Humanitarian Hijinks aka Sleepless in Sudan aka Catherine Jameson: Careless talk costs lives

Today, Coalition for Darfur points out a piece entitled President Deserves our Thanks by American journalist Nick Clooney, father of Hollywood movie star George Clooney.

Nick and George Clooney have a strong reputation for being Bush haters and anti-war in Iraq. Recently, both of them courted a lot of media attention calling for the Bush administration to stop "genocide" in Darfur even though the findings of the UN's International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur concluded the Sudanese government was NOT pursuing a policy of genocide in Darfur.

Why do so many people who follow news on the Sudan, claim to care about the wellbeing of people and push so hard for military intervention in Darfur? Invading the Sudan without a UN resolution would mean international personnel being dismissed from the country. How would aid be delivered to the 3.5 million people in need? War on the Sudan would be a bloodbath and defeat the object. I cannot understand why activists and writers like Nicholas Kristof, Eric Reeves and Samantha Power et al can't see this (and if they do, why they don't enlighten their readers).

The amount of propaganda in the media is far greater than I ever imagined before starting this blog. I nearly blew a gasket when I saw that Nick Clooney's piece had been published by The Cincinnati Post, readers of which, no doubt, take the piece as fact and not the opinion of one person. He singled out the US for praise on helping Darfur - that the US has given more than any other nation (why shouldn't it? it's the biggest - you can fit the United Kingdom into the State of Texas) - and had the audacity to write, quote:

"European response has been shockingly weak, especially given the longtime connections of France and Great Britain in the region."

[Please get your facts straight Mr Clooney and do your homework before making such ignorant statements]

Talking about propaganda, here is a copy of my response today to a piece at the Guardian's 'Comment is free' entitled Peace at last? authored by someone going by the name of Catherine Jameson aka Humanitarian Hijinks blog aka Sleepless in Sudan blog who also claims to care about the plight of the people of Darfur. I found it at Coalition for Darfur.

Note, Coventrian is the name of a person who posted a comment at the piece.

[Coventrian: I see. You want peace but oppose the peace treaty and want to send in the same troops that brought 'peace' to Iraq? I think you have a completely different agenda.]

Most insightful, Coventrian. Well said. Thank you.

Having followed the blog "Humanitarian Hijinks" (renamed "Sleepless in Sudan") from the start, my view is the author of the above piece seems to be either an irresponsible naive egotist looking to make a name as a writer or a propagandist onside with the Darfur rebels aiming to overthrow regime in Khartoum.

The Sudan is the size of Europe. Military intervention (an act of war) would bring out all the jihadists and set alight the tinder box of Africa, making Iraq look like a picinic.

African Union troops in Darfur do not have the mandate of a protection force. They are in Darfur - with Khartoum's permission - without firepower to monitor a ceasefire agreement while warring parties negotiate a peace agreement, afterwhich troops with a peacekeeping mandate can be deployed with firepower and equipment. Khartoum imposes a lot of restrictions on the AU troops, including night time curfews.

An agreed peace deal is the only way to work towards a political settlement and receive persmission from Khartoum to allow troops with peacekeeping mandate into Darfur.

The Darfur Peace Agreement signed on May 5, 2006 certainly does offer hope as it represents the start of the road to peace albeit, in all probability, a long one.

The men and women of the African Union Mission in Darfur have conducted themselves with great professionalism and diplomacy, representing the fledgling African Union well on its first mission and serving as good ambassadors of their home countries. See one small example how AU police officers build trust (for more reports on AMIS type in keywords "African Union" or "AU" into search box at top of Sudan Watch front page
female-au-police-officers-build-trust

Note, the Darfur rebels (who have bases outside of the Sudan and in Europe) are anti the African Union mediators and troops and use the media to denigrate and belittle the AU. The rebels want the international community (read money) and UN troops onside. The situation in Sudan is hugely complex. A lot is at stake. Propaganda is rife.

Before anyone here writes another word about Darfur or the Sudan, please read a most insightful piece entitled "Careless talk costs lives" by Daniel Davies (and the comments, in which Daniel so rightly says: 'People who now want to "speak out in defence of their fellow human beings" in Darfur are today just stroking their moral consciences in public, with probably quite serious consequences.')
"Careless talk costs lives"
commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/daniel_davies

Also by Daniel Davies:
"Sudan Watch: a plug"
This website ought to be compulsory reading for anyone planning to comment on the unfolding tragedy in Darfur. 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.
commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/daniel_davies




Photo: Daniel Davies is an analyst and stockbroker working in London. He started his career working in the Bank of England and has been a stockbroker for ten years. He is a member of the Crooked Timber group blog and sporadically maintains d-squareddigest.blogspot.com and a small number of other projects.

Chad and the Darfur domino effect: Darfur conflict will suck in all its neighbours

Mail & Guardian by Katharine Houreld 8 May 2006 - excerpt: [sub-headings are mine]

Spillover from the Darfur conflict is in danger of destabilising the entire central African region say observers. Since the war in Sudan erupted, rebel groups have formed in neighbouring Chad and are beginning to emerge in the Central African Republic (CAR), which shares a border with both states.

Although many of the Sudanese rebels come from the same tribe as Chad's President Idriss Deby, for the first few years of the rebellion he tried to avoid antagonising his powerful neighbour by not openly supporting the rebels, while turning a blind eye if members of his government chose to do so. But relations between Chad and Sudan soured last year, with each country accusing the other of supporting rebel groups on each other's territories.

The situation is complicated by numerous defectors from Deby's inner circle, who have formed their own rebel group in Chad. They accuse Deby of not doing enough to support their kinsmen in Sudan.

Observers also say that they were angered by his decision to seek a third term in Wednesday's elections. Since Chad began exporting oil a few years ago, many of Deby's family has been eyeing the position.

United States of Africa?

"Chad's crisis is homegrown, but converging dangerously with the conflict in Darfur. These crises feed off of one another and, inevitably, civilians are caught in the middle. CAR is involved because northern CAR is essentially ungoverned and, therefore, a useful rear base for attacks on Chad," said Colin Thomas-Jenson of the International Crisis Group. "You cannot solve one conflict in the region without addressing the others."

Adam Rakiss, a 41-year-old who claims to be a colonel in the CAR, is one of about 235 rebels who were seized after they launched a major assault on Chad's capital a fortnight ago. He says Sudan promised the CAR fighters bases from which to launch their own rebellion if they helped topple Deby. "If we help [leader of the United Front for Change rebels] Mohamet Nour take power in Chad, Sudan will help us," he said, adding that he had arrived with about 20 fighters from the CAR.

Sudanese-backed rebels using CAR as base for incursions into Chad

A Chad-backed coup helped CAR President Francois Bozize into power three years ago. Last week, his foreign minister lodged an official complaint with Sudan regarding two planes that had allegedly landed in the north of the country carrying 100 mercenaries. Military observers believe that Sudanese-backed rebels are already using the CAR as a base for incursions into Chad.

One country sets an entire region afire

Olivier Bercault of Human Rights Watch says the availability of automatic weapons, porous borders and weak government means the Darfur conflict will suck in all its neighbours. "The dynamic is unfortunately something we know very well. One country sets an entire region afire. In western Sudan, eastern Chad and CAR, it's exactly the same pattern."



Photo: Sudanese children sit in their makeshift classroom in the refugee camp Kou Kou Angarana in Chad. (Photograph: AP)

Oil from Sudan makes up one-tenth of China's imported oil - China's invested $2bn in Sudan over last 10 years

Snippets from an opinion piece entitled "Digging for misery" by Tom Harper at Guardian's Comment is free May 12, 2006:

Sudan's oil has fuelled much of the country's desctruction. Its profits block the chance of many of its refugees returning home.

The Chinese economy is now growing at around 10% a year and needs feeding. Zhu Weilie, the director of Middle East and African studies at Shanghai International says: "Oil from Sudan makes up one-tenth of all of China's imported oil ... if we lose this source, how can we find another market to replace it? China has to balance its interests."

Corporation (CNPC), which produces 300,000 barrels a day; is involved in construction projects all over the country; and sells arms to the Khartoum government (one recent reported purchase of Shenyang fighter planes came to $100 million). All in all, China has invested roughly $2bn in Sudan over the last ten years.

China's economic ties to Khartoum have hindered international action on the matter. Since 2004 China, a permanent member of the UN security council, has abstained on six resolutions including one last month that, for the first time, imposed sanctions on four Sudanese accused of atrocities in Darfur, and another last March that proposed an oil embargo, cutting off at source the strongest card the Sudanese government can play.

CNN's Nic Robertson reports from Sudan-Chad border

In his report from Sudan-Chad border, CNN's Nic Robertson says a journalist can easily be shot for his or her automobile in Sudan or Chad, and explains:

As we've seen here in crowds, tensions can run high. A crowd can go from being sort of loud and peaceful to being angry and vengeful within a matter of seconds.

In Sudan, we saw two types of crowds. We saw a crowd that appeared to be organized by the government that was out to tell Jan Egeland that they didn't want the peace deal implemented by U.N. peacekeepers coming into the country.

And we've seen refugees in the Sudan camps who have been there two to three years, saying they do want international peacekeepers because they don't have faith in the African Union peacekeepers who are supposed to keep them safe right now.

They don't trust the Sudanese government. They say they get arrested when they go into town.

When you're in a crowd here, I think you really have to watch people's facial expressions, you have to watch their moods, you have to see if anything is changing their mood.

If one person turns in a crowd -- and this is the same in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries -- the whole mood of the crowd can shift in seconds. You have to be aware of that.

In Chad, the refugees, even those who have been here three years or more, are remarkably peaceful. They recognize and respect everything the international community is doing for them.

One of the refugee leaders in one of the camps told me today, "We know there's no one else out here who is going to provide security, who's going to help us and take care of us other than the international community."

[Note, many of the refugees are onside with the rebels. Darfur rebels are anti AU mediators and AU troops. Throughout the past few years they've wanted UN troops onside and UN to replace AU mediators at Darfur peace talks. Propaganda is rife]

US suggests May 30 deadline to start preparation for UN force takeover in Darfur

The US circulated a draft UN resolution that sets a May 30 deadline for deploying an assessment team to Darfur to prepare a UN takeover of the AU peacekeeping mission.

The new text, expected to be taken up by the 15-member Security Council during closed-door consultations Friday, calls on the parties to the Abuja accords to cooperate with the AU, the UN and member states "to accelerate transition to a United Nations operation, and ...calls for the immediate deployment of a joint African Union and United Nations technical assessment mission no later than May 30."

US has spent $1 billion feeding the hungry in Darfur

US Department of State report by Charles W. Corey, Washington File Staff Writer, 11 May 2006. Excerpt:

Between 2004 and 2006, the United States has spent more than $1 billion feeding the hungry in the crisis-gripped Darfur region of western Sudan, and remains committed to caring for distressed people in the area, a top U.S. government official told the U.S. Congress May 11.

"While we give a lot to WFP," the United States also has given $22 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC's) food distribution program and $8 million to five NGOs distributing food in Darfur, Hess said.

Additionally, even though WFP has been forced to cut daily food rations by 50 percent because of a severe shortfall in funding, Hess reassured Congress that the United States will continue contributing to supplemental feeding programs to ensure that those people who are most in danger of acute malnutrition will receive the support they need.

Dworken said Food for Peace has taken three key steps to help deal with the current WFP ration shortfall:

- Moving 2,850 tons of noncereal commodities to Port Sudan from pre-positioned stockpiles in Dubai and Lake Charles, Louisiana, for distribution in Darfur;

- Diverting 4,750 tons of food to Port Sudan that was being shipped to stockpiles in Dubai; and

- Procuring 40,000 tons of cereals valued at $36 million for rapid direct shipment to Sudan (an emergency action taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture).

Dworken said those three steps add up to about 47,600 tons of food, valued at $48 million, which should be delivered from late May through late June.

Dana Ott, acting director of the Office of Sudan Programs at USAID, told the lawmakers that Sudan is the largest program in USAID's Africa Bureau -- which she attributed to the ongoing emergency food program. "Of the $850 million we spent in Sudan last year, easily $500 million was food assistance," she said, "and then a significant other portion was humanitarian nonfood assistance."

Ott predicted that USAID's new office will be opened in Khartoum in July and said USAID also is looking forward to the construction of a new consulate compound in Juba.

Minnawi's SLA delegation arrives in N Darfur to popularise peace accord

A delegation from Minni Minawi's faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army Movement arrived Thursday evening in Al-Fashir, capital of Northern Darfur State to start political activities in Darfur five days after signing a peace agreement with the government in Abuja, says SudanTribune report from Khartoum May 11, 2006:

The agreement raises hope that a UN force will be allowed into Darfur to help out the AU troops, as Khartoum has said it would consider such a force after a peace deal was signed.

On May 11, the leader of the SLM faction, Abdelwahed al-Nur, said he is willing to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement if Khartoum satisfy certains demands.

He said his key demands were for more compensation funds for Darfur from Khartoum, greater political representation for his group, and greater involvement in mechanisms to enforce a ceasefire and disarmament plan foreseen in the accord.

Displaced women in Sudan's Darfur are still being raped on a large scale says UN rights chief

Despite assertions by Sudan's Government, displaced women in that country's Darfur region are still being raped on a large scale, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said today.

Full report UN News Centre 11 May 2006. Excerpt:

Ms. Arbour said that there was no sign that sexual violence against the women of Darfur had receded or been brought under control in any way. During her first visit to Darfur in 2004, she met with groups of women in the camps who had been raped by the Arab militia called janjaweed.

She said she had been shocked to meet women this time who had subsequently given birth to the children of rape and who might later be ostracized by the community. After meeting groups of Darfur's women who had recently been raped, she said she told the Government the rapes were taking place "on a large and unattended scale."

"The Government asserted that it had taken many initiatives to address the question of sexual violence. The initiatives that I have been made aware of, as far as I am concerned, so far, continue to be paper initiatives. I saw no evidence on the ground that any of these committees that have been set up to look after these issues have made a dent in the problems," the High Commissioner said.

INTERVIEW: Hassan Al-Turabi says Islam and democracy are not incompatible - absence of democracy is the main reason behind Sudan's Darfur conflict

May 11, 2006 Al-Ahram Weekly Hassan Al-Turabi interview by Gamal Nkrumah. Excerpts:

"People are not stupid, nor lacking in civic responsibility," Sheikh Hassan Al-Turabi points out. His voice rises with excitement as he talks about the prospects for peace in Darfur. Choking on his words, he explains that the absence of democracy is the main reason behind conflict. "There is no notion of consensus (shura ), as Islam enjoins, nor an imperative to democratise."

"I am against the enforcement of Sharia law on non-Muslims. The Christian southerners must not forcibly succumb to Islamic Sharia law. "The Jews of Medina were not subjected to Sharia law during the days of Prophet Mohamed. Why should we Muslims, today, force Sharia law on Christian subjects?"

He reserves his harshest criticism for the military clique ruling Sudan. The curious thing is that they have not learnt from their mistakes, he says. "They insist on doing things their way -- which has more to do with totalitarianism and authoritarianism than Islam -- and so have got almost everything wrong."

"Women's rights are paramount. Where women's rights are thwarted there can be no democracy.

"Military rule ruined the country. Democracy is the only viable answer to Sudan's numerous challenges."

Turabi asks how difficult it really is to maintain universal notions of human rights. He argues that the inferior status of women in contemporary Muslim societies has nothing to do with Islam as revealed in the Qur'an and Sunna (the traditions of Prophet Mohamed).

Turabi said that as long as there are foreign troops on Sudanese soil, the country for all intents and purposes remains a colony. He also said that the Islamist experiment in Sudan was a failure.

Turabi stresses that Islam and democracy are not incompatible.

It is an open secret that many of the leaders of the Justice and Equality Movement, one of two armed Darfur opposition groups that declined to sign a peace agreement with the Sudanese government, were former members of the PCP or close associates of Turabi.

Islamist activists from Darfur were staunch supporters of the NIF regime in the past. Some observers would go so far as to claim that JEM is, in effect, the armed wing of the PCP.

"Democracy is the only way forward."

First of all, he elaborates, it is almost inevitable -- it is going to happen. The future of Africa and the Arab world is democratic.



Photo: Sheikh Hassan Al-Turabi, in above interview, said "I was imprisoned because I spoke with the southerners -- the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) -- I spent 30 months in jail for doing so -- and I was also imprisoned, 15 months, for speaking with Darfur's armed opposition groups. Now, I have entered into discussions with the Easterners," he says nonchalantly.

SLA's Minnawi disproves claims by rivals he signed Darfur Peace Agreement under pressures

During a press conference by telephone in Khartoum today SLA leader Minnawi said his movement would engage in political activities soon by setting up offices in different parts of the country so as to participate with the political forces in the country for the sake of development in the country.

In holding this press conference Minnawi meant to disapprove his political advisor Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim who said in a letter addressed to the UN Secretary General that Minnawi signed Darfur agreement under pressures. Full report Sudan Tribune May 11, 2006.

UN says considering international force for Chad - Egeland meets with Deby

The UN is looking to create an international force to help protect civilians and refugees in Chad from attacks by armed groups spilling over from Darfur, a UN official said on Thursday, Reuters report:

"We have a seriously deteriorating security situation in Chad and the government's capacity is also diminishing in terms of security response," Kingsley Amaning, Humanitarian Coordinator for the United Nations in Chad, told Reuters.

"Therefore along with the (Chadian) government we are looking at the possibility of putting in place an expatriate, international force that will support government efforts to provide security in the areas where we are operating," he said.

UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland earlier met Chad's President Idriss Deby to discuss the situation in the country's long and porous border region with Darfur, where armed groups have been mounting cross-border raids on villages.

"It's very clear that Chad has limitations with its present armed forces being small and its police force being even smaller, and that's why ... we are looking at other methods to try to protect the civilian, refugee and displaced populations," Egeland told reporters.

WOAT/SOAT: Continued targeting of civilians in Donkey Dereisa, Nyala, South Darfur

Excerpt from a Press Release by World Organization Against Torture (Geneva) May 10, 2006:

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the continued targeting of civilians, including extrajudicial killing, arbitrary detentions and burning of houses in Donkey Dereisa, Nyala, South Darfur State.

According to the information received, three officers from the government of Sudan armed forces, allegedly under the command of an officer from the military intelligence named Abu Ashara, arrested Mr. Ibrahim Adam (42 yrs) whilst he was working on a water container in Donkey Dereisa on 29 April 2006. According to eyewitnesses' accounts, Mr Adam was taken to a nearby hut and hanged on the same day. The soldiers set fire to the hut, that was completely destroyed.

Furthermore, according to the information received, military intelligence arrested fourteen people from Donkey Dereisa on suspicion of the collaboration with the SLA on 26 April 2006. The men were taken into military detention custody in an unknown place. On 03/04 May 2006, the detainees were transferred to a military intelligence detention center in Nyala where they remain in detention. The men face no official charges.

Lastly, it is reported that on 27 April 2006, armed militias working with government forces attacked and looted Donkey Dereisa village. During the attack, the militias burnt over three thousand houses. The government alleges that there are rebel groups in the surrounding areas of Donkey Dereisa. The attack was reportedly coordinated by Officer Abu Nobu.

The International Secretariat of the OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned detainees [see details in press release] and calls for an immediate and impartial investigation into their arbitrary detention.

- - -

Mar 16 2006 Sudanese air force bombed villages of Donkey Dreisa and Omgonya in South Darfur last month?

African Union says Nur's SLM faction may join Darfur deal

Today, from Copenhagan, Denmark, where he is attending a conference on Africa, AU Commission Chairman Alpha Konare told the AP:

"We have been approached by the movement of Abdel Wahid, who has shown interest in being part" of the Darfur peace agreement.

"This is an opening," Konare said, adding that details were sketchy but that talks between the Sudanese rebel leader and the AU were ongoing. "There are contacts going on."

"If new parties want to join, maybe they need more guarantees," Konare said. He did not elaborate what those guarantees - or possible Nur demands - could be.

"But if we have a united front ... we should be able to give this guarantee," Konare added.

Konare's comments could signal a significant development in the Darfur peace drive.

- - -

May 11 2006 Reuters (Estelle Shirbon) - Nur and Minnawi loathe each other. Their fight for control of the SLA was one of the main problems during the Abuja peace talks, which dragged on for close to two years. There have been tensions between Minnawi and Deby and observers fear that the Chadian president could act as a spoiler for the Darfur peace deal unless he is pacified.

Darfur Peace Agreement met central demand of Darfur rebellion - SLM faction and JEM were making "a profound mistake" by not signing - Benn

British Secretary of State Hilary Benn said the Darfur Peace Agreement met a central demand of the Darfur rebellion by creating a regional transitional government which could be consolidated by a referendum on regional governance in three years time.

Mr Benn said the two factions which did not sign were making "a profound mistake".

Full report by Mark Doyle, BBC World Affairs Correspondent May 10, 2006.

May 8 2006 Daily Trust/ST SLM's al-Nur says peace deal misses core concern of Darfur people - According to al-Nur his movement cannot accept the peace agreement in its present form as it would make them the employees of the Sudan government in Khartoum. [What else do they expect to be? This guy sounds as slippery as an eel - defining his demands here is like trying to nail mercury]

Denmark hosts conference on aid to Africa - focus on Darfur

The Danish government on Thursday hosted a conference on peacebuilding measures for Africa and the Scandinavian country's aid to the impoverished continent, Russia's Pravda reported May 11, 2006 - excerpt:

At the start of the one-day meeting, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare and UN's deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch Brown. Also attending the conference were Mozambique Prime Minister Luisa Dias Diogo and Tanzania's foreign minister, Asha-Rose Migiro, along with other AU and Danish officials.

The conference was expected to focus on Darfur. After talks with Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday, Konare said he backed calls for a large UN peacekeeping force to be deployed quickly and expressed hope the UN would soon decide on whether to send Darfur peacekeepers.

Highlights of Darfur Peace Agreement, last-minute modifications

Click here for three pages of text elaborated by the International mediators to convince the different rebel groups in Abuja to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement on Friday 5 May 2006 [via Sudan Tribune May 11, 2006]

May 9 2006 Trocaire report via Reuters Partial Darfur peace agreement - an opportunity which should not be missed

South Darfur's Kalma Camp residents attack AU police station and lynch to death AU interpreter

AU Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe expressed deep "shock and sadness over the lynching to death of an AU Language Assistant", following an attack against an AU Civilian Police Station by internally displaced persons in their Camp at Kalma in south Darfur, says Sudan Tribune report from Khartoum May 10.

Angry demonstrators killed a Sudanese interpreter working with AU forces in Darfur on Monday 8 May in riots which broke out during a senior UN official's visit to a camp for displaced Sudanese.

"The incident, which seemed to have been orchestrated to coincide with the visit of Jan Egeland, UN Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, who was himself under threat of physical harm, took place on 8th May 2006." an AU press statement said

AMIS is concerned about the spate of violent demonstrations by the IDPs in Darfur, particularly the ones that took place in Kalma and Hassahissa where, in addition to human casualties, a number of AMIS vehicles and other properties were either burnt, damaged or vandalised. (ST)



Photo: Diplaced Sudanese people hold up banners at Kalma Camp, 8 May 2006, where thousands demonstrated demanding international protection. The head of the African Union's executive said it was vital for the peace accord to end the civil war in the Sudanese region of Darfur to be implemented as soon as possible. (AFP/File/Jonah Fisher)

May 8 2006 Reuters UN evacuates Kalma Camp, after attack

Jan 19 2006 Firewood patrols for IDPs at Kalma Camp, Darfur Sudan

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

Mar 20 2006 South Darfur's Kalma and Seraif Camp - Rape; Attempted Rape; Risk of Death Penalty

AU mediators issue Open Letter to Darfur rebels: May 15 deadline to sign DPA

Darfur mediators defend peace deal after protests, reports Estelle Shirbon for Reuters May 10, 2006. Excerpt:

Six AU mediators issued an open letter on Wednesday to the rebel groups who rejected the [Darfur Peace] agreement, explaining in detail the benefits the deal is designed to bring to them and to the people of Darfur.

"There are so many attempts to misrepresent the agreement," said Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team and one of the signatories of the open letter.

After two years of peace talks in Nigeria, only one faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), led by Minni Arcua Minnawi, accepted the settlement drafted by AU mediators.

A rival SLA factional leader, Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur, is still in the Nigerian capital Abuja where he is facing diplomatic pressure to belatedly sign the deal. The deadline for any signatures to be added is May 15.

Nur is weak militarily but the international community is desperate for him to endorse the agreement because he is a member of the Fur tribe, Darfur's largest. Minnawi has more fighters but he is from the smaller Zaghawa ethnic group.

"The open letter is first and foremost aimed at Abdel Wahed (Nur) and his people," said Ibok.

He added that a campaign was being prepared to inform people in Darfur about what the deal offered them. This would include explanatory leaflets in Arabic.

The open letter said some of the suspicions the rebels had expressed about the agreement stemmed from ignorance or misunderstanding of its content.

"At the moment you have nothing. Everything in the agreement is a gain, and if you obtain the support of the people, you can gain still more," said the letter, referring to elections that the agreement says must be held in three years.

"Whoever wins those elections, governs Darfur," the letter said, stressing that this represented an avenue for the rebels to pursue some of the demands that the accord does not meet.

Turning to security arrangements, the mediators wrote that these were the best part of the deal for the rebels. "At long last, there is a clear plan for dealing with the problem of the Janjaweed," the letter said, spelling out a sequenced plan in which the government must disarm the Janjaweed before the rebels are required to lay down their weapons.

"Demilitarised zones are created along humanitarian supply routes and around camps for internally displaced persons, and in buffer zones that separate the forces of the parties," it added.

AU commission chairman urges UN force for Darfur - Six month delay for UN Darfur force

The African Union commission chairman said Wednesday that a large UN peacekeeping force should be deployed quickly in Darfur.

"We need a massive and strong commitment without delay," Konare said. Full report (ST/AP) May 10, 2006.

Note, it will take at least six-months for UN peacekeepers to be on the ground in Darfur, western Sudan.

Darfur's JEM rebels had no intention to agree peace - Pronk

UN SGSR Jan Pronk blogs his account of the run up to the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja. Excerpt:

The JEM, not surprisingly, opted out. I do not think the latter ever had the intention to reach an agreement. Abdul Wahid did. However, he did shy away for peace, because he was afraid to confront his constituency. He kept saying that the agreement did not meet the expectations of his people. No wonder, because he had raised these expectations by making promises he could not keep.

Salim's text was a 'take it, but not leave it' paper. Parties could improve the text, leaving the basic structure intact and provided that they would agree on the amendments.

Abdul Wahid, however, took distance from his negotiators and said that the text was unacceptable. Khalil, the leader of the JEM, did the same, using language that insulted President Obasanjo who was chairing the talks very charmingly, and left.

Not the worst of accords on Darfur (Julie Flint)

Julie Flint, in her latest opinion piece on Darfur (Daily Star May 9, 2006) says the rebel movements have from the beginning suffered from delusions of grandeur (I agree) and their region is "of little or no strategic importance: It has now water and no oil" (sorry to disagree - she is my favourite journalist on Darfur - there does appear to be oil in Darfur, see previous Sudan Watch entries re Darfur oil, listed here below).

The piece explains that even those who have rejected the Darfur Peace Agreement acknowledge that its security provisions are surprisingly good. Excerpt:

The Sudan government must withdraw its forces from many areas it currently occupies, and must disarm the Janjaweed within five months - before the rebels even begin to lay down their guns. Guarantees include an independent advisory team that both Canada and Norway, outspoken critics of the Sudanese government, are keen to head up. The government must downsize the paramilitary Popular Defense Force (PDF) and Border Guards in which Janjaweed have been hidden. The hated PDF must be abolished in three or four years. Thousands of rebels will be integrated into the Sudanese armed forces. Some will even be given command posts.

The agreement's weakest points, from Darfur's viewpoint, are its provisions for power-sharing. At the federal level, the rebel movements have won few concessions and have been refused the third place in the national hierarchy. But they have the fourth - in itself a gigantic step up. The government has won the battle to keep Darfur divided into three states, until a referendum on a single region, and controls 50 percent of state legislatures to the rebels' 30 percent, with 20 percent going to independents - a division that could, in reality, produce an anti-government majority. Critically, however, the movements will control the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) and annual income of hundreds of millions of dollars. It is the TDRA which will be the real power until elections. It will implement the peace agreement, supervise reconstruction and economic development, and help the return and resettlement of the refugees. All the TDRA's commission heads will be the movements' nominees.

Further reading

Jul 12 2004 Oil and Darfur

Dec 4 2004 Oil and Darfur - India signed new pipeline deal - France interested in Uranium and has drilling rights

Dec 20 2004 Rebels attack Darfur oil, Libyans mediate in Abuja, AU probe attack on AU helicopter

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

Apr 3 2005 Oil found in South Darfur - Oil issues threaten to derail Sudan hopes for peace

Apr 16 2005 Sudan says oil discovered in impoverished Darfur

Apr 18 2005 New oil field in Darfur expected to produce crude oil by August 2005

Jun 9 2005 Friedhelm Eronat is behind Cliveden Sudan and Darfur oil deal

Jun 10 2005 Friedhelm Eronat and Cliveden Sudan named as buyer of Darfur oil rights

Jun 17 2005 Chinese sign up with Eronat's Cliveden and Canada's Encana to explore oil in Chad

Apr 26 2006 Uranium in Darfur? - Iran 'could share nuclear skills'

EU says Darfur peace deal "big step forward" for Africa - Donors to secure financing for AMIS

European Union support for the African Union would not diminish in the coming months. The EU supports the convening of a donor conference to secure financing of the African Union peace mission in Darfur in accordance with peace agreement..

Sudan's SPLM criticizes performance of the national media

Southern Sudan's SPLM is not happy with the performance of the national media is expressing a single opinion, alone with one party's view and that it does not reflect the policy of the Government of National Unity, Khartoum Monitor reported May 10, 2006.

SPLM spokesman demanded that the media reflect the entire spectrum of opinions: "There is no difference between the media now and the media before the [Comprehensive] peace agreement", he said.

He said the upcoming referendum would be seen as a litmus test of the media as it would require a media that shows concern for political and cultural diversity, and which also acts as a reminder of the new regime: "It is in the interest of the National Congress to highlight the fact that there is a new regime", he explained.

Sudan allocates 8 seats in fed parliament to SLA Minnawi

Sudan has reserved eight parliamentary seats for Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement faction of Minni Minawi that signed a peace accord with the Sudanese government on last Friday 5 May in Abuja.

SLA may take the seats as soon as the implementation of the peace agreement starts. According to the signed Darfur peace Agreement, twelve seats in the National Assembly in Khartoum are allocated to the rebel movements. Full report ST/SRS May 10, 2006.

Firepower needed to keep Darfur peace - Blair

Peacekeeping forces in Darfur must have the arms needed to enforce a truce there, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday. AP report May 9, 2006:

A UN Security Council meeting has demanded that rebel groups in Darfur join the peace deal signed last week.

Blair, asked about the deal during his weekly House of Commons question session, said it was crucial that Sudan drop its long-standing opposition to letting the United Nations take control of the force of 7,200 African Union peacekeepers in Darfur.

Sudan has said that the peace deal has largely addressed its objections to that transfer of power.

"Secondly, we have to make sure that in the new force that is deployed we have sufficient firepower that we are able to make sure that any agreement is properly policed," Blair said. "And we are looking at this now, urgently, with particularly the United States of America but other NATO partners to see what more we can do."

"The situation in Sudan is very, very serious indeed, there are thousands of people dying needlessly," he said.

Blair said the troubles in Darfur underlined the need for a standing peacekeeping force for Africa.

"In the end the problem in these situations is not just humanitarian, it’s that unless the opposing sides can be kept apart - and that requires military force - it’s very, very difficult for the humanitarian aid to be effective," he said.

May 11 2006 AFP Firepower needed to keep Darfur peace - Blair

UN calls on Sudan to send food aid to Darfur

The UN humanitarian chief called on Sudan to send food aid to Darfur, saying Tuesday that promised international aid would not reach there in time to stave off imminent shortages, Associated Press reported May 9, 2006, excerpt:

Jan Egeland spoke to reporters in Khartoum after returning from a tour of Darfur that was marred by rioting by refugees during a visit to their camp. The refugees attacked a translator in Egeland's entourage, believing he was with the feared Janjaweed militia, then killed a translator working for African Union peacekeepers.

Egeland warned that Darfur is facing food shortages over the next five months because of the rainy season and that Western donations will take time to reach the region. "This year, donors were too late," he said, adding that some had been unaware of the problems raised by the rainy season, when

"I have come with a strong appeal to the govenment" to provide food aid from its strategic stocks to get through "this crucial hunger gap." He said some 40,000 tons a month were needed. (ST/AP)

Interview with SLM leader Abdelwahid Muhammad Nur

Asharq Alawsat Newspaper interview with Leader of the SLM Abdelwahid Muhamed El Nur May 9, 2006 by Aidroos Abdelaziz, excerpt:

Abdelwahid Muhammad Nur, leader and founder of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLA), has launched a scathing attack on "the peace agreement in Darfur," which the Sudanese Government and the wing which split from the SLA, led by Mini Arkoi Minawi, signed in Abuja last Friday. He said the agreement does not fulfill even 1 percent of the aspirations of the Sudanese people in Darfur.

Nur told Asharq al-Awsat that he will "absolutely" not sign this agreement unless radical changes are introduced into it. He, however, stressed that he is for peace and is committed to the two cease-fire agreements signed in Abuja and N'djamena. He said he will not carry arms against anyone, but he will not stop his peaceful struggle.

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Photo: Darfur rebel group SLM leader Abdelwahid Muhammad Nur

May 9 2006 Sudan Tribune Darfur main rebel faction may reject the signed accord - In an Arabic language letter addressed to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan by the political advisor and Foreign Secretary of the rebel group, Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, the SLM said today that the signing of its leader on the document of Darfur Peace agreement was done under unusual conditions.

South Darfur: UN evacuates Kalma Camp, after attack

UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland, aid workers and journalists were forced to evacuate a refugee camp in Darfur on Monday May 8 after a demonstration spun out of control and an aid worker was attacked.

The melee at the Kalma Camp in South Darfur occurred after thousands of Darfuris were protesting to demand international troops be posted there to protect them. Full report Reuters May 8, 2006.

Intermission

Rest break. Back soon.

Sudan news updates at POTP and CFD and Sudan Tribune.



Photo: Amani Bashir, left, and Taiba Mohamed both of the main rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), at a peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5 2006. Sudan's government and the main Darfur rebel group signed a peace plan Friday, marking major progress in an internationally backed effort to end the death and destruction in western Sudan. (AP Photo/George Osodi)
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THREE INSIGHTFUL BLOG ENTRIES BY DRIMA aka SUDANESE THINKER

Thursday 4 May Abuja Talks: No Progress Yet

Yup, unfortunately there's nothing new. Seems like this is going to end up where it started and probably even worse. The rebels are still begging and pleading to America oh great America for help. They want what most hungry people want... more, more & MORE! Unsatisfied with the conditions, they still refuse to sign the draft and want changes made. What's nicer to know is that it seems all along they were unhappy with the talks (that's right for the past 2 years) and actually wanted them to be mediated by the UN or US instead of AU.

I thought the rebels actually cared about their people and would have signed imediately. Apparently they don't. Their hatred for the Khartoum government is intense and is not going away anytime soon. They're intent on giving them a real headache.

The rebels don't want to compromise as the Khartoum government already has by offering to sign. The rebels want to be stubborn... stubborn at the expense of the lives of their own people.

Hi, I'm mister rebel... I'm hungry... Khartoum government don't give me money... I want food... They don't give... Waa... I tink I betta start war... Kill kill kill... people pay attention and then I take power...

1- Khartoum government must seriously come up with a long term plan for the development of the impoverished regions in Sudan or else this is going to continue to happen.

2- The rebels must stop pretending they're fighting against the Khartoum government for the cause of their people. They're only fighting for themselves.

SIGN DAMN IT!

Friday May 5 YES THEY'RE GOING TO SIGN!

Aaaah Finally! This is truly a happy day for me and many other people. The main and most powerful rebel group has agreed together with the Khartoum government on a Darfur peace deal. This could not have happened if it wasn't for the efforts on all sides and the compromises that the Khartoum government made. Only 2 small rebel groups haven't signed yet but nevertheless a peace can now be easily secured and things can go back to normal.

But wait... normal? This whole thing started because the rebels weren't happy with the "normal" conditions. The whole region was and still is impoverished. Now is the time to seriously pump money into the Darfur region and develop it. I just hope those rebels who will take up powerful positions won't end up being corrupted as many officials already are in the Khartoum government. They better have an honest heart and build a tiny well equipped hospital for a start.

Regardless though, I'm very happy now and satisfied. Time to start thinking about the eastern rebels immediately ;)

Sunday May 7 Sudan Welcomes UN Peacekeepers

So now after the Darfur peace deal has been signed, the government of Sudan is now welcoming the UN peacekeepers in Darfur. Seems like things are moving smoothly... so far that is. The burden will now be on the UN's shoulders mostly so let's hope they do a good job. ...

[Thanks Drima! See Sudan Watch Sunday May 7, 2006: Khartoum re-iterates its refusal for dispatch of international troops to Darfur, western Sudan]
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Photo: Ahmed Asamani, head of the Sudanese Fulani tribe attends the peace talks meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Friday, May 5, 2006. Sudan's government and the main Darfur rebel group signed a peace plan Friday, marking major progress in an internationally backed effort to end the death and destruction in western Sudan. Two rebel groups, though, rejected the accord backed by the African Union, United States, Britain, the European Union and the Arab League and skipped the signing ceremony in a hall at a Nigerian presidential villa. (AP Photo/George Osodi)

Protests greet UN's Egeland in Darfur, before Gereida visit

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs was greeted by protesters on Sunday as he arrived in Nyala, the largest city in southern Darfur, to assess the humanitarian crisis in the region, CNN Senior Correspondent Nic Robertson reported today:

As Jan Egeland stepped off his plane, several dozen protesters chanted and waved banners saying "No to international interference," an apparent reference to a proposal to send U.N. peacekeepers to Darfur to calm the violence that has killed 180,000 people and displaced 2 million others.

Saturday, a spokesman for the Sudanese government suggested that Sudan would welcome U.N. peacekeepers, but a foreign ministry spokesman told Reuters on Sunday that the government had not yet decided whether to allow the so-called "blue helmets" into the region.

Further reading

May 7 2006 BBC report UN's aid chief heads for Darfur: Mr Egeland says access for aid workers is at its worst for two years. He is expected to travel to the town of Gereida which is held by the rebel group which signed the peace deal and have talks with local leaders and visit refugee camps before heading to Khartoum on Monday for meetings with Sudanese officials.

May 7 2006 IRIN report UN humanitarian chief visits strife-torn Darfur: Humanitarian workers had last week expressed fears that Gereida, which provides refuge to an estimated 90,000 displaced persons, might come under siege following a series of attacks on rebel-controlled villages in South Darfur. Leaders in displaced communities said more than 300 villages around Gereida have been abandoned because of the threat of attack since November 2005. Excerpt:

According to United Nations sources, on 24 April, the Sudanese government used an Antonov plane and two helicopter gunships to attack the rebel-controlled village of Joghana, southeast of Gereida, which displaced an additional 25,000 people. Earlier, on 16 April, government forces attacked and retook the rebel-controlled town of Donkey Dreisa, 50 km north of Gereida. On 21 April, Janjawid militia and government forces jointly attacked Dito town, 25km northeast of Gereida. The attacks have exacerbated the already dire situation for many civilians across Darfur.

Interfactional skirmishes have also complicated the situation. Fighting between two SLA factions escalated near Shangil Tobayi and Tawilla in North Darfur during the second half of April, displacing thousands.

Mar 2 2006 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

Mar 11 2006 AU calls for SLA to withdraw from Gereida, South Darfur - JEM rebels say 27 killed by gov't, Janjaweed in Gereida area

Mar 16 2006 Sudanese air force bombed villages of Donkey Dreisa and Omgonya in South Darfur last month?

Apr 3 2006 Sudan Watch: What's going on in Janana, S Darfur? 60 villages attacked by Janjaweed while Khartoum "safeguards" Norwegians from being in Sudan for next 2 weeks?

Apr 28 2006 AU confirms Sudan gov't bombing of Joghana, S Darfur - In 3 months, 200,000 people forced to flee, says UNICEF

May 3 2006 Sudan's SLA rebel attacks on aid workers in North Darfur breaks international humanitarian law



Photo: Leader of the Sudanese delegation Mazjoud el-Khalifa (R) exchanges the African Union (AU) draft peace agreement for Darfur with Minni Minawi, leader of the Sudanese Liberation Army rebel faction in Abuja. The AU promised to continue international efforts to bring lasting peace to Sudan's western Darfur region despite the refusal of a rebel group and a faction of another to sign a United Nations-sponsored agreement. (AFP/Wole Emmanuel)

Khartoum re-iterates its refusal for dispatch of international troops to Darfur, western Sudan

After noting here late last night that U.S. hails Sudan's willingness to accept UN force in Darfur we awoke this morning to find a second report that gives some credence to an earlier one by Kuwait News Agency (see below):

Report from Cairo (Reuters) by Mohammed Abbas May 7, 2006 via today's Scotsman - Sudan says undecided about UN peacekeepers in Darfur:

Jamal Muhammad Ibrahim [official spokesman of Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs] told Reuters media reports saying Sudan would welcome UN peacekeepers were untrue.

"This is not accurate. I don't know who made this statement. ... It has to come after an assessment by the Sudan government. If the need arises then Sudan may decide to do so. Otherwise no one has the right to impose foreign forces on Sudan," he said.

"The situation is, after the signing of the peace accord, Sudan may look into any proposals to helping prevent tragedy," Ibrahim said.

"In this context if there is any possibility for U.N. forces to replace the African forces already in Darfur, this is the decision of Sudan and it is not going to be imposed on Sudan."

He gave no timeline for possible troop replacement. Sudan has also refused to allow a U.N. planning team into the country to assess needs on the ground..

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Report by Kuwait News Agency - Khartoum re-iterates its refusal for dispatch of international troops to Darfur - May 6, 2006:

The Sudanese government on Saturday re-iterated its refusal for the dispatch of international troops to the Darfur region without its consent.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Jamal Mohammad Ibrahim told reporters that the government alone has the right to evaluate whether the Darfur region is in need for other troops besides the current African Union troops.

He asserted that no party has the right to dispatch troops to Darfur without consent of the government, reiterating the government's adherence to the regional and international organizations particularly the decision of the African peace and security council which set September 30 as a final date for ending the African Union's mission in Darfur.

On the other hand, the Sudanese government announced that the government of the Netherlands has officially expressed its willingness to finance the Darfur Fund following the signing of the peace deal last night in Abuja.

UPDATE: May 7 2006 Sudan Tribune Sudan says no foreign troops without its consent - "The government will assess whether or not it will need the assistance of foreign troops and it may decide to ask for a UN deployment," foreign ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim said. "But such a decision is the prerogative of the government ... What is sure is that no foreign forces will come to Sudan without the consent of the government."

Related reports

May 6 2006 UN troops all clear for Darfur - Sudan welcomes UN peacekeepers in Darfur after Agreement

May 6 2006 Government of Sudan vows to show its commitment to full implementation of peace package

May 6 2006 UN Sudan Mission welcomes deal between govt, key rebel faction

May 7 2006 Sudan will welcome UN Peacekeepers in Darfur

AU mediators say door still open until mid-May for SLM and JEM to get on board Darfur deal

The African Union has promised to continue international efforts to bring lasting peace to Darfur despite the refusal of a rebel group and a faction of another to sign a UN-sponsored agreement, Sudan Tribune reported May 7, 2006 - excerpt:

"Our hope is to have everybody on board. The AU and the international community will continue the efforts to have a deal where every single movement (rebel group) will be in," AU spokesman Nouredine Mezni said.

"The door is still open till mid-May to have the others on board. It is the AU Peace and Security Council that will decide the matter," he said.

The council is expected to meet on May 15, but Mezni did not disclose the venue.

JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussain said "all options are still open. What I can say for now is that we are committed to our people and we are standing with them."

Nouri Abdallahi of the al-Nur SLM faction also said his group was still open to negotiations, but added that delegates would start leaving for home Saturday.

US hails Sudan's willingness to accept UN force in Darfur

Citing comments by Sudanese government representatives indicating they were now willing to accept the UN force, US Ambassador John Bolton said: "we view this as a very encouraging sign, the first positive outcome from the Abuja peace agreement." Full report Sudan Tribune May 7, 2006.

May 7 2006 Blogger News Network Sudan will welcome UN Peacekeepers in Darfur

Egypt welcomes Darfur peace accord - Egypt ready to contribute to peackeeping efforts in Darfur

Egypt on Saturday welcomed the Darfur peace agreement that was signed between the Khartoum government and a main rebel faction in Sudan's western region of Darfur, the official MENA news agency reported.

Egyptian presidential statement expressed full support for the document which is expected to bring an end to three years of conflict, and called on all parties to the Darfur conflict to sign the agreement and abide by its terms.

"Egypt will continue offering humanitarian assistance to the battered Darfur and be ready to contribute to peacekeeping efforts in the area," said the statement. - Xinhua report May 6, 2006.

AU Darfur mediator hails Libyan leader Col Gaddafi

Excerpt from Ljbc report May 3, 2006. Note, the date of the report. I am including it here today because Libyan leader Col Gaddafi deserves credit for all he has done over the past two years to date to help broker peace for Darfur and open up routes for emergency aid into Darfur.

The African Union mediator at Abuja negotiations on Darfur, Salem Ahmed Salem, underlined the importance of Libya's role at Abuja talks to find a solution to the negotiations between the Sudanese government and the two movements, SLM and JEM.

The African mediator, commended the Leader's prominent role for the sake of establishing peace, security and stability, saluting the leader's tireless efforts to solve the problem of Darfur region within the African framework.

Photo (Mar 26, 2006) Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi (L) is welcomed by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir upon his arrival in Khartoum. Kadhafi arrived in the Sudanese capital to participate in the two-day annual summit of Arab leaders.(AFP/Suna)

UN Sudan Mission welcomes deal between govt, key rebel faction

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) on Saturday welcomed the signing of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and a main rebel faction over the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region.

UNMIS spokesman Bahaa Elkoussy told Xinhua that the peace agreement signed on Friday by the Sudanese government and a key faction inside the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Arkou Minawi, was "a big transformation."

"We hope that this big transformation will have positive impacts on the security and humanitarian situations in Darfur," Elkoussy said.

The spokesman added that disarmament of the militias and the rebel armed forces would facilitate the activities of the United Nations and other international organisations in Darfur. Xinhua May 6, 2006.

Government of Sudan vows to show its commitment to full implementation of peace package

Upon concluding the agreement, the leader of the Sudanese government delegation, Magzhoub Al-Khalifa, said:

'Peace in Darfur and in Sudan begins from this Abuja agreement. We as government will take responsibility and show commitment to the full implementation of the peace package.'

'There will no longer be any incidence of ceasefire violations as we will ensure that it does not happen from this moment onward,' he vowed.

See full report "World hails Darfur peace deal as first step to peace" Deutsche Presse-Agentur May 6, 2006.

Note, the report says Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo conceded that the AU peace document may not be satisfactory to all those involved, saying the government of Sudan will likely 'complain, but they will not derail in the implementation.'

Canada congratulates parties to Darfur Peace Agreement

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay today applauded the Government of Sudan and members of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) represented by Minni Arkou Minawi for signing the Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja, Nigeria, at the peace talks led by the African Union (AU). He also welcomed the decision by a substantial number of members of the SLM/Abdul Wahid negotiating team to abide by the terms of the agreement, even though the movement itself has not yet signed.

Since September 2004, Canada has contributed a total of $218 million in support of diplomatic, humanitarian and African Union-led efforts to end the violence and bring peace to the people of Darfur. Canada remains a top contributor to the African Union Mission in Sudan, having provided 25 helicopters, two aircraft, 105 armoured personnel carriers and related equipment, as well as civilian police and military expertise. Full report Foreign Affairs Canada, May 5 2006 via Judeoscope.

EU welcomes signing of Darfur peace pact - EU's support to the African Union "will not waver over coming months"

From Xinhua Brussels May 5, 2006:

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana extended here on Friday his welcome to the signing in Abuja of the long-awaited peace agreement on Darfur, urging those who have not signed to reconsider their positions.

"This is most certainly a major development for Darfur, for Sudan and for the entire African continent," said Solana in a written statement.

Solana appealed to all the parties present in Abuja to implement this agreement immediately and in full and to" do so resolutely and sincerely. "

"The violence in Darfur must stop. Security must now be restored so that the displaced persons and refugees can return home," he added.

He also appealed to those who have not signed in Abuja to reconsider their positions, for the sake of the peace process.

"The European Union welcomes the action of the African Union both in Abuja, with the mediation of Mr Salim Ahmed Salim, and in the field, in Darfur," he said.

"The European Union's support to the African Union will not waver over the coming months, which will be fundamental to the implementation of the peace agreement and therefore to the return to stability," he added.
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Solana expresses support to peace efforts in Darfur

Kuwait News Agency May 6, 2006:

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana underscored in a phone conversation with president of the African Union Alfa Konari on Thursday the European Union's support of the African Union's peace efforts in Darfur.

Solana emphasized EU's blessings for a lasting peace agreement among all fighting parties in Darfur, according to a statement issued by Solana's office which indicated that he was in constant contact with all parties of the conflict in the embattled Sudanese province.

Britain welcomes Darfur peace deal - UK will play its full part in helping to turn "historic" Agreement into peace

From the Press Association May 6, 2006:

Britain has welcomed a peace deal aimed at ending three years of conflict in the Sudan.

International Development Secretary Hilary Benn welcomed the "historic" agreement.

Mr Benn announced an additional GBP 9m (USD 17m) to the United Nations' common humanitarian fund for Sudan, on top of GBP 40m (USD 75m) already committed.

"This is a very significant agreement which means that the process of bringing peace to Darfur can now begin," he said.

"This is the first step towards ending the truly terrible suffering of the people of Darfur, so many of whom have lost their lives, and with a further two million people forced from their homes.

"The real challenge now is to turn the agreement into peace and a better life for the people of Darfur. The UK will play its full part in helping to make this happen."
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May 6 2006 BBC UK welcomes peace deal in Sudan - "This is the first step towards ending the truly terrible suffering of the people of Darfur. The real challenge now is to turn the agreement into peace and a better life for the people of Darfur" - Hilary Benn, UK International development secretary.
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Irish government welcomes Darfur peace deal

Irish Independent, Ireland - May 5, 2006 - The Government has welcomed the new peace deal aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur.

Bush thanks African leaders for Sudan work - in a call from Air Force One

(05-06) 08:19 PDT ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, (AP) -



Photo: US President George Bush speaks to Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, regarding the recent progress towards peace in Darfur, while on board an Air Force One May 6, 2006. (Reuters)

President Bush thanked two African leaders on Saturday for their role in helping negotiate a peace pact to end the violent conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

Bush called Olusegun Obasanjo, the Nigerian president who hosted the long talks on Darfur, and Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the president of the Republic of Congo and current head of the 53-nation African Union.

Bush, who made the calls from Air Force One while flying to Oklahoma for a university commencement address, told Obasanjo that "we need to work together to transition this to the United Nations," White House spokesman Dana Perino told reporters.

U.N. troops all clear for Darfur - Sudan welcomes U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur after Agreement

CNN report Saturday, May 6, 2006 1449 GMT:

A Sudanese government spokesman has said that United Nations peacekeepers now would be welcome in Darfur after a peace agreement between Khartoum and one of the rebel groups.

Bakri Mulah, secretary-general for external affairs in the Information Ministry, issued the invitation on behalf of the Khartoum government after the agreement was reached Friday in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Sudanese government initially rejected calls for U.N. peacekeepers to replace the thousands of African Union peacekeepers now in Darfur.

"We heard the appeal of the U.N. secretary general (for U.N. peacekeepers to joint those of the African Union)... . Now there is no problem," he said.
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Sudan Welcomes U.N. Peacekeepers in Darfur After Agreement

Associated Press report via Fox News.com Saturday, May 06, 2006:

In Cairo, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa welcomed the agreement and urged the rebel groups that opted out to reverse their decisions.

Moussa, in a statement faxed to The Associated Press, expressed confidence that the agreement would end the violence and open the way for reconstruction and development.

Khartoum had dropped opposition to a U.N. peacekeeping force, citing new conditions created by the peace deal.

"There would be no problem to have the support of the United Nations and other partners, the U.S. and EU, to help in implementation," Mullah told AP.

Mulah said the agreement also would help in repairing relations between Sudan and Chad, strained over the flood of refugees from Darfur.

Beyond that, he told AP, he expected Minnawi, the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement, to play an important role in the peace process as a member the Sudan's national unity government.

Mulah said the agreement was not closed to other rebel groups who had refused to sign.

"The other parties still have a chance to do so, but if they refuse then they will be treated just like the Janjajweed (the anti-rebel militia the government was accused of backing) or any other outlaw factions.

"This is not a government stand, it is that of the international community, the AU, the U.N. and the U.S. They will not tolerate any violation of the agreement, " he warned.

Main points of the Darfur deal

Click here to see the main points covered by the document signed by the Sudanese government and the main rebel faction. Courtesy Aljazeera.net May 6, 2006 7:55 Makka Time, 4:55 GMT

"Those who don't sign, we will continue to appeal to them" - Obasanjo

Applause and cheers sounded Friday as Sudan's government and the main rebel group signed a peace agreement and then proceeded to initial each of its 85 pages. The hall in a Nigerian presidential villa was filled with traditional leaders in white turbans, fighters in camouflage turbans, diplomats and journalists, AP/ST reported May 6, 2006:

Unless the right spirit, unless the right attitude and right disposition is there, this document isn't worth the paper it is signed on," said Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, a key figure in peacemaking efforts across Africa and host of the protracted Darfur talks. "Those who don't sign, we will continue to appeal to them. The window of opportunity must not be allowed to close."

Photo: Majzoub al-Khalifa, (R) head of the Sudanese government's negotiating team, and rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi (L) shake hands after signing the deal in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006 (Reuters/ST).

Minni Minnawi's rival, Abdel Wahid Nur met with Obasanjo for hours Friday, delaying the signing ceremony, and then briefly went into the hall where the accord was to be signed.

He left, telling reporters the proposed accord was "a big disaster" because he believed it did not go far enough to guarantee disarmament of the Janjaweed militia linked to the atrocities. Nigerian security forces tried to stop Nur from speaking to reporters, then barred reporters who had followed him out from returning to witness the signing.

"The deteriorating situation in Darfur must be addressed urgently, and not put off until if or when a U.N. force may be in place," said Paul Smith-Lomas, who directs the Darfur operations of the British aid group Oxfam.

AU threatens to treat Darfur insurgents as war criminals if peace deal not signed in next 10 days

The African Union threatened on Saturday to treat insurgency movements' leading members refusing to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement as criminals of war if they did not sign the document within the next ten days, Kuwait News Agency reported May 6, 2006 - excerpt:

The African Union President said in statements quoted by the Sudanese daily "Akhbar Al-Youm" that a period of 10 days had been granted to insurgency movements that had not signed the agreement, following which the file would be referred to the African Peace and Security Council and then on to the UN Security Council.

He reaffirmed the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1591 and said that leading members of the armed movements were criminals of war and would be trialed as such.

The Sudanese government and the Leader of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Meni Arkowi Menawi had signed a peace agreement yesterday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, which would end the conflict in Darfur.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) refused to sign the agreement despite relentless efforts by mediators.

Deliberations are to take place at a later date so as for parties that signed the agreement to set a date for its implementation.

Bush sent letter to Minnawi assuring US support of Darfur peace accord - Ceasefire due in 7 days - US asked Rwanda to add 1,200 peacekeepers to AMIS

AP report at Guardian and Sudan Tribune May 6, 2006 - excerpts:

Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, who helped spur negotiators to agree to stop the killing in Darfur, said Friday the embattled East African country is far from safe even if the peace agreement should take hold.

Zoellick also said the United States had asked Rwanda to send in 1,200 troops to supplement the 7,000 African Union monitors already in place.

Speaking to reporters by telephone from Abuja, Nigeria, where the drawn-out talks ended in Friday's signing, Zoellick said that he hoped for a significant decline in violence.

Nevertheless, he said, Darfur "is going to remain a dangerous place. There is still a lot of distrust and fear."

In response to questions, Zoellick said there were "spoilers still there."

"That is a reality and certainly a danger," he said.

At the same time, Zoellick said, "there is a lot of sense of trying to have a new start for the people of Darfur."

President Bush intervened during the difficult negotiations, sending a letter to the largest rebel group, Minni Minnawi, with assurances that the United States would give strong support to implementation of the peace accord, assist monitoring compliance, hold accountable those who do not cooperate and support a donors' conference for Darfur, Zoellick said.

The deputy secretary said he read the letter to the assembled parties during the night.

A cease-fire is supposed to take effect in seven days, and the government is required within 37 days to complete a plan to move armed militia to restricted areas, remove heavy weapons and for disarmament of the warring groups.

"There will be a push definitely to move forward the U.N. peacekeeping force," he said. However, a rainy season in June will delay the process of reorganizing the African Union forces into U.N. blue berets. Zoellick, having talked with several African leaders, said that there are estimates it would require at least four to six months.

The United States will do whatever it can to help the peacekeepers, Zoellick promised, but he stressed "this was an African event and there is a lot of emotion."

"One of the trials of this whole process is there is a deep legacy of distrust and fear," he said. "One of the things that prolonged the discussions in Abuja month after month is that people were just talking past each other.''

"It was not traditional negotiations," he said.

Further reading

May 6 2006 Reuters Annan pushes Sudan to move fast on UN peacekeepers: Kofi Annan pressed Sudan's government on Friday to quickly let UN planners begin preparing for a peacekeeping mission in Darfur after the signing of a long-delayed peace agreement. "Now is the time for them to allow the assessment mission to go in, for us to move expeditiously, and I do intend to be in touch with the Sudanese authorities precisely on this point," Annan told reporters.

May 5 2006 Reuters US says Rwanda may send in more troops to Darfur: "It's a time to turn from guns and bullets," Zoellick told US-based reporters in a conference call from Abuja, where he helped in marathon negotiations to reach a deal with Sudan's main rebel group and the government. Two smaller groups have not signed it.

May 5 2006 Darfur rebels who refused to sign risk UN sanctions - Breakaway members of Nur faction embraced Minnawi and Khalifa while tribal leaders cheered

May 5 2006 International mediators making efforts to include Darfur rebel factions SLM and JEM in peace deal

May 5 2006 Sudan govt, Minnawi's SLA sign Darfur peace deal - 2 rival factions refused the deal

May 5 2006 SLA's Minnawi accepts amended Darfur deal with some reservations re power sharing

May 5 2006 Reuters Chronology of Darfur conflict, peace efforts

May 5 2006 BBC analysis Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels?

Quote of the Week

"It's a time to turn from guns and bullets."

- US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, May 5, 2006, Abuja, Nigeria.



Photo: Rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi signs a deal with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006, after days and nights of intense talks under global pressure. The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting that has killed many thousands of people and forced 2 million to flee their homes. (Photo Reuters/STR)

UNICEF staffer shot and wounded in eastern Chad

An employee of the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF), was shot and wounded. The aid worker was evacuated to the capital, N'Djamena, to receive medical assistance and remained in a serious condition, officials said.

A man dressed in military fatigues jumped down from a pick-up truck and shot the aid worker at close range in the arm on Friday night in the town of Abeche, before making off with her United Nations jeep, officials quoted witnesses as saying.

Annan stresses need for aid to Darfur; decries 'appalling' rights violations there

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the world community to do more to aid the people of Darfur, saying their human rights have been violated in the most "appalling" way, and describing the situation in that part of Sudan as an "inexcusable tragedy" - May 5, 2006 UN News Centre report excerpt:

"Even in the best-case scenario, the AU will be expected to shoulder this immense challenge for several more months. It deserves the international community's help. The lives of the people of Darfur depend on it."

He also noted the "intensive efforts" going on to help the warring parties in Darfur reach a political agreement to end the violence, saying he still hoped that "within the next day or two" there could be an agreement embracing all parties and calling on each of them to "seize this opportunity...for the sake of their people who have suffered so much."

Darfur rebels who refused to sign risk UN sanctions - Breakaway members of Nur faction embraced Minnawi and Khalifa while tribal leaders cheered

"We are reaffirming that the fighting ends now in Darfur ... We shall go ahead with peace and we shall be serious," [SLA leader] Minnawi said at a signing ceremony at the Nigerian presidential complex.

Two other rebel factions refused to sign, complaining that the document fell short of their basic expectations.

Diplomats said this could pose problems in the implementation phase.

"There will be tests because not all have shown courage and leadership today," said U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick at the signing ceremony.

"Those parties are bound by the cease-fire as all are," he added.

UN SANCTIONS

The rebels who refused to sign also risk U.N. sanctions such as travel bans or a freeze on assets.

Diplomats had said all along it was most important to persuade Minnawi to sign as he controls more SLA fighters than Nur, while JEM is marginal in terms of forces on the ground.

Nevertheless, Zoellick, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and other leaders and diplomats tried until the last minute to coax Nur into signing, delaying the ceremony by several hours.

Their efforts failed, but a group of members of Nur's faction who were upset with him for refusing to sign burst into the signing ceremony as it was almost ending and said they wanted to be associated with the peace agreement.

FORMER FOES EMBRACED

In an emotive moment, the breakaway members of the Nur faction embraced Minnawi, their former rival, and Khalifa, the government chief, while elderly Darfur tribal leaders in traditional robes and turbans cheered and chanted.

Full report Reuters Estelle Shirbon May 5, 2006.

Situation at Darfur peace talks in Abuja "still evolving"

May 6 2006 US Department of State report -- The situation at the Darfur peace talks now under way in Abuja, Nigeria, is "still evolving," but the United States hopes that this will be a "good and hopeful day" for the people of Sudan and Darfur, says U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. Excerpt:

McCormack again cautioned reporters that even if an agreement is reached on paper, there will be a need to implement that agreement, and "that," he stressed, "is going to require as much if not more work on the part of the parties involved and the international community."

"We will be right there," he pledged, "to see that it is implemented, but first we have to get signatures on a piece of paper -- and, at this point, I am not aware that we have that quite yet."

Asked what happens if only one party signs on to the accord, McCormack said: "You continue to move forward. ... If that is in fact the case, you continue working the political process.

"There is no substitute," he stressed, "for a political accommodation -- a political settlement -- in order to ultimately solve the grave humanitarian and security issues that exist there. ... Ultimately, you are not going to solve the issues in Darfur absent that political agreement."

Asked if the P5 (the five permanent representative countries on the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia) might be consulted on the issue, McCormack said, "It could very well come up" with regard to the P5, but he said he did not expect the Quartet to take up the issue.

He told reporters that the British government has suggested a possible meeting on Darfur at the United Nations in New York, which he termed a "very interesting idea."

McCormack added, however, that the current U.S. emphasis is on the Abuja talks and "making those work and doing what we can to see that they move forward."

International mediators making efforts to include Darfur rebel factions SLM and JEM in peace deal

Despite massive pressure from international mediators, only the Sudanese government and the main faction of one of the rebel groups - the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) - agreed to sign the deal, Sudan Tribune reported May 5, 2006. Excerpt:

Another SLM faction and the second rebel group - Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) - refused to sign it, but Zoellick said mediators were making efforts to make them change their position.

US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick on Friday said international mediators were trying to get the Abdulwahid al-Nur-led SLM faction to change its hardline position.

"You need to look at the proportions that are represented by the groups. You have the group that has the most significant forces on the ground, Minni Minawi group," he said.

"We are getting contacts with Abdulwahid al-Nur and his people saying they don't want to be left out," he assured.

He said the AU Peace and Security Council would meet on May 15.

- - -

May 5, 2006 BBC report Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels? - excerpt:

The two groups fighting in Sudan's Darfur region - the Justice for Equality Movement (Jem) and the larger Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) - have very different ideological backgrounds.

SLA Secretary-General Minni Arkou Minnawi published a political declaration calling for armed struggle, accusing the government of ignoring Darfur. "The objective of the SLA/M is to create a united democratic Sudan.

JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim Muhammad published The Black Book: Imbalance of Power and Wealth in the Sudan, which accuses Arabs of having a disproportionate representation at the top levels of government and administration.

Although JEM and SLA come from different ideological backgrounds they have managed to co-operate in their fight against the government and the Arab militia, the Janjaweed.

But they have continued to maintain separate identities and this has led to tensions.

JEM still has links to Hassan al-Turabi, which is why it is accused by the government of being involved in an alleged coup plot in Khartoum, which it accuses Mr al-Turabi of masterminding.

Sudan govt, Minnawi's SLA sign Darfur peace deal - 2 rival factions refused the deal

The government of Sudan and the main Darfur rebel faction signed a peace agreement on Friday to end three years of fighting, Reuters Estelle Shirbon reported May 5 2006 18:06 GMT - excerpt:

Majzoub al-Khalifa, head of the government's negotiating team, and rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi signed the agreement in the Nigerian capital Abuja after days of intense negotiations and international pressure.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo praised the SLA chief for being not only a military commander but a political leader.

"Leadership comes to the fore when hard decisions are to be made," he said to applause from diplomats gathered at Obasanjo's presidential compound.

"Unless the right spirit is there, the right attitude, this document will not be worth the paper it's written on. The spirit that led to the signing should continue to guide the implementation," Obasanjo added.

Both the government and the SLA faction said they were signing the document despite reservations over power sharing and security in order to end the suffering in Darfur.

Note, the report says it was unclear whether the agreement, signed after two years of African Union-mediated talks, will translate into peace on the ground in Darfur. A rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) have rejected the deal.- - -

Sudan, main Darfur rebel group seal peace deal

The deal was signed by representatives of Khartoum and the main faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), led by Minna Minnawi, in the presence of the peace talks host Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and mediators - Sudan Tribune reported May 5, 2006:

But another rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and a smaller faction of the divided SLM refused to sign, saying they would not accept the United Nations-sponsored deal.

But while Minnawi’s SLM faction eventually agreed, the smaller SLM faction and the JEM said the proposal still failed to answer demands that Darfur’s three states be united into a single autonomous region.

Abdelwahid Al-Nur, the leader of the smaller SLM faction, said: "We need the document to be improved upon. We are not going to sign it."

A spokesman for Minnawi, Saifaldin Haroun, said the SLM had accepted the AU proposal with the new changes, "but we need to sit with the other SLM (faction) and the JEM and discuss with them."

"We need to go together or else there is going to be a problem. The areas in which we need changes effected are power sharing and security arrangement," Haroun added.

He thanked the international community for its efforts to salvage the talks, which were mediated by the AU in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

"We cherish the international community and we do not want to lose their support. Our acceptance of the document is the first step to peace," he added.

Despite massive pressure from international mediators, both the SLM groups and the JEM had initially refused to sign the deal, even at the risk of international sanctions.

Zoellick Friday insisted the peace proposal could satisfy the warring parties.

"What this agreement does, it creates an obligation on the government to take the steps many people around the world want them to take in terms of disarming and neutralizing the Janjaweed," he said.

"It also creates an opportunity for the rebel movements to begin (the) integration process. They already have an obligation to ceasefire."

Zoellick said "the agreement creates political opportunities so people will have to decide if they want to be part of it or not."

Sudanese government accepts amended Darfur deal - AU

Reuters Fri May 5, 2006 6:07 AM ET 11:07 AM UK:

The government of Sudan has accepted the amended version of a peace agreement for its western Darfur region, a senior African Union mediator said on Friday.

Asked if the government accepted the deal, the AU official said, "Yes."

Earlier the main rebel faction [SLA] also accepted the agreement but two other rebel factions have rejected it.

Reuters - Estelle Shirbon Fri May 5, 2006 7:01 AM ET 12:01 PM UK:

The government delegation, which had earlier accepted the AU draft, told a meeting of African heads of state and Western diplomats they would also accept the new terms.

"They have great misgivings about the amendments and they say practical problems will arise in the implementation ... but they don's want to give anybody grounds to continue the war," said Sam Ibok, head of the AU mediation team.

Ibok said the government's main misgiving was the integration of rebels into security forces. Khartoum representatives said the numbers of rebels to be absorbed into government security forces were too high.

REBEL SPLIT - AU AND UN SECURITY COUNCIL

Mediators clapped and embraced at the end of the session with the government delegation and everyone in the room had a wide smile on their faces despite the all-night marathon talks.

"We are hoping those who are outside the agreements now will not do anything to impede the implementation because if they do there will be a robust response from the AU and the U.N. Security Council," Ibok said.

Earlier a rival faction of the SLA and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rejected the deal citing a wide range of objections. AU negotiators said they would bring rival SLA faction leader Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur back to the talks to ask him if he would reconsider and accept the deal. Minnawi has more support among SLA fighters than Nur, observers say, and JEM is marginal in terms of forces on the ground. But it is unclear how useful an agreement signed by only one of the three factions would be. "JEM frankly doesn't matter but Abdel Wahed does.

There are provisions in the agreement for armed groups that are not signatory to be made to observe the agreement," said a Western diplomat, who has been involved in the crafting the blueprint. He said these provisions could offer an avenue to include Nur's faction during the implementation process and he also added there would likely be U.N. sanctions against those who blocked the agreement.

SIGNING CEREMONY AT 1200 GMT IN ABUJA?

Initial plans were being made for a signing ceremony at 1200 GMT in Abuja, though that was not confirmed and there was some discussion of inviting U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to witness the signing.

Further reading

May 5 2006 BBC 12:26 PM UK Who are Sudan's Darfur rebels?

May 5 2006 Unfogged Peace Accord in Darfur