Sudan Tribune

July 10, 2018 (JUAB) - The SPLM Leaders (FPD) chairperson Tuesday said the Khartoum round of talks for peace in South Sudan is missing transparency and inclusivity and called for more African union involvement in the IGAD-led process.

SPLM Leaders (FPD) leader and former SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum (AFP/Getty)

The call comes after a statement by the SPLM-IO clarifying its position from the outcome of a meeting held between its leader and South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda presidents last Saturday, saying that its chairman Riek Machar rejected Entebbe proposal which was verbal and not official.

“The SPLM/SPLA (IO) rejected the proposal as it only focuses on accommodation of politicians and ignores the radical reforms needed in order to effect fundamental change in our country. The SPLM/SPLA (IO) is not waging a struggle for the position of First Vice President, we are waging a protracted struggle for the future of our country,” said Mabior Garang de Mabior the head of SPLM-IO information committee.

In a statement on the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the Independence of South Sudan extended to Sudan Tribune Tuesday, Pagan Amum said the peace process is facing serious challenges as the regional bock now has delegated the mediation to members states that have competing interests and come with “divergent and contradicting proposals”.

“We appreciate the current efforts of Sudan and Uganda to bring peace to South Sudan. Nevertheless, we regret that the process of negotiations and consultations in this session is marred by lack of transparency and are not inclusive,” he said.

On Sunday, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance and the Other Opposition Parties (OPP) issued a statement saying they had been excluded from the discussions between the three heads of states and Machar in Uganda.

On Tuesday the Sudanese mediator filled a draft agreement on the power-sharing and governance issues including all the propositions discussed in Entebbe last Saturday.

The most important point in Entebbe proposal was Kiir would accept Machar as the first vice president and in return, the latter accepts the addition of a fourth vice-president during the transitional period. Initially, Kiir strongly rejected Machar's participation in the 30-month cabinet tasked with political and institutional and economic reforms.

The draft agreement, also gives Machar 100 seats in the transitional parliament, against 50 for the other opposition groups while the running SPLM group keeps its 400 MPs. The same for the ministerial portfolios Kiir's has 30 ministers, Machar 10 posts and others will receive 5 posts.

Amum said time has come for action from the African Union and the international community after repeated statements calling for a lasting and inclusive peace and threatening of sanctions on peace spoilers.

“Therefore, we welcome resolution of the African Union Peace and Security Council urging “the Ad Hoc Committee” to continue pursuing and further intensifying its engagement and support to the IGAD-led mediation process;” We further urge the AU, UNSC, the Troika and EU to act now by engaging actively in support of the mediation process,” said Amum.

Following Entebbe meeting, Khartoum announced the extension of Khartoum round of peace talks until 12 July.

Initially, the discussions had to move to Nairobi on 9 July.

(ST)

The Challenges of Forging a Vision for a Peaceful and Prosperous South Sudan

By John A. Akec*

The importance of a vision in the life of a nation is as ancient as our planet earth. Visions have underpinned the rise and fall of great civilizations throughout the recorded history of the world. Its mention goes back as far as the Bible time, wherein the book of Proverb we read: “where there is no vision, people perish.” Other versions of the holy book put it more starkly: “when there is no vision, people cast off restraint.” What does this mean exactly?

One the hand, and in the biblical context, lawlessness and sin reign supreme in societies and nations where divine guidance and the moral anchors, which Christianity and all other forms of organised religion strive to provide, are no longer central to what people do or not do. Sodom and Gomorrah were examples of visionless societies that abandoned all restraint, and have been recorded to serve as a warning on the terrible end that awaits similar societies.

On the hand, and in the political and secular context, governments, societies, and political parties of every stripe need “a vision of the end, and without a vision, there is aimlessness and vast chaos” as once noted by the great American educational philosopher, Robert Maynard Hutchins.

And without any shred of doubt, any possibility of agreeing on a comprehensive peace deal in South Sudan is a welcome news. After all, “a bad peace is better than a good war,” as the Yiddish wisdom puts it. But we also need to be reminded that this famous Yiddish wisdom is not without critics who counter that “a bad peace is worse than war.”In our context, one can argue that any peace deal that has no vision of the ‘end result', is bad peace. Specifically, for South Sudan at this moment in time, the end result should be a united, prosperous, and resilient nation.

Hence, while we applaud the current momentum towards an inclusive peace deal that has been jump-started by the signing of Khartoum Framework Agreement, the absence of clear pointers to state-building goals should be a cause for concern, lest the emerging peace deal eventually unravels like its predecessors. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the parties to the regionally backed peace talks to try their hardest in order negotiate a peace settlement whose primary goal does not merely stop at the distribution of power, but that which must be based on a farsighted vision capable of propelling the country out of the vicious cycle of violence and socio-economic stagnation into spheres of sustainable peace, unity, security, and prosperity. In short, we need a peace deal that “will end all wars” in our country. And here are some, not necessarily all, of the elements of such a vision.

First, the agreement should resolve that South Sudan must be governed by its constitution. Our Interim Constitution is a good document that must guide and inspire all that we do or not do. And if there are clauses in the constitution that hinder our progress towards building a prosperous and united country, then we should speedily amend it. And until the amended constitution is passed, our current constitution should be our reference point and the anchor on which all government, business, and civil society actions are based.

Second, we must recognise that stagnation and the lack of socio-economic development could be a cause of current and future wars. Citizens must be given stakes that will raise the opportunity costs of war and consolidate peace. In the last 4 years, our country experienced negative economic growth as indicated by an ever contracting GDP. Oil production has dropped from over 350,000 bpd in 2011 to under 120,000 bpd in 2018. We remain amongst the most oil-dependent countries in the world. The contribution of tax to government budgets is insignificant We fought three disastrous wars since 2011. Our ability to provide services such as health and education has been affected negatively. Foreigners want to take over the security of our citizens.

And as the late architect, Constance Adams, who worked in American space programmes once noted: “no nation in the history of the earth has failed to conduct great projects and remained significant.” The Great Wall of China, Pyramids of Egypt, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and Ivor Tower in Paris, are all expressions of what peoples of those great nations are capable of dreaming up and achieving. Until now, we as a nation are yet to complete a single ambitious project that we can be proud of.

What is holding us back? One may ask. It is my view that we can only reverse our fortunes if we can look inward to identify the weaknesses in our systems, and then devise strategies for overcoming them. Let me briefly outline some of these internal systemic weaknesses and possible strategic options for future success.

To begin with, by failing to raise enough taxes from our citizens to fund government's budgets, our country is missing out of the benefits that come with dependence on tax revenues. Research shows that the benefits of depending on taxes for government revenues include strengthening of the institutions of fiscal governance, improved government transparency and accountability, and strengthening of the nation's bureaucratic capability.

Furthermore, as a country, we must recognise that we have been drinking from a poisoned well. That is, our oil-dependent economy hinders our progress on many fronts. Economists have long found strong links between dependency on primary commodity for export earning and likelihood of civil wars. They argued that rents from extractive industries (oil and gas, diamonds, and timber) increase greed and attract the wrong kinds of people into politics. Researchers made their conclusions after studying the underlying causes of 47 civil wars in resource-rich countries around the globe. Commenting on these stark findings, Tina Rosenberg of the New York Times wrote: “Every nation wants to strike oil, and after it happens, nearly every nation is worse off for it.”Weaning ourselves from too much dependence on oil revenue could be the beginning of progress. The sooner, the better.

The question is how? Help is around the corner in terms of availability of models to emulates in order to escape the resource curse. The same research that unearthed these dark findings also points to possible remedies and experiences of others such as Norway (locking oil revenue out of economy), Alaska (distribution of rents to all citizens and future investment accounts), Botswana (establishing cluster of institutions for protection of private property) , and Rwanda (developmental state) are just few examples of countries that have succeeded to break loose of resource paradox by following certain strategic options. One radical strategic choice recommended by Mick Moore at the Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex in England (and coauthor of an upcoming textbook: Taxing Africa: Coercion, Reforms, and Development), is for the resource-rich countries to distribute all revenues from primary commodity export to its citizens and then ask the citizens to pay percentages of that back in tax. He believes this can create a sense of commitment amongst citizens and strengthen accountability.

Moreover, our country needs to build its bureaucratic capability not only to be able to collect sufficient taxes but also to be able to manage external shocks more effectively as well as being able to turn our societal aspirations into actionable policies and projects. This can be achieved by reforming civil service so that only, and only the most capable and ethical amongst our citizens can be admitted into the public service, irrespective of the ethnic background or religious belief.

Finally, any future peace agreement should aim at reducing the transitional period to no more than 12 months. Why? Elections by in themselves are part of democratic development in the life of a nation. Regular elections do much to exercise tolerance of citizens and the politicians to celebrate victory in humility and accept electoral defeat in grace. Elections also provide the needed once-in-a-while opportunity for citizens to hold their government accountable and chose those who will rule the country on their behalf, and hence impart legitimacy and give the strong mandate to elected government nationally and internationally.

Depending on how the above nation-building blocks are captured by the peace deal being negotiated, we will be wrestling at heaven's gate. And wrestling for that goal we should.

*The author is the vice chancellor of the University of Juba in South Sudan. He blogs at www.JohnAkecSouthSudan.blogspot.com

James Gatdet Dak sits inside the dock in the High Court in Juba, South Sudan February 12, 2018. (Photo Reuters-Samir Bol)

July 10, 2018 (JUBA) - James Gatdet Dak's family, the imprisoned-spokesperson SPLM-IO's leader denied his release and called on President Salva Kiir to free him in line with the recent security arrangement reached in Khartoum.

"The family of James Gatdet Dak do hereby informing the public to disregard the 'fake news' being circulated on social medias about "James being released," said Paul Tesloach Dak, James's younger brother in statements extended to Sudan Tribune.

We as a family together with you wished this day to arrived but not this one being circulated on media. Shall that day comes we all will know it!

In November 2016, the Kenyan government in collaboration deported James Dak to Juba, after statements welcoming Secretary-GeneralSecretary General, Ban Ki-Moon to replace UNMISS force Commander Lt. Gen. Johnson Mogoa Kimani who himself is a Kenyan national.

The removal of the Kenyan general was decided after an UN investigation revealing that UNMISS has failed due to poor command to protect civilians and foreign aid workers in Juba and Malakal cities.

Paul who is based in Canada further called on President Kiir to honour his commitment taken in Khartoum Declaration of Agreement of 27 June and the Security Agreements agreement signed on 6 July and free his brother and the other political detainees.

“We absolutely wished the president Kiir to bless the peace accord signed in Khartoum by not only releasing James Gatdet Dak but all political detainees as a good gesture of Hope for all South Sudanese to believe this is a meaningful document," said Paul.

In February 2018 James Dak was sentenced to death by hanging. The South Sudanese court on charges of treason and incitement against the government.

President Salva Kiir in a meeting held on Saturday with Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Omer al-Bashir agreed to appoint Riek Machar as Frist Vice President during the transitional period, a measure that he had been refusing since the bloody clashes of Jul 2016 in Juba.

(ST)

July 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM/JUBA) - South Sudan opposition groups Monday distanced themselves from Entebbe Proposal saying it ignored the core issues and was just a bargaining between warring parties over the allocation of cabinet and parliament seats.

South Sudanese government and opposition groups including the SPLM-IO, South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and Other Political Parties (OPP) were in Kampala for a meeting with Presidents Omer al-Bashir, Salva Kiir, and Yoweri Museveni.

The meeting agreed to reinstitute Machar as the First Vice-President and amended the Revised Bridging Proposal by creating a fourth vice-president. The compromise was seen as a major breakthrough in the process as Kiir vetoed the participation of his former FVP threatening to collapse the whole peace talks.

Also, the cabinet ministers have been increased to 55 ministers: 30 for the government, 10 for the SPLM-IO and 5 for the remaining opposition forces. The same for the parliament which will be composed of 550 members: the government 400 MPs, SPLM-IO 100 MPs and 50 seats for the other opposition factions.

The opposition SSOA and OPP groups were reportedly involved in the discussions, but the spokesperson of the opposition alliance said, in fact, the discussions were between the three presidents and the SPLM-IO leader.

“The leadership of SSOA and Other Political Parties (OPP) were officially invited to Entebbe for the July 7th meeting but kept out of the 8-hour proceedings,” said Kwaje Lasu SSOA spokesperson in a statement he issued on Sunday and confirmed to Sudan Tribune on Monday evening.

“The Entebbe meeting of 7/712018 turned out to be a bilateral agreement between two of the warring parties, namely; the Juba regime and SPLM/A-IO,” he added.

Asked if things have changed since the return of the delegations to Khartoum Lasu stressed that things remain the same and even they have not been officially notified the extension of talks to next Thursday 12 July.

However “ We have had submitted our counter-proposal on governance but we've yet to be engaged on. It's the same tactics used in Addis,” he said.

In Khartoum, Sudanese foreign minister El-Dirdery Ahmed met with the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Khartoum Steven Koutsis and U.S. Ambassador to Juba Thomas Hushek and briefed them about the Entebbe compromise and ongoing efforts to settle the outstanding issues.

Lasu recalled the need to be committed to inclusivity principles as the only way for a lasting peace in South Sudan.

“ln our informed view, any bilateral agreement to the exclusion of other parties will not bring about sustainable peace in South Sudan,” he stressed.

The Sudanese mediators said the extension of the talks aims to draft the points agreed in Entebbe and to sign it on Wednesday.

Nonetheless, it is not clear if a compromise will be reached on Tuesday paving the way for the signing ceremony on the governance chapter or the discussions will be extended until the next week.

The parties have travel for the third round of talks in Nairobi after agreeing on the outstanding issues in the governance and the security arrangements.

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July 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Monday attended the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election on June 24 with 52.5% of the vote. His re-election marked Turkey's transition to an executive presidential system of government.

On Monday, he took the presidential oath of office to become Turkey's first president under its new system.

Al-Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.

Turkey is not a state party to the tribunal of war crimes but has the obligation as a member of the United Nations to cooperate with the court.

Since the issuance of the two arrest warrants, Bashir limited his trips abroad to ICC non-party states but he also travelled to five signatory states including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Malawi, Djibouti and South Africa.

His trip to South Africa in 2015 drew international attention after he flew out of the country defying a High court order which orders the government to ban his departure until an application calling for his arrest had been heard.

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July 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation for Darfur Amin Hassan Omer said no date has been fixed to resume Darfur peace talks.

Amin Hassan Omer (Photo SUNA)

Omer on Monday met an envoy from the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) in the presence of the head of the African Union (AU) office in Khartoum.

He pointed out that the meeting discussed ways to resume talks on the Roadmap Agreement as well as integrating the various initiatives including the German efforts to accelerate resumption of the negotiations.

Omer expected the peace talks would be resumed after the AUHIP completes its consultations with all parties.

The Roadmap agreement was mediated by the AUHIP and signed by the government in March 2016 and the opposition alliance Sudan Call in August 2016. But, it was not implemented following the parties' failure to reach a humanitarian cessation of hostilities paving the way for peace negotiations

Last April, delegations representing the Government of Sudan, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi ended two-day discussions in Berlin without signing a pre-negotiation agreement.

The two sides say willing for a negotiated settlement but failed to agree on how to proceed. The government put on the negotiating table the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), but the armed groups say they want a new process on new bases, not this framework text signed in July 2011 with other former rebel groups.

The holdout groups including the JEM and SLM-MM refused to sign the DDPD in July 2011 and called to open the framework agreement for talks.

Other groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) have declined to join the process and rejected its outcome.

The AUHIP led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki proposed a holistic process to end the armed conflicts and produce political reforms in Sudan.

During the year 2015-2016, talks between the government and the SLM-MM and JEM failed to reach a tangible result despite international efforts to bring together the opposition groups and to narrow the gaps between them and the government.

Germany and the AUHIP signed a deal to facilitate the two-track process for a comprehensive peace agreement in Sudan. Berlin already organised a number of meeting in this respect.

Last February, the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC) urged the AUHIP to make progress in the resolution of Darfur conflict during the upcoming three months.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million were displaced.

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By: Alsir Sidahmed

A state of uncertainty and ambiguity is all over the world. Thanks to the bullying policies of US President Donald Trump, who, in effect, is shaking the foundation of the World Order that has been established seven decades ago. Two issues came to the forefront: the trade war he launched with foes and allies alike from Canada to China to the European Union and threaten to move into an overall world trade war that may lead to an economic recession that is going to hurt everyone. And the other issue is to curtail Iran in an effort that either leads to regime change or a change in its behaviour.

One of the important cards Trump is going to play is to sanction Iranian oil industry and pressure others not to buy Iran crude as of come November. With exports amounting to 2.8 million barrels per day (bpd), Iran comes third as exporter within OPEC, but more important Trump's moves to remove the Iranian oil from the market comes at a time there is great possibility that the market is moving into a tight situation given the growing demand because of economic growth coupled with inability of a number of producing countries to pump at capacity for variety of reasons.

In addition to Iran, other countries like Venezuela, Libya, Angola and Nigeria fail to produce the level they want to due to reasons related to security or affected by issues to do with the industry in these countries. And that is why OPEC decided in its meeting last month to opt for easing its 2017 agreement that calls for cutting production inside and outside OPEC by 1.8 million bpd though the original deal was to keep that production volume off the market till the year-end. Instead, it has been decided to pump additional one million bpd, but Trump who is facing mid-term elections and was not happy with the high gasoline prices started to press publicly OPEC and Saudi Arabia, in particular, to pump more oil to cool down prices.

Saudi Arabia announced that last month its production topped 10.48 million bpd, which is the highest level of crude that the kingdom produced. That leaves 1.5 million bpd spare capacity to be deployed whenever there is a cut in supplies for security or whatever reason, but that figure for a world demand that hovers around 100 million bpd shows clearly how precarious is the situation. Moreover, that spare capacity has not been tested before.

As a result, some analysts don't rule out the spike in oil prices that can easily cross the psychological $100 a barrel bar unless the United States resorts to its 713 million barrels Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) and draw down some supplies to fill the gap and keep prices under control.

Regardless of whatever happens the current situation brings to mind two cases where the tight market exploded into an open oil shock. The reference is to the 1973 price spike that coincided with the Arab Israeli war, then six years the second shock that followed the Iranian Revolution. And in such conditions, the issue of energy security is highlighted.

And that brings the issue to the doors of Sudan, which has its own problems in securing enough oil supplies to run its business. The long queues before gasoline filling stations a couple of months ago points clearly to the difficult days ahead as the oil market is turning into a buyers' one. In such a market, it is not only enough to have sufficient funds to purchase, but securing supplies at any price may come to a problem as the second oil shock during the Iranian Revolution showed.

The recent deal with South Sudan that involves rehabilitating the oil industry in that country, use Sudanese technical expertise and downstream facilities could provide some relief through the transit fees that Sudan can levy in cash or kind, but eventually guaranteeing energy security for the country requires boosting domestic production at least to the level of meeting local consumption. Despite losing some 75 per cent of its known oil reserves, but still, Sudan has enough oil that needs to be tapped. That is an achievable goal if there is a political will, a clear agenda and rational prioritizing of what needs to be done.

Normal relations between South Sudan and Sudan is absolutely necessary

By Roger Alfred Yoron Modi

In his speech, during the signing of the Khartoum Declaration in Sudan a little over a week, SPLM/A-IO leader Dr Riek Machar said the Agreement will build confidence between Sudan and South Sudan and normalize the relations between the two countries.

“…the fact that north Sudan can assist South Sudan to become peaceful and stable and can assist South Sudan to revitalize its economy…it's something that we cherish…. [the agreement] will also open the way for implementation of 2012 nine mutual agreements after the independence of South Sudan…If at all our relations had been a little bit rocky, this agreement will normalize the relations between the two Sudans—which means our people will live happily…It is going to be an agreement that will integrate us…” said Dr Machar.

President Salva Kiir's government, as well as other South Sudanese in the various political and civil society groups, have also time and again echoed the importance of normalization of relations between the two Countries.

Indeed despite the painful history of betrayals and long decades of deadly conflicts, both South Sudan and Sudan still have a lot in common—in terms of trade, a very long border of nearly 2000 Kilometers, cultures, history, and many more. South Sudan's most important source of revenue, the oil, pass to the market through Sudan. It is absolutely necessary that there are normal relations between the two countries.

Dr John Garang would say “Sometimes it is necessary to go back in order to gain momentum in order to go forward…That is why you see sheep, you see rams moving backwards first when they fight. They gain momentum before they lock horns…We very much need to do this exercise in Sudan. To go back thousands of years so as to rediscover ourselves. Gain momentum and then move forward with the momentum of 5,000 years to propel ourselves and snatch ourselves into history once again. And we have a very long history indeed. Peoples and kingdoms have lived, thrived and disappeared in the geographical area that constitutes present modern Sudan.”

Though Dr Garang was speaking in 2005 during the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA in Nairobi, the arguments he raised remain valid and we in both South Sudan and Sudan can still apply to move our two independent Countries forward. South Sudan also should be able to contribute for a just peace in Sudan and put an end to the political crisis and armed conflict between the northern rebels and the Sudanese government.

It was just due to egos and lack of a clear vision that the leaders of SPLM in the South and NCP in the North failed to rise above their ideological differences and bitter history of conflict. They failed to utilize available opportunities for reconciliation between themselves and the people of the two Countries after decades of bitter civil wars and even after the secession of the South.

The current normalization of relations being talked about should be based on mutual benefits and respect of the sovereignty of each Country. No country should be able to support a war in the other. The normalization of relations should not be a deceit or blackmail of any side. South Sudan leaders should never accept to become pawns (puppets).

It is however very important for our people in South Sudan to understand that, practically, bringing peace to a divisive, war-torn country is very expensive. Apart from the blood we all know our people have shed, there are other costs for bringing peace. These may include making hard compromises such as paying different forms of direct or indirect incentives. That is how the world today works. Should we pay a little incentive and be able to attain some sort of peace so that our entire suffering population and the displaced millions be in a position to once again pick up their lives and prepare their children for the future? Or should we go on fighting, losing more resources and fellow humans in war, insecurity throughout the Country including the capital Juba? And several others also die because of hunger and of the poor health systems which are all results of bad governance coupled with economic crises created by the same war? Think about that!

Indeed our people shed blood for several decades to get the CPA we had, and our independence which we attained in 2011, after sustained support to both processes by Igad Countries and the international community. But it was not just referendum and the results thereof that let to our prompt recognition as a sovereign nation by several countries and the world shortly after. Yes, many countries supported us and were sympathetic to our suffering and years of struggle. But in some cases, there were a lot more about that.

Anyway, I'm not saying our leaders should be allowed to throwing away our sovereignty and resources. I'm only saying, practically, there are costs for us to pay in order to attain peace now. But that cost should be reasonable, affordable and should never be a source of threat to the future of our children and the next generations. It is our collective duty to ensure our leaders do not go out of that line
In conclusion, let me say, in fact, not just normalizing relations with Sudan is necessary, South Sudan needs to come up with clear foreign policy that represents the interests of its people and one that shall be able to promote beyond our borders the ideals of freedom, democracy, economic empowerment, mutual cooperation and respect, and all which, several decades ago, prompted our struggle against oppression and indignity.

South Sudan should be able to contribute to the benefit of its citizens and the unity and growth of our friends in the region, the African continent and the World. And certainly, all of that requires normalization of relations with our neighbours and old friends near and far who have fallen out with us for one reason or the other, including due to our people's inhumane, brutish, barbaric, criminal actions which continue to shock the world since 2013.

Roger Alfred Yoron Modi, a South Sudanese journalist, is the former Managing Editor of Juba Monitor Newspaper and former Chief Editor of Bakhita Radio. He can be reached via his email: rogeryoron@gmail.com

A peace deal in South Sudan will benefit the Sudanese president in more than one way

By Ahmed H Adam

Last week, the warring parties in South Sudan agreed to a "permanent" ceasefire, raising hopes of a peace deal to end a devastating civil war that has left tens of thousands of people dead and driven four million others from their homes since December 2013.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed the landmark document in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum on June 27. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who helped broker the deal, was also present at the signing ceremony.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Kiir and Machar agreed to permit members of the African Union and another regional group, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, to deploy peacekeeping troops to South Sudan. The two leaders also voiced their intention to form a new, transitional government to rule the country for 36 months leading up to national elections. The government of South Sudan also agreed to rehabilitate its oil fields in collaboration with the government of Sudan, and increase its oil production levels.

The move has been praised across the region as an important step towards bringing lasting peace and stability to the world's youngest nation-state. But in less than a week, peace efforts already faced major challenges.

The ceasefire entered into force on July 1 as agreed, however, it was violated within hours, with the government and armed opposition trading blame. Only a day later, on July 2, South Sudan's government presented a bill to the parliament seeking to amend the Constitution to extend Kiir's presidential term to 2021. The opposition immediately rejected the plan, arguing it would undermine the ongoing peace talks.

These developments raised doubts about both the opposition and the regime's commitment to peace. Moreover, there are still major question marks about the intentions and credibility of the facilitator of the negotiations - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir has been implementing strategies that helped destabilise South Sudan since the oil-rich country gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. So why did he help broker a ceasefire between Kiir and Machar? And, perhaps most importantly, can such a fragile deal facilitated by a dubious broker lead to sustainable peace?

Bashir as a deal broker
The process that led to the signing of last week's permanent ceasefire started not in Khartoum, but in Addis Ababa. On June 21, Ethiopia's new, reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hosted a private dinner between Kiir and Machar. The two leaders, who until that night had not been in the same room since 2016, posed together for the cameras, yet nothing came out of Ahmed's attempt to broker a deal.

After the apparent failure of Addis Ababa's peace efforts, on June 25 the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) announced that it would move the peace talks to Khartoum in a last attempt to push for peace.

By moving the negotiations from Ethiopia to Sudan the IGAD mediators and their international partners, namely the US, UK and Norway, took a well-calculated risk. They knew Bashir would not be an impartial mediator, but they had reason to believe he was the right person to push for peace.

Unlike Ahmed, Bashir has significant leverage over Machar's and other South Sudanese rebel groups - which he had long been supporting - and can convince them to accept a compromise. Furthermore, Bashir stands to gain a lot from peace in South Sudan.

First, after failing to secure much needed financial support from Gulf countries, Bashir views the resumption of oil production in South Sudan as his last chance to save Sudan's economy.

Second, he wants the US to remove Sudan from its "state sponsors of terrorism" list, and he knows he can impress the Trump administration by facilitating peace in South Sudan.

Third, he wants to divert attention from the political and economic crisis in his own country.

Fourth, he seeks to portray himself as a champion peacemaker, and Sudan as an "Island of stability" in the troubled region.

Who is behind the breakthrough in Khartoum?
So far, it seems that IGAD and its partners' gamble has paid off. Bashir used his understanding of South Sudan's internal dynamics and the leverage he has over South Sudanese opposition groups to deliver a much-needed breakthrough in the peace process.

Nevertheless, Bashir should not get all the credit for last week's landmark ceasefire deal.

Khartoum's efforts came at a time when the international community reached a consensus to end South Sudan's devastating civil war. Parties to South Sudan's conflict were also aware of this, and as a result, they were more motivated than ever to find common ground.

Also, prior to the signing of the ceasefire deal IGAD and its partners threatened to impose targeted sanctions on the top leaders of South Sudan, significantly helping Bashir's peace efforts.

Moreover, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, who was at Khartoum to oversee the signing of the ceasefire agreement, also played a crucial role in negotiations. Uganda has vital security and economic interests in South Sudan, so it is motivated to bring peace to the country.

It is not a secret that Museveni, who has long been providing military and political support to South Sudan's government, has some leverage over President Kiir. Until recently, he has been vetoing any agreement that allowed Machar to have a prominent role in South Sudan's government.

But it seems Bashir and Museveni finally reached an understanding regarding the future of South Sudan, making it possible for a ceasefire deal acceptable to both sides to be signed.

The way forward
But no matter who is responsible for the ceasefire - whether it is Bashir, Museveni, the warring parties or the international community - the group that will benefit the most from the cessation of hostilities will be the South Sudanese people.

What is important now is the shape the peace will take in South Sudan. If it is to be sustainable, peace in South Sudan should not be an elitist one. It should not come as a reward to those who have been waging the bloody war, or those who helped sustain it for years for their own benefit.

The coming peace should be a people's peace.

Any peace agreement should not be about making different factions of the elite happy, it should be about finding the best way to govern South Sudan. Justice, accountability, healing and reconciliation are key to a lasting peace and the nation and state-building process South Sudan would soon need to embark upon. IGAD and its international partners should push for a peace agreement that commits the conflicting parties to a far-reaching reform agenda.

Bringing comprehensive and lasting peace to South Sudan is going to be a daunting task and actors like Bashir will undoubtedly try to manipulate the peace process to their benefit. The country is extremely militarised, ethicised and polarised by the ongoing civil war, previous interethnic wars and by the liberation war with Sudan. The region is also divided over South Sudan - from Sudan to Uganda, each regional power wants peace on their own terms.

But despite all this, there is now real hope for peace in South Sudan. It is likely that the parties will agree on security arrangements either tomorrow or over the weekend. The IGAD, AU, EU, US and all other concerned members of the international community should invest in South Sudan's future. They should immediately establish the necessary mechanisms to effectively monitor the ceasefire and other provisions of the expected comprehensive peace agreement.

The international community used unlikely actors to score a ceasefire, now it's their responsibility to make sure these actors do not kick-start a peace process that would help them more than the South Sudanese people.

Ahmed H Adam is a Research Associate at SOAS' School of Law, University of London.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan's rebel leader, Riek Machar has appointed a new governor for Bieh, one of the country's newly created states.

South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar looks on during an interview at his residence on August 31, 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Photo AFP /Zacharias Abubeker)

Machar, in a statement, appointed Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol, replacing Brig. Gen. Koang Rambang Chuol who died last month.

“Pursuant to the resolutions of the SPLM Political Bureau September 23, 2016 and SPLM (IO) Constitution, I Riek Machar-Teny Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, SPLM/SPLA(IO), do hereby appoint Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol Bol as governor of Bieh State with effect from 3rd July 2018,” partly reads Machar's 3 July statement.

Duol was previously the deputy governor of Bieh state prior to his latest promotion.

Machar, in another statement, appointed Pal Mai Deng as the state's deputy governor.

Last week, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader agreed to a "permanent" ceasefire to take immediate effect, raising hopes of a peace deal to end the country's civil war.

In the past, however, several ceasefire agreements have been violated by both warring parties.

(ST)

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has announced a ban on wood and charcoal exportation, arguing that the practice has negatively impacted on the country's environment.

'Southern Sudan still retains the majority of its forest cover, but deforestation is occurring at a steady rate' (UN)

The country's minister for trade and investment, Musa Hassan Tiel said on Wednesday that illegal logging was now punishable by law.

“A lot of people are engaged illegally in cutting of trees for the purposes of producing charcoal for export,” Tiel told reporters in the country's capital, Juba.

The new move, according to the minister, follows the massive destruction of forests in the country, instructing all environment agencies and other departments to ensure the ban is implemented.

“We urge our citizens and those who are engaged in those kinds of activities to stop doing that,” further stressed the minister, adding “Our citizens should look for new ways of cooking our food”.

South Sudan has no forestry policy and its authorities are worried they could lose the country's tropical forests, unless stringent measures are put in place to curb rampant rates of illegal logging.

The world's youngest nation faces a civil war and while its population grapples with hunger, they are also experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, partly blamed by officials on the conflict.

In South Sudan, the deforestation is compounded by an increase in illegal exports of wood and charcoal largely by foreign companies.

But, while up to 95 percent of South Sudan's population is dependent on climate-sensitive activities like agriculture and forestry for their livelihoods, the ongoing civil war worsens the problem.

South Sudan is currently embroiled in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of the population, displacing nearly two million of them.

Last year, officials from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) warned of dangers as the country's wildlife and natural resources faced alarming expansion of illegal exploitation, trafficking and logging.

(ST)

July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Khartoum Wednesday has praised the Sudanese government cooperation with the American administration to put maximum pressure on the North Korean government to abandon its nuclear programme.

Speaking during a National Day reception at the embassy in Khartoum, Ambassador Steven Koutsis stressed that North Korea's denuclearization is a top policy priority for his government as Washington still has doubts over Pyongyang's commitment despite a pledge to denuclearize.

"For this reason, we would like to emphasize our appreciation for actions taken by Sudan and all our allies and partners around the world who support our diplomatic and economic pressure on the North Korean regime," said Koutsis according to the AFP correspondent in Khartoum.

This is the first statement on Sudan's cooperation with the U.S. government on North Korea since a visit to Khartoum by U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea. The latter met the Sudanese defence minister on 30 April to discuss issues related to Sudan's military relations with North Korea.

Billingslea's visit to the Sudanese capital came after a report to UN Security Council on 5 March 2018, by a panel of experts pointing to the persistent military cooperation between Sudan and North Korea.

Referring to the negative of the sanction on the Sudanese economy, Koutsis admitted that Sudan presence in the terror blacklist contributes to complicate Khartoum efforts to improve the economic situation and attract investors.

"I pledge to you that this embassy will work with all its energy and focus to create the conditions for Sudan's removal from the list," he further said.

In October 2017, Washington removed the economic embargo on Sudan but maintained the east African country on the list of state supporting terror groups.

Khartoum and Washington since have agreed to resume talks on the needed requirements to clear Sudan from the list.

Washington points to the need to improve religious freedom and human rights in the country.

Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed said he would visit Washington soon to resume talks with the U.S. officials on the matter.

(ST)

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – Unknown gunmen on Wednesday attacked two trucks carrying education supplies for the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), killing a person on Juba-Bor road in South Sudan.

Trucks on un-paved road in South Sudan (UNHCR)

The deceased, the agency said, was an assistant driver.

“We strongly condemn this senseless assault directed against civilians working to deliver humanitarian supplies to those in need, in trucks that were clearly marked with the UNICEF insignia,” partly read's UNICEF's statement.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim,” it added.

Attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel have been frequent in war-torn South Sudan. At least 107 charity workers have been killed in the country since a civil war started in December 2013.

(ST)

July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer al-Bashir and Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu Wednesday discussed recent border clashes saying they are determined to promote the strategic relations between the two countries.

Earlier this week, several reports said a number of Sudanese farmers and an army officer were killed by Ethiopian gunmen in Al-Fashaga area.

Gebeyehu, accompanied by a senior security official, on Wednesday arrived in Khartoum to convey a verbal message from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to al-Bashir.

Following the meeting, Sudan's Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed described recent border clashes as “normal incidents that occur during the rainy season every year”.

He added the Ethiopian premier stressed his country's determination to overcome such incidents, saying al-Bashir also called to address these clashes through cooperation and coordination in order not to adversely impact on the distinct relations between the two countries.

For his part, Gebeyehu said Sudan and Ethiopia will work together to address all border problems, pointing to the strategic ties between the two countries.

Ethiopian and Sudanese farmers from two sides of the border dispute the ownership of land in Al-Fashaga area located in the southeastern part of Sudan's eastern state of Gedaref.

In the past years, Sudanese authorities accused Ethiopia of controlling more than a million acres of Sudanese agricultural land in the area of Al-Fashaga, saying the area has been completely isolated from Sudan.

Al-Fashaga covers an area of about 250 square kilometres and it has about 600.000 acres of fertile lands. Also, there are river systems flowing across the area including Atbara, Setait and Baslam rivers.

The current borders between Sudan and Ethiopia were drawn by the British and Italian colonisers in 1908. The two governments have agreed in the past to redraw the borders and to promote joint projects between people from both sides for the benefit of local populations.

The joint Sudanese-Ethiopian High Committee announced in December 2013 that it reached an agreement to end disputes between farmers from two sides of the border over the ownership of agricultural land.

In November 2014, the former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President al-Bashir instructed their Foreign Ministers to fix a date for resuming the border demarcation. The operation had stopped following the death of Ethiopia's former premier, Meles Zenawi.

(ST)

July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Wednesday travelled to Djibouti to participate in the China-Africa Economic Forum and Exhibition from 5 to7 July.

According to the official news agency SUNA, al-Bashir will also attend the inauguration of pilot zone of Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) on July 5.

Al-Bashir's accompanying delegation includes Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of the Presidency Fadl Abdallah Fadl, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Services Salah Abdallah and Director of the President's Offices Hatim Hassan Bakhit.

Al-Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.

Djibouti is State Members of the Rome Statute and therefore obliged to comply with arrest warrants the ICC issues, even for incumbent heads of state.

However, Djibouti failed to arrest al-Bashir in 2016 when he arrived in its territory on an official visit prompting the ICC to report the East African nation to the United Nations Security Council.

Since the issuance of the two arrest warrants, Bashir limited his trips abroad to ICC non-party states but he also travelled to five signatory states including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Malawi, Djibouti and South Africa.

His trip to South Africa in 2015 drew international attention after he flew out of the country defying a High court order which orders the government to ban his departure until an application calling for his arrest had been heard.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese parties Wednesday have discussed with the Sudanese mediators the draft agreement on the outstanding security arrangements as they expect to receive the final draft agreement by Thursday.

South Sudan information minister Michael Makuei Lueth shakes hands with Lam Akol during the revitalization forum on 19 December 2017 (ST Photo)

The IGAD-led face-to-face round of talks in Khartoum have started in Khartoum on 25 June. Two days after, the South Sudanese parties signed a framework agreement, providing to implement the permanent ceasefire even before to settle the outstanding issues in the security arrangements.

The Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told the official SSBC TV they met on Wednesday with the Sudanese mediation team headed by the Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf to discuss a draft agreement on the security arrangements

"After lengthy discussions, it was agreed that by tomorrow we will be getting the final draft and hopefully this final draft will be the document that we will sign," the minister said.

Lueth further said if things as it was agreed then they sign the final draft agreement the mediators will submit on Thursday.

"If things remain the same then definitely we will be signing the final document on the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangement," he said.

Khartoum talks on the security arrangements deal with four outstanding issues including the determination of demilitarized areas; modalities of the cantonment, a timeframe for the unification of forces and the number of representatives of every party in the Joint Transitional Security Committee.

The SPLA-IO made a major concession during the previous phases of the peace revitalization process as it accepted to amend the peace agreement and integrate the armies before the end of the transitional period.

Minister Makuei said once this agreement on the security arrangements is signed the will move immediately to discuss the outstanding issues in the power-sharing or governance chapter.

On the governance, the parties have to settle their differences on the number of states in South Sudan, the size and composition of the Legislature and the responsibility sharing ratio in the executive and the states.

Once all these issues have been settled, the IGAD leaders have to persuade President Salva Kiir to accept the participation of SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar in the transitional government.

The Khartoum round of peace talks will be concluded on 8 July as the parties have to move to Nairobi to resume discussions there.

The signatories of the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement pledged to settle all the pending issues in the security arrangements and governance in Khartoum.

(ST)

July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudatel, a telecommunications and Internet service provider in Sudan, and Nokia a Finnish telecommunications technology company announced Tuesday a strategic partnership to develop ultra-broadband services in the east African country.

Sudatel

According to the deal announced from Espoo, Finland the two parties will test "Nokia 4.5G Pro, 4.9G and 5G mobile technologies along with Nokia's fixed fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) portfolio to enhance the mobile and residential broadband experience in Sudan".

The technologies used in this trail which will be implemented in Khartoum, are dedicated to increasing capacity and speed through AirScale radio access.

Further, Sudatel will trial Nokia's passive optical networking (PON) fibre solutions to enhance the residential broadband experience. Also, it will be limited to Khartoum before to be extended to other regions.

Sudatel is a government-owned company. The Sudanese operator is present also in Mauritania and Senegal.

Tarig Zain El Abdein, Sudatel's President and Chief Executive Officer said “Bringing Nokia's technology expertise and innovations to Sudan is very strategic for us in the execution of our vision of becoming the most admired ICT provider in Africa"

Pierre Chaume, head of Nokia's North & West Africa Department at, said the partnership agreement “will support Sudatel's 2020 Strategy of becoming the most admired ICT provider in Africa, (..)"

(ST)

July 3, 2018 (JUBA) – Ugandan airline, Eagle Air this week announced the resumption of its flights to Yei town in the southwest of South Sudan and near the Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The decision was announced Tuesday after one-year suspension following "the harassment" of Eagle Aircrews by South Sudanese officials, according to the ch-aviation, a specialized website on aviation news.

The airline, in a statement, said the twice-weekly flights from Entebbe or Kampala to Yei town would commence from 2 July 2018 onwards.

The Eagle Air has two flights per week from Entebbe to Yei which is a business hub, attracting traders and customers from South Sudan, Uganda and Congo.

Yei is a business hub, attracting traders and customers from South Sudan, Uganda and Congo. Also, Ivory Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank have branches in the city.

The Ugandan carrier also offers scheduled flights from the Ugandan town of Entebbe to each of Pakuba, Adjumani, Gulu, and Arua in Uganda as well as Juba in South Sudan.

The only airline within Uganda, Eagle Air operates a diverse fleet of Let 410UVPEs, Beech 1900Ds, Piper (twin-piston) Seneca PA34s, and Cessna (single piston) 206s.

(ST)

July 3, 2018 (JUBA) - At least 2.2 million school-aged children have dropped out of schools in South Sudan due to the ongoing political and economic problems in the war-hit nation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

School pupils demand creating of a conducive environment for learning in Bor, May 22, 2014 (ST)

This was revealed during the launch of South Sudan out-of-school children study guide at a ceremony held in the capital, Juba.

"In the wake of persistent fragility conflict, at least 2.2 million children across South Sudan are now out of school, a figure that is projected to rise, if nothing is done," said UNECO's country representative, Sardar Umar Alam.

The report, he said, is part of a global initiative that highlights the challenges of out of school children in South Sudan initiated in 2013.

"The number of out-of-school children in the country has increased in recent years and this trend is projected to continue, reaching over 2.4 million children in the next two years, if present circumstances are maintained," stressed the official.

The country representative for the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), Mahimbo Mdoe said children from rural areas of the country are more likely to be excluded from school than those in urban areas.

South Sudan's education minister, Deng Deng Hoc Yai assured stakeholder that the country will work to ensure all girls and boys are enrolled in class, despite the ongoing war and economic troubles.

"We need to act so quick to reach the children that are out of school because every child deserve to be given opportunity to learn," he said.

The report demonstrates the urgency of the needs to tackle the issue of children out of school more quickly by ensuring all those out of school have the opportunity to go to back to school, he stressed.

The conflict in South Sudan, now in its fifth year, has displaced millions of people into neighboring countries since it started in mid-December 2013.

(ST)

July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan transport minister and South Sudan presidential adviser on security affairs Tuesday agreed to open four border crossing points between the two countries within the next few days.

The agreement was announced by the two officials following a meeting held in Khartoum to discuss the implementation of directives of President al-Bashir to open border with South Sudan after the signing of Khartoum Declaration of Agreement on 27 June.

The decision is as a part of measures he announced recently to encourage the South Sudanese parties to implement a peace agreement they signed in August 2015. He said it would facilitate the movement of citizens and the flow of trade between the two countries.

Speaking in Khartoum after the meeting, Presidential adviser, Tut Galuwak told reporters they discussed the border opening and he asked to open all the crossing points as soon as possible to encourage trade between the two sides on the border.

"Minister Makawi expressed the readiness of his government to implement the directives of President al-Bashir and we would like to a announce the good news that the decision includes road, rail and Nile river crossing points," said Galuwak.

For his part, Minister Makawi Awad confirmed what Galuwak announced and added that four points would be opened very soon before the departure of the South Sudanese official from Khartoum.

"These four crossing corridors, Awad said, include, Kosti-Renk road and river, Meriam - Aweil, rails and road, Heglig-Bentiu, and Al Sumayyah corridors".

Some of the four points have been marked last March as the two countries did not yet finalize the talks on the border demarcation since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 and they are part of the Safe Demilitarized Buffer Zone (SDBZ).

Following the South Sudan independence, President al-Bashir ordered the border closure accusing Juba of backing Sudanese rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

However, the decision didn't stop totally the trade between the two sides as the border areas from both sides historically had strong trade relations.

Minister Awad said the Sudanese private sector will contribute to restoring the roads and transportation means.

(ST)