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STERN TV: Köln (ots) - "Ich bin der Auffassung, Sepp Blatter könnte sich unglaubliche Verdienste erwerben und plötzlich in einem ganz anderen Licht dastehen, wenn er selbst sagt: Ich werde Zeuge. Ich gehe zum FBI. Ich werde alles sagen", erklärte Guido ...

June 3, 2015 (WAU) – South Sudanese civil society activists have organised a one-day consultative meeting on peace talks between the country's two warring factions mediated by regional leaders.

Civil society activists demonstrate in Warrap state capital, Kuajok, April 16, 2012 (Julius Uma/ST)

The event in Western Bahr el Ghazal state, also focused on the country's Financial Policy Bill 2015, currently before the national legislative assembly.

Religious leaders and political parties attended the forum, organised by Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO).

“Today, CEPO in Western Bahr el Ghazal state with support from Justice Africa is organising a one day consultative meeting aimed at gathering ideas on challenges facing both the Inter-governmental Authority for Development and civil society organisation at the peace venue in Addis Ababa,”, said CEPO's state coordinator, Stephen Robo.

“We need public demands on how the Financial Bill will look like,” he added.

The forum, Robo said, will also explore ways of how taxes can be collected to save the seemingly collapsing South Sudan economy.

“Since our financial situation appears to be collapsing, there is a need for us to find a possible situation of collecting the national taxes that would help rebuild our national economy,” he stressed.

The official further said the forum will also suggest ideas to the mediators and other stakeholders in the negotiation between the warring parties in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“Both IGAD and other mediating terms are having a lot of weakness during this peace talk. Therefore, this consultation meeting will help the mediating teams by providing them with ideas for the two warring parties to reach a lasting peace,” said Robo.

Peace talks between the rebels and government hit a deadlock on 6 March prompting the mediators to initiate an IGAD-Plus arrangement, involving the five African countries, the African Union, United Nations and the Troika (Britain, Norway and United States).

The negotiations, being brokered by the East African regional bloc offers the best chance to end nearly 18 months of conflict in the world's youngest nation.

(ST)

The Head of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of Russia's parliament has pointed to an interdependence between shelling in Donbass and the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions prolongation.

June 3, 2015 (NYALA) - The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has restored eight vehicles stolen from the hybrid peacekeeping in Darfur (UNAMID) by an unidentified militia in Jaraf area, 37 kilometer north east of South Darfur capital, Nyala.

The El Fasher 1 Team Site conducts a joint morning patrol with Community Policing Volunteers and interacts with community leaders at the Zam Zam camp for IDPS near El Fasher, North Darfur. (Photo UNAMID/Rabi Abuassi)

Brigadier Isam Fadil, advisor to the RSF said in press statements on Wednesday that their forces captured three of the perpetrators and killed six others besides seizing three four-wheel drive vehicles during heavy clashes with the gunmen.

He added that they thwarted the largest armed robbery attempt against UNAMID following fierce clashes with the armed gang in the jungles of Jaraf area which belongs to the locality of Al-Wihda.

"The (SRF) forces managed to recover UNAMID's cars including 3 Land Cruiser vehicles and 5 trucks besides seizing 3 vehicles belonging to the gunmen," he said

On the other hand, the commander of the Sudanese army's sixteenth infantry division, Maj. Gen. Adil Hamad al-Nil, said the army, after it crushed the rebellion, targeted groups of outlaws in order to achieve security and stability in the state.

He added that armed militias continued to carry out looting, kidnapping and killing attacks while the army was busy fighting against rebel groups, warning the outlaws that the RSF would always be lurking for them.

Hamad al-Nil pointed they received preliminary information from a border guard station about suspicious movements, saying the army and the police informed the RSF which in turn moved quickly and defeated the armed group.

He stressed that maintaining security of the people is their top priority, noting that regular forces have been deployed across the state to secure the farms and villages of voluntary return.

The military commander further pointed that the security committee in the state is well informed about the dense of the crime in South Darfur.

Composed of former militia groups in Darfur and Kordofan regions to fight rebel groups across the country, the RSF currently operates under the command of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and in coordination of the Sudan Armed Forces.

The SRF forces, themselves, are accused of committing war crimes and atrocities against civilians in Darfur and South Kordofan.

The acting governor of South Darfur state, Omer Mohamed al-Bashir, for his part, emphasized that the perpetrators neither belong to the rebel groups nor have tribal affiliation.

He told the pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) that the gang is comprised of 12 people, pointing they all worked for the UNAMID.

Al-Bashir underscored the perpetrators will be brought to a prompt and fair trial in the coming days according to the emergency law imposed since last July.

He urged the UNAMID to reconsider some of its contractors, stressing the perpetrators serve agenda of the rebel groups who have recently suffered serious defeats at the hands of the regular forces.

It should be recalled that South Darfur, at the difference of some other states, is witnessing few rebel activities. However the state is known for criminal activities and robbery committed by armed gangs.

In a bid to curb criminal activities, the state authorities in July 2014 declared an indefinite emergency situation in South Darfur state, including a curfew from 7pm to 7am (local time) in the capital Nyala.

(ST)

Ethnic hatreds, murky disappearances, and the purging of enemies are all on the rise in Robert Mugabe's dictatorship.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today reported an increase in the intensity and geographic area of Ebola transmission in Guinea and Sierra Leone, warned that the onset of the rainy season &#8220from now onwards&#8221 will make field operations more difficult and noted that community engagement remains a challenge in both countries.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today reported an increase in the intensity and geographic area of Ebola transmission in Guinea and Sierra Leone, warned that the onset of the rainy season &#8220from now onwards&#8221 will make field operations more difficult and noted that community engagement remains a challenge in both countries.

A partir de 2018, des méthaniers brise-glace en provenance de Sibérie arriveront à Montoir-de-Bretagne pour décharger du GNL et effectuer des opérations de transbordement vers d’autres navires. C’est le résultat d’un important accord conclu entre le groupe français Engie (ex-GDF Suez) et le Russe Novatek, qui détient 60% de Yamal LNG.  

 

(© YAMAL LNG)

 

• Lire la suite de Montoir va transborder du gaz provenant de Yamal LNG

Allegations of corruption at the highest levels of FIFA has put the spotlight on the 2022 World Cup host's human rights record.

June 3, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – A South Sudanese academician, professor Wani Tombe Lako, died on Wednesday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. He was found dead while in his apartment on Wednesday morning.

Wani Tombe Lako (ST)

Tombe who used to live in exile in England last year came to Ethiopia and sought membership of the opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), led by former vice-president, Riek Machar.

Although he was not yet assigned to leadership position in the rebel faction, he participated in the mid-April leadership conference which the opposition group convened in Pagak, their new headquarters.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, opposition leader, Riek Machar, described the sudden death of his comrade as a great loss to the country, the movement and the late's family.

“On behalf of the Movement and my family and on my own behalf, I am extending my heartfelt condolences to the family of my late comrade Dr. Wani Tombe Lako. His death is a great loss to the Movement and the country,” opposition leader, Riek Machar, said in a statement he issued on Wednesday.

Although no public medical statement has been issued in declaring the cause of his death, his friends and colleagues said it could be attributed to heart failure.

The late held a Bachelor of Science (BSc. Hons.) in Economics and Rural Development from Gezira University, Sudan; a Masters of Human Rights Law (LL.M) from Nottingham University in United Kingdom and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Rural Social Development.

He taught in various universities and wrote extensively on social and political issues about Sudan and South Sudan. The late was the leader of Greater Equatoria Council of Rights (GRECOR), a body mainly based in exile.

Late Tombe after the eruption of the current civil war in South Sudan wrote many articles urging the people of greater Equatoria region, his home region, to rise up against president Salva Kiir's government in order to achieve freedom and prosperity in the country.

He last year joined the rebel movement led by Machar and continued to travel to United States, Canada and Australia, mobilizing the South Sudanese people to join the armed struggle against the government.

His death has received mixed reactions with observers pointing out that the loss of such a high profile personality may generate discontentment and uncertainty from within the political and geographical constituency.

Late Tombe was a strong advocate of federal system of governance in South Sudan which the rebels have also tabled for adoption in the Addis Ababa peace process and for implementation in the transitional period.

Opposition sources and family members have suggested that the body will be taken to the United Kingdom for post-mortem examinations.

(ST)

Wiedenroth: Flensburg (ots) - Der Titel der täglichen Politik-Karikatur von Götz Wiedenroth für Mittwoch, 3. Juni 2015 lautet: G7: Gipfel-Lustspiele für eine feudalistische Clique mit jeder Menge Angst.   Bildunterschrift: "... Sie haben G7. Wird von Parasiten ...

The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) combat logistics vessel, HMAS Success, has returned from the Middle East after successfully completing an Operation Manitou mission.

Raytheon has received a $149m contract from the US Navy for 74 Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) all-up rounds, spares, containers, and services.

The Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigate HMCS Winnipeg is set to join Nato forces in the Mediterranean Sea, as part of Operation Reassurance.

The US Navy has accepted the third Lockheed Martin mobile user objective system (MUOS) satellite, following the completion of on-orbit testing.

Dassault Aviation developed the Falcon 2000 multi-role maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA) based on the Falcon 2000 LXS business jet, to meet the operational needs of naval and coastguard forces.

Wiedenroth: Flensburg (ots) - Der Titel der Wirtschaftskarikatur von Götz Wiedenroth für Mittwoch, 3. Juni 2015 lautet: Wie westliche Marinen die Schlepperbanden im Mittelmeer bekämpfen. Bildunterschrift: "Ihr werdet nach 2 sm von einem supermodernen deutschen ...

The human costs of the Saudi Arabian-led bombing campaign in Yemen are immense.

America’s point man on the Islamic State maps a way forward after the fall of Ramadi.

Renewing its support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the vital mandate it is performing to protect civilians there, the Security Council today expressed its grave concern over the security and humanitarian situation in the country, which has been torn by “a conflict that is only growing more violent as it nears its 18th month.”