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

MONDAY, 01 JULY 2013

SOUTH SUDAN  begins investigating ministers suspended over financial scandal (Sudantribune.com)  Security threatens constituency dialogue (Sudan Catholic Radio Network)  MTN announces Independence Mini-marathon (Sudan Catholic Radio Network)  Bishop Loku ordains first priest (Bakhita Radio)  Jonglei community raise funds for development projects (Sudantribune.com)  South Sudan returnees arrive in Bor on self-hired barge (Sudantribune.com)  Lakes State’s Bar-Naam bridge a threat to public transport (Sudantribune.com)  Budi community in need of food assistance as crops fail residents  Torit Apostolic Administrator starts fundraising to rebuild cathedral (Radio Emmanuel)  Warrior Security ready to employ all UNMISS guards (Sudan Catholic Radio Network) SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN  South Sudan ships 1st oil cargo; talks to defuse new row with South Sudan (Reuters)  South Sudan VP discusses oil in (Middle East online)  Sudan downplays Juba’s pursuit of new oil pipeline (Sudantribune.com) OTHER HIGHTLIGHTS  Sudan opposition party warns against amendmnets to army law (Sudantribune.com) OPINION  OPINION – Proven wrong (by Zechariah Manyok Biar on Sudantribune.com)  OPINION – : A test of African solutions for African problems (by Luka Biong on Sudantribune.com)

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

South Sudan begins investigating ministers suspended over financial scandal Sudantribune.com Juba, 30/06/13 - South Sudan has started investigating its two ministers recently suspended for alleged involvement in what is regarded as the biggest financial scandal in the country’s post-independence era. The finance minister, Kosti Manibe and his cabinet affairs counterpart, Deng Alor, are accused of approving the transfer of $8 million of public funds without the knowledge of relevant state institutions. The two were suspended in a decree issued by South Sudan president, Salva Kiir who also appointed a five-member committee to investigate the duo. No South Sudanese official has been prosecuted for corruption, despite millions of dollars going unaccounted for since the south-ruling party Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) gained control of south as part of a 2005 peace deal. However, since the country’s independence in 2011, president Kiir has rhetorically pledged tough measures against corruption, but his recent action was the first ever move against senior officials accused of financial malpractice. An investigation committee headed by the chairperson of the the country’s anti-graft commission chair, John Gatwic Lul was formed to find the facts and establish the legality of the contract for which the money was requested and approved by the two officials. The five-member committee on Friday took oath before the president pledging allegiance, independence, secrecy and commitment to establish facts of the case. Gatwic, who spoke to reporters soon after the swearing-in ceremony, said his committee was ready to start the process. It is alleged that the funds were released from South Sudan’s national treasury into a private account. The two senior ministers are the first high-level officials to be investigated for corruption, since the country gained independence from Sudan two years ago. Ngai’s predecessors at the ministry of finance and economic planning were removed from the post following reports that they were implicated in similar allegations, but none of them was ever probed by the country’s anti-corruption body. Several top-ranking officials at the ministry of finance, including acting general for accounts are also said to be under investigation. Meanwhile, Kiir has ordered security agents to ensure that the officials cooperate with the anti-corruption commission and do not travel outside the country without the knowledge of the committee. A presidential aide quoted Kiir as saying that considering the amounts of funds and assets involved, it was clear that most of the alleged corruption cases were deliberately being carried out by individual officials. “I want a full report on these allegations. We cannot condone such acts of abuse of public funds,” Kiir reportedly told the investigation committee, while reiterating his stance on zero tolerance to corruption. Kiir, the aide told Sudan Tribune, has also demanded a thorough forensic investigation of the government departments implicated in order to get to the root of the allegations. "The president has asked the investigating agencies to carry out their work in accordance with the law, noting that the alleged perpetrators of corruption should be accorded due process and

2 their rights to a free and fair trial should be respected at all times," said the aide, who preferred anonymity. (Back to Top)

Security threatens constituency dialogue Sudan Catholic Radio Network Yei, 29/06/13 - Security operatives threatened to stop a public dialogue between members of parliaments from national and state legislative assemblies with citizens of Yei River County in Central Equatoria State. South Sudan Network for Democratic election or SSUNDE organized the public dialogue with the support of the National Democratic Institute or NDI to bring citizens and MPs to discuss the performance of the state government and to explain the different organs of the government, Easter Radio reported. SSUNDE and NDI officials withdrew from the public dialogue and left the MPs to continue without their moderation after the security threatened to stop the session. State MP Jacob Aligo Lodu expressed deep disappointment with the security's orders for SSUNDE and NDI officials to withdraw immediately. SSUNDE and NDI officials conducted similar activities without threats. MP Aligo added that County Commissioner Juma David Augustine gave the go-ahead to SSUNDE and NDI to organize the public dialogue. He said he did not understand why the county commissioner's order was violated by the security officers. Easter Radio was unable to get a comment from the security officers. The dialogue concluded successfully without SSUNDE and NDI's presence. (Back to Top)

MTN announces Independence Mini Marathon Sudan Catholic Radio Network Juba, 29/06/13 - A mobile telecom operator is organizing a mini marathon to celebrate the second anniversary of South Sudan's independence. MTN chief Commercial Officer Fred Mokoena said on Friday the marathon takes place on July 14 in Juba. He announced that MTN is committed to organize the event every year. Mr Mokoena added that MTN will use the fees from runners and the contributions made to the mini marathon to help the needy. He said runners can enter in five, ten and 21-kilometre races. MTN marketing manager Gasper Mbowa said the registration will start on Saturday and it costs ten South Sudanese Pounds for individuals. Corporate companies will pay 200 Pounds. Mr Mbowa called upon Juba residents to get registered and start training. He added the best five South Sudanese winners will be awarded cash and medals plus a certificate. Undersecretary in the ministry of Sport, Youth and Culture Peter Baptist Abakar said South Sudanese will compete separately from foreigners to allow the ministry to identify the best runners. He said though South Sudan does better in athletics, so far the country did not join the regional and international athletic associations to gain support. Mr Baptist added that Kenya and Ethiopia showed interest in training South Sudanese athletes. MTN launched the marathon event followed the 21 days of yellow care program by constructing two block toilets and donating computers to the University of Juba. (Back to Top)

Bishop Loku ordains first priest Bakhita Radio Juba, 01/06/13 - The Catholic Assistant Bishop of Juba ordained on Saturday his first priest. Bishop Santo Loku Pio ordained to the priesthood Deacon Joseph Can at St Vincent de Paul- Gumbo parish, outside Juba, Bakhita Radio reported. Father Can, 38, is a Salesian of Don Bosco from Vietnam.

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Bishop Laku said during his homily that following a Christian vocation is becoming more difficult because of opposition throughout the world. He said men and women are dropping out of their vocations due to that opposition. Bishop Laku added that God is calling his children to different services in the Church. He urged priests to unite in order to get over difficulties and follow in the footstep of Christ. He called on priests to pray and confirm Christians in their faith. (Back to Top)

Jonglei community raises funds for development projects Sudantribune.com Bor, 30/06/13 - A fundraising event in Bor, the capital of Jonglei, has raised 84,000 South Sudan pounds for development projects including maintenance of waterways in South Sudan’s troubled eastern state. Hundreds of people attended the event, which was organised by Bor town’s mayor, Nhial Majak Nhial. Those who attended donated 20,090 SSP and $200 in cash, with a further 64,550 SSP pledged by government officials and businessmen. According to mayor Nhial the total collection was 84,640 SSP (around $21,700) which will go towards clearing blocked waterways, maintaining roads and building culverts to help drainage. Such fundraising efforts in South Sudan are known harambee - the Swahili word for fundraising. Jonglei’s deputy governor, Hussein Maar, urged the community not to block waterways in the town as it becomes stagnant creating an environment mosquitoes thrive in. This in turn increases the spread of Malaria and prevents water from reaching rivers. Maar asked all Jonglei’s residents including children and foreign nationals to contribute to Bor’s development and cleanliness. To residents who did not donate for the development fund, he asked why they had 5 SSP to spend on alcoholic drinks but could not spare any money for projects to help the community. This one of the several fundraising forums that have been held in Bor for development purposes. Two years ago, a bigger harambee was held raising 300,000 SSP to contribute to the construction of an outpatients department and renovate the oldest wards at Bor hospital. (Back to Top)

South Sudan returnees arrive in Bor on self-hired barge Sudantribune.com Bor, 27/06/13 - Hundreds of South Sudanese returnees who were stranded in Upper state have completed a 12-day journey in a hired barge from Juba to the Jonglei state capital, Bor. The returnees told Sudan Tribune they opted to hire the barge after they waited for too long for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners to provide them transport. The IOM says that it has helped at least 40,000 people return to the south from Sudan since 2011, when the country split into two after South Sudanese voted for secession. At least 1.88 million returnees, according to IOM, have been registered in South Sudan since 2007. John Mabior Anyieth, one of the returnees who arrived on Friday told Sudan Tribune that he was in state in August 2011 when conflict broke out between the government and SPLM-North - the party of the then state governor Malik Agar. Agar was deposed and the SPLM-North has since formed a coalition with the rebel groups.

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Sudan has accused South Sudan’s ruling SPLM of continuing to support their former colleagues north of the border and has closed many parts of the border for much of the last two years. The Blue Nile conflict forced Anyieth to flee to Renk in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, but was forced to wait over a year until he was able to travel to Bor. “It was actually difficult to get a barge through [the] IOM to take us to our places”, he said. Officials from South Sudan’s Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) in Bor county have received the returnees. Seven of the households on the barge were identified as being from Jonglei state. The RCC coordinator in Bor county, James Jok, said they would place a request to the United Nations World Food Programme to provide the returnees who were travelling to Juba with seven days food. South Sudan’s ministry of health will provide them with medicine to last them for the rest of the trip, he added. “We want to make sure they have enough [food] and medicines that can take them to Juba”, Jok said. “The remaining families of Jonglei will be given necessary assistance by Monday”, he added. At least four million people are expected to face food insecurity in South Sudan during this year’s rainy season, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Currently, WFP says, 2.9 million people in South Sudan are being provided with food and livelihood assistance, including 670,000 refugees from the conflict in Sudan’s southern states and internally displaced South Sudanese within the young nation. (Back to Top)

Lakes state’s Bar-Naam bridge a threat to public transport Sudantribune.com Rumbek, 30/06/13 - Citizens in Lakes state have expressed concern over the safety of the Bar-Naam bridge which connects South Sudan’s central state to Western Bahr El Ghazal state to the west. An official at Lakes state’s ministry of physical infrastructure, who insisted on anonymity, told Sudan Tribune that plans to fix the Bar-Naam Bridge have been suspended due to insecurity and austerity measures. The areas either side of the strategic bridge that crosses the Bar-Naam river connecting the Equatoria region with Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Unity state, has become used by bandits to attack both government officials and private cars. Lakes state’s government has introduced harsh security measures since January when elected governor Chol Tong Mayay was removed by South Sudan’s president, allegedly for failing to address insecurity caused by highway robbery, cattle raiding and inter-communal clashes. Since Mayay was replaced by Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol the security services have pursued a policy of holding youth suspected of banditry and cattle raiding in three military facilities - Langcok, Ajakangau (Ngatinga) and Pulkuc. Human Rights Watch, has described the approach as "rough justice" and says that around 130 men have been held in military prisons without trial or access to a lawyer. Those who have escaped or been released have complained of ill treatment and torture. James Ater Manyiel, a young man from Lakes state said he expected the security situation get worse because cattle herding groups are so well armed despite the governors request in March that all firearms must by registered. The cost of registration - 350 South Sudanese pounds - has put off many people from doing so. If rains increase, Manyiel said, the bridge will become more dangerous as the Bar-Naam river will rise and more vehicles will use the crossing putting more strain on the bridge.

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If the bridge collapses "transport between greater Equatoria and Bahr El Ghazal will [be] immediately affected", he said. (Back to Top)

Budi community in need of food assistance as crops fail Gurtong Torit, 30/06/13 - Residents of Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State are currently hit by hunger due to crop failure and are seeking humanitarian and food assistance from the state government and other relevant bodies. Mr. Celeste Lokai Lojamkori, area chief, on behalf of his community has appealed to the government through the state governor to rapidly respond because many of his people have died as many deserted their homes to neighbouring towns of Loriyok, Torit, Kapoeta in attempts to hunt for food or something to eat. He clarified that leading to the present dilemma, his community did not really harvest enough food crops apart from the ongoing failure of crops to either germinate or get retarded due to rains irregularities. Area MP, Hon. Angelo Lomoi Joseph at State Legislative Assembly joined his community to persuade the state government to consider pleas as he describes the hunger condition as terrible one ever witnessed in the history of the area. Speaking on behalf of community as well, Mrs. Lucia Nayepwo Anthony who a chairs Kimotong women group, came out frustratingly to urge the governor personally to look into the issue saying it is no longer a joke as many of her colleagues have died while others have continued to suffer apart from those deserting their homes in search of food. “As I talk now, we have women with their respective children on their ways to Loriyok, Torit, Kapoeta and other nearby towns. I believe when you came from Torit you unquestionably met them on the road going to Loriyok,” she said. The acute absence of rain since the beginning of this year has thrown farmers in the county into disarray as the growth of their crops has been greatly hampered by the scorching sun. State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore concurred with the speakers and promises that there is food relief where part of it will be given to the community free while another shall be given as part of labour provision also know as food for work. Appealing to them to show patience, the governor assured the Larim Community that sooner, the food will arrive. Since the 1980s, the region was severely hit by famine; the food crisis appears revisiting the region once more. (Back to Top)

Torit Apostolic Administrator starts fundraising to rebuild cathedral Radio Emmanuel Torit, 01/07/13 - The Apostolic Administrator of Torit diocese started a fundraising drive to rebuild Saint Peter and Saint Paul Cathedral. Thomas Oliha announced that the second collections in all masses of the Diocese should be set aside for reconstructing the Cathedral that was ruined during the civil war, Emmanuel Radio reported. Monsignor Oliha welcomed even one South Sudan Pound offerings as contributions for the reconstruction of the Cathedral. He requested prayers, because “the Catholic Diocese of Torit is the only Diocese in South Sudan that does not have a Cathedral.” Thousands of Christians turned up on Sunday at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Torit to celebrate the feast of their patron saints. (Back to Top)

Sudan downplays Juba’s pursuit of new oil pipeline Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 29/06/13 - Sudan’s oil minister, Awad Ahmed al-Jaz, has asserted the difficulty of building a new pipeline to transfer South Sudan’s oil through another 6 country and said that it is not cost effective because the south needs two pipelines not a single line. Al-Jaz, who was briefing the Sudanese community in Beijing, accused unidentified bodies of benefiting from the call for building a pipeline to transfer South Sudan’s oil, listing the natural, geographical, and security obstacles which hinders the construction of a new pipeline. He claimed that some entities are appealing to South Sudan to replace the Chinese, Malaysian and Indian oil companies with western companies. The Sudanese oil minister further said that Sudan’s government has approved the African Union (AU) proposal to settle the dispute between Khartoum and Juba, pointing that his country supports resumption of oil flow for the benefit of all parties provided that cooperation agreements between the two countries are fully implemented. In an exclusive interview with the New China News Agency (Xinhua) in Beijing, the Sudanese official also praised Chinese efforts to normalize relations between Khartoum and Juba, calling upon China to push towards the implementation of the cooperation agreements between the two countries. (Back to Top)

Sudan opposition party warns against amendments to army law Sudantribune.com Khartoum, 30/06/13 - The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) has warned today against the dangers of the proposed amendments to the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) law which allows for referring civilians to military courts? The PCP’s secretary of human rights Hassan Abdallah Hussein at a press conference on Sunday accused the government of exercising “selective justice” and “militarization of the judiciary” by depriving civilians of their right to appear before regular judge. He expressed fear that security forces and police would follow suit, warning of the negative impact of those amendments on the national judiciary. This week the Sudanese defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein said that the changes were introduced after reviewing similar laws in other nations including the United States and Britain as well as most Arab states. Hussein said these amendments will help bolster security and the SAF grip over the country. He questioned how can a foot soldier is subject to military tribunals while those who establish militias that are waging war against the state are not. The top military official assured that the law is supervised by the country’s top court which makes it "flexible". Observers say that Khartoum will likely utilize this law against rebel groups and its commanders along with civilians associated with it whether in conflict zones or elsewhere. In a separate issue, the PCP official claimed that authorities have arrested one of their members Yasser Ali Mohamed Khair, who is also a teacher, without charges. Hussein said that Khair was arrested last Monday following his submission, along with other teachers, a memorandum to the minister of education, Muatasim Abd Al-Rahim, containing some teachers’ demands. He appealed to the national, regional, and international human rights organizations to condemn Khair’s detention, saying that it is unconstitutional and against international conventions and norms. The wife of the detained teacher, who was attending the press conference along with her three years old daughter, expressed concern over her husband’s health, saying she learned that his health deteriorated and was rushed to the hospital. The PCP official also expressed regret for the cancellation of the opposition coalition National Consensus Forces (NCF) political rally by the authorities and accused the government of

7 taking selective stances towards opposition parties, saying “authorities refused to allow the NCF political rally, while it allowed others”. He was referring to the political rally which was held on Saturday by the religious wing of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP). (Back to Top)

Warrior Security ready to employ all UNMISS guards Sudan Catholic Radio Network Juba, 01/06/13 - Warrior Security (South Sudan) re-affirmed its commitment to absorb all UNMISS guards that choose to apply for employment with the company. UNMISS outsourced the security of its facilities to Warrior Security (South Sudan) from July 1. “We have close to 1,000 positions at different sites that we need to fill over the next one year,” CEO Warrior Security (South Sudan) Tony Sugden said on a press release on Saturday. He added that this opportunity is open to all existing UNMISS guards. The security company currently employs 2,100 guards and but it plans to expand up to 4,000 by July 2014. (Back to Top)

South Sudan ships 1st oil cargo: talks to defuse new row Reuters Khartoum/ Juba, 30/06/1 - South Sudan said on Sunday it had shipped its first oil cargo through Sudan to international markets since 2011, while its vice president visited Khartoum to defuse a row that threatened the cross-border flows vital to both. South Sudan's information minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said the first cargo of state- owned oil had left Port Sudan on the , without giving details. The African country previously sold 1 million barrels of oil in its first tender since restarting output. The first shipment of non-government South Sudanese oil took place earlier this week, and traders said it probably belonged to China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), which had sold 1.2 million barrels at the start of June. Khartoum had said it will allow the sale of oil already on Sudanese soil. South Sudan's Vice President met at noon with Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir at the start of a two-day visit, a Sudanese official said. Machar's delegation also included Oil Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau. (Back to Top)

South Sudan VP discusses oil issue in Khartoum Middle East online Khartoum, 30/06/13 - South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar on Sunday met Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, seeking to ease tensions after Khartoum threatened to halt oil flows worth billions of dollars to both impoverished neighbours. Machar met Bashir for about 30 minutes after discussions earlier with Sudan's Vice-President at a conference centre along the Blue Nile River. Ministers of oil, defence and interior from both countries were also present, a reporter said. Talks were to "cover the development of the bilateral ties for the interest of the people of the two countries," the official SUNA news agency reported. (Back to Top)

OPINION - Proven wrong By Zechariah Manyok Biar on Sudantribune.com 29/06/13 - After the failed states report came out in June, 2013 showing South Sudan as ranking forth of the failed states, a friend whom I did not know before but knew me through my writing, sent me an e-mail with a link to the article I wrote in 2010. The article I wrote in 2010 is entitled: “Will South Sudan be a failed State?” In that article, I doubted the belief that South Sudan would be a failed state. Now that it has failed, my friend wanted to politely remind me that I was wrong in my prediction. I 8 completely agree with him that I was wrong. But I will briefly show in this article what I based my prediction on and I will again make another prediction that could still make me wrong next year. I based my prediction on the SPLM/A records of self-rule in the bush during the civil war. This logic is shown by this paragraph from the above motioned article as published by different media websites: “The fact that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/A (SPLM/A) managed to control Southerners during the war would have been a good indicator on how South Sudanese can rule themselves. SPLM/A was undoubtedly one of the most organized rebel groups over the last two decades. SPLM/A even had better human rights records, compared to the government in Khartoum. SPLM/A was able to educate its soldiers during the liberation war not to kill the prisoners of war (POWs). After the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, SPLM/A set free thousands of the POWs of Sudanese army. Those freed POWs are still alive today. How many POWs from SPLA did the government in Khartoum release? None.” I strongly believed in what I said in that article and I still believe in it today, despite our current failed status. There are examples showing how SPLM/A could make people change within its ranks during the war. When the civil war started in 1983, SPLA soldiers thought that anybody captured from the enemy could be killed. They killed some POWs from the Sudan armed forces (SAF) before senior SPLM/A leaders, including the current President Salva Kiir, learned about what was taking place in front lines and started disapproving of it. The practice immediately stopped, resulting in the keeping of thousands of the Sudanese POWs who were set free after the signing of CPA in 2005. Furthermore, after the SPLM/A split of 1991, the killing of members of tribes that were regarded as enemies by each side in the split took place. Many important people were killed in less than two months. But senior SPLM/A leaders, including the then Commander Salva Kiir, started condemning the practice within the SPLA and it stopped immediately. The above examples show how South Sudanese can quickly change bad practices when they understand that top leaders disapprove of them. If words are combined with action today, then change for the better will be realized in all sectors of our society, pushing the country to a better position in the rating of next year. I strongly believe in this. Because of this belief, I will still make a prediction that South Sudan will move away from the Sudan in the ranking of failed states next year by at least one point. South Sudanese are competitive people who do not like what makes them look bad. They will aim higher next year partly to show that South Sudan is better than the Sudan. But above all, they will aim higher in order to improve their images abroad. We know that we will now all be seen as failed people regardless of individual’s achievements. Our leaders will now find it difficult to condemn bad behaviors of other countries without being reminded of the failure of South Sudan. I cannot now accuse Kenyans of pretending to be holier than us, like I did some years ago when they accused our government of being weak. I know they will prove me wrong by pointing out that Kenya is graded higher than South Sudan when it comes to failed states. There will be no way I will prove them wrong in such a statement. If we try to take refuge in the idea that South Sudan is very young and we use China as the example by saying that even China which is more than 2000 years old still has bad records in human rights, then Kenyans are going to say that the irony of the example we have given is that what matters is not how old the country is, but its determination to change. If it is the age of the country that matters, they will argue, then human right records in China would have been better than those of the United States since the USA is less than 300 years old. If, on the other hand, we dismiss every report like we often do without questioning the methodology used to arrive at a particular conclusion, then countries like Kenya whom we had been accusing of being the same with us will say that they are better than us because our way of reacting to issues show that we are not even able to differentiate fiction from reality.

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We are aware now that it will be difficult for us to find excuses that will make us feel better or look equal to better countries that are not Somalia. Somalia which made our leaders angry in 2010 when Dr. Lam Akol compared South Sudan with it is just three points away from us now. So, we know now that we are not better than Somalia. This reality will make our leaders work hard to move South Sudan up next year by one point, if the anger in 2010 meant we did not like to be like Somalia. They will achieve this by targeting at least two issues that make South Sudan a failed state and improve on them. I know Sudan will not do this because it is, as Dr. Garang once said, too deformed to reform. South Sudan will be deformed by choice but not because its leaders are too deformed to reform like ones in the Sudan. I am aware that making another failed prediction will make me lose confidence of my readers. But I am not afraid to take risk again in making another prediction because I know South Sudanese are competitive people who do not like to be seen as failures. I will be surprised if we do not improve by at least one point next year. Zechariah Manyok Biar can be reached at [email protected] (Back to Top)

OPINION - Abyei: A test of African solutions for African problems By Luka Biong Deng on Sudantribune.com 30/06/13 - Abyei is one of the issues that dominated the quality of relations between Southern Sudan and South Sudan since the independence of Sudan in 1956 and it will continue to do the same after the independence of South Sudan. The transfer of the Ngok Dinka by the British colonial administration in 1905 from Southern Sudan to Northern Sudan with the good intention of protecting them from the barbaric slave raids by the Arab nomads has turned into misery and suffering that will continue to haunt the Ngok Dinka. Despite the effective participation of the Ngok Dinka in the first and second civil war that ended with peace agreements that addressed the issue of Abyei, yet the final status of Abyei remains to be concluded. Unlike the way the issue of Abyei was vaguely addressed in the Addis Ababa Agreement in 1972, the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) addressed it with much clarity with Abyei having its protocol as one of the six protocols of the CPA. In fact the Abyei Protocol was mediated by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In particular, the Abyei Protocol provided for a referendum for the Ngok Dinka of Abyei to determine their final status and to establish Abyei Boundaries Commission (ABC) to define and demarcate the area of the nine (9) Ngok Dinka chiefdoms (not Misseriyia Arab nomads) that was transferred in 1905 from Southern Sudan to Northern Sudan. The CPA made it very clear that the report of the ABC shall be final and binding. The ABC presented its report to the Presidency of Sudan (Bashir, the President of Sudan, Dr , the President of Southern Sudan and Ali Osman, the Vice President of Sudan) on 14th July 2005. The report of the ABC clearly defined the area of the Ngok Dinka as approximately 18,559 square kilometers. Bashir and his party rejected the final and binding ABC report and that marked the beginning of clear abrogation of one of the provisions of the CPA that was paradoxically signed by the government of Bashir. This dispute over this report lasted more than three years and resulted in eruption of war in the Abyei Area in May 2008 that caused massive displacement and loss of innocent lives. In an effort to save CPA and to maintain peace and stability after the invasion of Abyei by Bashir in May 2008, Bashir and President Salva signed on 8th June 2008 the Abyei Roadmap for the return of the displaced Ngok Dinka and implementation of Abyei Protocol. In this Roadmap, the SPLM as a signatory of the CPA and upon the request of the Government of Sudan accepted to take the matter of dispute over the report of ABC to the final and binding international arbitration. On 7th July 2008, the Government of Sudan and SPLM as signatories of the CPA signed the Arbitration Agreement on Delimiting (defining) the Abyei Area. The Abyei Arbitration Tribunal under the facilitation of the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration and after a process that took nine (9) months that involved the two Parties and 10 almost the entire leaders of Ngok Dinka and Arab Misseriyia nomads passed its ruling on 22nd July 2009 and redefined the area of Ngok Dinka as approximately 10,460 square kilometers (almost 54 percent less than the area defined by the ABC). The Tribunal noted that its decision is meant to ensure the inclusion and participation of most members of the Ngok Dinka in Abyei referendum as its main targeted community. While Bashir welcomed the decision of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal with emotional statement on 22nd July 2009 that they have won the case, President Salva on the same day described the decision as a victory for all Sudanese and reaffirmed the commitment of the SPLM to the full implementation of the decision as a final settlement of the issue of Abyei Area. While the ruling of the Abyei Arbitration Tribunal was seen to resolve not only the determination of the area of the Ngok Dinka but also the eligible participants in Abyei referendum, Bashir insisted that the Arab Misseriyia nomads to participate in Abyei referendum and refused to establish Abyei Referendum Commission to be chaired by a nominee of the SPLM as previously agreed upon by the parties. Bashir invaded Abyei again in May 2011 and displaced about 150,000 Ngok Dinka from their home areas and the referendum of Abyei did not take place simultaneously with that of Southern Sudan on 9th July 2011 as stipulated in the CPA. In order to rescue Abyei Protocol and to assist the return of Ngok Dinka to their home areas, the two parties agreed on 20th June 2011 on the Temporary Arrangements for the Administration and Security of the Abyei Area. In particular the agreement provides for the process for resolving the final status of Abyei with a commitment by the Parties to consider, in good faith, proposals that the AUHIP shall make to resolve the final status of Abyei. The AUHIP made six proposals for resolving the final status of Abyei but Bashir and President Salva could not agree on any of these six proposals. In an effort to put the two countries on track of peace, the AU came with a Roadmap that provides a framework within a time-bound of three months for resolving holistically all the pending issues between the two states including the final status of Abyei. When the Parties failed to agree on resolving the issue of Abye, the AUHIP came up on 21st September 2012 with a proposal on the final status of Abyei. This Proposal provides clarity and addresses fundamental questions of eligibility for Abyei Referendum (only residents but not nomads), the date of the referendum (October 2013), the chair of Abyei Referendum Commission (appointee of the AU Commission) and special status of Abyei area (status of state with oil revenue allocated to Abyei state (30%), national government (50%) and localities north of Abyei area in Southern Kordofan State (20%). This Proposal was prepared by three prominent African leaders (former President of South Africa, former President of Nigeria and former President of Burundi). There is no any other African solution for African problem than the AUHIP proposal on the final status of Abyei area. As Bashir has been calling for the issue of Abyei to be resolved within African context, the AUHIP Proposal on Abyei is an African proposal prepared by African leaders without any influence from western countries. Abyei is a litmus test of how AU will stand by its commitment in resolving African problems by Africans themselves. Luka Biong Deng is a senior member of South Sudan’s ruling party the SPLM. He is currently a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. He can be reached at [email protected]. The article was originally published by the New Nation Newspaper. (Back to Top)

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