South Sudan Civil Society Forum – Press Release (17.09.2018)

South Sudan: Statement by H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit on the Singning of the final Peace Agreement (15.09.2018)

South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA): Press Statement (16.09.2018)

South Sudan: Kiir and Museveni celebrated the fresh peace-deal with flying in 1300 trained snipers(!!)

There are something special, that there are signing of the revitalized Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan of 2018, as the failure of the 2015 agreement are lingering. As the South Sudanese stakeholders has fought in-between them since June 2016.

What is significant is that the Ugandan counterpart has been so involved with soldiers and military equipment, as they have also involved themselves in the midst of the peace agreements. That seems like counter-punching, as Yoweri Kaguta Museveni are both bringing weapons and at the same time talking peace. Something that isn’t fitting.

While President Salva Mayardiit Kiir of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M) or the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) have accepted this and used his friendship with Museveni, who has promised to help even with arms in the middle of arms embargo. Therefore, we can wonder why this news are coming, if the SPLA/M or Kiir was serious about a peace-deal, why have he hired Museveni to train snipers?

Kampala/Addis Ababa, September 15, 2018 (SSNA) — Ugandan-trained South Sudanese snipers have arrived in Juba on Saturday night, a former Ugandan intelligence officer told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in Kampala. The new allegation comes two days after South Sudan’s warring factions signed a power-sharing deal” (…) “James further disclosed that Kiir and Museveni secretly flew the 1300 new snipers to Juba Saturday night and that the snipers are now divided into two groups strategically stationed around Juba. He also stated that new South Sudanese soldiers could soon arrive in Warrap and Buliisa district” (South Sudan News Agency – ‘1300 snipers arrive in Juba as South Sudanese celebrate peace deal’ 15.09.2018 link: http://southsudannewsagency.org/index.php/2018/09/15/1300-snipers-arrive-in-juba-as-south-sudanese-celebrate-peace-deal/).

It is a massive amount to have 1300 newly trained snipers to come as they government are celebrating the peace-deal. Seems more like they have trained new brigades to await their enemies to relent and relax their positions, before firing on all cylinders. Because, why spend fortunes and pay the Uganda People’s Defense Force for weapons training and flying them in, right after signing a new peace deal.

For me that is weird, as the trust levels should not be to get new highly trained brigades, but show prosperity for the newly created peace-agreement, as building up the measures within it. Kiir could have shown capacity and measures where he was seriously thinking of peace. As there are already reported breaches of cease-fire in Yei. Therefore, not like Kiir are progressing, more like looking for his opposition to lay low and find their weakness, while building yet another brigade. Stalling for time.

It is not a sign of confidence with 1300 newly trained snipers. That is more a sign of worry, as the UPDF and South Sudan Defence Force (SSDF), the former Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) are still active together, in both arms and training. As Museveni are participating in the mediation and sharping the knives behind closed doors.

I have never trusted the man, there was talk of 300 trained snipers, but now the total number are estimated to be 1300. That is a giant amount of highly trained killers for the government. They wouldn’t have this specialized soldiers, if they didn’t see it fit. They are clearly preparing for something, which we don’t know. Peace.

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: CTSAMM Report 2018/24 – Military Movement and Offensive Military Operations in the Wau Area – Executive Summary (26.07.2018)

Not a shocker: Sudan’s Omar Al-Bashir plans to stay in power, indefinably!

Not be shocked, the guy who has ruled Sudan since 30th June 1989, the man who now has been in power in total of 10,634 days or 29 years, 1 month and 12 days to exact. That is the amount of time that Omar Al-Bashir have been in power in Sudan. This is because of his use of power, petroleum money and use of force. He has used ethnic battles and also tried to destroy groups in Darfur, the Blue Nile, South Kordofan and also in South Sudan. He has seen people die and used soldiers against his own people. The steady warfare is the reason for the internally displaced people in South Sudan and in Sudan, even refugees in Chad and in other nations as a result. There isn’t without reasons that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has a warrant for him, but the dictator-club of African Union are usually letting that one slide. Not following the Rome Statute, that is why he is not fearing criss-crossing the continent to visit fellow weapons-brothers.

I will first show the newest fresh release, that the guy taking power with a coup in 1989. That his “party” has renewed and allowed to him continue to rule. Secondly, a small extract from the article describing the coup, before showing his charge. As you can get a feeling of who this President is, and this isn’t all the horror stories from Dafur or South Sudan.

New terms for Al-Bashir:

Khartoum, Aug. 10 (SUNA) – The National Shura Council of the National Congress Thursday evening approved amendments in its basic statute and amended article (36) of those who assume organizational tasks. According to this amendment, the National Shura Council has approved Field Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir as its candidate for the position of the President of the Republic in the elections of the year 2020 and directed the concerned organs to adopt the required procedure for implementing this decision” (Sudan News Agency – ‘ National Congress Approves Omer Al-Bashir as its Candidate for 2020’ Elections’, 10.08.2018).

Al-Bashirs’ coup of 1989:

The leader of the coup, a little-known officer identified as Brig. Omar Hassam Ahmed al-Bashir, announced on the official Omdurman radio that a new Revolutionary Council would rule the Sudan, Africa’s largest country and one of its poorest. He did not say anything about restoring civilian rule. In February a group of army officers presented Prime Minister Mahdi with an ultimatum demanding that he either find a political settlement to the civil war or give the military the means to seek a battlefield victory. At that time, Mr. Mahdi agreed to widen his Government and hold peace talks with the southern rebels. Brigadier Bashir did not say today whether the peace initiative would continue” (…) “Brigadier Bashir said he would become head of state, Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. He announced the suspension of the Constitution, the dissolution of Parliament and the imposition of emergency rule. He also declared an overnight curfew. ‘Your armed forces have come to carry out a tremendous revolution for the sake of change after suffering that included deterioration in everything to the extent that your lives have become paralyzed,” Brigadier Bashir said today, according to reports monitored in Cairo” (Cowell, Alan – ‘Military Coup In Sudan Ousts Civilian Regime’ 01.07.1989, link: https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/01/world/military-coup-in-sudan-ousts-civilian-regime.html).

ICC Summary charge:

.Upon investigation of crimes allegedly committed in the territory of Darfur, Sudan, on or after 1 July 2002, the Office of the Prosecutor (hereafter the “Prosecution” or the “Office”) has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Omar Hassan Ahmad AL BASHIR (hereafter referred to as “AL BASHIR”) bears criminal responsibility under the Rome Statute for the crime of genocide under Art. 6(a); killing members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups; (b) causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of those groups; and (c) deliberately inflicting on those groups conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in part; for crimes against humanity under Art. 7(1) of the Rome Statute committing as part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the civilian population of Darfur with knowledge of the attack, the acts of (a) murder; (b) extermination; (d) forcible transfer of the population; (f) torture and (g) rapes, and for war crimes under Art. 8 (2)(e)(i) of the Statute, for intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such, and (v) pillaging a town or place” (ICC – ‘SITUATION IN DARFUR, THE SUDAN’ 14.07.2008, link: https://www.icc-cpi.int/CourtRecords/CR2008_03987.PDF).

Because of the military coup d’etat in 1989 and is still in power, I doubt he would ever leave his reign. The party had to make amends and accept to change the constitution. Since everyone knows that the Omar Al-Bashir is going nowhere. He is staying and secure his position, a position he has consolidated and secured. The use of army and intimidation, as well as petrodollars has secured this pattern. The violence to control provinces and also show force. Because no one are supposed to question him or even challenge his rule. That is why newspapers, media-houses and journalists can get into trouble. Protest turns violent as the state security organizations brutally shuts them down, even when the state is putting higher prices on petrol and bread. That is just the way Sudan is ruled, especially under Al-Bashir.

He has no trouble forging militias to kill dissenters in Dafur, South Kordofan or in South Sudan. He has supported a Nasir rebellion in South Sudan, and surely made the crisis within Darfur much worse. This is deliberate acts to control by havoc, which he has gained support and massive strength by killing civilians. There isn’t without any reason, why the ICC has put charges on him and wants him on trial for the crimes against humanity.

What was news this week, that some even called breaking news, wasn’t really that. This is a man that used the guns to get power, continues to use the gun to stay in power and have no intent of giving way to others. If they are in his way, he will blast their heads off. Peace.

World Vision Statement Regarding our Past Engagement with Islamic Relief Agency in Sudan (31.07.2018)

World Vision has robust controls and screening processes in place and condemns any diversion of aid funding and strongly condemn any act of terrorism or support for those activities.

RANDBURG, South Africa, July 31, 2018 – World Vision’s work in Sudan is focused on improving the lives of the most vulnerable children. In 2017, our programs reached approximately 674,000 vulnerable people, 70 percent of these were children and women.  The work sub-granted to IRA in 2014 was a very small percentage of our significant program expenditures in Sudan, less than 1% of our total at that time.

In March 2014, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) approved World Vision’s grant proposal that clearly listed Islamic Relief Agency (IRA) as a proposed sub-grantee. At the time of selection, there was no indication that IRA had any possible ties to an alleged terrorist-supporting organisation.

There are several Islamic Relief organisations operating around the world which are not blocked, and when we searched the blocked parties lists for “Islamic Relief” in “Sudan,” the searches produced no results.  That is still true today on the website of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

In May 2014, when WV applied to renew its registration with OFAC as a charity working in Sudan, it identified IRA as a sub-grantee in its application. OFAC approved the renewal in August 2014 without any comments or questions about IRA.

In November 2014, we informed OFAC and USAID that we had concerns about IRA in Sudan possibly being related to certain other organisations with “Islamic Relief” in their names, designated by the US government as organisations allegedly supporting terrorism.  Because of these concerns, we suspended further grant implementation by IRA pending clarification from OFAC.

In January 2015, OFAC responded that IRA in Sudan “appears to be the same entity” as the one on OFAC’s blocked parties list. The sub-grant by then had expired, it was not renewed, and we discontinued any future collaboration with IRA.  At this time, OFAC authorised us to pay IRA $125,000 for the humanitarian work that was verified to have already been completed under the grant.  The payment made to IRA was not a diversion of funds but payment for programming services of confirmed quality.

World Vision took its compliance obligations seriously, but respectfully asked permission to pay IRA money owing for legitimate humanitarian work (salaries, humanitarian aid and supplies for beneficiaries, travel etc.) already incurred. World Vision explained failure to do so could have exposed it to potential legal liability for breach of contract, resulted in the very real chance of Government expulsion from Sudan and as a consequence, the loss of a lifeline for tens of thousands of children and their families.

World Vision has robust controls and screening processes in place and condemns any diversion of aid funding and strongly condemn any act of terrorism or support for those activities.

We have no evidence that any of our funds have been used for anything other than urgent humanitarian work.

South Sudan: Points of Framework Agreement (25.06.2018)

Communique of the 32nd Extra-ordinary Summit of IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government on South Sudan (21.06.2018)