South Sudan: Minster of Information, Communication Technology and Postal Services and Spokesperson of the Government on the Current Security and Political Developments in the County (05.03.2025)

South Sudan: Joint Press Statement – The Ambassadors of IGAD in Juba urge the RTGoNU to immediately address the ongoing armed violence in Upper Nile State (05.03.2025)

South Sudan: Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – In Opposition (SPLM-(IO) – Press Release (05.03.2025)

Ethiopia: The USAID termination is hurting Addis Ababa hard

“Over 85 percent of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ethiopia have paused operations following the Trump administration’s clampdown on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), sources told The Reporter. CSOs working on human rights, peace, health, and development issues have especially been affected by the cutoff of funding from the US Agency, while others are also facing serious disruptions, according to the sources. “Large CSOs in Ethiopia used to access up to 70 percent of their funding from USAID. Now they’re in crisis,” a representative of a prominent CSO told The Reporter, speaking anonymously. “We’ve suspended five of our projects due to the aid suspension.”” (Ashenafi Endale – ‘USAID funding freeze leave over 85pct of Ethiopian nonprofits crippled’ 01.03.2025, The Reporter Ethiopia).

The ones not thinking the termination of the USAID contracts, grands and programs haven’t seen it or thought of the impact. The Prosperity Party and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia must be feeling a pinch.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali should be stressed in his palace. As the Ministry of Health has to stop paying employees and medical personnel. The USAID paid for at least 5000 people for the PREFAR program alone. The medicines and treatment against HIV/AIDs have now been stopped. Therefore, we know things are only getting worse.

Just like all other Humanitarian Assistance in coordination, funded and logistically delivered through the USAID will also be hit. This will cause more trouble in Ethiopia. As these sorts of programs have been used to feed the internally displaced people and the ones who are living in refugee camps, as they have needs awaiting ability to return home or safe travels to Sudan or elsewhere, which they fled warzones across the border from Ethiopia. Therefore, there is millions of people in need and this USAID terminations will only create more suffering.

There is already knowledge of disruptions of humanitarian assistance earlier in February when the USAID paused the payouts. Now that things are terminated, we can only imagine the damage it does to the World Food Programme and UNAIDS or any other bilateral organization who is helping the needy in Ethiopia.

The Prime Minister and FDRE must be worried, as they have no leverage and have little to fight for here. Unless someone wants to fill in the void. The USAID terminations and such are hitting the Ministries. This is hurting an economy that was already weak and tumbling over the years of internal conflict. The warlords of Addis Ababa need foreign funding, because it doesn’t have enough domestic revenue. That’s why Prime Minister will feel the pinch and lack of easy money.

The PM needs viable funding and external support to cover his deficits, as his not creating or able to have enough stability to make it a rising market. Ethiopia has a big need for assistance, both government and citizens, as the state are accustomed to foreign assistance and aid. Abiy knows this and has lost a vital source in the loss of USAID.

Now the PM has to either find money or let people go. Neither are the money that can vanish or misuse, as the FDRE needs to find other sources to cover their deficits. That’s we should worry about what will happen now. The innocent lives are the ones that is in the purge and abandoned by the USAID. The FDRE have also left them behind, because they expected someone else to pay their tab. The EPRDF and PP haven’t changed this and only allowed for this to happen. As there was no Plan B if the USAID stopped to operate. There was always the idea that the foreigners would come in as saviours. Now we have to wait and see, but this will create more insecurity and possible famine as well. Therefore, things aren’t looking good for Ethiopia. Peace.

South Sudan: IO Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol arrested today!

“Pres Kiir orders arrest of Petroleum Minister in latest violation of R-ARCSS: SouthSudan Minister of Petroleum Puot Kang has been arrested by forces loyal to Pres Kiir in Juba on Wednesday. It’s the latest escalation by Pres kiir against Machar’s SPLM-IO party” (Juba Daily News, 05.03.2025).

“Puot Kang Chol, one of the senior SPLM-IO figures along with his family members arrested by NSS in Juba today at 2:00 am. He was accused of collaborating with White Army against SSPDF in Nasir” (Ezekial Garang, 05.03.2025).

In Juba the continuing to arrest high-ranking officials and officials in association with SPLM/A-IO or the IO. These are the appointees and the officials, which are holding office as a part of the R-ARCSS. This is J1 and the authorities’ picking sides and there is now allegations that the IO is working in collaboration with the White Army in Nasir County, Upper Nile state. Alas, the White Army has dismissed that, but the J1 and the authorities believes this.

There is now rumours and more speculations on what is going on. There was already concerns and such about the mass arrests yesterday. That is happening as the White Army has been able to take Nasir town. This cannot be downplayed, but now the state arrests people, instead of finding solutions or listening to the youths who arms themselves in the Upper Nile state. That’s what the J1 should do, but instead its going against the IO without proof or evidence.

Now rumours of a house-arrest of Dr. Riek Machar. If that happens, than we are in a slippery slop and returning to skirmishes again. We are then returning to the Machar versus Kiir again. They are going back to start and returning to conflict. That instead of resolving matters and ensuring stability. This is so fickle and just worsening the situation by every hour.

The J1 and President Kiir is causing more harm by doing this. He isn’t assuring people and creating more insecurity. This man is playing with fire and using fire to end it. That isn’t what you are supposed to. However, that is the choice and what he does.

SPLM/A-IO or IO are now targeted and most likely more arrests coming their way. Only the ones going into hiding that can get away. The J1 and President Kiir is going after them. He hasn’t arrested others or implicated them. No, he does it to one group and its deliberate.

There is trouble brewing and this is a dangerous precedent. Peace.

Opinion: Trump’s Imperialism is here!

“$8 million to promote L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of” – President Donald J. Trump (04.03.2025).

If you think that the United States will be a reliable or a trusted ally in the next few years. Under President Trump there will be more conflict and more territories in question. Yesterday’s speech in Congress proves what sort of reign that is coming from the United States of America.

The Trump Administration and the Trump Foreign Diplomacy isn’t about peace. The wordings and how he talks about territories says it all. Not just his ignorance about other nations and mocking them like Lesotho. He doesn’t know about the Kingdom of Lesotho. However, that isn’t shocking, as nobody from there has given him a “deal” or let him build a tower in the 1980s in Maseru. If they did, he might have known about them.

Nevertheless, let us just look at these statements about Greenland!

“And I also have a message tonight for the incredible people of Greenland. We strongly support your right to determine your own future. And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We need Greenland for national security and even international security. And we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it. But we need it really for international world security. And I think we’re going to get it — one way or the other, we’re going to get it. We will keep you safe. We will make you rich. And together, we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before. It’s a very small population but very, very large piece of land and very, very important for military security” (Trump, 04.03.2025).

The ones knowing that Greenland is a part of Denmark. Denmark who happens to be a part of the European Union and NATO. That Greenland. We are seeing the huge island again in eyes of Washington D.C. That’s because of the rare earth minerals and the reports of possible extraction of just that. This is mining and wanting to control that. It isn’t about security or about defending North American hemisphere. That is the shield for taking over Nuuk and the whole Greenland. Not like the Republicans has cared or the GOP has had programs where this has mattered. We know this is just blatant warmongering and imperialism.

This is challenging an ally in NATO, which happens to be Denmark. The Danish are now waged war against and such. The U.S. will have to send troops and annex the Greenland territories. Is that the future of the U.S. and is this who the U.S. Government has become?

President Trump continues…

“To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it. Just today a large American company announced they are buying both ports around the Panama Canal and lots of other things having to do with the Panama Canal and a couple other canals. The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others. But others could use it. But it was built at tremendous cost of American blood and treasure. 38,000 workers died building the Panama Canal. They died of malaria, they died of snakebites and mosquitoes. Not a nice place to work. They paid them very highly to go there knowing there was 25 percent chance that they would die. The most expensive project also that was ever built in our country’s history, if you bring it up to modern-day costs. It was given away by the Carter administration for $1. But that agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China; we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back” (Trump, 04.03.2025).

We are seeing a President that is distorting and wanting to downgrade the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, which gave way to guarantees and securities of Panama Canal to Panama. That was to be done by the year of 2000. Now 25 years since that, the U.S. President is taking away the guarantees and the security of the agreement. This sounds like something Kremlin and Russia due to a nation they have agreements with. Now, President Trump is following the book of Putin. He does it to Panama and Putin did it to Ukraine.

U.S. Department of State archive says this about the agreement: “President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian Chief of Government Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Treaty on September 7, 1977. This agreement relinquishes American control over the canal by the year 2000 and guarantees its neutrality. On May 4, 1904, Panama granted the United States the right to build and operate the canal and control the five miles of land on either side of the water passage in exchange for annual payments” (Panama Canal Treaty of 1977).

If you trust Trump Administration or Washington D.C., your time is up. Just like in the first term. President Trump froze funds and stopped to participate in signed agreements. Meanwhile blaming Iran and others of not following it. Which is really showing the two-faced diplomatic missions of the U.S. in regard to anyone else.

The ones believing in Trump or having peaceful actions in mind. They are completely wrong… and he is willing to wage war over the territories of Greenland and Panama Canal. Whatever agreements made in past doesn’t matter. What only matters are the whims of Trump and whatever ignorance believes he has for the moment. That’s what we are seeing.

This is naked imperialism. That all it is. Trump wants to be a colonial master and be a supreme ruler with massive territories. It isn’t for the betterment of the United States, and neither is it for the needs of the people of Greenland or Panama. No, this is about giving himself more power and have a bigger empire. Peace.

RDC: Twirwaneho – Denonciation du Genocide des Banyamulenge par les FARDC, les FDNB et les Groupes Armes Locaux et Etrangers (04.03.2025)

South Sudan: Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – In Opposition (SPLM-IO) – Office of the Representative – United States of America – Deteriorating Security Situation in Juba for the SPLM/A(IO) Leadership (04.03.2025)

South Sudan: United People’s Alliance (UPA) – Press Statement (04.03.2025)

South Sudan: The Naath White Army has taken Nasir Town [Will J1 listen to their plea now?]

The White Army of Nasir County wishes to make it clear to the regional bodies—IGAD, EAC, and the International Community—that we are not an army. We are civilians who took up arms to protect our women, children, and communities from the brutal attacks of the Agwelek and Abushok militia, who have been slaughtering innocent people. We strongly oppose the continued presence of the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) in our county, as they have engaged in years of killings, rapes, and destruction of our communities and property. In response to these atrocities, we requested the Government of National Unity to replace them with Unified Forces, as agreed upon in the peace process. Instead, the government has sent us the Agwelek and Abushok militia, who are not part of the unified forces and do not represent peace. We want to make it unequivocally clear to the government in Juba that we are not affiliated with any political movement, including SPLM-IO. We do not support any political party or armed faction. Our only concern is the safety and well-being of our people. We do not want militias in Nasir. To His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit, we appeal directly to you: we are civilians living under the government of South Sudan, not an army. Do not listen to the false narratives labeling us as a military force. No territory can have two armies—we respect that principle and demand the government does the same” (White Army – ‘We Are Not an Army—We Are Civilians Defending Our People’ 04.03.2025).

Ter Chuol Gatkuoth, a White Army leader, told Radio Tamazuj that the group drove South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) out of the town early Tuesday, capturing their military barracks in Wei-Yar-Adiu and seizing heavy weaponry and a troop transport barge. “We clashed with government soldiers this morning and chased them away. They are now in the bushes,” Gatkuoth stated. He claimed heavy casualties on both sides, with over 20 White Army fighters killed and an unconfirmed number of SSPDF soldiers dead” (South Sudan 24, 04.03.2025).

There was already signs that there was escalation and concerning movements in the Upper Nile state. That has been on the horizon for a moment. Now the worry is over to a new sort of paradigm, as the J1 and the R-TGoNU have lost their way.

The SSPDF has had to flee and leave Nasir Town as the Naath White Army has been able to overrun the army. That is a tale in itself and an achievement. This has happened in a haste and quickly, as the SSPDF and such have called for de-escalations and this fall of the town only happens within 48 hours or 24 hours since there was an emergency meeting in Juba on the matter. Therefore, the utter failure is upon the state.

The Transitional Government that is currently arresting and detaining high-ranking officials. That is busy capturing and arresting people allegedly in connection with the White Army in Juba. They are detaining both high ranking officers, but also ranks from within the SPLM-IO. While the White Army itself claims to be of no affiliation. Therefore, the state is maybe operating on their own accord and scapegoating the SPLM-IO for own benefit.

This is a failure of the state, as it is not securing or keeping the civilians. The civilians feels so unsafe and doesn’t trust its army. That they end up fighting it for their defence and their own security. That is what is told here. The White Army already warned the state earlier this year and now it is official.

This here is far from over. The White Army is on the rise and the SSPDF is now known for shelling and burning villages. It isn’t known for defending them or being their guards. That’s why the youths and the people are supporting the White Army. This is a detriment to the failure of the state and government itself, which should have avoid this to begin with. The youths are doing this because they know Kiir and J1 doesn’t listen to them anyway. This is why they grab arms and does it in self-defence.

Things are only more shaky from here. The actions in Juba isn’t making things better either. Distrust, tension and a lot of unknowns, as the White Army has risen and conquered the national army. That’s saying something. J1 needs to act wise and possibly listen to the Nuer youths of Nasir County and Nasir Town. As they have spoken. They know their words and their petitions wouldn’t be heard, but the usage of guns and ammo would make the likes of Generals in the capital to listen. Peace.