Sudan Tribune

November 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Fadlallah Burma Nasser has been chosen as interim leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) until the general conference which will elect a new leader.

Nasser, a former general from the Misseriya tribe of South Darfur, was the firest de deputy of the late Sadiq al-Mahdi who died on Thursday 26 November.

The interim leader stressed the solid unity of the party membership and commitment to the vision of Sadiq al-Mahdi.

In his statement to the Sudan News Agency, Nasser, 81, said they work seriously to hold the party's general conference soon.

"Base conferences will be held at the level of city or county, district, states, then the general conference. Also, the various colleges will be represented," he said stressing that "the general conference will be attended by those who actually represent their grassroots."

The NUP was the first political party in Sudan, in accordance with the result of the last democratic election of 1986. Darfur region was the bastion of the Umma party in the past.

However, it is not clear if the party will be affected by the 17-year armed conflict and the emergence of armed groups which now seeking to be political forces.

Regarding the leadership of the religious brotherhood of Ansar, Nasser said that the current Secretary-General of the Ansar Affairs Authority, Abdel-Mahmoud Abu, will chair the group until the conference.

Al-Mahdi used to combine the leadership of the party with the brotherhood, which is the religious arm of the National Umma Party.

(ST)

November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) — The head of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Thursday voiced his support to the government negotiating position in the filling of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Sudan has suspended its participation in the direct tripartite talks on the first filling of the GERD, calling for a new approach involving a mediation team made of African experts and international observers.

Irrigation Minister Yasir Abbas who is also the head of the government negotiating team briefed al-Burhan on the process which lasts for more than eight years.

"Al-Burhan confirmed his support for the position taken by the negotiating team, calling for the Sudanese national interest to be the only reference for negotiations," said a statement by the Sovereign Council after the meeting.

He further stressed the need for a political and diplomatic mobilisation to support the government position which is a national security matter, the statement stressed.

Sudan recently blamed South African foreign minister saying she neglected its demand to refer the file back to the African Union Bureau.

South Africa is involved in the process as the chairperson of the regional body. Also, are involved in the talks as observers, the European Union and the United States.

Observers say that the suspension of the Sudanese participation in the negotiations means de facto the suspension of the whole process.

(ST)

November 26, 2020 (RUMBEK) - A rapid response by UN peacekeepers from Nepal resulted in preventing a potential intercommunal clash between armed groups in Cueibet county of South Sudan's Lakes State, the mission (UNMISS) reported on it's website.

Nepalese UNAMID troops (UN)

According to the UN, within minutes of receiving warning of a potential clash between armed groups in Cueibet, Nepalese peacekeepers sprang into action, sending a team of highly trained troops to intervene and protect civilians in the area.

Their rapid response to the threat of an intercommunal clash followed the killing of a young man during a raid on a cattle camp about 12 kilometers north of Cueibet town in the Lakes region of South Sudan.

A day after that incident, about 60 members of his community reportedly gathered their weapons and headed towards the town to avenge his death.

"At around 9am, the peacekeepers, who are located at a temporary base in the remote area, received information that the group was mobilizing to attack and that 100 people within the town itself had armed themselves as they prepared to repel that attack. A violent clash was imminent," it stated.

The Nepalese contingent immediately sent a platoon of soldiers to intercept the groups and, within an hour, they had set up a checkpoint between them. The peacekeepers worked in collaboration with local police who were also responding to the threat.

“Our task was to assess the security situation, patrol the area to deter the armed groups, provide a protective presence and intervene to protect civilians if needed,” said Captain Bigyan Bista, the Commander of the Nepalese Quick Reaction Force.

The joint effort between UNMISS and local security services worked, with the armed group turning back to their village. The South Sudan People's Defense Forces in the area expressed their appreciation for peacekeepers' quick response.

It is common for conflict to flare up between communities during the dry season in South Sudan as they seek to recover from the loss of crops and cattle during the previous rainy months through violent raids on others.

Anticipating this, UNMISS has reportedly established temporary bases in conflict hotspots in line with its “proactive, robust and nimble” approach to peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

In these bases, integrated military and civilian teams work to deter violence, support reconciliation efforts, and help communities reach agreement to peacefully co-exist. The aim is to provide protection where it is needed most.

The Nepalese contingent has reinforced its temporary base with fresh troops from their battalion headquarters in Rumbek so they can increase patrols and provide a protective presence for civilians living in the area. They will remain in place until the situation stabilizes.

(ST)

November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ethiopian government said on Thursday that efforts are being made to return the internally displaced persons and the Ethiopian refugees in Sudan who fled their areas after the eruption of fighting in Tigray region earlier this month.

Deputy Ethiopian Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen has been touring European countries to explain the " law enforcement operation" against the forces loyal to the recalcitrant Tigray region government.

United Nations and western diplomats voiced deep concerns about the humanitarian situation in the restive region and called for unfettered access to the aid organisations and groups.

Also, the massive influx of refugees into Sudanese territory raised alarm about the violence against civilians in the conflict zones.

During his meeting with the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, Mekonnen thought to reassure that his government is now finalizing its security operations and working with aid workers to provide the needy with humanitarian assistance.

"The Minister also gave reassurance to Hon. Rabb that the Government together with the international agencies is working tirelessly to address the humanitarian situations with more humanitarian corridors opening up to reach those in need of humanitarian assistance," said the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

"Efforts are also underway to support those refugees who fled to Sudan to return and settle peacefully in their home country," further said Mekonnen according to the statement.

In Paris, the deputy foreign minister was received by President Emmanuel Macron but not statement was released after the meeting. Also, he met with the Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès in Brussels.

Over 40,000 refugees have fled into Sudan since the eruption of hostilities between the federal army the Tigray People's Liberation Front forces on 4 November.

In Addis Ababa, the official Ethiopian News Agency said the situation returned to normal in several cities of Tigray pointing to Axum, Shire, and Adwa which are now under the control of government forces.

(ST)

November 26, 2020 (JUBA) - The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said three Ethiopian peacekeepers serving in the young nation were withdrawn and deported to their country without any explanation given

Ethiopian peacekeepers in Abyei on 14 August 2016 (UNISFA photo)

Last Saturday, it emerged that three Ethiopian soldiers from the Tigray ethnic group were sent back to their country.

An official at the UN Mission in South Sudan said the deportation of the peacekeepers could have violated their human rights if based on ethnicity.

“The Mission's Human Rights Division is following up on their situation. As a Troop Contributing Country, Ethiopia is ultimately responsible for the conduct and movement of its troops,” a spokesperson at UNMISS told The East African.

He added, “However, if personnel are discriminated against because of their ethnicity or any other reason, this could involve a human rights violation under international law".

Following the latest incident involving Ethiopians, UNMISS said it requested access to any soldier in need protection under international law.

There are three Ethiopian battalions in South Sudan, comprising around 2000 personnel, who are assisting with protection and peace building.

Ethiopia is the largest contributor of uniformed personnel to the UN peacekeeping mission.

(ST)

November 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - A state funeral will be held on Friday for former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi who passed away last Thursday at the age of 84.

Al-Mahdi, who was the last democratically elected Sudanese Prime Minister from 1986 to 1989, died in Abu Dhabi where he had been treated after his infection of coronavirus more than three weeks ago.

Following his death Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok Thursday declared three days of national mourning.

Also, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sovereign Council, instruct to hold state funeral for the late Prime Minister, according to a statement released on Thursday evening.

His body has arrived on Friday morning to Khartoum airport where he was received by the Republican Guards from where he will be transported to his house in Omdurman.

He will be buried in the al-Mahdi dome where are the tombs of his grandfather, father and uncles.

Mourners have been urged to observe social distancing rules, as his family excepts huge crowds to participate in the funeral.

Also, the family called on those who are outside the capital to mourn him in their areas and not to come to Khartoum.

Al-Mahdi was also the leader of the Ansar religious sect.

Sudanese political groups and leaders issued statements on the death of Sadiq al-Mahdi.

Also, several foreign missions in Sudan issued statements to express their condolences on the death of the former prime minister.

(ST)

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

This article comes against the backdrop of the saddening news in the headlines of the News Media reporting the departure of the Ansar Sect leader Imam Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi and Sudan's former Democratically elected Prime Minister and Political leader who sadly passed away leaving this mortal world, on Thursday the Twenty-Sixth of November 2020; the newspapers reported that the cause of the death of the late Imam al-Sadig Al-Mahdi is the respiratory disease for which he was hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates immediately after his infection. https://sudantribune.com/spip.php?article70140

We pray to Allah (SWT) Almighty to accept him in the gardens of the Supreme Paradise with the martyrs, the prophets, the righteous, and the goodness of those companions and may Allah (SWT) bless them all.

At this juncture, I thought that it is my duty to remember or mention the stations during life in which I met the late Imam al-Ansar al-Sadig al-Mahdi, may God accept him with the righteous and forgive him.

I met Imam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi for the first time in my life when I was a first-year Preliminary Student aka “Prel” at the Faculty of Science of the University of Khartoum where an elder colleague of ours and from the Darfur Province whose ancestors belonged to the Ansar Sect, his name was Ali Omer al-Bushari, he invited us and led us to the home of Sayed al-Sadig al-Mahdi who greeted us warmly and asked us to what we would like to drink for his hospitality. Nevertheless, he did not wait for an answer from us, and said, “I will offer you a drink of a Kerkaday, that is, a drink of Hibiscus.” And he added saying: because you are from the Darfur Province, which is famous for its cultivation! Al-Sayed al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was at the time a young man and he did not hold a political position. The home we met Sayed al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was the neighbourhood of Mulazmeen, in the City of Omdurman.

As for the second time I met with Mr Sadig al-Mahdi, together with a group of students of the University of Khartoum, along with students from the Higher Teacher Training Institute and the masses of the Sudanese people during the October 21st Popular Sudanese Revolution in the year 1964, when the people gathered in the Mawlid Square, which is now called the Family Club in Khartoum. We were at the time around the body of my former class-mate at El-Fasher Secondary School, late martyr of the revolution, Ahmed Al-Gurashi Taha. And Sayed Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi was the Imam of the funeral prayer for the late Ahmed Al-Gurashi Taha, as the body was being prepared for its transfer to his home village of Al-Garrasa in the White Nile region. As for the third and last time of my meeting with the late Sayed Imam Al-Sadig al-Mahdi, was during the Sudan Call Alliance that crucially united the core of a formerly fragmented political and armed Movements opposition on issues of national governance for the first time, calling for a peaceful and popular democratic transformation. Al-Mahdi was in France within the activities of the Sudan Call Forces, where Imam Al-Sadiq had chaired the sessions that included representatives of armed struggle movements, Sudanese political parties and civil society organisation committees. I met the late Imam al-Mahdi and I was honoured to attend those meetings as a political civilian member of one of the armed struggle movements. And the Imam acted in his capacity of chairmanship of the Sudan Call Alliance meetings with dignity, know-how and respect for the other; God Bless him.

During these saddening moments, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Sayed Sadig al-Mahdi al-Imam of the Ansar sect and to the membership of the National Umma Party (NUP) and to his family, especially his daughter Dr Maryam Al-Mansoura Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi who had a presence in all important Sudanese political forums until the Sudanese people managed to overthrow the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) and ousted the criminal of génocidaire Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. Furthermore, our condolences go out to the entire Sudanese people, and we pray to God Almighty to grant patience and solace to all the Sudanese people.
We belong to God and to Him we shall return, and there is no strength or power except in God.

Dr Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

November 25, 2020 (HAMDAYET) - The intensification of the fighting in the neighbouring Tigray region considerably reduced the number of refugees crossing into Sudanese territory.

During the past few days, the Ethiopian army retook control of Humera near the border with Sudan and Eritrea, as the government forces seek to encircle the Tigrayans fighters from several fronts.

There no reports about the humanitarian situation in the area. However, an AFP reporter who reached the area said Amhara officials and militiamen are now controlling the area which was part of their region until 1991, as they said.

The Hamdayet witnessed a sudden and visible decline in the number of refugees after the federal army deployed a large group of its forces in the Dima border area to stop the fleeing Tigray and prevent them from crossing the Sitet river into the Sudanese territory.

Humanitarian sources in Hamdayet confirmed to Sudan Tribune that only 349 refugees arrived in the transit centre on Monday.

Ethiopian activists say the Ethiopian government seeks to prevent refugees from leaving the country, pointing to the growing international pressure on Addis Ababa to accept negotiations with the Tigray region officials.

So far, the UNHCR has managed to transport 8,882 Ethiopians to Um Rakoba camp in Gadaref State. The UN agency said they would continue the operation on Thursday morning.

As of Wednesday, the number of Ethiopian refugees who reached the Hamdayet reached 26,869 thousand in addition to 15,446 who arrived at Hashaba camp in Fashaqa in the state of Gadaref.

Sudan Tribune reporter who visited the Hamdayet refugee reception centre noticed the deterioration of health conditions, accumulation of waste and the spread of diseases among refugee children, following a severe cold wave.

More than 391 children are sick, say health workers.

They also warned against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic saying its symptoms appeared among refugees.

(ST)

November 25, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday that Sudan did not vote for any draft resolutions presented by Israel in the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Local newspapers, however, recently reported that Sudan had voted for an Israeli draft resolution in the United Nations General Assembly.

"We would like to make it clear that what has been reported in some media outlets about Sudan's vote in favour of Israel in the United Nations is inaccurate. Sudan did not vote for any draft resolution tabled by Israel during the current or previous sessions of the General Assembly," said the Ministry's official statement.

The statement did not mention Sudan's position on the draft resolution, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, according to Hebrew media, that Sudan, for the first time, did not vote against Israel in the United Nations, though it traditionally had done so.

Israeli media have also reported Sudan as being one of several countries with an institutional bias against Israel, citing the former country's repeated rejection of Israeli resolutions at General Assembly meetings.

On Monday, the Sudanese government kept secret a visit of an Israeli delegation headed by the Deputy Director of National Security to Khartoum where the delegation discussed security issues relating to military components according to press leaks.

On October 23, Sudan officially recognized the State of Israel and pledged to establish diplomatic and economic relations in a deal sponsored by incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump.

A day after Sudan announced its recognition of Israel, the latter said it would send $5 million worth of wheat to support Khartoum's efforts to overcome the economic crisis.

November 25, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The leaders of the parties to the transitional government in Sudan agreed on Wednesday to form the Transition Partners Council, consisting of 21 members.

The new political body is one of the disposition added to the transitional constitution after the signing of a peace agreement with the armed groups.

It aims to coordinate positions and resolve differences between the parties that signed the political agreement of 17 August 2019 and the peace agreement of 3 October 2020.

Ten of the 21 seats in the partnership council will go the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and five seats will be allocated for each of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the military component of the Sovereignty Council. In addition, the 21st seat will go to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

Sudan Tribune further learnt that the parties agreed to form a secretariat consisting of eight members, four of them represent the FFC groups, two for the SRF and two for the military component.

The Chairman of the Sovereign Council Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan will assume the presidency of the Council and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok will be alternate president.

The Forces of Freedom and Change nominated their representatives in the Partners Council, namely: Babikir Faisal, Youssef Muhammad Zain, Omer al-Dugair, Fadlallah Barmah, Kamal Bolad, Ali Alrayah Alsanhouri, Haydar al-Safi, Taha Osman, Mohamed Nagi Al-Asam and Jamal Idris.

Also, the FFC representatives in the secretariat are Khalid Omer, Mutaz Saleh, Muhaid Siddiq and Nasreddin Ahmed.

The deal will pave the way for the formation of a new cabinet with 25% of its ministers representing the armed groups of the two SRF factions.

The SPLM-N North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, on Tuesday, issued a statement denouncing the draft status of the partnership saying it aims to confiscate the powers of the legislative body, reduce the government authority and benefit the military body.

The holdout group further stressed that this agreement aims to lock the way for the negotiations on the roots of the Sudanese crisis and to leave them with the only option to join the Juba peace agreement.

However, the FFC leading member Khalid Omer Youssif stressed in statements on Wednesday that the purpose of this agreement is to coordinate the position of the parties to the transitional government.

This council is not executive nor a legislative body, he said stressing that it would not interfere in the function of the government bodies.

(ST)

November 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's former prime minister and political leader Sadiq al-Mahdi died from the coronavirus, his family and the National Umma Party said on Thursday morning.

Al-Mahdi, 84, who is the first public figure to die from the respiratory disease was hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates immediately after his infection.

The NUP issued a statement saying that his body will arrive in Khartoum on Friday 27 November morning and his funeral will take place in the dome of Imam al-Mahdi where he will be buried.

Until Tuesday, his family was keen to reassure the NUP's supporters and the members of the Ansar religious sect about his health conditions.

Sudan's last democratically elected prime minister thought during the last 30 years former to convince the Sudanese Islamists to restore democracy in the country.

In return, they always proposed him to join them, an offer he always declined.

In August 2014, he signed a political declaration with the armed groups and proposed a national conference for peace and democracy in Sudan.

He kept working for a democratic transition in Sudan until the start of the popular uprising in December 2019 that led to the collapse of the al-Bashir regime.

(ST)

By Dak Buoth

‘‘Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph''. Haile Selassie.

The fundamental principles of peace, love and unity are natural and international. There is nothing better than Peace, Love and Unity of the people. United people can never be defeated.

At the onset of the South Sudanese independence struggles for freedom, the Ethiopians people and their successive regimes had been at the forefront in our pursuit for peace, justice and liberty. In the era of King Haile Selassie, President, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister, Haile Mariam Desalegn, and now Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed, the contribution of the Ethiopian people and their governments had never been missing in our journey to where we are as a nation.

The proactive role of the Ethiopian people toward the advancement and achievement of our political independence is known, and it doesn't need to be narrated at length. In Latin, they say ‘Res ipsa liquotur', which means ‘the thing speaks for itself'. Actually, President Colonel Mengistu did trained and supplied the SPLM/SPLA with military weapons when the rest were issuing empty political rhetoric.

In December 2013, when South Sudan plunged into a civil war that saw the SPLM regime descended on the Nuer nationality, killing over 20,000 people in two weeks, Ethiopian government under Prime Haile Mariam Desalegn with among other IGAD leaders swiftly intervened and called for peace talks in Addis Ababa. That peace talk emanated to the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) which later collapsed after the brutal battle in State House alias J1 in July 2016.

Equally, in 2018, when Dr Abiy Ahmed ascended to the helm of the leadership as Prime Minister of Ethiopia, he took it upon himself to demand Dr Riek Machar's release from South Africa to join the peace mediations which later resulted to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). It was this Peace Accord that gave birth to the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity.

These friendly gestures by our Ethiopian neighbours ought to be reciprocated by South Sudanese people and their Administration through positive interventions. However, it is a shame for the South Sudan government to maintain pin-drop silence while Ethiopia is undergoing a civil war. It is our individual and collective responsibility to preach peace and harmony.

The call for peace in our East African region and the world is not a preserve of a few. In view of the foregoing, I stand in solidarity with Ethiopian people and especially the Tigray community. In the unlikely event that the government is fighting its people, the presumption is that the people are right and the government is wrong. Thus, i condemn the Federal Government of Ethiopia for launching a military offensive against the Tigray people and children.

From our experiences in Sudan and South Sudan, the government can never and will never be right in the war against its citizenry. So far hundreds of people have died and thousands more are displaced in this conflict that started on 4th November 2020. I believe only Nuer who once faced brutality in the hand of rogue regimes can understand what the Tigrayans are going through in this war.

On 15th December 2013, when South Sudan government conducted military operations against the Nuer people in Juba and across the country in the pretext of weeding out opposition leaders like Dr Riek Machar, lives had never been the same for our people. Many of our people have been disposed of and impoverished. As of now much, Nuer Youths are dying in the Mediterranean Sea as they cross to Europe in search of greener pasture.

In this regard, we would never wish that situation to any community on this continent and the world at large. In this regard, the South Sudan government should join regional and International call for dialogue between Tigray forces and Ethiopian Federal Government to end the bloodshed and widespread displacement of civilians. How can our government keep quiet when there is an ongoing conflict that threatens the seat of the African Union (AU)?

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed must accept dialogue unconditionally failure to which he should surrender the Nobel Peace Prize that he given a year ago. He cannot call and champion peace negotiation in other countries and reject the peaceful settlement of the dispute in his own country. This is war, and there is no big and small war. All wars kill and destroy lives and properties. The Ethiopians have died in big numbers in this war. Abiy must open window for talks; allow humanitarian access to Tigrayan region, and he should also restore internet and telecommunication so that affected people can call and receive humanitarian assistance.

Finally, the Eritrean President, Isaias Afwerki must tread carefully in this conflict. He should not act like President Yoweri Museveni who fought alongside South Sudan government in 2014, going to an extent of using cluster bombs in Bor, Jonglei State. No leader in the region should take a side in this war except peaceful intervention only.

The Writer is the Chairman of Liech Community Association in Kenya; the views expressed here are his own, and he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com

November 24, 2020 (GADAREF) - Heath and university officials in the eastern Sudan border state of Gadaref are exerting efforts to contain diseases and epidemics, in the refugee camps after the massive arrival of Ethiopian fleeing the war between the federal army and Tigray region forces.

Over 45,000 Ethiopian have reached the Sudanese territory following the eruption of fighting in the Tigray region bordering Sudan. The humanitarian agencies expect that their number would be doubled in light of the continuing military escalation.

For her part, the Director-General of the Gadaref State Ministry of Health, Amira Hashim al-Gaddal, confirmed that there were cases of AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, as well as diabetes and blood pressure, among the refugees along with a large number of pregnant women.

Al-Gaddal further pointed to the high percentage of people infected with AIDS in the Ethiopian regions adjacent to the state of Gedaref compared to the Sudanese regions.

"The matter needs measures between the Federal Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization," she added.

The health official called for the establishment of isolation centres in refugee camps for the COVID-19 pandemic, and she expected an increase in HIV cases in the state of Gedaref.

She warned of the possible transmission and spread of epidemics, due to the interaction between the refugees and the residents and called on the UNHCR and aid groups to provide the needed health care for those who arrive in the camps.

Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister refused international calls to end the fighting saying that his forces are carrying out an internal law enforcement operation.

The University of Gadaref announced a plan to coordinate efforts and conduct a survey in the refugee camps to reduce the negative impact of refugees' displacement and to curb the spread of diseases and epidemics.

Secretary-General of Gadaref University Mutaz Abdel Rahim Abu Aqlah told the Sudan Tribune Tuesday that the plans were developed to facilitate humanitarian activities of local, regional and international organizations through the Colleges of Community Development and Medicine following the increasing number of Ethiopian refugees.

He pointed out that they have provided donors and aid groups with many technical studies and scientific researches as the Institute of Endemic Diseases at the Faculty of Medicine successfully conducted a number of researches on Klazar and other diseases. He also indicated that the coronavirus testing laboratory works efficiently.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM)- The Sudanese government officially announced the new liberalized fuel prices, with an increase of more than 400% over the previous price.

In a press conference held in Khartoum, the Minister of Energy and Mining Khairy Abdel-Rahman Khairy stated the liberalized fuel price will be effective as of Tuesday evening.

He added that a litre of gasoline will be sold at 120 pounds instead of 28 pounds previously, while the price of a litre of diesel will be 106 from 23 pounds.

Sudanese government decide to cancel fuel subsidy as part of an unpopular economic reform rejected by the leftist groups but endorsed by a national economic conference held in Khartoum recently.

The Sudanese Communist Party held a press conference to denounce the removal of fuel subsidy and vowed to organise popular protests against this reform.

Salih Mahmoud, a member of the SCP leading political bureau said they cannot remain silent while the country is heading straight for the abyss.

He added they will exert peaceful pressure on the government to respond to the popular demands and pedal back from these economic reforms.

"If (the government) refuses to back down from its policies through memoranda and peaceful demonstrations, the people of Sudan must come out and continue in the same approach to change this government".

The government released a clip to explain the purpose of the removal of subsidy and its immediate and future benefits for the economy.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and South Sudan agreed to open the 10 border crossing points along the 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) boundary, said the Sudanese defence minister on Tuesday.

Following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the two countries closed border and accused each other of supporting rebel groups from both sides affecting traders and communities on both sides.

However, during recent years, the two Sudans felt the need to work together to bring peace and stability on the two sides and create a conducive environment for joint cooperation.

On Monday, South Sudanese Defence Minister Angelina Teny arrived in Khartoum to participate in the meeting of the Joint Political and Security Mechanism with her Sudanese counterpart Yassin Ibrahim to discuss the implementation of the 2012 cooperation agreement including border control and security issues.

On Tuesday, they flew together to Kosti of the White Nile State for laying the foundation stone of a free trade zone.

Speaking at the event, Ibrahim announced the mechanism's decision to open the 10 border crossing points agreed in the cooperation agreement and the resumption of river navigation between the two countries.

He stressed that these developments imply to set up a long-term joint strategy to serve the peoples of the two countries.

Landlocked South Sudan, only implemented the oil transit deal among the other protocols of the cooperation agreement.

Minister Teny, for her part, underscored that laying the foundation stone for free trade zones and resuming river and road transport is a big step in the implementation of the cooperation agreement between the two countries.

She further said that arrangements are underway to start joint cooperation through the dry port in Kosti through training, clearance programs and all customs procedures.

The dray port is a terminal directly connected by road to the Kosti river port, operating as a centre for the transhipment of river cargo to inland destinations.

Sudanese finance and trade ministers also spoke about their plans to develop border trade and economic cooperation between the countries.

(ST)

October 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese and Egyptian heads of state reiterated the need for a legally-binding agreement on the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Tuesday as a tripartite committee met on the same day to prepare the resumption of talks.

Last July, Ethiopia brushed aside the negotiations under the Khartoum Declaration of Principles of 2015. Instead, Addis Ababa proposed to negotiate a guidelines-and-rules agreement on the first filling of the dam that could be unilaterally modified and even repealed in certain cases.

The head of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss with President Abel Fattah al-Sisi, the stalled crisis of the giant dam.

In a statement released at the end of the one-day visit, the spokesman of the Egyptian presidency stated that both al-Burhan and President al-Sisi reiterated their commitment to the initial 2015 declaration and called for a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Bassam Radi went on to say that the two leaders agreed on the water issue's significance to the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples, as it is also "an issue of national security".

"So, the two countries adhered to reaching a binding legal agreement," he stressed.

It is worth mentioning that Sudan had called for a greater role for the African Union, the EU, and the U.S., suggesting that they become mediators rather than mere observers or facilitators.

However, Ethiopia is now accusing the U.S. of being biased particularly after the recent statement by President Trump that “They (Egypt) will end up blowing up the dam” due to the Ethiopian intransigence in the ongoing talks.

Ethiopian officials, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, have firmly condemned and rejected Trump's “threat,” which they believe to be a declaration of his pro-Egypt position.

On Tuesday, the irrigation ministers of the three countries took part in a videoconference meeting convened by the South African foreign minister with the presence of the US and EU as observers.

After Tuesday the meeting, Sudanese Minister of Irrigation, Yasir Abbas, issued a statement in Khartoum reiterating his country's insistence on continuing negotiations with the same previous approach.

"Sudan submitted a proposal to give a greater role to experts and observers in the negotiation process to narrow the gaps in the positions of the three parties," said Abbas in a statement to the official news agency SUNA.

The meeting agreed that Sudan calls for a follow-up meeting within a week to submit a report to the AU chairman on ways to achieve substantial progress in the stalled negotiations.

The Minister concluded that the parties agreed to set a clear and detailed agenda, a strict timetable for the negotiation, and a clear list of the goals that must be reached with the help of observers and experts — a manner different from the previous rounds.

(ST)

October 26, 2020 (CAIRO) – The Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly on Monday met South Sudan's Irrigation and Water Resources minister, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth to discuss water issues.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (R) shaking hands with South Sudan's President Salva Kiir at the presidential palace in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, January 10, 2017. (Photo: AFP)

Speaking during the meeting held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Madbouly said Egypt would support South Sudan in various fields, with particular focus on South Sudanese students currently in Egypt.

The Egyptian Prime Minister further said his country is ready to set up investment projects in South Sudan, focusing on its priority areas.

He also directed the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to speed up the formation of a Joint Higher Committee between Cairo and Juba, with its first meeting to be held in Cairo before the end of this year.

For his part, Gatkuoth thanked Madbouly for the North African nation's support for South Sudan during recent floods in the country.

He said Juba is ready to benefit from Egypt's experience in building South Sudan's capacity of South Sudan as well as Egyptian investments in agriculture, irrigation, electricity and other projects.

The minister lauded Egypt's support for South Sudan in the field of education, citing the establishment of industrial schools in South Sudan and its government's decision to increase the number of scholarships for South Sudanese students studying at Egyptian universities.

(ST)

October 26, 2020 (JUBA) - The Chinese government has donated 1,500 tons of rice in support of the peace process in South Sudan.

The unified force of instructors pose for a group photo in Juba, October 5, 2019 (Xinhua)

The donation, which was given to the National Transitional Committee (NTC), will be used to feed thousands of soldiers assembled in the various cantonment sites across the country.

While receiving the donation from the Chinese government on Monday, Stephen Pal, South Sudan's Minister of Peace Building said the items would speed up the unification of the joint military force.

"On behalf of the government and the people of South Sudan, I would like to express my profound pleasure to the people and the government of China for the assistance towards the peace process," he said.

For his part, however, Hua Ning, the Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan, said Beijing has supported South Sudan's peace process with 2,500 tents, 50,000 blankets and 3,000 tons of rice since last year.

"As friends and partners of the South Sudanese government and people, we wish for a smooth implementation of the peace process, especially the reunification of the army," he said.

The ambassador pledged China's continued support to South Sudan's peace process.

"Our support will not end here, we are still in discussion with the ministry of defense and related institutions to see the possibility of further support for the cantonment of the army," he stressed.

The process of gathering government and opposition forces into training sites with a view to forming a unified army is a cornerstone of the 2018 peace agreement.

At least 83,000 unified forces are expected to form the national army

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October 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. President Donald Trump Monday formally notified the Congress of his decision to remove Sudan from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

"Pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States,(...) I hereby certify, with respect to the rescission of the determination of August 12, 1993, regarding Sudan that:"

"(i) the Government of Sudan has not provided any support for acts of international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period; and"

"(ii) the Government of Sudan has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future".

The Congress now has 45 days to pass a resolution rejecting Sudan's delisting, otherwise, it will become definitive by the end of this delay in December 2020.

The lawmakers also must pass legislation restoring Sudan's sovereign immunities, to protect Sudan against new lawsuits for terror attacks.

Some Democrat senators vowed to oppose legislation restoring Sudan's immunity before U.S. courts but it is not clear if they can influence the deal s there is a large support to the delisting in the Congress.

(ST)

October 26, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, said that the leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi pledged to support the normalization with Israel if the Legislative Council approved it.

However, al Burhan did not specify if the NUP leader spoke about the appointed legislative council during the transitional period or the elected council at the end of this period.

Previously, al-Mahdi told the BBC Arabic Service he would oppose the transitional government and seek to topple Hamdok's cabinet in the event of normalization with Sudan.

Speaking in an interview with the Sudan TV channel to explain the deal struck with Israel, al-Burhan said he consulted with all political forces and found that 90 per cent of them do not oppose this step because it is in the interest of the Sudanese people and the country.

"I consulted with Imam al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, and he said that if this matter is presented to the Legislative Council and approved by it, then there is no difference (with the government over it)," he said.

Al-Burhan stressed the right of all parties to freedom of expression, as long as everyone agrees that the agreement becomes binding if endorsed by the Legislative Council.

He also stressed that "the elected parliament" has the right to reconsider the normalization agreement or other issues.

The Chairman of the Sovereign Council met with the Israeli Prime Minister in Uganda on February 3, 2020, to discuss the normalization of relations between the two countries in exchange for supporting Sudan end its international isolation and removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Al-Mahdi reacts

Immediately after the end of the TV interview, al-Mahdi issued a statement saying that he met Al-Burhan on October 25, after the announcement of the agreement to normalize relations with Israel.

He said he renewed his party's support for the transitional government.

"This support will continue on condition that the government announces that normalization is decided by an elected parliament (...)," further emphasized the short statement.

Al-Mahdi's requirement that the normalization is endorsed by an elected parliament means that the transitional government is ineligible for normalization with Israel.

It is worth mentioning that Islamist parties refused the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel, as well as Arab nationalist parties.

The Sudanese Communist Party voiced its opposition to the normalization with Israel but reiterated their support to the transitional government.

Also, the Democratic Unionist Party of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani supported the rapprochement with Israel.

Al-Burhan for his part seemed confident about the popular support to the deal with Israel. He challenged any political party to go to the elections with slogans hostile to the normalization process.

He also disclosed he and the Sudanese Prime Minister discussed the timing of normalization and the possibility of waiting for the end of the US elections.

He said that after consultations that included the negotiating delegation, they found it was better for them to accomplish the removal from the terror list during the term of President Trump.

"The (economic) situation in Sudan does not allow waiting for another period that may last until next September," he said.

On Sunday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced that talks would be held in Khartoum with an Israeli delegation to draft the normalization agreement.

(ST)