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NEW YORK. A világ szeme Szírián, miközben a világ vezetői gyülekeznek az ENSZ-közgyűlés jövő heti ülésszakára, s az Egyesült Államok és Oroszország a törékeny szíriai tűzszüneti megállapodás megóvásán munkálkodik, Barack Obama amerikai elnök pedig a menekülteknek szánt globális segítségnyújtást szeretné felgyorsítani.

On savait déjà qu'il se tenait « en réserve ». La présidentielle, Manuel Valls y pense en se rasant, une joue sur deux. Le Premier ministre ne veut pas être un Emmanuel Macron, sacrifiant sa loyauté sur...

Vasárnap reggel megkezdődött Oroszországban a parlamenti választás, a különböző időzónák miatt valahol már be is fejeződtek.

A parlament alsóháza, vagyis az Állami Duma 450 képviselőjét választják újra, a ház tagjainak felét a hagyományos módon, országos pártlistáról, a másikat pedig az idén újból bevezetett egyéni körzetek alapján.

Felmérések szerint ellenzéki pártok aligha lépik túl a frakcióalapításhoz szükséges ötszázalékos küszöböt, egyéni helyeket viszont szerezhetnek.

Várhatóan a jelenlegi parlamenti pártok mindegyike mandátumhoz jut, ez egyedül az Igazságos Oroszország párt esetében kétséges. Az idei parlamenti választásokra egyébként 14 párt tudott országos listát állítani.

Az alsóházzal egyidejűleg több regionális voksolást is tartanak, így ma választják meg 39 régió képviseleti szerveit, az Oroszországi Föderációt alkotó 85 entitás közül hétnek a vezetőjét, valamint kb. 5 ezer önkormányzatot. Az összesen 38 ezer mandátumért több mint 103 ezer jelölt indul 49 párt és hat társadalmi szervezet képviseletében.

POZSONY. A visegrádi négyek (V4) készek megvétózni minden olyan megállapodást Nagy-Britannia és az Európai Unió között, amely korlátozná a munkavállalási jogokat brit földön - mondta Robert Fico miniszterelnök a Reuters brit hírügynökségnek.

The Belgrade Pride Parade will be held on Sunday, and while the police will be on hand to ensure security, neither they nor the organisers of the event expect any trouble.

NEW YORK. Legalább huszonkilencen megsérültek a New York-i Manhattan déli részén szombat este történt robbanásban. Az első információk szerint nem terrorakció történt. Az Egyesült Államokban szombaton este több incidens is volt. Legalább nyolc ember kórházba került egy késes támadás után Minnesotában. New Jerseyben pedig csőbomba robbant egy futóversenyen, de senki nem sérült meg.

A greater place for science in international decision-making is essential to making real the blueprint for ending extreme poverty and averting the threat of runaway climate change set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

« Si Hollande est réélu, on pourra le canoniser et l'appeler saint François, parce qu'il aura accompli un miracle... » rigolait — jaune — un ténor du PS après la canonisation de mère Teresa. C'est dire...

« Ce que j'ai là,c'est un pavé. Un pavé que nous allons lancer dans la mare politique », lance Bruno Le Maire en bras de chemise, pas peu fier de brandir comme un trophée l'épais classeur bleu de son « contrat...

La modeste salle des sports de Lomme, dans la banlieue lilloise, ne vaut pas celle de l'université d'été du PS à La Rochelle — annulée par crainte de manifestations —, mais une tribune est une tribune....

Quatre années de réflexion au gré de ses rencontres sur le terrain, pour aboutir à un projet présidentiel résumé en 240 fiches. Bruno Le Maire le jure : « Aucun autre candidat n'a été aussi loin que moi....

September 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid has accused political and armed opposition of lack of seriousness and stressed that peace and political talks would stop by the end of the national dialogue conference which will start on October 10th.

Last August, after a week of negotiations over a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements, the African Union mediation suspended the discussions between the government and rebels in Sudan's two areas and Darfur region.

On Friday, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Gibril Ibrahim disclosed they requested the mediation to dedicate more time for the preparations of the upcoming round of talks, adding no date has been determined yet for its resumption.

Hamid, who addressed the meeting of the Political Parties Affairs Council (PPAC) on Saturday, said the government has been working for years to achieve security, stability and permanent peace.

“However, the opposition forces, driven by foreign agendas, are not serious in their endeavors to achieve the desired peace,” he said.

He underlined that negotiations with all political and armed opposition would stop following the end of the national dialogue.

“No party would be allowed to access power through the force of arms, [they could only do that] by resorting to the ballot boxes that are determined by the Sudanese people,” he said.

Hamid renewed the commitment of the presidency to implement the outcome of the national dialogue in order to strengthen the domestic front and the government institutions and to give all political forces the opportunity to participate in the power by creating a political system that could achieve stability in the country.

In January 2014, President Omer al-Bashir called on political parties and armed groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss four issues, including ending the civil war, allowing political freedoms, fighting against poverty and revitalising national identity.

Launched on 10 October 2015 for three months, the dialogue process was initially expected to wind up in January 2016 but it was delayed until October 10th.

The opposition groups refuse to join the process and call on the government to implement a number of confidence building measures aimed to create a suitable atmosphere for dialogue. But the government refuses their claims.

The presidential aide accused opposition forces of making poor excuses to stall the talks time and again, saying the government has made a number of concessions during the negotiations on the Roadmap Agreement.

Last month, four groups from the opposition umbrella Sudan Call including the National Umma Party, Sudan People's Liberation Movement /North, Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minnawi signed the Roadmap Agreement for peace and dialogue brokered by the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP).

The four groups had initially rejected the peace plan which was signed by the government last March, saying it excludes other opposition groups, and omits important confidence building measures such as political freedoms and release of political detainees and prisoners.

However after five months, they agreed to ink it after receiving reassurance from the head of the AUHIP Thabo Mbeki.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (JUBA) - A United Nations-mandated human rights commission has expressed “deep concern” over rights violations and the slow implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement between rival political factions in South Sudan.

The delegation which has been on a one-week visit to South Sudan said the implementation of the peace agreement has not been going on well following the 8 July clashes in Juba, coupled with human rights violations.

“We are deeply concerned at the slow progress on the implementation of the provisions of the Peace Agreement which is fundamental to ending the conflict, human rights violations and normalization of the lives of South Sudanese,” Yasmin Sooka, the Chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, told reporters in the country's capital, Juba on Friday.

The Commission was established in March this year by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council and comprises two other members Kenneth Scott and Godfrey Musila. The Commission has been tasked with, among other mandates, monitoring and reporting on the situation of human rights in South Sudan and make recommendations for its improvement.

According to a statement, the three Commission members travelled throughout South Sudan from 8 to 15 September, holding exchanges with the government officials, the judiciary, the legislative assembly, the diplomatic corps, UN actors, civil society organizations and internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking shelter at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Protection of Civilians Site (PoC).

In early July, close to the fifth anniversary of the country's independence, the youngest nation in the world was plunged into fresh violence due to clashes between rival forces – the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), loyal to President Kiir, and the SPLA in Opposition, backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar. That led to deaths and injuries and a mass displacement of civilians, also undermining the implementation of the peace agreement between the political rivals in August 2015, which formally ended their differences.

An earlier report of the United Nations last week blamed President Salva Kiir and his army's chief, Paul Malong Awan, for ordering the recent renewed fighting in Juba, which has threatened the collapse of the peace deal.

“We travelled to Bentiu and made a stop in Malakal. The visit proved to be extremely useful as we were able to visit the Malakal UNMISS PoC site housing IDPs and obtained an extensive briefing on the human rights situation there,” said the rights delegation's statement.

The Commission said it observed the deplorable conditions under which IDPs live, but it could not visit the PoC site in Juba for security reasons. It however held a meeting with the site's leadership on the human rights situation and the violations and abuses reportedly committed in Juba.

The Commission also said it held two meetings with women in the PoC sites where they were able to hear directly from women on the human rights situation and the human rights violations and abuses they had suffered, including gang rape by armed men in uniform.

In meetings with Government officials, the Commission members touched on critical issues of accountability, particularly in respect of previous and current investigations and inquiries that the government has either conducted, instituted or committed to, the press release said, noting that these issues included the establishment of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan, the Bill amending the Penal Code to incorporate international crimes and the establishment of the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing.

“Overall, we remain concerned by the diminishing space for journalists and civil society members who are subject to intimidation and harassment; by the lack of access for UNMISS and humanitarian actors to reach the most vulnerable; the escalation of sexual violence against women and girls,” it said.

“Above all, we are concerned about the ongoing impunity and lack of accountability for serious crimes and human rights violations in South Sudan, without which lasting peace cannot be achieved,” it added.

The three members are currently in Addis Ababa for meetings with high-level officials from the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission and will later travel to Uganda to interact with South Sudanese refugees and for further meetings in connection with their mandate.

The Commission revealed that it plans to return to South Sudan later this year before reporting to the Human Rights Council in March 2017.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, has appointed ambassador Jean-Michel Dumond as Head of the EU Delegation to Sudan.

EU's ambassador to Sudan Jean-Michel Dumond (EU Photo)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday, the EU delegation to Sudan said that Dumond has arrived in Khartoum on September 13th, pointing he is expected to present his credentials to the Sudanese government in the coming days.

The French diplomat, who succeeded former Czech envoy Tomas Ulicny, was previously serving as Head of the EU Delegation to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He also served as ambassador of France to Nigeria and had been posted to Germany, Italy and Romania.

“Ambassador Dumond was also Director for Common Foreign and Security Policy and Deputy-Director for Western Europe at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He devoted a part of his career to the Francophonie” said the statement.

The statement added that the role of Dumond is “to represent the EU in Sudan, to ensure the enhancement of bilateral relations, to promote the values and interests of the European Union, notably peace, democracy, and respect for human rights through political dialogue, development cooperation and humanitarian assistance to the people of the Sudan”.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (BENTIU) - A delegation of 35 members from South Sudan's armed opposition loyal to First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai are in Northern Liech, one of the country's new states on peace deal implementation.

Taban Deng Gai addresses delegates after he was sworn-in as South Sudan FVP inside the Presidential Palace in the capital of Juba, July 26, 2016 (Photo Reuters/ Jok Solomun)

Former Mayom county commissioner, John Bol Mayak, said the visiting team discussed a number of issues on with state officials.

“We are happy to receive the delegations, and we now pledge to the general public that the Northern Liech state is for peace,” said Mayak, now a state security advisor.

Last month, he said, the state received several members of the country's armed forces under the command of Lt. Gen Dor Manjuor as a sign of peace in the country.

Former Unity state security advisor, Manyiew Dak led the delegation, comprising of several senior SPLM-IO members.

Dak separately told Sudan Tribune that he led the over 35-member delegation to Bentiu to spread messages of peace and assure them of the peace implementation.

“Our coming to the state was to assure people and government officials that peace must be implemented in line with Taban Deng Gai's appointment as the first vice president of the republic of South Sudan,” he said.

Dak stressed that the people of Northern Liech state were for peace, which he said must be embraced by all citizens.

“It is time for us to leave Riek Machar alone and his groups. We assure you that through Gen. Taban Deng and President Salva Kiir, peace will be achieved without any obstacle,” he said.

The armed opposition delegation, officials told Sudan Tribune, will move around the counties informing the public about new development for peace in the country.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Over 2,000 South Sudanese refugees relocated from Khor Omer to Kario camp in Sudan's East Darfur state, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), said in a new report.

The relocation of the refugees reportedly began on 20 August and as of 9 September, 2,173 refugees from Khor Omer camp had been moved to the new camp.

According to UNHCR, Kario camp, which is located about 45km south of Ed Daein, was selected by authorities to host the refugees coming from the Northern Bahr el Ghazal area of South Sudan.

“The relocation will help decongest Khor Omer and ensure better access to basic services including access to water, sanitation and health services and other assistance in Kario,” the agency said.

Those relocated have reportedly also received shelter materials.

As of 31 August, the total number of South Sudanese in Sudan had exceeded 247,000, the refugee agency said, adding that fluctuating figures in some refugee hosting locations is due to the internal movement of refugees within Sudan, particularly in East Darfur and the Kordofan states where refugees have been seeking seasonal labour.

Meanwhile, over 6,000 South Sudanese were moved by local authorities between 18-19 August, from three open areas in Jabrona sites, located in Ombeda locality (Omdurman) to a new site in Nivasha, 15km from the Jabrona, the UN agency said.

UNHCR, however, said it was not consulted on the relocation of the refugees, but added that it was monitoring the situation closely.

The UN refugee agency said it was engaged in dialogue with the Sudanese Federal Civil Registry to promote the issuance of birth certificates for South Sudanese children born in Sudan.

“Authorities in White Nile and South Kordofan States have indicated they are ready to issue certificates, which UNHCR welcomes,” it said, adding it is currently following up with the authorities at state levels.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (JUBA) - A senior official at South Sudan's information ministry says it has no knowledge about the recent closure of an independent English daily newspaper.

South Sudan's information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, speaks to reporters in Jonglei state capital Bor on 25 December 2014 (ST)

South Sudan's director general of information, Paul Jacob Kumbo, said he was unaware of the decision behind closure of the Nation Mirror newspaper.

"I cannot say anything about this because I am not unaware of the reasons for which the paper you are talking about was closed. So I cannot also comment on when it will resume. It is the responsibility of the national security and they are the ones to decide," he said.

He was reacting days after the Juba-based newspaper was closed by authorities.

The decision by operatives drew a significant attention of the media advocacy group and the international organizations advocating for upholding of freedom of expression as well as right to gathering and disseminating information in the interest of the public.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in a statement issued on Thursday, called on South Sudan authorities to immediately re-open the paper. The statement was in reaction to reports that security services ordered the independent daily to close.

"The newspaper's editor, Aurelions Simon Cholee says security officials summoned editors and accused them of "engaging in activities that are incompatible with the newspaper's registration status," but did not offer further explanation.

Cholee said that authorities ordered the Nation Mirror closed and did not specify when it would be able to resume publication. The paper's website was last updated on 13 September.

In its most recent edition, the Nation Mirror covered a report by The Sentry, a Washington advocacy group, which alleged that President Salva Kiir and his rival, the former vice president Riek Machar, had amassed enormous wealth and invested it in multimillion dollar properties abroad, while a conflict triggered by a dispute between the pair has left many citizens in South Sudan living in poverty.

"President Salva Kiir's government should immediately allow the Nation Mirror to resume publication," said Murithi Mutiga, CPJ's East Africa representative.

"South Sudan needs more, not fewer, independent and critical voices. Preventing professional journalists from doing their work will not advance efforts to build a democratic and stable South Sudan," he added.

The Nation Mirror was closed before. In February 2015, CPJ documented how National Security Service agents seized a print run and issued a publishing ban after the paper was accused of printing anti-government reports.

The media environment in South Sudan has deteriorated in recent months. CPJ reported in July that the major daily, Juba Monitor, was ordered closed and its editor, Alfred Taban, was arrested after he wrote a column critical of both Kiir and Machar.

(ST)

September 17, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Gibril Ibrahim Friday disclosed they requested the African Union mediation to dedicate more time for the preparations of the upcoming round of talks adding no date has been determined yet for its resumption.

Last August, after a week of negotiations with the government over a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements the mediation suspended the discussions between the warring parties in Sudan's two areas and Darfur region.

Sudanese officials recently expected the resumption of talks soon, and announced a visit by the head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Thabo Mbeki to Khartoum ahead of the negotiations.

However , JEM leader who is currently visiting the French capital Paris told Sudan Tribune that no date has been yet determined. He further said they informed an AUHIP delegation during a recent meeting held in Kampala they would not join the negotiating table before the good preparations for the short rounds of negotiations the mediation used to hold.

He said together with Minni Minnawi the leader of Sudan Liberation Movement faction, they recommended to not call for a new round of talks without good preparations and making every diplomatic effort to narrow the gaps between the parties.

Ibrahim further told a limited number of journalists and activists that they asked the mediation not to set a deadline for the negotiations. " We told them if there is a problem in the means, the mediation should search further funding."

"So, no specific date has been fixed for the resumption of negotiations," he concluded.

The talks on peace in Darfur between the Sudanese government, JEM and SLM-MM are stalled over four points: the rebel rejection of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), the determination of the exact location of their sites, release of the prisoners of war and the establishment of a mechanism to monitor the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

JEM leader explained they asked to open the DDPD for negotiations to review some issues but the government refused. Following what they proposed to keep the framework agreement aside and to negotiate new deal but the government also rejected their proposal.

"That means there would be no political or economic discussions and we would only negotiate security arrangements and power sharing protocols," he stressed, pointing they are interested in justice and reforms.

According to Ibrahim the mediation held a separate meeting in Kampala with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement to discuss the differences between them and the Sudanese government on the humanitarian access, as they diverge over the delivery of 20% of the aid from Ethiopia.

He confirmed that the Sudan Call groups will meet in Addis Ababa from 25 to 30 September to discuss the preparatory meeting to coordinate positions and discuss some organizational matters.

Ibrahim who chairs a faction of the Sudan revolutionary Front stressed that the good coordination between the opposition forces, which include political and military groups, is needed more than any structural reforms.

He also, the preparatory or the strategic meeting between the government and opposition groups will discuss the other confidence building measures besides the humanitarian truce such as the release of prisoners and ensuring public freedoms through the suspension of the National Security Act of 2010.

The meeting will discuss the participation of the "Call of Sudan" and other opposition forces in a comprehensive and genuine national dialogue and how to enable them to implement its outputs. This requires restructuring the National Congress Party controlled process in Khartoum, he added.

He regretted that some opposition groups decided to boycott the negotiations with the government before too fulfill a number of conditions saying they want to bring these preconditions on the negotiating table.

Some groups of the National Consensus Forces refused to take part in the African Union brokered negotiations before the creation of a conducive environment and the acceptance of Bashir's government to form a transitional cabinet to implement the outcome of the national dialogue.

(ST)

A few days ago on the way to the office, BBC Nigeria reporter Stephanie Hegarty grabbed breakfast at a new juice bar on the Lagos street where she lives. Three hours later, it was gone.

VIDÉOS. Si certains militants n'ont d'yeux que pour Marine Le Pen, d'autres acceptent difficilement la disparition des traditionnels symboles du FN.