Africa

One of Africa's top musicians is being questioned by Tanzanian police for a video of him kissing a woman.

April 16, 2018 (JUBA) – The European Union (EU) Council is ready to apply all appropriate measures to those obstructing the political process in war-torn South Sudan, according to its conclusions adopted on Monday.

The opening session of the revitalization forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 18, 2017 (ST)

The Council, in its conclusion, agreed that that 2018 is a critical year for securing peace in South Sudan, as the term of the transitional government of National Unity as set out in the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) comes to an end.

“While ARCSS remains the basis for the process, the discussions must reflect the reality on the ground,” notes the Council's statement.

The Council also reaffirmed the EU's deep concern at the continued fighting and grave violations and abuses of human rights that have inflicted horrific levels of human suffering and left the country in ruins.

In the conclusions, it noted, the EU urged all parties to the negotiations to put the nation's future and needs of its people first.

It also urged all parties to the conflict in South Sudan to immediately cease fighting and participate in the peace process in good faith.

The General Secretariat of the Council is a body of staff responsible for assisting the European Council and the Council of the EU. Its work is reportedly to help organise and ensure the coherence of the Council's work and the implementation of its 18-month programme.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by Riek Machar, the country's former first vice-president since mid-December 2013. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced almost over 2 million people from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled into neighbouring nations

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (AWEIL) – Authorities in South Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal state arrested dozens of former army chief of staff, General Paul Malong Awan's allies in the latest move to suppress his activities.

Former South Sudan army chief of staff, Gen Paul Malong Awan (Juba24 News)

Those arrested on Sunday, sources told Sudan Tribune, included the state assembly speaker, Deng Ayom as well as five other lawmakers.

The commander of South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM), a rebel movement in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Santino Manut, said those arrested are Awan's allies believed to be part of his rebellion.

He said Anguet Anei Ajuong, a woman MP, is among the arrested lawmakers.

Others are Aweil Urban MP, Santino Mayuat Ngong, former minister of water resources and irrigation, Bakheit Garang, former county commissioner of Aweil West Garang Kuach Ariath, and the state secretary general and former Aweil town mayor, Simon Tong Deng.

Officials from the national security services allegedly carried out the arbitrary arrests.

Last week, Awan announced the formation of the South Sudan United Front (SSUF), arguing that his movement was the only means through which he would work with compatriots to "arrest the carnage" in the war-torn country.

He accused President Salve Kiir of building a nation where total impunity is the order.

Relations between Awan and President Kiir deteriorated after the former was sacked from his post as army chief of staff in May 2017 and placed under house arrest for fear he would start a rebellion.

The ex-army chief was freed in November following mediation led by members of the JCE. The agreement refrained him from going to his home-town of Aweil in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state but was allowed to travel to any East Africa country.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (JUBA) - In a report to the Security Council, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said sexual violence in South Sudan remains characterized in 2017 with marked political and ethnic undertones

"In almost all recorded cases, the perpetrators and victims came from rival ethnic groups, with the physical violence often accompanied by verbal insults levelled against victims on the basis of their identity and presumed allegiance," reads the report

However, it said the UN peacekeepers in the war-ravaged country were not able to document all the cases due to the severe restriction of access to the conflict-zones and relocation of affected persons to other regions or foreign countries.

Nonetheless, UNMISS in 2017 documented 196 cases of conflict-related sexual violence including rape (88), gang rape (63), abduction for the purpose of sexual assault (31) UNMISS and attempted rape (14).

The peacekeeping mission 577 verified cases in 2016.

Regarding the perpetrators of the sexual assaults, the secretary-general said: "The attacks were attributed to SPLA (67), the pro-Taban Deng Sudan People's Liberation Army-in- Opposition (SPLA-IO) (4), the pro-Machar SPLA-IO (7), the South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM) (1), the South Sudan People's Patriotic Front (SSPPF) (2), militia allied to SPLA (5), militia allied to SPLA-IO (4), the South Sudan National Police Service (1), with the remainder attributed to unidentified gunmen".

In a recent report the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said that rape, mutilation of sexual organs and other forms of sexual violence were perpetrated against women, girls, men and boys, often in front of relatives, in order to humiliate victims, families and entire communities, or as a form of punishment.

The report pointed that none of the incidents has been prosecuted to date.

The secretary-general said the UNMISS was working last year with the South Sudanese authorities to strengthen accountability particularly to implement the joint communiqué on sexual violence.

The UN mission facilitated training for 310 members of SPLA and 85 officers of the national police to reinforce individual and command responsibility for preventing and addressing sexual violence. It further increased the speed of patrols, including firewood patrols, and establish weapons-free zones around sites for the protection of civilians.

The report also mentioned the ongoing trial of SPLA soldiers charged with crimes, including the rape and gang rape of humanitarian workers housed at the Terrain hotel compound in 2016.

By the end of 2017, there were almost 2 million displaced persons, including 209,898 living in UNMISS sites for the protection of civilians. While two other civilians fled across the border to neighbouring countries.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (JUBA) – The senior leadership of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM) and the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) secretariat briefed the visiting African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) delegation on the recent activities in relation to their monitoring activities in South Sudan.

The AU delegation are a five-day visit to the war-torn East African country to urge South Sudanese parties to commit to the resolution of the civil war that erupted in mid-December 2013.

The CTSAMM, according to a statement issued on Monday, gave a brief update on the verification of forces throughout the country and also gave a brief overview on five violation reports which have been recently submitted to JMEC and to the regional bloc (IGAD).

“The visiting delegation thanked CTSAMM for their presentation and also commended the work CTSAMM does in ensuring the security situation is accurately monitored,” it further stated.

The delegation of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is led by Bankole Adeoye, permanent representative of Nigeria and chairperson of the PSC for this month, the AU said in a statement.

The PSC mission followed the visit by the chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to South Africa, where he met the exiled South Sudanese armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.

The PSC delegation, the AU said, is expected to interact with all South Sudanese stakeholders, African and international actors, to assess the challenges that are still impeding the implementation of the 2015 agreement on the resolution of the South Sudan conflict.

Deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the PSC delegation will visit the city of Malakal as part of its field mission.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by Machar, the country's former first vice-president since mid-December 2013. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced almost over 2 million people from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled into neighbouring nations.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (JUBA) - South Sudan's army chief of staff said he is unwell, dispelling reports claiming he has died in a hospital in neigbouring Kenya where he was admitted.

The rank of Lt general is pinned on Lt Gen. James Ajong by President Salva Kir, and Vice President James Wani, during the swearing-in ceremony as SPLA general chief of staff on Wednesday 10 May 2017 (ST Photo)

Gen James Ajonga Mawut described the reports circulating on his death as a blessing.

“From onset we would like to state categorically that there is nothing much to worry about and to inform the general public as the members that your son and leader, General James Ajonga. He is responding well and will soon return home to live among his people and continue to discharge his national duties”, a statement released to the public by the family reads in part.

Ajonga reportedly underwent a Kidney operation in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

Ubeer Mawut, a brother to the army chief, said they opted for Egypt via Israel after the army chief was denied an entry visa to Germany.

The general was scheduled to fly to Germany for medical attention.

Medical examinations, he said, show that Ajonga has a kidney infection, Ubeer said.

He said the doctors in Cairo successfully carried out the operation.

The military spokesperson, Lul Ruai Koang also confirmed the general's admission in Cairo, but declined to comment on his health.

Ajonga was appointed army chief of staff in May 2017, replacing General Paul Malong.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sexual assaults remain high in Darfur region despite the improvement of security situation in Darfur, said the UN Secretary general in a report to the Security Council on conflict-related sexual violence released on Monday.

Awatif Abdallah, 19, holds a letter from the police with a medical report scrawled on it saying she was raped and beaten. But the police refused to take her case, and a judge later dismissed it on 22 October 2004. (AFP/ Photo)

"While the rate of new displacements was lower in 2017 than in previous years, and humanitarian access had improved, sexual violence remained prevalent, owing to a volatile security environment awash with small arms and light weapons, criminality and sporadic clashes," reads the report.

In his report on the conflict-related sexual violence in 2017, the secretary general praised the weapons collection campaign, the decline of tribal clashes, and the significant reduction of clashes between the government forces and rebel groups. Also, he pointed to the low rate of new displacement.

However, he said the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2017 reported 152 cases of rape, affecting 84 women, 66 girls and 2 boys, across the five states of Darfur.

He underlined a decrease from the 222 victims in 2016.

"The cases involved rape (90 percent), attempted rape (6 percent) and gang rape (4 percent). In 2 percent of cases, the victims were killed and, in many others, suffered grievous bodily harm," he further said.

The report said 70% of the rape cases are perpetrated by "armed men or militia members in civilian attire", while the remaining 30% are committed by the government regular forces and militia including the Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces, border guards and members of the Sudanese Police Force.

It also points that the spike in sexual violence coincides with the farming season, particularly along the migration routes of armed nomadic herders, from July to October.

During the first years of the Darfur conflict, rape cases mainly occurred around the camps of displaced persons with few sexual assaults in remote areas.

"In some cases, security fears have forestalled the return of civilians to their villages of origin. In one incident, a family living in West Darfur, which had previously fled to Chad as refugees, were forced back across the border into Chad after a relative was gang-raped, for fear of further attacks," the report reads pointing to the fragile security situation in Darfur.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) Monday have started a two-day informal consultations meeting in Berlin.

In a joint statement extended to Sudan Tribune Monday, the two armed movements said the meeting is being held in an exceptional political, economic and security situation in Sudan.

They expressed hope that the government delegation came to Berlin with a true will and political resolve to overcome the obstacles that hinder the convening of genuine talks.

The statement pointed out that the meeting is dedicated to discussing the problem in Darfur.

“However the two movements are committed in letter and spirit to the outcome of the recent Sudan Call meeting and wouldn't agree to any arrangement that doesn't lead to an inclusive national solution for the Sudanese problem,” reads the joint statement released in Arabic.

The two armed groups added they accepted the invitation to participate in the Berlin meeting in order to “put an end to the protracted suffering of our people in the IDPs and refugee camps and the people of Darfur and Sudan in general”.

They further renewed their keenness to achieve just and comprehensive peace that addresses the root causes of the Sudanese problem.

The JEM and SLM-MM, in addition, thanked the German government and the international community for helping the parties to the conflict in Sudan to reach a solution for the country's crises.

Berlin which is a facilitator for the African Union efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan hosted several meetings in the past for the opposition groups or between the government and opposition.

The two sides are expected to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement and if they struck a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

It is noteworthy that the JEM and SLM-MM delegations to the Berlin meeting are headed by the leaders of the two movements, Gibril Ibrahim and Minni Minnawi while the government team is chaired by Presidential Envoy for Diplomatic Contact and Negotiation for Darfur, Amin Hassan Omer.

The holdout groups including the JEM and SLM-MM refused to sign the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) in July 2011 and called to open the framework agreement for talks.

Other groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement - Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) have declined to join the process and rejected its outcome.

The African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki proposed a holistic process to end the armed conflicts and produce political reforms in Sudan.

During the year 2015-2016, talks between the government and the SLM-MM and JEM failed to reach a tangible result despite international efforts to bring together the opposition groups and to narrow the gaps between them and the government.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003. UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)

April 16, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and Sudan's Commissioner of Refugees Hamad El-Gizouli have welcomed the return of 53 Sudanese refugees from Chad.

“The returnees were warmly received by the Commissioner of Tina locality, the Commissioner of Refugees and UNHCR Representative in Sudan as well as leaders of local administration and community in Tina,” said the UNHCR in a press release on Monday

According to the press release, this return “follows the signing of a tripartite agreement in May 2017 by the governments of Sudan and Chad and UNHCR for the voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees from Chad”.

“The Sudanese returnees were assisted with a reintegration package and transportation from the reception Centre in Tina to their home villages in North Darfur” read the press release

For his part, El-Gizouli described the return of the refugees as a “historic moment”, saying the Sudanese government is attaching significant importance to the voluntary return of refugees “as being the best solution for them so that they can begin to rebuild their life as Sudanese citizens.”

On the other hand, the UNHCR representative in Sudan, Noriko Yoshida, called on the international community “to assist the efforts being exerted by the Sudanese government for the sustainable and durable return of the Sudanese refugees from Chad”.

On 31 May 2017, Sudan, Chad and the UNHCR signed two separate tripartite agreements on the voluntary return of Sudanese refugees from Chad and Chadian refugees from Sudan.

The agreements provide that any repatriation should be voluntary and on the basis of well-informed consent.

The three parties in January 2018 signed an operational plan for the repatriation of 20,000 Sudanese refugees from Chad to Darfur region during this year.

Chad hosts over 300,000 Sudanese refugees residing in the eastern region of the neighbouring country not far from the border with Chad.

At the end of October 2017, a delegation comprising 25 Sudanese refugee leaders in Chad visited their home villages in Darfur region to see if the situation is good enough to return permanently after 13 years of exile.

(ST)

How a car crash changed Benin's Faouziatou Ibrahima's basketball career.

Senegal is on track to be declared malaria-free by 2030.

Botswana's Ian Khama has just stepped down after 10 years in power - he says other African leaders should also "move aside and give others the opportunity".

April 15, 2018 (JUBA) – South Sudan's army chief of staff, General James Mawut Ajonga is recovering following a Kidney operation conducted in a Cairo-based hospital, relatives told Sudan Tribune.

The rank of Lt general is pinned on Lt Gen. James Ajong by President Salva Kir, and Vice President James Wani, during the swearing-in ceremony as SPLA general chief of staff on Wednesday 10 May 2017 (ST Photo)

Ubeer Mawut, a brother to the army chief, said they opted for Egypt via Israel after the army chief was denied an entry visa to Germany.

The general was scheduled to fly to Germany for medical attention.

Medical examinations, he said, showed that the South Sudanese army chief of general staff suffers from a kidney infection, Ubeer said.

He said the doctors in Cairo successfully carried out the operation.

The military spokesperson, Lul Ruai Koang confirmed the general's admission in Cairo, but declined to comment on his health condition.

Ajonga was appointed army chief of staff in May 2017, replacing General Paul Malong Awan.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (JUBA) - The Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO) announced the release of seven aid workers upon directives from the group leader Riek Machar.

Recently the U.N. urged the SPLM-IO to release seven aid workers with the South Sudan Health Association (SSUHA) saying they were abducted on 25 March while delivering health supplies in Morobo county in Central Equatoria.

In a statement released on Sunday, Lam Paul Gabriel, the SPLM-IO deputy spokesperson said the release took place along the border with Uganda and in presence of security officials from the neighbouring country.

"This morning the 15/04/2018 at about 11:30 AM, the SPLA IO command of Div. 2B and the administration of Yei River State safely released seven (7) Aids workers with three vehicles to a delegation of the UNOCHA along the Uganda border in Koboko," said the rebel spokesperson.

He further said the handover was ordered by the SPLM-IO leader Machar who is still confined in South African but preparing to move to another country in the region, Tanzania probably.

SECURITY ISSUES

Gabriel said they captured the aid workers after discovering two South Sudanese security agents deployed in the rebel-held areas as humanitarians without elaborating on the matter.

"The seven workers were detained due to security issues concerning two of their colleagues who were discovered to be security agents of the regime intentionally deployed to carry out hostile surveillance on our controlled areas," he said.

He called on the humanitarian groups to avoid "being infiltrated" by the government security agencies.

On 10 April, the United Nations announced the death of two aid workers killed in separate attacks near Bentiu town in Unity region.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (JUBA) – An African Union (AU) delegation are a five-day visit to South Sudan to urge South Sudanese parties to commit to the resolution of the civil war that erupted in mid-December 2013.

The delegation of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is led by Bankole Adeoye, permanent representative of Nigeria and chairperson of the PSC for this month, the AU said in a statement.

The PSC mission followed the visit by the chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to South Africa, where he met South Sudan opposition leader, Riek Machar.

The PSC delegation, the AU said, is expected to interact with all South Sudanese stakeholders, African and international actors, to assess the challenges that are still impeding the implementation of the 2015 agreement on the resolution of the South Sudan conflict.

Deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the PSC delegation will visit the city of Malakal as part of its field mission.

The Nigerian embassy in Ethiopia said the field mission is taking place in the context of expressing the solidarity and total support of the African Union towards finding lasting peace in war-torn South Sudan.

The embassy, in a statement, further said the AU delegation visiting South Sudan will pay special attention to adequate response and solutions to the humanitarian situation in a country where estimated millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugees in neighbouring countries are in urgent need of life-saving assistance.

It also added that the PSC will also endeavour to find solutions to the political and unfolding economic challenges, while engaging the government and opposition parties along with the civil society.

“In particular, the PSC is expected to call on all parties to adhere to the provisions of the cessation of hostilities agreement signed on 21 December 2017 in Addis Ababa and witnessed by Nigeria and other member states on the AU high level ad hoc committee on South Sudan,” partly reads the embassy statement.

“The field mission will further take stock of the outcome of the two phases of the IGAD led High Level Revitalization Forum under the auspices of the regional economic community Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) so far held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in December 2017 and February 2018,” it further stressed.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by Machar, the country's former first vice-president since mid-December 2013. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced almost over 2 million people from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled into neighbouring nations.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's President Omer al-Bashir and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia Sunday discussed bilateral relations in a meeting held on the sidelines of the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

"During the meeting, they reviewed the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and the opportunities to develop it in various fields. In addition, (they discussed) the latest developments in the region and the efforts exerted towards them," said the official Saudi news agency after the meeting.

For his part, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour who attended the meeting told SUNA that the Crown Prince praised Sudan's role in common Arab issues and its contribution to regional security and stability.

Sudan is part of the Saudi-led which includes eight African and Middle East countries, in support of the UN-backed government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi which fights Houthi rebels.

In its final communiqué, the Arab summit reaffirmed its full solidarity with Sudan to safeguard the national sovereignty of the country and to consolidate peace, security and development.

Also, the meeting declared its support to Sudanese efforts "to benefit from the initiative of international financial institutions for heavily indebted countries".

Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sunday dubbed the Arab League meeting the “Jerusalem summit” and criticized the U.S. over Jerusalem.

The Monarque further announced a $150 million donation for the maintenance of Islamic heritage, Aqsa mosque, in the eastern part of Jerusalem.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (JUBA) - The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mousa Faaki Mohamed has called for the unreserved participation of South Sudan rebel leader, Riek Machar in the High Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) initiated by the regional bloc (IGAD).

South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar and the AU Commission chairperson Mousa Faki Mohamed in Pretoria, South African, April 12, 2018 (ST photo)

“The chairperson of the commission took advantage of his visit to meet with Dr. Riek Machar, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM/IO). He underlined the imperative for all South Sudanese stakeholders to muster the required political courage and commitment to end the conflict unfolding in their country, and strongly called on Dr. Machar to fully play his part and cooperate unreservedly with the IGAD-led efforts within the Revitalization Forum,” the AU said in a statement issued on Saturday.

It added, “Dr. Machar pledged to do all he can to facilitate the search for peace, and said he was looking forward to the resumption of the Revitalization Forum under the IGAD auspices”.

The South Sudanese rebel leader and the African Union chairperson met in Pretoria, South Africa on Thursday to discuss the ongoing peace process in the war-hit nation.

The two leaders reportedly discussed the high-level revitalization forum, challenges facing the process and the role of other peace partners, like AU and the five African countries forming the IGAD-Plus.

The IGAD-Plus nations (Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa) were added into the mediation process to strengthen Africa's support to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and assist South Sudanese parties and stakeholders to achieve durable peace.

The armed opposition leader reportedly expressed commitment of his group to participate in the revitalization talks without reservation.

The AU statement did not, however, made no mention about Machar's detention in South Africa and the recent decision by the regional leaders to relocate him to a country outside the region.

South Sudan has been mired in conflict between the government of President Salva Kiir and rebels led by Machar, the country's former first vice-president since December 2013. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced almost over 2 million people from their homes, including over a million refugees who have fled into neighbouring nations.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - The foreign ministry has called on the visiting UN Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) on Sudan to reconsider its 13-year regime of sanctions on Darfur.

On 8 February, the UN Security Council announced its intention to regularly review the measures on Darfur in the context of the evolving situation on the ground, taking into account the Committee Chair's report and recommendations, and in light of reports submitted by the Panel of Experts.

Foreign ministry deputy undersecretary Omer Sidiq received Joanna Wronecka (Poland), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee and accompanying delegation including committee members and some members of the panel of experts.

The Sudanese diplomat welcomed the UN resolution 2400 (2018) on the Council's determination to review the sanctions regime and stressed the importance that Sudan attaches to reviewing the sanctions regime, said a statement issued by the ministry after the meeting.

"He pointed to the positive developments on the ground in Darfur, which led the UN Security Council to reduce the number of UNAMID forces by half, saying it represents a categorical acknowledgement of the development of the situation towards peace and sustainable stability," further said the statement.

Wronecka who is Poland's Ambassador to the United Nations served in 1999-2003 as non-resident ambassador to Sudan.

The Sudan Sanctions Committee has to brief the Security Council on its work every 90 days. The last briefing was on 14 March 2018.

Last February, the Security Council extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which support the work of the sanctions committee, until 12 March 2019.

By the terms of the resolution 1591 (2005), the committee oversees the implementation of the sanctions; consider and decide upon requests for exemptions from the sanctions, and designate individuals and entities who meet the listing criteria.

The sanctions measures include an embargo on arms and technical training and assistance in relation to actors operating in Darfur; besides travel ban and assets freeze.

The UN list of individual sanctions contains fours names: Gen Gaffar Mohammed Elhassan, tribal leader Musa Hilal, Sudan Liberation Army Commander Adam Yacub Sharif, and National Movement for Reform and Development Commander Jibril Abdulkarim Ibrahim Mayu.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim announced his government would implement a roadmap programme to deliver humanitarian aid to rebel-held areas in South Kordofan.

On Saturday, Ibrahim received the recommendations of the first youth conference on peace and development in South Kordofan.

According to Ashorooq TV, the presidential aide said the government would also launch a child vaccination campaign and provide education requirements in the rebel-controlled areas.

Ibrahim underscored that peace is a strategic not tactical goal for the government, calling on arms bearers to end the war in order to reach a political settlement to achieve permanent peace.

The Sudanese army has been fighting the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.

The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the other led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged last year over the right of self-determination and other organisational issues.

Talks between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since August 2016.

The SPLM-N demands to deliver 20% of the humanitarian assistance through a humanitarian corridor from Asosa, an Ethiopian border town.

But the government rejects the idea saying it is a breach of the state sovereignty and a manoeuvre from the rebels to bring arms and ammunition to their locked rebel-held areas in the Two Areas.

The SPLM-N, in November 2016 declined an American proposal to transport humanitarian medical assistance directly to the civilians in the rebel-held areas in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Also, during the last round of talks from 1 to 3 February, the Sudanese government and SPLM-N al-Hilu failed to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement.

The mediation delinked the ceasefire and the humanitarian access and focused at this round only on the cessation of hostilities agreement.

However, differences between the sides emerged when Khartoum proposed that the cessation of hostilities be a step towards a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian access.

(ST)

April 15, 2018 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Presidential Assistant Faisal Hassan Ibrahim and the European Union (EU) envoy to Khartoum Jean-Michel Dumond Sunday have discussed efforts to achieve peace in Darfur.

Director of the European department at the Foreign Ministry, Khalid Musa Dafaallah said Ibrahim briefed the EU envoy on the government's efforts to achieve peace, security and stability in Darfur.

He pointed out that Ibrahim welcomed the informal consultations meeting between the government and the Darfur rebels which would convene in Berlin on Monday.

According to Daffallah, Dumond briefed the Sudanese official on the EU efforts to provide development assistance in Darfur besides its support for water harvest and food security projects.

For his part, the EU envoy expressed hope that the Berlin meeting could lead to a permanent ceasefire in order to achieve development in the restive region.

He added that peace and stability in Sudan are among the top priorities of the ongoing dialogue between Sudan and the EU.

It is noteworthy that the Berlin meeting would bring the Sudanese government and two armed groups from Darfur region, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) to negotiate a pre-negotiation agreement.

If the parties strike a deal, it would pave the way for talks on a cessation of hostilities and then they will join the negotiations table to discuss political issues in Doha.

The German government which is a facilitator for the African Union efforts to end armed conflicts in Sudan hosted several meetings in the past for the opposition groups or between the government and opposition.

The Sudanese army has been fighting a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)