Day: June 2, 2022

The governor of South Sudan’s Warrap State, Aleu Ayieny Aleu has suspended the Tonj South county commissioner following a recent shooting incident, which left a national security officer wounded.

Governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu, in a May 28, 2022 letter, lifted Marco Agor Malang’s immunity and ordered an investigation into the shooting incident.

The suspect, according to the letter Sudan Tribune obtained, allegedly shot a national security officer at Lakhan hotel in Tonj Town on May 27, 2022.

“This is to notify you that your immunity and duty are lifted and suspended respectively,” partly read the governor’s letter.

“The police and Attorney General in Tonj South are hereby ordered to take appropriate legal procedures against you and present you to court for the alleged shooting of citizen John Lemon on the night of 27 May 2022,” it adds.

Aleu said cartridges from Agor’s weapon were found at the scene of crime.

“The victim who was medevac to Juba with previous gunshot injuries has been operated upon and the bullet that penetrated to his chest (right) lacerating his liver and puncturing his left kidney is from a 9 mm caliber pistol,” stressed the governor’s letter extended to Sudan Tribune.

It added, “Since you were the only one with such a weapon on the scene of the crime, then you have to face the law accordingly”.

Meanwhile, the former commissioner acknowledged receiving his suspension letter and admitted his immunity was lifted by the governor.

He, however, said he was advised not to talk to the media over the matter.

“Yes, I am in town and I am good to be here. I will give my statement to the committee or anybody to whom I will be directed,” Agor said Tuesday.

Warrap State Information minister, Riing Deng Ading confirmed the authenticity of the letter, saying investigations into the matter are ongoing.

He said the suspect was in safe custody and awaits trial by the military.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The intra-Sudanese dialogue process would be launched next week, announced the facilitators, as the continued detention of 70 political activists and use of violence cast doubt over the FFC’s participation.

On Wednesday the three facilitators of the UNITAMS, African Union and IGAD met with the Sovereign Council’s military committee including deputy head Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemetti), Shams al-Din Kabbashi, and Gabir Ibrahim.

“The meeting was constructive and tackled issues related to the Intra-Sudanese direct talks which are expected to launch next week,” said the trilateral mechanism in a statement released after the meeting.

“The talks are aimed at restoring constitutional rule and fulfilling the Sudanese people’s aspirations to a democratic transition and the building of (a) new Sudan,” further added the facilitators.

The announcement comes as the head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared the end of the state of emergence and the release of all the political detainees on May 29.

However, the Emergency Lawyers stated that more than 70 detainees are still held in the prisons of Soba, Al-Huda and the White Nile despite the official lift of the state of emergency and the decision to release political activists.

The lawyers further said in a separate statement that the security forces arrested five activists from the Al-Sahafa neighbourhood and their whereabouts are unknown.

The security forces also opened fire to disperse protesters who gathered outside the Khartoum International Exhibition after reports that Hemetti will inaugurate it.

In their statement, the facilitators called on the Sudanese authorities to avoid the use of violence against the expected protests on June 3, to commemorate the third anniversary of the bloody attack on the pro-democracy sit-in outside the army headquarters in 2019.

“This is to ensure the conducive conditions for a political process in Sudan. The Trilateral also calls on all parties to uphold peaceful means in commemorating the event,” stressed the statement.

Conducive environment is a sine qua non condition for FFC participation

Sudan’s former ruling coalition stressed that the confidence-building measures including the end of violence, the release of political detainees and the effective lift of the state of emergency are essential for their participation in the political process.

Wagdi Salih an FFC prominent leader told the Sudan Tribune that the coalition’s participation depends on the full implementation of the confidence-building measures.

“Also, they should Stop all regressive decisions made after the coup to cancel the decisions of the Empowerment Removal Committee,” said Salih who is a member of the suspended body tasked with the dismantlement of the former Islamist regime.

In turn, the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) reiterated its refusal to participate in the direct dialogue facilitated by the tripartite mechanism.

SCP Central Committee member Siddiq Youssif told the Sudan Tribune that “they will not take part in any direct dialogue with the Trilateral Mechanism until the fall of the coup regime and the achievement of justice.”

Source: Sudan Tribune

A joint force of South Sudan’s army (SSPDF) and the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei (UNISFA) have opened a road linking Twic in South Sudan’s Warrap State and the contested border region between Sudan and South Sudan after communal violence affected movements.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, Warrap State governor Aleu Ayieny Aleu said the situation was back to normal after both sides deployed forces in strategic and hotspot areas to facilitate the movement of goods and people after a violent communal conflict pitting members of ethnic Twic in Warrap State and Ngok Dinka in Abyei.

“The security situation which experienced some hiccups recently has returned to normal after we coordinated with UNISFA (United Nations Interim Force for Abyei). Forces have now been deployed and the main road reopened. People and goods are moving freely,” explained Aleu.

He said several commercial trucks and private cars resumed movement on the main road connecting Abyei with other towns in South Sudan on Sunday.

The governor, currently in Juba, said movement resumed after SSPDF established a buffer zone between Twic and the Abyei administrative area.

He said movement was halted after tension between the two communities.

“What happened between the two communities is a shame to all. These are brothers and sisters. The president has formed the committee and the committee has presented the report with recommendations to address the problem,” stressed Aleu.

He said the issue of internal borders is the competence of the council of states and the president has asked the council to move around the country to listen to the people and ensure the border issues are settled amicably.

An investigation committee tasked to probe the communal violence which erupted in February 2022 between some clans from Warrap and Abyei faulted some politician and intellectuals from the two neighbouring areas of fueling the conflict.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The governors of the gold-producing states called to reform mining policies saying that aid the Ministry of Minerals and its company have failed to fulfil their financial obligations and interfered in their competencies.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Federal Government Buthaina Dinar held a meeting with state governors to discuss mining problems and the overlap of administrative competencies between the Ministry of Minerals and state governments.

According to the official Sudan News Agency, the governors criticsed the management of revenue generated in the gold sector. Also, they complained about their interference in the land allocation for mining purposes.

The governors described the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company (SMRC) “as a state within a stat,” said the official agency.

The Governor of the Red Sea State, Ali Adrob, said that his state is the first producing state of minerals and owns 60% of the gold production in Sudan, but it does not get its rights and does not benefit fully from the gold resources.

“The Sudanese Mineral Resources Company has erected itself a government within a government and a state within a state,” said Mohamed Abdel Rahman, Gedaref.

Abdel Raman added that the SMRC deployed its delegates in the mining areas as if they were governors.

He further called to review its role in the distribution of the gold revenue and mining policies.

The Company is tasked with the collection of gold generated funds and redistribution of the state shares directly.

Officials in the former civilian government criticised the continuation of the same policies of the former regime allowing public entities to manage money out of the control and supervision of the finance ministry.

In the same vein, the governors of North Darfur, River Nile, Sennar, South Kordofan and North Kordofan states called to review the SMRC role and reconsider mining policies.

Established in 2014, the SMRC is tasked with oversighting mining resources and monitoring of the activities of the sector.

Source: Sudan Tribune