Sudan places no importance of agenda less US envoys

[sudan]

It is strange for a super power like US to appeal the Sudanese government just to receive its new envoy, Donald Booth. The Sudanese government ruled out receiving the United States special envoy Donald Booth again without first setting a clear agenda for his visit.

Receiving the new envoy requires clear vision and understanding between the two countries on the future prospects of relations and the lift of economic sanctions on Sudan.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has urged the new envoy to unveil his agenda first to make sure if he has new vision to normalize bilateral relations.

According international laws, the visiting officials will inform the host country about his agenda and the purpose of hi visit. This is diplomacy, but US, the supper power sees that is unnecessary since it has the right to debate what it wants.

All of the formers envoys have had no contribution of the improvement of Sudanese-US relations. The US administration has failed to keep its promises.

Khartoum is fed up with this arrogant policy and repeated lies, because it has fulfilled all commitment including the referendum and recognition of South Sudan and the improvement of security situations in Darfur.

In 2008, the former US envoy opened formal talks to move toward normalization of relations with Khartoum in return for President Al Bashir’s cooperation in solving the crisis in Darfur. But neither of the efforts have become real

Another shocking demand came from the former United States special envoy to Sudan Princeton Lyman who asked the Sudanese government to delay the 20105 elections to give chance to all inclusive dialogue with all parties to the conflict under the auspices of African Union.

“Elections in 2015 should not be viewed as an immovable end point in the process”, he said.

How can US, the world self-proclaimed champion of democracy, ask for cancellation of the elections! The demand is flagrant intervention in Sudan’s affairs and it will enable the rebels who have lost South Sudan’s support to fight the government.

The Sudanese government is certain the all of the US envoys have no clear visions, so they will never help improve the relations between the two countries. They are only wasting their time.

 

[waltky]

Another Rwanda in the making...

Hundreds of civilians killed in South Sudan ethnic massacre: U.N.
Mon Apr 21, 2014 - Rebels slaughtered hundreds of civilians when they seized the South Sudan oil hub of Bentiu, hunting down men, women and children who had sought refuge in a hospital, mosque and Catholic church, the United Nations said on Monday.

Rebel troops overran Bentiu, the capital of the oil producing Unity State, on Tuesday. More than 1 million people have fled their homes since fighting erupted in the world's youngest country in December between troops backing President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to his sacked vice president, Riek Machar. The fighting has exacerbated ethnic tensions between Kiir's Dinka people and Machar's Nuer. The U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan said that its human rights investigators confirmed that rebels "searched a number of places where hundreds of South Sudanese and foreign civilians had taken refuge and killed hundreds of the civilians after determining their ethnicity or nationality."

The U.N. mission, known as UNMISS, strongly condemned the targeted killings on April 15-16 and the use of Radio Bentiu FM to broadcast hate speech. While some rebel commanders broadcast calls for unity, "others broadcast hate messages declaring that certain ethnic groups should not stay in Bentiu and even calling on men from one community to commit vengeful sexual violence against women from another community," UNMISS said in a statement. At Bentiu hospital, Nuer men, women and children were killed for hiding and not joining other Nuers in cheering the rebels as they entered the town. People from other South Sudanese communities and from Darfur in Sudan were also targeted and killed, the United Nations said.

Rebels also entered the Kali-Ballee Mosque, a Catholic church and an empty World Food Program compound where civilians had sought refuge and separated them by nationalities and ethnicities - escorting some to safety and killing others. "More than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and over 400 wounded at the mosque," the U.N. mission said. U.N. peacekeepers rescued more than 500 civilians from Bentiu hospital and other places and escorted thousands more as they walked to the U.N. base. The U.N. said it is currently protecting more than 12,000 civilians at its Bentiu base. Around the country the United Nations is protecting tens of thousands of civilians who have sought refuge at its bases.

After the rebels seized Bentiu, Dinka residents of Bor town in Jonglei state attacked a U.N. base on Thursday where about 5,000 people, mostly Nuer, were sheltering. The mob of armed civilians pretended to be peaceful protesters delivering a petition to the United Nations before opening fire in the base. Some 58 people were killed and another 98 injured, including two Indian peacekeepers, the U.N. mission said. On January 23, the warring parties in South Sudan agreed to a cessation of hostilities but fighting has continued in parts of South Sudan, which seceded from Sudan in 2011 under an agreement to end decades of war. The current conflict has disrupted oil production, which provides a hefty portion of the government's revenue. After seizing Bentiu, the rebels warned oil firms to pack up and leave within a week.

Hundreds of civilians killed in South Sudan ethnic massacre: U.N. | Reuters

See also:

UN Accuses South Sudan Opposition Forces of Atrocities in Bentiu
21 APRIL 2014 The United Nations Mission in South Sudan on Monday accused opposition forces in Bentiu of carrying out targeted killings, including of children, and committing "vengeful sexual violence" against women after they captured the town last week from government troops.

"UNMISS Human Rights investigators have confirmed that when SPLA in Opposition forces captured Bentiu on 15 and 16 April, they searched a number of places where hundreds of South Sudanese and foreign civilians had taken refuge and killed hundreds of the civilians after determining their ethnicity or nationality," the U.N. Mission said in a statement. Several Nuer men, women and children who were hiding at Bentiu hospital during the fighting were killed because they failed to join other Nuers who had gone out to cheer as the opposition forces entered the town.

UNMISS said members of other South Sudanese communities and Darfuris were also targeted and killed at the hospital. People were also singled out and killed.for their ethnicity and nationality at a mosque, a Roman Catholic church and the World Food Program compound in Bentiu, UNMISS said. "These atrocities must be fully investigated and the perpetrators and their commanders shall be held accountable", said the Officer in Charge of UNMISS, Raisedon Zenenga.

Radio broadcast hate speech

UNMISS also said individuals associated with the opposition have been using an FM station in Bentiu to broadcast hate speech. "While some SPLA in Opposition commanders did broadcast messages calling for unity and an end to tribalism, others broadcast hate messages declaring that certain ethnic groups should not stay in Bentiu and even calling on men from one community to commit vengeful sexual violence against women from another community," UNMISS said.

Opposition forces recaptured Bentiu, the capital of one of South Sudan's oil-producing states, last week from government troops. Following the fighting, UNMISS said the number of civilians seeking protection in its base in Bentiu swelled from around 7,000 to more than 12,000.

allAfrica.com: South Sudan: UN Accuses South Sudan Opposition Forces of Atrocities in Bentiu