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Sudan Tribune

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South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade

May 17, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) accused the north of imposing a blockade on the landlocked region ahead of the transition into a new state in July.

Trucks on un-paved road in South Sudan (UNHCR)
Trucks on un-paved road in South Sudan (UNHCR)
The director of South Sudan Ports Jacob Daniel told the London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat daily that the GoSS undertook urgent measures to reduce the economic shock that he attributed to the “economic embargo by the north” adding that Juba provided great assistance for traders in the south to import goods from neighboring countries in Africa through the opening of the borders with Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia for the flow of trade.

The Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) Secretary General in the North Yasir Arman accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Khartoum of seeking to topple GoSS led by Salva Kiir through the blockade that he likened to the one imposed by Israel on Gaza strip.

Airline companies have complained of steep losses as a result of their inability to fly goods into the South.

There was no official confirmation from the federal government but the editor in chief of the independent Al-Tayar newspaper in Khartoum Osman Mirghani wrote in his daily column that he has ascertained that there is a decision taken to prevent the flow of goods to the South.

Mirghani said that several truck drivers called him saying that they were not allowed to cross into the South and that some were waiting for ten days at the last stopping point before entering into the semi-autonomous region.

He slammed those behind the decision wondering if this was made to starve Southerners and warned that such tactics would not be in the interest of the North. The editor in chief questioned whether the NCP wanted to punish Southerners for voting in favor of independence.

South Sudan, which holds 75 percent of the African country’s 500,000 barrels a day oil production, voted in January to become independent in a referendum promised under a 2005 peace deal with the north that formally ended decades of civil war.

North and south Sudan have yet to agree on several issues such as over disputed border areas such as Abyei or how to divide up oil revenues or assets.

While the south holds much of the oil wealth, it needs the north with its pipelines, refineries and access to the Red Sea to sell the oil, the main source of income for both sides.

(ST)

7 Comments

  • Mr. Truthteller
    Mr. Truthteller

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    I don’t understand why South Sudan government always reacts to issues late as if they didn’t know these things would happen.

    If you had opened up with all the important borders including Ethiopia, Congo and Central Africa, you would not have been hit hard by the north.

    Unfortunately, people slept and concentrated on corruption. Khartoum will use this remaining month to July 9 to destabilize the South using all means including hunger as a weapon.

    You want to fight Khartoum over Abyei? Well, make sure you can feed the frontier states that will fight the war, otherwise, hungry populations will be a disaster during the coming tensions.

    Khartoum will use all means to spoil July 9 independence celebrations using hunger and insecurity.

    Reply
  • Ariambek
    Ariambek

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    Dear readers,
    I don’t think Khartoum government will succeeded for many negative plans against the Southern Sudan. It is not new for Bashir government to let Southerners to be killed by backing militias and starvation and many other things. No matter the challenges S.Sudan has gone to be new state. Be assuring we are going to celebrate 9 July 2011 as independent for ROSS.

    DR.Ariambek

    Reply
  • Chanson
    Chanson

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    Dear Goss top Leaders and the South owners.The blockade may not hit our region alone.Let them get to know that.If the Arabs are smart the shouldn’t did that.And what I can see in this kind of plan they have planned what may even back fire them.Because we have been doing without goods from Khartoum for 21 years.

    I personally can encourage that move by Arabs because it,s like awake up call to the South to open up their mind.And if Southerners wil open their eyes, then the economic of the north will be seriously hit by lack of market.In economic traders always look for the market for their goods (items),so that they have to get/make profit.Business always need corporation between two or more than two states.That is why International human resource management(IHRM) is important to the whole global in general.

    @ Jalaby you are damn wrong here.Let me tell you something that you doesn’t know about what is going on in the South.we are the most portential people over the world and our land is fartile to the maximum not like the poor land of the north.And man you failed to see things clear,South will be a better place than north.Therefore this can tell me that we (South) are not under your dull government.Please get the hell out of the South,s affairs.

    We will still make it without the north.But get to understand this proverb “Those who hate most fervently must have once loved deeply; those who want to deny the world must have once embraced what they now set on fire.”
    Kurt Tucholsky Quotes .

    South Sudan OYEEEEEEEEE.

    Reply
  • Bush
    Bush

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    I beg all Southerners to stop commenting here please,the enemies of peace are using our comments, views and differences to promote their propaganda.

    Stop answering stop people like Jalaby, Niko and the likes,
    don’t waste your valuable time to answer to respond to their comments any more, let them buck alone like dogs here.

    Thank you for obeying.

    Reply
  • Adam
    Adam

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    Oh! There are many factors to the current trade mess in the South. No one should blame NCP. Only GOSS is to be blamed for many blunders that have lead to the situation:-

    1. No vision to diversify the South economy. We have nothing but oil, and we have no place to import commodities but from the Jalaba.

    2. SPLA hyenas and drunk officers are making the life of traders and drivers miserable. They treat them very badly. They steel their money and goods, beat them and even kill them. How can they come to such a repulsive land.

    3. Internationally, the stupid tactics and political stands of the GOSS are doing nothing but making the North mad. How can can SPLM/A spare no efforts in the international arena to keep the embargo on the North and encourage isolation policies. SPLM is trying hard to fail all normalization efforts by the North with the West. This must have a reaction – a sever one.

    4. Locally, the GOSS is openly supporting Darfurian rebels. This is the most fatal mistakes of the stray boys of Dr. Garang. This means war. The North is just using a soft weapon here in the hope that SPLA will stop such stupid acts of aggression.

    5. The GOSS failed to secure the people in Southern Sudan. One can hear news of all sorts of unrest and atrocities. Relief workers are also targeted by SPLM. Cattle raiders are on the rise.

    6. An above all, corruption in all walks of governance and dominance of one ethnic group in the REAL power. Political corruption is seen every now and then. I don’t need to mention any.

    7. Southern Muslims are being treated badly by SPLM. This file alone will take us to hell. Watch out GOSS. This will open the door to unprecedented enmity with the Muslim world. Do we really need this?

    For all the above, people are now taking weapons in the face of the corrupted GOSS and its notorious SPLM. For all the above and much more we are to suffer.

    If one bears in mind how the GOSS is running the files with the North, one will eventually wrap up that the South is loosing everything. I think we will be sorry dismantling Sudan. In old Sudan we were second class citizens, as stated by Mr. Kiir. Now, we do not exist. We seized to breath and even dream of what it was.

    Down with SPLA/M

    Down with GOSS

    Long Live our patriots who will remove them from power and replace them with true South Sudan Leaders who will spare no effort to take us to peace, prosperity and living.

    Adam Milawaki – Mayendit
    Southern Sudan

    Reply
  • Bush
    Bush

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    My fellow Southerners don’t comment even if you may have answers to those comments above.
    Don’t waste your valuable time to answer those silly comments.

    Thank you for obeying.

    Reply
  • AAMA
    AAMA

    South Sudan accuse the North of imposing a blockade
    I think that there is a factor that most of you guys are not noticing. Thousands of southerners left the north during the referendum to vote for separation in the south and now, many of them are starting to return to their homes and jobs in the north as if nothing has happened. I mean come on, what you think the NCP reaction will be. Those southerners are no more welcomed in the north even if they were cheap labor force (at least as far as the government is concerned, but also many people will support that move because many people can’t comprehend the actions of the southerners and why they chose to break the country that we share, and so, they are now viewed as betrayers and haters to the north indiscriminantely).

    Separation is not all that sweet and I think we haven’t seen the worst days yet.

    Peace.

    Reply
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