Sudan Tribune

October 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's police on Sunday said it has reached a joint understanding with the German police on ways to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

In a press statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the Director General of Sudan's Police Lieu. Gen. Hashim Osman al-Hussein, said a delegation from the Sudanese Ministry of Interior has concluded a visit to Berlin on Saturday where it held talks with the German police on transfer of crime-fighting technology and illegal migration.

He added the delegation also discussed ways to promote cooperation between Sudan's police and German federal police in the various fields, pointing that cooperative ties between the two sides were old but have been severed during the eighties due to political reason.

Al-Hussein pointed to the professional nature of the talks, saying “crime has nothing to do with politics and we need to coordinate at the regional and international levels because we are all affiliated with the Interpol”.

He added the two sides discussed ways to provide technical, logistical and training support to Sudan's police to fight against illegal migration and human trafficking to Europe, saying the director of Germany's federal police has accepted their invitation to visit Khartoum for further talks on the issue.

Last August, senior Sudanese security officials said that Khartoum is carrying the burden of fighting illegal migration on behalf of Europe and pointed to significant difficulties that obstruct efforts to combat human trafficking.

It is worth to mentions that Sudan has forged a strategic partnership with several European countries and the European Union (EU) to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

Sudan has been under EU sanctions since the 1989 coup d'état and didn't receive any development aid from Europe.

However, the European body reconsidered its position following the weaves of illegal migrants from Syria, Iraq, and Horn of Africa countries. Sudan is identified as a source of migrants to Europe and a transit country for migrants from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Last April the EU officially allocated Sudan €100 million to improve the living conditions for refugees, help Sudanese returnees to reintegrate back into society, and to improve security at the border.

In addition to this support, Sudan benefits from additional funding under the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, in particular from a €40 million programme to better manage migration in the region.

Also, the German government has earmarked €12 million for projects aimed at stemming illegal immigration of Africans across Sudan to Europe.

In January 2014, the Sudanese parliament approved an anti-human trafficking law which punishes those involved with human trafficking with up to 20 years imprisonment.

Also, in 2014, Khartoum hosted a conference on human trafficking in the Horn of Africa, organised by the African Union (AU), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Sudanese government.

Fifteen countries and EU representatives attended the meeting, during which a joint strategy and action plan to combat human trafficking was adopted.

Last June, a joint operation among Sudan, Italy and the United Kingdom has led to the arrest of an Eritrean man suspected of controlling one of the world's four largest criminal migrant trafficking organizations.

PRODUCTION OF IDENTITY DOCUMENTS

Meanwhile, Al-Hussein said Sudan's police have agreed with a group of German companies on ways to localize production of the identity and migration documents in Sudan, pointing to cooperation between the two sides in the fields of traffic police, criminal work and administration.

He said the German side promised to provide Sudan's police with advanced crime-detection equipments and training opportunities.

For his part, the head of Sudan's diplomatic mission in Germany Badr al-Din Abdalla said the delegation discussed the transfer of technology needed to issue official document, pointing that cooperation between Sudan and German companies in this field has begun since 10 years ago.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (JUBA) – The U.S said the military support recently pledged by President Barack Obama for South Sudan will be directed to the body monitoring the permanent ceasefire, not the country's national army.

A U.S. Special Forces trainer conducts a military assault drill for a unit within the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) during an exercise in Nzara on the outskirts of Yambio November 29, 2013. (Reuters/Andreea Campeanu Photo)

"This waiver was necessary to ensure the U.S. government can continue to provide financial assistance to support implementation of the peace agreement, especially to the body known as the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), which is charged with monitoring ceasefire violations," the U.S embassy in Juba said in a statement extended issued last Friday.

The waiver was wrongly understood to translate to military training for SPLA, the South Sudan army. Washington, however, said the "waiver does not indicate" assistance to Juba. Americans provided military advise to the SPLA between 2006 and 2013 but halted the assistance when fighting broke out and the army split between loyalists of President Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar.

The embassy said the U.S would not extend any help to the fledging army before some provisions are met by Juba. Currently, the embassy stressed, there is no legal basis for South Sudan military to benefit from American resources.

The U.S urge the young nation to end hostilities and pursue good faith negotiations for a political settlement of the current conflict; provide access for humanitarian organizations; end the recruitment and use of child soldiers; protect freedoms of expression, association, and assembly.

It also said Juba must reduce corruption related to the extraction and sale of oil and gas and establish democratic institutions, including accountable military and policy forces under civilian authority as conditions to widen opportunities to access Washington financial and advisory support.

"The United States continues to urge South Sudan to take these steps which we believe would substantially contribute to stabilization and development," the stressed.

As South Sudan's largest donor, the Washington played a leading role in the process that led to the country's independence from neighbouring Sudan in July 2011.

(ST)

October 16, 2016 (JUBA) – The recent remarks uttered by the South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir, against his peace partner and political rival, Riek Machar, are not surprising at all, claims an official of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO).

This came as the opposition's reaction to President Kiir's recent comments on Saturday published by Sudan Tribune on Sunday in which he rejected the expected return of his former first deputy, Machar, to the South Sudanese capital, Juba, in order to assume his position as First Vice President and to continue with the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS) which the two leaders signed in August last year, but which has been interrupted by the renewed violence which erupted from 8 July, 2016, in the country.

President Kiir on Saturday said he would better work with his new deputy, Taban Deng, who replaced Machar after the violence, which the opposition has described as “illegal” and a violation of Articles 6.4 and 6.5 of the agreement. The President called on Machar to denounce violence or stay away from South Sudan in exile or to simply return to the country as a “normal citizen” without involving in politics, at least during the transitional period until 2018.

President Kiir also called on the region and the international community at large to allow him to instead work with his new deputy, Deng, who is Machar's former chief negotiator, whom the President described as someone “cooperating” with him.

“The region should stand with the Transitional Government of National Unity to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. This was the agreement they [regional leaders and friends] made themselves despite our [re]servations but we accepted because we wanted peace and stability in this country," said President Kiir in his residence in Juba, on Saturday, in the presence of his senior government officials and senior army officers.

"And I believe the events of July should themselves be proof of concerns which South Sudanese were raising. If they want this agreement to be implemented, they should allow the current First Vice President [Deng] and his team to work with me and other leaders ready to cooperate to implement this agreement," he added.

Media official for the ousted First Vice President, Machar, however said the comments from the President rejecting Machar's return to Juba were not surprising, saying they were in line with his earlier attempt to eliminate Machar on 8 July at his Republican Palace in Juba and the subsequent attack he also ordered on Machar's residence and base on 10 July with tanks and helicopter gunships in order to kill the peace agreement.

“What would one expect from the President who in the first place attempted to assassinate his deputy and peace partner at his Republican Palace on July 8, and also ordered his forces with tanks and helicopter gunships to again attack him in his residence, as confirmed by the United Nations, with the aim to kill him? What would you expect from President Salva Kiir who persistently attacked and pursued his deputy in the bushes for 40 days and forced him into exile? Definitely not only did he not want him as his first deputy despite the peace agreement's power sharing arrangement, but also he did not want him alive,” Machar's official spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

“So his anti-peace comments against Dr. Riek Machar are not surprising. He does not want him as peace partner, because Salva Kiir does not want the peace agreement to be fully implemented. He wants a yes-man to worship him and cooperate with him submissively in avoiding implementation of the most crucial provisions in the peace deal, such as the needed reforms, and to help him return the country to war so as to continue to dictatorially maintain the power through the violence,” he added.

The official said it was not necessary for President Kiir to ask Machar to denounce violence when the opposition leader is only “resisting the violence”, arguing that it should instead be the president to denounce the violence since he is the one who allegedly renewed the violence from 8 July and his forces have continued to attack the opposition's forces.

He further claimed that President Kiir did not want Machar as his deputy because Machar wanted the peace agreement to be fully implemented with all the various reforms as provided for in the agreement, adding that Kiir wanted Taban Deng who would be cooperating with the President to only implement what they wanted and avoid what they did not want in the agreement.

Dak dismissed the complaints that Machar was acting like a co-president and making Kiir's life difficult, saying those who complained about the executive status of Machar per the peace agreement did not either understand the power sharing provisions in the agreement or simply disliked the powers given to Machar by the peace agreement.

“Well, they should understand that by the virtue of his offices as First Vice President of the Republic, as the Chairman of the SPLM (IO) party and as the Commander-in-Chief of the SPLA (IO) co-national army, and the powers vested in him by the peace agreement, of course one would say, yes, Dr. Riek Machar was like a co-president. And this was to try to ensure checks and balances in implementing the agreement, particularly that we were dealing with a dictator who even reluctantly signed the agreement with countless reservations and also warned not to implement some of the provisions,” Dak said.

The fact that Machar had to nominate 10 national ministers, 3 governors, a huge number of parliamentarians, an army he commands and he was put in charge of supervising the implementation of the agreement and coordinating its implementation with the rest of the partners in the region and beyond, he said, was what made President Kiir's regime to describe him as a “co-president.”

Dak described President Kiir and his “regime” as lucky for violating the peace agreement with impunity as those who mediated and guaranteed the agreement have not acted to stop him from the violations and the continued rejection to work with Machar again.

“I would say President Salva Kiir's regime is lucky, although I don't know for how long they will continue to be gambling. You cannot attempt to assassinate your deputy and peace partner, killing his bodyguards, and then attack his residence and force him out of the capital, replace him illegally, pursue him in the bushes and into exile and continue to attack his forces as well as innocent civilians across the country and yet you get away with these serious violations and crimes,” he said.

He said there are some players in the region and the international community who do not read the situation correctly.

The current “new regime” in Juba, he claimed, has already returned the country back to the civil war, saying fighting has continued in many places in Equatoria, Upper Nile and in Bahr el Ghazal regions, further claiming that Kiir's forces are on offensive against the opposition's army, the SPLA-IO, and against the civilians too.

He however said it was not up to President Kiir to determine whether or not Machar would return to Juba, saying the opposition leader will be in Juba any time soon to save the nation from the “corrupt and warmongering dictatorial regime” whether the president liked it or not.

Dak claimed that the government has been targeting civilians which it was supposed to protect by instead killing, maiming, torturing them, raping women and young girls and displacing people from their villages, and “exposing them to extreme hunger and poverty and die from curable diseases as well.”

The SPLM-IO, he explained, was committed to the full implementation of the August 2015 peace deal, which he said, President Kiir interrupted with violence from 8 July, and warned that the opposition will be forced to end the ongoing mess and bad leadership in the country using other means.

“We are for peace. We are for resuscitation of the peace agreement. But if resuscitating the peace agreement will not come to light, we will be forced to use other necessary options to get to Juba and liberate the people from this violent, failed leadership,” he said.

He however added that the opposition's leadership has been calling on the region and the international community at large to help revive the peace deal.

(ST)

October 16, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim said they have released all detainees and Prisoners of War (POWs) from the government army and breakaway factions pointing they are waiting for the Red Cross to transfer them to their families.

Gibril Ibrahim (AFP)

Last month, JEM announced the release of all detainees and POWs from government forces in response to appeals from religious leaders, civil society organizations and prestigious national figures.

Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune on Saturday in Paris that they have “released all government POWs and pardoned JEM defectors who were tried for high treason”.

“We went to the Red Cross and handed them the issue and they are making arrangements to issue permissions from various governments … they are now on this stage and we hope they complete their procedures … we wish the POWs arrive to their families,” he added.

He stressed that his movement is committed to its pledge regarding the release of the POWs, saying this obligation is “irreversible”.

It is noteworthy that several JEM defectors have been detained by the movement since three years ago.

Last month, the political advisor of the (JEM-Dabago), a breakaway group from JEM, Nahar Osman Nahar, told Sudan Tribune that more than 100 POWs and detainees are currently being held in JEM's prisons including former members of the executive office and commanders from the movement such as Hashim Haroun besides other civilian detainees.

He said that nine detainees from JEM-Dabago are still detained by JEM after 9 others managed to flee from the movement's prisons in Deim Zubeir Camp in Western Bahr el Ghazal region, South Sudan.

(ST)

October 16, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, has issued a republican order forming a joint committee tasked to remove obstacles and facilitate access and delivery of humanitarian assistances to people in need across the country.

South Sudanese preasident Salva Kiir (AFP)

The president, according to the broadcast by the government's owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC), appointed cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomoro as the head of the committee. The committee also drew membership of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and a representative of the United Nations Office for Coordination of the Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Other members of the committee include Hussein Mar Nyuot, Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Awut Deng Acuil, minister for Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

Military, security and police officers and officials named by the order include Lieutenant General Mangar Buong, Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA's) Deputy Chief of General Staff for Operations, Lieutenant General, Akol Koor Kuch, Director General for Internal Security Bureau from the National Security Service and Lieutenant General James Biel Ruot, Deputy Inspector General of Police.

Lokulenge Lole Timayo, Chairman of the South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC), is also in the list of the officials named by the presidential order to oversee the humanitarian activities.

The work of the committee, according to the order, is to identify sources of obstacles and remove all the illegal road blocks which the Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) say are hindering aid delivery in various parts of the country.

The decision came after several complaints by relief organizations that their activities have been hindered by security forces in the country.

(ST)

October 16, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir on Saturday said it was working with foreign powers to find a country where the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar, should stay in exile without involving in political activities and affairs of the country.

First Vice President Riek Machar greets SPLM-IO officials at Juba airport upon his arrival, April 26, 2016 (ST Photo)

Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, said the government has slapped a political ban on the rebel chief, Riek Machar, following his call for armed resistance against President Kiir.

Lueth, who speaks for the government as its spokesman told reporters in Juba on Friday evening that Machar will not be allowed to talk politics in South Sudan, instead advising him to seek asylum in a country of his choice.

He claimed that the government is working with foreign powers to identify a country where Machar can live in peacefully away from politics.

"He is being exiled. He will not be coming back to South Sudan and he will never be allowed to talk politics any longer," Lueth told reporters.

The Minister's remarks followed comments by President Kiir in which he conditioned return of his main political rival to the country, saying he would only accept his return if he denounces violence and come back to the country as a normal citizen without official assignment.

Kiir said he was now enjoying good working relationship with the new first vice president, Taban Deng, whom he controversially appointed in the place of Machar.

Machar fled Juba in July after fierce clashes between his forces and those loyal to president Kiir, leading to his ouster as first vice president in a unity government formed in April.

Machar has since declared war on Juba in a bid to topple Kiir's government, a move condemned by the international community.

His opposition officials described the call to exile Machar as “rubbish”, saying he is the chairman of the SPLM in Opposition party and commander in chief of the SPLA in Opposition army inside the country and said the government has no power to ban him from South Sudan.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (PARIS) - The leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim said his movement and two other holdout groups will send a joint delegation to Ndjamena in response to an initiative by the Chadian President Idriss Deby to discuss ways for a peaceful settlement in Darfur region.

Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir and his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby (L) listen to the national anthem during opening session of Sudan National Dialogue conference in Khartoum October 10, 2015. (Photo SUNA)

Ibrahim, and Abdel Wahid al-Nur, leader of a faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) met with President Deby in Berlin Wednesday. Minni Minnawi, the leader of (SLM-MM) faction didn't not attend the meeting but was informed about its content and accepted the invitation.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune in the French capital Paris on Saturday, he said that President Deby briefed them about the outcome of the dialogue conference and expressed his keenness to achieve peace in Sudan.

He added that Deby who is also the leader of the African Union gave his advice on this respect as he did in the previous meetings with him of 2014 and 2015.

The President Deby was among four African leaders who attended the closing session of the National Dialogue Conference in Khartoum on 10 October. The political event was also attended by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Mauritian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

JEM leader further said they welcomed any role he can play to break the deadlock in the African Union brokered peace talks in order to reach a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements before a comprehensive national constitutional process. Also they said ready to work with him for a comprehensive and just peace in Darfur.

Regarding the upcoming meeting in Ndjamena, he said "they didn't discuss concrete steps on how to organise the meeting or its agenda", but pointed that all these points would be finalize in the near future.

Last month, President Museveni facilitated an informal meeting in Addis Ababa between the government, JEM and SLM-MM over the pending issues for a humanitarian truce, and peace in Darfur. But the parties ended the discussions without progress.

The armed groups in Darfur and the government diverge on the technical implementation of the cessation of hostilities and how to distribute the humanitarian assistance. On Darfur file, the two armed groups demand to discuss four issues related to the security, IDPs resettlement, landownership and Darfur administrative system. But the government refuses it saying all these claims are already dealt in the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).

When asked about the Chadian role, he underscored that Chad as a neighbouring country is concerned by the stability in Darfur region, pointing to the tribal links and economic interests the two countries are sharing.

"We know what we want and what Deby wants. So, if we do not find what we want we will not go to Ndjamena," he further said.

He stressed that AUHIP led process remains the main venue for peace talks with the Sudanese government, adding it has the regional and international support.

Ibrahim said SLM-AW leader will to take part in Ndjamena meeting and expressed hope that Abdel Wahid al-Nur changes his mind over the negotiations with Khartoum, saying the three groups had negotiated with the government in 2004 in Abuja.

In a separate statement on the meeting with the President Deby, the SLM-AW leader, said he thanked him for hosting more than 350,000 refugees officially registered in Chad and additional 650,000 unregistered Sudanese refugees.

"I told him that we look forward to building a solid relationship with the Republic of Chad and that President Deby plays a pivotal role in the resolution of Sudan's crisis" al-Nur further said..

However, he reiterated his demands for the return of refugees and displaced person to their homeland, to protect them and to achieve justice in Darfur, after what his movement can negotiate the root causes of the conflict.

He also repeated their rejection of the national dialogue and its outcome adding they would not be part of a process to reproduce the regime.

"We seek and look forward to a comprehensive and sustainable peace in our country, leading to achieve change and not to the reproduction of genocidal regime," al-Nur said.

The African Union process which includes JEM and SLM-MM, provides that once the humanitarian truce is reached, the Sudan Call groups and the government would discuss the political confidence building measures in order to create a conducive environment for a constitutional process in Khartoum.

Commenting on the dialogue conference, JEM organisation and administration official Abu Bakr Hamid said the meeting came out with good recommendations on the issues of Sudan's identity, freedoms and economy. However he stressed that the problem now is how to implement it, pointing to the regime lack of seriousness towards its previous commitments.

JEM leader Ibrahim said that the outcome of Khartoum conference can be considered as "the first phase" of a holistic process including all the Sudanese forces, adding that its recommendations would represent the position of the government and its allied political forces.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (LEER) - A senior official from Southern Liech, one of South Sudan's new states, was killed in an ambush laid by members of the armed opposition forces (SPLM-IO) in Pieliny, an area situated about 10km from Leer town.

The map of Unity state in red

Weirial Puok Baluang, an spokesperson for the armed opposition forces, identified the deceased as Gai Koryom Wedi, a security advisor in the state.

The official was reportedly killed alongside other senior and junior officers.

The attack, Puok told Sudan Tribune, was in retaliation for several provocations allegedly by pro-government forces on their positions.

He, however, claimed the SPLM-IO had gained more territories around Leer county, ever since fighting started on 13 October between the two rival forces in the country.

According to Puok, the rebels inflicted heavy losses on government soldiers, capturing various firearms, including Israeli-made weapons.

"[The] SPLA-IO captured 14 different advanced weapons [2015 Israeli made guns] in good conditions" he said, although Sudan Tribune could not verify these claims.

South Sudan's peace accord, signed in 2015, is considered fragile and could derail the little progress so far made in recent months. The deal ended months of civil war.

The young nation descended into war in mid-December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of a coup attempt. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in South Sudan's worst ever violence since it broke away from Sudan in 2011.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Secretary-General of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Yasir Arman said on Friday that the internal dialogue process didn't achieve peace and national consensus but also failed to give the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) an opportunity to normalize its relations with the international community.

At the closing session of the National Dialogue Conference on Monday, Khartoum's government parties and several political forces participating in the process approved the national document which constitutes the basis for drafting the permanent constitution. However, armed groups and opposition parties refused to join Khartoum process as they demand the government to end war and ensure freedoms in the country ahead of the dialogue.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, Arman said that the national dialogue wrapped up with the continuation of war and ( President Omer) al-Bashir's threats to crush the (armed) movements, plus the complete absence of national consensus and the impossibility to normalize relations with the international community".

"So, what did the dialogue has achieved internally and externally?" He wondered.

He stressed that the dialogue failed to bring something new to support the economy and to end the political crisis. But rather, it empowered the president, reproduced totalitarianism and deepened the regime's crisis.

According to initial plans of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), which mediates the peace talks for the Two areas and Darfur, the armed groups and holdout opposition groups had to join the internal dialogue after the signing of a humanitarian truce and a pre-dialogue meeting to agree on the confidence building measures.

However the failure to reach cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements has forced the mediators to reconsider the peace roadmap.

SPLM-N Secretary-General praised what he called the “boycott" by the Thabo Mbeki, AUHIP head and the representative of UN Secretary-General for the dialogue meeting, stressing that the opposition Sudan Call forces were committed to their position and promises not to participate in the dialogue before the creation of a conducive environment ensuring political freedoms.

The Sudan Call forces have been recently criticised by their former allies in the National Consensus Forces (NCF) who accuse them of seeking to conclude with the regime an agreement that would not achieve democratic change.

Arman said the end of the internal dialogue offers a new opportunity for the opposition to unite its ranks away from the mistrust and scepticism. He reiterating his call for a dialogue among opposition groups on its unification to achieve change and to find an alternative to end war, bring democracy, stability and sustainable development.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's rival factions have traded accusations over clashes in their respective positions near the Upper Nile capital, Malakal.

Arms and light weapons have been used by both warring parties in South Sudan to commit abuses (Photo courtesy of SSANSA)

The spokesperson of armed opposition forces under the command of Johnson Olony in a statement issued a statement, claimed their position in the west bank of Malakal town was attacked at about 6:00pm by pro-government forces.

“Today evening at 6pm, our military positions near Wajwok and Lalo villages had been attacked by SPLA forces stationed in respective locations mentioned and heavy fighting is going on right now”, said Brig. Gen. Nyagwal Ajak Dengkak in a statement.

He blamed the attack on government forces, further claiming that pro-government forces had deployed helicopter gunships to Malakal town with the view to reinforce ground forces with air cover should their forces attempt to move on the town.

But the spokesman for South Sudan army, Lul Ruai Koang issued a statement on Saturday, saying he was not aware of the clashes said to have place near Malakal.

Koang claimed it was a tactic by the armed opposition forces allegedly aimed at carrying out attacks in the area, stressing that government forces were ready to control the situation in the event of security threats to peoples' lives and properties.

South Sudan's peace accord, signed in 2015, is considered fragile could derail the little progress so far made in recent months. The deal ended over 20 months of war.

The young nation descended into war in mid-December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of a coup attempt.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in South Sudan's worst ever violence since it broke away from Sudan in July 2011.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The United Kingdom has urged the Sudanese government to allow the United Nations access to Jebel Marra area in Darfur to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use.

Sudan's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Abdel-Ghani al-Naeem, shakes hand with Permanent Under-Secretary at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sir Simon McDonald (ST Photo)

Last month, Amnesty International accused the Sudanese government forces of using chemical weapons repeatedly against civilians in Darfur over the past eight months, saying chemical attacks are believed to have killed up to 250 people.

However, Khartoum dismissed as “fabricated and unfounded accusations” Amnesty's allegations saying it aims to obstruct “the pioneering efforts” to achieve peace and stability and to promote reconciliation in Sudan.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday, the British embassy in Khartoum said UK's Minister for Africa, Tobias Ellwood has expressed to Sudan's Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Na'im his “deep concern about the situation in Jebel Marra and called on the Sudanese Government to allow the UN and others full access to these areas to monitor events and look into allegations such as chemical weapons use.”

Intense fighting took place earlier this year between the Sudanese army and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur in Jebel Marra areas forcing thousands of residents to flee the area.

Jebel Marra, which spans over three states including North, Central and South Darfur, is located at a water-rich area that is characterized by mild climate.

Meanwhile, the statement pointed that Al-Nai'm, who concluded a two-day visit to London for the second round of talks in the Sudan/UK strategic consultations, has discussed with Ellwood prospects of future bilateral ties between the two nations.

According to the statement, Ellwood stressed that “UK remains keen to see this relationship develop and to see the UK becoming a leading partner in the development of a peaceful and prosperous Sudan”.

He urged the Sudanese government “to seize the opportunity offered by the African Union Road Map to agree a cessation of hostilities in Darfur and the Two Areas”, calling on all parties “to enter an inclusive political dialogue about the future of the country”.

Last March, the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and the Sudanese government signed a framework agreement calling to stop war in Blue Nile, Darfur, and South Kordofan and to engage in the national dialogue process.

In August, four groups from the opposition umbrella Sudan Call including the National Umma Party (NUP) and three armed groups; Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N), Sudan Liberation Movement - Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) endorsed the deal.

The peace plan provides that the Sudanese governments and rebel groups should engage in talks to reach agreement on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access before the Sudan Call forces join the government-led national dialogue.

However, on 14 August following six days of talks in Addis Ababa, the armed movements and the government negotiating teams failed to conclude a deal on the security arrangements and humanitarian access prompting the mediation to suspend the talks indefinitely.

It's noteworthy that the strategic consultations meetings between the two countries started in March in Sudanese capital, Khartoum and considered the first talks of its kind at this level in 25 years.

Sudan and Britain agreed to exchange of visits at the level of senior officials from the two countries along with increasing cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and culture.

During his first visit to Khartoum last September, UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan, Christopher Trott expressed his optimism about the relations between Khartoum and London and expressed hope to strengthening contacts between Sudanese and British peoples.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (NYALA/ELFASHER) - Government-aligned militias in North and South Darfur states have continued to collect road tolls from passenger buses and commercial trucks at gunpoint in clear defiance of the presidential directives to stop this practice, said sources.

Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces sit in an armed vehicle in Nyala, south Darfur, displaying weapons they say they captured from the Justice and Equality Movement rebels on May 13, 2015 (AFP Photo/Ashraf Shazly)

During his visit to the five states of Darfur last April, President Omer al-Bashir warned militias against collecting illegal tolls and levies along the highways linking the various towns in the region.

He also instructed the concerned bodies to impose the authority of the state, saying his government would soon launch a plan to disarm tribal militias and restricts the use of weapons to the regular forces.

A reliable source told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity that illegal toll collection points, widely known as “gateways”, have appeared for the first time in 2009 on the highway linking South Darfur's capital, Nyala to the town of Kass, 86 km west of Nyala, saying the militias set up 16 tents along the road to collect tolls.

He said these militias have fought alongside the government army against the rebel groups in Darfur, pointing the government rewarded these militias by allowing them to collect limited road tolls however the practice has expanded dramatically.

The same source stressed that unnamed local and state actors have vested interest in the continued existence of this phenomenon, pointing to the weakness and inability of both North and South Darfur governments to remove these “gateways”.

He added the federal government also doesn't want to take decisive measures that could adversely impact its alliance with these militias particularly as the conflict in Darfur was not completely settled.

Salih Mohamed Guma'a, a passenger buses owner in Nyala, told Sudan Tribune the militias set up more than 37 “gateways” to collect road tolls along the highway between Nyala and North Darfur capital, El-Fasher under the pretext that they are protect passengers against armed robbery.

He pointed out the militias collect more than 16,000 pounds (SDG) from passenger buses and commercial trucks daily, saying these levies put additional burden on the residents because it raise the price of commodities and bus tickets.

Guma'a further said the passenger buses union in South Darfur has repeatedly appealed to the government to remove those “gateways” but to no avail.

A bus driver named Hamid Sulieman said that 27 passengers were killed and injured during altercations with the gateways' militias, pointing they are waiting for the government to deal with this chaotic situation decisively.

“The gunmen usually threaten to kill drivers if they try to surpass the [gateway] tent without paying the prescribed levies … they have linked the safety and lives of passengers to a forcibly imposed sums,” he said.

In 2009, the former South Darfur governor Ali Mahomud issued a decision to remove all illegal gateways by force, however, several armed robbery incidents occurred just one week after they were removed forcing the government to retreat.

The imposition of illegal road tolls along the highway between El-Fasher and Kutum in North Darfur has led to a sharp rise in the ticket price from 50 to 150 pounds (SDG).

A local administration leader named Al-Tahir Ismail told Sudan Tribune that a number of the militias use their military vehicles to transport passengers and goods after passenger buses and commercial trucks decided to stop the business.

“Militias who set up random tents to [collect illegal tolls] claim they are affiliated with the border guards forces and also other unidentified gunmen have set up gateways to collect levies,” he said.

Last September, the then North Darfur deputy governor Adam al-Nahla issued a decision to remove all illegal gateways and stop collection of road tolls, saying it adversely impact the authority of the state and harms social ties among the residents.

He stressed that these illegal levies are not being deposited into the state's treasury.

For his part, member of the executive office of North Darfur's passenger buses trade union Mohamed Ahmed, said the militias imposed a 300 to 400 pounds toll on every single commercial truck travelling between El-Fasher and Kutum.

He stressed that militias affiliated with the government have again set up the gateways after they were removed for almost one year, pointing that four-wheel drive vehicles belonging to these militias have substituted passenger buses and commercial trucks which stopped working due to heavy tolls imposed on them.

The Darfur conflict started in February 2003 when two non-Arab African rebel groups took up arms for more power and resources.

The government responded with a counterinsurgency campaign in which a mostly Arab militia known as the Janjaweed has committed wide-scale abuses against people it says are allied to the rebels.

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

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan's armed opposition leader, Riek Machar would only be allowed into the young nation if he denounces violence and allows the coalition government to implement the 2015 peace agreement, President Salva Kiir has said.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir (C) adresses a press conference together with FVP Riek Machar (R) and SVP James Wani at the State House on July 8, 2016 (Reuters Photo)

“The region should stand with the transitional government of national unity to implement the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the republic of South Sudan. This was the agreement they [regional leaders and friends] made themselves despite our observations but we accepted because we wanted peace and stability in this country," said Kiir in the capital, Juba Saturday.

He added, "And I believe the events of July should themselves be proof of concerns which South Sudanese were raising. If they want this agreement to be implemented, they should allow the current first vice president and his team to work with me and other leaders ready to cooperate to implement this agreement."

The South Sudanese leader was speaking at an occasion he hosted at his residence. A number of with senior cabinet members, security and high-ranking military officers attended the event, a few days after rumour spread that the president had "died".

Kiir said Machar should denounce violence and remain outside the country during transitional national unity government era or return to South Sudan as a normal citizen.

“The President of the Republic and the government is very clear on the implementation of the peace agreement. But what is important in anything is building mutual trust and understanding. Riek Machar was acting like a co-president to President Salva Kiir. He was not acting like a vice president", the presidential advisor on decentralization and intergovernmental linkage, Tor Deng Mawien exclusively told Sudan Tribune Saturday.

"So it was difficult to proceed with the implementation of the peace agreement in this environment. That was there was no progress but now the new SPLM-IO leadership under Taban Deng Gai is doing well and the president should be allowed to implement the agreement," he added.

Machar left Juba after renewed clashes in July between his forces and those of President Kiir claimed over 300 lives and led to the fighters loyal to the former rebel leader fleeing the city. The fighting has resulted in a humanitarian crisis with people abandoning the city for fear of a return to war.

President Kiir relieved Machar of his post as vice president and appointed the armed opposition's former chief negotiator, Taban Deng Gai as first vice president in the interim government. Machar has, however, described Gai's appointment as "illegal".

The armed opposition group recently announced that it had officially dismissed all its senior members who have taken part in President Kiir's new government.

This came in a resolution passed by the political bureau meeting convened for three days in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, under the chairmanship of Machar.

In Article 2 (d) of the resolution, the armed opposition's political bureau resolved to “Call for reorganization of the SPLA (IO) so that it can wage a popular armed resistance against the authoritarian and fascist regime of President Salva Kiir in order to bring peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law in the country.”

The opposition group called for rapid deployment of regional forces in order to salvage the peace agreement signed in August 2015.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (BOR) - South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) has launched a peace and reconciliation project in Jonglei state to reduce the tension between the South Sudanese tribes who have been divided by December 2013 conflict.

Jonglei's episcopal church choir perform at the Dr John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology on 22 September 2014 (ST)

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

The project was initiated by South Sudan's council of churches following a meeting conducted last year in Kigali, Rwanda, where 25 church leaders from South Sudan visited Rwanda, to learn how to create peace among the people, by replicating how Rwanda eradicated genocide from people's minds and created peace.

Isaac Nyiding, the Peace Regional Facilitator of greater Upper Nile, said during the meeting in Bor on Thursday that most of the peace work will be implemented by the Interchurch Committee in the states.

“Since there are churches spread all over South Sudan it would be very easy for us to implement this. Those churches will be implementing on the ground. Currently we have brought people from Duk, Kongor, Athoch and Malek. We got some people also from Akobo, who are attending with us,” said Nyiding.

The Bishop of Bor Diocese, Ruben Akuurdit, said South Sudan council of churches acts as a neutral body advocating for peace and reconciliation in the country.

“Guns in the hands of people is not solution, we have to disown guns and that why we come for peace building and when we build that peace and we put down guns, what next,” Akurdit wondered.

He suggested the church and the communities should bring up ways through which peace can be sustained in the states, suggesting that agriculture would be the best way to earn living, not through the use of guns.

“Because People use guns for their own survival there are other ways that we can live, we can cultivate we can even have our domestic animal by acquiring your domestic animals without taking somebody's cattle or goats by force. You can earn your money and they are available in the market,” Akurdit added.

(ST)

October 15, 2016 (JUBA) – Representatives of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Troika (United States, United Kingdom and Norway), and European Union (EU) in the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) have condemned calls by opposition leaders for a renewal of armed conflict in South Sudan.

The body which was supposed to monitor the implementation of the peace agreement, but weakened by the renewal of violence from 8 July, however called on the parties led by President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, the ousted First Vice President, to resort to dialogue rather than violence.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, JMEC partners said further fighting will not solve South Sudan's pressing political and economic challenges, arguing that it will only increase the suffering of South Sudan's people, “worsen a grave humanitarian crisis, and further inflame ethnic tensions.”

“Both the government and armed opposition groups bear responsibility for renewed hostilities since July's clashes in Juba. We are deeply concerned by heavy fighting around the country in recent weeks, including near Yei, Wau, Bentiu, and Nassir. We are particularly alarmed by reports of widespread violence against civilians. As a result of this violence, more civilians have been internally displaced and more than one million South Sudanese have now sought refuge in neighboring countries,” partly reads the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

“Continued conflict in South Sudan threatens the peace and security of its neighbors and the region. In line with the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, we call on the government and armed opposition groups to immediately adhere to the permanent ceasefire,” the statement said.

Resolving South Sudan's conflicts, it said, requires genuine and inclusive dialogue representing the viewpoints of all South Sudanese people.

“We therefore call on the Transitional Government of National Unity and leaders of opposition groups alike to recommit themselves, consistent with the peace agreement, to peaceful dialogue based on the following principles,” it further said.

It added that the parties must agree to resolve their differences through a political process rather than through armed conflict, saying “The political process must be inclusive of all parties, communities, factions, and voices.”

“The parties must agree to undertake implementation of the reforms outlined in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,” it added.

JMEC's partners admitted that returning to dialogue after the violence was a “difficult” one, but said they would support the process without indicating how the process would entail and how the ousted First Vice President, Machar, would assume his position.

“We fully understand that the process of rebuilding trust and undertaking necessary compromises will [be] a difficult one, and are prepared to support that process. We firmly believe that South Sudan's leaders must finally act to meet the demands of their people and end this senseless conflict,” the statement said.

The statement was endorsed and signed by representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Republic of Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, the European Union, Kingdom of Norway, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 15, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – An Eritrean opposition group on Friday alleged that scores of Ethnic Afar Eritrean civilians in small vessels have been Killed by Saudi-led coalition off the Coast of Yemen.

Citing to several reliable sources the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) affirmed to Sudan Tribune that the Saudi -led coalition planes have “indiscriminately” and “deliberately” hit Eritrean Afar small fishers' boats near the Mokha port of Bab Al-Mandab strait off Yemen.

According to opposition officials the fishing boats were carrying livestock and civilians.

The boats had left for Yemen from the Dankalia Region of Eritrea to import basic food commodities, household items, clothing and footwear to meet their basic needs.

“At least 5 civilians were indiscriminately killed and 10 other people injured, including women, children and elderly people,” said Ibrahim Haron, leader of RSADO, an armed opposition movement based in Ethiopia.

This type of air attack against a civilian boat the opposition leader said is "a serious violation of international humanitarian law".

RSADO deplored the attacks by the coalition forces saying it was indiscriminate air strikes with foreknowledge of their indiscriminate effect.

“RSADO unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms possible this indiscriminate air strike attack directed at the Eritrean Afar civilian population by the Arab Coalition Forces” said the rebel group.

Sudan Tribune could not independently confirm this account and a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition forces could not immediately be reached for comment.

In October 2015, Yemeni fishermen accused the coalition helicopters and warships of killing 40 people, including several fishermen during an attack on military locations belonging to the Houthis and forces loyal to Saleh on Aqban and Kadman islands on 24 October 2015.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has been leading an military coalition to restore Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government, forced into exile by an advance of Houthi fighters allied to Iran.

Reports last month revealed that Saudi Arabia has transferred some 5,000 Yemeni militants to Eritrea for military training in the Red Sea country.

According to the report, Riyadh was transferring the militants from Aden to Eritrea's Assab port to go under military trainings and then be sent to the Saudi provinces bordering Yemen.

The Eritrean government at the time dismissed the report saying “a preposterous lie”.

“The allegation by Farsi News Agency represents a preposterous lie peddled for some ulterior motives,” said a statement then issued by Asmara.

However, RSADO Friday confirmed that the Arab Coalitions Forces were stationed in Eritrea's Dankalia region since November 2, 2015.

Since their deployment, RSADO said thousands of Afar families have been made homeless, forcibly evicted from their traditional land and homes.
“Internally displaced, children and families are deliberately kept in destitute or unhealthy conditions by the regime” Ibrahim said.

He added that “They [Afars] were forced from their homes and off their grazing lands and fishing areas violently, without compensation and without Free, Prior and Informed consent (FPIC) in order to make Afar land available for the Saudi Arabia-led Alliance”

According to the opposition official, on November 2, 2015 the State of Eritrea leased the Port of Assab to the UAE for 30 years and it has allowed the Saudi Arabia-led Gulf Alliance to use the Hanish islands to conduct military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Allies have established their military presence in Afar Land in Eritrea in return for financial aid and fuel supplies for the Eritrean government, the group calimed.

Eritrean right groups say, the military base of the Saudi -led alliance in Dankalia (Afar Land) has already had a devastating impact on the indigenous Afar because their economic, social and cultural survival is deeply linked to their traditional land, fishing, and commercial and business activities between Eritrea and Yemen.

RSADO alleges the Eritrean regime is responsible for committing crimes and human rights violations against Afar people.

The group accused Isaias Afewerki regime in Asmara of deliberately leasing Afar lands to the Saudi coalition forces in order to systematically remove the Afars from their traditional lands in the name of development.

“We may otherwise suppose that the Eritrean regime hopes that the solution to the 'Afar Problem' is to allow Saudi-led coalition forces and Houthi rebels-Salih Forces to collaterally eradicate the Afar people in the crossfire”.

“We think that equating or nullifying this incident with fighting international terrorism which were targeting the International Maritime Routes in the Bab-el-Mandeb route is an additional insult to injury,” the group said.

RSADO urged the Saudi-led coalition forces to immediately withdraw from their traditional territory (Dankalia) and to allow the Afar people live in their land peacefully.

It also called upon the international community, U.S., EU, UK, Russa, and human rights groups to urge and pressure the Saudi–led coalition to abide and comply with international humanitarian and human rights laws, and to immediately halt targeting innocent Eritrean Afar fishermen and civilians in Eritrean and international waters near the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen.

(ST)

October 14, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Finance Minister Badr el-Din Mahmoud has expected a decision from the United States easing restrictions on of spare parts of planes and trains, from sanctions on Sudan.

Sudanese finance minister Badr al-Din Mahmoud

Sudan is under economic and trade sanctions since 1997, initially in connection with alleged support to terrorist groups. However in 2007, it strengthened the embargo, citing abuses in Darfur which it labelled as "genocide".

Speaking to the press at Khartoum Airport after his returning from the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington on Thursday, Minister Mahmoud said U.S. will soon allow the import of spare parts for planes and trains, adding there is a remarkable improvement on the Sudanese-US relations.

He further said he discussed with officials at the U.S. Department of the Treasury the sanctions imposed on his country and the flow of refugees from neighbouring countries, pointing out that the American side responded positively and expressed neediness to support Sudanese efforts to shelter refugees, and to combat human trafficking.

The efforts exerted by the Sudanese government have led to "ease sanctions on the banking sector and the lift sanctions in the future, precisely next December will witness the lift of economic sanctions on Sudan," he further said.

U. S. Department of State last September praised Sudanese government efforts in the fight against terrorism. However, it ruled out the removal of sanctions on the east African country as long as there is no improvement in Darfur conditions.

"While countering terrorism is an important objective for the United States, we continue to engage the Government of Sudan on protecting human rights, resolving internal conflicts, addressing humanitarian needs, improving regional stability, and advancing political freedoms, accountability and reconciliation," said a statement issued on 21 September.

Minister Mahmoud stated that he met with several international financial officials on the sidelines of the IMF meetings, including a meeting with the chairman of the World Bank where they tackled the economic situation in Sudan and ways to support the basic education, electricity, agricultural sectors.

He said he explained that the refugees' issue puts pressure on the country's economy, pointing out that Sudan provides assistance to those refugees on behalf of the international community without any support from it.

He also said he met with the UNHCR officials to assist Sudan to monitor and assess refugees.

Sudan hosts refugees from the Horn of Africa countries particularly Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia besides the increasing number of South Sudanese during the last three years.

(ST)

October 14, 2016 (JUBA) – Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni last week met in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, with Riek Machar leader of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) and Lam Akol, leader of the rebel National Democratic Movement (NDM), Sudan Tribune has learnt.

South Sudanese opposition leader, Dr. Riek Machar meets Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in Khartoum, Sept. 16, 2015 (ST Photo)

The meeting which took place on Tuesday, 11 October, after Museveni participation in the closing session of the National Dialogue Conference in Khartoum, disclosed the spokesperson of SPLM-IO leader, James Gatdet Dak .

He told Sudan Tribune that the meeting, which was initiated by President Museveni, discussed a lot of issues pertaining to how to correct the ongoing political and security situations in the country.

“Our Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, H.E. Dr. Riek Machar, met with President Yoweri Museveni in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Tuesday, 11 October. Dr. Lam Akol also took part in the meeting. The three leaders discussed a way forward to correct the current mess in the country that has resulted from the attack on July 8, 2016, which attempted to assassinate our leader,” said Dak.

He said President Museveni admitted that the political power sharing and the security arrangements in South Sudan should be reviewed following the collapse of both the August 2015 peace agreement and the transitional government of national unity.

“The trio discussed President Museveni's initiative on how to review the political power sharing and the security arrangements, including future elections,” Dak said, without giving details.

He added that Machar had told the Ugandan leader that he would discuss the initiative with the leadership of the SPLM-IO.

On 25 September, South Sudan's former Minister of Agriculture, Lam Akol, announced the formation of new rebel group, NDM. He said that his new faction will closely work with the SPLM-IO of Riek Machar.

The former leader of the parliamentary opposition Democratic Change Party (DCP) said he resigned and left the party in August because the its leadership refuses the armed struggle and believe in peaceful dialogue and non-violence to bring about change in South Sudan.

Dak reiterated that the SPLM-IO's leadership was committed to a peaceful political settlement of the civil war, but has been forced to opt for an armed resistance against President Kiir's regime after the 8 July incident.

He said without an initiative to correct the situation and resuscitate the peace agreement, the armed opposition will have no other option than to stage an armed resistance which will lead to the “overthrow of President Kiir's regime” in Juba.

Earlier, the opposition faction blamed IGAD-Plus member states for allowing President Kiir to violate the peace agreement when he allegedly attempted to assassinate Machar at the Republican Palace (J1) on 8 July, and also attacked his residence, forcing him out of the capital and the country.

(ST)

October 14, 2016 (JUBA) – International human rights bodies have called for establishment of a Hybrid Court in the war-ravaged South Sudan in accordance with the August 2015 peace deal and the resolution of the African Union, saying the ongoing fighting in the new country should not be used as an excuse to delay trials for those who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in a joint briefing on Thursday, said continued fighting in South Sudan which erupted again on 8 July must not derail justice for crimes committed during the deadly conflict that began in December 2013.

The organizations are calling on the African Union (AU) Commission and the South Sudan government to urgently establish the proposed Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS).

“Thousands have been killed, women raped, entire villages destroyed, and humanitarian personnel attacked. But as world attention has focused on ending the fighting, accountability for violations that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity has been put on the back burner,” said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International's Africa Director for Research and Advocacy, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

“Justice must not be delayed any further. Fresh violations should give added impetus to efforts to form the Hybrid Court,” the statement said.

The peace agreement signed by both parties in August 2015 provides for the formation of the court to investigate and prosecute those bearing criminal responsibility for the atrocities, but little progress has been made towards setting it up.

They said the Hybrid Court – which will combine elements of both domestic and international law and be composed of personnel from South Sudan and abroad – currently represents the most viable option for ensuring accountability for crimes committed during the conflict, as well as for deterring further abuses.

In the briefing, the organizations make 17 recommendations to ensure the court effectively achieves accountability in accordance with international fair trial standards. The recommended priorities include: “Establishing an investigative branch to ensure evidence is collected and preserved in an appropriate manner; Establishing an independent victims and witness protection unit; Ensuring that victims' rights to participate in the proceedings are guaranteed, the inclusion of South Sudanese judges and staff on the court and exclusion of the death penalty as a possible sentence.”

The human rights bodies also recommended that if security concerns prevent the court from being based in South Sudan, it should at least be located within the region.

They said the crimes should not go unpunished, adding that bringing the criminals to justice will help in ensuring sustainable peace in South Sudan.

“Atrocities endured by civilians in South Sudan, which the African Union has documented, must not go unpunished. The establishment of the Hybrid Court is necessary, not only to address human rights violations and abuses and crimes under international law, but also as a pillar to achieving sustainable peace,” said Arnold Tsunga, FIDH Vice President.

“The AU should build on its experience of the recent trial of former Chadian President Hissène Habré in Senegal to set up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan,” the statement said.

South Sudan became an independent country on 9 July 2011 after decades of war, lengthy negotiations and a referendum to secede from Sudan. Two and a half years later, in December 2013, armed conflict broke out between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those allied to his deputy, Riek Machar.

In August 2015, the two parties agreed a peace deal and later formed a transitional unity government with President Kiir at the helm and Machar as first of his two deputies.

Renewed fighting broke out on 8 July, 2016, with heavy clashes in the capital, Juba, and other parts of the country. Machar has since been replaced as First Vice President and fled the country after his residence was attacked.

About 2.6 million South Sudanese have fled their homes since the outbreak of fighting in 2013, with some 1.6 million internally displaced and another one million living as refugees in neighbouring countries.

(ST)

October 14, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Imam (prayer leader) of Khartoum's Grand Mosque Kamal Rizq on Friday has criticized the Sudan's school curriculum saying it glorifies Shi'ite Islam.

In September 2014, Sudan ordered the closure of Iranian cultural centre in the capital Khartoum, and its branches in other states. Also the Iranian cultural attaché and the staff of the centre were asked to leave the country within 72 hours.

At the time the government didn't issue any official explanation for the abrupt decision.

However, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir later said they realized that government of the Islamic Republic of Iran sought actively through its diplomatic mission to spread its religious ideology.

During his Friday cermon, Rizq vehemently attacked Sudan's Ministry of Education, saying “it doesn't exist in reality”.

He stressed that schools books propagate the Shi'ite ideology, wondering why the Iranian cultural centres were shut down while “grade tenth curriculum glorifies the Shi'ite poetry and hails it as original and a product of strong creed”.

Following the closure of the Iranian cultural centres, a number of Imams demanded the government to take further measures against Shi'ism.

At the time, the head of the Fiqh (jurisprudence) Academy Isam Ahmed al-Bashir, vowed to review the curriculum of private schools which are believed to be propagating Shi'ite ideology, saying any school that doesn't adhere to the government's official curriculum would be shut down.

In January 2016, Sudan severed ties with Iran after an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran amid a row over the execution of a Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Sudanese troops are deployed in Yemen since October 2014 within an Arab coalition against the Iran-backed Shi'ite Houthi militants.

(ST)