April 25, 2014 (JUBA) – Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is due to visit the South Sudanese capital, Juba this Saturday, her office announced on Friday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay (UN)

Pillay will be accompanied on the joint mission by Adama Dieng, the special advisor on prevention of genocide. Their visit comes in the wake of the recent killings, which took place in South Sudan's Unity and Jonglei state capitals.

The mission is reportedly at the request of the Secretary-General and in the light of this week's discussion on the world's youngest nation in the UN Security Council (UNSC). Not much is, however, known about the duration of the mission.

Members of the Security Council reportedly expressed horror and anger at the mass violence in Bentiu, vowing additional measures, should attacks on civilians continue.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said on Monday that more than 200 people died in Bentiu after the strategic town fell to opposition forces last week.

UNMISS, in a statement, said it "strongly condemns the targeted killings of civilians based on their ethnic origins and nationality in Bentiu."

"More than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and over 400 wounded at the Mosque," the world body said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

"UNMISS also strongly condemns the use of Radio Bentiu FM by some individuals associated with the opposition to broadcast hate speech," it added.

Fighting erupted in mid-December between soldiers aligned with former vice president Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir with the president accusing his ex-deputy of staging a coup, which Machar denied but now leads a rebel movement.

The fighting is often seen as pinning President Kiir's Dinka tribe against Machar's Nuer, although both politicians have supporters across irrespective of tribal affiliation.

Both sides have been accused by Human Rights Watch of committing atrocities.

(ST).

The genocidal regime in Juba under Salva Kiir has once again attempted to set up our movement – the SPLM/SPLA armed resistance – by doing in Bentiu, Unity state capital, what they did many times in other areas we captured from them. This is by targeting and murdering innocent civilians from other ethnicities as they withdrew and then rushing to blame it on our forces. This is their war culture which they have unleashed in this armed conflict.

We have learnt that even before we could capture Bentiu town on Tuesday morning, 15 April, government forces began to murder members of certain communities inside the town. They also collected their dead bodies during the night and piled them in certain “sensitive” places. This was suspiciously an attempt to make it look like organized executions by the incoming opposition forces.

We also learnt that majority members of Sudanese rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) fighting for Salva Kiir's government wore civilian clothes during the two-day clashes in and around Bentiu. The bodies of their dead colleagues, almost all men, were also collected and piled up during the night for the purpose of claiming them to be foreign civilians rounded up and executed in such places by our gallant forces. We condemn this barbaric conspiracy in the strongest terms!

The accusation for alleged killings of civilians by our forces in Bentiu is clearly an attempt by the government in Juba to instead tarnish our image and at the same time cover up for the heinous crimes they and their foreign allies committed against civilians inside Bentiu town on the night they withdrew. They also wanted to cover up and divert the public and international community's attention from the recent barbaric massacre of hundreds of innocent women and children from the Nuer ethnic group in Bor town, capital of Jonglei state. These cover ups are the cause for this unfounded allegation against our forces.

We have also learnt that leaders of the Sudanese rebel groups of Darfur allied to the Juba regime have launched a similar allegation of conspiracy to the United Nations Security Council, echoing the government's claims. The Darfurians were also mobilized in Juba by the government on Wednesday, 23 April, to stage a protest to UNMISS to further the allegation.

It is unfortunate that officials from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) picked this one-sided story or fabrication from the government and its foreign allies without ‘independently' verifying and investigating what had actually happened in Bentiu.

Our forces have not carried out targeted killings of civilians in Bentiu. Those killed in action with the knowledge of our forces were mostly active combatants as they were fighting alongside the government's troops. Maybe others were killed in crossfire by either side in the conflict. Some of the Sudanese nationals who got killed while in their military uniforms were members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) who forgot about their cause in Sudan and allowed themselves to be used as mercenaries to fight for Salva Kiir.

There were no searches conducted in the town with the intention to target civilians. There still armed elements of the government and JEM rebels who did not leave the town nor wanted to surrender to our forces in control. These were the elements who continued to sporadically fire at our forces in the town.

There were no official hate messages aired on Bentiu radio FM. Our generals in charge were asking the residents to remain calm and in harmony in the town and beyond. Radio talk shows continued as usual with commentators calling from their residents, some echoing calm while others expressed anger. Some expressed anger at the government and its allies, but were immediately advised against such bitter words by the talk show moderators. If any participant or contributor uttered what constituted a hate message, that shouldn't have been described as an official hate message coming from our movement. Even the UN-run Miraya FM radio in Juba experiences unofficial hate messages coming from its uncontrollable commentators country-wide.

In what seems to be an appeasement of the government which has had sour relationship with UNMISS this year, coupled with the recent failure to protect hundreds of civilians butchered in the presence of the peacekeepers in Bor, UNMISS officials had to simply succumb to the interests of the government and its allies. This is unfortunate development and raises a grave concern if the government can succeed in bullying and blackmailing UNMISS.

UNMISS seems to have felt guilty for the Bor incident in which hundreds of Nuer civilians were brutally massacred in their presence, unable to protect them. They also seem to agree to the conspiracy of downplaying the number of civilians massacred in Bor. Many different reliable sources in Bor who participated in the counting and mass grave burial of the dead and wounded civilians confirmed that 148 people, mainly women and children were butchered while 274 others wounded inside that UNMISS compound. Many others were still missing and unaccounted for. But UNMISS continued to echo the small number of less than 60 people, which the government wanted the South Sudanese public and the world to know. This is very unfortunate!

UNMISS also fell short of condemning the government, hence buying the cheap ploy that it was a group of civilian Dinka Bor youth that carried out the attack in Bor. Evidences from eyewitnesses and survivors clearly pointed fingers to members of the army and the police, many of whom the victims knew personally in town. These members of the organized forces in disguise carried out the attack with the backing of some government officials in Juba. Unfortunately, UNMISS decided to simply buy the story coming from Juba.

Our forces are civilian-friendly. They have strict orders and rules of engagement. We do not target civilians for whom we resist the dictatorial and genocidal regime in Juba. We will not therefore allow the regime to try to tarnish our image falsely.

It is our appeal to UNMISS to stand its ground and not succumb to the bullying and blackmailing by Salva Kiir's regime. The world body needs to independently verify and investigate such incidents with impartiality, whether in Juba, Bor, Wau, Malakal or Bentiu. On our part, we will cooperate with UNMISS or any other relevant body to independently verify and investigate the incidents.

Signed
James Gatdet Dak
Spokesperson for the Chairperson and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/SPLA, Dr. Riek Machar Teny

April 25, 2014 (JUBA) – A senior Ugandan government official on Wednesday accused Sudan of resuming its support for the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.

Sudan's president Omer Hassan al-Bashir delivers a speech on 27 January 2014 in the capital, Khartoum (Photo: AFP/Ebrahim Hamid)

Speaking on the seemingly wary relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said Uganda has filed a complaint with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) about Sudan's alleged support for LRA.

“We had hoped that we had put all this behind us, but sadly, Sudan has not stopped supporting Joseph Kony and the LRA,” Mbabazi reportedly said.

“Sudan accused us of supporting rebellion in their country, which I denied. The OIC has taken note of our complaints and it has expressed willingness to mediate”, he added.

Both Sudan and Uganda are members of the OIC, a 57-member body which safeguards and protect the vital interests of Muslims as well as work for the settlement of conflicts and disputes involving member states.

Kampala and Khartoum have, in the past, traded accusations of supporting rebel groups. Sudan government says Uganda hosts Sudanese Revolutionary Front rebels.

SUDAN RECALLS ENVOY

The strained relationship between Uganda and Sudan deteriorated further with Khartoum recently recalling its ambassador to Kampala Hussein Awad Ali, over long held suspicions that Uganda was harbouring Sudanese rebels.

Diplomatic sources told The East African that Sudan's ambassador to Uganda left the country on 17 April after he was recalled by the Khartoum government.

Some sources, however, said the Sudanese diplomat was requested to leave Uganda after intelligence information reportedly linked him to espionage.

Uganda's Foreign Affairs spokesperson said it was within Khartoum's prerogative to recall it envoy, adding that Uganda already explained its position to Sudan regarding the presence of its rebels in Kampala.

“What Uganda has done is to give shelter to their [Sudanese rebel] families and of course they come in to visit their families, but are not allowed to launch any war from here", Fred Opolot was quoted saying.

Uganda expelled a Sudanese diplomat last year over alleged espionage. Kampala accused Jad-el-Seed Mohammed Elhag of involvement in “activities beyond the norm.”

In January last year, Sudan lodged a complaint against Uganda with the African Union and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, after the opposition political parties and Sudan rebels signed an agreement dubbed “New Dawn” in Kampala whose aim, Khartoum said, was to overthrow the regime.

Uganda has, however, denied having any intentions of overthrowing the Khartoum regime or supporting any rebel group with the intention of regime change.

(ST)

April 26, 2014 (JUBA) – Authorities in South Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal state are preparing to receive Kuel Aguer Kuel, the new caretaker governor appointed after his predecessor, Paul Malong Awan, became the army's new chief of general staff.

General Paul Malong Awan, Governor of South Sudan's State of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (Source: paulmalongforgovernor.org)

Kuel's appointment has sparked mixed reactions in the north western state, which borders Sudan's Darfur region to the north, with some officials and local people protesting against his selection.

He previously served as the secretary for finance and economic affairs within the country's governing party (SPLM) at the state level, prior to his latest appointment.

Governor Kuel's appointment now implies only six out of the 10 elected state governors remain in office. The governors of Unity and Lakes states were both sacked last year and are currently opposing the government. Jonglei's governor was promoted to become the minister of defence. On each occasion, however, no new election was held within three months as stipulated by South Sudan's constitution.

Kuel was sworn in on Thursday in Juba by the chief justice Chan Reec Madut at a function graced by President Salva Kiir, a handful of government officials and relatives.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal state officials told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that a reception committee under the chairmanship of the minister of local government, Lino Adut Achier, is being assembled to enlighten the population about the reshuffle.

It remains unclear what programs the caretaker governor will start with upon resuming office work, since very little was known about his political style or ambitions.

Some observers, however, say the removal of the elected governor without the development which warranted the change, was a clear violation of the country's Transitional Constitution.

Under the interim constitution, the president can only dismiss an elected governor or dissolve the state assembly in the event of an issue of national security.

Community leaders have previously expressed discontentment with the way the former governor was managing the states affairs. Several petitions and resolutions were also issued demanding the intervention of president Kiir, but none was responded to.

In the last community resolution in November 2013, Awan was accused of running the state like a “one man shop and dividing the society”. He was frequently accused of violating the state constitution. The most notable was the removal of state assembly speaker Aguer Wol Aguer, claiming he failed to unite state lawmakers.

However, under the state's transition constitution, MPs and not the governor, have powers to remove the state parliament's speaker.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal has been largely unaffected by the conflict that began in mid-December 2013 between the South Sudan army (SPLA) and rebels, known as the SPLA in Opposition, mainly consisting of defected soldiers.

(ST)

April 26, 2014 (JUBA) – The Japanese government has earmarked $4.6m to help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) assist thousands of people affected by the conflict in South Sudan.

“I believe that our contribution will be utilized to reach the most vulnerable,” said Japan's ambassador, Takeshi Akamatsu.

The envoy, while unveiling the grant, also commended WFP for the important roles it has played during the current conflict, reaching out to the thousands who urgently needed humanitarian assistance.

Japan's contribution, according to WFP's Country Director, came at a critical time when its resources had been stretched to the limit.

“We aim to reach 2.5 million food-insecure people, as well as strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities”, said Mike Sackett.

Part of the Japanese government funds, he noted, would be used to purchase 1,248 metric tons of essential cereals, pulses, oil and salt.

“WFP will distribute this food assistance to support building of community assets and training to help boost the food security of vulnerable people,” Sackett stressed.

The UN says over a million South Sudanese have been displaced by the nearly five-month conflict that hit the new nation late last year.

(ST)

April 26, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has announced that it is deploying additional Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops to South Kordofan in order to end rebellion in the state.

Rapid Support Force (RSF) commander Maj. Gen. Abbas Abdelaziz (Ashorooq TV)

The RSF militia, which is widely known as the Janjaweed militias, were originally mobilised by the Sudanese government to quell the insurgency that broke out in Sudan's western region of Darfur in 2003.

The militia was activated and restructured again in August last year under the command of NISS to fight rebel groups in Darfur region, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states following joint attacks by Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebels in North and South Kordofan in April 2013.

Sudan Tribune spotted large numbers of the RSF on several main streets in the capital Khartoum on their way to South Kordofan which led to traffic jams in those streets.

The move comes within a framework of a plan to intensify military operations in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states following statements made by senior military commanders that this summer would witness the end of rebellion in both areas.

Earlier this month, defence minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein told the parliament that the decisive summer military campaign against the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in the Nuba Mountain has begun.

The SPLM-N had asked rights groups to monitor and document government abuses against civilians in the Nuba Mountains as of April 25 2014.

It said that president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has personally oversaw the military campaign against the people of Nuba Mountain.

SPLM-N spokesperson Jatigo Amoga Delman disclosed on Saturday that NISS's director, Mohamed Atta, instructed all government institutions along the way from Khartoum to the Nuba Mountains to facilitate movement of RSF troops.

He underscored the government uses peace talks which are currently taking place in Addis Ababa as a cover for crimes it commit on the ground, pointing the head of the government delegation, Ibrahim Ghandour, seeks to distract attention of the regional and international community until the government ends its military campaign.

Delman further revealed that government troops are mobilising in several areas including Dalami, Abu Gibaiha, and Um Brimbita, calling upon Nuba Mountains people inside Sudan and abroad to confront the government's military campaign politically and diplomatically as well as in the media.

Last week, the Sudanese army announced the liberation of five areas in South Kordofan state within the framework of the second phase of the decisive summer campaign to end rebellion in the state.

Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned of the displacement of thousands of civilians following renewed fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile state.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its weekly bulletin that close to 6,700 people fled their homes in eastern South Kordofan over the past week following clashes between government security forces and SPLM-N.

It also said that an estimated 4,300 people fled their homes in Denglock and moved to Bulnag and Dindiro in Kurmuk locality in the Blue Nile state following fighting between the Sudanese army and the SPLM–N.

The report also pointed that over 300,000 people were displaced by fighting in parts of Darfur since February 2014.

(ST)

April 26, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel alliance of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) proposed a roadmap to achieve a comprehensive solution to end war in the southern and western parts of the country and ensure democratic transition in Sudan.

SRF leaders, form the left, Gibril Ibrahim (JEM), Malik Agar (SPLM-N), Abdel wahil Al Nur (SLM-AW) Minnin Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Yasir Arman (SPLM-N), on 4 October 2012 after the signing of a new political agreement between the rebel groups in Kampala, Uganda (Photo SRF)

But the non-rebel opposition forces in Sudan cautiously welcomed the three-phase peace plan with some saying they need to review it before taking a position while others voiced their objection to a peace process held outside the country.

In accordance with the 6-page roadmap obtained by Sudan Tribune since Thursday, the rebel groups proposed direct talks between them and the National Congress Party (NCP) led government to reach a cessation of hostilities and a humanitarian deal to deliver aid to affected civilians in Darfur region, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. They also want Khartoum to disarm its militias, create a conducive environment for the return of displaced persons and pay them compensations.

Following what, the armed groups will sit with the government to “settle war-related issues and the particularities of the war affected regions”.

After the signing of an agreement over these regional matters, the African Union High Level Implementation (AUHIP), African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and UN secretary general special envoy will sponsor a “preparatory conference”, including all the main political forces convened outside Sudan to discuss the mechanisms of the national constitutional dialogue.

Beside the agenda of the constitutional process, the rebels want to determine who will take part in this inclusive operation. They fear that the government, which speaks about the participation of over 80 parties in current national dialogue meetings, seeks to include artificial political parties in the dialogue.

The SRF roadmap provides that the National Constitutional Dialogue will discuss issues like equal citizenship, relation between religion and state, federalism and decentralization, reform of the security sector and civil service, identity and the management of diversity and voluntary unity.

The ruling NCP and main opposition parties refuse to put the issue of Sudan integrity on the negotiating table as it reminds many of the 2002 Machakos agreement which gave the South Sudanese the right for self-determination. Also the ruling party and the Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan Al-Turabi say the place of religion can only be decided by the Sudanese people in a referendum on a draft constitution at the end of transitional period.

The roadmap, which for the first time proposes a unified position of the rebel groups on the comprehensive solution they call for, says an “interim national government”will be formed at the end of this constitutional process to administrate the country, implement security arrangements, organise the return of IPDs, compensate them, reform the security sector and draft the permanent constitution, among others.

SRF deputy president and head of media sector al-Tom Hago told Sudan Tribune that they reached this roadmap after long discussions because they are convinced that only a negotiated political solution can bring an end to the ongoing conflicts.

He stressed that the alliance believes in the holistic approach to settle the conflicts and bring democratic change in Sudan. However, he underlined that the need for direct talks between them and the government does not mean to bar other political forces from taking part in the issues of the South Kordofan, Blue Nile or Darfur.

“These regions have some uniqueness that the SRF needs to address with the NCP government, while the national issues and even the regional administrative system shall be discussed and endorsed by the constitutional conference,” he said.

He also said they will come to this process with an open mind and the proposed peace plan does not aim to impose impossible conditions but they want to achieve a lasting and sustainable peace in Sudan and to lay down the needed foundation to reach this goal.

Hago said they met with European Union officials on Friday in Brussels to brief them about the roadmap which they announced while another member of the rebel alliance, the Sudan People Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has already included it in its position paper for the peace talks on Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

Rebel sources said they also handed over the peace plan to several western countries including the US, France and United Kingdom.

In Khartoum there was no reaction yet from Sudanese government which refuses to unify peace tracks to discuss Darfur and the Two Areas with the rebel groups.

The opposition parties reached by Sudan Tribune showed some reluctance to some points included in the roadmap.

The head of the National Consensus Forces, which now represents the Communist Party, Haq, Congress Party and some other small political parties said they received the plan.

Farouq Abu Issa further said they will form a committee and discuss its content with SRF.

The major opposition parties of the National Umma Party (NUP) and the PCP welcomed the move considering it as good step towards the national dialogue initiative which the SRF has rejected.

The two parties which are involved in the internal process of launched by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir since last January, say they are against external interference in the solution of Sudanese issues.

Fadlallah Burma, NUP vice-president, welcomed the move saying they encourage peaceful and comprehensive solutions.

However, he said that what is important is not to negotiate outside the country but to have the needed guarantees and called on the two sides to show their willingness to engage in the political process to end the current crises.

“What we need now seriousness and confidence to achieve a comprehensive peace, security and stability,”he said.

The PCP political secretary Kamal Omer said they support any talks between the government and rebels to conclude a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid to the needy in the war zones.

But he refused to hold any inclusive talks outside the country stressing that “international solutions led to separation of the South and ignite war in the Two Areas,” in reference to the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement.

The PCP “is in favour of an intra-Sudanese dialogue, neutral mechanisms and agreements that lead to a transitional period but we are against negotiations abroad and international sponsorship,” he further said.

But he said they are in contact with the SRF factions to bridge the gaps as they are all political partners in this national dialogue process.

Other opposition sources that requested anonymity said they fear that this proposed plan aims to reproduce Naivasha peace process and excludes the political opposition to come later and ask it to approve what the armed groups agreed with the NCP government.

(ST)

TEXT: SRF road map to comprehensive political settlement in Sudan

April 26, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The joint preparatory committee for the South Sudanese ruling party's (SPLM) intra-party dialogue has welcomed the recent release of the country's four political detainees, saying the process was a gateway for the future unity of the party and national reconciliation.

Senior members of SPLM political bureau pose for a group picture. (Photo: SPLM TODAY)

A South Sudanese court on Friday freed four politicians accused of plotting to overthrow president Salva Kiir by military force, saying the decision was made “in order to promote peace and reconciliation among our people”.

The state also dropped all treason charges against the four political detainees.

In a statement issued Friday, the committee said it believes efforts undertaken so far for an inclusive process would help move the process forward and assist in finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the current challenges that have engulfed the new nation.

“It is in this spirit that we welcome the release of the remaining four detainees by the government of the Republic of South Sudan,” the statement reads in part.

Members of the SPLM Political Bureau, mandated to work on preparations for intra-­party dialogue, met in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, under the facilitation of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Ethiopian Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to lay the foundations for deliberations and dialogue by the SPLM bureau.

In its meeting conducted from 23 to 26 April, the committee treportedly agreed on a number of issues, including the objectives of the intra-­party dialogue, the agenda to be discussed by the bureau, rules of engagement for dialogue and the continuation of discussions on remaining issues.

“The delegations are satisfied with the conduct of the preparatory work and wish to express continued commitment to the finalisation of the preparation for the intra-party dialogue,” further noted the committee's statement.

(ST)

Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF)

Road Map to Comprehensive Political Settlement in Sudan

Preamble:

Cognizant with SRF Kauda Declaration of 2011, Restructuring Program of the State of Sudan of 2012 and the New Dawn Charter of 2013;

Noting all relevant African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) Communiqués and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) as the governing, political body of a wide coalition comprising Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Justice and Equality Movement Sudan (JEM), Sudan Liberation Army/Movement-A/Wahid, Sudan Liberation Army/Movement-MM, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Umma National Party (UNP) and the Eastern Front for Liberation and Justice (EFLJ) is encouraged by the statements and communiqués and in response to them, presents the following road map towards an end to the conflicts in Sudan and creation of the conditions necessary for comprehensive national dialogue and constitutional reform.

Sudan is at cross roads and at a critical juncture of its history. Partial peace agreements including the CPA have not only led to the division of the country, but peace remains an elusive dream. Sudan is in flames from its far west (Darfur) to its far south east (Blue Nile). The damage done to the social fabric cannot be repaired under the current system of centralized governance. Human rights violations are rampant. IDPs and refugees number more than six million and the economy is in ruins as a result of mismanagement, corruption, international isolation and crippling sanctions. It is time for all Sudanese stakeholders and their peace loving friends in the region and the international community to make the right move and decisions to save the nation.

While some parts of SRF have armed wings, war has and will never be SRF's first choice to resolve the conflicts of Sudan. SRF is mindful that the conflicts in Sudan are essentially political and only political settlements can bring lasting and sustainable peace in the country. SRF believes that in order for Sudan to achieve lasting peace and stability a paradigm shift in the Sudanese political thinking is necessary, from the question of who shall govern Sudan to the question of how Sudan shall be governed. Until all the citizens of Sudan are equal before the law in practice as well as in theory, we will remain trapped in the wrong question of who shall govern the country.

The SRF has and will remain committed to a negotiated peaceful settlement that results in real change to the way the country has been governed. Further, in spite of the fact that SRF has, through time and experience, serious reservations that that NCP will come some day to the negotiating table with good faith; and that its new initiative of “National Dialogue” may be merely a tactic to carry the NCP to elections, SRF has decided not to reject it outright. Instead, it has and will show its readiness to retest NCP's credibility hoping that this attempt will end the war all over the country.

Proposal

SRF considers the following distinctive, simultaneous but converging steps as the most promising path to a peaceful settlement in Sudan:

Creation of conducive environment and confidence building measures for serious National Constitutional Dialogue. The Government of Sudan should immediately:

1- Stop the killing of civilians in the war affected regions and provide them security.
2- Disarm the militias and halt aerial bombardments to create a conducive environment for voluntary return of IDPs and refugees to their original lands and receive their compensations.
The SRF recognizes the importance of a Cessation of Hostilities as an initial step that results in the creation of conditions and space to facilitate the political process. All parties will be required to commit to the following in a phased approach:

1- Unimpeded humanitarian access to all war zones and affected civilians. The parties should formally agree to this in a negotiated Cessation of Hostilities.
2- Lift of state of emergency. The Government of Sudan should implement this in a timely manner following a negotiated Cessation of Hostilities.
3- Immediately release all political detainees and prisoners and exchange prisoners of war. The Government of Sudan should immediately release political prisoners and detainees and the two parties should immediately invite the ICRC to organize the exchange of POWs.
4- Put a halt to hostile media and propaganda. The parties should agree to take these steps immediately following the agreement to and upholding of a negotiated Cessation of Hostilities.
5- Abrogate all laws that temper with the Interim National Constitution of 2005 and violate fundamental freedoms and human rights. The Government of Sudan should take this step immediately.
6- Lift censorship on media and allow free speech and expression and guarantee equal access to the publicly owned media to all political parties and civil society organizations. The Government of Sudan should take this step immediately.
7- Guarantee the right of political parties to communicate with their constituencies in public places. The Government of Sudan should take this step immediately.
8- The Government of Sudan should recognize SRF and lift the ban of the political activities of SRF member organizations upon signing an agreement for Cessation of Hostilities.
9- Include all stakeholders – political parties, civil society organizations, trade unions, students, youth, Women organizations, IDPs and refugees, traditional native leaders ... etc - in the preparatory consultations from the very beginning.
10- Declare acceptance and commitment to the outcomes of the National Constitutional Dialogue including a Transitional National Government. The Government of Sudan should announce this step prior to the beginning of a genuine National Constitutional Dialogue process.
11- SRF in its endeavor to create a conducive environment for a comprehensive peaceful settlement and the National Constitutional Dialogue will:
a- Enhance its cooperation with a reformed UNAMID to protect the civilians and escort relief convoys.
b- Immediately release GoS Prisoners (POW) of War through the ICRC in exchange for its POW with GoS.
c- SRF is ready to offer its maximum cooperation with the mediation to perpetuate the steps necessary for the creation of conducive environment for the National Constitutional Dialogue.
d- After all the above-mentioned confidence building measures have been sufficiently effected, and a conducive environment for the National Constitutional Dialogue has been created, a delegation from SRF will travel to Khartoum with the facilitation of the AUHIP, UNAMID and IGAD to meet political parties (including NCP) and civil society organizations to discuss the National Constitutional Dialogue and peaceful political settlement. SRF will send a formal request to the AUHIP, UNAMID and IGAD in tandem with this proposal.
e- Approach other armed movements or groups to join the process of comprehensive peaceful settlement and National Constitutional Dialogue.

Comprehensive peaceful settlement and National Constitutional Dialogue need to follow two complimentary phases:

A- Negotiations with SRF to settle war related issues and the particularities of the war affected regions. This requires:
1- Unification of peace tracks, mediation and venue and create a robust process with strong regional and international cohesive engagement.
2- Agreement on agenda that addresses war related issues and the particularities of the war affected regions.
B- After creation of a conducive environment for National Constitutional Dialogue, a preparatory conference that will be attended by representatives of all stakeholders including the SRF, shall be convened outside Sudan under the auspices of AUHIP, UNAMID, UNSG Representative to Sudan and South Sudan and IGAD to decide upon the following:
1- Agenda and issues of the National Constitutional Dialogue.
2- Participants
3- Moderators, mediators, facilitators, observers ..etc
4- Organization of the dialogue
5- Decision making procedures
6- Guarantors and implementation mechanisms
7- Venues
8- Time frames
9- Mechanisms for solving war related issues
10- Any other pertinent issues

The National Constitutional Dialogue shall tackle the following non-exhaustive list of issues:

1- Equal citizenship.
2- Fundamental freedoms and human rights.
3- Rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
4- Religion & state
5- Identity and the management of diversity
6- Federalism and decentralization
7- System of governance
8- Wealth and power sharing mechanisms.
9- Accountability and transitional justice
10- Reform of the security sector and civil service.
11- Reform of foreign policy.
12- Management of the national economy.
13- Voluntary unity.
14- Endorsement of the agreements concluded between the SRF and GoS.

The National Constitutional Dialogue shall end up producing an interim national government tasked at the minimum with the following:

1- Administration of all function of regional and federal government.
2- Provision of security all over the country by implementing security arrangements agreements.
3- Organization of voluntary return of IDPs and refugees to their original lands.
4- Compensation of those who have been negatively affected by the conflicts.
5- Reformation of the security sector.
6- Salvation of the national economy and public sector services.
7- Transitional justice and social reconciliation.
8- Drafting of a permanent constitution.
9- Laying the foundations for a more constructive and healthy foreign policy.
10- Enactment of a new electoral law.
11- Organization of a credible national census.
12- Organization of free, fair and internationally monitored elections.

April 26, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan's new army (SPLA) commander has said his priority will be to protect the constitution and the territorial integrity of the new nation, in an apparent back-track on previous statements in which he called for the withdrawal of soldiers from the Bahr el Ghazal region fighting rebel forces in different areas across the country.

General Paul Malong Awan has been appointed to replace General James Hoth Mai as the new commander of the South Sudanese army

Speaking to government officials on Saturday who had paid him a visit to offer their congratulations on his appointment, General Paul Malong Awan said restoring law and order was at the top of his agenda.

“The mission of an army is always to ensure defence of the nation, the lives of the people from any harmful threats and their properties. Another important mission of the army is to protect the constitution of the country and restore law and order. This is what we must do now as the top priority,” he said.

While Awan acknowledged existing challenges facing the army, he said he was committed to working with the country's leadership to ensure that the basic needs of military personnel are met.

He also urged the army to remain prepared and on alert in the face of impending conflict with the rebel fighters in the country.

“I have always said that a soldier should always give priority to combat preparations. The minds of the commanding officers and soldiers alike seem to be away from the battlefield. This current attitude and behaviours must change,” he said.

However, critics have questioned the reasons behind Awan's sudden change of heart, after previously advocating for the withdrawal of government troops from Aweil, the capital of his home state of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBeG).

Awan, a military veteran and the current governor of NBeG, was appointed after his predecessor General James Hoth Mai was sacked by president Salva Kiir.

Observers say Awan and his supporters pressured the president to remove the SPLA's former chief of general staff amid concerns Mai was working against the leadership and collaborating with government critics.

Awan had also threatened to recall government troops from the Northern Bah el Ghaal region currently fighting rebels loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states.

“I have always said this president has reached a point where he only reacts to threats about him. He lacks strategies because he is not proactive. He has now appointed Malong because he had threatened to expose him,” a critic of Awan told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

“He (Awan) said he would encourage the recall of all those in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity, saying he would see how they (his critics in the government) would fight the rebels without him,” he added.

Another critic, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the president realised his popularity was waning and thus wanted to surround himself with his most trusted advisers and allies.

“The president removed General James Hoth Mai because he was [an] objective officer. He does not want to be used in the conflict, which allies of the president like Paul Malong did not like. Those [supporters] of Malong were seeing James Hoth as collaborating with politicians working to bring the president down,” he said.

The critic said Kiir's decision to appoint both the head of military intelligence and army chief of staff not only from within his home region but also from his own ethnic group suggested the president's power base was slipping.

“The recent appointments in the army have shown that the president has accepted to be a regional leader. He is no longer the head of the state, otherwise what prevented him from appointing the new chief of general staff from [an]other region or tribe? the critic said in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

He said the president's decision to replace moderate and liberal army generals with hardliners from the region would add more pressure on his government and possibly defeat from the presidency.

“The president thinks the removal of moderate and liberal army officers from their positions would spare him from this crisis. No. These changes will add more pressure,” he said.

Anthony Sebit, a Juba-based analyst, said the president was removing military figures whose loyalty had been called into question by his supporters and replacing them with loyalists in order to allow him to assert complete authority by aligning those who he thinks will help boost his leadership into the future.

“My reading from these recent changes is that the president had reached a point where his close aides and allies were getting frustrated. We hear some of them had threatened to recall their relatives and friends serving in the army. These were already signs of frustrations,” said Sebit.

“So for him (the president) to appease them (his allies) is to act in their favour. After all, the government in the African context is all about friends and people you trust,” he added.

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April 26, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – A commission of inquiry set up by the Sudanese ministry of justice to probe corruption allegations against two staff members in the office of the Khartoum governor announced that they had managed to recover 17 billion pounds from the suspects.

Governor of Khartoum state Abdulrahman Al-Khidir (Al-Ahdath newspaper)

The two employees allegedly forged governor Abdel-Rahman al-Khidir's signature to transfer ownership of land worth billions to bogus owners and sold it later for a huge profit.

Commission chairman Khalid Anas said at a press conference that the pair had been released after agreeing to return all money and property they gained unlawfully to the public treasury.

Anas revealed that some of the properties were registered in other people's names in order to conceal any links to the suspects.

He further disclosed that there are seven other non-employees who were investigated for involvement and nine others as witnesses.

Deputy chairman Yasser Ahmed noted that the unlawful enrichment act allows the accused to return the money in order to avoid prosecution.

He disclosed the two employees used the money to buy new land and enter the automotive business.

Al-Khidir's office said in a statement this week that the government at federal and state level had approved of measures he undertook to probe the incident and his decision to submit all relevant documents to judicial bodies for prosecution.

The governor was also questioned by the commission in the course of the probe, which also looked into whether employees embezzled money.

The uncovering of a corruption scandal of this magnitude has shocked observers and ordinary citizens alike and reinforced perceptions that the country faces a serious graft issue which the government refuses to recognise.

Early in 2012, Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir ordered the establishment of an anti-corruption commission to “monitor and follow what is being published in the media about corruption and to coordinate with the presidency of the Republic and other competent authorities in the ministry of justice and the national assembly in order to complete information on what is being raised about corruption at the state level”.

But after more than a year of seemingly zero activity, Bashir sacked the commission head and did not appoint a replacement, dealing a major blow to demands by the public for more robust investigations of corruption.

A major economic government-sponsored forum held in Khartoum late last year called for the establishment of an anti-graft commission as one means of resolving the ongoing financial crisis facing the country.

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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

April 26, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in Opposition have dismissed reports by a UN official that its forces carried out targeted killings against innocent civilians and prisoners of war after recapturing Unity state capital Bentiu from government forces earlier this month.

UN peacekeepers and NGO staff survey the debris outside a mosque in Unity state capital Bentiu, the scene of an alleged massacre after rebel troops regained control of the strategic town on 15 April (Photo: UNMISS/Tina Turyagyenda)

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Friday, the armed opposition group's chief negotiator, Gen. Taban Deng Gai said that those killed during the Bentiu military operation were fighters engaged in active combat and not POWs or civilians as claimed by Toby Lanzer, the UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs in South Sudan.

“We refute the information that our forces massacred unarmed civilians,” said Gai.

“Only [president] Salva Kiir's soldiers and SRF (Sudan Revolutionary Front) forces were left in Bentiu town.

“The regime of Salva Kiir and SRF forces [have] more than once has armed civilians to fight along their side,” he added, in reference to the South Sudanese army (SPLA) and Sudanese rebel alliance.

Gai claims that all civilians, traders and displaced persons in Bentiu had been evacuated to safe areas and UN camps in the days prior to the rebel offensive.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said more than 200 were killed and over 400 wounded after rebel forces attacked a mosque in Bentiu where civilians, including women and children, were sheltering.

UNMISS officials allege that rebels aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar entered the mosque and separated people according to their nationality or ethnicity before killing some and taking others to safety.

Sudanese traders, mainly from the troubles Darfur region, were also among those reportedly killed, although Gai denies the allegations.

“The victims were soldiers hiding and firing from and around the mosque,” he said. “Our force commanders vehemently deny any cold-blooded shooting of civilians or armed renegades inside the mosque.”

Gai went on to say the mosque had been used as an army garrison by government forces loyal to Kiir.

Rebels have also refuted accusations they used a local radio station to broadcast hate messages calling for the killing and rape of women loyal to the government.

“This is propaganda by the government of South Sudan, which is desperately trying to draw [the] wrath of international human rights circles against us,” said Gai.

“The broadcasts in question called for surrender of the renegade soldiers, especially militia groups comprised of local people which were loyal to the government,” he added.

The rebels called on UNMISS to provide evidence implicating their fighters in alleged war crimes, pledging to fully investigate human rights abuses.

The group also called on the AU Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan to hasten its investigation and release its findings publicly.

A delegation from the recently established commission recently arrived in South Sudan for its first field mission as part of regional efforts to end the more than four-month-old conflict, which erupted in the capital, Juba, on 15 December following escalating political tensions between Kiir and Machar, before spreading to other parts of the country.

In a statement issued on 15 April, Lanzer expressed “a certain sense of outrage” at ongoing violence as aid agencies struggle to meet the enormous humanitarian challenges facing the country, saying it will take “compassion, humility and a new way of thinking” to achieve lasting peace.

“There is allegedly a cessation of hostilities (agreement), but the incidents of Bentiu just show that it is not real,” he said. “It is really an outrage for the people ... who, if left in peace, will contribute so much to the development of this country,” he added.

The incidents in Bentiu have once again inflamed tribal tensions in the young nation, with the conflict pitting government loyalists of Kiir's Dinka tribe against rebels of Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The fighting between the two rivals has killed tens of thousands and displaced at least one million people.

A new round of talks between the two warring factions is expected to resume on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, under the auspices of East African regional bloc the Intergovernmental Authority On Development (IGAD).

Previous talks between the two sides has failed to halt the conflict on the ground, as has a ceasefire agreement signed on 23 January.

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April 27, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – US special envoy for the two Sudans and the leader of the opposition Reform Now Party (RNP) were at the venue of stalled peace talks on Saturday between the government and the rebels of Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

In an attempt to converge the view of the two parties, Donald Booth met with the head of the Sudanese government delegation and presidential aide Ibrahim Ghandour. But no statement was released after the meeting.

RNP leader Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Al-Attabani, who was also at the venue at the invitation of the head of the African Union (AU) mediation team, Thabo Mbeki, met with Ghandour and Yasir Arman, the head of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) .

In a statement issued following the meetings, Attabani praised the efforts exerted by Mbeki, stressing that “ending war and achieving peace are the real cure for the problems of Sudan”.

He said the two parties are willing to overcome obstacles despite their existing differences.

STRUGGLING FOR FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

Since the resumption of talks on 22 April, the two negotiating parties have failed to finalise a framework agreement for talks based on a draft proposed by AU mediators on 18 February.

The mediation team has refused a demand by the SPLM-N to include Darfur, stressing that the process should only involve negotiations on conflict in the Two Areas.

In return, the SPLM-N rejected the draft framework agreement, saying the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 2046 and other resolutions issued by the AU state that negotiations between the two sides must be based on a framework agreement signed on 28 June 2011, which Khartoum denounced on 3 July of the same year.

Sources close to the talks in Addis Ababa told Sudan Tribune that Mbeki has proposed that the 28 June agreement remain valid for the negotiations of political and security matters and will demand that both sides agree on the reference points for discussions pertaining to humanitarian assistance and national dialogue.

The 28 June agreement provides that the SPLM-N and Sudan's ruling National Congress Paty (NCP) should jointly participate in the democratic transition process.

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April 26, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese rebels led by former vice-president, Riek Machar dismissed a government announcement that its forces had recaptured Unity state's Mayom town, which borders Warrap state, saying the claims were “premature and incorrect” as rebels “are still in full control of the area”.

A member of South Sudan's rebel SPLM-In-Opposition patrols the streets of Upper Nile state capital Malakal, on 4 March 2014 (Photo: AFP /Andrei Pungovschi)

The South Sudanese army (SPLA) said on Friday that it has regained control of the strategic town of Mayom, saying it is only a matter of time before it will exert full control over all rebel-held areas.

“Yes, our forces are in Mayom. They have captured it from the rebels and it is a matter of time before they take complete control of all the areas,” SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer said on Friday.

Aguer said government forces would now proceed to the capital, Bentiu, to dislodge rebel forces there.

The SPLA “will definitely go to Bentiu and push those rebels out. It is just a matter of time and all the areas within territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of South Sudan will be secure. We have the mandate to provide protection and to secure safety of our people and their properties,” Aguer added.

However, James Gatdet Dak, the spokesperson for rebel leader Riek Machar, maintains rebels are still in control of the town and its surrounding areas.

“The claim over the control of Mayom town by the government was premature and incorrect. Our forces are in full control of the town and its surroundings. Any doubting Thomas should visit the area and independently verify it,” Dak said when contacted by Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

However, he admitted that government forces temporarily entered the town after they were lured in by rebel troops.

“What happened was a temporary tactical withdrawal by our forces who lured them into the town without a fight and then closed them in from the rear. This was to target their war equipment and logistics, which they actually left behind when they were crashed and flushed out on Saturday morning,” said Dak, adding that remnants had fled in disarray as rebels pursued them towards Abiemnhom county.

Rebel forces captured the town from government troops loyal to president Salva Kiir on 21 April. Analysts say that rebels could use the area as a base to attack Warrap state and areas beyond.

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April 27, 2014 (JUBA) – Explosions and sustained heavy gunfire were heard in South Sudan's western Bahr el Ghazal State capital of Wau, government officials and military sources said Sunday.

South Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) national army soldiers patrol past burnt houses in the town of Bentiu on January 12, 2014 (AFP Photo/Simon Maina)

A military officer with knowledge of the situation told Sudan Tribune there had been shooting throughout Saturday night causing panic for civilians in town.

Eyewitnesses said sounds of heavy machine guns continue to be heard in Buseri, an outskirt south west of the town, despite attempts by the local command to avert the situation from developing into an ethnic killing following massive defection in the army

It remains unclear what sparked the fighting in the area which has witnessed relative calm since the conflict erupted in December last year in the country's capital of Juba and spread to other parts of the country.

The state deputy governor confirmed the shooting but said the situation was under control. “There were shootings in the night here and there, which caused panic in the town but everything is okay now. Security organs are patrolling the area”, deputy governor Zachariah Garang said Sunday. There is no problem at the moment”, he added.

Garang attributed the gunfire to a defection within the army in the area.

“It was worrying yesterday when the population heard of defections within the army. Senior military officers have defected and fled into the bush. Some of them ran towards the direction of Abushaka in the west of Wau town. Others ran towards Aweil north of Wau," Garang told Sudan Tribune on Sunday, adding that he was still gathering the details.

The deputy governor said the state administration deployed joint patrols in the town to avoid ethnic-based killing adding that they are trying to “contain anger”.

“The objective of deploying joint patrols is to avert ethnic killing. So the priority was to contain the anger with the deployment of the security forces on the street”, he said.

Several military sources in Wau town confirmed defection of four army generals, claiming they had foiled the attack on town.

“Four Brigadier Generals have defected. They have gone with a huge force. They went with nearly a brigade. They wanted to launch an attack to capture the town on Friday night but this plot was foiled because they were not in control of heavy machine guns and had no access to weapons and ammunition stores. They only had small firearms”, a senior military officer told Sudan Tribune during an exclusive interview on Sunday.

He said the head of military police and the overall officer for administrative and officer affairs for the whole of Bahr el Ghazal region, comprising four states have defected. Other officers included an officer in charge of gubernatorial guard force and the head of administrative and finance at the army's fifth division.

“All the Nuer officers and soldiers except the brigadier General who was recently wounded in Bentiu fighting have gone. The wounded officer is in the United Nations. He has now been joined by the wives of those who defected and fled”, said the officer.

Multiple eyewitnesses confirmed the shooting in the night but claimed it was carried out by the government troops and police force in the town to prevent unarmed members of the Nuer ethnic group from going into the United Nations mission base in the area.

“The security situation yesterday was tense and it remains tense. The shops in Sukjow and Wau town remained closed. There is limited movement in town as I speak to you. All the streets are controlled by the army and the police. This is because of the shooting that took place last night. There was heavy firing at the airport and all over in town. People did not sleep. We were praying for the morning to come. It was long night”, Jacob Bol Deng, a resident of Wau town said in an interview with Sudan Tribune.

Fear of uncertainty

Observers have expressed grave concerns that the unarmed civilians, largely members of Nuer ethnic risks being attacked and killed by the local population in their attempt to escape the area.

“My biggest fear now is that the angry youth in the local population, especially those whose relatives were killed in the states of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile during this conflict fighting on the government side, may attack and kill the unarmed members of Nuer community. Our communities have been misled by the cause of this conflict and they will not differentiate between rebel fighters and those innocent Nuer community members running away for their lives. Actually those who have now fled acted out of fear of uncertainty. They did not intend to rebel but they feel they would be victimized and killed, just like it happened in Juba and Bor”, analyst told Sudan Tribune Sunday

Joe Contreras, head of media monitoring unit with public information Office of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirmed the incident in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Sunday, saying about 700 internally displaced persons were seeking entry to its base in the area.

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April 27, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese defence ministe Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein has announced that there are ongoing arrangements to deploy a joint Sudanese-Egyptian force on the borders between the two countries to prevent human trafficking and border crimes.

Joint Sudanese-Chadian border patrol forces in trucks (FILE)

Hussein, who was speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday following an annual conference aimed at evaluating the performance of a joint Chadian-Sudanese border control force, that Sudan is cooperating with the Egyptian side to deploy a similar force to control the area extending from the West Bank of the Nile to the Libyan border.

The Egyptian-Sudanese border is known to be a smuggling hotspot, and was also recently highlighted in a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as a human trafficking route.

Observers say that the inauguration of border crossings and setting up the joint force is held up by disagreements over the Halayeb region which both countries claim.

Hussein also announced unconditional support to boosting cooperation with Chad in areas of military measures and training besides opening military camps, underscoring that the joint Chadian-Sudanese force contributed to promoting security, political and social ties between the two countries.

The defence minister said that they would transfer the successful experience of the Sudanese-Chadian force to secure borders with Egypt, asserting that success of the force was a result of its contribution to development projects besides efforts it made to resolve tribal problems.

He called for the convening of a forum for border states similar to that which took place in Um Jaras, declaring his government's readiness to offer the necessary support for military exchange between the two countries given that the two armies complement each other.

The Chadian defence minister, Amir Nadu Takula, said the joint force had managed to secure borders between the two countries, demanding the sharing of the experience to meet security challenges in Africa.

He added that the joint Chadian-Sudanese force had become a model for securing borders and resolving tribal disputes, praising the decision of the Sudanese government to admit 50 Chadian military officers for training in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).

The two sides signed a memorandum for transferring the joint forces' command from Chad to Sudan in its ninth phase.

The commander of the joint force from the Sudanese side, Col. Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Fagiri, announced that the joint force moved from the stage of border control to the stage of development, reconstruction, and peace promotion in order to enhance ties between the two countries.

He disclosed ongoing arrangements to activate the cultural, economic, and social protocols following the success of the security protocol in order to promote all aspects of bilateral relations.

Fagiri pointed that Sudan's sea port of Port Sudan will begin to receive Chad's exports in the coming period within the framework of consolidating ties between the two countries, stressing they would move forward to promote development and reconstruction on the border area.

The commander of the joint force from the Chadian side, Gen. Tufa Abdalla Issa, for his part said the force managed to achieve a level of security and stability which the international forces had failed to secure.

He said the strong will of the two presidents contributed to promoting the strong performance of the joint force, adding that the level of crime in border areas has declined and peaceful coexistence and mutual benefits were enhanced.

Issa said the local administrations in Chad and Sudan had also contributed to the success of the joint force mission and participated in resolving several tribal conflicts.

Sudan and Chad deployed Border-Control Force (BCF) along their common borders with the aim of curbing cross-border infiltration.

The deployment followed a normalisation agreement signed between the two sides in January 2010, ending a long history of mutual hostility in which both sides provided support to each other's insurgents.

The Sudanese-Chadian force is composed of 3,000 troops split evenly between the two sides.

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April 27, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The secretary-general of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP), Ibrahim al-Amin, has acknowledged the existence of differences among party members, with some supporting engagement in national dialogue with the government, while others are calling for the regime to be overthrown.

The leader of Sudan's National Umma Party (NUP) and the former prime minister, Al-Sadiq Al Mahdi (R), meet at his house in Omdurman on 27 August 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Al-Amin, who spoke at a press conference on Sunday, underscored that his party's first option is to mobilise the street in order to overthrow the regime, saying Sudan has become a “failed state”.

He disclosed existence of two “schools” within the party, one of them sees the need for engaging in dialogue with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), and the other which is comprised of youth and students strongly refuses dialogue and calls for toppling the regime and establishing a democratic alternative.

He stressed they are ready to “die” in order to stop rapprochement with the NCP, pointing to significant efforts made to hinder the work of the general secretariat.

The NUP official affirmed they would go forward in implementing their plans and visions without paying attention to “bumps and obstacles”, stressing that their objective is to hold the next general convention and maintain party's cohesion.

He said NUP's participation in a meetings of the central commission next week is conditional on a commitment to the party's constitution, emphasising that the NUP is still a member of the opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF).

Al-Amin said the NUP's differences with the NCF are based on procedural issues that could be overcome through consultation and dialogue, saying they don't intend to split the party but strongly stand against the violations to regulations and the constitution.

According to Al-Saiha daily newspaper on Sunday, al-Amin revealed that the NUP representative to the NCF, whom he did not name, used to leak opposition information to the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), describing his actions as “scandalous”.

He said the NCP is not serious about engaging in a true dialogue but seeks to buy time in order to hold the general elections and continue sticking to power, noting that the NUP is against armed struggle but supports demands of the states affected by civil wars.

The NUP secretary-general said that Sudan has become a scene for regional and international conflicts warning against growing radical religious groups which use violence to settle political differences.

He said that Sudan's involvement in regional conflicts would only increase sufferings and disorder, asserting that any attempt to promote relations with Iran is considered “unforgivable crime”.

Al-Amin underscored that the disputed Halayeb Triangle is part of the Sudanese territory, saying “we love Egypt but we love Sudan more”.

The NUP has recently suffered from differences between two main factions on several national issues. The first faction calls for rapprochement with the regime and led by the party leader, Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and his two deputies, Sideeg Mohamed Ismail and Fadlallah Burma Nasser.

While the other faction, which is led by al-Amin and enjoys the support of a broad sector of the party's constituency, calls for overthrowing the regime through a civil and peaceful struggle.

According to media reports, a group within the party, including Ismail and Nasser among others, are planning to oust al-Amin from his post as secretary-general with the support of the party leader in the central commission's meeting next week.

There have been reports that the NUP head of politburo, Sara Nugdalla, would replace Al-Amin in the position.

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April 27, 2014 (JUBA) – Seven South Sudan states will benefit from immunisation campaign initiated by the health ministry in collaboration with its partners.

Salva Kiir administers Polio vaccine to a child as the mother looks on (photo: A. W. Dhal)

“The government and its partners are working on modalities of how to reach children in these areas [but] it may take a little longer,” said health minister Riek Gai.

The campaign, he stressed, would exclude children in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states due to insecurity caused by fighting between rival forces in the country.

“These children will benefit from the second round of immunisation,” Gai said.

More than 2 million children under five will receive measles vaccines and vitamin A supplementation, while 2.4 million children will receive polio vaccines, officials said.

The campaign, which runs untill 30 April, will involve parents and guardians taking their children to designated immunisation centres across the seven targeted states.

“We will do everything to ensure that every child in this country is vaccinated,” the minister said.

South Sudan was declared a polio free country in 2009. However, an outbreak of the disease last year prompted an emergency heath declaration.

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April 27, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan admitted on Sunday that the United States had demanded it immediately halt a military offensive against armed opposition groups and accelerate talks to end the ongoing conflict.

US secretary of state John Kerry (L) meets with South Sudanese president Salva Kiir in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on 26 May 2013 (Photo: Reuters)

Foreign affairs minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said president Salva Kiir received a telephone call from the US secretary of state John Kerry, who expressed grave concern about ongoing conflict in the country, with calls for both parties to fully respect the cessation of hostilities agreement signed on 23 January.

“Secretary Kerry called the president to welcome the decision of the government to release the four former detainees. He also recognised and appreciated the efforts of the government to end the conflict through peaceful dialogue and asked the both the parties to discourage military offensives and to adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities agreement,” Benjamin told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

The minister said both Kerry and Kiir expressed their support for the IGAD-led peace process, as well as the important role played by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and denounced recent attacks on their bases and personnel.

US state department spokesperson Jen Psaki said Kerry had spoken with Kiir, expressing grave concern about the ongoing conflict in the new nation, including recent violence in Bentiu and Bor, as well as the “deliberate” targeting of civilians by armed groups on both sides of the conflict.

“Secretary Kerry welcomed the Government of South Sudan's decision to release the four senior political officials who had been in detention since December,” Psaki said in a statement issued on Saturday.

“He urged president Kiir to stop military offensives and to adhere to the cessation of hostilities agreement, and noted US demands that anti-government forces do the same,” it added.

Kerry has also urged Kiir to ensure full and unfettered access throughout South Sudan for UNMISS, the African Union Commission of Inquiry and the IGAD Monitoring and Verification Mechanism, tasked with overseeing ceasefire arrangements.

The UN said said last month that South Sudanese authorities had restricted its movements, contrary to the status of forces agreement (SOFA) signed by both parties.

In an earlier statement, the world body said it had become difficult to implement its mandate and that a dangerous working environment existed for its staff in the country.

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April 27, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir condemned the continuation of economic sanctions imposed on his country by the United States despite the signing of multiple peace agreements.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L), Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn (C), South Sudan president Salva Kiir (R) at the third Tanana Forum on Security in Africa held in Ethiopia's Bahr Dar town April 27, 2014 (SUNA)

Bashir who addressed the third Tanana Forum on Security in Africa held in Ethiopia's Bahr Dar town, noted that Juba received $4.5 billion for development, while support was withheld from Khartoum despite all efforts it made to resolve problems and bring peace.

Washington imposed economic and trade sanctions on Sudan in 1997 in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. In 2007 it strengthened the embargo, citing abuses in Darfur which it labeled as genocide.

Sudan is also on the US list of states that sponsor terrorism since 1993 even though the two countries have strengthened their counterterrorism cooperation since September 2001 attacks on Washington and New York.

Prior to South Sudan's referendum on statehood in early 2011, Washington promised Khartoum to delist Sudan from terrorism-sponsoring states if it facilitates the vote and allows it to be conducted peacefully.

South Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in favor of creating their own state and Sudan was the first country to swiftly to recognize their new neighbor.

But conflicts that emerged later in Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile prompted the US to shy away from its earlier promises much to the frustration of Sudanese officials.

Bashir however underscored Sudan's keenness to achieve peace and stability throughout the country despite the sanctions imposed on it .

The Sudanese president briefed the summit on his country's experience in combating corruption through legal institutions , pointing out that there are special legal procedures to fight graft and prevent repatriation of embezzled funds abroad in the form of Unlawful Enrichment Act.

Bashir boasted that through these laws and institutions Sudan was able to fight and scale down corruption.

He explained in his speech that Sudan managed to maintain its resources especially oil claiming that the country suffered injustice by Chevron in 1975 which withheld information on oil from the government at the time.

The forum which was held under the banner of "Illicit financial flows and their impact on security in Africa" concluded its work on Sunday.

The state minister at the foreign ministry Kamal Ismail described the forum as a positive step that will strengthen the process of stability and development in Africa. He indicated that such meetings can contribute to the security in Africa through the solutions and proposals for these issues that were discussed.

Bashir has started a four-day private visit to Bahr Dar following the conclusion of the conference, state media reported.

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