August 15, 2014 (JUBA) – Any transitional government put in place without South Sudan's incumbent president, Salva Kiir is a “non-starter”, his spokesperson said in response to opposition leader, Riek Machar's recent interview with CCTV's Talk Africa show.

South Sudan's presidential spokesperson speaking during a press conference in Khartoum on 2 March 2014 (Photo: Ebrahim Hamid/AFP)

“While the government is working round the clock to negotiate genuine peace with rebels of Riek Machar, the utterances coming from the rebel leader are becoming exceedingly unacceptable,” Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters in capital, Juba on Friday.

Machar, while speaking on CCTV on Thursday, claimed that president Kiir had lost credibility, and that the formation of any future transitional government, should not be under the latter's leadership.

The rebel leader also accused mediators from the East African regional bloc (IGAD) of allegedly failing to deliver a lasting political settlement to the conflict.

The president's office, Ateny said, strongly rejects such “irresponsible” and “selfish” utterances, adding that the rebel leader “had no legitimacy whatsoever to speak about any future government while his hands are full of innocent blood”.

“There will never be any transitional government without president Kiir, until the people of South Sudan decides to refrain from voting for him in free and fair elections. But, there could be government without rebel leader Riek Machar as part of it,” Ateny said.

“Unlike the rebel Riek, president Kiir was elected by the people whose decision to vote for him the legitimacy of this government emanates,” he added.

The presidency spokesperson said the peoples' interests were stronger than that of the “bloodthirsty” rebel leader, who had no authority to speak against the tenure of a legitimately-elected president.

He also reminded the former vice president-turned rebel leader of the vital role IGAD played in resolving decades of the north-south civil war, which resulted in self-determination referendum.

“If the IGAD did have the capacity to broker peaceful political settlement to the then Sudan‘s problem, then as a government we believe that IGAD has the capacity to deliver the lasting peace in South Sudan,” Ateny said.

“Unless rebel Riek wants himself installed by IGAD as president in order to see the ability of the IGAD to deliver lasting political settlement, then such utterances are ludicrous,” he further stressed.

(ST).

August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sharp differences have emerged within Sudan's national dialogue committee known as 7+7, comprised of government parties and opposition ones on Saturday during a press conference to declare the roadmap of the ongoing national dialogue process.

Sudan's national dialogue 7+7 committee (Ashorooq TV)

The press conference vividly showed the widening gap between the government and opposition regarding the issue of the upcoming 2015 elections.

The roadmap which was endorsed by the committee did not arrive at an agreement on the elections issue and referred it to the national dialogue conference within the coming two days.

The committee member from the opposition side, Mustafa Mahmoud, said the elections issue will be discussed during the national dialogue, stressing they understand the reasons behind government adherence to hold elections on time.

Sudan's general elections are set to be held in April 2015.

The opposition forces participating in the national dialogue call for delaying elections and forming a transitional government but the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) refuses to postpone the elections in order to avoid any constitutional vacuum following the end of the current government's term.

Sudan's National Elections Commission (NEC) had officially embarked on preparations for holding elections and declared timetables and schedules besides contacting the international community to collect the cost of the election process which is estimated at 800 million Sudanese pounds (SDG).

According to the roadmap, decisions within the national dialogue conference will be taken by consensus and members would resort to voting only in cases of sharp differences and the wining opinion must yield at least 90% of the votes.

The roadmap stated that president Omer Hassan al-Bashir will chair the dialogue conference and is to be replaced in his absence by one of the leaders of political parties participating in the dialogue.

It added that the national dialogue conference will be held under the banner “Sudan is a country which accommodates all its people”.

The 7+7 committee agreed that each political party will be represented by two delegates in the conference besides one delegate in each of the six subcommittees which will discuss the dialogue's issues.

It was also agreed that the African Union and the Arab League are to be invited to participate in the national dialogue conference as observers.

The presidential assistant and member of the committee, Ibrahim Ghandour, said that 50 national figures would participate in the conference, pointing to ongoing consultations to name them.

He accused unnamed political forces of dealing with the country's issues on a tactical basis without taking into consideration the higher interests of the country, stressing that dialogue would soon kick off without waiting for anybody.

But he pointed that they are currently facing the daunting challenge of convincing those who refused to participate in the national dialogue.

The leading figure at the Reform Now Party (RNP), Hassan Rizq, said that the roadmap called for releasing all political prisoners including the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), Ibrahim al-Shiekh, and the deputy chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP), Meriam al-Mahdi, besides allowing political liberties and freedom of expression and publication.

He added that the roadmap also demanded giving the necessary guarantees of personal safety for the rebels in order to enable them to participate in the dialogue, pointing that all these issues are requirements of the dialogue.

The roadmap also stated that judiciary will be responsible for tackling issues of publication and expression without resorting to exceptional measures through the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), particularly during the dialogue conference.

It also called for agreement on the necessary legislations and procedures for holding free and fair elections under the supervision of a politically, financially, and administratively independent commission.

The roadmap further mentioned agreement on forming six subcommittees to discuss the dialogue's issues before submitting recommendations to the dialogue's chairman besides forming a general secretariat comprised of efficient national figures to monitor the sessions and write meetings minutes and points of contention and submit them to the higher coordination body.

The member of the 7+7 committee from the government side, Tijani al-Sissi, said the committee only agreed on general principles, noting the detailed discussions of the issues would take place in the national dialogue conference.

He stressed that the contacts with arms bearers would continue in order to convince them to participate in the dialogue.

Last January, Bashir called on political parties and rebel groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss ways to bring peace in the country and to discuss constitutional reforms.

The opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF), gathering left forces, boycotted the political roundtable, asking the government to first to stop war and create a conducive environment for the dialogue.

Opposition forces participating in the dialogue are also raising the same concerns but argue that such matters can be discussed within the national dialogue mechanism.

However, National Umma Party (NUP) leader Sadiq al-Mahdi suspended its participation in the political process after his detention in May.

Mahdi now demands the restoration of political freedoms and inclusion of rebel groups in the political process. However, he calls for exclusion of the small political forces at this stage and involving only the “six historical parties”.

Last week, he signed a joint political declaration with the rebel alliance of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) in Paris where they call for unifying political opposition forces over peace and democratic reforms.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan acknowledged that there is lack of coordination between official, partisan and popular stances with regards to foreign policy.

Sudan's presidential assistant, Ibrahim Ghandour, (Photo: AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

The presidential assistant and NCP deputy chairman Ibrahim Ghandour said his country is facing a major media smear campaign by known circles and lobbies to portray Sudan as the “grand demon”.

Ghandour told a conference for the NCP Foreign Relations sector that the party during the next phase will seek to provide guidelines for foreign policy to build strong strategic relationships without compromising what he called the country's principles.

Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti admitted in recent remarks that tensions with Arab Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, but said Khartoum is working on fixing it. He also dismissed views that their relationship with Qatar is part of a political axis.

The Sudanese top diplomat hailed the recent presidential summit between Khartoum and Cairo saying it sent strong signals in multiple directions.

Sudanese-Iranian ties are also causing a split within government ranks between those who call for overriding the country's interests which is negatively impacted by it.

Ghandour said that the biggest challenge is how to harmonise the expected benefits from links with other countries of the world and between what they know and what Sudan stands on when it comes to principles.

He pointed out that Sudan recently lost many of its citizens working in international organisations because of what he called the targeting, negligence and lack of coordination to benefit from those cadres.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (CAIRO) – Egyptian authorities have prevented the opposition Sudanese Broad National Front (BNF) led by Ali Mahmoud Hassanein from holding its second general convention which was supposed to take place in Cairo on Saturday under the title of “unity of the opposition to overthrow the regime and not to engage in dialogue with it”.

Informed sources told Sudan Tribune that a senior security official had notified Hassanein over the phone, moments before the start of the sessions, that security services and official bodies didn't approve of the convention which discusses ways for activating BNF's activities in order to topple the Sudanese regime.

According to the sources, Egyptian authorities attributed the move to the unfavourable security situation in Cairo due to the anti-government protests which took place across Egypt in the anniversary of the crackdown on two protest camps in Raba'a and Nahda squares in Cairo last year.

But other sources predicted that the Egyptian authorities' decision was driven by pressures exerted by the Sudanese government.

The BNF was established in London on 21 October 2010 and it includes several political entities, regional groupings, and individuals who believe in overthrowing the regime and reject in principle any kind of dialogue with it.

Hassanein, who is also the deputy chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) led by Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani, founded and led the BNF after the latter joined the government in 2011.

He said in a proposal to unify opposition forces he presented last week that unity of the opposition is not a mere hope but an absolute necessity that “we are ready to sit, discuss, and agree with everybody about it”.

In the same context, the deputy information advisor at the Sudanese embassy in Cairo, Abdel-Rahman Ibrahim, said Egypt's hosting of opposition meeting which calls for overthrowing the regime is not acceptable, pointing it is a sign of significant retreat in relations between the two countries.

He described in press statements on Saturday the timing of holding the meeting as “bad”, saying it coincides with intensive moves to develop ties between the two countries in the investment and economic fields besides opening of land crossings.

“We look forward to having positive and developing relations with Egypt and we hoped that the [recent] visit of president al-Sissi to Khartoum had foiled attempts [to sabotage ties between the two countries] ,” he added

Ibrahim further pointed out that the BNF convention sends negative signals to the peaceful dialogue which is currently being held in Khartoum, expressing hope that such events must not be allowed to take place particularly as relations between the two countries are witnessing positive developments.

Last June, the Egyptian president made a lightening visit to Sudan. He flew to Khartoum from Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo where attended the 23rd Ordinary African Union (AU) summit.

During his visit, al-Sissi invited president Omer Hassan al-Bashir to visit Cairo.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated over the last year due to Sudan's support of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam which Egypt believes will infringe on it historic rights in the Nile water per colonial agreements of 1929 and 1959.

Khartoum is also accused by Egyptian media of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood movement which has been pushed off Egypt's political scene after the toppling of president Mohamed Morsi last year by then army chief al-Sisi in response to mass anti-Morsi demonstrations in the country.

The Islamist government in Sudan has appeared uncomfortable with the ouster of Morsi given the common ideology they shared with him and the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) which brought him to power.

Unlike most Arab leaders, the Sudanese president did not congratulate interim Egyptian president Adli Mansour on his new role.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) spokesperson Khaled al-Sawarmi reaffirmed that his country does provide any support for the South Sudanese rebels led by the former vice-president Riek Machar who visited Khartoum last week.

The official spokesman of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khaled Saad (Photo: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty Images)

During a two-day visit to the Sudanese capital, Machar met with president Omer al-Bashir and his vice-president Bakri Hassan Saleh. Khartoum was keen to say that the visit comes in the framework of the efforts exerted by the IGAD to end the eight-month conflict in the neighbouring country.

However, Sudanese army once again had to distance itself from the warring parties in South Sudan.

“Riek Machar's visit to Khartoum recently, came within the framework of mediation that Sudan is doing to end the conflict in South Sudan,” al-Swarmi said in a short statement released by the official news agency (SUNA) on Saturday.

He added that president Salva Kiir and South Sudan's defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk were also received in Khartoum but that does not mean “we do not support any party against the other”.

The military spokesperson did not refer to any recent accusation from Juba after Machar's visit to Khartoum. However reports from Juba say that defence minister Juok Manyang Juuk recently renewed accusations that Khartoum supports rebels. .

Sudanese foreign ministry, last April, on the other hand, accused Juba of using a Darfur rebel group to fight the SPLM-in-Opposition in the Unity state. After referring to a UN report on the matter, Khartoum said the implication of the Sudanese rebels confirms Juba support to these groups.

Foreign minister Ali Karti explained last July that his government preferred to give way to the east African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and to not to be directly implicated in the resolution of the conflict in order to avoid accusations that Khartoum tries to take advantage of the situation.

Since the South Sudan's secession in 2011, the two countries have several outstanding conflicts related the demarcation of the border areas and a referendum to be held on the future of Abyei region.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudanese security agents on Saturday stormed the Catholic-owned Bakhita 91FM radio in the capital, Juba, arresting four of its journalists and shutting down the station.

A newspaper vendor in South Sudan's capital, Juba (Photo: Cafod)

The crackdown came after the station broadcast news about Friday's renewed fighting between the rebels and pro-government forces in Unity and Jonglei states, also confirmed by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Those arrested included radio director Albino Tokwaro, news editor David Ocen and two news readers. The incident reportedly occurred at around 8am (local time).

Both rival forces blamed each other for the outbreak of the clashes, which came just days after a UN Security Council (UNSC) delegation visited the country hit by violence late last year.

Journalists in South Sudan often face arrest and detention over coverage of security issues in a country, which still lacks media laws.

JOURNALISTS PROTEST ARRESTS

Anger is building up amongst South Sudanese media industry over the frequency of arrest targeting independent journalists by the government agents, despite the existence of constitutional provision recognising the significance of press freedom and freedom of expression.

“I think time it has come for the people to talk. The frequency of targeted arrest is unbecoming and I think our people should come out to tell the government that it has crossed the red line of basic rights. People can't take a back seat and watch those who are mistreating journalists now and then. They should be told they are wrong and they need to stop,” an angry South Sudanese journalist, who preferred anonymity, told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

Sources say security agents were irked over a radio report, which gave the rebels' version of the events concerning Friday's fighting in an attempt to balance a story which, included what government forces stated.

“It seems the security personnel only wanted the version of the government and because we covered both sides, they became annoyed,” a member of the station told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from security agents.

Of the four arrested, three were later released, while the news editor remains in custody.

GOVERNMENT DOWNPLAYS INCIDENT

Paul Jacob, the acting director-general in the information and broadcasting ministry, said he was not aware of the journalists' arrest since the station's management did not report the matter to his ministry.

“I have no idea about this development. This is the first time I am hearing it from you. I was in the meeting and nobody had told me this information when I came out. I did not receive any call from Bakhita radio,” Jacob said in a separate interview.

Presidential spokesperson Ateny Wek Ateny also said he was not aware of the arrests.

“I am not aware about this. When [did] it happen?” he asked.

But Nhial Bol Aken, the chief editor of the Citizen newspaper, said he was not surprised by the arrest of the Bakhita journalists, claiming government has no intention to allow press freedom prevail in the country.

“I am not surprised. This was expected. The government does not have any intention to abide by the constitution and uphold the freedom of press and the freedom of expression. Those who say they are committed [to this freedom] put it in their mouths,” Aken told Sudan Tribune.

The veteran journalist said government should have gone to court instead of using security personnel to intimidate and harass journalists when courts could handle such matters.

“Issues to do with journalism are always treated as civil matters and are handled under civil law in any country. If the government feels it has issue with any particular media house, the best way to do it is going to court instead of ordering arrest of the journalists and the closure,” said Aken.

Recently, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International released a 15-page report detailing abuses against the media by the South Sudanese government, calling on the National Security Service (NSS) to “stop seizing and shutting down newspapers, as well as harassing, intimidating and unlawfully detaining journalists”.

(ST)

AUGUST 16, 2014 (WAU) – Authorities in South Sudan's Western Bahr el Ghazal state have openly declared that citizens are free to openly debate on the controversial proposal for a federalism system of government.

Members of the public attend a rally in Western Bahr el Ghazal state capital Wau on 16 August 2014 (ST)

Speaking at a public rally in the capital, Wau, the minister for public service, Monica Sabino Madut said citizens were free to debate on federalism provided they consider the system ideal.

“We in the government of Western Bahr el Ghazal state are very anxious to tell our people the difference between federalism and the decentralisation governing system on which our country is currently being run,” said Madut.

Different political parties attended the rally, which witnessed lectures from Boutros Mongu Nam, a political science professor at Bahr El Ghazal University.

“Federalism system is well-developed in western nations such as the United State of America, Switzerland, Germany and other countries in the world,” said Nam.

He however stressed that the current decentralisation system in South Sudan was better for a new nation to first establish its economy and improve its physical infrastructures.

“It is too early for South Sudan to over-estimate its services to the people,” said Nam.
The governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal is among the leaders opposed to a federal system of government in the world's youngest nation, while other consider it a system to divide and rule people.

In June, South Sudanese president Salva Kiir said citizens be allowed to decide on how they wanted to be governed and stressing that federalism should not be imposed onto them. He observed that a federalism system was what southern Sudan demanded for from Sudan during the 1947 Juba conference.

The framers of South Sudan's 2011 transitional constitution avoided mention of federalism and instead opted for a nominally decentralised system.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

August 16, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopia's ministry of health has dismissed rumours circulated on social media alleging that an Ebola case had been detected in the East African nation.

While the ministry said there is no evidence the deadly disease had spread to the country, it has strengthened preventative measures for early detection and treatment.

Although Ebola has not been declared an epidemic and no travel ban has been issued, Ethiopian Airlines indicated on Thursday it was introducing stringent precautions to prevent a possible outbreak.

The airline said it would conduct surveillance and Ebola virus screening on passengers, particularly those coming from West Africa where the disease has killed over 1,000 people since the outbreak was first reported in March.

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian government has trained some 300 health professionals who will be dispatched to regions across the country to provide training to other health workers on the causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease as part of its early prevention mechanism.

Ebola disease is a severe acute viral illness which has similar symptoms to that of the flu.

The tropical disease is characterised by severe fever, lethargy, muscle pain and headache followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, low blood pressure, leading to kidney and liver failure.

The Ebola virus has fatality rate of up to 90% and is transmitted by direct contact with blood secretions or other bodily fluids of a patient or an infected animal.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (BOR) – South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) has launched a three-state child protection unit in Jonglei state capital Bor which will provide in school psychological counselling to children severely traumatised by the country's ongoing conflict.

South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) director for Jonglei state David Gai Deer speaks to the press at Bor Public Primary school on 16 August 2014 (ST)

The program, which will be rolled out in Lakes, Central Equatoria and Jonglei states, will target children up to 18 years of age.

“The activities have a strong psychological support element, providing a caring and normalising environment to lessen the impact of the crisis on the children,” said SSRC's Bor-based director, David Gai Deer.

Deer said the program's core aim was to help provide coping mechanisms for traumatised and vulnerable children who have been exposed to violence.

A similar exercise was launched in Juba on 27 July, with the Lakes state program is soon to be launched targeting internally displaced people in Awerial.

“We are launching the unit of pyscho-social support. The most important part of this program is to help children who are traumatised and exposed to the risk during the conflict,” said Deer while speaking at the program's launch at Bor Public Primary school on Saturday.

“We found out that many children had been affected in one way or another and that is the reason South Sudan Red Cross with its partners brought this program to help these children here to create a friendly space for the children in order to come back to their normal lives,” he added.

He said the program would benefit all school-aged children across the three states, and is aiming to reach an average of 5,000 children per state.

Red Cross experts will be visiting schools to provide counselling services to children identified by their schools as being in need.

Red Cross is not only limited to government-controlled areas in Jonglei, but also operates in rebel-held areas in the northern part of the state, including Nyirol, Ayod, Akobo and Uror.

One of the biggest challenges facing the program's roll out will be in mobilising children for counselling as most schools have been closed in those areas as a result of the conflict.

Other items provided to schools include balls, drawing materials, chalk, dominoes, ropes for skipping games and first aid kits.

Deer said psychological counselling will also be available to adults suffering trauma as a result of the eight-month-long conflict.

The deputy head teacher of Bor public primary school, Mayen Manyang Mach, said it's hoped the program will help children cope with their recent difficulties and continue their education once the current crisis is resolved.

“With this initiative, the teachers would see changes on how the children behave. Once any case of this kind is identified doctors would help in counselling,” said Mayen.

Bor primary, which opened in May, currently has 400 pupils, half of last year's enrolment.

The psychological support program will be funded by the Swiss Red Cross for a period of one year in South Sudan.

(ST)

August 16, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Eight people were killed following the renewal of tribal clashes between Reizaigat and Ma'alia in East Darfur state on Saturday.

The fighting erupted between the two tribes after the theft of livestock belonging to Ma'alia people in Abu Rakubah area which is part of Abu Karnaka county, East Darfur on Saturday.

Eyewitnesses from the area told Sudan Tribune that a group of Ma'ali tribesmen who pursued the raiders was ambushed by a group of Rizeigat gunmen.

“The clashes continued until Saturday afternoon,” further said an eyewitness.

The tribal clashes in Darfur are seen as the major cause of violence and instability.

The government recently launched a number of conferences to mitigate the tensions and pacify the troubled region. However the spread of weapons and the implication of armed tribesmen belonging to government militias hamper these efforts.

Last July, the vice-president Hasabo Abdel Rahman tried to mediate between the two tribes and organise a reconciliation conference in Al-Foula in West Kordofan state.

However, the meeting was cancelled after the Rizeigat rejected the participation of some Ma'alia members, saying they belong to another tribe. The Ma'alia were also sceptical about the involvement of the vice-president who is a member of Rizeigat tribe.

The two tribes also failed to hold another conference scheduled for 10 August.

(ST)

August 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The African Union (AU) has decided to set up a higher committee to support Sudan's ongoing national dialogue and tasked its chief mediator, Thabo Mbeki, with chairing it.

Mbeki, who arrived in Khartoum late on Saturday, met with the leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Hassan al-Turabi and urged the government to release political detainees and offer guarantees for the rebel groups in order to encourage them to join the national dialogue.

In January, Bashir called on political parties and rebel groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss ways to bring peace in the country and to achieve constitutional reforms.

The opposition umbrella of the National Consensus Forces (NCF), gathering left forces, boycotted the political roundtable, asking the government first to stop war and create a conducive environment for the dialogue.

The rebel alliance of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rejected Bashir's call, saying the government only seeks to buy time in order to produce another version of the same regime.

In April, however the SRF released a roadmap for holding a “national constitutional dialogue” , after the signing of a humanitarian cessation of hostilities and direct talks on issues related to the conflict regions and security arrangements with all rebel groups.

National Umma Party (NUP) leader al-Sadiq al-Mahdi suspended its participation in the political process after his detention in May.

A national dialogue committee, known as 7+7, comprised of equal numbers of government parties and opposition ones last week adopted a framework agreement for the dialogue process.

Mbeki, the former South African president, and his delegation held a meeting with the members of the dialogue mechanism, where participants briefed him on what has been achieved and their upcoming plans.

The members of the 7+7 committee from the opposition side, Ahmed Abu al-Gasim Hashim, told the pro-government Sudan Media Center (SMC) website that Mbeki informed them of the AU's decision to form a higher committee to support the dialogue.

The presidential assistant and member of the 7+7 committee, Ibrahim Ghandour, told reporters following Mbeki's meeting with the committee that the latter informed them of his commitment to face regional and international powers which seek to hinder the national dialogue.

He quoted Mbeki as saying he is ready to meet with the rebel groups and political parties which refused to engage in the dialogue, pointing that the rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) signalled flexibility to participate in the dialogue.

According to Ghandour, Mbeki also said that participation of political parties in the dialogue does not suffice, demanding participation of the civil society in order for the dialogue to be representative of all components of the Sudanese society.

The presidential assistant further said they handed Mbeki the framework agreement reached by the 7+7 committee, saying the latter demanded “additional guarantees” in order to engage the rebel groups into the dialogue besides releasing all political prisoners.

The 7+7 committee had endorsed a roadmap to hold the national dialogue conference within the coming two days.

The roadmap called for the release of all political prisoners, including Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) leader Ibrahim al-Shiekh and deputy chairman of the National Umma Party (NUP) Meriam al-Mahdi, as well as allowing political liberties and freedom of expression.

The political secretary of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) and member of the 7+7 committee from the opposition side, Kamal Omer, said in statements following the meeting that they briefed Mbeki on the procedures included in the roadmap, noting that they had asked him to support the national dialogue in the coming period.

He said the AU would “witness” the national dialogue due to the important role it plays in resolving the Sudanese crisis, stressing that they asked Mbeki to convince the rebel groups and political forces which refused to participate in the dialogue.

“We asserted to them [AU's delegation] commitment of all dialogue parties to the confidence building measures including the release of all political detainees and convicts”, he added.

The cabinet affairs minister and member of the 7+7 committee, Ahmed Saad Omer, said the AU delegation expressed their understanding of the roadmap, adding that they asked them to work with the committee to convince the armed groups to join the dialogue.

TALKS WITH THE SPLM-N

In a separate meeting, Mbeki discussed with Ghandour peace talks with the rebels groups in Darfur region, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

He told reporters that they tackled the resumption of peace talks with the SPLM-N adding that no date has been determined yet.

He added that Mbeki and the joint peace mediator for Darfur conflict Mohamed Ibn Chambas will travel soon to Doha to discuss with Qatari deputy prime minister Ahmed bin Abduulah al-Mahmoud ways to complete peace in Darfur through “dialogue between the government and rebel groups" in Western Sudan.

The rebels refuse to hold separate talks with the government and demand unifying the two peace process.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

August 17, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) heads of state and governments summit was postponed after regional mediators requested more time to prepare, a senior Ethiopian government official told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

IGAD mediators and South Sudan's negotiating teams at the signing of the ceasefire agreement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on 23 January 2014 (Photo courtesy of IGAD/CEWARN)

Leaders from the regional bloc were due to meet on Sunday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to decide on what specific measures should be taken against South Sudan's rival factions which have failed to bring lasting political settlement to the conflict in South Sudan.

Postponement of the IGAD leaders' summit comes as South Sudan's ruling party, Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) and its opposition faction (SPLM-in-Opposition) led by the former vice president Riek Machar failed to meet the August 10 deadline to reach an agreement on forming a proposed transitional government.

IGAD officials on Sunday wouldn't respond to questions by Sudan Tribune on why the regional leaders' summit was postponed or to confirm if there was any new date fixed for the summit to convene.

However, Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson, Ambassador Dina Mufti, told Sudan Tribune that the summit was postponed due to the time needed to make thorough preparations by the IGAD mediation envoys.

IGAD is expected to soon announce a new timetable for the summit.

The eight-month long conflict in South Sudan has killed tens of thousands and forced over 1.5 million people flee their home.

Despite previously signed ceasefire agreement and continued intense regional and international pressure, leaders of the two warring factions have failed to demonstrate full commitment to end the crises.

On Friday, fresh fighting erupted in Unity state with both sides trading accusations on violating the terms of the cessation of hostilities agreement.

IGAD CONDEMNS VIOLATIONS

IGAD, the regional bloc brokering South Sudan peace negotiations, on Friday condemned the latest truce violations in the state capital, Bentiu.

IGAD said it condemns “in the strongest terms the continued flagrant violation of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement that was signed on 23 January 2014 by the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and SPLM/A – In Opposition”

The latest fighting broke out only few days after UN Security Council team paid a visit to the conflict hit Africa's youngest nation.

The statement said IGAD “Particularly dismayed by the latest fighting that happened just days away from the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government summit meeting and less than 48 hours after the departure of the U.N. Security Council team that visited the region”

After paying a visit to South Sudan, head of the UN Security Council team, Mark Lyall Grant, accused president Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar of showing little commitment to the ongoing IGAD-led negotiations in Addis Ababa.

Grant said achieving peace in South Sudan was unlikely taking the little commitment shown by the two principals.

“We have had engagements with President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar but we did not hear much from them that gave us hope that there would be rapid agreements in the talks in Addis Ababa; both said they recognized there was no military solution to the crisis, but the two positions remain far apart”

IGAD has also noted military advances to gain more ground will not achieve anything except to worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation and to cause further devastation.

New round of talks between the two conflicting South Sudanese parties is due to resume on 28 August.

(ST)

Related story :

IGAD extends South Sudan peace talks as regional leaders postpone meeting

August 17, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has urged the government of neighbouring Sudan to sever ties with rebels under the leadership of former vice-president Riek Machar, while reiterating its commitment to a 2012 bilateral deal between the two countries.

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

However, the government was quick to point out it was not accusing Sudan of providing support to pro-Machar rebels, describing it as one of the key players in the ongoing peace process.

“What we are saying is that it should encourage Riek [Machar] and his group to stop the war and accept to give peaceful dialogue a chance,” South Sudan's foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told Sudan Tribune during an exclusive interview on Sunday.

The minister explained that Sudan, from which the South seceded in 2011, has a leading role to play in helping his government reach a peaceful settlement to the eight-month-long conflict, while urging its government to sever any ties with the rebel group and focus on peace negotiations currently being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

“The government of Sudan has a big role to play in the peace process if it can sever ties with this group, especially if there are invisible hands within the government who are dealing with them, they should be encouraged to stop,” said Benjamin.

He also praised the Sudanese government participation in the recent meeting of foreign ministers in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, during which the head of the IGAD mediation team provided a general briefing on the progress of peace talks and the challenges remaining.

“The Sudanese government played substantive role in the recent IGAD foreign ministers meeting and it was clearly found that the rebels are the one causing all these unnecessary delays in the mediation process because of changing, unjustified demands,” he said.

He expressed his government's commitment to the IGAD-led peace process and finding a lasting resolution to the conflict with the help of its regional partners.

“The government is fully committed to bringing peace. The president [Salva Kiir] and the entire leadership, the party and everybody else are for peace and we have never left the peace forum,” said Benjamin.

“Our delegation is now actively engaged in the negotiation with open minds. The problem is with the rebels and as you can see for the first time the mediators and the international community have now realised those who are violating the cessation of hostilities [agreement] are the rebels themselves. Our troops still have orders to respect the ceasefire,” he said, referring to a deal signed by both parties in January and recommitted to in May.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Sudanese army (SAF), Khaled al-Sawarmi, issued a denial on Saturday that his country was providing military support to South Sudanese rebels.

He has also maintained that a recent two-day visit by the rebel leader to Khartoum came within the framework of Sudan's mediation efforts aimed at ending the crisis.

South Sudan has been embroiled in conflict since mid-December last year when a political rift within the country's ruling party (SPLM) turned violent.

The fighting has killed thousands and displaced more than a million people, many of whom have fled to neighbouring countries, including Sudan.

The violence has continued despite January's ceasefire deal and ongoing peace talks, with both sides seemingly unable to resolve their political differences.

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August 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Libyan government revealed that it has deported 90 illegal Sudanese immigrants through al-Kufra town in the south-east of the country, adding that 700 people of different nationalities are also seeking to leave to Chad and Sudan.

African travellers pass through security checks at Tripoli's Mitiga airport on 22 July 2014 after clashes between rival militias closed down Tripoli International Airport (Photo: AFP/Mahmud Turkia)

The Sudanese government began the evacuation of its nationals last week from Libya via regular flights, including 140 Sudanese and their families who were stuck at the Libyan airport of Mitiga.

The director of the office of shelter management and deportation at illegal immigration department in al-Kufra, Mohammed Fadhil, said on Sunday that it had deported 90 and 70 illegal immigrants into neighbouring Sudan and Chad respectively.

According to Fadhil, hundreds of others want to cross to Sudan and Chad to flee ongoing unrest sweeping the country.

He pointed that they are waiting for permission of the local council in the city to begin evacuations of these foreign nationals for humanitarian reasons.

A committee calling itself representative of Sudanese stranded in Libya issued a statement earlier this month calling on the government to evacuate its citizens from areas in Libya witnessing clashes between armed groups.

The statement stressed that all diplomatic missions have evacuated their citizens from Libya thanks to quick action from their governments except the Sudanese one because of its refusal to assume responsibility towards its citizens.

They also noted the presence of tens of thousands of Sudanese trapped in areas of clashes in both Benghazi and Tripoli among other regions in the country that are now deserted due to the displacement of people as a result of the interruption of electricity, water services and telecommunications and closure of shops.

At the time the Sudanese foreign minister, Ali Karti, said that the situation in Libya has not yet reached the stage requiring the evacuation of its citizens.

Since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011, Libya's fragile government is unable to impose authority on groups of former rebels who refuse to disband and are allied with competing political factions battling for post-war dominance.

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August 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese markets are witnessing a new wave of price increases to food commodities despite the stability of the exchange rate against the US dollar at around 9.5 pounds (SDG).

FILE - Men wait to buy meat at the market in Khartoum, Sudan (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The prices of cooking oils went up along with onions, meat, milk and dairy products, which prompted the government to reduce the tax on imported oil by 30% in an attempt to rein in prices.

The price of a 16kg can of peanut oil rose to 550 SDG up from 170 SDG, while other kinds of cooking oils reached 450 SDG, with the exception of sesame oil which hit 800 SDG.

The Sudanese cabinet announced last Thursday that at the recommendation of the minister of finance and national economy that they are reducing the tax on cooking oils from 40 to 10% except palm oil.

The pro-government al-Rayaam newspaper quoted the chamber of industrial oils as blaming the government for the high oil prices and noting that it alerted the authorities three months ago about the looming crisis.

The chairman of the chamber said the situation is a result of speculation in the grain market as well as monopoly.

Head of the Chamber of Exporters Union Wagdy Mirghani hailed the cabinet decision, calling it a positive move and expressing hope that it will contribute to eliminating the shortage and return prices to normal levels.

He also denied any link between exports of oilseeds and the current crisis in cooking oil.

According to a bulletin issued by the Central Bureau of Statistics this month, the annual inflation rate in Sudan reached 46.8% in July, compared to 45.3% in June and 42% in May.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a report released last month that inflation is expected to drop sharply in 2014 to 18%, compared to 41.9% in 2013.

Double-digit inflation has been one of the most visible features of the Sudanese economy in recent years which suffered a shock after the secession of South Sudan which contained three quarters of oil reserves.

To makes matters worse, the government phased out subsidies twice in 2012 and 2013 on petroleum and food products, triggering demonstrations that were swiftly quelled.

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August 16, 2014 (NYALA) – The government of South Darfur state on Sunday has indefinitely extended the emergency order which was applied last month.

On 15 July, the governor of South Darfur state, Adam Mahmoud Jar al-Nabi, declared a one-month state of emergency in South Darfur state, including a curfew from 7pm to 7am in the capital, Nyala.

The state security committee decided on Friday to renew indefinitely the state of emergency and called on civilians to hand over any weapons they have in their possession.

The decision also banned riding of motorcycles by more than one person, vehicles driving around without license plates, and wearing a kadamool (a turban which covers the face).

It also prohibited tinted glasses on cars in Nyala even for government officials unless permission is being obtained from the traffic police. The decision further prevented firing of gunshots in social events in Nyala.

A special tribunal has been set up to investigate crimes, with residents supplied with phone numbers to contact authorities to report crimes and other violations of the emergency laws.

The security apparatus in South Darfur state stormed several IDP camps including al-Salam, Attash, and Diraig. Local authorities said the move comes within the framework of the emergency order in a bid to curb criminal activities carried out by armed gangs.

Darfur's joint peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) had expressed concern over government raids, saying it will apply several measures to alleviate its impact on camps residents.

IDP CAMPS TARGETED

Sudan Tribune has learned that the security committee at Baleel locality on Saturday allowed 15 heavily armed government vehicles to enter Kalma camp for displaced persons, 4km south of Nyala airport despite the opposition of the camp residents.

A situation of fear and panic had dominated over the camp residents until the armed vehicles left without searching or arresting anybody.

In 2008, Kalma residents denied government forces entry to the camp, prompting the latter to use military force, which led to the death of 49 people.

The commissioner of Nyala locality, Abdel-Rahman Hussein Mohamed Gardoud, said that more than 10 offenders were arrested inside Al-Salam camp, as well as large quantities of illegal drugs, weapons and ammunition.

He stressed that security situation achieved stabilisation rate of 90% as a result of applying the emergency order, pointing they would continue to implement these security measures until the situation has been stabilised.

Gardoud pointed that 198 suspects were tried for violating the security order as well as confiscating large quantities of illegal drugs, weapons, and ammunition.

In the same context, the localities of Baleel and Kass, which are located near Nyala, also announced the implementation of the emergency order.

The commissioner of Kass said that more than 83 suspects were arrested for breaching the emergency order, stressing they will be brought to trial within the coming days.

South Darfur state has witnessed a near total security breakdown in recent months with recurrent incidents of looting, banditry and murder including from pro-government militias.

Businessmen and commercial convoys in South Darfur are regularly attacked by armed gangs which demand ransom for their release.

Last month, unidentified gunmen killed the commissioner of Katila county in South Darfur, Abdallah Yassin, who was returning to his county from Nyala.

Robbers last month also stormed a mall in Nyala and stole a large sum of money before escaping in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

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August 17, 2014 (KAMPALA) – A coalition of Nuer students in Uganda has elected its new leadership to represent the Naath Universities and Colleges.

Newly elected union president Simon Marot Touloung said the leadership roles are about guiding and directing students and wider society on the right passage.

Touloung made the comments while speaking to hundreds of Nuer supporters in Kampala following Sunday's election.

Touloung said he will work to promote unity among Nuer students and encourage them to work together to bring peace in South Sudan, which has been embroiled in conflict since mid-December last year.

Deng Gai Gatluak, an observer for the Naath Universities and Colleges, told Sudan Tribune that the elections were free and fair and stood as an example to all of Africa.

“If all elections in Africa were conducted in such [a] manner the continent would have been championed for world democracy,” he said. “The students were mature enough to vote fairly without intimidating one another.”

He said four Ugandan polices tasked with monitoring the process were also impressed with the way students conducted themselves during the election.

Well-known South Sudanese musician Gordon Koang Duoth also attended the elections in Kampala, urging students to work for peace despite the loss of relatives at the genesis of the crisis, which initially broke out in the capital, Juba, before spreading to other regions.

“Jesus said ‘Love your enemies as you love yourself', but I find it
disturbing, when recalling the death of innocent civilians [when] comparing
with Jesus' quote,” said Duoth.

He also called on Nuer students from the west and east of the country to unite
under one umbrella in order to achieve lasting peace in South Sudan.

The chairman of an electoral commission of Naath Universities and Colleges Students' Union, Ter Manyang Gatwech, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the young nation, which sceded from neighbouring Sudan in 2011, is now facing immeasurable suffering as a result of parochialism, chauvinism and tribalism.

Gatwech said the country's only hope was for new generation to encourage development and embrace democratic change.

The newly elected appointees for the Naath Universities and Colleges Union in Uganda are as follows:

Simon Marot Touloung, president
Gatkek Gony Chok, speaker
Thoal Riik, secretary-general
Nyarik Isaac Doyak, finance minister
Gai James Kai, legal affairs secretary

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August 17, 2014 (KAMPALA) – Rebels from South Sudan's Unity state claimed they have withdrawn from a 2km zone around the twin towns of Bentiu and Rubkotna after government forces launched attacks on their positions in Guit, Nhialdiu and Kaljak on Friday.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) disembark from a pick-up truck in Unity state capital Bentiu on 12 January 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

Speaking by satellite phone on Sunday from an undisclosed location, Mayom county MP Peter Dak Khan told Sudan Tribune that rebel fighters had been forced to retaliate after frequent attacks by pro-government forces.

He said rebel forces had now surrounded the town, warning of further strikes on the town should the South Sudanese army (SPLA) launch any further attacks.

“We have not gone very far, we are around Bentiu, but we are only coming back when they (the SPLA) attack our position,” said Khan.

The rebel group claim it remains committed to achieving a peaceful settlement to the eight-month-long conflicts, accusing the government of failing to implement a January ceasefire agreement by launching attacks on their positions in several locations across Unity state.

On Friday, rebel forces claimed to have captured both towns after flushing out government troops east of Rubkotna county.

Many residents sheltering at the UN camp in the town have confirmed the presence of rebel fighters since Friday to Sudan Tribune.

Conflicting reports have emerged following the latest outbreak of violence in Unity state, with both sides claiming to be in control of the towns.

A senior government official in the ruling party (SPLM) from Unity state has blamed rebels for violating the cessation of hostilities agreement.

“Everything like foods, heavy weapons and big trucks loaded with fuel are all looted by rebels. The rebels are still close with us anytime we will engage in fighting. They have not gone very far,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

According to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), fighting broke out between 6:30am and 9:00am (local time) on Friday, involving the use of heavy, sustained small arms and artillery fire, which could be heard to the south-east of its base in Bentiu. One artillery shell reportedly exploded next to the UN base without harm.

It has condemned the latest violence, urging both parties to remain calm and refrain from further military action that may harm civilians in the area or impede humanitarian access.

One resident from the UN camp in Rubkotna told Sudan Tribune that rebel forces had apparently disappeared 12 hours after capturing both towns, with the SPLA reappearing on Saturday following the withdrawal.

Oil-rich Unity state has been a flashpoint for violence since the conflict erupted in mid-December last year following a political dispute within the SPLM, with Bentiu changing hands several times at the height of the crisis.

Thousands of civilians were forced to abandon homes after heavy fighting between pro-government and opposition forces in the Upper Nile region, which has been hard-hit by the conflict.

The latest fighting erupted a day after a delegation from the UN Security Council visited the country.

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Rival S. Sudan forces trade accusations over fresh clashes
Heavy fighting breaks out in South Sudan as sanctions loom

August 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese security forces Sunday prevented activists and opponents from handing a memorandum against human rights and public freedoms violations in Sudan to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Sunday.

Protesters including families of political detainees, youth of the opposition umbrella of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) took their placards and memo to the NHRC premises in Khartoum Two where they were met with a heavy police presence around the building.

They activists chanted slogans calling to release the head of the Sudanese Congress Party Ibrahim al-Sheikh, the deputy leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), Meriam al-Mahdi and a detained journalist Hassan Ishaq .

The security forces barred the activists from entering into the headquarters of the national rights body to hand their memo. The letter enumerates cases of detained activists and opponents and violations of the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly in the country.

Also, officials from the independent human rights organ failed to persuade the security forces to allow the protesters to deliver their message.

Following the crackdown of rights and research centres in December 2012, Sudanese security had already prevented protesters from handing a memo to the rights commission.

At the time, the NHRC issued a statement condemning the move and described it as “a flagrant violation of the Interim Constitution of 2005 and the National Human Rights Commission Act of 2009." It further said the ban represents “an attack on the integrity of the Commission and its immunity".

The committee for solidarity with political detainees organised a press conference following the protest at the headquarters of the opposition Haq party to condemn the ban of their peaceful protest.

The deputy secretary-general of the Congress Party Malik Abu al-Hassan told reporters that they were prevented by the security agents who ordered them to evacuate the area and “refused to listen to two NHRC's members Mohamed al-Fatih and Mohamed Ahmed al-Shaieb who demanded to allow us to deliver our memo”.

Abu al-Hassan further read a the text of the memo which denounces “the terrible regression of human rights in Sudan” particularly the freedom of expression. The memo also expressed their concern about the conditions of political detainees, stressing that al-Sheikh's heath has deteriorated sharply.

Also al-Sheikh's wife, Amani Malik, said they were allowed visit him and found him in bad conditions, adding that he is held in solitary confinement.

The leader of the Congress Party is detained since two months in Al-Foula prison in West Kordofan. He had been transferred to Khartoum for medical reasons and was returned by the security forces there.

Also spoke at the press conference, a daughter of the NUP leader, Rabah al-Mahdi. She denounced the detention of her sister and deputy chairman, Meriam al-Mahdi, after her return from a meeting with rebel groups in Paris.

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August 18, 2014 (RUMBEK) – Targeted killings are on the rise across Rumbek, the capital of South Sudan's Lakes state, with seven people losing their lives since Sunday.

The killings occurred in Rumbek Central, Cueibet and Rumbek East counties, police are yet to detain any suspects.

State security agents have blamed poor relations with host communities who remain reluctant to share information on crime-related matters.

The criminal investigation department (CID) has confirmed that the killings were carried out by unknown gunmen and unnecessary road ambushes have increased.

The officer who spoke on condition for anonymity said that four people killed by unknown gunmen in separate incidents in Rumbek Central and Rumbek East counties on Sunday.

According to the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, two people were killed on Tuesday in Makuragar village near Akot payam (district)while they were farming , with another two people killed in Timkuac and Ayen cattle camp respectively .

Meanwhile, three people were killed in a suspected revenge attack in Cueibet county's Toch Panpouth village.

Panpouth, in Pagor payam, is located in the northern part of Cueibet county, about 70km from Cueibet town.

Thousands of cows belonging to Rumbek North county cattle owners residing in Rumbek Central county were seen being driven away by police on Saturday as part of efforts to quell ongoing insecurity in the state.

MPs and community leaders representing Rumbek North county in the state legislative assembly protested the decision, saying ethic communities were being deliberately targeted and isolated.

Meanwhile, pastoralist youth from Rumbek North county have herded their cows into Rumbek town to escape floods affecting the remote cattle camp of Maper county, about 120km from Rumbek Central.

MP and former minister for information Marik Nanga Marik said the decision had isolated the Pakam community from the state government.

There are growing calls for South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir, to relieve Lakes state's military caretaker governor, Matur Chut Dhuol, from his position, but these calls have so far been overlooked.

Local police say state authorities have become increasingly isolated, with the public refusing to share information with law enforcement officers, making in difficult to investigate killings and maintain law and order in the region.