South Sudan: Very few people in Mayom county, Unity state, are registering to vote

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, November 25, 2009:

(Mayom county) - Registrars in Mayom county, Unity state say they are facing security and logistical challenges and very few people are registering to vote.

The head of registration at Ruathnyibol payam in Mayom county, Zachariah How Koryom, says he fears they may not register some people in the county.

[Zachariah How]: “There are some areas that can not be reached because of the lack of good roads in the constituency. Another problem is insecurity, because of disagreements between communities. We need the police to take care of security while we are moving from house to house. The people do not come to registration centers because they are not aware of the elections and they do not see the importance of registration. So we are carryiong out mobilization and registration exercises at the same time. In the town, the registration is okay because they understand it. We have registered 11,000 people in Ruathnyibuol alone."

Zacharia How added that Mayom county is one of the areas that has been severely hit by drought this year.

He urges the government to solve the problem before the elections which are scheduled for early 2010.

SPLM-DC chair Lam Akol Ajawin accuses SPLM of harassing SPLM-DC members in southern Sudan

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 25 November 2009:

(Khartoum) - Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, the SPLM-DC chairman, says his party has presented a formal complaint about the SPLM to the chairman of the Political Parties' Affairs Council.

Dr. Akol is accusing the SPLM of harassing SPLM-DC members in southern Sudan.

Speaking in Khartoum on Tuesday, Dr. Akol’s party exhibited a copy of a letter written by the GOSS Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Dr Luka Monoja, on November 9, 2009. The letter urged the governors of 10 southern states not to cooperate with the SPLM –DC.

[Dr. Lam Akol]: “After the publication of this letter, which was sent to the governors of the ten southern states, no one can deny that the SPLM are responsible for harassing political activists and preventing political activities from taking place. This morning, we presented a letter to the chairman of the Political Parties Affairs’ Council and we briefed the Council on everything that is happening. It is an attempt to jeopardize our constitutional and legal rights, and we attached the letter written by GOSS to the governors of the southern states as proof that these kinds of practices are supported by the SPLM leadership itself.”

Dr Akol said his party members are being harassed on a daily basis in southern Sudan by SPLM security agents, following the directives issued by the GOSS.

He said his party will file a lawsuit against the SPLM in the Constitutional Court soon.

This report was received by email. Sudan Radio Service's website is being redesigned and will be back online very soon.

South Sudan: Advisor to governor of Unity State has defected from SPLM to join SPLM-DC

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 25 November 2009:

(Khartoum) - The advisor to the governor of Unity State, William Twil, has defected from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to join the SPLM-DC.

Twil, who was the advisor to Governor Taban Deng Gai on issues of border relations between Greater Bahr el-Ghazal and Unity state, made the announcement at a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday.

Twil said that the Government of Southern Sudan, under the leadership of Salva Kiir, has failed since he became the president.

He described the SPLM as the "big four" party, consisting of Salva Kiir Mayardit, Riek Machar, James Wani Igga and Pagan Amum

[William Twil]: “I have decided to leave the administration of Salva Kiir. First of all, there is a disintegration of the political and social situation in southern Sudan because of this person. If we don’t support Doctor Lam in order to rescue the people of Sudan from this personality vacuum, we are heading for a disaster. Day after day, we are hearing about the many problems in southern Sudan, but the reason that southern Sudanese do not want to really express themselves is because of hunger. If it weren’t for hunger, they would have spoken out. If someone speaks, he or she is removed from the ministry or from the department and consequently they and their children suffer. These people, they don’t belong to Salva Kiir and his administration which is dominated by Wani Igga, Riek Machar and Pagan Amum."

William Twil was speaking in Khartoum on Tuesday.

This report was received by email. Sudan Radio Service's newly designed website will be online soon.

South Sudan: Juba Clean-Up Campaign funded by British government

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, November 25, 2009:

(Juba) - GOSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit has participated in a garbage collection exercise, the Juba Clean-Up Campaign.

The campaign involved collecting rubbish in the town with the participation of government staff, the police and the army, UN agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders.

The Speaker of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, called on county commissioners to ensure that citizens in their counties are properly equipped to dispose of rubbish and litter:

[Wani Igga]: “All the commissioners - and not just the commissioner of Juba, should issue orders calling for every household to have a dustbin for garbage disposal which will be finally thrown in the main garbage collection bin.”

The one-day clean-up campaign is organized by the United Nations Environment Program, in collaboration with the Government of Southern Sudan.

The British government, which funded the operation, has allocated 3.7 million SDG in grants for waste management and environmental protection in southern Sudan.

Sudan Radio Service will be back online soon.

Opposition parties delay election boycott decision - Sudan on holiday for five days beginning tomorrow

Sudan's opposition parties said on Wednesday they would delay a decision on whether to boycott the first multi-party elections in 24 years because of the Muslim Eid holiday and extended voter registration.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which is the junior partner in the governing coalition, and 20 opposition parties had threatened to boycott the vote if a package of democratic laws were not passed by Nov. 30, showing a rare united front.

Because of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival, Sudan will be on holiday for five days beginning on Thursday, making any decision on a boycott by Nov. 30 impossible, the parties said.

Full story: Reuters Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:15am EST (Reporting by Opheera McDoom, editing by Mark Trevelyan) Khartoum newsroom; +249 912 167 378; opheera.mcdoom@thomsonreuters.com

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women - “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”

Change Begins At Home - Stop Violence Against Women

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 25 November 2009:

(Juba) - The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was marked in Juba on Wednesday by the launch of an awareness campaign.

The Under-secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Julia Aker, has urged the police to look into cases of violence against women.

Dr. Aker was speaking in Juba during the third commemoration of an event called “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”:

[Dr Julia Aker]: “I call upon our law enforcement agencies to ensure that when women come to the police station and report violence, please do support them because I know our society does not take them seriously; they just say - “Oh, this woman has been beaten and raped in Kongokongo, never mind, we'll put her in the corner!".”

The theme of this year’s event is, ‘Change Begins At Home - Stop Violence Against Women'.

Sudan Radio Service's website at http://www.sudanradio.org/news.php is being redesigned and will be back online very soon.

Security situation in Darfur - Nov 25, 2009

Source: United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, November 25, 2009/APO
UNAMID Daily Media Brief / 2009-11-25

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm, but unpredictable.

UNAMID military forces conducted 60 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 72 villages and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 137 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

Discharge of former combatants in Darfur
Following a recent initiative by the Government of Sudan (GoS), more than 300 former combatants, including women and disabled persons, participated in a discharge exercise from 22 to 24 November in El Fasher. It is envisaged that the programme will soon continue in other parts of Darfur, targeting a total of 5,000 former combatants affiliated with signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) who were disarmed in July 2008 when they formally surrendered their weapons to the GoS.

Those discharged in El Fasher include members of the Sudanese Armed Forces, People’s Defence Forces, and the Sudan Liberation Army/Mother Wing. While this is a unilateral initiative by the GoS, following an agreement with the DPA signatories, UNAMID agreed to offer logistical support to the exercise, including security, transport and health services. The GoS, on the other hand, is providing cash payments of 400 Sudanese Pounds (USD 150) for each participant, which will be followed by food vouchers and other services after two months.

Although the discharge exercise is not linked whatsoever to the development of a future programme for the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants, as included in the mandate of the African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission but for which there currently is no agreement on a policy framework in Darfur, UNAMID decided to assist the GoS in its efforts to strengthen the peace process and improve the overall security situation across the region.

South Sudan: Teachers in Juba on strike

Before reading the following report from Sudan Radio Service, note this excerpt from Alex de Waal's blog post at Making Sense of Darfur, November 22, 2009:

I hope that for the sake of the many thousands of Sudanese civil servants who depend on a timely salary payment to be able to celebrate the Eid properly, that the Sudan Government finds a way to pay its bills, in the few days left before the holiday. Equally, it must do so for the sake of the CPA.

And read the full story titled Unhappy Eid for the CPA.
- - -

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, November 25, 2009:

(Juba) - Teachers in Juba county in Central Equatoria state are on strike because they haven’t received their salaries for the last two months.

The teachers are demanding that their salaries for September and October 2009 should be paid immediately.

The teachers’ representative, the headmaster of Juba Day Secondary School, Daniel Swaka, told Sudan Radio Service that the government has promised to pay the salaries within a week.

[Swaka Daniel]: “We were requested to go to the ministry yesterday by the director-general of education in Central Equatoria state and he told us that they had started to pay the salaries. It transpired to be one month’s salary which some of us started to receive yesterday and the second salary of October is not out yet. The director-general met the acting governor yesterday and they promised that they will pay the remaining salaries within seven days.”

This is the second time teachers’ salary payments have been delayed in Central Equatoria state since the beginning of the year.

Sudan Radio Service's website is being redesigned and will be back online very soon.

Uganda blames South Sudan officials for President Salva Kiir's plane crash scare

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has finally returned home several hours after the plane he was traveling in narrowly escaped a crash.

Salva Kiir, Wednesday morning survived a plane crash, as he was returning home to Sudan from Uganda, after one of the tyres of the plane in which he was travelling burst.

Report from Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, November 25, 2009 12:51:
Sudan 1st VP safe after plane accident in Uganda

November 25, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – The Sudanese first vice president Salva Kiir survived an accident today that was caused by the rupture in one of the tires on the plane he and his delegations were boarding, Ugandan media reported.

However the foul play was ruled out. The incident brings back bitter memory on the death later SPLM leader John Garang who was killed after his helicopter crashed en route from Uganda.

The pilot managed to steer the plane away from hitting the trees which was almost certain to cause harm to the passengers.

The government of Southern Sudan sent another plane to instead of the Antonov 74 cargo plane.

Kiir was in Uganda to discuss the border tensions with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

- - -

From Bor Globe Network, Wed, November 25, 2009 15:54 by Geof Magga:
Uganda blames South Sudan officials for President’s plane crash scare

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has finally returned home several hours after the plane he was traveling in narrowly escaped a crash.

Salva Kiir, Wednesday morning survived a plane crash, as he was returning home to Sudan from Uganda, after one of the tyres of the plane in which he was travelling burst.

The pilot managed to control the plane and stopped it on the runway.

Salva Kiir yesterday met with Ugandan President, Museveni, over a border dispute. The meeting took place at Moyo town at the boarder of the two countries.

After the plane’s mishap, Salva Kiir was quickly evacuated and rushed back to Acholi Inn Hotel in Gulu town where he had spent the night.

Early this afternoon, Kiir and his entourage were escorted under tight security by the Ugandan soldiers back to Gulu Airfield. They took off at 2:30 p.m aboard a Uganda-registered charter plane.

The Antonov plane that was involved in the accident is grounded at Gulu Airfield. Engineers from southern Sudan are expected in Gula to repair the damaged plane.

Uganda says it is in no way responsible for what happened to the plane.

Uganda put the blame on southern Sudan government officials for chartering a plane with worn out tyres for their president.

- - -

From en.afrik.com by Geof Magga, Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - excerpt:
Southern Sudan: No sabotage involved in President’s plane crash

According to one of the Airfield workers, John Okello, who witenessed the accident, the plane developed a mechanical problem as it was taxiing out of the airfield.

Okello said, ’’It is a big Antonov 74 cargo plane. Salva Kiir and other Southern Sudan officials boarded it at around 9.00 am today morning. As it was taxiing out of the airfield one of the tyres burst. The plane swung sideways sevearl times but the pilot later brought it under control. No one was injured."

No Sabotage

The area police commander, Aziku Zata confirmed the incident. Zata said, "It was a mechanical problem. There was no sabotage whatsoever."

He said that another plane from southern Sudan was on its way to Gulu airfield to collect the president and his group.

Southern Sudan is prone to plane crashes due to old planes. The airworthiness of some of the planes operating in the southern Sudanese region have often been questioned.

Last year a minister and several army senoir officers died when a plane crashed 300 kms north of the southern Sudanese city of Juba.

Click into Sudan Tribune's article to view comments.

Gen. Kiir safely returns to Sudan

Daily Monitor - ‎1 hour ago‎

The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir who earlier today survived a plane mishap in Gulu, has safely returned home. Gen Kiir, who was in Uganda for a ...

Southern Sudan president Kiir in plane mishap New Vision

Southern Sudan president in air crash scare Times LIVE

Kiir directs to not hinder freedom of political parties in South Sudan Sudan Tribune

UGPulse.com - Afrik.com

all 22 news articles »

Low turn-out of women for the voter registration in southern Sudan

Cecilia Andrea Apaya, a senior lecturer at Juba University, said that the university has introduced women’s studies in most departments to help fight the attitude that women are second-class citizens.

She called on the government to offer free primary education to girls, saying that it is the only way to encourage parents to send their girls to school.

Report by Sudan Radio Service, November 24, 2009:

(Juba) - The chairperson of the Southern Sudan Women’s Organization for Development and Rehabilitation, Cecilia Andrea Apaya, says that the low turn-out of women for the voter registration exercise in southern Sudan is due to the reluctance of women to participate in public life.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Juba on Monday, Cecilia Apaya said that illiteracy and ignorance among southern Sudanese women has contributed to the modest role of women in Sudanese politics.

[Cecilia Apaya]: “We must talk to women so that they understand why they should get involved in politics. But if we don’t talk to them, if we don’t raise their awareness, they will not come out to register, because they don’t understand the importance of politics. Most women are not educated, that’s the biggest problem we are now facing. The few educated ones have already registered but the majority has not. Because they don’t understand! They say why should I register my name there, why should I go there? Why should I leave my house, my children? There is no need for me to go there!”

Apaya, a senior lecturer at Juba University, said that the university has introduced women’s studies in most departments to help fight the attitude that women are second-class citizens.

She called on the government to offer free primary education to girls, saying that it is the only way to encourage parents to send their girls to school.

Note, the new website of Sudan Radio Service will be online very soon.

Sudanese MP says lack of commitment towards the peace agreements is putting the whole country in peril

Report by Sudan Radio Service, November 24, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The spokesman for the Coalition of National Opposition Parties, Faroq Abu-Eisa MP, says that Sudanese are poorer now than they were in the past because of what he describes as the failed economic policies of the National Congress Party.

Addressing a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday, Mr. Eisa said that people have been living in poverty for the last twenty years.

[Faroq Abu Eisa]: “Sudanese people are living in misery. That has never happened before. More than 90% of the population is on the edge of poverty and hunger because of bad economic and political policies, since the current regime came to power in 1989. Our people are at a turning point, they are afraid of what is going to happen in the country due to the same bad policies, the policies of humiliation and insult.”

He warned that what he saw as a lack of commitment towards the peace agreements is putting the whole country in peril.

NEC has appealed to GONU and international community to fund forthcoming elections in Sudan

Report by Sudan Radio Service, November 24, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The National Electoral Commission has appealed to the Government of National Unity and the international community to fund the forthcoming elections in the country.

The Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Abel Alier, spoke to members of the press in Khartoum on Monday.

[Abel Alier]: “We are inviting international organizations and governments to deliver their pledges in order to conduct elections in an acceptable manner for everyone. Actually we received assistance but it was specifically for the media. We encourage countries and organizations to work with us, so they can see what we are doing with the assistance they provide. This is important to ensure that people do not think the assistance may be used to fund unacceptable activities.”

Abel Alier was speaking to the press in Khartoum on Monday.

ICC's Outreach Programme is active in Uganda, DR Congo, CAR and Darfur (Sudan)

Currently, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Outreach Programme is active in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Darfur (Sudan).

The programme promotes access to and understanding of judicial proceedings and fosters realistic expectations about the court's work.

This in turn has engendered greater local community participation by addressing their concerns and countering misperceptions.

Full story at Congo Watch, Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - ICC's Outreach Programme is active in Uganda, DR Congo, CAR and Darfur (Sudan).

Cross-posted to Uganda Watch.

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

Voter registration requirements for Sudanese living in Kenya have been eased

Note that the voter registration process, which was to end on November 30, has been extended to December 7.

Report by Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, November 24, 2009:

(Nairobi) - Voter registration requirements for Sudanese living in Kenya have been eased to make it simpler for them to vote.

The Sudanese Ambassador to Kenya, Guandong Majok, described the new conditions to Sudan Radio Service on Monday.

[Guandong Majok]: “A Sudanese student who is 18 years old or above must have a valid passport and a student ID. This is considered as one of the conditions you should have to register. Regarding parents who are here with their children in schools, we have agreed that the mother should have a valid passport and have one of her children enrolled as a student in Kenya. This will enable her to register. We also formed a committee with a chief and people who know the members of the community because there are Sudanese who have been here since the war and after the peace agreement they got Sudanese passports and they live here. We also formed a committee between the Sudanese community and the embassy so that they can act as witnesses for people they know and these people will be allowed to register with their witness.”

There has been a marked increase of people going to register following the announcement of the new requirements.

Kuol Nyang Kuol is a registration officer at the Embassy. He spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday.

[Kuol Nyang Kuol]: “From November 10th until Sunday, only one or two people came during the whole day but today, as you can see, there are more than a hundred people.”

The voter registration process, which was to end on November 30, has been extended to December 7.

SPLM-USA released a petition today voicing discontent with voter registration operations in the USA

Leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement chapters in the United States of America (SPLM-USA) released a petition today voicing discontent with voter registration operations in the USA.

Many diaspora members have been expecting to exercise their right to vote in the elections scheduled for April 2010. But in the entire United States of America, home to a diaspora of tens of thousands of Sudanese, there are only three voter registration centers.

The voter registration period is scheduled to close December 7.

Full story: Sudan Tribune, Tuesday 24 November 2009 - America’s SPLM chapters denounce ’disenfranchisement’ during voter drive

South Sudan: Tension is increasing in Jonglei state following a series of attacks against villages around Bor town

Report from Sudan Radio Service
By Sirocco Mayom, Tuesday, November 24, 2009:

(Bor) - Tension is increasing in Jonglei state following a series of attacks against villages around Bor town.

SRS reporter Sirocco Mayom has the details of the latest incident.

[Mayom Sirocco]: “Gunmen killed one man, wounded a woman and abducted three children near Bor when they attacked Pan Apet on Saturday night at around 1 am. One of the three children escaped amidst gunshots from the abductors and made it to Bor town. Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang Juuk condemned the incident and accused the security forces of not carrying out their duties properly.”

Manyang David Mayar, a resident in Bor, says that the situation in the area is worsening by the day.

[Manyang David]: “The situation currently is actually getting worse for the residents. They leave their houses during the night and come back in the day. Children are not allowed to go outside during the evening hours and also at night. And when a person is called at night they have to reject that call because it may be agents of insecurity doing that.”

Efforts to reach the governor of Jonglei state to comment on the issue were unsuccessful.

Click on Jonglei label here below for related reports. Note, the website at http://www.sudanradio.org/news.php is being redesigned and will be back online very soon.

See report from Sudan Tribune November 24, 2009 by Philip Thon Aleu (Bor) November 23, 2009: Jonglei voter registration not affected by insecurity – official - excerpt:

The chairman of Jonglei state National Electoral Commission (NEC) says Monday that voter registration “has not been affected” by insecurity threats aiming to sabotage the process.

Ajang Alaak, the head of the NEC in Jonglei told the press in his office, however that voter registration per day is low and the transport of registrars remains a big challenge in the restive province.

At least 5 people have been killed and 5 children abducted over the weekend in Bor County which hosts the capital of Jonglei state. Mr. Alaak’s comment comes at a time where security situation at Bor villages remains tense following attack by armed men in different locations last week.

“The registration process has not being affected. There is no big threat,” Mr. Alaak responded when asked whether the voter exercise faces some shortcoming from insecurity build-up in areas surrounding Bor town. The attackers aim to “to disturb elections [due 2010] but we shall not allow,” them to do that Mr. Alaak further said.

At least 690,000 legible voters are expected to be registered in Jonglei according to the 5th 2008 National Census results. NEC officials consider a substantial number of voters will be registered with at least 51% voters within the reach.

Sudan's National Election Commission says voter registration has been extended by a week

Report by Sudan Radio Service, November 23, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The National Election Commission has announced that voting in the forthcoming general election which was scheduled for April 5, 2010, will now take place on April 11.

The voter registration period has also been extended by a week. The decision comes after the NEC held meetings with some political parties on Sunday. The parties demanded the extension of the voter registration period.

Lieutenant-general Alhadi Mohammed Hamad, an NEC registrar, spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday.

[Lieutenant-general Alhadi Mohammed Hamad]: “For logistical reasons, we have realized that in some states the registration process has been delayed, and we are also responding to the requests of the political parties who met with the NEC. The commission decided to extend the registration period for an additional seven days, from December 1 to the 7th. Of course, this change will affect the polling date. Instead of April 5, it will be changed to the 11th. We have informed the high commissions in the states so that they will implement the decision.”

Mohammed went on to deny accusations that the NEC is working with the NCP, saying that they have not received any complaints about the process.

[Lieutenant-general Alhadi Mohammed Hamad]: The registration is currently being monitored both locally and internationally by political parties and organizations like the United Nations. And all of them have praised us for what is taking place, and you can even read the statement made by the UN official who is here on a mission to monitor the registration process and so far no political party has issued any kind of complaints about the registration process in Sudan.”

Lieutenant-general Alhadi Mohammed Hamad was speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Monday.

UN says children in Sudan will no longer be sentenced to death

Untitled report by Sudan Radio Service, November 23, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The United Nations says the Government of National Unity has announced that children will no longer be sentenced to death.

Addressing a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday at the end of her visit to Sudan, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Madam Radhika Coomaraswamy, said she was assured by the GONU Ministry of Justice that children in Sudan will not be executed for crimes which carry the death penalty.

[Radhika Coomaraswamy]: “We were also concerned about the protection of children in the recent inter-tribal conflicts in the south and also issues related to capital punishment and the death penalty for children. Finally, we got a commitment today from the Ministry of Justice that there will be no execution of children. I am announcing it because he made it very clear and if we can prove that these were children, especially in the Justice and Equality Movement, there will be no executions. With regard to inter-tribal conflict you know that 370 children have been abducted over the last few months. We were told this is a practice associated with cattle raiding and because of the presence of small arms there has been terrible bloodshed."

Madam Coomaraswamy said the GONU Justice Minister, Abdul–Basit Sabdarat Saleh told her that the six child soldiers who were arrested during the Justice and Equality Movement’s attack on Omdurman on 10th May last year and who are currently on death row, will not be executed.

[Radhika Coomaraswamy]: “We have six I think who were from JEM on death row. Now the issue is that the government claims that the military tribunal has found that four of them were not children but the assessment of the international agencies is that they are children, so there is this issue. But I was assured today by the Minister of Justice that they will not be executed. So I hope that will be true, we hope that this commitment will be kept. Secondly, with regard to the recruitment policy of the Sudan Armed Forces, there is no active recruitment from the top level, but there are child soldiers in the region, especially in Darfur. We have some data showing that there are children that have not been recruited but have been present in the camps in Darfur. That is why we are having a dialogue with them, with a possibility of drawing up an action plan as well. With regards to JEM, we have information that they are recruiting. In fact, we have data that everyone is continuing to recruit but not as much as they were doing at the time of the war.”

Madam Coomaraswamy said there are still large numbers of children fighting with armed groups in Sudan, saying that she had received statements indicating that these groups recruited child soldiers between September 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009.

Senior SPLM official urged NEC to allow the media to visit registration centers to inform people about voter registration

Untitled report by Sudan Radio Service, November 23, 2009:

(Khartoum) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement visited voter registration centers in Khartoum on Saturday and Sunday to assess the registration process in Khartoum state.

SPLM Ministers and State Ministers in the Government of National Unity, the Khartoum State Government and the National Legislatures went to visit 7 areas within Khartoum state where there are about fifty voter registration centers.

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service after their visit, a senior SPLM official, the deputy-governor of Khartoum state, Parmena Awerial Aluong, explains the purpose of the visit.

[Parmena Awerial Aluong]: “We visited sixteen centres and there were some problems in these areas. We tried to resolve some of them, not all of them but I felt that the visit was very, very important to us. One of the things I saw was that all the political parties were all represented in the centers [as election observers] and that makes the registration really different from other elections I have seen.”

Awerial urged the National Elections Commission to allow the media to visit the registration centers to inform people about voter registration.

Chief registrars in the different centers say they are forbidden by the NEC to give statements to the media.

Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the SPLM Parliamentary caucus in the National Assembly, Thomas Wani Kundu, says numerous violations were reported to the SPLM by the observers at the different centers in Khartoum.

[Thomas Wani]: “One, the NCP has a policy of deceiving people who come for registration. They are given fake forms which they fill in thinking that they have registered. And then of course people come innocently and began registering without knowing that they were not at a real registration center. Secondly, when the people go in they are called to back so that their numbers are written down and their telephone numbers are taken. The idea behind this is that those people can be bribed so that they will vote for the NCP. Despite the fact that we have got representation from the different political parties, the NCP was predominant in all these centers.”

Thomas Wani has urged southern Sudanese to turn out in big numbers to register in order to be ready to vote during the forthcoming general elections and also to prove “that the results of the recent census were falsified”.