April 29, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese army has downplayed recent warnings from rebel forces who have threatened to attack civilians in Warrap and Jonglei states should they fail to vacate the areas.

South Sudan army spokesperson Phillip Aguer (AP)

The rebels, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, warned civilians in Bor and Warrap state to either leave their homes or camp at the nearest United Nations base.

“This statement serves a warning to the civilian population in areas adjacent to Unity state and those in Bor town. We want them to leave where they are settled at the moment before our forces on rescuing mission carried out peremptory and rescuing operations to liberate our people from the bondage of dictatorship. We want them to leave as soon as possible," partly reads the statement, bearing names of Major Gen. Gatwech Dual and Unity state's military governor, Major Gen. James Koang Chuol.

"Our forces are coming anytime from now," it added, further warning civilians not to ignore the looming attack on the two states.

Bor, the capital of the country's largest state, recently witnessed the killing of dozens of civilians, largely from Nuer ethnic group after they were attacked by an armed youth groups who stormed the UN base in the area.

Describing it as operation rescue, the rebels claimed they were advancing on Bor town in a "lightening speed", threatening to crash anyone who stands on their way.

They also reiterated calls for Ugandan troops, currently fighting alongside South Sudan government forces to immediately leave the country they invaded.

"Our people fought against war of invasions for hundreds of years until the country became independent state, in 2011. Now, Uganda has invaded this precious land, which we fought to liberate. We will not accept," noted the rebel statement.

"We have an obligation to reclaim our country from the hand of invaders," it added.

WISHFUL THINKING

South Sudan army spokesperson, Col. Philip Aguer, described the rebel threats to retake Bor town and attack Warrap, as an “unachievable wishful thinking”.

“This is not the first time we are hearing these threats to attack Bor. We have heard them issues these threats before," he told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday.

Both sides have been accused of violating the cessations of hostilities agreement signed in January to end the conflict that spiraled since its outbreak in December last year.

The United States government recently threatened to impose sanctions on individuals seen to be obstructing the peace process in the world's youngest nation.

(ST)

By Ijoo Bosco

April 29, 2014 (TORIT) - The government of South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria state has warned administration of neighbouring Jonglei state to stay away from Kasengor payam [district], saying it was part of its Kapoeta East county and not Pibor.

The map of Eastern Equatoria state in red

The resolution emerged after the state assembly held a lengthy sitting attended by state ministers and advisers on Wednesday. Its acting assembly speaker, Paul Napwon Yonai chaired the meeting.

The debate was instigated after a motion was raised by Benjamin Lopeyok Kumuya, who represents Kapoeta East county constituency in the state assembly.

The MPs recommended that a committee be formed and tasked to inform the Council of States members in the national assembly about the matter. They also resolved that the central government intervenes to prevent further tension.

The motion, Kumuya said, was tabled before MPs after some individuals from Jonglei claimed the Jie community in Kasengor were under Pibor county administration.

"The claim is confirmed by a letter — Ref: RSS/MoD/OM/BJ/0327/14 — dated 1 April 2014 from former Jonglei governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, who was appointed as South Sudan's minister of defence last year," the lawmaker told Sudan Tribune.

Juuk, according to the MP, directed the defense ministry undersecretary to release two vehicles to the "Jie community in Kasengor payam [district] of Pibor county."

"The Jie people strongly reject and condemn the implication that Kasengor is part of Pibor county and not Eastern Equatoria", MP Kumuya retorted.

"The origin of the Jie people can be traced to the largest group of Nilo-hamites of the Great Lakes region, who lived around Lake Turkana from around 14th century and later move to Karamojong region in northern Uganda," he stressed.

According to the MP, that the last migration of the Jie people from Uganda was at the beginning of 17th century when they came and settled around Lokaalen river in what is now Kapeota East county in Eastern Equatoria state.

"The Mogos section of the Jie people settled in Lomongole with the migration of their kinsmen, the Toposa from Najie in the Karamonjong region but they were forced to settle around Kuron, Kasengor and Lopyet due to conflict with the Oromo of Ethiopia", the lawmaker said.

"The Jie [community] who were living in Kuron, were forced to relocate to Boma after the intervention of the Italian administration in 1935," MP Kumuya added.

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April 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – A number of Sudanese lawmakers have warned that the state and the economy is under threat from a surge in levels of corruption that is coupled with growing poverty among the population.

Sudan's national assembly (FILE)

MP Mohamed Ahmed Zein said during deliberations on the Inspector General's report that some countries refuse to deal with Sudan due to the lack of transparency and the continued abuse of public funds.

He pointed out that more than 60,000 police officers left the force due to low salaries and went to say that the Ministry of the Interior uses its revenues to construct buildings.

MP Suad al-Fatih accused “known agents” of working to sabotage the economy and her colleague MP Salah Gosh warned that crackdown on corruption could be a cover for political infighting.

Al-Fatih said that corruption is rampant in the ministries of Higher Education and Social Affairs as well as the Popular Defence Forces (PDF). She claimed that the former Social Affairs minister Samia Mohamed lost her job because of these “agents”. The latter she said have no loyalty to the country even though they claim otherwise.

She called on the parliament to be responsible and apply the law against corrupt officials.

“The thieves are many and if we apply the law three quarters if men and women would turn out to be thieves,” al-Fatih said.

MP Ibrahim Ahmed Omer said that corruption is as big of a threat as security and military ones that need to be dealt with swiftly.

MP al-Zubeir Mohamed Hassan, who was a former finance minister, accused opposition parties of working with Transparency International (TI) against the country by supplying them information about corruption.

A proposal by one MP to conceal corruption incidents against constitutional office holders drew anger and caused chaos in the assembly prompting the speaker to call for order several times.

MP Gosh, who was the former spy chief, revealed for the first time that the construction of security institution buildings was valued at $2.5 billion dollars, while the total budget deficit totalled $ 1.2 billion.

He accused officials of making decisions that wastes public funds without being labeled as corrupt and emphasised that non-monitored spending is one of the biggest problems facing the Ministry of Finance and claimed that the government pressures on the ministry is causing this.

Gosh also criticised the Inspector General, accusing him of focusing on mid-level civil officers in tracking corruption while ignoring big violations by more senior officials.

Last week, two employees working at the office of Khartoum governor escaped prosecution after agreeing to return money they obtained through forging signature of the governor to transfer ownership of lands worth billions to bogus owners and selling it later for a huge profit.

Officials said that the law allows them to avoid standing before court if they returned back stolen money and also refused to disclose their names to protect their families.

The explanation drew widespread anger and calls for the governor to resign, while also enforcing long held views that the government embraces corruption.

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.

The global Corruption Perceptions Index for 2013 published by TI ranks Sudan at 174 out of 175 among the countries surveyed.

(ST)

April 29, 2014 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan operations for telecoms company Zain said it recorded a 4% revenue increase in US dollar terms for the first quarter of the year, ending 31 March 2014.

According to the statement, the telecom player's customer base in Sudan also grew to reach 11.9 million at the end of the period.

For instance, last year Zain said that it had 11.7 million customers in Sudan and a 43% market share in the North African country.

However, while the telecom company notes a 4% growth for its Sudan operations, the growth figure in Sudan's local currency, the Sudanese pound, is reflected to be higher because of this currency weakening dramatically against the dollar in this year.

“In local SDG currency terms, revenues grew by 8% year-on-year,” reads the statement.

Meanwhile, Zain noted that its South Sudan operations “had several challenges that resulted in reduction of customer base.”

The telecoms group also announced that for the first quarter of 2014 it generated consolidated revenues of $1.1 billion (KD 311.1 million) up 4% when compared to the same period in 2013.

“Consolidated group data revenues (excluding SMS and VAS) witnessed a healthy 27% growth year-on-year, with data now forming 15% of all Zain's service revenues,” the company says.

The telecom giant also noted that the two loans announced this year also contributed to the growth of group revenue.

According to Zain, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) reached $469 million (KD 132.2 million) compared to $448.7 million during the first quarter of 2013.

This resulted in a comparative increase of 5%, noted the company.

“Across many of our markets, we are witnessing growth in key financial indicators as we drive efficiency and innovation,” said Scott Gegenheimer, Zain Group's Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

“The healthy 27% annual growth rate in data revenues with data now reflecting 15% of all Zain group's service revenues, emphasizes the appeal and quality of our product and service offerings and justifies the huge investment we continue to make in our 3G and 4G networks,” he added.

Operational in 8 countries, reportedly provides mobile voice and data services to over 46.2 million active customers.The company is listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

(ST).

April 29, 2014 (JUBA) – The United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-Moon, has demanded an immediate halt to the vicious fighting and “appalling” killing of civilians in South Sudan.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Sudan's Vice-President Salva Kiir speak to the media in Juba (File/AFP)

In a telephone interview with South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, on Tuesday Ban stressed the need to ensure that the perpetrators of the “completely unacceptable” attack on its mission compound in Bor and the “ethnically” motivated killings in Bentiu are swiftly brought to justice.

He urged the South Sudanese leader to intervene personally to stop the negative campaign against UN mission staff and issue a public statement to this end.

Last week, the world body said more than 200 people died in the Unity state capital after the town fell to armed opposition forces. Also with thousands fleeing to the UN base, their numbers reportedly swelled from 6,000 people to more than 22,000.

The violence has displaced more than a million South Sudanese since it broke out in mid-December last year, with thousands seeking refuge in neighbouring countries.

Ban also welcomed the pardoning of the country's political detainees and hoped that their freedom would positively impact on the ongoing peace talks led by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The government last week dropped treason charges against its four senior politicians detained in connection with an alleged coup attempt in the country late last year.

Justice minister Paulino Wanawilla Unango said the government took the surprise decision against the detainees for “the sake of peace and reconciliation”.

DIRE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Meanwhile, the the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has expressed concerned about terrified South Sudanese civilians who had been left without basic household items because they had been forced to flee violence, often more than once.

“This left them exposed to the elements without the ability to keep warm, cook or maintain basic standards of hygiene. In total, 923,000 South Sudanese were displaced within their own country,” said UNHCR's Lejeune-Kaba.

“These people were spread across some 174 spontaneous and organized sites, with the highest increase having been in Upper Nile state,” the official added.

UNHCR says more than 293,000 people had become refugees in neighbouring countries since December, while some 4.9 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

(ST)

April 29, 2014 (JUBA) – The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, met with South Sudan's former vice-president turned rebel leader Riek Machar at an undisclosed location on Tuesday following the recent wave of ethnic violence in the country.

South Sudanese rebel leader talks to UN officials during a meeting at an undisclosed location on 29 April 2014 (Photo: Isaac Alebe Avoro Lu'ba/UNMISS)

Pillay was accompanied by the UN special envoy for the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng. The pair were tasked with carrying out investigations on behalf of UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon and are also met with president Salva Kiir during the two-day visit.

Pillay confirmed the meeting with Machar following her return to the capital, Juba.

She said discussions during the 35-minute meeting, which took place under a tree in a village, had centred on recent violence in Unity state capital Bentiu in which civilians were reportedly massacred by Machar's rebel forces after they retook the strategic town from government troops loyal to Kiir.

“[We] gave him the concerns of the secretary-general [Ban Ki-Moon] about protection of civilians,” she said. “We received assurances from him that he himself is investigating human rights violations that occurred in Bentiu and is also concerned about the protection of civilians here.”

The human rights chief said that Machar had conceded he “found it difficult to be in the situation where he is”, also noting that a stack of books in front of Machar during the meeting included one about a failed state.

“I welcome the fact that he is thinking in terms of a political solution to the problem,” she said. “He wants to be assured that the president of South Sudan will keep to his word and then they could resume the cessation of hostilities agreement,” she added.

ETHNIC ATTACKS

Dieng, who also accompanied Pillay to meet displaced people at the UNMISS base in the Jonglei state capital Bor, said it was extremely shocking to see how traumatised most of them were.

Dozens of civilians died after the base was attacked by an armed pro-government mob, reportedly angered by celebrations inside marking the fall of Bentiu.

More than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and over 400 wounded at a local mosque after Machar-aligned rebels took control of Bentiu from government forces last week.

The UN claims that rebels deliberately targeted civilians, who had taken shelter at the mosque, based on their ethnicity and nationality.

It has also alleged hate messages were broadcast on the radio after the town's capture inciting violence and rape.

UN special envoy for the prevention of genocide Adama Dieng (L) and UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay at a meeting with South Sudan's former vice-president turned rebel leader Riek Machar on 29 April 2014 (Photo: Isaac Alebe Avoro Lu'ba/UNMISS)

The latest wave of violence reflects an increasing ethnic dimension to the conflict, pitting members of Kiir's Dinka tribe against those of Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

MACHAR WARNED

Dieng said Machar had been warned of the consequences of human rights abuses by his troops in the field.

“We did drew the attention of Dr Machar that we hope that he will really call to order his commanders in the field, those who are overseeing attacks,” he said. “We made it very clear that it is important to remember that in most of the armed conflict in Africa those who did not listen to the call to cease hostilities to bring peace ended before the courts.”

Dieng said his comments referenced the threat of prosecution in the International Criminal Court (ICC) and that he had specifically cited the cases of former Liberian former president Charles Taylor and Sierra Leonean warlord Foday Sankoh during the discussions.

“I mentioned to him that accountability be addressed,” said Dieng. “He did mention that he is investigating his own people, but at the end of the day what is critical is that the hostilities have to be ceased and that both leaders come together so that the people of … South Sudan won't be betrayed,” he added.

Dieng said the UN Mission in South Sudan's (UNMISS) decision to open its gates to civilians seeking protection was a first in its history and had been pivotal in preventing South Sudan suffering a repeat of the Rwandan genocide which occurred 20 years ago.

Pillay and Dieng arrived in Juba on Monday amid growing international concern about a wave of atrocities committed by both rebels and government forces since political tensions between Kiir and Machar erupted in Violence in mid-December.

The high level visit coincides with the resumption of peace talks between the warring parties in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Progress has so far been slow, with a ceasefire agreement signed on 23 January failing to stem the violence.

The violence, which has also stoked ethnic tensions in the country, has killed thousands of people and more displaced more than a million, many of whom have taken refuge at UNMISS bases or fled to neighbouring countries.

CALLS FOR ONE MONTH OF CALM

Meanwhile, Toby Lanzer, who heads UN humanitarian efforts in South Sudan, has called on all parties to the conflict to observe a month of tranquillity this May to ensure a safe environment for civilians.

Speaking on behalf of Lanzer at a press briefing in New York on Tuesday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said a ceasefire “would enable people to be safer and move freely, without fear of violence” while carrying out their daily activities, including cultivating crops and tending their livestock.

It would also help guarantee a safe passage for those wishing to travel to other countries.

“Lanzer also said that while the only way to reverse this crisis and its grave humanitarian consequences is to find a political resolution to the conflict, he added that one month of tranquillity this May is a tangible step that will have an immediate impact on the lives of millions of people,” said Dujarric.

The more than four-month-old conflict has put 7 million people at risk of food insecurity across the country, the world body says.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on Wednesday that nine people had died while trying to cross the border to Libya, while another 319 were rescued.

Spokesperson for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa'ad (Photo: Ashraf Ahazly/AFP/Getty Images)

SAF's spokesperson, Colonel al-Sawarmi Khaled Saad, disclosed on Wednesday that joint Sudanese-Libyan forces had rescued the migrants after they became stranded in the desert on the border between the two countries, noting their miserable condition.

He said the survivors were grouped at Kreb al-Tom station, emphasising that they were given the necessary assistance and were being transferred to Dongola, the capital of North state, where they would be handed over to the relevant authorities.

A Sudanese foreign ministry official later told the state news agency that human traffickers had abandoned the migrants in the desert.

Sudan and Libya have established in November 2013 a joint force to control the borders between the two countries.

The Sudanese government has continued to warn Sudanese citizens wishing to travel to Libya against illegal immigration and human traffickers, underscoring the enormous risks faced by illegal immigrants, including getting lost in the desert which has resulted in many dying of thirst.

Last June, Libyan guards killed a dozen Sudanese migrants who had illegally crossed the border.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The World Bank's (WB) country director for Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, Bella Bird, said that half of Sudan's population is living below the poverty line and noted that the percentage of poor people in the capital Khartoum has increased by at least 25%.

The World Bank's country director for Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, Bella Bird (Ashorooq TV)

The WB agreed on 10 April to establish a $100 million extraordinary fund for donors in order to finance development projects in Sudan until December 2019, while the Sudanese government this year committed $5 million to the fund to help finance development projects.

At a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday, Bird underscored the need for Khartoum to meet the economic challenges and contribute to poverty reduction, pointing out that $10 million have been allocated for education and natural resources.

Sudan is required to draft and implement a poverty reduction strategy in order to secure debt relief from creditors.

In a related issue, Sudan's state minister at the ministry of finance, Magdi Hassan Yassin, predicted that Sudan's economy would grow by 0.2% during the year.

He further underscored the government's ability to overcome current economic difficulties.

Sudan's economy was hit hard after the South declared independence in July 2011, taking with it about 75% of the country's oil output.

The Sudanese pound has lost 100% of its value since South Sudan's secession, pushing inflation rates to record levels given that the East African nation imports most of its food.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

April 30, 2014 (BAHIRDAR, ETHIOPIA) – Sudanese president Omer Hassan al Bashir has pledged that his country will extend the necessary support for Ethiopia's massive hydro-power plant project which the east African country is building along the Blue Nile River.

Planned Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project (file/AP)

Bashir made the remarks at a symposium of Ethiopian intellectuals held in Ethiopia's northern city of Bahirdar under the theme “intellectuals on Ethiopia's imperatives of utilisation of the Nile for development”.

In his keynote speech, the Sudanese leader said his country supports the construction of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam (GERD), which Egypt fears it could diminish its water share from the Nile River.

Bashir lauded Ethiopia's contribution to furthering regional integration through energy power.

He pledged to push Sudanese intellectuals to jointly work with their Ethiopian counterparts on Nile River and Ethiopia's power plant project.

The two-day forum concluded on Wednesday after thorough discussions how to utilise and manage the Nile's water resources sustainably.

Participants also debated what role the Ethiopian intellectual community should play to deepen cooperation over the Nile waters and the roles the governments of the riparian states, African inter-states organisations, and the international community should play to foster cooperative atmosphere for Nile river basin.

In a joint communiqué the Ethiopian intellectuals said they encourage the riparian countries to preserve on the path of equitable and reasonable utilisation of the Nile water.

They urged all riparian countries to continuously engage in an inclusive dialogue deepening cooperation and refrain from any act of provocation.

They further said they would continuously discourage any hegemony of power over the use of the Nile's resources.

The symposium, prepared by a local think tank group, Center for Developmental Studies (CDS) and hosted by Bahardar University, brought together the country's most prominent scholars and prestigious institutions, as well as 32 public universities in Ethiopia.

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April 30, 2014 (JUBA) – A member of parliament representing Pibor county in Jonglei state's legislative assembly said on Wednesday that he was surprised by a warning issued by Eastern Equatoria state lawmakers over the Kasengor district that borders the two states.

Jodi Boyoris Jonglei, who represents constituency number 13 Pibor South in the Jonglei assembly in Bor, described the claim that Kasengor is part of Eastern Equatoria's Kapeota East county as “a lie”.

“If you check the map of 1956 you will find that Kasengor is part of greater Upper Nile region,” said Boyoris, referring to a colonial map from the year that Sudan became independent from British and Egyptian rule. When South Sudan seceded from Sudan 2011 the two sides agreed to draw the new international border as it was in 1956.

However, there is no map that clearly shows the where the border between South Sudan and Sudan was on 1 January 1956. Demarcating the world's newest international border is one of the many issues that remain unresolved between Juba and Khartoum as South Sudan approaches its third anniversary of independence.

Boyoris said that he would notify the caretaker governor of Jonglei state about eastern Equatoria state's claims over Kasengor.

Members of Eastern Equatoria state assembly resolved on Tuesday to write a letter of complaint to Council of States - the Upper House of South Sudan's parliament - about the matter after reports emerged that South Sudan's minister of defense Kuol Manyang Juuk referred to Kasengor as district in Pibor of Jonglei state.

A member of Eastern Equatoria's state assembly representing Kapeota East county, Benjamin Lopeyoj Kumuya claimed Kasengor belongs to the Jie tribe of Eastern Equatoria.

(ST)

• E. Equatoria warns Jonglei over Kasengor district ownership

April 30, 2014 (WASHINGTON) – US congressman Frank Wolf has called on president Barack Obama to send former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to South Sudan to help resolve the ongoing crisis, amid warnings the conflict is eerily reminiscent of the genocide that unfolded in Rwanda 20 years ago.

US congressman has warned that South Sudan could become the next Rwanda and is calling for the Obama administration to do more to address ongoing conflict in the country (Photo: Getty Images)

“I stand before you as concerned as I have ever been about the state of affairs in South Sudan and the potential for the recent violence to spiral into genocide – a genocide that could defy even the horrors of Rwanda given the oil reserves that are in play,” he said.

Wolf made the comments at a press conference in Washington on Wednesday in which he showed graphic photos of mass killings taken by an expert who witnessed the atrocities taking place during a recent wave of ethnic violence.

“I stand before you as concerned as I have ever been about the state of affairs in South Sudan and the potential for the recent violence to spiral into genocide – a genocide that could defy even the horrors of Rwanda given the oil reserves that are in play,” he said.

“MORAL OBLIGATION”

The US played a pivotal role in South Sudan's secession from Sudan in 2011 following the signing of a peace agreement in 2005 aimed at ending the more than two-decades-long conflict, and thus had a “moral obligation to act”.

“President Obama must do more to resolve this crisis. America helped give birth to South Sudan,” Wolf said.

“Both sides are at fault and by immediately dispatching president Clinton and president Bush to help negotiate a halt to these killings, we would unequivocally convey to the long-suffering people of that nation that this is a US foreign policy priority,” he added.

Wolf's comments come ahead of a visit to the capital, Juba, by secretary of state John Kerry as the US warns it is considering targeted sanctions on South Sudan.

The alleged massacre of more than 200 civilians sheltering in a mosque after rebel troops recaptured Unity state capital Bentiu from government forces has sparked international condemnation.

Rebels are accused of carrying out targeted killings after rounding up civilians based on ethnicity and nationality.

UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay and special envoy for the prevention of genocide Adama Dieng were in South Sudan this week where they held high level meetings with president Salva Kiir and former vice-president turned rebel leader Riek Machar as part of investigations into the circumstances surrounding the recent killings.

Wolf himself has travelled to both Sudan and South Sudan on several occasions and is widely recognised in Congress for his work in the region.

CALLS FOR US TO ACT

He has been pushing the Obama administration in recent months to do more to address the crisis, which erupted in mid-December after simmering political tensions in the country turned violent.

The conflict has pitted the country's army and members of Kiir's Dinka tribe against pro-Machar rebel forces, comprising largely of defected soldiers and ethnic militias from the Nuer group.

Wolf said unless Obama intervenes to help stem ongoing violence in the country he may be forced to apologise for foreign policy failures just as Clinton did in Rwanda in March 1998.

“If nothing is done to stop the senseless killing in South Sudan, it will be on president Obama's conscience,” he said.

Nearly a million perished in a horrific 100-day killing spree in Rwanda in 1994 as the international community, including the US, largely turned a blind eye.

Clinton, who has described the events in Rwanda as his “personal failure”, later apologised in Kigali for not doing more to stop the violence.

LASTING RELATIONS

In December, Wolf publicly called on Kerry to enlist the help of Bush to engage the leaders of South Sudan to bring an end to the crisis.

The Bush administration played a key role in negotiating the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and is known to have developed lasting diplomatic relations with South Sudan's current leaders during his presidency.

“Both of these men have done a great deal on this issue and have remained invested in Africa beyond their presidencies,” Wolf said. “This pair of statesman hailing from two different parties would send a powerful message to the warring factions,” he added.

Injured civilians are extracted from Unity state capital Bentiu, the scene of an alleged massacre after rebels retook the strategic town from government forces (Photo: UNMISS)

Wolf said he had been personally briefed on events surrounding the recent massacre by a credible source on the ground. He says he has also received information that a further attack on Bentiu may be imminent.

“I have heard of civilians, including women and children indiscriminately targeted and killed; I learned of houses of worship turned from places of sanctuary to mass graves; I have been told of ethnic divisions that now run so deep they could take a generation to heal,” he said.

“I have to believe cables are being sent to Washington that tell this same story. People who are in a position to help know what is happening. It is time to do something, or this is going to be Rwanda all over again,” he added.

ENHANCE US POLICY

On Tuesday, the Enough Project and Humanity United released an open letter to Kerry and ambassadors Susan Rice and Samantha Power, calling for a major of US policy towards Sudan and South Sudan.

“The US cannot positively influence outcomes in Sudan and South Sudan without fundamentally recalibrating its policy approach, the advocacy groups said.

The letter identifies the promotion of accountability, as well as support for peace and democratic transformation as three key areas in which the US should do more to support both countries.

The letter calls for the appointment of separate envoys and two full-time teams of experts and seasoned diplomats to better address specific issues affecting the two countries.

“We believe the enormity of the crisis in both countries requires someone of stature leading efforts on South Sudan and another official leading the efforts on Sudan,” the letter said.

The groups said increased diplomatic support for civil society, particularly women, youth and traditional leaders at the grassroots level, to ensure there voices are heard during peace negotiations.

Peace talks resumed this week in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, but participation has been restricted to rebel and government delegations only.

Negotiations between the two warring factions have yet to yield a breakthrough, with a January ceasefire deal failing to halt violence on the ground.

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April 30, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The African Union's (AU) mediation team suspended the stalled peace process aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states on Wednesday, as the government and rebel delegations once again failed to conclude a framework agreement.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki now heads the African Union's mediation team for Sudan's Two Areas (Photo: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images)

Last March, the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) asked the head of the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) to broker the talks in order to reach an agreement by 30 April 2014.

On 22 April, chief mediator Thabo Mbeki submitted an amended version to the two parties providing to discuss a cessation of hostilities, humanitarian assistance, and political issues related to the Two Areas. Besides that the mediation proposed to discuss the national dialogue process to achieve democratic transition in the country.

After failing during the past nine days to bridge the gaps between the two parties, the AUHIP mediators on Wednesday evening announced the suspension of the talks. The mediators are expected to report to the AUPSC for further guidance.

“The mediation will present a detailed report to the Peace and Security Council,” said an African diplomat close to the file when reached by Sudan Tribune. He further said that the two parties are responsible for the failure of the negotiations.

He underlined that the panel worked to bring the parties to agree on the main issues that they have to negotiate but every party stuck to its position and refused to make the needed concessions.

Hours before the suspension of the talks the two delegations traded accusations about a meeting they had to hold on Wednesday.

The government team accused the rebels of missing the meeting where the parties had to present their final positions on the proposals of the mediation. But the SPLM-N replied by another communiqué saying they were informed that the encounter had been scheduled for 5:00pm not 9:00am .

Since February, the government refused a demand by the rebels to unify the two tracks for peace in the Two Areas and Darfur and to hold talks with the all the factions of the alliance of armed groups, Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF).

The government also maintains its refusal of a framework agreement sealed in June 2011 aiming to establish a political partnership to implement democratic transition between the two warring parties in Blue Nile and South Kordofan .

Initially, Khartoum's rejection of 28 June agreement was justified by a demand the army made to disarm the SPLM-N fighters before any political partnership. The government recently added that the national dialogue process aims to involve all the political forces including the rebel groups in the democratic transformation.

Recently the SPLM-N proposed a roadmap endorsed by the rebel SRF providing to hold direct talks with the government on the security, humanitarian and political matters in the Two Areas and Darfur, before to convene a meeting to fix the modalities of the national dialogue outside the country.

Observers in Khartoum say the government wants to settle the conflict in the Two Areas but refuses to negotiate with Darfur rebel groups for which it proposes to join the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, a framework document signed in July 2011.

The Sudanese army this week intensified the bombing on the SPLM-N positions in South Kordofan and announced the recapture of several positions, while the rebels denounced the attacks saying over 70,000 civilians were forced to flee their villages.

The political secretary of the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), Kamal Omer, said the suspensions of the peace talks paves the way towards the imposition of international sanctions on the two parties.

He underlined the need for another alterative accepted by all the Sudanese political forces without exception after the suspension of Addis Ababa process.

He further proposed to move the venue of the peace talks to inside the country after the signing of a ceasefire and a presidential pardon for the SPLM-N rebels.

The opposition parties participating in the national dialogue, including the PCP and Umma party, propose to involve all the rebel groups in this internal political process which aims to discuss solutions of armed conflicts in Darfur, the Two Areas and a new constitution.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopian prime minister Haile Mariam Desalegn has visited the south-western region of Gambella which borders South Sudan on security matters.

Ethiopian prime minister Haile Mariam Desalegn (Photo: Getty Images)

Tuesday's visit is the premier's first since he came to office in 2012 following the death of former prime minister Meles Zenawi.

Sources close to the office of the Gambella regional governor, Gatluak Tut Khot, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesaday that the Ethiopian leader had discussed a wide range of issues, including development and security, with regional leaders.

“The meeting with the prime minister also discussed security issues as the region is strategic,” said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, without providing further details.

However, observers said his visit, which also coincided with the celebrations of the 100 years anniversary of the founding of Gambella as an administrative unit, could be related to the current crisis in neighbouring South Sudan.

Ethiopia is hosting and mediating the negotiations between the South Sudanese government of president Salva Kiir and trebels led by former vice-president Riek Machar.

Last month, a soldier from the South Sudanese army (SPLA), who was armed with a rifle and grenades, was shot dead in Gambella town after he killed an Ethiopian soldier while resisting searches.

Gambella region borders Upper Nile, Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria states of South Sudan. It has 13 counties, nine of which are inhabited by the Nuer and Anyuak ethnic groups who share cultures and languages with their neighbouring communities in South Sudan.

While the Nuer constitute the largest ethnic group in the region, the Anyuak are the second largest. Other minority ethnic groups include Mejenger, Komo, Oppo and highlanders who come from the other regions of Ethiopia.

The region has had many attachments to the people of South Sudan as former rebels groups and refugee camps were based in the area.

The former military base of Bilpam, as well as Itang, Dimma and Pinyodo, former refugee camps where hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese were sheltered during the 21 years of the civil war with Sudan, all fall within the jurisdiction of the Gambella regional government.

The area is also endowed with various natural resources, including gold and a recently discovered oil reserve.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (JUBA) – A senior member of South Sudan's ruling SPLM party said targeted individuals sanction threatened by the US and UN would be welcomed, saying “atrocities have been committed” by both sides during the conflict which erupted in December last year.

Acting SPLM secretary-general Anne Itto speaks to the press in her office the South Sudan capital, Juba, on 30 April 2014 (ST)

Anne Itto, the acting SPLM secretary-general, said on Wednesday that all South Sudanese want peace to be restored in the country.

“It is not a nationwide sanction. It is for selected individuals who are seen to be obstructing peace,” said Itto when asked about the threat of sanctions.

“And as far as [the] SPLM is concerned, so [many] atrocities have been committed and is very important … that people will be held accountable to what they have done,” she said.

Itto's comments apparently contradict the position taken by president Salva Kiir who reportedly said any sanctions imposed would undermine peace.

US president Barack Obama signed an executive earlier this month threatening to impose an asset freeze on individuals in the government and armed SPLM in Opposition who are seen to be obstructing peace. No names have been released so far.

Last week, the government withdrew treason charges against four senior politicians, including sacked SPLM secretary Pagan Amum in a move Kiir said was in the interest of peace and reconciliation.

However, Itto said victims of the more than four-month-old conflict should also receive justice.

“It is not right to let people just go like that even if we are going to reconcile, we need to know who did what so that if as a nation we choose to forgive him or her, it will be after we have chosen. But we must know who did what? Our people deserve that,” said Itto, adding “Our people want peace. I want peace.”

A fresh wave of ethnic violence has seen civilians targeted in both Unity state and Jonglei recently, attracting international condemnation, with aid agencies warning of a humanitarian catastrophe.

The conflict has pitted government forces loyal to Kiir against rebels aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar who was sacked last July amid worsening internal divisions within the SPLM.

At a news conference on Wednesday at the SPLM secretariat Kiir was congratulated on his appointment of Kuel Aguer as the caretaker governor of Western Bahr El Ghazal state.

Aguer replaces Paul Malong Awan who was elevated to South Sudan army's chief of general staff last week.

Itto has also commended the released of four political detainees and said she
applauded their quest for peace during a meeting with the group on Tuesday.

A close aide of Kiir's this week said the president had expressed frustration over the way the US was dealing with his administration.

“There is someone who comes around saying their government recognises the legitimacy of this government and remained ready to work with us, but the moment they leave the country, you see reports threatening sanctions and claims of human right violations. What is this?” the aide quoted the South Sudanese leader as saying.

His comments reportedly came shortly before welcoming the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, who was in the country this week with special envoy for the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng to investigate the circumstances of an alleged massacre of civilians after rebels retook Unity state capital Bentiu from government troops.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (JUBA) – Senior UN officials warned on Wednesday against the escalation of atrocities and war crimes committed in the South Sudan since the start of the four-and-a-half month conflict, but were cautious to speak in terms of genocide.

UN special envoy for the prevention of genocide Adama Dieng (L) and UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay at a meeting with South Sudan's former vice-president turned rebel leader Riek Machar on 29 April 2014 (Photo: Isaac Alebe Avoro Lu'ba/UNMISS)

UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay and the UN secretary-general's adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, held a press conference in Juba at the end of a two-day visit during which they met with president Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar.

Their visit took place after killing of hundreds of civilians in Bentiu and assault on IDPs sheltering in the UN base in Bor where over 50 people were murdered.

Pillay said they warned the two sides that the investigation carried by the UN teams will also involve the role of political and military leaders and their part of responsibility in the crimes atrocities perpetrated against civilians.

“Mr Dieng and I have warned those same leaders that current and future investigations will inevitably examine the extent to which political and military leaders either knew, should have known, or failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by themselves or by subordinates under their effective authority and control,” she said.

She stressed that South Sudanese are now facing famine because the ongoing armed conflict prevents farmers from planting, and this will have negative impact on the country's food supplies.

“If famine does take hold later in the year – and the humanitarian agencies are deeply fearful that it will – responsibility for it will lie squarely with the country's leaders who agreed to a cessation of hostilities in January and then failed to observe it themselves, while placing all the blame on each other,” Pillay said.

When asked about the probability of genocide in the country, however, Pillay who is the former president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, said only judges based on the findings of investigation teams can say that.

“Judges have to look at the facts to see whether there was a specific intent to destroy one of four groups – that is national, ethnic, racial and religious,” she said, referring to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Dieng, who is the former registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda also made similar statements,adding that his role is not to determine if there is a genocide in South Sudan.

“My role is only to prevent genocide. That means to monitor and to see where there are risk factors that, if not addressed, could lead to genocide,” he said.

Dieng, of Senegal, nonetheless said that incitement to hatred and killing people based on ethnicity in South Sudan are elements of concern for the international community.

“Believe me, on the accountability issue, the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, is strongly committed and we will make sure that never again what happened in Rwanda happens in another place in this continent,” he said.

(ST)

April 30, 2014 (RUMBEK) – Authorities in Rumbek, the capital of South Sudan's Lakes state, have confirmed that death of an Ethiopian driver who was killed by unknown gunman on Tuesday en route to Maper county.

Police from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Lakes state police confirmed that the man, identified only as Ali, worked in Lakes state, operating his own minibus between Rumbek Central and Rumbek North counties had been gunned down early Tuesday morning between former Langcok military prison and Abuoi.

The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said police had yet to identify any suspects in the killing.

However, multiple sources confirmed to Sudan Tribune that an officer from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) onboard the bus at the time had exchanged fire with the attackers who had fled into the bush after opening fire on the 24-year-old driver, who had worked in Lakes state for the past four years.

An eyewitness on the bus at the time said the attackers appeared to be a mix of soldiers and cattle raiders, with some dressed in military uniforms.

“They (the attackers) just appear[ed] in front of road and the began firing at us, killing this driver immediately and then running to [the] bush after fire was replied by [the] SPLA officer who was on bus with us,” the eyewitness said.

A relative of the driver, who also requested anonymity, said tensions among Lakes state's business community remained high amid heavy taxes and ongoing harassment.

In October 2013, a foreign logistics company operating in Rumbek Central county claimed it had been forced to close down due to government-imposed restrictions on its business activities.

AFEX Group, which was the first foreign company to begin operating in Rumbek Central county after the signing of a 2005 peace deal with the north which ended a more than two-decade-long civil war and paved the way for the South's secession in 2011, says it has now completely ceased its business operations in the region.

There are growing calls for South Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit to remove Lake state's military caretaker governor, Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, who has been accused of implementing harsh security measures and inflaming a cycle of inter-clan tensions.

Dhuol was appointed after Kiir issued a decree removing his elected predecessor Chol Tong Mayay from office, reportedly over his failure to quell ongoing tribal violence in the region.

Under South Sudan's constitution, an election should be held within 90 days should the president remove a governor. However, this has yet to occur in the country's three states where governors were removed last year.

(ST)

May 1, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan's government has expressed its readiness to engage in accelerated and direct peace talks aimed at ending conflict in the country which erupted in mid-December last year.

Negotiators at South Sudan peace talks in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa review a draft cessation of hostilities agreement on 13 January 2014 (Photo courtesy of Larco Lomayat)

The third session of South Sudan peace talks, which are being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), resumed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday.

Deputy foreign affairs minister Peter Bashir Gbandi told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that the government delegation was at the venue but had yet to receive an agenda for negotiations.

“It (the delegation) has a full mandate to engage in direct and accelerated talks with the group of [rebel leader] Riek Machar,” he said.

Gbandi said he had also yet to receive and details on the arrangements of a proposed interim administration.

“Personally, I have not received any report about interim arrangements. If it is the mediators saying it, then this proposal has not been tabled for discussions by the two sides,” he said.

The official was reacting to media reports quoting the lead government mediator as saying the two sides should now be seen to be showing serious commitment to ending the conflict, which has pitted government forces loyal to president Salva Kiir against rebels aligned with Machar, South Sudan's former vice-president who was sacked last July.

Gbandi said the two sides are due to discuss and review documents relating to a cessation of hostilities agreement and the declaration of principles, adding that once satisfied with the terms, the delegations would proceed with discussions on agenda items.

Previous talks, as well as a ceasefire deal signed in January, have failed to stem violence on the ground, with both sides accused of committing atrocities.

(ST)

May 1, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi, moved the meeting of the party's Central Commission, which started on Thursday, to remove secretary-general Ibrahim al-Amin amid signs of a new split within the party.

Former Sudanese Prime Minister and leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadiq al-Mahdi (AFP)

In his lengthy opening remarks attended by representatives from other parties including the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and foreign diplomats, Al-Mahdi defended this move saying that Al-Amin has failed to discharge his duties and was unable to create a consensual secretariat.

The NUP chief tabled three names to replace Al-Amin including head of the Political Secretariat Sara Nugdalla, politburo member Al-Tahir Harbi and head of NUP in North Darfur Mohamed Adam Abdel-Karim.

Nugdulla is widely believed to be the winner given Al-Mahdi's strong backing for her.

"I never interfered in the nomination process or the vote but now I have to," Al-Mahdi said before calling for reaching consensus on one candidate

"Everyone who holds responsibility in the Umma Party is aware that I am committed to his or her freedom to fully exercise their functions. However, freedom is not absolute but carries a responsibility. Among the most important duties of responsibility is that if there is a leader who finds that his opinion is not consistent with the stated policy of the party then he either has to resign or work within the party's apparatus to change it, but to try it in front of public opinion is not [an option]" he added.

Last Sunday, Al-Amin held a press conference in which he directed implicit criticism to Al-Mahdi accusing him of undermining his work.

He also spoke of two “schools” within the party, one of them sees the need for engaging in dialogue with the ruling NCP, and the other which is comprised of youths and students who strongly reject dialogue and calls for toppling the regime and establishing a democratic alternative.

Al-Amin has boycotted today's meeting amid reports that he refuses to recognize any move to oust him given that the current term of the Central Commission has expired since a year ago and therefore it is an interim one with no mandate except to prepare for the party's General convention which has its main task to elect members of the NUP various bodies.

It is not clear what steps Al-Amin might take in response to his removal but some sources at the NUP suggested to Sudan Tribune that he may establish a parallel secretariat body in defiance.

The NUP chief, who was also Sudan's last democratically elected Prime Minister in 1986, is being increasingly viewed by the party's base and even some of the leading figures as seeking rapprochement with the NCP.

Despite initially distancing himself from his eldest son's Abdel-Rahman decision in 2011 to become president Omer Hassan al-Bashir's assistant, Al-Mahdi later praised his son's qualifications to fill this role.

Abdel-Rahman's appointment drew strong criticism from the NUP supporters and fueled speculations that al-Mahdi has forged a secret deal with the ruling party.

Al-Mahdi has consistently been critical in recent years of the opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) of which his party is a member and publicly questioned their ability to remove the regime.

He also frequently stated that he seeks to reform the NCP-led regime and not topple it warning that this could trigger a civil war.

‘JEALOUS PEOPLE WANT ME TO LEAVE'

Al-Mahdi also rebuffed calls for him to step down describing those behind it as "jealous" who seek to destroy the party and specifically referred to newspaper columnists "who worked to back the totalitarian regime".

"They know how much this [my departure] hurts the Umma Party. But I am trying to obtain a land and register it in the name of the party and build [new HQ on it], and to get an investment deposit to finance the party [along] with the contributions of the members," he said.

"[When this happens] then [my] hands can be lifted off the institution and I am committed to achieving it, God willing. But those who want me to get my hands off before [achieving that], do not want to good to our party exactly like those who want to send me to retirement because I am the most active intellectually and politically," al-Mahdi added.

On Wednesday, Al-Mahdi's cousin Mubarak Al-Fadil who defected from the party before returning later sent a public letter to the NUP head urging him to step down to give room to a new generation and play a symbolic role in the background.

"You well remember that after returning [from exile] in 2000, I had indicated to you that the reality of the situation in our country and the inevitability of change requires you to reshape your political role after spending 44 years at the helm of the Umma Party in order to give way for new generations to assume executive leadership in the party while you play a leadership role needed by the political arena and rise above the political fray. This is the same role that was played by Imam Abdel-Rahman al-Mahdi [Party founder] through which he attained the greatest achievement in the modern history of Sudan, namely the independence of Sudan," Al-Fadil said in his letter.

"We have been following what is taking place inside the Umma Party in the form of a movement as throes for the birth of a new dawn in our party that renews the generation's blood in the leadership in light of an acute polarisation between parental authority and governance of institutions, at a time when the parental authority should take into account both the transformation process required under the troubled national reality experienced by our country which requires bringing together the party and national rank rather than resist it and stand against the wheel of history," he wrote.

"Our bases in the marginalized [areas] have come under great duress; they were eaten away by war and weakened by poverty and disease….Let it be the simplest thing we can offer them after they have been giving us everything precious and valuable is to turn the page of strife and to take advantage of this political movement engulfing our party as a chance to rearrange our ranks" he added.

Mubarak presented a proposal in his letter that calls for a comprehensive reconciliation among all party factions and acknowledging that that the existing party apparatus' term has expired over a year ago and form transitional bodies that reflect reconciliation in order to prepare the party for the eighth General Convention.

Al-Fadil defected from the NUP in 2002 and formed the Umma Reform and Renewal Party (URRP). Hel was of the view that the NUP should take part in the government while al-Mahdi rejected any participation in a non-democratically elected government.

The two meni exchanged bitter accusations with each other during the years 2002-2003. He was appointed as a presidential adviser for economic affairs in 2002. Several members of his newly created part were also appointed in various positions in the government.

He was sacked in 2004 after a dispute with Bashir and was arrested in 2007 with a number of retired army generals and accused of attempting to stage a coup but was released five months later after it was revealed that the evidence against him and others was fabricated.

Al-Fadil disbanded his breakaway group and rejoined the NUP in January 2011. The two men appeared to have normalized their relationship briefly before differences emerged and they renewed their personal attacks on each other.

(ST)

May 1, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese National elections Commission (NEC) approved plans to prepare for the general elections slated for next year.

Sudanese check their names on lists outside a polling station to vote for Sudan's first multi-party elections in decades in Khartoum, on 11 April 2010 (AP)

The electoral body held a meeting on Thursday to review arrangements made for the 2015 elections and announced that a training session will be held later this month in Port Sudan for poll with funding from the European Union (EU) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The meeting listened to reports from commissioners and committees regarding the delineation of geographical constituencies, training, electoral education and securing the electoral process as well the formation of supreme states committees especially new ones.

They were also briefed on the technical and logistical aspects in light of the initial budget approved by the presidency and forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.

Opposition parties taking part in the national dialogue process called for by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir insist that elections be postponed if the dialogue is to be fruitful.

But the NEC affirmed that their work and timetable is governed by the 2008 elections law unless changes are introduced to it.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

May 1, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United States' Secretary of State, John Kerry, on Thursday warned of a possible genocide in South Sudan unless concerted measures are taken to rapidly arrest the ongoing violence.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (AFP)

Kerry arrived in Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, late on Wednesday on the first leg of a three-country tour of Africa.

Government sources told Sudan Tribune that the US official earlier held meetings in Addis Ababa with the foreign ministers of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda over the crises in South Sudan.

He told the IGAD member state foreign ministers that there was an urgent need to deploy a regional force in South Sudan to quell the violence which has killed tens of thousands and forced over a million people flee their homes since the conflict erupted in mid-December.

Failure to swiftly deploy the Prevention and Deterrent Force (PDF), with special mandate of peace building, Kerry said could lead to a possible genocide in the world's youngest nation.

"There are very disturbing leading indicators of the kind of ethnic, tribal, targeted nationalistic killings taking place that raise serious questions," Kerry said.

"Were they to continue in the way they've been going could really present a very serious challenge to the international community with respect to the questions of genocide," he added.

The UN has already deployed some 9,000 peacekeepers in South Sudan but regional leaders mediating the South Sudan peace talks have decided to send more African troops.

This has been rejected by rebels led by former vice president Riek Machar. Some analysts have questioned the efficiency of having a new peacekeeping force in South Sudan, which may undermine the existing UN mission.

He further warned of possible sanctions against the leaders of the two South Sudan warring sides, whose forces are both accused of ethnic targeted killings.

"Those who are responsible for targeted killings based on ethnicity or nationality have to be brought to justice, and we are actively considering sanctions against those who commit human rights violations and obstruct humanitarian assistance.”

John Kerry said the United States fully supports African-led peace efforts to tackle the conflict.

After the discussions, Kerry and the IGAD representatives agreed that the fighting in South Sudan must stop urgently to prevent further blood shed and to stop the worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

"It is clear that the unspeakable violence in Central African Republic, the deliberate killing of civilians of both sides in South Sudan, both of those underscore the urgency of the work that we have to do together," he added.

Kerry is expected to meet Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, before heading to visit DR Congo and Angola as part of his six-day tour of Africa.

The South Sudan government and rebels have been engaged in on off peace talks since January.

The two sides signed an initial ceasefire agreement on 23 January however that agreement did not halt fighting on ground.

A new round of peace talks resumed this week but there are no signs of progress.

(ST)