By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

January 29, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) - Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Wednesday where he is heading a delegation at an African Union (AU) summit on agriculture and food security.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir arrives at the opening of a new session of parliament in Khartoum on 28 October 28 2013 (AFP/Getty Images)

Bashir received a warm welcome by Abdulfetah Abdulahi , Ethiopia's minister of labour and social affairs and Mekonnen Manyazewal, chief of the national planning commission, following his arrival in the capital.

The Sudanese president has since held meetings with Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn, on bilateral and regional concerns.

According to a senior government official who attended the meeting, the two sides expressed a keen interest in boosting existing relations between the two countries, particularly in the areas of transport and power supply.

Bashir has commended Ethiopia's continued efforts to bring durable peace and stability across the volatile East African region.

He said Ethiopia's contribution to regional peace, including its role in mediating the crisis in South Sudan crisis, was significant.

A number of African leaders have arrived in Addis Ababa ahead of the 22nd African Union Ordinary Session of Assembly, due to kick off on Thursday.

The summit is being under the theme, “Transforming Africa's Agriculture: Harnessing Opportunities for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development”.

However, the South Sudan crises, as well as conflicts in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are also expected to be on top of the agenda.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir will make a statement at the opening session on Thursday following a report on the current situation in the country by the African Union Commission chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

(ST)

January 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Russian charge d'affaires to Khartoum Yury Vidakas disclosed that their embassy has undertaken strict security measures in the wake of an attack that targeted the consul and his wife on Tuesday.

View of the Russian embassy building in Sudan's capital of Khartoum (Image from sudan.mid.ru)

The assailant, who is a citizen of the Central African Republic (CAR), stabbed the couple at the parking lot near the Russian embassy in Khartoum causing injuries that saw them rushed to hospital afterwards for treatment.

Vidakas said that the diplomat identified as Andre Taramaev and his spouse were discharged from hospital adding that they are in stable condition.

He revealed that new rules now prohibit embassy staff from leaving into the city unless necessary and those who do are to be provided with security escort.

According to the Sudanese police, the attacker mistakenly thought that the couple belonged to one of the western countries that sent troops to CAR recently.

During interrogation the assailant said that his brother was killed in Bangui by these forces and as such he thought retribution. He was reportedly in Sudan seeking medical treatment.

France sent troops to CAR to support African Union (AU) troops there but Russia had no involvement in the restive African nation.

(ST)

January 29, 2014 (JUBA) - South Sudan's government has urged the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc presently mediating peace talks between the two rivals, to immediately deploy military experts to monitor ceasefire arrangements.

South Sudanese army soldiers sit on a pick up truck during a patrol in Malakal on 21 January 2014 (Photo: AFP/Harrison Ngethi)

South Sudan's chief negotiator, Nhial Deng Nhial, said he had predicted that the ceasefire would not be complied with because the other side, rebel SPLM/A In Opposition, does not have direct command on its fighters in the ground.

"Even when we signed the ceasefire agreement in Addis Ababa, there was a feeling that it would not be complied with because of the belief that the other side does not have direct command of all the forces currently involved in the fighting", Nhial said.

The top negotiator further said the deployment of monitors is crucial to enforce the truce and to make it effective as the two parties trade accusations of violating the cessation of hostilities deal signed on 23 January.

"For the ceasefire to be effected, the IGAD member countries which are involved in the mediation, should expedite the process of the Joint Technical Committee (JTC) with the deployment of monitors”, Nhial told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday

He further said military teams representing the two sides would soon return to the venue of negotiation so that they participate in the discussions aimed at forming JTC which would be tasked with all military activities, specifically those relating to the verification and monitoring process of the truce.

After the signing of the cessation of hostilities, the mediators said they would work from 24 January to 7 February on the set up of the various mechanisms needed to implement the truce such as the JTC and the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MCM).

Meanwhile, South Sudan's information minister, Michael Makeui Lueth, claimed at a separate news briefing on Tuesday that rebels have continued to violate the deal by carrying out multiple attacks in various places in the states of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity.

"The rebel forces of renegade Riek Machar are still carrying out atrocities. They are still continuing with the attacks and the killing of innocent civilians now in the state of Jonglei, Upper Nile and unity. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement which their leaders have signed with us", Lueth said in a statement broadcast by the state-owned South Sudan Television (SSTV) on Tuesday.

He did not name specific areas where the alleged attack was carried out by the rebels, and Sudan Tribune was unable to independently verify.

However, military sources in Jonglei State claimed on Wednesday that government troops clashed with the rebel elements at about 12 kilometres east of Bor town.

"Some of our forces who went for reconnaissance met and exchanged fire with the rebel elements yesterday, resulting to the injury of some of our comrades after inflicting heavy lost on the attackers' side", a senior military officer in Bor told Sudan Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

REBEL FIGHTERS RETURNING

Colonel Philip Aguer, spokesperson of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), confirmed clashes between government troops and SPLM/A In Opposition rebels in Jonglei and Upper Nile states.

"The rebels have never stopped carrying out attacks on the positions of our forces in Jonglei and Upper Nile", Aguer said on Wednesday without elaborating on the details of the military engagements between the two sides since the cessation of hostilities was signed.

The SPLA officer said he did not receive any report about military engagements in Unity State capital, Bentiu and its environs since the beginning of the week.

"It has been quiet in Unity state. There has been no report of fighting there. Our forces are in full control of the general security situation and are now receiving back of some of rebels fighters. They have now received significant number", Aguer said without giving exact number of those rebel fighters who have returned to the fold of the government troops in the area.

(ST)

January 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese military team participating in the Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (MVM) set by the IGAD mediators will arrive to the capital of the Upper Nile state Malakal on Thursday.

A member of IGAD mediation team, Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi , on Wednesday, said that Sudanese monitors will arrive to Malakal on Thursday where they will start their duties .

He further said that the other IGAD members including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda will participate in the monitoring. Each country will send four monitors.

The rebels contest the participation of Ugandan monitors saying they are part of the conflict.

Speaking from Addis Ababa, al-Dabi told the official Sudan news agency SUNA, that the monitoring teams will be deployed in Akobo, Bentiu, Bor, and Malakal. Juba will host the MVM headquarters which will be chaired by an Ethiopian general with a Sudanese counterpart who will second him.

The South Sudanese government chief negotiator Nhial Deng Nhial urged to deploy the monitoring teams, as Juba accuse the rebels of breaching the cessation of hostilities agreement reached on 23 January.

The rebel SPLM/A In Opposition also accuses the SPLA of violating the deal.

Regarding the resumption of peace negotiations, the Sudanese mediator said they will resume the preparation for the next round of talks after the deployment of the monitoring teams within the next two days.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

January 29, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopian officials on Wednesday assured South Sudan rebels not to be concerned for not being represented at the Africa Union leaders' summit at which the crisis in South Sudan is among top on agenda for discussion.

Addis Ababa made the assurances after rebel negotiators, who were alarmed at late hours, Wednesday made a request at the Ethiopian foreign ministry to take part at the Africa head of states and governments summit which is due to commence on Thursday.

The rebels were concerned that the South Sudan government delegation led by president kiir might at the summit make complaints and accusations against rebels taking their absence as an advantage.

South Sudan president Salva Kiir is slated to deliver a speech at the opening session tomorrow.

The rebels were trying to prevent the summit hears a one side story until they received guarantee from Ethiopian officials this afternoon.

"Ethiopian officials told me that it will not be the government of the republic of South Sudan to raise the issue though President Kiir is scheduled to have a speech," Bor Gatwech, an MP and Humanitarian Liaison Officer for SPLM/A In Opposition here in Addis Ababa told Sudan Tribune.

South Sudan Issue will be debated in the Summit as a report from the regional mediators.

"Technically, the Summit will be debating and eventually endorsing the report of the mediators. So they [Ethiopian officials] assure me that there is nothing to worry about even if not represented at the Summit," Gatwech added.

Despite a cease fire agreement signed last week between South Sudan government and rebel group led by former vice president, Riek Machar, fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan with both sides repeatedly trading accusation of violating the peace pact aimed to end weeks of violence.

South Sudan government information Minister, Michael Makuei, on Wednesday accused rebels of continuing to violate ceasefire agreement.

"The ceasefire agreement is defective" said Makuei.

He further accused regional mediators of failure to come up with a monitoring mechanism in time and as a result he said "rebels have used this opportunity to violate and attack government forces"

"They [rebels] have actually put our forces in a defensive position" he added.

As part of the broader peace pact signed in Addis Ababa last Thursday, the South Sudanese government has released 7 of the 11 political prisoners who had been detained with alleged accusation of having links with a "coup attempt".

The release of political detains comes about two days ahead of the continental summit which the issue of political prisoners is expected to be touched by IGAD mediators.

Fighting which broke out in mid December between forces loyal to president Salva Kiir and those rebels backing to ex-vice president Riek Machar, has killed thousands and forced an estimated half a million people flee their home.

(ST)

By Athiaan Majak Malou

January 30, 2014 - When all the dust has settled, South Sudan should establish good relationships with Khartoum. Why? For years northern Sudan has been the arch-enemy from whom South Sudanese voted to secede. That period has gone. South Sudan is now an independent country. South Sudanese have achieved their goal of a separate entity from Arabised and Islamised old Sudan. Protracted wars were fought because of this and millions of lives were lost. Development was halted for years. South Sudan is now the least developed country in the eastern Africa region, if not in the world.

Although South Sudan has enormous oil resources and very small population, very little is being done by the current government to improve the lives of common people. Because of war experiences the people of South Sudan have become militarised or military-minded. According to arms sells monitoring by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), South Sudan is the biggest military buyer in the region. According to SIPRI's 2012 figures, South Sudan spent US$ 964 million on arms that year compared to US$798 for Kenya, US$319 million for Tanzania, US$288 million for Uganda, and Rwanda US$79.8 million.

A report in the Washington post newspaper said part of the reason for the high military expenditure is that the government of South Sudan has been preparing for a long war, probably with Sudan on unsettled border issues or to avert internal rebellions by David Yauyau or what happened in Juba on 15 December 2013. In fact, all woes of South Sudan, except the recent crisis, are rightly or wrongly being blamed on Khartoum.

However, in the current crisis President El Bashir of Sudan has played his South Sudan cards very well. He would have caused a lot of pain to people and the government of South Sudan if he did not stand neutral in the current conflict. But he chose to be a peace facilitator and travelled to Juba to promise support to President Kiir's government.

In addition, he assured Kiir of his support in securing South Sudan's oilfields, which are just across the border from Sudan. When all the dust has settled, President Kiir and people of South Sudan should positively review the relationship with Sudan. The Sudanese leader, who is indicted by International Criminal Court (ICC), seemed to have matured politically.

President El Bashir did not take neutral position out of nothing. Having being engaged in wars throughout his 25 years in power, he has endured the bad effect that war brings. There is also mutual benefit when peace prevails in the two countries. The follow of oil and trade across the border of the two countries provide mutual benefits. 98% of South Sudan's revenue comes from oil proceeds, while Sudan gets 9 to 11 dollars from every South Sudanese barrel of oil passing through its pipeline to international market outlet at the Red Sea.

According to official government data, South Sudan has over 1.14 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and by 2011 was producing 326,000 barrels per day. At current global crude prices, that would bring in about US$30 million per day. This amount, if well-managed, can afford all South Sudanese decent life within a very short period.

Khartoum appears to be comfortable with South Sudan's government since the last government reshuffle in July 2013, when the elements believed to be hostile to Khartoum were purportedly weeded out. The real bone of contention between two countries has been support to each other's rebels. Despite the signing of several cooperation agreements, peace between the two has been illusory.

The rebels fighting Sudan government are culturally and ideologically affiliated to South Sudan. The group that call itself Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army-North (SPLM/A-N) fighting in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states of Sudan were part of the larger SPLM/A when the country was one. The rebels in Sudan are ethnically Africans as opposed to the majority of north Sudanese who are Arabised Africans (like Nubians in the far north of Sudan and southern Egypt) or people of Arab origin in central Sudan.

These social and political linkages put the government and people of South Sudan in very awkward position, when it comes to south-north relationships. Leaving them under the mercy of Khartoum government(s) is morally unacceptable to many South Sudanese, especially their former comrades in the larger SPLM/A. To them it will be betrayal or sell-out to Jalaba (Arabs/merchants).

What should be done, in this regard, is for the government of South Sudan to make use of the current positive relationships with President El Bashir to initiate lasting peace settlement with all splinter groups in the north. While peace talks are going on among southerners in Addis Ababa, there should be similar peace talks among northerners elsewhere. There can be no peace in one Sudan when another is at war within itself. Though separated, the two countries are still very much politically, culturally and economically intertwined. When one of them catches cold, the other sneezes.

Now that President El Bashir is casting himself in a positive role with regard to South Sudan, he is getting close to achieving a lot of his objectives in the international arena. He recently received a lot of applauses from western governments such as US and UK. President Kiir should reciprocate by helping in normalisation of Sudan relations with these countries. US government had imposed sanctions on Khartoum since 1997 which were also renewed two months ago.

Peace with Sudan spells development, as a bulk of resources that are being spent on military will go to development projects. In the current national budget, 51% is earmarked for security sector which has something do with military operations. Peace with Sudan will cut the number of the army as there will be no rebels or militias who usually cross the border to Sudan and come back to be integrated in the national army. Peace with Sudan will enhance democracy as there will be no needs for military rulers/governors who are always there to deal with war or crisis situation. Peace with Sudan will narrow differences on Abyei and other border issues as discussion will take place in a mutually convenient environment.

The author has formerly served in the government of Lakes state of South Sudan as the County Commissioner for Yirol East and state Minister for education. He can be reached at: athiaanm@yahoo.com

January 30, 2014 (JUBA) - Youth groups from South Sudan's Warrap state are currently split over a decision to either suspend or pursue an earlier mobilisation campaign seeking the removal of Governor Nyandeng Malek from office.

Warrap state governor Nyandeng Malek addresing SPLM members in Kwajok April 15, 2013 (ST)

“We have had discussions among ourselves and with our leaders about political issues in our state, especially the way Nyandeng Malek had been managing the state since she became the governor. We were determined to push on with our campaign despite the difficulties we have had,” James Deng, a leading member of the youth initiative told Sudan Tribune Thursday.

The governor's woes, he said, worsened after she dismissed Morris Mabior, the influential secretary general of the state workers' union last year.

“This shows how tyrannical this government had become. But because of patriotism, given the political uncertainty, we agreed with our leaders to temporarily stop our activities against Nyandeng so that we support the national government address current crisis”, said Deng.

Santino Manut Deng, another youth leader, said some members were reluctant to carry out a campaign against the democratically-elected governor.

“We have not been active not because some of our colleagues were arrested but because the president has been reluctant to act on our demand. It seems he is afraid to remove this governor because he does not want to get another pressure like the ones he received following the dismissal of the governors of unity and lakes state”, he told Sudan Tribune from Wau, the Western Bahr el Ghazal state capital.

Nyandeng, the country's only female governor, has twice survived being removed from power, with her supporters arguing that her exit could harm area's reputation. But anger against those close to the governor in the area still festers.

At least one in every five people, sample interviews conducted by Sudan Tribune showed, vowed not to vote for President Salva Kiir in the next polls, if he maintains Nyandeng as governor.

A native of Warrap, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was disappointed with the leadership of President whom he also described as a “good leader”.

“I come from Warrap, but I have never seen any development brought by Salva Kiir since he became the president”, he said, amidst claims he pays different taxes, “yet the government does little to improve services”.

The government, observers say, could hang on until the country's next election, but its vulnerable position means it lacks the courage to reform the corrupt political system or inefficient judiciary.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a project aimed at improving access to water for an estimated 70,000 people in Sudan's conflict-affected Darfur region.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled violence to safe areas inside Sudan's Darfur region, severely strained water resources in some locations (Photo: ACT/Caritas/NCA/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Launched on Sunday, the Tawila dam rehabilitation project will also reduce the risks of flooding and drought, as well as support the livelihoods of local communities in North Darfur state's Tawila locality.

Once rehabilitated, the dam, which has not been functional for several years, will recharge ground water, helping improve access to drinking water for people in the Tawila community, many of whom have been displaced from their homes by fighting in the region.

The project will be implemented by USAID in collaboration with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the North Darfur state government.

“It will improve local economic conditions by increasing the supply of water for agriculture, animal husbandry and other livelihood activities, such as brick-making”, USAID Sudan said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

According to USAID, the rehabilitated dam will also support drought preparedness and reduce flooding during the rainy season, thereby increasing the resilience of the Tawila community to natural calamities.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the conflict in Darfur, with mass relocations to safe areas severely stressing the limited water resources in certain locations.

Many internally displaced people have little choice but to collect water from roadsides and other unsafe sources, leading to an increase in diseases, particularly among children and the elderly.

The Tawila dam, located 70km west of the capital, El Fasher, was built in 1954 and served the locality for more than 45 years.

In 2000, a section of embankment was breached after the reservoir accumulated large amounts of silt and Tawila Dam ceased to function

The collapse of the dam forced many Tawila residents to leave the area.

USAID said that those that remain in the area face daily challenges in finding sufficient water for their needs and maintaining their livelihoods.

The project is set to more than double the irrigation area in Tawila locality from 60
Hectares to 125 hectares, as well as significantly boost the area's water storage capacity.

Tawila is designated as a voluntary returnee resettlement area by the North Darfur
state government.

“I anticipate the return of many community members, revitalising our region”, Tawila commissioner Adam Ahmed El Tahir said.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (JUBA) – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on Thursday welcomed South Sudan's reconciliatory approach to resolve the violence that hit the country in mid-December last year.

Archbishop of South Sudan Daniel Deng Bul, left, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, right, say a prayer outside a chuch in Juba, South Sudan Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. (Photo AP/Mackenzie Knowles-Coursin)

"I heard the sense of tumor and of loss that is afflicting the whole of South Sudan in the current crisis,'' the Anglican Church head told reporters in the capital, Juba.

The Archbishop, who held a close-door meeting with South Sudan President Salva Kiir, also reiterated the latter's commitment to restore peace and stability in the new nation following week's of violence that killed and displaced thousands.

The renowned cleric will on Friday visit an Anglican Church in Bor, the capital of South Sudan's Jonglei state, where unidentified gunmen recently killed 16 people.

Archbishop Justin, will as part of his five-day tour of the Great Lakes region, also visit Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to meet his fellow Archbishops of the Anglican Communion.

Meanwhile, Mark Loteri, South Sudan's presidential advisor on religious affairs said the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury showed the world's solidarity with the people of South Sudan.

"It [the visit] gives us hope for peace," he told reporters in Juba Thursday.

During his first 18 months in office, the Archbishop reportedly plans to visit all his Anglican counterparts around the world to lay foundation for good collaboration in coming years.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (JUBA) - The youth league of South Sudan's ruling party - the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) - launched a peace and reconciliation campaign at Juba University on Thursday.

The rally was attended by thousands of South Sudanese, including students, members of the public, lawmakers, and senior members of SPLM's political bureau.

After weeks of political tension within the SPLM, South Sudan's army fractured along political and tribal allegiances in mid-December following fighting between soldiers in the Presidential Guard.

The various speakers at the event called for nationwide peace and reconciliation. The government claims that the outbreak of violence on December 15 was a coup attempt but this is denied by both the politicians accused of conspiring in the alleged plan and those who have subsequently rebelled.

Akol Paul Kordit, the chairman of SPLM Youth League, vowed to fight tribalism in South Sudan. "Tribalism is not the pride" he said, adding that "South Sudan was liberated through struggle of brotherhood and patriotism."

South Sudan became independent in 2011, following decades of conflict with various Khartoum governments, becoming the 193rd country to have its flag raised at the United Nations in New York.

Although the current conflict began as a result of a power struggle within the SPLM, the fighting has in some case taken on an ethnic dimension mirroring the unresolved schisms caused by infighting within the SPLM during the civil war.

Kordit, who also serves as member of the SPLM political bureau and a member of the national parliament, urged South Sudanese youth to unite under an umbrella of patriotism and nation building rather than being misled into joining the conflict for tribal reasons.

"Youth must to unite under patriotism and nation building. The international community cannot identify us by tribes line, the international community identify us because we are South Sudanese with our flag flying in New York – there is no Nuer flag, Dinka flag, Acholi, Kakwa or Bari flag in New York. The pride for us is a South Sudanese flag which define value of our liberation during 22 years."

He called on South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit to remove the SPLM's deputy chairman Riek Machar Teny, who is leading the rebellion against the government.

Machar was sacked by Kiir in July shortly after confirming that he planned to stand against the President to become the next Chairman of the SPLM and, therefore, the likely party candidate for the 2015 elections.

Kordit called for Machar to be removed from his position as SPLM deputy chairperson because of his disloyalty, claiming that history was repeating itself as Machar had previously defected in 1991 during the civil war.

On both occasions Machar's forces have been accused of committing atrocities in Bor, the capital of Jonglei state. Both sides have committed abuses according to the United Nations and human rights groups.

Daniel Awet Akot, a member of the SPLM Political Bureau and former deputy speaker of the national parliament encouraged the South Sudanese public to be faithful citizens of the young nations.

He called upon South Sudanese youth to practice being the "leaders of tomorrow" and remain the backbone of the country and not be manipulated by politicians with personal agendas.

Akot called upon members of the South Sudanese army who had defected and joined the rebellion should not fear handing themselves in and reintegrating back into the military.

The soldiers would be "forgiven", he said, but added that "history will not forgive" Machar his actions.

The former Vice President denies starting the rebellion and claims he was forced to flee Juba after his compound was attacked. The two sides signed a ceasefire deal in Addis Ababa a week ago but both sides accuse the other of violating the deal.

South Sudan has released seven of the 11 political detainees that have been held in Juba since the beginning of the conflict accused of collaborating with Machar in the alleged coup attempt. However, the SPLM are under pressure to release the remaining four senior members of he ruling party to help the peace process.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

January 30, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) - The African Union summit opened on Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, urging the warring parties in South Sudan to prevent the youngest nation from falling into the abyss.

The continental summit was scheduled to focus on food security and agriculture, however the conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic dominated the agenda.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the outgoing Africa Union chairperson, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, said although there was encouraging progress achieved in resolving conflicts in parts of Africa, the emergence of new conflicts is a security concern.

Referring to the situation in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, Desalegn said that Africa and the wider international community needed to find a "urgent solution to rescue these two sisterly countries from falling into the abyss."

Over half a million people have been displaced and thousands killed since the conflict in South Sudan began in mid-December.

Failure prevent the conflicts worsening "will have serious implications for peace and security in the region and indeed the whole continent. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to help these two fragile African states in restoring peace and stability and addressing their internal challenges", Desalegn said.

Despite a fragile ceasefire agreement signed last week in Addis Ababa, South Sudan's army and rebel forces have continued fighting in breach of peace deal.

The Ethiopian premier said military confrontation will not be a solution to the crises in South Sudan further urging the government of President Salva Kiir and the rebels whoa re led by his former deputy Riek Machar to fully commit themselves to engaging in the second stage of peace talks without preconditions.

He called asked those in positions of influence to demonstrate the necessary political leadership to end the bloodshed.

"Both protagonists should know that the problem cannot be resolved through the barrel of the gun" Desalegn said.

As part of the peace deal, Kiir's administration freed seven of the 11 political prisoners who are accused of collaborating with Machar to overthrow the government, an allegation strongly denied by all of the accused.

The United States is among those in the international community calling on South Sudan to release the last four detainees. It is hoped that such a move that could remove a major sticking point in negotiations to end the conflict.

However the AU Peace and Security Commissioner, Smail Chergui, said putting the political detainees on trial could hamper peace talks, which are due to resume on February 7.

Chergui said the AU is asking for their release "so they can participate and contribute to the dialogue that will be initiated between all the parties of South Sudan".

AU SPECIAL ENVOY APPOINTED

Addressing the African leaders, Africa Union Commission Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, asked for urgent concerted efforts to silence the guns in South Sudan and CAR, as well as at the continent at large.

"Our hearts go to the people of the Central African Republic and South Sudan who face devastating conflicts in their countries and especially to women and children who've become the victims," Dlamini-Zuma said.

"We have to work together to ensure that we build lasting peace," she said further expressing the AU's concern for women and children who are the prime victims of the conflicts.

To ensure that the voices of women and the vulnerable are heard much more clearly in peace building and in conflict resolution she announced the continental bloc's appointment of Mrs. Binta Diop, as AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security.

Meanwhile, Mauritania's president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, has taken over the one-year rotating chairmanship of the AU from Ethiopia's Hailemariam Desalegn.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's economic slump over the past two years has led to an increase in inter-communal conflict and banditry in the western Darfur region, as competition over resources and minerals intensified, according to the UN secretary-general's latest quarterly report to the UN Security Council(UNSC).

African Union - United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) peacekeepers patrol the damaged and empty Labado village in South Darfur on December 10, 2013. (Photo Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The report, which looked at the role of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) during the October to December 2013 period, said resource-based conflict between communities, supported by tribal militias, remains a major source of insecurity and displacement for the civilian population, particularly in Central and Southern Darfur.

“Intermittent clashes between government and armed movement forces, resource-based inter-communal fighting and widespread banditry continued to place civilians at serious risk of physical violence”, the report, which was presented to the UNSC earlier this month, said.

Competition over access to arable land, as well as lucrative minerals and hydrocarbons, including gold and oil, was also contributing to increased tensions between communities, as well as delays in salary payments to paramilitary forces.

This has led to members seeking to exploit alternative sources of revenue to sustain their livelihoods and had eroded the authorities' control over the forces, the report found.

Inter-communal violence in the region also has its roots in pre-existing factors such as weak rule of law, absence of state administrations in rural areas and traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, as well as the prevalence of arms and armed groups and limited opportunities for young people.

Fighting between tribal groups over land access, natural resources and community rivalries has continued to spark retaliatory attacks and has displaced thousands of people last year.

Seven UNAMID peacekeepers were killed in Darfur between October and December, bringing the death toll in 2013 to 16.

According to the report, threats to the safety and security of UNAMID and humanitarian personnel, particularly to armed attacks, carjackings and robberies remains a serious concern.

The report also noted an escalation in clashes between government troops and armed movements across the region.

In one particularly disturbing incident on 29 November, a Sudanese military aircraft conducting surveillance on rebel movements in Northern Darfur fired on a convoy of civilian vehicles, killing 10 displaced people, including two women and a child.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

In light of ongoing tribal tensions, UNAMID has stepped up its efforts to support community-level conflict resolution. The agency has also conducted a number of conferences across Darfur aimed at addressing the root causes of inter-communal conflict.

Recommendations made by conference participants included more resources for traditional mediators and reconciliation efforts, strengthening the rule of law, boosting the involvement of women in reconciliation processes, and the establishment of a mechanism to monitor potential breaches of local ceasefire agreements, and have been presented to relevant authorities for consideration.

The report also acknowledged that progress on the implementation of the majority of the provisions of the Doha Document for Peace (DDPD) has continued to lag far behind the implementation timeline.

There are also concerns that to date, none of the $1 billion pledged at a donor conference in April 2013 has been delivered.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Switzerland is ready to help Sudan manage its foreign debt issue and urging the international community, in its capacity as a member of the Paris Club, to offer debt relief to the East African nation.

Sudan Central Bank governor Abdel-Rahman Hassan (Ashorooq TV)

The Central Bank governor Abdel-Rahman Hassan who met with the outgoing Swiss ambassador Louis-José Touron praised the positive role played by Bern in support of Khartoum in the international arena on the issue of debt .

Hassan emphasized Khartoum's keenness on implementing the agreement signed with Juba aimed at convincing creditors to forgive Sudan's debts especially the country satisfied all conditions to qualify for it.

Khartoum inherited the entire external debt that existed prior to the secession of the south. The two countries have yet to agree on how to split up the debt.

Both sides decided to reach out to creditors to obtain debt relief and if that fails will sit down to see how it can be divided using the "zero option".

Touron for his part, underscored his country's readiness to provide technical support to Sudan in the management of debt.

Sudan's external debt is estimated to have grown by 27% since 2008 from $32.6 billion to $41.4 billion in 2011.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report released last November that Sudan's debt will hit $44.7 billion in 2013 which amounts to 85% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Last year, the deputy director of the Middle East and Central Asia department at the IMF, Edward Gemayel, warned that it will be near impossible for Sudan to secure debt relief even if it satisfied technical and economic requirements.

Gemayel, who led a delegation to Khartoum, went on to say that Sudan won't be able to benefit from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative despite fulfilling its conditions unless it succeeds in convincing all 55 members of the Paris Club creditor nations whom he said have the power to slash 67% of conventional debt owed by Sudan

This month, the British Minister for Africa Mark Simmonds said that resolving Sudan's debts is contingent upon Khartoum approving poverty reduction strategy which means the ball is in its court.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (JUBA) - The leader of a coalition bringing together different civil society organisations in South Sudan said the group is seeking inclusion in upcoming negotiations between the government and the breakaway movement.

South Sudanese people take to the streets as part of a peace march organised by civil society groups in the capital, Juba, on 8 January 2014 (Photo AP/Ali Ngethi)

“The role of the civil society in the upcoming negotiations is critical, given that they represent an entire range of organised groups and institutions that are independent of the state, voluntary, and at least to some extent self-generating and self-reliant”, coalition leader Deng Athuai Mawiir said on Thursday.

The group includes representatives from NGOs, independent mass media, think tanks, universities, and local social and religious groups.

Mawiir said his group advocates for tolerance and the accommodation of pluralism and diversity, as well as supporting activities aimed at establishing ties between political parties and the state.

Preparations for the resumption of peace negotiations is expected to resume in coming days following the deployment of monitoring teams from neighbouring African nations.

South Sudan's warring parties signed a peace deal in the Ethiopian capital on 23 January, although both sides have since been accused of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Upcoming discussions will be aimed at forming the Joint Technical Committee (JTC), which will be tasked with all military activities, specifically those relating to the verification and monitoring process of the truce.

STRONGER ENGAGEMENT

Mawiir observed that countries in transition like South Sudan face significant challenges, particularly when certain individuals or groups acting out of their own self or political interest attempt to monopolise the lives and ways of thinking of the population.

He warned that this approach was harmful and had no place in the building of a democratic society.

He stressed that the advocacy group was impartial and was not seeking to gain any political leverage against a particular side involved in the current crisis.

“I want to stress that our work as civil society is not in tension with the state. Because we are independent of the state and government doesn't mean that it must always criticise and oppose the state. In fact our work is to work together with the government and other stakeholders in to ensure that at all levels there is accountability, [as well as an] effective, responsive and inclusive system and hence more legitimate administration”, he said.

He said the coalition worked to strengthen engagement between citizens and the state, as well as promote democratic ideals, with the view of developing a more effective and legitimate state administration.

Mawiir further argued that the participation of social activists would add more value to peace negotiations as they would be able tonot favour any group in a country full of angry and violence people, especially when the aggrieved party feels his right has been violated or deliberately being denied.

SUPPORT FOR INCLUSION

Luka Monoja Tombe, former minister of health and presently a member of parliament in the national legislative assembly, also appears supportive of the inclusion of civil society organisation in upcoming talks.

Other observers have expressed optimism that the participation of civil society organisations, which largely comprise of members of different ethnic groups, would help play an important role in diffusing simmering tribal tensions in South Sudan.

It remains unclear whether the president or the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional bloc currently mediating talks between the two sides would accept the inclusion of civil society organisations in the next round of discussions.

Meanwhile, South Sudan's deputy foreign affairs minister, Peter Bashir Gbandi, said the government has already accepted dialogue as a matter of principle to resolve the conflict.

“The government has already expressed commitment and willingness to ending this conflict through peaceful dialogue. Anybody with healthy ideas, be it civil society organisations or other groups wanting to participate in the discussions to promote and harmony is welcomed”, Gbandi told Sudan Tribune in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

However, the official did not say whether the government would consider appointing members of civil society organisations to its negotiating team.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (JUBA) - South Sudan said Thursday that it would only sanction full and complete withdrawal of Ugandan troops from its territory, upon the complete implementation of the cessation of hostilities that permits return of peace and stability.

South Sudan Foreign Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin, April 2, 2012 (Getty)

The new nation received military support from its eastern neighbour few days after fighting broke out in mid-December last year between a faction of presidential guards, raising fears that the clashes could deteriorate into a regional conflict, if allowed to escalate.

Members of both the East African Legislative Assembly and Ugandan Parliament welcome the deployment of the Ugandan army (UPDF), despite criticisms from members of the international community who saw the move as an invasion.

Rebel groups led by South Sudan former vice-president Riek Machar openly accused Uganda of fuelling the conflict with the direct participations of its troops alongside the government forces.

Norway, one of countries that played a critical role the 2005 peace deal ending the North-South Sudan civil war, on Wednesday said it was now time for Uganda to start withdrawing its troops from the world's youngest nation to avoid worsening the crisis.

South Sudan's foreign minister, however, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that his government would not need any additional troops from the neighbouring Uganda.

"With the cessation of hostilities now signed, we hope that peace and calm will come and government we will not need the additional involvement of Ugandan troops,” said Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

Last week, Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, the spokesperson of the UPDF said their forces did not intend stay in the world's youngest nation for long.

"UPDF not intent on staying for long in South Sudan;" he said in a tweet after a visit to the Ugandan troops in Bor on 24 January.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan government and the Cobra Faction of its rebel South Sudan Democratic Movement/Defense Army (SSDM/A) on Thursday signed an agreement on cessation of hostilities to end nearly three years of rebellion.

Bishop Paride Taban (C) appluads as the signing of a peace deal between South Sudan government and SSDM/A Cobra Faction rebels in Addis Ababa, January 30, 2014 (Photo: Moses Lomoyat)

The deal, inked in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, followed a week of negotiations between the two parties under the auspices of the Church Leaders Mediation Initiative (CLMI) on Jonglei peace dialogue chaired by Bishop Paride Taban.

It followed the 6 January unilateral declaration of ceasefire by South Sudan army (SPLA), which SSDM/A, Cobra Faction led by David Yau Yau, accepted as a way of creating conducive environment for meaningful peace negotiations between the two parties.

Rev. Canon Clement Janda led the government delegation while the SSDM/A team was headed by Gen. Khalid Botrous.

The agreement, Bishop Paride said in a statement, aims at bringing peaceful and durable solution to the conflict that made the rebel group resort to armed option.

“The agreement will come as a result of the Unilateral Declaration of Ceasefire by the Sudan People's Liberation Army on January 6, 2014 that was accepted by the SSD/MA, Cobra Faction as a way of creating a conducive environment for meaningful peace negotiations between the two parties,” partly reads the statement.

The engagement in negotiations, it stressed, seeks remedies to the conflicts in Jonglei and between other parties for a comprehensive peace deal in the country's largest state.

According to Bishop Taban, the cessation of hostilities agreement between the warring parties will enable peace in the communities affected by the conflict, providing an urgent need for reconciliation in not only in Jonglei, but the entire country.

The two parties, as part of the agreement, also agreed to unite to realise the vision of a stable region where communities live and coexist in peace and harmony with one another.

Yau Yau rebelled against South Sudan's ruling party (SPLM) after the April 2010 elections when, as an independent candidate, he lost his campaign to represent Gumuruk–Boma constituency in Pibor county at Jonglei state assembly.

In 2011, however, he joined the SPLA, but rebelled again in April 2012. After an increase in violence in Pibor county, the army announced it was suspending the civilian disarmament campaign in the area to focus on nullifying the rebellion.

SIMILAR TRUCE

The new deal comes a week after government and rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM in Opposition) signed a ceasefire agreement in the Ethiopian capital to end over a month-old fighting in the world's youngest nation.

The long-awaited agreement on cessation of hostilities came after South Sudan's government agreed to release 11 political figures, initially held in connection with last year's alleged failed coup attempt in the country's capital, Juba.

Seven of the detainees were released on Tuesday, but seven others face treason charges.

Fighting broke out in mid-December between President Salva Kiir government army and forces loyal to his ex-deputy, Riek Machar, leading to more than 1,000 deaths and displacing half a million people in the country's worst-ever outbreak of violence.

(ST)

Peace Agreement January 30, 2014

January 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese opposition coalition known as the National Consensus Forces (NCF) issued a statement on Thursday criticising president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's speech earlier this week describing it as lacking the basic components of any possible political transformation.

Farouk Abu Eissa (C), leader of the opposition alliance talks to reporters with other opposition leaders on 12 June 2012 (ST)

Bashir announced a four-point plan for reform "to stop the war and bring peace, free political society, fight against poverty and revitalise national identity", calling for political forces to engage in dialogue to agree on the implementation though he did not specify practical steps to do so.

Prior to the speech, Sudanese officials gave multitude of suggestions that Bashir will unveil a major and comprehensive reform proposal that would be inclusive of all political forces and aim to tackle Sudan's growing crises.

In a rare scene, the speech was attended by top opposition figures including former Prime Minister and head of the National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan al-Turabi and recently defected ruling party figure who formed the Reform Now Party (RNP) Ghazi Salah al-Deen al-Attabani.

All three made statements afterwards either personally or through their parties criticising the lack of specifics and excessive generalities that gave no real signs of concessions on the part of the ruling party.

The NCF emphasised that to enter into dialogue with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) the latter must abolish all laws that restrict freedoms, release all political detainees, launch an investigation into the killing of demonstrators in September 2013 riots, enter into comprehensive negotiations to end the war in the different conflict zones, address the humanitarian situation and agreeing to full transitional status.

"Without the commitment on the part of the regime to these logical requirements, there will not be any opportunity for dialogue", NCF chairman Farouk Abu-Essa said at a press conference following a meeting of the coalition today at the headquarters of teh Sudan Communist Party (SCP).

"The path to real change passes through the overthrow of the regime", he added before accusing foreign circles of working to preserve Bashir's rule by inventing false alternatives to absorb some actors in the political process because it serves their interests.

Abu-Essa described Bashir's speech on Monday as "miserable in form and content" in which he insists on not acknowledging the crisis, its causes and means to overcome it.

"This confirms that the regime has reached the low of bankruptcy and wants to get around this crisis in the name of dialogue", he said.

The opposition figure warned that Sudan is on the verge of collapse should the NCP refuse to make significant concessions and acceptance of an entire transitional status. He stressed that the NCP regime lacks credibility as prior years experiences show.

He went on to say that the NCP has failed to run the country, lost direction and created political, security, economic and social crises while igniting wars in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Abu-Essa added that the NCP has become in complete isolation and put the entire country in a quarantine with corruption becoming rampant.

He also disclosed that they will renew contact with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and other rebel groups to unify visions on the future political situation.

For his part, the spokesman of the opposition alliance Kamal Omer defended the attendance of his PCP leader Hassan al-Turabi during Bashir's address to the nation saying it does not mean they abandoned the NCF goal of toppling the regime.

"Dialogue is one of our means so we decided to participate", Omer added.

(ST)

January 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese president and his Chadian counterpart agreed to send special envoys to meet Darfur rebel groups to encourage them to engage in peace negotiations, foreign minister Ali Karti said in statements on Thursday.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir and his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby, wave to the crowd after launching the Darfur Regional Authority in El Fasher, on 8 February 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

Presidents Omer al-Bashir and Idriss Deby met Thursday on the sidelines of an African Union summit on the Central African Republic and South Sudan conflicts held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Karti said that the two head of states agreed to send Darfurian envoys to meet with the rebel groups who refuse to sign a peace agreement with the government, adding that the meeting was dedicated to follow up what they had agreed in previous summits.

Last November president Deby hosted a gathering of Zaghawa tribal leaders and urged them to persuade their sons in the rebel groups to end the 11-year conflict stressing that the tribe to which he belongs suffered from this situation.

The Chadian leader also was in Khartoum by the end of December 2013 where he held a meeting with the Zaghawa leaders telling them that Darfur people are responsible of their problems urging them to stop accusing Bashir.

Karti said there are "signals" from a number of movements non-signatory of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), adding the two presidents discussed "practical steps for the return" of these rebel groups.

He further pointed that the developing relations with Chad contribute to the peaceful solution of Darfur conflict.

The joint chief mediator for the resolution of Darfur conflict Mohamed Ibn Chambas in October and November 2013 met with Chadian, Ethiopian and South Sudanese senior officials urging them to support his efforts for a cessation of hostilities agreement.

Ibn Chambas in collaboration with the IGAD held a workshop on peace and security in Darfur with the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) in Addis Ababa from 9 to 13 December 2013.

However, the two rebel groups declined his proposal to sign a humanitarian cessation of hostilities in Darfur and instead proposed to sign a comprehensive cessation of hostilities including Blue Nile and South Kordofan where they have fight the Sudanese government forces with their allied rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement – North.

Karti also spoke about a meeting between presidents Bashir and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, adding they discussed normalisation of bilateral relations and agreed to hold further discussions on this respect in the future.

Kampala, which in the past accused Khartoum of harbouring the Ugandan rebel Lord Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony, hosts the Sudanese rebel groups.

(ST)

January 31, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's opposition National Umma Party (NUP) led by al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and the Reform Now Party (RNP) headed by Ghazi Salah al-Deen al-Attabani, agreed on Friday to invite all political parties for a workshop.

From left to right; Leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan al-Turabi, Reform Now Party (RNP) head Ghazi Salah al-Deen al-Attabani; National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and 2nd Vice President Hassabo Abdel-Rahman (SUNA)

Al-Mahdi received a delegation today of the RNP headed by Attabani after which they held a meeting, which came on the background of president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's call for political forces to engage in dialogue, which was the first of its kind between the two parties.

On Wednesday, al-Attabani held a rare meeting with the leader of Sudan's opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan Al-Turabi. The two men agreed to set up joint committees for political and intellectual coordination between the two parties besides promoting issues of freedoms, full transitional status, constitution and elections.

The NUP and RNP meeting decided to form a working group in consultation with the rest of political forces to conduct a workshop to deliberate on the popular demands and determine mechanisms for implementing them in a period not exceeding two weeks.

They also concurred that the workshop would include all political and civil forces that aspire for a new political regime. The time and agenda would be determined by the working group.

NUP issued a statement saying the two sides agreed that the multi-faceted national crisis requires an urgent national solution.

Attabani split from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in late 2013 over calls for reforms, transparency and democratic changes. He later established the RNP, saying it would "bring new hope to Sudan".

Al-Mahdi and al-Attabani both attended Bashir's address to the nation along with Turabi which was seen as a sign of an imminent reconciliation between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and its foes.

But afterwards, all three made statements either personally or through their parties criticizing the lack of specifics and excessive generalities that gave no real signs of concessions on the part of the ruling party.

Bashir announced a 4-point plan for reform "to stop the war and bring peace, free political society, fight against poverty and revitalise national identity", calling for political forces to engage in dialogue to agree on the implementation items though he did not specify practical steps to do so.

(ST)

January 31, 2014 (RUMBEK) - Authorities in South Sudan's Lakes state are still holding five influential youth activists who have been held since January 20 without charge by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

Lakes state's military caretaker Governor, Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, denies ordering their arrest but an officer from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Rumbek has told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity that they were acting on his orders.

One of the detainees told the press on Friday said that despite being detained for over 10 days that had not been charged with any crime.

He said that they were being forced to sleep on the floor without mattresses but added that the prison warden had allowed family and friends to visit them.

"Our health is good" said the inmate who got access to a mobile phone on Friday.

The reason for their detention is unclear, as is whether they have been formally charged with a crime. It is illegal, under South Sudan's constitution, to hold someone without charge for more than 24 hours.

The five young men who have been arrested include, Rolando Kau Maker, Monyde Manyang, Meen Matur, Marier Mabany, Johnson Madol Andrew and Macieth Makur.

The governor has also accused citizens who criticise his administration of being supporters of Riek Machar, the former Vice President who since mid-December has been leading a rebellion against Kiir's government.

Civil society and activists have made several calls to South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to remove the caretaker Governor from power but Kiir has so far overlooked the campaign.

Under South Sudan's transitional constitution a by-election should have been held within three months of Governor Dhuol's appointment in January 2013 after he predecessor was sacked by the President Kiir.

(ST)

• Five youth members detained in Lakes state