The Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) yet again delivered on its thousand and one vows to boycott sessions of the National Legislature last week. The reason this time was parliamentary debate over the Southern Sudan Referendum Bill, which specifies legislation for the 2011 referendum, meant to determine whether or not the South secedes from Sudan.
The Referendum Bill has undergone intensive debate between all political parties for the past eighteen months. It was subject to several evaluations, beginning with the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC); the Trilateral Talks brokered by the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Gen. Scott Gration; and, finally, the Political Committee between the NCP and SPLM, co-chaired by Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha and Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar.
But eighteen months of efforts to marshal national consensus have been squandered by the SPLM in one fell swoop. As a result of disagreement over a single sub-article the SPLM has sentenced Sudan's referendum bill to death by firing squad.
In this brief article we are not concerned with political correctness, or with what the mechanical minority should or should not do. We are not concerned with the criticism leveled at mechanical minorities when they foster brinkmanship, resort to delaying tactics, and boycott democratic processes. What we are concerned with is an examination of the debated sub-article regarding referendum voting process, which can be used to gauge the SPLM's level of commitment to the New Sudan project, based on what it purports to represent and promise.
Rendered into simple English, this means that, if you are a southerner descendent from southern Sudanese who migrated to the North to escape atrocities of the war, or in the southern diaspora, you cannot exercise your right to register and vote in the referendum, where you live. You can only exercise this right in the South.
Rendered into even simpler language, if a Taposa southerner who fits into this unfortunate category were living in either Halfa in the far north of Sudan, or in Port Sudan to the extreme East, he would have to travel — at his own expense — to register in Eastern Equatoria State. Furthermore, since there must be a lapse of time between registration and voting, and since this individual likely has business to attend to where he lives, he would have to travel all the way back to Port Sudan or Halfa — also at his own expense — only to return to the South again once voting starts.
It is important to note that all this burdensome travel, which the SPLM wants to impose on hundreds of thousands of southerners, is not necessitated by the absence of voting centers in the North – whether in Halfa, in Port Sudan or in Nyala. On the contrary, the debated law provides for such centers to be used for the referendum as long as there are enough southerners to justify them in any given part of the country. The SPLM proposal means that our unfortunate Taposa friend, whose mother gave birth to him somewhere in the North while escaping the atrocities of war in the south, will have to travel prohibitively long distances to vote. It could happen that he lives a stone's-throw away from a voting center in Port Sudan; however, the article states that he will not be able to register or vote in that center. Instead, he will have to travel south more than once — just to practice his legal right to vote.
Without a doubt, making the trip twice will be a hell of a problem for him, both financially and physically. And it requires that our southern friend hold a very strong faith in the exercise of his rights, one that matches the faith and perseverance of the Prophet Noah. This means that article 27 (3) as espoused by the SPLM takes by the left hand what it gave to the southerners by the right hand. In practice, the number of southerners voting according to article 27 (3) would come to naught if we allow the SPLM-promoted stipulations to be signed into law.
This begs an important question: for whom are the international and Northern Sudanese voting centers, provided for by the law, intended?
The answer is that they are intended for a privileged group of southerners who are much more distinguished than others. Such a group would include most of the political leaders and other favored southerners who will easily be able to prove they lived in the South after 1956, as the article in question requires.
That the referendum bill requires southerners to return south to vote reflects the view that either they are untrustworthy or they do not adequately represent the South. In order to have them prove their southern-ness, the SPLM leadership wants to require exhausting trips. This type of non-constitutional discrimination divides southerners into two categories: first class southerners and second class southerners. Members of the first category may enter and vote in centres in the North; members of the second category, who are equally eligible, may not — put more candidly, it is electoral apartheid. This was the system which the NCP refused to accept during the session this week. And it was exactly the system promoted by the SPLM, which quit the session when Parliament did not approve it.
When marginalization is mentioned, it usually refers to social marginalization of the type practiced by a society without any official directives to do so. But for this social practice to become legally approved by the Parliament and signed into law, will usher in a more sinister type of marginalization that should be rejected in principle. The Legal Committee in the Parliament recognized this dangerous possibility and unanimously approved the report demanding the removal of any discriminatory articles. The legislation that took eighteen full months to prepare is now approved by the Parliament — and in better shape without its pro-apartheid articles.
Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani is Leader of the NCP Caucus in the Sudan Parliament.
Hi Darfur compatriots lord bless Darfur forever. My concern is this to the leaders of SLM: Did you organize the Darfur or Sudan Liberation Movement?
This question is one of many irony of Sudan's politics. Mr. Ghazi without a doubt has a courage to cry over what a southern should or should not do. Where wereas the (jihadi, oops) equality hero, Mr. Ghazi when the recently passed and implemented Elections Registration Laws? Mr. Ghazi, it is too late for the "divide and rule" politics. When did a Taposa becomes your friend, is this friendship based on sincere values of citizenship or you are just using it as a means to attain NCP obvious agenda. Mr. Ghazi, did you forget when you and NCP refused to open Sudan election registration centres in Uganda, Kenya where there are hundreds of southern Sudanese? You must be infected by blindness which prevent you from seeing the acts you-NCP are doing within your own realms of power; however, your-NCP blindedness goes away if you-NCP are not going to gain anything from SPLM.
Why do you-NCP wants to open referendum centres in Halfa, Nyala and Port-Sudan for only 500.000 southern Sudanese whom your-NCP states estimated to be living in the North? Mr. Ghazi you-NCP are up to no good, obviously you-NCP wants to flood the mentioned centres with people you know to turn to votes in your-NCP favour. Poor country Sudan, being ruled by people who do not see beyond their immediate party interest.
Why should SPLM or Southern Sudanese have to make "unity of Sudan attractive"? Remember, you-NCP and many pro-Pan Arab parties in Sudan still doubt SPLM call for a new united Sudan! You-NCP and others who chaired the power in Khartoum every since 1956, have been and are still willing to kill all southern Sudanese in the name of "unity" and Islam allover South and as well even cold blooded like in the incidents of Daein-and-Babanosa railway station. Did you change your-NCP call for dividing Sudan into Dar el harb (war zone) and dar el salam (peace zone)?
Mr. Ghazi when did your heart really feel Sudan is your country and all Sudanese are its full citizens? Something must terribly wrong the time you started to cry out loud against SPLM moves on the referendum bill? I would like to know what is it?
One more thing, did you forget what you-NCP are doing in Darfur? Darfur in terms of religion, it is categorically unlike South but you-NCP did not even consider the brotherhood in Islam Darfurians shares with you as Muslims? Why you-pro justice and equality Ghazi did not speak up for Darfur blights under hands and arms of NCP? Why and why?
Are you really serious Mr. Ghazi to see that all Sudanese have equal rights? Please prove me wrong!
1.	In principle, I believe that insisting on the Southerners living in the North of Sudan to have only to register in the South and Vote in the South does not sound correct but also seem to undermine many of their rights and does not take into full account the practical difficulties such arrangement might cause, unless this is based on some strong grounds and justifications from the side of the SPLM and I have no doubts that such grounds do exist and might have surfaced during the negotiations. I was expecting Dr. Ghazi to bring these reasons; similar to the way he brought his counter arguments in this discussion.
2.	For me what is more significant is not the fact that the SPLM resorted to boycott the Parliament session for the thousands and one time, but the fact that this boycott was a result of the Government of North Sudan "GoNS" dishonouring its agreements with the South and other parties for the million and one time. Apparently, from the news sources available to us, most of the issues under dispute were agreed upon between the SPLM and the NCP negotiators, but once the laws arrive to the Parliament, they arrive in different versions with no respect whatsoever to what was agreed upon and what was supposed to be honoured. Agreements need to be honoured regardless of what we personally think about them, as long as we say yes and give our consensus at the end of that day. We heard this same story not only with regards to the referendum laws, but also with regard to many other issues of dispute such as the national security laws and the trade union laws.
3.	Again for the registration and the voting of the Southerners, who live in the North of Sudan, to take place in the North, the main concern would be how transparent, open and fraud-free these processes could be guaranteed without any manipulation, and to what extent is the SPLM going take part in the management and monitoring of the referendum in the North, and especially the verification of who is eligible to vote, seem to be some of the important questions here. I am not sure if this matter was tackled in the negotiations by the NCP and what was the response of the SPLM on that. For me this represent a big issue of doubt, since I, and most of the observers, were able to see how the North Sudan government consider the SPLM and how it reduced the SPLM leadership and partners, in the supposed government of national unity, following the recent demonstrations that led to the arrest of two of the highest senior officials of the SPLM and with one Minister of Interior not been able to be an authority to permit a peaceful demonstration just because he is a Southerner. That reflects how the North treats the South and is also a reflection of how things could be controlled in the future if the referendum and the easily corruptible processes of registration and voting are to take place in the North.
4.	I do not also understand why you lay it on thick and say "In practice, the number of southerners voting according to article 27 (3) would come to naught if we allow the SPLM-promoted stipulations to be signed into law"? I do not believe that the majority of the Southerners who live in the North of Sudan will not be able to vote for referendum. Many of the Southerners in the North are associated with specific political groupings and as such I expect these groups to mobilize them for the referendum in support of their respective agenda with regards to unity and secession of Sudan.
5.	My last question and point could have indirect relevance to the issue under discussion. I would like to know if during the negotiations between the NCP and the SPLM the fate of the Southerners who live in the North of the Sudan was discussed, in case the referendum resulted in secession. What would be the nationalities status in the case of two states?
I wish Mr. Ghazi post-scripted his article by noting that the bill in question was returned to the Parliament following the protest by the SPLM/A.
I agree with Ahmed Hassan that the substantive arguments in favour of including all Southerners, including those resident in the North, on the electoral roll for the Referendum, are persuasive. The outcome of the Referendum will be more credible and legitimate if everyone who has Southern Sudanese identity is able to vote in his or her place of residence.
Procedurally, the story is different. Whatever the merits of the argument, the NCP and SPLM agreed on a formula, which was then changed when the Bill was submitted to Parliament. The time for disputation on the content of the Bill had passed, and if it is unconstitutional, that is a matter for the Constitutional Court, not the NCP. The NCP can pass laws as it wishes on its simple numerical majority, but on a matter such as this, it is essential to have the support of the SPLM as well. The Bill has now gone back to Parliament.
What this episode illustrates, from start to finish, is the profound distrust of the NCP in particular and the Northern political establishment in general, by the Southerners. The distrust is so deep that it can defy logic. There is a history of agreements dishonoured. The last-moment change in the Referendum Bill only confirms that distrust.
As an avid follower of Sudanese politics over the years, I never thought I would see the day when Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani would be championing the rights of Southern Sudanese in as far as self determination or a referendum is concerned. This is the same Ghazi who reportedly told SPLM delegates at the IGADD sponsored peace talks in 1994, that if Southerners want self-determination on the agenda, they would have to get it through the barrel of the gun.
Politics, as a friend remarked upon reading this article, can be a game of amnesia.
The inclusive proposal that would allow Southerners in the north to participate in the referendum is a good idea. However, the main issue is whether the process can be carried out in a fair and just manner that is not subject to manipulation. Given the history of foot-dragging on enacting articles of the CPA, Southerners will of course reject the procedure because of concerns about manipulation.
I don't know if the NCP Islamists have mellowed in strategy over the years, but certainly Ghazi is not the right prophet to preach inclusiveness given his past views on self-determination. If anything, the fact that he was chosen to explain the inclusiveness of the bill broadens the suspicion and mistrust.
As my friend observed, when the fox in the hen house starts telling the hens that he is now on their side, then hell must be a stone's throw away.
In response to Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani's campaign.
I believe there is a huge difference between the southerners who have moved to the north due to war atrocities in south Sudan since 1983 or even before that and the category referred to in the mentioned (amended) article as those who can trace their origin to the south but resided in the north before or since 1956. I am not intending to go into interpretative argument; but to reveal how the Sudan north elites at the level and profile of Mr. Ghazi can deliberately distort and manipulate facts to serve certain interest, assuming that people would take them for guaranteed. Mr. Ghazi attacked SPLM, arguing "if you are a southerner descendent from southern Sudanese who migrated to the North to escape atrocities of the war, or in the southern diaspora, you cannot exercise your right to register and vote in the referendum, where you live. You can only exercise this right in the South." I would like him to clarify the accuracy of this statement in describing the category mentioned in the amended article, which stirred the whole controversy.
There is no mention of the before or since 1956 category, but a blanket definition used to deceptively give the impression that the SPLM is excluding all southerners living today in the north including Pagan and Deng Allor. In a suggestive manner Mr. Ghazi wanted us to believe that SPLM in its quest to assure the cession of the South and turn the trick has overlooked the basic rights of the southerners.
I am inclined to accept that line of explanation, which argues the amendment meant to open the door widely for anyone to claim having descended from the south, followed by complex procedural hurdles including verification requirements. That would in turn open the door for fraud, while rendering the whole project operationally unworkable.
This being said, as Sudanese we know who the southern Sudanese are and who are not consequently such ambiguous wording of the amendment could be described as redundant in the best case . I would assume that majority of the southern IDPs now living in shanty towns and poverty belts of Khartoum belong to those displaced by the declared holy war in the south by the same people, who now pretend to defend their rights. As mentioned elsewhere these groups have their political affiliation either to SPLM or other southern parties in which case I see no reason why the SPLM, should deny their participation, whether in the upcoming election in 2010 or the referendum in 2011.
In conclusion, both the North and South elites should have moral obligation to tell us, the Sudanese people, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in this critical and frustrating time of our day.
This article brings up a few salient points that have been on my mind lately.
1. The SPLM's unfortunate decision to boycott Parliament (they did so for 45 days until rejoining this month) undermines the processes put in place to implement the CPA. It jeopardizes the ability of both parties to fulfill their commitments to the CPA, though naturally the ruling party (NCP) is the only one blamed, as it is viewed as more responsible for ensuring implementation. I am reluctant to say that boycotting calls into question the SPLM's support of the agreement altogether, but protesting tactics cannot replace direct dialogue.
2. It seems strongly counter-intuitive for referendum voting to only be allowed to take place in the South. As part of a diaspora myself, I know that my location at any given time does not necessarily determine my loyalties or, ultimately, my identity. Many Southerners living outside the South probably still have a stake in its future, and should not be penalized for fear of fraud; instead, an effort should be made to prevent any unfair play and still allow them to vote.
3. Who is included in the bloc of eligible voters from which 60% are required to participate in order for the referendum vote to be legitimate? Does anybody know if all Southerners in Sudan are considered in that calculation, or only those in the South?
Ahmad Hassan has made a good first point. It has become a fairly common practice to finger point and make claims of under hand tactics. It is agreeable that the SPLM has grounds to resist the intended amendment to article 27(3), but the onus is on the SPLM to justify their grounds resistance.
Just small comment on your first point.
I believe that the SPLM was pushed to boycott due to the continuous refusal of the NCP to negotiate the issues of dispute of the CPA.
The NCP did not agree to discuss these matters and did not agree to extend the parliament sessions up until the SPLM put pressure on it through boycotting and through organizing peaceful demonstrations.
Again, let us remember that the CPA was signed in 2005, and for all these years, ever since then, the NCP was playing its games and creating obstacles for the implementation of the CPA, it is not fair then to claim that the SPLM' 45 days of boycott are to be blamed for the delay of the implementation of the CPA.
I think it is important to agree on clear measures and principles by which you can allow or disallow southern Sudanese the right to vote in the 2011 self-determination referendum or not. I do agree with youe points that the process must be easy for all southerners to express their democratic rights whether they were in the north or diaspora but the political wrangling between the NCP and SPLM, in many other cases sidelines those core principles and measures and every party looks at its interest an whether the certain measure serve that or not. And the second problem is lack of trust between the two parties to the CPA, as the SPLM doesn't trust any democratic exercise carried in the north where the NCP has full control over all the government apparatus and thinks they might manipulate the outcome of that exercise.
I don't think this is the biggest issue itself, but the most important issue is why are we in this situation now, with the NCP and SPLM on the two different side of the argument, while the SPLM leaders have stopped supporting unity openly. Even the so-called "Garang sons" or the New Sudan advocates are totally neutralised, and not even one of them is talking about making unity attractive. This applies even to SPLM leader Salva Kiir.
The main question which we have to ask ourself is, why the majority of south Sudanese in the north or the south don't want to live in one country with the northern Sudanese. The only way to sustain the unity of the country is by persuading the southerners that they have stake in the united Sudan and that serve their interest.
The dilemma of the NCP leadership is that they negotiated the CPA, with a clause of self-determination for south Sudanese (Machakos Protocol), and it is the main party in the Government of National Unity, and it is clear that the consensus of making unity attractive will fail. That was not the case for the al Mirghani-Garang accords in 1988, and that triggered the NIF 1989 military coup. The NIF coup was justified by stopping the November Accords by claiming that the country is in serious danger. Today, I want the NCP/NIF leaders to revisit that and make an open and honest statement to the Sudanese people.
I think that how history will judge this process and the NCP will carry most of the blame for dividing Sudan.
As an outsider (one who is not Sudanese), I must confess a lack of standing to voice an opinion on who should be allowed to vote (and how) in the upcoming Referendum. But it seems reasonable to me that the SPLM and its supporters would be suspicious of the introduction of amendments in sub-article 27 (3) of the Southern Sudan Referendum Bill. The mechanics of Dr. Ghazi's proposal has the potential for abuse that might lead to an unfair advantage favoring those in the North who oppose separation.
Dr. Ghazi's invocation of the image of "Apartheid" seems to be an attempt to cast as villains those who oppose the amendments in sub-article 27 (3) and triggered responses that infer villainy on the part of Dr. Ghazi and the NCP. But time is short, and the work to be done is daunting, to say the least; and there can be little benefit in casting accusations back and forth across a chasm of distrust.
There is no need to recite the history that has brought us to where we are today. The readers and contributors to this Blog are much more familiar with the history of Sudan than am I. But given this history, and in spite of this history, it is imperative that the NCP and the SPLM find a path through this political thicket to a solution that will best ensure all Sudanese people the quality of life that they deserve.
It is not for me to speak for or against a unified Sudan, but as a member of the global community I have the right to say that all people are entitled to the best lives that they can achieve; and they should not be denied such a life because of the inability of their leaders to find solutions and resolve problems.
It is a denial of a basic human right to prevent an individual from self identifying and associating with others. And it follows from this that it could be said that it is a denial of a human right to prevent an individual who legitimately identifies as a Southern Sudanese from voting in the Referendum because he has always lived in the North. On the other hand, it is also a denial of a basic human right to disenfranchise someone – whether totally through the withholding of the ballot, or partially through the dilution of the strength of a vote. Both sides of the debate over the amendments in sub-article 27 (3) will infringe on human rights if they continue to stand on "absolute" positions. Sudanese living in the North, who legitimately identify as Southerners will be denied their rights by an unyielding position on the part of the SPLM. Southerners living in the South will have their community negated by an uncompromising position of the NCP that allows Northerners (with no other purpose than to dilute the strength of voters in the South) to vote as Southerners. The outcome of the denial of rights under any of these scenarios will be the weakening of both North and South if there is Separation, or a weakening of the Unified Sudan, if there is not.
In any event, the two separate Sudans, or the Unified Sudan will need to be strong in this increasingly dangerous world, because the threats to the people of Sudan from within pale in comparison to the threats that lay beyond its borders. The available resources and the potential resources within the borders of Sudan have not gone unnoticed. The North is very hungry, and it feeds first on the weak. Just as it is within the nature of the wolf to try to take the elk as its prey; so too, is it in the nature of stronger nations to try to feed off of the weak. Within this global community, survival depends very much on strength. And for this reason, it is important that whatever sovereign community or communities come out of the Referendum not be so weak from an exhausting and bruising struggle that the interests of the people of Sudan can not be protected.
I had the occasion to be among a small group of African Americans that met with Dr. Ghazi in Khartoum in February of 2003, and I believe him to be a very intelligent man who cares about Sudan and its people. I also have friends who have long been members of the SPLM and they are no less intelligent, nor less caring about Sudan and its people than Dr. Ghazi. There is a way forward through the Referendum that will result in a strong government, or strong governments, for the people of Sudan and the NCP and the SPLM must find that path.
There are many people outside of Sudan who want Sudan to fail. And failing would not be in terms of one Sudan or two. Regardless of whether there is one Sudan or two, failure would occur if the resulting governments are, or government is, unable to protect and serve the people of Sudan as they deserve and need to be protected and served.
I will end as I began by saying that I am an outsider and am not competent to speak to the desires of the people of Sudan in the matter of the Referendum, but as a brother to all humanity and consequently as a brother to all Sudanese, I believe that this is not the time to cry "villainy," harbour old distrusts and display old wounds. This is the time to see that whatever comes out of this process is the best that it can be for the people of Sudan.
I would like to start with the last sentence in your posting and I hope that as Sudanese we understand it and adopt it in how we dealing with serious problems facing our country, but villainy and distrusts are the main ingredients of the current political life in Sudan and the cause of all the problems we are facing now.
But I disagree with you point that there is no need to recite the history, our problem as Sudanese is we have very short memory that why we keep repeating the same mistakes and that led to the situation we are in now, it is not just political or ideological differences, our whole country is under very serious threat and every Sudanese will be affected by that , for the last 20 years the NCP is in power without recognizing any other power even their main partner in supposed to be government of national unity.
As I mentioned in my first posting the Referendum Bill itself is not the problem it is far bigger than that I think that is just a side effect and not the illness.
I have respect for Dr Ghazi because he wants to intellectually engage with other opinions, but that is not the case with the majority of the NCP leaders. I think what is happening in Sudan now need a genuine participation of all Sudanese.
If the NCP is really serious about getting the country out of the current mess they must engage in an honest and open debate without any limits, red lines and pre- conditions and I am sure Sudanese will find a way out, but insisting on imposing their terms in any outcome will lead the country to a big crisis.
I want to pick up on something Oscar and Hafiz mentioned, which perhaps I should have left in my previous comment. This issue isn't about personal character, of course, but some have commented on it already. Dr. Ghazi Salahuddin is a senior member of the NCP, yes, and their caucus leader in Parliament, but he is also an individual who is capable of self- and party criticism, and does not always go with the majority of the NCP's views. He is an extremely well-respected intellectual in Sudan and elsewhere, for good reason, and I believe he even left the government at some point over disagreements. I believe he takes principled positions, and this is one of them. I don't mean to change the subject of this thread to Dr. Ghazi as a personality, as some people are sharing very meaningful ideas, but I do want to add this comment. Thanks to each of you for the discussion.
I totally agree with your statement that the NCP "must engage in an honest and open debate without any limits, red lines and pre-conditions" and I too believe that if this is done Sudan will find a way out of its dilemma. And yes, I also believe that the insistence upon imposing terms that will guarantee a particular outcome will lead the country into big crisis.
Trust is in short supply at the negotiation tables and fear of the unknown fuels the desire to insure against catastrophe. But these problems need not prevent the ability to progress peacefully towards the best outcomes.
When it is difficult to find the ability to trust your counterpart, then it becomes that much more to be able to trust yourself. It becomes extremely important to be able to trust yourself to listen carefully and hear clearly what your counterpart is saying. It becomes important to understand the options that unfold in front of you. It is important to trust yourself to make the best decisions. If you trust yourself and are comfortable with your abilities to see clearly and act properly, then you are in a better position to open yourself up to consider what your counterpart is saying.
With this in mind, perhaps, it might be most appropriate to use the concept of "self trust" in order to define who is a "Southerner" for purposes of the upcoming Referendum. Given that there is a "Community" of Southern Sudanese within the larger "Community" of Sudanese, it should be the case that the Community of Southern Sudanese is capable of Self Definition.
And given that the upcoming Referendum is an attempt to measure the "Will" of the Community of Southern Sudanese, it should be the case that the Community of Southern Sudanese is capable of identifying the constituency by which this "Will" can be measured.
Self Determination pre-supposes Self Identification and Self Definition. And while it is the right of every "Individual" Southern Sudanese to register his voice in the matter of the Referendum, it is the right of Southern Sudanese individuals "In Community" to have that community respected. Respect for the Community of Southern Sudanese means that the community will not be distorted, corrupted or misrepresented by another entity. While Southern Sudan is currently a part of Sudan, Sudan is not Southern Sudan. This means that the self definition of the Community of Southern Sudanese may only be done by members of the Community of Southern Sudanese and not by Sudan.
No one doubts that many Southern Sudanese live in Northern Sudan. The problem arises when an attempt is made to identify members of the Community of Southern Sudanese who live in Northern Sudan. Perhaps it would be useful to agree that any member of the Community of Southern Sudanese living in Northern Sudan may be identified and verified as such through a process where Southern Sudanese, living in Southern Sudan, identify that individual and confirm that he is indeed a member of the Community of Southern Sudanese.
This could be done regardless of how long that individual had lived away from Southern Sudan – or had never lived in Southern Sudan.
The mechanics of this process would have to be agreed upon, however. The question of how many Southern Sudanese living in Southern Sudan would need to attest on behalf of the individual living in Northern Sudan would need to be decided. The method and timing of such an attestation would have to be agreed upon. There would also need to be devised a method of evidencing that an individual had received such certification. And there are probably other issues that would need to be resolved. But this is one possible way of seeking to resolve the issue of who would be allowed to vote in the Referendum. This process could possibly even be used for those members of the Community of Southern Sudan living outside of Sudan; although it might require a different set of indices.
If an individual living in Northern Sudan is unable to produce some family members, friends or acquaintances living in Southern Sudan who can attest to his being a member of the Community of Southern Sudan, then perhaps it would be reasonable for the NCP to accept the fact that that individual has no standing to vote in the Referendum.
This is merely a suggestion of one possible method to use in the process of bringing into being a fair and meaningful Referendum. And there are probably many other methods that could be employed in place of this suggestion that would be just as useful, or even more useful. But if those of us who wish to see a peaceful, fair and meaningful Referendum offer our suggestions as to how such a Referendum might take place, perhaps we might aid in the effort to find a peaceful path through this thicket.
Finally, I would like to add briefly a clarification to my previous post in this thread and say that when I stated: "the North is very hungry" I was making reference to countries in the northern hemisphere (often referred to as "the West") and not to Northern Sudan.
This is really an interesting and healthy exchange. I've to admit that I'm first time contributor to this blog and million thanks Dr. De Waal for posting my angry questions (above) to Mr. Ghazi. I do share Mr. Hafiz's point that there is need to dissect our past and current Sudan history—in hope we should not repeat the obvious mistakes. Southern Sudanese should not be taken as Sudan's citizens of convenience, who can be used and misused to sustain ideals of Sudan's national interest regardless of what had happened in the past, happening now and might/will potentially, happen in the near future. It is important that IDP fate is in question.
Repatriation of IDP supposedly to start from Khartoum to South. I am not intending to discuss the whole repatriation program, but only few trips that were made to Bhar el Ghazal. It has been public knowledge that vehicles transporting the IDP were attacked by pro-NCP militia/Jesh Sudani on its way to South. One wonders, what really is going-on in the NCP minds. On one hand, they (NCP and even democratic elected Sadiq's government) never make life easy for IDP around Khartoum. On the other hand, NCP is not ready to let these Southern Sudanese who are actually living in camps-similar to "old South Africa apartheid" style to go to rebuild their lives in South.
With all respect to intellectual power Dr. Ghazi and many individual in the NCP have, I hope it is used not divide up Sudanese people. And allow me to re-state the old question: where will a non-Muslim southern person stands in an Islamic state of Sudan (a second or may be a fifth class citizen)? I do not want to think, Sudan's major (religious based) political parties are planning to create Lebanon-like system of power sharing although all indictors did not escape the shadow of the making of Sudan Islamic state.
I am encouraged by the discussion generated in these comments, regardless of the viewpoints expressed.
This is in response to Ahmad Hassan. Thanks for your comments and queries. Here are my answers, arranged in the order of the questions.
A1. During the Trilateral Talks, sponsored by the US Special Envoy, I asked a very senior member of the SPLM delegations the same question you are asking now: what makes you risk your reputation by trying to limit the constitutional rights of southerners? His answer was that they feared that the votes might be rigged if the voting were conducted in the North. My answer was that, first, that was not a very good reason to justify what I saw as a moral lapse; second, that voting could be, likewise, rigged in the South; and third, that the best guarantee against rigging is sufficient monitoring. The latest amendment in the law before it was passed this week was a vindication of my point. However, the laws still discriminate against a section of voters – albeit, much less than those discriminated against by the previous version.
A2. From a logical point of view, it is useless to try responding to this question of blame regarding parliamentary procedures because it deals with some unverifiable claims. From our point of view there is a whole swathe of agreements and commitments on which the SPLM have consistently failed to deliver. As an example, I refer you to the National Powers in the CPA and the Interim Constitution, issues including immigration, custom duties, tax revenue, encampment of forces and so many others, which the SPLM has brushed aside without any respect to the agreement. I would argue that the SPLM have been more adept at crying wolf! But that does not mean that they are right. Better than listening to our or their claims, consider the report of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission. This is a commission composed of the two parties in addition to international guarantors of the CPA. Their reports provide a more objective view of what has and what has not been honored.
A3. The part of your question that interests me is whether there will be enough guarantees for the SPLM to monitor the voting in the North in order to prevent rigging. The answer is yes. First, the Commission which will conduct the referendum, the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, will be composed of nine members, four of which will be nominated by each party, in addition to a national chairperson agreed to by the parties. Second, either party, NCP or SPLM, may field as many observers as they wish, meaning that they could have observers in each voting centre anywhere in the country. Other political forces will have the same privilege. Third, the CPA states that the referendum will be internationally monitored, which means that we will have observers from the UN, the US, the European Union, the African Union, etc.
A4. What you describe as a natural right to be exercised by the Southerners was curtailed by the referendum law in its previous version. According to this version all those born in the North, who did not live in the South, even those who were born after 1956, would be required to go to the South for registration and voting. The amendment introduced after I wrote my article exonerated those born after 1956 from such rigor. Still, the law discriminates against those born in the North, and those whose parents were born in the North, before 1956. In my opinion, here is a winnable case for anyone who willing to file a constitutional suit.
A5. The fate of Southerners in the North is very important question. What you describe falls under what we agreed to call 'substantive' issues. The law that has been passed recently is a 'procedural' law, meaning that it caters for procedural issues – setting up the commission, defining eligibility, specifying needed percentages for turnout and for recognizing the decision to separate. The procedural law enumerates the substantive issues which the two parties should discuss and sort out. Citizenship is one of those substantive issues.
This has been an extremely informative exchange for me and I hope no will mind if I add a few additional comments and ask a few questions relative to the five issues listed by Ahmad Hassan and the responses by Dr. Ghazi.
Regarding issue #1: Required travel to the South (both to register and then to vote) does seem like a hardship that could be seen as a denial of rights. But the fear of vote rigging in the North is not unreasonable given the level of distrust that many Southerners have for the North. But it should not be assumed that voting irregularities could take place in the South as well as in the North. Also, it should always be kept in mind that "complete trust" is not necessary for cooperation; and cooperation between the NCP and the SPLM is what is needed to insure that the best interests of the people of Sudan (both in the North and in the South) are served. Methods for reducing the need for travel to the greatest extent (while reducing the potential for voting irregularities to the greatest extent) should be one of the goals of cooperation between the NCP and the SPLM. And whether the new law does this may continue to be a matter for discussion.
As a matter of mechanics, monitoring does seem to be a potential tool for removing some of the roadblocks created by distrust. The issue of monitoring is addressed in Dr. Ghazi's Answer #3, and I would be curious to know if anyone feels that the anticipated monitoring will not be sufficient.
Regarding issue #2: I would suggest that the issues raised in Ahmad Hassan's Question #2 and Dr. Ghazi's response thereto need not be the focus of discussions at this point in time. Dr. Ghazi has made reference to the Mid Term Evaluation Report of the AEC submitted in July of 2008. I would point out that while that report uses the word "failure" in two instances, nowhere does it contain the words: "refusal," "guilt" or "fault." The failures identified in the Report relate to: a failure in the implementation of the Abyei Protocol (on page 7 of the Report) and a failure to move forward on a "programme of reconciliation and healing to be initiated by the GoNU" (on page 17 of the Report). Any perceived refusals, fault and guilt in the past should be subordinated to a focus on the failures and ways in which those failures can be corrected. That document, which identified the shortcomings that it found at that time, is available for review online at: http://aec-sudan.org/docs/aec/2008_MTE-en.pdf and individuals may review this independently and form their own opinions.
Regarding issue #3: As I have referenced the election monitoring in a paragraph above, I will make no further mention of it here.
Regarding issue #4: The new amendment passed earlier this week does seem to place difficulties upon those Sudanese born in the North prior to 1956, but I would not venture to guess whether this hardship would rise to the level of a human rights violation that would be the foundation of a winnable case in a constitutional suit. I do believe, however, that there are individuals in the United States who have an interest in reducing the numbers of those Sudanese voters who are likely to vote against separation. An independent, oil rich land locked Southern Sudan would need "friends" to step forward and provide infrastructure development and other aid. These "friends" would, in turn, seek to extract significant concessions from Southern Sudan with regards to their natural resources. Such a Southern Sudan is also seen by some as a prime candidate for significant participation in the U.S. military experiment known as "Africom." It is not my place to speak for or against either position to be decided by the Referendum, but I believe that caution should be taken by either side from accepting assistance from parties outside of Sudan without first closely examining the possible motives of those parties. I only speak with regard to my concerns about some views within the U.S., because I do not have enough information about the views in other Western nations.
I would like very much to know if the new law reasonably satisfies the concerns of both the NCP and the SPLM to the extent that the process can move forward without revisiting the issue of who from the North will be allowed to vote and how.
Regarding issue #5: The substantive issue of the political fate of Southern Sudanese living in the North if there is Separation may require a lot of patience and consideration. Will the vote to separate the South from the North create a class of residents in North Sudan who are seen as having voted to decline citizenship in what becomes a separate North Sudan? Will the argument be made that those who voted for separation should be required to separate themselves from the North? If the government of a separate North Sudan initiates a policy that treats Sudanese who voted as Southerners differently from those who did not, will world public opinion draw parallels between this and the 1972 expulsion of Indians from Uganda? Idi Amin's initial expulsion order in August of 1972 was directed at only those Indians who were not Ugandan citizens and held British passports. These types of "identity" issues can be extraordinarily complex and draw negative reactions from the global community on human rights grounds. I am not suggesting that the North would expel Southerners, but a "re-classification" with regard to citizenship and the commensurate rights could trigger negative responses as well. – Should these issues be considered while the mechanics of conducting the Referendum are being considered?


Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: List the different types of therapeutics for Ebola Virus Disease. Recognize the factors critical to the creation of a successful Ebola vaccine. Define plasma and recognize its importance in the Ebola treatment process. Discuss the response of various international actors to the Ebola epidemic. Recognize the role of communications both in terms of community level in West Africa, as well as at Emory University.
the Emory Vaccine Center, and an Assistant Professor of medicine at Emory University.
My talk today is on Ebola vaccines.
As you probably know by now Ebola virus is associated with high mortality.
is one important strategy to control outbreaks.
Particularly, the largest one to date, that was Africa is experiencing.
effective vaccine seems to be on a fast track path.
In general, vaccines are licensed in humans after rigorous clinical trials.
because outbreaks in general, are unpredictable and sporadic.
placebo to subject potentially exposed to such a fatal disease.
to license products against highly lethal pathogens, such as Ebola.
For the Ebola vaccine to be licensed under this rule, it should have shown.
that is closely associated with protection against the pathogen.
immunogenic in humans, when induction of this predefined immune correlate.
So far no vaccine have been approved under the animal rule.
So what is the best model to study Ebola vaccines?
the gold standard model here is the non-human primate model.
This model closely mimics the clinical symptom of human disease.
the animals are challenged by receiving a lethal dose of Ebola virus.
the survival rate in vaccinated versus non-vaccinated animals.
as well as a CD4 and CD8 responses, or cellular immunity.
One particular antigen stands out called the glycoprotein, or GP.
could lead to the control of infection, and serve as a correlate of protection.
allows the animal to always survive any future lethal challenges of Ebola.
However, the non-human primate model has many caveat.
than those seen in regular human transmission.
as compared to the non-human primate challenges.
capable of stimulating the immune response, as well as practical to use.
So, what are the characteristic of a successful Ebola vaccine?
The vaccine could be used in pre as well as post-exposure prophylactic setting.
the prevention of the general population.
That's one shot for mass vaccination.
an ideal Ebola vaccine should provide very rapid protection to prevent disease.
ability to escape the human immune system.
The most clinically relevant strains are Sudan, Zaire, and Bundibugyo.
Then there is the issue of prior immunity to the vaccine vector.
Current Ebola vaccine candidates are all vector-based.
the use of a vector typically induces a better immune response.
exposed to the vector in the past.
the target population receiving the vaccine.
successful vaccination especially in Africa is related to logistics.
cold chain from production to administration and is easy to produce.
minus 60 to minus 80 Celsius storage and distribution conditions.
which could limit large-scale manufacturing.
To date different vaccines strategies have been used.
with the risk of incomplete activation there was a safety concern.
protein, which resulted in incomplete protection in non-human primate.
did show protection in non-human primate.
Many of these viral vector-based vaccine have been tested.
have some safety problems, as well as relevant issue due to prior immunity.
virus vaccine or replication-incompetent adenoviral vector vaccine.
a virus that causes a disease in cattle, horses, deer, and pigs.
Humans are rarely exposed to the virus, and very rarely develop infection.
though more epidemiologic studies are needed to confirm this fact.
VSV is a replication competent vector capable of multiplying within the body.
Hence, some potential safety concerns.
In mismallous, for example, pathology of the nervous system has been identified.
limited information in humans exist.
showed the first safety human data, which was reassuring.
side-effects, including flu-like syndromes, fever, and moderate chills.
However, no encephalitis was reported.
and is mostly mediated by antibodies.
ensure cross protection meaning protection against the different Ebola strains.
another virus from the Filovirus family, closely related to Ebola.
This experiment showed long-term protection up to 12 to 14 months.
this is the only vaccine where both exposure prophylaxis data is available.
Immunization should be given in that case shortly after exposure.
There is one published data in human on a lab exposure in Germany.
subject to ebol, exposed to Ebola at our institution.
The second vaccine candidate uses adenovirus vectors.
These vaccines encode for the GP from Zaire and Sudan Ebola species.
as well as other vaccines using adenovirus vectors.
boost the immune cellular response.
leading to a decreased immune response.
To overcome this issue, additional doses can be given.
adenovirus 35, and chimpanzee adenovirus 3 can be used.
is the leading adenovirus vector vaccine candidate.
a single vaccine dose protecting against both homologous and heterologous species.
also strains not containing the vaccine.
only 0 to 50% protection at 10 months.
But this improved after a Modified Vaccinia Ankara or MVA boost was given.
As with all adenovirus vectors, no data exists on post-exposure prophylaxis.
receiving chimp adenovirus 3 vector bivalent vaccine at two doses.
2 times 10 to the 10, and 2 times 10 to the 11.
Both doses were tolerated, with more side effects seen with the high dose.
responds to medication well, and resolve within one day.
This implies that if the fever is not resolved within a day, a workup is needed.
and cause a transient elevation of PTT.
the vita-specific CDAT response was those dependants.
post-exposure protection that was only achieved with the VSV vector vaccine.
Long-term immunity is better seen with this vector as well.
However, cross protection is better achieved with the adenoviral vector.
The adenovirus vector elicit both humoral and cellular responses.
While the VSV vector, it uses mostly a humoral response.
with the hope to control the Ebola outbreak, a major public health endeavor.


On These Silken Sheets has been mentioned in Publisher's Weekly!
In other good news, RT Book Reviews has given On These Silken Sheets a 4 Star review in their September issue! They also included a little write-up about me in their Debutante Corner.
Previous PostOn These Silken SheetsNext PostBookmarks!


text:
Quote of the Week - Week of November 15
Posted by Dahne1 at November 26, 2020 0 Comments
B Positive Bob Hearts Abishola Bull DH Fargo FBI: Most Wanted Quote of the Week Star Trek: Discovery Superstore The Good Lord Bird The Simpsons The Unicorn This Is Us Young Sheldon
A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the SpoilerTV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.
B Positive -
1. Maddie: "Could this operation not work? Could you.." Drew: "No. No, no, no, I'm not gonna die. Look, I'll be out of the hospital in 2-3 days. This new kidney's gonna give me all this energy. I won't be as pale. Who knows? I might even get abs. I'll get a 2-pack. That's one more pack than I currently have." Maddie: "Swear it." Drew: "What?" Maddie: "That you're not gonna die." Drew: "Yeah, Maddie, I swear." (Dahne)
2. Sam, about Drew: "Eli, this guy can't throw an apple. Don't make sports analogies." (Dahne)
3. Maddie: "He said this wasn't a big deal, but I looked it up and it is. It's very serious." Gina: "Yeah, it is." Maddie: "He could die." Gina: "He could, and I could die. And so could you, if you keep letting strangers through your window." (Dahne)
Bob Hearts Abishola -
1. Bob: "I wanted to tell you I love you." Abishola: "I love you too. This is going to be so hard but when have things ever been easy for us?" Bob: "Wh..what are you saying?" Abishola: "Bob, will you marry me?" Bob: "Yes." Kemi: "Have you idiots not seen a single romantic comedy? Clap!" (Dahne)
2. Tunde: "Don't worry. I will get you the best engagement ring at a price that will make the jeweler weep." Bob: "I'm not really too worried about price." Tunde: "If you're going to say stupid things, go wait in the van." (Dahne)
3. Bob: "This isn't my first rodeo, Tunde." Tunde: "Then act like it, cowboy, 'cause you are about to get thrown from the bull." (Dahne)
Bull -
1. Bull, to his baby daughter, looking off his balcony at NYC: "You see that. You like that. Well, that is the world I thought I was bringing you into. Unfortunately, shortly after you arrived, it closed for business. We're just allowed to stand at a distance and look at it now, not be a part of it, be in it. Sorry about that, Astrid. Don't quite know what we're doing here anymore. We're just sitting around - holding our breath, waiting for a cure, waiting for a miracle." (Dahne)
2. Michael Weatherly: "It's great to be back. We missed you guys." (Dahne)
3. Bull: "I think I'm having trouble with the idea that nothing is forever. That things change - the way we do things, the way we live. This thing I thought I was gonna do for the rest of my life, I think it might be over. I think maybe I'm extinct." IRS Izzy: "No, that can't be. Do you have family? People you live with? People you count on? People who count on you? Then, you endure. Then you are not extinct." Bull: "I don't think it's as simple as that." IRS Izzy: "It's absolutely that simple. It has to be…" (Dahne)
Fargo -
1. Rabbi Milligan, after reading "The Future Is Now" on the completed billboard: "Hey! Hey! What the heck does that even mean?" Worker: "Got me. Could be a statement as to the underlying unreliability of time. Or a testimony along the lines of "seize the day". They don't pay me to write 'em, just slap 'em up. Which I did. And now it's done. And I find myself once more at a crossroads, unemployed. So I suppose for me the future I once feared has arrived as predicted by this very billboard." (DarkUFO)
FBI: Most Wanted -
1. Jess: "One teacher who believes in you can change your life." Sheryll: "Or save it." (Dahne)
2. Ms. Diaz: "But I'm just his art teacher." Jess: "Whether you know it or not, you're important to him. You're the closest thing he has to family." (Dahne)
3. Hana, to the stoned suspect: "Don't smile. It's not a selfie." (Dahne)
The Good Lord Bird -
1. John Brown: "The voice of our spirit is gentle. Sometimes you have to fly to hear it." (Elvis)
2. John Brown: "There is an eternity behind us and there is an eternity ahead. This little speck right here at center... that's our lives." (Elvis)
The Simpsons -
1. "You're under arrest... for spoiling the ending! I was only on episode 2!" (Abir)
Star Trek: Discovery -
1. Georgiou: "You had me at 'unsanctioned mission'." (Kath M)
2. Burnham, about Georgiou: "Your emotional spectrum runs from cranky to homicidal." (Kath M)
3. Tolor: "You are cleared to land, but I've got my eye on you." Georgiou: "I wouldn't care about your eyes unless they were hanging from my belt." (Kath M)
Superstore -
1. Jonah: "So Cloud 9 just thinks that the pandemic is over? Because I'm pretty sure nobody told the pandemic that." Garrett: "Well, you gotta look at it from corporate's perspective: they love money and they don't care if we die." (Lindsey)
2. Dina: "Okay, this event is pretty straightforward. With every purchase, they spin the wheel and win a prize. You'll notice there's a slot listed as 'fun.' I think you're supposed to provide the customer with fun at your own discretion. Just, you know, keep it above the belt." (Lindsey)
3. Garrett: "You're just gonna let him ditch?" Cheyenne: "I mean, I feel kind of bad for him. Like, this year's been tough enough, and then he had the big breakup on top of it. I caught him listening to this music in this car... It didn't even have a beat, it was just, like, a guitar and a man." (Lindsey)
This Is Us -
1. Madison, admitting to Kevin: "I'm obsessed with the show 'Outlander'. I've been to conventions." (Kath M)
The Unicorn -
1. Michelle: "Don't tell me, 'I'm killing it.' You keep telling me, 'I'm killing it,' but I'm not. I'm drowning, and I know how proud of me you are, but i don't know why I thought I could do this. I feel like I'm failing you." Ben: "Failing me? Baby, you think I'm proud of you because you're great at math? I'm proud of you because you're doing something incredibly brave." Michelle: "What?" Ben: "Going back to school...after all this time. Of course, it's gonna be hard, but don't let that freeze you up because you are my superstar." Michelle: "Stop saying that." Ben: "But you are." (Dahne and Folie-lex)
2. Delia: "What's with the buts? There's no but... It's just... my alarm bells are going off, okay? She sounds so complicated. I mean you got the kid, you got the ex-husband, you got the pre-airbags Volvo. I mean... alarm bells!" Wade: "I thought you said there were no buts." Forest: "No, no, no. Technically that was an 'it's just'." Delia: "Thank you." (Folie-lex)
Young Sheldon -
1. Sheldon: "You defaced my body with a grammatical error." Missy: "I guess that's your problem. Y-O-U-R." (Dahne)
2. Sheldon: "I was hoping you could help me build up leg muscles to increase my speed." Georgie: "If you don't want people chasing you, be less annoying." (Dahne)
3. Sheldon: "I need mom to sing Soft Kitty." Missy: "Don't do it." Sheldon: "Why?" Missy: "You're being a baby again." Sheldon: "But I'm injured." Missy: "Big deal. You broke your arm. Look at Stephen Hawking over there. He's in a wheelchair. You don't hear him whining about it with his robot voice." Sheldon: "So you're saying he and I are brilliant minds who have both suffered great physical adversity." Missy: "That's not even close to what I'm saying." (Dahne)
What Else We're Watching:
Star Trek: Discovery - Episode 1.07
1. Announcer: "Science Specialist Burnham and Lieutenant Tyler, please report to the bridge." Tyler: "Look at that. Saved from the horrors of small talk by duty." (Dahne)
2. Michael: "I fear my personal history interferes with my ability to forge relationships. I am among the others but also apart. I wish sorely to step out of my comfort zone, yet don't know how. But tonight, I will face one of my greatest challenges so far. Tonight, we are having a party." ~~As a fellow introvert, I deeply understand the challenge of a party. This made me laugh and nod my head. (Dahne)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
This State Wants Casual Sex The Most
by Lea Rose Emery
Good news: I just learned a whole lot more about what was going down in the bedroom in 2015 — including the best states if you're looking for casual sex online. OkCupid's The Hangover survey took a look back at all the of 2015, to asses our sex and dating preferences and how they've changed in recent years. And there's a lot of great stuff, but one of the most interesting parts was a look at which states are the most up for casual sex. Or maybe I should call it "Netflix and chill"— a term that rose 5,357 precent this year. Yup, over 5,000 percent.
Basically, OkCupid looked at the percentage of users in each state that were looking for causal sex and found that... (*drumroll*)... Oregon was the state most interested in a random hookup. Their motto "alis volat propriis" (she flies with her own wings) is now my new favorite term for masturbation. Thank you, Oregon.
I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed my own New England wasn't better represented, in fact the East Coast as a whole wasn't really making a splash. I mean, only one eastern state made it in to the top 10. In fact, if there's one area that's really footloose and fancy free it's the north west— they by far had the most states looking for casual sex.
An the state least interested in a hookup? That was New Jersey. Wondering if your state made the list? Here's a look at the top 10:
15.51 percent of users were up for casual sex— which at over 1 in 6, is pretty hefty.
2. Washington
Oregon's northern neighbor came next with 14.06 of users looking for casual sex.
3. Vermont
Vermont was the only New England state that made the top 10 (because of course it was), and also had the lowest percentage of virgins. Like I said, Vermont was actually pretty much it for the whole east coast with 13.87 percent of users interested in something casual.
And just like that we're back to the north west. Idaho borders both of our top two states, which makes me wonder if there's something in the water that makes 13.56 percent of users up for some no-strings attached sex.
OK, is it just me or is there no surprise here? If I lived in somewhere as cold as Alaska I'd probably be doing it with like, everybody. And 13.43 percent of users agree with me.
6. Nevada
I'm actually surprised that there wasn't a higher score from Nevada, where 13.42 percent of people were looking for casual sex. I thought Sin City may have upped this, but I guess it's more people who live their full time than thrill-seekers.
7. Montana
13.36 percent of people here are up for a Netflix and Chill situation, and in my imagination all of them are cowboys.
I now know one thing and on thing only about Wyoming: 13.11 percent of users on OkCupid were looking for casual sex.
9. Oklahoma
In Oklahoma 12.98 percent of users looking for casual sex and annoyingly singing titular songs from musicals.
And finally wrapping up the top ten, in Mexico there 12.93 percent of users who reported being up for random hookups. Stop showing off, west side.
Want more of Bustle's Sex and relationships coverage? Check out our video on sex positions for small penises:
Images: Andrew Zaeh/Bustle; Giphy (10)
18 Hinge Prompt Answers To Try If You're Looking For Something Casual
By Lexi Inks
Help! I Haven't Had Sex With My Partner For 3 Years. He Blames Porn.
12 Active Date Ideas That'll Get You & Your Boo Outside
TikTok's Voluntary Celibacy Trend Has Sparked A Movement


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Nicio Martinez tried to spur a come back for his single-A Savannah Cardinals, but it was too little, too late, according to The Savannah Morning News.
Martinez knocked a run-scoring single in the ninth inning of this April 1990 game. And he did it as a pinch hitter. The run cut the Savannah deficit to two, The Morning News wrote. That was where the deficit would remain.
Martinez picked up that pinch-hit single in his third season as a pro. It was also his final season. He made single-A, but got no higher.
Martinez' career began in 1987, signed by the Phillies as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic. Martinez' name has also been spelled Nico Martinez.
Martinez played his first year at short-season Bend. He got into 27 games playing both shortstop and outfield. He hit .215 in 65 at bats.
Martinez moved to single-A Clearwater and short-season Batavia for 1988. In 51 games that year, he hit just .152. It was Martinez' final season with the Phillies.
After not being recorded as playing in 1989, Martinez returned to the field with the Cardinals at Savannah for 1990. He got into 61 games and hit no better. He hit .189. He also hit one home run, a two-run shot to extend a late-April lead. It was Martinez' final season as a pro.


text:
The First Wednesday Addams, Lisa Loring Dies At The Age Of 64
Song Joong Ki Announced Marriage Plans And Upcoming Baby In A Heartwarming Post
AirAsia Is Travel-Ready With Highest Safety, Hygiene Standards In Place
Nor Fakhry
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 —AirAsia Group is ready to fly with its operating crew and frontline staff 100 per cent vaccinated, group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said.
This is happening alongside numerous contactless safety and hygiene measures in place to ensure the highest standards are maintained ahead of a resumption of air travel, which is expected in the near future, he added.
"We are ready to fly and as part of our strict safety policy, we are mandating that all of our operating crew and frontline staff serving guests, including pilots, cabin crew and airport staff, are fully vaccinated to return to work," Fernandes said in a statement.
He said with stringent health and hygiene protocols and robust standard operating procedures, guests can be assured of a peace of mind when travelling with AirAsia again.
"More than 50 countries in the world have begun to welcome vaccinated travellers again. As ASEAN accelerates the vaccination effort, we are hopeful that countries will soon ease travel restrictions for vaccinated travellers for both domestic and international travel and will resume plans for travel bubbles.
"Thanks to vaccines being aggressively rolled out in all of our key markets, better testing and education, the end is in sight and I'm hopeful we will be able to return to the skies in coming weeks. Importantly, we are fully prepared and ready for take off," he said.
According to the statement, safety of staff and guests is always the top priority for AirAsia Group, which was one of the first airlines worldwide to achieve the top 7/7 rating for being COVID-19 safe by the aviation experts at Airlineratings.com.
To ensure minimal physical interaction and processing time at the airport, guests are now encouraged to do self check-in online via the airasia super app platform and to use automated bag drop facilities to avoid fees for using a check in desk agent.
AirAsia also provides numerous digital payment options and accepts mobile boarding passes at all airports it operates to.
A new check in feature enables guests to verify any required medical documents in real-time online before heading to the airport, and the airline group is in the process of rolling out biometric facial recognition technology at key ports commencing with klia2 in the near future.
AirAsia said it will have its check-in system via the airasia super app integrated with the Malaysian government's MySejahtera digital health app to enable a seamless and hassle-free check in procedure.
"With all the uncertainties COVID-19 has provided, one thing I am sure of is that we will return to the skies soon with a more robust and viable business model which isn't solely reliant on airfares alone, as our digital transformation to become the Asean super app of choice is now fast becoming a reality," said Fernandes.
In this article:AirAsia, Highest, Hygiene, Safety, travel ready
Signals From Lorry That You Should Know For Everyone's Safety
Ever heard of 'Safety first'? Yes, we should always care for our safety when we are on the road. Roads do not only consist...
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Ida Lewis "Queen Ida" Guillory (Lake Charles, Luisiana, 15 de enero de 1929) es una acordeonista estadounidense. Fue la primera mujer acordeonista que lideró una banda de zydeco.

Biografía
Ida Lee Lewis nació en el seno de una familia criolla francófona de tradición musical afincada en los arrozales de Lake Charles, Luisiana. A los diez años de edad se trasladó con su familia a Beaumont, Texas, y unos años más tarde a San Francisco, California. Aunque su madre tocaba el acordeón, en aquella época no estaba bien visto que las mujeres tocaran en público y Queen hubo de aprender de su hermano, conocido como Al Rapone. Tras casarse, crio a sus tres hijos y trabajó como conductora de autobús. Ocasionalmente colaboraba con la banda de Zydeco de su hermano, como instrumentista o cocinando platos criollos para los miembros de la banda. Fue bautizada con el nombre artístico de "Queen Ida" tras ser elegida reina de un fiesta Mardi Gras. Tan solo un año después de debutar en los escenarios con Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Band, firmó un contrato con la discográfica GNP/Crescendo, y su primer álbum "Play the Zydeco" combinó sonidos Zydeco con Tex Mex.

Queen Ida y su banda actuaron en el Monterey Jazz Festival en 1976 y 1988, y en el San Francisco Blues Festival en 1975, 1978 y 1991. En 1988, Queen Ida fue la primera artista de zydeco en actuar en Japón. El año siguiente actuó en África y en 1990 en Australia y Nueva Zelanda.

En el álbum Back on the Bayou (1999), Queen Ida se reunió en un bayou de Luisiana con su hermano Al Rapone, que escribió y produjo muchos temas para ella, además de fundar la Bon Temps Zydeco Band, que se convertiría en su banda de apoyo. Como "Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band," el grupo fue presentado en el conocido programa de televisión Saturday Night Live conducido por Paul Reubens el 23 de noviembre de 1985.

Queen Ida también fue coautora del libro de cocina, Cookin' with Queen Ida en 1990, con recetas de la cocina criolla de Luisiana.

Queen Ida continuó actuando durante la primera década del siglo XXI, aunque no volvió a publicar ningún álbum. Se retiró oficialmente en 2010.

Discografía seleccionada

Galardones

Premios Grammy

Blues Music Awards

Referencias

Acordeonistas de Estados Unidos
Ganadores del Premio Grammy
Acordeonistas de Zydeco
Nacidos en Lake Charles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Smarter Trading,
Disruptive Investing
At De Montfort Capital, we use traditional financial analysis techniques, combined with cutting edge technology to find and trade disruptive investments
De Montfort Capital was founded in 2013 by Jonathan De Montfort, with a specialist focus on investments in disruptive businesses, from start-up to well established, ranging from blockchain to social media platforms (e.g. www.minds.com).
Jonathan started trading the US500 on his own personal account in 2001 and very quickly realised that using computers was the best and most scientific way to isolate opportunities in the markets.
This led to the creation of his first few trading models, some of which continue to be used today.
In 2004, Jonathan started his career in the City, working for companies such as Lehman Brothers, Millennium Capital and Goldman Sachs, combining traditional economic and portfolio analysis with cutting edge technology in trading.
De Montfort Capital Ltd
info@demontfortcapital.com
A summary of our trading philosophy and example investments
The four pillars
of De Montfort Capital
Traditional Economic, Market & Portfolio Analysis
We use traditional analysis techniques for finance, combined with
cutting edge technology, e.g. machine learning, to produce tradable models
We develop and use new technology across multiple disciplines,
including trading, financial modelling and blockchain
Disruptive Businesses
We have a special interest in disruptive businesses, whether through
technology or business strategy. Our latest business,
De Montfort Literature, is a prime example
Multiple Time Frame
Whether it's trading short-term or investing long-term,
we use the style appropriate to the market to balance our portfolio risks
The four pillars of De Montfort Capital
We'll Soon Be Hiring For De Montfort Literature
By De Montfort Capital | Latest Article | No Comments
Exciting News is Coming Next Week!
Welcome From The Founder
De Montfort Literature
© 2018 | De Montfort Capital Ltd, 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU | 020 7205 2887 | info@demontfortcapital.com | Companies House no: 08508842 | VAT number: GB 170 2343 42 Website design by Startup Guys
Jonathan started trading the US500 on his own personal account in 2001 and very quickly realised that using computer software was the best and most scientific way to isolate opportunities in the markets. This led to the creation of his first few trading models, some of which continue to be used today.
In 2004, Jonathan started his career as a hedge fund manager in the City of London, working for companies such as Lehman Brothers, Millennium Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs.
Jonathan left Goldman's in 2013 to set up De Montfort Capital. Maintaining his own trading style, Jonathan has built De Montfort Capital by continuing to use traditional analysis combined with state of the art technology. He now focusses on investments in disruptive businesses, from start-up to well established, ranging from blockchain to new social media platforms.
In addition to running his own successful hedge fund company, Jonathan is also a keen writer, with an interest in literature. He has first-hand experience of how hard and painstaking it can be to write a novel and get it published. Having taken him four and half years to write, Jonathan's first novel, 'Turner', a supernatural thriller about what it means to be human, pure love and the sacrifices people make for these things, is the first book to be published by De Montfort Literature.


New season mistletoe looking good. Lots of berries – again… We seem to have several good berry seasons in a row. This year they're even turning white early – with some almost fully white (though not yet translucent) already. That fits with other fruiting trends this season – many other plants' fruits and berries ripened early too.
The mistletoe berries aren't all green though – plants still in shade still have solidly green berries. Our biggest garden mistletoe is one of those, and is steadfastly refusing to turn white – yet. But the shade is rapidly vanishing, as host tree leaf-fall has accelerated in the last week and is exposing more and more mistletoe.
The deciduous mistletoe Loranthus europeaus, native to central southern Europe. Not obvious in winter!
That sudden 'exposure' at this time of year is one of our mistletoe's distinctive features – contributing to its role in legend and tradition as a symbol of ongoing life. The tree may look 'dead' as it loses more and more leaves, but the evergreen mistletoe, newly exposed, represents ongoing green life.
The paperback of Kate Mosse's Mistletoe Bride book. But what is the green gunk on the branch?
…the paperback edition of Kate Mosse's The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales . I've chosen it not because it's particularly mistletoey (it isn't, apart from the title story, and that's not, really, very mistleotoey).
Its place here is really because the cover design earns the first mistletoe graphic thumbs-down of the season.
Whatever is that green stuff on that branch? If it's supposed to be mistletoe the artist (and the art commissioning editor at Orion) have clearly never seen, or even bothered to look up, mistletoe. It looks like some sort of creeper, a day or so after herbicide treatment.
It's so unlike mistletoe it's a strong contender for the Naff Depiction of Mistletoe Award for 2014. But nominations are still open, so worse may yet appear.
Oh no, it's mistletoe season again!
Mistletoe season is looming ever larger. Again. And despite it happening this time every year, I do feel it's taken me a little by surprise this season. Lots still to do and to plan. Including reporting on current mistletoe matters here.
discuss seedling survival – how long can a mistletoe seedling survive without connecting to the host?
And lots of other mistletoey stuff, as it arises. All of it, obviously, presented in the best possible taste (I'll keep the references to the 'sperm of the gods' to a minimum).
That's all for now – I'll be back blogging properly from next week.
The English Mistletoe Shop is open again this season, though this year we are concentrating more on grow-kits rather than mistletoe itself. There'll be more news on that soon.


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Folau offered to quit Wallabies over anti-gay comments
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Australia vs Scotland - Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia - June 17, 2017 - Australia's Israel Folau jumps to catch the ball and score a try above Scotland's Greig Tonks. REUTERS/David Gray
(Reuters) - Israel Folau offered to walk away from his Rugby Australia (RA) contract if his anti-gay comments were deemed to be damaging the sport, the Wallabies back wrote in a column published on Monday.
Folau, an Evangelical Christian, wrote on his Instagram page earlier this month that gays would be condemned to "hell" if they failed to "repent", sparking outrage on social media and criticism from a key sponsor.
Folau wrote that he gave RA chief executive Raelene Castle and Andrew Hore, the CEO of Folau's Super Rugby team New South Wales Waratahs, the option to sack him when they had a meeting last week.
"During the meeting I told them it was never my intention to hurt anyone with the Instagram comment, but that I could never shy away from who I am, or what I believe," Folau wrote in a column for the PlayersVoice website.
"After we'd all talked, I told Raelene if she felt the situation had become untenable – that I was hurting Rugby Australia, its sponsors and the Australian rugby community to such a degree that things couldn't be worked through – I would walk away from my contract, immediately."
The 29-year-old, whose RA contract expires at the end of the season, clarified he was not looking to force a move away from Australian rugby having received offers to play in Britain, Europe and Japan.
"This is not about money or bargaining power or contracts," Folau added.
"It's about what I believe in and never compromising that, because my faith is far more important to me than my career and always will be."
Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis


WASHINGTON – The upstate guardsmen accused of killing two superior officers was under investigation for stealing military equipment and selling it on the Iraqi black market before the shocking "fragging" attack, The Post has learned.
The earlier probe of Sgt. Alberto Martinez, 37, of Troy, is considered by military prosecutors to be his likely motivation for killing Capt. Philip Esposito and Lt. Louis Allen by exploding a claymore mine outside their barracks in Saddam Hussein's former palace in Tikrit last June, said sources familiar with the case.
Esposito, 30, a Wall Street broker who lived in Suffern, Rockland County, was the officer who ordered the investigation of Martinez and had relieved him of his job as supply sergeant for the Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division.
Sources said the probe was ordered after it was discovered that military equipment had vanished under Martinez's watch, and was being sold to "locals" in the Sunni Muslim hotbed.
The sources said it is possible that some of the supplies ended up in the hands of guerrillas. The sources said the supplies did not include weapons or vehicles, which are under the control of different officers.
There are no allegations that Martinez was dealing directly with the terrorist insurgency.
Allen, 34, a science teacher and father of four from Milford, Pa., had recently arrived in Tikrit and was in the process of taking over supply operations when he was killed.
Martinez was known to be financially desperate, having lost an insurance claim on a fire in his home. The insurers ruled it was arson.
Earlier this month, Col. Patrick Reinert, the presiding legal officer at Martinez's Article 32 hearing ruled there was sufficient evidence to recommend Martinez face a court-martial for the murders of Esposito and Allen.
Division has now returned from Iraq.


GLEN ALLEN, VA--(Marketwire - February 2, 2010) - NanoMarkets, a leading industry analyst firm in the OLED lighting space, today announced a new upcoming report that will provide an in-depth assessment and analysis of products and market strategies of suppliers of OLED lighting products. This report will be released in early March of 2010. Additional details are available at www.nanomarkets.net.
We are getting the first glimpses of how major OLED and lighting firms plan to bring OLED lighting to market and what their longer-term product and market strategies will be. With this in mind, NanoMarkets is publishing a report to provide clients with the first-ever, full guide to the activities and thinking of the firms that will shape future OLED lighting markets. This report is based on extensive interviews with leading manufacturers and materials suppliers active in this space, along with NanoMarkets insider knowledge gleaned from its four years of experience covering the OLED lighting space.
In this report, we provide profiles of the major OLED lighting firms, as well as descriptions of these companies' current and future product offerings. Each of the company profiles contains current and future products, including current thinking on product designs, pricing and pricing strategies, markets targeted and views on how OLED lighting will compete with other lighting technologies, future marketing and supply chain strategies for OLED lighting products, favored approaches to manufacturing (including the likelihood of outsourcing); and our assessment of each firm's strengths and weaknesses.
From this new report, readers will ascertain where the major OLED players see their greatest opportunities and which companies will likely be the winners and losers in the OLED lighting space, as assessed by NanoMarkets. This report will be essential reading for all firms planning to become involved in this space as well as investors who want to understand the strengths, weaknesses and strategies of the current generation of OLED lighting suppliers.
Companies addressed in this report include; Add-Vision, Dooson Electric, General Electric, Kenwood, Konica Minolta, Koizumi Lighting Technology, Ledon OLED, LG Chem, Lomox, Lumiotec, Modistech, NEC, Novaled, Organic Lighting, Osram, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Rohm, Showa Denko, UDC, Visionox, WAC Lighting, As well as key companies from the materials sector including; Agfa, DuPont, Idemitsu Kosan, Merck/Applied Materials and Nippon Electric Glass.
NanoMarkets tracks and analyzes emerging market opportunities created by developments in advanced materials. Visit www.nanomarkets.net for a full listing of NanoMarkets' reports and other services.


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Track & Field: 'Cats capture first at home meet
Posted by Bret Belden | Feb 2, 2015 | News | 0 |
By Catey McCann, Staff Writer
The men's and women's track and field team both took first place at Saturday's home meet against Vermont, Maine and Bowdoin in what has been a very successful weekend for the Wildcats.
The men's team ended the meet with 182 points – beating Vermont by 41 points. The women's team pulled away with 193 points, leaving Vermont trailing by 55 points. Despite being a close race between all the teams for much of the competition, strong showings in the men's and women's relay races and field events gave the Wildcats what they needed to solidify the wins.
"I think today went very well," men's head coach Jim Boulanger said. "Today we talked about winning meets. We need to reinforce winning – I think it's very important."
On the women's side, it was Lauren Perrodin with the biggest win of all. The junior sprinter broke her own school record in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.10. She then went on to claim the top spot in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.04.
On the men's side, sophomore Michael Shanahan was just shy of the school record by 6 centimeters with a weight throw of 19.4 meters – enough for him to claim the win.
"A lot of personal records today," said men's assistant coach Dan Randlett. "We're moving up in the standings as far as the depth charts for conference."
Junior Dylan Pelletier had a big day – he claimed first place in the 200-meter with a time of 23.18, a fourth place finish in the 55-meter dash and was a member of the winning 400-meter relay team. D'mahl McFadden followed suit, claiming first place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.81 and a sixth place finish in the 55-meter dash. Sophomore Ross Hardy claimed a first place finish in the 400-meter with a time of 52.61.
In the distance events it was Steve Souza and Jeff Moretti with big wins. Souza took the top spot in the 800-meter with a time of 1:59.45 while Moretti finished first in the mile with a time of 4:22.73.
In the field events it was the young talent scoring points for the Wildcats. Freshman Keelan McCoole jumped 1.9 meters to claim second place while freshman Alex Tamulonis pole-vaulted 4.63 meters to also claim second place.
There was a huge showing on the women's side in the 400 and 500-meter sprints. Alyson Messina and Morgan Costa took second and third place in the 400 with times of 1:00.31 and 1:00.78. Gina Conti, Parker Gray, Rachael DePalma and Molly Jenssen swept the board in the 500-meter, taking the top four spots. Virginia Lavallee also claimed first place in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.59.
The women were just as strong in the distance races. Amanda Symanski won the 800-meter with a time of 2:19.27 while Katherine Estep took the top spot in the 3000-meter with a time of 10:40.61. Alex Giese and Sarah Keiran took second and third in the mile.
It was also an exciting day in the women's high jump. Senior Jessica Salley, freshman Tessa Artruc and freshman Rachel Morrison took the top three spots – all jumping a height of 1.65 meters. Lexie Arbour took first in the triple jump with a jump of 10.62 meters while Abby Kaplan took second in the shot put with a throw of 11.95 meters.
"Today showed a lot of depth on both teams," said women's coach Casey Carroll. "We'll be looking for good team performances again at Rhode Island next week."
PreviousSkiing: 'Cats place third, Taylor honored for performance
NextTrack & Field: Men and Women have record-setting day at BU
Excess Dining Dollars; impending food drive
Muslim Student Association presents talk on the refugee crisis
Paul College Palooza showcases students' semester projects
Veteran novelist Elliot Ackerman speaks at MUB


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Home | News Tuesday 1 November 2016
UN chief wants decision on South Sudanese rebels in DR Congo
October 31, 2016 (JUBA) – United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, has asked for intervention of the UN Security Council to decide what to do with the several hundreds of South Sudanese opposition fighters taking refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Salva Kiir speak to the media in Juba (File/AFP)
There are over 750 soldiers of the armed opposition faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA-IO) loyal to former First Vice President, Riek Machar, who accompanied their leader across into DRC and were left behind when their leader was further transported to Sudan for medical treatment.
The opposition forces were part of Machar's forces who fled the South Sudanese capital, Juba, when violence erupted on 8 July with troops loyal to President Salva Kiir.
In a letter dated 27 October written to the 15-member council, Ki Moon said up to 755 South Sudanese rebels had crossed into Congo's Garamba National Park and their status was not clear.
The Congolese government on 3 October told the UN peacekeeping mission in DR Congo, known as MONUSCO, that the fighters should leave within a week, but added that the mission did not have the legal authority to expel the troops from Congo.
Ki Moon pointed out that the fighters, who had medical issues, are now healthy and that the UN mission in the DR Congo should not continue to support them.
"At the same time, there is no basis for MONUSCO to continue providing humanitarian assistance to them, as they are no longer in a life-threatening situation," he said, adding that the mission had told the Congolese government it could no longer take care of the South Sudanese fighters.
"I am, accordingly, bringing the matter to the attention of the Security Council in order that it might take such decisions or provide such guidance as it may deem appropriate," Ki Moon said in the letter.
United Nations, Sudan Tribune learnt, has been in contact with the African Union (AU), East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to resolve the issue.
The United Nations mission in Congo extracted Machar, his wife, son and 10 others of his aides from Garamba Park on the side of the DR Congo on 17 August at the request of the Congolese government.
The UN has been trying to broker an agreement between DR Congo and South Sudan on the repatriation of the fighters or their relocation to a third country until a political deal is in place.
Political differences between President Kiir, and his former deputy Machar, led to conflict in 2013 which reignited on 8 July in Juba. The two signed a peace deal last year, but fighting has escalated across the country.
(ST)
Comments on the Sudan Tribune website must abide by the following rules. Contravention of these rules will lead to the user losing their Sudan Tribune account with immediate effect.
- No inciting violence
- No inappropriate or offensive language
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- No incomprehensible comments
Due to the unprecedented amount of racist and offensive language on the site, Sudan Tribune tries to vet all comments on the site.
There is now also a limit of 400 words per comment. If you want to express yourself in more detail than this allows, please e-mail your comment as an article to comment@sudantribune.com
The Sudan Tribune editorial team.
31 October 2016 23:31, by Wani khooto
imagine how idiot machar is,he left every life of Nuer in any corners of Africa. how greedy is this man and yet he want to be a leader, Nuer have to learn a lesson from this greedy man, he is enjoying in nice hotel yet some Nuer are left in the bush suffering for his cost.can some one tell me if Nuer are not foolish people, what hell on earth can leader abandon his supporters and went
1 November 2016 07:54, by Akuma
Wani,
Nuer militias are ISIL of South Sudan and they are deserve to be chase away in all territories near South Sudan. They are terrorists like Boko Haram of Nigeria, Al-Shabbaab of Somalia, ISIL/ISIS of Libya, Irag, Syria and other Araabs and LRA of Uganda. They need to be put under Criminal court of judges because they are committing crimes against humanity....
1 November 2016 08:07, by Hardlinner
that is the act of greedy leader to leave behind is supporters. Nuer should know learn a lesson under their revered leader Riek. question is what did he do with his 500,000,000 dollars he stole from the government. if he did care, he would have used portion of his money to help his comrades but he decided not to because he love his money more than his supporters.
every man learned from his mistakes but to Nuer, the enjoy doing the same mistakes, why should someones follow a man who had no clear plan and vision of forming rebellious and he do not like to live in the bush with his supporters. Machar is the first man in the history of gorilla war, who want to be in a hotel while followers are fighting for him.Garang was good example for Nuer to compared
can you imagine, i met with two Nuer guys last month and the told me that majority of their soldiers who join Peter Gatdet where given to Khartoum in exchange of guns to go and fight in Yemen and all of them were Nuer.i feel so sad and i need Nuer community and South Sudanese to wake up and see how they are being misused by war-mongers.to be sincere someone is getting advantage of our youths.
1 November 2016 03:34, by NyanDengdit
Chase un from South Sudan
1 November 2016 05:01, by Eastern
Acting emotionally, then South Sudan should be "chased" out of the UN.....Do you know what that will mean to the poor and innocent people in the country? Use your brain!
These are highly trained soldiers which SPLA-IO cannot afford to lose just like that....
1 November 2016 05:56, by Augustino
They are not loss but kept there for Riek, UN and DRC are not honest however, they are totally traumatised soldiers, the way they loss their high ranking leaders as you know they are not under good command at the movement, they will be a problematic to UN and DRC inside Congo while we wait for them at the border for more chase again. only if they accept voluntary repatriation to Taban Deng in Juba
1 November 2016 06:27, by choldit
There are lot of idiots on this forum who talk unthoughtful ideas. SPLA IO is in control of western, eastern and southern parts of equatoria. Their cdes shld come with musical match but to respect peace that brought them to Juba UN have to that work of taking them to where it brought them, pagak else UN is taking side of gov't of SS by asking it. Gov't of ss chased them out of ss and went to kill
choldit perhaps you are one of them. if Riek was in controlled of west and eastern equatoria, how come his troops are Refugees in DR congo?. be reasonable please.
1 November 2016 08:59, by Dengda
755 soldiers are great number and they walk their way through South Sudan. The problem is that, they were disarmed before they entered DRC for medical check up. UN has no authority to rearmed them again according to International law. That's why UN chief is in consulting UNSC.
1 November 2016 15:19, by Peace and reconciliation
If they would wish to join the TGONU regime, I then led them join the peace implementation. Coz it is the only future for our country. Peace!!! Peace to our country. Please fellow patriots, embrace peace.
1 November 2016 16:16, by Dinka Aliap Chawul
They're brought here by UN with logistical supports(transport, medical,sleeping material clothing and utensils) from US,with an intention to touch the teeth of govt,what happened was them running to there godfather in DRC. Now takes them to your residency in New York.


A pair of Australasian Grebes has built this nest of floating plant material right in the middle of our large dam. The nest appears to be anchored to underwater stems of Floating Pondweed (Potamogeton sp). It may seem vulnerable but, at the slightest disturbance, the sitting Grebe is very adept at quickly covering the eggs, slipping off into the water and pretending it's just hanging out near a pile of reeds with not a care in the world. A hide set up in bushes on the bank and a lot of patience were needed to get the photos below.
Great. I have a pair on my dam too. The young have just hatched and are happily swimming around.