Africa

July 18, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said it has launched internal discussions to select the party candidate for the 2020 presidential elections.

NCP political secretary Omer Basan said his party held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss major issues on the political arena and on top of which the selection of a presidential candidate for 2020 elections.

He pointed out that many voices within the NCP, as well as other political and societal forces, call for the re-election of President Omer al-Bashir for a third term.

Basan called on all political forces to prepare for participation in the 2020 elections, saying ballots would determine which party will win the trust of the Sudanese people to rule the country.

Al-Bashir's term ends in 2020 and he couldn't run for office again according to the constitution. So, running for a third term requires amendment of the constitution but many in the ruling party or the opposition forces are not supportive of such a move.

Nonetheless, some voices within the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and its partners in the Government of National Consensus have recently called for amending the constitution to allow him to run for the presidency again.

Also, a group called the National Initiative of Youth Around the President (NIYAP) last December launched a campaign to nominate al-Bashir for a third term.

Al-Bashir several times said that he would step down by the end of his current term in 2020. Even in November 2017, he went to declare his support for the candidacy of the governor of Gezira state Mohamed Tahir Ayala.

But observers more and more are inclined to believe that al-Bashir who is indicted by the International Criminal Court would run for a new term despite what he says.

(ST)

July 18, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi on Thursday would arrive in Khartoum on his first visit since he has been re-elected for a second term.

Egypt's Ambassador to Khartoum Osama Shaltout told the official news agency SUNA that al-Sisi's accompanying delegation includes ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture, defence and water resources and irrigation.

He pointed out that al-Sisi's meeting with President Omer al-Bashir is his first since he assumed office in his new term, saying the visit would last for two days.

According to Shaltout, the two sides would discuss a number of political and trade issues as well as regional and international threats and challenges including the situation in South Sudan, Libya, Palestine and Syria besides security of the Red Sea and water security.

The Egyptian envoy added the two presidents would also discuss ways to promote bilateral relations particularly after forming the presidential committee between the two countries.

He said relations between the two countries have been boosted further during the past period, pointing to activation of a number of agreements including the opening of border crossings and building of electricity interconnection as well as security, economic, trade and parliamentary cooperation.

The tumultuous relations between Sudan and Egypt experienced last December a new crisis over media attacks against al-Bashir after a visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sudan. Also, Sudan accused Egypt and Eritrea of supporting rebel groups to attack Kassala State on the eastern border.

However, the two countries recently developed joint security cooperation against the opposition groups from both sides.

The main differences between the two neighbours remain the dispute over the border triangle area of Halayeb and the construction of Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam that Sudan backs.

(ST)

July 18, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese government delegation said it had not yet taken a decision on the "problematic" draft agreement on the governance but stressed that they would not initial it on Thursday due to the visit of Egyptian President to Khartoum.

On Wednesday, the negotiating delegations of the parties to the Khartoum Round of peace revitalization process received a new draft Agreement on Outstanding Issues of Governance.

Also, the delegations met with the mediators who asked them not to submit any new observations.

In his daily briefing on the talks, Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth said their negotiating team still has some observations on the draft agreement because no changes have been done on the text they got on Monday.

"As I stated early it is likely to be even more problematic than the provisions of the revitalized bridging proposal in Ethiopia," he added.

The information minister stressed that at this level of responsibilities, the decision to accept the text of not should be taken by the leadership in Juba and they remain in wait for the response of President Kiir.

He further added that in case the parties agree to sign the draft the initialling ceremony would not be on Thursday but on Friday due to the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Khartoum.

The Sudanese mediation said the draft will be initialled on Thursday and the final signing will be on 26 July in presence of IGAD leaders, particularly President Yoweri Museveni whose support was crucial to convincing President Kiir to make the needed concessions.

The text of the draft agreement on outstanding issues of governance remained generally unchanged. Only, the mediation considered an observation by the South Sudanese Opposition Alliance about a paragraph on federalism initially agreed by the parties but omitted by the mediation in Addis Ababa.

Also, opposition delegations didn't issue new observations on the draft agreement on Wednesday. It was reported that the SPLM-IO even said ready to sign the proposed text despite the observations presented by its delegates to the talks.

JUBA RESERVATIONS

Minister Makuei on Wednesday gave more elaborated comments on the position of his government indicating that in term of power-sharing they have reservations on the parliament and the executive.

The draft agreement reduced the government ministers to 35 members and allocated only 20 portfolios to the government. In the legislature, it has accorded important positions at the leadership of the legislature to the opposition groups especially in the Upper Chamber so they can use it to amend and mitigate the bills endorsed by the government dominated transitional assembly.

Also, the government spokesperson said they have reservations on the states level, pointing that in the initial version the power-sharing was only limited to the state government and legislative assembly but now it is extended to all the institutions in the state to include the local government and payams.

"Of course, this is not possible. Payams are set by civil servants. Should they share them also?"

He added that they have reservations on the composition of the Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) which according to the draft agreement will include more foreigners than South Sudanese nationals.

"This is an issue of sovereignty," he said.

The draft provides the IBC shall consist of fifteen (15) members including Five (5) South Sudanese, one for each party; two by the IGAD, three r of the Troika countries and five from the African Union's C5 states.

The C5 is the name given to five non-IGAD African countries involved in the AU efforts to settle the South Sudanese crisis: Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania.

(ST)

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Agreement on Outstanding Issues of Governance

Mindful of their commitment under the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011 to lay the foundation for a united, peaceful and prosperous society based on justice, equality, respect for human rights and the rule of law,
Deeply regretting the scale of untold human suffering that had befallen their country and people as a result of disregarding this commitment,
Determined to compensate their people by recommitting themselves to peace and constitutionalism and not to repeat mistakes of the past,
Recognizing the prime significance of preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country,
Cognizant that a federal system of government is a popular demand of the people of the Republic of South Sudan and of the need for the Revitalized TGoNU to reflect this demand by way of devolution of more powers and resources to lower levels of government,
Confirming the commitments that they have solemnly undertaken in the ARCSS and the Khartoum Declaration,
The Transitional Government of National Unity of the Republic of South Sudan (TGoNU), the Sudan People's Liberation Movement Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO), the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA), Former Detainees (FDs), Other Political Parties (OPP), referred to hereinafter collectively as the Parties, confirm their commitment to the agreed part of the Revised Bridging Proposal and hereby resolve as follows the outstanding issues on governance:

1. The Presidency:
1.1. As of the beginning of the Transitional Period:
a. H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit shall continue as President of the Republic of South Sudan.
b. The Chairman of SPLM/A-IO Dr Riek Machar Teny shall assume the position of the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan.
1.2. During the Transitional Period there shall be four Vice Presidents of the Republic of South Sudan who shall be nominated as follows:
a. Vice President to be nominated by Incumbent TGoNU.
b. Vice President to be nominated by SSOA.
c. Vice President to be nominated by Incumbent TGoNU.
d. Vice President to be nominated by FDs, who shall be a woman.
1.3. Apart from the First Vice President, there shall be no hierarchy among Vice Presidents. The ranking in 1.2 above is for protocol purposes only.
1.4. Decision making in the Presidency shall be in a spirit of collegial collaboration. However, the powers and functions of the President, First Vice President, and Vice Presidents shall be delineated along the provisions of the ARCSS 2015.
1.5. The First Vice President and Vice Presidents shall oversee respectively the following Cabinet Clusters:
(a) First Vice President: Governance Cluster.
(b) Vice President: Economic Cluster.
(c) Vice President: Services Delivery Cluster.
(d) Vice President: Infrastructure Cluster.
(e) Vice President: Gender and Youth Cluster.

2. The Revitalized TGoNU:
2.1. The Council of Ministers shall be comprisedthirty-fivefive (35) Ministers that shall be organized in the abovementioned five (5) Clusters.
2.2. The three Clusters stated in the ARCSS shall continue having due regard to the amendments required as a result of creating new Clusters and new Ministries.
2.3. The Infrastructure Cluster shall include Ministries of Energy and Dams; Transport; Roads and Bridges; Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services, and any appropriate Ministry of the five new Ministries.
2.4. The Gender and Youth Cluster shall include Ministries of Gender, Child and Social Welfare; Culture, Youth, and Sports, and any appropriate Ministry of the five new Ministries.
2.5. The additional five Ministries and their clustering shall be agreed by the Parties before or during the Pre-Transitional Period further to a proposal to be drawn by the IGAD and shall be included in the Revitalized ARCSS. The full list of the thirty-five (35) Ministries shall be drawn at that time.
2.6. The Ministerial positions shall be selected as follows:
a. Incumbent TGoNU: 20 Ministers.
b. SPLM/A-IO: 09 Ministers.
c. SSOA: 03 Ministers.
d. FDs: 02 Ministers.
e. OPP: 01 Minister.
2.7. There shall be ten (10) Deputy Ministers in the following Ministries:
a. Cabinet Affairs.
b. Foreign Affairs.
c. Defense.
d. Interior.
e. Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
f. Finance.
g. Agricultural and Food Security.
h. General Educational and Instruction.
i. Public Services and Human Resource Development
j. Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
2.8. Deputy Ministers shall be nominated by the Parties by rotation from the above list according to the following ratio:
a. TGoNU: five (5) Deputy Ministers.
b. SPLM/A-IO: three (3) Deputy Ministers.
c. SSOA: one (1) Deputy Minister.
d. OPP: one (1) Deputy Minister.
2.9. No fewer than three (3) of the Deputy Ministers shall be women.
2.10. No Assistant Presidents, other Ministers or Deputy Ministers shall be appointed during the Transitional Period.
2.11. If more than two Advisers to the President are appointed, the responsibility sharing ratio shall apply to their selection.

3. The Transitional National Legislature:
3.1. The Transitional National Legislature (TNL) shall consist of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) and the Council of States.
3.2. The TNLA shall be dissolved and composed of 550 members who shall be allocated as follows:
a. Incumbent TGoNU: 332 members.
b. SPLM/A-IO: 128 members.
c. SSOA: 50 members.
d. OPP: 35 members.
e. FDs: 5 members.
3.3. The Speaker of the TNLA shall be nominated by Incumbent TGoNU. One Deputy Speaker shall be nominated by OPP and the other, who shall be a woman, shall be nominated by Incumbent TGoNU.
3.4. The Council of States shall be dissolved and composed of 50 members or the closest figure that can be shared evenly by the States as per the number that shall be recommended by the IBC. However, the minimum number for the representatives of every and each State shall be two.
3.5. The membership of the Council of States shall be reconstituted as per the responsibility sharing ratio.
3.6. The Speaker of the Council of States shall be nominated by SPLM/A-IO and the Deputy Speaker shall be nominated by Incumbent TGoNU.

4. Number and Boundaries of States:
4.1. Within thirty (30) days of the signing of the Revitalized ARCSS, the IGAD Executive Secretariat, taking into account the decision of the 55th Extra-Ordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 30-31, 2016, shall appoint Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) for the Republic of South Sudan.
4.2. The IBC shall consist of fifteen (15) members with the necessary skills and expertise.
4.3. Members of the IBC shall be appointed as follows:
a. Five (5) South Sudanese who shall be appointed by the Parties, one
(1) each.
b. Two (2) representatives of the IGAD states that shall come from states with no boundaries with South Sudan.
c. Three (3) representatives of the Troika states.
d. Five (5) representatives of the African Union that shall be from the C5 states.
4.4. The IBC shall be chaired by one of its non-South Sudanese members who shall be of recognized standing and integrity and who should have had occupied a senior judicial, executive or administrative position in his home country.
4.5. The IBC may retain the services of a team of experts.
4.6. The IBC shall establish three teams, each consisting of five representatives and relevant experts, to be deployed at locations it will designate.
4.7. The function of the IBC shall be to consider the number of States of the Republic of South Sudan and their boundaries and to make recommendations on the same.
4.8. The IBC shall focus on studying the alternatives currently proposed by the Parties and any other viable alternatives in the light of guidelines that shall be drawn beforehand. The IBC shall also draw its own internal regulations.
4.9. The IBC shall strive to arrive at its recommendations by consensus. If consensus is not achieved, the IBC shall adopt its recommendations by simple majority.
4.10. The recommendations of the IBC shall be presented to the IGAD Executive Secretariat and shall be immediately communicated to the Parties.
4.11. The IBC shall complete its work within ninety (90) days, extendable to a maximum of ninety (90) days more. In all cases it shall make its recommendations on the number and boundaries of States during the Pre-Transitional Period. Thereafter it shall be dissolved.
4.12. The Parties agree to abide by the recommendations of the IBC, and hereby authorize the IGAD Executive Secretariat to enshrine those recommendations in the Revitalized ARCSS. The Parties accept to implement the recommendations in full at the beginning of the Transitional Period.
4.13. In the unlikely event of the IBC failing to make its recommendations before the end of the Pre-Transitional Period, the Republic of South Sudan shall have as regions the old three provinces, as per their boundaries of January 1st 1956. This solution shall be adopted on temporary basis until the number and boundaries of the States are agreed.

5. States and Local Government
5.1. The Responsibility sharing ratio at State level and local government level shall be as follows:
a. Incumbent TGoNU: 55%
b. SPLM/A-IO: 25%
c. SSOA: 10%
d. OPP: 10%
5.2. State and local governments shall be dissolved and reconstituted as per the responsibility sharing formula stated above.
5.3. The positions that shall be subject to responsibility sharing include: Governors, Speakers of State Legislatures, State Councils of Ministers, State Legislatures, County Commissioners, County Councils, Mayors and City Councils.
5.4. In sharing State and local government positions Parties shall take into account the relative prominence each Party has in the respective State or Payam and effective administration of that unit.
5.5. The FDs shall have three State Ministers in States of their choice.

6. General Provisions:
6.1. The Parties recognize that during the Pre-Transitional Period, the Incumbent TGoNU shall continue to exercise its powers as per the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011.

6.2. At the beginning of the Pre-Transitional Period, the Parties shall issue a solemn commitment to their people and the international community at large confirming unequivocally that they will not return to war and shall work hand in hand diligently and collectively for the sake of peace and stability of their country. In particular, the Parties shall pledge to use the resources of the country wisely and transparently, for the best interests of the people of the Republic of South Sudan, and to put in place the efficient mechanisms required for achieving this paramount goal. In their solemn commitment the Parties shall also appeal to the international community for support and cooperation at this difficult time of the Republic of South Sudan.
6.3. The activities that shall be undertaken during the Pre–Transitional Period, which can take as long as 8 months, shall include:
a. Dissemination of the Revitalized ARCSS to South Sudanese People inside the country, in different cities and towns of Sudan, in refugee camps in neighboring countries, and in diaspora, so that the people can own it.
b. Carrying out the tasks entrusted to the IBC.
c. A process of national healing and reconciliation that shall be led by all Parties inside and outside of the Republic of South Sudan.
d. The agreed security arrangement activities.
e. Incorporation of the Revitalized ARCSS in the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011.
f. Reviewing and drafting necessary bills as per the Revitalized ARCSS.
g. Any other activities agreed by the Parties.
6.4. Provisions of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan and ARCSS on participation of women (35 %) in the Executive shall be observed. In particular, Incumbent TGoNU shall nominate no fewer than six (6) women to the Council of Ministers, and SPLM-IO shall nominate no fewer than three (3) women to the Council of Ministers.
6.5. Having in mind that more than 70 percent of the population in the Republic of South Sudan is under the age of thirty and that youth are the most affected by the war and represent high percentage of refugees and IDPs, the Parties shall strive to include people of young age in their quotas at different levels. In particular, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports in the Revitalized TGoNU shall be less than forty (40) years old.
6.6. In selecting their nominees Parties shall give due consideration to national diversity, including regional representation.
6.7. Without prejudice to Paragraph 6.1. above, a National Pre–Transitional Committee (NPTC) shall be formed as follows by the President of the Republic of South Sudan within thirty days of signing the Revitalized ARCSS:
a. The NPTC shall be formed of ten members representing the Parties as follows: five (5) for Incumbent TGoNU, two (2) for SLPM/A-IO, one (1) for SSOA, one (1) for FDs, and one (1) for OPP. The NPTC shall be chaired by TGoNU representative with two Deputy Chairs to be nominated by SPLM/A-IO and SSOA respectively and shall adopt its decisions by consensus.
b. The NPTC shall be entrusted with the function of oversight and coordination of the implementation of the activities of the Pre– Transitional Period with the Incumbent TGoNU taking full account of all constitutional institutions and powers.
c. The NPTC shall draw the road map for implementing the political tasks of the Pre-Transitional Period, prepare a budget for the activities of the Pre–Transitional Period that involve the Parties, and address issues of VIP security and preparations for new Ministers, among others.
d. The NPTC shall start its work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and shall move to Juba sometime during the Pre-Transitional Period. The NPTC shall be dissolved when the Pre-Transitional Period ends.
6.8. There shall be established a fund for the implementation of the political and security activities of the Pre–Transitional Period provided for in the Revitalized ARCSS. The fund, which shall be drawn from the proceeds of oil, shall be deposited by Incumbent TGoNU in an escrow account in a bank agreed to by the NPTC. The NPTC shall manage the fund transparently and report on it monthly to the President of the Republic of South Sudan and to the Parties.
6.9. The Parties shall agree on Inter-Ministerial Mechanism for Implementation of the Revitalized ARCSS including reporting to JMEC. The IGAD led mediation and the Guarantors shall revitalize and restructure all monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure inclusivity of all Parties, including new Parties, and to enhance the effectiveness of all mechanisms. Such review and restructuring shall be included in the Revitalized ARCSS.
6.10. Within 12 (twelve) months of the beginning of the Transitional Period, the Reconstituted National Constitutional Amendments Committee (NCAC) shall revise relevant laws and draft new legislations pursuant to the Revitalized ARCSS.
6.11. The Parties reaffirm their agreement in the ARCSS that a federal and democratic system of governance that reflects the character of the Republic of South Sudan and ensures unity in diversity be enacted during the permanent constitution making process.
6.12. The Parties also reaffirm their commitment to the principle of lean government and to having national assembly that shall have a number of members commensurate with the number of population pursuant to the internationally recognized proportions. The Parties recognize that the high number of members of the Executive and TNLA is agreed herein on exceptional basis for the purposes of the Transitional Period only and that those numbers shall form no precedent or any precursor for the future.
6.13. This Agreement shall prevail on contradictory or incompatible provisions of ARCSS and the Revised Bridging Proposal.

Done in Khartoum, Sudan, this day 19th of July 2018.

For Incumbent TGoNU
……………………………………………………………

For SPLM/A-IO
……………………………………………………………………
For SSOA
…………………………………………………………………………...
For FDs
……………………………………………………………………………...
For OPP
………………………………………………………………………………

For the Republic of Sudan (Guarantor):
……………………………………………
For IGAD (Witness):
…………………………………………………………………………..

July 17, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Two non-signatory opposition groups from Darfur region cast doubts on the credibility of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) saying it lacks adequate implementation mechanism.

The Sudan Liberation Movement - Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Gibril Ibrahim make their criticism in a joint statement issued in reaction to the outcome statement of the 13th Meeting of the Implementation Follow-Up Commission (IFC) in Doha on 11 July.

The ICF meeting called on the two groups to finalize the ongoing talks with the government and sign a permanent cessation of hostilities deal.

The Sudanese government, JEM and SLM-MM met last April in Berlin to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement which was seen a necessary step before a ceasefire agreement and political talks. The two groups asked to amend the DDPD as a way to establish an implementation mechanism but the government refused.

JEM and SLM-MM regretted the lack of accuracy in the IFC outcome statement saying the Germany-facilitated talks are not about a ceasefire but "are for the pavement of the ground for future negotiations including cessation of hostilities, political negotiations targeting the root causes".

The statement went further to say that despite the numerous concerns they have about the DDPD, the main and crucial issue remains implementation commissions and regular follow-up meetings.

"Such implementation mechanisms, however, are limited by the terms of the agreement they are to implement, the will of the parties charged with implementation, and the changing realities of conditions on the ground—as is the case with the DDPD and its lack of implementation," they further stressed.

To explain what motivates their position in the ongoing discussions with the government, the two groups said the Doha framework failed to bring peace to Darfur and remains a "deeply flawed document" without clear or adequate provisions for further implementation of its terms.

Also, they underlined that "there are no longer any institutions or other mechanisms with real authority to implement and enforce its critical terms".

The 13th IFC meeting was held in Doha and attended by representatives of the Sudanese government, the DDPD signatory groups, UNAMID chief, UN resident representative, Arab League, EU, UK and US envoys.

The next IFC meeting will be held in November, but the venue and the date have not been determined

(ST)

July 17, 2018 (JUBA) - The United Nations Security Council has imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan as a measure to prevent the flow of weapons to armed groups in the war-hit nation.

Arms and light weapons have been used by both warring parties in South Sudan to commit abuses (Photo courtesy of SSANSA)

The members who backed the imposition of the ban believe such a move would help protect civilians, while others raised concerns that the policy would hinder the ongoing peace process in the nation.

With nine votes in favour of the policy, the resolution has been adopted obliging the 15-member UN body to immediately take necessary measures regarding the arms embargo, which is slated to remain in effect until 31 May next year.

The countries in favour of the resolution are Ivory Coast, France, Kuwait, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden, Britain and the United States.

The remaining six countries which abstained from agreeing to the resolution include Bolivia, China, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The resolution decrees all UN Member States to prevent the entry of arms and related equipment of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment and other spare parts, in South Sudan.

The US ambassador to the world body, Nikki Haley argued that there was need to stop violence if the people of South Sudan were to be assisted.

“And to stop the violence, we need to stop the flow of weapons to armed groups that they are using to fight each other and to terrorise the people,” she stressed.

WELCOME MOVE

Meanwhile, the Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) welcomed the move to impose arms embargo on South Sudan's warring parties.

CPJ's executive director, Tito Anthony said the arms embargo will serve as pressure points for both the government forces and armed opposition groups fighting in the country.

“An arms embargo is one step, but implementation of the resolution needs a follow up from the Security Council to monitor even the black market dealers,” Tito told Sudan Tribune Wednesday.

He called on member states of the world body to stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan and immediately and collectively implement the arms embargo imposed by the Security Council.

“The Security Council has taken long to pass the arms embargo resolution, but better late than never,” said Tito, adding that UN members states should not allow any transit of arms to South Sudan through their country.

On 27 June, an agreement was signed between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar to impose ceasefire between the government and opposition forces.

(ST)

July 17, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Tuesday sacked the foreign affairs minister, Deng Alor Kuol and appointed Nhial Deng Nhial, formerly a special advisor, as the new minister.

Deng Alor Kuol (File photo)

A decree on the state-owned TV gave no reasons for Alor's sacking.

A member of a group of former political detainees, Alor was known for his critical views over the slow implementation for of the August 2015 peace agreement by parties involved in the country's civil war.

It remains unclear whether his divergent views led to his removal by the president.

In October 2007, Alor, a member of the Ngok Dinka ethnic group, was appointed foreign minister of Sudan, replacing fellow Southern Sudanese politician Lam Akol, in what was seen as an attempt to appease the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

Alor had previously been minister of cabinet affairs in Khartoum's national unity government. However, after the independence of South Sudan in July 2011, he briefly served as foreign affairs minister until he was removed and later appointed cabinet affairs minister.

In December 2013, Alor was one of 10 senior SPLM officials arrested on orders of President Kiir for attempting a coup, but later released.

(ST)

July 17, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese-French joint political consultation committee would hold its 9th meeting on Wednesday in Khartoum, said Sudan's Foreign Ministry.

In a press release extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said the French side would be headed by Rémi Maréchaux the Director of East Africa and Indian Ocean Department at the French Foreign Ministry.

He added the French team also includes the French Ambassador to Khartoum Emmanuelle Blatmann and French Special Envoy for Sudan, Stéphane Gruenberg.

Khidir added the Sudanese side would be chaired by the Director of European and American Affairs Department at the Foreign Ministry.

He pointed out that the meetings would discuss political, economic and cultural relations between Sudan and France as well as regional developments and joint efforts to combat terrorism and illegal migration.

“The discussions would also cover cooperation between the two countries at international forums and organizations,” added Khidir

During its two-day visit, the French delegation would meet senior officials to discuss issues of peace, development and political and constitutional developments.

Sudan and France resumed bilateral meetings after several years of strain over rebel presence in France. In the past, Sudan accused France of backing holdout rebel groups in the Darfur region.

France, which has appointed a special envoy to support the African Union efforts for peace in Sudan, denied the accusation and reiterated that it encourages the armed groups to join the peace process.

(ST)

July 17, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and donor countries to contribute to easing the burden of economic reform policy on Sudanese people.

IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C (AP)

On Monday, an IMF team concluded a nine-day visit to Khartoum.

Sudan's Minister of Finance Mohamed Osman al-Rikabi said the visit comes within the framework of the continued consultations between Sudan and the IMF.

He called on the IMF to assist his country to resume international banking transactions following the lifting of the U.S. trade sanctions.

Last October, Washington permanently cancelled 20-year economic sanctions on Sudan opening the door for the normalization of bilateral relation and removal of remaining sanctions on the east African country particularly its removal from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Economic conditions in Sudan have been challenging since the secession of South Sudan in 2011 and the loss of the bulk of oil production and exports.

The withdrawal of South Sudan oil has compounded the difficult external environment, including debt arrears, limited access to external financing, U.S. sanctions, and the withdrawal of correspondent bank relations.

Sudan has begun a series of economic reforms in line with IMF recommendations to try to bolster the economy, months after a U.S. decision to lift sanctions raised hopes that badly needed investment may return.

The reform policies included austerity measures containing removal of subsidies as the country struggles in the face of inflation running at about 111% and an acute shortage of hard currency that has sapped import activity.

Austerity measures in Sudan have sparked sporadic public protests earlier this year.

Since a few years, the East African nation and the IMF have engaged in a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) which they say would restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen social safety nets, and develop the required reforms to refocus the economy on its non-resource sector and lay the groundwork for sustainable economic growth.

The SMP is not supported by the use of the IMF's financial resources; nor is it subject to the endorsement of the Executive Board of the fund.

(ST)

July 17, 2018 (KHARTOUM-JUBA) - Sudanese mediation team Tuesday announced that an agreement has been reached on outstanding issues of governance and the signing ceremony will take place on Thursday.

But, the South Sudanese government spokesperson Michael Makuei said the Sudanese mediators will give them the final draft agreement on Wednesday and they will determine their position accordingly.

On Monday Makuei voiced strong reservations on the text but said the final decision would be taken by President Kiir. For his part, the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) spokesperson Kwaje Lasu said they were preparing a written response rejecting this proposal.

The proposed deal reduces the cabinet members to 35 ministers but creates a vice-president position for the SSOA. Also, it keeps the number of the legislators at 550 members.

The Sudanese foreign ministry issued a statement on Tuesday evening saying an agreement on outstanding issues of the governance chapter has been reached and the agreement will be initialled on Thursday.

The statement further said the agreement will be initialled on Thursday 19 July and formally signed on 26 July in a ceremony attended by the IGAD head of states and governments.

In response to the different statements, the mediation said they didn't receive any rejection from the parties to the process when the proposal was read in a meeting held at the premises of the talks on Tuesday.

But it pointed out that they received some improvement notes.

"The appropriate notes will be included to the agreed text and the parties will receive the draft final agreement on Wednesday," further reads the statement.

According to the IGAD special envoy to South Sudan who played the role of the chief mediator, there was a disagreement on three issues in the governance chapter: the number of legislature members, the number of the states and the responsibility sharing ratio in the executive and the states.

JUBA SAYS NO DEAL YET

Information Minister Makuei said no agreement has been yet reached because none of the parties accepted to sign the draft deal extended on Monday by the mediation.

He added that the Sudanese foreign minister told the different delegations, they received concerns from several parties but nobody rejected the deal. So he said they will look on it and give the negotiating delegations the final document to be initialled on Thursday 19 July while the formal signing day will be on 26 July.

So, the final draft will be given to us tomorrow (Wednesday) and by next tomorrow, if we agree we sign it and if we do not agree we will not sign it

The minister did not give more details about their concerns but on Monday he blamed the mediation for amending what had been already agreed and coming up with new proposals that have never been discussed before.

SSOA NOTES

The opposition alliance in a four-page text to the mediation seen by Sudan Tribune detailed their notes stressing that their position had been ignored by the mediation during the revitalization process.

The position paper said they had been promised they would get the position of the deputy speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly or the Speaker of the Council of States. but in fact, they got none

The same on the federalism, the opposition umbrella also wondered that a provision on the matter was agreed in the Preamble of ARCSS however they do not understand why it is being avoided.

On the leadership of the National Legislature, the alliance said they had been promised with the SPLM-IO they will get either the deputy speaker.

Further, on the presidency, they alliance said they would prefer to see it based on regional representation. For the NTLA they said they prefer to have a parliament with "only 250 members up from our original 170".

"The proposal falls short of addressing the main concerns of SSOA. Therefore, we present this response in the hope of continuing to discuss these issues so as to find a fair and just way forward," said the SSOA.

(ST)

A high-level gathering of representatives from the Somali government and the international community, including the United Nations, ended in Brussels today with renewed commitment to support the Horn of Africa country’s progress in a range of areas, such as state and peace-building efforts.

Many Eritreans are hoping that peace with Ethiopia will lead to an end to one-party rule at home.