South Sudan: Watching a fragile nation

[M-A Lagrange]

Many tings have occurred in the past days in South Sudan. So 2 post in once cause otherwise I'll get crazy editing the stuff.

First of all, SPLM stepped back from its positions concerning the referendum commission.
In fact, some are saying that external players as Mr Gration are not for nothing in that...

SPLM concedes position of the referendum body SG
The veteran lawyer Omer Al-Sheik, who worked in the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), is expected to be tapped as the commission’s secretary general.
The SPLM launched a fierce media campaign against Al-Sheik, accusing him of "incompetence" and "failure" during his tenure in MINURSO and as such he is not fit to hold the SG position.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article36046

US envoy Gration brokered breakthrough in referendum body deadlock

A source privy to the situation told Sudan Tribune yesterday on condition of anonymity that it was the US special envoy, Scott Gration who persuaded the SPLM’s leadership to concede the position. In return, the source says, Gration had promised the SPLM that the referendum would be held as scheduled and that it would get the position of the commission’s deputy secretary-general which will be based in the south.
Furthermore, the source revealed that officials of the UN and the International Foundation for Elections System (IFES), a body providing technical assistance to the referendum process, told Gration in a meeting on Friday, August 20, at a donor office in Juba that his estimates of holding the referendum on time were “legally impossible.”, in reference to the timing constraints stipulated in the referendum act.
But Yasir Arman said that the SPLM had also decided to alter the scheduling of some of the process’s phases.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article36052

Now let’s go for the creeping part of the story:

SPLM Mobilizes Arms, Welcomes New Allies
Learnt sources said, according Sudan Media Center (SMC) delivery of the all aircrafts will be finalized late this August, after pilots and engineers have been trained in Uganda and the USA, who were trained to operate the aircrafts in advanced manner. The aircrafts are expected to be in operation before end of this; however SPLM's Atem Garang denied the deal, describing the reports as cheap propaganda. He affirmed that the movement was not in need of sweeping of said deal under the rug.
In its issue dated Aug. 23, Al-Ahdath Arabic daily reported that the ruling National Congress Party NCP wants SPLM to be at "the mercy and hegemony of the north".

http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com/modu...icle&sid=60142

South is definitively on the path of war… Yes this comes from SUNA but the official discourses from South Sudan officials is clear: we will be independent, and North will do as we say. Otherwise we will have war. And if we do not get war, we willfind a reason to get a war.
South Sudan is actually topping up to come to the level of Kartoum which announced several weeks ago the construction of the first “African” jet fighter. (Knowing that Egypt did the same several decades ago and South Africa also…)
After tanks, SPLA is getting planes. Next step? A navy?

But the real creepy news comes from Khartoum:

Sudan Prepares to Instal First Nuclear Rector for Research Purpose SUNA
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency, scientists of the Sudanese Authority for Atomic Energy Agency and representatives of the Ministry of Electricity and Dams, NSIS,
Civil Defense got engaged in intensive meetings at the Civil Defense Head Quarters in Khartoum yesterday to discuss the feasibility study of importing the first nuclear reactor in Sudan for the purposes of scientific research.
The feasibility study has started earlier this year, after the approval by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the possibility of Sudan to acquire two nuclear reactors for electricity generation and scientific research purposes.
Addressing the inaugural session, Director-General of the Sudan Atomic Energy Agency, Prof. Mohamed Ahmed Hassan Tayeb stressed the importance of having the technologies of peaceful uses of atomic energy as well as the instrumentality of the research reactor and its contribution to the national infrastructures.

http://www.sudanvisiondaily.com/modu...icle&sid=60124

North Sudan is willing to get the second nuclear reactor of African continent! Yes, the second one, because the first one is in… DRC! Chilling isn’t?

Well, I know a guy in Iran who just said the same. But launching air strikes from Juba or Uganda will be easier than from Tel Aviv…But may be not. Some lessons from 2006 Lebanon war still have not been learned may be.
Anyways, it's China who will be happy. Now they can openly do nuclear business. No need to sneek in nuclear material for Iran anymore, it's civilian Sudan nuclear plan business...