Africa

August 15, 2017 (JUBA) – A former South Sudanese envoy to the United Nations has warned that the implementation process for the national dialogue initiative was likely to face numerous unforeseen challenges.

Francis Deng (Photo U.N.)

Francis Mading Deng, in a brief issued on Tuesday, said several committees were formed to help extend the process to different levels, including at the grassroot so that messages are disseminated.

The brief cited the visit in June of the national dialogue leadership to South Africa in an attempt to meet the armed opposition leader Riek Machar and another one to the Sudanese capital Khartoum for consultations with the former agriculture minister, Lam Akol Ajawin.

“If the momentum and integrity which the process has so far demonstrated are maintained through the regional and grassroots consultations, and continue on to the National Conference that will formulate the final recommendations, then the only remaining challenge will be one of implementation,” partly reads Deng's brief.

“Failure to live up to this challenge is bound to have serious consequences for the authority responsible for implementation. It is one to be wisely avoided”, it added.
Deng, a long serving career diplomat, called for moral pressure, both domestic and international on those who would be given the responsibility to implement the outcome of the dialogue process.

“Wherever the responsibility will ultimately lie, if the process maintains its integrity up to that point, then the weight of the moral pressure, both domestically and internationally, to ensure a credible, recognized, and respected implementation of the recommendations will be difficult to resist”, he further wrote.

Deng, now a roving ambassador for South Sudan, explained that the objective of the visit, which leadership of the committee undertook in June, was to engage as many South Sudanese as possible, inside the country and abroad, in a determined effort to end the violence that is devastating the country and turning its social fabric apart.

“The longer-term objective is not only to end the war, but also to promote a culture of peaceful engagement through dialogue to address the structural sources of conflict at all levels and to institutionalize the process of restoring sustainable peace, security, stability, and development in a beleaguered country,” wrote Deng.

He adds, “If the national dialogue process continues in the way it has so far been conducted, observing the principles of inclusivity, credibility, and transparency which have been widely advocated as crucial to the success of any national dialogue, then the prospects of success are quite promising”.

Officially launched in May this year, the national dialogue initiative is regarded as a forum and process through which the people South Sudan shall gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, redefine citizenship and belonging, as well as restructure the state for national inclusion.

Since mid-December 2013, tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence outbreak.

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August 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBoS) reported that inflation has increased to 34,23 % in July from 32,63 in June, a rise of 4.90%.

Sudan's inflation rate continued to rise for thirteen consecutive months since April 2016. However, last June it dropped to 32,63% from 35,52 %, a decline of 3,9%.
According to the CBoS monthly bulletin on Monday, the twelve commodity and service groups contributed to the increase in inflation at varying rates.

The food and beverage group contributed to the overall price rise by % 52,32 while the clothing and footwear group share was 8,82%.

The contribution of the other groups was as follows: 5,86% for the health group, 4,89% for the communications group, 4,69% for the transportation group, 3,46% for the housing, water, electricity and gas group and 3,02% for the home appliances group.

On the other hand, the education group contributed 2,93%, the miscellaneous goods and services share was 2,90% while the restaurants and hotels group contributed 2,64% and the tobacco group share was 2,62%.

The CBoS pointed out that the price of consumer goods and services in urban areas has increased to 29,82% in July compared to 28,98% in June, a rise of 2,89%.
In rural areas, the price of consumer goods and services has risen to 38,31% compared to 35,95% in June, an increase of 6,56%.

The highest increase in the price of goods and services in July was registered in Kassala State where inflation reached 39,17% compared to 32,40 in June.

Last May, Sudan's finance minister said inflation rate has jumped to 33,7% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 12.3% for the same period last year, an increase of more than 260%.

He attributed the increase in inflation rate to the impact of the fiscal policy reforms implemented by the government at the end of last year.

In November 2016, Sudanese government lifted fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to control a surge in inflation and stop the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

According to the 2017 budget, the growth rate would decline from 6,4% in 2016 to 5,3% and the targeted average inflation rate is 17%.

Prices and services have soared in Sudan since South Sudan seceded in 2011, taking with it three-quarters of the country's oil output, the main source of foreign currency used to support the Sudanese pound.

The Sudanese pound has lost 100% of its value since South Sudan's secession, pushing inflation rates to record levels given that country imports most of its food.
Ordinary citizens continue to complain from cost of living increases that impaired their access to basic commodities.

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August 15, 2017 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese presidential adviser has unexpectedly hinted on possibilities of extending the mandate of the transitional government of national unity, arguing that some key provisions within the 2015 peace agreement are yet to be fully implemented.

Salva Kiir casts his vote in the 2010 elections.

Speaking exclusively to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Tor Deng Mawien, the presidential adviser on decentralization and intergovernmental affairs admitted that the end of the transitional period was fast approaching even before certain key issues in the peace accord are fully implemented.

“The government actually wants full implementation of the peace agreement so that people can go for elections to make their own choices during the elections, but given the way the implementation processes have been conducted, it gives you an impression that the transitional period could end without fully implementing key provisions”, he said.

The aide hinted on possibilities of extending the transitional period should parties to the peace accord fail to complete implementation of its key provisions within the specified period of the agreement.

According to the presidential advisor, the parties to the peace deal and stakeholders were working together at different levels to ensure all outstanding issues in the accord are sorted out and implemented.

The assembling and integration of other forces into the national army is one of the key areas considered by the main parties as a priority.

CALL FOR ELECTION PREPARATIONS

President Salva Kiir on Monday urged the hold out armed and political opposition groups to stop fighting and prepare themselves for the general elections expected at end of the transitional period.

President Kiir made the remarks at a meeting with Koma and Gajaak communities in Juba, during which he called on traditional leaders of the two communities to unite and move forward together in order to overcome the challenging security situation in the country.

“There is nothing you will gain in splitting Maiwut or moving away from Maiwut and go to another area. You have to understand that your union has a lot of strength than division,” said President Kiir.

He further asked the communities to reconcile and embark on a peaceful sensitization campaign to bring people in the area together.

The South Sudan leader further called on the country's population to embrace peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, stressing that such needs prompted his launch of the national dialogue process which should allow them discuss together matters of the future.

"We are now calling on the people who are still advocating for war to denounce violence, stop fighting and come back to participate in the dialogue process so that people go for elections after the end of the transitional period. Elections will people give an opportunity to make their own choices,” stressed Kiir.

Last week, South Sudan government forces captured the rebel stronghold of Pagak, after a series of attacks and counterattacks.

The government now plans to use this victory to generate a new dynamic to discourage those who joined the rebellion or the opposition hold-out groups to join the national dialogue process.

In April last year, tour factions of the South Sudan's former warring parties and political rivals-turned peace partners formed the long-awaited transitional government of national unity to administer the young nation for the next two and a half years, pending elections.

The rival parties agreed to form a unity government and implement reforms in the country, in accordance with the implementation of the power sharing deal in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS) brokered by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and its continental as well as international partners.

The rival parties in the coalition included the government led by President Kiir, the armed opposition faction of the SPLM-IO led by former First Vice President, Riek Machar, the Former Detainees (FDs) led by the now appointed Foreign Minister, Deng Alor Kuol, acting chairperson on behalf of Pagan Amum, former SPLM Secretary General, and Other Political Parties (OPPs) led by Lam Akol, Chairman of the Democratic Change (DC) party, who also chairs the alliance of opposition political parties in South Sudan.

Each faction nominated officials who were appointed to the ministerial positions based on the number of portfolios allocated in the power sharing deal. The Juba government was allocated 16 national ministers, the armed opposition had 10 national ministers, FDs, two and OPPs two. This was on top of several deputy ministers.

The war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more, erupted on 15 December 2013 in the national capital, Juba, when internal debates over political and institutional reforms within the leadership of the ruling party turned violent.

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August 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A new round of fighting has erupted between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) factions in the Blue Nile as both sides exchanged accusations concerning responsibility for the bloody clashes.

Malik Agar (File photo/ Reuters)

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one in the Nuba Mountains led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the other in the White Nile State led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other issues.

As a result of the rift between Agar and al-Hilu, the Blue Nile state witnessed last June tribal clashes between the Angsana of Malik Agar and the Uduk, an ethnic group supporting self-determination.

Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune that violent clashes have renewed earlier this week after force belonging to SPLMN-Agar crossed into an area controlled by fighters loyal to al-Hilu.

According to the sources, a number of fighters from both sides have been killed and others injured in the clashes, saying a significant number of residents have been displaced from Abu Nagro and Yabos areas.

The same sources said SPLMN-Agar forces attacked al-Hilu's fighters led by Gen. Josef Tika in Yabos, saying 43 fighters from the attackers have been killed.

It added that SPLMN-al-Hilu forces seized 90 Kalashnikov rifles, 9 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG 7) and 9 machine guns.

According to the sources, the commander of SPLMN-Agar in Blue Nile Gen. Ahmed al-Umda dispatched additional reinforcements to the area on 14 August, saying however 7 more SPLMN-Agar fighters were killed in clashes with Tika's forces in Ghafa area.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, SPLMN-al-Hilu spokesperson in the Blue Nile Guma'a al-Hadi said Agar's forces on Sunday attacked a village near Greater Yabos area.

He pointed the attackers burnt the homes of residents killing 4 of them, describing the incidents as “systematic tribal action”.

According to al-Hadi, their fighters chased the attackers until they resorted to the refugee camps, saying they left behind 20 dead and 30 injured.

For his part, Agar has accused al-Hilu of inciting the Christian Uduk ethnicity who had previously asked the Movement's leadership to call for self-determination to join South Sudan.

He pointed they had convinced the Uduk to renege on their demand for self-determination and instead call for special arrangements to preserve their cultural rights and equal citizenship within the Blue Nile and a unified Sudan.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, Agar accused al-Hilu of dividing the three sectors which comprise the Movement including the Blue Nile, Nuba Mountain and the Northern sector.

He held al-Hilu responsible for the internal war within the Movement, saying it was al-Hilu who promoted Joseph Tika to the rank of Lieutenant general and appointed him as his deputy.

Agar added the Khartoum regime is the only beneficiary from the divisions within the SPLM-N, saying the rift would weaken the Movement and the marginalized minorities in the Two Areas.

He said the bloody clashes are the natural result of al-Hilu's attempt to impose a new leadership on the people of the Blue Nile, accusing the latter of seeking to falsify the will of the people of the Two Areas.

Agar called on both sides engaged in the internal fighting in the Blue Nile to form a neutral committee to investigate the clashes and develop joint agenda for the future.

The SPLMN-Agar leader reiterated his support for the right of self-government and the unity of Sudan on new bases, saying he wouldn't mind taking part in a democratic discussion on the right of self-determination for the people of the Two Areas but not to impose that option by a coup.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

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August 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese delegation for the talks on the Abyei area Monday said they will focus on the need for a peaceful coexistence between the communities there, stressing that the border disputed area remains a Sudanese territory.

The Misseriya staged a protest against an African Union-backed proposal that excluded them from participating in a referendum on the future of Abyei outside the UN and AU headquarters in Khartoum on 28 November 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) organise two-day meetings on 16 and 17 August in Addis Ababa for The Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) and the traditional leaders from the Ngok-Dinka and Misseriya communities.

The meetings come after a resolution last May by the UN Security Council demanding both parties to establish Abyei Area Administration and police force. Also, it urged to resume talks on the final status of Abyei under the auspices of the AUHIP.

In preparation for this meeting, the Sudanese delegations for the talks chaired by Hassan Ali Nimir held a meeting on Monday with the Sudanese Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid to coordinate the positions they would defend in the upcoming talks.

Speaking after the meeting, Nimir who is also the head of the Sudanese side in the AJOC told reporters that the delegation received clear directives from the presidency to insist on the fact that Abyei remains a Sudanese territory, in addition to the need for peaceful coexistence to create the necessary conditions for its development.

"This vision is what we hold to the other party with the emphasis that (Abyei) is a Sudanese region that cannot be conceded to a specific ethnic group. Also, its wealth is for every Sudanese who have the right to enjoy it because it is Sudanese land," he said according to the official news agency SUNA.

In line with the Abyei protocol which is part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that led to South Sudan separation in 2011, Abyei remains part of Sudan until a referendum has taken place. Also, the 2005 peace agreement provides that the residents of the disputed area of Abyei have to decide in a referendum if they want to remain part of the Sudan or join South Sudan.

But, the failure to reach an agreement over who is a resident of Abyei blocks the vote on the fate of the contested region.

A month before the vote for South Sudan independence, Khartoum and Juba agreed on 20 June 2011 to re-conduct a joint administration until the organisation of a referendum.

However, the Ngok Dinka refuse this solution saying the priority should be given to a popular consultation without the participation of the Sudanese Messeriya nomads, a matter that the Sudanese government rejects.

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August 15, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan government has denied reports suggesting members of armed opposition forces loyal to former Vice-President Riek Machar have retaken their former headquarters in Pagak, describing such reports as bad propaganda.

South Sudan's army soldiers drive in a truck on the frontline in Panakuach, Unity state April 24, 2012. (Reuters Photo)

The governor of Maiwut state, Bol Ruach Rom told Sudan Tribune Monday evening that he was in Pagak town, describing reports on the fall of the town to rebels as “lies" and "wishful propaganda”.

“I am speaking to you now in Pagak. The rebels have been making attempts but our forces have been defeating them. Our people should not listen to them. What they are saying are lies and wishful propaganda,” said Rom.

“Pagak is under the full control of the government now”, he added.

South Sudan's presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny also denied reports on the fall of Pagak, saying it is still under the control of the government forces despite several attempts by rebels to regain it.

“Pagak is firmly under the SPLA's control. Yes, the forces of Riek's rebels have been trying to retake Pagak, but each time they tried, they were beaten off badly. The fall of Pagak was bad propaganda. It is under the control of the constitutional forces”, stressed Ateny.

A deputy spokesperson for the armed opposition movement, Lam Paul Gabriel earlier claimed that their forces were controlling the border area that links South Sudan to neighbouring Ethiopia, having allegedly pushed pro-government out during clashes on Sunday.

“We are in control of Pagak and all surrounding areas including our border with Ethiopia. We have dislodged the government forces out of the town since Saturday and up to now they cannot be seen inside the South Sudan territory,” he told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

South Sudan army had earlier captured the headquarters of the armed opposition fighters, reversing all the gains made by pro-Machar forces in the past months.

The South Sudanese civil war is a conflict in between forces of the government and the armed opposition forces. In December 2013, President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of attempting a coup d'état. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country's worst-ever violence after it seceded from Sudan.

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August 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government on Monday has demanded the United Nations to provide the adequate funds to cover the expenses of hundreds of thousands of refugees hosted by the country.

According to the UN, Sudan hosts 110,000 Eritrean refugees, 400,000 South Sudanese refugees and more than 100,000 Syrian refugees.

Sudan's Minister of International Cooperation Idris Sulieman on Monday has met with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative for Sudan Noriko Yoshida.

During the meeting, the Sudanese minister discussed with the UN official the “need to provide the necessary budget from the international community to cover the requirements of the refugees in Sudan”.

He stressed the importance to provide training for the refugees and raise their awareness as wells as improving camps environment and providing integrated social services to them, saying the refugees pose further pressure on existing resources.

Sulieman demanded the international community to provide the necessary support and assistance to Sudan as the country hosts large numbers of refugees and provides them with shelter and allows them to move freely.

For her part, Yoshida underscored the need to count and register the foreigners residing in Sudan.

Last May, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir disclosed his country is hosting about two million refugees and asylum seekers.

MEETING WITH THE IOM

Meanwhile, Sulieman has discussed with the head of the mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Sudan, Mario Leto Malanka progress made in addressing migration issues in Sudan.

Malanka pointed out his mission receives funds from donor countries to support and implement development projects to serve refugees in the host countries.
He hailed the cooperation of the Sudanese government in providing shelter, food and social services to migrants.

The meeting also discussed the outcome of the 2014 ministerial conference on migration issues which was held in coordination with the African Union and a number of host nations.

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August 14, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – Two United States Senators have written to the Treasury Department, calling for the establishment of additional tools necessary to hold South Sudanese leaders accountable for the ongoing violence in the East African country.

President Salva Kiir attends a session during the 25th Extraordinary Summit of the (IGAD) on South Sudan in Addis Ababa March 13, 2014 (Reuters Photo)

In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker and Senator Chris Coons detail steps required to take on South Sudan to “cut off the free flow of resources to the political and military elites, their families and associates.”

The U.S played a key role in events that led to the independence of South Sudan from Khartoum after more than two decades of civil war.

“Despite initial optimism about the future of the world's newest country, the people of South Sudan have spent the past three years entangled in a brutal conflict, which has spiraled out of control, with more than two million people internally displaced and almost two million forced from the country,” partly reads the Senators' letter.

It adds, “The political and military leaders have hijacked and repurposed state institutions to enrich themselves and fuel violence”.

According to the U.S lawmakers, the international diplomatic response to South Sudan's conflict has failed and donors have focused on the urgent necessity of providing humanitarian relief to which the U.S has contributed almost $3 billion since December 2013.

South Sudan is suffering from a devastating war. Six million South Sudanese, half the country's population said to be severely food insecure, and almost 2 million are on the brink of man-made famine.

“The United States must simultaneously address the structural problems that enable kleptocracy, incentivize violence, and prevent peace,” says the letter addressed to the U.S Treasury, amidst calls for a more transparent as well as responsible government in the future.

This, it adds, includes regional responsibility for impunity and the negative fiscal and human impact it has on stability and development in the region.

Calls were also made, in the 1 August letter, for the U.S Treasury Secretary to investigate corruption, impose network-focused sanctions, identify hidden assets, collaborate with international anti-money laundering standard setting bodies, and work with regional partners such as Uganda and Kenya to ensure that the plundered resources that belong to the people of South Sudan do not flow through their banking system as well as the real estate markets.

Meanwhile, Enough Project applauded the U.S Senators for their focus on the use of financial tools to address the nexus of conflict and corruption in South Sudan, and for their leadership and commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the country.

“The Treasury Department has a vital role to play in addressing the conflict and massive human suffering in South Sudan. Senators Corker and Coons should be commended for their unwavering commitment to peace and their willingness to work together to find solution,” Ian Schwab, the Director of Advocacy and Impact Strategy at the Enough Project said in a statement issued Monday.

“Leading voices in both parties and in both the House and Senate have called for Secretary Mnuchin to focus more attention and resources on South Sudan. He should heed this call without delay.”

In conjunction with diplomatic efforts, the U.S Treasury was urged to focus on deploying financial tools that target the financial networks of those obstructing peace and dispersing the proceeds of corruption through the region and even via the U.S financial systems.

“Those fighting in South Sudan will not agree to a sustainable peace until the international community develops more robust leverage and deploys stronger pressure,” further stressed the Senator's letter.

In a separate statement, however, Brian Adeba, an associate director of policy at the Enough Project, said Senators Corker and Coons have tirelessly advocated for strong action on South Sudan.

“This letter sends exactly the right message by making it very clear that the United States will not continue to allow South Sudan's leaders to rob their country while millions face hunger, displacement, and violence. Strong diplomacy combined with the robust use of the financial tools outlined in this letter offer the best chance for a peaceful resolution in South Sudan,” he said.

The South Sudanese civil war is a conflict in between forces of the government and the armed opposition forces. In December 2013, President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup d'état. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country's worst-ever violence after it seceded from Sudan.

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August 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Secretary General of the Sudan people's Liberation Movement North led by Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) called on the British government to include issues of peace and human rights in the strategic dialogue with the Sudanese government.

According to a statement released Monday by the SPLM-B Agar Spokesperson Mubarak Ardol, Yasir Arman and the group's representative in Britain Ali Abdel Latif met with the UK Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Chris Trott in London on Sunday.

Ardol said the SPLM-N Agar delegation discussed with the British diplomat the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue process, peace, humanitarian and human rights situation in the east African country.

Arman discussed "the need to include issues of humanitarian aid, peace, human rights, religious freedoms and democratic transformation in the strategic dialogue between Khartoum and London and to link the strategic relations with these goals as it is requested by the British Parliament".

Arman was referring to a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Sudan and South Sudan issued last February criticising the shift from the baton to carrot policy and stressing that UK policy in Sudan should be guided by the "Sudanese people's pursuit of lasting peace, inclusive democracy, and shared economic prosperity".

Trott earlier this year visited Khartoum several times to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations not only to encourage Khartoum efforts to reduce the illegal immigration from the Horn of African countries towards Europe and Britain especially. The dialogue also was seen within the framework of the after-Brexit policy aiming to develop trade relations with the former British colonies.

Arman further reiterated the SPLM-N's readiness to resolve the humanitarian issue, adding that the split of the armed group does not prevent the two factions from fulfilling their commitments towards civilians in the conflict-affected areas.

However, he said the African Union brokered roadmap for peace in Sudan is no longer valid and called to prioritise a deal for the humanitarian access to civilians in the SPLM-N held areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

"The regime is responsible for the destruction of the roadmap (agreement), and the political process must be reconsidered," said the statement.

Following the failure of the talks over a humanitarian agreement in August 2016, the Sudanese government resumed the internal national dialogue process and endorsed its recommendations. It, further, called on the holdout opposition groups to participate in its implementation particularly the elaboration of a new constitution.

In line with the Roadmap Agreement, the opposition had to take part in the government-led dialogue process but the failure of discussions over a humanitarian agreement undermined the whole process.

The British envoy participated in the international efforts to facilitate a deal and bring the SPLM-N to accept an American proposal to break the deadlock in the negotiations over the humanitarian access.

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Calling on the Kenyan authorities to avoid violence, the United Nations human rights chief today urged the Government to make an immediate announcement that it will cooperate and ensure accountability for reported abuse by security forces which has led to deaths and injures, including among children.

More than 1,500 Congolese refugees who have fled violence and ethnic tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been relocated from reception centres in northern Angola to a newly established settlement, the United Nations refugee agency today said.

After learning Monday that devastating floods and mudslides left hundreds dead in Sierra Leone, the United Nations migration agency released $150,000 in emergency, first-response aid relief for the West African country.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has spiralled into violence and remains one of the worst countries in the world to be a child and &#8220right now there are few eyes looking at them and few hands trying to help,&#8221 the United Nations children&#39s agency said today.

Over the past three days, the UN migration agency has found more survivors and victims&#39 remains from last week&#39s tragedy &#8211 when hundreds of migrants were forced from two boats into the sea off the coast of Yemen.

The joint task force by the so-called Group of Five (G5) &#8211 Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger &#8211 to tackle the threat of terrorism in Africa&#39s Sahel region is now operational, but a number of challenges remain, including funding, the United Nations Security Council was today told.

August 14, 2017 (WAU) – The re-integration of former armed opposition forces, initially loyal to South Sudan's former First Vice President, Riek Machar into the national army (SPLA) starts soon, spokesperson Brig. General, Lul Ruai Koang said.

The SPLA-IO forces during their arrival at Masana Biira in Wau on 07, August 2017 (ST)

The army official disclosed this on Sunday following the visit of senior military officials to the state. The delegation was in the state to access conditions of the 500 ex-rebels who surrendered in response to the amnesty pardon President Salva Kiir declared in May this year.

President Kiir made the announcement during the official launch of the national dialogue initiative in the South Sudanese capital, Juba.

Koang welcomed the former rebel fighters into the national army.

“We have come to receive them and congratulate them for having taken a positive decision to come and join peace. They [ex-rebels] are mostly from the Luo speakers of Wau state,” stated Koang.

He said the former rebels strongly denounced rebellion and vowed to work with the government for the return of peace and stability.

“For those people still after Dr Riek Machar, he is already not in the game as he is confined in South Africa. All regions have rejected his war attitude as he always causes war in South Sudan,” said Koang.

The military spokesperson said Wau state authorities and the general army headquarters will work with the national government to identify their cantonment sites for them to be reintegrated into the SPLA.

He, however, stressed that their visit to Wau had nothing to do with demoting the former rebels from ranks they held during the war.

Last week, at least 150 former members of the armed opposition forces loyal to Machar returned to Wau town to participate in a peace process organized by the office of South Sudan's First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai.

The returnees, who included 48 senior high ranking officials from the rank of Lt. Colonel were received by the state security committee at Masana Biira.

Following their arrival, the former fighters assured Wau state authorities that they officially returned home with their weapons in response to a presidential amnesty calling for peace and reconciliation across the country.

The South Sudanese civil war is a conflict in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Machar of attempting a coup d'état. Since then, tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country's worst-ever violence after it seceded from Sudan.

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August 14, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The government of West Kordofan state has set a two-week deadline to armed groups and tribesmen to hand over illegal weapons and unregulated vehicles.

During a visit to Darfur's five states in April 2016, the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir said there is a need to collect illegal weapons from the hands of civilians, admitting that tribal clashes have become the first source of violence that displaced thousands of civilians in Darfur.

He said there will be a first phase where people will be called to voluntarily hand over their arms, adding the second step will be heavy disarmament operations and legal action will be taken against those who didn't deliver their weapons.

The government then formed the Darfur Disarmament Higher Committee (DDHC) under the chairmanship of the Vice-President Hassabo Mohamed Abdel-Rahman.

However, since last month the government has stepped up its rhetoric regarding the collection of illegal weapons as the Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf threatening to collect illegal weapons from the residents even if it requires the use of force.

On Monday, the governor of West Kordofan Abu al-Gasim Al-Amin Baraka chaired a meeting of the committee tasked with the collection of illegal arms in the state in the presence of the security committee and traditional leaders.

Following the meeting, Baraka said the committee has set a two-week deadline to receive the illegal weapons and unregulated vehicles voluntarily, saying the arms and vehicles would be collected forcibly after the deadline.

He urged individuals and tribes to respond to cooperate with the concerned bodies to implement the decision.

For his part, the commander of the army 22nd infantry division and head of the technical committee to collect illegal arms and unregulated vehicles Mekki Hamid Azrag has expressed resolve to implement the presidential decision, saying they developed a tight plan to carry out the decision through certain phases.

He stressed the security forces are ready to provide security in all villages and towns of West Kordofan, calling on the local communities to cooperate to implement the decision.

Also, the West Kordofan's Police Director and rapporteur of the committee Al-Sadiq Ali Ibrahim has explained the detailed plan for the collection of arms and unregulated vehicles.

He added the meeting took objective decisions regarding the collection of the arms and legalizing weapons of the regular and paramilitary forces, demanding tribesmen and armed groups to hand over their weapons voluntarily.

Ibrahim underscored the decision aims to achieve public interest and security and stability in the state, saying all criminal acts reported to the police were carried out with the firearm.

For his part, the director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) in West Kordofan Al-Mukashfi al-Awad said the regular forces are capable of collecting illegal arms according to the specified dates.

“We would collect the arms even if it is buried in the ground and we have modern devices that reveal weapons at a distance of seven kilometres”.

He pointed out the weapons would be collected without compensation.

The meeting has reassured residents of the localities on the borders with South Sudan that the army and the security forces would protect their lives and property.
The disarmament of armed groups and tribesmen is seen as an important step that will create a suitable atmosphere for security and stability in Darfur and Kordofan.

But the failure to achieve a comprehensive peace delayed its implementation. Also, the tribal conflicts over land ownership and pastures are a second obstacle for the weapon collection.

(ST)

August 14, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president Monday urged the hold out armed and political opposition groups to stop the fighting and to prepare themselves to take part in the general elections after the end of the transitional period.

President Kiir made the comments during a meeting with Koma and Gajaak communities at the presidential palace on Monday during which he called on the traditional leaders of the two communities to unite and move forward together in order to overcome the challenging security situation in the country.

“There is nothing you will gain in splitting Maiwut or moving away from Maiwut and go to another area. You have to understand that your union has a lot of strength than division,” said President Kiir.

He further asked the communities to reconcile and embark on peaceful sensitization campaign to bring people together in the area.

Kiir took the opportunity to call the whole South Sudanese to embrace peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, stressing that because of these needs he launched the national dialogue process which should allow them to chart together their future.

"We are now calling on the people who are still advocating for war to denounce violence, stop fighting and come back to participate in the dialogue process so that people go for elections after the end of the transitional period. Elections will people give an opportunity to make their own choices,” further said Kiir.

Following a series of attacks and counterattacks, the government forces last week captured the SPLM-IO stronghold town of Pagak which is part of Maiut state.

The government plans to use t this victory to generate a new dynamic to discourage those who joined the rebellion or the opposition hold out groups to join the government-led dialogue process.

Meanwhile, the Maiwut state parliamentary speaker told Sudan Tribune on Monday that the meeting was fruitful, saying the Koma and Gajaak communities were brought together by the president.

“The community of Koma and Gajaak held a meeting with President of the Republic of South Sudan, H.E General Salva Kiir Mayardit this morning in J1about the creation of Maiwut State.

He further announced that the Koma who were opposed to the new state have finally accepted to remain in Maiwut State and abandoned their demand to join the Northern Upper Nile State.

"The Koma community members who attended the meeting are directed to unite themselves and to nominate a candidate for Deputy Governor position,” said speaker Choul Dep Kiir.

The President Kiir, according to speaker, advised Gajaak not to mistreat Koma Community.

"The President directed Gajaak to share the State Government with Koma fairly. He told Koma that he will try his level best to take the development to Koma County," the speaker said.

The population of Maiwut State, which consists of Maiwut, Longochuk and Koma counties, is composed of the Koma ethnic group and Gajaak who are a sub-clan of Jikany Nuer.

Following the establishment of Maiwut, the Koma split into two groups some of them said hostile to be part of a new administrative entity dominated by the Nuer who killed their tribesmen in other states when the conflict erupted in December 2013.

The Koma group headed by Hon. Ali Adlan, an MP in the National Transitional Legislative Assembly was opposed to the new state but it is accepted by a group headed by Hon. Col. Baryach Uluch who is the leader of Koma community.

(ST)

By Innocent Ntabana

When you and I breathe in fresh air, the amount I inhale affects you in no way. This is because air is abundant and so there's plenty of it to go around. We actually take it for granted since it exists in copious amounts. Now, imagine a situation where there is limited supply of air, and yet, several pairs of lungs are waiting for their share. What do you think would happen? What would we do? Would we use it all up and suffocate, or would all those concerned brainstorm on how best to utilise this scarce resource while preserving its quality? One thing for sure, is that we would all realise how valuable it is when its supply is threatened.

Eng. Innocent Ntabana

Unlike air, water is a finite commodity. In the Nile Basin, for example, one water body – the River Nile – is shared by 11 countries. This resource is a source of livelihood for millions of people within the Nile Basin. It caters for their water, food and energy needs among others. The latter three are a complex interconnected synergy around which several factors revolve including economic growth, urbanisation, climate change, population growth and public policies.

Economic growth, for example, has agriculture as its biggest driving force in most of the countries in the Nile Basin. This sector employs about 80 percent of the population in mostly upstream Nile Basin countries and accounts for up to 90 percent of water withdrawals, in Egypt and Sudan.

Considering the limited supply of water and how important it is for not only irrigation but all aspects of life, what value can be attached to water? Take this scenario; In order to practice agriculture, a farmer needs water, capital, labour and land in varying quantities. If two different farmers, farmer A and farmer B grew wheat and cassava, they'd have to take the amount of the four factors invested into the business in order to determine the price of the goods.

Imagine that the production of a kilogramme of wheat and cassava costs farmer A $50 and $70, respectively, while they cost farmer B $60 and $40, respectively. Customers would obviously go to the one with a lower price. And yet, the two farmers cannot lower their prices any further because the cost of production would outstrip the cost of sale by far.

If, say, farmer B shifted to growing cassava, which is a lot cheaper for him to produce than wheat, he'd be wise to continue specialising in it, while farmer A specializes in wheat production. Farmer B would have a comparative advantage in growing cassava than he did in wheat, which would bring down his costs considerably. In this case, the two farmers are maximising benefits from the water based on comparative advantage, which is the efficient use.

It is, however, important to note that factors such as geographical location and climate change greatly contribute to a farmer's comparative advantage.

A crucial policy environment that the two farmers need in such a situation is the facilitation of exchanging the surpluses of the two goods.

Likewise, if the countries in the Nile Basin cooperated to engage in one activity and produced that product for which they have a comparative advantage, this would encourage trade amongst the Member States as well as maximise water usage. Such cooperation would ensure food security because countries would produce more crops by taking into consideration factors such as the hydrology of the water resource.

To this end, healthy competition is best when it comes to scarce resources.

Water is essential to life, making its total economic value immeasurable. Just because there's no price doesn't mean there's no value.

The writer is the Executive Director, Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat
Email: nilesec@nilebasin.org

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Khartoum, Sudan-August 14 2017

In the early hours of Saturday 12th August Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim, a renowned Sudanese leader of the feminist movement and fierce defender of women's rights within the Horn of Africa region, passed away.

Fatima was born in 1933 in Omdurman, and was a staunch advocate for women's rights in Sudan. Her activism began in the late 1940's, while Fatima was still a high school student, when she joined the nationalists movement in their struggle against the colonial regime at the time.

By the late 1940s she had joined a group of women activists and together they founded the Sudanese Women's Union (SWU) where she had served as its president during a large portion of her political activism. During her time as president of the union, the membership grew to over 1500 members. The union contained members from many different regions located across Sudan, including southern Sudan regions, Nuba Mountains and Darfur.

At the time SWU was considered one of the main actors fighting to reaffirm the rights of women in Sudan. Those rights included political participation, engaging in public spheres, and equal pay. Not only that but the union was the first to publish one of the first feminist magazines of its kind in the continent called Sawt al-Mar?a (Woman's voice). In 1965, Fatima became the first woman to be elected into Parliament on behalf of the communist party which led the way for women to actively engage in decision-making processes. In 1991, Fatima was elected President of the Women's International Democratic Federation and she became the first African Muslim woman to hold this position leading to her receiving the UN award for Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Human Rights just two years later.

Although the climate for women in Sudan has deteriorated both politically and legally over the past 30 years, the accomplishments of Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim and her companions continue to assist in advancing the evolution of the women's movement in Sudan. Sudanese women's strength and capacity to keep battling a male-dominated regime continues to prevail and their desire for equality has never faded in spite of the complexities prevalent within their social and domestic environments while confronting poverty, armed conflicts and militant ideologies.

We as women's rights activist in the East and Horn of Africa region will always remember and appreciate the legacy and contributions of those like Fatima Ibrahim who dedicated their lives to battling the oppression against women. It is extremely important for younger generations to recognize this contribution and continue the struggle for justice and equality for all.