Africa

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April 10, 2017 (YAMBIO) – The governor of South Sudan's Gbudue state, Daniel Badagbu laid, over the weekend, the foundation for a Very Important Persons (VIP) ward at Saint Teresa hospital in Nzara county.

The map of Western Equatoria in red

The four-room block is being funded by the Equatoria Teak company.

At the launch, Badagbu said the people of Nzara should be proud because they are utilizing local resources like Teak trees, exported though Equatoria Teak company.

According to the governor such a construction is a form of accountability because a lot of money comes to the country, yet facilities like hospitals are never seen.

Badagbu said that the new ward would help the people of Gbudue and of South Sudan at large, adding that an anti-HIV/AIDs campaign will be launched.

"Nzara hospital is one of the best hospitals in the state and this would help the hundreds of people to get their ARVs [Antiretroviral]," he said.

Severina Bati, a woman who publicly declared her HIV status, appreciated the county authorities for the efforts they have made, especially for those living with HIV/Aids.

“I am so happy to see the foundation of another Ward today being laid to help patients in Nzara Hospital, more especially people like us who are living with HIV virus. May God bless those working for Equatoria Teak for having funded this construction,” explained Bati.

The Catholic Bishop of Tombura Yambio Diocese, Barani Edwardo Hiboro, said the dream of establishing a good hospital in Nzara could not be achieved alone. The Bishop gave thanks to the county authority for supporting the hospital and the addition of the new wards.

“This dream is big and we cannot achieve it alone, the commissioner has shown that together we are able to do big thing. In the midst of all the crying in South Sudan, we are talking of building a hospital. This is a great achievement,” Bishop Hiboro said.

The Bishop urged the people of Gbudue state to plant Teak trees, saying it is highly valued in the world market and since Gbudue state is blessed with it, they can export.

Meanwhile, the commissioner of Nzara County, Elia Richard Box said that his plan was to improve the hospital but the lack of funding by the government to deliver services to the community. Box asserted that the new ward will also serve patients from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Central Africa Republic (CAR).

Sister Lauro Zeminan, the administrator at the hospital, said when Saint Teresa hospital started, they treated patients with Tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy under trees, adding that expansion of the hospital would enable them serve more patients.

She urged well-wishers to support the hospital as numbers of patients continue to grow while collective effort is needed to properly run the hospital.

(ST)

April 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement -North (SPLM-N) Monday has rejected a call by the African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki for a meeting between the opposition Sudan Call forces and the National Dialogue High Implementation Committee (HIC).

The head of the African Union High-Level Implementation Mechanism (AUHIP) concluded Sunday a three-day visit to Sudan where he proposed that the government-led HIC and the holdout Sudan Call forces meet in Addis Ababa to discuss the Roadmap Agreement implementation.

"The Panel has proposed that HIC and the opposition should meet to discuss the implementation of the dialogue outcomes, including the composition of the committee,". further said the AUHIP in a statement released Monday.

In a statement released several hours, the spokesperson of the SPLM-N negotiation team Mubarak Ardol said they are ready to reach a humanitarian agreement that includes a cessation of hostilities. He, however, warned that they would not concede on their demand for a safe humanitarian corridor through Asosa, in Ethiopia, to deliver 20% of the humanitarian assistance.

"The outcome of the (government led) dialogue are rejected because have nothing to do with the Roadmap (Agreement). The SPLM will not accept any political process based on the outcome of the (internal) dialogue. We will not participate in any meeting with the so-called dialogue implementation committee," said Ardol.

"We were not a party to the dialogue and it makes sense that should have no connection to the implementation of its results," he further stressed.

Following a meeting with Mbeki in Khartoum, the leader of the National Umma Party Sadiq al-Mahdi announced that Mbeki would organise a meeting for the Sudan Call forces to discuss the discuss the proposal and determine a joint position over the meeting with dialogue implementation body.

Al-Mahdi further stressed that the implementation of the Roadmap Agreement would pave the way towards the cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access followed by the political process after the implementation of the confidence-building measures.

Ardol said the recent rift within the SPLM-N has no effect on its position towards the peace process. He also asserted that they would not be part of a political process before an agreement on the humanitarian issue.

"We stick to the confidence building measures in order to create a conducive environment, stop the war and to hold an equal dialogue. Otherwise, in its absence, (we propose) to negotiate new transitional arrangements and address the specificities of the armed conflict areas particularly the Two Areas and Darfur".

Following the end of the National Dialogue Conference, the Sudanese government officials said the holdout opposition groups can snow join the implementation process of the outcome of the conference, pointing that its recommendations come in the sense of the opposition demands.

In its statement, the AUHIP said the government stressed the need to stick to the Roadmap Agreement adding that President al-Bashir "reassured the Panel of his commitment to enhancing the inclusivity of the process of implementing the outcomes of the National Dialogue, particularly the adoption of a new Constitution for Sudan".

Also, the statement said he "reassured the Panel of his commitment to enhancing the inclusivity of the process of implementing the outcomes of the National Dialogue, particularly the adoption of a new Constitution for Sudan".

Opposition officials in Khartoum said they were surprised that Mbeki's statement reflects only the position of the government and disregard their call for a dialogue process different from what was held last October.

(ST)