Africa

February 15, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) Wednesday has accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of obstructing crucial constitutional amendments providing to restrict the powers of the security services and to guarantee political freedoms .

Popular Congress Party (PCP) Political secretary Kamal Omer (Photo SUNA)

On 10 January, the PCP announced they reached an agreement with the ruling party to fill constitutional amendments related to political freedoms to the parliament to endorse it. The party of the late Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi says that restoring democracy is the main goal behind their tireless support for the contested dialogue process.

These reforms include ensuring political freedoms, curbing the powerful National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to reduce risk of violations of human rights, and to guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary.

Differences emerged during a joint meeting Wednesday between the constitutional amendments and the dialogue's coordinating committee on Wednesday when the PCP Political Secretary Kamal Omer walked out of the meeting to protest the presentation of a draft different from what had been agreed and already filed to the parliament, as he said.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Omer said the Chairperson of the Constitutional Amendments Committee, Badria Suleiman presented to the meeting a "false copy" of the proposed amendments guaranteeing freedoms.

"Then, she requested the participants to approve the modified copy. Some endorsed it because they had no idea about the initial draft prepared by the PCP" leadership and approved by Omer al-Bashir, he further said.

However, Suleiman told the meeting that the draft that Kamal was speaking about represents only the position of the Popular Congress Party.

The Islamist opposition PCP is the only large opposition group that continues to support the government-led national dialogue process. The National Umma Party (NUP) and the Reform Now Movement (RNM) suspended their participation pointing to the lack of NCP lack of seriousness to achieve democratic reforms.

The Islamist opposition party believes that the democratization process would pave the way for the unification of the Sudanese Islamists forces. Once reunited these forces can provide the needed base for the adoption of an Islamic constitution democratically .

"Badria's conduct sends a negative signal on the future implementation of the National dialogue outputs, especially since the President himself is the one who filled the amendments to the parliament after it had been drafted by the late Hassan al-Turabi," said Omer who rejoined the meeting at the insistence of other participants.

Asked about the next step that his party might take, he said they will wait to see the final position of the amendments commission, after what they will take the appropriate decision.

He further added they would not accept to "remove a virgule" from the proposals drafted by their late leader al-Turabi.

The PCP proposes that the role of the NISS be reduced to collect information and to not be able to detain someone without an arrest warrant issued by a judge. Also, it ends press confiscation and censorship.

(ST)

February 15, 2017 (BOR) – Fresh clashes occurred in Bieh, one of South Sudan's newly created state between pro-government forces (SPLA) and the armed opposition forces (SPLM-IO), an official said.

The SPLA conducting military drill in Bor, November 29, 2014 (ST)

The Governor of Bieh state, Moses Majok, said a brief fight ensured between the two rival forces at Patuet on Wednesday before the rebels were pursued by the army till they were dislodged from Yuai.

Yuai is the headquarter of Bieh state and a stronghold of the white army, a group of youth allied to the SPLM-IO loyal to Riek Machar.

“The government forces are now in Yuai, but there was no big fighting”, Majok told Sudan Tribune by phone from Juba.

“What happened was that, there were some SPLA-Io soldiers who defected from Yuai and came to Patuet, they declared themselves to be government soldiers. Yesterday the SPLA-IO from Yuai came and attacked them. When they fought back, they defeated the SPLA-IO. These soldiers with other soldiers from SPLA followed the SPLA-IO to Yuai. So the government is now in Yuai”, he added.

Majok vowed to avail more details on clashes between the rivals forces.

Multiple military sources in Bor, however, told Sudan Tribune, that the SPLA were forced to fight back after the rebels attacked their soldiers at the nearby village of Patuet, not far from Pajut.

“After rebels attacked our soldiers at Patuet, they were not only pushed back, but also given a hot pursue. So we ended up in Yuai today”, a junior military officer, said.

Although the army headquarters in Juba concealed information regarding the clashes that occurred in Bieh state, rebels on the side confirmed the fighting, but claimed that SPLA forces were repulsed by the white army, claims Sudan Tribune could not verify.

There are also reports that civilians in Uror county have been displaced, as a result of the fighting, towards Akobo on the Ethiopian border.

(ST)

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February 11, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudanese internally displaced persons (IDPs) have opposed the re-deployment of the Kenyan peacekeepers in the young nation, accusing the East African nation of involvement of fueling clashes in the capital, Juba in July last year.

UN peacekeepers in South Sudan with one of their helicopters (UNMISS)

In a petition addressed to the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, the IDP urged the word body to reconsider its recent decision to re-deploy Kenyan soldiers in the country.

“We, the internally displaced South Sudanese in the protection of civilian camps across the country, have been following with great dismay and concern over the political developments again our country since July's assassination attempt on the life of Dr. [Riek] Machar the then 1st vice president and SPLM/A-IO in Juba one,” it read.

The displaced person, in their statement, raised concerns over the head of the U.N peacekeepers, a Kenyan, who they accused of allegedly failing to protect civilians when South Sudan army clashed with the armed opposition forces on 8 July, 2016.

“We strongly believe that you will strive to bring peace to our broken society and deliver us from the brutal dictator`s administration and leadership. We also want to underline here that Kenyan government is acting brutally towards our citizens in Kenya by abducting them and deporting them to the enemies in Juba to be inhumanely tortured and most of the times killed by the regime`s notorious security agents,” further stated the IDPs' petition to the U.N.

The internally displaced persons also expressed dismayed over renewed conflicts, that has turned ethnic in the country and urged the world body to do what it could to protect vulnerable civilians.

The group further called on the new Secretary General of the U.N pressure the warring parties into renegotiating the 2015 peace deal.

Reacting to the recent national dialogue initiative declared by President Salva Kiir, the IDPs are less optimistic about the process bringing an end to the ongoing hostilities in Africa's newest nation.

According to the group, only an inclusive national dialogue, which is achieved after all the guns have been put silent, will ensure peace.

(ST)

February 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Aid groups begin have launched a large scale humanitarian operation to deliver health care and nutrition services to civilians in the war affected area of Jebel Marra despite the fund challenges they face.

After years of inaccessibility, the international and local humanitarian organisation working in various fields have conducted a number of interagency missions to assess the number of civilians in these areas and their needs.

Since mid-2016 following an secret agreement with the American administration to normalize relations, the Sudanese government, has allowed aid groups to reach the conflict affected areas in Jebel Marra and stopped air raids on rebels retrenched behind defensive lines at the top of the mountainous area.

In its latest weekly bulletin of 5 February dedicated to humanitarian activities in Jebel Marra, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that several aid groups have scaled up health services in the area.

The humanitarian action, which has aimed to meet the needs of displaced and resident populations alike, cover the Central, West and North Jebel Marra localities.

In Central Jebel Marra locality, the international NGO International Medical Corps (IMC) has operationalised health care and nutrition services in Boori and Jokosty villages. Also the group with the Sudanese health authorities now run Golo hospital's out-patient department, dekivering helath and nutrition services.

The IMC has also started similar action in West JebelMarra locality in in Katti and Kurifal villages. While the international NGO Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is supporting health and nutrition services in Abunga.

In North Jebel Marra locality, the CRS is running the health Centre in Rokero since December 2016 and has also targeted the health centre at Fanga Suk for intervention. The aid group will provide outreach medical services to be run by Sudanese health ministry staff in Abunga, Niscome, Borgo and Wara through its mobile health clinic.

The three localities had been inaccessible for aid groups for several years. The government says the western Sudan region of Darfur is now free of rebels but attack on civilians continue to be reported as the government has failed to collect weapons.

OCHA on a related development reported that the World Vision International – Sudan (WVI-Sudan) is preparing to reduce the delivery of health and water, sanitation and hygiene services to IDPs in the Otash, Manawashi and Duma areas as well as Marshing and Kass localities in South Darfur State due to funding challenges.

In the interim, "WVI-Sudan Vision is putting in place transitional arrangements to ensure that assistance to vulnerable children and communities—especially in the provision of primary health care services and clean water—continues for the next few months as the organisation seeks new funding," said the humanitarian bulletin.

(ST)