Category: General

The United Nations is asking members for $1.7 billion to fund South Sudan humanitarian aid.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the funding would help 6.8 million South Sudanese, according to its South Sudan deputy, Annette Hearns.

“We estimate there’s 8.9 million people whose needs are assessed against a humanitarian requirement,” Hearns said. “They have health needs [or] they don’t have enough access to safe drinking water. As humanitarians, there is no way we can provide all the support that’s needed for everyone, everywhere. Of that 8.9 million, we’re going to do our best to target 6.8 million people.”

Of the total, $230 million would target malnourished children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. Another $650 million would provide basic food assistance and livelihood support, and $54 million would support children’s education.

“There’s more than 2 million people who have been forced to leave their homes in South Sudan and some of these are people who were displaced in years past, including from flooding in 2020 and 2021, and their areas of origin are still not accessible for them to go home,” Hearns told South Sudan in Focus.

“Some of the people told us they fled [violence] with [only] the clothes they’re wearing. When the flooding happens, it’s the same,” Hearns added.

Sometimes, she said, the families are able “to grab a blanket or a knife so they can move and go elsewhere, but not always.”

Source: Voice of America

Ten years after independence, South Sudan “remains a deeply fragile nation beset by weak governance, pervasive insecurity, fiscal mismanagement, and widespread corruption.”

That was the thrust of a U.S. State Department report to Congress, which Reuters says also told lawmakers the Biden administration will continue to pressure those perpetuating South Sudan’s violence and officials not adhering to the 2018 peace agreement.

Cameron Hudson, a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Africa Center, said it is rare for the administration to notify Congress of something when it’s not required to do so unless there is a change in policy or something is about to happen.

“There is clearly an effort right now to acknowledge that whatever has been attempted in South Sudan has not worked under the current leadership,” Hudson told South Sudan in Focus.

“Congress and the administration are probably closer to being on the same page in South Sudan than in a lot of other places in the region,” Hudson said, “where there are vast disagreements over U.S. policy.”

The report to Congress highlights the Biden administration’s disappointment with the slow pace of carrying out South Sudan’s peace deal, said Brian Adeba, deputy director of policy at The Sentry, a New York-based research group.

“This report represents a growing exasperation with the system in South Sudan,” Adeba told VOA, “especially, I think, the government with implementing the peace agreement.”

Adeba says the report indicates the State Department is trying to draw more attention to the situation in South Sudan.

“When you look at how South Sudan has also fallen off the radar after the peace agreement was signed, the international community thought that with the signing of the peace agreement everything is going to be okay and it did not keep its eyes on the ball,” Adeba said.

“In the meantime, while attention was diverted, the government and the parties continue to delay the implementation of the agreement.”

Source: Voice of America

ISLAMABAD – Experts from different countries at an online seminar, yesterday said, the strengthened relations between China and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), will promote peace, harmony and development in the region and beyond.

The seminar, convened by Pakistani think tank Asian Institute of Eco-civilisation Research and Development, was attended by participants from countries including Pakistan, China, Iraq, Algeria and Germany.

Addressing the conference, Farrukh Iqbal Khan, a career diplomat of Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that, China and Islamic countries need to build cooperation to combat multiple challenges in the changing global dynamics.

“China is an important global and regional player, both politically and economically…and in that role, China obviously engages with nearly every regional and multilateral organisation, for a mutually beneficial and respectable partnership,” Khan said.

The participation of Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in the 48th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, recently held here, reflects China’s willingness to take friendship and cooperation with the Islamic world to new heights, South-west Asia Coordinator of the Schiller Institute, Hussein Askary, from Iraq, said.

China has been playing an important role in facilitating the development of Islamic countries, by launching a number of initiatives of economic value, both at bilateral and multilateral levels, hence prompting peace, stability and development, Askary said.

Smaine Djella, a researcher and an expert of political science and international relations from Algeria, said, the unity, justice, development, partnership and bridge building, the OIC promotes is in line with China’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The enthusiasm of the OIC members to build a closer partnership with China heralds their trust on the Chinese leadership, he said.

He added that, China continues to extend a helping hand to Islamic countries, to bring peace, resolve conflicts and foster sustainable development, to lift the living standards of the common people.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

South Sudan’s Vice President for services cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol on Wednesday met and held talks with the leadership of the United Nations interim security force in Abyei (UNISFA).

Akol, who heads the fact-finding investigation committee formed by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, has been in Twic of Warrap State and Abyei areas to carry out a fact-finding investigation to establish the cause behind recent tensions which culminated into violent clashes in the Anet area.

The clashes claimed more than 32 lives, destroyed properties and displaced more than 100,000 family members from their original places.

The conflict also resulted in a dire humanitarian situation in the area.

During the meeting, Akol commended the peacekeepers’ role in the crisis situation, reiterating his government’s commitment to peaceful dialogue.

He appealed to all the parties involved settle their disputes peacefully.

“We have ended our discussion with the United Nations Interim Force for Abyei on a positive note. The talks centered on their peacekeeping mission and concerns over the violent communal conflict between Twic and Ngok Dinka. We exchanged views on how to tackle insecurity in Anet,” said Akol.

The Vice President said separate meetings were held with women in Abyei to gather their views on how best the conflict could be amicably resolved.

“Just concluded our meeting with Abyei women in Anet who welcomed and appreciated the process of dialogue and reconciliation between Twic and Ngok Dinka, with a call for justice that we promised to do,” said Akol.

He added, “As a committee, we have applauded and appreciated bilateral dialogue between Twic and Ngok Dinka to allow them to address historical tensions, grievances, misconceptions, and reset relationships”.

Akol stressed the importance of dialogue between the two communities

He further explained, “So, we thought of reconciling the two communities at the early stage to pave way for resuming their living together towards economic growth as we prepare the preliminary results of our investigation”.

At least 16 people were killed and hundreds displaced following a recent conflict between the communities of Twic county in Warrap with their neighbours in Abyei.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Sudan and Egypt agreed to boost economic cooperation between the two countries and renewed their call for a legally binding agreement on filling and operating the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Wednesday paid a short working visit to Cairo, during which he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The visit comes after similar trips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, to discuss the deteriorating political and economic conditions in Sudan and to seek their support for his isolated military rule.

A statement issued at the conclusion of the visit said that the two parties agreed to strengthen economic relations and expand trade exchange. Also, they reiterated their determination to achieve agricultural integration and rail and electric linkage between the two countries.

The statement which reminds the old agreements of economic integration between the two countries did not omit the strong joint cooperation in the security and military fields, which “contributes to achieving the interests” of the two countries.

Without referring to the tough economic situation in Sudan, Egypt renewed its commitment to continue sending aid packages and logistical and humanitarian support.

After the military coup of October 2021, the international community and financial institutions suspended a financial and economic support program to implement economic reforms and prepare Sudan for a democratic transition.

Egypt refused to condemn the coup and since has no longer participated in meetings and statements issued by the Friends of Sudan group.

On the same day, Saudi Arabia deposited $5 billion in Egypt’s central bank to support the ailing Egyptian economy to deal with the effects of the war in Ukraine.

The joint statement said the two countries will continue “intensive consultations and mutual coordination” on the negotiations related to the GERD, and reiterated their call for a legal and binding agreement on the filling and operation of the giant dam on the Blue Nile.

Ethiopia is expected to start the third filling of the GERD reservoir next July but there is no agreement on the resumption of the tripartite talks under the auspices of the African Union.

Source: Sudan Tribune

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and First Vice President, Riek Machar will hold talks in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum to break the deadlock over unification of the command structure, an official said.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune in Wednesday, South Sudan’s advisor on security affairs, Tut Gatluak Manime said the head of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy Mohammed Hamdan Daglo accepted to mediate talks between the two South Sudanese rival leaders.

He said a follow-up mediation process would be conducted in Juba with all parties to the 2018 peace agreement to discuss the unification of forces.

Gatluak, also chairperson of the National Transitional Committee (NTC) said he met Sudan’s leaders on Monday and delivered President Kiir’s response to Khartoum’s proposal to mediate in the unification of forces issue.

He said the Juba government already responded to the proposal which has been handed over to Sudan, a guarantor of the peace agreement.

“Our mission was successful. We met and held meetings with the leadership in Khartoum. The vice-chairman of the Sovereign Council, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo took it seriously and made a phone call to H.E the President of the Republic of South Sudan, General Salva Kiir Mayardit on Monday. They discussed very important issues relating to peace and security in South Sudan and in Sudan,” explained Gatluak.

He added, “We hope this will be an opportunity to resolve all the issues. And God willing, everything will be addressed so that a new chapter is opened”.

Meanwhile the senior presidential advisor said President Kiir assured the deputy chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council of his commitment to overcome challenges facing the implementation of the peace accord.

Last week, the South Sudanese leader issued a presidential decree directing the formation of the command structure with immediate effect.

Kiir also relinquished three positions of command in the military and two in the police service to the SPLM/A-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance.

Machar, however, rejected Kiir’s decision, describing it as “unilateral” and lacking the consensus required of the parties that signed the peace deal.

The armed opposition leader further said Kiir’s directive undermines the ongoing mediation efforts by Sudan and Uganda, which are guarantors of the 2018 revitalized agreement signed in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

The president’s order and Machar’s rejection rose tensions and the deployment of troops around the residency of the vice president, causing fear and panic that the situation could escalate if it is not well managed.

Kiir, however, said the military deployment was to provide protection to senior government officials, including his first deputy in the coalition government.

Source: Sudan Tribune