AU report says Sudan's Darfur force should be 7,000 by August

In Darfur at the moment there are some 2,200 African Union soldiers. At least 3,000 were promised several months ago, but no clear explanation has been given for the hold up. AU officials went on the record last year saying money was not a problem. They merely cited "accommodation" problems and mentioned the delay was due to American contractors. It is unclear if they meant "shelter" issues or access problems, i.e. Khartoum up to its usual tricks and delaying tactics.

Years ago, the British Army, even with the most primitive of equipment could mobilise and set up tents and hospitals in the middle of a desert, along with accommodation for thousands of soldiers, within a matter of 24 hours. The European Union alone has committed a few hundred million dollars for African Union troops. Why politicians are not providing an explanation for the delay in deploying a further 1,000 African Union troops is beyond me.

An AFP report April 5 mentions the UK is giving the AU technical and logistical support to get the available troops effectively deployed. By the end of May, the AU plans to have boosted the number of soldiers in Darfur to 3,200 but still no reason has been reported for the delay.

AFP also says an AU report has called on the 53-member bloc to double the size of its military force in Darfur over the next four months. The AU report, compiled by officials from the AU, European Union and the UN who toured Darfur last month, recommends that the AU mission be expanded to 6,000 troops by August, sources said.

"It proposes that from June to August, the AU mission be doubled to 6,000 soldiers and some 1,000 police officers," an AU diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The AU report, the findings of which must still be approved by the AU's Peace and Security Council, must authorize such an expansion, and also says the pan-African body should decide in September whether to increase the mission even further to 12,000 troops, a diplomat said.

Early last month, UN Humanitarian Affairs Secretary General Jan Egeland called for an urgent troop reinforcement to curb the rising number of refugees fleeing violence from the area.

Egeland said a 10,000-strong force was needed to ease security risks that he said could lead to the number of refugees rising to between three and four million.


Photo: General Festus Okonkwo, African Union commander in Darfur. (Reuters).
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Pan-African Parliament wants AU soldiers to protect civilians in Darfur

An AFP report April 5 says the Pan-African Parliament Tuesday urged the African Union to extend the mandate of its soldiers to include the protection of civilians in Darfur, a spokesman said.


Photo: A Rwandan soldier operating under the African Union mandate plays with children outside the AU base in Kab Kabiya, north west of El-Fasher, Sudan. (AFP)

"The mandate of the protectors in the ceasefire commission must be enhanced to go beyond protection of military observers," said PAP spokesman Khuitse Diseko.

This plea forms part of the recommendations of a PAP report on a fact-finding mission presented before the parliament at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Johannesburg. The report said the mandate of the AU soldiers should include the protection of the population in the Darfur region.

"All the necessary institutions and resources should be mobilised to ensure that ceasefire agreements are observed," said Diseko.

"The PAP delegates appealed for ceasefire agreements to be observed, as there was still a low scale war going on in the region," said Diseko.

"This problem is not only depressing but continues to hold us back as a continent geared on making the 21st century an African century. We want to build roads and telecommunication lines to develop Africa," said Diseko.

PAP sent its fact-finding mission to Sudan last November with a mandate to examine what was happening on the ground in Darfur. The PAP recommendations follow an internal AU report calling on the 53-member bloc to double the size of its military force in Darfur over the next four months.

The AU has some 2,200 troops in Darfur protecting AU observers monitoring a shaky ceasefire between Khartoum, its proxy militia and two rebel groups who have been fighting the government for two years. By the end of May, the AU plans to have boosted that number to 3,200 soldiers.

Established in March by the African Union, the PAP has no powers to pass laws and has no budget for this year although the 265-seat assembly plans to evolve into a law-making body around 2009.
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African Union unable to fund Darfur peace?

In an interview published April 3 at All Africa, a Sudanese official says the African Union do not have enough money to provide adequate security in Darfur.

it is interesting to read in the interview that a Sudanese official says "we are to build a new Sudan on democracy and political stability and good governance". But it is disappointing to see [yet another] Sudanese official being dismissive of the world's efforts to provide humanitarian aid and help to end the suffering and bring stability and prosperity to Sudan. It's no wonder many people around the world have no appetite for African news reports. The attitudes of Sudanese officials - and most other African officials - stink. You have to feel sorry for aid workers, Western diplomats and others that have to be respecful, friendly and polite to these people.

Note in the interview, when asked "What is the Sudanese government opinion on the deployment of AU peacekeepers from Rwanda and Nigeria?", the reply came back as: "We thank these countries for sharing with us our problems. They did a lot; the African Union did a lot. But they (AU) need assistance especially the financial assistance. The AU has limited resources to address all the necessary needs of these troops. So, the international community, which already has its own interests in Sudan, can assist the African Union to control and to observe the situation in Darfur." It goes to show, they are capable of showing appreciation.

But they are two faced and speak with forked tongue. African Union officials have made clear in the press that it is not short of funds. They've said the reason for the slow troop deployment is because of "accommodation" problems for the soldiers in Darfur. The European Union alone has committed a few hundred million US dollars. It could be that the AU are deploying their troops to hotspots elsewhere within Africa which would mean they (conveniently) do not have enough left for Darfur. Khartoum always rails against more "foreign" troops entering Sudan and does everything to thwart AU soldiers in Darfur. Khartoum speaks approvingly of African Union troops because the soldiers are hamstrung without a full mandate to protect. Note Khartoum gives no credit to the Europeans and Americans for funding the AU and helping to make it a reality.

A few decades ago, Pope John Paul II visited the Sudan. I wonder what he thought about the regime in Khartoum when he read about the catstrophe in Darfur. My hopes are that the new Pope will be from Nigeria. There has been three African Popes before, but that was a long time ago. Millions of people across Africa loved John Paul II. See what some have to say at the BBC's What is the Pope's legacy to Africa?
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Sudan 'too risky' for Japan

April 6 South Africa news report excerpt:

"Japan has decided Sudan is too risky for it to contribute to UN peacekeeping troops, ruling against a mission that would have marked a new breakthrough for the officially pacifist country, reports said on Wednesday.

Japan, which sent a team to Sudan last month to study a possible deployment, decided that security in the vast African country was uncertain and that Japan would be stretched thin in light of its mission in Iraq, Kyodo News said."

Darfur: U.N. Sudan Situation Report 4 April 2005

The following is a copy in full of an email received this morning giving the latest situation report by United Nations personnel on the ground in Sudan:

Key Developments:

SRSG Pronk met with Foreign Minister Mustafa on 3 April to exchange views on the recently adopted Security Council Resolutions (1590, 1591 and 1593). The meeting clarified some of the questions raised by the Government, including issues related to Darfur.

A UNHCR mission to Tine, west Darfur, found that some 300 persons had returned from Chad rather than the 6,000 which has been repeatedly stated by the GoS.

Security Issues:

North Darfur: Some 800 IDPs from the Abu Shouk camp staged a demonstration, protesting the continuing insecurity and high level of rapes around the camp, claiming that the organizations responsible are not properly executing their mandate. IDPs were throwing stones at GoS soldiers while marching. OCHA and UNMIS representatives addressed the situation meeting with representatives of the demonstration, explaining the roles and responsibilities of the various actors operating in the location. Despite the large crowd the situation remained under control with no injuries reported. Cooperation between UN and AMIS was good throughout.

A demonstration took place this morning in El Fasher, organised by students from the University of El Fasher in support of the GoS to protest against the UN, specifically the SCR 1593. A similar peaceful demonstration has taken place in Nyala.

South Darfur: On 2 Apr., a group of armed tribesmen entered several sections of the Kalma camp throughout the day, harassing the camp population. The local police, claiming no evidence of wrongdoing, did not take any action against the group. At around 1400 hrs the AU CivPol decided to intervene after requests from humanitarian organizations and the armed men left the camp.

The Nyala town police continue to demand 'incentives' in the forms of fuel and food for carrying out security patrols around IDP gatherings in the area, despite a clear understanding that this is the responsibility of the GoS.
In the reporting period, tension and sporadic violence continued between rebels and Arab militia north of Ed Daein town in the areas around Muhajarija. However, intensity has decreased in the last days.

West Darfur: All roads north of El Geneina have resumed status as GO areas. Similarly, the NMRD has assured that all areas under their control are safe for UN and humanitarian travel.
A spiritual leader from the Leek clan was killed on 3 April in Bentiu by an unknown assailant. This has led to tension in the town between the Leek and Bul clans.

The security situation in Juba remains calm with no new reports of LRA activities in the past three days. However, a UN chartered plane bringing fuel to Juba was shot at on 2 April. The incident happened north of Juba while the plane was approaching the airport. It is not known who is responsible for the shooting.

Protection Issues:

West Darfur: Four women collecting firewood outside the Hamidiya camp were attacked by armed men. Three women were abducted while one managed to flee. OCHA and the AU were informed. Three were later released, one reported she had been raped, a claim which was backed by the subsequent medical examination. Reportedly, the HAC instructed the police to arrest the culprit but no information has surfaced as to whether this has taken place.

Humanitarian Affairs:

Food/NFIs

South Darfur: The INGO Tearfund has publicized preliminary findings from a nutritional survey conducted in the Ed Daein locality, carried out together with UNICEF, SUDO and the MoH from 14-18 Mar. The results reveal alarming malnutrition rates among children under five, with GAM of 25.2 and SAM of 4.3, the former being well above the emergency threshold. Various issues have affected the food-security situation the area with insecurity being the key factor influencing harvests, population displacements, access and availability of health care, as well as water and sanitation facilities.

Prevalence of diarrhoea across the state is also a serious concern, especially in Ed Daein. Occurrences increased with severity of malnutrition with 86% of severely malnourished children reported having had diarrhoea in the past 2 weeks. Less than 20% of families reported having soap available in the household.

Tearfund is planning to conduct a one month blanket feeding to all children under five in the IDP camps Khor Omer, El Firdous, El Neem, Abu Matariq and Abu Jabra, to be followed by targeted feeding to moderately malnourished and pregnant/lactating mothers for host and IDP populations together with out and in-patient therapeutic feeding to severely malnourished under 5, using Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC) protocols to commence as soon as possible.

West Darfur: Interagency assessments are scheduled to go to Tendelti and Um Shalaya on 4 and 7 Apr., respectively. Medair is working in both locations and will participate in the assessment together with WFP, OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF and WHO Medair reports that Um Shalaya, a non-displaced village northeast of Mornei, has only harvested 30% of its normal harvest and that their food needs will soon become acute.

GAA began distributing seeds (sorghum, maize, millet, cowpeas and rice) to IDPS in Rubkona to avoid delays before the onset of the rainy season.

Water and Sanitation

North Darfur: A WES/UNICEF geophysical survey identified three possible sites in the Gallab IDP camp for increasing water pumps in the location responding to an inter-agency assessment in February which found that the population of reportedly 14,000 IDPs is sharing two hand-pumps with limited capacity to cover their needs. The deployment of a drilling-rig to commence boring will take place shortly.

Assessments

North Darfur: An inter-agency assessment to the Arab Damrats in the Kutum administrative unit is currently taking place, expected to return to El Fasher on 4 Apr.

West Darfur: On 29-30 Mar., UNHCR conducted a mission to Tine to investigate reports of a recent returnee influx. The mission found that there were 250-300 people who had returned from Chad, not 6,000 as has repeatedly been stated by the local authorities. The GoS is said to be providing them with food and NFIs. UNHCR will follow up on their assistance needs. The town remains largely uninhabited, notwithstanding GoS claims that several thousand people have returned to the area. A local branch of the GoS Compensation Committee has been formed and is reportedly processing 500 cases. Officials said that the Committee members are currently in Khartoum collecting funds to distribute to claimants. UNHCR will monitor the progress of this initiative.

FAO and WFP conducted an agricultural survey in Kosti and Al-Jebalain during the past three days. The mission has also been informed about IDPs in Al-Jebalain that included 350 households in Al-Jebalain Town, 40 households in Makhalief, 70 households in Um Kwika and 120 houseolds in the extension area of Sheluk.

A team of enumerators from HAC, ADRA and OCHA who travelled from Kosti are attending a training session arranged by IOM in Khartoum. The enumerators will be participating in the surveys which were agreed upon by HAC, UNHCR, OCHA, IOM and other agencies in Khartoum and would be carried out sometime in April 2005.

The Deputy Humanitarian Aid Commissioner met with OCHA to request international agencies to conduct an assessment of the humanitarian situation in Galashal, southeast of Malakal on the Sobat river corridor between Baliet and Ulang. GoS police/ military forces moved around 200 families from Ulang to Galashal on 14 March due to tribal fighting between Nuer Jukany and Louu factions. GoS said that the measure was taken for the families' safety and to calm the situation. The Deputy Commissioner now claims there are 1500 people in the area. WFP wrote a letter to HAC on 18 March requesting clarification of the matter. WFP and OCHA are yet to receive a response.

UN list of Darfur war crimes suspects to ICC tomorrow - Khartoum must act quickly to avert a perilous threat

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is expected to give a list of 51 Darfur war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court tomorrow. Let's hope the regime in Khartoum get to hear of - and read - the latest editorial at The Daily Star Lebanon that warns the Sudanese government must act quickly to avert a perilous threat. Here is a copy:

The Sudanese government is right to say that their country is under threat. The UN Security Council has agreed that there have been serious human rights violations in Darfur, where hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed and tortured by government forces and militias. In passing Resolution 1593, the Security Council has affirmed that crimes of such a horrific magnitude are unacceptable in this day and age and that such grave offenses will no longer go unpunished.

While it is true that countless massacres in Africa have been ignored in the past (including those caused by the hands of colonizing forces), the international community is slowly progressing to a point where it will no longer sit idly by and watch as thousands of innocent people are slaughtered. And although the world has been slow to respond to the crisis in Darfur, it has done so with a resounding clarity and commitment to justice: the Security Council's resolution seeks the prosecution of 51 suspects, including senior government officials, in the International Court of Justice in the Hague.

In light of this resolution, it is not the international community that is posing the greatest threat to Sudan, but rather, the Sudanese government's own obstinance. At such a crucial point in Sudan's development, the government cannot afford to disregard international consensus and thereby jeopardize its budding economy by subjecting itself to the threat of tougher sanctions. Doing so would be perilous for the regime. The country's existence and progress depends on its continued integration into the global economy and on international assistance in the form of aid, loans and debt relief. Ignoring the international community now will only serve to weaken the government of Sudan. It is also in Sudan's interests to do what is best for its citizenry by demonstrating a commitment to justice and the rule of law. Such moves will not only bolster the government's standing at home, they will also improve the country's standing among international investors and aid donors.

For now, it seems Sudan has opted to go on a collision course with the UN, vehemently defending capability to prosecute war criminals at home. There is every reason for the government to reconsider its stance. For surely an international role in chaperoning justice is not an infringement on the Sudan's sovereignty, but rather, a contribution to its development.

"It's over now, they have to talk," says UN envoy for Sudan: Egypt calls Darfur summit April 20

Stalled Darfur peace talks could restart in April because a UN resolution referring war crimes in Darfur to the ICC has removed rebel reasons not to negotiate, the top UN envoy in Sudan said on Sunday.

"It's over now, they have to talk," Jan Pronk told reporters in Khartoum. "There's no reason anymore to fight, you don't have any reason anymore not to negotiate.'

He added the government was willing to resume African Union-sponsored talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja. "It's really possible now that such talks really could start in April," Pronk said, adding rebel demands that the UN Security Council take human rights abuses in Darfur seriously had been met with the resolution passed late on Thursday night.
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Egypt calls summit - of African states - April 20 to contain Darfur crisis

This sounds interesting but Darfur rebel group SLM/A are rejecting it [they weren't invited anyway - you have to wonder if they really appreciate what it takes, and the politics involved, to get access and food aid to millions of people in Sudan and Chad who have been displaced because of the fighting]:

Egypt is calling a five-way summit of African leaders to give the African Union the chance to deal with Darfur, says a report by AFP April 4, 2003.

The meeting would be the follow-up to a gathering of Sudan, Nigeria, Egypt, Chad and Libya, held in Tripoli in October. It would aim "to give the African Union, strengthened by the efforts of the international community, the chance to contain the crisis in a pure African framework," Egypt's presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad said. It will also aim to avoid the "internationalisation" of the crisis, he added.

The date announced for the Summit is April 20. African leaders are set to visit Egypt on April 18 and 19 for a meeting of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) - one week after the international donors meeting in Oslo, Norway. Khartoum says it needs something like 8 billion US dollars for development of infrastructure. Most of this could come from oil revenues but a large chunk will need to come from the international community. There has been talk by the World Bank of cancelling Sudan's debt which would help get it on a better financial footing.

[Note, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has called the latest Security Council resolution involving the ICC a blatant violation of Sudanese independence. For several months now, Colonel Gaddafi has worked hard behind the scenes to help mediate the warring parties of Darfur. Last year he offered to open up a route from Libya leading to Darfur for international aid trucks to get through but recent statements in the press by US Defence Secretary Rice indicate that there has been a hold-up over the past 2-3 months with the arrangement. Dr Rice mentioned something about continuing to put pressure on Khartoum in this regard]
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Darfur rebels call on SPLM/A to initiate steps

One of the main rebel groups in Darfur, SLM/A issued a press release from Eritrea, April 2, 2005. The last paragraph states:

With regard to the wider national front and in the view of the on folding circumstances, the SLM/A would like to call on the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) to initiate in taking steps and in consultation with all the political forces in the country to form all inclusive transitional government of national unity to deal with the unfolding situation address all the outstanding issues including sincere and effective implementation of the Naivasha agreement.
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Germany welcomes UN resolution on Darfur war crimes

The German government on Friday welcomed the adoption of a UN resolution to try war criminals from the conflict in Sudan's violence-wracked western region of Darfur at the International Criminal Court. - AFP Berlin April 1, 2005.


Photo: German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer (L) with his Sudanese counterpart Mustafa Ismail in Khartoum, July 12, 2004. (AFP)
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Denmark welcomes UN resolution on Darfur

Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller welcomed on Friday the UN agreement to try Darfur war criminals at the International Criminal Court. "It is a very significant step on the road to installing the international criminal court as a permanent criminal court," he said in a statement.

Moeller also said that Denmark, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, would send 45 soldiers to Sudan to help set up headquarters for a 10,000 strong UN multinational force in Sudan. - via AFP Copenhagen April 1, 2005.
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Netherlands commits 65 million US dollars on condition of Darfur peace

Speaking in Khartoum to reporters on Sunday, visiting Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation Agnes Van Ardenne voiced her country's concern about stability and security in Darfur.

The minister said the Netherlands was committed to offering 50 million euros (65 million US dollars) after the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups signed a peace agreement

She said that of the total, 30 million euros (39 million dollars) will be allocated to affected states, while calling on the international community to help the African Union's mission to Darfur restore peace there.

Agnes arrived in Khartoum Friday on a four-day visit to Sudan for discussions on the Oslo donors conference due on April 11-12. - via China View Khartoum April 3, 2005.
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Taha, Garang to participate in donors conference in Oslo

First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and SPLM/A chairman John Garang will participate in the donors conference, the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) said today.
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Sudanese foreign minister postpones European tour

The minister of foreign affairs, Mustafa Osman Ismail, has postponed an European tour, which he was due to begin Monday to Poland and Italy, for a later date. In a statement to SUNA, the minister attributed the delay of his European tour to the recent developments in Sudan following the resolutions of the Security Council against Sudan. - via (SUNA) Khartoum, April 3, 2005.
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Sudan animated cartoon by Mark Fiore

Mark Fiore is a political cartoonist currently living in San Francisco. His animated political cartoons appear on various media websites and are seen by millions. Formerly the staff political cartoonist for the San Jose Mercury News, Fiore now focuses exclusively on political animation.

The Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism recently presented Mark with the Online Journalism Award for commentary. He has also received an award from the National Cartoonists Society for his work in animated political cartoons.

See why by clicking into a cartoon by Mark Fiore at Waging Peace Darfur.
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UK Protect Darfur Campaign film clips

View Protect Darfur's 4 minute film.

Plus short video clip "Not on my watch" from UK Aegis Trust with soundtrack by Annie Lennox.
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An African and International Civil Society Action for Darfur

The Darfur Consortium Press Release April 2, 2005 - and more about the Consortium:

In September 2004, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights held its third extraordinary session in Pretoria, South Africa. The session was dedicated to examining the situation in Darfur and, in particular, to considering the findings of a mission by Commission members to the region. On the fringes of that meeting, a group of over twenty representatives of Africa-focused and Africa-based NGOs came together with members of Darfur civil society to identify ways of finding a solution to the deepening human rights crisis in Darfur.

The meeting ended with a strong commitment on the part of those assembled to work together and help shift the contours of the policy debate. This was reflected formally in the creation of the Darfur Consortium. The Consortium hopes to reflect the unique perspective of African civil society and provide a forum for unified action, particularly through sustained engagement with the institutions of the African Union. Since Pretoria, additional NGOs have joined the Consortium. The Consortium continues to advocate for a solution to the ongoing crisis.

The Darfur Consortium can be contacted at: Box 7785, Kampala, Uganda . E-mail: darfur@darfurconsortium.org
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Worldwide Zande Community Network

Azande tribe Press Statement April 1st 2005 - excerpt:

How can we again marginalise the second largest tribe in Southern Sudan and then tell the world the CPA belongs to the Sudanese people? The Azande had been at the heart of SPLM/A, sustaining the movement over difficult years and contributing thousands of troops and they want their equal share and not marginalisation.

The Azande within the SPLM/A are now asking one of their leaders and NLC representative, Hon. Charles Kisanga, to put together a delegation and a petition to appeal to the SPLM chairman so that every Southern Sudanese can receive inclusiveness, fairness and equality during the implementation of the CPA and this have to start right now. The petition is being prepared and a delegation will soon approach the SPLM/A Chairman and Commander in Chief, to seek an audience with him to hand in the petition and seek some explanation of continued Azande marginalisation in SPLM/A.

UK sends a further 470 vehicles for the African Union Mission in Darfur

Excerpt from a letter March 9, 2005, by Chris Mullin MP to Rebecca Tinsley of Waging Peace, in reply to her letter January 12, 2005:

The UK has been one of the strongest supporters of the African Union mission in Darfur since it first deployed in May 2004. Since this time the UK has committed over £14 million to the mission, from which we have provided significant logistical support, including delivery of 143 vehicles and a further 470 are due to arrive soon. A UK officer also provides planning support and a UK military observer is with the mission. We are also instrumental in securing 92 million euros in funding from the EU. We remain in close contact with the AU, and our partners in the international community, about what further assistance we may be able to provide. I am copying this letter to Mr Marsha Singh MP, Clare Short MP, Alex Salmond MP, Barbara Follett MP, Peter Ainsworth MP, Geoffrey Robinson MP and Rob Marris MP as I notice you have sent the identical letter to all these MPs.

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Waging Peace

Vote4Peace is an independent campaign helping elect pro-peace UK MPs in the forthcoming general election. They are supporting mainstream candidates in marginal constituencies where a few votes will make a difference. Excerpt from their website:

"Vote4Peace is an independent non-party campaign for the next UK general elections. We aim to help elect a slate of mainstream MPs committed to peace and legitimacy: to gather volunteers in target constituencies, raise donations for under-funded prospective candidates, and build support for a constructive politics of peace and democracy. We are disillusioned by the Iraq war and the party machines, and inspired by the campaigns of MoveOn and other independent platforms in the US.

Vote4Peace is a campaign of Waging Peace, a mainstream organisation committed to building a safer and more democratic world. Waging Peace is registered as a third party with the Electoral Commission."

Waging Peace Campaign

Waging Peace is a mainstream, progressive, non-partisan political advocacy group, based around the Internet. The site states, "at a time when faith in old political structures has collapsed, we aim to influence decision-makers on such matters as war and peace, defending and extending democracy, the environment and human rights. We also seek to help elect Members of Parliament who share our values."

Lord David Alton of Liverpool, a member of the British Parliament, and former BBC-journalist Becky Tinsley visited Darfur in November. On their return they set up Waging Peace, a campaign urging Western governments to put increased pressure on the government of Sudan. Read their Campaign News and article at Sudan Tribune March 29, 2005, titled Look who's playing nice with Sudan. Here is a copy:

Look who's playing nice with Sudan

On April 27, 2004, at the height of the state-sponsored killing in Darfur, British ambassador to Khartoum Ambassador William Patey delivered an official, London-cleared speech on Sudan, saying, "We are, and wish to remain, true friends of Sudan."

British trade with Sudan was up 25 percent and set to rise, the ambassador said. The African nation, Patey continued, is "on the threshold of a new era."

In Sudan, a military junta has killed more than 2 million of its own people in the last 20 years because of their skin color and religion. The regime has caused so much terror within its own borders that 6 million people are internally displaced.

The oil-rich dictatorship spends $1 million a day (the same sum it earns from its oil exports) on arms purchases for internal repression. It keeps its black African citizens in such poverty that their roads, housing and hospitals are primitive even by African standards.

So, what can explain Patey's unseemly enthusiasm?

European oil companies are busy signing deals with the Sudan People's Liberation Army whose representatives will be governing the south of the country under the recently signed peace deal.

Naturally, the Europeans are not the only ones falling over their principles to be best pals with Khartoum: the South Africans, Chinese, Russians and Malaysians are all salivating over Sudan's oil reserves. And many of the same nations continue to sell the regime arms.

The U.N. Security Council met in New York Thursday and once more its members deliberately chose to ignore events in Darfur. Instead they voted to send 10,000 peacekeepers to southern Sudan. A cynic might suggest they were protecting their oil interests.

The decision to refer Darfur's war criminals to an internationally-recognized court, such as the War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague has once more been deferred until the end of this month.

Observers believe the Security Council is deadlocked on Darfur, and so the diplomatic games are likely to continue while the wretched people of Darfur face their attackers on a daily basis, unprotected, hungry and forgotten.

Meanwhile, the United Nation's special envoy to Darfur, Jan Egeland, believes 180,000 have died there in the last 18 months. Egeland agrees with the World Health Organization estimate that 10,000 civilians in Darfur die every week.

To make matters worse, the U.N. has announced it is withdrawing staff from parts of Darfur following threats from the Sudan government-backed Janjaweed militia. They join the exodus of other similarly intimidated charities from Darfur.

Five months ago, the Security Council set up a commission to decide whether genocide was happening in Darfur. Conveniently for all those members of the Security Council who have oil interests in Sudan, they decided it wasn't. However, back in September the then-Secretary of State, Colin Powell determined genocide was indeed occurring, and that the government of Sudan and its proxies, the Janjaweed, were to blame.

In the wake of the U.N. report the U.S. and Canadian governments stood by their earlier determination while the rest of the world has looked away, disinterested.

Seasoned Sudan-watchers point out that the commission was politically compromised from the start because securing peace with the oil-rich south of Sudan remains of paramount importance.

Despite the fact that the Sudanese government continues to bomb its own villages, the international community has again found a way to avoid discussing stopping the bloodshed.

So, while 14 people die every hour in Darfur, we discuss what to do with the people who are murdering them, after the war criminals have finished their business, that is.

For years, Sudan's skilled soldiers-turned-politicians have run rings around the West during exhaustive peace negotiations to prevent further slaughter in southern Sudan. In the last two decades, Khartoum has actively directed and supported both its own armed forces and militia groups in killing 2 million black, Christian Africans in the south. They have displaced a further 4 million. Khartoum has repeatedly broken promises to the West. Yet, so desperate is the international community that they continue to embrace the Sudanese government as their partners in peace (rather as they cozied up to Slobodan Milosevic in the architect of the destruction of former Yugoslavia).

Under massive pressure from the Bush administration and its Christian backers, the Sudanese have recently begun to retreat, signing a power-sharing deal with the southern rebels. One would assume that rudimentary poker tactics, or the rules of the playground, would dictate that this is the precise moment we should be demanding more from Khartoum, pressuring them to stop the "Rwanda in slow motion," as Darfur is described. But evidently, not many diplomats play cards.

At an international conference in Norway on April 11, Sudan will ask donors to provide $8 billion to rebuild its war-shattered country. Oddly, no one in the international community is suggesting we should attach strings (such as stopping killing civilians in Darfur, and ending impunity) to any payments made to the Sudanese junta.

American taxpayers may ask why our diplomats are so naïve and gullible, or perhaps there is more than oil at stake here after all.

How much worse could the Sudanese regime get? They sheltered Osama Bin Laden for five years, and regularly hosted an annual gathering with guests who made it look like the Davos of terrorism and jihad. Sudan's National Islamic Front junta is also a strong proponent of pan Arabism that claims all African culture and progress is thanks to its Arab population, and by inference, is nothing to do with the black people who live there.

Sudan has slavery, extreme Sharia law, no free press or freedom of speech, no elections, and the place is crawling with secret police. In addition, virtually every eight-year-old girl is sexually mutilated. All Khartoum lacks is weapons of mass destruction.

If ever there were a candidate for "regime change," surely Sudan qualifies.

So, if apartheid-era South Africa was a pariah state, then why isn't Sudan? And why aren't we treating the Sudanese regime in the same way, applying strict sanctions, breaking off aid and economic ties, and throwing them out of international institutions until they stop killing their own citizens?

Lord David Alton of Liverpool, a member of the British Parliament, and former BBC-journalist Becky Tinsley visited Darfur in November. On their return they set up WagingPeace.info, a campaign urging Western governments to put increased pressure on the government of Sudan.

Tony Baldry MP, Chair of Parliamentary report "Darfur, Sudan" in African contract inquiry

A copy of the 93-page "Darfur, Sudan" Parliamentary report featured in an earlier post here is freely available online at International Development Committee - Houses of Parliament.
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Blair all talk on 'moral responsibility' to end Darfur genocide says Conservative Press Release

Conservative MP Michael Ancram QC recently issued a press statement saying Sudan must be "compelled" to halt its genocide and allow the people it has chased into camps to return to their homes.

Mr Ancram does not explain how this can be achieved. In a Press Release he suggests the UN should establish an oil embargo on Sudan to give it an incentive to comply, but he fails to mention countries with interests in the Sudan, like China and Russia, that sit on the UN Security Council and make it known they will block sanctions and an oil embargo.

In the press release Mr Ancram says, "After 7 security council resolutions, 10 reports to the security council, two million displaced Darfuris, and 300,000 deaths why is the international community still taking baby steps towards a solution for the people of Darfur? But instead of answering the question to educate readers, Mr Ancram takes a cheap shot at Tony Blair by saying, "Mr Blair's self proclaimed 'moral responsibility' to act to end this genocide is all talk."

Either he and his colleague, Shadow International Development Secretary Alan Duncan MP do not know what they are talking about [which I find hard to believe] - or they do, but have ulterior motives. Commenting on the publication of the International Development Committee's report "Darfur, Sudan" Mr Duncan said:

"This report makes shocking reading. It details the collective failure of the international community to stop the genocide in Darfur. Mr Blair should have pressed for a UN resolution requiring Sudan to accept a larger African Union force with a mandate to protect civilians, establishing a no-fly zone over Darfur, and imposing an oil embargo on Sudan. His failure to do so makes a mockery of his rhetoric on helping Africa," he said.

Mr Duncan goes on to accuse Mr Blair of being 'all talk', and says "Instead of ending genocide in Darfur, Mr Blair's only determination is to walk on by on the other side. His only urgency to utter another promise he will not keep."

As far as I am aware [and I have followed the news on Darfur very closely over the past year and have a good idea of just how much the British Government has done for Darfur and Africa as a whole] Messrs Ancram and Duncan have not said much before in the press about Darfur over the last year. Both of them call for an oil embargo knowing that China, Russia and Algeria would block it. Note also, Ancram praises the no-fly zone and Duncan criticises the lack of no-fly zone.

Note too, how loudly they speak out about Darfur in the press now that there is a General Election in the offing - along with Conservative MP Tony Baldry, chair of a House of Commons select committee responsible for releasing the report "Darfur, Sudan" in an attempt, it would appear, to score political points before an election. Clare Short MP, a former international development secretary, serves on the same committee. Ms Short resigned from the Cabinet because she was against the war in Iraq. Her outspoken remarks, and attempts to bring down Tony Blair, became an embarrassment to the Government and this country.

Since these MPs have not before made a concerted effort to speak up strongly about Darfur over the past year, the unleashing of their March 30, 2005 report "Darfur, Sudan" and media campaign gives the impression they are using Darfur against Tony Blair for their own political gain. Shame on them.
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Sunday Times Insight: Top Tory in African contract inquiry

It was disappointing to see Conservative MP Tony Baldry, who chairs the international development committee responsible for the above report "Darfur, Sudan", featured in an article in today's Sunday Times. Here is a copy:

A SENIOR MP used his parliamentary position to lobby an African government over the award of a lucrative aviation contract to a company in which he is a big shareholder.

Tony Baldry, the Conservative MP for Banbury, Oxfordshire, could now face censure for exploiting his position in the Commons to further his business interests.

The Sunday Times has seen a series of letters sent on Commons notepaper by Baldry to Vice-President Solomon Berewa in Sierra Leone discussing the privatisation of the country's failed national airline.

He attempts to arrange meetings with Angel Gate Aviation, a British-registered company that is keen to schedule flights from London to Freetown, the capital of the west African state.

Companies House records show that Baldry owns 439,000 shares in Angel Gate, although he makes no mention of this in any of the letters. The firm has paid him £30,000 in the past year as its chairman.

Val Collier, Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption commissioner, criticised Baldry's intervention. He said last week that Baldry was "immoral" in using his position as an MP to promote his own business.

"(The airline approach) has nothing to do with House of Commons matters," he said. "You cannot use high office to influence business negotiations. It's morally wrong and a bad example to countries like ours."

The revelations will increase the pressure on Baldry, a former minister in the Foreign Office. Last week, Insight revealed that he has been paid by Milestone Trading, a mining company, to lobby the Sierra Leone government for valuable diamond concessions.

He stands to make a substantial amount of money out of the deal. This is despite the fact that his business with Sierra Leone - a war-torn country heavily dependent on British aid - presents a potential conflict of interest for someone in his position.

As chairman of the Commons international development committee, Baldry is responsible for scrutinising the millions in government aid spent in countries such as Sierra Leone. Fellow committee members point out that their job is to help alleviate Third World poverty rather than try to profit from it.

Baldry also used Commons notepaper to write to Hilary Benn, the international development secretary, on behalf of Milestone.

The matter has been referred to Sir Philip Mawer, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, by George Foulkes, the Labour MP and former international development minister.

After seeing the latest letters lobbying for the aviation firm, Foulkes said: "This appears to show that his (Baldry’s) business activities and his position as chairman of the select committee have become inextricably mixed in a way which appears to be a conflict of interest and breach of parliamentary rules.

"As a result, he should consider whether it is possible for him to continue as chairman of the committee."

In the letters to Berewa, Baldry says he has been negotiating with Abdul Turay, the country's privatisation commissioner, for Angel Gate Aviation to take over from the country's national airline.

"We have agreed the way forward for the airline project and I hope it may be possible for Mr Turay to meet (Angel Gate director Ramy Lakah) to finalise details of the proposed agreement, which can then be passed to the respective lawyers to draw up the necessary contracts," wrote Baldry.

"We fully understand that 'speed is of the essence' on this matter and that the government of Sierra Leone is anxious to see a viable airline operating between London and Freetown as soon as possible."

Although he declares his directorships and shareholdings in the register of members' interests, Baldry's letters give the impression his involvement is neutral. His shareholding in the firm is not even alluded to.

As it turned out, his lobbying for the company failed as the contract was awarded to another operator. He did, however, have more success when acting on behalf of Milestone.

Last year the company was blacklisted in Sierra Leone pending an investigation into links between one of its directors and two mafia figures wanted in Europe and South Africa. A report by Collier confirmed that Gershon Ben-Tovim, a partner in Milestone, had business links to Vito Palazzolo, a known mafia figure wanted in Italy. Milestone and Ben-Tovim reject the significance of those links.

Baldry wrote to Berewa on October 4 last year dismissing the links as "tangential".

The intervention undermined the objections made by Collier and cleared the way for Milestone to receive new mining licences. In return the MP's company, Red Eagle Resources, received a $75,000 payment, and the promise of a potential £1.5m shareholding in Milestone.

Baldry is now being asked to explain himself in front of his Commons committee. John Barrett, a Liberal Democrat member of the select committee, said: "If the allegations of a conflict of interest between business dealings and the work on the select committee are proved, then he should resign. I would certainly advise him to make a statement to the select committee on Tuesday."

Baldry is also to be interviewed by the commissioner for standards. Last week he declined to comment further until the investigation has been completed.

Sudanese president sees separation of South Sudan possible

Via Sudan Tribune Cairo, April 1, 2005 (KUNA):

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir said it was possible that the southern part of his country would decide to separate by the end of the current transition, but underlined his confidence that residents of the south would favor to remain united with Sudan.

Bashir told the Cairo-based "Al-Ahram Al-Arabi" Magazine in an interview to be published Saturday that Arab joint action would remain targeted, noting the activities underway in southern Sudan indicate that the Arab nation was always targeted (by enemies).

He mentioned that the war in southern Sudan started in 1955, one year ahead of Sudan's independence in 1956.

The Sudanese leader accused Israel of exploiting of the situation in the Sudanese troubled region of Darfur, to interfere in his country through alleging the Darfur issue was Jewish-related.

Al-Bashir, whose country will host the next Arab summit, said the Arab nation was passing through difficult circumstances and that Arab leaders' only option was unity. He praised their support to Sudan in resolving the Darfur issue and in creating peace in the south.



Photo: SPLM leader John Garang (left) shakes hands with Sudanese president Omar El Bashir (right), in the presence of Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki (centre) Wednesday April 2, 2003.
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UN urges Sudan to cooperate in trying Darfur suspects

A spokeswoman of the top UN envoy to Sudan said that officials of the criminal court will visit Sudan soon to try to start consultation with Sudanese government, says China View April 3, 2005.

Note, international donors meet for a conference in Oslo, Norway on April 13. It is unclear if the Sudanese president, who has been invited, will attend.
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Sudan's president rejects handing over Darfur suspects

Several news reports say Sudan sees hypocrisy in UN Darfur ruling.

Sudanese President Al-Bashir told a meeting of the ruling National Congress Party that his government will not hand over a single Sudanese to be tried in an international tribunal called for by UN Security Council Resolution 1593.

He described the resolution as "null and void, serving colonialist objectives," and insisted that those who issued the decision were "traitors."

The president added he did not believe the resolution would adversely affect the peace process and treaty reached with rebels in southern Sudan and called for "cooperation and solidarity to overcome the dangers and challenges facing our nation." - via UPI Khartoum April 2, 2005.

[He must wonder if he is on the UN's sealed list of 51 people suspected of crimes against humanity]
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Sudanese students march against UN

Yesterday, April 2, Reuters reports that hundreds of Sudanese students have gathered to denounce a UN decision to refer those accused of war crimes in Darfur to the International Criminal Court.

A government-dominated student union organised the march, which began on Saturday with speeches in Martyrs Square outside the Republican Palace denouncing the US and France, and was to follow on to the French and British embassies and finally to the UN building in central Khartoum. A few dozen students were wearing red scarves around their heads signalling jihad, or holy war.

Some 200 students chanted "down, down USA", and called for the cutting of diplomatic relations with France. There were almost as many security and police as students. Organisers said the poor turnout was due to the holidays as most students had gone home to their villages outside Khartoum.

"This UN resolution is not helping anyone solve the problem in Darfur," said Haitham Osman, the executive head of the Sudan student's union. "We totally reject it," he said.

Students carried banners saying "Death and blasphemy to America" and slamming the UN resolution. Some shouted over loud speakers: "The USA is the daughter of the devil" and "The Muslim people will never surrender".

Students stopped traffic to give out leaflets saying the Security Council was following the "agenda of international Jewry to create disunity in Sudan". - via Reuters South Africa, April 2, 2005.
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Chad and Sudan accuse each other of arming rebel groups

Idris Deby, the Chadian president, has accused Sudan of harbouring and arming the Chadian opposition in western Sudan to destabilize his regime. This came during a meeting in Chad between him and Sudan's vice president Taha on March 18, 2005.

Sources said Deby specified the Alliance Nationale de la Resistance (ANR), an umbrella of armed Chadian political forces, and mentioned the name of Mohamat Sileck the leader of the ANR and his military commander Mohamat Nour.

In the same meeting Taha, accused Deby of arming Darfur rebels groups. He indicated that all the rebels' arms, logistics and munitions are from the Chadian army. - via SudanTribune Mar 24, 2005.

Sudan: Libyan leader Gadhafi receives John Garang's delegation

Copy of report via Sudan Tribune - TRIPOLI, Libya, Apr 2, 2005 (PANA):

Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi on Saturday received in Tripoli a high-level delegation of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) which handed him a message from John Garang, the organisation's leader, Libyan officials said here.

Led by James Wani Igga, the movement's vice-chairman and secretary- general, the delegation includes Nhial Deng Nhial, secretary in charge of foreign relations, and Yasser Arman, the SPLM's official spokesman, the officials added.

During the audience attended by Said Hefyana, Libyan vice- minister in charge of foreign affairs and international cooperation, the SPLM number two handed to Colonel Kadhafi a message from Garang.

In his message, Garang said that he was pleased about the quality of "historical relations" between his movement and the 1 September Libyan Revolution, and Tripoli's "support and backing" of the Sudanese people as a whole in order to achieve justice, peace and stability within a single nation made up of all Sudanese."

The SPLM leader also expresses his desire to visit the Libyan Jamahirya to meet Colonel Muammar Gadhafi and work with him in order to complete global reconciliation, peace, security and stability in Sudan.

The SPLM chairman talked with the Libyan leader on the phone on Friday, namely to brief him on the follow-up of the measures intended for the implementation of the global peace agreement signed between his movement and the Sudanese government.

Garang also laid emphasis during that discussion on the importance of the Libyan leader to continue his efforts in order to preserve Sudan's stability and unity for peace to be definitely established in the country.
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Former southern rebels in Khartoum for peace implementation talks

Note this report reveals SPLM arrived in Khartoum on a Libyan aircraft:

A large delegation of former south Sudanese rebels arrived in Khartoum Sunday for talks with the government on implementing the peace accord. SPLM spokesman said the delegation arrived in the Sudanese capital on a Libyan aircraft and was headed by the group's secretary general, James Wani.

The 106-strong delegation will have talks with officials of the government and (ruling) National Congress on preparations for implementing the peace agreement, including drafting a transitional constitution. The talks, the most comprehensive since the January 9 peace agreement, will also include members of the National Democratic Alliance, an opposition umbrella group now mainly confined to northern political parties.

As the rebel group SPLM/A transforms itself into a political party, it has established several offices in the capital as well as the provinces. Full Story at Sudan Tribune April 3, 2005.



Photo: Taha and Garang after the signature of thr Agreement on Security Arrangements, September 26, 2003.
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Libyan leader comments on Security Council's resolution on Darfur

Today, April 3, a Libyan news report says:

The Leader of the Revolution has made a statement to Jana News on Security Council's resolution which prosecute Sudanese war crimes suspects before the International Criminal Court.

"I found my self obliged to comment on the so-called Security Council which always proves that it's against the security of other non-founding states (It's resolution on Darfur), with confirmation that the so-called international courts are not legitimate." The Leader says.

"What is important here is that this council is not specialized in intervening in the internal affairs of the countries, so what do you think of intervening in the executive and legislative bodies of any country, the Leader wonders.

The Leader said that that sovereignty of Sudan is the only one in its land, and that Sudanese laws are the only ones that are applied on that Sudanese people, and that Sudanese courts are the only ones that are specialized in trying those who are in Sudan.

He emphasizes that the so-called Security Council is not specialized in Darfur problem, and its resolution is ineffective according to UN treaty and the 6th and 7th chapters. He said that the resolution will inflame the conflict in Darfur and will not help to calm it.

"This resolution is of no benefit to the parties of conflict in Darfur. It's just an insult to all Sudanese, and it's a flagrant intervention in the independence of Sudan and no one should think that the resolution is against his rival because it will hurt all parties." The Leader says.

"And thus, in every step we take towards a peaceful solution, the foreign intervention plant a bomb to halt all peaceful initiatives, and it seems it's an intended act to realize some things of no business to Darfur." The Leader added.
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Libya differs with Kofi Annan over Darfur

Here is a copy of a report via Sudan Tribune - TRIPOLI, Libya, dated March 10, 2005 (PANA):

Libya bitterly criticised UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Wednesday for suggesting that an international force be sent to Darfur, where the situation is horrible and dangerous.

"Through his statement, Annan gives the expression of trying to undermine the African efforts intended to settle the Darfur crisis," the Libyan Foreign Affairs Committee said in a statement.

"They are also prejudicial to efforts by Nigerian President and AU current Chair Olusegun Obasanjo, and those of Moammar Kadhafi who were entrusted with the issue by the five African-country (Nigeria, Egypt, Chad, Libya and Sudan) summit and the African Union Commission," the statement observed.

The Libyan Foreign Committee says that Annan's comments are "a breach to Abuja meetings on Darfur and efforts, which are being made to hold the second session of the five African-country summit on that province in southern Sudan".

It accuses Annan of attempting to "block the African efforts aimed to settle the crisis."
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Sudan wants Libya's help

Back in August of last year, the Sudanese President asked the Libyan leader Colonel Gadhafi to help settle the escalating crisis in Darfur, and assist in repatriation of refugees. Here below is a copy of a report and photo published at Middle East Online August 17, 2004:



TRIPOLI - Sudan asked Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi Tuesday to "intervene personally" in the escalating crisis in Darfur, Libya's official JANA news agency reported.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail delivered the request from President Omar al-Beshir at a meeting with Kadhafi in the central town of Sirte, the news agency said.

"President Beshir is pleased with Colonel Kadhafi's opposition to foreign intervention in Darfur and asks him to help settle the crisis in the region and assist in the repatriation of refugees," JANA quoted Ismail as saying.

African Union-sponsored peace talks between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels are supposed to be taking place in Nigeria next Monday.

But last week, Libya hosted informal talks in Sirte which brought together Khartoum and the two Darfur rebel movements as well as representatives of the African Union and neighbouring Chad, which hosts the lion's share of Darfur refugees.

At the time, a Chadian source expressed concern Libya might be trying to seize a bigger role in the peace process.

"We are afraid it will be taken over by Kadhafi at the expense of the African Union," the diplomat said.

Libyan has strongly opposed foreign intervention in Darfur warning last week that it could spark another Iraq-style conflict.

Oil found in South Darfur - Oil issues threaten to derail Sudan hopes for peace

Once again, here is another report that says it was the discovery of oil in southern Sudan in 1979, often under land close to the historical border between north and south, that led to the start of the second bloody civil war in the south in 1983.

The report also reveals that the president of Sudanese oil exploration company Advanced Petroleum Company (APCO), Salah Wahbi, told The Sunday Business Post that oil had been found in South Darfur. He said that oil had been found in south Darfur and he urged the rebels to return to the negotiating table. It quoted Mr Wahbi as saying:

The people of Darfur will benefit from sharing the oil wealth locally under a future peace agreement. Why delay by continuing fighting?

The following is a copy of the report titled Oil issues threaten to derail Sudan hopes for peace by Pieter Tesch in The Sunday Business Post, 3 April 2005:

The arrival of a delegation of the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Khartoum last week marked another step in the normalisation of relations between north and south Sudan. The delegation arrived to discuss the implementation of the January 9 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that officially ended the 22-year civil war in the south of the country.

The SPLM and the government of Sudan are expected to reach agreement on the formation of a government of national unity, the new government of the south and the government of the states, but proposals to share the country's oil wealth on a 50/50 basis may lead to further friction.

In early March, shares in the newly-formed London oil exploration company, White Nile, rose on the London Stock Exchange from 10p to 13.85p after news broke that the firm had signed a deal with the SPLM for block B in the south.

However, the Khartoum government said the deal was not valid, as the deal made in 1980 between French oil giant Total and the Sudanese government had been renewed last December, before the signing of the CPA.

"The deal between the SPLM and White Nile over block B had no standing in international law, as the CPA clearly stated that all existing oil agreements superseded the clauses of the CPA," Salah Wahbi, president of Sudanese oil exploration company Advanced Petroleum Company (APCO), told The Sunday Business Post.

"Total has been paying the government rent and I believe has no intention to give up its concession for block B."

Wahbi said that the SPLM should realise that it was part of the future government of Sudan and should act accordingly. Under the CPA, a commission was to be set up to deal with such matters, and the dispute over block B should be left to the commission, he said.

It was the discovery of oil in southern Sudan in 1979, often under land close to the historical border between north and south, that led to the start of the second bloody civil war in the south in 1983.

Much of the fighting centered on oilfields like Bentiu and Abyei and the war spilled over into the nearby Nuba mountains in the South Kordofan state. It is officially part of northern Sudan, but is mainly inhabited by the Nuba, an ancient African farming people who sided with the SLPM, while the local Arab nomads allied themselves with the Khartoum government.

A ceasefire for the Nuba mountains was concluded more than two years ago in Kenya. With the help of the UN, a ceasefire monitoring framework was set up with the aim of preventing renewed conflicts over land and water.

At a press briefing in Khartoum last Sunday, UN special envoy Jan Pronk, who had just returned from a trip to the Nuba mountains, hailed the area as an example of how the peace process could create new opportunities for the rest of Sudan. He said there were similar problems between Arab nomads and Africans in Darfur.

Irish aid agency Goal, which is working in the Jebel Mara mountain range in the heart of Darfur, is one of the few agencies that has provided health programmes to local nomads, while assisting the local Fur people to build up their lives after the area was devastated by the civil war in 2003 and 2004.

But peace in Darfur seems as far away as ever, with negotiations stalled between the Sudanese government and Darfuri rebels, who have attacked oil installations on the southern borders of Darfur and Kordofan.

Wahbi said that oil had been found in south Darfur and he urged the rebels to return to the negotiating table. "The people of Darfur will benefit from sharing the oil wealth locally under a future peace agreement. Why delay by continuing fighting?"

Eastern Sudan rebels prepare for war with show of force

Supporters of rebels from Sudan's Eastern Front parade during a conference held by the Front north of Kassala town, near the Eritrean border on Friday April 1, 2005. The rebels denounced marginalisation of their region by Khartoum and say they are ready to resume fighting. Full Story: Sudan's next hotspot.

As mentioned in a recent post here, this is the group that last week admitted their objective is to overthrow the regime in Khartoum. The authors of The Black Book describe themselves as "Seekers of Truth and Justice". No doubt they see themselves as freedom fighters who believe the West is on their side, no matter what the cost in terms of suffering and lives lost. The only solution for the regime in Khartoum and other warring parties is to cease violence and work out a political solution.

Having written several posts over the past year on oil and Darfur, I am pleased to have found another article mentioning that oil has been found in the region. See next post here above.

The Black Book: Imbalance of Power and Wealth in Sudan

Note The Black Book authored by Sudan's rebels some five years ago, in 2000.

UK: Aegis applauds historic Darfur referral to the ICC by UN - 'Protect Darfur' campaign launched in House of Commons

The UK Aegis Trust, which coordinated yesterday's launch of the 'Protect Darfur' campaign with genocide survivors and senior MPs in the House of Commons, applauds this morning's historic UN Security Council referral of the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which passed with four abstentions.

The vote followed a compromise which will enable the United States, opposed to the ICC in principle, to bar the court from prosecuting US citizens in Sudan.

"As one of the first organisations to campaign for such a referral - starting in May 2004 - the Aegis Trust is absolutely delighted at this result," said Chief Executive Dr James Smith. "This is the most positive action on Darfur taken by the United Nations to date, and is a credit not least to the British Government, which was instrumental in creation of the ICC and has staunchly supported it throughout.

"It will send a strong signal to the perpetrators of mass murder in Darfur that they will be brought to account, and is a great leap forward for the strengthening of the rule of international law.

"Now we can only hope that Security Council members will be equally robust in helping to protect the people of Darfur. A new resolution, mandating peace enforcement operations in Darfur, to be led by AU forces with logistical and financial support from wealthy nations, must follow as a matter of urgency."


Photo: UK's House of Commons International Development Select Committee

Captain Brian Steidle, former US Marine and former advisor to the AU Observer Mission in Darfur, in London for the launch of the 'Protect Darfur' campaign, commented: "That's awesome. Now we know where people are going to be tried, let's move on to stopping it so they can be tried."

The Rt. Hon. Clare Short MP, former International Development Secretary stated: "This is welcome news but it won't stop the killing, raping and displacement. The members of the Security Council must mandate and fund a peace enforcement force, otherwise they are continuing to collude in genocide."

Tom Brake MP, shadow International Development Spokesperson with the Liberal Democrats said: "This is welcome news on both Darfur and American opposition to the International Criminal Court. The key next step for the international community is that a large African Union force authorised with a peace enforcement UN mandate be dispatched to the region as soon as possible."

Click here to visit Protectdarfur.org and see Protect darfur campaign.
Press Contact: David Brown, Aegis Trust Communications Office: 07812 640 873
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'Protect Darfur' campaign launched in House of Commons



Today, 31 March 2005, a cross-party group of senior MPs met with genocide survivors form the Holocaust, Rwanda and Bosnia and a former advisor to the AU Observer Mission in Darfur, Brian Steidle, to launch the Protect Darfur Campaign at the House of Commons.

Protect Darfur calls for protection of civilians at risk of genocide in Darfur, through a UN mandate for peace enforcement operations in the region, to be led by the African Union with financial and logistical support from wealthy nations. A parliamentary statement calling for such a mandate has now been signed by over 100 MPs and Peers. This follows the release of the International Development Select Committee Report into Darfur, which stated that 300,000 civilians have died in the crisis.

Dr Stephen Smith, Chairman of the Aegis Trust, which is coordinating the campaign stated: "For a long time now, non-governmental organisations have been writing their reports on the Darfur crisis. There is a wide consensus that protection of civilians is the priority, and has been ignored for too long. Today we have brought the voices of that consensus together, from across the political spectrum - and from the survivor communities of three previous genocides."

Voices:

Capt. Brian Steidle, former US Marine and Technical Advisor to the AU Observer Mission, Darfur, said: "There are people being killed and burned right now. This is a deliberate effort to wipe out the Black African tribes of Darfur, and I have extensive evidence to that effect. We can stop it; more troops and a peace-enforcement mandate are needed, but we can't wait another six months."

The Rt Hon. Clare Short, former International Development Secretary "If Darfur goes on escalating, any kind of realistic north south peace just isn't going to happen. The UN needs to take strong action now, not just on justice but on stopping the violence. A Chapter VII resolution is needed immediately."

Mr. John Bercow MP (Con) member of the International Development Select Committee said: "Should the AU be left to deal with Darfur on its own? No! The UN is supposed to be the guardian of international security, and it should take a lead on this. We cannot go on equivocating as we are. If we do, there will scarcely be a Black African left in Darfur to protect. We need decisive action not next month, not in three months, but now."

Mr. Tom Brake MP, Lib Dem Spokesman on International Development: "This is an all-party event, it has all-party support, and it is beginning to snowball. Clearly what we need is decisive action - ten thousand more troops, and a strong, clear mandate. We have got to take the energy that we focused on responding to the Tsunami and apply that to Darfur. Prevarication is costing lives."

Mr. Adam Hussein, refugee from Darfur: "One day I was in town with my uncle and my sister. Suddenly we saw airplanes come through the town and start bombing. After a few minutes we saw Janjaweed. They killed my sister and uncle. I saw other Janjaweed catch a young girl, ten or thirteen years old; one was standing by his gun while the other raped that girl. She was a friend of my sister. After that, my father started fighting with the Janjaweed. He said to me, "Be strong, my own son. Be strong ... Today some things will be difficult."

Mr. Anwar Bakar, asylum seeker from Darfur: "The killers have bad things in their hearts Can you imagine someone kills your family, destroys your village; how could you in the future, even for generations, stay with them? And you can't make your life better because you have sadness in your heart. The situation when I left Darfur was absolutely dangerous, and I don't think any of my people are still alive. Why do people hate us like this? I came Britain just to save my life."

Mr. John Fransman, Chairman, Child Survivors Association, survivor of the Holocaust and Belsen Concentration Camp: "If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. I have a picture of my cousin Helena, taken in Belsen after liberation. Eleven days later, she was dead. You've only got to change the colour of her skin, and you see so many like her in Darfur today. It's time to make 'never again' mean something."

Mrs. Beatha Uwazaninka, survivor of the Rwandan genocide: "When the UN walked away from the situation we faced in Rwanda, a million people were murdered. Why do we have to be here today, talking about another crisis like this? Is anybody learning? It is like banging a drum in the marketplace. I am always willing to tell my story. But is anybody listening? We died in full view of the whole world, and the world turned away. Now Darfur is happening. Men are killed, women raped. It is shocking, it is sad beyond explanation. I am asking for the protection of Darfur today - if we have learned anything."

Mr. Kemal Pervanic, survivor of Omarska concentration camp, Bosnia: "Almost the same things that happened to us in Bosnia are happening in Darfur now. Whenever I hear the phrase 'never again' these days, I wish I was deaf. We should not pretend we care if we are willing to stand by and let mass murder such as that in Darfur take place unhindered. I speak not as a Bosnian, not as a Muslim, but as a human being. What troubles me today is that people are being killed. It must be stopped, and the only way it can be done is with a UN peace-keeping mandate."

CONTACT:
Mr. David Brown, Communications Officer Aegis Trust: 07812 640 873
Mr. Hratche Koundarjian, Parliamentary Advisor Aegis Trust: 07905 911 039

UN voted 11-0 to send Sudan war crime suspects to world court - UK welcomes the vote

Yesterday, the UN Security Council voted to send any Sudan war crime suspects to the International Criminal Court (ICC). With Secretary-General Kofi Annan looking on, the council voted 11-0 with four abstentions, the United States, Algeria, Brazil and China. The vote came at 10:30 p.m. EST after hours of delay.

The New York Times March 31 explains:

The vote followed days of trans-Atlantic negotiation involving Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and France's foreign minister, Michel Barnier, and produced an 11th-hour maneuver that secured agreement when Britain replaced France as the sponsor of the measure.

The outcome spared the United States the onus of casting a veto and seeming to block the arrest and prosecution of war crimes suspects, steps it has been insisting are essential to begin reining in the violence in Darfur.

According to UPI:

The final negotiations hinged on the language in paragraph six of the resolution, which had nothing to do with Sudan itself. It says citizens of countries that have not ratified the treaty establishing the court may only be prosecuted by their own national courts. Some countries object to that because their laws allow for the prosecution of foreign nationals suspected of committing a crime against their citizens. Several diplomats said they objected because they feared paragraph six seriously weakened the criminal court.

"Operative paragraph six subsumes the independence of the ICC to the political and diplomatic vagaries of the Security Council," Philippines UN Ambassador Laoro Baja said. "Nevertheless, this eventually may well be worth the sacrifice if impunity is ended in Darfur."

See more reports here below that describe the United States gaining a paragraph in the brief measure. It said "nationals or current or former officials or personnel from a contributing state outside Sudan which is not a party to the Rome Statute" establishing the ICC should come under the "exclusive jurisdiction of that contributing state" in any allegations arising from operations sanctioned by the African Union or UN in Sudan.

"This resolution marks a turning point, for it is sending the message beyond Darfur to all of those criminals responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes who all too often believed that they were beyond the pale of justice," France's UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere said.

France, Britain and seven other Security Council members have ratified the ICC statute, while two more have signed and are expected to ratify. In total, 98 countries are parties to the treaty and 139 are signatories.

A Reuters report today explains:

The next step is for ICC prosecutors to begin investigations and report to the Security Council in June. They will be given a list of 51 names, drawn up by a UN panel of experts who reported to the Security Council in January.

Richard Dicker, counsel for Human Rights Watch and an expert on the ICC, said he expected the tribunal to prosecute only about 15 top offenders. The others, he said should be tried by Sudan but with international supervision.

China View says the ICC will not start investigation or prosecution within one year after the adoption of the resolution.

Here follows a selection of this morning's news reports on the story from around the world.
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UK welcomes Sudan war crime vote

Straw welcomes Sudan war crime vote says a report in the Scotsman by John Deane, PA Chief Political Correspondent, April 1, 2005. Copy:

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw today welcomed the United Nations Security Council's approval of a resolution to prosecute Sudanese war crimes suspects before the International Criminal Court.

The Council moved after the United States, which has not signed up to the international court, reversed a long-standing policy and agreed not to veto the resolution.

The US abstained in yesterday's vote, along with Algeria, Brazil and China, after securing several concessions, including ironclad guarantees it sought that Americans working in Sudan would not be handed over to either the ICC or any other nation's courts if they commit crimes in Sudan.

With UN Secretary General Kofi Annan looking on, the Council voted 11-0 for the resolution.

An earlier Council resolution established a set of sanctions to be imposed against those in Darfur responsible for the continuing conflict and humanitarian crisis there.

In a statement issued from the Foreign Office in London this morning, Mr Straw said: "I am very pleased that the UN has together taken a strong stand on addressing the situation in Darfur, and in the wider Sudan.

"I have always made clear that the international community must be ready to take clear and decisive action to address both past and continuing actions contributing to the current situation in Darfur.

"It is right that we should now see those responsible for atrocities indicted and tried before an international court."

Mr Straw praised what he called the "constructive approach" shown by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Mr Straw added: "This, the first ever Security Council referral to the International Criminal Court, is a further step forward in the development of international justice and the fight against impunity for the perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

"The UK is a firm supporter of the Court, so we are glad that the Council was able to reach agreement on a referral. The ICC was established precisely for this kind of purpose - to ensure that those individuals responsible for committing heinous crimes will be held accountable."

And he stressed: "We support the imposition of sanctions against all those - both government and rebels - who continue to violate the commitments they themselves have made to end the conflict in Darfur.

“This has been long threatened by the UN, and it is right that the international community is now seen to hold by its word.”

Mr Straw called for both sides in the Darfur conflict to return to the negotiating table.

The Council's resolution refers Darfur cases since July 1 2002 to the court - a move in line with the recommendation of a UN panel that concluded in January that crimes against humanity, but not genocide, occurred in the vast western region of Sudan.

The document is the last of three resolutions aimed at putting pressure on Sudan to stop the crisis in Darfur.



Photo: Janjaweed fighters ride their horses in western Darfur
[Courtesy Middle East Online report on Security Council's move clear way to ICC to prosecute those responsible for atrocities in Darfur.

The ICC is based at The Hague in The Netherlands which is in Holland, Europe. Pretty flat and cool compared to the Sudan. Janjaweed appearing before the ICC would think they were on another planet. Hopefully, this resolution, is the thing that will knock all of their heads together in Sudan and stop the violence and start sorting a poilitical solution. Ultimately, it's the only way.

Further reading:

April 1 BBC UK: UN backs Darfur war crimes move. A UN report two months ago said attacks on civilians in Darfur could amount to crimes against humanity. The report said such cases should be tried at the court in The Hague. "It is important that the international community speak with one voice in order to help promote effective accountability" said Anne Patterson, US deputy ambassador to the UN.
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April 1 India UPI: UN OKs Sudan prosecution resolution.
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April 1 Canada AP: The document is the last of three Security Council resolutions aimed at putting pressure on Sudan to stop a crisis in Darfur. The US decision to allow the court to prosecute war crimes perpetrators could raise hackles among conservatives for whom the court is an unaccountable body that cannot be trusted. They include John Bolton, the undersecretary of state for arms control and international security and the nominee to become the next US ambassador to the United Nations.
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March 31 New York Times: John R. Bolton, President Bush's nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, was the official who signed the letter abrogating the American signature and he said afterward that the experience had afforded him "the happiest moment in my government service."

The key concession to the Americans was a clause giving exclusive jurisdiction to troop-contributing states over any of their citizens arrested abroad. This posed a problem for the French sponsors because France had opposed the same language in a previous resolution sending peacekeepers to Liberia. The solution Thursday was to have the British insert that language and take over the sponsorship of the resolution.
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March 31 Xinhua China View: Under the resolution, war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in Darfur since July 1, 2002, will be dealt with by the ICC. But the ICC will not start investigation or prosecution within one year after the adoption of the resolution. The court is the world's first permanent tribunal, which has the right to try suspects of war crimes and crimes against humanity when a government is unable or unwilling to do so.

The resolution stipulated that personnel from states which are not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of their own governments for all alleged acts in Sudan. It called on the Sudanese government and all other parties to the Darfur conflict to cooperate fully with the ICC. The United Nations will not bear the cost for prosecuting Darfur suspects, which will go to the parties of the Rome Statute. Among the 15 council members, only the United States and China are not parties to the ICC's Rome Statute.

In a statement issued through his spokesman, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the resolution, saying it provided "an appropriate mechanism to lift the veil of impunity that has allowed human rights crimes in Darfur to continue unchecked." Stressing lasting peace in Darfur can "only be based on a negotiated settlement," he urged Khartoum and rebels in Darfur to return to negotiations in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
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April 1 Guardian UK AP: "This resolution marks a turning point, for it is sending the message beyond Darfur to all of those criminals responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes who all too often believed that they were beyond the pale of justice," France's UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere said.

The draft refers Darfur cases since July 1, 2002, to the International Criminal Court. That was the recommendation of a UN panel that had concluded in January that crimes against humanity - but not genocide - occurred in the vast western region of Sudan.

"Operative paragraph six subsumes the independence of the ICC to the political and diplomatic vagaries of the Security Council," Philippines UN Ambassador Laoro Baja said. "Nevertheless, this eventually may well be worth the sacrifice if impunity is ended in Darfur."
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March 31 New York based Human Rights Watch: Historic Step Toward Justice. "The Security Council's action signals that those most responsible for mayhem and murder in Darfur will be brought to justice," said Richard Dicker, director of Human Rights Watch's International Justice Program.

"This historic step by the Security Council offers real hope of protection for people in Darfur." "We now look to the ICC prosecutor to respond swiftly and assume the responsibilities entrusted to him," said Dicker.  "The resolution's exemption is offensive, and it sets no precedent for the future," said Dicker. "We oppose this exemption giving non-ICC states exclusive jurisdiction over personnel they contribute to Security Council or African Union operations in Sudan."
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April 1 Ireland: UN votes to prosecute Sudan war crimes in world court. The US, which abstained with three other countries, got significant concessions yesterday, including ironclad guarantees it sought that Americans working in Sudan would not be handed over to either the ICC or any other nation's courts if they commit crimes in Sudan. The resolution refers Darfur cases since July 1, 2002, to the court - a move in line with the recommendation of a UN panel that had concluded in January that crimes against humanity - but not genocide - occurred in the vast western region of Sudan.
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April 1 News From Russia: The approval of UN resolution turned to stop a crisis in Darfur. The United States, which abstained with three other countries, won significant concessions, including ironclad guarantees it sought that Americans working in Sudan would not be handed over to either the ICC or any other nation's courts if they commit crimes in Sudan. Acting U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson said the United States still "fundamentally objects" to the court but was determined to get something done on Sudan, reports the Houston Chronicle.

According to ABC News, the document is the last of three Security Council resolutions aimed at putting pressure on Sudan to stop a crisis in Darfur, where the number of dead from a conflict between government-backed militias and rebels in c is now estimated at 180,000. The United States itself has declared genocide has occurred in Darfur and demanded swift action. A veto could have also been politically damaging exactly because of those American demands, and the impression that a veto would have made it look like the United States was stalling. The Bush administration had wanted an African court to try those accused of war crimes, but the U.S. proposal had little support among the 14 other Security Council nations. The U.S. decision to allow the court to prosecute war crimes perpetrators could raise hackles among conservatives for whom the court is an unaccountable body that cannot be trusted.
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April 1 Reuters report by Evelyn Leopold via Wired News: The resolution marked the first time the council referred a case to the ICC, which opened its doors a year ago. It is the first permanent global criminal court, set up try individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and mass human rights abuses.

The 11 "yes" votes came from France, Britain, Russia, Denmark, Greece, Argentina, Benin, Tanzania, Romania, the Philippines and Japan. The US stance, negotiated by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, represented a compromise, if not a switch in position. The Clinton administration had signed the 1998 Rome Treaty creating the court but the Bush administration rescinded the signature through a letter signed by John Bolton, the new US nominee for UN ambassador.

France and Britain gave each other credit for negotiating Thursday's resolution. French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere had initiated the text but left it to his British counterpart, Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, to sponsor it because of misgivings about the US exemption. Sudan's UN ambassador, Elfatih Erwa, said the resolution showed how the ICC was used as a weapon against poor nations and that "those with muscles can get whatever they want of exemptions."

The next step is for ICC prosecutors to begin investigations and report to the Security Council in June. They will be given a list of 51 names, drawn up by a UN panel of experts who reported to the Security Council in January.

Richard Dicker, counsel for Human Rights Watch and an expert on the ICC, said he expected the tribunal to prosecute only about 15 top offenders. The others, he said should be tried by Sudan but with international supervision.

"This is a historic step. The council has acted to provide real protection to the people of Darfur," Dicker said. "But it comes at a heavy price -- the unlawful exemption the US imposed on the referral."
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Quotation of the Day

Sudan's U.N. ambassador, Elfatih Erwa, said the resolution showed how the ICC was used as a weapon against poor nations and that "those with muscles can get whatever they want of exemptions." - extract from Reuters report April 1, 2005.

UN mandate under chapter seven allows UN-approved military intervention without the consent of a state

The Times reports that Clare Short, former British international development secretary, said on Wednesday that the debate about how war criminals should be prosecuted detracted from the more urgent question of how to stop the killings in Darfur.

"There's all this talk of UN resolutions, but there's a failure to act, to give a big enough force powers to stop the killing," she said.

"The UK should immediately be calling for a UN mandate under chapter seven (of the UN charter that allows UN-approved military intervention without the consent of a state) so that the African Union force can be much longer, and much larger," Ms Short said.

"We're focusing on that, not because the other things don't need doing, but let's do that first, and urgently."
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Steidle speaks to House of Commons meeting in London

The Times March 31 report excerpt:

Yesterday, Captain Brian Steidle, a former US marine officer attached to the African Union monitoring mission, who was a military observer in southern Darfur from last September until February, told a House of Commons meeting that he saw villages burnt to the ground, people who had been killed, evidence of torture - "people who had had their ears cut out, their eyes plucked out of their heads, men who had been castrated and left to bleed". He was in no doubt about the complicity of government forces in the attacks. He said that the Janjawid militia received weekly supplies of military equipment from the authorities. He found evidence that Sudanese helicopters fired anti-personnel rockets at civilian targets that contained flashettes, nail-size shrapnel designed to kill and maim.

Further excerpt:

Bringing successful prosecutions at the ICC will be far more difficult. The court, based in The Hague, was created less than three years ago and has yet to try a single case. It has a limited budget and no powers of arrest and will therefore rely on the international community to bring suspects to court. In January a UN inquiry into the Darfur violence produced a sealed envelope containing the names of 51 suspected war criminals. But Khartoum has shown clearly that it will not co-operate with any international criminal investigation.
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Rectitude for Darfur

The international community wants to see a deeper commitment by the Sudanese authorities to punish the perpetrators of human rights abuses in Darfur, writes Gamal Nkrumah in Al-Ahram Weekly.
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China to join UN peacekeeping in South Sudan

UPI report via World News Beijing, March 31, 2005:

China will send military and medical personnel to join U.N. peacekeeping operations in Sudan, the Foreign Ministry has announced. Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in a statement Wednesday that China would join the international community in helping bring peace and stability to Sudan.

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, voted on March 25 in favour of Resolution 1590, which authorised the deployment of peacekeeping forces in Sudan to implement a peace agreement.

Liu said his country would send military engineering, medical and transport teams, plus military observers, civilian policemen and political officials as part of the UN mission.
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Japan to offer $7 million to help remove land mines in Sudan

April 1, 2005 Tokyo - Japan will give the UN Mine Action Service a $7 million emergency grant to remove land mines in southern Sudan planted in decades-long conflicts, Japanese government sources said Thursday.

In addition, the Japanese government is considering sending demining experts to a peacekeeping operation the United Nations plans to launch in the African country, the sources said. (Kyodo News)

UK Protect Darfur Campaign calls for UN intervention in Darfur, Sudan

Today, an alliance of British MPs, human rights groups and survivors of the conflict in Darfur launched a campaign for bolder international intervention to stop the bloodshed.

Excerpt from today's Guardian UK:

More than 100 MPs and peers have signed a parliamentary statement calling for the UN to authorise peace-enforcement operations to be led by African Union troops, supported by wealthy countries.

The Protect Darfur campaign, which is being coordinated by the Aegis Trust a charity that campaigns to prevent genocide, was launched at the House of Commons.

Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat leader, and Clare Short, a former international development secretary, are among politicians from across all parties who are backing the campaign.

Mr Kennedy said political or economic interests could not be allowed to cause "further delay" to intervention in the region.

Ms Short said: "It would not be difficult to stop the killing - a much larger African Union force with peace enforcement powers could do it.

"Instead, the great powers squabble and posture in New York while another genocide is allowed to develop."

The launch of the campaign comes after the release of a report yesterday by the cross-party international development committee that the death toll in the region had been substantially underestimated and was likely to be around 300,000. This figure is more than four times higher than the fatalities estimated by the World Health Organisation.

A member of the international development committee, the Conservative MP John Bercow, said today: "Too many people in Darfur have suffered too much for too long with too little done about it.

"The international community must now act through the UN by imposing sanctions on the Sudanese government, extending the arms embargo and providing the African Union force with the troops and mandate necessary to enforce peace in the region."
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Gunmen ambush African Union monitors in South Darfur

Yesterday, there was news that two of the AU force had been attacked and wounded by unidentified gunmen on Tuesday near the town of Niteaga, northwest of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. Radhia Achouri, a UN official in Sudan, said two monitors and one Sudanese translator had been hurt in the attack. She did not know who had been responsible. AU monitors have already come under fire several times in Darfur. via (IRIN) March 30, 2005.