Juba to File Complaint to UN Security Council Over Khartoum Aggression
(Sudan Tribune, All Africa) South Sudan is due to launch a formal complaint to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over Sudan’s alleged violation of its territorial integrity, Information Minister, Barnaba Benjamin Marial said. The move, according to Marial, comes in the wake of this week’s aerial bombings allegedly carried out by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in parts of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, killing at least eight people and injuring an equal number. The attack, Marial added, is a complete violation of the cooperation agreement the two country’s leaders signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 27 September. On Friday, South Sudan council of ministers, during its regular sitting chaired by President Salva Kiir, urged the international community to hold Sudan responsible for what it described as “continuous unprovoked attack.” The Sudanese army denied attacking the South Sudanese territory of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal.
Further Reading: http://allafrica.com/stories/201211250310.html
Sudan, China to set up agricultural free-trade zone
(CNBC, Reuters) Sudan has allowed China to set up a free-trade zone for agricultural products and livestock to boost bilateral transactions, state news agency SUNA said on Sunday, as the African country seeks to increase farm exports to offset the loss of oil. China is Sudan’s main trading partner and donor for development projects, throwing a lifeline as few Western countries or firms deal with Khartoum because of a U.S. embargo over the country’s human rights record. Sudan has been trying to boost exports of agricultural products and livestock such as cattle to generate a new source for state revenues and foreign exchange after losing three-quarters of oil production when South Sudan became independent in July 2011. Oil used to fund much of the state budget. Sudan and China signed during the visit of a Sudanese delegation to Beijing a memorandum of understanding to set up an agricultural trade zone, SUNA said, without giving a timeframe or details. China would also cooperate with Sudan to train farmland workers and help with equipment.
Further Reading: http://www.cnbc.com/id/49956681
Red Cross: Darfur Rebels Release Three Sudanese Soldiers
A Darfur rebel groups released three Sudanese soldiers detained during recent clashes with the government army, the Red Cross said on Saturday. “The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has today facilitated the handover of three members of the Sudanese Armed Forces who were released by the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minawi (SLA-MM), reads a statement released by the international group. The Red Cross further said the released soldiers were handed over to the Sudanese authorities in North Darfur, stressing that two among them are injured and need medical care. Sudanese army fought recently against SLM-MM rebels when the latter attempted to shell North Darfur state capital. Khartoum said they intercepted the rebels outside Al-Fasher and clashed with them at 25 kilometers
Further Reading: http://allafrica.com/stories/201211250312.html
Darfur Refugees: ‘Delay in Food Distribution’
(Radio Dabanga) se refugees from Bambari camp in the Central African Republic have complained about a delay and lack of food ration distribution, Radio Dabanga learned on Friday November 23. A refugee told Radio Dabanga that food rations are usually distributed at the beginning of each month and are now only distributed every 40 to 45 days. He added that there is a lack of plastic sheets to protect the displaced from the rain, explaining that the raining season in the Central African Republic lasts up to eight month. The refugee appealed to humanitarian organizations and the UN to speed up solving the problems in the camp, he added to Radio Dabanga.
Further Reading: http://allafrica.com/stories/201211260005.html