Sudan Tribune

November 16, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese armed opposition (SPLM-IO) forces Wednesday claimed the capture of three localities in southern, and northern parts of the country, following heavy fighting.

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)

After the clashes in Juba last July and the appointment of Taban Deng Gai as First Vice President to replace SPLM-Io leader Riek Machar, the two warring parties have resumed clashes in different areas of the country.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, SPLA-IO Spokesperson William Gatjiath Deng said their fighters clashed with the government army in Bazi at the South Sudan-DRC border, Morobo in Central Equatoria and Kaljak in Unity state.

On Tuesday 16, November 2016, the gallant forces, the SPLA/IO have taken the full control of the following towns; Bazi at the South Sudan-DRC border, Morobo in Central Equatoria and Kaljak in Unity state.

Deng alluded to the recent by the SPLA on their positions adding they would not continue to remain in self defence.

"We must take an excessive force to fight this autocrat, ethnocentric regime, since it has chosen unrest and continual belligerents in the country," he said.

"The SPLA-IO, shall always refrain from systematic massacres, abuses of human rights and violation of international humanitarian law in all warfronts of South Sudan," added.

After the failure of the ceasefire, the SPLA-IO on 14 November said they would not participate in a workshop the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMEC) organize in Juba, stressing the need to revive the peace agreement and to restore the liaison offices deployed across the country.

The rebel official also said that the 20 aid workers rearrested by their forces around Nhialdiu payam have been released and moved into Bentiu since Monday.

(ST)

November 16, 2017 (RUMBEK) – The Governor of South Sudan's Eastern Lakes state, Rin Tueny Mabor has sacked the Awerial North county commissioner.

Mabor issued the decree removing Simon Jok on 14 November.

Although no reason was given for the move, Jok believes his removal was linked to the exposure of a financial scandal involving some senior officials.

“I have a problem with one of the staff over the lands; the officer in charge of survey in this county misused the money amounting to SSP 30,000. That money went missing and the officer said he used the money to accommodate the minister of physical infrastructure and deputy governor during their visit to county headquarters which is now being used as a cover up,” Jok told Sudan Tribune Wednesday..

The former commissioner still insists he was a victim of truth-telling.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (JUBA) - The Apuk youth Union, home to Gogrial state governor has issued a statement notifying the general public of their decision to withdraw a vote of confidence in their governor.

Women from a cattle camp walk near Gogrial (Photo Tim Freccia/Enough Project)

The youth, apparently backed by powerful politicians and military officers from the area in different capacities and levels in the government and in private sector, called for immediate intervention of the national government in containing communal dispute in the area.

“The Apuk Youth Union in Juba has resolved to withdraw its support and allegiance from Hon.Abraham Gum Makuac, governor of Gogrial state," the letter extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday reads in part.

It further called for the relocation of security forces to the border points to rescue the deteriorating security situation and urged the national government for immediate intervention for peaceful settlement of community disputes.

The statement explained they decided to call for intervention of the national government because the state government “is incompetent enough and not neutral to solve the problem of the two communities”.

“We call upon the national government to form a fact finding committee to investigate the root cause of the dispute between the Apuk and Aguok communities".

The letter bearing the signature of more than 11 youth leaders, include the head of the union Bol Deng Akeen Apurot, secretary general of the union Darious Adup Anyuon Deng and Lang Madut Aguer Madol, secretary of information.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 16, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia's tourism revenue has shown a decline after months long violent protests, Ministry of Culture and Tourism said on Wednesday.

According to the ministry's report, revenue obtained from tourism has fallen by over 7.4 million USD during the first quarter of the current Ethiopian budget year.

The turn down the ministry said was due to decline in tourists visiting the country in fear of safety after violent protests in many parts of the country.

The state of emergency declared last month was also mentioned as a cause for the turn down in tourists flow to the country.

The ministry said the revenue collected in the first quarter of the year was some $ 872 million, which was below the target set for the quarter.

Thousands of tourists have reportedly cancelled planned trips to the horn of Africa's nation following the violent protests and state emergency.

In the last decade number of tourist visiting Ethiopia has steadily increased.

Ministry Public and International Relations Director, Gezahegne Abate told journalists that the ministry has began dispatching up-to-date information about the current situation of the country to allow tourists get the right information.

Ethiopia is among the top 10 countries recommended to be visited in 2017 by Lonely Planet, the world's prominent travel publisher.

Since last year the east African nation has faced an unprecedented wave of violent protests that claimed the lives of over 500 people.

But the country's most recent protests were sparked after a religious festival in Oromia region turned into violet anti-government protests claiming lives of 55 in stampede.

After the protests spread to many parts of the country, Ethiopia imposed a six-month state of emergency to contain the deadly the anti-government demonstrations which were most held the Oromia and Amhara regions.

The protests first erupted over demands for land rights however later turned in to calling for increased political and economic rights.

Last week, Ethiopia has lifted a ban on diplomats travelling more than 40km from the capital Addis Ababa without permission.

Officials say the travel ban against diplomats was imposed for the safety of diplomats.

The travel restrictions were lifted as the situation nationwide appears to be more stable.

Ethiopia's State of Emergency Inquiry Board last week announced that authorities have arrested 11,607 people under the state decree.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government on Wednesday has welcomed Russia's decision to withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement on Wednesday on the orders of the president, Vladimir Putin, saying the tribunal had failed to live up to hopes of the international community.

“The court has unfortunately failed to match the hopes one had and did not become a truly independent and respected body of international justice” said Russia's Foreign Ministry in a statement Wednesday.

Russia signed the Rome statute of the ICC in 2000 but did not ratify the treaty and thus remained outside the ICC's jurisdiction.

Moscow's decision comes a day after the ICC published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation.

In a statement on Wednesday evening, Sudan's Foreign Ministry welcomed Moscow's decision, saying it gives strong support to the African stance against the Hague-based tribunal.

“[Russia's] decision is a major step on the road to achieve large-scale international consensus to withdraw from this tribunal which has become a mere political tool exploited by some Western powers to achieve its own interests at the expense of the values” read the statement.

Several African governments and the African Union (AU) have voiced concerns over the ICC's fairness, and accused it of targeting African leaders.

They further to say that war crimes court has violated its founding treaty the Rome Statute, when it prosecutes cases investigated by the national jurisdiction.

The 27th AU summit held in the Rwandan capital Kigali last July did not call for a mass withdrawal from the court, despite calls by several African leaders including Sudan.

However, an African Union ministerial committee is debating the issue and is expected to present reform demands at the next meeting of ICC assembly of states parties, in November.

Last month, three African countries who were all full members of the ICC – South Africa, Burundi and Gambia – said that they intend to withdraw from the Hague-based court, alleging it is biased.

Sudan which is not a state member to Rome Statute has been campaigning for an African withdrawal from the ICC which has charged President Omer Hassan al-Bashir with ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide connected to the Darfur conflict.

Established in 2002 to try war criminals and perpetrators of genocide never tried at home, the ICC has opened inquiries involving nine nations, including Kenya, Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, Mali and, most recently, Georgia.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (EL-FASHER) - Unidentified gunmen on Wednesday have attacked a resident in downtown El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state and stole his money at gunpoint.

Abdalla Abdel-Kabeer told Sudan Tribune that three gunmen on an unlicensed vehicle have attacked him in front of the premises of the Ministry of Urban Planning, saying they stole 25,000 Sudanese pounds from him at gunpoint and “drove off in less than half a minute”.

Gunmen commonly use vehicles and motorcycles that don't hold license plates to carry out killing and looting crimes.

Earlier this week, commissioner of El-Fasher locality issued a decision banning movement of unregistered vehicles into the town as of last Sunday, demanding cars owners to register their vehicles.

The decision, which was seen by Sudan Tribune, directed the traffic police and the competent authorities to implement its provisions immediately, saying those who violate the decision will subject themselves to legal accountability and their vehicles could be confiscated.

It is noteworthy that last Friday was the deadline set by the North Darfur government for the registration of the smuggled vehicles.

During his five-day tour in April, President Omer al-Bashir directed the authorities in Darfur's five states to register the smuggled vehicles to prevent the looting and killing crimes.

Last June, a joint campaign between the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and the traffic police in North Darfur had led to the seizure of dozens of vehicles illegally smuggled from the neighbouring countries and in particular noteworthy.

(ST)

November 16, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has reportedly granted amnesty to 750 troops loyal to his main political rival and the country's former First Vice-President Riek Machar.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (Photo: Reuters)

Those pardoned crossed in to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when fighting erupted in the capital, Juba in July this year.

Local media reports quoted South Sudan's Defence Minister Kuol Manyang saying the Juba regime was ready to welcome the armed opposition forces residing in refugee camps in DRC.

“The President of the Republic made an amnesty for those who will be ready to come back and this is the message we were carrying to the authorities in DRC,” Manyang told the Dawn newspaper.

A team, the minister disclosed, would be sent to convey the amnesty message to the rebels, whose leader declared armed resistance against President Kiir in September.

“Those who will want to go back to the army; we will send them to contentment sites where they will be screened. And those who will want to be in the police, will be re-trained,” added the minister.

Violence broke out in South Sudan's capital in July when the two rival forces clashed, leaving hundreds dead and thousands displaced. The incident forced Machar to flee Juba into the DRC.

The Defense Minister, however, said Machar who is currently in South Africa, would have to denounce violence before he is allowed to return into the young nation.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced since conflict erupted between South Sudan's main rival political factions in December 2013.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (JUBA) - The youth from Apuk community in Gogrial, one of South Sudan's newly states, have condemned governor Abraham Gum for what they described as “unfair” distribution of new state counties.

President Salva Kiir adresses a joint press conference on 9 July 2016 (Reuters Photo)

The chairperson of the newly created counties in Apuk area, Bol Deng Akeen accused the governor of allegedly betraying the entire Apuk community.

Makuach is further blamed for failure to deliver services to the community.

“We, the Apuk youth in Juba are extremely outraged by the negative approaches taken by the governor of Gogrial state. Hon. Abraham Gum Makuach by marginalizing and betraying Apuk community,” said Akeen.

The president appointed Makuach on recommendation from the Apuk community.

The general secretary of the area youth entity, Darius Adup Anyuon, also accused the governor of acting contrary to the state transitional constitution.

As such, they have now resolved that a vote of no confidence be passed against the governor, who they now say, caused divisions in the community.

“We urge the national government for immediate intervention for peaceful settlement of our communities' disputes Apuk Giir and Aguok-Kuei for the fact that the state government is incompetent enough and not neutral to solve the problem of the two communities,” reads a statement from the youth.

Calls have been made by youth leaders for the national government to form a fact finding committee to investigate the root causes of disputes between the Apuk and Aguok communities. The warned of possibilities of more violence and tension in the community should South Sudan President Salva Kiir fails to immediately intervene.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese pound (SDG) on Tuesday has hit another historic low against the U.S. dollar on the black market as the dollar exchange rate went up to 17.8 SDG from 17.6 SGD last week.

A worker counts US dollar bills inside a money changer in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum (Photo: Reuters)

Earlier in November, Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) introduced an incentive policy, increasing the exchange rate in commercial banks by 131%. As a result, the U.S. dollar exchange rate went up in banks to 15.8 SDG from the official rate of 6.5 SDG.

However this measure didn't stop the rise of the dollar against the Sudanese pound in the parallel market on Tuesday, as the dollar reached 18 SDG.

Currency traders in the black market last Thursday expected that the Sudanese pound would continue to drop against the dollar. They pointed to the increasing demand while the supply remains very limited.

On Tuesday, Shazali a black market trader told Sudan Tribune that dollar exchange rate last Friday was 17.6 SDG and declined to 17.4 SDG at the middle of the week before hiking again to 17.8 SDG.

The CBoS expected that the incentive policy would help attracting Sudanese expatriates to sell their savings to the official banking institutions.

On the other side, currency trader traders stopped selling the dollar but continued buying, according to Ahmed another black market trader. He explained that they wanted to see the impact of the new measures.

The banks were not able to attract expatriates' remittances during the whole week, as the exchange rate in back market went up.

“We expect that Sudanese pound to continue dropping against foreign currencies because the central bank has no sufficient reserves of hard currency to control the exchange rate,” the trader said.

He added that expatriates have no trust in the CBoS and prefer to transfer their money through the black market which keeps offering interesting rates.

Officials at the finance ministry expected that the new increase of exchange rate for the commercial banks would attract the $4 billion transferred by the expats through the black market.

Traders expect that US exchange rate in the black market might reach 20 SDG within two weeks.

Security authorities usually monitor exchange rate in black market and arrest traders for some time before to release them.

The Sudanese pound dropped down after South Sudan seceded in 2011, as the north Sudan lost three-quarters of oil output, the main source of foreign currency used to support the Sudanese pound and to pay for food and other imports.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (YAMBIO) – The education, gender and social welfare minister in Gbudue, one of South Sudan's newly created states has condemned the killing of two teachers in the recent fighting that displaced pupils preparing for examinations.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

Addressing a public gathering in Yambio on Tuesday, Phillip Pia said the two teachers were killed in the recent fighting between armed groups who attacked the town, but were repulsed by the army.

“It is of great disappointment to see that we are killing teachers who are not supposed to be touched, we are killing the future,” said Pia.

One of those killed was a Mathematics teacher, while the other was the inspector of schools in Gbudue state, according to the minister.

Pia said government imports teachers from neighboring countries.

He further decried the fact that hundreds of pupils have fled their homes, yet schools were to start final examinations as per schedule.

Most of the schools are closed and deserted, mainly in the northern part of Yambio town, as children fled their home into safe locations.

In April, members of South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM) signed an agreement with the South Sudanese government.

Meanwhile, the commissioner of Yambio county, Grace Apolo urged the displaced residents not to randomly run during the fighting.

She said government will do what it takes to protect civilians from armed groups who intend to destabilize residents of Yambio area.

The security situation in the state is tense as people continue fleeing their homes, amidst rumours of a planned attack as government forces deploy.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (JUBA) - The United Nations Security Council has called on Sudan and South Sudan to immediately resume negotiations on the final status of the disputed area of Abyei, saying it constitutes a serious threat to international order.

An officer from the UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei (UNISFA) on patrol in the disputed region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan (AFP)

The call came after the 15-member council voted unanimously on Tuesday to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Abyei, underscoring that peacekeepers are charged with taking necessary action to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.

In its resolution, extending the peacekeepers' mandate in Abyei, the Council further stressed that the future status of Abyei shall be resolved peacefully, through negotiations and not through the unilateral actions of either party.

The Council, in the resolution, expressed renewed concern over delays and stalled efforts to fully operationalize a Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism in the area, which its peacekeepers would support.

Ownership of Abyei, the disputed oil-producing region, remained contentious even after the world's youngest nation split from Sudan in 2011.

On 27 June, 2011, the Security Council, by its resolution 1990, responded to the urgent situation in Abyei by establishing the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

The Security Council was deeply concerned by the violence, escalating tensions and population displacement.

The peacekeepers are tasked with monitoring the flashpoint border between Sudan and South Sudan and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, and are authorized to use force in protecting civilians and humanitarian workers in Abyei.

UNISFA's establishment came after Sudan's government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) reached an agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to demilitarize Abyei and let Ethiopian troops monitor the area.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's National Youth Union (SSNYU) on Tuesday issued a statement calling on all citizens in Juba to come out and demonstrate peacefully in support of Donald Trump's election victory.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives the thumbs up (AFP Photo)

The function, according to a public invitation notice, explains that the essence of the demonstration would to a send congratulatory message and affirmation of support to Donald Trump on his successful election as the 45th president of the United States.

The apparently government-backed demonstration will be held on Thursday and demonstrators are expected to start marching from Dr. John Garang Mausoleum to the U.S. Embassy in Juba where they will hand over a congratulatory message to the U.S. Ambassador for onward delivery to Trump.

This comes after President Salva Kiir appeared on the state owned South Sudan broadcasting corporation which he used a means of sending out his congratulatory to Trump on his victory.

The head of state offered to work closely with him to find a solution to the ongoing war in South Sudan.

He expressed hope that the new U.S. administration will be a new page and respectful bilateral diplomatic ties and cooperation to the mutual of the two countries and their citizens.

(ST)

by Paul Brandus

November 15, 2016 (WASHINGTON) - Had Hillary Clinton won, it would have been easier to answer, but since Mr. Trump's victory over her came as a surprise, there are no clear answers. Trump has never mentioned Sudan. His advisors—who are scrambling for roles and power in the new White House—have never mentioned Sudan.

The Trump administration will likely support democratic development in Sudan—as the Obama administration has and the Bush administration before that—did. But financial aid could be challenged by both the new administration and Republicans, who will continue to dominate both chambers (the House and Senate) in Congress.

Between 2002 and 2015 the United States provided $7.1 billion for humanitarian, transition and reconstruction assistance, and peacekeeping support in Sudan. But no U.S. assistance has been provided directly to the government of Sudan. This policy seems unlikely to change, for now, under a Trump administration.

Trump's foreign policy advisors—who are still being named—will work with outgoing Obama advisors in both the White House and State Department. They will get an update on current American policy, which outlines three key objectives: 1) an end to the conflict with South Sudan and what the U.S. calls “gross human rights abuses, and genocide in Darfur;” 2) Full and ongoing implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and 3) Ensuring that Sudan does not provide a safe haven for international terrorists.

The U.S. is also concerned about what the State Department calls “the Sudanese government's ongoing detention of at least 15 Darfuri individuals, including one Sudanese national employee of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).” The detentions followed a visit by Donald Booth (the Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan) to Sudan's North and Central Darfur states as well as internally displaced persons (IDP) camps at Sortoni and Nertiti in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur from July 26-28, 2016. Many others who were not detained were nonetheless questioned by security officials about the nature of their contact with the Special Envoy.

Here is what the State Department says:

“The United States immediately expressed its concern about the reported detentions to senior Sudanese officials, and we call on the Government of Sudan to immediately release all of those detained. These actions are particularly unfortunate as they undercut the Government of Sudan initially granting permission for the Special Envoy's fact-finding visit and allowing him to travel to areas and speak with individuals of his choosing. Such firsthand knowledge is important to shaping future U.S. engagement with the Government of Sudan and opposition groups and leaders regarding Darfur.”

These ongoing issues, for now, continue to cloud U.S.-Sudanese ties, and the possibility of any normalization if relations. It is too early to say just what—if any—changes could result from the surprising election of Dinald Trump as president of the United States.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) and the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) on Monday have called to escalate the campaign to release political detainees.

Following the government decision to raise fuel and electricity price on November 3rd, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) launched a large arrest campaign and detained 20 leading figures from the SCoP besides several members of the National Umma Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Arab Ba'ath Party, National Alliance Forces (NAF) as well as civil society activists and journalists.

Also, the NISS detained and summoned dozens of the Sudanese doctors participating in the strike that has been ongoing since last month.

On Monday, a delegation from the SPLM-N including its chairman Malik Agar, secretary general Yasser Arman and the movement's representative in South Africa Saber Abu Saadia have met in Pretoria with an SCoP delegate Ihab Al-Sayed al-laythi.

In a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the SPLM-N said it has directed its base to work with the SCoP, the opposition umbrella Sudan Call and the rest of the opposition forces to escalate the campaign to pressure the NISS to release political detainees.

The SPLM-N renewed full solidarity with the detainees from the SCoP, NUP, NAF, SCP and ABP as wells civil society activists, journalists, doctors and all detainees.

The rebel movement said it would raise the issue of the detainees during its meetings with the leadership of the ruling coalition in South Africa and civil society.

It further with the message it received from the acting chairman of the SCoP Abdel-Monem Omer in which he called for the need to reconsider the political process and dialogue talks with the regime and to continue pressure to overthrow the regime.

The SPLM-N also called for the importance to unify the opposition work, demanding its allies in the Sudan Call to take a collective stand to suspend political contacts with the regime particularly after the arrest of some members of the alliance's Leadership Council.

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir said any peace deal with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) would not include the integration of the rebel combatants in the Sudanese regular forces.

Bashir, who was addressing the forces of the Sudanese Military Intelligence, on Sunday, vowed to restore security to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile state next summer "either through peace or war ", stressing "We want to secure the Sudan, protect all our borders and to clear it from any outlaw."

In a leaked audio recording of his speech in the closed-door meeting, the President stressed that the SPLM-N has missed the opportunity.

"In the past, we used to negotiate a (peace) agreement including security arrangements and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process accordingly they are absorbed in the army, the police and security service, but as of today no single outlaw will be absorbed,” he said.

The Sudanese president pointed out that the SPLM-N forces in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states are part of South Sudan's SPLA army.

"They were supposed to give them (SLPA-N fighters) their rights and the latter had to hand over their weapons before to return to Sudan. But they didn't do that in order to negotiate with us," he said, referring to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005.
Al-Bashir however said every SPLA-N fighter who renders his weapon or vehicle will receive a compensation and be appointed in a job through the DDR Commission.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9th 2011 following a referendum on whether the semi-autonomous region should remain a part of the country or become independent. 99% of the southern voters chose independence.

The former SPLA (southern guerrilla army) 9th and 10th divisions in South Kordofan and Blue Nile formed the SPLM-N in the run-up to South Sudan's secession and have been fighting the Sudanese army in the two areas since 2011.

Al-Bashir added the SPLM-N should have changed its name to the “southern sector” because they are actually part of South Sudan's army, saying the rebel movement is now present in the south of the new Sudan, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Commenting on Sudan's relations with South Sudan, al-Bashir said they are ready for peace or war with the newborn nation.

“If they want peace, they are welcome as brothers and if they don't want peace we are ready [for war] and he who refuse reconciliation will come to regret it,” he said.

He pointed that several unnamed powers had worked to separate the south in order to deprive the north of the oil and establish a powerful state to destroy Sudan, saying however their plot had failed and now they are appealing to Khartoum to achieve peace in South Sudan.

DARFUR REBELS TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY

Meanwhile, al-Bashir vowed to deal with Darfur rebels differently and directed his Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf to look into ways to integrate their fighters in the Sudanese regular forces if they choose to join the peace process.

He asked Darfur groups to resort to peace as soon as possible, warning that they would force them to chose peace if they refused to lay down their arms.

It is noteworthy that the Sudanese army on 12 April declared Darfur a region free of rebellion following the capture of Srounq area, the last Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur stronghold in Jebel Marra.

Earlier in August, the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) suspended peace talks on Darfur region, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states after the parties failed to agree on security arrangements and humanitarian access.

Several international, regional and local parties seek to resume talks as soon as possible in order to agree on the cessation of hostilities paving the road for a comprehensive settlement to end the war.

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

(ST)

November 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government under President Salva Kiir has resumed a drive banning media organisations and journalists from interviewing and disseminating any material associated with the former First Vice President and the leader of armed opposition in the country (SPLM-IO), Riek Machar.

A high ranking security officer told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that “no media entity and journalist will be excused from the ban” until a review of the media policy is completed.

“There are orders and directives we have received from the above that no media is allowed to talk to Riek Machar and come and broadcast or print it out here inside South Sudan. If you defy these directives, then the violators will not escape the longest arms of the law. They will have to face the full force of the law," a security officer told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday .

“So be very careful you members of the media, especially those of you in the electronic media who do not comply with the policies of the government because you think you can not be reached. It is a false perception. The government has the longest arms to reach you”.

The officer whose assignment does not allow him to speak to the media in an official capacity said Eye Radio station was shut down for "promoting rebellion".

Citing the closure of Eye Radio, he claimed, some media do not comply with the directives and despite repeated warnings to observe basic ethics of journalisms during interactive public phone programs.

The management of the United States funded radio also admitted receiving information notifying them the cause of the closure of the radio is linked to the airing of a news clip from a press conference held by Riek Machar a month ago.

The operative says forced to take unilateral decision after the station failed to comply with the directives and warnings to cease interviewing rebel officials and stop doing talkback segments in their programs.

Machar, according to the clip said, "We did not see that there is an initiative from the region or the United Nations or the African Union to rescue the agreement. From our side the agreement has collapsed, or part of the government of national unity has collapsed since July events. We do not want violence.”

He was talking about his replacement and the muted regional response.

(ST)

By Eric Reeves

I have been asked regularly over the past week what a Trump victory means for Darfur, and Sudan more broadly. I must confess the gravest concern and a fear that the U.S. intelligence community will have no difficulty in rolling a Trump administration to do its bidding in forging a more “productive” relationship on counter-terrorism issues with the génocidaires who make up the Khartoum regime.

There have been no significant statements about Sudan policy during the beginning of the transition period, as there were none during the entire course of the primary season or in the general election contest with Hillary Clinton, who herself said nothing about Sudan. The one exception comes in the form of a recent statement by Walid Phares, who was hired by Trump primarily as an adviser terrorism and counter-terrorism. Phares has declared that there should be no lifting of economic sanctions against Sudan, a comment that was picked up only by Sudanese on-line news sites, no American or European news organization. Whether Phares will have any meaningful role in a Trump administration is quite unclear; he is a man without a significant political profile, and with questionable credentials. Among other things, he works as a commentator for the hideously ideological Fox News.

This election-year silence on Sudan is in stark contrast with the presidential election won by Barack Obama in 2008, when candidate Obama courted the Darfur advocacy constituency by declaring that genocide in the western region of Sudan was a “stain on our souls,” and that as president he would not “turn a blind eye to human slaughter” by the Khartoum regime that was perpetrating “genocide” in Darfur (“genocide” is a word Obama did not hesitate to use as a candidate and at least early in his presidency.

These words proved thoroughly hollow almost immediately following Obama's inauguration in January 2009, hollowness symbolized by his appointment as Special Envoy for Sudan the appallingly unqualified, ignorant, and inexperienced Air Force Major-General (ret.) Scott Gration. Gration during his two years in the post was almost unfathomably destructive on every front of U.S. Sudan policy. For Darfur, this was especially bad news and by the end of his first term in office, Obama presided over a State Department that had “de-coupled” Darfur—site of what had been described as “genocide”—from the key bilateral issue between Khartoum and Washington: counter-terrorism intelligence from a genocidal regime in return for a U.S. of lifting of economic sanctions first imposed in 1997 because of Sudan's ties to international terrorism. Notably—and with good reason—Sudan remains one of only two countries in the world on the State Department's list of “state sponsors of terrorism,” something Khartoum very much wants to change.

The news today (November 15, 2016) is especially bad as the New York Times reports that the rabid Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, is the leading candidate to be Secretary of State in Trump's administration. Beyond his conspicuously vicious and vindictive nature as a politician, Giuliani will be Trump's hawk on counter-terrorism, and that means he'll be eager to assist the U.S. intelligence community in its effort to push U.S. Sudan policy further in the direction of accommodating Khartoum by whatever means necessary to generate better counter-terrorism intelligence, even if this is at the expense of strengthening a ruthlessly survivalist regime that is presently waging obscenely destructive war against the civilians populations of Sudan: in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile.

Certain to be lost on Giuliani is the irony of his declaring at this summer's Republican convention that President Obama had failed to protect Americans from “Islamic extremist terrorism.” For the regime in Khartoum came to power by military coup in June 1989 as the “National Islamic Front,” a name expediently discarded a decade later, though certainly not because of any change in ideological commitments. From the beginning, the men who hosted Osama bin Laden from 1992 – 1996—formative years for al-Qaeda—have known when and how to seem pragmatic. But they continue to engage in terrorism in the name of Islam, hosting Hamas, supporting Libya Dawn (the Islamist terrorist faction in the fighting in Libya), and until recently helped Iran supply military weapons to the enemies of Israel.

Sudan Today

Ordinary Sudanese throughout the country have long borne the burden of self-enriching economic policies fashioned by this kleptocratic regime, policies that have led to the current ongoing collapse of the Sudanese economy. Inflation is skyrocketing, there is not nearly enough foreign exchange currency necessary to purchase desperately needed food and medicines, as well as refined petroleum products, including cooking fuel. The agricultural sector is in terminal decline, and to generate even more wealth for itself, the regime is selling off or leasing huge tracts of arable farmland and even urban real estate. There is an accelerating process of national “asset stripping” as the regime prepares the way for the necessary exit of its senior leaders and all those who have enabled it to remain in power.

To be sure, European countries—in an effort to stanch the flow of African emigrants to Europe—are engaged in a cruel and callous policy of rapprochement with Khartoum, one that may buy the regime some breathing room. But the collapse of the economy, and hence the regime, is inevitable, even if the tipping point is still unclear. Africa Confidential recently reported on the ascendancy of “securocrats” within the regime, a clear sign that survivalist strategies are still defining domestic policies.

What will the Trump administration make of this all this, if they bother to become familiar with the details of contemporary Sudan? Perhaps our best clue is the appointment, as “senior counselor,” of Stephen Bannon, the man who has run Breitbart News and presided over its stable of racists, anti-Semites, and ethnic nationalists. Bannon's appointment, unsurprisingly, has been hailed by various white supremacists, including former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke.

Given his role in the campaign, and the indications that Bannon will be the true “Trump whisperer” in the new administration, Bannon's own hateful views—described by the venerable Southern Poverty Law Center—are hardly encouraging for the people of Darfur: poor, black, Muslim, and geo-strategically inconsequential. Their ongoing agony would seem to be the last thing that Bannon will concern himself with; and the Sudan file, whatever that may be, will fall to Giuliani (if he is Secretary of State) and a U.S. intelligence community that cares nothing about suffering in Sudan but rather lusts for whatever counter-terrorism intelligence Khartoum might provide. No matter that in extraordinary leaked minutes from an August 2014 meeting in Khartoum of senior security and intelligence officials, former Defense Minister Abdel Rahmin Mohammed Hussein—indicted by the International Criminal Court on multiple counts of “crimes against humanity” in Darfur—can be heard speaking contemptuously of what intel Khartoum actually delivers to Washington.

To answer the question with which if began, I can only say that on the basis of all I know, and all that has been reported of the new administration-in-the-making, the future for the people of Darfur and the marginalized regions of Sudan, to the extent that future is defined by U.S. policies under a President Trump, simply could not look bleaker.

Eric Reeves has written extensively on Sudan for almost two decades; he is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights

November 10, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Minni Minnawi, the leader of a Sudan Liberation Movement faction (SLM-MM) Thursday congratulated the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for winning the presidential race, and called him to "put into an end the ongoing genocide" in Darfur.

One of Trump's foreign policy advisers Walid Phares said the future president would support Sudanese in the marginalized areas and would work to implement the decisions of the International Criminal Court against President Omer al-Bashir.

"On behalf of the Sudan Liberation Movement /Army (SLM/A) would like to seize this opportunity to extend to you my sincere congratulations for being elected as president of the United States of America (USA);" said Minnawi in a congratulation message seen by Sudan Tribune.

He further reminded Trump that he is the president-elect of a country that always stood in support of our legitimate cause, pointing that people of Darfur continue to be "subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing by their own government on racial basis" for more than a decade.

Darfurians "are anxiously waiting to see your administration to swiftly move and put into an end the ongoing genocide," he said.

Also he called on Trump to implement "promises made by the previous U.S. administrations" of former George Bush and the outgoing Barak Obama to rescue Darfur people from the "genocidal regime".

Sudanese armed groups are frustrated by the dialogue engaged by the administration of President Obama with the Sudanese government and several times regretted the "belle epoque" of Bush administration.

Obama's Special Envoy Donald Booth worked hard during this year to bring the armed groups to the negotiating table with the government in a process brokered by the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) led by President Thabo Mbeki.

Talks on Darfur conflict however are stalled as the armed groups want to open the framework agreement of thr Doha Document for Peace in Darfur but the government rejects their demand.

(ST)

November 10, 2016 (El GENEINA) - Darfur Crimes Court in the capital of West Darfur State on Thursday has sentenced a police officer to 20 years in prison and fined him for rapping a young girl in an El-Geneina neighbourhood.

Nyala courthouse (ST photo)

According to a news bulletin released by the Office of Darfur Special Prosecutor in El Fasher and seen by Sudan Tribune, the sentence was issued in accordance with the article 45/B of the Child Act, 2010.

Therefore, the police officer was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of rape, and was fined 5000 SGD and in the case of non-payment he would be jailed for additional six months.

The judge of Darfur Crimes Court in El Geneina, Adam Oshar, has submitted the sentence to the Supreme Court for ratification.

The convicted police officer was arrested for rapping a young girl in Al-Jebel neighbourhood on the first day of last September.

The trial lasted for four sessions and the life sentence was passed after he admitted to his guilt.

Darfur Crimes Court was established in 2005 after the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to investigate the war crimes committed in Darfur.

However, Sudan refused to cooperate with the ICC, saying that local courts are able to examine the crimes committed since the eruption of Darfur conflict in 2003.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003 and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)

November 10, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has sent a congratulatory message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying he hopes the new administration can advance "respectful bilateral political and diplomatic relations."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives the thumbs up (AFP Photo)

President Kiir, whose congratulatory message to Trump was broadcast by the official South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation TV on Wednesday as a lead broadcast expressed hopes that a new chapter between the two countries will see “respect for non-intervention in internal affairs."

The head of state did not say anything about the conflict which the leader of armed opposition, Riek Machar, appealed the attention of the new U.S. administration, saying he hopes it would play a role in ending the conflict in the country.

“I hope the coming into power of Donald Trump in America through elections, albeit of how he was polarized would tell Riek Machar and his supporters that the only way to get to power must always be through elections,” said Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny.

Machar in his congratulation message to Trump accused President Salva Kiir of pursuing a war agenda, and committing genocide in December 2013.

Kiir who was under huge pressure by Obama administration, called Trump last March to express his support and described him as the right candidate deserving support to win the race.

(ST)