Africa

The boat is the second of a pair that has been buried for more than 5,000 years.

Joseph Warungu reflects on the plight of Kenyan opposition supporters after their leader reconciled with his political nemesis.

Joseph Warungu reflects on the plight of Kenyan opposition supporters after their leader reconciled with his political nemesis.

April 8, 2018 (KHARTOUM) Sudan's Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf has received an invitation from Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attend the closing ceremony of the joint military exercise “Gulf Shield-1”.

Sudan is among 23 countries taking part in the military drills that began on March 18, 2018.

Ibu Ouf on Sunday received the Saudi Ambassador to Khartoum Ali Hassan Ja'afar who handed him over a written letter from the Crown Prince inviting him to attend the closing ceremony of the military exercise on 16 April.

The two sides discussed the evolving relations between the two countries, particularly in the military field.

According to the official news agency SUNA, the Saudi envoy praised the great sacrifices of the Sudanese army within the Saudi-led military alliance in Yemen.

It is noteworthy that the military exercise coincides with the Arab League summit which will be held in Riyadh next week.

For years, Khartoum's regime maintained close relations with Riyadh's arch-rivals in Tehran.

However, in January 2016, Sudan severed ties with Iran after an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran amid a row over the execution of a Shiite Muslim cleric.

Sudanese troops are deployed in Yemen since October 2014 within a Saudi-led Arab coalition against the Shiite Houthi militants.

In February 2016, the Sudanese army participated in a regional military exercise including Saudi and Gulf armies, Egypt, Jordanian, Pakistani, and Sudanese armies.

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April 8, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The secretary general of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Ali al-Haj Mohamed has expected the Sudanese government and the rebel movements to reach a peace agreement soon.

The Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region (Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) will meet in Berlin on 16 and 17 April 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.

Commenting on these developments, al-Haj who met Darfur groups last December told the semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) that the armed movements have expressed desire to end the war and achieve peace in the country.

He pointed out that his meeting with the SRF in Berlin was based on the outcome of the national dialogue, saying the PCP met with the rebel umbrella within the framework of its participation in the National Consensus Government.

Al-Haj added the PCP seeks to bring the views of the various parties closer through its work in the Supreme Council for Peace which was formed by the Sudanese presidency recently.

The PCP, which historically was opposed to foreign initiatives to end the war in Sudan, launched several months ago an initiative to bridge the gaps between the National Congress Party-led government and the opposition groups that boycott the National Dialogue process.

It is noteworthy that the state security prosecution last week filed criminal charges against the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi for dealing and coordinating with the armed movements that seek to topple the regime.

Following a heated internal debate over participation in the National Consensus Government which was formed in May 2017, the PCP took part in the executive and legislative branches of the post-dialogue government.

The Islamist party had earlier threatened to not participate in the government after the parliament passed constitutional amendments retaining powers of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

The PCP, founded by the late Islamic leader Hassan al-Turabi, splinted from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) since 1999 and joined the opposition ranks since that time but it supported the national dialogue process declared by al-Bashir in 2014 and participated in all its forums.

The opposition groups boycotted the process because the government and the armed groups failed to sign a humanitarian truce and also due to Khartoum refusal to implement a number of confidence-building measures aiming to create a conducive environment in the country before to hold the inclusive dialogue.

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Morocco will play friendly internationals against Ukraine, Slovakia and Estonia as part of their preparation for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Tunisia forward Youssef Msakni will miss the World Cup in Russia after being ruled out for six months with a knee injury.

April 7, 2018 (YAMBIO) – The South Sudan 2018 agriculture and seed fair campaigned was officially launched on Wednesday in Yambio.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

The country's national minister for agriculture, Onyoti Adigo led the high level delegation, which comprised of officials from United Nations agencies and agricultural stakeholders, to Gbudue state.

Adigo said Gbudue state was chosen as one of the areas for food production to help reduce hunger in the war-torn country.

“Despite the numerous challenges the country is facing, agriculture is a key priority of the government to sensitize the farmers to provide seeds to them to produce more food,” said the agriculture minister.

“Our country has a lot of problems and those problems can be solved through agriculture,” he added.

Government, according to the minister, lacks agricultural land and that all state governors are to avail 250,000 fedan for agriculture.

The deputy country representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Pierre Vauthier said the hunger situation may worsen in South Sudan if food production does not improve.

“In 2018, the hunger situation has worsened more than before according to a recent report and the people of Gbudue state have potential to double efforts to produce more food,” said Vauthier.

He said FAO will embark on training of farmers in Western Equatoria region on how to produce surplus food for consumption and sale.

The training shall include storage and provision of seed on time, he said.

In 2017, World Food Program and partners reportedly supported over 3000 households to improve production and create community assets worth $648,000, which were spent over a six month period.

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April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) A visiting delegation from the UK House of Lords will visit South Kordofan State on Tuesday, said Sudan's official news agency SUNA

The British delegation is headed by Lord Mohammed Altaf-Khan and it includes Baroness Jenny Tonge and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

According to the agency, the visit aims to check on the peace situation and the disarmament campaign as well as the human rights situation.

The delegation would meet with the government officials and the native administration and will visit some parts of the state to examine the social coexistence experience.

It is noteworthy that the delegation would be accompanied by a group of Sudanese MPs headed by the Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Sub-Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mutwakil al-Tigani along with some members of the Sudanese-British Friendship Council.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

In March 2016, Sudan and the UK held the first strategic consultations meetings between the two countries in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. The meeting was considered the first talks of its kind at the ministerial level in 25 years.

The two countries agreed to exchange visits at the level of senior officials from the two countries along with increasing cooperation in the fields of economy, investment and culture.

Last December, a group of British MPs signed a letter to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson ahead of a Sudanese-British economic forum warning the government against pursuing investment in a country rife with corruption and where the president is wanted for human rights violations.

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April 7, 2018 (JUBA) – The three different factions of South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) are due to hold a reunification meeting in the capital, Juba on 19 April, a senior coalition government official said on Thursday.

South Sudan's vice-president, James Wani Igga (Photo: Larco Lomayat)

James Wani Igga, the country's vice president, said the Juba meeting will bring together the fractured factions of South Sudan's ruling party.

Igga, also the deputy chairperson of the SPLM faction led by President Salva Kiir, said the SPLM-In-Opposition leader, Riek Machar and former SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, who is now a member of the country's former political detainees were all invited.

Sudan Tribune was unable to confirm if rebel leader Machar, who is currently detained in South Africa, will attend the 19 April meeting in Juba.

In January 2015, delegates from three factions of the SPLM party signed a 12-page agreement in Arusha, Tanzania, laying out key steps toward reunifying the party.

Those who signed include the party loyal to President Salva Kiir, the SPLM-in-Opposition and which is led by former vice president Riek Machar, and a third made up of party officials who were detained when the conflict began in December 2013.

The SPLM, South Sudan's ruling party, was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). The party, in the aftermath of the civil war that broke out in the country in mid-December 2013, split into the SPLM-Juba faction headed by Kiir, SPLM-IO led by Machar and that of the ex-political detainees.

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April 7, 2018 (JUBA) — South Sudan government again warned that elections would be held this year if no deal is reached with the opposition groups.

The IGAD Council of Minister decided that the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) for peace in South Sudan will resume its meetings on 26 April 2018 for six days.

However, the parties are seemingly not ready to make the needed concessions for an inclusive agreement as they continue to maintain their previous positions on the transitional government and political reforms.

The IGAD mediators are drafting an agreement that the parties have to discuss during the last week of April.

the government information minister Michael Makuei said his government is prepared for the upcoming talks but threatened the opposition groups again that elections would be held even before the implementation of the constitutional reforms or the end of the war in the country.

"We talk of going for elections when we see that the opposition is not serious and they are dragging their feet with a plan that there will be a vacuum that will lead to the illegitimacy of the government," Makuei said.

The minister recently accused the opposition of seeking to foil the peace process and calling for a regime change pointing that Kiir government has no legitimacy.

South Sudan had to hold general elections in July 2015 but the parliament extended Kiir mandate for three years until July 2018. But, the August 2015 peace agreement provides that general elections had to be held in February 2018.

Already on 30 March 2018, Makuei threatened to hold elections if no deal is concluded with the opposition groups.

At the same time, he said the leader of the SPLM In Opposition Riek Machar cannot return to the country to participate in the elections unless he denounces violence.

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April 7, 2018 (KAMPALA) - The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has urged Uganda to protect refugees after a two-year-old South Sudanese child was killed in the northern part of the country.

South Sudanese refugees carrying Core Relief Items walk down a road in Bidibidi refugee settlement, Yumbe District, Northern Region, Uganda. (UNHCR/David Azia)

In brief statement issued on Saturday, UNHCR said law enforcement authorities must ensure protection of refugees in refugee settlements.

The child was killed in Palabek refugee settlement in the northern Ugandan district of Lamwo, but motive of the killing remains unclear.

"This is a terrible tragedy and there is no justification for such a senseless act of barbarism," Joel Boutroue, the UNHCR representative in Uganda said in the statement.

The number of South Sudanese refugees currently living in Uganda has exceeded one million, according to the UN refugee agency.

The conflict in South Sudan, now in its fifth year, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million civilians.

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April 6, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan rebels allied to the country's former First Vice- President Riek Machar claimed that the South Sudanese government was planning to kidnap and track down refugees in Ugandan resettlement camps and Kampala town.

Lam Paul Gabriel

Lam Paul Gabriel SPLA-IO deputy spokesperson told Sudan Tribune they got intelligence that the South Sudanese security service in the West Nile region of Uganda plans to abduct South Sudanese opponents in Ugandan.

He further provided the name of an intelligence officer saying he was assigned in Arua district to coordinate with the South Sudan embassy in Kampala for activities in relation to kidnapping.

“The group is sent with much money for bribing (Ugandan) officers to facilitate their evil plan of abduction and deportation. Two wounded soldiers, two officers of the SPLA-IO and an ambulance driver have been arrested and detained in Koboko,” he said.

Koboko is a town in the northern region of Uganda.

He said the crackdown exercise is extended to South Sudan refugees along the border towns and some areas in Kampala, on the basis that they are supporters and sympathizers of the SPLM/A-IO.

“The SPLA-IO condemns such dubious activities of the regime in Juba and calls upon the Uganda government to prevent the spill-over of the insecurity from South Sudan by cracking down those elements sent to carry out operational activities that violate Uganda's territorial integrity,” he added.

The rebel deputy spokesperson has urged the government of Uganda to maintain its previous honest policy aiming to secure the border and prevent cross-border violence.

NEW CLASHES IN RAJA

Meanwhile, Col. Lam has accused the Sudanese rebel groups, allegedly fighting alongside the government forces, of attacking their base in Raja of Lol State.

“On 05/04/2018 at about 1:32 pm, the ethnic regime in Juba combined with JEM militias attacked the SPLM/A-IO positions in Uyu-juku (Diem Ziber) and Sabo areas of Raja. The forces were supported with 5 Land Cruisers mounted with 12.7mm during the attack,” he said.

However, he said their forces have defeated and repulsed the assailants with heavy losses.

“Our forces captured 23 Ak-47, 4 RBG, 3 PKM in good condition, and destroyed one land cruiser pickup.25 enemy's dead bodies counted and several injured as blood trails could be seen,” he said.

The rebel official renewed calls to the CTSAMM a body mandate to document all violations in the country to investigate recent fighting and report it to the relevant authority.

(ST)

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Governor of East Darfur State Anas Omer and the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Head-of-Office Sector East, Landing Badjie, on Saturday discussed ways to provide humanitarian assistance in the state.

East Darfur governor Anas Omer (Photo Ashorooq TV)

During the meeting which was also attended by the humanitarian aid partners and the UN agencies, Omer said the development projects in the state aim to provide the basic services and ensure equity in order to maintain security.

He stressed the need to coordinate with the UNAMID maintain security and promote peaceful coexistence among the various tribes in the state.

The governor demanded the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide educational services according to the plan of the Ministry of Education besides coordinating and cooperating with other agencies.

He also pointed to the need for coordination between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health to provide health services including the building of laboratories, detection of contamination in drinking water as well as addressing epidemics.

For his part, the acting humanitarian commissioner in East Darfur Mohamed Ahmed said the meeting discussed issues pertaining to the performance of aid groups operating in the state.

He demanded the aid groups to focus on the provision of development aid instead of humanitarian assistance.

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 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB ) will provide up to $63.3 million of funding for development and services projects in South Darfur state, announced Sudanese finance minister Mohamed Osman al-Rikabi on Thursday.

The grant agreement was signed in Tunis by al-Rikabi and the IsBD head Bandar Hajjar on the sidelines of the 43rd annual meeting of the bank which was held this year in Tunis.

In a statement released after his return to Khartoum, the minister said the grant would fund services facilities projects in Al-Malam areas of South Darfur state.

The Sudanese government has called for an international support to recovery and rehabilitation and development strategy including water, health and education services projects estimated at 8 billion in 2013.

Al-Rikabi said that $ 55.7 million of the $63.3 grant is a contribution from the IsDB's "Goodwill program" while Sudan will repay the $7.6.

The IsDB is a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) that promotes comprehensive development in its 57 member states but also among Muslim communities in non-member countries.

The Jeddah based bank receives strong support from its member countries mainly Saudi Arabia, which appoints its general director, and other Gulf countries.

(ST)

The battle for influence between the rival powers in the Gulf crisis could tear apart Somalia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa, writes the BBC's Mary Harper.

April 7, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Kenya's Vice-President William Ruto would arrive in Khartoum on Monday on a three-day official visit to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Kenyan Vice-President would meet with President Omer al-Bashir and the First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih besides the Speaker of the National Assembly Ibrahim Ahmed Omer and the Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim.

He would also visit a number of corporations and development schemes.

In August 2016, President al-Bashir skipped the Sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Nairobi and instead dispatched First Vice-President Bakri Hassan Salih.

Kenya is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which in 2009 and 2010 issued two arrest warrants for al-Bashir on ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide he allegedly committed in Sudan's western region of Darfur.

Despite the country's legal obligation under the ICC's statute, it chose to receive al-Bashir in August 2010 without arresting him, prompting the ICJ to move the issue to the High Court

In October 2016, Sudan and Kenya signed a number of oil and minerals agreements in Khartoum, in the presence of Presidents Omer al-Bashir and Uhuru Kenyatta.

(ST)

By Mahmoud Suleiman

Dear honourable readers this article begins in an unconventional way with a story that shows origins of a popular proverb about a person who cannot abandon bad habits despite hard efforts to get away from them. And the purpose here is to compare the ever recurring acts of the Sudanese President Marshall Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir for an analogy between him that character. Thus begins and goes the story referred to in the popular adage: (Halima returned to her old bad habits):

A story was told in the old en times that there was a man famous for generosity towards the guests and his name was Hatim al - Taie and his wife called Halima who was very stingy contrary to her husband. One day Hatim said to her that generosity prolongs a person life. She began to become over generous to attain longevity. However, when one of her close relatives died, she became extremely saddened and wished to be dead. Moreover, she became very stingy and meager again believing that would help hastening her demise. At that point, people started saying: “Halima is back to her Old Bad Habits”! Thus, that narrative has become the beginning of the Popular Proverb/adage - Halima returned to her Old Bad Habits. Arabic ???? ????? ???????? ???????

It is customary that Proverbs usually Stem from Life Experiences and the wisdom follows. Proverbs remind us of the past experiences and the different circumstances of the people and they represent as our treasures of Knowledge. The nature of human life is characterized by the diversity and differences that enrich life and that results into one population of people benefiting from another one through harnessing each other. It is about the people who are wise in their deeds and words. It is the wisdom that expresses their personal experience and their plethora of knowledge. Thus, those experiences have been passed from one generation to another and that made people to know the famous types of smart wisdoms.

After that introduction and reference to the story of Halima we will enter into the core of the article that comes against the backdrop of the News recently surfaced that Marshall Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir has poised for declaring a brand new/Neo War against the components of the Sudanese political Opposition Forces who dare to associate themselves with the armed rebel groups of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement –Minni Minnawi (SLM-MN) and Sudan People's Liberation Army / North (SPLA/North in the Sudan Call Forces. Precisely, they include the National Umma Party (NUP) and rebel umbrella of Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the Civil Society Initiative (CSI) the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), Sudanese Baath Party (SBP), Center Alliance Party (CAP), Sudanese National Party (SNP) and Sudanese National Alliance (SNA). The ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP), led by Omer al-Bashir, has repeatedly accused the Sudanese political opposition of eluding and implementing the foreign agenda. On the other hand, the Sudanese political opposition blames the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) of lagging behind and not fulfilling the promises and agreements it signed with the parties. This kind of sparring continues unabated during the past 28 lean years of the oppressive rule of National Islamic Front/ National Congress Party (NIF/NCP). According to statements by Sadiq al-Mahdi that Omar al-Bashir signed more than twenty agreements with the parties and did not abide by them. The ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) has a long history of revoking the covenants and peace agreements it signed with the parties to the conflict. It might need not to say that Human relations are built only on trust. Furthermore, that is what the logic of things reiterates. Nevertheless, some believe that the danger lies in excessive trust so those who follow this belief base tend to say: “forgive your enemy, but do not trust him”! The lack of trust between the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudanese political opposition, both civil and armed, tells lots of exciting tales through the ages unabatedly.
https://www.hurriyatsudan.com/?p=239346
• Bashir continued playing the sinister game of 'divide and rule'
• Bashir's Halima is back to her old bad habits
• In general, the proverb strikes those who get rid of a bad habit, improve their image and reputation among people, then suddenly relapse and return to their previous bad habits
• An analogy between the Habits of Bashir and those of Halima "
• Bashir hatched a plot through his usual intrigues
• Addiction to failure to learn from previous disastrous mistakes
• Bashir's Dodging of Peace Agreements
• This phenomenon is not strange when people Bear in mind that Marshall Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir is renowned for dodging with the peace agreements he has negotiated and signed with the Parties in the dispute. Peace agreements negotiated and signed and abrogated by al-Bashir and his regime have amounted to with a modest evaluation
• The National Dialogue, referred to satirically as the Wathba dialogue. The dialogue conducted by the (NCP) regime since the beginning of 2004 is basically not serious about reaching to a National Consensus but it has been invented by Omer al-Bashir to gain time by distracting the people from the issues that concern them after he felt the international isolation and economic collapse along with the multiplicity of fronts against his ailing regime.
• National Islamic Front (NIF)/ National Congress Party (NCP) regime regime came to power through a deceptive coup de état. Mahatma Gandhi has been quoted as saying what you achieved by force would require the use of force to maintain it. “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. “Mahatma Gandhi quote https://www.esotherapy.com/mahatma-gandhi-quotes
• Hundreds of Sudanese citizens have been arrested in Khartoum and other cities after protests over the price hikes of the 2018 budget and the increase in the prices of basic commodities, including bread. So far, dozens of detainees are still without charge or crime only for being accused of coming out to the streets and exercising their right guaranteed by the transitional constitution of Sudan Of 2005 and international human rights law, and chanted in a peaceful way, saying "No to the high prices and prices of essential goods"!
• The Sudanese people have witnessed three repressive military dictatorships since their Independence from the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium on Sunday the First of January 1956. They were the regime of General Ibrahim Abboud from 18th November 1958 to 21 October 1964, followed by Mohmed Jaffer al-Numeiri from 25th May 1969 to April 1985 and the worst of the three and without a competitor is the current (NCP) regime which is the offspring of the infamous National Islamic Front (NIF), the predecessor of which was the Islamic Charter Front (ICF), the ‘Muslim Brothers' syndicate, motivational at the onset, hypocritical on practice, though.
• Sadly, the ‘Muslim Brothers' syndicate made Sudan a gangsters land ruled by the former Janjaweed militias who have been cloned to become the infamous Rapid Support Force (RSF) thugs who is only loyal to Omer al-Bashir and receives orders directly from him.
• By doing the foregoing, Omer al-Bashir have founded the first model rogue state of the twenty first century in the former one million square mile sized country called Sudan. It is sad to say that Sudan became shrunk and atrophied by the forced secession of its Southern part which established itself into an independent country after the result of the January 2011 referendum; the United Nations (UN) on July 2011 welcomed the South Sudan as 193rd Member State in the United Nations (UN).
• Anyone who has left a habit and then returned to do it, the Proverb ‘Halima Returned to her Old Bad Habits' can be applied to him/her; obviously, Omer al-Bashir is the best example par excellence!
• Omer al-Bashir has a changing temperament in a way that cannot be predicted which is an integral part of his aggressive personality. Above all, Narcissism also plays a major role in most of his unthoughtful actions. Of course, it is not easy to ensure that such a person complies with any negotiated agreements

As the popular proverb goes, Halima returned to her old ways and bad tricks, and so did Omer al-Bashir in his response to the outcome of the meeting of the Sudanese Political Opposition formed by both Civil and Armed factions under of the Umbrella of the Sudan Call Forces (SCF). News media outlets reported quoting the National Congress Party (NCP) regime President Marshall Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir as said threatening with evil acts and destruction the opposition political parties allied with the rebel groups. Moreover, the Marshall al-Bashir warned that he would never allow combining the armed action against his state and the political action under any name. The threats of al-Bashir continued endlessly that his regime wouldn't allow the student organizations at the universities to become political arms for the armed movements and vowed that he will impose security within the universities by the force of law! http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article65083 Omer al-Bashir said this while the Sudanese Opposition parties in the Sudan Call Forces have denounced those threats and considered them unsuccessful and do not serve the negotiating position to reach a peaceful solution in the country. Among those who denounced al-Bashir's threatening statements is Sayed al-Sadig al-Mahdi who rejected those hostile remarks and he was reported to have vowed to return to Khartoum as soon as he finishes his political tasks abroad. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article65083

The Flip-Flop of Omer al-Bashir remained incredible adding them to his wheeling and dealing with the Political Opposition Components in Sudan. According to Sudan Tribune Cyber Journal issue on April 3, 2018 that Sudan's state security prosecutor office has filed charges, some of which are punishable by death, against the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi, accusing him of plotting with armed groups in the opposition umbrella of Sudan Call to overthrow the (NCP) regime of President Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. The Security apparatus of the (NCP) regime indicated that they would file criminal charges under the Counter-Terrorism Act. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article65090

Thus, the coup d'état – the Putschist killers in the National Congress Party (NCP) led by the genocidal criminal, the fugitive from the international Justice Omer al-Bashir direct the charge of undermining the ruling regime in Khartoum against National Umma Party (NUP) leader Sayed al-Sadiq al-Mahdi. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article65090
The Sudanese news media continued giving details of the intentions of Omer al-Bashir to suppress any voices of criticizing his regime. According to the prosecutor, the criminal charges under articles 21,25,26,50,51,53,63 and 66 of the 1991 Criminal Code as well as articles 5 and 6 of the Counter-Terrorism Act s “were filed against the backdrop that al-Mahdi in his capacity as the chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP) signed with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the armed movements a declaration of principles and issued a final communiqué stating joint coordination to overthrow the regime by force of arms beside inciting the residents through the social media to rebel against the state and to wreak havoc in the land. http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article65090

The charges included "undermining the constitutional order" and waging war against the "state", which carries the death penalty. https://www.hurriyatsudan.com/?p=239346

The foregoing position taken by al-Bashir is a gross contradiction to his assertive statements that he has extended the cease-fire for another three months as false and misleading the public opinion, both domestic and international, said by spokesperson of one of the Darfuri Armed movements. The rebel Movement added and said that the Government allied militias of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been continued killing unarmed civilian Sudanese citizens in a wide swaths in the localities of Jebel Marra and looting their property and forcing them to flee their villages. Furthermore, the cloned Janjaweed Militias the so-called Rapid Support Force (RSF) have continued their wreaking havoc on earth and same terrorizing the civilian populations, shedding innocent blood, looting properties and atrocious crimes continued taking place in the States of Central and Northern Darfur, the statement has said.

A New license from Omer al-Bashir to allow members of the Legislative to freely talk about corruption
With regards to the institutional Corruption epidemic, the Members of the National Congress Party (NCP) bloc in the Sudanese parliament acknowledged that they used feeling intimidated and frightened talking about corruption in forums, lectures and public places, arguing that it was difficult to go into corruption and put one accountable to God! However, things have recently changed “since the speech of the President al-Bashir before the legislature yesterday gave us the right to talk about corruption in the newspapers and in social networking sites," the head of the National Congress bloc, Abdul Rahman Mohammad Ali, said during the deliberations of deputies on Bashir's speech in today's session. https://www.alrakoba.net/

It is obvious from the above narrative that there is no such a thing as democracy or freedoms or human rights among even the Muslim Brothers syndicate's members of National Islamic Front (NIF)/National Congress Party (NCP) let alone for the disenfranchised Sudanese public members who have been languishing under oppressive rule for over twenty eight years.

Some Political analysts and observers reiterate and say that if the gangster-led Muslim Brothers' syndicate continues ruling, that would inevitably result to the complete annihilation of the remaining population of the once prosperous, beautiful and promising country called Sudan everlastingly and forever. The Opposition Components went the miles in good faith to help arriving at a consensus for creating atmosphere conducive for sustainable peace in Sudan; they couldn't find the genuinely willing partner in the NCP regime. In the current miserable circumstances, there is no way out of the problems and tribulations of the people of Sudan under the rule of Marshall Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, but to overthrow his regime and remove it permanently by all the available means to its demise. The Sudanese people deserve to carry out this mission as they had done before in the October 1964 and April 1985 popular revolutions and overthrown the regimes of General Ibrahim Abboud and Marshall Mohmed Jaffer Numeiri respectively.
Martin Luther King Jr. the American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968 has been quoted as said: 'A man can't ride your back unless it's bent'! https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Martin+Luther+King+Jr&oq=Martin+Luther+King+Jr&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.1111j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Dr Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

April 6, 2018 (JUBA) - The United Kingdom will continue to provide humanitarian aid to relieve the suffering of civilians in South Sudan but the peace is the only solution for the four-year crisis, said a British official at the end of his two-day visit.

The Permanent Secretary of the UK's Department for International Development, Matthew Rycroft, Friday concluded a two-day trip to South Sudan where he met with South Sudanese officials including head and educations ministers.

The former UK ambassador to the United Nations who was appointed last January visited South Sudan for the first time on 5-6 April to inspect the humanitarian activities of the UKAid in the war-torn country.

During his meetings in Juba, Rycroft emphasized the need for the government to engage meaningfully in the peace process and underlined the need to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian workers.

"UKAid is saving lives in South Sudan. But it is the Government of South Sudan that has the responsibility to stop the suffering of its people," said the British official in a radio interview in Juba, according to a statement released at the end of the visit.

"They and other parties to the conflict must engage constructively with the next round of peace talks, which represent a crucial opportunity for peace, and end the appalling human rights abuses we have seen. They must also permit free and unhindered humanitarian access,” he further stressed.

In 2017, the UK provided food for over 500,000 war-affected South Sudanese, safe drinking water to over 300,000 people, and supported around 5 million health consultations to children under 5 years. Also, the UK is promoting girls' education and supporting 3,600 schools.

Rycroft also met with the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, David Shearer.

"Matthew welcomed the close relationship between the UK and UNMISS, and re-iterated the UK's full support for the UN Secretary-General's ‘zero tolerance' policy on sexual exploitation and abuse".

There are nearly 400 British peacekeepers deployed to provide vital engineering and medical assistance in South Sudan.

(ST)

April 6, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese presidential spokesperson Friday denied accusations by Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir that Juba continues to harbour and support armed groups that seek to overthrow his regime.

South Sudanese Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny addresses journalists following renewed fighting in Juba July 11, 2016 (Reuters Photo)

"That is a nightmare. South Sudan has no reason completely to harbour rebels. We are looking forward to returning security to our country," said Ateny Wek Ateny President Salva Kiir's spokesperson.

The South Sudanese official further explained that the insecurity along the 2000 kilometre border between the two countries enables the Sudanese rebels to cross illegally into the troubled country.

"Insecurity has given insurgents chance to cross into South Sudan at their own will. We are gaining momentum as our forces are moving to address the issue," he added.

Al-Bashir made his accusations on Thursday when he was speaking in Kosti of the White Nile State, not far from the border. However, he stressed that his government would continue to support the regional efforts to end the civil war in South Sudan.

UN reports say armed groups from Darfur region have generally moved to Libya where they joined the eastern Libya based forces of Gen Khalifa Haftar but the SPLM-N rebels continue to use the South Sudanese territory for logistical supplies.

The presence of Sudanese armed groups in South Sudan was one the reasons that led to the deterioration of bilateral relations between Juba and Washington which was the major supporter of the young nation.

Khartoum and Juba are working to operationalize the border demilitarized zone agreed in September 2012 with the support of UN and African Union, but some South Sudanese local authorities are still resisting the process saying Sudan would take advantage and capture the disputed border areas.

(ST)