South Sudan: SPLM-IO – A Brief Response to Taban’s Attempt to Distort Facts (09.06.2017)

President Farmaajo: “We will pursue them, and we will defeat Alshabab terrorists” (09.06.2017)

The president has termed the fallen soldiers as the true martyrs, as they died protecting their people and their country.

MOGADISHU, Somalia, June 9, 2017 – President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has sent his condolences to the families and the people of Puntland following today’s ambush on a military camp in Af-Urur, near Galgala Mountains.

The president has termed the fallen soldiers as the true martyrs, as they died protecting their people and their country.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of a number of our gallant soldiers in today’s attack in Af-Urur, Puntland. They fought hard and bravely for their country, to keep their people safe during this holy month of Ramadan. We will forever remember them, they are the real martyrs.”

The president assured the citizenry that his administration would not show mercy in dealing with Alshabab terrorists who have no regard for the sanctity of life and the holy month of Ramadan.

This once again proves that the enemy we are facing is dangerous, is bent on causing harm to the peace loving people of this country and must be fought with by all means. We must show no mercy in dealing with Alshabab.”

President Farmaajo promised Alshabab would be pursued and would pay for today’s attack.

“We promise that Alshabab won’t get away with this. As of now, our troops are in hot pursuit of the enemy; they will pay for today’s attack. I am confident our forces would defeat this abhorrent enemy.”

President Farmaajo spoke on the phone with the president of Puntland and assured him that the Federal Government would stand by the administration and people of the region.

South Sudan: Kiir not attending IGAD Extraordinary Summit on 12th, because of advice from close associates!

President Kiir’s spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny, said Kiir will not attend the IGAD summit. “He [President Kiir] will not attend the IGAD summit. The president has already sent a letter of apology through the minister in his office,” said Ateny when contacted by Radio Tamazuj” (…) “There are no reasons, but the president is attending to other things here in South Sudan. The team that will represent the president has not yet been formed,” he added” (Radio Tamazuj, 2017).

While several sources on the ground is saying that the negotiator and the one foreign leader legitimizing the National Dialogue of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) or the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/Army – In Government (SPLM/A-IG). That are advised by the Uganda counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, which has even different parts of SPLM to discuss and find a common-ground for peace. That he would advice President Salva Kiir Mayardit wouldn’t surprise as Museveni has helped out in the past.

The other one giving advice on skipping the IGAD summit is the First Vice-President Gen. Taban Deng Gai, who has also said he shouldn’t attend. This means that the core problems of South Sudan would be discussed without any key leadership of the conflict at the 12th June 2017 in Addis Ababa. This would mean their decisions in Ethiopia would be outsiders looking in. As the SPLM-IO or other rebels wouldn’t be part of it, neither would the SPLM/A-IG. That means the two warlords and counterparts in the conflict would not be parts of it.

While most likely one of the one giving advice and being there to direct the talks are President Museveni, who will come with all sorts amendments and insights to secure that Kiir stays in power. That is the most likely opportunity, as the SPLM/A-IG will be in conflict with the rest of the IGAD over the grand-issues, as they will feel the fire and feel instructed to act by foreign powers.

Therefore the words of prof. Peter Adwok Nyaba wrote a piece called: “What do we expect of the IGAD Summit”, which he wrote on the 5th June 2017: “What then is new in the situation of South Sudan necessitating IGAD summit? Recently, Dr. Riek Machar has a rare opportunity to address, in a video teleconference, the members of the UN Security Council. This drew the wrath of the government of South Sudan in the person of Taban Deng Gai, the de factor Kiir’s first vice president. This UN Security Council’s gesture is welcome. However, it alone could not have triggered the regional reaction in form of a summit. The regime’s arrogant stubbornness and lack of concern for the deteriorating social, economic and political crisis seem to be paying off. The Archbishop Tutu Fellows of the African Leadership Institute on 25 May 2017 wrote to the IGAD Plus leaders urging them to act. A visiting US Senator threatened to stop US aid to South Sudan until the government stopped the war. These political developments could have freaked the regional leaders’ conscience to prompt a summit” (…) “A dilemma confronts the IGAD Summit. Whether to order a new political process to resolve the conflict or resuscitate ARCISS. Both options require the presence and participation of Dr. Riek Machar, the SPLM/A (IO). This puts the regional leaders in an awkward situation with President Salva Kiir and President Yuweri Museveni, who swore to prevent Dr. Riek Machar becoming leader of the Republic of South Sudan. In order to save face and avoid commitment to another political process or the resuscitation of ARCISS, President Salva Kiir might delegate Taban Deng Gai, who definitely and for obvious reasons will put up a strong resistance to both options. Taban Deng is determined to keep Dr. Riek Machar away from the region. In this President Museveni ensures him the absolute support. This will bring the summit to a dead end” (Prof. Peter Adwok Nyaba, 05.06.2017).

So if President Museveni and FVP Deng Gai advised President Kiir to not attend, because the dilemma of not only FVP Deng Gai role, but also the weakness of keeping Dr. Riek Machar away from South Sudan. With this the stalemate will continue as the SPLM/A-IG are continuing their skirmishes and the battles that continue to destroy the core republic, like agriculture and living conditions, as the refugees are fleeing to Sudan, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo and in Uganda.

More will come, but certainly Museveni is really interfering in the crisis in the Republic in a big-way, when he wants his friend to have his power and his mates around. Peace.

Reference:

Radio Tamazuj – ‘South Sudan’s Kiir declines to attend IGAD summit’ (08.06.2017) link: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/south-sudan-s-kiir-declines-to-attend-igad-summit

Opinion: The South Sudanese Authorities are afraid of foreign journalists telling stories!

If the South Sudanese government trust in the free speech, liberty and justice, they wouldn’t have done what they did today. If they had trusted and seen what the foreign journalists do in their Republic. The South Sudanese government under President Salva Kiir Mayardit must be afraid of what it does in provinces as the skirmishes between the SPLA and the rebles. These stories together with the famine and man-made drought has clearly been evident with the refugee crisis and the added food aid through corridors of Sudan. These are the stories that the SPLM/A-IG are afraid of now! Take a brief look!

The Media Authority has banned about twenty foreign journalists from entering or operating within the country for reporting what it termed “unsubstantiated and unrealistic stories”, the Managing Director of the regulatory body has said. Early, the chairman of the communications department in the secretariat of the steering committee of the national dialogue, Alfred Taban said that Media Authority has no right to bans Journalists. “The Media Authority law does not give this body the right to deny visas to Journalists on the ground that they write articles critical of the government,” Alfred said” (Danis, 2017).

Certainly, the South Sudanese government are afraid of something, they want to hide their policies as United Nations Experts and other Monitoring teams can report, but they would not do is as much as journalists. The local journalists would also fear the state and the repercussion of the media. That was supported by: “Important to note Media Authority, now taking visible role in #SouthSudan media crackdown, was supported by UNESCO, Scandanavian embassies” (Daniel Van Oudenaren, 07.06.2017). So even the free-nations of Scandinavia are clearly stopping the free-press together with a UN organization. This is flabbergasting!

That the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) and the National Dialogue will not get it their fair coverage, as the government will make sure the message of get to the press. But some critical stories will be expelled, as the journalists who covers stories not encouraged by the government will be silenced. The stories of violence and of the rebellions. Will not be taken to accord, as the victories of the SPLM/A-IG will be covered and spelled out. Since the others media-houses will fear spreading the reports who are in conflict with the message that President Kiir wants.

If they had trusted the media, they wouldn’t have banned foreign journalists. They are fearing and afraid of coverage of the Republic. They cannot manage the coverage and stories. The Republic of South Sudan, will now only have the message and propaganda of the SPLM-IG. Unless, people leak to people like me. Peace.

Reference:

Danis, Daniel – ‘Media Authority bans about 20 foreign journalists’ (07.06.2017) link: http://www.eyeradio.org/media-authority-bans-20-foreign-journalists-country/

Opinion: Theresa May is wrong, no need to suspend Human Rights Laws, there are provisions for the State to keep their citizens safe!

I’m clear: if human rights laws get in the way of tackling extremism and terrorism, we will change those laws to keep British people safe. After the London Bridge attack, I said “enough is enough”, and that things need to change to tackle the threat we face. And tonight I set out what that means: longer prison sentences for people convicted of terrorist offences; deporting foreign terror suspects back to their own countries; restricting the freedom and movements of terrorist suspects when we have evidence to know they present a threat, but not enough to prosecute them in court” – Theresa May (06.06.2017 – at a rally at Slough, United Kingdom).

That Prime Minister Theresa May are obliged to amend her laws and ask for provisions to change them through Parliament. She is fine to do so and follow the procedures of the state, to make the most draconian laws able. As the Tories already before the grand-elections started to unleash laws of old, that we’re in the fashion of King Henry IV. These laws was amend and gives more powers to the government over the Parliament. So the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has already shown force and will of taking the powers in their hands.

Theresa May isn’t the first to use terrorism to control and to suspend laws to gain more power. That is usually a sign of oppressive behavior and of the Orwellian society. Clearly, a human being like May should consider her words. If not she really wants to show that she can act so much, that she wants to take away freedom and liberties from her own citizens. Instead of believing in the set freedoms and provisions done by the United Nations Charter and ratified legal framework that the United Kingdom must have.

Still, there are enough signs that she doesn’t need to do so, as the provisions that are in place has not and will not overpower a sovereign, neither will it create interference of state control in troubling time. That is if she really cares about the liberties and the just societies the United Nations legal framework put in place.

OHCHR own Fact Sheet on Human Rights and Terrorism:

International and regional human rights law makes clear that States have both a right and a duty to protect individuals under their jurisdiction from terrorist attacks. This stems from the general duty of States to protect individuals under their jurisdiction against interference in the enjoyment of human rights. More specifically, this duty is recognized as part of States’ obligations to ensure respect for the right to life and the right to security” OHCHR, P: 8, 2008).

These challenges are not insurmountable. States can effectively meet their obligations under international law by using the flexibilities built into the international human rights law framework. Human rights law allows for limitations on certain rights and, in a very limited set of exceptional circumstances, for derogations from certain human rights provisions. These two types of restrictions are specifically conceived to provide States with the necessary flexibility to deal with exceptional circumstances, while at the same time—provided a number of conditions are fulfilled—complying with their obligations under international human rights law” (OHCHR, P: 23, 2008).

Than it is the United Nation Security Council own definition:

Security Council Resolution 1963 (2010) reiterates that effective counter-terrorism measures and respect for human rights are complementary and mutually reinforcing, and are an essential part of a successful counter-terrorism effort, and it notes the importance of respect for the rule of law so as to effectively combat terrorism. Resolution 1963 (2010) “thus encourages CTED to further develop its activities in this area, to ensure that all human rights issues relevant to the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005) are addressed consistently and even-handedly including, as appropriate, on country visits that are organized with the consent of the visited member State”.

(UNSC, 2015)

It is really serious when the United Nations and the OHCHR are saying there no issues between respecting the Human Rights Law legal framework and countering terrorism. Even if the resolutions and legal framework are critical and makes the state more bound to respect the terrorists. This still, doesn’t stop them from having provisions and having strict security in the Member States. The Member State themselves are putting forward rule of law and also has to incriminate inside their territory. However, the security is for the reason of the liberty and freedom of all citizens and all rights to all human beings. It is strange that Prime Minister Theresa May wants to suspend it, while the UNSC and OHCHR are saying it is possible.

That she has to go this far to gain support. Seems more like she could join Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttal, than following the Conservative leadership of the past. These words would not have come from David Cameron or anyone of his kind. This shows how fragile and how hell-bent is on winning this election by any means. That she has to promise on the final leap to suspend rule of law and take away basic human rigths. As the Police Service and Security Organization in our time cannot be able fight terrorism by the means and the values, that most of Europe see as natural. That the Police and Army get stronger laws and more draconian ones to make sure the United Kingdom can oppress and silence freedoms. Instead of fighting it through the means of strengthening the Police and the Intelligence, as the UK has one of the most sophisticated Security Organization in the world. It should have the capacity and if the Conservative had been serious about it, they would have fixed the issue during the last 8 years. Peace.

Reference:

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – ‘Human Rights, Terrorism and Counter-terrorism – Fact Sheet No. 32’ (July 2008)

link: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/Factsheet32EN.pdf

United Nation Security Council – ‘PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS WHILE COUNTERING TERRORISM’ (10.09.2015) link: http://www.un.org/en/sc/ctc/rights.html

Joint NGO letter on Renewing the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea (05.06.2017)

Geneva, 5 June 2017

RE: Renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea

Your Excellencies,

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, write to urge your delegation to co-sponsor a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea at the forthcoming 35th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. In view of the ongoing crimes under international law, including torture, enslavement and enforced disappearances, and violations of fundamental freedoms committed in Eritrea, the Special Rapporteur’s mandate remains an indispensable mechanism to advance the protection and promotion of human rights in Eritrea.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established at the 20th UN Human Rights Council Session in 2012 to monitor the human rights situation in Eritrea. From June 2014-June 2016, the mandate was also represented on the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea (CoI). The mandate of the Special Rapporteur was extended in July 2016 to follow-up on the recommendations of the CoI. It has been instrumental in monitoring the dire situation on the ground, highlighting on-going violations and the failure to implement the recommendations of the CoI and in providing a crucial platform to help amplify the voices and concerns of victims.

The findings of the CoI and UN Special Rapporteur reveal that the Eritrean authorities have continued to impose a broad range of unwarranted restrictions on fundamental human rights, precipitating mass migration, including of unaccompanied children. Despite commitments by the State to reduce national service to 18 months, indefinite national service and forced labor persist throughout the country. [1] Persons who attempt to avoid military conscription, take refuge abroad, practice an unsanctioned religion, or who criticise government officials continue to be arrested and imprisoned for lengthy periods. [2]

The absence of an independent judiciary means that victims of these human rights violations have no recourse to justice at home. As a result, in Eritrea impunity persists and those who have been subjected to enforced disappearances remain unaccounted for.

In light of these concerns, we respectfully request your delegation to co-sponsor a resolution during the 35th UN HRC session that renews the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, provides the mandate holder with all necessary support, and urges the Government of Eritrea to cooperate with the mandate holder including allowing unencumbered access to the country.

Sincerely,

Africa Monitors
Amnesty International
ARTICLE 19
Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea
CIVICUS
Connection e.V
DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
Eritrean Diaspora in East Africa
Eritrean Lowland League
Eritrean Law Society
Eritrea Focus
Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights
Eritreans for Human and Democratic Rights – UK
FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Human Rights Concern – Eritrea
Human Rights Watch
Information Forum For Eritrea
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
International Service for Human Rights
Network of Eritrean Women
PEN Eritrea
People for Peace in Africa
Release Eritrea
Reporters Without Borders
Stop Slavery in Eritrea Campaign
War Resisters International

South Sudan: The Leaked Points to be Discussed in Addis Ababa at the 12th June 2017 IGAD Summit (05.06.2017)

1. August 2015 Peace Agreement has fundamentally failed and there is no government in Juba Implementing it. What has to be done?

2. Roadmap to the new political process is needed and must be inclusive. What steps needed to be taken?

3. Returning of SPLM/A-IO leader Dr. Machar to South Sudan as a signatory to peace agreement has to be considered.

4. National Dialogue has to be used as a supplementary to August Peace Agreement not a replacement to a signed peace agreement.

5. Humanitarian crisis in South Sudan becomes worsening ever in African Continent. It needs urgent responses.

6. Government’s National Dialogue and unilateral ceasefire did not yield any improvement to the conflict so far. IGAD-backed by international community has a mandatory to take urgent action before genocide takes shape in South Sudan.

6. Taban Deng Gai’s break away group has to choose either SPLM-IO led by Former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon or SPLM-IG led by Salva Kiir Mayardit in order to avoid a vacuum for confusions during the implementation of peace agreement.

IGAD-backed by international community pledged to lead and create a lasting peace ever witness in South Sudan.

South Sudan: SPLM IO MPs of Eastern Jikany in South Sudan Parliament- Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on the incident that happened at various places in Maiwut state (05.06.2017)

South Sudan: The SPLM(G10) position paper from Nairobi, Kenya (02.06.2017)

South Sudan: Dr. Riek Machar’s close protection Bodyguards defected to H. E. Gen. Taban Deng Gai (02.06.2017)

Today 2 June 2017, the SPLM/SPLA-IO under the leadership of strong and charismatic leader His Excellency General Taban Deng Gai, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Chairman and Commander in Chief of the SPLM/ SPLA-IO received and warmly welcome two Senior Officers from the Intelligent Bureau of Riek Machar.

1. Col. Khan Elijah Hon Top, Spy Chief of the Body Guards of Riek Machar.

2. Lt. Col. Koryom Wang Chiok, Chief Accountant of the Body Guards of Riek Machar.

The two comrades are fine military officers who have contributed immensely to the success of the movement.

The leadership warmly welcomes them back to the fold of the movement.

End