IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM UN's EGELAND: Abuja pact only hope for Darfur

Reuters report, just in:

The Darfur peace deal signed in Abuja last week is the only hope to end the conflict in Sudan's vast west and if it is not enforced the region will spin out of control, the top UN humanitarian official said today:

"If it is implemented, we (the UN and aid agencies) could start planning for recovery and a return home of the more than 2 million refugees," said Jan Egeland, the UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs.

"If it is not, it will mean a downward spiral which will get totally out of control and go into the abyss," he added.

Photo: Jan Egeland, the UN top emergency relief coordinator, says he is optimistic the agreement to end the conflict in Darfur can work. But he warns of serious consequences, if it is not implemented. The UN official also appealed to Sudan's government to approve deployment of a UN peacekeeping force. See VOA report by Lisa Schlein 15 May 2006. (AP photo)

Further reports

May 15 2006 Reuters Get on board Darfur peace deal or become irrelevant: "Should they embark on any action or measure likely to undermine the Darfur peace agreement, especially the ceasefire provisions, the Council should take appropriate measures ... including requesting the UN Security Council to impose sanctions against them," Chair of AU Commission said in a statement. AU chief Darfur mediator warned Nur he would become irrelevant unless he accepted an agreement already signed by his rival Minni Arcua Minnawi, leader of the biggest SLA faction. "In every situation where people have not been on board, eventually they will have to come on board or become irrelevant," Salim Ahmed Salim told Reuters.

May 15 2006 Sudan Tribune SLA's Nur urges AU to consider its demands: In a letter sent yesterday to the Chair of AU Commission Oumar Konare, the leader of a faction of the main rebel SLA Abdelwahid al-Nur called the AU to put pressure on the Sudanese government to sign a supplementary document related to their demands - and also indicated the three demands of the faction (see report to read demands)

May 15 2006 Reuters/ST Sudanese govt rejects Darfur SLA-Nur demands: "We received a response from the Sudanese government and it was not positive enough for us to go ahead and sign," said Ibrahim Madibo, a close adviser to Nur who is still in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the peace talks took place. Nur wanted the government to meet his key demands in an annex accord, after which he would sign the broader peace deal.



May 15 2006 Sudan Tribune AU raises sanction against holdout rebels, urges Sudan to accept UN force: The AU gave two holdout Darfur rebel groups a 24-hour deadline to sign a peace deal with Sudanese government or face UN sanctions. Also it urged Sudan to accept a UN force in Darfur. AU commission chair Konare said AU would ask the UN Security Council to slap sanctions on the JEM and a faction of the SLA unless they signed the deal by Tuesday, when it is set to be implemented. "I call on them to hasten to append their signatures, without any conditions, to the document, before its implementation on 16 May 2006," he told a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council.

May 15, 2006 BBC (Jonah Fisher) Can Darfur's peace survive? - No-one was expecting Darfur's peace agreement to bring about an immediate transformation on the ground. But the short time since the deal in Abuja have shown the size of the challenge ahead. "We need to survive the next few weeks and that is through the African Union and humanitarian activities," Mr Egeland said. "It's not over. We all need to seize the opportunity now to enforce peace." Sudan has yet to approve the sending of UN peacekeepers while funding shortages mean that Darfur's food rations for May have been cut in half.

Get on board Darfur peace deal or become irrelevant

The African Union ratcheted up the pressure on two rebel factions today to sign a peace agreement for Darfur, threatening international sanctions if they did not come around, Reuters' Tsegaye Tadesse reported - excerpt:

Alpha Oumar Konare, chairman of the African Union (AU) commission, urged a faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur and the smaller Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to sign the deal unconditionally.

"Should they embark on any action or measure likely to undermine the Darfur peace agreement, especially the ceasefire provisions, the Council should take appropriate measures ... including requesting the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions against them," he said in a statement.

The warning came as the AU's Peace and Security Council met in Addis Ababa to discuss how to push forward the peace process in Darfur. Konare called for more AU troops to be sent to Darfur and urged Khartoum to produce a plan to disarm pro-government militias.

In another sign of a concerted drive by the AU to pull the rebels into the deal, its chief Darfur mediator warned Nur he would become irrelevant unless he accepted an agreement already signed by his rival Minni Arcua Minnawi, leader of the biggest SLA faction.

"In every situation where people have not been on board, eventually they will have to come on board or become irrelevant," Salim Ahmed Salim told Reuters.

Mubarak: Egypt stands ready to help turn DPA to a reality

In a letter of commendation sent to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt underlined the important role, that Nigeria and its leadership have played to resolve the crisis in Darfur, AND/ThisDay reported May 15, 2006 - excerpt:

[President Mubarak said] "I wish to congratulate you on the successful conclusion of Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja. In this occasion, I have the pleasure and honor to convey to you and Nigerian people, Egypt's deep appreciation to all the efforts you exerted in order to help the parties reach such a historical agreement, especially your Excellency's personal involvement and dedication at the final critical moments".

He said that the international community would continue to put the Abuja agreement into practical measures by building up confidence among all the parties concerned, and emphasized his country's determination to contribute to the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts and its willingness to take part in the peacekeeping forces which will be stationed in the region.

"Allow me to assure you of Egypt's full commitment to a speedy restoration of peace, stability, and prosperity in Darfur". "Egypt stands ready to allocate as much resources and capabilities as it can during the coming period, in order to turn Darfur peace agreement to a reality, and to bring peace stability back to the people of Darfur", Mubarak added.

Note, the report explains a meeting will be held this week in New York for Darfur friends, namely Nigeria, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Libya with the five permanent member states in the UN Security Council to notify the UNSC of the agreement officially.

Also, in another development, Egypt has submitted an educational initiative for the African countries. The initiative aims at providing advanced education in Africa by offering 200 scholarships annually over a period of four years in the Egyptian universities for African youths especially from west and central Africa and the Nile basin countries.

Annan says timing critical for Darfur aid

In an editorial in Monday's Financial Times, Annan said peace in Darfur was fragile and there was "no time to lose". He said the only guarantor of security there, the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), needed immediate help, Reuters reported 15 May 2006.

The AU Peace and Security Council was to meet in Addis Ababa today to discuss the next step in Darfur. The UN and western nations want the AU to turn over the Darfur peacekeeping operation to UN troops.

Sudan to give $700 mln for Dafur rehabilitation fund

Sudan will give 700 million dollars for the Darfur rehabilitation fund, a Sudanese minister said, the official SUNA reported. In doing so, Sudanese government aims to encourage the donors to extend their contributions for the fund, said The State Minister at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Lual Deng, Saturday. Full report (Khartoum May 13) Sudan Tribune May 15, 2006.

Rebel JEM commanders in South Darfur say they want peace

Sudan Tribune report (Khartoum) 15 May 2006 says South Darfur province commanders from the rebel JEM called on the group's leader Khalil Ibrahim to sign the peace deal that was agreed in Abuja on May 5.

"The agreement puts an end to the suffering of the people of Darfur, an objective we are striving to achieve," SUNA quoted Abdelrahim Adam Abu Rishah, JEM Secretary for South Darfur, as saying.

A number of JEM field commanders in South Darfur issued a statement declaring their joining of "the peace parade" by approving the peace agreement, the state-run news agency said.

The South Darfur-based faction said their approval of the agreement "was a result of the tribal reconciliation that have created a desire for tribal coexistence in the state."

SLA's Nur still unwilling to join Darfur peace deal - No let up in push for him to join

Efforts to persuade a rebel leader from Sudan's Darfur region to join a peace deal were likely to continue beyond Monday's deadline because his refusal to sign poses a serious threat to the accord, diplomats said. Full report by Estelle Shirbon (Reuters) May 14, 2006.

Also, see copy of petition in previous entry here below.

Petition by Darfur Daily News blog

Darfur Daily News blog claims to be, quote "a reliable source of news and information about what is going on in Darfur at the moment, located in The Hague."

The blog author of Darfur Daily News has organised a petition online targeted at UN, EU, AU, USA, UK, Civil Society, H Rights, International Community.

Entitled "Complete, Inclusive and Comprehensive Peace for Darfur", the petition has 82 signatures to date - goal is 400,000.

Message appears to be: "The door for comprehensive and complete peace in Darfur should be left open."

Note, at the moment Darfur Daily News' petition page hosted at thePetitionSite.com is temporarily unavailable, so I am copying the page of demands and publishing it in full at Ethiopia Watch, the sister blog of Sudan Watch.

If you are unable to view Darfur Daily News blog's petition at www.thepetitionsite.com, please click here.

Darfur's SLA rebel faction leader Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur receives a letter from US President George W Bush

Margaret Warner of America's News Hour reports from Sudan on the obstacles facing politicians and refugees before a peace deal can be achieved. She has been in Sudan for a week and reports on May 12, 2006 from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Click here to read or hear interview with:

MAJZOUB AL-KHALIFA, Presidential Adviser
SUDANESE CITIZEN (through translator)
HASSAN AL-TURABI, Leader, Popular National Congress
CAMERON HUME, U.S. Charge D'Affaires
AMIN ABDELLATIF, Foreign News Editor, Alwan

Snippets from interview:



MARGARET WARNER: Well, Ray, one of the groups, called JEM, is an Islamist group that always said they'll never sign a deal, so that's off the table.

But the other large group, which is lead by a fellow named Abdel Wahid Nur, even though it is not a heavily armed group -- and so, militarily, it's not hugely important -- the party's want him to sign on because he represents the largest tribe in Darfur, the Fur tribe. That's what Darfur means: Land of the Four.

And they are by far the most populous group. And anyone who's really looked at the situation out there feels that to have excluded the most populous tribe from the peace agreement just is a recipe for instability.

So Mr. Nur is down, apparently still in Nigeria, I'm told. The president of Nigeria is leaning on him very, very hard. He got this letter from President Bush saying: You know, I'll really be watching the implementation. I'll make sure it's implemented right.

He was apparently complaining about the letter. There wasn't enough. And someone told me today that -- Obasanjo, the president of Nigeria, said: I don't even get a letter from President Bush. You got a letter, and you still got questions?

But Nur apparently wants more assurances. So what's under discussion now is having the African Union, which has been mediating the deal, come up with yet another letter that has some assurances. But the parties are not willing to change the terms.

So I don't think we'll know -- I mean, we may know this weekend -- but Monday is D-Day. He's been invited to come to this big event in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia if he's ready or if he has signed the deal.

CAMERON HUME: I have a very strong feeling that, like most people, the leaders of the Sudanese government would rather be subject to less opprobrium and to be better accepted in the world.

President Bashir was not made the head of the African Union a few months ago because of concern among African countries over the consequences of the ongoing conflict in Darfur. And I think that kind of a setback has been troubling to this government, and they would rather not be the polecats of the world.

MAJZOUB AL-KHALIFA: We are making peace on the side. And to make violence, killing, rape and that, and directed by the government? What a government can do that. Nothing of that at all. But there is a crisis in Darfur that is true, but there is a tribal conflict.

HASSAN AL-TURABI: I mean, if there were negotiations going along, people can hold their arms for a while. But if they know that the negotiations are over, this is the settlement, the settlement is not satisfactory, there will be an eruption somewhere.

MARGARET WARNER: In the refugee camps, we found little evidence that residents have any faith in the promises made by the Sudanese government. Indeed, many refugees, even one listening to short-wave radio, were unaware that a peace deal had been reached.

SUDANESE CITIZEN (through translator): I don't know anything about it, nothing about it at all.

[via CFD with thanks]

Six killed in Darfur clashes

Six people have been killed after protesters in Darfur opposed to the recent peace deal between rebels and the Sudanese government clashed with police, Aljazeera (Agencies) reported May 14, 2006.

May 14 2006 Sudan's Turabi condemns Darfur Peace Agreement - Al Turabi Is a Chameleon

SLA's Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur refuses to join peace deal by May 15 deadline saying "at this stage we are not signing because we get nothing"

Reuters report (Estelle Shirbon) today says a rebel leader from Darfur has rebuffed the latest proposals from AU mediators for him to join a peace deal despite intense pressure by diplomats desperate to gain wider support for the accord. Excerpt:

Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) refused the peace settlement signed on May 5 by the Sudanese government and rival SLA factional leader Minni Arcua Minnawi to end a conflict that has killed tens of thousands.

Nur says he will sign the peace deal, but only if first the government accepts some of his key demands in an annex accord.

The demands include greater compensation from Khartoum for Darfur war victims and greater SLA involvement in monitoring the disarmament of the Janjaweed and the return home of refugees.

"At this stage we are not signing because we get nothing, but we are trying to push the government to make some concessions ... If the government accepts and signs, then Abdel Wahed will sign," said close adviser Ibrahim Madibo on Sunday.

Note, the report explains this looks unlikely to happen before a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council in Ethiopia on Monday that is considered a deadline to add new signatures to the deal:

Early on Sunday, senior AU mediators who had been focusing full-time on Nur since May 5 left the Nigerian capital Abuja, venue of the peace talks that led to the accord.

But in a sign that intense efforts to gain Nur's acceptance would continue until the last minute, one of the mediators was called back into town as he was about to check into his flight to leave Nigeria. "I am here for another day," he said.

The mediators had argued that Nur should sign first and negotiate with the government later. They say the agreement cannot be renegotiated as two parties have signed it, but there is room for extra concessions during the implementation phase.

"Our fear is that if he signs, the government will not give anything afterwards," Madibo told Reuters.

This has made the last week of discussions involving Nur, Minnawi, Khartoum and international diplomats very delicate.

Sudan's Turabi condemns Darfur Peace Agreement - Al Turabi Is a Chameleon

The leader of the opposition Popular National Congress party (PNC), Hassan Abdellah al-Turabi, has condemned the Darfur Peace Agreement, Sudan Tribune reported today - excerpt:

In an interview with satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera Al-Turabi said the main rebel group in the region, SLA, signed the accord under US pressure and threats of prosecuting those who will not sign it.

Note, last Thursday the SLA's Minnawi contacted the press to disprove claims by rivals that he signed Darfur Peace Agreement under pressures.

I think blogger Sudanese Thinker hits the nail on the head with his blog entry saying Al Turabi Is a Chameleon - excerpt:

Turabi condemned the peace deal saying it wasn't in the interest of the Darfuris. Sure! Since when did Turabi care about anything besides himself?

For those of you who don't know much about Turabi, let me tell you this... He is the one person mostly responsible for all the problems Sudanese suffer from today. He's extremely smart, charismatic, manipulative and most importantly wicked!

I think the best decision Omar El-Bashir ever made was to put him on house arrest and keep him under control. Believe me folks, if Turabi was still in the picture no peace would have been possible with the south or now with the west.

May 11 2006 AU mediators issue Open Letter to Darfur rebels: May 15 deadline to sign DPA

May 12 2006 Sudan's top diplomat in Washington calls for international community to call for measures against those who attempt to undercut Darfur peace accord

May 12 2006 Nur's Darfur rebel SLA faction sees progress in peace talks

May 12 2006 Minnawi's SLA delegation arrives in northern Darfur to popularise peace accord

May 14 2006 Reuters (Opheera McDoom) Violence follows Darfur peace, Sudanese unhappy - "It is a big mess," said Bashir Adam Rahman, political officer in the opposition Popular Congress Party. "This is going to create more divisions and more fighting between the Darfurians," he said.

"They (the international community) want to hail themselves on paper regardless of what's happening on the ground -- they didn't do their homework," said Mariam al-Mahdi, spokesperson of the popular Umma Party whose traditional base is in Darfur. "That's why the Abuja peace deal is almost near to a catastrophe rather than a step towards a resolution."

Darfur food crisis: Khartoum's sitting on vast amounts of Sudan's grain that could save tens of thousands of Sudanese lives - Eric Reeves

Eric Reeves, an American English professor living and working in Boston, MA, USA, says the food crisis in Darfur could be averted if Khartoum were to make humane use of the 300,000-500,000 metric tons of grain within its strategic food reserve. Excerpt from his opinion piece at Sudan Tribune May 14, 2006:

Humanitarian logisticians estimate that it requires approximately 17,000 metric tons of food per million people in need per month. There are over 3 million people in need of food in Darfur, and many more just as acutely in need in eastern and southern Sudan. This enormous quantity of grain---which could save many tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Sudanese lives---is sitting idly at various locations in Sudan. Khartoum's National Islamic Front regime refuses to disperse it, or even to sell it at a reasonable price to the UN'S World Food Program. According to the US Agency for International Development, Khartoum sets a price so high that it is actually cheaper to procure food elsewhere and transport it to Darfur and other places of need.

To deny Sudanese civilians access to Sudanese food at time of critical need offers a powerfully revealing glimpse of what the National Islamic Front represents---and of what, most fundamentally, it means to be "marginalized" in Sudan.

- - -

Eric Reeves supported campaign to force Talisman Energy out of southern Sudan, accusing the company of complicity in genocide

Excerpt from "How the world shed light on Darfur" (Alan Freeman, May 13, 2006 Globe and Mail, Toronto, Canada):

It was 1998 and Prof. Reeves was immersed in an earlier personal passion, wood turning. A skilled artisan, he created bowls from exotic African hardwoods and sold them at U.S. galleries with proceeds going to his favourite charity, Medecins sans frontieres.

He still recalls a discussion with Joelle Tanguy, head of the charity's U.S. wing, who told him that southern Sudan was the most ignored humanitarian disaster at the time. "I told her, I'll see what I can do. As it turns out, it became a life-defining moment."

Prof. Reeves soon was spearheading the campaign to force Talisman Energy to sell its extensive oil holdings in southern Sudan, accusing the Calgary company of complicity in what he called the genocide of the largely Christian and animist inhabitants of the region.

Over the next four years, Prof. Reeves was a key figure in pressuring major U.S. pensions into dumping their holdings, depressing Talisman's stock price and forcing it to sell out to an Indian oil firm in early 2003.

Some critics suggest that the Indian oil firm, along with its partners from China and Malaysia, are impervious to the kind of criticism that made a publicly held company like Talisman act with a higher sense of corporate responsibility.

"Talisman always claimed that it was a force for good and a force for moderation." Prof. Reeves said. "That's just horse crap."

Just as peace was arriving in southern Sudan in 2003, Darfur was exploding, so Prof. Reeves changed his focus. He travelled to Sudan to see the crisis first-hand. When he returned to Massachusetts, he was diagnosed with leukemia. It has been a long slog.

He has taken two semesters of medical leave in addition to three semesters of leave without pay for his Sudan work.

"My immune system got hammered by the last chemo so I'm continuing to take anti-bacterials and anti-virals. But I'm feeling great. My energy is where it normally is. Right now, I'm fully in remission. The battle will need to be fought again, but for now, I'm good."

As for Darfur, Prof. Reeves doesn't see the signing of the peace accord as any reason for celebration. He is not convinced the pact will hold and does not believe that Western countries will provide the needed soldiers and firepower to turn the weak African Union peace force into a robust UN-sponsored peacekeeping contingent.

"We are putting literally millions of people at risk. It's unconscionable that the world community watches while these people continue to face extraordinary security threats, extraordinary humanitarian shortcomings, which will only get worse as the rainy-season hunger gap gets worse."

"I'm terribly pessimistic. I think we can see more mortality in the next half year than we've seen to date. These people are so vulnerable. I am deeply dispirited. How can it be that we watch Rwanda unfold in slow motion before our eyes?"

- - -

May 6 2006 (Nicholas Kristof NYT - via CFD) Heroes of Darfur: For three gruelling years, Eric Reeves has been fighting for his life, struggling in a battle with leukemia that he may eventually lose. And in his spare time, sometimes from his hospital bed, he has emerged as an improbable leader of a citizens' army fighting to save hundreds of thousands of other lives in Darfur.

Sudanese Deputy FM Ali Ahmed Karti a no-show in Washington

The Malaysia Sun reported May 13, 2006 that a top Sudanese official failed to show up for a meeting on Friday in Washington with US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi E Frazer who recently returned from Darfur peace talks in Abuja where, alongside US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, she helped broker the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Excerpt:

Sudanese Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti -- who had been scheduled to meet with Frazer at the State Department on Friday -- has been linked by human rights groups to violence in Sudan's Darfur region, The Washington Post reported.

Human rights groups say Karti was head of the Popular Defense Forces, a paramilitary group that fought alongside the Janjaweed militia during a campaign of terror that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Some experts have said Karti's name is on the secret list of 51 names referred by the United Nations to the International Criminal Court for possible war crimes prosecution. He has been a key public figure in rejecting the jurisdiction of the war crimes court.

UN draft resolution calls for dispatch before May 30 of UN and AU advance teams to assess Darfur

May 13, 2006 Gulf Times/dpa report excerpt:

UN Security Council members yesterday discussed a draft resolution demanding that Sudan and African rebel groups help speed up the start of a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

The draft called for the dispatch before May 30 of UN and African Union advance teams to assess the situation in Darfur after last week's signing of a peace agreement in Abuja, Nigeria, to end the ethnic conflict in Darfur. - DPA

May 11 2006 UN Sudan Tribune May 12: US suggests May 30 deadline to start preparation for UN force takeover in Darfur

May 12 2006 Reuters (Irwin Arieff): Security Council pushes Sudan over UN Darfur force - The resolution would also urge the government and Darfur rebels to work with AU and UN officials "to accelerate transition to a United Nations operation. The council planned to wait to vote until after a Monday meeting in Addis Ababa of the AU Peace and Security Council, where a decision was due on whether -- and, if so, when -- to shift to a UN mission in Darfur, diplomats said.

May 12 2006 Reuters (Sue Pleming): US confident Sudan will agree to UN force

May 13 2006 Associated Press: US runs into strong resistance at UN over Sudan resolution - China and Russia, two veto-wielding members of the council, oppose that even the new draft is written under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which could make it legally binding and enforceable by sanctions.

Who benefits from Divest Sudan Campaign? Sudan-divestment draws attacks from business groups

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

As noted here at Sudan Watch several times before, I find it difficult to understand what good comes of divestment, unless it means funds that are divested are re-invested in companies that benefit impoverished people. Sudan is burdened by terrible debt and relies heavily on foreign revenue, particularly from oil, generated by companies operating in the Sudan:

Let's hope that Harvard and all the others who are divesting, re-invest in companies that specialise in beneficial services such as water and agriculture and encourage such firms to operate in the Sudan. That way, Sudan could diversify, develop and grow and would not need to rely so heavily upon its oil.

Excerpt from Wall Street May 3, 2006 via ST May 13, 2006:

American companies have been barred from operating in Sudan since 1997. But some of the most stringent new divestment policies could affect dozens of major US corporations.

"We have very large concerns about the Illinois bill," says Adam Sterling, national policy director of the Sudan Divestment Task Force, a student group spearheading the nationwide effort. "We're afraid that it targets too many firms and that many of these firms may in fact be helping the people of Sudan."

The Sudan Divestment Task Force advocates "targeted divestment" that encourages cutting investments only in companies that provide revenue to Sudan's government, especially foreign oil companies.

Companies have heard from investors about Sudan, including Siemens, the German electronics and engineering company, which does business in Sudan. "Obviously it's a concern for us," says Siemens spokeswoman Paula Davis. But the company's work there, she added, is "helping the people of Sudan by providing critical infrastructure."

Sudan, for its part, opposes the campaign. Expressing "deep concern" last month, Sudan's ambassador to the US, Khidir Haroun Ahmed, said the campaign will "impede development [by] hampering foreign investment that is vital to rebuilding the country."

Note, Mar 23 2006 Harvard divests from stock held by HMC in China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corporation)

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



Photo: Children try a new hand pump installed by UNICEF and ECHO. (Courtesy UNICEF Sudan/2006)

Feb 5 2006 Peacekeeping waterpumps - East Africa a front in war on terrorism

Feb 23 2006 Drilling for Sudan's drinking water is more important than drilling for oil



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

Mar 17 2006 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.

Pan African Parliament to send mission to Sudan's Darfur

Mama Mongella - the stability of Sudan is fundamental to the whole of the African continent - what has taken you so long? At long last, news of PAP, of which Gertrude Mongella is President:

People's Daily Online today May 13, 2006 says the Pan African Parliament (PAP) is to send a mission to Darfur to assess woman and children abuse there, it said after it concluded its fifth ordinary session on Friday - excerpt:

The parliament also called for increased efforts to speed up the peace process in Sudan while highlighting the situation in Darfur.

"The PAP resolves that it send a mission comprising of members of the Permanent Committee on Gender, Family, Youth and People with Disability to the Darfur region and conduct gender assessment and report to the PAP sixth session," it said.

It also urged parties involved in the conflict to respect the recently signed Darfur Peace Agreement in Abuja.

"The PAP recommends that all peace agreements should be signed and respected by all parties, especially the recent peace agreement signed in Abuja," it said. Source: Xinhua

- - -

April 27, 2006 PAP urges Sudanese to disarm Janjaweed - Gertrude Mongella, President of PAP

May 12 2006 BBC African Union parliament 'broke' - The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) may have to call off its next session because of a lack of funds from the African Union officials warn. Wycliffe Oparanya, chairman of the PAP's finance committee, blamed the shortfall on countries that had failed to pay their dues to the AU. He singled out Libya, Nigeria, Algeria and Egypt, which together with South Africa provide 75% of AU funds. - [via POTP with thanks - sorry permalinks still not wkg]

Sudanese president urges Darfur rebels to change position

Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir on Friday called on Darfur rebel groups which refuse to accept a peace deal to change positions and participate in the peace process, People's Daily Online reported May 13, 2006 - excerpt:

Addressing the closing session of a ruling National Congress Party conference, Bashir said that those movements should choose peace.

"If they don't do that, Darfur citizens and the international society will overpass them," he warned.

He said that the government "does not want to leave anyone outside the peace agreement and it wants to take in everyone."

The president also reiterated the government's commitment to the complete implementation of the peace agreement, saying "it is important to stabilize the situations in Darfur."

He said that the government would do its best to keep good relations with Sudan's neighboring countries, especially Chad and Eritrea, adding that the peace agreement would be in danger if there is no stability in border areas.

Source: Xinhua

Sudan to set up 42 FM radio stations

The managing director of the Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, Amin Hassan Omar, has announced a plan to set up 42 FM radio stations, which will cover 42 towns in all the country's states. Full report ST May 13 2006.

US runs into strong resistance at UN over Sudan resolution

The US has run into strong resistance in its bid for a Security Council resolution that would give the UN immediate control over peacekeepers in Darfur, diplomats said Friday, AP/ST reported:

Objections from China, Russia and several African nations have forced several key concessions. For example, it asks only that a UN assessment team inspect the AU force "with a view to a follow-on UN operation in Darfur."

Several diplomats said objections remained. They portrayed the latest draft more as a US effort to show progress on Darfur than as a text that will move any closer to a UN-led mission there. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the draft publicly.

China and Russia, two veto-wielding members of the council, oppose that even the new draft is written under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which could make it legally binding and enforceable by sanctions.

The AU has asked that the council delay voting on the draft until after Monday, when its Peace and Security Council meets to endorse the Darfur peace deal and discuss the possibility of giving the UN authority over the AU force.

US confident Sudan will agree to UN force

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, who helped AU mediators seal the deal in Abuja last week, said in a Reuters interview today she was confident Sudan will allow a UN force in Darfur, even though it has sent mixed signals on peacekeepers since signing an accord with rebels - Reuters (Sue Pleming):

Frazer predicted Sudan would give a clear message after a meeting of African Union ministers in Ethiopia on Monday, adding that Khartoum was coming under strong pressure from both its neighbours and members of the Arab League to agree.

Frazer said she was hopeful that Abdel Wahed Mohammed al-Nur of the SLA would soon sign on and did not think an international force was needed in Chad. Once Darfur is secured, the instability in the border area with Chad will be resolved, she added.

Some analysts sceptical about Darfur Peace Agreement

May 12 2006 VOA says diplomats are calling the Darfur Peace Agreement an important step on the path to peace. Some analysts are sceptical, ie:

Roland Marchal, researcher and former editor of the French Revue Politique Africaine, calls the agreement "good news" because it means a significant number of Arab tribes would like to reach a settlement but "bad news" because Khartoum may use some tribes as scapegoats and blame them for the Janjaweed's murder of civilians and burning of villages. In addition, Mr Marchal notes that the rebels are "far from being organised." Furthermore, the international community is naive if it believes Khartoum will accept UN troops on the ground as a "direct consequence of this agreement."

Richard Crockett, Africa editor of the Economist magazine in London, wonders whether the accord can be implemented on the ground. Mr Crockett notes the government in Khartoum is not to be trusted. He points to their arming of the Janjaweed and says he thinks the only thing that will work is to get a UN force into Darfur to start monitoring a phased disarmament of the Janjaweed "at the point of a gun, frankly," because the Khartoum government is unlikely to follow through on its own.

Sudan's top diplomat in Washington calls for international community to call for measures against those who attempt to undercut Darfur peace accord

Sudan's top diplomat in Washington, Khidir H Ahmed, denounced the leaders of the JEM and a dissident faction of the SLA for rejecting the Darfur Peace Agreement agreement on Friday, Washington Times/CFD reported today:

"If they continue to balk at supporting the peace accord, we hope that the international community, particularly those in the US who called for peace and justice, will condemn them and call for measures against those groups and individuals that will attempt to undercutting the peace accord," Mr Khidir said. "Their refusal to participate is clearly an attempt to punish the victims in Darfur."

Mr Khidir noted that the government and the SLA made concessions to reach the deal after days of nonstop diplomacy by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick.

Khidir, in a statement this week, thanked Mr Zoellick, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Mr Bush for their efforts to promote peace in his country. He said their "constructive engagement" contributed "a great deal to this significant achievement, and our people will remain grateful for that."

Mr Khidir added that the next test is the implementation of the agreement.

"We hope that responsible individuals in the US will demonstrate the same zeal in supporting the implementation of the peace agreement, bolstering the African Union mission in Darfur, funding food aid and other assistance projects and condemning those who refuse to support the peace process, as they did when they criticised my government and promoted actions that regularly undercut peace and reconciliation in Sudan," he said.

[Well said. Let's hope Khartoum and its Janjaweed will not undercut the peace accord either]

May 12 2006 VOA Analysts Are Skeptical About Darfur Peace Accord

Security Council pushes Sudan over UN Darfur force

The Security Council was expected to adopt a resolution next week increasing pressure on Sudan's government to allow a UN peacekeeping force into Darfur later this year, council diplomats said today - Reuters (Irwin Arieff):

UN diplomats said the 15-nnation Security Council, which authorises peacekeeping operations, was near consensus on a US draft resolution calling for UN military planners to be in Darfur within a week of the measure's approval.

The resolution would also urge the government and Darfur rebels to work with AU and UN officials "to accelerate transition to a United Nations operation."

The council planned to wait to vote until after a Monday meeting in Addis Ababa of the AU Peace and Security Council, where a decision was due on whether -- and, if so, when -- to shift to a UN mission in Darfur, diplomats said.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has already written Sudanese President Lt Gen Omar Hassan al-Bashir about the planning team and expects the planners to be granted visas soon, UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"The expectation continues that we will have a joint planning team with the African Union on the ground in Darfur as soon as possible," Dujarric told reporters. "We would expect the government of Sudan to cooperate fully and let this team do its work."

Norway offers UN peacekeepers for Darfur plus $10m to AU - Darfur peace crucial for Africa says AU Chairman

Peace in Sudan and Darfur is crucial to the future of the entire African continent, the chairman of the African Union commission said Friday during a visit to Norway - Associated Press reported:

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced Friday that Norway was donating US$10 million (A7.8 million) to the Africa Union, in support of its continued peace efforts for Sudan.

He also said Norway was prepared to send peacekeepers - possibly a contingent of 150 to 200 - if the United Nations Security Council called from them. The troops would be under a U.N. mandate, providing they were invited by the Sudanese government.

Konare was to meet other Norwegian officials and a lecture on Africa at the Nobel Institute. (ST/AP)

EU to up pressure on Sudan for UN Darfur mission

The European Union will press Sudan on Monday to drop what diplomats see as growing resistance from Khartoum to a UN peace mission in Darfur, EU officials said on Friday, Reuters (Ingrid Melander) reported today:

The Sudanese government has said it would consider a role for the United Nations after a peace agreement. But EU officials say Khartoum is still reluctant to accept the UN mission despite the Abuja accord.

An EU official speaking on condition of anonymity said Sudanese resistance to a UN mission was, if anything, growing.

"More and more openly, since the peace agreement was signed in Abuja, they say (the U.N. mission) is not necessary," the official said.

"This is certainly not the position of the EU and the United States. ... It is not acceptable to us, we will continue to exert pressure."

According to a text drafted for a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, the 25-member bloc will stress that the transition to the UN force is "the only viable option for providing sustained stability and security in the long-term" in Darfur.

The EU's foreign ministers meeting in Brussels occurs on the same day African Union ministers meet in Addis Ababa to decide the next step toward bringing peace to Darfur, including transferring the mission to the United Nations.

The AU also hopes to gain support of two rebel factions who have yet to accept the Darfur peace deal.

Chadian refugees and donkeys in Darfur moved from insecure border to new camp

Despite delays caused by recalcitrant donkeys, the UN refugee agency managed Thursday to move nearly 500 Chadian refugees from unsafe areas along the Chad-Sudan border to a new refugee camp further inland in West Darfur, Reuters reported today:

A convoy of eight passenger trucks and one bus carried 494 Chadian refugees of Daju ethnicity from Habila, on the border, to Um Shalaya, southeast of El Geneina, capital of West Darfur.

Three additional trucks carried the refugees' possessions and four trucks carried their donkeys [! Wish I could find a photo :-)]

The convoy left some three hours late because the donkeys could not be persuaded to board the trucks in an orderly manner, and the convoy took six and a half hours to cover the 60 km to the camp. The African Union provided a military escort for the journey.

"We are working together with the International Organization of Migration to transport refugees from their border locations to the new camp," UNHCR spokesperson Jennifer Pagonis told journalists in Geneva. "We plan to move about 1,500 refugees per week to the camp in three separate convoys of about 500 people each."

The convoy was greeted at the camp by the camp manager, the umda (chief of a number of villages), local sheikhs and women who had prepared food as a welcome gesture.

Nur's Darfur rebel SLA faction sees progress in peace talks

Minni Minnawi, leader of the main Darfur rebel faction SLA, is confident the other factions will join peace deal, Associated Press reported:

"I think both movements will sign the agreement," Minnawi told the Associated Press today on the telephone from Chad.

"I'm expecting Abdelwahed al-Nur to sign the agreement in the days to come," said Minnawi. "As for the Justice and Equality Movement, it is quite likely to happen soon also," he added.

"When it happens, it will be a very big victory for Darfur," said Minnawi, who had just met with the Chadian president to discuss border security and a timetable for the repatriation of some 400,000 Darfur refugees living in Chad.

Reuters report by Estelle Shirbon - just in:

Nur wrote to African Union (AU) mediators late on Wednesday asking to reopen discussions with Khartoum and pledging to sign the accord if key demands were addressed in a separate document.

"There is a very positive reply from the AU and a positive reply from the government. This might lead to a breakthrough in the negotiations," said Ibrahim Madibo, a close adviser to Nur. They are still in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where the talks that led to the May 5 peace deal took place.

Nur's main demands are 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.

"If there's a new development (on these demands) I'm ready to sign anywhere, anytime, ... But only if there is a clear supplementary document," Nur told Reuters at his hotel.

Note, the report also explains a reluctant Khartoum had said it would consider letting in UN troops if a peace agreement were signed in Abuja, but European Union officials in Brussels said Sudan's opposition to a UN mission had in fact increased since the deal was reached::

"Sudan has expressed reservations about a U.N. peacekeeping force, but negotiations are ongoing," said EU special representative to Sudan Pekka Haavisto in Helsinki on Friday.

"If we fail to have a credible peacekeeping operation in Sudan, the peace treaty will fail," Haavisto added.

Diplomats in Abuja say discussions involving Nur, Minnawi, the government and international mediators are under way to coax Nur into signing the deal but the situation was delicate.

"We're in the thick of it. It could go either way," said one diplomat who requested anonymity.

ETHNIC TENSIONS

Nur and Minnawi loathe each other but Minnawi wants Nur to sign because he does not want spoilers undermining the accord. However, it would be hard for him to swallow any concessions made to his rival after he has already signed the agreement.

Nur is weak militarily but his endorsement of the agreement is important 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.

Hostility between ethnic groups in Darfur has fuelled the conflict.

Haavisto said those seen as impeding the peace process will likely face U.N. sanctions.

"If they (SLA/JEM rebel factions) don't sign, I have the feeling that the U.N. will not have pity towards them, as the political will for a peace deal is broad," Haavisto said.

(additional reporting by Ingrid Melander in Brussels and Arild Moen in Helsinki)

Photo: Minni Minnawi, leader of Darfur rebel group SLA signs Darfur Peace Agreement May 5, 2006 (wcco.com)

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.

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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.