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

TUESDAY, 01 OCTOBER 2013

SOUTH SUDAN  Leaders debate on South Sudan’s new deal compact (Gurtong)  U.S aids South Sudanese flood victims (Sudantribune.com)  Flood affects over 22 thousand households in Tonj South (Don Bosco Radio)  South Sudan: Polio hits two South Sudan States (VoA)  Over $ 180 million committed to transforming primary health delivery in South Sudan (Gurtong)  state sanctions seizure of community’s land (Sudantribune.com)  Polio outbreak reported in South Sudan (GoSS) SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN  Sudans still at odds over Abyei referendum (Washington DC)  China ready to help Sudan, S. Sudan mend ties (Xinhua)

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Highlights

Leaders debate on South Sudan’s new deal compact Gurtong , 01/10/2013– The new deal compact consultations have been held in State where the leaders have been engaged in having an umbrella agreement between the Government of South Sudan and development partners. In attendance were the State Government officials, civil society, parliament, national and international organizations and partners. Among the Delegates included the National Finance, Commerce, Investment and Economic Planning Ministry Director for Aid Coordination, Mr. Moses Mabior Dau who dislcosed that the Government is conducting seminars in the states in order to enable it collect essential information on what the new deal compact will appear. He explained that the new deal, a global reform initiative, seeking out to hasten development progress in the fragile and conflict affected states and it is a joint understanding between the Government of South Sudan and the international Community to enhance Partnership in the next three years. The leader of the yesterday’s high profile delegation, Toby Lanzer, who is also the Deputy Special Representative of Secretary General for United Nations Mission in South Sudan, commented that development does not happen suddenly or overnight but it takes some time to build which includes peace building efforts with real patience. “It is long terms process. The Country’s citizens should not lose hope in the process of building,” he said. He explained to participants that in the spirit of the New Deal, the government of South Sudan should be in the driver’s seat to implement projects and programs aided by development partners. To encourage ownership of the New Deal Compact in South Sudan the Government has initiated a wide consultation process. In his opening remarks, Eastern Equatoria State Governor Louis Lobong Lojore said South Sudan thanked the donor community for the initiative as he concurred rating South Sudan as the fragile State despite its independence. Describing it as right decision that comes at the right time in the Republic of South Sudan, the governor said the new deal signed by South Sudan and donor’s community is the right move. He noted that for the new deal Compact to succeed, people need to shift away from what he terms as conventional development approach. The National Director for Aid coordination who was the main facilitator during the consultation processes explained that South Sudan was embarking on a document that sets out the overall objective, general principles and modalities for an improved and more effective partnership with development partners. The new deal document which serves a compact or a mechanism to implement country owned vision and planning, will reveal mutually agreed policy benchmarks which government and donors will commit to work towards achieving. The Director Mabior disclosed that Eastern Equatoria was the 7th State where the continuing consultations on new deal compact so far has commenced. South Sudan’s Compact is anticipated to be completed by November and will then be signed by the Government and development partners. Officials disclosed during the meeting that a series of consultations are now underway in ten states of the Republic of South Sudan with prime objective to thrash out needs aim at to 2 modifying techniques to guide Government in its work while equally seeking better way that donors deliver or channel aid. (Back to Top)

U.S aids South Sudanese flood victims Sudantribune.com Juba, 30/09/2013- The United States government has provided assistance worth $200,000 to flood victims in South Sudan’s states of , , , and Unity. This immediate contribution, its embassy in Juba said, is in addition to the $60m it has so far given to the country as part of the rapid response fund for this year’s humanitarian assistance. Since 15 September, the foreign disaster assistance department of its aid arm (USAID) has reportedly provided nearly $65,000 in Rapid Response Funds (RRF) to AWODA, a local NGO for emergency latrines, bathing shelters, and hygiene promotion benefiting about 7,800 flood-affected people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. Funds worth $128,520, it further disclosed, have also been provided to another NGO, THESO, to undertake hygiene promotion and latrine rehabilitation at existing health clinics in response to flooding in Gogrial East and Tonj North counties of Warrap. “The U.S. Government will continue to evaluate the situation and look at other ways to offer support as and if needed,” it assured in the statement. Persistent floods, a government report showed, affected over 200,000 people, with Unity state said to be the worst-hit region. Others are , Jonglei, Northern Bahr el Gazal Warrap and some parts of . (Back to Top)

Flood affects over 22 thousand households in Tonj South Don Bosco Radio Tonj, 30/09/2013-Relief and Rehabilitation Commission Deputy County Secretary said floods affected 22,890 households in Tonj South County of Warrap State. Asunta Adhieu said the affected people need urgent help of food and shelters, Don Bosco Radio reported. She explained that the most affected places were in Tonj, Manyangok, Wanalel, Thiet, and Jack Payams. Ms Adhieu said they found that floods destroyed many houses in five payams and Bomas of Greater Tonj. She said people of Malual-Mock and Mabior-Yar Bomas were displaced to the road while those of Jack Payam took refuge in Thiet Payam. Ms Adhieu appealed to the state government and NGOs to help the victims with food, medicines, mosquito nets and shelters. She urged the state government, international and national NGOs to urgently rescue the worsening situation of flood affected people. Ms Adhieu advised parents and guardians to take care of their children from water because water levels were increasing everyday. (Back to Top)

South Sudan: Polio hits two South Sudan States Voice of America Juba,30/09/2013- South Sudan health officials have declared a national health emergency and launched an emergency polio vaccination campaign after three cases of the disease were reported in Northern Bahr al Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria states. Two girls, aged two and eight, in Aweil South county, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, and a two-year-old girl in Ikotos county, in Eastern Equatoria, were confirmed as having polio by the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Nairobi on Sept. 26. 3

Prior to the three cases, South Sudan had been polio-free for about four years, with an outbreak last reported in 2009. Health ministry undersecretary Makur Matur Koryom said the girls' health is being monitored closely. The government has started vaccination campaigns in the regions the girls live in to try to curb the spread of the disease, and will extend the vaccination exercise to the entire country over the next three months, Koryom said. The head of World Health Organization's (WHO) Expanded Program on Immunization, Dr Yehia Mostafah, said WHO will work with the South Sudanese government to end polio in the country, and hailed progress made so far in running mass vaccination campaigns in South Sudan. "In the last four years we improved our routine vaccination system from only 16 percent coverage to more than 54 percent, which is huge, just taking into consideration the situation we are in, in South Sudan, all the austerity measures, all the problems, insecurity, flooding, everything that we are suffering," he said. Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that attacks a person's nervous system and quickly causes paralysis. It can be spread through tainted water and other drinks, uncooked food, and by coming into contact with faeces contaminated with the virus. Medical authorities in South Sudan have been on high alert for cases of the disease after an outbreak in Somalia in May quickly spread to Kenya and Ethiopia. A global effort to eradicate polio, which was launched in 1988, has been hugely successful, with vaccination campaigns helping to reduce the number of cases worldwide by more than 99 percent and saving more than 10 million children from paralysis. When the eradication campaign was launched 25 years ago, polio was endemic in 125 countries and about 350,000 people, most of them young children, were paralyzed by the disease every year. Today, polio remains endemic in just three countries-Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan- and fewer than 250 cases were reported in 2012, down from 650 cases in 2011. Experts believe that polio can be wiped out by 2018, which would make it will be only the second disease to be eradicated after smallpox. (Back to Top)

Over $ 180 million committed to transforming primary health delivery in South Sudan Gurtong Juba, 01/10/ 2013 –More than $ 180 million has been committed to transforming primary health delivery and supporting capacity in health ministries in the South Sudan Health Pooled Fund. A release from the British Embassy says that Presidential Legal Advisor, Hon Telar Riing Deng, officially launched the South Sudan Health Pooled Fund (HPF) at an event in Juba where the Eastern Equatoria State’s Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Margaret Itto, welcomed the programme and the vital goals it worked towards. Visiting from London, Mr Mark Lowcock, Permanent Secretary at the UK Department for International Development, described the HPF as a unique programme where the Government of South Sudan is leading, and taking responsibility for delivering a package of health services for the people of South Sudan. He emphasise the importance of partners working at decentralised levels with State and County health departments to deliver essential health services to rural as well as urban populations. The HPF, which commenced on 15 October 2012, it is funded by the UK Department for International Development, the Australian Agency for International Development, the

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European Union, the Canadian International Development Agency, and the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency. The HPF will improve access to and quality of primary health care services and emergency obstetric and newborn care services. It will increase accountability and effectiveness, and support and strengthen key stewardship functions of the Ministry of Health. The HPF will support service delivery in Eastern Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Warrap, Unity and Lakes states. (Back to Top)

Unity state sanctions seizure of community’s land Sudantribune.com Bentiu, 30/09/ 2013 - The Unity state government is allowing residents to be removed from land around an oil field in Rubkotna county owned by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company during next year’s dry season, despite objections from the community affected. Franco Duoth Diu, the secretary general of the Unity state government, said on Monday that the removal residents from the area was for their own safety. The relocation is to prevent chemicals used at the oil field negatively affecting the health of people in the area, especially children, he said. Beny Ngor Chol, who manages the company’s field base, says the Greater Pioneer Operating Company is working to relocate area residents in the coming dry season to safer places, adding that it is too risky for people to live near the oil field. "There are number of factors that we think people should not live nearer to the oil production facilities and that mean our safety department alongside with our community development working in hand work with local authority and government and it is urgent to make sure we educate the population around the oil area so that for possible displacement to the safe area”, said Chol. The Greater Pioneer Operating Company will reimburse all those who are forced to relocate, he said, without outlining how much this would be or how the compensation would be decided. John Chieng Machar one of the affected residents said that the say responsibility to provide a safe environment and prevent the surroundings of the becoming polluted. The company must provide roads, houses and essential services, such as an electricity and water supply before the relocation takes place, he said. Angelina Nyagai Bath, another resident of the affected area, says that so far the community has not benefited from the oil that is pumped out of the state. Current oil production stands at 30,000 barrels per day, according to a recent report by the Reuters news agency, as landlocked South Sudan resumes its exports through Sudan after a long running dispute. Before displacing people, Bath asked the company to build better schools, hospitals, and roads, as well as providing clean water. "The oil companies [have created] a lot of disadvantage for people life, as the chemical they use is always dangerous for our fertility and many other things and we never see any good done by them”, said Bath. The issue is particularly emotive in Unity state as thousands were forced from their oil-rich land by the Sudanese army and their militias to during the two-decade civil war that resulted in South Sudan’s independence two years ago. (Back to Top)

Polio outbreak reported in South Sudan GoSS.org Juba, 1/10/ 2013 – Polio has reemerged in the republic of South Sudan nearly four years when the last polio case was reported in the country in 2009.

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Three children have been confirmed by the Kenya Medical Research Institute with the infection, two in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and another in Eastern Equatoria State, the national ministry of Health announced. “We consider this a national health emergency,” Honourable Dr.Riek Gai, Minister of Health, said on Monday. We are mobilizing from the highest level of Government to every community in the country in order to stop this disease. “We are also working closely with WHO, UNICEF, and other key partners around the world and here in South Sudan to ensure the most effective response. Together, we will stop the spread of polio in South Sudan,” the Minister added. Two girls, aged two and eight, living in Aweil South County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and a two year-old girl in Ikotos County, Eastern Equatoria State, were confirmed on September 26 as having polio. The status of the three girls is being followed closely the minister said. Following the confirmation of the three polio cases, the Government and partners have started emergency vaccinations in the areas where the virus was detected. The emergency “mop-up” campaign, in Aweil South County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, and Gogrial West county in Warrap State and Ikotos and Budi counties in Eastern Equatoria State will continue through October 4, Dr. Gai told reporters. “This “mop-up” campaign is designed to stop the spread of the virus quickly” he said. Additional campaigns will be held in every State in the country in October, November and December, he said. This will be an ongoing process to ensure children in South Sudan are protected from polio. The Government of South Sudan is also continuing to coordinate with neighboring countries in polio eradication efforts. In May this year, a polio outbreak was reported in Somalia, which quickly spread to Kenya and Ethiopia. Following the outbreak, medical authorities across South Sudan have been on high alert to look for any possible cases in this country. The Ministry of Health and its partners conducted additional polio vaccination campaigns in August in the States considered most at risk from the outbreak in the affected countries on its borders. Those States were Upper Nile, Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria and Central Equatoria. Pariang County in Unity State was also included in that vaccination campaign. “We are organizing intensive vaccination campaigns throughout the country to protect our children against this devastating disease. We are determined to stop the spread of polio,” the Minister said, Dr. Gai appealled to all parents to make sure their children are vaccinated. "Protect your children through routine immunization and by making sure they receive additional polio vaccinations. We are working together for the eradication of polio. As long as polio exists anywhere in the world, every unimmunized child is at risk", he said. (Back to Top)

Sudans still at odds over Abyei referendum Washington DC 30/09/2013- A year after South Sudan and Sudan signed nine agreements aimed at solidifying the fragile peace between the two countries, little progress has been made on implementing the pacts, with a key issue, the status of the territory of Abyei, still up in the air, the foreign ministers of both nations told Voice of America.

South Sudanese Foreign Minister Benjamin Marial called Abyei “the most intricate problem we have with Sudan now” and, in an interview with Voice of America, said Sudan has blocked key steps laid out by the African Union to prepare for a referendum on Abyei’s status that was supposed to be held next month The AU last year called for the establishment of an administration for the disputed border territory, the election of a council, the creation of a police force, and for a referendum commission to be set up, and eventually set a date for the vote, which the pan-African body proposed holding in October of this year

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“What Sudan did is block the implementation of these four things, particularly the referendum commission,” Marial said as, days away from the start of October, there was no sign that the vote would be held Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti did not directly reply to a question posed in a separate interview with VOA News about what was supposed to be the looming referendum on Abyei’s status, saying merely that the African Union “knows well that if nothing is agreed upon by the two parties, nothing could be enforced” He also warned Juba against going it alone in Abyei, noting that “in the last statement issued by the heads of state of the AU’s Peace and Security Council, they clearly said no unilateral action should be taken as a way of resolving Abyei or any other issue."

On Friday, the AU Peace and Security Council issued a statement urging the governments of South Sudan and Sudan “to establish the Abyei Area Referendum Commission and refrain from undertaking unilateral actions” in the disputed region The status of the 10,000-square-kilometer area of Abyei has been in dispute since the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended more than 20 years of civil war in Sudan Prized for its fertile land and oil reserves, Abyei is currently under United Nations' administration. Abyei residents were originally supposed to vote on whether they would remain part of Sudan or become South Sudanese back in January 2011, on the same day that people in the south voted to secede from Sudan Last week, hundreds of protesters rallied in front of U.N. headquarters in New York to demand that Khartoum facilitate the holding of a referendum on Abyei.

Jon Temin, the Horn of Africa director for the U.S. Institute of Peace, told VOA News that Abyei was “foremost on the list” of bones of contention between the two Sudans “that have stalled and not moved anywhere,” in spite of two sides signing several agreements on a number of issues since South Sudan became independent in July 2011.

“It is unfortunate, in the grand scheme of things, that there isn’t more of a global commitment amongst both parties, and particularly Sudan, to things that they agreed to on paper because it really diminishes the value of negotiations as a tool for resolving disputes,” Temin said

Khartoum has repeatedly said it will not allow the proposed referendum for Abyei to go ahead, citing the fact that Misseriya nomads, Sudanese citizens who pass through the disputed territory on their way to watering and grazing grounds for their cattle, would not be eligible to vote

Experts have said that Khartoum is also worried about losing access to yet another oil- producing region after South Sudan won control of most of the once unified country's oil resources when it split from the north in 2011

Abyei community leaders have said that, regardless of how the vote goes, a final decision will allow for greater trade between South Sudan and Sudan, and finally give residents political representation.

In spite of the two foreign ministers’ downbeat comments about Abyei, both officials were positive about last year’s agreements and future relations between the two neighbors.

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“Given the chance to work together, I think there is nothing to stop us,” Karti told VOA from New York, where he was attending the United Nations General Assembly last week.

“The future is very clear to me and it’s a bright one,” he said Marial, meanwhile, called the nine agreements signed in Addis Ababa on Sept. 27 last year “an answer, which can bring about good neighborliness between the two states, which can guarantee the viability of the two states.” (Back to Top)

China ready to help Sudan, S. Sudan mend ties Xinhua 30/09/2013-China stands ready to help improve the relationship between Sudan and South Sudan, the Chinese ambassador in the Sudanese capital said on Sunday. "China appreciates the two parties' adherence to the option of peace and urges them to find solutions to the outstanding issues between them through dialogue," Luo Xiaoguang said at a reception to mark the 64th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct. 1. "We reiterate China's readiness to play a vital role in enhancing the relations between the two countries," he added. Sudanese Petroleum Minister Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz conveyed his government's congratulations, saying "today we are celebrating the anniversary of the founding of China and the bilateral ties between Sudan and China, which we present as a model for the peace- loving nations and for friendship and cooperation without intervention in the internal affairs."

Over 500 people, including government officials and diplomats from both countries, attended the reception held at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum. (Back to Top)

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