Africa

December 7, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president, Salva Kiir is not opposed to his main political rival and former Vice President, Riek Machar's participation in the revitalization forum, an aide said.

South Sudan's opposition leader Riek Machar speaks during a briefing in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa April 9, 2016 (Photo Reuters/ Tiksa Negeri)

Daniel Awet Akot, Kiir's advisor on military affairs, said the president is committed to bringing peace and ending the country's civil war.

“Because of his [Kiir] desire to stop the war, he has had to undertake numerous initiatives. He has declared unilateral ceasefire and released political prisoners, launched national dialogue; commit himself to reunification of the SPLM [Sudan People's Liberation Movement] and accept to participate in the IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] proposed revitalization forum without conditions, presidential adviser on military affairs”, he told Sudan Tribune Thursday.

Awet, a senior member of the ruling party's political bureau, also cited President Kiir's recent directives, which called for unhindered movement of humanitarian organisations to conflict areas, as a demonstration of his commitment to remove obstacles to peace.

“If there are people who think president Kiir is opposed to the participation of Riek Machar in the revitalization, let them tell you where he said it and to whom. For me, I am not aware”, he said.

Although the Juba government says it accepts Machar's participation in the revitalization forum, it is still unclear if the rebel leader will attend launch scheduled for 15 December in Ethiopia.

Government and opposition sources, in a series of interviews, said discussions were undergoing at higher levels to resolve how Machar will participate in the process.

Analysts say Machar participation at the forum in person is a divisive matter and this issue has been left to the IGAD heads of state to decide. Heads of states, they say, will either allow the rebel leader go to Ethiopia for the launch and participate in the revitalization like any other stakeholders and return to South Africa where he has been placed under house arrest for months or allow him stay in Ethiopia.

“This option is possible, the other option is to allow him choose his representatives and can participate in the revitalization forum through them,” a source with direct knowledge of out of public discussions on the matter, told Sudan Tribune Thursday.

“These options are the subject of the discussions at higher levels. The foreign ministers are now briefing their individual heads of state and getting responses”, he stressed.

In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.

IGAD unveiled the timetable for the revitalization forum with South Sudanese leaders and the citizens, which ended on 17 October.

The South Sudanese government earlier warned that the revitalization forum by the regional bloc, which mediated the 2015 peace deal, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace accord between the two factions to the conflict.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

(ST)

December 7, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president Salva Kiir has instructed all ministries and other public institutions to ensure all civil servants and the armed forces are paid before Christmas.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation at the South Sudan National Parliament in Juba, November 18, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Jok Solomon)

Civil servants in South Sudan have not been paid for months, with the coalition government attributing this to lack of cash in the national treasury.

Sources knowledgeable about government operations say the little that comes from the oil exports have been channeled directly for security maintenance and peace mobilization efforts.

This money, they further claimed, ends up in the office of the President, First Vice President, Vice-President as well as in the hands of the few other influential ministers and officials in the country.

South Sudan's finance minister, Stephen Dhieu Dau said Thursday that the ministry was making preparations to implement the president's order before Christmas, but could not say when payments would be made and whether it would extend to states or only civil servants under the jurisdiction of the national government.

The country's petroleum minister, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth separately told Sudan Tribune that the South Sudanese leader indeed instructed the relevant ministries to pay civil servants before Christmas.

“We have received instructions from President Salva Kiir Mayardit. He [Kiir] has instructed me, the minister of petroleum and also the minister of finance Stephen Dhieu Dau to make sure that the salaries of civil servants are paid before Christmas,” said Gatkuoth.

“I wanted to inform the people of South Sudan that the instruction of the president will be implemented and the people of South Sudan will be paid their salaries before Christmas, so starting from next week they will be getting their salaries,” he added.

However, both the South Sudanese finance and oil ministers did not elaborate on the cause for delaying paying salaries of civil servants, who spent more than six working without being paid in spite of the rising living conditions.

In June, South Sudan recorded inflation of more than 800%, a situation which made the Juba government increasingly unable to pay civil servants and military forces.

(ST)

December 7, 2017 (KAMPALA) - Unknown gunmen shot and killed a South Sudanese lawmaker who was in Uganda to consult on the country's national dialogue initiative.

Officials said Jacob Kuwinsuk Gale, a member of parliament for Yei River state, died while being driven to a referral hospital in northern Uganda.

The state minister for information and culture, Alfred Kenneth Duku, said the deceased lawmaker was in the company of other people making consultations as part of the national dialogue for South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

The incident, Duku said in a statement, occured on Wednesday evening.

South Sudan formed a National Peace Committee that regularly visits the refugee camps in northern Uganda as part of efforts to reach an agreement for repatriation.

The regional police spokesperson, Josephine Angucia confirmed the MP's death.

"It is true that he was shot on the head", she stated, adding that "The incident occured at around 7:00pm in Mijale sub-county in Yumbe district".

Angucia said a cartridge from the gun was recovered, but no arrests have been made.

"We advise that even the refugees should be conscious of the security and report cases of people having illegal guns. The body will be taken and buried by the relatives who stay in Yumbe," she stressed.

Gale, a lawmaker in Yei River state Transitional Legislative Assembly, served as the chairperson for members' affairs, gender and human rights committee.

No rebel group or individual has claimed responsibility for the lawmaker's killing.

Last week, two South Sudanese were beheaded in the northern Ugandan district of Moyo.

(ST)

A selection of the best photos from across and about Africa this week.

December 7, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese parliament has called on the Arab and Islamic countries to recognise the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital amid calls by some lawmaker to expel the U.S. chargé d'affaires.

A general view shows members of the Sudanese National Assembly holding an emergency meeting in Khartoum, July 2008 (file photo)

The upper and lower chambers of the Sudanese parliament held a joint meeting on Thursday to discuss the decision of President Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to the disputed town.

Palestine is not recognized as a state by the United Nations Security Council. But in 2015, 136 of the 193 member states of the United Nations and two non-member states have recognised the State of Palestine during the meeting of the General Assembly.

In an emergency session chaired by Ibrahim Ahmed Omar, the parliament called on all the Islamic parliaments to demand to their governments to recognize the existence of a state of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital where they would establish their embassies.

The National Legislature also voiced its rejection to the recognition by the U.S. President Donald Trump of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, demanding that the Sudanese government and all Arab and Islamic governments take appropriate and strong measures to defeat the decision.

The call comes as the Turkish President and head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a summit in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss Trump's decision.

Some Members of Parliament who are not from the ruling National Congress Party, however, called on the Sudanese government to take immediate tough measures against the United States including the expulsion of the U.S. chargé d'affaires.

Among the MPs who called to expel the U.S. envoy Kamal Omer a prominent member Popular Congress Party (PCP) which participates in the Sudanese coalition government. However, he was keen to underline that this call is his personal position.

Hassan Abdel Hamid of the Muslim Brotherhood group called to resist Trump's decision, by all means, to boycott U.S. goods, and to expel U.S. chargé d'affaires from the country.

Also, MP Abla Mahdi called on all the governments of the Arab and Islamic countries to expel U.S. ambassadors from their countries.

Deputy Speaker of the Council of State and PCP figure Mohamed al-Amin Khalifa called on the Sudanese government to impose "a political, diplomatic, and commercial boycott on all countries supporting the decision of President Trump".

Speaking at the extraordinary session, Sudanese top diplomat Ibrahim Ghandour admitted that Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will lead to serious repercussions in the Middle East and the world at large.

Ghandour also pointed out that the decision would increase terror attacks worldwide.

Also, Khartoum didn't witness any popular protests in response to the decision but some expect that protests would take place the Friday prayer.

(ST)

Defending the vulnerable from attack is one of the important duties of a UN peacekeeper, but what do you do when you come across a secret safe that may contain weapons, hidden away in a camp designed to protect civilians?

The relationship between United Nations peacekeepers and civilian staff and the vulnerable people in South Sudan they are working for must be one of mutual trust and confidence, said a senior UN official, noting that instances of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel not only breaks down that relationship, it also destroys the trust communities have in the Organization.

With the conflict in South Sudan entering its fifth year, senior United Nations officials on Thursday expressed concern about the precarious security situation and bleak humanitarian conditions in the world’s youngest country.

The UK singer appeared in a short film for Comic Relief which has come under fire - but why?

An acute hunger emergency ravaging Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s strife-torn Greater Kasai region could transform into a long-term disaster if additional resources are not made available urgently, the United Nations food relief agency warned Thursday.

One year on from a military campaign that successfully expelled so-called Islamic State (IS) from its Libyan stronghold of Sirte, residents complain of the scale of destruction that remains there.

December 6, 2017 (RUMBEK) – Over 60 people were killed and more than 100 wounded during inter-communal clashes between the Rup and Pakam clans of South Sudan's Western Lakes state, officials said.

Map detail showing South Sudan's Lakes state in red

Eyewitnesses said the fight broke out when the Rup attacked the Pakam allegedly with the intention to loot cows, prompting the latter immediately respond in self-defense in order to recover their cows.

A state official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident.

"We have 67 people confirmed dead on both sides and 102 people sustained gunshot wounds. 20 people are in critical condition and are seeking medical attention,” the official stated on Wednesday.

Western Lakes state information minister, Shadrack Bol Machok confirmed the clashes, but declined to reveal the numbers of those killed.

"People have died indeed, there is nothing's we can do because civilians are very disloyal to us [state government],” said Machok.

Several civilians are requesting president Salva Kiir remove the incumbent governor Matur Chut Dhuol whom the public have accused of failing to address the major problems facing state.

The South Sudanese leader was also requested to declared a state of an emergency in Western Lakes and appoint a new governor to impose rules of law.

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has distributed essential household items to 1500 vulnerable households in Golo, Central Darfur, said the humanitarian group.

Children fetch clean water from ICRC water points in Muglad, Southern Kordofan State (ICRCJ. Guitter/file Photo)

The humanitarian fiend operation is the first since February 2014 after the suspension of its activities by the Sudanese authorities over technical issues.

"1,500 of the most vulnerable households are receiving a kit that includes clothing, jerry cans, blankets, mosquito nets and kitchen items. Each kit also contains a set of tools intended to help families rebuild their homes," said the group in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The distribution, which has been implemented jointly with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS), targeted returnees and internally displaced families in Golo.

This is the second field activities of the ICRC in Sudan since July 2017 when the Sudanese government authorised the international humanitarian organisation to resume its field humanitarian operations.

"It's good to be able to restart assistance activities in the field and to work directly with communities in need," said the head of the ICRC delegation in Khartoum, Kedir Awol Omar.

Recently, the ICRC repaired on hand pumps in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan. Currently, its teams are working on rehabilitating water yards in Kadugli and Zalengi together with the State Water Corporation.

"The ICRC identified 1,200 recently-arrived IDP families in Kadugli and Delami and completed its preparations to provide them with some assistance to address their most urgent needs," said the statement.

The ICRC is expected to resume its full humanitarian activities next 2018 as the group is defining 2018 field assistance activities together with the different Sudanese government authorities

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government Wednesday rejected the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and accepted to take part in an extraordinary Islamic summit in Turkey to consider joint action.

Defying worldwide warnings, U.S. President Donald Trump reversed U.S. neutrality on Jerusalem and declared the disputed holy city as Israel's capital. The decision was rejected by the international community and Muslim and Arab countries particularly.

The Sudanese foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the contested town, though he set no timetable.

"This decision represents a provocation to all believers, constitutes a threat to international peace and security and will have serious repercussions for the security and stability across the region".

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Sudan categorically rejects any change to the legal and political status of this holy city," further stressed the statement.

The Sudanese government further said that Trump's decision violated the international resolutions on the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state and undermine the peace process in the Middle East.

Similar statements have been issued by the divided Arab and Islamic countries as the recognition of Israel's control of Jerusalem may weaken U.S. key allies in the Arab world and trigger violence in the region.

Also, upon the request of eight members, the United Nations Security Council will hold an urgent meeting on Friday to discuss Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

In December 2016, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution providing "that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.” At the time, Obama Administration resisted to Israel's request to veto the vote but abstained from approving it.

Turkish President and head of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a summit in Istanbul on December 13 to discuss Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as an Israeli territory.

The Sudanese presidency on Wednesday evening announced that President Omer al-Bashir received a telephone call from President Erdogan to inform him about the Islamic extraordinary summit over the holy city.

"The President of the Republic assured the Turkish President during the call of Sudan's firm and unequivocal position in support of Arab and Islamic character of Jerusalem".

"Further, he rejected the Israeli and American plans to undermine the legal and political status of the Holy City and Judaize it," stressed the Sudanese presidency.

Sudan will take part in the upcoming meeting, al-Bashir said but it was not clear if he would attend it personally or not.

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan government has, through its ministry for environment, urged the United Nations Environmental Assembly to help end oil pollution of its water resources.

An oil polluted water section in South Sudan (Credit: Sign for Hope)

Joseph Bartel, the permanent secretary at the ministry, made the appeal as delegates gathered in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss environmental-related matters. This year's event is being attended by all of the UN's member countries.

“South Sudan is facing an oil-caused environmental disaster. Help us clean it up,” reads the environmental ministry's appeal to the UN environment body.

For the last nine years, for instance, Sign of Hope and scientists with which it works have persistently alerted the world to this enormous and growing crime against human rights and the environment.

“The government of South Sudan and its corporate allies has repeatedly denied the existence of this ravaging of people's lives and livelihoods. That is why we especially welcome the government's admission of there being a problem,” said Klaus Stieglitz, deputy chairperson for the German based non-governmental organisation.

“We now look forward to the great clean-up. The first step: a full-scale investigation of South Sudan's oil fields' environments and environs,” he added.

Last year, Sign of Hope warned that dangerous heavy metals used in oil production in South Sudan have leaked into drinking water sources used by 180,000 people with life-threatening health risks.

"Toxicological tests carried out on hair samples from 96 volunteers living around the Thar Jath oil processing plant in South Sudan's northern Unity region revealed they were "highly intoxicated with pollutants such as lead and barium," said Stieglitz.

“It is time to put an end to this human-made crisis,” stressed Stieglitz.

South Sudan got the lion's share of the oil when it split from Sudan in 2011, but it's only export route is through Sudan, giving Khartoum leverage and leading to ongoing pricing disputes.

Since independence, however, South Sudan has relied on oil for all income, a situation that has significantly compounded ongoing political and economic instability due to the fall in crude oil prices.

South Sudanese officials say production, in the past, reached as high as 350,000 bpd but fell after a dispute with Sudan over fees for pumping South Sudan's crude through Sudan's export pipeline, which prompted South Sudan to halt production in 2012.

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The government of South Darfur State and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) have discussed the planning of IDPs camps to accommodate residents who expressed a desire to settle permanently starting early next year.

Women wait to cast their vote at a polling station at the Abu Shouq camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in El-Fasher, in North Darfur on April 11, 2016 (Photo AFP)

The semi-official Sudan Media Center (SMC) has quoted the South Darfur acting governor Sabeel Ahmed Sabeel as saying the meeting between OCHA and his government discussed plans to transform the camps into residential areas for the IDPs who don't wish to return to their original villages.

He pointed out that all arrangements have been made to plan the camps for resettlement of IDPs, saying the relevant UN agencies and the national organizations would be genuine partners in implementing the planning of the residential towns.

Sabeel added his government has carried out the initial surveys on Attash, Diraig, Sereif and al-Salam camps, saying these camps are now ready for planning according to the desire of the IDPs.

He added the voluntary return coordination mechanism, which has been formed and is awaiting approval by the Legislative Council, would be responsible for overseeing all voluntary return matters and requirements.

The government seeks to dismantle IDPs camps that have been established in areas around the capitals of Darfur's five states since the eruption of the armed conflict in the region.

Since the signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur in July 2011, the government constructed several villages and vowed to support IDPs who return to their home areas.

However, the displaced complain that the security situation remains the same pointing to the government militia saying they continue to attack them and grab their land.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003, and over 2.5 million are displaced.

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A United Arab Emirates (UAE) warship on Wednesday has arrived at Port Sudan naval base on the Red Sea to participate in the first joint military exercise between the two countries.

Dubbed “Coasts Heroes 1”, the exercise is the first of its kind within the framework of the military cooperation protocols between the two countries which also include training and exchange of experiences.

According to the official news agency SUNA, the Sudanese and UAE's army commanders have received the warship “Jebel Ali 5” upon arrival at the northern port of Port Sudan.

It is noteworthy that the military exercise has kicked off last Sunday at Gabait military base in the Red Sea State with the aim of strengthening military relations between the two countries.

The commander of the Coasts Heroes 1, Brigadier General Amir Youssef, had previously said the first phase of the exercise includes the theoretical work while the second phase contains the field work involving the participation of soldiers and equipment.

He added the exercise comes according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries last May which provides to conduct the first exercise in Sudan this year and the second in the UAE in the middle of next year.

Sudan managed to achieve a breakthrough in ties with UAE after a long period of strained relations over Khartoum's close ties with Tehran.

UAE is in a long-standing territorial dispute with Iran over the three Gulf islands of Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb.

Iran refuses international arbitration over the dispute and insists that its sovereignty over the islands is non-negotiable.

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.

(ST)

December 6, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan's government on Wednesday urged regional leaders involved in the revitalization forum to ensure all armed and non-armed opposition unite to end the country's nearly four-year conflict.

S. Sudan cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomoro (Photo KT Press)

The cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro said the coalition government is ready to participate in the revitalization forum, but stressed that it was important if the regional leaders unite the various opposition faction so that there are two views to be harmonized.

“It is the expressed view of the government that the revitalization forum should harmonize the views of the stakeholders. The views of the government are clear. They are expression of commitment to ending war and it is in this context that council of ministers made it clear during the consultation with IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] foreign ministers that it is important they unite the opposition so that they also have clear views,” Lomuro said Wednesday.

He further added, “If the views are clear, then it will be possible to talk and narrow down positions and it would be easy to harmonise. And that will be the only way to end this [war] situation”.

According to the minister, IGAD rescheduled the launch of the high-level revitalization forum to 15 December in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.

IGAD unveiled the timetable for the revitalization forum with South Sudanese leaders and the citizens, which ended on 17 October.

The South Sudanese government earlier warned that the revitalization forum by the regional bloc, which mediated the 2015 peace deal, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace accord between the two factions to the conflict.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

(ST)

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned the slave trade of African migrants in Libya as &#8220heinous human rights abuses which may also amount to crimes against humanity,&#8221 and called on those responsible to be held to account.

Nigeria has unveiled a major railway expansion project to ease congestion on roads. Ijeoma Ndukwe reports from Lagos.