Africa

May 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sharp differences have emerged within the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) over its participation in the upcoming government after the National Assembly dropped constitutional amendments pertaining to freedoms and the security apparatus.

Popular Congress Party (PCP) Political secretary Kamal Omer (Photo SUNA)

Last month, the PCP of the late Islamic leader Hassan al-Turabi expressed disappointment on the approval of constitutional amendments without restraining the powers of the security apparatus saying the parliament move has trashed the recommendations of the national dialogue conference.

However, last Wednesday the party decided to join the government of national concord and handed over the Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih names of its candidates for the government posts.

PCP political secretary Kamal Omer told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he declined to accept his nomination for the membership of the National Assembly, saying the decision to take part in the upcoming government is inconsistent with the party's declared stance and his personal conviction regarding the issue of freedoms.

Omer added that he also resigned from his post as PCP political secretary, saying he wouldn't betray the teachings of the late leader Hassan al-Turabi who he described as the “Imam of Freedoms”.

“I wouldn't hold any government or party post and my stance reflects the real position of the PCP,” he said.

Omer ruled out that the PCP could split following the recent resignations, saying the party is coherent.

“We only demand to correct the path of party… now the PCP has no institutions … it only has a secretary general who controls all decisions,” said Omer.

Last month, PCP has elected Ali al-Hag Mohamed as Secretary General succeeding Ibrahim al-Sanousi who hold the post for a transitional period following the death of the party founder Hassan al-Turabi in March 2016.

Observers say Omer who was a close aide to the late al-Turabi does not have the same closeness with the new secretary-general.

Sudan Tribune learnt that Sharaf al-Din Bannaga who was also nominated by the PCP for the National Assembly membership has declined to accept the party proposal.

It is noteworthy that the PCP had earlier linked its participation in the upcoming government to the approval of the constitutional amendments pertaining to the “Freedoms Document” which was recommended by the national dialogue.

The PCP 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.

(ST)

May 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - An international maritime border arbitrator has revealed that Sudan is planning to take Egypt to a binding arbitration before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) over the disputed Halayeb area pointing to Khartoum's recently lodged objection with the United Nations against Cairo's annexation of the region to its maritime border.

The Halayeb triangle, which is a 20,580 km area on the Red Sea, has been a contentious issue between Egypt and Sudan since 1958, shortly after Sudan gained its independence from the British-Egyptian rule in January 1956.

The area has been under Cairo's full military control since the mid-1990's following a Sudanese-backed attempt to kill the former Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt has used to reject Sudan's repeated calls for referring the dispute to international arbitration. The international law provides that the agreement of the two parties is needed to arbitrate a dispute by the tribunal.

According to the international arbitrator Osman Mohamed al-Sharif, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea signed by Sudan and Egypt oblige the two countries to appear before the ITLOS.

Al-Sharif told Sudan Tribune that the declaration lodged by Sudan's foreign ministry at the UN last March according to a presidential decree aimed to take a third path after Cario refused the direct negotiations and the international arbitration.

He pointed that Khartoum's move to deposit with the UN coordinates of the baselines from which its maritime areas are measured after 27 years since former President Hosni Mubarak lodged the maritime borders of Egypt doesn't strip Sudan of its sovereignty over Halayeb and the equivalent Red Sea waters.

By virtue of its membership in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Sudan is required to notify the UN Secretary-General of any development affecting the geography of its maritime boundary.

On 2 March, President Omer al-Bashir issued a decree including the baselines from which the maritime areas of the Republic of Sudan are measured. Last month, Sudan deposited with the UN its maritime borders.

Accordingly, Al-Sharif pointed that the UN Secretary-General will now notify Egypt that “its 1990 declaration of maritime border is being objected [by Sudan]” and will wait for Cairo's response before the two sides could go to court.

“Sudan and Egypt are obliged to go to arbitration before the ITLOS according to UN Convention on the Law of the Sea … the UN Security General might refer the dispute to arbitration and if Egypt refuses, he will intervene to force it to submit,” he said.

“If we deal with the issue as a maritime dispute, we will find away to a binding arbitration, however, there is no binding arbitration in the international law,” he added.

Al-Sharif underscored that the UN Secretary General as guarantor to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea can end the fait accompli which was established by Egypt in Halayeb in 1995, saying the maritime borders of the Sudan in Halayeb are fixed and complementary to the land border.

It is noteworthy that Cairo in April 2016 refused a demand by the Sudanese government to hold direct talks on Halayeb and Shalateen or to accept the referral of the dispute to the International Court of Arbitration.

(ST)

May 5, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudanese army (SPLA) said Friday its forces have captured the headquarters of the opposition SPLM-IO fighters, allied to the exiled former First Vice President, Riek Machar, reversing all gains rebels made in the past months.

Lol State Minister of Agriculture Angok Achuol Barjok told Sudan Tribune on Friday that government forces have regained control of Dollo, some 20 miles west of Raja town, the administrative headquarters of Lol state.

The new military gains in favour of the government have tilted a previous significant push by armed opposition fighters to gain a strong foothold in the area.

“I would like to congratulate our gallant SPLA forces for the job well done. They have done well when they captured and destroyed the headquarters of the rebels in a place called Dollo. Now this place is under control of our forces," said Minister Barjok.

He further added that it was a joint operation including Divisions Five and Three under the command of Col. Albino Akol Mayuol and his Deputy Operation Commander Col James Riek Par under Supervision of H. E. Maj Gen Rizik Zachariah Hassan Governor of Lol State.

The SPLM-IO spokesperson was not reachable for comment.

The minister said the government was still pursuing armed fighters until where their legs would stop.

“The resting point will be determined by their legs and this is where they will stop with our forces. They are giving them a hot pursuit,” he added.

(ST)

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