The Abyei Monitor

Grievences between SPLM and NCP

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:41:44 -0400

In what has been seen as a message to the ruling NCP party in the North, Salva Kiir, First Vice President of Sudan and President of Southern Sudan, on Thursday 18 June 2009, said that 'enemies of peace' are instigating chaos in Southern Sudan.

Kiir was referring to the continued clashes between civilians throughout Southern Sudan that has brought South Sudan more casualties and deaths than Western Darfur in recent months. Because of the advanced weaponary held by those involved in the clashes, many have suspected outside involvement.

Kiir also has publicly aired grievences with the NCP over backing a newly formed political splinter party in the South called the SPLM Democratic Change (SPLM-DC), led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs for the GOSS and once leading personality in the SPLM, Dr. Lam Akol. According to Kiir the NCP is supporting efforts to destabilize the ruling authority in South Sudan by backing this political party who has accused the SPLM of being politically 'bankrupt' and 'undemocratic.

Kiir denies the allegations of the SPLM-DC saying that his government in the South protects the liberties of democracy for the people of the South more than the Sudanese Government does in any other part of Sudan. Kiir went on to dispute the census results of the nation which have given the South Sudan less than 30% of the total popuation of the nation, disrupting the chances of the South to recieve the portion of the nation's wealth that the two parties agreed on in 2005. He went on to complain that the GOS has not given the GOSS its agreed upon share of oil revenues since peace had been established.

With regard to all of these issues that have arisen between the SPLM and the NCP, Kiir said that while he will not be the one to instigate a new war, if forced and attacked the people of the South will be able to defend themselves. This shows the extent of the political war which has been going on between the governments of the North and the South of Sudan since the peace established under the CPA.

South Sudan violence more deadly than Darfur

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:41:02 -0400

In recent months more people have died in tribal violence in South Sudan than have died in the war torn region of Darfur according to UN special representative for Sudan Ashraf Qazi. South Sudan has been facing tribal conflicts that have claimed the lives of hundreds, displacing thousands.

Several militias were backed by the northern government to disrupt the stability and unity of the south during the long lasting civil war that claimed the lives of some 2 million people. Southern Sudanese officials say that the wounds from inter ethnic conflicts have yet to be healed.

Peace and stability in Southern Sudan is vital for the upcomming elections in 2010 which will be a milestone in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Yet Sothern Sudan's President Salva Kiir says that he anticipates the violence to worsen before the elections. He blames the violence on elements that wish to prove that the South is incapable of maintaining stability with the new status of semi-autonomy.

Nile Council of Ministers meet in Kinshasa: position of Sudan and Egypt threatened

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:14:07 -0400

The Nile Council of Ministers met in Kinshasa, DRC discussing the way forward to the treaties on the use of the Nile River waters. The member states included Egypt, Sudan, Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

Sudan and Egypt hoped for "the historical rights and uses" of the river to be recognized by the council of Nile Valley nations, ensuring them their majority use of the waters of the river. As the north Sudan and Egypt do not have any other major water sources, the use of the River Nile waters has been a key to the development of the nations, however some would argue that this has come only through the sacrifice of other nations in the Nile River Basin.

The other ministers in this council did not agree on the provision of these rights to Sudan and Egypt, and rather promoted development of extensive irrigation projects in Ethiopia and Tanzania The Sudanese minister left pre-maturely only minutes into the proceedings weakening the stance of Egypt and Sudan.

Issues of water security are at the center of the development and reconciliation efforts in Sudan as water is a basic resource that all people have a right to be provided. The rights to the waters of the Nile River is also an issue that is central to the development of the broader region.

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Sat, 30 May 2009 14:04:16 -0400

Sudanese former president Ga'afar Muhammad Nimeiry died today, Saturday May 30th at the age of 79. The former Sudanese leader came to power in 1969 ousting Ismail al-Azhari.

His regime was at the forefront of many changes in the Sudanese nation. He signed the Addis Ababa Aggreement in 1972 bringing peace to Sudan after the first civil war. Then after certain breaches of the peace aggreement, which were accompanied by an imposition of Sharia Islamic law in Sudan, the country was plunged back into war.

The former president was said to be a friend of the West and was one of the few Arab leaders to support Egypt's peace agreement with Israel.

Nimeiry was ousted in a coup a quarter of a century ago and sent into exile in Cairo. This exile was broken by Omar al-Bashir who invited the former president back to Sudan in 1999.

JEM's proposal for confederation between North and South

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:13:59 -0400

Amidst the ongoing debate among high and low ranks in Sudan around whether the governments of North and South should remain united or be divided into two nations, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), known for its rebellion in Darfur, has been discussing the idea of a confederation between North and South.

This confederation would consist of two largely independent nations with a central authority serving as a sort of marriage between the two nations in much the same way the the European Union unites the various nations of Western Europe. This central authority would take responsiblity of areas where there is mutual interest between North and South.

The aim of the confederation is to provide an arena where the mutual interest of both regions, including economic, security, and developmental concerns, that will be given attention by both the government of the North and the government of the South.

This idea resembles the attempt of the JEM to come to some understanding around the referendum of 2011 that will be in the mutual interest of North and South. It is not the first time that the idea of confederation has appeared. John Garang proposed the idea of confederation in the Naivasha Negotiations of 2005 and Malik Agar, Deputy Chairman of the SPLM proposed a similar idea in January 2008. The players active in this latest proposal for confederation believe that now is a more appropriate time to promote the idea and anticipate greater success.

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:04:47 -0400

The tribal chiefs of all ten states of Southern Sudan have met in Bentiu, Southern Sudan on Sunday May 16. The chiefs have come together to discuss issues related to preserving peace and security in the region.

Among the issues to be discussed are the increase in tribal violence that has plagued the region and how to effectively structure the civilian disarmament process. These issues are seen as being of the utmost concern both civilians and the government.

Tribal clashes have persisted becoming more common place and gaining in intensity as there are clashes between Nuer tribes, between Dinka and Nuer, and between the Bari and Mundari just within the past few months.

There have been certain regional governors and members of parliament that have been implicated in perpetuating these disputes giving arms to their local constituencies and encouraging them to fight their neighbors. This is a serious matter of concern for leaders such as Salva Kiir who has warned against such politicians.

SPLM on census results

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Wed, 20 May 2009 12:59:55 -0400

The SPLM partnering with the NCP in the government of National Unity has reported that its leader Salva Kiir has some reservations about the census results that have been endorsed by the Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.

Salva Kiir has met with the Sudanese President and the Vice President Ali Osman Taha in the Sudanese capital where Kiir expressed his reservations about the census results.

The matter that is most worrying for the Southern Sudanese leadership is that the population of South Sudan was reported to be 8.2 million. This figure does fall short of the one third limit below which the parties had agreed that the oil revenue sharing agreement would have to be re-examined.

While the SPLM is skeptical about the census results, the NCP maintains that the census was conducted in accordance with international standards and that while they question whether the SPLM will be equally skeptical about election results in the event that they do not get favorable results.

JEM rebel turns himself in to the International Criminal Court

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:11:32 -0400

In the continuing saga of the ICC investigations into the Darfur crisis a Darfur rebel from the Justice and Equality Movement, a movement that has been a leading force in the anti-government rebellion in Darfur, Western Sudan, has surrendered himself to the court.

On Monday, May 18, Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, the suspected perpetrator of war-crimes against African Union Peacekeepers was asked to appear before the International Criminal Court after arriving in the Netherlands on Sunday.

Abu Garda led an attack against the African Union Peacekeepers at Haskanita, North Darfur in September 2007 where 12 peacekeepers were killed and 8 seriously wounded.

Speaking on the attack Luis Moreno-Ocampo described the attacks as “the most serious attack against peacekeepers in Darfur. He welcomed Abu Garda’s move to turn himself in to the court.

Massacre in Torhech between Nuer groups

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:03:55 -0400

On Friday May 8 a group of Lou Nuer attacked the Jikany Nuer inhabiting the town of Torhech. This is the most recent ethnic violence reported in Southern Sudan since the violence between the Bari and Mundari in April.

Over 60 men, women, and children have been killed in the massacre with 57 wounded, some of them being in critical condition. The United Nations has expressed concern about the recent violence and the broader deterioration of security in the region.

The town of Tohech is in the Jikmir payam of Nasir county. There have been some 1,550 displaced peoples in Jikmir and other payams in the region. This situation further complicates the ethnic dynamic in the region.

It is not known what was behind the attacks however the United Nations representative for the region has called on the parties involved to engage in a peaceful reconciliation process. The South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) is mobilizing food assistance to be distributed to the displaced peoples.

Sudan oil revenues hit all time lows in the months of February and March

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:31:38 -0400

It has been reported that Sudan oil revenues hit all time lows. On Wednesday, May 6 records of the February and March oil revenues were released revieling major drops from the end of last year.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Al-Tayib Abu-Gnaya was quoted by Sudanese media as saying that total oil revenue for February and March was $47.54 million and $90 million respectively.

These figures differ sharply with the higher figures reported at the end of 2008 with reports of $347.79 million in November and $608 million in October.

This spells problems for the Sudanese economy which is already in trouble due to the global financial crisis. Sudan, particularly South Sudan is hugely dependent on oil to fuel its economy and such figures mean that Sudan's economy is hitting very hard times.

Salva Kiir announces that failures to implement CPA can result in a regional war

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:03:25 -0400

Salva Kiir, First Vice President of Sudan and President of Southern Sudan, while in the Western Kenyan city of Kisumu, announced that the way that the CPA is being implemented in the Sudan threatens to plunge the entire region into war.

Kiir's major complaints on CPA implementation were border demarcation, census results, and election laws. While there has been some progress on the census, the SPLM is not content with the results that put the population of the South at about 20% of the nations total population. The SPLM has declared that it will not accept census results that put the population of Southern Sudan at any less than one third of the total population.

He accused some unspecified parties of trying to push his movement back to war, while stressing that “previous wars gave the people of Southern Sudan negative experience of retuning to war”.

The Kenyan Prime Minister seemed to identify with the cause of Southern Sudan commenting that “nobody should sabotage the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement”.

Tribal Clashes North of Juba

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:15:35 -0400

On April 27 there were reports of violence between Bari and Mundari tribes north of the Southern Sudanese capilal, Juba. The fighting was around the area of Jebel Ladu.

The two ethnic groups speak the same language however they are separate tribes. The violence was likely related to cattle raiding, which is common to tribal violence in Southern Sudan, becoming more and more common place in recent months.

Some SPLA soldiers joined in the fighting taking sides in the conflict. When other SPLA officers tried to intervene in the conflict they fled remarking on the use of heavy and sophisticated weapons that were being fired randomly. This use of sophisticated weapons raises questions of whether there are outside forces at work within this newest tribal clash.

On the eve of new elections in Southern Sudan there are concerns over whether the interests of southern development and security are being taken seriously in international discourse. Presently the South is facing the threat of being rendered a failed region.

Arab involvement in Darfur since ICC warrant

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:42:04 -0400

The Arab League has pledged 80 million dollars monthly for the period of a year to Darfur and has appointed a Special Coordinator for Humanitarian affairs for the region.

Since the president of Sudan Omar Al'Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court for counts of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity he has kicked out the main aid organizations from the Sudan.

He has been hit with much opposition internationally and domestically since his decision yet he has maintained that other Sudanese and Arab aid organizations shall fill the humanitarian gap.

The involvement of the Arab world in the humanitatian issues that are plaguing the Darfur Region seems key at this time of uncertainty for the government of Omar Al'Bashir.

source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article30828

Obama administration sends envoy to sudan

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:59:16 -0400

President Barack Obama has sent a newly appointed Special Envoy to Sudan. Scott Gration, one of Obama's top advisors, traveled with then Senator Obama to Africa in 2006. There they visited Darfur refugee camps in Chad.

Obama says that there is the pressing issue of Sudan having a developing humanitarian crisis for the displaced people in the Darfur region as the 13 Aid organizations have been kicked out of Sudan. These organizations included CARE, Oxfam, Doctors without borders and other organizations.

Gration is scheduled to visit Khartoum, Darfur and South Sudan where he will discuss the potential of comming to a solution to the conflict in Darfur and he also discuss how to maintain the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, ending Sudan's long running North South conflict.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200904010061.html

SPLM's reaction to Dafur Aid Expusion

nospam@example.com (Dennis Deng) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:02:37 -0400

The SJPLM leadership has condemned the decision of the Omar Al'Bashir as he kicked out 13 aid organizations serving Darfur and the three areas of Abyei, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. They say that them along with other NCP leaders, who have decenting views on the expulsion of the aid organizaiobns, were not even consulted for the decision that was made by a select few in the leadership of the NCP.