Article from The EastAfrican.co.ke
By FRED OLUOCH
Published: Saturday, 22 June 2019
Standby force is watching Sudan closely
The Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) is monitoring activities in the country
Photo: Members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries are seen in the back of a technical (pickup truck mounted with a machine gun turret) during a rally in the village of Qarri, about 90 kilometres north of Khartoum, on June 15, 2019. (Credit Photo by - / AFP)
In Summary
- EASF has put aside $2.6 million as part of the peace funds.
- The Force is funded by Nordic countries as well as annual contributions by the 10 member states, paid on a pro-rata basis depending on the size of the country’s economy.
The Eastern Africa Standby Force is watching developments in Sudan and is ready to deploy if the situation turns genocidal.
EASF Director Abdillahi Omar Bouh told The EastAfrican that while there are still no signs of genocide and Sudan has not invited the regional force to intervene, they are playing an advisory role.
“Our mandate is that we first support peace for three months to avoid genocide, then the international community takes over. We have achieved full operational capability and can deploy in 14 days. However, the decision to deploy is a political one and it has to come from the summit of the EASF member states or the African Union,” said Dr Bouh.
He said that the EASF had been scheduled to be deployed in Gambia in 2017, but since the AU was keen to save money, they decided that it was cheaper to use the Economic Community of West African States because of proximity.
With 5,200 troops on the ready from July, the EASF can be deployed anywhere on the continent and not only in East Africa.
EASF has put aside $2.6 million as part of the peace funds. The Force is funded by Nordic countries as well as annual contributions by the 10 member states, paid on a pro-rata basis depending on the size of the country’s economy. For instance, Kenya pays $800,000, Uganda $400,000 and Djibouti $200,000.
Currently, only Seychelles, Ethiopia and Uganda have paid their dues, while other members are waiting for the beginning of their financial year in July. EASF member states are Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
One of the key challenges EASF has been facing is that three countries — Burundi, Comoros and Djibouti — are yet to ratify the agreement that established the force in 2014. In addition, the mandating process for the legal framework for deployment is yet to be tested.
Other challenges are sustaining the funding in case of deployment, and the dual membership of the members in the competing interests of the East African Community and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad).
Head of peace operations Major General Albert Kendagor said that EASF remains aware of the developments in Sudan and that there are high level consultations going on involving the AU and Igad.
On June 20, the Igad Council of Ministers held its first meeting on Sudan in Khartoum. The council announced that it will play a leading role in the negotiations between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to transfer power to civilians.
In May, the military junta and the opposition agreed that a technocrat government appointed by the FFC would administrate the country during the three-year transitional period.
They also agreed that the opposition coalition will appoint 67 per cent of the 300-member parliament.
But early this month, TMC leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan abandoned negotiations with the protesters and instead declared that the elections will be held in the next nine months.
The TMC now wants half of the government and controlling rights, plus half of the parliamentary membership.
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More by this Author FRED OLUOCH
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IMPORTANT: #watch_Sudan_on_June30th
On June 30th, the people of Sudan plan to hold a mass protest in hopes of forcing the Transitional Military Council to step down and hand over power to a civilian government.
#watch_Sudan_on_June30th
#راقبوا_السودان_في_30يونيوTo view the above tweet click here: https://twitter.com/isra_bashir/status/1143393003924574209
- - -To see above tweet click here: https://twitter.com/AmaalAbdelrahm1/status/1143641418205990912On June 30th, the people of Sudan plan to hold a mass protest in hopes of forcing the Transitional Military Council to step down and hand over power to a civilian government. #watch_Sudan_on_June30th#راقبوا_السودان_في_30يونيو— Isra Bashir (@isra_bashir) 25 June 2019
Strong message to #TMC from Ambassador James about 30 June 2019
#Watch_Sudan_on_June30th#BlueForesudan@AbueissaAmel@_AfricanUnion@AJEnglish@BBCWorld@AsstSecStateAF@UNarabic@UNHumanRights@a85ded265c60427@adlan07338103@AssociationSd@PPhASudan@abu_idriss
To see above tweet and video clip click here: https://twitter.com/AmaalAbdelrahm1/status/1143641418205990912Astrong message to #TMC thank you Ambassdor James #Watch_Sudan_on_June30th #BlueForesudan @AbueissaAmel @_AfricanUnion @AJEnglish @BBCWorld @AsstSecStateAF @UNarabic @UNHumanRights @a85ded265c60427 @adlan07338103 @AssociationSd @PPhASudan @abu_idriss pic.twitter.com/u1H7iDJtFo— Amaal Abdelrahman (@AmaalAbdelrahm1) 25 June 2019
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8,560th Security Council Meeting: Reports of Secretary-General on Sudan and South Sudan held 25 June 2019
NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I watched the following film last night. It felt strange listening to briefings eloquently spoken while I connected them to many miles of reports and images that have flown up into space and around the world since the Darfur war erupted in 2003 and war ravaged South Sudan.
I thought back to the days when this blog Sudan Watch started in 2004. The internet and blogging technology were in their infancy, there was no Twitter or Instagram, a map of Darfur was nowhere to be found online. We used dial-up modems to get online, sometimes it took minutes or hours or not at all. Here is the "Sound of dial-up internet" https://youtu.be/gsNaR6FRuO0 (The first comment at that page made me laugh: "Get off the internet, I'm on the phone")
Now, here we are, sixteen years later, millions of Sudanese lives destroyed, listening to incredible heartfelt words of peace. Each person giving a briefing seem to me to be genuine in the words they were conveying in a sombre arena with great technology: see the teleconferencing briefing from a great woman in Juba!
Hopefully, longtime readers of Sudan Watch will watch this Security Council meeting on Sudan and South Sudan, imagine being there, think about the words being spoken and what it took to get them there. Who could predict it'd take sixteen long years to see a meeting such as this taking place.
Note, the diplomatic language used during one of the briefings referencing Messrs Kiir and Machar and the telling words used. They have until November to show if they are willing to let down the people of South Sudan. Greedy (expletive) gun-toting (expletive) rebels, they make my blood boil. They have destroyed and shattered millions of lives while feathering their own nests, travelling the world, staying in swanky hotels, getting feet kissed by the Pope who went down on his knees to beg for peace and for the killings to stop. Note that the speaker for South Sudan, in his briefing, spoke of Mr Machar not returning from Rome with Mr Kiir, it doesn't sound like the two are hurrying to meet. God help them.
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To see the above tweet and video song clip click here: https://twitter.com/mjahed_salah/status/1140749301037051906A Nigerian singer's message to Sudan#blueforsudan pic.twitter.com/TPID1LPosz— Muj∆hed🌙 (@mjahed_salah) 17 June 2019
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POSTSCRIPT FROM SUDAN WATCH EDITOR
Dear readers of Sudan Watch, apologies for the length of these posts, no time to make them nice and short and polished. It's taking time to read fast-moving news and cut through all the noise. I aim to make posts shorter. Right now, I need posts such as this to be in one place with yellow highlighting for my reference.
Please excuse cosmetic glitches. It's not been easy getting this blog up and running after a six-year hiatus, at the same time as tracking fast-moving news. The site needs more repairs but at least it is functioning. Please don't forget to check your Spam box incase Sudan news is delivered there. I aim to post daily.
If you are a new reader, please subscribe in the sidebar here to get copies of posts delivered free of charge to your mail box. You can read and delete or keep for future reference and forward them on to others.
Internet is still down in Sudan. People around the world are working hard to communicate during blackout. A few days ago this site received visitors located in Sudan, nothing since. Watch for Sudan news 30 June.
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TMC has settled into its role before elections
To see above tweet click here: https://twitter.com/hiba_morgan/status/1143953971436032001@SUNA_AGENCY’s statement read ‘secretary-general of the presidency of the republic’. There is no presidency since April 11th. The TMC has been throwing statements about elections but have settled into the role way before the polls they want to organize open.— Hiba Morgan (@hiba_morgan) 26 June 2019
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Sudan
DRC
#Watch_Sudan_on_June30th
#IAmTheSudanRevolutionAnd we will embrace each other and cry the tears of joy one Day. Whoever painted this, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.— Walaa Isam Elboushi (@WalaaIsamAhmed) 26 June 2019
Sudan🇸🇩 ♥️ DRC🇨🇩#Watch_Sudan_on_June30th#IAmTheSudanRevolution pic.twitter.com/UNIJpn6u3E
