Africa

January 15, 2018 (CAIRO) - The Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday said his country isn't conspiring against Sudan and Ethiopia stressing Egypt isn't planning to go to war against its “brothers”.

Al-Sisi's statements come amid rising tensions between Egypt on the one hand and Sudan and Ethiopia on the other.

The are several issues between Cairo and Khartoum including Sudan support to the Ethiopian renaissance dam, border dispute over Halayeb triangle and the ban on Egyptian farming products.

The latest tensions have sparked between Sudan and Egypt after the former signed an agreement to temporarily hand over the Red Sea island of Suakin to Turkey.

On 4 January Sudan summoned its ambassador to Egypt for consultation, hours after the head of the Sudanese Border Technical Committee, Abdallah Al-Sadiq, accused Egypt of trying to drag Sudan into a direct military confrontation over Halayeb.

Last week, Sudan closed its border with Eritrea after the deployment of thousands of troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters to Kassala State.

On Thursday, Sudan admitted that the deployment of troops along the Eritrean border came as result of military threats from Eritrea and Egypt against the country.

Also, tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia flared up after talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) are stalled over how to deal with the impact of the $5 billion dam that could threaten Egypt's lifeblood.

According to Reuters, a scheduled visit by Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to Cairo on Monday was postponed for the second time.

In televised statements on Monday, al-Sisi said “Egypt will not fight its brothers ... I say these words as a message to our brothers in Sudan”.

“We are not willing to enter into war with our brothers or with anyone ... our peoples deserve every single penny,” he added.

“I say this to our brothers in Sudan and Ethiopia: Egypt doesn't conspire. We don't conspire, neither do we meddle in the internal affairs of anyone and we are very, very keen to have a very good relationship,” he further said.

The Egyptian President stressed the ultimate goal of his government is to construct and develop Egypt, saying they wouldn't carry out any other objectives.

He further warned the Egyptian media against attacking Sudan.

“I hope the Egyptian media doesn't use offensive language against Sudan or any other country no matter how much anger or pain they feel towards that country,” he said.

(ST)

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By Ahmed H Adam

Ongoing tensions in the Red Sea region came to the fore in late December, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Sudan as part of his Africa tour. During the visit, Erdogan and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar al-Bashir, signed more than a dozen agreements to boost the economic partnership between the two nations.

Among these agreements was a deal to temporarily hand over the Red Sea island of Suakin to Turkey. Ankara and Khartoum said Turkish investors would rebuild the ruined, sparsely populated island to increase tourism and create a transit point for Muslim pilgrims crossing the Red Sea to reach the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

The agreement over Suakin has triggered a heated debate in the region, as many saw Erdogan's move as an attempt to establish a third military base - after the ones in Qatar and Somalia - outside Turkey's borders.

Egyptian and Saudi media have harshly criticised the agreement, categorising Erdogan's move as yet another attempt by what they call the "Turkey-Iran-Qatar axis" to undermine the stability and security of the so-called "Sunni moderate alliance", which includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE.

In a joint press conference with his Sudanese counterpart in Khartoum, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu strongly denied the existence of such an "axis", but he was unable to ease the tensions and convince the Egyptian leadership that the agreement over Suakin does not pose a threat for Cairo.

But Erdogan's visit to Sudan was in no way the beginning of the dispute between Sudan and Egypt. Relations between Cairo and Khartoum have long been strained, with ongoing disagreements over issues such as the Hala'ib Triangle border dispute and the Renaissance Dam project in Ethiopia.

Halayeb Triangle border dispute

The Halayeb Triangle is an area of land of just under 20,500 square kilometres on the Egyptian-Sudanese border, which both countries have claim over since Sudan gained independence from Britain in 1956. In the 1990s, Egypt deployed its military in the territory, but, in the following two decades, the dispute was somewhat frozen.

In 2016, it flared up again. That year, Cairo signed a controversial agreement with Riyadh to hand over two strategically important Red Sea islands - Tiran and Sanafir - to Saudi Arabia. The agreement, which redrew the maritime border between the two countries, also unilaterally recognised Egypt's sovereignty over the Hala'ib Triangle.
In December last year, Sudan sent a letter to the UN declaring its total rejection of the deal. Egyptian officials swiftly condemned the letter and reiterated that the triangle is "Egyptian territory".

In response, Sudan recalled its ambassador from Cairo for consultations on January 4.

Meanwhile, in what may have been a response to Sudan's renewed claims over the Hala'ib Triangle, as well as fears that Turkey is expanding its influence in the region, Egypt sent hundreds of its troops to a UAE base in Eritrea, on the border with Sudan.

Egypt denied any military presence in Eritrea, but the damage was done. Days later, Sudan shut its border with Eritrea and deployed thousands of troops there.

There are indications that Khartoum is actually trying to escalate the ongoing confrontation with Egypt, in order to exploit the nationalist sentiments of the Sudanese people and divert attention from the country's grave internal problems - particularly the current protests over the new austerity budget and the increase of the price of bread and other basic goods. However, Egypt may be inclined to de-escalate until after its presidential elections later this year.

The Renaissance Dam project

Another reason behind the current tensions between Egypt and Sudan is the ongoing construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The dam, which will be the seventh-largest hydroelectric power plant in the world when completed, is located in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, only 40km east of the country's border with Sudan.

Cairo fears the dam may affect its access to water from the Nile River basin. The Egyptian government believes Sudan to be on Ethiopia's side regarding the future of the dam, and recently proposed excluding it from contentious negotiations over the future of the project, angering the Sudanese government.

Sudan argues that its responsibility is to protect its own interests in the dispute, and not Egypt's. Khartoum wants to stay part of the negotiations on an issue which will undoubtedly affect the lives of the Sudanese people, and the future of the country.

Sudan stands to benefit a lot from the project. Ethiopia will be selling electricity to its northern neighbour; a planned transmission line will connect the Ethiopian electrical grid to Khartoum.

The dam project will also limit flooding of the Blue Nile in Sudan, allowing farmers to have to crop cycles per year.

The Muslim Brotherhood factor

But even the disputes over the Hala'ib Triangle and the Renaissance Dam project cannot be seen as the root causes of the current confrontation between Egypt and Sudan. The conflict between the two countries is deeper and more complicated, with historical, political and, most importantly, ideological dimensions.

Cairo accuses Khartoum of supporting Muslim Brotherhood plans to overthrow the regime of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Sudan views Sisi and his government as "putschists", who illegally overthrew Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Bashir himself came to power in a military coup in 1989; he allied himself with Hassan al-Turabi, the leader of a Sudanese offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. About a decade later, the two fell out and al-Turabi was subsequently imprisoned.

The GCC crisis

When the GCC crisis erupted in June 2017, Sudan was in an uncomfortable situation. For the previous few years, it had tried to stay neutral during intra-GCC disputes, maintaining a close relationship with Qatar, but also sending troops to back the UAE and Saudi war effort in Yemen.

Last year, Khartoum refused to cut relations with Doha and was pushed out of the UAE-Saudi camp. Bashir's overarching objective out of this game of alliances is to survive in power and secure his chance to run in the 2020 elections.

He realised that even though the US removed sanctions against Sudan, it is not interested in pushing for the International Criminal Court to drop the charges against him, nor does it support him to run in the 2020 elections. Hence, Bashir shifted towards Russia and Turkey.

Sudan's neighbours, Eritrea and Ethiopia, have also become party to the GCC crisis.

Ethiopia, just like Sudan, has become closer to Qatar in its struggle to navigate the ongoing tensions in the Gulf. The Ethiopian government, which previously accused Egypt of supporting separatist movements on Ethiopian territory, understandably chose to place itself against Egypt in this conflict.

Meanwhile, Eritrea, which is in the midst of a long-standing conflict with Ethiopia, has taken the side of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and UAE, the latter having a military base on Eritrean territory.

If Turkey actually establishes a military base on Sudan's Suakin Island in the near future, it is reasonable to expect Eritrea to play a pivotal role on behalf of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in counter-balancing Turkish military presence in the region. President Isaias Afwerki may exploit Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE's dependence on Eritrea on this issue to carry out hostile actions against both Ethiopia and Sudan.

Whatever happens between Egypt and Sudan in the coming days, it is evident that the GCC crisis has already spread to the Nile basin and the Horn of Africa. Consequently, the region may be pushed into new proxy conflicts in the near future. Regional and sub-regional organisations such as the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should intervene to de-escalate these tensions and negative developments.

Ahmed H Adam is a Research Associate at SOAS' School of Law, University of London

January 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Additional troops from the government militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have arrived in the eastern state of Kassala on Sunday.

Since 5 January, Sudan has deployed thousands of RSF fighters to Kassala on the border with Eritrea after a presidential decree declaring a state of emergency.

Following what, Sudan shut down its border with Eritrea and declared popular mobilization in Kassala saying the deployment of troops along the Eritrean border came as result of military threats from Eritrea and Egypt against the country.

According to Ashorooq TV, large crowds of residents besides the executive, legislative, political, military, civilian leaders have received the additional RSF reinforcements at the entrance of the city.

Speaking to the arriving fighters, the governor of Kassala State Adam Jama'a said the RSF is the “striking force” across the country, describing it as “safety valve” to counter any aggression against Sudan.

He said that Kassala faces a number of problems including human trafficking and commodity and illicit arms smuggling, saying the arrival of the RSF would support the state's efforts and protect the border.

Meanwhile, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said the deployment of the troops on the eastern border comes in anticipation of possible aggression that could adversely impact security.

He said that Sudan didn't accuse a particular country of building up military forces on the border but spoke about threats to its security from the eastern border.

“We don't speak about a specific country but we have information that some are trying to hurt us and we would disclose it in details in a timely manner,” he said.

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The United Kingdom Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan Chris Trott will visit Khartoum during this month for discussions on Sudan's peace process, said the British Ambassador to Sudan Michael Aron

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) has quoted Aron as saying London is working to help Sudan achieve peace.

He added the strategic dialogue between Khartoum and London aims to promote bilateral relations between the two countries, saying the Sudanese-British investment forum would furnish the British companies with sufficient information on the investment opportunities in Sudan.

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

Meetings between the two countries started in March 2016 in Khartoum and considered the first talks of its kind at this level in 25 years.

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

The African Union is brokering peace talks between the Sudanese government and opposition including the armed groups in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since August 2016. 2016.

The Sudan Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) support the AU efforts and call for the resumption of the peace talks.

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan rebels have accused government troops of massively displacing civilians in Payai and Paduay in the wake of the recent clashes that have taken place following the first vice president Taban Deng Gai's visit to the area.

South Sudan's army soldiers drive in a truck on the frontline in Panakuach, Unity state April 24, 2012. (Reuters Photo)

A rebel spokesperson, Lam Paul Gabriel said government forces launched attacks on Saturday and Sunday, forcing civilians to flee homes for safety.

He said pro-government forces attacked Mvolo county, an area controlled by the armed opposition, but were eventually repulsed.

“The regime's forces decided to station at Mvolo county of the mid-west, which is under the control of the SPLA-IO [armed opposition movement]. They came yesterday [Saturday] evening from Mundri ready for offensives,” further said Lam.

Government troops are also in the spotlight for carrying out attacks on rebels positions at Burbur and Dhorbor in Rubkona county of the former Unity state, allegations Sudan Tribune could not easily verify.

On Friday last week, the Troika countries [United States, Norway and Britain] expressed concerns over continuing reports of the movement of forces by warring parties in South Sudan in violation of the ceasefire agreement, including last week's movement of hundreds of government troops into the country's state of Jonglei.

The Troika, in a strongly-worded statement, condemned the continuing pattern of violations of the 21 December, 2017 cessation of hostilities agreement by parties to the revitalization process, and called on all parties to immediately and fully implement the agreement in letter and spirit and ensure humanitarian access throughout the country.

The Troika said it saw strong evidence of violations of the ceasefire agreement by government of South Sudan forces in Unity State and by forces associated with opposition groups, including Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition, in Unity State and the Greater Upper Nile region, as witnessed by ceasefire monitors.

The Troika also noted with grave concern the strong evidence from multiple sources linking the attacks in Gudele, Jubek State, on 4 January to former South Sudan army chief of staff, Paul Malong and forces under Lt. Colonel Chan Garang Lual, an SPLA-IO commander.

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Sunday has received a verbal message from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn pertaining to bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint cooperation in the various fields.

The message was delivered by Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu who paid a one-day visit to Khartoum on Sunday.

Gebeyehu's visit comes amid heightened tensions in the region over border disputes, military alliances and the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Sudanese counterpart, Gebeyehu said his visit comes within the framework of the strategic relationship between the two countries.

He pointed out that the bilateral relations between Sudan and Ethiopia are based upon the mutual exchange of benefits particularly in the political and economic domains.

The Ethiopian top diplomat said he discussed with Ghandour the recent developments in the region, stressing his country's readiness to cooperate with Sudan to promote regional security and stability.

He added the regional issues must be addressed through negotiations and dialogue, saying any regional escalation would be met with dialogue and peaceful means.

Regarding the issue of the GERD, Gebeyehu said it is a trilateral issue and would be resolved within the framework of the agreement reached among the three countries.

He pointed out that the upcoming visit of the Ethiopian premier to Egypt comes within the framework of the bilateral relations, saying the visit would promote the joint political and economic issues between the two countries.

Desalegn will arrive in Cairo on Monday. He is expected to discuss with the Egyptian side the latest developments in the GERD file and put forth Ethiopia's response to Egypt's proposal for the participation of the World Bank as a technical partner in the tripartite technical committee on GERD.

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (JUBA) – A member of the Jieng (Dinka) Council of Elders has dismissed reports that former army chief of staff, Paul Malong Awan set conditions and demands for President Salva Kiir's government to meet before entering into talks with the Juba regime.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan speaks at the presidential palace in Juba, November 16, 2017 (ST)

In an interview with Sudan Tribune on Sunday, the co-chair of the Jieng Council of Elders, Joshua Dau said he was unaware of conditions and demands Awan allegedly placed.

“Gen Paul Malong was receptive and cooperative in our meeting. He raised the issues which are his concern and they do not amount to preconditions or demands. Who told you this?” he asked.

Dau, also a member of upper house of the legislative assembly, said a message assuring Awan about government commitment's to protect his properties was delivered by the team that visited him.

President Kiir, according to Dau, assured the country's former army chief of staff that none of his associates in the army and government at all levels would be targeted because of their connections to him.

The South Sudanese leader also pledged readiness to pay attention the various issues, which Awan raised, the official further stated.

Awan reportedly vowed to abandon rebellion, cease from hostile and negative statements, which can be interpreted by the coalition government to mean threats against the Juba establishment.

But despite denials from Dau, social media was awash with reports that Awan unveiled four demands as a condition for entering talks.

Gordon Buay, a South Sudanese diplomat at its embassy in United States, said Awan demanded that the Director General for internal security services, Akol Koor Kuc be removed from his position and replaced before he can enter into talks with the Juba government.

Also said to be on Awan's list of demands, Buay said, regards the conduct of the ruling party (SPLM) elections using 'secret ballot' and the elected chairman must not be interim president of South Sudan.

It, however, remains unclear if the ex-army chief indeed set the demands Buay alleges.

On Friday, it emerged that prominent personalities and the Jieng Council of elders in South Sudan had reached a deal with the former army chief of general staff not to rebel against the government under the leadership of President Kiir.

The new deal, according to the mediation team, would allow the government to not treat Awan a rebel as he had been declared. It demands him to cease involving himself in any subversive activities that the government would interpret and equate them to rebellion. The deal further demands that government and Awan cease all sorts of hostilities, including social media and all forms of negative media campaign.

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (WASHINGTON) - United Nations experts have urged Sudan's neighbours Libya and South Sudan to stop supplying Darfur armed groups with weapons and ammunition in line with UN resolutions on this respect.

In a report to the Security Council released this week, a panel of five experts says that rebel groups from Darfur region "work as mercenaries" with South Sudanese government and the different warring parties in Libya.

Regarding the restive north African country, the report point to the presence in Libya of the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), and the SLM-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) led by al-Hadi Idriss Yahia. While the Justice and Equality Movement of Girbil Ibrahim is present in South Sudan.

"The presence and activities of SLA/MM, SLA/TC and JEM in both Libya and South Sudan constitute a violation by those States of the arms embargo, which requires States to take measures to prevent the sale or supply of arms and related material and the provision of assistance to Darfurian rebel groups by their nationals or from their territories," the expert said.

The 97-page report seen by Sudan Tribune is the first UN text with detailed information, official documents and pictures about the presence of the armed groups from Darfur region in Libya.

The report describes the SLM-MM as the biggest Darfurian rebel group in Libya operating with Libya's eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

In a special annexe, the report says the group has "several hundreds of fighters and approximately 150 vehicles", adding that the military leadership of the group present in Libya include SLM-MM chief of staff Juma Haggar, his deputy Jabir Ishag and other commanders.

However, the experts said that the military leadership of the rebel group is now more independent from its exiled leader and they are directly paid by Haftar's army.

According to the experts, JEM which has a limited presence in Libya has recently realised that the situation in the north African country "offers more opportunities than South Sudan" and considers ways to be more involved there.

The report dedicates one of its annexes to the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance led by Taher Hagar which is also operating in Libya.

The report which is mainly dedicated to the different effects of the situation in Libya on Darfur says that the role of mercenaries has gained significance because Libyan are wary of fighting and financially it is more beneficial for Libyan factions to engage foreign mercenaries.

"If Libyans get killed during the conflict, their tribe demands blood money, which is to be paid by the Libyan faction responsible for the death. The concept of blood money is, however, not applicable to foreign mercenaries," the report says.

A Darfurian fighter is paid between $250 to $500 per month. Also, they have " the option of receiving weapons and vehicles, in lieu of cash payment. Darfurian rebel groups have been demanding higher remuneration for some time, owing to the depreciation of the Libyan dinar," according to the experts.

The UN experts have recommended that the panel continues to monitor the presence and activities of Darfurian rebel groups in Libya and South Sudan. Further, they propose to "consider updating the sanctions list to include the photographs of three designated individuals and the passport details of one designated individual, and consider requesting INTERPOL to update its special notices accordingly".

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

While focusing on the financing of different Darfurian armed groups and, regional stability the experts noticed that the arrival of a greater number of Darfurian migrants to Europ through Libya since 2015.

"This trend would tend to suggest greater availability and better organization of the smuggling networks operating in the Sudan, Libya and Chad, which facilitate this journey," said the report based on interviews with humanitarian agencies in France and Italy.

The Darfur route via El-Fasher for migrant smuggling to Libya from Sudan, according to the report, has become an alternative to the Khartoum route via Dongola in northern Sudan. The smugglers, some of them are former rebels, use the same routes used by the armed groups.

Besides the human smuggling, the experts say the rebel groups in Darfur also make financial gains from the arms smuggling between Darfur and Libya.

They are "smuggling small arms from the Sudan to Libya. These groups are also smuggling heavy weapons such as anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns into Darfur from Libya," the report says.

In addition, the report says that Darfur rebel groups are also involved in the in the smuggling of fuel in tankers from Libyan port installations in Misrata and Zlitan into Darfur. The same for vehicles the armed groups "smuggled thousands of 4x4 vehicles from Libya to Darfur".

(ST)

January 14, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki accused interested circles in Sudan and Ethiopia of attempting to create a conflict between Khartoum and Asmara, stressed that there were no Egyptian troops at the Sawa base, which borders the Sudanese border.

On Thursday, Sudan officially announced sending troops and equipment to the border with Eritrea and spoke about security threats after the alleged arrival of Egyptian troops to the Eritrean military base of Sawa, an area bordering the eastern province of Kassala in Sudan.

In an interview with Eritrean television on Sunday evening, Afwerki ridiculed Sudan's allegations about the presence of Egyptian troops at the Sawa military base and slammed the Qatari Al-Jazeera TV channel which broadcast the news.

He further said that Asmara has information about an attempt to deploy Ethiopian troops on the Sudanese-Eritrean border to be financed by Sudan.
He added that Khartoum and Addis Ababa seek to push Eritrea to war pointing to the broadcast in the Sudanese media of footages of troops and weapons dispatched to Kassala state.

"The Ethiopian and Sudanese intelligence services are promoting false information. These accusations are an attempt to escape forward."

"Some circles in Sudan and Ethiopia are trying to create a clash between Sudan and Eritrea," he said.

In a joint press conference with his Ethiopian counterpart Sunday, the Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour said his government does not accuse a specific country but speak about threats for its security on the eastern border.

"Some opposition forces are in those areas," he said. "There are some people who are trying to harm the security of the country and we will explain this in detail in due course," Ghandour stressed.

Speaking about the Turkish military presence in the Red Sea region, Afwerki said it "is not acceptable".

"I am not sure about the Turkish military presence in (the Sudanese town of) Suakin, but the Turkish presence in Somalia is unacceptable and does not contribute to the stability of the region," he said.

The head of the embattled east African country was recently in Egypt for talks with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi following several reports about a rapprochement with Cairo which is in conflict with Khartoum and Addis Ababa over the Nile water.

(ST)

January 13, 2018 (KAMPALA) – A South Sudanese youth entity has condemned what it described as violation of the cessation of hostilities by South Sudan government allegedly with the intention of frustrating efforts to bring everlasting peace to the ordinary citizens.

President Salva Kiir attends a session during the 25th Extraordinary Summit of the (IGAD) on South Sudan in Addis Ababa March 13, 2014 (Reuters Photo)

The International Youth for Africa (IYA), in a statement, said a host of the nation's citizens are dying every day and therefore continuing to attack the opposition is utter violation of ongoing peace processes.

IYA's executive director, Ter Manyang Gatwech urged the warring parties to respect the cessation of hostilities signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last year.

Strongly condemning the attack in the “strongest term”, Gatwech said those responsible for the ceasefire violation should be brought to book.

“We have incompetent politicians who cannot think about the suffering and the future of citizens. It will be useless to go to Addis Ababa and warms those seats for no reason. IYA therefore urges the international community, IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development], AU [African Union], UN [United Nations] and the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] to mount pressure on both parties to end the ongoing crisis in the South Sudan,” said Gatwech.

He added, “The two main warring factions must sort out their differences through a peaceful political dialogue not through guns”.

On Friday, the AU, UN and the Troika countries also condemned the continuing violence in South Sudan in clear violation of a cessation of hostilities they worked together with the IGAD to achieve last December.

(ST)

January 13, 2017 (JUBA) – Two senior military officers have defected from South Sudan's armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) loyal to former first vice president, Riek Machar, an official said on Saturday.

South Sudan's opposition leader Riek Machar speaks during a briefing in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa April 9, 2016 (Photo Reuters/ Tiksa Negeri)

The spokesperson for the SPLM-IO faction allied first vice-president Taban Deng Gai, Col. Dickson Gatluak Jock, identified the duo as Brigadier General Gabriel Guet and Brigadier General Micheal Tuak from the rebel's fourth division headquarters in the former Unity state.

“The Leadership of the SPLM/A (IO) is profoundly grateful for the wise decision taken by the two officers to join the SPLA-IO under the wise and able leadership of General Taban Deng Gai, the FVP [first vice president] of the Republic of South Sudan,” Jock said in a statement.

Also said to have defected, according to Jock, is the commissioner of Jekou county in South Sudan's Maiwut state, James Kueth Chuol.

Chuol, allegedly defected on 12 January 2018 along with 63 soldiers.

“The commissioner who defected from Chany payam is currently in Pagak,” Jock stressed, adding, “I commend them [those who defected] for their wise decision and good steps taken towards the restoration of peace and healing wounds in the country”.

A spokesperson for the Machar-led faction was unavailable to comment.

(ST)

January 13, 2018 (JUBA) — Presidential spokesman Saturday Ateny Wek Ateny has questioned the logic behind the denial of the authenticity of the audiotapes which recorded the voices of former army chief of staff, Paul Malong Awan, ordering his associates in the army cause fighting or asked them to carry out attacks in some areas.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan speaks at the presidential palace in Juba, November 16, 2017 (ST)

The presidential aide said people who denied the authenticity of the audiotapes have either lost the objectivity or had chosen voluntarily and intentionally to ignore objectivity.

He wondered how people accepted recording done for him about the blockage of Awan travel to Aweil which he said was going to cause division in the region as was feared he would rebel if allowed to go home.

“When it is Ateny Wek's illegally recorded tape by someone who was eating with him, only once then the audio is believed to be authentic. But when it is Malong Awan Anei recorded five times ordering disgruntled SPLA soldiers to attack government targets in an attempt to cause an uprising, then the audio is fake and manufactured by enemies of peace. Is this double standard or just selling and buying that is taking momentum?”

Ateny said he has never found anywhere a machine that exists anywhere for faking voices only exists in South Sudan for recording Malong and his cohorts alone. He equated the denial to ignorance.

(ST)

January 13, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Governor of the Blue Nile State Hussein Yassen Hamad said 13,000 out of 55,000 Sudanese refugees have returned to their home areas from Ethiopia.

He told the official news agency SUNA that his government in coordination with the Humanitarian Aid Commission has provided food, clothing and medicine to returnees after they settled in their villages of origin.

Hamad added that a number of rebel fighters have also laid down their arms and returned to the state following the presidential pardon and appeals by the residents.

The Sudanese refugees were being sheltered in camps and among host communities along the Ethiopia-Sudan border since their arrival in 2011.

Blue Nile State and neighbouring South Kordofan state have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and the Sudanese army since 2011.

Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since August 2016.

(ST)

January 13, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Ambassador to Egypt Abdel-Mahmoud Abdel-Halim said his country would take further escalatory actions against Egypt within days.

Ambassador Abdel-Mahmood Abdel Halim

On 4 January Sudan summoned its ambassador to Egypt for consultation, hours after the head of the Sudanese Border Technical Committee, Abdallah Al-Sadiq, accused Egypt of trying to drag Sudan into a direct military confrontation.

Speaking to journalists on Friday night, Abdel-Halim said his summoning was a step in a series of moves that could include “withdrawing of ambassador or expulsion of other country's ambassador or breaking off the relationship and declaring war”.

He pointed out that Sudan has taken the first step in the diplomatic battle with Egypt and didn't yet resort to other options.

However, Abdel-Halim did not explain the reasons for the Sudanese escalation towards Egypt, but only expressed hope the two countries could overcome the current challenges.

“In every challenge there lies opportunity and we want to take advantage of this opportunity to put our relationship with Egypt on the right path through resolving the outstanding issues which prompted my summoning,” he said

The Sudanese diplomat warned that his country could take further escalatory moves, saying important developments will occur in the next few days in this regard.

New tensions have erupted between Sudan and Egypt following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Khartoum in late December.

Last week, Sudan closed its border with Eritrea after the deployment of thousands of troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters to Kassala State.

On Thursday, Sudan admitted that the deployment of troops along the Eritrean border came as result of military threats from Eritrea and Egypt against the country.

CALL FOR MILITARY MOBILIZATION

Meanwhile, the governor of Khartoum State and head of the National Congress Party (NCP) in the capital has underscored readiness of the army, security, and the RSF to counter any kind of aggression against the country.

Hussein, who spoke before the meeting of the NCP's Shura Council, called on the members of the ruling party to get ready “to wear the Khaki (army uniform) and go to the battlefield in defence of Sudan's dignity and the dignity of its people”.

However, Hussein didn't elaborate on the nature of the military aggression.

He said the summoning of Sudan's ambassador to Egypt was meant to underline Sudan's keenness to maintain the fraternal relations between the two countries on the bases of mutual respect.

Hussein also demanded to stop the hostile Egyptian media campaign against Sudan led by some who hold hidden agenda to hurt bilateral relations.

(ST)

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