Africa

February 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) — Kuwait's Army Chief of Staff Lt Gen. Mohammad Khaled Al-Khodher Saturday has started a three-day visit to Sudan for talks on military cooperation.

According to the official SUNA, the Kuwaiti senior military official and his accompanying delegation, aims to strengthen military cooperation in the areas of training and exchange of experiences between the Sudanese Kuwaiti armed forces.

Al-Khodher was received on Sayruday evening by his Sudanese counterpart, Lt Gen. Emad Al-Din Mustafa Adawi at Khartoum airport and will meet the Sudanese Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf.

Also, he will attend the graduation ceremony for the Kuwaiti officers from the Sudanese Military Academy and visit a number of military academic and training institutions.

The visit of the Kuwait military official comes four days after a similar visit to Khartoum by the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Lt Gen. Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi.

It confirms the improvement of Sudan's relations with the Gulf countries which have increased its political and economic support to Khartoum since its participation in the Saudi-led regional coalition against the Shiite Houthi militants in Yemen.

Also Khartoum broke off diplomatic relations with Tehran and expelled Iranian diplomats after an attack on Saudi embassy in January 2016.

(ST)

February 11, 2017 (JUBA) - More than three years of civil war in South Sudan has forced 1.5 million people to flee into neighboring countries, creating Africa's largest refugee crisis and the third largest in the world, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said.

South Sudanese refugee Nyarout Chuol with her children at a UNHCR-run refugee camp in Gambella, Ethiopia (Photo: William Davison)

Over 3.5 million people, it says, have been displaced since fighting erupted between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebel forces led by the country's former First Vice-President Riek Machar in mid-December 2013.

More than 2 million people have been displaced within the country, while more than 1.5 million have reportedly taken refuge in Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Congo, and Central African Republic.

A spokesperson for the agency, William Spindler, said more than 760,000 people fled across borders after the collapse of a peace deal between the government and the armed opposition forces.

"More than 60 percent of the refugees are children, many arriving with alarming levels of malnutrition — enduring devastating impact of the brutalities of the ongoing conflict," he said in statement.

Some half-a-million had to flee the young nation in the last four months since September 2016, according to the U.N refugee body.

The South Sudan crisis, Spindler said, adds to the numerous humanitarian challenges the agency is grappling with, yet the refugee body lacks enough funds to tackle all these world problems.

He expressed concern about the South Sudan situation, citing the large size of its refugee crisis, which has also spread to its neighbours.

Last year's appeal for $649 million, said Spindler, was funded to only 33 percent, making it extremely difficult to provide critical services, such as clean drinking water, food, health and sanitation facilities.

He, however, said that UNHCR was currently working with authorities in the host countries to provide life-saving support and basic needs for the many South Sudanese arriving in desperate condition.

Uganda is reportedly hosting nearly 700,000 South Sudanese refugees and its authorities have been commended for helping them.

Meanwhile UNHCR has appealed to the international community responded to the refugee agency's appeal for $782 million to enable it could carry out its regional humanitarian operations.

(ST)

February 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and Zambia on Saturday have signed a framework cooperation agreement besides a number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoU).

On Friday, Zambia's foreign minister Harry Kalaba arrived in Khartoum in an official two-day visit to hold bilateral talks. His visit is considered the first of its kind by a senior Zambian official to Sudan during the last thirty years.

The visiting Zambian top diplomat and his accompanying delegation on Saturday met with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir at the guest house in Khartoum.

Following the meeting, Kalaba told reporters that al-Bashir asked him to convey several messages to the Zambian President Edgar Lungu, adding his visit to Khartoum aims to develop bilateral relations in the various fields.

It is noteworthy that the official joint session was held on Saturday at the foreign ministry premises where the two sides discussed ways to enhance economic, trade and cultural cooperation besides political coordination on regional and international issues.

Sudan's foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour told reporters following the meeting that “the two sides signed a framework agreement that would open the door to sign a number of agreements during the visit of the Zambian President to the country”.

However, he didn't elaborate on the exact date of the upcoming visit of the Zambian President Edgar Lungu to Khartoum.

He added that Kalaba's visit was closely coordinated between the two ministries on the sidelines of the Executive Council of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

“The two nations have enjoyed old economic relations and they agreed to proceed on to establish a joint ministerial committee,” he said.

Ghandour pointed that the two countries seek to strengthen African relations, saying the meeting “discussed all peace issues in the region”.

He stressed that the two sides share identical views on the various issues, pointing they work together to achieve peace and security in Africa.

The Sudanese foreign minister further said the meeting underscored the need to strengthen political, security, social and economic relations between the two countries.

(ST)

February 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Family of the detained activist Mudawi Ibrahim Adam on Saturday said he still continues with his hunger strike pointing that his health situation has deteriorated significantly.

Mudawi Ibrahim

Adam was arrested on Wednesday 7 December at the Khartoum University, where he works as an engineering professor.

It is noteworthy that the family of the human rights defender had previously disclosed he was exposed to severe physical torture and expressed deep concern about his health condition.

They pointed that Adam had underwent esophagus surgery, saying he also suffers from a heart problem.

Also, Adam's family earlier said it has submitted two memos to the NISS and the Justice Ministry asking to be allowed to visit him and demanding authorities to bring him before court.

In a press conference on Saturday, Adam's wife, Sabah Mohamed said her husband “spent 62 days in prison amid very complex health conditions and hunger strike”.

She pointed that the information office at the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has contacted the family and allowed them to visit him in his detention facility.

“[We] found him in a bad health situation and he was debilitated and suffered from weakness and wasting,” she said.

Mohamed added that her husband looked exhausted due to hunger strike he entered from 22 to 29 January and the current one which is still ongoing, saying she tried to convince him to end the hunger strike to give a chance to efforts made by his brothers and friends to secure his release or bring him to a fair and public trial.

“All efforts [to release him] have failed which made him enter a second hunger strike from 2 February to present in protest against detaining him without interrogation except for two times since he was arrested,” she added.

Mohamed pointed that the office of the state security prosecution filed charges against her husband accusing him of attempted suicide, denying that they were being informed about the reasons behind her husband's arrest.

Amnesty International has earlier demanded the Sudanese authorities to “immediately and unconditionally” release Adam and “all other detainees who have been arrested arbitrarily”, and take measures to rein in the excessive powers of the NISS.

From December 2003 to January 2005, Mudawi had been arrested, during several months in connection with his work with the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO) in Darfur.

The silent deaths of 94 mentally ill patients in South Africa is symptomatic of their place in society, but their families want explanations, writes the BBC's Pumza Fihlani.

February 11, 2017 (JUBA) - A deputy chief of South Sudan army, General Thomas Cirilo, resigned from the army and accused President Salva Kiir and military leadership of spearheading a tribal agenda.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirillo (R) with commander of presidential guards Maj. Gen. Marial Chanuong at Juba airport on November 5, 2014 (ST).

Gen. Cirillo, who hails from Equatoria region, was the deputy chief of SPLA for logistics.

Gen. Cirillo, who is a Bari like vice president James Wani Igga, is the highest military officer from Equatoria. His resignation is significant as could cause tribal in-balance in the military. He did not indicate if he will join any armed group or remain in the capital Juba.

In a six-page letter of resignation seen by Sudan Tribune, Gen. Cirillo claimed that the country is been dominated by Dinka tribe of President Kiir and the army has been turned to tribal militia that targets non-Dinka ethnicities.

He accused the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, the Chief of Staff General Paul Malong of "deliberately orchestrated planned violations" of the August 2015 peace agreement" which led to fighting in Juba in July last year.

"The President and these SPLA officers have systematically frustrated the implementations of the peace agreement and pursued the agenda of Jieng Council of Elders (JCE) of ethnic cleansing, forceful displacement of people from the their ancestral lands and ethnic domination," he said.

"At this juncture, I can no longer continue to be part of the ongoing destruction of our beloved country by the same army," he stressed.

Cirillo, also accused the President Kiir and Jieng Council of Eiders,"the real cabinet of the Government" as he said, of " pursuing a strategy of turning the SPLA and other organized forces into brutal tribal forces".

He claims that Dinkas hailing from Bahr el Ghazal region, the home area of the President and the Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen Paul Malong Awan, are now systematically recruited and "promoted to officer ranks have been assigned as commanders of most SPLA units".

The Equatorian general pointed to the Mathiang Anyor tribal militias saying they "deliberately applied policy of scorch earth by burning whole villages, grabbing land, especially in Equatoria, Chollo land and Western Bahr el Ghazal".

he said he had tried to convince the president and "members of Dinka ruling clique" to promote nationalism stop tribal policies but his efforts went in vain and fallen on deaf ears.

"This type of inhuman treatment and the human agony it entails has never happened before, even during the time when Khartoum was ruling South Sudan," he said.

In his long letter, the general spoke about the poor treatment of Equatorian military elements in the army saying they have been kept out of Equatoria since the signing of the CPA in 2005.

However he admitted that this "discrimination and crimes against humanity" are committed on the Dinkas "who are opposed to the policy of discrimination on ethnic bases and destruction of the country".

(ST)

February 10, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudanese lawmakers have expressed mixed reactions about removal of fuel subsidy, with some welcoming the decision and others saying it would increase the prices.

Members of South Sudan's parliament sing the national anthem during the reopening of parliamentary sessions in the capital, Juba, on 11 June 2012 (Photo: Giulio Petrocco/AFP/Getty)

A high level MP from Jonglei state told Sudan Tribune on Friday that he is afraid the removal of fuel subsidy could exacerbate the suffering of the people, since fuel prices may increase. “I am afraid this decision wouldn't solve anything, said the legislator who preferred to remain anonymous.

“What happened to exchange rate which people thought would equalize the exchange rate and reduce the black dealings,” asked the lawmaker?

The lawmaker said he and several other members expressed different views when the request was presented to the house by the minister of finance but their views were ignored.

“Although we were the majority, the minority views prevailed and I believe this is what the minister is citing as the approval of the parliament. If the speaker and some members have accepted his request, it does not mean the (majority of MPs) have accepted. How did MPs accept it this request. Was it put to voting in the house? No. It was not,” he stressed.

While the legislators deny approving the request, Finance Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said on Thursday and repeated it Friday that his institution was now working on the decision of the parliament.

“We are working out how to address the issue of fuel shortage now that the transitional national legislative assembly has given Nilepet a permission to remove fuel subsidy”, Minister Dau told reporters on Friday.

He insisted that the decision to remove fuel subsidy was in the interest of the nation and was the reason it was included his request during the presentation of annual budget for this year.

The government-run oil company procures fuel outside the country and sells a litter once it is imported at the cost of 22 pounds at the petrol filling stations. But citizens have always complained of lack of fuel at the designated fuel stations, even when they stay in line for hours.

Many claims senior government officials and military officers use their influence and privileges by the virtues of their offices to get fuel from the Nilepet, a commercial arm of the government sends it to the black market where it is sold at the prices higher than the official charge.

(ST)

The Security Council has strongly condemned continued fighting across South Sudan, particularly incidents in the country&#39s Equatoria and Upper Nile regions, and called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo today expressed its concern about the persistent conflict in the Kasai provinces where violent atrocities are being committed by the Kamuina Nsapu militia.

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

February 10, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia Thursday convoyed a congratulatory message to the newly elected president of Somalia and vowed to extend support to the new administration in the east African nation.

Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmajo' was elected a President of the Federal Republic of Somalia in the election held on Tuesday in Mogadishu.

The newly elect who holds dual Somalia-US citizenship was declared on Wednesday as the new president of Somalia and he was immediately sworn-in to assume a four- year tenure in office.

He won the historic election held after over quarter a century by sweeping 184 votes, compared with 97 secured by incumbent President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

In his congratulatory message, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, said the fact that the presidential race had been conducted peacefully and successfully was a major achievement for the people of Somalia and a landmark in the process of building peace and stability in the country.

He said he was convinced that Mohamed's election would further strengthen the longstanding friendly relations and the strategic partnership existing between Somalia and Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian premier further vowed to work closely with the new Somalia leader to get the war ravaged east African neighbour back to on its feet after more than two decades ago of war and destruction.

Hailemariam said his country will continue to extend all the necessary support to the new leadership in Somalia to improve its security and free the country from Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda allied Somalia militant group which had long been a regional security threat.

The Ethiopian prime minister assured the new president that he could always count on Ethiopia for all necessary support as he leads Somalia into what "would be a bright future for its people"

Somalia's election has saw a battle among 23 candidates after it was delayed four times.

Former president Hassan Mohamud, who accepted defeat and conceded the election, avoiding a third and final vote.

He said "History was made, we have taken this path to democracy, and now I want to congratulate Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmajo".

After taking the oath of office, ‘Farmajo' said: "This victory represents and belongs to the interest of the Somali people and this is the beginning of the era of the unity, the democracy of Somalia and the beginning of the fight against corruption."

The AU, the US and UK has also congratulated the new Somali president on his victory.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, commended the successful completion of the electoral process saying the process had been intricate, requiring negotiations and compromises to overcome challenges that once appeared insurmountable, butt congratulated all "for making this historical moment a reality."

The Commission appealed to the president and all leaders to work together in uniting the country by pursuing reconciliation to enable Somalia tackle the political and socio-economic challenges affecting the country.

While congratulating the president and people of Somalia over the successful completion of the election, the US State Department said it looked forward to working closely with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

It said the transition represented an important step forward for the country and looked forward to the timely formation of a new government.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson also congratulated Mohamed Abdullahi ‘Farmajo' on his election and said the UK remained committed to supporting the Somali people and he looked to agreeing a new partnership between Somalia and the international community.

(ST)

February 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Seven cattle herders from the Hawazma tribe have been killed and one injured on Friday morning near Al-Hujairat area, some 30 kilometres west of Kadugli, South Kordofan capital.

Reliable sources in Kadugli told Sudan Tribune, that a band of marauders have committed the crime and stole 1500 heads of cattle, ruling out that elements from the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) were involved in the incident.

They said the incident occurred at a remote area away from the rebel-controlled areas, pointing out that a similar incident took place few days earlier in the same area.

According to the sources, the marauders deliberately followed a pathway leading to the rebel-controlled area of Galad, saying most of the dead fall in the age group between 15 to 18 years old.

The same sources added that the list of the dead include Suleiman Khamis Mohamed Yaqoub, Hussein Khamis Mohamed Yaqoub, Abdel-Rahman al-Hag Tamim, Mohamed Musa Ahmed Mohamed, Adam al-Toum Yaqoub, Khalil Yaqoub Mohamed and Musa Ahmed Mohamed.

They pointed that an injured herder by the name of Mohamed Yaqoub Adam was transferred to the hospital while search is ongoing for three missing herders.

SPLM-N DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN THE INCIDENT

Meanwhile, SPLM-N said it has nothing to do with the incident, pointing its army has no presence in the Al-Hujairat area.

In a statement seen by Sudan Tribune, SPLM-N leadership said it has “set up a committee to investigate this crime”, pointing the movement condemns it “in the strongest words”.

It pointed that the SPLM-N enjoys good relations with the Hawazma and Misseriyya tribes and the rest of the tribes, describing these ties as “blood and common destiny” relations.

The movement added that it has been present in South Kordofan for more than 30 years, saying such crimes are not part of its agenda.

It pointed to some reports that have mentioned presence of outlaws from government militias who carryout armed robberies in the Al-Hujairat area.

The SPLM-N leadership further offered deepest condolences to the Hawazma tribe, stressing the movement would cooperate with them to capture the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile state have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and Sudanese army since 2011.

(ST)

February 10, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has issued an executive order sacking the governor of his newly created Imatong state in Eastern Equatoria region.

Governor Nartisio Loluke Manir

President Kiir, according to the order broadcast by the state owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, removed Nartisio Loluke from his position and replaced him with Tobiolo Alberto.

The order did not cite any reason for moving out office an official who portrays himself in the area as the staunch supporter of the president and his leadership style.

However, his supporters extend an accusing finger to his predecessor Louis Lobong Lojore, governor of Namurnyang now changed to Kapaeta State, citing previous differences between the two officials.

Nartisio was the first deputy governor of Lojore after his appointment governor of Eastern Equatoria state in 2010. But later he was removed from his position after he fell out with Lobong due to conflict of interests and political ambitions.

(ST)

February 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Zambia's Foreign Minister Harry Kalaba Friday has arrived in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum in an official two-day visit, said Sudan's foreign ministry.

Kalaba's visit is considered the first of its kind by a senior Zambian official to Sudan during the last thirty years.

In a press release extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir, said Kalaba was received by Sudan's foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour at Khartoum airport.

“The visit which is considered the first of its kind aims to discuss bilateral cooperation opportunities in the economic, cultural and trade domains besides [developing] mechanisms to enhance political coordination in the various regional and international issues” read the press release

According to the foreign ministry, the two ministers will chair a joint session on Saturday to discuss ways to promote bilateral relations in the various fields.

Zambia's top diplomat, who came to Khartoum upon an invitation from Ghandour, is expected to meet a number of Sudanese officials.

In July 2008, Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), abruptly canceled a scheduled trip to Zambia to attend the Smart Partnership programme for developing nations.

Zambia is a party to the Rome Statue which forms the basis of the ICC and has the legal obligation to apprehend al-Bashir if judges issue an arrest warrant for him.

(ST)

February 10, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan Finance Minister, Stephen Dhieu Dau, said fuel subsidies will be scraped after Members of Parliament approved his request.

People queue at a fuel station in South Sudan's capital, Juba on 18 October 2014 (ST)

Fuel prices, which is fixed currently at 22 South Sudanese Pound (SSP) or about 20 United States cents a litre, will be determined by market forces of demand and supply. In the black market, a litre cost 100 SSP - a price expected in the aftermath of lifting subsidies.

Local media quoted Dhieu claiming that lifting fuel subsidies will "save money" for the government to narrow deficit gap of about USD 200 million.

Economic experts say fuel subsidies cost the government United $40 monthly. A liger of diesel or petrol is purchased at about $1 from East African countries and sold at 20% of the actual market price in Juba by state-owned NilePet company.

However, fuel is scarce in Juba and long queues that last several hours are common in Juba. It is not clear when the lawmakers recommendation will be implemented but economists are divided on the effects of the decision.

"South Sudan lack of hard-currencies will continue to inhibits private sector from importing fuel and hence fundamental problem of supply and demand won't be resolved (sic)," writes economist Garang Atem, reacting to removal of fuel subsidies by the government.

Atem said prices of basic commodities such as food items and water will surge, further deteriorating the economic situation. He said NilePet will struggle to supply sufficient fuel, affecting the common man.

"Such reforms should be done in a comprehensive way so that compensation for public sector are reviewed," he said.

Other economists said the move is "excellent" and the subsidies were creating the black market because fuel dealers were creating scarcity.

(ST)

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