababa meeting was to agree on a methodology to raise inquiries to the consultant on his introductory report.

It pointed out that the meeting was concluded in a positive atmosphere after Sudan has submitted an integrated proposal to reach an agreement, saying the three countries accepted to consider the proposal and respond within one week on whether or not to adopt it as means to overcome the deadlock.

“Accordingly, the three countries agreed to hold a meeting for the irrigation ministers and the technical committee in Addis Ababa within a week to complete the methodology of raising questions to the consultant and then presenting the results to the extended meeting, which brings together the irrigation ministers, foreign ministers and heads of intelligence from the three countries” read the press release

The press release stressed Sudan's firm position that efforts should be made to complete the agreed impact studies, wondering about the role Khartoum has played in the failure of the recent meeting.

According to the press release, Sudan renewed awareness about its clear position on the GERD, underscoring “deep faith that informed scientific understanding and sincere cooperation and respect for others is the only way to overcome all challenges” pertaining to the Ethiopian dam.

Sudan warned that casting doubts on the positions would only undermine trust and deepen differences among the peoples of the three countries.

It is noteworthy that the introductory report determines the steps that would be undertaken by the consultants to complete the studies on the ecological, social and economic impact of the dam as well as the options for filling and operating the dam lake.

In September 2016, French engineering consultancy Artelia and BRL groups have been selected to undertake the dam impact studies. The U.K.-based law firm Corbett & Co was selected to manage the legal affairs of the tripartite committee.

The multi-billion dollar dam is being constructed on the Blue Nile, about 20 kilometres from the Sudanese border, and has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, and is expected to generate electrical power of up to 6,000 megawatts.

Egypt is concerned that the dam could reduce its quota of 55.5 billion cubic meters of the Nile water, while the Ethiopian side maintains that the dam is primarily built to produce electricity and will not harm Sudan and Egypt.

(ST)