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May 30, 2016 (BOR) - Boma state, a region cocomprising mainly of pastoralists, is yet to get the 20 tractors promised to each state by the South Sudanese Presdent, Salva Kiir.

Tractors to be sent to Baidit payam in Jonglei state February 27, 2016 (ST)

Plans to increase food production in Boma state, through engaging its redundant youth in agricultural activities had been marred by failure to secure the 20 tractors meant for the state population, according to the Boma state governor, Baba Medan Konyi.

“We did not manage to receive our share of tractors this year from Juba. Majority of the people, whom we wanted to engage on agriculture, especially the youth, are now redundant. Very few have cultivated around their homestead, on less than a fedan. This cannot support them in any way”, he told Sudan Tribune in Pibor on Saturday.

The communities in Pochalla and Anuak are said to have tried best, using their manual hand tools to cultivate reasonable sizes of their farms. He however said the Murle had not done much in farming due to several challenges it's communities had been faced with.

“One of the reasons is that man in Murle don't cultivate, they only go after cattle, while women remain at homes to do the rest of the jobs, including cultivating for the family. Maize is the common crop they plant, but what they plant cannot feed them for even a month”, stressed Medan.

“So there was a need for us to train them on large scale food production and to teach men that farming is not only for women”, he added.

Medan said failure of the tractors to arrive, indicated that the status of food security in the state would still be low next year, urging the humanitarian to step in for help.

In other places, large section of the communities spent the entire year moving from one place to another with their cattle as they searched for green pastures.

“We will target this communities by making them settle, so that they begin to cultivate to have enough food for the rest of the year. This will give their children a chance to access education”, said Medan.

(ST)

May 30, 2016 (WAU) – The Muslim fraternity in South Sudan's Wau state on Monday elected Bashir Dor as the Islamic Council's new secretary general.

Wau Islamic Council's secretary general Bashir Dor, May 30, 2016 (ST)

In an interview with Sudan Tribune after he was elected, Bashir said he would work to ensure the council recovers all lost properties of the Muslims.

He, however, vowed to closely work with the state government to ensure success.

Top of council's priority, its secretary general said, would be to unite Muslims in Wau.

“We thank God for bringing me as the secretary general [Islamic] Council of Wau state. This of cause is not by accident, but by the very big work done by my brothers and actually our programs will start from now onwards in order to recognise the Islamic properties in the state and then to unite Islamic groups,” he said.

Bashir further acknowledged the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in the state, but promised to further strengthen these existing ties.

Bashir replaces Sheikh Fuad Hassan who was murdered in Wau county in 2012.

The Muslims, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life report, Muslims in South Sudan accounted for about 6.2% of the country's population.

(ST)

May 30, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has seized copies of Alwan newspaper on Monday for the second day in a row without stating reasons.

Alwan Newspaper

NISS has recently intensified crackdown on the newspapers and confiscated copies of Al-Taghyeer, Al-Saiha and Akhir Lahza newspapers for two days in a row.

Also, print runs of Al-Gareeda newspaper were seized five times within one week.
On Sunday, NISS confiscated copies of Alwan from the printing house while on Monday the newspaper was seized after it had reached the distribution centers.

The editorial board of Alwan said it is not aware of the reasons for the confiscation and pointed that the NISS didn't contact them to explain the causes of the move.

It added that the newspaper might not publish on Tuesday in fear of a third confiscation.
Some journalists said the confiscation was likely a retaliatory measure agsinst Alwan for publishing an interview with the leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) Gibril Ibrahim on Sunday.

It is noteworthy that Alwan is owned by the popular Islamic figure Hussein Khogali.

Sudan's constitution guarantees freedom of expression but laws subordinate to the constitution such as the National Security Forces Act of 2010 contains articles that can be potentially used to curtail press freedom and instigate legal proceedings against newspapers and individual journalists.

NISS usually accuses the newspapers of crossing the red lines through publishing reports which adversely impact the national security.

Sudanese journalists work under tight daily censorship controls exercised by the NISS.
They say that NISS uses seizures of print copies of newspapers, not only to censor the media but also to weaken them economically.

(ST)

May 30, 2016 (JUBA) – The leadership of the Emmanuel Jieng [Dinka] Parish has released a statement, saying it regretted the violent protest which occurred inside their church in the capital, Juba on Sunday.

Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth

They also said the church leadership had convinced the top priest in charge who announced he was resigning over the embarrassing situation caused by Dinka youth protesters, to reconsider his decision and continue leading the church.

The tribally-named Emmanuel Jieng Parish is a branch of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan with Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul as its overall leader in the country.

On Sunday, several protesters were arrested inside the church by security personnel after staging a protest against the church leadership for inviting the First Vice President, Riek Machar, an ethnic Nuer, to the ethnic Dinka church service on 22 May, where he preached the need for peace, reconciliation and forgiveness among the people.

Machar also urged the congregation to support the implementation of the peace agreement he signed with President Salva Kiir to end the 21 months of the civil war.

Since his arrival in Juba on 27 April, Machar visited different churches on Sundays and Saturday with different congregations of different tribes, repeating the same message of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness.

However, his appearance on Sunday, 22 May, in the ethnic Dinka church, which is predominantly of Dinka Bor members from Jonglei state, angered some members of the congregation who walked out in protest, accusing the church leadership of inviting an enemy.

On Sunday, 29 May, a week later, protesters, mainly young people, allegedly incited by politicians inside the church, almost interrupted the church service and demanded that the top church priest who invited Machar last week resigned.

The Dinka Bor youth who stormed the church carried banners of pictures and names of their three senior dead army Generals who were killed in action between 2013 and 2014 while commanding government troops against Machar's opposition forces.

The Emmanuel Jieng Parish's top priest, Reverend Joseph Maker Achiek, after witnessing the chaotic situation, decided to resign, which he announced immediately on Sunday.

Also Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth, a respected veteran priest who was also in the attendance and witnessed the chaotic scene, was seen crying while conducting a closing prayer in the church.

The statement released by the church on Sunday evening, however said the church's top priest, Pastor Achuek, will continue to lead the Emmanuel Jieng Parish, describing the protesters who demanded his resignation as not members of the church.

“The Parochial Church Council regrets over the row initiated by non-congregants during the church service at Emmanuel on Sunday, the 29/05/2016. The row-group were dressed in black T-shirts holding pictures of Late Generals Abraham Jongroor Deng and Kuol Malith Reech and also indicated the name of Ajak Yen who were killed in the recent war. Their intention was to provoke the church into chaos, which did not happen,” partly reads the press statement signed by Solomon Manyang Jok, the church secretary.

“The group claimed to be disappointed by the visit of the First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar Teny last Sunday, the 22nd May 2016, accusing the church to have allowed him to pray and addressed the congregation, because they termed the church to be tribal while the church is the body of Christ where everybody has right to exercise his Christian rites,” the statement further reads.

He said the government's law enforcement personnel intervened and apprehended the protesters, but added that the church administration sent a delegation to the security organ to release them later.

“As a result of the row, the Parish Priest, Rev. Joseph Maker Achiek was emotionally moved and uttered his resignation, which the Council termed as slippery of tongue. Based on this, the Church Council called the Parish Priest immediately to withdraw his statement, which he did,” he said.

“We as a church do urge our members and the community at large to remain calm and show away from this barbaric act of this group and click into the spirit of love, harmony and unity as children of God,” the statement added.

(ST)

May 30, 2016 (BENTIU) – At least 5,320 Bul Nuer currently living at the United Nations Protection of Civilian (PoC) site at Jebel-Kujur, a suburb of the South Sudan capital, have urged the country's leaders to speed up the ongoing peace implementation process.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir (C) poses for a picture after the government swearing in with his first deputy Riek Machar (R) and second deputy James Wani on 29 April 2016 (Photo Moses Lomayat)

James Tut Wuliny, a Bul Nuer community leader, said the peace deal signed in August last year, between warring parties was the only option to end conflict.

He however said South Sudanese leaders should explain the importance of peace among citizens in the young nation.

Wuliny says both President Salva Kiir and his first deputy, Riek Machar had vital roles to play in efforts to promote peace and unity in the country, despite the two year conflict.

“We are taking this initiative as Bul [Nuer] community leaders that President Salva Kiir Mayardit and his first deputy in the formation of transitional government of national unity had a task to stop random killings and looting of properties experienced in this unwanted three years of crisis,” he said.

The official lauded both leaders for their commitments to the ongoing implement of the country's peace accord, but said more need to be done in sensitizing the population.

“This courageous step you have taken shall save the country from economic crises and it will also restore trust between the tribes broken into ashes by the crisis,” he said.

Wuliny said the populations of Mayom, one of the counties in Unity state, fully support the peace deal and that it was time for people to forgive each other for crimes committed.

“We call upon all people in South Sudan to say sorry to one another and accept ourselves as one people serving one nation with a purpose,” further stressed the Bul Nuer leader.

James Gatluak Madiet, a displaced Bul Nuer currently living at the UN protection of civilian base in Juba, said a reconciliation campaign successfully kicked off on Sunday.

“The reconciliation campaign started today in UNMISS [UN Mission in South Sudan] will open doors to all peace lovers countrywide and also in the diaspora because without telling the truth to the affected communities, there will be no peace and the grievances will remain,” said Madiet.

The campaign is the first ever event organised by the Bul Nuer community at a UN protection site, since the conflict broke out in the South Sudan capital in December 2013.

(ST)

May 30, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir would head his country's delegation participating in the upcoming Arab League (AL) summit which will be held in the capital of Mauritania, Nouakchott in July, said Sudan's state foreign minister

Sudanese President Omer HAssan al-Bashir arrives in Khartoum after a flight from Johannesburg on June 15, 2015 (AFP Photo/Ebrahim Hamid)

Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.

The Sudanese president visited Mauritania two times since the ICC issued the arrest warrants.

Mauritania is not a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, and therefore has no obligations under the statute. However, the ICC chief prosecutor, Fatu Bensouda, had in the past asked Saudi Arabia and Egypt who are also non signatories to the statute to arrest Bashir.

Sudan's State Foreign Minister Obied Allah Mohamed stressed the need to discuss ways for implementing the Arab food security initiative launched by President Bashir during the meetings of the 3rd Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Riyadh in 2013.

He praised the support rendered by the AL to Sudan particularly with regard to peace and development issues, stressing Sudan's support for the Palestinian cause as the central and pivotal issue for the Arab and Islamic nation.

Obied Allah, who participated in the AL foreign ministers emergency meeting in Cairo on Saturday, expressed hope that the French initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace could achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to the establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Commenting on the situation in Libya, the Sudanese minister pointed to his country's efforts within the mechanism of the neighbouring countries of Libya to settle the differences among warring factions, stressing Sudan's support to the internationally recognized government headed by Faiz Al-Siraj.

Obied Allah further welcomed the AL resolutions supporting peace and development in Sudan, demanding the regional body to support the exit strategy of the peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) following stability and improved security situation in the region.

He also urged the AL to support Sudan's demands for lifting the unilateral coercive economic sanctions imposed on it by the United States besides removing its name from the U.S. list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Washington imposed economic and trade sanctions on Sudan in 1997 in response to its alleged connection to terror networks and human rights abuses. In 2007 it strengthened the embargo, citing abuses in Darfur which it labelled as genocide.

Also, Sudan has been on the US list of countries supporting terrorism since 1993, for allegedly providing support and safe haven for terrorist groups.

The Sudanese minister praised the support rendered to Sudan by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt and Qatar, expecting the AL summit to urge the UN Security Council to consider the adverse impact of the U.S sanctions on human rights in Sudan.

(ST)

Le deuxième procès en assises pour Simone Gbagbo débute ce mardi 31 mai à Abidjan. Après avoir été condamnée une première fois il y a un an à 20 ans de prison pour atteinte à la sureté de l'Etat, l'ex-première dame comparait à nouveau pour répondre des chefs de crime contre l'humanité, crimes contre les prisonniers de guerre et crimes contre les populations civiles, commis lors de la crise postélectorale de 2010-2011. Mais avant même son ouverture, ce procès est déjà critiqué. Outre le fait que la CPI réclame toujours Simone Gbagbo, les parties civiles remettent en cause la crédibilité de la procédure et la défense y voit un procès politique.

Cinq casques bleus togolais sont tombés dimanche 29 mai dans une embuscade à Sévaré, non loin de Mopti au centre du Mali. L’armée togolaise, qui compte un millier d’hommes au sein de la Mission des Nations unies au Mali (Minusma), est basée à Douinza avec des détachements à Gosso et Sévaré. Les militaires togolais étaient en patrouille dans un véhicule de reconnaissance.

Le ton se durcit entre l'Otan et la Russie. L'assemblée parlementaire de l'Alliance atlantique a appelé ce lundi 30 mai ses alliés à se tenir prêts à répondre à la « menace potentielle » de la Russie contre l'un d'entre eux. Une déclaration qui clôt une session de trois jours qui s'est tenu à Tirana, la capitale albanaise.

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