Conflict and mass displacement in Sudan add to South Sudan’s woes

An Report Akuei Bona Malwal 01
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Updated 22 June 2023
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Conflict and mass displacement in Sudan add to South Sudan’s woes

  • Protracted fighting piling pressure on already stretched resources, South Sudan’s top diplomat at UN tells Arab News
  • Akuei Bona Malwal claims authority of AU being undermined, African solutions to African crises ignored

NEW YORK CITY: Conflict and mass displacement in Sudan pose a threat to South Sudan’s limited humanitarian resources and brittle peace, Akuei Bona Malwal, the country’s permanent representative to the UN, has told Arab News.

Twelve years after gaining independence from its northern neighbor, South Sudan continues to face challenges of its own, with millions displaced to neighboring countries, including Sudan, to escape poverty and instability.




Akuei Bona Malwal, Sudan's permanent representative to the UN. (AN photo)

Now the violent power struggle in Sudan is forcing hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese living there to return en masse, alongside huge numbers of Sudanese and other nationalities, piling pressure on South Sudan’s already stretched humanitarian resources.

“There are two aspects to the humanitarian crisis,” Malwal told Arab News during a special interview in New York City.

“First, we have close to 2 million South Sudanese citizens who are in Sudan, and in Khartoum, in particular. They are now trying to come back to South Sudan. And this has taken people by surprise.




A violent power struggle in Sudan is forcing people, both locals and foreigners, to flee the country every day, piling pressure on neighbor South Sudan’s already stretched humanitarian resources. (AFP)

“Our authorities in the country don’t have the facilities to accommodate them quickly, and repatriate them to their villages. So, that is actually exhausting the meager facilities that we have.

“And then we also have the Sudanese taking refuge in our country (along with) other Africans and other nationalities who are coming to South Sudan because we have opened the door for people to come in to take refuge. So that’s also a burden on the government.”

Fighting in Sudan began on April 15 between the Sudanese Armed Forces, headed by Sudan’s de-facto leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Al-Burhan’s deputy turned rival, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemetti.

The clashes have plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis, with up to 3,000 people killed, according to Sudan’s minister of health, and more than 1.8 million displaced within Sudan or across its borders, according to the UN. Many have fled to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan, which have issues of their own.

Fueled by intercommunal violence, crime, public health challenges, climate and economic shocks, and poor governance, poverty in South Sudan is ubiquitous. Now it being aggravated by conflict and insecurity.

About 70 percent of South Sudanese live below the poverty line. On the global human development index, South Sudan ranks last. On top of this, the country is also facing its worst flooding in years, and continues to face very high levels of food insecurity.




Sudanese refugees collect water from a tap at the Gorom Refugee near Juba, in South Sudan, on June 20, 2023. (REUTERS)

In 2023, around 10 million South Sudanese, or 76 percent of the population, will need humanitarian assistance in order to survive. And the number continues to increase.

South Sudan’s fragile stability is also in jeopardy. The country’s latest peace agreement was signed in 2018, leading to a delicate truce and the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity in 2020.

Although hostilities between the government and the main opposition have eased, the very logic of the power-sharing agreement has actually contributed to the continuing violence.

The US, which last year suspended its assistance for the peace process monitoring mechanisms, has accused South Sudan’s leadership of failing to live up to its end of the deal by showing “a lack of political will necessary to implement critical reforms.”

The UN Security Council recently voted to extend the arms embargo on South Sudan, citing the country’s failure to meet the benchmarks stipulated in the peace process, related to security arrangements and disarmament.

Malwal described the extension as “ill-intentioned” and “counterproductive,” and said it had been handled in “bad faith.”




Akuei Bona Malwal. (Supplied photo)

“The Americans are angry with the South Sudanese leadership,” he said. “They keep using this word that I don’t like: ‘We midwifed you.’ Meaning they helped us become independent, which is true.

“We are not denying that. But, then, how do I become sovereign now in order to subordinate my independence and my sovereignty to the US, because they have helped us to become independent?

“Simply because we disagree on security, that doesn’t mean we no longer should be friends or partners. We still want to work with the US.”

Malwal believes the situation unfolding in Sudan has undermined the political process in his home country.

“Sudan being the current chair of IGAD, and the South Sudanese peace implementation is being monitored by IGAD, this has slowed things down,” he said, referring to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the eight-country African trade bloc headquartered in Djibouti.

“There are certain things that we are doing on our own. But it is always good to have a functioning regional organization that is actually verifying what we are doing, because certain (members) in the international arena do not think that we are faithfully implementing the peace process.”

Preventing further spillovers into the wider region means quickly resolving the crisis in Sudan. Malwal said his greatest fear is that the fighting will be prolonged, leading to further destruction and displacement.

“I grew up in Khartoum, and I went to school there,” he said. “It’s sad to see what is happening now. We thought Khartoum should be stable. It was moving forward, actually. And now it has gone back. And it’s very unfortunate. Sudan is an important country in the region and it should be stable as soon as possible.

“We knew there were some tensions. The signs were there. But we were hoping for a very smooth transition, because the two generals were actually together. They were allies. And we just didn’t know, in the last days before the eruption, why it had escalated to where it is. Nobody knows.

“That needs to be addressed quickly, because (the fighting) is unnecessary, really. The people of Sudan, and especially the citizens of Khartoum, and the city itself, shouldn’t be a battlefield.”

Multiple ceasefire agreements have been reached between the warring factions in Sudan, including what became known as the Jeddah Declaration — the outcome of negotiations led by Saudi Arabia and the US — who managed to bring the two generals to the negotiating table.

However, every truce to date has been violated.

Saudi Arabia and the US warned in a recent joint statement that “should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning the Jeddah talks.”




Representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces and its rival Rapid Support Forces prepare to sign the Jeddah Declaration, witnessed by Saudi and US officials, during a ceremony in Jeddah on May 11, 2023. (Supplied)

Malwal echoed the African Union’s call to unify international peace efforts in order to avoid multiple overlapping initiatives, which could be a “complicating factor.”

“You don’t need to have so many forums for peace negotiations,” he said. “When the US and the Saudis managed to bring the generals to the negotiating table, everybody was waiting to see how they would fare, including the UN and IGAD.

“That’s why South Sudan President Salva Kiir has said let’s work behind the scenes while we wait and see what will happen from Jeddah.

“Now, maybe there is a need for the UN to come in and give IGAD instead the means to deal with the situation and see what happens. Maybe the situation needs a lower approach, rather than a high-profile approach.




This Oct. 3, 2020, photo, shows South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (C) with Sudan's Sovereign Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Chad President Idriss Deby  during the signing of the South Sudan peace deal in Juba . (AFP)

“And that’s what I think IGAD would be best suited for, because Sudan is a member of IGAD. These are people who know the two generals very well. President Salva Kiir knows the two generals personally.

“He would bring in Kenya, who is a member of that mediation team. It’s a very important country in the region. Djibouti is a good friend of Sudan and a member of IGAD. So these are three countries that know these people.

“I think if they are empowered more to take the lead and to see what they could do, maybe there would be a way of rescuing the situation faster.”




A picture taken on June 16, 2023, shows a covered body across from a military armored vehicle on a street in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina, amid ongoing fighting between two generals in war-torn Sudan. (AFP)

However, Malwal believes the authority of the African Union has been routinely undermined.

“We’ve been dealing with certain members of the Security Council who are not listening,” he said. “They don’t respect — and I wouldn’t use that word if I didn’t know what I’m talking about  — the decision of the African Union vis-a-vis the issues that concerned African countries.

“You cannot say to the AU you’re a part of this process, and then, when the heads of African states say they are against sanctions on South Sudan and ask for the opportunity to deal with the issue of South Sudan or any other issue, you don’t say: ‘No, we have our own way of looking at it.’

“We have moral authority and we are imposing these because our way is the only way that’s going to resolve this issue. So, I don’t think the AU is being treated as an equally important organization when it comes to certain issues and, in particular, in South Sudan,” he said.

 


Father of American hostage in Gaza hopeful he is still alive

Updated 20 April 2025
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Father of American hostage in Gaza hopeful he is still alive

  • The armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday it did not know the fate of Alexander, after noting that the guard holding him was killed

WASHINGTON: The father of a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza said on Saturday he remains hopeful his 21-year-old son was still alive after Hamas said it could not account for his status.
Adi Alexander, whose son Edan was serving in the Israeli army when he was captured on October 7, 2023, called on the United States to engage in direct talks to free the remaining hostages – dead and alive – abducted during the deadly attack launched by Hamas two years ago in southern Israel. “I think we should engage back with them directly and see what can be done in regards to my son, four American dead hostages and everybody else,” the father said in an interview on Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Father urges US to engage in direct talks for hostages

• Hamas claims uncertainty over Edan Alexander’s fate

• US State Department demands immediate release of hostages

“It seems like the negotiations are stalled, everything is stuck and we are kind of back to a year ago,” he added. “It’s really concerning.” Hamas had previously agreed to release Edan Alexander, believed to be the last surviving American hostage held by the militant Palestinian group, as well as the bodies of four other Americans it captured on October 7, 2023. The armed wing of Hamas said on Saturday it did not know the fate of Alexander, after noting that the guard holding him was killed. Reuters could not verify Hamas’ claim.
Hamas abducted Edan Alexander when he was 19 during its attack that killed nearly 1,200 people and triggered Israel’s ongoing incursion in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas.
Edan, who holds dual nationality, grew up in New Jersey. His father said his son was an “all-American kid, great athlete ..., such a loving, loving boy” who found himself in “the wrong place, wrong time.”
Hamas recently released an undated video, purportedly of Edan. His father Adi said, “He looked very scary to us — just a horrible, horrible video.”
A hostage video is, by definition, made under duress and the statements in it are usually coerced, according to international law groups and human rights experts.
He said if he could speak to his son now, he would tell him, “Just believe. You know, nobody forgot about you. Definitely not your parents, and everybody is fighting for your release on the highest level in the States and I believe also in Israel.”
Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza. Fewer than half of them are believed to be still alive.
A US State Department spokesperson had no comment on the status of Alexander but reiterated that Hamas must immediately release him and all remaining hostages, and that Hamas “bears sole responsibility for the war, and for the resumption of hostilities.”

 


Israeli PM says to return hostages without giving in to ‘Hamas dictates’

Updated 19 April 2025
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Israeli PM says to return hostages without giving in to ‘Hamas dictates’

  • “I believe we can bring our hostages home without surrendering to Hamas’s dictates,” Netanyahu said
  • “We are at a critical stage of the campaign, and at this point, we need patience”

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Saturday to bring home the remaining hostages in Gaza without yielding to Hamas’ demands, insisting the military campaign in the Palestinian territory had reached a “critical stage.”
“I believe we can bring our hostages home without surrendering to Hamas’s dictates,” Netanyahu said, in his first comments since Hamas, seeking a permanent end to the Gaza war, rejected a new truce proposal from Israel.
“We are at a critical stage of the campaign, and at this point, we need patience and determination to win.”
The remarks drew a swift rebuttal from an Israeli campaign group representing the hostages’ families, which accused Netanyahu of having “no plan” for securing the captives’ freedom.
“There is one clear, feasible, and urgent solution that can be achieved now: reach a deal that will bring everyone home — even if it means stopping the fighting,” Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.
Netanyahu, however, insisted that ending the war now would embolden the country’s enemies.
“Ending the war under these surrender conditions would send a message to all of Israel’s enemies: that abducting Israelis can bring Israel to its knees. It would prove that terrorism pays — and that message would endanger the entire free world,” he said.
Hamas, Netanyahu said, was “demanding the end of the war and the continuation of its rule,” as well as a full Israeli withdrawal, “which would enable Hamas to rearm and plan more attacks against us.”
“If we commit to ending the war, we will not be able to resume fighting in Gaza,” he said.
“So I ask you — did our soldiers fight in vain? Did our heroes fall and suffer for nothing?“


Jordan participates in Palestine reconstruction forum in Istanbul

Updated 19 April 2025
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Jordan participates in Palestine reconstruction forum in Istanbul

  • A full inventory of tools and equipment earmarked for debris removal and rebuilding has already been submitted

AMMAN: Jordan has joined regional and international efforts to support the reconstruction of Palestine, taking part in the Arab International Commission for the Reconstruction of Palestine Forum, which opened Friday in Istanbul under the theme “From the Rubble We Build Hope.”

The Jordanian Contractors Association participated in the forum’s activities under the auspices of the Higher Committee for Reconstruction in Palestine, represented by its President Fouad Duwairi and Vice President Marouf Ghananim, the Jordan News Agency reported.

In his address, Duwairi outlined the association’s efforts to assist reconstruction efforts in Palestine and Gaza, highlighting the donations made by Jordanian contractors in recent months.

He also shared technical studies conducted by the association, aimed at supporting rebuilding initiatives.

Duwairi reaffirmed the JCA’s commitment to aiding the Palestinian people, noting that Jordanian contractors have donated machinery and construction equipment for reconstruction efforts.

A full inventory of tools and equipment earmarked for debris removal and rebuilding has already been submitted.

He explained that clearing the debris and recycling materials in Gaza is expected to take approximately a year once the enclave is divided into operational zones, stressing that Jordanian contractors were fully prepared to engage in the reconstruction process.

The JCA, Duwairi added, has participated in several international conferences to explore innovative methods for recycling construction materials for use in Gaza’s rebuilding.

Coordination continues with Jordanian contractors to secure the necessary machinery and construction supplies in collaboration with the Higher Committee for Reconstruction.

In recognition of their contributions, the Arab International Authority for the Reconstruction of Palestine honored Duwairi and the JCA for their significant role in supporting reconstruction initiatives.


Gaza aid delivery focus of talks in Turkiye

Updated 8 min 13 sec ago
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Gaza aid delivery focus of talks in Turkiye

  • Kalin reassured them of Turkiye’s ongoing support and said Ankara would firmly oppose any new efforts to occupy or annex further Palestinian territory

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met with Hamas leaders on Saturday for talks about how to deliver aid to war-ravaged Gaza where Israel resumed its military offensive last month.
Kalin held talks with Mohammed Darwish, head of the political council of Hamas, which rules Gaza, and his delegation, Turkiye’s Anadolu state news agency reported, without saying where the meeting took place. Media reports said it was in Turkiye.
As well as discussing ways to deliver humanitarian aid, they also spoke of initiatives to secure a permanent ceasefire along with ways to counter Israeli plans to displace Gaza’s population forcibly, Anadolu said, citing security sources.
Kalin reassured them of Turkiye’s ongoing support and said Ankara would firmly oppose any new efforts to occupy or annex further Palestinian territory.
After 18 months of devastating war and an Israeli aid blockade since March 2, the UN has said Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began in October 2023, triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Hamas on Thursday accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon” by blocking aid supplies.
But Israel has vowed to keep blocking humanitarian aid, saying it is the only way to force Hamas to release the 58 hostages still held there.

 


Lebanese leaders criticize Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm

Updated 19 April 2025
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Lebanese leaders criticize Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm

  • ‘Those who use threats must first stop the tragedies,’ says Lebanese Forces leader

BEIRUT: The Lebanese army on Saturday continued to detonate munitions left over from the Israeli war in southern Lebanon, as well as confiscating ordnance in the area south of the Litani River.

Explosions were heard across southern Lebanon, accompanied by reconnaissance flights from Lebanese army Cessna aircraft south of the Litani River.

During the most recent cabinet session, Army Commander Gen. Rudolph Haykal confirmed that it was no longer possible to cross the Litani River from north to south without passing through Lebanese Army checkpoints. The commander also reviewed the seizure and confiscation of equipment, weapons, and ammunition, presenting statistics from more than 5,000 missions.

In a statement earlier this week, President Joseph Aoun announced that weapons would be brought under state control this year. However, campaigns by Hezbollah officials threaten to disrupt the path outlined by President Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to achieve this end. On Saturday, several Lebanese politicians came out against Hezbollah’s attempt to retain its weapons.

The Hezbollah leaders have not learned from the lessons of the catastrophe caused by their party.

Ashraf Rifi, MP and former justice minister

“The remaining Hezbollah leaders have not learned from the lessons of the catastrophe caused by their party,” said MP and former Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, claiming that Hezbollah was being “reckless” and holding on to weapons “in support of Tehran, which is negotiating with the US at the expense of the Lebanese.”

He added: “These people appear to have lost essential wisdom and reasoning skills. Sooner or later, the weapons will be surrendered and dismantled; history does not move backward.”

Rifi’s comments followed a series of statements from Hezbollah in recent days, in which the group rejected the notion of surrendering its weapons to the state. They issued a threat to “cut off the hand” of anyone who tried to disarm them.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said on Friday: “Remove this issue from your vocabulary, as no one will disarm us.”

He added that an Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts must come before any discussions of a defense strategy.

Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani endorsed Hezbollah’s stance, stating on Saturday that “the disarmament project is a clear plot against countries,” and warning against “falling into Israel’s trap.”

The Iranian diplomat posted on X: “While the US supplies the Israeli regime with the latest weapons and missiles, it simultaneously prevents other countries from strengthening and arming their militaries. Using various pretexts, it pressures them to reduce or destroy their arsenals.”

He added that when countries agree to disarmament demands, they become vulnerable to attacks and occupations, citing Iraq, Libya, and Syria as examples.

Amani stressed that Iran was aware of the dangers posed by “this conspiracy and its threat to regional nations’ security.”

He said: “We warn others not to fall into Israel’s trap, as maintaining deterrence is the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence, and it should not be put at risk.”

Hezbollah’s position has drawn widespread criticism, however. MP Paula Yacoubian characterized it as a strategy to enhance Iran’s negotiation position with the US, and said Lebanon was being used as a bargaining chip.

“Iran, which has poured billions into Hezbollah, now seeks greater returns,” she said. “To preserve the regime, it is time to make concessions, and the party must stop repeating outdated rhetoric while reclaiming its Lebanese identity.”

Former President Michel Suleiman said in a statement: "No to threats of cutting off hands. No to hints of civil war. No to discussions about the army's weaknesses. No to claims regarding the strength of the resistance. No to the idea of keeping weapons in the south, the mountains, the Bekaa, the north, or Beirut in the hands of anyone other than the state.

"Why is this important? Because if the state does not control weapons, then the state and its institutions will not survive.

"Consequently, the economy will not prosper, and we will not restore our friendship with our sister state or the international community."

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stated that “resorting to threats, especially regarding severing hands, has no place in a democratic state or a country seeking civil peace.”

He urged those using such rhetoric to stop, as their actions have already caused “significant harm and damage to Lebanon and its people,” adding that they should step aside and “allow the new leadership to guide the country out of the tragedy” they have created.

Geagea also urged Hezbollah to focus on “rebuilding an effective state capable of restoring dignity, pride, and a decent life for the Lebanese people, and take the initiative to facilitate reconstruction efforts.”

A political source told Arab News that Hezbollah’s rejection of disarmament, most recently expressed by Naim Qassem, aimed to preserve internal balance and boost morale within the party.

“Meanwhile, the Iranian position indicates that Iran is trying to control Hezbollah. There may also be another explanation: they may be seeking to gain time,” said the source.