Africa

June 1, 2016 (JUBA) – In unexpected move which is described as a breakthrough, the South Sudan's presidency has agreed to review the 28 states and come up with a recommendation on the number of new states within 30 days.

President Salva Kiir walks his First Deputy Riek Machar and Vice-President James Wani on 26 April (Photo Moses Lomayat)

The resolution came out after a joint meeting of the President, Salva Kiir, First Vice President, Riek Machar and Vice President, James Wani, at the presidential palace on Wednesday.

In a joint statement to the press by the two deputies after the meeting, a committee of 15 members will be constituted from all the parties to the August 2015 peace agreement and from the international partners to come up with recommendation on new states.

“We discussed the issue of the 28 states. We decided to tackle this through a committee. That committee will be composed of 15 members…So that they can work on the number of states, review them and they come up with recommendation on the number of the states and this will be within 30 days. Within 30 days this work will be done,” said First Vice President, Riek Machar, in a press statement to the media following the meeting, also broadcasted on the South Sudan TV, (SSTV) on Wednesday evening.

Machar said the 15 members of the committee will include 10 South Sudanese from the parties in the peace deal and 5 others from the international partners. He added that they would ask South Africa and Tanzania to bring in two members from their countries.

Also, Vice President, James Wani, who also spoke to the press with Machar, confirmed the outcome of the joint meeting of the Presidency with President Kiir's participation.

“Really, I have nothing to say further, what the First Vice President has just articulated is absolutely in place. These are the issues we agreed on,” Vice President Wani said.

“But one would want to underline the fact that the meeting of today by the three of us has been one of the most successful meetings,” Wani added.

He reaffirmed that the inclusive committee to be formed will not only review the number of states but also work and recommend on their new boundaries within 30 days. It was not however clear when the committee will be formed to start their work on the new states.

Machar also said the Wednesday meeting tackled the need to release prisoners of war on both sides.

He also said the presidency has agreed to come up with a budget for cantonment of forces in the country.

The rest of the remaining issues, they said, will be tackled during the coming Friday's council of ministers meeting.

Earlier, in a 31 January resolution, the East African regional bloc, IGAD, which brokered the peace agreement, called on the parties to form a boundary commission to work on the number of new states within 30 days, or revert to the current 10 states in case of no agreement.

Observers close to the decision making processes in the rival parties say the most probable outcome will be for the parties to revert to the 10 states, citing lack of agreement.

Earlier, the government said the issue of the 28 states was a “red line” and refused to review them, but the Wednesday breakthrough has come as a positive step.

(ST)

June 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - An estimated 226,950 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Sudan since December 2013, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said in a report attributed to its refugee agency UNHCR.

South Sudanese refugees perform a traditional dance as President Omer Hassan al-Bashir addresses a crowd a rally held in Ed Daein, East Darfur, April 5, 2016. April 5, 2016. (Photo Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

According to the report, the influx of South Sudanese refugees into Sudan, a nation from which it seceded in 2011, resulted from its conflict and deterioration of food security.

UNHCR further estimates that nearly 69,000 people have arrived to various states in Sudan from the world's youngest nation since the beginning of this year until 22 May.

As such, the report says, UNHCR and partners are currently updating their response plan to cope with the newcomers as more arrivals are expected in the coming weeks.

Humanitarian organisations are reportedly continuing to provide humanitarian assistance and basic services for the South Sudanese refugees in Kour Omer camp, while the World Food Program plans to distribute shares of food material for this month, with an estimated 28,428 refugees at Kour Omer camp expected to get food aid.

Last month, OCHA reported that the number of South Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in their country had risen to about 80,000 people since mid-December 2015.

The Sudanese government has earlier expressed concern over the situation in South Sudan after mutual accusations between the rival parties of violating the peace agreement signed in Addis Ababa and called on them to abide by the agreement.

"The crisis in South Sudan has significant implications for the region's countries, especially Sudan since peace and security represent an integral issue and no state can be stable while its neighbours suffer from strife and lack of security”, the Sudanese foreign affairs ministry was quoted in an earlier statement on the matter.

The statement further stressed that Khartoum “is following with great concern the persistent reports of the South Sudanese rival parties violating the Addis Ababa agreement and the mutual accusations in this regard and the confrontations that took place in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Al- Wehda states during the past two days”.

Sudanese officials also encouraged leaders in neighbouring South Sudan to amicably resolve their differences through dialogue in order to end the suffering of its population.

South Sudan president Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar signed a peace agreement in August last year to end the conflict in the country. The accord, among others, called for the deployment of international forces to monitor the cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to reach those affected as well as cooperate with the UN and other humanitarian agencies currently operating in the conflict-hit nation.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (KHARTOUM)- The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, will participate in an anti International Criminal Court (ICC) meeting, to be held at the International Security Council on the 9th of June in New York.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour Oct 2, 2015 - (Photo UN/Evan Schneider)

Ghandour will be part of a seven- African minister committee formed by the African Union Peace and Security Council last January to explain the position of the regional body from the war crimes court.

The African Union committee will address the United Nations Security Council to request the postponement of ICC cases against the African leaders, and to suspend any decision already taken against incumbent African leaders.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ghandour said the committee comprises ministers from Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and Sudan.

He pointed to the full coordination between these countries, saying that each minister will make a speech before the Security Council, as the ICC prosecutor will submit his report on the same day.

The ICC issued two arrest warrants against Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Darfur but Khartoum says the court has no jurisdiction over Sudan, accusing it of becoming a political tool to target African leaders.

In 2013, the African leaders refused ICC decision that calls the Kenyan President, Kenyatta to appear at the ICC, demanding the adjournment on the move based on the basic Rome State, but Kenyatta decided later in 2014 to attend the ICC trial as the first move by incumbent president.

During the AU summit on 1 February following his election as the African Union Chairman, the Chadian President Idriss Deby criticized the ICC saying it only focuses on African leaders.

"Elsewhere in the world, many things happen, many flagrant violations of human rights, but nobody cares," Deby said at the close of the African summit.

However the summit didn't take a decision to withdraw collectively from The Hague based court saying it is up to every state to take the appropriate decision.

However, the Kenyan presidency issued a statement saying that the summit decided "to develop a road map for the withdrawal of African nations".

(ST)

June 1, 2016 (NEW YORK) – United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called on warring parties, turned peace partners, “to fully and unconditionally implement all parts of the Agreement”, uphold the permanent ceasefire and address the economic crisis and dire humanitarian situation in the country.

A UN Security Council meeting (Photo: UN/Paulo Filgueiras)

In the recent resolution passed this week, the Council also called on the parties in the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) to abide by the communiqué of the East African regional bloc, IGAD, on the fate of the controversial 28 states, which it asked the parties to suspend, discuss or revert to 10 states in case of disagreement.

“Welcoming the resolve indicated in the IGAD Council of Ministers Communique of 31 January 2016, urging the TGNU to abide by and take no action inconsistent with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 30-31 January 2016 communique, which was subsequently endorsed by the parties and JMEC, on the issue of the Presidential Decree on the creation of 28 new states and calling on the United Nations Security Council to support consequences in the event the South Sudanese parties fail or refuse to implement the Peace Agreement…,” partly reads the resolution of the UN Security Council.

It also demanded that the parties to the conflict take immediate action to ensure unconditional humanitarian access across the country.

It further recalled the communique of the 28th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which inter alia, invited collective action as appropriate by the States of IGAD to enact asset freezes and travel bans, and deny the supply of arms and ammunition and any other material that could be used in war.

“Reiterating its concern at persistent restrictions placed upon the movement and operations of UNMISS, strongly condemning the attacks by government and opposition forces and other groups on United Nations and IGAD personnel and facilities, and the detentions and kidnappings of United Nations and associated personnel and calling upon the Government of South Sudan to complete its investigations of these attacks in a swift and thorough manner and to hold those responsible to account,” it reads.

The Council stressed that the “situation in South Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region.”

It expressed deep concern at the failures of South Sudan's leaders to fully implement their commitments pursuant to the Agreement, and to bring an end to the hostilities. It further condemned the continued and flagrant violations of the ceasefire provisions of the Agreement, including violations as documented by the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Mechanism.

It called on the South Sudan's leaders to fully and immediately adhere to the permanent ceasefire in accordance with their obligations under the Agreement, and allow in accordance with relevant provisions of international law and the UN guiding principles of humanitarian assistance, full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to help ensure timely delivery of humanitarian assistance to all those in need.

The Council underscored its willingness to impose targeted sanctions on South Sudanese leaders who continue to violate the agreement in order to support the search for an inclusive and sustainable peace in South Sudan.

It decries policies or actions that threaten transitional agreements or undermine the political process in South Sudan, including planning, directing, or committing acts that violate applicable international human rights law or international humanitarian law, or acts that constitute human rights abuses in South Sudan.

The Council further decried targeting of civilians, including women and children, through the commission of acts of violence, including killing, maiming, torture, or rape or other sexual and gender-based violence, or abduction, enforced disappearance, forced displacement, or attacks on schools, hospitals, religious sites, or locations where civilians are seeking refuge.

“The obstruction of the activities of international peacekeeping, diplomatic, or humanitarian missions in South Sudan, including the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism or of the delivery or distribution of, or access to, humanitarian assistance,” it pointed out as among the violations.

It also accuses parties of attacks against United Nations missions, international security presences, or other peacekeeping operations, or humanitarian personnel.

“Expresses its intent to monitor and review the situation at 90 day intervals fi'om the adoption of this resolution or more frequently, as needed, and invites the JMEC to share relevant information with the Council, as appropriate, on its assessment of the parties' implementation of the Agreement, adherence to the permanent ceasefire, and facilitation of humanitarian access, also expresses its intent to impose any sanctions that may be appropriate to respond to the situation, which may include an arms embargo and the designation of senior individuals responsible for actions or policies that threaten the peace, security or stability of South Sudan, including by impeding tile implementation of the Agreement, or by failing to take effective and comprehensive steps to cause forces under direct or indirect control to cease military operations, acts of violence, as well as human rights violations or abuses or violations of international humanitarian law, and to enable full access for humanitarian assistance,” it said.

Although the world body renewed sanctions on South Sudan for one more year, it also said it shall be prepared to adjust the measures contained in the resolution, including by strengthening through additional measures, as well as modification, suspension or lifting of the measures, as may be needed at any time in light of the progress achieved in the peace, accountability, and reconciliation process.

The resolution said further actions will depend on the implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement and the parties' commitments, including the ceasefire, and compliance with the UN resolutions.

(ST)

June 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government has declined to join the African Union-led Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lord's Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) considering that the Ugandan rebel group has no presence in its territory.

LRA leader Joseph Kony and his fighters (Getty)

In its final communiqué, the fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Coordination Mechanism (JCM) of the RCI-LRA which took place in Addis Ababa on 20 May called for the sustainment of counter-LRA efforts until the group is eliminated.

“Whereas the capacity of the LRA has been significantly degraded to the extent of not posing a political threat to any state in the region, the LRA still has a capacity to regroup, rebuild itself and resume atrocities against defenceless civilians” read the communiqué.

The meeting requested the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to renew the mandate of the RCI-LRA for further twelve (12) months until 22 May 2017.

It also welcomed the readiness expressed by Sudan to become a full member of the initiative and requested the AU Commission to follow up this pledge.

However, a senior Sudanese official told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity that his government refuses to join the RCI-LRA, pointing the latter is tasked with determining the LRA whereabouts and help arrest its leader Josef Kony and hand him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Sudan has nothing to do with the LRA particularly after the secession of South Sudan which represented a [geographical] barrier between Sudan and Uganda and thus LRA presence in the Sudanese territory was no longer possible,” he said.

Sudan and Uganda traded accusations of support to rebel groups from both sides. Khartoum accused Kampala of backing rebel groups from Darfur and the Two Areas while the latter accused the former of supporting the LRA.

There were reports that the LRA are moving between the borders of Darfur, Central Africa Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after having their presence in South Sudan exposed by the military there. Also, there were media reports that Knoy is present in Kafia Kingi area.

In a report issued in October 2015, the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey group said a verification team led by the AU special envoy for LRA issues Retired General Jackson Tuwei visited Khartoum on 12–15 September 2015.

“The AU delegates met with various Sudanese military and civilian officials who denied the presence of the LRA and Kony in Kafia Kingi but assured the AU of their full cooperation, including facilitating a future joint visit to Kafia Kingi," said the report.

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni was last September in to Khartoum to discuss ways to facilitate the implementation of peace in South Sudan and to meet the former South Sudanese vice-president Riek Machar.

The visit also discussed the issue of rebel groups and the two countries agreed to resume discussions on the matter. Khartoum recently admitted that the Sudanese rebel leaders are no longer present in Uganda.

For two decades the LRA rebels were involved in a vicious fight with the Ugandan government. Most of the fighting took place in northern Uganda.

At the peak of the conflict nearly two million people in the region, Kony's home area, and where most of his fighters also come from, were forced from their homes and villages into internally displaced persons camps.

The rebel group has been accused of mass murder and forceful abduction of civilian population to swell their ranks.

In 2005, the International Criminal Court indicted the top LRA leaders including Kony for crimes against humanity.

The LRA was flushed out of Uganda in 2006. The rebel group then moved to South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic (CAR).

In 2011, US President Barrack Obama sent to the Great Lakes region 100 military advisers to help the armies of Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central Africa Republic fight the rebels.

(ST)

June 1, 2016 (JUBA) – Former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, who chairs the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), to oversee and monitor the implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan, has accused the minister of information, Michael Makuei Lueth of violating the freedom of speech and expression in the country.

South Sudanese information minister Michael Makuei Lueth attends a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 5 January 2014 (Photo: AP/Elias Asmara)

Mogae said he had received “disturbing” report that minister Lueth “harassed” a senior UN lady official and stopped her from organizing national women's conference for peace and reconciliation.

In his speech on Tuesday during the opening of the JMEC plenary meeting in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, Mogoe, whose JMEC oversees and monitors the implementation of the peace deal signed by President Salva Kiir and First Vice President, Riek Machar, the opposition leader of SPLM-IO, said the action was a violation.

He dismissed the concerns of minister Lueth that the women conference on peace and reconciliation was threatening the sovereignty of South Sudan.

Mogae mocked the minister's concern over sovereignty of South Sudan, saying the women gathering could not threaten South Sudan's sovereignty, no matter how fragile it is.

“I am at loss as to why the poor UN woman director was subjected to the harassment to which she became the victim,” the JMEC chairman, Mogae, told the meeting on Tuesday which was attended by foreign diplomats and other peace partners.

“I don't understand why the Honorable Minister Makuei contended that the getting together of South Sudanese women to talk about the need for peace and reconciliation among themselves and in their country needed authorization of the government,” he added.

Mogae said reconciliation processes among South Sudanese men had become slow and so it was better for the women to kick it off and start it rolling.

The peace agreement signed in August last year has provided for freedom of assembly, speech and expression, but it seems there are hurdles in its implementation in letter and spirit.

Minister Lueth had earlier in his comments on South Sudan TV after re-appointment as information minister, acknowledged that many people saw his attitude as “unbecoming”, but added that he did the negative approach because of the war situation and that if the war ended he would change the approach.

However, complaints about his institution have remained the same, including the opposition of the SPLM-IO alleging that Lueth's institution could not allow to broadcast public rallies and meetings conducted by the First Vice President, Riek Machar, with various communities at Jebel Kujur site.

Reacting to Mogae's complaint about him, minister Lueth told the media that he had already told the JMEC's chairman that the government will not allow assembling of people without an authorization.

(ST)

1 June 2016 (JUBA) - Juma Ali Malou, governor of Terekeka state, has described as unfortunate reports accusing him to have appointed members of his cabinet without considering fair representation of other constituencies comprising the state, attracting criticism and resignations from his government.

File photo showing the then Commissioner of Terekeka County, Juma Ali Malou (L) with Bor County Commissioner, Abraham Jok Aring (ST)

“It is unfortunate there is such thinking. There was nothing I did without the involvement of everybody at the time of the appointment. I carried out wider consultations in the area, beginning it with the SPLM leadership, elders, youth, women group and all approved the list of the people who were recommended for appointments in various positions by all these groups. There was nothing I did alone,” explained governor Juma Ali Malou on Wednesday when reached to comment on the reports in which his former information minister and deputy governor accused him of nepotism.

Malou said the cabinet would convene a meeting in coming days to discuss the decision of his deputy, Clement Maring Samuel, who resigned his position and accused governor of misusing pubic funds.

Maring submitted his resignation in a 30 May letter after the resignation of the Terekeka information minister in the same month. The former county commissioner also accused governor Malou of corruption and nepotism.

The former deputy governor confirmed his resignation, saying he was not impressed by anybody to resign his position but that he found unwise to compromise his principle of fairness.

“I accepted the appointment because it was a call to duty by the people of Terekeka state to serve them with humility, dignity and respect. I did not join the government to be part of corruption. I also accepted because I believe my relationships with the governor were cordial and I hoped we were going to develop even more close relationship to provide services to our people. Unfortunately I discovered the governor was not ready to cooperate and so the relationship deteriorated in a very short period of time, especially after discovering that he has no vision for delivering services,” explained Maring.

The official also accused the governor of lack of transparency in financial resources and in the distribution of fuel to facilitate the movement of the government officials in the area and beyond for official business purposes.

Terekeka is one the 28 newly created and controversial 28 states in South Sudan. I is part of the former East Darfur state.

(ST)

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June 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's permanent envoy to the United Nations Omer Dahab said his country refused to withdraw the complaint it lodged to the UN Security Council (UNSC) over the disputed Halayeb triangle with Egypt.

The Halayeb triangle overlooks the Red Sea and has been a contentious issue between Egypt and Sudan since 1958, shortly after Sudan gained independence from British-Egyptian rule.

The area has been under Cairo's full military control since the mid-1990's following a Sudanese backed attempt on former Egyptian president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak's life. Egypt brushed aside Sudan's repeated calls for referring the dispute to international arbitration.

According to Al-Sudani newspaper Wednesday, Dahab said that Halayeb's file at the UNSC is under consideration but he didn't elaborate on the next move that his country is intending to make.

Meanwhile, Chargé d'affaires at the Sudanese mission to the UN, Hassan Hamid Hassan has sent a letter on 23 May to the president of the UNSC in May and Egypt's permanent envoy to the UN Amro Abu Al-Atta protesting against the continued measures to “Egyptianize” the disputed triangle.

According to the London-based Alquds Alarabi newspaper, the letter, which was sent from Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour to his Egyptian counterpart Samih Shukry, discussed the “continued moves and measures by the Egyptian government to Egyptianize Halayeb triangle”.

Also, the Sudanese government expressed its desire to circulate and consider the letter and its attachment as a UNSC document.

“Within the context of the ongoing contacts between us [Sudan and Egypt] which aim to promote and enhance ties between our two friendly nations, I'd like to express to you our deep concern over the accelerated Egyptian measures to Egyptianize the triangle of Halayeb-Shlateen-Abu Ramad … We totally reject those measures including laying the foundation for premises belonging to the Ministry of Justice as well as building a number of facilities and services projects including water desalination plants, solar projects, power grid, and religious schools and institutes,” read the letter.

“I‘d like to repeat that we categorically reject the establishment of the Egyptian installations on the Sudanese territory in Halayib - Shalateen - Abu Ramad and we also repeat our call for holding bilateral talks or to agree to [refer the case] to arbitration for a better future for the two friendly peoples,” it added.

Relations between Sudan and Egypt have been frosty over the past few years, but they've recently begun to thaw thanks to a series of conciliatory diplomatic gestures.

In October 2014, Presidents of the two countries upgraded representation in a joint committee aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

(ST)

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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sadness over the death today of Mohamed Abdelaziz, who had led the Polisario Front independence movement in the Western Sahara as its leader since 1976.

In two separate incidents that took place yesterday in the Gao area of Mali’s restive north, terrorists attacked an outpost of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA), as well as the services of a local provider for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the most recent in a string of deadly attacks against the UN in the country.

Some 4.6 million people in Burundi are food insecure, with more than 500,000 of them requiring urgent emergency food assistance, the United Nations food relief agency has said, warning that food stocks are stretched as a result of the fragile socio-economic context in the country.

June 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's gold revenue has reached over 900 million dollars in the first quarter of this year, said the Minister of Minerals Ahmed Mohamed Sadiq al-Karouri on Tuesday.

A Sudanese merchant weighs gold in al-Shirik, Sudan (AFP)

Speaking before the Sudanese parliament, al-Karouri, told the lawmakers that gold production in the first quarter of the current year reached 22.3 tonnes which generated some 903.13 million dollars.

Sudan plans to produce 100 tonnes of the precious metal during this year.

Near 70% of the country's gold production in 2015 was produced in the River Nile State. The traditional mining represents 90% of gold production in Sudan.

Al-Karuri further said that his ministry has fully met its financial obligations to the ministry of finance for the first quarter of 2016.

The minister pointed to the ongoing efforts to Sudanize the determination of gold content process and announced the completion of the design of gold laboratory services project.

The minister also said they regularized the situations of 28 companies working in the gold mining industry. He added they started to cancel the concession given to the small mining companies that failed to begin exploration activities within the agreed period.

Last April the ministry of minerals said that the country's production of gold has risen by 3 percent compared to 2015, according to the first quarter of 2016 report.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (JUBA) – Deputy governor of South Sudan's newly-created Terekeka state [Central Equatoria state], has resigned, citing poor working relationship with governor, Juma Ali Malou.

File photo showing the then Commissioner of Terekeka County, Juma Ali Malou (L) with Bor County Commissioner, Abraham Jok Aring (ST)

Deputy governor, Clement Maring made the announcement for his resignation in a press statement on Tuesday. He accused the governor of handling the state as his personal asset and undermining his authority as deputy governor.

He claimed that the governor had been delegating powers belonging to the deputy governor to selected ministers, and have been traveling with some ministers, doing nothing.

“It would be wise if you would have left the Ministers and the Secretary General or his deputy with me in Terekeka so that we carry out the work, but you don't want to delegate power, it's a one man's show,” said Maring.

Maring is the second official to quit Terekeka government this month. Information minister Modi Lomindi also resigned early in May, citing what he called widespread corruption within the cabinet.

The former Radio Miraya reporter is a Member of Parliament in the state assembly.

At the time of Modi resignation, governor Malou told reporters that there was no evidence to prove any corrupt practices in the state.

But the latest resignation of deputy governor, Maring, is putting pressure on governor Malou's government.

Former deputy governor, Maring, claimed being humiliated and threatened by governor Malou publicly.

"This is completely unacceptable to work in such a situation," he said. Governor Malou declined to comment when contacted on Tuesday.

President Salva Kiir divided the country into 28 controversial states in October 2015, segmenting the country along ethnic lines. Terekeka is exclusively inhabited by Mundari tribe.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (YEI) - The Governor of South Sudan's Yei River state, David Moses Lokonga on Tuesday met President Salva Kiir to discuss development and security challenges in the region.

Governor David Lokonga Moses speaks to the press in Yei May 31, 2016 (ST)

The state information Stephen Ladu, said Lokonga briefed the president on potentials and strategies in place for the development of the state.

He however said the governor expressed concerns that insecurity was a major threat.

President Kiir was also briefed by Lokonga on border relations with neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Last month, Congo deployed a number of its soldiers in Morobo county of Yei River state, following a land dispute.

“The governor briefed the president on a number of issues among others, including the need for service delivery, security concerns more especially the killing of late sister Veronika and her transportation for burial in Yei,” said Ladu.

Lokonga also met and held discussions with vice president, James Wani Igga on the presence of armed cattle keepers operating within Kajo-Keji and Lainya counties.

“It's time for farming and these cattle keepers have to move to their state so that farmers in the rural area can concentrate on food production,” said the minister.

The governor also held talks with South Sudan's roads and transport minister, Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, finance and economic minister, David Deng Athorbei and his internal affairs counterpart, Alfred Ladu Gore, centered on economy, roads and insecurity.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (YAMBIO) – A high level government delegation from the newly created state of Amadi [Western Equatoria state], visited Yambio on Monday to claim from another newly created successor Gbudue state, government assets allocated for Amadi state.

Bicycle riders and two women carrying pots in Yambio town March 28, 2016 (ST)

During the distribution discussions earlier some assets were not properly handed over to the authority of Amadi state.

Secretary General of Amadi state, Commander Gaius, said the purpose of their coming to Yambio was to claim the remaining assets which were allocated for them by the committee formed to distribute all the government assets which includes vehicles, and office equipment in Western Equatoria.

Gaius stated that there are still a number of vehicles which Gbudue state authorities were supposed to release them but they found it that some government officials are still using them, adding that generators and most of office equipment are yet to be released.

“It is unfortunate that until now Gbudue State continues to keep assets which were supposed to be given to us which includes vehicles, Generators and Office equipment they should release it to us without any problem,” Gaius said.

Meanwhile the acting governor for Gbudue state, Victor Edward Kpiawandu, said he is new in the office and he is not well informed about how the assets were distributed among the three new created states of Western Equatoria.

The acting governor suggested that they should meet with the committee which was formed to assess and distribute the assets equally.

Kpiawandu further asserted that distribution of assets should not create any tension among the people of Western Equatoria but they should peacefully follow the right procedure to claim what belongs to them.

Also speaking to Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity, one of the government's officials who was among the committee formed for the assessment of the assets and the distributions mentioned that Gbudue state are left with few vehicles which are on good condition and most of them grounded and therefore needed a lot of money to put on road again.

He claimed that other vehicles which were in good condition were allocated to other states and even staff Van for Yambio FM was also taken which could be left to help the only radio in Western Equatoria.

“I have seen the way the vehicles were distributed is not good because only few cars in good condition were given to Gbudue State and most of [them] are grounded and will need big money to put it again on road,” he said.

Few weeks ago one of the top government officials complained over the Yambio fm radio, accusing the people of Gbudue state of allegedly chasing away indigenous people from other states to go back to their state, which he described as discrimination and tribalism.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (NEW YORK) - The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday voted to renew sanctions on a number of individuals allegedly obstructing a peace deal in South Sudan, weeks after formation of a Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).

A UN Security Council session in New York (Photo courtesy of the UN)

The Council's resolution, which welcomed the recent formation of a unity government, extended sanctions for a year, saying much was yet to be done to achieve a peaceful settlement of the conflict that killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million.

The 15-member body's decision comes after an agreement to pursue the sanctions was reached with Russia on Friday, 27 May, in which the draft resolution followed two technical rollovers (resolution 2280 of 7 April and resolution 2271 of 2 March) that briefly extended the sanctions regime.

The sanction's renewal was delayed due to the return to Juba of the opposition leader and current First Vice President, Riek Machar, and the formation of the transitional government of national unity in late April.

However, some members of the UN Security Council believed that the Council required more time to consider an appropriate approach to sanctions, including a potential arms embargo, while the political situation was in considerable flux and the threat of additional sanctions could affect the calculations of the key decision-makers.

Also members were of the view that the additional time might allow the Council to formulate a more unified strategy, given the divergent views on sanctions. Hence, brief technical rollover resolutions were adopted.

There is general recognition that enormous difficulties still lie ahead in the implementation of South Sudan's peace deal.

These hurdles include, among others the lack of political will by the parties in the country's transitional government of national unity to resolve on the controversial 28 states which the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and UN wanted suspended, but has not done till now.

The Council is also concerned about the ongoing threats in South Sudan to humanitarian organizations and workers as well as non-cooperation with the UN mission in the country. A draft South Sudan's Non-Governmental Organization Bill, now in Parliament, is considered an obstacle to operations of international and national non-governmental entities.

South Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Joseph Malok, however, said he was “disappointed” by the Security Council's resolution, reiterating government's commitment to implement the accord signed with the armed opposition in August last year.

(ST)

May 31, 2016 (WAU) – A South Sudanese army officer, identified as Justin Bakhit Bambur, blew up himself in Wau state on Tuesday, for reasons yet to be established.

The incident occurred at Mad-Mayo vocational training centre at about 5:00pm [local time].

Eyewitnesses said the deceased was seen moving near the centre's fence prior to his death.

“We just heard a bomb sound, but when we reached the site of the blast, we found a dead body lying on the ground while we did not know why the person killed himself,” a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer, who preferred anonymity said Tuesday.

None of the deceased's relatives was willing to be interviewed by Sudan Tribune.

(ST)