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

In one fell swoop, the Khartoum government strengthens President Omer el Beshir and undermines the Nairobi government’s new constitution

With arrest warrants for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity over his head, Sudan’s President Omer Hassan Ahmed el Beshir does not often get the chance to star in an international celebration of democracy. That is what the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) achieved for him – and itself – on 27 August, when he ‘stole the limelight from democracy’, as Nairobi’s Standard newspaper put it, at the formal launching of Kenya’s long-awaited new constitution.  - Africa Confidential

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.

The Presidential Advisor, Dr. Mustafa Osman Ismail, has affirmed that east Sudan obtains tremendous wealth and potentialities that can make a change and a qualitative shift if they are exploited.

Addressing a meeting for briefing on the ongoing preparations for the Donors' conference for East Sudan, scheduled for in next November in Kuwait, Dr. Ismail lauded East Sudan Agreement which focused on the development and stability of east Sudan.

He said that all the arrangements were finalized for establishment of the projects through funding from the donors in the fields of services development.

The Director General of tEast Sudan Development Fund, Engineer Abu-Obieda Duj, affirmed completion of the arrangements for implementing development and investment projects at a cost of three billion US dollars for the three states of east Sudan.

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Alan Boswell, VOA

South Sudan’s military is in the process of acquiring 10 Russian-made helicopters, according to documents seen by VOA.

The Southern Sudan government is purchasing 10 Mi-17 military transport helicopters from Kazan, a Russian company, for a total cost of $75 million, according to a March 2009 supplement to a May 2007 contract between the two parties. The contract was signed on behalf of South Sudan by the SPLA chief of staff, James Hoth Mai.

Nine of the helicopters are the “standard transport” Mi-17-V5 models, which according to Kazan’s website can carry up to 36 passengers. The other is a “VIP” Mi-172 , which can carry up to 11 in executive comfort and fashion.

The first shipment of 4 Mi-17-V5 helicopters was to land at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on August 12 aboard an Antonov AN-124 airlift jet, according to communication between the two parties early that month.

The delivery had been delayed from the May 2010 delivery date stated in the contract. The original timeframe had the third and final shipment arriving in September.

A spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces said that the Khartoum authorities were aware of the purchase, but said that they were assured by South Sudan’s leaders that the aircraft were only for civilian use.

The spokesman for SPLA, Lieutenant General Kuol Deim Kuol, refused to comment. The spokesman for the Southern Sudan government, Minister of Information Barnaba Marial Benjamin denied the region had acquired any helicopters.

The Mi-17 is a popular export model of a Russian helicopter design first used to in its 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. While not an attack helicopter like an Mi-24, the Mi-17 can be used for crude offensive purposes if outfitted with guns or bombs.

Since its inception in 1983, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army – which started as a rebel movement but became South Sudan’s official military following a 2005 peace deal – has operated only as a ground force.

The purchase follows a steady stream of military purchases by both parties of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the second of two long civil wars between north and south Sudan.

The CPA was supposed to curb the re-armament of both sides by effectively giving each side a veto power over any new significant purchases by a Joint Defense Board. But according to research conducted by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, the JDB in practice has played little role scrutinizing purchases.

"This is probably a technical violation if it is being imported by the SPLA, and since it is equipment that could be used for military purposes,” said EJ Hogendoorn, Horn of Africa project director for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

“But it is not a gross violation,” he said, pointing out that both sides have been actively re-arming since the CPA, with the north’s stockpile drastically dwarfing that of the south. “To my knowledge, the Sudan Armed Forces have imported at least 10 Mi-24s since 2005."

The north-south border areas in Sudan, where most of the country’s known oil reserves lie, are becoming increasingly militarized and tense as the January referendum nears, according to an ICG report released yesterday. Border demarcation has yet to take place.

Preparations for the January referendum are far behind schedule, and registration has not yet begun. Southern Sudan’s leaders have warned that any delay of the vote would constitute an acceptable breach of the peace agreement.

A three-day forum for counties' commissioners of Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State has concluded in Wau town. The workshop recommended that security should be guaranteed in the State, provision of basic services and support for the upcoming referendum scheduled for 2011. Speaking during the closing ceremony at the Peace Hall in Wau town, the Commissioner of Raja County, Rizig Dominic, said that

Authors: SUNA - Sudan News Agency English Latest News

The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has denounced recent statement made by the Governor of Central Bank of Sudan, Saber Mohammed Al Hassan, about the remittance of the oil revenues for the south. GoSS Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said that the Central Bank of Sudan did not remit the oil revenues for the south estimated at US$170 million.