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November 28, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir Monday said he accepted the deployment of the regional protection force because he has received numerous assurances of support and cooperation from the United Nations and regional leaders.

Also, the president disclosed he received assurances from regional leaders that the force would never take unilateral decision.

“Many leaders from the region have been calling and asked me to accept on behalf of the people of South Sudan the deployment of the regional protection force. I told them this is not a personal thing for me to just decide. I said I will consult with the people. And so we did this with the stakeholders," Kiir said.

He added that his first deputy Taban Deng Gai who leads a splinter faction of the SPLM-IO and his team consulted among themselves and they agreed that this should be taken to the cabinet where a formal decision was taken to accept the 4000 strong force on Friday .

The head of state was speaking to some members of the Dinka council of elders who visited him at his residence on Sunday to congratulate him on the acceptance of the deployment of the regional protection force and for a successful foreign trip to Equatorial Guinea for Arab- Africa summit.

President Kiir, according to one of his top aides, also requested the group to help him and to campaign for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation in the country, saying war does not resolve differences. He further declared his personal commitment to end the conflict.

“We have accepted the deployment of the regional protection force because of peace. We need our people to return to their homes and resume their normal lives. If this force will play a positive role, then let them come,” said president Kiir according to one of his top aides.

The South Sudanese government initially rejected the deployment of troops from countries sharing immediate borders with the young nation saying “they have interests in the country.”

But after a visit of the Ethiopian Prime Hailemariam Desalegn, at the end of October 2016, Juba said it accepts the participation of the Ethiopian troops in the regional force and said they signed a security agreement providing to stop hosting armed opposition groups in their respective countries.

(ST)

November 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Monday has seized copies of Al-Ayam and Al-Jareeda newspapers from the printing house without stating reasons.

Sudanese men read sports news in the absence of ten political newspapers in Khartoum on November 18, 2008 (AFP)

Journalists working for Al-Jareeda told Sudan Tribune that the newspaper was likely confiscated for publishing reports on the recent civil disobedience act and trials of protesters.

For their part, some journalists at Al-Ayam said the newspaper was seized because it carried a headline saying “Calm reigns in the capital on the first day of civil disobedience”.

It is noteworthy that Sudanese from different walks of life on Sunday have engaged in a three-day civil disobedience to resist recent government decision to lift fuel, electricity and drug price.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese non-governmental Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) network has denounced the seizure of Al-Ayam and Al-Jareeda, saying the NISS was punishing the two newspapers for covering the news of the civil disobedience.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday, JHR said the NISS had also seized copies of the Al-Ayam on Sunday before later allowing its distribution.
The NISS routinely confiscates newspapers either to prevent circulation of certain stories or to punish them retroactively on previous issues.

It uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

On Sunday, Sudanese authorities ordered to close down a TV station on Sunday, as the opposition called for a three day civil disobedience to protest the recent austerity measures and the lack of freedoms.

Also, on 6 November, the NISS confiscated copies of Al-Tayyar, Al-Jareeda and Al-Watan newspapers for publishing news reports criticizing the government decision to raise fuel and electricity price.

(ST)

November 28, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour and the German Envoy to Sudan and the Nile Basin Countries Rolf Welberts Monday have discussed ways to promote bilateral ties between the two nations in the various fields.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday, Sudan's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah said Ghandour has briefed the German envoy on Sudan's efforts to achieve peace in South Sudan and to implement cooperation agreements signed between the two countries.

According to the statement, Ghandour also pointed to the ongoing efforts to implement water agreements among Nile basin countries.

For his part, the German envoy praised Sudan's efforts to achieve security and stability in the region, hailing the role played by the Sudanese government to converge views between Egypt and Ethiopia on Nile waters agreements.

It is worth to mention that Germany had signed a strategic partnership agreement with the AU High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) by the end of 2014 allowing it to work with the Sudanese parties to facilitate a process aiming to bring peace and achieve democratic transformation in the east African country.

Also, Sudan and Germany have forged strategic partnership to combat illegal migration and human trafficking.

Earlier this year, the German government earmarked €12 million for projects aimed at stemming illegal immigration of Africans across Sudan to Europe.

(ST)

November 28, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese authorities Monday barred a team a ceasefire monitoring team from reaching Yei to assess the security situation in the troubled Central Equatoria region .

SPLA soldiers are seen at the airport in Bor January 19, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeaunu)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) said one of its teams was "denied freedom of movement while trying to reach Yei to conduct an assessment of the area and carry out its mandated activities".

The ceasefire monitoring mechanism said they got the green light from all the concerned authorities including the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission since early this month.

"However when the MVT began their journey from Juba this morning they were stopped at a check point on the outskirts of the city and told they would not be allowed pass beyond that point," said the statement.

Since last summer, different reports emerged from the areas speaking about attacks by armed opposition elements in the area who are designed as "terrorists" or ''anti-peace elements'' by the local authorities. Other reports also mention violent counterinsurgency operations by the government army in the area.

On 12 November Adama Dieng, U.N. special adviser on prevention of genocide, called to probe the human rights violations in the state, stressing the gravity of the situation there "merits immediate intervention – a full scale fact-finding investigation and enhanced humanitarian support".

Also, Dieng motioned reports about the expulsion of farmers from their agricultural plots into Yei town. "These farmers have lost their homes and belongings, livestock and land. Property has been looted and villages have been burned," he said.

The ceasefire mechanism called on the Transitional Government of National Unity to intervene in this issue to ensure that its teams can visit Yei.

" The CTSAMM would like to reiterate that it has a legal right to be present in South Sudan as stipulated in Chapter II of the ARCSS, and condemns, in the strongest terms, the denial of freedom of movement for the CTSAMM MVTs," said the statement.

In line with the peace agreement, the CTSAMM tasked with the monitoring of the implementation of the Permanent Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements (PCTSA).

(ST)

Au Burundi, un attentat a visé lundi soir 28 novembre Willy Nyamitwe, le conseiller de la présidence burundaise pour la Communication.

Le général libyen Khalifa Haftar a effectué ces 27 et 28 novembre une visite éclair à Moscou. C’est la deuxième fois cette année que le chef des forces de l’Est lié au Parlement de Tobrouk se rend à Moscou.

En RDC, le secrétaire général de l'UDPS s'est livré à une explication de texte lundi 28 novembre pour justifier le rejet de l'accord politique issu du dialogue national. Il a aussi accusé le gouvernement de mener une politique de terrorisme d'Etat citant les interdictions de manifester comme les arrestations de leurs militants. L'UDPS dit par ailleurs renouveler son attachement à la non-violence et au dialogue et soutenir l'initiative des évêques de la conférence épiscopale qui tente de rapprocher les points de vue. Une réaffirmation de positions, mais dans un contexte où ce parti est mis en cause à différents points de vue.

Une grande cérémonie se tient à Tchernobyl ce 29 novembre. Une nouvelle arche de confinement était en construction depuis 2012, elle vient d’être disposée au-dessus du réacteur numéro 4 de la centrale, celui-là même qui avait explosé en 1986. Cela devrait prévenir tout risque de contamination radioactive au-delà de la zone.

En République démocratique du Congo (RDC), une trentaine de civils a été massacrée, dimanche 27 novembre au soir, à Luhanga, dans le Nord-Kivu. Les victimes vivaient dans un camp de déplacés, majoritairement Hutus. L’opération est attribuée aux Maï-Maï Mazembe, une milice d’autodéfense devenue groupe armé, hostile à cette communauté.

A major survey into global football shows that African footballers are often subjected to abuse, poor pay and job insecurity.

Au Burkina Faso, quelques jours après l'adoption d'un projet de loi par les députés sur la possibilité pour un militaire de se voir confier un poste ministériel ou toute autre haute fonction administrative sans démissionner de l'armée, les Burkinabè restent divisés sur la question. Pendant plusieurs années, l'armée est restée au cœur du pouvoir par de multiples intrusions, soit pour imposer des décisions, soit pour opérer un changement à la tête de l'Etat. Mais au vu des compétences techniques de certains militaires, l'actuelle Assemblée souhaite que les militaires participent à la gestion des affaires, mais en restant loin des partis politiques.

Vor anderthalb Jahren wurde in Algier ein Friedensvertrag für Mali unterzeichnet, doch noch immer ist das Land von Stabilisierung weit entfernt. Das Abkommen ist bislang kaum umgesetzt; der Norden Malis bleibt außerhalb staatlicher Kontrolle, während sich die Sicherheitslage im gesamten Land dramatisch verschlechtert. Umso problematischer ist, dass die Beziehungen zwischen Mali und internationalen Partnern eine sehr einseitige Angelegenheit sind: Die Regierung in Bamako verlässt sich auf externe Unterstützung, tut selbst aber wenig, um das Land zu stabilisieren. Es mangelt nicht nur an einer Umsetzung des Friedensabkommens, sondern auch an grundlegenden Reformen. Um einen »mission creep« zu vermeiden, der auf eine umfassende, langwierige Substitution des malischen Staates durch diverse Missionen (VN, EU) und Geber hinausliefe, sollten die internationalen Partner von der Regierung deutlich mehr politische Eigenverantwortung einfordern. Sinnvoll wäre, mit dem Land engmaschige Ziele zu vereinbaren, die ein Abkommen auf Gegenseitigkeit begründen.

Australia’s Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group chief scientist Dr Alex Zelinsky has released a new study that provides a brief discussion on the considerations behind the decision about the replacement of the Collins-class submarines.

The UK Royal Navy's Archer-class patrol boat HMS Example has returned to the fleet after successfully completing a one-year re-fit programme.

BAE Systems has received funding from the Australian Government to support the development of a counter-surveillance capability, Cuttlefish system, for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) to enhance its defence capability.

Americas

• The Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office has been awarded a $267.2 million US Navy contract modification for additional logistics support for MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Under the deal, both the USMC MV-22 and the USAF Special Operations Command CV-22 variant will be covered. The contract runs until November 2018.

Middle East & North Africa

• 17 more F-35As will be making their way to Israel, bringing the total ordered by the government to 50. Speaking on the new order, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision by the cabinet on November 27 was unanimous. The additional fighter order comes just two weeks before the first two F-35As destined for Israel fly from the US.

• The Indonesian state-owned firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia, will help in maintenance work for Saudi Arabian military aircraft. While the type of aircraft has remained classified, the company will work on both helicopters and airplanes. PTDI has previously conducted maintenance work on Colombian and Panamanian aircraft.

Europe

• Antonov has announced the successful assembly of their first An-132 prototype aircraft ahead of testing in December. The Ukrainian light multi-mission transport plane, a successor to the An-32, was built with zero technology and subsystems input from Russia, following the souring in relations over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Saudi Arabia will be the plane’s first export customer, with plans to purchase six An-132s, four of which would be configured for search-and-rescue operations and two for electronic warfare (EW) operations.

• The first flight of the Gripen E will have to wait until 2017 as manufacturer Saab self-imposes a delay of at least six months. It was initially expected that the latest Gripen model would fly before the end of the year, however Saab has chosen to fully qualify its distributed integrated modular avionics (DIMA) design to commercial standards prior to the first flight. Deliveries of orders to the Swedish and Brazilian air forces, slated for 2019, are not expected.

Asia Pacific

• India is positioning itself to supply Afghanistan with long-term spares and support for grounded Russian-made helicopters and aircraft operated by the Afghan Armed Forces. A team from the Indian Air Force, sent to Afghanistan to assess requirements, will now report back what kind of parts can be sourced from India’s inventory and others that need to be procured from Russia. The news comes shortly after it was reported that US DoD officials had asked Congress to cease buying Russian MI117 helicopters for Afghan forces and instead to buy American helicopters.

• Reports that Iran is eyeing a procurement of Su-30 fighters has been denied by Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan. Several agencies had originally quoted the minister saying “the purchase of this fighter is on the agenda of the Defense Ministry” when asked about the Sukhoi aircraft, but some later said the ministry had called the reports “incorrect.” Whether the intentions are real or not, any deal between Tehran and Moscow for such fighters would be subject to UN Security Council approval, potentially further straining relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US.

• A directional, high-powered electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generator has been developed by South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development (ADD), which will allow it to shoot down North Korean UAVs. The ADD presented its progress on the weapon during a conference hosted by the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology. North Korean UAVs have emerged as new threats over the recent years. Most recently, South Korean forces detected but failed to down wanton North Korean UAVs that crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) five times in August.

Today’s Video

Delayed gratification. With its first flight delayed, a look at the Gripen E’s unveiling this summer:

(Nairobi) – Ugandan authorities should investigate the conduct of security forces in response to recent clashes in western Uganda, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces killed dozens of people and arrested at least 139 during violence on November 26 and 27, 2016, in the town of Kasese between Royal Guards of the region’s cultural kingdom, Obusinga bwa Rwenzururu (Bakonzo), and government forces.

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The grave of Anna Kuguma, who was killed in Katumba, Kirumya sub-county in Bundibugyo district, Uganda, around February 27, 2016.

© 2016 Human Rights Watch

Many details of the violence, including the total death toll, remain unclear. Police have stated that 46 Royal Guards were killed and 139 others arrested following attacks on several police stations on November 26, during which at least 14 police officers were killed. The king was also arrested on November 27, and eventually transferred to Nalufenya police post in Jinja, Eastern Uganda, where he is still being held. Police have not yet said what, if any, charges will be brought against him. There is no independent corroboration of affiliation or total number of those killed.

“The events on November 26 and 27 are yet another tragic loss of life in the Rwenzori region, which has already suffered many deaths,” said Maria Burnett, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to investigate and put equal effort into prosecuting crimes by both sides, including government security or intelligence forces, and address grievances in the community, or the violence in the region may ignite again.”

Photographs of what appeared to be dead bodies, some of men with their hands tied behind their backs, circulated on social media on November 27. Police have blocked access to the area around the palace in Kasese and families are not being permitted to collect bodies.

Police also arrested a prominent journalist, Joy Doreen Biira, and charged her with “abetting terrorism,” then released her. Police allege she was not permitted to photograph some events during the violence. Journalists should be able to report on events of public interest without fear of arrest or intimidation from state forces, Human Rights Watch said.

The Rwenzori region in western Uganda is the site of past violence. A Human Rights Watch investigation found that between February and April, 2016, members of the Bakonzo and Bamba ethnic groups clashed following contested local elections and political infighting, resulting in at least 30 deaths. During the subsequent law enforcement operations, the Ugandan police and military killed at least 17 people. One police officer and two soldiers were also killed.

For example, on March 10, a group allegedly from the Bakonzo ethnic group attacked soldiers in Hima Town Council, stabbing and injuring four. In response, the soldiers fatally shot two people. The clashes in Hima led to at least four more incidents between the government and Royal Guards, resulting in the deaths of six Royal Guards, three government security forces, and one person not affiliated with either security force. Footage of some of those events was shared widely on social media. Royal Guards are volunteers who provide security to the customary king.

In the wake of the violence earlier this year, Human Rights Watch wrote to the inspector general of police, urging him to order investigations into the killings of at least 50 people, including 17 killed by security forces. The inspector general has not replied.

In July 2014, local media reports suggested that after members of the Bakonzo ethnic group attacked police and army posts, government security forces killed at least 100 people in reprisal killings. Human Rights Watch raised concerns about the possible involvement of government forces in reprisal attacks and torture, and the limited protection for civilians in the following days.

There has been little or no investigation of the conduct of government forces in these violent episodes or into the arrests of hundreds of civilians, some of whom have faced trial before military courts, Human Rights Watch said. Some government officials, including a parliamentary committee on defense and internal affairs, and the Uganda Human Rights Commission, have conducted investigations that are understood to have been completed earlier in 2016, but their reports have not been made public and it is not clear if they will be.

Some leaders from the community said in a letter to President Yoweri Museveni in July 2014, that they have numerous concerns that the government is failing to address, including land conflicts and high unemployment rates among Bakonzo people.

All those arrested should be brought before a court of law within 48 hours or released, and everyone, including government troops and their commanders, should face investigations into their conduct that led to the deaths, Human Rights Watch said. The prosecuting authorities should investigate all instances of lethal use of force by security forces.

The United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials require law enforcement officials, including military units responding to national emergencies, to apply nonviolent means before resorting to force, to use force only in proportion to the seriousness of the offense, and to use lethal force only when strictly unavoidable to protect life. The principles also provide that governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offense under their law.

Less than one month before the December 19 deadline marking the end of President Joseph Kabila’s constitutionally mandated two-term limit, he still has not made any clear commitment on if and when he will step down. All while government repression against pro-democracy activists, the opposition, protesters, and the media has intensified at an alarming rate. The so-called “national dialogue” – which postponed the elections to at least April 2018 – and the appointment of Samy Badibanga from the opposition as prime minister have not succeeded in easing tensions. The Catholic Church is pursuing its mediation efforts to reach a more inclusive political deal – but time is running out.

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From left to right: Gen. Céléstin Kanyama © 2013 Private; Gen. Gabriel Amisi © 2016 Private; Évariste Boshab © 2015 Radio Okapi/Ph. John Bompengo.

If President Kabila stays in power beyond December 19 without a clear public commitment on when he will step down and a broad consensus on organizing the transition period to elections, there is a risk that protests will erupt and security forces respond with excessive force. The country could descend into widespread violence and chaos.

Congo’s regional and international partners should be mobilizing at the highest levels to prevent this scenario. They should apply targeted sanctions against officials implicated in abuses to show there are real consequences for repression and to help deter further violence. 

The targeted sanctions imposed by the US on several officials at the forefront of violence against protesters had a notable deterrent effect and rattled those implicated. But the impact could be much greater if they targeted more senior government and intelligence officials – and if the European Union and United Nations Security Council also took action. 

In October, the EU announced it would “use all means at its disposal” against individuals responsible for serious human rights violations, who promote violence, or who “obstruct a consensual and peaceful solution to the crisis.” The EU should move now from threats to action and impose targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, against senior Congolese officials responsible for the violent crackdown.

In a resolution passed on November 15 with strong bipartisan support, the US House of Representatives called on the Obama administration to impose additional sanctions on officials in Congo “who impede progress toward a peaceful democratic transition through credible elections that respect the will of the people.” In a letter on Monday, Human Rights Watch also called upon President Barack Obama to take this step before leaving office.

Our research has found that these people played critical roles in the repression, and should be targeted for sanctions: National Intelligence Agency (ANR) Director Kalev Mutond, Vice Prime Minister and Interior Minister Evariste Boshab, Republican Guard overall commander Gen. Ilunga Kampete, western region army commander Gen. Gabriel Amisi (known as “Tango Four”), and Kinshasa police commissioner Gen. Céléstin Kanyama.

The EU, the United States, and the UN should make clear to Kabila that violating the Congolese people’s rights comes at a high price – before there is more bloodshed and it is too late to change course.

Új parancsnok vette át feladatait novemberben Koszovóban, a Novo Seló-i táborban.

Az MH KFOR Kontingens tizenötödik váltása több mint három hónapja kezdte meg missziós tevékenységét Koszovóban. A kontingens része az Összekötő és Megfigyelő Csoport is.