Day: September 29, 2021

President Salva Kiir and Costello Garang Riiny Lual, an adviser to the presidency met and held talks on Tuesday, marking the second official meeting between the two leaders following the appointment of the latter by the former in compliance with the provision of the 2018 revitalized peace agreement.

Lual is the chairman of South Sudan Patriotic Movement, a member of South Sudanese opposition alliance participating in the coalition government.

He represents his group in the arrangement in which advisers were split among the parties to the deal.

The veteran politician’s appointment as an adviser to the presidency was made the same day with the appointment of General Simon Gatwech Dual as a presidential advisor for peace.

Dual declined the offer and decided to declare himself as the replacement for first vice president Riek Machar, marking a split in the armed opposition faction (SPLM/A-IO).

Machar dismisses his removal, questioning the legitimacy and basis of the decision of the group whose leadership was replaced days prior to the declaration made in Magenis, a northern tip of Upper Nile state at the border with neighbouring Sudan.

While Dual declined the assignment, Lual took an oath of office and went ahead to discharge his duties in Juba. He met president Kiir on Tuesday to brief him on a host of issues relating to peace and development programs.

A statement from the office of the president said Lual had briefed the president on common concerns some of which relates to how refugees could be repatriated to the country.

“His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit was briefed in his office by Advisor to the Presidency, Dr. Costello Garang Ring Lual about issues of common concern such as repatriation of refugees and resettlement of internally displaced persons”, the statement reads

Lual told media after the meeting he had discussed with the President about the speedy implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and that he will hold various meetings with European ambassadors, China, and Germany as well as other investors to discuss development programs in areas of health, education, and infrastructure among others.

Source: Sudan Tribune

South Sudan says it is ready to reciprocate the decision taken by the Ugandan government to waive visas for it’s nationals entering the country.

“We are waiting for the decision of the council of ministers. Once we received a go head directives, we will direct our officers and officials at all entry points for execution”, South Sudanese Director-General of Immigration, Passports, Nationality, and Civil Registry Gen. Atem Marol Biar said Tuesday.

Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth told reporters in Juba on Friday that the government will reciprocate so that they are on the same page with the countries in the region.

“We will do the same Since the Ugandans have done it. We are members of the East African Community”, Minister Lueth, who speaks for the government said without elaborating

The Ugandan deputy prime minister and a minister for East African Affairs Rebeca Kadaga said her country had given South Sudan 30 days to reciprocate, failure of which her country would revoke the decision and revert to the current arrangement in which nationals of the countries pay visa fees.

The young natio was admitted to the East African Community (EAC) as a full member in October 2016, after three years of accession negotiations. Observers are keen to point out that it is a requirement that an aspirant for membership in the bloc must commit to abide by its key obligations. These obligations include compliance with the terms of The Treaty of Establishment, existing protocols, laws already passed by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and, binding agreements and Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) which the bloc has already entered with third parties.

Source: Sudan Tribune

South Sudanese Chief Mediator Tut Gatluak arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday to discuss with the transitional government the resumption of peace talks with the SPLM-North led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.

On June 15, the mediation suspended the negotiations between the government and the SPLM-N l-Hilu following their failure to agree on the framework agreement.

“My visit to Khartoum came upon the directive of President Salva Kiir to discuss the schedule of next rounds of negotiations between the government and the SPLM to achieve peace,” Gatluak told reporters in Khartoum.

He added he would also review the progress in the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement signed between the transitional government and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) on October 3, 2020.

Referring to the recent strife between the civilian and military components, he expressed his concern about the recent developments in Khartoum, stressing that they trust “the ability of the Sudanese to address their issues and reach solutions that satisfy all the Sudanese parties.”

South Sudan was directly affected by the closure of a terminal on the Red Sea by a tribal group preventing the exportation of its oil to the international market. The military who had refused to protect the oil facility agreed with the protesters to reopen the terminal.

Source: Sudan Tribune