South Sudan: IGAD welcomes the meeting of President Kiir and dr. Machar (10.09.2019)

(September 10, 2019, JUBA, South Sudan) The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) welcomes the meeting of President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the leader of SPLM/A-I.O., Dr. Riek Machar Teny in Juba, South Sudan, as part of the effort to iron out issues related to transitional security arrangements and the number of States and boundaries.

The meeting is timely and an important step towards not only resolving challenges related to outstanding critical pre-transitional tasks but also building trust and confidence among the Parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (the R-ARCSS).

IGAD commends the Republic of Sudan for facilitating and supporting the face-to-face meeting. IGAD will continue to encourage and support face-to-face meetings between the two principals as well as among leaders of all Parties to the R-ARCSS agreement to ensure the timely formation and smooth functioning of the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU.

In this regard, the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Amb. Dr. Ismail Wais called on all the Parties to the R-ARCSS to show compromise and resolve all issues through dialogue. He also urged the international community and friends of South Sudan to continue supporting the implementation of the peace agreement to meet the critical milestones set for the formation of the Revitalized Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) on November 12, 2019

Burundi: Coalition des Forces de l’Opposition Burundaise pour le Retablissement de l’Accord d’Arusha “CFOR-ARUSHA” – Declaration No. 0001/2019 (10.09.2019)

South Sudan: SPLM/A-IO – Office of the Chairman and Commander in Chief (05.09.2019)

South Sudan: RJMEC Interim Chairperson lauds AUC, China donation to cantonment sites (06.09.2019)

I am delighted today to have witnessed the hand-over of in-kind support destined for different parts of South Sudan in order to facilitate the cantonment process. The materials were kindly donated by the African Union Commission (AUC).

The in-kind support, which is in the form of large, durable tents to house former combatants while they undergo cantonment, will go a long way in furthering the cantonment process.

This is indeed a great step towards achieving successful cantonment, which is an essential component of the Pre-Transitional tasks.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the AUC for the consignment, and I urge all other partners to offer their unwavering support towards the critical process of cantonment. It is my hope that more support will arrive in the coming days and weeks.

I would also like to acknowledge the donation of 1500 tons of rice from the government of The People’s Republic of China which has been received. Through the Ambassador of China, I would like to extend my thanks to the government of The People’s Republic of China.

It is my expectation that by end of this month, September, we will have attained the required number of troops, that is 50% of the Necessary Unified Forces.

The hand-over of the AUC and Chinese consignments comes at a time when the R-ARCSS is shortly to mark the first anniversary of its signing, which is on 12 September 2018. I hope that together we will achieve much more before the end of the extended Pre-Transitional period.

Thank you very much.Thank you very much.

H.E Ambassador Lt. Gen. Augostino Njoroge,

Interim Chairperson, The Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC)

A Breakdown: Oil exploitation, which is so taxing…

 

The deal that broke down these days…

In the Republic now its official that the companies that was supposed to buy the stake and the licences to drill for oil from Tullow Oil have backed out. This means, that Total and CNOOC is not operating or willing to foot-the-bill that Tullow left behind.

This is all a play for guards, they all want the slice of the price, but don’t want to be taxed for it. They want tax-holidays for operating and extracting the oil, even as the incentives to build the oil pipeline to Tanga, Tanzania is put on hold. Since a big part of the Lake Albert Basin is still in question. Since, the Tullow Oil doesn’t want to deal with the taxes in question.

Tullow Oil have to back-pay taxes, which it lost in court. They are obliged to pay these, but want the other companies to foot-the-bill, since they will drill and exploit situation. The others gather that this has occurred before they did and that Tullow should pay it. That is why it’s a dead-lock. Because, none of the companies want to pay the taxes.

This is the infamous taxes, which led to the Presidential Handshake drama and wobbling defence of it. That made all the people and civil servants dance for a hot minute. Now, we are seeing the deadlock because of this one.

The state is allowed and should tax the ones whose operating in their territory. Without a question or without any hesitation. Because, they should be able to pay for your rights to be able to do business somewhere. However, here it’s a mismatch of the amounts gained in courts and the planned surrender of Tullow.

Tullow considered that their Farm-Down deal with Total and CNOOC would clear their old debts with the Republic. Instead, the other companies want its shares, but not its past invoices. Which is natural. Because, your paying for other peoples misfortune and cost of operating. That is simple math.

It is Tullow that has done business, who has been operating and whose been in charge of certain parts of Lake Albert Basin. They got to stay responsible. Now, they just looking like a shell-company wanting to be a tax-evasion corporation, who puts their costs on their trading partners.

Within that reason, its understandable that Total and CNOOC wants to have other options and other obligations, also pay their taxes and returns, if they start to drill on the licences previously kept by Tullow. But at this moment, the company think it can get the hook and crook.

Because the victory of the President Handshake isn’t a bargain, but a huge toll for the company. That is why it wish to push the envelope to someone else. This is not natural, but not without a consequence. That they are backing out and giving way. Instead of going into business on these sectors of Lake Albert.

The loss, is also the proposed earnings, the supposed development of the oil sector and the pipeline to Tanzania. As everything stops and shuts its operations. As the CNOOC is sacking employees and who knows what Total does too. Tullow might even do it too, until they find someone who wants to pay their bills. Because, from history they showing that they don’t want too.

The state one, what was theirs, but the companies doesn’t want to pay to play. They want tax-holidays and a free ride to the promised land. That doesn’t happen and therefore, the stalemate and yet another set-back for the oil development there. Peace.

South Sudan: Urgent and important – Subject: Dissolution of SSUF/A leadership and executive office (30.08.2019)

Burundi: the UN Commission of Inquiry raises red flags at the serious human rights violations committed in the pre-electoral climate (04.09.2019)

GENEVA (4 September 2019) – Less than a year ahead of Burundi’s presidential, parliamentary and local elections in 2020, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Burundi (COIB) concludes in its report released today the existence of a climate of fear and intimidation of all persons who do not show their support to the ruling party, CNDD-FDD. As members of its youth league, the “Imbonerakure”, agents of the National Intelligence Service and of the police, and local authorities continue to commit serious human rights violations against Burundi citizens, the crisis sparked in 2015 has – far from being resolved – evolved to the point of affecting all corners of the country.

The report describes how Imbonerakure have carried out killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, acts of torture and ill-treatment and rape against actual or alleged political opposition members. The Commission finds that this alarming violence is fueled by the widespread impunity that prevails in Burundi.

“It is extremely dangerous to speak out critically in Burundi today,”explains the COIB Chair, Mr. Doudou Diène. “The stifling of such voices is what allows the country to present an illusion of calm,” adds COIB Commissioner Lucy Asuagbor, but “it is a ‘calm’ based on terror”, says fellow COIB Commissioner Francoise Hampson, “as shown by the continued commission of crimes against humanity and the very serious human rights violations that we have documented”.

In the report, the Commission details how local authorities and Imbonerakure are intimidating the local population to force them to join, support and contribute to the ruling party. Women and girls are gang raped by Imbonerakure during attacks of their homes or while trying to flee the country. Men – but also women – are subjected to sexual torture during detention by the intelligence service. This occurs with almost no scrutiny, given the severe restrictions on independent media and civil society, a dysfunctional justice system, and the recent closure of the country office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The Commission is currently the only independent international mechanism investigating human rights violations and abuses committed in Burundi.

Given the politically sensitive electoral period ahead, the COIB decided to be forward looking as well. Applying the “Framework of analysis for atrocity crimes”, developed in 2014 by the UN Office for the Prevention of Genocide and the Responsibility to Protect, the Commission found that the eight common risk factors for criminal atrocities are present in Burundi. “There is no better early warning than this,” says the Chair. “Our analysis should be carefully considered, if the often repeated commitments to prevention are to have any meaning.”

The Commissioners call upon the Government of Burundi to put an end to human rights violations committed by agents of the State and Imbonerakure. They highlight the urgent need to implement measures to prevent the deterioration of the human rights situation in the context of the 2020 elections. The Commission emphasizes that the situation in Burundi must be followed with utmost vigilance by the international community.

The findings of the Commission are based on more than 1, 200 statements of victims witnesses and alleged perpetrators of human rights violations, and other sources collected over the course of three years of investigation. This year, the Government of Burundi has once again refused any cooperation with the Commission, despite its repeated requests and initiatives. The Commission will submit its report to the Human Rights Council during an inter-active dialogue, which will take place on 17th of September 2019, in Geneva.

Bi-rolls are available at:

https://vimeo.com/unhumanrights/review/357318193/66c066de19 (English).
https://vimeo.com/unhumanrights/review/357318793/9e0f6e5aab (French)

Background

The Commission of Inquiry on Burundi was created on 30 September 2016 through United Nations Human Rights Council resolution 33/24. Its mandate is to conduct a thorough investigation into human rights violations and abuses committed in Burundi since April 2015, to identify alleged perpetrators and to formulate recommendations. The Commission is composed of three members: Doudou Diène (Senegal), Lucy Asuagbor (Cameroon) and Françoise Hampson (United Kingdom)

For more information and media requests, please contact: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Sandra Miller (COIB) (+ 41 22 917 3426 / smiller@ohchr.org

Burundi: Mouvement pour la Solidarite et la Democratie (MSD) – Communique (01.09.2019)

Opinion: How many SPLM(s) does South Sudan need?

Well, today there is revealed that former leader of SPLM – Former Detainees (SPLM-FD), Pagan Amum have launched himself a new party, the Real-SPLM. This is revealed when he signed the declaration with other opposition officials during this weekend.

However, there has no been mentioned two SPLM within a few liner notes. You have much more, which makes things really confusing. You have the President Salva Kiir Mayardit party, which is the SPLM/A-IG (In-Government) or the SPLM/A. Than you have Dr. Riek Machar who has his SPLM/A-IO (In-Opposiiton). Just to make it more confusing, you have Dr. Taban Deng own fraction of SPLM-IO, whose part of the TGoNU or R-TGoNU if you may.

When your thinking this is to much. Than you have the SPLM-N, whose itself is split into two groups. You have the SPLM-N run by Malik Agar and the SPLM-N Al Hilu Group, lead by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu. So with that in mind, there is just a several organizations with different prefixes and this it all.

Just to continue, this is not yet final. There is also SPLM – Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), which was headed by Dr. Lam Akol, who has later started his own party, the National Democratic Movement (NDM), which is not in connection with the SPLM or anyone sounding like it.

This are the ones I know about right now. Key, that I know about right now. I might have left someone out, but this is the list I got.

My current SPLM list:

SPLM = Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement

SPLM/A-(IG)

SPLM/A-IO; Machar

SPLM/A-IO; Taban

SPLM-FD

SPLM-N; Agar*

SPLM-N; al-Hilu*

SPLM-DC

SPLM/A-Upper Nile Group (under commander Deng Kelay Riak)

R-SPLM (Real-SPLM)

*Based in Sudan and not in South Sudan.

That is six parties with very similar names and with personification of the leadership. This sort of things has happen with the SPLM in the past too. As in 1991, the SPLM got into two. The SPLM/A Nasir fraction and the SPLM/A Toriet fraction. In 1994/95 you also had the split within the SPLM/A-United. Therefore, this sort of actions has happened in the past and continues to this day.

What it is showing is that it get hectic and you got to keep you mind correct. Because, without further due, you mention the wrong party and the wrong leader. In addition, what also comes to question with the new party mentioned these days, the Real-SPLM, whose the fake one?

Because, something gotta give. There must be a reason why he calls his party and the other ones are named differently. Unless, there are so few prefixes left. That to be able to establish something profound. He had to use real. Not like you want to start the Fake-SPLM or F-SPLM, if I may.

There is a lot of history, a lot of battles, betrayal and also hurt in this here. Where the leadership has crossed each other and therefore made these alliances. However, this also shows the lack of unity and movement towards on point. Even though all of them claim to be part of the SPLM, just in various fractions. Which states the obvious.

That there is a disconnect between the SPLM/A-IG and the rest. As there was a need to start all the others parties with a very similar connotation. If I have forgotten anything or anyone. Please feel free to mention it. Because this is how far I got today. Peace.

South Sudan Opposition Movements: Declaration of Principles – “Launching the New Vision of Hope and Transformation in South Sudan” (30.08.2019)