Sudan Tribune

May 11, 2017 (JUBA) - Leaders of the peaceful protests against the peace initiative headed by South Sudan First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai said they have been threatened with arrests by state authorities.

South Sudan first vice president Taban Deng Gai arrives in Bor May 9, 2017 (ST)

The Gai-led peace committee was established by President Salva Kiir last week to quell on-going clashes between Jieng Bor and the Murle tribes in the east of South Sudan's Jonglei State.

The clash was caused by the child abductions and cattle raiding that the Dinka have blamed their neighbours for over many years.

The meeting between the peace delegation, traditional chiefs and the state governor was interrupted on Tuesday and Wednesday by protestors chanting “we need our children back.''

The country's First Vice President, who is largely unpopular in Jonglei for being a top commander of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) rebels that overran Bor between December 2013 and January 2014, received cold reception on arrival.

“Who is Taban to people of Jonglei? Taban killed our old mothers in Jonglei church in 2013,” partly reads the protesters' letter.

The protesters also demanded they be compensated for the cattle that were stolen by the Murle tribesman, as well as justice for those killed during the numerous raids.

“Now the three of us, as ring leaders of the demonstration are being hunted. We are told some security agents wanted to arrest us for leading a peaceful, legal protest,” a protestor said.

The meeting between Gai and Bor leaders was attended by the information and broadcasting minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, but they failed to reach consensus after the chiefs insisted that the government provides a detailed timeline to address child abduction and cattle raiding.

“This is not the first peace initiative and we can't just ask our youths to return to Bor because Taban Deng Gai and his Minister came to promise peace. It is a nonstarter,” Alier Makuei, a local chief who attended the meeting held at South Sudan hotel said on Tuesday.

Many of the local chiefs, however, declined to attend the meeting held in Bor on Wednesday.

“I hear some members of the youth were protesting as we were discussing here, but we must end the conflict first so that people are given opportunities for development,” stressed Gai.

The South Sudanese First Vice-President further assured the citizens that the government would convince the rival Murle to cease hostilities against their neighbouring communities.

Authorities in Boma state, one of the country's newly created states, have denied claims that the abduction of children by Murle tribesmen was a policy, blaming the practice on criminals.

Heavy armed Bor youths entered Boma in early April for an offensive that led to the capturing of several villages in Murle-land and the displacement of many civilians. Boma officials said dozens of children and women were been killed during the clashes.

(ST)

May 11, 2017 (JUBA) - Deteriorating security in parts of South Sudan coupled with increased displacement could worsen the humanitarian suffering in the country through outbreaks of diseases, the United Nations special envoy for the young nation has warned.

The Special Representative of the U.N Secretary General in South Sudan David Shearer, February 1, 2017 (ST)

David Shearer said in the situation in South Sudan's Bor-Pibor area was particularly concerning with fears that violent clashes could occur between youths from the Dinka Bor and Murle communities.

“We are worried that might spark more widespread fighting between those two communities [and] hence the reason we are providing support to the peace efforts on the ground,” said Shearer.

“The important thing is that we de-escalate tensions and provide an opportunity to talk rather than to fight because fighting only will result in a greater cycle of revenge [that] will be of no benefit to [anyone],” he added.

The U.N mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) head expressed concerns on the violence in various parts of the country, including attacks on peacekeepers and relief personnel, which, he said, have severely affected operations of humanitarian workers in the war-torn nation.

“The attacks have a direct consequence on humanitarian activities and the assistance that can be provided to people who desperately need it,” he stressed.

Shearer, also the Special Representative of the Secretary-General praised the work of journalists and humanitarian actors on the ground who, despite considerable challenges, is reaching thousands across the country with much-needed assistance.

“I think we owe them a real debt of gratitude,” he emphasised.

South Sudan has witnessed renewed clashes between forces loyal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) backing the country's former First Vice-President Riek Machar, in spite of the August 2015 peace agreement.

Up to 50, 000 civilians in South Sudan's Upper Nile region are at imminent risk of human rights violations as government troops close in, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein recently warned.

(ST)

May 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir will take part in an Islamic-American summit attended by U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 20-21 May.

The rare summit, which gathers leaders of over 40 Islamic countries, will discuss the dangers of extremism and terrorism and ways to spread the values of tolerance and coexistence among peoples.

Senior diplomatic sources told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that Bashir would leave for Saudi Arabia two days ahead of the summit for bilateral consultations with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz.

In statements to Alyoum Altali newspaper Thursday, President's Office Director Gen. Taha Osman said that al-Bashir received an official invitation from Saudi King Salman to participate in the summit,

King Salman invited the Kings of Jordan and Morocco, presidents of Algeria, Niger, Yemen, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Tunisia will participate in the summit. The six Gulf countries also will take be in Riyadh as they have a separate meeting with President Trump.

Saudi foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir said this summit will send a message to the world that the U.S. and the Arab and Islamic countries can form a partnership.

"We believe that it will strengthen cooperation between the United States and Arab and Islamic countries in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and the visit will have enormous benefits for the region and the world," he said according to the Saudi Press Agency.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 11, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - An Eritrean opposition group on Thursday accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of bombing ethnic Afar fishermen on Eritrean territorial waters in the Danakalia region this week.

The group, Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) alleged that at least one was killed and seven others were wounded during recent air strikes by the UAE planes taking off from the Eritrea's port city of Assab in the Danakalia region.

The group handed over Sudan Tribune list of names of victims.

"RSADO is strongly outraged by the series of deliberate deadly aerial attacks on a Red Sea Afar civilian fishing Boat inside Eritrean territorial water by UAE Forces stationed in Assab-Dankalia Region in Eritrea," the group said

According to RSADO officials, the air strike was carried out as the fishermen's boat was in its daily fishing routine which started its journey from Eddi town along the coastal area of Eritrean territorial Sea.

"This has been repeated again and again in the last few weeks"

"RSADO is gravely concerned about UAE's disproportionate airstrike against, already vulnerable, Afar civilians and civilian properties since UAE Military Forces stationed in the Assab Town of Dankalia Afar region"

UAE has reportedly leased Eritrea's port town of Assab for three decades at a cost of $ 500 million to scale up the coalition battle against Houthi militants in Yemen, allegations Asmera denied.

The UN monitoring group has also confirmed UAE's military presence in the Red sea nation.

The UAE Force has frequently targeted Afar civilians on suspicion that the fishermen are supplying goods, food items and other demands to the Houthi militants.

According to the group, this is a third time that UAE Forces have carried out Air strikes against Afar civilians that have so far allegedly killed dozens of innocent civilians and destroyed their economic sources.

"RSADO strongly and unequivocally condemns these crimes against humanity and violations of human rights allegedly committed by UAE Forces stationed in Assab that have indiscriminately killed Afar civilians both in their homeland and elsewhere"

RSADO said the presence of the UAE Military in Eritrea has caused the Afars untold suffering economically, socially and environmentally.

"People have no freedom of movement to make a living. Thousands of Afar civilians have systematically disappeared, kidnapped and imprisoned and their properties and businesses confiscated by the repressive Eritrean regime"

"They are now living under unprecedented economic and social hardship, political and social injustice and gross human rights violations imposed on them by the regime"

The ethnic minority Red Sea Afars say they are the victim of human rights abuses and politically motivated persecution by the regime in Asmera as well as by the Foreign States and Multinational foreign Corporations.

"There is prima facie evidence of serious violations that count up to crimes against humanity having been – and still being – committed by the Eritrean regime. These crimes are already documented by the UN," the group further said.

RSADO urged UAE Forces stationed in Assab- Dankalia (Afar Region) in Eritrea to end their airstrikes against Afar civilians.

The Ethiopia-based opposition group urged the UAE government to bring those responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians to justice and compensate the victims and to apologise for its wrongdoing.

RSADO further called on the UN, US, UK, EU, Arab league and international rights groups to pressure the UAE and Arab coalition, in general, to end such "unlawful" airstrikes against Afar civilians.

The armed opposition group further warned that it will take all possible actions and measures to halt such crimes and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Red Sea Afar People in Dankalia Region of Eritrea.

(ST)

May 11, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said he was tired of the numerous and never-ending reports about Paul Malong, pointing out that his decision to have him removed was to avoid “scapegoat for inefficiencies”.

“I was tired of receiving reports about Malong almost every hour of people telling me things I knew he was not doing. This was becoming a routine talk and it was like I was not listening to the, so I decided to make changes which I informed Malong about, so he should not be surprised when the time comes,” President Kiir told members of the Dinka council of elders who paid him a courtesy call on Wednesday evening.

The President went on to tell the elders that his reasons for the change were to see what those who had been making the reports and claims would do next.

"I made the changes because I wanted to see what the people coming with reports about him will have to say again. I did this because I don't want him to be a scapegoat for the inefficiencies of those who use to come to me,” added the President.

According to a prominent figure who attended the meeting, President Kiir called Malong to assure him of safety, protection and requested him to play a positive role in finding lasting solutions towards the realisation of peace and stability South Sudan.

“I know Malong and he knows me and this was why I hesitant after receiving numerous reports about him, so I let him return. He will come and stay in his house under the protection of his own guards, people he wants to provide him protection. If that will not be sufficient, I will personally ensure his safety, even if it means him staying with me. So I have spoken to him and he has agreed to come,” said Kiir.

Speaking from Yirol town, Eastern Lakes State on Wednesday, Malong said he had no intention to foment a rebellion against President Kiir.

He further said he wanted to rest in his home region of Bahr El Ghazal.

“If I want to have a problem, that problem should be in Juba. I cannot leave Juba and go and do it somewhere because Juba is where I was working,” Malong told Radio Miraya in Rumbek.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (NYALA) - 13 people have been killed in fresh clashes between Salamat and Habbaniya tribes in Buram locality, 90 km south of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.

Habbaniyah tribe gunmen carried out an attack on At-Tays area of Buram locality which is inhabited by the Salamat tribe, a local official told Sudan Tribune under the cover of anonymity, adding that the number of dead was 13 people and 17 injured.

He pointed out that the tension in the area is still high, calling for the deployment of more security forces to control the situation before it worsens and goes out of hands.

The official who is not authorised to speak to the press said the conflict which was started by a cattle raid is now turned into a "tribal crisis that is the most dangerous of its kind".

"There are tribal crowds that are gathering to prepare for a decisive battle. The state security committee must take immediate decisions to put an end to this conflict by applying the emergency law without delay to spare the area a disaster," he stressed.

On 29 April, 19 people were killed and 19 others injured in clashes between Salamat and Habbaniya tribesmen in Buram.

The Salamat reportedly had stolen 150 heads of cows from Habbaniya. Further, they killed 19 Habbaniya people who tracked down the culprits to retrieve the cows.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds displaced in violent clashes between Salamat and Habbaniya tribes during the past few years. Clashes between the two sides are usually caused by the theft of cattle.

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.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (KAMPALA) – A South Sudanese lawyer, Santino Wani has file a petition in the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), saying the manner in which South Sudan selected it seven members to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) was “unconstitutional”.

On 11 March, 2017, South Sudan President Salva Kiir appointed seven persons to represent the young nation in the East African legislative body, with four from the country's ruling party, two from the armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) and one from other political parties.

This action, according to the petitioner, seriously contravened the provision of Article 50 of the East African Community (EAC) treaty, which requires member states to elect representatives to EALA.

“It therefore need our attention to file notice of motion as interest parties to challenge the constitutionality of such decision,” said Wani, in an email to Sudan Tribune.

The lawyer petitioned South Sudan's attorney general, the speaker of South Sudan's national assembly and the EAC's secretary general.

Meanwhile, the East African Court of Justice has given the respondents 45 day to file their responses to the filed petition.

South Sudan became a member of the regional body on 15 April, 2016, five years after it gained its independence from neighbouring Sudan.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, is due to visit the country from 11-21 May to carry out his fourth mission to the country so as to continue his engagement with the Sudanese authorities and discuss the implementation of his recommendations.

UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan Aristide Nononsi (UNAMID Photo)

“I will follow up with the Government of the Sudan on issues of concern that I identified during my mission in February 2017, and discuss the status of implementation of the recommendations contained in my report of September 2016 to the Human Rights Council,” Nononsi said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The expert is expected to follow up on the implementation of the recommendations made by other human rights mechanisms, including those from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), during his visit.

The UPR a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all U.N member states by other states, in order to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur.

According to the U.N. the independent expert on Sudan will meet with relevant stakeholders, including the Sudanese authorities, civil society actors, academia, community leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and UN entities to ensure all relevant information is reflected in his next report to the U.N Human Rights Council (HRC).

As part of his eleventh day visit, Nononsi, who was invited by the Sudanese government, will hold meetings in Khartoum and Blue Nile.

Meanwhile the independent expert is expected to present his findings and recommendations to the U.N Human Rights Council in September 2017.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (JUBA) – On Tuesday evening, General James Ajongo was appointed the Chief of General Staff of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

His designation sparked panic and fear as the new changes could cause a rebellion after Ajongo's predecessor, General Paul Malong Awan, left town in the middle of the night.

The newly appointed army general took oath of office before the President and the Vice-President James Wani Igga at the presidential palace on Wednesday.

During his pledge Gen. Ajongo promised to work hard towards restoring law and order in the country for the return of peace and stability.

“I know it is a difficult task because the country is in conflict within itself, but making use of our good human resource and my colleagues, I believe that they are the right people in the right positions who will be able to manage the situation, getting us out of this conflict,” said the General after he was sworn in.

He went on to put emphasis on the fact that it was the responsibility of the nation's army to protect the people.

In statements to the United Nation's Radio Miraya from Rumbek, Malong described the new army Chief as “honest person” and stressed that he is his relative.

“I congratulated him, in fact, he is from my area, and he is my relative. We have blood relations and he is an honest and good guy. He is capable,” he said about the new army chief of staff.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A Sudanese official Wednesday said an Egyptian military patrol has fired at a group of miners at Ibrahim Hussein mine near Wadi al-Aalagi inside the Sudanese territory pointing that one of the miners was injured during the shooting.

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC), a website closely linked to the Sudanese security services, quoted an unnamed official as saying the patrol attacked the miners during their leisure time at noon and tracked them down by an Egyptian Land Cruiser vehicle.

He pointed that a Sudanese miner by the name of Salim Sighayroon was injured in his hand during the attack, saying the Egyptian patrol took him to the command of the 115 border guards battalion.

According to the SMC, the injured miner has been interrogated by an Egyptian officer inside the Egyptian territory before he was later released, saying Sighayroon was treated after he crossed the border and “a fragment was pulled out of his right hand”.

The SMC further said that five Land Cruiser military vehicles belonging to the Egyptian border guards came to Ibrahim Hussein mine several days prior to the incident and claimed the mine is owned by the Egyptian government, pointing they threatened to arrest the miners.

In December 2016, an Egyptian force attacked a traditional mining site owned a by a Sudanese miner in Al-Alagi valley, in Tharyira area of the Red Sea State, and detained 45 Sudanese miners and seized their drilling machine. Also, in August 2015, Egyptian authorities released 37 miners after being held for 5 five months on charges of cross-border infiltration.

Tensions between Khartoum and Cairo have escalated following the former's decision to restrict imports of Egyptian farming products which was reciprocated by Cairo's decision to raise residency fees for Sudanese living in Egypt.

Also, Sudan indicated that it would take some measures to end the Egyptian presence in the disputed area of Halayeb triangle after some Egyptian media outlets launched a campaign ridiculing Sudan's cultural monuments.

On 25 April, the Egyptian authorities denied entry and deported journalist Iman Kamal al-Din from Al-Sudani newspaper just 24 hours after a similar move against journalist Al-Tahir Satti of Al-Intibaha daily.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (WAU) – The International Organization for Immigration (IOM) said its team had been deployed to Jonglei, South Sudan, late last month (25 April) in response to a cholera outbreak which affected over 230 people in Ayod County.

A woman is given a cholera vaccine at a medical camp run by the humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres in Minkamman, in South Sudan's Lakes state (Photo: Getty Images)

The IOM team has been supporting local health partners to rapidly scale up the emergency and contain the outbreak in a hard-to-reach and often insecure area of the country.

Relief agencies have responded to cholera outbreaks across the country, with nine countries currently reporting active transmission, including three in Jonglei alone. Since the cholera outbreak was declared in June 2016, over 7,200 cases have been reported, including 229 deaths according to World Health Organization (WHO) and the South Sudan Ministry of Health.

IOM's response began after 140 suspected cases of cholera were reported in Ayod during the first weeks of April, putting the population of approximately 175,000 people at risk. Access to Ayod is difficult during the rainy season, and its proximity to the Nile River increases its vulnerability to outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera.
Due to the ongoing crisis in Jonglei, health facilities in Ayod have not been functioning and face a lack of health workers and medical supplies.

IOM, working alongside the County Health Department and the Christian Mission for Development (CMD) in the town of Jiech has been facilitating surveillance, managing cases and improving community outreach efforts to stem the outbreak.

The majority of the suspected cholera cases come from communities living in cattle camps along the river. IOM has established oral rehydration points in three hotspot areas to increase access to treatment.

“Conditions are extremely difficult for families in Jiech,” explains Carol Kipsang, an IOM health officer and nurse. “We met one mother who was caring for her newborn and her sister's child after her sister died from cholera two weeks ago in her community. The young mother walked one hour to the IOM clinic to receive treatment for the children and seek nutritional support for her malnourished daughter.”

To ensure access to supplies required for a cholera response, the WHO has provided response kits, medication and equipment for the oral rehydration points and cholera treatment units.

The IOM team has also delivered essential medications to treat other common illnesses during the mission.

To date, IOM has reported treating at least 40 people suffering from cholera symptoms and conducted nearly 2,400 health consultations. The team plans to hand over operations to CMD in the coming days but will continue providing additional supplies for the on-going response.

Through the USAID Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance Rapid Response Fund (RRF), IOM will continue to support CMD's response in Ayod, as well as Sudan Medical Care in Duk County, Jonglei, where over 380 suspected cholera cases have been reported. The RRF continues to support health partners in Yirol East, where health agencies have been responding to a cholera outbreak since February.

Elsewhere, an IOM water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) team has responded to suspected cases of cholera in Kopoeta, Eastern Equatoria, through hygiene promotion activities aimed at mitigating the spread of the disease. The team deployed on 4 May and immediately began recruiting hygiene promoters from the local community to ensure a quick and effective response after several suspected cases were reported in the area.

Since the cholera outbreak began in 2016, IOM has responded in remote locations and displacement sites throughout South Sudan to manage cases and mitigate the further spread of the disease. On a daily basis, teams continually conduct health and hygiene promotion activities to ensure vulnerable populations have access to basic information to keep their families healthy despite displacement and difficult living conditions.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The director of the secretariat of the East African Emergency Forces (ISAF), Abdalla Omer, said arrangements are underway to conduct the “multi-polar peacekeeping” exercise in Khartoum in November.

SAF troops march during the concluding ceremony of Northern Thunder in Saudi Arabia on March 12, 2016 (ST Photo)

Omer, who is visiting Sudan for the first time, Wednesday has discussed with Sudan's state defence minister, Lieutenant General Ali Mohamed Salem, plans that would be executed by the ISAF in the coming period.

He told reporters that his visit to Khartoum comes within the framework of coordinating efforts of member states to support programmes and meet their financial and political commitments towards the ISAF.

According to Omer, the visit also aims to the arrangements for the military exercise that will be held in Sudan in November, praising Sudan's support for the ISAF programmes.

For his part, Salem stressed Sudan's support for ISAF, hailing the latter efforts to maintain security and stability in the region.

Last month, ISAF commander, Brig. Gen. Alaa al-din Osman Mirghani, confirmed completion of technical and logistical preparations to conduct the military exercise in Sudan's Red Sea region.

He said the exercise aims to ensure full coordination among the forces to enhance the spirit of participation and harmony to achieve readiness for intervention.

In December 2015, ISAF said that 5000 troops are ready to be deployed, if necessary, in order to intervene to preserve and support regional peace.

ISAF which includes 10 east African nations was established by the African Union in 2004 and it consists of military, police and civilian components. The force is part of Africa's standby forces.

(ST)

May 10, 2017 (JUBA) - The former chief of general for South Sudan army (SPLA) General Paul Malong Awan has denied intention to rebel against the government of President Salva Kiir after his sack on Tuesday.

Awan made his denial in a speech delivered at a public rally held in Yirol town, Eastern Lakes State, where he suspended his travel to his home region of Aweil.

Following his abrupt departure from Juba on Tuesday following his removal rumours had been circulating in the capital that Awan would lead a rebellion against Kiir.

The circumstances under which he left the national capital in the night remains unclear and no one knows what prompted him to leave before handing over the office. Security analysts attributed the cause of the removal to tensions between the army under Malong and the National Security Services under Akol Koor have split government, with both officials competing for more control and influence.

The internal security bureau and a section of the army have airlifted forces and deployed them to Rumbek where local authorities have been instructed to fight him if he insists going home.

However, the state governor and other officials successfully persuaded him to speak to the nation if he was not having ill intention.

In his speech, Awan said he was on his way home to Aweil and was surprised he was being followed after he was relieved of his duties. He said whatever was being said about him in regards to his intentions were just rumours and that he only wants peace to prevail in the country.

He further said he has never rebelled against the SPLA or the people of South Sudan and that he was not about to do that.

Also, the former army commander congratulated his successor, General James Ajonga Mawut, pointing out that not only was the replacement from his area but also a blood relative to him. General Ajonga, he said, was a professional and patriotic soldier.

Speaking to the press in Juba on Wednesday, the army spokesperson Colonel Santo Domic Chol told reporters the former chief of general staff has left Juba with no intention to cause a war but unnamed people want to cause a problem.

“Yes, the former Chief of General Staff Paul Malong is not in Juba. He has left Juba to avoid tensions. Some people may go to him and say something that may provoke tension. This is what he did not want and is the reason he decided to leave Juba, he is not planning to rebel, not at all,” said Chol.

The military spokesperson said the military leadership was in contact with him and were planning to return him to Juba. He has now been sent the head of military intelligence, General Marial Nuor and other senior military leaders believed to be people who could persuade him to stop moving further.

(ST)

May 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese internal opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF) Monday reiterated commitment to topple the regime calling to resist what it described as “American conspiracy in Sudan”.

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

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Monday, the NCF said it “adheres to overthrow the regime as a single option to achieve the people's legitimate aspirations for freedom, democracy, peace, justice, unity and progress”.

It called for broadening the opposition front by bringing together all national forces which seek to overthrow the regime through peaceful and democratic political means including youth and women groups, students and other opposition forces.

The opposition alliance said the regime continues to opt for the security solution, pointing it will seek to create further crises that saddled the Sudanese people with war, hunger, poverty and terrorism.

The NCF renewed rejection for the government-led national dialogue, saying the process, after three years, failed to achieve peace, democratic transformation and progress.

The statement pointed that the regime's submission to the United States political, security and economic conditions poses a great danger to the Sudanese people legitimate aspirations, saying the U.S. strategy contradicts with the higher national interests of the free peoples who aspire to achieve unity, freedom and progress.

“We must expose the international and regional plans in Sudan, which seek to subjugate the countries of the region by weakening and fragmenting them,” read the statement.

Last January, Washington eased the two-decade economic and trade sanctions imposed on Sudan. The decision came as a response to the collaboration of the Sudanese government on various issues including the fight against terrorism.

Next June, several U.S. administration agencies will decide to confirm the decision of President Obama to permanently lift sanctions on Sudan or to maintain it.

Also, there were signs of rapprochement between Washington and Khartoum including the appointment of a new military attaché at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum and the recent participation of Sudan's army Chief of General Staff in the meeting of the US Africa Command known as “AFRICOM” in Germany.

Since January 2014, Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir has been leading a national dialogue process whose stated aims are to resolve the armed conflicts, achieve political freedoms, alleviate poverty and the economic crisis, and address the national identity crisis.

Last October, the political forces participating in the national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalised by transitional institutions.

The NCF, which gathers mainly center-left, and leftist parties, since the launch of the national dialogue, rejected to join the process, asking to include rebel groups, release political freedoms and to free political detainees and prisoners.

(ST)

May 8, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Member of Sudan's Higher Coordination Committee to Follow-Up on the Implementation of the Dialogue Outcome Osman Abu al-Majd Monday has called on the committee to meet to discuss reasons for delaying the announcement of the new government.

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)

Abu-Almajd, a member of the committee and chairman of the National People's Alliance Party, told Sudan Tribune that “members of the follow-up committee are unaware of the real reasons for the delay of announcing the ministerial formation”.

“I demand to hold an emergency meeting for the higher committee headed by President Omer al-Bashir to discuss the reasons for the delay of announcing the [new] government in both its executive and legislative branches at the federal and state levels,” he said.

He pointed that the government should have been announced shortly after the approval of the dialogue outcome at the parliament, saying there is no justification for the delay of announcing the government.

The government of national concord was expected to be announced last February, however, the new ministerial formation was postponed amid conflicting reports about the reasons. Official statements confirm that the delay was due to differences within some of the dialogue parties participating in the new government.

Abu-Almajd said the announcement of the new government mustn't be held captive to hesitant stances of some political parties, stressing the outcome of the national dialogue should be implemented immediately.

Last October, the political forces participating in the national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalised by transitional institutions.

The opposition groups boycotted the process because the government didn't agree to a humanitarian truce with the armed groups and due to its refusal to implement a number of confidence building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

(ST)

May 8, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudanese students Monday took to the streets to protest against the rise in the cost of living. The protester who was joined by the capital residents chanted slogans against President Salva Kiir and carried banners accusing him of collapsing the country.

The protesters said the government was mismanaging the economy as inflation was running at alarming rate. They called for the restoration of subsidies to basic food commodities to dilute the negative impact of the increasing inflation on the population

The national currency, the South Sudanese Pound which was one of the strongest currencies in the region prior to the war in 2013 has depreciated against the US dollar sharply in recent months.

The slump in the currency has led to the price increase of consumer goods, like sugar and fuel. Taxes have also gone up, along with utilities by more than 50%.

Venturing out into the streets of Juba on Monday morning, the protesters chanted and sang combative songs used for unwanted leaders for about an hour creating traffic jams around Juba University. One of the hand-written placards read: “The nation has collapsed under your leadership,” a direct reference to President Salva Kiir.

“A protester warned the resumption of the march if no immediate attention was taken. People are suffering, they have tolerated a lot since 2013. They want peace to come but it seems the government is comfortable with the war that is why the prices are rising. The presidency of Salva Kiir is hanging by a thread and I am afraid he will continue with the do nothing policy,” he said.

This comes after President Kiir had a heated exchange with the Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth over the use of state assets in the communal fight in favour of a section of ethnic Dinka youth who invaded a neighbouring ethnic Murle.

It has been alleged that the objective of the march was to recover the stolen cows and the children abducted by members of ethnic Murle.

It is still unclear as to how the cows were stolen or how many children were abducted and in which months or year the incident occurred.

(ST)

May 7, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Minni Minnawi, the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) has called for a new process involving the European Union to bring peace in Darfur, pointing that only a lasting peace can contribute to stopping the waves of illegal immigrants into Europe.

SLM-MM leader Minni Minnawi (AP Photo)

The SLM-MM and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) are engaged in a peace process brokered by the African Union. The two-track process includes also the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) which fights the Sudanese army in the Two Areas, several political opposition parties and civil society groups.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, Minnawi accused the Sudanese government of continuing to carry out attack on civilians in Darfur, using the European support to strengthen its janjaweed militia, which is accused of war crimes, under the pretext of combating illegal immigration.

Minnawi without rejecting the stalled African Union peace process stressed on "the urgent need to find a new and effective project for peace in Sudan".

"A project that addresses the root causes of the political crisis in Darfur and linking it to the national crisis by expanding the umbrella of the negotiating platform to include the European Union and neighbouring conflict-affected countries to contribute with the states and organisations involved in the peace process," he further said.

The rebel leader said the EU can play a positive role in strengthening the Sudan Peace Project, adding that its participation will provide a real opportunity to seriously address the illegal immigration, which worries the Union (countries), and to stop manipulation and extortion exercised by the (Sudanese) government.

"It is wrong to rely on the (Sudanese) government as long as it is the main cause of the political, economic and social crisis in the region, which led to mass migration to Europe," he further stressed.

In a report issued last April, the Enough Project warned against the dual-use of European support to the Sudanese security agencies to stop the flow of illegal migrants by the Sudanese government militia of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The EU plans to build the capacities of the Sudanese security and law enforcement agencies, including the RSF militia, which has been branded as Sudan's “border force".

"There are legitimate concerns with these plans. Much of the EU-funded training and equipment is dual-use. The equipment that enables identification and registration of migrants will also reinforce the surveillance capabilities of a Sudanese government that has violently suppressed Sudanese citizens for the past 28 years," stressed the report.

LIFT OF U.S. SANCTIONS

The SLM-M M also criticised the partial lift of sanctions on Sudan saying it would only benefit the government and increase its capacity to commit atrocities and war crimes.

He called to link the lift of sanctions with the end of "génocidaire war" in Darfur and Khartoum support to terror groups.

Furthermore, the SLM-MM called on the U.S. administration to involve "all the national parties, especially the Sudan Liberation Movement, in the monitoring of what is happening on the ground in Darfur in particular and the Sudan in general," Minnawi said.

In line with the five-track engagement process for the partial lift of sanctions on Sudan, U.S. government agencies will continue to assess during a six-month period Khartoum's implementation of the agreement sealed in this respect.

The five key areas include ceasing hostilities in Darfur and the Two Areas, improving humanitarian access, ending negative interference in South Sudan, enhancing cooperation on counterterrorism, and addressing the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

(ST)

May 7, 2017 (JUBA) – Authorities in South Sudan's Gogrial state have denied reports alleging that 21 people were killed in the region, describing it as an “unfounded and a made up story” from political opponents seeking attention.

Map of South Sudan showing Warrap state in red

The state information minister, Ariech Mayar Ariech said he was surprised about reports alleging 21 people were killed in the state during what was portrayed as a communal fight.

“I would like to make a few clarifications. One clarification is that there is no youth union president in Gogrial State, there have not been elections. The youth are still organising and when they finish, it will be a public event and everybody will know,” Ariech told Sudan Tribune Sunday.

He added, “If there is someone claiming to be the president of Gorgrial he has to tell the public who elected him and when.”

The information minister also attributed the “falsified” story to be a ploy by people who want to create panic in the new state.

“The second clarification I would like to make is about the people alleged to have been killed. We made a search from village to village and we had multiple corroborating intelligence sources from various types of intelligence that told us nothing about these incidents. We came to find that the story was a creation of people who want to spark panic by fabricating stories to draw attention,” he stressed.

The minister also emphasised that the government respects the right of each individual to exercise freedom of speech, saying that media outlets also have an ultimate duty to ensure that the public is not misinformed.

Ariech, however, said the media must be held accountable for the dissemination of information that is “false” and “misleading”.

“Responsible and accountable journalism is all about ensuring accuracy, fairness and balance. As the government of Gogrial state we understand that our actions are subject to public scrutiny,” explained the information minister.

He further added, “However the publications of unverified information are dangerous and could amount to inciting public unrest, which is unacceptable”.

The minister challenged journalist to be professional, saying disseminating unproven information will undermine the profession.

“The continuous publication of unverified information calls into question the professional etiquette and standing of journalism,” he said, adding “Media code of ethics, embraces accuracy, balance and fairness in reporting”.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 8, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia and Sudanese police have signed an agreement to further boost peace and security cooperation between the two neighbours, the state-run Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation reported on Sunday.

The accord was signed after a Sudanese police delegation held discussions with their Ethiopian counterparts in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian federal police commissioner, Asefa Abiyu said previous cooperation agreements signed between Ethiopia and Sudan were successful, stressing needs for more efforts to sustain the momentum.

He underlined the need for more joint efforts to tackle human and drug trafficking, terrorism as well as other border security threats.

The cooperation deal between the Sudanese and Ethiopian police institutions could be a model for the region or the continent as a whole in different specialisation if both sides work harder and sustained border security, said the Ethiopian police commissioner.

The Sudanese police delegation called for extra collaboration between the two police institutions to curb border crimes and to attain sustainable peace and security along the long shared border.

Both sides agreed to secure each other's border through their territories. The new agreement is expected to further bolster their ties.

(ST)

May 7, 2017 (MALAKAL) – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has deployed its peacekeeping troops to Aburoc in the Upper Nile region to enable delivery of the much-needed humanitarian assistance.

David Shearer (UN photo)

“The aim is to provide humanitarian groups with the confidence they need to resume the provision of urgent assistance to tens of thousands of people in Aburoc who are fleeing the ongoing violence,” said UNMISS head, David Shearer.

“This short-term deployment is a response to an immediate need and will provide a light and temporary peacekeeping footprint in the area,” he added.

Currently, the U.N says, up to 50,000 people are sheltering in and around the town of Aburoc on the west bank of the River Nile after a series of clashes between government and the opposition forces.

The most urgent humanitarian need is to provide safe drinking water, it added.

“Without a secure supply of clean water, there is a risk of an outbreak of diarrhoea.or even cholera which has the potential to kill thousands of vulnerable people. It is vital that our humanitarian partners are able to get this water and other aid through to alleviate the suffering,” said Shearer.

“I also note that the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has acknowledged UNMISS' intention to help facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of the Upper Nile,” he added.

The peacekeeping troops' immediate focus will be on securing the roads to provide safe passage for the delivery and collection of water and other assistance by humanitarian groups, the world body stressed in its statement.

Concerns have been raised on risks of old landmines on the road between Kodok and Auburoc as the U.N Mine Action Service is reportedly assessing the situation and will remove any unexploded ordnance to reduce threat and enable people move freely.

(ST)