Africa

April 10, 2018 (JUBA) – The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), a South Sudanese human rights body, is calling on the regional bloc (IGAD) block to include the former South Sudanese army chief of staff, General Paul Malong in the next round of talks in Addis Ababa.

Former South Sudanese army chief Gen. Paul Malong Awan speaking at a Dinka Malual community meeting in Juba on 1 November, 2012 (ST)

On Monday, Malong announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF) which he said was the only means through which he will work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the country.

CPJ's executive director, Tito Anthony, however, said for peace to be fully achieved and sustained in the country would mean considering inclusivity of all armed opposition and non-armed opposition such as the newly formed SSUF.

“If the IGAD exclude Gen. Malong from the peace talks, that peace will not be sustainable peace because he will remain out of government and fighting it,” he said in a statement issued Tuesday.

He added, “IGAD should deal with the current conflict at once and therefore Gen. Malong must be part of this high level revitalization forum, reach consensus with other parties and have a concert peace in the country”.

He also appealed to the ex-army to pursue the path of peace and also accept any peaceful settlement of the conflict in the country.

Malong said his new rebel group would strive towards fighting what he described as "systemic corruption, stop the ongoing carnage, steer the country toward democracy, justice, equality and freedom."

He also vowed to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in December last year by the various warring parties and he urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to allow his new group to be part of the high-level revitalization forum meeting scheduled April 26 in Addis Ababa.

In February this year, the European Union imposed sanctions on Malong and three South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.

Relations between Malong and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

Malong was freed in November following mediation led by the Jieng Council of Elders. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (GEVEVA) - The United Nations independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi is visiting the country from 14 -24 April to assess the implementation of recommendations made to the government by human rights mechanisms.

UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan Aristide Nononsi (UNAMID Photo)

“My fifth mission to Sudan aims to examine the steps undertaken by the Government to comply with its international human rights obligations, and to discuss possible areas for technical cooperation,” said Nononsi in a statement.

The independent expert said he also wanted to see what action had been taken to reform the current legal framework, which infringes on the exercise of political and civil rights and fundamental freedoms, in response to the recommendations made in his previous reports.

During the visit, however, the UN official will reportedly meet Sudanese officials, representatives of civil society, community leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, and UN agencies in Khartoum and the country's western region of Darfur.

In Darfur region, Nononsi will visit the Shallah Federal Prison, the UN said.

The findings and recommendations of the independent expert will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in September 2018.

Nononsi was designated the new independent expert on the human rights situation in Sudan by the UN Human Rights Council in 2014.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KAMPALA) - Police in the northern Ugandan district of Lira are reporting holding staff of a South Sudanese non-governmental organization over illegal possession of firearms.

Arms and light weapons have been used by both warring parties in South Sudan to commit abuses (Photo courtesy of SSANSA)

Morris Okwir, Daily Monitor reported, has been working as programmes director for John Dau Foundation (JDF) in South Sudan.

Okwir, 39, was reportedly arrested by police Sunday night following a tip-off by a concerned resident that he was in possession of a rifle.

During interrogation, Okwir reportedly told police he legally bought the gun in an open market in South Sudan for his personal security.

A charge of illegal possession of firearms with case file CRB 12/33/2018 has reportedly been opened, as investigations continue.

“The suspect admitted and directed us to where he was hiding the firearm. We found a 9MM Pistol model; BLOW P99 A CALL with serial NO. 8-002377 loaded with 4 rounds of live ammunitions,” David Ongom Mudong, the North Kiyoga regional police spokesperson told Daily Monitor.

Okwir say he legally acquired the firearm from South Sudan, but police have said it was illegal in Uganda since it was not registered.

“That is illegal, the law only permits security agencies to possess firearms, however, individuals who wish to acquire firearms should follow the right procedures as required by the Ugandan law within the Firearms Act,” stressed Ongom.

Meanwhile, the JDF president, Deng Dhieu Leek was quoted saying efforts are underway to contact Uganda's security officials about the matter.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation for Darfur Amin Hassan Omer said the government has received an invitation to meet the armed movements in Berlin from 16 to 17 April.

Head of government delegation for talks for peace in Darfur Amin Hassan Omer speaks to reporters in Addis Ababa on Friday 20 November 2015 (ST Photo)

The meeting would bring the Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement.

If the parties strike a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

The German government which is a facilitator for the African Union efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan hosted several meetings in the past for the opposition groups or between the government and opposition.

Omer told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) the government would meet with the rebel movements “to listen to them and then look into their views”.

Commenting on the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) threats to sanction rebels who obstruct efforts to achieve peace in Darfur, Omer said the Council's role is to ensure the negative movements don't adversely impact on security and stability of African nations.

He stressed the AUSPC is heading in the right direction regarding the conflict in Darfur.

In a meeting held on 20 February 2018, the AUPSC said concerned by the “unnecessarily prolonged” process for peace in Darfur and called for a rapid resolution of the 15-year conflict.

The Council further pointed to "the lack of commitment on the part of the non-signatory Darfur armed movements" and urged them to engage discussions with the government on the basis of the DDPD.

It urged mediators to make progress in the resolution of Darfur conflict during the upcoming three months and threatened to sanction those who continue to hinder the ongoing efforts for a lasting peace.

The holdout groups including the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement - Minn Minnawi (SLM-MM) refused to sign the DDPD in July 2011 and called to open the framework agreement for talks.

Other groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) had declined to join the process and rejected its outcome.

The AUHIP led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki proposed a holistic process to end the armed conflicts and produce political reforms in Sudan.

During the year 2015-2016, talks between the government and the SLM-MM and JEM failed to reach a tangible result despite international efforts to bring together the opposition groups and to narrow the gaps between them and the government.

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

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Tuesday issued a decree to release all political prisoners in response to a call by the political parties of the National Consensus Government (NCG).

The security forces arrested opposition leaders and dozens of political activists after a series of protests against the austerity measures including the increase of bread price announced at the beginning of January 2018.

The NCG's political parties on Monday called on al-Bashir to release all political detainees in order to create a suitable atmosphere for the formation of the Supreme Constitutional Committee tasked with the drafting of the permanent constitution.

The presidential decree pointed out that the release of political prisoners aims to enhance the spirit of the national consensus and harmony brought about by the national dialogue.

"The decision also aims to create a conducive climate to enable all political forces to take part in the discussions over the national issues and the making of the permanent constitution," further said the decree.

Meanwhile, the state minister at the presidency and director general of the president's offices Hatim Hassan Bakhit said the decree was immediately implemented by the concerned bodies.

Earlier this month, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said arrangements are underway to hold discussions with all political forces over the permanent constitution.

In October 2016, the political forces participating in the government-led national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalised by transitional institutions.

The NCG was installed in May 2017 to implement the outcome of the dialogue conference.

The opposition groups boycotted the national dialogue because the government didn't agree to a humanitarian truce with the armed groups and due to its refusal to implement a number of confidence-building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan Tuesday affirmed its continued participation in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Sudanese troops arriving in Aden, Yemen (Al-Arabiya TV)

The statement was made public after a meeting of the foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour with ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates in Khartoum.

" The Minister stated Sudan's firm stance on its participation in the coalition forces and its support to the efforts to restoring stability in brotherly Yemen," said the foreign ministry spokesperson Gaffar Sumi Toto in a statement released after the meeting.

The meeting came amid growing calls to withdraw Sudanese troops from Yemen. The latest was a demand by several Members of Parliament from the Reform Now Movement of Ghazi Salah al-Din to withdraw the Sudanese troops from Yemen.

The statement, also, said the ambassadors "conveyed their condolences to the families of the martyrs and their wishes for the speedy recovery of the wounded of the recent operations in Yemen".

The Yemeni rebels said they killed dozens of Sudanese soldiers in the northern province of Hajjah before dawn on Friday. But, the Sudanese government didn't comment on the report.

The Sudanese army has been participating in the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 in a regional effort to back the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels.

(ST)

April 10, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan ex-army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan on Tuesday claimed he was pushed into rebellion after all attempts to reconcile him with President Salva Kiir and his entire administration failed.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, Gen Paul Malong Awan (Juba24 News)

“Every attempt, both public and private to engage the Kiir's regime towards peace has been flatly manipulated by regime apologists and those who spearhead the peace effort put on the hit list. Anyone who mentions the need for peaceful engagement is branded an enemy of the state and is targeted for extra-judicial assassination”, Malong said in a statement.

On Monday, Malong announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), a new opposition party, which he claimed was the only means through which he would work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the country.

“Our movement is a just and urgent call to our compatriots and a struggle to first arrest the carnage that has befell our country and secondly to steer us towards democracy and development, which are the cornerstones of nationhood, an African nationhood of democracy, development, equal citizenry, justice and freedom”, he said.

He accused Kiir of building a nation where total impunity is the order.

“Our movement seeks to reverse this. We must build our nationhood around strong institutions and not strongmen. Strong institutions will outlive all of us and guarantee the prosperity of our nation. This is what we yearn for in our country”, stressed the ex-army chief.

Malong said his new rebel group would strive towards fighting what he described as "systemic corruption, stop the ongoing carnage, steer the country toward democracy, justice, equality and freedom."

He also vowed to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in December last year by the various warring parties and he urged the regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to allow his new group to be part of the high-level revitalization forum meeting scheduled April 26 in Addis Ababa.

In February this year, the European Union imposed sanctions on Malong and three South Sudanese officials implicated in human rights violations and obstructions of their country's peace process.

Relations between Awan and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

The ex-army chief was freed in November following mediation led by the Jieng Council of Elders. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

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