Darfur summit in Egypt to host leaders from Sudan and Libya

UPI report March 8, 2006 confirms Egypt will host leaders from Sudan and Libya in a three-way summit next week to address the ongoing crisis in Darfur ahead of the upcoming Arab summit to be held in Khartoum on March 28-29.

Leaders from the three north African countries met one month ago in Libya where they voiced collective opposition against plans to replace the current 7,800-strong African Union peacekeeping force with a U.N. mission.

Egyptian President on European Tour

Cairo, March 9, 2006 (BNA) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak left today for Rome within his European tour that will take him to Italy, Austria and Germany.

This tour came to contain important issues at the Arab and international levels. Mubarak will discuss during his tour the situation in Iraq and Palestine in addition to the developments in Darfur.

Khartoum to consider UN role in Darfur once peace agreement reached

News just in from Reuters says Sudan may consider allowing a UN mission into Darfur once a political settlement to the conflict in the area is reached, Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha said on Wednesday.

"If there is a political settlement then by way of providing guarantees to make the settlement hold, then we can look into the role of the UN," he told Reuters.

Update: Mar 9 2006 Reuters - Taha said Sudan could consider an unspecified UN role if peace talks with rebels being held in the Nigerian capital Abuja yielded a political settlement to the conflict. But Solana said that was too limited. "That goes a little bit too far, because that means he only will accept after the Abuja talks have given a result, but we cannot risk not to start with the planning if necessary in case the Abuja talks take longer," Solana told Reuters.

Dr Rod Pullen appointed as UK's Special Representative at Darfur peace talks in addition to Dr Alan Goulty

UK Foreign and Commonwealth Press Release March 8, 2006 reveals the Foreign Secretary today announced in a written statement to the Houses of Parliament that Dr Rod Pullen, a senior grade diplomat and experienced Ambassador who has spent much time in Africa, has been appointed as the UK's Special Representative at the Inter-Sudanese Peace Talks on Darfur. He took up his position on 6 March.

This appointment is a further indication of the British Government's commitment on this issue. It is in addition to that of Dr Alan Goulty, HMA Tunis, who will continue as the UK's Special Representative for Darfur. Dr Goulty will continue to focus primarily on pushing the parties to reach a comprehensive and viable agreement and on getting key regional players (especially Eritrea, Libya) and the international community on-side. He will continue to visit Sudan as necessary, in consultation with HMA Khartoum. He will also be expected to pay occasional visits to the Abuja talks, in consultation with Rod Pullen, if there is a particular requirement.

The Darfur Peace Talks are held under African Union mediation. The UK is a key international partner to the talks, and has maintained an observer at the talks in support of the AU since the beginning. In response to the unacceptably slow progress made by the parties to the Peace Talks, the UK has appointed Dr Pullen as its Special Representative.

Darfur: EU and partners will give AU all the support they need and produce a road map for their peace process

This sounds like good news. IRNA reports that European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana told reporters after a series of meetings held in Brussels today that, quote:

"We cannot maintain the situation in Darfur as it is now. We have to give to the African Union all the support they need. We have to produce a road map for their peace process."

Photo: Alpha Oumar Konare, Javier Solana and Louis Michel address a joint news conference after discussing the situation in Sudan, in Brussels March 8, 2006. (Reuters/ST).

Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice-President of Sudan, Robert B. Zoellick, US Deputy Secretary of State, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations attended the meetings.

Konare said he was very satisfied to see "that our partners will support the political process and the establishment of the road map."

Note, the meetings come a day ahead of the multi-national Sudan Consortium meeting to be hosted by the World Bank on Thursday in Paris to discuss the financial needs caused by the conflicts in Sudan.



Photo: Alpha Oumar Konare, Chairman of the African Union Commission is seen prior a meeting at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday 8 March 2006. The havoc in Darfur, in western Sudan, where some 400,000 people are reported to have been killed and more than two million displaced, is worsening at an alarming rate. The chaos has been spreading west into neighboring Chad for the past few years as more than 200,000 Sudanese have fled across the border from Darfur into eastern Chad. (EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET)

Sudan Tribune reports today that the above discussions were notably to focus on plans to the transfer to UN control of an African Union-run peacekeeping mission in the western region, torn by ethnic conflict since 2003.

"We are going ... to get very serious on Sudan," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on the eve of the talks.



As well as the continuing violence in Darfur, they were also discussing problems with Sudan's North-South peace agreement, in particular discord over oil revenues, as well as relations between Sudan and Chad.

"Peace in the whole of Sudan is vital, not only for this big country - the biggest in Africa - but also for the entire African continent and the Arab world," said Solana.

Update: VOA news - EU Offers Support to African Peace Efforts in Darfur.

African Union: Support UN Protection Force for Darfur (Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2006)

African Union: Support U.N. Protection Force for Darfur (Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2006): "African foreign ministers meeting in Addis Ababa on Friday should call for a transition of the African Union Mission in Darfur to a larger United Nations peacekeeping force with more resources to protect civilians from increasing attacks, Human Rights Watch said today." [via Coalition for Darfur, with thanks]

Southern Sudan: Khartoum Reneges on Promises (Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2006)

More than a year after the Sudanese government and southern-based rebels signed the peace agreement that ended their 21-year war, Sudan's ruling party has failed to undertake promised reforms that would help end human rights abuses throughout the country, Human Rights Watch said in a briefing paper released today. See Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2006 report: Southern Sudan: Khartoum Reneges on Promises. [via Coalition for Darfur with thanks]

South Sudan ceasefire violation: SAF ambush SPLA forces at Kharasana nr oil-rich Abyei, killing 12, wounding 26 soldiers

Reuters March 8, 2006 reports a ceasefire violation in South Sudan: SAF militia allied to Sudan's army killed up to 12 former southern rebel soldiers in the first clashes since the two sides signed a peace deal last year to end Africa's longest civil war, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior UN military source in Khartoum said the ambush, which happened at around midnight (2100 GMT), was being investigated by UN peace monitors in the oil-rich region of Abyei in central Sudan. The attack was in the town of Kharasana, about 40 km (25 miles) north of the regional capital Abyei town.

Note, South Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement does not cover separate conflicts in Sudan's east and the western Darfur region.

Sudanese students offers reward for head of UN envoy

What is the matter with these people? Perhaps the extract below [see Darfur: The dangerous game of Sudan's ruling party] related to the following article, gives some clues.

March 7, 2006 article from Khartoum at Sudan Tribune says in a new development of the continual mobilization against the UN takeover in Darfur, a pro-ruling party student organization said it would reward Pronk's head. Excerpt:

According to AL-Watan daily newspaper, president of the General Union of Sudanese Students Mohamed Abdallah Sheikh Idriss has announced a 100,000 US dollars' reward for the head of the UN representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk.

About 200 Sudanese students demonstrated on Tuesday urging the United Nations to leave their country and calling it a colonial force, days ahead of a decision to deploy U.N. troops to the violent Darfur region.

"This is our message to you Jan Pronk: Get out of our country, leave immediately," Sheikh Idriss, told the chanting crowd. Pronk is the top UN envoy in Sudan.

Sheikh Idriss warned that all the students of Darfur stood against any foreign intervention pointing out that in the universities of Khartoum alone there were more than 9,000 students, who were all time bombs ready to go off in the face of tyranny.

Photo: There is growing anger about the possible deployment of UN forces (BBC) - see today's news of protests over Darfur peacekeepers.
- - -

Darfur: The dangerous game of Sudan's ruling party

Excerpt from a related comment at Sudan Tribune dated March 6, 2006:

"The danger today is not international intervention but the very dangerous game played by the National Salvation Revolution leaders and their ruling National Congress Party (NCP) with the international community, which may lead to their own defeat and the country's destruction.

The scenario of this dangerous game began with voices rising from influential sides in the government warning that the transfer of the Darfur mission meant that Al-Qaidah would be involved and that the organization's members would infiltrate the region from nine fronts. This was followed by the inauguration of the so-called Darfur Jihad Organization, an armed group set up to resist intervention by foreign troops in coordination with, as its founding statement said, "all the Jihadist organizations on the Islamic arena".

Another organization, the Exterminator of Evil Forces was also created. The Sudanese Media Center (SMC), which is closely linked to the government, said to have received a statement from the group, in which the organization denied having links with Al-Qaidah. The Salvation government has created a conducive environment for the formation of such organization by calling for mobilization and jihad against the UN troops and announcing what was said to be "the one million men swearing the oath of death"."

Libya, US discuss relations and Darfur problem

Libya's LJBC News reports March 8, 2006 that Libya's Secretary of Cooperation Affairs at the Secretariat of Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation discussed with the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, the prospects of cooperation between the two countries.

During this meeting, attended by the director of European Department at the GPC for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation and the head of the American Liaison Office to Libya, the means of promoting this cooperation at different levels were addressed.

Jendayi Frazer praised the efforts made by Libya to find peaceful solutions to the problem in Darfur and eastern Sudan.

Libya and the US underlined the importance of finding a political fair solution to the Darfur issue through negotiations and dialogue among the disputing parties, in addition to continue support to the efforts made within the framework of the African Union.

Libya receives Sudanese Vice-President Ali Taha

Libya's LJBC News reports Mar 8, 2006 Libyan leader Col Gaddafi received on Tuesday evening, Ali Uthman Mohammed Taha, the Vice-President of Sudan.

Taha briefed Col Gaddafi on the latest developments concerning the problem in Darfur, which Sudanese President Al-Bashir has briefed the Libyan leader about its latest developments in his telephone call earlier Tuesday.

Libya's Secretary of AU Affairs at the GPC for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation attended the meeting.

EU pays for 60% of AU operation and could help further - EU, US push Sudan for UN mandate in Darfur

EU, AU and UN Sudan talks underway in Brussels. Reuters/WP report by Ingrid Melander, Mar 8, 2006 confirms EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Development Commissioner Louis Michel began a day of meetings with African Union and Sudanese leaders as well senior United Nations and US officials. Excerpt:

Talks kicked off with a working breakfast between Solana and the Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha. "Taha is a key player in the Sudanese government ... We hope he hears the message" on shifting to a UN mandate, an EU official said.

AFRICANS MUST PLAY A KEY ROLE

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, due to join the talks during the day, said he would push for a UN mission. "We believe that, to the maximum extent possible, the AU forces in Darfur should be incorporated into the UN mission in which Africans should play a key leadership role," Zoellick said in a statement before leaving Washington. "No one party can do it alone -- Africans must play a key role, the Government of National Unity in Sudan must assume responsibility, and the UN. must be active as well," he added.

NO EU BOOTS ON GROUND

At the Security Council's request, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has begun planning for a shift from a 7,000-strong AU force to a larger and better equipped UN mission for the troubled area. UN officials have sought NATO and EU support.

The African Union will meet on Friday in Addis Ababa to decide whether to hand its mission to UN command. Sudan has been lobbying AU states to reject this changeover.

The EU was also pressing the Sudanese authorities to inject new urgency into stalled negotiations with Darfur rebels in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the official said.

On the eve of the talks, Solana played down the possibility of European troops getting involved on the ground.

"I'm sure the Africans will prefer to do it themselves," he told a news conference in Innsbruck, Austria, on Tuesday, when asked if he expected European boots on the ground. "The African Union does not want any," Solana said, adding: "If it was the UN., it could be open. But it is very logical that the bulk of the force will be Africans."

He noted the EU already pays for 60 percent of the AU operation and could help further with strategic airlift, logistics and communications.

African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare was also to take part in Wednesday's talks along with Hedi Annabi, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. (Additional reporting by Mark John in Innsbruck)

See Mar 7 2006 EC Press Release - European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, will call all parties for more progress in the peace talks on Darfur, in a series of high level meetings with the UN, the African Union, the USA and the Sudanese Government, tomorrow in Brussels.

Protests over Darfur peacekeepers

Do the protests over Darfur peacekeepers not make you feel sick? Khartoum has a knack for gathering protestors to march against any move to protect the people of Darfur. Who are the protestors? Are they paid by Khartoum? Why do they (and Africans and Arabs elsewhere) never protest about the suffering of their brothers and sisters imprisoned in refugee camps many who are still dying from malnutrition, disease and attacks in their own country by fellow citizens.



Photo: Thousands of Sudanese protest against UN force (Reuters) by Opheera McDoom and Jilan Sherif Mar 8, 2006.

In a BBC report today, the BBC's Jonah Fisher says although 10,000 United Nations troops are being deployed to southern and eastern Sudan, the prospect of a UN mission in the west is unacceptable to many Sudanese. Excerpt:

Stirred up by violent rhetoric in Islamic newspapers, many thousands of people are expected to march to the UN headquarters.

Our correspondent says many believe their country's sovereignty is at stake, with the West eager to turn Sudan into another Iraq.

Death threats against Western diplomats have been published and militia groups have warned of a holy war.

Photo: AU soldier in Kalma Camp, South Darfur faces a crowd holding a placard saying "WE NEED INTERNATIONAL FORCE TO PROTECT US" (Courtesy flickr file of Andrew Heavens, a journalist based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia who authors Meskel Square blog)

Protestors included militias backed by Khartoum government

Mar 8 2006 UPI report at Washington Times:

Sudanese, shouting "Down, down, USA" and "Jihad, victory, martyrdom," marched through Khartoum protesting a United Nations plan to protect those in Darfur.

The protesters, numbering in the thousands, condemned a U.N. plan to take over peacekeeping operations in the Darfur region, where violence has already killed more than 200,000 civilians and made about 2 million others homeless.

The marchers included militias backed by the Khartoum government, the BBC reports. Currently, a 7,000-man force of the African Union is involved in peacekeeping efforts, but the force is facing financial problems.

The BBC report said Sudan has vowed to leave the AU if the body allows the United Nations to take over to end the violence. Many of those opposed to the plan accuse the West of wanting to turn Sudan into another Iraq.

- - -

Mar 8 2006 Coalition for Darfur points to a report by Reuters that says, quote:

"The protestors handed a statement to UN offices demanding the immediate eviction of the top UN envoy in Sudan, Jan Pronk. Sudanese women bearing kalashnikovs joined the march, declaring their readiness to fight foreign troops.

The defense minister also rallied troops against intervention at a military demonstration in Khartoum.

"Jihad, victory, martyrdom," the soldiers chanted. "Our martyrs are in heaven, and we are ready," said Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein."

AU regrets Sudan's press campaign against AU troops

Sudanese press is not alone in denigrating the role of the African peacekeeping force in Darfur. It is happening in the western media too. AU soldiers deserve praise and medals, not unfair criticism for failing to stop a war.



Photo: African Union soldier at Kalma camp for internally displaced people near Nyala, southern Darfur, Sudan (by journalist Andrew Heavens at Meskel Square blog)

The AU's mandate in Darfur reduces its soldiers to act as monitors, not a protection force with Chapter VII mandate. Given the shortage of equipment and resources they have to work with, they are doing an excellent job and proving themselves to be great ambassadors of their home countries.



Photo: African Union soldier on parade outside his base at Nyala, southern Darfur, Sudan (Courtesy Andrew Heavens)

An AU spokesman says AMIS is the biggest mission ever mounted by the African Union since its inception, comprising more than seven thousand African men and women, who are proud to demonstrate African solidarity with the people of the Sudan. They have been performing their duties in the best manner possible, making great sacrifices on behalf of Africa. See Sudan Tribune article Mar 7 2006.



Photo: African Union troops parade in Nyala, southern Darfur, Sudan (Courtesy Andrew Heavens)

Note, the above article says some officials in Khartoum were recently quoted by the local press as saying that AMIS was causing the spread of the AIDS epidemic and carrying out Christianization activities in Darfur.



Photo: African Union soldier at Kalma camp for internally displaced people near Nyala, southern Darfur, Sudan (Courtesy Andrew Heavens)

Sudan, Egypt, Libya to hold new Darfur talks

AFP Mar 8, 2006 reports Sudanese President Bashir is to hold a new mini-summit on the Darfur crisis with his Egyptian and Libyan counterparts ahead of an Arab summit in Khartoum later this month, presidential advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail said Tuesday. Excerpt:

"The summit shall be convened before the Arab summit and it may be held either in Cairo or Tripoli," Ismail told reporters after Cairo talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Ahead of the meeting, he had said he expected the mini-summit to be convened within 48 hours. But afterwards he did not elaborate on how soon before the March 28-29 summit it would go ahead.

The three leaders already met in Misrata, Libya on Febraury 28 and voiced strong opposition to Western plans to replace an African Union force in Darfur with UN peacekeepers. Ismail Tuesday reiterated Khartoum's strong opposition to the plans. "Sudan’s position on this issue is clear, and that is that the AU forces should remain in Darfur and carry on their duties," he said."

Photo: Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi (C) receives Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (L) and Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir (R) as Libya hosts a two-day summit of African leaders on finding peace in Darfur, on May 16, 2005.

Mar 8, 2006 AngolaPress reports Egypt to host three-way summit on Darfur. Excerpt:

CAIRO,03/08 - Leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Libya will hold a three-way summit here next week to discuss the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region, the official MENA news agency reported on Tuesday.

"A three-way consultative summit grouping Egypt, Libya and Sudan is to be held here (Cairo) next week," Sudanese presidential adviser Moustafa Othman Ismail was quoted as saying.

Ismail said that the three countries agreed to meet ahead of the upcoming Arab summit slated to be held in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on March 28-29.

Sudanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Samani al-Wasila al-Sheikh on Tuesday reiterated his country's opposition to the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops in Darfur.

"The best solution to the problem is to provide more material and logistic aid to the African Union peacekeeping troops to help them carry out the mission," al-Wasila told the Cairo-based "Voice of the Arabs" radio by telephone from Khartoum.

EU to hold talks with international officials on Darfur

AP Mar 7, 2006 reports European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will hold a series of meetings Wednesday with officials from the US, African Union and Sudan on how to advance international efforts to solve the conflict in Darfur, his office said. Excerpt:

The talks at EU headquarters will focus on how key donors like the EU and the United States can help spur peace talks between the Darfur rebels and the Sudanese government, his office said in a statement Tuesday.

Officials said Solana would hold talks with Deputy US Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, Sudan's Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the AU's Commission.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Hedi Annabi also is to attend the round of talks aimed at keeping peace efforts alive. Peace talks between Darfur rebels and Sudanese officials in Abuja, Nigeria, are "crucial," the EU said.

"Only a political solution, based on mutual concessions by all sides, will enable this region to stabilize and its people to regain their confidence so that the displaced persons and refugees can return home," it said in the statement.

The Brussels talks also are expected to focus on ensuring that oil revenues are fairly split among ethnic groups in Sudan.

The AU's peacekeeping mandate expires at the end of March. On Friday, ministers are to discuss whether the AU should hand over the mission to the U.N. with the AU mission is quickly running out of funds.

The UN Security Council recommended on Feb 3 that the United Nations start planning to take over peacekeeping in Darfur. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has urged major powers to take part, saying an expanded force will need the kind of assets only a highly capable military can provide. (ST/AP)

International Men's Day 8 March 2006 - If men are raped they need four female witnesses to support charge

Excerpt from The Secretary-General's remarks on International Women's Day:

The theme of this year's International Women's Day -- the role of women in decision-making -- is central to the advancement of women around the world, and to the progress of humankind as a whole.

As the Beijing Declaration tells us, "women's empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making process and access to power, are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace."

More than ten years after the Beijing Declaration, we still have far to go in ensuring that half the world's population takes up its rightful place in the world's decision-making.

Yeah sure, whatever. How ridiculous would it sound for men to need an International Men's Day?



Photo via Photo via Congo Watch: Sexual abuse by men continues and women take brunt of human rights abuse.

Women and girls faced "horrific" levels of abuse in 2004 worldwide, Amnesty International said in its annual human rights review, blaming widespread rape and violence on a mix of "indifference, apathy and impunity". What has changed since 2004? Not a lot.

Hey guys - especially the ones in Khartoum - celebrate International Women's Day by reading The Crushing Burden of Rape Sexual Violence in Darfur.



And read about the janjaweed rape babies.

If you are a woman in Darfur who has been raped and you want to lay a charge, it is virtually certain that legal officers will automatically reduce your allegation to one of assault. If you persevere with your rape accusation, you will be told to do the impossible and provide four male witnesses to support your charge. As a result, sexual violence goes almost totally unpunished and is one of the biggest violations of women's rights in Darfur. Good eh? Well done chaps.

NATO rules out troop presence in Darfur

AP report Mar 7, 2006 saying NATO rules out troop presence in Darfur is no different from what NATO has been saying all along over the past year. Excerpt:

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer ruled out on Monday sending troops from the western military alliance to Sudan's strife-torn Darfur province. De Hoop Scheffer said he believed that NATO could help in the region during the transition phase from an African Union operation to one led by the United Nations but only with a clear UN mandate.

"Then we can discuss a NATO role, which I do see in the enabling sphere and not the boots of troops on the ground," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of EU defence ministers in Innsbruck, Austria.

Update: Mar 7 2006 (PoTP) Jones: NATO not asked to intervene in Sudan - NATO officials have not been asked to prepare for taking a greater role in Darfur, despite widespread calls for more Western military support to stop the ethnic violence there, the alliance's commander told lawmakers Tuesday.

Libya sets up surveillance groups on Chad-Sudan borders

Report from AngolaPress Tripoli, Libya, March 6, 2006:

The African ministerial committee on the Chad-Sudan crisis has agreed in Tripoli to set up surveillance groups on the common borders of the two countries, Libyan Foreign Minister Abderrahman Chalgham has said.

Speaking at the end of the committee meeting in the Libyan capital Friday, Chalgham said the groups and military commissions would start soon.



The ministerial committee is to hold another meeting before the end of this month, he added.

The Libyan official said the decision to set up the control groups followed a report by the African Union (AU) Commissioner for peace and security, Said Djinnit.

He also explained that the committee identified 10 positions for surveillance, five on each of the two countries` borders, as well as the States expected to form the control groups and the mechanisms for their operation.

Chalgam described the Tripoli meting as "constructive, sincere and detailed," resulting in "practical" decisions to be translated into concrete actions on the ground.

In addition to Djinnit, Foreign Ministers or their representatives from Chad, Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, and Burkina Faso's Youssouf Ouedraogo, current chairman of the executive council of the Community of the Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), also attended the Tripoli meeting.

The ministerial committee was set up by a recent African mini-summit convened by the Libyan leader, Colonel Moammar Kadhafi, on the Chad-Sudan crisis.

Darfur rebels derail peace talks - Sudan's VP to attend

Opheera McDoom (Reuters) 6 March 2006 says the SLA rebel split is likely to stall African Union-sponsored peace talks, just as other rebel divisions have helped derail six previous rounds of talks. Infighting has destabilised security in Darfur, where rape, killing and looting has forced 2 million people from their homes to miserable camps:

The head of the African Union mission in Sudan, Baba Gana Kingibe, said the group was powerful and had put the brakes on the AU-mediated talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha is to travel to the talks to raise the stakes and expedite a deal, state-owned press reported on Sunday. Note, Mr Taha is due in Brussels tomorrow to discuss Darfur.

New split looms against Darfur rebels' SLM leader Nur

Here we go again. Whenever the Darfur peace talks reach a critical stage, trouble starts brewing in northeastern Sudan and the Sudanese rebels create a split. Darfur's rag bag army of rebels seem too hot headed and uneducated to be capable of discipline and responsibility. Give them an inch and they take a mile. No wonder they have been ruled by the stick for so long. They need someone with vision like John Garang to lead them by the nose and hold things together. The only joiner I can think of, who speaks their language in more ways than one, is Libyan leader Col Gaddafi.

Meanwhile in Darfur, anarchy reins, defenceless Sudanese women and children continue to suffer, and time ticks on while the dirt poor children grow up during war without receiving an education.

Mar 5, 2006 Sudan Tribune article says in a move justified by their opposition to the conclusion of a deal between their leader Abelwahid Mohmaed al-Nur and the Sudanese government, a 19 member group from the leadership of rebel group SLM decided to freeze the powers of Nur as chairman of the SLM. Excerpt:

"For his part, Abdelwahid said the 19 group is not qualified to take such decision, he also reiterated his decision to end the coordination with the other rebel groups which have been negotiating as a unified Front.

This is the second division within the SLM. After a conference convened in Haskanita, a rebel-held town in North Darfur state, the SLM is divided to two factions, Minawi faction and Abdelwahid faction.

These divisions will complicate the task of the AU Mediation team in Abuja. Also, it will conduct international community to make more pressures on the rebel group during the talks."

Sudanese Vice President Ali Taha to visit Brussels

March 5, 2006 Bahrain News Agency reports Sudan's Vice President, Ali Othamn Mohammed Taha will visit Brussels next Tuesday for talks on Darfur with senior EU officials.

Sudan orders two US aid agencies to withdraw from Beja area, northeastern Sudan near Eritrea border

March 5, 2006 Associated Press says the Sudanese government has ordered the only two international charity groups to withdraw from the Beja area. No reason given.

Update 8 Mar 2006 (Reuters) Aid agency denies reports it was expelled from Sudan.



Photo: Beja people collect water in the rebel-controlled area of eastern Sudan, near the border with Eritrea June 4, 2005. (Reuters). The Beja Congress is an exiled group representing numerous eastern Sudan tribes. Last year, an alliance signed an accord with the Sudanese government to end its 16-year low-intensity conflict and support a separate peace deal that ended the 21-year southern civil war. The Beja group, however, rejected the accord, saying it failed to meet its demands for a share of wealth and power in the northeastern region.

Eritrea-Ethiopia border dispute

March 5, 2006 Strategy Page Someone Is Eventually Going to Lose says: "No good news here. Ethiopia is still mired in ethnic and political disputes that cannot be settled peacefully. Neighboring Eritrea has become a police state, and is demanding that Ethiopia back off in a border dispute. Neither nation can afford another round of warfare over the disputed border town of Badme. But the governments in both countries have pledged their political futures to getting Badme. Someone is eventually going to lose."

Further reading:

Mar 1 2006 Britain to host talks in London re Ethiopia and Eritrea border dispute

Mar 1 2006 Lift ban on helicopter flights, Annan tells Eritrea

Mar 3 2006 Feb 2006 UN report says Eritrea, Libya, Chad supply arms to Darfur rebels

The 21st century's most explosive commodity will be . . . WATER

There's plenty of it to meet the world's needs but too much of our supply is in the wrong places says a report at thebusinessonline.com by Allister Heath 5 March 2006, copied in full at Ethiopia Watch, for future reference: The 21st century's most explosive commodity will be . . . WATER

Note Feb 28 2006 Water to spark future wars: UK.

Jan 12 2006 Sudan's Chinese backed Merowe Dam is for the greater benefit of Sudan



Photo: South Sudanese drinks - via Sudan Watch Feb 23 2006 Drilling for Sudan's drinking water is more important than drilling for oil - handpumps are on the frontline of peacebuilding.

Gaddafi receives Darfur rebels' JEM president Khalil Ibrahim

LJBCNews 5 Mar 2006 reports Col Gaddafi received Saturday evening the Head of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in Darfur, Dr Khalil Ibrahim. Excerpt:

Dr Khalil Ibrahim informed the Leader of the latest developments in the region and the reconciliation process among different parties.

The Head of Justice and Equality Movement renewed his deep appreciation of the tireless and constant efforts made by the Leader with all sides to solve the problem in Darfur region and to consolidate peace and security there, underlining the dire need to continue these efforts made by the Leader who enjoys the trust and appreciation of all parties in the region and in Sudan in general.

Photo: Khalil Ibrahim, President JEM rebel group - via Sudan Watch archive Jan 20 2006 Darfur rebel SLM-JEM announce new alliance

AU, UN envoys discuss progress of Darfur peace talks and convening of the Joint Commission

Sudan Tribune reports on Mar 4, 2006 the AU Special Envoy for Darfur and Chief Mediator Salim Ahmed Salim, discussed the progress of the Darfur peace talks with UN Special Envoy Jan Pronk, currently on a visit to Abuja:

The two sides agreed on the urgency of convening a meeting of the Joint Commission, which had not met since October 2005, to enable the Sudanese Parties to examine the gravely deteriorating security situation and assume full responsibility for the repeated ceasefire violations.

Salim, expressed the determination of the AU Mediation to ensure that the present Round of Talks comes to a conclusion as soon as possible within the next few weeks.

Darfur rebel group JEM looking for trouble (again)

While the Darfur peace talks continue, JEM, one of the two main rebel groups in Darfur issue a Press Release 5 March 2006. Signed by Ahmed Husain Adam, it claims five waves of army/janjaweed battalions are now on the move, JEM are closely monitoring these military moves and will strike back at the appropriate time.

All-inclusive Darfur Conference - UN force in Darfur only upon AU request - Pronk

At long last, there is news today of an all-inclusive Darfur conference. I seem to recall that a few years ago, militia leaders were invited to peace talks but they did not turn up. Seems they were afraid of being attacked or arrested.

Surely this time might be different, especially after two years of Col Gaddafi's effort behind the scenes to broker peace for Darfur. He seems gifted at drawing people together and speaks their language, in more ways than one.

Today, a British reader posted a comment at Sudan Watch rightly noting:

"Libya has seen attempts by the Arab League and the AU to solve the crisis in Darfur fail in the past. Multi-party conferences took place in 2004 and 2005. In 2005, for example, the summit participants included the Egyptian President, the Libyan leader, the Nigerian President (also the AU chairman), the Sudanese President, the Eritrean President, and the Chadian President. Also attending was the Arab League Secretary General and representatives from a number of regional organizations. However two main Darfur rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement, chose to stay away.

"Leaders from Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Nigeria and Chad voiced opposition to foreign interference in Darfur, stressing the issue should be solved within the AU framework."

But what is different this time is, the warring parties are under pressure from the UN and facing sanctions, travel bans, ICC inquiries and donor funding for development. Who knows, as an incentive to agree a ceasefire with the next few weeks they may even be offered ICC immunity and the role of UN troops in Darfur may be along the lines of the UN peacekeeping force agreed for South Sudan as part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed January 2005.

Sudan Tribune article Mar 4, 2006 quotes UN envoy Jan Pronk as saying UN force in Darfur will only be upon AU request. Excerpt:

In a press statement after his meeting with the head of the government delegation in Abuja, Majdhub al-Khalifah, Pronk said talks on whether to hand over the AU's mission in Darfur to the UN should be held after the African Peace and Security Council meeting on 10 March.

Pronk said his meeting with Majzoub al-Khalifah tackled the importance of an all-inclusive Darfur conference, which required the participation of all the sons of Darfur, including the armed movements, the civil administrations and political parties.

Pronk said the meeting also discussed ways to stop militias attacking civilians pointing out that attacks were still continuing.

Salva Kiir to lead Sudanese delegation to donors conference in Paris

Sudan's First Vice-President, Salva Kiir, is to head the government delegation for the Second Donors Conference, scheduled in Paris on 8, 9 March, reports Sudan Tribune March 5, 2006.

Sudan's State Minister, Tilar Deng, described as important the meeting on Saturday concerning the oil revenues and he announced that the committee for the demarcation of the borders is due to meet within a period of one week to continue its tasks and to determine the locations of the oil fields.

See Feb 27 2006 Sudan to adopt new method on sharing of oil revenue.

The Economist: Chad - The danger of war spilling over

THE mayhem in Darfur, in western Sudan, where some 400,000 people may have been killed and 2m-plus displaced, is worsening. The misery is spreading west into neighbouring Chad, unhinging that country and threatening a proxy war with Sudan. What can be done?

Read the rest from The Economist print edition March 2, 2006.

Arab FMs meet to prepare for Arab summit in Khartoum

Arab foreign ministers or their reps started a two-day meeting at the Arab League HQ in Cairo on Saturday to prepare for an upcoming Arab summit slated for March 28-29 in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. Full article (China Broadcast) 4 Mar 2006.

Note how low on their agenda is Darfur.

King Abdullah receives phone call from Sudanese President

EIN News 4 Mar 2006 headline says "King Abdullah receives phone call from Sudanese President" but article is accessible by subscription only. More later, if I can find it.

Note Sudan is threatening to pull out of AU. Khartoum is due to host an Arab League summit at the end of this month.

Mar 30 2000 Arabic News - King Abdullah of Jordan received Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman Muhammad Taha and members of the accompanying delegation.

Jun 5 2005 Arab League chief tours Darfur - Sudan urges Arabs to support Darfur mission - SPLMs Garang leaves Egypt for Washington

Dec 25 2005 Sudanese official nominated as Arab League envoy in Iraq

Feb 22 2006 King receives invitation from Sudanese President to Arab Summit in Khartoum

Mar 2 2006 Al-Ahram Egypt: "There were some question marks here and there about whether or not Sudan is up to hosting the summit but now the issue is not being questioned," commented one Arab diplomat.

Mar 3 2006 Opinion piece by a Sudanese residing in Canada - Uganda's Museveni is the best choice for South Sudan

Arab Women Can Power Peace

Excerpt from Arab News op-ed Arab Women Can Power Peace:

Politicians have failed to bring about peace in many parts of the world. The Arab world in particular has suffered the most. There are many reasons behind the failed diplomacy. One of them is the absence of women in negotiations for peace.

The Jeddah Economic Forum this year focused more on the global role of women and their contributions to economic change. Women delegates presented the future vision of women and emphasized the importance of engaging women as builders of society and promoters of peace.

Wake up guys, it's time there were more women at top level peace negotiations. Mother knows best.

Russian peacekeepers to arrive in Sudan by end-April 2006

As reported here a few months ago, Russian peacekeepers will go to Southern Sudan to take part in the UN-led peacekeeping operation in the country as part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAP). Sudan Tribune 3 Mar 2006 reports the Russian air force will start airlifting Russian peacekeepers to Sudan in April, Army Gen Vladimir Mikhaylov, Russian air force commander-in-chief, told Interfax-Military News Agency 3 March. Excerpt:

"The advance task force will be taken to Sudan after 20 April," Mikhaylov said.

The task force will include representatives of all services who will prepare everything for accommodation of the main force, slated to be airlifted from 11 to 30 May.

The task force to be sent to Sudan from Russia will operate four Mi-8MTV helicopters, and 120 servicemen, fully armed and equipped. Also, over 100 tons of cargo and about 20 vehicles are to be airlifted.

Il-76, An-22 and An-124 Ruslan aircraft will make about 40 flights to airlift the task force with all required equipment and weapons, Mikhaylov said.

The Russian peacekeepers in Sudan will be a self-sustained force. Therefore, they will bring along all things required, including airfield equipment, engineering equipment, water purification and storage equipment and so on.

The airmen and technicians are now undergoing a training course in the 344th Torzhok army aviation training centre. The helicopters are being adjusted to meet UN requirements, Mikhaylov said.

Cholera kills 101 in South Sudan - 5,441 infected - UN

Red Cross and Red Crescent call for aid to fight cholera in south Sudan, reports AFP Mar 3, 2006.

A cholera epidemic in south Sudan has killed 101 people among 5,441 cases in past month and the water-borne disease is spreading, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

The outbreak at the town of Yei is "under control" but continues to rage in the regional capital Juba where 100-150 new cases are reported each day, down from a peak of 400 new cases a day, according to the UN agency.

"There is still a huge epidemic in Juba. We are also concerned that cholera has spread to areas surrounding the two towns," Claire-Lise Chaignat, WHO's global cholera coordinator, told Reuters.



Feb 23 2006 Drilling for Sudan's drinking water is more important than drilling for oil - waterpumps are on the frontline of peacebuilding.

Salva Kiir, Archbishop of Canterbury discuss peace process

The first vice-president Salva Kiir yesterday met the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams in Juba and the delegation accompanying him.

The meeting was attended by the governor of Bahr al Jabal State, Clement Wani Konga, the Sudanese radio reported.

Kiir welcomed the delegation and gave a briefing on the progress of the implementation of the peace agreement, expressing his appreciation for their visit to southern Sudan and their concern for peace. Full article (ST).

Eyewitness to the war in Sudan writes account in new book

Oxford, UK (PRWEB) March 4, 2006 -- Sudan's Painful Road to Peace written by Arop Madut Arop, a renowned Sudanese journalist who has had unparalleled access to key players in Sudan's conflict (1983-2005). Available to order online at BookSurge.com, Amazon.com, Borders.com.

Give peace a chance - Sending UN into Darfur is no solution - Janjaweed will be very tough to stop by force alone

How can there be peace in Sudan if the tribal leaders are not part of the peace talks? Who disarms first, the rebels or the Janjaweed?

Eric Reeves' warmongering opinion piece and the latest news reports of Americans demanding that NATO troops be sent to Darfur I find rather worrying. I agree with Julie Flint's opinion piece in The Daily Star Lebanon, March 4, 2006, in which she says "keep it on hold while peace is given a chance".

Julie Flint op-ed - Sending UN into Darfur is no solution at all - excerpt:

"To protect the people of Darfur and get them home will require far, far more troops than anyone is currently prepared to offer or fund. Even if powerful countries put their money where their mouth is - and there is little sign of that at present - it is highly improbable that any force, whether UN, NATO, or AU, or a combination of all three, will be able to do anything but keep a peace that is agreed between the parties.

Darfur is tribal, and the tribes have to be part of the solution. The concerns of the Arab nomad tribes must be addressed, along with the longstanding mistrust of the Zaghawa - heightened since the war began by the abusive behavior of many of Minawi's forces. There are those in the American administration who have been urging a loya jirga-type meeting with the genuine representatives of the people of Darfur in the driving seat rather than the principals currently in Abuja, but they have not been heeded. Neither have those in the UN concerned that the organization's humanitarian staff and humanitarian operations may be penalized if a UN army is sent in without Khartoum's blessing. With Khartoum's blessing, of course, any UN force would be a toothless beast that would be little or no improvement on the AU.

Dialogue may not work, and unless real pressure is brought to bear on Khartoum, it will not even get off the ground. Plan for a bigger, braver mission in the event that it fails. But keep it on hold while peace is given a chance. The Janjaweed warriors, armed with a racist ideology and still backed by the Sudanese government, will be very tough to stop by force alone."

UNHCR - Chad/Sudan: Flight both ways; Central Africans moved away from border

Excerpt from a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond at the press briefing, on 3 March 2006, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva:

Population movements in both directions along the insecure Chad/Sudan border are continuing, with some 100-125 Sudanese refugees now arriving at Gaga camp in eastern Chad every day. On Tuesday, we reported that in a worrisome new development Chadians were also fleeing to Darfur because of insecurity in Chad. So now we've got refugees going in both directions in this increasingly volatile region. In eastern Chad, since January, a total of 3,600 new arrivals have been recorded at Gaga camp, with 1,500 arriving in February alone. UNHCR teams report that two-thirds of the new arrivals are from villages located on both sides of the Chad-Sudan border, around the Chadian town of Adre. The rest have travelled from camps for internally displaced people in western and southern Darfur.

March 3, 2006 UN News Centre report explains that Gaga camp, which has a capacity for 20,000 refugees, now has a population of 10,000. Some 200,000 refugees who have fled Darfur since 2003 live in 12 refugee sites in eastern Chad.



Oxfam Photo: A water distribution point in Gaga camp, Chad where Oxfam engineers built the water system.

See Oxfam Helps Set Up Gaga, a New Refugee Camp

Feb 3 2006 New Janjaweed attacks force more Darfuris into Chad camps

Sudan might pull out of AU - Sudan restructures armed forces

Sudan is a member of both the African Union and Arab League. Sudan's president recently failed in his bid to chair the African Union. Now, a Sudanese minister says his country might pull out of the African Union if the AU's Peace and Security Council approves replacement of the AU force in Darfur with a UN force, Aljazeera reports March 3, 2006. Excerpt:

Alsammani al-Wasilla, Sudan's minister of state for foreign affairs, has reiterated Khartoum's rejection of the proposal for deployment of international troops in Darfur, Aljazeera's correspondent in Khartoum said on Friday.

Powers to army

In an apparently unrelated development, the Sudanese army has introduced major changes to the structure of the armed forces, creating for the first time a joint chiefs of staff command, Aljazeera reports.

The new changes grant more powers to the Defence Ministry to assume full responsibility for strategic planning for the country's defence policy.

"The changes were inevitable in order to upgrade the combat and defence capabilities of the armed forces to protect the country's borders against external threats," Abdul Rahim Mohammed Hussein, the Sudanese defence minister, said.

US Senate approves proposal to send NATO troops to Sudan's Darfur

Focus News Agency March 3, 2006 says US Senate approved proposal NATO troops to be sent to Darfur AFP informs.

"President Bush must start cooperating immediately with African Union leadership and our NATO partners because we have decided to take up the task to stop the violence in Darfur. People there can't wait anymore someone to send UN forces", Senator Joseph Biden stated. The Senate's decision must be approved by George Bush before it can be executed.

Mar 3 2006 AP report
Mar 3 2006 Press Release from Sen. Biden Coalition for Darfur
Mar 3 2006 Sudan Tribune US Senate calls for NATO involvement in Darfur peacekeeping

UN, US discuss no-fly zone for Darfur - US and other powers should provide air cover for peacekeepers, Annan says

Extracts from Washington Post report by Colum Lynch March 2, 2006:

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the US that UN members should consider providing close air support in possible combat situations for several thousand AU troops in Darfur.

The UN is also requesting that governments with advanced militaries supply the African troops with sophisticated logistical and intelligence support and aircraft for ferrying troops around the province.

The Bush administration has sent four military planners to New York to help the UN plan for the transition. US officials say the military will likely airlift troops to Darfur and provide the mission with logistical and intelligence support.

One US military official involved with Africa said the Pentagon is considering ways to assist in Darfur but that the African Union would have to remain in the lead for now. "No final decisions have been made," the official said.

The official said the administration and the UN are in discussions about enforcing a UN ban on flights by the Sudanese aircraft that have been used in attacks on villages and rebels in Darfur. "What's been talked about is imposing a no-fly zone," he said.

Bolton, meanwhile, has distributed a paper to council members with elements for a Security Council resolution authorizing a new UN mission. The paper calls for the protection of civilians under threat and for the enforcement of a ban on offensive air flights by the Sudanese air force over Darfur. It would also provide authority to carry out preemptive strikes against groups that pose a threat.

Staff writer Ann Scott Tyson in Washington contributed to this report.

AU, EC meeting today underlined urgent need for Darfur peace deal - EU's African Peace Facility fund supports AMIS

African Union press release March 1, 2006 via AllAfrica March 2, 2006 - excerpt:

As regards Darfur, the meeting underlined the urgent need for a rapid and successful conclusion to the Abuja Talks. The EU called for a quick resolution on the future of AMIS, including a possible transition to the UN, as will be considered at the proposed Ministerial Meeting of the Peace and Security Council on 10 March 2006.

The meeting took note of the difficulty of sustaining funding for AMIS, including through the existing African Peace Facility resources, which will expire shortly. The EU indicated its willingness to continue its support to AMIS within the framework of the resolution referred to above.

Update: March 3 2006 AngolaPress EU wants AMIS placed under UN command

Aboul Gheit, Egyptian FM, says Darfur peace agreement must be reached before international troops are deployed

In a meeting with the British envoy to Darfur, Alan Goulty, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Wednesday Africa must keep the main responsibility of restoring peace in Darfur, reports AP March 1, 2006:

"Aboul Gheit added that those involved in the conflict must reach a peace agreement before international forces are deployed, Egypt's Foreign Ministry statement said.

Solving Darfur's problems must be based on "a political settlement accepted by all sides and backed by wide popular support within the framework of a unified Sudan," the statement quoted Aboul Gheit as saying." (ST)

John Bolton, US Ambassador to the UN, says the term Darfur "genocide" sounds right

Opinion piece March 1, 2006 by James Forsyth at The New Republic Online - reprinted at Sudan Tribune - excerpt:

John Bolton is nothing if not direct. So it was unsurprising that when Time magazine asked him recently whether genocide is "the right term for what's happening" in Darfur, he gave a blunt response: "Sounds right to me."

Also note, US Department of State report at ReliefWeb March 1, 2006: US envoy Bolton sees critical need for UN peacekeepers.

Sir Emyr Jones Parry, UK Ambassador to the UN, urges Sudan, AU to back UN force for Darfur

AFP report March 1, 2006 says Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry urged Khartoum and the African Union (AU) not to reject a plan to replace the AU force in Darfur with a robust, Western-backed UN force. Excerpt:

"We would like to see the AU take a decision imminently to actually say we carried the burden, we carried it with dignity and that at this stage the best plan would be for the United Nations to take over that operation," Jones Parry said.

"The AU is certainly sending mixed signals at the moment but the previous report (in January) was unequovical that this should be handed over (to the UN)," Jones Parry told reporters here.

"The best thing the African Union and the government of Sudan can do in the next week or so is to agree the handover so that the whole resources of the UN can be mobilized to actually improve the situation in Darfur which has deteriorated recently" both in security and humanitarian terms, he added.

Gereida, South Darfur - "I know how many women and children have been killed. That is ethnic cleansing, and it should stop," UN envoy Pronk declared

An informative IRIN report on the towns of Gereida, Shaeria and Mershing in South Darfur, 2 March 2006, reveals many interesting details, ie the SLA's illegal occupation of Gereida is a constant source of provocation says the AU, and Gereida is now home to more than 90,000 displaced people. On reading IRIN's report, one can't help wondering about the oil found in South Darfur. Excerpt:

The perimeter of Gereida town in South Darfur is rapidly expanding outward, with row after row of makeshift shelters filling the plains adjacent to the town.

The general security situation around Gereida has deteriorated rapidly due to clashes between the Fallata and the Massalit, and has drawn in other communities as well. It has led to casualties and displacement of civilians in more than 20 villages surrounding the town.

The African Union (AU) announced that Gereida was home to nearly 90,000 IDPs, one of the largest concentrations in Darfur.

"It is not just the number that is a problem, it is the rate at which it has been increasing," said Lt-Col Barukinamwo Canisius, AU commander in Gereida.



Photo: Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) fighters on patrol near Gereida, South Darfur, Western Sudan (Derk Segaar/IRIN)

The Sudanese government reportedly armed Fallata and other Arab militia to fight the Massalit, who are accused of supporting the rebel SLA. The rebel movement, too, has violated the ceasefire, having moved troops into Gereida in March 2005, despite a November 2004 agreement to demilitarise the town.

"The continued illegal occupation of Gereida by the SLA is a constant source of provocation," said Baba Gana Kingibe, head of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS).

"The SLA must abide by the decision of the Joint Commission for Gereida to be demilitarised and neutralised, and thus pave the way for AMIS to establish a presence as was done in other similarly contested towns like Labado, Marla, and Ishma," Kingibe added.

A community leader noted, however, that the Massalit had opposed the decision to demilitarise Gereida. As they had expected, the AU had not been able to provide sufficient protection, and the SLA was providing security instead, "for the time being".

"We are here to protect the citizens, on the invitation of the people of Gereida," said Col Mubarrak Hamed Ali, SLA commander of Gereida, on 25 February. "Without the SLA, Gereida would already have been turned into ashes."

The colonel pointed out that the Sudanese government had officially agreed to disarm the Arab militia, known as the Janjawid. As long as no such effort was being made - and the government continued to arm militia and incite attacks - the SLA could not be asked to stop protecting their people.

"This is not a tribal problem, it is an effort to take over Gereida," he noted.

"The area has experienced sustained Janjawid attacks since December, resulting in the killing of 300 members of the Massalit," said AU commander Canisius. "The recent attacks pose a serious threat, and an attack on Gereida town itself cannot be ruled out."

The latest Janjawid attacks had taken place only 5 km from the outskirts of town, he said.

"That is ethnic cleansing, and it should stop," Pronk declared

Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sudan, has called on the international community to strengthen its ability to protect civilians in Darfur and place greater emphasis on interethnic reconciliation.



Photo: The UN special envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, attending a meeting at Mershing, South Darfur.

"The civilians of Gereida and the villages around it need protection from continuous attacks by the Janjawid and militias," Jan Pronk recently told a crowd of over 10,000 people in the town square.

An observer noted that there was no evidence of the militia engaging with the SLA directly. Rather, they targeted civilian locations with the apparent intention to destroy the villages of perceived rebel supporters.

"I know how many women and children have been killed. That is ethnic cleansing, and it should stop," Pronk declared.

Shaeria, South Darfur, Western Sudan



Photo: SLA, Minni Menawi, right, and the AU representative to the Sudan, Baba Gana Kingibi, left, talk at a press conference in Muhagiria, south Darfur Friday, Nov. 18, 2005. (AP/Sudan Tribune/Sudan Watch archive Feb 2006)

Tensions have also risen in Shaeria in South Darfur since SLA rebels associated with commander Minni Minnawi attacked the town on 19 September and held it for a few days. Minnawi is of Zaghawa origin, and ethnic Zaghawa are blamed for providing the SLA intelligence to launch a successful attack.

"For a lot of people it has become personal. It has become a matter of self-defence," said Mansur Hassan Omar, the recently appointed commissioner of Shaeria.

The fact that the Zaghawa population only arrived in Shaeria to escape the 1986 drought does not help. The sentiment that the "guests" are abusing the hospitality they were given fuels local resentment.

Following the re-entry of government forces on 22 September 2005 and the withdrawal of SLA rebels to positions in the immediate vicinity, the Zaghawa population faced increasing harassment, violence and intimidation. Many fled the town. A Zaghawa community leader claimed that the government had armed Messiriyah and Birgit militia and that Birgit leaders had publicly called for the displacement of "all Zaghawa from the area of Shaeria".

"You can see the women and children [who fled Shaeria] near the AU compound, but where are the men?" a town resident asked. "They are in the bush."

Although a reconciliation agreement was signed between Birgit and Zaghawa community leaders on 4 December 2005, Birgit militia soon returned to town. Harassment of the Zaghawa, as well as apparent retaliations and targeted killings of Birgit by alledged SLA sympathisers, increased significantly.

The leaders of both ethnic groups fled to Nyala, leaving a vacuum of civil authority in Shaeria. Sudanese National Security and the military are now in charge of the town, collaborating with irregular armed groups.

"We don't have any problems with the other tribes - we have problems with the militia," said the Zaghawa community leader. "Where do they get their uniforms and their Kalashnikovs?"

The militia have targeted Zaghawa neighbourhoods, harassing and occasionally killing civilians, burning houses, looting livestock and denying access to water points. Although the AU conducts bi-weekly water patrols for displaced people near its compound, it is largely ineffective in providing protection to the civilian population.

"They [the militia] come during the day, and you can see them carry the belongings of the IDPs - whole beds sometimes - from their shelters [near the AU compound] towards Shaeria town," an AU soldier said.

Tensions further escalated between 25 and 28 January after a number of joint attacks by government forces and Arab militia on encroaching SLA positions. On 14 February, SLA forces shot down a helicopter gunship during a heavy government bombardment 10 km south of town. According to government sources, the Antonov plane and two helicopters present at the scene had been called in to "pre-empt" an impending SLA attack.

As a result of the ongoing insecurity, the entire Zaghawa community as well as people from other ethnic groups have left the town, reducing its population to a fraction of its original 32,000 inhabitants. They have started arriving in locations as far away as Nyala and El Fasher, the capitals of South and North Darfur respectively, after journeys of nearly 100 km through the desert. Others are still camped near the AU compound or dispersed to the countryside or nearby towns such as Labado or Muhagiriya.

"Please make a distinction between fighters who are armed and women and children, who are not armed," Pronk recently told 1,000 inhabitants of Shaeria. "They are also citizens of Shaeria, just like you.

"We need peace between the government and the SLA, and we need tribal reconciliation," he added. "There is no need to wait for a result in Abuja [the Nigerian capital where peace talks are being held]. You can start here. At some point you have to stop the killing and reconcile."

Protection and reconciliation

An Arab community leader observed that the Darfur conflict started for political reasons but had given way to community conflicts. "It has brought us back 100 years in terms of development, and it has destroyed the social fabric of Darfur," he said.

Pronk, however, urged the local community not to lose sight of the fact that the war started for political reasons.

"Some people felt that they were being treated unfairly. Feelings of injustice led to this war, and the rebels will not stop if they don't reach part of that objective," he observed.

Militia would often use weapons given to them by the government to defend their communities against individuals, he said. This blurred the line between regular and irregular forces. Pronk noted that the counter-attacks had been very vicious and created their own problems and dynamics. As a result, almost 2 million people, or one-third of the population, now lived in IDP camps - the majority of whom were afraid of militia and the government, not the rebels who had started the war.



Photo: A displaced woman sheltering under the trees in Gereida with the belongings she was able to salvage from her destroyed village.

Warlordism on the increase - Pronk calls on Sudanese government to stop arming the militias

The UN envoy urged the SLA to stop its attacks, as they provoked counter-reactions with "bad consequences for their people". He also called on the government to stop arming the militias.

As local commanders did not necessarily take orders from their leaders anymore and "warlordism" was on the increase, the solution to certain conflicts had to be found at the local level.

"I believe more and more in reconciliation talks on the ground in Darfur and not only in Abuja," Pronk added. "You cannot replace Abuja, but now that the rebel movements are so fragmented, you could also have some regional reconciliation efforts in order to solve local conflicts."

"The UN could support and participate in such processes," he said, "but only when the process is fair and tribes can themselves decide who will represent them, and as long as all parties welcome the participation of the UN."

In the meantime, the UN would continue to support the AU and help its peacekeepers strengthen their protection activities.

"They now have 7,000 troops on the ground and wanted to expand it to 12,000," Pronk said. "I think we need more than 12,000 troops and that is a way in which the UN could help."

Even if the international community decided to take stronger action to protect the civilian population, however, it would take time before tangible changes would be seen on the ground.

Mershing

Things do not always go from bad to worse, however. Approximately 55,000 people recently returned to Mershing after having fled to nearby Menawashi - on the road between Nyala and El Fasher - at the end of January.

Tensions had risen in this area of South Darfur after armed men ambushed a convoy on 18 January and killed four Sudanese police officers. In apparent retaliation, armed militia on camels and horses - supported by Sudanese police forces - attacked and looted Kaile camp for displaced people as well as Mershing market on 22 January. A similar attack took place on 25 January. In total, an estimated six people were killed.

As a result, most people - approximately 20,000 town residents and 35,000 displaced people - left Mershing and moved to Menawashi, claiming they no longer trusted the police.

Farrah Mustafa, deputy governor of South Darfur, acknowledged that the police force in Mershing "had not done its best".

"The displaced residents said they would only go back if we would replace certain police officers, but instead we replaced the whole police force, 80 people in total," he noted. "The first week of February, the population decided to come back to Mershing."

Indeed, when Pronk visited Mershing at the end of February, he was greeted by thousands of recently returned town residents.

But here, too, the situation is far from resolved, and Arab militia around the town still pose a potential threat. Continued reconciliation efforts are needed, as illustrated by the crowds chanting "John Garang, John Garang" - invoking the name of the late southern Sudanese rebel leader - when Sudanese state authorities paid a recent visit.

Further reading:

Mar 29 2005 Darfur rebels attack villages in South Darfur - Sudanese FM blames SPLM over Darfur, oil

Sep 1 2005 SLA have withdrawn from south Darfur town, UN says

Oct 3 2005 Sudan admits using helicopter gunships in attack on Shearia South Darfur

Feb 1 2006 South Darfur: Janjaweed attack IDP camps Kele, Silo, Tege, Um Gozein, Ton Kittir - Mass exodus from Mershing - Joint Sudan/AU forces to patrol?

Feb 3 2006 AU says SLA attacks in Shearia and Golo provoked Sudanese forces and prompted reprisal attacks by Janjaweed

Feb 4 2006 South Darfur: Mershing's entire population of 55,000 fled to Menawashi after raids by Janjaweed

Feb 7 2006 Controlled anarchy at Kalma camp in South Darfur, Sudan

Feb 14 2006 SLA shot down gov't helicopter in Shearia, South Darfur

Libya's Kadhafi speaks to Wade and Museveni

March 2, 2006 LJBC News tells us Senegal's President Wade spoke on the phone with Col Kadhafi on Wednesday night and reviewed the latest developments concerning Darfur. Col Kadhafi also called President Museveni of Uganda during which he congratulated him for winning a 3rd presidential term in the general elections held in Uganda last Thursday.

United Nations and Partners: 2006 Work Plan for Sudan

Executive Summary and Full Report (pdf) at ReliefWeb 1 March 2006.

Increasing number of Al Qaeda terrorist agents in Sudan

Mike Pflanz points out in today's Telegraph intelligence reports warn that the number of al-Qaeda terrorist agents in Sudan is already increasing.

Sudan wants Sudanese armed forces to replace AU troops in Darfur and calls foreign journalists 'terrorists'

March 2, 2006 Reuters report from Khartoum says Sudan's defence minister expelled foreign media from a news conference on Wednesday and compared them to "terrorists", saying that they had fabricated the three-year-old conflict in Darfur. Excerpt:

"Any foreign correspondent, from any foreign agency, get out -- we don't want you in here," said Defence Minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein.

Egypt's al-Ahram newspaper, Arab Al Jazeera television and even Sudanese journalists representing foreign news agencies were forced to leave the room.

All the foreign journalists had been called and invited to the news conference. Hussein also ejected all television crews and refused to allow journalists to use recording devices.

He compared foreign journalists in Sudan to "terrorists" and said: "The international media has escalated the problem ... because they sent incorrect information."

But Hussein warned no matter what the cost, U.N. troops would not be deployed to Darfur.

"Darfur will become the graveyard for the United Nations and foreign intervention," he said.

He added the Sudanese government would provide additional support needed by the African Union force in Darfur. The AU says it has funds only up to the end of March to continue operations.

Hussein also said if the AU could not do the job in Darfur, they should remove their troops to be replaced with the Sudanese armed forces.

- - -

Sudan summons US envoy Cameron Hume on alleged press statement

Sudan's media campaign is intensifying during the run up to outsider decisions on sanctions, UN troops in Darfur and a forthcoming visit from the ICC, due sometime soon. It looks like they are even trying to make a meal out of something that was said about Islam by the US Charge d'Affaires at a private function. See article from Khartoum March 1, 2006 published at Sudan Tribune.

European Union Backs Proposal for New Rights Council

March 1 2006 AP report by Edith M Lederer confirms the EU gave its backing Wednesday night to a proposal to create a UN Human Rights Council, a move leaving the US isolated from some of its closest allies in its opposition to the new body Excerpt:

Opposition to the proposed council, which would replace the discredited UN Human Rights Commission, put the US on a collision course with supporters including many UN member states, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, key human rights groups, a dozen Nobel peace laureates and now the European Union.

Note, the article explains Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said earlier Wednesday that adopting a text "without United States support isn't good for human rights and not particularly good for the council."



Photo: Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry, seen here in December 2005, urged Khartoum and the African Union (AU) March 1, 2006 not to reject a plan to replace the African Union force in Darfur with a robust, Western-backed UN force. (AFP/File/Stan Honda)

UK pushes for travel ban on leaders to curb Darfur killings

Diplomatic Editor Anne Penketh, UK Independent March 1, 2006 reports Britain is pushing for a UN travel ban and assets freeze to be applied to named Sudanese government, militia and rebel leaders in the next 10 to 14 days in the hope of curbing the killings in Darfur, diplomats said. Excerpt:

Although British officials refused to release the names, diplomats said they had taken pains to draw up a "balanced" list of up to eight leaders from both sides in the three-year conflict.

They denied that the names were taken from a list of 17 people already circulating in New York, which includes the Sudanese Interior Minister, the Defence Minister, the director of national intelligence and a commander of the rebel SLA.

UNHCR has reports of more CAR arrivals fleeing violence

March 1, 2006 UPI Analysis: Sudan resistant to U.N. help? by William M Reilly points out that Sudan is one-quarter the size of the United States - and UNHCR said it had reports of more Central African Republic (CAR) arrivals fleeing banditry as well as hostilities between rebel groups and government forces in the northern region of their country.

Britain's UN envoy urges UN force for Sudan's Darfur

March 2, 2006 Daily Telegraph Australia report says Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry has urged Khartoum and the African Union to accept a plan to replace the AU force in Darfur with a robust, Western-backed UN force.

"We would like to see the AU take a decision imminently to actually say we carried the burden, we carried it with dignity and that at this stage the best plan would be for the United Nations to take over that operation," Mr Jones Parry said.

UN to impose sanctions on 10 members of Sudanese government - Guardian UK

March 1, 2006 report by Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editor for The Guardian says Sudan leaders face UN sanctions.

The UN intends to impose targeted sanctions on up to 10 members of Sudan's government and others involved in the Darfur crisis, after an increase in killings in recent months and access being denied to aid camps.

Photo: Sudanese security chief Salah Abdullah Gosh (SMC/ST)

Sudan Tribune article says according to above Guardian report, a security council resolution, sponsored by Britain, will recommend a travel ban, a freeze on overseas accounts and other assets, and, possibly, the issuing of warrants by the International Criminal Court, which deals with crimes against humanity. Excerpt:

The UN drew up a confidential list last year of dozens of Sudanese leaders it claims are responsible for deaths and displacement, as well as leaders of the government-backed militia and two rebel movements.

Sudan's interior minister, defence minister and the director of its national intelligence service are named in a confidential list of individuals who could be considered for sanctions by the UN Security Council over their alleged role in the conflict in Darfur.

Note the Guardian report says a British official said the resolution naming individuals in "close to double figures" would be put in the next fortnight; the names would not be revealed beforehand, for fear they would move their assets or go into hiding, but at least one was a senior member of Sudan's armed forces.

Also, in a separate development, Britain is to host talks in London next week aimed at trying to prevent a renewal of fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea over a long-running border dispute. As well as the two governments, the talks will be attended by the UN, the US and, possibly, Norway.

Egypt, Algeria, Qatar object to UN peace force for Darfur - Al Qaeda is entrenched in Sudan, UN envoy warns

New York Sun article Al Qaeda Is Entrenched In Sudan, U.N. Envoy Warns by Benny Avni, Staff Reporter, March 1, 2006 - excerpt:

[UN special envoy] Mr Pronk said Sudan sent envoys to capitals of key members of the African Union [AU] and the Security Council to plead with them to reject the transition to a UN force.

One observer familiar with the Addis negotiation, who asked for anonymity, told The New York Sun yesterday that most of the resistance there to a UN force comes from the two members of the AU's peace and security commission who are also members of the Arab League, Egypt, and Algeria. Qatar, which represents the Arabs on the Security Council, also has raised objections.

American ambassador John Bolton said that along with the Sudanese government, the AU, the Arab League, and other concerned groups, America has tried to negotiate a resolution to send a UN force to Darfur to try to "stop the genocide." Addressing Mr al-Bashir's resistance to the idea, Mr Bolton said, "One can only hope that the government of Sudan shares the objective that its own citizens should live."

A spokesman for the American UN mission, Ben Chang, added, "We will expect the Sudanese government, as well as the rebels, to accept and accommodate the UN peacekeeping force once the transition takes place."

But according to Mr Pronk, there is "a lot of talk about Al Qaeda in Khartoum," where the government is spreading conspiracy theories about foreigners trying to turn Sudan into another Iraq or Afghanistan. Sending NATO there without Security Council approval, the way the Clinton administration did in the Balkans, is a "recipe for disaster," Mr. Pronk said.

Citing multiple sources, Mr. Pronk told reporters there is "intelligence information that there are [Al Qaeda] people in Khartoum who have not been there before," and that those people have issued "threats" and "letters," warning of retaliation if the Sudanese people believe their country is invaded by the West.

Khartoum hosted Osama bin Laden in the late '90s, but the Sudanese government has played both sides by supplying America with some intelligence for the war on terror while continuing to raise the Al Qaeda specter as a warning to the West.

Mr Pronk said that unlike failed states like Somalia, Sudan's government has firm control in the country, and that even street demonstrations are orchestrated to the last detail and the crowds "know how far they can go."

Currently, he added, the climate against the UN in Khartoum "is heating up," and therefore it would be "foolish not to take such warnings [of Al Qaeda attacks against a UN force] seriously."

Photo: Libya's LJBC News says Libya's leader Col Gaddafi and Egypt's leader President Mubarak held a meeting yesterday [Tuesday afternoon Feb 28] in Libya where the two reviewed the latest developments related to Darfur. The meeting was also attended by Maj. Gen. Mustafa Mohamed al-Kharobi. They reviewed the march of the African Union and international and regional issues of common interest. President Mubarak informed about the results of his tour of a number of the Gulf states.

Messrs Gaddafi and Mubarak continued their talks on these topics during the lunch banquet hosted by the Libyan leader in honour of President Mubarak. This meeting was attended by the accompanying delegation of President Mubarak which included, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Information, Industry and Trade, Minister, Omar Sulaiman and the Secretary of the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation.



Photo: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (R) and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (L) walk to the opening session of the third African Summit at Tripoli in Darfur, Sudan May 16, 2005. (Reuters/ST)

See Feb 28 2006 Egypt, Libya leaders reject UN Darfur force

UN says NATO-led force in Darfur would be 'recipe for disaster'

Feb 28, 2006 AFP report says UN special envoy Jan Pronk warned Tuesday that sending a NATO-led force to protect civilians in Darfur would be "a recipe for disaster".

In my view (for what it's worth) he is right. I think the African Union is doing an excellent job in Darfur and could do even a greater job if they were helped with NATO's expertiese and technology and given the mandate of a protection force. If Khartoum wants to avoid a UN peace force in Darfur because it fears retaliation from Janjaweed, terrorists and other enemies, surely a compromise would be for Khartoum to request AU to expand mandate of AMIS to turn them into a peacekeeping protection force that can help quell anarchy and not just act as monitors observing a broken ceasefire agreement. Excerpt from AFP report:

Pronk, the UN special representative in Sudan, also spoke of rising anti-UN feelings in Khartoum as authorities there fiercely oppose plans to replace an ineffective African Union force in Darfur by a mobile, more robust UN contingent.

Noting that while Khartoum did not oppose the use of NATO logistical capabilities to support a Darfur operation, it was dead against deploying a NATO-led force on its soil.

A NATO-led force "would be a recipe for disaster ... People would really start a Jihad (holy war) against it," Pronk said.

"The (Khartoum) government is taking a very strong position against the transition (to the UN) and that is new," he noted. "There is fear in Khartoum that the transition will be a conspiracy which will bring Sudan into the same situation as Iraq."

"The climate in Khartoum against the UN is heating up very strongly. There are threats, warnings," Pronk said. "They speak of recolonization, invasion, imperialism, (a) conspiracy against the Arab-Islamic world." (ST/AFP)

Photo: Ayman al-Zawahri - see further details at Wikipedia and Sudan Watch June 20 2005 Al-Qaeda said angry at Sudan for passing data to US

New website Sudan Vision (Newspaper) says "US military base in south Sudan. How pitiable"

Good luck to New Sudan Vision a newly established monthly newspaper, currently available only in electronic form. Sudan Vision's website states the newspaper will be available on the internet for the first few months of its publication until the Sudanese editors based in Canada can have it relocated to Sudan or printed across North America. If you want to contribute, please email New Sudan Vision.

Mading Ngor Akec Kuai is a Sudanese student in Canada, he is one of the editors of the newly launched http://www.newsudanvision.com/. He can be reached at madingngor@newsudanvision.com Read his 28 Feb 2006 opinion piece at Sudan Tribune 1 March 2006 entitled U.S. military base in south Sudan: How pitiable?

Update 5 minutes later: Sudan Vision's website looked pretty good when I browsed through it half an hour ago but as soon as this entry was published, the link to Sudan Vision led to a website that now looks like it is undergoing construction - everything I saw, including the above opinion piece, has now disappeared.