Day: October 7, 2021

Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and the leadership of the ruling coalition in Sudan discussed the dispute with the military component and the ongoing crisis in eastern Sudan.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday night confirmed that the Chairman of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burrhan and Hamdok, held a series of meetings to discuss the political crises in the country.

“The Prime Minister briefed members of the Central Leadership Council of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) on the outcome of his meetings with the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and members of the military component yesterday and today on these issues”.

“Also, he briefed them on the meeting of the ministerial committee, formed by the Council of Ministers headed by Hamdok, with the President of the Sovereign Council in order to discuss the issue of eastern Sudan, considering the disruption of state institutions (under the power-sharing between the two components)”.

It was purported that Hamdok failed to reach tangible results in meetings with al-Burhan and the military component.

The FFC leaders confirmed to Hamdok their commitment to the partnership in accordance with the constitutional document.

The statement added they reiterated their keenness to broaden the basis of the Coalition to include all the revolutionary forces and welcomed his contacts with the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi

Concerning eastern Sudan, the meeting admitted the need to address the cause of eastern Sudan people.

Further, they reaffirmed their determination to form the Legislative Council and to represent all the revolutionary forces.

It is worth mentioning that the military component has suspended the meetings of the Sovereign Council and joint bodies including the defence and security council.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Kenya and South Sudan, both members of the East Africa Community, signed a border crossing agreement to strengthen their long-standing economic and political alliance.

The pact was signed on October 1st, 2021, in Lodwar, a border town between Kenya’s Turkana district and South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State.

John Munyes Kiyonga, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining, Josephat Koli Nanok, Turkana Governor represented Keny, while Louis Lobong Lojore, Governor of Eastern Equatoria represented South Sudan in what the leaders described as a consultative meeting.

“Relations between the two countries have now reached the level of strategic partnership and the two countries seek to comprehensively improve relations between themselves to foster the peaceful coexistence of the border communities and to enhance free movement of goods and services for the benefits of the two countries,” Lobong told the Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

The accord brings Kenya into South Sudan’s Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-million-dollar infrastructure scheme intended to stretch from East to the Horn of African countries.

The project aims to significantly expand economic and political influence and has raised concerns among South Sudanese intellectuals and legal experts, pointing to the lack of representation of legal institutions.

“We the leaders drawn from Turkana County in the Republic of Kenya and Eastern Equatoria in the Republic of South Sudan, held our mutual consultative meeting in Lodwar within the Republic of Kenya on 1st October 2021 for the purpose of deliberating on the potential benefits to that section of Nadapal of the A1 Road,” reads a statement extended to the Sudan Tribune.

The two parties pledged to commit themselves to foster peaceful coexistence among communities within their borders through cross border peace initiatives and free movement of people as well as goods and services.

The two countries have agreed to complete boundary delimitation and demarcation within the African Union framework of 2022. They acknowledged that the two communities share a lot in common, including culture, language and social-economic values and other bonds necessary for peace and development.

“The road is currently dilapidated and impassable state of disrepair, and such has hindered trade, free movement of goods and services and people from the two countries. Finalization of repair and upgrading works in this section of the road will enhance cross border movement, increase trade, open thriving livestock markets, and thereby foster peaceful relations,” the statement adds.

The leaders commit themselves to promote peacebuilding initiatives, social cohesion and harmony among the communities as well as commit themselves to enhance and sustain cross border trade and movement of good services for the benefits of the border communities and economic development of the two countries.

Source: Sudan Tribune

President Salva Kiir and elders from the Aweil community have been holding talks over the detention of Kuel Aguer Kuel, former governor of Northern Bahr El-Ghazal.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s former caretaker governor Kuel Aguer Kuel at his office on 7 March 2014 (ST)Governor Kuel was arrested by the security forces in August after he signed a petition on behalf of the group of intellectuals and activists demanding President Kiir and his first deputy in the coalition government to step down owing to the inability to implement the peace agreement which the parties have signed in 2018.

The group operating under the banner of the People’s Coalition for Civil Action (PCCA) also called for a protest after campaigning to hold the rally on 30th August 2021.

The governor’s family members say his health condition continues to deteriorate despite receiving treatment at a private hospital in Juba city. They appeal for bail to transfer him to Khartoum for further treatment.

Garang Deng Aguer, former Governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal and one of the elders following the case with authorities told the Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that they have been talking to President Kiir to release the former governor on compassionate ground.

“The family come to us asking that we talk to the authorities, particularly president Salva Kiir himself to release him (Kuel),” Aguer said.

He added that their involvement as elders was in response to the pleas by the family and members of the community to step in due to his health conditions.

“We are not stepping as politicians but as elders of the community and because of his condition in the detention is not encouraging. The authorities need to give him permission to travel out for medical attention on our guarantee”, he says.

He commended President Kiir for allowing Kuel to seek medical care outside the detention, describing his condition to have improved after accessing medical services and care.

Source: Sudan Tribune