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UN not placing South Sudan under a "protectorate"

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UN not placing South Sudan under a "protectorate"


Link to web article here.

December 1, 2014 (JUBA) - A spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary General has dismissed as "false" media reports claiming the world body plans to place South Sudan into a trusteeship or protectorate due to delays in the ongoing peace talks.

“I can tell you that these reports are completely false nor true," said Stephane Dujarric.

He said there were "rumours" in South Sudanese and other regional media alleging that the UN has a plan to place the Republic of South Sudan under a ‘protectorate’.

"The Secretary-General wishes to make it categorically clear that neither he nor the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, is aware of any plans or discussions within the United Nations to take such course of action,” further said Dujarric.

He further said that the UN has supported “the cause of self-determination” for South Sudan from the time of the 2005 through to the 2011 referendum and independence.

"None of this would have been possible without the help of the United Nations", he added.

Last month, the UN Security Council said it could consider a draft resolution on South Sudan that would impose sanctions targeting president Salva Kiir and rebel leader, Riek Machar.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and nearly two million displaced following last year’s outbreak of violence pitting president Kiir’s ethnic Dinka group against Machar’s Nuer people.
(ST).

Factbox: ‘Quorum’ in South Sudan’s constitution and politics

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Factbox: ‘Quorum’ in South Sudan’s constitution and politics

Link to web article here.

A parliamentary rule known as ‘quorum’ has become politically significant in South Sudan after repeated attempts by supporters of President Salva Kiir to pass the National Security Service Act 2014.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines quorum as “The minimum number of members of an assembly or society that must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of that meeting valid.”

Quorum comes from the Latin word meaning ‘of whom’ – as in, “the parliament has 309 members, of whom 87 were present for the vote.”

South Sudan’s constitution requires that the national parliament abide by the rule of quorum. Article 54 (3) states, “Vote count shall… governed by the quorum specified in this Constitution.”

According to Article 74 of the constitution, more than 50% of the members of parliament must be present for the final vote on bills. The same article also says that if a quorum is reached, then the bill must be approved by a majority of votes.

This means that there are two ways to defeat a bill in parliament:

(1) A quorum is reached, but a majority of those present vote against the bill;
(2) A majority of those present vote for the bill, but a quorum was never reached.

Number of parliament members

South Sudan’s parliament has 332 seats but 23 members were removed in August on grounds of absenteeism and suspicion of ties to the opposition groups SPLM-IO and SPLM-FD (SPLM-G10). This means that a quorum of at least 155 members is necessary for any final vote on new legislation.

However, several MPs have argued that their removal from parliament was illegitimate, and therefore that the total number of members is higher, which would also make the quorum higher.

Vote on the National Security Service Act

Supporters of the SPLM-Juba faction leader Salva Kiir, whose caucus controls the parliament, sought to pass the national security bill last October.

The bill gave the security service powers to make warrantless arrests and to detain people without informing their family or lawyer. The bill also required officers to swear an oath of loyalty before Kiir himself.

MPs gathered on 7 October to deliberate the bill but failed to reach quorum and therefore adjourned the sitting. The SPLM-Juba parliamentary leadership made another attempt to reach quorum on 8 October.

A vote on the bill was taken as an oral motion whilst a large bloc of ruling party MPs boycotted the sitting, including most members from the Equatoria region. All of those present reportedly voted in favor of the motion and the bill was passed unanimously.

Nonetheless, the outcome of the parliamentary session is contested on the basis of quorum.

During the opening of the session at about 1:00 p.m., Speaker Manasseh Magok Rhundial claimed that 165 MPs were present. He repeated this claim in a later interview, saying 165 MPs were “physically present.”

On the other hand, MP Henry Odwar said that the number of MPs registered at the start of the session was 87, but after some MPs walked out the number was “less than 60.”

Political factors

Some members of the ruling party who voted in favor of the security bill nonetheless have worried that the issue has divided the party along regional lines. They saw the issue not merely as a matter of legality, but also one of party unity.

During the final debate on the bill on 8 October, MPs Rose Adau Deng (SPLM-Juba, Twic County) and MP Deborah Ajok Garang (SPLM-Juba, Pariang County) raised a concern that the bill would govern all South Sudanese yet members of the Equatorian bloc were boycotting the sitting.

Other members of SPLM-Juba dismissed this concern and pushed forward with the vote. They claim that the bill passed while a full quorum of MPs.

In spite of this, President Salva Kiir has decided not to sign the bill and to withhold his assent until further consultation with his lawyers, the presidential spokesman said on 26 November.

Kiir’s spokesman hinted that the president may return the bill to parliament, but he attributed the cause to criticisms on the substance of the bill rather than the controversy over quorum.

File photo

Related:

Kiir to try again to pass his security bill (27 Nov.)

Radio Tamazuj launches extra frequency for South Sudan

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Radio Tamazuj launches extra frequency for South Sudan

Link to web article here.

The independent broadcaster Radio Tamazuj has launched a new shortwave frequency to help expand its listenership in South Sudan.

Broadcasting daily in colloquial Arabic from 7:00-7:30 a.m. and 6:00-6:30 p.m., Radio Tamazuj focuses on providing listeners with uncensored news and information.

At its inception in 2011, the broadcaster initially targeted only northern parts of South Sudan and bordering areas of Sudan – the mixing or ‘tamazuj’ zones between the two countries – though broadcasts could be heard with varying signal strength across much of South Sudan.

The new frequency will improve reception for listeners in southern South Sudan, including the Equatorias, and for South Sudanese refugees in the neighboring areas of Gambella in western Ethiopia, northern Uganda and northwestern Kenya.

Morning frequencies are 15550 on the 19 meter band, 11940 on the 25 meter band, and 7315 on the 41 meter band. Evening frequencies are 15550 and 15400 on the 19 meter band and 13800 on the 22 meter band.

Photo: A sorghum dealer in northern Unity State, South Sudan, listens to Radio Tamazuj as he works (October 2014)

Printing press failure shuts down newspaper production in Juba

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Printing press failure shuts down newspaper production in Juba

link to web article here.

The main printing press in South Sudan’s capital Juba has broken down, preventing all of the newspapers from going to print.

The Universal Printing Press informed its clients of a technical problem at the printer that is currently being resolved, Radio Miraya reported.

Victor Keri Wani, deputy editor-in-chief of The Citizen, said his paper was not on the market since Saturday: “There is no alternative. We used to have our own printer for many of the past years, we have been printing here … because our printer is the older type.”

“We can hardly get spare parts in nearby countries like Kenya and Uganda but we were able to maintain it for a number of years. It was only about six months ago that we switched to this Universal Printing Press because they have got relatively modern equipment.”

Russia to boost military ties with Sudan: Lavrov

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Russia to boost military ties with Sudan: Lavrov


AFP | 03 December, 2014 12:00
Link to web article here.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during bilateral talks with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir (not in picture) at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum.
Image by: MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH / REUTERS

 

Russia plans to strengthen its military ties with Khartoum, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a visit to internationally isolated and sanctions-hit Sudan.


"We have a project and a plan to develop military cooperation in a way that will not disturb the balance of power in the region," Lavrov said at a news conference after meeting his Sudanese counterpart Ali Karti.

Lavrov arrived in Khartoum late on Tuesday, and is also due to meet President Omar al-Bashir before attending a forum on cooperation between Russia and the Arab League later on Wednesday.

Sudan's economy has been badly hit by a US trade embargo since 1997 over allegations including rights abuses, and Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the country's western region of Darfur.

Lavrov gave no further details of the cooperation, but Karti said they also discussed Russian companies that have applied for oil and gas exploration permits.

Sudan's split from the South in 2011 under a peace deal that ended 22 years of civil war saw it lose much of its oil production, and South Kordofan state is now the country's main oil-producing region.
However, tribal conflicts in the area and an insurgency by ethnic rebels have made exploration difficult.

Sanctions on Sudan have badly affected its economy, and Khartoum has launched efforts over the past two months aimed at ending its isolation.

In October, Bashir visited regional powers Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and on Thursday Khartoum will host a meeting of foreign ministers from countries neighbouring Libya to try to thrash out a solution to the conflict plaguing the North African nation.

South Sudan: UN chief stresses support for independence and sovereignty

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South Sudan: UN chief stresses support for independence and sovereignty

 

Refugees await unloading at a site in Upper Nile state, South Sudan. Photo: UNHCR/Jake Dinneen
  
Link to web article here.
 
2 December 2014 – Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has made it “categorically clear” that the United Nations has no intention of placing South Sudan under a “protectorate,” a UN spokesperson has stressed.

UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, addressed the issue yesterday, saying “these reports are completely false,” and stressed that “neither [the Secretary-General] nor the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is aware of any plans or discussions within the United Nations to take such a course of action.”

Persistent reports in South Sudanese and regional media have alleged that the UN is intending to place the country under its authority. With Members of the Government of South Sudan also voicing their concern over such reports to the leadership of UNMISS, Mr. Ban sought to make clear the UN position.

“The UN has supported the cause of self-determination for South Sudan from the time of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement through to the 2011 referendum and independence,” said the Secretary-General’s spokesman. “None of this would have been possible without the help of the United Nations.”

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNMISS chief, Ellen Margrethe Løj, echoed those remarks, stressing that the Security Council consistently underlined the sovereignty and independence of South Sudan in its resolutions on the mandate of UNMISS.

“The Republic of South Sudan is an independent, sovereign State recognized by the United Nations, and is a member of the Organization,” she said, adding, that “the United Nations has no tradition of making independent, sovereign countries protectorates.

Political in-fighting between South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar, started in mid-December 2013 and subsequently turned into a full-fledged conflict that has sent nearly 100,000 civilians fleeing to UNMISS bases around the country.

With some 1.5 million people uprooted and more than 7 million at risk of hunger and disease, Ms Løj emphasized the deep concern she felt about the conflict in South Sudan and urged the leadership of the Government and the armed opposition to honour and fully implement the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and to reach a comprehensive peace agreement without any further delays.

An open letter to the ICC prosecutor from the former UNAMID spokesperson

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An open letter to the ICC prosecutor from the former UNAMID spokesperson


Your Excellency,

I write to thank you for your laudable commitment to the pursuit of the truth and justice without fear or favour. In particular I commend you for your very strong expression of this on 23 June 2014, when you solemnly called on the U.N. Security-General to set up a “thorough, independent and public inquiry” into the accusations of deliberate manipulation of UNAMID reporting on Darfur. As someone who had been pressing the U.N. to take this step for over one and a half years, I was especially grateful for your willingness to speak out and to remind the world body that it too must uphold the principles of accountability and transparency.

It is therefore deeply disappointing that your public call went unanswered by the Secretary-General. Instead, on 2 July 2014, he set up a Review Team on Allegations of Manipulation of Reporting on Darfur. This review turned out to be an internal, partial, biased and secretive process.

This review body was incapable of uncovering the truth about the gross misconduct and routine manipulation of the facts that have become the hallmarks of UNAMID and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). As a result, those who manipulated the truth previously continue to do so, confident they will be shielded by the U.N.’s questionable immunity policy.

Reasons for the failure of the Cooper Review

The review team was not independent. Rather, it was made up of U.N. staffers under the leadership of Philip Cooper, a U.N. retiree and former DPKO official. This resulted in a blatant bias in favour of DPKO. It would have been difficult for any staff member to work free from improper influence and without fear of retaliation if they presented DPKO and the U.N. Headquarters in an adverse light.

The review was far from thorough. The Cooper team admitted having reviewed the public reports on only six incidents out of a total of 16. It also acknowledged that it did not examine all “the Secretary-General and the DPKO/ Department of Political Affairs (DPA) Weekly Briefing Notes on Field Operations to the Security Council.”

The review was not public. The level of secrecy that surrounded this review is rather rare and extremely disturbing. In fact, the U.N. maintained secrecy about the composition of the review team as well as the members’ backgrounds, credentials or investigation experience. It also concealed the terms of reference and the timeline for their work. And most shockingly, still to this day, the U.N. refuses to share the full Cooper report with Security Council Member States, the International Criminal Court and the public. What has been published so far is only a five-page summary.

Moreover, the irrefutable evidence that I shared with Mr. Cooper leaves no doubt that the DPKO was fully informed of the crimes committed by the Sudanese Government forces and the armed movements and chose to conceal the truth from the Security Council, the Sudanese public and the international community at large. And yet, the Cooper whitewash declared DPKO absolutely innocent.

In its findings on 29 October, the review admitted that due to UNAMID’s repeated omissions, lies and half-truths “the Government could not be held accountable for the criminal acts of its forces and/or proxies.” However, it failed to speak of misconduct or to seek any sort of accountability, defying the ultimate rule that says that where there is misconduct, there must be accountability.

The cover-up charges are extremely serious as they extend from 2010 to present. UNAMID and DPKO failed to alert the Security Council about the Government’s use of non-Arab tribes in its reprisal war against the Zaghawa population since the end of 2010. They omitted the Government’s arming Arab tribes and pitting them against each other, at least since the Jebel Amer gold rush war. They also concealed the truth about the serious human rights violations by the armed movements, including reports of civilians being used as human shields.

Instead of speaking the bitter truth about a war that has been widening and deepening, UNAMID and DPKO issued sunny reports of the decline in violence and talked up the prospects for peace. Their deliberate misrepresentation of the situation on the ground has paved the way for a severe downsizing of UNAMID since April 2012. So far nearly 6,000 troops and civil servants have been sent home. Worse still, they convinced the Security Council to embark on perilous plans to develop the U.N.’s “exit strategy” for UNAMID.

Why a commission of inquiry must now be demanded of the UN Security Council

The troubling gap between what UNAMID sees and what it is prepared to tell the world was recently exposed by the Mission’s bungled efforts to investigate the shocking allegations of mass rape in Tabit. What made this all the more concerning were the lengths the mission and the U.N. Secretariat were prepared to go to, to avoid exposing the measures taken by Sudan’s own security forces to cover up the rapes and their likely responsibility for carrying out these atrocities in the first place. This incident showed that nothing has changed and nor is it likely to, until such time as a thorough, independent and public inquiry into the operation of the mission is conducted.

Therefore, I strongly urge you to use your historic twentieth briefing to the Security Council on Darfur to call on the Security Council to order an independent commission of inquiry into the cover-up. At this juncture, the only credible option left to uncover the truth about the U.N. manipulation of reporting is an investigation under Security Council auspices. Such a step will ensure accountability for any past wrong-doing and will work to ensure non-repetition of these serious acts of misconduct in the future. This is the least that the international community can do to make amends to the people of Darfur.

Your support for a commission of inquiry ordered by the Council would send a strong message to the perpetrators that they stand to be held personally accountable for their crimes. It should also help stop the apocalyptic scenario of UNAMID’s premature departure from Darfur, which would leave millions of acutely vulnerable civilians at the mercy of an ICC-indicted government that has shown itself unwilling and unable to protect them.

I trust you will stand on the right side of history.

Truly yours,
Aicha Elbasri

Former Spokesperson for UNAMID

Link to web article here.

Ugandan president warns S. Sudan rebels over power sharing demands

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Ugandan president warns S. Sudan rebels over power sharing demands


Link to web article here.

December 2, 2014 (KAMPALA) – A senior member of South Sudan’s rebel faction said Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni warned against the group to drop their demands for a power-sharing agreement.

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A South Sudanese rebel delegation meets Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in Kampala on 27 November 2014 (Photo: Mabior Garang)
Museveni made the comments at a recent meeting with the SPLM in Opposition’s deputy chairman, Gen. Lado Gore, in the Uganda capital, Kampala.

In a post last week on Facebook, the rebel faction’s head of diplomatic relation and information committee, Mabior Garang de Mabior, described the meeting as successful, although he did not elaborate further on what was discussed.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed the Ugandan president urged rebels to abandon their demands for executive powers to be granted to a prime minister and the removal of current vice president James Wani Igga.

According to the source, the Ugandan president told the rebel delegations that the creation of power-sharing arrangements with an elected government represented a redline.

The source confirmed to Sudan Tribune that the Uganda government had released funding for an ongoing conference in Unity state’s Fangak area to brief senior rebel commanders on a recent power-sharing proposal by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is mediating peace talks.

Museveni has been accused by anti-government forces of meddling in South Sudan’s affairs after it intervened militarily in the current conflict.

The Uganda People Defence Force (UPDF) has been fighting alongside the South Sudanese army (SPLA) to curb the country’s rebellion led by former vice-president Riek Machar.

Uganda initially claimed to be evacuating its citizens inside South Sudan, but later conceded it was providing support to government forces at the request of president Salva Kiir.

Rebels have been demanding the withdrawal of the UPDF in South Sudan, which is part of a ceasefire deal agreed during peace talks between the two warring parties.

IGAD has also criticised the presence of the Ugandan army in South Sudan.

However, the Ugandan government has disregarded calls from the international community to withdraw its troops amid fears it could regionalise the conflict.

Relations between Sudan and Uganda have also soured, with both sides trading accusations over providing rebel support.

Sudan has publicly accused Uganda of arming the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N), with the South Sudanese government allegedly using the same groups to fight against opposition forces in Unity and Upper Nile states.

Another rebel source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Sudan Tribune that Sudan is preparing to launch a military offensive to back rebels in South Sudan if the UPDF fails to withdraw.
(ST)

New Sudan opposition alliance forms

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New Sudan opposition alliance forms

2014-12-04 10:19
Link to web article here
Khartoum - Sudanese opposition parties and rebels meeting in Addis Ababa agreed to form a new alliance on Wednesday, one of the groups said, urging the creation of a transitional government in Khartoum.

The agreement is the first to include as a wide range of political parties and armed groups as it does working together against the 25-year rule of President Omar al-Bashir.

An alliance of insurgents from the war-torn Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur regions known as the Sudan Revolutionary Front signed the agreement with the opposition Umma Party, a grouping of smaller parties and civil society groups, the SRF said.

"The SRF, Sudanese political forces and civil society organisations signed the Sudan's Call today in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa", said Nur al-Daim Mohamed, a spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Army-Minnawi.

The document said the groups wanted a "transitional government to manage the interim term" before a new government could be elected.

Unlike previous agreements, it did not call for the overthrow of Bashir.

The document was signed by Umma Party head Sadiq al-Mahdi, Darfur rebel commander Minni Arku Minnawi, and Farouk Abu Issa, head of the opposition grouping.

Bashir seized power in a 1989 coup and won a 2010 election largely boycotted by the opposition. He said last month he would stand for re-election for his National Congress Party in April.

Wednesday's agreement said the election was a "falsification".

In January, Bashir announced a national dialogue aimed at ending the conflicts wracking South Kordofan and Blue Nile in southern Sudan and Darfur in the west, as well as tackling the troubled economy.

In 2003 ethnic insurgents in Darfur rebelled against Khartoum's Arab-dominated government, a conflict that has killed 300 000 and displaced two million, the UN says. The government put the casualty figure at 10 000.

Former rebels from the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army-North in Blue Nile an South Kordofan also took up arms against the government in 2011, complaining of their regions' neglect.
 

Nuer communities to commemorate conflict victims

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Nuer communities to commemorate conflict victims


Link to web article here.

December 3, 2014 (KAMPALA) – Nuer communities sheltering in UN camps in South Sudan and neighbouring countries are planning to commemorate the deaths of their tribesmen killed after the outbreak of violence with a peaceful, countrywide protest on 15 December.

More than 20,000 Nuer civilians are believed to have died in ethnic related killings after political dispute within the country’s ruling party (SPLM) turned violent, reigniting tribal tensions.

The fighting has pitted troops loyal to president Salva Kiir, who hails form the Dinka tribe, against rebel forces aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar, of Nuer ethnicity.

The conflict initially flared after Dinka soldiers in the presidential guards attempted to disarm their Nuer colleagues.

It is alleged that government troops and their allied militia carried out mass killings of Nuer civilians following the outbreak of violence.

The killings were documented between 16 to 19 December, with the victims mostly children, women and elderly people.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) said it believed about 10,000 people were killed in the first weeks of the conflict, while the rebel faction claims 20,278 Nuer civilians were killed in Juba, Bentiu, Malakal and Bor. However, the figure has not been verified and the total death toll remains unclear.

Survivors of the massacre continue to live in fear, with many taking refuge at UN sites, while hundreds of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries as refugees.

Nuer youth representative Bol Khan told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that Nuer communities across South Sudan will march within UN camps to commemorate the loss of their brothers and sisters.

Nuer from diaspora communities around the world would also be paying their respects on the same day.

“The killing of innocent civilians is the first of its kind in Naath’s history, so their death will be yearly commemorated at all corners of the world every 15 December by Nuer and every citizen from South Sudan.

“The killers of 20,278 Nuer civilians must be [held] accountable. Why [were] innocent children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters killed in cold blood for no good reason in Juba,” said Khan.

David Koang Machar is the chairman of Nuer communities that were displaced to UN camps in Central Equatoria.

He told Sudan Tribune that human rights activists and advocacy groups would be invited to take part in the peaceful protest in UN camps.

He said the communities he led in various UN protection sites in South Sudan were demanding justice for the victims.

The current crisis erupted in Juba on 15 December, with the government accusing Machar of staging a coup to overthrow the Kiir regime.

Although the violence was initially contained to Juba, it quickly spread to other parts of the country, with Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile states among the worst affected.
(ST)

Opposition, rebel forces sign joint declaration for peace and democracy in Sudan

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Opposition, rebel forces sign joint declaration for peace and democracy in Sudan


December 3, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) - Sudanese political and armed opposition forces on Wednesday signed the “Sudan Call” for the end of war, dismantlement of the one-party state, achievement of a comprehensive peace and democratic transition in the country.
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Sadiq al Mahdi, Farouk Abu Issa and Minni Minnawi join hands after the signing of Sudan Call in Addis Ababa on 3 December 2014 (Photo ST)
 Link to web article here.

Announced from the Ethiopian capital where the government and rebel groups discuss ways to end the armed conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the agreement was signed by the head of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) Farouk Abu Issa, deputy chairman of the rebel Sudanese Alliance Forces (SRF) Minni Minnawi, leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), Sadiq al Mahdi and head of the Alliance of the Sudanese Civil Society Organisations Amin Maki Madani.

The deal is the first agreement gathering all the political, rebel and civil society forces in Sudan since the 30 June 1989 coup d’Etat of General al-Bashir. The political and military opposition failed in January 2013 to finalise a similar project called the New Dawn.

According to the Sudan Call, the signatories agreed to join their efforts to “dismantle the one-party state regime and to build a state of equal citizenship rights, through the daily mass struggle and the popular uprising.

The two-page agreement which avoided any reference to the armed struggle further stresses that the parties want to secure the rights of the Sudanese people for freedom from totalitarism, violence, and poverty, and to move towards a well-established democracy, a just peace and balanced development”.

Also, they committed themselves to end war and to achieve a just and comprehensive peace, including cessation of hostilities in Darfur and the Two Areas, to disband militias and to finalise the security arrangements.

The text which in many points reminds the ongoing negotiations between the government and rebel groups pledges to deal with the urgent humanitarian situation and reaffirms the specificity of the war affected regions.

The all opposition agreement includes the principles of the Paris Declaration and call for a genuine and comprehensive national dialogue and provides the need to implement a series of confidence building measures and to postpone the electoral process announced for next year.

They also endorse the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council n° 456 which call for one process with two tracks, to hold an all-parties preparatory conference befor the national dialogue and demands Khartoum to create a conducive environment before to engage in the internal process.

Recently the president Omer al-Bashir warned the opposition again against and deal with the rebel groups and vowed to prosecute the NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi for signing the Paris Declaration with the rebel alliance.

The African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP)’s brokered talks between the government and rebel groups are expected to resume on Thursday as the mediation adjourned the process due to the travel of the chief mediator to Germany.

The discussions on a framework agreement with the SPLM-N are stalled over the preparatory national conference and ways to link the tracks. While the talks with Darfur groups is deadlocked over the rebels’ demand to include four issues related to the region in the negotiations of the cessation of hostilities.

In a speech after the signing ceremony, al-Mahdi said they will hand over to the AUHIP mediators a memo including their position over the national dialogue. He also said the signatories will form a coordination body between them.
(ST)

Sudan says no rapes in Darfur village, U.N. wants further inquiry

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Sudan says no rapes in Darfur village, U.N. wants further inquiry

UNITED NATIONSThu Dec 4, 2014 4:22pm EST

Link to web article here.

(Reuters) - The United Nations said on Thursday its inquiry into mass rape allegations in Sudan's Darfur region was inconclusive and needed further investigation as Sudan questioned the competence of the peacekeepers and told the U.N. Security Council no one was raped.

Local media reported accusations last month that Sudanese soldiers had raped some 200 women and girls in Tabit in Darfur.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said a team from the joint U.N. and African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur needed to return to Tabit "in part due to the heavy presence of military and police" during their first visit several weeks ago.

But Sudan has refused to allow the team to go back. Instead Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman Elnor gave the 15-member Security Council Khartoum's own report by Prosecutor General for Darfur Crimes, Yasser Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed.

"The team pursued the presence of any physical proof such as victims' clothes drenched in blood, broken doors at houses of families in the area, injuries of some women or men, yet we did not find any," Ahmed wrote in the report, obtained by Reuters.

"In search of medical indications about receiving rape victims for treatment, we found none," said Ahmed, adding that no one questioned knew of any rape cases. "This reassured us that no rape of any woman in the area of Tabit took place."

Addressing the Security Council on Thursday, Ladsous urged the Sudanese government to allow immediate and independent access to Tabit for the joint U.N. and African Union peacekeeping mission so the reports could be verified.

"Only an independent investigation by UNAMID will address the concerns over these serious allegations," he said.

Law and order have collapsed in much of Darfur, where mainly non-Arab rebels took up arms in 2003 against the Arab-led government in Khartoum, accusing it of discriminating against them. UNAMID has been deployed in the region since 2007.

Sudan envoy Elnor questioned how it could be "conceivable that 200 women and girls could have been raped in a village without anybody avenging the honor of their daughter or their wife, without anybody reporting the incident."

He told the Security Council a need for investigators from the peacekeeping operation to return to Tabit "shows a lack of professionalism by the mission, which should have withdrawn immediately from the village if it had thought there was military presence or other presence hindering its work."

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

S. Sudan urges US leader to reconsider looming sanctions

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S. Sudan urges US leader to reconsider looming sanctions


Link to web article here.

December 5, 2014 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir, has sent a special message to US president Barrack Obama, pleading with the American government and its western allies not to turn their backs on his administration, his office said Friday.
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US president Barack Obama meets with South Sudanese president Salva Kiir Mayardit in New York on 21 September 2011 (Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

A presidential aide told Sudan Tribune on Friday that the letter was delivered to Obama by a high-level delegation, including foreign minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin, already in the United States to meet with the US secretary of state and members of congress, as well as members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), over further sanctions being considered against the young nation.

“Sanctions are not the best solutions. They complicate and undermine progress. Because of this, the president thought it was wise to dialogue with the government of [the] United States and those who are concerned and have interest in South Sudan,” the aide said.

Benjamin, who travelled to the US last weekend, is accompanied by minister for education John Goi Yoh, minister for water resources and irrigation Jemma Nunu Kumba and minister in the office of the president Awan Guol Riak, as well as several other officials.

The visit comes as the UNSC mulls a draft resolution from the US that would authorise further sanctions against individuals who threaten South Sudan’s peace and security.

The US, European Union and Canada have already frozen the assets of and imposed a travel ban on individual government and rebel officials deemed to be hampering peace efforts in the country.

Benjamin said the president is appealing to Obama to stand with South Sudan and help support efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement to the current crisis.

“The content of the letter is a request of the president to his American counterpart to help the country in resolving the conflict through peaceful settlement, which the government is doing,” he said.

“He (Kiir) is asking the American government and its people not to turn their backs against the government and the people of South Sudan after having been with us throughout the struggle. We understand their concerns and frustration but sanctions are not the best [option],” he added.

In a separate interview with Sudan Tribune from Washington on Friday, Benjamin said that the delegation looks forwards to meeting with senior US and UN officials to share the government’s views on how the country can move forward.

“The president is very concerned about reports of sanctions. So we have come with the letter of special message to president Obama and to meet with senior officials of his administration, especially the secretary of state and members of the congress. We have come to listen to them so that we understand what their concerns are and for them to be able to listen to us so that share our views on the way forward,” the minister said.

“We think that sanctions are not the best options, especially that peace talks are now moving forward.

Sanctions harden positions and close rooms for constructive engagement,” he added.

The South Sudanese government and rebel forces have been engaged in an armed struggle since mid-December last after a political dispute in ruling party (SPLM) turned violent, reigniting tribal tensions and plunging the nation to the brink of civil war.

Human rights groups say they have documented grave abuses and atrocities by both sides.

Peace talks between the warring parties have been hampered by ongoing delays and disagreements, with the international community becoming increasingly frustrated over the lack of progress.

Multiple ceasefire agreements brokered by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is mediating peace talks between the warring parties, have also failed to halt the violence.

More than 1.8 million have been displaced by the conflict, with tens of thousands still sheltering at various UN sites across the country in an effort to escape the violence.
(ST)

Full text: AU Communiqué on South Sudan

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Full text: AU Communiqué on South Sudan


The African Union announced yesterday that it was deeply concerned that the South Sudanese warring parties have back-tracked on previous agreements and also failed to meet a 15-day deadline set by mediators for completing consultations on a power-sharing proposal.

Sitting in Addis Ababa, the African Union Peace and Security Council also pointed to the threat of punitive sanctions by the IGAD region, endorsing action by East African countries in the event of violations of the ceasefire agreement.  

Full text Communiqué:

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 474th meeting held on 5 December 2014, considered the situation in South Sudan and adopted the following decision: 

Council,
1.    Takes note of the statement made by the Permanent Representative of South Sudan, as well as the briefing made by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the situation in South Sudan;

2. Recalls its previous communiqués and press statements on the situation in South Sudan, in which Council expressed its profound concern for the continuing and acute humanitarian crisis, which is being further exacerbated by the ongoing fighting, thereby resulting in massive displacement of the civilian population within the country and thousands of refugees in the neighboring countries;

3. Further recalls the communiqué of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Summit held in Addis Ababa, on 7 November 2014, in particular paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 in which the Summit requested the Parties to commit to an unconditional, complete and immediate end to all hostilities, and to bring the war to an end. The Summit also stressed that any violation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, of 23 January 2014, by any party will invite collective action by the IGAD region against those responsible for such violations, including but not limited to, the enactment of asset freezes, of travel bans within the region, and denial of the supply of arms and ammunition, as well as any other material that could be used in war;

4. Pays tribute to the IGAD and its Chairperson, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, as well as to the other leaders of the region, for their commitment and leadership in the search for a lasting solution to the crisis in South Sudan. Council further commends the IGAD Mediation Team and its Chair, Ambassador Seyoum Mesfin, and other stakeholders, for their sustained and tireless efforts towards the restoration of peace in South Sudan;

5. Expresses appreciation to the neighboring countries of South Sudan for the hospitality and support given to South Sudanese refugees, and urges them to continue this exemplary demonstration of African solidarity;

6. Calls on international humanitarian organizations to continue providing assistance and support to the affected population and appeals, once again, to the South Sudanese parties to facilitate protection of humanitarian workers and ensure the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected population;

7. Expresses deep concern with the failure of South the Sudanese parties, once again, to meet the 22 November 2014 deadline set by the 28th Extraordinary Summit of IGAD Heads of State and Government to complete consultations on outstanding matters and reach a political settlement, as well as avoiding back-tracking on issues already agreed;

8. Decides to enhance and scale up its support to IGAD and its mediation efforts in South Sudan, including consultations with the leaders of the region towards the urgent establishment of an AU High-Level Ad-hoc Committee of Heads of State and Government, comprising one representative from each of the five regions of the Continent, which will strengthen Africa’s support to IGAD and assist the South Sudanese parties and stakeholders to achieve durable peace in their country;

9. Warns all South Sudanese parties who continue to undermine the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, and obstruct the successful conclusion of the political negotiations, that stern measures will be taken, including recourse to the UN Security Council for further action;

10. Urges all AU Members States to mobilize the necessary political, diplomatic and financial support towards the efforts of IGAD to bring durable peace to South Sudan. Council further urges Member States and the larger international community to provide the required humanitarian support to the internally displaced persons in South Sudan and the refugees in the neighboring countries;

11. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

INTERVIEW: Sudan’s SCP accuses Turabi’s party of seeking to protect regime

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INTERVIEW: Sudan’s SCP accuses Turabi’s party of seeking to protect regime



Link to web article here.

December 7, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) has accused the Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by Islamist figure Hassan al-Turabi of working to protect the regime in the wake of PCP’s decision to engage in the national dialogue process launched by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir in January.
JPEG - 10.4 kb
The political secretary of the Sudanese Communist Party, Mohammed Mokhtar al-Khateeb (ST)

SCP’s political secretary, Mohammed Mokhtar al-Khateeb, said in an interview with Sudan Tribune on Sunday that the PCP was part of the regime until 1999 when Turabi fell out with Bashir in a power struggle and disagreements over other issues.

“Therefore when the opportunity presented itself they moved to protect the regime and its policies, and this is contrary to the interests of Sudan,” al-Khateeb said.

He said the opposition alliance known as the National Consensus Forces (NCF) accommodated the PCP in its ranks despite expectations that they will one day return back to the bosom of the regime.

“We took them in because whoever wants to ride the train with you at one stage you don’t stop him,” the SCP official said.

Al-Khateeb stressed that the PCP chose to depart from the opposition coalition adding that they will never return despite their talk about only a temporary freeze in their membership.

He argued that Turabi’s party is working with others in Sudan and in the region to unify the forces of political Islam.

“They are allied with wider circles working to make Sudan a hub for Islamist movements and are turning to extend their presence in the region in general,” he said.

The top SCP official emphasised that the crisis experienced by the Sudan will not be solved unless the regime is toppled, saying the country has been living an internal war for over 25 years.

He described the government’s call for national dialogue as a product of the crisis surrounding the regime, but noted that the government lacks seriousness in the dialogue and has a desire to run it according to its own rules.

“They want a dialogue that would empower it even more, and thus resolve the crisis in accordance with its policies, and this will not work. We want to work and walk in another direction that leads to solving the crisis in Sudan,” he said.

Al-Khateeb, who was present at the signing of the “Sudan Call” in Addis Ababa this week between opposition forces and Sudan Revolutionary Forces (SRF) and NGO’s, said the accord ensures that opposition forces unite after toppling the regime, as well as guarantees a political solution in areas that took up arms against the state.

“We agreed to hold a national constitutional conference at the end of the transitional period with the participation of everyone involved in it, and reaching a consensus how govern Sudan and how to manage diversity and the distribution of wealth and power fairly,” he said.

He rejected the government’s allegations of treason to the signatories of the agreement for joining hands with those fighting the government and pointed out that the rebels were forced to bear arms to further their political causes, but that the regime dealt with them militarily.

“Therefore we as civilian politicians went to agree with those who took up arms on a political solution, and there will be no settlement except through genuine dialogue leading to a complete comprehensive solution to the political crisis experienced by Sudan,” al-Khateeb said.

“Since independence, we live in a vicious cycle of instability. This cycle will not be broken unless all the people of Sudan agree on a specific program to implement it in a reasonable transition period that concludes with a constitutional conference,” he added.

He acknowledged however, that there are disagreement in the visions of the opposition forces on the mechanisms of implementation of the next phase but downplayed it, saying it is a natural dispute among forces of different composition.

Al-Khateeb underscored that everyone is in agreement on the key objectives of removing the regime and adoption of a transitional period and a constitutional national conference for all the people of Sudan to participate and draft the principles of the future constitution and then have free elections, paving the way for a peaceful transfer of power.

(ST)

SPLM-Juba continues NGO nationalization push

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SPLM-Juba continues NGO nationalization push

Link to web article here.

South Sudan’s ruling party SPLM-Juba continues to push humanitarian groups in South Sudan to nationalize their staff, despite rescinding a controversial ban on foreign workers earlier this year.

The warring party controls the presidency, several governorships as well as the national ministries in Juba including the labor ministry.

In September, the Ministry of Labor ordered a ban on foreign workers, though quickly backed down after widespread outcry from both regional business leaders and international aid groups.

At the time, aid groups pointed out that an expulsion of foreign workers would severely restrict South Sudan's capacity to address the massive humanitarian crisis caused by the inter-SPLM conflict.

But according to interviews and documents seen by Radio Tamazuj, officials loyal to SPLM-Juba at national and state labor ministries continue to push behind the scenes for nationalization of humanitarian operations.

In one case, the Ministry of Labor demanded that seven positions of one aid group be filled by national staff – after foreign workers had already been selected.

“We see no tangible reason as to why foreigners are being prioritized for placements,” read a letter from National Ministry of Labor undersecretary Nyengwi Livio Fulli to the aid group's country director.

Fulli then demanded that future vacancies related to the organization's finances “be advertised and filled by competent nationals.”

“During a time when human resources are already scarce and most NGOs are struggling immensely to find quality staff – both national and international – these kind of restrictions can mean that important posts are left vacant, which has an impact on operations,” said an aid official not working for the agency targeted in the letter.

National and state ministries of labor have also used the nationalization issue to increase bureaucracy, slowing down the delivery of aid to civilians in need.

The Director General of the Jonglei State Ministry of Labor, for instance, recently demanded a host of documents related to one agency's foreign staff.

The documents had already been presented to the national government, in effect doubling the amount of effort a humanitarian agency would have to do for their staff to begin work.

"It takes a considerable amount of time and money to address each of these small things, the cumulative impact of which detracts from the time [and] money NGOs are spending on the humanitarian response," said the aid official, who also does not work for the agency in Jonglei.

The official added that foreign humanitarian workers have been intimidated in meetings with questions about their immigration status.

File photo: Labour Minister Ngor Kolong (left)

This article is part of an exclusive Radio Tamazuj series documenting harassment and violence against aid workers in South Sudan. If you have information on harassment of humanitarians or restrictions on aid, please contact Radio Tamazuj here.

Related:

SPLA-Juba imposes new restrictions on humanitarian flights (4 Dec.)
SPLM-Juba accuses humanitarians of 'stealing' donated aid money (4 Dec.)

Juba hit again by fuel scarcity

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Juba hit again by fuel scarcity

Link to web article here.

South Sudan's capital Juba is once again hit by fuel shortages, forcing many petrol stations to shut down.

Without fuel, some commuters are walking to work. Others queue in long lines at the few petrol stations that remain open.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, several taxi bus drivers said there is a general lack of fuel, pointing out that their activities have been affected in the town.

"Since last week I used to go to the fuel stations, but I failed to get the quantity that I wanted, which forced me to buy at the black market," one bus driver said.

A jerrycan of petrol rose to 300 SPP, and 1.5 litres now costs 30 SSP. Several citizens called upon the government to put an end to the suffering of citizens due to acute lack of fuel.

In mid-October, Juba experienced a fuel shortage which disrupted public transport and government activities for several days.

Fuel shortages spread to Jonglei, Lakes states

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Fuel shortages spread to Jonglei, Lakes states

Link to web article here.

Fuel prices are rising in South Sudan's Jonglei and Lakes states as shortages spread beyond the capital Juba.

Abraham Chol, Secretary of the Traders Union in Bor, capital of Jonglei, told Radio Tamazuj that the issue of fuel is a "big problem" in his town.

“Most of our fuel stations in Bor were destroyed during the crisis when rebels captured Bor and we were getting fuel from Juba in drums," he said. "Since there is no fuel in Juba and our only supply route was Juba and we don't have fuel now.”

Chol said 20 litres of petrol cost 300 SSP while 20 litres of diesel is at 250 SSP.

No diesel in Rumbek

Lakes State Chamber of Commerce Chairperson Dok Malou also reported price increases in Rumbek.

Malou said they have run out of diesel after not receiving shipments from Juba.

He said a dollar shortage exacerbates the problem as neighboring countries selling fuel do not accept SSP.

Price rises in Juba

As of Monday, the price of petrol in Juba was at 70 SSP per litre, up from 25 SSP just three days ago for the same amount according to bodaboda motorcycle drivers in KonyoKonyo Market who asked to remain anonymous.

The drivers said 20 litres of petrol cost 450 SSP on the black market, while diesel cost 250 SSP per 20 litres.

When asked by Radio Tamazuj about the situation, most managers of fuel stations in Juba declined to comment citing fear of arrest by security agents. However, one manager divulged he had not received fuel for two months because authorities have yet to shortlist his establishment for permission to purchase fuel.

Related:

Juba hit again by fuel scarcity
"Alarming" price increases amid Agok fuel shortage
Fuel shortages hit Warrap and WBEG states

Two Sudans’ border committee meeting starts over weekend

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Two Sudans’ border committee meeting starts over weekend

Link to web article here.

A meeting of the joint border demarcation committee between Sudan and South Sudan was scheduled to run from Sunday to Wednesday in Khartoum under the auspices of the African Union.

The office of the minister at the Sudanese presidency announced Saturday that the meeting will be co-chaired by Abdullah El Sadig from the Sudan side and South Sudan's Ambassador  Darius Garang.

The minister's office explained that the meeting will try to implement the functions provided for in the Joint Cooperation Agreement signed in September 2012 as well as the matrix for implementation of Addis Ababa agreement.

The joint border committee for the two Sudans was formed in November by the African Union Border Programme as part of a panel headed by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Will Sudan ever find peace in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile?

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Will Sudan ever find peace in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile?


SPLM-N fighter


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Rebel raids, high levels of crime and deadly inter-ethnic clashes - more than a decade after the Darfur civil war broke out Sudan's western region is as dangerous and as complicated as ever. 

The UN says 430,000 people have been displaced so far this year, as Darfur deteriorates after a period of slight improvement.

Yet Darfur is not Sudan's only civil war. The government is also fighting rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

These areas were relatively calm after the 2005 deal with southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) rebels, which ultimately led to South Sudan's 2011 secession.

However fighters in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, known as SPLM-North, were left north of the border. In the lead-up to the split, conflict broke out again in these areas.

A quarter of a million people have now fled into neighbouring South Sudan and Ethiopia to escape fighting and aerial bombardments that many say are targeting civilians.

As the 2014 rainy season ends, many in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile are expecting the fighting in their areas to increase in intensity.

Divide and rule 

But a new approach to the several on-off peace processes that have been taking place for years may offer a way forward.

Negotiations about Darfur were in the Qatari capital, Doha - though many of the main Darfuri rebel groups refused to participate. Khartoum's talks with SPLM-North were in Addis Ababa.

Women in DarfurMany people have been displaced in Darfur this year, as fighting continues

But this seemed to the rebels to be a divide-and-rule tactic, employed by Khartoum, and endorsed by the international countries who follow Sudanese events closely.

In 2011, the Darfuris and SPLM-North formed a loose alliance, known as the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), and since then they have pleaded for a single negotiating platform.

They have almost achieved this aim.

Darfur rebel groups Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi faction (SLA-MM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) have reopened negotiations with the government.

Significantly, these talks are taking place in Addis Ababa - the same venue as the negotiations between the government and SPLM-North.

Many Sudan analysts have argued that a comprehensive dialogue involving all the problem areas - and including the underlying cause of poor governance in the capital - is the only way forward.

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Sudan's failed peace agreements:
  • 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement: Only Minni Minawi's SLA faction signed the deal in Abuja but returned to war in 2010
  • 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD): Only signed in Qatar by a coalition of minor rebel movements
  • 2011 July 28 Agreement: Signed by SPLM-North but rejected by the government within days. The African Union has since convened seven rounds of talks to find a resolution
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"Sudan's problem is that there has always been a piecemeal approach to settling conflicts that are actually similar," says Suliman Baldo of Sudan Democracy First Group.

"The conflict in Darfur and in Blue Nile and in South Kordofan have now merged because the armed movements have merged.

"The root causes are identical - it's marginalisation, lack of accommodation of diversity and lack of recognition of people from these regions as equal citizens."

Far apart 

The African Union's Peace and Security Council now insists that the government's talks with the Darfuris and SPLM-North "should be conducted in a synchronised manner".

map

And so both negotiations are in Addis Ababa with former South African President Thabo Mbeki mediating each of them.

The talks are meant to lead to a cessation of hostilities in all the conflict areas, and then to a national dialogue, perhaps linked to a constitutional reform process, and then free and fair elections.

However, this goal seems a long way off.

For the moment, Khartoum is not negotiating with the SRF as a whole.

The opening statements of the Darfur talks on 23 November also showed just how far apart the sides are.

The Sudanese government's Amin Hassan Omar repeatedly referred to the Doha peace process for Darfur, which has been rejected by the Darfur rebels still fighting the government.

Mr Omar said he hoped a ceasefire would "pave the way towards a final resolution of the conflict in Darfur on the basis of the Doha document".

In response, Mr Minawi said President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP) should take "the entire responsibility" for the war.

He also called for the International Criminal Court - which has indicted President Bashir for genocide and war crimes in Darfur, which he denies - to "step up its efforts to bring the criminals who committed crimes before justice".

Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) soldiers in Darfur in 2004 
Rebels in Darfur have now formed a loose alliance with those in South Kordofan and Blue Nile

These are not the statements of men who feel peace is near.

It is also clear that there were substantial differences in position at the "Two Areas" talks - as the negotiations between SPLM-North and the government are known.

There have been reports that SPLM-North representatives argued for autonomous rule for South Kordofan and Blue Nile, where most of SPLM-North's members come from.

President Bashir is extremely unlikely to agree to this. In general, Khartoum wants to keep each issue discussed at each negotiation local, while the rebels want unified talks on national governance issues.

This presents quite a challenge for Mr Mbeki.

If progress is made, and a cessation of hostilities is announced - and that is a very big if - a national dialogue involving the NCP, the rebels and unarmed opposition parties would be launched.

Peacekeepers to go?

President Bashir's own national dialogue initiative, which started earlier this year, has made little progress.

Peacekeepers from the UN-African Union mission to Darfur patrolling - November 2014There are nearly 16,000 UN-AU troops on the ground in Darfur

Mr Baldo is sceptical about the motives behind it.

"They are using the national dialogue to bring over opposition parties and give a certain democratic legitimacy to the renewal in power of the National Congress Party."

He believes elections scheduled for next April will not solve Sudan's problems if they take place while wars continue in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Last month, the Sudanese government asked the joint AU-UN peacekeeping mission (Unamid) to prepare an exit strategy, and shut down its human rights office in Khartoum.

Thabo Mbeki (centre, in suit)South Africa's former President Thabo Mbeki is chairing both negotiations in Addis Ababa

These signals suggest a dramatic breakthrough is needed if further conflict is to be avoided.
History suggests the odds are against this.

Yet a peace process involving all the rebel groups and a national conversation about how the country is to be governed, is exactly what the rebels have demanded.

Now the question is whether the rebels can be persuaded to stop fighting - and whether the government will make the necessary concessions to allow a genuine national dialogue to take place.
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