Reporter caught in South Sudan violence (video)
Reporter Robyn Kriel comes under fire as war planes from Sudan attack South Sudan.
Archive for April 30, 2012
CNN Reporter caught in South Sudan violence (video)
Posted: April 30, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Videos0
The Cases of Stolen Ambassadorial Positions and Tribal Conflicts in Jonglei State
Posted: April 30, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Commentary, Featured ArticlesTags: apioth mayom apioth, bor south county, diversity in unity, duk county, Jonglei, murle community, south sudan, Twic East county
By Apioth Mayom Apioth
The three counties of Bor South, Twic East, and Duk were allocated 12 ambassadorial positions by the Government of South Sudan, but during the process of allocations in Bortown, 8 of those 12 positions were given to Bor South communities, leaving just 4 positions to be shared between Twic East and Duk counties. Having being born in Jonglei state and having had a splendid opportunity to spend my lifetime around the members of Jonglei communities, I would have to conclude that Bor South, Twic East and Duk communities have shared a great history together.
In the past, if an issue of war or economic development arise, members of the three counties would take up their war shields and wits to defend themselves from any foreign invasion. As far as I can remember, it has been like that since time immemorial. The three communities were like a set of triplets, born from the same mother and father. Even though, they were not exactly real triplets from the same parents, they resembled a replica of an actual set of triplets that were carefully brought up by their good and loving parents, which was recognizable in how they stood their ground in harsh moments of trials and adversity throughout their history of existence in Jonglei state.
People tend to disagree on different things when they can’t find a way to accommodate their differences. But it is only through diversification and acceptance of our differences that we can find numerous ways to strengthen and build up our communities from the ground up. Once we learn to respect to our differences, then we can soldify a united front where diversity in unity is a social organization that resolve our communal barriers. If this case could have started a conflict among the three communities, then we could have experienced a bloodbath right in our backyard, with a mere issue that could have been easily solved by our leaders in Bortown by equally distributing 6 ambassadorial positions to Bor county and another 6 appointments to Twic East and Duk counties.
Is this the end of the line for a truly remarkable history created by living side to side all these centuries? I hope not; because we were recently awarded our independence from Arabian colonialism. If it is indeed the case, then we ought to say goodbyes with our heads held high up, not through thievery of our political positions endowed to us by the Government of South Sudan because they belong to us through our birthrights, unalienable rights and our stake claims as citizens of Jonglei state. From 1956 up until July 2011, South Sudanese were fighting Jallaba’s colonist regime in Khartoum to spurs on their claim to get a shot at the modern-day civilization, only to see our Great communities of Twic East and Duk face marginalization from Bor county in Jonglei state.
Why didn’t our cousins from Bor county tell Twic East and Duk communities to remain in the bush to fight their own war of self-determination from them in the first place? If Bor South communities continue to hustle away our economic opportunities like the way of these ambassadorial positions, then, we no choice, but to campaign for the division of Jonglei state into two separate states, where we will live in a state of abundant without someone robbing us of economic projects. Governor Kuol Manyang and Bor South communities, we are urging you to recall those ambassadors and be returned to their rightful owners in Twic East and Duk counties.
It is not too late to solve a problem that will leave a lasting scar among these three communities. The time is still ripe to make a difference because the appointments were only made in late March. We don’t want anyone to stunt our economic growth in any way possible. If you happen to scale through the map of South Sudan, one wouldn’t fail to recognize that Jonglei state is the largest state among the 10 states. During the recent Jonglei state clashes, some pockets of peace activists briefly mentioned that, the only way to bring peace to Jonglei state is by dividing the state into two states to ease up turmoil among conflicting communities.
That might have seemed like a far-fetched solution to an age-old problem of cattle rustling and child abduction among the intertwined communities of Dinka Bor, Twic East Dinka, Lou Nuer, Murle and Anyuak. Imagine, if Lou Nuer and Murle were grouped together again in their own state, the same problem would have continued or further escalate into a bigger humanitarian crisis than it is already is. The Jonglei state clashes is a mult-faceted problem that can be solved through two alternative routes. The first part to solve this monotonous problem is for the conflicting communities to pick a third party member from outside Jonglei state and be none other than from Dinka, Murle or Nuer tribe, this third party member will then conduct a dialogue among them.
This is true in part due to the fact that, a Murle community would not accept a member of Lou community to solve this problem because they might suspect a member from Lou Nuer from wrongdoing in this conflict. The same thing holds true for Twic East Dinka, Dinka Bor or Anyuak communities, they would blatantly refuse a Murle or Lou Nuer community member to hold the conflict resolution dialogue among them. This problem doesn’t require westernized conflict resolution methods or approaches similar to those of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This problem bears no resemblance to the genocidal cases of ICC because it is a centuries-old problem that needs to be uprooted from its genesis of beginnings.
Once the third party dialogue member has been selected, then all these communities need to involve their youth leaders, traditional chiefs, payam leaders, Members of Parliaments, and county leaders. Traditional wisdom is as important as modernized African methods of conflict resolution partly to the fact that these were applicable methods that continued to keep our communities as cohesive as possible up until our modern era and those methods have not failed us since the first time we stepped our feet on this planet. After the dust is cleared and settled, the conflicting communities can then talk to their youth, young adults and all the community members who are considered responsible for this problem, that we are here to live side by side as diversified communities of Jonglei state and most importantly as good citizens of the Republic of South Sudan.
The Human Rights Watch, who is very popular with its slogan which goes, “Defending human rights wordwide,” has a statement which says, “Every human being has human rights by virtue of being a human being.” We need to find creative ways to drum ideas of communal relations into the youths and young adults of Jonglei state to learn from us that no one, even the Pope of the Vatican City is not above the law and that there is a need to respect everyone’s human value, dignity, and property. Disarmament of Jonglei communities is not a long term solution to the Jongle clashes, it is a short-sighted approach to cover up the failures of our government in Juba. While the process of disarmament is taking shape in Jonglei state, some pockets of Jonglei communities may run to the nearby bush and hide their guns that they may retrieve later after the tides of disarmament has died down.
And better yet, some members whose weapons were forcifully taken from them, may rush to the blackmarket dealers to buy yet another gun. On the other hand, deploying South Sudan Police around Pibor county is another short-term solution that may later make this problem worse than it is already is. While South Sudan Police is deployed around Murle villages, these same Murle youth may talk their way out of the deployment lines by saying we are going to attend a wedding or school in Central Equatoria state. After they infiltrated the deployment lines, they may group themselves up again and attack in Dinka Bor areas.
If these Murle youths can’t find a way to get rid of the South Sudan Police, they might confront them head on, which is another altercation that may cause another senseless lost of lives. Murle has a long-held cultural practice where youth are allowed to raid cattle, abduct children, and kidnap women from their neighboring communities. Murle boys must perform these deeds before they become adult. If these deeds are performed to satisfactory standards, then they are rewarded with statutory privileges and wealth. That is why this cultural practice has been hard to break in the mainstream Murle culture, because it holds prominence important to everyone, youth or adult.
The second alternative route to solve this problem is for both our federal government and Jonglei state government to take immediate educational initiatives and economic projects to Pibor county, these social institutions can then be used to build schools, hospitals, roads and thereby creating an atmosphere of community empowerment. Our Murle brothers need to be taught the civilized methods that are encroaching at everyone’s doorsteps in South Sudan.While Murle youths are trying to raid Lou Nuer of their cattle, their Lou Nuer youth counterparts are busy studying for their final exams to pave way for their futures as engineers and doctors.
Installation of social institutions and active community leadership in Pibor county can bring tangible results of social change never before seen possible. Murle community needs cultural socialization approaches that will create awareness and consciousness which are bound to break down cultural practices that are harmful to other Jonglei communities. These social institutions have capacities to teach Murle community that other communities in Jonglei state are as important as them.
Written by Apioth Mayom Apioth, a South Sudanese citizen living in USA.
South Sudan Accuses North of Fresh Border Attacks, Khartoum Denies
Posted: April 30, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Junub SudanTags: sudanese army
South Sudan says Sudan bombs oil region
JUBA | Mon Apr 30, 2012
(Reuters) – South Sudan said on Monday Sudanese war planes bombed an oil region in the newly independent state, a day after Khartoum declared a state of emergency in some border areas as tensions showed no signs of abating.
Weeks of border fighting have raised fears Sudan and South Sudan could return to all-out war, after failing to resolve a string of disputes over oil revenues and border demarcation.
Philip Aguer, spokesman for South Sudan’s army, the SPLA, said Sudanese forces had bombed Panakuach in Unity State.
“There was bombing in Panakuach yesterday. Not less than four bombs were dropped,” Aguer said, adding there had been no reports of casualties.
There was no immediate comment from the Sudanese army.
South Sudan has accused Sudan of using its warplanes to bomb its territories. Khartoum has denied it, though it has said it reserves the right to use air strikes in self-defense.
Unity State has come under repeated bombardment over the past week, and an air strike in its capital Bentiu last Monday killed two people.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Sunday declared a state of emergency in some areas of South Kordofan, White Nile and Sinnar provinces bordering South Sudan.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti said Sudan reserved the right to deploy its forces along the border with South Sudan for legitimate protection.
“This is within the borders of Sudan and not outside of Sudan and this is our right, we can deploy our forces anywhere,” he said in Moscow after meeting his Russian counterpart.
“We’re not at all preparing ourselves for war.”
The former civil war foes also accuse each other of backing rebel militias. Each side denies the other’s allegations.
The spokesman for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), a rebel group that has been fighting the Sudanese army in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since last year, said the group had taken control of the town of Talodi.
He said SPLM-N fighters had pushed out Sudanese forces from the town after government forces killed three civilians in two separate bombings in other areas, but Khartoum’s army spokesman al-Sawarmi Khalid denied those accounts.
“The military forces did wide combing of the area outside Talodi and succeeded in pushing backing SPLM-N forces,” he told Reuters by telephone, saying that was away from Talodi itself.
“There are no clashes inside Talodi and it is under full government control. Any talk of SPLM forces being in Talodi is mere lies,” Khalid said. “The army did not bomb any civilians.”
FOREIGNERS DETAINED
Further raising tensions was Sudan’s arrest of a Briton, Norwegian and South African who it said had illegally entered the disputed Heglig area to spy for the SPLA.
South Sudanese officials have denied these allegations and said the men had been working with United Nations and aid groups clearing mines and had got lost in the remote territory.
The U.N. mission in South Sudan (UMISS) which said one of its officials had been taken to Khartoum with the three other men, was trying to free the group.
“UNMISS has been in contact with the Sudanese authorities to try and secure their release,” said Josephine Guerrero, a spokeswoman for the mission.
The Sudanese foreign ministry said it had held discussions with the ambassadors of the countries of those arrested. In a statement, it said it told the ambassadors that the three were being investigated because they entered Sudan illegally.
“They were in areas of military activity, they possessed military equipment,” the statement said, adding that the detainees were being treated in accordance with the standards of international law and the investigation would be speedy.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July, six months after a referendum agreed under a 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of civil war which killed more than 2 million people.
But distrust runs deep between the neighbors, who are at loggerheads over the position of their border, how much the landlocked south should pay to transport its oil through Sudan, the division of national debt and other issues.
The African Union is pushing to bring both sides to the table, giving them an ultimatum of three months to reach a deal. South Sudan has said it accepts the African Union’s seven-point plan, which calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The African Union said in a statement on Monday it looked forward to receiving Sudan’s formal acceptance of the road map so that steps can be taken towards implementing it.
Russia said on Monday a draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Sudan and South Sudan did not amount to a threat of sanctions but that “economic measures” could be taken against the two countries if they failed to comply with calls to stop hostilities.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/us-sudan-idUSBRE83T0VK20120430
| South Sudan Accuses North of Attacks, Khartoun Denies Voice of America April 30, 2012 South Sudan Accuses North of Attacks, Khartoun Denies VOA News South Sudan’s army says Sudan has launched attacks along the two countries’ border. SPLA commander General James Gatluak says the Sudan Armed Forces, using artillery and … |
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| South Sudan says Sudan bombs oil region Reuters By Yara Bayoumy | JUBA (Reuters) – South Sudan said on Monday Sudanese war planes bombed an oil region in the newly independent state, a day after Khartoum declared a state of emergency in some border areas as tensions showed no signs of abating. |
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| Uganda suggests Joseph Kony getting Sudan support Fox News “Kony has always been a pawn in the Khartoum chess game over South Sudan. They have used him before and they hope to use him again to destabilize South Sudan,” Kulayigye said. Abdulla Ali Masar, Sudan’s information minister, denied his government has …
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Dr. John Garang and the New Sudan Vision (video)
Posted: April 30, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in History, Reports, VideosTags: Dr. John Garang, new sudan vision
A speech by John Garang was created by Hisham Haj Omar.
John Garang was a true revolutionary and thinker, who passed away when he was needed the most. Through this speech we get a glimpse of his visons of the New Sudan. A vision of overcoming racisim and heading towards unity and growth. With this the late John Garang leaves us with an unfulfilled dream and a legacy that may one day see the light.
Dr. John Garang and the New Sudan Vision (Research Paper)
JOHN GARANG AND SUDANISM: A PECULIAR AND RESILIENT NATIONALISM
A SENIOR PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF ARTS OF HISTORY-CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, SAN LUIS OBISPO
BY MATTHEW J. DELANEY
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA
JUNE 2010
http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=histsp
South Sudan`s application to join EAC delayed to November, 2012
Posted: April 30, 2012 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in AfricaTags: eac, south sudan application to the EAC, south sudan to join EAC
BY EAST AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY
29th April 2012
President Jakaya Kikwete (second, right) and other heads of state of the East African Community hold documents after they had signed protocol at the just-ended extraordinary summit.
East African Community (EAC) heads of state on Saturday directed the Council of Ministers to come up with a verification report by November, this year, regarding an admission request of South Sudan to join the five-nation regional bloc.
The date was set at a closed-door meeting in Arusha, Tanzania, after the leaders received an initial report of the EAC Council of Ministers.
The meeting was attended by Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya (Summit Chairman),Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Burundi’s President Pierre Nkuruzinza was represented by his First Vice President Therence Sinunguruza.
The presidents expressed concern on the ongoing conflict between the newly independent Southern Sudan and Republic of Sudan and urged leaders of the two countries to return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution said Dr Richard Sezibera, EAC Secretary General, in the communiqué read at the close of the meeting.
The EAC in the communiqué, a copy of which has been availed to EANA, also appreciated the role the EAC Partner States have played in resolving the conflict in the two Sudans and asserted further commitment in assisting to solve disputes bordering the region’s countries through peaceful means.
The Presidents in another milestone decision has directed for the extension of the jurisdiction of the EA Court of Justice to cover, among other crimes against humanity.
It has ordered for the Amendment of the Treaty establishing the EACJ and the EAC Council of Ministers to consider the matter before the end of next month and report to an extra-ordinary Summit to be convened immediately after that.
The EACJ’s extension of jurisdiction comes up suddenly following pressure pile up in Kenya not to allow four top personalities to be tried before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands for the December 2007 post-election violence in Kenya, which left about 1,500 killed and 3,500 injured and up to 600, 000 forcibly displaced. During 60 days of violence, there were hundreds of rapes, possibly more, and over 100, 000 properties were destroyed in six of Kenya’s eight provinces.
The Summit commended the exemplary role played by Uganda’s Ms Beatrice Kiraso, the outgoing EAC Deputy Secretary General in Charge of Political Federation, during the past six years.
The 43-year-old-Jessica Eriyo, sometimes spelled Jesca Eriyo, has been appointed as a replacement for Ms Kiraso, who according to EANA sources, is heading to join the United Nations as a Head of UN Mission for East and Southern Africa in Lusaka, Zambia.
Ms Eriyo is a Ugandan educator, social worker and politician. She served as the State Minister for the Environment in the Ugandan Cabinet, from 2006 until 2011.In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, she was dropped from the cabinet and was replaced by Flavia Munaaba.
She also served as the elected Member of Parliament representing Adjumani District Women’s Constituency, from 2001 until 2011. In the 2011 national elections, she lost to Jesca Ababiku, an Independent candidate, who is the incumbent MP.
As it was largely expected, the Summit has renewed contract for the last and final three years of a Deputy Secretary General (In charge of Productive and Social Sectors) Jean-Claude Nsengivumva from Burundi.
The appointment of new Deputy Secretary General will see shake up in the duties assigned to four deputy secretaries general next week.
The Summit has adopted in principle the destination model of clearance of goods where assessment and collection of revenue is at the first point of entry and revenues are remitted to the destination partner states subject to the fulfillment of key pre-conditions to be developed by the high level task force. The Summit directed the council to initiate its operationalization and report progress at November Summit.
The EA Presidents signed the Protocol on the regional co-operation in defense. The Protocol should be ratified and instruments of ratification deposited with the EAC Secretary General by 30th November 2012 and that the negotiations on the mutual defence pact commence to immediately thereafter.
The Protocol upgrades the co-operation in defence matters from the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The Presidents were expected to leave for their respective homes today evening.
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=41014
EAC insists on dialogue between S.Sudan, Khartoum
New Vision –
By John Odyek South Sudan and Khartoum should return to the negotiating table and settle their disputes peacefully, East African Community (EAC) heads of state have said. President Yoweri Museveni together with other heads of state from the EAC made …
The Citizen Daily –
By Zephania Ubwani Arusha. East African leaders yesterday expressed their concern about the growing insecurity in the region, saying it could undermine the intention of some countries to join the bloc. They said recurrent conflict between Sudan and …
IPPmedia – Apr 28, 2012
By East african News agency President Jakaya Kikwete (second, right) and other heads of state of the East African Community hold documents after they had signed protocol at the just-ended extraordinary summit. East African Community (EAC) heads of …
New Vision – Apr 28, 2012
By Vision reporters East African Community (EAC) presidents converged in Arusha on Saturday to, among other issues, discuss the application by South Sudan to join the regional bloc. By press time, the partner presidents from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, …
Daily Nation – Apr 27, 2012
President Kibaki is expected to travel to Arusha, Tanzania April 27, 2012 to attend the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the East Africa Community Heads of State. FILE By PPS President Kibaki is expected to travel to Arusha, Tanzania Friday to attend the …
New Vision – Apr 27, 2012
By Nicodemus Ikonko in Arusha Heads of States of East African Community (EAC) will converge in Arusha, Tanzania Saturday in an extra-ordinary meeting to consider, among others, a recommendation on the application by the Republic of South Sudan to the …
News24 – Apr 26, 2012
Nairobi – Capital News reports that on Thursday the East African Legislative Assembly unanimously endorsed and adopted a Motion urging the East African Community presidents to call for the transfer of the Kenya Post Election Violence cases to the East …
Daily News – Apr 28, 2012
THE five, East African Community’s Heads of state, during their extra ordinary summit meeting in Arusha on Saturday, said they will decide on South Sudan’s application to join EAC in November this year. The summit which sat here on Saturday, …
StarAfrica.com – Apr 28, 2012
1 THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HEADS OF STATE, THEIR EXCELLENCIES PRESIDENT MWAI KIBAKI OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE SUMMIT, PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA, PRESIDENT JAKAYA MRISHO KIKWETE OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF …
Afrique en Ligue – Apr 28, 2012
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) on Saturday urged President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan to return to the negotiating table and find peaceful means of resolving all their …
Africa Review – Apr 27, 2012
By AFRICAREVIEW.COMPosted Friday, April 27 2012 at 12:15 The 10th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State will take place in Arusha, Tanzania on Saturday. Besides host President Jakaya Kikwete, the meeting is expected to …
AllAfrica.com – Apr 26, 2012
By Moses Talemwa, 26 April 2012 East African Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Burundi’s Pierre Nkurunziza have confirmed attendance for an extra-ordinary summit meeting, …
AllAfrica.com – Apr 26, 2012
By Nicodemus Ikonko, 26 April 2012 HEADS of States of East African Community (EAC) will converge in Arusha, Tanzania on April 28 this year in an extraordinary meeting to consider, among others, application by the Republic of South Sudan to join the …
AllAfrica.com – Apr 26, 2012
By Eric Kabeera, 26 April 2012 The 10th Extraordinary Summit of the East African Community (EAC) Heads of State that convenes on Saturday in Arusha, Tanzania, will, among other issues, examine South Sudan’s application to join the regional coalition.
African Manager – Apr 25, 2012
Heads of State of the five-member countries of the East African Community (EAC) will hold their 10th Extraordinary Summit on 28 April, 2012, to consider, among other things, the application by South Sudan to join the regional bloc, the Community …
Spyghana.com – Apr 24, 2012
ARUSHA, Tanzania, April 24, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The 10th Extraordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State is scheduled for 28 April 2012 at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. President Mwai Kibaki of the Republic of …
PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd - South Sudan 