Africa

Zambia president Edgar Lungu tells the country's football association to employ a local coach to take chare of the national team.

October 4, 2016

Mr. Alpha Condé
President of the Republic of Guinea
Conakry, Guinea

RE: Request for accountability for human rights violations and abuses committed during the 2015 Guinean presidential elections

Dear Mr. President,

As the anniversary of Guinea’s October 11, 2015 presidential elections approaches, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International write to urge you and your government to urgently take concrete and meaningful steps to ensure accountability for the serious human rights violations and abuses committed in the run up to and aftermath of these elections.

As independent and impartial international non-governmental organizations, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International monitor and report on human rights in over 160 countries. We have documented violations and abuses and advocated for redress for victims in Guinea for several decades.

During several research missions to Guinea in 2015, our organizations documented numerous serious human rights violations and abuses allegedly perpetrated by members of the security forces and mobs affiliated with both the ruling party and opposition groups. The violations and abuses were committed between April and October 2015.  

Those involving the security forces included arbitrary and excessive use of lethal force, resulting in the deaths in 2015 of some 10 people during demonstrations; torture and other ill-treatment of detainees; one case of rape; numerous acts of extortion, theft; and the looting of several markets.

We also documented the following incidents: the deaths of two men and rape of one woman by mobs associated with members of the opposition; the sexual abuse of a child by several men believed to be ruling party supporters; and the extensive looting and destruction of property in markets by mobs associated with the ruling party, often in complicity with the security forces.

These violations and crimes have elicited next to no judicial response, neither when reported by our human rights organizations, local human rights groups or the press, nor when victims have filed judicial complaints. Indeed, despite threats and obstacles, including financial hardship, at least nine victims or their family members have filed complaints to the judiciary for the loss or injury of their loves ones. A collective of some 400 victims filed a judicial complaint for the loss of property during the looting and pillage of their businesses between April and October 2015.

Disturbingly, however, the victims and some members of the criminal justice system interviewed told us that none of these cases have been the subject of in-depth investigations, none of the suspected perpetrators have been brought to justice, and none of the victims have received effective remedies and reparations. The wives and family members of several men killed during demonstrations spoke to our researchers about facing not only the grief from their loss, but also a period of intense financial hardship as they struggled to care for their families without any state support.

Human rights abuses committed during the run-up to the 2013 parliamentary elections were similarly unaddressed, including some 60 deaths, of which the majority were allegedly caused by members of the security services. This fuels what we believe is a dangerous cycle of violations and abuses and impunity.

Under international and regional human rights law, victims of human rights violations and their families have a right to an effective remedy and full reparations. As noted by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, “The failure of the State to properly investigate cases of death following the use of force is a violation of the right to life itself.”

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We have sent to Guinea’s Prosecutor General an updated annex with details of several cases from the 2015 election period that we urged him to investigate, including several complaints filed by family members and their lawyers. We include below a brief description of several of these cases, all of which were investigated by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. These cases are by no means an exhaustive list of serious violations and abuses committed in 2015.

Excessive use of force and firearms by members of the security forces against protesters:

• On April 13, 2015, a gendarme armed with a pistol allegedly shot and killed 30-year-old Thierno Souleymane Bah in the Hamdallaye neighborhood of Conakry. Witnesses said there was neither an imminent threat to the gendarme nor a threat to others. The prosecutor sent the file to the Bureau des Investigations Judiciaires with the autopsy report in April 2016. Since then, there is no information available about the progress of the investigation.

• On May 7, 2015, Thierno Sadou Diallo, a 34 year-old welder, was allegedly killed by gendarmes patrolling near his home in Hamdallaye. On May 8, his family filed a complaint to the Tribunal de Dixinn. The prosecution referred the case to the Bureau des Investigations Judiciaires, but there is no information available about the progress of the investigation.  His 25 year-old wife has had to care for her three young children on her own.

• On October 10, 2015, Boubacar Bah, a 24 year-old driver, was shot dead in Sonfonia Gare II on his way to his brother’s house by security forces removing blockades erected by demonstrators. Four other men were injured in the same incident. His family filed a complaint to the Tribunal de Dixinn on 16 October 2015. The case was referred to the Bureau des Investigations Judiciaires, but there is no information available about the progress of the investigation.

Killings by mobs:

• On October 8, 2015, Koumandjan Keita, 35, a refrigerator repair man, was pulled off his motorcycle and beaten to death by a mob of opposition supporters who were clashing with ruling party supporters near the Kankan-Coura Market in Conakry.

• On October 9, 2015, businessman Djibril Hassan Sylla, 61, was pulled from his car after mobs supporting the political opposition stopped him at the T-8 junction in the Cimenterie neighborhood of Conakry. He was brutally beaten and clubbed to death with rocks, wood spiked with nails and machetes.

Sexual Assault:

• On April 14, 2015, a 26-year-old woman was detained by gendarmes, forced onto their vehicle, taken into a building, blindfolded, and raped by at least two men. She filed a judicial complaint shortly thereafter but has never been contacted by the judiciary or the police to provide additional evidence.

• On October 9, 2015, a young woman was raped after being stopped at a checkpoint manned by members of the political opposition armed with machetes in the Ansoumanya Plateau neighborhood of Conakry.  

Looting and Pillage:

• In April and May 2015, during and after street protests, policemen and to a lesser extent gendarmes operating in Bambeto, Hamdallaye, Koloma, Matam, and Wanindara stole cell phones, cash, household items and merchandise; smashed windshields of cars in auto-repair shops; and set fire to or destroyed several market stalls and small businesses.  

• On May 7, 2015, a mob of hundreds of opposition supporters destroyed, looted and burned the home, bar and video center owned by a man living in the Cimenterie-Sonfonia neighborhood.

• On October 8 and 9, 2015, mobs largely supporting the ruling party, and in numerous cases accompanied by members of the security forces, looted and in a few cases burned or destroyed scores of shops in Madina, Matoto, Anta, Kissosso, Dixinn and Centre Commerical Koumi. The losses impacting hundreds of primarily Peuhl businessmen is estimated to be in the billions of Guinean Francs. Some 400 victims filed a judicial complaint in December 2015 with the court of first instance of Mafanco.  

• On 8 October, 2015, a mob of men many wearing tee-shirts from the opposition attacked and burned several shops, cars and motorcycles within the Marche de Casse, a market of spare auto parts.

We fully recognize the meaningful steps your administration has taken thus far to ensure better discipline within the security forces and break from Guinea’s history of violence and abuse, including giving instructions to ensure the army is not deployed to police demonstrations in Conakry. We also recognize the striking deficiencies within the judiciary that your administration has inherited and the numerous pressing challenges your government continues to face.

However, these challenges must not be used to justify inaction. We firmly believe that strengthening the criminal justice system and rule of law and ensuring justice for violations and abuses, including those committed in 2015, should be top of your government’s priorities as you enter into the second year of your mandate.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International therefore urge you and your government to ensure that these violations and crimes are promptly, thoroughly, transparently and impartially investigated, that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice in fair trials, and that victims have access to an effective remedy and receive full reparations.

Ensuring accountability for these human rights violations and abuses by all sides is vital not only for victims and their families, but also to reassure the population of Guinea that the cycle of violence, fear, and impunity can and will come to an end. All the victims and their families deserve nothing less.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International stand ready to support the efforts of your government to strengthen the criminal justice system, rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses.

Sincerely,

Corinne Dufka
Associate Director, Africa Division
Human Rights Watch

Alioune Tine
Director, West and Central Africa Regional Office
Amnesty International

CC:
Mamady Youla, Prime Minister
Cheick Sako, Minister of Justice
Kalifa Gassama Diaby, Minister of National Unity and Citizenship
Abdoul Kabele Camara, Minister of Security and Civilian Protection 
Mamady Kaba, President of the National Independent Institution for Human Rights

ANNEX: Letter to Prosecutor and Chart of Abuses

Expand

A security officer stands in the Madina market in Conakry, Guinea, following clashes between rival political party supporters on October 9, 2015.

© 2015 Reuters

(Dakar) – Authorities in Guinea should take concrete and immediate steps to ensure justice for the victims and the families of those who were shot, raped, or beaten to death during the 2015 presidential election period, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today in a joint letter to President Alpha Condé.

Guinea’s authorities should ensure that members of the security forces and mobs linked to both the ruling party and opposition groups are held accountable for the killing of 12 people, several rapes, and the looting of several markets in Conakry, the capital, during the election period. To date, no one has been brought to justice in relation to these crimes.

“A year of inaction is far too long for families who have seen their loved ones taken from them. Victims of last year’s electoral violence deserve justice for the harm inflicted upon them, and the authorities should not make them wait any longer,” said Francois Patuel, West Africa researcher at Amnesty International.

Presidential elections were held on October 11, 2015. The result was a first-round victory for Alpha Conde, the incumbent, who received 58 percent of the vote. The country will hold local elections in the coming months.

During the period around the 2015 elections, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented several incidents involving the security forces that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people during demonstrations, most in Conakry. In addition, dozens of people were arbitrarily arrested and tortured.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have separately and jointly documented other violations and abuses committed during the election period, including the beating to death of two men and the rape of a woman by mobs linked to the opposition, the sexual abuse of a child by several ruling party supporters, and the extensive looting and destruction of property in markets by mobs associated with the ruling party, at times allegedly in complicity with the security forces.

Despite threats and financial hardship, many victims filed complaints to the judiciary about the killings, injuries, and property loss. However, the government has neither investigated any of these cases in depth, nor brought any suspects to justice, nor provided effective remedies to the victims, including full reparations.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch sent Guinea’s prosecutor general the details of several cases from the 2015 election period and urged the government to investigate the cases, including several complaints filed by family members and their lawyers.

Related Content

• en_annex_for_president_-_guinea_ai_and_hrw_10-4-16.pdf

Human rights violations and abuses committed during the run-up to the 2013 parliamentary elections remain similarly unaddressed, including some 60 deaths. The majority were allegedly caused by members of the security services.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch consider that the continuing failure of the authorities to properly investigate deaths following the use of excessive force is a violation of the right to life itself.

The organizations urge authorities in Guinea to ensure that all violations and crimes are promptly, thoroughly, transparently, and impartially investigated, that those responsible for abuses are brought to justice in fair trials, and that victims have access to effective remedies, including full reparations.

“Unless there is truth and justice, electoral violence in Guinea will continue,” said Corinne Dufka, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Investigating these crimes will signify a major step forward in ending the cycle of abuse and impunity that has long undermined respect for rights in Guinea.”

October 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Opposition's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Mayada Soar al-Dahab, announced on Sunday its withdrawal from the heterogeneous alliance of Future Forces for Change (FFC) just hours after the latter signed an agreement with the national dialogue mechanism, accordingly it accepted to participate in the national dialogue conference.

Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid and FFC Deputy Chairman Abdel Gadir Ibrahim Ali Saturday signed a framework agreement titled "Areas for an agreement on cooperation and solidarity'' providing they will discuss "joint political initiatives to promote the dialogue, especially those relating to the participation of any other political force".

Also, to advertise for the political event the dialogue body released banners and posters with pictures of the participants in Monday's conference. The CCF leader Ghazi Salah al-Din appears in these banners besides political figures from the ruling party and other participants.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Sunday, the LDP reiterated its rejection for any dialogue with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that does not pave the way for political inclusiveness, stop war and ensure freedoms. Also, it refused to take part in the current national dialogue.

The social democratic group, LDP, has vowed to work with all political forces that seek "to meet Sudanese's people aspirations for democratic reforms" .

"The National Dialogue General Assembly is held at a time where is missing the minimum of requirements that serve Sudanese people. Also it does not achieve the minimum of possible demands such as ending the ongoing war in Darfur region, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states," said the LDP.

The statement stressed that the party's leadership decided to withdraw from the FFC in line with the General Convention of the party which mandates the leadership to decide what it believes appropriate regarding the political alliances.

Ii went further to say that since its general convention, the LDP has kept calling for change with all peaceful means.

The liberal party pointed to its adherence to the confidence building measures included in the African Union plan for peace in Sudan and accepted by all the opposition parties as prerequisite to create conducive environment before to participate in the dialogue process.

It further said that it would join the national dialogue when the regime implements these measures by stopping war, allowing humanitarian access, ensuring freedoms and transitional justice and establishing a comprehensive dialogue.

"Any dialogue that is not based on the accountability of perpetrators of (human rights) violations during the rule of this regime can not be credible,” further added the opposition group.

The FFC, which gathers NCP splinter Islamist groups, liberal or left parties, held a series of meetings facilitated by the African Union mediation to prepare them to join a holistic process. At the same time, the coalition agreed with the opposition Sudan Call to coordinate efforts for an inclusive dialogue within the framework of the African Union roadmap.

October 9, 2016 (JUBA) – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby has appointed the bishop of Kajo-Keji Diocese in South Sudan, Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo as his new adviser for Anglican Communion affairs.

Kajo-Keji Diocese Bishop Rt. Rev. Anthony Poggo (ENS photo)

“I am absolutely delighted that Bishop Anthony is joining the team at Lambeth,” Welby told Episcopal News Service (ENS).

“He brings the experience of his ministry in one of the most challenging provinces in the Anglican Communion where he has faithfully served the church as a pastor and teacher,” he added.

Throughout his ministry, Poggo has reportedly been engaged with the profound issues, which many parts of the Communion face, where famine, war, and violent ethnic tensions destabilise society and leave whole communities living in poverty.

“He is well known and respected throughout the Communion and I am most grateful to Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul for releasing Bishop Anthony as a gift to the wider church. His appointment provides a necessary voice and perspective from the global south in the team at Lambeth. I look forward to working with Bishop Anthony to strengthen our relationships around the Provinces at a significant time in the life of the Communion,” Welby stressed.

On 4 October, according to ENS, Deng Bul joined Poggo in the Diocese of Kajo-Keji where the news of the appointment was given.

His appointment comes following an extensive selection process which attracted applications from across the Anglican Communion.

Meanwhile Poggo said he was delighted to accept Welby's invitation and appointment to join the team at Lambeth Palace.

“I look forward to working together with colleagues at Lambeth to support the Archbishop of Canterbury in his ministry,” he told ENS.

He further added, “I appreciate the support from Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul in releasing me from our current role in Kajo-Keji so as to make a contribution in the global Anglican Communion. Jane, Joy and I are excited at this next phase of our ministry.”

Before his ordination in 1995, Bishop Poggo worked with Scripture Union. From 2002, however, he served with ACROSS, becoming its executive director in 2004. He was elected bishop of the Diocese of Kajo-Keji in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan in 2007.

In 2012, Poggo was awarded an honorary doctorate for his role in the mobilizing the church in service of the community. He holds a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Nairobi International School of Theology, now called International Leadership University, and a Master of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (JUBA) – The Swiss-based coffee maker Nespresso has announced a temporary halt in coffee operations in war-torn South Sudan.

A woman handpicking Arabica cofee (restorethebean)

"We had to temporarily suspend our operations in the country. It is the third time this happened since we started working there," Nespresso spokeswoman, Jacquelyn Campo told Reuters.

"The situation has deteriorated and is very difficult at the moment," she added.

The U.S. aid arm (USAID) has injected $3.18 million over the next three years to train smallholder farmers to boost production in South Sudan's coffee sector. The funding is reportedly part of a public-private partnership with Nespresso and international development consultancy TechnoServe.

Last year, Nespresso shipped its first volumes of coffee production from South Sudan, marking the first non-oil exports out of the country in over a generation.

Since it started revive coffee production in the war-torn nation in 2011, around 1,000 smallholder farmers have reportedly been trained in agribusiness techniques and about three-quarters of them now commercially-engaged.

At least six coffee cooperatives have since been established, in addition to having in place the first wet mill processing unit in the world's youngest nation.

According to Nespresso, the company's investment of over US$ 2.5 million in reviving the production of high-quality South Sudanese coffee since 2011 demonstrates the potential for commercial coffee production in the country.

As part of the expansion of its sustainably quality program in Africa, Nespresso says it aims to ensure it has invested over US$ 3.4 million in the project by end of 2016.

Although South Sudan has vast and largely untapped natural resources, beyond a few oil enclaves, it remains relatively undeveloped, characterized by a subsistence economy. South Sudan is the most oil-dependent country in the world, with oil accounting for almost the totality of exports, and around 60% of its gross domestic product. On current reserve estimates, oil production is expected to reduce steadily in future years and become negligible by 2035.

According to the World Bank, livelihoods in South Sudan are mainly concentrated in low productive, unpaid agriculture and pastoralists work, accounting for around 15% of GDP.

“In fact 85% of the working population in South Sudan is engaged in non-wage work, chiefly in agriculture,” it says.

The South Sudanese conflict had a significant financial impact on the country as increase in military expenditure greatly reduced availability of resources for service delivery and capital spending on the much-needed infrastructure.

According to South Sudan's Petroleum ministry, oil prices decreased by 40% from $29.75 per barrel in December 2015 to $18 per barrel in January 2016. Production also significantly declined over the same period, cutting gross oil revenue by more than half from $29.7 million in December to $10.8 million in January.

The decline in oil revenue has reportedly also had a negative impact on macro-budgetary indicators, requiring austere fiscal adjustments in South Sudan's economy.

Investing in coffee offers a unique chance to diversify South Sudan's oil-dependent economy, build peace and offer a glimmer of hope for the country.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Ministry has said that the head of the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Martin Uhomoibhi stressed that his mission didn't receive any piece of information that chemical weapons have been used in Darfur.

Late last month, Amnesty International reported that over 200 people had been killed in Darfur Jebel Marra area by banned chemical weapons since January 2016. But the government denied the claims.

The group published pictures and accounts of 56 witnesses of the alleged chemical attack who spoke about "poisonous smoke" vomit blood, struggle to breathe and watch as their skin falls off.

The Sudanese government dismissed Amnesty's allegations as “fabricated and unfounded accusations”, pointing that it aims to obstruct “the pioneering efforts” to achieve peace and stability and to promote reconciliation in Sudan.

The U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous Tuesday said the United Nations had no evidence on the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese government in Darfur, and called on Khartoum to cooperate with future investigations by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

On Sunday, Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour has discussed with Uhomoibhi the recent developments in Darfur besides his contacts with the non-signatory groups of the Doha peace document.

In a press statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said Uhomoibhi told Ghandour that in spite of the almost 20,000 UNAMID personnel on the ground in Darfur, none of them has seen any Darfuri with the impact of the use of chemical weapons as described by Amnesty International's report.

He added the UNAMID chief informed Ghandour that not one displaced person meeting such description has shown up at any UNAMID Team Site clinics where they would have naturally gone for help.

The statement pointed that Uhomoibhi said not one among the leadership of the Armed Movements in Darfur discussed use of chemical weapons with him or his deputy during several meetings spanning January, April, May, July, August and September this year.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese SPLM-In Opposition has criticized the United States (U.S.) for renewing military support to the government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir, saying it was a “wrong decision” to support an army that allegedly “rapes, tortures and kills” civilians in the country.

A U.S. Special Forces trainer supervises a military assault drill for a unit within the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) conducted in Nzara on the outskirts of Yambio November 29, 2013. (Photo Reuters/Andreea Campeanu)

The opposition group also said the support would help the government to afford the ongoing civil war and encourage it to continue with the military offensives against the opposition forces under the leadership of the ousted former First Vice President, Riek Machar.

On Friday, President Barack Obama issued a decision to continue U.S. military assistance to the troubled South Sudan despite the use of child soldiers in the troubled country and against the suggestion by the international community to impose arms embargo on the nation.

The waiver also circumvents the 2008 Child Soldiers Prevention Act, which is meant to block military assistance to countries recruiting children in their armies.

While the South Sudanese government has welcomed what it described as a positive policy shift by the U.S. and the “right thing to do,” the opposition faction l, said this showed how the outgoing U.S. administration had “confused” on how to approach the situation in South Sudan.

“This is a very unfortunate wrong decision to support the regime's army which has committed documented civilian massacres, war crimes and crimes against humanity for the past three years,” said opposition leader's spokesman, James Gatdet Dak, in reaction to the U.S. military assistance to Juba.

“The outgoing U.S. administration should not reward with military assistance an army known for killing and torturing ordinary citizens, and for raping women, including United States citizens, as recently occurred at Terrain Hotel in Juba. The United States should not reward the undisciplined army of the leadership whose soldiers shot at American diplomats within the vicinity of the Republican Palace in Juba. And why would the United States government support the factional army which has renewed the civil war in the country by violating the August 2015 peace agreement and has been on offensive against opposition forces in escalating the war,” Dak further inquired.

He suggested that the opposition faction would have expected the U.S. government to rather push for imposition of arms embargo on South Sudan's government instead of supporting the government's “war machinery” in the country.

Dak claimed that President Kiir's government has not been directing the security sector budgets to security sector reforms but has been rather purchasing weapons to fight internal wars which he keeps on creating in order to maintain his dictatorial rule and give no chance for peace and democratic processes.

He challenged that supporting with military aid President Kiir's army which is also commanded by some of the U.N. and U.S. sanctioned senior officers is a “great confusion” on the part of the “outgoing” U.S. administration on how to approach the situation in the country.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir, has dispatched a high-level delegation to Yei state over the rising insecurity in the area south of the national capital, Juba, where roads have been blocked by armed local forces allied to the SPLM-In Opposition.

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation from the State House on September 15, 2015, in Juba (Photo AFP/Charles Atiki Lomodong)

The delegation which flew into Yei by air on Saturday is tasked to find out the causes of the rising insecurity in the state and to come out with a way through which the situation can be addressed.

President Kiir, according to multiple presidential aides, has mandated the delegation led by former governor of Central Equatoria state, Clement Wani Konga, who is the current presidential advisor for special affairs with Daniel Awet Akot, presidential advisor on political affairs, to assess the security situation in the area, particularly the causes behind the targeted killings and massive displacement of civilians in the state, which has been blamed on government forces.

Also the area's members of council of states, national parliament and security organs are among the delegates.

The delegation arrived Yei town, the administrative headquarters of the new state, on Saturday afternoon by air, just hours after commercial vehicles fell into ambush by gunmen, resulting in the death of up to 21 people. Several others fled into the bush while many others sustained injuries.

The identity of the group responsible for the attacks remains unclear. Government accuses dissident armed youth from the area allied to the former First Vice President Riek Machar of allegedly being responsible for the attacks and called for regional designation of the group as “terrorists.”

Yei State Information Minister, Stephen Lado Onesmo, confirmed the arrival of the delegation and said they are expected to hold a public rally on Monday after meeting with security organs, members of state parliament, religious leaders, and traditional leaders in Yei.

He said the purpose of the visit of the delegation to the area is to investigate the root causes of the ongoing violent conflict in order to find amicable approaches to the problem in the state and to take the grievances of the people of Yei to President Kiir.

The state government under the leadership of the former Yei County Commissioner, turned governor, David Lokonga Moses, said it prioritizes peaceful dialogue as a viable means to resolving the conflict.

They have been clashes between rival forces in Yei state with the opposition forces threatening to close all the roads in the state and attack towns.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan army (SPLA) issued a statement on Sunday, seeking regional support that could see its armed oppostion faction (SPLM-IO) led by the country's former vice-president, Riek Machar designated as a "terrorist" group.

Rebel fighters aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar gather in a village in South Sudan's Upper Nile state on 8 February 2014 (Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

The army spokesman, Brig. Lul Ruai Koang told the state-owned SSBC that 21 people were confirmed dead after several commercial vehicles travelling along the Yei-Juba road were attacked at Ganji area Saturday morning.

“Yes, I would like to confirm that this unfortunate incident has occurred. It took place yesterday morning on Saturday when vehicles carrying citizens who were going to Juba came under attack. They were ambushed by the opposition at an area called Ganyi and they killed 21 people, and about 20 others were wounded," said Koang.

He further claimed a man, 15 children and five women lost their lives, while 20 others sustained injuries. The attackers, he added, also burnt a commercial vehicle.

“We are heading to the area to bury those people now," said the army spokesperson, who claimed a faction allied to Machar carried out Saturday's attack.

“We always tell people that Riek Machar has no programs. He has no vision. We always tell this to the international community that there will not be peace because of Riek Machar. His interest is only to return to power at expense of the suffering of the people of South Sudan. He is a violent man. So we call upon IGAD,Troika, and friends of South Sudan to declare Riek Machar's forces as terrorists," Koang, an ex-SPLM-IO stressed.

Survivors of the attack, family members and eyewitnesses said several passengers were killed after a vehicle travelling to Juba from Yei came under attack near Lainya.

The attackers, a survivor narrated, wore masks when they attacked the vehicle.

"Few people jumped out of the vehicle and ran into the bush when the lorry came to a halt. Afterwards the gunmen systematically started separating people on the basis of ethnicity from others by asking people whether there were members of ethnic Dinka, a tribe of president Salva Kiir or not," he told Sudan Tribune Sunday.

Those found to be ethnic Dinka, an eyewitness said, were executed, including women and children and then burnt the vehicle, claims Sudan Tribune could not easily substantiate.

*Among the dead were four children who were 13, 11, 8 and 7 years old. The bodies of the children were brought to Juba. Many of the bodies have not yet been recovered and the exact number of the people who died among the 200 passengers has not yet been ascertained," explained the eyewitness

The attack comess in the wake of another incident in which 14 members of ethnic Dinka were killed in a similar ambush a week ago just few kilometers outside Juba.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir is an ethnic Dinka and his performance is attributed to the role the Jieng Council of Eders (JCE) has been playing in managing the affairs of the young nation, resulting in alleged targeting of innocent civilians from other tribes.

(ST)

October 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The procedural session of Sudan's National Dialogue Conference on Sunday has approved the national document which would constitute the basis for drafting the country's permanent constitution.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir listen to the National anthem during opening session of Sudan National Dialogue conference October 10, 2015 (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The document was signed by leaders of political parties and armed groups participating in the dialogue, while additional political parties are expected to endorse the document ahead of the final session on Monday.

Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, who chaired the procedural session, said the national document reflects the will of the Sudanese people and serves as basis to govern the country.

He welcomed the Future Forces of Change (FFC), the National Forces Alliance (NFA) and the sacked figure of the National Umma Party (NUP) Mubarak al-Mahdi for joining the dialogue conference.

The Sudanese president stressed that the national document has expressed views and aspirations of all political forces including the opposition, adding the “door will remain open for anyone who wishes to join it”.

He further pointed that the consensus of the Sudanese political forces would shut the door on those whom he called the “conspirators” who target the country through war, economic sanctions and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In January 2014, al-Bashir called on political parties and armed groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss four issues, including ending the civil war, allowing political freedoms, fighting against poverty and revitalizing national identity.

Launched on 10 October 2015 for three months, the dialogue process was initially expected to wind up in January 2016 but it was delayed until October 10th.

Rebel groups and opposition parties refuse to join Khartoum process as they demand the government to end war and ensure freedoms in the country before. However, the U.S. backed talks brokered by the African Union are deadlocked, over the confidence building measures.

PHONE CONVERSATION WITH AL-MAHDI

Meanwhile, al-Bashir on Sunday disclosed that he had a phone conversation with Sadiq al-Mahdi the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) in which he urged him to join the government-led national dialogue.

In his address before the procedural session on Sunday, al-Bashir said he spoke with al-Mahdi just moments before the outset of the session, noting he told him that “your natural place should be among the participants in the dialogue”.

This phone conversation is considered the first of its kind since al-Mahdi left the country in August 2014 after he suspended his participation in the dialogue and forged a new alliance with the armed opposition Sudan Revolutionary Forces (SRF).

At the time, al-Bashir vowed to try al-Mahdi, who has been based in Cairo since, once he returns to Sudan unless he disavows his alliance with the SRF.

Also, the National Dialogue Secretary General Hashim Ali Salim on Sunday said al-Mahdi sent a letter to the general secretariat in which he underscored that if recommendations of the dialogue were implemented smoothly, they would pave the road for drafting a national constitution and establishing a national rule.

According to Salim, al-Mahdi pointed that Sudan is in dire need to stop the war and achieve peace.

Salim added that he responded to al-Mahdi's letter by saying “your seat [in the dialogue] is vacant and there is no reason for you to be away”.

NUP CRITICISES DIALOGUE CONFERENCE

In the same context, the NUP has criticized the dialogue conference saying it was dominated by the ruling party and its chairman.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, the NUP said that al-Bashir had previously agreed with them that no single party should have the right to decide on national issues including dialogue, peace and governance or isolate others.

It criticized al-Bashir's personal dominance over the dialogue's podium and sessions besides the works of the committees, saying the dialogue has turned into a “monologue”.

The statement described the national dialogue conference as “missing opportunity” and “mere play” that would bring nothing new, saying the NUP has nothing to do with this dialogue.

The NUP reiterated the call to hold a genuine dialogue preparatory meeting, saying dialogue must start by stopping the war, delivering humanitarian assistance, allowing freedoms and releasing political detainees and convicts and then coming together in a forum that is not controlled by any party.

The statement further described the dialogue conference as a meeting between the government and its allies, saying the political and armed opposition will never join such a dialogue.

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October 9, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) announced on Sunday that hospitals of regular forces joined a strike they started last Thursday.

CCSD, an independent doctors union, announced on Thursday that doctors will refuse non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and protection of doctors after increasing attacks on medical staff by frustrated patients and their families.

CCSD Spokesperson Dr. Hossam al-Amin al-Badawi told Sudan Tribune that doctors working at Al-Amal Hospital, run by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) and Al-Silah Al-Tibi Hospital, run by the Sudan's Armed Forces (SAF) joined the strike, adding that the Police Hospital doctors are preparing to join the movement.

Al-Badawi pointed out that the doctors in the hospitals of regular forces are attached to the Ministry of Health, stressing that the strike is constantly widening as the number of striking hospitals reached 78 hospitals across the country compared to 65 hospitals last Friday.

He revealed that the directors of health centres in Khartoum are meeting and expected that they join the strike, as 26 medical centres in Omdurman joined the protest along with some private hospitals.

The spokesperson stressed that the strike will continue until doctors' demands are addressed despite the harassment faced by the doctors in a number of states.

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) denounced the strike and minimized the impact of attacks on doctors. Khartoum State Minister of Health Mamoun Humaida said the opposition-backed strike is highly "politicized"

In a related context, the Chairman of General Union of Health and Medical Professions (GUHMP), Yasir Ahmed, said that health institutions run by the regular forces received a lot of civilian patients and offered the needed medical services after the public hospitals went on strike.

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October 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The opposition Future Forces for Change (CCF) and two rebel groups from Darfur region Saturday said they will participate in the dialogue conference next Monday.

The opening session of the first roundtable on Sudan's national dialogue in Khartoum on 6 April 2014 (SUNA)

The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the allied forces participating in the conference endorsed the recommendations of the different panels as they prepare to hold a meeting in Khartoum by attended by several regional leaders.

The meeting will take place without the holdout armed and political groups that were initially meant by the process in order to end the armed conflict in the Two Areas and Darfur.

However, the CCF led by Ghazi Salah al-Din Attabani agreed on Saturday to "participate in the dialogue mechanisms established in accordance with the Roadmap Document of 2014.

The agreement which was signed by the Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid of CCF Deputy Chairman Abdel Gadir Ibrahim Ali, provides they will discuss "joint political initiatives to promote the dialogue, especially those relating to the participation of any other political force".

The head of the African Union mediation team, Thabo Mbeki sought in the past to encourage the CCF to engage discussions with the dialogue committee in order to include them in a future holistic process.

The Sudan Call also said they would include the CCF in a national process they would hold without the NCP, as they would not attend Monday's conference.

The government slammed the holdout opposition groups saying they are not serious about peace and dialogue and stressed they would go ahead with the outcome of the conference without waiting the opposition Sudan Call forces.

DARFUR GROUPS

The rebel Sudan Liberation Movement for Justice (SLMJ) led by Taher Hajer and the Sudan Liberation Movement-the Second Revolution (SLM-SR), led by Abul Gasim Imam told Sudan tribune Sunday they will attend the final session of the dialogue conference.

Although SLMJ and SLM-SR are not a signatory of the Doha document for Peace in Darfur, Imam and Hajer attended the opening session of the dialogue conference in October 2015 but he left the country on the plane of the Chadian leader Idriss Deby who convinced him to take part in the event.

Also, delegations from the two movement participated in the deliberations of the dialogue's six committees.

Hajer told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that they accepted the invitation to attend the National Dialogue General Conference in completion of their previous participation and to confirm SLMJ seriousness to achieve solution for Sudan's intractable problems.

He added his movement participates in the dialogue despite the fact that it didn't sign a peace deal with the government, pointing they seek to achieve national objectives to re-establish the Sudanese state on a new basis.

Hajer stressed that national dialogue is not a substitute for negotiation and peaceful solution with regard to the war-affected regions, saying issues pertaining to Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile must be discussed in the negotiations forums.

Imam for his part, also told Sudan Tribune he would travel to Khartoum on Sunday to attend the concluding meeting of the national dialogue; and the signing of a national document that establishes the Sudanese state on new bases".

Regarding the peace talks they are supposed to hold with the government, he added the conference will be followed by other steps to address the root causes of the crises in the war affected areas under the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur.

"This will take place after the end of the dialogue conference and the completion of consultations between the parties and the Qatari mediation," he said.

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October 9, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan's former First Vice President, Riek Machar, who leads the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has called on the UN Secretary-General-designate, Antonio Guterres, to follow the footsteps of his predecessor, Ban Ki Moon, in helping to resolve the ongoing civil war in the country.

Portugal's former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to become the next UN secretary general, after a formal vote by the UN Security Council approving his nomination for the post last Thursday 6 october.

In a meeting to be held next week, the UN General Assembly will appoint Guterras upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

Guterres, 67, who served during ten years (2005-2015) as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is fully aware of the South Sudanese conflict and its impact on the regional stability.

In a congratulatory letter he wrote to the new Secretary General at the UN in New York upon taking up the position, Machar briefly explained the current situation in his country.

“I am writing to congratulate you for winning the confidence of the UN fraternity resulting to your ascension to the positon of the UN Secretary General. I believe you are up to the task,” partly reads the letter, dated 7 October, seen by Sudan Tribune.

“As you know South Sudan is embroiled in a new civil war that broke out again on July 8, 2016, that evening I was nearly assassinated in the Republican Palace (J1). As from July 8, 2016, the civil war has escalated in the country due to the collapse of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan and as well as the collapse of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGONU),” further reads the letter.

Machar who signed the letter as the “Legitimate First Vice President” as well as the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of the SPLM/SPLA (IO), called on the new UN executive chief to prioritize South Sudan in resolving its ongoing conflict.

The former first deputy was ousted in July in a controversial process, which he said violated the peace agreement, after he and his small number of troops were forced out of the national capital, Juba, by forces loyal to President Salva Kiir during four days of fighting.

Machar said he was lured to the palace by President Kiir to assassinate him on 8 July, but the latter said the former attempted a coup. The opposition leader fled the capital and crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a journey that took him 40 days while facing government's continuous daily ground and air attacks on the way.

The clashes have resulted to the renewed civil war in the country as fighting has resumed in Equatoria and Upper Nile regions between the rival forces.

The opposition leader is currently in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where he received treatment from extreme exhaustion and swollen legs. He is preparing to tour the region to tell his side of the story, Sudan Tribune recently learnt.

His faction has also declared an "armed resistance" against President Kiir's government and has been organizing forces for coordinated assaults with other rebel groups on main government's controlled towns

This week, he has dispatched a team of his senior officials to Washington to engage the U.S. Administration, UN officials as well as brief the South Sudanese communities residing in various states in the U.S.

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October 8, 2016 (JUBA) -Japan's Defence Minister, Tomomi Inada has visited South Sudan as the war-hit nation prepares to receive up to 4,000 United Nation-mandated regional protection forces.

The forces, to be stationed in the capital, Juba and it's outskirts, were approved by the African Union members states at a summit held in Rwanda in July.

About 350 peacekeepers from the Asian country reportedly form part in the U.N. mission in the world's youngest nation.

The Japanese defence ministry, media report say, is considering sending peacekeepers expected to engage in risky rescue missions in war-torn South Sudan.

The UN mission in South Sudan, which comprises of a 12,000-strong force, has repeatedly accused South Sudanese authorities of obstructing its movement in contravention of the status of forces agreement it signed with the young nation.

Some UN peacekeepers were also killed when fighting erupted in the capital in July between South Sudan's two rival factions.

Tens of thousands have died and hundreds displaced since civil war began in December 2013, and has continued despite a peace deal reached last year.

(ST)

October 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - United States has called on Sudanese government to consider the next-week national dialogue meeting as a first step for a broader process for peace and democratic reforms that will encompasses all the political and armed groups in the country.

3rd meeting of the national dialogue national assembly in Khartoum on Thursday 20 August 2015 (Photo - SUNA)

Next Monday, President Omer al-Bashir will attend the final session of the National Dialogue Conference which is expected to endorse the recommendations of the internal process, paving the way for the inauguration of a transitional period to implement political and constitution reforms in Sudan without the holdout opposition groups.

Rebel groups and opposition parties refuse to join Khartoum process as they demand the government to end war and ensure freedoms in the country before. However, the U.S. backed talks brokered by the African Union are deadlocked, over the confidence building measures.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson John Kirby advised Khartoum's government to wait before to conclude the process and to seek a wide-ranging dialogue that includes all the political and armed opposition groups for a viable settlement of Sudan's internal crises.

“While we acknowledge that the conference will recognize the contributions of the different stakeholders to the National Dialogue, we believe it is equally important to strive for a representative and comprehensive national dialogue with participation from political and armed opposition, for a sustainable end to Sudan's internal crises,” the statement read

"We urge the Government of Sudan to consider the current National Dialogue a first phase, and to engage with the opposition for its participation in an inclusive dialogue process, as prescribed in the Roadmap agreement negotiated by the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP)," Kibry further said.

He warned that ending the dialogue at this stage could seriously impede the AUHIP-brokered negotiations for cessations of hostilities and humanitarian access agreements.

Recently, the alliance of armed and political groups, Sudan Call, blamed Khartoum for the failure to reach a humanitarian truce agreement. Also, they warned that they would hold their own dialogue process without the ruling party if the ongoing process wraps up its works without them.

Earlier, Sudanese President al-Bashir stressed that the end of the national dialogue on October 10, will close the door in front of any negotiations with the opposition. For his part, Presidential Assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid also accused the military and political opposition of lacking seriousness and stressed that the negotiations will end with the national dialogue conference in October.

Since last year, the American administration worked hard to bring the Sudanese parties to a comprehensive peace agreement ending war in the Two Areas and Darfur. Multiple sources said President Barak Obama initially wanted before to leave the White House next January to support regional efforts for peace and eventually lift sanctions on Sudan.

In January 2014, al-Bashir called on political parties and armed groups to engage in a national dialogue to discuss four issues, including ending the civil war, allowing political freedoms, fighting against poverty and revitalizing national identity.

Launched on 10 October 2015 for three months, the dialogue process was initially expected to wind up in January 2016 but it was delayed until October 10th.

(ST)

James Ruea Kok (ST)

October 8, 2016 (FANGAK) - Speaker of Fangak state legislative assembly, one of the controversial 28 states created by President Salva Kiir on 2 October, 2015, has accused the appointed Governor, James Kok Ruea, of using authoritarian approach and intimidation against state officials.

Nelson Kuony Thoat, the speaker, said Governor Ruea has violated the supplementary budget for assembly, according to the article (66) (1) in the transitional constitution of the state that allowed Assembly Conduct of Business Regulation, 148 (a,b) which gives post holders a right to pass the budget seating.

“As the members of Fangak State Legislative Assembly, we decided to approach H.E the president because our Governor James Kok Ruea used intimidating words against whoever approached him to discuss any matter whether political, administrative and finance issues,” the statement extended to Sudan Tribune reads in part.

The speaker explained that on 19 August, the governor forced out deputy speaker during the meeting through the use of violence and on the 2 September, governor Ruea banged on the table and said: “I have the powers to remove whoever threatens my government, and appointed whoever I see does not impose threat to my leadership.”

In the letter, which Sudan Tribune obtained, the group has warned of the major political crisis within Fangak state after Governor Ruea failed to lend ears to the state officials and acted on his own behalf without consultation with the members of parliament and council of ministers.

Thoat also said there is more confusion over repeated statement by governor Ruea on the fate of the newly appointed members of parliament by president Salva Kiir.

“The governor in many occasions said that he is only considering six members who came from the former Jonglei State Assembly and that the other fifteen (15) members who were appointed by H.E the president of the republic of South Sudan have no budget,” he added.

He criticized the action by the governor, which he claimed, is without collaboration with the members of the state government, saying this indicated abuse of the executive power by the appointed governor.

“The governor in any meeting used an intimidating language repeatedly by boasting that he as the governor and the chairperson of the SPLM, he can remove and can appoint members as he wishes according to the powers bestowed upon him by the president,” the speaker lamented.

The state legislators have urged president Kiir for a quick intervention before things could get out of control in the new state.

(ST)