Humanitarian coordinator calls for urgent access as needs surge in South Sudan (28.02.2017)

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South Sudan: A look into the President Salva Kiir’s visit to Addis!

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If you wonder what the Central Government of South Sudan is doing the neighbour country of Ethiopia. There are certainly many different answers, as the reports of Egyptian Airplanes have even been verified by Sudanese Regime in Khartoum. The South Sudanese wrote under an agreement with the Ethiopian regime, there might also be another reason as well, as the refugees goes into Gambella region. There are certainly lots of views and intelligence on the travels this time, as the crisis and the battles internally has reactions in Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. Now it is just lacking UPDF to turn their cards into the SPLM/A battles in South Sudan. Take a look!

Salva Kiir team to Ethiopia seeking for forgiveness from Ethiopia:

“Sudanese President coming from his visit answering the reporters after Egyptians Military took a huge loss in involving in South Sudan civil war. Since the beginning of Feb. 2017, the Egyptian Military participated in bombardment in Unity State Upper Nile and Central Equatoria in Equatoria” (…) “In Unity State the Egyptian air force lodges its bombardment from 8:00 PM-11:00 PM, and that was daily until Feb. 20, 2017, due to the accident that happened with Egyptian air force bomber in Yei that went missing on Feb. 19, 2017, before lodge it’s bombardment” (…) “In Unity State all the captured cities using the Egyptian air force are recaptured and Kiirs terrorist took a big lost after a promising military combat from Egyptians army. Egyptians are using Sudan president to help cover up their loses” (…) “Kiir have no choose, but to take it to Ethiopia for more support diplomatically seeking for acceptance again from Ethiopian military to be mild to his terrorist regime after accepting Egyptian idea off sponsoring Ethiopian rebels. Kiir’s team that went to Ethiopia was to lie to the Ethiopians to them to cool down after Kiir’s aggression against Ethiopia” (SSUDA, 24.02.2017).

Presidential Spokesperson speaks about the talks:

“It will be something good for us, South Sudanese and Ethiopians, should these two leaders put into action what they will agree on. It’s our hope that the two agree on security issues. We don’t want any negative force to use another country’s territory to launch hostile activities on the other. Borders are really important to a country and having a good relationship with the bordering country is always the goal for both countries to progress together,” said Presidential Spokesperson, Ateny Wek Ateny” (…) “South Sudan- Ethiopia borders are not safe and this is what has prompted the two to meet,” Ateny further stressed” (Sudan Tribune, 24.02.2017).

Answer from Foreign Affairs of South Sudan:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan has read with dismay the unfriendly statement alleged to have been made by the Sudanese President Omer Hassan El-Bashir, during the press briefing on his return from Abu Dhabi to Khartoum, on Tuesday 21st Feb. 2017, that the Egyptian Government continues to support South Sudan with arms and ammunitions” (…) “The Republic of South Sudan is disturbed by this unfortunate, unfounded and baseless statement, specially because it came at a time that the two Countries and the whole region have agreed to exert more collective efforts towards the realization of peace and stability in the IGAD region” (…) “The Ministry, therefore, calls on the leadership of the sisterly Country, Sudan, not to forget its responsibility to work with South Sudan in the spirit of the Cooperation agreement and to address any issue that may arise between the two neighboring Countries through dialogue and direct communications at leadership level and diplomatic channels. There is no way Sudan and South Sudan can abandon each other, because both countries share the longest border in the region, which needs special attention from their respective leaders” (Ministry of Foreign Affairs – South Sudan, 24.02.2017).

Signed Agreement:

“The signing ceremony took place in Addis Ababa today, following the bilateral talks held between Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan” (…) “The accords inked covered roads and bridges, communication, information and media, and preferential trade agreement as well as border trade protocol” (…) “The two countries have also signed memorandums of understandings on cooperation in the construction of roads, diesel off-take arrangement, health, and energy” (…) “The leaders have agreed to engage each other to implement the agreements and address any matter that may arise in the future” (…) “Acknowledging that free movement of people and goods are pre-requisites for enhancing economic ties and expeditious implementation of these agreements, the two leaders have decided with immediate effect to start the construction road projects” (…) “Noting with satisfaction the existing bilateral ties, they also agreed to continue to hold ministerial commission meetings led by respective foreign affairs ministers twice in a year” (…) “Agreement was also reached to form Joint Border Administrators/Governors Committee (JBAC) to further strengthen cooperation on issues of security, trade, development and infrastructure along the common borders” (ENA, 2017).

Hope that you got wiser as you have seen more of the state visit in Addis Ababa from the President Salva Kiir Mayardiit and his team. There are more to this and more not told, but this is what I could get of views on the matter. Unless, there showing more clear documentation of why the SPLM had to visit Ethiopia in this dire hour, where the famine and the civil-war continues. This is certainly not a visit in the hour of strength for the SPLM/A. There to many pieces of problems to be different. Peace.

Reference:

Ethiopian News Agency – ‘Ethiopia, South Sudan Sign Agreements, MoU that Forge Friendship’ (24.0.2.2017) link: http://www.ena.gov.et/en/index.php/politics/item/2795-ethiopia-south-sudan-sign-agreements-mou-that-forge-friendship

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Republic of South Sudan – ‘PRESS RELEASE:  South Sudan Disturbed By Sudan’s Bashir Baseless Statement of Egyptian Support’ (24.02.2016)

Sudan Tribune – ‘South Sudan president in Ethiopia for security talks’ (24.02.2017) link: https://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article61727

Renewing the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and addressing the need for accountability for past and on-going crimes under international law and human rights violations in South Sudan (23.02.2017)

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South Sudan: Minister Alfred Ladu Gore on the grave corruption in the Republic and the verified intelligence about Yei battles on the 14th February!

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There been reports of missing funds and misappropriate funds. Still, there hasn’t been cleared much in the media of the fiascos and the missing fiscal funds, where they even have gone or left. This here is a from the own minister saying the truth earlier this month in Yei state. So with the reports from SPLM-IO that there we’re use of Egyptian air-force in the state. This has been countered from Juba, but certainly the SPLM/A has in the past hired the UPDF to get rid of SPLM-IO under the last battles with the rebels. Therefore another foreign army under supervision of President Salva Kiir wouldn’t surprise anyone. Therefore a second source can verify the use of Egyptian forces shows the ability of spending embezzled oil-funds and also the tax-funds that been spent on foreign armies as mercenaries for the SPLM government.

“That when Kiir went to Yei on Feb. 14, 2017, he delivered the message of regretting why the Dinka’s or the North Sudan allowed South Sudan to be a country. This same day Alfred Ladu Gore gave a speech;

“Speaking at a public rally organized in the town of Yei on Tuesday, Alfred Ladu Gore, Minister of Land and Housing, said recent investigations carried out in his ministry found that senior officials misappropriated an amount of $ 20 billion from 2005 until 2017. He pointed out that the money was squandered on personal benefits instead of meeting the needs of the people of South Sudan. Gore explained that the $ 20 billion was meant for construction of road, schools, universities, hospitals and establishment of factories in South Sudan (SSUDA, 2017).

“This same day Salva Kiir left to Juba and Alfred Gore remained in Yei 5 days later Kiir sent the Egyptian Jet fighter to Yei around midday to lodge civilian raids when some people were at prayers. When they heard the sound of the Jet fighter all those who were at prayers left the prayers. In the middle of the day the day turn into night the Jet fighter flew and disappeared in the middle on the day darkness. After today nobody knows what happened to that Jet fighter” (…) “The other Egyptian Jet Fighter that was carrying out bombardment in Unity State from 8:00PM-11:00PM everyday against the civilians heard the Yei news and decides to leave South Sudan” (SSUDA, 2017).

So we can now know more about the happenings and also uncover the truth of what is happening, as we know that South Sudanese authorities doesn’t want the truth to be delivered. Therefore the diaspora is willingly dropping raw intelligence so the world can know. This is a start of a series of revealing intelligence. There will be more to come, as the questions of how the missing funds and the lacking administration. There is clearly maladministration as the priorities and the lacking food, funds for food and others are key to the declared famine in the republic. This with the battles that was occurring and the fleeing civilians from Yei State is a proof of. Peace.

Illicit plans from the SPLM/A Government after the resignation of Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka!

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The shocking resignation of the Lt. Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka from South Sudanese People’s Army (SPLA) and his place as leader of logistics. That his letter has hit the regime hard can be seen without a doubt, as all the other resignation, also shows the lacking loyalty and the proof that that President Salva Kiir Mayardiit has issues with the current state of affairs. Not only with the battlefield against the SPLM-IO and Dr. Riek Machar, but also the political affairs where the men and woman are more fearing the regime, than building a state. Therefore, the citizens are fleeing. So the reports of this sort should terrify anyone who cares for justice and rule of law. This is from a credible source!

A reliable source from NSS in Juba has just informed that after the resignation of Lt. Gen Thomas Cirilo, president Kiir and JCE met in J1 and agreed to dispatch huge security officers into neighboring countries to trace and kidnap Thomas Cirilo plus others who are opposed to his Tribal Government and take them to Juba” (…) “One such team is already disusing with Ugandan security in Serena Hotel possibilities of the security operation. Others had been sent to Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, DRC Congo, Sudan with thousands of dollars to bribe security officials to begin an act of terrorism through abductions, kidnapping and underground security operations. All oppositions should be aware of this plan and take precautions” (…) “Some of these countries have not accepted such offer that may put their country on terrorist list by the International Community. Kiir is desperate to hang on to power by any means through bribery of neighbours. But the fact is that South Sudanese are fade up with Kiir tribal government. Rumors is that many are still planning to quit the government but their pass ports had been confiscated. The Officer whose identity should not be disclosed says they brought enough dollars to give to anyone who will give them reliable information about Thomas and other oppositions” (…) “South Sudanese in US special Equatorians must be informed that all the community tribe leaders are being paid off by S. Sudanese Embassy in United States they become very complicated or trying to hide their corruption as if they are committed church members or to S. Sudanese funerals” (SSUDA, 21.02.2017).

So the South Sudan people and the citizens should be warned by the possible works of the central government in Juba. There are so many things they don’t want the world to know, as the resignations are showing the lacking of structure and the lacking institutions that shows procedure of the works. South Sudan is in fierce battle between two major parties and a government who is filled with war-lords and not with people who works for peace. They want to get rid of their emissaries instead of discussing issues together and finding a consensus.

SPLM/A and SPLM-IO has a vital conflict where the parties are on shaky ground and using military force instead of other means. That is why the civil war, the drought and the concerning famine has been established. As well, as the giant diaspora should display the character and the will of developing the nation. Something that is evident. As the South Sudanese refugees wants to return and build the nation. Therefore, the Republic of South Sudan needs strong international presence and also internal will of creating a society where people can live. This sort of dossiers and sort of intelligence is hurting the state. As the wish of abducting and kidnapping security operations are proving the lacking will of democratic rule and justice for all citizens in South Sudan, and for the South Sudanese.

This is worrying and people should worry that a state in famine and internal crisis, of extreme violence should worry when they use the monies to kidnap their own who is fleeing and resigning from the SPLM/A government. Peace.

South Sudan: “Ref: Closure of Bank accounts and Recovery of Money held by Gen. Thomas Cirillo Swaka and his kin Feuni Cirillo in Kenyan Banks” (10.02.2017)

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Famine Hits Parts Of South Sudan (20.02.2017)

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UN agencies warn that almost 5 million people urgently need food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.

JUBA, South Sudan, February 20, 2017 – War and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation in parts of South Sudan where famine was declared today, three UN agencies warned. A further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that urgent action is needed to prevent more people from dying of hunger. If sustained and adequate assistance is delivered urgently, the hunger situation can be improved in the coming months and further suffering mitigated.

The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) update released today by the government, the three agencies and other humanitarian partners, 4.9 million people – more than 40 percent of South Sudan’s population – are in need of urgent food, agriculture and nutrition assistance.

Unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone facing famine, or at risk of famine, is urgently needed to reverse the escalating catastrophe, the UN agencies urged. Further spread of famine can only be prevented if humanitarian assistance is scaled up and reaches the most vulnerable.

Famine is currently affecting parts of Unity State in the northern-central part of the country. A formal famine declaration means people have already started dying of hunger. The situation is the worst hunger catastrophe since fighting erupted more than three years ago.

“Famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and our worst fears have been realised. Many families have exhausted every means they have to survive,” said FAO Representative in South Sudan Serge Tissot. “The people are predominantly farmers and war has disrupted agriculture. They’ve lost their livestock, even their farming tools. For months there has been a total reliance on whatever plants they can find and fish they can catch.”

Malnutrition is a major public health emergency, exacerbated by the widespread fighting, displacement, poor access to health services and low coverage of sanitation facilities. The IPC report estimates that 14 of the 23 assessed counties have global acute malnutrition (GAM) at or above the emergency threshold of 15 percent, with some areas as high as 42 percent.

“More than one million children are currently estimated to be acutely malnourished across South Sudan; over a quarter of a million children are already severely malnourished. If we do not reach these children with urgent aid many of them will die,” said Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative a.i in South Sudan. “We urge all parties to allow humanitarian organizations unrestricted access to the affected populations, so we can assist the most vulnerable and prevent yet another humanitarian catastrophe.”

“This famine is man-made. WFP and the entire humanitarian community have been trying with all our might to avoid this catastrophe, mounting a humanitarian response of a scale that quite frankly would have seemed impossible three years ago. But we have also warned that there is only so much that humanitarian assistance can achieve in the absence of meaningful peace and security, both for relief workers and the crisis-affected people they serve,” said WFP Country Director Joyce Luma. “We will continue doing everything we possibly can to hold off and reverse the spread of famine.”

Across the country, three years of conflict have severely undermined crop production and rural livelihoods. The upsurge in violence since July 2016 has further devastated food production, including in previously stable areas. Soaring inflation – up to 800 percent year-on-year – and market failure have also hit areas that traditionally rely on markets to meet food needs. Urban populations are also struggling to cope with massive price rises on basic food items.

FAO, UNICEF and WFP, with other partners, have conducted massive relief operations since the conflict began, and intensified those efforts throughout 2016 to mitigate the worst effects of the humanitarian crisis. In Northern Bahr El Ghazal state, among others, the IPC assessment team found that humanitarian relief had lessened the risk of famine there.

FAO has provided emergency livelihood kits to more than 2.3 million people to help them fish or plant vegetables. FAO has also vaccinated more than 6 million livestock such as goats and sheep to prevent further loss.

WFP continues to scale up its support in South Sudan as humanitarian needs increase, and plans to provide food and nutrition assistance to 4.1 million people through the hunger season in South Sudan this year. This includes lifesaving emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance for people displaced and affected by conflict, as well as community-based recovery or resilience programs and school meals.

In 2016, WFP reached a record 4 million people in South Sudan with food assistance — including cash assistance amounting to US$13.8 million, and more than 265,000 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies. It is the largest number of people assisted by WFP in South Sudan since independence, despite problems resulting from the challenging context.

UNICEF aims to treat 207,000 children for severe acute malnutrition in 2017. Working with over 40 partners and in close collaboration with WFP, UNICEF is supporting 620 outpatient therapeutic programme sites and about 50 inpatient therapeutic sites across the country to provide children with urgently needed treatment. Through a rapid response mechanism carried out jointly with WFP, UNICEF continues to reach communities in the most remote locations. These rapid response missions treat thousands of children for malnutrition as well as provide them with immunization services, safe water and sanitation which also prevents recurring malnutrition.

Opinion: SPLM/A government has the wrong priorities with building Ramciel city!

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We can be sure that General Salva Kiir Mayardiit must be proud of the agreement done with the Kingdom of Morocco that has offered a fortune to build the new capital city of Ramciel. This is apparently very important for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) who is already mixed in a dozens of issues. That the movement of Juba capital shouldn’t be the focus, but here is the agreement made earlier in February!

The agreement between the nations:

“South Sudan and Morocco have signed four partnership agreements and five Memoranda of Understanding covering areas of health, education, mining and infrastructural development.

The deals include an agreement on the building of the South Sudan Capital in Ramciel which cabinet approved shortly after independence in 2011.

The agreements were on:

  • General Operation
  • The building of the Capital Ramciel
  • Promotion and protection of investment
  • Avoidance of double taxation and prevention of physical invasion with respect to taxes and income. The documents were signed by ministers from both countries in the presence of President Salva Kiir and King Mohamed VI” (Radio Miraya, 02.02.2017).

So the Kiir Government and Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) has focused on the wrong things these days, as even court justices, ministers and others are deflecting, as the fighting with rebels and other fractions are weakening the central leadership. So the news of this is absolutely bonkers:

“President Kiir appointed FVP Gen. Taban Deng Gai to head the Ramciel city project committee. The project is scheduled to start before May. Taban Deng Gai has been winning the trust of his career mate, His Excellency President Kiir” (South Sudan News, 17.02.2017).

So the man who took the place of Dr. Riek Machar who is fighting the SPLM/A government with his SPLM-IO fraction, the reality is that the Central Government is so fixated on the Ramciel building that they have continued to work on it:

“The order also named Nhial Deng Nhial, senior presidential advisor and special envoy for diplomatic affairs, as deputy chairperson of the committee. The committee members include the presidential advisor on legal affairs and constitutional development, Lawrence Korbandy, minister of finance, Stephen Dhieu Dau, minister in the office of the president, Mayiik Ayii Deng and minister of petroleum, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth” (South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, 19.02.2017).

So that President Kiir is using time forming a working committee to work on building a new capital, instead of securing peace and shielding the citizens. The government is not using funds or securing the inflation, they are not making sure the people who go without water, food or shelter. Instead they are fixated on building a new town to have the main buildings. A new administrational seat instead of the one they have had for a long time. So they are creating a new administrative seat, so they might have a commercial seat and the administrative in the South Sudan. Still, the issue is that nation is grappling with such giant issues that should not contain city or town building at the moment.

With over a million citizens abroad, with drought, with lack of food and armed battles with rebellion, as well as problems of raping soldiers and such, the administrative seat of government, should be the least of concern. The problem of getting petroleum export and pipelines sufficiently works, so the petro-dollars come’s safe in the state coffers too.

In 2011: “MP Andrew Acijok told Good News Radio that legislators representing Greater Yirol met on Saturday and they raised concerns about the governor’s appointment. He said an appointee from Greater Yirol would be more familiar with the background of the new capital and would be of greater assistance to the committee. Mr. Acijok stated that the communities around Ramciel have given the land for the development of the new South Sudan capital for free. Mr. Acijok said traditional songs show that Ramciel had local residents for close to two centuries. He added that Ramciel natives offered the land to Dr. John Garang be used by the national government. On September 2, 2011, South Sudanese ministers designated Ramciel as the site for a planned capital city. The place, an open space in Lakes state, is considered the geographic centre of South Sudan” (Catholic Radio Network, 14.09.2011).

So the modernization should be more than enough to focus on and to secure the current capital. Because the other dire issues and unfixed problems in the domain. All the people that are in the limbo, that is in refugee camps in Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. That the spies of South Sudan are following into these camps and nations to pick-out the rebels inside the neighbour nations. This been told by resigned officials that they even went this far. So the missing South Sudanese could easily been taken by South Sudanese officials and their friends in EAC nations. When we know that the United Nations blue-helmets, MONUSCO could safely transfer SPLM-IO into the republic of Sudan and to Khartoum during the month of July, 2017.

The knowledge of all of this, the dying need for food for so many with the drought, the instability of the arms and battles between forces, as the government army and rebels are trying to controls areas. The government should use the manpower and the arms to secure the population and not to use time to build a new capital. That is waste of the Kingdom of Morocco donor aid and also the spent man-hours that the South Sudanese authorities shouldn’t need to use. The building of the Ramciel instead of Juba is misusing the capacity and the structures that already there. Instead of building stronger institutions and using the time to focus on needed restructuring and negotiating peace with rebels. The Government are getting busy on a project instead of trying to build a lasting peace.

The South Sudanese authorities and government should focus on building the nation, building the institutions, building the legal framework and the civil society, instead their focusing on building a town and city. That is not a key issue or pressing demand; the demand is to show up and be there for the citizens that fleeing violence, killing and lacking shelter. Even lacks peaceful villages to grow food and sell it on the market. Now, it is time for something else than fancy projects, but instead being there for the people. Peace.

South Sudan: Resignation letter from Brig. Gen. Henry Oyay Nyago, Director for Military Justice in SPLA, Juba (18.02.2017)

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South Sudan: Col. LLB Khalid Ono Loki resigns from SPLA – “There may be times when are powerless to prevent injustice but here must never be a time when we fail to protest” (17.02.2017)

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