Egypt is circling Ethiopia nicely

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South Sudanese President in Egypt for bilateral talk

January 9, 2017 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir left for the Egyptian capital, Cairo for bilateral talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah El- Sisi.

South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir, seen in Addis Ababa on January 29, 2015 (Photo AFP Zacharias Abubeker)
The visit comes barely a month after the Egyptian president visited Uganda, resulting into the unannounced visit to South Sudan by Ugandan leader, Yoweri Museveni.

South Sudan’s Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters that Kiir’s visit would take two days during which the two leaders and their cabinet ministers would hold discussions in relation to bilateral ties between the two countries.

“The President of the Republic Salva Kiir Mayardit and the accompanying delegation left Juba for Cario, Arab Republic of Egypt this morning in response to the invitation extended to him by his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fatah El- Sisi," said Ateny.

He added, "President Salva Kiir will also be extending his country appreciation of the role played by Egypt in supporting South Sudan in the UNSC, and the role of Egypt in offering education to many South Sudanese’ generations since when it was part of the Sudan.

President Kiir is also expected to extend a similar invitation to his Egyptian counterpart.

Critics claim the three leaders agreed to open training camps for Sudanese armed opposition at Uganda-South Sudan border with the view to topple Sudanese government for supporting construction of a dam by Ethiopian government on River Nile.

This deal, according to security sources, resulted in dispatching more than big trucks full of Ugandan troops heading to South Sudan. 20 trucks, unconfirmed reports say, claimed entered Nimule through Elgu, and eighteen trucks via Ajdumani to Kajokeji.

The stated mission is to pursue the armed opposition figures and to clear out rebellion around South Sudan border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, though the Uganda government blackmail the people in the region that they are pursuing Uganda Armed oppositions in Northern Uganda , Eastern Uganda and West Nile as a mere political propaganda, a source told Sudan Tribuneon Monday.

The visit of President Abdullah Fatah Sisi of Egypt to Uganda last month follow by unofficial visit of president Museveni to Juba three days after Egypt President visited to Uganda, in which President Museveni during a closed door meeting with President Salva Kiir, conveyed the message that he and Egyptian leader to open up a training camp at border with his country.

The Kampala and Juba meetings resolved to provide a support to Sudanese and Ethiopian Armed oppositions. This will involve training and providing weapons to SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels both with Military Equipment and full logistics including Finance. Egypt will supply Uganda then South Sudan will be the corridors to supply the equipment to the SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels and Ethiopian Armed opposition.

These military Training camps have will be opened along South Sudan border with Uganda and Congo border. The reason behind is that they want to use Congo Central Africa corridors to launch attack on Sudanese government than using South Sudan Border. The training Camps will be around Mofok and around Lasu.

This will be making it o easier for transportation of the Equipment by land because by air it will be difficult because South Sudan air-space is under the control of Sudan, a security source who did not want to be identified told Sudan Tribune on Monday.

The source further alleged that the Egyptian government had sent 58 senior military commanders to South Sudan through Uganda to access the ground for training for SPLA, Sudanese and Ethiopian rebels. The commanders, he added, are from different military units, armor, artillery, air-defense and central military intelligence.

“Government of Egypt has a plan to topple both the government of Sudan and Ethiopia because the of Dam that Egyptians have contested before and rejected it not to be built, but Sudan and Ethiopia decided to go ahead and they have built the Dam which affect Egypt. The second issue is the contested Area in the eastern part of Sudan bordering Egypt (Halayib). Egypt is claiming that the area and Sudan continues to claim the area also. This is what is happening in the region”, explained the source.

 

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Sudan, Egypt Contest their Maritime Borders
May 12, 2017
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Sudan will recover its territories as long as its dispute with Egypt are genuine. However, if it is for the sake of fighting Ethiopia’s war overt Egypt, it will certainly lose. (Photo: Map of Halayb Triangle, a territory disputed by Egypt and Sudan. )

BY MIDDLE EAST MONITOR

The rift between Sudan and Egypt is growing with the neighbouring countries continuing their disagreements over their maritime borders.

In March, Sudan filed an official memorandum of objection for the first time containing baselines for its northern border, which included the Triangle within the Sudanese borders.



The Sudan Tribune newspaper quoted the Head of the Sudanese Bar Association, Osman Mohammed Al-Sharif, saying:

“Through the declaration that the Sudanese foreign ministry sent to the UN in March by way of presidential decree, Khartoum wanted to take a third course after Cairorefused the two solutions of direct negotiation and international arbitration.”

“The 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was signed by Sudan and Egypt, obliges them to appear before the court for maritime border disputes”.

An Egyptian diplomat said that during negotiations with Saudi Arabia over demarcation of the maritime borders, Egypt had insisted that the demarcation be carried out from the south to the north to ensure that Latitude 22 would be within Egyptian borders, despite being aware that there are legal agreements between Khartoum and Riyadh that include Saudi’s recognition that the Triangle of Halayeb is a Sudanese area.

The source, who declined to be named, claimed that Cairo knew that if Sudan resorted to international arbitration, Saudi Arabia would be forced to comply with its bilateral agreements with Sudan.

 

[Canuck]

Have Egypt, South Sudan and Uganda Formed Tripartite Alliance against Ethiopia and Sudan?
Admin 7 months ago Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

President Museveni receiving his Egyptian counterpart, El-Sisi in Kampala



By Noura Ali | MiddleEastObserver

During a press conference that was held at the presidential palace in Cairo, South Sudan president praised the Egyptian government’s support for the re-institution of stability in his country, calling on rebel groups to stop weakening his country’s government.

In the same context, Kiir also praised several development projects implemented by Egypt in his country, adding that around six thousand South Sudanese nationals are currently living and studying in Cairo.

A civil war has erupted in the central African country since Kiir sacked Riek Machar as vice president in 2013. As a result, more than 10,000 people have been killed and over 2 million displaced, many of whom have fled to neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and North Sudan.

In December 2013, a UN Security Council resolution authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to the country, comprising 12,500 troops from twenty countries, including Egypt.

A ceasefire was signed between President Kiir and Machar after four days of intense gun battles that killed at least 300 in July 2016.

Is there a “Secret Deal” Between Kiir and Al-Sisi Brokered By Uganda?

Hours after Kiir landed in the Egyptian capital Cairo, allegations surfaced on the presence of a secret deal between Cairo and Juba brokered by Uganda.

A senior SPLM-IO(South Sudan’s armed opposition) official told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa that South Sudan’s armed opposition (SPLM/A-IO) accused Cairo and Juba of working on a secret deal to keep South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in power.

However, South Sudanese rebels stated that the main player in these secret negotiations is Uganda that paved the way between South Sudan and Egypt.

In this context, an intelligence source was cited saying that South Sudan and Egypt have been in talks for sometimes.

It is noteworthy that al-Sisi visited Uganda last December 18, 2016.

The rebel official, who asked to remain anonymous in the report because of the sensitivity of the issue, explained that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has brokered a “dirty deal” which would allow Kiir to receive lethal weapons and ammunition from Egypt to wage a full-scale war against the armed opposition.

The source said, “There is a dirty deal going between Kiir and Al-Sisi,” adding that “the issue of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is one of the main deals being finalized in Cairo.”

The source ensured, “Our intelligence sources in Kampala and Juba confirmed that Egypt wants South Sudan and Uganda to be her regional allies so that she can advance its covert sabotage campaign against the Ethiopian Dam. The man [Kiir] is a double agent; he will cause many problems for the entire East Africa region.”

One of the SPLM/A-IO leaders in Cairo also mentioned that some areas in Cairo where South Sudanese live have witnessed increased police activities in recent days, according to South Sudan News Agency.

The source stated that Kiir’s visit aims mainly to issue with al-Sisi Egypt’s interests in East Africa, military deal brokered by Uganda, and ways to maintain peace in South Sudan in case if the current Transitional Government of National Unity collapses.

The source continued, saying Kiir asked al-Sisi to help strengthen relations between Khartoum and Juba so that he could further isolate South Sudanese rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar.

In return, Kiir would assist Al-Sisi regarding the Renaissance Dam issue as Egypt fears that its establishment would have negative repercussion on its water shares from the Nile River.

An Egyptian Newspaper: A tripartite Alliance to Siege Ethiopia

In the same context, an Egyptian newspaper al-Dostour published an article titled: “In Cooperation between Cairo, Juba, and Uganda… Egypt leads a tripartite alliance to siege Ethiopia.”

The Egyptian newspaper mentioned that Egypt seeks to enhance its movements in Africa and especially with the Nile basin countries.

It also reported that Egypt, Juba, and Uganda currently form a tripartite alliance its main target to siege Ethiopia, support Egypt’s interests in the region and put pressure on Addis Ababa’s government if necessary.

Moreover, one of Egypt’s top priority to enhance its influence in Sudan to put pressure on Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s regime if the situation escalated especially that al-Bashir’s policy toward Egypt is changeable and unstable.

In addition, al-Bashir backs Ethiopia against Egypt, according to al-Dostour newspaper.

In the same context, Sudan Tribune (an electronic news portal on Sudan and South Sudan) said, “The three leaders agreed to open training camps for Sudanese armed opposition at Uganda-South Sudan border with the view to topple the Sudanese government for supporting the construction of a dam by Ethiopian government on River Nile.”

“This deal, according to security sources, resulted in dispatching more than big trucks full of Ugandan troops heading to South Sudan,” according to Sudan Tribune.

It added that unconfirmed reports claimed that 20 trucks entered Nimule through Elgu, and eighteen trucks via Ajdumani to Kajokej.”

A source told Sudan Tribune that the mission is to chase the armed opposition figures and to clear out rebellion around South Sudan border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, though the Uganda government blackmail the people in the region that they are pursuing Uganda Armed oppositions in Northern Uganda, Eastern Uganda and West Nile as a mere political propaganda.

Sudan Tribune also pointed out to the of al- Sisi’s visit to Uganda last month followed by unofficial visit of president Museveni to Juba three days after Egypt President visited Uganda,” in which President Museveni during a closed-door meeting with President Silva Kiir, conveyed the message that he and Egyptian leader to open up a training camp at border with his country.”

According to the Sudanese news site, both Kampala and Juba meetings concluded to provide support to the Sudanese and Ethiopian Armed oppositions which will involve training and providing weapons to SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels both with Military Equipment and full logistics including Finance. “Egypt will supply Uganda then South Sudan will be the corridors to supply the equipment to the SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels and Ethiopian Armed opposition.”

According to media reports, these military training camps will be opened along South Sudan border with Uganda and Congo border. The main aim behind that “to use Congo Central Africa corridors to launch attacks on Sudanese government than using South Sudan Border. The training Camps will be around Mofok and around Lasu,” said Sudan Tribune.

A security source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that this will be making it o easier for transportation of the Equipment by land because by air it will be difficult because South Sudan air-space is under the control of Sudan.

The source further alleged that the Egyptian government had sent 58 senior military commanders to South Sudan through Uganda to access the ground for training for SPLA, Sudanese and Ethiopian rebels.

He also added that the commanders are from different military units, armor, artillery, air-defense and central military intelligence.

Last August, Sudan Tribune cited military sources saying that South Sudanese recruits largely drawn by the ethnic group of President Salva Kiir and his army chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, have been trained by foreign instructors from Egypt and neighboring Uganda to perform airborne landing to seize an enemy’s airfield and retain it until the arrival of the main forces.

Kiir’s Visit to Egypt Will Renew Ethiopia’s Fears

There is no doubt that Kiir’s latest visit to Egypt will alarm Ethiopia that shares the same borders with South Sudan especially after several media reports pointed to a hidden deal between Cairo and Juba regarding the Renaissance Dam.

Kiir’s visit would probably renew Addis Ababa’s fears that al-Sisi would use Juba to cause unrest on the Ethiopian territories taking advantage of Kiir’s need to restore back his power and stabilize his country from the rebel movement.

It is noteworthy that Ethiopia has accused Egypt of destabilizing the country’s national security.

Last December, the Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that there are Egyptian institutions harboring, supporting, and funding terrorist groups in Ethiopia, during his interview on Al- Muqabla show aired on Al-Jazeera.

The Ethiopian prime minister’s comments came in response to a question regarding his country’s claims that Egypt and Eritrea are supporting opposition groups in Ethiopia.

Desalegn explained that they repeatedly addressed the Egyptian authorities regarding those institutions, and called on them to take suitable procedures against them and investigate them, adding that Egyptian authorities have denied their relation with these institutions.

Among these groups is the Oromo Liberation Front, he noted.

The minister explained that they need not refer to intelligence findings to obtain information regarding these institutions since the information is already available on the internet and on Egyptian media outlets.

The prime minister said that the support of these institutions will impact relations between both countries, as it targets Ethiopia’s stability.

He concluded that Ethiopia is awaiting Egypt’s response regarding this issue.

Although the anchor pushed the narrative of an Egyptian intervention due to building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the prime minister denied such claims saying that is not the cause, as the dam will be built without any influence from Egypt or Sudan.

This was not the first time that Ethiopia stated such claims against Egypt. In early October, a video showed members from the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front sharing a stage with what Ethiopian media described as Egyptians.

The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry commented on the video saying that Egypt does not intervene in the internal affairs of other countries.

Ethiopian refugees in Egypt, including people from the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, usually arrange rallies in front of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Cairo to protest against the Ethiopian government’s violations against opposition groups in their homeland.

The Oromo and Amhara represent the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. A significant proportion of these communities have fled Ethiopia due to the persecution and violent treatment by the state. Opposing members of these groups are frequently protesting in Ethiopia causing them to face prison and death.

The Oromo people have an estimated population of 40 million, including 20,000 political prisoners who are accused of belonging to the Oromo Liberation Front, an outlawed group labeled as a terrorist organization.

In late July, two Ethiopian asylum seekers allegedly set themselves on fire in front of the UNHCR as part of a protest led by the Oromo community that sought to demand the right to seek asylum with the UN office.

 

[Canuck]

Have Egypt, South Sudan and Uganda Formed Tripartite Alliance against Ethiopia and Sudan?
Admin 7 months ago Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

President Museveni receiving his Egyptian counterpart, El-Sisi in Kampala



By Noura Ali | MiddleEastObserver

During a press conference that was held at the presidential palace in Cairo, South Sudan president praised the Egyptian government’s support for the re-institution of stability in his country, calling on rebel groups to stop weakening his country’s government.

In the same context, Kiir also praised several development projects implemented by Egypt in his country, adding that around six thousand South Sudanese nationals are currently living and studying in Cairo.

A civil war has erupted in the central African country since Kiir sacked Riek Machar as vice president in 2013. As a result, more than 10,000 people have been killed and over 2 million displaced, many of whom have fled to neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and North Sudan.

In December 2013, a UN Security Council resolution authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to the country, comprising 12,500 troops from twenty countries, including Egypt.

A ceasefire was signed between President Kiir and Machar after four days of intense gun battles that killed at least 300 in July 2016.

Is there a “Secret Deal” Between Kiir and Al-Sisi Brokered By Uganda?

Hours after Kiir landed in the Egyptian capital Cairo, allegations surfaced on the presence of a secret deal between Cairo and Juba brokered by Uganda.

A senior SPLM-IO(South Sudan’s armed opposition) official told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa that South Sudan’s armed opposition (SPLM/A-IO) accused Cairo and Juba of working on a secret deal to keep South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in power.

However, South Sudanese rebels stated that the main player in these secret negotiations is Uganda that paved the way between South Sudan and Egypt.

In this context, an intelligence source was cited saying that South Sudan and Egypt have been in talks for sometimes.

It is noteworthy that al-Sisi visited Uganda last December 18, 2016.

The rebel official, who asked to remain anonymous in the report because of the sensitivity of the issue, explained that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has brokered a “dirty deal” which would allow Kiir to receive lethal weapons and ammunition from Egypt to wage a full-scale war against the armed opposition.

The source said, “There is a dirty deal going between Kiir and Al-Sisi,” adding that “the issue of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is one of the main deals being finalized in Cairo.”

The source ensured, “Our intelligence sources in Kampala and Juba confirmed that Egypt wants South Sudan and Uganda to be her regional allies so that she can advance its covert sabotage campaign against the Ethiopian Dam. The man [Kiir] is a double agent; he will cause many problems for the entire East Africa region.”

One of the SPLM/A-IO leaders in Cairo also mentioned that some areas in Cairo where South Sudanese live have witnessed increased police activities in recent days, according to South Sudan News Agency.

The source stated that Kiir’s visit aims mainly to issue with al-Sisi Egypt’s interests in East Africa, military deal brokered by Uganda, and ways to maintain peace in South Sudan in case if the current Transitional Government of National Unity collapses.

The source continued, saying Kiir asked al-Sisi to help strengthen relations between Khartoum and Juba so that he could further isolate South Sudanese rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar.

In return, Kiir would assist Al-Sisi regarding the Renaissance Dam issue as Egypt fears that its establishment would have negative repercussion on its water shares from the Nile River.

An Egyptian Newspaper: A tripartite Alliance to Siege Ethiopia

In the same context, an Egyptian newspaper al-Dostour published an article titled: “In Cooperation between Cairo, Juba, and Uganda… Egypt leads a tripartite alliance to siege Ethiopia.”

The Egyptian newspaper mentioned that Egypt seeks to enhance its movements in Africa and especially with the Nile basin countries.

It also reported that Egypt, Juba, and Uganda currently form a tripartite alliance its main target to siege Ethiopia, support Egypt’s interests in the region and put pressure on Addis Ababa’s government if necessary.

Moreover, one of Egypt’s top priority to enhance its influence in Sudan to put pressure on Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s regime if the situation escalated especially that al-Bashir’s policy toward Egypt is changeable and unstable.

In addition, al-Bashir backs Ethiopia against Egypt, according to al-Dostour newspaper.

In the same context, Sudan Tribune (an electronic news portal on Sudan and South Sudan) said, “The three leaders agreed to open training camps for Sudanese armed opposition at Uganda-South Sudan border with the view to topple the Sudanese government for supporting the construction of a dam by Ethiopian government on River Nile.”

“This deal, according to security sources, resulted in dispatching more than big trucks full of Ugandan troops heading to South Sudan,” according to Sudan Tribune.

It added that unconfirmed reports claimed that 20 trucks entered Nimule through Elgu, and eighteen trucks via Ajdumani to Kajokej.”

A source told Sudan Tribune that the mission is to chase the armed opposition figures and to clear out rebellion around South Sudan border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, though the Uganda government blackmail the people in the region that they are pursuing Uganda Armed oppositions in Northern Uganda, Eastern Uganda and West Nile as a mere political propaganda.

Sudan Tribune also pointed out to the of al- Sisi’s visit to Uganda last month followed by unofficial visit of president Museveni to Juba three days after Egypt President visited Uganda,” in which President Museveni during a closed-door meeting with President Silva Kiir, conveyed the message that he and Egyptian leader to open up a training camp at border with his country.”

According to the Sudanese news site, both Kampala and Juba meetings concluded to provide support to the Sudanese and Ethiopian Armed oppositions which will involve training and providing weapons to SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels both with Military Equipment and full logistics including Finance. “Egypt will supply Uganda then South Sudan will be the corridors to supply the equipment to the SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels and Ethiopian Armed opposition.”

According to media reports, these military training camps will be opened along South Sudan border with Uganda and Congo border. The main aim behind that “to use Congo Central Africa corridors to launch attacks on Sudanese government than using South Sudan Border. The training Camps will be around Mofok and around Lasu,” said Sudan Tribune.

A security source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that this will be making it o easier for transportation of the Equipment by land because by air it will be difficult because South Sudan air-space is under the control of Sudan.

The source further alleged that the Egyptian government had sent 58 senior military commanders to South Sudan through Uganda to access the ground for training for SPLA, Sudanese and Ethiopian rebels.

He also added that the commanders are from different military units, armor, artillery, air-defense and central military intelligence.

Last August, Sudan Tribune cited military sources saying that South Sudanese recruits largely drawn by the ethnic group of President Salva Kiir and his army chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, have been trained by foreign instructors from Egypt and neighboring Uganda to perform airborne landing to seize an enemy’s airfield and retain it until the arrival of the main forces.

Kiir’s Visit to Egypt Will Renew Ethiopia’s Fears

There is no doubt that Kiir’s latest visit to Egypt will alarm Ethiopia that shares the same borders with South Sudan especially after several media reports pointed to a hidden deal between Cairo and Juba regarding the Renaissance Dam.

Kiir’s visit would probably renew Addis Ababa’s fears that al-Sisi would use Juba to cause unrest on the Ethiopian territories taking advantage of Kiir’s need to restore back his power and stabilize his country from the rebel movement.

It is noteworthy that Ethiopia has accused Egypt of destabilizing the country’s national security.

Last December, the Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that there are Egyptian institutions harboring, supporting, and funding terrorist groups in Ethiopia, during his interview on Al- Muqabla show aired on Al-Jazeera.

The Ethiopian prime minister’s comments came in response to a question regarding his country’s claims that Egypt and Eritrea are supporting opposition groups in Ethiopia.

Desalegn explained that they repeatedly addressed the Egyptian authorities regarding those institutions, and called on them to take suitable procedures against them and investigate them, adding that Egyptian authorities have denied their relation with these institutions.

Among these groups is the Oromo Liberation Front, he noted.

The minister explained that they need not refer to intelligence findings to obtain information regarding these institutions since the information is already available on the internet and on Egyptian media outlets.

The prime minister said that the support of these institutions will impact relations between both countries, as it targets Ethiopia’s stability.

He concluded that Ethiopia is awaiting Egypt’s response regarding this issue.

Although the anchor pushed the narrative of an Egyptian intervention due to building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the prime minister denied such claims saying that is not the cause, as the dam will be built without any influence from Egypt or Sudan.

This was not the first time that Ethiopia stated such claims against Egypt. In early October, a video showed members from the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front sharing a stage with what Ethiopian media described as Egyptians.

The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry commented on the video saying that Egypt does not intervene in the internal affairs of other countries.

Ethiopian refugees in Egypt, including people from the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, usually arrange rallies in front of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Cairo to protest against the Ethiopian government’s violations against opposition groups in their homeland.

The Oromo and Amhara represent the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. A significant proportion of these communities have fled Ethiopia due to the persecution and violent treatment by the state. Opposing members of these groups are frequently protesting in Ethiopia causing them to face prison and death.

The Oromo people have an estimated population of 40 million, including 20,000 political prisoners who are accused of belonging to the Oromo Liberation Front, an outlawed group labeled as a terrorist organization.

In late July, two Ethiopian asylum seekers allegedly set themselves on fire in front of the UNHCR as part of a protest led by the Oromo community that sought to demand the right to seek asylum with the UN office.

 

[Canuck]

@Cadmus @Bahal @TSP @Von

 

[Canuck]

Ethiopia: Call for stay home strike in Oromo region

Nagessa Oddo

ESAT News (August 21, 2017)

A five day stay at home strike has been called in the Oromo region of Ethiopia to demand the release of political prisoners and in memory of those who lost their lives at the hands of security forces as well as to oppose tax hikes.

The Oromo Federalist Congress, an opposition party, called on the people in the Oromo region to take part in the strikes to bring attention to their plight.

Coordinator of the International Support Group for the OFC, Nagessa Oddo told ESAT that the strikes were also called to remember those who were killed by the regime’s security in areas bordering the Somali and Oromo regions.

He said the five day strike was also called to coordinate the otherwise fragmented protests against the brutal regime. He said the strikes are called to demand for the release of political prisoners like Bekele Gerba and Dr. Merera Gudina, two prominent leaders of the Oromo opposition movement.

Observers say the five day strikes, on top of its political significance, will result in huge economic losses.

The city of Bahir Dar held a similar one day stay at home strike two weeks ago in remembrance of those killed by security forces in the anti-government protest last summer.

 

[Lalune]

Ethiopia ha burbuurto. Amiin dheh!

 

[Von]

A storm is brewing, I wonder what Somalia could gain from this

 

[Mudug-Madman]

A storm is brewing, I wonder what Somalia could gain from this

Very little, if anything at all. We're still far too weak and fractured to take advantage of this. By the time this shit pops off (if it ever does) we'll still be unable to capitalize on it. We don't have any powerful state institutions and it's still far too easy to pit the federal states against the weak FGS. Hell we don't even have a proper national army.

It's a damn shame too. A potentially fantastic opportunity, wasted.

 

[Canuck]

A storm is brewing, I wonder what Somalia could gain from this

If we can not get Ogaden free at least overthrow those Ethiopian stooges (governors) GAAS AND SHARIF SAKIN in Somalia.

 

[Cadmus]

Have Egypt, South Sudan and Uganda Formed Tripartite Alliance against Ethiopia and Sudan?
Admin 7 months ago Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda

President Museveni receiving his Egyptian counterpart, El-Sisi in Kampala



By Noura Ali | MiddleEastObserver

During a press conference that was held at the presidential palace in Cairo, South Sudan president praised the Egyptian government’s support for the re-institution of stability in his country, calling on rebel groups to stop weakening his country’s government.

In the same context, Kiir also praised several development projects implemented by Egypt in his country, adding that around six thousand South Sudanese nationals are currently living and studying in Cairo.

A civil war has erupted in the central African country since Kiir sacked Riek Machar as vice president in 2013. As a result, more than 10,000 people have been killed and over 2 million displaced, many of whom have fled to neighboring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and North Sudan.

In December 2013, a UN Security Council resolution authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping mission to the country, comprising 12,500 troops from twenty countries, including Egypt.

A ceasefire was signed between President Kiir and Machar after four days of intense gun battles that killed at least 300 in July 2016.

Is there a “Secret Deal” Between Kiir and Al-Sisi Brokered By Uganda?

Hours after Kiir landed in the Egyptian capital Cairo, allegations surfaced on the presence of a secret deal between Cairo and Juba brokered by Uganda.

A senior SPLM-IO(South Sudan’s armed opposition) official told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa that South Sudan’s armed opposition (SPLM/A-IO) accused Cairo and Juba of working on a secret deal to keep South Sudanese President Salva Kiir in power.

However, South Sudanese rebels stated that the main player in these secret negotiations is Uganda that paved the way between South Sudan and Egypt.

In this context, an intelligence source was cited saying that South Sudan and Egypt have been in talks for sometimes.

It is noteworthy that al-Sisi visited Uganda last December 18, 2016.

The rebel official, who asked to remain anonymous in the report because of the sensitivity of the issue, explained that Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has brokered a “dirty deal” which would allow Kiir to receive lethal weapons and ammunition from Egypt to wage a full-scale war against the armed opposition.

The source said, “There is a dirty deal going between Kiir and Al-Sisi,” adding that “the issue of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is one of the main deals being finalized in Cairo.”

The source ensured, “Our intelligence sources in Kampala and Juba confirmed that Egypt wants South Sudan and Uganda to be her regional allies so that she can advance its covert sabotage campaign against the Ethiopian Dam. The man [Kiir] is a double agent; he will cause many problems for the entire East Africa region.”

One of the SPLM/A-IO leaders in Cairo also mentioned that some areas in Cairo where South Sudanese live have witnessed increased police activities in recent days, according to South Sudan News Agency.

The source stated that Kiir’s visit aims mainly to issue with al-Sisi Egypt’s interests in East Africa, military deal brokered by Uganda, and ways to maintain peace in South Sudan in case if the current Transitional Government of National Unity collapses.

The source continued, saying Kiir asked al-Sisi to help strengthen relations between Khartoum and Juba so that he could further isolate South Sudanese rebel leader Dr. Riek Machar.

In return, Kiir would assist Al-Sisi regarding the Renaissance Dam issue as Egypt fears that its establishment would have negative repercussion on its water shares from the Nile River.

An Egyptian Newspaper: A tripartite Alliance to Siege Ethiopia

In the same context, an Egyptian newspaper al-Dostour published an article titled: “In Cooperation between Cairo, Juba, and Uganda… Egypt leads a tripartite alliance to siege Ethiopia.”

The Egyptian newspaper mentioned that Egypt seeks to enhance its movements in Africa and especially with the Nile basin countries.

It also reported that Egypt, Juba, and Uganda currently form a tripartite alliance its main target to siege Ethiopia, support Egypt’s interests in the region and put pressure on Addis Ababa’s government if necessary.

Moreover, one of Egypt’s top priority to enhance its influence in Sudan to put pressure on Omar Hassan al-Bashir’s regime if the situation escalated especially that al-Bashir’s policy toward Egypt is changeable and unstable.

In addition, al-Bashir backs Ethiopia against Egypt, according to al-Dostour newspaper.

In the same context, Sudan Tribune (an electronic news portal on Sudan and South Sudan) said, “The three leaders agreed to open training camps for Sudanese armed opposition at Uganda-South Sudan border with the view to topple the Sudanese government for supporting the construction of a dam by Ethiopian government on River Nile.”

“This deal, according to security sources, resulted in dispatching more than big trucks full of Ugandan troops heading to South Sudan,” according to Sudan Tribune.

It added that unconfirmed reports claimed that 20 trucks entered Nimule through Elgu, and eighteen trucks via Ajdumani to Kajokej.”

A source told Sudan Tribune that the mission is to chase the armed opposition figures and to clear out rebellion around South Sudan border with Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, though the Uganda government blackmail the people in the region that they are pursuing Uganda Armed oppositions in Northern Uganda, Eastern Uganda and West Nile as a mere political propaganda.

Sudan Tribune also pointed out to the of al- Sisi’s visit to Uganda last month followed by unofficial visit of president Museveni to Juba three days after Egypt President visited Uganda,” in which President Museveni during a closed-door meeting with President Silva Kiir, conveyed the message that he and Egyptian leader to open up a training camp at border with his country.”

According to the Sudanese news site, both Kampala and Juba meetings concluded to provide support to the Sudanese and Ethiopian Armed oppositions which will involve training and providing weapons to SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels both with Military Equipment and full logistics including Finance. “Egypt will supply Uganda then South Sudan will be the corridors to supply the equipment to the SPLM-North, Darfur Rebels and Ethiopian Armed opposition.”

According to media reports, these military training camps will be opened along South Sudan border with Uganda and Congo border. The main aim behind that “to use Congo Central Africa corridors to launch attacks on Sudanese government than using South Sudan Border. The training Camps will be around Mofok and around Lasu,” said Sudan Tribune.

A security source, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that this will be making it o easier for transportation of the Equipment by land because by air it will be difficult because South Sudan air-space is under the control of Sudan.

The source further alleged that the Egyptian government had sent 58 senior military commanders to South Sudan through Uganda to access the ground for training for SPLA, Sudanese and Ethiopian rebels.

He also added that the commanders are from different military units, armor, artillery, air-defense and central military intelligence.

Last August, Sudan Tribune cited military sources saying that South Sudanese recruits largely drawn by the ethnic group of President Salva Kiir and his army chief of general staff, Paul Malong Awan, have been trained by foreign instructors from Egypt and neighboring Uganda to perform airborne landing to seize an enemy’s airfield and retain it until the arrival of the main forces.

Kiir’s Visit to Egypt Will Renew Ethiopia’s Fears

There is no doubt that Kiir’s latest visit to Egypt will alarm Ethiopia that shares the same borders with South Sudan especially after several media reports pointed to a hidden deal between Cairo and Juba regarding the Renaissance Dam.

Kiir’s visit would probably renew Addis Ababa’s fears that al-Sisi would use Juba to cause unrest on the Ethiopian territories taking advantage of Kiir’s need to restore back his power and stabilize his country from the rebel movement.

It is noteworthy that Ethiopia has accused Egypt of destabilizing the country’s national security.

Last December, the Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that there are Egyptian institutions harboring, supporting, and funding terrorist groups in Ethiopia, during his interview on Al- Muqabla show aired on Al-Jazeera.

The Ethiopian prime minister’s comments came in response to a question regarding his country’s claims that Egypt and Eritrea are supporting opposition groups in Ethiopia.

Desalegn explained that they repeatedly addressed the Egyptian authorities regarding those institutions, and called on them to take suitable procedures against them and investigate them, adding that Egyptian authorities have denied their relation with these institutions.

Among these groups is the Oromo Liberation Front, he noted.

The minister explained that they need not refer to intelligence findings to obtain information regarding these institutions since the information is already available on the internet and on Egyptian media outlets.

The prime minister said that the support of these institutions will impact relations between both countries, as it targets Ethiopia’s stability.

He concluded that Ethiopia is awaiting Egypt’s response regarding this issue.

Although the anchor pushed the narrative of an Egyptian intervention due to building the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the prime minister denied such claims saying that is not the cause, as the dam will be built without any influence from Egypt or Sudan.

This was not the first time that Ethiopia stated such claims against Egypt. In early October, a video showed members from the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front sharing a stage with what Ethiopian media described as Egyptians.

The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry commented on the video saying that Egypt does not intervene in the internal affairs of other countries.

Ethiopian refugees in Egypt, including people from the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, usually arrange rallies in front of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Cairo to protest against the Ethiopian government’s violations against opposition groups in their homeland.

The Oromo and Amhara represent the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. A significant proportion of these communities have fled Ethiopia due to the persecution and violent treatment by the state. Opposing members of these groups are frequently protesting in Ethiopia causing them to face prison and death.

The Oromo people have an estimated population of 40 million, including 20,000 political prisoners who are accused of belonging to the Oromo Liberation Front, an outlawed group labeled as a terrorist organization.

In late July, two Ethiopian asylum seekers allegedly set themselves on fire in front of the UNHCR as part of a protest led by the Oromo community that sought to demand the right to seek asylum with the UN office.

https://www.africaintelligence.com/...ng-kamapala-s-security-services,108137650-ART

Why Egypt is supporting Kamapala’s security services

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/659151-egypt-opens-defence-office-in-uganda.html

Egypt opens defence office in Uganda
By Vision Reporter
Added 27th August 2014 09:40 PM

The Egyptian Armed Forces have opened a Defence office in Kampala. It has been inaugurated at a function attended by military officers from Uganda and Egypt.

This has been in the works for many years.

 

[Von]

Very little, if anything at all. We're still far too weak and fractured to take advantage of this. By the time this shit pops off (if it ever does) we'll still be unable to capitalize on it. We don't have any powerful state institutions and it's still far too easy to pit the federal states against the weak FGS. Hell we don't even have a proper national army.

It's a damn shame too. A potentially fantastic opportunity, wasted.

The FGS needs to force the FS into line with them, I hope when shit pops off we can take advantage. I doubt Ethiopia will do anything bold in the short term so we have time I think.
This is Ethiopia, opportunities are everywhere but Egypt's future water crisis should be dragged out as long as possible

 

[Cadmus]

The FGS needs to force the FS into line with them, I hope when shit pops off we can take advantage. I doubt Ethiopia will do anything bold in the short term so we have time I think.
This is Ethiopia, opportunities are everywhere but Egypt's future water crisis should be dragged out as long as possible

We don't even have to drag it on, Egyptians can't go without water in that environment.

Spot on about the FGS. This is why there has to be a clear line of command. Either you're in the FGS, or leave now and be on your own when the war starts.

 

[Cadmus]

A storm is brewing, I wonder what Somalia could gain from this

If they play their cards right, everything. Would be the end of habashi imperialism and expansionism. Somalia can easily recover from all these years of war, but ethiopia is too fragmented. That's why they even have independence clauses in the habashi constitution.

 

[Von]

We don't even have to drag it on, Egyptians can't go without water in that environment.

Spot on about the FGS. This is why there has to be a clear line of command. Either you're in the FGS, or leave now and be on your own when the war starts.

yeah Egypt out of the Nile river area is dead .
I was think ok so, FS are going against the FGS but why? came to the realization that outside forces are feeding them bribes. So let's bribe them back into the fold, right? could be a start. whats your thoughts on that?

If they play their cards right, everything. Would be the end of habashi imperialism and expansionism. Somalia can easily recover from all these years of war, but ethiopia is too fragmented. That's why they even have independence clauses in the habashi constitution.

I saw that in the constitution , arent they secretly building up Mekelle.

 

[ሕጊ።።]

 

[Menelik III]

Selam,

How's the progress on the mekelle woldiya railroad? Can it be seen from the major roads? Have you been on any of the expressways?

 

[Beja]

It's funny how all these organizations believe Sudan is on Ethiopia'a side... Trust me Sudan only wants to buy electricity from Ethiopia if a war blew out there is no way Sudan is standing with Ethiopia over Egypt. That being said I do support this dam since it produces a lot of electricity and it can regulate flooding, just yesterday I saw many plots of farmland in tutti island and trees along nile street drowned in water and they're saying it'll get worse on the news. HOWEVER if the dam does consume more water than promised then Egypt has the right to bomb it.

 

[Menelik III]

It's funny how all these organizations believe Sudan is on Ethiopia'a side... Trust me Sudan only wants to buy electricity from Ethiopia if a war blew out there is no way Sudan is standing with Ethiopia over Egypt. That being said I do support this dam since it produces a lot of electricity and it can regulate flooding, just yesterday I saw many plots of farmland in tutti island and trees along nile street drowned in water and they're saying it'll get worse on the news. HOWEVER if the dam does consume more water than promised then Egypt has the right to bomb it.

Egypt has no say in what we do. We are in the process of securing 30% of water rights of the Nile. There's nothing you can do to stop us using our water. You act like you own the Nile, when the only reason you have shares is because you were Egypt and Britains colony.

 

[Beja]

Egypt has no say in what we do

That's how you get killed, idiot. You don't get away with pissing off countries that are richer, more powerful and influential than you. Know your place.

We are in the process of securing 30% of water rights of the Nile. There's nothing you can do to stop us using our water.

Didn't want to stop you... If you weren't illiterate you would see that I support the dam.

You act like you own the Nile, when the only reason you have shares is because you were Egypt and Britains mule.

Looks like temporarily being a mule before we slaughtered them off our lands was a good idea... Now we have a surplus of water and you have no share despite being the source of the blue nile sore losers.