Mia Bittar's Wow Women film - Women's Votes (Julie Flint) - EU US Observers: Standards of Sudan's election fall short

WARM THANKS to a Sudan Watch reader in Khartoum, Sudan for sending in this 3 minute visual poem that weaves together images of Sudanese women artists in Khartoum. Honouring positive and powerful ...

Wow Women by Mia Bittar

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Quote of the Day

"I particularly remember one young Nuer woman who told the men: “This war is your fault. We women are tired of giving birth to children only to see them slaughtered.” All the female delegates applauded her when she proposed a “revolution” of her own. “We will stop giving birth!” - Julie Flint, 16 April 2010 (see report below)

For the record, here is a copy of Julie Flint's great comment posted at Alex de Waal's blog, Making Sense of Sudan, in reply to his blog post 15 April 2010 Women's Votes.

Julie Flint:
April 16th, 2010

Alex, how interesting that women in the Darfur camps not only voted more than men, you say, but that they voted at all, with Abdul Wahid so strongly in favour of a boycott. Do you know what the voting pattern in the camps tells us about Abdul Wahid’s support there these days? Many people are saying that JEM stopped voters in areas under its control. Was there any coercion in the camps?

The interest of women in voting – and presumably in a negotiated rather than violent settlement of conflict – reflects the experience of the church-supported people-to-people peace process in southern Sudan, where the dynamism and determination of women was very apparent. They really gave the SPLA a bashing. I particularly remember one young Nuer woman who told the men: “This war is your fault. We women are tired of giving birth to children only to see them slaughtered.” All the female delegates applauded her when she proposed a “revolution” of her own. “We will stop giving birth!”

A good friend of mine, Awut Deng, walked 30 miles to mobilize women – despite being in the difficult early stages of pregnancy – because the New Sudan Council of Churches organising the process had no budget for mobilization. Everywhere she went women told her they wanted peace because their children were dying. As one delegate said, “In the past we fought over cows, but only fighters died. Now even children and women are killed.” I imagine the thinking of women in the Darfur camps is not so different.

Awut spoke anywhere and everywhere. She interrupted the work of courts to ask: “May I speak?” She spoke to students and teachers in schools. She invited herself to the naming of children. She used, she told me, “any little corner I could find.” She slept in the bush and in the street and went without food for days.

If your impression is correct – you don’t give any details – surely one conclusion must be that more effort must be put into supporting a peace constituency of youth, women and other members of civil society, to limit the margin of manoeuvre of the soldiers and politicians, especially given the late-in-the-day preference of so many of the latter for boycott – unsupported, as far as I can see, by any back-up plan. Viewed from Khartoum, is the plan as it seems to be from here – that there is no plan?

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Note from Sudan Watch Editor
If anyone reading this has emailed me and not received a reply, please forgive me. I have had health and computer problems while monitoring news on Sudan's elections and now must take a break.

Thanks to a reader of Sudan Watch for kindly sending in a report from www.riftvalley.net by Marc Gustafson that is "based on months of interviews with government officials and assessments of government documents about the creation of electoral districts. The report exposes some violations of Sudan's new laws and calls attention to some ways in which the elections might be manipulated."

Thumbs up to SRS, BBC, VOA, UN News Centre, UNAMID, UNMIS, RNW, Xinhua - Thumbs down to Sudan Tribune and Reuters' Opheera McDoom (and their followers blogging at Save Darfur & Enough)

In my view, the majority of journalists and bloggers reporting on Sudan's elections have acted jaw droppingly irresponsibly. The only reports from Reuters on Sudan that I trust are those by British journalist Andrew Heavens in Sudan. France based Sudan Tribune is a clearing house for rebel press releases and anti-government propaganda. So far, I have found that the most accurate news reports are from SRS (Sudan Radio Service), BBC News, UN News Centre, VOA and China's Xinhua News Agency, to name a few. Whenever Sudan watchers read a news report on Sudan, I hope they do a search at Google news to see what else is being reported and sleep on it before jumping to wrong conclusions and spreading dangerous propaganda and inaccurate news.

LATEST NEWS

AU chief hails peaceful Sudan polls
From Agence France-Presse (AFP) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 13:31:

(ADDIS ABABA) - African Union chief Jean Ping hailed Sudan on Saturday for "peacefully conducted" elections as Khartoum kicked off vote-counting after five days of balloting.

Ping "wishes to commend the people of the Sudan and Sudanese political parties for peacefully conducting the just-concluded multi-party general elections," the bloc said in a statement.

"These elections constitute a fundamental milestone towards realising (its) democratic transformation ... as espoused by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement," it added.

Khartoum and its southern half signed the deal which provided for both the elections and the referendum, ending a bitter decades-long civil war that left around two million dead and some four million displaced.

Ping noted that the polls "were faced by administrative and logistical problems", but he hailed the electoral board for its efforts to address the shortcomings.

The African nation's first multi-party election in over two decades took place from Sunday to Thursday when Sudanese voted to elect their president as well as legislative and local representatives.

Southerners also voted for the leader of the semi-autonomous government of south Sudan.

Results are expected around April 20.

Sudan elections 'failed' to meet international norms
From BBC News online - Saturday, 17 April 2010 15:47 UK - excerpt:

Two international organisations monitoring the elections in Sudan say the controversial polls failed to meet full international standards. The EU and the Carter Center, led by former US President Jimmy Carter, said there were significant failings, citing reports of intimidation and harassment. However, both concluded the polls were a significant step towards democracy.

"It is obvious that the elections will fall short of international standards that are expected of advanced democracies... The people's expectations have not been met," former US president Jimmy Carter told a news conference.

"Turnout is very high, 60%, but with significant deficiencies," said EU mission chief Veronique de Keyser at a news conference in Khartoum. "These elections did not reach international standards, not yet."

Neither of the observer groups called for a re-vote, but recommended instead that the lessons learned be applied to next year's key referendum on Southern Sudan's independence.

Observers: Sudan Election Failed to Meet International Standards
From The Voice of America (VOA) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 - excerpt:

The European Union monitoring mission in Sudan and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Saturday that the elections fall short of international standards because of widespread problems.

During the five-day vote, observers reported a series of problems, including intimidation, incomplete voter lists and a shortage of voting materials.

Opposition groups have also complained. Several parties partially or fully boycotted the vote, including southern Sudan's main party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. And some groups accused the ruling National Congress Party of planning to rig the results.

Final results are expected to be announced Tuesday.

Some Sudanese officials defended the election Saturday, saying it was unfair to expect Sudan to meet international standards. A member of the National Elections Commission said officials had done their best for a war-torn country with little electoral experience.

Standard of Sudan elections fall short
From Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) - Saturday, 17 April 2010 - 1:21pm

The elections held in Sudan earlier this week did not meet international standards.

Nevertheless, they were an important step in the democratisation process says Veronique de Keyser, head of the European Union observer mission in the east African country. People in South Sudan were able to vote for their own autonomous leader.

The three-day elections for the presidency, the parliament and local government were extended by two days because of logistical problems and delays. The turnout for the elections, the first in 20 years in which several parties could take part, was 60 percent. However, the legitimacy of the poll was brought into question when President Omar el-Bashir's two main rivals withdrew from the running.

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Saturday, 17 April 2010:

NEC Announces Election Re-run in 17 Constituencies
16 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The deputy chairman of the National Elections Commission, Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah, says there will be a repeat of the elections in 17 constituencies within sixty days due to errors in the distribution of ballot papers. Speaking to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday, Abdallah said that ballot boxes were misplaced in these constituencies. Full story

EU Observers Declare Elections Did Not Meet International Standards

17 April 2010 - ( Khartoum) – The European Union Elections Observation Mission to Sudan says that Sudan's elections did not meet international standards. The EU-EOM Chief Observer, Veronique de Keyser, addressed a press conference on Saturday in Khartoum.

[Veronique de Keyser]: “It is difficult to compare this elections with other elections, taking into account the particularities of the voting, the history of this country, the stakes and the future. But in terms of the methodology that have been applied by the European Union which is very strict I can only say that these elections have struggled to reach international standards. However, in the process, there were signs of a more democratic future. For instance, the withdrawal of a great part of the opposition in the north strongly reduced the competition in the moment of voting but not the interest during the electoral campaign. The observers have been the direct witnesses of the democratic space that was open to the parties.”

De Keyser said the ruling parties in both northern Sudan and southern Sudan dominated the elections.

[Veronique de Keyser]: “These elections have suffered from significant deficiencies but it has to be taken into account that the Sudan is immense and that these elections are the first in 24 years. In the north and the south these elections have been dominated by the parties in power. The serious incidents during the campaign have been sporadic, with reports of intimidation and harassment of some candidates.”

De Keyser said the EU-EOM will continue to observe the counting of ballots nationwide and will make its final recommendations after the announcement of the final results of the elections.

NCP Rejects EU Observer Statement
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The spokesperson for the National Congress Party reacted strongly to the EU observer statement, Fathi Sheela says that it’s too early to judge the elections in Sudan. Full story

Carter Center Critical of Elections Procedures
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The Carter Center says that Sudan’s elections have fallen short of international standards because of major flaws in the polling process all over the country. The former US President and founder of the Carter Center, Jimmy Carter, held a press conference in Khartoum on Saturday. Full story

No Security Problems in Darfur During Voting Says HEC
17 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The High Elections Committee in Darfur state says there were no security problems in the state during the counting of the ballots. The chairman of the High Elections Committee in Northern Darfur, Al-Sir Ahmed Al-Mek spoke to SRS on Saturday from Northern Darfur. Full story

Counting Delayed in Unity State As Pay Dispute Continues
17 April 2010 - (Bentiu) – Counting of votes in Unity state began on Friday with some delay due to complaints from elections officials about unpaid wages. Our reporter Clement Wani who is in Unity state sent us this report. Full story

SHEC Staff in Juba Refuse to Begin Count Until Salaries Arrive
16 April 2010 - (Juba) – Staff of State High Election Committee at Mayo Primary School polling centre in Juba have refused to count the ballots because their allowances have not been paid by NEC. The head of the polling station, Simon Saki, explained to SRS what happened: Full story

Failure to Pay Arrears Delays Count in Unity
16 April 2010 - (Bentiu) – An official from the State High Elections Committee in Unity state, Michael Mayar Mading, said that they have started counting the ballot papers. Speaking to SRS by telephone, Mayar Mading said party agents should remain calm until the winners are announced. Full story

Musician Attacked in Juba
16 April 2010 - (Juba) – A prominent southern Sudanese musician was the victim of an assassination attempt early on Friday morning. He was hit in the chest by a hand grenade thrown by an unknown assailant outside his house at Hai Jeberona in Juba. The grenade failed to detonate. Speaking to SRS in Juba, Kang John Jok, popularly known as Kang J.J., explains how the incident occurred. Full story

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Thursday, 15 April 2010:

Polling Stations Close at 6pm Thursday 15 April
15 April 2010 - (Khartoum) – The National Elections Commission has signaled the end of the voting process. Voting officially ended on Thursday at 6pm. The deputy chairman of the NEC, Prof. Abdallah Ahmed Abdallah, made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday in Khartoum. Full story

Insecurity, Logistics and Water Shortages Prevent Voting in Yirol East
15 April 2010 - (Juba) – Many of the voters in Yirol East county were unable to cast their ballots due to insecurity in the area. Our reporter Mageng Wade is in Yirol East and he sent this report. Full story

WES Vote Counting Begins Friday Amidst Complaints By Unpaid Election Officials
15 April 2010 - (Yambio) – The Chairman of the High Elections Committee in Western Equatoria state, Lawrence Suluvia, says counting of votes from all polling stations will start on Friday. Suluvia spoke to SRS in Yambio on Wednesday. Full story

Foreigner Traders in Juba Urge Sudanese to Remain Calm When Results Are Announced
15 April 2010 - (Juba) – Foreign traders in Juba are urging Sudanese not to react violently when the election results are announced. SRS spoke to some foreigner traders in Juba on Wednesday. Full story

Al-Bashir Still To Face ICC Charges Even if Re-elected
15 April 2010 - (Nairobi) – President al-Bashir will still face charges at the International Criminal Court even if he is re-elected. An ICC lawyer, Abd Al-Hadi Shalouf, told SRS on Wednesday by phone from The Hague that al-Bashir will still have to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Full story

African Union Observer Mission to the elections in Sudan

Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA
P. O. Box 3243
Telephone : 251-11-5517700
Fax : 251-11-5517844

ARRIVAL STATEMENT OF THE AFRICAN UNION OBSERVER MISSION
TO THE 2010 ELECTIONS IN SUDAN, 11-13 APRIL 2010

At the invitation of the National Electoral Commission of Sudan to the African Union, and in pursuance to the African Union’s Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, H.E. Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, decided to send a 50-member multi-disciplinary team of observers to Sudan to observe the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, scheduled for 11th-13th April, 2010.

The Mission is made up of officials drawn from National Electoral Commissions, National Parliaments, members of the Pan-African Parliament, members of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the AU, Regional Legislative Assemblies and Economic Communities, Ambassadors, prominent African individuals, and members of civil societies. The African Union Observer Mission is headed by H. E. John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of the Republic of Ghana. His wealth of experience in election observation, together with the wide experience of the members of this Mission, underscores the richness in diversity and competence that is required for the task ahead.

The Observer Mission was preceded by pre-election assessment missions of the African Union and an advance team of monitors who were also deployed to Sudan on March 18, 2010.

The African Union Observer Mission to Sudan is faced with the challenge of observing the Sudanese elections in accordance with the African Union’s Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa. The Mission is expected to determine if the elections were conducted in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework of the country by following the rules and procedures pursuant to the electoral laws of the country, as well as to determine the credibility of the whole electoral process. The African Union Mission to Sudan is a neutral, non-partisan, and non-aligned body that will make an honest, independent, impartial and objective assessment of the organization and the conduct of the elections.

The Mission expects to meet with various stakeholders in elections and these include: Political Parties, Civil Society Actors, the media, the National Electoral Commission of Sudan, as well as domestic and international observer missions deployed in Sudan to observe the elections. This will be part of an information gathering exercise on the elections. It is also important to know that democratic elections are the basis of any representative government, and the conduct of such elections at stipulated intervals, constitute one of the key elements to the democratization process that is essential for good governance, rule of law, and the maintenance and promotion of peace, security, stability and sustainable development.

The African Union Mission commends relevant institutions and the people of Sudan for this historic undertaking and wishes that the ongoing electoral process unfolds peacefully until its completion.

The Mission is supported by a team from the African Union. For further information please contact the AU Mission Secretariat based at the Grand Holiday Villa Hotel in Khartoum. Mobile number: +249 902 273 289; Telephone Number: +249 183 774039 and Fax: +249 183 773 961.

Security situation in Darfur 12 April 2010 - 4 UNAMID South African peacekeepers missing nr Nyala, S. Darfur, W. Sudan

Darfur/UNAMID Daily Media Brief 2010-04-12
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, Tuesday, April 13, 2010/APO:

Security situation in Darfur
Notwithstanding the fact that four UNAMID peacekeepers remain unaccounted for, the security situation in Darfur remains calm. UNAMID has mobilized its resources in the Nyala region and is working closely with the Government of the Sudan and local authorities in the search for the missing peacekeepers.

UNAMID military forces conducted 58 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 45 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 58 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID leadership joins patrol of IDP camps
UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari today accompanied UNAMID police as they conducted a patrol of Abu Shouk and Al Salam Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps outside El Fasher, North Darfur. He was accompanied by Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) Mohamed Yonis and Police Commissioner Micheal Fryer.

The delegation visited Community Policing Centres in both camps, as well as polling stations, where IDPs were casting their votes in the country’s first multi-party elections in 24 years.

After speaking to several voters, JSR Gambari remarked “they want to vote, they want to exercise their right to vote. I am very happy that I was here to see them.”

Ghana’s Kufuor visits Darfur as head of AU Election Mission
Former Ghanaian President, John Agyekum Kufuor, and head of the African Union (AU) Liaison Office in Sudan, Ambassador Mahmoud Kane, were received today by UNAMID Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari at the Mission’s headquarters in El Fasher, North Darfur.

The Ghanaian statesman is heading a 50-member AU observer team for the first multi-party elections in Sudan since 1986.

Mr. Kufuor and Mr. Kane were briefed by UNAMID senior officials on the current security and situation and the political landscape of Darfur.

“We hope the electoral process will open opportunities for the people of the Sudan and enable them, using democracy [to] work for peace within the borders of this huge country,” Kufuor said.

Other international bodies, such as the Arab League and the Carter Center, have observers on the ground.

Darfur/UNAMID peacekeepers reported missing
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) via APO:

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, April 13, 2010 - Four UNAMID peacekeepers have not been seen or heard from in nearly 24 hours. The peacekeepers last movement was reported at 16:00 hrs on 11 April 2010, as they departed their team site just outside of Nyala, South Darfur, on a 7km journey back to their private accommodation.

“There have been no sightings of our staff and we are deeply concerned for their well-being,” said UNAMID Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari, who is in direct contact with Sudanese Government officials over this issue.

UNAMID has mobilized its resources in the region and is working closely with the Government of the Sudan and local authorities in the search for the missing peacekeepers.

Four South African peacekeepers kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur
From English.news.cn 2010-04-13 14:37:29 Editor: Xiong Tong

KHARTOUM, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Four peacekeepers belonging to the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the restive western Sudanese region of Darfur, a UNAMID source told Xinhua on Tuesday.

The anonymous source said the four South African peacekeepers, two male and two female, were stopped by some 10 gunmen when they were driving from their working site to their private accommodation near Nyala, the capital city of the South Darfur state, on Sunday.

The source quoted witnesses as saying that the four policemen were forced to step off their vehicle at gunpoint.

No armed group in Darfur has made contacts with the UNAMID to claim responsibility for the kidnapping, the source noted.

UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni has refused to confirm or deny the kidnapping, noting that the four peacekeepers were reported missing since Sunday.

"I can not confirm or deny this report (of the kidnapping), I have no confirmations on what had happened," the spokesman said on Tuesday.

Fears raised as four AU-UN peacekeepers go missing in Sudan's Darfur region
From UN News Centre - ‎Monday, 12 April 2010
Four peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-United Nations force in the western Sudanese region of Darfur have not been seen or ...

Red Cross: 8 staff kidnapped in eastern Congo‎
From The Associated Press - Tuesday, 13 April 2010
Three foreign Red Cross workers were kidnapped in the Philippines last year, and French staff members were seized in Chad and Sudan. ...

AU is independent in Sudan election - Kufuor

AU is independent in Sudan election - Kufuor
From Myjoyonline by Frank Agyekum, Khartoum, Wednesday, 7 April 2010:

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor said, Monday, that the Africa Union did not favour any of the contesting political parties in the impending general elections in Sudan.

The union’s interest was the smooth conduct of the elections to help return Africa’s largest country to peace and stability, former President Kufuor told a Press Conference at the Grand Holiday Villas in Khartoum, Sudan.

Mr Kufuor, who arrived in Khartoum on Sunday as the head of a 50-member AU Observer Mission, was briefing the media after the first stakeholders meeting of the mission.

“I should state from the onset that we are here as impartial and neutral election observers who do not owe any allegiance to any of the contending parties.

“Our job is to observe the conduct of the elections in accordance with the AU’s Declaration Principles Governing Elections in Africa.

“At the end of the elections, we are expected to determine if it was conducted in accordance with the constitution and laws of Sudan.

“We will also determine the credibility of the whole electoral process in terms of the provision of a level playing field to all parties in their access to the media, movement and freedom of choice,” he said.

The mission includes National Electoral Commissions, Members of the Pan-African Parliament, members of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the AU and Civil Society Organizations.

The European Union, the Arab League and the Carter Centre, are among international bodies that have sent observer missions.

Sudan goes to the polls from April 11 to April 13 for the first time in more than 25 years to elect a President and a 450-member National Assembly.

Sudan Elections 2010



Photo: Sudanese youth stands next to an electoral poster that reads in Arabic 'I am Sudan Party, Unity, Reform, development and peace' at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese woman and a policeman walk by electoral posters at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese man carries his son under a billboard supporting a Parliament election candidate Mohammed Al Mahdi in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



Photo: Sudanese women walk past a campaign poster for President Omar al-Beshir in central Khartoum on April 7. (AFP/File/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: A Sudanese youth riding a donkey passes by electoral posters for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP that reads 'Leading party for a leading country, choose the the strong and loyal' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese army vehicle patrols the main market by an electoral poster for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP with a picture President and presidential candidate Omar al-Bashir and reads 'Leading party for a leading country, choose the the strong and loyal' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese army vehicle patrols the main market by electoral posters for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP that reads 'Our strength is in our unity' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. The elections start April 13, and will include local as well as parliamentary and presidential polls in a three-day balloting. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A painted image of Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is seen on the clothing of a supporter during an election campaign in Bashir's home town of Shandi, 317 km (197 miles) outside Khartoum April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



Photo: A supporter of Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir performs a traditional Sudanese dance during an election campaign event in Bashir's hometown of Shandi, 317 km (197 miles) outside Khartoum April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)