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June 10, 2016 (RUMBEK) - A caucus of meeting of South Sudan ruling party (SPLM) held Wednesday resolved that the speaker of the state assembly, Baipiath Majuec resigns.

Majuec is accused of allegedly failing to unite lawmakers since he was elected in 2014.

Yar Ater, a member of the assembly, confirmed the caucus's decision on the speaker's fate, which he said would happen on 18 June. The ruling party caucus reportedly also agreed that the specialised standing committees of parliament be dissolved.

"Yes speaker will resign and the specialise committees will be dissolved immediately", the lawmaker told Sudan Tribune, but did not elaborate further on the matter.

MPs accused the embattled speaker of being unfair to those who skip assembly sessions.

Yar could not be reached for a comment, despite repeated attempts from Sudan Tribune.

(ST)

Amid “very encouraging signs” in the United Nations-facilitated Libyan political dialogue, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on the North African nation today said that “time has come to make an agreement” and if possible, before or at the beginning of Ramadan, which begins on 17 June.

Jeb Bush speaking at CPAC 2015 in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore

Years ago, a few friends and I were walking down the streets of Sorrento, Italy, during some off-time on a class trip abroad. Few paid any attention to the teenage tourists — at least until one man stopped, did a double take and asked, “Are you from the United States?”

“Yes,” one of us said. “Massachusetts.”

“One question. Did you vote for George W. Bush?”

“We can’t vote yet, but we don’t support him either.”

We were all around 13- or 14-years-old, so voting was out of the question. He was pleased. We walked on.

Twelve years later, Jeb Bush has found himself grappling with a similar question on a trip Europe. That is, will Jeb follow in the footsteps of his father or his brother?

That’s a question that resonates stateside as well, but in Europe the need to choose either the 41st or the 43rd president as a source of inspiration is a bit more pressing. Thanks to his support for German reunification, George H.W. Bush remains popular in Western Europe; meanwhile, his son, George W., is likely the least popular American president in Europe since the end of World War II. One poll from 2006 found that a staggering 77 percent of Europeans disapproved of George W.’s foreign policy during his first and second terms.

Jeb’s strategy for avoiding being bogged down by his brother’s own failures appears to be shifting the conversation from his family’s political history to that of an old-but-new common enemy: Russia.

Upon his arrival to Germany on Tuesday, Jeb spoke before the Christian Democratic Union’s economic council in Berlin. He emphasized the need for strong transatlantic ties, took potshots at the Obama administration’s Russia policy, and called for a more aggressive response from the West against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Giving the sense that we’re reacting in a tepid fashion only enables the bad behavior of Putin,” Jeb told an audience of a thousand or so.

“We should never [respond] in a way that pushes Russia away for a generation of time. Then ultimately, Russia needs to be a European nation and that everything we do ought to be to isolate its corrupt leadership from its people, for starters.”

That message of aggression may appeal to leaders in the next two stops on Jeb’s European adventure — Poland and Estonia — but it’s not necessarily wooing German leaders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has had to wrangle sanctions skeptics like Cyprus, Greece and Italy, would undoubtedly appreciate some recognition of her efforts. Were tougher sanctions against Russia to be implemented — which G7 leaders showed support for this week — she’d have to do more of the same.

Yet, as Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View columnist, noted, “[Jeb’s] compliment to Merkel for her toughness on sanctions against Russia sounded like faint praise, once he warned against ‘tepid’ reaction to President Vladimir Putin’s ‘bad behavior.'” She’s too entwined with the U.S.’ Russia policy for Jeb’s “tepid” line to work.

The question of arming the Ukraine is also a contentious one. Jeb, like most of the Republican hopefuls, supports the idea. The administration’s “tepid” response presumably alludes to Obama’s unwillingness to embrace the idea. That said, Obama hasn’t ruled the possibility out either. Merkel, meanwhile, has made her views quite clear: Sending arms to Ukraine would not solve the crisis.

If Jeb’s European charm offensive rests on winning over German leaders with an aggressive anti-Putin agenda, he’s out of luck. Not all hope may be lost, though — at least someone admitted he’s better than his brother.

This post also appeared at The Eastern Project.

Americas

• Raytheon has completed lab testing of the Advanced, Medium Range Air to Air Missile – Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER), a ground-based air defense missile based on the AIM-120D and designed to be integrated with the Kongsberg NASAMS launcher. These latest tests validate that the missile can be integrated with the launcher, which will team with the AN/MPQ-64F1 Improved Sentinel radar to provide a highly capable air defense system. Raytheon is also taking the motor from its Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile and integrating it into the AMRAAM-ER to improve the missile’s range and engagement ceiling.

• The Air Force awarded an approximately $1.5 billion, eight-year contract for the sustainment and test operation of Arnold Engineering Development Complex, with $2 million of this awarded on Wednesday. The AEDC is the world’s largest and most sophisticated flight simulation test facility, with fourteen unique test units worldwide.

• DynCorp was handed an $18.3 million support service contract modification in support of Joint Special Operation Task Force – Philippines, bringing the total value of the contract to $154 million. The US officially ended the JSOTF in the Philippines in February, with some advisors remaining after thirteen years of operation in the country. This force reduction was intended to conclude by the beginning of May, with this latest contract scheduled to run to June next year.

• The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank has released a report detailing the potential danger of proliferating small UAVs becoming aerial IEDs, including being used as ‘swarms’ capable of causing significant destruction with a low price tag. China has been developing cheap UAVs, with the readily-available cheap civilian market already significantly growing throughout the world.

Europe

• Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces have test-fired a short-range anti-missile system in Kazakhstan, with this test coming as the country’s Defense Ministry announced that it intends to triple the number of air defense missiles in 2015 compared with 2014.

• Russia’s new main battle tanks are not quite as modern as the Russian media makes them out to be. The Russian Defense Ministry has marketed the T-14 Armata tank as a cutting-edge machine designed to surpass rival NATO designs. The T-14 is less heavily armored and armed than the Abrams, Challenger II and Leopard II, each of which have been around for several years.

Middle East

• Lebanon is buying six Super Tucano ground attack aircraft from the US through a Foreign Military Sale thought to be worth approximately $462 million, including spares, support services and auxiliary equipment. The US and Lebanese governments discussed the potential sale of Super Tucanos in 2010, with the DSCA announcement on Tuesday confirming reports from March which set a deadline of 2018 for delivery of the six aircraft. The Embraer-manufactured turboprop aircraft is particularly useful in counterinsurgency operations, as well as being more very affordable. For these reasons the Super Tucano has seen export success to several African states and numerous other nations worldwide.

• In addition to the Super Tucano order, the Lebanese government is also set to receive BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System to equip the Super Tucano light attack aircraft. The system modifies 70mm rocket rounds to use semi-laser guidance, increasing the precision of the otherwise unguided round.

• Along with the recently announced potential purchase of Eurofighters and Super Hornets, Kuwait is looking to acquire twenty-four H225M/EC725 Caracal helicopters, manufactured by Airbus. Poland recently ordered the Caracal, with these undergoing testing with the Polish Army last month.

Asia

• South Korea has requested the sale of the Aegis Combat System through a Foreign Military Sale. The potential sale of three of the systems, as well as auxiliary equipment, could be worth $1.9 billion and comes weeks after the North tested a “submarine-launched” missile. The ACS comprises the SPY-1 radar, Display System and Underwater Countermeasure System, with the Aegis system also capable of operating in a Ballistic Missile Defense capacity.

• Vietnam has upgraded its air defense systems, test-firing three Russian-manufactured S-125-2TM (NATO designation SA-3) Surface to Air Missiles. The improved system is now reportedly capable of targeting advanced low-flying aircraft and cruise missiles in an extreme jamming environment. The SA-3 is the SAM which downed a F-117 Nighthawk in 1999, with this driving the US to develop the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), designed to target and destroy enemy radar stations used to guide SAMs.

• The PLA used a high-speed railway to ferry troops in a recent mobility exercise. The Lanzhou-Xinjiang high-speed railway has 16,000km of track and can reach speeds of 350kph to the “>western Xinjiang region.

Today’s Video

• The Super Tucano in action…

Testimony to Helsinki Commission Hearing, U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Die von Spekulationen und Ängsten geprägten Anti-TTIP Kampagnen laufen einer ausgewogenen und sachlichen Debatte zuwider. (Bild: Empire St. Pauli)

Das Internet verleiht den kritischen Organisationen enorme Mobilisierungskraft. Im Wettbewerb um Aufmerksamkeit und Unterstützung ist es den Kritikern gelungen, das Potential der Online-Medien auszuschöpfen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist, die deutsche Debatte in den Online-Medien zu analysieren. Daran anknüpfend wird diskutiert, warum die kritischen Kampagnen die öffentliche Meinung in Deutschland prägen.

Die von Spekulationen und Ängsten geprägten Anti-TTIP-Kampagnen laufen einer ausgewogenen und sachlichen Debatte zuwider. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es, den Hintergrund der Protestbewegungen in Deutschland zu beleuchten und ihre Strategien auf den Prüfstand zu stellen.

June 10 (JUBA) - South Sudan's national legislative assembly on Wednesday announced formation of a high level parliamentary committee to travel to Maridi county in Western Equatoria state to investigate the cause of recent fighting which resulted the death of at least nine people.

South Sudanese MPs stand during a parliamentary session in Juba on August 31, 2011 (AFP)

Fighting occurred in the town on Monday between armed Dinka pastoralists and suspected local youth in the area.

Several others, mostly armed civilians have also sustained injuries resulting from the clashes, forcing people to flee their homes into the bush in search of safety. The violence also affected commercial activities as markets and schools ceased to operate in fear of being caught up in the skirmishes.

The speaker of the national legislative assembly, Magok Rundial announced that the house had formed a committee to travel to the state to take peace message from the leadership of the house to the citizens and called upon all the aggrieved parties to restraint from pursuing violent behaviours as a means to drawing attention of the authorities to any matter of concern.

“The parliament has formed a committee to travel to Maridi and meet with the people there. The members of the committee will be taking to the citizens and those involved in what caused this situation the message of peace and harmony from the leadership of the assembly,” speaker Rundial said.

“On behalf of the assembly, I appeal to our people in Western Equatoria, particularly people of Maridi to remain calm and desist from violent behaviours and work together with the government to bring peace and stability,” he said.

Head of parliamentary caucus in Western Equatoria, Pasquale Clement Batali, told media that several people with no connections to the incident have been arrested by security personnel.

“Some people who have no connections have been arrested. We are talking to their families and relatives to remain claim and show restraint,” Batali said.

“We are also talking to the security personnel in the county to see into [it] that these people are not mishandled. We want the issue to be addressed peacefully so that the situation returns to normal,” he said.

He added that the state authorities did not want the situation to go out of control.

(ST)

June 10, 2015 (WAU) - The governor of South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state, Zakariah Rizik Hassan has ordered members of the special forces to shoot night robbers.

Rizik Zachariah Hassan, Governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State (UN photo)

Addressing these forces at the police headquarter on Wednesday, Hassan told the night patrollers to shoot and kill criminals who break into shops and attack residents at night.

He warned the forces against carrying rifles while out of their respective duty stations.

"Western Bahr el Ghazal is facing two sources of insecurity, one is the issue of rebellion which the state witnessed it first of rebel's attack last month in Bazia payam and the issue of night armed robbery which remain eminent in town," said governor Hassan.

The governor also partitioned blame on negligent police officers who encourage crime.

Western Bahr el Ghazal reportedy comprises of about 3000 trained police personnel.

The governor warned the officers to desist from tribalism, which he said was lacking in the military. He further cautioned them against involving in rebel-related activities.

(ST).

Le président de l’Assemblée nationale estime que «la multiplication des barrières n’a jamais empêché ni réduit les flux migratoires» et que la France doit être «en mesure de proposer des accueils d’urgence» aux migrants.

Faute morale ou faute politique? Après cinq jours de polémique, la défense de Manuel Valls face au tollé soulevé par son escapade footballistique à Berlin, pour assister à la finale de la Ligue des Champions, apparaît plus que jamais hors jeu.

Dans la nuit du 03 au 04 juin 2015, la frégate de surveillance Ventôse est intervenue à 130 milles nautiques au Sud-Ouest de Saint Martin pour intercepter le caboteur Lady Margaret battant pavillon d’Anguilla et suspecté de trafic de drogue.

• Lire la suite de Narcotrafic : Le Ventôse intercepte un caboteur au large de Saint-Martin

Après cinq ans de négociations, 26 pays d’Afrique ont signé mercredi 10 juin un traité de libre-échange. Ce texte dont l’objectif est de renforcer les échanges commerciaux très marginaux entre ces pays d’Afrique de l'Est, du centre et du Sud est une nouvelle étape sur le long chemin vers l’intégration économique entre des pays au développement très divers. Exemple avec la RDC, pays très peu industrialisé et qui est l’un des rares pays francophones à faire partie de cet ensemble régional.

Le Cluster Maritime Français se félicite de l’annonce par le Ministère des Outre-mer de la signature mardi 9 juin d’un contrat de commande d’un navire logistique polaire (PLV) confié aux chantiers Piriou de Concarneau.

• Lire la suite de Le Cluster Maritime Français se félicite de la commande du PLV

L'Union européenne a annoncé mercredi 10 juin qu'elle soutiendrait financièrement la Colombie pour désarmer les guérillas une fois conclu un accord de paix, et a appelé de ses voeux une « modernisation » de ses relations avec Cuba, à l'ouverture du sommet avec les pays d'Amérique latine et des Caraïbes (CELAC). L'UE a par ailleurs signé un accord supprimant les visas pour les courts séjours de ressortissants péruviens et colombiens dans l'espace Schengen.

L’affaire Thione Seck fait toujours couler beaucoup d’encre au Sénégal. Le célèbre chanteur sénégalais a été incarcéré la semaine dernière avec un complice présumé, un Malien, Alaye Djiteye dans une affaire de faux billets. Des sources anonymes proches de l’enquête, citées par la presse sénégalaise, ont évoqué des sommes faramineuses allant jusqu’à 50 millions d’euros, des faux, qui auraient été retrouvés chez lui. Mercredi 10 juin, le journal sénégalais Le Quotidien publiait en exclusivité des procès-verbaux de l’enquête préliminaire.