stop the civil war now!!!

S. Sudan’s Kiir, rivals agree on “unconditional” dialogue


December 20, (JUBA) – The South Sudanese leader, Salva Kiir, rivals Riek Machar and Rebecca Garang have agreed on an “unconditional” dialogue seeking to resolve the country’s political turmoil, a United Nations envoy said Friday.

The latest offer for dialogue, according to the UN Security Council president, came as a ministerial delegation from the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) countries prepare to meet over 10 political detainees held in connection with an alleged coup plot in the new nation.

“We hope the IGAD ministerial delegation will succeed in opening a political channel between Kiir and Machar,” Gérard Araud told reporters at a briefing on Friday.

A high-level delegation from Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Uganda, are in South Sudan, a week after an outbreak of violence in the capital Juba, left about 500 dead,

At least 35, 000 people, the UN said, are currently displaced within its premises in Juba and Jonglei state, with fears of possible rise in numbers as the violence spreads to other parts of the country.

Describing the situation as a “political crisis” within the country’s ruling party (SPLM), Araud, said dialogue is the only solution to the worst-ever violence in the country since its independence.

“We have heard reports of gross human rights violations”, he said, adding, “The situation is tense”.

Members of the Security Council, on Friday, expressed grave alarm and concern over the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian crisis in the two-year country.

The current political situation, it said, threatens serious implications for the country’s long-term security and stability not only South Sudan, but its neighboring countries.

The Council, in a statement, strongly condemned the fighting and targeted violence against civilians and specific ethnic and other communities occurring across the country, resulting in hundreds of deaths as well displacement of tens of thousands.

Re-affirming their strong commitment to the country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, the Security Council urged Kiir and his former vice president to demonstrate leadership in bringing a swift and peaceful resolution to this crisis by calling for a cessation of hostilities and immediately commence dialogue.

All the country’s political detainees, it said, should be protected and encouraged the country’s political and military leaders to engage in a political process of national reconciliation and constitutional reform through peaceful and inclusive means.

(ST).

Listen to the briefing : http://webtv.un.org/watch/grard-araud-france-on-south-sudan-security-council-media-stakeout-20-december-2013/2955682889001/

A CIVIL WAR HOUND ON THE SOUTH OF SUDAN ......

16 killed in tribal clashes in Unity oil fields December 19, 2013 (BENTIU) - Officials in South Sudan’s Unity state said clashes between oil workers from rival clans at the Unity and Tharjath oil fields on Thursday have left 16 dead, while over 200 people from the Dinka tribe are currently seeking refuge in the UN compound in Bentiu town. In an exclusive interview on Thursday, acting state governor Mabeak Lang De Mading told Sudan Tribune the incident took place at about 2am (local time) when oil company employees from the Nuer tribe coordinated twin attacks on both oil fields, targeting Dinka employees in the area. The oil workers reportedly used spears, sticks and knives in the attack. Tensions have been building in the Nuer community in Bentiu after it emerged around 500 people were killed by security personnel loyal to South Sudanese president Salva Kiir in an outbreak of violence in the capital, Juba. The latest outbreak of violence came just hours after state government officials called for calm in a radio broadcast on state-run Bentiu FM 99. In the broadcast officials cautioned communities to refrain from carrying revenge attacks on Dinka tribe members living in Bentiu. Mading said the government is now working on widening its security measures for the protection of all people. "We are calling on the general public to refrain from killing each other; as the case in Juba is national issue, it should not be put on tribal lines", he said. However, Sudan Tribune’s correspondent in Unity State reported hearing heavy gunfire in the Bentiu area from 7pm local time. It has not been possible to confirm the exact location. About 500 people had been killed in Juba since clashes broke out late on Sunday, after forces alleged to be loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar launched an attack on a South Sudanese army (SPLA) barracks in Juba. Kiir initially accused his former deputy and his supporters of orchestrating an alleged coup attempt to overthrow the government, although he has since back-tracked on those statements. Reports are emerging that soldiers specifically targeted people from the Nuer ethnic group as violence spread across the capital. US-based think tank think International Crisis Group (ICG) warned on Thursday that South Sudan was on the brink of a full-scale civil war, as the conflict increasingly takes on tribal dimensions. On Wednesday, SPLA defectors believed to be loyal to Machar seized control of Jonglei state capital Bor. The soldiers are led by dissident commander Gen. Peter Gatdet Yak, who reportedly defected from the SPLA after allegations Nuer were targeted in the current tensions. South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) said at least 19 bodies were found on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 22, including three children who perished after their boat capsized while attempting to cross the Nile River. Thousands of people are also taking shelter inside the city’s UN compound. Bentiu resident Younis Biel says he blames both Kiir and Machar for the current chaos engulfing in the country. He also urged the international community to put more efforts in to preventing the conflict escalating into civil war. “If the world leaders would have not forgotten us they would have captured both Salva Kiir and Riek Machar to be answerable on the deadly incidents. Our citizens suffer most on the hand of Salva Kiir and Riek Machar’, said Biel. Biel said he was concerned that after South Sudan’s more than two-decades-long struggle with Sudan for freedom and independence, the new nation was now at risk of dividing itself along ethnic lines. In a telephone conversation with Kiir on Wednesday, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon called for an amicable and peaceful resolution to the current crisis through dialogue rather than violence. (ST)

Elections are forgged.

Claims Museveni Offered 2 Million Ugandan Votes in Favour of Secession of S. Sudan


December 15, 2013 (KAMPALA) - A dissident Ugandan General has sensationally claimed that long serving Uganda ruler Yoweri Museveni was willing to offer two million Ugandans to vote in favour of South Sudan’s independence from Sudan.

South Sudan voted to secede from Sudan in a 2011 referendum.

General David Sejusa, the former coordinator of Uganda intelligence services and until recently a member of Uganda’s parliament and member of the high command of the Ugandan military revealed this on Saturday at the London School of Economics where the launch of the new opposition group, Freedom and Unity Front (FUF), took place. The organisation aims at dislodging Museveni from power.

Segusa gave the example of Museveni’s offer to Garang to prove his allegations that the Ugandan leader always rigs elections.

‘‘Museveni has no democratic credentials. He has never had them. I was with him in the bush. I have been with him for long. You know when the late Garang…I can give you this story… they [South Sudan] were going for a referendum …this is how he[Garang] fell off with Mr Museveni and the leadership in South Sudan knows, Mr Museveni tells Mr Garang ‘‘We must win this referendum at any cost… you know I can give you two million of my Bakiga …and you know they can fix things for us,’’ Museveni reportedly told Garang, according to Sejusa.

The Bakiga are a tribe in western Uganda, the same region where Museveni hails from.

‘‘The idea was for him [Museveni] to have a strong hold in South Sudan. How can such a person be a democrat? That’s how he fell off with Garang,’’ Sejusa said without further explanation on how the South Sudan liberation hero fell out with Museveni.

But the Uganda dissident suggested that the late Garang rejected Museveni’s offer and appears to give that as reason why Garang fell off with Museveni. Again he did not explain how the fall off between the two leaders manifested itself.

Garang died in an air crash in August 2005 while on his way to South Sudan from Uganda. He was Vice president of Sudan at the time of the crash in a Ugandan presidential chopper after meeting Museveni at his country home in western Uganda.

Bad weather was blamed for the crash which also claimed the lives of six South Sudanese officials and seven crew of the Mi 72 chopper.

Since fleeing to London Segusa has said Museveni cannot be removed from office through elections.

On Saturday the renegade General repeated the claims and said Museveni was beaten in the 2006 elections by his arch rival Kiiza Besigye who got 69% of the votes. But according to Sejusa, the results were changed by the Uganda’s intelligence services which set up a parallel vote tallying centre different from that of the official electoral commission.

In a challenge of the election results by Besigye in court, the country’s Supreme court ruled that much as there were election irregularities it was ’’substantially enough’’ to affect the outcome of the elections.

Sejusa fled the Uganda after writing a letter to the internal security services asking them to investigate an alleged plan to murder those opposed to ‘‘Project Muhoozi’’- a reference to an alleged plot by Museveni to make his son, Brigadier Muhoozi Kainerugaba succeed him.

Brig Kainerugaba is commander of the Special Forces which among others is tasked with protecting his father and Uganda’s strategic assets. He has risen rapidly through the army ranks.

The Ugandan government has in the past dismissed Sejusa as a disgruntled officer making outrageous claims to get attention and possibly political asylum in the United Kingdom. The Uganda government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo even alleged that Sejusa was speaking under the drugs in an interview with Sudan Tribune in April.

Sejusa who has not ruled the possibility of using force to unseat Museveni using force has also received a response from the Ugandan president: ‘‘If he wants to use force, let him come. He knows my address. We have been waiting for him for some few months now,’’ Museveni said in Octobe



By SUDAN TRIBUNE, 16 hours 25 minutes ago