August 29, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM)'s secretary-general Yasir Arman said that the Sudanese government will not accept to implement the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in favour of peace and democratic reforms without more internal and external pressures.
On Monday 24 August 2015, the AUSPC held a hearing meeting for first time with the Sudanese opposition groups. On the day after, it issued a decision reiterating its call for a national dialogue preparatory conference the government has previously rejected.
In written statements he extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday, Arman welcomed the AUPSC's decision, adding that it does not contradict with the opposition's agenda for popular uprising and armed struggle to achieve political change in Sudan.
"If the regime does not feel the uprising is knocking its doors and that military action is shaking its forts, it would not accept a comprehensive peaceful solution or a constitutional national dialogue," he said.
Arman said further that issues including calls to stop war, humanitarian access to affected civilians, comprehensive solution and the constitutional conference should serve for political mobilization and to attract all those who are interested by change even the Islamist seeking for new agenda based on the recognition of the other.
"We will not accept partial solutions and will not give up the demands of our people for change. Also we do not reject any new opportunity leading to national constitutional dialogue providing that it should be a balanced process and not controlled by the National Congress Party (NCP)," he stressed.
Sudanese government last March refused to participate in a two-day pre-dialogue meeting to discuss and agree on procedural matters relating to the dialogue process which should be held inside the country.
At the time, the government said hold the meeting two weeks before the elections will send a negative message to the voters and vowed to take part in such meeting after the elections.
However, President Omer al-Bashir told the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki who is tasked with the facilitation of the national dialogue that the government can resume talks with the rebel groups before they join the constitutional process.
In a meeting held on 3 August, Bashir further said that the holdout opposition political parties can join the process stressing that his government would not concede to their demands for a conducive environment and will not wait them.
National Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi on Friday said the opposition Sudan Call forces are willing to participate in the internal process but stressed they the dialogue should not be controlled by the ruling NCP as it is the case now and also insisted on the need to implement a conducive environment before.
Arman called to involve regional bodies like IGAD, and countries including Chad, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), permanent members of the Security Council, Germany and Norway.
He added that the international participants will recommend after the process to normalize Sudan relations ending the current isolation of the country.
(ST)
August 29, 2015 (JUBA/TORIT) - A South Sudanese journalist has gone missing nearly month after he was allegedly arrested and detained by security operatives in Eastern Equatoria state, his relatives and community members told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
Clement Lochio Lormonana, formerly a reporter with Gurtong Trust, was arrested on 6 August in Eastern Equatoria's Budi county, the Haula community, an association of the Didinga and Buya communities in Canada and the United States, said in a statement.
“[We are] writing to express urgent concerns […]to circumstance of South Sudanese journalist missing after being detained by South Sudan security forces on August 6,” partly reads the statement signed by the Haula diaspora group.
“Clement Lochio Lormonana was arrested in Chukudum, Budi County, with two friends when government security agents showed up in their hut in the middle of the night, rounded them up, and took them to the military barracks,” added the statement.
Eastern Equatoria governor, Louis Lobong Lojore, declined last week to answer queries regarding the arrest of three individuals in the capital, Juba. He instead said any suspect arrested by security forces would be investigated and then released if found innocent.
South Sudanese journalists operate in an extremely insecure environment and the recent killing of a reporter in Juba by unknown gunmen has increased more fear. The death of Peter Julius Moi brings to seven the numbers of scribes killed in South Sudan this year.
According to the Huala group, Lormonana and his brothers Amin Venansio and Nailo Venansio, were immediately placed in solitary confinement and tortured after their arrest.
“Even after Clement's arm was broken and Nailo started coughing blood, abusive interrogation went on uninterrupted,” the group further claimed in their statement.
Relatives said Lormonana and his brother were last seen being loaded onto a military vehicle.
“Nothing has been heard of them ever since. All attempts by the community to secure their release while still in Budi County failed", the community said in their release.
According to the Huala community, in the months leading to Lormonana's arrest, the journalist had shared his worries with his family members and friends because he allegedly received death threats and was reportedly being followed in Juba by stalkers.
"He found it necessary to leave his family and journalism work and go into hiding in Uganda and Kenya. The family abroad helped with his living expenses. He returned this month to Chukudum his home town hoping it would be a safe haven,” the group said.
Authorities in Eastern Equatoria are yet to comment on Lormonana's alleged arrest or whereabouts.
Front Line Defenders, a Dublin-based international human rights body, has asked the South Sudanese authorities to "unconditionally" release the renowned human rights defender.
(ST)
August 29, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudanese armed opposition faction of SPLM-IO has condemned government forces for allegedly continuing with military offensive against their bases in violation of the peace agreement signed by the opposition leader, Riek Machar and president Salva Kiir on 17 and 26 August, respectively.
“SPLM/SPLA condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued military offensive by forces of the regime in Juba against bases of SPLM/SPLA in Unity and Upper Nile states. Government forces on Friday shelled our bases in the west bank of the River Nile near Malakal, Upper Nile state's capital,” said James Gatdet Dak, spokesperson of the opposition's leadership, in a press statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday.
“This is a serious violation of the terms of the peace Agreement signed on 17th and 26th August 2015 by the principals of the two warring parties and declaration of Permanent Ceasefire which shall come into effect at midnight of 29th August 2015,” he said.
Dak said three ferries and six boats carrying troops and mounted with heavy weaponry have been shelling their defence positions along the river in Unity state as they proceeded to Malakal.
“We suspect that their plan is to launch a full scale offensive against our bases around Malakal,” he added.
He called on the international community to exert pressure on the government to stop the war and abide by the declared ceasefire.
Government officials however denied the accusations and blamed the fighting around Malakal on the opposition fighters.
The two warring parties have declared permanent ceasefire to come into force by Saturday midnight, but it remains unclear if this will be respected.
(ST)
(B2) Un soldat du 21e RIMA (régiment d’infanterie de marine) de Frejus, le 1re classe Baptiste Truffaux, est décédé jeudi (27 août) dans le cadre de l’opération Barkhane au Mali annonce l’Etat-Major des armées dans un communiqué laconique. Il « participait à la protection de son unité » quant il a été atteint par « un tir accidentel déclenché par un soldat français ».
The Ministerial Meeting on Cross-border cooperation against terrorism and rail security takes place on 29 August 2015, in Paris.