Sudan Tribune

June 10, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) has harshly attacked the first presidential assistant and head of the organizational sector at the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), al-Hassan al-Merghani for belittling the opposition.

Mohamed al-Hassan al-Mirghani

The Sudan Media Center (SMC), which has close links to the Sudan's security services, on Tuesday, quoted al-Merghani as saying there is nothing left from the opposition alliance “but the name".

The son of the DUP's leader also criticized the external moves of the NCF leaders, describing it as “desperate attempts”.

NCF spokesperson, Abu Bakr Youssef, said in a press release Wednesday that al-Merghani, by virtue of his position as presidential assistant, should have dealt with the opposition as statesman, noting he must be brave enough to recognize the other opinion.

“But he [al-Merghani] has chosen to identify with the exclusionary approach and authoritarian mentality of the regime which doesn't only respect the other opinion but also denies its existence,” he said.

He described al-Merghani's statements as an attempt to appease the regime for allowing his party to win some parliamentary seats “in the recent elections play” besides giving them few executive and sovereign posts.

Youssef stressed that the NCF was born from the suffering of the people, saying it emerged from the peoples' reality and holds their hopes to achieve freedom and dignified life.

“He [al-Merghani] must know that the NCF is an umbrella organization with a collective leadership and there is no place within its ranks for those who seek to achieve an individual leadership by heredity,” he added.

The spokesperson further stressed the NCF did not budge from its deep conviction that change would be achieved at the hands of the Sudanese people, saying they would continue to fight for freedom and dignity.

He added that al-Merghani should direct his advices to the government of which he is a member, saying the regime was responsible for opening the door wide for the internationalization of the national decision.

The DUP left opposition ranks and joined the “broad-based” government of the NCP in December 2011, citing the “need to save the country” in the words of al-Mirghani himself.

The decision of one of Sudan's biggest opposition parties to join the government has created a great deal of internal dissent that saw many members quitting in protest.

The DUP participated in the recent general elections and won 25 seats in the national parliament. It was also granted three ministries in the federal cabinet.

(ST)

June 10, 2016 (RUMBEK) - A caucus of meeting of South Sudan ruling party (SPLM) held Wednesday resolved that the speaker of the state assembly, Baipiath Majuec resigns.

Majuec is accused of allegedly failing to unite lawmakers since he was elected in 2014.

Yar Ater, a member of the assembly, confirmed the caucus's decision on the speaker's fate, which he said would happen on 18 June. The ruling party caucus reportedly also agreed that the specialised standing committees of parliament be dissolved.

"Yes speaker will resign and the specialise committees will be dissolved immediately", the lawmaker told Sudan Tribune, but did not elaborate further on the matter.

MPs accused the embattled speaker of being unfair to those who skip assembly sessions.

Yar could not be reached for a comment, despite repeated attempts from Sudan Tribune.

(ST)

June 10 (JUBA) - South Sudan's national legislative assembly on Wednesday announced formation of a high level parliamentary committee to travel to Maridi county in Western Equatoria state to investigate the cause of recent fighting which resulted the death of at least nine people.

South Sudanese MPs stand during a parliamentary session in Juba on August 31, 2011 (AFP)

Fighting occurred in the town on Monday between armed Dinka pastoralists and suspected local youth in the area.

Several others, mostly armed civilians have also sustained injuries resulting from the clashes, forcing people to flee their homes into the bush in search of safety. The violence also affected commercial activities as markets and schools ceased to operate in fear of being caught up in the skirmishes.

The speaker of the national legislative assembly, Magok Rundial announced that the house had formed a committee to travel to the state to take peace message from the leadership of the house to the citizens and called upon all the aggrieved parties to restraint from pursuing violent behaviours as a means to drawing attention of the authorities to any matter of concern.

“The parliament has formed a committee to travel to Maridi and meet with the people there. The members of the committee will be taking to the citizens and those involved in what caused this situation the message of peace and harmony from the leadership of the assembly,” speaker Rundial said.

“On behalf of the assembly, I appeal to our people in Western Equatoria, particularly people of Maridi to remain calm and desist from violent behaviours and work together with the government to bring peace and stability,” he said.

Head of parliamentary caucus in Western Equatoria, Pasquale Clement Batali, told media that several people with no connections to the incident have been arrested by security personnel.

“Some people who have no connections have been arrested. We are talking to their families and relatives to remain claim and show restraint,” Batali said.

“We are also talking to the security personnel in the county to see into [it] that these people are not mishandled. We want the issue to be addressed peacefully so that the situation returns to normal,” he said.

He added that the state authorities did not want the situation to go out of control.

(ST)

June 10, 2015 (WAU) - The governor of South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state, Zakariah Rizik Hassan has ordered members of the special forces to shoot night robbers.

Rizik Zachariah Hassan, Governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State (UN photo)

Addressing these forces at the police headquarter on Wednesday, Hassan told the night patrollers to shoot and kill criminals who break into shops and attack residents at night.

He warned the forces against carrying rifles while out of their respective duty stations.

"Western Bahr el Ghazal is facing two sources of insecurity, one is the issue of rebellion which the state witnessed it first of rebel's attack last month in Bazia payam and the issue of night armed robbery which remain eminent in town," said governor Hassan.

The governor also partitioned blame on negligent police officers who encourage crime.

Western Bahr el Ghazal reportedy comprises of about 3000 trained police personnel.

The governor warned the officers to desist from tribalism, which he said was lacking in the military. He further cautioned them against involving in rebel-related activities.

(ST).

June 9, 2015 (STRASBOURG) - The Sudanese opposition forces called on the European Union (EU) Parliament to support the establishment of a new process for peace and democratic reforms in Sudan.

EU MP Marie-Christine Vergiat and former PM Sadiq al-Mahdi (C) surrounded by Malik Agar and Gribil Ibrahim from the right, Abdel Wahid al-Nur and al-Tom Hajo during the press conference at the European Parliament on 9 June 2015 (ST photo)

An important delegation of the Sudanese opposition groups led by the former prime minister and leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi, and the chairman of the rebel umbrella Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) Malik Agar was received at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

In a parliamentary hearing entitled "Sudan recent elections and peace perspectives", the opposition leaders briefed the EU legislators on the humanitarian and human rights situations but focused their interventions on what the European legislators can do in support of the African Union-led efforts for peace and democratic transition in Sudan.

Mahdi and Agar who spoke on behalf of the opposition Sudan Call forces said the national dialogue process launched in January 2014 was not seriously prepared and was used by the government to buy time before to organize single-party elections aiming to maintaining the current status quo.

The former prime minister stressed that "Sudan now is a failed state". He pointed to the armed conflicts, displacements of civilians and the popular rejection of the regime illustrated by the boycott of April elections. He further referred to the government involvement in the conflicts in Central African Republic, South Sudan, Libya and its links with the terrorist group of Daesh saying that Khartoum regime is a factor of regional instability.

"We want the EU parliament to support the people of Sudan who has suffered for 26 years and to back our initiative for comprehensive and just peace and democratization. We hope to get a response to this appeal and the EU parliament issue a strong resolution in support of the people of Sudan in their search for (peace and democracy)," he further said.

Speaking after al-Mahdi, the SRF leader went in his speech to provide further details about the resolution they hope to see the EU lawmakers adopted in support of a new "meaningful peace process".

Agar pointed to the need to protect civilians through stopping war and guaranteeing humanitarian access to the needy in the war affected areas. Also, he underscored the need to create a conducive environment and guarantee basic freedoms before the national dialogue.

"Sudan's peace process and national dialogue will need a new, clear mandate for the mediation. The new mandate will need to include specific goals, a timeframe for moving the process forward in a meaningful manner and preventing the Government's attempts to delay the process, and benchmarks for a truly comprehensive national dialogue process," he further said.

After the rejection of the Sudanese government to participate in a national dialogue preparatory meeting called by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) on 30-31 March, the Sudan Call forces requested the African Union to create a new mechanism involving the UN and main international partners.

Agar called for "smart sanctions" on the Sudanese government and to stipulate some conditions related to the humanitarian access, peace and democratic reforms before increasing engagement with Sudan, providing debt relief, and funding as it is pledged by the EU governments in the Khartoum Process on combating human trafficking , or training Sudanese military and police.

SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR & UNAMID

In a press conference at the EU parliament, SFR vice-president for foreign affairs and leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim called to re-establish a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Sudan to monitor the human rights situation in Sudan.

In his speech, Agar also mentioned this request.

Ibrahim who briefing reporters on behalf of the opposition groups, further said the EU should exert efforts to maintain the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), as the Sudanese government demands as exit strategy for the joint operation which is dedicated to protect civilians in Darfur.

"Despite its shortcomings, UNAMID protects the civilian population in Darfur from the ongoing government and government-sponsored militia attacks," said Agar who included the matter in his speech before the EU lawmakers.

The hearing was organised by the French Marie-Christine Vergiat, Ana Gomes of Portugal and the Slovenian Ivo Vajgl. Also intervened in the meeting the German Joachim Zeller, the Italian Elena VALENCIANO, the Swedish Bodil Ceballos and the French Barbara SPINELLI.

Vergiat who chairs the EU MPs group on Sudan welcomed the Sudanese guests and regretted the travel ban imposed on the leader of the opposition alliance Farouk Abu Issa, and human rights prominent activist Amin Mekki Mandani.

She further mentioned the absence of the NUP deputy-president Merriam al-Mahdi who was also prevented from travelling to Paris by the Sudanese security agents.

The French MP who is a member of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) further vowed to support the ongoing efforts to bring peace and stability in Sudan and the neighbouring countries.

Several EU MPs congratulated the opposition for achieving unity and encouraged them to have a unified stance on issues of peace and democracy in Sudan.

European lawmakers organized dinner for the visiting delegation which included some representatives of civil society groups who succeeded to reach Strasbourg despite the travel ban.

This is the third time that the EU legislators receive the Sudanese opposition groups. The two previous meetings took place in November 2013 and July 2014.

(ST)

June 9. 2015 (MARIDI) - A spokesperson for the Revolutionary Movement for National Salvation (REMNASA), a South Sudanese rebel group, claimed their forces on Tuesday destroyed a production unit belonging to government troops loyal to president, Salva Kiir.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) jump from a vehicle while on patrol in the capital, Juba (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Col. John Sunday Martin said the unit, known as Capt Makuei Chanroduction under the Directorate of Military Corporation, was allegedly destroyed in an ambush that occured four kilometres from Maridi town in South Sudan's Western Equatoria state.

"The two platoons were heading to Maridi from their base suited six kilometers on Rumbek road. They were on foots to Maridi to reinforce, where they fall in our ambush," the rebel movement claimed in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

"Our patriotic forces killed 5 andwounded serious others; as well captured 6 rifles including a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RBG), with several rounds of ammunitions, and scattered them in the jungle", it added.

According to the rebel official, the confrontation happened after their forces stationed in a nearby area were informed of the situation in Maridi and were heading to rescue civilians from the SPLA, as the two platoons of the army headed to reinforce their colleagues.

"Thus our valiant forces of REMNASA ambushed them after received earlier information about their mission to Maridi, as they left their base," the rebespokespersonon said.

He also accused the national army of allgedly committing several atrocities against residents of Maridi, citing killings, burning of houses and looting of civilians' properties.

These allegations could, however, not be independently verified by the Sudan Tribune.

The chaos, the rebel official claims, started after a youth from Maridi had misunderstanding with a Dinka tribesman whose cattle encroached to his farm, destroying the farm.

"Instead of apologizing for the damage his cattle caused to the young man's field; he (Dinka tribesman) resorted to fight him in the presence of dozens of his Dinka tribesmen," the rebel official said.

He added, "On top, they (Dinka triesbmen) called on their brothers within the ranks and structures of the security forces, who came and arrested this local young man. Thus, the local youths reacted and used sticks to beat the cows whichresulted chaos in Maridi on tribal lines – between the locals, and Dinka tribesmen."

The Dinka youth were allegely supported by their tribesmen within the ranks and structures of SPLA and National Security started reportedly shot at the local youths where they killed at least one, while the latter retaliated by killing several cows.

"As the Dinka tribesmen were overpowered by the local youths, they ran to the SPLA headquarters (military garrison) and reported that they are being attacked by rebels," the group's spokesperson further claimed.

"Thus, the SPLA were dispatched from the Garrison, instead of calming the situation, they resorted to destroy houses and to kill civilians randomly - from Line Zira to Dar tick - Hai Soura", he alleged.

"The worst scenario was a woman and her children, together with her husband was burnt to death in their house by the SPLA," added the official.

The rebel group cautioned the general populations to refrain from tribal politics, which they claimed was dangerous for national unity and coexistence in the young nation.

(ST).

June 9, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese president Salva Kiir has directed government representatives at the preparatory consultative meeting with armed opposition representatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to engage in frank discussions to remove obstacles when the next round of peace talks resume.

Negotiators at South Sudan peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, review a draft cessation of hostilities agreement on 13 January 2014 (Photo courtesy of Larco Lomayat)

The three opposition factions including representatives of the government and armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) as well as former detainees have been consulting in Addis Ababa for the last two days under the auspices of the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The joint consultations were meant to set an agenda for the next round of talks as well as fix a date for the resumption of negotiations.

President Kiir, according to the lead negotiator of the government, Nhial Deng Nhial, has expressed commitment to bring peace to the country and urged opposition leadership and the other stakeholders invited by IGAD to the consultation to realise that it was time for people to unite instead of pulling down the country for “self-serving purposes.”

“The president has given us a go ahead to engage the SPLM-IO and the other stakeholders in frank and honest consultations so that we set the agenda of negotiations”, Nhial told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

Nhial said consultations have started and hoped to come out with the consensus on the way forward.

South Sudanese armed opposition leader's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, also said the rebel leadership was always committed to the peace process and hoped the government would this time realise that military solution was “too unrealistic” to be achieved, adding it was therefore time to resort to serious and frank negotiations on critical issues.

“We are always serious and clear about issues that the country should tackle in order to achieve good governance and sustainable peace and development,” Dak told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

“Our chairman and commander-in-chief, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, has already left his headquarters in South Sudan and moved to the venue in Addis Ababa in show of the serious commitment to the peace process,” he said.

He however expressed doubt over government's seriousness to negotiate in good faith, saying it was executing “full scale offensive” on positions held by the rebels in violation of the cessation of hostilities agreement the two sides signed since 23 January 2014.

Dak also challenged IGAD to ensure its mediated ceasefire agreement was implemented by reigning on Uganda to withdraw from South Sudan its troops per the agreement. Uganda, he said, is an IGAD member state which forces have directly interfered and taken side in the war by supporting president Kiir's government.

Ugandan troops have been deployed in Central Equatoria and Jonglei states to help defend the national capital, Juba and Jonglei state's capital, Bor, while allegedly providing air cover for government troops in other states in the country.

Rebels said this was affecting the implementation of the cessation of hostilities agreement and encouraging the government to continue with the war.

Talks collapsed on 6 March when the two factional principal leaders could not agree on almost all the outstanding issues on governance, security arrangements, leadership structure, power sharing, reforms and accountability and reconciliation.

IGAD has been developing a new mediation mechanism that will include representatives of member states of the African Union (AU), Troika countries (United States, United Kingdom and Norway), China, European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).

A date for resumption of the next round of talks is expected to be announced after concluding the ongoing consultations in Addis Ababa.

(ST)

June 9, 2015 (BOR) - The newly appointed commissioner of Duk county in South Sudan's Jonglei state, Micheal Malual Wuor was officially sworn-in on Tuesday at an occasion witnessed by the governor and the high court president.

Malual replaced Akech Deng who was last month sacked by governor, John Kong Nyoun.

Speaking after the oath-taking ceremony in Bor, Malual vowed to prioritise community peace.

“We know without peace, even if we have million of dollars for any project in any area, we will not work. The presence of peace is a promise for development," he said.

"I urge the people of Duk and the state government to rally behind me to work for peace and unity within and with our neighbors," added the newly-appointed commissioner.

Meanwhile, Nyoun urged communities in Duk to cooperate with the new commisioner.

He refuted media that the former commissioner was relieved from his position allegedly on grounds that he participated in moblising the Duk youth to attack the Lou Nuer tribe.

“No body is relieved without a mistake. But if you are following somebody who fell in the hole, you should not make a mistake to fall again in the same hole along that path," said Nyuon.

"Be very careful with your advisors, you do not accept from them when they say this person is good or bad. Wait to see by your self in a period of six months or more," he added.

The governor advised the commissioner to prioritise peace, describing it as paramount.

“You must work to unit the people of Duk with Lou Nuer and Garwar. You must initiate peace at the grassroots”, he stressed.

Malual was serving as the director for Disarmament and Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) in Jonglei before his recent appointment as Duk commissioner.

(ST).

June 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The newly appointed 1st presidential assistant Mohamed al-Hassan al-Mirghani attributed his absence from taking the oath of office before President Omer Hassan al-Bashir on Sunday to unspecified family reasons that forced him to be present in the city of Sinkat in eastern Sudan.

Mohamed al-Hassan al-Mirghani

Al-Mirghani told the government sponsored Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) on Tuesday that he received the news of his appointment from president Bashir "personally" and denied speculations that his absence was linked to his unhappiness about the share of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the new cabinet formation.

A few weeks ago, a senior DUP official said that they opted out of the government as they could not get the ruling party to offer them more posts commensurate with their historical weight among Sudanese political parties.

But al-Mirghani swiftly distanced himself from these statements.

The DUP was granted three federal ministries and two ministers of state as well as presidential assistant post given to al-Mirghani.

Al-Mirghani also dismissed the opposition coalition of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) saying there is nothing left from them “but the name".

He emphasized that no opposition operating outside can succeed and criticized tours by some opposition figures abroad describing them as "desperate attempts".

(ST)

June 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese presidency has instructed the ministry of oil to activate the work of the committee tasked with monitoring the distribution of gasoline in order to bring what it called the “petroleum products manipulation” to an end.

A worker fills a pickup truck's tank with blended fuel at the first blended fuel station at Kenana Sugar Company (KSC)'s main plant, 270 km (170 miles) south of Khartoum May 14, 2013. (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Gas stations in the capital Khartoum and several states on Tuesday have witnessed long queues of cars while the farmers' union in the state of Gedaref has warned against the failure of the cropping season due to lack of gasoline.

Sudan's 2nd Vice-President, Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, issued directives to activate the monitoring mechanism set up by the oil ministry to stop manipulation in the distribution of petroleum products and secure gasoline supply for all services and development sectors.

Abdel-Rahman, who met with the newly appointed minister of oil and gas, Mohamed Zayed Awad on Tuesday, stressed the need to take strict measures and to fill the gaps in the distribution of petroleum products to the gas stations.

Awad described to reporters following the meeting the lining up of cars at the gas stations as “fabricated crisis”, saying the fuel quota of Khartoum state has been raised from 2,500 to 3,000 cubic meters during the past days.

He revealed that the monitoring mechanism enjoys wide powers in order to prevent any manipulation which could negatively impact on people's lives, saying it is comprised of several concerned bodies including the security services.

Awad underscored his ministry's commitment to provide the various states with their full fuel quotas particularly the farming states.

The minister promised further oil discoveries to increase production, noting that he briefed the vice president on the supply position regarding oil derivatives across the country.

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

In September 2013, protests erupted in Sudan's major towns following an announcement by the government that it was reducing subsidies on fuel and other basic commodities, leading to calls for regime change.

At least 200 protesters died, 15 of them children and more than 800 others have been detained.

(ST)

June 9, 2015 (JUBA) – Members of the Anyuak tribe in South Sudan's Jonglei state county of Akobo are demanding that their commisioner, Timothy Taban Joch resigns from his position.

In a letter signed by several Anyuak leaders in the diaspora, the ethnic group in Akobo claimed the had violated the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.

"Article 63 (1) (g) states that Membership of the National Legislative Assembly shall be lost on assumption of any constitutional office in a state or local government level,” partly reads the letter, also extended to Sudan Tribune.

The chairpersons of Akobo Anyuak Coordination Council in the diaspora, Australia and 13 other representatives in United States and Canada duly acknowledged the letter.

The Anyuak leaders further claimed to have held a tele-conference meeting on Saturday 31 May, to bring the matter to the attention of Jonglei caretaker governor, John Kong Nyuon, the national assembly speaker, Manase Magok Rundial and president, Salva Kiir.

“Honorable Manasseh Magok Rundial, the Speaker of South Sudan National Assembly to relieve Honorable Timothy Taban Joch from South Sudan National Assembly effective and backdated April 2014 after assuming the Akobo Commissionership position corrupting the assembly,” reads the letter.

“Honorable John Koang Nyuon, the care-taker governor of Jonglei State to relieve Honorable Timothy Taban Joch from Akobo County Commissionership effective and back-dated April 2014 or from the date of his appointment as Akobo Commissioner for accepting the post cheating residents of Akobo County and Jonglei Government,” it added.

The Anyuak also want Joch, who also doubles as a lawnaker in the national assembly, to relinquish both positions, claiming he was disrespecting South Sudan's constitution.

Joch was elected MP in the 2010 elections and appointed a commissioner in 2014.

When contacted for comment, Juch said the authors of the letter were acting illegally.

“It was the leadership who propose me to go to Akobo because of this crisis,” the Akobo county commissioner told Sudan Tribune by phone from Juba on Tuesday.

“I was consulted and I accepted the request to help and try to identify my role within the community. By that those who wanted me to resign are illegal committees,” he added.

(ST)

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June 9, 2015 (JUBA) - At least three people were shot dead in a random shooting that occured Tuesday in South Sudan's Western Equatoria state town of Maridi town, officials said.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

The incident, which occured despite the area deployment of local security forces, has reportedly forced several people to flee Maridi town due to fear.

Maridi county's executive director, John Ezkia Paul said shops in Maridi have remained closed as several people fled when the fighting turned into burning down of houses.

According to Ezkia, the incident followed a grenade attack on a slaughter house at a cattle camp near the town on Sunday, killing seven cows and injuring several others.

Unknown gunmen reportedly carried out the attack, drawing protests from angry shop owners.

Fighting, the official said, resumed Monday, but security forces managed to restore calm.

“Residents have fled the town. They are outside Maridi town [and] it is empty now,” said Ezkia.

Meanwhile, the South Sudanese Army spokesperson, Col. Philip Aguer told reporters Tuesday that the shooting in Maridi was an attack on a cattle camp run by butchers.

“A certain armed individual threw a hand grenade into a cattle camp owned by butcherers in Maridi town who have been slaughtering their bulls for sale of meat in Maridi,” said Aguer.

“And as a result, the hand grenade killed eight bulls. Now, one of the owners of these cows reacted, and went and killed a student, somebody innocent. In the surrounding, the community that is near the cattle camp reacted and went and burnt the houses of the cattle camp owners. The army and the police have intervened," he added.

Western Equatoria officials recently warned of a possible outbreak of rebellion in the region, should the army fail to address the problems between citizens and pastoralists.

(ST).

June 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - The United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon revealed that no agreement on the exit strategy of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been reached yet.

A UNAMID police adviser interacts with community leaders during a routine patrol in the ZamZam camp for the internally displaced near El Fasher, North Darfur. (Photo UNAMID/Ali Aloita).

Sudan renewed calls for UNAMID withdrawal from the western part of the country following a dispute over alleged mass rape in the village of Tabit in North Darfur, by army troops in October last year.

A tripartite working group comprised of officials from the Sudanese government, UN and AU was formed to draft an exit strategy for the peacekeeping force.

In a report to the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 26 May, Ki-moon said that no agreement on the exit strategy of UNAMID has been reached yet by the joint working group, adding that the group's meetings were suspended and are supposed to resume later this year.

He further said that UNAMID suggested during the negotiations to withdraw gradually from West Darfur, and leave from three bases in North and South Darfur, in areas that do not currently necessitate its presence, noting that withdrawal from other areas would only be possible if a ceasefire and protection of displaced are ensured.

The UN chief said the working group visited Darfur's five states to assess the humanitarian and the security situation, pointing that it met two times during May to discuss the recommendations which are supposed to be submitted to the UNSC and the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) ahead of the renewal of the UNAMID's mandate this month.

He urged the UNSC and the AUPSC to issue clear directives in order to finish the exit process quickly.

He said that the first phase of UNAMID's downsizing included the cancellation of 790 national, international and voluntary posts, suggesting cancellation of 488 posts in the second stage.

Given the current situation in Darfur, the UN chief recommended the UNSC to extend the mandate of UNAMID, without modification, for 12 months, until 30 June next year.

UNAMID has been deployed in Darfur since 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the restive region.

It is the world's second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

ARMED CONFLICT, BANDITRY AND TRIBAL FIGHTING

Meanwhile, the report said that fighting between government forces and rebel groups have escalated during the last three months, pointing to increased tribal fighting, banditry and human rights violations.

It said the government intensified its military campaign known as “Decisive Summer” against the Sudan Liberation Movement/Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Sudan Liberation Movement/Abdel-Wahid (SLM-AW) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leading to the displacement of more civilians.

The report pointed to the mutual attacks between the government troops and the rebel groups, mentioning the battle which took place at Al-Nikhara in South Darfur last April between the government militia of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the JEM.

It said that 15 civilians died and 17 others injured as a result of the government aerial bombing at Al-Toumat village near Al-Nikhara, adding that 14 people including 5 children had died and 18 others injured at Rwata town in Central Darfur state due to aerial shelling.

The UN secretary-general blamed the Sudanese government for using cluster bombs during its military offensive that aimed to put an end to the armed rebellions in Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile state.

He said the government offensive in Darfur focused on reclaiming Jebel Marra and preventing the armed movements from crossing the borders with South Sudan to regroup.

“Despite their numerical superiority, better equipment and logistics, the objective of the Sudanese Armed Forces/Rapid Support Forces joint operations, which was to dismantle the rebel stronghold of Jebel Marra, and establish a firm grip on the area, was not achieved," Ban Ki-moon said.

The report also said that 278 people died in 11 tribal clashes during the last three month compared to the death of 40 people in 8 clashes in the previous period, pointing to clashes which took place between Falata and Salamat tribes in South Darfur besides clashes between Ma'alia and Rezeigat in East Darfur.

It mentioned that 316 crimes have taken place during the past three months including robberies, armed attacks, deadly shooting, rape, carjacking and kidnapping, saying that 60 hostile acts have been carried out against UNAMID.

(ST)

June 9, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese army (SPLA) claimed on Tuesday that it repulsed an attack allegedly carried out by armed opposition fighters allied to the former vice president, Riek Machar, and took control of several areas previously held by the rival forces in Unity state.

A soldier from the South Sudanese army stands in front of a vehicle in South Sudan's Unity State on 12 January 2014 (AP)

Lieutenant General Bapiny Monytuil, a government allied militia commander whose forces fight alongside government troops against opposition fighters told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday his troops on the ground under the command of Major General Mathews Puljang, in collaboration with the SPLA's 4th division forces in the area, managed to push away advancing rebel forces on Unity oilfields and took control of more areas under their control.

“Our forces have today [Tuesday] taken control of Panakuac. They also took five other areas from them and they are now still pursuing them towards Sudanese border after the defeat,” said Monytuil.

He claimed that the defeat of the rebels from Panakuac and capturing of some of their areas has lessened fear of danger they posed to oil installations which they (opposition forces) had declared to be their targets in attempt to deny the government any opportunity to reopening the affected facilities.

“With this defeat of the rebels by our forces, their dream to advance on our positions and take control of the oil installations has now been foiled and it will only remain unrealistic and wishful thinking,” Monytuil told Sudan Tribune during an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

South Sudanese army spokesperson, Colonel Phillip Aguer, said in a separate interview that the government forces in the areas were in complete control of the security situation in the state.

Sudan Tribune was unable to independently verify claims that Panakuac, which has been one of the stronghold areas of the opposition forces, with battles often raging for control of military and security facilities such as the oil installation, has fallen to the control of government forces.

Observers say such development would frustrate opposition fighters who have recently made significant advances north of Bentiu town, capital of the state, and in other places south of the town, raising prospect that the rebels would regain control of strategic areas in the state.

Deputy Unity state governor, Stephen Mabek Lang, also confirmed that rebels have on Tuesday clashed with troops north of the state capital, including Panakuac.

Lang said the army sent new reinforcements there to join in an offensive aimed at dislodging rebels from the area, located just a 12kms from the strategic town north of the capital.

Gordon Buay, former spokesperson of the former militia groups also told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that government troops in Unity state have made significant victories in the area.

Rebels spokesman was not available for comment in reaction to the allegations.

The towns and areas around Bentiu have seen relentless fighting in the past weeks, as rebels try to push through the government's heavy defences in the capital.

The regime has responded with withering counterattacks including barrages by artillery and war-planes. There were no reports on casualties in Tuesday's fighting.

(ST)

By Eric Reeves

On June 30th of this month, the current authorization of the UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) expires; it is not at all clear that it will be renewed by the Security Council, and if it is, the Khartoum regime will likely insist upon compromises in the nature of the force and its mandate. Several well-informed sources indicate that West Darfur is likely to be a point of compromise, with UNAMID withdrawing in all meaningful form from the region, leaving only a few hundred men in uniform. This is not nearly enough to provide security, escort relief convoys, or even report in a meaningful way on violence affecting civilians. And if calm relative to Central and North Darfur now, we only need recall the explosion of militia violence in early 2008 to understand that another such upsurge in military attacks would be completely beyond UNAMID's ability to respond.

In short, Darfur seems to have moved from being an international human rights cause célèbre to an inconvenient, if ghastly reality. How did this happen?

THAT WAS THEN

There was a time when Darfur, in western Sudan, galvanized an extraordinary coalition of activists in this country. The National Islamic Front/National Congress Party regime in Khartoum had begun in 2003 a genocidal counter-insurgency against the region's African tribal groups, perceived as the civilian base of support for rebel groups. So potent was the campaign to halt genocide in Darfur that it forced its way onto the national agenda. Both houses of Congress—in a unanimous, bipartisan vote of July 2004—declared that genocide was occurring in Darfur. Others followed suit, including then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, testifying to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September 2004. His testimony was based on very substantial research along the Chad/Darfur border in August 2004. Human rights groups, genocide scholars, church and synagogue congregations, and legions of students made this remote and unknown region, in the very middle of Africa, a cause to be reckoned with.

As a presidential candidate Barack Obama saw the electoral possibilities of a strong stance on Darfur. He chided the Bus administration for what he saw as its excessive accommodation of Khartoum's ethnically-targeted destruction. He declared fulsomely, invoking Rwanda and Bosnia, that “the United States has a moral obligation anytime you see humanitarian catastrophes”:

“When you see a genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia or in Darfur, that is a stain on all of us, a stain on our souls. We can't say ‘never again' and then allow it to happen again, and as a president of the United States I don't intend to abandon people or turn a blind eye to slaughter.” (video clip at | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEd583-fA8M#t=15 )

And early in his presidency Obama again characterized Darfur as the site of “genocide.” That was then. Seven years later we hear nothing of consequences from the administration about Darfur.

THIS IS NOW

Largely as a consequence of this loss of focus, today the Darfur genocide—the first genocide of the 21st century and the longest one in more than a century—is about to achieve another distinction. It will be the first genocide in which the victims are abandoned. The UNAMID force authorized in 2007 is on the verge of being gutted and ultimately eliminated altogether. In three weeks, unless the UN Security Council votes to re-authorize the force, it will be obliged to leave. This fact gives the Khartoum regime what it considers irresistible leverage in negotiations that are ongoing, with what still appear to be major disagreements between the UN and African Union on one side and Khartoum on the other.

The stakes are extraordinarily high. More than 3 million people have been internally displaced or turned into refugees in eastern Chad; almost 500,000 were displaced last year alone. Mortality estimates vary, but we must of necessity speak of several hundred thousands of deaths—perhaps half a million—from violence and its consequences, and all indications are that mortality rates are rising along with acute malnutrition. The victims continue to be overwhelmingly civilians from the African tribal groups that have been targeted for more than twelve years.

It seems perverse that génocidaires in Khartoum are being allowed to decide the fate of their victims in Darfur, but in fact they are insisting that an "exit strategy"—foolishly agreed to in principle by the UN Security Council last August—be executed as rapidly as possible. The force has already been cut by 10,000 and stands at approximately at 17,000 uniformed personnel. The regime wants another 15,000 gone this year.

Criticism of UNAMID is longstanding; indeed it preceded official deployment of the civilian-protection mission in January 2008. For the mission was set up to fail, largely because Khartoum was given excessive control over the deployment of personnel and equipment. This led to poor troop quality, with the regime rejecting many highly qualified peacekeeping contributions (such as a Swedish-Norwegian engineering battalion). Essential weaponry and aircraft were also denied. Despite a status-of-forces agreement that was supposed to give UNAMID unrestricted access, Khartoum has systematically obstructed, delayed or compromised countless protection and monitoring missions.

As badly as UNAMID has performed, however, it is all that allows international humanitarian organizations to remain in Darfur. If UNAMID withdraws, or is hopelessly compromised, these organizations may well be forced to end their work. To date, some 25 to 30 major international relief organizations have been expelled by Khartoum or withdrawn because of insecurity. This has occurred against a backdrop of extreme malnutrition in many locations, a desperate lack of clean water and sanitation, and a rapidly collapsing system for providing primary medical care.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

At this very moment decisions are being made that will affect the lives and security of millions of people in Darfur, and yet we hear nothing of significance from the Obama administration about the urgency of preserving key elements of the force. Yes, a facile international chorus has declared "Darfur won't be abandoned," but there are reasons to be skeptical. Leading this chorus is the expedient Hervé Ladsous, head of UN peacekeeping operations, who not so long ago argued that a drawdown of UNAMID was justified by improved security conditions, even as violence has escalated for three years.

Moreover, a brute geopolitical fact defines current planning. UNAMID must be re-authorized before June 30. But Khartoum has veto-wielding friends on the Security Council in the form of China and Russia; they are likely to support the regime even in its most unreasonable demands. Russia is of particular concern, given President Vladimir Putin's general hostility to any Western initiative. In a revealing show of perverse solidarity, Russia sided with Khartoum in rejecting a recent report by Human Rights Watch that authoritatively documented the mass rape last fall of more than 220 girls and women by Khartoum's army troops in the town of Tabit. The evidence in the report is so overwhelming that the Russian denial of its findings suggests an unwillingness to look at Darfur's realities except through Khartoum's eyes.

Depending on the character of the newly authorized force—assuming one is authorized at all—humanitarian organizations may be forced to withdraw from what is already a terribly insecure environment, or at least parts of Darfur. The epidemic of sexual violence will continue to accelerate, with the Arab militias most responsible continuing to operate with total impunity. More than half Darfur's pre-war population of 6 million people are in need of assistance, and yet humanitarian capacity is shrinking. UN agencies such as the World Food Program cannot function without implementing partners, precisely the function that has been fulfilled by the organizations contemplating withdrawal. If they leave, the death toll could be catastrophic.

We need to hear President Obama's voice now; we need to hear the same moral passion on which he so effectively traded while campaigning in 2008—seven years ago. This will require foregoing the unseemly, finally disgraceful trade-off his administration has engaged in with the Khartoum regime: the U.S. offers the possibility of rapprochement, including lifting longstanding economic sanctions, in exchange for receiving putatively valuable counter-terrorism intelligence, and a possible listening post in Khartoum. The new embassy, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, has already been built but does not yet house the listening and intercept equipment that will make it so valuable, in addition to providing an actual presence in the middle of the region that seems destined to become the major battleground against radical Islam. The Obama administration intelligence community lusts for full access to the embassy.

The value of the counter-terrorism intelligence to date is dubious, and was challenged vigorously by former Senator Russ Feingold while he was chairman of the Africa subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a member of the Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence. Perhaps more telling are the leaked minutes of a meeting of senior military and security officials last August 31st: Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein is recorded as scoffing at what the U.S. actually gets in the way of intelligence, and the significance of what is deliberately being withheld about radical Islamist, terrorists, and the international Islamic movement.

This deal should never have been made (as candidate Obama declared when chiding the Bush administration) and must surely give way before moral importance of avoiding a deepening “stain on our souls,” the inevitable consequence of leaving the people of Darfur completely at the mercy of Khartoum's regular and brutal militia forces.

The United States must take the lead and, with Britain and France, muscle-up politically in the Security Council; otherwise the fate of Darfur will be dictated by the very men who began the genocide 12 years ago. This would be unprecedented in the grim history of genocide.

[Eric Reeves is a professor at Smith College and the author of author of Compromising with Evil: An Archival History of Greater Sudan, 2007-2012.

June 8, 2015 (JUBA) - Youth leadership of the South Sudanese armed opposition faction of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO) led by former vice president, Riek Machar, urged the civil populations in Bahr el Ghazal region, home to president Salva Kiir, not to panic as rebels began to intensify war to depose the president and called on the fighters to take the war to Warrap state.

People fleeing to the bush from Bor when the South Sudanese rebels attacked the Jonglei capital in December 2013. (Photo: John Actually/ST)

“I would want to inform our people in Bahr el Ghazal and more especially those in Lakes, Western and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states to not panic. Our mission is to free them from destitution and imposed marginalization by a brute and tyrannical regime that supposedly liberated them from regimes with similar behaviours,” said Peter Mabior Riiny, deputy chairman of the SPLM-IO youth league.

“These so-called liberators in Juba have indeed become the colonisers of our people and so there is a strong need for second liberation,” he told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

The opposition youth leader called on the civil populations to not fear their fighters, explaining that they were only engaging forces loyal to president Salva Kiir in the area and so target government institutions.

He cited recent developments in Achana, a strategic area on the supply route linking Northern Bahr el Ghazal and the rest of the states in the country and to the neighbouring states in Sudan in which they released several captured chiefs of the area, including a payam administrator, Elijah Noon.

“This is to inform them (civilians) that we are there to liberate them and not to harm anyone in those areas we are operating in. The engagement will be limited to areas occupied by government forces only,” Riiny further explained.

He dismissed reports alleging that the opposition fighters under the overall command of General Dau Aturjong in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, home to the current South Sudanese army's chief of general staff, General Paul Malong Awan, were receiving foreign support in form of weapons and mercenaries to fight on their side.

“This is not true. There are no foreign forces fighting on our side. The forces are 100% South Sudanese. Our forces are purely South Sudanese sons and daughters. We are therefore urging our people to be patient and remain calm as we are trying our best to free them from the fangs of oppressors,” he said.

TAKE WAR TO WARRAP STATE

Riiny urged the youth to join the struggle and also take the war to president Salva Kiir's home area of Warrap state, arguing that the president did not feel the horrors of the war because his home area was not affected by the current violence as his relatives were not displaced.

“I urge our youth in greater Bahr el Ghazal and elsewhere in the country to join the movement in earnest so that all of us fight together to liberate this country from the bondage of dictatorship, nepotism, corruption, incompetence and genocidal acts by taking the war closer to the bases of these belligerents because until that is done, they will not know the country is at war,” Riiny further stressed.

He was echoing other similar voices in the past who allegedly said president Kiir's tribal leadership cared less about war being fought in greater Upper Nile region as this was destroying and displacing the people and properties of populations in Upper Nile far from his home area.

Rebels claim that they were gaining momentum in taking the war to greater Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions in the final push to put pressure on president Kiir to step aside or fully commit to the peace process.

(ST)

June 8, 2015 (WAU) – Abyei Administration Area (AAA) and Western Bahr el Ghazal state on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the experience sharing of institutional set ups and capacity building for the displaced officials of Abyei region.

An officer from the UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei (UNISFA) on patrol in the disputed region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan (AFP)

The document signed in Wau was inked on behalf of Western Bahr el Ghazal state governor by Tom Ismail Jinei, secretary general of the state council of ministers, while Arop Deng, coordinator for Abyei, signed on behalf of Abyei Administrative Area.

The cooperation agreement was for Western Bahr el Ghazal state to share experience with Abyei on its government clusters of governance, services and economy. For instance, Western Bahr el Ghazal state's ministry of information will support Abyei area in capacity building in different media, radio, TV and training on journalism reporting.

The cluster service also agreed to share on the level of health policy and tentative work plan and job descriptions including training opportunities, clinical officers' registration midwifery and many others.

The ministry of education on its part will be sharing information with Abyei administration the ministry's structure at the level of counties [districts] and payam [sub-district] levels as well as establishing of national technical secondary schools and boarding schools in the region.

Meanwhile the commission of art in Western Bahr el Ghazal state will be giving training in sports to talented young people from Abyei in the areas of drama, music, folklore culture collection, fine arts, organizing festival and planning and preserving culture artifacts, historical and burial sites.

“Wau Centre for music and culture will be ready to admit candidates from Abyei Administration Area for music training of six months in the areas of guitar, key board, drama, music and other arts technical needs,” the agreement stated.

Western Bahr el Ghazal state ministry of Finance will also help to train finance officials from Abyei in financial administration including revenue collection and revenue authority act, tax and non-tax operating schedule.

The AAA is a body controlled by the Ngok Dinka political leaders close to the SPLM but it is leader Edward Lino joined the opposition faction led by the former vice-president Riek Machar.

Sudan and South Sudan failed to agree on who is eligible to participate in a referendum to determine the future of the disputed area. Khartoum and Juba also didn't agree on joint administrative institution despite an agreement signed in June 2011.

(ST)

June 07, 2015 (JUBA) – South Sudan is set to unveil its first-ever coins into the market during the fourth independence anniversary on 9 July, a government official disclosed.

South Sudan Pounds (ST)

Cabinet affairs minister, Martin Ellia Lomoro told reporters that the council of ministers approved what the ministry of finance and central bank officials had presented last week.

“The introduced coins range from denominations of 50, 20 and 10 piasters," he said.

Presently, the South Sudanese pound units are in form of one, five, 10, 25, 50 and 100 dominations, restricting buyers to quantity purchase of items like nails and razor blaze.

Lomoro said the introduction of these coins would enable traders relax their prices.

“So I think it is another milestone that the council of minister had on Friday,” he said, though that could not certainly change the souring prices of items in the market, as the South Sudanese currency continues losing value against the United States dollar ($).

The coins, Lomoro said, would have symbols representing the Greater Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr Al Ghazal regions, unlike the current notes with the potrait of the late South Sudanese leader and founder of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) party.

(ST)

June 8, 2015 (RUMBEK) - Clashes erupted between Lakes state pastoralists armed youth and a group of unknown gunmen in Maridi county of Western Equatoria state on Monday morning.

Cueirial Akech, chairman of Dinka traders in Maridi county told Sudan Tribune on Monday that clashes erupted at midnight on Sunday when unknown person threw hand grenade into a cattle camp, killing seven cows on the spot and left many more cows with injuries.

He said that when traders cows owners opened a case to the police, asking the state government to identify who killed their cows the same group ambushed them again, killing one of their colleagues.

“It was at night when unidentified person killed seven cows with hand grenade. So as the leader of traders of Dinka in this cattle camp, I moved to police and opened the police case seeking their criminal to be arrested. Very sad indeed a group ambushed us on the road and started firing at us/ The killed one person and now we are fighting in self-defence,” he said.

However, the county's executive director, John Ezekias Paul, said the shooting followed a grenade attack on a cattle camp on Monday night at Sika-Rumbek. He did not disclose who carried out the attacks using grenade.

“One person has been killed in a random shooting this morning in Maridi county in Western Equatoria State,” he said.

Eyewitness confirmed that pastoralist's youth from Lakes state were coming in to reinforce their colleagues and thousands of residents in Maridi are fleeing due to the tension.

They said markets have been closed and some houses burnt down by the Lakes state pastoralists youth.

Maridi county is one of three counties, Mundri and Yambio counties in Western Equatoria state which have faced random fighting in recent weeks.

(ST)

June 8, 2015 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government vowed not to reverse its recent decision to expel Toby Lanzer, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the world's youngest nation.

United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, talking to the media during a press conference on August 28, 2014 in Juba (AFP/Samir Bol)

During last week's meeting chaired by president Salva Kiir, the council of ministers reportedly declined to reconsider the request from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, to the top UN official complete his mandate in the war-ravaged country.

“He [Lanzer] has entered in areas which are more political than humanitarian,” cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomoro told reporters after Friday's meeting.

“We engaged him and work with him to bring to his attention that what you [Lanzer] are doing is not your mandate but it is political and it can cause differences and even escalation of the conflict more than you think you are doing,” he added.

According to Ki-moon, the expelled UN humanitarian coordinator who has been appointed on another mission in the Sahel region, played vital roles in raising awareness on the dire humanitarian situation South Sudanese have been exposed to by the conflict.

That awareness helped generate humanitarian assistance and adverted famine in 2014. This campaign, however, put him at logger heads with the South Sudanese government.

“We gave him warning that; please desist from interfering in internal affairs of the Republic of south Sudan. He did not listen and continued spreading false information about South Sudan,” said Lomoro.

The UN, United States and the European Union all condemned the South Sudanese government for expelling Lanzer and called for the expulsion decision to be reversed.

Last week, presidential press secretary, Ateny Wek Ateny said only Kiir could revoke the expulsion decision. However, cabinet's lastest position rules out Lanzer's possible return.

(ST)