Sudan conflict spilling into oil-rich Abyei. South Sudan postpones its December 2024 election by two years

THE WORLD must not forget what is happening in South Sudan and Abyei, an oil-rich area on the border of South Sudan and Sudan. South Sudan postponed its first elections scheduled for December. Read more below.

Report from defenceWeb
Dated 07 November 2024 - full copy:

 Sudan conflict spilling into Abyei

UNISFA peacekeepers on humanitarian duty. Picture: United Nations.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) this week heard ongoing conflict in Sudan is “exacerbating instability” in Abyei, a 10 000 plus square kilometre contested area between Sudan and the world’s youngest country, South Sudan.

According to the world body, which has a peacekeeping mission on the ground in the oil-rich area, Abyei is claimed by both sides – RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and the Sudan Armed Force (SAF). The UN mission – UNISFA (UN Interim Security Force for Abyei) was first deployed in June 2011 and currently has 4 190 uniformed members and 3 743 civilians on its personnel strength.

Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa at the UN Department of Peace Operations, told ambassadors on the Security Council the Sudan war continues to have a profound impact on the security, economic and humanitarian situations in South Sudan and Sudan.

Since the power struggle between rival militaries in Sudan began last April, Abyei and its neighbours have grappled with disruptions in oil production and surging refugee arrivals. These setbacks left already stretched resources in South Sudan under greater strain, with thousands of refugees enduring shortages of clean water, food and healthcare services.

Pobee highlighted continued proliferation of arms and heightened tensions, as observed with the recent incursion of RSF combatants into Abyei’s Aman-Aquak and Mijak counties, with reports of looting.

“The movement of armed groups is compounding the fragile security situation in South Sudan and Abyei,  particularly in relation to the pre-existing tensions between the Twic Mayardit and Ngok Dinka communities across Warrap state and Abyei,” she said.

Also this week, the African Union (AU) by way of its special envoy on the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities, added its condemnation of the ongoing Sudan conflict.

A statement has Adama Dieng saying reports of “grave crimes” including mass killing, summary executions, sexual assault, abduction, torture and looting have emerged despite a telecommunication black-out. As special envoy he urges the leaders of the two main fighting forces General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Dagalo “Hemedti” to de-escalate the fighting and, among others, refrain from targeting civilians.

View original: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/african-news/sudan-conflict-spilling-into-abyei/

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Related reports

From Al Jazeera 

Dated 14 September 2024 - excerpt:

South Sudan postpones December election by two years

Government says it needs more time to complete a census, draft a permanent constitution and register political parties.

President Salva Kiir, who has led South Sudan since it became independent from Sudan in 2011, had promised to hold elections in 2024 

[File: Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo]

South Sudan’s government has announced it is postponing long-delayed general elections until December 2026, citing a lack of preparedness. This is the second time the country, which gained independence in 2011, is postponing elections and extending a transitional period that started in February 2020. 

Full story: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/14/south-sudan-postpones-december-election-by-two-years

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From What's In Blue 

Dated 06 November 2024 - excerpt:

South Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

An expected focus of tomorrow’s [07 November] meeting is the 13 September decision by the signatories to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) to extend the transitional period by 24 months. The decision postponed again the country’s first post-independence elections, which were scheduled for December 2024, until December 2026, and extended the transitional period until February 2027. The original transitional period outlined in the R-ARCSS was set to end in February 2023; it had been extended until February 2025 through a roadmap adopted in August 2022. (For background and more information, see the brief on South Sudan in our November 2024 Monthly Forecast.)

Full story: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2024/11/south-sudan-briefing-and-consultations-26.php

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From The Conversation 

By Steven C. Roach

Dated 08 November 2024 - excerpt:

Salva Kiir: South Sudan’s president fought for independence, but then fuelled division, violence and corruption

Salva Kiir Mayardit has served as South Sudan’s president since the country’s independence in 2011. South Sudan’s secession from Sudan came on the heels of a long and bloody civil war that resulted in a referendum on independence. The initial optimism about the new state faded within two years when Kiir fell out with his vice-president, Riek Machar. The resulting civil war displaced some four million people and killed an estimated 388,000 people. With the two warring sides unable to reach agreement, the government postponed elections indefinitely in 2015 amid continuing civil strife.

Full story: https://theconversation.com/salva-kiir-south-sudans-president-fought-for-independence-but-then-fuelled-division-violence-and-corruption-242747

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From The East African 

By Garang Malak

Dated 08 November 2024 - excerpt:

South Sudan holdouts agree to resume peace talks in Nairobi

President Ruto says parties to the South Sudan peace process have agreed to resume mediation

Kenya's President William Ruto makes remarks, during the swearing-in ceremony of his new Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on November 1, 2024. Kindiki is an academic turned politician who was thrust into the limelight when he defended his boss President William Ruto at the International Criminal Court. The 52-year-old millionaire served as interior minister for more than two years before taking over as deputy president on November 1, 2024 following the historic impeachment of his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua. (Photo by SIMON MAINA/Agence France-Presse (AFP)/AFP

South Sudan’s holdout groups, the non-signatories to the 2018 peace agreement, have agreed to resume peace talks in Nairobi after months of expressing security concerns and dissatisfaction with the process. This development follows Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Juba on Wednesday, where he held talks with President Salva Kiir, First Vice President Riek Machar and other key stakeholders in the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU).

Full story: https://www.zawya.com/en/economy/africa/south-sudan-holdouts-agree-to-resume-peace-talks-in-nairobi-a3ontus8

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IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions 2 weeks to meet

SEEMS the following demands made at today's (Saturday) IGAD meeting in Kampala, Uganda occurred after Sudan suspended its membership of IGAD:

"In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse". Read more.

From Observer Uganda

Written by VOA (Voice of America)

Dated Saturday, 20 January 2024 - here is a copy in full:

IGAD gives Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet

South Sudan President Salva Kiir at IGAD meeting

East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has given Sudan’s warring factions two weeks to meet face-to-face to de-escalate the situation.

The meeting, which also discussed the tension between Ethiopia and Somalia, made it clear that Somalia’s integrity must be respected. The IGAD meeting in Kampala described the conflict and political tension in the Horn of Africa and Sudan as a disturbing, senseless and devastating development.

Djibouti President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, also the IGAD chairperson, said the group’s heads of state met with a sense of urgency as the region grapples with challenging times. The conflict in Sudan broke out in April between the national army, led by Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces. Since then, 7 million people have been displaced and 12,000 have been killed.

Sudan suspended its participation in the Kampala IGAD summit, accusing the regional body of violating its sovereignty and setting a dangerous precedent.

In a communique, read by Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the heads of states, including Presidents William Ruto of Kenya and Salva Kiir of South Sudan, along with representatives of the European Union, African Union and the United Nations, outlined their demands to the warring factions.

According to the communique, the conflict must be resolved by the Sudanese without any external interference. The IGAD leaders condemned the ongoing conflict that has caused suffering, with people losing hope and the state about to collapse.

The Rapid Support Forces has specifically been accused of mass killings and use of rape as a weapon of war, especially in Darfur. Both parties have been accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, IGAD expressed concern about relations between Ethiopia and Somalia.

Early this month, Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, giving Ethiopia access to the sea. In return, Ethiopia would consider recognizing Somaliland as an independent country. IGAD reaffirmed that any such agreement should be with Somalia.

Mike Hammer, the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, said the US is particularly concerned that the agreement could disrupt the fight that Somalis, Africa and regional partners are waging against the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

"We have already seen troubling indications that al-Shabab is using the MOU to generate new recruits," he said. "We urge both sides to avoid precipitous actions including related to existing Ethiopian force deployment to Somalia that could create opportunities for al-Shabab to expand its reach within Somalia and into Ethiopia."

The African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat urged both Somalia and Ethiopia to engage without delay, saying the tension compounds an already difficult time for the region.

View original: https://observer.ug/news/headlines/80338-igad-gives-sudan-s-warring-factions-two-weeks-to-meet

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Sudan: UN Security Council Briefing & Consultations

From What's In Blue 
Dated Wednesday, 15 November 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Sudan: Briefing and Consultations

Tomorrow afternoon (16 November), the Security Council will convene for an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest 90-day report (S/2023/861), which was circulated to Council members on 10 November and covers developments from 21 August to 31 October. Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division Edem Wosornu is likely to brief Council members in the closed consultations. The UK, the penholder on Sudan, is expected to propose press elements in connection with OCHA’s briefing.

This is likely to be the Council’s last meeting on Sudan before the expiry of UNITAMS’ mandate on 3 December. Council members are currently negotiating a UK-authored draft resolution renewing the mission’s mandate.

In a 6 November letter addressed to the president of the Security Council, the Secretary-General announced his decision to initiate an independent strategic review of UNITAMS. The letter said that the strategic review seeks to provide the Council with recommendations to ensure that the UN is best positioned to support peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts in Sudan over the next 12 to 18 months. It further noted that the findings and recommendations of the strategic review will be shared with Council members in January 2024.

The decision to initiate the strategic review comes against the backdrop of devastating fighting that erupted on 15 April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), headed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan’s military leader and chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemeti). Despite several calls for a ceasefire from regional stakeholders and the broader international community, fighting has persisted over the past seven months, resulting in dire political, security, and humanitarian consequences.

During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s 10 November report, fighting continued in the cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, Bahri, as well as in Darfur and Kordofan states, and expanded to new areas, such as White Nile and Gezira states. In recent weeks, the fighting has intensified across several parts of the country, particularly in Darfur. According to the Secretary-General’s report, following heavy fighting on 26 October, the RSF gained full control over the SAF base in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. Moreover, following a 30 October RSF attack on the SAF base in Zalingei, Central Darfur state, the warring parties reached a settlement resulting in the withdrawal of SAF forces and the RSF gaining de facto control over Zalingei and its main roads.Nder

In a 14 November statement, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu expressed alarm about the renewed escalation of fighting in Nyala, Geneina, and Zalingei. The statement said that “[t]he latest reports from the Darfur region depict a deeply disturbing picture of continued systematic and indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including along ethnic lines”, adding that “the risks of genocide and related atrocity crimes in the region remain grimly high”. It further voiced concern about “serious allegations of mass killings in an area housing a camp for displaced families in Ardamata, Geneina, where more than 800 people were reportedly killed and 8,000 others fled to neighbouring Chad”.

The Secretary-General’s report notes that UNITAMS has continued to exercise its good offices in support of efforts to end the conflict and prepare for an eventual return to a political transition. During the reporting period, the mission carried out field-based and remote monitoring and reporting on human rights violations and abuses, while maintaining strategic engagement and advocacy with key stakeholders. The report further notes that UNITAMS continues to face several operational challenges, including communication disruptions, security conditions, and access limitations. The mission is currently operating inside Sudan, and also has temporary presences in Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

At tomorrow’s meeting, Pobee is expected to update members on developments regarding the ongoing regional and international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis. The Saudi-US facilitated talks between the Sudanese warring parties in Jeddah resumed on 26 October with the participation of a joint representative of the AU and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). (The talks, which began on 6 May, had been suspended following the SAF’s withdrawal on 31 May.)

On 7 November, the co-facilitators of the Jeddah talks announced that the Sudanese warring parties had committed to participating in a joint humanitarian forum led by OCHA to resolve impediments to humanitarian access and delivery of assistance. They further agreed to implement confidence-building measures relating to, among other matters, the establishment of communication channels between the warring parties and arrest of prison escapees and fugitives.

The first meeting of the humanitarian forum was convened on 13 November by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths and Deputy Special Representative for Sudan and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami. The meeting was attended by SAF and RSF representatives, along with the co-facilitators of the Jeddah talks. In his remarks at the meeting, Griffiths said that more than 10,000 people have reportedly been killed since the start of the conflict and that 25 million people in Sudan remain in need of aid. He emphasised the need for safe and unhindered humanitarian access and called on parties to the conflict to ensure protection of civilians in areas under their control. He added that he was “appalled by the horrific reports of extreme violence against civilians, including ethnic-based attacks and sexual violence”. At tomorrow’s meeting, some Council member may welcome the convening of the humanitarian forum and call on the warring parties to adhere to their obligations, while stressing the need for ensuring unfettered humanitarian access.

Amid the escalating violence in the country, on 13 November, al-Burhan visited Nairobi to meet Kenyan President William Ruto. According to a joint statement released following the meeting, the leaders agreed to work towards convening an urgent IGAD summit to find ways to accelerate the talks in Jeddah towards cessation of hostilities in Sudan. The statement added that the IGAD summit “will also agree on a framework for an all-inclusive Sudanese dialogue”. (Kenya is currently chairing the IGAD-led mediation process for Sudan, comprising Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan.) Tomorrow, some Council members may call for coordination of, and cooperation among, the different diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict.

Council members are likely to condemn the violence in Sudan and emphasise the need for a ceasefire. Some members may raise concerns about the high incidence of conflict-related sexual violence and are likely to continue stressing the need to ensure accountability and justice. According to the Secretary-General’s 10 November report, since the onset of conflict, the Joint Human Rights Office has received credible reports of 53 incidents of conflict-related sexual violence involving at least 106 victims, primarily in Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofan states.

Another important issue raised by the Secretary-General’s 10 November report concerns increasing incidents of violence against children in Sudan. During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s report, the UN country task force on monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children in armed conflict (CTFMR) verified 314 grave violations against 303 children. (The six grave violations are child recruitment and use; killing and maiming; abductions; rape and other forms of sexual violence; attacks on schools and hospitals; and the denial of humanitarian access.)

Several Council members are expected to express concern about the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, rising food insecurity, attacks against civilian infrastructure (including schools and hospitals), and the worsening health situation in the country. According to a 25 October OCHA press release, 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected states are not functional, while facilities in states not affected by the conflict have been overwhelmed by an influx of people displaced by the fighting.

According to data presented by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), approximately 4.63 million people have been displaced internally across Sudan’s 18 states since the conflict began. At the same time, more than 1.17 million people have sought refuge in Sudan’s neighbouring countries, including the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

At tomorrow’s meeting, the briefers and several Council members might call for enhanced funding from the international community to support the humanitarian response in Sudan. At the time of writing, Sudan’s 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, requiring $2.57 billion, was 33.4 percent funded.

View original: https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2023/11/sudan-briefings-and-consultations.php

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13 Nov 2023, Kenyan President William Ruto received Gen. Abdel-Fattah Al Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, in Nairobi.

Source: https://www.president.go.ke/joint-statement-at-the-conclusion-of-consultations-between-h-e-president-william-ruto-and-h-e-president-abdel-fattah-al-burhan/

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Ruto phoned Burhan and Deby - IGAD and Jeddah processes must work together for a ceasefire in Sudan

THIS tweet by Kenyan President Ruto @WilliamsRuto says: "The IGAD and Jeddah processes must work together to facilitate the realisation of a permanent ceasefire in Sudan. They must also push for the free movement of humanitarian assistance, the protection of refugees and the reactivation of the Political Process. Held a telephone call with the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan. In my capacity as chair of the IGAD Quartet of Heads of States on Sudan, I also spoke with the President of Chad General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno; our conversation centered around the speedy restoration of normalcy in Sudan and support for refugee-hosting countries."

The IGAD and Jeddah processes must work together to facilitate the realisation of a permanent ceasefire in Sudan. They must also push for the free movement of humanitarian assistance, the protection of refugees and the reactivation of the Political Process.

Held a telephone call…

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 16, 2023

The tweet is timestamped William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) 2:12 PM July 16, 2023 

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Sisi heads for Kenya to attend AU mid-year meeting

The 5th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of African Union Bureau of the Assembly will be held in Nairobi, Kenya tomorrow (Sun 16 Jul) in the presence of Egyptian President El-Sisi. Read more.

Report from SIS (Egypt State Information Service) https://www.sis.gov.eg/

Published Saturday 15 July 2023, 12:46 PM - here is a full copy (Update: added 4 photos and text)

Ambassador: Kenya appreciates Egypt's great efforts to solve pending issues in Africa, Sudanese crisis

Egyptian Ambassador in Nairobi Wael Nasreddin Attia said Kenya is appreciating greater efforts exerted by Egypt to solve pending issues in the African continent, with special focus on attempts to find a solution to the crisis in Sudan.

Attia told MENA on Saturday 15/07/2023 on the sidelines of the convocation of the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of African Union Bureau of the Assembly that Kenya is appreciating as well Cairo's calls to Sudan's neighboring countries to discuss ways of stopping bloodshed in Sudan and restore security and stability to the important Arab, African state.

The Summit will be held in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Sunday, in the presence of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

Attia further asserted the utmost keenness of the two states to tap new vistas of cooperation to attain a quantum leap in the level of bilateral ties.

The Egyptian diplomat pointed out to the friendly relations binding Cairo and Nairobi amid rapprochement of viewpoints and joint interests between the two countries and turmoil in regional and international arenas, which, he added require the coordination of all efforts and unity of the African ranks.

He also referred to contacts between President Sisi and the Kenyan president regarding a number of issues of mutual concern, topped by the situation in Sudan and Somalia.

The ambassador said Egypt is always coordinating with all countries concerned with the Sudanese crisis.

Egypt and Kenya enjoy distinguished relations and share interests, he said, adding both countries agree on the way to address climate issues, given Egypt played host to COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh in November. 

View original: https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/183684/Ambassador-Kenya-appreciates-Egypt's-great-efforts-to-solve-pending-issues-in-Africa%2c-Sudanese-crisis

Related reports

Sisi heads to Nairobi to attend AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting on Sunday

Ahram Online - Saturday 15 July 2023

El-Sisi will deliver a speech presenting Egypt's ambitious two-year roadmap as the current chair of the Steering Committee of the African Development Agency (NEPAD) …African leaders and heads of government will convene in the 5th MYCM under the AU's 2023 theme: “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation”

https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/504793.aspx

AU mid-year meeting in Nairobi to focus on continental integration and financing
Ahram Online - Wednesday 12 July 2023
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/504660.aspx

Sisi heads for Kenya to partake at AU’s 5th MYCM
Egypt SIS - Saturday 15 July 2023; 12:53 PM
https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/183685/Sisi-heads-for-Kenya-to-partake-at-AU%E2%80%99s-5th-MYCM

Egyptian and Eritrean presidents discuss ways to resolve Sudan crisis and end bloodshed
Egypt SIS - Thursday 13 July 2023; 10:22 PM
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi held a meeting with President of Eritrea Isaias Afwerki in Cairo on the sidelines of their participation at Sudan’s neighbouring countries summit on Thursday, discussing possible resolutions for the crisis and bloodshed in Sudan.
https://sis.gov.eg/Story/183666/Egyptian-and-Eritrean-presidents-discuss-ways-to-resolve-Sudan-crisis-and-end-bloodshed/

UPDATE Sat 15 Jul 2023 23:46 BST

President Sisi arrives in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday 15 July 2023

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi addressed a speech to President Ruto, President of Kenya, and the brotherly Kenyan people in the visitor’s record at the outset of his visit to Kenya to participate in the coordination meeting of the African Union and African regional economic groupings:

“I am pleased to extend my sincere appreciation and thanks to His Excellency President William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, for his kind hospitality and warm reception”.

I express my happiness to be in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, wishing my brother, His Excellency President Ruto and the brotherly people of Kenya, further prosperity and progress.”

Objectives of the African Coordination Summit

The African Coordination Meeting was launched in 2019 under the Egyptian chairmanship of the African Union. It was established as part of efforts toward the institutional reform of the Union, the division of labour and tasks between the African Union Commission and regional economic groupings, and the enhancement of the course of regional integration among the continent's countries, particularly with regard to economic integration, the most significant steps of which was launching the African Continental Free Trade Area under the AU’s Egyptian chairmanship in 2019.

President's visit program

President El-Sisi is set to deliver a speech, outlining Egypt's plan in its capacity as current chair of the Steering Committee of Heads of State and Government of the African Development Agency (NEPAD). In his capacity as current chairperson of the United Nations Climate Conference, the President will also address the Environment and Climate Change Session, showcasing Egypt's efforts to address the impacts of climate change on African countries.

President El-Sisi is expected to hold talks with his brother, President of Kenya, William Ruto, to explore mechanisms to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries, ways to address the concerns of the African continent, as well as developments in regional issues and dossiers of mutual interest. They will also discuss cooperation to strengthen the frameworks of joint African action in order to push forward the development process and promote integration in the continent.

PHOTOS Courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency

View original:

https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/183696/President-El-Sisi-visit-to-Kenya-to-participate-in-the-coordination-meeting-of-the-African-Union

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