Africa

September 22, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudanese vice president, Jame Wani Igga, said the government is committed to fully implement the peace agreement signed last month. Igga will be relegated to third position after former vice president Riek Machar, who will be made the first vice president according to the peace deal.

South Sudan's vice-president, James Wani Igga, speaks at the opening of the national reconciliation and peace conference in Wau on 2 September 2014 (ST)

Speaking to lawmakers in Juba on Tuesday before leaving for New York to represent President Salva Kiir at the world annual meeting, Igga said the commitment to realize peace is unwavering.

“Our people want to know our seriousness and genuine determination as a government to [implement] this peace [agreement],” said Igga, in a lengthy briefing.

“I appeal to this house, if there is anybody affected by this agreement to forget [his/her reservations],” he said.

President Kiir, in succumbing to heavy regional and international threats of sanctions on him and his government, signed the agreement nine days after rebel leader Machar and former detainee Pagan Amum.

While signing, the president issued a list of points as “reservations” including demilitarization of Juba and the authority of joint monitoring and evaluation that has a veto power over national affairs. He repeated those points last week in address to the nation.

Igga said the government has one choice after the president inked the peace accord, and that is to implement it. He previously criticized the reservations put forth by his government.

“There is no alternative, we must end the war. We want treatment for our country,” he said.

He decried the repeated relegation from senior position in a peace agreement to reunite the ruling SPLM party, referring to Machar's split from SPLM in 1991 and a return in 2002 when Igga was pushed to the fourth position in hierarchy.

However, according to the SPLM historical hierarchy which the movement's leaders have been referring to for reunifications, Igga has been junior to Machar.

While the two top rival leaders, Kiir and Machar, will share power and decision making process in the would-be formed transitional government of national unity in December, Igga will only participate when the two agree to invite him to their presidency meetings.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (NAIROBI) – The reinstated secretary general of the South Sudan's governing party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum, has accused President Salva Kiir of attempting to abrogate the recently signed peace agreement with the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar and his group of the former detainees.

The SPLM's former secretary-general, Pagan Amum, talks to reporters following his release outside the court in Juba on 25 April 2014 (Photo: Anadolu Agency/Atem Simon)

In an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Amum, who is again in self-imposed exile after signing the agreement, said he will travel to New York soon to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting on South Sudan scheduled for 29 September and to interact with world leaders about the peace deal.

“We are traveling to New York and will be meeting with different heads of state. Those of the region and African continent and the rest of the international community to mobilize support for implementation of the peace agreement,” he said.

Amum, who also represents the former detainees in the peace agreement, said while in New York he will have an opportunity to continue to touch base with the opposition leader and first vice-president designate, Machar, and James Wani Igga, current vice- president.

He however said President Kiir is not committed to implement the peace agreement based on his “negative” public comments and previous reluctance to sign the peace deal with a list of reservations.

The ruling party secretary-general recalled President Kiir's comments when he said the agreement was neither a Quran nor a Bible, adding that the South Sudanese leader was imitating the same comment which former Sudanese president Nimieri uttered when he was about to abrogate the Addis Ababa agreement of 1972.

“He [Kiir] is not for implementation but for abrogation of the agreement. This is very unfortunate,” said Amum.

He further recalled that it became a surprise when President Kiir refused to sign the peace agreement with Machar and others in Addis Ababa on 17 August, saying all preparations were made for him to sign and he had already agreed.

The only outstanding issue Kiir complained of, he recalled, was the power sharing in the three states of the oil-rich Upper Nile state which initially gave the armed opposition of Machar 53%, government 33% and former detainees and political parties sharing the remaining 14%.

However, Amum said in his meeting with the president after the percentage of power sharing in governments of the Greater Upper Nile region was changed to 40%, 46% and 14%, respectively, Kiir agreed to sign the deal and travelled to Addis Ababa for this purpose.

He said the president even told him to carry the message to mediators and the opposition leader, Machar, that he was ready to sign the agreement on 17 August, but Amum accused unnamed people around the president for changing his mind in the last minute when he surprised everybody that he wouldn't sign it.

He added that the list of reservations by president Kiir in the agreement are a clear indication that he is not ready to fully implement the peace agreement.

KIIR AGAINST SPLM REUNIFICATION

Amum also accused his party chairman of trying to fail the Arusha agreement on reunification of the SPLM party, saying the president has been reluctant to implement or pursue the party accord and that its implementation had been “frustrating.”

He revealed that when the former detainees, or sometimes referred to as G-10 arrived in Juba for the reunification agreement, Kiir was suspicious and asked them questions contrary to the spirit of the deal.

“Even President Kiir himself was asking why we were returning back. He was telling me that he wanted to know why are we back… That we have hidden agenda to overthrow the government. I told him we are back to reunite the SPLM,” he further recalled.

He also added that he could not return to Juba after signing the agreement and before formation of the transitional government due to threats uttered against him by the government.

“Government launched hostility against G-10 for signing the peace deal. The threats made them not to go back to Juba,” he said.

He further accused the government of employing “assassinating characters” of members of the former detainees. He also stressed that the recent comments by the president revealed that he was not interested to reunite the ruling party.

Amum however said he had informed the ruling parties of Tanzania and South Africa, who mediate between the SPLM factions, about the ill-intentions of president Kiir to kill the party and appealed to their governments to help achieve the reunification of the party.

(ST)

September 21, 2015 (BRUSSELS) - Sudanese prominent activists briefed the European Union (EU) lawmakers about the situation of human rights in the country and pointed to the government's lack of willingness to enforce domestic laws and international conventions.

EU MP Marie-Christine Vergiat, Suliman Baldo and Amin Mekki Medani in a press conference held at the EU premises in Brussels on Tuesday 22 September 2015 (EU Photo)

The Paris-based Sudan Center for Transitional Justice and Peace Studies (SCTJPS) organized on Tuesday a hearing about the current human rights situation in Sudan at the EU Parliament headquarters in Brussels with the participation of Amine Mekki Medani and Suleiman Baldo.

Before the meeting which was supported by EU MP Marie-Christine Vergiat, the two Sudanese activists held a press conference where they painted a gloomy picture about the human rights situation in term of lack of freedoms and war crimes in the conflict zones.

Medani who chairs an alliance of civil society groups explained that the country before the Islamist coup d'état of June 1989 had acceded to several international treaties and conventions. He further said that the transitional constitution of 2005 provides in its article 27 section three that all the conventions ratified by Sudan have to be considered part of the constitution.

"But if one stops and looks at the statuary provisions of the laws and codes which govern the day to day life in Sudan you find there is a wide discrepancy between the law and the constitution itself and thereby a (clear) contradiction with the international governance," he said.

The Sudanese lawyer further stressed that the country is ruled by the State Security Act which is being repeatedly changed to empower the security apparatus and give it the needed means to grip on the country.

To illustrate his statements, Medani cited the constitutional amendment of December 2014 which authorized the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to have its own military organization and to create the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.

Also, he said that the NISS has the power to arrest, to search and detain people in its own detention centres not in a prison where people are kept in solitary confinement under bad conditions.

Madani was detained together with the head opposition alliance National Consensus Forces during four months after signing on 3 December 2014 of the Sudan Call declaration which calls for a comprehensive peace and constitutional conference in the country.

HUMAN RIGHT DEVIATION

From his part, the Sudanese human rights activist and international expert Suliman Baldo reiterated that there is no lake of laws or constitutional guarantees for the protection of human rights in Sudan, emphasizing "the problem is the absence of political will to abide by these very strong guarantees" .

In fact "the problem is the total deviation by the practices of the Government of Sudan from constitutional rights that are written in the constitution, from legal obligations that are written in the domestic laws and from religious values that are written in the Islam from which the government inspires its own claims to legitimacy," Baldo stressed.

He said that the government considers the human rights as a political game of power balance between it and the international community.

In May 2011, Khartoum government took commitments to adopt and ratify new international conventions including the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa for Legal Action.

The former director of Africa programme for International Crisis Group, stressed that it is not enough to sign and ratify protocols but "a responsible government" should meet its obligations before international and domestic laws.

DARFUR IDPS

Regarding the human rights violations in the war areas, Baldo said the government can demonstrate its genuine desire to resolve the 12-year crisis in Darfur by encouraging the voluntary return of some 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPS).

"The solution is in the hands of the government and it does not need the UN Security Council or the African Union to it," he said. Before to add "It has to secure the same areas, and to negotiate with the militias that chased the (indigenous) populations out of their areas. So, that they (the militiamen) are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

He explained that the violence in Darfur since 2008 has changed face because the capacity of rebels has diminished, adding that the region is now the scene of intertribal fighting between different tribes that were armed by the government.

"The claim by the government that it secured Darfur is a fallacy. violence rampant as result of government policies in arming the tribes," he concluded.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (BENTIU) - The caretaker governor of Unity state, Joseph Nguen Monytuel has, in the wake of the proposed formation of the transitional government of national unity, appointed four new ministers and an equal numbers of state advisors.

The newly appointed caretaker governor of Unity State Joseph Montuil (Photo credit: Larco Lomayat)

Governor Monytuel made these changes through a gubernatorial decree he issued on Monday.

The caretaker governor appointed Chuol Biel as minister of cabinet affairs, Simon Chol becomes minister of parliamentary affairs, Joseph Juoi Gathot to Trade and commerce while Tot Dhieydor Tutroal takes over environment and natural resources ministry.

Monytuel also nominated Mawiech Chilieny and Maluok Matai as security and economic advisors respectively. Others are Apollo Maluit and William Bajuoi Makuet.

A member of South Sudan's ruling Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) told Sudan Tribune, that Monytuel wanted the new group to get a share of the national cake.

“I think the decision by the caretaker governor was to give those who have not held any positions to get something ahead of the formation of upcoming government in the state. We appreciate this step, because most of these comrades have been standing with us for long, and it is time to reward them although it is a short period,” the official, who asked not to be named.

Others, however, say the increase in the numbers of ministers and advisors was to balance positions among counties which beneffitted during 20 months of conflicts.

In 2013, the former governor, Taban Deng Gai reduced ministers to nine after austerity measures were initiated when oil was shut in Unity and Upper Nile states in 2012.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government disclosed on Tuesday that it has been unable to raise its production of oil due to the global slide in crude prices.

FILE- A December 27 , 2012 file photo shows Sudan's President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (C) inaugurating the Hadida oil field located on the border between East Darfur state and South Kordofan, the country's main oil-producing area (AFP/Getty Images)

Sudan has been pushing hard to increase its oil production particularly after the secession of South Sudan in 2011 taking with it about 75% of the country's oil reserves.

The minister of oil Mohammed Zayed said that oil companies are reluctant to fix damaged wells in light of the dramatic decrease in world oil prices and the need for injecting more capital for repairment.

He said that the steep decline in oil prices from $110 a barrel last year to $47 has disrupted the economies of production for these companies.

Zayed declared that the government reached series of understandings with these companies on measures that would help raise oil production such as reducing production costs leading to improved profit margins.

"You can undertake simple processes to boost oil production by 10,000 barrels per day," he said.

Last May Sudan said it hoped to increase the daily oil production from 120,000 barrels per day to 150,000.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - European Union (EU) ambassadors in Khartoum called upon the Sudanese government to conduct an independent investigation into the deadly protests of September 2013.

People look on as cars are set alight during protests over fuel subsidy cuts in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on 25 September 2013 (Photo: Reuters)

Demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states that month following the government's decision to lift fuel subsidies. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.

Following a wave of criticism, Sudanese authorities said they formed a commission of inquiry into the protests which were the deadliest of their kind against the regime.

However, the findings of the investigation are yet to be revealed.

Last month, the Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir directed the Ministry of Justice to compensate the families of victims of the protests.

EU mission in Khartoum said in a statement Tuesday that envoys of EU countries in Sudan have recently discussed the protests which erupted in September 2013.

“Ambassadors of EU countries have welcomed the government decision to compensate families of the victims and noted that justice couldn't only be achieved by financial reparations”, the statement reads.

The statement added that Sudanese authorities are still far from conducting an effective and independent inquiry into the killings and other human rights violations which took place during the protests.

The EU ambassadors further renewed their call to the Sudanese government to conduct an independent investigation that holds the perpetrators fully accountable for their acts.

Earlier this month, the Chairman of the Security and Defense subcommittee in the Sudanese parliament and head of the investigation committee Ahmed Imam al-Tuhami, said that losses resulting from vandalism during the protests are estimated at 30 billion pounds (SDG).

He added that several cases have been filed by families of victims against policemen accusing them of opening fire on the protestors.

Al-Tuhami pointed out that the protests were carried out by students and ordinary citizens against lifting fuel subsidies, saying those protestors didn't involve in the looting and vandalism.

“However, some saboteurs [protestors] took advantage of the protests to carry out acts of looting and theft”, he said.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (JUBA) – The death toll from last week's oil tanker fire at Maridi in South Sudan's Western Equatoria state has reached 203, the health minister disclosed.

Riek Gai Kok said more than 90 other people were nursing wounds in hospitals.

“We are providing the best medical assistance that we can and some of the wounded are being transferred to Juba,” said Kok.

The oil tanker veered off road while traveling from Juba to Yambio, some 250 km west of the capital, last week. The leaking fuel attracted huge crowds of villagers to siphon oil.

South Sudan observed three days of national mourning to remember the victims while the national assembly set up a committee to investigate the cause of the explosion.

Kok, who met president Salva Kiir this week, described the inferno as a “national tragedy.”

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese army (SPLA) has announced on Tuesday that the Ugandan People's Defense Forces (UPDF), which have been fighting alongside forces loyal to president Salva Kiir against opposition faction led by former vice president, Riek Machar, will start to withdraw from the country next week.

A contingent of soldiers from the Ugandan People's Defence Force (Photo courtesy of New Vision)

“It has been agreed that up to the 10th of October, the UPDF forces will be out of the country. The timeline of their withdrawal is stated between 27th, up to 10th of October,” Lieutenant General Malek Ruben, deputy chief of general staff for logistics,” announced on Tuesday.

According to the recently signed peace agreement to end the 21-month long civil war, all foreign forces allied to both the government and the opposition sides are supposed to leave the country within 45 days after the signing of the peace agreement.

Besides UPDF, Sudanese rebel forces inside South Sudan will be demobilized and repatriated back to Sudan in accordance with the peace deal.

UPDF came to the country in December 2013 when political differences over reforms within the leadership of the governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) turned violent.

The initial objective on deployment of the Ugandan troops was to evacuate Ugandan nationals in South Sudan from the country and provide protection to key installations and institutions, including the airports in Juba and other hot spot areas of the country. However, UPDF later on directly interfered in military combat against the rebels.

The foreign troops' withdrawal from the country was always one of the contentious matters at the start of negotiations, but General Ruben told reporters on Tuesday that the issue was resolved during the discussions at the ceasefire workshop attended by the commanders from the warring sides last week in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. This is also in accordance with implementation of the security arrangements as provided for in the peace agreement.

Ugandan forces for the past 21 months of the war have been providing partial defence of the national capital, Juba, and the neighbouring Jonglei state's capital, Bor, and have used superiority of their military hardware including air force in which it has been accused of dropping cluster bombs on rebel forces.

The military officer, however, pointed out that Ugandan troops deployed in Western Equatoria state will not be removed, because they are under a separate arrangement.

“The ones of Western Equatoria are not affected within this agreement; it's a quadruple arrangement connecting Central Africa Republic, South Sudan, Uganda and Congo plus the American forces,” he said.

“These are in pursuit of the Regional Alliance Strategic Agreement to pursue the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army],” he added.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer Hassan al-Bashir Tuesday has pardoned rebel leaders who participate in the national dialogue conference, and declared a two-month ceasefire in war areas.

Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (Photo AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

According to the official news agency (SUNA) Tuesday, Bashir issued a republican decree granting general amnesty for the leaders and members of the armed movements taking part in the national dialogue conference. Also, he issued another decree declaring a two-month cease fire in the battlefronts.

The national dialogue conference is scheduled for 20 October 2015.

Several rebel members and leaders including the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) chairman Malik Agar and secretary-general Yasser Arman have been sentenced to death by Sudanese courts.

The two decrees come after a pledge al-Bashir during the opening session of the national dialogue's general assembly last August in which he expressed readiness to declare a two-month cease fire in order to hold the dialogue in a healthy atmosphere and high patriotism.

The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

Bashir launched the national dialogue initiative in January 2014 but the process suffered major setbacks after the withdrawal of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) and the non-participation of the rebels as well as leftist forces.

The SPLM-N, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) recently expressed willingness to sign a cessation of hostilities with the government for six months if the government commits itself to the pre-dialogue meeting as provided in an African Union's roadmap to facilitate the internal process.

Besides the end of war, the African roadmap includes the implementation of other confidence building measures such as ensuring political freedoms, humanitarian access and release of political detainees and prisoners.

(ST)

September 22, 2015 (WAU) - The health ministry in South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state has distributed protein foods to more than 300 malnourished children.

The new women's maternity ward at the Wau teaching hospital in South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state was officially opened by president Salva Kiir on 15 July 2014 (ST)

Thomas Gabriel, the outpatient's program manager at Wau teaching hospital, said five distribution centres were established in Lokoloko, Hai Dinka, Jeb Kheer and Bazia Jadid.

The centres have been earmarked to cater for over 300 children lacking food nutrition.

“We at the hospital here are controlling malnourishment, which occurred to children under 6-59 months with an initiative of giving plumy and milk to the children,” he said.

Wau hospital alone, Gabriel further disclosed, currently hosts 154 malnourished children.

He also said that the health ministry was currently introducing health education to the mothers handling children to ensure they handle the distributed items responsibly.

“Plumy nut is an unmixed food, but mainly a multi treatment [administered] to children facing malnourish. We want to tell our people that we are not giving out food but we are giving out treatment to such children. This is because many people are coming in look for plumy nut as food and this is not a case,” Gabriel told Sudan Tribune.

He advised mothers not to sell the plumy nut in markets and instead feed their children.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) funded the program in collaboration with the state government.

(ST)

The United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura has wrapped up an official visit to Guinea, where her Office has been supporting an investigation into events that took place in 2009 at a stadium in the capital, Conakry, where more than 100 people were killed and at least 100 women were raped during an opposition demonstration.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is following with “great concern” the situation in Burkina Faso, and today called upon the country’s defence and security forces to avoid at all costs an escalation of violence and to ensure the respect for physical security and human rights of all Burkinabé citizens.

The United Nations envoy for Libya has announced the finalization of a proposed peace plan to end the political crisis in the North African nation, adding that it is now up to the parties to act on the text.

September 21, 2015 (JUBA) – United Nations (UN) on Monday rang alarm bell over increased death rate among children in the UN protection of civilian site in Unity state's capital, Bentiu where 34 children under 5 years of age died in the first week of September, about 5 deaths a day.

People wait to fill up their water containers at a camp for internally displaced people in Unity state capital Bentiu (Photo: Matthew Abbott/AP)

Spokesperson for the UN secretary general in a press conference on Monday in New York said reports lamented the rapid loss of children in the camp.

"Turning to South Sudan, our colleagues at our Humanitarian Office (OCHA) say that thirty-four children under 5 years of age died from malnutrition in the civil protection site in Bentiu, Unity State, in the first week of September,” announced Stephane Dujarric.

He said the deaths mainly resulted from malnutrition, but added that water and sanitation organizations were stepping up activities to address malnutrition and child mortality in Bentiu.

OCHA said malnutrition remained a major concern across South Sudan, with about a quarter of a million children severely malnourished.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) recently launched a joint nutrition scale-up plan, which will see the agencies and their partners assist over two million people – children, pregnant women and new mothers – for the treatment and prevention of acute malnutrition until May of next year.

“Just to give you a scale of the issue: following the recent fighting in central Unity State, we are now housing 112,000 people in our protection of civilians' camp in Bentiu," said Dujarric.

(ST)

September 21, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese armed opposition faction led by former vice-president and first vice-president designate, Riek Machar, has accused forces loyal to president Salva Kiir of committing further violations to the permanent ceasefire deal they signed in August to end the 20-month long civil war in the country.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) at Jonglei's Bor airport in January 2014 (AFP)

Opposition leader's press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, on Monday said government troops attacked opposition-held territories and civilian settlements including Thoonyor in Leer county of the oil-rich Unity state.

“Soldiers of Salva Kiir have continued to attack our bases in a clear violation of the ceasefire. They attacked areas in Leer county in Unity state including Thoonyor payam, displacing civilians in the area,” Dak said in a statement on Monday.

He however said government forces were repulsed, but declined to provide details of casualties.

Dak also said fighting had been going on in Western Equatoria state in Mundri and Maridi counties, further accusing the government of launching offensive against their bases and civilian settlements.

President Kiir and opposition leader, Machar, signed a peace agreement in August and instructed their forces to stop fighting in observing the ceasefire.

Senior officers from the rival parties have held a week-long workshop in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on the ceasefire deal and security arrangements, but could not agree on the size and composition of forces and joint integrated police that should remain or be deployed in the national capital, Juba.

Dak blamed the government for the failure to strike a deal, saying the Juba's suggested size of the force in the capital was contrary to the provision in the peace deal.

“The peace agreement clearly provides for demilitarization of Juba and other state capitals. However, the government demands an army division or brigades to be stationed in the capital. This is contrary to the security arrangements provision,” he said.

“The agreement talks of demilitarization, but the regime wants even more forces in the capital,” he added.

He said the opposition wanted a small size of joint integrated police of all categories and armed forces to guide the presidency, barracks, bases and warehouses in the capital.

Observers said the government has taken advantage of the loopholes in the IGAD Plus compromise peace agreement which failed to determine the size and composition of such forces as part of the signed document.

It is not clear when the parties will resume the workshop so as to agree on the security arrangements or whether IGAD mediation will try to come in and impose another compromise, as the implementation of the agreement will likely run behind the schedule.

(ST)

September 21, 2015 (BOR) - Forgiveness, trust building and reconciliations were among the key pillars for peaced discussed during this year's international peace day marked in South Sudan's Jonglei state capital, Bor on Monday.

Jonglei governor John Kong speaking in Twice East county July, 24, 2015 (ST)

The event, organised by South Sudan council of churches with support from the United Nations Development programme (UNDP), was attended by several government officials, humanitarian agencies' representatives and the local residents.

The international peace day, is globally celebrated on 21 September each year. In South Sudan this year, South Sudan council of churches organised peace day celebrations in the provincial capitals of Torit, Yambio, Malakal, Kuajok, Rumbek, Juba and Bor.

The United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, in a statement, called for human rights to peace, demanding an end of impunity that prevailed around the world.

He urged South Sudan's warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe global ceasefire.

Alois Sikuka, a security specialist at UNDP, conveyed Ki-Moon's message to the public.

“Stop the killings and the destructions and create space for lasting peace”, partly noted the UN secretary general's statement read to the public gathered in Bor.

Sikuka also urged the people of South Sudan to work for sustainable peace collectively.

“Here in South Sudan, that we now have peace agreement that has been signed, the observance of international day of peace provides valuable opportunity to remind ourselves that only join efforts can lead to sustainable peace in the country," he said.

Further added the UN official, "The task of implementing the agreement and working toward lasting peace can only be achieved through long term collaborations among all South Sudanese citizens and institutions across existing device”.

The governor of Jonglei state John Kong, advised the public to desist from words likely to derail peace, citing the use of hate speeches and comments capable of slowing down the government's efforts to achieve total peaceful co-existence among communities.

“This problem started with a words, bad words that brought people to fighting”, said Kong, in reference to the start of the South Sudanese crisis in mid December 2013.

"Even when there is ceasefire, if bad words are being used, ceasefire will not work. That is why we are here to support our president, in his efforts of making peace”, he added.

Kong advised the population to work for the interest of South Sudan and not individually.

James Aguer, a council of churches official, said peace would transform South Sudan's negative culture of war.

“We have great concerns about fundamental challenges that could prevent us from achieving the nation we desire, let each and every one plays his or her role in making peace, transforming the negative culture of war, hatred and mistrust into culture of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace and unity”, Aguer told the gathering in Bor.

“Peace is the most precious thing in the life of every human being. We people of the RPSs, we were having and still have so many definite ideas about the nation we hope to build. We have a vision that our nation shall be a country of peace, unity, togetherness and love for all and not tribalism”, he said.

(ST)

September 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The director of Emergency Management & Humanitarian Work at the Sudanese Ministry of Health tendered his resignation and withdrew from a committee tasked with receiving wounded Yemenis after verbal altercations between the health minister of state Sumaya Idriss and staff at southern Khartoum hospital following the arrival of a second plane carrying Yemenis injured in the ongoing conflict.

Injured Yemeni in Khartoum hospital (Ashorooq TV)

Sudan has so far received three planes carrying 285 wounded and 130 of their family members amid reports on a fourth one in transit.

According to an informed source who spoke to Sudan Tribune the crisis erupted last Wednesday between the state minister and senior officials at the ministry and medical personnel at the hospital who were called in after the take-off of a civilian plane carrying new batch of wounded Yemenis without coordination with Sudanese authorities.

The source said that the medical staff rejected the manner by which the state minister addressed them and a clash ensued after which Idriss directed all the medical staff to be thrown outside the hospital.

But the director of Emergency Management & Humanitarian Work Ahmed Mohamed Zakaria and director of the hospital management at the Ministry of Health in Khartoum state Youssef Tibin rejected the order saying it goes against the rules and regulations.

The staff eventually left the hospital on their own and were joined by the hospital director Dr. Mahjoub Fudaili in an act of solidarity.

On Thursday morning, Zakaria who heads the ministry's largest department, officially announced his resignation and withdrawal from the committee on wounded Yemenis.

The source said Zakaria's resignation will negatively impact the process of receiving wounded Yemenis as he was handling this dossier since its inception and worked through the challenges of accommodating the injured and requesting private hospitals to take in some with the Saudi government picking the tab.

(ST)

By Juma Mabor Marial

Sometimes, one gives up on public affairs when the nation has ended up on a road to nowhere. This is the conclusion I made when I stopped writing and concentrated on my private businesses. I deliberately stopped writing to avoid putting myself into loggerhead with those who thought I might have been infringing on their authority.

But even as I was busy with my private businesses, I didn't neglect my civic duties of sharing with colleagues and other like-minded intellectuals the challenges and wrong path our nascent country was taking. I didn't however shared a lot on the on-going conflict and it dynamics or the peace negotiations basically on the assessment I had made and against the experiences and the difficulties those who contributed faced as most of them were easily branded as rebels sympathizers or government mouth-piece. It was and it is still a risky venture to undertake and that is why I decided to remain neutral at least until the objectivity and rationalism is restored.

This may not be the topic of discussion but I thought about this disclaimer because I wish to once again share with the public my reaction to the recent State of the Nation/Union Address by the President of South Sudan, General Salva Kiir. For some of us who may not be familiar with the meaning and objectives of the State of the Nation/Union Address, I want to share a little bit on the theory before we could move on to the content and analyst the strengths and weaknesses of the recent State of the Nation/Union Address by the President.

A State of the Nation/Union Address (SoN/UA/) is a political model in which the President reports on the status of the nation. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the President to outline his or her national agenda and national priorities. It is here that the President can recommend any measures that he or she believes are necessary and expedient.

The SoN/UA is often broadcast to inform the nation about its present economic, political, and social condition. It is also a vehicle for the President to summarize the accomplishments and plans of his/her programme of government both for a particular year and until the end of his/her term of office.

In the United States of America, the President address a joint session of the United States Congress, typically delivered annually. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the President to outline his or her legislative agenda (for which they need the cooperation of Congress) and national priorities. The address fulfills rules in Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, requiring the President to periodically give Congress information on the "state of the union" and recommend any measures that he or she believes are indispensable and convenient. During most of the country's first century, the President primarily only submitted a written report to Congress. With the advent of radio and television, the address is now broadcast live across the country on most networks.

In several countries, state of the nation address are criticized by various sectors for being too ostentatious and flashy, with politicians and media personalities treating the event as a red carpet fashion show. One Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago blasted the organizers and called the event a "thoughtless extravagance" where "peacocks spread their tails and turn around and around, as coached by media in a feeding frenzy."

This criticism is too heavy to be replicated in South Sudan or one risked other consequences, but let us now moves back to the situation and critically looks at the state of the union address of our President. Unlike in the United States of America and many other countries of the world, the State of the Nation/Union Address of the President of the Republic of South Sudan is not delivered through the legislature or given on a specified calendar date. This may be by design or default.

It is unfortunate that, the few technocrats that controls the timetable of the President sits and decides any weekend that the President should address the nation on this date and rush the announcement to the media thus obliging everyone to anxiously wait for what the surprise state of the nation address would deliver. This can of course not be blamed on these secretaries in the office of the President but it should be blamed entirely on the framers of the Transitional Constitution and the legislators for not having thought it important to incorporate a specific calendar date for the state of the nation address as an integral provision of the supreme law and other enabling legislations.

Their attempt to cater for this event is vaguely articulated under article 78 of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 which states that ‘the President may personally or by a message, address the national legislature or either of its houses. The national legislature or either of its two houses shall accord priority to such request over any other business. The President may also request the opinion of the national legislature or either of its two houses on any subject matter'.

This is the highest ambiguity that any constitution would allow because the letter and spirit of this provision is to the extent that, its gives the President the privilege and the freedom to call on parliament any time he deems fit and appropriate to address the nation, i.e. If the state of the nation address is to be given through the parliament. Again, if one look at article 101 (t) of the Transitional Constitution on the functions of the President, this is where you would find the proviso on the annual state of the nation address but whether this one is being implemented is another glaring question because for instance, how many state of nation address did the President made since South Sudan gained independence, one would likely suggest four on approximate but whether they were four or more is another area that need research. But that is not the issue of contention here; the question is the substance of what the context of the State of the Nation/Union Address that the President has been giving and is yet to be giving entails.

Having said this, one would not be surprise by the substance of what the content of the address entails as it is prima facie a rush and unplanned event where some note takers thinks it is just but a bullet point exercise that is not worth wasting time to prepare. Throughout his state of the nation address, the President has continued to keep the nation (citizens) glued to the televisions and their ears fixed on the radios waiting for something that never come at the end of the day.

In his recent state of the nation address, the President was expected to inform the nation (citizens) about the relationship with the foreign and diplomatic community and affirm whether the gaps that were apparent have been bridged after he signed the peace agreement, people were also eagerly waiting to hear the security status of the country and what are the developmental and infrastructural plans for the country, the commitment to peace agreement and the challenges and achievements that the government is able to report. He was also expected to talk about the economy.

The President didn't do much in all the above areas except that he spent his entire time talking about the Compromised Peace Agreement that he had signed and reiterates his insistency on a number of reservations that he made when he signed the pact. This is not a bad elaboration to have been made by H.E. because, as the head of state, he must share his commitment on the peace by enlightening the citizens on the deal and ask them to support him in the implementation in order to have a sustainable peace in the country.

The President scored highly on this item and he was applauded crossed the country and around the world for this statesmanship. Those who assisted him from his office on the literature and philosophy in giving the world and the people the assurances of his commitment to peace were equally appreciated. However, it was unfortunate to realize that, the state of the nation address was only organized to talk about the signed peace agreement and left out other crucial issues like the state of our foreign relation as a country, our development master plan, the achievements that the President and his government might have made despite the strife in the country, the infrastructural plans, the economic status and the challenges that the nation faced as a result of the conflict and other external factors.

Precisely, the President was expected to assure the citizens that his decision to append his signature on the Compromised Peace Agreement (CPA) has improved the foreign relations of South Sudan and her international friends, he was also expected to give a rough summary of what his government has achieved despite the on-going conflict, talk about the northern corridor project, the EAC engagement, the cooperation agreement with Sudan, the implementation by his government of the GPAA peace agreement, the improvement on the healthcare, education and infrastructural development. The President should have also taken it as his government achievement the declaration of cease-fire even if it is being sabotaged by the enemies of peace. He should have informed the nation of his government short and long-terms plans. The recently pasted vision 2040, what it entails in terms of development, infrastructure, education, healthcare systems, democracy, security and other well-fare issues.

After that the President should have talked about the challenges that his government is facing in its attempt to deliver services to the nation and this is where it would have been convenient for him to justify his calls for the nation to support him in the implementation process so that the country can return to stability and redefine its destiny. Again because the organizers of this event thought it was just a breakfast activity, they made the President, someone I have always considered a Wiseman and hold with highest respect repeat himself over and over again on one item called the implementation of the peace agreement.

My ultimate discontentment came about when the President came to the end of his address with regard to the state of our economy and informed the nation that and I quote; ‘I know some of you wanted me to talk about economy, but I decided not to talk about it purposely because I know, even if I talk about it [economy], we will just be discussing it here, but there is nothing that can be done about it'. This is where he scored NIL, as a President, you are like a doctor, a teacher, a father in the house and everything. You may be aware of the difficulties and the challenges just like all of us knows that the economy of the country has nearly collapsed but the last person to declare that is the President because like a doctor, you cannot tell the patient that the disease is incurable less you risk them taking their lives before you leave that room, as a father, you cannot tell your children that, I know you are hungry but there is no food and therefore, you have to live with it.

I know the President was giving this statement from the position of honesty but what he should have known is that there is more to his office than just being honest, he didn't have to express himself in the negative but rather, he should have turn it positive by informing the nation that, he is aware of the economic difficulties the country is facing as a consequent of the conflict and the only way out would be for all the citizens to join him in implementing the agreement that he has signed with the rebels as this will enhance improvements in the economic sector.

This statement would not mean doing something about it but rather, it will help in restoring hopes among the citizens and that is why the Presidents are called the fathers of the nations because they are the symbols of hope for the nation even in situations where the people are in despair. The President should have realized what his actions and his statements could do when he signed the peace agreement on 26th August, 2015, the market reacted positively to this development and a dollar that was exchanging at 17 SSP in the black market lowered to 11 SSP just in a matter of hours, this is doing something about fragile economic situation because economy usually reacts to political developments. His statement that there was nothing that could be done about the worsening economic situation open flood gates for unscrupulous business practitioners to abuse the market and after that day, the dollar that was trading at 14 SSP shot up to 16 SSP while the local shopkeepers increased their prices by 40 % and when asked about why they are doing that, they would simply reply, ‘there is nothing we can do about it'.

It is not surprising though that our President is not known for motivating the citizens in the situation of despair for instance, when the first graduation ceremony was made in the University of Juba early this year, the President told the grandaunts that they should not hope for being absorb into the government since there are very few positions in the government. This was not to encourage them to be job creators because he felt short in declaring that aspects, instead, he was telling them that there was nothing his government could do about the high rate of unemployment even as most of them graduates into the job market.

Summed up together, it is unfortunate to conclude that, the recent State of the Nation/Union Address by the President just like many other statements that he gives in public occasions failed to meet the threshold requires by an ideal state of the union practice. Most importantly, the President and those who organizes these functions with him must also understand that the hopes and expectations of the people of South Sudan are usually anchored upon their office and anytime they come out to say something in form of the state of the nation address, people eagerly anticipates a solution to a number of challenges that are facing them and for the President to declare that there is nothing that can be done about something like economy is suicidal and to some larger extent an absolute declaration of despair.

Finally, I can't blame the President so much because he cannot do all by himself but my disappointment goes to those who are in his office, they should be the ones to read the minds of the public and advice the President to tailor his state of the nation address in such a comprehensive manner as to cover all the aspects regarding the country's political and socio-economic situation. They should also advice the president to usually gives assurances and guarantees where the citizens are about to give up. These are the tasks for which they are being paid and maintained otherwise, if they allow the President to speaks the way he did in the recent state of the nation address, then, they could be deliberately sabotaging his relationship with the citizens or altogether ineptitude. I don't know which one of these is relevant but a serious investigation must be made on those two scenarios.

The author is an advocate. He is reachable at jummabor@gmail.com

September 21, 2015 (JUBA) - Chol Thon, caretaker governor of Upper Nile state has issued a gubernatorial decree on Monday dissolving his entire cabinet and appointing new deputy governor.

The map of Upper Nile state

Governor Chol, according to the executive order following his last cabinet meeting with state ministers and heads of independent commissions, relieved Philip Gwyne from his position as the deputy governor and replaced him with Dak Tap Chol as the new deputy governor.

The new deputy governor, according to caretaker state information minister, Peter Hoth Tuach, was the former Nasir county commissioner from 2010 to 2014 when he was relieved from his position and given another assignment as the new minister of physical infrastructure and rural development in the previous government of Simon Kun Puoc.

The new state government will however last for only three months as it will be again dissolved and reconstituted in accordance with the peace agreement in which the opposition group will take the governorship and form a new state government.

In the new arrangement, the government will take 46% of the state ministerial positions while the opposition group led by Riek Machar will take 40% and the remaining 14% will be divided between the former detainees and political parties.

(ST)

September 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer Hassan al-Bashir would soon announce new measures to promote efforts for creating conducive climate to ensure success of the national dialogue, said the ruling party

Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has called on political parties to participate in national dialogue aimed at stimulating a reform plan announced earlier this year (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Following its meeting Monday, the ruling National Congress Party's (NCP) leadership office renewed the government readiness to engage in talks with the rebels in areas under their control in South Kordofan and Blue Nile to achieve a permanent and comprehensive peace.

NCP deputy chairman and presidential assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid told reporters following the meeting that the leadership office was reassured on the ongoing arrangements for the official inauguration of the dialogue conference on October 10th.

He said the leadership office has endorsed decisions of the dialogue coordination body known as 7+7 regarding the agenda and the opening session of the national dialogue conference.

According to Hamid, the meeting approved the entire moves made by the 7+7 committee including its decision that dialogue must be an exclusive Sudanese process and should be held inside the country.

“No [opposition] party will participate in a preparatory meeting outside Sudan as long as the those parties are present inside the country and allowed to carry out their [political] work,” he added.

It should be mentioned that the Sudanese government and the 7+7 committee reject the preparatory meeting proposed by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to facilitate the dialogue.

Hamid further said that the meeting underscored the need to continue efforts and contacts to secure participation of all political forces in the conference including those outside Sudan.

He pointed out that the meeting approved decisions of president Bashir to declare a cease fire and offer the necessary guarantees for the rebel leaders to participate in the dialogue inside Sudan.

On August 20th, Bashir said he is ready to declare a two-month ceasefire in Blue Nile, South Kordofan states and Darfur region and renewed his offer of amnesty for the rebels who are willing to join the national dialogue.

Also, last week, the rebel umbrella Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) expressed its willingness to sign a cessation of hostilities for six months in the Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur.

The Sudanese army has been fighting Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

Al-Bashir proposed in January 2014 to hold a national dialogue to end armed conflicts and to reach a political consensus on a permanent constitution in Sudan.

The imitative was welcomed by the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), National Umma Party, Reform Now Movement. However, the NUP and RNM decided to suspend their participation following the arrest of the NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi in May 2014.

Since the NUP and RNM joined calls by the alliance opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the SRF to create a conducive environment through the end of war, release of freedoms and liberation of political detainees.

(ST)