Nomads Abyei Sudan Security Situation - Misseriya and Rizeigat tribes fighting in Kass region NW of Nyala, S. Darfur

YESTERDAY [Monday, 23 August 2010], after nearly five days, fighting between the Misseriya and Rizeigat tribes reportedly continued in the Kass region, located approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Nyala, South Darfur. Mediation efforts were attempted by the Deputy Wali (Governor) of South Darfur over the weekend. A UNAMID verification mission is underway to provide an assessment on the situation, including the number of casualties.

Gunshots were heard last night [Monday, 23 August 2010] in one sector of the Kalma internally displaced person (IDP) camp, located on the outskirts of Nyala, South Darfur. A UNAMID patrol immediately proceeded in the direction of the shooting. At the site, four RPGs were found, as well as more than 100 spent cartridges.

A UNAMID verification patrol is scheduled today [Tuesday, 24 August 2010] in the Kass region, located approximately 90 kilometers northwest of Nyala, South Darfur. The exact number of casualties following inter-tribal fighting remains unknown, as only the Misseriya tribe has declared their figures, while Rizeigat casualty figures remain unconfirmed.

A committee has been established at the state level to resolve the renewed conflict between Misseriya and Rizeigat tribes which began on Monday 16 August 2010. The body has since met with the leaders of the two groups and presented them with recommendations to cease the fighting.

UNAMID continues to conduct day and night confidence building patrols within the Kalma IDP camp. Access continues to be granted to humanitarian NGOs for entry into Kalma by the Humanitarian Aid Commission. No new population movements within and out of the camp have been reported. Submersible pumps in the most populated parts of Kalma continue to function.

UNAMID military forces conducted 78 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night and humanitarian escort patrols covering 63 villages and IDP camps. UNAMID police advisors conducted 116 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

West Darfur
Yesterday [Monday, 23 August 2010] UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, concluded a two-day visit to El Geneina and Zalingei, West Darfur where he met with Mission personnel, UN Agencies and the humanitarian community. He was briefed on the security and humanitarian situation in the respective area.

The visit included meetings with local government officials and security committee members, during which he reiterated his call to the government to apprehend those committing criminal acts against UNAMID peacekeepers. Government officials reassured the Mission and international aid workers of their commitment to safety and security. The JSR further stressed the need for UNAMID to adopt more robust patrols in and around the IDP camps.

Professor Gambari also visited Mournei (IDP) camp located about 48 kilometers south of El Geneina.

UNAMID’s new Police Commissioner takes up duties
Mr. James Oppong Boanuh of Ghana arrived at the Mission’s headquarters in El Fasher, North Darfur, this week to take up his duties as UNAMID’s Police Commissioner. He succeeds Mr. Micheal Fryer of South Africa who left in April after serving since the Mission’s inception in January 2008.

Ghana is currently the largest police contributing country to UNAMID with a total of 500 police officers.

Senegal adds to Formed Police Units
Yesterday [Monday, 23 August 2010] UNAMID received its second Senegalese Formed Police Unit (FPUs). The units, consisting of 140 personnel, will be deployed in El Geneina, West Darfur. The new arrivals, brings the total number of FPU officers in the Mission to 1,959.

SOURCES:

Daily Media Brief - Monday 23 August 2010 from UNAMID (United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur) EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan/via APO.

Daily Media Brief - Tuesday 24 August 2010 from UNAMID (United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur) EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan/via APO.
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"FINE WORDS BUTTER NO PARSNIPS"

Click here for:
Briefing to the UN Security Council on the Humanitarian Situation in Darfur
Statement by John Holmes
Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Monday 23 August 2010
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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MISSERIYA COUNT LOSSES AT 88 DEAD, 32 INJURED

Misseriya count losses at 88 dead, 32 injured in clashes near Kass, Darfur
Report from Radio Dabanga - Monday 23 August 2010:



(KASS) - A leader of the Misseriya tribe said the clashes around Kass have resulted in 88 dead and 32 injured from the Misseriya while he did not know the exact number of killed and wounded on the side of the Rizeigat. Violence between the two Arab tribes broke out last week after nearly two months of relative calm following a reconciliation deal signed in late June.

The Misseriya tribal leader, Izz-Al-Din Issa Mandil, appealed over Radio Dabanga for the belligerent parties to stop hostilities and convene a peace conference. He also called on the state government to do its duty to stop the violence.

Nuwayba clashes with Misseriya spread from Kass into West Darfur
Report from Radio Dabanga - Friday 20 August 2010:



(WADI SALIH) - The tribal clashes between the Nuwayba Rizeigat and the Misseriya spread from South Darfur to West Darfur. According to reports from the areas of Tanaku and Duraysa in Wadi Salih, there were dozens of dead and wounded in fresh clashes.

Sources in West Darfur said that a joint force of army and police were directed to go to the areas of events. Meanwhile, clashes continued between the parties in Kass Locality for a fourth day in a row along the Wadi Milla and west of Jabal Awda. Witnesses said that there were a number of new dead and wounded in the clashes on Thursday. The Governor of South of Darfur, Hamid Musa Kasha, reportedly arrived in the areas of events to calm the situation and control the response.

Before these latest reports, sources had already put the number of dead at about 50. The fighting between the two tribes follows nearly two months of relative peace after a reconciliation deal in late June.

50 dead in Misseriya-Nuwayba clashes near Kass, S. Darfur
Report from Radio Dabanga - Thursday 19 August 2010:

(KASS) - The number of people killed in continuing clashes between the Misseriya and the Nuwayba section of the Rizeigat tribe in Kass Locality rose yesterday to an estimate of 50. Sources in the area told Radio Dabanga that fighters have been using Land Cruiser to clash in the villages of the Maleh valley. One local official said that people are busy with 70 dead and wounded.
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NOMADS NOT GUARANTEED VOTING RIGHTS?

Arab nomads settling in contested Sudan region: official
Report from AFP by Guillaume Lavallee – Sunday 01 August 2010:

(KHARTOUM) - Members of an Arab nomadic tribe are settling in a contested region straddling north and south Sudan, hoping to vote in referendum next year that will define its status, a Sudanese official said on Sunday.

Members of the Misseriya tribe, who are accused by southerners of being close to the Khartoum government, are said to be moving into parts of Abyei, the chief administrator of the region Deng Arop Kuol told reporters in the Sudanese capital.

"The issue that is concerning the people of Abyei and troubling them very much is the issue of settlement that is taking place within the boundaries of Abyei," Kuol said.

"It is the Misseriya who are settling in those areas. The target is to settle in 20 locations in the area north of Abyei and they already started to settle in those areas now," he said.

"We are getting information that they intend to settle 25,000 families in those areas and the number of people will go up to 75,000 in those areas. We believe it is something organised," Kuol added.

As south Sudan holds its referendum on independence in January, residents of the oil-rich Abyei region will simultaneously vote on whether they want to belong to north or south Sudan.

Abyei's referendum law gives the right of vote to members of the southern Dinka Ngok tribe and it is up to the referendum commission to decide which "other Sudanese" are considered residents of the region and can therefore vote.

The law has angered the Arab Misseriya -- a nomadic tribe that migrates each year to the Abyei region looking for pastures for their cattle -- because it does not guarantee them voting rights.

The referendum commission for Abyei has not yet been formed, because representatives of north and south Sudan have failed to agree on who will head it -- leaving the question of Misseriya eligibility still open.

"The Misseriya... are in no way meant to vote in the Abyei referendum because they are not residents. They are meant to be nomads," said Kuol.

Deadly clashes in May 2008 in Abyei had raised fears of a return to civil war between north and south Sudan. Both parties decided to take the matter of the sensitive border to arbitration in The Hague.

Last year, the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague refined the borders of Abyei, leaving the Heglig oil fileds out of the Abyei region, the heartland of the Dinka Ngok.

Both north and south authorities had accepted the ruling, which was criticised by the Misseriya.

The Hague decision was not "fair" and "definitive" and has not enabled both parties to resolve their differences, said Salah Cos, adviser to President Omar al-Bashir for security matters, in a statement over the weekend.

Sudan produces 500,000 barrels of oil per day and has reserves estimated at six billion barrels.

Most of it lies on the border between north and south.

ABYEI'S REFERENDUM LAW DOES NOT GUARANTEE VOTING RIGHTS TO ARAB MISSERIYA?

Sudan: Oil threatens South’s independence
Report from afrik-news.com by Konye Obaji Ori - Monday 02 August 2010:

Northern Sudan has been accused of settling Arab nomadic tribes in oil-rich Abeyi region where votes are required to influence whether or not the oil-rich Abyei would belong to North or South Sudan, ahead of a January 2011 referendum.

The chief administrator of the disputed oil-rich Abyei region, Deng Arop Kuol told reporters in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, that members of the Khartoum-backed Arab Misseriya tribe were moving into parts of Abyei, in order to vote in next year’s referendum that will define the status of the oil-rich region.

“The issue that is concerning the people of Abyei and troubling them very much is the issue of settlement that is taking place within the boundaries of Abyei. It is the Misseriya who are settling in those areas. The target is to settle in 20 locations in the area north of Abyei and they already started to settle in those areas now," Kuol was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

The oil-rich Abyei region overlaps between North and South Sudan. And the January referendum on independence in South Sudan would require residents of the oil-rich Abyei region to simultaneously vote on whether they want to belong to north or south Sudan.

"We are getting information that they intend to settle 25,000 families in those areas and the number of people will go up to 75,000 in those areas. We believe it is something organized," Kuol said.

According to reports, Abyei’s referendum law, however, does not guarantee voting rights to the Arab Misseriya — a nomadic tribe that migrates each year to the Abyei region looking for pastures for their cattle.

Even though the settling Arab Misseriya tribe are not allowed to vote according to the referendum law, South Sudan authorities remain suspicious of their influx to Abyei, a region responsible for most of Sudan’s 500,000 barrels of oil production per day.

With an estimated six billion barrels of oil in the region, the economies of either North Sudan or an independent South Sudan would be affected by the outcome of votes in Abyei come January 2011. "The Misseriya... are in no way meant to vote in the Abyei referendum because they are not residents. They are meant to be nomads," Kuol adds.

Last year, the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague refined the borders of Abyei, leaving the Heglig oil fileds out of the Abyei region, and both the North and South authorities had accepted the ruling.

Deadly clashes in May 2008 in Abyei had raised fears of a return to civil war between North and South Sudan. And while both authorities decided to take the matter of the sensitive border to arbitration in The Hague, a forthcoming referendum for secession is threatening the fragile peace that has existed over the oil-rich region.

With the issue of Arab Misseriya’s voting eligibility still unresolved, and the referendum commission for Abyei not yet established, because Sudan’s Northern and Southern authorities have failed to agree on who should head it, questions of a peaceful and smooth separation of Sudan remains unanswered.

NCP SAYS MISSERIYA NOMADS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO VOTE, SPLM SAYS NO?

Unrest feared as Sudan talks stall
Report from Al Jazeera - Upated on Monday, 02 August 2010 22:43:

The ruling party in Sudan has sought to play down concerns about potential violence after talks between officials from the north and the south stalled over a referendum in the disputed oil-producing Abyei region.

A senior member of the National Congress Party (NCP) told Al Jazeera on Monday that there was no reason that the collapsed talks should escalate into a new conflict.

"I think the Abyei problem will be solved and I don't think there is any war to be expected," Rabie Abdul Atti said.

As South Sudan holds a referendum on a possible return to independence in January, Abyei will simultaneously vote on whether the region should belong to the north or the south.

But the NCP and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), which governs the south, cannot agree on who will be eligible to vote.

"The issue of the Abyei referendum has come to a standstill," Deng Arop, a SPLM representative who heads Abyei's administration, told reporters on Sunday.

"This has the potential to ... cause a regional and international conflict."

More than two decades of bitter war between north and south Sudan left an estimated two million people dead. A peace deal signed in 2005 created a federal unity government that shared power between the north's ruling party and the former southern rebels.

Tribe controversy

Abyei's referendum law gives the right of vote to members of the southern Dinka Ngok tribe and it is up to the referendum commission to decide which "other Sudanese" are considered residents of the region and therefore eligible to vote.

The ruling NCP says the Misseriya, a big pro-unity nomadic tribe which grazes its cattle in the south during the dry season, should also vote.

The SPLM says the tribe as a bloc should not be allowed to vote, but that individuals with long-term residence in the region should be able to do so.

"The Misseriya ... are in no way meant to vote in the Abyei referendum because they are not residents. They are meant to be nomads," Arop said.

He said Misseriya had begun to settle 75,000 people in the north of Abyei to change the demographic of the region and influence the vote.

Arop estimated there were about 100,000 original Abyei residents excluding the Missiriya.

He called on the NCP to stop the settlements.

"If the government is not supporting this then it should take action to stop it," he said.

Abyei has been a contentious issue between the SPLM and the NCP both before and after the 2005 peace deal.

Border arbitration

Deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and the SPLM in Abyei in May 2008 raised fears of a return to war between north and south Sudan. Both parties decided to take the matter of the sensitive border to arbitration in The Hague.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration refined the borders, leaving the Heglig oil fields in the north, out of the Abyei region.

Both north and south authorities have accepted the ruling, but it was criticised by the Misseriya tribe.

Douglas Johnson. a former former member of the Abyei Boundaries Commission, told Al Jazeera that the threat of renewed violence in Abyei is "very serious".

"There have been clashes on the border, there have been clashes within Abyei, and this latest report of movement in large scale of Misseriya into northern areas of is very worrying," he said.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Click into above report to view video: Al Jazeera's Tarek Bazely explains the complexity of the Abyei issue.
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IN DEPTH from Al Jazeera

Q&A: Sudan's Abyei dispute



Grazing and land rights are key issues for those who live in Abyei [EPA]

Abyei tribes fear losing land



Both the African Dinka and Arab Misseriya tribes say Abyei belongs to them [EPA]

Click on Abyei label here below, and keep on scrolling, to read reports in the archives of Sudan Watch.

Joint AU-UN chief mediator for Darfur Djibril Bassolé in Paris meeting with Sudan rebel leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur

ACCORDING to Sudan Tribune, the Paris based SLM rebel leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur made a statement (see below) following a meeting with the Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé yesterday (Wednesday, August 4th) in the French capital to discuss the latest developments in Darfur following the recent clashes between two groups of the IDPs in Kalma camps over their representation in the peace process.

"We had a very positive and constructive meeting," Al-Nur is quoted as saying.

Note that the statement included urging the UN Security Council to consider changing the mandate of the UNAMID from Chapter 6 to Chapter 7.

Here is the report from Sudan Tribune published Thursday 05 August 2010:

Darfur rebel leader praises UNAMID refusal to handover Kalma residents
August 4, 2010 (PARIS) — Darfur rebel leader, Abdel Wahid Al-Nur today praised the refusal of the joint peacekeeping mission to handover six residents of Kalma camp in South Darfur State wanted by the local authorities after bloody clashes last week.

"We welcome the decision of the hybrid peacekeeping operation (UNAMID) to not handover six Internally Displaced people – five men and one woman—sheltered in its office in Kalma camp," Al-Nur told Sudan Tribune today.

11 people were killed when clashes broke out last week between supporters of Nur and partisans of another rebel group Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) which is conducting talks with the Sudanese government in Doha. The first group contests the IDPs representation by the second group.

The Paris based rebel leader made his statement following a meeting with the Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassole on Wednesday in the French capital to discuss the latest developments in Darfur following the recent clashes between two groups of the IDPs in Kalma camps over their representation in the peace process.

"We had a very positive and constructive meeting," Al-Nur said. He further stressed that Bassole reassured him about the UNAMID commitment to protect civilians in western Sudan including the six people wanted by South Darfur authorities.

He also said he had spoken all the day with different local leaders urging them to cool down the tension inside the camps and to work hard restore calm and reconciliation between the residents pointing out that "only Sudanese government benefits from such divisions".

Al-Nur said wanted civilians might face torture and killing if they are handed to the Sudanese authorities following a formal demand by South Darfur Governor Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha.

He also said the Sudanese justice is not independent and totally under the control of the government stressing that their handover would create more troubles in the camp.

The rebel leader accused the government of working to dismantle the camp as part of its new policy called "domestication of the peace process".

He further urged the UN Security Council to well consider changing the mandate of the UNAMID from Chapter 6 to Chapter 7 and to give the largest peacekeeping operation the necessary means to fully protect the civilians in the restive region.

Speaking with Sudan Tribune from Kalama camp, two residents who requested not to mention their names said the security forces surround the camp and prevent entry of food to the camp. They also said that women who go outside the camp to bring food to their children are stopped and not allowed to return home.

The UNAMID Daily Media Brief reported today that "no organizations have been allowed to deliver humanitarian aid" to the IDPs in Kalma camp.

Another resident from Kass camp in South Darfur said some one thousand of militiamen gathered today outside the camp and paraded around the area to intimidate the residents.

The same source said they received reports from Zalingei in West Darfur saying some 50 people were arrested by the security service there.

Kalma camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) is located near Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, and is home to about 90,000 people, many of whom are supporters of Abdel Wahid Nur. Government forces targeted the camp in a raid that killed dozens of residents in August 2008. (ST)

Click here to read Sudan Tribune report, 31 July 2010: NCP approves new “domestication” strategy on Darfur.

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Report by Radio Dabanga published Wednesday, 04 August 2010:

Darfur rebel chief calls on ICC to investigate camp violence
(DOHA ) - Dr. Tijani Sese strongly condemned the events that occurred last week in Kalma and Hamidiya camps for displaced people. The camps witnessed fighting among the residents, allegedly between factions loyal to Tijani Sese’s rebel coalition and Abdel Wahid Al Nur’s faction, according to initial UN reports. At least ten were killed.

Sese said that what happened is a crime that requires investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Sese appealed to displaced people to remain calm and to stop all forms of abuse against each other, which he said weakens the Darfur issue. Sese denied, however, that the Liberation and Justice Movement was involved in the events.

Security Situation in Darfur April 27 & 29 - UNAMID continues to follow developments in South Darfur

Darfur/UNAMID Daily Media Brief 2010-04-29
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, April 30, 2010/APO:

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm, but unpredictable. UNAMID continues to follow developments in South Darfur.

UNAMID military forces conducted 96 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 74 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 134 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID DJSR Anyidoho begins farewell tour of Darfur
As he approaches the end of his tenure as UNAMID’s Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR/P), Henry Anyidoho today began his farewell tour with a visit to Nyala, South Darfur.

Upon arriving at UNAMID’s regional office in Nyala, the DJSR/P first addressed the Mission’s personnel, expressing his gratitude for their support during his term. Later, in a special ceremony, he was honored with a military guard and presented with plaques of recognition from each of the Nigerian, Chinese, Bangladeshi and Pakistani battalions stationed in the region.

Next week, the DJSR/P plans to visit UNAMID’s offices in El Geneina and Zalingei in West Darfur.

DJSR Anyidoho served with the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). He was appointed to his present post in August 2007, when UNAMID was established. During his tenure, the Mission saw the deployment of its uniformed and civilian personnel reach over 85% and witnessed immense strides made in the Darfur peace process.

Before arriving in Darfur, Henry Anyidoho, a decorated retired General from the Ghanaian army, served in peacekeeping missions around the world, including Lebanon, Cambodia, Liberia and Rwanda. He also headed the UN Assistance Cell that provided strategic level advice to AMIS.

Darfur/UNAMID Daily Media Brief 2010-04-27
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, April 28, 2010/APO:

Security situation
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm, but unpredictable. UNAMID continues to follow developments in South Darfur.

UNAMID military forces conducted 99 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 98 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period. UNAMID police advisors also conducted 126 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID Police Commissioner ends his tour of duty
UNAMID Police Commissioner Micheal Fryer of South Africa has ended his tour of duty after serving the Mission for two years. He was appointed by the Chairperson of the African Union, in consultation with the United Nations Secretary-General, in November 2007 to head the police component of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur.

Commissioner Fryer was responsible for implementing all aspects of the UNAMID police mandate, providing greater security and stability to the people of Darfur. He has undertaken several challenging tasks since the inception of the Mission, including building confidence for the people of Kalma internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp, organizing long range patrols from El Obeid to El Fasher, a distance of more than 700 kilometers bringing vital Mission equipment and vehicles. The Commissioner also led long distance patrols in and around villages and IDP camps throughout the region in order to build confidence with the local community, establish relations with the local police and enhance security.

Before his appointment, Mr. Fryer headed his country’s police force’s Specialized Operation Division for several years and, prior to this, served as Commander of the South African Special Task Force.

Human Rights workshop on peacekeeping operations begins in Geneva
UNAMID senior officials yesterday joined representatives from over 20 other agencies and peacekeeping operations in Geneva for the start of a three-day seminar on the integration of human rights in the work of UN police and military components in peace operations.

The workshop aims at providing a forum for the exchange of ideas on how to enhance cooperation between Human Rights and uniformed components in such areas as monitoring, advocacy, capacity building and the protection of civilians.

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On Friday 23 April in S. Darfur, W. Sudan:

50 killed, 80 injured in Rizeigat-SPLA clashes

Fifty Killed in Rizeigat-SPLA Clashes
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

Monday, 26 April 2010 - (Al-Rizeigat) – More than 50 people were killed and over 80 others injured following clashes between the SPLA and the Rizeigat community in southern Darfur.

According to Reuters, an SPLA soldier killed 5 officials from the National Congress Party in Raja, Western Bahr al Ghazal state during the five days of voting which began on April 11.

The commissioner of Al-Rizeigat, Al-Hadi al-Mahdi, confirmed to SRS on Sunday [25 April] that there had been clashes in the area.

[Al-Hadi al-Mahdi]: “Yesterday, I went to that area myself and I have seen a number of people injured. This situation is very dangerous and it might worsen if the authorities do not intervene to stop it. We are definitely against such actions. The SPLA attacked Al-Rizeigat, particularly in the Al-Balballa area which is around 286 kilometers south of Al-Deain town. A lot of people died and others were affected in other ways following the attack. This has been going on for three days now, today being the fourth. Yesterday it was a bit calm. What we know is that from Al-Rizeigat around 58 people died and 80 others were injured. We do not know how many were killed or injured from the SPLA side.”

SRS also spoke to the SPLM secretary in Southern Darfur who confirmed the incidents.

Suleiman Eshak spoke to SRS by phone on Sunday from Nyala.

[Suleiman Eshak]: “We got information yesterday that there had been some clashes between SPLA forces and the Rizeigat. We haven’t yet found out what exactly caused the fighting but one thing for sure is the fact that both sides have lost some of their men. We have sent a delegation to the areas to investigate and come up with a report. We have not yet been able to confirm the exact number of persons killed.”

Eshak urged the communities living in the border between Darfur and southern Sudan to live together peacefully.

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Ban Jadid, S. Darfur, W. Sudan:

82 killed, 25 wounded following clashes in Al Wihda

Eighty Killed in Darfur Fighting
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

Friday, 23 April 2010 - (Rumbek) – At least eighty people were killed and several others injured in Ban Jadid following recent clashes in Al-Wihda payam in South Darfur state.

A citizen from Ban-Jadid who spoke to SRS under conditions of anonymity said that about 82 people have been killed.

[Voice 1 Arabic]: “These clashes were tribal fights which started at a water point between a few people and then grew and became a big fight, there has been some attacks here and there. So around 82 were killed while 25 were wounded. The attacks started yesterday at around 6.30 in the morning until around 4.30 in the evening.”

The commissioner of Al-Wehda payam, Al-Nour Jabir spoke to SRS from Darfur on Wednesday. He said the situation is now under control.

[Al-Nour Jabir]: “There had been some clashes between two groups in the Ban Jadid area in which some people lost their lives while other were wounded. But two days ago, the security forces took control of the area and ever since no clashes have been reported. There was also a committee formed to investigate on the cause of the fighting. There is also another committee which will assess the amount of damage caused.”

The commissioner of Al-Wehda payam, Al-Nour Jabir was speaking to SRS on Wednesday.

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Related reports

SPLA clashes with South Darfur tribal elements in border area
From Sudan Tribune - Sunday 25 April 2010:

April 24, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Southern Sudan army and armed cattle herders from Rizeigat tribe clashed today in the border area between Western Bahr el-Ghazal and South Darfur, amid reports of human causalities. [...]

17 killed in clashes between SPLA, Rizeigat tribe in south Darfur
From Xinhua - Sunday, 25 April 2010 - via Global Times:

17 civilians were killed on Saturday and 11 others wounded in armed clashes between Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the military arm of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), and Rizeigat tribe in South Darfur State in western Sudan.

"These confrontations, which took place today, came as a result of provocations by the SPLA, which infuriated members of the Rizeigat tribe at the area and pushed them to confront elements of the SPLA", Mohamed Iyssa Elaio, Chairman of Rizeigat tribe's Shura (consultation) council, told Xinhua. [...]

Southern Sudan forces attacked near Darfur: SPLA
From AFP – 3 days ago

KHARTOUM — Southern Sudanese forces have been attacked by government troops, the spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Army said on Saturday, but the army denied having anything to do with the operation.

"A company of 120 SPLA soldiers was attacked on Friday night by armed men wearing uniforms of the northern (central government) army that was heavily equipped," Major General Kuol Deim Kuol of the former southern rebels said.

The incident occurred in Raja district in the southern state of Western Bahr al-Ghazal, which borders the war-torn western region of Darfur. [...]

Head of Darfur authority urges to deal seriously with tribal fighting‎
From Sudan Tribune - Friday, 23 April 2010:

April 22, 2010 (KHARTOUM) - Minni Minnawi, Sudanese Senior Presidential Assistant and head of Darfur transitional authority urged the government of South Darfur state to use the necessary means to stop tribal fighting in South Darfur.

During a meeting held in Nyala on Wednesday with the South Darfur caretaker governor Omer Abdel Jabar, the head of Darfur transitional authority asked the state government to act seriously in order stop the fighting between the local tribes.

Clashes between between Rizeigat and Al-Saada tribes in Wohda district over cattle rustling during this week resulted in the killing of more than 50 people and the burning to different villages. The state authorities were accused of not reacting swiftly to stop the tribal fighting. [...]

Clashes kill over 52 in Darfur
From AfricaNews.com Thursday, 22 April 2010 by Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya:

At least 52 people were killed in Sudan after clashes between two rival tribes in the volatile southern region. The clashes between Rizeigat and al-Sada tribes erupted on Tuesday at various areas, some 61 kilometres north of Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur State.

Reports said that the clashes resulted in the death of 40 members of al-Sada tribe and other 12 members of Rizeigat tribe.

Fifty-five others were wounded in the volatile southern region and the fighting was going on more than five hours, Khartoum’s Al Ahdath daily reported.

Clashes between rival tribes happened repeatedly in south Sudan because of disagreements over natural resources and other crimes. [...]

Over 50 killed in renewed Darfur tribal clashes
From Xinhua - via Daily Nation - Wednesday, 21 April 2010:

PHOTO: Fighters of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Khalil Ibrahim in this picture taken in 2008. The rebel group signed a temporary ceasefire deal with Sudan breaking a standstill in the Darfur peace process. Photo/REUTERS

(KHARTOUM/DOHA, Wednesday) - Fifty-two civilians have been killed and 55 others wounded in renewed tribal clashes in Sudan’s South Darfur State, Khartoum media reported Wednesday.

“Violent clashes broke out Tuesday between Rizeigat and al-Sada tribes at various areas, some 61 kilometres north of Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur State,” Khartoum’s Al Ahdath daily reported.

The clashes, which involved heavy weapons and lasted for more than five hours, resulted in the killing of 40 members of al-Sada tribe and 12 members of Rizeigat tribe, according to the newspaper. [...]

52 civilians killed in renewed tribal clashes in Darfur
From China Daily (Xinhua) Wednesday, 21 April 2010:

KHARTOUM - Fifty-two civilians have been killed and 55 others wounded in renewed tribal clashes in Sudan's South Darfur State, Khartoum media reported Wednesday.

"Violent clashes broke out Tuesday between Rizeigat and al-Sada tribes at various areas, some 61 kilometers north of Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur State," Khartoum's Al Ahdath daily reported.

The clashes, which involved heavy weapons and lasted for more than five hours, resulted in the killing of 40 members of al-Sada tribe and 12 members of Rizeigat tribe, according to the newspaper.

In the meantime, Khartoum's Al Ray Al A'm daily quoted commissioner of Wohda in South Darfur State as saying that two security committees of the state and Wohda are present at the sites and that the situation has been under control. [...]

Over 50 killed after tribal clashes in South Darfur
From Sudan Tribune - Thursday, 22 April 2010:

Wednesday, 21 April 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Over Fifty civilians have been killed and dozens wounded in renewed clashes between two nomad tribes in Sudan’s South Darfur State.

The clashes broke out over cattle rustling on Tuesday between Rizeigat and Al-Saada tribes in Al-Ban Jadid, Wohda district, some 61 kilometers north of Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur State .

The clashes between the two Arab tribes, which involved heavy weapons and lasted for more than five hours, resulted in the killing of more than 50 people from both sides. However there are contradictory reports about the number of victims from each side.

Al-Sudani daily newspaper reported that Rizeigat armed elements used trucks equipped with heavy machine guns to attack and burn three villages near Al-Ban Jadid.

The Rizeigat who are living in northern Darfur and Chad are largely involved in the ongoing conflict in Darfur where they fight against the rebel groups. They clashed in the past against the Messeriya and the Turgum ethnic groups, both also are nomad groups, for the control of water sources and land.

In the meantime, Khartoum’s Al Ray Al A’m daily quoted commissioner of Wohda in South Darfur State as saying that two security committees of the state and Wohda are present at the sites and that the situation has been under control. [...]

Kass county commissioner issues decree on disarmament

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 21 April 2010:

(Kaas, Darfur) – The commissioner of Kaas county in south Darfur state on Monday issued a decree on disarmament to be carried out in the state.

Most citizens supported the move but expressed concerns over the implementation process.

[Abdallah]: “Despite the fact that this came late, we still believe it is a very good initiative. Our only concern now becomes the implementation of that order. But some questions are raised following the commissioner’s decision, such as why would he make the decision now? Could there be motives behind it that will work for his interests? For example, may be he has done that because of the elections thus he might want the citizens to see that he cares about them. So why now after the suffering that the people have undergone”

However, some citizens did not support the move saying that the exercise will not have any positive impact as some areas are excluded.

[Mohammed]: “I think they are not serious with this order, because they are suppose to disarm all the areas not only Kaas, and also they do not search the houses, so if someone is hiding a gun in the house and just walks around with it at night then do then how can that be serious? If they are planning to seriously implement this, then that is good for the citizens, but if they only expect the people not to walk with guns in the streets without planning to search the houses then who is suppose to disarm the citizens?”

Those were citizens of Kaas county, in south Darfur state speaking to SRS on Wednesday from Darfur.

Thousands in Kass in plight after attacks on Darfur villages
Radio Dabanga - via Ethiopian Review - 2nd April 2010:

Thousands of villagers have gathered in Kass amid fear of attacks and fighting in South Darfur. One observer estimated that 7000 families are in the area, but an aid worker told Radio Dabanga that the Humanitarian Aid Commission puts the number at 14,000 househoulds and 43,000 individuals in 16 locations.

An UN inter-agency team has conducted an assessment in the area but a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Khartoum could not provide details. The number is unconfirmed.

In all, some of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) came about 32 days ago but most came 8 days ago. The refugees are mainly from the Misseriya tribe but also include some from Beni Hassan, Houtia, Fur, Gimr and Taalba. They came to Kass after clashes between Misseriya and Nuwayba, a camel herding subtribe of the Rizeigat Arabs.

Misseriya IDPs described the attacks as undertaken by the government. They said that some attackers were wearing uniforms. In Bulbul, 30 kilometres from Kass, villagers fled when they heard and saw the oncoming attackers. They also witnessed attackers shoot some men and women and drive over bodies with vehicles. Minister of Defence Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein appointed an investigation committee to determine whether the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been involved in the tribal clashes between the Nuwayba and Misseriya. There are no Nuwayba IDPs in Kass.

John Ratcliffe, a spokesman for the UN OCHA, said that an UN inter-agency team and partners have conducted an assessment of the situation and were delivering some nutritional and food aid. Likewise, a local source said today that CARE-Switzerland in partnership with UNICEF provided some nutrition kits to children but there were not enough for everyone.

Tearfund is planning to distribute shelters but the Humanitarian Aid Commission will not permit them to set up shelters until a location for an IDP camp is designated.

The total IDP population of Darfur is typically estimated to be 2.7 million. (Radio Dabanga)

Sudan: SLM-Nur in Jebel Marra, Darfur rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas?

TRYING to make sense of news of Sudanese people killing each other in Jebel Marra, Darfur is not easy to do. This is Part 1 of a series. More to come, later.



ON 02 February 2010 at Sudan Watch, I published an important analysis by Julie Flint, 01 February 2010, entitled "The Strife Inside the SLA". Here is a copy, followed by several related reports. (Note that Julie Flint refers to the anti-government group SLA-Abdul Wahid as SLA-AW whereas for several years here at Sudan Watch the group has been referred to and tagged as SLM-Nur)

The Strife Inside the SLA

Since 5 January, rival factions of SLA-Abdul Wahid have been fighting each other in Jebel Marra. The fighting, which has been largely unreported, has caused civilians to flee from a number of villages in the south of the mountains, towards Nyertiti and Kass. There are fears that the violence, which has many fault lines, too complicated to explain in this short posting, could have repercussions among civilians in IDP camps where SLA-Abdul Wahid has a hold.

It will be impossible to reach a sustainable settlement to the simmering but still-unresolved conflict in Darfur, regardless of anything the government does or does not do, while the ‘revolution’ of 2003 is eating itself.

The intra-SLA fighting has claimed the lives of a number of commanders critical of the SLA Chairman, his decision to reside in France rather than Darfur, and his refusal both to participate in the Doha process and to seek reconciliation in the SLA faction he leads. Some of the commanders have died in armed clashes; others have perished in ambushes—most recently, a commander from Kass, Mohamed Adam ‘Shamba’, whose car was reportedly attacked with rocket-propelled grenades in Jebel Marra on 26 January.

The long-standing tensions within SLA-AW over Abdul Wahid’s management surfaced dramatically (albeit behind closed doors) in the middle of 2009 when senior SLA commanders—including several of those considered most loyal to Abdul Wahid—‘challenged him for 10 days’, in the words of one of those present, at a capacity-building workshop in Switzerland. The chief of staff of the SLA, Yousif Ahmad Yousif ‘Karjakola’, went as far as to call the SLA chairman incompetent. Others complained about a lack of support, including salaries and military supplies, and the refusal to participate in the internationally-mediated peace process led by Djibril Bassole.

The spark to January’s mini-war appears to have been the capture of Karjakola by JEM in November 2009 as he returned to Darfur from Chad. Abdul Wahid’s critics allege that JEM acted at the instigation of the SLA Chairman, and are super-critical of the US special envoy, Gen. Scott Gration, for not seeking the release of a senior commander who defied Abdul Wahid’s rejectionism and favoured participating in the peace process. After Karjakola’s arrest, I received calls from SLA commanders in Darfur claiming that they have evidence of a ‘hit list’ (reportedly backed by serious money) of pro-peace reformers. I am aware that Abdul Wahid loyalists have made similar claims to others, but have no details of their claims. The list is said to include several SLA leaders in the Ain Siro area—including Ali Haroun, a law graduate of Khartoum University and responsible for justice in the SLA, and Suleiman Sakerey, the highest military commander in Ain Siro. Both met the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur in June last year.

Ain Siro has been untouched by the factional fighting and serious human rights abuses that have cast such a cloud over some rebel-controlled areas. But it has a history of problems with the SLA leadership in Jebel Marra. A number of commanders from Ain Siro were ‘arrested’ and taken to Jebel Marra, Abdul Wahid’s headquarters, late in 2007 as they gave voice to growing popular demand from the field for reform of the movement that Abdul Wahid leads from the diaspora. A confidential UN report said the Ain Siro group were accused of ‘attempting to divide the movement’. During the group’s detention in Jebel Marra, a university companion of Ali Haroun, Abdalla Mohamed, was kidnapped with his bodyguard, Hamadi, by masked men from the centre of Deribat, the SLA stronghold where the Ain Siro group was being held. (Abdalla’s body was later found three months later, hanged, in a village in Jebel Marra. Hamadi’s body was found in the same village, shot in the back.) I personally went to Paris to ask Abdul Wahid for guarantees for the safety of the Ain Siro group. He assured me they would come to no harm, and they were indeed released—albeit many months later. Abdul Wahid claimed that Abdalla Mohamed had been seized, from the market in Deribat, by ‘janjaweed’. I do not know Deribat. I leave it to those who do to judge whether ‘janjaweed’ could have got into the centre of the town, and out again, without a fight.

On 5 January this year, a senior SLA commander critical of Abdul Wahid and supportive of the peace process, Abdalla Abaker, was shot dead by Abdul Wahid loyalists at a checkpoint in Jebel Marra. Abdalla’s supporters subsequently attacked and looted the homes of a number of commanders considered to be Abdul Wahid loyalists, setting in motion a chain of attack and counter-attack that will continue until the root causes of the problem are resolved—most importantly the lack of structures, and accountability, in Jebel Marra.

The people of Darfur—those stuck in wretched camps and those still clinging to the countryside so utterly devastated by Khartoum’s criminal counter-insurgency—deserve better leadership than this. I have many reports of, and testimony to, the latest clashes and killings. It is a pity that none of this reaches the ‘ordinary’ people of Darfur, to enable them to judge for themselves who they want to represent them and speak on their behalf. A little naming and shaming, with dispassionate, detailed reporting of what exactly is going on—and why—might help Darfurians to find a voice of their own that is informed by fact rather than internet rumour and propaganda.

- - -

SLM-Nur clashes with government forces or internal wrangling?

ON 19 February 2010 at Sudan Watch, it was reported that on 15 February 2010 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.

Here is an extract from the report by SRS (Sudan Radio Service) entitled "Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?"

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.”

- - -

ALSO, at Sudan Watch on 19 February 2010 it was reported that:

On Feb 6: Seven killed in clashes between SPLA & Messiriya in Abiemnom, Unity state, S. Sudan - Sudan Army Forces (SAF) spokesperson denied that SAF had armed the Messiriya. The spokesperson told SRS (Sudan Radio Service) that: "It is illegal for the Messiriya to use SAF uniforms or equipment. There are Messiriya nomads who were recruited by the SPLA and they were given uniforms and military ranks and they started saying that they belonged to the SPLA and this caused a lot of problems".

On Feb 9: Gunmen on horseback raided Baytari refugee camp in Kass, S. Darfur, Sudan - 2 IDPs shot dead, 10 injured - A patrol of UNAMID peacekeepers on 09 February 2010 saw armed horsemen riding into a refugee camp at Kass in South Darfur, western Sudan while others surrounded the settlement, one senior UN official said on condition of anonymity. "They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters.

On Feb 16: Gunmen opened fire on peacekeepers close to El-Sherif camp, nr Nyala, S. Darfur, Sudan - UNAMID spokesman said government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala. Authorities also recovered one of two UN-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) refuses to confirm Ukrainian tank deal - SPLA are not allowed to buy weapons from abroad, according to the CPA. UN Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1591 prohibit the sale of arms to warring parties in the Darfur region where SAF is combating armed anti-government groups.

So, who raided Baytari refugee camp in South Darfur and who attacked UNAMID peacekeepers in South Darfur? And why, after seven years, do we still not know who is supplying arms to warring parties in Darfur?

Further reading

Sudan Watch, 20 February 2010 - US Special Envoy Calls on Darfur Armed Groups to End Conflict and Emphasizes Civilian Security - Exclusive interview from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) 19 February 2010:

(Juba) - The US Special Envoy to Sudan, General Scott Gration, is urging the anti-government forces in Darfur to stop fighting each other in Darfur.

Speaking to SRS in an exclusive interview in Juba on Thursday, Gration said the majority of people who are suffering in the recent fighting at Jebel Marra are civilians.

[Scott Gration]: “The fighting has to stop in Darfur. Those people have suffered so much every time we have these fights; it is not just between the rebels. The biggest problem is it displaces civilians, those civilians then have to go to a place of security and normally to an IDP camp and this is not good. We already have 2.7 million people that are residing in IDP camps living in conditions that are not right. In fact it is unacceptable and dire. And what we would like to see, we could give security and we could give stability, we could get an environment where people could go back to their homes.

General Gration urged the anti-government groups in Darfur to resolve their differences and find a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Darfur.

[Scott Gration]: “The rebels need to have their issues resolved. Doha and the issues of Doha have to be resolved. This will include compensation, power sharing, wealth sharing, land reform and it includes a security embargo. All these things have to be resolved so that the people that are fighting in Jebel Marra have an opportunity to participate as political parties. What we see right now is because they have militias, armed militias, they can’t participate in elections. So there is going to have to be some way that these individual and their parties are able to be represented in the next phase of government. Those are things that we are working on right now, but the big issue for me is the local security."

Gration said the Government of National Unity is responsible for providing security to the people of Darfur. He added that reducing tension caused by outside interference will help resolve the conflict in Darfur.

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Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, 24 February 2010/APO
UNAMID Daily Media Brief / 2010-02-24

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm but unpredictable.

UNAMID military forces conducted 105 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 79 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 123 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID to address needs of newly-displaced persons in West Darfur
Following a humanitarian mission conducted by UNAMID’s Humanitarian Liaison Office and several of the region’s agencies on February 22, UNAMID has ascertained that over 1,500 people have been displaced to Thur, West Darfur, from nearby villages as a result of the increased fighting in Jebel Marra area.

Due to the volatile security situation since fighting broke out in January, very few agencies have been able to provide these IDPs with desperately-needed aid. However, following the Darfur Framework Agreement signed yesterday between the Sudanese Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), it is expected that help will quickly begin to reach the areas affected by the recent clashes.

UNAMID is already finalising plans for other similar missions to the affected areas, in coordination with other humanitarian agencies.

JSR Gambari congratulates all parties on ceasefire accord
Following the signing of the Darfur Framework Agreement in Doha yesterday, Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari congratulated Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir, JEM leader Dr. Khalil Ibrahim, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as well as Chadian President Idriss Deby, President Issayas Afewerkiof of Eritrea and AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé for their concerted efforts to bring about this agreement.

The UNAMID JSR had a series of contacts, on the sidelines of the ceremony, with several personalities attending the event, among them the Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping; the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic conference, Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu; and a number of special envoys to the Sudan, particularly those of the U.K., France and Canada.

This weekend, the JSR will lead a retreat for the special envoys to the Sudan in Kigali, Rwanda, where they are expected to discuss their plans and priorities to restore stability to Darfur.

SOURCE: United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

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Darfur: recent fighting leaves 1,500 displaced and without aid, UN reports
Report from UN News Centre, 24 February 2010:

Over 1,500 people have been displaced by increased fighting in the western part of Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region and very few agencies have been able to provide them with desperately-needed aid due to lack of security, the United Nations reported today.

The displaced people have sought refuge in Thur, West Darfur, after fleeing from nearby villages because of increased fighting in the Jebel Marra area last month, the joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said, after sending a humanitarian mission there earlier this week.

“However, following the Darfur Framework Agreement signed yesterday between the Sudanese Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), it is expected that help will quickly begin to reach the areas affected by the recent clashes,” UNAMID added, referring to the cessation of hostilities pact the Government signed in Doha, Qatar, with the main rebel group.

“UNAMID is already finalising plans for other similar missions to the affected areas, in coordination with other humanitarian agencies.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday hailed the Doha accord as “an important step towards an inclusive and comprehensive peace agreement” for Darfur, where nearly seven years of war between the Government, its militia allies and various rebel groups have killed at least 300,000 people and driven 2.7 million others from their homes. He called on all parties in the conflict to agree on a definitive political settlement

Other rebels have still not signed agreements with the Government. Earlier this month Assistant-Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) Dmitry Titov reported to the Security Council that two rebel coalitions known as the Addis and Tripoli Groups have shown themselves unprepared so far for substantive negotiations.

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Fifteen Dead in Fighting Between SAF and SLM in Jebel Marra
Report from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) 25 February 2010:

(Nairobi/ Khartoum) - Fighting has broken out between government troops and the SLM-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction, in Jebel Marra, despite the announcement by President al-Bashir on Wednesday that the conflict in Darfur had ended.

The SLM faction said that sixteen people had been killed in the fighting in Dirbat in Jebel Marra. At least one person was injured in the clashes.

In an interview with SRS on Thursday, an SLM general commanding the troops in Jebel Marra, Abdulgadir Abdurrahman, said that the government troops are still in Dirbat and that the fighting is still going on.

[Abdulgadir Abdurrahman]: “The government troops attacked our men and they inflicted a lot of damage. One of our soldiers and 15 civilians were killed. Yesterday, the same thing happened. They moved from Nyala and came to Dirbat and now they are in Dirbat. They are destroying and looting property and stealing money and cows from the citizens. The fighting started in Kidinyer and they looted property of the organizations in the area including 4 vehicles from one organization together with generators, 27 grinders and some water tanks. What they couldn't carry with them they sprayed with bullets.”

The Sudanese army has denied the reports.

SAF spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid spoke to SRS Thursday from Khartoum. He said that government troops were in Jebel Marra but there were no clashes between government troops and the SLM.

[Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “There were no clashes, just the normal SAF presence. They think it is not acceptable, that’s why they said we fought with them but there was no fight. Jebel Marra as an area cannot be said to belong to Abdulwahid. If there was fighting maybe other groups fought but SAF doesn't have anything to do with that. We assure you that there was nothing and we have not clashed with anybody. Our presence in the area is perfectly normal."

SAF spokesman Al-Sawarmi Khalid was speaking to SRS on Thursday from Khartoum.

More on Jebel Marra coming up, later.

UPDATE - See Sudan Watch, Sunday, March 14, 2010: SLM chief Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur enjoys life in Paris while Darfuris are cared for by the world's taxpayer

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. [...]

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19-Feb-2010

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• Bitter Start to Election Campaign in Khartoum
• Clamp Down on Human Trafficking at Sudan-Eritrean Border
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On Tue Feb 9: Gunmen on horseback raided Baytari refugee camp in Kass, S. Darfur, Sudan - 2 IDPs shot dead, 10 injured

A patrol of UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday, 09 February 2010, saw armed horsemen riding into a refugee camp at Kass in South Darfur, western Sudan while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity. "They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters. Full story here below.

Militias raid Darfur camp, kill two refugees
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in El-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan
(Additional reporting by Opheera McDoom in Khartoum; Editing by Randy Fabi)
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 6:06am EST - excerpt:

EL-FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Militias raided a Darfur refugee camp, shooting dead two people and injuring at least 10 in an escalation of tensions in Sudan's restive west, witnesses and U.N. officials said Wednesday.

The raid followed the murder of a militia member's relative who appeared to be searching the camps in Kass, South Darfur for the suspect, U.N. officials in Darfur said.

"The Janjaweed (militia) came in on horses and camels and were looting and shooting," Adam Ali, a resident in the Baytari camp in Kass town, told Reuters by telephone. "They burned many huts and looted the people's belongings." [...]

A patrol of U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday saw armed horsemen riding into the camp, while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity.

"They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters.

Ali said four people were killed, but the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) put the death toll at two, with 10 injured.

"Ten IDPs (internally displaced people) were taken to Kass hospital. Another two were shot dead," said OCHA spokesman Samuel Hendricks.

"It is concerning because it shows the level of tension. Things can easily escalate and get out of control," he added. [...]

Masked gunmen kill police at UN compound, Kass, S. Darfur

Any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

From Reuters, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009:
Masked gunmen kill Darfur police at UN compound

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Masked gunmen killed two Sudanese policemen guarding a guesthouse run by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region, the aid group said on Saturday.

The two officers died on Thursday and a third was killed on Friday when security forces tracked down the raiders in south Darfur, shooting dead two of the attackers in an exchange of fire, police told Reuters.

The killings underlined the continuing insecurity in the remote western territory where law and order has collapsed after more than six years of fighting.

Up to four men raided the guesthouse in the south Darfur town of Kass in the early hours of Thursday morning, WFP security officer Elisca Lagerweij told Reuters. "The police found the body of one officer outside, shot in the back of the head. We think they caught him in his sleep," she said.

The second police officer was found four blocks away from the guesthouse, with a gunshot wound in his side, she added.

"The police told us there are criminals active in the area, targeting small groups of armed police, trying to get their guns," said Lagerweij. "We assume this was not an attack on the United Nations or its staff."

Two international staff and two WFP guards who were inside the compound were not injured. One guard, who took a brief look outside after hearing gunshots, saw the attackers wearing masks, said Lagerweij.

South Darfur's police chief Fatah Al-Rahman Osman said police pursued the attackers Friday. "One policeman and two gunmen from the other side were killed," he told Reuters.

In another sign of unrest in the region, three Nigerian members of Darfur's joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force were injured in an ambush outside the west Darfur capital of Zalingei on Saturday, the force said.

Unknown men opened fire on armed UNAMID police escorting a garbage truck, hitting one officer in the shoulder, one in the abdomen and one in the shoulder, said force spokesman Kemal Saiki. The men, two of them in a serious condition, were airlifted to hospital in south Darfur's capital Nyala, he added.

"We strongly condemn this wanton attack. Any attack on peacekeepers constitutes a war crime," said Saiki. [...]