Sudan Tribune

February 25, 2017 (NYALA) - South Darfur ministry of education has requested the state government to provide the necessary support to transport and accommodate pupils from three areas in Jebel Marra to safe areas where they can participate in the examination for the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE).

South Darfur Minister of Education Mohamed Abdallah Hisham, Saturday said his ministry need the support of the state government to transport pupils from Eastern Jebel Marra locality to Marshang area in the Unity locality.

He added they also have to gather pupils from two other areas in Kass locality of Jebel Marra due to the security condition in the surrounding areas, as they have used to do every year since the eruption of Darfur crisis.

Jebel Marra, which spans over three states including North, Central and South Darfur, was the theatre of clashes last year between the government forces and a rebel faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid al-Nur.

However, the government has allowed humanitarian groups to reach the conflict-affected areas after banning it for several years. Government officials say they defeated the rebels but admit the existence of some pockets at the top of Jebel Marra.

Hisham praised the efforts exerted by the security committee in Kass to prepare the examination centres and to provide the housing for the pupils during their stay period.

According to the minister, over 38 thousand pupils will participate this year at the CPE examination and 198 centres have been prepared to receive them on 4 March.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (JUBA) - The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said it is providing emergency health care and shelter assistance to South Sudanese forced to flee their homes due to violence in volatile areas of the war-torn nation.

IDPs shelter near the UNMISS base in Wau (IOM/Gonzalez 2016)

IOM, in coordination with Mercy Corps, is reportedly conducting an emergency shelter and non-food item kit distribution from 22 February – 3 March for over 9,400 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nyal, Unity state.

The kits, the agency said, will include blankets, nylon and rubber rope, plastic sheeting, a kanga (cloth) and a large carrying bag.

Nyal, in Unity's Panyijiar county, has been hosting IDPs from surrounding counties since a military offensive in the area in early 2015. The resurgence of conflict in July 2016 prompted additional displacement in central and southern Unity, with many IDPs either fleeing north toward the Bentiu Protection of Civilians (PoC) site or toward Nyal, which has remained relatively stable.

IDPs in Nyal are living in very difficult circumstances, having fled with little-to-no belongings. They are largely relying on support from local host communities, where already limited resources are rapidly becoming exhausted.

Panyijiar is located in one of the most food insecure areas of South Sudan. The county is classified as facing emergency level food insecurity, meaning that without humanitarian assistance, some families could be facing famine conditions today.

IOM is currently collaborating with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to biometrically register the population in Nyal to inform humanitarian response planning and distributions for the area. The exercise is expected to be complete by April.

In Central Equatoria, which continues to experience episodes of fighting, an IOM rapid response team completed a five-week mission on 23 February to provide emergency health care to over 30,000 IDPs sheltering in volatile Kajo Keji County, west of Kajo Keji town, at IDP sites in Ajio, Kerwa and Logo. IDPs in the area fled fighting in nearby counties, and the majority of reported multiple displacements.

“Families ran from their homes with next to nothing, leaving behind their farms and livelihoods,” said IOM Health Rapid Response Team Coordinator, Derebe Kintamo.

“Within three weeks of displacement, our clinics began seeing increasing numbers of cases of malnutrition among children under five. We coordinated with a nearby medical centre to ensure cases of acute malnutrition received prompt treatment," he added.

The team reportedly conducted over 7,700 health consultations, providing general health care, vaccinations against common diseases, nutrition screening and maternal health care. On completion of the mission, IOM handed over responsibility for the three clinics to the American Refugee Committee and the County Health Department.

In South Sudan, one in every four people has been forced from his or her home due to the crisis that broke out in December 2013. IOM emergency aid operations aim to reach vulnerable populations both in displacement sites and remote areas, many affected by multiple waves of conflict and displacement. In 2017, relief agencies are trying to reach 5.8 million of 7.5 million people currently in need of humanitarian assistance.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (JUBA)- EcoBank, a Kenyan-owned commercial financial institution has denied involvement in the $ 10 million allegedly transferred to it by a former South Sudan general who resigned from the military last week.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirillo (R) with commander of presidential guards Maj. Gen. Marial Chanuong at Juba airport on November 5, 2014 (ST).

The South Sudanese government said it is tracing its missing money to accounts at three Kenya-owned banks.

The three accounts are linked to Lt. Gen Thomas Cirillo, the ex-deputy chief of staff for logistics and his kin, Fueni Cirillo.

But Ecobank, in a statement, said documents, including a bank statement, which bears its letterhead were falsified.

“We wish to confirm we neither hold the account number published in The Star newspaper nor have any accounts that bear names similar to what was mentioned in The Star report. Furthermore, the bank statements published in the newspaper are falsified,” the bank said in a statement.

Eco bank said there are glaring inconsistencies in the story and documentation relied on to publish the report, including a non-existent account number, non-existent account names and a wrong branch address.

“The story indicated that $10 million had been stolen from the South Sudan government and stashed in three Kenyan banks, among them Ecobank Kenya. We wish to emphatically state that we adhere to strong anti-money laundering policies, as well as Know Your Customer procedures in line with best practice and regulatory requirements,” the Kenyan-owned bank further stated.

“We conduct our business professionally, ethically, with integrity and in accordance with Kenyan laws and regulations, as well as international best practice and have put in place a robust vetting process aimed at ensuring Ecobank Group and all its affiliates are not used as conduits of money laundering,” it stressed.

Meanwhile, Ecobank said it has not yet received any official request from South Sudan authorities on the money issue.

The South Sudanese army chief of staff, in a letter dated 9 February, said the cash went missing after Cirillo resigned his job and defected from South Sudan army (SPLA).

In the letter Gen. Paul Awan requested Renish Omullo, South Sudan's special envoy to Germany on international and regional affairs, to trace and return the money, allegedly transacted in US dollars. On 10 February, Omullo wrote to Kenya's foreign affairs cabinet secretary. Amina Mohamed requesting that bank accounts held by the Cirillos be frozen.

Cirillo was described in the letter as a former SPLA officer and “fugitive” in Kenya who stole over $10 million. In his resignation, Cirillo accused President Salva Kiir and army's top leaders of "abuses" and "pushing a tribal agenda" in the country.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's interior ministry Saturday estimated that around one million and a half foreigners who entered illegally from neighbouring countries are currently in Sudan seeking to travel to Europe and Israel.

The head of the directorate of foreigners at the Sudanese interior ministry, Gen. Yassin Mohamed El-Hassan said that the number of undocumented foreigners has reached one million five hundred thousand people who crossed the border illegally from Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The Sudanese official who was speaking at a symposium on the foreign presence in Khartoum pointed that this category of migrants do not want to settle in the country but see Sudan as a way station, not a final destination.

The majority of illegal immigrants do not want to settle in Sudan because they want to cross into Libya and from there to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea or to Israel, he said.

However, in order to control their movement inside the country, the authorities deliver them identity document, the Sudanese official added.

He further said many of them receive remittances from abroad to help them to undertake the journey, adding they noticed that many who fail in their attempt leave the Sudan and return to their homeland.

Sudan is identified as a source of migrants to Europe and a transit country for migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Many of Sudanese, particularly from Darfur region who used to work in Libya in the past, consider it now as a station into Europe. Sudanese from the centre and the northern parts travel to the Gulf countries.

The European Union signed several agreements with the Sudan to control and illegal migration and human trafficking.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (JUBA) - The Swiss government announced on Friday that it would contribute CHF15 million ($14.9m) to address the famine crisis affecting war-torn South Sudan, as well at food shortages in Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen.

The Swiss funds, it said in a statement, will be distributed among various humanitarian initiatives and organisations working in the affected regions where 20 million people stand to suffer if nothing is done soon.

"Switzerland is calling for rapid mobilisation of aid. Some 100,000 people are already experiencing famine in South Sudan and other countries in the region are also at risk,” the Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said in a statement.

The donation comes days after the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, appealed to countries to release funds for tackling famine.

“One of the biggest obstacles we face now is funding. Humanitarian operations in these four countries require more than $5.6 billion this year. We need at least $4.4 billion by the end of March to avert a catastrophe,” said Guterres.

So far, the UN said it has received commitments worth $90 million and this, Guterres stressed, adds up to only around two cents for every dollar needed.

South Sudan is reportedly a priority for the Swiss and humanitarian actions there will be coordinated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

An estimated 3.5 million people have been displaced by conflict in the country and 5 million are in urgent need of food due to conflict and economic instability.
Switzerland is said to have budgeted CHF20 million in aid for South Sudan this year.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) Saturday accused the United States of leading an international plot through the African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki to maintain the regime of President Omer al-Bashir.

Farouk Abu Issa (R-C) chairs a meeting of the opposition National Consensus Forces on 10 September 2014 (ST)

The alliance of left parties which comprises the Sudanese Communist Party and several small groups rejects the ongoing efforts by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) for a negotiated settlement to end the war and achieve democratic reforms in Sudan. Instead, they call to overthrow the regime through a popular uprising.

The African mechanism was supported by the former U.S. Special Envoy, Donald Booth, who during the two past years worked hard to normalise relations with Khartoum and at the same time to bring the government and armed groups to end the war and reach an inclusive peace agreement.

In a statement released Saturday, the NCF said they "kept watching the international plan led by the United States to impose a political settlement through the so-called soft landing that keeps the regime and its policies, and to enlist some opposition parties to participate in its corrupt power".

"The gravity of (the U.S.-led) scheme that it threatens the unity of what remains of the country, stability and sovereignty, with the continuation of the ruling regime and it failed policies."

The opposition NCF was part of the Sudan Call forces which is involved in the African Union led process but gradually some groups led by the SCP walked out of the alliance while others led by the Sudanese Congress Party continue to part of the process.

The NCF stressed that it had no choice but to topple the regime as an entry point to resolve the country's crises, according to his statement.

It further went to say that the cost of the regime maintenance is much higher than the cost of overthrowing it through civilian disobedience and popular uprising.

The opposition alliance is seen as weakened and isolated from its bases by the security apparatus during the 28-year-old regime. However, the leaders of the alliance say they have succeeded to reorganise their organisations and prepare to confront the regime peacefully.

An NCF leading member, Mohamed Mahjoub, told reporters on Saturday that despite repression, they formed Intifada and resistance committees at the level of neighbourhoods and all sectors in the capital and provinces, and established contact with the Sudanese Diaspora abroad.

(ST)

February 25, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan government has dismissed the Sudanese president's claims that intelligence report allegedly showed the Egyptian government provided arms and ammunition to the world's youngest nation.

Arms and light weapons have been used by both warring parties in South Sudan to commit abuses (Photo courtesy of SSANSA)

The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Tuesday ruled out the direct involvement of the Egyptian arm in South Sudan's conflict but said Cairo provided the Juba regime with weapons and ammunition.

"We have intelligence that they supported the South Sudanese government and continue to support the government with arms and ammunition," al-Bashir told reporters in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, adding "But I do not expect to fight in the South Sudan”.

The foreign affairs ministry, however, said it was dismayed by the “unfriendly” remarks attributed to the Sudanese leader.

“The Republic of South Sudan is disturbed by this unfortunate, unfounded and baseless statement, especially because it came at a time that the two countries and the whole region have agreed to exert more collective efforts towards the realization of peace and stability in the IGAD region”, reads the statement issued on Saturday.

South Sudan, its foreign affairs ministry stressed, upholds its commitment to regional peace initiatives and maintains the highest level of bilateral relations with Sudan based on the spirit of the Cooperation Agreement signed between the two countries in September 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Juba has also vowed to uphold its obligation to the security sector with the objective of achieving and promoting sustainable peaceful coexistence with its neighbours.

“South Sudan does not only express its political commitment to the Cooperation Agreement, but holds its strong obligation to the security sector in the said agreement to ensure the prevalence of sustainable peaceful co-existence between the two countries,” the statement further reads.

It further added, “South Sudan also upholds on the highest level of historic and bilateral relations with Egypt and all the neighboring countries across the region.”

The foreign affairs ministry urged Khartoum not to forget its responsibility to work with South Sudan in the spirit of the Cooperation agreement and to address any issue that may arise between the two nations through dialogue and direct communications at leadership and diplomatic channels.

“There is no way Sudan and South Sudan can abandon each other, because both countries share the longest border in the region, which needs special attention from their respective leaders”, the ministry's statement noted.

South Sudan, its foreign affairs ministry further stressed, has the right to protect its territorial integrity and solicit support from any country in the world based on mutual interests.

“We appreciate the level of cooperation with Egypt. Egypt's role in providing humanitarian assistance, capacity building, health and education, among others, to the people of South Sudan remains unforgettable,” it said.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir visited Cairo in January, where he held talks with his Egytian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other officials. At the time, however, officials in Juba said the purpose of the visit was to thank Egypt for its diplomatic support to the Juba government at the level of the United Nations Security Council.

(ST)

February 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The United Nation General Assembly has suspended the voting rights of six member states including the Sudan over non-payment of dues.

"As of 21 February 2017, the following six Member States are in arrears under the terms of Article 19 and the General Assembly decided that they will not be permitted to vote in the Assembly until the end of its 71st session," says a statement published on the UN website.

The countries concerned by the suspension are Cabo Verde, Libya, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

A UN report on the UN budget indicate that the level of outstanding payments to the UN Member States is currently $588 million, but there is no mention about the arrears of each country.

Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a Member State in arrears in the payment of its dues in an amount that equals or exceeds the contributions due for two preceding years can lose its vote in the General Assembly.

Sudan's voting right had been suspended in 2012. At the time it had arrears of approximately $1m." But it recovered its right in February 2013.

(ST)

February 27, 2017 (JUBA) - A South Sudanese opposition group, the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) Friday questioned the aptitude of Kenyan peacekeepers to reintegrate the UN peacekeeping mission pointing to abduction and disappearance of refugees from the neighbouring country.

Last year, the Kenyan authorities handed over the spokesperson of SPLM-IO leader, James Gadet Dak because he had praised UN chief for sacking a Kenyan general from his position as the UNMISS force commander. Also, SPLM-IO members Dong Samuel Luak and Aggrey Ezbon Idri both went missing in Nairobi, on the 23rd and 24th of January 2017 respectively.

Kenya had withdrawn its troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in the country to protest the relief of General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki from his position. However, earlier this month and upon the request of the new UN secretary general, the President Uhuru Kenyatta accepted to rejoin the blue helmets in South Sudan.

The people of South Sudan are "deeply frustrated" and "doubt the ability of Kenya to act responsibly as part of the UN protection force or as a member of the IGAD peace process given the compromised position it has openly adopted," said the PDM chairman Hakim Dario in a statement released on Friday.

Dario further urged the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate "kidnappings of South Sudanese in Kenya and document the violations and abuses of human rights and atrocities committed by the government of South Sudan and its external networks".

During the different cases of disappearance of South Sudanese in Kenya, the opposition groups accused local authorities of corruption and complicity with South Sudanese security apparatus.

The PDM called on the neighbouring countries to desist and to prevent the kidnapping and deportation of South Sudanese refugees living in their countries.

(ST)

February 24, 2017 (JUBA) - Uniformed soldiers attempted to seize a number of internally displaced people near a United Nations Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu Thursday evening, UN said Friday.

Citing a report from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric disclosed the attack on civilians who are under the protection of the peacekeepers.

The "Soldiers were seen beating and harassing 11 internally displaced people at a nearby farm. UN peacekeepers intervened and rescued seven women and four men," he further said.

In other related incidents that same evening, peacekeepers also prevented the harassment of other people who were returning to the site.

"The head of the UN Protection of Civilians Mission, David Shearer, has praised the robust response of members of the Mongolian Battalion who rescued these people".

Bentiu is the UN's largest Protection of Civilians site in South Sudan with some 120,000 people living there."

In its trimestrial report about the UNMISS activities, the UN secretary general used to mention the harassment of children and women including sexual violence when entering and leaving the sites of protection.

(ST)

February 24, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA/JUBA) - President Salva Kiir and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn have agreed to build a road linking the two countries enabling South Sudan to export its oil to the landlocked Ethiopia.

President Kiir arrived in Ethiopia Thursday afternoon on a three-day official visit.

Kiir and Desalegn on Friday signed eight cooperation agreements to enhance economic cooperation and border security between the two neighbouring countries.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian prime minister welcomed the agreement saying "We don't need to go too far distance to import oil while South Sudan is close by here with us," the Ethiopian premier said.

Hailemariam further said Ethiopia is currently constructing a highway from Dima to Raad and intends to extend this road further to Boma as part of its plans to boost economic ties with the world's youngest nation.

The highways due to be constructed will stretch from Gambella-Pagak-Palouge while the second one from Dima-Raad-Boma-Bor.

The minister at the South Sudanese presidency, Mayiik Ayii, Gai, said the construction of the road comes together with the building of a refinery in Upper Nile with the capacity to process up top 100,000 barrels of oil per day. This project is funded by Swiss and U.S companies.

"If the construction of this refinery is completed and the road is completed, we will have access to some hard currency through these refined products”, he told Sudan Tribune.

He went further to say that the refinery will allow South Sudan to export refined fuel products at very decent prices to countries in the region, including Ethiopia.

South Sudan currently exports its oil crude to the international market through Port Sudan, and imports fuel from countries in the region.

The leaders said the trans-border highway projects will allow free movement of people, enhance trade exchange and social ties between peoples of the two sisterly countries.

The two countries have also signed agreements on power, trade, health, infrastructure, information, communication and media.

Another deal was also reached to establish a joint border committee which follows up implementation of joint development activities along with their shared border.

A joint border administrators/governors committee will be formed in the earliest time possible to strengthen cooperation on issues of security, trade and infrastructure development.

With regard to the political turmoil and finding durable solution to the conflict in South Sudan the two sides recognized "the need to work together for the implementation of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan" signed in Addis Ababa in August 2015.

The two leaders further agreed to jointly work together for an inclusive process of the national dialogue in South Sudan.

President kiir declared national dialogue on December 2016 in a bid to arrest nearly three-years long conflict.

He called on armed opposition groups to lay down arms and join the national dialogue.

Earlier this week, Kiir renewed his call on opposition groups to join the "open forum" arguing the national dialogue is the best option to consolidate peace in South Sudan.

(ST)

February 22, 2017 (JUBA) - The United Nations needs at least $4.4 billion by the end of next month to prevent "a catastrophe" of hunger and famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, its newly-appointed Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said.

António Guterres (UN photo)

More than 20 million people face starvation in the four countries and action is urgently needed now to avert a humanitarian disaster, Guterres said on Wednesday.

"We need $4.4 billion by the end of March to avert a catastrophe," he said.

According to Guterres, the world body has only managed to raise $90m of what it needs.

Three U.N agencies and South Sudan government on Monday declared famine in parts of the country, with an estimated 5 million said to be at the verge of facing starvation.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said almost 1.4 million children acutely malnourished in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen could die from famine in coming months.

"The situation is dire," stressed Guterres.

"Millions of people are barely surviving in the space between malnutrition and death, vulnerable to diseases and outbreaks, forced to kill their animals for food and eat the grain they saved for next year's seeds," he added.

In South Sudan, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country's worst ever outbreak of violence since it seceded from Sudan.

(ST)

February 23, 2017 (JUBA) - The widow of John Garang, the founder of South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) has said the peace deal, which was signed in 2015 to end more than three years conflict has collapsed, citing failure to implement the security arrangement.

Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior (ST File Photo)

“We talk about peace in a vacuum because our leaders are not ready to listen. When Dr.Riek left the country, Taban was put in place of Dr.Riek in less than two or three days and when he was appointed the language changed and was saying Riek should wait for elections”, Rebecca Garang told a briefing of South Sudanese in the Diasporas in the United States.

Rebecca said some of the foreign diplomats in Juba mistakenly supported replacement of the former first vice president Riek Machar with Taban Deng Gai on the ground that the latter would impress president Kiir to implement the agreement because of the perception that the former would cooperate with him than he would do with Machar.

“But how can peace come to South Sudan when security arrangement has collapsed and the person who is signatory to the agreement is not there? It means there is no peace. So I want to tell you there is no agreement being implemented in Juba to tell you the truth," she said, adding that Kiir is implementing reservations, not the accord.

Garang, a former minister for roads and transport, fell out with the Juba government after openly criticising President Kiir's administration and proposing regime change.

The 2015 peace accord, which temporarily ended the ongoing conflict, has not been fully implemented, with the peace monitoring body (JMEC) accusing the warring factions of reneging on what they had committed themselves to during it's signing.

(ST)

February 23, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, Thursday, has directed his government to provide the necessary support and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and relief supplies to the needy civilian in the neighbouring South Sudan.

South Sudan, which has been mired in civil war since December 2013, is now Africa's largest refugee crisis and the world's third largest behind Syria and Afghanistan.

Government officials declared that some parts of the war-ravaged country, particularly in the Unity province are suffering famine. At least 100,000 people are facing starvation in parts of the country while 4.9 million of them need urgent humanitarian assistance.

Al-Bashir "directed the concerned authorities to provide support to our brothers in the Republic of South Sudan in coordination with the competent South Sudanese ministries and institutions in order to facilitate and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and relief supplies to the needy," said a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir on Thursday.

the Sudanese president further "ordered to ensure all the necessary facilities for the entry of any humanitarian assistance for South Sudan through the Sudanese territory, both from United Nations organisations and agencies or sisterly and friendly countries".

Khidir said these directives aim to ensure the success of the international humanitarian campaign aimed at alleviating the suffering of the South Sudanese people.

Since 2014, Sudan opened river and road humanitarian corridors enabling UN agencies to use trucks and river barges to deliver humanitarian aid to the northern parts of South Sudan.

Last Tuesday President Salva Kiir pledged to provide aid agencies unimpeded access to the needy population across the country.

(ST)

February 23, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Thursday appointed an Ethiopian general as Force Commander for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

The new UNISFA Major General Tesfay Gidey Hailemichael succeeds Major General Hassen Ebrahim Mussa, who completed his assignment on 17 January 2017.

He has had a long and distinguished career with the Ethiopian Armed Forces spanning over thirty-three years. He graduated from the Ethiopian Defence Command and Staff College (1995) and is currently the Head of the Defence Logistics Department in the Ethiopian Army since April 2014.

Sudan and South Sudan have failed to run a referendum on the fate of the contested Abyei area which lies on the border between the two countries.

Initially, UNISFA was composed of 4,000 Ethiopian troops, established following the seizure of the disputed oil-rich region by the Sudanese army in May 2011 after clashes with South Sudan army (SPLA) troops.

In accordance with the resolution 1990 (2011) UNISFA's main mandate is to ensure the redeployment of Sudanese and South Sudanese troops out of the contested area of Abyei and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.

On 29 May 2013, the Security Council increased UNISFA military strength to 5,326 troops and tasked it with the support for the operational activities of the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, established by the Sudan-South Sudan Cooperation Agreement of 27 September 2012.

(ST)

By Deng Kiir Akok

The Nile Petroleum Corporation is a national Oil and Gas Corporation, which engages in oil exploration, production and marketing. Famous for its abbreviation Nilepet has been a dream place of work for every South Sudanese that lives in Juba. Though the country's economy is nearly collapsing, the locals still see pastures greener in there. As a result, some of the institutions are losing their employees to Nilepet each day. Those job seekers think that getting employment at Nilepet will make them flourish like its current employees. Each one of them has a different dream from another and has to fulfil it once they are appointed in there.

For ladies that have got to Nilepet are by now driving the latest KIA models. Yeah, they have done with Arab as the saying goes for South Sudanese. Also on their wish list, include a wedding in Freedom Hall, invite the President of the republic to wedding-Day, hire Juba-On-Time Studio photographer for coverage and spend the honeymoon in Dubai.

But for male employees' dreams is so complicated to tell. Any attempt to establish their needs will be an underestimation. They have a lot of problems to solve. From their fiancees' wishing to wed at Freedom Hall. Like Nilepet dreamers, Juba girls also have one thing in common, they think of and that's having their weddings at Freedom Hall. No girl in Juba had never ever heard of it.

Before Nilepet becomes a focal point for everyone in Juba, Central Bank of South Sudan employees was seen holding expensive wedding ceremonies. The bank staffs were able to pay for their bridals' beautification starting from henna to other necessities, the day before the wedding-Day at the most expensive hotels including Crown, New Sudan and Royal Palace hotel. Looking back on how the staffs were able to meet such expensive things in the past has now become a story in the light of the current economic crisis in the country.

The turn is now for Nilepet employees and the bank staffs become broke after the demise of letters of credit (LC). They were better than Nilepet employees in term of how to get money. Before the central bank ran out of dollars two years ago, there were letters of credit and the bank staffs by then knew how to deal with them. Currently, they can't even manage to pay for their birthday celebrations at Smart Camp in Thongpiny, the least expensive lodge in Juba.

As luxury weddings are increasing in Juba despite the country's shrinking economy, I witnessed one occasion last Saturday in which a former Lialy restaurant owner, now changed to University Medical Center along Malakia - Custom road found himself caught up in wedding cars of white Land Cruiser V8 while crossing the road from the property to the other side. He didn't know what to do in the middle of such speeding Japanese cars when he suddenly came to a standstill and cars passed by him from all sides. Thank God that he escaped being crushed. The man later complained to anyone that was near to him. He was heard saying, "even president Kiir's motorcade doesn't run like these cars."

In the current economic crisis, most broke citizens of South Sudan, including this author have suspended their birthday celebrations until the economy recovered. But people are not sure of when things will get better such that life could go back to normal.

Here is our question. How do you tell if a bridegroom is an employee of Nile Petroleum Corporation? In case you come across his wedding cars out there on the roads. It's easy to tell. One need not to waste time guessing where could be his place of work.

Firstly, if wedding cars are of the Land Cruiser V8 models, then automatically that bridegroom works for Nilepet or simply call him a Nilepeter.

Secondly, the wedding belongs to an ordinary South Sudanese or Darfurian when Premio, light buses, Raksha and boda-boda (motorcycle) are used.

And thirdly, if it involves water tank trucks, Surf, Rav4 and blah, blah, then that bridegroom is either an Ethiopian or an Eriteran.

My message to Juba pedestrians is that they should be watchful of wedding cars while crossing roads on weekends, especially on the road that links Freedom Hall in Custom, Marx Studio in Nimra Talata and Juba-On-Time Studio at Mobil roundabout.

With the above little and better than nothing knowledge, I hope that South Sudanese public by now, have known about how to differentiate between Nilepet bridegrooms and other bridegrooms that wed in Juba.

To end this piece, I would like to tell my readers that it's just a matter of time before I follow those heading for Nilepet in favour of high-paying jobs.

The writer is a blogger with blog address https://dengkiirsouthsudan.blogspot.com. He can be reached at dengkiirsouthsudan@gmail.com. Tel: +211912186333

February 23, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudan President Salva Kiir has arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa for talks on the implementation of border control and security cooperation deal signed last year.

On 28 October 2016, President Kiir and Ethiopian Hailemariam Desalegn signed a series of cooperation agreements on Friday, including a security arrangement to stop hosting armed opposition groups in their respective countries.

During his three day visit, the South Sudanese president will hold talks with the Ethiopian prime minister on Friday. Also, the two leaders are expected to sign a number of bilateral cooperation agreements including security issues in line with a memorandum of understanding signed last year.

Last October, the two leaders signed an agreement on border control and security cooperation but it seems that the implementation conditions had not been included in the deal.

“It will be something good for us, South Sudanese and Ethiopians, should these two leaders put into action what they will agree on. It's our hope that the two agree on security issues. We don't want any negative force to use another country's territory to launch hostile activities on the other. Borders are really important to a country and having a good relationship with the bordering country is always the goal for both countries to progress together,” said Presidential Spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny.

"South Sudan- Ethiopia borders are not safe and this is what has prompted the two to meet,” Ateny further stressed.

“We have so many sectors that need the involvement of Ethiopians in our country and the Ethiopians in return have many sectors needing our involvement. For a country to excel, Mutuality is the key,” he added.

The Nuer in Ethiopia's western region of Gambella, have kept their tribal links with the South Sudanese Nuer across the history.

Since the eruption of hostilities between the government army loyal to President Kiir and troops loyal to his former First Vice President Riek Machar in December 2013, many rebels crossed into the Ethiopian territory of Gambella where the South Sudanese army cannot hunt them.

Juba government was suspicious for the tolerance that Addis Ababa had shown towards the South Sudanese rebel presence in Gambella.

It further went to object the participation of Ethiopian soldiers in the regional protection force. However in November Kiir declared accepting their participation and pointed to the security deal signed with Desalegn.

(ST)

February 23, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek will visit Khartoum next Sunday for talks on bilateral relations. Also, he is expected to seek a presidential pardon for a journalist sentenced to life in prison last January.

According to a press statement released Thursday Zaoralek will hold talks with the Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour. Also, he is will "meet senior officials and visits some investment sites".

Further, a Sudanese official who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media, told Sudan Tribune that the visiting minister will request an amnesty for the Christian filmmaker Jasek who is accused of espionage.

On 29 January, a Sudanese court sentenced Jacek to life imprisonment for spying against the Sudan and disseminating reports - via an "American organisation hostile to Sudan" - including alleged persecution of Christians in the country, and the bombardment of civilian populated areas in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan State.

The Czech foreign ministry swiftly rejected the ruling of the Sudanese court, pointing that there was no evidence to support his conviction or sentence, according to the Associated Press.

At the time, the Czech foreign ministry said a deputy foreign minister would travel to Sudan in the coming days to try to negotiate Jasek's release and if necessary, Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek is ready to go there, too.

Earlier this month, the Sudanese authorities released a British filmmaker, after a presidential pardon granted by President Omer al-Bashir. Philip Cox who is the first journalist to report the Darfur crisis to the world had been captured in Darfur region as he entered the country illegally.

(ST)

February 22, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan people's Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N) announced the end of recent clashes in South Kordofan with the Sudanese army but pointed to the continued shelling attacks on its positions by the government artillery.

The Sudanese army and the (SPLM-N) on Tuesday traded accusations over the violation of a cessation of hostilities in South Kordofan state. The military escalation occurred after the killing of seven cattle herders by unknown gunmen, 38 kilometres west of Kadougli.

The SPLM-N leadership said in a statement issued on Wednesday that the SPLA-N chief of general staff reported that Monday's clashes have stopped and reiterated its commitment to the unilateral cessation of hostilities.

The rebel group further accused the government of planning the attack, adding it sought in vain to involve local tribes in the operation. It further reiterated that the killing of cattle keepers was committed by the Sudanese government militias.

The statement, which comes in reply to the accusations of the Sudanese army that the rebel fighters had started the hostilities and violated the truce, said Monday's fighting took place at the SPLM-N-controlled Almchaih village.

"So, the SPLA-N cannot attack an area it already controls," the statement pointed.

The SPLM-N leadership said it will continue to observe the truce as long as the Sudanese army remains out of the rebel-controlled areas.

"SPLM leadership reiterate to the Sudanese people its commitment to the cessation of hostilities whenever the other party commits itself. Also, we will not initiate an attack but we will not hesitate to defend ourselves".

(ST)

February 18, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - More than 300,000 people have arrived in Sudan since the beginning of the South Sudanese crisis in December 2013, said the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)..

South Sudanese refugees cook on an open fire at a camp run by the Sudanese Red Crescent Society in the western part of Sudan's White Nile state on 27 January 2014 (Photo: AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

"The number of South Sudanese refugees in Sudan "has surpassed the 300,000 mark and as of 13 February and stands at 305,000 people," reported OCHA in its weekly news bulletin.

Nearly the half of South Sudanese refugees, 131,000 refugees, arrived in Sudan during the past year 2016.

49% of 2016 influx arrived between February and April in East Darfur State from the Bahr El-Ghazal province fleeing food shortage and famine.

29% crossed to the White Nile state from through the Upper Nile state, a small percentage also arrived from the Unity region through the South Kordofan State.

"Over 65% of the refugees are children, with many of them arriving with critical levels of malnutrition," said the report.

UN agencies have noticed also the return of Sudanese refugees to their homeland in South Kordofan or the White Nile states.

Before the December 2013 crisis, there 350,000 South Sudanese who remain in Sudan and didn't return to their areas after the independence of South Sudan.

Also in December 2014, the Sudanese government agreed with the UN to deliver residence permits to South Sudanese refugees enabling them to circulate and to work in the country.

The failure of the peace agreement mediated by, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the continuation of clashes in different parts of the country pushed the UNHCR to anticipate the arrival of more refugees across the 2000 km long border between the two countries.

"The planning figure for 2017 is an estimated 60,000 additional refugees, with the corresponding response outlined in the South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan for 2017," said OCHA.

Following the resumption of armed clashes in Juba last July, IGAD leaders agreed to give President Salva Kiir the time to implement the content of the August 2015 peace agreement and to keep his rival and former First Vice President Riek Machar outside the region in South African.

However, the continuation of the war in different regions in the country and the absence of prospects for a viable settlement, push aid agencies to consider long-term humanitarian plans for the internally displaced people and refugees in neighbouring countries alike.

(ST)