April 15, 2014 (JUBA) – Local and international organisations in South Sudan on Tuesday urged president Salva Kiir to ensure his country ratifies the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).

The appeal was made in a petition issued ahead of the 55th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, which will begin from 28 April.

“We request that you complete the ratification process by assenting to the ratification of the Charter without further delay, and then ensure that the ministry of foreign affairs transmits the instrument of ratification to the African Union,” partly reads the 15 April petition.

South Sudan became a member of the African Union (AU) when it gained independence in July 2011. The petitioners have, however, expressed concern that the new nation is the only AU member, which is not party to the African Charter.

In March 2013, the ACHPR issued a resolution, urging South Sudan government to immediately ratify and domesticate the African Charter and other fundamental human rights instruments.

The eight different organisations, in their petition, stressed that ratification of the African Charter would help the country in resolving its conflict plagued by serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including attacks on civilians, looting and destruction of civilian property, rape and forms of sexual violence.

“Prompt ratification of the African Charter would demonstrate the government's commitment to the improvement of the human rights situation in the country,” the petition noted.

“Ratification of the Charter would also allow both the government and South Sudanese citizens to benefit from the attention and expertise of the members of the ACHPR on human rights issues,” it added.

South Sudan council of ministers adopted a resolution in March last year approving seven regional and international instruments, including the African Charter. Seven months later, its national legislative assembly voted to ratify the African Charter.

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April 15, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad, has dismissed claims South Sudanese rebels led by former vice-president Riek Machar are being trained at camps inside Sudan.

Rebel fighters aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar march in a village inside rebel-controlled territory in South Sudan's Upper Nile state on 9 February 2014 (Photo:Reuters)

In a statement released from Khartoum, Saad described the comments, attributed to the spokesman for the South Sudanese army (SPLA), Philip Aguer, as “false and unfounded”.

Saad was reacting to a report in the Londan-based Asharq Alawsat newspaper on Tuesday, in which Aguer said rebel troops that attacked Unity state capital Bentiu this week were trained inside Sudan.

“What we know now is that Machar forces received training inside Sudanese territory and under the supervision of the government army,” he said.

The South Sudanese government conceded on Tuesday that rebel forces are in full control of Bentiu and that its troops had withdrawn following heavy clashes which erupted over the weekend.

Aguer told Asharq Alawsat that South Sudanese rebels are present in the Heglig and Kharsana areas in West Kordofan state.

He said the SPLA would respond militarily, but it was up to the Juba administration to take appropriate political measures to address the issue.

However, Saad stressed Sudanese forces had no intention of interfering in the domestic affairs of its Southern neighbour, saying it would continue to maintain a neutral position on the conflict.

Earlier this month, South Sudan accused Sudan of attacking its oil-rich border regions where government forces loyal to president Salva Kiir are battling pro-Machar rebels.

In a report published in the Wall Street Journal, Aguer said Sudanese warplanes had carried out targeted bombing raids in Unity state

He also claimed Sudan is amassing ground troops in several disputed regions along the border, including Abyei, suggesting Khartoum was positioning itself to redraw the border by force.

The claims emerged a few days after Kiir paid a visit to Khartoum, where he met with his Sudanese counterpart, Omer Hassan al-Bashir to discuss security and border matters, as well as provide an update on the situation in South Sudan.

Saad said there is no basis for the allegations, which he said are an attempt by some circles to destabilise relations between the two countries.

He said SAF remained committed to providing protection to large numbers of South Sudanese refugees who crossed into the area between Heglig and Kharasana following the eruption of violence in mid-December last year.

He said refugees in the area were also receiving assistance from humanitarian aid organisations.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 44,000 people have arrived in Sudan since the conflict erupted.

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April 16, 2014 (KAMPALA) – South Sudanese rebels claimed they have killed 510 soldiers including a top general while fighting the South Sudan army (SPLA) over the control of the strategic state capital of Unity state, Bentiu, for the last three days.

Lt. Col. Peter Riek Gew, a militarily spokesperson for Unity state, told Sudan Tribune over a phone interview on Tuesday that between Sunday, Monday and Tuesday their forces inflicted heavy casualties on the government's troops as they were taking full control of Bentiu and other oil fields located north of the state capital.

“We have destroyed 7 war tanks from the enemies. We killed brigadier general Boutros Lominy,” Gew said, while referring to the earlier casualties inflicted on the government in the outskirts of the town on Monday.

The rebel spokesperson also claimed that on Tuesday they also destroyed three other tanks and captured four others in good condition while battling with the SPLA over the control of state capital Bentiu in the morning hours on Tuesday.

Gew also confirmed they captured a number of government officials SPLA including Maj. Gen. Carlos Kuol, a former rebel from the SSLA that joined the government under the command of Lt. Gen. Puljang and have been fighting alongside the government troops since the conflict erupted in mid-December 2013.

SPLA WITHDRAW FROM LEER COUNTY

Sudan Tribune has learned that the SPLA forces from Leer County, home of former vice-president, turned rebel leader Riek Machar have withdrawn from the area after hearing the recapture of Rubkotna on Monday by the rebel forces.

It is however yet to be confirmed whether the government forces who allegedly disappeared from Leer were coming to Bentiu for reinforcement, or fleeing the area west towards the Bahr el Ghazal region.

The control over the state capital by the rebels' forces on Tuesday was received with joy, dancing and singing in groups of thousands of the IDPs who were seeking shelter in the UNMISS base in Bentiu for fear of government's troops.

“Our being here in the camp has been horrible; we are restricted from our freedom in our ancestral land. The control over Bentiu town and other counties will hopefully make us to go and stay in our own houses,” an anonymous IDP told Sudan Tribune over a phone interview on Tuesday.

SENIOR ARMY OFFICERS PURSUED

The Unity state's military spokesperson, Gew, further added that they were however still in hot pursuit of many government army's generals who were being chased in two different directions.

“I cannot now tell the fate of those Salva Kiir's generals which are forces are still pursuing in the bushes. We are yet to receive reports about them, whether or not they have successfully escaped as I am lately told some of them have fallen into further ambushes on the way,” said Gew.

He suspected that Lt. Gen. Jok Riak, who is the government's overall sector commander for the whole of Greater Bahre el Ghazal region and Unity state could be among the army generals in disarray and being hunted down in the bushes.

He however confirmed that some of them narrowly escaped southwards and were successfully evacuated with helicopters to Juba including the deputy governor of the state, Stephen Mabek Lang, a Dinka from Pariang County in the state.

The government previously amassed troops in Unity state as it brought thousands more from the army divisions 3 and 5 from Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, and vowed to maintain control over the strategic Bentiu town.

The recent victory over the government forces allows the rebels to control the Unity oilfields.

The rebels say they expect to control the whole of Upper Nile region during the coming rainy season including all its oilfields and take the fight to Juba, the national capital, or to Greater Bahr el Ghazal region, which is home to president Salva Kiir.

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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

April 16, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) - Unknown gunmen on Tuesday opened fire at a passenger bus in western Ethiopia killing nine and wounding seven others, some with severe injuries, Redwan Hussein, a government spokesperson, told reporters today.

The attack against the bus carrying 28 people was carried out in the outskirts of Assosa town in the Banishangul Gumuz region, where the Horn of Africa nation is building a massive hydro-power dam project known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Egypt fears the dam could eventually diminish its share of water from the Nile River.

In the, past Egyptian officials were caught live on state TV secretly planning to sabotage the dam project located near the Sudanese border through direct air strikes and supporting Ethiopian rebels.

The attack on the bus was carried out despite a heavy security presence in the region to protect the ongoing construction of the $4.6 billion power plant project which Addis Ababa hopes will transform the country into a regional power exporter.

The intention behind the latest attack remains unclear. No group has claimed responsibility.

Officials say that police are hunting the perpetrators but no arrests have been made. The government has vowed to bring culprits to justice.

This is the second attack on public transportation in the region within the last six months.

In November a similar ambush on a passenger bus has left four people killed.

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April 16, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit told security ministers Wednesday to stop searching relief convoys delivering food to internally displaced persons in response to a query raised by humanitarian agencies.

Speaking at the launch of South Sudan's National Food Security Council, the head of UN World Food Program (WFP) in South Sudan complained that a convoy heading to Yida refugee camp was searched with the driver and made to pay a total of 16,000 South Sudanese pounds at numerous check points.

President Kiir, responding to the plea by WFP to end the “unnecessary delays”, told defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and minister of national security Mamut Mete, who were present at the launch, to halt the search of relief vehicles.

“When you block the relief convoy and then you demand for anything that means you derail relief work completely and nobody will be saved,” he said.

The UN says that 4.9 million people in South Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance. Over one million people have been displaced by the conflict which began in December.

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April 16, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese minister of finance Badr Al-Deen Mahmood reiterated that his country has completed all technical prerequisites of debt cancellation especially in relation to the short-term program, which was agreed upon with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as one of the requirements.

Mahmood, who made the statements after returning from Washington where he participated in a technical committee meeting on Sudan's debt, also revealed that they received "mezzanine financing" that was earmarked for three countries including Sudan, Zimbabwe and Somalia.

This form of financing will be used to reduce outstanding commercial loans, the minister added. He also underscored the need for reaching out to creditors in the coming period, particularly Paris Club in order to start practical steps for debt relief.

He said that during those meetings they reviewed a strategy paper on poverty eradication projects by providing basic services including education, health and projects to support poor families along with other social projects.

Mahmood also mentioned that he held numerous meetings on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group (WBG) including officials from the US treasury.

Last year, the IMF said that Sudan's debt will hit $44.7 billion in 2013 which amounts to 87.6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It urged Sudan at the time to work with South Sudan on the issue of debt that existed under the pre-secession Sudan, which has currently been inherited by Khartoum.

"In light of Sudan's large stock of overdue external debt obligations, the government should work closely with South Sudan as part of the recently signed comprehensive agreement on reaching out to creditors to elicit their support for comprehensive debt relief, given the approaching deadline of the ‘zero option' for debt apportionment," the IMF said last year.

Sudan and South Sudan agreed to work jointly on seeking debt relief from international creditors. If these efforts are unsuccessful the ex-foes will sit down again to decide on how to split the debt.

Around three quarters of Sudan's external debt are owed to the Paris Club of creditor nations and other non-member states. The remaining balance is equally divided between commercial banks as well as international and regional financial bodies.

A year ago, an IMF official said that it will be near impossible for Sudan to secure debt relief even if it satisfied technical and economic requirements.

"I'm not saying this is impossible but it is difficult because it is linked to political issues which requires a public relations effort with member countries” IMF deputy director of the Middle East and Central Asia department Edward Gemayel said during a visit to Khartoum.

He pointed out that any debt relief deal with Sudan would require the unanimous consent of all 55 countries in Paris Club which he suggested would be improbable.

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April 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Eastern areas in South Kordofan state, including areas bordering South Sudan, are now free of rebels, said the military spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Al-Sawarmi Khalid, on Wednesday.

Sudan's official spokesman of the Armed Forces Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa'ad (AFP)

SAF “managed to free the following areas (in South Kordofan): Mansoura, Tommy, Tanqlto, Maqlam, Kalopa, Alhuta, Almanazla, Alpirah, Jabel Bermil, Jabel Krmo, Jabel Omdurman and Tarawa. The armed forces have achieved a major victory on the remnants of the rebels, inflicting significant loss of life and equipment on them,” Khalid said.

He added that this action comes in line with the second phase of the so-called “Decisive Summer” operation, aimed at clearing eastern South Kordofan and border areas from rebel groups.

Sudanese defence minister Abdel Rahim Hussein announced two weeks ago the launch of military operations on positions of rebels in Darfur region, South Kordofan, Blue Nile states.

The Rapid Support Forces, government militias reorganised under the command of the National Intelligence and Security Services, participate in these attacks alongside the Sudanese army.

The spokesperson of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) was not reachable for comment.

The SPLM-N and its allied rebel groups from Darfur region formed a joint command for their troops based in South Kordofan and attempted to extend their military action into North Kordofan state, last year.

Negotiating teams from the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N will meet next Tuesday in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, in a bid by the African Union mediation to end the nearly three year conflict in Blue Nile ans South Kordofan states.

However, the SPLM-N said it would stick to its demand for a comprehensive process and reject any discussion on the Two Areas only.

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April 16, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan's former defence minister, Majak D'Agoot, has denied playing any role in an alleged coup plot to depose president Salva Kiir Mayardit, saying that regardless of the outcome of the court case, the country has been irrevocably changed.

South Sudan political detainees (from left to right) Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, Majak d'Agoot, Pagan Amum and Oyai Deng Ajak listen to court proceedings at their trial in Juba on 11 March 2014 (Photo: AFP/Andrei Pungovschi)

D'Agoot is one of the four officials currently facing treason charges and is the third defendant to speak in court, following testimony from former secretary-general of the governing Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Pagan Amum Okiech and former national security minister Oyai Deng Ajak. Former diplomat Ezekiel Gathkuoth Lol is yet to take the stand.

The four officials have been accused of conspiring with former vice-president Riek Machar to overthrow the government by force.

Violence erupted in South Sudan in the capital, Juba, in mid-December before spreading to other key areas across the country.

The fighting has pitted forces loyal to the Kiir administration against rebels fighters aligned with Machar.

Speaking before Tuesday's court session, D' Agoot denied taking part in any plot to overthrow the government.

“Whatever verdict this court will take, South Sudan will never be the same. This marks the end of impunity, rule of man and the rule of law shall prevail,” he told the court.

Meanwhile, Amum expressed optimism that the four officials could together with President Kiir and vice-president James Wani Igga to resolve the rift.

“I am still optimistic that we will sort out this issue of ours with president Salva Kiir,” Pagan told the court. “I will even work with him, work with Wani – [the] vice-president – and sort out all these issues with Riek and we [can] build our nation,” he added.

Machar and former Unity state governor Taban Deng Gai have also been charged in absentia.

Seven other senior officials also detained in connection to the plot have since been released. The so-called SPLM-7 had been taking part in peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, but have since been excluded following demands by the South Sudanese government to restrict negotiations to the parties directly involved in the conflict.

A tenuous ceasefire deal brokered on 23 January by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, which is mediating talks, has so far failed to halt the violence.

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April 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by the presidential assistant Jalal Youssef Al-Digair, has announced rejection to holding the national dialogue abroad, saying it is an inter-Sudanese process and must take place inside the country.

Al-Digair met with the European Union (EU) ambassador to Sudan, Tomas Ulicny, on Wednesday in the presence of the DUP's secretary general and information minister, Ahmed Bilal.

It was not clear whether the DUP's rejection for holding the dialogue abroad was a response to a suggestion made by the ambassador or not. However a number of European capitals believe they should encourage discussions between political parties and rebels outside the country.

Bilal told Sudan's official news agency (SUNA) following the meeting they discussed with EU ambassador the progress of the dialogue process among various political parties in order to achieve a comprehensive solution for all Sudan's problems.

“We discussed our party's stance with regard to various issues including our 1996 initiative for dialogue which sought to uphold the value of national dialogue as means to achieve comprehensive and integrated solution for challenges facing the country,” he added

He pointed to his party's participation in various committees of the political parties' council and its contacts with opposition forces, saying the meeting alluded to the invitation extended by the EU to the DUP to take part in the workshop which will be held abroad in order to converge views of various political forces.

The DUP secretary general further said they conveyed to Ulicny their view on the ongoing dialogue and their vision on the proposed solutions.

“If EU's efforts were sincere they would definitely push the dialogue process and urge rebel groups to take part in it,” he added

Ulicny for his part welcomed the start of national dialogue among various political forces in order to resolve all the country's issues.

The DUP Al-Digair is a splinter faction from the DUP mainstream led by Mohamed Osman Al-Mirgani who also joined the government of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) after South Sudan gained independence.

Last January, Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir launched a political initiative and invited the opposition parties and armed groups to come together for a national dialogue.

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April 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has expressed readiness to agree with the political forces and rebel groups on a national program to govern the country in the coming period but reiterated its rejection to establishing a transitional government.

Ibrahim Ghandour (Photo Suna)

The presidential assistant and deputy chairman of the NCP, Ibrahim Ghandour, said his party is ready to agree with political forces on a political program to govern the country, pointing they refuse to join a government comprised of dissonant forces similar to the one which was formed before the secession of South Sudan.

He further renewed call for opposition parties which refused to engage in the dialogue and the rebel groups to respond to the comprehensive national dialogue initiative launched by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

“They (opposition parties and rebel groups) will wait for a long time on the sidewalk. Their wishes [of toppling the regime] wouldn't be realised, so they shouldn't wait for the unknown,” he added.

The opposition parties of the National Consensus Froces (NCF) refuse to participate in the national dialogue before the formation of a national unity government during a transitional government where a national conference including rebel groups would be held.

The opposition says this government would also implement the outcome of the national dialogue conference and organise general elections in the country.

Ghandour affirmed that rebel groups wouldn't be able to seize power by force, saying that rebellion in Sudan has never managed to overthrow a government in Khartoum.

He demanded leadership and constituencies of the NCP to get ready for the general elections, predicting his party's would win the elections.

“Don't be occupied with the timing and dates of holding the elections and get ready for it as if it will be held tomorrow,” he said.

The presidential assistant underscored they accepted the national dialogue from a position of strength not weakness, saying dialogue won't dismantle the regime and the ballot box will be the only way for assuming power.

Meanwhile, Ghandour regretted rejection of the rebel alliance Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) of the national dialogue, saying he hoped that the position of the SRF would not be the rejection of dialogue.

On Monday, the SRF reiterated its rejection to take part in the national dialogue, saying the government is escalating military operations instead of declaring cessation of hostilities and making confidence-building measures.

The rebel alliance said it doesn't reject the principle of dialogue for a comprehensive and peaceful solution, but they want a dialogue based on a clear roadmap to “move from war to peace and from totalitarianism to democracy”.

Late last January, Bashir launched a four-point reform plan and asked political forces and rebel groups should they lay down arms to engage in a comprehensive national dialogue process.

Two opposition parties, the People's Congress Party (PCP) and the National Umma Party (NUP) expressed support for the process, but insist on the need to ensure freedoms.

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April 16, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – Heavy fighting has erupted in Renk County, in the extreme northern part of the oil-rich Upper Nile state as rebels and government troops clashed over the control of the rich county bordering the Sudan, rebels said.

Rebel spokesperson said the opposition forces responded swiftly when the government troops in the town moved out and attacked their defensive positions just across the Nile, few kilometres west of Renk town.

"Salva Kiir's soldiers came out and attempted to cross the Nile from the east to attack our positions just across the River. Our forces on the other western side of the Nile responded with heavy artillery shelling against their positions inside Renk town since Wednesday evening," a military spokesperson Lt. Col Peter Riek Gew told Sudan Tribune on Thursday morning.

He said there was a lull during the night but the shelling has continued on Thursday morning as the two rival forces were controlling each side of the river, asserting that he expected the rebels to move into the town during the day.

Eyewitnesses in Renk town reported heavy shelling as residents were fleeing the town for their lives.

The county is located in eastern bank of the River Nile and the richest in agriculture in the state.

It is strategic town and can pose an additional threat to the oilfields if the rebels capture it from the government, observers say.

Upper Nile state government last month suggested relocating the state capital, Malakal, to Renk hundreds of kilometres north, as insecurity deteriorated when the rebels took control of the state capital for the second time.

The latest incident came just a day after the rebels took full control of Unity state's capital, Bentiu, as well as Unity oilfields.

Gew further told Sudan Tribune that they were clearing all the counties in Unity state as government troops were evacuating from the areas.

Rebels also warned to recapture Malakal and oilfields in Upper Nile state as well during the rainy season.

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April 16, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese army (SPLA) says it is preparing to launch a major offensive to retake Bentiu, the capital of the oil producing Unity state, calling on foreign mercenaries supporting rebel forces in the area to immediately withdraw.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) celebrate after recapturing Unity state capital Bentiu from rebel forces in January (Photo: Reuters)

The comments came following official confirmation that rebel fighters allied to former vice-president turned rebel leader Riek Machar had seized control of the strategic town close to the Sudanese border.

“This is a temporary victory and should not be celebrated that much by rebels. We will take it,” SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer told reporters on Wednesday, adding that government forces remained in the area.

Aguer claims that rebels entered the town on Monday with the help of foreign mercenaries, believed to be Janjaweed, the feared Arab militias active in Darfur and western Sudan.

“They (rebels) entered the town with help of some foreign mercenaries, but it is a matter of time before these mercenaries regret allying with these rebels,” he said.

In a later press statement, Aguer called on foreign mercenaries to withdraw from the town within the next 72 hours.

Multiple government officials have accused the government of neighbouring Sudan of aiding the rebels with military hardware and air cover.

“We know very well that rebels did not have any capacity to take Bentiu; otherwise they would not have fled when the SPLA forces captured it from them in January,” said Daniel Jok, a member of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) from the oil-contested region of Abyei.

“What happened is an indication that there is [a] foreign hand in this attack. There is no question that they (rebels) came from Sudan, because this is where they fled and we have been receiving reports of [the] training [of] recruits there,” he added.

In the first public account of the events which led up to the town's recapture, Jok said Sudanese fighter jets made multiple, close-range passes in South Sudanese air space on Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region.

“This provocative military action goes against international protocols and previous agreements,” Jok told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

REBELS DENY SUDAN SUPPORT

South Sudanese rebels, meanwhile, have denied allegations they received support from neighbouring Sudan.

“We don't receive support from any country, including Sudan. It is Juba and Khartoum that have cooperation agreements, including on the security arrangements at the border,” said Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak.

“Salva Kiir visited Khartoum last week and met with president Bashir to follow up on the implementation of the cooperation agreements. So how come they now turn around to allege that we get support from the very Sudan?” he added.

The Sudanese army (SAF) also issued a statement this week denying pro-Machar rebels were receiving training at camps inside Sudan, disissing the allagations as an attempt to destabilise relations between the two countries.

SAF spokesperson Al-Sawarmi Khalid Saad said Sudan remain a neutral position on the conflict and had no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of South Sudan.

Saad was responding to comments attributed to Aguer in the Londan-based Asharq Alawsat newspaper on Tuesday, in which the latter said the rebel troops that attacked Bentiu this week were trained inside Sudan.

“What we know now is that Machar forces received training inside Sudanese territory and under the supervision of the government army,” Aguer told Asharq Alawsat.

“What we know now is that Machar forces received training inside Sudanese territory and under the supervision of the government army,” he said.

In a statement issued following the town's recapture, the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition called on oil companies operating in government-controlled areas to cease oil production and evacuate all staff within a week.

Rebel military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said oil companies that fail to comply are risking the safety of their staff and may face a forced shutdown of production.

Unity state has changed hands several times since political tensions erupted in violence in the capital, Juba, in mid-December.

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By Dong Samuel Luak

April 16, 2014 - Many people in South Sudan are asking, how long did it take President Salva Kiir to plan all this tragedy befalling our young country now? Recruitment, training and arming the private army in Luri around Juba. Dismissing the whole cabinet, agreeing with Ugandan forces to intervene in case of any eventualities(alleged coup), putting innocent people on trail, now the most crucial question is the appointment of the Chief Justice Chan Reec from home area of the President, was it part of the plan? The legal community was taken by surprise when a presidential decree was voiced over the national media appointing a new Chief Justice to head the Supreme Court of the republic of South Sudan, the dubious circumstances which led to this appointment were not disclosed.

Among the many responsibilities granted to the president of the republic by our transitional constitution 2011 few are more serious or more consequential than appointing a chief justice, so this appointment shouldn't be taken lightly, it should be made only after deep reflection and careful deliberation, because there are qualities that a chief justice must have, for instance his or her rigorous intellect, mastery of law, ability to provide clear answers to complex legal questions and understanding judge's job is to be in office up to five (5) o'clock in the evening or beyond, not sleeping on the job, approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda, but rather commitment to impartial justice, a respect for precedent and determination to faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand just to mention a few.

The process of replacing Justice John Wol hasn't been rigorous and comprehensive; the President acted on the ill advice of his close advisors, the president never sought advice of members of the parliament, legal affairs committee, Bar Association and Law society, the president never reached out to constitutional scholars, advocacy organization, representing any array of interest and opinion.

The best practice of appointing a Chief Justice was recently demonstrated by the Republic of Kenya, were lawyers submitted their written application to a screening committee made up of Judges, lawyers, government officials and members of the public, these committees asses the candidates and submit a list of those who are considered qualified to be Chief Justice.

The process of appointing a Chief Justice can be controversial like the recent appointment of Justice Chan Reec Madut .

Chief Justice is “the pillar of our entire justice system and the public has a right to demand that the Chief Justice must strive for the highest standard of integrity in both their professional and personal lives, which i believe beyond reasonable doubt is questionable and lacking in the character of the newly appointed Chief Justice.

President Kiir at the time of appointing Justice chan Reec Madut, is aware that the supreme court of Southern Sudan was the only one organ of the new Republic of South Sudan which had failed in its purpose, all international reports, meetings of the SPLM political bureau, Civil Society, chiefs and grassroots testify to that effect.

This is another fiasco because we the legal community are perfectly convinced that Courts under the leadership of Justice Chan Reec Madut would never acquired proper weight and dignity as long as its organization being fatally defective and this is a serious injustice to the people of South Sudan, justice always is about doing the right things.

Greed is a vice, a bad way of being, especially when it makes people oblivious to the suffering of others, laws can't banish greed, but they can at least restrain its most brazen expression, and signal society's disapproval of it, by punishing greedy behaviour rather than rewarding it. By this appointment Greed and failure is rewarded.

In conclusion in African democracy always the president is right. But for those of us who believe in the rule of law as the foundation for all of our basic rights, i think a public hearing to question an appointee of the president, would have been what wounds deserve is Purple Heart, a Chief Justice with empathy, enough feeling for what many people are going through. The courts essentially become the rubber stamps of the powerful in Society, so why hire a lawyer if you can buy a judge or the whole Judiciary.

The writer is a lawyer in South Sudan can be reached at dong.luak@yahoo.com

April 16, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan's government is sharply divided over the recapture of Unity state capital Bentiu town, with top level military officers blaming officials at the ministry of finance and individuals close to the president for the failure to deliver military supplies.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army patrol the streets in the capital, Juba, following the utbreak of violence in mid-December 2013 (Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Rebels aligned with former vice-president recaptured the strategic, oil-rich town on Monday after reportedly receiving support from foreign mercenaries.

A top military officer in the operations department at the general headquarters told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday said troops on the ground had been let down after funds needed to hire aircraft to deliver the supplies, including ammunitions, to Bentiu and Upper Nile state capital Malakal were not released in time.

“The people who are supposed to help in expediting the processes are those close to the president. They needed to have pushed those at the ministry of finance who were slow to act because they did not receive official instructions,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

“The moral of our forces was high, but they were let down by [the] lack of seriousness by those who should have acted,” he added.

Gordon Buay, the spokesperson for former rebel faction South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), which now fights alongside government troops after accepting a presidential amnesty, blamed the fall of the town on the leadership in Juba, calling on the president to investigate the “negligence” of government agencies.

According to Buay, soldiers under the command of Major General Puljang Mathews had pulled out of Rubkona without notifying other colleagues, allegedly due to a lack of ammunitions, allowing rebels to enter the town with little armed resistance.

“They (government troops) pulled out because they had no ammunitions but this mistake had been corrected and it is [just] a matter of time and it will be recaptured. Just give us few days to recapture the town,” said Buay.

He also confirmed that one of his colleagues, who he named as Maj-Gen Karlo Kuol, had been captured by rebel forces after running out of ammunition.

“I am really upset with the negligence of Bilpam. President Kiir should order an investigation,” Buay told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

(ST)

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

Ampril 16, 2014 - This article comes against the backdrop of the Decree number 158 of 2014 passed by the National Congress Party (NCP) president Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir to regulate the activities of Sudanese political parties. The people of Sudan are extremely sick and tired of al-Bashir's never-ending fruitless never-implemented decrees. From the outset, the decree gave a slap on those who have illusions about al-Bashir's decrees. The decree stated that it prohibited any meetings of political parties within their party premises without prior permission from the authorities! The satirists jocularly said it seems that the National Dialogue of Omer al-Bashir has become an (April Fool's) and a trap for the opposition; but only managed to catch in its trap the ones of the right size. That prey turned out to be just (Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi)!

The Presidential Decree number 158 for the year 2014 to regulate the activities of the Sudanese political parties in accordance with the provisions of article 58 (1) of the interim Constitution of 2005 was no different from previous absurd resolutions of Omar al-Bashir's many absurd ones. Al-Bashir's decrees usually appear as though they are permitting fundamental freedoms, whereas they in fact prohibiting them in disguise by inserting the phrase ' according to law '! Thus, for every decree there is an associated opposing clause. With such devious manner the failed fundamentalist racist ruling regime of the totalitarian National Congress Party continued to suppress the Sudanese people with the view to empower himself and continue the grip on power alone and exclusion of others throughout the lean years of the past quarter of the century. The same pattern of governance has been going on since the bad omen Coup d'état carried out by the National Islamic Front (NIF) on Friday 30th of June 1989.

Furthermore, Omer al-Bashir's reference to the 2005 constitution that was made for the Interim period based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is farce, given the fact that it has become null and void since the purpose for it's existence is no longer valid constitutionally by the Secession of the southern Sudan region on 09. July 2011 after the landslide Referendum held in January 2011 by more than 99 per cent to become the nascent Republic of South Sudan, the UN member Number 193 on 14.07.2011. On the other hand, there are repressive laws contrary to the terms and reference of the 2005 Constitution that continue to be applied against the opponents and opponents of Al-Bashir's Government, parallel to the Constitution referred to and used by the security and intelligence service notorious despite decisions of the Republic and should not forget the ongoing war now in Darfur, the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile, despite frivolous resolutions that come out from the bloodthirsty Omer al-Bashir and his worn-out regime.

The hero of the farcical play of the Muslim Brotherhood was the Godfather of the Islamist Movement in Sudan Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi and right-hand obedient Army Brigadier Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir. As a Director and for a better Production for the Soap-Opera al-Turabi ordered Omer al-Bashir to go and stay in the Presidential Palace in Khartoum (AKA. General Gordon Palace) and he went to the notorious Kober Prison, as a camouflage!

The lies of the Genius liars will not stop trying to fool the people of Sudan. It is impossible for Snakes to dispense with their deadly venom.

For those who know the devious mechanism of the entity of the Islamist movement in Sudan and beyond, their initiatives -so to speak- are all vacuous trickery exercises guaranteed to prolong the suffering of the people of Sudan. At the same time providing them with a window of respite taking them way and out of the cumulative disasters in the form of political, economic, diplomatic, social and beside the painful blows and military defeats the regime sustained at the hands of the gallant forces of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). The well-known tricks and lies of Omar al-Bashir are no longer capable to fool the wit of alliance of national political parties under the umbrella of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the Sudanese revolutionary front (SRF).

The worsening political situation in our homeland needs urgent stance and contribution of all components of the Sudanese people to dismantle the despotic NCP political corporate stronghold and discard it into the history dustbin once and for good without anyone shedding tears of sorrow other than the regime's hirelings employed by Omer al-Bashir to do the dirty jobs. And the decision taken by al-Bashir for the alleged national dialogue was intended to try to deceive the regional and the international communities that his regime has made major political concessions extended them to the opposition parties to enjoy democratic freedoms. Al-Bashir resorted to the so-called National Dialogue after the means for way-out of the impasse afflicted his mangled regime narrowed and at the verge of falling because of the many crises resulting from the mindless policies and wrong decisions over the past 25 odd years he has been ruling Sudan with absolute power.

The biggest flaw in the planned national dialogue invitation issued by President Omar al-Bashir, it came under the terms and preconditions of the National Congress Party (NCP). There should be sufficient political will for the development of a political transition sytem leading to radical solutions to the countless Sudanese crises. The crises that halting the progress of the country are the results of the wrong policies taken by the Government during the years of the National Congress Reign which lasted for a quarter of a century.

It is noticeable that the ruling regime led by Omar al-Bashir was in violation of the Constitution in 2005 during the transitional period of the comprehensive peace agreement and was hardly applied certain provisions of that Constitution under threat by the international community, especially the pressure by United States, sponsor of the comprehensive peace agreement. What appears absurd is the continuing support of the former US President Jimmy Carter for the regime of the (NCP) in spite of the reprehensible crimes against the people of Sudan in Darfur committed by the militias and army of the regime. Political analysts say that is because of the Carter Center's interests that intersect with those of the perpetrator of genocide in Darfur Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir remaining in power. The people of the war-stricken territories in Sudan, on the call on Mr. Carter to halt his backing for the Ramshackle regime. Mr. Carter knows well the degree of corruption of the regime since the time his centre (Carter Centre) presided over monitoring the rigged Sudanese General Elections won by Omer al-Bashir and his party between 11 and 15 April 2010. What is more strange and worrying is the Khartoum Newspapers reports attributing a statement to Mr. Carter that he said that the initiative of the national dialogue is serious but America reneged on its promise of lifting sanctions against the (NCP) government , but Omar al-Bashir did not renege on his promise ! Such statements if truly issued by Mr. Jimmy Carter, former US President, they will tarnish his impartiality and his credibility will be at stake. Furthermore, Jimmy Carter's appeal of creditor nations to exempt the debts of Sudan came to support Omar al-Bashir's project of national dialogue, which rejected by the people of Sudan.

The people of Sudan in Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, Beja of Eastern Sudan and those in the Far Nubian North tell Omar al-Bashir that his unsold merchandise and the depressed goods under the so-called 'national dialogue' to sell it to the group of the isolated traditional political entities who are rushing and scrambling to get grants and allowances from their master of grace. The genuine and honest political opposition which consist of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), National Consensus Forces (NCF), Civil Society Organisations, Activist Youth Movements, Students Associations, Women Associations, Professional Trade Unions and Labour Trade Unions have heading forward with sincerity to implement their constituents' wish to overthrow the (NCP) regime. This political position became more urgent following the renewal of the crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide in Darfur. The crimes recently committed by the militias allied to the (NCP) regime in Darfur are more atrocious compared to that of the years 2003 and 2004. They are renewed after ten years after the massacre in Darfur-genocide-and on the twentieth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. It is the duty and onus upon the Sudanese people to disregard the scum of Omar al-Bashir and his mercenary militias and proceed to overthrow its mangled regime available, including military force. The dismantling of institutions of the regime becomes a duty. Furthermore, the perpetrators of the heinous crimes must be held accountable. Application of Transitional Justice for retribution for the relatives of crime victims and for the thousands of survivors of the inferno of the massacres should follow. 'Democratic Alternative' by establishing an inclusive Transitional Government with prescribed tasks formed to implement the following duties:

• Constitutional Conference
• Permanent Constitution for Sudan
• Population Census of the Sudanese People
• Fair Distribution of Electoral Constituencies
• General Elections (Free, Fair, Transparent and monitored by Credible International Observers
• Handover to a Democratically Elected Government that guided by the New Dawn Document (NDD) adopted during the Transitional Period by the Interim Government.

The Presidential Decree No. 158 of 2014 issued by al-Bashir is Old wine in new bottles. The desperate attempts of al-Bashir to trick the Sudanese people into his self-styled national dialogue are futile to the core.

To conclude, political wisdom indicates that The Darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in Times of Moral Crisis. Moreover, the famous Irish statesman, author, political theorist and philosopher, Edmond Burke – 12January 1729 – 09July 1797 was quoted as saying: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of Evil is for good men/women to do Nothing".

Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is the Deputy Chairman of the General Congress for Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). He can be reached at mahmoud.abaker@gmail.com. The author also his articles at his blog http://thussudan.wordpress.com/

April 16, 2014 (BOR) – The US government's humanitarian agency USAID has pledged to continue support for hundreds of thousands of people in critical need due to the ongoing crisis in South Sudan crisis.

USAID's Jeremy Konyndyk speaks to journalist Jacob Achiek in Bor, the capital of South Sudan's Jonglei state, during a visit to the region (ST)

Speaking to the media in Jonglei capital Bor on Wednesday, USAID's director of foreign disaster assistance, Jeremy Konyndyk, said his government had provided substantial assistance to South Sudanese people since a political power struggle between president Salva Kir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, erupted in violence in mid-December last year.

During his visit, Konyndyk visited displaced camp in Lakes state's Mingkaman and Bor, also holding discussions with government representatives on the humanitarian situation in the country.

The US government is among the leading donors to the South Sudan crisis.

“The US government has already provided a great deal of support to South Sudan to address this humanitarian crisis since 15 December. We are providing millions and millions of dollars for the activities in Mingkaman and some activities here in [Bor],” said Konyndyk.

Konyndyk said USAID is currently providing assistance to people in both government and rebel-controlled areas, but said accessibility remained a major hurdle in delivering relief supplies.

“We are providing aid to people who are in serious need no matter who controls the area,” he said.

Konyndyk has called on both the government and rebel forces to lay down their arms and seriously engage in peace talks to resolve their differences non-violently, adding that a full-scale humanitarian intervention could only be conducted if a ceasefire was in place.

“This conflict should stop immediately. Both the government and the rebels should lay down guns and engaged seriously in the peace talk to resolve their differences peacefully not violently. This is only way to resolve humanitarian situation,” he said.

Jonglei was the scene of brutal fighting after violence in the capital spread to other areas, with much of the capital destroyed and about 100,000 people fleeing across the Nile to Mingkaman.

The influx of internally displaced people has seen the population on the tiny town on the White Nile swell significantly.

Conditions at the camps remains extremely basic, with many of the new arrivals lacking adequate shelter or regular sources of clean water and food.

Almost one million people have been displaced by the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, with thousands fleeing to neighbouring countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

International aid agencies have issued stark warnings, saying South Sudan is facing a humanitarian catastrophe and is edging closer to famine.

The UN says that 1.1 million people have so far been reached with humanitarian assistance, but almost five million people remain in need.

Aid agencies have so far struggled to raise funds to meet humanitarian needs in the country, with donor fatigue and minimal press coverage of the conflict blamed for the poor response.

(ST)

April 16, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan's presidential advisor on legal affairs, Telar Ring Deng, has returned from a four-day visit to the Chinese capital, Beijing, aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment.

South Sudan's presidential advisor on legal affairs, Telar Ring Deng, speaks at the South Sudan-China Investment Forum in Beijing on 12 April 2014 (Photo: People's Daily Online)

Deng was accompanied by Michael Marino Wosang, managing director of the Nile Commercial Bank (NCB) and 24-strong business delegation.

In conjunction with the visit, the South Sudanese embassy in Beijing hosted the first South Sudan-China Investment Forum.

The event, organised in collaboration with the NCB, discussed ways to identify and utilise investment and trade opportunities in the two countries.

The forum was attended by more than 250 people, with business, diplomatic, government and civil society representatives among those to attend.

During his visit from 10 to 14 April Deng held a number of productive meetings to discuss national issues and areas of mutual concern.

The number of Chinese companies registered in South Sudan grew last year and Deng was keen to stress that South Sudan was still open for business despite ongoing conflict in the country, which erupted mid-December last year after a power struggle between president Salva Kiir and former vice-president Riek Machar turned violent.

He also made assurances that his government had put in place a series of measures to protect foreign investors.

China is the biggest investor in South Sudan's oil industry, but has played a limited role in ceasefire negotiations to resolve the crisis, in line with its policy of non-interference in domestic affairs.

Among those to meet with Deng in Beijing were vice president of China Import and Export Bank Yuan Xiagong, the acting director-general of the international department of the Communist Party, Jiang Jianhua, as well as representatives from Huawei, ZTE, Shandong Hi-Speed and Pan China Co. Ltd.

Following Deng's departure, Monday Kumba, a counsellor of South Sudan's embassy in Beijing, accompanied the South Sudanese delegation to Guangzhou to participate in the 115th session of China Import and Export Fair.

In October 2013, a delegation comprising of 105 South Sudanese business groups attended an import and export commodities fair in Guangzhou.

Kumba said at the time the visit was part of an ongoing strategy to further strengthen ties and develop effective cooperation between China and South Sudan.

(ST)

April 17, 2014 (JUBA) – At least 30 people were killed in Jonglei state capital Bor on Thursday during clashes between local youth demonstrators and peacekeepers from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), medical sources told Sudan Tribune.

Children play inside a camp for internally displaced persons from the Nuer ethnic group inside the UNMISS compound in Bor, the capital of South Sudan'sJonglei state, on 27 February 2014 (Photo: AFP/Jim Lopez)

The clashes occurred about 9:30am (local time) when armed youth from Bor town opened fire on the UN compound where thousands of people displaced by ongoing violence in the country (IDPs) are currently sheltering.

UNMISS health worker William Oyual said 20 people were killed when armed local youths forced their way into the compound.

Bior Kuer, who works at Bor civil hospital, said another two people died at the health facility from wounds suffered during the fighting.

According to Kuer, 14 others were wounded, with three in critical condition.

UNMISS confirmed the fighting through spokesman Joe Conteras in Juba, but has yet to provide further details.

The UN base housing an Indian contingent of peacekeepers was overrun by the youths. who opened fire indiscriminately, killing an as yet unconfirmed number of people, including women and children.

It is not yet clear what provoked the attack on the IDPs, predominantly from the Nuer ethnic group, of which former vice president turned rebel leader Riek Machar hails.

Conflicting reports suggest the incident was triggered by the recent capture of Unity state capital Bentiu by rebel forces aligned with

Sources say youth from the Dinka Bor tribe went to the UNMISS base to deliver a memo of protest demanding IDPs be relocated from the area after they were angered by celebrations inside the compound on Wednesday of Bentiu's capture.

The South Sudan army's (SPLA) director of information and public relations, Brig. Gen Maluak Ayuen, said the incident in Bor occurred after civil society representatives delivered a memo against Machar supporters in the UNMISS compound.

He confirmed the death of four civilians, adding that the final death toll is not yet known.

Meanwhile, Machar's spokesperson, James Gatdet Dak, condemned the killing of IDPs “in the strongest terms possible”.

“Many survivors I spoke to confirmed to me that many people were killed and the base was deserted. Some of the survivors had to run to the bushes, while others made it to the other official camps of the Korean [peacekeeping] contingents,” he said.

Dak was also unable to confirm the death toll, but said eyewitnesses had described large numbers of dead bodies lying on the ground.

Officials from the Jonglei state government refused to comment when contacted by Sudan Tribune.

The incident in Jonglei delivers another blow to a ceasefire agreement signed between the South Sudanese government and rebel forces in January.

Bentiu, which has changed hands several times since conflict erupted across the country in mid-December, was recaptured on Monday by rebels, reportedly aided by Sudan's feared Janjaweed Arab militia group.

The SPLA also claims South Sudanese rebels are receiving training inside Sudanese territory.

Both the rebels and the Sudanese army (SAF) have denied the claims.

(ST)

April 17, 2014 (JUBA) – The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has strongly condemned Thursday's alleged attack by armed youth on it base in Jonglei state capital Bor, which left at least 30 people dead.

South Sudan's Jonglei state was the scene of fierce fighting after conflict erupted in the country in mid-December, with thousands of civilians seeking shelter at the UN base in the capital, Bor (Photo: Reuters)

In a statement issued on Thursday, UNMISS said it was as yet unable to confirm the number of dead and injured.

The UN base, housing an Indian contingent of peacekeepers, was reportedly overrun by armed youths from the Dinka Bor tribe, who opened fire on civilians indiscriminately, including women and children.

The site is currently providing protection to about 5,000 internally displaced people (IDPs), predominantly from the ethnic Nuer group to which rebel leader Riek Machar hails.

“The UN Mission in South Sudan strongly condemns today's (Thursday's) deadly and unprovoked attack on its base in Bor,” the statement, extended to Sudan Tribune reads in part.

The agency has called on South Sudan's leadership to uphold its responsibilities to protect all South Sudanese civilians and maintain public order.

“UNMISS additionally calls on all national, state and local authorities and forces to protect all civilians, to ensure that the inviolability of United Nations premises is protected, and to take effective measures to prevent a recurrence of such attacks,” the statement said.

The raid at the UN base reportedly occurred after armed local youth entered the site to deliver a protest letter calling for IDPs to be relocated from the area.

It's believed protesters were angered after witnessing the celebrations of IDPs after the Unity state capital, Bentiu, was recaptured by pro-Machar rebels on Monday.

However, youths claimed they were simply responding after being fired on from the UNMISS camp.

UNMISS has disputed these accounts, saying the armed mob forced its way inside despite repeated warning shots fired by its forces.

“The armed mob forced entry into the site and opened fire on the internally displaced persons sheltering inside the base. UNMISS peacekeepers returned fire, and the mob retreated from the base,” the agency said in its statement.

WAR CRIME

The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon, issued a statement on Thursday, saying any attack on UN peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

“This attack on a location where civilians are being protected by the United Nations is a serious escalation,” the statement said.

“The secretary- general expresses his condolences to the bereaved families and pledges all possible support to those wounded in this attack,” it adds.

Medical sources have put the death toll from the incident at about 30, but this has not yet to be officially confirmed

Bior Kuer, a health worker at Bor hospital, said 14 people were being treated after being wounded in the attack, while three other people from the Dinka Bor tribe had died.

“These youth tell us that some bodies are still lying outside the UNMISS camp, but we don't know how many,” said Kuer.

There are conflicting reports emerging about the incident, with UNMISS health officer William Oyual putting the death toll at 20

“Very many people are injured and the death toll could rise anytime,” he told Sudan Tribune by phone from the UNMISS base.

Kuer claimed youths came under fire from UNMISS, while Oyual said armed elements had overwhelmed peacekeepers and forced their way into the site.

“The UNMISS soldiers ran for their protection and these youth entered [the] POC (Protection of Civilians site) and began shooting at people,” said Oyual.

Two UNMISS peacekeepers also sustained injuries during the incident.

In December, the UNMISS camp in Akobo, a Nuer area, also came under attack, leading to the death of two peacekeepers and 20 civilians of Dinka origin.

President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, has accused his former deputy, Machar, of staging a coup in mid-December that kick-started the four-month-old conflict.

Machar has denied the claims, but admits heading a rebellion comprised largely of defected army personnel and armed Nuer civilians.

A political power struggle between Kiir and Machar erupted in violence on the 15 December 2013, with loyalties in the country dividing along tribal lines.

The South Sudanese army (SPLA) has accused Sudan's feared Arab Janjaweed militia of supporting rebels in Bentiu following the strategic oil-rich town's recapture earlier this week.

The latest round of violence has shattered a tenuous ceasefire deal between South Sudan's warring parties, negotiated during peace talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

(ST)

30 people killed following clashes at UN base in Jonglei: reports
Rebels say they have recaptured Unity state's Bentiu from South Sudan army

April 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) denied statements by the Sudanese army about the defeat of its forces in eastern South Kordofan state claiming they are still controlling the area and accused Khartoum of targeting civilians.

A SPLA-N fighter holds up his rifle near Jebel Kwo village in the rebel-held territory of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, 2 May 2012 (photo by Goran Tomasevic Reuters)

"Statements by the spokesperson of the National Congress Party (NCP) forces that they have cleared SPLA from eastern part including areas bordering South Sudan are a lie," said the SPLM-N official spokesperson Arnu Ngutulu Loddi, on Thursday.

Loddi added that the SPLA-N fighters still control most parts and able to defeat the Sudanese government troops.

Al-Sawarmi Khalid, spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) stated on Wednesday that the army is now controlling all the eastern districts in the troubled state of South Kordofan including South Sudan border areas.

Arnu said the Sudanese army and the government militias attacked a number of villages in Rashad County of in the Nuba mountains using more than 300 land cruisers and tanks, in addition to air attacks.

The government forces, according to the rebel statement, committed atrocities and crimes against the civilians saying "women and children have been abducted and others killed". He further claimed that assailants looted livestock and food.

Last week the rebels accused Khartoum of planning to forcibly relocate civilians from rebel held areas.

The African Union mediation led by Thabo Mbeki invited the two parties to resume negotiations in Addis Ababa on 22 April.

Last February, the SPLM-N renewed its demand for holistic peace talks while the Sudanese government declared its approval for a draft framework agreement, proposed by the mediation, providing to limit discussions to the Twp Areas.

(ST)

Sudanese army clears rebels from eastern S. Kordofan: spokesperson