September 8, 2016 (JUBA) – The United States Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan says it is “not wise” to re-install South Sudan's ex-first vice president, Riek Machar to his post, but warned President Salva Kiir against what he called "power monopoly".
Ambassador Donald Booth told a U.S. House of Representative during a hearing held on Wednesday that South Sudan's peace agreement has to be implemented.
"Given all that has happened, we do not believe it would be wise for Machar to return to his previous position in Juba," said Booth.
"But this cannot become a justification for President Kiir to monopolize power and stifle dissenting political voices," he told the House Foreign Affairs Committee's Africa Subcommittee.
Machar returned to Juba in April to take up position in the transitional government of national unity (TGoNU) as first vice president in accordance to the August 2015 peace agreement that ended 21 months of conflict. He fled Juba for his in July after his 1,300 bodyguards clashed with thousands of President Kiir's forces. Machar's former peace negotiator, Taban Deng Gai, was selected in controversial circumstances in Juba as his replacement.
But regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which mediated the peace agreement demanded Gai's resignation for Machar to return, a position supported by the international community including the United States.
Booth's comments followed Secretary of State John Kerry's assertion last month that Gai's nomination to replace Machar was “legal.” The SPLM In Opposition (IO) under Machar has decried the comment.
The United States also support establishment of Hybrid Court to try war crimes suspects as provided for in chapter five of the peace agreement.
"There must be consequences for those who are found guilty," New Jersey Republican Representative Chris Smith, also the subcommittee's chairman told Voice of America (VOA).
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The Stabilisation and Association Council (SA Council) between Albania and the European Union held its eighth meeting on 8 September 2016.
The SA Council noted that the Commission report 2015 on Albania concluded that the country made further progress towards meeting the political criteria for membership and, overall, steady progress continued in the five key priorities for the opening of accession negotiations.
The SA Council noted the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 15 December 2015, which recognised Albania's continued commitment on the reform agenda. On that occasion, the Council underlined that judicial reform remained key to further forward movement on Albania's EU accession process and could also be transformative for other reforms.
The SA Council confirmed that Albania maintained an overall sustained pace in the implementation of public administration reform measures. The EU welcomed the unanimous adoption in July of a set of constitutional amendments for a thorough and comprehensive reform of the justice system. The SA Council took note of the recent adoption of the law on the vetting of judges and prosecutors, which represents an important step forward for the implementation of the justice reform. It is essential to proceed with a swift implementation of the reform. The EU also welcomed that Albania took further steps in the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as on human rights matters.
The SA Council welcomed the continued active participation of Albania in regional initiatives and structures in South Eastern Europe and its good neighbourly relations and constructive regional stance. The EU acknowledged Albania's role in the region as a pro-active and constructive partner, and underlined the importance of Albania's commitment to a positive engagement in the region, including through the conclusion of bilateral conventions, and to further promoting regional cooperation. The EU reiterated that good neighbourly relations and regional stability are essential elements of the Stabilisation and Association process.
The SA Council welcomed the full alignment of Albania to Council decisions and in the field of Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama. The EU delegation was led by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the Commission, Federica Mogherini. The Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement negotiations, Johannes Hahn, represented the European Commission. The Albanian delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ditmir Bushati, the Minister for European Integration, Klajda Gjosha, and the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Albanian Parliament, Majlinda Bregu, as representative of the opposition.
Coup d'Etat en Turquie : dans les Balkans, inquiétudes et soutien à Erdoğan
Bosnie-Herzégovine et Turquie, « un seul peuple » sous l'œil du grand frère Erdoğan ?
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan en Bosnie : « pour moi, Sarajevo compte autant que Trabzon et Diyarbakir »
Turquie-Balkans : est-il temps de tourner la page du « néo-ottomanisme » ?
Coup d'Etat en Turquie : dans les Balkans, inquiétudes et soutien à Erdoğan
Bosnie-Herzégovine et Turquie, « un seul peuple » sous l'œil du grand frère Erdoğan ?
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan en Bosnie : « pour moi, Sarajevo compte autant que Trabzon et Diyarbakir »
Turquie-Balkans : est-il temps de tourner la page du « néo-ottomanisme » ?
« Au nom du peuple » : anticommunisme et révisionnisme à la sauce serbe
Serbie : ces monuments à la mémoire de Draža Mihailović
Serbie : la justice réhabilite Draža Mihailović, l'ancien chef des tchetniks
Nazisme et collaboration en Serbie : l'inacceptable réhabilitation de Milan Nedić
Querelle des monuments en Serbie : après Preševo, Novi Pazar
« Au nom du peuple » : anticommunisme et révisionnisme à la sauce serbe
Serbie : ces monuments à la mémoire de Draža Mihailović
Serbie : la justice réhabilite Draža Mihailović, l'ancien chef des tchetniks
Nazisme et collaboration en Serbie : l'inacceptable réhabilitation de Milan Nedić
Querelle des monuments en Serbie : après Preševo, Novi Pazar
September 7, 2016 (BENTIU) - Civilians fleeing from southern Unity state have accused South Sudanese officials of allegedly recruiting young boys as they head to the United Nations camp in Bentiu.
Residents interviewed by Sudan Tribune claim most of the young boys recruited were below 18 and detained by the South Sudanese army.
A resident, only identified as Isaac, said he was among those detained after being blocked from a UN camp north of Guit county.
He, however, said many of his friends were still under detention by the army around Guit county and other parts of Rubkotna county.
“It was at night we decided to risk our lives and escape from the hand of the SPLA. We were about five of us and at midnight we broke up the Tukul [hut] and walked the whole night and arrived safely in the morning at the UN camp,” narrated Isaac.
The army, he said, allowed women who came with them from Leer to cross into Bentiu and seek shelter, while the boys were detained.
A woman from Mayom county, who preferred anonymity, confirmed there was mass recruitment by government forces ongoing in the state.
She told Sudan Tribune she saw some boys being picked out of a car, but they never returned to join the group of civilians fleeing towards Bentiu.
“Well what is going on cannot be described as we see small boys recruited into the army and these boys are very young and couldn't hold guns on their shoulders,” she said.
Recent hostilities between government forces and the armed opposition allied to South Sudan former's first vice president Riek Machar have displaced thousands of people south of Unity state.
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September 7, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer al-Bashir Wednesday said that his government would no longer give ministerial positions to rebel groups in Darfur region if they sign a peace agreement.
He was speaking to a group of journalists aboard his presidential plane during his fight to Khartoum from El-Fasher where he attended the celebration marking the completion of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD).
"The door is open to anyone who joins the peace process through the (DDPD)," he said adding "but the government would not sign an agreement with the remaining leaders of the armed groups in exchange for ministerial positions".
Bashir further stressed that Jobs ended with the dissolution of Darfur Regional Authority. However he reiterated that a transitional national unity government will be formed after the end of the national dialogue process which should include opposition groups.
The presidential statements come after unconfirmed reports speaking about secret meeting between the government and armed groups in Kampala facilitated by the Ugandan government in support of the African Union led efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan.
The Sudanese president said his government is ready to sign a security arrangements agreement with the rebel groups in accordance with the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) mechanism.
He further said that the convictions of the international community have changed a lot as "they believe in the rightness" of Sudan's (government) positions".
Two armed groups in Darfur, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement - Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM); are negotiating with the Sudanese government on a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements.
However, the parties failed to conclude the deals as JEM and SLM-MM demand to open the DDPD to renegotiate some items related to the security situation and the protection of displaced civilians.
(ST)