Sudan Tribune

November 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan is preparing to launch over 30 oil exploration bids next year in an attempt to lure western companies to reinvest in its petroleum industry after the left of economic sanctions, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

"Now, as relations between Sudan and the US improve, the ministry of petroleum plans to tender 30 to 35 new oil blocks in the second half of next year to revive exploration activity in the country," Azhari told the Financial Times.

Since the split of South Sudan in 2011, the Sudanese economy felt the tough effect of economic sanctions because it did not use oil financial income to develop the national economy but to fund its war against the armed groups in southern Sudan and Darfur region.

The Sudanese oil industry was developed by the oil-hungry China, India and Malaysia. The U.S. Chevron oil company made the first discovery of oil in Sudan in the late 1970s, but it had to stop exploration activities after the outbreak of Sudan's second civil war in 1983

After, the lift of embargo in October 2017, few western countries showed interest to invest in Sudan because it is still under several U.S. sanction as the country remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Also, corruption and heavy taxes dissuaded investors from the Gulf to work in Sudan.

However two weeks after the lift on 31 October of the past year, Sudan's Oil and Gas Ministry invited several U.S. oil firms to visit the country and offered them to invest in Sudan, pointing to the need of introducing advanced technology to push forward oil production in Sudan.

During a meeting with the visiting oil firms, the then oil minister Abdel-Rahman Osman called to invest in a number of oil blocs in the Red Sea area, eastern Sudan.

Following what, Baker Hughes a U.S. industrial service company in November 2017, signed a cooperation agreement with Asawer Investment Company, the technical arm of the state oil and gas firm Sudapet.

Sudan has proven gas reserves of 3 trillion cubic feet, but development has been limited. It also does not have the pipelines or the port terminals to bring in gas or liquefied natural gas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2014.

Sudan lost 75% of its oil reserves after the southern part of the country became an independent nation in July 2011, denying the north billions of dollars in revenues. Oil revenue constituted more than half of Sudan's revenue and 90% of its exports.

Sudan currently produces 133,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). The country's production is stationed mainly in the Heglig area and its surroundings, as well as western Kordofan.

(ST)

November 11, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has handed over four sites to the Sudanese government as part of the Mission's exit strategy from the region.

The Mission on November 1st has withdrawn from the team site at Labado area in East Darfur State. Also, the Mission on 4 November handed over its site at Mukjar area in Central Darfur State to the Sudanese government.

Moreover, the Mission on 8 November handed over the team site at Ambro, North Darfur State to the government in the presence of officials from both sides.

Also, UNAMID on 30 October has officially withdrawn from its site at Sharia, East Darfur.

A tripartite working group including the Sudanese government, African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) have been set up in February 2015 to develop an exit strategy for the UNAMID from Darfur.

In June 2017, the AU and the UN decided to draw down the UNAMID by withdrawing the military personnel by 44% and that of the police component by 30%, the closure of 11 team sites in the first phase and the withdrawal of the military component from another 7 team sites in the second phase.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) admitted that the security situation in Darfur has improved but it decided to reinforce its presence in the mountainous area of Jebel Marra because there is no cessation of hostilities as a Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) refuses to declare a unilateral truce or to engage in peace negotiations.

Last July, the UNSC unanimously decided to extend for one year the mandate of the UNAMID and also to reduce the number of its troops in line with an exit strategy aiming to close the hybrid operation in two years.

The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in western Sudan's region.

It is the world's second-largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million are displaced.

(ST)

November 11, 2018 (NYALA) - At least 20 fighters from the government militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been killed and more than 100 wounded in the fierce fighting that has been going on for days in Yemen, a reliable source told Sudan Tribune.

Sudanese soldiers carry the coffin of Haytham al-Tayeb, the first Sudanese soldier to die in Yemen at Khartoum airport on Friday January 29, 2016 (ST Photo)

According to the source, 17 bodies of RSF fighters participating in the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen have arrived in Nyala, capital of South Darfur State on Sunday.

The same source pointed out that the RSF militiamen had been killed in a missile attack on the borders of Hodeidah, 226 km from the Yemeni capital Sanaa two days ago.

He said the RSF general command in Khartoum has conveyed the news to the families of the dead on Saturday, adding that more than 120 injured soldiers have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for treatment.

The Sudanese army hasn't issued any statement regarding the incident.

It is noteworthy that Nyala on 19 October received bodies of four RSF fighters who had also been killed in a missile attack on their base in Hodeidah.

Reports from Yemen say the coalition forces have renewed their offensive on Hodeidah, an entry point for 80 per cent of the country's food imports and relief supplies.

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

However, following reports about the death of dozens of Sudanese troops and Houthi's threats to launch missile attacks against Sudan, several legislators called to withdraw the forces from Yemen.

Also, critics point out that several countries members of the Saudi-led coalition did not send troops to Yemen. Others say Saudi Arabia and UAE provides financial support to other countries but not Sudan despite its difficult financial situation.

Last May, State Defence Minister Ali Mohamed Salim said his ministry was evaluating pros and cons of the participation in the Yemen war in order to decide on it soon.

But three weeks later, President Omer al-Bashir underscored continued participation in the military coalition, pointing to Sudan's declared position to "defend the land of the Two Holy Mosques''.

(ST)

November 11, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Upon the request of the African Union, Sudan delayed a new round of talks for peace in the Central African Republic, said the Foreign Ministry in Khartoum on Sunday.

"Due to the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Institutional Reform which will take place in Addis Ababa from 14 to 18 November, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, requested the postponement of the negotiations between the government and the armed movements in the Central African Republic scheduled for mid-November," said the foreign ministry spokesperson on Sunday

"Consultations are under way to set a new date for the negotiations," further said Ambassador Babikir al-Siddiq in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday evening.

Several regional leaders and African Union officials were invited to attend the opening session of the conference for peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic. in Khartoum on 15 November.

The purpose of the conference is to bring the Christian anti-Balaka and Muslim Seleka militias to end the violence and the disarmament of their militias which have been fighting each other since six years ago.

The divided groups signed the Khartoum Declaration of Entente on 28 August 2018 where they accept to negotiate a peaceful settlement for the civil war that erupted in December 2012.

(ST)

November 11, 2018 (JUBA) - SPLA-IO military commanders visited their peace partners of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) in four areas where peace is at risk to build trust and enhance its implementation process.

SPLA-IO military spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel on Sunday said that the visits took place in Bieh, Imotong, Raja, Yei River states.

The purpose of the visits, which took place on Saturday 10 November except for Raja as it was held on Friday, was to discuss peace implementation and build confidence between the local commanders from both sides.

"Freedom of movement and accessibility as directed by our two chiefs of staff but those travelling will have to carry departure order and unarmed," said Gabriel when he spoke about the outcome of a meeting held in Waat town of Bieh State.

However, he said the meeting stressed that cattle raiders and criminals should be apprehended.

The state is located in an area where the cattle raiding is a very common activity, as it borders Fangak to the west, Central Upper Nile to the north, Latjoor and Akobo to the east, and Jonglei to the south.

For the willingness visit in Kajo-Keji of Yei River State, The meeting aimed at preparing a meeting of the senior commanders from both sides to take place soon.

For the Imotong State, the meeting took place in Magwi town as the SPLA IO delegation met the SSPDF commander, commissioners of Magwi and Ayaci and the state governor.

The same for Raja State, the SPLA-IO visiting team met in Raja town with the acting governor and the state military command.

During a meeting of the CTSAMVM Technical Committee (CTC) held in Khartoum on 7 November, CTSAMVM Chair Ibrahim Abdeljellil pointed out that some areas still experience hostilities.

The meeting identified that Leer, Wau and Yei are the areas where there is a need to focus on the confidence-building process. Accordingly, the CTC in its fourth meeting decided to increase the trust—building visits with a special focus for Yei.

(ST)

November 10, 2018 (JUBA) - Nigeria-based energy firm Sahara Group (SPG) and the Ministry of Energy and Dams agreed to develop infrastructures of the power sector in South Sudan.

Kapoeta power plant. Eastern Equatoria, South Sudan. Feb 4, 2011 (ST)

South Sudan has the lowest per capita electricity consumption in Africa, 1 to 3 kWh. This situation is mainly attributed to the underdeveloped energy infrastructure in the young nation, which has been severely impacted by decades of civil wars.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the SPG said the signed a Memorandum of Understanding aims to develop the generation, transmission and distribution spaces of electricity across the country.

"We are already working with the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) to develop a dedicated crude oil processing plant to guarantee steady and adequate supplies to the power plants as and when needed," said the SPG Managing Director, Kola Adesina

Also, Juba and the Nigerian company would collaborate to develop transmission backbone infrastructure and the establishment of the grid code.

There will be further collaboration between the two parties on the Environmental Impact Study, Load Evacuation Study and overall project development.

In April 2018, South Sudan installed equipment at a 100MW power plant in Juba.

Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol Minister of Energy and Dams, at the time, stated that the power plant in Juba would cover over 21% of the country's 500MW needs in electricity.

In October 2017, Juba and Kampala signed an agreement to supply power to South Sudan's border towns of Kaya and Nimule.

(ST)

November 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan will take part in an international conference on Libya in Sicily, Italia, in the upcoming next week, said the Sudanese foreign minister Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed on Saturday.

During a meeting with the visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Dirdeiry expressed Sudan's keen interest in the situation in Libya and the Central African Republic, two neighbouring countries that experience chronic instability.

Dirdeiry further disclosed his participation in the high-level meeting which aims to bring the warring parties in Libya to conclude a pact to end the civil war and agree on an electoral process for the election of a unified government.

The conference, which is scheduled for 12-13 November, will be attended by Libya' neighbours, Gulf and European Union countries.

In a statement released after the meeting, the foreign ministry said that Dirdeiry further informed the Russian diplomat about the efforts that Sudan is exercising to achieve regional stability.

The minister spoke about the peace process in South Sudan and the reconciliation process between the warring factions in the CAR which will take place in Khartoum on 15 November with the participation of regional leaders.

Moscow, which has close relations with the CAR's government, supported a first meeting between the leaders of the armed groups in the Central African Republic held in Khartoum last August.

(ST)

November 10, 2018 (ADDIS ABABA) - Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia agreed Saturday welcomed the expected lifting of international sanctions on Asmara and vowed to enhance their tripartite cooperation.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Somali President Mohammed Abdullahi Mahmud Farmajo and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki held two-day consultations in Bahr Dar, Ethiopia on November 9-10, 2018.

The meeting came as the Security Council is expected to endorse, next week, a draft resolution ending an arms embargo and targeted sanctions - a travel ban and asset freeze - imposed on Eritrea.

Also, the British-drafted resolution encourages Eritrea and Djibouti to settle the border dispute over the Ras Doumeira peninsula and adjacent territory and to resolve related issues.

"The leaders of Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea welcomed the impending lifting of all sanctions against Eritrea and underscored their conviction that this act of justice would contribute to enhancing peace, development and cooperation in the region," said a statement issued at the end of the meeting.

The joint statement further reaffirmed the commitment of the three countries to work for an inclusive regional peace and cooperation.

In a report to the Security Council on 12 October, the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) SEMG found no conclusive evidence that Eritrea was providing support to the Somali group of Al-Shabaab.

Also, the report points out that armed groups acting against Ethiopia with the support of Eritrea have now signed agreements with the Ethiopian government.

The statement stressed the "importance of respecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Somalia as well as their firm support for the Somali people and the Federal Government of Somalia and all its institutions".

It was not clear if the statement refers to the situation in the self-declared state of Somaliland where the United Arab Emirates is constructing a military base.

On 6 September 2018, the three countries signed the Joint Declaration on Friendship and Comprehensive Cooperation following a summit held in Asmara between the leaders of the three countries.

(ST)

November 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer al-Bashir praised the developing bilateral relations in a meeting with the visiting Russian deputy foreign minister on Saturday.

Mikhail Bogdanov is heading a Russian delegation visiting Khartoum for the meetings of the joint Sudanese-Russian high-level committee for political consultation which was convened in Khartoum on Friday.

During the meeting, al-Bashir expressed appreciation to Russia's support for Sudan at all international forums, stressing the strong relations between the two countries and Sudan's keenness to promote these ties to serve the interests of the two peoples.

For his part, the visiting official praised the distinct relations between Sudan and Russia, pointing to the strong personal relation of al-Bashir and President Vladimir Putin.

He pointed out that his meeting with al-Bashir constitutes a step forward to enhancing bilateral relations which are based on mutual trust and cooperation in all domains within the framework of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

In December 2015, Sudan and Russia signed 14 cooperation agreements in different domains, including oil, minerals and banks.

The agreements also include a concession contract between Sudan and the Russian Rus Geology to prospect for oil in Sudan's Bloc E57 and another accord for the geological mapping of the Jebel Moya area, North Kordofan State.

The Sudanese side for the joint high-level committee was headed by the State Foreign Minister Osama Faisal while the Russian side was headed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Bogdanov.

The meeting discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and the latest developments in both nations as well as political, economic, cultural, educational and consular cooperation.

Also, the meeting discussed regional and international issues of common concern including the peace process in South Sudan and the Central African Republic and the Sudanese-U.S. dialogue as well as relations with Egypt and Syria.

During a visit to Moscow last July to attend the 2018 World Cup Final, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir was met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders pledged to promote military cooperation in the near future.

The two leaders last met in November 2017 in the Russian city of Sochi, with both expressing a desire to enhance military ties.

During a visit to Russia in November 2017, al-Bashir offered to construct an airbase for Russia on the Red Sea coast and to re-equip the Sudanese army with the Russian weapons including SU-30 fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles.

Russia is seen as a major ally of the government of al-Bashir that faces isolation from the West. However, economic cooperation between the two countries has remained very low, with a trade balance that does not exceed $400 million.

(ST)

November, 9th, 2018
The Honorable Michael Richard Pompeo
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St NW,
Washington DC 20520
USA

RESPONSE BY SUDAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT (SLM/A-AW) TO U.S. POTENTIAL DE-LISTING OF SUDAN FROM TERRORISM STATE SPONSORSHIP BLACKLIST

Dear Mr Secretary:

In the wake of recent talks held in Washington between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan and the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Dirdeiry Ahmed, it is with the gravest concern that the leadership of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army urges your office to reconsider the U.S. Government easing the pathway for the genocidal Sudanese dictatorship towards rehabilitation in the international community of nations and its hope for de-listing from the U.S. blacklist of states sponsoring terrorism.

In a long litany of well documented ongoing crimes and atrocities daily perpetrated by the regime in Khartoum, impossible to refute in light of the weight of empirical evidence testifying to their ugly reality, we cannot help but express bewilderment Washington keeps normalizing its relationship with a blood-stained criminal, hardline Islamist regime that aside from practicing state terrorism against its own people, has not ceased its support for a nefarious array of Salafi terror groups, to include many franchises of Al Qaida, and DAESH across the Arab World and from North to Sub-Saharan Africa.

We don't doubt you're well aware of this given your former stewardship as director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Equally, you will be as aware of the regime's past sponsorship of the notorious Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army, both your own Special Forces and Ugandan People's Defense Force hunted to no avail. And though the messianic Christian terrorist is down to a handful of stragglers, his enjoying safe haven in Sudan and the Sudanese security forces looking the other way is an all but open secret. And while U.S. special operations commandos are active in Libya against Jihadist militias, surely you are as cognizant of Sudanese troops serving as mercenaries for the same warlords and in partnership with them engaging in human trafficking selling our people as human chattel, where the profits generated in this repugnant business, funds more terrorism and flows into Sudanese government banks.

We apologize for further belaboring the obvious and quoting the State Department's own language back to you where the recent U.S. statement citing progress by the regime in “counterterrorism cooperation, enhancing human rights protections and practices, including freedoms of religion and press, improving humanitarian access, ceasing internal hostilities and creating a more conducive environment for progress in Sudan's peace process,” reads almost as dark self-parody. It is as if Washington has discovered an alternate reality, we who have buried the bodies of our six hundred thousand, primarily civilian dead, whom the UN inexplicably stopped counting a decade ago, halving and freezing the butcher's bill, often cited erroneously, weren't aware of. It is rather remarkable what you see so clearly from so far away, our eyes have never gazed upon when we endure the waking nightmare of anunabated genocide and the institutional brutality, repression and multiple abuses of dictatorship. The dungeons of Khartoum, the vanished villages, mass graves, serial rape victims and the children burned and choked by chemical weapons in Darfur, tell a different story to yours.

What is so striking is merely the timing of the fictive statement, which only a cursory review of credible open source materials by a State Department intern, let alone a professional diplomat, of recent events in just past weeks and days, would have readily given the lie to, before it was penned. Does improved freedom of religion include the Darfuri Christians recently beaten and tortured back to Islamic fundamentalism and the existing legal statutes that specify capital punishment for apostasy? Does improved human rights protections refer to the popular female Sudanese singer arrested for indecency for wearing trousers or the most recently tortured peaceful human rights activists seized from the IDP camps? Is improved freedom of the press a reference to the journalists arrested by the secret police for having met with Western diplomats? Is the improved humanitarian access meant to be understood as the enduring government embargo on all food and medical relief to four million refugees, again listed as only half the true figure by the UN? And perhaps the more conducive environment for the peace process is the boast by the commander of the Rapid Support Forces overnight, to eradicate the SLM in just three months in a pending government offensive?

As a Republican administration presides in Washington we should like to remind you, Sir, that it was your counterpart, Secretary Powell, during the last Bush White House who correctly first decried the tragedy of Darfur as a genocide. Are your values so different to his, is yours a different United States? Are you no longer a beacon of freedom and democracy, an enemy of tyranny, extremism and genocide, or have you now for your own cynical purposes become the enabler for a mass murderer, President Omar al Bashir, and his henchmen, indicted by the International Criminal Court for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide?

And as you gird to place more pressure on the dictatorship in Tehran, from which we have also suffered in recent living memory, as it previously sponsored our oppressors, since Wahhabi Saudi Arabia has now replaced Iran as the primary sponsor for those that murder us, together with the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, we grasp your strategic alliance with Riyadh, makes our suffering an expendable, acceptable, sacrifice for you. It does not make it morally right or excusable, however, and history will record Washington's indifference and now direct tacit, complicity in the Darfur Genocide, as it marked the moral collapse of the Clinton Administration during the Rwadan Genocide and the lethal US military aid that earlier enabled Siad Barre's Isaaq Genocide in Somalia under President Reagan's tenure.

We are weak and you are the last superpower on earth, but are you a moral superpower at this juncture in history or do you wield great power just for its own sake and self-interest and not for the nobler cause of a greater humanity? And thus what will be your epitaph when posterity records that our mass murder meant nothing to you? We pray that in time, you may recognize that to live up to the promise of your nation's great ideals and the first American, founding father, Thomas Jefferson, to hold the very office you occupy, you should not turn away from us, and whitewash mass murders, and instead embrace us as your natural allies, who only wish to live in peace and democracy as you do.

Sincerely,

Abdul Wahid al-Nur, Chairman Sudan Liberation Movement & Commander in Chief Sudan Liberation Army.

By Tito Awen, Juba-South Sudan

I keep wondering if peace can divide or unite the partners. I am not so young nor unmindful not to have known what happened after signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) or not to have read other cases of peace in the World so as to draw a comparison to the recently signed peace agreement in South Sudan duped as R-ARCISS. After signing of the CPA, some of the Southern and Northern Parties joined Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) as opposition coalition while some of the Northern and Southern Parties joined the National Congress Party (NCP) as ruling coalition. Hold on reader, just know that my writing is not so much of the opinion leathered and loathed with any form of negative interest but just drawing the observation for future correction and reference by the analysts and opinion leaders of my kind.

To begin with, the word revitalization means rejuvenation or resuscitation of the Agreement on the Resolutions of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCISS) which was at death bed then as a result of the J1's ‘‘dogs fight'' as popularly termed by most of the analysts and political commentators. That supposedly means that the agreement that was signed would have been the best agreement capable of addressing the root causes of post-independence issues and differences which possibly were the ones that led to 2013 and repeatedly led to 2016 aggressions and subsequently the present polarization & conflicts.

Papers were still not dry of the ink when the Revitalized-Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCIS) was signed on 12th September, 2018 when several breakaways emerged from different political parties that were parts and parcels or simply the signatories to the agreement (R-ARCISS). South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) which is the major opposition coalition was the first victim of split when most of its member parties defied & refused the call from the chairperson to sign the agreement though some were at a later date ‘intimidated' to sign. They made their position real after the final signature by its leader-Mr.Changson Chang.

Gen.Thomas Cirilo's National Salvation Alliance (NAS) was the second opposition organization to face the drama from within its ranks when some of NAS's high ranking officials ‘dismissed' him as their leader though it was contained at a later date. As if it was not enough, South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) of Eng.Garang Riiny was the third movement to face the test when Gen.Ayii Ayii Akol declared the dismissal of the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief (Eng.Garang Riiny) in ‘Support' of peace signed though it was also sorted through intervention of Gen.Agany's father-Gen.Ayii Akol. To follow suit, South Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM) of Gen.Bapiny Monytuil went through the same crisis as well. SPLM-FDs' (Former Detainees) and Dr.Lam Akol's National Democratic Movement (NDM) are harbouring splits and also seem to be fighting the fire behind the dark corridors of their houses. To contain such discontentions, SPLM-FDs have used their recent October's (Nairobi) meeting to put their house in order though the recent statement from their leader-Hon. Pagan Amum Okech is a proof that he was persuaded by his colleagues just to accept peace the way it is and not to his satisfaction. Furthermore, the recent resignation within the political files of National Democratic Movement (NDM) is another proof of the split on course.

For non-signatories, Gen.Malong Awan's South Sudan United Front (SSUF) has also seen and heard two splits in the same period of peace though the impacts are minimised and considered to be of no major consent and impacts by its members.

I think the same split might be within the SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO (SPLM-In Government and SPLM-In Opposition) only that they feel being the major beneficiaries of the R-ARCISS and I believe the ceremony of the 31st October 2018 is litmus proof that the two went to bed better for this.

Digging deep into the splits: some parties split in support of peace per se while others do the same in opposition of the peace with a notion that it addresses nothing except the usual quest for power. This buys the questions: Are South Sudan and its political elites ready for peace or not? Or, does it means that the peace has not addresses the root causes of conflicts as said by some holdout parties? If so, are the parties to the agreement (SPLM-IG, SPLM-IO, SPLM-FDs and SSOA-IG) ready to bring to peace or to table the parties that are yet to support peace? If not so, are citizens ready for half meal only to see the politicians enjoying the resources the usual way while people are continuing to die?

The author is reachable through awenbol2007@yahoo.com

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The 6th meeting of the strategic dialogue between Sudan and the United Kingdom (UK) has been held in London on Thursday.

The Sudanese side was headed by the Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary for Political Affairs and International Cooperation Elham Shantair while the British side was headed by the Director of Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Harriet Mathews.

The meetings discussed in details bilateral relations between the two countries besides political, economic cooperation and coordination on the international forums as well as issues of human rights, illegal migration and terrorism.

The two sides also discussed the latest regional developments, stressing importance of Sudan's efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

The meetings underlined the need to continue the exchange of visits among senior officials from the two countries, pointing to the regional and international issues of common concern.

The two sides approved 6-month executive plan to implement cooperation agreements that have been reached.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Sudanese side welcomed the upcoming visit of the UK Under-Secretary of the Department of International Development to Sudan at the end of November to discuss development and economic cooperation.

Since 2015, Sudan and the UK have started a dialogue upon request from Khartoum to push forward bilateral ties.

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

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

The UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Chris Trott last year visited Khartoum several times to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations and encourage Khartoum efforts to reduce the illegal immigration from the Horn of African countries towards Europe and Britain especially.

The dialogue also was seen within the framework of the after-Brexit policy aiming to develop trade relations with the former British colonies.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Three armed groups in Darfur region extended the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three months, and called for the resumption of talks to reach a political solution to the conflict based on the African Union-brokered roadmap agreement.

Undated picture extended to Sudan Tribune on 28 April 2015 by the Justice and Equality Movement showing their fighters during a training exercise

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnwi (SLM-MM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) Friday declared "an immediate extension of their unilateral Cessation of Hostilities for Humanitarian Purposes".

"The Cessation of Hostilities shall enter into force at 11:59 pm (SLT) on the 9th of November 2018 and will extend for 3 months to 11:59 pm (SLT) on 8th of February 2019. The Cessation of Hostilities shall apply throughout the conflict areas of Darfur," said a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

The JEM and the SLM-MM have been committed to the unilateral cessation of hostilities for three years.

The first declaration of unilateral cessation of hostilities was on 17 October 2015. It was issued by the unified Sudanese Revolutionary Front including Darfur and the Two Areas of the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

The SLM-TC led by Hadi Idriss joined the humanitarian truce for the first time last year.

On Sunday, a joint delegation from JEM and SLM-MM will travel to Doha for a meeting with the Qatari officials to discuss the modalities of the negotiations which would take place in Qatar once a humanitarian cessation of hostilities is reached in Addis Ababa.

The statement recalled the need for a "durable peace" in Sudan and reiterated their adherence to the "AUHIP Roadmap Agreement of 2016 as the means of achieving peace for all Sudan through a truly inclusive political process".

Further, they called for the immediate resumption of negotiations for a peaceful settlement.

Two groups now accept to negotiate on the basis of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur after calling for a new process, also Khartoum recently made a concession as it agreed to form a new independent implementation mechanism for the deal that the parties would reach.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Minister of Defence Awad Ibn Ouf said arrangements are underway to establish joint border protection forces with Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia.

Speaking to the parliament on Wednesday, Ibn Ouf said consultations have gone a long way between the Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia to form these joint forces in order to achieve a secure neighbourhood, pointing to the successful experience of the joint Sudanese-Chadian border protection force.

According to the defence minister, the Sudanese army would establish a joint force with each of the abovementioned countries separately.

Ibn Ouf further pointed to the evolving Sudanese-Egyptian relations and cooperation on the various fields, saying Sudan's openness to its neighbours has enhanced its regional role.

In January 2010, Sudan and Chad signed a normalization agreement ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other's insurgents.

The joint border force has been deployed along the joint border in 2010 in line with a deal to stop support to rebel groups and cross-border attacks.

Last year, the two countries announced their intention to expand the deployment of the joint force to include counter-terrorism and disarmament.

Also, the Sudanese and Ethiopian armies last August signed an agreement to withdraw troops from both sides of the border and to deploy joint forces to combat "terrorism", human trafficking and to eliminate any potential security tensions.

In a meeting held last April in Niamey, Sudan, Chad, Libya and Niger agreed to “coordinate the actions” of their armed forces to fight against the “transnational crime” in the region.

The four countries agreed “on the establishment of a cooperation mechanism for border security and the fight against transnational organized crime”.

Last June, they signed an agreement in Ndjamena to control and monitor the joint borders.

The political instability in Libya after the collapse of Muammar Kadaffi's regime impacted negatively the whole region and particularly, Niger, Chad and Sudan.

Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram pose a serious threat to Niger and Chad while Sudan seeks to prevent trafficking of arms to Darfur and migration of mercenaries to Libya.

(ST)

November 9, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan peace monitoring body (JMEC) facilitated a meeting for the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) of Gabriel Changson to discuss the membership and composition of the Joint Defence Board (JDB).

In a statement released on Friday, JMEC said it convened on Thursday a meeting for the SSOA leadership members attended by officials from the Office of the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan after a disagreement within the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC) on the correct interpretation of Article 2.4.2 of the R-ACRSS 2018 on nominations to the JDB.

The article 2.4.2 provides that the JDB is formed at the level of Chiefs of Staff (or the leaders of the armed groups) and Directors General of National Security Service, Police, and all other organized forces to exercise command and control over all forces during the Pre-Transitional Period.

At the end of the meeting which was chaired by the JMEC Acting Chairperson Augostino S.K. Njoroge, the SSOA Chair "Gabriel Changson Chang and his fellow members of the Alliance reached a common understanding," said the statement without elaborating.

The statement added that as result of the reached understanding, the SSOA's membership nominees to the JDB will be submitted to JMEC, stressing that "all outstanding issues surrounding the matter have been cleared up".

Commenting on the compromise reached by the SSOA factions, Njoroge hailed the deal saying “SSOA showed their unwavering support for the agreement, and were prepared to be flexible to abide by our impartial interpretation of provisions of the revitalized agreement".

He stressed the JMEC readiness to fulfil their role of facilitating wherever they can, to ensure that the peace implementation continues without delay.

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October 28, 2018 (NEW YORK) - In a report to be discussed on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General has once again recommended reconfiguring the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in spite of Sudanese government rejection last September.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix is expected to brief the Security Council on Monday on UNISA activities in the disputed border area of Abyei which include the stabilisation of the security situation and to support the monitoring of a demilitarized zone between Sudan and South Sudan.

In his report to the 15-member body, Lacroix recalled that he had submitted a proposal to reconfigure the UNISFA to adapt its role to include the security situation inside the disputed area, as the UN secretary-general report for the past six months shows the increase of criminal activities due to the lack of a local police force.

"A reconfigured mission would benefit from the ongoing reconciliation process between South Sudanese opposition and government forces that resulted in the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, signed in Addis Ababa on 12 September," he said.

"In the event that this initiative leads to a return to stability in South Sudan, the two sides would be better positioned to discuss the outstanding issues from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005," he stressed in a recommendation in his report.

During a discussion of the reconfiguration proposal last September, the Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations strongly rejected the proposed change of mandate saying that Juba has to accept the formation the joint police for and local institutions as provided in the agreement signed on 20 June 2011.

Khartoum, in fact, fears that such proposal could invalidate the 20 June 2011 agreement and open the door for more actions from the Ngok Dinka who want to hold a self-determination referendum without the Misseriya nomadic herders.

The report estimated that some 37,000 Misseriya pastoralists arrived in the Abyei Area during the annual migration in 2018, before to return northwards between May and June, following the onset of the rainy season.

The Secretary-General also pointed to the failure of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee and the Joint Political and Security Mechanism to hold regular meetings pointing that it threatens the consolidation of the gains made on the ground.

"I urge both Governments to undertake discussions at the ministerial level to review the implementation of their agreements, and I pledge the support of the United Nations to such a focused endeavour. I believe that the two sides have the ability, political will and capital to resolve their outstanding disputes in a finite timeframe," said the UN chief in his report.

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October 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Army's Chief of General Staff Kamal Abdel-Marouf and Russia's deputy chief of staff, Admiral Igor Osipov, have discussed military cooperation between the two countries.

Abdel-Marouf on Sunday met with the visiting Russian Admiral in the presence of Sudan's chief of staff of the naval forces, Maj. Gen. Abdallah al-Matari al-Faradi besides the military attachés in Moscow and Khartoum.

During the meeting, Abdel-Marouf pointed to the strong relations between Sudan and Russia in all fields, stressing his country's keenness to further those relations to serve the interests of the two peoples.

He also extended the invitation to his Russian counterpart to visit Sudan soon.

For his part, Osipov expressed his thanks and gratitude for the Sudanese officials, saying the visit allowed him to identify the areas of joint cooperation between the two countries.

He also expressed keenness to promote bilateral relations and bring it to wider horizons.

During a visit to Moscow last July to attend the 2018 World Cup Final, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir was met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both leaders pledged to promote military cooperation in the near future.

The two leaders last met in November 2017 in the Russian city of Sochi, with both expressing a desire to enhance military ties.

At the time, al-Bashir offered to construct an airbase for Russia on the Red Sea coast and to re-equip the Sudanese army with the Russian weapons including SU-30 fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles.

Politically, Russia is seen as a major ally of the government of al-Bashir that faces isolation from the West. However, economic cooperation between the two countries has remained very low, with a trade balance that does not exceed $400 million.

In December 2015, Sudan and Russia signed 14 cooperation agreements in different domains, including oil, minerals and banks.

The agreements also include a concession contract between Sudan and the Russian Rus Geology to prospect for oil in Sudan's Bloc E57 and another accord for the geological mapping of the Jebel Moya area, North Kordofan State.

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October 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese National Assembly on Sunday said large consensus has been reached among the political forces to form the National Elections Commission (NEC).

The Sudanese Parliament building

Deputy head of the parliamentary sub-committee on legislation, justice and human rights Azhari Widaat Allah said the committee tasked with approving the election law is consulting with the political forces to endorse the law in the third reading.

He stressed the need to reach agreement on the disputed items on the election law, expecting the National Assembly to lead the consensus on the 2020 elections.

On October 10th, The National Assembly approved by majority the general features of the 2018 draft elections law.

Last June, the Sudanese Council of Ministers approved the 2018 elections law amid objection of several political forces participating in the national dialogue.

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

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

The rebel groups and opposition parties refused to join Khartoum process as they demand the government to end the war and ensure freedoms in the country ahead of the dialogue.

Also, last May, a coalition of some opposition left parties, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), announced the boycott of the 2020 elections, saying it won't meet with the ruling party to discuss these elections.

On the other hand, several opposition groups that are part of the opposition Sudan Call forces consider participating in the next general presidential elections in 2020 if the regime of President al-Bashir provides needed guarantees for a fair election and ensures freedoms.

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October 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and Eritrea would normalise bilateral relations in the near future as a result of regional efforts, according to a press report published in Khartoum on Sunday.

FILE - Sudan's President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (R) receiving Eritrea's President Isaias Afewerki (L) in Sudan's capital Khartoum (Xinhua)

In January 2018, Sudan accused Eritrea of backing rebel groups unidentified opposition groups and closed the border after deploying thousands of troops. In return, Asmara last May accused Sudan, Ethiopia and Qatar of supporting armed opposition groups to overthrow the government of President Isaias Afewerki.

However, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reconciled with Eritrea last July and sought to bridge the gaps between the two neighbouring countries as he did with Eritrea and Somalia.

Al-Meghar newspaper reported on Sunday that President Omer al-Bashir would meet his Eritrean counterpart Afewerki after a visit by the Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim to Asmara in the upcoming days without further details.

The report said the normalisation of relations come after regional efforts to end the tensions between the two countries.

Also, the newspaper mentioned internal efforts by Sudanese political parties that have good relations with President Afewerki without naming these political forces. But it disclosed that Presidential Assistant Musa Mohamed Ahmed who is also the leader of the Beja Congress is currently in Asmara to discuss the normalization of bilateral relations and he would return next Tuesday.

Musa who was the leader of the rebel East Front signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government brokered by the Eritrean government in October 2006 and remained close to Eritrean president.

Last September the IGAD Council of Minister said it would discuss the normalization of relations between Djibouti and Eritrea; and between Eritrea and Sudan. However, nothing was announced after the meeting of 12 September about this matter.

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October 27, 2018 (JUBA) - The opposition South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) sacked one of its prominent members, Malong Majok Yor, accusing him of "harmful activities" and seditious conspiracy against the group.

Costello Garang Ring (ST Photo)

In a statement released on Saturday, SSPM leader Costello Garang Ring Lual announced the dismissal of Yor and saying he conspired with political enemies of the Movement on how to dilute its military strength with the subsequent act of taking it over.

Yor was behind the "Sabotage and unwarranted clandestine activities among SSPA High Command Members, which led to the recent misunderstanding between Chairman and Commander in Chief SSPM/A with his Chief of Staff," Costello said.

On 13 August, the SSPA Chief of Staff, General Agany Abdelbagi Akol announced the removal of SSPM Chairman Costello Garang Ring Lual who is also the Commander in Chief of the armed group.

But the two men reconciled three weeks later, after a mediation by, the father of Gen Akol who is also a Dinka tribal leader in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal region.

Costello said Yor continued to mastermind and coordinate plans between some high ranking SSPA officers and some "astray Juba elements who like him don't seem to understand that a peace agreement has been concluded ".

Sources close the SSPM say the group leader actually was referring to some presidential advisers.

However, Costello said that Yor has given a chance to defend his behaviour in front of an investigation committee.

(ST)