Mission Statement - South Central Transit: Fill & Download for Free

Historically, the native Sudanese suffered in their own land for many reasons; most of which were generated by the foreigners who intruded and settled in the Sudan, since 7th century AD. In subsequent years, harmony between the peoples faded forever and Sudan remained a boiling pot for many centuries until today.Like I said, there were many reasons that led to the final separation of Sudan into two independent countries. Below is the historic timeline history of Sudan.South Sudan’s Historical Chronolgy:1881 – Revolt against the Turco-Egyptian administration.1899-1955 – Sudan is under joint British-Egyptian rule.1956 – Sudan becomes independent.1958 – General Abboud leads military coup against the civilian government elected earlier in the year1962 – Civil war begins in the south, led by the Anya Nya movement.1964 – The “October Revolution” overthrows Abbud and an Islamist-led government is established1969 – Jaafar Numeiri leads the “May Revolution” military coup.1971 – Sudanese Communist Party leaders executed after short-lived coup against Numeiry.1972 – Under the Addis Ababa peace agreement between the government and the Anya Nya, the south becomes a self-governing region.1978 – Oil discovered in Bentiu in southern Sudan.1983 – Civil war breaks out again in the south involving government forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), led by John Garang.Islamic law imposed1983 – President Numeiri declares the introduction of Sharia Islamic law.1985 – After widespread popular unrest Numayri is deposed by a group of officers and a Transitional Military Council is set up to rule the country.1986 – Coalition government formed after general elections, with Sadiq al-Mahdi as prime minister.1988 – Coalition partner the Democratic Unionist Party drafts cease-fire agreement with the SPLM, but it is not implemented.1989 – National Salvation Revolution takes over in military coup.1993 – Revolution Command Council dissolved after Omar Bashir is appointed president.US strike1995 – Egyptian President Mubarak accuses Sudan of being involved in attempt to assassinate him in Addis Ababa.1998 – US launches missile attack on a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum, alleging that it was making materials for chemical weapons.1998 – New constitution endorsed by over 96% of voters in referendum.1999 – President Bashir dissolves the National Assembly and declares a state of emergency following a power struggle with parliamentary speaker, Hassan al-Turabi.Advent of oil1999 – Sudan begins to export oil.2000 President Bashir meets leaders of opposition National Democratic Alliance for first time in Eritrea.Main opposition parties boycott presidential elections. Incumbent Bashir is re-elected for further five years.2001 Islamist leader Al-Turabi’s party, the Popular National Congress, signs memorandum of understanding with the southern rebel SPLM’s armed wing, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Al-Turabi is arrested the next day, with more arrests of PNC members in the following months.Government accepts Libyan/Egyptian initiative to end the civil war after failure of peace talks between President Bashir and SPLM leader John Garang in Nairobi.US extends unilateral sanctions against Sudan for another year, citing its record on terrorism and rights violations.Peace deal2002 – Government and SPLA sign landmark ceasefire agreement providing for six-month renewable ceasefire in central Nuba Mountains – a key rebel stronghold.Talks in Kenya lead to a breakthrough agreement between the government and southern rebels on ending the 19-year civil war. The Machakos Protocol provides for the south to seek self-determination after six years.2003 February – Rebels in western region of Darfur rise up against government, claiming the region is being neglected by Khartoum.2003 October – PNC leader Turabi released after nearly three years in detention and ban on his party is lifted.Uprising in west2004 January – Army moves to quell rebel uprising in western region of Darfur; hundreds of thousands of refugees flee to neighbouring Chad.2004 March – UN official says pro-government Arab Janjaweed militias are carrying out systematic killings of non-Arab villagers in Darfur.Army officers and opposition politicians, including Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, are detained over an alleged coup plot.2004 May – Government and southern rebels agree on power-sharing protocols as part of a peace deal to end their long-running conflict. The deal follows earlier breakthroughs on the division of oil and non-oil wealth.2004 September – UN says Sudan has not met targets for disarming pro-government Darfur militias and must accept outside help to protect civilians. US Secretary of State Colin Powell describes Darfur killings as genocide.Peace agreement2005 January – Government and southern rebels sign a peace deal. The agreement includes a permanent ceasefire and accords on wealth and power sharing.UN report accuses the government and militias of systematic abuses in Darfur, but stops short of calling the violence genocide.2005 March – UN Security Council authorises sanctions against those who violate ceasefire in Darfur. Council also votes to refer those accused of war crimes in Darfur to International Criminal Court.2005 June – Government and exiled opposition grouping – National Democratic Alliance (NDA) – sign reconciliation deal allowing NDA into power-sharing administration.President Bashir frees Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, detained since March 2004 over alleged coup plot.Southern autonomy2005 9 July – Former southern rebel leader John Garang is sworn in as first vice president. A constitution which gives a large degree of autonomy to the south is signed.2005 1 August – Vice president and former rebel leader John Garang is killed in a plane crash. He is succeeded by Salva Kiir. Garang’s death sparks deadly clashes in the capital between southern Sudanese and northern Arabs.2005 September – Power-sharing government is formed in Khartoum.2005 October – Autonomous government is formed in the south, in line with January 2005 peace deal. The administration is dominated by former rebels.Darfur conflict2006 May – Khartoum government and the main rebel faction in Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement, sign a peace accord. Two smaller rebel groups reject the deal. Fighting continues.2006 August – Sudan rejects a UN resolution calling for a UN peacekeeping force in Darfur, saying it would compromise sovereignty.2006 October – Jan Pronk, the UN’s top official in Sudan, is expelled.2006 November – African Union extends mandate of its peacekeeping force in Darfur for six months.Hundreds are thought to have died in the heaviest fighting between northern Sudanese forces and their former southern rebel foes since they signed a peace deal last year. Fighting is centred on the southern town of Malakal.2007 April – Sudan says it will accept a partial UN troop deployment to reinforce African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, but not a full 20,000-strong force.War crimes charges2007 May – International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for a minister and a Janjaweed militia leader suspected of Darfur war crimes.US President George W Bush announces fresh sanctions against Sudan.2007 July – UN Security Council approves a resolution authorising a 26,000-strong force for Darfur. Sudan says it will co-operate with the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (Unamid).2007 October – SPLM temporarily suspends participation in national unity government, accusing Khartoum of failing to honour the 2005 peace deal.2007 December – SPLM resumes participation in national unity government.2008 January – UN takes over Darfur peace force.Within days Sudan apologises after its troops fire on a convoy of Unamid, the UN-African Union hybrid mission.Government planes bomb rebel positions in West Darfur, turning some areas into no-go zones for aid workers.2008 February – Commander of the UN-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, Balla Keita, says more troops needed urgently in west Darfur.Abyei clashes2008 March – Russia says it’s prepared to provide some of the helicopters urgently needed by UN-African Union peacekeepers.Tensions rise over clashes between an Arab militia and SPLM in Abyei area on north-south divide – a key sticking point in 2005 peace accord.Presidents of Sudan and Chad sign accord aimed at halting five years of hostilities between their countries.2008 April – Counting begins in national census which is seen as a vital step towards holding democratic elections after the landmark 2005 north-south peace deal.UN humanitarian chief John Holmes says 300,000 people may have died in the five-year Darfur conflict.2008 May – Southern defence minister Dominic Dim Deng is killed in a plane crash in the south.Tension increases between Sudan and Chad after Darfur rebel group mounts raid on Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city across the Nile. Sudan accuses Chad of involvement and breaks off diplomatic relations.Intense fighting breaks out between northern and southern forces in disputed oil-rich town of Abyei.2008 June – President Bashir and southern leader Salva Kiir agree to seek international arbitration to resolve dispute over Abyei.Bashir accused2008 July – The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor calls for the arrest of President Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur; the appeal is the first ever request to the ICC for the arrest of a sitting head of state. Sudan rejects the indictment.2008 September – Darfur rebels accuse government forces backed by militias of launching air and ground attacks on two towns in the region.2008 October – Allegations that Ukrainian tanks hijacked off the coast of Somalia were bound for southern Sudan spark fears of an arms race between the North and former rebels in the South.2008 November – President Bashir announces an immediate ceasefire in Darfur, but the region’s two main rebel groups reject the move, saying they will fight on until the government agrees to share power and wealth in the region.2008 December – The Sudanese army says it has sent more troops to the sensitive oil-rich South Kordofan state, claiming that a Darfur rebel group plans to attack the area.2009 January – Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi is arrested after saying President Bashir should hand himself in to The Hague to face war crimes charges for the Darfur war.2009 March – The International Criminal Court in The Hague issues an arrest warrant for President Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.2009 May – An estimated 250 people in central Sudan are killed during a week of clashes between nomadic groups fighting over grazing land and cattle in the semi-arid region of Southern Kordofan.Alliance strained2009 June – Khartoum government denies it is supplying arms to ethnic groups in the south to destabilise the region.The leader of South Sudan and vice-president of the country, Salva Kiir, warns his forces are being re-organised to be ready for any return to war with the northEx-foreign minister Lam Akol splits from South’s ruling SPLM to form new party, SPLM-Democratic Change.2009 July – North and south Sudan say they accept ruling by arbitration court in The Hague shrinking disputed Abyei region and placing the major Heglig oil field in the north.Woman journalist tried and punished for breaching decency laws by wearing trousers. She campaigns to change the law.2009 August – Darfur war is over, says UN military commander in the region, in comments condemned by activists.2009 October – SPLM boycotts parliament over a Bill allowing intelligence services to retain widespread powers.2009 December – Leaders of North and South reach deal on terms of referendum on independence due in South by 2011.2010 January – President Omar Bashir says he would accept referendum result, even if South opted for independence.Darfur deal2010 Feb-March – The Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) main Darfur rebel movement signs a peace accord with the government, prompting President Bashir to declare the Darfur war over. But failure to agree specifics and continuing clashes with smaller rebel groups endanger the deal.2010 April – President Bashir gains new term in first contested presidential polls since 1986.2010 July – International Criminal Court issues second arrest warrant for President al-Bashir – this time on charges of genocide.2010 August – Mr Bashir tests ICC arrest warrant by visiting Kenya, an ICC signatory. The Kenyan government refuses to enforce the warrant.2011 January – People of the South vote in favour of full independence from the north.2011 February – Clashes between the security forces and rebels in southern Sudan’s Jonglei state leave more than 100 dead.2011 March – Government of South Sudan says it is suspending talks with the North, accusing it of plotting a coup.2011 May – Northern troops overrun town of Abyei on disputed border between north and south. South describes it as ”act of war”. Thousands flee.South becomes independent2011 July – South Sudan gains independence.2011 September – State of emergency declared in Blue Nile state, elected SPLM-N Governor Malik Agar sacked. Some 100,000 said fleeing unrest.2011 October – South Sudan and Sudan agree to set up several committees tasked with resolving their outstanding disputes.2011 November – Sudan accused of bombing refugee camp in Yida, Unity State, South Sudan.A Kenyan judge issues an arrest warrant for President Bashir, saying he should be detained if ever he sets foot in the country again.2011 December – International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor requests arrest warrant for Sudan’s defence minister, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, for alleged war crimes in Darfur.Sudanese government forces kill key Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim.2012 January – South Sudan halts oil production after talks on fees for the export of oil via Sudan break down.2012 February – Sudan and South Sudan sign non-aggression pact at talks on outstanding secession issues. although tensions remain high over oil export fees.The Conflict Timeline:Two: South and North SUDAN: CONFLICT TIMELINE (from the Insight on Conflict)1899: Sudan comes under British/Egyptian rule.1916: Sultanate of Darfur incorporated into Sudan.1955:First civil war begins between the South and North.1956: Sudan achieves independence.1958: General Abbud leads the first military coup against the civilian government.1962: Civil war breaks out in the predominately Christian region of the South.1964: The ‘October Revolution’ overthrows Abbud and a National Government is elected.1969: Gaafar Mohamed El-Nimeiri leads the “May Revolution” military coup and becomes President.1969: Military coup puts Nimeiri in power.1971: Nimeiri sees that the Communist Leader is executed after a failed coup attempt.1972: Peace agreement is signed in Addis Ababa and the South achieves partial self-governance. This led to 10 years of peace in the South.1978: Oil reserves are discovered in Bentiu in South Sudan.1983: Nimeiri introduces nationwide Islamic Sharia law.1983: Tensions in the South led to the formation of the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) under leader John Garang. The southern based group takes up arms against government forces.1985: After widespread popular unrest Nimeiri is deposed from Presidency by a group of officers. A Transitional Military Council is set up to rule the country.1986: Post-Nimeiri elections see Sadiq al-Mahdi become Prime Minister.1989: National Salvation Revolution (NSR) takes over in a military coup.1993: After another military coup the Revolution Command Council is dissolved and Omar al-Bashir is appointed president.1998: The US launches a missile attack on a pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum. It alleges that it was making materials for chemical weapons and has links to Al-Qaeda – the government dismisses the claims as false.1998: A new constitution is endorsed in a referendum.1999: Following a power struggle with Hassan al-Turabi, the Parliamentary Speaker, President Bashir dissolves the National Assembly and declares a state of emergency. The same year Sudan begins to export oil.2000: Omar al-Bashir is re-elected President after all other political parties boycott elections.2001: The Popular National Congress (PNC) signs a memorandum of understanding with the southern rebel SPLM’s armed faction, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Hassan Al-Turabi, leader of the PNC is arrested the following day.2001: Citing its record on terrorism and human rights violations, the US extends unilateral sanctions against Sudan for another year.2002: The government and the SPLA sign a landmark peace deal. A renewable 6 month ceasefire agreement is made. This brings to an end 19 years of civil war.2003: Two rebel groups in the Western region of Darfur rise up against what they believe to be government neglect of the arid region. The groups arm Arab militia against civilians.2004: The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels agree ceasefire in the South.2004: In Darfur, as the army moves against the insurgency, hundreds of thousands of refugees flee into Chad.2004 (Mar): UN official says pro-government Arab militias known as “Janjaweed” are carrying out systematic killings of villagers in Darfur.2004 (May): Further progress is made in North – South relations when the government and southern rebels agree on power-sharing protocols.2004 (Sept): The US describes Darfur killings as ‘genocide’. The UN says Sudan has failed to disarm pro-government militias but do not accept the term ‘genocide.’ The Sudanese government agrees to the African Union (AU) sending in a protection force.2005 (Jan): Government and southern rebels sign a comprehensive permanent peace deal.2005: The UN Security Council says those who commit atrocities in Darfur can be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Three months later Khartoum seeks to head off international action by setting up its own tribunal.2005: Following the September introduction of a power-sharing government in Khartoum, in October, an autonomous government is formed in the South. The new administration is dominated by former rebels.2006 (Aug): The UN Security Council vote to send a 26,000 strong peacekeeping force to Darfur but Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir – citing a violation of sovereignty – refuses to allow the deployment of the UN force. Two months later, Jan Pronk, the UN’s top official in Sudan, is expelled from the country.2007 (May): The ICC issues its first arrest warrants for a Sudanese Minister and a Janjaweed militia leader. Khartoum rejects the statement and says the court has no jurisdiction.2007 (July): Sudan accepts the deployment of a 26,000 strong AU -UN force to Darfur –UNAMID.2008: UNAMID officially takes over from the AU peacekeeping force in Darfur.2008: Troops are deployed in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) to assist with the refugee flow from Darfur.2008 (April): The UN predict that 300,000 people have been killed in the five year Darfur conflict.2008 (May): Sudanese government bombs hit schools and market places in Darfur, killing 13 civilians. UNHCR withdraws its staff from sites on the Chad/Sudan border citing insecurity.2008 (June): Northern and Southern forces begin intense fighting over the disputed oil-rich town of Abyei.2008 (July): The ICC calls for the arrest of President Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur. It is the first appeal the ICC has ever made for the arrest of a sitting head of state. Sudan rejects the charges.2009 (Mar): The ICC in The Hague issues an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir.2009 (May): 250 people in central Sudan are killed during clashes between nomadic groups fighting over grazing land.2009 (July): North and South Sudan accept a ruling by The Hague which gives control of the Abyei region and its oilfields to the North.2010 (Feb): An ICC appeals court rules that a previous judgement that charges of genocide could not be considered against al-Bashir, was wrong. The case has been passed back for a decision on the case for charging al-Bashir with genocide.2010 (Apr): National elections return Al-Bashir as President of Sudan, and Salva Kiir as President of South Sudan. Opposition parties allege vote rigging.2010 (Dec): An upsurge in fighting in Darfur as the ceasefire between the SLA and the government breaks down. Followed by the end of the peace talks in Doha.2011 (Jan): With over 99% in favour, South Sudan votes overwhelmingly in favour of independence in a vote widely regarded as free, fair and credible.2011 (5 June): clashes begin in Southern Kordofan2011 (July): Formation of the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA)2011 (9 July): South Sudan becomes independent.2011 (13 July): Sudan’s parliament passes a law cancelling the Sudanese nationality of Southerners2011 (14 July): South Sudan is admitted by the General Assembly as the 193rdmember of the UN2011 (18 July): South Sudan launched its own currency2011 (20 July): Rebel leader Gatluak Gai signs a peace deal with the SPLA, and is shot dead three days later in Unity State2011 (27 July): South Sudan becomes the 54thmember of the African Union2011 (August ongoing): cattle raids and violence across South Sudan with a number of military and civilian deaths2011 (1 August): Salva Kiir Mayardit appointed the South Sudan Council of State, consisting of fifty representatives2011 (5 August): Sudan blocked a shipment of oil from South Sudan after Juba reportedly refused to pay customs fees – the South accused Khartoum of sabotaging its economy2011 (27 August): New Cabinet of South Sudan is announced, considered representative of ethnic groups and across states; it is made up of 29 ministers and 27 deputies2011 (3 September): State of emergency declared in Blue Nile state, elected SPLM-N Governor Malik Agar sacked. Some 100,000 said to have fled unrest.2011 (9 October): South Sudan and Sudan agree to set up several committees tasked with resolving their outstanding disputes2011 (11 November): Sudan accused of bombing refugee camp in Yida, Unity State, South Sudan.Three: South Sudan: a timeline to independence (from the Christian Science Monitor).On Saturday, July 9, 2011, after decades of civil war and almost two centuries of rule by outsiders, South Sudanwill finally become an independent state. Here’s a look at the road the fledgling nation has traveled to get to where it is today.- Ariel Zirulnick, Staff writerSudan under Turkish-Egyptian rule (1820s-1890s)Sudan was a collection of mostly autonomous, non-cohesive kingdoms and tribes until the 1820s, when Turkish-Egyptian forces took control of the territory and created a colonial administration. However, neither the original invaders nor the religious leader Muhammad ibn Abdalla, who came in the 1880s, were able to bring southern Sudan under their control. Although Mr. Abdalla, known as “the Mahdi,” did unify some of the central and western tribes with what is now northern Sudan, the South remained a loose confederation of kingdoms and tribes.British colonization of Sudan (1890s-1953)In the 1890s, British forces invaded the Mahdi’s Sudan, bringing it under their control, imposing their policies, and filling the top administrative posts with British officials.After World War I, the Sudanese nationalism movement gained steam. Conscious that the British could not suppress Sudanese desire for independence, the British colonizers signed an agreement in 1953 that granted the Sudanese self-governance.While free from British rule, however, the undeveloped, mainly Christian and animist South would still be ruled by an administration based in the remote capital of the Muslim-dominated North,Khartoum.Independent Sudan and the growing North-South divide (1953-1970s)Within the newly autonomous Sudan, a divide was growing. The southern part of the country began calling for a federal system that would allow it a level of autonomy from the central government. Khartoum refused, provoking a mutiny by southern military officials that launched Sudan’s first civil war, lasting from 1955 to 1972.The northern Sudanese sought, almost from the beginning, to unify the country under Arab-Muslim control, based in the north. In doing so, they alienated Christians and animists in the South, as well as other marginalized groups. Arabization and Islamicization efforts crystallized southern opposition to the central government, although the South was split over whether it wanted a federal system or complete independence from the North. A series of civilian governments through the 1960s exacerbated the divide between the North and South by refusing to grant any degree of self-determination to southern Sudan.Secular socialist leader Col. Gaafar Muhammed Nimeiri, who took power in 1969, crafted a policy granting autonomy to the south and signed it into agreement in 1972. Southerners showed their appreciation by helping Col. Nimeiri put down two coup attempts. However, his early support was swept away when mounting opposition forced him to abandon his unpopular support for the South.Strong support for an Islamic state and the discovery of oil in the south were the final blows to the south’s plea for autonomy. Nimeiri eliminated the separate southern region in 1983, putting control in the hands of the central government and making Arabic the official language there as well. The decision launched the Sudan’s second civil war and gave birth to the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement and Army (SPLA/M).The second civil war and the rise of the SPLA/M (1980s-2005)Nimeiri was overthrown in 1985. During the transitional governance period, several half-hearted attempts at peace failed over the question of exempting the South from Islamic law, an unacceptable prospect for many in the central government but something the South insisted upon.Sudan’s current President Omar al-Bashir – now wanted in the International Criminal Court for war crimes – took power via coup in 1989, installing the National Islamic Front government. His party’s emphasis on incorporating Islam into the country’s political and legal systems further exacerbated the North-South conflict.Meanwhile, the SPLA/M gained influence, becoming the main voice for South Sudanese. Bashir’s alienation of western and eastern regions of Sudan drove them to the sides of the southern rebels, led by the SPLM/A and united under the leadership of Col. John Garang.Several agreements were signed between Khartoum and some of the southern rebel factions to end the open conflict between the North and South, but the SPLA was not one of the parties to the agreement.The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005)The Khartoum government and the SPLM began talks about an agreement to end the civil war in 2002. Talks on the role of state and religion and southern self-determination continued through 2004. In January 2005, the two signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which laid out a plan for southern autonomy for the next six years followed by a referendum vote in the South on its independence.The CPA also includes a power-sharing arrangement for the central government that made SLPM leader Garang the vice president of unified Sudan. When Garang died in a helicopter crash only a few months later, Salva Kiir, his vice president, became the vice president of the central government. He also took over leadership of the SPLM and eventually the South’s government.In the years between the signing of the CPA and the referendum vote, tensions between the North and South calmed considerably, although they still sometimes boiled over into open conflict.The referendum on independence (Jan. 9, 2011)On Jan. 9, 2011, South Sudanese turned out en masse to vote in a referendum on their independence, with more than 99 percent of those in the South voting in favor of secession from northern Sudan. Despite concerns about violence around the vote, it went off mostly peacefully, and the vote was soon followed by waves of South Sudanese returning to their home ahead of independence.Despite the mostly peaceful vote, many contentious issues between the North and South remain unresolved, such as the status of the border region of Abyei, which was supposed to hold a referendum of its own to determine whether it would opt to join a newly independent South Sudanor stay with northern Sudan. Abyei and another border region known as South Kordofan have been plagued by fighting between northern armed forces and the fledgling state’s army, as well as attacks by southern rebels.South Sudan’s independence (July 9, 2011)On July 9, South Sudan officially becomes an independent state. With the situation in South Kordofan so shaky and Abyei’s status still unresolved, its transition to independence is unlikely to be completely smooth. It still faces internal tribal and ethnic divisions and rebel militias, as well as the continuation of hostilities with the North.Check out the first of a three-part series chronicling the challenges facing the world’s newest country here.Four: Timeline: South Sudan (from the AP).South Sudan will proclaim full independence, becoming the world’s newest nation on July 9th 2011. (AP)Key milestones in relations between soon to be independent south Sudan and the north of the vast African country:– 1983: Sudanese president Gaafar al-Nimeiri decides to rescind a 1972 agreement under which southern Sudan enjoyed internal autonomy. The measure, which implies the introduction of Islamic sharia law in the region, rekindles an independence movement led by John Garang and his Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).– 1989: Omar al-Bashir ousts Nimeiri in a coup. He remains in power to this day.– January 2005: North and south sign a US-brokered ceasefire agreement providing for a period of autonomy for the south followed by a referendum on full independence in 2011. The region around the town of Abyei, which has oil and is claimed by both south and north, is accorded special status.– July 2005: Garang killed in a helicopter crash and is succeeded as southern leader by Salva Kiir.– May 2008: Fighting in Abyei between troops from southern Sudan and those of the central government in Khartoum leave 100 people dead and raze the town.– July 2009: An international arbitration court in The Hague draws new borders around Abyei, locating its main oilfields in north Sudan, outside the disputed region.– April 2010: Sudan holds its first multi-party elections since 1986. Kiir becomes the south’s first elected president.– October 2010: Talks between north and south fail to produce an agreement on Abyei’s future status.– January 2011: As planned, south Sudan holds its independence referendum, with almost 99 percent voting in favour. Plans are laid for the region to split from the north and achieve full international recognition on July 9.– March 2011: At least 70 people killed and three villages razed in clashes between the Arab Misseriya tribe, which is backed by Khartoum, and the pro-southern Ngok Dinka people.– April 2011: Bashir says he will not recognise the south’s independence if it insists on claiming Abyei.– May 21: Northern Sudanese troops backed by tanks seize Abyei town and its environs.– June 3: UN Security Council demands that Sudan withdraw its troops from Abyei, a call swiftly rejected by Khartoum.– June 5: Fighting erupts between the northern army and southern-aligned militia in South Kordofan, which borders the south and is the north’s only oil-producing state. The conflict escalates tensions between Khartoum and Juba.– June 12: Bashir and Kiir fly to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for emergency talks aimed at resolving the crises in Sudan’s central border region.– June 20: North and south Sudan sign an African Union-sponsored deal in Addis Ababa to demilitarise Abyei.– June 27: UN Security Council votes to send a 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force to monitor the withdrawal of northern troops from Abyei.– July 1: Bashir orders the army to continue its campaign in South Kordofan, to “cleanse” the state of pro-southern rebels.– July 9: South Sudan to proclaim full independence, becoming the world’s newest nation.Five: North, South Sudan now separate nations (from the CBC News).Abyei, Nuba conflicts, unresolved issues make for tense independence day in South, Jul 8, 2011 4:29 PM ETSouth Sudan formally declares its independence for Sudan on July 9. A man holds up South Sudan’s new flag during a rehearsal in Juba July 7 for independence celebrations. (Paul Banks/UNMIS/Reuters)The Republic of South Sudan declared its independence from Sudan on July 9, six months after the people of Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to separate from the rest of the country.Also on July 9, the 2005 peace deal that led to the referendum expired. That agreement — between the government of Sudan and southern rebels — ended a civil war that began in 1983.Since the referendum vote, three conflicts — between rebel groups and Southern Sudanese forces; between Northern and Southern forces in the border region of Abyei; and between the Sudanese army and a pro-Southern group in the Nuba mountains — have claimed over 2,360 lives.The two sides are still negotiating key issues such as citizenship rights, oil rights and border demarcation.Therefore; It is absolutely obvious that; South Sudanese, like many other marginalized peoples of the Sudan wanted their autonomy over the years. That led to demand a full independents.[1][2][3][4][5][6]Footnotes[1] South Sudan’s Historical Chronology[2] Sudan profile - Timeline[3] Sudan: Conflict Timeline[4] South Sudan: a timeline to independence[5] http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1568021/timeline-south-sudan[6] North, South Sudan now separate nations | CBC News

The Saigon TimesNine foreigners test positive for coronavirus in VietnamBy Thanh ThomSunday, Mar 8, 2020,20:27 (GMT+7)A quarantine area at the Danang Hospital. Two foreigners are receiving treatment for the novel coronavirus in the central coastal city of Danang.HCMC – Nine foreign nationals who traveled on the same flight with Hanoi’s first novel coronavirus patient from London to the Vietnamese capital city early this month have tested positive for the pathogen, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Vietnam to 30.The Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday that seven people are from England, one from Ireland and one from Mexico, aged from 58 to 74.Four foreigners are receiving treatment in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh, two in the north-western mountainous province of Lao Cai, two in the central coastal city of Danang, and one in the north-central coastal province of Thua Thien-Hue.The foreigners had been travelling around the country as local authorities tracked them down and informed them of the fact that they were suspected of inspection for being the passengers on the same flight with the 26-year-old female, N.H.N, who tested positive for the virus on Friday.N, who flew to Hanoi from the United Kingdom on Vietnam Airlines flight VN0054 on March 2, became the city’s first coronavirus patient and the country’s 17th.The national flag carrier’s general director Duong Tri Thanh said in a meeting on Saturday that there were a total of 201 passengers on the flight, including 21 in the business class. Of the 21, 18 were foreigners.On Saturday, N’s 27-year-old family chauffeur and her 64-year-old aunt caught the virus from her, becoming the 19th and 20th cases. A day later, a 61-year-old Vietnamese government official who was seated near her on the flight was confirmed to have contracted the virus.Meanwhile, the 18th case was a 27-year-old man returning to Vietnam from Daegu, South Korea’s epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. He was isolated right away upon his arrival at the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province.All of the 14 active cases are in stable condition, according to the ministry. The country’s first 16 cases were free of the virus and discharged from the hospital around two weeks ago.Given the complex situation of the outbreak, the HCMC government decided to extend school closures for all of twelfth graders in the city until March 15 instead of tomorrow.ReutersSource: US Embassy & Consulate in Vietnam(Updated February 27, 2020)Country-Specific Information for Vietnam:Vietnam has confirmed 16 cases of COVID-19 within its borders.As of February 26, 2020, all 16 people have recovered and have been released from the hospital.There have been no new cases of COVID-19 reported in Vietnam since February 13.Commercial flights from Vietnam to regional destinations remain available through international carriers, although Vietnam is not allowing flights to or from China.According to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV), commercial flights between Vietnam and South Korea are currently restricted, rather than suspended. Each airline has its own policies on flight frequency – most have cancelled all flights between Vietnam and South Korea until the end of March or until notice that the epidemic has been successfully addressed. Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air have very few flights between Vietnam and South Korea from now until end of March. There are currently no restrictions on flights from Japan, Italy, and Iran.Incoming flights from South Korea’s affected areas will be routed to land at Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh province), Phu Cat Airport (Binh Dinh province), and Can Tho Airport (Can Tho City).Several local airlines have reduced the number of flights into and out of Vietnam due to a lack of demand.The Ministry of National Defense is helping patrol and secure border crossings across the seven northern provinces bordering China.Vietnam has allowed some cruise ships to dock at Vietnamese ports but has refused others in the past few weeks.Entry and Exit Requirements:At this time, travelers do not need any documentation beyond the normal requirements to enter/exit Vietnam, but note the following points:Vietnam is screening arriving travelers and quarantining suspected cases.Vietnam has refused entry for non-Vietnamese citizens with recent prior travel to mainland China and the outbreak areas of South Korea and other countries and territories and has quarantined others. Those who travel to Vietnam for special official duties must undergo health declaration and be quarantined for 14 days in accordance.The Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism advises Vietnamese citizens against unnecessary travel to outbreak areas; the 14-day quarantine policy will be applied when they return.Vietnam has mandated that all travelers from and through the Republic of Korea (South Korea) must complete a medical declaration at all points of entry into Vietnam. Travelers returning from outbreak areas of Daegu City in South Korea will now be asked to go to centralized isolation zones, while other passengers returning from South Korea are being urged to self-monitor their health and report to healthcare facilities if they have any respiratory symptoms.Quarantine Information in Vietnam:Vietnamese authorities will impose a 14-day quarantine for persons arriving from China and the outbreak areas of South Korea and other countries and territories or suspected of having the virus.The Vietnamese government advises that those who have traveled to or through the Daegu and/or North Gyeongsang regions of Korea within the last 14 days must undergo quarantine when they enter Vietnam. Please monitor Vietnamese government news sources and websites for additional information about this restriction.The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security has informed the provincial and municipal People’s Committees about travelers from South Korea who have entered Vietnam since February 11, 2020, for monitoring and quarantine when necessary.The population of Son Loi Commune, in Vinh Phuc province in northern Vietnam, is under quarantine.Media report that authorities and businesses in Ho Chi Minh City are collaborating to quarantine 2,500 Chinese laborers for monitoring to prevent a spread of the disease.All confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Vietnam cured, anti-epidemic measures strengthenedPeople's Daily Online(Xinhua) 16:34, February 26, 2020HANOI, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that all the 16 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country had been cured and discharged from hospitals.The last patient discharged from hospital on Wednesday, also the last case confirmed in the country so far, is a 50-year-old resident of the northern Vinh Phuc province, which had the biggest cluster in the country with a total of 11 cases.The case was reported on Feb. 13 after his wife and two daughters, one of whom had been to central China's Wuhan, were confirmed to be infected with the virus.Vietnam has reported no confirmed case after Feb. 13, while Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a directive to strengthen measures against the COVID-19 outbreak amid new concerning developments across the world.According to the document, Vietnam will deny entry to people from or transiting through the epidemic-hit regions of South Korea. Those on official missions will have to submit the health declaration forms and be obliged to 14-day quarantine upon their arrival in Vietnam.Meanwhile, Vietnamese citizens are told not to visit the epidemic-hit regions in the world except in necessary cases and when returning to Vietnam, they are subject to 14-day quarantine without exception, said the directive.Earlier the country's Transport Ministry announced that four Vietnamese flight carriers including Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietjet Air and Jetstar Pacific which have so far operated 14 flight routes between Vietnam and South Korea would reduce about 60 percent of flights between the two countries.

So on the 7th of April this shipthis ship conducted a freedom of navigation near Lakshadweep islands or rather let us say that they conducted a freedom of navigation inside the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) of India without our permission which is considered to be a gross violation of India’s right of sovereignty over the zone that has been allocated to it.Now before proceeding forwards we also need to understand that what UN clauses are associated over there, there are currently 2 methods of moving your ship in someone's else water’s:Freedom of Navigation OperationIn this, you breach into someone’s else waters and challenge their exercises maritime territorial claims like what the USA does in the South China Sea.Some people say that this is karma with India as it also used to go in South China for FONOP, well this is a mis-interpretation of facts as India used to just go for nuclear deterrence patrol and remained in the International Waters.Innocent PassageIn this, you accept that where you are doing the exercises or passing by or anything in their zone, that the coastal country has full rights over the territory.All ships, including warships, regardless of cargo, armament, or means of propulsion enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea in accordance with international law, for which neither prior notification nor authorization is requiredMy problem is not that the USA has come to do an exercise or passed by Lakshadweep my problem is the statement issued by them.In a statement dated April 7, Arabian Sea, the US Seventh Fleet said: “USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands, inside India’s exclusive economic zone, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law.”“India requires prior consent for military exercises or manoeuvres in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law. This freedom of navigation operation (“FONOP”) upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging India’s excessive maritime claims,” it said.“US Forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis. All operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows. We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to in the future. FONOPs are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements,” it said.Under Indian law — The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 — “all foreign ships (other than warships including submarines and other underwater vehicles) shall enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial waters” and a passage is innocent “so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of India”.“Foreign warships including submarines and other underwater vehicles may enter or pass through the territorial waters after giving prior notice to the Central Government,” the law states.[math]Former Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash, in a Twitter post, said: “There is irony here. While India ratified UN Law of the Seas in 1995, the US has failed to do it so far. For the 7th Fleet to carry out FoN missions in Indian EEZ in violation of our domestic law is bad enough. But publicising it? USN please switch on IFF!” — IFF stands for Identification, Friend or Foe.[/math][math]He also questioned the intent behind the move. “FoN ops by USN ships (ineffective as they may be) in the [/math][math]South[/math][math] China Sea, are meant to convey a message to China that the putative EEZ around the artificial SCS islands is an “excessive maritime claim.” But what is the 7th Fleet message for India?” he said.[/math][math]Responding to this public announcement by the US Navy which raised eyebrows given the growing ties between the armed forces of the two countries, especially their navies, New Delhi said: “We have conveyed our concerns regarding this passage through our EEZ to the Government of USA through diplomatic channels.”[/math][math]In a [/math][math]statement[/math][math], the Ministry of External Affairs said: “The USS John Paul Jones was continuously monitored transiting from the Persian Gulf towards the Malacca Straits.”[/math]Conclusion:Look USA we Indian’s don’t have any problem with you guys nor do we want war and neither do we deny you the right to do manoeuvres in the Indian Oceanic region we have always allowed you but requiring permission is a basic decent that must be shown by the participating country towards the host country.Just a few months ago only you people had come to India for Malabar exercise where we had stretched out maritime co-operation and had promised to make IOR a free region in which peacefully operation can be done, but just after winning the trust if you will do such sorts of “Atyachar” on your allies then the relations will never grow.If you eeying the dominance over the Indian ocean then sorry you can never have it as India navy is always present, you were an ally that’s why the deterrence systems were only kept on standby otherwise you would have experienced the privilege of seeing the life launch of Bramhos and K- missle series of India.