Sudan Tribune

November 10, 2016 (JUBA) – The United States Ambassador to South Sudan, Mary Catherine (Molly) Phee, said Washington policy for South Sudan is supported by both Republican and Democrat parties.

U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Mary Catherine (Molly) Phee (courtesy photo)

In an interview with the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) TV on Wednesday evening, U.S envoy in Juba said the election of Republican Donald Trump will not usher in a new agenda for South Sudan.

“I don't think you should expect any immediate changes towards South Sudan, and in fact, there is sometimes a misunderstanding in South Sudan about the policies of different U.S. administrations,” said Phee.

“We say in the United States that policies which enjoy support from both Democratic and Republican parties are bipartisan. For decades there has been bipartisan support for the people of South Sudan, and I don't have any anticipation that it will change,” she stressed.

President Salva Kiir and former First Vice President and chairman of the armed SPLM Riek Machar congratulated U.S. President-elect Trump. The rival parties are hoping to benefit from a new position of the American administration on the three-year conflict.

In the ten minutes interview, Ambassador Phee said the strength of American democracy is the acceptance of results by all parties and putting the nation's interest first. She said women like defeated Democratic Presidential nominee have realized their dreams in America.

"Women like myself have leadership positions in the United States, and they will continue to have leadership positions. As Hillary Clinton said, you have to knock on the glass ceiling, and I am sure there will be other women who will come forward to knock on the glass ceiling,” she said.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (JUBA) –The South Sudanese rebels Wednesday said they killed more than 21 government soldiers who attempted to recapture their position in northern Upper Nile region.

Rebel fighters walk in front of a bushfire in a rebel-controlled territory in Upper Nile State, South Sudan February 13, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

“We were attacked this morning by enemy forces around 7:30 am at Zaket, just 15 kilometres away from Wadekona town, but we repulsed back the attackers to the town,” SPLM-IO Spokesperson Paul Malieth told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The rebel official said they have captured three soldiers alive and destroyed two armoured vehicles as they battle around Zaket.

He said they also captured in good condition 18 AK47, 6 PKM and two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG 7) as well as ammunitions when they were pushing SPLA forces toward Wadekona.

In a separate phone interview rebel commander Brigadier Gen. James Gatluok Nhial confirmed to Sudan Tribune the clashes between SPLA-IO and government forces in the area.

He said five rebel fighters were wounded in the attacks, adding that no fatalities were reported on their side.

Nhial further pointed an accusing finger to the soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir saying they started the fighting in the northern part of Upper Nile State.

He said their forces repulsed the attackers and advance toward Wadekona at the western bank of the Nile, and one of the most disputed areas between the two warring groups during the last two year of the conflict.

Recently, a report of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) which is tasked with the monitoring of the situation in South Sudan has mentioned that government troops violated the ceasefire and attacked SPLA-IO controlled areas.

The JMEC in its report of October said the SPLA soldiers attacked the rebel forces in Leer and Gezera of Rubkotna County.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) announced on Tuesday they have initiated an intensive campaign, with the support of many groups, to pressure the authorities to free the detained doctors.

On 6 October, Sudanese doctors staged a strike and refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and protection of doctors after increasing attacks by frustrated patients and their families.

“We have set up an account via Twitter to launch a campaign with the support of Sudanese and international human rights activists and journalists to demand the release of detained doctors." CCSD said in a press release.

They pointed that 11 doctors from CCSD and subcommittees have been detained by National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) since nine days.

According to the statement seen by Sudan Tribune, the detainees are: Hassan Karrar, Omer Ahmed Saleh, Hosam al-Amin, Mohammed Abdel Latif, Mohamed Mujtaba, Abdallah Qureshi, Jihad Abdel Moneim, Ahmed al-Abwaba, Mohamed Hilali, Seid Ganat and Ahmed Sheikh."

The committee disclosed that NISS summoned on Tuesday other doctors and interrogated them “the number of doctors who have been summoned by NISS repeatedly reached 57,” it said.

On Tuesday, Amnesty International urged the Sudanese government to release ten doctors recently arrested and to halt security summons to the striking members of CCSD.

“The detained doctors are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The ten were part of a group of 29 doctors arrested then released without charge on 29 October,” Amnesty stressed.

However, the CCSD last Tuesday announced resumption of a two-day strike every week during November, saying the government didn't honour its commitments.

On 13 October, the CCED called off the strike following government pledges to introduce a bill to the parliament to protect doctors, improve training conditions for registrars and improve work environment in hospitals.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (YAMBIO) - A teacher from Kings College in Gbudue, one of South Sudan's new states was on Wednesday shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The college principal, Sindani John said the deceased was ambushed while heading to school.

“I delegated my duty master to go and begin the program of the day at school but to my dismay I received a call that my master has been shot dead,” explained Sindani.

The incident, he said, has caused panic and fear among the residents.

It is still unclear the motive behind the killing of Emmanuel Dominic.

Calm has returned to the area, although there are fears of similar attacks.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has ordered all the state governors to take a complete charge of the security situation in their respective states.

SPLA forces patrol the street of Wau town on May 16, 2016 (ST)

Kiir, who has been meeting governors of the 28 states in governor over the past days, said that the government was now preparing to implement peace.

“As you return to your states, please make it a priority to ensure security situation is under control and make an urgent matter to mobilise the communities to accept working together for peace, reconciliation and unity of the people,'' said the president in a statement broadcast by the official TV South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Tuesday.

"This is very important. The country needs to move forward with the implementation of the peace agreement,” he stressed.

The head of state, whose meetings with the state governors has been the lead broadcast over the past three days, was featured on Tuesday holding separate meetings with the governor of Northern Liech, Aweil East, Yei and Gdudue state. All of whom reportedly briefed him about what they are doing in their troubled states.

South Sudan has been in a brutal civil war for the past three years as Salva Kiir struggles to consolidate his power, as the existence of his administration appears limited to major town in Upper Nile and now Equatoria region.

Armed insurgents loyal to the former Vice President and opposition leader, Riek Machar, continue to say they would march on Juba if the regional peace implementation mechanism fails to resuscitate the peace agreement.

The government has lost control of areas within the Central Equatoria and also major roads that connect Juba to major towns.

The deteriorating security situation on high ways pushed President Kiir to threaten that the best thing he will do is to relocate his army headquarters to Yei to better command and direct his troops to defeat rebels, a statement that was highly challenged by the opposition and human rights groups.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (NYALA) - Ten people were killed and fifteen others injured on Wednesday in a retaliatory attack by armed cattle herders in Goghana area at the locality of Graida, 86 km. south of Nyala, South Darfur state capital.

On Tuesday, five people were killed and several others wounded in violent attacks between cattle herders and farmers in Goghana area prompting Wednesday's retaliatory attack.

Member of South Darfur's legislative council from Graida constituency Omer Mohamed Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune that armed herders attacked the villages of Dahab Sharo, Myola, Kafla and Roina at Goghana administrative unit in Graida locality.

“Gunmen from the herders' militias riding on four-wheel vehicles, horses and camel backs have carried out a barbaric attack against villages of voluntary return in the area killing 10 residents and injuring others” he said.

“Some residents sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Graida hospital for treatment,” he added.

He pointed that large numbers of IDPs have returned to the camps following the attack which led to the burning of four voluntary return villages, adding the herders destroyed and looted the farms following the attack.

Clashes between farmers and pastoralists in the past led to furious tribal clashes and dozens of people were killed and massive displacement occurred after burning down villages.

It is noteworthy that large numbers of IDPs refuse to return to the original villages, demanding protection against the Arab cattle herders who are allied with the government.

To fight a rebellion that erupted in 2003 in Darfur, the Sudanese government armed the Arab tribes, mainly pastoralists, to fight insurgents from the African tribes, who are farmers.

The two groups have often conflict over water and land in the arid region.
Ibrahim said the security situation has significantly deteriorated following the attack, pointing to inability of the limited military force in the area to maintain security and impose the rule of law.

He called upon South Darfur government to take immediate measures to stop the lawlessness situation in the area, pointing out that the residents, particularly women and children are living in dire humanitarian conditions.

The MP further said the repeated attacks against the voluntary return villages have posed a real challenge to the federal government, demanding the latter to assume its responsibility and deal with the issue as a top priority.

For his part, Haroun Abdalla, local administrative chief told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that farmers in Goghana area accused cattle herders of trespassing on their farms, pointing that clashes erupted between the two groups killing 2 farmers and 3 herders and injuring others from both sides.

South Darfur State and its capital Nyala, the largest town in the region, have been witnessing a state of security breakdown in recent years.

Since July 2014, the governor of South Darfur Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared an indefinite emergency situation in the state, including a curfew from 07:00 pm to 07:00 am (local time) in Nyala.

The decision also banned riding of motorcycles by more than one person, holding weapons while wearing civilian clothes, vehicles driving around without license plates, and wearing of Kadamool (a turban which covers the face).

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Minister of Information Ahmed Bilal Osman on Wednesday said members of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) were arrested for inciting residents to topple the regime following government decision to raise fuel and electricity price.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, SCoP said the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has detained its chairman Omer al-Digair and seven leading members on Tuesday.

The opposition party said with al-Digair's arrest, the number of its detained members has risen to twenty-one members.

Osman, who spoke at the Information Ministry's regular media forum Wednesday, said SCoP's members who are found to be involved in the incitement against the regime would be referred to justice and the rest will be released.

In recent months, the SCoP has challenged the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and organized political activities in public and open places calling on the citizens to resist the regime and take to the streets in protest against the deterioration of living conditions at all levels.

Osman downplayed the view that the government austerity measures have undermined the national dialogue process, saying "this is not true".

On Saturday, the largest partner in Sudan's government, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani criticized the economic measures and described them as “the first nail in the coffin of the national dialogue and its outcome”.

SCoP leader Omer al-Digair (ST Photo)

Also, a number of political parties participating in the dialogue said the government took its decision at entirely the wrong time, saying this would undermine the dialogue process and raise political tension.

However, Osman said these measures were taken to rescue the Sudanese economy “in order not to repeat the experience which we went through in 2013”.

In September 2013 following the government's decision to lift fuel subsidies, demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.

Last week, the government lifted fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to stop the surge in inflation and control the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

Several small-scale protests broke out in several towns across Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, Atbara, Wad Madani and Nyala to protest the government's move.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (PRETORIA) - South Sudan's ex-First Vice President, Riek Machar has congratulated the newly elected United States President, Donald Trump, saying it ushers in an era of stronger relations.

Machar speaks on a mobile phone after an interview with Reuters in Kenya's capital Nairobi July 8, 2015

“We trust that together with your people and working closely with other world leaders who share the same ideals of democracy, justice, human rights and economic empowerment, your presidency would usher in a new order where honesty and transparency are b the bases for relations,” he said in a statement.

Machar, who leads an armed rebel movement, urged Trump to play a role a greater role in ending three years of conflict in South Sudan.

He accused South Sudan President Salva Kiir of pursuing a war agenda, despite the popular liberation struggle for the right of self-determination which led to South Sudan's independence in 2011.

“The country is now governed by a regime that has committed genocide in December 2013 and plunged the country into a war that continued to date. The regime aborted the peace agreement that was signed in August 2015 and is currently engaged in targeted killings, rapes and force displacement of communities based on ethnicity,” the rebel leader, currently in South Africa, stressed.

According to Machar, his armed opposition movement, remains committed to peaceful resolution of the conflict to end the suffering of people and strongly opposes any militarily remedy to the conflict.

He urged Trump and his new administration to stand behind South Sudanese in the current suffering to bring peace in the country.

“It is our hope that your new administration would have a fresh look at the situation in South Sudan and deal with it fairly as you stated. Mr. President Elect, in your victory speech. My people are yearning for peace. We wish you success,” further said the ex-Vice President.

Many South Sudanese believe the coming of Republican candidate to the most powerful country could have a positive impact and lasting solution to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (JUBA)- Kenyan troops serving in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have started leaving the country in compliance with withdrawal order by the government.

Last week, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the withdrawal of troops in response to the sacking of the Kenyan commander of the UNMISS force.

Multiple sources with the United Nations told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that up to 100 Kenyan soldiers and officers have pulled out from Wau.

“Oh yes, 100 Kenyan soldiers and officers have gone today. They came from Wau, which is one of the places to which they have been deployed in the country. They are in Kuacjok, Wau and Aweil,'' a UNMISS official told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The official, who is not authorised to speak with the press, added that the withdrawal of Kenyan troops would take some days because they need to be replaced.

"What is happening now is that the United Nations is deploying Nepalese soldiers to places in which Kenyan were deployed. Today, a company was deployed to Wau”, he added.

He further said the world body was exerting necessary efforts to fill the gap from other places.

“Because the mission does not want to create a vacuum, the management has started pulling out troops from other areas and started deploying them to where Kenyans are leaving,” he said.

Last Thursday, United Nations peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous regretted Kenya's decision to withdraw troops from South Sudan.

Ladsous pointed that Kenya has been a solid contributor to UN peacekeeping efforts in South Sudan. Also he said the United Nations is assessing what consequences Kenya's withdrawal will have on a UN plan to beef up its peacekeeping force there.

The French diplomat underlined that there are over 200,000 displaced persons in the UNMISS camps, relying on UN protection. He added that the UN is trying to deploy reinforcements as quickly as possible.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM/WASHINGTON) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir Wednesday has congratulated newly-elected US President Donald Trump upon his election as the next U.S. president, as a Trump adviser pledged to not lift sanction on the east African country.

"I am pleased to extend to Your Excellency in my name and on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Sudan warmest and most sincere congratulations on your election as President of the United States of America," said he in a message to the elected president.

Al-Bashir further expressed his best wishes to Trump adding "looking forward to work with you to upgrade relations between our two friendly countries."

Sudan has been under US economic sanctions since 1997 and remains on the US blacklist of state sponsors of terror since 1993. After 2003 sanctions were twice tightened over the conflict in the Darfur region and human rights violations in other parts of the country.

Trup didn't speak about Sudan during his election campaign. However one of his foreign policy advisers, Walid Phares, vowed to support the struggle of Sudanese people for freedom.

In a telephone call to American-Sudanese from the Nuba Mountains area South Kordofan two days before the elections, Phares regretted that the issue of Sudan "has been marginalized" by Obama's Administration during his two terms.

He further vowed that if Trump is elected his administration in the first 100 days would appeal to the international community to start putting a policy that would address and stop the "drama" of Sudan and South Kordofan particularly.

The adviser who is of Lebanese-Maronite origins further said they would work with the war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court (ICC), to implement its decisions on Sudan, before to say they would not lift the economic embargo.

"There is no reason for why we and our European allies lifting the sanctions, this is unacceptable. Lifting the sanctions on Bashir's regime is not acceptable," Phares emphasised.

Further he went to pledge to provide the necessary support for the Nuba people to decide for their future and pointed to the case of Kurd in Syria and Irak.

''We will give you the ability first of all to not be suppressed and second of all to get the freedom for decide for yourself," he said before to conclude by appealing the Nuba community in the United States to vote for Trump.

Last October, President Barak Obama extended Sudan's sanction for another year saying that The actions and policies of the Sudanese government continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States".

Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour Wednesday said he do not expect major change in the U.S. policy towards Sudan.

Nonetheless, Ghandour stressed that Sudan would continue to engage in dialogue with the United States until it reaches understandings to normalize bilateral relations.

He further expressed hopes that the new U.S administration leadership "remember that there is a country that has been under sanctions since more than twenty years without any guilt. And (these sanctions) have affected the Sudanese people and the vulnerable in particular."

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum Tuesday has urged American citizens in Sudan to remain vigilant in the wake of protests against the recent lifting of fuel and electricity subsidies.

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)

In a security message posted on its website on 8 November, the embassy urged the US. citizens to "review (their) personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates".

"Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security," the message further stressed.

Sudanese Minister of Interior Ismat Abdel Rahman Zein al-Abdin on Monday announced that his ministry has plans to prevent violent protests on the increase of fuel and electricity prices similar to what happened in September 2013.

He further said they have information about protests that opposition groups are planning to carry out

“We would not raise the state of alert to 100% until we see how things are going to develop,” said Zein al-Abdin.

In September 2013, the police and security services violently broke up the anti-austerity protests killing over 200 demonstrators according to right groups but the government put the death toll at 85

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's President Omer Hassan al-Bashir travelled on Tuesday to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa where seven African leaders meet at the African Union headquarter to launch a new initiative to solve the 5-year-old Libyan crisis.

President Omer al-Bashir speaking at the opening of the second parliamentary session 19 Oct 2015 (Photo SUNA)

The meeting of the African Union Panel on Libya on Tuesday discusses outcomes and measures of meetings held previously in Algiers, New York and Vienna on the Libyan crisis.

Al-Bashir was accompanied by a high level delegation including Foreign Affairs Minister Ibrahim Ghandour, Minister of Presidential Affairs Fadl Abdallah Fadl, Director of the National Intelligence and Security (NISS) Gen. Mohamed Atta, and Director of the Presidential office General Taha Osman.

According to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the delegation was received by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ismael Sharfi and the chief of protocol at the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

For his part, Sudanese Ministry Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Ambassador Garib Allah Khidir said that the meeting is held at AU headquarters with the participation of the leader of Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Niger and Chad, as well as representatives of the five regions of Africa.

In the light of the report which is presented by the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, the meeting would seek the appropriate ways to strengthen the ongoing efforts to restore stability and security to Libya.

In her speech to the meeting African Union chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said that 2.4 million Libyans are in need of humanitarian assistance. She added that inter-factional fighting forced some 350,000 people to flee their areas.

"The economic situation in Libya is equally dire with destruction of infrastructure leading to a dangerously low oil production. This situation cannot continue," Zuma said.

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Amnesty International on Tuesday urged the Sudanese government to release ten doctors recently arrested and to halt security summons to the striking members of the independent doctors union, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD).

On 6 October, Sudanese doctors staged a strike and refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and protection of doctors after increasing attacks on medical staff by frustrated patients and their families.

On 13 October, the CCED called off the strike following government pledges to introduce a bill to the parliament to protect doctors, improve training conditions for registrars and improve work environment in hospitals.

However, the CCSD last Tuesday announced resumption of a two-day strike every week during November, saying the government didn't honour its commitments.

This time National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has detained and summoned dozens of the striking doctors.

In statement to media, Amnesty International pointed that the whereabouts of ten medical doctors remain unknown after being arrested by the Sudanese National Intelligence Service (NISS) between 30 October and 6 November.

“The detained doctors are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The ten were part of a group of 29 doctors arrested then released without charge on 29 October,” stressed the statement.

Amnesty international statement further pointed that the doctors were questioned by NISS for several hours about their role and activities in relation to the strike and about their political affiliations.

The human rights body statement went to say that, Abdallah Gorushi, Ahmed Alabwabi, Hasan Karar, Husam Alamin, Jihad Abdel Monim, Mohamed Abdullatif, Mohamed Bashir Hilali, Mohamed Elmujtaba, Nasir Shaga Nasir and Omer Ahmed Saleh were arrested again between 30 October and 6 November.

“The other 19 doctors who were released on 29 October are required to report every day to the NISS offices from 8am to 10pm,” added the statement.

Amnesty International has further called on the Sudanese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of the detained doctors; release them immediately unless they are promptly charged with a recognizable criminal offence and to ensure that the ten doctors are granted regular access to their family and medical treatment.

It is worth noting that NISS has detained several leaders from CCSD including its chairman Dr. Hussein Karar, CCSD spokesperson Dr. Husam Badawi, CCSD member Dr. Omar Salih and the general surgeon Dr. Ahmed al-Sheikh.

Earlier CCSD pointed that NISS has summoned 42 doctors across Sudan.

In a related development the Sudanese presidency has denounced doctors' strike, saying it is a pressure card used by doctors to respond to their demands.

Speaking at the National Blood Transfusion Workshop in Khartoum on Tuesday, Vice President Hassabo Abd al-Rahman pointed that medicine is a humane profession and it is not wise to use it as a pressure card.

“Government allocates $ 155 million annually to provide free of charge service to emergency, heart, cancer and kidney patients,” said Hassabo, adding that health services sector is heading on the right direction.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (RUMBEK) – The 24 South Sudanese youth arrested by Kenyan police at a wedding gathering in the capital, Nairobi on Thursday have been released.

The group was accused of holding a public gathering without notifying the Police.

Their release came after the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and South Sudan chiefs intervened.

Daniel Yor Deng, one of those detainees, described the three days in detention as a “tough one”.

In an earlier interview with Sudan Tribune, Andrew Agok, a South Sudanese embassy official in Kenya, blamed the youth holding an illegal gathering.

“You all know that our relationship with the Kenyan government is in excellent stages since their general [head of United Nations peacekeepers was sacked from South Sudan,” said Agok.

“Our cooperation should continue. If you abuse the law then the law will have a solution [for you]”, he stressed.

Last week, Kenya deported South Sudan rebel leader, Riek Machar's spokesperson from Nairobi, despite UNHCR's appeal to halt the process.

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) has called on the residents of Khartoum to mobilize for civil obedience and popular uprising and escalate various forms of daily resistance to overthrow the regime.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, SCP chapter in Khartoum said the political and economic crisis has taken hold, saying the recent austerity measures are clear evidence of a steadily worsening situation.

Sudanese government on Thursday lifted fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to stop the surge in inflation and control the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

The statement added that large segment of the society couldn't bear price hikes, saying the regime and its affiliates are the primary beneficiaries from the government decisions.

It further mentioned the recent protests against the austerity measures, pointing to ongoing efforts of the various segments and sectors of the society including students, farmers, professionals and workers to topple the regime.

It is noteworthy that several small-scale protests broke out in several towns across Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, Atbara, Wad Madani and Nyala against government's decision to lift fuel and electricity subsidies.

On Monday, Sudan's Minister of Interior General Ismat Abdel Rahman Zein al-Abdin said his ministry is ready for the worst scenarios, adding that the security situation is stable now.

In September 2013 following the government's decision to lift fuel subsidies, demonstrations broke out in several Sudanese states. Rights groups said that at least 200 people were killed but the government put the death toll at 85.

Meanwhile, the opposition United People's Front for Liberation and Justice (UPFLJ) described the government decision to lift fuel subsidy as “false claim”, saying it aims to enrich the corrupt regime affiliates.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, UPFLJ chairman Zaineb Kabashi Issa, said the moment of revolution has indeed come, stressing the regime exhausted all the tricks it has.

It pointed that the regime continued to repress and impoverish the Sudanese people for twenty seven years, saying time has come to overthrow the worst regime in Sudan's history.

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (KAMPALA) - The Union of Jieng Council of students in East Africa has re-instated former chairperson, Kuol Gai who was dismissed last year over his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal.

South Sudanese students at their embassy in Kampala, Uganda (ST/File)

Gai was this week declared free from any corruption accusation.

The union speaker, Bol Kuany told Sudan Tribune this week that the student body, at a meeting, found that Gai was innocent.

Kuay described those who opposed the former chairman as “self-motivated” individuals who want to destabilize the student body.

“Due to the presentation of accountability that the most wanted chairman made, it was satisfactory and left everyone without doubt including the “worms” in the government,” said Kuay.

The deputy secretary general of the union, Thomas Luac, said Gai missed his entire semester as he was mobilizing funds for the union.

Charges against the former chairman, he stressed, were unfounded.

The ex-leader of the union, it was alleged, confiscated SSP140,000 (about $2000), which caused uproar and his eventual dismissal.

However, in the vote to have him reinstated, the former chairman was voted by the 2/3 majority (29), yet only 1/3 of the members had earlier passed the resolution that paved way for his impeachment.

Gai resumed office on 3 November. The next election is in May next year.

(ST)

Nov 07, 2016 (YAMBIO) – At least six armed men were killed when they attacked a South Sudan army (SPLA) barracks in Gbudue, one of the country's newly-created states, officials said on Tuesday.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

The attack, the Ezo county commissioner said, also displaced hundreds of civilians.

“At 6:30 am this [Tuesday] morning, I was inside my house and I heard sounds of shootings believed to be between rebels and the government forces. The situation was tense when I came outside, forcing me to run to the nearby church where I am now with hundreds of civilians,” Badin Michael Mboro told Sudan Tribune.

The displaced, he said, fled to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR), while others found refuge in bushes and in a nearby Catholic church within Ezo.

The unknown attackers, according to the commissioner, were repulsed and fled after they looted several properties from civilians. No soldier was injured or killed.

Locals in Ezo lauded the United Nations mission in the country (UNMISS) for its immediate response to the attack, in line with its rightful mandate to protect civilians.

No groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack.

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudanese government has accepted participation of neighbouring countries in a UN mandated regional force, representing a major shift in its earlier position opposing contribution and deployment of troops from countries with which it shares direct borders.

The circumstances under which the government made such an abrupt decision remain unclear. No official explanations were made with the regards to the previous stance on the contribution of troops from neighbouring conuntries.

However, several military and security officers told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that the initial concerns were due to how some countries were perceived as sympathetic to the cause of armed opposition under the leader of the former First Vice President Riek Machar.

The Chief of General Staff of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), Paul Malong Awan, accepted and welcomed contribution of the countries from the region. General Awan reversed the previous stance of the government during a meeting with Ethiopian military officials about how they could participate in the regional force.

The decision followed a recent visit of the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to South Sudan capital, Juba, where he struck a deal on bilateral cooperation with the government of President Salva Kiir, including assurance to not support and host armed dissident group operating against either of the regimes.

The Ethiopian prime minister's visit was later followed by a visit of the chief of general staff to Ethiopia where he had the opportunity to meet and discussed bilateral security matters with security officials. Also, the two sides agreed to upgrade and strengthen their military cooperation.

In a bid to confirm what South Sudan's army commander had relayed to his Ethiopian counterpart, the top military officers and intelligence officers in the Ethiopian government also visited South Sudan where they were finally assured of the commitment to allow their participation in the regional protection force.

A presidential source on Tuesday said the President has permitted the participation of neighbouring countries because they have now recognised the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai as the legitimate replacement of his predecessor and agreed to not host or support armed dissident groups operating against the Transitional Government of National Unity.

“There was a fear that troops coming from countries with direct border with us were going to take side in favour of the SPLM-IO led by Riek Machar as part of the regime change agenda. But now it is clear, given the ways things are happening these days," a presidential source told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

"The political environment appears to be changing because these countries seem to have now understood the position of the government on a number of issues. So there is no reason to reject their contribution as long as they stand their position of the government and their role in the protection force,” he stressed.

Meanwhile Santo Domic, a SPLA Deputy Spokesperson said that Chief of General Staff Gen. Paul Malong discussed the matter with the Ethiopian officials and agreed they participate in the deployment.

The discussion, he said, centred on the deployment of the protection force and implementation of the country's peace agreement.

Awan, according to Dominic, stressed that South Sudan is not against the participation of any troops from the neighbouring countries in the regional force. The chief of general staff described neighbouring countries brothers to accept any forces from them.

During a visit of a Security Council delegation to Juba last September, President Kiir accepted the deployment of a 4,000-strong regional force mandated by the UN Security Council to protect civilians, in addition to the 12,000 UN peacekeepers already deployed.

(ST)

November 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has launched massive arrest campaign against members of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), detaining its chairman and seven leading members on Tuesday.

SCoP leader Omer al-Digair (ST Photo)

In the early morning of Wednesday, Sudanese Congress Party announced the arrest of its leader Omer al-Digair, in addition to several other members from the party's headquarters in Shambat suburb, north of Khartoum.

According to a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, al-Digair was arrested at 02:00 am on Wednesday 9 November from his home in Omdurman.

The opposition party said with the al-Digair's arrest, the number of its detained members has risen to twenty-one members.

SCoP has escalated popular mobilization activities against the government following a decision to raise fuel and electricity price.

On Friday, the NISS arrested SCoP deputy chairman Khaled Omer Youssef from his home after holding an open air address in Khartoum's southern neighborhood of Al-Deim.

On Sunday, SCoP's chairman of the Central Council Abdel-Qayoum Awad el-Sid, and deputy Information Secretary Abdalla Shams al-Koun were also arrested besides a third student activist from West Kordofan state.

On Monday the NISS arrested three SCoP leading figures including its former chairman Ibrahim al-Shiekh, secretary general Mastoor Ahmed and political secretary Abu Bakr Youssef.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday, SCoP described the arrest campaign as “deliberate targeting” of its leadership following the recent protests and popular activities carried out by the party.

Also, SCoP chairman Omer al-Digair told Sudan Tribune on Monday that his party wouldn't abandon its national responsibility, saying they are exercising their constitutional right to peaceful expression.

He vowed to continue their peaceful resistance until achieving victory for the Sudanese people, stressing that he is not afraid of detention.

Al-Digair further pointed that the arrest campaign against SCoP's leadership is clear evidence that the government is not serious about holding a genuine national dialogue, saying the regime tries to adjust by making cosmetic changes.

The SCoP was established in January 1986. It was first chaired by the former chief-justice Abdel-Mageed Imam who was succeeded by Ibrahim al-Skeikh and has recently elected al-Digair as its third president.

The center-left reformist party calls for social justice and separation of religion and state. It also believes that peaceful transfer of power is the only way to stability and unity of the country.

In recent months, the SCoP has challenged the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and organized political activities in public and open places calling on the citizens to resist the regime and take to the streets in protest against the deterioration of living conditions at all levels.

SLM-MM DENOUNCES DETENTIONS

Meanwhile, the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minnawi has expressed solidarity with the detained SCoP members.

In a press release extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, SLM-MM spokesperson Mohamed Hassan Haroun described the arrest of the SCoP leadership as deliberate targeting of all Sudanese who resist injustice, saying the regime's acts wouldn't deter the opposition.

He called on all Sudanese to stand ready to uproot the corrupt regime and end the suffering of the people, demanding them to unite to achieve peace, security, democracy, freedom and justice.

(ST)

November 8, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudanese government under President Salva Kiir announced on Tuesday that it has pulled out troops from the common border with the neighbouring Sudan in compliance with the agreement it has reached with the Sudanese authorities to implement non-aggression deal signed four years ago.

Sudanese military personnel inspect the belongings of South Sudanese on the Sudanese border on 18 April 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

South Sudanese Defence Minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, said Tuesday the move is in line with security arrangements under the Cooperation Agreements the two countries signed on 27 September 2012.

Minister Juuk, who in late October participated in a security arrangement meeting with his Sudanese counterpart in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, said the agreement requires that South Sudan and Sudan withdraw their forces from the border immediately and unconditionally.

The withdrawal of the troops from the common border areas, he said, would be followed by the establishment of Joint Border and Verification mission and a Buffer zone.

In accordance with the cooperation deal, the two countries have to withdraw their troops 10 kilometres from either side of the contested border. The demilitarized zone to be monitored by a joint force and the UN forces in Abyei (UNISFA).

The buffer area aimed to avoid armed clashes over the disputed areas between the two sides and to prevent cross border attacks by rebels from both sides.

Also, the spokesman of the government army, SPLA, confirmed the withdrawal and said it is the implementation of what the leadership of the countries have agreed during a series of recent meetings between officials in the transitional government and their Khartoum counterparts.

Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang described the pulling out of the troop from the common border as “significant and in line with the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement and a direct result of the meeting”.

He said withdrawal of the troops from the border will reduce tension and allow full implementation of the agreement, including free movement of people and goods, trade and several others.

On 25 January 2016, President Kiir said he had instructed the army to withdraw to at least five miles south of the common borders of 1st January 1956. However, the decision was not implemented.

(ST)