Africa

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan's rebel leader, Riek Machar has appointed a new governor for Bieh, one of the country's newly created states.

South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar looks on during an interview at his residence on August 31, 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Photo AFP /Zacharias Abubeker)

Machar, in a statement, appointed Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol, replacing Brig. Gen. Koang Rambang Chuol who died last month.

“Pursuant to the resolutions of the SPLM Political Bureau September 23, 2016 and SPLM (IO) Constitution, I Riek Machar-Teny Dhurgon, Chairman and Commander-in-Chief, SPLM/SPLA(IO), do hereby appoint Brig. Gen. Simon Hoth Duol Bol as governor of Bieh State with effect from 3rd July 2018,” partly reads Machar's 3 July statement.

Duol was previously the deputy governor of Bieh state prior to his latest promotion.

Machar, in another statement, appointed Pal Mai Deng as the state's deputy governor.

Last week, South Sudan President Salva Kiir and the armed opposition leader agreed to a "permanent" ceasefire to take immediate effect, raising hopes of a peace deal to end the country's civil war.

In the past, however, several ceasefire agreements have been violated by both warring parties.

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July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has announced a ban on wood and charcoal exportation, arguing that the practice has negatively impacted on the country's environment.

'Southern Sudan still retains the majority of its forest cover, but deforestation is occurring at a steady rate' (UN)

The country's minister for trade and investment, Musa Hassan Tiel said on Wednesday that illegal logging was now punishable by law.

“A lot of people are engaged illegally in cutting of trees for the purposes of producing charcoal for export,” Tiel told reporters in the country's capital, Juba.

The new move, according to the minister, follows the massive destruction of forests in the country, instructing all environment agencies and other departments to ensure the ban is implemented.

“We urge our citizens and those who are engaged in those kinds of activities to stop doing that,” further stressed the minister, adding “Our citizens should look for new ways of cooking our food”.

South Sudan has no forestry policy and its authorities are worried they could lose the country's tropical forests, unless stringent measures are put in place to curb rampant rates of illegal logging.

The world's youngest nation faces a civil war and while its population grapples with hunger, they are also experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, partly blamed by officials on the conflict.

In South Sudan, the deforestation is compounded by an increase in illegal exports of wood and charcoal largely by foreign companies.

But, while up to 95 percent of South Sudan's population is dependent on climate-sensitive activities like agriculture and forestry for their livelihoods, the ongoing civil war worsens the problem.

South Sudan is currently embroiled in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of the population, displacing nearly two million of them.

Last year, officials from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) warned of dangers as the country's wildlife and natural resources faced alarming expansion of illegal exploitation, trafficking and logging.

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July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Chargé d'Affaires in Khartoum Wednesday has praised the Sudanese government cooperation with the American administration to put maximum pressure on the North Korean government to abandon its nuclear programme.

Speaking during a National Day reception at the embassy in Khartoum, Ambassador Steven Koutsis stressed that North Korea's denuclearization is a top policy priority for his government as Washington still has doubts over Pyongyang's commitment despite a pledge to denuclearize.

"For this reason, we would like to emphasize our appreciation for actions taken by Sudan and all our allies and partners around the world who support our diplomatic and economic pressure on the North Korean regime," said Koutsis according to the AFP correspondent in Khartoum.

This is the first statement on Sudan's cooperation with the U.S. government on North Korea since a visit to Khartoum by U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing Marshall Billingslea. The latter met the Sudanese defence minister on 30 April to discuss issues related to Sudan's military relations with North Korea.

Billingslea's visit to the Sudanese capital came after a report to UN Security Council on 5 March 2018, by a panel of experts pointing to the persistent military cooperation between Sudan and North Korea.

Referring to the negative of the sanction on the Sudanese economy, Koutsis admitted that Sudan presence in the terror blacklist contributes to complicate Khartoum efforts to improve the economic situation and attract investors.

"I pledge to you that this embassy will work with all its energy and focus to create the conditions for Sudan's removal from the list," he further said.

In October 2017, Washington removed the economic embargo on Sudan but maintained the east African country on the list of state supporting terror groups.

Khartoum and Washington since have agreed to resume talks on the needed requirements to clear Sudan from the list.

Washington points to the need to improve religious freedom and human rights in the country.

Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed said he would visit Washington soon to resume talks with the U.S. officials on the matter.

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July 4, 2018 (JUBA) – Unknown gunmen on Wednesday attacked two trucks carrying education supplies for the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), killing a person on Juba-Bor road in South Sudan.

Trucks on un-paved road in South Sudan (UNHCR)

The deceased, the agency said, was an assistant driver.

“We strongly condemn this senseless assault directed against civilians working to deliver humanitarian supplies to those in need, in trucks that were clearly marked with the UNICEF insignia,” partly read's UNICEF's statement.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family of the victim,” it added.

Attacks on humanitarian convoys and personnel have been frequent in war-torn South Sudan. At least 107 charity workers have been killed in the country since a civil war started in December 2013.

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July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - President Omer al-Bashir and Ethiopia's Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu Wednesday discussed recent border clashes saying they are determined to promote the strategic relations between the two countries.

Earlier this week, several reports said a number of Sudanese farmers and an army officer were killed by Ethiopian gunmen in Al-Fashaga area.

Gebeyehu, accompanied by a senior security official, on Wednesday arrived in Khartoum to convey a verbal message from Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to al-Bashir.

Following the meeting, Sudan's Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed described recent border clashes as “normal incidents that occur during the rainy season every year”.

He added the Ethiopian premier stressed his country's determination to overcome such incidents, saying al-Bashir also called to address these clashes through cooperation and coordination in order not to adversely impact on the distinct relations between the two countries.

For his part, Gebeyehu said Sudan and Ethiopia will work together to address all border problems, pointing to the strategic ties between the two countries.

Ethiopian and Sudanese farmers from two sides of the border dispute the ownership of land in Al-Fashaga area located in the southeastern part of Sudan's eastern state of Gedaref.

In the past years, Sudanese authorities accused Ethiopia of controlling more than a million acres of Sudanese agricultural land in the area of Al-Fashaga, saying the area has been completely isolated from Sudan.

Al-Fashaga covers an area of about 250 square kilometres and it has about 600.000 acres of fertile lands. Also, there are river systems flowing across the area including Atbara, Setait and Baslam rivers.

The current borders between Sudan and Ethiopia were drawn by the British and Italian colonisers in 1908. The two governments have agreed in the past to redraw the borders and to promote joint projects between people from both sides for the benefit of local populations.

The joint Sudanese-Ethiopian High Committee announced in December 2013 that it reached an agreement to end disputes between farmers from two sides of the border over the ownership of agricultural land.

In November 2014, the former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President al-Bashir instructed their Foreign Ministers to fix a date for resuming the border demarcation. The operation had stopped following the death of Ethiopia's former premier, Meles Zenawi.

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July 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Wednesday travelled to Djibouti to participate in the China-Africa Economic Forum and Exhibition from 5 to7 July.

According to the official news agency SUNA, al-Bashir will also attend the inauguration of pilot zone of Djibouti International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) on July 5.

Al-Bashir's accompanying delegation includes Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of the Presidency Fadl Abdallah Fadl, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Services Salah Abdallah and Director of the President's Offices Hatim Hassan Bakhit.

Al-Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.

Djibouti is State Members of the Rome Statute and therefore obliged to comply with arrest warrants the ICC issues, even for incumbent heads of state.

However, Djibouti failed to arrest al-Bashir in 2016 when he arrived in its territory on an official visit prompting the ICC to report the East African nation to the United Nations Security Council.

Since the issuance of the two arrest warrants, Bashir limited his trips abroad to ICC non-party states but he also travelled to five signatory states including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Malawi, Djibouti and South Africa.

His trip to South Africa in 2015 drew international attention after he flew out of the country defying a High court order which orders the government to ban his departure until an application calling for his arrest had been heard.

July 4, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudanese parties Wednesday have discussed with the Sudanese mediators the draft agreement on the outstanding security arrangements as they expect to receive the final draft agreement by Thursday.

South Sudan information minister Michael Makuei Lueth shakes hands with Lam Akol during the revitalization forum on 19 December 2017 (ST Photo)

The IGAD-led face-to-face round of talks in Khartoum have started in Khartoum on 25 June. Two days after, the South Sudanese parties signed a framework agreement, providing to implement the permanent ceasefire even before to settle the outstanding issues in the security arrangements.

The Government Spokesperson Michael Makuei Lueth told the official SSBC TV they met on Wednesday with the Sudanese mediation team headed by the Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf to discuss a draft agreement on the security arrangements

"After lengthy discussions, it was agreed that by tomorrow we will be getting the final draft and hopefully this final draft will be the document that we will sign," the minister said.

Lueth further said if things as it was agreed then they sign the final draft agreement the mediators will submit on Thursday.

"If things remain the same then definitely we will be signing the final document on the permanent ceasefire and transitional security arrangement," he said.

Khartoum talks on the security arrangements deal with four outstanding issues including the determination of demilitarized areas; modalities of the cantonment, a timeframe for the unification of forces and the number of representatives of every party in the Joint Transitional Security Committee.

The SPLA-IO made a major concession during the previous phases of the peace revitalization process as it accepted to amend the peace agreement and integrate the armies before the end of the transitional period.

Minister Makuei said once this agreement on the security arrangements is signed the will move immediately to discuss the outstanding issues in the power-sharing or governance chapter.

On the governance, the parties have to settle their differences on the number of states in South Sudan, the size and composition of the Legislature and the responsibility sharing ratio in the executive and the states.

Once all these issues have been settled, the IGAD leaders have to persuade President Salva Kiir to accept the participation of SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar in the transitional government.

The Khartoum round of peace talks will be concluded on 8 July as the parties have to move to Nairobi to resume discussions there.

The signatories of the Khartoum Declaration of Agreement pledged to settle all the pending issues in the security arrangements and governance in Khartoum.

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July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudatel, a telecommunications and Internet service provider in Sudan, and Nokia a Finnish telecommunications technology company announced Tuesday a strategic partnership to develop ultra-broadband services in the east African country.

Sudatel

According to the deal announced from Espoo, Finland the two parties will test "Nokia 4.5G Pro, 4.9G and 5G mobile technologies along with Nokia's fixed fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) portfolio to enhance the mobile and residential broadband experience in Sudan".

The technologies used in this trail which will be implemented in Khartoum, are dedicated to increasing capacity and speed through AirScale radio access.

Further, Sudatel will trial Nokia's passive optical networking (PON) fibre solutions to enhance the residential broadband experience. Also, it will be limited to Khartoum before to be extended to other regions.

Sudatel is a government-owned company. The Sudanese operator is present also in Mauritania and Senegal.

Tarig Zain El Abdein, Sudatel's President and Chief Executive Officer said “Bringing Nokia's technology expertise and innovations to Sudan is very strategic for us in the execution of our vision of becoming the most admired ICT provider in Africa"

Pierre Chaume, head of Nokia's North & West Africa Department at, said the partnership agreement “will support Sudatel's 2020 Strategy of becoming the most admired ICT provider in Africa, (..)"

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July 3, 2018 (JUBA) – Ugandan airline, Eagle Air this week announced the resumption of its flights to Yei town in the southwest of South Sudan and near the Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The decision was announced Tuesday after one-year suspension following "the harassment" of Eagle Aircrews by South Sudanese officials, according to the ch-aviation, a specialized website on aviation news.

The airline, in a statement, said the twice-weekly flights from Entebbe or Kampala to Yei town would commence from 2 July 2018 onwards.

The Eagle Air has two flights per week from Entebbe to Yei which is a business hub, attracting traders and customers from South Sudan, Uganda and Congo.

Yei is a business hub, attracting traders and customers from South Sudan, Uganda and Congo. Also, Ivory Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank have branches in the city.

The Ugandan carrier also offers scheduled flights from the Ugandan town of Entebbe to each of Pakuba, Adjumani, Gulu, and Arua in Uganda as well as Juba in South Sudan.

The only airline within Uganda, Eagle Air operates a diverse fleet of Let 410UVPEs, Beech 1900Ds, Piper (twin-piston) Seneca PA34s, and Cessna (single piston) 206s.

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July 3, 2018 (JUBA) - At least 2.2 million school-aged children have dropped out of schools in South Sudan due to the ongoing political and economic problems in the war-hit nation, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

School pupils demand creating of a conducive environment for learning in Bor, May 22, 2014 (ST)

This was revealed during the launch of South Sudan out-of-school children study guide at a ceremony held in the capital, Juba.

"In the wake of persistent fragility conflict, at least 2.2 million children across South Sudan are now out of school, a figure that is projected to rise, if nothing is done," said UNECO's country representative, Sardar Umar Alam.

The report, he said, is part of a global initiative that highlights the challenges of out of school children in South Sudan initiated in 2013.

"The number of out-of-school children in the country has increased in recent years and this trend is projected to continue, reaching over 2.4 million children in the next two years, if present circumstances are maintained," stressed the official.

The country representative for the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), Mahimbo Mdoe said children from rural areas of the country are more likely to be excluded from school than those in urban areas.

South Sudan's education minister, Deng Deng Hoc Yai assured stakeholder that the country will work to ensure all girls and boys are enrolled in class, despite the ongoing war and economic troubles.

"We need to act so quick to reach the children that are out of school because every child deserve to be given opportunity to learn," he said.

The report demonstrates the urgency of the needs to tackle the issue of children out of school more quickly by ensuring all those out of school have the opportunity to go to back to school, he stressed.

The conflict in South Sudan, now in its fifth year, has displaced millions of people into neighboring countries since it started in mid-December 2013.

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July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan transport minister and South Sudan presidential adviser on security affairs Tuesday agreed to open four border crossing points between the two countries within the next few days.

The agreement was announced by the two officials following a meeting held in Khartoum to discuss the implementation of directives of President al-Bashir to open border with South Sudan after the signing of Khartoum Declaration of Agreement on 27 June.

The decision is as a part of measures he announced recently to encourage the South Sudanese parties to implement a peace agreement they signed in August 2015. He said it would facilitate the movement of citizens and the flow of trade between the two countries.

Speaking in Khartoum after the meeting, Presidential adviser, Tut Galuwak told reporters they discussed the border opening and he asked to open all the crossing points as soon as possible to encourage trade between the two sides on the border.

"Minister Makawi expressed the readiness of his government to implement the directives of President al-Bashir and we would like to a announce the good news that the decision includes road, rail and Nile river crossing points," said Galuwak.

For his part, Minister Makawi Awad confirmed what Galuwak announced and added that four points would be opened very soon before the departure of the South Sudanese official from Khartoum.

"These four crossing corridors, Awad said, include, Kosti-Renk road and river, Meriam - Aweil, rails and road, Heglig-Bentiu, and Al Sumayyah corridors".

Some of the four points have been marked last March as the two countries did not yet finalize the talks on the border demarcation since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 and they are part of the Safe Demilitarized Buffer Zone (SDBZ).

Following the South Sudan independence, President al-Bashir ordered the border closure accusing Juba of backing Sudanese rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

However, the decision didn't stop totally the trade between the two sides as the border areas from both sides historically had strong trade relations.

Minister Awad said the Sudanese private sector will contribute to restoring the roads and transportation means.

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July 3, 2018 (ANKARA/JUBA) - The Turkish state development aid agency has donated 30 tons of seeds and agricultural equipment to farmers in war-torn South Sudan.

South Sudan agriculture (Getty)

In a statement issued Monday, The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) said it provided 500 farmers in the capital Juba and its surroundings with peanut, maize, sorghum, tomato, and okra seeds along with several types of agricultural tools.

The Turkish envoy to South Sudan, Hasan Sevilir Asan, South Sudan Agriculture Minister Onyoti Adigo Nyikwec, the head of South Sudan Farmers Union, Mathuc Akola, and TIKA's coordination in Juba, John Acer attended the seed distribution ceremony.

South Sudan has a wealth of untapped agricultural assets. With 30 million hectares of arable land, across six agro-ecological zones, South Sudan is capable of producing an array of agricultural products, from cereals to oil seeds, horticulture, and specialty products such as Shea butter and Gum Arabic.

But despite the huge agricultural potential it possessed, only about 5% of South Sudan's land is cultivated, yet the country also offers abundant water resources in the Nile basin, and forestry assets are plentiful, with tens of thousands of hectares of teak and other high-value hardwoods available for sustainable harvesting.

In 2012, South Sudan President Salva Kiir announced a goal to achieve food self-sufficiency in the country. That same year, the ministry of agriculture launched the national effort for agricultural transformation, and started to identify agricultural opportunities for foreign investors and agribusinesses.

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July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed would visit a number of Western countries including the United States during the next period, said the official news agency SUNA

El-Dirdeiry Mohamed Ahmed (AFP)

El-Dirdeiry was appointed as Foreign Minister last May succeeding Ibrahim Ghandour who was sacked from his post after complaining to the parliament of the Finance Ministry's failure to pay the salaries of the diplomats for seven months.

According to the agency, El-Dirdeiry would tour a number of Western countries including the U.S. as soon as the ongoing South Sudan's peace talks conclude on 9 July in Khartoum.

He expressed satisfaction with the U.S. and European welcoming of the outcome of South Sudan's peace talks, saying the Sudanese-U.S. dialogue would resume during the next period to lift Sudan's name from the terror list.

“We expect [my] visit to the U.S. would witness the launch of a new phase of dialogue [between the two countries],” he said

In October 2017, Washington decided to lift economic sanctions on Sudan in line with a five-track framework reached by the two countries in December 2016. Khartoum, accordingly, authorized humanitarian access to civilians in Darfur and unilaterally declared a cessation of hostilities in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states.

The two countries agreed to resume talks on the normalization of bilateral talks and the lift of remaining sanctions particularly Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorist groups. The measure is crucial to get a debt relief and allow Sudan to get international aid to build its economic infrastructure.

In November 2017, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan, was in Khartoum to launch the second phase of the normalization process and pointed to the need for reforms on human rights and religious freedom. Also, the two countries agreed to engage in written exchanges for Sudan's removal from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

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July 3, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan has condemned a travel advisory issued by the US State Department warning its citizens against travelling to Darfur region, Blue Nile state, and South Kordofan state due to crime and armed conflict.

Sudan's foreign ministry building in Khartoum (SUNA)

The issuance of that warning at a time Sudan is witnessing a positive political and security atmosphere (...) lacks objective justifications and negates the positive reality which recently allowed a U.S. Embassy delegation to travel to Darfur and move freely between all its states.

The statement said the security advisory ignore the reality on the ground in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states where the government has declared a cessation of hostilities.

The Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson further said the warning contradicts United Nations reports on Darfur especially the most recent report on the UNAMID strategic review, which recommends continuing the implementation of the exit strategy of the hybrid forces from Darfur.

Several Sudanese media focused on a paragraph in the statement speaking about the presence of terrorist groups that target "foreign and local government facilities, and areas frequented by Westerners" in Khartoum.

"Terrorist groups in Sudan have stated their intent to harm Westerners and Western interests through suicide operations, bombings, shootings, and kidnappings," said the statement.

However, the foreign ministry reiterated Sudan's commitment to work with international partners to fight terrorism and promote regional security, without further details.

U.S. officials last October invoked Khartoum cooperation with the US to fight terrorism to justify the lift of economic embargo on Sudan.

Nonetheless, Sudan remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The two countries since January have declared they would begin talks on the removal of the east African country from the list but no date was announced. Only, U.S. diplomatic, security and military delegations visited Khartoum to prepare the discussions.

(ST)