United Nations Mission in (UNMISS) Media & Spokesperson Unit Communications & Public Information Office MEDIA MONITORING REPORT

THURSDAY, 13 JUNE 2013 SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN • African mediation hands “urgent proposal” to Sudan and South Sudan (Sudantribune.com) • Kiir acknowledges Khartoum decision to block oil flow through Sudan (Sudantribune.com) • South Sudan will “not fold its arms” if Khartoum launches attack (Sudantribune.com) • China pledges support in resolving differences with Sudan (Gurtong) • Youth call for postponement of SPLM Convention following oil dispute (Gurtong) SOUTH SUDAN • Commissioner urges humanitarian agencies to resume as calm returns to Pibor (Gurtong) • Ministry requests withdrawal of Provisional Orders on municipality border (Gurtong) • Bor County Paramount Chief sworn in (Sudantribune.com) • Morobo Commissioner seeks support in health service delivery (Gurtong) OTHER HIGHLIGHTS • Karti in Ethiopia to discuss Nile dam, Sudan, South Sudan conflicts (Sudantribune.com) OPINION/ FEATURES • OPINION - Stoppage of oil pipeline: has Juba learnt the lesson? (Sudan Vision) • OPINION – Bashir blackmails the international community (by Ahmed Hussein on Sudantribune.com) • REPORT – Fashoda Institute: Al-Bashir attacks South Sudan, stirs Jihadists to distract from domestic protests (PRWeb.com)

LINKS TO STORIES FROM THE MORNING MEDIA MONITOR • US, EU urge Khartoum to reconsider blocking pipelines (Eye Radio) • Sudan tells US top diplomat in Khartoum ‘not to offer any advices’ (Sudantribune.com) • Oil row could impact South Sudanese residents in Sudan (Radio Miraya) • Interior ministry completes police screening (Radio Miraya) • Lack of vehicles impedes fight against crime in Juba (Eye Radio) • South Africa and South Sudan enter declaration of intent (DefenceWeb) • More than 80 rifles found after search in Bor Town (Gurtong) • SPLA recover 500 guns from civilians in State (Sudantribune.com) • Kenya refinery workers protest over possible plant closure (Gurtong) • South Sudan soldier’s case drags on in Kampala (The Daily Monitor)

NOTE: Reproduction here does not mean that the UNMISS Communications & Public Information Office can vouch for the accuracy or veracity of the contents, nor does this report reflect the views of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Furthermore, international copyright exists on some materials and this summary should not be disseminated beyond the intended list of recipients.

Highlights

African mediation hands "urgent proposal" to Sudan and South Sudan Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 12/06/13 - The head of the African Union (AU) mediation handed over "urgent proposals" to Khartoum and Juba in order to overcome the recent tensions between the two capitals that led Sudan to freeze the implementation of a cooperation treaty. The African Union released on Wednesday two statements saying that AU commissioner for peace and security, Ramtane Lamamra, discussed with Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti and South Sudan’s chief negotiator Pagan Amum the current crisis between sides. Lamamra discussed with the two officials "the urgent proposals that the Chairperson of the AU High-level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), former President Thabo Mbeki, formally conveyed to the Heads of State of the two countries on 9 June 2013, with a view to decisively resolving some crucial implementation issues", said a statement released by the African body on Wednesday. Lamamra called on Khartoum and Juba to give "an urgent positive response", in order to take concrete steps aiming to assist the two parties to address the situation. (Back to top)

Kiir acknowledges Khartoum decision to block oil flow through Sudan Sudantribune.com Juba, 12/06/13 - South Sudanese president said on Wednesday that he acknowledges the decision taken by Khartoum to block transportation of oil produced by his country, adding he was willing to engage in peaceful dialogue to promote better relations. South Sudan’s petroleum and mining minister, Stephen Dhieu Dau, said he had received two letters on Tuesday from Sudan’s oil minister, Awad Al-Jazz, informing him of the decision by the Sudanese government to suspend economic agreements and the use of its territory to export crude oil to the international markets. The letters, obtained by Sudan Tribune, bear the signature of Al-Jazz and give the effective date for the shutdown of oil flows as 9 June. According to Dau, the first letter had informed South Sudan of the suspension of the cooperation agreement signed by both countries in September, but did not mention halting oil flows. However, after about one hour, he said the government had received a call from the Sudanese embassy in Juba requesting that the letter not be distributed because they wanted to make some amendments. “They made the amendment and sent the one which included suspension of the oil from flowing to the international markets through Sudan. I told the president that we have now received official notification from Sudan and he said ‘okay let’s respect that’”, Dau told journalists on Wednesday. The letter says that the shutdown of processing and transportation facilities for oil received from South Sudan would be done in a way that would minimize the environmental effects in the two countries. “In order to protect the facilities and to avoid any environmental hazards in the two countries, the shutdown shall be safely and smoothly carried out during a period of 60 days from the date of 9 June, 2013”, it added. The Sudanese ambassador in South Sudan confirmed his country had sent a letter, but declined to make additional comments when questioned about his government’s decision. (Back to top)

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South Sudan will ‘not fold its arms’ if Khartoum launches attack Sudantribune.com Juba, 12/06/13 - South Sudan said on Wednesday that it will not fold its arms if the government of neigbouring Sudan, with whom it is engaged in an oil dispute, launches cross-border attacks. “We are not after anything else apart from peaceful relations. We are for peaceful dialogue as a means for resolving dispute and peaceful co-existence between Sudan and South Sudan”, South Sudan’s minister of information and broadcasting service, Barnaba Marial Benjamin said on Wednesday. Minister Marial, however, quoted president Salva Kiir’s warning during his state address that his country would not fold its arms if Sudan continues to engage in aggressive behaviour and carry out an invading attacks on its territory. “We have a constitutional obligation as a democratically elected government to protect the territory of this country and its citizens with their properties from any foreign aggression. We will not attack but will not accept being attacked and expected to fold our arms when our people and their properties are attacked. We will do anything within our capacity to safeguard their safety”, he said. Marial made the remarks at a briefing during which he stated position of the government that it was not in any way interested in returning the country to “senseless war” but that it was time to consolidate peace and build the new nation he said was created as a result of devastating civil wars with Sudan. “The president clearly stated that he will not return the citizens of this country to senseless war. It is we are afraid to fight. We know our people can fight but this is the position of our government. The position of the government is what I have said already that we are peaceful coexistence with Sudan. We know what war has done to the people of Sudan and South Sudan. The citizens in both Sudan and South Sudan need peace. If you ask any citizen in Sudan, he or she will definitely tell you that they are not interested in war. So why would you go against the interest of the majority”, he asked. Marial, who speaks for the government as its official spokesperson, wondered why Sudan’s president was mobilising young people for a Jihad - holy war - as he had claimed in a recent speech. "He is calling Jihad to fight who?" Marial asked. "If it is the rebels in Sudan, then he should know they are also Muslims. If it is for South Sudan then he should know that we are not against anybody and therefore do not want to fight senseless war". South Sudan was committed to the implementation of the cooperation agreement and the implementation matrix agreed by the two nations to resolve the difference, Marial said. He described president Bashir’s remarks in which he described South Sudanese a fools as “irresponsible and racial statement”. President Bashir on Saturday 8 accused South Sudan of providing support to the SRF, who are trying to overthrow his 25-year rule. "We gave them their country with all the resources and instead of focusing on building it, they decided to follow and support fools like them. We will now close the pipeline and after that it is up to them to take it to Kenya or through Djibouti or wherever”, Bashir said at a rally held north of Sudanese capital Khartoum which was broadcast by the national television. Marial said that Bashir’s comments were "irresponsible", especially coming from a head of state. He repeated South Sudan’s denial "that we do not provide any support to the Sudanese rebels". Earlier this year, in a brief period when relations improved between Juba and Khartoum, Bashir denied that he had described the leaders of South Sudan’s ruling SPLM as "insects" that must be crushed.

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Marial said that Sudan wants his country to reject hosting the refugees that have fled from South Kordofan and Blue Nile where the SRF rebels are fighting government. “Sudan is manufacturing all these lies because we are not accepting them. They want us to chase away the refugees we are hosting in and Unity States. It is these refugees who flood our markets and other public places along the borders which [Khartoum] consider as rebels”, he explained. (Back to top)

China pledges support in resolving differences with Sudan Gurtong Juba, 12/06/13 - The Government of the People’s Republic of China has pledged to support efforts towards finding solutions to the oil problems between Sudan and South Sudan. The outgoing Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, Li Zhiguo made this pledge yesterday after a meeting with South Sudan’s minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin briefed the ambassador on South Sudan's position following the announcements made by the President Omar el Bashir of Sudan that he will stop the flow of South Sudan's oil through his territory on allegations that the Republic of South Sudan is supporting rebels fighting in the two Sudanese states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. The Chinese diplomat who underscored China’s good relations with the South Sudan said “Our friendly relation with South Sudan has been so long and will be cherished by two of us”. Dr. Benjamin urged the Chinese government to talk to the government of Sudan over the latest developments between the two countries. He said shutting down of the country's oil flow or going to conflict doesn't solve anything but instead affects development and stability of the two countries. Dr. Benjamin reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to fully implement the cooperation agreement. In a related development, Dr. Benjamin in his office yesterday met with the British ambassador to South Sudan, Ian Hughes. The two discussed the current relations with Sudan. Ambassador Hughes said the United Kingdom and the Troika are working to see that the problem is resolved. (Back to top)

Youth call for postponement of SPLM Convention following oil dispute Gurtong Rumbek, 13/06/13 - Nuer Community leaders have reacted to the move by Sudan to close South Sudanese oil export in 60 days saying that the announcement by Sudan abrogates the Cooperation Agreements signed in September 2012. Chairman of Ngundeng’s Historical Society Hon. Gai L. Ngundeng in a press release said the shutdown of oil pipeline and calling for holy war by Sudanese President Omar Bashir is a threat to South Sudan and youth have to respond. The leadership of Ngundeng’s Historical Society and the Nuer Youth in Juba passed the resolutions calling upon political parties and politicians to support South Sudan’s president in confronting Khartoum and that the ruling SPLM should postpone the extraordinary convention. The Nuer Youth called for all the politicians of South Sudan to unite behind President Kiir in order to safeguard the territorial integrity of South Sudan and that youth have a national duty to defend the country by rallying behind their democratically elected leader. The Nuer youth called upon SPLM Political Bureau to pass a resolution to postpone the SPLM-Convention for two years in order for the leadership to work together as a team to confront the challenges facing the country. “The most urgent threat to the South is the economic war declared by President Bashir. Conducting SPLM-Convention is not a priority now and the leadership should not focus on a project that would bring more harm than good to the nation. South Sudan national survival comes before the SPLM-Convention,” said the resolution.

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The Nuer Youth called upon President Kiir to reach out to South Sudan political parties including the SPLM-DC to work with him to safeguard the national interest of the South which is now being threatened by President Bashir. The Nuer Youth also called for nationwide mobilization of the youth to support the President and the security organs such as the SPLA to defend the territorial integrity of South Sudan. (Back to top)

Commissioner urges humanitarian agencies to resume as calm returns to Pibor Gurtong Bor, 12/06/13 - Pibor County Commissioner Joshua Konyi Irer has called upon international humanitarian and relief agencies that deserted previously due to conflict to return and offer assistance to the needy. Due to fear of Yau Yau warning to some identified areas, state government authority last month freed international agencies staff to evacuate Pibor to seek for safety in other parts of the country. Speaking to the media, Konyi said that rebel targeted areas are now under the full control of Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) adding that security situation in the county has normalized. The commissioner said those rebel groups are still warning to attack some of the areas that are in control of SPLA such as Marua and Boma. Joshua reveals to the population that the recent move of the SPLA in large numbers into the villages of Gumuruk and Likwangole has stabilized the situation. He adds that the whole county is expected to experience severe hunger next year as civilians are now not cultivating their normal farms due to rebel threats in the area. According to the UNOCHA reports over 19,000 people have fled hostilities in into neighbouring countries in 2013 and around 6,000 of these were registered between 7 and 24 May. (Back to top)

Ministry requests withdrawal of Provisional Orders on Municipality Border Gurtong Bor, 13/06/13 - Jonglei Ministry of Cabinet Affairs has requested the state Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk to withdraw two state provisional orders for the establishment of Bor Town Municipality territories. Jonglei State Minister of Cabinet and Parliamentary Affairs Gabriel Gai Riam said that withdrawal of the order comes after a new agreement has been reached with the community of Bor on land acquisition as indicated in their letter to the Governor’s office. The two orders previously forwarded were on establishment of Municipal boundaries and control of the Bor Municipality land authority by Bor Mayor Nhial Majak Nhial. Gai said the withdrawal of the bills will pave way for further consultation with the host community. The boundaries of Bor Municipality Council were to be limited to a radius of 12 kilometres pivoted at the crossroads near Bor Civil Hospital and Bor Secondary School and to border state at Western side. The establishment of the two provisional orders was to be separate from administrative boundaries of Bor County and be governed in accordance to the provision of Local Government Act 2009. Under the establishment of the orders, the government meant to compensate members of the community affected by the urban settlement with development projects such as education and health services and provision of drinking safe water. Bor Community disagrees with the order by Governor Kuol Manyang Juuk after withdrawal of the land authorities from Bor County Commissioner Agot Alieer Leek two week ago.

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The elders from Bor County said that if the government does not agree to their request, then the state capital must move away from Bor town. After the handing over of the Municipal authorities to Mayor Nhial Majak Nhial, he issued an order blocking the distribution of the land by the county land authority. (Back to top)

Bor county paramount chief sworn in Sudantribune.com Bor, 12/06/13 - Months after he was elected last year Alier Aluong was sworn in as the paramount chief of Bor county in South Sudan’s Jonglei state on Tuessday. Alier Aluong, who headed Baidit payam [district], was elected from 106 who chiefs, from the five payams of Bor county who converged at South Sudan hotel to election a paramount from the three contestants, Char Anyuat of Makuach Payam, Malaak Ayuen of Anyidi Payam. The new paramount pledged to cooperate with his colleagues’, other chiefs and the government to improve the life of the people in the communities Speaking at the inauguration ceremony conducted at the commissioner’s office on Tuesday, Aluong called on the state government to improve chiefs salaries and to allot land for paramount chief’s office to be constructed. "My chiefs are not happy for their pay", he said. Chiefs should be trained on government policies and laws with which they can govern their communities correctly, he said. "We must be trained, on both government policies and rules; rules for self conducts others that will help us to govern our communities. Training will also help to chiefs to be discipline", Aluong said on Tuesday. The commissioner of Bor County, Agot Alier, pledged to work out the chiefs salaries’ structure based on their positions and roles, and asked the chiefs to draft their rules that would be applied in the court of law, in solving problems with traditional roots. All chiefs, according to local government scale of payment presented to their counties, each chief received a salary of 200 South Sudanese pounds each month, which he admitted was unfair "You know you are right, paying you 200 pounds is not good, but i will work it out", said Alier. (Back to top)

Morobo Commissioner seeks support in health service delivery Gurtong Morobo, 11/06/13 - Morobo County Commissioner Moses Simon Soro is seeking support in health service delivery even as he announced that the area will be free of water borne diseases as much progress has been made in water and sanitation sector. He said that this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) funded 15 hand pump boreholes, 5 spring wells and other two boreholes yet to be drilled at Lujulo and Yondu. The project is being implemented by the South Sudanese Development Organization (SSDO). The communities of Morobo County expressed thanks for the water and sanitation project that UNICEF is funding in the county. UNICEF is also due to start the construction of a Maternity/Children’s ward and a drug store at the proposed Morobo County hospital site. The commissioner called upon other development partners to join hands with in improving the health situation in the county. He however raised concern over limited number of medical personnel at the hospital forcing many sick patients to travel long distances outside the county for medical care. He appealed to the national and state governments to support Morobo County finish the construction of Morobo Hospital and recruit more medical personnel.

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Morobo County hosts hundreds of Congolese asylum seekers and Refugees who are being accommodated at Panyume Payam sharing the same limited health facilities with the natives. Improving and expanding the health facilities in Morobo County would save many innocent lives that could hardly access better medical care outside the county. (Back to top)

Karti in Ethiopia to discuss Nile dam, Sudan-South Sudan conflicts Sudantribune.com Addis Ababa, 12/06/13 - Sudanese foreign minister Ali Ahmed Karti has met with Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn in Addis Ababa, where they discussed the recent tensions between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam project Karti’s visit on Tuesday comes as the row between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile escalated this week, raising fears of a potential conflict over water resources. During the discussions, Ethiopian prime minister commended Sudan’s position on the final findings of the panel of international experts which had been tasked to assess the impacts of Ethiopia’s dam on lower riparian countries, such as Sudan and Egypt. Desalegn told Karti that Ethiopia is committed to discussing any comment provided by downstream countries, particularly from Egypt, over the panel’s report, which concluded that Ethiopia’s Nile dam project would result in no significant harm to Sudan and Egypt. The Sudanese foreign minister said his government accepts the final report of the panel as it has dispelled previous uncertainties about the project and agreed with Addis Ababa’s assertion that the dam will in fact be beneficial to downstream countries. Karti’s visit to Ethiopia is seen as a sign of solidarity over the massive project which Ethiopia insists will not harm other Nile basin countries but rather supply them with clean energy and reduce sedimentation in their territory. Both Desalegn and Karti have also vowed to further strengthen existing bilateral relations in all aspects. The Sudanese foreign minister asked the Ethiopian government to play a leading role in settling the challenges facing the implementation of previous agreements on post-secession issues between Sudan and South Sudan. Seen as a neutral mediator by both Sudans, Ethiopia has played a crucial role in facilitating and hosing talks on a range of outstanding issues between both countries since South Sudan’s independence in 2011. The Ethiopian prime minister has expressed his country’s continued support to peacefully resolving the ongoing differences and misunderstandings between Sudan and South Sudan. (Back to top)

OPINION - Stoppage of oil pipeline: Has Juba learnt the lesson? By Hana AbdulHai on Sudan Vision Khartoum, 12/06/13 - The latest decision by President Al Bashir to stop the exportation of South Sudan oil via Sudanese facilities was expected, especially after the government gave Juba a two-week deadline to stop what it called its continuous material and logistic support to South Sudan based rebel Revolutionary Front, which is mounting attacks on Sudan’s regions of South Kordufan, Blue Nile and Darfur. Blockage of the pipeline in the wake of the rebel’s entry in the regions of Abu Kershola and Um Rawaba, Khartoum warned that the flow of South Sudan oil to export markets via Sudanese facilities was conditional on stopping support for the Revolutionary Front and gave Juba a 2-week deadline to stop all forms of support. The two countries have continued to trade accusations over the past until President Al Bashir last Saturday ordered Sudanese Minister for Petroleum Dr. Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz block the oil

7 pipeline before South Sudan as of following Sunday and notify companies operating in South Sudan oil of the order. Al Bashir said the decision was taken after taking into account all consequences and potential repercussions, vowing that Sudan will now allow the South to export its oil through Sudan to use the revenues for supporting rebels and mercenaries against Sudan. He said that Sudan will maintain its decision no matter Juba will export its oil via Kenya, or Ethiopia, or Djibouti. “Sudan was hoping for good neighborly relations but Juba saw differently,” Al Bashir said. Support continues despite Khartoum’s goodwill toward Juba and adopting dialogue as means for resolving any crisis relating to relations between the countries, Juba has always greeted that with ungratefulness and reneging on all agreements and promises or decisions concluded between presidents Al Bashir and Kiir. The government of South Sudan is determined to support and harbor rebel movements, a source at National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) revealed to Sudanese Media Center (SMC). According to SMC, the source said Juab has supplied the Revolutionary Front forces with vehicles, fuel, ammunitions, spare parts in addition to distort operations by officers and intelligence personnel from Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), adding that captured rebels have admitted to Juba’s insistence to continue to support rebels movements in hope for a change in Khartoum. Official sources said that Juba supplied 37 vehicles fully equipped with military weapons to rebel Abdel Aziz Al-Hilu, the leader of the Revolutionary Front, last week; besides 27 vehicles last Wednesday now on their way to operations zones in Kauda, Um Brebita despite warning by Khartoum and supplying Salva Kiir with solid evidence. The sources revealed continuous supply route has been opened from Israel to Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan, affirming that 70 percent of the military supplies for the rebels come from Israel while south Sudan’s support accounts for 30 percent. The source disclosed to SMC new information that Juba allowed Minawi to open a recruitment and training camp in South Sudan’s region of Tombura, adding that Intelligence and commanders from Juba entered to evacuate wounded rebels fighters from Raja, South Kordufan, and also held a meeting with Minawi in capital Juba mid April where they agreed to open new fronts in Darfur. South Sudan was rocked by President Al Bashir decision to block the oil pipeline. The South Sudan Minister for Information talked about potential losses in the event the pipeline is blocked. The minister acknowledged that his country lacks material and technical capabilities to avert grave consequences of the return of crude oil to South Sudan, estimating losses at millions of dollars. The minister said they [South Sudan] was surprised by the decision and had not officially notified of it but heard about it in the media. He demanded Sudan supply any evidence that Juba is supporting the rebels to the Joint Complaints Committee so that it probe and decides on them. Post decision expectations, economists hold that this decision will impact both countries, especially South Sudan, whose oil constitutes 98 percent of revenues. Mohamed Nayir, an economist told Sudan Vision that Sudan will not be heavily affected as it has not included oil exportation transit fees in its general budget, however, he acknowledged hike in consumer commodity prices in Sudan due to increasing foreign currency exchange rates in the market. The Sudanese and Southern Sudanese were hopeful that improving relations over the past would yield positive results in mutual trade and interests to change their lives. Contrarily, Juba seems to have opted for backing rebels groups at the expense of improving ties with Sudan, so it bear all repercussions of its actions. (Back to top)

Bashir blackmails the international community By Ahmed Hussain Adam on Sudantribune.com, 12/06/13 - Once again, Bashir proved to be a real threat, not only to the Sudanese and South Sudanese peoples, but also a threat to 8 international peace and security. At a public rally on Saturday, June 8, 2013 Bashir instructed his lieutenant the Oil Minister, Dr. Awad Ahmed Al-Jaaz, to notify all the concerned oil companies that Sudan had decided to block the flow of South Sudan’s oil through the main pipeline in Sudan. On Sunday, June 9, Bashir’s Information Minister held a press conference confirming the unilateral freezing of all the nine cooperation agreements signed between Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa on September 27, 2012. Bashir and his information minister have justified their irresponsible actions for the alleged support of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan to the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), (the coalition of Sudanese resistance movements that are pursuing an armed struggle against Bashir’s regime). However, one should question why Bashir has taken such irresponsible decision which constitutes a flagrant violation to the cooperation agreements between the two countries that signed and witnessed by the international community on September 27, in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2046. Furthermore, what gave Bashir such courage and confidence to make such move? The following are some suggested reasons and factors that may shed some lights on Bashir’s decision: First, based on his experience, Bashir has been assured that the key players of the international community would not respond decisively or strongly against his decision. Moreover, Bashir knew that the international community is divided and unwilling to hold him responsible for his irresponsible decision. The irony is that, since some members of the international community believe Bashir’ allegations against the Republic of the South Sudan and SRF, their views on that issue are offering Bashir the necessary cover and a green light, if not justification, to pursue such reckless tactics. Second, Bashir has lost confidence in his army, after the recent SRF successful military operations in North Kurdofan against the fatigued, disillusioned and over-stretched armed forces and militias of the regime, the Sudanese government has come to appreciate the strength and support enjoyed by the SRF. In response, Bashir is trying to blackmail the South Sudan, US and other international key players to intervene and stop the SRF from continuing its military activities. Bashir presumes, perhaps incorrectly, that the South Sudan government and the US have strong leverage, if not control, over the SRF leadership. Third, Bashir has been facing unprecedented effective opposition activities, not only by the SRF but also by the civil opposition, youth groups, students as well as his own ruling party. Therefore, Bashir decided to break his isolation and confront the current mounting opposition against his regime by scape goat the others including the international community. Furthermore, Bashir has been resorting to his old failed tactics in mobilizing the jihadists, at least to keep them busy with his imaginary traditional foreign enemies such Israel and others. Nevertheless, his recent jihadist mobilizations have doomed to a big failure. Fourth, Bashir seems not to be too worried about the consequences of his decision, which he described as a well-calculated decision. That is due to his partial success in importing some oil from Iraq with a deferred payment. Such deal with the government of Iraq can unveil the level and dynamics of the strong collaboration between Bashir and the Iranian regime and its proxies in the region, such as Nouri-al-Maliki Al Maliki, the Prime Minister of Iraq. In other words, one would observe that, Nouri al- Maliki would have not exported the oil to Bashir without receiving a green light from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme Leader of Iran. It has to be said that, Bashir’s decision was no surprise for many who have been following closely his behavior and tactics; thus, Bashir’s decision was inevitable. As the regime has been repeatedly signing agreements and dishonored them. It is also obvious that, the current international community’s constructive engagement with Bashir’s regime have failed to deliver peace and stability in Sudan and beyond. The experience proved that Bashir’s regime has been exploiting the international engagement in order to buy time and legitimize itself. At the same time, the government continues its genocidal policies, which undermine the regional peace and security. With Bashir in power, there will be no peaceful relationship between Sudan and South Sudan and Sudan will descend into a chaos and total war, since Bashir doesn’t believe in peaceful or political solution to the crisis within Sudan or with the South Sudan.

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It is true that Bashir may eventually retreat from his current blackmailing options; for instance, he has already hinted that he would reverse his decision provided that the South Sudan stops its alleged support to the SRF. Nevertheless, the question is for how long the Sudanese peoples in the two Sudans live in such state of uncertainty and to what extent the world could tolerate or play this vicious and endless game with Bashir. The majority of Sudanese people have already decided to remove Bashir from power as they couldn’t afford to live under his genocidal regime any more. Nevertheless, the ball is in the court of the international community, it is high time that the regional and international key players should learn their lessons and reverse their current failed policies of preserving the status quo and support change and its forces in Sudan such as SRF and other agents of democratic change in Sudan. The US shouldn’t reward Bashir for his intimidating move and allow to be blackmailed by this genocidal dictator. The African Union (AU) and its member States should recognize that their support to Bashir is utterly counter to the founding documents of the AU, such as the AU Constitutive Act of 2001, which obliges the AU to intervene in a member state such as Sudan, in situations of genocide and gross violations of human rights. Therefore, the AU should withdraw its unconditional political and diplomatic protection from Bashir and support the Sudanese groups which are fighting for freedom, justice and democratic change in Sudan. The SRF should exert further concerted efforts to build consensus among the Sudanese peoples around the New Dawn Charter (NDC) as well as the political program for change in order to realize a managed democratic transition in Sudan. The Republic of South Sudan should seriously find other alternatives to export its oil whatever that might cost. Ahmed Hussain Adam is a Visiting Scholar and Co-Chair of the Two Sudans Forum at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights (ISHR), Columbia University in the City of New York. He can be reached at: [email protected] (Back to top)

REPORT: Al-Bashir attacks S. Sudan, stirs jihadists to distract from domestic protests PRWeb.com Juba, 11/06/13 - In a recently reported article, the Fashoda Institute stated: "The destruction of democratic South Sudan could mean the fall of all of Africa to Islamic Jihad." The Fashoda Institute (South Sudan's Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies) recently published an in-depth analysis of Sudan's President al-Bashir motivation for attacking South Sudan and threatening to close its oil routes. The Fashoda Institute and the South Sudan News both state that al-Bashir desperately needs a foreign distraction for the masses, as well as an excuse to dispatch the poor and discontent youth far away from Khartoum. "Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has announced the halt of the export of South Sudanese oil via Sudan’s pipeline and called on the Sudanese youth to join the Army and the paramilitary Popular Defense Forces in order to go and liberate the southern parts of Sudan from the rebels", writes The Fashoda Institute. "The most expedient solution is for Bashir to send them to fight and die for the Jihad against South Sudan". Analysts at The Fashoda Institute report in a just released article that Khartoum is indeed cognizant of the ramification and consequences of Bashir’s sudden move and announced the following statement: "Bashir’s public declaration came irrespective of all the promises of a new era of cooperation by the highest levels of official Khartoum, and, more important, the explicit guarantees to Juba by Obama’s Washington that Khartoum will abide by all the agreements on keeping peace, oil export and revenues sharing". The Fashoda Institute states in its "Khartoum's Oil War" analysis that Bashir’s June 8 declaration, which led to an armed confrontation 2 days later, is part of a major undertaking against South Sudan that goes far beyond retaliation for the alleged support for rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. According to Joe Odaby of the Fashoda Institute: "The Islamist Government which came to power in Khartoum through a coup two decades ago made Sudan a hub of Jihadist terrorism

10 serving as a link between the Sunni Al-Qaida and the Shiite Iran. Its decade-long genocidal war against Sudanese Christians and animalists resulted in the Darfur genocide and ICC indictment against Sudan's President al-Bashir for crimes against humanity. South Sudan's independence gained in 2011 was perceived by the Islamist Government of Khartoum as a set- back in Jihad which has to be avenged." Baroness Cox, Former Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords openly declared that "it is only the resistance by Southern Sudan that is preventing the Islamization of the rest of Africa, down to Cape Town". The Fashoda Institute's analysis of the current escalation concludes with a statement that the real reason for Bashir’s sudden bellicosity has little to do with South Sudan’s alleged support for the rebellion in the southern parts of Sudan. The real reason, they say, is the opposition’s credible threat to topple Bashir and his regime within 100 days because of the rapidly deteriorating socio-economic situation in the country. "Bashir’s Khartoum has no plan for economic change or recovery. Hence, Bashir desperately needs a foreign distraction for the masses, as well as excuse to dispatch the poor and discontent youth far away from Khartoum", the Fashoda Institute reports. "The most expedient solution is for Bashir to send them to fight and die for the Jihad against South Sudan".

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/6/prweb10816025.htm (Back to top)

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