UNITAMS: Situation in Darfur, Sudan 3 Aug 2023

UNITAMS is gravely concerned about the severe impact of the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) supported by Arab militias and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on civilians in the Darfur region.
More in this statement 👇https://t.co/JmlGFKEoFN pic.twitter.com/2nUd8FF0ud

— UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (@UNITAMS) August 3, 2023

HERE is a copy of above tweet by UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (@UNITAMS) August 3, 2023 incase the tweet disappears:

UNITAMS is gravely concerned about the severe impact of the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) supported by Arab militias and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on civilians in the Darfur region. More in this statement.

3 Aug 2023 STATEMENT BY UNITAMS ON THE SITUATION IN DARFUR

The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) is gravely concerned about the severe impact of the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) supported by Arab militias and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on civilians in the Darfur region. 

UNITAMS strongly condemns the indiscriminate targeting of civilian populations and public facilities by the RSF and allied militias, particularly in the locality of Sirba, 45 kilometers north of El Geneina in West Darfur, from 24 to 26 July 2023. The Mission is also concerned by similar incidents in Nyala, South Darfur, and Zalingei, Central Darfur.

“I am alarmed by reports indicating that civilians are being prevented from leaving for safer areas, resulting in numerous casualties. These reports are reminiscent of the violations committed in El Geneina, West Darfur, last June”, says Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNITAMS.

“We are documenting all the violations and I recall that these heinous acts are serious violations of the human rights of civilians and may constitute war crimes under international law. I remind all parties involved to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law to ensure the safety and protection of all civilians”, adds Perthes.

UNITAMS urges all forces engaged in hostilities to cease their military operations immediately and call on them to resume the Jeddah-facilitated talks and reaffirms its commitment to support and facilitate efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict throughout Sudan. 

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Darfur and remain dedicated to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region”, concludes Perthes. 

[Ends]

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.

Sudan: New strategy - South Darfur State sets a plan for illegal arms collection - IDPs in Kalma camp not allowed to practice military activities

Photo: "In Sudan - the beautiful desert" by Douglas Bratthall (Source: Yahoo!)

Kalma IDP camp is a political and military camp to serve SLM-Nur

IN a press conference held last Monday (09 August) South Darfur Governor, Abdul Hamid Musa Kasha, described Kalma IDP (internally displaced persons) camp in South Darfur, western Sudan as a political and military camp to serve Abdul Wahid Al-Nur's Darfur insurgent faction SLM.

Kasha revealed that a joint meeting between the Sudanese government and the joint UN/AU peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) resulted in not allowing IDPs in Kalma camp to practice any military activities besides establishing a joint committee to investigate on the recent incidents.

He added that his government had prepared a plan for disarmament in three stages and taken the necessary measures to transfer Kalma camp to another location.

"The state government has developed a plan to collect arms voluntarily from inside the camp to establish social peace," Kasha said on Friday in statements reported by the official news agency SUNA.

He further presented an overview of the state government’s efforts to upgrade essential services of interest to the citizens in the areas of electricity and water.

For the first time a Sudanese government —State minister for humanitarian affairs Mutrif Sideeq — visited the camp with the head of the peacekeeping mission on Wednesday (11 August) and attended a meeting held between Ibrahim Gambari and six delegates who sought refuge at the UNAMID police center in the camp.

The six IDPs representatives told Sudan Tribune that Gambari tried to convince them to accept joint patrols by the Sudanese police and the peacekeepers.

New strategy for the settlement of the Darfur issue

Vice President, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha vowed to take into consideration the visions and proposals of all political parties in the new strategy for the settlement of the Darfur issue.

In his address to the consultative meeting he held with political forces for solving the Darfur issue at the Friendship Hall, the Vice-president affirmed that the government focuses on and will take on board positive contributions and opinions for achieving peace in Darfur. "We shall take on board the opinion of the Darfurian people and all the political forces in any consultation that lead to a comprehensive solution ", he said. The Vice-president described talk about excluding Darfur insurgent factions in any solution is not accurate.

Objectives and priorities of the new strategy

Dr. Ghazi Salah Addeen, the Presidential Advisor and the in-charge of Darfur File said that the objectives and priorities of the new strategy involve

(1) the achievement of a comprehensive settlement (2); enhancement of security; (3) the establishment of a political process in Darfur(4); acceleration of voluntary sustainable return of the displaced; (5) procedures to be taken by government for the execution of development projects; (6) and the organizing of viable consultations among the various components of the Darfurian society; (7) the implementation of justice for all; (8) the restructuring of humanitarian operations and directing them from relief aid to development; (9) the attraction of regional and international support; (10) the enhancement of reconciliation process amongst the people of Darfur; (11) working with our partners to conclude a final and comprehensive peace agreements.

Dr. Ghazi said that a copy of the strategy was handed over to General Salva Kiir, the First Vice-President of the Republic and President of Southern Sudan government and a copy will be submitted to the Council of Ministers. "It is a flexible strategy and not a rigid one and it can be amended according to developments", he said.

Many thousands of IDPs from Kalma remain unaccounted for

Meanwhile, a news report published by AFP on Saturday (14 August) says Sudan must stop blocking aid agencies from reaching more than 80,000 displaced Darfuri refugees at Kalma camp, the UN's undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs, John Holmes, said on Saturday, quote

"Many thousands of IDPs from Kalma remain unaccounted for.

"We need immediate access so we can respond to the needs and conditions of those remaining there. We also need to find out how many people have left, and where they have gone, in order to provide relief to them too.

"The United Nations has been in close contact with the relevant Sudanese authorities to restore access ... but until today progress has not been forthcoming.

"Five international NGOs and UN humanitarian agencies which have humanitarian programmes in Kalma are still being prevented from entering the camp by local authorities on the ground, despite recent reassurances that such restrictions had not been imposed."

60 cases of malnutrition in Kalma IDP camp

According to a news report by Miraya FM published yesterday (Sunday, 15 August) UNAMID has revealed 60 cases of malnutrition in Kalma IDP camp, as a result of deteriorating humanitarian situation. Also, the UNMAID stated in a press release that, sound of shooting are heard within the camp pointing out the relocation of majority of IDPs, who sought shelter near UNAMID's local Community Policing Center, to other parts of the camp.

No barring of humanitarian workers from accessing the needy

This morning (Monday, 16 August), Sudan Vision Daily Newspaper reported that the Government of Sudan has "slammed the claims made by the UN's humanitarian chief, John Holmes, to the effect that the government had barred relief officials from entering Kalma IDPs camp". Furthermore, Sudan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mo'awia Osman Khalid, is quoted as saying, "No barring of Humanitarian workers from accessing the needy."

The report also reveals that "a joint meeting is to be held between the Government of West Darfur State and UNAMID Chief, Ibrahim Gambari within the coming two days with the aim of consultation on Hamedia Camp of Zalinji, besides, studying the situations of all other camps in the state. Also, that the State's Humanitarian Aid Deputy Commissioner, Ismail Adam reported that the meeting targets more coordination and consultation between the two sides on what had been agreed upon in respect of disarming in the camps and protection of people therein. He noted that all camps witness stable security and humanitarian situations".

Finally, news just in from UNAMID - Daily Media Brief dated Sunday, 15 August 2010 - excerpt:

"The security situation in Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in South Darfur remains unpredictable, with sporadic shooting over the weekend. UNAMID troops continue to patrol the area, 24 hours a day. The majority of IDPs who sought shelter near UNAMID’s local Community Policing Center have relocated to other parts of the camp, suggesting an improvement in the security situation.

Humanitarian conditions in the camp continue to deteriorate. Fuel stores in the camp have been exhausted, and consequently motorized water pumps have ceased to function. Contrary to reports on 12 August, there are two functioning clinics in Kalma camp, albeit with limited resources. One of the clinics yesterday informed UNAMID of over 60 cases of malnutrition".

SOURCES: See 6 reports here below by Sudan Vision Daily, AFP, Miraya FM, Sudan Tribune, UNAMID.

South Darfur State Sets a Plan for Illegal Arms Collection
Report from Sudan Vision (SV) Daily News Paper - Official Website (Khartoum)/via Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan, Washington D.C.
Date: Tuesday, 10 August 2010/ via ISRIA - excerpt:

South Darfur Governor, Abdul Hamid Musa Kasha said that the security situations are 90% stable, pointing out that the government is serious in applying rule of law.

Government announces new strategy on Darfur peace process
Report from Sudan Vision (SV) Daily News Paper - Official Website (Khartoum)
/ via Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan, Washington D.C.
Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010 - excerpt:

Vice President, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha vowed to take into consideration the visions and proposals of all political parties in the new strategy for the settlement of the Darfur issue.

Sudan blocking access to Darfuri refugees: UN
Report from AFP (Khartoum)
Date: Saturday, 14 August 2010 - excerpt:

"We need immediate access so we can respond to the needs and conditions of those remaining there. We also need to find out how many people have left, and where they have gone, in order to provide relief to them too. The United Nations has been in close contact with the relevant Sudanese authorities to restore access ... but until today progress has not been forthcoming. I am extremely concerned about the welfare of the IDPs (internally displaced persons) at Kalma camp, to whom we have not been able to deliver relief for 13 days," said John Holmes, the UN's undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs. "If access is not urgently restored, the situation risks deteriorating rapidly," he added.

Sudan: 60 cases of malnutrition in Kalma camp, UNAMID says
Report from Miraya FM / via ReliefWeb
Date: Sunday, 15 August 2010

South Darfur to disarm Kalma camp
Report from Sudan Tribune
Published: Sunday, 15 August 2010 - excerpt:

August 14, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The South Darfur state will launch a campaign to retrieve voluntarily weapons in the restive Kalma camp, the governor said this week. Governor Abdel Hamid Moussa Kasha declared considering to remove the camp and relocate the IDPs in other areas. He said that the camp has become a den of criminals and outlaws. He stressed the proximity of the camp from Nyala airport and railway "increases the security threat for UNAMID planes".

UNAMID Daily Media Brief - Sunday, 15 August 2010
Report from United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan, August 16, 2010/ via APO:

Security situation update
The security situation in Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in South Darfur remains unpredictable, with sporadic shooting over the weekend. UNAMID troops continue to patrol the area, 24 hours a day. The majority of IDPs who sought shelter near UNAMID’s local Community Policing Center have relocated to other parts of the camp, suggesting an improvement in the security situation.

Humanitarian conditions in the camp continue to deteriorate. Fuel stores in the camp have been exhausted, and consequently motorized water pumps have ceased to function. Contrary to reports on 12 August, there are two functioning clinics in Kalma camp, albeit with limited resources. One of the clinics yesterday informed UNAMID of over 60 cases of malnutrition.

UNAMID patrols
UNAMID military forces conducted 76 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night and humanitarian escort patrols covering 66 villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID police advisors conducted 119 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

Govt. Dismisses Holmes' Claims of Blocking Humanitarian Access to Kalma Camp
Report from Sudan Vision Daily News Paper - Official Website (Khartoum)
Date: Monday, 16 August 2010 by Mohammed Abdallah - excerpt:

The Government has slammed the claims made by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, to the effect that the government had barred Relief Officials from entering Kalma IDPs camp.

Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mo'awia Osman Khalid, said, "No barring of Humanitarian workers from accessing the needy." And further stating that the government respects international agreements and commitments and works for integrating the roles of the international partners for accomplishing the humanitarian objectives set for Darfur.

The spokesman underlined the importance of respecting the sovereignty and integrity of the country, adding that the government is properly discharging its responsibilities towards its people.

The government stressed the importance of adherence to security controls, stipulated in the humanitarian agreements; on the part of UNAMID and relief workers own safety against all risks. [...]

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Darfur's tribes dance during a rally to support Darfur peace talk



Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir waves to Darfur's tribes during a rally to support the Darfur peace talk, in Khartoum 06 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Abdallah)



Photo: Members of Darfur's tribes perform a traditional dance during a rally to support the Darfur peace talk, in Khartoum 06 August 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Abdallah)
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UNAMID: Sudan govt's dealing with Kalma camp incident contradicts signed deal - Large regions of Kalma deserted

AN inter-agency mission carried out from 4 to 8 August and covering eleven villages near Nyala, South Darfur, western Sudan estimates that around 450 to 500 households have arrived there from Kalma IDP camp, South Darfur.

The United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) team recommended immediate humanitarian intervention to all eleven villages, even those where no Kalma refugees were found, due to dire conditions, especially in sanitation, health and education.

The head of UNAMID, Ibrahim Gambari, said that threatening and setting a date for handing over culprits of the Kalma camp incidents does not conform to signed deals between the mission and the Sudanese government.

At a press conference held in Khartoum at the beginning of this week, the Governor of South Darfur State, Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha, disclosed the government's intention to remove Kalma camp described as military base and political platform for Abdel Wahid Al-Nur.

There was an exchange of gunfire at Kalma camp, a U.N. spokesman said on Wednesday. "The situation in Kalma remains tense and insecure," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters. "There were reports of gunfire overnight." It was not clear who fired the shots, though there has been sporadic fighting between supporters of Darfur peace talks in Doha and those who oppose the talks.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations says that the Joint AU-UN Special Representative, Ibrahim Gambari, and the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator, George Charpentier, travelled with Government interlocutors to the Kalma camp on Wednesday, 11 August 2010 for meetings with senior authorities in Nyala. They discussed the need to find amicable and practical solutions to resolve the situation and ensure protection for all displaced people and civilians.

SOURCES: Five reports here below.

SUDAN: Thousands struggle to survive as Kalma aid cut off
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN)
Date: 12 Aug 2010 /via ReliefWeb - excerpt:

NAIROBI, 12 August 2010 (IRIN) - Humanitarian access to Kalma, the largest settlement for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan's Southern Darfur State remains cut off ten days after the government blocked UN agencies and the last five NGOs still operating in the camp from distributing food and medical aid to an estimated 82,000 IDPs. [...]

At a press conference held in Khartoum at the beginning of this week, the Governor of South Darfur State, Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha, disclosed the government's intention to remove Kalma camp described as military base and political platform for Abdel Wahid Al-Nur.

More gunfire at Darfur camp, aid workers barred: UN
Source: Reuters by Louis Charbonneau
Date: Thursday, 12 August 2010 at 14:17 GMT - excerpt:

UNITED NATIONS - There was an exchange of gunfire at a refugee camp in Sudan's western Darfur region that has been the focus of a tense standoff between international peacekeepers and Khartoum, a U.N. spokesman said on Wednesday.

Sudan has demanded that U.N.-African Union peacekeepers in Darfur (UNAMID) hand over six Darfuris accused by Khartoum of instigating clashes in South Darfur's Kalma Camp in late July that killed at least five people. UNAMID has refused to do so.

"The situation in Kalma remains tense and insecure," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters. "There were reports of gunfire overnight."

It was not clear who fired the shots, though there has been sporadic fighting between supporters of Darfur peace talks in Doha and those who oppose the talks.

UN - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010 /via ISRIA
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Excerpt:

The situation in Kalma in Darfur remains tense and insecure, according to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). There were reports of gunfire overnight. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations says that the Joint AU-UN Special Representative, Ibrahim Gambari, and the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator, George Charpentier, travelled with Government interlocutors to the Kalma camp today for meetings with senior authorities in Nyala. They discussed the need to find amicable and practical solutions to resolve the situation and ensure protection for all displaced people and civilians.

Darfur/UNAMID Daily Media Brief
Source: United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
El Fasher Darfur, western Sudan
Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010 /via APO Thursday, 12 August 2010:

Security situation update
The general security situation in and around Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in South Darfur is relatively calm, but remains unpredictable. UNAMID troops continue to patrol the area, 24 hours a day.

A UNAMID team which visited Kalma camp yesterday has reported that large regions of the settlement appeared deserted, the inhabitants having left for either the nearby UNAMID Community Policing Center, Nyala or one of the surrounding villages.

An inter-agency mission carried out from 4 to 8 August and covering eleven villages near Nyala estimates that around 450 to 500 households have arrived there from Kalma. The team recommended immediate humanitarian intervention to all eleven villages, even those where no Kalma refugees were found, due to dire conditions, especially in sanitation, health and education.

UNAMID patrols
UNAMID military forces conducted 102 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night and humanitarian escort patrols covering 93 villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID police advisors conducted 145 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

Government's dealing with Kalma Incident contradicts signed deal says UNAMID
Source: Miraya FM
Date: Wednesday, 11 August 2010 20:11
Last Updated Thursday, 12 August 2010 10:43

The head of the United Nations/African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Ibrahim Gambari, said that threatening and setting a date for handing over culprits of the Kalma camp incidents does not conform to signed deals between the mission and the Sudanese government.

In the same context, Mutrif Siddiq, the state minister of humanitarian affairs confirmed that the demands made by the government of southern Darfur are as follows, handing over of the perpetrators of the Kalma incidents, re-locating the camp, rehabilitate those who fled the camp to other areas.

- - -

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WFP, UNAMID initiative to deliver food in Darfur - Sudanese Gov't authorises UN led team to enter Kalma IDP camp

A UN-led humanitarian assessment team has received authorisation from the Sudanese Government to enter Kalma Camp, Nyala, South Darfur, W. Sudan.

WFP and UNAMID representatives met this morning in El Fasher, North Darfur, to finalise plans for the Mission to provide security escorts during the rainy season for WFP trucks transporting food to impoverished beneficiaries throughout Darfur.

Report from United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
Darfur / UNAMID Daily Media Brief - Wednesday, 04 August 2010
EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan/via APO Wednesday, 04 August 2010:

Security situation update
UNAMID continues to conduct regular patrols in Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in South Darfur.

While increased patrolling by UNAMID military and police has resulted in an improvement in the security situation, as of 1 August, no organizations have been allowed to deliver humanitarian aid.

WFP, UNAMID initiative to deliver food in Darfur
WFP and UNAMID representatives met this morning in El Fasher, North Darfur, to finalize plans for the Mission to provide security escorts during the rainy season for WFP trucks transporting food to impoverished beneficiaries throughout Darfur.

The WFP representatives voiced appreciation for the Mission’s continued support, which will also include helping to expedite the agency’s inter-state movements and escorting overnight WFP missions.

UNAMID patrols
UNAMID military forces conducted 88 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night and humanitarian escort patrols covering 76 villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID police advisors conducted 147 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

- - -

A UN-led humanitarian assessment team has received authorisation from the Sudanese Government to enter Kalma Camp, Nyala, South Darfur, W. Sudan

Report from UN News Centre - Tuesday, 03 August 2010 :
Efforts to ease tensions at Darfur camp continue, UN-African Union mission reports

03 August 2010 – A senior official with the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur is again visiting a camp for displaced persons in a bid to ease recent tensions there following deadly violence between supporters and opponents of the ongoing peace process.

It is the third visit in as many days to the massive Kalma camp in Nyala, South Darfur, for Mohammed Yonis, the Deputy Joint Special Representative at the mission, known as UNAMID.

Tensions in Kalma rose last week after the conclusion of the latest round of peace talks in Doha, Qatar, with some groups contending they were unrepresented. The camp was the scene of violent protests on Thursday in which hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) demonstrated. Tensions in Kalma rose last week after the conclusion of the latest round of peace talks in Doha, Qatar, with some groups contending they were unrepresented.

UNAMID said that a reconciliation committee has been mediating a peaceful settlement between the opposing sides.

Discussions are also continuing concerning six local leaders – five men and one woman – who sought protection at the mission’s community policing centre (CPC) outside the camp following last week’s protests.

Government officials in South Darfur state have demanded that the mission hand them over.

Christopher Cycmanick, a spokesperson for UNAMID, described the situation as “complicated” and said that the mission is continuing discussions to ensure that it handles the matter properly.

“We want to make sure that everything is fine if they are released to the Government,” he said in an interview with UN Radio.

“But technically, it’s a very fine line that we are walking because they have gone to ask for assistance or help and they have already been at the CPC for more than 48 hours,” he stated.

“Also, we are working in a sovereign country. We will at some point have to honour their request. We just want to make sure that things are handled properly.”

Meanwhile, the mission noted that a UN-led humanitarian assessment team has received authorization from the Sudanese Government to enter the Kalma camp, which is home to more than 100,000 IDPs.

Darfurian refugees in a camp near the northeastern Central African Republic town of Sam Ouandja

- - -

Report from Radio Miraya FM - Tuesday, 03 August 2010 11:10:
4 UNAMID peacekeepers die in car crash in Nyala

The United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said that four of its peacekeepers have died in a car accident in Nyala town, South Darfur State on Sunday. Speaking to Radio Miraya, the UNAMID Spokesman, Chris Charles, said that the accident occurred when the Sierra Leonean peacekeepers' vehicle which was on its way from the airport to Nyala town collided.

- - -

Report from UN News Centre - Monday, 02 August 2010:
Ban saddened by deaths of Darfur peacekeepers in road accident

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today he was saddened by the deaths of four Sierra Leonean peacekeepers serving in the joint United Nations-African Union mission in the Sudanese region of Darfur (UNAMID) who died in a road accident.

The accident happened yesterday in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state.

Mr. Ban conveyed his condolences to the Sierra Leonean Government and to the families of the four soldiers, and hoped for the full recovery of two other military personnel who were injured in the accident.

“The Secretary-General would like to take this opportunity to commend all of the men and women serving in UNAMID in military, police and civilian capacities, for their efforts to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and bring peace to Darfur,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said.

+ + +

Security update: High-level UNAMID visit to sheikhs of Kalma, S. Darfur - MSF suspends work in Gumuruk, Jonglei State, S. Sudan

ON July 30th, MSF (Doctors Without Borders) issued a statement (see below) confirming it had suspended its medical activities in Jonglei, southern Sudan due to robberies. MSF's work in other parts of the country remain open.

According to the statement, on July 1 an armed group entered MSF's Gumuruk clinic and stole boxes of the therapeutic ready-to-use food (RUTF) with which MSF treats severely malnourished children. Three days later, more RUTF was stolen along with medical equipment. Then, on July 27, four MSF staff members travelling by boat from Pibor to Gumuruk were violently robbed by armed men. Apart from a small Ministry of Health facility in Pibor town, MSF is the only primary health care provider in this part of Jonglei State, which is home to around 150,000 people, where villages are separated by large distances, and where roads are often impassable. Further details here below.

Note that the robbers seem desperate for food. I guess that if they are criminals, ie from the dreaded Ugandan terrorist group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), they would have no legitimate way of getting food and medicines. As noted here at Sudan Watch yesterday, on Thursday Sudan Radio Service (SRS) reported an LRA attack in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State. Here is a copy of the report, followed by a UNAMID briefing on the security situation at Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur, western Sudan and news headlines from around the web via The New York Times.

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service
LRA Attack Western Bahr el-Ghazal State

Thursday, 29 July 2010 - (Khartoum) – The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army, LRA attacked Yabulu village in Western Bahr el Ghazal state last week.

The acting governor of Western Bahr el-Ghazal State and state minister of legal affairs, John Peter Miskin spoke to SRS from Wau on Wednesday and confirmed the attack.

[John Peter Miskin]: “This is not the first time that the LRA attacked Western Bahr el-Ghazal and in particular Raja County. Such an attack has been repeated several times in this part of the state and what happened exactly was that on the 23rd of this July, the LRA sneaked into the state and threatened the people in that area and killed one civilian and abducted other four civilians.

Miskin said his government will beef-up security around Wau.

[John Peter Miskin]: “Inside Wau town the situation is normal but there are arrangements to deploy more troops towards western part of Wau town which will cover up to Raja this is the area that is under threat because it is the area that is repeatedly attacked by the LRA and they are scattered in this area. That area is considered a gateway for them because they move there en route south and northwards that is why there is a high security concern for that area.”

The LRA recent activities have been concentrated in Western Equatoria state.

- - -

Darfur/UNAMID Daily Media Brief - Sunday, 01 August 2010
From United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
EL FASHER (DARFUR), western Sudan - via APO Monday, 02 August 2010:

Security situation update
The situation in Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp is currently calm but remains tense and unpredictable. UNAMID forces continue to be on high alert.

Acting Mission Chief Yonis visits South Darfur, addresses tensions in Kalma IDP camp
UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) and acting Chief of Mission Mohammed Yonis today made a field visit to South Darfur, where he met with the State’s Wali (Governor) and leaders of the troubled Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, where conflicts over IDP participation in the Doha peace process negotiations recently turned violent, resulting in fatalities estimated, according to different sources, at between five and eight.

DJSR Yonis was accompanied by UNAMID senior officials as well as a Government military liaison officer. Upon arriving in Nyala, Mr. Yonis met with the Wali (Governor) of South Darfur, Dr. Abdul Hammid Musa Kasha, to discuss the security situation in Kalma camp. The Wali asked for a combined effort by UNAMID and the State Government to disarm people in the camp and called for a joint committee to be formed in this regard. Dr. Kasha also asked UNAMID to help deliver the bodies of those killed this weekend to their families, as the authorities could not enter the settlement.

The Wali also took the opportunity of this high-level UNAMID visit to raise a number of issues such as a request for assistance from the Mission in infrastructure projects, notably road construction.

Mr. Yonis thanked the Wali for his Government’s support to UNAMID and pledged the Mission’s collaboration in resolving the Kalma issue, with the cooperation of local authorities and the camp’s IDP leaders (sheikhs). “UNAMID is here to help and to support the Government of the Sudan and the people of Darfur in achieving sustainable peace in the region,” he said

The delegation then travelled to Kalma camp, on the outskirts of Nyala, to meet with the camp’s sheikhs and was appraised of the most recent developments. DJSR Yonis urged the sheikhs to spare no effort to avert further violence and pave the way to reconciliation. The sheikhs in turn asked for UNAMID’s help in providing urgently needed humanitarian aid, mainly food, water and medical supplies, to the thousands of IDPs who gathered around its local Community Policing Center (CPC) over the weekend seeking security.

There are currently several thousand people with their meager possessions surrounding the CPC. Many IDPs have also left for Nyala to escape the violence.

UNAMID patrols
UNAMID military forces conducted 71 patrols including routine, short-range, long-range, night and humanitarian escort patrols covering 56 villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID police advisors conducted 80 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

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Sudan: Security Incidents Force MSF to Suspend Activities in Gumuruk
Programs in Other Parts of the Country Remain Open

From MSF - JULY 30, 2010:

Following three separate security incidents in one of its remote health care clinics, international emergency medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been forced to suspend all activities in Gumuruk, Jonglei State.

MSF is calling on all armed groups, community members, and political parties in Southern Sudan to respect the neutrality of MSF medical staff, activities and facilities so that lifesaving aid can be delivered to people urgently in need.

“Attacks on our staff and clinics prevent us from providing essential medical aid,” said Rob Mulder, MSF head of mission in Southern Sudan. “These incidents are totally unacceptable as they stop us from accessing patients and put our staff at risk.”

MSF runs a primary health care center in the town of Pibor in Jonglei State, and from there runs two smaller outreach clinics in more remote areas, Lekwongole and Gumuruk, which are only accessible by plane or boat during the current rainy season.

On July 1, an armed group entered the Gumuruk clinic and stole boxes of the therapeutic ready-to-use food (RUTF) with which MSF treats severely malnourished children. Three days later, more RUTF was stolen along with medical equipment. Then, on July 27, four MSF staff members travelling by boat from Pibor to Gumuruk were violently robbed by armed men.

“Though we are fully committed to providing emergency medical aid to Gumuruk community, we have been left with no other choice than to suspend all medical activities in our outreach clinic,” added Mulder.

The Gumuruk outreach clinic provides basic medical care, including general consultations, treatment for malnutrition, ante-natal care, and vaccinations for a population of more than 30,000 people. Complex medical cases requiring hospitalization are referred to the larger MSF clinic in Pibor; serious cases in need of surgery are evacuated from there by MSF plane to hospitals in Boma, or in the capital, Juba.

“More than 160 malnourished children were receiving treatment in our Gumuruk clinic,” said Gbane Mahama, MSF medical coordinator for Southern Sudan. These children had received rations to last them for a week, but with the staff evacuated, there is no one to continue their treatment. “In addition,” Mahama adds, “there were up to 20 new cases of severely malnourished children each week. Unless access to this community improves, it is impossible to evacuate those who need hospitalization or surgery, including women with obstructed labor or children with cerebral malaria or severe anemia who need blood transfusions.”

Apart from a small Ministry of Health facility in Pibor town, MSF is the only primary health care provider in this part of Jonglei State, which is home to around 150,000 people, where villages are separated by large distances, and where roads are often impassable.

MSF has been working in Sudan since 1979 providing free-of-charge medical assistance to people suffering from the effects of poor access to health care, floods, droughts, disease outbreaks, armed conflict and nutritional emergencies. MSF runs clinics and hospitals across 10 Sudanese states, including Warrap, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, the transitional area of Abyei, Red Sea, Al-Gedaref and North Darfur. MSF is an independent and neutral emergency medical organization that serves all people based on impartial assessments of need, regardless of race, political, tribal or religious affiliation.

Southern Sudan: MSF forced to suspend life-saving work

MSF UK (press release) (blog) - ‎Jul 30, 2010‎

Following three separate security incidents in one of its remote healthcare clinics, international emergency medical aid organisation, Médecins Sans ...