Hunger in East Sudan? Let's fix it, please.

Sudan warns of looming famine in eastern region, asks UN help

Text of report in English by independent, Nairobi-based Sudan Radio Service, funded by US State Department on 22 July

A leaked letter purportedly from Sudan's ministry of interior warns of a looming hunger crisis in Eastern Sudan due to lack of rain and... deteriorating environmental conditions.

The alleged letter, written by Interior Minister Ibrahim Hamid Mahmud, is addressed to Ali Hasan Zatari, the UN resident coordinator for humanitarian affairs.

Dated 19 July, 2013, it quotes figures from national health institutions saying that scarcity of rains, deteriorating environmental conditions and conflicts, have contributed to high rates of malnutrition among the general population in eastern Sudan.

The letter adds that these factors have negatively impacted the livelihood of the people in eastern Sudan, and may lead to a disaster.

The letter then urges Zatari's office to fund efforts to cover for the existing food gap. It adds that the implementation of the effort to alleviate the food shortage will be undertaken by the Sudanese Red Crescent Society and government partners in the eastern Sudan states.

"Because of this we write to you hoping for your generous and appropriate contributions in filling the gap, while the implementations will fall on the shoulders of the Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) and government partners in the States."

Sudan Radio Service's attempts to contact Zatari for comments on this issue were unfruitful. Efforts to reach [the] commissioner for relief affairs coordination, Sulayman Abd-al-Rahman, were also unfruitful.

[Sudan Interior Minister Ibrahim Hamid Mahmud is from east Sudan and member of the Bani-Aamr ethnic group]

Source: Sudan Radio Service website, Nairobi, in English 22 Jul 13

Beja Congress convention underway in Khartoum

 The Beja Congress has not yet made a decision on freezing their participation in the government despite their grievances about the implementation of the 2006 peace agreement, one of its officials told Sudan Tribune today. The federal government has not paid promised funds offered as part of the ESPA.

The official denied reports that emerged claiming that the Beja Congress decided to pull out from the government during its convention currently underway.
However, he noted that they have reservations on the government's behavior towards them and the progress of the peace agreement.

He stressed once inter-party deliberations are completed they will release a statement outlining their final position.

From the Sudan Tribune, via All Africa.

Port Sudan running out of water

Satellite view shows the dam and water reservoir north west of Port Sudan.

Reports from parliamentarians in the Red Sea State suggest that the water supply situation in Port Sudan is desperate.

From Radio Dabanga... as reported on June 12, 2013 at AllAfrica

A member of the Legislative Council of Red Sea state, Hamid Idris Suleiman, has warned of "a real disaster in the coming days" as the water crisis in and around Port Sudan deteriorates on a daily basis.

"The high temperatures are exacerbating the situation, but the Khartoum government has not yet come up with any alternative sources or viable solutions. Suleiman told Radio Dabanga that although the Legislative Council is well disposed to the Khartoum cause, when Red Sea State Governor Mohamed Tahir Aila met with President Omar Al Bashir, "he only came back with promises without solutions".

Suleiman mentions that all Governor Aila returned with was "the National Congress Party's instruction to Legislative Council members not to talk about the water crisis again".

"The members of the Legislative Council make no decisions nor have they any political will other than that of the National Congress Party, which is run by a group headed by Al Bashir, so I did not expect that there would be any solutions forthcoming from the Khartoum government," he said.
Suleiman expressed surprise at "the efforts of the National Congress Party leaders in Red Sea state regarding mobilisation for Jihad".

"By opening recruitment camps, focusing on mobilisation and disregarding the thirst that's threatening their state, they are forgetting the problems of citizens who are about to die of thirst."
Radio Dabanga reported last month that Red Sea State's Ministry of Education was to close schools and kindergartens "due to a lack of drinking water".

More water in the east please...

 Red Sea State Wali [Governor] Tahir Aila

The First Vice President of the Republic, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, has given a directive for more concern with issues of the citizens of the Read Sea State and to focus on support to the development and services projects in the state.

This came during his meeting Tuesday at his office in the Republican Palace with the Red Sea State's Wali (governor), Mohamed Tahir Aila, who briefed Taha on the performance of all the services and development organs in the state, in addition to the projects carried out by the state particularly those relating to support for the poor and low-income families.

The Wali (governor) said in a press statement following his meeting with the First Vice president that they reviewed the security, services and social situations in the state.

He noted that the First Vice President has given a directives for addressing problems that hinder the work process and to speed up implementation of water and electricity projects in all the state's localities.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201305080362.html

Another minority group oppressed by government

Officials in the Sudan, the almost completely Muslim remainder of the nation from which a Christian and tribal South Sudan broke away from recently, say they won’t be issuing any more new licenses for church buildings.

They explain that what with the “arrests, detentions and deportations” of Christians, some of the existing buildings already are empty.

The announcement came just recently from Al-Fatih Taj El-sir, the minister of guidance and endowments for the nation of Sudan. It was documented in a report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

“The minister explained this decision by claiming that no new churches had been established since the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 due to a lack of worshipers and a growth in the number of abandoned church buildings. He added that there was therefore no need for new churches, but said that the freedom to worship is guaranteed in Sudan,” CSW said.

The ministry, however, explained that the announcement comes against a backdrop of a massive repression campaign against Christians in the portion of the old Sudan that now is almost entirely Islamist.

Just before the Sudanese announcement, CWS noted that Catholic priest Father Maurino and two expatriate missionaries were deported.

“The two missionaries, one from France and the other from Egypt, worked with children in Khartoum. According to Fr. Maurino, no reason was given for the deportations,” CSW reported.
But the goal isn’t hard to determine, with Maurino explaining that Christians are in trouble in Sudan since the government sought to Islamize the country and eliminate the Christian presence.

CSW’s own documentation gives evidence, since 2012, of “an increase in arrests, detentions and deportations of Christians and of those suspected of having links to them, particularly in Khartoum and Omodorum, Sudan’s largest cities. There has also been a systematic targeting of members of African ethnic groups, particularly the Nuba, lending apparent credence to the notion of the resurgence of an official agenda of Islamisation and Arabisation.

“The campaign of repression [has] continued into 2013, with foreign Christians being arrested and deported at short notice, and those from Sudan facing arrest, detention and questioning by the security services, as well as the confiscation of property such as mobile phones, identity cards and laptops. In addition to the arrests and deportations, local reports cite a media campaign warning against ‘Christianisation’,” CSW reported.

In February alone at least 55 Christians linked to the Evangelical Church in Khartoum were detained without charge, the report said.

Andrew Johnston, CSW’s advocacy director, said, “The recent spike in religious repression in Sudan is deeply worrying. The minister’s claims of guaranteeing freedom to worship are at odds with regular reports of Christians being harassed arrested and in some cases expelled from the country at short notice. We urge the Sudanese government to end its campaign of harassment against the Christian community and respect the right of all of its citizens to freedom of religion or belief, as outlined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Sudan is a signatory.”

Sourced from World Net  News

Herders and farmers clash in west Sudan

El-Geneina — During a meeting in El-Geneina, West Darfur on Thursday November 8, the High Committee for Protecting the Agricultural Season, headed by Abdullah Hamdan, adopted several decisions to solve the longstanding issues between farmers and herders, Radio Dabanga has learned.

The committee includes the national administration of farmers and herders, head Commissioner and Sultan of Dar-Massaliet, Saad Bahr al-Deen, as well as civil society representatives and government officials.

The decisions include prohibiting of early grazing, which will be implemented from 28 February 2013.
Furthermore, fines of 200 pounds will be imposed in case of deliberate trespassing and damaging of farms, the committee's chairman stated.

Additionally, a decision on a military or police intervention was adopted. The intervention will be requested in case of a dispute between herders and farmers that local commissions cannot resolve on their own, Hamdan added.

During the meeting, the farmers expressed their deep concern about the repeated attacks on their farms by herders and the trespassing onto their lands.

http://gmsudan.com/20121107/east-sudan-communities-in-europe-to-hold-exceptional-conference/

Beja leaders meet in Port Sudan

The Central Committee of the Beja Conference Party has concluded session last Sunday [October 21] in Port Sudan under chairmanship of the party’s chairman Musa Mohammed Ahmed. The committee issued recommendations including congratulations to the Sudanese people on signature of the cooperation agreements with the South Sudan on the 27th of September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The committee members hailed patience of the two countries’ delegations to the negotiations preceded the agreement. They also appreciated efforts of friendly countries and the African Union mediators in boosting lasting peace in the two countries. Central Committee of the Bija Conference Party called for adopting dialogue as a basic means for realizing peace in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

http://gmsudan.com/20121026/beja-conference-party-concludes-meetings-of-central-committee/

Beja complain about American politicos in Sudan

Beja citizens blasted US embassy to Khartoum for the way it handles eastern Sudan issues, reported local media. The Beja representatives to a meeting held with US charge d’Affaires Joseph Stafford last week in Port Sudan town criticized the American embassy for holding secret meetings and closed doors discussions over eastern Sudan issues. A numbers of Beja sons who attended the meeting told American charge d’ affairs that the embassy holds secret meetings with individuals over eastern issues without coordinating the matter through Sudan’s diplomatic channels, reported AL Rayaam newspaper Tuesday, 25, 2012.

Biga attendees have told charge d’ affairs that eastern case could have been disused openly without need for holding secret meetings since what had been discussed was based on justice, stated the newspaper report. Meanwhile according to the newspaper that American’s charge d’ affairs accompanied by two officials from the embassy had broken the meeting without comment on Biga criticism, stated the report.

GMS [Sudan]

Beja Congress deplores explusion of aid agencies

The Beja Congress has responded to the federal government of Sudan. Seven NGOs have been told to stop work in east Sudan for 30 days, as reported yesterday on the blog.

Here is the Press Release from the Beja Congress as found on sudan eyes. Originally available at Sudanese online .

= = = = = = =
The so called Humanitarian Aid Office (HAO) in Khartoum announced the expulsion of seven humanitarian aid organizations from eastern Sudan, claiming their violation of the obligations of voluntary work. These includes Save the Children of Sweden, the Irish GOAL, Accord and NATs Roche and the Japanese Plan Sudan.

The HAO has threatened that the government would not tolerate any slip of the organizations to the security laws.

This is not the first time that the authority expels humanitarian organizations from rural areas of the East, it has already expelled all aid organizations in its early years of its seizure of power in 1989, and during and after the war of liberation.

But under strong pressure from the international community, the government allowed the return of these organization. It is known that these aid organizations work to provide primary health care and the provision of food aid in the far remote rural areas, where there is no trace of any governmental care.

These organizations submit their reports regularly to the authorities, as agreed upon.

But the reports indicate that the humanitarian suffering continues to increase. Diseases like TB, anaemia, malnutrition and diarrhea are rising, which results in the increase of mortality, especially among children and women.

The decision to expel humanitarian aid organizations from the states of the East, is highly irresponsible, and would result in the increase in humanitarian sufferings in the remote areas of eastern Sudan, which are particularly impoverished, poor and underdeveloped.

The government is not even putting in consideration to access these regions for inspection, not speak of development. They are beyond its scope of horizon.

The expulsion of the aid organizations that only operate in eastern Sudan, where they are dearly needed, amounts to genocide through starvation.

Beja Congress deplores and strongly condemns their expulsion and calls upon all the activists in the health services, clergy, community leaders, students and all youth organizations and members of political organizations to enforce the return of these humanitarian organizations.

Beja Congress appeals appeals to the international community and especially to the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Organization of African Unity and all democratic organizations to exercise the necessary pressure on the government of Sudan to allow the return back of these organizations.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18296430

Dr Abu Amna
Beja Congress leadership

Alternate source of press release on Sunday, June 3, 2012, at https://www.facebook.com/BejaCongressUK

The BBC article linked above reads, in part:

At least four aid organisations have been banned from working in the deeply impoverished eastern region of Sudan, sources have told the BBC.

An official at the Humanitarian Affairs Commission (HAC), who asked not to be named, told AFP the non-governmental organisations being told to stop working in the east were Save the Children Sweden, GOAL of Ireland, a Japanese humanitarian group and another Irish organisation.

"The HAC decided to expel four international NGOs working in eastern Sudan because they failed in their planned projects," the HAC source told AFP.
 
The head of one of the organisations concerned told the BBC he was intending to appeal against the decision.

An unnamed Sudanese official told the AFP news agency the aid groups had "failed in their planned projects".

A BBC reporter says Sudan has in the past restricted the work of foreign humanitarian agencies, accusing them of working to destabilise the country.

Fears of fresh rebellion
The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says eastern Sudan is a particularly sensitive subject for the Sudanese government at the moment because there are fears that a rebellion could break out again. The area is made up of Red Sea, Gedaraf and Kassala states. But the region is particularly poor and underdeveloped region.

In 2010, donors and investors pledged more than $3.5bn (£2.2bn) to eastern Sudan at a conference in Kuwait - but frustration is growing because many of its people say they have not seen the benefits of that pledge or the peace deal, our correspondent says.

The activities of the aid groups elsewhere in Sudan have reportedly not been restricted.

In 2009 President Omar al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court for crimes allegedly committed in Darfur, in the west of the country.

The next day 13 aid organisations were expelled from the country. Senior Sudanese officials often accuse aid workers of collaborating with the ICC, and unnamed "foreign powers", our correspondent says.

Aid agency work halted in east Sudan

 
Seven foreign aid agencies working in east Sudan have had their operations halted for 30 days by the federal Sudanese government.

The aid and development groups concerned by this decision include Accord, Goal [Ireland], Triangle, save the Children [Sweden], Plan Sudan, Malo, a British demining group, and a Japanese aid
group. Several other non-governmental organizations [NGOs] are not affected.

Sometimes feeling threatened by the activities of NGOs, Sudan has a periodic history of ill-will toward aid agencies, having previously kicked out agencies in the east, and in Darfur. They are currently preventing aid agencies from delivering food in southern Kordovan, near the border with South Sudan.

Sudan faced international condemnation when it expelled 13 leading aid groups including Oxfam and the U.S. branch of Save the Children in March 2009, accusing them of passing information to the International Criminal Court.

From allafrica...

Khartoum — Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) has ordered seven foreign aid groups to suspend their humanitarian activities in eastern Sudan following the findings of an assessment study reporting infractions they allegedly committed.

Sudan's Humanitarian commissioner Suleiman Abdel Rahman on Thursday issued a decision ending the humanitarian activities of the seven aid groups in the three states of Eastern Sudan region: Kassala; Red Sea and Gadaref states.

The ban was based on a report prepared by a federal committee that conducted a field assessment of the projects implemented by these groups.

The aid groups concerned by this decision include Accord, Goal, Triangle, save the Children, Plan Sudan, Malo, a British demining group, and a Japanese aid group.

The officer of voluntary activities, at the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) Ammar Bachari stated Thursday that foreign aid groups in eastern Sudan exceeded their license and roles. He further expected a decision by the Presidency of the Republic to expel it during the next few days.
However, HAC chief in his decision gave these groups one month to reconcile their position. If they fail the authorities will not renew their licenses and they have to stop their activities.

Earlier in May, addressing a rally organised in Port Sudan to provide support to the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Sudanese presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie denounced call for the return of NGOs to South Kordofan and described them "trumpeters of conspiracy".

"Those who covet that foreign aid groups have a foothold in the East (Sudan) they should know there is no place for them," he further said.

Another article from Reuters.
Some agency sites with information about their work in Sudan...

http://plan-international.org/where-we-work/africa/sudan/where-we-work/kassala

http://www.goal.ie/Sudan/173

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150471/

http://www.trianglegh.org/English_TGH/html/Programmes/MissionsHumanitaire/Sudan/SudanREA_gb.html

Port Sudan Research paper

How's life in Port Sudan? Are you trying to understand that city? How do poor people live there? In 2010, researchers explored urban expansion in four cities in Sudan. Their findings were published in January 2011. One of their reports focused on Port Sudan.

The rapid expansion of Sudan’s towns and cities confronts humanitarian and development agencies with new and complex challenges.

Over the past four decades the cities and towns of Sudan have experienced dramatic population growth. Urbanisation has occurred in a context of poor governance, decreasing job opportunities, deepening social and economic insecurity and conflict-induced displacement. Growing numbers of poor and vulnerable urban dwellers live in abject poverty, are vulnerable to a range of daily protection threats and face acute challenges in relation to access to livelihoods, basic services and land.

This latest study by the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute explores the phenomenon of urbanisation and its drivers in four cities in Sudan. “City Limits: Urbanisation and Vulnerability in Sudan” contains case study reports on Khartoum, Juba, Nyala and Port Sudan, as well as a Synthesis Report. They analyse the social, environmental and economic consequences of urbanisation, paying particular attention to urban livelihoods, as well as infrastructure and the provision of basic services.

The findings suggest that current international humanitarian and development approaches are not yet geared to respond to urbanisation’s challenges, with the focus predominantly being on assisting rural communities. As a result, the urban poor in Sudan have been effectively left to fend for themselves – largely forgotten by the government and the international community alike.

Neighbourhoods
In Port Sudan, some neighbourhoods have a mixed population, while others are populated by a majority just from one tribe. Many Beja live in Dar Al Salaam along with North Sudanese, and members of the Fallata and Hausa tribes. In Al Qadisya, many Beni Amer live, pursuing wage labour job such as water selling or making handicrafts. Educated Beja and government or corporate employees may live in Diem Madina.

Chapters
The 40 page report includes ten chapters.
Chapter 1   Introduction
Chapter 2   History and drivers of urbanisation in Port Sudan
Chapter 3   The policy context
Chapter 4   Governance and leadership in Red Sea State and Port Sudan
Chapter 5   The urban economy and livelihoods
Chapter 6   Land and urban settlement patterns
Chapter 7   Infrastructure, services and the environment
Chapter 8   The social consequences of urbanisation and urban vulnerability
Chapter 9   External assistance in Red Sea State and Port Sudan
Chapter 10  Conclusions and recommendations

One page [p.37] is devoted to a timeline of major events in Port Sudan.

Hosting site.

Main Synthesis report - summarizes the study for all four towns across Sudan.

Port Sudan portion only.   pdf download available here for free.

Backlash against Islamic constitution

Opposition parties and other groups in Sudan are condemning the suggestion that the country should adopt a constitution based on Shariah law. Reported yesterday on this blog.

"After more than twenty years of suffering and while the country is experiencing a comprehensive crisis, the National Congress Party seeks to repeat the experience of religious fanaticism, and emergency and inquisition courts through a new alliance with the 'Takfiri', and advocates of sedition and fragmentation of the country" on ethnic, religious and regional basis, the opposition said.

In a statement released on Thursday the National Consensus Forces further condemned the gathering of Sudanese Islamists and accused the ruling National Congress Party of seeking through extremists and radical groups to impose the Sharia laws.

The opposition parties further said they are now facing a new coalition of "corrupt tyrants and fanatics" who seek to prolong their survival through the use of religion.

Read it all.

US Congressman Wolf offers help

Mr Wolf is a Republican and represents Virginia in the US Congress. He was first elected in 1981. He has become known as a tireless worker on behalf of the oppressed, downtrodden, suppressed, poor and hungry, and marginalized the world over. He has written a book titled, Prisoner of Conscience: One Man's Crusade for Global Human and Religious Rights.

On February 1, Mr. Wolf was present at the Beja Cultural Day in Washington DC. He made the following remarks in front of the Beja and their friends who gathered there in the Rayburn Building.



United States Congressman Frank Wolf is a longtime advocate for Sudan and visited the world's newest country, South Sudan, in mid February. He visited a refugee camp in Yida filled with men, woman and children who have fled the fighting in the nearby Nuba Mountains. This was his fifth visit to Sudan.

Newspapers confiscated over government accusation

 Al-Turabi speaks at the press conference, accusing the government
of wiretapping his office. [Sudan Tribune photo]

Limited Press Freedom in Sudan
The complete print run of Al-Tayar and Al-Youm Al-Tali newspapers were confiscated by the National Information and Security Services on Monday February 20, 2012.

They each published accusations of wiretapping by the government. The leader of the opposition showed listening devices said to be found in his office.

Hassan al-Turabi of the Popular Congress Party held a press conference to publicize his allegations. Security officials warned the papers not to publish the information, but the papers printed the stories. The printed copies were confiscated.

Reporters later protested the actions of the government at National Press Council, which is in charge of licensing newspapers.

Sudan has been ranked among the world's 10 worst countries with regards to media freedom in the 2011-2012 Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders.

Read the complete story at AllAfrica.

UPDATE: Al-Tayar newspaper will be closed down according to security officials.

Eritrean operations in east Sudan?

An Eritrean opposition party official has been missing for two days in eastern Sudan and there are fears he may have been kidnapped by Asmara's security agents, the party alleged on Thursday.
Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, a member of the People's Democratic Party central council, left his house in Kassala town at 8:00 am (0500 GMT) on Tuesday and has not been seen since, the party said in a statement emailed to AFP.

Sudanese police and the Kassala hospitals had no word on him, it said. "The big fear prevailing in Kassala is that he might have been kidnapped by security agents of the Eritrean regime, who enjoy free mobility in the region," it said.

Eastern Sudan is home to tens of thousands of ethnic Eritreans.

The United Nations refugee agency in Sudan says about 2,000 asylum-seekers, mostly Eritrean, cross the border monthly, many to escape the Asmara regime's compulsory military service.

There are around 80,000 people living in refugee camps near the border, some of whom began fleeing to Sudan four decades ago during their country's independence war with Ethiopia.

AFP, via Harnet.org
For further analysis, try this article from the Christian Science Monitor.

An additional article published in the Sudan Tribune says:

Many Eritrean opposition parties are based in neighbouring Sudan and Ethiopia, where thousands of refugees have fled following forced military national service and a lack of political and religious freedom.
The office of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Kassala has been informed, the EPDP say, as well as UNHCR’s headquarters in Geneva and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The group accused the Sudanese government of collaboration with the Eritrean officials and intelligence services in handing over opposition officials and other refugees who fled home in protest to oppression by regime in Asmara.
According to the Eritrean opposition group, Khartoum does not allow Eritrean opposition groups to operate in its territory as part security agreements between the two east African neighbours.
EPDP condemned the acts by the Sudanese government and called on the international community to intervene over the situation.

Beja Cultural Day report

A Beja band performs on Capitol Hill (Enough - Juliana Stebbins) 

An excellent article captures the spirit of the Beja Cultural Day, held in Washington DC on February 1. It also offered background material and links to more details of the difficult situation of many Beja people.

A diverse group of activists, diaspora, and Congressional staff came together on Capitol Hill last week to draw attention to the marginalization of the Beja people of eastern Sudan by celebrating the group’s rich history and culture.

To publicize the plight of the Beja people, the Beja Congress, Beja Friends, and the Institute on Religion and Democracy hosted a Beja Cultural Day to bring to light the silenced atrocities occurring in eastern Sudan and to encourage lawmakers to actively engage on eastern Sudanese issues as well as provide assistance to the region.

While the afternoon was filled with festive traditional dancing and live music, a panel of representatives from Beja advocacy groups, prominent members of the Beja diaspora, and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), a champion for Sudan issues in the House of Representatives, used the event to convey the desperate state of eastern Sudan and commemorate those who died in the January 2005 Port Sudan Massacre.

Read the complete article at enoughproject.org. Another report of the day's events has been published by the Institute of Religion and Democracy.

Beja Congress UK meets in Manchester

The Beja Congress held their annual meeting in Manchester England at the end of January. The meeting discussed important issues like support to the Sudanese asylum seekers, the issue of human rights in Sudan, atrocities  committed by the regime in eastern Sudan, south Kordofan, Manasir and Blue Nile provinces.

The group of 20 people decided to organize demonstrations in Manchester and London, to draw the attention of the international community to the atrocities that are taking place in Sudanese regions, where the people are struggling for their basic human rights, and in response the government prevents food from reaching their areas, thus using food as a weapon.

The international community is called upon to increase pressure on the government to stop its atrocities. All members of the SRF together with other opposition parties are invited to participate.

Read the full report at the Rapar site.

Sudan budget - $40 M for the east

 Farmers in Tokar region [UN Environment]

The Minister of Finance and National Economy and Chairman of the Board of Director of the Fund for Rehabilitation and Development of East Sudan, Ali Mahmoud, disclosed the assignment of 40 million pounds in the general budget of the fiscal year 2012.

This came during the minister's meeting with directors of the fund administrations in the presence of the Walis (governors) of the three eastern states.

He indicated that the fund will receive support of the expertise of the Ministry of Finance to help attracting more loans for implementing development projects in east Sudan.

The minister also revealed the assignment of 50 million dollars from the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank for the rehabilitation of Halfa Agriculture Scheme, besides the assignment of another 50 million dollars for the rehabilitation of Toker Delta Scheme.

Meanwhile, the State Minister at the Presidency of the Republic, the Executive Director of the Fund for Rehabilitation and Development in East Sudan reviewed the performance of the fund and the projects implemented in the three states of east Sudan in the field of water, electricity, education, besides the implementation of projects through the donors mechanism in the three states.

The implemented projects include the establishment of 16 rural hospitals, and bridges dams in al Gadarif State and water desalination stations in the Red Sea State, filtering stations, and underground water wells in Kassala State.


COMMENT: We note that this budget item is not really new money, since the Khartoum government has previously promised $600 Million, but not paid it. They have made promises before, and not fulfilled them. Still, we are hopeful that these funds will be spent in a way that will help meet the needs of the poorer inhabitants of the east, and not line the pocketbooks of those people already wealthy.

The $100 Million for the agricultural developments is generous, and we hope it will make a real difference for improved land use and better crops. These funds are presumably part of the grants or loans that were pledged at the Kuwait Donors Conference.

Sourced from Sunanews.net

Related articles:
http://adroub.blogspot.com/2011/10/50-million-in-2011-for-agriculture-in.html

http://adroub.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-dr-amna-dirrar.html

Gedaref State looks for the money

The Governor of Gedaref State has threatened to sue the federal government of Sudan because promised funds to run the state have not been provided.

Khartoum — Karm-Allah Abbas Al-Sheikh, Governor of Gedaref state threatened to sue the federal ministry of finance before the international justice over non-payment of financial appropriations. In such case, the governor can contest the ministerial delay before the constitutional court, in accordance with the Sudanese constitution however he alluded to the international justice to express his angry from the finance ministry.

The governor accused the federal ministry of restricting the payment of the money allotted to his state while it pays other states at time stressing officials in Khartoum are favoring some other states and feeding their financial accounts without any complexity or delay.

The governor who is the leader of the ruling National Congress Party at the state level was speaking Saturday at the celebration of the Martyr Day in Gedaref warned that he will resort to the Council of States, Upper house of the parliament, to complain over a 18 month delay of payment.

He slammed the current and former ministers of finance and denounced the lack of justice in the money distribution saying they do it according to their whims.

He said many projects have been implemented thanks to the self-efforts and generous donations by the state citizens....

[State governors are appointed by the federal government. -ed.]

Sourced from:
http://allafrica.com/stories/201201230952.html
http://www.sudantribune.com/Governor-threatens-to-sue-Sudan,41368

Red Sea State government officials named

The Governor of the Red Sea State, Mohamed Tahir Aila, issued Sunday a number of decisions on appointment of ministers, commissioners and advisors in the Red Sea State.
The decisions included appointment of Abdul-Gadir Jaafar of the Democratic Unionist Party (origin) as the Minister of Agriculture, Al-Saddiq Ali Hussein Al-Melaik of the Federal Umma party as the Minister of the Higher Council for Culture, Information and Sports and Abdalla Mohamed Ahmed Kunna of the Beja Congress as the Minister of Tourism.
The decisions included appointment of Amira Mohamed Osman as the Minister of Education, Salah Siral-Khatim Kunna as the Minister of Finance, Engineer Hamid Salih Al-Sanay as the Minister of Social Planning, Abdul-Rahman Bilal as the Minister of Health, Mohamed Mahmoud Darbakani as the Minister of Urban Planning and Osman Mahmoud Ahmed as the Minister of Economic Affairs.
The Governor of the Red Sea also issued a decision appointing Omer Oshaik as the Commissioner of Durdaib Locality, Ahmed Taha Fagiri as the Commissioner of Halaib Locality, Shaiba Mohamed Babiker as the Commissioner of Port-Sudan, mahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud as the Commissioner of Suakin Locality.
It also appoints Ibrahim Tahir Al-Hassan as the Commissioner of Haya Locality, Sharif Tahir Al-Melaik as the Commissioner of Sinkat, Abdalla Abu-Shar as the Commissioner of Al-Oleb, Abdalla Hussein as the Commissioner of Toker, Ali Saeed Sukar as the Commissioner of Agig Locality and Eissa hamad Shaik a the Commissioner of Jabait.
He further issued decisions appointing three Advisers of the Governor who are Buthaina Al-Shafie of the National Congress, Salih Salah Saeed of the Free Lions and Shaiba Dirar of the National Congress.

http://news.sudanvisiondaily.com/details.html?rsnpid=204951


portsudanonline.com