Tension is still high in the Norther Kenyan Town of Lokichokio.

Tension is still high in the northern Kenyan town of Lokichokio following the killing of three people on Sunday at Locor-Akope, 48 kilometers from the town25 August 2009 - (Nairobi) - .The men who died were part of a security convoy sent to rescue people wounded in a cattle raid last Saturday by attackers who are believed to be Sudanese from the neighboring Toposa community.The local people suspect that the convoy was ambushed by a combined force of SPLA soldiers and civilians.The coordinator of an NGO which works for peace between the Turkana and Toposa communities, Alex Losikiria, described the situation.[Alex Losikiria]: "It is not theft, this was an organized raid. In fact, you are even able to see that the members of the SPLA were involved in this. So everybody is afraid because when they killed the local people and took the animals and then you are told the forces were involved and then they also ambushed the vehicle, it is very unusual, it is not normal. People are struggling to establish the motive behind this incident. What annoyed the local community was that a vehicle was shot at and even somebody was killed, the driver. The first incident involved four pastoralists three men and a lady, they were actually watering the animals in the well. Four people were wounded in that incident on Saturday. My driver and an administration officer were killed and a KPR and a councilor were wounded when they went to verify the incident and to bring the wounded to hospital. Locor Akope is in Kenya, not in between, it's within Kenya, within Lokichokio Division."Alex Losikiria was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Lokichoggio on Monday.The Sudanese ambassador to Kenya, Majok Guandong, confirmed the incidents which he described as "unfortunate" . However, he said the two incidents were carried out by members of the Toposa community and not by the SPLA.Guandong said he has been meeting his Kenyan counterparts to resolve the issue.[Ambassador Guandong]: "Yes, I am aware of this incident. And in fact yesterday, I spent the whole day at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and we discussed this issue. Yes, it is true, the Toposa came and raided Turkana cattle on Saturday, on the 22nd August 2009, and according to Kenyan government officials, took a thousand head of cattle. They killed 4 civilians from Turkana and injured another four. On Sunday, when the Kenyan police were trying to follow the trail of the cattle, they fell into an ambush by Toposa tribesmen and a policeman was killed, as well as the driver of the vehicle and a councilor from Turkana north county council. Definitely, this is a very unfortunate incident because it took the lives of Kenyans and they lost their cattle."The ambassador said that following the discussions between him and the Kenyan government, a meeting will be held at the Sudan-Kenya border on 23rd September, between the governments of Kenya and southern Sudan, to resolve the issue and reconcile the two communities.25 August 2009 - (Khartoum) - The World Food Programme of the United Nations, says there is a "fifty-percent food gap" in Darfur following the expulsion of thirteen NGOs in March this year.The NGOs were expelled in what was seen as retaliation after the indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court.In a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday, the WFP's representative in Sudan, Kenro Oshidari, explained how the absence of the NGOs has had a huge impact on food security in Darfur.[Kenro Oshidari]: "Over the last three to four years the security situation has seriously deteriorated, it is almost like a lawless region. Now let me just touch briefly upon the post-ICC expulsion of the NGOs. WFP was also very much affected by this, four of the NGOs that were expelled were big WFP partners for food distribution. So, they left behind 1.1 million beneficiaries without the NGOs to distribute food. So what WFP did was we just went straight in, hired some of the NGO's Sudanese staff who were left behind, we hired them and we did the distribution ourselves. Now we have found some new partners - both international and Sudanese NGOs - and they are helping us out but in about 50 percent of gap area cases WFP is still doing its own distribution. "Oshidari added that at least 3.6 million people in Darfur are receiving WFP food assistance during the current rainy season.[Kenro Oshidari]: "About 70 percent of our entire assistance in Sudan goes to Darfur. We are currently assisting about 3.6 million people in Darfur. Roughly 2 million of them are IDPs, many of them in camps; some are not in camps but are displaced. Another 1.6 million people, who are not IDPs, receive our food and we also assist people in the rural areas, it is a form of seasonal assistance."Oshidari said humanitarian organizations are very concerned about insecurity in Darfur especially this year.He said insecurity is one of the biggest challenges facing humanitarian organizations who deliver aid to the people of Darfur.25 August 2009 - (Abu Zar) - A director of a center for old people in Abu Zar IDP camp in western Darfur says that the elderly have been ignored and abandoned for too long.Mohammed Abdullah spoke to Sudan Radio Service on Monday. He says the main challenge is that most of the aged have no families and therefore rely on the centre for everything.[Mohammed Abdullah]: "We have around 322 old people, 95 of them are men and the rest are women. We provide them with food and health services because they are all displaced and we also give them medication and we bring them clothes during the heavy rains. During Eid we give them dates, sweets and clothes and the fact that they don't have families is one of the major challenges that we are facing because they are totally dependent on the organization. Some people went to Chad and others came here, we have formed a committee to take care of them and we call it the Old Peoples' Committee."Mohammed Abdullah was speaking to Sudan Radio Service on Monday from Darfur.25 August 2009 - (Khartoum) - The GONU Ministry of Roads and Transport says that work on the 229 kilometer Abyei - Gogrial - Wau road will start by the end of the week.Speaking to Sudan Radio Service, the Minister of Transport, Phillip Thon Leek, said that the road will be funded by the Unity Support Fund which was set up to foster peaceful coexistence between the Ngok Dinka and the Messiriya.[Phillip Thon Leek]: "This Abyei - Gogrial - Wau road is one of the development and unity projects between the north and the south with sponsorship from the Unity Support Treasury. We will start working on the road immediately. The road is 229 kilometers long and is going to cost 458 million SDP. The work will start at end of this week. It is a very important road because it connects areas in Abyei with areas in Lakes state and Western Bahr el-Ghazal and the nearby states in the south. It will connect the north and the south and South Kordofan state."The Minister added that a meeting is planned for the end of this month between the GONU, GOSS and the Ugandan governments regarding a railway project which will link Uganda and Sudan.Four of the major Darfur anti-government groups have agreed to unite and form a joint front.The meetings which led to the unification took place in Addis Ababa last week, in the presence of the US especial envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration.Sudan Radio Service spoke to one of the advisors in Gration's team, Omar Gamar El-din, in Addis Ababa on Monday.[Omar Gamar el-Din]: "The movements which have united are the SLM, led by Abdullah Yahiya and Sharif Harir, the SLM, led by Ahmed Abdulshafi, and SLM of Abdulwahid Al-nur, although Abdulwahid has not agreed with this initiative, his field commanders have agreed and the communication with them started earlier. The first meeting between them and SLM Unity faction started last July in N'djamena. It continued in Addis Ababa and was crowned by unity between these factions on the political program, their shared vision, and the prospect of a road map for peace in Darfur. The United Resistance Front led by Bahar Idris Abugarda also has joined them, so the four factions have agreed on unity. They also agreed that the integration will take place in what is called the liberated lands in Darfur in a period of time not exceeding two months."El-Din said that Gration and his team are urging Abdulwahid to join the talks with other Darfur anti-government groups.[Omar Gamar el-Din]: "We have called Abdulwahid - General Gration himself called him as well. I think Abdulwahid should soften his stance and listen to the voices of all the people who contacted him. It is impossible that the whole world is wrong and Abdulwahid alone is right. At least from a tactical side, you should say to yourself, I will come to talk to them and will see what they want, Everybody is going to see him in Paris or other places to talk to him but he is refusing."Omar Gamar el-Din was speaking to Sudan Radio Service from Addis Ababa.
24 August 2009 - (Khartoum) - The World Food Programme of the United Nations says it needs 44 million USD to buy 22 thousand metric tonnes of food in order to save the lives or more than 1.3 million people in southern Sudan.Addressing a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday, the WFP's representative in Sudan, Kenro Oshidari, said that due to insecurity which made many areas inaccessible, the WFP will begin air-drops of food to the areas affected by hunger in Southern Sudan.[Kenro Oshidari]: "The difficult part of this is that more than half of those 22,000 tonnes will actually have to be transported by airplanes. Many of these areas in southern Sudan as you know get cut off, the road access is impossible during the rainy season, particularly in areas like Jonglei, Akobo, where there was a big tribal conflict. What we will need to do is hire large airplanes and we will start air drops - dropping the food from the sky. We did this for many years during the war times but we stopped this back in 2007 and now we have to revive the airdrops again for this purpose. It is going to be very costly but at the same time it is going to be very much needed. The total cost of these twenty-two thousand tonnes - including the airdrop cost - will come to 44 million dollars."Kenro Oshidari said that food will be airdropped because a few weeks ago WFP tried to deliver food aid by barge using the Sobat River but the barges were attacked, sunk and over 7 hundred metric tonnes of food were lost together with the boat. He said that WFP has been taking food into Akobo using UNMIS helicopters and small cargo planes but it has not been sufficient.Kenro Oshidari said the six states that were mosty seriously affected are Jonglei, Upper Nile, Northern Bahr El-Ghazal, Western Bahr El-Ghazal, Warrap and Eastern Equatoria.He said WFP has temporarily suspended its operations in Ezo County in Western Equatoria State due to recent attacks on the county by the LRA and can only resume its operations in Ezo under escort from the SPLA in order to ensure that its staff is safe.Kenro Oshidari said the funding need for food assistance for Sudan for the year 2010 is estimated at 870 million USD.

24 August 2009 - (El-Fashir) - The joint United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, is urging parties to the conflict in Darfur to declare a ceasefire during the month of Ramadan.Speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from UNAMID headquarters in El-Fashir in Northern Darfur State on Saturday, UNAMID spokesperson Nouraddine Mezni said the Joint AU and UN Special Representative for Darfur has called on the parties to the conflict in Darfur to observe a ceasefire.[Nouraddine Mezni]: "Mister Rodolphe Adada, the UN and AU Special Representative for Darfur, has appealed to all parties to the conflict in Darfur to declare a ceasefire and to stop all acts of violence in respect to the commencement of this holy month of Ramadan and we are hoping that all parties will respect this appeal so that the people of Darfur may observe this holy month in peace and tranquility so that they can concentrate on their prayers so that all may understand that peace is fundamental and that peace is the only solution for ending the suffering of the people of Darfur."Mezni added that UNAMID hopes that the parties to the conflict will respect a ceasefire because UNAMID believes that there is no military solution to the Darfur problem.[Nouraddine Mezni]: "These days, there are many diplomatic and political visits to Sudan, and we hope that the declaration of a ceasefire will encourage commitment to the political process. There is no military solution to the Darfur problem and this is what we always say. The solution should come through dialogue and through a political process. This holy month of Ramadan is the best and most appropriate time for the declaration of a ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities. It is the time to begin a new page, to embark on dialogue and forgiveness. "That was UNAMID spokesperson, Nouraddine Mezni, talking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from El-Fashir in Northern Darfur State on Saturday.24 August 2009 - (Darfur) - Internally displaced persons in Darfur are complaining of the high cost of food in the north, south and western states of Darfur.Sudan Radio Service spoke to some of the IDPs from the displaced camps.[Voice 1]: "The difficulty that we are facing nowadays is the high price of commodities. The sugar given to us is not enough because they only give you 6 ounces per person. Secondly, there is the problem of firewood and charcoal. Honestly, the price of these two things is rising and also that of sugar and cooking oil."[Female Voice]: The price of everything has gone high, things like sugar, dates have gone high. Now sugar is 15 pounds and the vegetables are also so high and the condition of the people is bad. Some people cannot afford to buy. The charcoal is expensive, even firewood is expensive. The condition of the people is bad because so many people are not working and the rations they are given is not enough. Some people, when they receive their ration, they sell it because of they are so poor."[Voice 3]: "For example, for us in the displaced camp in Zalinji, everything is very expensive. The normal bread and millet (the one that is soaked in water) and 2 kilos of grain is nine pounds. That is without any vegetables at all. One kilo of sugar is one pound and 70 cents. A kilo of meat is 14 pounds."Those were the views of internally displaced persons who were commenting on the rising price of food in Darfur.24 August 2009 - (Bor) - As the Government of southern Sudan boosts the status of the Anti-corruption commission, Jonglei state governor Kuol Manyang has ordered a new pay-sheet clean-up exercise in his state.Speaking to civil servants in Bor on Friday, Kuol stressed the need for zero-tolerance towards idlers and in dealing with corruption in the civil service.[Kuol Manyang]: "Why do you pay him/her when he/she is not doing any work? Why do you employ them when you are not going to make use of them? If it is the right of everybody who is not working to be paid money, then let us pay everyone who sitting in their homes. They are also citizens and they have the right to be paid if we are to pay people who are not working. So we are going to make a clean-up of the pay-sheet. We will go office-by-office to see who is doing what. Some people stay at home, they don't want to work and expect to be paid. Why do we pay that person?"Governor Kuol was commended in the governors forum for retiring senior citizens in his government and outwitting 'ghost-workers' .Over the weekend, the GOSS Council of Ministers passed a resolution giving more powers and status to the Southern Anti-corruption Commission.The chairperson, Pauline Riak, has been promoted to the position of a minister in GOSS while her deputy becomes a state minister.Apart from the additional status, the workers in the commission will receive higher salaries than other workers in the other ministries. According to GOSS Vice-president Dr. Riek Machar, this would discourage anti-corruption staff from falling prey to corruption or money laundering.24 August 2009 - (Yei) - The commissioner of Yei county is calling on the people of southern Sudan to protect the environment by planting more trees in the region.Speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Yei, David Lokong'a said that many people are destroying the environment by cutting down trees for commercial purposes without replacing them.[David Lokong'a]: "I'm saying, even to my colleagues the commissioners all over southern Sudan let us protect the forest. We are the people on the ground, we are the people with the community and we are very close to them. Then we should put some by-laws and other things in place to protect the environment, that is my advice to my colleagues. Like in Yei, from 2008, people have been attempting to cut almost all the trees for charcoal and other things. And now we started telling the chiefs about the danger of this and the chiefs are on the ground telling people, please don't do this. And again the next advice that I want to give is that we should plant trees, we are trying to see to it that the department of forestry puts up a nursery so that we can be able to plant. When you cut one tree you plant three others and that is the motto we are applying in Yei and I would like to advise that each and every county should do this to protect the environment. "The commissioner of Yei county, David Lokong'a, was speaking to Sudan Radio Service by phone from Yei on Monday.Charles HaskinsNews Programming AdvisorSudan Radio Service (SRS)A project of Education Development CenterMobile: +254 715 05 2924 or +254 722 20 8598Thuraya: +882 1643 339 226Office: +254 (20) 387 0906Fax: