Africa

Air force veterans in Kenya give poor boy a helicopter ride to school and pay for his enrolment.

A video by a Nigerian comedian that jokes about a gay man about to be sexually assaulted has sparked a heated debate.

January 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Yasir Arman, SPLM-N Secretary General, has called for a unified mechanism to coordinate the action of opposition and civil society groups to restore democracy in Sudan, terming the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) as "spent force".

Arman made his remarks on Tuesday in a speech delivered at the Eldorado Book Center in Oslo where he met with Norwegian officials to brief them about the position of his movement on the stalled peace talks with the government. Norway is a member of the Troika countries (together with the UK and the U.S.) that support the African Union efforts to achieve peace in Sudan.

Despite the repression of political parties and disentitlement of trade union and civil society groups during the past 29 years, Sudanese people have shown they desire to get rid of Bashir's regime, he said, pointing to the recent waves of civil disobedience protests organized in the country by youth and political activists .

"The youth are sending a clear message that the present regime, does not represent any future for them. Therefore, equally, the regime has no future," he said. " It is evident that the expectations are high, and the National Congress is a spent force with nothing to offer," added the SPLM-N secretary general.

The rebel group which fights the government forces in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states announced its support to the civil disobedience and called on it supporters across the country to participate in the peaceful protests of 27 November and 19 December.

Recently, the Movement signed several political agreements with a number of opposition groups that are against any negotiated settlement with the government. The group also said they are seeking to reunite the rebel umbrella of Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) factions.

"What is missing, is the unified mechanism that can bring together the oppositions from different backgrounds with a minimal plan of action to remove the NCP government," Arman said.

He went further to say that only overthrowing the regime can ''bring about a new socio-economic/political dispensation that is in favour of peace, democracy, equal citizenship without discrimination and social justice''.

The SPLM-N, which demands to establish a secular state with a system of government conferring a large autonomy to the regions, is negotiating with the government President Omer al-Bashir since June 2011 weeks after the eruption of war in South Kordofan.

Last March, the African Union mediators proposed the Roadmap Agreement which aims to create a conducive environment to stop war and to hold an inclusive process over the future constitution in Sudan.

However, the parties failed to reach a truce to allow aid workers to reach the needy civilians in the war affected areas. The SPLM-N said the humanitarian file should top the agenda of any initiative to end the conflict and blamed the government for refusing to make any concession, pointing they did a lot to reach an agreement.

"They are only interested in reproducing their old, ugly system. They are not interested in a new agenda of peace and democracy, and their old agenda can never bring national consensus,'' he said to explain the government position.

Arman called on the international community to take into account the will of the Sudanese people for regime change, and to stop the normalisation process with Khartoum. He added that government policies toward the international community are "partial and tactical, and based on narrow interests, as they have never led to peace'' in Sudan.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (JUBA) – The chairman of South Sudan's armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO), Riek Machar has appointed Lam John Kuei Lam as press secretary in his office.

South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar addresses a news conference in Uganda's capital Kampala January 26, 2016 (Reuters photo)

Lam replaces Machar's long-serving press secretary, James Gatdet Dak, currently being detained in the capital, Juba, having been deported from neighbouring Kenya last year.

“Pursuant to the resolutions of the SPLM Political Bureau September 23, 2016 and SPLM (IO) constitution, I Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, SPLM/SPLA (IO), do hereby appoint Cde Lam John Kuei Lam as Press Secretary in the Office of the Chairman with effect from 11 January 2017,” Machar's 11 January 2017 letter reads in part.

Lam's appointment ends months of speculation about Dak's possible successor.

(ST)

The Carter Center

ATLANTA, Januarg 11, 2017 – The Carter Center welcomes the recent regulations issued by the government of Sudan aimed at facilitating humanitarian relief throughout the country and looks forward to further discussions with the government and other stakeholders on the specific rollout of the new directives.

The Carter Center, an impartial, non-governmental organization, works to advance peace and public health in Sudan, with current health activities focusing on fighting trachoma and river blindness. In addition, the Center has worked for decades with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and Sudanese health authorities to eradicate Guinea worm disease. By easing access to all parts of Sudan, the new regulations offer the prospect that the International Commission for Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication (ICCDE), supported by the WHO, may have the opportunity in 2017 to certify Sudan as officially free of Guinea worm disease, a historic accomplishment. The Center looks forward to the enhancement of all of its activities as the new regulations take effect.

The Carter Center has worked in Sudan since the 1980s, as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter worked personally to negotiate peace in the Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005). Milestones include negotiation of the 1995 "Guinea worm cease-fire," which gave international health workers almost six months of relative peace to enter areas of Sudan previously inaccessible due to fighting, and the 1999 Nairobi Agreement between Sudan and Uganda, in which the governments restored diplomatic relations and pledged to stop supporting rebels acting against each other's governments. The Carter Center also observed elections in Sudan in 2010 and the referendum on independence for South Sudan in 2011.

Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

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The Carter Center

"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

Visit our website CarterCenter.org | Follow us on Twitter @CarterCenter | Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/CarterCenter | Watch us on YouTube YouTube.com/CarterCenter | Add us to your circle on Google+ http://google.com/+CarterCenter

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

January 11, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - A hand grenade attack at a Hotel in Gondor town of Ethiopia's northern Amhara region claimed the live of one person and injured at least 11 others, regional police disclosed on Wednesday.

The incident occurred Tuesday evening when an unidentified attacker threw a hand grenade at Entasol, a hotel known for its recreation activities.

No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the historic town.

Gondor is one of Ethiopia's major tourist destination sites well known for its medieval palaces and marvelous architectures of ancient Churches.

Those injured, police said have been taken to Gondar Referral Hospital where they are receiving medical care.

Officials are yet to disclose details on whether if the attack was a terrorist one or linked with the latest violent anti-government protests sparked in Oromia region and spread to Amhara regional state over demands of territorial, political and economic rights.

The attack comes over two months after the horn of Africa's nation declared a six-month long state of emergency imposed in a bid to contain a year-long unrest which claimed lives of at least 500 people.

Police said it has launched an investigation, which is currently in its early stages.

Regional security forces have also continued hunting the attacker or attackers.

“The attack might be a new tactic started by anti-peace forces as the strategy they had been pursuing in the past failed” regional police official told the state affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

The official also urged residents of the town to report suspected incidents.

Ethiopia repeatedly accused arc-rival Eritrea of deploying terrorists to destabilise nation, an allegation the tiny red sea nation denies.

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year guerrilla war however the two neighbours fought a war during 1998-2000 over territorial disputes which killed over 70,000 people.

As their border dispute yet never settled ties between the two neighbours remain at odds.

Both countries routinely trade accusations of arming and supporting one the others' rebel group.

Ethiopia says it has often thwarted Eritrea-backed bomb plots and several other attacks.

Previously Ethiopian security forces have captured hundreds of Eritrea's mercenaries while trying to sneak into the country to launch attacks intended to destabilize nation.

Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, on Monday told reporters that country's security forces have recently captured at least 100 armed Eritrean mercenaries while trying to cross borders into Ethiopia via the northern Tigray region bordering Eritrea.

Addis Ababa has repeatedly warned that it will take proportional military actions to what it says is to stop Eritrea's unfolding aggressions.

Previously, Ethiopian forces have penetrated deep into Eritrean territories and attacked several military bases including those bases used by militants who are given sanctuary by Eritrea to carry out attacks against Ethiopian targets.

Ethiopia has also foiled a number of terror attacks by an Islamist radical group in Somalia.

Since 2011, Ethiopian troops have been fighting al Qaeda-allied al Shabaab militants in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir has expressed disappointment with lack of progress in the implementation of the peace agreement which he signed with his first former deputy in government and other stakeholders to end more than three years conflict, claiming spoilers were preventing the deal to be implemented.

Kiir made the remarks on Tuesday in Cairo, Egypt, where he led a high level government delegation in respond to invitation extended to him and members of his regime by his host.

“I want to inform you that there are people, the spoilers who are preventing the implementation of the peace agreement, as we speak here, they are holding a conference in Nairobi that the agreement has collapsed and they want the agreement to be renegotiated, they know what they are doing to South Sudanese so that they are diverted from the government not to listen to what government is doing,” said Kiir in a speech broadcast by the state owned South Sudan Television.

The agreement, according to the president, did not collapse, citing his work relations with his controversially appointed first vice president in place of Machar with whom he signed the deal.

“I want to assure you that the agreement has not collapsed. The First Vice President Taban Deng Gai is working with me very closely, and we are implementing the agreement. They think that without Riek Machar, there is no agreement, but that's not the way people work. You can sign an agreement and you get out of it, like what happened to us in South Sudan,” he said.

He attempted to justify his desire to work with his preferred choice with the death of the founding leader of the governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang, who died before completing the implementation of the 2005 peace accord which he signed to end more than two decades with Sudan, from which the young nation seceded in 2011 in accordance with self-determination protocol.

“Dr. John, who was our leader during the war, signed the agreement, unfortunately, God took him after days, but the agreement didn't collapse. President Bashir who signed the agreement and myself, who was a deputy to John Garang, we implemented the agreement this is why now South Sudan became an independent, nobody wanted to destroy what has been done,” he said.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese minister of religious affairs Wednesday condemned hatred campaigns by extremists Islamists groups calling to boycott Christmas celebrations and other Christian events, and reiterated his support to religious coexistence in the east African nation.

FILE - A Bishop stands in front of the altar during Easter Sunday service at Episcopal Church of the Sudan Diocese of Khartoum All Saints Cathedral in Khartoum April 24, 2011 (Reuters)

During the celebrations of Christmas by the Sudanese Catholic and Coptic Churches, radical Islamists plastered the walls of several churches with flyers calling on Muslim to boycott the celebrations and to not pay visits or to congratulate them.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Minister of (religious) Guidance and Waqf Amar Mirghani Hussein said he had received complaints from Christian religious leaders and clerics about flyers plastered on the wall of their churches, calling on Muslims to boycott their festivals.

"Islam does not forbid congratulating non-Muslims, especially Christians, on their religious occasions," Hussein said pointing to "the multiple fatwas (Islamic ruling) on this respect that stress the need to communicate with all religions, sects and groups" he added according to the statement.

The minister further called to promote peaceful coexistence, emphasizing that such hatred posters should not be allowed to stir up divisions and drive a wedge between Sudanese Christians and their fellow citizens .

(ST)

Armed fighting over land, water and other natural resources in Sudan&#39s Darfur region continues to put civilians at risk, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council today, calling for long-term solutions that would allow 2.6 million displaced people to return or resettle.

Briefing the Security Council today, senior United Nations officials underlined the significant challenges and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin region, including in particular those posed by the militant group, Boko Haram, and urged for sustained support to national and regional security, political and humanitarian action.

A new partnership between the United Nations rural poverty agency and officials in Mauritania could boost finances and nutrition for nearly 300,000 farmers in the southern part of the country.

A United Nations-supported mass vaccination campaign is set to start tomorrow to protect more than 4.7 million children against a measles outbreak in conflict-affected states in north-eastern Nigeria.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government has regretted the hoisting upside down of her national flag during a visit of President Salva Kiir to Cairo, Egypt, attributing it to human error.

The national flag is usually hoisted in a way that places up the black side, which represents the people of South Sudan but this black colour was seen hoisted upside down during president Kiir's arrival at the Egyptian airport and in other main streets through which the president and his entourage passed.

The upside down display was also in the background of the handshake of president Kiir and his host and was hoisted on a stand next to Egyptian flag.

A South Sudanese diplomat at the ministry of foreign affairs told Sudan Tribune when reached on Wednesday to comment on the matter that the hoisting was “a human error”.

Sincerely speaking, this was not a deliberate act on our side. It was a human error and we regret that the incident has caused inconveniences to our people, which is their right, because the flag is the symbol of the nation”, a top diplomat told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The official was reacting to protest by South Sudanese outraged by the incident in which some described it as disrespect of the country by displaying dozens of South Sudan flags upside down during the visit of president.

Eyewitness including South Sudanese in Egypt took to social media to express their anger; some described the incorrect display of the flag as a disgrace and demand the Egyptian authorities to issue an apology.

The Egyptians ambassador to South Sudan, Ayman El-Gammal is yet to comment.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) of the late Hassan al-Turabi Wednesday disclosed it has agreed with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to deposit the constitutional amendments pertaining to public freedoms to the parliament for approval.

On October 25th, 2016, Sudanese presidency deposited new amendments to the 2005 transitional constitution with the parliament, which allow introducing a Prime Minister post, increasing the number of national MPs and adopting the name of the Government of National Concord.

However, amendments related to public freedoms weren't deposited with the parliament prompting the PCP to voice concern over the move and threatened to disavow the national dialogue process entirely.

PCP political secretary Kamal Omer told reporters that the public freedoms amendments are essential for the political reality in Sudan, saying they wouldn't compromise on issues of liberties and democratic transformation.

He said that a committee from the PCP headed by him has met with the NCP, pointing the latter agreed to the required constitutional amendments without any objection.

Omer pointed that the new amendments is on its way to the presidency, saying President Omer al-Bashir is expected to issue a decision to deposit it with the parliament.

“We have ongoing contacts with the NCP and they confirmed that the amendments might reach the parliament next week,” he said.

Since January 2014, Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir has been leading a national dialogue process whose stated aims are to resolve the armed conflicts, achieve political freedoms, alleviate poverty and the economic crisis, and address the national identity crisis.

Last October, the political forces participating at the national dialogue concluded the process by signing the National Document which includes the general features of a future constitution to be finalized by transitional institutions.

The opposition groups boycotted the process because the government didn't agree on humanitarian truce with the armed groups and due to its refusal to implement a number of confidence building measures.

The Islamist Popular Congress Party splinted from the NCP since 1999, and joined the opposition ranks since that time but it supported the dialogue process and participated in all its forums.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (JUBA) - The weakening South Sudanese pound (SSP) means families in neighbouring East African countries are dwindling. Some families have not paid rent for months and children are out of schools.

"It is a tough situation that families face in Uganda and Kenya - some families don't afford food items, far from money for rent and school fees," said David, who family is Kampala, Uganda.

South Sudan Pound lost about 80% of it value since ministry of finance and central bank floated the exchange rate against United States dollars in December 2015. $1 sales for 110 SSP on Wednesday in Juba black market. The central bank has not auctioned the U.S. in recent weeks, leading to scarcity. For families in South Sudanese employees paid in local currency, black market is the source of their black market.

"In Elegu (Uganda border town with South Sudan near Nimule), 1,000 SSP is exchanged for only 25,00 Ugandan shillings," said David, preferring to use his first name only.

"Unless you exchange 20,000 SSP per month, you will not be able to sustain your family abroad," he said, adding that he is struggling to pay rent and move his family back to South Sudan despite insecurity fears that forced him to send his wife and three children to Uganda.

1,000 Kenyan shillings now exchange for 900 SSP, a substantial increase from 1,000 Kenyans shillings to 300 SSP early last year.

Some families are shifting to refugees' camps.

"It is expensive to transport the family from Nairobi to Juba and the nearest cheapest location becomes Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya," said Johnson Oldi, a South Sudanese whose family had lived in a Kenyan town for three years.

"Unless you are working for an international organization that pays in U.S dollars, there is no way one can continue to pay rent and school fees for money that finish in few weeks," added Johnson.

The number of South Sudanese families in Uganda and Kenya has dwindled, he added.

"The situation is even worse for junior (government) employees. Whether you bring your family to South Sudan or remain in Uganda or Kenya, the situation is the same - worse," said David Deng, a grade 7 government employee. Deng receive close to 2,000 SSP monthly, just about 20 dollars if exchanged at the current black market exchange rate.

Most South Sudan send families to neighboring countries of Kenya and Uganda for medical, education and security reasons. However, South Sudanese currency has been in free fall for the last 12 months and painted a bleak future for the work youngest nation.

(ST)

January 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Wednesday has released four leaders from the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF).

Following calls by activists for a general strike to protest the austerity measures last November, the NISS arrested four NCF leading figures Siddig Youssef, Tarig Abdel-Mageed, Munzir Abu al-Ma'ali and Mohamed Diaa al-Din.

In its weekly bulletin on Wednesday, the opposition Arab Ba'ath Party (ABP) said the NISS released the four leaders, pointing they spent about two months in detention and were prevented from family visits.

It added that the NISS continues to detain a number of opposition figures including ABP member Abdel-Rahim Fath al-Rahman al-Sanjak who was arrested on December 20th.

On Tuesday, opposition activists published a list including 34 political detainees and their arrest dates, saying there are others who they were unable to confirm their detention dates.

Meanwhile, social media activists have celebrated the release of the sports journalist Ahmed al-Dai Bishara and posted photos of him after he was released.

It is noteworthy that Bishara was arrested on November 26 after he appeared in a video tape urging the Sudanese to engage in the civil disobedience.

On December 19, activists urged Sudanese to stay at home as part of a civil disobedience action, the second such initiative after a similar strike from 27 to 29 November which had a larger response.

Following the government decision to raise fuel and electricity price on November 3rd, the NISS launched a large arrest campaign and detained more than 40 opposition figures.

(ST)

Everton are set to sign Standard Liege's £10.5m-rated Algeria forward Ishak Belfodil.

By Yasir Arman

Peace, democracy and nation building challenges in Sudan

The challenges that have been facing Sudan for more than “sixty” years of its independence from the British have always been nation building and the possibility of building a modern state based on equal citizenship, democracy and social justice. Respect of the cultural, religious and social diversities of the Sudanese Communities has been a key element in the heart of the nation building issues. Failing to absorb this cardinal reality led to the secession of South Sudan, and indeed, is threatening the very existence of the rest of the Sudan.

Nation formation and nation building is a key issue for any reliable and successful national project. It is prudent upon the Sudanese stakeholders to recognize the historical and contemporary diversities and build a modern state based on equal citizenship without discrimination, and a program that is geared towards democracy and social justice. Sudanism is the only commonality that can unite Sudanese, regardless of their respective backgrounds. The political Islam program has shaken the basis of the Sudanese commonality, and it is a program that cannot yield a national consensus. It is important to stress that the political Islam agenda has not only threatened the Sudanese national unity and nation building, but is also an agenda that poses a threat to the whole of the African continent, as Africa is a continent of diversity, as well as the world at large.

Khartoum regime reaching end of its journey

The National Congress Party (NCP) regime is facing multiple crisis; economically, politically, culturally and socially. These have manifested in the bankruptcy of the political class, and it is clear the regime no longer has a foundation to exist upon. It is known that the regime was depending on a narrow social base and can only keep power in their hands through wars and security repression. Therefore, wars and the cracking down on opposition is an integral part of the NCP governance. Since they took over power, they have been facing continuous resistance in the rural and urban areas of Sudan, and they continued to wage war in the marginalized areas, and to repress the resistance of the mass movement in the urban areas. However, the days when the regime enjoyed spending oil money on their military, security and political institutions are gone, and the core of the regime's political brain is divided.

The regime tried to reproduce its system and widen its social base through an empty national dialogue that could not address the main problems facing Sudan, such as putting an end to wars, providing freedoms, basic rights and services, a democratic system of governance, as well as normalizing relations with the outside world. They were not ready to give concessions; they were only interested in reproducing their system at the peak of their economic and political crisis. The Sudan Government was neither ready to stop the bombardment of the civilian population in the war zones, nor open humanitarian corridors to end the civilian population suffering - especially in the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile where they have denied humanitarian access for about six years, while committing war crimes, as well as the continued genocide in Darfur.

New realities on the Sudanese political landscape

The armed struggle was the main means of struggle during the early years of the dictatorship of the National Congress, where they systematically destroyed the peaceful means in what they called the ‘empowerment policy'. In this policy, they changed the nature of different state institutions and completely politicized them, including the security sector. Nevertheless, this dictatorial regime has been the dictatorship in which the Sudanese people have paid the heaviest price in their continuous struggle against, with millions displaced persons, refugees, wounded causalities and the struggle of the Sudanese people has continued throughout the past 27 years. At this point in time however, there is a qualitative change, and the peaceful mass movement is taking the lead. We can certainly say the peaceful resistance of the Sudanese people has been born again and the political landscape is pregnant and expecting a new born. This new mass movement consists of:
• Official opposition, with all its components and different alliances.
• New professionals and syndicate movements that include medical doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, university lecturers, plus teachers unions.
• New social movement of youth, women, students and others.
• Movements of specific causes; land grabbing, dams, farmers, internally displaced and others.
• Social media groups, who played a major role in the civil disobedience of November 27th and December 19th, are emerging as a powerful and youthful group, injecting new blood into the political life, and looking for a new political agenda for the future of Sudan. They are the very youth who were brought up during the National Congress's dictatorship and were targeted by a lot of brainwashing programmes. The youth are sending a clear message that the present regime, does not represent any future for them. Therefore, equally, the regime has no future.

What has taken place is because of the accumulative struggle throughout the last 27 years, including the years of the interim period of the CPA, which provided a relative opening up for political debate, as well as critical events such as the uprising of September 2013, in which the youth played a remarkable role in facing the regime security machines, where more than 200 of them lost their lives. The new youth movement has manifested itself in many ways, including when they rallied around the late singer Mahmud Abdelaziz, who was an icon of youth rebellion against the vision of the regime and the political Islam. It is a movement of diverse backgrounds, that uses different means.

The road to change is not an easy one. It is going to take a lot of effort in such a complex situation, but the mass movement and the Sudanese people in general are prepared for this journey to usher Sudan into a new error of equal citizenship, just peace and democracy.

The building up of resistance

The main phenomena in the present political landscape is the building up of the peaceful political resistance, from diverse forums. It has injected a new political will into the mainstream movement of resistance against the regime. It is to be noted that the youth are major players in this movement, and the professionals are making a come-back into the political scene. The medical doctors have carried out a strike for two months, in more than sixty hospitals nationwide. This movement emboldened the masses and killed the fears that were systematically planted by the regime into the minds and hearts of the people over the years.

It is evident that the expectations are high, and the National Congress is a spent force with nothing to offer. What is missing, is the unified mechanism that can bring together the oppositions from different backgrounds with a minimal plan of action to remove the NCP government, and bring about a new socio-economic/political dispensation that is in favour of peace, democracy, equal citizenship without discrimination and social justice. As well as a mechanism to coordinate between the different means of struggle, and our masses in the rural marginalized areas of Sudan and the urban ones.

The economic situation will continue to play a major role in bringing more social forces who are deprived from their living, into the political resistance. The new Annual budget of 2017 submitted by the minister of finance geared the bulk of the resources to the military and security sector. This was done so it can allow them to continue war and repression of the Sudanese people, indicating that the regime is going in the same old direction i.e a complete political bankruptcy. Allocating meagre resources to health and education, and depending fully on taxes and price inflation of essential commodities. Therefore, change is inevitable. It is also to be noted, at this very time of crisis, the regime has been accused by Amnesty International of using chemical weapons in Darfur.

The army and the other regular forces

The army and the other regular forces will eventually be forced to take a position in light of the continuing build-up of the mass movement and it would be an important factor and moment that would take things towards strengthening the chances of real change. Nevertheless, the mass movement should be cautious of a palace coup d'état that may intend to stop the process of real change.

Position of the regional and international community

The political forces have continuously expressed their willingness in a peaceful settlement, and the National Congress government has continually not only rejected the peaceful settlement, but continued to deliberately destroy any chance for a peaceful settlement. They are only interested in reproducing their old, ugly system. They are not interested in a new agenda of peace and democracy, and their old agenda can never bring national consensus.

There is a need for a new national project, and for a new Sudan, especially after the secession of the South and the genocide against important communities. Those two events are the most critical events in the modern history of Sudan. Sudan can only bring itself together if it can correctly learn lessons from those two major events and build a new country on new parameters of our new national project, so as to bring life to our national economic sectors in the agricultural industry, national transportation of railways, river, sea, and air and avail services to the ordinary citizens, especially of water, health, education and others. We need to address the needs of the poor people, and to rehabilitate the rural areas where most of our population is, and as Late Dr. John Garang used to say, “take towns to people, not people to towns”. We need to have a new nation building project that is based on democracy, and equal citizenship without discrimination, and the peaceful exchange of power.

Therefore, the civil disobedience injected new blood and constitutes a chance for the region and international community to re-think their agenda on the Sudanese crisis and look for a comprehensive new agenda of peaceful settlement that will lead to ending the war, and achieve democracy simultaneously. It is important for the region and the international community to respect the will of the Sudanese people for a change, and for them to review their policies towards Sudan, which are partial and tactical, and based on narrow interests, as they have never led to peace in either parts of Sudan.

It may be important to mention that the cooperation with Sudan on what is called “the Khartoum process” to prevent immigration to Europe, has not yielded the desired result, for the simple fact that the number of Sudanese immigrants, and other immigrants originating from Sudan in the last two years, is even higher than before the Khartoum process, and we can review the immigration statistics regarding Sudan in Italy, France and U.K. It is equally important to mention that general Bashir's regime has displaced, internally and externally around 6-8 million Sudanese. It would be absurd to expect him to help in preventing immigration to Europe. The biggest regards the Sudan government can pay the immigration agenda, is to end the war, along with the internal and external displacement in Sudan.

War on terror

The Sudan government is part of the international terrorism network, which is why they are able to cooperate by giving information to some countries, and handing over some of the terrorists and it has become an investment for them; to work on one hand on terrorism, and to share information and hand over terrorists on the other. It is ridiculous to continue working with a terrorist to combat terrorism. For instance, in Libya, Sudan is helping the political Islam organization, and at the same time, offering to work with the international community to bring law and order to Libya. It is a contradiction. The correct approach should be ending the era of terrorism in Sudan, which started with the Sudanese people themselves, and effect change and transformation in Sudan, and have a new government that has nothing to do with terrorism, whose interests lie in regional and international peace and stability. Moreover, I would appeal to the Gulf States not to provide money that is going to be used to fuel internal war in Sudan and repression. The Gulf States' investment in Sudan, can only be guaranteed by the Sudanese people and not by a regime that has no future. Sudan is on the eve of change, and it is only a matter of time.

Humanitarianism before politics

After more than 5 years, the SPLM/N leadership, rank and file, observe that Khartoum is using political engagement as a cover to continue its war and denial of access for humanitarian assistance. It is obviously clear that resolving political issues will take more time at the expense of the humanitarian situation. Therefore, the SPLM/N decided to take the humanitarian issues into the front seat, and as the only way to unlock even the political situation. Consequently, the SPLM/N decided it will never mix between the two issues again, and the priority should be in accordance with the International Humanitarian law to deliver humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarianism before politics.

Rebranding the SPLM/N

The SPLM/N will continue to pursue the vision of the new Sudan, working to achieve a secular democratic Sudan. The SPLM/N understands the need to rebrand itself and develop the vision of the New Sudan, taking into consideration the new realities, including the secession of South Sudan, and the experiencs that followed it. There is also a need to revisit its structural and internal democracy, along with the change that occurred all over the world, examining the failures and successes of national liberation movements and our means of struggle. As we are into the third millennium, with all its complexities, the big issues of social justice, ethnicity, the decaying of the nation state in certain aspects, and how to build a new future that addresses the nationality issues and the separation of religion from the State, remain prevalent.

Additionally, it is important to bear in mind the Sudan union between two independent statesin the North and South, the union process in the continent, our surroundings and the relationsbetween the developed/developing worlds. These can only be addressed by a democraticsystem that will allow equal opportunities to its people, tackling the issues of women, youth,economic justice, equal citizenship without discrimination and the environment e.t.c Addressing of the aforementioned, rests on the building of a modern organization that will cater for democracy, equality and justice.

The author is the SPLM-N Secretary General. He made this speech at the Eldorado Book Center, Oslo, Norway, on January 10, 2017

Addressing the Security Council, the head of United Nations peacekeeping operations today urged the international community to push for a swift endorsement of the so-called 31 December political accord in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to put in place a transitional government of national unity.

A Sudanese diplomat has avoided charges of alleged sexual abuse in the US by claiming diplomatic immunity - not the first envoy to do so.