Government of the Sudan, the African Union and the United Nations 24th Tripartite Coordination Mechanism Meeting on the African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (26.09.2017)

Agreed Outcome.

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 26, 2017 – On 22 September 2017, representatives of the Government of the Sudan (GoS), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) met in New York for the 24th meeting of the Tripartite Coordination Mechanism (TCM) on UNAMID.

The GoS delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Elghani Elnaim Awad Elkarim, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Sudan. The AU delegation was led by H.E. Ambassador Smaïl Chergui, the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security. The UN delegation was led by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, Ms Lisa Buttenheim, and the UNAMID delegation was led by the Joint Special Representative, H.E. Ambassador Jeremiah Nyamane Kingsley Mamabolo.

In their remarks GoS, AU and UN welcomed the progress made in the implementation of Phase one of the UNAMID’s reconfiguration plan, and committed to work in the same spirit of mutual cooperation and support towards the implementation of Phase two and beyond. In this context, the Government of Sudan requested details on the establishment of the temporary operating base in Golo, to which UNAMID committed to reply.

While welcoming the remarkable progress to date on the release of shipments, the issuance of visas and the facilitation of movements of UNAMID in Darfur, the Tripartite undertook to resolve the outstanding issues pertaining to the effective implementation of UNAMID mandate.

The representatives of GoS, the AU and the UN look forward to continuing their work in the same constructive atmosphere towards the successful completion of UNAMID’s mandate.

Opinion: IGAD wants sanctions revoked against Sudan, the Employee wants to deliver for its Member!

Ambassador Mahboub Malim said this in August: ““First of all, I am an employee of President Kiir, among other presidents. So, to ask me what I can tell him, is like asking your house helper to tell you to change something in your house. But this is on a light note” (Lumu, 2017).

Again, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) had their meeting in Khartoum, holding their Inter-Parliament Union there. So to show their loyalty between the IGAD Parliamentarians, they have decided that in good faith and also their support of the Republic of Sudan. Member States are clearly now getting positive service and to the government inside the IGAD. Therefore, the supporting effect of the IGAD is dwindling down, since it is more a big microphone, than actually being there for strengthening the nations themselves.

The final communique has called for revolting the unjust economic sanctions imposed against the Sudan so that the country would take its natural position at the regional and international arenas. The conference has meanwhile called for boosting the roles of the government in achieving peace and raising awareness on issues related to environmental questions. The conference also stressed the need to put in place legislations that encourage agricultural investment, urging government to exert more efforts for the stability at home and to refrain from intervention in the domestic affairs of others” (SUNA, 2017).

Khartoum, Sep. 18 (SUNA) – Meetings of the 12th session of the Executive Council and Ninth Conference of the Speakers of Parliaments of the IGAD Member States were Monday concluded at the Friendship Hall. The conference recommended lifting of the American sanctions being imposed on Sudan to enable it restore its normal position at the regional and international levels” (SUNA, 2017).

That IGAD wants the Sudanese government to get their sanctioned ceased. This while the arms are getting distributed in Darfur. Also the troubles in Blue Nile State. The Sudanese State are clearly involved with crimes against humanity and the vicious violence against their own citizens. Therefore, the IGAD proposing to end sanctions should have made more progress. As even militias and state army has inflicted hurt to UN PoC Camps in Darfur. If they want the moral high-ground they should actually make sure one of their states are in peace. That Sudanese government can work with SPLM-N and other opposition parties in the Republic.

IGAD are now acting indifference to the situation, as the government has troubles with their domestic affairs. Since they have civil-war in Darfur. There is also trouble in other states, as well as the relationship and the border states of South Sudan. IGAD should try to make sure the Sudan government had made sure for peace, not to build-up their confidence and think they could get away with violence in Darfur, that continues for years upon end. And still continuing! Peace.

Reference:

Lumu, David – ‘IGAD boss applauds Uganda on South Sudan’ (23.08.2017) – New Vision Article

Sudan News Agency – ‘IGAD Parliamentarians Call for Revoking Economic Sanctions against the Sudan’ (18.09.2017) link: http://suna-sd.net/suna/showNews/354065/en?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Sudan News Agency – ‘Ninth Conference of the Speakers of Parliaments of the IGAD Member States Concluded in Khartoum’ (18.09.2017) link: http://suna-sd.net/suna/showNews/354068/en?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Burundi: CNARED-GIRITEKA Lettre au Secrétaire Général des Nations Unies António Guterres (18.09.2017)

Opinion: The Ethiopian Financial Market is plummeting…

The Ethiopian People’s Republic Defense Force (EPRDF) Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn have ordered to fix economic problem the government has. EPRDF has been hailed for their financial growth, but with this sort of news. You know the growth and the reality is far from the truth. Ethiopia News Agency: “International Consultant of Trade, Investment and Economic Development, Dr. Taffere Tesfachew said on the occasion the fact that African countries are performing better than the global average is testimony to how far Africa is coming over the decade. He noted that the economic growth of countries like Ethiopia and Ivory Coast is highly impressive at this time when other African countries are struggling with one or two percent growth” (ENA, 2017).

So I have to question the economic growth, as the Forex Woes and the remittance from the diaspora are proving otherwise. Together with the need of more foreign aid to solve the famine of the drought. So the World Bank clearly knows the troubles of the Ethiopian government since they did this:

The World Bank today approved a $600 million International Development Association (IDA)* grant to support the Government of Ethiopia’s vision of building a national safety net system to provide effective support in chronically food insecure rural areas, including providing cover during droughts. The Rural Productive Safety Net Project (RPSNP) supports the evolution of the Government’s umbrella Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) that has been in operation for the last 12 years and is one of the world’s largest safety net programs in the world. Run by the Government, the PSNP pools money from 11 donors, including $600 million of World Bank Group IDA funds. The PSNP provides regular cash or food transfers to 8 million people; currently 4 million of them are in areas affected by the ongoing drought. Its food-for-work component supports public works programs related to landscape restoration, irrigation, and agro-forestry” (World Bank, 2017).

So, when the World Bank gives this as a support of the government. You should take it serious and know the problems of the state. The need of financial support and to make sure drought doesn’t affect the starving citizens. EPRDF are doing badly and now the Forex Companies has to pay of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) for the debt to Enterprise in Djibouti. Look!

Foreign Forex Woes:

The directive of foreign currency allocation entails all banks must sell foreign currency to a sector whose importance is very high. The banks are required to give priority to payments authorized by the central bank such as foreign loan, supplier’s credits, interest, profit, dividend and excess sales of foreign airlines. Hence, all banks are required to sell the currency collected from importers, although the current direction is high, according to a banker with almost two decades of experience. “Even though I agree with the fact that we shared the responsibilities with CBE,” said one of the vice president of a mid-sized bank. “But requesting such amount of Forex in a short time might lead to crisis.” Yohannes Ayalew (PhD), vice governor and chief economist of the central bank, disagrees. “It is a collective responsibility of all banks whether the call was quick or not,” said Yohannes. “There is no reason to ask CBE to cover all the payments.” The Forex shortage in the country has been haunting the country for years. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, in his press conference with local media nine months ago, admitted that the Forex crunch would last for the coming two decades” (Addis Fortune, 2017).

NBE Directive to pay of debt to Djibouti:

National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) gave order to private banks in Ethiopia to pay the 15 million USD bill the Ethiopian Shipping Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE) to Djibouti’s company. The banks are, according to Fortune, given 3 days to sell the foreign currency to the Enterprise. The order is said to have come when the entire country is in short of foreign exchange. The shortage came following the drop in the country’s export performance and remittance earnings. ESLSE owes the money to the port of Djibouti and the central bank gave the order for every bank including the government owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE)” (Addis Fortune, 2017).

Beset by the ever expanding informal channels of remittance, Ethiopia may continue to grapple with shortage of hard currency unless swift and collective measures are put in place, ‘Scaling up Formal Remittance to Ethiopia’ report discloses. A billion dollar transaction takes place via informal channels with 78 percent of the total remittance passing through informal networks in Ethiopia. Some experts believe that the transfer of money through unregulated channels will also likely result in illicit financial flow and dealings. The seizure of 541,659 USD around Harar is a recent indication of informal corridors of hard currency. Informal channels happen to be lophooles for global terrorism and corruption. It will open doors for illegal activities, people may use it to collect huge sums of money for their own dangerous causes, says Ethiopian Financial Security Director General Gemecu Weyema” (Gebrehiwot, 2017).

All of these articles proves the problems of the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) and their lacking foreign exchange. This has become a problem as the remittance hasn’t come through the formal channels, as the informal economy are big in Ethiopia. Together with drop of foreign exports that has also hurt the amount of exchange.

Clearly, the government of Ethiopia has a bigger problem that they want to reveal, as the NBE and the Foreign Exchange is plummeting. Therefore, the need at the same time for World Banks loans. Shows the dire situation of the economy. It is not like the Ethiopian News Agency would speak ill of own government and their policies. Since, the propaganda of own growth are more important, than actually telling about the weakness of the economy. This is a reality since the financial policy of Forex Exchange is in favor of the NBE.

This can also make it more profitable to for an informal market, instead of in the open market. The Ethiopian government really needs foreign exchange to pay of debt and use all their means. Instead, they are trying to cover-up their troubles, as they have debt to Enterprise in Djibouti and have troubles with the famine caused by drought. Peace.

Reference:

Addis Fortune – ‘Ethiopian Government Orders Private Banks to Cover ESLSE Forex Needs’ (12.09.2017) link: https://www.ezega.com/News/NewsDetails/4679/Ethiopian-Government-Orders-Private-Banks-to-Cover-ESLSE-Forex-Needs

Addis Fortune – ‘Ethiopia: NBE Ordered Banks to Cover ESLSE’s 15 Million USD Bill’ (13.09.2017) link: http://www.2merkato.com/news/alerts/5220-ethiopia-nbe-ordered-banks-to-cover-eslses-15-million-usd-bill

Ethiopia News Agency – ‘Gov’ts Need to Act Together to Achieve Economic Success: UNCTAD 2017 Report’ (14.09.2017) link: http://www.ena.gov.et/en/index.php/economy/item/3705-gov-ts-need-to-act-together-to-achieve-economic-success-unctad-2017-report

Gebrehiwot, Desta – ‘Ethiopia: Informal Channels Raise Red Flag On Forex Earning’ (14.09.2017) link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201709140729.html

World Bank – ‘World Bank to Help Ethiopia Build a National Safety Net System as a More Effective Response to Droughts’ (14.09.2017) link: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2017/09/14/world-bank-to-help-ethiopia-build-a-national-safety-net-system-as-a-more-effective-response-to-droughts

Burundi: OLUCOME Lettre du President Museveni & H.E. Benjamin Mpaka – “Objet: Urgence de reprendre le dialogue Inter Burundais afin d’arrete la crise economique et ses consequence qui present sur les citoyens Burundais” (14.09.2017)

Arms proliferation continues in Darfur, but area remains largely calm, Security Council told (14.09.2017)

NEW YORK – The situation in Darfur has been largely calm in recent months, but there is continued violence fuelled by a proliferation of weapons and competition over natural resources, a senior United Nations official today told the Security Council.

“Most of the insecurity currently experienced in Darfur can be attributed to the tensions originating from the underlying causes of the conflict, exacerbated by the proliferation of arms in the hands of civilians and militia groups,” said Jeremiah Mamabolo, Special Representative and Head of the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

“Inter-communal disputes usually triggered by competition over land, water, livestock and mineral resources, have become increasingly violent due to the availability of weapons,” added Mr. Mamabolo.

The Government is carrying out an arms control campaign but reactions to the arms collection campaign “vary,” according to Mr. Mamabolo, who noted that the opposition and groups who did not sign the peace agreement are opposed to it.

Briefing the 15-member Council in New York on quarterly developments in the region of Sudan, Mr. Mamabolo noted progress on the implementation of the peace agreement is “limited.”

That agreement was signed in 2012 by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), based on the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), which calls for a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace agreement to end the fighting.

Progress is particularly limited on issues such as “durable solutions to displacement, the administration of land, water, and other scarce resources, and the issue of armed militias,” Mr. Mamabolo said.

He also noted that efforts on an inclusive peace agreement by the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), with support of UNAMID, remain “inconclusive” due to a stalemate between the Government and one of the parties.

“We call upon the Council and those with influence on the parties to stress the importance of a political settlement and desist from bringing more suffering to the very people that they profess to represent,” said Mr. Mamabolo.

Among other issues raised, Mr. Mamabolo said that cooperation between the UN and the Government of Sudan has “noticeably improved” with a more open humanitarian environment and faster approval of movements within Darfur and clearance of visas, except for human rights staff.

CNARED-GIRITEKA: Declaration Relative aux Massacres des Refugies Burundais en RDC (16.09.2017)

Burundi: Communique de presse sur les prix de l’essence (11.09.2017)

UNAMID expresses concern over allegations of improper team site handovers (11.09.2017)

In line with the mandate, the Mission is reducing the number of military, police and civilian personnel, and has earmarked 11 team sites for closure across Darfur.

KHARTOUM, Sudan, September 11, 2017 – UNAMID is concerned about recent allegations of improper handover of team sites in North Darfur as part of its mandated reconfiguration.

The Mission would like to reiterate that as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2363, of 29 June, 2017, extending UNAMID’s mandate until 30 June 2018, its strategic priorities in Darfur remain the same—protecting civilians, facilitating access and security for humanitarian actors and working to ameliorate the root causes of communal conflict.

Furthermore, moving forward, UNAMID will take a two-pronged approach incorporating both peacekeeping and stabilization.

In line with the mandate, the Mission is reducing the number of military, police and civilian personnel, and has earmarked 11 team sites for closure across Darfur.

Four team sites have been closed to date: Malha, Mellit and Um Kadada, North Darfur, and Muhajeria, East Darfur. Seven team sites are yet to be closed. These are Abu Shouk, Tine, Habila, Forobaranga, Tulus, Eid Al Fursan and Zam Zam.

Closed team sites have been handed over to the Government of Sudan or appropriate private parties as per lease agreements signed by the Mission.

Burundi: OLUCOME Communique – “Le Gouvernement Burundais en Place devralt cesser de pendre des mesures qui bafouent certains textes legaux et principaux qui guident les Finances publiques” (11.09.2017)