Warning: disturbing images. URGENT MESSAGE to warring factions in Sudan: STOP KILLING YOUR PEOPLE IN DARFUR - GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

In haste, here is a copy of a post I wrote for Sudan Watch, drafted last December but not published until today:

This morning I awoke early and switched on my computer to find an anonymously authored email with photos attached. Here is a copy of the email together with my (unsent) reply, some of the photos and news of the chief Darfur peace mediator's warning that a recent surge in fighting is endangering civilians and undermining hopes for a settlement.

Hello

Sudan Watch post on 4 December reminded that there is enormous evil in the world and great deception. This is a great moral struggle and you faltered. I send these images as a witness to truth, please return to.

reAd your latest post on Sudan and frankly was I appalled by statements:

I actually feel sorry for Mr Bashir because I believe he has worked tirelessly to hold Sudan together and has done a good job.

The other reason I feel so disappointed is that this latest news from the ICC is music to the rebels ears and emboldens them along with millions of their uneducated followers sitting doing nothing at the expense of millions of hardworking, law abiding tax payers around the world

Please they can go no where back to there land.

In Christ Almighty, Bear Witness to the Desperate

Here pictures [...]

(captions by author of Sudan Watch)



MESSAGE TO WARRING FACTIONS IN SUDAN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR WAR IS DOING TO YOUR PEOPLE



WAR BEGETS WAR. PEACE BEGETS PEACE.



GIVE PEACE A CHANCE



DON'T KILL YOUR PEOPLE. LOVE YOUR PEOPLE.



MESSAGE TO WARRING FACTIONS IN SUDAN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR WAR IS DOING TO YOUR PEOPLE



STOP YOUR DARFUR WAR. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE



MESSAGE TO WARRING FACTIONS IN SUDAN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR WAR IS DOING TO YOUR PEOPLE



GIVE PEACE A CHANCE



MESSAGE TO WARRING FACTIONS IN SUDAN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR WAR IS DOING TO YOUR PEOPLE



GIVE PEACE A CHANCE



MESSAGE TO WARRING FACTIONS IN SUDAN: TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOUR WAR IS DOING TO YOUR PEOPLE



WAR BEGETS WAR. PEACE BEGETS PEACE.



GIVE PEACE A CHANCE



To the anonymous emailer I would like to say this:

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact me with your heartfelt message and disturbing images.

Yes I agree there is enormous evil in the world and great deception by people who are fit and well and driven by self interest.

If you had followed Sudan Watch on a real time basis over the past 4.5 years, you would know how many thousands of hours I have spent deploring the plight of the defenceless people of Sudan, especially defenceless women and children and peacekeepers. I have spent thousands of hours publishing news on the shortage of water in Sudan and the urgent need for clean drinking water.

I am not a defender of the rebels or the Sudanese government. I am against people who use violence to get what they want.

My political compass is that of Mahatma Gandhi's. I believe his Salt March was much more effective than the senseless use of guns and munitions.

As your pictures show, there is nothing good to say about armed struggles. The archives of Sudan Watch hold many posts about Kalma camp. There are also reports on what happened to Haskanita. I wish I had a batch of photos of the injuries sustained by peackeepers and government personnel. War stinks. And yet the savedarfurcrowd are calling for military intervention: in other words MORE WAR!

All wars end in a political settlement. So why not get Al-Nur out his comfy armchair in Paris and get him to peace talks.

I am glad you were appalled by my statements, at least it shows that someone reads what I am publishing. Sudan Watch contains nigh on 4,000 postings. On average the majority of postings contain more than one entry, in some cases ten separate entries. There are at least 10,000 news reports and more than 2,000 photos. Bearing in mind that one post can take several hours to put together, I would guess that over 4.5 years it represents at least 40,000 hours on raising awareness of what is happening in Sudan. Had I been paid to do so, I would have earned at least £400,000 - £800,000 - for sure, over $1m. This blog is a labour of love, freely given for the children of Sudan, in the name of peace.

In all honesty, I can vouch for the fact that Mr Bashir has worked tirelessly to hold Sudan together. The truth of such a statement can be found in the entire archives of Sudan Watch. Sudan has not become a failed state and, despite over 30 armed groups freely running amok in Sudan while Al Qaeda is entrenched in Khartoum, I think the Sudanese can thank their lucky stars that their country has not become a Somalia.

The largest humanitarian operation in the world exists in Sudan. The Darfur war is costing unimagineable misery, pain, grief and suffering.

Only recently have I come to the conclusion that 90% - or maybe even 99% of people are inherently wicked. When the chips are down, there is a fine line between humans and beasts. Survival of the fittest.

- - -

DARFUR MEDIATOR: FIGHTING UNDERMINING HOPES OF RESOLVING CONFLICT
January 29, 2009 report from Associated Press (CAIRO, Egypt) via international.jpost.com:

The chief Darfur peace mediator has warned that a recent surge in fighting in the remote region of Sudan is undermining hopes of resolving the six-year conflict.

The envoy for the UN and African Union has spent months meeting with rebel groups and government officials to try to craft a peace agreement.

New fighting, however, has gripped parts of Darfur this month. The main rebel group seized control of a town in southern Darfur and advanced on the region's government-controlled capital in the north.

Bassole said Thursday that the fighting is endangering civilians and undermining hopes for a settlement. He called on all sides to stop fighting. Up to 300,000 people have been killed since 2003 and millions have been displaced.

- - -

Related reports

Nov. 29, 2008 - Sudan Watch: Launch of a joint Arab-African peace initiative for Darfur: Qatari Peace Bid: UN, EU, AU, AL, UK, US & France support the joint Arab-African peace initiative for Darfur led by Qatar & Sudan People's Forum (SPF) - Qatar have proposed to host peace talks to end the five year war in the western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Jan. 26, 2009 - Sudan Watch: ICC's case against Sudan's President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir is a mess riddled with flaws - UNSC must invoke Article 16

Jan. 19, 2009 - Sudan Watch: Attn: Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir & First Vice-President Salva Kiir Mayardit, A Scientifically Verified Option to Bring Lasting Peace to Sudan

Jan. 16, 2009 - Sudan Watch: South Sudan's leader Salva Kiir warns of return to civil war

PEACE PROCESSES AND AGREEMENTS

-The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)
- The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA)
- The Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA)
- - -

Noteworthy cartoon via Boston Globe

Change the names to Ibrahim's JEM and Al-Nur's SLA - and you get the picture that:

JEM and the SLA Agree on Something



I wish someone would show this cartoon to the Darfur rebel groups so they can see themselves as others see them, and implore them please to stop killing their people and GIVE PEACE A CHANCE.