Africa

Briefing the Security Council on the situation in Liberia, the United Nations peacekeeping chief today underlined that the country remained stable and that since the security transition in June this year, there had been no incident serious enough to warrant an armed response from the UN mission in the country, known as UNMIL.

December 2, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan Friday commended the diplomatic efforts exerted by Russia, China, Egypt, Angola and Venezuela for the diplomatic efforts exerted to convince the United States to withdraw a proposal of arms embargo and targeted sanctions on three key government and opposition figures.

“We are appreciative and grateful to the government and people in the Russia Federation, the Chinese government and people, Angola, Egypt and Venezuela,” said Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Cooperation Mawien Makol.

His comments come following media reports that Obama administration has abandoned a plan to submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council resolution imposing arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N, was quoted by unnamed official saying Obama administration decided to put off a plan to call for a Security Council vote for the arms embargo.

Government supporters in Juba claimed the move shows the U.S. administration is coming to a realisation that the measure won't have passed with a fierce opposition from South Sudan's allies, the veto-power Russian Federation and China.

The move was opposed by China, Russia, Egypt, Angola, Senegal, Venezuela, and Japan with Malaysia also expressing reservations. The American draft resolution was supported by its traditional allies, the British, French and other nations like Ukraine.

On 18 November Power disclosed its intention to submit the arms embargo and sanctions to the Security Council, saying that all the ingredients for a genocide exist in South Sudan.

She added that the international community should shoulder its responsibility to protection civilians and prevent an "imminent genocide" as in was said by the UN Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng last wek.

"In the coming days, the United States will put forward a proposal to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions on the individuals who have been the biggest spoilers to achieve lasting peace in South Sudan," Power said.

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December 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The last batch of twenty two Prisoners of War (POWs) from the Sudanese army who were released by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has arrived on Thursday in Khartoum.

Last month, JEM announced the release of all detainees and POWs from government forces and breakaway factions in response to appeals from religious leaders, civil society organizations and prestigious national figures.

Government sources told Sudan Tribune that the arrival of the final group of POWs on Thursday has brought the number of the released to 22 prisoners, saying most of them are from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and other regular forces.

The POWs have been transferred by road from their detention camp in South Sudan to North Kordofan state capital, El-Obeid and from there they were flown to Khartoum.

Lt. Col. Ihab Abdel-Mun'im, who spoke on behalf of the released POWs upon arrival at Khartoum airport, thanked the JEM for the good treatment, saying “Sudan is a capacious country and its territory could accommodate everybody”.

It is noteworthy that Abdel-Mun'im had spent 9 years in captivity.

On 3 November, four former rebel commanders of the Justice and Equality Movement - Dabajo (JEM-Dabajo) returned to Khartoum after their release by JEM.

The splinter commanders had been detained after clashes with their former comrades on the border between Chad and Sudan in May 2013. The faction leader Mohamed Bashar and his deputy Arko Suleiman Dahia were killed during the fighting.

Last September, President Omer al-Bashir announced the release of twenty one children allegedly detained during the Gouz Dango battle with the JEM in April 2014.

However the rebel group denied that these children were part of its fighters reiterating its commitment to international conventions banning the use of child soldiers.

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December 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) has called on the various opposition alliances and youth groups that were engaged in the recent civil disobedience to address the international community to demand the ouster of President Omer al-Bashir.

SPLM-N leader Malik Agar (C) his deputy Abdel Aziz al-Hilu (L) and SG Yasir Arman pose for a picture in undisclosed location in the rebel controlled areas in March 2014 (AFP/Getty Photo)

Large segments of the Sudanese people have engaged in a three-day civil disobedience act from 27 to 29 November to protest the recent austerity measures and the lack of freedoms.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday, SPLM-N leadership said “we demand the ouster of al-Bashir and to reach agreement on new transitional arrangements under which the dialogue conference and the constitutional arrangements should be held”.

“We make this demand to the African Union High Implementation Panel, African Union, Arab League, European Union, United States, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the UN Security Council as the sole demand of the Sudanese people,” read the statement.

“We would continue our struggle to achieve the popular uprising and the objectives of 27 November away from the marathons of negotiations and thus we end the discrepancy between the uprising and the negotiations and we rely on the popular uprising as means to achieve the demands of our people,” it added .

The SPLM-N pointed out that it developed a new negotiation stance with the government that includes the ouster of President al-Bashir and the achievement of transitional arrangements agreed upon among the forces of change.

The rebel movement stressed that it wouldn't negotiate any political issues with the government, saying it will only engage in talks to address the humanitarian situation on the bases of the international humanitarian law.

The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan since 2011 and a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

After a series of talks under the auspices of the African Union in Addis Ababa between 9 to 14 August, the Sudanese government and SPLM-N failed to sign cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements.

The statement further called for holding immediate meetings and conferences for all the forces that had engaged in the civil disobedience, stressing the need “to agree on a unified programme to respond the desire of the Sudanese for change”.

It pointed to the importance of agreeing on a leadership body to lead the upcoming moves, saying the final victory could only be achieved through the unity of the forces of change.

The statement also called for holding a conference for all forces that had engaged in the civil disobedience in Khartoum in coordination with the armed movements in order to transfer the core of the opposition work inside Sudan.

Also, the SPLM-N urged the two factions of the rebel umbrella Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) to agree on a joint agenda to address the current political situation and to strengthen coordination between the two factions.

The rebel group expressed readiness to cease hostilities whenever the Sudanese army and police decide to join the popular uprising, saying “we are ready to coordinate with them to counter the enemies of the uprising”.

The statement also warned against differences among the forces of change and attempts to exclude any armed or peaceful resistance forces, pointing to the shortcoming of the civil disobedience including the absence of a declared leadership and lack of accurate identification of goals.

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December 2, 2016 (JUBA) - The command of South Sudan army (SPLA) denied on Friday reports that up to 300 soldiers have switched allegiance to the armed opposition forces loyal to former First Vice President Riek Machar.

An SPLA soldier is pictured behind a South Sudan flag as he sits on the back of a pick-up truck in Bentiu, Unity state January 12, 2014. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

The soldiers, according to James Yoach, spokesperson for the opposition in the area, decided to break out because the government was not able to establish cantonment sites in the area and feed them.

The defectors were allegedly led by a 2nd Lt. Gai Kongim, who crossed to opposition forces”.

However while the armed opposition claims it has received the soldiers, government officials and military officials loyal to the government under President Salva Kiir have denied any knowledge of these developments.

Northern Liech State Information Minister Lam Tungwar, denied the defection and lessened the news.

“This is baseless and unrealistic news. There is nothing like at all. No one from our gallant SPLA forces has ever defected to the SPLA-IO. This is just propaganda to project themselves as still existing but in fact they are not in the area. They are practicing hit and run," he said.

"The Governor of Northern Liech state is in Mayom right now. our people should not panic. This is a lie and should not be taken seriously,” stressed Tungwar.

SPLA spokesman, Brigadier General, Lul Koang Ruai said he was not aware of any defection.

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With the scale of human suffering in north-eastern Nigeria becoming clearer as the Government has pushed Boko Haram insurgents from more and more areas, the United Nations today launched a $1 billion funding appeal to address the needs of those in crisis, and announced that nearly 75 partner agencies are on standby to respond where areas are accessible.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, appealed today for an urgent scale-up in humanitarian assistance, with relief agencies already overstretched as the country faces severe drought conditions, including food and water shortages.

The life story of Gambian property developer Adama Barrow, who has pulled off a Trumpian shock with his election win.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

December 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour Thursday discussed with the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson ways to develop relations and trade between the two countries.

The meeting between the top diplomats was held on the sidelines of the three-day MED (Mediterranean Dialogues) Forum, organised by the Italian foreign ministry in Rome.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Garib Allah Khidir said the meeting discussed ways to promote bilateral relations between the two countries, and Sudan's role to maintain regional peace and security particularly in South Sudan.

"Sudan looks forward to building strong relationship between the two countries especially in the economic field, calling on British companies to invest in Sudan," Ghandour told Johnson, according to the spokesperson.

As the British government prepares to trigger negotiations to leave the European Union next year, London considers to develop trade and economic relations with Africa before the Brexit.

British officials said they plan to develop a “pro-development trade policy with Africa,” reported the Financial times last October.

Sudan which is under U.S. sanctions has developed "South-South trade" ties with China, and Russia, India and other countries in Asia and Africa.

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Up to 120,000 people risk starving to death amid the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria, the UN warns.

December 2, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudan's armed opposition leader, Riek Machar has appointed Henry Odwar as deputy chairperson of the rebel movement.

Machar speaks on a mobile phone after an interview with Reuters in Kenya's capital Nairobi July 8, 2015

Odwar, in a decree Sudan Tribune obtained, assumed office on 1 December.

“Pursuant of the SPLM (IO) constitution and reference to the political Bureau resolution of September 23rd 2016 on the restructuring of the SPLM/SPLA-IO political organ, I Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon chairman and commander –in-chief, SPLM/SPLA (IO) hereby appoint comrade Henery. L Odwar as the deputy commander-in-chief, SPLM/SPLA-IO with an effect on 1st December 2016”, partly reads the decree.

The deputy chairperson's post fell vacant in July when renewed clashed between South Sudan's rival factions forced Machar out of the capital, Juba.

Many of the armed opposition officials who remained in Juba were forced by government to nominate Taban Deng Gai as Machar's immediate successor.

The position of the deputy chairman of the armed opposition was previously held by Gen. Ladu Gore, before renewed fighting broke out in Juba.

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December 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) — The Chairman of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Thursday, in an unexpected move, fired one of his aides without explanations, as the group holds consultations with the Sudanese government over humanitarian truce in Darfur.

In a short communiqué he issued, Gibril Ibrahim, the rebel leader relieved Abu Bakr Hamid from his position as secretary of organisation and administration.

The decision was made in ''the interests of the revolution and to preserve its gains'' says the text.

Hamid accompanied Ibrahim last October to meet the Chadian President Idris Deby in Berlin.

Deby sought to convince JEM leader to join the peace process in Sudan and to end a 13-year armed conflict that affects his country and hampers the development of economic exchanges between the two neighbouring countries.

Hamid who has good personnel relations with Deby, was more responsive to the efforts of the Chadian president.

On Wednesday the Sudanese government Top Negotiator for Darfur conflict, Amin Hassan Omer disclosed that secret discussions are taking place in Addis Ababa between the government, JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM).

The consultations which are brokered this time by the U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth who is currently visiting Sudan, deal with the cessation of hostilities and the humanitarian access.

The American diplomat seeks to narrow the gaps between the two parties over the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD). Khartoum insists it should be the basis for any political talks but the two groups demand a new process.

Also, talks are expected to resume soon as the African Union Chief Mediator Thabo Mbeki would visit Khartoum during the upcoming days to meet President Omer al-Bashir and his aides before to fix a date for the resumption of formal negotiations.

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December 01, 2016 (JUBA) - 30 teachers have been arrested after they protested over delayed wages in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

Representatitives of the teachers, county education office in Bor, Feb 21, 2011 ST

Ever since the strike begun over two months ago, 11 teachers have been terminated for leading and organizing the sit down protests.

Jonglei state's education minister, Susan Lith Aluong described as illegal the demands for pay rise and refusal to allow students sit exams.

“The strike is illegal and unlawful because it has exceeded a week," Aluong told reporters in the state capital, Bor on Thursday.

Any legal strike, she added, lasts for a week and teaching resumes.

The strike began in early September when teachers demanded that the state government implements the 300% salary increment approved by the national government in February, but the state insisted there was no money to effect the increase in wages.

Teachers, presently, receive between SSP 500 and SSP 600, despite the persistent rise in inflation that reached over 800% last month.

Last week, the state ministry of education urged teachers to resume work and released a timetable for end of year exams. Some teachers reportedly tore the exams schedule, prompting the state government to order for their immediate arrest early this week.

Teachers on Thursday protested the arbitrary arrest of colleagues.

"When we were meeting, policemen came and wanted to take the leaders, but we refused and decided to come to the police together," a teacher who preferred anonymity said over phone.

Initially, police detained 75 teachers, but 45 of them were released. However 30 of them remained in detention by close of business on Thursday.

Education officials in the state said the teachers would be taken to court and charged with inciting violent. It is not clear when they will appear in court or when the exams would be done by the students.

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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended the people of Gambia for the peaceful and orderly manner in which yesterday&#39s presidential election was held and congratulated President-elect Adama Barrow.

December 01, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) on Thursday has continued its mass confiscation of newspapers print-runs for the successive fourth day, which coincided with the call for civil disobedience.

On Wednesday, two dailies went on strike and did come out in protest against NISS crackdown on newspapers.

Mass confiscation has emerged as a new technique of punishment by the NISS which tends to accuse the press of disseminating news that adversely impact on national security.

On Thursday morning, NISS has confiscated the print-runs of Al-Tayyar, Al-Youm Al-Tali and Al-Watan for the third successive day without any explanation.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune, the publisher of Al-Tayyar newspaper, Osman Mirghani, said NISS had informed him that his newspaper could come out on Friday, stressing that this is the first time that NISS assures him the newspaper will not be confiscated.

“Al-Tayyar newspaper has lost 300,000 SGD (around $15.700) due to NISS repeated confiscations for three days, in addition to the loss of advertisements.

On Thursday, Al-Jareeda and Al-Mydan newspapers did not print Thursday's edition in solidarity with a strike announced by the independent Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) to protest against the repeated violation of press freedom and mass confiscations of newspapers.

Sudanese authorities have intensified their crackdown on newspapers for its coverage of the three-day civil disobedience organized by Sudanese activists from 27 to 29 November. NISS has confiscated the print-runs of Al-Jreeda and Al-Ayam for three successive days.

In statement extended to Sudan Tribune, the independent Journalists for Human Rights Network (JHR) denounced the "massacre of press" carried out by the security apparatus and the lack of freedom of expression in the country and pointed to the abusive confiscation of the newspapers without explanation .

Also, the pro-government Sudanese Journalists Union (SJU) regretted confiscating newspapers print-runs, and called on the "parties to go to court to resolve their conflict.

“Sudanese Journalists Union is in contacts with the relevant authorities to reach an agreement ending newspapers print-runs confiscations and to respect law prevalence,” said SJU in statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

SJU went to say that there are arrangements to organize a meeting between editors-in-chief, publishers and relevant authorities to end the current tension and reach an agreement to enhance freedom of press.

Following the lift of pre-publication censorship, the NISS opted to punish newspapers retroactively by seizing print copies of newspapers that breach unwritten red lines related to national security.

The measure inflicts financial and moral losses on the media houses. Journalists say that NISS uses seizures of of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

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December 1, 2016 (JUBA) - The command of South Sudan army (SPLA), denied on Thursday a report by United Nations mission in the country presented to it's Security Council that it had facilitated and moved into Greater Equatoria region in support of an anticipated dry season offensive against armed opposition fighters.

South Sudanese SPLA soldiers are pictured in Pageri in Eastern Equatoria state on August 20, 2015 (Photo AFP/Samir Bol)

The United Nations mission in the country, in a Thursday press release said the army's move a ploy to “building a case for a regime change and sanctions".

The SPLA has, however, acknowledged that activities taking place in the region were rotation of soldiers, who have been serving in the area for the two years.

"These are not militias, but SPLA soldiers. They [UNMISS] are twisting this for reasons known to them," partly reads the statement.

It equated the ongoing military activities to regular military changes like the one the United States and other countries in the western world undertake in order to ensure continuity of the operation.

"In America, don't they rotate their troops? Those soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have they continuously been there since 2001? So what is this fuse? There should not be a panic. The public needs to remain calm and know that there is no building up of troops in the Equatoria region. It is just normal rotation of troops. Even our commanding officers are subject to regular movement. We rotated them last time. We took the one who was in Wau to Renk. And the one in Renk to Bentiu and so forth, this is done to ensure continuity of the command and operations”, it added.

This comes after ceasefire monitors also claimed they were denied access to the restive town of Yei but the SPLA spokesman denied it a deliberate action and explained that the SPLA had not been notified.

Brigadier Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, who speaks for government forces said, in a statement, that "the agreement says, whenever CTSAMM is going for assessment, for verification, they must have on their team representatives from the SPLA and from the SPLA-IO. In this case, none of those parties was present in the team that had wanted to go to Yei".

He further added that CTSAMM will be allowed to go to Yei once they adhere to proper procedures and protocols as per the agreement.

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December 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth Thursday announced several exchange programmes to strengthen partnerships and collaboration between U.S. and Sudanese universities.

The American diplomat is visiting Sudan nowadays as he discussed with the Sudanese officials ways to resume peace talks in line with a Roadmap agreement to end armed conflicts and achieve democratic reforms in Sudan.

Also, Booth for the first time on Thursday visited Kadugli the capital of South Kordofan where he met the governor and civil society groups to discuss the humanitarian situation and ways to reach the needy in the conflict affected areas.

"After 20 years of programmes suspension, Special Envoy Booth announced the return of the American Fulbright Scholars and American Fulbright Specialists programmes to Sudan," reads a statement extended to Sudan Tribune by the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum.

In line with these scholarship programmes, American experts will work with Sudanese universities in building capacity and strengthening U.S.-Sudan university partnerships

The statement said two American professors from Cornell University and Texas A&M University travelled to Sudan to assist Al Azhari University in medical curriculum and medical technology.

Booth further "announced that the Department of State will also send eleven Sudanese university vice chancellors and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to the United States next January to meet with U.S. universities.''

In addition, the statement called on Sudanese youth to apply for three tracks of Young African Leadership Initiative Network (YALI)'s Mandela Washington Fellowship: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, and Public Management.

"We see these as positive developments in our relationship. We remain committed to the Sudanese public; to promoting direct people-to-people connections between our citizens; and to creating opportunities to build trust, encourage partnerships, and empower the next generation of leaders."

Since 1997 Sudan has been under economic sanctions, which include comprehensive trade embargo and blocked the assets of the Government of Sudan. In 2006, President Bush extended the sanctions to target government officials and militia leaders involved in Darfur conflict.

However this year, the American administration praised Sudanese government efforts in the fight against terrorism but excluded the removal of sanctions.

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December 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government disclosed that consultations were taking place in Addis Ababa to determine the positions of Darfur rebel combatants within the framework of a cessation of hostilities agreement to signed with the armed groups.

State minister Amin Hassan Omer (L) briefs EU diplomats in Khartoum about the Roadmap Agreement and Darfur Administrative Referendum on 20 April 2016 (ST Photo)

Talks between the government and two armed groups in Darfur, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), over a humanitarian cessation of hostilities are deadlocked since last August.

The government demands the armed groups should provide all the details to localise the positions of their fighters on the ground, a matter the rebels refuse before the signing of ceasefire agreement. Khartoum also rejects a demand by the two groups to monitor the humanitarian operations in the region. The release of Prisoners of War (POW) and the Doha framework agreement were also among the outstanding issues.

In press statements after a meeting with the U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth who is currently in Khartoum, the Head of Darfur Peace Office and Government Chief Negotiator Amin Hassan Omer Wednesday said they are holding discussions with JEM and SLM-MM to determine the positions of their fighters in Darfur.

He said that these consultations would wrap up on Wednesday evening.

"There is an initial agreement that the determination of troop positions will be fixed by the African Union based on established standards for determination of military positions," he said.

According to the Sudanese official, the meeting with Booth discussed the resumption of negotiations on the cessation of hostilities and the humanitarian access.

Omer reiterated the government keenness to achieve peace, stressing that Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) should be considered as the basis of negotiations.

"We briefed the Special Envoy about the outcome of the informal consultations as we reached an agreement on three of the four issues. And now remains a fundamental issue related to the DDPD which is the basis for future negotiations," he said.

The chief negotiator further pointed that JEM recently released prisoners who had been jailed in South Sudan, adding that his government released JEM child soldiers.

"We agreed that the release of POW who are not yet tried can be considered according to the progress of dialogue between the two parties and the resumption of peace process," Omer said.

Before to meet Omer, Booth was received by the Sudanese Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid who heads government delegation for peace talks with the SPLM-N over the five-year conflict in Sudan's Two Areas.

The official news agency SUNA reported that the meeting discussed the ongoing efforts to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement within the African Union brokered Roadmap Agreement signed by the government rebel groups and National Umma Party.

Omer announced that the Head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Thabo Mbeki would visit Khartoum within the upcoming days to discuss the resumption of peace talks with the Sudanese officials.

Mbeki's visit had been several times announced in the past months.

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Nelson Mandela's granddaughter speaks about how she has turned her life around and wishes her grandfather could see her now.