Sunday, June 22, 2014

S. Sudan rebels reject stakeholder’s delegates’ selection process - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan

The SPLM in opposition on Sunday opposed stakeholders delegates’ selection process conducted last week at a multi-stakeholders symposium in South Sudan held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
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Face-to-face talks between the South Sudanese government and rebels in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, resumed on 13 January 2014, with a secured a ceasefire agreement signed later that month (Photo: AFP/Carl De Souza)
South Sudan civil society organisations, political parties, religious groups and former political detainees last week nominated their representatives to the IGAD led peace talks in the absence of many invited civil society groups representing to stakeholders outside government controlled areas.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, Hussein Mar Nyuot, SPLM opposition’s spokesperson to the IGAD led peace talks said the process of nominating representatives has not been transparent and inclusive.
The group said the 14 civil society organizations which were selected in a process facilitated by USAID in collaboration with IGAD, Ethiopia and Juba to take part at the multi-stakeholders symposium were disregarded.
The group demanded clarification over what it said was “faulty process” before resumption of new round of peace talks with government.
“The SPLM/SPLA seriously objects to this faulty process and calls for a credible, transparent, and inclusive process to be conducted for selecting other stakeholder’s delegates” said the statement.
A rebel Source late on Sunday told Sudan Tribune they have decided to boycott the opening ceremony of IGAD peace talks scheduled for tomorrow Monday 16/6/2014 if their demand of “fair and just inclusion of all stakeholders to peace is not met”.
“By taking this position SPLM/SPLA reiterates its commitment to a genuine inclusive process,” he further emphasised
The South Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SSRRA) in Addis Ababa has protested to the Kenyan envoy to the IGAD mediation, General Lazarus Sumbeiywo, over the selection process.
“We have rejected the civil society nomination processes. It was flawed, incredible, and unfair and politically motivated,” Puoch Riek Deng, public relations officer of SSRRA told Sudan Tribune last week.
The SPLM in opposition in its latest statement reaffirmed its commitment to the May 9 agreement signed between the leaders of the two warring SPLM factions.
According to the agreement the two sides will completely stop fighting and will forge a unity government within two months.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Ethiopia bearing brunt of South Sudan refugees-PressTV-



Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:50PM
Coletta Wanjohi, Press TV, Addis Ababa

Fact Corner
  • The world refugee day is being marked across the globe and Ethiopia is one of the countries that bear the heavy burden of catering for the displaced. Ethiopia is home to half a million refugees most of them from Somalia and South Sudan.
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According to the United Nations Human commission for refugees the current number of refugees is more than 50 million.Ethiopia is home to over half a million refugees and is also facing a daily influx of refugees from South Sudan.Over 200,000 refugees are from Somalia. The others are from Eritrea, Sudan and now South Sudan.
The number of refugee camps in Ethiopia has increased from 8 to 22 in past years. Since December 2013 when the conflict in South Sudan began over 147,000 refugees have fled to Ethiopia. They now live in country’s Gambella Region. The increase in the number of refugees means a strain on Ethiopia’s resources. This is the second time that Ethiopia is hosting refugees from south Sudan. In 1980s when the then Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was at war with the central government in Sudan, Ethiopia hosted 450,000 refugees from the region. The United Nations High commission for refugees says it needs over 200 million dollars to cater for a projected number of 350,000 South Sudan refugees, within a span of one year. If this number exceeds then the challenge will be much bigger. With an influx of an a average of 1200 refugees daily from South Sudan the government Ethiopia has been forced to open three new camps in past months. The latest camp which the government opened recently was filled with 25,000 south Sudan refugees within just 20 days. With 70% of the refugees from South Sudan being children below 18 years the agencies assisting Ethiopia with South Sudan refugees have a challenge of giving the children access to school , immunization and ensure nutrition programmes are running.


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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Ethiopian general appointed commander of UN forces in South Sudan

UN chief Ban Ki-moon Tuesday appointed the Ethiopian Lt Gen. Yohannes Gebremeskel Tesfamariam as the Force Commander for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
UN chief Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Major General Yohannes Tesfamariam on 12 April 2013 (Photo UN)Tesfamariam who served as the head of UN force for Abyei succeeds Major-General Delali Johnson Sakyi of Ghana, who completed his assignment on 9 June 2014.
“Lieutenant-General Tesfamariam brings to the position 35 years of experience with the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and the United Nations in conflict-affected areas,” said the UN spokesperson in a statement released on Tuesday.
The new UNMISS commander was the head of the peacekeeping department and head of the military intelligence in the Ethiopian defence ministry. He served as commander of the army corps and Ethiopia’s commissioner for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Lieutenant-General Tesfamariam who is from Tigry region has a master’s degree in peace and security from Addis Ababa University.
Last May, UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan and authorised it to use “all necessary means” to protect civilians, monitor and investigate human rights, create the conditions for delivery of humanitarian assistance, and support the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Last December following the eruption of violence in the South Sudan, the 15-member body increased the number of troops deployed in the country to 12,500 troops and 1,323 police forces.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

South Sudan cholera outbreak spreads, nears 1500 cases - The Global Dispatch

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The crisis in South Sudan progressively gets worse as the security situation gets worse in parts of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states.  Clashes, sporadic shootings and fighting ongoing, some humanitarian workers are forced to relocate, leaving behind countless people in need of help.
South Sudan Image/CIA

South Sudan

Image/CIA
One of several major crises being tackled in South Sudan is the cholera outbreak, which grows and spreads by the day.  A South Sudan Crisis Situation Report issued 6 June 2014shows as of 4 June, 1,306 suspected cases of cholera had been reportedincluding 29 related deaths, with the outbreak spreading outside Juba to Yei and Kajo Keji in Central Equatoria State.
That number has increased to nearly 1,500 cases according to a Xinhua report today. The report notes, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters today that the total cholera cases has increased to  1, 459 cholera cases, including 31 deaths in South Sudan. The case fatality rate remained above the emergency threshold at 2.2 per cent (the emergency threshold is 1 per cent).
UNICEF has helped establish a Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) at the Juba Teaching Hospital, which provides life-saving supplies, medicines and protective gear and equipment in a attempt to halt the spread of cholera. However, the UN agency is hurting for funds and requires another $10 million to continue current life-saving operations and increase its cholera prevention work. For moreinfectious disea