Sudan and South Sudan agrees to withdraw troops from Abyei

According to the UN, Sudan and newly independent South Sudan have agreed to withdraw troops from the disputed town of Abyei at the end of September. Deputy Head of UN peacekeeping Edmond Mulet said the deal was brokered by the African Union during talks in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Both countries claim Abyei and the ongoing conflict was supposed to be resolved with a referendum on its future status, however, the vote was postponed indefinitely over disagreements on voter eligibility, to do with the nomadic, Khartoum-backed Misseriya Arab tribespeople.

The move to demilitarise the town is expected to ease border tension between Khartoum and Juba.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday 8th September, Mulet said: "They [Sudan and South Sudan] have agreed that between 11th September and 30th September there is going to be a redeployment or withdrawal of the troops."

He noted that Khartoum had originally said it would only pull out its troops when an administration was in place in Abyei, but had now dropped that condition.

Northern forces occupied Abyei in May, raising fears of a renewal of Sudan's 21-year north-south conflict. Violence in the northern border state of Southern Kordofan has also led to around 60,000 people being displaced.

A UN peacekeeping force of more than 1,700 Ethiopian soldiers has been deployed in Abyei since last month.

Sources: BBC News, AFP , Reuters

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Sudan no longer recognises SPLM-North

Sudan's government has announced that it no longer recognises the existence of one of the key opposition parties, SPLM-North. Soldiers loyal to the party have been fighting government forces in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. It is thought that the SPLM-North party has close ties with the rebels in South Sudan, who are partly responsible for the country's new found independence.

In related news, South Sudan has said that it plans to relocate its capital from Juba to Ramciel. The new capital will come under the jurisdiction of the national government rather than the State. According to a number of sources, the government recognises that the move may cause ethnic tensions and has therefore said that the transfer process will take place in stages.

Only two months ago, Sudan's government signed an agreement with the opposition party aimed at finding a resolution to conflicts in the two states. Since then, violence has broken out in Blue Nile between Sudan's army and fighters loyal to SPLM-North. The newest outbreaks follow three months of clashes in Southern Kordofan.

A senior official at the Information Ministry, Rabie Abd al Atti, confirmed that the government no longer recognised SPLM-North. He did not speculate about the allegations of mass arrests but said that if any of SPLM-North's supporters wanted to carry out political activities they would be subject to arrest.

The crackdown follows President Omar Al-Bashir's declaration of a state of emergency in Blue Nile and the expulsion of leader of SPLM-North, Malik Agar, from his elected post as State governor. The government controls the State capital of Damazin while most fighters loyal to SPLM-North seem to have withdrawn to their base in the south of the State, Kurmuk.

Sudan has made allegation against South Sudan of supporting the SPLM-North fighters, a charge the latter denies.

Sources: BBC News, Sudan Tribute, Sudan Vision

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Sudan refers Kordofan border clashes to UN

Following intensive clashes in the border region between Sudan and newly-independent South Sudan, the Khartoum government has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council accusing its neighbour of fomenting instability.

The clashes in South Kordofan began in June, a month before the formal declaration of South Sudanese independence, but have flared up recently, with the Sudanese government accused of indiscriminate aerial bombing of civilian areas. Around 200,000 are believed to have fled their homes. An unexpected government ceasefire announced on 23rd August does not appear to have ended the fighting.

Sudanese government forces are seeking to neutralise armed rebels from the Nuba ethnic group. Although now located north of the border, many of the Nuba sided with the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army during the southern group's 20 year war against Khartoum. Non-Arab like most of South Sudan's population, the Nuba community also complained of discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum.

Sudan now views the pro-southerners which are left within its territory as a potential fifth column for the new government in Juba. In its complaint to the UN, the Sudanese government has accused South Sudan of arming and instructing the rebels in the Nuba Mountains. A Sudanese government spokesman said on 30th August that Khartoum has “documented proof” that the insurrection is being orchestrated by Juba.

The complaint also cited numerous alleged border violations by South Sudan, including the deployment of military forces in the disputed, oil-rich area of Abyei (which borders South Kordofan) in violation of the 2005 peace deal, and failing to withdraw forces from a disputed border strip. Juba has denied all the accusations.

This new international element to the long-simmering rebellion increases risks for the wider border situation between Sudan and South Sudan. South Kordofan is adjacent to Abyei, a focal point of north-south tensions because of its oil wealth.

An uptick in fighting between the Sudanese army and the rebels, or cross-border raids, could raise the prospect of the southern Sudanese military – at this point still a cobbled-together force of former rebels – becoming involved.

Sources: BBC, Reuters, Sudan Tribune

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Sudan threatens to shoot a UN helicopter

UN Undersecretary General for Peacekeeping, Alain Le Roy, has said that Sudan threatened to shoot a helicopter trying to evacuate UN peacekeepers wounded by a landmine in the disputed Abyei region. Le Roy added that the three wounded soldiers died amid negotiations.

The peacekeepers were sent to Abyei earlier this month. Shortly after their arrival from Ethiopia, their convoy hit a landmine in Mabok, south-east of Abyei town. One of the men died instantly, the other three later.

Speaking about the incident, Le Roy said: “"We didn't get the clearance for the Medivac helicopter to take off immediately…They prevented us from taking off by threatening to shoot at the helicopter."

According to various reports, seven other peacekeepers were injured in the blast. The village where the landmine exploded had been occupied by troops loyal to the government in Khartoum, which has signed the Ottawa Treaty banning the use of anti-personnel mines.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, Voice of America

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Sudan leaders agree “full demilitarisation” of Abyei

Leaders from north and south Sudan signed an agreement pledging to end fighting in the disputed border region of Abyei, on Monday 20th June.

The agreement was reached after days of mediation by former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, in the Ethopian capital of Addis Ababa.

The deal requires both northern and southern troops to leave Abyei, to be replaced by Ethiopian peacekeepers, in an agreement that Mbeki has said will provide for the "full demilitarisation" of Abyei.

Both north and South Sudan claim the oil-rich border region of Abyei, and northern forces seized the town last month, causing over one hundred thousand people to flee, mostly to the south.

Violence in the northern border state of Southern Kordofan has also led to 60,000 people being displaced.

Some 4,000 Ethiopian troops are expected to be brought in after the Sudanese army has left, although the UN will determine the exact troop numbers and their mandate.

With South Sudan planning to declare independence on 9th July, 2011, Mbeki said in his announcement of the deal, it was crucial that the peacekeepers were brought in as soon as possible. He urged the UN Security Council to authorise their deployment without delay.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement and pledged “the full support of the United Nations to the parties in facilitating its implementation.”

Ban also urged the two sides to resolve "all outstanding issues related to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and post-secession arrangement, and to reach an immediate cessation of hostilities in Southern Kordofan State and provide their full co-operation to humanitarian agencies in meeting the needs of the affected population."

The violence, which started on 5th June, continues in Southern Kordofan state. US permanent representative to the UN, Susan Rice, spoke of reports that alleged that forces aligned with the north had “searched for southern forces and sympathisers, whom they arrested and allegedly executed.”

Mbeki said political leaders from Southern Kordofan would be arriving shortly in Addis Ababa to hold talks on ending the conflict.

Violence broke out after residents in the state's Nuba Mountains, many of whom fought for the south during the country's decades-long civil war, were ordered to disarm by the new Khartoum-allied governor, Ahmed Haroun, who has been indicted for war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court.

South Sudan voted overwhelming in favour of independence in a January referendum, prescribed by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which brought civil war to an end.

Abyei was meant to have its own referendum on whether it would stay in the north or join the south, however the vote was postponed indefinitely over disagreements on voter eligibility, to do with the nomadic, Khartoum-backed Misseriya Arab tribespeople.

Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states are clearly in the north, however many of their residents fought with the south during the civil war, and tension has been high as the South prepares to separate.

Sources: BBC News, the Guardian, RTT News

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Sudan: Gunmen open fire on UN helicopters

A UN spokesperson, Hua Jiang, has said that gunmen from an Arab tribe fired at four UN helicopters taking off from the disputed town of Abyei. Jiang said the incident occurred late in the evening on Tuesday 24th May, she added that none of the helicopters were hit despite being targeted repeatedly.

Only days ago, the UN reported that Abyei had been set on fire, with looting and violence spreading throughout the area. News of the situation preceded UN's call on Sudan to immediately withdraw its armed forces from the region.

According to several sources, Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir gave northern troops the "green light" to attack southern forces if provoked.

Both North and South Sudan claim oil rich Abyei but the region's status is yet to be established, after a referendum on its future was shelved.

The seizure of Abyei by the North has confirmed concerns that violence may escalate between the two sides, which fought a twenty year civil war that ended with a peace treaty in 2005. The North said it acted after 22 of its men were killed in a southern ambush earlier this week.

South Sudan is set to become independent in July, after the majority of South Sudanese people voted in favour of secession in January. There are concerns, however, that the transition may be hindered by the on-going political turmoil.

According to the French ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, the North army's military operation “threatens to undermine the mutual commitment of the parties to avoid a return to war.”

Sources: AP, The Independent , AFP, Fox News

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Sudan: Abyei on fire

According to the UN, the town of Abyei has been set on fire. Earlier today, the UN Security Council called on North Sudan to immediately withdraw its armed forces from the region. It appears the situation has since deteriorated, with reports of looting and violence spreading throughout the region.

Abyei was granted a special status under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the two decade civil war between the North and the South. Terms under the agreement stipulate that both sides have to keep their troops out until a referendum to determine Abyei's future.

The UN Mission in Sudan (Unmis) released a statement saying it "strongly condemns the burning and looting currently being perpetrated by armed elements in Abyei town". Unimis emphasised that the North's troops were "responsible for maintaining law and order in the areas they control", urging Khartoum to "intervene to stop these criminal acts".

Speaking about the situation in Sudan, French ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, said the North army's military operation “threatens to undermine the mutual commitment of the parties to avoid a return to war.”

The army, however, remains defiant and has vowed to hold territory it seized in the disputed region, directly ignoring UN's calls for withdrawal.

Sources: BBC News, KBC, AFP, Reuters

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UN tells North Sudan to withdraw troops from Abyei

The UN Security Council has called on North Sudan to immediately withdraw its armed forces from the oil-rich Abyei. South Sudan called the North's seizure of the disputed region an “act of war,” saying it resulted in civilians and southern soldiers being killed.

South Sudan is set to become independent in July, after the majority of South Sudanese people voted in favour of secession in in January. The status of Abyei is yet to be resolved after a referendum on its future was shelved.

According to the French ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, the North army's military operation “threatens to undermine the mutual commitment of the parties to avoid a return to war.”

The seizure of Abyei by the North has sparked concern that violence may escalate between the two sides, which fought a two-decade long civil war that ended with a peace treaty in 2005. The North said it acted after 22 of its men were killed in a southern ambush earlier this week.

Araud added: "The members of the Security Council call upon the government of Sudan to halt its military operation and withdraw immediately from Abyei town and its environs….They condemn the escalatory military operation being undertaken by the Sudanese armed forces. This constitutes a serious violation of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005)."

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Sudan Tribune

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Sudan bombs Darfur village

According to the UN, Sudan has carried out an air strike mission on a village in the western region of Darfur. A number of the group's officials are trying to make their way to the Sukamir area in north Darfur to gauge the situation.

The UN believes that pro-government Arab militias are trying to cleanse the region of non-Arab residence. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 people have been killed in the strike.

UN's deligation in Darfur, Unamid, released a statement on Wednesday 18th May, saying jet planes struck Sukamir, located near Kuma, on Tuesday. It also said a team had been sent to the area "to collect information on possible casualties and newly displaced persons". The statement confirmed that UN flights to the regions of Shangil Tobaya, Fanga Suk and others in north Darfur have been suspended.

Khartoum has denied knowledge of the strike, which was similar to the one on Sunday 15th May when the town of Labado and the village of Esheraya in southern Darfur came under bombardment.

Head of Unamid Ibrahim Gambari has voiced concern about the situation, saying: "I call upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint in the use of lethal force."

Citing “security threats,” the Sudan's government restricted all movement of peacekeepers in South Darfur state beyond a 15 km radius from Nyala, the state capital.

Sources: BBC News, AFP, Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Sudan: At least 20 soldiers killed in a clash with rebels

According to Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), at least 20 South Sudanese soldiers have been killed in a deadly clash with rebel fighters. A spokesman for SPLA said the soldiers were killed when the militants attacked a village in Unity State.

It is believed that the attack commenced when army trucks hit landmines set by the rebels, which later led to the deadly clashes. The new rebel group, calling itself South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), said the attack was only the "start of the offensive." A spokesman for the group, Bol Gatkuoth Kol, explained its objective by stating: "The government has failed miserably. It must go."

The SSLA, lead by former SPLA commander Peter Gadet, has voiced disapproval of South Sudan's government, saying it was corrupt and incapable of enforcing law and order in the region.

Oil-rich South Sudan is due to separate from the North in July, following an overwhelming secession vote in a referendum in January under a US-backed 2005 peace treaty which ended decades of conflict.

Earlier this year, the South's ruling party Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) accused Khartoum of funding rebel groups in order to destabilise the South before it achieves independence on 9th July, a charge both Khartoum and the rebels have denied.

Sources: BBC, RTT News, Miami Herald, Bloomberg, Sudan Tribute

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

At least 70 killed during clashes in South Sudan

Reports have emerged that at least 70 people have been killed during two days of fighting between South Sudan's army and rebels in three oil-producing states in the south. According to Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) spokesman the fighting broke out in Unity and Upper Nile states on Thursday 17th March.

The spokesman said that at least 70 people were killed during the clashes, including 34 South Sudan soldiers and 36 members of a rebel group led by former general George Athor.

Last week, after similar clashes in Jonglei state, South Sudan's government accused the North's President Omar Al-Bashir of trying to destabilise the South before it declares independence in July. An estimated 99 per cent of South Sudanese backed secession in January's referendum, part of a 2005 peace treaty between the North and the South after decades of conflict.

The conflict between SPLA and Athor's rebels erupted in April last year after the latter alleged fraud in State elections. The rebel leader, however, agreed to a ceasefire earlier this year.

Yet, shortly before the week-long referendum South Sudan's government accused the North of using Athor to derail the smooth running of the vote. Both the rebel leader and Khartoum dismissed the allegations as baseless. The ongoing conflict between the Noth and the South has forced Juba to suspend talks with Khartoum about the impending secession. It is yet unclear when and if the talks will be resumed.

Sources: BBC News, RTT News, AFP, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Rebels clash with Southern Sudan's army killing 16

Rebel loyalists of George Athor have attacked Southern Sudan's army, overlooking ceasefire, and killing at least 16 people. The rebels blew up two army trucks near the town of Fangak, in Jonglei state. Athor took up arms last year, alleging fraud in state elections, but signed a ceasefire last month.

The attack comes in the midst of Southern Sudan's preparation to secede from the north in July. An overwhelming majority of 99 per cent of southerners voted in favour of independence in last month's referendum.

Army spokesman Philip Aguer said four soldiers and 12 rebels were killed, but anticipated more dead bodies, adding: "We are still waiting for full details of the casualties." According to Aguer, the rebels planted land mines on two site in Jonglei state on Wednesday 9th February. A day later, violence broke out in Fangak, but the rebels fled when confronted by Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

Athor took up arms in April 2010, and was accused by the south of being used by the north to incite trouble before the referendum. He agreed to the ceasefire deal with the SPLA days before the voting began, but did not attend the signing ceremony.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, AllAfrica

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

Southern Sudan referendum results indicate secession

Polling officials have said that partial results of the Southern Sudan's referendum indicate that 99 per cent of the people voted for independence from the north. The results, published on Friday 21st January, are only partially complete with several hundred thousand votes yet to be counted to account for the 96 per cent turnout estimate. The final results will be announced next month.

A spokesman for the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau, Aleu Garang Aleu, said: "Some few counties still remain to submit their results, so the figures are not complete yet, and we are continuing to work hard to finalise the results…We are still expecting that the results for the south will be released on January 31, and, allowing time for any appeals, the final result will be announced in Khartoum on 14th February."

According to the rules, stipulated in the 2005 peace treaty between the north and the south, for the referendum to be valid more than 50 per cent of voters must back secession, and at least 60 per cent of registered voters must take part in the referendum.

So far, the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission has counted 3,197,038 ballots which revealed that 98.6 per cent of the people voted in favour of secession. In the state of Jonglei, an overwhelming 99.93 per cent of votes were in favour of secession, with a mere 77 voters supporting Sudan's unity. The preliminary results from the state of Western Equatoria also showed that 99.5 per cent of voters backed independence.

Sources: BBC News, AfricaAsia, Reuters, Voice of America

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

South Sudan reaches 60 per cent voting rate

According to a report by Khartoum's Al Sahafa newspaper, the voting rate in south Sudan's independence referendum has reached 60 per cent in the south, 30 per cent in the north and 63 per cent in eight overseas countries.

"The rate of the voters who cast their votes in south Sudan amounted to 60 percent," said Chairman of South Sudan Referendum Bureau, Riek Chan.

Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) deputy secretary general, Ann Itto, also confirmed the 60 per cent turnout, but said the group had been hoping to achieve a 100 per cent attendance.

The independence vote was agreed as part of the 2005 peace treaty, which ended two-decades of civil war and saw the running of the region in the hands of the SPLM. It is widely thought that the vote will approve secession, the preliminary results are expected to be announced at the beginning of next month and the final results before 15th February. It is estimated that almost 4 million people registered to vote in the south, the surrounding regions and abroad.

South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) spokesman Suaad Ibrahim Iyssa confirmed that the voting rate in north Sudan, during the past three days, reached 30 per cent with around 30,000 turning up to cast their ballot. He also said that polling centres overseas recorded a turnout of around 37,000 voters out of the 60,000 registered. The biggest turnout, however, was in the south with a 60 per cent attendance rate, despite outbreaks of violence and unrest.

Source: BBC News, Xinhuanet, Sudan Tribute, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.

UN Security Council concerned for Sudan's oil rich Abyei region

The UN Security Council has expressed concern about the situation in Sudan's oil rich Abyei region, where a referendum on self-determination is expected to take place on January 9th 2011.

In a statement, approved by all its 15 members, the Council urged Sudan to reach an agreement on Abyei and appease the mounting tension in the region. In a separate development, the Council welcomed the conclusion of a peaceful registration process for the referendum in South Sudan. The head of UN peacekeeping, Alain LeRoy, said that although the situation in Southern Sudan appears to have stabilised the region remains fragile. He also noted that the security situation could become compromised during and after the referendum.

"As the Council is aware, we are working on options for a possible augmentation of U.N. troops in Sudan, to prevent any deterioration in the security situation after the referendum, and to increase our capacity to monitor possible ceasefire violations and protect civilians throughout the mission area," said LeRoy.

The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, told the Security Council that a peaceful referendum is essential in order to establish long-term peace and stability in Sudan. She added that if referendum protocol is followed polling will commence on schedule, but said that status of Abyei remains unresolved.

"Any resolution regarding the future of the Abyei area must respect the legally affirmed rights of the people of that region and it must be reached with the consent of both parties. We also face additional upcoming challenges, including the effective conduct of the Southern Sudan referendum itself," said Rice.

Sources: Voice of America, Global Security, UN

For more news and expert analysis about the Sahara region, please see Sahara Focus.