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    April 27, 2012

SPLM: Half a Million People at Risk of Starvation in Sudan

   John Tanza Mabusu

   Yassir Arman, secretary-general of the Sudan People's Liberation
   Movement (SPLM) North sector, says the government of Sudan is holding
   more than a half million people "hostage" in Sudan's Southern Kordofan
   and Blue Nile states. Arman said people in the two states "have no
   food, no medicine, they have no shelter" and he blamed the
   international community for failing to pressure Khartoum to allow aid
   agencies access to the worst-hit areas.

   Arman urged the international community to search for alternative ways
   to deliver urgently needed aid to villages under government control and
   the rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) North sector.

   'There is a need for this issue to be in the front seat, it should not
   be in the back seat given the present situation and many crises in
   Sudan, but we should remain focused on the issue of humanitarian aid to
   the Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur,' he said.

   Access to humanitarian agencies

   Khartoum has been paying little attention to concerns by the
   international community over the dire humanitarian situation in the two
   states, maintaining that its government-commissioned survey conducted
   in February this year said the situation in South Kordofan was not
   serious. The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) and the Sudan Media Center
   reported earlier this week that Sudan has agreed to form a joint
   mechanism to manage coordination between U.N. agencies and the Sudanese
   Humanitarian Aid Commission to provide assistance to people affected by
   the fighting between Sudan's armed forces and Sudan People's Liberation
   Army (SPLA) North sector rebels.

   Food, medicine and shelter

   Arman stressed that food, medicine and shelter should be given first
   priority to save lives in villages where he says thousands of people
   are surviving on tree leaves and hiding in mountain caves.

   'Humanitarian aid should go immediately and now to those people to save
   their lives before talking about development or any other agenda,'' he
   said.

   Arman added that scores of people in the Nuba Mountains and in villages
   in Blue Nile state have died due to disease, lack of food and constant
   attacks by Sudan armed forces and proxy militias fighting alongside
   government troops. He acknolwledged non-governmental organizations are
   offering assistance in the area, but said the need is overwhelming.

   'It is a crisis because people are unable to survive and they may die
   and many of them soon because of this policy of mass starvation
   practiced by Khartoum,' he said.

   Cessation of hostilities to save lives

   The SPLM North secretary-general said his group is ready to sign a deal
   with Sudan and aid agencies to avert the looming humanitarian
   catastrophe. He accused the government of showing little commitment to
   negotiating a deal to provide humanitarian aid to the region.

   'In the first place, we need to have an agreement and see what is the
   requirement to take food, those are our people and we can do anything
   to let the humanitarian aid to go to them,' Arman said.

   After the rebellion of SPLM North in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
   states in September 2011, Khartoum accused Juba of supporting the
   rebels and decided to close the border and ban trade between Sudan and
   South Sudan.

   Recently Sudan's Vice President Ali Osman Taha announced his government
   plans to declare a state of emergency in the area bordering South Sudan
   to prevent what authorities termed as 'the smuggling of food' into the
   newly independent country.

   Khartoum argues that the ban on trade between Sudan and South Sudan
   will discourage Juba from supporting SPLA North rebels.

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