Sudan Tribune

November 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Four former rebel commanders of the Justice and Equality Movement - Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo) returned to Khartoum on Thursday after their release by JEM main stream led by Gibril Ibrahim.

The splinter commanders had been detained after clashes with their former comrades on the border between Chad and Sudan in May 2013. The faction leader Mohamed Bashar and his deputy Arko Suleiman Dahia were killed during the fighting.

"The four prisoners arrived into the country from Aweil in South Sudan by road after an arduous journey, before being transported to Khartoum by plane," JEM-Dabajo Political Adviser Nahar Osman Nahar told Sudan Tribune.

He added that the released prisoners are: al-Tayeb Khamis, Ibrahim Zaribah, Salah Adam al-Wali and Mohamed Ali Mohamadain.

JEM-Dabajo signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in Doha, in April 2013. Bashar convoy was in rout to their troops on the ground after the signing ceremony ahead of their return to Khartoum when they clashed with JEM fighters on the border.

Nahar said their release is a step in the right direction to repair the mistake committed three years and a half ago near the border with Chad.

The political official called to release five others prisoners saying they are still held in South Sudan. He said the remaining prisoners are: Ali Wafi Bashar, Ali Galo, Adel Mahjoub Hussein Yassin Abdallah Zakaria, Mohamed Abakar Idris.

Last October, JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim said they released all detainees and Prisoners of War (POWs) from the government army and breakaway factions, adding they are waiting for the International Red Cross to transfer them to their families.

He earlier announced that their decision to release of all detainees and POWs was in response to appeals from religious leaders, civil society organizations and national figures.

(ST)

November 3, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has halted a decision to create more new states in the country, underscoring the level of limited involvement of the community in the decision making processes.

The South Sudanese government under the leadership of president Salva Kiir has been battling to contain an armed rebellion in the country since December 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Tiksa Negeri)

According to a presidential order in late October, President Kiir formed a committee under the chairmanship of his controversially appointed First Vice President Taban Deng Gai to quickly carry out consultations with communities and prominent figures in the newly created two states of Lol and Eastern Nile to find their views and come out with recommendations to managing disputes.

Presidential sources told Sudan Tribune in a series of interviews on Thursday that the president was initially intending to make Raja a separate state from the two counties of Aweil West and North and an additional state out of Eastern Nile. However, this idea has been met with difficulties, according to several of the highly placed official at the presidency.

Many community members have expressed different viewpoints against the proposal.

In Lol, according to a committee member, Raja communities are advocating for a return to Wau or remain with the two counties in Aweil on the condition that the headquarters of the new state is removed in the area.

They prefer the administrative headquarters of the state to be away from them. The reason is to reduce exodus movement of ethnic Dinka into the area in pursuit of better living conditions and employment as a means to extending their influence to the area as well as source of grabbing land.

In Eastern Nile, members of the Padang community have threatened to take up arms if the state is again divided, saying they were comfortable with the current status and do not need a new state to be carved out of the new state.

To overcome the existing challenges President Kiir thinks it would be wise to give amply time to the people to consult among themselves so that they come up with a solution in which they will play a role in the implementation, the source told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

"The outcome should be a people led decision. It should not be seen as if it was a decision of the President," he stressed.

However, Presidential Advisor on Decentralization and Intergovernmental Linkage, Tor Deng Mawien watered down the significance of the delay, adding that a decision would be taken soon.

"Consultations are still continuing with the communities before a decision could be made," he told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

(ST)

November 3, 2016 (JUBA) - The Kenyan government in collaboration with South Sudanese authorities has deported the spokesperson of armed opposition leader, Riek Machar to the capital Juba, in a new shift in relations between the two countries.

James Gatdet Dak, Riek Machar's spokesperson 'Reuters photo)

Relatives told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that James Gatdet Dak,l was picked on Wednesday afternoon in what a appears to have been a coordinated operation organised by the special service of Kenya and South Sudan and taken to the airport where he was allowed to speak to some of his family members and relatives.

The motive behind Dak's kidnapping remains unclear and speculative.

Some people attribute the cause to the statement in which he welcomed the sacking of the force commander of United Nations mission in South Sudan who hails from Kenya.

Others, some of whom are high ranking members of the government, however, blamed the South Sudanese government for allegedly engineering Dak's deportation.

“This is a coordinated operation. The office of the president and the first vice president paid the money to the Kenyan government to execute this operation. They wanted James Gadet to be deported to South Sudan so that Riek Machar is denied an opportunity to speak to the outside world through his spokesman. This is the strategy employed by Taban Deng Gai. Now James Gadet is here. They brought this afternoon. I saw at him at the blue house”, a highly placed source told Sudan Tribune.

A relative separately said “it appears my brother has been brought to Juba”.

No official statements from either the government of Kenya or South Sudan was made. Officials at the ministry of foreign affairs and office of the president declined comment.

SPLM-IO OFFICIALS SPEAK OUT

SPLM-IO opposition officials in Addis Ababa today told Sudan Tribune that Gatdet was flown to the capital Juba Thursday afternoon.

Since yesterday Gatdet was held at Jomo Kenyatta Airport waiting deportation to Juba

The deportation comes hours after SPLM-IO leader, Riek Machar on earlier on the day establishes contacts with authorities in Kenya to set free his spokes person who was arrested on Wednesday.

Earlier today an official in the office of the opposition chairman told Sudan Tribune that Machar, who is currently in South Africa for medical treatment, has started negotiations with Kenyan authorities for his spokesperson's release.

Dak was reportedly picked from his residence in Nairobi by uniformed and non-uniformed wearing officers claiming to be Kenyan authorities.

Earlier Machar had also contacted UNHCR officials as Nairobi prepared to deport Dak, who also is a United States citizen.

According to opposition officials Asman Kamama, a Kenyan MP believes that Juba government has paid $ 1 million for the arrest and deportation of the opposition spokesperson.

The payment is also to track down other opposition members residing in Kenya.

An investigation has revealed that UNMISS has failed to protect civilians and foreign aid workers in South Sudan's Juba and Malakal cities.

UN has admitted the failure saying the malfunction of the mission was mostly due to poor command.

UN secretary general, Ban Ki Moon has called for the replacement of UNMISS force Commander Lt. Gen. Johnson Mogoa Kimani who himself is a Kenyan citizen.

The decision was welcomed by Dak on behalf on the SPLM-IO on his Facebook page.

It is believed that Dak's post angered some politicians in Kenyatta's government.

Opposition officials say Dak could be killed, prosecuted or subjected to different forms of abuses while in the hands of the Juba government.

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - In their second day of renewed strike action, the independent doctors union, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) Wednesday announced that the refusal to non-emergency treatments in hospitals was a complete success..

The CCSD said that doctors in teaching hospitals have also joined the growing movement.

In a report released on Wednesday; the striking doctors said that 60 public hospitals have participated in the strike on Tuesday. They also warned against attempts by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) to intimidate the doctors and bread the movement.

On Tuesday, the doctors accused the government of failing to meet its pledges to improve hospital physicians working condition. On 13 October, they suspended their protest after meeting the Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdel Rahman and Health Minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda who vowed to respond positively to their claims.

The doctors have refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions and lack of medicines medical material. They also demand protection after the increase of attacks by frustrated patients and their families.

In a report on the strike progress extended to Sudan Tribune, the CCSD said it had informed the Federal Ministry of Health since Monday on the strike, citing the claims and the time frame of the protest.
“60 hospitals and thousands of doctors have participated in the strike across Sudan,” said the report, pointing that other several hospitals have not been included in the report yet.

The CCSD said that management in some hospitals have responded positively to the announced strike and cooperated with the striking doctors.

But, in some hospitals doctors were prevented from wearing a strike-badge and have been called to treat emergency cases to in a bid to break the protest, however "the doctors behaved professionally and did not respond to provocation," he group added.

CCSD statement further said that the security apparatus tries to intimidate the striking doctors from various hospitals and summons them, including the chairman of the doctors' union Dr. Ahmed al-Sheikh.

(ST)

November 3, 2016 (JUBA) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) on Wednesday said James Dak, the spokesperson of the rebel leader Riek Machar, went missing after he was apprehended in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

James Gatdet Dak, Riek Machar's spokesperson 'Reuters photo)

"The office of the Sudan's People Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition would like to regrettably announce the disappearance of James Gatdet Dak, the official spokesperson in the office of the chairman and commander in chief of SPLM/A-IO," Dickson Gatluak Jock SPLA-IO Deputy Spokesperson said in a statement.

"James Gatdet was kidnapped this afternoon around 4: 00PM by Unknown gunmen dressed in Uniform who came to his house in Nairobi Kenya. After picking him, his whereabouts is unknown up to this time", adds the statement.

Attempts by Sudan Tribune to reach Dak from last evening were unsuccessful as his known telephone numbers were switched off.

The SPLM-IO has accused South Sudanese security service of alleged involvement in Dak's kidnapping and called on the Kenyan authorities to intervene so he is released.

The vocal rebel spokesperson, on Tuesday, published a Facebook statement welcoming the removal by the United Nations Secretary General of Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya from his position as the UNMISS force commander.

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (JUBA) - A South Sudanese official has advocated that a special court be formed to try soldiers who allegedly raped aid workers in the capital, Juba in July.

A SPLA soldier stands in front of a vehicle in Juba on December 20, 2013. (Photo Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

The deputy justice minister, Martinson Mathew Oturomoi, said several witnesses, victims and suspects were interviewed and there was reasonably ground to believe the soldiers murdered, raped and looted from aid workers.

"The rooms described in the [rape] victims' statements were littered with women pants and other exhibits that indicate that rape was violent," Oturomoi told reporters Wednesday.

The South Sudanese official currently chairs the committee set up by President Salva Kiir to investigate circumstances that led to attacks at Terrain Hotel, in the outskirts of Juba.

At least 67 witnesses, victims and suspects gave oral, written and phone statements to the investigation committee. 27 vehicles were robbed by gunmen from Terrain Hotel but 13 vehicles are recovered with the help of the committee.

According to the committee, John Gatluak, a South Sudanese journalist was killed and it concluded that his death resulted from "targeted killing based on ethnicity."

"The committee recommends formation of a special court to try suspects who committed offences at Terrain Hotel during the July 2016 incident," said the official.

The committee said part of the report will be publicized, but details like names of victims, witnesses, suspects and their statement will be classified and not released.

The committee, however, said those who carried out the attack never targeted foreign nationals, contrary to testimonies from rape victims interviewed on the matter.

As such, members of the investigation committee had no evidence to believe "certain nationalities were targeted."

The report, among others, recommended further training of soldiers on human rights, respect for civilians during combats and addressing low pay for armed forces.

UN PEACEKEEPERS BLAMED

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has sacked the commander of the UN force in South Sudan, a day after the world body released which accused its peacekeeping troops of failed to protect unarmed civilians in July.

A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General said Ki-moon demanded the “immediate” replacement Lt Gen Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki.

The UN had instituted an independent special investigation into the July 2016 violence in the young nation's capital to establish what actions its mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) undertook, including its response to acts of sexual violence in and around the protection of civilians sites at UN House and the attack on Terrain camp.

The special investigation found said the UN did not respond effectively to the violence due to an overall lack of leadership, preparedness and integration among the various components of the mission.

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudanese government and the rebel SPLM-IO welcomed dismissal of the force commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for failing to protect civilians.

On Tuesday, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, announced in New York that he had fired UN Force Commander in South Sudan, Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of the Republic of Kenya for failing to protect civilians during the recent upsurge of violence in the capital, Juba.

The UN chief took the action after receiving official internal report within the UN system which investigated the underperformance of the UN force under the command of General Kimani.

Cabinet Affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro told reporters on Wednesday that the government welcomed the decision of the United Nations to replace the force commander of its mission in the country.

“As the government we welcome the decision by the UN Secretary General. UNMISS did not do much and this decision will tell the world that yes this has proven that UNMISS has failed to do what it is supposed to do,” said Minister Lomoro, referring to Juba initial refusal to increase the mission's troops.

He said the government will continue to work and cooperate with the United Nations in building confidence. “We hope that they can now bring a commander who will be cooperative and understanding in order to rebuild the confidence that has lost between the UNMISS and government of South Sudan.”

The UN report which was revealed on Tuesday after investigation into the conduct of the peacekeepers following the 8 July violence in Juba indicated lack of leadership on the part of senior UN officials, which the report said "culminated in a chaotic and ineffective response to the violence."

The peacekeepers stationed in Juba included Ethiopians, Chinese, Nepalese, Rwandans and Kenyans.

“The Mission's established culture of reporting and acting in silos inhibited effective action during a period in which swift, joint action was essential,” emphasized the report.

It accused both government and opposition forces of firing indiscriminately into the UN camps which were sheltering nearly 30,000 civilians in the capital.

The armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by Machar said they welcomed the removal of the inactive commander of the peacekeepers in the country.

“We welcome the change in the UNMISS Force Command in South Sudan. The peacekeepers failed to protect civilians during the crisis right in the capital, Juba, and in other parts of the country, more notably also in Malakal. We hope that a new Force Commander will be appointed soon who will be more responsive and take actions to protect the civilians at risk in exercising their mandate,” Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, said in a press statement released on Tuesday night.

“We commend the action taken by the United Nations Secretary General, which we believe will contribute to confidence building among the vulnerable populations in South Sudan,” he added.

The investigation committee accused the UN peacekeepers of failing to respond to protect or rescue internally displaced women who were being raped near the UN compound by soldiers loyal to President Kiir. According to the report, the blue helmets also failed to rescue foreign women, mainly Americans, who were raped in Terrain Hotel, just a few blocks from the UN base, where killings of civilians by government troops also took place.

The relieved UNMISS Force Commander, General Kimani, replaced Lieutenant General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam of Ethiopia in June this year.

The fired Kenyan General Kimani previously served as Deputy Army Chief of Staff-Command and Control of Kenya Army Forces since 2013. He was also General Officer Commanding Western Command, Kenya Army, from 2012 to 2013, and Land Forces Component Commander of the Kenya Defence Forces in Operations from 2011 to 2012.

In addition, he held the position of Sector Commander-United Nations Mission in Sudan from 2010 to 2011.

(ST)

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has arrested the Sudanese Communist Party's (SCP) Politburo member, Masoud Mohamed al-Hassan, said SCP.

Sudanese Communist Party supporters hold flags as they arrive to the Friendship Hall in Khartoum to attend the SCP 6th convention on 31 July 2016 (ST Photo)

In a press release extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, SCP said that al-Hassan, who is also the SCP political secretary in the capital, Khartoum, was arrested and faces various methods of torture including lack of access to food, water and toilet.

The SCP denounced the NISS move, saying it signals that the government is no longer committed to the already small margin of freedoms.

It added that these detentions reflect the true face of the regime and lack of seriousness to engage in a genuine dialogue, demanding immediate release of al-Hassan and all political detainees.

It is noteworthy that al-Hassan is a member of the subsidiary body of the Khartoum Teaching Hospital's (KTH) trade union which opposes government's health policies.

He had been also arrested in October 2014 during a protest against the government decision to dismantle the KTH.

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.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD), an independent doctors union, on 13 October called off the strike following government pledges to introduce a bill to protect doctors to the parliament, improve training conditions for registrars and improve work environment in hospitals.

However, the CCSD on Tuesday announced the resumption of the strike saying the government didn't honour its commitments.

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (JUBA) - Kenyan government Wednesday has decided to withdraw its troops from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in protest of a UN decision to sack the Kenyan force commander.

Based on the conclusions of an internal report on UNMISS failure to protect civilians last July, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon relieved Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya from his position as force commander and proposed to Nairobi to appoint another general to replace him.

Reacting to this development, the Kenyan foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement saying the decision would not "address the root causes of the unfortunate incidences in South Sudan nor does it offer a sustainable solution to the recurring violence in South Sudan".

The Kenyan government went further to say that the dismissal of General Ondieki was not transparent, and was decided without any formal consultation.

"This demonstrate complete disregard of our key role and responsibility in South Sudan. The manner in which the information was conveyed to the Government of Kenya revealed a high degree of disrespect for our country, and Jack of confidence in our troops and their contribution to regional peace processes," says the statement.

Accordingly, the Kenyan, foreign ministry announced the withdrawal of its troops from South Sudan saying that ''the continued presence of its troops in South Sudan is no longer tenable and is inimical to their safety''.

It also rejected Ondieki's dismissal and the offer to nominate a replacement, and decided to disengage from the South Sudan Peace Process.

UN report said there was a lack of leadership on the part of key senior mission personnel, adding it led to a chaotic and ineffective response to the violence.

Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan are the three countries that brokered a peace agreement last August to end the South Sudanese crisis.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 01, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn has reshuffled his cabinet, appointing 21 new members.

Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn (Allafrica)

The prime minister's move comes over three weeks after Ethiopia imposed a state of emergency to contain a wave of violent anti-government protests.

The Ethiopia's parliament has unanimously approved 21 ministers proposed by Desalegn.

The new ministers, the prime minister said, were picked for competence and commitment, not based on “party loyalty."

Tuesday's appointment brought in five technocrats and nine newly appointed ministers from Oromia, the region where deadly protests have been taking place.

The appointees include a new minister of foreign affairs, Workneh Gebeyehu, who replaces Tedros Adhanom, currently vying for World Health Organization's top post.

The communications minister, Getachew Reda was replaced by Negeri Lencho, the head of the journalism and communications college at Addis Ababa University.

Only nine of the 30 previous cabinet including defense minister, Siraj Fegessa, and prime minister's deputy, Demeke Mekonnen have retained their ministerial posts.

Sudan Tribune understands the new appointees make up 70 % of the cabinet and the technocrats make up around 43%.

Some of the Addis Ababa residents interviewed on Tuesday welcomed the prime minister's move, saying it was a step forward in addressing the grievances of the people.

They believe the reshuffle would ease the tensions between opposition protesters and the government. They called on government to open dialogue with opposition protesters to find a durable solution.

Kebede chamo, an oromo opposition official, says the premier's move is not enough.

Kebede says all the new appointees apart from the five technocrats are all affiliated to the ruling party.

“These little changes on political space won't satisfy the opposition considering what is being demanded” he said

He added “There is no any opposition representative in the parliament. What we need is a real election”

In 2015, the Ethiopian ruling party won every seat in the country's parliament.

Kebede further says the government must release all opposition members and supporters jailed following the recent protests.

The anti-government protests, initially sparked in protest to government plans to expand the territorial limits of capital Addis Ababa into neighboring Oromo towns and villages.

The Oromos, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, feared the Addis Ababa master plan could lead to land grabbing and dislodge millions of them from their ancestral lands.

However Addis Ababa scraped the plans after widespread protests that led to clashes, which killed over 140 people.

Although the master plan was removed, protests however continued at universities and in oromia towns further demanding economic and political rights.

The oromo protests triggered protests in the northern Amhara region that echoed similar demands.

The protests also call for political power hence the ruling party EPRDF party is considered as being dominated by leaders from the Tigrayan ethnic group.

According to Human Rights Watch, the recent clashes between protesters and security forces have claimed the lives of more than 500 people.
However opposition groups say the figure might be much higher.

Officials say the state of emergency was imposed in response to the series of protests in the two sensitive regions.

Directives of the decree among others include authorizing police to arrest individuals without a warrant, blocking internet access, prohibiting public gatherings and imposing curfews.

Diplomats in the country were not permitted to travel beyond 40 kilometres of the radius outside the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Hailemariam on Tuesday said travel restrictions on the diplomatic community will be lifted soon hence peace is being restored following the state emergency.

Other imposed bans, he said, will also be lifted seeing improvements the decree brought.

The United Nations had previously urged the Ethiopian government to ensure the protection of fundamental human rights when imposing the measure.

(ST)

November 2, 2016 (EL-GENEINA) - At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured on Tuesday in clashes between gunmen and cattle herders in Mara area, 60 km. north of West Darfur capital, El-Geneina on the Chadian border.

A Cattle herder in Darfur region (FAO Photo)

An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune Wednesday that gunmen attacked cattle herders in Mara area killing 16 people, saying that 4 gunmen were also killed in the clashes.

He pointed out that the governor of West Darfur Fadl al-Mula al-Haga had attended the funeral at Umm Al-Qura cemetery, east of El-Geneina, but didn't give any statement on the issue.

For his part, West Darfur information minister Mustafa Jar al-Nabi confirmed the incident to Sudan Tribune, saying it was triggered by the killing of a cattle herder whose body was found in Jebel Moon in the locality of Kulbos.

He added that the family of the victims hunted down the perpetrator who was riding a motorcycle which led to clashes between them and residents in the area in which dozens were killed.

According to the minister, the security committee in West Darfur has dispatched troops from the joint Sudanese/Chadian border force to the area to resolve the issue.

In September, al-Haga declared emergency orders to maintain security following a number of killing incidents in recent months.

Al-Haga has replaced former Governor Khalil Abdallah in August after the latter failed to control the lawlessness situation that swept across the West Darfur state.

Last May, eight people were killed and four others injured in a retaliatory attack by unidentified gunmen on a mosque in a village located 10 km. east of West Darfur state capital, El-Geneina.

Arms proliferation has become a major cause of instability in Darfur's five regions as it feeds tribal conflicts and banditry.

Last April, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir announced the formation of a national body for the collection of illegal arms in Darfur region.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (JUBA) – The African Union Commission (AUC) should prepare a draft statute for the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS) in consultation with relevant stakeholders and ensure that it is enacted through appropriate legal processes as soon as possible, various rights groups said in an open letter to the continental body.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC)

They urged AUC to immediately establish an evidence preservation mechanism as a precursor to the full operationalization of the HCSS.

“We, the undersigned South Sudanese and international non-governmental organizations, write to share our thoughts with you on the way forward for the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS),” partly reads the petition addressed to the AUC chairperson, Dlamini Zuma.

It added, “We recognize the efforts made by the African Union Commission (AUC) to date, as outlined in the Draft Project Proposal for Establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan.”

Last year, the AU demanded that a special court will be established to try war crimes suspects in South Sudan, a nation hit by civil war.

The move, the continental body said, was aimed at promoting an "African solution" to the violent conflict in the young nation.

An AU-initiated inquiry in to the conflict also found that both government and rebel forces committed widespread atrocities.

The formation of the Hybrid Court is part of the peace agreement South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed following intense diplomatic pressure from regional leaders

All the parties to the peace deal, however, formally committed to the establishment of the HCSS “by the AUC to investigate and prosecute individuals bearing criminal responsibility for violations of international law and/or applicable South Sudanese law committed from 15 December 2013 through the end of the transitional period.”

“We would encourage the AUC to solicit input from South Sudanese stakeholders and individuals with technical expertise on the inner workings of international and hybrid tribunals. In addition to providing specific details relating to the court's location and jurisdiction, the statute should also address matters such as victim and witness protection, public outreach, and the participation of South Sudanese judges and staff,” further reads the open letter to Zuma.

The draft statute, it adds, could be shared with interested parties for input prior to its adoption through appropriate legal mechanisms.

“Once the statute is adopted, the HCSS will then be in a position to recruit staff and develop its Rules of Procedure and Evidence, again with input from relevant stakeholders, so that it becomes fully operational in a timely manner,” says the letter.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced in South Sudan's worst-ever outbreak of violence since it seceded from Sudan in 2011.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - China on Tuesday said it will dispatch 925 peacekeepers to Sudan and South Sudan next December.

The Chinese blue berets will be deployed for a year as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions in Darfur and South Sudan.

An infantry battalion that includes 700 personnel will travel to South Sudan in mid December as the third group of Chinese peacekeepers to be deployed in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, according to the official Chinese news agency Xinhua in its Arabic edition.

In July, two United Nations peacekeepers from China died and five others were wounded after an attack in South Sudan, when their vehicle was hit by a shell while it was guarding a refugee camp near the UN compound in the South Sudanese capital Juba.

A Chinese military engineering unit that includes 225 personnel will travel to Darfur at the end of December. It will be the thirteen Chinese military contingent to join the United Nations –African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the western Sudan's region.

UNAMID is the world's second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

Some 3,100 Chinese peacekeepers are serving in 10 regions around the world, including 2,400 in Africa as engineers, transport, police and medical units.

In September 2015, China pledged to build a a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops, set up a permanent peacekeeping police squad, and provide military aid of US$100 million to the African Union.

(ST)

By Wesley Bokati Natana Abraham

At independence on 9 July 2011, South Sudan was at war with at least seven armed groups. According to UN figures, the various conflicts affected nine of its ten states, with tens of thousands displaced. Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) also operates in a wide area that includes South Sudan. The fighters accuse the government of plotting to stay in power indefinitely, not fairly representing and supporting all tribal groups while neglecting development in rural areas.

President Salva Kiir alleged that on 14 December 2013, a (largely Nuer) faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Army loyal to former vice president Riek Machar attempted a coup d'état and that the attempt was put down the next day. However, fighting broke out, igniting the South Sudanese Civil War. Machar denied trying to start a coup and fled, calling for Kiir to resign. Ugandan troops were deployed to fight on the side of the Kiir. In January 2014 the first ceasefire agreement was reached. Fighting still continued and would be followed by several more ceasefire agreements. Negotiations were mediated by "IGAD +" (which includes the eight regional nations as well as the African Union, United Nations, China, the EU, USA, UK and Norway). Following a ceasefire agreement in August 2015, known as the "Compromise Peace Agreement", Machar returned to Juba and was sworn in as vice-president. Following a second breakout of in Juba, Machar was replaced as vice-president and he fled to Sudan.

There were ethnic undertones between the Dinka and Nuer in the fighting. The conflict has killed up to 300,000 civilians, including notable atrocities such as the 2013 Nuer Massacre in Juba and 2014 Bentiu massacre. More than 1,000,000 people have been displaced inside South Sudan and more than 400,000 people have fled to neighboring countries, especially Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda, as a result of the conflict.

The best solution to have a permanent and lasting peace in South Sudan has not yet been found till today. However, as a concerned South Sudanese citizen, I am now convinced that the best solution to end the current conflict and ensure lasting peace in South Sudan is to introduce a Confederal System of Government in south Sudan.

Under this Confederal System of Government, three Confederal States will be established as follows:-
1. Greater Equatoria Confederal State
2. Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal Confederal State
3. Greater Upper Nile Confederal State

But what is a Confederal System of Government?

A confederal system is a mode of government in which a number of smaller states choose to delegate some of their policy making rights to a central body. In this way, the collection of the smaller states of Greater Equatoria, Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal and Greater Upper Nile can be thought of as a country.

How does a confederal System of Government work?

In a confederal system, these smaller states of Greater Equatoria, Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal and Greater Upper Nile will make up South Sudan as a country but will have the right to pull out from under the central government at any time. Some of the services that they will cede to the central government will include foreign affairs, internal security issues, military defense, and in some cases, health services. The states that will form South Sudan as a country will retain their legislative rights, which will give them more power and resources.

What are some of the examples of a Confederal System of Government which South Sudanese can learn from?
A good example of this is the former Soviet Union, which was a conglomeration of a large number of smaller states. Another good example of a modern confederal system is the Swiss canton system, in which each of the cantons make most of the policies they need.

What are some Advantages of a confederal System of Government?

As you are all aware, the polity of a country is reflected by its government. Each country adopts a different kind of government, or authoritative system, considering the needs of the nation. Governments around the world are mainly defined by the role and relations between the center and the states or political divisions. Countries of the unitary type have very powerful central governments.
1. In a federation, power and resources are shared between the center and the states. However, a confederation is one kind of government characterized by an inverse center-state relation, where the states are more powerful than the center.
2. A confederate government is one where individual nations or states have united to form a confederation. It is also known as an alliance. Confederation implies cooperation among the member states over significant issues. This type of government symbolizes a centripetal action, where the individual units coalesce to form a league.
3. The most important feature of a confederate government is that, the center derives its power from the states or provinces. Although there may be a common constitution or document specifying the soul of a nation, it does not stand as the source of power for the central government, which is true for the majority of constitutional governments. Rather, in a confederation, for the center to decide upon any important issues, it would require an agreement of all its confederates.
4. Government Confederacies are a unified body of individual states or provincial units. These peripheral units are stronger than the union. They coexist, but maintain their
Separate identities. Each region, canton, or province is considered equal, and has a say in shaping the nature of central authority.
5. Decentralization of Power: States being the decision makers, this governance is completely contrary to the unitary form of government. Thus, legislation and execution is divided among the provincial and local governments. Local governance minimizes the growth of the center, and reduces the risk of it turning into a dominant union or tyranny. Democratic Republics, particularly, are known for the principle of sovereignty.
6. In a confederation, the citizenry is focused more; their needs are better addressed. Thus, the concept of 'citizens being the real sovereign of a nation' is realized in this type of government.
7. Cooperation: Every state is an independent and sovereign unit of the federation. Agreement among these equals makes decisions over common issues easier. The flow of power is from the periphery to the center, which ultimately rests on the principle of cooperation among the confederates, at least over common concerns.
8. Speedy development of the Confederal States
9. No tribal conflicts or tribal domination of a national governance system
10. It will prevent South Sudan from total disintegration
11. It will prevent South Sudan from becoming a failed Country

Articles of Confederation for the States
Articles of Confederation will be developed. The main purposes of these Articles are
1. To unite the confederal states of Greater Equatoria, Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal and Greater Upper Nile.
2. Give the three Confederal states of Greater Equatoria, Greater Bahr-el-Ghazal and Greater Upper Nile a united foreign policy
3. Under the Articles of Confederation, every confederal state will have equal representation and a single vote in the unicameral legislature at the Central government
4. Under the articles of Confederation, the Central Government will be left with Defense, Foreign Policy and printing of national currency.

October 31, 2016 (JUBA) - The committee that investigated attacks on Terrain Hotel, a luxurious facility for expatriates in Juba, where foreign humanitarian workers, mainly Americans, were raped by members of the South Sudanese army said it has presented to South Sudan President Salva Kiir the outcome of the investigation.

Aid workers from different Non-Governmental Organizations in South Sudan arrive at Wilson airport in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from Juba. (AP Photo)

Matison Otoromoi, the chairperson of the investigation committee formed by President Kiir in July to unearth circumstances in which government forces attacked the hotel, killed a local journalist on ethnic ground and raped women and looted properties, said their work is comprehensive.

"This is the final phase of our work and what is now left is to address the public on how we conducted our work," said Otoromoi, who is also the deputy Minister of Justice.

Terrain Hotel was attacked on 11 July by gunmen believed to be government soldiers. Despite being close to United Nations peacekeeping base in Juba, there was no rescue from the blue helmet men.

An intervention by National Security Services of South Sudan ended the looting and harassment several hours later. The incident occurred on the last day of fierce battle between government forces loyal to President Kiir and soldiers loyal to former first vice president Riek Machar.

Machar fled the capital on 11 July, according to his aides, after the rival forces reportedly continued to violate a cessation of hostilities.

Otoromoi did not say if their report will lead to any criminal charges against government soldiers.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (WAU) - Wau state authority on Tuesday warned top military officials in the state who have involved in grabbing land for railway station, directing them to immediately evacuate the area or could face the law.

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

The warning came after the railway station workers in the state wrote a petition to the state government on the current development that some top unnamed military officials alongside with individual officials in the state were illegally occupying some parts of the lands allocated to the railway some years ago.

On Tuesday morning, a high profile delegation of the state government led by to two ministers, the minister for Agriculture, James Joseph, who doubles as acting minister for Physical Infrastructure and Information and Communication minister, Bona Gaudensio, and Wau town mayor, Mel Aleu, among others with the director general for the ministry of Physical Infrastructure, David Jorom, visited Wau railway station to meet the station workers over the situation.

Speaking at the site, Wau town Mayor Mel Aleu Goc said nobody will be allowed to illegally own land allotted for the railway which is a government property.

“This morning when we came here, I received the petition from the workers of the Railway station written by manager. The petition contained of some land grabbing that took place in addition to some assets that were here, the assets were taken, by some soldiers,” said
Mel.

“We have also seen some concrete buildings within the compound of the Railway station, all in all, we want to assure our citizens that our people who occupied the Railway station's lands to evacuate the lands because these are the properties of the government and the properties of the Railway station that could not be used in such a way,” said Mel.

State Information minister, Bona Gaudensio, descried those occupying the land as outlaw and that the state council of ministers will soon take a decision on the matter.

“We paid a short visit this morning to the Railway station, Wau station, they are facing a lot of challenges, there are some outlaw people which are under some different forces at the level of the state, they came and they controlled parts of the land which belongs to Railway in Wau, this is why as the government, we came this morning for official visit to listen from the staff from the Railway which are based in Wau,” said Bona.

“Our coming is so that they give us full information about difficulties they are facing, we as government, we assured those who are controlling those lands, we gave them time to evacuate these lands,” he said.

The minister said those who did not respect the orders would face law, adding “We will go as government of Wau state to make a memo to be passed through council of ministers and then we will decide, this is our message today this morning, we came and we gave them a warning to let them evacuate this land.”

Meanwhile the acting the minister for Physical Infrastructure, James Joseph, said the Wau Railway station belongs to the National Ministry of Roads and Transport of which his ministry falls under.

“We the ministry in Wau could like to assure public that the ministry of Physical Infrastructure will continue to protect the workers and the properties of Railway station in Wau,” he said.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Ethiopia Tuesday renewed accusations that Egypt and Eritrea fuelled a wave of protests in Oromia region that led the government to declare a six-month state of emergency.

The visiting Ethiopian Minister of Federal Affairs and Pastoral Area Development, Kassa Tekleberhan, reiterated that his country has "ample evidence" of Egypt and Eritrea involvement in a series of protests in Oromia but also sprung up in the Amhara region.

Tekleberhan said they are still calculating the exact numbers of individuals who were killed during the unrest.

According to Human Rights more than 400 people have been killed in clashes with the security forces in Oromia, although the government disputes this figure.

Ethiopian authorities say Cairo backs the banned Oromo Liberation Front that organized attacks across the populous region of Oromia, and led to the declaration of a state of emergency.

Commenting on a ministerial reshuffle announced on Tuesday hours before the press conference, Tekleberhan said the new cabinet was necessary to continue the development programmes and denied that it was a result to the protests.

He further praised the support of the Sudanese government to his country describing it as an unforgettable "historical stance".

He further said he discussed with President Omer al-Bashir and a number of Sudanese officials how to sustain peace in Ethiopia and issues of joint concern.

The construction of Ethiopia's 6,000-megawatt Grand Renaissance Dam has become a bone of contention between Ethiopia and Egypt, which lies downstream and relies on the Nile River for agricultural, industrial and domestic water use.

Last October, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi denied Ethiopian accusations that his government was supporting the opposition OLF which accused of orchestrating the protests

"I want to assure the brothers in Ethiopia that Egypt has never ever offered any support to the opposition and will not carry out any conspiratorial action against Ethiopia," al-Sisi said on 13 October.

The construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam has raised tensions between Ethiopia and Egypt,which lies downstream. Addis Ababa says the dam would be used to only produce power and would not affect Egypt which relies on the Nile River for agricultural, industrial and domestic water use.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan's ministry of Petroleum has directed the Joint Operating Companies (JOCs), a consortium of oil companies operating in the oil sector in the country, to reinstate all their former employees who previously abandoned their jobs due to the outbreak of civil war on 15 December 2013.

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

In a letter dated 28 October 2016 signed by the Minister of Petroleum, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, and addressed to presidents of the oil companies including the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), Sudd Petroleum Operating Company (SPOC) and Dar Petroleum Operating Company (DPOC), the minister explained that the directive came in accordance with the presidential order which called for reinstatement of civil servants to their former jobs which they left due to the war.

“Reference is also made to the Republican Order NO: 25/2016 for the Reinstatement of the Civil Servants at the National and State levels who had abandoned their positions following the crisis in the Republic of South Sudan on 15th December 2013 A.D.,” partly reads the letter seen by Sudan Tribune.

“In the light of this, I am directing all the Joint Operating Companies (JOCs) to reinstate all the employees who abandoned their jobs,” Minister Gatkuoth said.

While many former employees in the private oil sector left their jobs in the aftermath of the civil war, others were systematically laid off by companies when their operations were disrupted by war.

For instance, GPOC which operated in the Unity Field and SPOC that operated in Tharjiath oil field, both in Unity state, have since 2014 closed their operations due to war. Only DPOC which operates in Upper Nile state such as in Faloij oilfields have continued to operate.

It is unclear whether the oil companies which have not resumed their productions in Unity state will be able to reinstate their former employees per the directive from the ministry.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (JUBA) – The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has sacked the commander of the UN force in South Sudan, a day after the world body released which accused its peacekeeping troops of failed to protect unarmed civilians in July.

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon handshake with the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir at Presidential Palace, J1 in Juba capital on February 25, 2016 (UNMISS photo)

A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General said Ki-moon demanded the “immediate” replacement Lt Gen Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki.

The UN had instituted an independent special investigation into the July 2016 violence in the young nation's capital to establish what actions its mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) undertook, including its response to acts of sexual violence in and around the protection of civilians sites at UN House and the attack on Terrain camp.

The special investigation found said the UN did not respond effectively to the violence due to an overall lack of leadership, preparedness and integration among the various components of the mission.

“The Special Investigation also found that command and control arrangements were inadequate, while peacekeepers maintained a risk-averse posture,” partly reads a statement from the world body.

It further added, “These factors contributed to the failure of UNMISS to respond to the attack by [South Sudan] government soldiers on the Terrain camp on 11 July and protect civilians under threat”.

The special investigation, according the report, was unable to verify allegations that peacekeepers failed to respond to acts of sexual violence committed directly in front of them on 17 and 18 July.

The independent special investigation into the violence from 8-11 July in the South Sudanese capital was commissioned by the UN.

The fighting began with clashes between President Salva Kiir's guards and bodyguards of the sacked former vice-president Riek Machar.

In the three days of fighting, at least 73 people were reportedly killed, including more than 20 internally displaced people who had sought UN protection, the world body said in the damning report. Two peacekeepers were killed and others injured.

Meanwhile, the special investigations report also backed claims by aid workers that the UN troops refused to respond when government soldiers attacked an international aid compound in Juba.

The special investigation, however, found that UNMISS faced an extremely challenging set of circumstances and was caught in the crossfire of an active and particularly violent conflict.

(ST)

November 1, 2016 (YAMBIO) – Five policemen who were deployed by a newly created Gbudue state's government to guard Makpandu Refugees Camp in Yambio have been abducted by unknown gunmen since Monday night and taken to unknown location with all their weapons.

An eyewitness from the area told Sudan Tribune that a group of armed men surrounded the police station in Yambio which was established by the government of Gbudue state to give protection to the refugees and kidnaped the five policemen together with one Darfurian trader. One HF radio communications which was installed by a non-governmental organization operating in the camp was also taken away.

The source said there was no gunshot when they kidnaped five policemen and the unknown armed men did not enter the refugees' settlement at Makpandu. Also, they did not loot anything in the stores erected in the camp.

The incident created panic and fear among the refugees forcing some refugees to flee to Yambio town for safety. And the incident has created fear to UN agencies and Non-government organization who are serving the refugees at Makpandu not to visit the camp as usual.

The authorities of Gbudue state have not yet made any statement regarding the incident at Makpandu, saying they have not received a clear report about the incident.

The alleged abduction happened a day after heavy attack by unknown armed group who attacked the Police Headquarters in Yambio on Saturday morning, killing one police officer and looting heavy weapons in the store and escaped to the bush with all the looted items.

Deputy Governor of Gbudue and Yambio town Mayor on Sunday toured Churches around Yambio town, informing people not to panic or flee their homes to avoid crossfire and the number of theft cases has increased in the recent days.

(ST)