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August 3, 2016 (EL-FASHER) - Commissioner of security arrangements at Darfur Regional Authority Babiker Korena said the accommodation of 200 fighters from the Democratic Justice and Equality Movement (DJEM) led by Mohamed Ibrahim Azrag has begun in North Darfur capital El-Fasher on Wednesday.

Fighters from Darfur's Justice and Equality Movement (AFP)

Korena pointed that DJEM has joined the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) along with two other factions from the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Nur al-Dain Zorgi and Salih Adam Ishag.

The commissioner, who addressed the 200 fighters at the military training camp in the Jadid Al-Sail area, north of El-Fasher, said they are ready to accommodate the rest of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) fighters besides those belonging to rebel group led by Abdalla Gana.

He pointed that his commission is tasked with accommodating fighters belonging to the DDPD signatory groups.

For his part, DJEM leader told Sudan Tribune that 200 fighters from his movement have engaged in the security arrangement procedures, pointing that the majority of fighters were unable to reach the camp for what he described as technical reasons.

“The agreement [DDPD] didn't meet our desired [goals] but we opted for peace for the sake of the homeland and the people” he said.

“Our fighters would support the Sudanese Armed Forces and peace is the only option. We call on our brothers [in arms] to join the peaceful process” he added .

The DDPD was signed on 11 July 2011 between the Sudanese government and the LJM of Tijani al-Sissi. The Justice and Equality Movement splinter faction led by Bakheit Abdel- Karim Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo) joined the deal on 6 April 2013.

(ST)

Kiállítással figyelmeztet a szlovén környezetügyi hatóság a Triglav-gleccser drasztikus zsugorodására.

Az Anton Melik Földrajzi Intézet 1946-ban kezdte meg a jégár megfigyelését. A vizsgálatok szerint a gleccser a kis jégkorszak idején, a 16. században formálódott.

A mérések szerint a jégmező térfogata 1952-ben még kétmillió köbméter volt, ma már ennek csupán 3 százaléka. A jégmező 2003-ban zsugorodott a legtöbbet.

Az intézet az 1990-es évektől kezdte modern eszközökkel vizsgálni a gleccsert, amelyet ma már webkamerával tartanak szemmel.

A kiállítást szervező szlovén környezetügyi hatóság meteorológiai irodájának vezetője, Klemen Bergant szerint a megfigyelések kulcsfontosságú szerepet játszottak a globális felmelegedés valósságának megerősítésében.

A szakember szerint a gleccser körüli hőmérséklet 1,7 Celsius-fokkal emelkedett az elmúlt negyven évben.

August 3, 2016 (JUBA) – Loyalists of the former South Sudan's First Vice President, Riek Machar, have turned down appointments recommended to President Salva Kiir by the newly appointed First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai, saying the process was illegal.

On Wednesday, President Kiir issued a republican decree reconstituting the 50 additional membership of the opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) to the transitional parliament in Juba.

However, several members have refused to accept their appointments, saying they don't recognize Gai as the First Vice President. Others also claimed that they were not consulted prior to their appointment or reappointment as they were surprised by seeing their names in the list of the members of parliament.

Nuba Batim, a member of parliament previously nominated by Machar, said she has refused to accept the new reappointment per nomination by Gai, saying she only recognized Machar as the legitimate leader in the opposition faction and in the government.

“Getting positions now is not important to me because that is not what am here for,” wrote Nuba Batim, former MP, on her Facebook page.

“Therefore I have rejected this appointment by Taban Deng Gai to serve in the TGONU because I am loyal to Dr. Riek Machar Teny and the Peace he is struggling to restore in the whole of South Sudan,” she added.

Another MP, Thokkhat Khor Wiu, also said he has turned down the offer by Gai to continue to serve in the parliament under his leadership. He said he did not regret his decision to reject the membership in the parliament.

“I and my other comrades are so proud of our decision to reject our reappointment to our own positions to the national Parliament by IO- Crown Hotel,” he wrote, while referring to a hotel inside which Gai was allegedly nominated in a controversial process on 23 July in Juba.

“If the agreement is disowned by our peace partners, we decided to stand firm with Chairman of SPLM/A-IO Dr. Riek Machar Teny and help him getting back on track again,” he said.

Jordon Long also revealed that he was approached to accept being appointed as MP in Juba, but he refused.

“I was desperately contacted and offered MP position, but angrily turned it down,” he said.

Many others have also rejected the appointments. However, others have accepted their nomination and appointment or reappointment as members of parliament.

(ST)

August 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Wednesday has confiscated copies of Al-Saiha daily newspaper for the second time within a week from the printing house without giving any reasons.

Journalists demonstrate outside the press and publication council against the closure of two Islamist newspapers Alwan and al-Rai al-Shaab in Khartoum February 7, 2012 (Reuters)

Chief-Editor of Al-Saiha newspaper Al-Nour Ahmed Al-Nour told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that his newspaper didn't make any violation that could justify the NISS move, saying they don't know the reason behind the repeated confiscations.

He pointed that the newspaper hasn't recently published any reports that cross what the NISS consider as red line, saying the NISS agents came to the printing house and seized 13,000 print runs without stating reasons.

Al-Nour added that their financial loss is estimated at 30,000 pounds (SDG) (about $5000).

“This is the second time they seize the newspaper within one week and don't know what are the reasons … our newspaper has incurred huge financial loss” he said.

“I'm not sure if they are trying to put pressures on the newspaper but we follow an objective editorial policy and carry out our work professionally without violating the law or crossing the red lines,” he added.

Last week, Al-Taghyeer newspaper decided to suspend publishing and started to lay off its staff following the large financial loss it incurred due to repeated confiscations.
Journalists working for Al-Saiha have expressed fear that their newspaper would follow suit.

Al-Saiha is owned by the chairman of the Just Peace Forum (JPF) party and president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's maternal uncle Al-Tayeb Mustafa.

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.

(ST)

August 3, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese petroleum minister Mohamed Zayed Awad said that Chinese companies control 75 percent of foreign investment in Sudan's oil sector.

Workers for the China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corp (CPECC) construct new oil facilities in Sudan. (Photograph: Trevor Snapp/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Awad told reporters Wednesday upon his return from China that several Chinese companies would launch new oil and gas investments in Sudan.

He pointed that a delegation from the state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will arrive in Khartoum on August 25th to explore new investment opportunities.

The Sudanese minister added that CNPC seeks to explore for oil and gas in a number of blocks including block 25 in the White Nile state, block 8 in Sennar state, block 2 and 6 in West Kordofan state.

For his part, presidential aide for China affairs Awad Ahmed al-Jazz, who accompanied the minister during his visit to China, said the government has laid out 170 projects in various fields for the Chinese investors.

He added they also discussed the possibility for establishing a free zone, industrial area and a port besides launching health, agriculture, oil and mineral projects.

“We went to China in a delegation including the finance minister, governor of the central bank, petroleum minister, state minister of foreign affairs besides a number of senior officials and we held consultations with the Chinese side and it turned out that we held identical views,” he said.

Earlier this year, CNPC unveiled a plan to cut its investments and production in a number of countries except Sudan due to falling oil prices.

The Chinese oil giant began its business in Sudan in 1995.

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 the 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.
Following South Sudan's secession, several foreign companies started exploration in new oil fields.

During a visit to New Delhi last January, Awad offered three gas and oil blocks to India's ONGC Vides.

(ST)

August 3, 2016 (JUBA) - The ministry of foreign affairs in South Sudan has on Wednesday denied reports that immigration and security personnel have been blocking entry into the country of United Nations personnel on arrival at Juba international, describing the accusation as "false."

Joseph Ayok Anei, undersecretary at the ministry said the country was not blocking entry, but was simply evaluating security situation.

“This is not true. They are false reports. The government is not denying entry of any foreign nationals to the country. Foreign nationals are coming and leaving normally. What happened and this is what we did as the government of a sovereign state, which operates within the rules, regulations and laws of the country, is that we evaluated the security situation in the country in the light of recent events and we gave out instructions to officials at immigration department and other entry points in the interest of peace and stability,” explained Ayok.

He said the directive was part of safety measures to ensure personal security and protection of foreigners coming into the country by giving the government any opportunity to know where they would be staying once in the country.

He continued: “The objective of these new directives have been falsely interpreted. The objective was for the good of the foreign nationals coming into the country, especially those who don't know much the country. We felt it was wise to give three days for those coming into the country so as to enable them get sufficient information and time relating to the arrangements of where they would stay once in the country.”

“It would also be an opportunity for the government to know where they would be staying for security purpose, because their security is a responsibility of the government,” he added.

The official said because of the necessity, they gave the directives to anybody wishing to come to South Sudan to “know and to observe and comply.”

He explained that the directives were not targeting personnel of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and other UN agencies.

“This is the outcome of a series of discussions and meetings we have had with senior management of the UN's country team,” he said.

But while Ayok denies blocking of the UN personnel, several sources with United Nations and agencies said in a series of interviews that some of their colleagues returning from leave and official travels through Nairobi, Kenya, and Entebbe, Uganda, have had to negotiate their return, some of whom out of desperation, have had to pay immigration and security personnel.

Those who failed to pay were either deported or denied visas, leaving them with no other options than accepting to return from where they came on the next available flight.

(ST)

August 3, 2016 (JUBA) – The recent replacement of some South Sudan's national ministers and members of the transitional national legislative assembly is “illegal”, says the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) under the leadership of former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

They said the action was furthering the violation of the August 2015 peace agreement signed between President Kiir and Machar, the leader of the SPLM-IO.

“President Salva Kiir has no power in the peace agreement to singlehandedly replace and appoint SPLM-IO's national ministers. He also has no power to replace and appoint members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly who are members of the SPLM-IO. He would only act upon a recommendation given to him by the legitimate leader of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar, who is also the First Vice President,” said James Gatdet Dak, Machar's spokesperson.

“The action is illegal. This is the continuation of the same illegal process which self-appointed Honourable Taban Deng Gai as First Vice President. This short-lived illegal process will however be corrected soon,” he further told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

Dak was reacting to the Wednesday's announcement of new list of names of national ministers belonging to the SPLM-IO in which President Kiir dismissed four national ministers and replaced them with new faces.

President Kiir in another decree reconstituted the 50 membership of the SPLM-IO's additional members to the parliament by replacing some, appointing new faces and reappointing some members previously nominated by Machar to the legislative body in Juba.

The opposition leader's spokesperson added that Machar is still the legitimate First Vice President, as his “temporary” absence from Juba imposed by attack on his residence did not warrant appointment of a replacement per the Article 6.5 of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS).

However, Dak said the peace deal was collapsing as President Kiir's forces have continued attacking Machar's forces to try to hunt him down around Juba.

He said the opposition faction may soon be forced to march on Juba to stop the “lawlessness” and dismantle the source of the “orders to attack” to restore peace and stability in the heart of the city and beyond.

(ST)

Related article:

South Sudan's Kiir sacks four armed opposition ministers

August 2, 2016 (JUBA) - 60,000 people have fled South Sudan's recent violence in the capital city of Juba, bringing to nearly 900,000 the overall number of South Sudanese refugees in neighbouring nations since December 2013, the United Nations refugee agency said.

A woman carries water through a UN camp for internally displaced people in South Sudan's Upper Nile state (Photo: IOM)

Refugee flows from South Sudan into Uganda have doubled in the past 10 days, bringing the total to over 52,000 since violence escalated early last month.

Kenya has reported the arrival of 1,000 refugees in the same period, while 7,000 have fled to Sudan, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated.

“The refugees bring disturbing reports that armed groups operating on roads to Uganda are preventing people from fleeing South Sudan,” Melissa Fleming, UNHCR chief spokesperson said.

The recent fighting between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition allied former rebel leader, Riek Machar left over 270 soldiers dead in Juba.

New arrivals from Yei say they received letters warning them to evacuate the town in anticipation of conflict between rebel and government forces, the spokesperson said.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), refugees have also reported that armed groups operating across different parts of South Sudan are looting villages, murdering civilians and forcibly recruiting young men and boys in to their ranks.

Tension remains high in Eastern Equatoria, parts of Juba and the Upper Nile territories.

Fleming reminded all parties to the conflict in South Sudan of a fundamental human right to seek asylum and urging them to ensure that civilians are provided with unhindered access to safety as the number of refugees crosses a worrying milestone.

With over 2.6 million of its citizens forcibly displaced, South Sudan reportedly ranks among the countries with the highest levels of conflict-induced population displacement globally as an estimated half of the population rely on humanitarian aid.

(ST)

Das von der Saudi Terroristen Mafia finanzierte US Department of State, kontrolliert auch HRW, wo die US Department of State Mafia, gut mit Posten versorgt wird. Trotzdem brachte nun HRW, einen Bericht, das die Amerikaner mit System auch Kinder foltern, ebenso die Israelis. Demokratie Kultur der Westlichen Wertegemeinschaft, wie die Giftgas Lieferungen an die Saudi und Katar Terroristen in Syrien: Made by Hillary Clinton, Victory Nuland und anderen Kriminellen Welt Verbrechern. Massenmord als Geschäfts Grundlage, für private Geschäfte EDITOR’S CHOICE | 03.08.2016 Human Rights Watch Reports That US Government Tortured Children Paul Craig Roberts Human Rights Watch (HRW) has just released its report, “Extreme Measures: Abused Children Detained As National […]

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Preliminary United Nations investigations into the recent fighting in South Sudan reveal Government security forces carried out killings and rapes, and looted and destroyed properties, the UN human rights chief said today, calling on the Security Council to take stronger action.

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