The Ministry of Health in South Darfur State has closed down a Chinese hospital in Nyala Tuesday amid allegation it has violated agreement with the state government on medical practices. South Darfur Minister of Health, Ahmed Mohammed Al Safi, told Miraya that the hospital has been prescribing expired medicines to patients.

Press Release

South Sudan Youth Association in Ethiopia
August 23rd, 2010

August 25, 2010 (SSNA) -- We, a group of Southern Sudan Youth, have come together in Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa to organize ourselves to consider the contribution of youth in the upcoming referendum and to have a brainstorming on difficulties and issues faced by the GOSS to deal with post-referendum situation. We have come to realize that massive diplomatic campaign is required to promote the separation of South Sudan should the people vote for separation.

Despite our volunteer contribution to promote the cause of South Sudan people, the youth have decided not to work under the GOSS Liaison Office in Addis Ababa due to the following points:

1. The Southern Sudanese in Ethiopia have come to conclusion to work with the Bureau of South Sudan Referendum Commission in Juba to organize eligible voters in Ethiopia to exercise their right of self-determination. Refugees in Gambella, Addis Ababa, Jima and various refugee camps have gladly welcomed the position of the youth to work directly with Justice Chan Ariic in order to mobilize South Sudan refugees to vote in the upcoming referendum as stipulated in the South Sudan Referendum Act.

2. To demonstrate the seriousness of our campaign to let the people of South Sudan vote for separation, we protested and matched at the African Union building to show to Africa that South Sudanese in Ethiopia want to vote in the upcoming referendum as stipulated in the South Sudan Referendum Act. We appreciate the support from the Ethiopian people during our protest at Africa Union building to condemn the attempts of the NCP to postpone the referendum.

3. The youth have concluded that referendum must be exercised on time as per the provisions of the CPA. We call upon the SPLM Political Bureau not to waver in this to promote complete implementation of the CPA. We congratulate the SPLM Political Bureau, which met from August 13-16, for taking a firm position that referendum shall not be postponed.

4. We call upon the people of South Sudan to vote for separation in the upcoming referendum to maintain the human dignity of the upcoming generations. Voting for separation is reasonable given the failure of the NCP to transform the country from its current racist status to a more inclusive country for all.

5. We call upon the international community to condemn the ongoing genocide in Darfur and should prevent the NCP from turning the South into another Darfur in the making in January, 2011, as signs of the NCPs refusal to implement the CPA have become visible.

6. We call upon the African Union to allow the International Criminal Court to establish an office in Addis Ababa to bring to justice the perpetrators of Darfur genocide and to become a witness to NCPs activities of destabilizing South Sudan to create genocide.

For contact: South Sudan Youth Association
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

South Sudan is scheduled to have a referendum in January 2011 to decide whether they want to remain part of Sudan, or become a separate nation.

According to Elizabeth Dickson, writing for the Foreign Policy Blog: South Sudan is utterly unprepared for independence. . . Many Sudan watchers are already labeling it a “pre-failed state.”

But the South Sudan National Anthem Committee has already launched a competition for submissions for its national anthem. Hip Hop artist K Deng is among those preparing an anthem.

- Kubatana.net