Africa

June 2, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has recused himself from being the patron to the national dialogue, a process he launched last week, in a bid to bridge gaps created by three years of conflict in the young east African nation, a leading figure said.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir arrives in Khartoum on September 3, 2013 (AFP Ashraf Shazly)

“He [President Kiir] has relinquished the patronage over this [political] process because of the criticisms that have come around and has left it free for us. We, the two chairpersons, should see to it that we are the ones moving with it ahead,” said Angelo Beda, a co-chairperson for the Steering Committee of the National Dialogue.

Beda applauded President Kiir for relinquishing the “patronage” and appreciated steps taken by the leadership including releasing a journalist last week as well as other political leaders.

The co-chair of the process was speaking at a workshop attended by civil society activists and religious leaders in Juba on Thursday.

He and his other co-chairperson, Abel Alier-wal Kuai, said at the launch of the national dialogue last week that the process must be inclusive stressing that “no one dialogue alone” in a complete rebuttal to President Kiir's rejection of the participation of his political rival and rebel leader Riek Machar.

The opposition groups criticised the chairmanship of national dialogue process which is supposed to achieve reconciliation and endorse democratic reforms by President Kiir saying he cannot be both judge and party.

Beda reiterated that the process will include “all South Sudanese”, echoing the committee's decision earlier in the week to approach armed oppositions groups to take part in the process.

He said South Sudan's 64 tribes will be accorded space to speak freely.

“They are going to discuss the war, they are going to discuss the conflicts, they are going to discuss the killings either for cattle rustling or for land or by the government's army, which is supposed to protect us and is [now] killing us,” he said.

(ST)

June 2, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said he will visit Cairo on Saturday to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry within the framework of the joint Sudanese-Egyptian political consultations committee.

Sudan's FM Ibrahim Ghandour (L) meets with his Egyptian counterpart Samih Shoukri in Cairo on January 9, 2016 (Photo released by the Sudanese FM)

Ghandour on Sunday cancelled a planned trip to Cairo, saying “we told our brothers in Egypt about the postponement of the visit due to internal issues and it would take place later”.

On Thursday, Ghandour received Egypt's ambassador to Khartoum Osama Shaltout and discussed with him various bilateral and regional issues of common concern.

In a press release following the meeting, foreign ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said Ghanodour underscored the special relations between the two countries and the need for permanent contacts and consultations among officials from both sides.

He pointed that Ghanodour announced his visit to Cairo on Saturday at the invitation from Shoukry to hold in-depth discussions within the framework of the political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries.

Sudan's top diplomat visit to Cairo comes several days after accusations by President Omer al-Bashir that Egypt provided weapons to Darfur rebels used during a recent attack.

The Egyptian authorities dismissed the Sudanese accusations of support to Darfur armed groups. But Khartoum points to the armoured vehicles seized from the rebels, a matter that Cairo didn't explain.

Last week, Sudan's Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih extended the ban on Egyptian agricultural products which was announced last September. Also, the commissioners of North Khartoum and El-Fasher, North Darfur issued decisions banning Egyptian street vendors.

The relation between the two countries is strained due to the disputed Halayeb triangle, Sudan's support to the Ethiopian dam, and the ban of Egyptian agricultural products.

However, since the beginning of this year, President Omer al-Bashir has referred to the Egyptian support to Darfur armed groups.

The Egyptian authorities, on the other hand, have another point of view on the growing rift between the two countries.

The Egyptian Madamasr website reported Wednesday that Egyptian government officials consider that Khartoum is encouraged by Gulf countries to seek troubles with Cairo and to stand behind the Ethiopian dam.

The Egyptian official further said that Sudan had rejected a proposal to turn Halayeb triangle and its neighbouring Sudanese territory into a joint integration and cooperation area.

(ST)

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June 1, 2017 (JUBA) – Fifteen children died in South Sudan's Eastern Equatoria region following failed Measles vaccination, health ministry and World Health Organization said.

An aid workers administers a polio vaccine to a Sudanese boy (Photo: AFP)

South Sudan Minister of Health, Riek Gai Kok, said the death occurred in newly created Kapeota state.

“There were human errors such as poor storage of vaccines, use of single to vaccinate many people,” said Riek, speaking to reporters at the State House, after briefing President Salva Kiir the incident on Thursday.

Minister Riek said the “errors” led to vomiting and diarrhoea among the children leading to death within six hours of injection.

A World Health Organization (WHO) official who accompanied Minister Riek said the lifesaving vaccine shouldn't lead to death.

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June 1, 2017 (YAMBIO) – The Commissioner of Tombura county in South Sudan's newly-created state of Tombura has been sacked by the governor.

Governor Patrick Zamoi, in a decree read on Yambio FM, relieved Babiro Charles Gbamisi, but gave no reason for his sudden decision.

The former county commissioner was appointed in July last year.

In a separate decree, Zamoi appointed Deric Zioin Sasa as the new commissioner for Tombura county, replacing Bibiro Charles Gbamisi.

(ST)

June 1, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan former First Vice President and rebel leader Riek Machar has called on the UN Security Council to end in order his forced exile in South Africa and to allow him to engage in a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

South African President Jacob Zuma meets South Sudan's First Vice President, Riek Machar in Pretoria on 18 February 2016 (ST Photo)

“We [SPLM in Opposition] are calling on the UN to end the international policy of isolating the SPLM(IO) including my release from the confinement and detention so as to enable our full engagement in finding a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” said Machar in a written statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

In October 2016 Machar left Khartoum to Pretoria officially for medical treatment. But in fact, his travel had been decided in a common agreement between the IGAD countries. Washington was involved in the decision.

One month later, the former first vice-president successfully escaped his residence in Pretoria and reached Khartoum and Addis Abba. But he was forced to return to South Africa as the Sudanese and Ethiopian authorities refused to allow him to enter into their territories.

The idea was to grant him an asylum in South Africa far away from South Sudanese politics, with the hope to contain the situation and prevent the eruption of hostilities again.

According to the seven - page text, Machar made his call during a video conference on Wednesday with the Security Council. However, South Sudanese diplomat said he had a meeting with officials from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) who sought to convince him to stop the hostilities following a unilateral cessation of hostilities declaration by President Salva Kiir.

Machar accused President Kiir of resisting reforms and democratisation of the ruling party.

The second part of written speech detailed the failure of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) and actions that should be taken to end the war in South Sudan as third port of his presentation.

“We [SPLM-IO] are calling on the UN to initiate a political process for peaceful settlement of the conflict using the agreement (ARCSS) as the basis, review the status of the UN peacekeeping forces to enable it to carry out its mandate effectively,” he further said.

He further said a humanitarian conference should be convened and “a political process for peaceful settlement of the conflict using the agreement as the basis” will end the war in South Sudan.

In a meeting with the Acting Director in the Office of U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Paul R.Sutphin, on 27 April, the SPLM-IO delegation called for the ARCSS revival through an inclusive political process that requires the involvement of the two warring parties to the South Sudanese conflict.

The rebel group further said that the SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar should be the one leading the group for the new peace negotiations.

However, the American official reiterated that they want Machar to continue to be in South Africa until the conclusion of a lasting peace agreement by his group and not his person.

" We still hold the view and of the support that Dr Riek should still remain in South Africa until lasting and sustainable peace followed by the political settlement of the conflict in South Sudan is achieved," said Sutphin, according to the minutes of the meeting seen by Sudan Tribune.

(ST)

June 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - U.S. Embassy in Sudan Thursday has warned its American nationals against a cholera outbreak in the east African country including its capital Khartoum.

"The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum informs U.S. citizens that there are confirmed reports of cholera cases in some areas of Sudan, including the greater Khartoum metropolitan area, that have resulted in fatalities," said a statement released by the embassy.

Khartoum's State Health Minister, Mamoun Hamida, confirmed in a press statement on Tuesday 120 cases of watery diarrhoea in the Sudanese capital, killing two people.

Sudanese authorities describe the water-borne disease as "acute watery diarrhoea", avoiding to call it cholera.

"This is a reminder to follow hand hygiene practices, and to consume safe food and water," said the Embassy adding "Those who will be far away from medical care should travel with oral rehydration salts (ORS) -at least 3 sachets- and water purification tablets or other devices for clean water".

In a report to the Sudanese parliament about the health situation in the country Thursday, Health Minister Bahr Idriss Abu Garda said there are over 14,000 water-related cases, adding the disease killed 272 since the spread of the outbreak in August 2016 in 10 states.

The minister stressed that the contaminated drinking water has been behind the spread of the disease.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

(ST)

June 1, 2017 (JUBA) – During a meeting with Prsident Salva Kiir on Thursday, a delegation of United States legislators have emphasised the importance of ending the war that has killed thousands of people and displaced millions in South Sudan.

Members of Sub-committee on Africa Affairs in the US House of Representatives with South Sudanese leaders in Juba, June 1, 2017 (ST)

The legislators, led by Christopher H. Smith, met South Sudan President Kiir and urged the latter to also consider involving church leaders in the recently national dialogue initiative.

"We reaffirm our commitment to peaceful dialogue as the viable option to ending the conflict in South Sudan and urged the government to follow through on its pledge and to actually focus on honouring the ceasefire,” Smith told reporters in Juba Thursday.

“We also reaffirm our shared view that a negotiated political settlement and inclusive democratic future for South Sudanese, and we call on all armed groups fighting in South Sudan to stop fighting and declare a cessation of hostilities", he added.

The head of the U.S. delegation reiterated the demand of the global community, citing the need for humanitarian access to all areas of South Sudan, including those on the United Nations' priority list, and deplored the delays and obstruction caused primarily by the parties of humanitarian deliveries to the population in desperate need.

"The devastating events in this country underscore what we have been saying for some time. The burden is on the parties to prove they are willing and able to take extraordinary steps to salvage diplomatic efforts to restore a Cessation of Hostilities (CoH), allow unfettered humanitarian assistance and create the conditions necessary for the resumption of UN-led talks about a political transition", stressed Smith.

He further said their mission to Africa was to visit Refugee camps in Northern Uganda, to know the situation of people in the camps.

South Sudan government has renewed its commitment to allowing free access and movement of relief organisations to those in need.

"The Government of South Sudan has committed itself to grand a free movement of the non-governmental organisations in order to assist those who are in need of humanitarian assistance", the cabinet affairs minister, Martin Elia Lomuro told reporters.

The minister confirmed that President Kiir met with a delegation from the United States of America, led by Christopher H. Smith, a member of Subcommittee on Africa Affairs in the US House of Representatives.

Lomuro said that the meeting also discussed the role of Churches in the national dialogue and how government can engage churches in order to move forward in the reconciliation and dialogue process.

President Kiir officially launched the long-awaited national dialogue initiative in the capital, Juba last week. 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.

Since mid-December 2013, tens of thousands of people have been killed and over two million displaced in South Sudan's worst ever violence since its independence.

(ST)

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June 1, 2017 (AIN SIRO) - The governor of North Darfur, Abdel Wahid Youssef, denied on Thursday the displacement of civilians from Ain Siro area after the recent fighting with armed groups in the state.

Youssef made the denial in a speech to the residents of Ain Siro and the Rapid support Forces where he arrived with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (aka Hametti), and North Darfur security committee members.

The governor told the civilians to not listen to those who call them to go into displacement camps adding, "We will not allow anyone who attacks you or takes your belongings". Also, he called on the civilians to report any attack immediately to the government forces in the area.

Ali Adam Taher, an Ain Siro resident told Sudan Tribune two days ago that some RSF militiamen attacked them under the command of Mohamadine Arko Jalu, a former rebel commander who broke away from the SLM-Minni Arko Minnawi and joined the government.

"This commander has an old hatred with some people in those areas. The attack forced thousands of civilians to flee towards the mountains," Taher said.

"They live in difficult conditions, some in the mountains of Kula, Diri, Adri and Matarj," he said.

Also, leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Girbil Ibrahim and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) Wednesday have accused government forces of committing mass crimes against civilians in more than 90 villages in North Darfur State.

The two rebel leaders stressed that Ain Siro area was the most affected by the attacks, saying the government forces and the RSF burned, looted and raped large numbers of girls and terrorised the residents by the intense and indiscriminate aerial bombardment.

However, RSF commander Hametti emphasised that there is no displacement from the area, adding that those who fled the fighting to the mountains returned to their villages and vowed to provide them with the needed protection.

"Our instructions are very clear and we will not accept any mistake. We have strongly advised you to give the needy and follow the straight path," he further said.

RSF Brigadier General Essam Saleh Fadil said that the Rapid Support Forces managed to seize 18 Land Cruiser vehicles, including two ambulances in the Ain Siro battle, in addition to sophisticated weapons in the hands of the armed groups.

"Among the seized weapons that indicate a new development in the arming of the Darfur rebels, the laser-guided rockets that hit their targets from incredible distances," he said.

(ST)

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June 1, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Troika and European Union countries Thursday have called the Sudanese government and armed groups in Darfur region to return to the negotiating table to reach a cessation of hostilities.

"The Troika (United States, United Kingdom, Norway) and the resident European Union Embassies in Khartoum are deeply concerned about reports of renewed fighting in Darfur between the Government of Sudan and Darfuri armed movements led by the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), which began on May 20 after a reinforcement from outside Darfur by the armed opposition elements," said a statement extended to Sudan Tribune .

Recently, Khartoum called for an international condemnation of the joint attacks carried out by the SLM-MM and SLM-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) saying the assailants came from Libya and South Sudan. Further, the Sudanese authorities accused Egypt of providing armoured vehicles to the Sudanese rebels.

By mentioning "reinforcement from outside Darfur" for the armed groups, the Troika and EU countries reject the claim of the rebels that the Sudanese government militiamen attacked their positions in Darfur where UN reports repeat that the region was free of rebels.

"These new incidents of violence underscore the urgent need for the parties to finalise a negotiated cessation of hostilities and an agreement to return to political negotiations leading to a sustainable peace," points a statement issued by the Embassies of the Troika and the EU in Khartoum.

The statement urged the hybrid peacekeeping force to reach the areas where the fighting has been reported to verify and assess the extent of the violence and its impact on civilian populations.

" We call on all parties to show restraint, cease all military actions, return to the unilaterally proclaimed ceasefires and finalise as soon as possible a joint cessation of hostilities agreement," further stressed the statement.

The western embassies encouraged the government to show willingness to compromise in negotiations saying "This should allow for a swift return to cessation of hostilities talks, including the safe return of opposition groups outside of Sudan, and entry into a broader and inclusive peace process under the auspices of the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP)'s Roadmap Agreement".

Following the failure of the last round of peace talks in Addis Ababa in August 2016, the National Congress Party (NCP)-led government held its national dialogue conference and endorsed a framework for democratic reforms called the National Document.

Since the government omitted the Roadmap Agreement saying the holdout opposition groups can join the implementation of the National Document conclusions.

(ST)

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