Sudan moving to produce heavy weapons

Sudan’s Military Industrial Corporation can be found online at http://mic.sd/english/mainen.html with details of the weapons that they produce.

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Sudan moving to produce heavy weapons, minister says

January 18, 2012 (KHARTOUM) The Sudanese defense minister, General Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussien, has declared that his country is planning to start producing heavy weapons after it already ended dependence on purchases of small arms from outside.

Hussien made his statement during the celebrations of Sudans independence in the central state of Al-Jazzirah.

According to Hussien, Sudan has gone past the level of dependence on the outside world to provide small arms to the military.

He went on to explain that Sudans Military Industry Corporation (MIC) had already finished manufacturing small arms and was now preparing to take it to a higher level by producing heavy weapons.

General Hussien pointed out that Sudan participated in Dubais Airshow with two drone warplanes.

Sudans spending on defense is one of the highest levels in the world.

According to a report by Research and Market, the Sudanese defense expenditure stood at US$3.308bn in 2010 and is expected to rise to US$3.923bn in 2011, amounting to 22.2% of GDP.

(ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-moving-to-produce-heavy,41339

Reec Akuak
Vice President

The South Sudanese Community
Growth — Development — Community

202.656.TSSC (8772)
Direct/Cell: 202.596.6009
Fax: 202.280.1007

R.Akuak@TSSC.us
http://www.TSSC.us

Sudan confiscates, shuts down newspapers again

New York, January 18, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Sudan’s routine use of newspaper closures as a means to censor critical reporting. Over two weeks, the authorities have shut down and confiscated the assets of two daily newspapers.”Khartoum has consistently used newspaper confiscations and closures to silence critical voices,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “The government must immediately halt this practice of repression and return all confiscated assets.”The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) shut down the private daily Alwanon Friday, Reuters reported. Editor-in-Chief Hussein Khawjali told the news agency that the NISS called and informed him of its decision to close the paper and seize its assets. The decision came a day after the NISS raided the newspaper’s office and confiscated copies of its January 12 print run, according to local news reports. Authorities did not provide a reason for the closure, but Alwan had published several articles in support of Hassan al-Turabi, the head of the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) which publishes the daily Rai al-Shaab, which was shut down two weeks earlier.On January 2, the NISS called Rai-al-Shaab Editor-in-Chief Al-Tayib Ibrahim Issa to inform him of its decision to shut down the newspaper and seize its property, international media reported.  NISS told Issa to inform his staff to clear all personal belongings, Al-Jazeera said. That action came a day after security forces raided Rai al-Shaab‘s office and confiscated its January 1 print run, Al-Jazeera said. Authorities did not provide Rai al-Shaab with a reason for the closure, but the head of NISS told the local press that the newspaper was being shut down for its lack of professionalism and “violations” it had committed. Al-Turabi, once the justice minister and foreign minister, is a leading critic of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. He has spent several years in prison or under house arrest. Rai al-Shaab, his party’s newspaper, has been a frequent target of censorship, CPJ research shows. It was previously shut downand three of its journalists arrested in May 2010. The paper had resumed publishing for only a few months before the latest closure. In 2011, authorities carried out at least 19 confiscations of newspaper print runs, CPJ research shows. Despite the frequent actions taken against newspapers, Sudan continues to have a vibrant independent print media.

### CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

Contact: Mohamed Abdel Dayem m.abdel.dayem@cpj.orgDahlia El-Zein: DElZein@cpj.org

Link: http://cpj.org/2012/01/sudan-confiscates-shuts-down-newspapers-again.php

South Sudan denies promising to expel Darfur rebels; two priests kidnapped in Khartoum, tensions grow

PRESS RELEASE ON ALLEGATIONS MADE BY SUDAN THAT SOUTH SUDAN PROMISED TO EXPEL DARFUR REBEL GROUP (JEM) FROM ITS TERRITORY

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) is deeply concerned about an incorrect news story published online on(January 15, 2012) by Sudan Tribune alleging  that the RSS South Sudan  promised to expel members of Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) from its territory.

The Government of the Republic of South Sudan categorically refutes the allegations made by Sudan’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs in which he attributed a statement to have been made by Deputy Minister of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation (RSS) Prof. Elias Nyamlell Wakoson.

On many occasions, the RSS has made it clear to the world media that there is no presence of any rebel group from Darfur or any other Northern rebel groups fighting against the Government of Khartoum on South Sudan’s soil, and having said that ,the  statement is blatantly false and should be retracted.

Nevertheless we would like to make the following clarifications:

A delegation from South Sudan led by South Sudan’s Deputy Minister of International Cooperation Prof. Elias Nyamlell Wokoson was in Khartoum for a five days visit. During this visit, the delegation held meetings with Senior Government Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Government institutions of the Government of Sudan, in which various areas of crucial concern were discussed.

The governments of South Sudan delegation never in any way expressed or implied knowledge or support of JEM rebels leave alone the expulsion of these rebels from its territory. As such, the government of South Sudan is appalled by these statements and considers these allegations as baseless and in bad spirit of the bilateral talks.

We would like to point out that, the internal rebellions in Sudan is purely an internal and domestic matter, and the government of South Sudan has never had a hand or interest in supporting it.

The sovereign Republic of South Sudan adheres firmly to the principle of non- interference in domestic affairs of other countries.

Finally, the RSS Government further urges the editors of the article to seek accurate and cohesive first hand information from the source.

For more details: you can contact the department of information in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on

Email: miriamax2003@yahoo.co.uk

Tel: 0910573484

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