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Hundreds of people were killed in South Sudan during an outbreak of violence last July and more than 200 people were raped, according to a United Nations report today released which emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for those human rights violations.

While efforts to fully implement a ceasefire in Syria continue, senior United Nations humanitarian officials today appealed for immediate, unconditional, and safe access to reach the children and families who are still cut off from relief aid across the Middle Eastern country.

With the statistical community facing myriad challenges as countries begin to implement the new 15-year global plan for sustainable development, it is imperative to modernize, improve capacity and cooperate at a truly global level, the top United Nations economic and social affairs official told a gathering of more than 1,500 data experts today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

16th January 2015

Legal Watch Associates South Sudan has learned with shock and dismay the abduction of Mr Gama Thomas, an aide to the Chief Justice, Chan Reech Madut.

Gama Thomas was abducted at gunpoint on 15 January at Juba International Airport by rogue elements from the National Security Service's General Intelligence Bureau Department. The victim met his fate as he traveled to Kampala, Uganda for the burial and funeral of his late brother who passed away this week after long illness.

This is the second time he has been kidnapped by National Security Service operatives. The first incident happened after a heavily armed security personnel stormed the Office of the Chief Justice to arrest the accused without due process of the law. The Chief Justice intervened then by calling the Minister of Justice, Minister for National Security Services in the Office of the President, the two Director Generals of the National Security Service.

The officers that were searching the office were ordered to leave the office immediately as they were found to have acted without directives from the Director General of the General Intelligence Bureau Gen. Thomas Duoth Guet.

Legal Watch Associates take this opportunity to condemn the incident in the strongest terms possible. The continuous action of the General Intelligence Bureau officers without regards to civil rights and liberties is a violation of the citizens' constitution rights as enshrined in the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011.

These actions further disrespect the sanctity and independence of the Judiciary as an important arm of the Government.

Legal Watch Associates further notes with dismay that Napoleon Adok Gai, who is the Director of Cyber Security Division of the General Intelligence Bureau and the Office of the President and also doubling up as the head of phone National Security Service phone monitoring headquarters (Aquilla Center) together with his staff continue to wiretap and monitor phones conversations of the families of the 16 persons convicted to life imprisonment in June 2016 because of alleged corruption in the Office of the President, their lawyers and the panel of judges of the Appeal Court reviewing the case. Staff of the judiciary with immediate access to the judges and the Chief Justice are also under surveillance in a complete disregard and violation of article 22 of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 which protect the right of individual's to privacy of correspondences.

We are calling on the National Security Service to respect the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South 2011 and conduct it's activities within the bounds of the Supreme law of the land as the National Security Service Act 2014 does not give explicit powers to NSS to illegally monitor private phones conversations of citizens unless such monitoring is sanctioned by a competent court of law and only in circumstances that can qualify as threats to the National Security of the country.

The mock use of phone communications evidence as seen in the case of one Kur Ayuen Kou, one of the 16 accused who was sentenced to life imprisonment because of talking on the phone with his cousin John Agou while the latter was in detention at the General Intelligence Bureau headquarters is not a license that it is now legal to use this information in court as an evidence. Such evidence are not admissible in court since there is no law authorizing the use of illegally obtained telephone communications.

In the light of the above, we are calling for immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Gama Thomas to his family and to carry on with his normal duties as a citizen of this country with all the rights in the Bill of Rights in the Constitution. We will hold the General Intelligence Bureau and its Director General and in particular Napoleon Adok Gai personally and criminally responsible should anything happens to Mr. Gama Thomas during his illegal detention at the premises of GIB.

We also called on the Chief Justice Chan Reech Madut who is the head of Judiciary to personally intervene and guarantee first and foremost, the safety of Mr. Gama Thomas as an employee working in his office and other junior employees of the Judiciary as well as judges and advocates (lawyers) working very hard to promote the rule of law in South Sudan.

Legal Watch Associates urges the Transitional National Legislative Assembly and in particular the Committee of Information, Communication and Culture to investigate this wanton and flagrant violations of the Constitution by the National Security Service and take immediate action against people abusing the fundamental rights and freedoms that the resilient people of South Sudan struggle to achieve for more than two decades.

Legal Watch Associates South Sudan is a Human Rights Organization that advocates for human rights of people of South Sudan across the globe.

Email us at: legalwatch2015@gmail.com

January 15, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan president Salva Kiir has created for additional states, raising the number of the states in the world's youngest nation to 32.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (AFP)

The order creating new states, which was announced over the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) on Saturday, saw Eastern Nile states divided into Northern Upper Nile state with Renk as its capital.

Others are Central Upper Nile state with Malakal as capital, Maiwut and Tumbura states.

Also split, according to the decree, was Latjor into Maiwut state with Maiwut as its capital.

The state comprises of Koma, Longuchuk, and Maiwut counties. It further divided Gbudwe state into Tumbura state with Tumbura as its capital. It comprises of Tumbura and Nagero counties.

No reasons were cited for president Kiir's decision to create the new states.

(ST)

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Le procès de Dominic Ongwen, l'un des commandants de la sanguinaire LRA, l'Armée de résistance du Seigneur, reprend ce lundi 16 janvier à La Haye. Membre du top 5 de la LRA, Dominic Ongwen doit répondre de 70 chefs d'inculpation devant la justice internationale dont des crimes de guerre et crimes contre l'humanité. Assassinats, viols, torture, enlèvement d'enfants, pour n'en citer que quelques-uns. Ce procès, est particulièrement attendu par des milliers de victimes car c'est le premier à se pencher sur les crimes commis par la LRA depuis près de 30 ans. Après son ouverture en décembre doivent donc comparaître ce lundi les premiers témoins.

Les sept candidats à la primaire à gauche ont débattu pour la deuxième fois dimanche sur iTélé, BFMTV et RTL.

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January 15, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan President Salva Kiir has fired the country's Central Bank governor, amidst the worsening economic situation in the young nation.

Kornelio Koryom Mayiik (Getty)

President Kiir dismissed governor, Kornelio Koryom Mayik and his deputy John Dor through a decree announced on South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC).

In a separate decree, the South Sudanese leader appointed Othom Rago Ajak and Dier Tong Ngor as the new governor and deputy governor respectively.

Both the new governor and his deputy were serving in the Central Bank as directors.

In a separate decree announced by President Kiir on Saturday, the deputy minister of finance, Mary Javes Yak and ministry's undersecretary Salvatore Garang were sacked.

The president appointed Mou Ambrose Ring Thik as the new deputy finance minister.

South Sudan is experiencing tough economic crisis with the local currency (SSP) losing 80% its value after it was floated against the United States dollar nearly 12 months ago.

Prices of the items have also surged in markets as government struggles to pay its staff.

The president did not, however, indicate why he made changes in these two institutions.

(ST)

January 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The U.S. dollar price has swung lower on the black market in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum following the U.S. decision to ease the economic sanctions imposed on the east African nations for two decades.

A worker counts US dollar bills inside a money changer in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum (Photo: Reuters)

On Friday, the outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ease sanctions against Khartoum enabling trade and investment transactions to resume with Sudan.

Last November, Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) introduced an incentive policy, increasing the exchange rate in commercial banks by 131%. As a result, the U.S. dollar exchange rate went up in banks to 15.8 SDG from the official rate of 6.5 SDG.

Following the CBoS decision, the dollar price went up and settled at 19,4 pounds on the black market.

Traders in Khartoum on Sunday told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the dollar price ranged from 14 to 17 Sudanese pounds (SDG), saying they refrained from buying the dollar in fear of a further decline in its price.

According to the traders, the U.S. decision caused uncertainty and the dollar price fluctuated from 14 to 17 pounds.

It is noteworthy that Sudan's Finance Minister Badr al-Din Mahmoud on Saturday announced they are developing a comprehensive plan to review the foreign exchange policy in light of Washington's decision to ease sanctions.

Sudan has been under American economic and trade sanctions since 1997 for its alleged connection to terror networks and remains on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terror. The first batch of sanctions restricts U.S. trade and investment with Sudan and block government's assets of the Sudanese government.

Additional sanctions in relations with the conflict in Darfur region were introduced by two Executive Orders in 2006.

(ST)

January 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Council of Ministers on Sunday has decided to extend the unilateral cessation of hostilities in war zones for six months.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also known as “Two Areas” since 2011 and a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

In June 2016, President Omer al-Bashir declared a unilateral four-month cessation of hostilities. In December, he extended the ceasefire for one month following a two-month extension declared in October.

According to the official news agency SUNA, the Sudanese cabinet held an extraordinary session on Sunday headed by al-Bashir and decided to extend the ceasefire for six months.

The government decision appears to be part of a roadmap agreement between Khartoum and Washington that prompted the latter to ease the economic sanctions imposed on Sudan since 1997.

On Friday, the outgoing US President Barack Obama signed an executive order to ease sanctions against Sudan enabling trade and investment transactions to resume with the east African nation.

He said the move intends to acknowledge Sudan's efforts to reduce internal conflicts, improve humanitarian access to people in need and curtail terrorism.

It is noteworthy that the SPLM-N, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in October extended for six months the unilateral cessation of hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and south Kordofan they declared in October 2015 and April of this year.

Following six days of talks in Addis Ababa last August, the armed movements and the government failed to conclude a deal on the security arrangements and humanitarian access in Darfur and the Two Areas prompting the African Union mediation to suspend the talks indefinitely.

(ST)

Une semaine avant le premier tour du scrutin, tous les candidats se sont engagés à respecter l’issue du vote des 22 et 29 janvier et à se ranger derrière le vainqueur.

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Selon l’Agence France Presse, les militaires français auraient arrêté des terroristes présumés dans le nord du Mali.