Private armed guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late actor Richard Burton opened fire on Yemeni Coast Guard members after mistaking them for pirates, sparking a gunfight in the Gulf of Aden, authorities said. https://t.co/SlKTjQshob
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 28, 2023
Government Delegation to Addis for Joining AUHQ Meeting on SudanGunmen kill 2 peacekeepers in Sudan's south Darfur
The Associated Press - 13 hours agoFighting between rebels and Sudanese government forces began there in 2003, killing up to 300000 people and driving 2.7 million from their homes. ...Two Egyptian peacekeepers killed in Darfur - BBC News
AU and UN call for holistic approach to Sudan crises - Sudan Tribune
Two Egyptian peacekeepers killed in Darfur ambush - AFP
Press TV - Sudan Vision
all 194 news articles »
Government delegation chaired by the State Minister of Culture and Youth, Dr. Amin Hassan Omer headed yesterday to Addis Ababa for participating in the international two-day consultative meeting on Sudan's present and future political developments.Sudan: Unamid Receives U.S. Envoy Gration
The meeting was scheduled to convene yesterday at the African Union Headquarters in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa.
In a press statement on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Sudan Mission to Addis Ababa, Akoi Bona Malwal, reported that the Head of the AU Panel on Darfur, Thabo Mbeki would present there a comprehensive report on Darfur peace process, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement implementation progress, as well the arrangements for the self-determination referendum.
According to Malwal, participants in the meeting would include: AU, UN, EU, UNAMID Chief, Gambari, AU-UN Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassolé, Organization of Islamic Countries, and the Qatari mediator, Egypt, Libya, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are expected to join the meeting today.
Diplomatic sources informed that the Sudan official delegation to the meeting included the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mutrif Siddig and ruling party leading figure, Sayed Alkhatieb.
Analysts suggest that the high level of participation in the said meeting reflects the international community’s concern over the risks South Sudan’s secession might pose to the regional and global security.
A delegation led by US Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration today visited UNAMID's headquarters in El Fasher, North Darfur.AU and UN call for holistic approach to Sudan crises
Mr. Gration met with Deputy Joint Special Representatives Henry Anyidoho and Mohamed Yonis, Force Commander Patrick Nyamvumba, senior UNAMID officials, and UN Deputy Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sudan Toby Lanzer.
The US envoy shared his views on how to better integrate the efforts of the Government of the Sudan, UNAMID, aid agencies, and other stakeholders to secure peace and stability in the region. Among the issues discussed were programmes that promote reconciliation, recovery and development, as well as the challenges of their implementation.
Mr. Gration later met with representatives of various humanitarian organizations operating in Darfur, before departing for Solinga, a model village in North Darfur to which some Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have voluntarily settled.
The US envoy plans to travel to Addis Ababa on 9 May and participate in African Union meetings on Sudan to discuss the Darfur peace process and the implementation of the CPA.
May 7, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) - In a joint meeting held with United Nations in Addis Ababa, the African Union on Friday called for a holistic approach to be taken in dealing with the different crises in the SudanFurther reading
The African Union and the United Nations stressed "the necessity of reaching a political agreement before the referendum on independence (in southern Sudan) in January 2011", and for an "inclusive" political process in Darfur.
The meeting between the two organizations aimed to evaluate the strategies they should follow, "with a particular emphasis on the post-electoral context, the peace process in Darfur and the preparations for the referendum".
The former South African President, who is charged by the AU to identify the best way to bring justice in Darfur and to settle the political problems in the country, briefed the UN Security Council last December on the conclusions of a report he complied about the Sudan.
Thabo Mbeki, who sought the support of the UN, reiterated the root cause of the conflict in Darfur and Sudan being the "concentration of power and wealth in the hands of a Khartoum-centered elite and the consequent marginalization of the so-called periphery, including Darfur".
However, the UN Security Council pointed out the need to coordinate the efforts of the two organizations in a way to not obstruct the ongoing attempts or to interfere with the International Criminal Court jurisdiction. The AU wants to suspends the ICC referral and the UN Security Council supports it.
The statement also stressed "the need for greater support from the international community and close coordination among international actors". (ST)
The head of Sudan's delegation to the international consultative meetings on Sudan held in Ethiopia's Addis Ababa, Dr Amin Hassen Omer, conducted on Saturday a number of meetings with key officials including US envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, and Head of the African Union - United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNMAID), Djibril Bassole.Gration: 'crucial time for Sudan'
On Saturday, the African Union will hold deliberations on implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and current efforts at resolving the Darfur conflict, among other issues.
Participants include international envoys for Sudan as well as representatives from the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Arab League, Egypt and Qatar. The delegates aim to formulate strategies to coordinate regional efforts on issues pertaining to Sudan for the near future.
Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said it is a crucial time for the nation in a briefing Wednesday on his just-finished two-week trip to Chad, Sudan, Qatar and Rwanda.JSR Gambari meets AUHIP
With the south moving toward a 2011 referendum on secession following this month's elections held amidst widespread reports of irregularities, Gration has been pushing for a peace deal between senior officials in the national capitol of Khartoum, which represents the nation's mostly Muslim north, and those in Juba, the de facto capitol of the largely Christian and animist south.
"We must not let this opportunity to promote Sudan-wide political transformation, to improve the overall security, to facilitate a lasting peace pass us by," Gration said. "We will not rest until we've done everything we can to secure a brighter future for the next generation of Sudanese. Failure in this case is not an option, and we'll strive for success."
Gration said he spent much of the trip discussing Comprehensive Peace Agreement issues with the National Congressional Party.
State Department Spokesman Phillip Crowley said Thursday in a briefing that Gration is on his way to Khartoum to continue discussions with representatives of the government of Sudan.
"Tomorrow, he will travel to Addis Ababa to participate in African Union meetings on Sudan and discuss regional strategies and international coordination in support of CPA implementation and the Darfur peace process," Crowley said.
The Enough Project released a benchmark report card for Sudan this week that found national reform and humanitarian access had worsened across the board.
The group warned that "[n]o progress has been made on substantive national reforms critical to addressing some of the root causes of conflict in Sudan."
06 May 2010 - The African Union High Level Panel on Darfur, chaired by former President Thabo Mbeki, and a UNAMID team led by Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari met in Addis Ababa today to explore areas of mutual interest ahead of a United Nations/African Union meeting scheduled to take place soon.Consultative meetings on Sudan kick off in Addis Ababa without Sudanese delegation
Among the topics covered was the Sudan’s current political landscape following the recent elections and the possible implications for the implementation of the Mission’s mandate.
International envoys and representatives from the African Union, and United Nations convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, on Friday to begin consultative meetings on Sudan, without the participation of the Sudanese government.05 May 2010 - UNAMID urges all parties in Darfur to remain committed to the peace process
Sudan's Deputy Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Akoi Bona Malwal, said that the government has not received an official invitation to attend the high level meeting, but added that a delegation led by State Minister of Youth and Sports, Amin Hassan Omar, will be taking part in minor side meetings.
Malwal further said that he is aware that foreign ministers from neighbouring countries will be attending the meeting but could not disclose any other information, saying he does not know "what else is happening" even though the discussions are about Sudan.
The meeting is scheduled to discuss the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and ongoing efforts to resolve the Darfur conflict among other issues.
Special Envoys for Sudan from China, France, Russia, UK, and the US as well as representatives from the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) will attempt to coordinate regional efforts on issues pertaining to Sudan for the near future.
Meanwhile, Brussels-based International Crisis Group has said that if Southern Sudan secedes after the referendum in 2011, diplomatic support must be achieved will neighboring countries to ensure that the decision is respected in order to prevent a new civil war from ensuing.
The latest NGO report "Regional Perspectives on the Prospect of Southern Sudan Independence", calls on the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to harmonize efforts in support of the referendum, recognize its results and assist in the peaceful implementation of its outcome
Click and listen to Sudan's Deputy Ambassador to Addis Ababa, Akoi Bona Malwal.
UNAMID urges all parties in Darfur to remain committed to the peace processSudan: Activists From Across the Country Support Congressman Wolf's Call for a Change of Course on Sudan
El Fasher, 5 May 2010 - The Government of North Darfur has declared curfew in El Fasher town and its environs starting 23:00 hours (11:00pm) of Tuesday 4 May 2010, to 15:00 hours (3:00pm) of Wednesday 5 may 2010.
The curfew has been lifted on the scheduled time.
UNAMID reminds all parties that the Darfur crisis cannot be resolved through military means but can only come through negotiations.
The AU-UN Joint Special Representative, Mr. Ibrahim Gambari, urges all parties to remain committed to their engagement in the political process and implement the provisions of the Framework Agreements signed between JEM and the Government of Sudan.
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Communication and Public Information Division Media Contacts
Kemal Saïki, Director; saiki@un.org, tel.: +249 (0)92 244 3529 / mobile: +249 (0)92 241 0020
Noureddine Mezni, Spokesperson; mezni@un.org, mobile: +249 (0)91 253 8420/ +249 (0)91 217 4276
Chris Cycmanick, OiC, Media Relations; cycmanick@un.org, mobile: +249 (0)91 253 843
*****
Today Sudan activists and Sudanese expatriates from around the country commended Congressman Frank Wolf for his bold call to President Obama for a change of course in dealing with Sudan. Twenty-five regional groups representing 18 states have joined together in a show of bipartisan support for the policy recommendations outlined in Wolf's statement and his letter to President Obama.Note the following copy of an insightful comment by khalid.mustafa published at AllAfrica on Thursday, 06 May 12:18:25 2010 in reply to the above press release from Pax Communication:
In a press conference this morning on Capitol Hill, Wolf said it is time for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to re-take control of U.S. policy involving Sudan. Wolf also made a series of other recommendations, including calling on the administration to not recognize the outcome of the recent presidential elections in Sudan and to move forward with its stated aim of strengthening the capacity of the security sector in the South. In addition, he said priority must be given to ending the attacks in Darfur and completing restoration of humanitarian aid in region. (Full text of Wolf's statements and letter here.) [ http://wolf.house.gov ]
"On behalf of the many Americans who are concerned about the Obama Administration's weak implementation of its stated Sudan policy, I commend Congressman Wolf for his leadership on Sudan and his bold call today for a change of course," stated Eric Cohen, Chairperson of the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur. "It is far past time for the Administration to implement the policy that was announced five months ago which stated that benchmarks would be applied to Sudan based on verifiable changes in conditions on the ground with disincentives applied for backsliding or lack of progress. We strongly agree that Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice should directly oversee the implementation of that policy."
The anti-genocide organizations and Sudanese diaspora organizations supporting Congressman Wolf's request of the President include: Americans Against the Darfur Genocide, Washington, DC; Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur, Bloomfield, CT; The Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, Boston, MA; The San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition, San Francisco, CA; Idaho Darfur Coalition, Boise, ID; New York City Coalition for Darfur, New York, NY; The Essex County Coalition for Darfur, Montclair, NJ; Save Darfur Washington State, Seattle, Washington; Georgia Coalition to Prevent Genocide, Atlanta, GA; Jewish World Watch, Los Angeles, CA; i-ACT, Los Angeles, CA; Investors Against Genocide, Boston, MA; STAND, University of Maryland's chapter, College Park, MD; Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, Washington DC; Stop Genocide Now, Los Angeles, CA; Operation Broken Silence from Memphis, TN; "Change the world. It just takes cents," Denver, CO; Genocide No More--Save Darfur of Redding, CA; Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI, Portsmouth, RI; Darfur and Beyond, Phoenix, AZ; Miami Help Darfur Now, Miami, FL; Kentuckiana Interfaith Taskforce On Darfur, Louisville, KY; Never Again Coalition, Portland, OR; Champion Darfur, Las Vegas, NV; and the Equatoria Sudanese Community Association in the USA.
Copyright © 2010 Pax Communication. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
"Save Darfur Coalition has not helped Darfur's people; but has spent money on activities to disrupt Sudanese -American relations. These ideological activists have already forced Dr Andrew Natsios to end his role as envoy for president Bush. They try to repeat the campaign with Gn Gration. Natsios now calls for engagement with Sudan . The call to divest from Sudan was started by Netanyahu at the AIPAC conference in 07. It has nothing to do with US interests . The attemot to forge a neo-con policy again (as if G. Bush has not lost the elections!) would poison relations with the whole Muslim world. This runs counter to president Obama's Cairo speech."POSTSCRIPT
The circumstances surrounding the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Ehab Nazih, a Military Staff Officer from Egypt, are still under investigation, according to UNMIS, which confirmed that late Friday, three armed men, wearing civilian clothes, broke into the private house he shared with seven other UNMIS staff.Note, Sudan Watch report dated 24 March 2009 re report from Sudan Watch archives March 2006: Al Qaeda terrorists are already entrenched in Sudan, U.N. Envoy Jan Pronk warns
After taking money and valuables from the other occupants of the house, the armed men moved to the victim's room and demanded money from Lt. Colonel Nazih, who gave them all the money he had and was then shot.
He was rushed to the a Hospital run by the African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS), where he was pronounced dead, UNMIS said, offering thanks to "the AMIS staff and medical personnel who did all they could to save the life of their UNMIS colleague." + + +
"... Since March, however, eyewitness reports, some corroborated by photographic evidence, have placed the tanks elsewhere. At the same time, extensive construction has been ongoing at a military compound of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.Also, note Mr Bridgland states that South Sudan is stockpiling weapons in case civil war reignites. How does he know, I wonder. Considering he is a veteran reporter, I find his irresponsible reporting disgraceful. More on him at the end of this blog post.
Jane's began an extensive satellite imagery canvass of the area in March, aiming to trace the movement of T-72s from Mombasa towards South Sudan. While the analysis does not conclude that the tanks aboard the Faina were in transit towards their ostensible rightful owners, it does show a pattern of tanks making their way north.
SUDAN: Tanks traced via satellite imagery to region stockpiling weapons in case civil war reignites
From Fred Bridgland in Johannesburg
THE MYSTERY of what happened to 33 Russian-made T-72 combat tanks discovered by Somali pirates aboard a Ukrainian ship they hijacked ten months ago has been solved.Note that Fred Bridgland saw fit not to name the US intelligence website from which he lifted information for his article. I wonder why hacks are so stingy with giving credit and links to other people's websites and writings. Maybe they think readers are stupid. Some of us can spot their sticky fingers. It has taken me years to understand how news reports on Sudan originate enabling me to notice widespread plagiarism by professional reporters. Here's another thing, who is he to say 'South Sudan is certain to vote for independence from Sudan' without prefacing the line with words such as 'in my view'? More on his dangerous writings in a postscript below.
The tanks, with enormous fire-power and each weighing 41 tonnes, have begun arriving - in breach of a peace agreement - in the semi-autonomous province of South Sudan, according to Jane's, the world's leading military intelligence publisher.
The T-72s aboard the MV Faina were one of three clandestine tank and heavy weapons deliveries to South Sudan accidentally revealed to the world by the pirates. The tanks were being sent to South Sudan in preparation for a new war in case Sudan's 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) - brokered by Norway, Britain and the US - collapsed.
Fortunately, the 110-year-old Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague last week reached a decision on the disputed Abyei region which has probably saved the CPA and has paved the way to a referendum on South Sudan's secession and independence from Sudan in 18 months' time.
South Sudan is certain to vote for independence from Sudan, Africa's biggest state, setting a precedent in Africa, whose organisations have previously maintained that the continent's post-colonial boundaries are inviolate.
The oil-rich and well-watered Abyei region straddles the border between South Sudan and the powerful north, with its capital in Khartoum, and was claimed by both sides. North-South fighting there last year left more than 100 dead and the main town, Abyei, reduced to ashes. It also threatened to trigger again the country's 22-year civil war which was ended by the CPA. It is estimated more than two million people died in the conflict, with four million becoming refugees.
The five-judge Permanent Court of Arbitration redrew Abyei's borders and the compromise has been accepted by both the Sudan government in Khartoum and the semi-autonomous South Sudan administration in Juba.
In a story worthy of John Le Carré, Jane's, citing satellite and intelligence evidence, traced the circuitous journey of the tanks and other weapons aboard the MV Faina from 25 September last year, the day Somali buccaneers hoisted themselves aboard the ship and the 17-member crew surrendered. The Faina's captain, Vladimir Kolobkov, died of a heart attack soon after the hijack and his captors put his body in the ship's freezer for later return to his family.
Once aboard, the pirates discovered that, in addition to the T-72s, there were also six anti-aircraft guns, 150 grenade launchers and thousands of tonnes of small arms and ammunition.
The pirates demanded a ransom of US$20 million for the release of the Faina, its crew and cargo, triggering more than three months of negotiations. Finally, with the Faina surrounded by the United States' 5th Fleet and the pirates threatening to blow up the ship unless their demands were met, they settled for $3.2m, paid in dollar bills which were parachuted on to the Faina's deck from a light aircraft.
The question was: where would the Faina head next? Its original destination was the Kenyan port of Mombasa. The Kenyan government claimed the Russian tanks were intended for its army, even though its small armed forces were entirely equipped with British and American weaponry.
However, Edward Mwangura, head of the Mombasa-based non-profit East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, which works to free ships held by Somali sea raiders, said he was convinced the tanks were intended for South Sudan. Among his evidence, he said, was the Kenyan government's inability to produce certificates proving ownership of the weaponry.
Mwangura was arrested by Kenyan security forces and charged with "making alarming statements to foreign media touching on the security of the country".
But Jane's last week confirmed the accuracy of Mwangura's allegation. The popular Seafarers' Assistance chairman, subsequently released from detention, is to be the subject of a Hollywood film with Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L Jackson as Mwangura.
Jane's said that once the ransom had been paid the tanks were unloaded in Mombasa and taken to Kahawa army base outside Nairobi.
It said satellite imagery surveillance from March onwards showed "a pattern of tanks making their way north" from Nairobi to the South Sudan border.
Again via satellite imagery, Jane's identified the final destination of the tanks as a compound northeast of Juba controlled by the military wing of the South Sudan Army.
Quoting intelligence reports, Jane's said there had been at least three ship deliveries of tanks, totalling more than T-72s, via Mombasa for South Sudan, the first of which had been in November 2007.
The defence publisher concluded: "South Sudan is assembling an armour fleet, preparing for any eventuality in its enduring dispute with Khartoum."
While other mysteries surrounding the incident remain, it has been established that the owner of the Faina - which has had at least three previous names and is registered in Belize - is a Ukraine-based Israeli named Vadim Alperin.
He has links to Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency, and Mossad front companies in Kenya.
A photograph newly published on a US intelligence website shows Alperin meeting the Faina on arrival in Mombasa in February with the chief of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service, Mykola Malomuzh, by his side.
Death In AfricaClick on Faina label here below to view related reports and updates.
How a Revolutionary Leader Plotted to Kill His Deputy and His Family
By Fred Bridgland
EXCLUSIVE - A 50-Page e-book. Fred Bridgland, then a young Reuters correspondent, won his 15 minutes of fame in 1975 when he exclusively revealed the secret South African military invasion of Angola, backed by the CIA, MI6, the French Secret Service and Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda. Bridgland subsequently wrote a highly controversial biography of Jonas Savimbi, leader of an Angolan liberation movement and a friend of Che Guevara. Savimbi’s brilliant young deputy, Tito Chingunji, helped Bridgland research the book and became his closest African friend. But, after the book was published, Savimbi executed Chingunji, his wife and children, parents and his entire extended family. He also threatened Bridgland with death. ColdType’s 50-page essay is a treatment Bridgland has completed as a proposal for new book on his friend Chingunji’s murder and telling the true story of the madness that gripped Savimbi and his guerrilla movement.
In September 2008 a Ukrainian-owned ship sailing towards the Kenyan port at Mombasa was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. The vessel, the MV Faina, captured public attention for its cargo: 33 T-72 main battle tanks (MBTs), weapons and ammunition and documents that identified the recipient as the government of South Sudan.Hat tip: Rob Crilly, 18 July 2009 -- The Tanks That Won't Go Away
Officials confirmed to Jane's that the Faina cargo was the last of three shipments of weapons bound for the south. Published reports highlighted a previous shipment from Ukraine, which moved north in February 2008, comprising T-72s and assorted artillery, as well as a first shipment that had arrived in Mombasa in November 2007. In total, military and diplomatic sources confirmed to Jane's, 100 MBTs were ordered by South Sudan.
A 2005 agreement was meant to bring peace to the fractured nation; the reality, however, is a country still riven and fractured.
A ransom was paid to liberate the Faina in February and it arrived at Mombasa. The tanks were offloaded and transported to Kahawa barracks outside Nairobi, where they were to remain in the possession of the Kenyan military. Since March, however, eyewitness reports, some corroborated by photographic evidence, have placed the tanks elsewhere. At the same time, extensive construction has been ongoing at a military compound of the Sudan People's Liberation Army.
Jane's began an extensive satellite imagery canvass of the area in March, aiming to trace the movement of T-72s from Mombasa towards South Sudan. While the analysis does not conclude that the tanks aboard the Faina were in transit towards their ostensible rightful owners, it does show a pattern of tanks making their way north.
A first image captured by DigitalGlobe in March 2009 showed 33 tanks parked at Kahawa Barracks northeast of Nairobi (Source: Jane's - Image copyright DigitalGlobe Inc)
Two Yemeni fishermen were killed and one was injured while the fate of a fourth one is still unknown after their boat came under an aggressive assault by one of the international naval ships patrolling the Red Sea near Sudan on Tuesday.Hat tip: Armies of Liberation - Yemeni Fishing Ship Blows Up in Sudanese Waters
A source at the Coast Guard said Abdu Marwani and Muhammad Naj'e were killed immediately after their boat was totally destroyed by a missile which some suspect was an air strike.
Sources at Yemen's navy said it probably came from sea.
While the third fisherman made it to Sudanese coast and is now in critical condition.
The fishermen came from the Midy area, Hajjah before their boat was hit near Sudan's waters.
A coordinated investigation by Yemen and Sudan is underway to explore reasons for the attack.
Meanwhile, director of the Midy district Abdul Majeed Al-Himyari dismissed reports a Yemeni boat was attacked in Yemen's territorial waters, saying the incident took place while the boat was in Sudan's territorial waters.
He told the media the survivor is being investigated by Sudan.
Tuesday's attack comes in a series of attacks against Yemeni fishing boats by international forces patrolling the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Early this year, two Yemeni sailors were killed as their boats came under separate attacks by international troops in the Indian Ocean. Few others were hurt, with troops saying they suspected the boats were for pirates and then hit them.
And this month, the Interior Ministry said a Yemeni boat was provoked, with NATO's mission in the region intimidating its crew.
The area where the boat was hit on Tuesday is witnessing large fuel smuggling, with eyewitnesses affirming boats smuggle diesel to African Horn States daily.
Source: Yemen Post Newspaper.
Two Yemeni fishermen were killed and another was seriously injured on Wednesday off Hodeida coasts as an explosion targeted their boat.
"The incident was occurred as a result of a maritime mine, according to early estimates" official sources told Sahwa Net.
"Abdu Ibrahim and Ahmed Ibrahim were killed, while Saeed Yousuf was seriously injured".
Military sources referred to the prospect of mine remains planted in the area by Eritrea as it attempted to occupy Honaish Island in the late 1990s.
A Kenyan pirate negotiator has told of his surprise that he is set to be the subject of a Hollywood film, but reckons he may be too busy to see it.
Andrew Mwangura heads the non-profit East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, which works to free ships held by Somali sea raiders.
Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L Jackson reportedly plans to star as the 47-year-old maritime consultant.
Somalia's pirate-plagued coast is the world's most perilous for shipping.
Variety magazine, often described as Hollywood's industry bible, reported last week Mr Jackson's Uppity Films and Andras Hamori's H20 Motion Pictures had secured the life rights to Mr Mwangura's story.
'Benefit of mankind'
Last year, Mr Hamori flew to Mombasa, Kenya, near where Mr Mwangura is based, to thrash out the deal with the former marine engineer.
How to pay a pirate's ransom?
Mr Hamori told Variety last week: "[Andrew] has the trust of the pirates and the ship owners, and his loyalty is to the kidnapped crews that get caught in the middle of these episodes."
Mr Mwangura, who receives no payment for his negotiating work, spoke to the BBC's Network Africa programme of his surprise at the Hollywood producer's visit.
"I told him: 'Why me? And why you flying all the way from America to Europe just to see me and then for only one day, then fly back?'" he said.
"They say it's because you're a hero, that's what they say. And I told them I'm not a hero... because what I'm doing, I'm doing for the benefit of mankind."
Mr Mwangura indicated he would probably have little time to visit the cinema when the film about his adventures hits the big screen.
"I have no time to enjoy life. I have no time for social activities," he said.
"I have no time to listen to music, most of the time I use reading and writing and travelling."
Samuel L Jackson is currently shooting Iron Man 2 and then will star with Michael Sheen in Unthinkable.
Earlier this year, Mr Mwangura helped secured the release of a Ukrainian ship, MV Faina, which was carrying Russian-made tanks and weapons.
A ransom of $3.2m (£2m) was paid after months of painstaking negotiations, although the pirates had initially demanded more than tenfold that amount.
He was arrested at the time of the hijacking for suggesting the arms on board were bound for South Sudan, something the Kenyan government denied.
The Israeli-owner of a Ukrainian-flagged arms-loaded ship held by Somali pirates pays 3.2 million dollars in return for the vessel's release.Last year, I followed this story closely and published several reports on the hijacking of MV Faina but this is the first time I've seen it said that MV Faina was Israeli owned and that its cargo was expected to reach rebels in Darfur. Rumours were that the cargo was destined for Southern Sudan. Interesting. Can it be true that JEM has received considerably heavy military logistical support from Israel? The world's media covered the MV Faina story and (unless I've missed something) nobody mentioned that the vessel was Israeli owned. After five years of the world's spotlight being put on Darfur, we still don't know what is going on in the secret world of the Darfur rebel leaders and their shadowy financiers. I wonder why.
The MV Faina and its crew-- 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and one Latvian national-were captured on September 25 in the notorious Somali waters.
The vessel was carrying with a cargo of 33 Soviet-type battle tanks, rocket launchers and ammunition, allegedly expected to reach rebels in the Sudanese violent Darfur region.
On Tuesday, a plane from South Africa carrying $ 3.2 million dropped the demanded ransom onto the Faina upon an agreement between the pirates and the ship's owner, Press TV correspondent reported.
The pirates said they will release the ship in a few hours, as soon as they count the sum and confirm there are no warships to hunt them.
The news comes after the Israeli owner of the vessel had earlier refused to hold talks with the bandits, who had repeatedly threatened the lives of the crew members unless they were paid a multi-million ransom.
The capture of the arms-laden ship four months ago triggered a controversy over the cargo's final destination.
The pirates' spokesman Sugule Ali said in October that the ship was originally destined for Sudan using the Kenyan port city of Mombasa as a stopover.
Sudan's state media also revealed the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Darfur's most powerful rebel group, has received considerably heavy military logistical support from Israel. MRS/DT
Somali pirates who have been holding a Ukrainian ship with military weapons on board have announced their intention to immediately release the ship along with its 20 crew members.Click on Faina label here below to view related reports and updates.
Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) said the pirates may very soon release the MV Faina which was captured in September with its 20-man crew and a cargo of Soviet-era T-72 tanks.
"We have heard that the pirates are willing to release the ship.This may be possible because the pirates are in direct contacts with the ship owners," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone on Tuesday.
The development came after Ukraine's foreign ministry urged theowner of the Faina vessel to publicly report on progress made in the talks to free the crew.
The Ukrainian ministry said the ship owner is in talks with the pirates and is informed of the details of the negotiations.
The MV Faina is currently moored off Somalia's coast close to the town of Hobyo. There have been conflicting reports of where the Faina and its cargo were destined.
Kenya has insisted that the shipment was destined for its military. But regional diplomats said it was bound for the autonomous government of south Sudan, in possible contravention ofa peace accord.
The waters off the Somali coast are considered to be some of the world's most dangerous. Pirates have hijacked several ships last year and attacked many more.
Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and north Somalia, a major route leading to the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia.
"If there is no negotiation, let us say then there is war," Gen Nkunda told reporters. "I know that (the government) has no capacity to fight, so they have only one choice - negotiations," he said.What a nerve! I say, the where, when, and with whom they are going to do these talks should be at:
"We asked for a response as to where, when, and with whom we are going to do these talks. For us, we propose Nairobi and for the mediator we proposed chief Obasanjo," Mr Nkunda said.
Rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda has threatened war unless the government of DR Congo holds a new round of talks.
He was speaking after a meeting with UN envoy Olusegun Obasanjo in the rebel-held eastern town of Jomba.
Troops loyal to Gen Nkunda have been battling government forces in North Kivu province since August, forcing 250,000 people to flee their homes.
Two weeks ago Mr Obasanjo negotiated a ceasefire, but renewed fighting has since broken out.
"If there is no negotiation, let us say then there is war," Gen Nkunda told reporters.
"I know that (the government) has no capacity to fight, so they have only one choice - negotiations," he said.
"We asked for a response as to where, when, and with whom we are going to do these talks. For us, we propose Nairobi and for the mediator we proposed chief Obasanjo," Mr Nkunda said.
Government ministers this week rebuffed the possibility of direct negotiations with the rebel leader, calling for him to return to an earlier peace pact signed in January.
Emerging from his one-hour meeting, Mr Obasanjo avoided questions but said: "We have advanced the course of peace."
Mr Obasanjo - Nigeria's former president - is on his second visit to the region in two weeks.
He has been trying to broker direct talks between Gen Nkunda and Congolese President Joseph Kabila, but so far these have not taken place.
The UN envoy is travelling with former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who is representing the African Union.
"I'm going to listen to him," Mr Mkapa said ahead of the meeting with Gen Nkunda.
"I want to know how he thinks we can get the restoration of peace, stability and unity in this country."
Truce violated
A ceasefire declared by Gen Nkunda has halted battles with government troops and brought nearly two weeks of relative calm.
But his men have continued attacking Congolese and Rwandan militia allies of the government, sending thousands of refugees fleeing east into Uganda.
Gen Nkunda says the ceasefire does not apply to operations against foreign militia.
On Thursday, the rebels took the border town of Ishasha, about 120km (75 miles) north of regional capital Goma.
His Tutsi-dominated forces say they are attacking Rwandan Hutu fighters, some of whom are accused of taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered.
On Friday, the UN began an operation to relocate people from camps near the front line.
Some 65,000 people displaced by fighting have been living only a few hundred metres from fighting positions in Kibati, near Goma.
The UN is trying to transfer people to safer locations west of Goma.
November 19, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The State Department issued yesterday a warning against travel to Somalia and Eritrea, following attacks in Somalia’s Puntland and Somaliland regions, and after the Eritrean government interfered with the delivery of U.S. diplomatic pouches.
"Kidnapping, murder, illegal roadblocks, banditry, and other violent incidents and threats to U.S. citizens and other foreigners can occur in many regions" in Somalia, the State Department said in a statement.
Five suicide car bombs ripped through key targets Oct. 29 in northern Somalia, including U.N. offices and a presidential palace, killing 19 people and the five bombers.
Noting that the U.S. has no diplomatic presence in the country, the statement said "U.S. citizens also are urged to use extreme caution when sailing near the coast of Somalia." A number of attacks and seizures by pirates have occurred in the waters off the Horn of Africa, "highlighting the continuing danger of maritime travel near the Horn of Africa," the State Department said.
In addition to unrest between rival political factions and clans in Somalia, the statement issued Saturday mentioned violent attacks in Mogadishu, border disputes in Somaliland, as well as kidnappings and attacks against international relief workers.
The State Department also warned against travel to Eritrea, noting that "since September 13, the government of Eritrea has repeatedly, and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, interfered with the unfettered delivery of the U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic pouches."
"Until this matter is resolved, the consular section of the U.S. Embassy has no choice but to suspend all non-emergency services." The U.S. Embassy in Asmara has been unable to receive "critical" materials and supplies such as U.S. passports, the statement said.
The State Department also noted heightened tensions along the country’s borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti and escalating tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.
The owner of the Ukrainian ship Faina and an intermediary are doing their best to agree with Somali pirates on the release of the ship and the crew, the ship owner said on Friday.- - -
NATO warships have encircled the Faina. The alliance command said it would not permit to bring the weaponry from the ship to the shore, where Islamic armed units were fighting against the Somali government.
The destination of the weaponry is still in question. Kenya said it had purchased the tanks and other armaments but refused to pay the ransom because the delivery had been incomplete. The Kenyan government said that the owners of the weaponry and the ship must hold negotiations with the assailants. There is also information that the weapons were routed to South Sudan.
Ukrainian First Vice-Premier Alexander Turchinov told a press conference on October 3 that the military hardware carried by the Faina ship had been officially sold to Kenya.
The Department of Defence (DoD) spokesman Bogita Ongeri told the Saturday Nation that because the ship was in international waters, the Kenyan navy was not obliged to rescue it.- - -
“In such an incident where the ship is in international waters, Kenya can only collaborate with other countries who have interests in the area. We are fully involved in the anti-piracy operations in conjunction with other concerned countries but can only act within the law,” Mr Ongeri said.
However, analysts say that if the weapons aboard the MV Faina fell into the hands of insurgents, it could tip the balance of power in the war-wrecked country - and create havoc at the Kenya-Somalia border.
International editor Lindsey Hilsum is currently assigned as China correspondent and head of our Beijing bureau. She has covered China's environmental crisis, its relations with North Korea, and the Chinese gene therapy industry.- - -
She is also our international editor. She won the 2005 Royal Television Society Journalist of the Year Award for her reporting from Fallujah and Beslan, amongst other stories.
She reported the 2003 war in Iraq from Baghdad for 10 weeks, and has returned to Iraq several times.
During the NATO Kosovo campaign she was in Belgrade; she has also spent extended periods in Zimbabwe and the Middle East.
She won the 2003 Royal Television Society Specialist Journalist of the Year award for her reports from the Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin, and has twice won awards from Amnesty, including one for her coverage of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.
Previously she reported for the BBC, the Guardian and other newspapers from Africa and Latin America, where she was an aid worker for OXFAM and UNICEF.
She is a regular contributor to the New Statesman, the Observer and Granta.
He stands accused of committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against African tribes in Darfur: yet the president of Sudan has told this programme he never ordered any killings or mass rapes.Click here to watch the report.
Speaking to Channel 4 News in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, Omar al-Bashir claimed that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, who applied for an arrest warrant for the president three months ago, had fabricated his evidence.
Sudan's president and commander-in-chief, Omar al-Bashir, has exclusively told Channel 4 News that all the allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes that have been made against him "are not correct" that "everything is fabricated and made up". He says that "no-one has more compassion for their people than we do in Sudan".
Denying mass rape and claiming that it "does not exist", Mr Bashir says that he will stand for re-election next year with the Sudanese people as "referee".
"The referee is the Sudanese people," he said. "They should decide if we are really criminals, or if we are leaders of the people who should govern them in the future."
Mr al-Bashir also said: "I issue a challenge: if I get less than 50 per cent of the people's votes in Darfur then truly I don't deserve to lead the country."
Yet the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says President al-Bashir ordered his forces, both soldiers and militia known as Janjaweed, to murder and rape. A 112-page application has been compiled to indict him, which would make him the first serving head of state indicted by the International Criminal Court.
But Mr al-Bashir is resolute that these allegations are untrue and that "even in Darfur, you can say most of it is safe. There are no problems and life is very normal."
Mr al-Bashir is clear that "sources used by the ICC prosecutor are all hostile" telling the programme: "These allegations are not correct. Everything is fabricated and made up. Anything saying that we ordered killing people is untrue. The sources used by the ICC prosecutor are all hostile; they are from the rebels who revolted against the state."
On the allegations of mass rape, Mr al-Bashir says "mass rape does not exist" and that "the Darfurian society does not have rape."
"These are all false allegations," he said. "It's not in the culture of the Darfurians. The Darfurian society does not have rape. It's not in the tradition."
He added "The women inside the camps are under the influence of the rebels and some are even relatives of the rebels. That's why they make these claims."
Mr al-Bashir continued: "We are fully convinced that no rape took place. It might have happened at an individual level, but this is a normal crime that can happen in any country in the world. Mass rape does not exist."
The blog of the reporter who describes what it felt like to interview Omar Al-Bashir. Link to the TV interview posted below
It was strangely nothing-y... I felt that I should have felt more, if you know what I mean, but he was such a blank space there was nothing to be felt. V weird.
Here's the blog:
Best wishes,
Lindsey
