Day: January 26, 2022

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has condemned Sunday’s attack in the Baidit area of Bor County in Jonglei State, which left at least 32 people dead.

On January 23, suspected armed youth from Pibor County attacked Baidit area, killing 32 people while 26 others were wounded, according to local area officials. Several houses were also burnt, cattle raided and people displaced.

“UNMISS is deeply concerned over recent reports of the attack in Baidit, Jonglei State alleged to have been carried out by armed Murle elements resulting in civilian casualties and temporary displacements,” UNMISS said in a statement on Tuesday.

Among the dead, it said, were three children who drowned in a river while trying to escape.

“UNMISS strongly condemns any attack on civilians and urges groups and individuals to take immediate action to avoid further escalations that will endanger vulnerable people,” it added.

The UN peacekeeping body further called on authorities to carry out timely investigations and that the perpetrators be held accountable.

It, however, said it remains committed to supporting the government of South Sudan, whose primary role is to protect its citizens, to ensure the protection of civilians, and to build durable peace, including through the implementation of the September 2018 peace deal.

“All efforts must be made to restore calm, refrain from engaging in further violence and promote peace and reconciliation,” stressed UNMISS, adding “Any surge in subnational violence will have a devastating effect on communities that have already been impacted by flooding, the COVID-19 pandemic and recurring conflict.”

According to reports, the routine of inter-communal clashes in many parts of the country prevails due to lack of an efficient justice system.

Source: Sudan Tribune

South Sudan and Saudi Arabia have inked a cooperation agreement seeking to strengthen economic relations.

The South Sudanese Foreign Affairs, Minister Mayiik Ayii Deng said the “General Cooperation Agreement” which he signed on behalf of the young nation would mainly focus on specific areas of mutual interests such as industry, petroleum, minerals, agriculture, livestock, tourism, sports and health.

“The agreement will encourage exchange of knowledge, technical expertise and promote on-ground investments,” he told the state-owned TV(SSBC) Tuesday.

Deng said committees will be formed to speed up implementation of the agreement.

“We are now going to form joint technical committees between the two countries to work on the issues of trade,” he stressed.

Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Minister for Foreign Affairs signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of the Middle East country.

Source: Sudan Tribune

A South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) officer has fled the country’s capital, Juba and joined South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) led by former military chief General Paul Malong Awan.

Lt. Col. Buay Kandong Liem, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Tuesday, said he was relieved to have safely fled Juba, citing insecurity concerns.

“Last week, I left the country and together with it for good by God’s grace the pathetic, ethnocentric leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit. This all-time decision of mine has come about in response to the-ever-guilty conscience I have been living with since that forced returned of mine to the country through Gen. Taban’s [Deng Gai] peace with Kiir four years ago,” he wrote.

The officer faulted the South Sudanese leader for the ending cycles of violence, deep political rips, poor governance and rampant corruption.

South Sudan has been ranked as the most corrupt amongst the 180 countries in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International (TI), a Germany-based non-governmental organisation.

“That our country gasped for an imminent change is not uttered for its own sake. The current state of affairs in our nation tells us otherwise: the stagnant peace, the dwindling economy, the humiliating conditions faced by our fellow citizens among others are more than enough to let those with hearts for this nation to join change seekers,” further stated the military officer.

He accused president Kiir of encouraging the practice of dishonesty and cheating, nepotism, favouritism, immorality as well as moral compromise.

The military has not yet officially reacted to the army officer’s statement.

SSUF/A SPOKESPERSON RESIGNS

Meanwhile, the spokesman for Malong’s rebel movement has resigned, amid claims that the former army chief has failed to lead the rebel group.

Lt. Col. David Deng Chapath, in a statement, described Malong as “frustrated and at the point of desperation without progress”.

“Gen. Paul Malong has veered off from political path as the Movement has long ago plummeted. This has blocked any objectivity and if cadres refuse to go personal, they are always accused of having been bought but Malong receives money from Juba frequently and never accuse himself of having been bought”, he wrote.

Chapath said left quit SSUF/A after a long soul-searching reflection.

“I mulled over the issues pertaining to my beloved country, the Republic of South Sudan, and I arrived at a conclusion that there is need to embrace peace and shun all the hostilities that are directed at the government of South Sudan. Having seen the torment our people go through, I conclude that opposition without principles is not changing anything, instead it is dangerous for the country”, stressed the former SSUF/A spokesperson.

Chapath is the latest top official to abandon the ex-military chief’s rebel movement.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The family of the head of the “No to Oppression of Women” group, Amira Osman said they ignore the whereabouts of the detained activist and called for her release.

On January 22, over 20 security agents stormed Osman’s house in Khartoum late in the evening and took her to an unidentified location. Her family said the armed men did not disclose to which security service they belong.

Amani Osman; a lawyer and Amira’s sister told reporters on Tuesday that they went to lodge a complaint at the police station but they refused and advised them to go to the General Intelligence Service (GIS) which arrested the activist.

She further added that the GIS denied having detaining her sister saying she was held at the women’s prison in Omdurman.

However, the family later learnt that she was not in prison.

“Now, my sister’s whereabouts are unknown,” she concluded.

For its part, her attending physician, Ihsan Fiqiri, spoke about her health condition.

She said that the detainee is partially disabled after a major automobile accident several years ago and as such, she needs special treatment.

“We believe her life is in danger,” she stressed.

The doctor called on the international community and human rights groups to put pressure on the Sudanese military authorities to free the activist.

Within their efforts to end the anti-coup protests, Sudanese authorities have arrested activists to prevent them from mobilizing civil society groups.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Some thousands of Sudanese gathered on Wednesday outside the headquarters of the United Nations Integrated Transition Support Mission (UNITAMS) in Khartoum to express their rejection of the mission and called on its chief to leave the country.

The demonstration was organized by a group called the Sudanese Initiative for National Sovereignty. The banners carried by the protesters read “Respect for National Sovereignty”, “National Decision or Leave”, and “Because we are a Sovereign State, We Reject your Interference in our Internal Affairs.”

The participants in the march raised pictures of the UNITAMS Head, Volker Perthes calling on him to leave the country.

Also, they expressed their support for the military coup that ejected the Forces for Freedom and Change ofrom the transitional government.

The Sudanese authorities did not disperse the protest as they used to deal with anti-coup protesters who weekly take to the streets to voice their oppodition to the military takeover.

Various posts and photos published on social media confirmed the participation of many figures affiliated with the regime of President Omar al-Bashir and the Islamic movement.

Amin Hassan Omer a leading member of the dissolved National Congress Party of Omer al-Bahir wrote on FaceBook bout the demonstration.

“The message of the people has reached Volker, but it is directed to (UN Secretary-General Antonio) Guterres and the Excellencies the ambassadors (in Khartoum). If they do not respect our government, then they should respect our people,” he said.

Also, he hailed the sitting organized at the same time at the embassies of Norway and the United Kingdom.

For his part, one of the organisers of the demonstration Fadlallah Rabih said they rejected to meet UNITAMS head because a staff member of the UN mission refused that the media accompany the delegated who would submit their memorandum to Perthes.

In a statement issued after the protest, UNITAMS said they offered to receive a delegation of the protesters but they refused.

“UNITAMS is here on request of Sudan & with a clear mandate from Security Council (2524),” said the mission.

The protest took place as the UN mission has launched a process aiming to create a common ground between the revolution’s forces and the military leaders to achieve the task of the transition paving the way for a democratic rule.

After the military coup of October 25, 2021, the coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan reappointed hundreds of Islamists at all the levels of the administration and reinstated de facto the machinery of the former regime.

Source: Sudan Tribune