The youths of Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile launched in Juba on Wednesday Youth for Popular Consultations Organization.

The SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, said the unity of Sudan could be achieved voluntarily and in manner that respects the interests of all the people of Sudan. Speaking to a press conference at Juba International Airport, Amum said that the SPLM has briefed the visiting delegation of the African National Congress of South Africa on its views on Sudan's unity.

Heavy rains hit many parts of Khartoum State on Friday. The Airport Weather Forecast, Noh Adam, said that rains in Khartoum International airport reached 14 mm. Adam said that continuous rains are expected on the western side of the country during the next 24 hours.

Kickoff

Nigeria’s Super Eagles beat Madagascar 2-0 in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Group B match played at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar on Sunday.

It was not a convincing display for the star-studded Super Eagles, who raced into a two-goal lead before halftime.

Obafemi Martins opened scoring for the home team after 20 minutes when he got to the end of a loose ball on the top of the 18-yard box before he fired home past the impressive Madagascar goalkeeper.

Martins was again involved in the second Nigerian goal when he dribbled his way into the Madagascar box from the left before he delivered a low cut-back for Esperance striker Michael Eneramo to make hay with a tap-in.

Martins was again on target late in the second half, but Tunisian referee Jedidi Slim incorrectly disallowed this effort for a foul on the Madagascar goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who was mostly on holidays for the duration of the game, was called to make a finger-tip save with five minutes left on the clock. He scrambled away a goal-bound shot for a corner to the relief of the packed Calabar Stadium.

Both Eneramo and Martins had chances to give the Eagles a bigger home win.

Eneramo could have opened scoring as early as the first minute, but he stumbled when all alone with the goalkeeper, while the Madagascar shot stopper Masina made a point-blank save off Martins after the break.

Nigeria are now second in their group after Guinea ran away 4-1 winners also on Sunday in Ethiopia.

Both Guinea and Nigeria will square off in a decisive qualifier next month in Conakry.

There were full international debuts for former schoolboy international Stanley Okoro and Ahmed Musa, who finished top scorer in the Nigeria Premier League last season with 18 goals.

 By Opheera McDoom

Sudan needs structural reforms to broaden its economy and encourage private business to reduce a 46 per cent poverty rate, and qualify for relief on its $35 billion external debt, the World Bank’s vice president for Africa said yesterday.

Obiageli Ezekwesili told Reuters in an interview that Sudan needs to work on reducing poverty through small business and agricultural incentives, and developing infrastructure before it can qualify for relief on its debt.

"On the macro fiscal side of things, you can’t take it away from them that they’ve actually done some interesting things," Ezekwesili said. "On the structural reform side though they could do a whole lot more."

Since signing the peace deal in 2005 that ended Africa’s longest civil war, which claimed two million lives, Sudan has asked for relief on its debt, which makes Khartoum ineligible for major international loans.

Ezekwesili said Khartoum was not on track to achieve millennium development goals set by the United Nations, and must invest in health, education, infrastructure, human development and agriculture to diversify its economy, which depends on oil for 60 per cent of its revenues.

Propagate war

Such investment was needed to accelerate any path to relief on Sudan’s debt, some of which was racked up by previous governments to propagate the north’s war against the south.

A co-founder of anti-corruption agency Transparency International, Ezekwesili, a former government minister in Nigeria, said Sudan should also work equally hard to encourage private local businesses as it did to attract foreign investors.

"How easy is it for a private individual in Sudan to just set up a business and thrive in that business without being tied up in all kinds of rules and procedures?" she said.

"How do you create an environment where the average Sudanese wants to pull themselves out of poverty?"

The World Bank plays a lead role in determining how to spend $4 billion pledged by donors to rebuild Sudan following the 2005 north-south peace accord, although much of the aid was diverted to a humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s western Darfur region.

Ezekwesili said the economy’s structure was hampering Sudan’s ability to meet UN millennium development goals (MDGs), which include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, providing universal primary education, reducing child mortality and promoting gender equality by 2015.

"When you look at the poverty indicators in the country, it’s clear that the structure of the economy has not enabled the MDGs to be positively on track," she said.

The World Bank, donors and Sudan have jointly spent $414 million on development projects throughout the country since the 2005 peace accord.

Comprehensive approach

Ezekwesili said the World Bank and donors would likely develop a more comprehensive approach for aid to develop semi-autonomous south Sudan, which will vote on a referendum for independence in January. Most analysts believe it will secede from the north.

-Reuters

Khartoum (Borglobe)… Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the official ruling party in South Sudan said on Monday that it would accept a member of National Congress Party (NCP) to take a key post if a deputy could come from the south.
Yaser Arman, SPLM’s senior official said his party looking forward for referendum to be held on time as scheduled on January 9, 2011.

However, the Head of referendum commission Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil told Reuters the five southerners in the nine-member commission would vote as a block to prevent a northerner taking the post of secretary general, who would control the commission's funds.
The referendum is the climax of a 2005 north-south peace deal ending Africa's longest civil war, which claimed an estimated two million lives (Reuters).

Lusaka Times

United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema says Second Republican President, Fredrick Chiluba’s smile following the Lusaka High Court ruling on the London Judgment is an indication that the fight against corruption in the country is over.

Mr Hichilema said the focus should not be on Dr Chiluba but rather on the judiciary and the MMD government which he says allows a dual justice system to exist in the country.

The UPND leader said the blame should be on the justice system which favours those who are friends with the MMD government.

Mr Hichilema called on the judiciary to examine itself and its relevance to society.

He said he could not see any value in the judiciary when Zambians have nowhere to go when they were aggrieved.

Mr Hichilema said the fight against corruption in Zambia is over and called on Zambians to understand and accept the matter at hand.

Dr Chiluba told journalists in an interview that he is genuinely smiling following the Lusaka High Court ruling on the London Judgment.[ QFM ]

POLITICO, Ben Smith

Josh Rogin reports that Scott Gration, Obama's controversial Sudan envoy, may become ambassador to Kenya.

It's unclear if that would signal a harder line on Sudan's government, as U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice appears to have lost the latest in a line of internal battles with him:

At the meeting, Rice was said to be "furious" when Gration proposed a plan that makes the January referendum a priority, de-emphasizes the ongoing crisis in Darfur, and is devoid of any additional pressures on the government in Khartoum.

According to multiple sources briefed on the meeting, Gration's plan was endorsed by almost all the other participants, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and will now go to the president for his approval. Rice was invited to provide a written dissent. Vice President Joseph Biden did not attend.