Sudan court orders vote re-run after YouTube "fraud" film - Al-Turabi arrested - Security Situation in Darfur 17 May

THE security situation in Darfur remains tense following reports on Friday 14 May of fighting in Jebel Moon, West Darfur, between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which claim to have killed over a hundred JEM fighters.

In addition, JEM forces have withdrawn from Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur. UNAMID patrols to the area have resumed and the Mission is planning a series of assessment missions to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps near Shangil Tobaya to verify the number of people who settled there after leaving New Shangil Tobaya camp last week.

Meanwhile, Sudanese security agents have arrested the opposition Popular Congress Party leader Hassan al-Turabi and closed down his party's newspaper Al Rai Al Shab.

Armed officers detained Turabi in his Khartoum home late on Saturday and took him to Khartoum's Kober prison. SRS spoke to Al-Turabi’s wife, Wisal Al-Mahdi, on Sunday who described what happened.

Reportedly, a security source told Reuters Turabi's detention may have been related to his alleged links to the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Turabi denies any link.

Also, in other news, Reuters reported that Sudan's Supreme Court ordered a re-run of a state assembly election in Red Sea state after an opposition group sent in a video that appeared to show officials stuffing ballot boxes, the National Elections Commission said on Sunday.

"The video was submitted to the court. They cancelled the elections and said they had to be repeated," said commission spokesman Abu Bakr Waziri. The video was originally posted on online video site YouTube.

Further details below.

Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief 2010-05-17
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, May 17, 2010/APO:

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains tense following reports on Friday 14 May of fighting in Jebel Moon, West Darfur, between the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which claim to have killed over a hundred JEM fighters.

In addition, JEM forces have withdrawn from Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur. UNAMID patrols to the area have resumed and the Mission is planning a series of assessment missions to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps near Shangil Tobaya to verify the number of people who settled there after leaving New Shangil Tobaya camp last week.

Senegalese battalion advance party arrives in El Fasher
A two hundred-member advance party of a military battalion has arrived today in El Fasher, North Darfur, from Dakar, Senegal, to begin preparations for the deployment of the main body, expected to arrive in July.

The troops will be deployed in West Darfur, where they will be the second Senegalese battalion operating in the region. The peacekeepers will be tasked with patrolling villages and IDP camps as well as safeguarding the movements of aid organisations.

Senegal currently has contributed 826 troops and 161 police officers to the Mission. The new arrivals bring UNAMID’s total military force to 17,304 peacekeepers, representing over 88 percent of its authorized strength.

UNAMID Patrols
UNAMID military forces conducted 76 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night, and humanitarian escort patrols, covering 68 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 126 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

Al-Turabi Arrested By Sudanese Authorities
From SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Monday, 17 May 2010:

(Khartoum) – Sudanese security agents have arrested the opposition Popular Congress Party leader Hassan al-Turabi and closed down his party's newspaper.

Armed officers detained Turabi in his Khartoum home late on Saturday and took him to Khartoum's Kober prison.

SRS spoke to Al-Turabi’s wife, Wisal Al-Mahdi, on Sunday. She described what happened.

[Wisal Al-Mahadi]: “They came at 11:30 p.m. and requested to meet Sheikh Hassan for interrogation but they didn’t have any documents. There was a Doshka and pickups with heavy weapons and a long column of security personnel in front of the house. The senior officer entered the house and we talked to him. Al-Turabi’s daughter chased him from the house, telling him that if he wants Sheikh Hassan he will come to them outside. He refused standing near the chair. Then he left. When we went outside the house, there were two Doshkas and all the roads were closed. They took Sheikh Hassan with his children and guards. They went to the political security department claiming they wanted to interrogate him. Then he was taken to Kober prison. They forbid him any food or drink except by permission from the security headquarters which is impossible to get these days, as the whole government is engaged with what is happening in Darfur.”

Wisal said Al-Turabi’s arrest is linked to the Darfur crisis.

[Wisal Al-Turabi]: “I think the government is thinking that we are helping our brothers in Darfur. The government has been killing our brothers in Darfur now for the last eight years. Nobody has managed to resolve this issue because they don’t want peaceful solutions - just military solutions. But they didn’t succeed because the International Criminal Court has been monitoring them. That is why al-Bashir is being investigated. I am afraid they will transfer him to another place so as to distance him from his family.”

Wisal Al-Mahdi, al-Turabi’s wife was speaking to SRS on Sunday.

Photo: Opposition supporters demonstrate against the arrest of Popular Congress Party leader Hassan al-Turabi outside his party's headquarters in Khartoum May 16, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Sudan security close opposition party paper
From Reuters (Reporting by Andrew Heavens, Khaled Abdelaziz and Opheera McDoom; Editing by Jon Boyle) - Monday, 17 May 2010 - excerpt:

* Security says Turabi "summoned" for questioning
* Court orders vote re-run after YouTube "fraud" film

Early on Sunday, security officers raided Turabi's party newspaper Rai Al-Shaab and arrested several journalists, senior officials from his Popular Congress Party (PCP) told reporters.

A security source told Reuters Turabi's detention may have been related to his alleged links to the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which has clashed with Sudan's army over the past week. Turabi denies any link.

Separately, Sudan's Supreme Court ordered a re-run of a state assembly election in Red Sea state after an opposition group sent in a video that appeared to show officials stuffing ballot boxes, the National Elections Commission said on Sunday.

"The video was submitted to the court. They cancelled the elections and said they had to be repeated," said commission spokesman Abu Bakr Waziri. The video was originally posted on online video site YouTube.

Suspended newspaper Al Rai Al Shab not part of Journalist Union
From MirayaFM - Monday, 17 May 2010:

The Chairman of the Sudanese Journalist Union, Mahi el-Din Titawi, said that Al Rai Al Shab newspaper faced a publication suspension because the newspaper rejected regulations issued by the Journalist Union according to the Press Charter. Titawi stated that because the newspaper is not part of the Journalist Union, other institutions will interfere under the premise of protecting general safety and security.

Sudan: Election fraud caught on video?
From Global Voices - 22 April 2010 by Ndesanjo Macha:

A video showing election fraud in Sudan is being circulated online. Sudan's National Elections Commission has dismissed it as fake. The video shows election officials stuffing ballot boxes. Opposition groups claim that the video proves their claims of election rigging by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). Full story.

News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service:
17-May-2010

• JEM Deny SAF Claims of Casualties in Jebel Moon
• Al-Turabi Arrested By Sudanese Authorities
• Kiir Asks Athor To Apologize For Doliep Barracks Attack
• Rumbek Soldiers Celebrate SPLA Day With Looting And Shooting
• Ex-SPLM Members Try To Rejoin Party After Elections
• Arrow Boys and UPDF Pursue LRA in Western Equatoria

14-May-2010

• Opposition Parties Angry But Not Surprised At Collapse Of Darfur Talks
• Mundri Commissioner Bans Guns in the Streets
• SSRRC Urges Investment in Farming to Overcome Food Shortages
• Ring To Reduce Food Prices In Lakes State
• Sudan Sports Latest

13-May-2010

• Luis Moreno-Ocampo Says Al-Bashir Can Not Hide From Justice
• Athor Is Ready to Fight SPLA
• State Border Peace Talks Begin in Wau
• Guinea Worm On Decline in Western Bahr el-Ghazal

News from The New York Times:

Headlines Around the Web

What's This?

AFP

MAY 14, 2010

Four African countries sign new Nile treaty

CBSNEWS.COM

MAY 14, 2010

Upriver Nile Countries Sign Compact For Water Use

SPERO NEWS - RELIGIOUS NEWS

MAY 13, 2010

Ugandan rebel group stepping up attacks, UN refugee agency reports

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY 13, 2010

Southern Sudan's Likely Capital Has Long Way to Go

SUDAN WATCH

MAY 13, 2010

South Sudan Jonglei: Athor's demands

include cancellation of election results.

UNMIS' Jasbir Lidder mediates

More at Blogrunner »

JEM trying to establish themselves in Kulbus and Jabel Moon which is a violation of the ceasefire declaration

Noteworthy Quote

"JEM was founded not for engaging in peace agreements, it was founded to change the government in Sudan, and it will continue to do so." - JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, 31 March 2010 (Source: SRS)

- - -

Sudan, Darfur rebels exchange blame over ceasefire
From Reuters (Khartoum) Mon Apr 5, 2010 10:15am EDT - extract:

The insurgent Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) told Reuters that Sudan's army bombed its positions in Darfur, close to the Chad border, from midnight through Monday morning, wounding six civilians and killing their livestock.

Sudan's army denied launching any attacks on JEM and a senior government official accused the rebels of seizing new territory in the remote western region, against the terms of the same agreement.

"The bombing started at midnight and continued this morning ... These people (the government) are not interested in finding a political solution to the problem," said JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein Adam, speaking from Qatar by phone.

Adam said government planes bombed JEM positions around the North Darfur areas of Abu Hamra, Furawiya and Jabel Moun.

He said the rebel force was "considering its position" over future talks but there were no immediate plans to walk out of negotiations.

Sudan dismissed JEM's accusations. "The Sudanese Army is committed to the ceasefire it has signed with JEM. It has not bombed any JEM positions," an army spokesman told Reuters.

Khartoum's main Darfur negotiator Ghazi Salaheddin said JEM has been looking to take more territory.

"They (JEM) have been fanning out in the area and trying to establish themselves in Kulbus and Jabel Moun which is a violation of the ceasefire declaration," Salaheddin told reporters in Khartoum.

Darfur's under-equipped joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force said it could not confirm whether any fighting took place. "We are not present in the area so we can not confirm," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

(Reporting by Andrew Heavens and Khaled Abdelaziz; Editing by Matthew Jones)

Sudan army denies attacking rebels in Darfur
From AFP, Monday, 05 April 2010 - extract:

"Ten civilians were wounded," said Adam, who is in the Qatari capital, Doha, where representatives of the Sudanese government and the JEM are holding peace talks.

The attacks were a "violation of the ceasefire," said Adam about a truce struck between the two sides in February. He also charged that the government "was not serious about the peace process."

An army spokesman dismissed Adam's account as "completely inaccurate."

"We did not conduct any attacks. And JEM is not supposed to have a presence in the areas where he says we attacked," Sawarimi Khaled Saed said.

"If that is the case, it would constitute a violation of the February agreement," he said.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM DARFUR IDPs: "Please press the movements for peace" — a direct call for rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace

Extract from a recent email (copy here below) by Save Darfur Coalition:

In each camp, we asked IDPs what message we could bring back to activists in America. Consistently, we were thanked for the work of our movement to bring media attention and put pressure on world leaders to act to resolve the crisis and asked to keep fighting for justice. On more than one occasion, we were asked to "please press the movements for peace" — a direct call for rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace.

One camp leader summed up the message clearly: "keep on working to raise your voice for all IDPs." I, for one, am motivated now more than ever to keep raising my voice on behalf of the millions in Darfur who want justice, peace, and security.

Copy of email from Save Darfur Coalition
Date: 02 March 2010
Subject: "I lost my family, I lost my country, I may lose my life."

Dear friend,

Just hours have slipped past since I returned home from Sudan — and the thoughts, fears, frustrations, and hopes of Darfuris and other Sudanese swirl together in my mind.

Traveling to Khartoum, Darfur, and Juba allowed me and my colleagues Jerry Fowler and Sean Brooks to see Sudan for ourselves, to observe what it is like in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, and collect the stories of real people and what they are experiencing day to day to improve our advocacy on behalf of the people of Sudan.

Common themes of security, aid, and political freedom emerged from our travels in Darfur. We visited 6 different IDP camps, meeting with camp leaders and IDPs.

First and foremost, IDPs named security as their number one concern. Many complained of being subject to violence when leaving camps — not just women risking rape but both men and women being attacked when they go to the market or work in the cities. We often heard descriptions of the most recent attacks and that this violence was on the rise, not decline.

Despite Sudanese government claims that IDPs were returning to their villages in large numbers, we found little evidence of this. While there may be some returns and some seasonal migration to farm, IDPs said the main reason they cannot return home is because of a lack of security, and in some cases because other people were occupying the land they once lived on. One leader said, "When we can travel for two days without being attacked, we will go with no one telling us."

The source of the ongoing threat of violence is unclear. IDPs typically complained about Janjaweed while the government blamed rebel factions and general banditry. We experienced a heavy armed presence in Darfur — from checkpoints and guards at buildings to "technicals," which are pickup trucks with a heavy machine gun and a few uniformed men on back, deployed regularly in strategic locations along main routes. As we approached one IDP camp, we saw a technical speed off through the middle of the camp at a high rate of speed. Despite this heavy presence, reports of violent attacks were prolific, including carjackings of multiple UN staff we met with.

In order not to endanger ongoing operations in light of the March 4th, 2009 expulsions we did not meet with any humanitarian organizations in Darfur. It is unfortunate we could not benefit from their collective experience, but in our role as advocates we were able to personally witness a number of continuing humanitarian challenges which need to be addressed.

While distribution of food aid has been picked up by the World Food Programme and some new partners, provision of adequate water supplies appeared to be more problematic, exacerbated by poor rains last year. At one camp, water was shut down at noon, and hand pumps were broken. In multiple camps we visited, people lined up for water, with rows and rows of empty jugs waiting to be filled. We saw unsanitary conditions around some pumps where spilled water runs off and mixes with animal waste — and children run around in bare feet.

Health services also seem to have suffered following the expulsions last year. Medical staff said they typically treat cases of chest and eye infections, malaria and diarrhea. A shortage of medicine, including cough syrup and antibiotics, and lack of access to laboratories were cited as problems. Also, many of the programs previously in place to prevent gender-based violence and treat rape survivors have not been replaced.

We asked IDPs what they thought about the upcoming elections. The overwhelming majority of IDPs said they did not register and therefore will be disenfranchised in the election. Some said they didn't bother because "we don't have real representatives to vote for," while others feel that free political conditions do not exist. The ongoing state of emergency and level of violence leave doubts about a safe environment for candidates and voters in Darfur. When asked whether he feared for his life, one tribal leader told us, "I lost my family, I lost my country, I may lose my life." But he was resolved to carry on advocating for a just and lasting peace.

One bright spot is the desire for peace. A real movement for peace exists across the camps we visited. IDPs we talked to generally want to participate in the peace process but feel they are not being included. One camp leader told us, "IDPs have ideas to give."

In each camp, we asked IDPs what message we could bring back to activists in America. Consistently, we were thanked for the work of our movement to bring media attention and put pressure on world leaders to act to resolve the crisis and asked to keep fighting for justice. On more than one occasion, we were asked to "please press the movements for peace" — a direct call for rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace.

One camp leader summed up the message clearly: "keep on working to raise your voice for all IDPs." I, for one, am motivated now more than ever to keep raising my voice on behalf of the millions in Darfur who want justice, peace, and security.

Jerry Fowler and I will be hosting a special live webcast on Thursday at 2:00 PM to share more about our trip to Darfur and Sudan. Please take a second to register for the webcast or submit a question you would like us to answer on Thursday.

I hope you will continue to stand with me in support of the people of Sudan.

Sincerely,

Mark Lotwis
Save Darfur Coalition

Related reports

March 16, 2010 commentary by Julie Flint, The Daily Star
Back to bloody square-one in Darfur - excerpt:

In 2002, when Darfur was as familiar to most people as Outer Mongolia, Sudanese regular forces and aircraft as well as pro-government militias attacked Jebel Marra, the mountainous center of Darfur where rebels were organizing an insurgency. I learned about it when Abdul Wahid Mohammad al-Nur, the chairman of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), called me by satellite telephone to invite me to witness “the genocide being committed against my people.” ...

The Abdul Wahid-led SLA, which refuses to join the peace talks in Doha, replayed the start of the insurgency in January by attacking the town of Golo, the insurgents’ first target seven years ago. ...

The people of Jebel Marra are between a rock and a hard place – the rock of Abdul Wahid’s insistence that security be restored before he negotiates; and the hard place of Khartoum’s response. Khartoum made clear that it intended to resolve the Darfur situation by the elections in April. From the comfort of Paris, Abdul Wahid ignored those signals. ...

March 15, 2010 commentary by C.R., Save Darfur Coalition's Blog for Darfur: Untouchable Crisis? A Call to Action - excerpt:

As Save Darfur – a unique community of activists and rights organizations – we have been called to action. The international community and the Save Darfur movement worked hard to see the deployment of UNAMID. Now – amid the worst fighting in the 27 months since its deployment and as crucial national elections approach – this voice is as essential as it ever was. Likewise, activists and NGOs from around the world fought tirelessly to ensure UNAMID was provided with essential equipment like tactical helicopters capable of rapid intervention. Now that these gunships have arrived, it is our responsibility to ensure they are used to enhance UNAMID’s peacekeeping presence and enforce its mandate to protect civilians.

The global community needs to express its concern, mobilize support for Darfuri civilians caught in these clashes, and remind international policymakers why they should care about what’s going on in Jebel Marra. It is our mandate both to act and to demand action – and the time to do so is now.

March 16, 2010 news round-up at Sudan Watch: SLM'S Abdel Wahid Al Nur in France ordered attack on Sudanese army in the government-held Golo district in the Jebel Marra mountains - 5 news reports chronicled on 15 January 2010.

March 14, 2010 Sudan Watch: SLM chief Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur enjoys life in Paris while Darfuris are cared for by the world's taxpayers - SLM chief Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur can't get out of a hole he's dug himself into. Surely, the longer he enjoys life in the hotels of Paris, the longer he wants IDPs to stay in camps paid for by the world's taxpayers.

March 13, 2010 news round-up at Sudan Watch: SLM-Nur in Jebel Marra, Darfur rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas? - This is Part 1 of a series. More to come, later.

February 19, 2010 Sudan Watch: On Mon Feb 15: Jebel Marra, W. Darfur, W. Sudan: SLM-AWNur clashes with gov't forces in Kidinir and Laba or internal wrangling? - On Monday, 15 February 2010, the advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told Sudan Radio Service (SRS) that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba. However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

April 12, 2009 report from Jebel Marra, Sudan by Edmund Sanders, LA Times "The rebels on the mountain"- SLA's Jebel Marra, the Switzerland of Sudan - In a guerrilla-held area lush with pastures, streams and groves, villagers go about self-sufficient lives very different from those of the displaced people huddled in dry, dusty camps below.

Postscript from Sudan Watch Ed: Here's hoping that Julie Flint, Save Darfur Coalition et al can press rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace.

SLM'S Abdel Wahid Al Nur in France ordered attack on Sudanese army in the government-held Golo district in the Jebel Marra mountains

For the record, and for future reference, here is a copy of five news reports that I chronicled on 15 January 2010 for documenting here at Sudan Watch.

Darfur rebels say attack govt town after bombings
From Reuters by Opheera McDoom, Wed, 13 January 2010 12:04pm GMT:

(KHARTOUM) - Darfur rebels said they attacked a government-held town in the Jabel Marra area of western Sudan on Wednesday in retaliation for army bombardment of their areas, a move likely to hinder peace talks set to open this month.

Tensions were already high in oil-producing Sudan which is gearing up for presidential, parliamentary and state governor elections in April.

The Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) loyal to founder Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur said they attacked Golo in Jabel Marra in retaliation for government bombings of rebel-controlled areas there and in the Jabel Moun area on the border with Chad.

"The government started this with bombing in Jabel Moun and in Jabel Marra," said SLA commander Ibrahim el-Helwu.

"We attacked Golo this morning -- we have casualties and the government has many casualties," he added.

The joint U.N.-African union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) does not have troops in the area but said aid workers caught in the crossfire had sought refuge in their compound.

"For the time being they (aid workers) are safe," said Balla Keita, UNAMID commander for West Darfur.

A government intelligence source said fighting was still going on, but Sudan's army was not immediately available to comment.

Darfur peace talks, which have faltered for the past three years, are due to reopen this month in Qatar, but the fighting is likely to fuel mistrust between the rebels and Khartoum.

In 2003 mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglecting the region. Khartoum mobilised mainly Arab militias to crush the uprising.

The United Nations estimates 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict and that 2 million have been driven from their homes according to the United Nations. Sudan puts the death toll at 10,000.

Last year the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hasan al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.

Keita said the government had bombed Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) positions in the Jabel Moun area.

"They have confirmed that they bombed JEM positions because they say JEM is running operations in Jabel Moun," he said.

A JEM commander in the Jabel Moun area said the attacks had been going on for several days.

"For the past week there has been heavy bombing of our people," al-Tijani Kharshome told Reuters by telephone.

"There are hundreds of families who have fled their homes and are hungry and thirsty," said Kharshome, who is from a large Arab tribe in Darfur.

- - -

Sudan's Army, Rebels Clash in Darfur
From Voice of America News, Wed, 13 January 2010:

Rebels in Sudan's Darfur region say they clashed with government forces Wednesday, days before a scheduled new round of peace talks.

The Sudan Liberation Army faction of Abdel Wahid Nur said its troops attacked the government-held Golo district in the Jebel Marra mountains.

A spokesman said there were casualties on both sides. He did not give specific figures.

The joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission confirmed there was fighting in the area.

The rebels say earlier this week, Sudanese warplanes bombarded rebel-controlled areas in Jebel Marra and in Jebel Moun, near the border with Chad.

Peace talks between Khartoum and Darfur rebel groups are due to resume later this month in Qatar.

The United Nations says the fighting in Darfur has killed up to 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million since 2003.

The government says 10,000 people have died in the conflict.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

- - -

Darfur rebels attack Sudanese army in Jebel Marra
From Sudan Tribune, Thur, 14 January 2010:

January 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — A Darfur rebel group today attacked a Sudanese army-held town in Jebel Marra in North Darfur after repeated government bombing of their position, a rebel spokesman said.

[Photo] Sudan Liberation Army rebels speed through the desert east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state November 8, 2004. (file/Reuters)

Ibrahim El Hilu, a spokesperson from the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid Al Nur told Sudan Tribune they attacked on Wednesday morning the position of the Sudanese army in Gulu, the capital of the mountainous area.

The rebel official said these attacks come after daily bombardment by the Sudanese army in the region adding they decided to protect the civilians by their proper means as the international community failed to press Khartoum to stop "indiscriminate violence".

El-Hilu said they arrested more than forty government troops, among them a colonel and a lieutenant whose names and military details he provided to Sudan Tribune. He also said they captured 17 military vehicles with weapons and ammunitions.

Since this summer, rebels loyal to the SLM founder reported regular bombing against their positions in different areas of the Jebel. The army and pro-government militia attacked also their position in Korma and Ain Siro.

Abdel Wahid Al-Nur confirmed the attack saying the SLM leadership decided to carry out this attack to protect the civilians in the mountainous areas reminding that his troops observe the 2004 ceasefire agreement but have the right to defend the area.

He stressed that the decision had been taken in consultation with the SLA Commander in Chief Abdel Gadir Gadora and Mohamed Abdel Salam Tarada.

Al-Nur stressed that they are peace seekers but asked Khartoum to stop violence on Darfur civilians.

"We are peace seekers and if the government stops the violence against Darfur civilians and provides the necessary environment for their security, we can take part in the peace process without precondition."

The rebel leader further urged the Red Cross to contact them to visit the prisoners of the Sudanese army and inspect their conditions.

UNAMID official spokesperson Noureddine Mezni confirmed to Sudan Tribune the attack, adding they had no presence in the area but received reports about the assault from the NGOs working there.

Mezni said they have no access to areas controlled by the SLA-AW. "Unfortunately we cannot provide humanitarian aid or deal with the injuries among the civilian population there."

He urged the rebel group to reconsider its position and allow the peacekeeping mission to visit their areas in order to accomplish its duties as provided in the UN mandate.

Meanwhile, the Darfur peace mediator is preparing to hold direct talks between the government and the rebel groups to end the seven year conflict on January 24 in Doha.

The main rebel groups blame Khartoum for its lack of credibility and yet say they are ready to negotiate under some conditions. In a new development, last week the joint mediator said he is expecting Al-Nur to join the peace process.

Also the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said today government warplanes bombed the area of Jebel Moon in West Darfur State where the rebel group holds some positions.

JEM Spokesman Ahmed Hussein Adam said that hundreds of civilians moved to eastern Chad to flee the daily bombardment.

UN experts have estimated that the fighting in Darfur resulted in the deaths of up to 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million since 2003. However the Sudanese government says only 10,000 people have died in the conflict. (ST)

- - -

Chad bombs rebels near Sudan border: UFR
From AFP Saturday, 16 January 2010:

KHARTOUM — Chadian air force jets bombarded rebel positions in a region bordering Sudan and the Central African Republic, a rebel source said on Saturday.

The warplanes carried out the air strikes on Friday near the village of Tissi, said the senior official with the Union of Forces for Resistance (UFR) rebel group who requested anonymity.

The rebels responded by shooting at and hitting one of the aircraft, the official said, adding that: "We expect an intensification of the Chadian army's operations."

Most of the UFR rebels are based in Sudan's Darfur region, with a force also in Chad.

Chad and Sudan agreed on Friday for the first time to set up a joint force on their troubled border which will be deployed on February 20.

Chad has accused Sudan of supporting rebels seeking to oust the government, while Khartoum has charged Ndjamena with backing ethnic minority rebels in the conflict-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur.

Improved ties between the two countries could help bring peace to Darfur, where about 300,000 people have died since ethnic rebels revolted in 2003.

- - -

Darfur rebels say Sudan army attacks market area
From Reuters, Saturday, 16 January 2010 12:32pm EST

(KHARTOUM) - Darfur rebels said Sudan's army had attacked their troops in a populated area of the western state of North Darfur on Saturday, escalating fighting ahead of peace talks due to open this month.

Tensions were already high in oil-producing Sudan which is gearing up for presidential, parliamentary and state governor elections in April.

Saturday's attack follows an assault by the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) on the government garrison town Golo in Jabel Marra last Wednesday after days of government bombardment of rebel positions in Sudan's remote west.

"The government attacked our areas in the market area of Furug," SLA commander Ibrahim el-Helwu told Reuters. "This is a heavily populated area," he added.

The army spokesman's office was not immediately available to comment and the U.N.-African Union peacekeepers (UNAMID) said they were checking the reports.

"All the areas under the control of SLA (Abdel Wahed)...are a no-go area for us," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said.

The rebels accuse the mission of working too closely with Khartoum and refuse to allow them to enter their areas.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2009 for war crimes during a brutal counter-insurgency campaign in Sudan's west after rebels took up arms in 2003 demanding more autonomy.

Darfur's fighting sparked a humanitarian crisis which the United Nations estimates has claimed 300,000 lives and driven more than 2 million from their homes.

Fighting has largely subsided since the early battles, but sporadic clashes have since pushed rebels out of the main towns and into the vast swathes of arid countryside.

(Reporting by Opheera McDoom; Editing by Louise Ireland)

- - -

UPDATE - See Sudan Watch, Tuesday, March 16, 2010: IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM DARFUR IDPs: "Please press the movements for peace" — a direct call for rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace

ICC WAR CRIME ALERT: On Tue Feb 16 - Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on peacekeepers close to El-Sherif camp, nr Nyala, S. Darfur, Sudan

THIS is a war crime alert to the ICC. Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala in western Sudan on Tuesday afternoon (16 Feb 2010), the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

The spokesman, Noureddine Mezni, said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

AS NOTED here many times before, the targeting of peacekeepers is a war crime under article 82C1 of the Rome Statute.

Here is a copy of some recent news reports, starting with latest.

Two Arrested after UNAMID Shootings in Nyala
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS), Friday, 19 February 2010:

(El Fashir) - Sudanese authorities have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of the seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur on Tuesday.

Unknown gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, in South Darfur. Seven peacekeepers were injured.

UNAMID spokesperson Nouraddine Mezni spoke to SRS on Friday from Darfur.

[Nouraddine Mezni]: “Two suspects were arrested outside Nyala, in an area called Kass. Sudanese military also found one of the two vehicles which were hijacked and we are working with the Sudanese authorities on the investigation and we want a rapid trial for these responsible so that they will serve as an example for the future to those who even think of attacking UNAMID personnel. There is an improvement in the condition of the seven UNAMID police injured during the ambush. Four of them are still in a critical condition. Three are stable but in a serious condition. We are strengthening the security measures everywhere in Darfur. We also have 5 tactical helicopters which will help us in similar cases in the future.”

Twenty-two UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjacking, attacks and ambushes since the force was deployed in 2008.

Sudan condemns attack on Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Friday 19 February 2010:

February 19, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government has strongly condemned the attack on UNAMID police patrol on Tuesday in South Darfur, wounding seven Pakistani soldiers.

[Photo] An Indonesian police officer talks to children as he patrols Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur Feb 8, 2010. (Reuters)

The Sudanese government arrested two people suspected of taking part in the attack. Noureddine Mezni, the UNAMID spokesperson said today the Sudanese authorities captured one of the two vehicles carjacked by the gunmen.

In a statement released Thursday the foreign ministry denounced the attack saying it would spear no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The government further pledged to intensify cooperation with the hybrid operation to prevent such attack on the future against the UNAMID and its personnel.

Ibrahim Gambari the new head of UNAMID met today with Mutrif Siddig, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the attack.

Qmbari stressed the continued consultation and cooperation between the government and UNAMID in order to enable the hybrid operation to carry out its duties in the best conditions. For his part, Mutrif Siddig, stressed the Government’s commitment to support and facilitate the task of UNAMID in Sudan. (ST)

Sudan arrests two assailants of Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Thursday, 18 February 2010:

February 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) —Sudanese army arrested today two persons suspected of attacking Pakistani peacekeepers in near Nyala, South Darfur state, two days ago.

Nourredine Mezni, UNAMID official spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by telephone today from El-Fasher that two men suspected to be involved in an attack on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur region.

The assailant wounded seven soldiers one of them in critical condition transported to Khartoum.

The head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari travelled yesterday to Nyala to visit the wounded police officers at the UNAMID’s hospital. He was accompanied by the Mission Force Commander Lt Gen Patrick Nyambvumba.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged the Sudanese government to immediately probe the incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice. (ST)

2 arrested for ambush on UN-AU Darfur peacekeepers
(AP) – Thursday, 18 February 2010:

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A spokesman for the international peacekeeping mission in Darfur says Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with an ambush earlier this week on joint U.N.-African Union forces.

Noureddine Mezni said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The arrests come after gunmen attacked a police convoy outside Nyala on Tuesday, wounding seven Pakistani police officers serving with the U.N.-AU force. Four of them are in critical condition. [...]

Sudan arrests two over Darfur peacekeeper shooting
From Reuters, Thursday, 18 February 2010; 2:54 AM
(Reporting by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Louise Ireland):

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities arrested two men in connection with the shooting of seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur, officials said on Thursday.

Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala on Tuesday afternoon, the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

"The Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with the attack," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters. "This will serve as a lesson to anyone who even thinks of attacking us in the future."

A total of 22 UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjackings, attacks and ambushes as law and order has collapsed in the remote western region, where mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

Seven years of fighting in Darfur has forced an estimated 2.7 million to flee their homes and killed up to 300,000, according to the United Nations. Khartoum, which accuses Western media of exaggerating the conflict, puts the toll at 10,000.

UNAMID says it is still short of vital equipment, including military helicopters, needed in its efforts to keep the peace in a region the size of Spain.

More than two years after UNAMID arrived, the mostly African force only has about 80 percent of its full deployment of 26,000 police and soldiers on the ground.

Seven UNAMID Peacekeepers Wounded Near Nyala
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Seven UNAU peacekeepers in Darfur were injured and two vehicles were looted by an unknown armed group in southern Darfur.

In an interview with SRS on Wednesday, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that the attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “The attack was against UNAMID police while they were returning from a routine patrol around Nyala town in South Darfur. They were ambushed and fired at by an unknown group. Because of this, seven UNAMID personnel were injured. Two of them are in a serious condition and the other five are in a stable state. One of the injured was airlifted to Khartoum.”

The head of UNAMID, Dr. Ibrahim Gambari, is expected to visit the wounded police officers in Nyala town on Wednesday.

About 22 peacekeepers have been killed in separate incidents in Darfur since the mission took over from the African Union force in 2008.

U.N. calls on Sudan to probe attack on peacekeepers
From Reuters, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 2:13pm EST:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday for the Sudanese government to investigate an attack on peacekeepers in Darfur, a U.N. spokeswoman said.

"The secretary-general calls on the government of Sudan to launch an immediate investigation into this incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice," spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region Tuesday, wounding seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the U.N./African Union force, or UNAMID, officials said.

The ambush of the unarmed police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, followed reports of a resurgence of fighting in Sudan's violent west that has forced thousands to flee, according to UNAMID.

Twenty-two UNAMID soldiers and police have been killed in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

The conflict in Darfur flared in 2003, when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglecting the region. Estimates of the total death count range from 10,000 according to Khartoum, to 300,000 according to the United Nations.

Gunmen injure seven peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum (Editing by Michael Roddy)
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 3:41pm EST - excerpt:

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region on Tuesday, injuring seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the force, officials said.

The ambush came just hours after the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID mission took delivery of its first five military helicopters, ending a wait of more than two years for air support in Sudan's rebellious west.

The attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, escaping with two police vehicles, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"It was an ambush this afternoon. Two of the seven were critically wounded ... This is very serious. We are a peacekeeping mission but we do not have a comprehensive peace to keep," he said.

A total of 22 UNAMID soldiers and police have died in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

Mezni said one of the critically injured men was evacuated to Khartoum, while the other was too seriously injured to move from hospital in Nyala, where the five others were being treated.

A U.N. official said the injured men came from Pakistan. [...]

More News from Sudan Radio Service:

19-Feb-2010

• US Special Envoy Calls on Darfur Armed Groups to End Conflict and Emphasizes Civilian Security
• Bitter Start to Election Campaign in Khartoum
• Clamp Down on Human Trafficking at Sudan-Eritrean Border
• GONU Passes Anti-Mine Legislation
• GOSS and WHO Launch Polio Vaccination Campaign
• Sudan Sports Latest

On Mon Feb 15: Jebel Marra, W. Darfur, W. Sudan: SLM-AWNur clashes with gov't forces in Kidinir and Laba or internal wrangling?

ON MONDAY, 15 February 2010, the advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told Sudan Radio Service (SRS) that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

Read full story:
Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - The anti-government group, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction says its troops clashed with government forces on Monday in Jebel Marra, Western Darfur.

The advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told SRS on Monday that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

[Musa Ahmed]: “A group from the government moved to the area of Kidinir and clashed with a group from Abdelwahid’s SLM yesterday at around 11.30. Our forces however managed to push the government forces backwards and at the moment SLM is in control of that place and also in Laiba. SAF and Janjaweed clashed with our forces yesterday and the day before yesterday. These clashes had a negative effect on the government side and now the SLM is in full control of the Laba area.”

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

[Mohammed Sharaf]: “There were no clashes between the government and us. What happened was that, amongst us there are people who claim that they belong to Abdelwahid’s group and they disagree on the unity issue. We had agreed in the past that there should be unity between us but there are people who do not want unity and they started to create problems with some of the leaders who are pro-unity like Abdallah Abakar and others. And so yesterday they rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas and stole a lot of things.”

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

- - -

HERE is a copy of a report published by Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 re clashes between SAF & SLM-AWNur in northern and southern Jebel Marra. Note that, reportedly, also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army.

UNAMID calls for "maximum restraint" in Darfur
From Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

February 16, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur peacekeepers have called on the Sudanese warring parties to exercise maximum restraint to save the lives of thousands of civilians displaced by the recent surge of violence in the region.

[Photo] Darfuri refugees camp out on the border, near Birak, a few kilometeres from the border with Sudan, March 6, 2008. (Reuters)

Sudanese army attacked this week the positions of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al Nur (SLM-AW) in northern and southern Jebel Marra. The attacks occurred while other rebel groups gathered in Doha for peace talks with the government, but SLM-AW refuses to join the negotiating table.

Also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army. Pro-Government press reported last week clashes between JEM and troops loyal to Minni Minnawi, former rebel leader turned Senior Presidential Assistant.

"UNAMID’s peacekeeping forces are increasing their security presence in and around the region, to prevent a further escalation in the violence, said a press statement released Tuesday by the hybrid operation.

It also pointed out to its close collaboration with aid agencies to urgently meet the humanitarian needs of the newly displaced peoples.

The new head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari, discussed the military escalation in Darfur last week with government and rebel delegations and voiced his "grave concerns".

"Such confrontations may negatively affect the ongoing peace process, which has recently seen significant strides towards bringing stability to the region," he said.

The UN says up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels in the western region of Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003.

The Sudanese government disputes the death toll saying 10,000 people died. (ST)