August 10, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) - Ethiopia's prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn is in Uganda to attend the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development summit on South Sudan.
The summit comes one week before the 17 August deadline set by mediators for South Sudan warring factions to ink a final peace agreement.
Peace talks between South Sudan government and the armed opposition faction aimed at ending its ongoing civil war resumed in Addis Ababa last week under the IGAD-Plus peace initiative.
The IGAD-Plus mediation involves the United Nations, African Union, the Trioka trio of the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway, the European Union (EU), China as well as five African countries.
Analysts say the young nation could be slapped with more sanctions and an arms embargo should the conflicting parties failed to accept a regional peace and power-sharing deal by 17 August, 2015.
The Ethiopian prime minister will meet the Ugandan, Sudanese and Kenyan heads of states to discuss the current situation in South Sudan and developments on the ongoing peace negotiations.
Regional leaders, officials say, will consult on ways how to push the two warring factions reach a final peace agreement to arrest 20-months long running conflict and form a transitional government.
The summit will also discuss a range of regional issues including on the political crisis in Burundi and security situation in Somalia particularly the fight against the Islamic terrorist group, Al Shabaab.
Despite mounting regional and international pressures, the two South Sudanese rivals are yet to reach a comprehensive peace deal.
The conflict, which erupted on December 2013 has killed tens of thousands and displaced over two million people in South Sudan.
Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Ethiopia said the number of South Sudanese refugees crossing borders is on the rise.
The agency said fighting in South Sudan has continued to drive more refugees, mostly women and children into neighbouring Ethiopia.
According to the UNHCR, on average, 211 South Sudanese stream across the border into Ethiopia at a daily. Most of them, it said, are entering through the Pagak, Akobo, Burbiey and Raad entry points of Gambella state that borders the world's youngest nation.
Nearly 285,000 South Sudanese have reportedly entered Ethiopia since conflict erupted in the South Sudanese capital, Juba in 2013. These numbers stated do not reportedly include the nearly 65,000 South Sudanese who were in Ethiopia before conflict broke out.
(ST)
August 10, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan's former vice president, Riek Machar, leader of the armed opposition faction of the governing Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM-IO), has relieved and appointed more officials of the movement in a series of orders.
The opposition leader in an order he issued, dated 6 August, relieved Oyet Nathaniel Pierino from his position as chairman of national committee for political mobilization and orientation, and reappointed him as governor of the newly created Imatong state in Eastern Equatoria, per the rebels proposed 21 federal states in South Sudan.
“Pursuant to April 2014 Nasir Consultation Conference resolutions, I, Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon, hereby appoint Cde Oyet Nathaniel Pierino as Governor of Imatong State,” reads the order extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday.
Machar also relieved Major General Mabor Marier Makoi as governor of Rumbek state and appointed Major General Khamis Abdel Latif Chawaul, replacing Makoi as new governor of Rumbek state. Chawaul was previously in charge of rebel forces in the state.
The opposition leader appointed Major General Wesley Welebe Samson as governor of Mid-West Equatoria state. Samson has been leading an anti-government force in the government's controlled Western Equatoria state.
He also appointed Matata Frank as governor of Yei River state, which is curved from Central Equatoria state in accordance with the proposed new states based on elevation of the old colonial districts in South Sudan.
The rebel leader further relieved Timothy Tot Chol from his position as chairman of national committee for Federal System Development. No replacement was yet named.
The changes also come as the two principal rival leaders, president Salva Kiir and Machar are expected to sign a final peace agreement on 17 August.
The East African regional bloc, IGAD, which mediates between the warring parties has given chance for further negotiations before the deadline.
IGAD-Plus said it would incorporate into its compromise peace proposal document any issue that may be agreed between the two parties in the course of the 10 days of negotiations, but would impose its document to be signed on 17 August in case of no agreement between the parties.
(ST)
August 10, 2015 (JUBA) - South Sudanese rival forces have traded accusations in which each side attempted to hold the other responsible for launching a fresh attack on positions held by the other in violation of the non-operational ceasefire deal. The attacks came despite resumption of the peace talks in the neigbouring Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Humanitarian workers and local state officials in Parieng county, Unity state, told Sudan Tribune on Sunday that heavy fighting erupted on Saturday between government forces and armed opposition fighters.
The clashes came three days after the resumption of the 4th round of peace talks under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and its international mediation partners.
It was not immediately clear which of the warring parties initiated the attack on the other. Military officers from both sides have provided statements depicting the other to have carried out the attack.
Spokesperson of the government forces, Colonel Philip Aguer, in a statement on Sunday claimed that forces loyal to the former government-allied militia commander, turned rebel, Johnson Olony and the fighters allied to the former vice president Riek Machar launched “a coordinated and joint attack” on the positions held by the government forces in the area.
The military officer, however, downplayed the strength of the opposition fighters, asserting that the clash lasted only for a few hours before "the attackers were repulsed.”
“The fighting continued from morning up to mid-day,” said Aguer. “By afternoon, the attackers were repulsed and the SPLA is controlling the area.”
Several of the leading opposition figures also claimed during an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune on Monday that government troops "launched coordinated attacks" on the positions held by their fighters in Unity state after their forces reportedly came “under sustained heavy shelling" for two days on Thursday and Friday.
“You know, it is always the habit of the government to attack the positions held by our forces when we are in negotiations with them. They instigated these attacks with intention to bolster their negotiating positions at the talks,” Abdullah Kuot, spokesman of the armed opposition fighters under the overall command of General Dau Aturjong in Bahr el Ghazal region told Sudan Tribune on Monday.
“Everybody knows this tactic and it is not a secret that the government is entirely responsible for these unnecessary attacks motivated by its desires and attempts to recapture oil fields under our control, but they will not succeed," he said.
Kuot further claimed that they also received reports from the headquarters of the opposition leader that the government troops attacked opposition-held areas in Leer and Mayendit counties in the oil-rich Unity state during which many lives were reportedly lost on both sides of the conflict.
The two warring parties, president Salva Kiir's government and the opposition under Machar's leadership, are given till 17 August to sign a final peace agreement to end the 20-month long civil war or risk impositions of sanctions on any party that will refuse to sign the peace deal.
(ST)
August 10, 2015 (RUMBEK) - A decision by the education ministry in South Sudan's Lakes state to dismiss two teachers has drawn lots of criticisms from civil servants.
Isaac Magual John and Sebit Mapuor were unfairly dismissed from the education ministry in Lakes state over the weekend.
For instance, in a 31 July letter, the education ministry accuses Magual of loss of civil and political rights, unjustified absence and unsatisfactory performance, which it says justified his recent sacking.
“Therefore, the ministry of education in consultation with the ministry of labour, public service and human resource development and the government of the state has decided to terminate your contract/service with the ministry of education with effect from 1/7/2015,” partly reads the termination letter Sudan Tribune obtained.
Another controversial decision was reportedly taken on July 29, 2015, which saw Mapuor eventually dismissed from the education ministry.
The decision allegedly came at the same time Magual was demoted from a grade 7 to grade 10 teacher effective 1 July, 2015.
Lakes state education ministry officials further claimed in the letter that Magual declined to take up a new assignment given to him in Rumbek East county, allegations he denies.
Magual on the other hand says his dismissal was simply a cover up to destroy several evidences of corruption allegedly committed by senior education officials in the state.
(ST)
(B2) Quatre véhicules blindés de la mission d’observation de l’OSCE en Ukraine garés à l’extérieur du logement des observateurs à Donetsk ont pris feu dimanche (9 août). Les observateurs s’en sont rendus compte vers 2h25 du matin. Plusieurs explosions sont survenues peu après : c’était en fait, l’explosion des pneus des véhicules blindés selon l’OSCE. Au final, trois véhicules de l’organisation ont été complètement détruits, un véhicule lourdement endommagé et trois autres véhicules partiellement endommagés. Aucun observateur n’a été blessé. Incident ‘criminel’ selon l’OSCE.
Inacceptable pour l’UE
Un évènement « inacceptable » a commenté un porte-parole de la Haute représentante de l’UE dans une déclaration reçue par B2. D’autant qu’il suit d’autres incidents subis récemment par les observateurs de l’OSCE avec une de ses équipes qui s’est retrouvée récemment sous des tirs croisés de combats à Chtchastia et Shyrokyne. Ce qui s’apparente en quelque sorte à une volonté sous-jacente d’intimider les observateurs pour les faire déguerpir de la zone.
« Il est de la plus haute importance que les parties assurent la sécurité et la liberté de mouvement des observateurs de la mission de l’OSCE sur tout le territoire de l’Ukraine, comme spécifié dans son mandat, établi et prolongé à l’unanimité par le Conseil permanent de l’OSCE » rappelle l’Union européenne. Et d’insister. Cette mission « joue un rôle crucial dans le suivi et la vérification de la mise en œuvre des accords de Minsk, qui est la base pour une solution durable du conflit ».
Une violation caractérisée des accords de Minsk
« La nouvelle escalade du conflit augmentant le nombre de victimes à la suite d’attaques (NDLR des séparatistes) sur plusieurs zones contrôlées par le gouvernement, aujourd’hui (11 août) et dans la nuit du 10 août, sur Starohnativka, viole l’esprit et la lettre des accords de Minsk » a précisé le porte-parole dans une autre communication publiée mardi (11 août dans la soirée). « Les accords de Minsk doivent être mis en œuvre de bonne foi, à commencer par la pleine observation du cessez-le feu et un réel retrait des armes lourdes. Un nouvel élan doit être donné aux négociations au sein du Groupe de contact trilatéral, permettant la mise en œuvre intégrale des Accords de Minsk dans les délais convenus pour la fin de l’année. »
(NGV)
Mis à jour le 11 août avec une réaction détaillée de l’UE sur la violation des accords de Minsks