June 2, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan rebels say they repulsed several attacks by pro-government forces in the eastern and western part of the country's former Central Equatoria states on Friday morning.
The armed opposition's deputy spokesperson, Col. Lam Paul said both attacks were foiled with “heavy losses” suffered by the attackers.
“Government forces attacked SPLA-IO base around Yeri in Amadi state at about 6:30am. This provoked our forces and as a result the aggressors were repulsed and pursued up to the county headquarters and at about 9:00am, Yeri county was liberated,” Lam said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.
During the attack, he added, rebels captured 33 AK-47 guns in good condition, while pro-government forces allegedly lost 10 fighters.
Sudan Tribune could, however, not independently verify the rebels' statement.
Meanwhile, a separate attack reportedly occurred on the armed opposition base around Mundiri-Rumbek junction at about 10: am on Friday.
Lam said four pro-government soldiers died and eight were injured.
The attacks, however, come less than two week after South Sudan President Salva Kiir announced unilateral ceasefire with the country's rebels following the launch of the national dialogue initiative.
The armed opposition leader Riek Machar criticized the initiative as a “one-sided” process that ignores participation of the political groups.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced in the country's worst violence since its independence in 2011.
(ST)
June 3, 2017 (JUBA) – South Sudan's First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai has urged the United Nations Security Council to desist from communicating to the country's armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.
Gai, in a 1 June letter, claimed Machar was using the Security Council of the world body to legitimize the brutal and bloody policy of incitement and tribal agenda to continue waging war.
The policy of incitement, he said, continues to displace ordinary citizens from their areas and prolong the suffering of the people.
"Such brutal and sadistic behaviour of Riek Machar must be condemned in the strongest terms possible. He should have not been allowed to use a noble forum such as the UN Security council to preach his outdated and unfounded claims against the president of the republic of South Sudan and the Transitional Government of national Unity,” partly reads the letter to the Security Council.
It further said the engagement of the U.N Security Council with the South Sudanese rebel leader was an “insult” to the lives of innocent people who are victims of barbaric acts of Machar and his group.
Gai, in his letter, urged the African Union Peace and Security Council and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-Plus to desist from engaging with the armed opposition leader.
“He [Machar] is using the blood of Nuer community to attain power and this cannot be tolerated anymore", further reads the letter.
Machar's engagement with the world leaders, it adds, frustrates efforts aimed at restoring peace and security in the young nation.
Gai, a former rebel chief negotiator, was hastily appointed the country's First Vice President after Machar was pushed out of Juba in the aftermath of the violence that erupted in Juba in July last year.
(ST)
June 3, 2017 (BOR) - The mayor of Bor town in South Sudan's Jonglei state, Akim Ajieth has criticized the judiciary over a letter, which calls for the immediate dissolution of the bench court in the state capital.
Ajieth said the letter, written by high court president in the state, Jairo Ajang, violated provisions of the country's transitional constitution.
He said he acted within his powers and did not violate any law.
“I have not violated any article, what they were actually complaining about was that I should have consulted them before taking any action. Otherwise the powers to dissolution and powers to appoint rest only with the mayor. And it is up to me to consult them or not to consult them,” the mayor told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
He also described the decision he undertook as an “administrative issue” which had nothing to do with the judicial powers in the state.
“What they usually do is to confer powers up on the new members, that means I appoint and they [judiciary] confer judicial powers,” said the mayor,” Ajieth said.
He further said the judiciary had special interest in the bench, having allegedly refused to cooperate on several occasions in the past.
“There was no need to consult this time because in the past I had consulted them but they did not cooperate with us, they were not in good faith, they were delaying. I think they have interest in the bench court. I did not know they had some interest in it,” said Ajieth.
“Judiciary is trying to interfere in our work, they should step backward a little and give us a space to breath”, he further added.
The high court president, in the letter, requested government and public to consider as “null” and “void” the dissolution of the bench court and its newly appointed members.
Ajieth, however, insisted the letter was addressed to the whole world.
“What they [judiciary] have done is totally unbelievable. And this clearly shows that they interest, they have hidden agenda. The way they had written their letter, it was not addressed to me, I was not copied. I don't know to whom they were writing their letter to, they were just writing it to the air, writing it to everyone who may be concern which is to the whole world. I just assumed that I have not received any letter from them”, said the mayor.
He said the four-year term of members of the bench court expired and many of the cases they had handled are being challenged before the court of appeal in the state.
“Members in the bench court were incompetent, no experience, they had not served before as judges. They fought in the court, they engaged in physical confrontation, which is very unacceptable. That is why we decided to bring in people who are very competent, people who know what to do”, said Ajieth.
(ST)
June 3, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan Liberation Movement Transitional Council (SLM-TC) has rejected to negotiate with the Sudanese government saying the regime of President Omer al-Bashir is not serious about peace.
In coordinated operations with the SLM-Minni Minnawi, the holdout rebel group recently fought the Sudanese government army and militias in North and East Darfur.
However, the group suffered significant losses after the killing of its general commander Mohamed Abdel Salam Tarada in East Darfur and the capture of its leader Nimer Abdel Rahman in Ain Siro, North Darfur.
In a statement on the SLM-TC position on the cessation of hostilities and the negotiations with the Sudanese government, the group said
Transitional Council for the Sudan Liberation Army Movement's position on the process of cessation of hostilities and to negotiate with the regime.
Based on the past experiences, and the deals the government signed with other groups "We have concluded that there is no point in wasting time with an evasive regime that does not commit itself to the signed agreements''.
"The ethnic cleansing regime in Khartoum does not want a peaceful solution or peace in Darfur or the rest of Sudan" rather it seeks to "build it its racist, Arabic and Islamic state" further said Mohamed Saleh Rizallah, the SLM-TC head of external and diplomatic relations.
"We in the Transitional Council are working with all our strength to reunite the ranks of the true revolutionary forces and to work together to bring down this bloody regime," further said the statement.
Rebel sources said the foiled military operation meant to reach the mountainous area of Jebel Marra where they can establish a base and launch attacks on the government forces in the region.
The SLM-TC which is formed by breakaway rebels from the SLM-Abdel Wahid is the second group to reject negotiations with the government.
The SLM-AW says it can only negotiate the root causes of the conflict, adding the regime has to repair all the consequences of the war including the financial compensation, restitution of confiscated lands and trial of the culprits responsible for atrocities and war crimes.
The SLM-MM and the Justice and Equality Movement are participating in a peace process brokered by the African Union.
However, the process is stalled over the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur as the government says it should be the basis of the talks and the two groups demand a new framework agreement for peace in the western Sudan region.
(ST)
June 3, 2017 (KHARTOUM) - Chadian armed opposition elements have participated in the recent fighting in North Darfur alongside the Sudanese rebel groups, said the head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday.
RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, (aka Hametti) in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune said Chadian opposition forces were involved in the clashes with the two Sudan Liberation Movement factions led by Minni Minnawi and Nimer Abdel Rahman.
He further said the Chadian rebels led by Colonel Gardi participated in Wadi Hawar and Ain Siro battles with the SLM factions, adding that after their defeat in the second combat they fled to Fonu area not far from the area where resides the Mahameed tribal leader Musa Hilal.
"Our information confirms that there is a coordination between the Sudanese and Chadian oppositions. We know who finances the latter harbours and supports it logistically," said Hametti.
"This Chadian rebel force has been stationed in the area of Fonu, near the settlement of Sheikh Musa Hilal for more than two months," further stressed Hametti without accusing Hilal who is the head of his tribe of colluding with the rebels.
Hametti statement was released following accusations last week directed by Hilal against the RSF saying they attacked his area after Ain Siro battle.
A leading member of the Revolutionary Awakening Council chaired by Musa Hilal, Haroun Mdaikhir confirmed to Sudan Tribune that the RSF hunted Chadian rebels who took part in Ain Siro battle and sought refuge at Musa Hilal settlement.
He added that the RSF began to provoke Hilal's partisans but apologised to him after that.
Hametti in his statement was keen to say that he directed his forces to retreat from Fonu area "in order to protect the lives of civilians".
The Chadian President Idris Deby was in Khartoum the day of Ain Siro battle where he held a meeting with President Omer al-Bashir and left back to Ndjamena without any statements to the press.
Chad and Sudan have agreed in 2010 to unify they efforts to fight armed insurgents in both countries and to prevent their presence within their territories.
Sudan says Darfur armed groups carried their attacks from Libya and South Sudan.
(ST)
June 3, 2017 (JUBA) - The former South Sudanese political detainees have issued a statement stating that ending the war in the country should be the priority before to hold a national dialogue or to discuss the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)'s reunification .
"We note with dismay that the current war which resumed in earnest in July 2016, and its myriad effects of cruel targeting of civilian populations, has sadly spread to cover the whole of Upper Nile, Western Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria states as well as parts of Lakes, Warrap and Aweil states, with catastrophic consequences", reads a June 2, 2017 statement bearing signature of Pagan Amum Okiech, leader of the former political detainees.
The statement their refusal to join the dialogue process or other political efforts to end the three-year crisis was taken after a meeting where they deliberated on issues of war and peace in South Sudan.
"The issues discussed included; The proposed National Dialogue, rampant insecurity and its effects, critique and implementation of ARCISS (peace agreement), SPLM reunification, the current humanitarian catastrophe and the collapsed economy," said the statement.
The group said they support, in principle, the national dialogue as a concept for resolving the deep national crisis "that the government of the day has led the country into"
But the opposition group voiced they have "grave concerns and reservations with the manner and the modalities" set up by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to conduct this political process.
"The manner and the modalities set up by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, which, in our view, are not in line with the known best practices. these include, among others, lack of consultation with other stakeholders on agenda and nomination, unilateral determination of modalities, ground rules and guidelines, lack of transparency of the process, absence of inclusivity and integrity," it adds.
Amum, however, said they are disposed to engage on the matters they have enumerated with the view of finding remedies or initiating a new independent and inclusive process.
The former detainees and several other opposition groups call to create a conducive environment and to implement a number of confidence building measures like the cessation of hostilities, humanitarian access and the inclusiveness of the national dialogue process.
(ST)