Day: May 23, 2022

Talks between Khartoum and Juba began in Khartoum to develop joint cooperation in the field of petroleum, discuss technical and financial arrangements, increase oil production and the challenges that faced implementation of previous agreements between the two countries in this regard.

A high-level delegation headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of South Sudan, accompanied by a number of technicians, arrived to discuss and evaluate the implementation of the previous agreement in terms of financial and technical arrangements and the challenges that accompanied its implementation in order to set a framework for renewing joint agreements in the field of petroleum.

The Sudanese Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Engineer Mohamed Abdullah, stressed the importance of the talks that discuss the renewal of agreements to transport and process South Sudan crude through Sudan’s facilities, referring to previous agreements that were signed since 2012 and expired in March 2022.

He acknowledged that the previous agreements faced many challenges, including political and technical ones, and were addressed in a friendly and fraternal manner between the two brotherly peoples.

He expected that the two parties would reach new agreements regarding the transportation and processing of South Sudan’s crude, because it is based on the experience of previous agreements and ways of implementing them and addressing challenges, stressing great concern with oil production in South Sudan, which depends on the facilities in Sudan, and that the facilities of Sudan also depend on the oil of South Sudan in their operation, which makes common interests, indicating the quest to increase oil production in the two countries and joint work to develop production and advance the oil industry in the two countries for the benefit of the two peoples.

For his part, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum in South Sudan, said that they will discuss issues of common interest between the two countries, which are related to the oil agreement and issues related to the economy, and the agreements signed in 2012, which is one of the pillars of the economy of both countries because South Sudan and Sudan continue in the partnership that was fruitful for the benefit of the two countries.

He pointed out that today they reached a point where the agreement reached its end in 2022, and this agreement was for a period of three and a half years, after which the two countries work for f oil production for another three years, affirming his happiness to reach a new era.

The talks touched on the features of the new agreement as technical and financial meetings have begun.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Sudanese authorities have delayed visa renewal for UNITMAS senior officials in Sudan forcing them to leave the country for fear of being undocumented, Sudan Tribune has learnt.

Rosalind Marsden, Former British Ambassador and European Union Representative to Sudan who is now a senior staff member of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) left Sudan recently due to a delay in visa renewal.

“Marsden is out of Sudan currently,” a UN official confirmed to the Sudan Tribune under the cover of unanimity.

“The Sudanese authorities did not “refuse a visa”. But because the visa renewal process was taking so long, the UN requested an exit visa, which was issued,” the source further said.

UNITAMS has come under fire for its reporting to the UN Security Council about the grave human rights violations committed by the security forces after the coup d’état of October 25, 2021.

Early last April, the head of the military-led Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan threatened to expel UNITAMS Head Volker Perthes accusing him of inference in Sudan’s internal political affairs and negligence of the core of his mandate.

When asked by the Sudan Tribune, UNITAMS official spokesman denied the rumoured reports about visa denial to UN team members.

“The Sudanese authorities have not refused any entry visa application for UNITAMS staff members,” Fad Qadi told the Sudan Tribune.

“We continue to work with all relevant authorities to grant approvals for our work in Sudan,” Qadi added.

The acting foreign minister last Thursday stated that his government does not target the UN political mission in Sudan or its head.

Ali al-Sadiq further said they want the UN political mission to do more in peace implementation and preparation for elections.

Marsden has been tasked with the peacebuilding process, community-level reconciliation and grass-roots peacebuilding initiatives.

She took part in the recent consultations the UNITAMS conducted to prepare for the dialogue process to end the political crisis in Sudan.

On Tuesday, May 24, the UNITAMS head will brief the Security Council on the situation in Sudan during the past three months.

Source: Sudan Tribune

A high-level South Sudanese delegation is in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum for bilateral talks aimed at developing joint cooperation in the petroleum sector as well as discussions on the technical and financial arrangements between the two neighbouring countries.

The delegation, headed by the undersecretaries in the Petroleum and Finance ministries, were accompanied by several technicians to Khartoum.

According to SUNA, officials from the two countries will evaluate the implementation of the previous agreement in terms of financial and technical arrangements and discuss its implementation challenges in order to set a framework for renewing joint agreements in the petroleum field.

The Sudanese Energy and Petroleum Minister, Engineer Mohamed Abdellah, stressed the importance of talks aimed at renewal of agreements to transport and process South Sudan crude through Sudan’s facilities, referring to previous agreements signed in 2012, but expired in March 2022.

He, however, acknowledged that the previous agreements faced several challenges, including political and technical ones, which were addressed in a “friendly” and “fraternal” manner between the two brotherly countries.

Abdullah said he was optimistic that the two parties would reach new agreements regarding the transportation and processing of South Sudan’s crude oil, which he said was based on the experience of previous agreements and ways of implementing them and addressing challenges.

For his part, however, South Sudan’s Petroleum ministry’s undersecretary, Awow Daniel Chuang, said they would discuss the oil agreement, economy as well as the agreement signed between Juba and Khartoum in 2012.

He further pointed out that they had reached a point where the agreement reached its end in 2022 and this agreement was for a period of three and a half years, after which the two countries would work for oil production for another three years.

South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011, relies on oil exports to fund its budget.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The Trilateral Mechanism of the AU, IGAD and UNITAMS Sunday voiced deep concern about the continued excessive use of violence in Sudan hampering their efforts to end the seven-month crisis in the country.

The security forces killed a protester in Omdurman on Saturday, increasing the death toll of those killed after the coup d’état to 96 people.

In a statement issued after a meeting on Sunday, the Mechanism said “deeply concerned by the continued use of excessive force in responding to protests”.

The three envoys stressed they have consistently called on the Sudanese authorities the need to stop violence against protesters, release political detainees and loft the state of emergency.

“Creating these conducive conditions is critical for the success of the political process and must be done as a matter of urgency,” stressed the statement.

The head of the Sovereign Council had several times pledged to implement confidence-building measures in order to create a suitable atmosphere for a dialogue process facilitated by the three bodies.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in November 2021 designated Adama Dieng as an expert on human rights in Sudan, following a request from the UN Human Rights Council.

Dieng visited Sudan in February, a month after a delay by the Sudanese authorities of a scheduled visit.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Security forces arrested on Sunday Amal al-Zain a member of the Political Bureau of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP).

Al Zain was part of the three-member delegation that recently travelled to South Sudan to meet with the holdout rebel leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur before travelling to a rebel-controlled area in South Kordofan to meet with the SPLM-N leader Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.

She was arrested after a press conference she held with the political secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib and a member of the Central Committee and Political Bureau Salih Mahmoud.

The two had been arrested after their return on Thursday before their release on Friday.

An SCP Spokesman Hassan Othman told the Sudan Tribune they ignore her whereabouts.

The Communist leaders told reporters they agreed with the two groups to sign a transitional political declaration that establishes a civil and democratic state.

The Sudanese state, according to al-Khatib, will be based on citizenship, respect for diversity, separation of religion from the state, ending the war, dissolution of the Rapid Support Forces and other militias, and heading towards a mixed economy.

They also agreed to hold an intra-Sudanese dialogue before a constitutional conference.

In a related development, the security forces arrested a Sudanese activist Nazim Siraj, who used to provide free medical services to the injured protesters and expose violations against the demonstrators through his Hadherin Organization.

The authorities detain about 130 people, according to the Darfur Bar Association, most of whom are members of the Resistance Committees.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The United Nations Human Rights Council should ensure public debates on Sudan’s human rights situation continue being held, as the de facto military authorities consolidate their power and human rights violations continue, over 50 human rights groups said on Monday.

The appeal is contained in a petition to the Human Right Council ahead of its 50th regular session, which is scheduled to be held from 13 June to 8 July.

“Ahead of the Council’s 50th session we, the undersigned non-governmental organizations, are writing to urge your delegation to support the adoption of a resolution that ensures continued attention to Sudan’s human rights situation through enhanced interactive dia­logues at the Council’s 52nd and 53rd regular sessions,” the group’s petition reads in part.

Last year, following the 25 October coup, the UN Human Rights Council took urgent action and adopted a resolution reques­ting the High Commis­sion for Human Rights to designate an Expert on Human Rights in the Sudan.

“[w]hile the Expert’s mandate is ongoing, a resolution is required for the Council to hold public de­bates and continue to formally discuss the situation,” partly reads the petition signed by 53 human rights organizations.

They, however, said that a budget allocation is required for this to happen.

According to the group, the Council in its resolution S-32/1, said the desi­gna­ted expert would continue to report on human rights violations and abu­ses com­mitted in Sudan and advice on further steps that are needed.

The Council, they further stressed, also made it clear that the term of office for the designated expert will conclude “upon the restoration of civilian-led government.”

Meanwhile the rights entities requested the High Commissioner, with the assistance of the designated Expert on Human Rights in the Sudan, to update the Council at its 52nd session, in an en­han­ced interactive dialogue on Sudan’s human rights situation.

The group, further requested the High Commissioner, with the assistance of the designated Expert on Human Rights in the Sudan, to present to the Council, at its 53rd session, a comprehensive written report focusing on the situation of human rights in Sudan, to be followed by an enhanced interactive dialogue, and to continue to report on the situation of human rights in Sudan to the Council twice a year.

Source: Sudan Tribune