South Sudan: Joint Statement by SPLM/A(IO) and SSOA on Discussion of Implementation Matrix of the Revitalized ARCSS 2018 (03.09.2018)

South Sudan: Humanitarian Coordinator commends aid workers but rapid support in Juba is needed by the humanitarian community (04.09.2018)

South Sudan: 3500 displaced people successfully relocated by UNMISS and humanitarian agencies (04.09.2018)

The Secret Chinese Arms Trade in the Horn of Africa (03.09.2018)

China is actively positioning itself as a major supplier of arms to the African continent and is stepping up its shipments of weapons to conflict zones through Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 3, 2018 – EXX Africa (https://www.EXXAfrica.com) published a special report on the secret Chinese arms trade in the Horn of Africa.

Download the report: bit.ly/2PvgfDy

Beyond the commercial objective of increasing sales of Chinese manufactured weapons and military equipment, China also seeks to control a greater share of the weapons trade in Africa in order to protect its extensive infrastructure investments on the continent. On the back of the One Belt, One Road initiative, China has made massive investments in East Africa, including railway lines, hydropower dams, and new port projects in countries such as Kenya, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

Central to this strategy is China’s military logistics base in Djibouti, which China is preparing to facilitate large-scale shipments of weapons and military equipment to African countries, in particular Sudan and South Sudan.

Djibouti’s own strategically important port, which lies in a major shipping lane, is also set to move towards the centre of the regional arms trade.

Following a new investigation that included collection of intelligence from well-placed security sector sources in the Horn of Africa, we have found evidence that Chinese weapons are making their way from the Chinese PLA Support Base in Djibouti and the commercial Port of Djibouti towards African conflict zones that have been placed under an arms embargo.

For any further comment or a full copy of the report, please contact https://www.EXXAfrica.com/

South Sudan: MoFA and International Cooperation Press Release on Arrests of 100 Nationals in Kenya (29.08.2018)

Chinese Investments in Africa: It is not a free-lunch, the tab has to be paid!

African leaders should not turn the continent into a giant collector of donations and loans from wealthy nations—they must find other plausible means to help established their economic security so as to minimize poverty. This incoherent blunder on the mainland must be scrutinized.”Duop Chak Wuol

As The 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is scheduled to happen on the 2nd and 3rd December 2018, there is time to remember how the Chinese is operating on the African Continent. The Chinese isn’t coming with empty giving hands of donations or even charity. They come with intent of interests and needs of resources from the continent, by offering loans, serving and building through state owned enterprises (SOE) in various of countries, whether it is roads, ports or railroads are built by Chinese Companies, by Chinese Workers and often on Chinese loans. Therefore, they might end up as Chinese owned enterprises, whose vital for transportation and export of needed minerals and whatnot from the continent.

Instead of coming with loans and direct-aid with strings like Western Powers has done over the last few decades, the Chinese are coming with friendly loans, but the Heads of State should know that the Chinese doesn’t play. They want value for money and expect a return, if it doesn’t they might snatch the new crown-jewel or anticipate to get perks from the state. If that is some sort of trade-off or licenses to extract mineral resources or even minor taxation like toll-roads, where the piece of cash will be sent to Beijing and not the capitol of the country where the road is built. That is how these people operate. They are not in it to play or be giving, but gain advantage and have the upper-hand.

This can be shown by what the State Media in China writes in Xinhua Net wrote today and what a CARI report on the same funds are saying. The Chinese portray the funding as investments on the Continent, as the funds are most likely pushed as loans, which burdens the states and that they have to repay. Loans are not given, but issued because of lack of direct funds to build those infrastructure and investments done. So, what I am saying isn’t mere speculation, but a narrative that has to sink in.

Chinese Investments:

China’s investments into Africa surged by more than 100 times from 2000 to 2017. In the past three years, annual Chinese direct investment into Africa was about 3 billion dollars on average. By the end of 2017, China’s investments of all kinds into Africa totaled 100 billion dollars, covering almost every country on the continent” (Li Xia – ‘Facts & Figures: China-Africa ties: cooperation for shared future’ 02.09.2018 link: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-09/02/c_137438845.htm).

Chinese Loans:

From 2000 to 2017, the Chinese government, banks and contractors extended US $136 billion in loans to African governments and their state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Angola is the top recipient of Chinese loans, with $42.2 billion disbursed over 17 years. Chinese loan finance is varied. Some government loans qualify as “official development aid.” But other Chinese loans are export credits, suppliers’ credits, or commercial, not concessional in nature. China is not Africa’s largest “donor”” (China Africa Research Initiative – ‘DATA: CHINESE LOANS TO AFRICA’ Version 1.1 August 2018).

They might try to conceal the reality, just like make-up is used on the face to fade the age or even marks that shows stress or pimples. However, the Chinese cannot be able to lie about their intent. They would not offer these sums of cash, without expecting a turnover or even profits. The Chinese wouldn’t allow all these billions of US Dollars spent on these nations to be spoiled and lost on the streets of Lome, Harare, Addis Ababa or Nairobi. They anticipate a return on the loans, either straight cash or getting pieces of the built infrastructure to advance the value of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

That the Heads of State in Africa should be concerned as they are getting in debt traps, instead of being in cycle of positive growth, they are getting new loans to pay the old ones. They are using the same creditor to secure new loans on top of the old-debt. That is how it will continue, until a point where they cannot pay the defaulted debt and the Chinese would then come to snatch something of value to recoup the failing debt. Because they don’t want to write-off the big money without having anything in return. That is what the Chinese has done in Sri Lanka and might start elsewhere. There might be soon more control of port in Djibouti or railroad of Kenya, even the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway line too. As they want their value of money.

They might be all smiles and photo-ops in Beijing these days, the smiles and added loans to dozens of countries. The added “investments” and deals struck, but the Chinese will not do so without getting something in return. To think otherwise, is to be naive and think they don’t have an agenda by doing it.

There is nothing like a free-lunch and the people will learn that, the Heads of State will not directly pay the debt, but the states will do so. Maybe not in this decade or next 5 years, but sooner or later. The bill for the coffee and biscuit will come. Than it is all eaten, but tab still has to be cleared. Peace.

South Sudan: SPLM/SPLA-(IO) and SSOA – Joint Press Statement (30.08.2018)

UNAMID calls for improved access to conflict-affected parts of East Jebel Marra (29.08.2018)

During the visit, Mr. Mamabolo and his delegation met the Deputy Wali of South Darfur, Mr. Taha Abdallah Hamid, the Commissioner of Mershing Locality, Dr. Al Sadig Mohamed Khamis and the State Security Committee.

EL FASHER, Sudan, August 29, 2018 –  UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR), Jeremiah Mamabolo, has concluded a two-day visit to South Darfur, during which he met leaders at the state and local levels and discussed access challenges affecting the Mission’s operations in parts of East Jebel Marra.

During the visit, Mr. Mamabolo and his delegation met the Deputy Wali of South Darfur, Mr. Taha Abdallah Hamid, the Commissioner of Mershing Locality, Dr. Al Sadig Mohamed Khamis and the State Security Committee.

He apprised them of UNAMID’s on-going reconfiguration process and the two-pronged approach to peacekeeping and peacebuilding that the Mission is currently implementing across Darfur.

Mr. Mamabolo also raised the issue of recurrent access denials to East Jebel Marra. He took the opportunity to remind Sudanese officials that UN Security Council Resolution 2429 (2018) obligates the Government of Sudan to facilitate access, thus enabling UNAMID to carry out its mandate of protecting civilians.

Mr. Mamabolo also visited UNAMID’s team site in Menawashei, Mershing Locality. Out of 14 access denials reported by UNAMID patrol teams across Darfur since July 2018, seven were recorded in Menawashei.

“I will continue to engage the state and local authorities on this issue and, in parallel, raise my concern with the authorities in Khartoum,” Mr. Mamabolo said.

The JSR was accompanied by senior UNAMID officials, including the Force Commander, Chief Security Adviser and the Head of the Joint Operations Centre.

South Sudan: SPLM Leaders (FPD) – Press Statement on the revitalized ARCSS (29.08.2018)

South Sudan: Joint Press Statement by the SPLM/SPLA-IO and SSOA (28.08.2018)