Africa

June 5, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by former vice president, Riek Machar, said they have not received any official information about the published visit of the former detainees to their leadership for consultations on reunification process of the ruling party.

Former cabinet affairs minister and G-10 team leader Deng Alor with former justice minister, John Luk Jok, after their arrival at Juba Airport on 1 June 2015 (Photo Moses Lomayat)

Former political detainees led by ex-cabinet affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol, met with president Salva Kiir on Tuesday in Juba a day after their return from the neighbouring Kenya where they were released to in early 2014 and lived in the exile for over one year.

The mission, they said, was to revive the tripartite intraparty dialogue with the government which also included the SPLM-IO faction as per Arusha initiative on reunification of the three party factions.

Former detainees' spokesperson, John Luk Jok, after concluding the meeting with president Kiir and other senior party leaders in the government, announced that their team was also going to visit the opposition leader, Riek Machar, to discuss the process.

However, the rebel group said they did not receive from the former detainees any official information about their visit to Machar.

“Our leadership has not received official information or request about a planned visit by former detainees. We only read about it in the media,” Machar's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

He also said the opposition faction had an appointed team by Machar that handled the intraparty negotiations in Arusha and would likely take part in the consultative meeting with the former detainees if official request reached the SPLM-IO and was approved by the top leadership.

Dak earlier said the rebel leadership would be willing to accord the ex-political detainees a forum to hear from them.

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June 5, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Amnesty International (AI) has called for launching appeals to secure the release of 171 detainees including college students, politicians and civil society activists arrested by Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

AI said it has received numerous reports since the end of Sudan's general elections in April 2015 that the NISS crackdown on activities of political opposition groups and civil society has intensified.

“In recent weeks more than 221 students from Darfur were arrested by NISS and the police after violent clashes between the National Congress Party (NCP) student supporters and students from Darfur in five universities in Khartoum,” it said in a press release.

According to the rights groups, 157 students were released on bail after having been charged with various crimes while 37 students were injured.

Mohamed Awad, a leading member of the NCP student organisation, was killed during clashing between supporters of the ruling party and students from Darfur region at the East Nile University in Khartoum North last April.

It added that currently there are 12 members of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) in detention, saying that four of them are facing criminal charges punishable by death including complicity to execute a criminal agreement, undermining the constitutional system and calling for opposition of the public authority by violence or criminal force.

It also pointed out to the arrest of the secretary general of the Sudanese Consumer Protection Society (SCPS), Yasir Merghani, and the activist, Nasreen Ali Mustafa, who have been detained since 25 May.

It noted that Merghani has always been known for his strong presence on issues pertaining to consumers and corruption in the importation of goods, saying that Mustafa has raised concerns about the alarmingly high number of unreported incidents of sexual harassment and abuse in some schools buses in Khartoum state.

It should be recalled that NISS had seized copies of 10 newspapers from the printing press and suspended 4 of them indefinitely on 25 May for publishing Mustafa's statements.

The SCPS was formally established in 1998, it has been very vocal on consumer rights issues and corruption in regards to consumer goods. SCPS has been advocating for strong consumer protection legislation in Sudan.

AI stressed that NISS maintains broad powers of arrest and detention under the National Security Act 2010, which allows suspects to be detained for up to four-and-a-half months without judicial review.

“NSS officials often use these powers to arbitrarily arrest and detain individuals and to subject them to torture and other forms of ill-treatment”, it said
Under the same law, NSS agents are provided with protection from prosecution for any act committed in the course of their work, which has resulted in a pervasive culture of impunity.

The rights group further said the recent constitutional amendments passed by the Sudanese parliament on 5 January 2015, have exacerbated the situation, stressing they accorded sweeping powers to the NISS allowing it unlimited discretion to interfere in political, economic and social issues.

It called for sending appeals to president Omer al-Bashir and ministers of interior and justice to reveal the whereabouts of the detainees immediately and urge them to either charge the detainees with an internationally recognizable offence or immediately and unconditionally release them.

The rights group also said the appeals should call on the authorities to give the detainees access to lawyers of their own choosing and allow them visits from their families besides ensuring they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment.

(ST)

June 5, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - A delegation from Sudan's native administration left for the United States on Friday to urge the US administration to lift the economic sanctions imposed on the country.

FILE - US Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration greets Misseriya tribal elders in Muglad, Sudan in January 2010 (US envoy website)

Isam al-Sheikh, a businessman who launched the popular initiative, said a delegation including 14 tribal chiefs would visit the US for two weeks, pointing they will hold meetings with congressmen and the state department officials.

Al-Sheikh, who spoke at a press conference on Thursday evening, said the delegation would focus on popular meetings to improve ties between the two peoples.

He pointed out that US senators will visit Sudan to assess the situation in the country particularly regarding claims of extremism and terrorism.

The Sudanese businessmen are the first to be affected by the sanctions which impose an embargo on the Sudanese banking establishments prevent them from dealing with the international banks.

The initiative targets civil society groups and congressmen with the hope that they can understand their point of view that the sanctions mainly affect only Sudanese people not the government.

Benjamin Moeling, deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Khartoum, for his part, expressed his country's readiness to accept any initiative aiming to promote public diplomacy between the two countries.

He pointed that the American people welcome the visit of the tribal chiefs, saying they had earlier invited several Sudanese youth, media workers and businessmen to visit the US within the framework of the public diplomacy.

Sudan is on the US list of countries supporting terrorism since 1993 and also subjected to economic sanctions since 1997.

Last February, the Sudanese presidential assistant Ibrahim Ghandour concluded a rare visit to Washington where he held talks with senior officials at the White House and State Department.

The Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti also visited Washington separately in February to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast together with US president Barack Obama and international dignitaries.

Following the visits of the senior Sudanese officials to Washington, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Steven Feldstein paid a five-day visit to Sudan.

During the same month, the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that is amending Sudan's sanctions regime to allow exports of personal communications hardware and software including smart phones and laptops.

Washington acknowledges Sudan's cooperation in the fight against terrorism, but attached new conditions to normalizing ties related to the end of the conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Sudanese officials however, insist that issues of bilateral relations should be discussed without interfering in Sudan internal affairs.

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June 5, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan's Upper Nile state government has resolved to relocate its headquarters to Renk, a town farther north near the Sudanese border, in the light of sustained fighting between rebels and government troops over the control of the oil-rich state capital, Malakal.

A young woman runs through the street as gunshots ring out a few streets over, in Malakal, Upper Nile state, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014. (Photo AP /Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)

In the meeting held on Thursday, it was decided by the council of ministers in which it resolved to move to Renk, according to state information minister, Peter Hoth Tuach.

“The state capital [Malakal] was seriously destroyed during the recent fighting and the government currently has no buildings to operate in,” said Tuach, explaining to Sudan Tribune in a phone interview the reasons compelling the already displaced government to move farther away from battlefields.

“Renk has got buildings that the state government will work in, the same buildings will also be the accommodation for the officials and electricity supply in the area is stable,” he added.

Tuach said thousands of citizens of Upper Nile state, apart from the civilians sheltering in United Nations' (UN) Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites, had already been displaced to areas near Renk.

He said the government would now remain in Renk whether the rebels ceased attacking Malakal or not because, he explained, “the people of Upper Nile are displaced to Renk area.”

This would be the third time the state government of the war-ravaged Upper Nile has been relocated due to over year-long fighting between forces loyal to president Salva Kiir and the opposition forces loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar. Senior government officials last year relocated to Renk, but moved back to Malakal, in a seriously unstable situation as the town changed hands several times.

When fighting resumed in the town in April and rebels recaptured the capital, the state government officials fled to Melut town near Paloch oilfields and operated from there. However, the state governor Simon Kun Puoch fled to the national capital, Juba, where he was issuing directives from a distance.

Rebels have also claimed to target Renk town, which came under shelling several times in the past few months. But when government forces took control of Wedakona on the west bank of the White Nile, it became an ease in securing the border town.

Rebel sources renewed claims Renk would soon join the list of their priority targets together with the two remaining oil producing oilfields of Paloch and Adar where government troops have been deployed to defend it.

(ST)

June 5, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese rebels led by former vice president, Riek Machar, said their forces have taken full control of the main oilfields in Unity state on Friday after capturing the remaining Unity oilfields in the country's second oil producing state.

A worker at the power plant of an oil processing facility in South Sudan's Unity state on 22 April 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

Rebels spokesperson said the oilfields fell under their control after defeating government troops in a three-day battle over the control of the strategic resource area.

“On Friday morning our forces from Division 4 took full control of the whole Unity oilfields in the oil-producing Lich (Unity) state. This is after defeating government forces over the control of the oilfields, north of the state capital, Bentiu,” rebel leader's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, announced on Friday in a statement to the press.

“In response to the government's ongoing full scale offensive against our positions, all the oilfields in South Sudan are our targets with the aim to capture and shut down their operations,” he said.

He accused president Salva Kiir's government of allegedly using the oil revenues to buy more “arms and hire mercenaries” in order to perpetuate the war in defence of “tyranny” at the expense of the suffering people of South Sudan.

Last year, the rebels captured Tharjiath oilfield, south of the state capital, Bentiu, and controlled some of the Unity oilfields, forcing them to temporarily shut down and reducing the oil production in the country by at least 40% from 265,000 barrels a day to 165,000 barrels per a day.

Unity oilfields has 126 wells and was being operated by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC).

Unity and Upper Nile states are the only two states in the three-year old country that produce oil. South Sudan also depends on the oil revenues from these two states by 98% of its overall budget.

Situated in Rubkotni county north of Bentiu, near Pariang county, government planned to resume oil production in the area to boost its dwindling revenues and inject in more hard currency as the dollar exchange against the local South Sudanese pounds has been skyrocketing, further magnifying a near collapse of the country's economy.

Dak further said after now capturing and shutting down production operations of all the oilfields in Unity state their next targets would be Adar and Paloch oilfields in the neighboring Upper Nile state.

“We have now thwarted the government's attempt to maintain control of the Unity oilfields in order to resume oil production in the state,” he said.

“Our next targets are Adar and Paloch oilfields in Upper Nile state. We will make sure the only two remaining oilfields cease to function as well.”

The opposition leader's spokesman said president Kiir's government was not for peace, accusing it of violating ceasefire agreements in belief of “imaginary” military victory.

He claimed that the defeated government troops from the oilfields were dispersed with some being pursued towards the state capital and others fleeing westwards towards Mayom near Warrap state.

(ST)

An armed group opened fire on a convoy transporting Eritrean asylum-seekers in eastern Sudan and kidnapped 14 of them, including six boys and one girl, the United Nations refugee agency reported today and urged the Sudanese Government to spare no effort in apprehending those responsible and bringing them to account.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has begun distributing the first batches of 700,000 teaching and learning kits to thousands of schools across Liberia, where last year’s Ebola outbreak disrupted the education of over one million children.

By Trayo A. Ali

The “Janjaweed” are coming. The blood thirsty carnivorous predator militias that created genocidal havoc in Darfur are making in again as the UNAMID busy talking withdrawal. With that notorious reputation of terror haunting Darfur people, the “Janjaweed”, with full vengeance, are sharpening knifes, machetes, hatchets and axes. Of course with their heavy machine guns on top of that preparation. All geared to accomplish their mission: “turn the already devastated Darfur into total ashes”.

“Not only am I back, bitch, I am back with a vengeance”, reads one “Janjaweed” post in the net.

All that “opportunity” is precipitated by the talks of withdrawal of the “much harassed” UNAMID. Its withdrawal, if materialized, would definitely means paving the way for the “Janjaweed” to enter and fill the vacuum.

Seriously speaking that is unacceptable move and the worst judgment that could happen. It only increases unfavorable chances and widens the gap in the much needed security in Darfur and unleashes the “Janjaweed” militia to effect the most ruining phase of genocide.

(1) Withdrawal? How? On what based and what ground?
Nothing on earth the most hated issue government harbor than the one of UNAMID presence on Darfur soil. Remember the “hissing and humming” government made in the early stages of the deployment process till it was able to drastically reduce the potential capability of the would-be deployed “force” to the level of what been coined as “African character”. It was the tasteless and colorless entity government wanted to be and fought for, the docile and submissive it got it. That was the genesis of the prevailing bullying and blackmailing policy visited on UNAMID.

(2) Zero Security on the ground
The UN knows very well (more than anybody else) the reality that; there is nothing anything similar condition to security of any kind on the ground including that of surrounding the mission's personnel. Not only in the already “ravaged” Darfur (where everybody is effectively in the IDP camps) but, as we reported earlier, nobody is safe within the entire Sudan for the mere fact of being a “Darfuri”. Look at the ongoing predicament of Darfur students who are being hunted throughout the country, from Port Sudan in the extreme East to Al-Genaina in the West and from Dongola in the up-North to Kosti and Danazeen in the South.

May be the UMAMID abandoned the reason why it's there been deployed. If the UNAMID primary purpose of being deployed in Darfur is to “protect civilian” from government militia, the “Janjaweed” aggression, protect IDPs from frequent raids and rape, then the reasons for UNAMID being there are still prevailing. It's even getting worst. Everybody now knows, including the UNAMID, the simple reality that, while the “Janjaweed” mission remained the same, the militias are today even better organized than any time before. They are trained, financed, equipped and even a big portion of it is organized under the official government security apparatus and known as Rapid Support Force (RSF).

The “Jamjaweed” havoc is gone far to the extent of targeting and preventing the UN agencies accessing the IDPs with food, medicine, water and shelter. The situation remained bizarre. One of the pity aspect of it is that, none of the UN agencies, including UNAMID, has any accurate or credible number of the ongoing “genocide related deaths” or that of the IDPs. All that coupled with the daily routine of aerial bombardments. Of course forgotten is the refugee's situation.

On the “peace process”, that is becoming an “abominable” issue.
With Qatar government virtually “vetoing” every attempt or initiative on the peace process with the argument that, everything should ends up with the document known as ”DDPD” which turned into a real recipe for continual chaos in Darfur. By the grace of Qatar the government is clinging on it till death to them a part. Discuss this issue with the UN and AU officials and the answer you get is Qatar.

(3) All has to do with the UN compromising position
So after ably reducing mission's capability to that of “African character” level, the government started imposing restrictions, including expulsion of the humanitarian agencies working in Darfur (as partners to UN), preventing the free movement of the UNAMID (in valagrant violation to what is stipulated in the Status of Forces Agreement-SOFA), editing and doctoring and UNAMID reports, refusing visa granting for the UN appointees to UNAMID, vetoing UN Secretary General envoys(including head of UNAMID and the Force Commanders), “neutralizing” AU official, classifying and labeling its official as “persona non- grata”, spying on their communication system, unleashing militia to ambush and kill UNAMID persons, bull-shitting the ICC and now is daring to eject the Mission by this cunning argument of “exit strategy”.

(4) Darfur minus UNAMID equals second phase of genocide
My argument doesn't sound contradicting either. I remember a journalist once posed me question that goes as “As the UNAMID presence does not please the government as well as its withdrawal will not please the movements, yet both sides criticize the “Mission” on equal foots, does not that sound contradictive?

My answer was like this: “The two criticisms come from different perspective and of different connotations. The government wants to expel the UNAMID all together, while the movements want the Mission to perfect its role. There is no comparison down here.”

So that tallies with today's position too. The UNAMID should be there and be re-enforced. One prerequisite is that the government should take its long hand off the mission and let free to operate respected peace keeping force. It's the UN to correct this situation. Nobody buys this feeble argument of “the government doesn't cooperate”. After all, how one can expect the criminal to willingly give his/ her neck to be hung it?

(5) Where is that slogan “Never again”?
If there is one sure thing terribly felt flat and failed to accommodate the case of Darfur, it's this internationally cherished slogan “Never again” before our eyes. However, under these circumstances it's crucial to rally international support that would influence to mitigate the unfolding of another genocide in Darfur. Thus, it's imperative for the Darfurians, international community (the UN and the AU in particular), “stop-genocide” activists and the media should move to stop this “withdrawal” palaver. What is needed now is the re-enforcement The UNAMID needs and not the abort of the mission.

The writer is a leading member in the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi and humanitarian secretary of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. He is reachable at tmotoy60@gmail.com

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Daniel Bekele is the Executive Director of the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, where he oversees a global staff and supervises research and advocacy. He also represents the organization before national and international organizations as well as government officials.

Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Daniel practiced law in Ethiopia as a partner at Abebe Worke & Associates. He served as the legal department director and secretary of the board for United Insurance Co., and he managed Action Aid Ethiopia's policy research and advocacy departments.

Daniel has extensively consulted with non-governmental organizations including Oxfam, ARTICLE 19, Freedom House, and PACT, as well as with USAID and the World Bank. He has worked in varying capacities with numerous civil society organizations, and led the national-level campaign for the Global Call to Action against Poverty. Daniel's focus includes promoting African civil society organizations, human rights, and good governance.

In the 2005 parliamentary elections in Ethiopia, Daniel was actively involved in promoting human rights, and independent election monitoring, as well as peace initiatives in the aftermath of the post-election crisis. However, he was arrested by the authorities and spent more than two years in prison. He was internationally recognized as prisoner of conscience, and in 2009 received the Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism and in 2010 was nominated for the Martin Ennals Human Rights Defenders Award and the Index Freedom of Expression Award. Daniel received a bachelor's in law and a master's in regional development studies from Addis Ababa University and a master's in legal studies from Oxford University, where he is completing a PhD in international law.

Last Name Bekele Type Experts Senior Management Staff Link to Profile Executive Director, Africa Division Photo Daniel Bekele DanielBekeleRegion / Country

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June 4, 2015 (JUBA)- South Sudanese armed opposition fighters claimed to have taken control of several areas in Lakes, Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states , pointing out that they allegedly inflicted heavy casualties on government troops in the region.

Rebel fighters aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar gather in a village in South Sudan's Upper Nile state on 8 February 2014 (Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Abdallah Kuot, spokesperson of the opposition forces under the overall command of General Dau Aturjong told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that their fighters have taken control of Achana, a strategic town located along the supply line linking northern Bahr el Ghazal with neigbouring Sudan.

The opposition official said several officers and local officials have joined the ranks and files from the areas three days before gaining control of the area without major resistance from the government.

“Our forces have taken complete control of Achana today, which is one of the strategic towns in the area, given that it links the two countries. It is on the supply route to Nyamellel after passing through several other town and villages to Aweil town, capital of northern Bahr el Ghazal state”, said Kuot.

He said fierce fighting has taken place between government and the armed opposition forces in the south west of Western Bahr el Ghazal states after taking control of Bazia.

The clashes, according to local officials and residents, which involved the use of heavy artillery and tanks, has been taking place some 50 kilometers outside Wau, capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state.

There were many reports of injuries inflicted on government forces army whose commanding officers in the area have accused the rebels of launching a full-scale offensive in violation of ceasefire.

Clashes between government troops and the rebels have recently intensified along supply line underlying the intent with which the rival forces are fighting to deny the other of supplies.

“We could hear the battle rage around Bazia, which lies on the main crossing point between Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal. There was a near constant barrage of artillery throughout the afternoon. Smoke rose on the horizon and on three occasions I saw government soldiers firing multiple rocket launchers towards rebel positions”, a local administrative officer told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

Local government Minister in Western Bahr el Ghazal s, Angelo Taban, confirmed in a separate interview that fighting has been taking place in the area but said government forces were in control of the situation. “There have been attempts by the rebels but our gallant SPLA forces have been in control of the situation and now everything is returning to normal”, Taban told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

He claimed that there is clear evidence that a foreign government is helping the rebels in the area and with heavy weapons and soldiers. The exact number of dead might only emerge with time, but both sides appear to have taken significant losses and it remains unclear which side of the rival forces is in control of the security situation.

Meanwhile, opposition fighters under the overall command of General Khamis Abdullatif claimed on Thursday to have overrun government control town of Akot, killing at least six government soldiers and wounding several others in the clash believed to be the first major military engagement in the area since he travelled to the area in early May.

However, several government officials denied that the clashes in Akot were carried out by the armed opposition forces but by armed local youth who went on rampage after one of their colleagues was killed by the government soldiers in the area.

“There are no rebels in Lakes state. The claim that they have taken control of Akot is a mere propaganda. Yes, there was a fighting yesterday but it was not between our forces and the rebels. It was a misunderstanding between the youth and SPLA forces”, said

Daniel Deng Monydit, a Member of Parliament representing Rumbek county in the national legislative assembly in the national legislative assembly said on Thursdsy that the genesis of the misunderstanding between the youth and the government troops was over the commercial truck which the youth stopped and killed the owner.

“What I have been told is that there was commercial truck travelling to Rumbek on the Akot road but it was stopped and the owner was killed and the goods were looted. The SPLA forces were coming from Rumbek and the got the vehicles being looted and the owner killed, so they decided to intervene but the youth did not want to listen. The discussion asking them to stop the looting the vehicle and leave went on at the distance until it reached the pointing of exchange fire during which one person on the side of the youth was killed and another was wounded and the SPLA forces proceeded to Akot," said the MP.

"On seeing that one of their colleagues have been killed, the youth decided to mobilize themselves and followed the SPLA soldiers to Akot where they carried out attack on them, killing six soldiers and wounding others. This is the information I received. It was not a fighting between the rebels and our forces”, he added.

He denied Akot had not fallen to the rebels nor have the rebels ever operated in the area, adding "Those are lies. They want to just take advantage of the situation”.

Observers point out that if Bazia, Akot and Achan remain under the opposition control, it would pose significant security threat to the government forces while representing the most significant gain in territory on the side of the opposition fighters in the region.

The latest violence will spread more distrust and will shake the confidence of leaders and diplomatic efforts trying to broker real peace.

(ST)

June 4, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese security service prevented the leader of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) Farouk Abu Issa from travelling to Cairo for medical treatment, said the opposition coalition.

Sudanese opposition leader Farouk Abu Issa arrives at court for a hearing in his trial in Khartoum on 23 February 2015 (Photo: AFP/Ebrahim Hamid)

Abu Issa and a prominent human rights activist Amin Mekki Madani were in detention from December 2014 to April 2015 for the signing of the Sudan Call declaration with the rebel groups in Addis Ababa.

Also, the security agents prevented Madani from flying to Cairo on 4 May. According to statement released by the Sudan Call forces, he was told by the airport authorities he was still subjected to a ban travel imposed against him since December 2014.

The travel ban against Abu Issa is "a flagrant violation of the constitutional and legal rights, and coincided with the farce Field Marshal Bashir's inauguration after boycotted elections that showed the isolation of his regime and the position of the Sudanese people rejecting him and his party," said the NCF in a statement issued on Thursday.

During his imprisonment, Abu Issa,81-year-old, was transferred to hospital following deterioration of his health condition.

At the time, his family said he suffered from cardiac arrhythmia in addition to other health problems.

The opposition leader used to travel to Cairo and London for medical treatment during the past years.

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June 4, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur cleared itself of any responsibility for the attack on its convoy by an armed gang on Tuesday 2 June saying the local contractor didn't notify them its departure to escort UNAMID Contingent-Owned Equipment (COE).

UNAMID peacekeepers provide protection to WFP trucks during a 100km road trip from El Fasher to Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur (Photo: UNAMID/Albert González Farran),

The Sudanese government militia, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Wednesday said they recovered eight vehicles stolen from the UNAMID by unidentified gunmen. The unescorted goods convoy was attacked in Doma area, South Darfur, while en-route from Nyala to Port Sudan.

In a statement issued on Thursday, UNAMID admitted the recovery of the hijacked vehicles thanks to the efforts of the "South Darfur security authorities".

"UNAMID would like to clarify that the local contractor acted against repeated instructions from the Mission not to move the COE without UNAMID armed escort. Furthermore, the contractor had misinformed the Mission that its convoy will be escorted by an appropriate force from Sudanese Customs Police," said the joint mission.

commenting the recovery of the stolen vehicles, the deputy governor of South Darfur state, Omer Mohamed al-Bashir, said the perpetrators do not belong to rebel groups but disclosed that they all worked for the UNAMID in the past.

Al-Bashir further urged the UNAMID to reconsider some of its contractors, stressing the perpetrators serve agenda of the rebel groups.

The hybrid mission in its statement said grateful for the Sudanese authorities for the recovery of its vehicles and the arrest of the perpetrators.

However the UNAMID regretted that the incident "created the opportunity for misreporting and misrepresentation of the facts of the incident (...)".

South Darfur state is known for criminal activities and robbery committed by armed gangs. Since July 2014 the state authorities have declared an indefinite emergency situation in South Darfur state, including a curfew from 7pm to 7am (local time) in the capital Nyala.

(ST)

June 4, 2015 (KHARTOUM)- Heavy fighting in South Sudan's Unity and Upper Nile states over the last two months has displaced more than 100,000 people and blocked humanitarian aid deliveries for some 650,000 people as aid organizations were forced to withdraw, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday.

Since the beginning of the year, some 60,000 South Sudanese have reportedly fled the country, mostly to Sudan (30,000), Ethiopia (15,000) and Uganda (15,000) bringing the total South Sudanese who fled the country since December 2013 to some 555,000, while some 1.5 million are internally displaced in the country.

Refugees attributed increase in fighting and worsening food insecurity as the main reasons for fleeing their homes. It's estimated that more than 3.8 million people, representing a third of South Sudan's population of 11 million, do not have sufficient food.

UNHCR offices in Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda have all reported sharp increases in arrivals during May.

Last week alone, some 6,000 South Sudanese arrived in Sudan's White Nile and South Kordofan states. The majority are in White Nile State, where 87 per cent of refugee families are headed by women and 72 per cent are children.

" The arriving refugees are currently hosted at the border and a recently opened site known as El Redis II. Given the worsening security and humanitarian situation on the South Sudanese side of the border, UNHCR and its partners are preparing for the refugee influx to grow," the agency said in a statement.

"The upcoming rainy season requires that we pre-position relief items as many of the areas where refugees are located can become inaccessible. To enable continuing humanitarian assistance, UNHCR is constructing a jetty on the White Nile River and building roads to refugee sites. Water and sanitation conditions at many of these sites need to be improved rapidly," it added.

In Ethiopia's Gambella region, more than 6,100 South Sudanese refugees were registered in May, while in April the number was 4,800. Arrivals were at less than 1,000 people a month before this. In addition, an estimated 7,000 South Sudanese are at the Pagak and Akobo entry points waiting to be registered.

UNHCR, the government counterpart and other partners are developing a new site next to the existing Pugnido refugee camp to accommodate new arrivals and as a contingency measure for future arrivals.

At the same time, during the last three weeks, more than 47,000 South Sudanese refugees who had settled in areas that flooded during last year's severe rainy season have now been relocated to a new refugee camp in Jewi near Gambella. The former refugee sites of Leitchour and Nip Nip are being rehabilitated and will be handed over to the host communities.

With the number of South Sudanese fleeing their country increasing rapidly, the refugee agency is extremely concerned that the 2015 South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan that covers the refugee programmes in the neighbouring countries, run by UNHCR and 39 partners, is only funded at 10 percent. This leaves many lifesaving activities such as the provision of clean water, sanitation and health services, food and shelter severely underfunded.

Over a year ago, fresh conflict broke out between government and opposition supporters in the world's newest country, forcing 1.9 million people in the nation of the estimated 11 million from their homes. Over 1.5 million are displaced within South Sudan.

(ST).

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations has honoured Ethiopia for its significant contributions to UN's vast Peacekeeping operations, the Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs said on Friday.

Ethiopian peacekeepers patrol the outskirts of the disputed Abyei town that straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan on 16 September 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

At a ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York to mark International Day of UN Peacekeepers, the United Nations has awarded Ethiopia a medal in honour of its peacekeepers, who sacrificed their lives during line of duty in different peace keeping missions.

Ambassador Tekeda Alemu, Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nation, received the medal awarded to Ethiopia.

The Ministry said Ethiopia has been actively participating in UN peacekeeping operations based on its firm conviction on the principle of collective security enshrined in the UN Charter since the establishment of the United Nations.

Ethiopia, with nearly 8,000 peacekeepers currently serving in UN Peacekeeping Missions around the world is Africa's top contributing nation.

The horn of Africa's nation is also world's fourth largest contributor in terms of the number of its peacekeepers deployed under the United Nations umbrella

Currently Ethiopian Peacekeepers are serving in various UN peacekeeping missions including in Abyei, Darfur and South Sudan.

In addition, more than 4 thousand Ethiopian peacekeepers are deployed in Somalia as part of the AU peace support operation in that country.

The country has for years played significant role in the success of UN peacekeeping and its participation is the most tangible contribution to restoring international peace and security.

(ST)

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced today that the next round of Libyan political dialogue sessions in Skhirat, Morocco, will commence on Monday, 8 June.

The human rights situation in Boko Haram-held areas of northern Nigeria is one of “absolute terror” and “grave” violations, the top United Nations human rights official said today amid a wider call for Nigerian authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of abuses committed by the country’s armed forces.

June 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by the former vice-president, Riek Machar, has dismissed report that its forces were receiving weapons from Sudan.

A photo included in CAR's report showing small calibre ammunition in hessian bag pictured in Malakal on 11 December 2014

In a report published this week, Conflict Armament Research (CAR) unveiled what it said were findings pointing to evidences that Khartoum was supplying the rebels based on weapons and ammunition captured by pro-government forces from opposition forces in Jonglei state late last year.

Some of the weapons examined by the CAR's investigation team at South Sudan army headquarters in Upper Nile reportedly provided important details in the sources of arms supplied to the armed opposition forces.

The document pointed to new weapons manufactured in Sudan or from China in the possession of the rebels while some appeared damaged which suggested they were airdropped to the rebels.

But opposition officials refuted the claims made by the London-based entity, saying South Sudan's government had been buying weapons from Sudan many of which the rebels also captured in several military encounters against president Salva Kiir's government.

“For those who may not know it, South Sudan government buys weapons from Sudan. They also buy others from China as revealed last year when a consignment of $38 million worth of weaponry were shipped through Port Mombassa of Kenya destined for South Sudan,” Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

“Since we have been capturing sizable quantities of weapons from the government, seeing a Sudanese or Chinese manufactured weapon shouldn't be a surprise. It shouldn't also be alleged as evidence of receiving weapons from Khartoum,” he said.

Dak explained that even if the descriptions indicating sources of the weapons were to be true, this did not necessarily mean the weapons were delivered directly to the rebel forces.

He also said when the crisis erupted in December 2013 in South Sudan, the army began to split right from the national capital, Juba. In some areas as the fighting spread to states, he said, forces that joined the opposition also managed to take weapons and ammunition with them.

He said many of the weapons used by pro-government forces were purchased from Sudan and ended up in the hands of the different opposition forces in the country over the years.

(ST)

June 3, 2015 (RUMBEK) - Lakes state authorities have acknowledged that local communities were not in their control or cooperating, saying the public refused to share information with security agents of the government in ending the crisis in the South Sudan's central state.

Map detail of South Sudan showing Lakes state in red

Top state officials pessimistically confirmed that insecurity had further worsened in the state and effort to restore trust in the rural communities was becoming more difficult.

Lakes state security advisor, Marial Amuom Malek, an outspoken politician who also serves as member of state parliament representing Yirol West county, said communities had continued to turn their back on the government as inter-communal fighting escalates coupled with threats from rebels allied to former vice president, Riek Machar, under the command of General Abdel Latif, who hails from the state.

Amuom was reacting to current complex clashes that left 13 people dead on Monday. Two rival communities of Gony and Thuyic have 11 dead from both sides and two policemen were also killed in Abeer in a separate clash on Monday.

“It has been very difficult for the security apparatus to address this situation. We have tried all the levels that we have but still this situation will never give us a chance to rest,” he lamented.

He said the situation had been exacerbated by proliferation of arms in the hands of the civil populations, making it difficult for the security forces to control the heavily armed Dinka youth who had been turning against each other.

He also added that another challenge was those who intended to go for revenge attacks usually avoided areas where the police and army were being deployed.

“They go to the bush somewhere far from where we deployed our forces and they begin killing whoever they come across. This is a major challenge,” Amoum further explained.

He called on the government to carry out disarmament of the youth throughout the state as the best option in order to arrest the situation.

Activists and traditional leaders also criticized Lakes state government for allegedly having failed to stem violence, accusing the state administration of using violent approach that allowed pastoralist youth to become more hostile. The activist also said disarmament is not the best solution because of rebellion threats in the country.

Moses Ater, a Lakes state activist however suggested that disarmament by relatives and friends within the families would be the best model to disarm the hostile youth in the state. He also said intermarriage between the Dinka rival sections should be encouraged while justice is served without favouritism.

Lakes state has been embroiled in cycles of revenge attacks with many citizens blaming government for allegedly failing to curb insecurity. Hundreds of citizens have been killed over the last few years due to inter-sectional fighting.

The situation recently worsened when a joint force of the police and military withdrew from all hotspots in the state, claiming they had no way to collect information due to communities' failure to cooperate with the state authorities.

Data from the state's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reported an increase in crime-related incidences within the volatile region. Youth activists and traditional authorities have repeatedly called for the removal of the military caretaker governor Matur Dhuol amid claims he had failed to stem the violence. President Salva Kiir has however overlooked these calls.

Dhuol was appointed in 2013 after president Kiir sacked elected governor Chol Tong Mayay.

(ST)