Mia Bittar's Wow Women film - Women's Votes (Julie Flint) - EU US Observers: Standards of Sudan's election fall short

WARM THANKS to a Sudan Watch reader in Khartoum, Sudan for sending in this 3 minute visual poem that weaves together images of Sudanese women artists in Khartoum. Honouring positive and powerful ...

Wow Women by Mia Bittar

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Quote of the Day

"I particularly remember one young Nuer woman who told the men: “This war is your fault. We women are tired of giving birth to children only to see them slaughtered.” All the female delegates applauded her when she proposed a “revolution” of her own. “We will stop giving birth!” - Julie Flint, 16 April 2010 (see report below)

For the record, here is a copy of Julie Flint's great comment posted at Alex de Waal's blog, Making Sense of Sudan, in reply to his blog post 15 April 2010 Women's Votes.

Julie Flint:
April 16th, 2010

Alex, how interesting that women in the Darfur camps not only voted more than men, you say, but that they voted at all, with Abdul Wahid so strongly in favour of a boycott. Do you know what the voting pattern in the camps tells us about Abdul Wahid’s support there these days? Many people are saying that JEM stopped voters in areas under its control. Was there any coercion in the camps?

The interest of women in voting – and presumably in a negotiated rather than violent settlement of conflict – reflects the experience of the church-supported people-to-people peace process in southern Sudan, where the dynamism and determination of women was very apparent. They really gave the SPLA a bashing. I particularly remember one young Nuer woman who told the men: “This war is your fault. We women are tired of giving birth to children only to see them slaughtered.” All the female delegates applauded her when she proposed a “revolution” of her own. “We will stop giving birth!”

A good friend of mine, Awut Deng, walked 30 miles to mobilize women – despite being in the difficult early stages of pregnancy – because the New Sudan Council of Churches organising the process had no budget for mobilization. Everywhere she went women told her they wanted peace because their children were dying. As one delegate said, “In the past we fought over cows, but only fighters died. Now even children and women are killed.” I imagine the thinking of women in the Darfur camps is not so different.

Awut spoke anywhere and everywhere. She interrupted the work of courts to ask: “May I speak?” She spoke to students and teachers in schools. She invited herself to the naming of children. She used, she told me, “any little corner I could find.” She slept in the bush and in the street and went without food for days.

If your impression is correct – you don’t give any details – surely one conclusion must be that more effort must be put into supporting a peace constituency of youth, women and other members of civil society, to limit the margin of manoeuvre of the soldiers and politicians, especially given the late-in-the-day preference of so many of the latter for boycott – unsupported, as far as I can see, by any back-up plan. Viewed from Khartoum, is the plan as it seems to be from here – that there is no plan?

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Note from Sudan Watch Editor
If anyone reading this has emailed me and not received a reply, please forgive me. I have had health and computer problems while monitoring news on Sudan's elections and now must take a break.

Thanks to a reader of Sudan Watch for kindly sending in a report from www.riftvalley.net by Marc Gustafson that is "based on months of interviews with government officials and assessments of government documents about the creation of electoral districts. The report exposes some violations of Sudan's new laws and calls attention to some ways in which the elections might be manipulated."

Thumbs up to SRS, BBC, VOA, UN News Centre, UNAMID, UNMIS, RNW, Xinhua - Thumbs down to Sudan Tribune and Reuters' Opheera McDoom (and their followers blogging at Save Darfur & Enough)

In my view, the majority of journalists and bloggers reporting on Sudan's elections have acted jaw droppingly irresponsibly. The only reports from Reuters on Sudan that I trust are those by British journalist Andrew Heavens in Sudan. France based Sudan Tribune is a clearing house for rebel press releases and anti-government propaganda. So far, I have found that the most accurate news reports are from SRS (Sudan Radio Service), BBC News, UN News Centre, VOA and China's Xinhua News Agency, to name a few. Whenever Sudan watchers read a news report on Sudan, I hope they do a search at Google news to see what else is being reported and sleep on it before jumping to wrong conclusions and spreading dangerous propaganda and inaccurate news.

LATEST NEWS

AU chief hails peaceful Sudan polls
From Agence France-Presse (AFP) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 13:31:

(ADDIS ABABA) - African Union chief Jean Ping hailed Sudan on Saturday for "peacefully conducted" elections as Khartoum kicked off vote-counting after five days of balloting.

Ping "wishes to commend the people of the Sudan and Sudanese political parties for peacefully conducting the just-concluded multi-party general elections," the bloc said in a statement.

"These elections constitute a fundamental milestone towards realising (its) democratic transformation ... as espoused by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement," it added.

Khartoum and its southern half signed the deal which provided for both the elections and the referendum, ending a bitter decades-long civil war that left around two million dead and some four million displaced.

Ping noted that the polls "were faced by administrative and logistical problems", but he hailed the electoral board for its efforts to address the shortcomings.

The African nation's first multi-party election in over two decades took place from Sunday to Thursday when Sudanese voted to elect their president as well as legislative and local representatives.

Southerners also voted for the leader of the semi-autonomous government of south Sudan.

Results are expected around April 20.

Sudan elections 'failed' to meet international norms
From BBC News online - Saturday, 17 April 2010 15:47 UK - excerpt:

Two international organisations monitoring the elections in Sudan say the controversial polls failed to meet full international standards. The EU and the Carter Center, led by former US President Jimmy Carter, said there were significant failings, citing reports of intimidation and harassment. However, both concluded the polls were a significant step towards democracy.

"It is obvious that the elections will fall short of international standards that are expected of advanced democracies... The people's expectations have not been met," former US president Jimmy Carter told a news conference.

"Turnout is very high, 60%, but with significant deficiencies," said EU mission chief Veronique de Keyser at a news conference in Khartoum. "These elections did not reach international standards, not yet."

Neither of the observer groups called for a re-vote, but recommended instead that the lessons learned be applied to next year's key referendum on Southern Sudan's independence.

Observers: Sudan Election Failed to Meet International Standards
From The Voice of America (VOA) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 - excerpt:

The European Union monitoring mission in Sudan and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that the elections fall short of international standards because of widespread problems.

During the five-day vote, observers reported a series of problems, including intimidation, incomplete voter lists and a shortage of voting materials.

Opposition groups have also complained. Several parties partially or fully boycotted the vote, including southern Sudan's main party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. And some groups accused the ruling National Congress Party of planning to rig the results.

Final results are expected to be announced Tuesday.

Some Sudanese officials defended the election Saturday, saying it was unfair to expect Sudan to meet international standards. A member of the National Elections Commission said officials had done their best for a war-torn country with little electoral experience.

Standard of Sudan elections fall short
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 - 1:21pm

The elections held in Sudan earlier this week did not meet international standards.

Nevertheless, they were an important step in the democratisation process says Veronique de Keyser, head of the European Union observer mission in the east African country. People in South Sudan were able to vote for their own autonomous leader.

The three-day elections for the presidency, the parliament and local government were extended by two days because of logistical problems and delays. The turnout for the elections, the first in 20 years in which several parties could take part, was 60 percent. However, the legitimacy of the poll was brought into question when President Omar el-Bashir's two main rivals withdrew from the running.

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Saturday, 17 April 2010:

NEC Announces Election Re-run in 17 Constituencies
16 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The deputy chairman of the National Elections Commission, Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah, says there will be a repeat of the elections in 17 constituencies within sixty days due to errors in the distribution of ballot papers. Speaking to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday, Abdallah said that ballot boxes were misplaced in these constituencies. Full story

EU Observers Declare Elections Did Not Meet International Standards

17 April 2010 - ( Khartoum) – The European Union Elections Observation Mission to Sudan says that Sudan's elections did not meet international standards. The EU-EOM Chief Observer, Veronique de Keyser, addressed a press conference on Saturday in Khartoum.

[Veronique de Keyser]: “It is difficult to compare this elections with other elections, taking into account the particularities of the voting, the history of this country, the stakes and the future. But in terms of the methodology that have been applied by the European Union which is very strict I can only say that these elections have struggled to reach international standards. However, in the process, there were signs of a more democratic future. For instance, the withdrawal of a great part of the opposition in the north strongly reduced the competition in the moment of voting but not the interest during the electoral campaign. The observers have been the direct witnesses of the democratic space that was open to the parties.”

De Keyser said the ruling parties in both northern Sudan and southern Sudan dominated the elections.

[Veronique de Keyser]: “These elections have suffered from significant deficiencies but it has to be taken into account that the Sudan is immense and that these elections are the first in 24 years. In the north and the south these elections have been dominated by the parties in power. The serious incidents during the campaign have been sporadic, with reports of intimidation and harassment of some candidates.”

De Keyser said the EU-EOM will continue to observe the counting of ballots nationwide and will make its final recommendations after the announcement of the final results of the elections.

NCP Rejects EU Observer Statement
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The spokesperson for the National Congress Party reacted strongly to the EU observer statement, Fathi Sheela says that it’s too early to judge the elections in Sudan. Full story

Carter Center Critical of Elections Procedures
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The Carter Center says that Sudan’s elections have fallen short of international standards because of major flaws in the polling process all over the country. The former US President and founder of the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter, held a press conference in Khartoum on Saturday. Full story

No Security Problems in Darfur During Voting Says HEC
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The High Elections Committee in Darfur state says there were no security problems in the state during the counting of the ballots. The chairman of the High Elections Committee in Northern Darfur, Al-Sir Ahmed Al-Mek spoke to SRS on Saturday from Northern Darfur. Full story

Counting Delayed in Unity State As Pay Dispute Continues
17 April 2010 - (Bentiu) – Counting of votes in Unity state began on Friday with some delay due to complaints from elections officials about unpaid wages. Our reporter Clement Wani who is in Unity state sent us this report. Full story

SHEC Staff in Juba Refuse to Begin Count Until Salaries Arrive
16 April 2010 - (Juba) – Staff of State High Election Committee at Mayo Primary School polling centre in Juba have refused to count the ballots because their allowances have not been paid by NEC. The head of the polling station, Simon Saki, explained to SRS what happened: Full story

Failure to Pay Arrears Delays Count in Unity
16 April 2010 - (Bentiu) – An official from the State High Elections Committee in Unity state, Michael Mayar Mading, said that they have started counting the ballot papers. Speaking to SRS by telephone, Mayar Mading said party agents should remain calm until the winners are announced. Full story

Musician Attacked in Juba
16 April 2010 - (Juba) – A prominent southern Sudanese musician was the victim of an assassination attempt early on Friday morning. He was hit in the chest by a hand grenade thrown by an unknown assailant outside his house at Hai Jeberona in Juba. The grenade failed to detonate. Speaking to SRS in Juba, Kang John Jok, popularly known as Kang J.J., explains how the incident occurred. Full story

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Thursday, 15 April 2010:

Polling Stations Close at 6pm Thursday 15 April
15 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The National Elections Commission has signaled the end of the voting process. Voting officially ended on Thursday at 6pm. The deputy chairman of the NEC, Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah, made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday in Khartoum. Full story

Insecurity, Logistics and Water Shortages Prevent Voting in Yirol East
15 April 2010 - (Juba) – Many of the voters in Yirol East county were unable to cast their ballots due to insecurity in the area. Our reporter Mageng Wade is in Yirol East and he sent this report. Full story

WES Vote Counting Begins Friday Amidst Complaints By Unpaid Election Officials
15 April 2010 - (Yambio) – The Chairman of the High Elections Committee in Western Equatoria state, Lawrence Suluvia, says counting of votes from all polling stations will start on Friday. Suluvia spoke to SRS in Yambio on Wednesday. Full story

Foreigner Traders in Juba Urge Sudanese to Remain Calm When Results Are Announced
15 April 2010 - (Juba) – Foreign traders in Juba are urging Sudanese not to react violently when the election results are announced. SRS spoke to some foreigner traders in Juba on Wednesday. Full story

Al-Bashir Still To Face ICC Charges Even if Re-elected
15 April 2010 - (Nairobi) – President al-Bashir will still face charges at the International Criminal Court even if he is re-elected. An ICC lawyer, Abd Al-Hadi Shalouf, told SRS on Wednesday by phone from The Hague that al-Bashir will still have to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Full story

Sudan Elections: NEC announces start of polling - Ex U.S. President Carter congratulates NEC for excellent progress

Juba residents participate in a prayer service on the eve of the country's elections in Juba, Southern Sudan, Saturday, April 10, 2010. The people of Southern Sudan will cast ballots in a national election for the first time in more than two decades when a three-day election begins Sunday. Despite the first-in-a-generation vote, most people are already looking past the elections to a vote next January considered far more significant: a referendum on independence that could signal the birth of a new African nation, if final negotiations with Khartoum over oil rights and the location of the border are worked out peacefully. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)



A Sudanese Muslim boy prays in front of a mosque, near Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 10, 2010. The election posters and slogan-filled T-shirts blanketing this town underscore a new excitement in southern Sudan, which will cast ballots in a national election for the first time in more than two decades, when a three-day vote begins Sunday. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



A Sudanese National Election Commission (NEC) worker prays while her colleagues stand near polling boxes at a polling station in Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 10, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



A Sudanese child is seen during a demonstration to demand stability in Sudan outside the Sudanese embassy in central London, Saturday April 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)



A Sudanese protester holds a placard during a demonstration to demand stability in Sudan outside the Sudanese embassy in central London, Saturday April 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

NEC Announces Beginning of Polling Period
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Saturday, 10 April 2010:

10 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The National Election Commission has announced that polling will start officially on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference at the Friendship Palace in Khartoum on Saturday, NEC chairman Abel Alier officially announced the start of polling.

[Abel Alier]: “For the last fifty-six days of the electoral process, we were watching and you were watching political parties and candidates campaigning for these various offices, and that campaign ended yesterday. And today, there is a break tomorrow, we will start the last part of the elections process that is polling and the polling will take three days: 11, 12 and 13 April.”

Alier urged registered voters to go to the polling centers and cast their votes.

[Abel Alier]: “I would like to seize this opportunity to call upon the voter and through you the media, to convey this message. I ask the voter on behalf of the Commission to come out to vote. Just as the voter made every effort during the registration process where voters succeeded in attaining the highest registration rate in the history of the country and in many parts of the world, we are calling upon the voter to make every effort to come to cast his or her vote. And we call upon the citizens of this country to help encourage the voters to go to vote in the coming three days.”

He said the NEC wants to ensure that the results of the electoral process are free and fair.

[Abel Alier]: “We are committed to free and fair polling, we want to ensure that what we are doing will make it evident both to the voter, the ordinary citizen and to the world at large that this process of polling is going to be transparent as part of our commitment to free and fair elections and we want you, the media, to be with us in this. At this juncture, I would also like to mention my appreciation for the role played by the international community in assisting us in the process from May last year up to this moment, particularly the United Nations bodies.”

Alier said that more than 16 million people are expected to cast their vote during the polling period.

Former US President Jimmy Carter Congratulates NEC for Excellent Progress
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Saturday, 10 April 2010:

10 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The former US President and the founder of the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter, says he is satisfied with the work of the National Elections Commission.

Carter made this statement to the press following his meeting with the NEC in Khartoum on Friday.

[Jimmy Carter]: “The representatives of the Carter Center have met with the NEC, and we had some questions to ask them and they answered all our questions satisfactorily, and they assured us that they are making excellent progress in the delivery of the elections material for the elections and we see no reason for any concern except in a few isolated stations way out where voter materials will be a little bit late, but they have three days at least to reach the voters. So we are satisfied with the decision made by the NEC. We are here to observe the process and we will make a report at the end.”

Last Tuesday, the SPLM’s secretary-general, Pagan Amum, had claimed that Carter Center staff had been expelled from nine states in northern Sudan and that Carter himself had threatened not to come to Sudan.

Carter said he was unaware of reports indicating that any of the center’s staff had been expelled from states in northern Sudan.

[Jimmy Carter]: “From northern Sudan? I don’t know of that. My son is going to Northern State, he is on his way there and I haven’t heard any reports about that. We had about twenty of our team this morning that left so they are on the way to be dispersed now.”

Regarding the electoral process in Darfur, Carter said his center would only comment on the election process after the elections had taken place.

[Jimmy Carter]: “We don’t have anything to report on the running of elections because they haven’t begun and we won’t make any assessment of the elections process until we make a panel decision and then we will have our press conference on the 17 April and that will be our first comment on the conduct of the elections.”

Former US President Jimmy Carter was talking to the press in Khartoum on Friday.

Alcohol Ban in Malakal As Some Traders Go On Holiday During Voting Period
SRS - Saturday, 10 April 2010 - (Malakal) - The governor of Upper Nile state, Dr. William Othon Awer has stressed that his government has taken measures to ensure good security and stability during the polling days in the state. Addressing people during a graduation of prison warders in Malakal on Friday, Awer denied rumors that some residents are leaving Malakal, for fear of insecurity. Awer has ordered bars and other places where alcoholic drinks are made or served to shut down until the end of polling. Our producer Hussein Halfawi in Malakal spoke to some traders in the area. Full story.

Yambio Residents Call on All Sudanese to Vote for Their Future
SRS - Saturday, 10 April 2010 - (Yambio) - As voting begins on Sunday 11 April all over Sudan, residents of Western Equatoria state expressed their readiness to vote in what for many will be the first democratic exercise of their lives. Southern Sudanese voters will be expected to complete twelve ballot papers in the voting period that will extend until 13 April. SRS took to the streets on Friday to find out how prepared residents are in Yambio and what these elections mean to them. Full story.

HEC Chair Warns Against Party T-Shirts and Violent Behaviour At Polling Stations
SRS - Saturday, 10 April 2010 - (Bentiu) - The chairman of the High Election Committee in Unity State is urging all candidates and their supporters not to turn up at the polling stations with their logos. Michael Mayor Chol was speaking during a press conference in Unity state on Friday. Chol also described the complaints procedure that will be put in place during the voting period. Unity state has more than 600 polling stations. Full story.

Some Foreigners Leave, Some Stay Behind on Eve of Elections
SRS - Saturday, 10 April 2010 - (Yambio) - Despite the fact that some foreigners have left southern Sudan because they anticipate election violence, some Ugandans, Somalis and Kenyans businessmen in Yambio say they will remain in southern Sudan throughout the elections. They expressed hope that the elections will be peaceful and that their businesses will continue doing well even after the elections. Here is David from Uganda. Full story.

Arman Withdrawal Causes Confusion Among SPLM Supporters in Khartoum
SRS - Saturday, 10 April 2010 (Khartoum) - The decision by the SPLM to withdraw its presidential candidate Yasir Arman from the presidential race has caused confusion among some young people in Khartoum. SRS spoke to a number of displaced youths from southern Sudan in Khartoum on Friday. Here, two young women explain how they feel about the SPLM decision to withdraw the Yasir Arman from the presidential race. Full story.

Don't rubbish Sudan elections - Former U.S. President Carter will be among the official observers

Don't rubbish Sudan elections
From Cif Guardian.co.uk
By Simon Tisdall, Friday 9 April 2010:

The elections won't be perfect, but the chorus of condemnation from those pursuing a Darfur-focused agenda misses the point



A Sudanese man kisses a picture of President Omar al-Bashir at a protest against the arrest warrant issued against him last year. Photograph: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty

Not a single vote has yet been cast in Sudan's elections but already international pressure groups and domestic opponents of the current government are queuing up to rubbish the process. This chorus of condemnation seems a little premature. It also misses the point. While it's likely the polls will be flawed in important respects, in a fundamental sense, that does not matter. For the major players inside and outside Sudan, the elections, beginning on Sunday, are merely a staging post on a much longer journey.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, is among the most outspoken critics. He said sending EU and African Union observers to monitor the vote was a waste of time. "It's like monitoring a Hitler election," he said. Moreno-Ocampo urged western countries to concentrate instead on arresting Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, charged by the ICC with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Moreno-Ocampo has a particular axe to grind. Like the Waging Peace and the Save Darfur Coalition pressure groups, broader issues of democratic governance and implementation of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended Sudan's ruinous north-south civil war take second place, in his view, to the importance of avenging Darfur and arraigning Bashir in The Hague.

"It is clear to all observers that these much heralded 'multi-party elections' have never been more than an attempt by [Bashir] to legitimise his position in the eyes of the international community," said Sophie McCann of Waging Peace. The process was "unsalvageable". For its part, Save Darfur seized on the partial poll boycott by some opposition parties to urge the US, Britain and others to disown the whole business and condemn Bashir's "dictatorial rule".

Mixed motives also lie behind the decision of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main southern political party, to boycott polling in Darfur and the north. The SPLM and other opposition groups have voiced concerns about the accuracy of the 2008 census on which voting is based, the ruling National Congress party's (NCP) monopoly of state resources, and alleged bias of the national elections commission.

These worries are shared by independent organisations such as the Carter Centre (former US president Jimmy Carter is due in Sudan with 60 observers) and the International Crisis Group, which says many displaced Darfuris will be denied a vote. Human Rights Watch accuses both the government and the SPLM of intimidating political rivals, although the picture is mixed. Overall, media controls have been relaxed and some opposition leaders have been give airtime.

Yet Sudan experts say it's clear that the SPLM's main concern is not the elections at all, but rather avoiding any delay to January's CPA-directed referendum on southern independence (which is widely expected to result in Sudan's partition). Thus its decision not to contest the presidential or parliamentary votes in northern areas suits Bashir's NCP very well, despite protestations to the contrary. The unspoken deal is plain enough: Bashir the bogeyman gets re-elected and relegitimised, while the south (comprising 25% of the population) and its US-backed president, Salva Kiir, gets independence (and 50% of Sudan's oil wealth).

Political opportunism and pragmatism have combined neatly. "The SPLM decided to pull out simply because they know they are not going to win the presidency," said NCP official Omar Rahma in an al-Jazeera interview. Nor does the SPLM seem troubled by the fact that its unilateral decision to mount a partial boycott threw other opposition parties, with which it was supposedly co-ordinating, into confusion. That the SPLM boycott worries western pressure groups is a measure of their naivety.

The Obama administration and Britain cannot be accused of such credulousness. What they most want from these elections is already clear – and it is not a democratic showcase or Bashir's arrest. They want north-south deals on border demarcation and oil-revenue sharing, settlements in trouble spots such as Abyei and South Kordofan, and a successful independence referendum as envisaged by the CPA. The US, in particular, sees a future southern Sudanese republic as an important ally.

The western powers see in this outcome the prospect of a final, lasting peace in Darfur, wider regional stability encompassing Chad, and ultimately, Khartoum's rehabilitation. A recent joint statement by the foreign secretary David Miliband and the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton set priorities: "Irrespective of the outcome of elections, it is essential that work continues and is accelerated to meet remaining CPA deadlines."

Predictions that Sudan's elections will produce an Afghanistan-style fiasco of rigging and recrimination misunderstand the position. All the main actors want a success, and that is what they will most probably deem the polls to be, with the usual caveats and reservations, almost whatever the outcome. This conformity of purpose elicited a remarkable boast from Bashir, speaking in Sinar on the Blue Nile last week: "Even America is becoming an NCP member. No one is against our will."

Simon Tisdall (pictured above) is an assistant editor of the Guardian and a foreign affairs columnist. He was previously a foreign leader writer for the paper and has also served as its foreign editor and its US editor, based in Washington DC. He was the Observer's foreign editor from 1996-98

Further reading



Former US President Jimmy Carter speaks to reporters as he arrives at Khartoum International Airport, ahead of the country's national elections on April 11. "We are hoping and praying that it will be a fair and honest election for those are participating," Carter said. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly Thu Apr 8, 2010)



Former US President Jimmy Carter, left, leaves after speaking to the media following his arrival in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. The Carter Center said Thursday that former President Jimmy Carter will be among the official observers when Sudan conducts national elections next week. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



A Sudanese man reads a newspaper under posters of presidential candidates in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



A campaign poster for Sudan People's Liberation Movement's southern presidential candidate Salva Kiir hangs from a tree in a remote village in Dongoi in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Sudanese election officials receive training during a mock voting session ahead of Sunday's general election, in the village of Mvolo in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) prepare polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) carry polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldi)



A Sudanese worker from the National Elections Commission (NEC) checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010 (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



Sonia, a French adviser for the Sudanese National Elections Commission (NEC), checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



A Sudanese worker loads election material including ballot papers and voting booths into a waiting helicopter of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID to be transported to the voting center of the north Darfur town of Mellit, in the airport of el Fasher, Darfur, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. Preparations continue for the upcoming multiparty general elections in Sudan starting on April 13. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A Sudanese refugee boy walks past a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) vehicle near a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper stands guard near a polling station, in background, at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese refugee boys stand by a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper guarding a nearby polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeepers patrol the area surrounding a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese police patrol in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



European Union chief elections observer Veronique De Keyser speaks to journalists at Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



European Union election observers leave El Fasher airport in North Darfur, led by EU chief observer Veronique De Keyser (centre), April 7, 2010. The European Union on Wednesday withdrew its election observers from Sudan's Darfur region, saying safety fears were hindering their work. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A European Union election observer boards a plane at El Fasher airport in North Darfur April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A Sudanese woman crosses the street infront of a vehicle with electoral posters on the hood at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A disabled woman on a tricycle rides past campaign posters for the upcoming April 11 presidential and legislative elections in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



A Sudanese woman uses her mobile while passing by electoral posters at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Confused Signals From SPLM Over Northern Boycott - Or Is It Withdrawal?
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – SPLM chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit says his party has withdrawn its candidate for the presidency, Yasir Arman, but has not called for a general boycott of the elections in the north, as announced on Wednesday by the SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum.

SSHEC Satisfied With Progress of Elections Run-Up
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Merowe) – President Omar al-Bashir has reiterated that there will be free and fair elections throughout the country. Addressing the public during the official opening of a hydro-electric plant at Merowe Dam on Thursday, President al-Bashir said elections which will begin on Sunday will be free of any irregularities. President al-Bashir was speaking at Merowe Dam, at the end of his presidential campaign.

Al-Bashir Says Elections Shall Be Fair Because It Is God's Will
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – The South Sudan High Elections Committee has described the campaign period for the April elections as ‘peaceful and without irregularities’. Jersa Kide Barsaba told SRS that the Committee has only received one official complaint which it could not verify.



Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to the press after meeting officials of the national election commission at their headquarters in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Sudan's first multi-party elections in 24 years are on track to start on Sunday, with Khartoum dismissing a U.S. suggestion that it would consider supporting a brief delay to ensure greater stability. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:11 PM ET)



International observers from the U.S.-based Carter Center prepare to leave for Sudan's Northern states to monitor voting, in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:38 PM ET)

Sudan's NEC chairman begins 4-day tour to North and South Kordofan and the three States of Darfur

Abil Alier to Leave for Kordofan and Darfur States
From Sudanese Online (SUNA), Monday, 05 April 2010:

Khartoum, April 4 (SUNA) - Chairman of the National Elections Commission, Abil Alier, Monday is due to begin Monday a four-day tour to North and South Kordofan and the three States of Darfur to get informed on the latest arrangements for the coming stages of voting, vote counting and declaration of the results in the election process.

Alier will be accompanied during the tour by the member of the commission, Dr. Mukhtar Al-Assam and the two national experts, Mohamed Al-Fadil and Al-Sir Ahmed Babiker

An official source at the National Elections Commission said that Deputy Chairman of the commission, Prof. Abdalla Ahmed Abdalla, accompanied by the national expert Bushra Ahmed Al-Sheikh, are due to leave for Nahral-Neil and the Northern States on April 8 to be informed on the ongoing preparations for holding the election process

The source indicated that member of the National Elections Commission, Dr. Mahasin Hajal-Safi, and the national expert, Osman Haj Al-Zaki, would leave on April 6 for the States of Great Bahral-Ghazal, Buhairat and Warap to inspect the preparations for the coming voting stage.

He said that member of the commission, Gen. (police) Abdalla Al-Hardallo, and the national expert, Khalil Hassan Khalil, will leave on April 6 for Wohda and Jongli States, while member of the commission Flister Baya and the national expert Baha-Eddin Al-Sayed will leave for Western and Eastern Equatoria States to be informed on the arrangement for the coming stage of the election process.

South Sudan: W. Equatoria Governor reaches out to the citizens of Greater Mundri to register

November 23, 2009 (MUNDRI) – “Efforts by the Governor of Western Equatoria State to sensitize eligible voters have extended to Greater Mundri region,” a press release from the Governor’s office has said.

Full story: Sudan Tribune by Richard Ruati Tuesday 24 November 2009
W. Equatoria Governor reaches out to the citizens of Greater Mundri to register

South Sudan: At least 8 people killed in clashes between rival ethnic groups near Malakal, Upper Nile State

The BBC's Peter Martell, in Juba, says although the clashes are not believed to be connected to the election process, they do indicate the enormous logistical and security challenges the authorities face.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Juba on Thursday,  chairman of the southern Sudan high electoral committee, Caesar Arkangelo said increased cases of insecurity prompted the Chairman of the National Election Commission, Abel Alier to tour southern Sudan. 

From BBC News Monday, 02 November 2009 UK 19:19 GMT - excerpt:
Fresh violence hits south Sudan

Deadly clashes have broken out in southern Sudan, as officials begin a month-long registration of voters for the first full election in 24 years.

The semi-autonomous south's information minister Paul Mayom said at least eight people were killed in the violence.

He offered no further detail, but a BBC correspondent says the violence is not believed to be linked to the vote.

The latest violence reportedly broke out between rival ethnic groups in the early hours of Sunday in a village near Malakal town, about 300 miles (480km) north of regional capital Juba.

The BBC's Peter Martell, in Juba, says although the clashes are not believed to be connected to the election process, they do indicate the enormous logistical and security challenges the authorities face.

- - -

From Sudan Radio Service, 29 October 2009:
Electoral body concerned about insecurity

(Juba) - The chairman of the southern Sudan high electoral committee, Caesar Arkangelo says insecurity in most parts of southern Sudan remains a major challenge for voter registration exercise.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Juba on Thursday, Caesar said increased cases of insecurity prompted the Chairman of the National Election Commission, Abel Alier to tour southern Sudan.

[Cesar Arkangelo]: “His Excellency Abel Alier came with a delegation of two, one commissioner and one secretary general for national election commission. They were concerned about an incident that took place on 22nd of this month when the registration equipments for training were being transported to our states by trucks and at Gudele there was scalpel between the security people where one woman was killed and two soldiers were wounded over an internal thing. So as the chairperson for the election commission in the Sudan he was highly concerned because the most important part of election is registration and the equipment for registration will be taken to all the states that is Jonglei, Eastern, Western Equatoria and of late Warrap and Western Bahr el–Ghazal states were being interrupted. So it becomes a concern to him and he came to check with all of us including Goss for security arrangement. ”

The voter registration exercise will begin officially on 1 November and ends on 30th.

Click on Malakal - and other labels - here below to view related reports.

Peace march against LRA in South Sudan

From Sudan Radio Service Friday 23 October 2009:
Peace March in Tombura County

(Tombura) - Tombura county has organized a one day multi-denominational march in the county in a bid to call for peace and stability in Western Equatoria state following attacks from the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Tombura, the county commissioner, Pauda Baabe Renzi, explains the aim of the march.

[Pauda Baabe Renzi]: “We have inter-Church prayers today, we started walking from the county headquarters and now we are going to the grave of the king of Tombura where people will pray for peace and also to drive out the evils which the LRA are doing, in particular in Western Equatoria, in Yambio, Ezo and Tombura. This is the aim of our prayer march.”

More than three thousand people from Ezo and Nagero county are participating in Friday’s march in order to pray for peace and stability for the local community.

Sudan's Salah Gosh says "SPLA knows very well where Kony is"

Report by Sudan Tribune, Monday 28 September 2009:
Sudan says Uganda LRA leader not in Darfur

(KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government denied claims by the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) that the leader of Uganda Lord Resistance Army (LRA) Joseph Kony relocated to the western region of Darfur.

This week the SPLA spokesperson Kuol Deim Kuol said that Kony sneaked into Darfur coming from the Central African Republic (CAR) after the strikes made by Ugandan helicopters to his forces.

Kuol suggested that Kony is seeking protection from the Sudanese army and may be used to fight the Darfur rebels.

Salah Gosh, the adviser to the Sudanese president and former director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) said that the SPLA claim is untrue.

He said that the SPLA is resorting to “fabrications” and “political maneuvers” to “distort the image of the Sudanese army”.

“The SPLA knows very well where Kony is,” Gosh said.

Since the 90’s Khartoum reportedly armed, trained and gave military intelligence to the LRA to help it take on the Ugandan government and fight a proxy war against the SPLA.

Kony, in a video-taped meeting in 2005, described it as a mutually beneficial arrangement where “we helped the Arabs to fight their war in the south while they helped us to fight [Ugandan president] Musievini’s government”.

The LRA leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a number of his commanders for crimes allegedly committed against civilians in North Uganda.

From September to March this year, the Ugandan and Congolese armies, with support from southern Sudan, carried out a massive offensive that failed to either capture Kony or neutralize his group.

Since then, peace talks have ground to a halt and LRA fighters have stepped up their attacks on civilians, in particular in eastern Central African Republic.

South Sudan: Kony's LRA heading towards Raja county from Western Equatoria on their way to Darfur?

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Friday, 25 September 2009:
LRA Reported in Western Bahr el-Ghazal

(Wau) – The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army is reported to be moving towards Raja county in Western Bahr el-Ghazal state.

The state governor, Mark Nyipouch, said on Thursday that the county had received information indicating that a group of LRA is heading towards Raja county from Western Equatoria on their way to Darfur.

He added that he would like to inform people in Wau to be alert and to cooperate with SPLA forces who are patrolling the areas to safeguard the lives of the civilians.

[Mark Nyipuoch]: “This is my message to all of you. As you know, the LRA are heading towards Raja county I would like to order our SPLA forces who are here to be vigilant and find out where they are and try to stop the rebels from doing what they did in the DRC and elsewhere. This is my command to our SPLA proper who are around here and in Raja county in order to open their eyes properly and protect our people there. I know that the JIUs are here in town to protect our civilians in town and also in Raja county but we need to be ready.”

About 20 civilians, who were traveling from Wau county to Raja county, reported on Thursday that their property was looted by unidentified armed men.

Last July, the wildlife department based in Raja county reported that two of their soldiers were killed and one sergeant was injured in an ambush as they were patrolling in Mangayat, 160 miles east of Wau.

Click on Western Equatoria label here below for related reports.

South Sudan: 13th Aug LRA attack in Bereamburu, Western Equatoria

From UN News Centre, Friday, 21 August 2009:
Ugandan rebels drive thousands from their homes in southern Sudan

Fresh attacks carried out by a notorious Ugandan rebel group have uprooted thousands of people and spreading panic in southern Sudan, forcing the United Nations to suspend its humanitarian work in the area, the world body's refugee arm said today.

The 12 August attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in Ezo district, in the remote Western Equatoria region near Sudan's border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reportedly killed two people and injured three others.

The rebels also abducted 10 girls from a local church, and they pillaged and torched homes, stealing food.

The following day, the LRA struck again in Bereamburu village, burning down the local church and health centre, as well as looting medical supplies.

“On 13 August, as a result of the intensifying LRA attacks, the UN was forced to suspend all humanitarian activities in the area, and 29 humanitarian workers, including seven UNHCR staff, were evacuated by helicopter,”Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters today in Geneva.

The recent LRA attacks have triggered widespread panic and fear in the area bordering the DRC and the Central African Republic (CAR), he said. Most of those on the run have already been uprooted by earlier LRA incursions.

“UNCHR condemns the continued LRA attacks on the civilian population and is deeply concerned about the fate of the large number of refugees and IDPs caught in the latest attacks in several villages along the borders of the three countries,” Mr. Mahecic said.

Thousands of refugees from the DRC and the CAR, along with internally displaced Sudanese persons (IDPs) are now without protection or assistance, he added.

Since October 2008, the LRA, which is said to be behind many attacks and atrocities, has “extended its deadly reach into the DRC, Sudan and the CAR, terrorizing the civilian population and causing chaos and mayhem,” the spokesperson said.

Some 360,000 Congolese people have been forced to flee in successive LRA attacks in northeast DRC, while some 20,000 others have fled to Sudan and CAR, according to UN estimates.

In a related development, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it plans to boost its food assistance to southern Sudan this year by 25 per cent due to the surge in the number of people facing severe food shortages to 1.3 million.

Driving the deteriorating food situation are conflict, poor rainfall and high food prices, the agency said.

“We need to act now to assist the increasing number of people facing serious hunger in southern Sudan,” said WFP Sudan Representative Kenro Oshidari.

The agency's move was prompted by the results of the recently-completed mid-year assessment of the region's needs carried out by the Government of Southern Sudan and with the support of WFP and other UN bodies.

Half of WFP's assistance will go to Akobo, an area in Jonglei state that has been hit hard by inter-tribal clashes which have killed hundreds and uprooted thousands of others. Nearly half of the people in Akobo are said to be food insecure, according to the review.

The agency has been airlifting food into Akobo since a mid-June attack on boats ferrying its aid down the Soba River.

Click on labels here below for related reports and updates.

South Sudan: Gunmen kill newly appointed NCP chairperson in Yambio, Western Equatoria (Update 3)

Report from S. Sudan by Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 17 August 2009:
NCP Chairperson Killed in Western Equatoria

(Juba) – The newly-appointed chairperson of the National Congress Party in Western Equatoria state has been killed by unknown gunmen.

N-C-P chairperson Mariam Biringi was shot dead on Friday at her house in Yambio.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Juba, the NCP member and Minister of Health in the Government of Western Equatoria state, Paulino Zizi, confirmed the incident.

[Paulino Zizi]: “What happened was that unknown gunmen broke into the house of Miriam at midnight. And then they raided 3 or 4 apartments which are in her home. They started knocking on the doors one by one. The first door, an elderly man was in, he got out. He was told to lie down and then they knocked at the other door but no one opened the door. So, they shot at the door to open it. They wounded a boy and he was also told to lie down. When she [Mariam] heard the sound of the gunshot, she went outside. They told her that she should lie down. They first asked whether she was the owner of the house. She said yes. Then they told her to lie down and then they asked her for money which she told them she didn’t have. And then they dragged her to the road, shot her in the back and went away.”

Sudan Radio Service also spoke to the chairperson of NCP, Agnes Lukud, in Juba and she was unable to say whether the killing was politically motivated.

[Agnes Lukud]: “People have different opinions, some say that it is the SPLM but we have not got any accurate information. Because we think that we are partners and we are not sure exactly who has done this but the people of Western Equatoria of the National Congress Party are saying that they will not be able to guess who did it except if the boy will tell us from the way the people were talking, from the Arabic, they will know from their tribal background who the people are. But they thought that these people were soldiers of the government.”

The deputy chairperson of the United South Sudan Party, Brian Bandy, strongly condemned the murder.

[Brian Bandy]: “We are shocked about this incident, really totally shocked and it shouldn’t have happened. Whoever the perpetrators are, the so-called gunmen, what they have done is undemocratic, what they have done is very, very wrong. You don’t go around assassinating political rivals, what you do is put your case forward to the electorate and the people will choose which party they want to form a government to run the country but it is very, very wrong to assassinate this lady. Where were the police?

Mariam Biringi was appointed chairperson of National Congress party in the same week that she was assassinated.

Her burial will take place on Monday in Nyokuron cemetery in Juba.

1. News results for Mariam Biringi

   Political assassination in Yambio‎ - 1 day ago By Justin Ambago Ramba August 15, 2009 — Yambio woke up on Saturday 15/08/2009 to the shocking news of the brutal death of Mrs. Mariam Biringi the ... Sudan Tribune - 3 related articles »

2. SouthSudanNation

   AUG 16/2009, SSN; Yambio woke up on Saturday 15/08/2009 to the shocking news of the brutal death of Mrs. Mariam Biringi the Chairperson of the Women's Desk ...
   www.southsudannation.com/ political%20assasstion%20yambio%20ambagoramba.htm -Cached - Similar - 

3. Letters

   Mrs. Biringi killed allegedly by SPLM/A The death of Mariam Biringi in Yambio was planned and the local police were silent although they got report prior to ...
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4. Sudan Vision Daily News Paper Official Website - Political ...

   Yambio woke up on Saturday 15/08/2009 to the shocking news of the brutal death of Mrs.Mariam Biringi the Chairperson of the Women's Desk in the National ...
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5. Famine, Tribal war, Political assassinations and corruption in the ...

   7 posts - 3 authors

   Mariam Biringi was not a criminal, nor was she an enemy to any body. ... May those who orphaned Mariam Biringi's children never ever live to see the light ...
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6. SudanTribune article : Gunmen kill female leading NCP member in ...

   16 Aug 2009 ... Mariam Biringi, from the Moru tribe, was killed when the armed men raided her house and asked the victim to give them a certain amount of ...
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7. SudanTribune : Opinions...

   By Justin Ambago Ramba August 15, 2009 — Yambio woke up on Saturday 15/08/2009 to the shocking news of the brutal death of Mrs. Mariam Biringi the ...
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8. Images - Gunmen kill female leading NCP member in Wester...

   ... Desk of National Congress Party (NCP), in Yambio, the capital of western Equatoria State yesterday evening. Mariam Biringi, from the Moru tribe, was kil. ..
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9. yambio News at allvoices.com

   Mariam Biringi, from the Moru tribe, was killed when the armed men raided her house and asked the... Tags: Yambio. This beta report credibility rating is ...
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Note David Blair's recent report (Monday, August 10, 2009) from Witto, Western Equatoria, southern Sudan: LRA targets children of Sudan
- - -

Update on Friday, 21 August 2009:

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 20 August 2009:
Bati on Security in Yambio

(Yambio) – The Minister for Local Government in WES, Samuel Bati, says that Yambio is a very unsafe area due to frequent LRA attacks. He spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Thursday.

[Samuel Bati]: “On the very night Biringi was killed, there were rumors that the LRA were coming towards Yambio, and most of the attention of the security forces were diverted towards that side. In fact it took people by surprise, but the security forces are doing their best to protect the people.”

Samuel Bati said that security is provided to senior officials in the state but not to everybody.

[Samuel Bati]:” We do not provide security to everybody but we do provide protection for all constitutional post holders, they have personal security guards from the police and other organized forces, but if requested, we are able to provide protection. And as you know, we can give security to everybody, even the population here and even the government officials. We have organized forces who conduct patrols within the town and we have forces deployed to defend the town from outside, we have those arrangements in place."

Bati said the deputy governor has formed a committee to investigate the killing of Mariam Biringi.

- - -

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 20 August 2009:
Parties in W. Equatoria Fear for Their Security

(Yambio) – Political parties in Western Equatoria state are saying that their security is at risk following the killing of Miraim Biringi, the newly appointed NCP women's leader.

The leader of the National Congress Party in Western Equatoria, Morris Taban, says SPLM leaders in the state are making hate speeches against his party during rallies.

[Morris Taban]: During official functions, leaders of the SPM criticize the NCP in front of the public. This automatically endangers the lives of NCP members anywhere in the state because people listen to the SPLM authorities. The security of members of the NCP in the state is not secured because SPLM leaders say that the NCP is supporting the LRA, or that NCP has got money to buy supporters. Because of these issues our security is at risk."

Morris Taban was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Yambio.

- - -

From Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 19 August 2009:
NCP Blames SPLA for Biringi Killing

(Juba) - The Sudan ruling National Congress party has called for a speedy investigation into the killing of a party official last week by unknown gunmen.

A senior member of the NCP, Mandour Al-Mahdi, accuses the SPLA of being responsible for the death of Mariam Biringi on 14 August.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Juba, the NCP chairperson for the southern sector, Agnes Lukudu, claims that the SPLA was responsible for the crime committed last week.

[Agnes Lukudu]: “Western Equatoria has not yet told us who killed her, but according to the police who went to the scene, the finding at the scene is that the people who were moving there were wearing military boots. They were in a land-cruiser. Nobody would drive around in a land-cruiser at night except for an organized force. We are waiting for a signed statement from the government of Western Equatoria. We did not want to mention this, but the young boy [a witness] identified the people by tribe, but I don’t want to identify people by tribe because it is the young boy who said this. I identify people by tribe from the way they speak. I think this is very clear because the boy who is now in the hospital is telling us that he knew the tribe of this people from the Arabic they spoke.”

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement spokesman for the southern sector, Yien Mathew, said that people should not make assumptions until after the investigations have been carried out.

Mariam Biringi was killed in her house in Yambio in the same week she was appointed as NCP party leader in Western Equatoria state.