September 11, 2017 (JUBA) - The United States proposed to impose an international arms embargo on South Sudan if there is no positive development in the implementation of the peace agreement, diplomatic sources told Sudan Tribune..

Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally in in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., July 29, 2016. (Reuters Photo)

The proposal was made during a joint meeting for the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council held in Addis Ababa on 8 September 2017.

The meeting, which discussed different conflicts including Somalia, South Sudan, and central Africa countries, was briefed by UN special envoy to the AU, Haile Menkerios, about the poor implementation of the peace agreement and underlined that the 2018 elections can only be held if the security situation is stable.

Menkerios who was the former UN envoy for Sudan and South Sudan also said the dialogue process launched by President Salva Kiir is not a substitute to the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCRSS) of August 2015.

For his part, the U.S. diplomat who represented his country at the meeting said the ARCRSS should be fully implemented before to hold general elections in South Sudan.

In addition, he proposed that if things did not change, further targeted sanctions and an arms embargo may be needed in order to get the parties to change their behaviour.

However, the Russian delegate objected the proposal saying such punitive measures are ineffective pointing that there are plenty of illegal weapons in the new country.

For their part, the members of the African Union Peace and Security members pointed to the need to hold the revitalization process decided by the IGAD countries last June.

In November 2016, the U.S demanded the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Malong and Minister Lueth for hampering the peace process in the world's youngest nation. But the draft resolution was vetoed by the Russian and Chinese envoys at the Security Council

The armed opposition faction (SPLM-IO) leader, also the country's former First Vice President, Riek Machar was also on the rejected list.

Last week, the U.S Treasury Department decided to blacklist Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the deputy chief of defence for logistics in the SPLA and three companies reportedly he established abroad. Further, the sanctions include Paul Malong, the former army chief who was dismissed in May; and Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth.

In July 2015, the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on six South Sudanese generals accused of fuelling conflict in the world's youngest nation. The generals, three from each side of the conflict, were meant to face global travel bans and asset freezes.

South Sudan's civil war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million people since it broke out in mid-December 2013.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (JUBA) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on that Monday it has suspended operations in South Sudan's Equatoria region following last week's killing of a staff member.

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)

Lukudu Kennedy Laki, a truck driver, was reportedly killed after unknown gunmen shot at a convoy of nine trucks and one vehicle.

ICRC's spokesperson, Mari Aftret Mortvert said the move was to allow the agency assess the security situation in the war-torn nation.

"For now our movements have stopped in the Equatoria region. We are just trying to understand and try to investigate what happened, but is too early to go into details of when, where and how we would go and move further into our activities," Mortvert told Xinhua.

He said the agency has also launched an investigation into the death of Lukudu.

Under international humanitarian law, intentional attacks against humanitarian relief personnel may constitute war crimes.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million displaced since conflict broke out in South Sudan in 2013. More than 80 aid workers have reportedly been killed in South Sudan since December 2013.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (JUBA)- South Sudan's government has protested the imposition of sanctions placed on key officials, summoning the U.S. charge d'affaires in Juba to protest targetted sanctions on government officials.

Ambassador Phee presenting her credentials to President Salva Kiir on 23 July 2015 (Photo US Embassy Juba)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman told reporters on Monday that the ministry has summoned the U.S. charge d'affaires in South Sudan, Michael K. Morrow, to lodge a formal protest against recent sanctions.

“We believe sanctions are not the best ways to address the issues. There are many ways and one of the ways is through the revitalization of the peace agreement which is being handled by IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) and the national dialogue which has been launched by the leadership of the country. These are forums through which stakeholders can participate and the solution can come out from these discussions,” said foreign spokesman Mawien Makol.

The South Sudanese diplomat further said the government is not happy with the actions of the United States and was the reason it called the US representative to convey the message for onward delivery.

He described relations between the two countries and people as good and therefore wanted to know the reasons for imposing sanctions without seeking the views of the government before taking actions.

Last Wednesday the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday, Sept. 6 imposed sanctions and travel ban that include an asset freeze on South Sudan's deputy defence chief, Malek Reuben, the information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth and the ex-military chief of staff, Paul Malong.

Washington said the sanctions were imposed on the two government officials and the former general for their alleged roles in destabilizing the African nation and “enriching” themselves through corruption.

Two days later on 8 September in a joint meeting of the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, the American diplomats raised again the imposition of a UN arms embargo on the South Sudan.

Washington blames Juba for not implementing the peace agreement signed in August 2015. During the joint meeting, U.S. diplomats also supported the idea that elections should not be held next year before the full implementation of the IGAD brokered deal.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Minister of Health Bahar Idris Abu Garda Monday said the “Acute Watery Diarrhoea” (AWD) cases in east Jebel Marra area, South Darfur state have declined significantly, pointing that the daily average of incidents falls between 4 to 5 cases.

Last week, the government of South Darfur set up a high-level body to work alongside the state health ministry's emergency committee to tackle the AWD that has hit large parts of the state.

On Saturday, Abu Garda arrived in South Darfur in an emergency visit to inspect the situation following the rise of AWD cases.

He told reporters on Monday that he inspected the situation on the ground, saying “the situation is reassuring and under control”.

The minister pointed out that the daily incidents cases have declined to 4 or 5 cases in most of the East Jebel Marra areas, saying he visited the Darabat and Liba areas to inspect the situation on the ground.

He stressed that all the required medicines that have been dispatched from Khartoum were received at Darabat and Liba, vowing to address any shortage of medical supplies immediately.

Abu Garda further commended the medical personnel for their work to tackle the disease in all areas around Jebel Marra including areas under the control of the rebel movements.

Dozens of people were killed, especially in the localities of East Jabel Marra, Ed al-Fursan, Katyla, Kass, and Bielel, as well as a number of neighbourhoods in Nyala, capital of South Darfur.

Sudanese health authorities refuse to declare a suspected outbreak of cholera an epidemic despite the death of 657 people and infection of 30762 others since August 2016 when it appeared in the Blue Nile state.

They insist that the disease is the Acute Watery Diarrhea.

In a joint report released last August, the Sudanese ministry of health and the World Health Organization (WHO) project additional 36,000 to 40,000 AWD cases over the next six to nine months.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (EL-FASHER) - The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on Monday denied allegations of “improper handover” of team sites in North Darfur.

On Saturday, two Darfur armed groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), accused the Mission of handing over two former bases in North Darfur state to the notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.

They said the Mission gave its bases in Maleet and Malha areas of North Darfur state to the RSF militia in flagrant breach to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the UNIMID.

However, in a statement released on Monday, the Mission denied the allegations, saying the “closed team sites have been handed over to the Government of Sudan or appropriate private parties as per lease agreements signed by the Mission”.

Referring to the UN Security Council resolution 2363, the Mission said its “priorities in Darfur remain the same—protecting civilians, facilitating access and security for humanitarian actors and working to ameliorate the root causes of communal conflict”.

“In line with the mandate, the Mission is reducing the number of military, police and civilian personnel, and has earmarked 11 team sites for closure across Darfur” read the statement.

“Four team sites have been closed to date: Malha, Mellit and Um Kadada, North Darfur, and Muhajeria, East Darfur. Seven team sites are yet to be closed. These are Abu Shouk, Tine, Habila, Forobaranga, Tulus, Eid Al Fursan and Zam Zam” the Mission added.

Last June, the African Union and the United Nations decided to draw down the UNAMID) by withdrawing the military personnel by 44% and that of the police component by 30%, the closure of 11 team sites in the first phase and the withdrawal of the military component from another 7 team sites in the second phase.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict, and over 2.5 million were displaced.

The hybrid mission has been deployed in Darfur since December 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the western Sudan's region.

It is the world's second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The head of Sudan's parliamentary subcommittee on industry and commerce Abdalla Ali Masar has disclosed significant decline in the exports of the Gum Arabic.

Sudanese workers collect pieces of gum arabic at a factory in Khartoum (Photo AFP)

Gum arabic is a resin that is used as an emulsifier in sodas, a thickener in candies, a binder in some inks and drugs, and as even a foam stabilizer in beer.

Last June, the secretary-general of the Gum Arabic Council (GAC) Abdel-Magid Abdel-Gader, said revenues from exports of the gum Arabic in the first half of this year amounted to $45 million.

However, Masar pointed out that the gum Arabic exports have declined from 100,000 to 12,000 tonnes during the past years.

Speaking at a forum held at the National Assembly Monday, Masar described the drop in the gum Arabic exports as “dangerous matter”.

He accused the merchants and brokers of inflicting great harm on the producers, saying they purchase the gum Arabic from the actual producers at the very cheap price while selling the product at a much higher rate in international markets.

Masar called on the government to establish a central market for the gum as well as establishing a commodity exchange market to determine the price in comparison to international prices.

He revealed that 6 million people are currently working in the gum Arabic sector including 1,5 million women, saying the government must provide them with services to increase production.

Masar added the country has the potential to produce 500,000 tonnes annually.
For his part, the Minister of Commerce Hatim al-Sir Ali said the government plans to increase gum Arabic production as well as expanding its domestic use.

He pledged to take administrative and security measures to curb activities of the “gum Arabic smuggling mafia”, saying the government will “cut off the hands of smugglers”.

According to government data, more than 45,000 tonnes of gum Arabic have smuggled to neighbouring countries annually.

The Parliament speaker Ibrahim Ahmed Omer, for his part, accused unknown foreign parties of smuggling the raw gum Arabic for manufacturing purposes, saying they gain billions of U.S. dollars.

Also, the Minister of Industry, Musa Karama, has criticized the finance policy of the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) for the traditional agricultural sector, describing it as “primitive”.

Sudan is the world's largest single producer of gum Arabic. It produces at least 80 percent of the world's gum Arabic supply.

Consumers of the product include the United States, which imports about one fourth of the Sudanese output under a rare exemption of otherwise fairly strict US economic sanctions.

September 11, 2017 (JUBA) – The United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart has called for an end to the bloodshed in South Sudan, where tens of thousands have died since December 2013.

UK minister for Africa, Rory Stewart (Daily mail)

Stewart made this remarks during last week's visit to the South Sudanese capital, Juba and the Upper Nile state capital, Malakal.

Since the beginning of the South Sudanese conflict, UK has been providing lifesaving support to people affected by the conflict.

The conflict in South Sudan, aid agencies say, has forced nearly 4 million people, or a third of the population, to flee their homes.

It also estimated that more than half of the population in South Sudan lack enough food to feed themselves and their families.

The UK official, while in South Sudan, appealed to the government to stop the conflict that has raged on for nearly four years now.

“The impact the conflict has had on the lives of so many vulnerable people here is shocking. I am proud to see the UK at the forefront of the international response, saving and protecting lives in South Sudan,” said Stewart in a statement.

He added, “It is vital that we now work with the international community and all armed parties to commit to a peace process, and to tackling the underlying causes of conflict to break this vicious cycle of violence so that no more innocent lives are lost.”

While in Juba, Stewart met First Vice President, Taban Deng during which he reportedly conveyed the UK's deep concern at the ongoing violence and grave humanitarian situation in South Sudan and urged the Juba government to take the lead to bring an immediate end to violent conflict across the war-torn nation.

He also emphasized the importance of safe humanitarian access to the conflict-affected areas and pressed the government to take concrete steps to involve all groups in the peace process.

During his Upper Nile state visit, the senior UK official reiterated Britain's commitment to the success of the UN Mission to South Sudan (UNMISS), adding that the UK, with the largest deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission, is helping UNMISS fulfil its mandate of protecting civilians, allowing humanitarian access, investigating human rights abuses and supporting the peace deal.

The UK official also held discussions with UN Special Representative of Secretary General, David Shearer, to discuss the security and political situation in South Sudan, in addition to meeting members South Sudan Council of Churches to hear their peace action plan.

The UK minister encouraged the Council of Churches to continue with their on-going work at community level and reiterated the UK's commitment to supporting South Sudan in urgently finding a resolution to this terrible conflict before more lives are destroyed.

This year, the UK will reportedly provide £100 million on a package of lifesaving support that includes reaching over 500,000 people with food assistance, providing safe drinking water for over 300,000 people and emergency health services for over 100,000 people.

(ST)

September 11, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir and the head of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Ali-al-Haj discussed Tuesday an initiative the latter has launched to end the war in Sudan.

Al-Haj who succeeded the late Hassan al-Turabi after longs years of exile in Germany met recently with various political forces inside the country to explain his plan for peace in Sudan.

The Darfuria politician wants to use his knowledge of the crisis and relations with the armed groups to bridge the gaps between them and the Sudanese government.

In press statements after the meeting, al-Haj said his initiative to end war comes within the ongoing efforts to support the outcome of the national dialogue.

"The meeting touched on a number of issues in the political arena," he further said and disclosed that he would reach out the hold out armed groups to join the process of national dialogue.

The opposition Sudan Call forces refused to join the government-led dialogue process because they want the government to ensure freedoms and hold a preparatory meeting brokered by the African Union mediation team to determine the agenda of the dialogue process.

The government went on with the process and adopted its recommendations without them. Now, Khartoum, which is committed to a unilateral cessation of hostilities, proposes they join the parliamentary process to participate in the preparation of constitutional reforms.

The Sudanese presidency didn't issue a statement declaring its support to the initiative but it was reported that al-Bashir approved al-Haj efforts which come within the framework of the dialogue process.

He already met with the National Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi and the Secretary General of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Mohamed Mukhtar al-Khatib.

The PCP was hostile to the African Union-led process and refused its calls to take part in meetings and consultations held outside the country with the Sudanese political forces. It is not clear if, al-Haj plans to meet the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki or the international facilitators.

(ST)

By Ahmed H Adam

Tensions between the Sudanese regime and militia commander Sheikh Musa Hilal has reached a tipping point in recent weeks.

On July 20, Sudanese Vice President Hassabo Abdel Rahman announced the launch of a disarmament campaign to confiscate weapons and unlicensed vehicles across Darfur. In response, Hilal made a number of inflammatory statements, saying that the disarmament campaign aimed to eliminate him and threatened military action against it. As the commander of the Border Guards militia, he currently has around 3,000 men based in an enclave under his control in North Darfur.

The situation could easily escalate and trigger a new phase of war and chaos in Darfur and threaten the capital Khartoum. Controlling Hilal would be difficult and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir does not have many options to do so.

Who is Musa Hilal?

Musa Hilal was involved in the founding of the notorious Janjaweed, a loose group of armed militias which have fought since 2003 alongside the Sudanese government in its brutal war in Darfur. He is also the Sheikh (tribal leader) of the Mahamid clan of the Rizeigat Arab tribe of northern Darfur.

Hilal was recruited by Bashir's regime to organise and lead the Janjaweed to fight against the Darfuri armed groups of the black African tribes of Darfur. Land, money and power were the incentives that Bashir offered the commander and his militiamen to fight on his side. Throughout the 14 years of conflict, Hilal was insisting that he was defending his people and the country against the armed movements.

The Janjaweed and its sub-group, the Border Guards militia, committed heinous crimes against the black African tribes of Darfur, for which the UN Security Council imposed sanctions on Hilal in April 2006. According to Human Rights Watch, "Hilal and his men played an integral role in the two-year campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed militia."

In July 2004, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1556 demanding that the Sudanese government disarm and disband the Janjaweed and bring their leaders to justice. Defying the United Nations, Bashir not only did not disband the militias but also in 2013 ended up incorporating the fighters into the Central Reserve Police, Border Guards and the newly created Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Thus, the Borders Guards and the RSF are just different names for the Janjaweed.

Hilal was also a member of Bashir's ruling National Congress Party and held a seat in the Sudanese parliament. In 2008, Bashir appointed him special adviser for the ministry of federal governance.

In 2016, a confidential UN report surfaced in the media revealing that Hilal was making $54m a year exploiting unregulated gold mines in Jebel Amer in North Darfur. The Sudanese army had effectively given away the area to his forces by withdrawing in 2013 to avoid clashes.

The rift

The rift started in mid-2013 when Hilal left Khartoum angry that the regime was ignoring his political demands. He returned to his hometown of Mustariaha in North Darfur. The situation deteriorated further when Bashir appointed the second most prominent Border Guard commander, Hamdan Hemeti, field commander of the RSF, which is attached directly to the presidency.

In 2014, Hilal withdrew from the ruling party and established the Awakening (El Sahaw) Revolutionary Council to serve as a political body representing his interests. The council also has an administrative and judicial role in the areas controlled by Hilal in Darfur.

Since his relations with the ruling regime soured, Hilal has accused the Sudanese security agencies of attempting to assassinate him several times. He has also repeatedly said that Bashir did not treat him fairly and did not reward him for the sacrifices that he made when he fought with the government against the armed rebellion in Darfur.

Hilal crossed the regime's redlines by establishing contact with the Libyan General Khalifa Haftar.

In recent weeks, Hilal has escalated his war of words against some of the government's officials, accusing them of corruption, conspiracy and betrayal. He has mainly attacked Vice President Abdel Rahman and General Hemeti. In a widely circulated video, Hilal accused the two men of stealing millions of dollars that Saudi Arabia and the UAE offered the Sudanese government for its participation in the war in Yemen.

Hilal has opposed the deployment of the RSF militia in Yemen and has been openly calling on his fellow tribesmen not to go and fight there. Most importantly, Hilal crossed the regime's redlines by establishing contact with the Libyan General Khalifa Haftar. The Sudanese government considers Haftar an enemy and has accused him of supporting armed groups to destabilise Darfur. For his part, General Haftar has repeatedly accused the Sudanese government of supporting his opponents in Libya. Last month, the government arrested many of Hilal's militiamen, including his personal guard, as they were entering Darfur from Libya.

A military threat

It is evident that Hilal has become a real problem for Bashir and his inner circle, posing a real military and political threat. He is also a judicial and legal liability for Bashir, as he possesses a lot of important information and evidence about the early stages of the Darfur conflict.

Nevertheless, the regime is not in a good position to confront Hilal militarily, as its armed forces and militias are over-stretched. These forces are currently deployed around the capital city Khartoum to defend it against any potential rebel attack and in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthi rebel group.

Furthermore, the government fears that any confrontation with Hilal might trigger massive defections from the RSF. Many reliable sources confirm that General Hemeti is reluctant to implement the government's disarmament plan in Darfur and is avoiding any military confrontation with Hilal.

Some elements within Hilal's group are urging him to confront the government militarily, but he is also wary of starting an outright rebellion. He knows that his stronghold in Mastarhia in North Darfur is surrounded by many government military bases and that the government enjoys air force supremacy. Therefore, Hilal would not confront the government willingly unless he secures the full support of President Idriss Deby of Chad (the husband of Hilal's daughter) and the Libyan General Haftar.

Bashir's options

It is obvious that Hilal is an angry man; he has repeatedly expressed his bitterness and dissatisfaction with Bashir for not rewarding him properly. Thus, the current tensions are essentially about power and money and do not reflect a genuine change of heart for Hilal or his total break with his criminal past. He never apologised for his crimes and it is unlikely that he all of a sudden started feeling remorse.

That is why Hilal chooses his words carefully; he has never openly attacked Bashir or the Sudanese army. On the contrary, he keeps repeating that his Border Guards militia is still a part of the Sudanese armed forces.

It is, therefore, likely that Bashir will eventually try to contain Hilal by offering him concessions in terms of power and resources as he has done many times in the past. It is possible that he is considering removing Vice President Abdel Rahman to defuse tensions and offering Hilal a say over certain political appointments at the state and federal levels of government. He might also be granted full access to the Jebel Amer area to continue extracting gold undisturbed.

Bashir may also just let Hilal's Border Guards and Hemeti's RSF fight it out and weaken each other. As the Darfuri armed rebellion diminished in recent years and the services of the pro-government Janjaweed militias (like Hilal's) are no longer needed, they logically pose a security threat to Bashir's regime. Infighting is the perfect solution to the problem, from the regime's perspective.
But as Bashir tries to reign in the very militiamen he empowered 14 years ago, some two million internally displaced persons are still languishing in camps, living in dire conditions. The cholera epidemic, which the government has not publicly acknowledged, has affected thousands and claimed hundreds of lives.

Shifting regional dynamics, including the Gulf crisis, General Haftar's growing strength in Libya and Chad's decision to break off relations with Qatar, could spill over to Darfur and worsen the crisis. Sudan urgently needs a comprehensive peace plan and a well-managed political transition to democratic government. This is the only way to avert the risk of renewed conflict or disintegration, which could have disastrous consequences for regional and international peace and security.

Ahmed H Adam is a Research Associate at SOAS' School of Law, University of London.This article was originally published on Aljazeera English.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE

12 September 2017

Egypt: Release 24 Nubian activists detained after protest calling for respect of their cultural rights

Egyptian authorities should immediately release 24 Nubian activists arrested after the police violently dispersed their peaceful protest in Aswan governorate on 3 September, Amnesty International said today. The detained activists, who had been protesting in support of the Nubian Indigenous people's cultural rights and to call for their return to their homelands in the south of Egypt, are due to appear in court tomorrow, 13 September.

Successive Egyptian governments have forcibly displaced Nubians from their traditional lands for development projects, posing a threat to the preservation of their cultural, historical and linguistic identity. In the aftermath of the 2011 uprising, Nubian activists grew more organized and vocal in articulating their demands. Their lobbying resulted in a new provision in the 2014 Egyptian constitution that recognizes their right to return.

“Egyptian authorities have long since marginalized Nubians, ignoring their demands to return to their historical lands and treating Nubian activism as suspicious on security grounds,” said Najia Bounaim Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director.

“Instead of flagrantly flouting Nubians' rights to freedom of expression and assembly by continuing to detain them over their peaceful protest, the authorities must release these 24 activists from custody immediately.”

Activists from the Nubian community in Aswan called for a protest under the slogan of “the Nubian Assembly Day” on 3 September. The group sang Nubian songs during the protest and called for the implementation of the right to return to their historical lands, following waves of internal displacement between 1912 and 1964. Protesters also called on the authorities to repeal a presidential decree (number 444 of 2014) that classified 16 villages on traditional Nubian lands as military zones and prohibited residents from living there.

Protesters had just gathered and marched 500 meters in al-Guzzayra square in downtown Aswan when security forces surrounded them, beating male and female participants. Police arrested 24 of the men and took them to al-Shalal Security Forces camp in Aswan. They were not allowed access to their families or lawyers. The day after their arrest, prosecutors arrived at the camp and interrogated the men in the absence of their lawyers. Prosecutors ordered their detention for four days on charges of “participating in an unauthorized protest” and “possessing publications harmful to national unity and public safety”, the latter in reference to flyers and banners the activists had carried.

A judge was due to review the detention order on 6 September, but the police failed to bring the 24 activists to the court and the session was adjourned to 13 September. In protest at the postponement, the detainees announced a hunger strike from 6 to 9 September. On 7 September the detainees were prevented from receiving visits from family members and lawyers.

Nubian activist Ayat Osman told Amnesty International that her parents, along with other families of detainees, had managed to obtain a permit from prosecutors to visit their detained relatives. On 7 September, when they arrived at the detention facility, to visit her brother, however, a police officer refused to allow them to visit him and ordered them to leave.

This is not the first time security forces have dispersed peaceful gatherings of Nubian activists. On 19 November 2016, police stopped a peaceful march in support of the community's human rights and encircled protesters for several hours without food or water until they were forced to leave.

The displacement of Nubians has had huge socioeconomic consequences for the community. It has meant they are often no longer able to work in agriculture as they were forcibly moved from their old villages on the banks of Nile River to desert areas that lacked the necessary water and fertile soil.

The Egyptian Ministry of Education has also not allowed schools in the far south of Egypt to teach the Nubian language despite the demands of Nubian residents. Nubian rights activist Fatma Emam told Amnesty International that the forced assimilation of Nubians in Arabic speaking communities has prevented the community from effectively maintaining the language.

The 2014 Egyptian constitution recognizes the Nubian Indigenous people's “right to return” to their original lands. Article 236 obliges the government to design an economic development plan for marginalized border areas, including Nuba near Egypt‘s southern borders. The provision also obliges the government to carry out projects to facilitate the return of Nubians to their original lands and their development.

“For years, the authorities have dispossessed Nubians, displacing them from their historical lands and interfering with their enjoyment of their cultural rights. These practices and the continued reluctance of Egypt's authorities to allow Nubians to return to their lands are contrary to the country's own constitution as well as its international obligations,” said Najia Bounaim Amnesty International's North Africa Campaigns Director.

Public Document

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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

Sara Hashash, MENA Media Manager in London on sara.hashash@amnesty.org or call +44 207 413 5511

or contact Amnesty International's press office on +44 20 7413 5566 or +44 (0)77 7847 2126

email: press@amnesty.org twitter: @amnestypress

September 12, 2017 (JUBA) - The former South Sudanese army chief of staff General Paul Malong Awan said Tuesday he has no regrets for the role he played in the four-year conflict resulting in him being put on a watch list by the United States, saying he was defending the Constitution and the interest of the country.

SPLA Chief of General Staff, Gen. Paul Malong Awan (C) is visiting his farms in his homeland of Warawar in Aweil East State on 7 May 2016 (Photo Moses Lomayat)

On the 6 September, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)of the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted Awan and two other government officials for their alleged role in undermining peace and stability in South Sudan.

General Awan, a former ally of President Salva Kiir told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday he was executing his duties in accordance with the Constitution and the will of the people of South Sudan.

“Yes, I was the chief of staff and the duties of the chief of staff are in the SPLA act, which is consistent and subordinate to the Constitution. I was, therefore, executing my duties as any other chief of staff do in other countries. If this is what I am blamed for, then I have no regrets. I was doing the right thing, I know. The Constitution is there; check what the duties of the chief of staff are and tell me,” said Awan.

The OFAC blamed Awan for his role in the eruption of the conflict in December 2013 saying his action led to "the indiscriminate killing of many innocent civilians" in and near Juba. Also, he was accused of planning to undermine the August 2015 peace deal ordering attacks on the SPLA-IO position in the Upper Nile state.

According to the US administration, he ordered the 10 July 2016 attack on the residence of the former FVP Riek Machar and the base of his troops in Jebel area in Juba. The OFAC said he conducted this attack "knowingly countermanding orders from President Salva Kiir". Further, the accusations included obstructing humanitarian assistance and activities of the peacekeepers.

Also, Awan denied benefiting from the war, saying he did not acquire anything new while serving as the army chief of staff.

“People who know me knows I have not acquired anything new when took over the command of the SPLA. All the things they are talks like the house in Uganda, I acquired before I became the chief of staff. It was way back, long time ago. The documents are there for people to see,” he said

The sacked general said he was now a normal citizen and should be allowed to tend to his private life than continuing to associate him with public affairs.

Last May, President Salva Kiir relieved Awan from his position as army chief and put him confinement in Juba. Recently, he denied allowing him to travel to Nairobi after the death of his daughter there.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has seized copies of Al-Tayyar newspaper on Tuesday for the second time in the same week.

On Saturday, the NISS confiscated print runs of Al-Tayyar for publishing an interview with the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu.

Journalists working for Al-Tayyar told Sudan Tribune that NISS officer arrived at the printing house at 4:30 am (local time) on Tuesday and ordered to confiscate the print runs.

They pointed out that the financial loss is estimated at 100,000 pounds (SDG) (about $4600).

The same journalists said the NISS informed the editorial board of the newspaper that the seizure was due to publishing a column under the title “A new Revenge Campaign” by Asma Guma'a in which she criticized an expected move to establish a religious group to enforce Sharia law on behalf of the state in respect to moral behavior.

In June 2012, the NISS suspended al-Tayyar indefinitely and allowed it to reopen in March 2014 upon a ruling of the Constitutional Court. However, it suspended the newspaper again on December 15, 2015.

However, Sudan's Constitutional Court in May 2016 ordered to allow Al-Tayyar to resume publishing.

Following the lift of pre-publication censorship, the NISS started punishing newspapers retroactively by seizing copies of newspapers that breach unwritten red lines inflicting financial and moral losses on these media houses.

In February 2015, it seized copies of 14 newspapers from printing press without giving reasons.

Journalists say the NISS uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

In July 2016, Al-Taghyeer newspaper decided to suspend publishing and laid off its staff following large financial loss incurred due to repeated confiscations.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North led by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu (SPLM/N al-Hilu) said a delegation from the Movement has discussed the humanitarian file in the Two Areas with western officials and aid groups in Addis Ababa.

Mbeki speaks to participants at the inaugral session of Strategic Consultations Meeting in Addis Ababa on 18 March 2016 (AUHIP Photo)

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one in the Nuba Mountains led by al-Hilu and the other in the White Nile State led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other issues.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Tuesday, SPLM-N al-Hilu spokesperson Arno Ngutulu Lodi said a delegation from the Movement travelled to Addis Ababa at the invitation of the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP), pointing it held intensive meetings from 28 August to 5 September.

He pointed out that the delegation met with senior aides to the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan on 4 September, saying they briefed the American officials on the recent political developments within the Movement.

According to Lodi, the meeting agenda was dominated by the discussions on the humanitarian situation in areas under the Movement control in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

He added that “constructive dialogue” was conducted with the U.S. officials on the American proposal for delivering the humanitarian assistance to the needy population in the Two Areas.

In a bid to break the deadlock in the peace talks between the Sudanese government and SPLM-N, the former U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth last November proposed that the USAID will deliver medical humanitarian aid to the civilians in the rebel held areas by air directly after its inspection from the government.

The SPLM-N declined the proposal insisting on the need to transport 20% of the humanitarian aid directly from Ethiopian border town of Asosa to the rebel areas.

Lodi added the Movement delegation on 30 August met with the British and Norway Special Envoys to Sudan, saying the meeting discussed the internal developments within the Movement as well as the humanitarian situation in the Two Areas.

He pointed out that the delegation also held three meetings with the AUHIP, saying the meetings discussed the negotiations process sponsored by the African Union and the international partners.

Lodi added the delegation on 30 August met with the representatives of the human dialogue organization, saying they also discussed the humanitarian issue with the UN Secretary- General Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom.

He pointed out that the delegation held two separate meetings with the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to Lodi, the meetings discussed the humanitarian situation in the Two Areas as well as the best ways to deliver assistance to the needy population.

He added the delegation also met with representatives from the internal groups of the opposition umbrella Sudan Call besides the Movement members in Addis Ababa.
The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (JUBA) - Referring to the SPLM founder and former leader, South Sudan President Salva Kiir Tuesday underscored that secularism was part of the war of liberation, saying religion was a relationship between God and individual.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation at the South Sudan National Parliament in Juba, November 18, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Jok Solomon)

“Our chairman, late John Garang de Mabior used to say that religion was a relationship between individual and God, I which agree, because when you go and pray, you pray for own issues, not everybody. But when you are in the government, you serve everybody. So there is a need to make this very clear so that it is not confused”, said president Kiir shortly after presiding over the swearing function of the presidential adviser on Islamic affairs in the country at the presidency.

Sheikh Juma Said Ali whom he appointed last week took an oath of office on Tuesday in a function administered by the chief justice, Chan Reec Madut. Sheikh Juma replaced the late El-Tahir Bior Lueth who passed away on the 13th of February, 2017.

The Sheikh's nomination for the position followed wide consultations within and among South Sudanese Muslim community to decide who should be their representatives as well as with other stakeholders participating in the coalition government.

The new presidential adviser appealed to all the parties in the conflict, all communities and military authorities to put an end to this violence that, saying the war was is destabilizing the country.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) Tuesday said they clashed with the Sudanese government militia of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in West Kordofan state.

Rebels of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), loyal to leader Minni Minnawi (AFP)

In a statement released by Salim Abu Groon, a member of the SLM-MM's Revolutionary Liberation Council, the rebel group said they clashed with the RSF and the Popular Defence Forces in Diffra area which is not far from the disputed Abyei area.

Abu Groon said the attack was carried out by a force working with the weapon collection committee, adding they intended to disarm all the armed groups in the area.

"They ignored that our forces were aware of the attack in advance, and was therefore ready to confront them. We actually managed to defeat the government militia and inflicted heavy losses of life and equipment (on the militiamen)," further reads the statement.

"Also, (our forces) managed to capture three-wheel-drive vehicles loaded with heavy weapons, two carrying a Dushka gun, and the third carrying a 12-caliber machine gun" he stressed.

The Sudanese government launched a campaign to collect weapons from Darfur and Kordofan regions due to the tribal relations, particularly among the Arab tribes.

The SLM-Mm reiterated its commitment to the declared unilateral cessation of hostilities but said they were in a self-defence situation.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour starts a visit to the United States on Wednesday where he will lead Sudan's delegation for the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly and meet U.S. officials.

Before to leave the country, Ghandour briefed the first deputy president and prime minister Bakri Hassan Salih about the preparation for the annual meeting of the United Nations from 12 to 25 September 2017 and a number of meetings scheduled with the U.S. officials.

American officials use this opportunity to meet leaders from around the world during their participation in this UN gathering, however, these meetings of the Sudanese minister have a special particularity because it comes weeks before a decision on the permanent lift of sanctions on Sudan on 12 October.

According to the foreign ministry spokesperson, Ghandour will deliver Sudan's statement to the General Assembly on 23 September, and will also meet on the sidelines of the meetings with a number of officials in the U.S. administration to discuss the various issues of concern to both countries.

The visiting Sudanese top diplomat is expected to deliver a speech at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) on the bilateral relations between the two countries and to hold a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

He will meet the UN Secretary General António Guterres and participate in several high-level events to be held on the sidelines of the General Assembly's meetings, most notably, meetings on South Sudan and the Central African Republic, and peacekeeping operations.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) called on the Sudanese community in the United States to protest against the lifting of sanctions and denounce the regimes of the Sudanese regime during the Sudanese official to Washington.

After his visit to the United States, Ghandour will head to Brussels to take part in a meeting of the IGAD foreign ministers with the European Union on 29 September.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (JUBA) - The number of South Sudan refugees fleeing the country's civil war has hit the two million mark, the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

South Sudanese refugees in Gambela, Ethiopia (Photo: South Sudan Consul, Gambela)

OCHA, in a statement, said about half of South Sudanese refugees were in Uganda, adding that a deepening food crisis, exacerbated by increasing insecurity, poor rainfall and widespread crop failure made people to flee parts of the country in large numbers last month.

“Many refugees also fled to Sudan and Ethiopia,” said the agency.

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Two years later, a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, escalated and spiraled into the violence that has since witnessed tens of thousands killed and millions displaced.

Meanwhile, over 83,000 South Sudanese refugees registered in Haut-Uélé and Ituri provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in August 2017, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a statement.

About 53% of the refugees consist of women and girls, according to the National Commission for Refugees and UNHCR, with at least 63% of the children said to be below 18 years.

To date, UNHCR has reportedly received only $6.5 million out of a total of $ 31.8 million meant for refugee assistance, further raising concerns about the insecurity at South Sudan's border with DRC.

This security constraint is delaying the delivery of humanitarian assistance, the UN said, stressing that South Sudanese refugees' sites in the villages of Sukpa, Masombo and Mogoroko were no longer accessible to humanitarian intervention due to the security situation.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (JUBA) – Floods caused by rain have displaced more than 100,000 people in South Sudan, an official said, raising fears about the devastating impact this could have on food security in the war-torn nation.

Sections of shops closed in Bor on 20 November 2013 due to floods. (ST)

"We are talking of over 70,000 individuals and 1,590 households affected in Awiel and 40,000 others in Maban county. Other regions like Jonglei and Lol have also reported high figures," Gatwech Peter Kulang, the undersecretary for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Risk Management told Xinhua Tuesday.

"The situation is alarming which demands urgent intervention,” he added.

The official expressed concerns that the floods could worsen the already dire humanitarian situation across the country, including the spread of cholera, which has killed over 300 people and infected nearly 20,000 others last year.

"We call upon the humanitarian community to join hands with the government to rescue this alarming situation," stressed Kulang.

Much of South Sudan receives little rainfall and only 5% of the arable land is currently cultivated. Nonetheless, the country has significant potential for increased cereal production, especially in the southern regions with the highest annual rainfall. Accurate data on crop area and production for South Sudan are scarce, and there is considerable uncertainty in estimates.

Nearly 5 million people or more than 40% of the population in South Sudan were in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) projected early this year.

(ST)

September 12, 2017 (JUBA) - The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) has urged the international community to intervene in the case of James Gatdet Dak, the former rebel spokesperson now in detention.

James Gatdet Dak, Riek Machar's spokesperson 'Reuters photo)

CPJ, in a statement, said it wanted the court case against Dak suspended until the long-awaited Hybrid Court is established.

"The South Sudan Judicary has no mandate to sentence James Gatdet because all crimes related to current conflict will be taken care of by the Hybrid Court,” said CPJ's coordinator, Anthony Tito.

"Gatdet trial case is because of the conflict and therefore before formation of Hybrid Court, Gatdet should be handed over to African Union until the formation of the court by the African Union,” he added.

According to the official, once the 2015 peace agreement is resuscitated, then the Hybrid Court will be formed and all crimes committed against individuals or civilians during war will be tackled.

"I urge the IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] and the Troika countries to speed up the high revitalization forum to resuscitate signed peace deal that will enable the formation and operationalization of the hybrid court,” further stressed Tito.

"I call on the Africa Union and the Troika countries to work hand in hand to secure the release of James Gatdet,” he added.

In November 2015, Dak was arrested by plain-clothes police at his Nairobi residence and held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport police station before his deportation to Juba, South Sudan.

Various human rights bodies strongly condemned Dak's deportation with many saying the move contravened the Geneva Convention.

(ST)

September 13, 2017 (JUBA) – There is a likelihood war could break out in South Sudan's Bahr el Ghazal region, if the former army chief of staff Paul Malong Awan is allowed to travel out of the country, an official said.

The presidential spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny was earmarked saying there was no need for Malong to leave the young nation, given the situation created in his house and the denial by the government to attend his daughter's burial.

“The situation we are in right now is very volatile. Malong's being in Juba is related to peace in Bahr el Ghazal [region]. Having him in Juba is to keep peace in Bar El Ghazal. You remember and you found it in the last previous meeting. The meeting was very charged and tense and it was only 30 minutes meeting, but it was so charged and tense”, he said private discussions taped and widely circulated.

According to the official, the only way to resolve this impasse was to take a sample from Malong and subject whatever is taken to a test.

“Or if he [Malong] wants, it can be identified through his saliva or spit, and in this case let the sample be drawn and taken to his family in Nairobi to identify her with it. But it has been politicized already and there is not even a need now for the presidency to sit on it and make it as an agenda and as a subject for discussion”, said Ateny.

The presidential spokesperson claimed the former army chief's situation was being “exaggerated” and “overplayed” by people in diaspora, many of whom he said were agitators of war in the region.

“They [people] are saying [Salva] Kiir's government is still strong today and giving people trouble because there is no war in Bahr el Ghazal. Look at the situation we are in at the moment. They want to see a war happening in Bar El Ghazal, and if Malong is allowed to go to Nairobi in this kind of situation we are in, what if he decides not to come back? Mading Aweil would fight with Gogrial tomorrow,” Ateny was further quoted saying.

Although Sudan Tribune could not independently verify the authenticity of the leaked conversation, neither the presidential aide nor the office of the South Sudanese presidency issued a statement.

In May this year, Awan, a former governor, was sacked by President Salva Kiir and replaced by the then former deputy chief of general staff for administration and finance, Lt. Gen. James Ajongo Mawut.

The South Sudanese military had, prior to Malong's removal, been repeatedly been accused of gross human rights violations, rape, atrocities and war crimes on civilians in the conflict-affected areas.

The three-year conflict in South Sudan killed tens of thousands and displaced more than two million people, the United Nations says, amid fears next year's planned general elections could further plunge the country into chaos.

(ST)