AU sends observers on Chad-Sudan border - Chadian troops clash with rebels near Adre, East Chad

On Monday, Chadian military attacked rebels near Adre, a city on the Chad-Sudan border, a government official told IRIN, declining to be named or to give more details. Excerpt from IRIN report 21 Mar 2006 explains:

Yaya Dillo Djerou, self-proclaimed leader of the rebel group Platform for Change, National Unity and Democracy (SCUD), confirmed the attacks. Djerou told IRIN by phone that what he called SCUD's base in eastern Chad had been attacked in two separate offensives - one from the west Monday morning and another from the east a few hours later.

The rebels drove off the government forces, Djerou said, claiming that SCUD had killed 187 government soldiers and wounded several more, with 10 rebels dead and some 28 wounded. The figures could not be confirmed and government sources would not comment on casualties.

Note, Tuesday marked the opening of the four-day period during which would-be contenders in Chad's presidential election, set for 3 May, are to submit their candidatures.



Photo: Chadian soldiers patrol dirt roads near the Sudan border (IRIN/ST)

Reuters report Mar 21, 2006 explains SCUD is a rebel group largely made up of deserters from Deby's own army - and:

Rebel sources said government forces were using armoured vehicles and artillery and the four-wheel-drive jeeps mounted with cannon which are often used for desert warfare in Chad.

Chadian President Deby was directing the army offensive.

Denouncing a spillover into his own country of the rebellion in Darfur, he has accused the Sudanese government of backing efforts to topple him, a charge denied by Khartoum.

- - -

AU sends observers on Chad-Sudan border

On Tuesday, the African Union Peace and Security Council endorsed plans to deploy military observers on the Chad-Sudan border as per peace agreement signed by leaders of the two countries in Tripoli, Libya last month, reported Sudan Tribune Mar 21, 2006.



Photo: Chad's camel guards patrol on the Sudan-Chad border in Abulu Kore (Darfur), Eastern Chad in 2004. (ST)

Since October, scores of defectors from the Chadian army have joined a number of Chadian rebel groups based in the area bordering Darfur, the site of an uprising by Sudanese groups, some with tribal ties to many Chadians.

Sudan has accused Chad of harbouring Darfur rebels, while Chad has said Sudan backs Chadian insurgents.

Under the Tripoli agreement, the leaders of Sudan and Chad agreed to deny refuge to each other's rebel groups. The deal, however, has yet to resolve the chaos on the ground.



Photo: The leaders of Sudan and Chad sign the 'Tripoli peace agreement' at a meeting in Tripoli, Libya on 10 Feb 2006 to end increasing tension over Darfur, pledging to normalise diplomatic relations and deny refuge to each other's rebel groups. (AP/Khaled El-Deeb Tripoli, Libya)

Update Mar 22 2006 (Reuters/Scotsman)
Chad says army destroyed rebel base, rebels deny it.

Update Mar 22 2006 (IRIN/ST)
Chadian capital deserted after shooting near presidential palace - Deby is set to run in presidential elections scheduled for 3 May, but a swelling rebel movement has vowed to put him down by means other than the ballot box. The N'djamena resident said tensions are mounting ahead of the crunch poll, "The closer we come to the date, the higher the tension."

Further reading

Mar 15 2006 Chad's President Deby was sponsored by Khartoum and helped into power by the French secret services

Mar 6 2006 Libya sets up surveillance groups on Chad-Sudan borders

Mar 5 2006 Chad - The danger of war spilling over by The Economist

Mar 3 2006 UNHCR - Chad/Sudan: Flight both ways: Central Africans moved away from border

Feb 28 2006 Refugees flee from Chad into Sudan's Darfur - Chad hosts about 300,000 refugees

Feb 27 2006 Food aid to Am Nabak camp in Chad suspended due to security concerns

Feb 26 2006 Chad-Sudan border peacekeeping force - AU chair and Libyan leader Col Gaddafi follow up on Tripoli mini-summit

Feb 24 2006 Libya's Gaddhafi and Sudan's al-Bashir discuss Darfur crisis

Feb 23 2006 UN envoy Jan Pronk admits peace strategy to halt "cleansing in Darfur" had failed - Let's hope Libyan leader Col Gaddafi succeeds in brokering peace

Feb 23 2006 Libya offers African Union 100,000 troops, 1,000 tanks, 100 aircraft to close Chad-Sudan border

New York Times supplement on Sudan - U.S. military base in South Sudan is beneficial?

Today, a Sudan Watch reader emailed me a link to comments at a blog entry expressing outrage over a special advertising supplement published by the New York Times on March 20, 2006. The supplement featured Sudan and was paid for by the Sudanese government.

When I'd first read about the supplement a few days ago, my reaction was: how enterprising, international donors have pledged 4.5 billion US dollars to help develop South Sudan where peace has been achieved after more than 22 years of civil war costing two million lives. Sudan is up to its eyeballs in debt, its people need all the help and business they can get.

Sudan is the size of Europe. In many parts of war-torn southern Sudan there is nothing. Infrastructure needs to be built from scratch to provide millions of people with drinking water, schools, hospitals, roads, telecoms, education, training, skills and many other things we in the West take for granted.



Photo: NYT supplement courtesy Blogs of Zion

Sudan is a beautiful country, full of warm, friendly, hospitable people. It has a lot going for it. Westerners can provide some of the best help, enterprise, investment and expertise available anywhere in the world. International visitors and investors accustomed to Western standards will also need to be catered to and accommodated.

If you were responsible for a country the size of Europe and were about to receive 4.5 billion US dollars in development funding, wouldn't you engage PR agents and advertise in a leading international newspaper to attract business, investors, enterprise and expertise? I know I would. You'd be daft not to.

Don't you think Western companies should be encouraged to do business in the Sudan? I do. If British Petroleum had been in the Sudan in a big way over the past two years, they would have been in a position to be cajoled into helping the locals in Darfur and might have had leverage with the UN Security Council when it came to requesting well trained police forces to protect the defenceless women and children of Darfur.

Summit Communication's 8-page ad in NYT

Summit Communications has posted the 8 page advertisement it placed in the New York Times last week on its website - click into Coalition for Darfur for the PDF version and three other links leading to more information on the advert.
- - -

U.S. base in south Sudan is beneficial - A comment

Further to Sudan Watch entry 1 Mar 2006 entitled New website Sudan Vision says "US military base in south Sudan, how pitiable, here is a copy of a comment by E. Agustino, a south Sudanese living in London, England, published at Sudan Vision sometime during the past month:

First of all, we southerners have suffered a lot under colonial imperialism then followed by Arab imperialism over us which is not much different from the colonial one. The reason for this being that we black Sudanese have always been perceived as inferior and lacking a viable thinking capacity and self confidence to achieve or challenge any other human being. So, Arabs have always looked down on southern Sudanese and other blacks. Whites also have the same or had the same view of us the original Sudanese or Africans in general as less capable human and unable to think on our own or achieve on our own, and we blacks always miss to think carefully about our future and putting in respect our interest for the present and future.

I want to say that we south Sudanese have been disadvantaged by history in a way that gave Arabs who invaded our land an upper hand in our own country and also an upper hand in the say of what our future should look like for us. When south Sudan first united with north Sudan, we southerners where clever and intelligent people but we never had the advance skills and requirements to understand the modern day political organization and how the world was changing into a place where only the strongest survives. When British left there were more educated northerners than southerners so this gave them advantage over us and Arabs took advantage of our politeness to take control over us.

We southerners wanted to have a peaceful, just and equal nation in which both the Arabs and the Africans can live and be happy with one another. We looked at the interest of Sudan government composed of two different races and religion but we forgot to look first at ourselves who are we, what are we looking for, and what we want in life for us and our people, our family, our village, our nation and our continent us blacks or African. We forgot our interests. Arab on the other hand was thinking the other way around. They wanted to control blacks and be the leaders and superiors. They wanted to promote and serve the interest of their race and their religion first and above all. The Arabs never even cared about south Sudanese or Africans. So to make a long story short we African Sudanese have always ignored our interest and failed to think about things from our own point of view. We always do or did things to please Arabs and that is how Arabs took advantage over us. They studied us southerners and know our weakness. That is, trusting and being polite to others and never put our interest first above all.

Now, going back to the American willingness to open military bases in south Sudan, I would like to say from our history and what we have been through it would be a big advantage for us southerners to have an American base on our land. It would help to inspire us and help us to accrue a lot from their ways and by that I mean the military tradition and the will to be on top of the world and not always at the bottom.

American base would shield us south Sudanese from our enemies, since all our enemies are strong and well established and would not hesitate to force their will on us. American would help to train our military and give us the confidence that we need to build our own nation to be like any other top nation in this world. American military base would be like a guide for us as we grow and build our capacity to government ourselves and develop our nation in the face of our enemies. I am not saying south Sudan should trust Americans 100% and give them access to everything in south Sudan, but I am mentioning the fact that we as a young growing nation would need a strong and powerful nation to be on our side. Otherwise, the road for us will not be easy, so back to my first paragraph, we south Sudanese needs to start thinking about our interests, what will serve us and be of advantage to us and not what will help Sudan unity, because millions of southerners perished under the name of united Sudan and the Arabs would not hesitate to oppress us again to control us if we make another foolish move to trust them again.

Now about the interest of the United States in south Sudan, of course, US will have interests as well. They want to secure their interest in the world and so we southerners want to secure our interests as well. We can have an equal deal since Americans are not going to take south Sudan's oil by force or without paying money. Therefore, Americans wants to secure south Sudan's oil for themselves. They don't want China or India or Arabia to take the oil from them. As south Sudanese, we want money to rebuild our country and develop our people, protect our interest both present and for the future, so we can let America have the oil and give us the money. We might also request to supply our army with technology since America is a leading nation in the world. It would be no difference if America entered south Sudan to protect the oil fields and to take the oil, as long as they pay for it and help south Sudan develops. We can have a fair deal with them.

At the moment, China is taking our oil and Chinese are reported to have military advisers and security advisors working with Arabs in Sudan to take our oil. They have been reported to be selling secret weapons to Khartoum government and backing the Arab government in the UN Security Council. Hence, if Arabs can make deals with China and India and others to serve their interest, why can't we south Sudanese make our own deal with other countries like America?

Are we southerners lacking self-confidence and feels inferior or are we less ambitious than other people? You have to think about these questions. South Sudanese have to start having self confidence and start thinking like any other advanced country and be ambitious and strong. America has military bases in German, Japan, South Korea and Italy. If you look and study these countries carefully, you will realize they are US allies and are at the same time the world's most advanced countries and well secured and stable. If American bases were a curst to these countries, they wouldn't have been what they are today. Don't forget America even though we will say is a white man's country, its one of the few countries in reality that stood with south Sudan in the struggle. They might have their interests but they helped us to reach our goals and are still standing with us, so give credit where it's worth. Americans are our Allies, not enemies.

Let us support American military bases in south Sudan to serve the interests of both nations and people to promote freedom and democracy in the world.

Other Comments

American base in south Sudan brings stability - by Okelo Okembia

US base guards southerners from the beast - Arab North - by Isaac

UN Security Council Report on Darfur: Power, Wealth Sharing Agreement; All-Inclusive Dialogue; New Ceasefire; Robust peace force with broad mandate

UN Security Council's report on its meeting 21 March 2006 records a call for a power and wealth sharing agreement and an all-inclusive dialogue [hopefully, it includes tribal leaders] on Darfur plus a new ceasefire agreement and a robust peace force with broad mandate.

Also, the report notes the Darfur ceasefire agreement was violated day after day and continuing killings, rapes, human rights abuse in Darfur threaten peace in whole of Sudan, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Jan Pronk, told the Council.

Top UN envoy calls for urgent action to counter brutality in Darfur

In a UN News Service report at ReliefWeb March 21, 2006 Jan Pronk is quoted as saying:

"My warning to the Security Council was, 'Please do not cannibalize our existing force in the South, 10,000, by taking away troops on the basis of your perception that everything is okay,' because that is not the case".

Perhaps Mr Pronk is saying some of the 10,000 UN peacekeepers agreed for South Sudan are being considered for Darfur?

Blogging Sudan Watch: a plug for Darfur at the new Guardian "Comment is Free" (Daniel Davies)

The Guardian's new blog "Comment is Free" has published several pieces by Daniel Davies, one of which features this blog Sudan Watch, saying it ought to be compulsory reading for anyone planning to comment on the unfolding tragedy in Darfur. Here below is the March 21, 2006 piece entitled Sudan Watch: a plug - copied in full for posterity, incase the link to the Guardian's new site becomes broken:

"The website Sudan Watch really ought to be compulsory reading for anyone planning on using the unfolding tragedy in Darfur as scenery for their latest attack on their domestic political enemies (as a distressing number of people are doing these days). It is maintained by Ingrid Jones, about whom I know basically nothing except that she has an absolutely tireless energy for the distressing task of compiling news stories about Africa (Sudan Watch has sister sites dealing with Uganda, Congo, Niger, Ethiopia, Tibet, Iran and Syria). The site is compendious in its information and largely spin-free in its analysis. And it contains a number of pieces of information that one won't find anywhere else.

For example, it has been something of a trope of a certain element of the blogosphere to bash the UN for not sending a multilateral force into Sudan with NATO support. On the other hand, did you know that the African Union has been crying out for NATO to provide troops and material assistance for its own multilateral peacekeeping force in Darfur for the last year? Or that NATO has been refusing to do this, claiming that the presence of foreign troops would be "disastrous" for a similar period of time, until this week, when it volunteered to support a UN force (although not an AU one), the minute it became clear that no UN force would be sent? I am reluctant to draw conclusions from this, not least because I don't want to start using the Darfurians as scenery for my own domestic political battles. But it seems like the sort of thing that would be worth knowing.

I don't think it's exaggerating to say that if there had been a website as good as Sudan Watch in the runup to the Iraq War, a lot of things might have become common knowledge a lot earlier which have in fact only really come out since the war. It's an excellent website and deserves a lot more publicity."

[Note, Daniel Davies is an analyst and stockbroker working in London. He is a graduate of Oxford and the London Business School and started his career working in the Bank of England. He is a member of the Crooked Timber group blog (a wide-ranging philosophy blog) and maintains D-squared Digest plus a small number of other projects]

Two UN peacekeepers injured in South Sudan - UNMIS has 6,300 troops in S Sudan

In the second attack on a UN post in southern Sudan in less than a week, two UN peacekeepers from Bangladesh were wounded Mar 19 when 100 armed men tried to confine the blue helmets to their base in order to loot other compounds in Yambio near the border with the DR Congo, reported UN News/ST March 20, 2006.

The two wounded men were hit by ricocheting bullets rather than any fired at them. Initial indications are that the attackers were seeking communications equipment, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) reported. Three of the gunmen were killed in the attack, which occurred just past midnight on Saturday and ended soon after local Sudanese troops reached the scene. UNMIS said security will be upgraded at the base.

Note, UNMIS, which is authorised to field up to 10,000 military personnel to support implementation of the January 9, 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAP) between the Sudanese government and southern rebels SPLM/A, currently has 6,300 uniformed personnel on the ground. The separate uprising in Darfur is not covered by the CAP.

NATO ready to help UN in Darfur - What happened to NATO supporting African Union Mission in Darfur?

Last May, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer flew to an international conference in Ethiopia with an offer of logistical support for the African Union's bid to widen its peacekeeping mission in Darfur and urged Sudan not to hinder AU mission - see Sudan Watch entry 25 May 2005 - excerpt:

"On Tuesday, the NATO allies said they stood ready to provide non-combat aid for the AU's beleaguered peacekeeping force in Darfur, approving "initial military options" for logistical NATO support. The EU has similarly agreed to offer assistance in the form of military transport, training and planning.

Last week, AU Commission President Alpha Oumar Konare asked both the EU and NATO for help.

De Hoop Scheffer stressed the AU -- not NATO -- would be running the Darfur operation.

The EU has already sent military advisers to help the AU mission and is spending US $116 million to cover almost half the costs of the operation."

Photo: NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

Not sure what happened to above offer but today Associated Press reported NATO is ready to help UN in Darfur NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told President Bush in a White House visit Monday, 20 March 2006.

So what happened to NATO supporting the AU mission in Darfur, after the AU asked both the EU and NATO for help last year?

Mar 7 2006 NATO rules out troop presence in Darfur

Mar 1 2006 UN says NATO-led force in Darfur would be 'recipe for disaster'

Feb 17 2006 US President, NATO Secretary General discuss Darfur

Feb 14 2006 NATO ready to help in Darfur, but not with troops

Feb 6 2006 US urges NATO to help in Darfur - Russia offers 200 peacekeepers and helicopter strike force as part of UN's Darfur mission

Update: (Bloomberg) Mar 20 2006 article excerpt: NATO can take a role once the AU requests its security force be converted to a UN mission, Bush said at the White House after meeting with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Once that's done, he said, "NATO can move in with US help within -- inside of NATO -- to make it clear to the Sudanese government that we're intent upon providing security for the people there, and intent upon helping work toward a lasting peace agreement." [hat tip CfD]
- - -

UN Security Council Meeting 21 March 2006

Note this excerpt from a report by the UN Security Council on its meeting held 21 March 2006 - published at ReliefWeb on the same date:

In his monthly report on Darfur, the Secretary-General observes that it would be erroneous to characterize any transition to the United Nations as a substitution of an "African" force by an "international" force, pointing out that the current AMIS is already an international force, operating under an African Union mandate, with the endorsement of the Security Council, and the participation of troops and personnel from more than 29 countries. Similarly, a United Nations-led operation would depend greatly on African contributions and support, as well as those of other contributors. In any event, United Nations efforts are, and would remain, part of a cooperative international approach. At the same time, a possible successor operation would have to be qualitatively different from the current African Union operation, particularly with regard to force mobility.

South Darfur's Kalma and Seraif Camp - Rape; Attempted Rape; Risk of Death Penalty

Human Rights Alert from SOAT 20 March 2006 - excerpt:

On 7 March 2005, two armed militias in military uniform attacked four girls from Seraif IDP camp, Hay AlGeer, West Nyala, Southern Darfur. The girls were attacked whilst collecting firewood outside the camp at 11:30. During the attack, one of the men assaulted one of the girls and attempted to rape her. In defence she grabbed a knife that she had been using to cut the firewood and stabbed the attacker in the stomach.

Following the stabbing, the girls managed to escape and returned to Seraif camp where they reported the incident to police officers inside the camp. The police refused to file the case. On the same day, 07 March 2005, in the afternoon, police officers inside the camp were told of the death of a stabbing victim. Following the news of the death, the officers immediately arrested the four girls inside the camp on suspicion of murder.

The girls were initially taken to Nyala Shamal police station where they were detained for five days and charged with murder under Article 130 of the 1991 Penal Code. If convicted, the girls face death by hanging.

In a separate incident, on 15 March 2006, fifteen armed militia men attacked and raped five women (details withheld) from Kalma IDP camp. The women (aged between 18 and 27) were attacked whilst collecting firewood outside the camp, approximately 3 Km North East of the camp. During the attack, the women were raped and flogged. Full story.

Meningitis outbreak in Sudan incl Hamadyia IDP camp, Zalinger, West Darfur

A vaccination campaign against meningitis will start this week in western Sudan following the confirmation of an outbreak in Hamadyia camp for internally displaced persons in Zalinger, West Darfur, said the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday.

A national task force under the chairmanship of the Federal Ministry of Health together with WHO, UNICEF and NGOs has been established after reports of outbreaks of meningococcal meningitis in the country. As of 16 March, 526 cases with 23 deaths have been reported across the country. The epidemic thresholds in four States (Blue Nile, Gedaref, Kassala and South Kordofan) have, so far, been crossed. Full story by WHO at ReliefWeb 19 March 2006.

South African police on their way to El Fasher, Darfur

Forty-two South African Police Service members were due to arrive in El Fasher, Darfur for peacekeeping operations on Monday, reported Sapa March 20, 2006:

The group consisting of 33 men and nine women left for Darfur on Sunday night. Police spokesperson Peter Mbelengwa said they would be deployed in the region for six months as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission.

"They will monitor the service of the police of the Government of Sudan to the community, facilitate the building of good relations between the police and the community, give technical advice and share their experience on the successful adoption and implementation of community policing," said Mbelengwa.

They are the sixth group of police officials to be deployed in Sudan and would relieve members who have served their six months in the country. The SAPS have 125 members deployed in Sudan as part of the AU mission. - Sapa

Note they are replacing police officials on duty in Darfur, they are not in addition to AU forces already serving in Darfur. Why can't they all stay?

Eric Reeves: An Apologist for Murder (by David Hoile)

Sorry to say, I agree with most of what David Hoile writes in an opinion piece at Media Monitors Network (MMN) March 20, 2006 and am glad someone has spoken up against Eric Reeves' dangerously naive warmongering rants. It seems clear (to me anyway) Eric Reeves is biased and on the side of the Sudanese rebels. His relentless pushing for military intervention (an act of war) in Darfur can only be because it furthers the rebels cause and gives them what they want. Invading Sudan would cause aid workers to be dismissed from the country and disasterously affect the lives of millions of defenceless women and children dependent on aid. The rebels have been against Africa Union troops from the start and have used Western media at every opportunity to denigrate the efforts and capability of AU troops. Khartoum might be against international troops in Darfur because it would give the rebels what they've been pushing for all along. It makes one wonder who is funding the rebels and why. Surely if they were interested in peace, and really cared about the women and children of Sudan, an agreement would have been reached by now. Excerpt:

"Reeves' white middle-class naivety about Africa would be fairly amusing in its gaucheness in any other context. Eric Reeves, in his crass selectivity and grotesque distortion of events in Darfur, however, is clearly intent on attempting to get the United States militarily involved in western Sudan on as questionable a series of pretexts as those used to justify the invasion of Iraq. Any such intervention will resulted in another Iraq-type quagmire in another strategic part of the world, and the loss of thousands more American lives together with the lives of the very Africans he claims to care so much about".

Well said Mr Hoile.

Further reading

Mar 16, 2006 Oxfam - AU should call for AMIS mandate that prioritises civilian protection.

Mar 7, 2006 Eric Reeves As Rainy Season Nears, Darfur Faces "Perfect Storm" of Human Destruction.
- - -

What Does Eric Reeves Mean by Calling Top UK Minister Hilary Benn "Unspeakably Cruel and Fatuous" over Darfur Crisis?

The following is a copy of a Sudan Watch entry I drafted last month, I am filing it in this slot today for future reference:

Beware this is a vent. Sokari Ekine at Global Voices says American academic Eric Reeves in cosy Boston believes the presence of a NATO force in Darfur alongside the AU forces would immediately challenge the genocidal actions of the Janjaweed militia and bring security to the region.

I say, Eric Reeves lives in cloud cuckoo land. He is off his rocker if he thinks it is just a matter of NATO finding the will and seeking the authority to magically secure the whole of Sudan. Sudan is the size of Europe! Darfur is the size of France or Texas! Not only that, he now thinks NATO can also magically bring security to another huge African country, Chad but doesn't say how many troops: 80,000, 100,000 or what? And from where?

In his latest rant, What Does President Bush Mean by "NATO stewardship" of Darfur Crisis? Reeves writes:

"US intelligence has already identified the sites at which Khartoum's regular military most frequently and substantially supplies the Janjaweed with weaponry, ammunition, vehicles, and other military gear. These sites could be rapidly destroyed or neutralized."

Oh yeah, sure. And start World War III? When would walk away time be? Who would pay for the billions of dollars it would cost?

Intervention is an act of war. What would be the military objective, to overthrow the regime in Khartoum? And replace it with what? How many years would NATO occupy the Sudan? Would this include Chad? What about Eritrea, Egypt, Ethiopia and Uganda? Who would transport supplies and how? How much would it all cost year on year? If the Americans are not willing to finance it who else should be? And while I'm at it Mr Prof-Know-It-All-Reeves: who is the "world community" you speak of?

Considering American troops will never be deployed to intervene in the Sudan it is hard to know what Reeves keeps banging on about, why and to whom. For someone who has never worked in the real world, he has a lot to say. He learns everything in theory through books and USAID. Put him in charge of a government or army for five minutes and he wouldn't last two minutes.

Eric Reeves ought to be ashamed of his unspeakably cruel and fatuous description of UK Minister Hilary Benn. The UK was the first to donate to Darfur and is one of the top cash donors. The British government, media, charities, churches, military, celebrities, concert fundraisers, Bono and Geldof et al, and Brits in general, have done a huge amount to help Sudanese people in need, more so than most other countries. We want peace for Sudan and, unlike Eric Reeves, are not aiming to start a war.

Female AU police officers build trust in Ardamata camp, West Darfur - More "Mama Rosa's" needed in Darfur please!

Here is some heartwarming news from Darfur. African Union police officer Rose Etim, a 46-year-old mother of two from Cameroon, drives through Ardamata camp in her white AU vehicle every day surrounded by Darfuris crying out 'Mama Rosa', stopping at every other home and greeting the people by name, reports Reuters/ST March 19, 2006. Excerpt:

The first contingent of AU police were all men but they were unable to help the women in Darfur who are so often the victims of sexual attack.

Etim, who has worked as a policewoman in West Africa for 25 years and is a trained nurse, was sent in later with a band of women to protect and comfort these traumatised civilians.

Etim heads up the AU police station, which has six other policewomen, maintaining a 24-hour presence at Ardamata Camp for the past six months. Since then, Janjaweed incursions have been reduced to once a week compared with multiple attacks each day.



Photo: African Union police officer Rose Etim from Cameroon (L) greets Sudanese refugee children in Ardamata refugee camp, West Darfur, Sudan, March 17, 2006. (Reuters/Opheera McDoom)

In Ardamata, near Sudan's border with Chad, at least 22,500 people live dependent on food aid and held hostage by militia attacks if they dare to venture more than one mile outside the camp perimeter.

At first the police and army viewed the AU police with suspicion and obstructed their work.

Etim, or "Mama Rosa" as the Darfuris call this plump woman with short-cropped hair, spent hours after she arrived sitting with police to gain their trust. She even bought material and paid a tailor to make them uniforms and gives them notebooks to record complaints in.

Now local police turn to her, calling her to give details of Janjaweed attacks.



Photo: African Union police officer Rose Etim from Cameroon (L), greets a Sudanese refugee woman in Ardamata refugee camp, West Darfur, Sudan, March 17, 2006. (Reuters/Opheera McDoom)

When Etim walks through the dusty camp she is trailed by children running after her. She greets everyone by name, stopping to touch them in a gesture both loving and reassuring.

"Stay in Sudan, don't ever go back to Cameroon," said Ardamata resident Zeinab Abou, hugging Etim as if she never wanted to let go.

Darfur funding crisis threatens children's health and protection UNICEF warns - Money is running out

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned Friday that money is running out and has requested $89 million to continue its operations in Darfur.

People have forgotten about what is happening because the international media has lost interest in this third year of the Darfur conflict, Ted Chaiban, UNICEF rep in Sudan lamented.

African mediators prepare for Darfur-Darfur Conference - CAP possible within next four weeks

African mediators call for immediate cessation of hostilities in Darfur, reports Sudan Tribune March 18, 2006.

AU chief mediator for Darfur peace talks, Salim Ahmed Salim, called for continued collaboration between the Mediation and its International Partners, to make the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement possible within the next four weeks.

Salim, on March 16, held a briefing session with the reps of the International Partners. He reviewed of the current status of the Talks, including preparations for the proposed Darfur-Darfur Conference which the Mediation plans to discuss with the Parties next week.

He stated that Proposals for an Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement (EHCA) recently presented to the Sudanese Parties had become absolutely necessary in view of the frequent violations of the Ceasefire Agreement in April 2004.

The AU Special Envoy called for continued unity of purpose and collaboration between the Mediation and its International Partners, so as to make the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement possible within the next four weeks.

The International Partners in the talks are: - the EU, Britain, USA, Canada, France, the League of Arab States and UN, attended also by the representatives of the Chadian Co-Mediation and the Facilitators - Libya and Nigeria.

The Deputy Force Commander of the UN Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) who also addressed the meeting, welcomed the draft Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement proposed to the Parties as a means of removing the present obstacles and addressing the immediate security concerns in Darfur, adding that most of the inputs from him and members of his Team were incorporated into the draft.
- - -

Sudan optimistic of reaching Darfur peace deal by April

Sudan's foreign minister said Friday he was optimistic a peace deal with rebels can be reached by next month, reports AP/ST Mar 17, 2006.

Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister Lam Akol spoke on the sidelines of an eastern Africa regional group meeting in Nairobi, where leaders are scheduled to discuss Darfur on Monday.

"We are optimistic that in the next weeks we expect a breakthrough in the peace talks in Abuja," Akol said.

African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit told foreign ministers at the meeting of the seven-nation Intergovernmental Authority on Development that a peace deal was within grasp by the end of April.

"Now it is a matter of mastering the political will to decide what compromises to make," Akol said.

The ministers and other officials from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Somalia - the countries that make up the Intergovernmental Authority on Development - were preparing the agenda and other details on Friday for the heads of state meeting.

Akol urged the international community not to link funds aimed at reconstruction in war-shattered southern Sudan to the resolution of the Darfur conflict. He also called on donors to waive the US$27 billion in debts the country owes to help its economic recovery.
- - -

IGAD summit is scheduled to open in Nairobi on Monday

Mar 17 2006 IGAD ministers call for durable peace in Sudan - Ministers of the seven-member African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) met in Nairobi Friday, calling for lasting peace in Sudan and expressing deep concern over the escalation of hostilities in Africa.

The IGAD groups Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.
- - -

Quote of the Day

"The AU should continue doing its job in Darfur because it has not said it's unable to do its job. The AU has been there for more than a year. We need to hear from AU that they don't have the capacity, it cannot do its job and then we can agree on how to handle the matter." - Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol.

[Source: Xinhua/ST article Darfur peace deal possible by end of April - FM March 17, 2006]

AU investigation of massacre in Tawilla by Sudanese government forces Sept 2005

Sudanese government forces massacred their own citizens in a mosque in Darfur, according to fresh evidence presented by the African Union, reports Gethin Chamberlain, Chief News Correspondent for the Scotsman, one of the first journalists to report on Darfur from the ground in Sudan two years ago.

AMIS calls on African FMs to go to Darfur peace talks

In a press conference held yesterday, Head of the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) Ambassador, Baba Ghana Kengaibi, called on the African Foreign Ministers to go to Abuja to push forward the Darfur peace talks, reported Sudan Tribune Mar 17, 2006.



Photo: Darfur rebels SLM

Also yesterday, Baba Ghana explained security tension in areas such as Geraida and Shiriya in South Darfur and Jabal-Moon in West Darfur State. He said many parties are involved in the armed attacks including militias, some troops from the rebel SLM (Menawi faction) and Chadian rebels.

He indicated that activities of Janjaweed militias are still ongoing and receiving support from the government, adding that AMIS has not received any official information on this.



Photo: Rwandan soldiers belonging to the African Union wait to board a plane to be dispatched to Darfur, April 2005. (Reuters). Baba Ghana disclosed that Senegalese forces are due to arrive in Darfur within weeks to support the AU forces. He said donors have fulfilled their commitments but not provided what is needed. He explained the European Union has promised to provide additional financial support.

AU has no authority to transfer mandate in Darfur to UN - envoy

Head of AMIS, Baba Ghana, affirmed that the presence of the AU forces was upon the agreement of Sudan government and in accordance with a specific mandate for monitoring the cease-fire protocol, which was signed by the parties of the conflict in Darfur.

He said that the AU forces are working in coordination with all parties and within the context of cooperation with the international community and the United Nations to solve the issue of Darfur. He declared that a road-map for solving Darfur conflict is to be formulated with the participation of the UN, the AU, Sudan government and the rebel movements.

ADRA Water Capacity Improvement in Kulbus and Seleia localities, West Darfur

On February 28, Japan's Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) completed a water project that provides improved access to clean water for 35,000 people living near the capital of West Darfur, Sudan.

ADRA has drilled 19 successful boreholes for new wells and installed hand pumps for wells, providing better access to clean water for families in the region.



Photo: A young Sudanese child is helped with a drink of clean water at the Abu Shouk refugee camp near El Fasher, in North Darfur, Sudan, in August 2004. (AFP/File/Jim Watson)

ADRA also rehabilitated 50 existing hand pumps and trained more than 40 residents as hand pump mechanics. The newly constructed wells are in community villages, public schools, mosques, and governmental compounds.

ADRA has also worked closely with WES, a local government office for Water, Environment and Sanitation, UNICEF, and in partnership with several other nongovernmental organizations in the region.

Full story by Nadia McGill (ADRA)l Mar 16, 2006. Website: http://www.adra.org

Drilling for Sudan's drinking water is more important than drilling for its oil

Peacekeeping waterpumps - East Africa a front in war on terrorism

See how in Darfur, handpumps are on the frontline of peacebuilding.



Photo: Southern Sudanese drinks. (Courtesy UNICEF/ST)

4,094 cholera cases, 79 deaths in Sudan's Juba - Red Cross

Cholera is transmitted by consumption of contaminated water and food and is linked to poor hygiene, overcrowding and inadequate sanitation. It leads to severe diarrhea and dehydration, reports AP/ST:

"As of March 7, the total number of cases of acute watery diarrhea reported in Juba was 4,094 and the number of resulting deaths 79, " the Geneva-based International Red Cross group said in a statement sent to news organisations in Khartoum, Mar 15, 2006.

Juba is the capital of the autonomous southern Sudan region. It has a population of more than 250,000 people who are known to rely heavily on polluted water from the River Nile.

The Red Cross said it has airlifted about 30 tons of emergency medical supplies to Juba in response to the cholera outbreak. Its staff is helping Juba Teaching Hospital to run and expand an isolation ward and has installed an emergency water-supply system.

It said cholera has been confirmed in Malakal, a major urban center on the banks of the Nile to the north of Juba. Thirty-four cases had been admitted to a cholera-treatment center there run by the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.
- - -

Using entrepreneurs to bring water and electricity to the world's poor

Sokari Ekine of Global Voices notes an amazing invention that may provide the water and power to many people in poor rural areas of the developing world and points us to Timbuktu Chronicles' 22 Feb 2006 blog entry on Using Entrepreneurs to bring Water and Electricity to the worlds poor.
- - -

More time for education

Having plenty of water hasn't made residents of Nuba Mountains forget about the hardships they once endured. When water was scarce, many women and girls had to carry the burden of collecting water for the families. Many girls missed out their education because they had to spend many hours each day fetching water.



Photo: With adequate water sources, children can spend more time on education. (Courtesy UNICEF Sudan/2006)

Investors urge South Sudan to avoid over reliance on oil

A UN diplomat in Nairobi, who sought anonymity, said that it is clear that for the process in Sudan to succeed, a real partnership between Sudan and the international community will be required.

'Until now, this partnership has waited for a demonstration by the Sudanese people of their serious determination and commitment to a united vision and process for rebuilding their country. Successfully establishing a national framework will be pivotal,' the diplomat said.



Photo: New oil platforms are constructed, Saturday, Dec 17, 2005 near Kotch in southern Sudan. Full report (Xinhua/st) 16 Mar 2006.

Kuwait is first Arab country to invest in S Sudan

Kuwait has become the first Arab country to invest in south Sudan, a region roughly the size of Texas ravaged by more than two decades of conflict with the north, the Gulf Daily News reported Mar 14, 2006.

Note, international donors have pledged an estimated $4.5 million in aid for southern Sudan over the next three years, but are threatening to withhold development funds pending the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, western Sudan.

2 dead, 2 wounded in attack on UNHCR S Sudan

Mar 16 2006 Gunmen kill one in attack on UNHCR compound in S. Sudan - Because of the attack, UNHCR suspended plans to start repatriating Sudanese refugees next week from the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Yei region, the statement said.

"This attack just underscores the difficulties UNHCR faces in our operations in south Sudan where we are trying to create an environment for thousands of refugees in neighbouring countries to be able to return home and stay home," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres.

Update: U.N.: 2 dead, 2 wounded at South Sudan post

UPI report Mar 17, 2006 - The attack was on a post UNHCR set up in 2004 to prepare for the repatriation following a peace accord between the Khartoum government and southern rebels.

Sudanese air force bombed villages of Donkey Dreisa and Omgonya in South Darfur last month?

Sudan's air force has resumed bombing Darfur villages, claims More4News - an offshoot of Channel 4 TV here in the UK. More4News is available only via a digital box. I do not subscribe to digital TV and was unable to view the broadcast. Many thanks to Eugene at Coalition for Darfur in the US for alerting me to the news and the following report at More4News website, copied here in full:

Evidence of Sudan's bombing

More4 News has obtained evidence the Sudanese air force has resumed aerial bombardment of villages in Darfur.

It comes in breach of a ceasefire and no-fly zone agreed more than a year ago.

Last week we filmed charred and blackened huts in several villages which had been recently set on fire by Janjaweed militiamen confirming reports of an increase in attacks since the beginning of the year.

But in the village of Donkey Dreisa, south of Nyala, the damage was clearly different buildings had been reduced to rubble by bombardment which villagers told us came from Sudanese air force Antonov jets.

More 4 News was told that the attack on Donkey Dreisa on February 17th followed earlier aerial bombardment of villages near the town of Omgonya, also in South Darfur.

Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development told More 4 News he was very concerned to hear the news.

"We were aware there had been attacks in Gereida in February but these are the first reports that I have heard that there may have been attacks from the air."

Watch the report on More 4 News at 8pm.

Click here to watch the report and the Tony Benn interview [it is probably a typo and should read "Hilary" Benn, I use Apple Mac and am unable to access the reports]
- - -

WFP Monthly Situation Report Feb 2006

Highlights of report by UN World Food Programme, 16 March 2006 courtesy ReliefWeb.

Oxfam: AU should call for AMIS mandate that prioritises civilian protection

Thanks to Bruschetta Boy for his blog entry at Aaronovitch Watch saying:

"Sudan Watch is an excellent portal for news headlines from Sudan. The author is basically Decent in orientation but currently believes that a reinforced African Union force could be sufficient to restore peace to Darfur. The blog is pretty much free of editorial spin though and is entirely worth reading for anyone who is planning on talking a lot about Darfur in their column."

Some readers may be interested to know Sudan Watch blog author has believed all along that a reinforced African Union force with an expanded mandate is preferable to military intervention (an act of war) by international forces and/or NATO.

Military intervention would bring out all the jihadists and set the tinder box of Africa alight. Fearless Arab warriors, with great horse and camel riding skills, who can read the sands like the back of their hands and subsist on next to nothing, are a force to be reckoned with in the Sudan, a huge blistering hot country with rainy seasons, shifting sands and mud, the size of Europe. [See Vegetation Map of Sudan]

Military intervention would result in aid workers being dismissed from the country, making it impossible to deliver humanitarian aid to those most in need. Millions of Sudanese people could perish, defeating the object of intervention.

All military interventions have an objective, usually to oust existing regimes. Sudan is not a failed state. Until UN reform clarifies matters re sovereignty, UN members should not, without a UN resolution, invade any country in order to dictate who governs and how it is run. Meanwhile, outsiders can only offer support and provide help where it is needed and accepted.



Photo: African Union (AU) soldiers parade at their base in el-Geneina in Sudan's West Darfur state, March 16, 2006. (Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom)

On March 10, 2006 ReliefWeb published an article by Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International. The piece, entitled In Darfur, time is running out is reprinted here in full as it reflects this blog author's view - especially the last paragraph where it says "equipping AMIS with more funds and a strengthened mandate would send a clear message to the displaced millions that their immediate safety is our foremost concern."

"In Darfur, time is running out" By Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International

It is now nearly three years since newspapers and televisions were first filled with images of the violence and mass displacements in Darfur. Yet today nearly two million people remain in camps, over a million more are dependent on humanitarian aid, and civilians face daily threats of violence.

The conflict will not be put on hold for the next nine months. Irrespective of any future UN involvement, AMIS needs more troops, more funding and a stronger mandate, and it needs them now.

AMIS has done an admirable job in extremely difficult circumstances. Many of the enormous camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) -- some the size of small cities -- are now relatively secure thanks in large part to the AU presence. In camps such as Kalma in south Darfur, thousands of women are now able to go out and collect much needed firewood under the watch of AU patrols. To do so before the arrival of the patrols was risking assault, or worse, death.

But outside these camps, and in areas where the AU force is not present, people cannot move around without fear of harassment and attack. Villagers -- many unable to reach camps because the journey is too dangerous -- live in perpetual fear. For those fortunate enough to make it to the camps, they wish for the day they can return to their villages -- a sign that the conflict would be coming to an end. But for the moment the insecurity makes any talk of returning home an impossible dream.

Darfur, a region the size of Texas, is one of the least developed regions of Africa and is now experiencing what the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. And yet the AU is expected to keep more than three million civilians safe with fewer than 7,000 poorly equipped troops.

Even successful initiatives such as the firewood patrols have been limited. In most camps, the AU does not have the capability to undertake patrols day and night, so after dark displaced people are once again exposed to danger.

Humanitarian access, upon which half the population in Darfur is dependent, has also been affected by the failure to stem the violence. Half of Oxfam's programs now have to be accessed by air because roads are too insecure.

The most urgent priority is to equip AMIS with a proactive, robust mandate that prioritizes civilian protection and allows AMIS greater flexibility to implement it. The Darfur context is much more complex, insecure and unpredictable than that in which the current defensive mandate was agreed in late 2004.

To effectively protect civilians the AU will also need a much larger, stronger force. At a bare minimum it needs enough troops to enable a 24-hour, 7 days a week presence in the camps. Top UN officials have spoken of a UN force needing up to 20,000 troops. There is no reason why the AU should have to make do with any less.

The international community has a vital role to play in this. While countries such as Rwanda, Nigeria and South Africa have contributed significant numbers of personnel, AMIS is reliant on international funding and a donor conference is planned before the end of the month.

In the meantime however, the AU should call for the mandate to be strengthened and should voluntarily provide troops to staff the mission, while international donors provide increased funds with which to implement this expansion. Britain recently pledged a further 20 million British pounds to the AU force, but more will be needed if a difference is really to be made.

Amid all the talk of handing over to the UN, international governments are in danger of adopting an attitude of winding down the AU mission. This must not be allowed to happen. The coming months are crucial for Darfur: without immediately strengthening AMIS the situation on the ground could plummet new depths.

Equipping AMIS with more funds and a strengthened mandate would send a clear message to the displaced millions that their immediate safety is our foremost concern. It would also tell warring parties that the continued violence is not acceptable. On the other hand, maintaining AMIS in its present form -- under-funded, ill-equipped and lacking sufficient personnel -- is effectively telling millions of civilians that their suffering is going to get even worse.



Photo: Nigerian African Union (AU) soldiers parade at their base in el-Geneina in Sudan's Western Darfur state, March 16, 2006. (Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom)

Focus must remain on civilian protection in Darfur - UN

Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the success of the AU mission's handover to the UN would require the support of the Sudanese government, reports IRIN 15 Mar 2006.

Also, he said that without an effective ceasefire, any international security presence in Darfur "will have to be mandated and equipped to take robust action to protect civilians at risk."

Note, the report points out the UN has been forced to restrict the movements of relief workers in parts of Western Darfur and to cut staff levels in the region. [via PoTP with thanks]

Simon Deng and Manute Bol walking to end Darfur's conflict

Former Sudanese slave Simon Deng has begun a 300 mile (482km) walk in the United States calling for action to end Darfur's crisis and slavery in Sudan.

He is being joined on his "Freedom Walk" from New York to Washington DC by fellow countryman, the seven foot seven inch ex-NBA basketballer Manute Bol.



Photo: Both Deng and Bol experienced the civil war in the south. Full story (BBC) 16 March 2006.

Stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves

Watch a short movie about the situation in Darfur and help HOPE stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

HOPE asks us to sign their petition calling for a UN appointed diplomat of the highest international stature to lead a peace process in Darfur. Click here to read more about their case for an envoy.

200,000 signatories are needed to represent those who have perished in Darfur and cannot speak for themselves. I have signed the petition and, so far, am the 191st person to do so. Please add your name to the list.

UN envoy cites tribal cleansing in Darfur by militiamen trying to take over lands of other tribes in Sudan

Times of Oman cites Reuters as the source of a report from Khartoum today that quotes UN special envoy Jan Pronk as saying "the security situation in Darfur is 'grim' as fighting is going on a daily basis," Jan Pronk told reporters in his weekly press briefing at the Khartoum headquaters of the UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS). Excerpt:

"Villages in South Darfur are being attacked by militiamen on camel-back, killing about 400 persons since last February," said the UN envoy, warning of what he termed "tribal cleansing, with people chasing others in different parts of Darfur."

Instead of blaming the government or the rebel movements, Pronk said this "cleansing" was being conducted by militiamen he did not identify "for private, political or economic reasons to take over lands of other tribes.

"The security situation will remain grim and will deteriorate further if peace is not reached in Darfur," he said.

Sudan's VP Taha in Tripoli meeting with Darfur rebel leaders

Note, above report explains Pronk lamented that no progress has been made at negotiations in Abuja:

When asked to comment on a recent meeting in Tripoli of Vice President Ali Osman Taha with Darfur rebel leaders, Pronk said Abuja "will continue to be the only venue of the (inter-Sudanese) negotiations."

Asked about recent statements by Sudanese officials that they will take steps to speed up the peace process, Pronk said: "I have heard this but I have not seen on the ground such steps which have to be translated into decisions in the negotiations. I hope such steps will be made in the right direction and in the right place (Abuja)." - Reuters.

Warlordism on the increase - More troops in Darfur not much of a solution - Sudan's tribal: Janjaweed and major tribes have to be part of peace talks

Hedi Annabi, a UN assistant secretary general for peacekeeping, said he was not disturbed by the AU decision to extend its Darfur mission through September as UN planners had said all along it would take six to nine months to assemble, equip and deploy a UN force.

So, when will Sudan's Janjaweed and all major tribes representing millions of displaced people attend the Darfur peace talks? How can there be peace in Sudan if tribal leaders are not part of the talks? Who disarms first, the rebels or the Janjaweed?

Darfur is tribal says Julie Flint and the tribes have to be part of the solution ... "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."

Even 20,000 UN troops can't be expected to control a region larger than France

Fareed Zakaria's article in March 20, 2006 issue of Newsweek says "Khartoum will try corruption, coercion, force, anything' to derail peace talks on the killing in Darfur, a Sudanese activist named Mudawi Ibrahim Adam warns." Further excerpt:

" ... Mudawi isn't clamoring for military intervention. "Simply putting more troops, or better troops in, is not much of a solution," says Mudawi. "They will have some effect in lessening the violence, but only for a while. Look at what has happened with the African Union peacekeepers. At first they seemed effective, and within a few months they were being ambushed, having their jeeps stolen, and security got much worse." Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick does not dispute that assessment. "The African Union forces have done a tremendous job," he said last week. "But they came in to enforce a ceasefire, and that ceasefire has broken down." The AU's 7,000 peacekeepers - or even 20,000 U.N. troops - can't be expected to control a region larger than France.

Mudawi holds scant hope for the current peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria. "The parties from Darfur are not really represented," he says. "The Khartoum government is there, but it has no interest in having the talks succeed. Relatively few of the Janjaweed or the other tribes are there. And no one is representing the 2 million people who have been displaced and are living in camps. They have separate but crucial claims that have to be placed on the table." Mudawi wants talks with all major tribes represented. But, he argues, only the presence of a senior American figure at the table can offset the maneuverings of the Sudanese government. "Khartoum will try corruption, coercion, force, anything to derail such talks," he says. "Only international pressure could counteract this."
- - -

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

Mar 2 2006 IRIN report says UN envoy Jan Pronk 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. The report explains:

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.
- - -

Warlords Seen as Spoilers in Sudan

Note Stanford University Lecture Spoilers in Peace Processes.

Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement (EHCA): AU wants Darfur fighters to withdraw to clearly identified areas with buffer zones between

News Article by IRIN March 13, 2006 reports AU mediators in the Darfur peace talks have proposed putting rival forces in Darfur behind buffer zones after ceasefire agreements have been repeatedly ignored. Excerpt:

The warring sides first signed a ceasefire accord in the Chadian capital N'djamena in April 2004. But nearly two years on, mediators said on Sunday that that agreement lacks sufficient details to be effective and a new proposal - dubbed the "Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement" - has been drafted and presented to the warring sides.

"The [draft] agreement specifies that the forces of the government and the two movements withdraw their forces to clearly identified areas, with buffer zones between them," mediators said in a statement.

The main objectives of the new proposals are "the demilitarisation of humanitarian supply routes and camps for displaced people," mediators said.

Sudanese government and rebel officials confirmed they have received the new proposals and would respond as demanded by the mediators. AU officials said urgent action was required from the belligerents to halt the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Darfur.

"The government and the movements first signed a ceasefire agreement almost two years ago, but they never stopped fighting," said Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team, who called conditions unacceptable. "Today, the humanitarian agencies in Darfur are reaching fewer people than they did when that ceasefire agreement was signed."

Gaddafi will urge Sudanese President al-Bashir to hold direct talks with Darfur rebel leaders

The Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa said on Sunday that the League is working in coordination with the African Union to resolve major issues in Africa including the Darfur crisis and stressed on the importance of the upcoming summit in Cairo, during which leaders of Egypt, Sudan, and Libya will discuss Darfur, reports KUNA/st March 13, 2006.

Responding to journalists after a meeting with the visiting speaker of the Sudan's National Assembly, Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Taher, Mousa said that he respects the decision made by the AU Peace and Security Council to extend the peacekeeping mission of the union in Darfur to six more months.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit on Sunday welcomed the decision by the AU Peace and Security Council to turn over peacekeeping in Darfur to the UN, reports Xinhua/st March 13, 2006. Excerpt:

"The foreign minister praised (the council for) reaffirming the African Union's role in supervising the peace process in Darfur and that African troops should be the backbone of the new peacekeeping mission," Abul Gheit was quoted as saying by a Foreign Ministry spokesman.

The Egyptian top diplomat hoped that all parties involved in the Darfur dispute would thrash out a peace agreement as soon as possible and urged the international community to offer necessary help, the spokesman added.

Note, two Darfur rebel leaders arrived in Abuja for peace talks, a sign that the rebel groups understood the negotiations had reached a critical point, reports Sudan Tribune March 13, 2006.

Libyan leader continues great efforts to broker peace for Darfur

Libyan leader Col Gaddafi reiterated on Monday that Libya rejected any foreign intervention in Darfur without the permission of the Sudanese government and the AU, according to news from the Libyan capital of Tripoli.

Gaddafi told the press that Libya would bring forward a proposal to peacefully resolve the Darfur conflict in the summit meeting to be attended by Egypt, Sudan and Libya in Cairo next Monday reports AND/Xinhua March 15, 2006. Excerpt:

He had held talks with Darfur rebel leaders on this issue recently, said Gaddafi, adding that Libya had announced and would reiterate its stance of supporting the Sudanese government in rejecting foreign intervention.

He will urge Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir to hold direct talks with rebel leaders, so as to find a proper way to end the conflict.

Gaddafi said the rebel leaders welcomed Bashir as the Sudanese president and agreed to settle the conflict peacefully.

He added that the rebels hoped to maintain Sudan's territorial integrity on condition that their request of sharing power and wealth is fulfilled.

- - -

Sudan's VP Taha opposes AU terms on Darfur

Sudan opposes AU terms on Darfur reports Aljazeera March 15, 2006.

Sudan opposed UN force for Darfur even after September - Taha reports Sudan Tribune March 15, 2006.
- - -

West backs AU's Darfur plan

The EU has committed $60 million (about R360 million) and the US $120 million (about R720 million) towards sustaining Amis until September. The EU, UN and particularly the US have indicated they will back up the AU's demands, with targeted sanctions against individuals fomenting violence in Darfur.

The AU has set April 30 as the deadline for concluding a peace agreement in Darfur. Full report Mercury Foreign Service/IOL March 15, 2006.
- - -

Sudan's top negotiator expects Darfur peace deal soon

The Presidential Advisor and head of the government delegation for Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Majzoub Al-Khalifa, said that he expects the two parties to talks to sign a political agreement during the current round of talks, ending the Darfur crisis, reports Sudan Tribune March 14, 2006 - excerpt:

At a press conference he held Tuesday at the Sudan News Agency, Al-Khalifa, said that wide strides have been made concerning the sharing of wealth and power and the security arrangements' files.

He further added that there are still pending issues such as the structure of government in Darfur, the representation of Darfur in the Presidency institution and the civil service, the resettlement of the refugees and the displaced people, the compensations and development.

Al-Khalifa indicated that the progress in the security arrangements' file is confronted by difficulties pertinent to the commitment to N'djamena ceasefire protocol, the security and humanitarian agreements, the confrontations between the armed forces and tribal disputes.

He ruled out the possibility of promotion of the government delegation at Abuja delegation, stressing that the government is negotiating as a national unity government and in accordance with a national perspective.

He lauded the contribution of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to push ahead the negotiation process..

- - -

Security Council welcomes African decision to transform Darfur force

News Article by UN News Centre posted on March 13, 2006 says the Security Council March 13 welcomed the decision of the African Union to support, in principle, the transition of the AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur to a UN operation

"The Security Council commended the African Union for the successful deployment of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and AMIS' role in reducing large-scale organized violence in Darfur," Council President Cesar Mayoral of Argentina told the press after the body was briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi Annabi.

Mr. Mayoral also expressed strong support for the AU's role in the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, underlining that "political settlement is key to peace in Sudan and that the AU should maintain leadership in the Abuja process."

Deteriorating security in Darfur in recent months has prevented aid in reaching more than a million victims of Sudan's vicious three-year-old conflict, in which fighting between government forces, pro-government militias and rebels has killed some 180,000 people and displaced 2 million others.

The current UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS), deployed to support the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed about a year ago for south Sudan, has a mandate from the UN Security Council to provide some support to AMIS in Darfur.

However violence continues to flare, prompting the Security Council to consider augmenting the AU force under the UN, and, last month, to consider sanctioning individuals deemed to be a threat to the peace or to human rights in the area.

The Council is having a public meeting on Darfur on 21 March, to which it is inviting Salim Salim, the mediator of the Abuja talks, Ambassador Mayoral said.

Libya to host summit on Darfur - Sudan, Egypt leaders to attend

"There are now consultations and efforts are being exerted with all the Sudanese parties to solve the problem of Darfur," a Libyan source said, reports Reuters Mar 15, 2006:

Libyan leader Col Gaddafi, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will attend the summit due to take place in Tripoli in coming days, the source said, without giving an exact date.

"Libya hopes to find a solution within six months within the African context," the source added.

Sudan closes offices of rights group

The Sudanese human rights organisation SUDO said on Wednesday the West Darfur authorities had closed down three of its offices because it did not like its work overcoming divisions in the troubled region, reports Reuters March 15, 2006.

Arrest and torture of IDPs from Otash IDP camp, south Darfur

Human Rights Alert by Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) March 15, 2006 announces arrest and torture of two IDPs from Otash IDP camp, south Darfur Hashim Abdella Targiya, male, 18 yrs and Alsayid Adam Haroun, male, 32 yrs. Both from Zaghawa tribe.

Chad's President Deby was sponsored by Khartoum and helped into power by the French secret services

Analyst Andrew Manley explains why Chadian President Idriss Deby has appeared increasingly vulnerable in a piece written for the BBC March 15, 2006 shortly before Chad's government announced it had foiled an attempted coup.

UPI reports the president's twin nephews and a general, who had defected to the rebels, were blamed for the coup attempt. The rebels are led by the United Front for Democratic Change under Mahamat Nour from bases in Darfur on Sudan's border with Chad.

Internal displacement toll in south and north Darfur continues to mount

Internal displacement toll in Darfur continues to mount, particularly in areas outside Gereida town in southern Darfur and between Nyala and Al Fashir in the north, reports Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre March 15, 2006:

Fighting mainly between government-backed militias and the rebel SLA caused 10,000 people to flee their homes and seek refuge in Gereida in February, adding to the 80,000 IDPs already living there in camps.

Humanitarian access continues to be severely hampered in many parts of Darfur because of insecurity and harassment by the warring parties. ICRC, for example, reported that it took three weeks to access the IDPs in Gereida with food and other essential items.

Photo: View of desert outside El-Fashir, northern Darfur, Sudan from African Union helicopter. (Andrew Heavens)

Eastern Sudan rebels accuse Khartoum of fomenting tension

Sudanese rebels on Tuesday accused the government of fomenting tension in the eastern part of the country, a restive belt through which an oil pipeline to the country's largest port passes, reports AFP/st Mar 15, 2006.

Note, the article says Eastern rebel offical Abdalla Hamid threw cold water on the prospects of a planned Libya sponsored peace talks between Khartoum and east Sudanese rebels, which were called off last month following disagreements over Eritrea's participation.

Japan extends donation to provide vehicles for removing landmines in Sudan

The Government of Japan has supplied the Swiss Organisation for Land-Mines (FSD) with a donation to provide four vehicles which specially designed for the removal of land-mines in Sudan.

Full story at ReliefWeb via Suna.

UN Jobs - International Job Vacancies in Sudan

Note the increasing number of Vacancies in Sudan. Link is now in sidebar here at Sudan Watch.
- - -

Click here for Feb. 06, 2009 Multiple vacancies announcement: local Sudanese needed in Southern Sudan's Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, and Warrap States.

Insurers pay out on Garang crash

An insurance firm says it will pay Uganda $3m for the presidential helicopter that crashed killing former Sudanese rebel leader John Garang, reports BBC March 14, 2006 - excerpt:

"I hope this puts an end to the whole affair," said Ugandan Foreign Minister Ezra Suruma. "We deeply regret this incident happened but there was nothing we could do to stop it."

"An insurer will not pay out if he has doubts as to the nature of the accident," managing director Bola Ososamya told the Associated Press.

Both Mr Garang's SPLM group and the government said at the time they believed the crash had been an accident.

Sudan court frees 8 Turabi party members

Arabic News.com March 14, 2006 report via Sudan.Net says Sudan court frees 8 Turabi party members. Excerpt:

A Sudanese court found not guilty 8 out of 18 members of the opposition People's Congress party who were recently arrested by the authorities for possible involvement in plans violating general security.

They were charged those detained men on charge of conspiracy in order to topple the regime in the country, provoke war against the state, intention to use violence, and committing damaging operations as well as having unlicensed weapons.

The court justified its decision to that initial evidence was not provided to support the accusations. A matter which was considered by the defense lawyers as a victory for justice.

Meantime, the leader of the People's Congress party Sheikh Hassan al-Turabi said commenting on the court's decision that the rules that control the country by using special and security laws are still in effect in the country (and have not changed).

Turabi said that the foreign pressures on the government were behind what he called lifting the pressure off his supporters. He said that the country has to change its political composition otherwise not all people in Sudan will feel safe.

AU statement tells fighters at Darfur peace talks: Time is up

Key to UN troops being deployed in Darfur will be whether rebels fighting a three-year insurgency and the Sudanese government can reach a peace deal, reports the Financial Times today.

Reuters report just in says Sudan's AU statement [see next entry here below] was entitled "AU tells the Sudanese parties in Abuja: Time is up."

Reuters notes Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team in Abuja, said on Saturday that the response from the parties to preliminary soundings on the AU's proposed solutions had not been encouraging. But he expressed hope that the full, detailed proposals would meet with a more positive response.

April 30 deadline set by the African Union Council

China's Xinhuanet Mar 12 2006 reports as rebel leaders come to Abuja, Nigeria to attend the Monday peace talks on Darfur, all sides appear pessimistic for reaching a peace deal before the April 30 deadline set by the AU Council.



Photo: Sudan Defence Minister, General Abdul Raheem Mohamed Hussein waves to civilian militiamen from the Popular Defence Forces as they demonstrate against international interference in Sudan in front of the Sudanese Army HQ in Khartoum 8 March 2006. (EPA Philip Dhil/mc)

Darfur's SLM rebels won't allow any more deaths in Darfur?

"SLM welcomes the decision to transfer the AU mission to the UN after the six-month extension expires," the rebel group said in a statement issued Saturday, reports AFP/st 12 March 2006:

"The movement calls on the AU to shoulder its responsibilities within this period in full, seriously and transparently," the SLM said. "The movement won't allow any more deaths in Darfur," it added.

"In return, (the movement) affirms its readiness to cooperate with the AU forces until the mandate expires," the SLM statement promised.

Photo: A soldier from the SLA stands guard against crowds who gathered to witness the rebel SLA unity conference in Haskanita, in Sudan's eastern Darfur province October 29, 2005. (Reuters/st)

AU presents enhanced ceasefire proposals for Darfur conflict

Today, the African Union presented comprehensive proposals for an enhanced humanitarian ceasefire agreement for parties involved in the Darfur conflict, reports Deutsche Presse-Agentur/mc - excerpt:

The enhanced ceasefire proposals urged all sides to 'bring bloodshed and suffering in the region to an immediate end.'

'Any of the parties to the conflict not prepared to sign the Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement would be regarded as not interested in the peace and wellbeing of the people of Darfur,' Salim Ahmed Salim, AU Special Envoy and Chief Mediator at the Darfur conflict, said in Abuja on Sunday.

'Our proposals are fair, workable and in compliance with previous commitments entered into by the parties,' he noted.

The head of the AU mediation team, Sam Ibok, said that 'while we have been attempting to negotiate a peace agreement, the parties have continued to fight it out on the ground in Darfur.'

Humanitarian agencies in Darfur are reaching fewer people than they did when the first ceasefire agreement was signed in N'djamena, Chad, on April 8, 2004, he noted, terming the humanitarian situation 'catastrophic' and 'unacceptable'.

'Our experience over the past 16 months has led us to conclude that there is neither good faith nor commitment on the part of any of the parties. Our new proposals give the AU Mission in Sudan necessary powers to protect civilians and ensure that the ceasefire is respected,' Ibok said.

The Enhanced Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement focuses on the demilitarization of humanitarian supply routes and camps for displaced people. The AU contends that the routes and camps should be secured by peacekeepers and civilian police. All parties to the conflict should withdraw their forces to clearly identified areas, with buffer zones between them.

The AU Mission in Sudan currently has 7,000 soldiers in Darfur.

Meanwhile, the president of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement, Dr. Halil Ibrahim, arrived Saturday to attend Monday's talks as did the president of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement and Army, Minni Minawi.

'Their presence is a sure indication that faster progress will be made at the talks,' Nourreddine Mezni, AU mediation team's spokesman, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

Sudan's Salah Gosh met UK and US officials last week in London for talks on al-Qaeda and Darfur peace process

Sudan's head of intelligence Major-General Salah Abdullah Gosh secretly visited London last week. Gosh is accused of being an architect of the genocide in Darfur reports Peter Beaumont in today's Observer - excerpt:

The Foreign Office admitted it had issued a visa to Gosh, the head of Sudan's National Security agency and the man accused of being a key figure behind the counter-insurgency campaign that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands.

While officials originally claimed the visa had been issued so Gosh could undergo 'medical treatment', they added yesterday that he had also met unnamed British officials for 'discussions on the Darfur peace process'.

British officials are also understood to have discussed al-Qaeda with Gosh, who knew Osama bin Laden in the Nineties. The admission that Foreign Office officials met Gosh - who has been accused of having recruited the janjaweed Arab militias responsible for most of the abuses in Darfur - drew claims of British 'hypocrisy' from human rights groups.

The Sudanese government has repeatedly denied any involvement in recruiting and commanding the militias.

The visa was issued to Gosh to come to Britain for 'medical treatment' after he was apparently refused re-entry to the United States, which he visited last year for meetings with the CIA.

Gosh is number two on a widely leaked but unpublished United Nations list of senior Sudanese officials who have been blamed by a UN panel of experts for failing to prevent a campaign of widespread ethnic cleansing in Darfur carried out by the janjaweed militias whom Gosh is accused of directing.

The list forms the basis of a UN Security Council resolution that would ban Gosh and others from international travel and freeze his foreign assets. Gosh's name is also understood to be on a second list, which is being considered for referral on war crimes charges to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

His visit last week, during which he is understood also to have met American officials, has outraged human rights campaigners, who, with the US government, have accused the Sudanese government of prosecuting 'genocide' in Darfur. The outrage comes not least because, as sponsor of the UN resolution, the British government, along with other Security Council members, has seen the list of Sudanese officials threatened with sanctions over Darfur.

The three high-level Sudanese officials - including Gosh and Interior Minister Zubair Bashir Taha - were placed on the 17-name list because they failed to take appropriate action to carry out the Sudanese government's commitment to disarm the janjaweed, who have been attacking non-Arab villagers in Darfur, according to a report to the UN by a panel of experts. The Khartoum government promised 18 months ago to disarm those militia, but has failed to do so.

As well as being held responsible for the Sudanese government's counter-terrorism campaign in Darfur, which has resulted in the displacement of two million people and the deaths of tens of thousands, Gosh also gained notoriety when he acted as the Sudanese government's liaison with Osama bin Laden, who was based in Sudan between 1990 and 1996.

It is for this latter reason that Gosh was flown by the CIA to its headquarters in Langley, Virginia, last year in a private jet before his presence in the US was leaked to the media. Inevitably, this provoked outrage.

- - -

Massacres suspect let into Britain

Excerpt from report by Hala Jaber in today's Times:

Foreign Office spokesman said this weekend that while Gosh's status remained uncertain, there was no reason to ban him from travelling to Britain.

"We can confirm he recently visited London," the spokesman said. "We knew about it and did not seek to stop it because he had genuine medical reasons and he has not been charged with any crime, and I can't speculate whether he will be.

"We must remember that we do need to maintain a relationship with senior Sudanese officials to take forward the peace process and he happens to be one of the key senior officials."

Click on label 'Salah Abdallah Gosh' here below for related reports and latest updates.

Progress in London talks on Horn of Africa

BBC reports progress on talks in London between reps from Ethiopia, Eritrea, US and UN to end a border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The talks, chaired by the international tribunal that decided where the border should run, were held with the blessing of the UN Security Council which had urged the countries to resume a dialogue.

Ethiopia indicated that it now accepts the tribunal's ruling without reservations.

Eritrea for its part accepted the appointment of a technical expert to assist in the demarcation of the border.

TENSE BORDER
Dec 2000: Peace agreement
Apr 2002: Border ruling
Mar 2003: Ethiopian complaint over Badme rejected
Sep 2003: Ethiopia asks for new ruling
Feb 2005: UN concern at military build-up
Oct 2005: Eritrea restricts peacekeepers' activities
Nov 2005: UN sanctions threat if no compliance with 2000 deal

Egypt calls Arabs to help Sudan to face challenges

Chairman of the Egyptian council for foreign relations, Abdelrauf al-Reidi told reporters the upcoming Arab summit, to be held in Khartoum on March 28-29, should back Sudan to maintain its unity and sovereignty, in addition to preventing to make the Darfur crisis an international issue.

Al-Reidi called on Arab investors to establish investment projects in Sudan to help economic and social development. (ST/KUNA) 12 Mar 2006.