Author: Web Desk

The Sudanese army repelled an attack by the Ethiopian army in the border area of Al-Fashaqa said a military statement on Sunday.

Al-Tahir Abu Haja, Sudanese army spokesman stated that the attack took place in Um Brakhit sector of the disputed area.

“The Sudanese Armed Forces had repelled the incursion attempt and forced the Ethiopian forces to withdraw,” said Abu Haja in a short statement.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since November 2020 when the Sudanese army redeployed its troops in Al-Fashaqa recovering about 2 million acres of fertile land inside the Sudanese border cultivated with the support of armed militiamen.

Three months ago closed the road linking the two countries after an attack on the Sudanese army by Ethiopian militiamen.

On 22 September, local officials from the two sides met the Ethiopian border town of Metama to discuss the reopening of the crossing point.

The Ethiopian side requested to open the crossing point and called for joint cooperation to settle the issue of detainees from both sides.

A source close to the meeting said the Ethiopian officials spoke again about the presence of Tigryian fighters in the refugee camps a matter that the Sudanese side strongly rejected.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) Saturday accused the military component of exploiting the political crises to spread chaos in the country and undermine the transition to civilian-led democratic rule.

The followers of Mohamed Turk, a tribal leader of the Hadandawa tribe who rejects the peace agreement for eastern Sudan, are blocking the roads and shut down the pipeline preventing the exportation of the Sudanese and South Sudanese oil.

However, the military component refuses to intervene to stop the security threat and protect the vital economic facilities.

Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on Thursday that the eastern Sudan crisis should be resolved by Prime Minister Hamdok.

Speaking in a talk show on Sudan TVon Saturday, FFC leading members said that the military component is preparing to remove the civilian government through the insecurity in eastern Sudan and Kordofan.

“It is not necessary to topple the civilian government through weapons. This can be done by exploiting political issues in some regions to create chaos and insecurity. This is part of a strategy aiming to overthrow the civilian government,” said Taha Osman, a member of the Empowerment Removal Committee.

Alwathiq al-Brair, Secretary of the National Umma Party, said sarcastically that they learnt for the first time from al-Burhan on Thursday that protecting the vital economic facilities is the responsibility of Prime Minister Hamdok.

“This is part of the core duties of the military component,” he stressed.

The Sudanese Ministry of Oil on Saturday announced that the closure of oil terminals at Port Sudan affected the oil pumping from the production areas. The ministry added that the country has a stock for 10 days only.

The tribal leader now demands the cancellation of the eastern Sudan peace agreement and the establishment of a military government to replace the civilian-led government.

Gaafar Hassan a leading member of the FFC and the Unionist Alliance said they were surprised by al-Burhan.

Instead of condemning the putschists, he sought to justify the failed coup claiming that the government failed to settle the economic crisis, Hassan said.

“Al-Burhan’s statements raised questions about their purpose,” he added.

Hemetti attacks

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” deputy head of the Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed al-Faki the spokesman of the collegial presidency who voiced his rejection of the military’s guardianship of the democratic transition.

Hemetti asserted that would not sit with Al-Faki at the same table unless a political agreement was reached to allow the participation of new political forces in the government.

The military leader said that the criticism directed at the military was due to the military’s call for a national accord involving more political forces in the transitional government.

Taha rejected calls for a “National Accord”, saying it aims to weaken the civilian component.

“Accord with whom? All the revolution’s forces have been united on September 8, except for two parties. Talking about other forces is part of the coup attempt because it aims to bring force similar to the previous regime,” he said.

FFC leaders say this call for national accord coincides with the end of the term of al-Burhan at the chairmanship of the Sovereign Council as it should be chaired by a civilian next November.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The government has given South Sudan a one-month ultimatum to waive visa fees for Ugandan nationals seeking to enter the country. This follows Uganda’s decision to waive visa fees for South Sudanese entering Uganda which will take effect on October 1.

Speaking to the media, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga said that South Sudan is expected to reciprocate this by October 31.

She says if South Sudan doesn’t reciprocate the waiver, Uganda will reinstate the fees for South Sudanese as well.

According to Kadaga, the decision follows the summit of the East African Community Heads of State in Nairobi in February 2021, when President Salva Kiir appealed to the neighbouring countries for a visa waiver, particularly between South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.

According to Kadaga, the move is expected to facilitate trade and investment in the region.

Concerning the security of truckers along the Juba-Nimule route, the minister said that the different illegal roadblocks on the highways have been removed, while the Government of South Sudan has deployed in hotspots and security has been provided for Ugandans entering South Sudan.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Protests in eastern Sudan have affected the flow of oil to Port Sudan disrupting production in its northern oil fields, a South Sudanese minister told reporters Friday.

Information minister, Michael Makuei Lueth said the protests, which broke out on September 17, led to the closure of oil terminals at Port Sudan, thus disrupting transportation of crude.

On Friday, a tribal group rejecting the Juba Peace Agreement in eastern Sudan closed the roads leading to the maritime ports on the Red Sea. On Sunday the Hadandaw group closed the Bashayer crude oil export terminal, located 25 km south of Port Sudan.

“With the closure of Port Sudan, we are not in a position to export our (crude) oil because if we don’t export oil then we will be in crisis,” he told reporters in the capital, Juba.

Land-locked South Sudan relies on Sudan to export its crude in a pipeline via Khartoum to the Red Sea. Around 30,000 b/d of South Sudanese crude goes to its northern neighbour for its direct use, according to S&P Global Platts estimates.

Makuei, however, said President Salva Kiir is in contact with authorities in Khartoum to help resolve the impasse to allow the smooth flow of crude to the key port.

South Sudan depends 98% on oil revenues to finance fiscal expenditure but mismanagement of oil revenues, conflict and the coronavirus affected production in northern oil fields with production falling below 300,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Source: Sudan Tribune

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has directed the cancellation of a $650 million sovereign guarantee loan, paving way for the country to engage international financial institutions.

In a letter dated September 24, 2021, the Executive Director of the Presidential Office informed Finance Minister Athian Dingg Athian that Kiir authorized the cancellation of the loan following mounting pressure on his administration to live up to the norms and practices of public financial performance.

“I write to you on the directive of his Excellency the President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, authorizing you to cancel with immediate effect the sovereign guarantee of 650 million dollars which has recently threatened to roll back gains we have made with our population and development partners”, wrote Jems Deng Wal Achien in a letter seen by the Sudan Tribune on Friday evening.

The letter cited the work of the public financial performance management oversight committee which draw membership from a host of the international financial institutions and key representatives of the key international donors.

It pointed to trust and policy credibility the government has reportedly built in the last years, resulting in the strengthening of the local currency over dollars.

The letter said that the involvement of the internationally supported oversight committee had resulted in the building of relations with key partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“With this issue resolved and behind us, you should be on your way to completing the Staff Monitored Program (SMP) review and moving to the next level of engagement with International Monetary Funds, World Bank, and African Development Bank,” reads the letter.

The SMP is an informal agreement between national authorities and IMF staff to monitor the country’s economic reforms to redress its economy. Also, the IMF can work with the national authorities to build a track record of reform implementation under this agreement.

When the IMF monitored reforms are successfully achieved South Sudan can benefit from development programs funded by the World Bank agencies including the African Development Bank.

International financial institutions threatened to withhold loans if the government continues to borrow without disclosing the terms of the agreement to the public.

The SMP also includes reforms aiming to prevent money laundering and transparency in the management of the oil revenue which is the only source of income for the landlocked country.

Source: Sudan Tribune