Africa

August 15, 2016 (WAU) – Leader of the People's Liberal Party (PLP) in South Sudan, Peter Mayen Majongdit, said the current Transitional National Legislative Assembly cannot guarantee institutional and legislation reforms to enforce democracy in the country, saying its decisions have been influenced negatively by the executive.

People's Liberal Party (PLP) leader Peter Mayen Majongdit (ST)

Majongdit said the parliament will continue as a shadow of the executive branch instead of holding the executive accountable for bad policies and actions.

“This current legislature does not guarantee the needed reforms anymore but it is a continuation of the old systems. If the future of legislature is determined by the executive then how will the legislature hold executive accountable when it is the very one appointing [its members]?” he questioned.

Majongdit added: “democracy is under threat because [there] nothing to grantee the principles of separation of powers.”

He also blamed IGAD members states for allegedly brokering a weak peace deal in August 2015, saying that the strategies designed as peace agreement centered on and invested powers in the interest of individuals leaving common citizens hostage by the leaders which “pay no respect to human rights, democracy and nationalism”.

He said “South Sudanese are more patriotic more than leaders and deserve a better democratic leader.”

The opposition leader was making the comments as President Salva Kiir opened the transitional national legislative assembly on Tuesday.

He was speaking to Sudan Tribune on phone from Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is attending an international conference on “Challenges to Democracy in Africa.”

(ST)

August 15, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has distanced himself from rhetoric rejecting the United Nations Security Council resolution authorizing additional 4,000 foreign soldiers to his country saying anyone speaking against does not act on behalf of his government.

President adresses a joint press conference on 9 July 2016 (Reuters Photo)

Speaking at the official opening of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly on Monday, President Kiir said he had reservations on the mandate of the force that will be drawn from regional countries, but required further consultations.

"I am neither against nor for the UNSC resolution on South Sudan. Be patient, after wider consultation with my constituency, I will submit my reservations to the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] resolution on the 4,000 regional forces for South Sudan,” Kiir told the assembly.

In an address to guest at a dinner organized by new First Vice President Taban Deng Gai and broadcast on Sunday by state-owned SSBC TV, President Kiir said the UN decision is meant to satisfy the demands of peace monitors and UN mission in the country who want to “continue receive money” for their presence in South Sudan.

He warned of confronting any troops “interfering” in internal affairs.

“For us [South Sudanese], we don't do anything bad to anybody, but if somebody has interfered into our right, I don't think we will allow them to go without us touching them,” he said in reference to UNSC resolution number (2304).

Kiir, known for changing stance under international pressure, backtracked in a speech he delivered before parliament.

“This is not a rejection of the UNSC resolution, it is simply a call for dialogue and understanding on the better way forward in resolving the conflict in South Sudan,” he said.

“Please bear with me and remember that anyone speaking against the UN, IGAD, and AU etc. is not speaking on behalf of my government," said the South Sudanese leader.

"There are people who are accusing the transitional government of refusing and fighting the U.N. but this is not accurate," he added as ruling party lawmakers cheered.

He said a final decision was not reached on the UNSC decision to send more troops mandate to fight rival faction forces should they dishonor the permanent ceasefire.

"The transitional government has not met to declare its final position. Deliberations will come later on a final position,” said Kiir.

(ST)

August 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's Foreign Ministry has ruled out that the joint Sudanese-Libyan troops would carry out evacuation operations for Sudanese nationals who were caught under fire in several areas of the Libyan city of Benghazi particularly in Qunfudah.

Fighters from the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia hold their positions during clashes with forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government near the Wetia military air base, west of the capital Tripoli, on 29 December 2014 (Photo: AFP/Mahmud Turkia)

Last Friday, five Sudanese nationals were killed in Qunfudah during a military operation while the fate of 100 others remained unknown.

In press statements on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said the trapped Sudanese nationals could only be evacuated by the Libyan army and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as the civil society organizations and not via any Sudanese aviation.

He pointed that a team from the Sudanese consulate in Benghazi has met with the Libyan Foreign Ministry office in Al-Baida town to urge them to speed up the evacuation operation.

Khidir didn't name capitals through which the Sudanese nationals would be transferred; saying what is crucial now is to evacuate them to safety.

Benghazi has been the focus of fighting between Islamist militias and troops loyal to Libya's government.

Libya has become increasingly divided since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with competing governments and rival militias seeking to gain territory and influence.

The government began an offensive against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sirte in May and said recently that it had made its largest gains to date.

August 15, 2016 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government has referred the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution that authorized sending extra 4,000 troops to boost UN peacekeepers in country with a mandate to fight rival forces, to its national assembly for further consultations.

South Sudanese MPs stand during a parliamentary session in Juba on 31 August 2011 (AFP)

The decision from the Transitional Government of National Unity was reached during the Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Salva Kiir.

The First Vice President Taban Deng Gai, Vice President James Wani Igga plus the cabinet ministers also attended the extraordinary meeting.

“It's clear that this document has some pros and cons,” information minister, Michael Makuei told reporters in Juba.

“And as such, it is decided that this process be taken to the parliament so that it becomes public and a clear stand and decision taken by the whole government of the Republic of South Sudan,” he added.

President Kiir addressed the Transitional National Legislative Assembly on Monday for the first time since it was reconstituted under the terms of the peace agreement.

In his speech to lawmakers, the president criticized the UN resolution, but gave lawmakers opportunity to deliberate.

Makuei said MPs will consult civil society groups, South Sudanese citizens and other political parties on the UNSC Resolution number 2304 (2016), which was adopted Friday.

The South Sudan leader described the Security Council resolution as a prelude of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) chairman, Festus Mogae and UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), head Magrette Leoj during a dinner organized by the First Vice President.

“Of course this has become a business and these people want the kind of work that will enable them to continue to receive money,” Kiir told the state-owned SBBC TV.

It is not clear how long parliament will take to deliberate the resolution, but the UN is keen to avoid further after Juba made its intention to reject the UN resolution public.

(ST)

August 15, 2016 (JUBA) – A number of officials of the newly created Yei River state have been killed with some in critical conditions after sustaining serious gunshot wounded after falling into ambush laid by suspected SPLA-IO troops on Yei-Morobo on Saturday and Sunday.

Governor David Lokonga Moses speaks to the press in Yei May 31, 2016 (ST)

Sources in Yei told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that among the confirmed dead include private secretary of the education minister who died on the spot and the office manager of the Yei town mayor who later died in Yei hospital.

“Many of our state government officials have been wounded when they were attacked on the road between Yei and Morobo by rebels. They are now being treated in the hospital for serious gunshot wounds,” an eye witness in Yei town told Sudan Tribune.

The source added that a number of senior government officials have been seriously wounded and are in critical conditions in Yei Civil Hospital. These seriously wounded state officials include Morobo county commissioner, Jacob Toti, Education minister, Mary Apayi Ayiga and state advisor on political affairs, Jackson Abugo.

The state governor, David Lokonga, was also reported to be missing and was on the run towards Uganda border.

Morobo, south of Yei town, has been captured since last week by the opposition forces loyal to former First Vice President, Riek Machar, who also reportedly control Juba-Yei road, cutting off Yei town from the national capital.

Also gunshots were reported inside Yei town, but it was not clear what sparked the situation amidst fears among the residents for imminent violent clashes in case the opposition forces attack the town.

Meanwhile, opposition forces loyal to Machar said they killed 25 soldiers and destroyed two military trucks between Torit and Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria on Sunday after clashes with forces loyal to President Salva Kiir.

The government forces were said to be composed of national security personnel.

(ST)

August 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The United States has expressed deep concern over Sudan's government continued detention of at least 15 Darfurians including one Sudanese national working for the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

U.S. Special Envoy Donald Booth and his team members pose for a picture with Darfur IDPs on 2 August 2016 (Photo US Embassy Khartoum Facebook page)

On July 26, the United States Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, Donald Booth, started a visit to Darfur states to assess the security and humanitarian situation on the ground particularly in Jebel Marra area.

Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on August 1st, arrested 15 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) leaders in Nertiti town, Central Darfur following a meeting with Booth.

Director of the office of press relations at the US States Department, Elizabeth Trudeau, in a press release on Friday said the detentions followed a visit by Booth to North and Central Darfur states as well as IDPs camps at Sortoni and Nertiti in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur from July 26-28, 2016.

“Many others who were not detained were nonetheless questioned by security officials about the nature of their contact with the Special Envoy” read the statement.

It pointed that the US immediately expressed its concern about the reported detentions to senior Sudanese officials, calling on the Sudanese government to immediately release all of those detained.

“These actions are particularly unfortunate as they undercut the Government of Sudan initially granting permission for the Special Envoy's fact-finding visit and allowing him to travel to areas and speak with individuals of his choosing” it added.

The statement further urged the Sudanese government “to respect its citizens' rights to freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association, including by the press”, saying they are vital elements “for an environment conducive to an inclusive national dialogue for which all continue to work”.

UN agencies estimate that more than 120,000 people have been displaced by the fierce clashes which occurred since last January between the government army and the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) led by Abel-Wahid al-Nur.

Jebel Marra, which spans over three states including North, Central and South Darfur, is located at a water-rich area that is characterized by mild climate.
On 12 April, the Sudanese army declared Darfur a region free of rebellion following the capture of Srounq area, the last SLM-AW stronghold in Jebel Marra.

(ST)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the people of Zambia for the peaceful and orderly presidential, parliamentary and local elections, as well as the referendum on the Bill of Rights, held on 11 August.

Madagascar's conservationists work in secrecy to protect one of the world's most beautiful tortoises from poachers, writes journalist Martin Vogl.

A mother whose daughter escaped from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram tells the BBC what life was like for her daughter.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined his envoys from the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today in strongly condemning the killing of dozens of civilians during an overnight attack in Beni, located in restive eastern part of the country, where the UN mission and national authorities have now deployed forces in the wake if the incident.

Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby is sent home after he refused to shake the hand of Israeli opponent Or Sasson at the end of their bout.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reported that after a standoff with a convoy of heavily-armed men near Sibut, the capital of Kémo Prefecture, UN forces detained 10 of the suspects and recovered a “significant quantity” of weapons and munitions.

Seasonal floods, resulting in crop damage and inundation of pastures, following a severe El Niño-induced drought in Ethiopia may be further exacerbated by its cool weather counterpart, La Niña, expected from October onwards, the United Nations agricultural agency has warned.

Zambia's President Edgar Lungu is re-elected, according to official results, which are being challenged by the main opposition party.

A South African court jails a woman to 10 years for kidnapping a baby 19 years ago and raising her as her own, in a case which has gripped the nation.

South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk broke a world record at the Rio Olympics as he won gold in the 400m - who is this amazing 24-year-old?

August 15, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese government and rebels have failed to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile as the African mediation team decided to indefinitely suspend the current round of talks.

Direct talks between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM-N) pertaining to humanitarian and security arrangement in South Kordofan and Blue Nile has been ongoing since last Tuesday in Addis Ababa.

Also, on Wednesday the government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Minni Minnawi kicked off direct negotiations on the Darfur track.

On Sunday, the head of the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Thabo Mbeki told the negotiating parties that this round of talks was suspended indefinitely amid an exchange of accusations between the government and the rebels.

In a press conference on Sunday night, head of the government delegation for the Two Areas track, Presidential aide Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid held the SPLM-N responsible for the collapse of talks, saying the rebel group seeks to prolong the war by demanding to transport humanitarian aid from South Sudan.

“SPLM-N doesn't seek to stop the war and bring peace but it sought to hamper the Roadmap” he said

“SPLM-N wants to kill the Roadmap and planned to abort it as it [was forced] to sign it under pressure from the international community” he added

On the other hand, SPLM-N Chief negotiator Yassir Arman said the Sudanese government has missed the greatest opportunity to achieve peace, holding it responsible for the collapse of this round of talks.

In a press conference at the negotiation venue in Addis Ababa on Sunday, he said the government didn't make any concessions despite the huge efforts exerted by the Chief mediator Mbeki.

“This round of talks has failed and Mbeki, for the first time, told us that talks have been delayed indefinitely” he said

Arman pointed that during the past four years the government continued to say that it would only allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid from inside Sudan while the SPLM-N calls for mixed tracks

“SPLM-N delegation conceded and accepted mixed tracks from inside Sudan and abroad, we accepted that 80% of the relief comes through Khartoum and 20% from outside. We also gave another concession by determining [the type of assistance] needed from inside and abroad” he said

Since several years ago the SPLM-N demands the transportation of humanitarian aid from outside the country, saying such procedure would prevent Khartoum from using humanitarian aid as a tool of political pressure. Also, it also refused the participation of Sudanese government relief workers saying they are infiltrated by the security apparatus.

Meanwhile, talks on the Darfur track have also reached a dead end following four days of marathon meetings.

Leader of the SLM-MM Minni Minnawi said the member of the AUHIP Abdel-Salam Abu Bakr told the negotiating teams on Sunday night that this round of talks has been suspended to a later time.

He told reporters following the final session of talks that they were hoping to reach a peace agreement after they gave a number of concessions.

“Among more than 20 items [under discussion] we only asked the government to make concessions on 3 items but unfortunately this evening we received a [conciliatory] paper from the mediation and we found it expressing the government position .. We didn't find even a single letter showing government concession” he said

Minnawi added they informed the mediation of the missing items in its paper, saying however the government delegation refused to make any concessions.

“Unfortunately, it [the government] came to this forum to ship us to Khartoum” he said

For his part, leader of the JEM Gibril Ibrahim attributed the failure of this round of talks to the attempt by the mediation to impose the Doha peace document on them.

He pointed that the mediation told them that it finds it too hard to continue this round of talks and was forced to suspend it until a later time.

On the other hand, head of government delegation for Darfur track, Amin Hassan Omer pointed to the SLM-MM and the JEM lack of seriousness to achieve peace, saying they brought up 15 contentious points instead of the already known 5 points.

In press statement on Sunday night, Omer declined to describe the end of talks as “collapse”, saying the talks have been extended to its fullest possible time.

On Saturday, the government delegation demanded an alleged 13 rebel locations that could be defined by coordinates are disclosed, saying signing cessation of hostilities agreement will be impossible unless rebels disclose their locations.

However the Darfur rebels have entirely rejected the governments' demand.

The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

(ST)

Everton sign DR Congo international midfielder Yannick Bolasie, 27, from Crystal Palace for £25m on a five-year deal.

A South African woman is to be sentenced for kidnapping a child, Zephany Nurse, 19 years ago. But, as the BBC's Pumza Fihlani asks, is this the best outcome?

August 14, 2016 (LEER) - 45 people died and dozens were injured when armed youth clashed with government forces in Tharjiathbor county of South Sudan's Unity state, an aid worker said.

The map of Unity state

The incident in Rubkuai area occurred over the weekend.

An aid worker, who spoke to Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity, said youth who attacked government controlled areas came from neighbouring Koch county which is under the administration of Northern Liech state.

He said the numbers of the dead could rise from among those were critically injured.

Due to the deadly fighting in the area, mass displacement of residents is ongoing and there is fear of humanitarian gaps, as most aid workers were evacuated from the scene of the conflict, the official told Sudan Tribune by phone on Sunday.

Some humanitarian workers were reportedly injured in the oil-rich Unity state attack.

It remains unclear why youth from neighboring Koch attacked government positions, with others claiming the attackers supported former First Vice President Riek Machar.

(ST)