Sudan Tribune

August 31, 2021 (ZALINGEI) - One student was killed and 11 others wounded on Tuesday after police fired bullets to disperse protesters at the headquarters of the State Government and the University of Zalingei.

A group of university students organized a protest outside the University of Zalingei calling to develop student housing.

The police opened fire to disperse the protesters when they entered the university, eight students were wounded three of them are in critical condition.

To protest the use of bullets by the security forces at the university, the students went to the Central Darfur State Government buildings where the police opened fire again on the protesters killing one student and injured three others.

In a statement to the official news agency SUNA, Adeeb Abdel Rahman Youssif, the Governor of Central Darfur State, accused unnamed parties of "taking advantage of student demands to spread chaos and violence in the city".

He further announced that the State Security Committee had decided to impose a state of emergency and a curfew in the city.

The protesters attacked the government building inside the secretariat of the government of Central Darfur state and destroyed some vehicles.

A student group linked to the holdout Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) was accused by local officials of inciting and orchestrating the protest.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Musa Adam Ismail, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zalingei condemned the use of fire against the protesters and called to investigate the incident and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Also, the SLM-AW issued a statement to condemn the murder of the student and pointed an accusing finger to the security forces and the state security committee saying their bear the responsibility for the attack.

(ST)

August 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) accused the military component of the Sovereign Council of seeking to prohibit the employment of its members in the civil service.

"The military component and those around it instigate an employment ban on the communists in civil service, especially in the ministries of finance and foreign affairs," SCP Spokesman Fathi Fadl told the Sudan Tribune.

He pointed out that about 100 to 120 of its members who work in the ministries of foreign affairs, finance, health and education are subjected to restrictions because of their political affiliation.

The matter was on the agenda of a meeting they held with Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok last Saturday.

In addition, they handed over a letter including the names of the harassed members who pledged to take the needful.

"Attempting to politicize the civil service and attacking the communist workers can turn into a sword directed at any unwanted servant who by the influential parties in power," he said.

Fadl said that the applicants for the foreign ministry were surprised that the civil service interviews included a direct question: "Are you a communist or not?"

The Sudanese Communist Party criticized the economic reforms implemented by the transitional government and is no longer part of the ruling coalition Forces for Freedom and Change.

However, Hamdok has engaged a political dialogue with the left party with the hope that they would change their mind and back his government again.

(ST)

August 30, 2021 (KHARTOUM) — The transitional government on Monday launched a new national action plan to combat human trafficking in Sudan which is the primary transit country of migrants to Europe from the Horn of Africa.

With the participation of Justice Minister Nasreldine Abdel Bari and European Union Ambassador to Sudan Robert van den Dool, the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCT) inaugurated the National Action Plan for Combating Human Trafficking 2021-2023 in Sudan.

Undersecretary Ministry of Justice and NCCT Head Siham Osman stated that the three-year plan aims to curb human trafficking through several programmes to reduce poverty and offer new options for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Also, the plan will ensure better protection and shelter for the victims including the establishment of specialised prosecutor offices and courts, cross-border cooperation and access for victims of trafficking to legal aid to improve investigation and prosecution.

The EU-supported action plan met the four core aspects to combating human trafficking including "Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Coordination and Partnership," said Osman.

During the first six months of this year, 29122 illegal migrants reached Italian shores including 1,428 Eritreans, 1,309 Sudanese. The number of Ethiopians was insignificant.

From January 31 May 2021, Libyan authorities intercepted over two 2000 Sudanese seeking to cross the Mediterranean sea and reach Europe embarking on dangerous boats.

In his remarks, Abdel-Bari reiterated his government commitment that the plan to fight human trafficking would maintain "the human dignity; that we must respect and preserve, whether a person is living in his country, travels within or migrates to other countries."

According to the UNHCR data for the past seven months, migrants from Bangladesh tops the list of countries of illegal migration to Europe with 6951 migrants who cross the sea mainly from Libya.

The Trafficking in Persons Report 2021 by the U.S. Department of State said that the Sudanese authorities did not "fully meet the minimum standards" for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts" in this respect.

Accordingly, the State Department placed the east African country in its Tier 2 watchlist to encourage Sudanese efforts to meet the international standards.

For his part, the EU envoy said that Sudan had made efforts to combat human trafficking, including the investigation, prosecution of human traffickers, and protection of victims.

He further said that the three-year plan aims to enable Sudanese institutions with EU support to facilitate safe and legal migration, combating illegal migration, providing protection and creating livelihood opportunities.

(ST)

August 30, 2021 (JUBA) – South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has downplayed citizens' demand for him to step down, urging the population to prepare for general elections at the end of the transition period.

"Our final mandate in this process is to hold free, fair and credible democratic elections at the end of the transitional period," he said, while opening the country's national assembly on Monday.

Kiir was referring to long-awaited polls expected to be held in 2023.

The South Sudanese leaders told members of the new parliament to place the people of South Sudan above their party's interests.

Kiir, looking exhausted, said those calling for his exit are “ill” advised.

One of the notable provisions in the revitalized peace agreement is the security arrangement that advocates reunification of command of forces as an institutional attempt to reform the army in a way reflecting all faces of ethnic groups and regions making up the country.

Kiir, however, wants a 60% representation in the command of the unified forces, leaving the remaining 40% to other stakeholders in the agreement, an arrangement the parties, including the main opposition party under Riek Machar's leadership has rejected.

The stalemate has resulted in the delay to graduate troops from the cantonment sites and splitting in Opposition leadership.

Activists say the two leaders are unwilling to work together and will never work together even if they are allowed to stay in office for life. They are people with totally different political ambitions and ideologies with little interest in preserving greater good. Machar advocates democracy while Kiir oscillates between dictatorship and maintaining the status quo, causing brinkmanship and misery.

“These people [Kiir and Machar], even if they are allowed to stay together in power for life, which is what some of them want, and which is what others do not want because they also want to sit on that chair, they will never get together and work together. The only way is to force them out of the chair. They are a pure liability to the country”, a civil rights activist told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

“They were together in power for eight (8) years, what have they done to show that they prioritize the wellbeing of the people? They should just accept they have failed and go,” he added.

The activist said government is responsible for disruption of social media services and deployment of huge security forces to patrol all streets after calls for mass protests against bad governance.

“The continued intimidation and regular arrest of civil right activists, political opponents, and journalists is a clear and obvious proof of the government determined to stay in power”, he stressed.

Meanwhile, Stephan Lual Ngor, a leading member of the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) has rejected calls to topple the transitional government and voiced his support for President Kiir.

"President Kiir is the best choice for peace and stability in South Sudan," he told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, adding that a few numbers of youth-based outside the country and without real political support use social media to disturb the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement.

(ST)

August 30, 2021 (JUBA) - A prominent South Sudanese politician has said failed leadership in the young nation has turned the peoples' long-held demands and their hopes into a "nightmare".

Lam Akol (Photo Reutrers)

“Three decades ago, the true demand of our masses long abandoned was revived; two decades later full of hope they decided to have a country; and in the last decade their dreams were turned into a nightmare by a failed leadership. But their hope is much alive”, Lam Akol tweeted on Monday.

The opposition leaders tweet was in memory of the 1991 event in which a faction under Akol, Riek Machar and commander Gordon Koang Chuol, announced they have ascended to power, causing split into a Torit faction under former founding leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), John Garang de Mabior and Nasir faction under over all leadership and command of Riek Machar.

Machar, Akol and Chuol depicted themselves as advocates of secession, democracy, and human rights and branded Garang a "dictator" and someone wanting the south to fight for Sudan's unity.

The split caused destruction of properties and loss of lives as each side wanted to claim monopoly and control affairs of people and forces to gain recognition from the masses and global community.

The leaders, however, rejoined Garang's faction at different times in 2002 and 2003 after talks with Sudanese have started and a provision recognizing self-determination for the people of South Sudan to decide at referendum was included.

However, with the independence of the south, the two leaders pride themselves as among leaders who revived and advocated for secession and Akol celebrates every August 28, the day on which they made the declaration in 1991. He sees himself as a progressive politician and one who would make a positive and meaning impact in the lives of the people, if given the opportunity to propagate and freely sell his vision to the people.

Akol, who contested against the incumbent President Salva Kiir in the 2010 general elections, now heads the National Democratic Party (NDM), a non-violence political entity, but has pervasive influence and armed groups operating in his constituency.

The outspoken opposition leader hopes to ascend to power someday if there is a leveled ground to propagate his policies and talk to the people freely. He believes he could a make significant impact and difference since his popular in his constituency and among young people in the country as well as among educated class except his political competitors and people who see him as the architect behind the 1991 split.

(ST)

August 30, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudanese authorities have temporarily blocked access to social media services across the country as part of security measures to abort calls for protests for peaceful regime change in the country scheduled for August 30, 2021.

Leaders of the civil society groups organizing for the mass protest say the plan has not changed but have decided to carry out more consultations with some top security officers, army generals and police services to provide protection to protesters and to ensure people with different agendas and interests do not take advantage to destroy properties and cause havoc and harms.

“The plan has not changed. It is still on course. People will go out, but we have just told them to wait for guidance from the central committee”, a leading activist told the Sudan Tribune on Monday.

Online services have experienced restriction on Saturday after the government ordered telecom companies to block access to social media platforms as a part of measures to curtail mass mobilization for protests through social media platforms.

Nonetheless, activists continued to reach the social media platforms via Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

Activists say the blockage of social media services, shut down of a radio station in Jonglei and arrest of a bishop in Yei County in Central Equatoria motivate their mobilization to protest for freedoms.

A police spokesman has denied any link between the arrest of a bishop, the closure of a radio station in Jonglei and calls for general protests in the country.

On Sunday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth warned the public from taking part in the planned "illegal" protests on Monday.

Makuei further urged South Sudanese to support the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and the government efforts to move the country forward.

The official Government spokesperson, also, directed the civil service personnel and the public at large to resume their normal duties as usual.

The leaders of the civil rights activists are asking people to take to the street and protest the inability of the government to curb corruption, stop recurring communal fights, and ensuring freedom of expression.

Continued intimidation and arrest of activists, journalists, and political opponents are clear and obvious lack of political will to enforce the key provisions of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, they say.

(ST)

August 29, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan and Chad Sunday discussed ways to increase joint cooperation to address the security challenges facing the two counties particularly the armed groups in Libya.

Mohamat Idriss Deby Chairman of the Transitional Military Council (CMT) in Chad arrived in Khartoum on a two-day visit. He met with the Head of the Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

Also, Deby held a closed-door meeting with al-Burhan, followed by another meeting involving the Sudanese defence and interior ministers and the directors of general and military intelligence agencies.

The Chadian delegation included the foreign minister, minister of public security, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, director of the security agency and AbdelKerim Idriss Deby, Deputy Director of the President's Civil Office.

In a statement released on Sunday evening, the Chadian presidency said that the interim Chadian leader called to deepen the security cooperation based on the signed bilateral and regional agreements.

Deby called for "reciprocal solidarity" between the two countries to face security challenges posed by "the presence in southern Libya of the hordes of mercenaries that might carry out new attacks such as Chad has already experienced," said the presidency.

The statement further stressed that these mercenaries who are "recruited, trained, supervised, armed and financed by foreign powers (...) must not be allowed to leave Libya because they pose a serious threat to the stability and security of both Chad and Sudan".

It was purported that the Russian Wanger militia group trained the Chadian rebel groups in Libya who sought to take power in Chad last April.

The Libyan warring parties hired rebel groups from Chad and Sudan to fight along with their forces. The civil war in the northern African country provided them with an opportunity to survive and rebuild their structures.

The Sudanese presidency said al-Burhan recalled the "great joint security operations" and called to develop it.

He further called on extend this cooperation to the economic sector and supporting social coexistence before underscoring that "there are many cooperation agreements between the two countries that must be activated for the benefit of the people."

When the rebels carried out their attack, Sudan deployed troops on the border areas to prevent them from controlling areas in far eastern Chad near Sudan. The attackers were forced to return to southern Libya.

Musa al-Koni Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council visited this week Khartoum and Ndjamena where he agreed with the Sudanese and Chadian leaders to activate a joint security agreement involving Niger.

In his meeting with Hamdok, Deby discussed economic cooperation between the two countries.

Also, the Sudanese Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi discussed with her Chadian counterpart bilateral relations and the need to include neighbouring countries in the international meetings to bring stability in Libya.

(ST)

August 28, 2021 (JUBA) - Some twenty people are killed and over 20,000 displaced following the intercommunal fighting in Western Equatoria state, according to a statement released by the National Salvation Front (NAS).

Since last July armed clashes have erupted in Tombura County between the Azande and Balanda ethnic groups.

The UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS deployed patrols to protect civilians but the violence continued in the area.

In a statement extended t the Sudan Tribune the non-signatory NAS said the clashes affected several areas including Yubu, Akpa, Mabenge, Kpatanyayo among others.

"Over twenty Thousand (20,000) people were displaced, and about twenty people killed (20)," said the statement before mentioning the murder of the former Commissioner of Tombura County, Babiro Charles Gbamsi who was killed in his house on 24 August.

NAS which gathers fighters from the two ethnic groups called on the two sides to stop violence adding that the rift will only profit to the "conflict entrepreneurs" in Juba.

The statement further accused the government of President Salva Kiir of encouraging the hostilities the intercommunal fighting.

In return, it hailed the efforts of the religious communities to promote the peaceful resolution of the conflict and UNMISS for providing humanitarian assistance to the affected civilians.

The non-signatory group called on the International Community especially the AU, UN and TROIKA to press the government in Juba not to instigate conflicts among the communities of South Sudan.

On 12 August, UNMISS estimated that over 30,000 people have been displaced and some 500 households are camping in a church compound in Mupoi Payam.

(ST)

August 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan has called for dialogue between Algeria and Morocco to resolve their difference and to reestablish bilateral ties.

On 24 August, Algeria cut diplomatic relations with Morocco, citing "hostile actions", but Morrocc rejected the "fallacious allegations".

The Sudanese foreign ministry said deeply concerned about the recent developments between the "brothers" in two northern Africa countries.

"Sudan calls on the two parties to reach a friendly and positive settlement and to turn this crisis into a real opportunity for solidarity and cooperation to achieve common interests," reads a statement released by the ministry.

Bilateral relations between the neighbour have been strained for decades due to the Western Sahara issue.

Also, Algerian Foreign Minister Ramdane Lamamra accused Morocco of using Pegasus Israeli spyware against its officials. Also, he accused Morocco of supporting a separatist group in the Kabylia region.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Arab League, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt in separate statements called for "dialogue" between the two neighbouring countries.

In the same trend, the United Nations Secretary-General encouraged the two Algeria and Morocco to find "a way forward to mend relations". Also, France attached to "to deepening ties and dialogue between nations of the region to consolidate stability and prosperity".

(ST)

August 28, 2021 (KHARTOUM) Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) Saturday pursued dialogue on ways to implement the goals of the December Revolution and reuniting the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) that toppled the former regime.

Last June, Hamdok launched a call to reunite the revolution's political forces and armed groups in order to implement its slogans for freedom, peace, and justice. Except for the SCP and an armed group led by Minni Minnawi, the FFC groups positively responded to his call.

Further, he held a first meeting with the Communists on 12 August to discuss the contentious issues and criticism of the government programmes including the IMF-supported economic reforms.

In a statement issued after his second meeting on Saturday, Hamdok cabinet said that the two sides reviewed the issues related to the cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), trade unions law, security situation and IDPs in Darfur, census and preparation for general elections, landownership and foreign investments and legal reforms.

"On the ICC, the meeting agreed to hand over the wanted persons to the Court, and to implement the decision of the Council of Ministers in this respect," said the cabinet.

On Darfur, the meeting agreed on the importance to address the security situation and improve the situation of the displaced persons.

The parties also convened that a population census should be carried before the general elections taking into account the demographic changes that resulted from the war.

The Sudanese communists withdrew from the FFC in November 2020 and called to bring down Hamdok's government in April 2021.

The left party did not want to bear the responsibility of the unpopular economic reforms. Also, the communists voiced their opposition to the Juba process for peace it excluded the FFC forces and gave a big role to the armed components.

The government did not develop a plan to address the roots of the problem (in Darfur)," said Siddiq Youssif a leading figure of the party, "Rather it focused on reaching an agreement with the armed groups based on the power and wealth sharing," he stressed.

The prime minister informed the PSC leaders about his decision to form a ministerial committee to review the trade unions law contested by the communists.

The law had been already discussed during the first meeting.

The two sides also discussed the civil service and agreed to avoid the politicization of jobs and.

Regarding land ownership and foreign investments, the two sides agreed to preserve the rights of landowners.

Hamdok "affirmed Sudan's welcome to foreign investments that serve the national interests of the Sudanese people".

Recently the government intervened to cancel a decision by the Northern State taken last April to confiscate an agricultural area of over 40,000 hectares allocated to Bahrain in 2014 by the former regime.

The state government at the time said the land had not been developed by the Gulf state.

From Hamdok office, the meeting was attended by his political adviser Yasir Arman, media adviser Faisal Mohamed Saleh and le cabinet executive director Adam Hiraika.

(ST)

August 27, 2021 (JUBA)- The U.S. Embassy in Juba issued an alert on Friday to the Americans in South Sudan, warning them to keep a low profile during protests planned on Monday 30 August.

Civil society groups called for peaceful but unauthorized protests across the country to protest violence, mismanagement and corruption in the country by the ruling elite.

"The demonstrations are not approved by the host government. All citizens should exercise caution and be aware of their surroundings, particularly around large crowds, or gatherings,” cautioned the statement.

The embassy further underscored that the planned peaceful protest could turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence with little or no warning.

The statement reminded U.S. citizens that the travel advisory for South Sudan remains at Level 4 due to crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict.

“Do Not Travel due to COVID-19, crime, kidnapping, and armed conflict. The U.S. government's ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in South Sudan is extremely limited. U.S. government personnel in South Sudan are under a strict curfew that limits movements to daylight hours,” emphasized the embassy.

(ST)

By Steve Paterno

In South Sudan, where just about everyone has access to guns (tons of them), and almost every ambitious politician is a potential warlord, any slight destabilization of the country provides an opportunity to lead straight to a nation run by pockets of small warlords. In such a case of slight destabilization of the country, those small warlords would be controlling their small enclaves, by the power of their guns.

This is exactly a scenario, which is being advocated by the much-hyped and dramatized mass demonstration by a group known as People Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA), in their miscalculated efforts in trying to overthrow the government. This particular group calls for non-military civil actions against the government, but yet, contradictorily, they brag that they get the backing of armed elements from the National Security Service (NSS), South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF), and South Sudan Police Service (SSPS). In militarized South Sudan, the coalition knows that they need the backing of armed groups to secure the overthrow of the government. Therefore, there is no need for the coalition to emphasize much on civil actions, when in fact that they are banking on the armed elements, to secure them a victory.

In a practical sense, the way the coalition is laying out its strategy in taking over the government looks like this. Check it out: They will send the demonstrators, pouring on the streets, perhaps with some armed elements disguised in the middle of the demonstrators. This will automatically draw in the overzealous state's security forces, to disperse the demonstrators. In the process, deadly confrontations will ensue, leading to shootouts. In the chaotic scene of the shootouts, no one will be sure of who is shooting who, because both groups are armed. This potentially will spread the shootouts beyond the vicinity of the demonstration. Then, the opportunistic ambitious politicians would turn into their weapons, ostensibly, becoming small warlords in their small enclaves. And out of necessity, the rest would automatically pick up their weapons as well, in order, to protect themselves and their properties amidst the ensuing chaos.

In such a scenario, the coalition would at least achieve one thing, causing the destabilization of the government and country as a whole. Here, it would then depend on the capacity and strength of the government, whether it would succeed in pulling the country out of the chaos to restore peace and order, or else, the country would be left to be run by small warlords, perhaps perpetually. It is then that South Sudan will be Somalia on steroids, worse than it was.

At the current state of affairs, South Sudan does not need any slight destabilization, whereby it would be plunged into perpetual chaos of a country run by warlords. South Sudan needs a gradual transformation. Such transformation could best be ensured by a national armed security force. This national armed security force must be of a national character in ensuring the security of all citizens and safeguarding the country's territorial integrity. This will ultimately eliminate any room for the proliferation of warlords, who thrive in chaos.

This national armed security force oversees civil political democratization in the country that the citizens of South Sudan are yearning for.

As of now, there is no way democratic elections are feasible or could succeed in South Sudan. Even the much-awaited and talked about democratic elections at the end of the transitional period of the peace agreement is not feasible or practical. For one, you have armed groups masquerading as political parties, gearing to compete in elections. The practice is that in such undemocratic elections, a candidate is running with two options on the plate: (i) either wins and takes up the position in government or (ii) loses and then jumps to the bush, kills few people and causes some destruction, then, eventually negotiates away in government to pick up even a better position than the one he or she was competing for. Both options of winning and losing are attractive, with losing is an even more lucrative endeavour for the ambitious competing politicians who or also potential warlords. We have witnessed such with the likes of Gen Athor. Heck, even a mere civilian like David Yauyau could lose an election, pick up arms, kill, destroy, and then gain national prominence as a result.

So, let's go slowly, starting with the national armed security force as the first national institution to be firmly founded. The current relative stability in the country, with the exercise of possible screening of militias in forming unified national armed forces, provides the platform for establishing a strong and capable national armed security force.

August 18, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan's Investment minister has denied reports of his alleged involvement in holding private discussions with the United Nations mission in Abyei (UNISFA) over the status the existence of their base in his area.

Map showing the lcoation of the contested Abyei region in relation to Sudan and South Sudan

Minister Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol denied in a statement on Wednesday that he held private discussions with the leadership of the interim force for Abyei at which asked them to remain in the area despite public protest demanding the peacekeeping troops to pull out of the area with immediate effects.

“South Sudanese in general and Aweil communities in particular were well aware that I was in the frontline with the rest of compatriots, who came out in defense of 14 miles in 2012. I made my position clear before the African Union team of experts by presenting the circumstances behind the creation of 14 miles and why we think it was not a boundary”, Dhieu wrote in a statement obtained by Sudan Tribune.

He was reacting to a social media post accusing him of backtracking local demand protesting the continuous stay of the troops in the area.

Public demonstrations have been held in recent days in the counties of Aweil North and East whose areas were included in the map at the insistence of the Government of Sudan (GoS) during the talks facilitated by the African union high-level implementation Panel. Sudan feared an exclusion of the area in the Safe Demilitarize Buffer Zone amounts to a concession of the territory to South Sudan.

The latter asserts ownership of the area and pledge to provide access to grazing and water points to areas Sudanese nomads from Darfur and in Kordofan regions at the border with neighboring South Sudan.

The fear held by the Sudanese government at the talks led to designation of the area as a demilitarized zone, monitored by a Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), to be composed of international observers from UNISFA and representatives of both countries. Within this area, ‘join tribal mechanisms' are supposed to resolve disputes.

The area is mainly occupied by the Malual Dinka. The Rizeigat, one of the Sudanese nomads from Darfur annually accesses the area south of the Kiir River for grazing.

The local and national authorities say disputes over grazing in this area are not new. They stretch back to the 20th century. They cite clashes in 1918 which persuaded Patrick Munro, the British colonial governor of Darfur to create a new grazing boundary for the Rizeigat, some 40 miles south of the Kiir.

This decision sparked protest and vociferous complaints from the Malual Dinka, resulting in 1924 a compromise between Munro and Mervyn Wheatley, the governor of Bahr el Ghazal. The two British officials created a zone of Rizeigat grazing that extended to a line 14 miles south of the River Kiir. This line is known today as the Munro-Wheatley line, and the zone that it demarcates is referred to as the 14-Mile Are

(ST)

August 18, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese doctors resigned from an autopsy committee to protest the burial of bodies of people killed during the protests without identification.

In a resignation letter seen by the Sudan Tribune sent to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and Mohamed al-Faki a member of the Sovereign Council representing the civilian component, the four forensic doctors denounced the meddling of the general prosecution in their activities.

"We fear of not being able to perform our work impartially," said the resigned doctors from the autopsy committee.

We discovered, "change in the pins of the bodies in the mortuary, this means the possibility of replacing these bodies with missing persons to be buried outside the framework of the law," reads the letter handed over on Wednesday.

They went further to say that a committee appointed by the interim Attorney General had buried 23 bodies on July 11, "without performing the identification process," despite the recommendations of forensic reports not to bury that bodies.

The resignation letter said that Prosecutor Mohamed Abdallah who is appointed by the interim general attorney, "insisted on burying the 23 bodies before completing the identification."

"Also, he replaced the pin numbers of the bodies in a way that created mistrust, and led to questioning his intentions."

Families of the victims killed by the security forces accuse the military component of the Sovereign Council and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militiamen of seeking to cover the crimes committed against the pro-democracy protesters since April 2019.

They are hostile to the interim general attorney appointed by the RSF Commander and Deputy Head of the Sovereign Council during al-Burhan's presence in Paris last to participate in a conference on Sudan.

The ruling coalition of Forces for Freedom and Change this week met with members of the Sovereign Council to urge the appointment of a new General Attorney.

(ST)

President Kiir speaks to the SPLM retreat in Lobonok on 6 December 2018 (ST Photo)

August 18, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has threatened to pull out of the Rome talks, accusing the holdout groups of carrying out what he described it as “terror attacks”.

He was reacting to an incident in which gunmen killed five people, including two nuns, on the Juba-Nimule highway on Monday this week.

The hold out group denied any involvement, citing recurring incidents on the same Juba-Nimule highway road as clear indicators of a failed state.

Kiir, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said his government's acceptance to engage in talks and sign several documents to end the fighting should not be taken as a sign of weakness, but rather an indication of commitment to resolve political issues through dialogue.

“The Government signed the Rome Declaration, the Recommitment to Cessation of Hostilities and the Declaration of Principles with the Holdout Groups with the goal of stopping the fighting and saving innocent lives,” said Kiir.

He added, “Now that the non-signatories to the Revitalized Peace Agreement continue to violate these commitments, the Government may reconsider its position on the ongoing Sant'Egidio led Rome Initiative. Our pursuit of an inclusive peace should never be taken for weakness and used as a window to kill the innocent.”

The South Sudanese leader wondered why criminals would target nuns from an event marking an important milestone of christianity in the country.

“The responsibility for their death lies squarely on the Holdout Groups, and the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity condemns this act of terror with the strongest terms possible,” he stressed.

No armed opposition group has so far come out to claim any responsibility, though Kiir and members of his administration insist the attack was carried out by holdout groups.

The National Salvation Front (NAS), one of the holdout groups active in the area denied any responsibility, citing lack of presence in the area.

“First of all, the press statement of President Kiir has no meaning and I think he is just trying to avoid blame. There is nothing called SSPDF which provides security in the country. The country has collapsed,” NAS spokesperson, Suba Samuel Manase said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The areas of Jebelein and Nesitu are controlled by the SSPDF and there are no rebels in these places, there is no NAS, and this is not the first-time ambushes have taken place there. It is only that the nuns are well-known people, otherwise, common people are killed there all the time. It is the SSPDF who are robbing and killing people in those places.”

The opposition spokesman wondered how his troops could be involved in the attack when president Kiir and James Wani Igga, one of his five deputies in the coalition government had a heavy deployment of the forces along the road following a visit to the Nimule area.

“How can another group carry out an attack on the road with all that deployment? It is rubbish. Several times, SSPDF elements have been arrested by the National Security and police for robbing and kidnapping people on the road. They are always displayed on national television. These are the same people who did this. Even the Tiger (presidential guards are thieves and have been arrested several times in Juba for robbery,” Suba said.

He said the South Sudanese leader was free to walk out, pointing to several previous peace agreements whose terms he failed to honour.

“On withdrawing from the Sant'Egidio Rome talks, he is free to do it after all he has abrogated many agreements. ARCSS 2015, he abrogated it, this one 2018 (R-ARCSS) he is failing it and has abrogated it. So, what is special with Sant'Egidio? He can walk out,” stressed Suba.

SSOMA CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS

Separately, South Sudan Opposition Movement Alliance (SSOMA), denounced and condemned the attack and subsequent killing of innocent civilians and the nuns, putting the blame on the government and called on the international community to carry out an independent investigation into the cause and circumstances of the attacks.

“SSOMA denounces and condemns in the strongest terms possible this heinous killing of innocent civilians and members of the clergy. We hold the regime of Salva Kiir responsible for the ongoing attacks along roads, ethnic fights in the villages, and disappearances inside the towns of South Sudan,” partly noted a statement SSOMA issued on Wednesday.

The opposition alliance said the recurring attacks on civilians and breakdown in rule of law and order is indicative of a failed state and called on the international community and relevant organizations to institute investigations.

“Alas, these recurring ambushes, attacks, and killings of innocent people along the major roads and towns in South Sudan is a clear major undeniable proof of the total breakdown of law and order and a complete lack of security protection that is indicative of the failed regime of Salva Kiir,” SSOMA statement said.

The opposition umbrella group called on the international community and relevant organizations to investigate these barbaric killings as there is an alarming rate of attacks on Church personnel and innocent civilians across South Sudan.”

(ST)

Peter Lam Both (Photo credit: Eye Radio)

August 19, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has appointed Peter Lam Both, a former state governor as acting Secretary General of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), ending tenuous lobbying amongst several party aspirants.

Both, the state-owned television (SSTV) announced on Wednesday, replaces Jemma Nunu Kumba who is the speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA).

The acting SPLM Secretary General had previously served as the deputy relief and rehabilitation commission at the national level and as a state minister of information in Upper Nile state before the country was split into 32 states in 2015 and 2016.

He later became the governor of Latjor state when more states were created through presidential establishment order.

Both contested for the seat with senior members of the party, notably the senior presidential adviser, Kuol Manyang Juuk, Eastern Equatoria state governor Louis Lobong Lajore and former Upper Nile state Governor Simon Kun Puoc. Kuol was depicted as a potential candidate for the position.

It is, however, not clear what transpired during lobbying in which Kiir decided to appoint a junior official at the expense of other high-ranking members in the structure.

Political analysts and commentators have been quick to attribute the cause to regional and ethnic balance in the hierarchical structure of the party.

Many believe the Secretary General of the ruling party should not go to an ethnic Dinka since the party's chairman hails from Bahr el Ghazal and his deputy comes from Equatoria. The position of the Secretary General should then go to Upper Nile.

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August 18, 2021 (ANKARA) - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday proposed to mediate a brotherly solution to the border dispute between Sudan and Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was in Ankara for a one-day working visit where he held talks with President Erdogan. Also, officials from the two countries signed a number of deals including military framework and military financial agreements.

Following the signing ceremony, the Turkish president pointed to the need for stability in Ethiopia and offered to mediate a solution for the Tigray conflict and the border tensions with Sudan.

He underscored that the continuation of the armed conflict in the northern part of Ethiopia will affect the whole region before adding that Turkey is ready to contribute to finding a solution to the crisis in Tigray.

Further, the Turkish leader mentioned the current tensions with Sudan over the Fashaga area saying that Ankara is also prepared to broker an amicable solution for the border dispute.

"I have already raised the issue with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of Sudan," added Erdogan referring to the recent three-day visit of the head of the Transitional Sovereign Council Ankara.

Earlier this year, Ethiopia claimed ownership of the Fashaga border area and called for talks to demarcate the border between the two countries.

In return, Sudan rejected the claim and called to place border markers based on previous agreements reached in 1902, 1903 and 1975.

The United Arab Emirates sought to mediate between the two countries and proposed to establish agricultural projects in the area involving farmers from the two countries but Sudan stressed that Ethiopia has first to accept the implementation of the signed border demarcation first.

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August 17, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - The Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP) in Sudan, founded by the late Islamic leader Hassan al-Turabi, welcomed the Taliban movement's seizure of power in Afghanistan.

After the collapse of the al-Bashir regime, the transitional government banned the participation of its allies in the transitional institutions.

The ongoing development in Afghanistan gives the Sudanese Islamists an opportunity to portray the Taliban as an inspiring movement, despite their bad historical record in their country and the negative outcome of 30 years of Islamist rule in Sudan.

“The Popular Congress congratulates the Islamic nation, the Afghan people, the Taliban Movement and all the free people of the world on the victory of the Taliban Movement and the realization of the aspirations of the Afghan people to gain freedom and defeat the usurping authority in Afghanistan backed by the U.S. and Western colonial powers,” said the PCP.

The Islamist party said that this victory comes after a long struggle to prove to the world that the people's will “will not be defeated by material and human power, no matter how great it is”.

The Taliban spokesman on Tuesday said they want peace with the international community and vowed to respect women rights within the framework of Islamic work.

Last year, the PCP called on the Sudanese to take to the street to protest the normalization of relations with Israel. But, the Islamist party failed to mobilize the Sudanese.

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August 17, 2021 (JUBA) - South Sudan president Salva Kiir has attributed the delay in the formation of a unified military command to the “unreasonable demands” made by the opposition.

The unified force of instructors pose for a group photo in Juba, October 5, 2019 (Xinhua)

He cited the 50-50 representation demanded for by armed opposition groups.

The South Sudanese leader said reports from the Joint Defence Board (JDB) indicate some of those seeking representation do not have forces on the ground and have directed the negotiating team to expedite the process.

He accused other parties of using equal representation to recruit fighters with the view of wanting to bolster their military ranks.

“They want to use it as an instrument for recruitment, which is against the agreement. It is not what is in the agreement. These are unreasonable reasons, but I like I have always said, I will not be the one to derail the implementation of this agreement so that others with their own interest and agenda take advantage of the situation and use it as an opportunity to return the country to war. I have asked Tut [Gatluak] and those responsible for discussions to move fast so that the unified command is formed and to pass out those in the training camps as soon as possible”, a presidential source told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

Last week, President Kiir called for the immediate unification of the command of the forces and directed the country's First Vice President, Riek Machar and Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol to present their list of nominees for the unified command.

The unified command consists of South Sudan People's Defence Forces, South Sudan National Police Services, National Security Services, National Prisons Service, Wildlife Forces and the Civil Defence Forces.

Some opposition officials have accused President Kiir's party of delaying the security arrangement implementation, citing their demand for 60% representation in unified force and 40% to the other parties.

Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, a member of the armed opposition under the First Vice President Riek Machar asserts that the negotiations have stalled because Kiir's faction has refused to equal representation, pointing to 60 percent of the total number of the unified forces in contravention to the terms of the agreement.

"It was agreed that the new national army is to be formed of an equal number of troops from the two sides. The SPLM In Government (SPLM-IG) provides a half and the other signatories a half," Gatkouth told Sudan Tribune in an interview Tuesday.

"However, the SPLM-IG now refuses to implement this agreement and demands to have 60% and the other signatories only get 40%," he added.

The revitalized peace agreement calls for the establishment of unified forces made up of 83,000 soldiers to take charge of the country's security during the three-year transitional period.

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August 17, 2021 (JUBA)- Lack of political will from the warring parties to implement the security arrangements has allowed “peace spoilers” to use public resources to destabilized the armed opposition movement (SPLM-IO), a senior official said.

Manawa Peter Gatkuoth

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the SPLM-IO Acting Chairperson of the National Committee for Information and Public Relations, Manawa Peter Gatkouth said the armed opposition group remains committed to the implementing of Chapter II of the accord, dealing with the security arrangement.

“Chapter II of the agreement changes the balance of power in the country by evenly distributing the national army 50/50 percent between the government and opposition forces, as stipulated in the Khartoum workshop facilitated by IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development],” he explained.

On August 3, the SPLM/A-IO former chief of staff Simon Gatwech Dual defected from the group, accusing its leader Riek Machar of nepotism and weakness.

Gatkouth, however, accused those behind Kitgwang Declarations of violating the peace agreement by creating internal conflicts to destabilize the SPLM-IO.

“The Kitgwang Declaration was engineered to create new conflicts between communities in the Upper Nile Region to further delay the peace implementation,” he said, adding that it is an attempt to derail the implement of the security arrangements.

According to Gatkouth, while the SPLM-IO remains committed to the peace agreement as the solution to the conflict, Kitgwang Group insists on an armed revolution by mobilizing cattle camps and South Sudanese living in camps.

“The SPLM-IO reiterates its commitment to the implementation of the Agreement and restore permanent and sustainable peace, security and stability in the country,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Mabior Garang de Mabior, son of the founding leader of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and a member of a faction of the main armed opposition under Gen. Dual has a rejected a peace deal aimed at distributing jobs instead of reforms and delivering services.

Garang denied that the Kit Gwang declaration was sponsored by a section of the coalition government, pointing to lack of implementation of the key provisions in the peace deal.

“The charge that we are backed by Juba is intended to discredit those who are calling for security arrangements as peace spoilers. The peace they mean is this distribution of jobs they have been engaged in for the past three years. Not a single provision in the reform agenda has even been discussed, let alone implemented”, said Mabior in a statement seen by Sudan Tribune.

The Kit Gwang Declaration, he argued, is a reminder to the politicians in Juba that they have forgotten some key provisions of the Agreement.

Garang appealed to the public to disregard claims that they are on the payroll of Juba.

“This propaganda begs the question; what is the criteria for talking to Juba? Because these same people are wining and dining with the "who is who of Juba". We are open to dialogue with anyone, we are not afraid to negotiate, as President JFK would put it and we shall also not negotiate out of fear - as it were," Garang stressed.

He added, "The interest of the Kit Gwang Declaration is what is in the best interest of the peoples of South Sudan and dialogue is the least costly way for us to reach an understanding on how we can best achieve welfare and prosperity for all our peoples”.

(ST)