British Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations Baroness Glenys Kinnock Monday begins an official one-week visit to Sudan

KHARTOUM, Jan 11, 2010 (NNN-SUNA) via Brunei fm World:
BRITISH MINISTER OF STATE FOR AFRICA VISITING SUDAN THIS WEEK

British Minister of State for Africa and the United Nations Baroness Glenys Kinnock Monday begins an official one-week visit to Sudan where she is due to hold talks with government officials and representatives of civil society organizations, political parties an international partners in Khartoum and in Juba in South Sudan.

Filomon Majock, the head of the European Department at Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, told the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) over the weekend that the British official would meet the Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mutrif Sidiq to discuss efforts to cement Sudanese-British relations as well as the process of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA and the situation in Darfur.

He said Baroness Kinnock would also call on First Vice-President and President of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS), Salava Kiir Myardi, Presidential Assistant Dr Nafie Ali Nafie and Presidential Adviser Dr Ghazi Salah Eddin Atabani, who is also the official in charge of the Darfur dossier, and have a meeting with Foreign Minister Deng Alor.

The British Embassy in Khartoum has meanwhile issued a statement saying the British minister had pointed out in a press briefing that good progress has been made in recent weeks with regard to the implementation of the CPA, the referendum law, details of the Abyei referendum and on popular consultations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states.

However, she was also quoted as saying that a great deal was still left to be done for credible elections to be held in the country, on border demarcation and to ensure a workable relationship between North and South Sudan, regardless of the outcome of the referendum on whether South Sudan will remain in the Sudan.

She said as a guarantor of the 2005 CPA, which ended the fight by South Sudan for a separate state, Britain would work with the government of Sudan, and the GoSS to ensure that the next year would deliver the long-term peace and security.

She stressed that the contentious issues needed to be resolved through political dialogue, and without violence. — NNN-SUNA

Click on Kinnock label here below for related reports.



Photo: Protesters are pictured during a demonstration calling for UK Government intervention to prevent war in Sudan near 10 Downing Street in London. The group, waving placards with messages such as "Protect The Civilians In Darfur" and "UK Don't Forget Sudan", was campaigning as part of Sudan 365, organised by groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. (AFP/Carl de Souza Sat Jan 9, 2010 2:41 PM ET)



Photo: A woman stands outside her house with a Southern Sudanese flag in Soba Araadi village in capital Khartoum, January 7, 2010. Southern Sudanese living in the north fear intimidation or even war if a referendum next year results in secession from the rest of the country and many are calling for international monitoring to protect their rights. Picture taken January 7, 2010. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah.
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Sudan 365 Campaign - A Beat For Peace

Click here to visit www.sudan365.org's YouTube Channel.

On the agenda: We're banging the drum for Sudan – when we're not cheering up ...

Independent - ‎Jan 9, 2010‎

Backing the "Beat for Peace" push for Sudan, Radiohead's Phil Selway, The Police's Stewart Copeland and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason (right) star in a film that ...

Drummers gather at No 10 for Sudan peace campaign BBC News

Famed drummers target Sudan violence UPI.com

Rockers drum up help for Sudan The Sun

Reuters - AFP

all 95 news articles »

Sudan: UK Minister for Africa, Baroness Kinnock, will visit Khartoum and Juba 10-13 January, 2010

Baroness Kinnock will be in Sudan on 10-13 January for wide ranging discussions. Her visit coincides with the 5th anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

From UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (via ISRIA)
'Crucial times for Sudan'
09 Jan 2010

Minister for Africa, Baroness Kinnock, will visit Khartoum and Juba from 10 January until 13 January and will meet with representatives from the Government, civil society and international partners.

Ahead of the visit Baroness Kinnock said:

'These are crucial times for Sudan as the 5th anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) approaches. There has been good progress in recent weeks, with agreements on the referendum law, on the details of the Abyei referendum and on the popular consultations in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.

But a great deal is still left to be done for credible elections, border demarcation and to ensure a workable relationship between North and South, regardless of the referendum outcome.

As a guarantor of the CPA the UK will work with the Government of Sudan, and the Government of the South, to ensure that the next year delivers the long-term peace and security. Contentious issues need to be resolved through political dialogue, and without violence. The rights to peaceful protest, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech must be respected. As Prime Minister Gordon Brown noted, Sudan's leaders have a duty to rise to the challenge, to turn an interim agreement into lasting peace for all their people, including in Darfur.

I have visited Sudan many times and certainly understand the task is to ensure that peace, security and reconciliation can be enjoyed by all the people of Sudan.'

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Further reading

Click here to read more about Welsh born Baroness Kinnock.

Note CNBC report Jan 5, 2010 by Robin Knight:
England Should be Separated from Scotland: Economist

Extract from Wikipedia re Great Britain:

The term "Great Britain" (and the abbreviation 'GB') is the traditional 'short form' of the full country title 'the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland', although usage of 'the UK' has increased more recently. Most of England, Scotland, and Wales are on the island of Great Britain, as are their respective capital cities, London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.

The Kingdom of Great Britain resulted from the political union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland with the Acts of Union 1707 on 1 May, 1707 under Queen Anne.

In 1801, under a new Act of Union, this kingdom merged with the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After the Irish War of Independence, most of Ireland seceded from the Union. Currently the kingdom is named the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Sudanvotes.com is launched with funding from the German Foreign Office

Press Release just in from MICT’s Roman Deckert in Berlin, Germany:

Sudanvotes.com is launched !

Sudan votes - for the first time since 1986!

www.sudanvotes.com provides print and radio reports from Sudanese journalists working for Newspapers and Radio stations across Sudan. Sudanvotes.com is the first internet platform of its kind that documents day to day news and features in English and Arabic simultaneously.

The platform is being launched on the occasion of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement’s 5th anniversary.

About sudanvotes.com

For the first time in almost a quarter of a century, the Sudanese people are going to go to the ballot boxes in April 2010. The elections are a key provision of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was signed on January 9th of 2005 ending decades of civil war. They are a historic milestone in the democratic transformation of Africa’s largest country.

In support of this milestone, the Berlin based NGO Media in Cooperation and Transition (MICT) started a project to support electoral media coverage in Sudan itself with funding from the German Foreign Office. Good journalism is key to an informed public. A group of thirty journalists from Northern and Southern Sudan are producing print and radio reports that are spread by media outlets across the country. The journalists are supported with continuous training and editorial coaching by MICT experts.

MICT’s Sudanese media partners are: Ajras al-Hurriya, Al-Akhbar, Al-Khartoum, Al-Ray Al-Aam, Al-Sahafa, Al-Sudani, Bentiu FM, Daily Liberation, Juba Post, Junubna FM, Southern Sudan Radio & Television, Sudan Catholic Radio Network, Sudan Radio & Television Corporation, Yambio FM.

The website Sudanvotes.com is a selection of newspaper and radio reports by these journalists focusing on electoral issues. MICT and its Sudanese partner organizations, Teeba Press in Khartoum and the Association of Inter-Media (AIM) in Juba, launch the website on the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

“It is the first of its kind to produce articles in English and Arabic simultaneously, promoting better understanding across usually divisive language barriers. The website serves to bring journalists from all parts of the country onto a shared platform,” says MICT’s director Klaas Glenewinkel.

MICT’s Roman Deckert, Daniel Tetlow and Haytham al-Wardany are available for interview in German, English and Arabic.

For further details contact:

Roman Deckert
roman@mict-international.org
Mobile: ++49 – 179 66 00 575

Daniel Tetlow
daniel@mict-international.org
Mobile: ++49 – 175 962 70 71

Haytham al-Wardany
haytham@mict-international.org
Mobile: ++49 – 176 23 79 32 17

UK, US and Norway sign joint statement on anniversary of Sudan peace agreement

The UK, US and Norway congratulated the people of Sudan for maintaining the principles of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement five years on, despite the many challenges they have had to endure.

The joint statement was signed by Foreign Secretary David Miliband, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

Click here to read the statement published on 08 Jan 2010 at the website of UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Rajiv Shah sworn in as USAID Administrator

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Clinton swore-in Dr. Rajiv Shah as the 16th Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Click here to visit ONE.org blog and read about Dr. Rajiv Shah and the swearing-in ceremony.

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service 4 & 5 Jan 2010

05-Jan-2010

• Messiriya Leaders Contest Abyei Referendum Bill
• Political Analysts Outline Challenges To Election Process
• Six SPLM Members Disciplined In Southern Kordofan
• Blue Nile To Go Ahead With CPA Celebrations As GOSS Postpones
• GOSS Minister Travels To Rumbek To Investigate SPLA Killings
• Registration For Juba Pharmacies And Clinics Continues

04-Jan-2010

• PCP Nominates Nhial As Presidential Candidate
• Kuol Manyang To Stand For Second Term in Jonglei
• UDF Announces Electoral List In Central Equatoria
• GOSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit Looks Back At 2009
• Three Kidnapped in Northern Darfur
• IDPs Attacked At Hasahisa In Western Darfur
• Sudanese Film Director in Finiancial Row With Kenyan Film Company

UK Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock to visit Sudan

Poverty and rising violence are causing tension between southern and northern Sudan. Sudan's ambassador to London, Omar Muhammad Siddiq, says communities are arming themselves and are fighting "tribal wars", mainly over the competition for scarce resources.

South Sudan 'deteriorating'

The BBC's James Copnall in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, says the country is clearly at the start of a highly charged and risky 12 months.

However, he notes that unlike at the outset of previous crises, there is a heavy international presence in the country.

The military worth of the UN peacekeeping mission has yet to be tested, but nearly 10,000 military personnel are charged with keeping the peace, he says.

Sudan's ambassador to London, Omar Muhammad Siddiq, acknowledged that the situation in South Sudan was "deteriorating".

He said communities there were arming themselves and were fighting "tribal wars", mainly over the competition for scarce resources.

"The situation is not as good as we were expecting after the signature of the comprehensive peace agreement," he said.

However, he argued that the unrest would not affect the elections, in which he said parties and voters were preparing to participate.

British Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock, who is due to visit Sudan, noted that it was one of the world's poorest countries.

"They are doing disastrously, and that is reflected in the terrible poverty and relentless suffering of the people," she said.

But she added that fully-blown conflict could still be averted.

"I think we still have time to ensure that we do see a peaceful, stable Sudan being built around the framework of an election and a referendum," she said.

"What we're asking is for the leadership of both sides, of the government of the South and the government of Sudan, [is] that they ensure that they talk together, they work together with the same motivation, which is to bring peace and security to Sudan."

See full story and video of UK Foreign Office Minister Glenys Kinnock at BBC News report 01:46 GMT 07 Jan 2010: Aid groups warn of Sudan civil war risk.
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FULL TEXT: Report by Caritas; Christian Aid; Cordaid; Handicap International; International Rescue Committee (IRC); Oxfam; Save the Children Alliance; Tearfund; World Vision

Click here to read 07 Jan 2010 report entitled 'Rescuing the Peace in Southern Sudan'. [Thanks to ReliefWeb plus Associated Press report at The New York Times 07 Jan 2010 entitled Aid Groups Issue Warning on Southern Sudan]

UK pledges £54 million ($86.38 million) aid package for Sudan

UK pledges Sudan aid ahead of crucial elections
Reuters report by Avril Ormsby 06 Jan 2010 - excerpt:

(LONDON) - Britain announced a 54 million pound ($86.38 million) aid package for Sudan on Wednesday and said the African country faced a "crucial and critical time" ahead of elections important for the whole region's stability. [...]

Failure to deliver credible elections could see a return to conflict, with implications not only for Sudan and its oil production, but for the whole region, minister for Africa Glenys Kinnock said.

"We understand these are crucial and critical times for Sudan," she said.

"The risk of a return to further conflict is a real one. We understand and accept that. We know what has to be done, and we just have to get on and do it."

Kinnock said Britain and the international community must pursue "strong and determined engagement" with Sudan, if long-term peace and security was to be secured. [...]

Kinnock said she recognised contentious issues remained, including sustainable development, sharing oil revenues, and economic diversification, and called for greater rights for peaceful protest and freedom of speech.

She played down talk of postponing the elections, saying it was neither desirable nor feasible.

If the oil-rich south voted for separation a "lot of bargaining" would be needed on oil and other issues, she said, with a "great deal of thought" required. [...]

(Editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Security situation in Darfur, W. Sudan - Jan 5, 2010

Report by United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, January 5, 2010 via APO:

Security situation in Darfur

The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm but unpredictable.

UNAMID military forces conducted 78 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, thereby covering 84 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 85 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID police conclude security training sessions for upcoming elections

Yesterday, UNAMID police advisors concluded a series of security training sessions held for government police personnel in preparation for the upcoming general elections scheduled to be held in April this year. Training has been organised in all three of Darfur’s states, in the state capitals as well as in several localities.

The sessions began on 2 January, immediately following celebrations for Sudan’s 54th Independence Day, and were organised in collaboration with the Government of Sudan (GoS). They aim at educating the government’s police force on security issues, on the election rules and, on crisis management. The participants were instructed by both GoS and UNAMID trainers.

The training session held yesterday in El Fasher, North Darfur, was attended by 120 participants, including both national police commanders and officers. Acting Commander of UNAMID’s North Darfur police force, Aliposo Vakuloloma, expressed the hope that newly trained participants use the knowledge gained to guarantee the safety of voters during the elections. He stressed the importance of an effective police force in ensuring safe and peaceful elections.

Click on label here below to view previous reports on the security situation in Darfur.

Ireland announces additional funding of €600,000 to combat hunger in Sudan

The WFP’s emergency operation for 2010 will provide more than 650,000 tons of food to 6.4 million people in areas including Darfur and Southern Sudan.

Source: Ireland – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
January 4, 2010 via APO:

The Minister of State for Overseas Development, Peter Power, T.D., today announced additional funding of €600,000 for emergency food relief in Sudan.

The funding will be channelled through the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), which is managing emergency food distribution across many of Sudan’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.

The WFP’s emergency operation for 2010 will provide more than 650,000 tons of food to 6.4 million people in areas including Darfur and Southern Sudan.

Announcing the funding, Minister Power said:

“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in Sudan. Sudanese people are among the most vulnerable in the world, as a result of the combination of conflict, large-scale population displacement and underlying hunger and poverty. The past year has seen a significant increase in emergency food requirements. This urgent need for assistance is expected to continue through 2010.

“Poor rainfall levels in Southern Sudan have caused crop failure and extended the ‘hunger gap’, leaving as many as 1.5 million people extremely vulnerable to food shortages. We know that as many as one in six people in this region are acutely malnourished and 130,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as a result of ongoing conflict.

“The World Food Programme’s operation in Sudan is the largest of its emergency operations worldwide. The WFP’s immediate goal is to reduce the unacceptably high number of people dying and the incidence of acute malnutrition. They are also committed to assisting displaced people to return to their homes and increasing access to education, particularly for girls.

“This comprehensive response will save the lives of thousands of men, women and children, reduce hunger and restore the livelihoods of those affected by conflict and food shortages. I am delighted that Ireland’s contribution will help the WFP to implement this vital work. By placing the fight against hunger at the heart of our overseas aid programme, Ireland has taken a leadership role internationally on reducing hunger.

“Through Irish Aid, the Government has already provided €4.5 million in emergency humanitarian support for Sudan this year, and we have allocated a further €5.6 million to aid agencies working with vulnerable communities in Sudan, including Concern and Goal. Our support for community based programmes which focus on areas such as primary healthcare, education and rural development, tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty and ultimately help build a more sustainable future for the people of Sudan,” Minister Power said.

Update on Tue 5 Jan from Sudan Watch Ed: Thanks to eagle eyed Sudan Radio Service (hi Charles!) I have amended the title of this entry. Ireland kindly provided the funding, not the UK. Apologies for lapse in concentration. Posting is light here lately, not feeling well enough, hope to catch up soon.

Messages of Peace: That we all look after our neighbours and that peace will spread around the world...

Google's Holiday Logo December 2009



Season's greetings.  This six year old blog Sudan Watch is powered by Blogger. Blogger is owned by Google. I started blogging in July 2003.  Thanks to Blogger for everything. Happy New Year to all at Blogger and Google, and to readers of Sudan Watch.  Love and peace x x x  God bless the children of Sudan.

Millions living in forgotten cities

"...Thatched huts are upgraded into slums. Camp dwellers start exchanging belongings amongst themselves. Barter develops into markets. People try to make a living through prostitution and crime. Idleness fosters addiction to alcohol and drugs. Combatants come to hide themselves for a while within the camp and recruit youngsters for their militias. People in the camps start organizing themselves. The camps develop into cities, with an economy, a power structure and increasing violence.

Camps are cities in suspense. They suffer from shortages of water and sanitation, shaky food deliveries, oscillating relief assistance, despotic rulers, lawlessness and insecurity, both around the camp and inside..."

-Jan Pronk, October 2009 (click here for full story)

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Messages of Peace: That we all look after our neighbours and that peace will spread around the world...

From CORD's Messages of peace:

Bechir Adam Daoud Head of CORD’s Literacy Programme Gaga Camp, Chad:
‘My hope for all of us in the Sudanese refugee community is that next year will bring peace to Darfur and that we can start to return home. We need to learn how to develop more and become less reliant on outside help.’

Louise Lloyd Jarvis Programme Manager Gaga Camp, Chad:
‘Fighting alone will not solve the problem in Darfur. Those people who go to school and get an education are the ones who will solve the problem. Fighting with guns; that will not solve it, even in a hundred years.’ Hedjewa Adam a rebel soldier with the Sudan Liberation Movement

My wish would be that more people understand this, act upon it and lay down their arms.
My prayer is that God is raising up 'Peacemakers' here and it is these men and women who lead the community into the next decade, not the ones who hold the guns.'

Kit Lawry Supporter Relations, UK:
'My wish is that people in the developed world realize how important peace is, for all of us.'

James Griffin Security & Logistics Manager, Chad:
'Against the backdrop of all the problems within Chad – and in Darfur where these children have fled from, the amazing thing is that the children in the camps are still children, and maintain that playfulness and innocence which only they can have. May they continue to be my biggest inspiration.

I am extremely lucky to find great people here who I really enjoy working with and trust. My wish is that this will continue and that the strain of working in Chad will not hinder us growing as a team.'

Serge Ntabikiyoboka Country Director, Burundi:
'Our main wish is to have peace consolidated in the country after the planned elections in 2010. There are real signs of violence at the moment, and the situation may become worse during this period.

Our second wish is to see our programme continuing to expand- and that everyone in the CORD Burundi team enjoys good health.'

Dennis Bailey Country Director, Northern Uganda:
'My wish for 2010 echoes the short prayer said by all members of the African Union as they gather in session:
God bless Africa,
Guard her people,
Guide her leaders and
Grant her peace.'

Angie Archer, Supporter Relations, UK:
‘Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.’

Kerry Bosworth Finance Director, UK:
'My peace wish is that the current child population in the camps in Chad will celebrate adulthood in their own home country.''

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Holiday Greetings and best wishes for a new year of happiness in a world of peace



Image source: Julia Gronnevet h/t Bec Hamiton tweet



Photo: Setting Sudan Sun

US Special Envoy Scott Gration: “A New Year for Sudan”

Email received from the U.S. State Department:
Sudan Updates: “A New Year for Sudan”
Scott Gration, Special Envoy to Sudan
Washington, DC
December 30, 2009

We’ve reached the end of the year, a time for reflection but, most of all, a time for looking forward, for making resolutions we intend to keep. It’s clear that 2010 will be a critical year in securing a peaceful future for Sudan. National elections are scheduled for April 2010, and registration for the referenda on self-determination for Southern Sudan and Abyei will begin in July with the vote taking place in January 2011. In between, popular consultations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, demarcation of the Abyei and North-South borders, reviews of wealth-sharing arrangements, and negotiations on post-CPA issues must be finalized. Direct talks between the Government of Sudan and Darfur armed movements are scheduled to begin in Doha in late January and a negotiated political settlement is still urgently needed to achieve a lasting and just peace in Darfur.

We will continue to work diligently with all parties throughout Sudan in pursuit of peace and stability in Darfur, for full implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), and to prepare for what happens after the CPA expires in July 2011. At the same time, and in accordance with our strategic objectives, we will be monitoring the actions taken by the parties in Sudan and will hold them accountable for their accomplishments and their shortcomings. Make no mistake, failure to make progress and a continuation of the unacceptable status quo by any party will be met by credible pressures from the United States and our partners in the international community.

The road ahead will be tough and beset by numerous and seemingly insurmountable challenges. But in the face of these trials, we will work with steadfast determination with the parties to reach positive agreements followed up by verifiable implementation. The ultimate passage this week of the Southern Sudan Referendum Law is a positive step towards CPA implementation, allowing critical preparations for the referendum to begin in earnest. In this last month of 2009, we have also seen major progress in Chad-Sudan relations, with high-level visits and encouraging steps toward normalization of relations between these two countries. This is a necessary step for advancing the Darfur peace process and achieving lasting changes on the ground for the people of Darfur. I hope that the parties in Sudan will build on these acts of progress and resolve to move forward on the critical issues facing Sudan in the new year. With positive action and political will, the parties in Sudan have an opportunity to work together to bring the Sudanese people the peace, stability, and prosperity they deserve.

Thank you for your continued interest, and have a happy new year, Scott.

UN brings Sudanese tribes Missiriya & Dinka together for historic peace talks

Report from UN News Centre, Tuesday, 29 December 2009:
UN brings Sudanese tribes together for historic peace talks

The United Nations has paved the way for historic talks between clashing tribes to bolster the fragile peace in the disputed oil-rich area of Abyei, close to the border between Sudan’s north and south and where a referendum on its future is scheduled to be held in 2011.

Nearly five years after the signing of the peace pact ending more than two decades of north-south strife, one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest civil wars in which at least 2 million people were killed, tensions persist in Abyei, home to the Missiriya and Dinka Ngok tribes.

In July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague shifted some of the borders of Abyei, leaving control of the Heglig oil field with the national Government in Khartoum.

Although that ruling was welcomed by both the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the two signatories to the 2005 peace agreement, the relationship between the Missiriya and Dinka Ngok tribes has been marked by clashes and inflamed tensions.

Recognizing the need for dialogue at this critical juncture, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and the Abyei Area Administration joined forces to bring the leaders of the two tribes together for the first time in the conflict’s history.

During the 14 December meeting, which kicked off to cheering, drumming and dancing, top officials from the tribes discussed border security, arms control and migration issues.

Over 2,000 people from both tribes attended the talks to accelerate reconciliation and to dispel misconceptions, such as the rumour that the Dinka intend to build a barrier to prevent the Missiriya from herding their cattle between pasture and water.

“Peaceful co-existence is not a matter of choice, but is prerequisite for the continued existence of the two communities because the Missiriya and the Dinka will always remain neighbours irrespective of the 2011 referendum results,” said Amir Kwol Arop Kwol, Paramount Chief of the Dinka Ngok tribe.

The dialogue was also the first in the history of peacebuilding in the Abyei area in which women took an active part in the talks.

“Women bear the heaviest burden during conflict situations,” according to Nyancuk Truk, a representative of the Dinka. “We not only lose our sons and husband in the fighting, but we also lose our dignity.”

UNDP stressed in a press release that “only through the support to community reconciliation dialogues in Sudan that bring together women groups, youth and traditional leaders will the region be able to ensure its hard-won peace.”

National Assembly endorses S. Sudan Referendum Law

Southerners who have lived in the north since independence can choose where to vote.

Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 29 December 2009:
National Assembly Endorses Southern Sudan Referendum Law

(Khartoum) – The controversial referendum law for southern Sudan was passed on Tuesday by the National Assembly following a long meeting between the SPLM and the NCP.

The amended law approved by MPs includes a provision demanded by southern politicians that enables southerners living outside the south to cast their ballots in the south.

A previous version adopted unilaterally by the NCP last week prompted a walkout from parliament by southern politicians fearful that if southerners voted in the north they might be subject to intimidation and vote-rigging by the NCP.

In an interview with SRS outside the parliament buildings in Omdurman, Justin Joseph Marona, the co-chairman of SPLM-NCP parliamentary emergency joint committee, said the contentious issues within the bill had been resolved.

[Mr. Justin Marona]: “We’ve agreed that Article 27(3), which was deleted, should be put back. This section enables southerners residing in northern Sudan since independence to return to southern Sudan to prove their ethnic origins (sic). We also added a section that says southerners who have lived in the north since independence can choose where to vote.”

However, Marona, who is negotiating on behalf of the SPLM on the joint committee, said there are still serious differences between the SPLM and the NCP over the Abyei referendum and the popular consultation process for Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains.

[Justin Marona]: “There are still differences over Article 24 that says that the Messiriya groups should vote in the Abyei referendum. But according to the Protocol and the ruling at The Hague, Abyei is the area where the nine Dinka Ng’ok tribes and their chiefs live. So this is the area where the referendum will take place. There will be a meeting shortly over this law. There are also differences over the popular consultation legislation. But our stance has been very clear in all the negotiations.”

Marona expressed his optimism that the differences will soon be resolved in the course of meetings between the SPLM Vice Chairman, Dr. Riek Machar and the 2nd Vice President of the Republic, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha.

S. Sudan referendum bill passage delayed until Tuesday?

Today there are conflicting news reports of the National Congress Party and the SPLM reaching an agreement over controversial referendum legislation, following a debate in the National Assembly in Khartoum on Monday.

This morning, I received an email from Sudan Radio Service requesting me to withdraw their report published 28 December 2009 entitled NCP And SPLM Agree Over Referendum Legislation.   

Note that Sudan Tribune's report today says South Sudan is rejecting ‘inclusive’ referendum bill -- Southern Sudan referendum bill passage delayed until Tuesday. 

More here later when news becomes more clear. 

Can northern Sudan alone pass laws for the whole of Sudan?

The United States Embassy in Khartoum issued a strongly-worded statement from the State Department on Wednesday evening following the announcement that the NCP had passed legislation which differed from the original bill agreed to by the SPLM. Further details here below.

NCP Passing Of Amended Referendum Act Angers SPLM As US State Department Expresses Concern
Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 23 December 2009:

(Khartoum) – The SPLM is accusing the NCP of pushing an amended version of controversial referendum legislation through parliament on Tuesday. The US State Department has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the NCP for the move.

The SPLM claim that the legislation, which in part lays out the procedure for a referendum to decide the future of southern Sudan, was amended during the passage of the bill without the SPLM being consulted.

NCP MPs used their majority in the parliament to amend article 27 of the legislation which had previously been agreed with the SPLM. The article now includes a clause which stipulates that southerners living in the north must vote in the north during the referendum.

The move caused outrage among SPLM MPs and other southern political parties. They demanded that the agreed article should be reinstated. The original article stipulated that "all southerners living outside southern Sudan should return to their region of origin in order to vote."

The SPLM deputy chairman, Dr. Riek Machar, expressed his "surprise" at the NCP move at a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday evening.

[Riek Machar]: “We are surprised about what happened today, because we had agreed at the highest level about this law. We agreed at the level of the presidency, attended by both chairmen of the NCP and the SPLM, after which this law was approved by the cabinet. We were present at that meeting. They (NCP) even described the session as "historic". There was a common desire to pass the referendum law for southern Sudan, the popular consultation process for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile and the referendum law for Abyei. On Monday, I held a meeting with El Shiekh Ali, the joint chairman of the joint executive political committee and we discussed the importance of passing these laws.”

Machar added that after the NCP's decision to amend the agreed legislation, the SPLM will consider passing a different referendum law in the Southern Sudan legislative assembly.

[Dr. Riak Machar]: “I would like to say we will not accept the law which was passed today, because the SPLM caucus withdrew and the southern political parties also withdrew from the session. Some members from the NCP also withdrew from the assembly. The house was turned into a northern Sudanese assembly. Can northern Sudan alone pass laws for the whole of Sudan? I think this is an unacceptable precedent, because southern Sudanese could say to themselves that if things have reached such a state, then we will pass the agreed legislation in the south - then we will see which law will be the national law because we reject what took place today."

However, the NCP chairman of the committee which supervised the drafting of the referendum laws, Badreia Suliman, speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday, said that the SPLM’s withdrawal from the parliament was unjustified since the terms were agreed upon by the two partners in previous meetings.

[Badreia Suliman]: “The withdrawal of our brothers in the SPLM from the legislative assembly session at the final stage which was meant to pass the referendum legislation is inexcusable, because the law was already agreed upon by all the political parties who were represented on the emergency committee.”

The NCP insists that including the original article violated the constitutional rights of Sudanese citizens because it contradicts article 25 which guards against racial discrimination in Sudan.

Other than southerners living in the north being able to vote in the south, the SPLM had insisted that southerners living abroad should also be able to vote during the referendum in 2011.

The disagreement between the NCP and the SPLM over the disputed article highlights recent tensions between two CPA partners and threatens to call into question the legitimacy of the referendum legislation under the terms of the CPA.


The United States Embassy in Khartoum issued a strongly-worded statement from the State Department on Wednesday evening following the announcement that the NCP had passed legislation which differed from the original bill agreed to by the SPLM:

“The United States is deeply concerned about reports that the National Assembly passed the Southern Sudan referendum bill with language added by the NCP that is different than that agreed to by NCP and SPLM leadership. Reneging on the agreement negotiated on December 13th by the two parties undermines the peace process, jeopardizes CPA implementation, and risks sparking renewed political hostilities between the parties. We call on the parties to pass the remaining bills, including the Abyei referendum bill, using the text as agreed, and to restore the Southern Sudan referendum bill to the agreed-upon language before it is signed into law.”

In the same statement, the United States also expressed its concern about the passage of a revised National Security Act on Monday which it said, “contains no new measures of accountability for the security services. For elections to be credible, it is incumbent on the regime to demonstrate in word and in deed that this law will not be used to arrest and detain political opponents. The Government of Sudan must also make immediate and significant improvements to the electoral environment, including permitting peaceful demonstrations, ending press censorship, and allowing opposition voices to be heard. The high voter registration signals the clear desire of the people of Sudan to participate in the process of democratic transformation as proposed in the spirit and letter of the CPA. The United States calls on all parties to work together to ensure the upcoming elections and referenda are conducted in a credible manner.”

The statement was issued by the US Embassy in Khartoum on Wednesday evening.

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See report by Radio Dabanga in The Netherlands, 23 December 2009 entitled Vice president Sudan Salva Kiir feels cheated.

SPLM delegation visits Cairo to discuss CPA

SPLM Delegation Spends Weekend In Cairo To Discuss CPA
Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 22 December 2009:

(Cairo) – The SPLM and the Egyptian government discussed the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and other issues in Cairo on Saturday.

The SPLM delegation, headed by GONU Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Alor, was invited to Cairo by the Egyptian government.

The SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum, spoke to SRS on Saturday after the meeting.

[Pagan Amum]: “It was an invitation from the Egyptian government. We met with the Minister Omar Suleiman and other government officials. We discussed the Sudanese crisis and Egypt’s role, and we tried to come up with some solutions. We discussed CPA implementation, peace-building in Sudan, and peace in Darfur. We also spoke about the democratic transformation issue and how to guarantee that the coming general elections will be free and fair and what Egypt could do as far as ending the disagreement between the NCP and SPLM is concerned. All these issues have been discussed.”

Amum also said that the Egyptian government will soon invite the NCP and a delegation from Egypt will also visit Sudan.

S. Sudan: Malakal dockers say insecurity is reducing trade

Malakal Dockers Say Insecurity is Reducing Freight Traffic
Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 22 December 2009:

(Malakal) – Dockers at Malakal port in Upper Nile say that the insecurity situation in the state has greatly reduced the amount of activity at the port.

The leader of the dockworkers’ union in Malakal, Sharaf El-Din Mustafa, told SRS that the amount of goods coming through the port has steadily diminished.

[Sharaf El-Din]: “These days, the situation has become very unpredictable. Traders used to come here, shipping at least about 3000 or 4000, sometimes up to 5000 sacks, now they are bringing 300, 400 or 500 sacks. The recent incidents have really scared people. Frankly, all of us are scared.”

Sharaf El-Din Mustafa, the leader of the dock-workers’ union in Malakal, spoke to SRS on Saturday.

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Message to Red Cross: Please check Darfur prison conditions

Inmates' Relatives Concerned About Darfur Prison Conditions
Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 22 December 2009:

(El Fashir) – Relatives of prisoners from Abu Shok IDP camp in Darfur are protesting about the harsh living conditions endured by inmates who have been in prison for more than six months without trial.

Speaking to SRS on Sunday, a relative of Mayor Hussein Sajoa who preferred to remain anonymous claimed that the prisoners are being tortured and brutally treated.

[Relative]: “These people have been in prison for almost seven months now and so far none of them have been accused of any crimes. We were just told that they are being arrested under ‘emergency legislation’. The prisoners are being tortured both physically and psychologically, and Mayor Hussein Sajoa and Mayor Adam Haroun have had to see a doctor and they started undergoing tests since yesterday. Concerning Sheikh Abdul Razig; Razig’s health and mental state is not good; he is now acting like someone who has completely lost his mind. He can’t even sit with the other prisoners.”

A member pf the Northern Darfur legislative council, Sheikh Duda Adam Hamid, also spoke out against the prisoners’ treatment.

[Duda Adam]: “Our brother, Abdul Razig, who is one of the very active persons as far as the displaced people are concerned, was arrested for no good reason six months ago and was thrown in jail. This automatically led him to have a serious mental problem which he is currently suffering from. Yesterday, there was a group which went to visit the prison, including the chairperson of the social affairs committee in the legislative council, Madam Aisha Mohammed Ahmed. She went to visit Abdul Razig in prison and she found that the man’s mental condition was very bad, and so she spoke to the person in charge and he promised her that the patient will be taken to Professor Ibrahim, the psychiatrist. We are still asking for the release of the prisoners.”

At the beginning of the year, authorities in El-Fashir arrested the leaders of different IDP camps in the Darfur region.

UNHCR: LRA killed 1,200 & abducted 1,400 in N.E. Congo Sep 2008 to Jun 2009 + killed 80 in 27 attacks in S. Sudan Dec 2008 - Mar 2009

UN report details attacks on civilians. See report by Associated Press, December 22, 2009 at this blog's sister site Congo Watch.

MINURCAT forces have trained Chadian DIS officers to serve as part of a special security force for campsites in E. Chad

UN staff escape injury after attack in southeast Chad
From UN News Centre 20 December 2009:

United Nations peacekeepers have helped secure an area of south-eastern Chad where a UN civilian logistics convoy came under attack from unidentified armed men earlier this morning.
The convoy was travelling between the towns of Goz Beida and Koukou Angarana when it was ambushed at gunpoint by the attackers, who commandeered one of the three vehicles in the convoy and fled, according to a press release issued by the UN peacekeeping force in Chad and the Central African Republic (known as MINURCAT).

Members of the Chadian Detachement Integre de Securite (DIS) team, which had been accompanying the convoy, then pursued the attackers and recaptured the stolen vehicle. One DIS officer was injured in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.

MINURCAT and the DIS dispatched teams to the scene to secure the area, provide medical assistance and retrieve the vehicles, the mission reported.

MINURCAT forces have trained DIS officers, comprised of Chadian police and gendarmes, to serve as part of a special security force entrusted with providing security to the campsites in eastern Chad that are home to thousands of Chadian internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan. They are also tasked with helping to protect humanitarian workers operating in the region.

Kala azar (sand fly bites) kills 11 people in Jonglei, S. Sudan

Kala Azar Disease Kills 11 in Jonglei
Report by Sudan Radio Service, 21 December 2009:

(Bor) – Eleven people have died from Kala azar disease while more than 37 others have been admitted to Fangak county dispensary in Jonglei state.

Kala azar is a fatal parasitic disease that affects the internal organs. It is transmitted by sand-fly bites.

Our correspondent in Bor, Sirocco Mayom sent this report.

[Sirocco Mayom]: “At least 37 people were admitted to Fangak clinic as a result of Kala azar. The commissioner of the county told reporters yesterday that the situation is critical in the areas of Akobo, Ayod, Fangak and Pigii. Eleven people have died as a result of the disease. He urged the Government of Southern Sudan and the government of the state to provide more drugs for the disease. He said that the government of southern Sudan was to provide three boxes of drugs but this is not enough for the patients because there are many patients that may still be infected.”

Sirocco Mayom was reporting for SRS from Bor.

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Sandfly bite - Wikipedia

Sudan Radio Service's producer visited Malakal market, Upper Nile, southern Sudan

Mixed Messages From Malakal On Security
Report by SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 21 December 2009:

(Malakal) – In Malakal, Upper Nile state, residents have mixed views about the security situation, some saying that the situation is calm, while others are living in fear.

Our producer, Hussein Halfawi, visited Malakal market on Thursday and spoke to residents. He sent this report.

[Halfawi]: “Malakal, in Upper Nile state appears to be enjoying a special and unique festive atmosphere, despite the insecurity and bloody tribal clashes that the area had experienced during the past four years. The city is calm and the security is pretty normal, as you can hear in the background, people are busy in the market, restaurants and shops are working normally, and you can hear different types of music playing in the shops. Life is so normal here so far, people here greet each other everywhere as if they are one family, despite the political conflicts, the lack of development and the tribal clashes that erupt from time to time which could badly affect this beautiful city. Let us now hear how the people feel here in the market.”

[Female 1]: “Really the security situation is very difficult in the area, we are close to Christmas now and everyone is scared that a problem can suddenly occur and they will start running. Women here are ready and willing to celebrate Christmas in peace and stability, but still there is fear inside them because the security situation is bad due to the increase in the tribal clashes. We don’t know what the solution will be. The state government itself is the one contributing to the deterioration of security."

[Male 1]: “While I’m talking to you now, I feel scared. If I hear a car tire burst I will just run without asking what has happened. This is the situation, everyone is careful. Here in the market, we are the most scared people, now I have learnt how to shut down my shop in less than a minute and run.”

However some people think that the security situation will be calm, following the appointment of the new governor.

[Male 2]: “Actually currently there are a lot of changes in Malakal, unlike before. As far as security is concerned, we are actually stable, the way I see the security level for the time being, it seems to me the security is improving and we are expecting more improvement."

[Male 3]: “Generally, there is no fear, people are just scared for nothing, there is nothing happening inside the state. When they changed the governor, people thought there would be chaos and that the new governor will face difficulties, but we thank God there is no problem and it went peacefully."

Those were the views of Malakal residents on the security situation in the area.

Early this month, there was tension in the state when the former governor, Galuak Deng Garang, refused to hand over his position to the newly-appointed governor, William Othwonh.

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Further news from Sudan Radio Service 21-Dec-2009

• NCP Passes National Security Legislation - Which Salva Kiir Refuses To Sign
• Unfinished VIP Facilities Cause CPA Celebrations To Be Postponed in Western Equatoria
  
• Upper Nile Finance Minister Reveals Plot To Steal Public Funds
• Sudanese Six Still Missing In Kenya
• Kala Azar Disease Kills 11 in Jonglei

UN chief: Civil society and rebel groups agree to resume talks in Doha Qatar 18 Jan followed by talks between Government and rebel groups 24 Jan 2010

Quote of the Day

"It will be the Sudanese people who solve Sudan’s problems. But working together, the United Nations and the African Union can provide them with critical assistance on their difficult journey towards lasting peace and prosperity." -UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, 21 December 2009.

Source: Report on UN Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council’s briefing by the African Union High-level Panel on the Sudan, in New York today, 21 December 2009.
From:  UN Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, New York.  Copy in full:

UNITED NATIONS, AFRICAN UNION CAN PROVIDE CRITICAL HELP ON SUDANESE PEOPLE’S JOURNEY TOWARDS LASTING PEACE, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Security Council’s briefing by the African Union High-level Panel on the Sudan, in New York today, 21 December:

I am honoured to be with you today, and to welcome this esteemed delegation. Today’s meeting is an important symbol of collaboration between the African Union and the United Nations. It is also another concrete demonstration of our common commitment to work with the Sudanese people in addressing the serious challenges they face.

Today the Panel will brief you on their report which has been adopted in its entirety by the African Union Peace and Security Council. The Council also established a High-level Implementation Panel comprised of former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Pierre Buyoya and retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar. We are privileged to receive their first-hand briefing.

The report of the High-level Panel provides a frank assessment and insightful analysis of the situation in Sudan and offers numerous proposals for the way forward. Perhaps above all, the Panel members have insisted on seeing Sudan in its totality. They have clearly articulated the links between the crisis in Darfur and broader efforts to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Their insights come at a critical moment. In little more than three months, elections are scheduled to take place. In just over a year, the two referenda are scheduled, which will determine the future shape of Sudan. The National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), as the two parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, have taken steps to prepare for these major events, but there is still much to be done.

We must remember that neither the election nor the referenda are ends in themselves. Managing the results -- whatever the outcome -- will require genuine cooperation between the NCP and the SPLM. In the meantime, violence -- in South Sudan in particular -- is occurring on a disturbing scale and frequency.

In Darfur, the peace process has reached a critical point. Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé has been working with the Government of Qatar to generate momentum by giving civil society a strong voice at the peace talks. Representatives of civil society and armed movements have agreed to resume consultations in Doha on 18 January next, which will be followed by direct talks between the Government and the movements on 24 January 2010.

Efforts must continue to encourage the Government, and more especially the rebel movements, to make concessions and embrace the consensus which Mr. Bassolé is building. In my view, the High-level Implementation Panel, and the international community at large, has a critical role to play here. By giving Mr. Bassolé our unequivocal support, we will send a strong message to all parties that they must engage in the negotiations he is leading.

Beyond this, the Panel can make an invaluable contribution to the “soft-landing” we are all working towards after the election and referenda, by helping the parties to the CPA to bridge their differences. This is an outcome that is badly needed for Sudan itself, but also for Sudan’s neighbours and, indeed, for all of Africa. The High-level Panel also addressed the difficult issues of justice and reconciliation in Sudan. Their efforts to develop creative and pragmatic proposals are highly commendable.

We must keep sight of the importance of compliance with Security Council resolution 1593 (2005), referring the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court.

I have just concluded a very productive meeting with the visiting delegation, in the course of which we agreed on the importance of continuing close AU-UN cooperation on Sudan. Beyond our co-management of UNAMID, we must make every effort to ensure that the activities of the United Nations in Sudan and the work of the African Union’s High-level Implementation Panel are mutually supportive.

It will be the Sudanese people who solve Sudan’s problems. But working together, the United Nations and the African Union can provide them with critical assistance on their difficult journey towards lasting peace and prosperity.

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Further reading

REPORT OF THE AFRICAN UNION HIGH‐LEVEL PANEL ON DARFUR (AUPD) OCTOBER 2009

UN Radio - African Union panel briefs the Council on Sudan - 21 December 2009

SECURITY COUNCIL REFERS SITUATION IN DARFUR, SUDAN, TO PROSECUTOR OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - Resolution 1593 (2005) Adopted by Vote of 11 in Favour To None Against, with 4 Abstentions (Algeria, Brazil, China, United States)

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Sudanese minister says GONU will do more to protect NGOs

Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 17 December 2009:
State Minister Says GONU Will Do More To Protect NGO Staff

(Khartoum) – The Government of National Unity has acknowledged the existence of a humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Speaking after his visit to European countries on Tuesday, the State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Abdulbagi al-Geilani said that there are humanitarian needs in Darfur and southern Sudan that have to be resolved.

[Dr. Abdulbagi al-Geilani]: “If we say we don’t have a problem, we are lying to you. We have problems in Darfur; we have problems in southern Sudan and with the CPA. We do have problems with the CPA. They don’t talk of the 80 percent that has been implemented, what they talk about is the 20 percent of the CPA which has not been implemented. Why are we not concentrating on the eighty percent of the CPA which is already implemented? There are some areas that are disputed, let us deal with these and concentrate on them. But always they are focusing on the non-implementation of democratic transformation as if the whole of the CPA is connected with two or three laws. Now people have sat down and resolved them, it means that we need to concentrate on the positive issues.”

Al-Geilani added that there is no war in Darfur and he blamed armed bandits for being responsible for threatening humanitarian operations in the region.

[Dr. Abdulbagi al-Geilani]: “There is no war in Darfur, there are some bandits threatening humanitarian operations, because they target humanitarian workers. This indirectly affects the humanitarian operations. We said that the Sudanese government has solutions to these problems. Firstly we must provide security for the staff and offices of humanitarian organizations; we must give them some kind of protection. They refused this idea because they thought it might damage their credibility and their independence. As you heard, two aid workers were released after 107 days. This shows that the mechanisms which we have begun to put in place are functioning.”

Last month, al-Geilani visited Morocco, Britain, Ireland and Columbia to attend conferences on humanitarian issues in these countries and to discuss ways of resolving the Darfur conflict.

Sudan Radio Service speaks to residents in Malakal, Upper Nile, southern Sudan

Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 16 December 2009:
Malakal Residents Optimistic After NCP-SPLM Accord

(Malakal) – Residents in Malakal, Upper Nile state, have expressed their satisfaction following the announcement by the two principle signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that they have reached an agreement on referendum and popular consultation legislation.

Over the weekend, the NCP and SPLM reached an agreement over the referendum laws for southern Sudan and Abyei and the popular consultation process for Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

SRS spoke to some residents in Malakal on Tuesday.

[Resident 1]: “I hope the two partners, despite the time they are taking to dodge these issues, will eventually agree to solve them, because these issues concern everyone. Even Pagan Amum and Yassir Arman had urged that these issues should be resolved, because people are heading for the referendum without any clear solution being reached. But we thank God that the two partners have agreed about most of their differences, hoping that even the remaining issues will be solved.”

[Resident 2]: “My opinion regarding the agreement of the two partners and the pending issues is that these are very important things. They are the partners who are responsible for the CPA and they are the only two parties who can implement the CPA. This is a good step which will lead to the democratic transformation that people are demanding.”

[Resident 3]: “After many differences, arguments and arrests, the two partners have decided to agree. As long as they have agreed on something that will lead the country forward, that is good.”

The parties agreed that a 60 percent turnout of registered voters and a 50 plus 1 percent 'Yes' vote would enable the south to declare independence following the referendum for self-determination which is scheduled to take place in 2011.

SLM's Minnawi calls for more opposition demonstrations to establish a 'better Sudan'

Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 16 December 2009:
Minawi Calls For More Opposition Demonstrations

(Khartoum) – Senior presidential advisor Minni Arko Minawi is calling on political parties to continue staging demonstrations, saying it is the only way to establish a 'better Sudan'.

Minawi, who is also the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minawi faction, spoke to SRS during a ceremony to celebrate the release of the people who were detained following demonstrations on Monday in Khartoum.

[Minni Minawi]: “If the situation is complicated, people will become more agitated. Why? Because next April people are hoping that the elections will determine the destiny of Sudan. But I say it is time to establish the real Sudan, because as it is, the real Sudan is not well established. If we build Sudan on mistakes, it will continue to have catastrophes but if it is correctly established, it will move forward. If we continue to be scared of the authorities and those in power, our rights will be lost forever. But if people stand together today, men and women, for sure things will change. For that reason I would like to appreciate, praise and thank our brothers who participated in the demonstrations.”

About 50 people were arrested by police on Monday following an attempt to stage a rally in front of the National Assembly to demand pro-democracy reforms to pave the way for 2010 elections.

Sudan African National Union expresses election doubts

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 16 December 2009:
SANU Expresses Election Doubts

(Juba) – The Sudan African National Union has expressed its concern that the forthcoming general elections will neither be free nor fair.

SANU chairman Dr. Toby Madut told SRS that the election process is too complicated, particularly as it will be conducted during the rainy season:

[Dr. Toby Madut]: “We are going to be voting in the rainy season and we think this is not the right time of year for elections. Secondly, we feel that the way voting is done, the way a voter has to vote 12 times, is really inconvenient and not only inconvenient but our people will not be able to vote properly. Most of the people are illiterate and don’t understand all these procedures and if we go ahead with this type of voting then many people will not vote properly - or at all.”

He added that the elections will also not be free and fair if the government does not provide funding for political parties to enable them to explain their policies.

Madut also feels that the elections should take place at different times and not all together:

[Toby Madut]: “There should be several phases of elections. In the first phase, people should only vote to elect the President of the Republic and the President of the Government of Southern Sudan and the Governors. Then, after a year, people can vote for the constituencies, the women’s lists and the party lists.”

SANU is currently selecting its candidates to stand in the forthcoming elections scheduled for April 2010.

South Sudan: NCP accuses SPLM of registering voters after December 7 deadline

Hello, the second paragraph of this report made me laugh. Maybe I'm in a funny mood today and this report is not funny at all.

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 15 December 2009:
NCP Accuses SPLM of Registering Voters After December 7 Deadline

(Khartoum) – The National Congress Party is accusing the SPLM of registering voters after the registration exercise has officially ended.

The NCP secretary for Greater Bahr el-Ghazal, Matthew Mayor, told SRS on Tuesday in Khartoum that the voter registration exercise is still continuing in some parts of southern Sudan. Voter registration officially ended in Sudan on December 7.

[Matthew Mayor]: “Yesterday, we discovered that they were still registering people and we launched an investigation. We received accusations three days ago saying that the SPLM is still registering voters, even after the end of the official period. The registration papers have been seen at the polling stations. They have still not been collected and we are concerned that registration is still underway even after the end of the official period. People who are in the field are saying the SPLM is still registering soldiers. Of course this is not a simple issue, it is a big one and we will discuss it with the relevant authorities, which is the commission. This is a violation of the voter registration exercise.”

SRS attempted to contact the head of voter registration at the NEC, Alhadi Mohamed Ahmed, but he was unavailable for comment.