South Sudan hunger deepens due to drought, floods and uncertain political future (12.12.2019)

ROME/JUBA The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is in a race against time to mobilize vital funds to feed millions of people in South Sudan as hunger advances on a population in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Catastrophic flooding over recent months is pushing the country and its people towards a precipice as the year ends amid intense political instability.

Up to 5.5 million South Sudanese are projected to be going hungry in early 2020 – according to forecasts from the last food security data prepared by Government and United Nations experts [1]. The number of people in need is likely to increase because of the catastrophic level of destruction caused by floods since October following a drought that hammered parts of the country earlier in the year.

“With all the catastrophes around the world, the last thing we need is another,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “We know the problems that we’ve been having in South Sudan, but the rains and the floods have led to a national disaster and are much worse than anyone could have anticipated.”

“In fact, if we don’t get funding in the next few weeks and months, we are literally talking about famine. We need support, we need help and we need it now,” he added

Close to 1 million people have been directly affected by flooding that destroyed 73,000 metric tons of potential harvests and wiped out tens of thousands of cattle and goats on which people depend for survival.

Humanitarian assistance provides a lifeline in most areas of South Sudan. In 2019, WFP ramped up its assistance to reach 4.6 million with life-saving support but now needs US$270 million for the first half of 2020. Of this, WFP needs US$100 million in the next month to buy and pre-position food ahead of the rainy season in May 2020.

The Government declared a state of emergency in late October in Bahr El Ghazal, Greater Upper Nile and Greater Equatoria because of the floods, calling for international assistance to be stepped up.

Famine in South Sudan was defeated after four months in 2017 by a concerted large-scale humanitarian response. Experts now say the country’s food security outlook has never been so dire.

Council of Governors: Jamhuri Day Message (12.12.2019)

Cameroon: National Assembly – Bureau Order No. 40/04 – 2019 (11.12.2019)

Sudan peace talks: Troika statement (11.12.2019)

Troika statement on the resumption of peace talks with Sudan armed opposition groups.

The UK, US and Norway have issued a Troika statement:

On December 10 the various Sudanese armed opposition groups met in Juba to resume peace talks. The success of these talks will be critical in Sudan’s journey towards ensuring lasting peace. The United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway (the Troika) welcome the resumption of these talks. It is our sincere hope that all interested stakeholders will join these talks and show a renewed spirit of cooperation, pragmatism, and realism to ensure these negotiations succeed. This is what the people of Sudan expect and deserve.

For too long, internal conflict was waged at the expense of Sudan’s most vulnerable people. Only lasting peace will ensure that the humanitarian and security needs of those in the areas affected by the conflicts can be met and for those marginalized areas to benefit from the changes ushered in by the creation of a civilian-led transitional government.

We urge all sides to support the formation of the Transitional Legislative Assembly and appointment of civilian governors (known as walis) by the end of December 2019. We furthermore encourage all sides to come to the talks without pre-conditions. Progress in the talks will maintain confidence in building a stable, secure, democratic and inclusive Sudan where all Sudanese are equal. It is vital that all sides demonstrate the political will to work together, and engage productively, to find solutions to outstanding issues. If they do so they will have the support of the Troika.

RDC: Commissariat Provincial du Nord-Kivu – Communique Officiel (10.12.2019)

Tchad: PLEPT – Communique no. 002 (09.12.2019)

Opinion: Anticipating a rocky road for Bobi Wine

It is not that I wish anyone ill, I don’t, but knowing how the “orders from above” works and seen how the opposition has been treated over the years. I just know how this will play out. Even as the People Power Movement (PPM) and Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine MP plans to hold his consultations in 2020. It will not be without any hurdles.

There will be consequences, just like him jumping on campaign trails and joining forces with other opposition activists for the various by-elections during the 2018 and 2019. That is just the way it is.

The first and foremost. The PPM and Bobi Wine will be served with new criminal charges, if this is “inciting violence”, “unlawful assembly” and so-on. It will catch on and they will also told that they didn’t file the paperwork accordingly to the Public Order Management Act and surely pinned with some charges from the Penal Code. That just happens.

Secondly, the security outfits will monitor, block venues, follow the convoy of Bobi Wine. They will seal of hotels, they will detain activists and local organizers. They will ensure that the radio stations are losing their licenses and so-on. That just happens.

If the PPM and Bobi Wine still try to access the venues and such, there will be live-bullets, arrests and people hurt. There will a bath of tear-gas on the public, there will be road-blocks and will be damage of property.

The Police Force will say the supporters are rowdy, are hoodlums and thugs, while it was the police and armed state officers who fired the first bullet and tear-gas at the venue. The state will say the PPM didn’t act correct according to codes, even if they have negotiated for months for the stadium and whatnot in whatever county they were visiting.

In this manner, the Presidential Consultations, the meeting of locals and such will be with fury. It will be testy and will not be easy. If you thought Amama Mbabazi and Dr. Kizza Besigye have had it hard. The upstart and the rising star Bobi Wine will feel it too. There will be abducted mobilizers and stories of impunity within the range of the consultation season.

If not, the state has had a change of heart, which I doubt. It wouldn’t be shocking if the state tried to pull-off house-arrest and “preventative arrest” of Bobi Wine and close associates. Since, that way they can contain him in Wakiso district.

This state will use all means, because the old man doesn’t feel the love anymore, people are tired of him. That is why they use all means. To think otherwise is naïve, after seeing other campaigns and election cycles under Museveni.

We just know and will not be shocked, because this is scheduled programming. Peace.

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine letter to the Electoral Commission – Re: Notice of Intention to Conduct Consultations (03.12.2019)

RSA: The People’s Dialogue – Together, Mashaba and Maimane to engage South Africans in The People’s Dialogue (11.12.2019)

RSA: Economic Freedom Fighters Statement on Load Shedding (10.12.2019)