Africa

Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (PANA) - The African Development Bank (AfDB) unveiled on Monday the first-ever Gender Equality Index for Africa, aimed at informing policies to transform economies and to propel governments to adopt an ambitious agenda for making gender equality a reality throughout the continent. Gender

May 24, 2015 (JUBA) – Threats of sanctions and an arms embargo on South Sudan, will harden positions, act as a disincentive for peace and make achieving a lasting peace and justice more difficult, Baak Wol, a South Sudanese diplomat has warned.

South Sudanese ambassador Baak Wol (courtesy photo)

Wol was speaking at the third annual luncheon and forum on the future of Sudan and South Sudan, which was organised by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States on Sunday.

He said government strongly believes that ending the war and the humanitarian crisis should be the first priority and expect the international community and concerned individuals to support the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace initiative and encourage the parties to return to peace talks sooner.

“What South Sudan needs now is encouragement and support towards peace, not punishment and exclusion,” said Wol.

The East African regional bloc has proposed an IGAD-Plus arrangement involving the troika countries, United Nations, African Union and four African countries in the next round of South Sudan talks.

Some South Sudanese leaders proposed that the Troika nations remain as observers, amid claims they are pushing for sanctions against those obstructing the peace process.

“The government is eager to reach a peaceful settlement to the conflict with the rebels, however, it believes that a rushed or externally imposed peace as proposed in the current IGAD-Plus work plan will not last in South Sudan, and will only be a recipe for another armed conflict,” ambassador Wol warned on Sunday.

The South Sudanese envoy to Washington said the international community should encourage the mediators not to repeat the mistake they did last time, when they imposed on the warring parties a deadline of 5th March 2015 for signing a peace agreement, when they knew very well the parties have not reconciled their differences.

“Imposed solutions not agreed by the parties themselves, and negotiating under threats of deadlines are definitely the wrong way to go in South Sudan,” Wol warned.

“The government is working with members of the international community to restore peace, but equally expects to be treated fairly as the duly elected government. There should be no equivalence between an armed rebellion vent on resting political power through the barrel of the gun, and an elected government”, added the ambassador.

RENEWED CLASHES

Tension, has in recent weeks, flared between government forces and the armed opposition factions in South Sudan's Unity and Upper Nile state, attracting widespread condemnation from regional and international bodies, including the United Nations (UN).

Thousands of civilians, the United Nations said, have been displaced into its protection of civilians' sites in the oil-producing Unity and Upper Nile state capitals.

However, Wol said government has a constitutional mandate to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of South Sudan, including unquestionable right to self-defense and protection of civilians in the face of continued rebel's provocation and aggression.

“If the international community wants to have a role to play in bring peace to South Sudan, they should start with respecting the elected leadership and the government of South Sudan,” he stressed.

He said the international community must reflect on its current soft glove approach towards the rebels, and start to exert more pressure on the rebels to motivate them to return to the peace talks and sign a peace agreement with the government.

“Unless this is done, the rebels will maintain their unreasonable demands, and the government will continue to resist, and the innocent people of South Sudan will continue to suffer,” said Wol.

“As the saying goes, in the absence of agreed peace, violence will prevail. Yes, peace must be restored to South Sudan, but peace is a process - not an event, and again, it must take two to tango,” he added.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Gibril Ibrahim, relieved two members of the rebel group leadership body.

Fighters from Darfur's Justice and Equality Movement (AFP)

In a decision dated on Saturday 23 May Ibrahim sacked Mansour Arbab Younis, secretary of presidential affairs and Houzaiffa Mahi-Eldin Mohamed secretary of cultural affairs in the rebel group.

"In accordance with the powers vested in me under Article (4.4 C) of the Statute of the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, amendment of 2012, and in recognition of the best interest of the Movement and its protection from the destructive action, I issue the following decision," said a decree extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

On Friday 22 May Mohamed, allegedly in his quality of JEM Legislative Assembly rapporteur, issued a communiqué where it was decided to dismiss Gibril Ibrahim from the chairmanship of the group.

Ibrahim was accused of running the rebel group in a despotic manner; besides nepotism and tribalism. The statement further said his mismanagement of the group led to the recent debacle of the group in South Darfur.

on 27 April the Sudanese government militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces ambushed JEM fighters in a remote area in South Darfur near the border with South Sudan.

JEM leader admitted the defeat of his forces, several days later.

The head of JEM Legislative Assembly, Tahir al-Faki Adam issued a statement on 23 May where he dismissed the authenticity of the communiqué relieving the group leader and said it was a fake statement forged by the ruling National Congress Party.

Adam further stressed they did not convene any meeting for the legislative assembly of the rebel group.

On Saturday, the Justice and Equality Party (JEP), formerly JEM-Dabajo, announced the arrival in Khartoum of two members who fled from JEM prisons. The escapees were accompanied by two rebel commanders who defected from the armed group.

JEM spokesperson confirmed the defection of their two commanders and said his groups is not affected by this isolated move.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (NAIROBI) – News have emerged of the death of South Sudanese army pilot in a helicopter gunship shot down by rebels on Wednesday over the control of Melut town in the oil-rich Upper Nile state.

A photo posted by Adhelmouz Machiek Adhelmouz in his Facebook page where he appears near a bus of Kazan Helicopters, a Russian helicopter manufacturing company based at Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan

South Sudanese rebels led by former vice-president Riek Machar on Wednesday said their forces brought down a helicopter gunship during a heavy fighting for control of the town adjacent to the country's main oilfields of Paloch.

However, the South Sudanese army spokesperson, Philip Aguer, denied the rebel claim terming it as “ rubbish and baseless propaganda”.

Messages of mourning and condolences being circulated on the social media since Wednesday have revealed that a pilot died when the gunship was shot in Melut town.

Relatives, colleagues and friends said pilot 2nd lieutenant Matur Machiek, sometimes known by his nickname as Adhelmouz Machiek Adhelmouz, had died in the incident on Wednesday when the chopper was hit by the opposition fighters.

Maciek, who was trained in Russia to fly helicopter gunship was among a crew onboard the chopper when he met his fate.

When the rebels captured Melut town on Tuesday, relatives said, he was sent for a mission as co-pilot to bomb the advancing opposition forces with one of the few helicopter gunships the government possessed.

There are conflicting explanations in the social media on how he died. While some said he instantly died when the gunship was hit and crashed, others said he was seriously wounded in the air inside the gunship. The chopper had to make a successful crash landing but he later died due to the injury.

A source from the government told Sudan Tribune that the gunship did not explode in the air nor crash on the ground when it was hit, saying the pilots managed to land it in Melut town and that many survived among the crew which included a Ukrainian co-pilot and gunners.

Late pilot Maciek, who hailed from the Dinka community in Lakes state, was reportedly laid to rest in his home town of Yirol on Friday.

PUBLIC REACTION
Messages poured on his facebook profile as the public reacted to the news of his death with many praising him for successfully driving out the rebels from Melut town using the gunship bomber before meeting his death.

“The hero Moses Matur Maciek Adhelmouz distroy[ed] two ships full of tanks and guns with the top gun with his helicopter gunship. He gun[ned] down the two ship[s] that rebels captured and control[led] with tanks and guns,” wrote Isaac Tito Majak.

“Dark day again in our community....Gone so soon Adhelmouz Maciek Adhelmouz. You will be missed greatly by your family, friends, colleagues in the army and South Sudan in general....May Almighty God rest your soul in eternal peace,” said Makur Mabok.

“Late Adhelmouz Maciek Adhelmouz! Were it not because of you, Melut would still be under the siege of rebels or Paloch would have been at their fortress too...It is saddening that your life has been taken by power hungry politicians in the name of protecting one seat who at the end of it all would reconcile their differences!” messaged Kot Achol Thuc.

“U deserved a moment of silence [and] the flag should fly half-mast if I had the ability to command! I salute your heroism. Rest in eternal peace my hero!!Yirol missed you! SPLA military aviation staffs missed you! RSS missed you!”

Another mourner, Malith, said it was an insult to deny that a gunship was brought down when in fact they lost their dear one in the incident.

“Back in the day this sort of news will galvanize people to pick up the gun and go fight for the rights of their fellow kin and those whose rights have been denied, however the current war in South Sudan is one premised on greed and not on social justice. I hope South Sudan is not forever doomed to a history of war and not prosperity, but that's is a farfetched thought,” said Ante Mckuong Dhuol.

Meanwhile Ngong Deng said it was important to establish a foundation in the honour of the deceased, adding that a school needed to be built in his name to train next generations of South Sudanese pilots.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (KAMPALA) - The South Sudan Human Right Society of Advocacy (SSHURSA) has embarked on educating the various youths and women who fled or have crossed in neighboring Uganda about issue of transitional justice on post-conflicts in South Sudan.

Coalition of civil society members attending the pre-convention workshop organized by Justice Africa in Juba, April 19, 2011 (ST)

SSHURSA's executive director Biel Boutros Biel told Sudan Tribune their organisation was doing what it could to create awareness among the internally displaced and refugees who left their homes due to conflict on justice issues.

“By these few people coming together they could be able to get the knowledge's and skills and understanding basic principle of transitional justice, and they will be able to spread the message within their communities,” said Biel.

He argued that bringing together South Sudanese was a good idea as solutions are being sought on whether to opt for persecution or take people to face court or a truth and reconciliation commission.

“Although there is violent on the civil war in South Sudan, we believed that one time, one day peace, will come to South Sudan and South Sudanese will remain being South Sudanese a country for all the citizens of South Sudan whereby there is need, therefore it high time that people are brought together and discuss this issue in advance,” stressed the official.

PARTICIPANTS SPEAK OUT

Tap Guek, one of participants at the workshop, said most South Sudanese were not aware of what was inside the constitution. He equally admitted not knowing the different kinds of court systems.

“Today I can now differentiate between the supreme court and the judge and some articles right in the transitional constitution of South Sudan,” Guek told Sudan Tribune at the workshop in Kampala.

Martha Nyawuora, another participant, said women in South Sudan lacked knowledge on their rights as stipulated in the constitution.

“I have learned so many things about the rights of women, of which I never came across. Not only women rights, but the constitution is about one man, which is very dangerous,” she said.

“I feel like in case of any adjustment in the current constitution, there is need for inclusiveness,” Nyawuora added.

SSHURSA is one of the human rights entities in South Sudan, which who is calling upon the warring parties in the country to think about their citizens, occasionally warning that their self-interest will likely worsen the lives of innocent civilians in the world's youngest nation.

Biel says citizens must be respected because, without them, there would never be a constitution. He stressed that the peoples' will must be recognised in the transitional constitution of South Sudan.

The rights body, as part of its recommendation, called on parties to work together in identifying the root causes, accountability on those who took law into their hands, formation of transitional government of national unity (TGNU), compensation of lives and properties destroyed in order to achieve a national reconciliation of healing.

(ST)

Each year, Africa Day is an opportunity to celebrate the continent&#39s achievements and to reflect on its challenges, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, highlighting the courage and determination it took to make remarkable progress to end the Ebola outbreak and urging leaders to commit to ending violence against women and empower them.

May 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese cabinet on Thursday will hold its final meeting on Thursday to mark the end of its term before president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's swearing in ceremony in early June.

FILE PHOTO - Members of Sudan's cabinet (REUTERS PICTURES)

Sudan Tribune has learned that senior government figures received formal invitations to attend the meeting which was postponed from its original date of May 25th.

Bashir is expected to address the ministers and thank them for their efforts in the past period before taking a full photo of the cabinet.

In a related issue, it is expected that the Council of States and the National assembly would hold separate meetings in which its members will take the oath office and new speakers will be elected.

Some reports said that former parliament speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir is the likely candidate to preside over the Council of States while former Vice president Ali Osman Taha could become the speaker of the parliament.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) will hold a meeting on Wednesday with the issue of the new cabinet topping the agenda.

However, it is not clear if the decisions will be made at that meeting.

Bashir could issue a decree delegating the Undersecretaries to run their ministries until a new cabinet is sworn in.

Besides the NCP, the cabinet will include other pro-government parties such as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Darfuri Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM).

Bashir and the NCP secured a landslide victory in the elections held last April that were shunned by most major opposition parties and discredited by the United States and European Union (EU).

It was also marked by very low turnout that was attributed to apathy of Sudanese voters.

(ST)

WFP Press Release European Union helps treat malnutrition among Sudan's most vulnerable

24 May 2015

KHARTOUM - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a contribution of €9 million (US$9.7 million) from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO) to its emergency operations in Sudan.

The funds will help WFP prevent hunger and treat malnutrition among the most vulnerable people in Sudan. WFP will use the contribution to provide life-saving food assistance to more than 152,000 displaced people in West and South Darfur for two months, as well as to more than 193,000 newly displaced people across Darfur for four months. This includes people who were displaced in 2014 and have not been able to return home, in addition to those who have been displaced since January this year.

The contribution will also be used to buy Super Cereal Plus (a nutritious porridge) for the treatment of malnutrition in about 58,000 children aged under five, pregnant women and nursing mothers in the Darfur region and in the states of Kassala, Red Sea.

"The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains critical following years of conflict, natural disasters and underdevelopment. The response to acute malnutrition is one of the main strategic pillars of intervention of the European Commission in the country, with the purpose of saving the lives of children under the age of five,” said ECHO Head of Office in Khartoum Jeroen Uytterschaut. “The European Commission and the EU as a whole is among the main donors for humanitarian assistance in Sudan and thanks to our partnership with the World Food Programme, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese will continue receiving life-saving food aid.”

The EU is a major donor to WFP Sudan, providing €22.9 million in support of emergency operations from 2014 to 2015. Since 2012, ECHO has contributed more than €67 million towards WFP's emergency operations and a further €9.8 million towards the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), managed by WFP, which provides safe and reliable passenger and light cargo services to the entire humanitarian community in Sudan.

“We are very grateful to ECHO for their continous support to WFP's operations in Sudan. This latest contribution will help us reach vulnerable groups in the country through both life-saving and nutritional asistance, especially during the lean season when food stocks are depleted and children and mothers in need could easily slide into malnutrition,” said WFP Sudan Country Director Adnan Khan.

In 2014, ECHO's contribution enabled WFP to assist some 80,800 children, pregnant women and nursing mothers mostly in Kassala and Red Sea states. It also supported some 38,350 refugees in Kassala state, 149,500 vulnerable people in South Kordofan and another 35,000 internally displaced people in North Kordofan through food voucher programmes.

In 2015, WFP plans to assist 3.7 million people across Sudan, of whom 2.7 million live in the conflict-affected region of Darfur, internally displaced people in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, refugees in Kassala state and other food insecure vulnerable groups elswhere in the country.

# # #

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 75 countries.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media and @wfp_africa

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):
Amor Almagro, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2114), Mob. +249 912174853
Abdulaziz Abdulmomin, WFP/Khartoum, Tel. +249 183248001 (ext. 2123), Mob. +249 912167055

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 24, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) - An Eritrean opposition group on Saturday called on other exiled opposition organization for a more unified military action to depose the regime og president Isaias Afewerki.

Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (arhotabba)

The Ethiopian based Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO), made his call for opposition unity one day ahead of the Eritrean nation sets to celebrate the 24th Independence Day anniversary.

RSADO chairman, Ibrahim Haroun, told Sudan Tribune that although the country secured independence in a hard owned struggle, the government however never guaranteed democratic rights of the Eritrean people.

Haroun said the regime instead ignored the long war of liberation aimed to produce a unified Eritrea and favoured to establish a one-party state by destroying all other opposition parties forcing them to exile.

The opposition leader accused the Eritrean leader Afeworki of dividing unity of the nation and nationalities of the people in order to secure grip on power.

The Eritrean president had been in power since 1991, when the country gained independence from Ethiopia after 30 years of freedom for struggle.

However, the Red Sea nation-under Isaias-rule had never conducted election since independence nor did it implemented the constitution ratified in 1997.

Last year, during the 23thd Independence Day anniversary the Eritrean president pledged to draft a new constitution however that has never happened.

The rebel leader, Haroun says the game being played by the president is enough and it is about all opposition forces as well as the Eritrean Army to join a planned wider military strike to topple the regime and build a new democratic Eritrea.

Haroun called on regional actors and on the international community to support the Afar rebel movement and put pressure on the regime to stop human right violations including ethnic cleansing against Afar minorities.

Considered militarily stronger than the other exiled Eritrean opposition groups, RSADO vows to intensify attacks against the Eritrean regime.

Meanwhile some 4,000 Eritrean refugees residing at camps in Ethiopia's Afar regional state town's of Asayta and Berahle Camps on Saturday rallied in protest to the ongoing oppression in Eritrean against Eritreans.

They called on the international community to intervene to stop the human right violations in the Red Sea nation.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir concluded a short visit to Qatar on Sunday, a day after he returned from Saudi Arabia for talks with officials there.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L) meeting with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha May 24, 2015 (QNA)

Bashir arrived in Doha this morning accompanied by his defence minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the minister of foreign affairs Ali Karti besides several other senior officials.

Qatar news agency (QNA) said that Bashir discussed with the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani regional and international issues of common concern particularly the recent developments in the area.

According to information obtained by Sudan Tribune, Bashir's trips to Riyadh and Doha were prompted by the recent developments in the Arab world particularly the crisis in Yemen and Syria beside the situation in Egypt following the death sentences handed down against the ousted president Mohamed Morsi and his aides from the Muslim Brotherhood.

Well placed sources said that talks between Bashir and Saudi King Salman Bib Abdel-Aziz were likely dominated by the political and military developments in Yemen, noting that Sudan enjoys reasonable acceptance by the Yemeni popular resistance groups which are fighting the Houthi rebels believed to be backed by Iran. .

It added that the two leaders might have also discussed participation of special Sudanese forces in securing areas inside Yemen and training resistance groups.

The same sources further noted that Bashir's talks in Riyadh tackled developments in Syria, pointing that Sudan is qualified to play a pivotal role to achieve political settlement in Syria due to its ties with Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Ties between Khartoum and Riyadh appear to have warmed up after years of tense relations. Hours after Bashir's visit to Riyadh last March, it was announced that Sudan has joined the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.

Khartoum's close ties with Tehran were the main cause of cool relations with Riyadh. Last year, Sudan closed Iranian cultural centers in the country which was seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Arab Gulf states.

Karti said in press statements at Khartoum airport upon return form Doha that the visit came to satisfy an invitation extended to Bashir by the Qatari Emir during their meeting on the sidelines of Egypt's economic development conference held in Sharm El-Sheikh last March.

He disclosed that Bashir filled in Tamim on Sudan's internal situation particularly the implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) signed in Doha besides relations with South Sudan.

The foreign minister added that Bashir also briefed the Emir on his presidential program for the new term, stressing that the two sides agreed on the program.

According to Sudan's top diplomat, Bashir expressed appreciation to Qatar's government and peoples for their continued efforts to peace in Sudan, saying that DDPD met the entire demands of the people of Darfur.

Bashir also praised the role of Qatari investments in supporting Sudanese economy, saying it helped the country overcome economic shock caused by the secession of South Sudan which took with it 75% of the oil reserves.

The Sudanese president said the country would witness a new era of peace and stability, emphasizing that his government program until 2016 focuses on bringing rebellion and tribal conflicts to an end.

He added that the government also seeks to strengthen Sudan's foreign relations with friendly countries in the region and in the international arena, saying that Sudan welcomes Qatari investments to achieve Arab food security.

Bashir further said that his government offered more than 2 million acres suitable for farming besides providing investment opportunities in natural gas and electricity production to support agricultural investments.

He called for upgrading economic cooperation to economic integration in order to achieve interests of the two peoples.

The Qatari Emir for his part thanked Bashir for his visit, expressing satisfaction with the convergence of views on current Arab, regional and international issues.

He described his country's support to Sudan as a duty dictated by the fraternal ties between the two nations, stressing readiness to promote relations for the benefit of the two peoples.

Tamim announced Qatar's agreement to launch additional investment projects in Sudan, expressing hope that Sudan achieves further stability, progress and prosperity.

Karti expected that the two countries would continue communication during the coming period through mutual visits of technical teams and officials to implement the agreements reached between the two sides.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The French ambassador to Khartoum, Bruno Aubert, has discussed with the general guide of the Samaniya Sufi Order, Mohamed al-Fatih Gharib Allah, the negative impact of terrorism on religions.

Protesters shout slogans against France and call for an apology while carrying banners during a demonstration against satirical French weekly Charlie Hebdo after Friday prayers in Khartoum on 16 January 2015. The banner reads: "Not for the Prophet Mohammad. Death for French. Charlie Hebdo offends the Prophet" (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The French embassy had earlier received a statement issued by the Samaniya on the attack against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

The magazine has been the target of two terrorist attacks in 2011 and 2015. Both were presumed to be in response to a number of controversial cartoons it published depicting Prophet Mohamed. In the second of these attacks, 12 people were killed.

Aubert , who attended the Samainya weekly Dhikr (rhythmic repetition of the name of God or his attributes) on Friday, called for launching a worldwide dialogue to resolve terrorism problems, saying he is fully convinced that Islam is a religion of peace, tolerance and love and that the extremist don't represent Islam.

He said that his visit to the Samaniya comes within the framework of the social links with the various components of the Sudanese society, noting they discussed ties between the embassy and the Samaniya as part of the popular diplomacy.

The ambassador vowed to continue to visit the Samaniya and engage in a dialogue on issues of mutual concern.

Gharib Allah, for his part, underscored the need for dialogue on the causes of terrorism, pointing that all societies and religions suffer from extremism which emerge due to wrong understanding of the religious teachings.

“If Sufist teachings were applied, they would protect individual and society against extremism,” he said.

He demanded the French ambassador to apply the principle of justice in the European laws particularly on issues pertaining to forbidding insults against religions, adding that freedom in Europe is relative and not absolute as claimed by some people.

Last January, Tayba Press media centre in Khartoum prevented Aubert from speaking at a press conference organised for a French expert in protest of the re-publication of Charlie Hebdo cartoons.

The magazine's first issue after the attack featured a caricature of prophet Mohamed on the cover, an act considered blasphemous by many Muslims.

(ST)

May 23, 2015 (RUMBEK) – At least two top officials in South Sudan's Lakes state were killed on Friday at the border between Rumbek North county and Unity state.

The two were identified as Abraham Maloth Marrier, the commissioner of Rumbek North county and Elizabeth Poth Dumic, a state advisor.

Lakes state information and communication minister, Dhieu Wal Takping told reporters that the two officials were killed in Nyal territory located within Rumbek North county.

“We have received the body of commissioner Abraham Marier, but the body of advisor is not yet found till now,” said Takping.

“We suspect the ambush was laid by rebels under the command of Khamis Abdulatif,” he added.

An eye witness said the commissioner was escorting pro-government forces heading to encounter the armed opposition troops in Pinyjair county.

The unknown attackers reportedly also killed six of the commissioner's bodyguards.

The late Marier was appointed Rumbek North county commissioner in October 2014.

(ST)

May 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The United Nations special rapporteur, Rashida Manjoo, has called on the Sudanese government to establish a probe commission to investigate allegations of mass rape by the Sudanese army in North Darfur state village of Tabit last November.

Darfur special crimes prosecutor Yasir Ahmed Mohamed and aides interview women about the alleged mass rape in Tabit, North Darfur on 20 November 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdalla)

“I urge Sudan's government to establish a commission of inquiry comprised of national and international figures to investigate claims of mass rape in various areas including those pertaining to the village of Tabit in North Darfur,” said Manjoo in a press conference in Khartoum.

“In spite of the several but limited investigations and my visit, it is impossible to monitor and document claims of mass rape,” she added.

She attributed difficulty of conducting thorough investigation on mass rape claims to the absence of the evidence which meets requirements for holding objective and neutral probes without fear or nepotism or revenge.

Manjoo, who concluded a 12-day visit to Sudan on Sunday, said she visited Tabit accompanied by government troops and UN officials, noting she met with several women but was unable to hold individual meetings with any of the victims.

“I found them all in a state of denial and silence and we need to conduct further investigations to find out what really happened there,” she said

Last November, social media extensively circulated testimonies of victims from Tabit, a village 45 kilometres south-west of El-Fashir, capital of North Darfur, claiming that 200 women and minors were raped by Sudanese army soldiers.

Following these allegations, Sudanese authorities initially prevented a verification team from the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from probing the claim but allowed them to visit the area one week later.

After the visit, UNAMID said they found no evidence confirming the mass rape claims.

However, Sudanese officials were angered by the remarks of UN officials who stressed the need for further investigation mentioning the heavy presence of military and police during the first probe.

Since then, Sudan refused to authorise a second investigation and called publicly for an exit strategy for the joint mission from Darfur.

(ST)

May 24, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The East African regional bloc of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) requested Sudan's president Omer al-Bashir to facilitate the ongoing efforts to end the inter-South Sudanese conflict.

South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, (R) welcomes his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir outside his oresidential office in Juba on 12 April 2013 (Reuters)

Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti disclosed Sunday that the Sudanese government accepted a demand by the regional body asking Bashir to be more involved in its efforts to bring peace in South Sudan as it prepares to launch a new mediation mechanism.

Karti who was speaking to reporters at Khartoum airport following a one-day visit by president Bashir to Qatar further said that the European Union and Norway asked to meet President Bashir for talks on the South Sudanese conflict.

The Sudanese top diplomat said Khartoum accepted the IGAD demand and vowed to undertake efforts in this respect after the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for June 2nd.

He also indicated that the European delegation will meet Bashir after this ceremony.

Sudan and Kenya are members of an IGAD mediation led by the Ethiopian envoy Seyoum Mesfin. However, Khartoum has kept a low profile fearing to be accused of interference in the South Sudanese affairs.

Following the collapse of the last round of talks in March 2015, IGAD decided to involve African Union, EU, UN Security Council and Troika countries in the mediation process which is labelled IGAD-Plus.

At the end of April Mesfin announced that Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa will be engaged in the peace process representing north, central, western, eastern and southern African regions, respectively.

Juba recently accused Khartoum of supporting the rebel SPLM-in-Opposition led by the former vice-president Riek Machar but the Sudanese government swiftly denied the accusation.

Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Ali al-Sadiq on Sunday vowed that his country would exert the necessary efforts to prevent further deterioration of the security situation in South Sudan, pointing it would help stop flow of new refugees.

"The stability of the South means stability of the situation in the North. It also means reducing the flow of southerners refugees and prevents any security threat to the country's border with the South" he said.

Sadiq further stressed that his country has no interest to intervene militarily in South Sudan. But he expressed the readiness of his government to evacuate Sudanese from the neighbouring country if the security situation continue to worsen.

(ST)

May 23, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Saturday admitted the defection of two commanders who joined the ranks of a splinter faction signatory of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) led by Bakheit Dabajo.

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

Dabajo faction, which is now a political group labelled Justice and Equality Party (JEP), announced the arrival to the Sudanese capital of two of its members who escaped from JEM jails with two rebel commanders who defected from the armed group.

JEP political secretary, Nahar Ahmed Nahar, announced that two members of his party : Tijani al-Tahir Karshoum and Ahmed Adam Abdel-Majid arrived to Khartoum in good health together with defector rebel commanders Hasabo Suleiman Hasabo and Abdallah Hassan Abdallah.

Nahar said the two prisoners and two defectors fled from South Sudan on 11 May after JEM defeat in South Darfur battle by the end of last April. He added that they were received by the border guards when they arrived to Abu Matareq area in Esat Darfur state and then transferred to Khartoum by the security service.

Reached by Sudan Tribune, JEM spokesperson Gibreel Adam Bilal confirmed the defection of the two commanders, but said that the formers prisoners escaped from the Movement's camps in Kordofan and not in South Sudan as it is claimed.

Bilal further minimized the impact of their defection, stressing that they would not deviate from their path.

"We also learned that they joined Dabajo group and this is normal. The Justice and Equality Movement will not be affected by the defection of one or two or even all those who are tired of the struggle and wanted to get out of the movement. We have no objection at all and they can directly join the National Congress (Party)," he said.

"The revolution will continue and will never stop," he added.

Following clashes in the Chad-Sudan border area in May 2013, JEM detained 17 commanders who had defected under the leader of Mohamed Bashar and signed a peace agreement with Khartoum government.

Bashar and his deputy Arko Dahia were killed and since their group is led by Bakheit Dabajo.

Nahar said their party would hold a press conference on the situation of their comrades detained by the JEM.

(ST)

May 23, 2015 (KAMPALA) - The African Union has supported calls for an arms embargo on South Sudan as fighting resumed between its warring parties, in violation of the cessations of hostilities agreement.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) on guard in Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan's Unity state on 12 January 2014 (Photo: Reuters)

The AU commission, at the meeting held in Namibia, had briefed its Peace and Security Council on the developments and situation in South Sudan.

The Council expressed its concern over the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, including the escalation of hostilities and the grave humanitarian situation of civilians affected by the ongoing conflict.

The continental body criticised the warring parties for abandoning dialogue and resorting to war as a way to end their impasse.

The Council further noted that the people of South Sudan have already been devastated by war, and that the current escalation threatens to unleash irreversible consequences on the young nation.

“[The] council strongly condemned the resumption of hostilities in South Sudan and the untold suffering inflicted on the civilian population, in total disregard of International Humanitarian Law,” the AU said in a statement.

It further expressed deep disappointment over the failure of the leaders of the belligerent parties in South Sudan to rise above personal and factional political interests and put the national interest and well-being of their people first.

The council has stressed that these actions are wholly contrary to the expressed will of the AU, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, UN and the international community as a whole.

“In this regard, [the] council called for urgent steps by the sanctions committee, established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015), to designate individuals and entities subject to the measures provided for therein. Council requested the UN Security Council to urgently consider the immediate imposition of an arms embargo on the belligerents,” its statement further read.

Meanwhile, the council reiterated its commitment to extend full support to the IGAD mediation efforts in South Sudan, notably through the early operationalisation of the AU High-Level ad hoc Committee, established by the Peace and Security Council in December 2014, and other related measures.

(ST)

May 23, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudan leader, Salva Kiir has cautioned over calls for sanctions, saying it will worsen the country's ongoing conflict.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

The warning comes amid renewed military clashes in recent weeks between South Sudan government forces and the armed opposition groups.

"At this time, discussion of sanctions is unproductive," said a statement from the presidency, adding “Sanctions will only serve to fan the flames of the current tensions”.

“They [sanction] will not speed up dialogue and compromise and they will not feed and employ the people of South Sudan,” it adds.

Violence erupted in the South Sudanese capital, Juba in December 2013 after political wrangles within the ruling party. President Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar of an alleged coup attempt as fighting intensified in three of the nation's 10 state.

This week, the United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the renewed and ongoing large scale violence in South Sudan's Unity state, saying military offensives by pro-government forces had led to the displacement of over 100,000 civilians.

Over 300,000 civilians have reportedly been denied access to aid being provided by aid agencies and organisation as a result from fighting between the warring factions.

The 15-member UN body further condemned the large-scale attack by armed opposition forces in Malakal, the Upper Nile state capital on 15 May, 2015.

"The members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the repeated violations of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement ... and underscored that there is no military solution to this conflict," the council said in a statement.

"The members of the council further expressed their condemnation of the large-scale attack initiated by the SPLM/A (in Opposition) on the town of Malakal in Upper Nile State", the statement said.

Members of the council called on all the parties to engage meaningfully in the peace process so as to bring about a political solution to the crisis and an end to the conflict.

The council expressed concern about the worsening of the humanitarian crisis in the country and renewed its call for the parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate the "full, safe and unhindered access" of humanitarian personnel, equipment and supplies to all those in need and timely delivery of humanitarian assistance.

It further condemned all human rights violations and abuses and demanded an immediate end to them, noting that the government bears the primary responsibility to protect the civilians from abuses and from potential crimes against humanity and war crimes.

"They reiterated their willingness to impose sanctions against those who threaten the peace , security or stability of South Sudan as established in the resolution 2206 (2015) and noted the 24 March 2015 African Union Peace and Security Council communiqué on South Sudan and the 12 May 2015 African Union Commission Chairperson's Statement on South Sudan in this regard", it stated.

The UN says over 2 million people have been displaced, 1.5 million internally, and 500,000 in neighbouring countries as a result of the South Sudanese conflict, while over 2.5 million people likely to face food insecurity, especially in Greater Upper Nile region.

(ST)

The United Nations Special Representative for South Sudan, Ellen Margrethe Løj, has urged accountability and justice for those responsible for gross human rights violations committed as a result of South Sudan&#39s continuing fighting.

The top United Nations official in Somalia has condemned a deadly attack against two Somali Members of Parliament (MP) and reiterated the Organization&#39s support for the country&#39s democratic process.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the killing of a Burundian politician and his bodyguard in a move that threatens to further destabilize the country amid simmering political tensions and a growing humanitarian crisis.