SPLM/A-IO: The Resolution of the SPLM/SPLA(IO) Political Bureau Meeting September 20-23, 2016, Khartoum, Sudan.

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We are not a failed state -South Sudan (Youtube-Clip)

South Sudan Journalists reporting in Refuge (Youtube-Clip)

“Africa’s youngest nation is in turmoil. Tens of thousands of South Sudan’s citizens are living in refugee camps, fleeing from a conflict instigated by their leaders. Tens of thousands lie dead in different parts of this young nation. In contrast, many of South Sudan’s leaders and their families live in comfort in the capital cities of surrounding countries. South Sudan’s journalists could be telling the world these and other important stories about their country, but many of them have fled as well, fearing the state oppression that came with the war. Our cameraman Elijah Kanyi spoke to a few of them who made it out of South Sudan to Uganda” (Africa Uncensored, 2016).

Ethiopia says it won’t entertain Riek Machar (Youtube-Clip)

“Ethiopia has issued warnings with regards to former South Sudan first Vice President Riek Machar visit. It says Machar’s only welcome to the country on a temporary basis. The Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalgen was quoted in an interview saying, Ethiopia will not entertain leader of an armed struggle. According to Hailemariam, Machar, will only be allowed to pass through Ethiopia in his travels. The former South Sudanese first Vice president was recently replaced by Taban deng Gai. This came after he left Juba following violence in July. He is currently in Sudan” (CCTV Africa, 2016)

South Sudan: A Statement from Brig. General Abraham Wani Youone Bondo (15.09.2016)

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United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) responds to Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) allegations (18.09.2016)

UN House Juba

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) notes with concern recent accusations made by the SPLA of UNMISS of supposedly fostering criminal activity and harbouring armed elements in the UN protection of civilians (PoC) site in Juba.

The Mission would like to clarify the circumstances surrounding one incident which took place on Friday 16 September. At approximately 6 o’clock in the morning small arms fire could be heard coming from the vicinity of a checkpoint, manned by South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS), located North West of the protection site. On being informed by the SSNPS that the checkpoint was under attack, UNMISS deployed a Quick Reaction Force to prevent the perpetrators from entering the POC site. The attackers withdrew from the checkpoint and, later in the morning, SPLA forces deployed to secure the area.

In the early hours of the morning on Friday 9 September, a similar incident occurred and again, following notification by the SSNPS, UNMISS responded. On this occasion, medical assistance was rendered to a wounded SSNPS officer.

UNMISS acknowledges and appreciates the professionalism of the SSNPS and SPLA forces who engaged constructively with UNMISS during these recent incidents to ensure security in this area. UNMISS continues to coordinate proactively with those at the checkpoint to deter and prevent any future insecurity.

UNMISS rejects the allegations of impropriety in our operations, and in keeping with the UN mandate on protection of civilians, and the impartial nature of our actions; we would like to report that Thursday afternoon two SPLA soldiers in plain clothes entered POC3, where they were assaulted and held captive overnight. When UNMISS UN police were notified, a formed police unit deployed immediately and conducted a successful rescue operation. The individuals informed UNMISS they had entered into PoC3 at their own free will, and after receiving medical assistance by UNMISS force; the two were handed over to National Authorities.

The mission conducts regular cordon and search operations in all of its PoC sites, in keeping with its arms free policy, and have clear entry and exit procedures. Since the July clashes, search operations have been increased in the Juba PoC site and have yielded positive results.

UNMISS condemns the continuing violence, and calls on all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement, to allow the country to move forward and put personal and political differences aside.

The UN can only work with the cooperation of the Transitional Government to reinforce the protection of civilians.

Communique de Presse: De la NDSCI a Suite de la Situation d’Insecurite qui Prevaut sur l’Axe Kabare-Nord en Province du Sud-Kivu (18.09.2016)

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Opinion: Countering the nonsense of attacking Besigye as there are more dire need reactions from the supporters if they want change!

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The Defiance campaign couldn’t be an easy run; it would be and is a long walk to freedom. There isn’t a short quick and brief change out of thin air. The wish and concern isn’t only on the FDC Presidential Candidate of late Dr. Kizza Besigye. The arrests for Hon. Michael Kabaziguruka of Nakawa and his Court Martial; together with arrest of the ones who dare to protest against the National Resistance Movement in this day and age. Just like the Youth of Democratic Party who demonstrated against the greedy Members of Parliament we’re detained. The oppression of the NRM regime doesn’t go away overnight like morning dew.

For those of you who thought this would be easy. Yes I had hope in February that the FDC and Dr. Kizza Besigye would win, because of the men running he had the best agenda and the needed remedy. The NRM has involved the Central Government in a way where the directions of the fiscal policies and the cash-barred MPs to beg for greed instead of dropping policies and laws that matters. The NRM machine are more caring about skinny jeans, short skirts and porn than having working equipment in the hospitals and steady delivery of needed medicines. This is the proof of the rigid brown-enveloped system blessed by the almighty at the State House.

While that is happening there people with hope and see that the brown-envelopes won’t create any common good, but only for the current elite who eat the spoils of foreign donors and the secretive agreements between government and businesses. Getting mansions and luxurious SUVs before riding to the closest mall where even the Government Spokesperson Ofwono Opondo stole underwear. It’s just how the system is made to blatant regard the men who in all their honour bow their heads to the Mzee on the top. They are allowed to do anything and get away with it. Therefore the ones who counter this paradigm get whipped, detained or even disgraced in public.

FDC Youth 14.03.2016

Still, with this in mind the blames that the current embattled Besigye is at fault. Not because he hasn’t tried and done what he could empower the opposition with vigour to assemble in Power 10 (P10) Structure and other to counter the NRM Poor Youth or any other group that the Government used to silence the FDC. The FDC mobilisers has been detained as common as the roads development has been bribing state officials; it is so common that the news of detaining a FDC Youth or Mobilisers are day-to-day acts of the Police Force. So it is not like Besigye and the FDC haven’t had heavy-water to carry.

The assurance that the Defiance Campaign wasn’t made in fear of repression from the NRM or the Government; should have been well known as the NRM Regime has since it establishment done what it could to harass and disrupt the rallies of Dr. Paul Ssemogerere and so on. The ones forgetting that is currently forgotten the past. I am sure even the current leader of DP Norbert Mao has had issues under the last Campaign Trial in 2011/2012. Norbert Mao we’re even detained during the campaign in this calendar-year because the UPF cannot help themselves to make life hard for real opposition.

So with that knowledge of this and even after the 10th Parliament have started and the Plenary Sessions begun. This is the start of the new breed of MPs, who wish to get more funds and more salaries then the former legislators. They want to be rich quick and get that on the public funds. They don’t have ideas of their obligations to represent their citizens and not eat of their citizens. Even if they just follow what the ‘Old Man with the Hat’ has teaches them as he came with empty pockets to the Parliament and now decades later are richer than god.

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So if the ones caring thought the Defiance Campaign would succeed on its own like a marching band making noise on the gates when it past and everybody enjoying it. You’re wrong because some hates the marching band and other wish they just went down more street. Defiance of Besigye had to get public support and truly be invested in it to get the change happen. The fear of the repression of the regime and their sanctions might be a reason for why it has partly failed for the moment. Because if they wanted they should do more than quickly after thinking of boycotting the “Tubonga Nawe” artists who campaigned for the Cow farmer.

Besigye had #KigwaLeero wishing for a brighter future and make a difference. He asked for a government with accountability and we’re there for the public. Not like the ones that is there now who is there for former rebel who takes the riches for himself and leaves scraps for the elite who is loyal to him.

Defying the regime could not be done by him alone in Kasangati, it could be only be the hardliners who stood by Besigye in his hardships. It has to be made the ones who really want to get rid of the regime of present. It will not be easy and get there easily. Some has spoken of violence and using the tactics of old, like the ones that Mzee used himself to get power. If you do so wouldn’t you be the same as him? If he used guns and guerrilla warfare to get into power and you use the same doesn’t that make you a rebel who dreamed of power and not a true democrat? Even if Ghana’s Jerry Rawlings made it and ushered in a positive political system, that doesn’t necessary work for Besigye.

I doubt that Besigye want to use violence and rebel through the rifles and assassinate his opponents. As he was parts of the NRA and doesn’t want the change to be of the old ways, only through guns and on the battlefield. There is precisely in history that none President or Executive in Uganda has been changed peacefully through the ballot, instead through the bullets, which makes sense at least to those of us who believes in peaceful transitions.

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That means that this is not alone on Besigye, this is on the supporters and the opposition itself. That means that struggle of the opposition has to defy the current regime. With means that hurt the regime and that discontinue the fiscal funding of government, that counter the legitimacy of the institutions and the opposition has to build strong grass-root movement that has most of the base in the population. So that you have all corners on the knees and weak; so that the actions of government can be countered by people’s sanctioning them. The best acts of the defiance during the Election period were the use of VPN to counter to Social-Media Ban of the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC). So the people have it naturally in them when they feel betrayed and knowledge of ways to stop nonsense from all-controlling government.

It’s that kind of defiance that is needed. That kind of acts that hurts the MTN and the others who practically funds the regime and keeps the taxation without representation going. Besigye can be blamed, but he is the spokesman and the one who is tormented by the regime already. So the man has done and continues to do his part. The people behind have to use their wisdom and ways to destabilize the regime by peaceful means and even risk their freedoms. As so many youths and people associated with FDC has been during the years. Also other political parties have also felt the pain of being opposition. So the ones blaming Besigye has lost the basic component of it all: the key is always the people! They, the people have the fate of the government in their hands; the Government lives either on the trust from the public or of the fear of the people going against it.

The people decide not only through secret ballots, but through their faith and their assessment of the situation of how they believe they should govern. Some might accept the current regime in silence because of the fear and the belief if they go against it they lose it all. But if those all thinks like this than the organizing against the current regime will not become of anything.

Now with this the FDC and Besigye have to show Defiance and be upfront as they have to use their support to weaken the NRM and their henchmen’s. This is not only defying in court and going from kangaroo courts and smiling on NTV. That is to directly counter the regimes acts in Parliament, demonstrate and boycott. Use other ways with even stronger force and more success than Walk to Work. That will not be easy and that can only happen if the momentum and belief together with the peoples. The Peoples or the Citizens can only act when they are sure they will conquer the regime, if not they will demonstrate and lose the little they have. They lose their hawking job and their voice where they were. That is not acceptable.

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What Besigye has to do is not to give in or give up. He is the voice of hope and a brighter new day. But to get the brighter new day for the Ugandan people under a new government who have other belief in institutions and service delivery than the people has to support Besigye and his cause. Not because Besigye is only one who can do this, but because he is the ones who champion it through defiance on his own.

The ones who attacks Besigye for his campaign hasn’t understood it; but is more worrying is that people can only stand behind their voice in the wilderness or leave the belief of regime change. And giving up a 30 year regime and an Executive that has been there since 1986 is hard. Because of the ways the draconian laws and fiscal policies are set-up. That should give reason for the citizens to react with demonstrations and peaceful mobilizations in the ways of the VPN to defy the all-eating NRM and their in-accurate methods of silencing voices which isn’t their own. Peace.

South Sudan surpasses one million refugee mark, joins Somalia & Syria (Youtube-Clip)

“The number of South Sudanese refugees sheltering in neighboring countries has passed the 1 million mark. With this milestone, South Sudan joins Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia as countries which have produced more than a million refugees. Most of the recent arrivals have crossed into Uganda. Aid agencies are finding it difficult to provide assistance for the hundreds of thousands in need, including the 1.61 million internally displaced. UNICEF is now warning that without funding and support, it will continue to provide assistance only to the needy” (CCTV Africa, 2016)

Monthly Humanitarian Update South Sudan Conflict August 2016 (31.08.2016)

South Sudan HRP 2016 Cover Page
South Sudan HRP 2016 Cover Page

Situation Overview

  • The resurgence of violence in July and August resulted in increased inflow of civilians into Protection of Civilian (POC) sites, particularly in Juba and Wau.
  • Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that there are now 197,000 internally-displaced population (IDP) seeking shelter in UN protected sites across South Sudan.
  • At the UN House POC site in Juba, the number of IDPs has reached 37,200 following the fighting between government and opposition forces.
  • In Wau, more than 2,500 new civilians have arrived in various IDP camps in August.
  • In Bentiu, the POC site is now host to some 98,600 IDPs.
  • 78 health facilities have been damaged across the country and among those forced to flee by the violence were health workers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
  • The conflict has hindered movement of civilians, affecting their access to health services. The dire situation increases risks of maternal mortality for pregnant women, as well as protection issues for women and girls in general.
  • Several pregnant who fled the fighting in Leer and Mayendit Counties have travelled for days on foot to reach the Bentiu POC site.
  • In the semi-urban areas of Rubkona and Bentiu town, young people are looking for opportunities for livelihood and economic activities.

UNFPA Assistance to Humanitarian Needs

The United Nations Population Fund works with the Government, donors and other partners to deliver lifesaving reproductive health services, including prevention and management of gender-based violence, to the crisisaffected population especially women and young people.

Sexual and Reproductive Health

  • UNFPA has delivered emergency reproductive health kits and other supplies to various partners for Central Equatorial, Upper Nile region, including Maban County,
    Cueibet State, Yei, Nimule, Aweil and Bentiu.
  • Additional RH Kits, medicines and dignity kits worth USD320,000 are expected to arrive in early September.