Africa

May 13, 2018 (WASHINGTON) - John Prendergast, the founding director Enough Project Sunday said cutting humanitarian aid to South Sudan would not affect the government of President Salva Kiir and called to use financial tools to target the country leaders.

Clooney, South Sudan's Kiir and Prendergast share a light moment, March 11, 2012 (Larco Lomayat)

Prendergast made his call in an interview with the popular NPR radio station after a statement by the White House saying it would initiate a comprehensive review of its assistance programs to South Sudan.

"I think this is a point of leverage that we think we have, but it would only work if people actually cared about the welfare of their own population," he said.

"So what I fear is, if (...) the United States actually followed through with cutting off humanitarian assistance, the government of South Sudan would point at the starving babies and say, look what the United States did," he added.

The human rights activist who lobbied in the past for the independence of South Sudan, severely criticized the South Sudan government of President Salva Kiir for its failure to build a viable state it is a "government that's lost all of its legitimacy" he said.

"This is not a government that supplies services to its people. It's not a government that builds infrastructure, it's not a government that provides security and adjudicates disputes. It's a looting machine. It's a kleptocracy. It's a den of thieves," he further stressed.

Instead of the cut of humanitarian or economic assistance, Prendergast said financial sanctions on the South Sudanese officials would be more efficient and have a direct impact on them.

"The United States has the tools, the financial tools to go after the leaders of South Sudan and freeze their assets and seize all of the kind of money that they've stolen, put into banks, put into real estate, beautiful houses around the world, put into shell companies," he said.

"Go after that money and really create a serious financial consequence for the looting and destruction of their state," he added.

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May 13, 2018 (KASS) - The Sudanese army has deployed more troops in South and Central Darfur states in what seems a preparation for a large-scale offensive on rebel positions in Jebel Marra area.

Fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW), which does not commit itself to a cessation of hostilities, since last March have clashed with the government forces in several positions of the mountainous area.

In a statement released on Saturday, the rebel group said they clashed with the government forces in several positions in Jebel Marra area which spans over North, Central and South Darfur states.

Sudanese official on Sunday told Sudan Tribune that more than 1500 troops including militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been deployed in Kass locality of South Darfur in order to attack the SLM-AW positions in Jebel Marra.

The sources said additional sources have been massed in Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur to take part in the military operations.

In April 2016, the Sudanese army launched a comprehensive offensive on the rebel-held areas in Jebel Marra but stopped its operations under the U.S. pressures and after signing a framework agreement for the lift of economic sanctions.

The UN secretary general in a recent report the Security Council last week spoke about "low intensity" of clashes in Jebel Marra.

Also, the UN report mentioned to some displacement in Jebel Marra following the clashes but it was not able to provide an estimation of the number of civilians affected by the fighting.

Last April, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies estimated that around 15,000 villagers have been displaced in Jebel Marra after the recent clashes in the mountainous area.

Human Rights Watch team leader, Africa division Jehanne Henry said this week Darfur peacekeepers ignore the magnitude of human and material casualties among civilians in Jebel Marra because they are largely absent.

"Sudan has restricted access and the peacekeeping mission has been under pressure to quickly downsize," she said in an opinion article released on 10 May.

The UNAMID has established a new temporary base in Golo to enhance the protection of civilians in the Jebel Marra but the new site is not yet fully operating.

Also in meeting with the Security Council, the Operation's force commander Leonard Muriuki Ngondi, on Wednesday 9 May said that the Sudanese government restricts their movement in the region.

"The Government of Sudan could be persuaded to adhere to the Status of Forces Agreement and allow UNAMID freedom of movement, including unhindered flights in its area of operations," he said.

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May 13, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in a meeting headed by President Omer al-Bashir has endorsed a major cabinet reshuffle, announced the official news agency SUNA on Sunday evening.

Surrounded by the speakers of the lower and upper houses Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir (centre) takes part in his swearing in ceremony for another term of five years at the parliament in Khartoum, on June 2, 2015 (AFP Photo/Ashraf Shazly)

The NCP leadership council in a meeting that lasted for more than four hours, discussed the ministerial reshuffle and the economic situation in the country.

In press statements after the meeting, NCP deputy chairman for Faisal Hassan Ibrahim said the cabinet reshuffle includes eight ministers, five ministers of state and 10 governors.

All these positions are in the quota of the ruling party. The other parties members of the NCP led government are not concerned by the move.

Ibrahim said the new ministers and governors will be officially announced on Monday.

However, different names are circulating on the social media including the new foreign minister Al Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed, former government chief negotiator over the Abyei area, and a member of the government negotiating team with the SPLM that led to the separation of South Sudan.

On the economic situation, Ibrahim said that the meeting adopted several measures, including the reduction of government spending by 25%.

He pointed out that the meeting also stressed the need to increase oil production, to provide the necessary funding for the maintenance of oil refineries, and to increase to elaborate a new policy to increase Sudan's exportations.

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May 13, 2018 (NAIROBI) - 44 young African leaders drawn from Kenya and South Sudan will participate in this year's Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) Washington Fellowship starting in June.

Speaking at last week's occasion organized for beneficiaries, the outgoing United States envoy to Kenya Robert Godec said the Washington-based programme gives young Africans an opportunity to develop new skills to use in defining the future of Africa.

“We are excited to take these young leaders to the United States but more importantly, are excited about the energy, creativity, and drive they will bring back to Kenya after the fellowship,” said Godec.

“I am sure that this programme has a bright future because it is having an impact. I am very grateful that we are able to do it and I look forward to the programme continuing,” he added.

Karen Langat, a nurse, said it was of the opportunity for connecting young African leaders with resources from the US government.

“We are not going to the US as students; we are going as experts in our own right because we are professionals. We are business owners, are civil leaders. So we are going there also leaders. It is only that we are going to bounce ideas off each other and learn from each other. So I think it will be an awesome experience,” she said.

YALI is a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. Launched by the former US President Obama in 2010, the program mainly supports young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across sub-Saharan African countries.

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May 13, 2018 (KHARTOUM) Sudan's Ministry of Oil and Gas said it would receive the second batch of oil pieces of equipment from the U.S. Baker Hughes during the next few days.

Baker Hughes is an international industrial service company and one of the world's largest oilfield services companies.

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) has quoted the State Minister of Oil Saad al-Din Al-Bushra as saying the new equipments would be used at Rawat, bloc 17 and Tobi oil fields.

He pointed out that the types of equipment would help to read the layers inside the oil wells, saying the first batch of the U.S. equipments have been used in Rawat oil field.

Al-Bushra revealed his ministry has signed an agreement with Baker Hughes to supply advanced oil equipments to increase oil production, saying the agreement provides to receive the equipments in a number of batches.

The Sudanese minister added these pieces of equipment are the first U.S. oil technology to arrive in Sudan following the lift of the economic sanctions.

In October 2017, the U.S. Administration permanently lifted 20-year-old economic sanctions against Sudan allowing resumption of trade, investment and banking transactions with the East African nation.

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.

Sudan currently produces 133,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). The country's production is stationed mainly in the Heglig area and its surroundings, as well as western Kordofan.

Chinese companies control 75 percent of foreign investment in Sudan's oil sector.

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

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It is unrealistic to think Ebola will ever be eradicated, but it is now easier to prevent a crisis.

May 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese authorities Saturday announced the arrest of a woman accused of killing an Immigration Attaché at the Nigerian embassy in Khartoum.

Habibu Almu (Photo TheCable.ng)

The Consular officer, Habibu Almu, was found stabbed to death at his home in the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum on Thursday.

In a very short statement, the official news agency SUNA said the Sudanese police "arrested the offender, a foreign woman who committed the crime". It further said she confessed the murder of the Nigerian official and the stolen possessions.

The Nigerian government condemned the assassination of its national immigration officer in Khartoum and said they would work with Khartoum to arrest the culprit.

The Sudanese authorities didn't disclose the circumstances of the crime or the nationality of the killer.

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May 12, 2018 (JUBA) - The main armed opposition-led by former first vice president Riek Machar claimed that the South Sudanese government forces continue to wage attacks on its position in different localities in a breach of the signed ceasefire.

Lam Paul Gabriel

Lam Paul Gabriel, on Saturday, issued a statement saying the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) attacked their positions in Western Bahr el-Ghazal region and the Western Equatoria region.

The rebel deputy spokesperson their fighters Friday after repulsed a four-hour attack on the SPLA-IO base in Dulu, near Raga or (Raja) killing 28 government soldiers and lost one combatant.

"This fight caused more displacement to civilians as the regime's forces took the fight to the IDP area in Dulu," he added.

Gabriel, also, said the government army has moved troops to the rebel-controlled Bazia area on Friday and Saturday morning.

"The SPLA IO would like to alert CTSAMM and IGAD that if these provocative movements lead to any hostile confrontation, the regime is to be held accountable," he said.

The rebel statement further reported a third attack on Thursday on their base in Ri-Rangu, 24Km North-West of Yambio. He stressed that the rebel fighters repelled the assailant forces towards Yambio.

The IGAD, African Union and Troika countries have accused the warring parties of repeated violations of the cessation of hostilities and threatened to sanction the violators of the truce. However, until now Russia and China oppose such move at the level of the UN Security Council.

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May 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur said it has defeated the Sudanese army in clashes on several areas of Jebel Marra on Friday.

SLM-AW fighters on guard during a visit by UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari to Fanga Suk village, in East Jebel Marra, West Darfur, on 18 March 2011 (Photo: Reuters)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Saturday, SLM-AW military spokesperson Walid Mohamed Abakar (aka Tongo) said government forces attempted to attack their positions in a number of areas in west Jebel Marra including Tori, Gundi Too, Tortora and Tuli as well as Kara area in the southern part of Jebel Marra.

He pointed out that the SLM-AW fighters “managed to defeat the government army and inflicted on them heavy losses in lives and equipment”, saying the government forces “fled the battlefield leaving behind their dead, prisoners and equipment”.

According to the statement, a number of government officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers were killed in the clashes in Kara area including a colonel who was commanding the force and a lieutenant named Mansur.

It added seven of the government troops were captured including a sergeant named Bashir Ahmed Radi, saying one of the Movement's fighters was killed and three injured during the clashes.

The SLM-AW said its fighters also seized 4 troop carrier vehicles and 12 boxes of RPG-7 projectiles besides large quantities of munitions and small and medium weapons.

The Sudanese Armed Forces spokesperson was not reachable for comment.

In a report covering the security situation in Darfur for the period from 16 February to 15 April 2018, the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) reported low-scale skirmishes in Jebel Marra area between the government forces and the SLM-AW fighters.

On 12 April 2017, the Sudanese army declared Darfur a region free of rebellion following the capture of Srounq area, the last SLM-AW stronghold in Jebel Marra. However, the army continued for several months to carry out attacks on rebel's pockets in the mountainous area.

Jebel Marra, which spans over three states including North, Central and South Darfur, is located in a water-rich area that is characterised by a mild climate.

Last year, the UN Security Council decided to reduce the UNAMID, admitting that the security situation has improved but it decided to reinforce its presence in Jebel Marra because there is no cessation of hostilities as the SLM-AW refuses to declare it unilaterally or to engage in peace negotiations.

The Sudanese army has been fighting armed groups in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, and over 2.5 million were displaced.

SUDAN CALLS ON UN TO SANCTION SLM-AW

Meanwhile, Sudan's permanent envoy to the United Nations Omer Dahab on Thursday demanded the UN Security Council to force the holdout groups to join the peace process.

In his remarks on the UNAMID report to the Council over the situation in Darfur, Dahab said peace must not be held captive to the bad faith and whims of Abdel-Wahid al-Nur.

He called on the Council to add al-Nur's name to the sanctions list, saying the rebel leader and his limited number of followers are obstructing the peace process.

It is noteworthy that the SLM-AW rejects negotiations with the government demanding the disbandment of government militias, the return of displaced persons and financial compensations.

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May 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese-Ugandan political consultation committee would hold its third meeting on Sunday in Khartoum.

The Sudanese side would be headed by the Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary Abdel-Ghani al-Nai'im while the Ugandan side would be headed by the Permanent Under-Secretary of Uganda's Foreign Ministry, Patrick Samuel.

The two sides would discuss a number of issues of common concern including ways to promote bilateral relations especially on economic, trade and technical fields as well as coordination of positions in the regional and international forums.

Also, the meeting would discuss the outcome of the President Omer al-Bashir's visit to Uganda last November besides the ongoing preparations to hold the joint ministerial committee between the two countries in Kampala during the next months.

Following ten years of strained relations, Museveni visited Khartoum in September 2015 where he and al-Bashir agreed to work together to bring stability in South Sudan and the region, and to end tensions between the two countries over the issue of rebel groups.

The Year 2016, witnessed a steady rapprochement between the two countries, accelerated, by the South Sudanese civil war and their joint efforts to end the crisis in the neighbouring nation.

The visit of President Museveni to Khartoum in October 2016 to take part in the closing conference of the government-led national dialogue was seen as a turning point in the relationship between the two countries.

In September 2016, the Ugandan government facilitated informal talks between the Sudanese government and armed groups in Darfur and Sudan's Blue Nile and South Kordofan areas, in a bid to support the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) efforts to bring peace in the east African country.

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May 12, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan's government delegation to a recent meeting with IGAD mediators has reiterated its rejection to the personal participation of the exiled former first vice president Riek Machar in the future transitional administration.

Riek Machar, center, walks to be sworn in at the presidential palace in the capital Juba, South Sudan Tuesday, April 26, (Photo AP/Jason Patinkin)

Juba declared its position in a consultations meeting held in Addis Ababa from May 10-12, 2018 including the government, the SPLM-IO and other groups, as the IGAD mediation on the other side has invited the stakeholders for the next peace forum from May 17-21, 2018.

"Our team met and gave the mediation our proposal giving out the way forward. We accept sharing of responsibilities and if this means a new agreement that results in the formation of the new government, we are ready for it," a member of the government delegation told Sudan Tribune on conditions of anonymity.

"We, also, made it clear that the responsibility sharing should not be a return to the conflict," he said adding the SPLM-IO "should be represented in the government if all they want is peace and stability to return instead of insisting on his participation".

However, the officials said they do not want to repeat the past experience. Also, he added that they cannot accept "people who do not agree to work (with the government) return to the same position" in allusion to Riek Machar

"Salva Kiir and Riek have taken the issues of the country personal and this makes it difficult to bridge the gap or even a consensus whenever they are given the opportunity," he emphasized.

The SPLM-IO in the past refused the exclusion of its leader from the government insisting that Juba cannot dictate who would represent the group in the interim government.

South Sudanese officials used to accuse Machar of being behind the bloody clashes that erupted in Juba on 8 July 2018 at the presidency between forces loyal to Machar and the presidential guards.

However, a UN conditional report revealed by the Associated Press in September 2016 claims that President Kiir and the then SPLA chief of staff Paul Malong Awan prepared and directed the fighting in Juba that led to the collapse of the transitional government and resumption of civil war in the country.

The consultations meeting tackled the outstanding issues in the power-sharing and the security arrangements.

In a related development, a member of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance told Sudan Tribune they continue to demand exclusion of President Salva Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar from the government if the result of the agreement was to be implemented.

Here again, Juba maintains its refusal for any proposal aiming to exclude President Kiir from running in the elections that would be organised at the end of the interim period.

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By Golda Abbe

After much speculation spanning years, the government of South Sudan finally announced the total lifting of fuel subsidies. This follows an ailing economy on the back of gross mismanagement, lack of hard currency, a civil war and increased US sanctions. The government have run out of strategic reserves at the limited fuel storages available.

In the 2017/2018 budget, Nilepet's overspending of allocations was deemed a primary risk and recommendation was made to restrict the fuel price support to balance the national budget.

Officially fuel will increase from 22SSP /litre to currently trading at estimated 280/300SSP/litre.

Planning for the subsidy removal has been ongoing. Since the start of 2018, the open market has been operational. Ordinary folks have been purchasing from the pump at $1/litre, drastically reducing queues. The official rate was reserved only for government establishments, public transportation, and water tankers.

Those who benefitted most from the fuel subsidies were those who consumed most, who happens to be the better off, with private vehicles and generators. The poor were disproportionally disadvantaged, although basic needs such as water are universal.

Expect cyclical inflation to increase as the rising costs are factored in prices. Higher transportation costs will result in higher food and non-food items. Businesses will be affected.

The fuel subsidy has been very popular but costly. It's distribution through the national oil company Nilepet, now under US sanctions, have given the company a bad reputation, including blamed, a conduit for government illicit trades. It never imported enough to meet demand, the gap met by private distributors selling at the dollar mark.

The subsidy costs the country an estimated $183million as per the 2017/2018 budget estimates. This does not take into account market and other distortions. Although the subsidies are to protect consumers from high and volatile prices, the costs of the subsidy were unsustainable.

Keeping the domestic price of fuel artificially low didn't encourage investment in the sector either, as it made it a challenge to recoup the investments.

The lawmakers of South Sudan had rejected lifting the fuel subsidy. The government went ahead anyway. Governments are often reluctant to pass on the full cost of rising fuel prices to citizens, as higher fuel prices negatively impact people's real income, consumption and the country's economic production.

It will be a political dilemma in the short run unless the government can show the funds are redirected to other worthy causes and done in a structural and transparent manner.

It is not clear if the government will be implementing post-subsidy programs in the form of social safety nets. However, the government's communique explains the subsidy funds are to be redirected to civil servant salaries. Whether the people believe it is a credible plan, is a different matter.

Deregulation to allow private distributors to import to their full capacity without government's restriction in the form of import approval would go a long way. It will also reduce hoarding, smuggling and diversion substantially and stabilise the price at the actual product price. Allow the free market forces to determine the price, as well as review fuel taxes and customs costs.

It is widely acknowledged that subsidies encourage overconsumption and inefficient resource allocation, it is hoped subsidy reforms will bring structural changes at all economic levels. The logic goes fuel subsidy incentivises more consumption of the product, and this higher consumption increases the cost of the subsidy.

$1= 300 SSP

G. T. Abbe writing for Ghidam Advocacy.

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