Sudan Tribune

August 19, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan proposed amending the expected agreement on the filling and operation of the Great Ethiopian the Renaissance Dam (GERD) within 10 years after its implementation.

South African Presiden Cyril Ramaphosa who is the Chairman of the African Union mediation on the GRED requested from Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia to submit their draft-agreements with the aim of writing one draft agreement with the participation of the technical teams of the three countries.

The three countries filled their draft agreements on Tuesday.

The Sudanese draft, seen by Sudan Tribune, says the agreement on the GRED can be amended with the approval of the three parties after 10 years of its entry into force.

This amendment should include updating the data and tables, attached to the draft, based on the updated hydrological data of the Blue Nile in the site of the GERD, further said the Sudanese paper.

Sudan further recalled its position that the filling of the Dam lake should be done in stages agreed by the three countries, provided that the filling process occurs during the wet season and to reduce the quantities of water retained for the filling of the dam in the event of drought and continuous drought.

Ethiopia during the talks expressed their fear that an agreement on the filling of the GERD will allow the downstream countries to obstruct its future projects on the Blue Nile saying they would need the approval of Egypt and Sudan for every project, a matter that they refuse.

For Egypt, Ethiopia should not be enabled to control the flow of the GERD at will to implement its projects on the Blue Nile, because that means giving the upstream country the right to amend the would-be signed agreement.

Sudan initially backed the Egyptian position but later it proposed a compromise reaffirming that the agreement should not prejudice Ethiopia's future development projects on the Blue Nile.

The development projects should be implemented under the international law, and to observe the principles of equitable and reasonable utilisation of transboundary watercourses, the obligation not to cause significant harm and cooperation, according to the Sudanese negotiating team.

The Sudanese draft agreement further called to complete studies of assessing the GRED environmental and social impacts and to implement recommendations of these studies after its approval by a ministerial committee.

With regard to the safety of the dam and emergency situations, Sudan proposed a number of procedures and requirements that oblige the parties to exchange information and documents necessary for the safety of communities and infrastructures in the downstream countries.

Also, the Sudanese draft agreement calls for immediate notification and prompt handling of all emergencies, including any water quality problem, as it will directly affect the daily flow of water in the Roseires dam.

(ST)

August 18, 2020 (KHARTOUM)- Sudanese government and the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu will resume peace talks next Thursday, said the spokesman of the mediation on Tuesday.

Dhieu Matouk, the Rapporteur de la South Sudanese mediation told the official Sudan News Agency that the agreement was reached during a meeting with the negotiating team of the SPLM-N al-Hilu on Tuesday morning.

Matouk said that the two parties will resume discussions on the declaration of principles from where they had stopped.

"Perhaps the issues of humanitarian aid and the cessation of hostilities will be discussed," he added.

Talks are deadlocked on the relationship between religion and state, as the SPLM-N al-Hilu says that this issue should be discussed in the talks. But the government says it should be discussed in the constitutional conference.

On 22 June, the government said it had received an invitation from South Sudan's mediation to resume negotiations with the SPLM-N al-Hilu.

At the time, the spokesman for the government negotiating delegation, Mohamed Hassan Eltaishi said that the meeting agenda includes three items: cessation of hostilities, humanitarian assistance, pursuing the negotiations on the declaration of principles.

(ST)

August 18, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government on Tuesday disavowed statements by the official spokesman of the foreign ministry about ongoing contacts with Jerusalem over the normalization of bilateral relations between Sudan and Israel.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman Haydar Badawi Sadiq on Tuesday morning welcomed the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Also, in statements to several Arab media, he expressed his support for normalization and peace with Israel stressing that his country is looking forward to peace with Israel.

In a short statement released in the evening, the acting foreign minister said they "learned with astonishment" the statements of Haydar Badawi Sadiq, the ministry's spokesman, about normalizations with Israel.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Sudan confirms that the issue of relations with Israel was never discussed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," said Omer Gamar-Eldin.

"Ambassador Haidar Badawi was not assigned to make any statements about this matter".

The statements of the foreign ministry spokesman were the main topic of discussion in Sudanese forums and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed his statement while the Palestinian officials slammed the move.

On 3 February 2020, the head of the Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met with the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Uganda to discuss ways to normalize bilateral relations.

However, he backtracked upon his return to Khartoum saying Sudan foreign policy should be decided only by the civilian government of Abdallah Hamdok, according to the transitional constitution.

Other political groups said that the transitional government has a limited mandate and only an elected government can take a decision in this respect.

Late on Tuesday, the spokesman said he made his statement about the normalization of relations with Israel "as a free Sudanese citizen, the Revolution enabled him to speak his mind".

Before to add " because I felt that the Foreign Ministry was absent and left in the dark regarding this file" and referred to what al-Burhan said after his meeting with Netanyahu.

"I did not say more than that al-Burhan put Sudan on the right track with his meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister," he added.

(ST)

August 17, 2020 (JUBA) - The head of the National Democratic Movement, Lam Akol Monday voiced concerns about the missed timelines in the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and proposed a number of measures to catch up with the time.

On 22 August will mark the sixth month into the transitional period for the implementation of the levitated peace pact of 12 September 2018 that ended a five year period of civil war in the young nation.

The agreement included an implementation matrix for the formation of transitional institutions and reforms to be implemented before to hold a free and fair general election after 30 months of transition.

In a letter to the signatories of the agreement on Monday seen by Sudan Tribune, Akol said 67 of the activities that were to be implemented during the first six months of the transitional period have been missed.

“This is a very serious matter. As you are aware, implementation activities are interconnected and non-implementation of some will cause delays of the implementation of subsequent ones;” he said.

He said that to catch up with time, they can do several things simultaneously instead of doing it one after another as it is the case currently.

He proposed to form 4 committees to accelerate the implementation of the security arrangements, economic and humanitarian matters, constitution-making process and transitional justice.

He further proposed the immediate ratification of the Constitutional Amendment Bill and President Kiir assent the transitional constitution once ratified.

NDM leader further suggested reconstituting the legislative assembly and the Council of States.

(ST)

August 17, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Governor of Khartoum State slammed the excessive use of violence by the police forces to disperse the "Inventory" march in Khartoum.

On Monday, the Resistance Committees organized protests on the first anniversary of the signing of the Constitutional Declaration between the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the dissolved Military Transitional Council. The text set the goals of the transitional period and determined a timetable to implement it.

The protesters wanted to show their anger over the delayed implementation of the transitional agenda in terms of peace, democratic reforms and particularly justice as the government has failed until now to hold accountable those who killed civilians during the revolution.

"I express my deep sorrow over the events that took place in the Inventory processions organised by the revolutionary forces," said the governor of Khartoum, Ayman Khaled, said in a statement on Monday.

The Attorney General Taj al-Sir al-Hiber and prosecutors supervising the police forces said that the dispersal of the protest was based on their appreciation of the security situation, Khaled further said.

"But despite these justifications, I see that the use of force was excessive, and contradicts our approach in the era of freedom, peace and justice," he stressed.

The police forces used tear gas to disperse protesters who sought to storm the premises of the cabinet office in Khartoum after refusing to hand over their memo to a member of Hamdok's office demanding that he personally come to meet them.

The police arrested 77 protesters who were released later during the day.

The governor called on the Attorney General to investigate the use of force to disperse the protesters.

The police issued a statement saying its forces acted in line with the law to preserving public order and safety of government officials and public institutions.

Abdel Aziz al-Hilu the leader of the SPLM-N issued a statement to voice his support for Monday protest.

(ST)

August 17, 2020 (JUBA) - The Sudanese government and the SPLM-N of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SPLM-N SRF) Monday initialled an agreement on security arrangements, ahead of initialling a comprehensive peace agreement between the government and the SRF in Juba on 28 August.

The initial signing ceremony took place in Juba, in the presence of a delegation from the Sudanese Sovereign Council and the Sudanese Minister of Defence, who led the government negotiating delegation, Yasir Arman the Movement Deputy Chairman and head of its negotiating delegation, in addition to the South Sudanese mediation, a Chadian delegation and another from the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement, seen by Sudan Tribune, dealt with the integrating the SPLM-N SFR led by Malik Agar into the Sudanese army and in three phases to be achieved within 39 months.

The first stage will deal with the integration process of the SPLM-N combatants which should be effective in 12 months starting from signing the agreement process.

During the second phase, the SPLA-N fighters will remain in the area under the command of the Sudanese army for 14 months before to redeploy its units in other parts of the country for 13 months.

At the end of the 39-moth period, the SPLA-N will units will be totally dismantled.

The agreement further says that the agreement will be enforced, monitored and control the implementation of the security arrangements: the Security and Defence Council, the Sovereign Council and cabinet and the Security and Defence Committee at the transitional parliament.

The defence and security council will set general plans for reforming, modernizing and developing the Sudanese army, the Sovereign Council and the cabinet will watch the implementation process and provide the needed fund and means while the parliament will control it.

The Sudanese Minister of Defence and the head of the negotiating team said that the integration of the SPLA-N fighters "will make the army more coherent, strong and ready to deal with any threats to the security of the homeland".

Yassin Ibrahim further stressed that the security arrangements agreement should motivate and encourages other non-signatory groups to join the peace process for the sake of developing and building Sudan.

For his part, the Movement's deputy chairman and head of its negotiating delegation said that the security arrangements agreement came in line with the spirit of the revolution and its objectives in reforming, the military and security sectors, without which Sudanese will not build a civil state.

"Sudan will not join the club of countries that have collapsed, such as Libya, Yemen and Somalia (..) We are here to benefit from these experiences and lead our country towards new dawn (...)," Yasir Arman further said.

The mediation is expected to use this agreement as a model for security arrangements agreements to be signed with the other armed groups.

Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, the head of the other SPLM-N group issued a statement Monday, saying that what is taking place in Juba is "an attempt to achieve a partial peace that does not address the root causes of the Sudanese crisis, and will not lead to a real peace that restores security, peace and stability."

He further stressed that his movement sticks to its demand to build a secular, democratic, decentralized system that preserves the rights of all its population.

Hemetti met Monday with the leaders of the SRF leaders in the presence of the South Sudanese Chief Mediator Tut Galtuak.

Dhieu Matouk the mediation's rapporteur announced that the mediation has set a timetable for completing the talks on the security arrangements in Darfur and reviewing some papers regarding political and national issues in the tracks of Darfur and the Two Areas.

He added that Galtuak had announced on Monday morning that the initial signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement will take place on the 28th of August.

(ST)

August 16, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Irrigation in Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia have agreed to resume difficult negotiations on the Renaissance Dam next Tuesday.

The minister of the three riparian countries held a videoconference meeting on Sunday convened by South African Foreign Minister, the current chair of the African Union, after the postponement of the talks for a week on the request of the Sudanese government.

"At the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, we the Foreign and Irrigation Ministers of Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia, agreed in a meeting held on Sunday to resume negotiations next Tuesday," said Foreign Minister Omer Gamar Eldin.

Gamar Eldin added that the parties agreed to compile their positions papers in one document with the support of African Union experts and observers.

"The draft will be submitted to the AU chairman to review it and considering if it can become a basis for an agreement between the three countries," he added.

For its part, the Irrigation ministry said in a separate statement that Sudan demanded returning to the agenda set by the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, in his letter of August 4, 2020, and included in the report of African experts submitted to the African mini-summit on July 24, 2020.

The report recommended a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD and ensured "Ethiopia's right to freely develop future upstream projects as long as they are in accordance with international law".

In Cairo, the foreign ministry issued a statement saying that during the meeting Egypt stressed the need to conclude a legally binding agreement that regulates the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam.

The deal should "preserves the rights of the three countries, secures their water interests, and limits the impact of this dam and its effects on the two downstream countries".

Ethiopia sovereign rights

Speaking in a virtual meeting with the Ethiopian in the Nile River riparian countries on 15 August, foreign minister Gedu Andargachew stressed that the Renaissance Dam "corrects historical imbalances" in the use of the Nile water.

"The minister said since the Nile river basin holds 2/3 of Ethiopia's water resources, utilizing it is a matter of sovereignty and an essential requirement for the development of the country," further said a statement issued by the Ethiopian foreign ministry.

Ethiopian Diaspora contributes to financing the $4 billion hydropower dam being built on Blue Nile river.

(ST)

August 16, 2020 (JUBA) - The Sudanese government and the SPLM-N of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front led by Malik Agar reached an agreement on security arrangements in the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains states, paving the way for the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in Juba.

Sudan Tribune learned from a source close to the talks that the agreement was completed on Sunday evening following a series of meetings between the two delegations chaired by Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim and SPLM-N Chief Negotiator Yasir Arman.

"The two parties have also agreed on a mechanism to reform the military and security establishment, according to which there will be one professional and a non-politicized army that reflects the Sudanese diversity," the source said.

Earlier on Sunday, Dhieu Matouk the Mediation Rapporteur and its official spokesperson announced that the two parties finalized an agreement on the integration of the SPLM-N combatants the forces in the security arrangements file, the path of the two regions, and the mechanisms for developing and modernizing the armed forces and security services remained.

The two sides had already discussed the security arrangements. The weekend meetings discussed the pending issues.

"This is the first agreement to be finalized between the government and an armed group under the mediation of South Sudan, which is a good diplomatic victory for Juba also," stressed the source which is not authorized to speak the press.

The security arrangements are the last issue on the negotiating table in the Juba mediated process for peace in Sudan.

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemetti) Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council and head of the government negotiating delegation will arrive in Juba on Monday flanked by Shams al-Din Kabbashi and Mohamed Hassan Eltaishi two members of the Sovereign Council and the negotiating team.

In a related development, a delegation of the Forces for Freedom and Change will arrive in Juba Monday for talks with the Sudanese Revolutionary Front to discuss preparation of an FFC conference on ways to reform the ruling coalition and build a solid structure.

The delegation includes Omer al-Digair, of the Sudanese Congress Party, Mariam al-Mahdi of the National Umma Party.

The SRF agreed earlier to take part in this conference.

Matouk expected that Hemetti arrival to Juba, on Monday, will accelerate the negotiation process in preparation for the initial signing of the comprehensive peace agreement that "will take place soon" as he said.

Last Month the Higher Peace Council in Khartoum held a series of meeting to determine to the government position on the security arrangements.

The rapporteur of the mediation revealed that the drafting committee tasked with the preparation of the negotiating paper on the security arrangement in Darfur will hand it to the government, SRF and SLM of Minni Minnawi on Monday.

Talks on the security arrangements in Darfur also will be limited to the sticky points in this file.

(ST)

June 29, 2020 (JUBA) - South Sudan President Salva Kiir appointed eight of the ten state governors on Monday while the remaining two states: Jonglei and Upper Nile should be nominated in the upcoming days.

In a presidential decree broadcast by the official TV South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) President Salva Kiir appointed Emmanuel Adil Anthony as governor of the Central Equatoria State, Louis Lobong as a governor of the Eastern Equatoria State. Also, he appointed 8. Alfred Onyango as a governor for Western Equatoria State.

Anthony and Lobong are nominated by the SPLM-IG while Onyango is nominated by the SPLM-IO. The two first governors were the former governors of Yei River State and Kapoeta State respectively.

Kiir also appointed Makur Kulang as the governor of the Lakes State, Bona Panek Biar as the governor of Warrap State, and Tong Aken Ngor as a governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.

The three states are nominated by the SPLM-IG.

According to the deal stroke by the parties, the SPLM-IG of President Sava Kiir nominates six governors while the SPLM-IO of First Vice President Riek Machar proposes three governors and the SSOA nominates one governor.

The decree appointed Joseph Monytuil as the governor of the Unity State and Sarah Kilito who is the SPLM-IO nominee and only female governor of the Western Bhar el-Ghazel State.

Two days ago on 27 June, James Dak the spokesman of the First Vice President said that Riek Machar submitted the names of nominees for the three states of Upper Nile, Western Bahr el Ghazal and the Western Equatoria States.

However, on Monday, Kiir did not appoint the governor of the Upper Nile State.

Also, the SSOA continues to discuss who will be appointed as the governor of Jonglei State.

President Kiir was under regional and international pressure to appoint the state governors. Different reports say the delay in the appointment of governors contributed to the spread of intercommunal clashes particularly in Jonglei state.

(ST)

By Robert Portada

On 5 June 2020, Kerbino Wol announced that he was standing in solidarity with fellow citizens deep in the sacred land of South Sudan and launching the official manifesto of the 7 October Movement.

Nine days later, Kerbino and a group of men were captured and killed by state security forces. The army spokesman stated that the “SSPDF had succeeded in containing a rebellion at infancy.”

To date, Kerbino's remains have not been returned to his family for burial. Rumours persist that his body may have been desecrated and disappeared by the National Security Service (NSS).

The life of Kerbino Wol was much too short. But it was legendary, nonetheless. It was a life he devoted fully to a dream that South Sudan could be great.

Born in 1982, Kerbino's childhood was consumed by war. He was forced to flee his homeland with his family during the liberation struggle and was trained as a child soldier in Ethiopia, where he became a member of Dr John Garang's Red Army. Before reaching adulthood, he would traverse the length of his country many times over, and spend years in the cattle country where he learned the customs of his people. He stood out among his colleagues for his discipline and his knowledge of languages, which allowed him to communicate with people from every corner of South Sudan.

As South Sudan's independence approached, Kerbino was already frustrated by the corruption and violence perpetrated by the SPLA leadership. He decided to leave active duty and strike out on his own as a businessman.

In 2010, he founded Kerbino Agok Security Services (KASS) while employing a handful of private security guards and using a shipping container as an office space. Kerbino sought to build a company that would offer high standards of training for his guards and reliable payment and job security for all of his employees. He hired from every tribal background. He hired women and trained them as guards. Soon, KASS was providing high-level security services to local businesses, NGOs, international organizations, diplomatic missions, and high-profile visitors to South Sudan. Kerbino created thousands of jobs for his fellow citizens and was revered and respected by all who worked for him. Always impeccably dressed, when Kerbino entered a room it was as if the future had arrived.

I met Kerbino in January 2013. I was doing academic research on private security companies, and our early interviews spawned a lasting friendship. Kerbino told me about the hopes and dreams he had for his country, but he was already convinced that the leadership had failed to deliver on the promises of independence.

Later that year, South Sudan would descend into a civil war that would claim hundreds of thousands of lives.

As the years passed, Kerbino grew more and more disturbed by the devastation unfolding in his homeland. But his efforts were undeterred. When South Sudan broke out in further violence in 2016, Kerbino opened his company headquarters to shelter people fleeing for their lives. He created the Nile Foundation, a humanitarian organization with the mission of promoting youth empowerment and national reconciliation. The Nile Foundation would go on to organize business training workshops for students and multicultural football matches for IDPs. In June 2017, I participated with Kerbino in a series of public lectures on peacebuilding and conflict resolution sponsored by the Nile Foundation at universities across Juba. When speaking with young students who were coming of age in conditions of civil war, Kerbino stressed that he too was born into a life of war, and that like him, all South Sudanese could overcome their obstacles and contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous future. The last project I was involved in with Kerbino was an idea he had to build an institute for the comparative study of law in Juba.

Then, without charge or cause, Kerbino was arrested by the NSS on 27 April 2018.

Detained inside the Blue House, Kerbino was not formally informed of the reasons for his arrest. He was not brought before a court. He was denied access to his lawyers and his family. For a regime that requires its people to live in fear and destitution, it seemed Kerbino's only crime was to demonstrate a model of success and charity for all.

For this, he was locked up and beaten. His captors sent agents to abduct him from the prison on multiple occasions, though Kerbino in one instance fought them off with his bare hands.

Months later, after carefully observing the regime's methods of abduction, Kerbino and a group of prisoners noticed that a new round of disappearances was being planned inside the Blue House. In the early hours of Sunday, 7 October 2018, they decided to act. The prisoners opened their cells, disarmed their guards, and broke into the armoury. For one day, they turned the Blue House into South Sudan's Bastille.

They had a simple demand: they wanted their silenced voices to be heard.

The prisoners protected the inmates and established rules of engagement. They informed the government of their position, enumerated their grievances to international news outlets, and called for justice and the rule of law in South Sudan. Though weapons were fired at the facility, the prisoners never once returned fire. They never attempted escape and they continued to insist on a mediated resolution to the standoff. Upon laying down their arms, they willingly returned to their cells.

For their faith in their ideals and the dignity by which they conducted themselves, the prisoners made the 7 October Revolt one of the greatest single expressions of freedom in South Sudan's history. Kerbino felt so strongly about the bravery of these young men that he decided to name his movement after this date.

I can only speak to the authenticity of the Kerbino Wol whom I knew and admired. We became so close we regarded each other as brothers. After he was transferred to Juba Central Prison in
2
June 2019, Kerbino and I began work on a book about his life. I recorded countless hours of conversations with Kerbino while he was in jail, in sessions that would go long into the night.

We discussed the major moments that defined his childhood, from the endless days marching as a child to Ethiopia and back, to the tender nurturing that bonded him to his mother. We discussed the books he was reading, the historical figures he held as his heroes, and how he came to believe that citizenship was both a right and a responsibility. We discussed everything that happened during the 7 October Revolt and the stories of the men who participated. We discussed how the regime nearly starved Kerbino to death in the aftermath, and the circumstances surrounding his trial. And we discussed in minute detail the numerous crimes and cruel methods of torture he witnessed inside the prison system, the abduction and disappearance mechanisms of the NSS, and killings committed on the orders of top officials in South Sudan. In due time, I intend to publish every word of what he told me about these subjects.

Kerbino was released from Juba Central Prison on 4 January 2020, a moment of triumph and euphoria for his loved ones. But an internal crisis was soon apparent. His choices seemed limited to complying with the dictates of a corrupt and murderous system. Indeed, his own efforts to regain his confiscated properties through domestic legal procedures were blocked by the NSS. Perhaps in time, he could rebuild his businesses and his foundation. Doing so would have required him to lock hands with his oppressors and keep his voice silent, placing him back in the same position he was in April 2018.

Another choice was to leave permanently, which Kerbino simply would not do. He loved his country too much.

The constant surveillance and spying led Kerbino to remark to me on several occasions that he felt like he was still in prison. But Kerbino's real trauma was rooted in the suffering of his people. The worst forms of torture he described to me were not the ones he experienced, rather it was the torture he witnessed. In the jails, he saw prisoners beaten, humiliated, starved and killed. After coming out he saw rampant pessimism, young people dying of communal violence, old people dying without care in rundown hospitals. He told me once that he felt the liberty and integrity of his people were being held hostage by the regime. He always tried to walk in the shoes of the poorest around him, and to see life through their eyes.

What a good and selfless man he was. For Kerbino, South Sudan was a sacred land and the freedom of his people was a sacred cause. The idea of falling back into old patterns hung heavy on his soul. He would not cooperate, but he would not leave. He felt instead a deep calling to act.

When Kerbino announced the formation of the 7 October Movement, he stated that he wanted to greet his fellow citizens in the country. He stated that he was standing in solidarity with young people who had taken the lead to liberate themselves from repression and the failed leadership of South Sudan. He stated that his movement was inclusive of all tribes. He stated that peace should prevail over the entire country.

The regime's response was swift and brutal. We do not yet know what diabolical things they may have done to Kerbino and the men who died with him. But after congratulating themselves.

on the speed by which they carried out their assault, the SSPDF spokesperson stated they had received intelligence that provided justifiable reasons to launch pre-emptive offensive operations, without specifying the nature of these reasons.
Did they pause to ask themselves what drove a man who had been a child soldier, businessman, and philanthropist to declare himself an opponent of a repressive system? Did they pause to ask themselves whether their own powers of persuasion could yield a peaceful solution or a negotiated truce? The answers are obvious. Their only instinct was to hunt him down and kill him. Little did they know, his voice, his example, and his life story would only be amplified by this merciless killing.
Kerbino considered himself a good citizen of his country. He was all too modest. Kerbino Wol was the best citizen of South Sudan, a fervent believer in freedom and equality, defiant in the face of despotism, willing to give his life to confront an unjust system. As protestors around the world shout Black Lives Matter to give voice to victims of state violence and repression, Kerbino shouted his principles to give voice to the victims of state violence and repression in his own country. The young people of South Sudan should look to the example of Kerbino Wol with pride. They should study his life and his ideas. Kerbino had so much pride in the young people of South Sudan, and such high expectations of what they could achieve if their collective energy could be harnessed to lead the country.

Evil exists in this world because the vast majority of us do not have the strength and courage of Kerbino Wol. He was a freedom fighter and genuine revolutionary, pure of heart and forever young. He stared evil in the eye and did not flinch. When Kerbino was killed, God was the first one who cried.

His loved ones remember his kindness, his gallantry, his laughter, and his boundless generosity. Many will suffer from the memory of just how much they depended on Kerbino's love and support. They will be left with a giant chasm in their lives. Losing someone like Kerbino is like losing the moon and stars.
They can take a small measure of solace in the knowledge that Kerbino lived and died as a free man. I suspect that in his death, with the wings of an angel and the roar of a lion, he will continue to watch over and protect his loved ones, and he will haunt the weaklings who conspired against him, as well as all men who profit from tyranny.

On the day Kerbino was killed, the last message he sent to me was, “the spirit is strong, my brother.” His hope and optimism remained with him until his final moments. Surely he died in a state of grace.

It hurts to tell this story because it ends with me losing a brother. But as a sacred promise to my brother, I will never stop telling his story.

South Sudan has killed its best. And yet, his spirit is strong. I remain standing eternally in solidarity with Kerbino Wol.

Robert Portada is Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science & Public Administration, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

June 27, 2020 (ADDIS ABABA) -Ethiopia still would be able to start the first filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as scheduled within two weeks, said the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Saturday.

"Ethiopia is scheduled to begin filling the GERD within the next two weeks, during which the remaining construction work will continue," said a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The statement comes after an agreement reached on Friday in a meeting convened by South Africa's President and Chairman of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, including Egyptian President and Ethiopian, Sudan Prime Ministers.

Also, took part in the meeting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita of Mali, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who are members of the AU Bureau of Heads of State and Government as well as Moussa Faki the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

Ahmed's office stressed that the three countries have agreed to "reach a final agreement on few pending matters" during this two-week period.

The Sudanese government on Friday said the two-week time frame was proposed by the Ethiopian Prime Minister.

The meeting further agreed that "the filling of the reservoir should be postponed until the signing of an agreement" between the three countries, further stressed Khartoum.

During a series of meetings from 9 to 17 July the three countries agreed on about 95% of the technical issues related to the filling process, but they failed to agree on the legal binding character of the agreement.

The Security Council is scheduled to discuss the matter on Monday 29 July following a letter filled by Egypt on 19 June followed by similar letters by Ethiopia and Sudan.

Nonetheless, the African leaders in their statement of Friday underscored that the Nile and the GERD are African issues that must be given African solutions.

Also, after the end of Khartoum hosted a virtual meeting, Sudan declined for the second time an Ethiopian offer for a bilateral agreement.

It is worth noting that Sudan wants a coordination agreement between the GERD and its dam on the Blue Nile to protect it. While Egypt wants an agreement on the amount of water released during the first filling period.

However, Ethiopian and Sudanese officials rejected an Egyptian attempt to discuss a water-sharing deal between the three countries.

(ST)

June 28, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (PSC) has urged holdout armed groups to join the peace process in Sudan and requested the transitional government to designate those who obstruct the ongoing efforts.

The PSC discussed the situation in Sudan in a meeting held on 17 and released its decisions in a communiqué published on Friday 26 June.

The meeting welcomed the progress achieved so far in the Juba process for peace in Sudan which started in September 2019 between the government and the armed groups in Darfur and the Two Areas.

The Council further called on the Sudanese parties to expedite the negotiations and conclude a peace agreement, at the same time it appealed on the hold out groups to join the talks without preconditions.

“In the same context, condemns all acts of violence and calls on the Transitional Government of Sudan, working together with the AU Commission, to develop and submit a list of all those not cooperating and obstructionists to the current peace process, in order for the Council to take appropriate actions,” further stressed the statement.

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) remains the only group that rejects the South Sudanese government mediated negotiations.

Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok met the SLM-AW exiled leader in Paris on 29 September 2019 but he failed to persuade him to join the peace process.

Earlier this year, al-Nur said he would launch a new initiative for a peace conference inside the country, but he recently postponed it.

(ST)

June 28, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government will announce on Monday its final position on the outstanding issues in the Juba mediated peace talks for peace in Darfur and the Two Areas with the armed groups.

The armed groups have demand to participate in the transitional government and to allow them to run in the general elections that will follow, besides demanding near the half of the government portfolios and parliament's seats in the transitional institutions. Also, they disagree with the government on security arrangements.

On Sunday, the Higher Peace Commission held a full-fledged meeting, including the Chairman of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo "Hemetti", and Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, among other officials.

"The meeting discussed the six outstanding issues and reached common understandings on it," said the head of the Peace Commission, Suleiman Dabailo, in press statements after the meeting.

Dabailo pointed out that the commission "will present these understandings to the Central Council for the Freedom and Change Forces (FFC) to complement the requirements of the final peace agreement in the country."

"The Commission will hold a meeting on Monday to determine a final decision on the outstanding issues before to inform the Southern Sudanese mediation and the armed groups about it."

Al-Dabilo affirmed that there is a positive trend from all sides in its approach towards achieving peace in Sudan.

A delegation including South Sudanese mediation and three representatives of the armed groups arrived in Khartoum Thursday in a bid to reach an agreement on the sticky points in the talks.

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June 28, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese authorities Sunday arrested Islamists cells planning to stage large-scale riots during demonstrations for justice and formation of transitional parliament that pro-democracy Resistance Committees will hold on 30 June with the broad support of political forces.

The Sudanese youth will take to the streets on 30 June to recall the government of Abdallah Hamdok their demand for justice and trial of those who killed protesters on 3 June 2019 in Khartoum. Also, they want the formation of the remaining transitional period institutions: the legislative council, commissions and generally the implementation of the transitional constitution.

"The police and judicial forces have arrested Islamist cells members planning to incite violence at demonstrations of 30 June," said police officials told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

Already on Saturday, Khartoum state governor said that they have information about plans aimed at to turn processions into chaos. He announced precautionary measures to prevent such violence, including the closure of markets and shops and deployment of prosecutors with the forces who will protect the demonstrators to take legal measures against the rioters.

On Sunday, authorities applied strict measures to prevent possible violence, including closing bridges and evacuating those residing in Khartoum hotels and residences especially those in furnished hotels and apartments. The preventive measure was decided following reports that the Islamists mobilized people from outside Khartoum and paid them hotels and apartments in the capital.

The Resistance Committees and the Organization of the Families of the Martyrs pledged that the itinerary of processions will not include the army headquarters, the presidential palace or the council of minister, but will march through main streets and residential areas.

30 June will mark the first anniversary of the huge protests across the country that forced the military council to negotiate a handover of power to a civilian government after refusing to negotiate with the Forces for Freedom and Change, also the same date marks the anniversary of the Islamist military coup that brought al-Bashir to power in 1989.

However many fear that supporters of the ousted President Omar al-Bashir's regime will infiltrate the demonstrations and spark violence or chant slogans hostile to the transitional government. Several Islamist groups supporting the former regime have called to participate in the marches.

Musab Mohamed Ali, a lector at the political sciences department at Al-Neelain University Khartoum confirmed that there are intense anxiety and frustration because the parties participating in the demonstrations are from the opposing sides, i.e. government and opposition supporters.

"The resistance committees call, through the 30 June march, to correct the transitional period by completing the structures of governance and just retribution, while opponents of the transitional period see it as an opportunity to end the transitional period and shorten it as they call to form a new government," said Musab.

The political analyst did not rule out the violence, and warned of "frictions that may create chaos, because the numbers of the demonstrators may be large and difficult to control, and this requires high-security measures for the million and mobilizing an emergency room from the security forces."

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June 27, 2020 (JUBA) -The spokesperson for the South Sudan Patriotic Movement Stephen Lual Ngor denied differences within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) and asserted its unity and cohesion.

media official Stephen Lual Ngor (ST photo)

Ngor was reacting to reports about a new disagreement between the alliance leaders about who to nominate as the new governor of Jonglei State.

Media reports said the minister of higher education Denay Chagor has been picked by several groups for the position of the state governor while others are backing the nomination of Majok Diel for the same position.

"All the factions of the alliance are united and there is no reason for friction," said Ngor.

"All of us will participate in the government institutions in the national unity government, state governments and local governments as well as the parliament," he further said.

SSOA during the first power-sharing had obtained the Upper Nile State but the SPLM-IO's objection to the deal brought President Salva Kiir and his first deputy Riek Machar to strike a second agreement on 17 June allocating Jonglei to SSOA and Upper Nile to SPLM-IO.

Ngor, however, said that SSOA forces initially wanted to reclaim the Upper Nile State and had undertaken contacts with the presidency to emphasize their rejection of Jonglei State.

He further pointed to a statement supporting the 17 June deal issued by SSOA secretary General Lam Akol saying it has been issued without prior consultation with the alliance leadership council.

The Secretary-General's statement supporting Kiir-Machar deal "violates the SSOA constitution, which gives the right to make decisions to the leadership council".

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June 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's ruling partners discussed in a joint meeting on Saturday the processions that the Resistance Committees will organize next Tuesday and decided that the Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok would address the nation on this occasion.

The Resistance Committees, gathering youth at the neighbourhoods' level who backed the four-month revolution and now the main popular supporter of the transitional government, will stage national rallies on June 30th, to demand the government implement the transitional programme announced in term of justice and democratic reforms.

The joint meeting of Saturday included the Sovereign Council, the Council of Ministers and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), in addition to the delegation of armed movements visiting Khartoum.

"The meeting discussed the arrangements for the launch of the processions, in remembrance of the Sudanese revolution, which was achieved with the blood of the martyrs that will not be in vain," said Siddiq Youssef a leading member of the FFC in statements after the end of the joint meeting.

He added that the parties discussed demands included in the memoranda submitted by the organizers to the Sovereign and Council of Ministers and the FFC.

The families of the martyrs demand to expedite the trial of the leaders of the ousted regime, achieve peace, and bring to justice those involved in the killing of protesters during the attack on the pro-democracy sit-in on 3 June 2019.

On the other hand, the political and professional entities call to complete the structures of the transitional authority including the formation of the Legislative Council and the appointment of civilian governors.

The deputy head of the Umma National Party, Maryam Sadiq al-Mahdi, said that the meeting agreed on the need to respond to the aspirations "the patient people". Also, she announced the formation of a joint room for follow-up the processions across the country.

She added that the meeting agreed that "there will be an important letter from the Prime Minister on this occasion that addresses the issues raised through the important memorandums submitted by the Resistance Committees and the families of the martyrs."

On Saturday the Prime Minister announced that he had received a progress report from the Commission of Investigation into violations committed during the attack on the sit-in camp by the security forces outside the general command of the Sudanese army on 3 June 2019.

It is worth mentioning that the National Umma Party participated in such meetings for the first time after it had frozen its activities during the past months in the FFC alliance because they declined its calls for reforms of its structures.

For his part, Lt Gen Yasir Alatta, a member of the Sovereign Council, affirmed that the military establishment has laid down plans to protect the youth of the revolution in all their celebration sites.

There are security reports saying that the supporters of the former regime plan to use this occasion to carry out riots and sabotage actions in the capital Khartoum.

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June 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudanese government expressed hopes to reach an agreement on the pending issues with the visiting delegation of armed groups within the next twenty-four hours, paving the way for the signing of a peace agreement in Juba.

The statement was made by Omer Monis Minister of the Cabinet Affairs after a meeting held in Khartoum to discuss the outstanding issues in the peace talks including the transitional government, the Sovereign Council, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), and a delegation representing the armed movements negotiating in Juba.

Monis affirmed that all the participants agreed on the need to achieve peace as soon as possible, stressing it is a top priority for the transitional period in Sudan.

"From this evening until tomorrow, we hope that the dialogue between the mediation, representatives of the armed struggle and the transitional institutions as well as the (government's) political incubator (FFC) will lead to results that herald the good news speeding up peace," he said.

He further stressed that the parties agreed on most of the issues raised during the meeting.

The government and the armed groups have failed to strike a deal on the power-sharing at the national level as the demands of the movements have been seen excessive in Khartoum.

The movements want to have 4 seats at the Sovereign Council, 9 ministries at the transitional government and 140 of 300 seats of the transitional legislative council.

Also, Darfur groups demand 60% of the transitional institutions in the western Sudan region and $13 billion during the upcoming 10 years.

The Sudanese minister said that all the participants praised the tremendous efforts made by the government of South Sudan to bring peace to Sudan, in the interest of the two countries. He underscored the strong relations between the peoples of the two countries and their desire for peace and development.

For his part, Tut Gatluak, the Chief Mediator said that the delegation of the Armed Struggle Movements (expressed used after the withdrawal of the SLM- Minni Minnawi) presented their vision to address the outstanding issues to the meeting and discussed all national issues.

Gatluak further said that peace in Sudan is imminent.

The security advisor to President Salva Kiir reiterated that South Sudan and its leader President Salva Kiir is determined to achieve stability and peace in Sudan.

He further said that the mediation carried the message of peace to Khartoum and that the arrival of the delegation of the armed groups to Sudan before the signing of the peace confirms their seriousness and readiness to achieve peace.

(ST)

By: Hussein Arko Menawi

When we look at the political timeline in Sudan it gives us strong evidence, how the political future in Sudan is critical, bleak and confusing. It is also a good reference to understand to what extent our political forces are unable to accept and manage change. Change is something inevitable but if there is a resistance to that change, it would be uncertain how long the change takes place, what complications are in its process and how the process navigates to its final destination. Another important question is that who manage this change? As William Arthur puts" The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist adjusts the sails", how and who adjusts the sails for the process of formation of Sudan is our major question of this topic.

Due to wars in the margin, notably, there has been a big change in our political environment but to what extent the change is conceivable to our politicians and how far they are ready to respond to the change.

If time went back, and there is a window was opened to view the political events that came within the period of independence or the generation immediately after the independence, surely politicians would discern clearly in what type of socio-political environment did they practice politics at that time compared to the new development occurred in many aspects of the current political environment in Sudan. The political interaction of several decades since independence has made the weight of political events change. This change happened in a very complicated political process.

In fact, from the perspective of many Sudanese as well as outsiders, they see Sudan is a country in a process of formation but this process is crippled by huge distrust resulted from a long-standing conflict in which engaged all the diverse components of the society.

Politically the consequence of fierce long-standing military and political conflict is the new situation in which the balance of power has become uncertain and fluctuating. However within uncertainty there are many indicators suggest that the rules of the political game currently are not absolutely under the control of the traditional politics, rather, the rules are in a continuous shift in favour of the marginalised people. Undisputedly the process of change has been in a continuous evolution breaking the barriers of the conventional game of power manipulation exercised by the political leaders who tried to win the game or get access to power just for the sake of a small sector of the Sudanese at the expense of the large and diverse community of Sudan.

The game of political decision monopoly in the country by a minority after exiting the condominium rule from Sudan has gradually faced a pressure from active counter marginal political forces who have started to engage in confrontation with the central government since 1955 in Torit, Southern Sudan at that time, and this situation has created an atmosphere of no common loyalty among the Sudanese.

The clear evidence to this allegation is that since the independence never happened throughout the history of Sudan all the Sudanese have come together to express their opinions in a shared loyalty on an issue whether a national issue or issues related to foreign positions. Although there are some factors have influenced the process, the war in the margin as changing instrument is the most influential factor that steadily making a very strong impact on the process of changing Sudan. When tracing the process back, it seems that since mutiny in Torit in 1955 the mechanism of war has proved to be an only invariable factor among many negative variable factors influenced the process, especially factors like sporadic coup d'etat, mismanagement of foreign policy and the policy of ideological-oriented intervention into our politics.

In spite of politics of gun mussel that made a great shift in the power balance in Sudanese politics, in addition to the catastrophic events that have coloured our political scene, it seems that the political parties in Khartoum still see politics in Sudan only within the conflict over their vested interests. It is really ridiculous when the political parties in Khartoum don't consider political evolution that strongly in connection with the military violence overshadowed by the war in South Sudan, Darfur region and the Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains where most populations categorized under marginalization.

During this diabolical war environment of more than half a century, there a crystal political evolution or say the political process has been snaking its way to somewhere not clearly its destination is predictable, or in other words, where and when the process would be anchored. But what a predictable is that the old politics that dominated political arena for decades is giving way to dynamics resulted from the interaction of marginalised people in war-torn regions.

The political development resulted from the wars brought political forces from the margin into a line of power conflict with completely different issues and different tools from that prevailed in the post-independence period until April 1985 uprising.
The political mobility that dominated the political scene in Sudan, whether during October uprising or during April 1985, was just a class struggle between political parties on privileges that can only be obtained through power manipulation and the nature of the conflict is not beyond common routine demands such as public service or basic needs or how to share in power and thus, the political elites were unable to address the roots of the Sudanese crisis, neither during October 1964 nor during April uprising 1985. Now, what a ridiculous is that the political scene after accumulated similar experiences that lasted for decades still the political parties are stuck in the square of 1964 & 1985, while the old political landscape of Sudan has shaken tremendously under the seismic of brutal wars in the margin. In spite of a change introduced by the conflict in the margin, unfortunately, what's going on now is a feverish political competition over power privilege and social class interests and the competition is taking roots every day deeply to colour our political landscape with gloomy future. When we look at the political position of the traditional parties led by FFC particularly their resistance to peace whether, in Addis Ababa or Juba, the competition over narrow privileges has become more intensive than before Ironically, the power-hungry opponents of this competition are still the same political parties even if they are under new names. It's also notable that the conflict still a copy of the old practices through a new dimension of Center versus margin has become dominant. Ie.there is still a high degree of hostility between extremist ideologies, especially between those of political Islam and the entire forces of the left. The growing tension between the two blocs now is about to reach the peak and every day there is enough evidence that their confrontation is imminent. After the collapse of the NCP regime, the tension has become more acute among the traditional political forces than the tension between the fighters in the margins and the central government.

The confrontation between left and right forces definitely will not exceed the limits of historic longstanding disputes between the two blocs and for that, they are now preparing for a final showdown and for sure the fundamental issues of Sudan, particularly the issues that ignited war in the periphery are not of their concerns.

It is true that since the collapse of the NCP dictatorship nothing has been achieved. While many claim that the new government needs ample of time to eradicate the presence of NCP from the state organs, however, this is not an excuse for the government to focus on minor issues without giving a priority to peace and the current situation is a very clear indication that if the issue of peace not addressed, definitely it will lead to political chaos. Let's say we need time to address the chronic and heavy legacy that Sudan inherited during the past decades, including the legacy of the 3o years of NCP regime, but what unrealistic phenomenon is that politics remains static and stuck on old practices and doesn't respond to changes but continues to revolve within the orbit of the same old ideas.

It is an extraordinary and a critical political situation, it is not a coincidence, it has been developed mainly by, the traditional political parties even if there are other suspects. It is so difficult to find out a safe exit when vision becomes very blurred and the main focus is how every political party to win the battle over power controlling without taking into consideration the issues of the margin and the size of the political change that has been brought by the margin wars into the political scene. What makes things more pessimistic is that, instead of directing the state's capabilities to manage crises and address key issues, the political parties are now lining up for an imminent battle against each other and the worst is the one connected to components of transitional government both the military component and the civilian one. The differences within the government not only seriously affected the future of the transitional period and its interim government but it also particularly impeded the progress of the ongoing peace process in Juba.

March 7, 2020 (LONDON) – The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) Thursday released the first-ever alert warning against money laundering by corrupt South Sudanese officials in the British territory.

"The NCA is issuing this alert to companies based in the United Kingdom (UK) about the possibility that some South Sudanese senior foreign public officials (..) who may be engaged in corruption and human rights abuses in South Sudan, and those who enable such activities, may use the UK financial system to move or hide proceeds of corruption or purchase real estate and other assets in the UK," read the statement.

The law enforcement agency called for the collaboration of the UK companies, particularly financial institutions, real estate agencies, accountants, lawyers, notaries, and others to identify suspicious activities by corrupt South Sudanese.

"This report focuses on corrupt South Sudanese senior foreign political figures or PEPs who engage in human rights abuses or violations, and their financial enablers," said the report.

On 6 September 2017, the U.S. Treasury Department alerted the financial institutions about the possibility that certain South Sudanese senior political figures may try to use the U.S. financial system to move or hide proceeds of public corruption.

The U.S. investigation group, The Sentry, released a report in September 2019 to denounce international partners who work with corrupt South Sudanese officials to clean their looted money through the international banking system.

George Clooney and John Prendergast, the co-founders of The Sentry, welcomed the alert of the UK's lead law enforcement agency on South Sudan.

"The UK should be strongly commended for joining the United States in serious efforts to counter the criminal exploitation of the global financial system at the expense of millions of suffering, abused, and displaced people in South Sudan," said Clooney.

"Today, peace in South Sudan is possible, but only if the nations of the world recognize their responsibility to counter the greed-fueled networks that profit from massive suffering and human rights abuse,” added Prendergast.

(ST)

March 7, 2020 (JUBA) - Thomas Cirilo the head of the National Salvation Front (NAS) has cautioned South Sudanese that the formation of the transitional government will not bring peace in the country.

Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka, the ex-SPLA deputy chief of general staff for training (youtube photo)

On Thursday Cirilo issued a statement to mark the third anniversary of NAS establishment on 6 March 2017.

"The National Salvation Front would like to caution the people of South Sudan on this historic day that the recent political development in the country is not the dawn of peace in South Sudan. I urge you to be vigilant and not to allow yourselves to be deceived," he said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

The opposition leader who rejected the revitalized peace agreement of 12 September 2018 described what is taking place in Juba nowadays as a distribution of positions among the political elite in "total disregard" to the aspirations of the people.

"The R-TGONU cannot address state failures and effect reforms when it is the main beneficiary of these failures," he stressed.

He further pointed out that a sustainable peace can only be effective when the root causes of the conflict are addressed in an credible and inclusive process.

A genuine peace requires to address "the issues of governance, security sector establishment, ethnic domination, justice and accountability, management of the people's resources, and land issues among others," he said.

NAS and its allied holdout groups in the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance (SSOMA) have engaged peace talks with the government in a process mediated this time by the religious community of Sant'Egidio.

The government and SSOMA signed the Declaration on the Peace Process in South Sudan on 12 January 2020; and Rome Resolution on Monitoring and Verification of CoHA 2017 on 13th February 2020.

The parties are expected to resume talks after the formation of the revitalized transitional government of national unity.

(ST)