Sudan Tribune

April 10, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan wants the regional bloc (IGAD) and the Troika member states (Norway, United States and Britain) to exclude ex-army chief, General Paul Malong from the next round of peace talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Addressing reporters in the capital, Juba on Tuesday, the Presidential Press Secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny said the participation of Awan, a former ally of President Salva Kiir, would affect the ongoing peace process.

Ateny accused the ex-army chief of being a believer in violence rather than peaceful means.

Awan announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), which he claimed was the only means through which he would work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the country.

“Our movement is a just an urgent call to our compatriots and a struggle to first arrest the carnage that has befell our country and secondly to steer us towards democracy and development, which are the cornerstones of nationhood, an African nationhood of democracy, development, equal citizenry, justice and freedom”, he said in a statement issued on Monday.

He accused Kiir of building a nation where total impunity is the order.

“Our movement seeks to reverse this. We must build our nationhood around strong institutions and not strongmen. Strong institutions will outlive all of us and guarantee the prosperity of our nation. This is what we yearn for in our country”, stressed the ex-army chief.

Malong said his new rebel group would strive towards fighting what he described as "systemic corruption, stop the ongoing carnage, steer the country toward democracy, justice, equality and freedom."

He also vowed to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in December last year by the various warring parties and he urged the regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to allow his new group to be part of the high-level revitalization forum meeting scheduled April 26 in Addis Ababa.

Ateny, however, said the former army chief of staff is a “corrupt” individual already been sanctioned by the international community.

"Malong was sanctioned by the same international community for the role they thought he played as part of the government when he was the Chief of General Staff of the army," Ateny told reporters.

In February this year, the European Union imposed sanctions on Malong and three South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.

He accused the ex-army chief of destroying the August 2015 peace deal that forced rebel leader Riek Machar out of Juba last year.

"Malong was against the peace agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan. That is why he staged almost three attempted coups against President Kiir between 2015 and 2016,” said Ateny.

Relations between Awan and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

The ex-army chief was freed in November following mediation led by the Jieng Council of Elders. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - South Darfur Governor Tuesday urged an assessment team of the African Union and United Nations to consider the closure of a UNAMID site in Mukjar area.

Governor Jaafar Abdel-Hakam expressed his demand in a speech before a joint meeting between Central Darfur Security Committee and the African Union-United Nations Strategic Review Team which visits the state to assess the mandate of the hybrid peacekeeping operation.

"If the criteria for the closure of UNAMID team sites is the effectiveness of civilians' protection and stability in the concerned areas, Mukjar comes at the forefront where there is a great security and stability," Abdel-Hakam said.

He further said the state is witnessing a stability as a result of the government's decision to collect weapons, adding the security situation encouraged a large number of displaced persons to return to their areas of origin and now participate the production cycle, as he said.

"They are no longer in need of relief as much as they need services and development," he stressed before to call on the UN, African Union and humanitarian groups to support the Voluntary Return Program through the funding of development and services projects.

On Monday, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, announced the imminent closure of a camp for Chadian refugees in Mukjar after the departure on Friday 6 April 2018 of 500 Chadian refugees representing the last batch of nearly 4,000 refugees settled in the area since 2006.

However, In the past Mukjar witnessed tribal clashes between the Misseriya and Salamat tribes. In October 2016, UNAMID organised a dialogue meeting to promote the culture of peace and reconciliation among the local communities.

The UN and the African Union excluded Central Darfur State from the first and second phase of a plan to reduce the number of troops to be finalized by June 2018, due to the existence of rebels in the mountainous areas.

Instead, it decided to establish a new base in Golo to boost the protection of civilians in Central Darfur and to be prepared for probable displacement as a result of new military operations in the state.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (JUBA) – The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), a South Sudanese human rights body, is calling on the regional bloc (IGAD) block to include the former South Sudanese army chief of staff, General Paul Malong in the next round of talks in Addis Ababa.

Former South Sudanese army chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan speaking at a Dinka Malual community meeting in Juba on 1 November, 2012 (ST)

On Monday, Malong announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF) which he said was the only means through which he will work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the country.

CPJ's executive director, Tito Anthony, however, said for peace to be fully achieved and sustained in the country would mean considering inclusivity of all armed opposition and non-armed opposition such as the newly formed SSUF.

“If the IGAD exclude Gen. Malong from the peace talks, that peace will not be sustainable peace because he will remain out of government and fighting it,” he said in a statement issued Tuesday.

He added, “IGAD should deal with the current conflict at once and therefore Gen. Malong must be part of this high level revitalization forum, reach consensus with other parties and have a concert peace in the country”.

He also appealed to the ex-army to pursue the path of peace and also accept any peaceful settlement of the conflict in the country.

Malong said his new rebel group would strive towards fighting what he described as "systemic corruption, stop the ongoing carnage, steer the country toward democracy, justice, equality and freedom."

He also vowed to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in December last year by the various warring parties and he urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to allow his new group to be part of the high-level revitalization forum meeting scheduled April 26 in Addis Ababa.

In February this year, the European Union imposed sanctions on Malong and three South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.

Relations between Malong and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

Malong was freed in November following mediation led by the Jieng Council of Elders. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (GEVEVA) - The United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi is visiting the country from 14 -24 April to assess the implementation of recommendations made to the government by human rights mechanisms.

UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan Aristide Nononsi (UNAMID Photo)

“My fifth mission to Sudan aims to examine the steps undertaken by the Government to comply with its international human rights obligations, and to discuss possible areas for technical cooperation,” said Nononsi in a statement.

The independent expert said he also wanted to see what action had been taken to reform the current legal framework, which infringes on the exercise of political and civil rights and fundamental freedoms, in response to the recommendations made in his previous reports.

During the visit, however, the UN official will reportedly meet Sudanese officials, representatives of civil society, community leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and UN agencies in Khartoum and the country's western region of Darfur.

In Darfur region, Nononsi will visit the Shallah Federal Prison, the UN said.

The findings and recommendations of the independent expert will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018.

Nononsi was designated the new independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KAMPALA) - Police in the northern Ugandan district of Lira are reporting holding staff of a South Sudanese non-governmental organization over illegal possession of firearms.

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

Morris Okwir, Daily Monitor reported, has been working as programmes director for John Dau Foundation (JDF) in South Sudan.

Okwir, 39, was reportedly arrested by police Sunday night following a tip-off by a concerned resident that he was in possession of a rifle.

During interrogation, Okwir reportedly told police he legally bought the gun in an open market in South Sudan for his personal security.

A charge of illegal possession of firearms with case file CRB 12/33/2018 has reportedly been opened, as investigations continue.

“The suspect admitted and directed us to where he was hiding the firearm. We found a 9MM Pistol model; BLOW P99 A CALL with serial NO. 8-002377 loaded with 4 rounds of live ammunitions,” David Ongom Mudong, the North Kiyoga regional police spokesperson told Daily Monitor.

Okwir say he legally acquired the firearm from South Sudan, but police have said it was illegal in Uganda since it was not registered.

“That is illegal, the law only permits security agencies to possess firearms, however, individuals who wish to acquire firearms should follow the right procedures as required by the Ugandan law within the Firearms Act,” stressed Ongom.

Meanwhile, the JDF president, Deng Dhieu Leek was quoted saying efforts are underway to contact Uganda's security officials about the matter.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation for Darfur Amin Hassan Omer said the government has received an invitation to meet the armed movements in Berlin from 16 to 17 April.

Head of government delegation for talks for peace in Darfur Amin Hassan Omer speaks to reporters in Addis Ababa on Friday 20 November 2015 (ST Photo)

The meeting would bring the Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement.

If the parties strike a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

The German government which is a facilitator for the African Union efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan hosted several meetings in the past for the opposition groups or between the government and opposition.

Omer told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) the government would meet with the rebel movements “to listen to them and then look into their views”.

Commenting on the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) threats to sanction rebels who obstruct efforts to achieve peace in Darfur, Omer said the Council's role is to ensure the negative movements don't adversely impact on security and stability of African nations.

He stressed the AUSPC is heading in the right direction regarding the conflict in Darfur.

In a meeting held on 20 February 2018, the AUPSC said concerned by the “unnecessarily prolonged” process for peace in Darfur and called for a rapid resolution of the 15-year conflict.

The Council further pointed to "the lack of commitment on the part of the non-signatory Darfur armed movements" and urged them to engage discussions with the government on the basis of the DDPD.

It urged mediators to make progress in the resolution of Darfur conflict during the upcoming three months and threatened to sanction those who continue to hinder the ongoing efforts for a lasting peace.

The holdout groups including the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement - Minn Minnawi (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) had 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.

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.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Tuesday issued a decree to release all political prisoners in response to a call by the political parties of the National Consensus Government (NCG).

The security forces arrested opposition leaders and dozens of political activists after a series of protests against the austerity measures including the increase of bread price announced at the beginning of January 2018.

The NCG's political parties on Monday called on al-Bashir to release all political detainees in order to create a suitable atmosphere for the formation of the Supreme Constitutional Committee tasked with the drafting of the permanent constitution.

The presidential decree pointed out that the release of political prisoners aims to enhance the spirit of the national consensus and harmony brought about by the national dialogue.

"The decision also aims to create a conducive climate to enable all political forces to take part in the discussions over the national issues and the making of the permanent constitution," further said the decree.

Meanwhile, the state minister at the presidency and director general of the president's offices Hatim Hassan Bakhit said the decree was immediately implemented by the concerned bodies.

Earlier this month, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said arrangements are underway to hold discussions with all political forces over the permanent constitution.

In October 2016, the political forces participating in the government-led national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalised by transitional institutions.

The NCG was installed in May 2017 to implement the outcome of the dialogue conference.

The opposition groups boycotted the national dialogue because the government didn't agree to a humanitarian truce with the armed groups and due to its refusal to implement a number of confidence-building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan Tuesday affirmed its continued participation in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Sudanese troops arriving in Aden, Yemen (Al-Arabiya TV)

The statement was made public after a meeting of the foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour with ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in Khartoum.

" The Minister stated Sudan's firm stance on its participation in the coalition forces and its support to the efforts to restoring stability in brotherly Yemen," said the foreign ministry spokesperson Gaffar Sumi Toto in a statement released after the meeting.

The meeting came amid growing calls to withdraw Sudanese troops from Yemen. The latest was a demand by several Members of Parliament from the Reform Now Movement of Ghazi Salah al-Din to withdraw the Sudanese troops from Yemen.

The statement, also, said the ambassadors "conveyed their condolences to the families of the martyrs and their wishes for the speedy recovery of the wounded of the recent operations in Yemen".

The Yemeni rebels said they killed dozens of Sudanese soldiers in the northern province of Hajjah before dawn on Friday. But, the Sudanese government didn't comment on the report.

The Sudanese army has been participating in the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 in a regional effort to back the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan ex-army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan on Tuesday claimed he was pushed into rebellion after all attempts to reconcile him with President Salva Kiir and his entire administration failed.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, Gen Paul Malong Awan (Juba24 News)

“Every attempt, both public and private to engage the Kiir's regime towards peace has been flatly manipulated by regime apologists and those who spearhead the peace effort put on the hit list. Anyone who mentions the need for peaceful engagement is branded an enemy of the state and is targeted for extra-judicial assassination”, Malong said in a statement.

On Monday, Malong announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), a new opposition party, which he claimed was the only means through which he would work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the country.

“Our movement is a just and urgent call to our compatriots and a struggle to first arrest the carnage that has befell our country and secondly to steer us towards democracy and development, which are the cornerstones of nationhood, an African nationhood of democracy, development, equal citizenry, justice and freedom”, he said.

He accused Kiir of building a nation where total impunity is the order.

“Our movement seeks to reverse this. We must build our nationhood around strong institutions and not strongmen. Strong institutions will outlive all of us and guarantee the prosperity of our nation. This is what we yearn for in our country”, stressed the ex-army chief.

Malong said his new rebel group would strive towards fighting what he described as "systemic corruption, stop the ongoing carnage, steer the country toward democracy, justice, equality and freedom."

He also vowed to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in December last year by the various warring parties and he urged the regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to allow his new group to be part of the high-level revitalization forum meeting scheduled April 26 in Addis Ababa.

In February this year, the European Union imposed sanctions on Malong and three South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.

Relations between Awan and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

The ex-army chief was freed in November following mediation led by the Jieng Council of Elders. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

April 8, 2018 (KHARTOUM) Sudan's Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf has received an invitation from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attend the closing ceremony of the joint military exercise “Gulf Shield-1”.

Sudan is among 23 countries taking part in the military drills that began on March 18, 2018.

Ibu Ouf on Sunday received the Saudi Ambassador to Khartoum Ali Hassan Ja'afar who handed him over a written letter from the Crown Prince inviting him to attend the closing ceremony of the military exercise on 16 April.

The two sides discussed the evolving relations between the two countries, particularly in the military field.

According to the official news agency SUNA, the Saudi envoy praised the great sacrifices of the Sudanese army within the Saudi-led military alliance in Yemen.

It is noteworthy that the military exercise coincides with the Arab League summit which will be held in Riyadh next week.

For years, Khartoum's regime maintained close relations with Riyadh's arch-rivals in Tehran.

However, 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 Shiite Muslim cleric.

Sudanese troops are deployed in Yemen since October 2014 within a Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Shiite Houthi militants.

In February 2016, the Sudanese army participated in a regional military exercise including Saudi and Gulf armies, Egypt, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Sudanese armies.

(ST)

April 8, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The secretary general of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Ali al-Haj Mohamed has expected the Sudanese government and the rebel movements to reach a peace agreement soon.

The Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region (Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) will meet in Berlin on 16 and 17 April to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement.

If the parties strike a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

Commenting on these developments, al-Haj who met Darfur groups last December told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) that the armed movements have expressed desire to end the war and achieve peace in the country.

He pointed out that his meeting with the SRF in Berlin was based on the outcome of the national dialogue, saying the PCP met with the rebel umbrella within the framework of its participation in the National Consensus Government.

Al-Haj added the PCP seeks to bring the views of the various parties closer through its work in the Supreme Council for Peace which was formed by the Sudanese presidency recently.

The PCP, which historically was opposed to foreign initiatives to end the war in Sudan, launched several months ago an initiative to bridge the gaps between the National Congress Party-led government and the opposition groups that boycott the National Dialogue process.

It is noteworthy that the state security prosecution last week filed criminal charges against the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi for dealing and coordinating with the armed movements that seek to topple the regime.

Following a heated internal debate over participation in the National Consensus Government which was formed in May 2017, the PCP took part in the executive and legislative branches of the post-dialogue government.

The Islamist party had earlier threatened to not participate in the government after the parliament passed constitutional amendments retaining powers of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

The PCP, founded by the late Islamic leader Hassan al-Turabi, splinted from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) since 1999 and joined the opposition ranks since that time but it supported the national dialogue process declared by al-Bashir in 2014 and participated in all its forums.

The opposition groups boycotted the process because the government and the armed groups failed to sign a humanitarian truce and also due to Khartoum refusal to implement a number of confidence-building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (YAMBIO) – The South Sudan 2018 agriculture and seed fair campaigned was officially launched on Wednesday in Yambio.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

The country's national minister for agriculture, Onyoti Adigo led the high level delegation, which comprised of officials from United Nations agencies and agricultural stakeholders, to Gbudue state.

Adigo said Gbudue state was chosen as one of the areas for food production to help reduce hunger in the war-torn country.

“Despite the numerous challenges the country is facing, agriculture is a key priority of the government to sensitize the farmers to provide seeds to them to produce more food,” said the agriculture minister.

“Our country has a lot of problems and those problems can be solved through agriculture,” he added.

Government, according to the minister, lacks agricultural land and that all state governors are to avail 250,000 fedan for agriculture.

The deputy country representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Pierre Vauthier said the hunger situation may worsen in South Sudan if food production does not improve.

“In 2018, the hunger situation has worsened more than before according to a recent report and the people of Gbudue state have potential to double efforts to produce more food,” said Vauthier.

He said FAO will embark on training of farmers in Western Equatoria region on how to produce surplus food for consumption and sale.

The training shall include storage and provision of seed on time, he said.

In 2017, World Food Program and partners reportedly supported over 3000 households to improve production and create community assets worth $648,000, which were spent over a six month period.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) A visiting delegation from the UK House of Lords will visit South Kordofan State on Tuesday, said Sudan's official news agency SUNA

The British delegation is headed by Lord Mohammed Altaf-Khan and it includes Baroness Jenny Tonge and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

According to the agency, the visit aims to check on the peace situation and the disarmament campaign as well as the human rights situation.

The delegation would meet with the government officials and the native administration and will visit some parts of the state to examine the social coexistence experience.

It is noteworthy that the delegation would be accompanied by a group of Sudanese MPs headed by the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mutwakil al-Tigani along with some members of the Sudanese-British Friendship Council.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

In March 2016, Sudan and the UK held the first strategic consultations meetings between the two countries in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The meeting was considered the first talks of its kind at the ministerial level in 25 years.

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

Last December, a group of British MPs signed a letter to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson ahead of a Sudanese-British economic forum warning the government against pursuing investment in a country rife with corruption and where the president is wanted for human rights violations.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (JUBA) – The three different factions of South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) are due to hold a reunification meeting in the capital, Juba on 19 April, a senior coalition government official said on Thursday.

South Sudan's vice-president, James Wani Igga (Photo: Larco Lomayat)

James Wani Igga, the country's vice president, said the Juba meeting will bring together the fractured factions of South Sudan's ruling party.

Igga, also the deputy chairperson of the SPLM faction led by President Salva Kiir, said the SPLM-In-Opposition leader, Riek Machar and former SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, who is now a member of the country's former political detainees were all invited.

Sudan Tribune was unable to confirm if rebel leader Machar, who is currently detained in South Africa, will attend the 19 April meeting in Juba.

In January 2015, delegates from three factions of the SPLM party signed a 12-page agreement in Arusha, Tanzania, laying out key steps toward reunifying the party.

Those who signed include the party loyal to President Salva Kiir, the SPLM-in-Opposition and which is led by former vice president Riek Machar, and a third made up of party officials who were detained when the conflict began in December 2013.

The SPLM, South Sudan's ruling party, was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The party, in the aftermath of the civil war that broke out in the country in mid-December 2013, split into the SPLM-Juba faction headed by Kiir, SPLM-IO led by Machar and that of the ex-political detainees.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (JUBA) — South Sudan government again warned that elections would be held this year if no deal is reached with the opposition groups.

The IGAD Council of Minister decided that the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) for peace in South Sudan will resume its meetings on 26 April 2018 for six days.

However, the parties are seemingly not ready to make the needed concessions for an inclusive agreement as they continue to maintain their previous positions on the transitional government and political reforms.

The IGAD mediators are drafting an agreement that the parties have to discuss during the last week of April.

the government information minister Michael Makuei said his government is prepared for the upcoming talks but threatened the opposition groups again that elections would be held even before the implementation of the constitutional reforms or the end of the war in the country.

"We talk of going for elections when we see that the opposition is not serious and they are dragging their feet with a plan that there will be a vacuum that will lead to the illegitimacy of the government," Makuei said.

The minister recently accused the opposition of seeking to foil the peace process and calling for a regime change pointing that Kiir government has no legitimacy.

South Sudan had to hold general elections in July 2015 but the parliament extended Kiir mandate for three years until July 2018. But, the August 2015 peace agreement provides that general elections had to be held in February 2018.

Already on 30 March 2018, Makuei threatened to hold elections if no deal is concluded with the opposition groups.

At the same time, he said the leader of the SPLM In Opposition Riek Machar cannot return to the country to participate in the elections unless he denounces violence.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KAMPALA) - The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has urged Uganda to protect refugees after a two-year-old South Sudanese child was killed in the northern part of the country.

South Sudanese refugees carrying Core Relief Items walk down a road in Bidibidi refugee settlement, Yumbe District, Northern Region, Uganda. (UNHCR/David Azia)

In brief statement issued on Saturday, UNHCR said law enforcement authorities must ensure protection of refugees in refugee settlements.

The child was killed in Palabek refugee settlement in the northern Ugandan district of Lamwo, but motive of the killing remains unclear.

"This is a terrible tragedy and there is no justification for such a senseless act of barbarism," Joel Boutroue, the UNHCR representative in Uganda said in the statement.

The number of South Sudanese refugees currently living in Uganda has exceeded one million, according to the UN refugee agency.

The conflict in South Sudan, now in its fifth year, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million civilians.

(ST)

April 6, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan rebels allied to the country's former First Vice- President Riek Machar claimed that the South Sudanese government was planning to kidnap and track down refugees in Ugandan resettlement camps and Kampala town.

Lam Paul Gabriel

Lam Paul Gabriel SPLA-IO deputy spokesperson told Sudan Tribune they got intelligence that the South Sudanese security service in the West Nile region of Uganda plans to abduct South Sudanese opponents in Ugandan.

He further provided the name of an intelligence officer saying he was assigned in Arua district to coordinate with the South Sudan embassy in Kampala for activities in relation to kidnapping.

“The group is sent with much money for bribing (Ugandan) officers to facilitate their evil plan of abduction and deportation. Two wounded soldiers, two officers of the SPLA-IO and an ambulance driver have been arrested and detained in Koboko,” he said.

Koboko is a town in the northern region of Uganda.

He said the crackdown exercise is extended to South Sudan refugees along the border towns and some areas in Kampala, on the basis that they are supporters and sympathizers of the SPLM/A-IO.

“The SPLA-IO condemns such dubious activities of the regime in Juba and calls upon the Uganda government to prevent the spill-over of the insecurity from South Sudan by cracking down those elements sent to carry out operational activities that violate Uganda's territorial integrity,” he added.

The rebel deputy spokesperson has urged the government of Uganda to maintain its previous honest policy aiming to secure the border and prevent cross-border violence.

NEW CLASHES IN RAJA

Meanwhile, Col. Lam has accused the Sudanese rebel groups, allegedly fighting alongside the government forces, of attacking their base in Raja of Lol State.

“On 05/04/2018 at about 1:32 pm, the ethnic regime in Juba combined with JEM militias attacked the SPLM/A-IO positions in Uyu-juku (Diem Ziber) and Sabo areas of Raja. The forces were supported with 5 Land Cruisers mounted with 12.7mm during the attack,” he said.

However, he said their forces have defeated and repulsed the assailants with heavy losses.

“Our forces captured 23 Ak-47, 4 RBG, 3 PKM in good condition, and destroyed one land cruiser pickup.25 enemy's dead bodies counted and several injured as blood trails could be seen,” he said.

The rebel official renewed calls to the CTSAMM a body mandate to document all violations in the country to investigate recent fighting and report it to the relevant authority.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Governor of East Darfur State Anas Omer and the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Head-of-Office Sector East, Landing Badjie, on Saturday discussed ways to provide humanitarian assistance in the state.

East Darfur governor Anas Omer (Photo Ashorooq TV)

During the meeting which was also attended by the humanitarian aid partners and the UN agencies, Omer said the development projects in the state aim to provide the basic services and ensure equity in order to maintain security.

He stressed the need to coordinate with the UNAMID maintain security and promote peaceful coexistence among the various tribes in the state.

The governor demanded the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide educational services according to the plan of the Ministry of Education besides coordinating and cooperating with other agencies.

He also pointed to the need for coordination between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health to provide health services including the building of laboratories, detection of contamination in drinking water as well as addressing epidemics.

For his part, the acting humanitarian commissioner in East Darfur Mohamed Ahmed said the meeting discussed issues pertaining to the performance of aid groups operating in the state.

He demanded the aid groups to focus on the provision of development aid instead of humanitarian assistance.

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.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB ) will provide up to $63.3 million of funding for development and services projects in South Darfur state, announced Sudanese finance minister Mohamed Osman al-Rikabi on Thursday.

The grant agreement was signed in Tunis by al-Rikabi and the IsBD head Bandar Hajjar on the sidelines of the 43rd annual meeting of the bank which was held this year in Tunis.

In a statement released after his return to Khartoum, the minister said the grant would fund services facilities projects in Al-Malam areas of South Darfur state.

The Sudanese government has called for an international support to recovery and rehabilitation and development strategy including water, health and education services projects estimated at 8 billion in 2013.

Al-Rikabi said that $ 55.7 million of the $63.3 grant is a contribution from the IsDB's "Goodwill program" while Sudan will repay the $7.6.

The IsDB is a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) that promotes comprehensive development in its 57 member states but also among Muslim communities in non-member countries.

The Jeddah based bank receives strong support from its member countries mainly Saudi Arabia, which appoints its general director, and other Gulf countries.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Kenya's Vice-President William Ruto would arrive in Khartoum on Monday on a three-day official visit to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Kenyan Vice-President would meet with President Omer al-Bashir and the First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih besides the Speaker of the National Assembly Ibrahim Ahmed Omer and the Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim.

He would also visit a number of corporations and development schemes.

In August 2016, President al-Bashir skipped the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi and instead dispatched First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih.

Kenya is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which in 2009 and 2010 issued two arrest warrants for al-Bashir on ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide he allegedly committed in Sudan's western region of Darfur.

Despite the country's legal obligation under the ICC's statute, it chose to receive al-Bashir in August 2010 without arresting him, prompting the ICJ to move the issue to the High Court

In October 2016, Sudan and Kenya signed a number of oil and minerals agreements in Khartoum, in the presence of Presidents Omer al-Bashir and Uhuru Kenyatta.

(ST)