Day: August 29, 2021

Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) Saturday pursued dialogue on ways to implement the goals of the December Revolution and reuniting the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) that toppled the former regime.

Last June, Hamdok launched a call to reunite the revolution’s political forces and armed groups in order to implement its slogans for freedom, peace, and justice. Except for the SCP and an armed group led by Minni Minnawi, the FFC groups positively responded to his call.

Further, he held a first meeting with the Communists on 12 August to discuss the contentious issues and criticism of the government programmes including the IMF-supported economic reforms.

In a statement issued after his second meeting on Saturday, Hamdok cabinet said that the two sides reviewed the issues related to the cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), trade unions law, security situation and IDPs in Darfur, census and preparation for general elections, landownership and foreign investments and legal reforms.

“On the ICC, the meeting agreed to hand over the wanted persons to the Court, and to implement the decision of the Council of Ministers in this respect,” said the cabinet.

On Darfur, the meeting agreed on the importance to address the security situation and improve the situation of the displaced persons.

The parties also convened that a population census should be carried before the general elections taking into account the demographic changes that resulted from the war.

The Sudanese communists withdrew from the FFC in November 2020 and called to bring down Hamdok’s government in April 2021.

The left party did not want to bear the responsibility of the unpopular economic reforms. Also, the communists voiced their opposition to the Juba process for peace it excluded the FFC forces and gave a big role to the armed components.

The government did not develop a plan to address the roots of the problem (in Darfur),” said Siddiq Youssif a leading figure of the party, “Rather it focused on reaching an agreement with the armed groups based on the power and wealth sharing,” he stressed.

The prime minister informed the PSC leaders about his decision to form a ministerial committee to review the trade unions law contested by the communists.

The law had been already discussed during the first meeting.

The two sides also discussed the civil service and agreed to avoid the politicization of jobs and.

Regarding land ownership and foreign investments, the two sides agreed to preserve the rights of landowners.

Hamdok “affirmed Sudan’s welcome to foreign investments that serve the national interests of the Sudanese people”.

Recently the government intervened to cancel a decision by the Northern State taken last April to confiscate an agricultural area of over 40,000 hectares allocated to Bahrain in 2014 by the former regime.

The state government at the time said the land had not been developed by the Gulf state.

From Hamdok office, the meeting was attended by his political adviser Yasir Arman, media adviser Faisal Mohamed Saleh and le cabinet executive director Adam Hiraika.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Some twenty people are killed and over 20,000 displaced following the intercommunal fighting in Western Equatoria state, according to a statement released by the National Salvation Front (NAS).

Since last July armed clashes have erupted in Tombura County between the Azande and Balanda ethnic groups.

The UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS deployed patrols to protect civilians but the violence continued in the area.

In a statement extended t the Sudan Tribune the non-signatory NAS said the clashes affected several areas including Yubu, Akpa, Mabenge, Kpatanyayo among others.

“Over twenty Thousand (20,000) people were displaced, and about twenty people killed (20),” said the statement before mentioning the murder of the former Commissioner of Tombura County, Babiro Charles Gbamsi who was killed in his house on 24 August.

NAS which gathers fighters from the two ethnic groups called on the two sides to stop violence adding that the rift will only profit to the “conflict entrepreneurs” in Juba.

The statement further accused the government of President Salva Kiir of encouraging the hostilities the intercommunal fighting.

In return, it hailed the efforts of the religious communities to promote the peaceful resolution of the conflict and UNMISS for providing humanitarian assistance to the affected civilians.

The non-signatory group called on the International Community especially the AU, UN and TROIKA to press the government in Juba not to instigate conflicts among the communities of South Sudan.

On 12 August, UNMISS estimated that over 30,000 people have been displaced and some 500 households are camping in a church compound in Mupoi Payam.

Source: Sudan Tribune