US seeking to exempt South Sudan from sanctions, says diplomat

The US government has indicated that South Sudan will be exempt from the sanctions regime applied to Sudan, from which it declared independence earlier this year.

On 16th September, US special representative for Sudan Princeton Lyman, said that the US Treasury Department was currently drawing up a new set of regulations governing investments in South Sudan, which would allow oil companies to start moving into Juba without running afoul of sanctions targeted at Khartoum.

Technically, companies investing in South Sudan are already exempt from the sanctions on Sudan (imposed in 1997 in response to human rights violations and support for terrorism). The two countries' oil industries and infrastructure are so tightly connected, however, that it is difficult to invest without inadvertently becoming involved with Sudanese companies. Currently, the Sudanese oil industry is dominated by Asian companies, particularly Chinese and Indian firms, and US companies are eager to return to the market.

Revising the sanctions regime will take time and would require Congressional approval. Lyman suggested that the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control would produce regulations which permit new oil deals provided that the benefit to northern Sudan was incidental.

A major challenge will be ensuring that oil from South Sudan reaches world markets without breaching sanctions on Sudan. Although the south contains most of the oilfields, the north controls the pipeline infrastructure which allows oil to be exported.

Foreign investment will be critical to maintaining and upgrading South Sudan's dilapidated oil infrastructure. Another challenge will be to tackle corruption and transparency in South Sudan, which US officials have warned is a major factor in inhibiting foreign firms from investing in the country.

Sources: Reuters, Sudan Tribune

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Abyei remains contested, says South Sudan

A senior official from South Sudan has said that the oil-rich border region of Abyei will remain disputed, until the governments of Sudan and South Sudan agree on a deal which will protect the rights of its residents.

Speaking on 17th September, Luka Biong Deng, a co-chair of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (set up to monitor the implementation of agreements there), said that Abyei would retain a special status until a legal and binding decision is made.

Biong said that the current agreement governing the administration of Abyei, which was signed in June, is not a permanent mandate. Abyei is nominally controlled by both states under UN supervision, since a referendum to decide its fate – alongside the vote which led to South Sudan's independence – was not held due to disputes between Juba and Khartoum.

Biong asserted, however, that the international community continues to work under the impression that Abyei belongs to north Sudan, and is therefore unable to provide the necessary support and assistance to it. At present, both Sudan and South Sudan have forces stationed in Abyei; there is also a UN peacekeeping force, composed of Ethiopian troops. Both sides are due to withdraw their forces by the end of September.

Troop withdrawal, said Biong, is a key first step towards a plebiscite. With the UN in charge, both governments will continue to administer it "until the final status of the area can be determined in a manner that respects the will of the residents of Abyei".

Biong's statement is intended to emphasise that the current arrangement, with both states jointly administering the region, is not permanent. It reflects a confidence that Abyei's residents, which have tended to support the south and have a range of grievances against the government in Khartoum, will agree to join South Sudan in any referendum and thereby handing control of the region's oil wealth to Juba.

Any flare-up in fighting would provide a good excuse for the north's government to maintain forces in the region and put off a referendum. Ensuring a smooth, demilitarised transition is therefore critical for the South Sudanese government.

Sources: Sudan Tribune, BBC

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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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Troika letter on the challenges facing Sudan and South Sudan

On Saturday 7th May, a letter was published in The Guardian by representatives of the Troika countries - Norway, the UK and the US - on the challenges facing Sudan and South Sudan.

It was written by Norway's Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim , the UK's Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell , and US Agency for International Development administrator, Rajiv Shah.


The letter is copied in full, below.

Two months from now, Africa faces a momentous change, as the continent's largest country divides into two – the republics of Sudan and South Sudan.

The division is the result of the January 2011 referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan provided for under the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended Sudan's civil war, one of Africa's longest and bloodiest conflicts. Of more than 3.8 million southern Sudanese who voted, nearly 99% chose secession. This new chapter offers an opportunity for the Sudanese to put the conflict of the past behind them for good.

Norway , the UK and the US, longstanding humanitarian and development partners of Sudan and guarantors of the CPA, are supporting the creation of two economically viable and peaceful states that enjoy good governance and respect for human rights. We are also committed to assisting those affected by conflict and poverty. As representatives of the three guarantor countries, we are visiting both Khartoum and Juba this weekend to make clear our support for these goals.

Several key parts of the CPA are incomplete, and many issues remain to be decided between north and south before separation on 9 July. These include determining the border; security arrangements; citizenship issues; wealth, sharing including oil revenues; a framework for future north-south co-operation; and the status of Abyei (a community that straddles the north-south border). We are greatly concerned by an impasse in talks on some of these critical issues. We call on the parties to make the final tough decisions needed to create sustainable economic, political and security arrangements between the two future states.

Sudan and South Sudan will be each other's most important neighbours thanks to economic, historic, geographic and cultural ties. It is in the interest of all Sudanese that there be mutual trust and respect for each country's security and stability. The livelihoods and practices of pastoralists – the herders who traditionally traverse the north-south border zone – must be protected and accommodated. A " soft " border between north and south allowing for trade and the easy movement of people would benefit all Sudanese. Allegations of support to proxy forces by both sides are serious, and should be independently investigated. The CPA rules out the existence of armed groups outside the two established forces of the parties

To help reduce poverty, increase transparency, and utilise revenue from natural resources, including petroleum, for the benefit of the citizens of both states, both governments should join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative , which supports sustainable economic growth and government accountability to citizens. Both north and south must also diversify their economies, reduce their reliance on oil, increase their food security through agricultural development, and expand health, education, water and sanitation services.

We must also not lose sight of Darfur, where much still needs to be done to finally resolve the conflict in that region. For nine years, Darfuris have endured violence, displacement and poverty. This situation is deplorable and intolerable. For long-term stability and development, there must be an inclusive and just peace in Darfur, with all groups and voices represented in the political settlement. We will continue to work intensively with all parties towards this goal.

Despite the challenges inherent in separating and launching a new nation, this is a time of opportunity for all of Sudan. Stability and co-operation across north and south will benefit all Sudanese. Increasing trade and co-operation between north and south, and with all of Sudan's neighbours, will provide economic opportunities for youth, who make up more than half of Sudan's population, and for women and girls, who have not had full access to opportunities for education and employment.

We urge the international community to press for peace and development throughout Sudan, so that this region that has endured far too much suffering will not return to conflict. We urge the governments of north and south to urgently resolve the outstanding issues before 9 July to ensure a firm footing for their future relations. We believe that the UN has an important role to play in supporting these two new states after the end of the CPA, and look forward to ongoing discussions on its future role. And we are committed to continuing to help the governments and people of both countries develop in peace and partnership, offering hope and a brighter future for all Sudanese.

Source: The Guardian

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South Sudan seeks peacekeeping force for border

The UN Security Council met on Monday 21st March to discuss the situation in Sudan, and Pagan Amum, secretary-general of the South's Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) said he asked the council to consider deploying a new peacekeeping force at the border.

According to AllAfrica, the meeting was an unofficial sitting of the council, held in response to a request from a people's organisation in the US on the disputed Abyei region, although this has not been confirmed.

In a statement to Sudan's SUNA newspaper, Khalid Musa , the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the request for an unofficial meeting reflects an 'unjustifiable trend towards escalation', resulting from the failure of some circles in South Sudan to solve their own political issues.

Musa said the Sudan's envoy to the UN had made available all the facts for the Security Council and reiterated his government's commitment to the peaceful solution of all issues.

Speaking after the meeting, Amum said that the UN would be involved in investigating the Northern National Congress Party 's aid to the renegade general, George Athor , that the SPLM/A is currently fighting. The south has in recent weeks accused the north of working to destabilise the South, and has recently withdrawn from talks.

The two sides have also bickered over UN Mission in Sudan head Haile Menkerios 's flying to Abyei on a UN helicopter with Ahmed Haroun , an NCP member who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur.

Amum said that Menkerios was wrong for flying with Haroun, but according to Inner City Press , UN Peacekeeping Assistant Secretary-General Atul Khare criticised the SPLM for not granting it access.

South Sudan is preparing to declare its independence from Sudan in July, following an independence referendum in January, but the transition preparations have been overshadowed by violence in recent weeks. There has been considerable violence in the disputed border area of Abyei, as well as within South Sudan between supporters of rebel general Athor and the SPLA.

Amum said he asked the council to think about deploying a new peacekeeping force to the border, but it is not yet clear how that request was received.

Sources: Canadian Press, Inner City Press, AllAfrica

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Ten killed in Abyei region

At least 10 people were killed in clashes between Arab nomads, militia fighters and police in Sudan's flashpoint Abyei region on 27th February, officials said, in the first report of significant violence since a tentative peace deal.

Both north and south Sudan claim the oil-producing area of Abyei, one of the most likely sources of potential conflict in the build-up to the secession of southern Sudan, due in July.

Fighting in Abyei between Misseriya nomads, linked to the north, and the south-linked Dinka Ngok people marred the start of voting in a referendum in January that saw the south vote for independence.

Later in the month, both sides reached a deal promising to pay blood money for earlier clashes and open up migration routes for livestock. Northern and southern leaders promised to hammer out a settlement on who owned Abyei.

Abyei's chief administrator Deng Arop Kuol , from the Dinka Ngok, told Reuters a group of Misseriya, backed by militia fighters, attacked the settlement of Todach in the early hours of Sunday morning, 27th February.

Kuol said the militia were part of the Khartoum-backed Popular Defence Forces .

" There are senior figures in the government who are inciting people to fight ... We don't know really what they are aiming at. Do they want to disrupt the (north-south border) demarcation process, or the process of the separation of the south? "

Senior Misseriya official Saddig Babo Nimr accused south Sudan's army of starting the fighting by attacking a nomadic camp north of Abyei, adding the fighting continued on Monday.

" You would have to ask the SPLA (southern army) why. From my perspective, they want to evacuate the area of Arabs ... I think the Misseriya are reinforcing ."

Spokesmen from Sudan's northern and southern armies and the north's ruling National Congress Party denied any involvement.

UN peacekeepers visited the site and confirmed attackers, reported to be Misseriya, opened fire twice on a police station on Monday 28th February, killing seven, according to UN spokeswomen Hua Jiang .

Kuol said three attackers were also killed on Sunday, adding he was still waiting for details of Monday's fighting in Todach.

Kuol said there had been little progress in rolling out January's Dinka-Misseriya peace deal. Sunday's clash came days after a meeting between Dinka and Misseriya leaders ended without agreement, he added.

Abyei was a battleground in the decades-long civil war between north and south Sudan that ended in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement - an accord that promised the southern secession referendum.

Abyei residents were promised their own vote on whether to join the north or south. That plebiscite never took place after disagreements over who was qualified to vote and the failure to agree on the members of an organising commission.

Northern and southern leaders were due to meet in the Ethiopian town of Debre Zeit this week to try to resolve other issues, including the division of national debts, the position of their shared border and payments for transporting southern oil through the north to Port Sudan.

Source: Reuters

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President Omar Al-Bashir says Islamic laws to be enforced if South-Sudan splits

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has said that if South-Sudan decides on independence in next month's referendum, the country will reinforce its Islamic laws. He said that constitution would also be altered, to make Islam the only religion, Sharia the only law and Arabic the official language within the region.

"If south Sudan secedes, we'll change the constitution. There will be no question of cultural or ethnic diversity. Sharia will be the only source of the constitution, and Arabic the only official language," said al-Bashir on national television.

It is expected that al-Bashir's assertion may cause moral panic among thousands of non-Muslim southerners living in the north of the country. Previous attempts to impose Sharia laws on non-Muslim southerners resulted in civil war, which ended when a peace treaty was penned in 2005.

The treaty stipulated the upcoming referendum and an agreement between the north and the south for an interim constitution that considered both Islamic and Christian social and cultural values. Subsequently, Arabic and English were recognized as the official languages within Sudan and will remain so until July 2011.

And official from Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Yasir Arman said that Bashir's comments are likely to cause repression in the north.

“This type of discourse is preparing the ground for a police state. The north, whether alone or with the south, is an extremely diverse place," Arman added.

South Sudan's referendum, expected to take place on January 9th 2011, will determined the future of the largely Christian population in the region. It is expected that the southerners will vote for independence, however, there have been calls form the likes of Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar Qadhafi for the country to remain unified.

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.

Sources: BBC News, Press TV, Guardian

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