S. Sudan: Holdout rebels meet to unify against govt

Article from and by Radio Tamazuj.org

Dated Sunday 29 August 2019

Meeting of South Sudan rebel groups begins in The Hague

File photo: Emmanuel Ajawin (L) and NAS leader Thomas Cirillo (R)

Disaffected South Sudanese rebel figures who are not part of the September 2018 peace deal have started a two-day meeting in the Netherlands, an opposition official announced.

Emmanuel Ajawin, secretary general of the opposition coalition South Sudan National Democratic Alliance (SSNDA), told Radio Tamazuj this afternoon that the holdout opposition groups kicked off a meeting aimed at hammering out a united front against the Kiir administration.

The opposition South Sudan National Democratic Alliance (SSNDA), a coalition of non-signatory groups, is led by NAS leader General Thomas Cirillo.

Ajawin, who was part of today’s meeting, noted that the gathering in The Hague this morning seeks to define a common stance among the holdout opposition groups for a genuine peace in South Sudan.

He revealed that the meeting was attended by General Thomas Cirillo, Pagan Amum, General Oyai Deng Ajak, Cirino Hiteng, Sunday de John, Thomas Tut and other opposition officials.

“General Paul Malong spoke by telephone when the meeting started officially. General Malong talked and presented the position of his movement,” he said.

“The opposition groups agreed that the unity of the holdout opposition groups is very important because the government of Salva Kiir is destroying the country,” he added.

Ajawin, who also leads a faction of the National Democratic Movement (NDM), pointed out that the talks are expected to reach satisfactory understandings that will lead to the Declaration of Principles and shared plans.

Several rebel factions, including those led by former army chief Paul Malong and General Thomas Cirillo are not part of the revitalized peace deal signed in September 2018.

Under the peace deal, prominent opposition leader Riek Machar, along with four others will serve as President Kiir's deputies in a transitional government.

But the peace deal is already behind schedule and there are growing concerns that the parties to the peace accord may not meet a November 12 deadline to form a new government.

SOURCE:  https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/meeting-of-south-sudan-rebel-groups-begins-in-the-hague

Sudan: Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urges journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Quote of the Day

“It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful." - James Ray Kennedy, Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, 11 Feb 2010

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections. (See full report here below).

P.S. Thank you to the Sudan Watch readers who have sent in news for publication here. I have not forgotten you. At this very delicate and sensitive time for Sudan and its neighbouring countries, I am mindful of how quickly information (and rumours and falsehoods) can spread via computers, mobile texting, phones, satellite receivers and word of mouth (note how a translation error led to an international incident). As usual, I endeavour to be careful and verify information published here. I want peace for Sudan and for all of its inhabitants (animals included) to have access to food, safe drinking water and medical care. God bless the peacemakers, journalists and children of Sudan and keep them safe from harm.

Election Campaign Begins in Sudan

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The elections campaign was officially launched on Saturday ahead of the general elections scheduled for April.

The NCP presidential candidate, Omar al-Bashir, launched his campaign at the Al-Hilal football stadium in Khartoum on Saturday.

The SPLM candidate Yasir Arman launched his campaign on Sunday, from the house of the late Ali Abdel-Latif, a prominent nationalist figure who led a resistance movement against the British in 1924.

SRS asked two political analysts for their impressions of the beginning of the campaign.

Taj Al-Sir Maki spoke to SRS from Khartoum.

[Taj Al-Sir Maki]: “I think that the launch of the NCP campaign was not all that successful at Al-Hilal stadium, despite the fact that the NCP has been controlling the media for 20 years. But the SPLM campaign which started from the house of the late hero Abdel Latif, was stronger because they are introducing a new project and they haven’t been tested yet. They are introducing a new project and they are calling for voluntary unity in Sudan, calling for a democratic Sudan that all Sudanese are calling for generally. The NCP campaigns came to support the same leadership everybody knows. So from my point of view, the NCP campaign didn’t present anything new.”

Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin also expressed his views about the launch of the elections campaign.

[Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin]: “In fact, the election campaign started for all political parties, not just the NCP and the SPLM. The Popular Congress Party and the Sudan Communist Party launched their campaigns as well. Generally, the campaigns have started smoothly and all political parties were allowed to conduct peaceful marches around Khartoum, which was not allowed before, and that is a good thing. It seems that the NCP launched their campaign in Al-Hilal stadium to attract Al-Hilal fans and they funded the Al-Hilal team without announcing it. Arman launched his campaign at the Abdel Latif house, because he wanted it to be a symbol of unity between south and north. Arman is really busy to ensure that there should not be a clear separation between south and north, and this line is welcomed.”

Taj Al-Sir Maki and Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin were speaking to SRS about the launch of the election campaign in Sudan.

Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives to a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir launched his re-election bid with great fanfare, extolling his 21 years in power and pledging to the unity of Africa's biggest nation. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: A supporter of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attends a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir faces his first real electoral test in April, when he is being challenged by 11 opposition candidates, among them former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and former rebel leader Yasser Arman. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addresses supporters at the Friendship Hall in the capital Khartoum, 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) See news updates at the website of Albashir.
- - -

Kiir launches his election campaign on Saturday, 20 Feb



Photo: Salva Kiir Mayardit, Vice President of The Republic of Sudan, President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS)

The incumbent President of the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan and chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is scheduled to officially launch his election campaign on Saturday, 20th February.

Salva Kiir Mayardit was nominated by his ruling party to contest for the post of the president of the Government of Southern Sudan. He will compete against another presidential candidate in the South, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, chairman of the breakaway Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC).

Dr. Lam Akol is currently based in Khartoum and has not yet officially launched his campaign in the South.

Full story at Sudan Tribune by James Gatdet Dak, (JUBA) Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
- - -

Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urged journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Elections a Litmus Test for Democracy in Sudan Says UNMIS
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The United Nations Mission in Sudan says the forthcoming general elections will be a “litmus test” for democracy in Sudan.

Speaking to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful. I think if we succeed in holding peaceful and credible elections in 2010 in Sudan, there is a very good chance that we can see elections on a regular basis in Sudan. We have not seen democratic elections on a routine basis in Sudan; it seems to have been more of an exceptional thing rather than a routine thing.”

Kennedy also said that although the war is still going in Darfur, he believes that it is possible to hold peaceful elections in Darfur.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “I think what we need to look at is the voter registration exercise. Voter registration did not reach 100 per cent of the population in Darfur but it reached a very high percentage of the population and it reached it in a very peaceful manner. We hope and believe that it will be possible to have elections in Darfur that are relatively peaceful, that are relatively successful. I say quite often that there is no such a thing as a perfect election anywhere but we are all working to make these elections as good as possible under very difficult circumstances - including in Darfur.”

James Ray Kennedy also urged the people of southern Sudan who are eligible to vote in the referendum to turn out in big numbers and vote in order to determine the future of the Sudan.

Photo: Sudanese women register for national elections in Khartoum, 2009. Presidential hopefuls in Sudan, Africa's largest country, have begun campaigning for the first multi-party poll since 1986. (AFP/File/Ashraf Shazly)
- - -

Arman Meets Darfur SPLM Delegation in Khartoum

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s presidential candidate, Yasir Arman, met an SPLM delegation from Darfur on Thursday and Friday in Khartoum.

In the meeting, the SPLM leaders discussed the political, humanitarian and security situation in Darfur.

One of the delegates, the SPLM secretary in Western Darfur state, Mohamed Abubakar Juma, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Saturday.

[Mohamed Abubakar]: “Among the issues discussed regarding the Darfur crisis was the insecurity and also the difficulty in reaching some of the voters in most areas. We have also talked about the current Doha talks in relation to the general election. After the meeting, we agreed that we should request the government and the Elections Commission to coordinate with the international community for the sake of free and fair elections. Some of the things we have agreed on were that the emergency conditions should be lifted. The Darfur crisis must be solved quickly and also we must work together with UNAMID.”

The Darfur SPLM leaders also called for the quick resolution of the Darfur conflict before the general elections in April. They also called on the anti-government groups to unite and fight as one for Darfur.

Photo: A girl digs for mud to make bricks, in the Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, North Darfur, 9 February 2010. Picture taken 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



Photo: A displaced boy wears a t-shirt printed with a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, 8 February 2010. Picture taken 8 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)

Note (seen on Albashir website, Sudanese Press in brief, Thursday, 11 February 2010): (Alraid) - Obama's brother is in Khartoum to participant at the meeting of Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia.
- - -

UMMA Party Heals Divisions and Unites

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Juba) - The UMMA National Party and the UMMA Reform and Renewal party have decided to unite under the umbrella name of the UMMA National Party.

The Chairman of the UMMA Reform and Renewal party, Mubarak Al Fadil, told SRS from Juba on Sunday that the unity of the parties came at a very critical time.

[Mubarak Al Fadil]: “The announcement of the political unity between the two parties came at a critical time in Sudanese politics. There are so many important issues going on, among them are the referendum in 2011 which might lead to the secession of a beloved part of the nation, and at the moment Sudan is witnessing a war in Darfur and instability in Southern Darfur, the Nuba mountains and the east. Sudan is indeed undergoing a lot of problems and there is a possibility that the nation might break into so many parts.”

Al Fadil also said the unity of the UMMA party is a step in the right direction. He said that it will play a major role in stabilizing the nation and supporting peace in Sudan.

Photo: Relatives and students carry the body of Darfuri student Mohamed Musa in Omdurman locality in Khartoum, 15 February 2010. Armed riot police surrounded hundreds of protesters at the funeral of Musa, 23, who colleagues said was tortured and killed by Sudanese authorities in a case that has sparked tensions ahead of elections. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Photo: Sudan-appointed special prosecutor Nimr Mohamed addresses a news conference at the U.N. offices in the capital Khartoum, 11 February 2010. Mohamed, Sudan's special prosecutor for crimes in Darfur, has not charged or tried anyone, and the government must speed up trials or lose the confidence of the people, a U.N.-appointed human rights expert said on Thursday. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
- - -

SPLM to discuss NCP’s suggestions to resolve South Kordofan election boycott

From Mirayafm, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

The Political Bureau of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the suggestions of National Congress Party (NCP) to resolve the SPLM boycotting the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in South Kordofan State, SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum confirmed to Miraya FM.

Earlier the Governor of South Kordofan State, Ahmed Haroun, who leads the NCP delegation to Juba, delivered a message from the Chairman of the NCP, Omer Al Bashir, to the SPLM Political Bureau, suggesting solutions to overcome the crisis.

Meanwhile, Amum also told Miraya FM that the SPLM Political Bureau will hold a meeting to make a final decision on party members who chose to contest as independent candidates.

Darfur peacekeepers get helicopters after long wait

On Tuesday, Sudan's neighbour Ethiopia became the first country to respond to the call by sending five tactical helicopters to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, said UNAMID.

"This will make a huge difference ... Only one country has been able to help us. An African country has supported us," force spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"We still need more, at least 18 in total. Up to now we have had zero tactical helicopters ... Imagine managing without this mobility in such a huge area."

Full story: Reuters, Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
- - -

Sudan Sports Latest

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Al Hilal FC won the Bani Yas friendly tournament cup after defeating the hosts Bani Yas on Saturday.

The match officially finished with a 2-2 draw leading to the penalty kicks which ended 5-4. Al Hilal’s striker Mohamed Al Tahir was awarded the tournament’s top scorer trophy.

Only four teams participated in the friendly mini-tournament which was organized by Emirates’ Bani Yas FC to celebrate the opening of the club’s new stadium.

Meanwhile, Al Merriekh FC on Sunday drew one-nil with their Ethiopian hosts Saint George during the preliminary round of the African Champions’ league.

The team returned to Khartoum on Monday morning after being away from the country for about four weeks.

And in other football news, in Rwanda, Amal Atbara FC lost their African Union Confederation Cup game against Rwanda’s Atrako 2-0 on Sunday.

And finally in Khartoum, the teenage football team from the state of Equatoria won the first National Junior Football Championship after defeating Al Jazeera 2-1 in the finals on Saturday at the Inkhaz stadium.

With special credit and thanks to:

Charles Haskins
News Programming Advisor
Sudan Radio Service (SRS)
A project of Education Development Center
Safaricom: +254 715 05 2924
+254 722 20 8598
Thuraya: +882 1643 339 226
Office: +254 (20) 387 0906
Fax: +254 (20) 387 6520
Skype: ackamaracus
www.sudanradio.org

South Sudan SPLM's Pagan Amum and deputy arrested by Sudanese police

Several senior southern Sudanese politicians have been arrested during a rally held today in Khartoum, sparking widespread anger. Hundreds of opposition protesters gathered despite their rally being banned.

Within hours protesters in two towns in the south had set alight offices of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).

Yasir Arman, a senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), scuffled with police outside the National Assembly and was driven away to a police station, where other demonstrators gathered, a Reuters witness said.

The SPLM released a statement saying its Secretary General Pagan Amum and Sudan's state minister for interior Abbas Juma, an SPLM member, were also arrested.

The BBC's James Copnall, in Omdurman, Khartoum, Sudan says the argument over electoral laws and the crackdown on protesters show a deteriorating relationship between the NCP and its detractors.

After the arrests, south Sudan's president Salva Kiir contacted president Bashir, who promised to release all prisoners, said SPLM member Anne Itto. No one was immediately available for comment from the presidency.

Itto said the news sparked anger in the south, where attackers set fire to the NCP's headquarters in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state. She had no reports of injuries.

Secretary General of the SPLM, Pagan Amum said immediately after his release that the SPLM will continue to demonstrate until president Omar al Bashir starts fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South.

Pagan Amum first refused his release requesting for clarifications. After he went out from detention he spoke angrily about the beating of the Northern SPLM-leader Yassir Arman who had to be treated in the hospital. Pagan Amum said that Arman was okay after he received treatment.

Source: See reports here below from BBC, Reuters, Radio Dabanga, Sudan Tribune.



Photo: Sudanese opposition supporters demonstrate against the government's electoral laws in the capital Khartoum, December 7, 2009. Riot police arrested thee senior members of south Sudan's main political party and more than 100 supporters who demonstrated outside Sudan's parliament on Monday despite an official ban, witnesses and officials said. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin)

From BBC News at 13:48 GMT, Monday, 7 December 2009 - excerpt:
Sudan SPLM arrests spark southern unrest

Several senior southern Sudanese politicians have been arrested during a rally, sparking widespread anger.

Among those held in Khartoum was the secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum.

Within hours protesters in two towns in the south had set alight offices of President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP).

The SPLM joined a power-sharing government in 2005 to end 22 years of conflict between north and south Sudan.

But tensions have been rising between the SPLM and the NCP in recent months

'We want freedom'

Next year's vote will be the first presidential, parliamentary and local elections in 24 years.

Monday is the final day for voters to register for the election, and the government declared it a public holiday in an effort to encourage a good turnout.

But the SPLM and the NCP have failed to agree on changes to the election laws.

And about 20 opposition parties called for a gathering in front of the parliament building in the capital to demand electoral reform.

Hundreds of demonstrators turned out, watched by lines of armed police.

The AFP news agency reported that demonstrators marched through Khartoum and its neighbouring city Omdurman waving placards and chanting: "We want our freedom."

As the protest grew - with some reports estimating thousands of people had joined the rally - police fired tear gas and beat the protesters with batons.

Mr Amum was arrested along with his deputy Yasir Arman and other SPLM figures - with unconfirmed reports claiming dozens of protesters were also detained.

Following the arrests, protesters in the southern towns of Rumbek and Wau set fire to NPC offices.

Deteriorating relations

After the crackdown SPLM members accused the NCP of suppressing free speech.

But interior ministry officials said the protest was outlawed because the organisers had failed to apply for permission to hold the event.

The BBC's James Copnall, in Omdurman, says the argument over electoral laws and the crackdown on protesters show a deteriorating relationship between the NCP and its detractors. [...]

- - -

From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum, Sudan 8:29 a.m. ET Dec. 7, 2009 - excerpt:
Senior southern figures arrested as Sudan bans rally

(KHARTOUM) - Riot police arrested thee senior members of south Sudan's main political party and more than 100 supporters who demonstrated outside Sudan's parliament Monday despite an official ban, witnesses and officials said.

Yasir Arman, a senior member of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), scuffled with police outside the National Assembly and was driven away to a police station, where other demonstrators gathered, a Reuters witness said.

The SPLM released a statement saying its Secretary General Pagan Amum and Sudan's state minister for interior Abbas Juma, an SPLM member, were also arrested.

The SPLM is junior partner in the national coalition government formed by a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war between Sudan's north and south.

The SPLM and opposition parties had called the rally to demand democratic reforms ahead of next year's elections in a rare public challenge to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's dominant northern National Congress Party (NCP). Sudanese authorities announced Sunday that the rally was banned.

Police beat protesters and onlookers outside parliament with batons as Arman was driven away with other SPLM members chanting "freedom."

Hundreds more banner-waving supporters gathered in the area and other parts of Khartoum's Omdurman suburb after the arrests and were dispersed by police using tear gas through the morning.

"The situation is brutal. More than 100 SPLM members have been arrested and many more other protesters have been detained," SPLM spokeswoman Keji Roman told Reuters.

After the arrests, south Sudan's president Salva Kiir contacted president Bashir, who promised to release all prisoners, said SPLM member Anne Itto. No one was immediately available for comment from the presidency.

Itto said the news sparked anger in the south, where attackers set fire to the NCP's headquarters in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal state. She had no reports of injuries.

Senior NCP official Ibrahim Ghandour told Reuters the protest had not been banned by his party, but by Sudan's Interior Ministry which declared it illegal because organizers had failed to apply for permission to hold the event.

"The National Congress Party is not against democratic action including protests and rallies," he said. "We hope the people will be released immediately."

An official in the opposition Umma party had said Sunday the ban showed the NCP was not serious about letting dissenting voices take part in elections, scheduled for April 2010. [...]

- - -
From Radio Dabanga, December 7, 2009:
SPLM: ‘More demonstrations in Sudan to come’

KHARTOUM (07 Dec.) – The SPLM will continue to organize demonstrations against the ruling National Congress Party of President Omar al Bashir. Secretary General of the SPLM, Pagan Amum said immediately after his release that the SPLM will continue to demonstrate until president Omar al Bashir starts fully to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the North and the South. Pagan Amum first refused his release requesting for clarifications. After het went out from detention he spoke angrily about the beating of the Northern SPLM-leader Yassir Arman who had to be treated in the hospital. Pagan Amum said that Arman was okay after he received treatment. Asked whether Pagan Amum is going to negotiate with the government he answered angrily: ‘Which government? What do you mean with government? We have no negotiations at all. We continue to demonstrate until the NCP implements the CPA’. The NCP came into power after a military coup in 1989 while the country was ravaged by civil war.

In 2005 The NCP and SPLM signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) after almost twenty years of civil war. The agreement included sharing of wealth and power and the right of self determination for Southern Sudan to be decided in a referendum in 2012. The border issues between North and South (Abyei) is one of the most contagious disputes between the parties. The outcome of the census (population count) was highly disputed by the SPLM and also the current voter’s registration in Northern Sudan is under severe critics. The opposition is almost excluded from having any influence of the ‘electoral processes. Also the fifty percent share from oil revenues is not fully paid out to the South, according to the SPLM.

Further reading

See 100+ comments at Sudan Tribune's article published today:  Sudan arrests SPLM SG Pagan Amum and Yasir Arman

Sudan police detain opposition leaders over rally

AFP - ‎2 hours ago‎

KHARTOUM — Southern protesters torched offices of Sudan's ruling party after Khartoum police arrested three southern leaders and dozens of protesters on ...

Sudan SPLM arrests spark southern unrest BBC News

Sudan: Govt Arrests Leading Southern Politicians AllAfrica.com

Sudan Bans Opposition Rally, Warns Protesters New York Times

Sudan Tribune - Afrik.comall 92 news articles »

We do not know who killed Garang – Pagan

Al-Intibaha reports [South Sudan's] SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum’s statements in Cairo on the [John] Garang death have caused confusion among SPLM leaders because of the mystery that surrounded the death. “We do not know who killed Garang. We are still looking for the truth,” he said. Amum has questioned the findings of the committee set up to investigate the death. “The report presents questions rather than answers,” he added.

Source: UNMIS Media Monitoring 20 November 2008.