Date: Wed, 11 May 2016 23:18:32 +0200
Sudan’s Bashir pays rare visit to Uganda on Thursday
May 11, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir would start a two-day visit to Kampala on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and the situation in South Sudan with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni.
- Omar al-Bashir (R) welcomes Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni at Khartoum Airport for talks during an official visit to Sudan September 15, 2015. (Photo Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Following ten years of strained relations, Museveni visited Khartoum last September where he and Bashir agreed to work together to bring stability in South Sudan and the region, and to end tensions between the two countries over the issue of rebel groups.
An official at the Sudanese presidency told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity Wednesday that Bashir would travel to Kampala on Thursday in an official visit but he didn’t elaborate on the issue.
According to the official, Bashir would discuss with Museveni several joint issues and on top of which is the security issue.
The two countries have traded accusations of support to rebel groups from both sides. Khartoum accused Kampala of backing rebel groups from Darfur and the Two Areas while the latter accused the former of supporting the Lord Resistance Army (LRA).
The same source said that Bashir would be accompanied by the Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour, the director of the security services, Mohamed Atta, the Minister of Presidential Affairs Fadl Abdallah Fadl and several other ministers.
Bashir is under two International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants since 2008 for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur.
The Sudanese president visited several African states members of the ICC but he was not arrested. However, the issue generated a large literature in the international law on Bashir’s immunity.
Uganda is a State Party to the Rome Statute and has an obligation to arrest the Sudanese president.
However, during a presidential debate last February, the Ugandan President vowed to pull of the ICC and described it as a “partisan” court, allegedly targeting Africans.
Established in 2002 to try war criminals and perpetrators of genocide never tried at home, the ICC has opened inquiries involving nine nations, including Kenya, Ivory Coast, Libya, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda, Mali and, most recently, Georgia.
Sudan will be open for South Sudanese once Juba stops supporting rebels: minister
May 11, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said Sudan would open its border to the South Sudanese once Juba government stops it support to the Sudanese rebel groups.
- Sudanese military personnel inspect the belongings of South Sudanese on the Sudanese border on 18 April 2014 (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
Ghandour made his remarks in response to a demand by the head of South Sudan’s Workers Trade Union, Simon Deng Paul to enforce the four freedoms protocol which is part of the Cooperation Agreement signed in September 2012.
"When Juba stops its support to the rebellion, the Sudan will be open to the South Sudanese," said the Sudanese top diplomat.
He was speaking before the 16th session of the Sudan Workers Trade Unions federation held in Khartoum.
Earlier this year, President Omer al-Bashir had directed to open the border with the South Sudan saying his unilateral decision aims to support the citizens of new nations after the over two year conflict that devastated their country.
However on 29 March, Khartoum decided to shut down the border again, a week after renewing accusations against the government of Juba saying it resumed its support to the SPLM-N which fights the government in the Two-Areas.
In line with the peace agreement signed by the South Sudanese warring parties, the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) which was formed on 29 April, has to disarm the Sudanese