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S. Sudan dialogue body faces implementation challenges: envoy

Sudan Tribune - Tue, 15/08/2017 - 21:27

August 15, 2017 (JUBA) – A former South Sudanese envoy to the United Nations has warned that the implementation process for the national dialogue initiative was likely to face numerous unforeseen challenges.


Francis Deng (Photo U.N.)

Francis Mading Deng, in a brief issued on Tuesday, said several committees were formed to help extend the process to different levels, including at the grassroot so that messages are disseminated.

The brief cited the visit in June of the national dialogue leadership to South Africa in an attempt to meet the armed opposition leader Riek Machar and another one to the Sudanese capital Khartoum for consultations with the former agriculture minister, Lam Akol Ajawin.

“If the momentum and integrity which the process has so far demonstrated are maintained through the regional and grassroots consultations, and continue on to the National Conference that will formulate the final recommendations, then the only remaining challenge will be one of implementation,” partly reads Deng's brief.

“Failure to live up to this challenge is bound to have serious consequences for the authority responsible for implementation. It is one to be wisely avoided”, it added.
Deng, a long serving career diplomat, called for moral pressure, both domestic and international on those who would be given the responsibility to implement the outcome of the dialogue process.

“Wherever the responsibility will ultimately lie, if the process maintains its integrity up to that point, then the weight of the moral pressure, both domestically and internationally, to ensure a credible, recognized, and respected implementation of the recommendations will be difficult to resist”, he further wrote.

Deng, now a roving ambassador for South Sudan, explained that the objective of the visit, which leadership of the committee undertook in June, was to engage as many South Sudanese as possible, inside the country and abroad, in a determined effort to end the violence that is devastating the country and turning its social fabric apart.

“The longer-term objective is not only to end the war, but also to promote a culture of peaceful engagement through dialogue to address the structural sources of conflict at all levels and to institutionalize the process of restoring sustainable peace, security, stability, and development in a beleaguered country,” wrote Deng.

He adds, “If the national dialogue process continues in the way it has so far been conducted, observing the principles of inclusivity, credibility, and transparency which have been widely advocated as crucial to the success of any national dialogue, then the prospects of success are quite promising”.

Officially launched in May this year, the national dialogue initiative is regarded as a forum and process through which the people South Sudan shall gather to redefine the basis of their unity as it relates to nationhood, redefine citizenship and belonging, as well as restructure the state for national inclusion.

Since mid-December 2013, tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence outbreak.

(ST)

Categories: Africa

Sudan's inflation rises to 34,23% in July: CBoS

Sudan Tribune - Tue, 15/08/2017 - 21:26

August 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBoS) reported that inflation has increased to 34,23 % in July from 32,63 in June, a rise of 4.90%.

Sudan's inflation rate continued to rise for thirteen consecutive months since April 2016. However, last June it dropped to 32,63% from 35,52 %, a decline of 3,9%.
According to the CBoS monthly bulletin on Monday, the twelve commodity and service groups contributed to the increase in inflation at varying rates.

The food and beverage group contributed to the overall price rise by % 52,32 while the clothing and footwear group share was 8,82%.

The contribution of the other groups was as follows: 5,86% for the health group, 4,89% for the communications group, 4,69% for the transportation group, 3,46% for the housing, water, electricity and gas group and 3,02% for the home appliances group.

On the other hand, the education group contributed 2,93%, the miscellaneous goods and services share was 2,90% while the restaurants and hotels group contributed 2,64% and the tobacco group share was 2,62%.

The CBoS pointed out that the price of consumer goods and services in urban areas has increased to 29,82% in July compared to 28,98% in June, a rise of 2,89%.
In rural areas, the price of consumer goods and services has risen to 38,31% compared to 35,95% in June, an increase of 6,56%.

The highest increase in the price of goods and services in July was registered in Kassala State where inflation reached 39,17% compared to 32,40 in June.

Last May, Sudan's finance minister said inflation rate has jumped to 33,7% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to 12.3% for the same period last year, an increase of more than 260%.

He attributed the increase in inflation rate to the impact of the fiscal policy reforms implemented by the government at the end of last year.

In November 2016, Sudanese government lifted fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to control a surge in inflation and stop the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

According to the 2017 budget, the growth rate would decline from 6,4% in 2016 to 5,3% and the targeted average inflation rate is 17%.

Prices and services have soared in Sudan since South Sudan seceded in 2011, taking with it three-quarters of the country's oil output, the main source of foreign currency used to support the Sudanese pound.

The Sudanese pound has lost 100% of its value since South Sudan's secession, pushing inflation rates to record levels given that country imports most of its food.
Ordinary citizens continue to complain from cost of living increases that impaired their access to basic commodities.

(ST)

Categories: Africa

South Sudanese official hints at possibility of extending national unity government period

Sudan Tribune - Tue, 15/08/2017 - 20:51

August 15, 2017 (JUBA) – A South Sudanese presidential adviser has unexpectedly hinted on possibilities of extending the mandate of the transitional government of national unity, arguing that some key provisions within the 2015 peace agreement are yet to be fully implemented.


Salva Kiir casts his vote in the 2010 elections.

Speaking exclusively to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, Tor Deng Mawien, the presidential adviser on decentralization and intergovernmental affairs admitted that the end of the transitional period was fast approaching even before certain key issues in the peace accord are fully implemented.

“The government actually wants full implementation of the peace agreement so that people can go for elections to make their own choices during the elections, but given the way the implementation processes have been conducted, it gives you an impression that the transitional period could end without fully implementing key provisions”, he said.

The aide hinted on possibilities of extending the transitional period should parties to the peace accord fail to complete implementation of its key provisions within the specified period of the agreement.

According to the presidential advisor, the parties to the peace deal and stakeholders were working together at different levels to ensure all outstanding issues in the accord are sorted out and implemented.

The assembling and integration of other forces into the national army is one of the key areas considered by the main parties as a priority.

CALL FOR ELECTION PREPARATIONS

President Salva Kiir on Monday urged the hold out armed and political opposition groups to stop fighting and prepare themselves for the general elections expected at end of the transitional period.

President Kiir made the remarks at a meeting with Koma and Gajaak communities in Juba, during which he called on traditional leaders of the two communities to unite and move forward together in order to overcome the challenging security situation in the country.

“There is nothing you will gain in splitting Maiwut or moving away from Maiwut and go to another area. You have to understand that your union has a lot of strength than division,” said President Kiir.

He further asked the communities to reconcile and embark on a peaceful sensitization campaign to bring people in the area together.

The South Sudan leader further called on the country's population to embrace peace, reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, stressing that such needs prompted his launch of the national dialogue process which should allow them discuss together matters of the future.

"We are now calling on the people who are still advocating for war to denounce violence, stop fighting and come back to participate in the dialogue process so that people go for elections after the end of the transitional period. Elections will people give an opportunity to make their own choices,” stressed Kiir.

Last week, South Sudan government forces captured the rebel stronghold of Pagak, after a series of attacks and counterattacks.

The government now plans to use this victory to generate a new dynamic to discourage those who joined the rebellion or the opposition hold-out groups to join the national dialogue process.

In April last year, tour factions of the South Sudan's former warring parties and political rivals-turned peace partners formed the long-awaited transitional government of national unity to administer the young nation for the next two and a half years, pending elections.

The rival parties agreed to form a unity government and implement reforms in the country, in accordance with the implementation of the power sharing deal in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCISS) brokered by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and its continental as well as international partners.

The rival parties in the coalition included the government led by President Kiir, the armed opposition faction of the SPLM-IO led by former First Vice President, Riek Machar, the Former Detainees (FDs) led by the now appointed Foreign Minister, Deng Alor Kuol, acting chairperson on behalf of Pagan Amum, former SPLM Secretary General, and Other Political Parties (OPPs) led by Lam Akol, Chairman of the Democratic Change (DC) party, who also chairs the alliance of opposition political parties in South Sudan.

Each faction nominated officials who were appointed to the ministerial positions based on the number of portfolios allocated in the power sharing deal. The Juba government was allocated 16 national ministers, the armed opposition had 10 national ministers, FDs, two and OPPs two. This was on top of several deputy ministers.

The war, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions more, erupted on 15 December 2013 in the national capital, Juba, when internal debates over political and institutional reforms within the leadership of the ruling party turned violent.

(ST)

Categories: Africa

SPLM-N Rift: Agar, al-Hilu fighters clash again in Blue Nile

Sudan Tribune - Tue, 15/08/2017 - 20:51

August 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A new round of fighting has erupted between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) factions in the Blue Nile as both sides exchanged accusations concerning responsibility for the bloody clashes.


Malik Agar (File photo/ Reuters)

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one in the Nuba Mountains led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the other in the White Nile State led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other issues.

As a result of the rift between Agar and al-Hilu, the Blue Nile state witnessed last June tribal clashes between the Angsana of Malik Agar and the Uduk, an ethnic group supporting self-determination.

Reliable sources told Sudan Tribune that violent clashes have renewed earlier this week after force belonging to SPLMN-Agar crossed into an area controlled by fighters loyal to al-Hilu.

According to the sources, a number of fighters from both sides have been killed and others injured in the clashes, saying a significant number of residents have been displaced from Abu Nagro and Yabos areas.

The same sources said SPLMN-Agar forces attacked al-Hilu's fighters led by Gen. Josef Tika in Yabos, saying 43 fighters from the attackers have been killed.

It added that SPLMN-al-Hilu forces seized 90 Kalashnikov rifles, 9 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG 7) and 9 machine guns.

According to the sources, the commander of SPLMN-Agar in Blue Nile Gen. Ahmed al-Umda dispatched additional reinforcements to the area on 14 August, saying however 7 more SPLMN-Agar fighters were killed in clashes with Tika's forces in Ghafa area.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, SPLMN-al-Hilu spokesperson in the Blue Nile Guma'a al-Hadi said Agar's forces on Sunday attacked a village near Greater Yabos area.

He pointed the attackers burnt the homes of residents killing 4 of them, describing the incidents as “systematic tribal action”.

According to al-Hadi, their fighters chased the attackers until they resorted to the refugee camps, saying they left behind 20 dead and 30 injured.

For his part, Agar has accused al-Hilu of inciting the Christian Uduk ethnicity who had previously asked the Movement's leadership to call for self-determination to join South Sudan.

He pointed they had convinced the Uduk to renege on their demand for self-determination and instead call for special arrangements to preserve their cultural rights and equal citizenship within the Blue Nile and a unified Sudan.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, Agar accused al-Hilu of dividing the three sectors which comprise the Movement including the Blue Nile, Nuba Mountain and the Northern sector.

He held al-Hilu responsible for the internal war within the Movement, saying it was al-Hilu who promoted Joseph Tika to the rank of Lieutenant general and appointed him as his deputy.

Agar added the Khartoum regime is the only beneficiary from the divisions within the SPLM-N, saying the rift would weaken the Movement and the marginalized minorities in the Two Areas.

He said the bloody clashes are the natural result of al-Hilu's attempt to impose a new leadership on the people of the Blue Nile, accusing the latter of seeking to falsify the will of the people of the Two Areas.

Agar called on both sides engaged in the internal fighting in the Blue Nile to form a neutral committee to investigate the clashes and develop joint agenda for the future.

The SPLMN-Agar leader reiterated his support for the right of self-government and the unity of Sudan on new bases, saying he wouldn't mind taking part in a democratic discussion on the right of self-determination for the people of the Two Areas but not to impose that option by a coup.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

(ST)

Categories: Africa