Sudan Tribune

November 10, 2017 (JUBA)- A top South Sudanese presidential aide downplayed on Friday reports about the release of General Paul Malong Awan, former SPLA chief of staff.

Presidential adviser on decentralization and intergovernmental linkage, Tor Deng Mawien told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he was not aware of the release of the Malong.

“I have no such information. What I know is that talks are continuing. When they are concluded they will be made public and both sides will speak to the public. What is true is that the President of the Republic has demonstrated critical leadership in this matter and has made it clear that the standoff will be resolved amicably through elders and the religious leaders,” saidd Mawien.

However, Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny could not deny or confirm any information relating to the issue, saying he has no official information on the release of former chief of army staff.

The elders, he said, were still engaged in negotiations between the government and Malong and the outcome of the backdoor negotiations has not been released to the public.

The former ally of President Salva Kiir has been under house arrest since his sack and forced return to the capital last May.

A high-level source of direct knowledge of the negotiation process said several proposals have been put forward to president Kiir and Malong and they were the basis of negotiations for the past days.

“We met Gen Paul Malong yesterday and we conveyed to him the readiness of the President to allow him to go his private house. The president is also ready to allow him to go for a medical checkup if it is not what can be done inside the country. This is a good gesture and demonstration of leadership. We conveyed to Gen Paul and he welcomed it".

"The President also indicated in our meeting with him that Gen Paul Malong will have some guards left to him but the rest; especially officers will have to go to their units. The other issues will be settled amicably. This is what I know,” a source close to the process told Sudan Tribune.

The prominent Dinka elder underscored that Gen Malong will eventually be released on medical grounds.

(ST)

November 10, 2017 (JUBA)- The command of South Sudanese army has denied knowledge of any request by former chief of staff, Paul Malong Awan for external mediation on his difference with the government over his guards.

Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang, SPLA spokesperson, is seen at a containment site outside of the capital Juba on April 14, 2016. (AFP Photo)

The army spokesman, Brigadier General Lul Ruai Koang doubted on Friday the authenticity of the letter which Awan had written to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development to mediate the current standoff with the government after he refused to accept orders asking for disarmament and arrest of his guards.

"It is part of the wider rumour mongering which is going on. Once everything is handled diplomatically and politically, I don't see any reason why UN should come in, any small problem we have (...) since we have the solution,” said Koang.

The military spokesman said the ongoing standoff is a political issue which is being handled by the leadership of the country.

But he added Awan does not deserve a force of equivalent to a platoon of bodyguards which the government wants to withdraw, pointing that his residence is at a walking distance from the presidential palace.

"He was an SPLA soldier and former Chief of General Staff, but from the time he was relieved of his duties he became an ordinary civilian and that is why we are saying he is no longer one of us. He does not qualify to have a platoon at his home," explained Koang.

The South Sudanese former military believes he deserves a special protection as the four-year conflict is not settled and he was involved in the anti-rebel campaign.

In September 2017, the U.S. administration announced targetted sanctions against Paul Malong Awan and two other government officials. He was accused of blocking humanitarian aid from reaching civilians.

Also in November 2016, the U.S. proposed to impose sanctions on the former military officials and others for hampering peace in South Sudan.

(ST)

November 10, 2017 (EL-FASHER) - Bloody clashes have occurred on Friday in Korma areas, North Darfur state between government militia, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Army Movement-Revolutionary Forces (SAM-RF) of Abdelallah Raziqallah aka (Savanna), reliable sources told Sudan Tribune.

A source at the Korma administrative unit in the locality of El-Fasher, North Darfur capital said sounds of weaponry and fire exchange were heard from Amari Gadid, Kaila, Niro and Abshara areas.

He added gunmen have arrived in the abovementioned areas from Kabkabiya and Kutum several days ago, saying they clashed with the RSF on Friday afternoon.

Later on Friday, an RSF source told Sudan Tribune that their fighters managed to defeat outlaws belonging to the SAM-RF in Jaga area which lies between Tawila and Kabkabiya localities.

He disclosed that dozens of the SAM-RF fighters have been captured and two four-wheel-drive Land Cruiser vehicles were seized.

Also, the official news agency SUNA has quoted the RSF spokesperson Abdel-Rahman al-Ga'ali as saying they captured 9 SAM-RF fighters, stressing several rebels have been killed while the rest of the rebel force have fled the battlefield.

He underscored the RSF would clean Darfur's five states of the outlaws and end their presence, particularly in the major towns.

On 23 October, the RSF said they defeated a rebel force led by Rizkallah that tried to attack Kutum town, 115 km northwest of El-Fasher.

Rizkallah was part of the government militias but rebelled after Khartoum decision last August to merge his militia in the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, (aka Hametti).

Last week, RSF said some 300 fighters have joined its ranks after their defection from the SAM-RF.

In August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

On 11 October, 10,000 RSF militiamen arrived in North Darfur to contribute to establishing security in the troubled state and support the mandatory phase of the disarmament campaign.

The RSF militia was originally mobilised by the Sudanese government to quell the insurgency that broke out in Sudan's western region of Darfur in 2003.

Earlier this year, the Sudanese parliament passed RSF Act which integrates the notorious militia in the Sudanese army and provides that its commander is appointed by the President of the Republic.

(ST)

October 27, 2017 (EL-FASHER) - Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday has carried out forcible disarmament operations in Jebel Amer gold mines, North Darfur state.

An RSF field commander told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity his militia conducted a wide search campaign at Jebel Amer area, saying they seized large quantities of illegal weapons and unregulated motorcycles.

He added the RSF had forced the militiamen who were controlling Jebel Amer gold mines to flee the area.

“Our forces had also carried out another campaign in the Ghira Al-Zawiya area where they captured large quantities of weapons and motorcycles which were used in looting and stealing the property of the residents,” he said.

Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

The higher committee for the collection of weapons and unregulated vehicles started the forcible phase of the campaign in all the states of Sudan on 15 October.

On 11 October, 10,000 RSF militiamen arrived in North Darfur to contribute to establishing security in the troubled state and support the mandatory phase of the disarmament campaign.

Large parts of the Jebel Amer gold mines are controlled by militias led by the tribal leader Musa Hilal who refuses to hand over his militias arms and defy the government.

In a report released in July 2016, UN experts said Hilal's militiamen control at least 400 gold mines. They said the group earns some $54 million annually from levies on prospectors and support businesses, direct prospecting and the illegal exporting of mined gold.

Hilal, a former Janjaweed leader, rejects government call to merge his Border Guards Forces (BGF) with the RSF militia which is attached to the Sudanese army and led by one of his former aides.

(ST)

October 27, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Thursday has released the leading member of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) Nabil al-Nuweiri.

Al-Nuwairi, a member of the SCoP branch in the United Kingdom and Ireland, was arrested on 5 September at the Khartoum North Criminal Court while he was attending a ruling session on the case of SCoP member Asim Omer who is accused of killing a policeman during student protests in 2016.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, SCoP spokesperson Mohamed Hassan Arabi said the NISS released al-Nuweiri “at 9:00 pm (local time) on Thursday following 53 days of detention without giving reasons”.

He described the detention of al-Nuweiri without a judicial order as a violation of the right to live in freedom and safety as well as a violation of the freedom of organization and expression prescribed by the constitution.

Arabi added the detention of al-Nuweiri for over 53 days also violates the National Security Act “which is in itself unconstitutional”.

He stressed the SCoP would continue to mobilize the masses “to overthrow the regime which doesn't deserve to stay in power for a single day”.

The SCoP was established in January 1986. It was first chaired by the former chief-justice Abdel-Mageed Imam who was succeeded by Ibrahim al-Sheikh and has elected al-Digair as its third president in 2016.

The centre-left reformist party calls for social justice and separation of religion and state. It also believes that peaceful transfer of power is the only way to stability and unity of the country.

In recent months, the SCoP has challenged the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and organized political activities in public and open places calling on the citizens to resist the regime and take to the streets in protest against the deterioration of living conditions at all levels.

(ST)

October 27, 2017 (JUBA)- Rival forces in South Sudan have on Friday issued statements in which each side attempted to portray itself as being in full control of Kuergeng, an area under Guit County in Northern Liech, part of greater unity.

The resumption of heavy fighting pitted a coalition of troops under the control of President Salva Kiir and his first deputy in coalition government on one and those loyal to the exiled former First Vice President turned rebel leader Riek Machar on the other.

The fighting occurred on Thursday morning, just a day after President Kiir assured the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley during a meeting on Wednesday that his government would implement 2015 peace agreement and would do the best to stop the violence by declaring a permanent ceasefire.

Kiir further told the top U.S. official his administration will also participate in the proposed revitalization forum of the agreement without laying preconditions.

It was not immediately clear who of the rival sides initiated the attack. Sudan Tribune was not able to independently verify their claims.

Northern Liech State information minister Lam Tungwar said Friday that government forces on Thursday came under “heavy attack by rebel forces” at Kuergeng area, resulting in the death of at least nine people including four policemen. 13 others including the Kuergeng commissioner Nyok Kier sustained injuries during the fight over what appears as a renewed military offensive.

Col. Dickson Gatluak Jock, spokesman of the SPLA-IO faction allied to the First Vice President Taban Deng Gai said in a statement released on Friday that their forces under command of Major Gen. Gabriel Gatwech Puoch, verified that some disgruntled generals of Riek Machar crossed the Nile River from Fangak.

“They were led by Col. Malek Wictuor Nyak and Lt. Col. Pan Kueth. This group made a surprise attack on SPLA-IO's defensive area this morning (Thursday) but they were repulsed by our Mobile forces. They simultaneously attacked our controlled areas that is Boaw Payam in Koch County but spoilt. They are now being given a hot pursuit by Mobile fighters back to their barracks where they came from and inflicted heavy casualties,” said Jock.

The pro-government force's spokesman said his group will not return to their defensive positions but will keep pursuing them till they are sure the rival forces have crossed back to where they came. Jock said eight people lost their lives including the civilians and other fourteen more wounded.

“The wounded civilians are being treated in Bentiu main Hospital,” he said.

Meanwhile, the military spokesman of Riek Machar SPLA-IO faction William Gatjiath released a statement on the same incident on Thursday confirming their forces under the command of Brigadier General Malek Weituor had captured Kuergeng area after fighting. The rebel military spokesman claimed their group had killed more than 17 government soldiers during the fighting.

“In addition to Kuergeng, the gallant and brave SPLA-IO forces under Major Nhial Kam Both, SPLM-SPLA (IO) Commissioner of Koch County entered and occupied Boaw and Pakur following the withdrawal of the visibly hungry and demoralized Juba regime soldiers from the area”, the statement reads.

(ST)

October 26, 2017 (WASHINGTON) - Juba has delayed the meetings of Sudan-South Sudan joint body on Abyei until a meeting between President Omer al-Bashir and his counterpart Salva Kiir, an international official said.

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) says the presence of armed elements from Sudan and South Sudan is causing further instability in the contested Abyei area, which is claimed by both countries (FILE)

In a briefing to the UN Security Council about the situation in Abyei on Thursday, Alexander Zuev, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions, explain why the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee didn't convene a meeting last July and stopped its activities.

Also, a meeting scheduled for 16 August in Addis Ababa had been postponed after South Sudan cited the need to await the outcome of the expected meeting between the Presidents of South Sudan and Sudan, Zuev said.

President Kiir will be in Khartoum on Tuesday 31 October according to the Sudanese foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour.

The international official urged both Governments to engage in discussions to resolve the deadlock over establishing the temporary institutions that should lead to the determination of Abyei's final status.

However, Akuei Bona Malwal the South Sudanese Ambassador to the UN told the meeting that the call to establish the Abyei Interim Administrative structures had been superseded by events.

Rather, he called for final settlement of the matter on the basis of the African Union High Implementation Panel proposal of 21 September 2013 which provides to hold the referendum without the participation of the Misseriya nomads. Sudan refused the proposal.

For his part, Sudanese Ambassador Omer Dahab Fadl Mohamed regretted Juba "lack of enthusiasm" to implement the agreement of 20 June 2011 and renewed calls on the Government of South Sudan to establish the Abyei institutions to achieve a "lasting peace" as he said.

LACK OF WILLINGNESS

However, Luis Bermúdez, Uruguay's Ambassador to the UN warned the two parties against the lack of willingness to settle their dispute over Abyei.

"Since UNISFA was hamstrung by the lack of willingness on the part of both sides to resolve the conflict, it was their primary responsibility to implement the 2011 agreements," Bermúdez stressed.

The last mandate extension for UNISFA had been a conditional one because the Council stipulated in resolution 2352 (2017) that it would be the final extension unless both sides demonstrated that the Mechanisms established in the 2011 Agreement could function.

"The future of UNISFA was entirely in the hands of the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan," he emphasized.

(ST)

October 26, 2017 (JUBA) - A former South Sudan ruling party official has vowed to challenge President Salva Kiir in the country's next general elections.

Suzane Jambo, former SPLM secretary for external relations (File photo)

Suzanne Jambo, formerly the ruling party's (SPLM) secretary for foreign relations, said the current political situation in the young nation shaped her decision to bring changes in the young nation.

“I believe that I have the characters of leadership and strength through my ability and courage from my compatriots, comrades in the SPLM party to lead the nation,” Jambo told Sudan Tribune in a phone interview Thursday.

“I have an obsession for South Sudan, besides my ability such as programs and vision of my party SPLM, so I believe that I can deliver whatever this country wants to be done to its people,” she added.

Jambo, who currently lives in the United States, said she intends to form her own political party ahead of polls, due to be held in 2018.

The former ruling party official also appealed to President Kiir to allow the country undergo free and fair elections without any intimidation.

Before becoming secretary for external affairs in the ruling party, Jambo, a renowned human rights and civil society activist, also worked with various non-governmental organizations in South Sudan.

“Being from South Sudan, I am a direct victim of the war. I have seen a lot of suffering, particularly among women. I hate to see women being victimized. I really hate to see that. But it's a reality and it's happening,” she further said during the interview.

In August, President Kiir called upon the country's opposition groups to prepare for the country's general elections, earmarked to take place after the end of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) period in 2018.

To fast track processes leading to the polls, the South Sudanese leader officially launched the much-awaited national dialogue initiative and declared a unilateral cease-fire with rebels in May, although it has repeatedly been violated.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced in South Sudan's conflict triggered by political differences between President Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar.

(ST)

October 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A delegation of Sudanese refugees in Chad visited their home villages in Darfur region to see if the situation is good enough to return permanently from exile.

In May 2017, Chad, which hosts over 300,000 Sudanese refugees, Sudan and the refugee agency UNHCR signed an agreement to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees residing in eastern Sudan areas near the joint border.

"Twenty-five Sudanese refugee leaders are returning to their home villages for the first time this week on go-and-see visits organised by UNHCR and its government counterparts in Chad and Sudan," the UNHCR said in a statement released on 26 October.

The UN agency said this first official organised visit is a "positive step" to prepare the Sudanese refugees to return home.

“These visits are vital for refugees to see the situation in their villages so that they make informed choices about returning”, said Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR's Deputy Representative in Sudan.

She added that UNHCR in Sudan and Chad will continue to have a dialogue with Sudanese refugees and local states in Darfur, in coordination with Sudan's Commission for Refugees (COR), to help design supports for refugees interested in returning.

“The way forward requires that we assess and plan needs with refugees. The process must be sustainable and give people a real chance to re-establish their lives in Darfur in safe conditions that enable them to plan for their futures,”

Last week, the Commissioner for Voluntary Return and Reconstruction in Darfur Taj Eddin Ibrahim, who received the delegation of the Darfurian refugees in the border town of Aska, said the visiting refugees will be divided into three committees to visit the three return areas of the western, central and northern Darfur states.

He further told the official SUNA that the government is committed to providing the necessary means of return, including the provision of necessary services and livelihoods.

However, the rebel Sudan Liberation Forces (SLF) called on the Chadian government and the UNHCR to stop the voluntary return of refugees due to the lack of suitable conditions including security and compensations.

The Sudan Liberation Forces (SLF) appeals to the Chadian government and High Commissioner for Refugees to stop implementing the agenda of the Sudanese regime, which aims at deporting Sudanese refugees from the Chadian territory to Sudan without paying the internationally recognized peace bill.

The SLF Spokesperson Salah Abdel Mola called on the Chadian government and the international community to put the needed pressure on Khartoum government to achieve peace, security and stability in Sudan.

He called to create a platform for a just and comprehensive peace.

Further, he called to recruit the sons of these displaced and the refugees in the national army, police and security services to protect their relatives.

The SFF is a gathering of several rebel factions led by Taher Hajer who was close from the Chadian President Idriss Deby but declined to his call to sign a peace agreement with Khartoum and join the national dialogue process.

(ST)

By Amb. Gordon Buay

There is an ongoing debate about the story of a Nuer woman in a refugee camp in Gambella who told Amb. Nikki Haley that she was forced to eat the flesh of her baby that was thrown into the fire. Such a false allegation from the woman became viral in the social media because it was mentioned by Amb. Haley in a press conference after she left the Refugee Camp.

In South Sudan, there is no practice of forcing people to eat human flesh. The story is definitely untrue. The Western journalists should take time to interview the woman who said it and find out which area did the incident take place.

According to AU report of 2015, the Nuer woman who claimed to have been forced to eat a human flesh is in Juba POC camp. That was the woman who made the first allegation that she was forced to eat human flesh in Juba on December 17, 2013.

Every Nuer in Greater Upper Nile, who claims to have been forced to eat a human flesh, is definitely lying because, in Malakal conflict, the White Army controlled the town five times. Most Nuer who were in Malakal ran to UNMISS PoC site after the White Army attacked the town.

When the SPLA forces captured Nasir on May 4th, 2014, there were no civilians in the town. Civilians fled while the SPLA forces were still 35 KM away from the town.

No single civilian died in Nasir let alone an allegation that a woman was forced to eat a human flesh.

Most Nuer refugees in Ethiopia are from Jikany and Lou Nuer. No one among them can persuade us that he or she was mistreated by the SPLA army. They ran to Ethiopia because of a conflict, not because they were forced to eat human flesh.

In South Sudan context, the only act which was practised by Murle was to throw a baby into a burning fire. The Nuer White Army did it to Dinka Bor toddlers in 1991. They threw them into a burning fire.

But no South Sudanese would force another South Sudanese to eat a human flesh. It is a taboo among the Nuer and Dinka.

Throwing babies into the fire was practised by the White Army in 1991 in Bor. But they didn't force Bor women to eat the flesh of their babies.

Not only that, if the perpetrators of such an incident could burn the baby, why then spare the mom, and how she ended escaping to Ethiopia? For those of us who are familiar with the war situation, none of such stories adds up.

The author is the Deputy Chief of Mission of South Sudan Embassy in Washington

By John Sunday Martin

When we knowingly or unknowingly taken by our selfish interests to defend untruth,
and to act unjustly to the cause of injustice in our society, we became knowingly or unknowingly. Devils in our society and as results, many innocent souls suffer because of the evil in us.

The violation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflicts in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCRSS) is a real crisis that the region is part too, because the agreement is not only violated by the SPLM-IG but the region itself – who are desperately now, trying to resolve it through application of means that is biased, and unhelpful to the people of South Sudan, the very victims of the crisis. The region knows the facts that, the battle that started in J1, from 8th July 2016 was well coordinated, and ordered by both President Salva Kiir and his army chief, Paul Malong Awan, yet the world sidelined with untruth, and injustices because of their corrupted political interests, and their deep hatred toward the person of Dr Riek Machar.

The corruption of those regional leaders resulted in their collaboration with President Salva Kiir and Taban Deng Gai against the interested of the south Sudanese for peace, justices and democracy and in this regards, the July 2016 coup staged against the person of Dr Riek Machar is contrived of Salva Kiir and Taban Deng Gai in collaboration with some corrupted regional leaders against the leadership of Dr Riek Machar and this is seconded by the decision of the regional leaders to sideline with the very evil regime of the SPLM-IG under Salva Kiir, and to confine Dr Riek Machar in the Republic of South Africa.

The July 2016 crisis is indeed a regional coup against the South Sudan democratization system and this act of the Regional leaders undermined the South Sudan's sovereignty – as the regional leaders indirectly attempted to impose a leader of their choice – that is Taban Deng Gai on the people – by trying all they can to force the nation to fully implement the agreement under his leadership while confining the leader of our choice in South Africa. This act of the region if not resisted, then our national sovereignty and democracy, can be lost to the region and in this regards, our struggle for the past decades for our freedom as South Sudanese was for nothing.

Therefore, the sideline of the regional leaders with untruth and injustices in South Sudan, became another crisis for the nation because the confinement of Dr Riek Machar as while imposition of Taban Deng Gai on the revolutionary forces, makes any peaceful resettlement of the political conflicts in the country far from reality special amongst the SPLM/A–IO political and military cadres. Today if there is no peace in South Sudan, it is because the region is imposing unwanted leadership on us, and this act of imposition of unwanted leaders likes of Taban Deng Gai becoming the strength of the SPLM-IO special in Equartoria, and this has helped the Equarorians through their tribal communities to be strong and united special in mobilization of the resources as well development of strong military and political leadership amongst the Equartorians to resist the regime in Juba, even without any single provisions from the SPLM/A–IO National leadership, or Dr Riek Machar.

The support of the regional leaders to the coup staged against Dr Riek Machar by the President Salva Kiir and Taban Deng Gai through confinement of Dr Riek Machar, as well imposing of Taban Deng Gai in leadership of the SPLM/A–IO, is the impossible project ever by President Salva Kirr and his International Partners (Region) that every democratic oriented, and patriot will resist. We are resisting this act of the regime and the region today because it is an act of ignorance of the most horrific atrocities and war crimes committed by the regime, and demeaning of not only South Sudan's democracy but national sovereignty – that most SPLM/A–IO cadres has willingly committed themselves to fight against even as Dr Riek Machar is in confinement. For us as rebel commanders of the SPLM/A–IO, the fight is not about bringing Dr Riek Machar back, or supporting his leadership, but to defend the causes of our national constitution and flag that defines south Sudan's sovereignty – the sovereignty that is now under threats no longer only from the regime of Salva Kirr, but the region at large.

In this regard, if the region really want peace, the first step is the release of Dr Riek Machar from confinement, and then open space for new political settlement and if they (region) want to bring Taban Deng Gai for their own interests in the leadership, it must seek other ways but not through, and use of the name of the SPLM-IO and ARCSS.

The author can be reached at john.sunday99@gmail.com

October 26, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has requested the United States government to play its role in mending and helping to improve its current relations with neighbouring Sudan.

The senior presidential adviser and special envoy, Nhial Deng Nhial said president Kiir held a meeting with the US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley on Wednesday, reiterating the role Washington played in negotiating the settlement of the conflict that led to the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in July 2011.

“Such roles can be replicated, enhanced and turned into building ties,” Nhial told Sudan Tribune Thursday.

“The Government of South Sudan thinks the US can do more and provide additional inputs that will improve the relations,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader, Nhial further said, also acknowledged the role played by the US in negotiations that led to the signing of the 2005 peace deal, which culminated into a peaceful secession.

“President Salva decided to express the gratitude of the People of South Sudan to the United States for its role to resolve the conflict in the country, which led to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005. He further urged the US to continue and play their role with the same spirit because the US has invested a lot in terms of promoting peace, harmony, and solidarity in South Sudan”, stressed Nhial.

The appeal comes just days before Kiir visits Sudan for bilateral talks with his Sudanese counterpart, Omer al-Bashir to discuss issues relating to peace implementation and revaluation of issues agreed upon in the 2012 cooperation agreement.

The visiting US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley on Wednesday said it was time for the South Sudanese president to act, not talk, if the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people in the young nation is to come to an end.

“What I told him [Kiir] was that the United States does not want to hear a lot of talks. I was not to listen what he wants to say. I was here to say the United States is at a cross point. It not about the talks, it's about the action. We have to see a willingness of the Government and the military to stop the violence and stop the abuses that are happening in the country," Haley remarked.

While in Juba, however, Haley had what she described as a “very frank” conversation with President Kiir about the lack of progress towards peace since civil war broke out almost four years ago.

The senior US diplomat said Washington, particularly under the new Donald Trump administration, would not accept to wait anymore.

“We have lost trust in this [Kiir] government and we now need to regain that trust. The only way to regain that trust is through the actions of taking care of all of the people. President Kiir is the president of everyone, not just one tribe, not just one group. In order to be a leader you have to be willing to take care of all of your people,” said Haley.

“Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away”, she further stated.

Last month, President Trump announced Haley's visit to Africa during a meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Haley becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit Africa during President Trump administration.

(ST)

October 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The European Union has announced a $124 million humanitarian and development aid package for Sudan.

A woman sitting on the rubble of her destroyed home in Kalma IDP camp, South Darfur on 22 June (UNOCHA Photo)

The donation, the EU Commission said Monday, would go towards urgent food, water, sanitation, health and education needs, as well as supporting people who have been forced from their homes and the communities that host them.

EU's commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, Christos Stylianides, said the aid was necessary to meet the needs of displaced Sudanese as well as refugees who came from neighboring South Sudan.

"The humanitarian aid I am announcing today will help bring life-saving relief to the most vulnerable populations," said Stylianides during a visit to South Darfur in Sudan.

"Full humanitarian access throughout the country is crucial so that humanitarian workers can deliver aid safely to those in need," he added.

According to the UN, 4.8 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, with the majority located in the Darfur region.

Aid agencies were seeing improved access, particularly to places they had not been able to reach for several years, while thousands of displaced persons were able to return to home, the UN said.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (NYAL) - At least 10 children have died from Measles and over 100 have been admitted in South Sudan's Payinjiar county, an area health official disclosed.

Three-year-old Sarah is immunised against measles in South Sudan (Photo: UNICEF)

Stephen Gatliah Kuay, a county health supervisor, said on Wednesday that seven of the 10 children died before reaching the area health facility.

He described as “worrying” the situation in the area, stressing that lack of enough health kits makes it hard to treat children affected.

“I would like to request United Nations agencies like the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization if they can support us through our health partners like IRC [International Rescue Committee] and UNIDO [United Nations International Development Organization],” Kuay told Sudan Tribune.

He said those below five years are at great risk of getting the disease, adding that the spread of Measles is fast in the community.

Measles, or rubeola, is a viral infection of the respiratory system. Measles is a very contagious disease that can spread through contact with infected mucus and saliva.

Measles is a leading cause of death in children. Of the 114,900 global deaths related to measles in 2014, majority were under the age of five, World Health Organization (WHO) said.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (JUBA) – Dozens of protesters, preaching anti-government messages, briefly interrupted the visit of Nikki Haley, the United States diplomat on a visit to South Sudan from touring the United Nations camp, which houses up to 30,000 displaced people.

Nikki R. Haley, United States Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on 7 February 2017 (UN Photo)

The demonstrators, mainly supporters of South Sudan's former vice-president and rebel leader, Riek Machar carried messages that portrayed government in bad light.

“South Sudan IDPs [internally displaced people] and refugees love President Trump, the peacemaker and supporter of human rights,” reads a message carried by the angry protesters.

A UN official was quoted saying the US diplomat's failure to hold talks with the demonstrators could have angered the pro-Machar group.

Eyewitnesses said UN security guards fired tear gas to disperse the crowd of over 100 people who rioted after Haley left UN premises.

US President Trump last month announced Haley's visit to Africa during a meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Haley becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit South Sudan, where nearly five years of civil war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.

While in Juba, however, Haley had what she described as a “very frank” conversation with President Kiir about the lack of progress towards peace since civil war broke out almost four years ago.

The senior US diplomat said Washington, particularly under the new Donald Trump administration, would not accept to wait anymore.

“We have lost trust in this [Kiir] government and we now need to regain that trust. The only way to regain that trust is through the actions of taking care of all of the people. President Kiir is the president of everyone, not just one tribe, not just one group. In order to be a leader you have to be willing to take care of all of your people,” said Haley.

“Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away”, she further stated.

While speaking in Ethiopia on Tuesday, the US official said her government would not abandon the people of South Sudan who have been put a cross point since the president does not does care about the suffering of his people”.

“So first to go back to that you know when you look at South Sudan, you have to really think hard before you pull U.S. aid because President Kiir doesn't care if we pull U.S. aid. He doesn't care if his people suffer”, the US diplomat said as a press briefing organized after she held discussions with Ethiopia's prime minister and African Union officials.

“And that is the concern we have as we don't know that it will make a difference by pulling U.S. aid or not. That is the conversation we will have. And we will try and see exactly what will move President Kiir so that he does take the moral high ground and start to really look at creating a safe position for his people,” she added.

The senior US official said President Trump was likely to pile pressure on regional leaders to end South Sudan war.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - South Sudanese President Salva Kiir will visit Khartoum for talks with his Sudanese counterpart on bilateral relations next Tuesday, announced Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Wednesday.

President Kiir will discuss with President Omer al-Bashir several issues of common interest, most notably the IGAD peace and security forum in South Sudan, Ghandour further told reporters at Khartoum airport after his return with the president from a tour in the Gulf countries.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement signed by the two countries in September 2012, as the two countries have failed to finalize border demarcation and reached an agreement on the border disputed areas or settle their difference on Abyei referendum.

South Sudan, which separated from Sudan after a referendum on self-determination in 2011, plunged into civil war in December 2013.Thousands of civilians were killed and over millions have been displaced.

The warring parties signed a peace deal in August 2015 brokered by the IGAD countries including Sudan but failed to implement. In June, the IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government decided to hold a high-level forum for revitalization to discuss concrete measures to restore a permanent ceasefire and achieve full peace in southern Sudan.

Last July, South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth announced that President Kiir would visit Sudan in response to an invitation from the Sudanese President al-Bashir.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president on Wednesday pledged full commitment to the revitalization of the peace agreement, citing acceptance to participate in the revitalization of the peace agreement, declaration of the permanent ceasefire, and the cessation of hostilities as well as granting unhindered access to humanitarian organizations for relief activities.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation at the South Sudan National Parliament in Juba, November 18, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Jok Solomon)

President Salva Kiir made the pledge during a meeting with the United States representative to the UN, Nikki Haley in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

The senior presidential advisor, Nhial Deng Nhial described as “fruitful and constructive” the meeting which President Kiir had with Haley.

“The two exchanged views and opinions on different issues,” said Nhail, adding that the South Sudan leader had the opportunity to further emphasize the commitment and the readiness of his government to fully commit to the revitalization process.

The meeting, the official said, focused on three main agendas: the Revitalization of the peace agreement, the permanent ceasefire, and the cessation of hostilities and access to humanitarian aid.

The president reiterated the commitment and readiness to fully commit himself to the revitalization process with the high-level revitalization forum launched by regional leaders, Nhial said.

Haley reportedly raised concerns on humanitarian access to which President Kiir reportedly assured her of his government's continued support, citing ongoing the collaboration between the Juba government and the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

“We have been able to establish a mechanism that works jointly to improve and address problems of humanitarian access, and indeed there have been some improvements. The Government acknowledges that more is needed to be done”, said Nhial.

Halley said Washington was already at a cross point and it was not about talk but time for action and seeing the willingness of the government and the military to stop violence and abuses continuing to happen in the country despite the assurance of commitment.

“The United States is at a cross point...It's not about the talks, it's about the action. We have to see a willingness of the Government and the military to stop the violence and stop the abuses that are happening in the country,” said Haley.

"Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away," she added.

In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.

IGAD unveiled the timetable for the revitalization forum with South Sudanese leaders and the nation's citizens. It process began on 13 October and ended on 17 October.

The South Sudanese government warned that the revitalization forum by IGAD, the regional bloc which mediated the 2015 peace accord, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace accord between the two factions to the conflict.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The leading figure at the Reform Now Movement (RNM) and member of the parliament Hassan Osman Rizq Wednesday has called to end the presence of the Sudanese troops in Yemen.

Sudanese troops arriving in Aden, Yemen (Al-Arabiya TV)

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.

Speaking during the deliberations on the Prime Minister's speech in the National Assembly, Rizq said “the armed forces must come out of Yemen”, pointing that “many disadvantages are emerging due the participation in this war”.

However, the MP didn't elaborate on the nature of those negative consequences but he objected to Sudan's submission to the Saudi will in the Yemen war.

“If we entered the war for the sake of our friendly relations with Saudi Arabia, it doesn't need that because Saudi Arabia has many friendly countries that didn't enter the war to fight alongside it,” he said.

“And if we entered the war to restore the legitimacy, that should be determined by the Yemenis because we wouldn't allow [foreign countries] to decide on our legitimacy and if we entered the war for the sake of Mecca and Medina, there is no war in the two cities,” he added.

Last June, Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir praised the role of the army in Yemen, vowing to continue to participate in Saudi-led alliance until it achieves its goals.

In May, Sudanese military sources dismissed media reports that 80 Sudanese troops have been killed in Yemen saying only 21 were killed, including 4 officers.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (JUBA) - The visiting United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley on Wednesday said it was time for South Sudan president Salva Kiir to act, not talk, if the civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people in the young nation is to end.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L) looks on as she meets President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir at The President Office in Juba on October 25, 2017 (AFP)

“What I told him [Kiir] was that the United States does not want to hear a lot of talks. I was not to listen what he wants to say. I was here to say the United States is at a cross point. It not about the talks, it's about the action. We have to see a willingness of the Government and the military to stop the violence and stop the abuses that are happening in the country," Haley remarked.

While in Juba, however, Haley had what she described as a “very frank” conversation with President Kiir about the lack of progress towards peace since civil war broke out almost four years ago.

The senior US diplomat said Washington, particularly under the new Donald Trump administration, would not accept to wait anymore.

“We have lost trust in this [Kiir] government and we now need to regain that trust. The only way to regain that trust is through the actions of taking care of all of the people. President Kiir is the president of everyone, not just one tribe, not just one group. In order to be a leader you have to be willing to take care of all of your people,” said Haley.

“Time for action is now, we are not waiting anymore, we need to see a change and we need to see it right away”, she further stated.

While speaking in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on Tuesday, the US official said her government would not abandon the people of South Sudan who have been put a cross point since the president does not does care about the suffering of his people”.

“So first to go back to that you know when you look at South Sudan, you have to really think hard before you pull U.S. aid because President Kiir doesn't care if we pull U.S. aid. He doesn't care if his people suffer”, Haley said as a press briefing held after she had discussions with Ethiopia's prime minister and African Union officials.

“And that is the concern we have as we don't know that it will make a difference by pulling U.S. aid or not. That is the conversation we will have. And we will try and see exactly what will move President Kiir so that he does take the moral high ground and start to really look at creating a safe position for his people,” she added.

She said President Trump is likely to pile pressure on regional leaders.

“But I think if there is not a response from South Sudan, you will continue to see added pressure coming from the IGAD and I think that the AU obviously is going to continue to move and work with the IGAD as they go forward. Our goal is to have one voice [saying] we have to see peace in South Sudan. We have to see that women are being taken care of. We can't see any more death. We can't see any more famine,” further said Haley.

She added, “We've got to start seeing the situation get better and I think that the pressure is only going to continue until President Kiir makes the difference in that area”.

Last month, President Trump announced Haley's visit to Africa during a meeting with African leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. Haley becomes the highest-ranking US official to visit Africa during the President Trump administration.

(ST)

October 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - King Salman of Saudi Arabia has pledged to continue to exert efforts to lift Sudan's name from the U.S. list of states sponsors of terrorism.

Sudan was placed on the U.S. terrorism list in 1993 over allegations it was harbouring Islamist militants working against regional and international targets.
Despite intense lobbying by Khartoum, the U.S. administration kept Sudan on the terrorism list drawing frustration and rebuke from Sudanese officials.

Following his meeting with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir in Riyadh on Tuesday, King Salman said: “Sudan is of special importance to the Kingdom and we want it to enjoy security and stability”.

According to Sudan's official news agency SUNA, King Salman said the security of Sudan is part of the security of the Kingdom, stressing they would continue to render support to Khartoum.

“We appreciate Sudan's stances towards the Kingdom and we would continue to demand the United States to lift Sudan's name from the list of states sponsors of terrorism and help it improve its relations with Washington and other countries,” King Salman said.

The Saudi King further proposed to hold a coordination meeting among the concerned bodies in Khartoum and Riyadh to develop a plan to enlighten the international public opinion on the role played by Sudan to achieve international peace and security.

For his part, al-Bashir praised the Saudi role in the full lifting of the U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan, expressing hope the Kingdom will continue its efforts to lift Sudan's name from the terror list.

He underlined Sudan would continue to defend the security of Saudi Arabia and the Two Holy Mosques, describing the Saudi-led Arab alliance to fighting against terrorism as “one of the most important achievements”.

Al-Bashir on Tuesday paid a surprise one-day visit to Riyadh where he met with King Salman.

The Sudanese president was touring the Gulf countries in a visit to Kuwait and Qatar, officially he was there for talks on Sudan reconstruction conference sponsored by the Arab League and will be held in Saudi Arabia.

However, observers speak about a possible mediation he is undertaking to settle the five-month crisis between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

(ST)