Sudan and South Sudan have signed a series of security agreements, including immediate re-deployment of joint military forces along the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone (SDBZ), and approved a plan to stop supporting and harbouring rebels as well as open the crossings points.

The Joint Political and Security Committee (JPSC), co-chaired by the defence ministers, held a six-hour meeting in Khartoum to discuss the activation of the security arrangements agreed in September 2012.

On 14 October 2015, South Sudan’s defence minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and his Sudanese counterpart Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Ouf signed an agreement to operationalize the buffer zone between the two countries.

But the JPSC meetings to decide the effective activation were adjourned several times due to the security situation in South Sudan.

In press statements after the meeting, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said that the JPSC agreed to enforce all the concluded agreements on the buffer zone, flexible border and to stop supporting rebel groups.

“With regard to the support of rebel groups, specifics will be enforced by the concerned security services of both countries,” Ghandour said.

After the signing of the Cooperation Agreement, the two countries had already deployed the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mission (JBVMM). But on 22 November 2013, Juba stopped the operation, fearing that delimitation of the centreline, which passes through contested areas, may be seen as final location of the boundary.

Juuk, who led the South Sudanese delegation, said the meeting ended by agreeing to implement the joint cooperation agreements signed since September 27, 2012.

The two governments, he added, will immediately start enforcing the agreed decisions, and further stressed the need to reach negotiated solutions to end tensions on the border areas.

“The rebel movements are a reality and their problem must be solved so that peace will prevail between the two countries,” said Juuk adding “This problem will be resolved soon.”

South Sudanese officials, on several occasions, proposed to mediate the conflict with their former comrades of the SPLM-North in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, but Khartoum rejected this proposition saying they are party and cannot be a mediator.

Among the signed documents, the parties agreed to send separate reports to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) which will participate in the JBVMM and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) which brokered the deal.

They also agreed that the border crossing point committee will meet in Juba within the next two week to determine the dates and procedures for the opening of the 10 points. They will also demand the African Union to send the needed technical teams to implement the deal.

They also agreed to establish three consulates on the demilitarised border areas.

The meeting also agreed to task a joint committee headed by the directors of intelligence services with the file of the disputed areas. In addition, with regard to the committee of disputed 14 Mile, it was decided to task the chiefs of general staffs in the two countries with its chairmanship.

It goes without saying that this measure aims to the Dinka Malual and the South Sudanese People Liberation Army (SPLA) Chief of General Staff, Paul Malong Awan who convinced President Salva Kiir in November 2013 to stop the operation on the ground that it would enable Sudan to pretend in the future to the ownership of the disputed areas.

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An estimated 3,000 people gathered in Yerushalayim yesterday for the annual ceremony memorializing Jews who died on the way to Israel from Ethiopia.

Between 1984 and 1985 roughly half of those who attempted the perilous trek from Ethiopia through Sudan never reached their destination. Of some 8,000 who left for Israel, 4,000 reportedly perished on the way.

In 2007, a monument was erected on Mount Herzl to commemorate the fallen, and in 2011 the Knesset passed a resolution making the memorial an annual event that is held on Yerushalayim Day.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin addressed the crowd, both noting the sacrifices made to come to Israel, and the difficulties that many from Ethiopia continue to face in Israeli society.

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EALA has debated and passed the 2016/17 Budget totaling $101,374,589 with amendments following reallocations.

Tanzania Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Co-operation, Hon Dr Susan Kolimba presented the Budget speech to an attentive House on behalf of the substantive Minister and Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers Hon Dr Augustine Mahiga.

The 2016/2017 Budget is a drop down from $110,660,098 million presented to the House in the previous Financial Year. The Budget themed Towards Full Implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol and Enhancing the Implementation of the Monetary Union Protocol prioritizes the full implementation of the EAC Single Customs Territory, enhanced implementation of the EAC Common Market Protocol especially additional commitments and interconnectivity of border immigration systems.

Prior to passing of the Budget, the Assembly resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and means to consider the Financial Statement for 2016/7 and a similar Committee of Supply to approve the Estimates of Expenditure for the same.

With it, the Assembly also passed the East African Community Appropriation Bill, 2016.

Debate of the Budget Speech was preceded by the presentation of the Committee on General Purpose on the EAC Budget Estimates for Revenue and Expenditure for the Financial Year 2016/17 by the Committee’s Chairperson, Hon Dr Odette Nyiramilimo.

The Report indicates that the Community would focus on a number of areas in the coming Financial Year including the full implementation of the Single Customs Territory, as well as the enhanced implementation of the Common market Protocol.  Other key priority areas are development of infrastructure, institutional strengthening and the implementation of EAC Peace and Security initiatives.

In reviewing its recommendations, the Committee once again emphasises the efficient use of Community resources and the proper delimitation of the role and responsibilities of the finance and advisory committee.   With it comes the need to align the budget with the EAC objectives and its strategic objectives.  On the size of the budget, the Committee notes the downward trend over the last three years against a number of programmes and projects of the Community.

It thus recommends for the Council of Ministers to look seriously into the issue of inadequate funding, allow it (the Committee) to hold deliberations with the Council on sustainable funding as well as proposals for strong legislative and institutional support for the Common Market and the Monetary Union stages.

The Assembly is also emphatic that Partner States must desist from using the General reserves as a source of funds to substitute remittances, a move it terms as a high risk in terms of liquidity on the one side and that of litigation on the other.

Following reallocations by the House, the Budget is allocated to the Organs and Institutions of the EAC as follows; East African Community Secretariat ($57, 741, 185), East African Legislative Assembly ($16,086,224) and the East African Court of Justice ($4,286,477).

The Inter-University Council for East Africa shall receive ($4,553,890), Lake Victoria Basin Commission ($11,214,708) while $ 2,131,422 is earmarked for the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization.   On their part, the East African Science and Technology Commission shall receive ($ 1,196,542), East African Kiswahili Commission ($ 1,179,542) and the East African Health Research Commission ($ 1,397,438). The East African Competition Authority is to benefit from $ 1,587,565 in the Financial Year.

The following members contributed to the debate; Hon Bernard Mulengani, Hon Ussi Maryam, Hon Emerence Bucumi, Hon Jeremie Ngendakumana, Hon Dora Byamukama, Hon Saoli ole Nkanae, Hon Frederic Ngenzebuhoro, Hon Pierre Celestin Rwigema and Hon Christophe Bazivamo.
Others were Hon Chris Opoka, Hon Straton Ndikuryayo, Hon Sarah Bonaya, Hon Abubakar Zein, Hon Nusura Tiperu, Hon Mumbi Ngaru and Hon Martin Ngoga.

The debate was preceded by the passage of the EAC Supplementary Appropriation Bill, 2016 amounting to USD 1,569,941 for the Financial Year ending 30^th June 2016.  The Supplementary estimates were not passed at the previous 5^th Meeting of the 4^th Session held in Dar Es Salaam in March 2016.

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