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Le Secrétaire général de l'ONU, Ban Ki-moon, s'est déclaré mercredi indigné par les informations selon lesquelles le Président Michel Kafando et le Premier ministre Yacouba Isaac Zida du Burkina Faso, ainsi que d'un certain nombre de ministres, sont détenus par la garde présidentielle dans la capitale Ouagadougou.

Les 9 000 civils et militaires terminent leur installation à Balard. Mais sans Jean-Yves Le Drian qui ne s'y installera pas. Le ministre a ses raisons !

September 15, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The German government has donated €1.4 million to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to assist it with its work in the Sudan.

UNHCR Deputy Representative and Officer-in-Charge in Sudan Angela Li Rosi said in a statement that Germany “is a strong and traditional partner to UNHCR worldwide” and stressed that this contribution is critical to fulfilling UNHCR mandate.

“In times of scarce resources, a large number of activities aimed at addressing long-term displacement situations cannot be implemented due to funding shortfalls,” she said.

Rolf Welberts, the German ambassador to Sudan said that his government “continues its support for UNHCR in Sudan and in the entire region to help alleviate the hardship that many refugees and victims of human trafficking have to go through”.

He said his country also worked jointly with UNHCR to award scholarships to refugees at Sudanese universities.

The contribution would enable UNHCR respond to the needs of new arrivals in eastern Sudan in particular through providing medical assistance to victims of human trafficking.

UNHCR said it has been working very closely with Sudanese government and other partners to address the issue of human trafficking in particular to improve the security in the camps, strengthen the assistance provided to victims of trafficking both in the East and in Khartoum and seek alternatives to onward movements.

Ambassador Welberts said that through the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI) some refugees receive higher education opportunities every year that can have a major impact on themselves and on their communities through the skills and expertise gained throughout their studies.

UNHCR in Sudan works with the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) and other national institutions to protect and assist 370,000 refugees and asylum seekers, as well internally displaced people in Khartoum, the East, South and West Kordufan, White Nile and Darfur.

UNHCR has 11 offices in Sudan and its financial requirements for 2015 amount to US$173.4 million.

(ST)

September 15, 2015 (WASHINGTON) – The South African President Jacob Zuma refused to say today whether or not he will allow his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan al-Bashir to enter the country again later this year for the summit of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Sudan's President Omer Hassan al-Bashir waits to welcome Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni at Khartoum Airport September 15, 2015 (REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

FOCAC was initially set to be held at the ministerial level before Beijing and Johannesburg agreed to upgrade it to a full blown summit attended by leaders meaning that Bashir has to be invited as a matter of protocol.

Bashir's attendance at the African Union (AU) in South Africa last June created a diplomatic and legal mess for the South African government which not only violated the International Criminal Court (ICC) obligations, but also an explicit order by the High Court to prevent the Sudanese leader from departing pending a decision on whether to extradite him to the Hague.

The ICC issued two arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 charging him with war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Sudan's western region of Darfur.

Its judges are now wanting South Africa to explain its failure to arrest Bashir within 30 days which Zuma is being reviewed by his government.

“Our own courts are also still considering the matter of President al-Bashir's last visit to South Africa in June which (makes) the matter therefore sub-judice,” Zuma said at a meeting with foreign diplomats and journalists in Pretoria today.

“It should however be remembered that Sudan is a member of FOCAC. As such, it is expected that the Sudanese Government will participate in FOCAC,” he added.

He fell short however of saying that Bashir is welcome to attend.

African News Agency (ANA) quoted unnamed official sources as saying that they do not believe Bashir will again take the risk of coming to South Africa.

South Africa is a member of the ICC and is among few world countries that incorporated its statute into the constitution making it part of its domestic law.

But the government has asserted last June that Bashir was enjoying immunity bestowed upon all AU delegates. The High Court has dismissed this argument and ordered Bashir's arrest but he has already left the country a few hours earlier.

An appeal request by the South African government is pending and the High Court will rule on Wednesday whether to grant a Leave to Appeal paving the way for a fresh argument on the merits before the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA).

In late August, Zuma held a lengthy meeting with South Africa Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng to discuss tensions between the executive and the judiciary after which the former vowed to uphold rule of law among other things.

(ST)

A new allegation of sexual exploitation in the Central African Republic (CAR) was received today by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, reportedly committed by one of its civilian staff last Saturday.

The UK Royal Navy's anti-submarine warfare helicopter, the Merlin Mk2, has achieved full operating capability (FOC), strengthening the navy's operational helicopter fleet.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has selected BAE Systems as the preferred bidder to deliver the gun system, called maritime indirect fires system (MIFS), for the UK Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS).

Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit has secured an order to deliver full integrated bridge systems (IBS) to the Royal Thai Navy's future frigates.

Saab has officially started the construction of Swedish Navy's A26 next-generation submarine, following a steel-cutting ceremony held at the Saab Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona, Sweden.

C’est dans les domaines de la sécurité, du transport et de la plaisance que la jeune société française Tera-4, implantée à Aix-en-Provence, vient de remporter ses premiers succès commerciaux avec son concept de quadrimaran à portance aérodynamique. Suite aux essais et démonstrations réussies d’un prototype de 9 mètres en aluminium mis à l’eau en début d’année, deux unités de 12 et 16 mètres ont été vendues. Elles doivent être livrées fin 2016 alors que les discussions se poursuivent avec plusieurs clients potentiels, notamment sur un modèle de 28 mètres.

 

• Lire la suite de Tera-4 vend ses premiers quadrimarans à portance aérodynamique

L’ancien patron des chantiers de Saint-Nazaire retrouve la navale, même si ce n’est pas cette fois dans le domaine de la construction mais de la réparation. Jacques Hardelay vient en effet de prendre la présidence de Chantier Naval de Marseille. Filiale du groupe italien San Giorgio del Porto, l’entreprise provençale emploie une centaine de salariés et de nombreux sous-traitants. Elle exploite actuellement les formes 8 et 9 des bassins phocéens, longues de 320 et 250 mètres.

• Lire la suite de Jacques Hardelay prend la barre de Chantier Naval de Marseille

Alors que l’entité vrac de Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, jusqu’ici connue sous le nom de Cetragpa, a été rebaptisée en juillet LD Bulk, sa flotte compte de nouvelles unités dans le domaine des Handysize, dont la série a été portée à 10 navires. l’armement français a pris livraison fin août du La Sauternais et doit réceptionner fin octobre le La Sillonnais. Ces vraquiers du type B.Delta 37, conçus par le bureau d’architecture finlandais Deltamarin, sont les derniers d’une commande de huit unités confiée au constructeur chinois Tianjin Xingang Shipbuilding Heavy Industries.

• Lire la suite de De nouveaux vraquiers pour Louis Dreyfus Armateurs

La compagnie danoise Evergas a pris livraison, cet été, des JS Ineos Insight et JS Ineos Ingenuity, les premiers gaziers de 27.500 m3 de la classe Dragon. Construits par le chantier Sinopacific de Qidong, en Chine, ces navires, conçus pour le transport de GNL ou de GPL, présentent la particularité d’être dotés d’une propulsion fonctionnant aussi bien au diesel qu’au GNL ou à l’éthane.

• Lire la suite de Evergas inaugure les premiers gaziers dotés d’une propulsion à l’éthane

Cinq mois après la découpe de sa première tôle, le nouveau navire de croisière de luxe de la compagnie américaine Seabourn a été mis sur cale hier au chantier Fincantieri de Marghera, près de Venise. Livrable fin 2016 par le constructeur italien, le Seabourn Encore mesurera 210 mètres de long pour 28 mètres de large, sa jauge devant atteindre 41.700 GT.  Il comptera 302 suites, toutes dotées d’un balcon privatif.

Le Seabourn Encore est le premier d’une série de deux navires. Son sistership, le Seabourn Ovation, doit entrer en service au printemps 2018.

 

• Lire la suite de Fincantieri met sur cale le Seabourn Encore

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending the freedom of the press today denounced the recent killing of a Somali news editor.

Am 25. November 2014 ehrte die Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in der Frankfurter Paulskirche mit Heinrich Deichmann den zwölften Träger des „Preis Soziale Marktwirtschaft”. Laudator Armin Laschet wies auf das beeindruckende Lebenswerk des Preisträgers hin, der in dritter Generation ein familiengeführtes Unternehmen so weiterentwickelte, dass es nicht allein den Anforderungen der Zeit genügt, sondern gerüstet ist für die kommenden Jahre. Die Reden der Preisverleihung werden hier in redaktionell leicht überarbeiteter Form wiedergegeben.

September 15, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's former vice-president, Riek Machar, arrived to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to meet with president Omer Hassan Al Bashir, his spokesperson, has revealed on Tuesday evening.

President Omer al-Bashir receives South Sudanese former vice-president and leader of the SPLM-in-Opposition, Riek Machar and his wife Angelina Teny in Khartoum on 10 August 2014 (ST)

“Comrade Chairman and Commander-in-Chief of SPLM/SPLA, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, has left for the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Tuesday evening. He will meet with president Omer Hassan al-Bashir,” said James Gatdet Dak, spokesperson of the opposition leader, in a statement he issued on Tuesday evening.

Dak said Machar is also expected to meet with the Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in the Sudanese capital. President Museveni has arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday evening too.

He said the trio will discuss issues related to the implementation of the peace agreement signed between Machar and president Salva Kiir in August and promotion of mutual relations between their parties.

Machar, according to his spokesman, will lead a 20-member delegation including senior members of his party.

The armed opposition leader and his delegation, who crossed into Ethiopia on Tuesday from their headquarters of Pagak in South Sudan, was picked from Makot Airport in the western Ethiopian regional town of Gambella by a presidential jet belonging to the Sudanese president.

(ST)

September 15, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir, has on Tuesday announced that his government would fully implement the recently signed peace agreement, but said will continue to maintain his reservations in the course of implementing the peace deal he signed with his rival and former deputy, Riek Machar.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (seated) signs a peace agreement in Juba, August 26, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Jok Solomu)

Kiir further expressed hope that IGAD Plus mediation will someday understand his reservations, predicting that it will be difficult to implement some of the provisions of the peace agreement.

“It is our hope, however, that as the implementation of the Agreement gets underway, the IGAD mediators and partners and the friends of South Sudan will take more objective view to reservations that I articulated prior of my signing the Agreement on 26th August 2015,” said president Kiir in his first time address to the nation on Tuesday, 20 days after he signed the peace deal.

He described the peace deal as the most “divisive” peace accord in the history of the country and the African continent at large.

Kiir who inked the deal on 26 August, 9 days after his rival Machar signed the same document, however directed his government's political and military institutions to implement the agreement, explaining that by appending his signature he was fully committed.

“With that signature I had fully committed myself and the government to the peaceful implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan,” he said.

“All the institutions of the government in the country shall be bound by this Agreement and shall be expected to carry out the functions stipulated for them therein.”

He reminded that the peace agreement had already been endorsed by the country's council of ministers and ratified by the national legislature and therefore the document has become a law to be implemented.

“I believe you are all aware that the National Council of Ministers has already endorsed and adopted the agreement and that the National Legislature has already ratified this agreement as well. And in my capacity as the commander-in-chief of the SPLA I have already issued a ceasefire order for SPLA troops to stop any military offensives in the conflict zones unless in self-defence,” he added.

The South Sudanese leader who signed the peace deal under heavy international pressure and threats of sanctions on him and his country, said he demanded unity of the people of South Sudan, adding “I assure you the full commitment of the government to respect the permanent ceasefire which I have declared and the full implementation of the agreement which I have signed.”

President Kiir last week admitted that his forces had violated the ceasefire and warned officers of punitive measures unless they stopped attacking the opposition forces led by Machar.

He called upon the citizens of the country to provide support for the implementation of the peace agreement to end the suffering.

The head of state, who was expected to shed light on the dire economic situation in the country, however said he “purposely left out” in his speech a portion of economic matters because, according to him, it would only “spark debate without solution.”

Kiir, in an attempt to show unity against potentially adverse effect of western threats with sanctions, urged his audience to stand united in the face of latest foreign policy challenge.

"The people of this country are patient with anything, unless their lives are put under threat, in which case we come out and stand united to confront the threat at the root," he said.

"With our faith in God and the will of our people, we will surmount all difficulties,” he added.

The president said that his administration seeks to "strengthen unity" with other neighbouring countries, saying that he did not want to create enemies in relations with other countries.

He described claimed interest with which citizens allegedly followed his state of address in their own houses as a demonstration of unity that revealed togetherness to face threats to the country.

FAILS TO TACKLE ECONOMY

Meanwhile, the South Sudanese leader failed to outline how his government was prepared to tackle the deteriorating state of the country's economic.

“I did not mention anything about economy, not because it escaped my mind, but I did not want to talk about it. I left it [economy] purposely because even if I bring it to the table it will be just a decision without solution,” said president Kiir.

The South Sudanese pounds weakened during the war against the United States dollars, the hard currency needed to import essential food items from abroad. The market responded positive when the peace was signed, but the exchange rate of dollar hiked in the last two weeks, further pushing up prices of commodities in markets.

(ST)

(ST)

Full Text:

Statement from President Salva Kiir to the nation on the peace agreement

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

September 15, 2015 (TIGRAY, ETHIOPIA) – Eritrean armed opposition groups and Thousands of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia on Sunday vow to jointly launch armed struggle against repressive government in the Red Sea nation.

Refugees wait to be registered at Shagarab refugee camp in eastern Sudan, often the first point of entry for Eritreans fleeing oppression in their homeland (UNHCR)

While celebrating the 54th anniversary of the start of the armed struggle for independence, Eritrean refugees and members of exiled opposition groups vowed to jointly step up military attacks against government in Asmara led by President Issaias Afreworki.

Tens of thousands Eritrean refugees' attended the event which was held at refugee camps in the northern Tigray region near the Eritrean Border.

Prominent Eritrean singers who fled to Ethiopia to escape repression have staged show during the event which also attracted over 3000 members of the Diaspora including scholars.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune, organizers and participants accused Afeworki-led government and its ruling party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) of hijacking the struggle for freedom, Justice and democracy and imposing misery to the people.

They further accused the president of turning the tiny nation into a one-party state and into one of the most repressive nations in the world to systematically secure grip on power.

“President Issaias has stood against his people. He has turned the country into a pariah state whose citizens are being forced to flee in mass to escape atrocities” Tewolde Tesfazgi, one of the participants told Sudan Tribune.

29-year old Tesfazgi, who arrived at Adi-harush refugee camp nearly a year ago, said he was ready to join the armed struggle, stressing that military action was the only option to ensure the democratic rights of the Eritrean People.

He accused the president of failing to keep his words to reform the constitution despite previous promise.

In a joint statement the Eritrean participants pledged to oust the dictatorship and build a country that lives in harmony with its neighbours.

The Eritrean long struggle for independence officially started in September 1961 after the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Silase dissolved the federation established by the United Nations.

Eritrea won its independence from its Southern neighbour, Ethiopia, in 1991 after a referendum on self-determination.

Another participant who asked anonymity told Sudan Tribune that he fled to Ethiopia after government agents killed his older Brother.

“Few armed men came to our house in the middle of the night and took him away. After two months we heard he was dead.”

According to him the deceased was accused of spying for opposition groups operating in Ethiopia.

“I feel that the decades long struggle for freedom was for nothing,” he added, calling for all peace loving Eritreans to join their hands together in the struggle against "the tyrannical regime".

The refugees expressed gratitude for the friendliness treatment that they are being provided in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia currently hosts an estimated 200,000 Eritrean refugees.

Eritrea had long been under fire by human right groups who accuse the reclusive nation of committing gross human rights violations including executions, imprisonment, disappearances, harassment and intimidation.

In June 2015, a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Eritrea unveiled gross human rights violations with some of these violations, possibly constituting crimes against humanity which could subject Eritrean officials to indictment at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to some of the report's findings, extra-judicial killings, torture (including sexual torture), unlimited national service and forced labour are being aggressively continuing in breach to government's promise for democracy made following independence.

Eritrea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed the UN panel's allegations as “unfounded and devoid of all merit” which aimed to undermine their country's sovereignty and progress of the country.

(ST)

September 15, 2015 (GUIT) - South Sudanese rebels have disputed pro-government claims that they were repulsed from Guit county in Unity, a day after capturing the area.

South Sudanese rebels pictured in Jonglei state on 31 January 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

Brig. General Hoth Chuol, a commanding officer in the area, told Sudan Tribune that their forces withdraw voluntarily without engaging government in any battle.

He the decision was to ensure effective implementation of the recent peace agreement.

“We have always respected the ceasefire, but the government has been in an offensive since the day our chairman Dr. Riek Machar Teny signed the peace agreement on August 17. We only responded to the aggression by pro government,” he said.

Chuol said the rebels made their position very clear after their commander-in-chief signed the peace deal and has instructed troops to remain in their respective territories.

“We have never attacked them, they are the ones on offensive. We have learned [from] within the government of Salva Kiir [that] there is much division between politicians and senior militarily officers and this has clearly indicated [why] they attack us,” he said.

He said the armed opposition were forced to sign the peace because of the ongoing suffering of the people of South Sudan, adding they could liberate the country in months.

“It is very clear that we have never hired foreign troops in this senseless conflicts. This has indicated that we are powerful and a capable army. We are dedicated to the peace [agreement] because of our ordinary civilians who go on beds with empty stomachs,” stressed Chuol.

NO REBEL KILLED

Meanwhile, the rebel official dismissed as untrue claims by the army spokesperson that eight armed opposition soldiers were allegedly killed in Sunday's clashes in Unity state.

The two rival factions have, in the aftermath of last month's peace accord, traded counter accusations of each side violating a permanent ceasefire amid threats for sanctions.

(ST)