May 5,2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan said on Sunday that it will reclaim the oil- producing region of Abyei from the government of neighboring Sudan with which it has repeatedly failed to settle the region's final status “at any cost”, and repeated accusation to Khartoum of “masterminding” the killing of paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol on Saturday.

South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit (Reuters)

Kuol,was killed during following a standoff that lasted for several hours with armed members of the Misseriya who claimed that the Dinka Ngok chief was passing through their land without permission.

However, Sudan's interior ministry said in a statement today that the armed Misseriya demanded from Kuol that their stolen cattle stolen by Dinka Ngok returned to them.

The tribal leader was being escorted in a convoy protected by the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in the presence of its Ethiopian commander Major General Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam.

The ministry blamed Kuol for visiting northern Abyei region inhabited by the Misseriya without informing the monitors.

It is not clear who fired the first shot but a Misseriya chief told Agence France Presse (AFP) that the clash happened when a UN peacekeeper soldier shot one of the Misseriya who was readying his weapon.

Sudan said that yesterday's incidents resulted in 17 deaths and 12 injuries among the Misseriya.

Two people were killed from the Dinka Ngok side including Kuol. One peacekeeper was
killed on spot and two others seriously injured. Later one of the injured soldiers passed away.

South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit sprung up to his feet at a mourning function held in Juba today saying the issue should be left to the governments of Khartoum and Juba to handle it but stressed that he was certain the region would one day return to the South “at any cost”.

“This is sad. No one had expected this to happen at a time when we have accepted to give peace a chance. President Bashir and I have accepted and declared at the press conference here when he visited Juba to work together for peace. I know it pains but this should be left to the government to see what to do. And I only want to assure you that I am certain that Abyei will one day come to the south at any cost”, Kiir told thousands of mourners on Sunday.

South Sudanese minister of information Barnaba Marial said the government condemned the attack in the "strongest term possible" and called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and African Union to investigate and hold those responsible to account.

“The government of the republic of South Sudan condemns this unwarranted and unprovoked attack. This cowardly act of terrorism is unacceptable”, Marial told reporters Sunday.

The minister did not say what the government planned to do but said president Kiir had been engaged in discussion with Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir over the issue since yesterday.

"The government is committed to pursuing this issue. President Salva Kiir Mayardit himself has since yesterday been engaged with president Bashir in discussion to find out how to address the issue”, he said.

South Sudan's Cabinet Affairs Minister, Deng Alor Kuol accused Sudan of effectively helping members of the Arabs nomads of Misseriya with weapons to carry out attacks in the area.

Minister Alor said chief Kuol was killed with another elder from the area and six others, five of whom are members of the Ethiopians nationals serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the area.

Three others were wounded and are in stable condition. He warned that the killing of the paramount chief would “open the door to all possibilities", without elaborating on the remarks but officials and residents argued supply of weapons.

Speaking at the same function, Edward Lino, the Co-Chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC), on the side of South Sudan and who is also the head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) branch office in the area, said while wiping his face from shedding tears that “he is very sad but was sure the area would not remain in Sudan even if it means losing the whole population in the course of fighting for the liberation of the people from years of bondage”.

“The world is helplessly looking on events unfolding in Abyei as if they are watching soccer. The international community, particularly key players, the America and her allies, the Security Council of the United Nations, the African Union and the regional leaders have left Abyei to be constantly subjected to heinous crimes and killing always committed by the criminals and the indicted president of Sudan and his government. They do not care what the international community says. They believe in seeing”, Lino told reporters Sunday.

Lino said he was only waiting to recover from his sickness and will move into the area with youth group who will accept to follow him.

“I am sad this happened. The issue of Abyei is very simple. It is simple thing because it is about land. This land belongs to us and we will get it from any animal or person by all means because it is ours. Nobody will ever deny our right”, Lino explained to the mourners mainly women and youth groups from the area.

UNISFA SHOOTS AT PROTESTERS IN ABYEI

Meanwhile thousands of people in Agok and in Abyei took to the streets to protest the killing of the chief, burning down shops belonging to Sudanese traders in Abyei town and bringing down a mosque, resulting into exchange of fire with members of the Ethiopian forces in the town.

Local officials and relatives said “three juveniles” were shot in the protest by the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA), generating disquiet and tension in town and the surrounding area.

“Three children, very young below 18 years have been shot by the UNISFA during the protest. They have not died but they are in critical condition. I think Ethiopian forces have a problem with our people. They shoot at our innocent and unarmed civilians and leave those who pose the danger. The Misseriya are at large holding weapons and attacking and killing people and UNISFA does not respond. They only respond when it is something related to the concern of our people”, Mijak Dau, a senior Civil Servant in Abyei town, an administrative headquarters of the area said.

It was unclear whether there were members of the Misseriya tribe or traders from other states in Sudan who were injured or killed during the protests although authorities said no Sudanese nationals were in town during protest.

"There are no traders from Sudan in the area. They fled yesterday after learning the incident. The town is now empty. The protesters only burned empty shops without goods", said Kuol Deng, a civil servant in Abyei.

Abyei was scheduled to have a referendum in January 2011 to decide its fate but it never took place as Khartoum and Juba disagreed on who should be able to participate.

Last year, the African Union mediation team proposed that a referendum be held in the contested region this October, but that only those residing permanently in the area would be allowed to vote in the plebiscite, and decide whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan.

This proposal would effectively make the majority of voters come from the Dinka Ngok tribe, aligned with South Sudan, thus putting the Arab Misseriya nomads, who spend several months in Abyei every year grazing, not part of the voting.

According to the mediators, exclusion of the Misseriya nomads, in line with the decision of the Hague-based arbitration court, which defined the territory of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms in July 2009.

However, Sudan swiftly rejected the plan, which received the blessing of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC)

(ST)

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

May 5, 2013 (BENTIU) – Residents in Unity state's Payinjiar county are facing severe seedling shortages, urging both the government and international NGO's to help provide seeds before the start of the rainy season.

A flooded farm in Payinjiar County, Unity State, 18 August 2011 (ST/Bonifacio Taban)

Payinjiar was the food basket of the state until heavy flooding last June washed away crops in the area before they could reach full maturity, resulting in poor harvests across the county.

Some 40,000 people were displaced in the areas of Nyal, Gakal, Pathiel, Duong, Ganyliel and Tayar as a result of the flooding.

Those who have fled the region and are taking refuge in Bentiu town ahead of the rainy season told Sudan Tribune the lack of seeds would prevent farmers cultivating crops.

Michael Banak Dahnier, who is from Nyal payam [district] in Payinjiar county, says 16 people have starved to death as a result of the poor harvest following the 2012 flooding.

Dahnier added that the situation was likely to worsen, with the lack of seeds set to discourage agricultural activities.

“I'm appealing to international organisations to intervene to provide us seeds; this would help us to improve the current starvation in the county”, said Dahnier.

“If we are not provided with seeds the suffer[ing] will continue, but the only thing to stop what [is] happening is only if the government and NGOs provide us with seeds in order to focus on agriculture in order to produce food for ourselves”, he added.

He has urged the government to do what it can in order to avoid flooding reoccurring, which has made many citizens vulnerable in the state.

Payinjiar commissioner Simon Chuol Biel says the lack of seeds will significantly hamper farmers' ability to cultivate their crops.

“Our concern [is to] request to both government and NGOs to provide seeds to the county only for this year. But I hope [in the] coming year the county will be able to supply themselves with seeds because they are going to cultivate this year and hopefully if the rain will continue they will have good production for coming year, whereby they will not ask any seeds from NGOs”, said Biel.

Farmers in the low lying, flood-prone area are particularly vulnerable at the beginning of the rainy season.

NGO Norwegian People Aids have already stepped in by funding the construction of dyes in flat low-lying areas along the river.

County officials told Sudan Tribune that the organisation has released the first installation of 40,000 South Sudanese Pounds for the project.

However, the commissioner said the funding is not enough and is urging NGOs to provide greater assistance to the more than 60,000 flood-affected people in the area.

He says the South Sudanese government has come under criticism from residents in the area, who say it has failed to adequately respond to the food security crisis.

More than a thousand Payinjiar residents at risk of starvation are currently in Bentiu.
In a series of interviews with Sudan Tribune on the ground, county officials said the deteriorating conditions last month were to blame for the deaths of the 16 people.

A join assessment team from UN agencies, led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), recently visited the area, but have yet to respond to the crisis.

(ST)

May 4, 2013 (JUBA) – Tristar group, a Dubai-based oil company operating in South Sudan, has donated an ambulance to help the Health ministry cope with emergency-related situations.

Minstry of Health and Tristar officials at the donation of the ambulance May 2, 2013 (ST)

Yatta Lori Lugar, the deputy Health minister, who received the keys on behalf of his ministry last Thursday lauded Tristar for its commitment to supporting the country's health sector.

Tristar's initiative, he said, was a clear gesture that the oil entity was not only in the country to make money and repatriate the profits back home, but also give back to the public.

“We are very grateful for what you have done today by ensuring that you do your businesses in a healthy environment, through such support,” the deputy minister said during an occasion held at the ministers' complex in Juba.

The ambulance, he stressed, will help not only the ministry respond to emergency cases, but will also encourage other companies operating in the country to emulate Tristar's corporate social responsibility.

Chandrasekhar, Tristar's Chief Operating Officer, said the oil company will continue to support government in various sectors, like health and education.

“We recently finished constructing Gabat School in Juba and another school in Juba County,” he told reporters in Juba.

Since its operations started in 2007, Tristar group has invested several projects in Sudan and South Sudan. The oil company currently operates in Uganda, Kenya, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kuwait, Pakistan and Haiti, among others.

The donation will aid South Sudan health systems which remain extremely weak, with limited facilities, poor infrastructure and insufficient personnel.

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian government said that it released 74 leaders and members of little known rebel group, the Benshangul People's Liberation Movement (BPLM) this week.

The move was part of a peace agreement signed last year between the Ethiopian government and the Benishangul rebels after more than two years of negotiations.

Kalayu Gebrehiwot, general director of conflict prevention and management within the federal affairs ministry said other remaining exiled members of the group are also expected to return home.

The group has in the past carried out a number of attacks in different parts of the Benishangul region bordering neighboring Sudan.

It has been reported that the released rebel members have expressed remorse for their previous actions and promised to actively engage in developmental activities.

According to the peace pact, the BPLM faction agreed to lay down their arms and end their armed struggle.

The rebel group had been active in the Benishanguel region for the past 17 years.

The agreement is believed to relieve the fears of possible attacks from the rebel group against the massive power plant, the grand renaissance dam, which Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile River.

In recent years the Ethiopian government has reached a peace agreement with a faction of separatist group, Ogaden Peoples Liberation Front, as well as with the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF)

(ST)

May 4, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan on Saturday welcomed a United Nations decision, which allows UN personnel to access the contested oil-producing region of Abyei, using any travel means available.

UN peacekeepers patrol the streets of Abyei town following the attack by the northern Sudanese Armed Forces (UN)

Nhial Deng Nhial, the country's Foreign Affairs minister, said the move was in line with last year's Status of Force Agreement (SOFA), signed by both Sudan and South Sudan, allowing UN to access Abyei without placing conditions.

UN personnel, as part of the SOFA, are allowed to travel to the disputed region, either for immediate assessment, or to conduct and respond to daily needs of the humanitarian related activities in the region.

But the world body insists it has often been difficult for its personnel to obtain visa approval, mainly from the Sudanese Foreign Affairs ministry, despite the agreement, which the two countries signed. Sudanese authorities reportedly demand foreign nationals working for the UN to get visas from Khartoum only, saying Abyei was under its administrative control.

South Sudan, however, argues that the position of the Sudanese government neither reflects the status of the contested region, nor the agreement reached.

“South Sudan welcomes the decision of the United Nations and will do its best to unconditionally facilitate movement of the UN personnel seeking access to Abyei,” Nhail told Sudan Tribune Saturday, without giving further details.

The minister's remarks was in response to a statement by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator's Office in Sudan which referred to the previous communication with authorities over the need to provide access to UN personnel travelling to the area to respond to the humanitarian needs.

The 22 April statement, also obtained by Sudan Tribune, was addressed to protocol department at the Sudanese Foreign Affairs ministry.

A UN official working in Abyei said that no response has so far been received from Sudanese authorities, while South Sudan indicated it has no objections.

“I have not seen any response from the government of Sudan. Our office is actually the one that deals with such matters. The government of South Sudan has indicated no objection to providing access to our personnel seeking to enter the region for humanitarian assignments and other relief-related activities approved by UN,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

They have expressed readiness to provide assistance without any condition, especially approval of visas, he added.

The UN made this decision after failing to get response to repeated requests seeking permission from authorities in Sudan to access the area.

“The office of the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator presents its compliments to the ministry of foreign affairs in the Sudan and has the honour to refer to previous correspondence relating to the permission required by UN personnel to travel to Abyei,” the UN letter reads in part.

It further states, “Based on the lack of response from the authorities concerned, the needs of the people of Abyei and the need to maintain UN programmes and project active, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator and UNDP RR [Resident Representative] has authorised all UN personnel to access Abyei by any mean of travel available to the UN including from neighbouring countries.”

South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, says the fate of the disputed oil-producing border region Abyei remains his government's top priority following the country's secession from Sudan in July 2011.

Kiir's remarks have raised expectations that direct negotiations on the issue may lead to more progress on the issue when he visits Khartoum for the first time since October 2011, to witness delivery of the first oil shipment to international markets through the Sudanese territory.

The status of Abyei has not been resolved despite steps which Sudan and South Sudan have taken since March to normalise their relations, after months of intermittent clashes along their undemarcated frontier.

Abyei's status was the most sensitive issue left unsettled when South Sudan separated in 2011.

The territory was to hold a referendum in January 2011 on whether it belonged with the north or South, but disagreement on who could vote stalled the ballot.

Last year, the African Union mediation team proposed that a referendum be held in the contested region this October, but that only those residing permanently in the area would be allowed to vote in the plebiscite, and decide whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan.

This proposal would effectively make the majority of voters come from the Dinka Ngok tribe, aligned with South Sudan, thus putting the Arab Misseriya nomads, who spend several months in Abyei every year grazing, not part of the voting.

According to the mediators, exclusion of the Misseriya nomads, in line with the decision of the Hague-based arbitration court, which defined the territory of the nine Ngok Dinka chiefdoms in July 2009.

However, Sudan swiftly rejected the plan, which received the blessing of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC)

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has warned that the incident which took place yesterday in the disputed border area of Abyei could trigger renewed strife in the region.

Al-Amer Mokhtar Papo (R) a leader of the Misserya Arab tribe and his counterpart from the Dinka Ngok tribe, Kuol Deng Kuol shake hands after signing a peace agreement in the town of Kadugli north of Abeyi on January 13, 2011. (KHALED DESOUKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Kuol Deng Kuol, the top Dinka Ngok leader in Abyei, was killed on Saturday by Arab Misseriya tribesmen as he was travelling through the region in a convoy escorted by the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Sudan said today that 17 were killed and 12 injured from the Misseriya side, 2 from the Dinka Ngok and two UNISFA peacekeepers.

The NCP's spokesperson, Yasser Youssef, called on all sides to deny "enemies of peace" the chance to exploit the incident expressing his deep sorrow for the killings and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.

He urged all parties to show restraint until an investigation into the incident is completed.

Youssef pointed out that the government of South Sudan hastily rushed to hold the Sudanese government responsible for the assassination of Kuol, saying that conclusions should not be drawn before launching an impartial investigation.

The NCP official said that his party is collecting information on the incident and ready to help the government in case it decided to form a fact finding committee.

Sudan's ministry of foreign affairs announced on Sunday that authorities in Khartoum will carry out an inclusive, transparent and fair investigation. It condemned the killing while vowing to hold those responsible accountable.

The ministry further reiterated Sudan's commitment to all agreements signed with South Sudan and its determination to implement them. It affirmed Sudan's keenness to normalize and enhance bilateral relations.

Abyei was scheduled to have a referendum in January 2011 to decide its fate but it never took place as Khartoum and Juba disagreed on who should be able to participate.

Last year, the African Union mediation team proposed that a referendum be held in the contested region this October, but that only those residing permanently in the area would be allowed to vote in the plebiscite, and decide whether they want to join Sudan or South Sudan.

This proposal would effectively make the majority of voters come from the Dinka Ngok tribe, aligned with South Sudan, thus putting the Arab Misseriya nomads, who spend several months in Abyei every year grazing, not part of the voting.

However, Sudan swiftly rejected the plan, which received the blessing of the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC).

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The government of North Darfur dismissed death figures circulated in the media this week of miners who got trapped inside a collapsed gold mine.

Workers break rocks at the Wad Bushara gold mine near Abu Delelq in Gadarif State, Wad Bushara April 27, 2013. (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

In a statement signed by North Darfur acting governor al-Fatih Abdel-Aziz Abdel-Nabi the government said that a committee headed by al-Siraif mayor visited the mine area on Saturday.

The committee concluded that only one mine was impacted and that five people were killed. Three of the bodies were retrieved while efforts to get the remaining two failed.

A delegation from the African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) accompanied the committee and certified the findings, the government said.

The statement said that they had no reports of missing persons in the period of April 29-May 4 in the gold mine area.

Earlier this week it was reported that 100 miners have died at the gold mine in the Jebel Amir district, more than 200 km northwest of North Darfur capital of El-Fasher. Nine other rescuers were killed as well.

On Thursday, the Jebel Amir district chief, Haroun al-Hassan, said “the number of people who died is more than 60,” but added it was unclear whether anyone might still be alive according to Agence France Presse (AFP).

The East African country is looking for gold to make up for the budget deficit it incurred as a result of losing three quarters of its oil production due to the secession of South Sudan in July 2011.

But a significant portion of Sudan's gold production comes from thousands of artisanal miners who have joined the gold rush across the country.

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) – The African Union (AU) has condemned Saturday's attack in Sudan's disputed Abyei region, in which the paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka, Kuol Deng Kuol, and a UN peacekeeper were killed.

AU chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said she had been shocked to learn of the attack on the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA), which occurred on the same day as a meeting held between members of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC).

Kuol and an Ethiopian peacekeeper were shot dead in an ambush by members of the rival nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe, while they were travelling in a UNISFA convoy on their way back to Abyei town from a visit to an area further north. Two other peacekeepers were also seriously wounded.

“The chairperson condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this heinous crime, which threatens the stability of Abyei, as well as the progress recently achieved by Sudan and South Sudan in addressing their common security and socio-economic challenges”, the AU said in a statement on Sunday.

Dlamini-Zuma has urged Sudanese government to ensure that those responsible for the attack are brought to justice. She also called on the leadership of both Sudans to exercise restraint and to ensure that the current situation does not spiral out of control.

The chairperson reiterated the AU's support for decisions adopted by AJOC, including calls for Abyei to be a ‘weapons-free area', as per an agreement on temporary arrangements for the administration and security of the area, signed by Sudan and South Sudan in June 2011.

“She calls on the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to take all steps required to assist UNISFA to exercise its mandate in Abyei, and in particular calls on the two governments not to arm their citizens”, the statement adds.

The AU chairperson also expressed her condolences on behalf of the commission to the Ngok Dinka community, as well as to the family of the Ethiopian peacekeeper killed in the attack.

“MAJOR LOSS”

The US embassy in Khartoum also issued a statement condemning the attacks, describing Kuol's death as a major loss for the Ngok Dinka people.

“We express our profound sadness at their loss of life … We mourn his death and extend our deep condolences to his family and the Ngok Dinka people”, the statement said.

“The UNISFA peacekeeper was killed in the line of duty - protecting others in the service of peace. We likewise mourn his loss and express our deep condolences to his family, the people of Ethiopia and the United Nations” it adds.

The US has also urged the parties to the conflict in Abyei to work with the AJOC to conduct a transparent and effective investigation into the incident.

The divergent positions of Khartoum and Juba over the participation of the Misseriya nomads in a referendum expected to be held in October have hampered the organisation of the vote, which was originally scheduled to take place in January 2011.

Although large numbers of Misseriya have traditionally used the territory to graze and water their cattle at different times of the year, South Sudan maintains that only those permanently residing in the area should be allowed to vote.

In a bid to end the deadlock between the two countries, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) endorsed a proposal excluding the Misseriya from voting.

The Dinka Ngok comprise the majority of Abyei's permanent residents and would be expected to vote for Abyei to become part of South Sudan.

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Restrictions on press freedoms shouldn't preclude the development of other media in Sudan, a forum in Khartoum on journalism's digital revolution heard on Saturday.

TEDx Khartoum founder Anwar Dafa-Alla speaks at a media forum in the capital on the weekend (MICT)

The two-day conference was organised by German NGO Media in Cooperation and Transition (MICT) with a focus on media sustainability from a Sudanese point of view.

It also examined different ways that Sudanese media could capitalise on the emergence of new technologies and social networks.

The Media and Makers: Khartoum 2013 forum was attended by about 100 leading Sudanese journalists, bloggers, editors and publishers.

Speaking during a discussion session, Sudanese publishers maintained that print media in Sudan is bucking the trend of worldwide decline, saying that as a developing country with limited access to new technologies, the medium still faced a long-term future.

However, founder of Khartoum-based lifestyle magazine In the City Mostafa Khoghali rejected this, saying Sudan's youthful population was embracing social media and new technologies at increasingly high rates.

He also disputed claims from publishers that economic disparities in Sudan restricted access to technology, telling participants that even tea ladies and rickshaw drivers are accessing Facebook and mobile internet.

He said despite Sudan's restrictive press environment, there were still niche opportunities in the market for media diversification in fields such as tourism, entertainment and lifestyle.

Recent statistics show that close to one-fifth of Sudan's population has access to the internet, putting it at number 11 of Africa's top internet users. The figures showed that Facebook, Google and YouTube are among the most visited websites in Sudan, with online forums, E-newspapers and online versions of some of the county's best-selling print dailies also in the top 20.

MICT's Roman Deckert said while the digital age presented a fresh set of challenges for media entrepreneurs and journalists in Sudan, it also offered opportunities for them to improve their livelihoods.

“This is coming sooner or later and I think journalists in Sudan need to be proactive about facing this challenge, but at the same time take advantage of all that it offers”, he told Sudan Tribune.

Participants at the Khartoum forum heard from experts in their field on how innovative business models can generate alternative revenues for publishing companies, ways journalists can diversify their incomes, how new technologies can enhance the quality of Sudanese journalism and methodologies to improve access to information.

MICT specialises in media capacity building in crisis regions and has been running journalism training projects and cultural programs in Sudan and South Sudan since 2008.

The Khartoum event, which concluded on Sunday, followed last December's forum in Juba on the same topic.

REPRESSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Journalism in Sudan continues to operate in an increasingly repressive and challenging environment, with those that dare to challenge authorities on sensitive issues suffering censure, harassment or even closure.

While newsstands in the Sudanese capital provide an impressive selection of some 30 newspaper titles, covering politics, sports and lifestyle, MICT says their reach is almost entirely limited to the greater Khartoum area and a few urban centres, with logistical and economic restraints preventing more widespread distribution.

Advertising levels are also low, largely limited to a few powerful telecommunications companies and banks.

Journalists in Sudan remain subject to strict censorship and government controls, with media content heavily scrutinised by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) prior to publication on broadcast.

“There is a red line. You can't report about Darfur. You can't report on politics or anything about [Sudanese president Omer Hassan] al-Bashir. You can't report about the ICC [International Criminal Court] or genocide”, one Khartoum-based journalist told Sudan Tribune.

In efforts to circumvent tight censorship controls, he said journalists often post articles on sensitive issues rejected for publication in the national press on popular online forums such as Al-rakoba and Sudanese Online, widely read by the Sudanese diaspora.

In a statement issued on World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Sudanese authorities had stepped up censorship of print media in recent weeks, blocking the website of a popular online newspaper and forum.

NISS officials use a variety tactics to exercise censorship, ranging from phone calls to publications to direct their coverage to confiscating entire editions or shutting down newspapers.

Last month, the NISS re-imposed direct pre-printing censorship on a number of independent dailies, including al-Ayyam, al-Sahafa, al-Khartoum, and al-Youm al-Tali.

“Sudan muffles critical speech through a long menu of direct and indirect tactics, violating the basic freedoms enshrined in the constitution,” said Daniel Bekele, HRW's Africa director.

“The security agency officials' intimidation and threats of the news media are clearly designed to ensure that the Sudanese people are kept in the dark about sensitive topics that are of huge public interest”, he added.

HRW says tight censorship controls on the Sudanese press underscores the need for urgent reform of national security laws in line with international standards.

(ST)

May 5, 2013 (BOR) - South Sudan's army has warned soldiers who deserted their posts in the Gumuruk area of Jonglei state's Pibor county on Sunday that they will punished once they are caught.

A Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldier stands at attention in Juba (REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic)

Pibor county is the center of a rebellion against the South Sudanese government led by David Yauyau, who has so far not followed other rebel groups and accepted an offer of a presidential amnesty to end the conflict.

Yauyau's forces responded the the re-issuance of the amnesty by advising civilians and NGOs to leave Pibor town, as well as Kapoeta in neighboring Easter Equatoria state, amid concerns for their safety.

The South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army (SSDM/A) rebels have reportedly claimed responsibility for an attack in Pibor which killed a South Sudanese soldier earlier this week.

The spokesman for South Sudan's military, Philip Aguer told Sudan Tribune from Juba on Sunday that “some undisciplined soldiers [...] have been deserting" adding that anybody "found to have an agitated and deserted unlawfully will be brought to the book.”

He said “we have rules and regulations in the military, whoever joins the military knows that the main purpose and mandate is to protect the nation, is to protect the civilians and provide security and you cannot provide security without any risk”.

“Anybody that is avoiding his duties, should be prepared to get out of the military, ” said Aguer without indicating the numbers of soldiers believed to have deserted.

Last week hundreds of axillary police forces retreated to Bor, the state capital, from Gumuruk, where locals have complained of random shooting at night over the last four days.

Although the number is not yet established, Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang Juuk, said Sunday that the soldiers came back to Bor to find food as supplies had not reached them on time due to heavy rains that started last week.

Infrastructure is notoriously bad in Jonglei, South Sudan's largest state, with the governor regularly appealing for more funds for road construction in order to connect the state with itself and allow the armed services to respond faster to rebel attacks and cattle raids between ethnic groups.

During the rainy reason many areas of Pibor are only accessible by air.

Governor Manyang said that the soldiers who deserted Gumruk, entered the area of Anyidi and started shooting in the air randomly until they reached Bor town.

He described their actions as “indisciplined” as "a soldier should not waste his bullets for nothing; a bullet is given to the soldiers for protecting people and the nation.”

The Governor said he had not slept due to all the concerned phone calls he has received about the nighttime shooting, which he says could have been triggered by the soldiers drinking alcohol.

However, Governor Manyang said that he did not know whether the soldiers had deserted or were instructed to return to Bor but admitted that "they came in a very disorganised manner which is not good.”

Staying in the bush without food was difficult, he said, warning that if they were not given food they may go and loot from the local population.

South Sudan's army - the SPLA - is still in the process of evolving from a rebel group that fought over two decades of civil war with various Khartoum governments. After the 2005 paved the way for South Sudan's secession from Sudan in 2011, the United Nations and others of put considerable resources into helping train and professionalise the SPLA.

In April, a convoy of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan was ambushed in Gumruk killing five Indian soldiers and seven civilian UN members of staff.

(ST)

ST - NGOs, civilians told to leave Kapoeta and Pibor towns, amid safety fears

May 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Ugandan government has banned Sudanese rebel movements of meeting in its territories arguing that such gatherings would negatively impact the country.

SRF leaders, form the left, Gibril Ibrahim (JEM) Malik Agar (SPLM-N), Abdel wahil Al Nur (SLM-AW) Minnin Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Yasir Arman (SPLM-N), on 4 Pctober after the signing of a new political agreement between the rebel groups in Kampala, Uganda (photo SRF)

Sudan's official news agency (SUNA) quoted an informed source at the Ugandan external security apparatus as saying that the rebel leaders were informed of this decision during a secret meeting on Monday which included Minni Minnawi of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Minnawi (SLM-M), Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur of the Sudan Liberation Movement/AW (SLA-AW), and Ayoub Mohamed of Darfur People's Unity Movement.

The source said that the director of the Ugandan Security Services informed the rebel leaders that they should immediately refrain from holding any meetings in Kampala.

According to the source, the rebel leaders apologized for their "mistakes" and promised not to hold further meetings on Ugandan territory.

The source said that Kampala has been under pressure take this move, without providing further details.

Khartoum and Kampala have a long history of troubled relations over alleged support to rebel groups on both sides of their borders.

Kampala says that Khartoum is still providing support and refuge to the notorious Ugandan rebels, the Lord Resistance Army (LRA), even after South Sudan's secession created a buffer zone between Sudan and Uganda.

Khartoum on the other hand says that Kampala has become a safe harbour for Sudanese rebel leaders.

Last January, Sudanese opposition parties and rebel groups signed a charter in Kampala known as the "New Dawn", putting their stated goal to topple the Khartoum government via different political and military means.

This has prompted Khartoum to lodge several complaints with the African Union (AU) and other regional blocs against Kampala saying the latter is supporting regime change in Sudan.

Last March, the speaker of the Sudan's national assembly Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir said that the Sudanese government is working with forces in Uganda that are opposed to president Yoweri Museveni to bring about "positive political influence".

(ST)

May 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's national assembly has ratified the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG) despite opposition from some lawmakers who argued that the country might not be in a position to fully comply with its terms.

Sudan National Assembly

The charter was adopted by the 8th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly, held in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2007.

It was developed as part of the AU's stated emphasis on promoting democracy and good governance in member states. It came into force on 15 February 2012.

The charter contains some provisions which allows the AU to intervene in the respective states to restore democracy.

MP Samia Habbani warned that the charter could be another “rope wrapped around Sudan's neck”, while MP Ahmed Hassan Kambal stressed that signing the charter into law requires the country to have a “clean” human rights record which does not apply to Sudan.

Kambal cited the report on human rights which was deposited into the parliament by the minister of justice last week which cautioned that Sudan could be placed under Chapter IV of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

"How can we sign such a charter before checking our stance with regards to human rights? We have to think carefully before signing it” the MP said.

The minister of justice Mohamed Bushara Dousa, who was responding to a request for information by the parliamentary subcommittee on Legislation, Justice, and Human Rights on the situation of human rights in 2012 last week, accused the United States, Canada and the European Union (EU) of inciting the international public opinion against Khartoum.

However, the opposition MP, Ismail Hussein, underscored the need for signing the charter and described its ratification as the right move, calling upon the parliament to follow up its implementation with laws on good governance and democracy.

Sudan's investment minister Mustafa Osman Ismail, for his part, said the charter is an opportunity that should not be missed adding that this step means African leaders have begun reform by themselves, mentioning that if Arab leaders took the same step, they could have prevented the eruption of the Arab Spring.

(ST)

May 7, 2013 (JUBA) – A leading official in the ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), has strongly criticized the circulated draft of the party's constitution, saying it has many shortcomings that do not help further the internal transformation process.

South Sudan's presidential advisor Rebecca Nyandeng (BBC)

In a widely broadcast statement on the popular UN-sponsored Miraya FM radio on Monday and Tuesday, presidential advisor, Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, also a member of the SPLM politburo, rapped what she saw as issues in the current party's draft constitution.

Nyandeng, the widow of the late founder of the SPLM, John Garang de Mabior, warned of what she described as “red lines” in the provisions of the party's supreme law that will pave way for the upcoming national convention scheduled for later this year.

She said the party must conduct “primary elections” at grassroots level and elect representatives who will delegates at the convention to confirm or elect a new chairperson of the party.

The late leader's widow has for many years been critical of how the party's affairs have been managed; attracting speculations that she wanted to compete and unseat the current South Sudan President and chairperson of the party, Salva Kiir.

In recent days, several senior SPLM figures have privately suggested that she has decided to support the Vice President and deputy chairperson of the party, Riek Machar to take over from Kiir.

Nyandeng however said the current status of the draft constitution is not worth it as the political bureau did not agree on certain provisions included and decided to refer the matter to the National Liberation Council (NLC) and the national convention for final decisions.

Among the issues debated upon was the need to apply the universal election practice of “secret ballot” instead of “show of hand”, which is seen to be an act of intimidating the would-be voters during the party upcoming elections.

The SPLM national convention was supposed to take place this month in accordance with the party's constitution. The last convention took place in May 2008.

The need to transform the party was prompted by reports from the ten states' SPLM secretariats which said the SPLM has “lost vision and direction.”

Top party leaders including Machar have reportedly criticized Kiir on the grounds that he failed to provide effective leadership to the party.

Machar also declared his intention to replace Kiir during the politburo meeting on March 5.

The VP also criticized him in government for not effectively navigating the country in the state-building processes, saying he has not been seriously tackling issues of corruption, tribalism, economy, insecurity and international relations.

Kiir, according to an official in the party secretariat who asked to remain anonymous, acknowledged the prevalence of the issues mentioned, but promised improvement and appealed to the politburo to give him more time.

He would also contest for the party chairmanship in the 2015 elections so that he continues as president of the government until year 2020.

(ST)

May 6, 2013 (BOR) – The Governor of South Sudan's Jonglei state has declared that 10% of his monthly earnings will be given to South Sudan Red Cross as membership contribution to the charity body.

Jonglei Governor, Kuol Mangang Juuk (ST)

Kuol Manyang, while addressing celebrations to mark International Red Cross Day in Bor, also urged other members to emulate him as the organisation strives to manage disasters in the country.

He also reminded citizens of the important roles Red Cross and its international wing, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), played in assisting South Sudanese minors during the war days.

“Without assistance from these important agencies, majority of the then [lost] boys, many of who have now excelled, would have not made it”, said Manyang.

He said his government would consider the Red Cross in its annual state budget so as to keep the new organization active in the state.

“You have to register me as an individual Kuol Manyang, I will be paying one tenth of my income every month”, he said.

Formed in July 2011, South Sudan Red Cross has helped people affected by both natural and man-made catastrophes in Jonglei state as well as those wounded in conflict and the displaced.

(ST)

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

May 6, 2013 (BENTIU) - Unity state authorities have removed 27 children from South Sudan's national army this week as part of the implementation of a series of agreements inked by military and the United Nations on 20 November 2009.

Children who who were recently taken from an army base in South Sudan's Unity State, April 6, 2013 (Bonifacio Taban/ST)

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is mandated to facilitate the process in terms of funding South Sudan's Disarmament Demobilization Reintegration Commission (DDR), which identifies children that may be associated with the armed forces and finds ways to remove and place them back into civilian life.

George Gatloi Koang, who heads the DDR commission in Unity state, says they are working to discourage underage children from joining the South Sudan's army - the SPLA.

Many children, some younger than 8 years old, are forced by their circumstances to move to nearby SPLA barracks to provide informal support to soldiers, such as searching for food and carrying out other menial tasks.

Gatloi says that lack of support networks and basic services force many children to live in military barracks. Some children in South Sudan leave their families and become street children as their families struggle to feed them.

In some cases polygamous marriages have contributed to the problem with parents not taking responsibility for their children by providing basic needs such as shelters, food, medical care and clothing.

During the civil war child soldiers were used by both the SPLA - then a rebel group based in southern Sudan - and by the forces aligned to the Sudanese military.

However, since a peace deal in 2005 and South Sudan's independence in 2011 the issue is longer one of recruitment into the armed forces but children seeking informal employment and support from the army, Gatloi said.

Children in the care of the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC) in Unity state, April 6, 2013 (Bonifacio Taban/ST)

“The SPLA are not longer recruiting children they are just handling those children are their children because impossible when a somebody coming to you and saying he or she looking food and chase him out is a shameful to that person. That is why they are handling those children; it is not because they are recruiting and it is not because these children they are receiving money. They are just there because of situation, this is the context we find out from children it is the hunger”, said Gatloi.

Since 2012, the commission has working alongside with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Veterinary San Frontier (VSF) in providing children who are demobilized with five female goats in order to help their reintegration and reunification with their families.

However, this year, Gatloi said the commission will look after the children for a period of a month before returning them to their families in order to find out more about the cycle of children leaving their homes and returning the army barrack.

“We need to see why children are going back" he said. During the month the commission will provide counseling to the children and try get to the root of the why children keep going to live with soldiers.

Gordon Koang Ruai, 13, who lived among the army for two years, said the he decided to work informally for soldiers was forced on him as his parents were not properly looking after him.

“The reason that forced me to live with the army was because my mother left for Khartoum and my father became old enough and was unable to feed me, I took opportunity in staying with a SPLA officer who employed me to wash clothes for him and so there I could find it easy to eat with the boss when his food come we sit and eat together”, said Ruai.

Chok Gatyien Beel, an 8-year-old boy who lived with the army at Pakur for one year, said he found easy work washing clothes at the SPLA barracks is washing clothes. He called on NGO's to help them enroll in schools so that they could contribute to the future of South Sudan.

The head of the SPLA's Fourth Division, which is based in Unity state, commander James Koang Chuol, has ordered battalions to report all children living among them to the military's state headquarters in order that they can be released and reunited with their families.

(ST)

April 6, 2012 (JUBA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has earmarked South Sudan as one of the countries set to benefit from its rapid credit facility, an initiative extended to countries recovering from war and external shocks.

The young nation, according to the institution's South Sudan representative, could benefit from up to 25% of its quota; a subscription fee, each country pays when joining IMF.

“I will not be able to share with you much about this because the program is still under discussion and awaiting approval from our board,” Joseph Karangwa told reporters in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

“The amount is not yet determined, but usually the country does not exceed more than 25% of its quota,” he added Friday.

South Sudan, IMF said, paid about $185m as its quota, implying that its rapid credit facility is about $47m. The credit, paid over a 15-year period, is usually interest free.

The new nation became IMF's 188th member in April last year, making it eligible for all services the institution offer, including capacity building assistance.

In October 2012, at least 13 staff drawn from the country's Finance ministry and the National Bureau of Statistics benefited a macroeconomic policy formulation and analysis course, organized in by IMF in Nairobi, Kenya.

(ST).

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 7, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian government on Tuesday condemned the killing of an Ethiopian peacekeeper and a tribal leader in the contested Abyei region, which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.

FILE - People from the Misseriya tribe of the Abyei oil region protest against the proposal of African Union (AU) mediator former South African president Thabko Mbeki for a referendum to decide whether the region belonged to Sudan or South Sudan, outside the United Nations (U.N.) and AU headquarters in Khartoum November 28, 2012. The protesters insisted that the region belongs to Sudan (REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The Ethiopian peacekeeper and the paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka, Kuol Deng Kuol, were killed on Saturday after the a convoy they were travelling in under the escort of the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was ambushed by members of the rival nomadic Arab Misseriya tribe.

Two other peacekeepers were also seriously wounded in the attack, with one of the injured soldiers later passing away.

“The Ethiopian government condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the murders and attacks targeting Ethiopian peacekeepers”, Dina Mufti, spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, told Sudan Tribune.

Mufti said the unfortunate incident should not jeopardise the recent agreements signed between Juba and Khartoum, particularly on the resumption of oil exports.

There are over currently 4,000 Ethiopian peacekeepers deployed in the flashpoint border zone between north and South Sudan, where they are tasked with monitoring peace and operations for demilitarisation.

The senior government official underlined that the incident would not prevent Ethiopian peacekeepers from carrying out their mission in the region, affirming that Ethiopia will continue to act as a credible partner for both Sudan and South Sudan.

The African Union and the US government have also condemned the attack, which occurred on the same day as a meeting held between members of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC).

The deaths have outraged Abyei's Ngok Dinka community, with South Sudan accusing the Sudanese government of being behind the killings.

Widespread protests erupted in Juba on Tuesday, with demonstrators calling for the perpetuators to be brought to justice amid fears the incident could trigger further violence in the volatile region.

Addis Ababa has called on governments of both Sudan and South Sudan, as well as the Dinka and Misseriya communities to exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalating tensions in the region.

(ST)

May 7, 2013 (BOR) - Rebels in South Sudan's Jonglei state claimed on Monday that they had captured the strategic town of Boma in Pibor County from the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA).

South Sudan rebel leader David Yau Yau (UN photo)

The South Sudan Democratic Army (SSDA) led by David Yauyau, issued a statement saying it easily overran Boma without meeting any armed resistance adding that wildlife conservation and tourist guard forces surrendered instantly.

“The gallant forces of the South Sudan Democratic Army (SSDA) yesterday stormed and captured the strategic town of Boma. SPLA forces ran away leaving behind more than 50 dead bodies" the press release said.

"More than 250 soldiers of the Wildlife and the Police gave themselves up and are now safe in the hands of our heroic Cobra units. Since Boma is now under our control, they have no moral authority to claim being the legitimate government of South Sudan” the statement, attributed to Colonel Peter Konyi Kubrin, said.

The spokesman of the SPLA, Philip Aguer, has denied that the rebels have captured any part of the town.

A series of interviews on Tuesday with people in Jonglei's state capital Bor, who had established satellite phone contacts with their relatives in Boma, confirmed that Boma has fallen to SSDA.

Boma payam district is split between upper Boma (known as Boma Up) on the top of the area's hills and lower Boma (known as Boma Down) at the foot of the hills. The two areas are within an hour walking distance from each other,

A local government officer in Bor, who comes from Boma, said that he had been in contact with people who had fled the area.

"The rebels are now in Boma Down, while the SPLA ran to Boma Up. They took the town on Sunday. They also tried to attack Boma Up this morning but failed", one of the official's relatives had told him.

Jonglei's governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, said that he has heard "rumors" from people in the area but "nothing official".

Juuk said he has been trying to reach the commander of the SPLA's "Eagle" division in the area, General Peter Gadet, but failed to get through to him.

"Even if the rumor was true," he said, "there was no need to worry as the army would soon take the upper hand in retaking the Boma Down", describing Yauyau's rebels as “civilians" who "don't have ammunition".

Boma was one of the first areas that the SPLA captured from Khartoum's Sudan Armed Forces in 1985, two years into the two-decade civil war that led to South Sudan's independence in 2011. It is a key area due to its proximity to the Ethiopian and Kenyan borders.

The area is also known for Nyat National Park, which hosts a variety of wild animals including elephants. Sudan Tribune has not been able to independently verify claims of the rebels due to Boma's remoteness and the poor telephone network outside Bor town.

HUMANITARIAN CONCERN

Toby Lanzer, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, on Monday decried the deteriorating security situation in the area, saying the conflict had affected the activities of the relief workers.

In a statement Lanzer said:

“I am deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Jonglei State, where thousands of civilians are in need of assistance and protection, and where humanitarian workers have treated more than 450 casualties, including children, since February. We have seen houses burned down and civilian properties destroyed. Facilities such as schools and health centres have been robbed, looted and occupied by armed actors. In the past week, hostilities in Maruwa hills, Pibor County, forced scores of civilians to flee their homes and aid agencies to relocate their staff."

The top humanitarian official urged all the parties involved in the conflict to abide by their obligations under national and international law to ensure that civilians caught in the conflict should not be harmed and be accorded due respect and medical care.

The SSDA say they are neither in conflict with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) nor are they working in any way to hinder activities of the relief organizations in the area.

“This is a practical reminder to those who did not take our warning of imminent attack on Pibor and Kapoeta seriously. We are determined to rid the eastern bank of Bahr el Jebel of the corrupt and rotten regime in Juba before the end of the year", the rebels said on Monday.

JONGLEI DISPLACEMENT

Despite South Sudan's independence from Sudan in 2011 and a peace deal with Khartoum in 2005, Jonglei has been blighted by insecurity in recent years, not only from Yauyau's rebellion, which he first launched in 2010, but also from cattle raiding related violence.

In early 2012, over 100,000 people were displaced by cattle raiding an revenge attacks. A state-wide disarmament campaign and peace process was launched by President Salva Kiir but brought only short term improvements.

"Humanitarian agencies have re-positioned aid across the state and are ready to help people affected by the hostilities, reaching more than 23,000 people in Akobo County," Lanzer said.

“In Pibor and Pochalla counties, where needs are likely increase, constraints on the humanitarian response are growing. Our capacity to provide emergency surgery as well as regular medical care has diminished because of insecurity. Shots have been fired at convoys carrying life saving supplies, and I am deeply concerned about the safety and security of aid workers”, Lanzer said.

The top humanitarian worker said aid workers have a unique and protected role in assisting the most vulnerable, calling on all parties in Jonglei to ensure that agencies carry out their work unhindered and in safety.

(ST)

May 7, 2013 (JUBA) - South Sudan on Monday lodged a strongly worded complaint to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over the killing of Abyei tribal leader Kuol Deng Kuol, warning that until the perpetuators are identified and brought to justice, it is no longer “business as usual”.

FILE - South Sudan's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Nhial Deng Nhial (Rwandan Presidency)

South Sudan's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Nhial Deng Nhial, said his country takes the death of the paramount chief of the Dinka Ngok “more seriously” and will not tolerate the case being taken lightly by the international community.

“We have started with clear procedures, legal steps. We have now officially filed and deposited our complaint about this brutal act which violates not only the international law but also humanitarian law. Chief Kuol Deng Kuol was not in combat; He was not carrying a gun; not in possession of any weapon. He was purely [an] unarmed civilian killed in the hands of the United Nations. His security and safety was in the hands of the United Nations”, Nhial said, while addressing thousands of mourners who turned out for Kuol's burial on Monday in Abyei town.

CLEAR VIOLATIONS

South Sudan's top diplomat said that in the course of the past week, his country has observed a higher number of atrocities being committed in the area by armed groups under the control of the Sudanese government, in what he said was not only a clear violation of the UNSC resolution 2046 but an act that must be condemned and confronted.

“The killing of [the] chief was not just an incident. It was preceded by reports of regular killings in the area. The list of those who have been killed has been filed and the United Nations has the details and we believe the killing of the chief will not be taken lightly nor [do] we expect the international community to consider [Kuol's death] a normal thing or usual business … We hold the government of Sudan responsible because those who killed the chief are under the control of the government of Sudan. They are no stranger to Sudan”, he added.

Speaking at the same gathering, Pagan Amum, Secretary Feneral of the governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), accused Sudan of “doing it again”, explaining that his country had immediately responded and pulled out all armed forces from border areas as required by the UNSC resolution 2046 and the African Union communiqué, but Sudan had failed to comply.

“This brutal act defines the behavior of the government of Sudan. They have done it again. The killing of the paramount chief of this community will have a lot of repercussions, especially on the relations between the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya. It will have [an] effect on peaceful coexistence. The Misseriya seems [to] not know where their interest lies”, Amum told reporters in Abyei after flying in from Juba on Monday.

“The people of Abyei have suffered a lot in the hands of the government in Khartoum but they will one day be free whether those in Khartoum like it or not. Or whether it will rain blood and fire, they will exercise their right to decide their own destiny. I am confident they will be free. It is just a matter of time”, he added.

REFERENDUM SUPPORT

South Sudan's deputy defence Minister, Majak D's Agoot, also expressed sadness over the attack and extended his condolences to the family members of those killed, stressing that the government was still committed to a planned referendum in October to decide the fate of Abyei.

South Sudan's minister of cabinet affairs, Deng Alor Kuol, who comes from the area and is a close relative of the late paramount chief, said the government would use any avenue to pursue the case against those responsible.

Speaking to mourners at the burial, he explained that Ethiopian forces had “helplessly” tried to negotiate with the armed men after they demanded for the chief to be handed over to them.

“Nobody was armed in the convoy. When the convoy was about to leave they shot the chief and he died instantly. We will try to minimize any negative effects as a result of this incident [so as not] to impact negatively on the referendum,” said Alor.

The chairperson of South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) in Abyei, Edward Lino, broke down in tears on Sunday as he addressed the media, with those attending the press briefing also overcome by emotion.

“It happened. It has happened in Abyei. Our chief Kuol Adol is killed. I am sad, very sad. I think this is a simple issue, really do we want Abyei or not? If we want Abyei, we shall get it. Am [I] annoyed, why? Because of the Misseriya, they think with all this time they can take away Abyei from the people of Abyei,” Lino said in an emotive speech to media.

PUBLIC ANGER

Meanwhile, thousands of people, including traditional leaders and members of civil society organisations, took the street on Tuesday, carrying placards and calling on the UNSC to live up to its obligations.

Demonstrators also accused Sudan of masterminding the killing of the tribal chief to sabotage the planned referendum.

“They did it. I know those in Khartoum one by one. I was there with them. I know how they do their things. We did not play with them during the war because we were dealing with big issues. Now that the big issue is gone, the people of South Sudan have gotten [their] independent country. It is time we turn to Abyei and ensure they are liberated”, Deng Macham Angui, the chairperson of the Traditional Leadership Council in South Sudan, said on Tuesday.

Angui led the crowd of demonstrators, some of whom began marching from Juba University, while another group started at South Sudan African Park in downtown Juba.

Although some demonstrators travelled in packed vehicles or on motorbikes, the vast majority marched on foot to the headquarters of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where they presented a petition addressed to UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon.

Speaker after speaker accused Sudan of knowingly planning to kill the chief, saying his death will not stop the Abyei population from exercising their right to self-determination.

“The killing of the chief is not the solution. The National Congress Party (NCP) [think the] killing of our chief will deter the Ngok people. They are wrong. The killing has indeed given us more strength. It will unite us and [we] will get this land from them by any means, because it is ours”, Kuol Mijak Ajing a native of the Ngok Dinka tribe who was amongst demonstrators, said on Tuesday.

(ST)

May 7, 2013 (JUBA) - South Sudanese president Salva Kiir was “infuriated” by the embarrassment caused by a “repulsive remark” made by the former deputy minister of foreign affairs, Elias Wako Nyamellel, a top aide said on Tuesday.

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir (photo Paul Banks/UNMIS)

Nyamellel was sacked on the 12 April following a presidential decree read on the state-owned South Sudan Television (SSTV). No reason was cited for his dismissal, leaving the general public to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the decision.

Some linked it to the organisation of a reception for Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir who was visiting the capital on the same day he was fired.

The aide was reacting to views critical of the frequent sacking of officials who hold differing views with Kiir on issues relating to governance, which are generally not known to the wider public as they are considered either in-house affairs or administrative matters handled privately.

Some senior members of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) have criticised the excessive powers given to the president under the transitional constitution which allows him to appoint and dismiss cabinet members without first consulting his deputy, council of ministers or national parliament.

The constitution also gives the president powers to sack state governors and dissolve state parliament in the event of a situation considered a threat to national security.

The airing of internal views by some senior government officials while visiting foreign countries, prompted Kiir to toughen his stance, warning that “he will no longer tolerate those criticising the same system in which they serve while pretending to be cleaned when interacting with the members of the general public or members of the diplomatic communities”.

In a speech last week, Kiir said cabinet members who accuse his government of mismanaging the nation's affairs were guilty of hypocrisy.

“They [cabinet ministers] talk as if they are not part of it but if you follow them, you find they are the same people who are the ones involved in corruption. They are the ones involved in arbitrary arrest, but they come out in the day and say they are not part of it”, he said.

In an attempt to distance the president from public criticism, one presidential advisor told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that a comment describing South Sudan's political system as being “rotten to the core” was not only an “inappropriate remark”, but also “shows lack of self-respect and tolerance to work under other people”.

“I believe the president took the right decision to dismiss Professor Elias Wako Nyamellel. I think [the] professor himself would not have accepted the use of such [a] disparaging war against the system if he were the president himself”, the aide said.

“Imagine a junior cabinet member describing the system as having rotten to the core and [who] did not want to resign even when the president gave him one month to do so or make an apology”, he added.

The official also quoted the president as asking Nyamellel in a meeting earlier this year: “Why are you still in the same system if it is rotten to core”.

(ST)