South Sudan might cut oil production

JUBA, South Sudan, Nov. 30 (UPI) — South Sudan might be forced to stop producing oil because storage capacity is limited, a minister said after Sudan blocked oil exports from its neighbor.

Khartoum this week said it wasn’t going to export the 200,000 barrels per day produced by South Sudan, forcing China to step into the regional embargo.

Beijing called on the Sudanese government to end the blockade since it is the largest buyer of crude oil from the region and the move affected its tankers first.

“Maintaining normal production of oil is important to both South Sudan and Sudan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted by the Financial Times as saying. “We hope north and South Sudan can stay rational, show restraint and resolve relevant problems through neighborly pragmatism and friendly talks.”

Energy analysts told the Financial Times that although crude oil from the region represents only a fraction of the oil market, supplies are strained as markets try to recover from outages from the war in Libya and declining output from Syria.

Arkangelo Okwang, an energy official in South Sudan, told the Financial Times further action from Khartoum might force his country to cut output because its own storage capacity is limited.

“That will be a disaster if we are forced to stop production,” he was quoted as saying.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/11/30/South-Sudan-might-cut-oil-production/UPI-56741322656858/#ixzz1fFc0nIdJ

Sudan’s bid to join EAC rejected as South Sudan’s deferred
Sudan Tribune
In a related context, the EAC’s head-of-states summit deferred application of the newly-independent state of South Sudan to join the regional bloc for further scrutiny. According to the summit’s final communiqué, South Sudan’s application is to be …

South Sudan Central Bank introduces new payment systems
Sudan Tribune
November 30, 2011 (JUBA) – The Central Bank of South Sudan on Wednesday announced it was embarking on a modernisation of the country’s payments, clearing and settlement systems. Bank officials say the development will be part of a national payments …

Sudan says it will seize South Sudanese oil as talks fail

Alan Boswell McClatchy Newspapers

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Sudan vowed Wednesday to confiscate a portion of South Sudan’s oil as it passes through a pipeline in Sudan as talks between the countries failed to produce any agreement on how to split oil revenues.

Sudanese officials defended the action as a reasonable step to bolster their country’s flailing economy, which lost access to oil production facilities earlier this year when South Sudan became independent.

Several months of negotiations have failed to produce a deal on how much South Sudan should pay to move its oil north through a pipeline that runs through Sudan.

South Sudan denounced Sudan’s plan, and mediators from other African nations expressed frustration that six days of talks hadn’t ended in an agreement. Former South African President Thabo Mbeki oversaw the talks.

Sudan said it would take only a portion of South Sudan’s oil and that the rest would be allowed to flow to ships for export.

South Sudan’s chief negotiator, Pagan Amum, called the solution “extortion” and “looting” and said no agreement had been reached because Sudan was asking for too much.

According to South Sudanese officials, two shipments totaling 1.6 million barrels were delayed in Port Sudan but the ships have since been loaded and were expected to be released soon. One of those shipments belonged to a Chinese oil firm, prompting a rare public reproach by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, urging both sides to keep the oil flowing.

Sudan pledged to continue negotiating, and said it wouldn’t block shipments of South Sudanese oil.

“We are never going to shut down the pipeline. We will take from the oil in kind what we deem to be our dues,” Said al Khatib, a senior member of the Sudanese delegation, said in an interview Wednesday. “We will stick to what we feel is our fair share.”

Sudan won’t grab more than 30 percent of the oil, Khatib said. Another member of the Sudanese delegation said it probably would be around 23 percent.

International reaction is still uncertain.

By the time the oil reaches Sudanese territory, the South Sudanese government already has sold it to a third-party buyer. Amum said he doubted that Sudan could stop foreign companies from claiming their paid-for commodity, and that he considered the latest news merely an intimidation tactic.

Sudan’s Khatib said that would be a problem South Sudan would have to sort out with its business partners.

“This is something that they have been notified of. So when they sell, they know now that whatever they sell, some of that is ours. So they need to make that clear to the buyers,” Khatib said.

(Boswell is a McClatchy special correspondent.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/11/30/131777/sudan-says-it-will-seize-south.html

Sudan says it will seize South Sudanese oil as talks fail
MiamiHerald.com
By Alan Boswell ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Sudan vowed Wednesday to confiscate a portion of South Sudan’s oil as it passes through a pipeline in Sudan as talks between the countries failed to produce any agreement on how to split oil revenues. …

Prisoners do hard time in South Sudan’s Rumbek central prison
msnbc.com (blog)
A man accused of murder in Rumbek central prison wears padlocked chains around his ankles as his fellow prisoners look on in Rumbek, in Southern Sudan, on Nov. 14, 2011. The prison in Rumbek, the capital of Lakes State (center), dates from 1948, …

S. Korea likely to send peacekeeping troops to South Sudan before May: officials The Korea Herald South Korea is likely to dispatch peacekeeping troops to South Sudan before May, after having checked security conditions in the newly independent African nation, multiple government officials said Thursday. The government is considering sending a …

Sudan says to take quarter of south’s oil, as talks fail AFP The Sudanese government pledged in a statement earlier not to block southern exports. “The Government of Sudan has not, and will not, stop or impede the flow and export of the Republic of South Sudan,” it said, after five days of negotiations in the …

Sudan has not stopped South Sudan oil exports: official Reuters Africa By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA/JUBA (Reuters) – A Sudanese official on Wednesday denied the country had halted landlocked South Sudan’s oil exports in a transit fee row, but said Sudan had confiscated crude shipments in lieu of payments it claims South …

Africa’s Final Frontier – South Sudan Expedition 2012 Easier (press release) In February 2012 a team of nine adventurers will set off into the wilderness of South Sudan to retrace the footsteps of the first British Explorers and be the first expedition into the world’s newest country! It is literally the land that time forgot, …

Gaddafi and me: professor explains why London School of Economics (LSE) took cash from Libyan tyrant’s son

The man who helped to elicit a £1.5m donation from Saif al-Islam’s foundation tells his side of the story
A description of how Saif Gaddafi changed into a “frightened” man as the Libyan revolution approached is given today by his informal academic adviser from the London School of Economics.

Professor David Held, professor of political science at the LSE, is expected to face criticism – along with the university hierarchy – when the long-awaited inquiry into its links with the Libyan regime is published today.

In the first interview he has given about the saga – he spoke to reporters from the LSE’s student newspaper, The Beaver – Professor Held acknowledges that he knew at the time that a £1.5m donation to the university from the Gaddafi charity would be “controversial”. He says that, with hindsight, his behaviour could “give rise to a perception it was mistaken”.

The professor also speaks of student Saif Gaddafi as a “young man who was struggling to make sense of the world, struggling to think about issues which obviously were not easy for him to think about”.

He adds: “After four years or so, I found him to be much like an American liberal. He used to say there is nothing wrong with American democracy promotion in the Middle East – I’d be horrified by that statement – because Arabs should promote democracy themselves.”

Professor Held also reveals in the interview the regime’s desire for much stronger links – he was personally invited to Libya “three or four times” following Saif Gaddafi’s graduation, and also declined opportunities to meet the student’s father, Colonel Gaddafi.

The last meeting between Saif and Held was in December 2010 when he noticed a distinct shift of character in Colonel Gaddafi’s son.

“He was really frightened,” he said. “I said ‘You look terrible’, and he explained that some of his friends had been arrested in Libya, that his media enterprises had been closed down and that he was under pressure to remove the human rights dimension of his foundation.”

That charity, the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation, was set up in 1988. “Whatever sort of reform battle he was waging with the regime, it seemed to me at the moment that he had lost.

“I said ‘What are you going to do?’ He clearly didn’t know. I said, ‘Don’t go back’. But he obviously made a different decision.” Asked why Saif had changed so radically from moderniser to defender of his father’s regime, the professor said: “I don’t think that he thought that there would come a moment when he’d have to choose between his father, mother, siblings, family, tribe and his project of modernising Libya.

“I think he thought he had 10 to 15 years to do this. He believed his father would get old, he [Saif] would slowly take over and he would transform Libya. But he didn’t have that time. ”

Professor Held revealed it would have been possible to have had a meeting with Saif’s father three or four times.

“I refused… It was one thing to deal with his son, another to deal with the old guard of the regime itself.”

Professor Held is expected to face criticism in today’s report, and was also questioned about Saif’s PhD thesis amid accusations of plagiarism against the Libyan dictator’s son.

Tony Blair helped Saif Gaddafi with his PhD thesis, sending the dictator’s son a personally signed letter on Downing Street headed paper which thanked Saif for showing him “your interesting PhD thesis” – in May 2007. The letter offered guidance on a number of points, including examples of co-operation between governments, people and business “that might help with your studies”. The Foreign Office has also confirmed that Britain’s ambassador to the US, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, met Saif during his time at the LSE.

“The evidence for plagiarism is not as great as people think,” Professor Held claimed, “and the issue will be: to what extent did he have help from an outsider? I don’t know what the evidence is at this stage.”

During the interview, Professor Held, who is leaving the LSE to take up a post at Durham University in January, gives an account of how he acted as the lynchpin for the £1.5m donation from the Gaddafi charity to the university.

“As soon as it became a possibility, I picked up the phone and called Howard Davies [the director of LSE who resigned over the affair] to ask him what he thought. I knew, of course, that this would be controversial.

“Had Howard said at that moment, ‘Drop it – it’s not a good idea’, I would have, of course, dropped it. But he said: ‘Let’s put it through the committees’.”

Saif’s fate has turned, Professor Held said, on his speech on 20 February this year when he blamed oil companies, and “imperialists” for the protests and warned that “rivers of blood” would flow across Libya if they did not stop.

“I know that he had almost two speeches prepared on that fateful night of the 20 February,” said Professor Held. “One by his closest adviser, which started with a conciliatory message to the people of Benghazi, apologies and deep concern about what had happened. It moved in an entirely different direction to the one that he gave. The speech he delivered instead was appalling, threatening and, as time went by, he became a spokesperson for this brutal regime.”

Professor Held said of criticism of the LSE for accepting the donation: “People easily forget that the middle of 2009 is very different to now. No one anticipated the Arab spring. No one could anticipate that a student I knew would suddenly, at a moment of pressure, make a catastrophic set of choices.”

He revealed the decision to accept the donation went through two meetings of the LSE’s council – with a thorough discussion the second time. According to Professor Held, Mr Davies was “on balance” in favour of acceptance.

On deciding to take a position with Saif Gaddafi’s foundation (he resigned soon after following an LSE council meeting), Professor Held said: “I thought it would be interesting. I thought I would learn a lot.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/gaddafi-and-me-professor-explains-why-lse-took-cash-from-libyan-tyrants-son-6269866.html

South Sudan “surprised” by oil export halt, Seeks Alternative Pipeline

* China urges resolution to the transit fee row

* Dispute threatens to disrupt oil supplies from South Sudan

* S. Sudan minister says proposing 5-year financial package (Recasts with South Sudan’s oil minister comments)

By Hereward Holland and Chris Buckley

JUBA/BEIJING, Nov 29 (Reuters) – South Sudan’s oil minister said on Tuesday Sudan’s decision to halt the South’s oil exports over a transit fee row would hurt both countries’ oil interests, and that the South would keep seeking an alternative pipeline.

China, a major buyer of oil from both countries, urged the governments to resolve the dispute.

The row, which surfaced on Monday, has threatened to disrupt oil supplies from Africa’s newest nation and is likely to complicate sensitive talks in Addis Ababa over unresolved issues related to South Sudan’s secession in July.

South Sudan’s Oil Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau said Sudan’s decision was “unfortunate” and, as a result, the new nation would reinvigorate efforts to build an alternative pipeline to decrease its dependence on Sudan’s oil infrastructure.

“We do not see a future in the oil infrastructure of the north. Our oil must have access to international markets. We should not be punished because we decided to secede,” he told Reuters by telephone from the Ethiopian capital.

South Sudan seceded on July 9, taking about three-quarters of the formerly united country’s roughly 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil output. The industry is vital to both economies.

South Sudan’s exports to China and elsewhere still have to pass through pipelines to a Red Sea port located in Sudan. The two sides have not agreed how much South Sudan should pay as a transit fee.

Dhieu said South Sudan had proposed two alternatives to Sudan to help it plug an estimated $7.8 billion fiscal deficit over five years, a figure he said was calculated by the International Monetary Fund.

The first was a $5.4 billion, five-year transitional financial package, half of which would include giving up some arrears South Sudan says it is owed. The second was a transit fee of not more than $0.75 per barrel.

“We have offered to pay $2.6 billion over five years and forgiveness of arrears of $2.6 billion, for a deal in which we would not pay transit fees,” Dhieu said.

“This is the package of financial assistance we are offering to Khartoum, and while this is happening we were surprised by this unilateral decision. This unilateral action taken by Khartoum will have a negative impact on all of Sudan’s oil interests.”

Sudan had been allowing South Sudan to export crude without a final deal in expectation the fees would be paid after an agreement, but decided to stop the exports – roughly 200,000 bpd – on Nov. 17, Sudan’s acting oil minister, Ali Ahmed Osman said on Monday.

Osman said South Sudan already owed Sudan some $727 million in arrears for the period between July 9 and the end of October.

BEIJING’S BALANCING ACT

China has sought to maintain good ties with both countries since South Sudan declared independence from its larger and long-dominant northern neighbour, despite the rancour.

That balancing act is being tested by Monday’s announcement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei urged the two governments to avoid choking off oil supplies.

“We believe that maintaining the normal production of oil is important for both South Sudan and Sudan,” Hong told a daily briefing.

“We hope that north and south Sudan will exercise reason and restraint, and use a flexible and pragmatic approach to resolve their problems through friendly consultation,” he said.

“We are confident that the two governments will abide by their promises, ensure the stability and continuity of oil cooperation, and protect the lawful rights of Chinese businesses and the safety of their personnel.”

By October, China’s purchases of Sudanese crude appeared little affected, with imports in the first 10 months of this year up 5.5 percent on the year at 11.12 million tonnes, or about 5 percent of China’s total crude oil imports.

But a 600,000 barrel oil shipment sold by South Sudan to China’s Unipec did not load as scheduled on Monday because of the decision to halt exports, South Sudanese officials said.

In August, China’s visiting Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi vowed that Beijing would support both Sudan and South Sudan and help both countries develop their oil industries.

China maintained close economic and political ties with north Sudan throughout a U.S. trade embargo and also wants to reach out to the south, which decided to break away from Khartoum under a 2005 peace deal. (Additional reporting by Alexander Dziadosz in Khartoum; editing by James Jukwey)

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5E7MT4MS20111129?sp=true

 

Present Situation & Future Developments of the South Sudanese Business Sector

Government of South Sudan Minis try of Finance&
Economic Planning
Presentation by H.E Kuol Athian Mawien
Present Situation & Future Developments of the South Sudanese
Business Sector
Hamburg, June 20, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Firstly, I wish to thank you for inviting me to this seventh German-Sudanese Business
Forum. It gives me great pleasure to be able to outline to you the current situation of
the Business Sector in Southern Sudan, and or policies for its future development It is
my hope that in doing so, I may encourage some of you to come to Southern Sudan,
and explore the business opportunities available there.
There are enormous opportunities in Sudan in general and Southern Sudan in
particular for investment. Peace has come to Southern Sudan after many decades of
unrest. We are confident that peace will be a way of life for the Southern Sudanese.
Our aim now is to develop a peaceful and prosperous nation, and we are fortunate to
have oil revenues with which to finance our development. It is our aim to use our oil
revenues wisely, so that we develop our infrastructure and stimulate investment. This
will enable our people to enjoy a higher standard of living, and will enable us to
develop our tax base, so that in the end, we have a viable alternative to oil as a source
of agriculture.
Traditionally, Southern Sudan’s strength has been in the field of agriculture=;
Southern Sudan is blessed with a good climate, fertile soil and unpolluted
environment. Now, due to the displacement of our people, and the devastation
wreaked by war on our productive base, we are importing food. However, our
potential to supply our domesticate market and export our surplus is huge. There is
potential for those wishing to invest in cash crops as well. Tea, coffee, rice, gum and
maize have traditionally been produced in Southern Sudan and there is potential to
scale up activities in this sector.
In light of the current global increase in food prices, agriculture is an area which
investors should take very seriously.
Potential for tourism, particularly wildlife tourism is also great. Because of civil strife,
the environment has been untouched and even today, wildlife in its thousands can be
viewed easily in many parts of Southern Sudan. We have huge potential to develop a
niche wildlife tourism market for game viewing and bird watching. The Nile can also
be the single biggest draw for tourists to Southern Sudan. There is tremendous
potential for water sports and investors in the cruise business.
More broadly, in terms of the tourist industry, we need investment in the form of
hotels all over Southern Sudan; Hotels are needed in large numbers, and needed
quickly, in Southern Sudan. The number of investors, international civil servants, and
staff from NGOs who are coming into Southern Sudan is increasing every day. Flights
to Juba are generally full, which is an indication of the increasing number of people
coming into Southern Sudan. Current accommodation is basic and needs to be
upgraded. Returns are high in this field and there is enough space for many more
investors.
Southern Sudan is also rich in oil, minerals, including gold and diamonds, and ore. We
welcome investors to prospect for minerals in Southern Sudan and establish
manufacturing units here. We look to the establishment of manufacturing units in
Southern Sudan. Land is easily available for those who wish to set up manufacturing
units in Southern Sudan. We want to realize the benefits of value addition to our raw
materials, through transfer of technology to the South, instead of seeing the benefits
accrue to countries abroad.
At present, we import all our manufactured products, as well as aggregates such as
cement. Given our landlocked natured, our reconstruction needs, and our demand for
construction materials, this is not cost-effective for us. We would therefore like to
encourage import-substituting production of manufactured and processed products
for the local market, and capacity for cement production.
This policy of industrialization and value addition is necessary in order to provide
skilled and semi-skilled employment to the under-employed and unemployed,
particularly in the agricultural sector. We believe that investment in human capital will
deliver significant gains to our economy, particularly in the area of agro-processing
and light manufacturing for the domestic market, and this should be a particular target
for investment.
For those interested in significant capital investment, the Nile has the potential to
generate enormous hydroelectric power. Neighboring countries are hungry for power
and Southern Sudan itself will need more power with each passing month. We look to
investors to join with us in this huge challenge.
Based on the needs that I have outlined, as well as our potential, we welcome
investors and investment. However, we would like investors to work for the benefit of
Southern Sudanese. This does not men that we will restrict the ways in which you can
invest here. You can invest through any number of channels; you can invest directly,
make use of local agents, or go into partnership with local businesspersons. However,
any investment should be mutually beneficial. Southern Sudanese have suffered long
and have suffered a lot by way of deprivation and poverty for decades. We want the
benefits of peace and development accrue to all Southern Sudanese.
Any investment in Southern Sudan should generate employment for South Sudanese.
That is an essential pre requisite. I have heard people say that the capacity of Southern
Sudanese to handle hi-tech jobs is limited. My answer would be that if Southern
Sudanese are trained they will be as good as anybody else will in the world. We look
to investment as a means of transferring technology and enhancing skills acquisition in
the South. As far as we are concerned, technology transfer through foreign direct
investment is one of the leading ways of accelerating our development. I will enable us
to increase our skills base, raise our productivity, and enhance our output.
As a government, we know that we cannot just stand by, and expect investors to
come to the South of their own accord. We must ensure that the environment we
provide is conducive, and work to make Southern Sudan an attractive investment
destination for innovative investors with a keen eye for emerging business
opportunities. We are in the process of developing business-friendly laws and policies,
and are committed to guaranteeing freedom of economic activity. We do not place
restrictions on flow of capital, either into or out of the country and likewise, we
guarantee free movement of people and capital goods. We are committed to the
principles of market competition, and have put this into practice in our own
procurement policies.

The government of Southern Sudan, through its oil wealth, is the single biggest actor

in the Southern Sudanese economy at present, and our policy

of competitive procurement acts as an important stimulant to private sector growth.
More broadly, the government of Southern Sudan has recently defined its six top
expenditure priorities for the period 2008 – 2011. Three of these are directly linked to
our objective of stimulating private sector-led development in Southern Sudan. We
have placed a priority on maintaining security, which is a pre-requisite for investment.
We have prioritized the development of road infrastructure, which is essential for the
development of markets. In addition, we have prioritized the development of our
productive capacity in the agricultural sector, to ensure that our population, the
majority of who live in the rural areas, are food secure and able to engage in market
activities.
Finally, as I conclude, I wish to touch briefly on the issue of the financial sector. To be
frank with our commercial banking system is still in its infancy. We know that this is
not a constraint to foreign investors, who have access to capital abroad. Nevertheless,
we would like to attract investors to come into our financial sector, so that in turn our
local businesses can benefit from access to credit through the local commercial
banking system.
In conclusion, the situation in Southern Sudan has come back to normality. There is
now stable and friendly investment climate which guarantees security of investment,
freedom to set up business enterprises, and repatriation of capital. The government of
Southern Sudan actively wishes to encourage investors to come and identify for
themselves the business opportunities available in the South in all areas. Our private
sector, and our markets, are probably some of the least developed in the world. Most
people would probably see this as a challenge. However, we believe that businessminded
investors will also see it as a huge opportunity. Working in partnership, and
through wise use of our oil revenues, we believe the South has the opportunity to reap
the gains of private sector development.
I once again wish to thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet with you today.
7th German-Sudanese Business Forum, Hamburg, Germany
June 20th, 2008

investment in south sudan.pdf 88K   View   Download

University of Groningen PhD Scholarships for Developing Countries 2012-2013

The University of Groningen in Netherlands invites applications from students from developing countries to do a fully funded PhD programme in the university. The University of Groningen Talent Grant is meant to create a strong link between recipients’ universities and Groningen.

Eligibility

PhD candidates from a university that has signed a co-operation agreement will be given preferential treatment. There are also grants available for a brief stay in Groningen (max. three months). These are intended for junior researchers who wish to formulate a research proposal or academic staff who want to spend a sabbatical leave at the University of Groningen.

Requirements:

• Applicant is an inhabitant of one of the eligible countries
• Applicant meets the academic requirements for PhD research (has an MSc degree of equivalent) and is a junior researcher
• Applicant is employed by a research institute or university in country of origin and should receive an income from the home institution. The application should be supported by this organization
• Research should relate to issues relevant to developing countries or Eastern European countries and should be conducted in the home country
• Applicant submits a research proposal. This proposal should include:
• Clear research question
• Short description of current developments in the chosen area of research
• A plan for the work
• A survey of relevant literature
• A list of applicant’s publications
• References
• The University of Groningen is able to provide a thesis supervisor who will be responsible for the scientific supervision of the research

Worth of Awards

The programme enables junior researchers to do part of their PhD research at the University of Groningen for periods of a maximum of six months each year within a four year period. During this period, the researcher remains in the employ of their home institution in the country of origin. Grants will cover expenses incurred in travelling to and from the Netherlands (max. of four times) and the living costs during the stay. A moderate research budget can be granted, if judged necessary by the academic supervisor.

 How to Apply

• First the candidate should apply for admission to a study programme at the University of Groningen. Please check the application guide from the link below and apply early.

Eligible Countries

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Replublic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, China, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea–Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kiribati, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Moldova, Mongolia, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Namibia, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Autonomous Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, East Timor, South Korea

Deadline: February 22, 2012.

For more information about the scholarship, click here.

To learn more about applying for admission, click here

World AIDS Day 2011: Getting to Zero HIV

The first day of the twelve month of the calendar year was adopted as ‘World AIDS Day’ on the recommendation of Dr. Jonathan Mann, a former Director of the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organisation (WHO). The notion of World AIDS Day was conceived by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter who were, at the time, public information officers at the Global Programme on AIDS.

The concept appealed to Dr Mann and he agreed with the recommendation that 1 December 1988 would be the first ever World AIDS Day. The Global Programme on AIDS became the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 1996. Dr Mann and his wife, Mary Lou Clements-Mann, a world leading researcher on HIV/ AIDS died in a plane crash (Swissair Flight 111) in 1998.

World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrating international solidarity. The day is an opportunity for public and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in high prevalence countries. The theme of World AIDS Day between 2011-2015, will be “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths”. This is a very ambitious aspiration.

The UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report (2011)  shows that by the end of 2010 there were about 34 million people living with HIV globally. This was an increase of about 17%  to the number of people living with HIV in 2001. There were 2.7 million new HIV infections in 2010, a reduction of about 15% in comparison to the number of new infections in 2001. 70% of all the new HIV infections in 2010 were in Sub-Saharan Africa. The annual numbers of new HIV infections continue to fall more rapidly in some countries than others. New HIV infections have fallen significantly in 33 countries, 22 of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa. In geography, I am told, the term Sub-Saharan Africa refers to the African countries south of the Sahara desert.

Although the population of Sub-Saharan Africa is about 12% of the global population,  it has a relatively high number of people living with HIV. Every year AIDS has claimed at least one million lives in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1998. About  21 million men, women and children were living with HIV by the end of 2010 in Sub-Saharan Africa; about 68% of all the people living with HIV in the world. There were about 2 million people newly infected with HIV in 2010. Almost half of the deaths associated with HIV-related illnesses in 2010 occurred in southern Africa. There are about 6 million people living with HIV in the Republic of South Africa, the highest number in the world. With about 25% of its adult population living with HIV the Kingdom of Swaziland has the highest adult HIV prevalence in the world. The number of people living with HIV in the Republic of South Sudan is unknown and HIV prevalence is expected to increase, particularly in the national and state capitals, until a fully functional health care system is introduced to provide access to HIV treatment, management and care.

HIV is mainly transmitted by unprotected sexual intercourse (UPSI). It may also be transmitted from mother to child in pregnancy, at birth or breast milk; the use of unsterilised injections by drug users; the transfusion of blood products and organ transplantation from HIV infected people. It is thought that the main route of transmission in the high HIV prevalence countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is UPSI. Safer sex methods and a reduced number of sexual partners can protect people from the risk of exposure to HIV, suffering the consequences of AIDS-related illnesses and premature death.

The concept of multiple sexual partners includes the cultural prac of polygamy, inheritance of the wives of dead relatives and extra-marital sexual partners. When a married woman in a polygamous family has an extra-marital affair with an HIV positive man, the infection would be passed on to her husband and his other wives. A man who inherits the wife of an HIV-infected dead uncle might pass on the virus to his other wife or wives. Similarly, a man who expresses his masculinity by serial extra-marital relationships (aka random sampling), would be at increased vulnerability to HIV infection, ill-health and premature death.

Increased sexual activity in men is inextricably linked with the indiscriminate abuse of alcohol or drugs or peer pressure. Alcohol, drugs and peer pressure frequently lead to increased sexual activity and tragic consequences. Increased sexual activity in women would also raise the potential for unplanned pregnancy, lone parenthood, social exclusion and poor mental health. This argument is in agreement with the Christian value of ‘security in marriage’

HIV/AIDS is almost always linked with the proliferation of brothels in South Sudan. Sex workers from neighbouring Uganda are allegedly responsible for the surge in the number of people living with HIV or dying of HIV-related causes. The anecdotal evidence quoted  is based on premise that the majority of sex workers speak either ‘Kiswahili’ or ‘English’. A close examination of the issue shows that some of the active sex workers are of South Sudanese origin. Many of the ‘returnee’ sex workers are unfortunate South Sudanese who were born in exile and to whom Kiswahili is the first language. Therefore, the ‘returnee’ sex workers are our own daughters and sisters orphaned or widowed by the war of liberation in which they were cruelly deprived of their parents and the opportunity for education and a better life. Some of the unfortunate women are the offspring of liberation war heroes who paid the ultimate price in the struggle for freedom and independence!

The ludicrous idea that the spread of HIV can be halted by the violent deportation of Ugandan women will not resolve our predicament. It would be tantamount to a crime against humanity. We can improve the situation by adopting a more responsible attitude in the allocation of national resources. In the United Kingdom, 40 per cent of the national budget is allocated to the National Health Service (ministry for health), thirty percent is allocated to education and the rest of the ministries share the balance. This trend is replicated across the developed world. We need more investment in education, health and social services.

There will be no significant change in South Sudan until we learn to be accountable for our actions and decisions. We should demonstrate humility in public office and in the service of the silent majority. We must reduce the burden of government bureaucracy to a manageable structure. We must also learn from the experiences of countries like Greece and Italy that ignored the participation of technocrats in government to their peril. We need to engage with and involve the vast array of South Sudanese technocrats in the international organisations, developed and developing countries so that they can return to serve in our home country. We need to act now to prevent the scourge of HIV/AIDS spiralling out of control, increasing infant and adult mortality and morbidity, reducing our capacity for economic development and growth, creating political instability and insecurity.

HIV has no friend irrespective of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender or social status.I  would urge each and every one of us to be screened for HIV and other life threatening STIs.

I wish you all the best on World AIDS Day.

Hakeem Legge

Interim Head of Health Improvement

NHS North of England

Blenheim House

Leeds, United Kingdom

United States Hosts International Engagement Conference for South Sudan

An Open Dialogue with the Government of South Sudan
on Development and Investment

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 28, 2011
Public Information: 202-712-4810

www.usaid.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States will host the International Engagement Conference for South Sudan December 14-15 in Washington, D.C., to honor the new nation and commence a development and investment dialogue with the Government of South Sudan. The conference will outline the Government of South Sudan’s strategic development priorities and highlight opportunities for engagement with public and private sector partners. The conference will also include officials from the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Corporate Council on Africa, and InterAction.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah are scheduled to speak during the two-day event, as well as foreign officials, development ministers, and private sector and NGO leaders. Participation in the conference is limited to invited guests. Portions of the event will be open to the press.

The conference builds on the U.S. Government’s long partnership with the people of South Sudan. As the lead donor of humanitarian and development assistance for decades, the United States has helped to support the people of South Sudan as they establish peace and secure the strategic tools needed to build a nation.

The first day of the conference will focus on those development and policy priorities of the Government of South Sudan that will serve as the key architectural components for the new nation. South Sudan President Salva Kiir will articulate his vision for the development of his country, and Secretary Clinton will outline the U.S. Government’s commitment to South Sudan being able to meet its development challenges. Government, private sector, and civil society members will discuss issues such as managing oil revenues, delivering valuable social services such as education and health care, strengthening government institutions, and building the country’s human capital.

The second day of the conference will focus on private sector and investment opportunities in South Sudan, in line with the priorities of the Government of South Sudan. This will include discussions of high-priority sectors such as oil and renewable energy, agriculture, and communications technology. The conference will also include discussions of policies to develop a business-enabling environment, for example, through infrastructure and financial services.

For more information about USAID South Sudan programs, please visit www.usaid.gov/locations/sub-saharan_africa/countries/south_sudan/index.html.

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The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

For more information about USAID’s programs, please visit: usaid.gov. To read our blog, see blog.usaid.gov.

Excuse Mechanisms that Cause Some Governance Drawbacks in South Sudan

By Dr. James Okuk,

In my PhD research between 2006 to 2009, the below are identified excuse mechanisms that have caused some drawbacks in many actions and omissions of our government leaders in Southern Sudan by then. The same is still happening these days, yet our leaders do not care to benefit from academic researches some of us have done with patriotic spirit, aiming at helping our dear Motherland to get built on a firmed foundation of “justice as fairness”.

As our government leaders grapple these days in crisis management ranging from war provocation, oil business politics and other pending critical issues signaled by the Sudanese government leaders, I thought it could be of interest to some of you to find the connections and relevance of this research findings.

Perhaps, one day the voice of reason and wisdom will come to reign in South Sudan where the  academic endeavors of young people like me, Augustino Ting,  and many others will get acknowledged and used rather than hated for the good of the new nation.

Instead of locking us behind colonial bars in Juba under pretext of being criminal because of criticizing the President and his government,  the best and right place to imprison intellectuals and journalists of South Sudan would have been a closed think-tank research confines for finding objective  and recommendable solutions to the mountainous challenges facing the new country from different angles (internally as well as externally).

If you happened to pass through the main library of University of Nairobi, please you may check the table and explanatory analyses of these mechanism in Chapter Seven of my thesis. The title of the thesis is ” Rawlsian Justice and Poverty Reduction in Southern Sudan”, which I defended rigorously in July 2009 with success and admiration from examiners’ panel.

• Do not trouble the trouble until it troubles you. • Let’s wait and see; it will work itself out alone. • Time heals; so do not get bothered. • What is the hurry for anyway? There is no hurry in Africa. • We seem to have been okay the way we are, why change? • My people are different; they are sure to resist. • We have always done it our way and it worked. • Do you think you can do more than what we have done? • Our region and priorities are different from yours. • Our culture and regulations cannot accommodate these changes. • We are too small and young; that is not for us anyway. • We only have a skeleton staff; they are not enough for that work. • We are not licensed to do so; it doesn’t have the mandate. • Do we have the go ahead from authorities above? • Does our constitution allow this? • That’s too bold a decision. Do we have the authority? • We do not have the quorum. • It’s not within our plans and priorities. • It is not in the budget; wait until we budget for it. • Is this in line with the National Development Plan? • Wait until we are of age; that is beyond our capacity now. • We do not have skills; nobody here can handle it. • We do not have the experience to implement this.

• That’s outside our organizational boundaries. • It is too early for that; that is being over ambitious. • You are living beyond your time. • We are approaching this emotionally, let’s be a little more rational. • We have to tread on this very, very carefully, and consider all the implications. • Have you verified the facts? Don’t take it at face value. • We do not have the full information. • Let’s form a committee to look into that matter. • That is too expensive. Does the benefit justify the cost? • We tried that before; it never worked. • Where has this worked before? • The season is not right for it now; may be when it will be a bit better. • We are too busy around here; may be next year. • Do we really have the time? • It is not an emergency; let’s give ourselves more time to think over it. • Let’s pray about it and wait for God’s right time for intervention. • That is outdated; we use to do that long ago. • There is no use talking about it; remember the donor fatigue. • We are already overloaded; we can’t take more. • Stakeholders are not genuine in this; they have hidden agenda. • It sounds too theoretical; perhaps only good for academic argument. • It is the economy to blame. • It is the Arabs and Khartoum to blame. • That sounds too simplistic; it is not worth paying attention to.

Dr. James Okuk

Juba, Cell Phone: 0998270837

Briefing by the Sudan Revolutionary Front

Act for Sudan is pleased to host a conference call open to activists and interested parties for a briefing provided by leaders of the Sudan Revolutionary Front. The call will be recorded and, time permitting, will conclude with Q&A.

PLEASE NOTE NEW CALL-IN NUMBER:

Call: 209-647-1600
Access Code: 406516#

Confirmed speakers for the call include:

Justice and Equality Movement:
– Dr. Gibril Ibrahim Mohamed – Secretary of Foreign Relations
– Ahmed Hussein Adam – Assistant to Chairman for Foreign Relations and International Co-operation

Sudan Liberation Movement – Minnawi:
– Minni Minnawi – Chairman
– Traiyo Ahmed Ali – Chairman Assistant for Foreign Relations
– Tragi O. Mustafa – Leader in SLM

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North:
– Yasir Arman, Secretary General

If possible, please RSVP in advance to Esther Sprague at esprague11@yahoo.com. Thank you and please let us know if you have questions.

Act for Sudan is an alliance of American citizen activists and Sudanese U.S. residents who advocate for an end to genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan. Act for Sudan is dedicated to advocacy that is directly informed by the situation on the ground and by Sudanese people who urgently seek protection, justice, and peace. Our website is at www.actforsudan.org.

Sudan Denies Halting South Sudan oil exports as China Condemns the Move

Sudan’s denies halting South Sudan oil exports as China condemns move
Sudan Tribune
November 29, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Tuesday appeared to reverse a decision it announced yesterday by which oil exports from South Sudan passing through the north’s pipelines would come to a halt. The foreign ministry spokesperson …

Sudan has not stopped South Sudan oil exports -official
Reuters
By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Sudan has not stopped landlocked South Sudan’s oil exports in a transit fee row and does not intend to, a Sudanese official said on Wednesday, but said Sudan had confiscated crude shipments in lieu of …

South Sudan: Educating War Orphans Will Pay Back to Martyrs – Chairperson
AllAfrica.com
Juba — The Chairperson of War Disabled, Widowers and Orphans Commission Deng Dau Deng said the only pay back to the martyrs is to educate their children, rendering maximum support and care for their families. .In an interview with Deng he said, …

South Sudan: US to Host International Conference for South Sudan
AllAfrica.com
Washington — The United States will host the International Engagement Conference for South Sudan December 14-15 in Washington to honor the new nation and begin a development and investment dialogue with the government of South Sudan. …

South Sudan: land of opportunity, if you don’t mind risk
Reuters
An influx of adventurous entrepreneurs has helped fuel a small business boom in the world’s youngest country, South Sudan, which declared independence in July under a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war with the north. …

South Sudanese Leaders Should Not Be Source of Insecurity to Their People
AllAfrica.com
If South Sudanese and the people of Yirol county cannot love themselves like the Indians, the Chinese or the people of Israel, then one cannot conclude that the idea that Arabs were bad was a fake one meant to further some kind of gruesome hidden …

S. Sudan battles to transform guerrilla army
AFP
JUBA — As he approaches the imposing compound on the outskirts of Juba, a motorbike taxi driver shakes his head and refuses to stop within 200 metres (yards) of South Sudan?s military headquarters. He says the fear of crossing the security forces at …

Barges Bring Jubilant Returnees to South Sudan
Voice of America
November 29, 2011 Barges Bring Jubilant Returnees to South Sudan Hannah McNeish | Juba, South Sudan More than 350000 returnees have flocked to South Sudan since the country gained independence from the north in July. This week, 3200 more arrived in the …

Texas A&M System International Institute Helping South Sudan
KBTX
From the freshly paved roads of Juba to muddy rural paths clogged with bighorn cattle, the people of South Sudan are busy building a new country with help from a new agricultural development partnership. Through a recent agreement with the US Agency …

South Sudan delegation visits SA
Independent Online
A labour delegation from South Sudan is on a study visit to South Africa to explore best labour practices, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said on Tuesday. “It was critical for the new South Sudan state to bring together government, …

South Sudan Fights New War Against HIV/AIDS
Voice of America
November 29, 2011 South Sudan Fights New War Against HIV/AIDS Hannah McNeish | Juba, South Sudan South Sudan gained independence from the north after decades of civil war that killed an estimated 2 million people. Now there is peace and business is ..

Tales from Detention: Freedom is never free, a special note to friends of freedom of expression

By Ngor Arol Garang

While thrown behind bar on the order of Akol Koor Kuc, Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service for internal affairs, exactly on the first day of this month (November 2011), human right organizations acting in solidarity with media fraternity sprung up to their feet to pressure our release from detention.

The group I owe thanks and for whom I wrote this special note includes the widely read online Sudan Tribune, reporters without borders, Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalists, Association for Media Development in South Sudan, Community Empowerment for Progress Organization and South Sudan Human Right Society Advocacy.

Personal friends and relatives included my own brother Albino Garang Arol Garang, Reverend William Mou Deng, Lual Agel, Majok Kanajak, Ateny Wek Ateny, Tong Deng Anei, Akol Ayom Wekdit, Mading Ngor (the manager of another online news provider dubbed New Sudan vision), Nhial Bol Akeen, editor chief of the citizen newspaper, Dr. Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol and Dr.Luka Biong Deng both of whom are senior members of the South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), among others, courageously stood with my family members.

Their resolve to join pressure group was necessitated not by personal bonds but conscience to remind government of constitutional obligation to respect human right and press freedom, as enshrined in the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan

The reason which necessitated my arrest is that on Saturday 22, October 2011, the residents of Juba, as members of the public may be aware, witnessed the wedding ceremony of the President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, to Nardes Jebeyehu Alemneh, as husband of her choice. Almenhu is an Ethiopian migrant in South Sudan.

The ceremony attended by senior government officials was held at Rejaf Catholic Church where the president was officially seen handing over his daughter to bridegroom in the presence of the family members and relatives including friends. Viewed as bridal right since it is claimed that love has no borders, the acceptance of the president to allow his daughter to marry a foreigner without objection, met with a lot of hard feelings and public disquiet including individual members within the president’s own family.

Causes of commotions were grounded on cultural practices and traditional values managing marital rights. Some customs and traditions views president and other high ranking officials as symbols of national integrity and pride, thus putting them under close public scrutiny, including examining the backgrounds of those seeking to marry from their family members.

Many argued that president owes thanks and appreciations for bypassing traditions and customs which holds freedoms of daughters and sons to marry based on their choice. Others supported traditional practices of which some cultures in South Sudan including the Dinka tribe, to which the president belongs, requires that someone intending to marry from a high class family must have a clear family background.

This includes pleasant personalities as well as being a well known for achievements in the community from where the bridegroom wants to marry. Little was known about the president’s son in law since he comes from another country. This prompted many citizens to react against the marriage in social forums and other networks including internet based forums where community members share events, latest developments and current affairs with those residing outside the country. Others reacted in the print media some of which include The Citizen and Almasir daily newspapers which are some of the print media widely read in Juba.

The public reaction carried on for more than four days until on 26 October, when The Destiny newspaper, which was just being established, published an opinion written by a columnist called Dengdit Ayok, protesting the marriage. While the opinion was generally seen as another voice reflecting public reactions against the marital arrangement, some of the public members including elements from the National Intelligence and Security Service saw it at different angle including interpretations and arguments that the opinion had gone beyond limits of the freedom of expression into privacy.

Some views argued that some words of the opinion, especially the part blaming the church for blessing a bride claimed to be pregnant, should have been edited to avoid questioning religious teaching. Others claimed that churches including the Roman Catholic to which the bride belongs do not bless pregnant brides.

Other areas included the part questioning role of the presidential security guards, who seem to have not lived up to their duties to the extent that a foreign national easily gained access to the house of the president to make an affair with his daughter, casting doubts about ability of the guards to provide adequate security to the president, especially at the time when some of the senior government officials have always been heard complaining against external support to rebels fighting to remove his government from the power. Other fears were connected to safety of the president because of the international reports claiming that South Sudan is one of the countries in east Africa susceptible to terrorist attacks.

As talks against the marriage continues to be introductory point of any social gathering, the board of directors of the Destiny newspaper, on 28 October, convened a meeting in which a decision was reached to suspend the columnist who wrote an opinion believed to have exceeded right to freedom of expression to enter privacy.

His membership in the paper was suspended for one month and the management of the paper subsequently wrote and published a statement apologizing for publishing critical opinion on a family affair on 31 November. A copy of the apology was given to the family of the president and another to the ministry of information and broadcasting. The intention was to contain public reactions as voices against the marriage continues to dominate street talks in Juba.

Reasons for suspending columnist who serves as deputy editor in chief included violation of the editorial policy and operating procedures which requires all the reporters and opinion writers to submit articles and opinions to the managing editor and the chairman of the board of directors for scrutiny before publication. These procedures were bypassed as the opinion writer wrote his own opinion and submitted directly to the designer whose work is limited to only laying out and design of the paper. Another observation was the use of poignant language which hurt the feeling of family of the president as well as selection of some words blaming other institutions.

On 1st November, the National Intelligence and Security Service arrested me on assumption that I, as the member of the board of directors trusted with the editorial responsibility, have approved publication of the opinion which they believed have gone into privacy of the president and his family.

This follows a meeting held on 31 October between Akol Koor Kuc, the Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service and Dr. Dhieu Mathok. Kuc and Dr. Mathok, who is the chairman of board of directors, could not reach a consensus on the demand that the opinion writer be handed over to them (National Security) for investigation, thus decided to invite me in the next meeting.

Kuc (the Director General for National Security) told Dr. Mathok that the purpose of the meeting would be to know one another with the editors and to see how best they in the security section could work together with the media practitioners in gathering information for common good of the country and the entire citizenry.

Kuc, however, on 1st November, trashed the purpose of the meeting as he told Dr. Mathok and turned it into an interrogative session asking why the opinion was published and subsequently ordered my arrest into the cell within the headquarters of the National Security located at Jebel Kujur. He also handed an official statement suspending the paper until further notice and equally instructed his subordinates to look for Dengdit Ayok to bring him into the cell too.

On 5th November, exactly five days after my arrest, the security elements after amounting intensive search, brought in Ayok and took him to a separate cell where he was kept without talking to other detainees until after four days. Brought after I have complained against torture and other abuses to the chief investigator, Ayok received only slaps and verbal abuse and was never beaten until we were released.

In the detention, I was subjected to callous treatment, tortured; saw degrading handling and denial of all fundamental right including family visit for the whole week. No access to medical examination even when I was visibly seen very sick as a result of unwarranted beatings. No lawyer was equally allowed to me and no charges were brought against me. I was kept in an isolated place within the cell where I was not allowed to talk to other detainees for the five days. With other prisoners, we were forced to lay down to be walked on with boots as an interrogative means of getting other information about us.

This became the source of why I always get into problems with the security guards who were fond of torturing people because I do not accept laying down to be walked on and to be beaten. Besides torturing, the environment in which I was held was another form of torture. One could knock against objects and hard standings when even one tries to visit a relieving facility located within the cell, because it was ever dark making it difficult to know the presence of other people around you.

The only way to know presence of other people was through touching or calling the name of the person you need to talk with. Another form of torture was clearly seen in feeding. 1.5 liters of bottled water was shared amongst four people and one piece of bread a day. Food from family members was either eaten by the guards or rejected on the pretense that prisoners are fed in the cell. One of my family members I have never seen until I was released claimed to have been taking the food and water to me while being held.

That he deposits the food and water at the reception where he was not allowed to visit where I was held. Besides this form of treatment, the hygienic condition was always in horrible shape as the environment was ever emitting foul odor. The cells were always full and congested beyond accommodating capacity. There were no opening spaces for ventilation.

This makes it possible to contract contagious skin and airborne diseases. People who were notably sick including constant cough with difficulties in breathing in the cell were put together with other detainees. With the mounting pressure demanding our release on the government increases, the chief investigator, on 17 November, told the guards to inform us to be prepared because we were to be taken to the court that day, which we welcomed but no move was taken until we spent another night.

On the following day which was 18, the Inspector General of police, General Acuil Tito Madut, presumably after communications with the Director General of the National Security sent a colonel from ministry of interior who works in the department of criminal investigation unit (CID) so we are brought to him. The colonel with five others went and brought us to him (General Madut) the same day evening.

In his office after arrival from the national security headquarters situated at Jebel Kujur, west of Juba town, General Madut said he was asked by the president to pass on to us his resolve to release us without going to court. That marks our release without charges. The General only asked us to refrain from writing against any public figure in the future, especially after I insisted on asking what I have done to warrant arrest and torture, to forgive and take it a lesson not to allow any subordinate to publish an article or opinion without my consent.

In the evening of 20 November, the family of the president and I in the company of some members of my family met during a meal prepared to bring us together. We exchanged smiles and greetings before getting into real discussion prior to reaching a wrapping up to restore trust and understanding to foster peace and harmony.

The author can be reached at ngoraguot@yahoo.com or alternatively ngorgarang8@gmail.com He is the managing editor of the suspended Destiny daily newspaper and a correspondent of the Sudan Tribune.

http://www.sudantribune.com/Freedom-is-never-free-a-special,40823#tabs-1