May 28, 2017 (JUBA) - The Elders, a group of independent leaders, have condemned the political paralysis and failure of leadership at all levels in South Sudan in the face of worsening famine and humanitarian disaster.
The group, in a statement, also reiterated their view that all parties to the conflict, including the government of South Sudan and armed opposition groups, are directly contributing to the famine by leading military operations that destroy civilian homes and livelihoods.
South Sudan's situation, their statement stressed, is compounded by the brazen obstruction of humanitarian access to the conflicted-affected areas.
At the same time, they added, the international community has shown paralysis bordering on disinterest in regard to meaningful conflict resolution efforts and financial support to humanitarian aid.
“South Sudan is a young country, but its people have been consistently let down by their leaders who have been unable or unwilling to move away from conflict and personal enrichment at the expense of the nation,” said Kofi Annan, chair of The Elders.
He added, “Alleged war crimes and gross human rights violations committed by parties to the conflict, including the government and armed opposition groups, are prolonging the suffering of the people, and those who are responsible need to be held accountable.”
The Elders, in the statement, expressed particular outrage on the widespread use of sexual violence, including mass rape, as a tactic of war in South Sudan's crisis.
“All warring parties, including the state and other armed groups have a responsibility under international law to protect rather than violate the inviolable human rights of civilians,” adds the statement.
“The suffering in South Sudan should shame us all. It is an affront to civilised values, and the longer the international community allows the conflict and human rights abuses to persist, the weaker those values become. As Elders we stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan and will continue to press for peace and justice,” said Mary Robinson, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Founded by former South African president, late Nelson Mandela, the Elders are independent leaders using their collective experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide.
(ST)
Les dernières infos • #réfugiés #balkans : violences policières à répétition sur des migrants à la frontière serbo-croate
Serbie : les réfugiés évacués des hangars ferroviaires pour la construction de Belgrade Waterfront
Réfugiés en Serbie : « de pire en pire », dénonce MSF
Crise des réfugiés : la longue marche des Afghans à travers les montagnes de Bulgarie
Réfugiés : à travers les Balkans, le drame des mineurs non accompagnés
Bulgarie : « The Good Postman », un film à la périphérie de l'Europe et au cœur de l'humanité
Macédoine : le président Ivanov charge enfin Zoran Zaev de former le nouveau gouvernement
Macédoine : le VMRO-DPMNE, colosse aux pieds d'argile
Macédoine : violences au Parlement, plusieurs députés blessés par des partisans du VMRO-DPMNE
Macédoine : après l'assaut du Parlement, les États-Unis mettent la pression
Macédoine : Nikola Gruevski inculpé dans deux graves affaires de corruption
Kosovo : un imam intégriste et misogyne sous enquête
May 28, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Due to the improvement of humanitarian access in Darfur, International Organization for Migration (IOM) last April managed to register 52,700 IDPs mostly displaced from Jebel Marra in 2016.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)'s office in Khartoum reported on Sunday in its weekly bulletin that the recently registered IDPs from the 2016 caseload, include "24,613 IDPs were registered in Tawilla locality, North Darfur and 20,402 IDPs were registered in Nertiti locality, Central Darfur".
Furthermore, there are "7,554 new IDPs who fled their homes in East Darfur and arrived between 17 February and 8 March in El Lait locality, North Darfur were registered in April".
While the 2016 IDPs fled their areas due to the clashes with the holdout rebel groups, the new "IDPs had fled their villages in East Darfur State due to an inter-communal conflict between farmers and pastoralists and sought refuge in four locations in El Lait locality".
Following an agreement with the U.S. on the lift of the longstanding economic sanctions, Khartoum agreed to stop air attacks on civilian areas, declared a unilateral cessation of hostilities and opened humanitarian access to the IDPs areas in Darfur.
Some armed groups also committed themselves to a unilateral cessation of hostilities.
10,000 RETURNEES
Based on Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Fact Sheet prepared by IOM, OCHA reported the registration of 10,229 returnees in April.
"4,385 (people returned to) Otash village, South Darfur and 5,844 returnees were registered in nine localities in North Darfur State," said the UN humanitarian agency.
"The registered returnees said their return is permanent and that they do not plan to go back to their areas of displacement," said the report.
According to the UN agencies, over 195,500 refugees and IDP returned to their areas of origin in Darfur in 2014-2016.
(ST)
May 28, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour on Sunday cancelled a planned trip to Cairo 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.
Ghandour had to travel to Cairo on Wednesday 31 May for follow-up talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on contentious issues discussed last April in Khartoum between the two officials.
"We told our brothers in Egypt about the postponement of the visit due to internal issues and it would take place later," said the Sudanese top diplomat in statements to the press on Sunday.
"The purpose of the visit was to convene meetings of the joint Sudanese-Egyptian political consultations committee and its agenda has been agreed already," he added.
However, Ghandour avoided giving the details of the internal issues that triggered the cancellation of the visit.
The 31 May meeting between Ghandour and Shoukry was supposed to discuss the ban on Egyptian agricultural imports and visa requirements after the Sudanese government decision to re-establish visa for Egyptians.
Tensions between Khartoum and Cairo have escalated following the former's decision to restrict imports of Egyptian farming products which was reciprocated by Cairo's decision to raise residency fees for Sudanese living in Egypt.
The deterioration of bilateral relations between the two countries goes back to the attempt to assassinate President Hosni Mubarak in June 1995 followed by the deployment of Egyptian troops in the disputed area of Halayeb triangle.
Since then, Khartoum has been moving to improve its ties with the eastern and western neighbours, instead of its strategic ties with Egypt.
Khartoum further went to back the construction of a dam in Ethiopia, which Cairo says will hurt its water needs. Also, the Sudanese government recently signed investment agreements with Gulf countries. Accordingly, they will establish huge agricultural projects that require the full use of Sudan share of the Nile water, a move which is seen in Cairo as another threat to Egypt.
(ST)