A high level Chinese delegation visits Republic of South Sudan

JUBA, 13 January 2012 – A high level Chinese delegation comprising of top officials from the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese government and Chinese businessmen led by H.E Li Yuanchoa, a senior member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China arrived in Juba today in the morning.
The visit that is aimed at boosting bilateral ties between the two countries is expected to see H.E Li holding meetings with the President of the Republic of South Sudan H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit and later lead the delegation for bilateral discussions with a team of senior officials of the SPLM and national government headed by the Secretary General of the SPLM Cde. Pagan Amum.

H.E Li being received at the Juba International Airport by top SPLM and government officers.
[Photo: Matata Safi]
In a press release issued by the SPLM, a number of documents on strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation will be signed. Among these are Transition Agreement; Agreement on training between China National Petroleum Corporation and South Sudan’s national Ministry of Petroleum and Mining; Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the Republic of South Sudan and the government of the People’s Republic of China concerning a medical team to work in South Sudan; Memorandum of Understanding for economic and financial cooperation between the government of the Republic of South Sudan represented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and the Export-Bank of China; Handover of Certificate of the Borehole Drilling Project aided by the Chinese government to South Sudan; and exchange of letters between the Chinese vice minister for Commerce Mr. Chen Jian and his counterpart, the deputy minister for International Cooperation.
H.E Li who from the airport headed to Dr. John Garang Mausoleum to pay tribute was expected later in the day to also visit a Chinese government donated school called Friendship Secondary School in Juba located on Gudele Road after HASS Petrol Station.

H.E Li lays a wreath on the grave of Dr. Garang.
[Photo: Matata Safi]
China is among the first countries in the world to recognize South Sudan’s independence. Several Chinese firms are already investing in the Republic of South Sudan especially in the oil industry and construction sector. H.E Li is one of the most senior Chinese officials to visit South Sudan since the region gained its independence on 9th July 2011.
Reported by Matata Safi

http://www.goss.org/

South Sudan signs MoU with UAE Investment Company

ABU DHABI – UAE, 12 January 2012 – As part of the ongoing efforts to mobilize foreign investment to the country, the newly founded and underdeveloped Republic of South Sudan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the leading Abu Dhabi Investment Company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in order to invest in various sectors in South Sudan.
The Company has expressed its willingness and readiness to invest in South Sudan and also help to mobilize other partners from Europe, America and Asia to invest in the country. The Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan, Hon. Dr. Riek Machar, signed the MoU with the Company’s CEO, Nazem Fawwaz Al Kudsi yesterday in Abu Dhabi city.
Areas of cooperation and investment by the company include railways, roads and bridges, housing estate, aviation, shipping, energy and utilities, oil and gas services, financing and securitization, telecommunications, ICT services, minerals and mining, banking, sports facilities, among others.

 

South Sudan VP, Dr. Riek Machar (left), signs MoU with CEO of Invest AD, Nazem Fawwaz (center) in Abu Dhabi, January 11, 2012.
Relevant respective ministries in South Sudan will work out the details of the priority areas or projects with the company. The governor of Unity state, Taban Deng Gai, also signed a MoU with the same company, at the same occasion, on infrastructures projects in his state.

 

The Abu Dhabi Investment Company, also known as ‘Investment AD’, was founded in 1977 by decree of the late His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates. It was originally to invest on behalf of the Abu Dhabi government. In 2007 the company was given a new mandate, to attract and manage third-party funds, in addition to the investment of government assets.

 

Owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Invest AD is closely aligned with the long-term diversification and growth objectives of the Abu Dhabi authorities as expressed in the government’s long-term strategy, the Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision, with special focus on Africa and the Middle East.
Dr. Machar also met with a number of other potential investors who similarly expressed their interest to invest in the region. He told the investors that his country is managing high expectations of the people after the region gained independence from the Sudan in July 2011, adding that South Sudan seeks to mobilize up to 500 billion worth of investment in the next five years.
Reported by James Gatdet Dak, the Vice President’s Press Secretary

http://www.goss.org/

NCP: Selection of Amum to Head South Sudan Delegation Disappointing

Khartoum – Negotiation between government and South Sudan on impeding issues topped by oil is to kick off in Addis Ababa on Monday, said Spokesman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), Prof.  Ibrahim Ghandour on Friday. He unveiled that government backed by the US and some European countries attempted to lift the negotiations between the two sides to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to force government to yield to the pressure of foreign parties for the sake of South Sudan.

“We aren’t ready to yield to foreign agendas,” Ghandour told Radio Omdurman on Friday.
He announced that the negotiation will make no difference if South Sudan delegation chaired by Pagan Amum is stick to prevarication and procrastination experienced in previous negotiations, criticizing Amum’s overhasty statements upon Abyei issue, adding that Amum’s selection reveals lack of seriousness of South Sudan in reaching for final resolve, depicting Amum as ‘a warlord’ who is disable to take part in peaceful negotiations.
Ghandour explained that Amum has kept calling for war against Sudan, adding that rationalists in South Sudan should realize importance of peaceful resolve to all impeding issues. He further lauded positive stances taken by VP of South Sudan Riek Machar towards Sudan.
Ghandour ascribed intransigence of government of South Sudan to its failure in addressing critical situations and security threats overwhelming the new-born state from within, adding that the continuous criticism targeted against Sudan is not more than miserable attempt to create an imaginary enemy to divert citizens’ intention from internal problems.
Moreover, Ghandour criticized the US for lifting ban on arms exports to South Sudan, explaining that such step will encourage the new-born state to carry out further violations not only against Sudan but also against the rest of the countries across the region.
Ghandour confirmed Sudan Armed Force (SAF) readiness to prevent any attempt to be made by South Sudan to enter Abyei, calling for government of South Sudan to redouble efforts to embark on peaceful resolve on outstanding issues.
By Al-Sammani Awadallah, 7 hours 22 minutes ago

http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=204802

Seattle South Sudanese Man Who Raised Money for South Sudan Tribal War Accused of Massacre

Gai Bol Thong, who fled Sudan in 1995, helped raise $45,000 to support his community in South Sudan. Some say the money helped fund a violent raid on a neighboring community which killed thousands. Bol Thong says his community was just defending itself and that the money goes to support many needs.

By msnbc.com staff

A Sudanese refugee in Seattle says he led a fundraising effort for a tribe in South Sudan that is accused of massacring hundreds of men, women and children, as the world’s newest nation faces the prospect of a full-blown civil war.

Gai Bol Thong is the director of an organization called Nuer Youth of North America, which he said provides humanitarian support for the Nuer, one of the predominant ethnic/tribal communities of South Sudan, according to a report Friday in the Humanosphere global health blog.

The father of eight moved to the U.S. in 1995 after fleeing Sudan’s 1983-2005 civil war, which killed millions, blogger Tom Paulson writes.

The Nuer, who mostly raise cattle for a living, are frequently in conflict over resources with another cattle-raising South Sudanese tribe, the Murle. “This goes back hundreds of years,” Bol Thong said.

The animosity between the two groups deepened last year, when the Murle attacked a Nuer community, killing hundreds of people, including women and children. Last month, the Nuer retaliated in a massacre that the United Nations, even with combat-ready peacekeepers, could do nothing to stop.

The raiders had even broadcast advance notice of their plans, according to a story published Thursday by the New York Times.

“We have decided to invade Murleland and wipe out the entire Murle tribe on the face of the earth,” the Nuer statement said. Aiding that effort was $45,000 that Bol Thong estimated that he helped raise from South Sudanese living abroad — he said for the warriors’ food and medicine.

Read the original story on The New York Times

“In the Nuer culture, you warn them ahead of time so they can remove the women and children,” Bol Thong told Humanosphere. “The Murle made genocide on us. We do not kill old people, women and children.”

News reports tell a different story.

The Times reporte that about 8,000 Nuer fighters attacked the village, leaving hundreds and perhaps thousands dead — including women, elderly and children. The United Nations had sent in 400 peacekeepers, but they were vastly outnumbered and unable to stop the assault.

The retaliation continues. Recently, the Murle struck back, killing 57 members of the Nuer tribe.

Bol Thang told Humanosphere that the conflict is complicated — and South Sudan, which gained indepence only on July 9, has no police or government structure yet in place to enforce the laws.

He told Humanosphere that he sees no problem with raising money to support his tribe.

“I raised the money to support our community, to provide food and medical supplies,” he said. “Everybody already had guns.”

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/13/10151934-seattle-man-i-raised-money-for-south-sudan-tribe-accused-of-massacre

Diaspora Lou Nuer Raised $45,000 To Aid Raid on Murle

While some coward like Isaac Kueth Gang are laughing and trying to gain merits and credits, the Lou Nuer are undergoing a great death threats from Murle soldiers. As we speak, fighting is going on in the Uror county. Many old people were killed in Wek, Tiam and other small villages. It is confirmed that all Murle citizens serving in the SPLA army had already left the Lou Nuer areas. I called my own village and one of the known captian knwon as Korok had confirmed defected with many Murle officers. If the death of Nuer worth laughing, well the damn idiots will laugh until he ran out of gas. I believe its hard time for us the people who are hearing the killing of our brothers, relatives, sisters, fathers and mothers.

Whoever condemn the Nuer reprisal act may have been sleeping with Salva Kiir for few months; otherwise, let us just rash to the conflict resolution rather than keep praising Murle. This evenning, we had received the news that 1000 Murle officers left Pibor, Lilkuangole for attacks. The direction is not clear whether they are heading to Dinka Bor or going to The Nuer territories. Perhaps they may attack sooners or reinforce their groups in Lou Nuer areas because the Youth may probably arrive today or on weekend.

As aired out by the deputy minister of defend that the conflict is going in a wrong direction. We may probaly hear more defection within the SPLA forces if these 1000 Murle SPLA soldiers attack some more villages. If the Nuer SPLA officers defected as the Murle did, then our state is in clear choas because it will be a huge destruction and the leadership would not enjoy sitting ideally in Juba. We should pray more that the country we fought that long, lossing a good number before the independent must be lost simply because of leadership incapability.

One road it back in the days that when fighting occurs, the civilian in Juba will slaughtering themselve in day light, given to the fact that the poor majority are in a tough hardship while seeing the revolutionarily wealth of cash display on street of Juba from Warrap men, whereby some of them exchange money while walking bar foot. I am in doubt that the leadership of the government in Juba will rescue and bring a solution since they seems to enjoy their vocation while civilians are left slaughtering themselves. The nation is in the stage of emergency and therefore, majority of them would have been in Jonglei by then, thinking of the alternative ways of addressing this problem.

Now, Joshua Konyi, the commissioner of Pibor is telling the world about negative things while arming the Murle in secrets. How would this conflict end? As soon as the youth reached the Lou Nuer territories, they will meet with survivors and spread the news to them that all their old fathers are killed. They will not sit rather staging another full scale reprisal attack against the Murle which will be a big destruction. There should have been a plan for the leadership when they rashed to Pibor…..a plan that can hold Murle, deliver food items with more doctors and mobilized them to wait for the government proposal but are they still there in Murle now? I mean the officials from the Government including ministers.

Fear from the government top officials is also another things in Juba. They go to sleep as before the sun set, thinking that someone can assassinate them as to the revenge of the opposition leader murdered back in the days. Now, if the government ministers and officials live in fear, who will initiate the proposal and meet face to face with the people in conflict? There is no one to confront these people by talking to them unless through thuraya phones. You can be a judge yourself now because civilians believe in face to face talk rather than sending message from or through news outlet. Do you really believe that the solution will come?

For those who tried to quote Nuer youth wrongly, the Nuer culture always teach people not to attack a person first or use force without clear mistakes. I think they had endured enough since 2006 when their guns were taken from their hands. Salva once spoke about the Murle activities and I have all the record here. Simply thing like the problem of the civlians would not take years without solving it. They have been talking that Murle are doing these and the Nuer are also doing since 2006. Well, if these things are known as an obstacle to this particular ethnic groups, why taking long time without solving it. Kueth Gang will face it. Love it or now. let him continue and believe on betrayal of the Nuer anticipate actions. You will eventually realize your ugly betrayal. Let those who enjoy the revolutionary wealth cry but the poor had nothing to loss……they should only protect themselves in time where the government is centered in Warrap, looting oil money to build the Warrap nation. The same people will eventually destroyed by thinking silly without precautions. Poor people’s description of what living in poverty and threat, mean bearing eloquent testimony to their pain.

Reat Gatkuoth

South Sudan signs first oil deals since independence

South Sudan signed its first oil deals with foreign nations since it won independence last July, inking agreements with Chinese, Indian and Malaysian firms, officials said.

Oil revenues make up 98 percent of government budget for the world’s newest nation, which split last year from former civil war enemies in north Sudan last year, taking with it some 75 percent ofoil production.

The deals, which replace deals signed with Khartoum under a unified Sudan, cover oil production in the two key petroleum states of Unity and Upper Nile.

“Now as of today, we have assured our position with our partners, that we are committed to work together to promote our interests through exploitation of the oil,” Minister of Petroluem and Mining Stephen Dhieu Dau told reporters.

China, which relies on South Sudan for nearly five percent of its oil, also signed several cooperation deals with South Sudan Friday during visit by Li Yuanchao, a senior member of China’s ruling Communist Party.

They included a deal for “economic and financial cooperation” as well as a training agreement between the state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the South’s oil ministry, the government website said.

Despite its oil wealth, the new state of South Sudan lacks the infrastructure to refine and export oil.

Beijing is a key ally of the Khartoum government, which has tried to offset the heavy loss of southernoil revenues by charging what Juba has described as an extortionate fee to use its infrastructure to export crude via the Red Sea.

China is supporting ongoing negotiations between the two Sudans over pipeline fees, with the next round of talks due January 17.

http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-signs-first-oil-deals-since-independence-185502542.html

South Sudan signs first oil deals since independence StarAfrica.com South Sudan signed its first oil deals with foreign nations since it won independence last July,… South Sudan signed its first oil deals with foreign nations since it won independence last July, inking agreements with Chinese, Indian and Malaysian …

South Sudan: Appeal for Doro Camp
YouTube
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres visits refugees in South Sudan and says international assistance is “absolutely crucial.”

57 killed in tribal revenge attack in South Sudan
Hindustan Times
The government of South Sudan recently declared Jonglei state a disaster area. The UN mission inSouth Sudan estimates at least 60000 people have been affected by the ongoing violence. The UN operation says it has launched one of the most “complex and …

Seattle man accused of helping fund tribe in South Sudan massacre
msnbc.com
Gai Bol Thong, who fled Sudan in 1995, helped raise $45000 to support his community in South Sudan. Some say the money helped fund a violent raid on a neighboring community which killed thousands. Bol Thong says his community was just defending itself …

NCP: Selection of Amum to Head South Sudan Delegation Disappointing
Sudan Vision
Khartoum – Negotiation between government and South Sudan on impeding issues topped by oil is to kick off in Addis Ababa on Monday, said Spokesman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), Prof. Ibrahim Ghandour on Friday. …

South Sudan Says Oil Pipeline May Close on Sudan Blockade

By Jared Ferrie

(Updates with comment by oil minister from seventh paragraph.)

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) — South Sudan said the operators of a pipeline that carries its oil exports to Port Sudan have warned the facility may be closed in two days unless a blockade being imposed by neighboring Sudan on its shipments is lifted.

Sudan’s government would be “responsible for any damages that will follow that shut down,” South Sudanese Oil Minister Stephen Dhieu Dau told reporters today in Juba, the capital.

South Sudan on Jan. 10 accused Sudan of blocking 3.4 million barrels of its oil exports and said the northern neighbour is also seeking to divert the flow of some of its crude by building a new pipeline.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said it prevented the vessels from leaving international waters in the Red Sea because they failed to pay port fees. The new oil pipeline is for use in the future, when the government plans to “buy or take over part of our dues from the south in crude, after reaching a final oil agreement,” it said on Jan. 11.

South Sudan assumed control of about three-quarters of Sudan’s output of 490,000 barrels a day when it seceded on July 9 after an independence referendum. Talks since then have failed to yield an agreement on the amount landlocked South Sudan will pay to transport its oil through a pipeline across Sudan.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement on the oil dispute in talks last month. Further African Union-sponsored negotiations are scheduled to take place from Jan. 17 to Jan. 23 in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Double Oil Output

Dau also said South Sudan plans to double oil production to 700,000 barrels per day in five years. For that increase to happen, the country would need to build a new oil pipeline because the current one doesn’t have sufficient capacity, he said. South Sudan also doesn’t want to be dependent on Sudan for its oil to be exported, Dau said.

“We must plan to diversify the routes,” he said. “You should not put all your eggs in one basket.” South Sudan has previously said it is exploring routes through Kenya and Ethiopia.

South Sudan’s government earlier today signed exploration and production-sharing agreements with six companies including China National Petroleum Corp., Malaysia’s Petroliam Nasional Bhd and India’s Oil & Natural Gas Corp. for six blocks in the East African country. Foreign oil companies have been operating without signed accords since South Sudan’s independence.

The state also plans to negotiate with companies that have agreements for non-producing blocks signed with companies before independence.

“We believe some of these companies have overstayed on those blocks without doing anything and even the ownership of these blocks is in question,” Dau said. “As a sovereign state we will not abide by contracts signed by the Republic of Sudan.”

–Editors: Paul Richardson, Antony Sguazzin.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jared Ferrie at jferrie1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-13/south-sudan-says-oil-pipeline-may-close-on-sudan-blockade.html

South Sudan Says Oil Pipeline May Close on Sudan Blockade
BusinessWeek
13 (Bloomberg) — South Sudan said the operators of a pipeline that carries its oil exports to Port Sudan have warned the facility may be closed in two days unless a blockade being imposed by neighboring Sudan on its shipments is lifted. …

S.Sudan warns pipe may shut in oil row with Khartoum
TrustLaw
By Hereward Holland JUBA , Jan 13 (Reuters) – South Sudan said on Friday that a pipeline to north Sudan carrying its crude oil exports may have to shut down within two days because Khartoum was blocking oil shipments. Sudan itself accused the …

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Voice of America
January 13, 2012 Ethiopia Awaits Influx of Refugees from Sudan and South Sudan Joe DeCapua Humanitarian agencies are preparing for an influx of refugees into Ethiopia from both Sudan andSouth Sudan. Civilians, mostly women and children, …

Children among 57 killed in South Sudan tribal clashes
Reuters
JUBA (Reuters) – At least 57 people, most of them women and children, were killed in tribal clashes on Wednesday in South Sudan’s vast Jonglei state, the latest deaths in a cycle of ethnic violence displacing 60000 people, the government said Friday. …

JobsConsultant – Evaluation of Merlin South Sudan programme
Reuters AlertNet
Merlin has been working in Southern Sudan since 1998 and has had a continuous presence in the country since 2004, with an office in Juba. Merlin has worked in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria States. Merlin has expanded its support to primary …

Richard Mogga, New Times Editor Picked Up By Security Forces in Juba

The editor of the New Times, South Sudan Leading Independent Newspaper has been picked up by people claiming to belong the Police and we have not heard anything from him and his whereabouts are still unknown. His phone line is off. Please do whatever you can do to find out about him. A country where journalists can disappear into police custody without charges is not the South Sudan we all deserve. Please let us tell our leaders not to allow our young and beloved country taint its good name with such actions…Source: Jok Madut’s Facebook page

Update: The New Times editor, Richard Mogga, is reported to have been released without charges. Thank you for your great concern and support for freedom of the press and of expression in the republic of South Sudan. PaanLuel Wel.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal State MP Garang Majak Bol Dismisses Allegations of Money Counterfeits

Ater Garang Ariath

13 January 2012

Juba — Northern Bahr el Ghazal State MP Garang Majak Bol dismissed the allegations brought against him by three Ministers who convened a press conference on Tuesday at Home and Away Business Centre in Juba striking back at the serious allegations uttered first by him against the cabinet.

The lawmaker expressed that the State cabinet ministers were under the governor’s camp and alleged that he was against the massive corruption and there was an imminent failure to administering the State effectively.

He refuted that the accusations that he was linked with money counterfeit dealers and described this allegation as a concocted story to divert public attention. This is a shallow political propaganda against me, because the President of the Republic of Kenya knows that the President of South Sudan, Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Kenya and if there is such an illegal dealing these figures should be notified by Kenyan authority first before reaching the State in Aweil.

The MP asked the relationship between Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Kenya, and pointed that the political ties between the two countries is between the national government in Juba and that in Nairobi.

“It does not concern the northern Bahr El Ghazal State,” Bol said. He demanded that the governor of NBGS should apologize to the Kenyan authority of using its name in a misleading statement that the Kenyan President wrote a letter to him seeking him Bol to be arrested for money forgery. The forged money that was displayed by the Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry in Juba had never come from my house, because when the security searched they never showed me such money and this story was fabricated, said the MP.

The source of this money is the Minister of Finance and he will be held accountable for this counterfeit money, adding that the MPs have condemned the Press conference held in Juba and the move taken to twist the story around, said Bol.

The State Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry Ronald Ruay Deng, together with Minister of Information and Communication, Bona Makuach Mawien, Minister of Physical Infrastructure, Peter Kuot Jel and Cabinet Secretary General Garang Kuot Kuot dismissed allegations of corruption leveled against the government especially against the minister of finance and attempt assassination against Bol on Tuesday.

The Minister of Finance categorically refuted claims made by the MP alleging him of misappropriation of the public funds and pointed that he was not aware of any instances where the Governor Paul Malong Awan has by any act or omission interfered with MPs in the discharging of their constitutional mandates. He accused Bol of having political ambitious to pursue the portfolio of the Ministry of Finance, Trade and Industry and acknowledged the differences between both of them since they both come from the same constituency.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201130355.html

South Sudan Offers Nile, Dar Blend Crude Cargoes for February

By Ramsey Al-Rikabi – Jan 13, 2012 

The Republic of South Sudan offered to sell 4.7 million barrels of Dar Blend and 1.6 million barrels of Nile Blend crude for loading in February, according to a tender document obtained by Bloomberg News.

Details of the sale are as follows:

---------------------------------------------------------------
Crude:         Dar Blend (Sudan)
Quantity:      4.7 million barrels
Loading:       Feb. 4-5    - 600,000 barrels
               Feb. 7      - 300,000
               Feb. 8-9    - 600,000
               Feb. 11-13  - 1 million
               Feb. 18-19  - 600,000
               Feb. 21-23  - 1 million
               Feb. 24-25  - 600,000
Pricing:       Dated Brent
Seller:        Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, Republic
               of South Sudan
Loading port:  Bashayer Marine Terminal, Sudan
Closing:       Jan.13
---------------------------------------------------------------
Crude:         Nile Blend (Sudan)
Quantity:      1.6 million barrels
Loading:       Feb. 22-24  - 1 million barrels
               Feb. 26-28  - 600,000 bbl
Pricing:       Indonesian Crude Price (ICP) Minas
Seller:        Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, Republic
               of South Sudan
Loading port:  Bashayer Marine Terminal, Sudan
Closing:       Jan. 13
---------------------------------------------------------------

To contact the reporter on this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi in Singapore at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski atakwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-13/south-sudan-offers-nile-dar-blend-crude-cargoes-for-february.html

Sudan a Thief of South Oil, Sabotages Shipping – Minister

Dhieu Williams

13 January 2012

Juba — The Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Stephen Dhieu Dau Tuesday accused the Khartoum government of ships blockage and stealing of the crude of South Sudan by directing foreign oil companies to divert the crude oil entitlement for December to Khartoum and El Obied refineries.

The Minister stated this to the journalists at the weekly press briefing in Juba. He in strong words condemned the decision taken by Sudan government without informing the operators and the government of South Sudan and said that this action would create more problem to Sudan than resolving their financial crisis. The Minister said that Sudan is currently preventing two ships from leaving Port Sudan carrying 1.

6 million barrels of Dar blend from South Sudan and preventing one additional vessel to load 0.6 barrel of south Dar blend. Dau further said Khartoum also blocked two ships from entering Port Sudan to take possession of 1.2 million barrels of Nile blend purchase from South Sudan. He however revealed to the journalists that his ministry is due to sign an agreement this month with the operating companies that will visit the country soon.

Dau, further said that Khartoum has ordered 550,000 barrels of South Sudan oil’s Dar blend’s crude oil entitlement for last December and diverted it to buyers. He also accused Sudan of constructing a new tie-in pipeline between the Petrodar pipeline and Khartoum refineries designed to permanently divert 13 percent of the Dar blend of South Sudan.

The Minister said the new pipeline under construction by Khartoum is expected to complete before fifteenth of this month. He added that his Ministry had invited China to take part in the talks with them and that South Sudan will not allow its resources to be interfered with by Khartoum and threatened legal action if the blockade continues. The Minister warned that the South Sudan government will, if necessary take legal actions against anyone who purchases Sudan’s crude stolen from the South. “Any diversion of oil is nothing less than theft and preventing loaded ships with South Sudan crude oil from leaving port is unlawful act and a violation of international laws and norms,” said Dau.Dau further said that one ship carrying 1 million barrels of southern oil was blocked from leaving Port Sudan on Dec. 31, while a second carrying 600,000 barrels was stopped this January. “They want to steal, to loot the resources of South Sudan,” reiterated the Minister.

After South independence from Sudan it gained control of nearly three quarters of the formerly unified country’s oil fields, which produce around 500,000 barrels per day.South Sudan revealed that last week Khartoum rejected 2.6 billion dollars offered by it for free in return for friendship and cooperation but Sudan continues to steal its oil. But the Petroleum Minister said in the recent talks through African Union, South Sudan proposed to pay Sudan 74 cent per barrel, offer rejected by Khartoum which opted to maintain to charge South Sudan with 36 dollars per barrel something rejected too by the world’s newest nation describing it robbery which had never happened elsewhere in the world.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201130354.html

Gov’t Warns of ‘Huge’ Economic Impact If Khartoum Blocks Oil Export

Ngor Arol Garang

10 January 2012

Juba — South Sudan’s oil minister said Tuesday that north Sudan was siphoning off his country’s oil, threatening to instigate legal proceedings against any country or company involved in buying the allegedly stolen crude.

Since landlocked South Sudan seceded in July 2011 – taking with it 75% of the Sudan’s known oil wealth – the two countries have failed to negotiate a fee for the South to export its oil using north Sudan’s infrastructure.

Last week the South Sudanese government threatened to sue Khartoum over its decision to unilaterally impose monthly charges on its crude oil transported through its pipelines.

“Rather than view the New Year as an opportunity for renewed cooperation, the government of Sudan unilaterally decided to impose economic sanction[s] by blocking exporting our crude and stealing our oil”, Stephen Dhieu Dau, Minister of Petroleum and Mining told journalists in Juba.

Dau accused of north Sudan over five issues related to the export of its crude oil:

ordering foreign oil companies to divert South Sudan’s crude oil entitlement for December 2011 into refineries in Khartoum and El-Obeid.

diverting South Sudan’s monthly production of 550,000 barrels for December to buyers of its own entitlement.

beginning the construction of a new pipeline to permanently divert 13% of what he called “Dar Blend”.

preventing two ships carrying 1.6 million barrels of crude oil belonging to South Sudan, as well as preventing one additional vessel from leaving Port Sudan.

and prevented two other ships from entering the port to take possession of 1.2 million barrels of Nile Blend Crude purchased from South Sudan by international buyers.

South Sudan’s oil minister said he denounced the unilateral acts, and describing the diversion of its crude oil without its consent as nothing less than” theft”. Dau said that preventing loaded ships from leaving Port Sudan was “unlawful” constituting a clear violation of “international laws” and “norms”.

He said Sudan would take responsibility for all penalties and damages resulting from the “theft” and delays in the shipping schedules.

South Sudan is considering building a pipeline to Kenya to bypass having to use north Sudan’s infrastructure but this is years away from being achieved. In the six months since South Sudan became independent in July 2011 the two countries have failed to reach agreement on oil, assets, debt, citizenship and how to demarcate the poorly defined tense new international border.

The two countries are due to resume bilateral talks this month. The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir on 4 January that South Sudan was not negotiating in good faith and accused Juba of not paying fees to use it facilities.

Most of the oil fields lie near the border. South has claimed Khartoum is arming South Sudanese rebel groups in order to destabilise the new country and retake control of Unity State’s oil fields.

Khartoum denies this and counters that Juba aids rebels in its territory. South Sudan also denies this and has accused Sudan’s Armed Forces of bombing South Sudanese territory in recent months.

Macar Aciek Ader, an undersecretary at South Sudan’s oil ministry told the press briefing in Juba the world’s newest country would incur “huge economic” damage if Khartoum continued its stance. South Sudan is one of the poorest regions in the world, with oil accounting for around 98% of the government’s annual budget.

“I really do not know what would happen if Khartoum continues to behave like this. I do not know how much loss it would be, but I think our country would incur huge economic impact”, Ader said.

Minister Dau warned that countries or companies who purchase oil from Khartoum that was “stolen from South Sudan” would face legal action.

“The Government of Sudan and all those that benefit from such illegal acquisitions will find no refuge from South Sudan’s legal authorities and will enjoy no future business with the Government of South Sudan,” the minister warned.

He denied reports alleging that his country was not paying Khartoum charges for using its oil infrastructure including transport and processing fees.

“It is disappointing to mention that Khartoum continues to deny that South Sudan pays charges for the use of its infrastructures. South Sudan is already being charged and is paying pipeline operators significant fees to produce and transport it[s] oil through Sudan but Khartoum remains spreading lies that South Sudan is not paying for the use of its infrastructure”, the minister said.

Barnaba Marial Benjamin, South Sudan’s minister of information, at the same briefing warned Khartoum to treat the world’s newest nation like an independent state with its own territorial sovereignty and resources. He repeated the allegation that north Sudan’s army intended to invade his country because of oil, however, he said that South Sudan’s military (SPLA) would not let this happen.

“Khartoum thinks that it can invade South Sudan like what Iraq did to Kuwait in 1990. Don’t we know what happened to Iraq? Where is Saddam Hussein now”, minister Marial said.

Marial argued the fact that his country was willing to offer financial assistance of 2.6 billion cash and to write off 2.8 billion of debts and arrears, he said Khartoum owes the people of South Sudan, should be seen as an indication of a country willing to forge better relations with her neighbour.

Additional reporting by Julius N. Uma

http://allafrica.com/stories/201201110080.html

Conflict in South Sudan requires a firm and coherent international response

Domestic and cross-border violence threatens to destabilise both South Sudan and its neighbours; the global community must act

On the anniversary of South Sudan’s independence referendum, protesters in Juba appeal for an end to violence. Photograph: Hannah Mcneish/AFP/Getty Images

The violence unleashed in South Sudan in recent days is a stark reminder of the formidable challenges facing the new nation.

The escalation of the conflict in Jonglei represents a serious threat to the peace and stability of South Sudan. The challenges are, however, not limited to internal conflicts. Fighting over the border with Sudan has also intensified in recent weeks in the regions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, creating a significant refugee crisis both within South Sudan and in Ethiopia, and posing a threat to international peace and security that could make the resurgence of conflict between the two Sudans a matter for the UN security council.

The impact the conflict is having on the civilian population also requires substantial international efforts to address the crisis and reduce suffering. Verifying the humanitarian situation in the border areas remains difficult because the government of Sudan has banned international aid agencies and media from the region, but it is clear that the government’s counter-insurgency operations against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A)-North have exacted a high toll on civilians. It is estimated that 417,000 people have fled their homes as a result of violence in the border areas. Many missed the planting season or abandoned their crops. This is partly why the UN is now warning that the region faces an imminent food crisis, describing malnutrition rates as “alarming”, especially in areas controlled by the SPLM-North.

Upon independence, the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (Unmis) was wound up, and a new mission, Unmiss, was created “to consolidate peace and security and to help establish conditions for development in South Sudan”. The mission strength authorised by the security council is a maximum of 7,000 military personnel. At present more than 5,500 are deployed (4,900 troops complemented by other uniformed personnel, including police) – this in a country two and a half times the size of the UK, with multiple hotspots and a tense border, and where the government has so far been largely unable to ensure adequate security and administration of justice for its citizens.

Even if the mission was at full strength, its capacity to effectively protect civilians and support peace would be dwarfed by the enormity of the challenges confronting it. The most recent violence in Jonglei saw just a few hundred peacekeepers outnumbered by 6,000 Lou Nuer fighters, making it almost impossible for them to fulfil their mandate to protect civilians. The UN mission in the country will clearly need to be reinforced to ensure greater protection of civilians and to enable Unmiss to support the new government in its responsibilities for security, governance and justice.

At the political level, the security council needs to make sure all efforts are made to prevent a further deterioration of the confrontation between the two Sudans. While the risk of a full return to war is small in the immediate term, there is a real danger that fighting over the border will continue to escalate. In addition, the proxy wars fought through allied militia, prevalent during the civil war, are starting to resurface in Jonglei and beyond, with devastating consequences for the civilian population and for the peace and security of the region.

The international support that made possible the peace agreement of 2005 and the creation of the state of South Sudan is urgently required again to ensure that the fragility of the two Sudans does not deteriorate further.

Critically, efforts should be made to support the massive humanitarian operation to reach the displaced in Jonglei state, protect and assist South Kordofan and Blue Nile refugees in Unity state and in Ethiopia, and persuade the government of Sudan to reverse its ban on international aid agencies. Above all, more robust and coherent political action is required regionally and internationally to help identify solutions to outstanding issues between the two countries and bring the conflict in the border areas to an end.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/jan/13/south-sudan-conflict-requires-response

Conflict in South Sudan requires a firm and coherent international response The Guardian The violence unleashed in South Sudan in recent days is a stark reminder of the formidable challenges facing the new nation. The escalation of the conflict in Jonglei represents a serious threat to the peace and stability of South Sudan. …

South Sudan: NBG Minister Defends Himself Against Graft Allegation
AllAfrica.com
He further said that the slow-down of revenue collection was not expected in budgetary macroeconomic assumptions before the independence of South Sudan and he said he reported that total revenue collection of that time was equivalent to only 30. …

The Launch of South Sudan’s Vio-Data Project « PaanLuel Wël …
Vio-Data Project is PaanLuel Wel Blog’s data record of South Sudanese civilians killed in the ensuing inter-tribal violence and (North-South) Sudan cross border …
paanluelwel2011.wordpress.com/…/the-launch-of-south-sudan…

South Sudan: Sudan a Thief of South Oil, Sabotages Shipping – Minister
AllAfrica.com
Juba — The Minister of Petroleum and Mining, Stephen Dhieu Dau Tuesday accused the Khartoum government of ships blockage and stealing of the crude of South Sudan by directing foreign oil companies to divert the crude oil entitlement for December to …

South Sudan Offers Nile, Dar Blend Crude Cargoes for February
Bloomberg
The Republic of South Sudan offered to sell 4.7 million barrels of Dar Blend and 1.6 million barrels of Nile Blend crude for loading in February, according to a tender document obtained by Bloomberg News. Details of the sale are as follows: …

South Sudan: MP Dismisses Allegations of Money Counterfeits
AllAfrica.com
This is a shallow political propaganda against me, because the President of the Republic of Kenya knows that the President of South Sudan, Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Kenya and if there is such an illegal dealing these figures should be notified …

Violence In South Sudan, Music For MLK Day, And What Is It Like To Be Blind?
KUOW NPR
Ethnic Violence In South Sudan: The United Nations says ethnic militias in South Sudan have killed as many as 1000 people in recent weeks of raids on villages. One militia leader is a Sudanese refugee based in Seattle. …

South Sudan: Brief observations on the sidelines of the International …
New Sudan Vision
WASHINGTON DC – The recent International Engagement Conference on South Sudan held under the auspices of the government of the United States and with significant and high-level participation by our government in the person of President Kiir Mayardit …

South Sudan Job Vacancy:

Please directly contact the employer if you have any further questions.

To anyone of interest, please circulate the following job vacancies:

advert for Grant Accountant.doc
Assistant Interanl Aduitor.doc
HR Vacancy.pdf

Jonglei: Minister says Murle raiders include SPLA defectors

January 12, 2012 (BOR) – A local minister in South Sudan’s beleaguered state of Jonglei has alleged that Murle ethnic raiders who allegedly killed more than 40 people during a fresh round of revenge attacks include defectors from the country’s army, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).

                                                  Internally displaced people, Pibor county, Jonglei state (OCHA)

South Sudan emerged as an independent state in July last year following years of political and military struggle with north Sudan. But the new and grossly underdeveloped country has plunged into an episode of violence that saw a number of rebel groups rising and rival tribal communities engaging in mutual atrocities over cattle rustling.

Jonglei State has been the scene of violent raids and counter raids between the Lou Nuer and Murle ethnic communities.

The attacks, which began on 23 December with the Lou Nuer attacking Murle’s homeland in Pibor county and subsequent revenge attacks by the latter, has left 1,000 dead and 60,000 displaced, according to UN figures.

The most recent attack was reported on Thursday by Wek boma [small district] local administrator, Tip Chuol, who told Sudan Tribune that youth from the Murle at 5 pm local time on Wednesday attacked Uror county, targeting Wek and Panyok villages in Tiam payam [district]. Tiam is a north-westerly district of Uror, a large county in the centre of Jonglei state.

“The attackers are not only armed civilians but included SPLA defectors from the Murle,” said Rachael Nyadak Pual, Jonglei state minister of labour and public services.

Nyadak, who is also MP for Uror county in Jonglei state assembly, spoke to reporters from airstrip at Bor, the state capital, before heading to Wek and Panyok in Tiam ayam [district].

The Pibor county commissioner, Joshua Konyi, said that conflict between the ethnic groups left 3,000 dead; a figure described as baseless by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), Hilde Johnson.

Akobo county commissioner, Goi Joyol, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that Tuesday’s counter raid by the Murle near the UNMISS base in Padoi, Akobo, continued until early hours of Wednesday and left eight dead. Akobo is in the east of Jonglei.

Uror county commissioner, Simon Hoth Dol, told the Sudan Tribune on Thursday that Wednesday’s attack left 41 people dead, including head chief, Jany Lual,

Another Uror county MP in Jonglei state assembly, Mabior Bol, told journalists later that over sixty people are dead. The figures could not be independently verified as the area is remote and residents could not be contacted by phone.

MPs and Dol traveled to the scene to assess the damages on Thursday.

http://www.sudantribune.com/Jonglei-Minister-says-Murle,41272

 

Press Release: SPLM-N delegation led by its Chairman and the Secretary General Continues its visit to the Republic of South Africa.

Dear All.
Please find attached a Press Release about the SPLMN visit to South Africa.

Thanks

Anwar Elhaj
SPLMN Representative to the US

Press Release

 

The Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N) delegation led by its Chairman and the Secretary General Continues its visit to the Republic of South Africa.

 

The Secretary General, Yasir Arman, warns of the worsening humanitarian crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile States after Khartoum Sabotage of Lady Valarie Amos’ Mission.

A high-level SPLM-N delegation comprised of its Chairman, Malik Agar; Secretary General, Yasir Arman; Secretary of finance, Ramadan Hassan Nimir, and its Humanitarian Affairs coordinator, Neuron Philip, is currently on a visit to the Republic of South Africa. The delegation arrived in the Republic on the evening of 6th January 2012, upon the invitation of the leadership of African National Congress, extended by its Secretary General, Mr. Gwede Mantashe to attend the centenary celebrations of the founding of the ANC, oldest resistance movement in Africa, which was held on the 8th January 1912. The visit was also intended to include talks with the ANC leadership on the situation in Sudan and North Sudan.

Since their arrival the delegation made extensive contacts with the ANC leadership and its officials on the Sudan Desk. The delegation also made contacts with political parties and liberation movements from Namibia, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana. They then travelled to Pretoria and Johannesburg and continued their meetings with research centres, and with the Sudan Task Force whose members include representatives from the ANC, the President Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other officials.  The delegation also dedicated yesterday, Wednesday 11th January, to meetings with different media outlets in South Africa, giving interviews to national televisions and radio Stations. Today, the delegation will give a lecture and hold a presentation about the North Sudan question and other related isues to officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ANC leaders and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to South Africa.

The Secretary General of the SPLM-N, who is also a member of the High-Level Political Committee of the Sudan revolutionary Front (SRF), welcomed the African Union recent contacts with the SRF and considered that to be a recognition of the legitimacy of the SRF which constitutes a solid core for the unifying the forces of change. The SRF, with the coordination and the cooperation with other forces seeking change, will develop into a real alternative to the National Congress Party (NCP) Regime. The SRF has a clear political program that will gain increasing national, regional and international recognition and legitimacy. During the visit, the delegation took the opportunity to brief the ANC leadership about the significance of formation of the SRF in realising the society of equal citizenship and of stability in Sudan and in the region.

The Secretary General affirms that the regime’s deployment of elite troops from President Albashir’s own protection force and the paratroopers of the parachute regiment in combat in Altes and Alburam areas, South Kordofan, under direct orders of Omar Albashir against our forces has completely failed. The offensive in South Kordofan has been rebuffed and destroyed by our forces, and a large amount of its armour and weapons have been seized, which could only be seen as crippling military, political and psychological setback for the regime with more to follow. At the same time, four other military convoys were destroyed in the last two weeks in Blue Nile State. Ahmed Haroun, the ICC fugitive governor of South Kordofan, and Omer Albashir boasted that they will defeat what they referred to as ‘the SPLM/A rebellion’ by December 2011. His trial in the Hague is a much more closer prospect for Ahmed Haroun than defeating what he calls the ‘rebellion’. As for Field-Marshal Omer Albashir, we stand as one with the protesting people of Al-Manaseer, and with the youths now calling for change. The regime’s once rising sun is now setting and its arrogant swagger has been diminished by the determination of the of Al-Manaseer protestors occupying State House Square in Al-Damer, River Nile State, and the universities’ students protesting in the cities of Northern Sudan.

The NCP regime is digging its own grave and teetering before a fall. The regime’s headlong rush into a dry-season offensive and its recruitment of militias and paramilitaries is dictated by blind political ambition that does not even heed the requirements of a credible military objective, and is based on faulty intelligence and wishful thinking that only exist in the mind of Ahmed Haroun and his masters in Khartoum. Worse still, is the unconscionable targeting of civilians, as a result.

The field assessments carried out under the supervision of the SPLM-N Humanitarian Coordinators, Mr. Philip Neuron, Dr, Hashim Ahmend Saeed and Mr. Hashim Aurta have uncovered new evidence regarding the targeting of civilians in the conflict areas.  More than 300,000 people have been displaced inside South Kordofan and over 400,000 are displaced in Blue Nile State. The numbers of refugees in the Republic of South Sudan have now reached over 150,000, the same figure is recorded in the UN refugee agency there; and there are more than 38,000 refugees now in Ethiopia displaced from Blue Nile State. At a time when UN records confirm these facts, the NCP defies the international community and sabotages Lady Valerie Amos’ exploratory visit to Khartoum and reaffirms its refusal to open safe corridors for the supply of food in the Two Areas. This a war crime!

Moreover, Lady Amos was only offered a meeting with the junior minister of Social Affairs, Ms. Amira Al-Fadil, who confirmed the regime’s refusal to opening relief corridors to refugees and IDPs displaced by government attacks. The minister, we know, has no say in discharging war related responsibilities. It is indicted criminals and fugitives from international justice within the regime who control the war portfolio. She will be well advised to distance herself from such matters and desist from making incriminating statements that could read as endorsement of war crimes. Her involvement in such matters will make her accountable under international law for crimes that never lapse with the passage of time. She should confine her efforts to ending the misappropriation of the Zakatfunds (an islamic wealth tax); which, under this regime, is never assigned to benefit its god-decreed causes, nor does it reach its needy intended recipients.

The international community is required to protect of innocent civilians when their lives is imperilled, and in providing humanitarian relief when needed. It must break its long silence regarding Khartoum’s use of food as a weapon, starving to near extinction of hundreds of thousands of the sons and daughters of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur. Over and above the denial of life-sustaining relief from innocent civilians being a heinous of war crime, it will also harm the future well-being of Sudan. It is enough of a warning what has happened in Southern Sudan!

The Office of Secretary General

Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement- North

12th January 2011