Sudan Tribune

August 13, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Security authorities Sunday released the former leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) Ibrahim al-Sheikh and another leading member after nearly a month of arbitrary detention without charge.

Al-Shiekh and the SCoP Secretary General Abu Bakr Youssef Babikir were arrested by the NISS on July 19 as they were returning from Sheikh Yaghout village, White Nile state, to support Darfur students who resigned from the university to protest the detention of their colleague.

The release of the SCoP leading members was announced in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune by the spokesman Mohamed Hassan Arabi saying that Sheikh and Babikir were released on Sunday evening, "without trial or any other judicial proceedings."

"The arrest came after a solidarity visit to Darfuri students who resigned from Bakht Al-Ruda University who were in Sheikh Yaghout area to protest against the systematic discrimination against them."

Arabi stressed that the arrest did not have a reason, but "clearly reflects the regime's rejection of any genuine political action from the (opposition) parties to reach out the masses".

He further pointed to the lack of freedoms and continued repression in the country saying that their release is a temporary measure "because we will not stop to be with the masses and among them".

The opposition party organises regularly awareness campaigns and protests in the country. last June the security service arrested nine of its members conducting an information campaign to raise awareness about preventing the spread of cholera.

(ST)

August 13, 2017 (JUBA) - The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), a South Sudanese human rights entity has welcomed the release of political prisoners by the Juba government, stressing that the move fulfilled the amnesty pardon President Salva Kiir earlier declared.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation from the State House on September 15, 2015, in Juba (Photo AFP/Charles Atiki Lomodong)

South Sudan released at least 30 political prisoners since President Kiir declared an amnesty in May this year to facilitate national dialogue and help end the civil war, a senior security official said last week.

Jalban Obaj, director of legal affairs at the Internal Security Bureau told the state-owned television (SSBC) on Thursday that the prisoners were set free at different times since the declaration of the amnesty.

CPJ's coordinator, Tito Anthony, said the decision by government showed goodwill towards the revitalization of the 2015 peace accord.

"The releasing of political prisoners is a good step, but the government should consider releasing SPLM-IO [South Sudan's armed opposition] spokesperson James Gatdet Dak because he is too is a political prisoner,” Tito told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

The outspoken official urged South Sudan government to open its arm in order to bring lasting peace to the civilians in the young nation, through engaging the armed opposition for peace talks.

"The next step should be ending the war in country and negotiation with the armed opposition of Dr Riek Machar and the newly formed movements like NDM [National Democratic Movement], NSF [National Salvation Front], among others,” he further stressed.

The rights body called on South Sudanese authorities to reconsider their stand against individuals detained in the country, while stressing the need for government to respect peoples' rights as well as end illegal detention of those accused of supporting rebellion.

"Detention is a violation of the human rights of the individual [and] therefore the government must consider compensating the prisoners because of their rights to remedy,” Tito further told Sudan Tribune.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the presidency, Ateny Wek Ateny said the release of political detainees demonstrated Kiir's good will.

Freeing of the detainees without any precondition also demonstrated that Kiir was determined to resolve the country's civil war, Ateny was quoted saying last week.

South Sudan's civil war is a conflict in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup d'état.

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

(ST)

August 13, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has sent a congratulatory message welcoming the re-election of the incumbent Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying the victory was a testament of trust the coalition government has earned from the Kenyan people.

“Under your leadership, Kenya has remained key regional economic, peace and security partner. The people of South Sudan are particularly grateful for your contribution to restoring peace in our nation”, said president Kiir in a congratulatory message dated August 12, 2017, to President Kenyatta.

Kiir assured his commitment to continue to extend collaboration and deepen historic relations for mutual benefits of the citizens of the two countries.

“Your victory is a testament of the trust that the Jubilee coalition has earned from the people of Kenya and their appreciation of the efforts made toward the development of your country during the last five years,” the congratulatory message read.

On Friday, Kenya's electoral commission announced that President Uhuru Kenyatta had won the election by 1.4 million votes. Also, international observers said the vote on was fairly fair, as the local observers supported the results.

But Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga contested the results and called for a strike to protest it. He further accused the ruling party and security forces of "spilling the blood of innocent people".

In a related development, Kofi Annan Former U.N. Secretary General, who Annan mediated during a post-election crisis a decade ago, called on Kenyan political leaders to be "careful with their rhetoric and actions" and urged opposition leader Raila Odinga to pursue any complaints about the vote in court.

Odinga has rejected the results, claiming massive fraud, and said he will not go to court to challenge them.

Press reports say the death toll from the electoral violence reached to at least 24 people

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August 13, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Tuesday will head a high-level delegation on a three-day official visit to Khartoum, said the Sudanese Presidency.

In a press release on Sunday, the presidential press office said the Ethiopian premier would discuss with President Omer al-Bashir ways to promote bilateral ties between the two countries as well as the regional and international issues of common concern.

Desalegn will also meet with Sudan's First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih.

According to the press release, the visiting premier on Thursday would deliver a lecture on the situation in the Horn of Africa at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum.
He will also attend a cultural display and visit some industrial installations in Sudan.

The delegation accompanying the Ethiopian Prime Minister includes Minister of Government Communication Affairs Office, Negeri Lencho, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Sileshi Bekele, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Berhane Gebrechristos, and State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hirut Zemene.

Sudanese-Ethiopian relations have witnessed remarkable development in the various political, economic, cultural and military fields in recent years.

The two countries are engaged more and more in joint economic projects particularly in the border areas for the benefit of the people from the two sides.

Last April, the two sides signed a number of joint agreements to promote economic relations and strengthen ties between the two countries. Also in February, they signed multiple agreements to further boost up cooperation on a range of development activities.

Also, Khartoum provided support for the Ethiopian government which constructs a dam on the Blue Nile.

In October 2016, the two countries signed in Addis Ababa a memorandum of understanding providing to enhance joint security and military cooperation between the two neighbouring countries to fight terrorism.

(ST)

August 13, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has unveiled that for him peace and political stability should be achieved through two tracks, saying the situation in the young nation has become embarrassing.

Kiir developed his vision for peace during a meeting with the Dinka traditional leaders from his home state of Gorgrial where over 30 people were killed during inter-communal clashes.

The head of state said he and the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai have developed two ways to end the conflict and return the country to peace.

"The national dialogue was one way to end the war. The other, he adds, is the reconciliation and reunification of the SPLM leaders while the regional revitalization forum provides a supplementary role."

He further urged the armed opposition groups to stop fighting and join the national dialogue, saying the country and the people deserve peace, security and stability in order to rebuild their lives after years of destruction.

“When you look at the current situation and look at the cause of the liberation struggle, you wonder why people should continue to suffer after fighting to gain independence. These are the questions we get and this is the reason why this senseless war should stop. And indeed it must top,” he told the Dinka elders at his residence in Juba.

He stressed that his government is implementing the peace agreement and the current situation will be overcome.

“The formation of the government has been completed and the cooperation of the ministers in the government has been encouraging. We want this spirit of cooperation to extend to all the states so that peace and harmony are realised at the grassroots level," he said.

He further pointed to the recent clashes among the Dinka Youth groups in Gogrial saying "There should not be fighting among communities like you are doing in the state."

"It has to stop," he stressed.

He urged the tribal leaders to promote peace among their communities and to brief their people about the government efforts to end the war and bring stability in the whole country.

"As you go back, help the state government in sensitization and mobilization efforts to enlighten the people about the importance of peaceful dialogue. As the transitional government of national unity, we have decided that stopping this war is the priority and we have clear plans to stop it," he reiterated.

(ST)

August 13, 2017 (EL-FASHER) - The Border Guards Force (BGF) in Darfur's five states has refused to be merged with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) saying it wouldn't cooperate with a government plan aiming to collect illegal weapons.

Last month, Defence Minister Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf announced a plan to reorganise the “forces supportive” of the Sudanese army. The step means to implement the recommendations of the national dialogue providing to integrate all the militias to the Sudanese army.

Also, Vice-President Hasabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman and head of Darfur Disarmament Higher Committee on Friday winded up a five-day visit to Darfur's states to implement a government plan to collect illegal arms from individuals and tribes.

Haroun Medeikhir, the spokesperson for the Sudanese Revolutionary Awakening Council (SRAC) in Darfur headed by the tribal leader, Musa Hilal, told Sudan Tribune Sunday that traditional leaders and BGF commanders in Darfur's five states have met Saturday in Misteriya area in North Darfur to discuss the two issues.

He said the meeting, which was chaired by Hilal, has categorically rejected the merger with the RSF, pointing it also refused to hand over arms unless the collection process is carried out through a committee agreed upon by everyone.

Medeikhir added the proposed committee should include the interior and defence ministries besides the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), saying the committee must then sit with the traditional leaders to discuss the implementation of the plan.

“Those who have been delegated to collect the weapons are unqualified [to carry out the task],” he said.

The SRAC spokesperson said the meeting called for holding reconciliations in Darfur, demanding the release of the detained leaders from Rizeigat and Ma'alia tribes.
He described the ongoing arrest campaign in the region as an attempt to “dismantle the Arab tribes”, calling for unity of the latter to face these challenges.

Medeikhir stressed the BGF is on high alert in anticipation of any emergencies, denouncing the intimidating rhetoric used by the Vice-President during his visit to Darfur.

The BGF consists mainly of the notorious Janjaweed militia members that fought Darfur rebels along with Sudanese army. It was drawn mainly from the nomadic Arab tribes of the area and blamed for much of the killing in the Darfur conflict.

Later, the government also formed the SRF from the same Arab tribes. However, the Sudanese parliament last January passed the RSF Act which integrates the militia in the Sudanese army and provides that its commander is appointed by the President of the Republic.

Hilal has been hostile to the RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, (aka Hametti) who was one of his lieutenants and tribal followers before to be the appointed commander of the RSF.

He fears that Hametti contests his tribal leadership as leader of Al-Mahameed tribe, a branch of the Rizeigat ethnic group.

The border guards include some 3,000 militiamen from Al-Mahameed.

(ST)

August 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The White Nile State government Saturday said it plans to bring back into refugee camps some 46,000 South Sudanese living in the residential neighbourhoods in several towns.

The head of the technical coordination committee for refugee affairs in the White Nile State, Tayeb Mohamed Abdallah said they plan to relocate to the refugee camps near the border areas some 46,000 refugees living in Kosti, Rabek, Ad Douiem and other towns. by refugee law.

The state official further told the semi-official Sudanese Media Center (SMC) that any refugee refuses to comply with the law will be deported from the country.

last Sunday, Sudanese interior ministry decided to divide a camp for South Sudanese refugees in the White Nile State into three camps, together with a number of measures to control the security situation.

The measure was taken after the eruption of violence at Al-Waral Camp where a group of refugees set fires to tents before to looting stores and humanitarian services buildings. The refugees are also accused of raping four Sudanese female teachers working in the camp.

Abdallah said that the state of White Nile hosts more than (150) thousand refugees in several camps established on areas owned by individuals and cooperative societies and agricultural land.

He further regretted that the refugees didn't appreciate all the efforts done by the Sudanese people and their government.

Last week, the White Nile State Governor Abdel-Hameed Musa Kasha accused officers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army of being behind the riots in the camp. The local authorities announced also they will try the perpetrators of violence soon.

(ST)

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

As a Sudanese people who long for stability, peace and security, we have no objection to the decision to collect unlicensed weapons throughout Sudan, but our reservation is about trying to collect weapons and selectively confiscate of arms from opponents of the regime and allowing illegal possession of weapons for the government supporters. The latter scenario is likely going to be the outcome of the alleged campaign. Moreover, as a Sudanese person, I have doubts about the objectives of this regime in putting forward this project 16 years after the outbreak of the proxy war by employing the Janjawid militias in the Darfur region and committing the heinous crimes against unarmed civilians.

The regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) announcement of weapons collection in the region of Darfur and the confiscation of unlicensed Boko Haram vehicles continue to generate widespread reactions in the States of the Darfur, the political forces and Sudanese civil society organizations. Such concerns have also been expressed by the Sudanese opposition factions among them the National Umma Party (NUM) who questioned the government's ability to carry out the task of collecting weapons and dismantling the arsenal of allied tribal institutions. It is worthy to bear in mind that the heavy proliferation of weapons in the war-ravaged region has contributed to the fragmentation of the social fabric along with the never-ending intertribal warfare. Sadly, the continuous tribal fighting between the Rizeigat and Maaliya tribes is a vivid example. Unfortunately, the dreaded war and the tribal conflict between the Rizeigat and al-Maaliya renewed. Without a doubt, responsibility lies in the NCP government, which does not want stability for the people of Sudan in Darfur. Furthermore and according to the Political Bureau of the National Umma Party (NUP) indicated that , 151 tribal conflicts have taken place in the Darfur region since the ill-fated arrival of the military coup of the ruling regime of the National Islamic Front (NIF) and its successor the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) which contributed to fueling and feeding the factors of conflict and division among the tribes, in the wars of ideology and endless absurd civil wars of attrition.

According to the Sudan Tribune electronic Journal on Sunday, 23 July 2017 reported that al-Bashir's Vice President Hassabo Abel Rahman announced that his government would launch a campaign to collect weapons in Darfur and reorganise the government militias before the end of the year 2017. Hassabo was reported to have announced that the government would start to implement its plans to collect weapons from civilians unauthorised groups to and called on the religious leaders incite the population to hand over their arms and to contribute to the efforts to stabilise the region. We must leave weapons only for certain purposes," said the vice president and stressed that this plan is a "strategic project" for peace in Darfur. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article63065

Furthermore, in press statements, the governor of North Darfur state Abdel-Wahid Youssef, said Abdel-Rahman, who chairs the higher committee tasked with the collection of illegal arms in Darfur and Kordofan, would visit El-Fasher on Monday. Abdel-Wahid was reported to have added saying that the committee was formed to collect illegal weapons not only from Darfur and Kordofan but from all Sudan's states. https://www.middleeastobserver.org/2017/08/07/38932/

And in the state of central Darfur, the Vice President of the Republic, Hassabo Mohamed Abdel Rahman, head of the Supreme Committee for the collection of arms and the legalization of cars, stressed on the need to impose the prestige of the state and the rule of law. He added and said that Sudan has become a conduit for weapons that are used in the looting and tribal conflicts. He was also reported to have said during his address to the meeting of the Council of ministers of the central Darfur State government and the Security Legislative Council mandate: that the collection of arms and licensing of Four wheel vehicles SUVs campaign comes in order to eliminate the negative consequences of the war, the psychological, social and economic impact, and added that the first phase of the weapons collection began in Darfur states five Kordofan, Including the whole Sudan, and said: The plan is based on the collection of weapons and vehicles, which have become very negative and destructive of the economy, and is a war machine used in tribal conflict and the transfer of arms and the drug trade.

In general, the availability of fire arms in the hands of tribal militias loyal to the ruling National Congress Party, which seeks to engage citizens in self-conflict away from the main issues of concern to them, is the most important cause of the conflicts and the tribal war in Darfur.

With regard to the decision of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) to collect weapons from the hands of citizens in the Darfur region at this particular time and after 28 lean years of its arbitrary dictatorial rule that characterised by crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of genocide, it is nothing but a knee-jerk reaction or spilling ashes in the eyes as the saying goes.

The first and the most people concerned with this decision are the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the Darfur region. Thus, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other Sudanese citizens consider the decision of the National Congress Party (NCP) to collect weapons in Darfur is nothing but propaganda of lies because the arms in the region are only in the hands of the government and its militias and mercenaries. As the saying of the Sudanese people goes, their protector is the thief himself! It is a laughable and raising tear at the same time; of the scourge that stirs up laughter.

The paradox is that the weapons that are now being collected from Darfur are essentially handed over by the government of Sudan (GoS) to the Janjawid militias, which turned into the so-called Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which continues supporting the government's army to fight the Darfur Movements, killing unarmed civilians and robbing and stealing the unarmed citizens' property.

In the end, the government will only find weapons in the hands of its militias and mercenaries. Because the (GoS) wants them to be carrying arms day and night to protect it and intimidate citizens so that Security which is paramount for the regime so as security should not turn into lawlessness and out of control as they believe. The NCP ruling regime has been saying it all the time.

The Paradox of Confiscation and Collection of Weapons in Darfur is nothing but a lie Propaganda. The Displaced people and citizens mocked at the collection of weapons propaganda.

As part of the reactions to the government decisions to collect weapons, the Darfurians mocked the decision as propaganda, since there is no Darfurian citizen carrying a weapon or owning a land cruiser with a Dushka, wearing a skullcap, walking around the market carrying weapons, looting and cutting roads without accountability other than the government Itself and its allies.. An activist for Radio Dabanga from El Fasher said the other day that all those who carry weapons in Darfur are the militias that were formed by the government and supplied with weapons and called them with many names such as Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Border Guards and Popular Defence Forces (PDF) other names. The Darfuris said that the government when it says it will collect weapons from citizens is nothing but a falsehood prevailing par excellence. The (NCP) regime seems to have lost the compass and failed to call things by their names. The correct name was the government's collection of arms from the hands of its militias and the groups that provided them with arms, not citizens. Moreover, the people in the Displaced Persons Camps stressed that the process of collecting weapons does not need to be talked about too much. The weapon, as one of the activist said, can be collected by reference to the leaders of these militias and the civil administrations associated with some of the senior officials who stay with the government in Khartoum. The General Coordinator of IDP camps for displaced person described the government decision of collecting weapons as a disinformation for local and global public opinion. He stressed that all the weapons in Darfur are in the hands of militias linked to the regime through the security services directly or through the delegates in the executive authority in Khartoum and Darfur but not the victim, and citizens of Darfur. He stressed that the collection of arms from the hands of citizens depends on the National Congress Party (NCP) regime in Khartoum and the restoration of the prestige of the state and reconciliation in Darfur and the enactment of clear and deterrent laws governing the state systems and bodies entrusted with the collection of weapons and arms carriers.
Other commentators on the aforementioned subject say that opportunity to investigate Darfur chemical weapon attacks must not be squandered and should take the priority now. Member states of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) must take this opportunity of weapon collection by the (GoS) to demand a proper investigation into alleged chemical attacks by Sudanese government forces in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur.

The decision of the ruling National Congress Party to collect arms from Sudanese citizens in Darfur is like the decision to hold a referendum to abolish the Darfur region and to keep only the five states, which was a random decision in the interest of the government of the genocidal fugitive from international justice Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir.

Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir plans by all his capabilities to be president of Sudan for life so as not to leave a gap or the scope for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be able to arrest him and take him to The Hague for the trial for the crimes he has committed against the people of Sudan in the Darfur region. He believes strongly that his survival in power in the rule of the Sudan would protect him from the gripping hand of that fearful court. For this reason, his regime works tirelessly to create specialized projects to distract the Sudanese citizen and the Sudanese opposition together to keep them away from the basic issues of concern to the Sudanese people. He employs all the energies of his rule and his entrusted entourage for that end.

The Paradoxes in the (NCP) regime's arms collection in Darfur centres squarely around the fact that the supervisor of this task is a person who was at the top of the government officials who recruited and armed the notorious Janjaweed militias in their various names, including the current infamous Rapid Support Forces (RSF). As the Sudanese popular proverb goes :( Its Guard is its Thief), So to speak!
Thus, the decision of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) to collect weapons in Darfur is a project in the face of it seems good but in the midst of it carries evil Seeds of old sedition renewed.

Before the end of this article, we pray asking for the mercy of God in the spirit of the late First pioneer of the Sudanese women's movement Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, who moved to the Hereafter this morning Saturday the twelfth of August 2017 in London. The departure of the pioneer feminist movement activist Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim tells the long history of the struggle of the Sudanese women as well as the glorious history of the Sudanese people through Eras and Epochs. Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim represents a milestone in the Sudanese political history.

George S. Patton the senior officer of the United States Army who commanded the U.S. Seventh Army in the Mediterranean and European theaters of World War II, but is best known for his leadership of the U.S. Third Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 has been quoted as said: "Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who

Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

August 12, 2017 (NYALA) - South Darfur security services arrested the head of the Falata tribe Shura Council Abdallah Mohamed Arshu, in front of the Al-Jabal Mosque after he left the evening prayers. after protesting against the search operations for some individuals people accused of stealing cattle.

A member of the Falata tribal body, Mohamed Ahmed Saleh told Sudan Tribune that a force of the military intelligence Friday arrested Arshu, in front of the Al-Jabal neighbourhood mosque after the evening prayer.

"He was arrested because of his vitriolic criticism for search operations conducted by the army in his tribal areas (in Tullus locality) during a meeting of the Native Administration leaders with the Vice-President Hasabo Abdel Rahman who visited the state recently in a campaign for weapons collection".

Two weeks ago, security forces carried out large-scale searches in Rajag Serqaila and Damsu areas of the Falata tribe in South Darfur for weapons and individuals accused of stealing cattle belonging to the Salamat tribe.

At the time, another Falata tribal leader, Youssef Abashar, accused the security forces of exceeding their mission and stealing the belongings of civilians and conducting search operations for women in a humiliating manner.

Sudanese government directed Darfur authorities to deal roughly with the tribal leaders who encourage attacks on the other tribes. The orders come within the framework of a new policy to stem the intercommunal violence.

(ST)

August 12, 2017 (JUBA) – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says rapid responses are critical to stemming a cholera outbreak that has afflicted South Sudan for more than a year, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation that has left approximately four million people displaced by the ongoing conflict.

“In a country with mass displacement and severe levels of food insecurity, the effect of the continued cholera outbreak on the health of vulnerable populations is acute,” Beldina Gikundi, IOM's migration health emergency officer in South Sudan said in a statement.

According to the migration agency, since 18 June 2016, over 18,000 cholera cases, including 328 deaths have been reported in South Sudan as the organization's health and water, sanitation and hygiene teams continue to respond to the outbreak through case management and preventive measures across the country.

Disease outbreaks are particularly dangerous for displaced and vulnerable populations, such as children under five years of age, who account for over one-in-five cholera cases reported in 2017.

Many of the locations experiencing outbreaks are in proximity to the Nile River, increasing the rainy season's impact on the cholera outbreak and threat of spreading further, the migration agency said.

“As we saw the outbreak continue, even during the dry season in 2017, we expect to see the trend persist throughout the rainy season, which leaves as much as 60 per cent of the country inaccessible by road,” said Gikundi, adding that “sustained and flexible responses are crucial to stemming the continued transmission of the disease in this extremely challenging context.”

Since the outbreak began, IOM teams have reportedly been deployed to cholera-affected areas across the country. Teams, according to the agency, have continued to conduct hygiene promotion, core relief item distribution and borehole repairs in Bentiu and Rubkona towns, and Wau town and surrounding areas, as well as in UN protection of civilian sites across the war-torn nation.

In collaboration with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health, IOM health teams are reportedly conducting oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaigns across the country.

Meanwhile, in an effort to reduce cholera cases in outbreak areas, IOM said it recently managed to reach more than 39,900 people in parts of Jonglei and Unity and is currently on the ground in Warrap, preparing to lead an upcoming OCV campaign targeting more than 189,000 people in Tonj East county.

(ST).

August 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The veteran Sudanese communist and feminist leader Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim died at the age of 84 in London on Saturday morning.

In Khartoum, the opposition Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) leadership met to decide on arrangements for flying her body from Britain. Hundreds of mourners flocked to her home in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman upon hearing the news.

Several political parties and armed movements have mourned the late Communist leader pointing to her long struggle for women's rights and democracy.

Also, the Sudanese Presidency mourned Fatima's passing describing her as a pioneering figure in the political, parliamentary and feminist work in Sudan and at the regional and international levels.

Further President Omer al-Bashir directed to transport to Khartoum her body at government expense and to organise an official funeral for her as a national figure who served her country with sincerity and devotion.

Fatima is said to have been born in Khartoum in 1933. Her grandfather was one of the pioneer headmasters in Sudan, while her mother attended formal schools under the British colonial authorities.

She founded the Union of Sudanese Women in 1952. She joined the Communist party in the mid-50s. She was a vocal opponent of the then military regime of Gen. Ibrahim Abud that ruled Sudan between1958-64. She became a member of parliament in 1965 following the collapse of the Abud regime the previous year.

In 1969, Fatima married Al-Shafei Ahmed al-Sheikh, who was then one of the country's prominent trade unionists. In 1971, her husband was arrested and later executed by Numiri's regime over an alleged coup plot.

Fatima was held under house arrest for two and half years and for the next two decades remained a target of subsequent authoritarian governments.

In 1990, she fled to exile in the UK where she continued with her human rights efforts.

She won a UN award in 1993 for her human rights campaigns. She returned home in 2005. The following year she won the Ibn Rushd Prize for her struggle for women's rights and social justice in Sudan and the greater Arab world.

Fatima has published two books – “Our Path to Emancipation” and “Our Harvest in Twenty Years”.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

August 12, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) Saturday disclosed that Nile Basin Commission will be established to enforce demands of equitable utilization of the Nile river's resources.

The commission will be established soon after three additional Nile Basin member states approve the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda have ratified CFA for the mandatory legal framework for the use of the Nile River in a fair and equitable manner.

According to ENTRO, the Nile Basin Commission will help contribute to fair and equitable utilization of Nile River.

Six upstream countries Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, and Burundi signed the Nile Cooperation Framework Agreement that establishes the Nile Basin Commission for fair utilization of Nile water resources in 2010 and 2011.

Egypt which depends totally on the Nile and Sudan are opposed to this agreement which will modify a treaty signed during the colonial era between Egypt and Britain in 1929 that gives Egypt 66% of the Nile water.

Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO) Director-General, Fek-Ahmed Negash told the state-run Ethiopia News Agency that only three riparian countries need to approve the agreement to establish the Nile Basin Commission.

The four countries, namely South Sudan, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda, have accepted the agreement and are in the process of ratifying the agreements; and if three countries ratify the agreement the commission will be established, he noted.

The failure of DR Congo to sign the agreement is accepted but the rejection of Sudan and Egypt could not. Therefore, It hinders the establishment of the Nile Basin Commission," stressed Director-General Negash.

Elaborating the significance of the agreement, he said "Nile Basin countries have no legal framework. This will make the countries use the water as they like and this may lead the countries to enter into conflict."

According to him, the legal framework will enable the Nile Basin countries to utilize water in a fair and reasonable manner and strengthen their relations.

Addis Ababa University Lecturer and Cross-border Rivers Researcher, Dr.Yaqob Arsano said Sudan and Egypt will not benefit from rejecting the agreement, rather than being harmed as a result.

He added that countries that do not sign the agreement will face problem to use the water in a fair way, while the countries which signed will have national and sovereignty rights to develop it in ways that benefit them.

(ST)

August 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North led by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu said it enjoys the support of the Movement's army describing any attempts to ignore al-Hilu's leadership as “great betrayal” for the New Sudan project.

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one in the Nuba Mountains led by al-Hilu and the other in the Bluee Nile State led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other issues.

On Tuesday, al-Hilu issued decisions to restructure the army leadership and appointed a committee to organise an extraordinary national convention. He further reinstated all the former leading members who had been sacked from the group or their leading positions.

Responding to these decisions, SPLMN-Agar accused al-Hilu of undermining ongoing efforts to reunite the group and announced they would build a separate structure.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, SPLMN-al-Hilu official
spokesperson Arnu Ngutullu Lodi said his faction's leadership “derives its legitimacy from the decisions of the representatives of the people who enjoy full support from the Movement's army”.

He added any attempt to ignore the people's decisions is considered a great betrayal of the New Sudan project and the principles of democracy.

Lodi pointed out that the “interim decisions” came to fill the vacuum created by the absence of national regulatory institutions.

“These decisions will pave the road to holding the extraordinary national conference mandated to approve and adopt the basic organizational documents (the manifesto and the Constitution) and the election of leadership and the formation of organizational structures at all levels,” he said.

He warned that SPLM-N base against what he described as “existing plan” that has been developed long time ago by some members to build “parallel institutions” and take the movement into a different direction that is against its vision, goals and means.

“This group continued to describe the corrective path of the revolution of the marginalized people which is led by the SPLM-N as racist and regional in an attempt to ignite tribal and religious sedition among the various components of the Sudanese society,” he said alluding to the SPLMN-Agar faction.

Lodi added the members of the Movement adopt the New Sudan project on individual and voluntarily not ethnic or regional basis in order to achieve its noble visions and objectives.

He said the decisions taken by the Nuba Mountain and Blue Nile Liberation Councils have met aspirations of the marginalized people and supported their legitimate right for self-determination.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since last August.

The Sudanese government called on the SPLM-N factions to resume peace talks before the end of next October. But the two factions, however, said the African Union mediation didn't approach them to discuss the resumption of peace talks.

Al-Hilu's group just announced a six-month cessation of hostilities nevertheless it has frozen any talks with the government for the time being.

SPLMN-Agar, for its part, said they are only ready for talks on the humanitarian assistance but refuse any discussions on the political agenda.

(ST)

August 12, 2017 (TEL AVIV) – The Israeli government has defended sale of arms to South Sudan, arguing that there was no evidence showing that either an individual or entity committed a criminal offence by exporting weapons to the war-torn East African country.

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

The assertion, Haaretz daily reported, follows a petition seeking a criminal investigation into Israeli arms sales to South Sudan and the suspicion that it constituted war crime and crime against humanity.

The petition, filed by 54 Israelis, concerns the sale of Israeli-made Galil ACE rifles sold to a militia associated with the South Sudanese government. The petitioners, through their lawyer Eitay Mack, reportedly claimed Israeli officials who dealt with the issue should have understood that there were risks associated with the rifles' export.

In 2015, a United Nations Security Council report about the conflict in South Sudan said photographs showed South Sudanese officers and soldiers using the Ace, an advanced version of the Galil assault rifle.

The rifle, the report said, were produced by Israel weapon industries.

The civil war in South Sudan has gone on for nearly four years amid allegations of human rights violations, including the use of child soldiers. According to the UN report, all branches of South Sudan's security forces are using the Ace, in its battle against local rebels.

Both sides involve in the conflict have been accused of human rights violations, in the two-year war, in documented claims of ethnic cleansing, systemic rape, recruitment of child soldiers and more.

In response, however, the state reportedly requested that the petition regarding the sale of weapons to South Sudan be dismissed.

“No evidence has been found of any defect in the judgment of the relevant parties,” Rachel Matar, head of the criminal division in the state prosecutor's office wrote in a letter the Haaretz daily obtained.

“The acts of any Israeli party whatsoever constitute suspicion of the commission of a criminal offense,” further added the letter.

The Isareli defence minister, Matar said, provided information to the state prosecutor's office on exports to South Sudan, and that military exports are to be judged on “considerations of the protection of human rights and the political situation in the relevant region.”

Data on arms sales to specific countries are kept secret, but overall sales to Africa reportedly increased dramatically in the years following South Sudan's formation.

In 2009, Israel reportedly sold just $71 million worth of weapons to the continent. In 2013, that number more than tripled to $223 million, and it reached $318 million in 2014.

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. Two year later, a civil war broke out after President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy, Riek Machar and ten others of planning a coup. The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million civilians into neighbouring countries.

(ST)

August 1, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudan security services have arrested a senior state oil company involved in the sale of illicit fuel, despite presidential order instructing crackdown on the business

People queue at a fuel station in South Sudan's capital, Juba on 18 October 2014 (ST)

A high ranking security officer told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday they have arrested a senior official at the state owned oil company, Nilpet, for smuggling out fuel to black market instead of selling at the official rate.

The officer identified the arrested official as James Meth. He said the arrest was made after a week of deployment of security operatives to carry out an investigation behind the cause in fuel price.

“Our investigation found evidence that fuel gets to the black market through officials at the Nilpet. These officials collude with street vendors, some of our colleagues and other security organs. So it has been a syndicated activity that is why a fuel appears today and disappear tomorrow after it is brought,” he said.

The officer said their work has been sanctioned by the top level leadership to carry out a crackdown on the illicit sale of fuel using joint security operation after the president gave the order to crack down on fuel in the black market.

Officials at the state oil company, according to the security officer, make a profit by creating fuel scarcity in the country and in smuggling the fuel to the black market where they sell it at an absurd price.

(ST)

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

This article comes against the backdrop of the decision of the Sudanese parliament to approve amendments in the 2005 Constitution and rejected by the components of the political opposition both civil and armed. It is noteworthy that on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, the Sudanese parliament passed a resolution of constitutional amendments on public freedoms, forcing even the other Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) faction in Sudan the Popular Congress Party (PCP), known for its positions in support of the national dialogue, to announce its acquittal. Moreover, the amendments, in general, have retained the powers of the security apparatus –the notorious so-called National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), which the opposition rejects in all its forms because they have exceeded the proposals made by political forces that participated in the ‘National Dialogue-Wathba Dialogue' calling for reducing these powers and limiting the functions of the (NISS) in collecting and analyzing information. Here, reality thinking is in short supply in the (NCP) regime household chaired by the Génocidaires Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir to the detriment of the Sudanese nation Victim of the rule of fools and reckless daredevils.

The foregoing call for the demise of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) before consensus on the permanent constitution of Sudan did not come from a vacuum. It came because Omer al-Bashir's assumption of power in Sudan does not foresee a democratic system which would represent a threat to Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Thus, Bashir and his entourage work tirelessly Day and Night with all the strength for the continuation of the arbitrariness for the sake of lifelong rule for their genocidal Master of Grace, to avoid his arrest and trial in The Hague, as happened to his ilk other dictators such as Laurent Gbagbo of Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Hussein Habre of Chad, Germaine Katanga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), former Yugoslavia Serbian war criminals leaders indicted and tried by the ICC such as Slobodan Miloševi?, Radovan Karadzic and Charles Taylor the first African president to be prosecuted in an international court where he has been found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting rebels who carried out atrocities in Sierra Leone in return for "blood diamonds". https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/26/charles-taylor-guilty-war-crimes

Thus, Omer al-Bashir's whim for being in power of Sudan for life preoccupies his thinking day and night as a saviour from the predicaments that await him at the prison cells at The Hague in the Netherlands and causing him panicky all the time. So, Bashir finds some reassurance and consolation from his presence in power to rule what remained of the land and people of Sudan.

The amendments to the Constitution, in general, have retained the powers of the security apparatus, which the opposition rejects in all its forms because they have exceeded the proposals made by political forces that participated in the national dialogue calling for reducing these powers and limiting the functions of the security apparatus i(NISS) n collecting and analyzing information.

The drafting of a Permanent Constitution for Sudan requires a plethora of important groundbreaking moves among the most important of which is achieving just, comprehensive and lasting peace that would bringing the criminals to justice to face the predicaments of the atrocious crimes they have perpetrated in the rights of the people of the country since the ill-fated coming into the helm through military coup d' état three decades ago. Among other crucial requirements is the unfettered return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and immigrants to their original homes and Hawakeer in the regions to participate in the development process. This obviously includes removal of the foreigners imported by the (NCP) regime to occupy the land of the native Sudanese citizens with a view to bringing about a groundbreaking demographic change of the Darfur region which the regime considers the indigenous population as its archenemies and supporters of the rebel movements.

Omer al-Bashir's dictated order of ‘permanent constitution is nothing more than his infamous Wathba dialogue that meant to distract the Sudanese people and the political opposition away from the basic issues that concern the citizen more. The Wathba Dialogue has contributed into extending the life of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) for more than three years that have been added to the survival of Omar al-Bashir in the rule of Sudan for the lean 28 years l Noting that Omer Bashir's never-ending national dialogue- aka Wathba Dialogue – started since its inception on January 27, 2014 so far. As it is known globally that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued two arrest warrants in 2009 and 2010, against the Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir for crimes against humanity, war crimes and the organization of "genocide and other atrocities" in the Darfur region, western Sudan. Moreover, the successive visits to countries outside Sudan by Omar al-Bashir became a symbol of criminality and fugitiveness from the international justice. With all the foregoing degree of criminality, Omer al-Bashir in view to his lack of insight and foresight, dares to call on the Sudanese people to participate in drafting a permanent constitution, bearing in mind that he and his entourage undermined Sudan's constitution and overthrew the democratically elected government in which the National Islamic Front (NIF) as a political party was part of that coalition government in 1989 during the military coup led by Omar al-Bashir. The most important and difficult question to answer is as to how confident the people of Sudan are and assured that the ruling regime of the NCP would fulfil the promise that it will implement what is included in the permanent constitution to be drafted.

Questions continue to elicit reassuring answers, including how much the Sudanese political opposition parties and the armed movements have trusts on Omar al-Bashir's commitment to covenants to fulfill what is agreed upon because previous experiences of the peace agreements were not met by the National Congress Party regime, led by Omar al-Bashir who is now unashamedly calling on the opposition forces to join his ranks for the Sudan's New Permanent constitution draft agreement.

The US court has certified testimony from witnesses who said Sudan continued to provide support and shelter to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, which carried out attacks on embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, which killed 200 people, including 12 Americans, in 1998. Sudan pays an astronomical sum of $ 7.3 billion to the relatives of the American victims and others. Thus, the existence of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party in Sudan is a disaster for both citizens today and future generations. But the strange thing is that the Sudan stopped attending the hearings and completely ignored the case after that. The judge expressed his astonishment at the emergence of Sudan after a month of the sentences, and his surprise at the request of Sudan to repeal these provisions! Oh God, it is not the time for gloating, because the amount of the money required to pay for the victims of the al-Qaeda bombings will be deducted from the livelihood of the oppressed Sudanese citizens who suffer the woes of civil wars and injustice.

On the other side and as Ayesha al-Basri said Omar al-Bashir's successive visits to countries despite his indictment by the (ICC) for the crimes he has perpetrated against the Sudanese citizens in Darfur are a blow to the victims and contempt for justice.

The NCP regime and the Darfuri armed movements, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) along with the National Umma Party (NUP) in August 2016 signed the African Union brokered the Roadmap Agreement, a framework for a political process to end the war and achieve democratic reforms. As expected, the NCP regime created obstacles to reach to an agreed cessation of hostilities with a view to facilitating the delivery of humanitarian relief to Sudanese citizens in places of conflict and war zones. Instead, the regime as expected put forward its hidden agenda, the so-called the outcome of an internal dialogue process and called it the 'National Document'. The armed opposition, as expected, dismissed this document and said it never meant anything to them and they stuck to the need to implement the Roadmap which Khartoum categorically dismissed.

The (NCP) regime Security apparatus, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) continue arbitrarily arresting opposition figures for expressing their opinion regarding the human rights violation that the entity commits against the legitimate rights of political opposition. The recent detention of Ibrahim al-Shiekh and his colleague Abubakr Yousif Babiker both from Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) for their support for the Darfur Student who resigned from the University of Bakht aL Ruda which is a blatant violation of the Transitional Constitution of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)/ Naivasha Agreement of the year 2005. Ironically, Omer al-Bashir has been tirelessly working to get rid of that constitution which addressed the freedoms and the democratic process for Sudan prior to the secession of the South Sudan State. His regime is now trying through his unelected parliament to convert the 2005 Constitution into a (NCP) preferred so-called ‘Permanent Constitution to suit his one party rule under dictatorship.

The NCP regime chaired by Omer al-Bashir is no stranger to outrageous long lasting damaging decisions that would contravene the peaceful living of the people of Sudan through revocation of covenants and reneging negotiated, agreed and signed peace agreements with the parties in dispute. Furthermore, Omer al-Bashir and his regime cannot be relied on to reach a just and sustainable peace that will stop the Janjaweed waged proxy warfare and restore security and stability for the people of Sudan in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, the Blue Nile, Eastern Sudan, and all the other parts of the country affected by the ravages of wars.

No to NCP Constitution

The Sudanese people remain opposed to any constitution approved by the National Congress Party (NCP) parliament backed by semi-parties formed by the ruling regime led by Omar al-Bashir.

Before the ending of this article, it is necessary and our duty to give a voice of thanks and praise to Sheikh Yaqut and the people of his village in the reception and hospitality of more than 1200 students from Darfur at the University of Bakht al-Ruda who have made mass resignations from the University for the treatment of racism by the University Administration. Moreover, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) of the Government of the National Congress Party (NCP) denied their entry to the National Capital of Sudan Khartoum. The Security elements passed threats to Sheikh Yaqut and the people of the Village for hosting the students. However, Sheikh Yaqut and the citizens of his village went ahead with the hospitality of the students, despite the threat from the security services. By doing so, they presented a rare form of devotion for patriotism and humanity. In conclusion, we have to chant, saying Long Live the struggle of the Sudanese people and Long Live the sincerity of Sheikh Yaqut and the struggles of the people of the village of Sheikh Yaqut!

There remains an important question that waits for an answer as to how we trust and be certain that those who had previously undermined the Constitution of Sudan after their coup against a democratic government would come up with a Permanent Constitution for Sudan? Here as if we were expecting the wolf and the hyena to take care of our goats and sheep or out of the frying pan into the fire!

Winona LaDuke the American environmentalist, economist, and writer, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development has been quoted as saying: (Mother Earth needs us to keep our covenant. We will do this in courts, we will do this on our radio station, and we will commit to our descendants to work hard to protect this land and water for them. Whether you have feet, wings, fins, or roots, we are all in it together).

Barbara Levy Boxer the American politician who served as a United States Senator from California 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives 1983 to 1993 has been quoted as saying: (We know no document is perfect, but when we amend the Constitution, it would be to expand rights, not to take away rights from decent, loyal Americans. This great Constitution of ours should never be used to make a group of Americans permanent second-class citizens. )

Dr Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

August 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry would chair the meeting of the joint Sudanese-Egyptian political consultation committee in Khartoum on Wednesday, said Sudan's Foreign Ministry.

In a press release on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said the meeting would discuss a number of issues including the consular work, border crossings, coordination in regional and international forums and the recent developments in the region.

He added the meeting would also follow up on the implementation of the outcome of the meeting of the joint presidential committee which was held in Cairo in October 2016.

Last month, Ghanodur and Shoukry agreed to ease tensions between the two neighbouring countries through the control of hostile media campaigns and to curb activities of opposition groups in their territories.

Tensions between Khartoum and Cairo have escalated following the former's decision to restrict imports of Egyptian farming products which was reciprocated by Cairo's decision to raise residency fees for Sudanese living in Egypt.

The deterioration of bilateral relations between the two countries goes back to the attempt to assassinate President Hosni Mubarak in June 1995 followed by the deployment of Egyptian troops in the disputed area of Halayeb triangle.

Since then, Khartoum has been moving to improve its ties with the eastern and western neighbours, instead of its strategic ties with Egypt.

Khartoum further went to back the construction of a dam in Ethiopia, which Cairo says will hurt its water needs. Also, the Sudanese government recently signed investment agreements with Gulf countries.

Accordingly, they will establish huge agricultural projects that require the full use of Sudan share of the Nile water, a move which is seen in Cairo as another threat to Egypt.

(ST)

August 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A defecting member from former Darfur rebel group has accused the Sudanese government of failing to honour the peace deal saying the situation on the ground in the region is worse.

Spokesperson of Sudan Liberation Force Alliance Salah al-Wali (ST photo)

Salah al-Wali, has recently defected from the former rebel Justice and Equality Movement faction led by Bakheit Abdallah Dabago (JEM-Dabago), a signatory of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), and joined the newly formed rebel group Sudan Liberation Force Alliance (SLFA).

He told Sudan Tribune the Sudanese government has revealed its true intentions by reneging on the peace agreement, saying the regime seeks to abort the revolution through offering ministerial posts to the rebel leaders.

Al-Wali expected that many leaders would rejoin the rebellion in order to achieve the goals and principles that pushed them to bear arms, saying the situation on the ground in Darfur is much worse than that which existed prior to signing the DDPD.

Following the announcement of the Government of National Consensus last May, JEM-Dabago threatened to pull out of the government after it accused the ruling party of reducing the Movement's share in the government, calling the move a clear violation of the power sharing protocol signed with the Sudanese government.

Al-Wali pointed to the continued genocide and mass rape against innocent civilians, saying government militias are preventing the refugees and IDPs from returning to their original villages.

The rebel leader added that forced displacement is now taking place in areas south-east of Nyala, South Darfur state capital, pointing to an ongoing “settlement project” that brings newcomers from Niger, Chad and Libya to areas north-east and west of Kutum, North Darfur state.

Alwali, who is currently the SLFA spokesperson, said they are making efforts to unify the rebel movements according to the statute of the new group.

“We managed to integrate three movements [into the new group] and we extend our hands to the rest of the movements including those led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur, Minni Minnawi and Gibril Ibrahim,” he said.

SLFA was formed last month following the merger of three Darfur armed factions including the Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice of Taher Hajer, Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity of Abdallah Yahia and the Justice and Equality Movement led by Abdallah Bashr Gali (aka Gena).

Commenting on SALFA's vision for peace, the rebel leader said they see the need to link the process in Darfur to that in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, pointing “three can be no peace in Darfur while the war is ongoing in the Two Areas”.

He added that peace in Darfur is contingent upon toppling the regime, saying most of the leaders of the regime are fugitives from the International Criminal Court (ICC) and on top of them is President Omer al-Bashir.

“They are criminals and criminal can't achieve peace, stability and development,” he said.
Al-Wali stressed that change could be achieved only “by unifying the armed movements in the marginalized areas on one hand and the opposition forces and forces of change on the other hand”.

Last week, Al-Wali stressed that SALFA is not committed to the unilateral declaration of cessation of hostilities.

The new group also rejected al-Bashir's call to draft the permanent constitution saying the move could take place only after achieving the comprehensive peace.

(ST)

July 31, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan's armed opposition forces under the command of Major General Emmanuel Yangu reportedly attacked Lanyi garrison after heavy fighting with pro-government forces and allegedly killed eight of the regime soldiers.

The rebels, in a statement, also claimed they captured huge quantities of arms and ammunition captured in good condition, which included one military truck and one 14.5 “totally destroyed”.

“A rescue convoy which tried to come from Lui to Lanyi has also been totally destroyed. Lanyi town is now under full control of SPLA/M IO forces,” reads the statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the rebels' claims as phone numbers of area officials and lawmakers were switched off.

The rebel deputy chief of staff for training, Lt. Gen. Wesley Welebe Samson congratulated the gallant rebels and their commander for what he described as “job well done” in defeating the army troops.

“We SPLA/M IO forces will continue to defend the innocent civilians in all areas under our control and will fight in self-defense whenever any of our locations are attacked. I once again advise the governor of Amadi state and his President Salva Kiir to stop the looting of food, burning of houses and raping of innocent civilians who have nothing to do with this current war,” said Welebe.

The official, in a statement, accused the governor of Amadi state of allegedly using food as a weapon by denying relief food distribution to the armed opposition faction-controlled areas, which he said contravened international humanitarian law and law on armed conflicts.

“As I speak now, the whole population of Amadi state is still starving without food as governor of Amadi state, Joseph Ngere has stopped aid workers from taking relief supplies to areas controlled by SPLA/M IO, though we in SPLA/M IO have granted free movement to all humanitarian workers,” claimed the official in the statement.

“As such, the innocent civilians, women, children and elderly persons are in urgent need of food, medicine, shelter, seeds and tools,” he added.

In a separate development, the rebel claimed their forces captured government garrisons at Bamure and Jale in Kajokeji County on July 29, 2017, after the pro-government army attacked their locations.

“I extend my congratulations to the gallant SPLA/M IO Division 2 “B” commander and all our forces under his command for bringing Bamure and Jale under our control,” Welebe further stated.

The official claimed people of Yei, Kajokeji, Lanya, Bamure, Jale and Morobo are starving without food and urgently needed medicine.

“I appeal to international community to provide food and medicine to the suffering population in the above-mentioned areas,” he added.

Meanwhile, the armed opposition faction said the Juba government must fully recommit itself to an immediate permanent ceasefire, agree to revive the peace agreement with full participation and inclusion of all the warring and political parties and start a new genuine implementation of the 2005-signed peace agreement.

The rebels also urged total demilitarization of Juba, immediate deployment of the joint integrated police to Juba town as per the signed peace agreement, stop operationalization of the 32 states with immediate effect and form a committee to look into this matter as per the previous communiqué from the regional bloc (IGAD).

The South Sudanese civil war broke out in mid-December 2013 after President Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter vehemently denied.

However, a peace deal signed in August 2015 led to the formation of a coalition government but was again devastated by fresh violence that broke out in July last year.

(ST)

July 31, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The visiting Archbishop of Canterbury discussed on Monday the issue of demolished churches with the governor of Khartoum state where local authorities are accused of targeting the different Christian groups.

In statements to the press following the meeting, Governor Abdel Rahim Hussein said that Sudanese used to coexist and tolerate each other beyond the religious divides, adding that 90% of Christian school students in Sudan are Muslims.

He further pledged to resolve all the obstacles facing the construction of churches in line with the urban planning norms.

"Within the framework of the housing plan and services, there are standards for places of worship whether they are mosques or churches, according to geographical area and population census," he said.

The Sudanese authorities say demolished churches are established without administrative authorizations, while the different Christian communities raise the difficulty of obtaining the building permits when they submit an application for the construction of a church.

Last May, Khartoum State authorities on Sunday demolished a church in Soba Al-Aradi suburb, 19 km from the capital, despite pledges by Sudanese government officials to stop Churches' demolition.

Sudanese authorities earlier this year endorsed a plan to demolish some 27 churches including Soba Al Aradi church, pointing they are not officially recognised as churches.

The head of Anglican Church discussed the matter with President Omer al-Bashir on Sunday and expressed hope that Christians are treated in the same manner they do for Muslim in the United Kingdom

"In England, the Church of England often seeks to protect Muslims when they are under pressure," Welby added. He further said that he expected the same in Sudan when it comes to protecting Christians.

In a separate statement, the foreign ministry said the Archbishop of Canterbury was received by the Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Monday. It further said that Justin Welby expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Government and the people of Sudan for their warm hospitality.

(ST)