Africa

November 26, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir has warned officials at the foreign affairs ministry against nepotism and tribalism.

South Sudanese president Salva Kiir (AFP)

President Kiir made these remarks during the inauguration of a new conference facility at the foreign ministry in the capital, Juba Friday.

The conference facility was built with aid from the Chinese government.

“Any recruitment to the ministry must be opened to the public to provide opportunities to all qualified South Sudanese,” said Kiir.

“This thing [recruitment] should not be done under the table so that only sons and daughters of the ministers get the opportunity to be employed,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader also directed the foreign affairs ministry to downsize the numbers of foreign missions as well as service staffs.

“I direct the leadership of the ministry to reduce the number of diplomats as per the cabinet resolution to a manageable seize, considering our financial situation,” the South Sudanese leader said, citing the economic crisis facing the East African nation.

There are more than 1,000 people employed by South Sudan's foreign affairs ministry abroad and in the country, a senior ministry official said.

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November 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Popular Congress Party (PCP) has criticized recent remarks by President Omer al-Bashir against the U.S. saying it casts spiky shadows on Sudan's foreign policy.

During his recent work visit to Russia, al-Bashir asked President Vladimir Putin to protect his country from the United States. He also accused Washington of planning to divide Sudan into five states.

Al-Bashir's surprising statements came a month after President Donald Trump decided to repeal 20-year-old economic sanctions on Sudan. Also, American and Sudanese officials agreed to resume talks on the remaining sanctions.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, PCP external affairs secretariat said they were surprised by the president's remarks, pointing out that the PCP as a partner in the Government of National Accord wasn't aware of these remarks.

It stressed that its firm position which was also agreed on in the National Dialogue is that relations among nations are based on mutual respect in accordance with international treaties and covenants.

“Al-Bashir's remarks represent a new direction in the government foreign policy and it casts spiky shadows on the previous foreign strategies and policies which involved painstaking efforts to break the isolation imposed on the country” read the statement.

The PCP added al-Bashir's remarks were likely a reaction to the conditions dictated by Washington during the recent visit of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan to Sudan.

However, the statement didn't elaborate on the conditions dictated by Washington on Khartoum, saying the PCP hasn't had the chance to meet with the American diplomat.

The statement underscored the need to implement the National Dialogue outcome in order to avoid foreign dictations and conditions.

“The country was adversely impacted by the previous foreign policies until the National Dialogue called for the establishment of an independent and balanced foreign policy agreed by all components of the Sudanese people and won the respect and appreciation of the international community,” read the statement.

The PCP, founded by the late Islamic leader Hassan al-Turabi, splinted from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) since 1999 and joined the opposition ranks since that time but it supported the national dialogue process declared by al-Bashir in 2014 and participated in all its forums.

Following a heated internal debate over participation in the Government of National Accord which was formed in May, the PCP took part in the executive and legislative branches of the post-dialogue government.

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By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 26, 2017 (ADDIS ABABA) - A newly-released report, entitled, “Promoting the African Internet Economy” has highlighted how the greater use of the internet and digitization of the traditional economy will spur economic growth in the African continent.

RCS-Communication Ltd. has selected a solution by Airspan Networks for a 4G WiMAX network deployment in South Sudan (itnewsafrica)

Many African countries, the report says, have made significant progress towards creating an Internet sector, with broad reforms that focus on increasing broadband availability.

“There have been further successes within countries in developing online platforms, fostering growth of local companies and increasing the incentive to go online,” says a new report launched by the Internet Society, a global non-profit dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the internet on Saturday.

The report examines internet adoption and use by companies and governments throughout the region, identifying barriers that must be overcome to create an internet economy that delivers innovative services, job opportunities and income growth across the continent.

Both businesses and citizens can benefit from an internet economy. Businesses across all sectors gain access to a global marketplace of billions of people, and citizens in both rural and urban areas benefit from enhanced educational and training opportunities and access to new job possibilities.

The report also outlines what needs to be done for Africa to take full advantage of the digital opportunity offered by the Internet. It highlights local successes as well as broader challenges, offering recommendations for policymakers in Africa to adopt.

“The Internet economy presents a major opportunity for Africa. However, Africa needs a secure and reliable Internet infrastructure that users trust in order to bringing large and small businesses online, along with governments and other social services,” said Dawit Bekele, Africa Region Bureau Director for the Internet Society.

The Internet Society in collaboration with the African Union recently introduced internet infrastructure security guidelines for Africa to help the African Union member states strengthen the security of their local internet infrastructure, through actions at regional, national, Internet Service Provider (ISP) operator and organizational levels.

In Kenya, for instance, the internet economy represents 3.6% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and in other developing countries 1.3% of GDP comes from the Internet economy.

The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that in addition to contributions to GDP , the internet will deliver productivity gains across Africa. These productivity gains across six key sectors: financial services, education, health, retail, agriculture and government are projected to be valued at between US$148 billion and $318 billion by 2025.

However, a thriving internet economy in Africa could be put at risk by the increasing number of Internet shutdowns in the region. In 2016 alone, there were at least 56 shutdowns of the Internet around the world. These shutdowns affect individuals and organizations that depend on the Internet for their daily lives and have negative effects on the economy.

“In addition to the economic costs, Internet shutdowns also affect trust. If people don't know whether they will have connectivity, they can no longer rely on that connectivity to build Internet-based businesses. This will affect entrepreneurs in greatest need of digital-led innovation for their own future, and the future of the Internet economy in Africa,” added Bekele.

The Internet Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the internet. Working through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a broad range of groups to promote technologies that keep the internet safe, secure and advocates for policies that enable universal access.

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November 26, 2017 (JUBA) – At least 171,000 civilians and their host communities have benefitted from the recent expansion of HIV/AIDS services conducted by the United Nations migration agency (IOM).

IOM and partners help Jamam camp residents board buses to Kaya (photo credit: IOM)

“The expansion of services is a crucial development in South Sudan, where internally displaced persons, such as those living in the PoC [Protection of Civilian] sites, are among key populations that are considered to be at higher-risk of contracting HIV/AIDS,” said Salma Taher, IOM's Global Fund Project Officer.

Last year, according to IOM, along with tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS was one of the leading causes of mortality in the PoC sites, where people are often unable to access to health facilities outside the sites due to safety or weak infrastructure.

However, it stressed, since the roll out began at protection sites in Bentiu, Malakal and Wau, in July, IOM said it had tested 213 people, with 16 testing positive and enrolling in antiretroviral treatment.

With timely diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment, the life expectancy of HIV-positive patients has been proven to improve substantially, for about an additional 10 years, a recent study shows.

“The new comprehensive services are made possible for the broader public visiting the sites, rather than previously just services for pregnant mothers,” the agency further said in a statement.

It further added, “Moreover, HIV/AIDS awareness-raising campaigns are carried out, and hundreds of peer counselors are being trained across the country”.

Mental health and psychosocial support are also provided to people living with HIV/AIDS and those affected by gender-based violence.

This expansion of health services is a joint effort by the IOM, the UN Development Fund, and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculous and Malaria.

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Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council have strongly condemned Sunday&#39s attack allegedly perpetrated by the anti-Balaka group against a convoy of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, in which one peacekeeper from Egypt was killed and three others were injured.

November 26, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said an agreement has been reached to form a tripartite committee to collect illicit arms from IDPs camps in South Darfur.

In a press statement on Sunday, the Mission said UNAMID chief, Jeremiah Mamabolo, and the governor of South Darfur, Adam El-Faki on Thursday “announced their agreement to form a tripartite weapons collection committee for South Darfur state”.

“To be comprised of representatives from the Government of Sudan, UNAMID and internally displaced persons' leaders, the initiative hopes to ensure a peaceful arms collection across the state” read the statement.

Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

The Sudanese government in September notified the United Nations of the presence of weapons inside IDPs camps in Darfur, saying it poses a serious danger to camps residents.

Earlier this month, UNAMID called on the Sudanese government and the IDPs to work with the Mission “in a collaborative way in order to advance the weapons collection campaign.”

The call came after a show of force by the Sudanese government forces which surrounded some parts of the Kalma camp in South Darfur state before to withdraw on 2 November.

Also, the residents of Kalma camp rejected the government forcible arms collection in the camp and called to leave the operation for the UNAMID.

Last week, the UNAMID and the government approved a joint plan to collect illegal weapons from Kalma. The plan begins by launching a voluntary disarmament campaign.

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November 26, 2017 (JUBA) – Members of South Sudan's national dialogue committee have urged President Salva Kiir to release political prisoners to encourage reconciliation and forgiveness.

President Salva Kiir adresses a joint press conference on 9 July 2016 (Reuters Photo)

South Sudan has released about 30 political prisoners since Kiir declared amnesty in May to facilitate the national dialogue process, officials say.

“The steering committee is engaging the government to release all political prisoners, open up spaces for free media and freedom of speech and create an atmosphere conducive for a comprehensive national dialogue,” reads the committee's statement issued Sunday.

Efforts, it said, are also underway to engage the Juba government to honor the unilateral ceasefire declared by the president and which has had a positive impact in the country, but appealed to the armed opposition to reciprocate and declare a unilateral ceasefire.

The committee, formed by the president in May, is reportedly engaging the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the parties involved in the South Sudan conflict to negotiate a permanent ceasefire, deemed necessary for a successful dialogue.

In recent months, however, members of the national dialogue committee have visited diplomatic missions to engage the IGAD countries, IGAD special envoy to South Sudan, the African Union, United Nations, the Troika countries [Britain, United States and Norway] and the European Union to support the dialogue process.

“Initially, there was a lot of hesitation to support the national dialogue, but the progress made thus far by the steering committee has proved any doubt that it is an independent body that is determined to reach out to all South Sudanese and is willing to for an inclusive, credible and impactful dialogue,” further reads the statement.

It added, “This has enabled a steady support for the national dialogue by the region and the international community”.

Officially launched in May, the national dialogue initiative is both 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.

The South Sudanese conflict, which broke out in December 2013, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over two million civilians.

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November 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir reiterated his accusations against the United States of and accused Washington of planning to divide his country into five states.

Sudanese were surprised to hear al-Bashir on his first visit to Russia asks President Vladimir Putin to support his country against American plans against the Sudan.

Last October, Washington lifted economic sanctions on Sudan and the two countries engaged discussion on the removal of the east African country from the list of states sponsor of terrorism.

During his recent work visit to Russia, the Sudanese president gave in a long interview to the Russian government-controlled RIA Novosti. Its full text has been published by the Arabic service of Sputnik (Voice of Russia) which is described as a "Russian propaganda" outlet.

Asked about his demand for protection during his meeting with Putin, al-Bashir said we wanted to highlight "the big U.S. pressure and conspiracy" on Sudan in Darfur crisis and the huge pressure exerted on his government to separate the South Sudan.

"Now we have information that the American quest is to divide the Sudan into five countries If we do not find protection and security. America took the world leadership and devastated the Arab world. (See) what happened in Afghanistan, what happened in Iraq, what happened in Syria, what happened in Yemen and what happened in Sudan," said al-Bashir.

"Sudan's division was under American pressure and conspiracy. The plan is to destroy Sudan and divide it into five countries. This is the American plan," he stressed.

Al-Bashir's visit to Russia coincided with the end of a tripartite summit in Moscow where Putin got the support of the Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan for his plan to bring peace in Syria. Also, it took place four days after a meeting the Russian president held with the Syrian President al-Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the London-based electronic Arabic daily Rai-al-Youm, said Bashir's sharp criticism of the U.S. foreign policy in the Arab and Islamic world is in line with the Turkish rapprochement with Moscow.

"Bashir's statement was not a fortuitous coincidence, nor a slip of the tongue," he wrote in an editorial widely circulated in the social media. According to Atwan it was a deliberate response to a heated statement by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman where he threatened to wage war against Iran opening the door for more U.S. intervention of the region.

In his interview with the Russian media, al-Bashir stopped at his offer to establish a Russian military base on the Red Sea coast, adding he wants to reequip the Sudanese army with the Russian army.

He further confirmed that the Sudanese army has requested Russian fighter jets and may buy S-300 air defence system to replace the old Soviet surface-to-air missiles.

“We requested Su-30 (fighters) because they cover the Sudanese airspace, as well as Su-35. We have no intentions to carry out aggression abroad, we want to protect our country,” al-Bashir said.

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The unprecedented violence of the Sinai attack will harden local opposition to those behind it, writes regional expert HA Hellyer.

November 25, 2017 (KAMPALA) - South Sudanese rebels have called for investigations into the killing of civilians in Kajo-Keji and Mundri, following the recent clashes in the area between the rival forces.

The deputy rebel spokesperson, Lam Paul Gabriel claimed government forces targeted civilians in operations against the armed opposition troops.

“The SPLA-IO [Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition] condemns these atrocities committed by the government towards civilians. We are calling upon Human Rights Watch, the IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development], United Nations and the international community to investigate these incidents and bring those responsible to justice,” said Lam.

According to the rebel official, government forces stationed in Jale, an area within Kajo-Keji county “slaughtered” four civilians in a territory which borders Afoji in Moyo district and Jale in South Sudan.

One of those during the attack, he told Sudan Tribune, was a Ugandan national.

“This came as a result of the national dialogue committee's visit to the West Nile region of Uganda to convince the refugees to go back to their home in South Sudan, claiming there is peace,” said Lam.

Sudan Tribune could, however, not independently verify the rebels' claims.

Lam further said 15 civilians, including five women and three children were allegedly killed by government forces in Mundri county.

He calls on the international community and regional leaders to hold the government accountable for the killings in the war-torn East African country.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Salva Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in 2011.

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November 25, 2017 (JUBA) – The United States embassy in South Sudan has described as “false” reports that the Troika had allegedly agreed to exclude the South Sudanese armed opposition leader, Riek Machar from the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) initiated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Last week, a senior armed opposition official claimed members of the Troika (the United Kingdom, US and Norway) decided to exclude the South Sudanese rebel leader from the preliminary meetings of the HLRF.

Manawa Peter Gatkuoth was quoted saying the Troika “officially” informed them that Machar would not be invited to the preliminary meetings for the peace process, which is aimed at revitalizing the 2015 peace agreement between the rebels and government.

He said Machar would not attend the first meetings of the upcoming high-level forum aimed at revitalizing the August 2015 peace agreement in South Sudan, adding that the rebel leader would be represented at the meeting by members of the opposition group.

But the U.S embassy, in a 24 November statement, stressed that those that have a stake in South Sudan's future must be represented at the HLRF and commit to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“We continue to make this point to all parties, including the government and Riek Machar, as part of our full support for IGAD's revitalization efforts,” partly reads the embassy's statement.

South Sudan's cabinet Affairs Minister, Martin Elia Lomuro also told reporters in Juba on Monday that President Salva Kiir held a meeting with members of the Troika and discussed the revitalization process. The minister said the meeting discussed the participation of the South Sudan armed opposition leader through a representative.

In June, a summit of IGAD heads of state and government decided to convene a meeting of the signatories of the South Sudan peace agreement to discuss ways to revitalize the peace implementation. During the June summit, it was agreed that all groups be included in the discussion aimed at restoring a permanent ceasefire.

The South Sudanese government, however, warned that the revitalization forum by IGAD, the regional bloc which mediated the 2015 peace accord, should not be another platform for negotiations of the peace deal between the two factions to the conflict.

Over a million people have fled South Sudan since conflict erupted in December 2013 when President Kiir sacked Machar from the vice-presidency. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in South Sudan's worst violence since it seceded from Sudan in July 2011.

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November 23, 2017 (JUBA) - The High Court in South Sudan has, in a new directive, instructed courts and advocates to not receive cases.

South Sudanese judges (photo RSS ministry of Justice)

The notification takes effect from 1 December to 1 January 2018.

"The General Public and the advocates are hereby notify that from 1st December, 2017, the courts has directed to not receive cases and will start from 1st January 2018,” reads the 23 November, 2017 notice signed by High Court judge in Juba, Duoth Kulang Bichiok.

The public, in the notice, were also advised not to make petitions of the civil case (suits) and criminal case except remand persons.

The directive does not, however, provide any explanation and no explanatory statement was released by the judiciary to the public.

The notice comes barely a month after the Supreme Court judge, Justice Marino Pitia resigned over “lack of judicial independence”.

Pitia, in a letter to the president, cited lack of independence of judges and justices, security of tenure of the office of the judges and justice, lack of financial independence of the judiciary and poor administration, among other issues.

According to the judge, independence of the judiciary in the young nation has become a “mockery” and “pasquinade” over the years and faulted the executive for “interfering” in the country's judicial matters.

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November 25, (El-Fasher) - A traditional gold prospector on Thursday was killed by three gunmen in North Darfur state.

Workers break rocks at the Wad Bushara gold mine near Abu Delelq in Gadarif State, Wad Bushara on 27 April 2013 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

The incident occurred in Hashaba gold mine in the locality of Kutum on Thursday evening as three gunmen opened fire at the gold prospector Adam Abdallah Adam.

A relative of the victim by the name of Ibrahim Essa told Sudan Tribune Saturday the gunmen had threatened the victim before to shoot him, saying gold prospectors managed to capture the culprits and handed them over to the authorities.

He added a security force including the police and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has arrived from Kutum and received the perpetrators, saying we demand the government to bring an RSF unit to protect the gold mines.

Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

On 11 October, 10,000 RSF militiamen arrived in North Darfur to contribute to establishing security in the troubled state and support the mandatory phase of the disarmament campaign.

The RSF militia was originally mobilised by the Sudanese government to quell the insurgency that broke out in Sudan's western region of Darfur in 2003.

Earlier this year, the Sudanese parliament passed RSF Act which integrates the notorious militia in the Sudanese army and provides that its commander is appointed by the President of the Republic.

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November 25, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan president Salva Kiir has decried rampant and indiscriminate killings carried out by the unknown gunmen, ordering security organs to improve and tightened the current level of insecurity in the capital.

President Kiir said development situation over the past weeks has not been encouraging for the citizens, ordering the minister of national security, the defence and interior ministers to put extra efforts to improve the situation.

“This issue of people being killed and those behind the killings are not being identified needs to be addressed with urgency. The situation has not been encouraging for the past weeks for the citizens and so you, the minister of security need to work together with your colleagues in defence and interior to improve the situation. The situation should not go like that,” President Kiir told top security officials on Saturday.

The president said conducive security situation should be created so that citizens in Juba and beyond would be able to celebrate Christmas without fear of any threats to life and properties.

“You need to hard to change this situation so that the citizens can go about their normal life and celebrate the Christmas in an atmosphere of peace and assured security. You need to identify these elements who are creating this unnecessary situation,” said Kiir

Presidential adviser on security affairs Tut Kew Gatluak told Sudan Tribune on Saturday the security organs have been directed to coordinate efforts and activities to ensure citizens are safe to attend to their daily life during Christmas season.

“There are plans, strategic plans already put in place to improve security situation before Christmas," Gatluak told Sudan Tribune.

He stressed that a joint operation centre has been launched to reduce insecurity during Christmas celebrations.

"Their government under the leadership of his Excellency the President of the Republic, General Salva Kiir, is not leaving any stone untouched to improve this situation so that lasting peace and complete environment of stability return to the whole country,” he adds.

The comments of the president and his aide on security followed a recent wave of rampant killings of the citizens by an unidentified group.

The director of communications at the relief and rehabilitation commission, Peter Nyale Gatkuoth, an immigration officer, Akec Piol Mawel, and Bol Deng Miyen, an associate of former army chief of staff have been killed in the current month of November.

Miyen was shot dead on Friday evening while returning from a hotel in Juba. Relatives say he had gone to meet officers and political dissidents with links to the former chief of staff.

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November 25, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - A leading figure at Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) has ruled out that President Omer al-Bashir would agree to amend the constitution in order to run for the office again.

Al-Bashir's term ends in 2020 and he couldn't run for office again according to the constitution. However, some voices within the NCP and the government have recently called for amending the constitution to allow him to run for the presidency again.

Also, earlier this month, Sudan's Sufi orders announced support for al-Bashir's reelection for another term in 2020 praising his significant efforts to unify Muslims in Sudan.

Al-Bashir who came to power through a coup d'état in June 1989 will have ruled Sudan for 31 years by the year 2020.

In March 2012, al-Bashir said he wouldn't seek his re-election in April 2015 but he ran and won in an election that was boycotted by the major opposition parties.

In August 2016, he said “I'm not a dictator and I don't want to cling to power. I won't run for another term, my term will end by 2020 and I won't be able to run again according to the constitution and the constitution won't be amended”.

NCP leading figure and Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation for Darfur Amin Hassan Omer told Sudan Tribune that al-Bashir wouldn't submit to the calls for his reelection, saying the latter seeks to strengthen the national unity and build the NCP and its new leadership.

“Neither the party constitution nor the state constitution allow for more candidacy for the president,” he said.

He pointed out that the initiative to amend the constitution rests at the hands of the president, saying “I don't think the president would seek to amend the constitution to allow himself to run again because he said he wouldn't stand for reelection”.

Omer added the NCP Reform Document has laid out the approach to renew the leadership and to trade responsibilities within the party and the state, saying al-Bashir is among the strongest supporters of the document.

It is noteworthy that Omer had objected to al-Bashir's candidacy in 2015 elections, accusing former Vice-President Ali Osman Taha of exercising “moral coercion” to influence members of the NCP Shura and Leadership Councils to nominate al-Bashir for a new term.

He ruled out that any party could put pressure on al-Bashir to force him to accept running for office again, saying “no one could force the president to take any decision let alone such decisions as amending the constitution or candidature”.

Speaking before large crowds in the Gazira State in central Sudan last week, al-Bashir said he is ready to support the candidacy of the governor of Gezira State Mohamed Tahir Eila for the presidency in 2020.

However, Eila was quick to respond to al-Bashir's gesture by announcing his full support for the latter's reelection in 2020.

Also, during the visit to Gazira State, al-Bashir received a document titled “covenant and charter” signed by the Gazira State people supporting his running for office in 2020.

Al-Bashir's candidacy for the 2020 elections must be formally adopted by the NCP institutions including the Shura Council and the General Conference which is expected to be held in October next year.

Also, the amendment of the constitution must be approved by the political parties participating in the National Dialogue and the Government of the National Accord.

For his part, the political secretary of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) Al-Amin Abdel-Rzig has warned against any breach of the national dialogue outcome which calls to draft a permanent constitution to be approved by an elected parliament in 2020.

He told Sudan Tribune that al-Bashir candidacy is limited to those who called for his reelection, saying “al-Bashir is currently the head of the Government of National Accord and not the head of the NCP government”.

On the other hand, member of the Reform Now Movement (RNM) Leadership Council Osama Tawfiq told Sudan Tribune he is convinced the constitution would be amended to allow al-Bashir run for office again.

“Al-Bashir wouldn't agree to be a former president, he is either be a sitting president or a late president,” he said.

“As long as al-Bashir continues to be wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), he wouldn't allow anyone to run for presidency because no matter who that person is he might hand him over to the tribunal,” he added.

Tawfiq said the ICC decision has paved the road for al-Bashir to rule “forever”, saying the international community seeks to maintain the status quo in Sudan to serve its own interests.

The ICC issued two arrest warrants against al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Darfur.

However, member of the Democratic Unionist Party and Minister of Information Ahmed Belal Osman has expressed intentions to amend the constitution to allow al-Bashir to run for elections in 2020.

He told the Khartoum-based Al-Jareeda newspaper on Friday “if no consensus was reached, we would amend the constitution. The constitution is not the Quran and we will approve an amendment that meets our desire to nominate the president for a third term.”

“Our demand to nominate al-Bashir for a third term was not meant to appease him, we actually need al-Bashir to stay in power because we aspire to implement further reforms,” he said.

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Ikoli Harcourt Whyte was diagnosed with leprosy as a teenager and spent most of his life in a leprosy colony but managed to compose some 200 hymns, writes Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani.

By Jehanne Henry

The European Union has pledged hundreds of millions of euros for the 'Khartoum Process', a multinational effort to manage migration from the Horn of Africa to Europe.

In Sudan, it supports a mix of development and humanitarian assistance - but also the country's controversial border control and counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling operations.

The upcoming AU-EU Summit next week in Ivory Coast is an opportunity for the EU to renew its commitment to put human rights at the heart of its work, including its migration response.

The EU's programs in Sudan have been widely criticised on human rights grounds, in large part because its border control support the notoriously abusive Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which were responsible for atrocities in Darfur.

The EU has flatly denied funding the RSF, but the perception that it does shows the cost of doing business with Sudan's abusive government.

That perception is reinforced every time the RSF commander, Mohammed Hamdan, known as 'Hemeti', brazenly boasts of capturing migrants on Sudan's border with Libya at the behest of the EU.

This blind-eye approach feeds into a wider shift in Sudan policy, not just by the EU but also the United States, which in October formally revoked broad economic sanctions on Sudan.

Sudanese forces, including the RSF, collude with human traffickers and smugglers rather than responsibly investigate them, Human Rights Watch and the United States government have found.

Moreover, the violence Hemeti boasts about triggers other abuses. Sudan's law enforcement and judicial officials conflate trafficking and smuggling, resulting in criminal prosecution of trafficking victims.

In 2017, this was one of the problems that kept Sudan on 'tier three' - the lowest designation in the US government's annual counter-trafficking evaluations.

In Sudan, migrants are vulnerable to a litany of abuses.

Rape, arrest, and jail
Many live in legal limbo; can be rounded up and arrested at any time and summarily tried for immigration violations; and can be jailed, fined, and deported without due process or transparency.

They face extortion and other forms of exploitation. When I was in Khartoum in October, an Eritrean tea-seller told me that two policemen raped her in June and threatened her with deportation if she reported the case. She finally told a trusted friend about it in September.

Sexual violence against domestic workers, many of them trafficked, appears alarmingly common.

Obtaining refugee status – which under Sudan's encampment policy means going to a refugee camp to register and staying there – does little to guard against abuses by Sudan's national security service.

An Ethiopian man in his sixties who has a refugee card told me of his harrowing experience one night in August, when three national security agents took him from his home in Khartoum, forced him into a pickup, and detained him for nine days in an unmarked building, where they interrogated him about his links to an Oromo opposition group in Ethiopia.

He feels certain the Ethiopian government asked Sudan to pick him up, although he has been living in Khartoum for more than 30 years.

Sudan regularly deports refugees in violation of international and African regional prohibitions on refoulement – that is, sending refugees back to countries where they face persecution.

In August and September, Sudan deported hundreds of Eritreans, including 30 children, on alleged immigration law violations, a move the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said flouted Sudan's international obligations.

In 2016, Sudan deported over 300 migrants, most Eritrean, including six registered refugees, back to Eritrea, where they faced abuse. Such deportations are likely more frequent than media reporting suggests.

If the EU wishes to support the Khartoum Process' goals, it needs to engage in the difficult task of pressing Sudan to improve respect for human rights – not just of refugees, but more broadly.

It is not enough to disavow support for the RSF; it should improve information and legal services, adopt a clear set of human rights benchmarks for Sudan, and call Sudan out on specific violations and patterns of abuse that affect everyone in the country.

Jehanne Henry is acting associate director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch

November 24, 2017 (KAMPALA) - A senior official of the SPLM-In Opposition led by the former First Vice President Riek Machar, has downplayed defection of the former governor of Unity State Ruai Kuol Jal, adding that his resignation has no impact on the rebel struggle.

On Friday, Jal issued a statement declaring his resignation from Machar group's and announced that he and other colleagues have decided to form a new armed group, the National People's Alliance of South Sudan (NPASS).

However, the rebel-appointed governor of Unity State, Brig Gen. Tor Tuonguar downplayed that the defector had significant an influence in the SPLM-IO.

“In this regards, I would like to assure that his defection will never affect SPLM/SPLA-IO vision and objectives,” he told Sudan Tribune when reached by telephone for comment

Tuonguar says the rebel officials and Diaspora groups have stopped their contacts with him after he formed his own political party and claimed that the move had been instigated by Juba government.

“The departure of former governor wouldn't mean anything to the SPLM-IO, but shall be treated like any other leaders or betrayers for example comrade Taban Deng Gai who chose the same path,” he said.

He further accused Jar of having links with the SPLM-IO led by First Vice President Taban Deng Gai and questioned the legitimacy of the former official creditability.

The splinter governor said Machar has no political programme, but the struggle is reduced to take him back to Juba a first vice president.

"Dr Riek has turned the Movement into a family affair. Members of Adok community are the ones now advising him. .(...) He is now grooming his wife to take over the SPLM-IO should anything happens to him," Jar said.

However, the rebel-appointed governor of Unity State denied the claim that SPLM-IO is the family movement. He added Machar has remained a national figure in South Sudan political settlement process.

Last May, Machar relieved Jar from his position as the governor of the rebel areas in the Unity region and replaced him with militarily governor, a son of popular paramount Chief Tunguar Kueinguong.

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November 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) led by Minni Minnawi has warned against government plot to attack the IDPs camps in Darfur under the pretext of the disarmament campaign.

Last August, the Sudanese authorities launched a six-month disarmament campaign to eliminate illegal weapons in the conflict-affected areas in Sudan, particularly in Darfur region.

On Monday, a joint government force raided Abu Zar camp for IDPs in West Darfur state as part of the forcible phase of the disarmament campaign.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, SRF spokesperson Mohamed Zakaria Faraj Allah said the disarmament campaign has caused a serious security problem in Darfur.

“The [disarmament] campaign was counterproductive and caused increased security tensions, resulting in new waves of displacement,” read the statement.

Faraj Allah further warned against government plots to attack the IDPs camps “with the intention of emptying them under the pretext of the weapons collection campaign”.

The Sudanese government in September notified the United Nations of the presence of weapons inside IDPs camps in Darfur, saying it poses a serious danger to camps residents.

Earlier this month, the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) called on the Sudanese government and the IDPs to work with the Mission “in a collaborative way in order to advance the weapons collection campaign.”

The call came after a show of force by the Sudanese government forces which surrounded some parts of the Kalma camp in South Darfur state before to withdraw on 2 November.

Also, the residents of Kalma camp rejected the government forcible arms collection in the camp and called to leave the operation for the UNAMID.

Last week, the UNAMID and the government approved a joint plan to collect illegal weapons from Kalma. The plan begins by launching a voluntary disarmament campaign.

SRF is a coalition established in 2011 between rebel groups in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile including the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sudan Liberation Movement/SLM-AW led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nour and SLM-MM led by Minni Minnawi and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N).

Divergences appeared within the SRF groups in October 2015 when the three groups from Darfur region, JEM, SLM-AW and SLM-MM, issued a statement announcing the appointment of the leader of JEM, Gibril Ibrahim, as chairman of the rebel umbrella.

The SRF split in October 2015 into two factions one headed by Gibril Ibrahim and the second by Malik Agar after a difference over the chairmanship of the rebel alliance.

Last month, the SRF Gibril held its general conference in Paris. The rebel alliance leaders unanimously elected Minni Minnawi as a new chairman for the umbrella organization.

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November 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The United Nations said a fourth corridor would be opened in late November to deliver humanitarian assistance from Sudan to the needy population in South Sudan.

“A fourth humanitarian corridor from El Obeid to Aweil, enabling the movement of humanitarian assistance from Sudan to South Sudan, will become operational in late November for the first time,” said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its weekly bulletin.

According to OCHA, trial delivery of 500 metric tonnes has been loaded and will commence upon final clearance from the Sudanese government.

It pointed out that there are currently four corridors that deliver humanitarian supplies to South Sudan from Sudan.

“But only three have been in use in 2017, including Renk and Bentiu in South Sudan and Nazareth in Ethiopia, which the World Food Programme (WFP) uses for airdrops from Gambila into affected areas of South Sudan,” said OCHA.

It added the WFP in 2017 delivered 42,557 out of 97,259 metric tonnes over the past three years to over 1.2 million people facing acute hunger in South Sudan.

In July 2014, Juba and Khartoum signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to open a humanitarian corridor to deliver food assistance to vulnerable South Sudanese through the River Nile or by road. Last January, the agreement was extended for a six month period.

On 30 June, the WFP began providing food assistance to South Sudan using a new corridor to transport food items overland from El Obeid in central Sudan to Bentiu in South Sudan's Unity state.

South Sudan became the world's newest nation after declaring independence from Sudan in 2011.

However, in 2013 the country was plunged into civil war killing tens of thousands of people and displacing millions.

(ST)