No one hurt in West Kordofan landslide

Authorities in Sudan’s West Kordofan State said a slide happened last Thursday after heavy rains in Al-Kalaeet area north of Babanusa town.
Babanusa Locality Commissioner Adam Agidat Hamudi and geology experts went to the scene to figure out what happened.
The commissioner told the Sudan News Agency that nobody was hurt in the incident.
The local official said the locals will be evacuated. Agidat called for a meeting on Sunday with the local administration to explain what happened and enlighten the nomads who spend the rainy season in the area.

Spotlight: Sudan Veterinary Council .. 6 Decades of Pioneering Efforts

A short visit to the Sudan Veterinary Council )SVC(  early in the  morning on Sunday 3rd June 2018

, in my way to the paper, made me astonished and amazed with the flow of the rich and valuable information presented by Dr. Samir Abdul Rasul Ali, the Secretary General of the SVC. He shed light on the idea of stablishing the SVC, promising to detail in this regard in a full text of an interview to our paper soon. The aim of our visit is to stand on the role of this council which represents a vital sector, the animal sector with its different components and issues.
The veterinary medicine dates back to early beginnings of the 20th century, where in 1901 issued the law of animal diseases, which later is followed by the law of exporting and importing of animals in 1913. This sector witnessed noticeable activity and movement among the veterinary doctors, who issued the first specialized scientific professional magazine called Sudan Veterinary Journal in 1917.
This vital activity was culminated by the establishment of the SVC in 1949 as the first professional council in Sudan; then the efforts were culminated by the issuance of the law of veterinary council in 1954where the council began officially. Then came the law of the Veterinary council in 1995 which was amended in 2004.  The SVC has it vision and mission that it works to implement it.
We believe that the Veterinary medicine plays a major role in the animal health, public health for both animals and humans, as well as human beings for the joint diseases that shift from animals to human beings and versa-vis .The animal sector has its economic, health and social importance, for animal resource represent a real support to the food security, and considered an important economic resource. 
Raising awareness with the important of this sector is one of the requires for economic stability, beside the direct link between the animal diseases that shift to human and its effect on efficiency of humans, which automatically effect on human performance , the product and productivity and the national economy in general.
The SVC, has a long history, started its work before independence of Sudan in 1956, we are optimistic that this council which has been working for more than 6 decades, has a lot to do in this vital field. As we Know that there are distinctive Sudanese experts who had lead this council since 1954 where the first secretary General was Professor Amin Abd Allah al Karib, followed by other  former  six professors and Doctors who had presented their experiences to Sudan through the SVC .
We raise hats to all those former veterinary experts and those who are still working in silence for the sake of Sudan. We say thanks to Dr. Samir Abdul Rasul Ali, the secretary General of the SVC for shedding light on the importance role of the SVC, and for this information about this council, hoping that we also try to shed light on its activities and economic contribution in the national economy.
Let us share and exchange knowledge with our scholars and scientists, let us benefit from their experiences in raising awareness with this wonderful world of animal.

Sudan Vision

Head of Sudan central bank dies of heart attack in Turkey

Sudan's central bank governor Hazem Abdelqader has died of a heart attack while on a visit to Turkey, the Sudanese presidency said on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear whether Abdelqader was on an official visit to Turkey but the presidency said in a statement that he died of a heart attack on Saturday. It did not offer other details.

Born in 1960, Abdeqader was appointed the head of Sudan's Central Bank in December 2016.

Since taking over as governor, Abdelqader participated in negotiations with the United States that helped lift decades-old trade embargo imposed by Washington on Khartoum.

In recent months the central bank has faced an acute shortage of foreign currency that has seen the Sudanese pound plunge against the dollar on the black market.

The central bank has devalued the pound twice against the dollar since January.

Sudan's overall economy has been hit hard, particularly after the south separated from the north in 2011, taking with it about 75 percent of oil revenues.

Sudanese officials say that an economic revival that was expected after the lifting of US sanctions has not materialized as international banks continue to be wary of doing business with Sudanese banks.

Although Washington lifted the sanctions on October 12, it has kept Khartoum on its list of "state sponsors of terrorism", which Sudanese officials say keeps international banks away from the African country

Daily Sabah

Ethiopia, Sudan Re-affirmed their Commitments to Cooperate on Bilateral and Regional Issues

Addis Ababa June 01/2018 Ethiopia and Sudan re-affirmed their commitments to work in cooperation on issues of bilateral and regional concerns.

Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu conferred with the newly appointed Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed here in Addis today.

Both ministers briefed journalists on the wide range of issues they have discussed during their meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister, Workneh  Gebeyehu told journalists that the Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed on various bilateral issues related to the Nile, issues of regional concerns, people to people relations and other issues of bilateral significances.

Among other things, the ministers discussed on efforts underway to bring about lasting peace in South Sudan and Somalia and on how the agreements signed several times between the warring parties could be effectively be implemented.

Moreover, the ministers took up deliberations on how to further strengthen the ongoing political, economic and people to people relations between both countries.

Workneh appreciated for the principled position that Sudan has adopted regarding the issues around the construction of GERD.

He also expressed his gratitude for President Omar Hassan Al- Bashir for his rapid response to the request made by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on releasing prisoners who were detained in Sudan for various reasons.

“The swift response made by Sudan in releasing Ethiopian prisoners indicates the strong bilateral cultural, social and political relations between the peoples and governments of the two countries,” he added.

Sudan’s Foreign Minister, Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed said that he had discussed with Workneh on wide range of bilateral issue including the Nile and IGAD concerns.

Both ministers agreed to work together on issues of peace in the region and on ways and means of strengthening IGAD and the African Union.

He added that the two countries will continue to cooperate on the issues of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

More than 1,400 Ethiopians detained in Sudan for various reasons were release during the recent official visit paid by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to Sudan.

ENA

IGAD Revitilisation Forum for South Sudan Registers Some Progress

19-05-2018, Addis Ababa (Ethiopia): The ongoing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF), for the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) signed in August 2015, has entered its third day in Addis Ababa.

On top of the plenary sessions where all stakeholders to the crisis as well as Facilitators and observers are in attendance, the ongoing Continued Phase II of the HRLF includes inter-South Sudanese consultations during which parties discuss outstanding issues on Governance and on Security Arrangements.

These consultations are conducted in two separate and inclusive working groups along Governance and Security Arrangements issues that have been outstanding since the last HLRF session of February 2018.

These inter-South Sudanese consultations that are being led by the South Sudan Council of Churches were set up upon request from the parties. These South Sudanese led consultations enhance the level of national ownership of the process.

Progress made by the parties during these separate working and negotiations groups is reported to the Leadership Group which is comprised of all parties and stakeholders leaders for further discussions and finalisation before going to the plenary.

The South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) in its statement at the plenary session of this afternoon on the progress made so far declared: “Some progress has been made and the spirit is positive, even as the committee members begin tackling issues. The parties have committed to silence the guns while the process and momentum are maintained”.

Furthermore, the South Sudan Council of Churches appealed to “all parties to avoid Negative Statements and to strictly abide by the Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Access”.

                                                        

The SSCC expressed the need for the group works on Governance and on Security Arrangements to keep on proceeding, and alluded to the possibility of wanting to extend the HLRF beyond the 21^st if need arose.

Bashir names new oil, foreign ministers in Sudan reshuffle

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Monday appointed new oil and foreign ministers in a major cabinet reshuffle that saw four other ministers changed amid a worsening economic crisis, state media reported.

The cabinet overhaul was approved by Bashir's ruling National Congress Party at a meeting late on Sunday, the official news agency SUNA reported.

In a presidential decree on Monday, Bashir replaced his oil, interior, agriculture, youth and sports and justice ministers and also announced a new foreign minister replacing Ghandour, SUNA reported.

The reshuffle saw Al-Dierdiry al-Dhikheri named as the new foreign minister, Ibrahim Hamid as interior minister and Azhari Abdallah as oil minister.

Dhikeri, former Sudanese ambassador to Uganda, had been a member of Khartoum's team that negotiated the separation of south from the north in 2011.

Hamid, an aide to Bashir, had previously headed the interior ministry from 2008 to 2015

On Monday, Bashir also changed five ministers of state and eight governors, SUNA reported.

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US says Kiir government lost credibility, no longer inclusive

The United States is giving up on the government of South Sudan, saying the current government led by President Salva Kiir has lost credibility.
“The Government of South Sudan has lost credibility, and the United States is losing patience,” the White House declared in a statement on Tuesday.
The Trump administration said the current unity government in Juba is no longer inclusive, pointing out that the forced exile of key leadership representatives who signed the 2015 peace agreement further demonstrates the Kiir government’s rejection of the peace process.
The United State further said the promotion of UN-sanctioned individuals to senior government positions, such as Jok Riak to SPLA Chief of Defense Forces, demonstrates the South Sudanese government’s disdain for international norms.
“To that end, the United States will condemn any unilateral effort of the current Government of South Sudan to extend its power through sham elections, the legislature, or continued military offensives,” partly reads the statement.
“Only an inclusive, negotiated agreement is acceptable as a means to extend the South Sudanese Government’s term… The people of South Sudan deserve a government that is able and willing to lead the country to a stable future,” adds the statement.
The US said it is beginning a comprehensive review of its aid programs to South Sudan over the country’s lack of progress toward resolving its civil war.
 “Included in this review will be the U.S. support for the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism (JMEC) and other mechanisms intended to support the 2015 peace agreement known as the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS),” the White House said.
The United States government stressed that it will not continue in a partnership with leaders who are only interested in perpetuating an endless war characterized by ethnically-motivated atrocities.
“The United States remains committed to working with regional leaders to bring peace and stability to South Sudan, and we commend Ethiopia’s efforts,” it said.
South Sudan government officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
 The United State is South Sudan’s largest donor of humanitarian aid. It imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan in February, and sanctioned government officials and oil companies over the ongoing crisis in the youngest nation.