May 1, 2012 (WASHINGTON) – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) appears headed for a vote on a U.S. draft resolution that requires Khartoum and Juba to return to the negotiating table or face non-military measures under article 41 of the UN charter.

The United Nations Security Council (Reuters)

Intervention by the UNSC was requested by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in a communiqué it issued last week following a meeting it held to discuss the quickly deteriorating situation between north and south Sudan.

Armies of the neighboring nations clashed last month in the oil-rich Heglig region after South Sudan’s army managed to occupy it for ten days. Sudan’s army managed to take it back though Juba insists it withdrew voluntarily.

This was the worst fighting between the two sides since South Sudan split from the north to become an independent nation in July 2011.

Many observers believe that the fighting was a direct result of failure by Khartoum and Juba to reach an agreement on several key post-secession issues namely oil, borders, Abyei, citizenship and external debt.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir said last month that his country is no longer interested in talks with the south because the latter only understands the "language of the gun". However, Bashir’s foreign minister Ali Karti later said they can only sit down for security negotiations.

The AUPSC declaration sets a timeframe for re-launching negotiations and reaching an agreement between north and south Sudan that were all reflected in the proposed UNSC resolution. It also calls for cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of troops from contested regions such as Abyei and ending any backing to rebel groups on the other side of the borders.

Sudan rejected the UNSC intervention in the matter and appeared critical of the AUPSC for involving the council. Officials in Khartoum are concerned that the resolution will pave the way for internationalization of north-south conflict and also the insurgencies in Blue Nile and South Kordofan border states.

Bashir has scrapped an AU-brokered agreement signed by his aide in June 2011 with Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) which is fighting the Sudanese army in those two states. He ordered the army to crush the rebellion and rejected any negotiations with its "outlawed" leaders.

The UNSC will order Khartoum and SPLM-N to cooperate with the mediation efforts.

"[The UNSC] Decides that the Government of Sudan and the SPLM-North shall extend full cooperation to the AUHIP and the Chair of IGAD, to reach a negotiated settlement on the basis of the June 28, 2011 Framework Agreement on Political Partnership between NCP and SPLM-N and Political and Security Arrangements in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan States".

It also urges the two sides to "accept the tripartite proposal submitted by the African Union, the United Nations and the League of Arab States, to permit humanitarian access to the affected population in the two areas".

Failure to compliance with the Chapter VII resolution could prompt the council to consider measures incorporated in article 41 of the UN charter such as economic sanctions.

China and Russia, two of Sudan’s traditional allies at the UNSC, were reluctant to allow for the sanctions threat to be included in the draft resolution but it appears unlikely that they will veto it should the vote proceed as planned on Wednesday.

"They oppose even the mention of Article 41," one diplomat told AFP.

"This time it is less the Russians and more the Chinese," another senior Western diplomat told Agence France Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity.

"If they keep on not liking it, they might abstain. I don’t think they will veto," the envoy added.

The diplomat noted that since the request came from the AU it may be difficult for either permanent members to block it.

"It is much more difficult for the Chinese and Russians to say no to an AU request than a western plan," the envoy said.

This week, Sudanese foreign minister met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow seeking a stance against the resolution.

But Lavrov expressed general support to the resolution and even the threat of possible sanctions in the event of non-compliance.

The resolution "says that the Security Council will consider the sides’ actions, and depending on how they implement this resolution, the Council intends to discuss possible further steps," Lavrov told reporters.

"Yes, it may include measures of economic pressure. But I would repeat that this is not an automatic decision, but only an intention depending on how the resolution is implemented," he added.

Sudan made a formal preliminary acceptance of the AU roadmap in a letter sent by Karti to AU commission chairman Jean Ping on Sunday.

According to state media, Khartoum nonetheless expressed reservations on unspecified portions of the plan.

(ST)

 

April 6, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The government of South Sudan on Friday expressed hope that the presidential summit between Salva Kiir and his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan al-Bashir will soon take place despite recent setbacks in relations.

FILE - South Africa’s former president Thabo Mbeki (L) attends a joint presidency meeting with Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (2nd L), South Sudan president Salva Kiir and Vice President Ali Osman Taha (R) in Khartoum (Reuters)

Last month, the Secretary General of South Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM) Pagan Amum traveled to Khartoum to deliver a letter inviting Bashir to the summit initially scheduled to take place in Juba on 3 April.

However, military confrontations involving the two countries’ armies resulted in the unilateral suspension of Bashir’s visit.

On Friday, South Sudan’s minister of information Barnaba Marial Benjamin, who doubles up as the official spokesman of the government, said that his government is keen on seeing the meeting take place.

“The invitation is holding," Benjamin told Sudan Tribune on Friday. "We have not until today received an official notification from the Sudanese government that they have canceled the visit”, he said explaining further that “they cannot act on media reports”.

The government spokesperson said since the invitation was official that they can only accept an official communication.

“It was a letter from a head of state inviting another head of state. And if there is a reservation from the Sudanese president it has to be an official response”, Benjamin said.

He said the summit was one of the issues why the mediators led by chair of the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Thabo Mbeki, visited Juba.

“President Mbeki came for talks with President Salva Kiir over issues relating to the ongoing negotiations between the two countries, especially the issue of border security. He also came for a talk with the president. He wants to hear from him [Kiir] whether [the] president was still committed to the presidential summit or it has been changed”, he explained.

In Khartoum, Bashir met with Mbeki for two hours to discuss with him prospects of holding the summit with Kiir.

Mbeki said Bashir was unopposed to the summit as long as enough preparations are made beforehand. The AUHIP chair said the time and place of the meeting is to be determined by specialised committees.

Significant issues have remained unresolved since South Sudan’s independence in July of last year, including oil, citizenship, borders, debt and the status of contested areas such as Abyei.

Just before the clashes erupted last month, a new tone appeared to have been struck, with Bashir due to visit Juba to sign deals on citizenship and borders.

 

 

26 March 2012 Last updated at 23:16 GMT

Sudan and South Sudan in fierce border clashes

Clashes have broken out between the armed forces of Sudan and South Sudan in several disputed border regions, both sides say.

A spokesman for the South Sudan army says it is the biggest confrontation since independence.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan last July after a long civil war. The nations have several outstanding issues, of which the biggest is oil.

Sudan state radio says President Bashir has now put off a visit to South Sudan.

He had been due to hold a summit next week with the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir.

The clashes prompted President Kiir to warn of war.

He said: "This morning the [Sudanese] air force came and bombed... areas in Unity state.

"After this intensive bombardment our forces.... were attacked by the [Sudan Armed Forces] and militia."

Mr Kiir added: "It is a war that has been imposed on us again, but it is [Sudan] who are looking for it."

He said Southern forces had taken over the key oil field of Heglig, parts of which are claimed by both sides.

Oil dispute

The South also reported Khartoum had attacked the disputed areas of Jau and Pan Akuach, and Teshwin inside South Sudan.

Sudan's army spokesman, Sawarmi Khalid Saad, confirmed fighting in the border area of Sudan's South Kordofan state and the southern Unity state, without giving the exact locations.

"The clashes there are still ongoing," he said.

In January, South Sudan shut down all of its oil fields in a row over the fees Sudan demands to transit the oil.

South Sudan depends on oil sales for 98% of state revenues, but pledged not to restart production until a deal was reached.

Parts of the countries' common border also remain in dispute.

In February, the two states agreed to demarcate most of the border within three months, although this would exclude five disputed areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 22, 2012 (JUBA) - South Sudan on Wednesday said it has given the president of Petrodar - a Chino-Malaysian oil company - 72 hours to leave the country, accusing him of not cooperating with the government and continuing to receive instructions from the government in Khartoum.

Liu Yingcai, former Petrodar president

Stephen Dhieu Dau, the country’s oil minister told reporters on Wednesday that some oil companies in South Sudan were not respecting the terms of reference of the memorandum of understanding which they signed in December.

He said that violating this agreement had forced the government announce theexpulsion of Liu Yingcai, head of the Petrodar on Tuesday.

Petrodar is a consortium comprised mainly of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with a 41 percent stake and Malaysia’s Petronas with 40 percent.

The government is also annoyed that Petrodar has not transferred it’s main office from Khartoum to Juba, the capital of the republic of South Sudan.

South Sudan seceded from the north in July last year taking with it 75% of the oil reserves that existed under the united country.

Talks between Khartoum and Juba over the fees South Sudan should pay to export it’s oil using the north’s infrastructure have failed to bring the sides to an agreement.

Juba is demanding $1 a barrel while Khartoum wants over $30. Efforts by the African Union (AU) mediation team in Addis Ababa have so far failed.

The Sudanese government is demanding over $1billion in unpaid fees since July last year when the previous deal expired coinciding with South Sudan’s independence.

South Sudan denies it has not been paying fees accuses its northern neighbour of "looting" $815 million in oil revenues and has responded by shutting down oil production completely last month.

Juba says that Khartoum has illegally sold at least three shipments of it’s oil, including 600,000 barrels on ship awaiting to dock in Japan, and has vowed to sue any company that purchases southern crude from North Sudan.

South Sudan has accused unspecified oil companies of collaborating with Khartoum in “stealing” and marketing the crude it confiscated. Petrodar deny this insisting they have complied with all instructions from Juba.

The government further accused Petrodar of lack of cooperation in the implementation of the government’s decision to shut down oil production and negligence on the impacts of oil operations on the environment.

South Sudan also accuses the Chinese-Malaysian company of dishonesty. The ministry of petroleum says that when it went through the process of stopping production it discovered that the company was producing extra 40,000 barrels of oil per day more than the 230,000 bpd it was declaring.

Many government officials regard the expulsion of the PetroDar president as the turning of a new startas South Sudan deals with irregularities in the oil sector.

On Wednesday South Sudan said it has started reviewing all oil contracts signed by the Khartoum government, while the country was still united - a departure from it’s previous policy.

PetroDar hold concessions in Palloj in Upper Nile state, where South Sudan was producing over 60 percent of its crude oil before the shutdown.

The oil crisis is one of many raising fears of a return to war between the two countries. Decades of civil war, leading up to the 2005 peace deal that gave South Sudan the right to secede, left 2 million dead and over 4 million displaced, according to the UN.

 

 

 

January 27, 2012 (ADDIS ABABA) – The presidents of Sudan Omer Hassan al-Bashir and South Sudan Salva Kiir failed to reach an agreement on the terms by which Juba can export its oil through the north’s pipelines despite pressure mounted by African leaders present at the summit in Addis Ababa.

Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir (L) & South Sudan president Salva Kiir (R) attend talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa January 27, 2012 (AFP)

The Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who is the current chair of the African Union (AU) spent several hours of the day in Sheraton hotel desperately trying to convince Bashir and Kiir to reach common grounds on the issue of oil.

The landlocked South Sudan became independent last July under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war with Khartoum. It took with it about 75 percent of roughly 500,000 barrels per day of oil production.

Both countries depend heavily on oil and have put forward widely differing figures for a possible transit fee. Sudan has publicly proposed $36 per barrel, while South Sudan has listed figures under $1 per barrel.

As talks on the fees dragged on the Sudanese government said it ran out of patience and can no longer tolerate South Sudan exporting its oil for free. As such it started taking part of the oil pumped by South Sudan to make up for what it called unpaid fees.

In response, South Sudan said last week it was shutting down its output.

Zenawi along with Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki and chairman of the AU High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) Thabo Mbeki listened to the respective positions of Bashir and Kiir on the oil dispute after which it was realized that the gap between the two sides is very wide.

But the Ethiopian premier told the two leaders that while he respects their views but that they have no options left but to sign off on the AUHIP proposal and suggested that the mediation team ran out of ideas.

The latest proposal submitted by Mbeki’s team states that South Sudan would pay its northern neighbor $4 billion over the next five years, send 35,000 barrels per day to Khartoum’s refineries and in return the Sudanese government would release the oil tankers in Port Sudan carrying crude to their buyers.

The south countered the initiative saying it is prepared to pay only $2.6 billion over the next five years including $1 billion starting this year.

Some sources told Sudan Tribune that the AUHIP proposal was watered down in Addis Ababa today to where it allows Juba to export its oil without Khartoum seizing part of it. South Sudan would then provide Sudan with the 35,000 bpd.

The two sides would then work on the transit fee portion of the dispute and seek an agreement within three months timeframe.

After several hours of frantic deliberations Bashir and Kiir agreed to sign an accord on spot after consulting with their delegations prompting Zenawi to break the news to his African peers.

But Kiir reportedly came back and said he can’t approve of this arrangement in its present form.

The head of South Sudan negotiating team Pagan Amum vehemently denied that Kiir gave Zenawi his blessings saying that this a “lie”. He stressed that his boss never agreed and came to the summit to inform the leaders about his position and that for a starter Khartoum must return the oil it seized.

Sudan’s foreign minister Ali Karti said that Kiir’s stance generated harsh criticism from African leaders.

Zenawi said the two sides hadn’t agreed on a deal yet, but oil would stay on the agenda in Addis Ababa, where the leaders of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia also met.

"It was agreed that the two parties will continue their negotiations during the summit. We have not come to conclusion as yet," he told reporters.

Zenawi said an African Union mediating panel had proposed a "reversal of unilateral measures" taken by both sides, but did not spell out what that meant. "Many of those issues are agreed, but there are some sticking points," he said.

In a related issue the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported that Bashir refused the presence of Ugandan president Yoweri Musevini in the oil talks.

 

 

 

January 4, 2012 (JUBA) – South Sudan has declared the state of Jonglei, which suffered intertribal fighting in recent days, a disaster area and appealed to the international relief agencies to help in providing relief assistance to the affected populations.

A burning tukul (hut) in Pibor, South Sudan (UN)

Fighting erupted in late December when the 6,000 armed men from the Lou-Nuer ethnic group attacked Pibor county, the home of the Murlecommunity, in the latest of a series of raids between the two groups.

Between 20,000 and 50,000 members of the Murle community have been displaced and hundreds are expected to have been killed. Over 1,000 have died in cattle raids, abductions and counter attacks in the last seven months.

Authorities say that the number of the dead in the latest attack, which reached its peak over New Year, may never be known because the casualties from the first heavy fighting in the areas of Nam or Biemni, at the border areas between the two communities, was not assessed.

South Sudan officials say that that it took two days for the Luo-Nuer to fight their way into Murle territory in Nam, before the Murle pulled back allowing the armed group to advance into Lilkwangole payam [district].

After failed attempts by South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar and other senior politicians to convince the Lou-Nuer not to continue their advance to attack Pibor town, move further south to raid cattle, seek to disarm the Murle or seek the return of 180 people they claim were abducted from their community.

Most of the Murle land was affected by the attacks with the exception of Boma payam [district] in the far south-eastern part of Pibor county.

Officials say that 83 members of the Lou-Nuer and 53 Murle were wounded. The numbers are less among the Murle, government sources say, as they may have not managed to escape.

A huge number more are feared to have died when the Lou-Nuer youth attacked Pibor town and expanded their operations to other payams [districts] and villages, chasing and hunting for the fleeing Murle community in the bushes.

Mary Boyoi, a South Sudanese musician from the Murle community, told the BBC that a lot of women and children lost their lives as they were left behind by the men who were able to escape faster.

The revenge attack by Lou-Nuer came as a result of a cycle of violence between communities in the state. In August, one month after South Sudan became independent, the Murle carried out a surprise attack in Lou-Nuer area, killing over 700, wounding hundreds others and raiding over 38,000 heads of cattle. They said the attack was in retaliation to an attack by Lou-Nuer in June 2011.

On Wednesday South Sudan’s cabinet held an extraordinary meeting, chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit, during which it was briefed by the Vice President, Riek Machar on the situation in Jonglei state. The cabinet deliberated on the situation and passed a resolution declaring Jonglei state a disaster area.

The minister of information and spokesperson of the government, Barnaba Maria, after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday said the cabinet appealed to the international community to assist in the resettlement of the populations affected in the three communities of Murle, Lou-Nuer and Dinka in the state.

Authorities say that the Lou-Nuer youth have returned and are on the way back to their territories, with tens of thousands of heads of cattle. Cattle are important for status and for bride prices in many South Sudanese communities.

The resolution also called for the disarmament of the whole of Jonglei state to enable the government to address the underdevelopment of the state.

The cabinet fell short of declaring a state of emergency in the state.

 

 

31 December, 2011

With the birth of a nation comes the birth of its embassy.

It's 9 p.m. and Sarah Chan's high heels are clacking at top speed across this Woodley Park hotel lobby. She's rushing hundreds of her South Sudanese brethren into cabs so they won't miss President Salva Kiir, who's speaking at a hotel a mile away.

With the birth of a nation comes the birth of its embassy, a powerful emblem of its legitimacy and an assertion of the country's identity on the world stage. South Sudan will soon officially join Washington's 190 embassies, and Chan is one of 14 employees working for the fledging mission, whose first big undertaking is Kiir's mid-December visit here as part of a U.S. government-hosted South Sudan development conference.

It was a grand, two-day coming-out party for the world's newest nation, with a speech by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and meetings with a lineup of elites from Washington's international, political, diplomatic and aid-and-trade communities.

Kiir's location wasn't announced until the very last minute, a reminder that not everyone was eager to welcome the new country, whose July 9, 2011, independence redrew the map of the world.

"Sisters, brothers -- hurry! Our president has arrived! We have to go!" Chan called out.

Tonight, Chan commands attention. That's partly because she's the daughter of Sudan People's Liberation Army commander Chan Dak, who was killed while fighting in the region's long struggle for independence.

Newly emerged from a brutal 25-year conflict that killed an estimated 2 million people, South Sudan is still building its foreign diplomatic service. While some of the Washington mission's top envoys are trained in diplomacy, others, like Chan, are homespun talent.

What they lack in polish, they make up for in pathos.

Read the rest of this article at the Washington Post.

December 16, 2011 (JUBA) — The government of Netherlands on Friday announced its commitment to support reconstruction of the newly founded Republic of South Sudan, saying it contributes €75 million to the country each year.

The Netherlands, which has been closely involved in the peace process in Sudan over the past few years, "intends to play a major role in the reconstruction of South Sudan" said Netherlands Minister for European Affairs and International Cooperation Ben Knapen in a speech at the International Engagement Conference on the future of South Sudan in Washington, DC.

"Through bilateral and multilateral channels and via non-governmental organisations, the Dutch contribute €75 million to the country each year. Over the next three years €45 million of that amount will be spent annually on water management, food security, and security and the legal order”, the minister announced at the conference.

The Netherlands also provided approximately €14 million in humanitarian aid in 2011 and has pledged to make up to 30 experts available for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

The Dutch government which classes South Sudan among its 15 development partners, has also pressed for coordinated EU programming for the years ahead. From now through 2013 the European Union will spend a total of €900 million on development in South Sudan.

The minister in a statement released by the Netherlands embassy in Juba on Friday also underlined that the new state in South Sudan is facing enormous challenges "in addition to security, stability, and social and economic development."

The minister stressed on the need for a functioning, multiparty democracy that respects the rule of law and human rights.

In a meeting with the President Salva Kiir on the sidelines of the conference, Ben Knapen reiterated Dutch commitment to support the South Sudan development and reaffirmed that good governance and respect of the rule of law are necessary for a democratic regime.

He also urged that relations between North and South Sudan be normalised by settling outstanding issues from the peace agreement.

Along with development South Sudan needs investments and international trade. In October, a month after the Dutch embassy was opened in Juba, a large trade mission took place, with the participation of Dutch businesses in the agriculture, financial services and transport sectors.

The International Engagement Conference for South Sudan ended on 15 December. Speakers included President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, President Robert Zoellick of the World Bank and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.

Representatives of different governments, the private sector and NGOs spoke on a variety of subjects, including the management of oil income, social services (such as education and health care), strengthening state institutions and investment opportunities.

 

 

December 4, 2011 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s police said Sunday they have mapped out a comprehensive strategy to clamp down on traffic offenders and to maintain law and order on the roads.

As part of the grand plan, the police have intensified driver education campaigns through the media and other means to sensitise drivers and motorists on consequences of recklessness and indiscipline on the roads.

A statement by the Inspector General of South Sudan Police, Service, General Acuil Tito Madut, on Sunday, said the police were focusing more attention on speeding as it is a major cause of accidents.

“In this case the Police have employed both technological and man-power to check this factor of road transport mishaps,” it said. The statement said the police have devoted time to “stop-and-checks,” where vehicles are thoroughly scrutinised for excess passengers and luggage.

It said, moreover, police officers have been asked become more professional, disciplined and civil when dealing traffic offenses. Personnel who have shown any unprofessional conduct in were being dealt with the statement said.

“As the operation reaches its peak we entreat the general public to bear with the Police for any inconveniences, as it is aimed at ensuring sanity on the road,” the statement said.

It said meanwhile the police are imploring members of the public to report any reckless driving to the Police by telephone or to the nearest Police Station.

"The government needs to educate its employees about risks involve in driving without license", Sabit Abe, a resident of Juba commented.

TERRORIST ACTIVITY : Dadaab, Kenya - High

15 Nov: Explosion at refugee camp injures four people.

Reports indicate that a remotely-controlled IED, whose target was a security vehicle in a UN convoy, detonated outside the Dadaab refugee camp. The explosion reportedly seriously wounded two police officers and two private security personnel of a foreign company. Two resident refugees at the camp were arrested in connection with the explosion.

Recommendations:

This is the latest in a string of incidents in the vicinity of the Dadaab refugee camp. Previous recent incidents include a failed mine or IED explosion on 05 Nov, a mine or remotely-detonated IED explosion targeting a paramilitary vehicle on the Garissa-Dadaab road on 28 Oct that wounded at least three people, and the kidnap of two Spanish aid workers on 13 Oct. Additionally, in late October, security forces seized automatic weapons and ammunition during security sweeps throughout Dadaab and nearby camps. Barring any significant increase in security in the area, it is assessed that similar attacks and possibly kidnappings will continue. we strongly advises that individuals and organizations operating in the area consider full-spectrum risk management.

 

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY : Libya - High

22 Nov: Shootout near expat residential compound injures two Libyan guards.

Some 20 armed men belonging to a Misrata militia traded fire with the guards at the Palm City complex, a gated community where many foreign nationals reside, in Janzour, 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Tripoli. Two local national guards from the compound were injured. Some bullets passed through the entry gate and caused minor damage to some inner buildings. Reportedly, the gunmen had been allowed to stay in the compound residences before, and were insisting they be permitted to come back.

Recommendations:

The National Transitional Council (NTC) is eager to establish order and a central military authority, as throughout Libya many people are still armed from the recent battles against the Gaddafi regime. This incident is the latest in a series involving militiamen in and around Tripoli who quickly turn to their weapons to settle scores and disputes. West of Tripoli in Zawiyah, on 11-13 Nov, rival local groups exchanged fire for three days and seven people were killed before the groups came to a resolution. And earlier in November, several human rights NGOs reported numerous cases of Misrata militias attacking alleged Gaddafi loyalists in the town of Tawargha. While foreigners have not been directly targeted, this incident highlights the risk of collateral involvement from stray bullets, even inside a gated compound. Additionally, it is assessed that foreigners may become specific targets, because of their perceived economic advantage relative to militiamen, until the NTC is able to incentivize widespread disarmament. To minimize the threat of crossfire, and avoid being outright targets, travelers and expats in Libya should avoid showing signs of wealth, be aware of young men carrying weapons, and avoid armed groups if possible, particularly in Tripoli and other cities in the west of the country.