Africa

October 5, 2016 (JUBA) – The United States security advisor, ambassador, Susan Rice has expressed grave concern about the prevailing humanitarian conditions and continued fighting in many parts of war-torn South Sudan.

US national security advisor Susan Rice (Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP)

Rice, who met South Sudan's first vice president, Taban Deng on Tuesday, affirmed her administration's strong commitment to the people of South Sudan.

The U.S. official deplored South Sudan government's role in obstructing the United Nations Mission in South Sudan's operations and stressed the need for a rapid deployment of the regional protection force.

A statement from the U.S. embassy in Juba said Rice briefed Deng on how Washington was deeply concerned about the alleged participation of government forces in attacks against humanitarian workers at the Terrain Compound in Juba on 11 July, stressing that the perpetrators of the attack must be identified and held accountable and that an investigation with international support is urgently needed.

“Ambassador Rice underscored the need for the South Sudanese Government to engage opposition groups in dialogue and ensure that it governs inclusively, with strong participation by women and without domination by a single ethnic group or political party,” it adds.

Meanwhile, a section of the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) claimed Deng was shunned by South Sudanese communities during his recent visit to Washington.

Deng had reportedly attempted to meet with South Sudanese communities, predominantly the Nuer, to solicit for political support.

Reath Muoch Tang, SPLM-IO's representative in the U.S., claimed Gai was only relying on his team from South Sudan and embassy staff which he turned into an audience for his boycotted meetings.

“The purpose of the huge government delegations headed by Taban Deng Gai, is to fake an audience in North America,” he posted on Facebook.

“As Taban Deng Gai has been publicly disowned and denounced by all the South Sudanese communities, in North America, Europe, Australia, Canada and Africa, he Taban, now [relies] only on his huge delegations which composed of more than 50 personnel to fake meetings, in New Jersey and Washington D.C.,” he added.

South Sudanese officials, including the spokesperson for the presidency and its representatives in the U.S, have dismissed the armed opposition's account of Deng's visits to Washington, describing it as a success.

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October 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese and Chadian military officials will begin Wednesday annual meeting in Khartoum to assess the six-year experience of the border joint force.

Chadian Defence Minister Bichara Issa Djadallah, received by his his Sudanese counterpart Awad Ibn Ouf in Khartoum on 4 October 2016 (SUNA Photo)

The recently reappointed Chadian Defence Minister Bichara Issa Djadallah, who had been the defence minister until July 2012, met yesterday his Sudanese counterpart Awad Ibn Ouf and discussed ways to develop the bilateral cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

"The two sides expressed their desire to expand bilateral cooperation in all fields, especially education and training, capacity building and stand together, side by side as well as enhancing relationship beyond emotional dimension to achieve the interests of the two countries and the two brotherly peoples," said the official news agency SUNA.

Recently the two countries said they would extend the mandate of the joint force to include the fight against terrorism. Also, they agreed with the new Central African government to redeploy tripartite force on the border with the troubled country.

Djadallah in the past fought the Chadian rebel groups that were based in Sudan's Darfur region. His comeback to the defence ministry coincides with rise of unconfirmed reports saying that Chadian rebels have rallied a Sudanese rebel group of Justice and Equality Movement.

The Chadian army recently received logistical support and training from western powers as it is playing a key role in the anti-terrorist fighting in the region.

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October 4, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan is the second worst country after Somalia in all aspects governance, a survey by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation showed.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir (Photo: (Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

The survey, which spanned over a decade, focused on how each African nation faired in human development, safety and the of rule of law, participation and human rights as well as sustainable economic development aspects.

Overall, it says, Africa's countries have struggled to improve their governance in the past 10 years, with South Sudan scoring zero in all the areas of governance.

This, the report stressed, showed that the Africa's newest nation has not made any progress or improvement in all aspects of the survey, especially last year.

The governance index reportedly measures each of Africa's countries in 95 criteria, with additional data from Afrobarometer, which polls public perceptions of issues such as corruption, economic opportunity and human rights.

Somalia is ranked in the report as the worst country in the African continent with Ivory Coast, Togo, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Rwanda, respectively said to have immensely improved in the overall governance score sheet in the last 10 years.

The 54 African nations, the report further stressed, collectively contributed only one point on a 100-point scale measuring overall governance since 2006.

Mauritius was ranked Africa's country with the best governance rating, followed by Botswana, Cape Verde, the Seychelles, Namibia and South Africa. Other countries lowly ranked in Africa were Sudan, the Central African Republic and Libya.

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October 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous Tuesday said the United Nations had no evidence on the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese government in Darfur, and called on Khartoum to cooperate with future investigations by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, speaks to journalists following Security Council consultations on the situation in Darfur, 4 October 2016 (UN Photo)

On Thursday 29 September, Amnesty International accused the Sudanese army of using chemical weapons in Jebel Mara area in Darfur where it fights the rebels of Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) which is not part of the peace process.

The rights group said its report was based on testimonies collected on the ground, on satellite imagery, and expert analysis of images showing injuries. But the government denied the allegations and stressed that it does not possess any type of chemical weapons.

In a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday about the situation in Darfur, Ladous said the African Union United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) cannot investigate the situation or provide evidence about the claims because the hybrid operations has no access to the area where the fighting taking place in Jebel Marra.

"We have not come across evidence regarding the use of chemical weapons in Jebel Marra" because the government of Sudan has denied consistently any access by UNAMID to conflict areas in Jebel Marra and this obviously has prevented the mission from being able to monitor effectively and report on the impact of the fighting".

He further said that the OPCW had stated, in an initial assessment, that it was not possible to draw any conclusions without further information and evidence being made available.

The French diplomat further called on the Sudanese government which he noted was a signatory to the Convention on Chemical Weapons, to cooperate with any future OPCW investigation on the accusations.

Also in a press briefing after the UNSC meeting, Ladsous reiterated his call saying "we encourage the Government of Sudan, which is a state party to the Chemical Weapons Convention to maintain, as it has stated it would do, full cooperation with any future investigation by the OPCW".

Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Omer Dahab Fadl Mohammed in his speech before the Security Council meeting didn't raise the issue of chemical weapons but the urged the international community to put pressure on " those who did not wish to join the Dialogue".

He further called on all those backing such groups to end their support. Emphasizing that spoilers inside and outside the country should not be allowed to prolong the conflict and “disintegrate” the country.

Mohammed had previously issued a statement denying the "utterly unfounded" accusations in the report and said it aims to disturb the ongoing African Union efforts for peace in Sudan.

"The allegations of use of chemical weapons by Sudanese Armed Forces is baseless and fabricated. The ultimate objective of such wild accusation, is to steer confusion in the on-going processes aimed at deepening peace and stability and enhancing economic development and social cohesion in Sudan," he said.

(ST)

October 4, 2016 (JUBA) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said humanitarian situation in South Sudan is deteriorating following the resumption of war in the country, saying civilians have been displaced by the ongoing violence.

IOM and partners help Jamam camp residents board buses to Kaya (photo credit: IOM)

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, IOM said there was need for a political solution to the renewed violence between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those loyal to his former deputy, Riek Machar.

“With daily reports of violence and worsening tensions, a political solution is urgently needed to mitigate the increasing suffering of civilians in South Sudan,” said IOM East Africa Regional Director, Jeffrey Labovitz.

“To address the growing needs of those forced to flee their homes and the host communities that receive them, the regional humanitarian response requires long-term planning, improved access to civilians caught up in the conflict, and sustained efforts to secure freedom of movement for those forced to flee across borders,” he added.

Over 894,800 South Sudanese have fled to neighbouring countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda, since civil war broke out in South Sudan in 2013, according to UNHCR. Of these, more than 185,000 South Sudanese have fled since fresh fighting broke out in the capital, Juba, on 8 July.

An additional 1.61 million people, the statement said, are displaced within South Sudan's borders, both to displacement sites and remote, often hard-to-reach, areas.

In Ethiopia, it said, the influx of South Sudanese refugees in recent months is placing strain on existing resources. IOM is currently assisting with the relocation of refugees from the transit centre in Pagak, on the South Sudan border, to camps in Jewi, Tierkidi and Kule in the Gambella region. Since 9 September, IOM has relocated 23,954 refugees, mostly women and children.

IOM ASSISTANCE

IOM, according to the statement, is working closely with governments, communities and partners in the region to provide humanitarian assistance and develop sustainable strategies to address complex protracted displacement, such as in South Sudan.

The organization also responded to the influx of refugees into Sudan, which has received approximately 90,000 South Sudanese refugees since mid-January, including 54,400 people to East Darfur State, according to UNHCR figures.

“In Sudan's East Darfur, South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan states, IOM is providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to refugees, as well as monitoring and registering new arrivals through the Displacement Tracking Matrix,” it said.

It is also establishing a mobile clinic to improve access to lifesaving health care for more than 4,200 refugees, as well as host community members, in East Darfur.

IOM continues to implement a multi-sector humanitarian response in South Sudan, where more than 6.1 million people are in need of lifesaving assistance.

The statement said as needs continue to increase, humanitarian workers are facing growing access constraints, hindering their ability to reach conflict-affected populations in many parts of the country.

(ST)

October 4, 2016 (JUBA) - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has asked the United Nations Mission in the country (MONUSCO) to "remove" a group of South Sudanese rebels airlifted on "humanitarian ground" to the Central African nation.

South Sudanese rebels pictured in Jonglei state on 31 January 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Kinshasa said the 750 armed opposition soldiers were a security risk to residents in Eastern DRC, various media, quoting local and UN officials, reported.

MONUSCO said it soldiers "extracted" South Sudan's ex-First Vice President, Riek Machar, also commander in chief of the rebels at the DRC border on 17 August, 2016.

The peacekeepers also helped "exhausted" SPLM-IO on "humanitarian ground", rescuing up to 750 soldiers whom it said were in touch "extremely bad shape" after nearly two months of being pursued by government soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir.

Machar proceeded for treatment in Khartoum, where he has remained for the last two months but his fighters are in the care of MONUSCO in largely lawless eastern Congo.

Juba summoned Kinshasa ambassador to South Sudan in August to protest hosting of hostile forces by a friendly country. It is not clear if the latest directives from DRC to UN is a fruit of Juba diplomatic pressure.

Officials quoted by the BBC told MONUSCO that local residents in eastern Congo have accused the SPLM-IO of posting security risk to the region.

DRC is the second country, after Ethiopia, to reject presence of the SPLM IO. Ethiopian Prime Minister recently told Foreign Policy magazine that Machar, who was replaced by Taban Deng Gai, will not be welcomed to Addis Ababa unless he denounce violence.

Both Kinshasa and Addis Ababa are facing internal crisis following weeks of protest due to delayed elections and the demand for political representation, respectively.

(ST)

October 4, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir will meet the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani in Cairo on the sidelines of his summit meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, said sources.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani (R) and Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L) meeting in Khartoum on 15 December 2013 (SUNA)

Al-Bashir will lead his country's delegation for the presidential summit of the Egyptian-Sudanese Higher Committee (ESHC) in Cairo from 5 to 6 October.

A reliable source told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that Al-Bashir will meet Al-Mirghani and his son al-Hassan in Cairo, saying the DUP leader will also meet al-Sisi during Al-Bashir's visit.

According to the source, Al-Hassan, who is also a presidential assistant to Al-Bashir, arrived in Cairo from the United States at dawn on Tuesday.

The same source pointed that the DUP leading figure and Minister of Cabinet Affairs Ahmed Saad Omer will leave for Cairo to brief Al-Mirghani on the final recommendations of the national dialogue.

Al-Mirghani, who left Sudan in 2013 to London for medical treatment, arrived in Cairo last August following controversial reports over his health conditions and that his doctors advised him to give up public work.

The DUP left opposition ranks and joined the “broad-based” government of the NCP in December 2011, citing the “need to save the country” in the words of al-Mirghani himself.

The decision of one of Sudan's biggest opposition parties to join the government has triggered a party crisis, which has seen many DUP members tendering their resignations and others protesting in their home areas.

The party received three ministries in the federal cabinet and continues to serve under this allocation.

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October 4, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's security and military intelligence officers have put the country's deputy defence minister and several other members of ethnic Murle officers in the army on watch list, saying their past conducts and actions warranted a close monitoring to gauge whether they are part of the recent decision by some of their members to defect to wage an armed struggle.

SPLA soldiers standing near cattle belonging to the Murle tribe, in Pibor County, Jonglei State, South Sudan, 25 September 2012 (ST)

Multiple security personnel and military intelligence officers told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that the deputy defense minister, David Yauyau, has not been placed under house arrest but he and several of his colleagues have been put on a watch list after his former deputy in the South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army-Cobra Faction (SSDM/A-Cobra Faction) defected from the government last week.

The group, based in Pibor county of Boma state, home for ethnic Murle, declared to wage an armed struggle with the liked minded opposition groups, probably under the leadership of former First Vice President, Riek Machar, to change the regime in Juba.

A high ranking military official denied rumoured orders to arrest David Yau Yau but added that he is being monitored closely in case he may decide to defect too.

“Actually I am not aware of such orders as having come from the president or anybody in the Security Council. What I know, and which is a normal practice in the security for precautionary and preemptive measures that such people, like David Yau Yau, who is known for changing sides, are usually placed under closed monitoring and surveillance measures,” the military official told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday when asked to comment on reports alleging David Yau Yau had been put under house arrest in Juba.

“You know Yau Yau is unreliable. Who knows, he may be part of the conspiracy behind the recent defection. For this reason, he and some of his group [members] need to be closely watched until they prove otherwise,” he said.

Yau Yau's former deputy, General Boutrus Khalid, declared his defection last week and claimed he defected with 16,000 soldiers of the SSDM/A. Other sources also said another officer has recently defected to the opposition with 5,000 troops to join General Khalid.

Senior officials in Boma state, including governor Baba Bedan, have however downplayed the defections, saying it will not impact on the situation on the ground.

Observers however say the defection may result to renewed violence in Jonglei state which has had experienced violence pitting government forces against those of the ethnic Murle fighters between 2010 and 2014.

The opposition fighters signed a peace agreement with the government in 2014, but have accused the government of not implementing its provisions.

(ST)

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October 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The national dialogue committees still disagrees on the new constitutional reforms including the post of prime minister and the increase of parliament seats, a week before the final session of the National Dialogue Conference.

Members of the national dialogue general assembly and President Omer al-Bashir attend the third session of the internal process in Khartoum on August 20, 2015 (Photo AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

The dialogue conference which will take place in Khartoum next Monday is expected to endorse a national document , comprising the principles of a new permanent constitution in Sudan.

Also, meeting will approve constitutional reform to be adopted par le parliament before the formation of the interim government which is expected to be established within 90 days.

''There is a consensus (among the dialogue forces) on the adoption of presidential system and the creation of the post of a prime minister appointed by the president. The premier has to form a government in consultation with the president," said Tadjadine Bechir Niam a member of the consensus committee tasked to reach compromises on contentious issues.

He further told Sudan Tribune that the disagreement over the post of prime minister is focused on whether he will be approved and held accountable by the parliament or the president.

Niam added that the governing parties support the appointment and approval of the prime minister by the president of the republic to fit with the presidential system.

Also, an official in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) confirmed what Niam said, adding that the opposition groups participating the internal dialogue process want the prime minister to be approved by the chamber and be responsible before the MPs.

The source further said the national dialogue forces diverge also on term of the transitional government chaired by President Omer al-Bashir.

Niam said the recommendations of the dialogue conference would provide that the premier will be appointed after political consultations, pointing that the post would not be reserved for the opposition or a specific group.

Regarding the composition of the transitional parliament, Niam who is representing the Liberation and Justice Movement led Bahr Idris Abu Garda said it was agreed to increase the seats and expand the national assembly in order to represent all the political forces participating in the political process.

He expressed optimism to reach an agreement over the 13 pending issues before the General Assembly on 10 October, adding that the 7+7 committee will hold its last meeting on Wednesday 5 October . Also, he disclosed that a meeting headed by President al-Bashir will take place on Sunday to reach consensual compromises.

"On the 10th of October, the political forces participating in the dialogue conference will sign the final document and hand it over to the President," he stressed.

After what the government will introduce into the parliament the constitutional reform related to the creation of the post of prime minister and the increase of parliamentary seats.

"A National Consensus Government will be formed within 90 days, considering that the adoption of constitutional amendments may require 60 days at the worst," Niam added.

HOLDOUT GROUPS SLAMMED

In a press conference held on Monday, Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, slammed the position of opposition groups of the Sudan Call alliance saying they "confirmed their unwillingness to take part in the dialogue and they do not want a solution to the issues of Sudan".

The opposition groups held a workshop in Addis Ababa to prepare a joint position for a preparatory meeting supposed to place after the signing of agreements on the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access in the Two Areas and Darfur.

The opposition groups said they would not accept to join the dialogue conference if the government did not fulfill the requested confidence building measures and threatened to hold their own dialogue meeting without the ruling NCP and to include the opposition Future Forces for Change (FFC) .

"This position is intended to evade the African Union Roadmap Agreement," said Hamid.

The presidential aide further said the FFC and prominent figures of the National Umma Party including Mubarak al-Mahdi will participate in the national dialogue meeting next Monday.

(ST)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned yesterday&#39s series of attacks against the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.

October 3, 2016 (NYALA) - Two people were killed by unknown gunmen in an attack against the headquarters of the administrative unit of Al-Malam locality, 100 kilometers north of South Darfur capital, Nyala.

A reliable source told Sudan Tribune that four armed men on two four-wheel drive Land Cruiser vehicles opened fire at Al-Hag Adam Ishag, the commissioner's driver and his bodyguard Mohamed Abdel-Karim while they were standing in front of the headquarters of the locality and killed them on the spot.

According to the source, the gunmen seized the commissioner's vehicle before fleeing.
He added that the security committee of the locality held an emergency meeting to track down the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, in press statements on Monday, South Darfur's police director Bala Mohamed Hussein said that four gunmen on an unlicensed four-wheel drive vehicle opened fire at the commissioner's bodyguard and driver in front of Al-Malam locality headquarters killing them immediately.

A security source told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the security committee set strict measures to control the lawlessness situation in Nyala.

He pointed that joint patrol teams have been deployed to deal with the security situation, saying that tight measures were put in place to control movement of vehicles inside Nyala.

He stressed the security organs are capable of restoring stability, saying the unlicensed vehicles are the primary cause of the lawlessness situation in the state.

The same source accused unnamed parties of being responsible of the deteriorating security conditions in Nyala, saying the security organs would arrest all those involved in the incidents following the completion of investigations.

During the past couple of weeks, Nyala residents have expressed concern over the return of the lawlessness situation which prevailed in the town before imposing the emergency situation.

On September 27th, the gunmen killed the accountant Izz al-Din Saad when they attacked the municipal salary office of Al-Radoom area staff in central Nyala.

Two days earlier, armed groups looted Al-Wihda neighborhood in southern Nyala where 12 people have been injured after being beaten with gun stocks.

Also, on September 29th, a group of armed men shot dead the former commissioner of Baida locality of West Darfur State and the chief of Dago tribe in front of his house in Nyala.

Since July 2014, the governor of South Darfur Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared an indefinite emergency situation in the state, including a curfew from 07:00 pm to 07:00 am (local time) in Nyala.

The decision also banned riding of motorcycles by more than one person, holding weapons while wearing civilian clothes, vehicles driving around without license plates, and wearing of Kadamool (a turban which covers the face).

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 3, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – As Ethiopia began mourning the victims of the deadly deadly stampede that occurred during a protest at a religious festival in the Oromia region on Sunday, violence spread to many parts of the East African nation.

The deadly stampede occurred after police fired tear gas and fired warning shots into the air to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters who staged violent protest in the early stages of a religious event taking place in Oromia's Bishoftu town, located 40 kilometers south of Addis Ababa.

An estimated three million Ethnic Oromos from different areas of the vast region converged in Bishoftu to celebrate Irrecha, a popular thanks-giving day annually celebrated among the Oromo people.

Government officials and medical sources told Sudan Tribune that the death toll from Sunday's stampede had risen to over 50, with hundreds injured.

But opposition officials from the Oromo community claim the figure could be much higher than what was being disclosed by the government.

Three days of national mourning for victims of Bishoftu was declared by government.

A statement the Ethiopian government said flags would fly at half-mast across the country and at its foreign missions, starting Monday.

The statement said the national mourning was meant to “commemorate innocent citizens who lost their lives because of the violence instigated by anti-peace forces”

As the horn of Africa's nation mourns over the tragic incident violence however has continued in many parts of the Oromia region.

Reliable sources later today told Sudan Tribune that Oromo protesters and security forces have continued to clash in several parts of the Oromia region on Monday.

According to the sources, the anti-government protests have spread to many parts of the country's most sensitive region and violence is taking place in areas, including at locations very close to the Ethiopian capital.

Multiple sources said the protesters, on Monday, blocked roads, burnt vehicles and attacked public and government properties as the violence spread in many locations.

The Oromia region, home for some 40 million of Ethiopia's total 94 million populations had long been a scene of large-scale anti-government protests.

The Oromos say they are protesting against Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn government's decades of long political and economic marginalization against them.

According to Human Rights Watch report issued in June, Ethiopian security forces have killed more than 400 protesters and arrested tens of thousands more during widespread protests in the Oromia region since November 2015.

The rights body urged the government to support a credible and independent investigation into the killings, arbitrary arrests, and other forms of abuses.

(ST)

October 03, 2016 (WAU) – Two people were killed and 10 others injured by strong winds at a protection of civilian site in South Sudan's Wau state.

The roof of a clinic constructed by Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) was reportedly blown off as iron sheets scattered, killing two and injuring others.

“Rain started and shortly there was very strong wind whereby structures of the hospital was picked up, the fence fell down and what we saw was its structure taken by the wind,” said Abiel Peter Wawure, a MSF health workers at the protection of civilian site.

Margaret Ngogi said iron sheet off the clinic caused the injuries and deaths.

Meanwhile, all humanitarian agencies operating in Wau state have reportedly rushed to the protection of civilian site to provide needed assistance.

(ST)