South Sudan calls on Khartoum to review expulsion of aid organizations
By James Gatdet Dak
March 6, 2009 (JUBA) – The semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has called on the national government in Khartoum led by the National Congress Party (NCP) to reverse its decision on expulsion of humanitarian organizations operating in Darfur, saying it will endanger the lives of the needy people in the region.
The organizations expelled include Action Contre la Faim (ACF), Care International, CHF International, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Mercy Corps, both the French and Dutch branches of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam GB, Solidarite, PATCO and Save the Children Fund of both the United Kingdom and the United States.
In the Council of Ministers meeting on Friday chaired by the GoSS President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who also serves as the First Vice President of the Khartoum-based Government of National Unity (GoNU), the SPLM-led government called on its partner, the NCP, to pursue political engagement with the international community on the indictment of Al-Bashir.
The Government’s Spokesperson, Gabriel Changson Chang, said the meeting was concerned by the expulsion of the aid organizations from Darfur, which would also make political engagement difficult to achieve with the international community and the UN Security Council on the ICC issue to defer the indictment of Al-Bashir.
“That would add fuel to the burning fire,” said Chang referring to the expulsion of aid organizations.
The meeting called on the NCP to identify with the SPLM areas of cooperation between the two partners on how to approach the ICC’s decision of indictment against the President.
It also called on the NCP to work towards ceasing hostilities in Darfur in order to create conducive atmosphere for finding a peaceful and political solution to the Darfur conflict.
It also called for full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and other agreements signed in Darfur and Eastern Sudan.
GoSS President Salva Kiir, who returned from Khartoum on Friday morning, briefed the meeting on his recent visit to the national capital where he participated in the Council of Ministers meeting chaired by President Omer Al-Bashir on Thursday.
The GoSS Council of Ministers meeting was also briefed by the Minister for SPLA Affairs, Nhial Deng Nhial, who represented Kiir in a separate joint meeting in Khartoum on Thursday with the NCP’s top leaders, including Al-Bashir.
(ST)
Gatwech
South Sudan calls on Khartoum to review expulsion of aid organizations
Southerners,
Correct me if I am wrong, and unless the reception of national TV is different here in Malakal from the rest of the Sudan. During the Council of Ministers meeting in Khartoum which was broadcast live where the whole cabinet plus the Presidential advisors and state ministers were all present, many people sat in front of their TV sets to follow the deliberations on what the government should do about the ICC. I was particularly interested to hear Salva Kiir talk about this issue publicly to both northern and southern audience. I was tired of hearing different statements from our President when he is either in Khartoum or Juba. When he is in Juba (South Sudan) he tells different story to the southern audience to appease them, but when he in Khartoum he changes his colour and tells northern audience different thing that would appease them. But when the meeting was conducted in Khartoum live on TV and watched by both northern and southern audiences, I couldn’t wait to hear what Salva Kiir would say to a joint audience. Surprisingly, and as expected, Salva Kiir just kept quite and never talked during the whole meeting. What was happening? Was he fearing? The funny thing was that a friend of mine who was watching with me predicted that Kiir would not talk in that kind of situation while in Khartoum. I couldn’t believe his prediction. The man never opened his mouth to express his views on what to do as the Chairman of SPLM, Chairman of ICC Crisis committee, First Vice President of Sudan and President of Government of south Sudan. I understood that Kiir knew the meeting was live on TV and did not want to say something which would disappoint the Southerners, but preferred to say it to Omer el-Bashir in private. What a leader! Now that he is back to Juba, there they have met to yet come up with resolutions which would have been made clear to people by Salva Kiir on that live TV meeting in Khartoum. What a situation we are in!
spanner
South Sudan calls on Khartoum to review expulsion of aid organizations
You Guys must learn manners,when shall we southreners(Yes me and you) stop tribelism,nepotisim,hatrate,madness,and just unite for goog will of our country to be(if possible in 2011)people are celeberating the coming of 2011 as if by the time it comes the DINKAS,NUER,SHELLUK,BARI,ZANDE,LATUKA, name them shall not live any more in southren sudan,where do you guys think these tribes you hate so much will be? dont you think they will remaind in the south? stop tribelsim and unite for the good of our next generation,unless you have personel defferences with the dinka,or any other tribe,and you guys from the dinkas,should not think that am singing praise of you,but am against tribelsim
Gatwech
South Sudan calls on Khartoum to review expulsion of aid organizations
Southerners,
Correct me if I am wrong, and unless the reception of national TV is different here in Malakal from the rest of the Sudan. During the Council of Ministers meeting in Khartoum which was broadcast live where the whole cabinet plus the Presidential advisors and state ministers were all present, many people sat in front of their TV sets to follow the deliberations on what the government should do about the ICC. I was particularly interested to hear Salva Kiir talk about this issue publicly to both northern and southern audience. I was tired of hearing different statements from our President when he is either in Khartoum or Juba. When he is in Juba (South Sudan) he tells different story to the southern audience to appease them, but when he in Khartoum he changes his colour and tells northern audience different thing that would appease them. But when the meeting was conducted in Khartoum live on TV and watched by both northern and southern audiences, I couldn’t wait to hear what Salva Kiir would say to a joint audience. Surprisingly, and as expected, Salva Kiir just kept quite and never talked during the whole meeting. What was happening? Was he fearing? The funny thing was that a friend of mine who was watching with me predicted that Kiir would not talk in that kind of situation while in Khartoum. I couldn’t believe his prediction. The man never opened his mouth to express his views on what to do as the Chairman of SPLM, Chairman of ICC Crisis committee, First Vice President of Sudan and President of Government of south Sudan. I understood that Kiir knew the meeting was live on TV and did not want to say something which would disappoint the Southerners, but preferred to say it to Omer el-Bashir in private. What a leader! Now that he is back to Juba, there they have met to yet come up with resolutions which would have been made clear to people by Salva Kiir on that live TV meeting in Khartoum. What a situation we are in!
Ngong The King
South Sudan calls on Khartoum to review expulsion of aid organizations
The South Sudanese need to stay away from Bashir Vs. ICC case. The people who were the enemy’s right-hand and believe still to be are Darfuris. The problem of Darfuris is theirs and we from the south need not to engage in!