
Somalia: Ministry of Woman and Human Rights Development – Press Statement (16.09.2019)



(September 12, 2019, JUBA, South Sudan) The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is pleased with the positive progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
The face – to – face meeting between H.E President Salva Kiir Mayardit and the First Vice President-Designate, H.E Dr. Riek Machar Teny that resulted in a way forward on pending Security Arrangements issues, is a significant step in the right direction.
“The remaining critical tasks of the agreement can only be completed with unity and compromise. The mood in Juba is very encouraging. It is feasible to form a unity government in November 2019,” said Ambassador Ismail Wais, the Special Envoy of IGAD for South Sudan.
“We call on the non-signatory groups to come in from the cold and join the nation-building and solutions,” Ambassador Wais added.
IGAD reiterates its commitment and support of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
We call on the International Community and the friends of South Sudan to support the positive momentum and expedite their support for the completion of the remaining critical tasks.
IGAD commends President Salva Kiir Mayardit for his leadership to broker a peace deal between the rebels and the government in the Republic of Sudan. It is clear demonstration of the potential role South Sudan can play in the security of the region.






A statement from James Reynolds, ICRC’s head of delegation in South Sudan, on the situation in the country one year after the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
JUBA, South Sudan, September 11, 2019 – One year after the signing of the peace deal, violence is still pervasive in South Sudan, as clashes between communities threaten lives and the fragile stability.
Surgical teams from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continue to treat a large number of patients with gunshot wounds, while needs of the most affected communities remain high. Redoubled efforts are needed to bring a durable peace.
The number of patients with injuries from violence admitted to our surgical units have increased since the signing of the peace deal. From October 2017 to June 2018, 526 patients were admitted, mostly with gunshot wounds. The same period a year later (October 2018 to June 2019) we had 688, an increase of nearly 25 percent. In only one week in April, the ICRC evacuated by air 39 patients with weapon wounds to a hospital we support, forcing us to increase the number of beds in the unit by a third to accommodate the needs.
Violence is also impacting health centres. ICRC teams have collected information on 24 incidents in which facilities were looted or staff threatened since the signing of the peace deal, and this data may only reflect part of the incidents affecting health structures and personnel. In a country where so few health care facilities are functioning after decades of war and under-development, the closure of even one clinic means entire communities go without care, turning preventable, treatable diseases deadly.
The last year has also seen little improvement for most South Sudanese. There are more people facing food insecurity today in the country than at any point since the armed conflict between government forces and the opposition started more than five years ago. People are living in limbo, and recent clashes in some parts of the country, such as Equatoria, continue to displace thousands of people who are then unable to harvest their crops and instead rely on humanitarian aid.
Families have been torn apart by decades of conflict. Today, the ICRC is searching for more than 4,200 South Sudanese whose relatives have reported them as missing. Tragically, with four million South Sudanese still displaced inside the country and across its borders, the number of people who do not know where their loved ones are is likely much higher. Knowing the fate of their missing relatives would offer many South Sudanese the opportunity to move on.
The ICRC has been in South Sudan since its independence in 2011. We also served the needs of South Sudanese during the Sudan’s long war. We can say through firsthand experience that it is impossible to exaggerate the toll that decades of war, violence and uncertainty have had on communities.
It is our hope that the peace deal holds. The return to full-scale conflict in South Sudan could mean that civilians are again exposed to deliberate attacks and displacement, despite being protected under international law.
However, even if today’s current conditions hold, the levels of violence in South Sudan between communities, made possible by the easy access to guns in the country, will continue to threaten the peace and stability that South Sudanese need to recover and rebuild a country that has largely only known war.

(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



Mogadishu 07 September 2019 – Female soldiers serving in the Kenyan contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have launched an initiative to support families affected by drought in southern Somalia.
On Friday the troops distributed rice, sugar, beans, biscuits, fruit and other food items to about 150 households. Most of the beneficiaries were widows, orphans, and the elderly.
The commander of the AMISOM Kenyan contingent, Brig. Gen. Dickson Ruto oversaw the distribution. Brig. Gen. Ruto said that his contingent would partner with community-based organisations to deliver food and medical services to families in need.
He added that the AMISOM female troops would jointly implement the initiative with their female counterparts in the Somali National Army (SNA) and Jubbaland state security forces.
“There is a serious drought across Somalia. It is important that we focus on the less privileged, particularly widows, orphans, and internally displaced persons who don’t have enough food at this very critical moment,” said Brig. Gen. Ruto.
The Administrator of Dhobley Town, Siyad Mohamed Hassan was grateful for the initiative, and called for more cooperation between AMISOM and local authorities in order to secure and help develop the area.
“We request that such efforts should not stop here. We should collaborate and participate in other areas such as public health and sanitation, sports, education, and rehabilitation of our roads,” added Siyad.
Nimo Abdi Bule, a member of the Daryeel Women’s Group in Dhobley and herself a beneficiary, said, “We are thankful to Allah, and appreciate the assistance from AMISOM.”
Capt. Lynette Rachi, who commanded the females within the AMISOM Kenyan contingent said the food donation would offer relief to vulnerable families, especially mothers, affected by the drought conditions.
“At the end of the day, all that a mother needs is to put food on the table for her children. So, the little we were able to get from the AMISOM headquarters, we were happy to share and have a great day together,” said Capt. Rachi.

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)

Mogadishu, 05 September – Troop and police contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) met to discuss the status of equipment used by AMISOM.
The two-day meeting which ended yesterday, took place in Mogadishu and was attended by AMISOM military officers from the contingents of Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda, which receive equipment from international partners.
Among other matters, the meeting discussed challenges faced concerning servicing of partner-owned equipment used by the AMISOM contingents, particularly the high rate of equipment wear and tear due to the harsh operating environment.
Bilateral partners such as the United States and the United Kingdom provide AMISOM with armoured personnel carriers and engineering equipment. UNSOS is mandated under UN Security Council Resolution 2245 of 2015, to ensure that the equipment is well maintained.
Maj. Gen. Lakara the AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans observed that there are documented challenges with maintaining such equipment.
“Lack of spare parts remains the biggest challenge to servicing of partner-owned equipment. This I say from the various reports that I have read,” noted Maj. Gen. Lakara who officiated at the closure of the meeting.
Maj. Gen. Lakara hailed international partners that provide support in the form of equipment donations to enhance the capabilities of AMISOM contingents to carry out anti-insurgent operations.
“Much of the achievements today would not have been possible without the provision of such equipment by our partners,” Maj. Gen. Lakara noted.
UNSOS Senior Logistics Officer, Service Delivery, Mike Collins said UNSOS has a responsibility to keep the partner-owned equipment at about 75 percent serviceability. However, Collins noted that there was a shortfall in ensuring serviceability of equipment due to delivery challenges.
“This was a crucial meeting because we face challenges in maintenance of our partner-owned equipment,” said Collins, adding, “with better communication, we can achieve more.”