Raymond Jordan, emergency co-ordinator for Goal, said the deal had splintered rebel groups, making it difficult to know which commander controlled which region, and whether they could guarantee the safety of aid workers.
Vehicles used by NGOs are also being deliberately targeted for hijack. The result, he said, was that Goal had suspended three-quarters of its operations, leaving tens of thousands of people without aid.
"It has always been difficult to work in Darfur but now it is simply not possible to work in the vast majority of our areas. The peace agreement is not working on the ground for women, children and the most vulnerable people, and that's the reality."
Ahern also met Pronk to hear his concerns that the peace agreement needed more provisions for security, disarmament and compensation for victims.
Minni Minawi, the leader of the rebel faction who signed the deal, is embroiled in a power struggle with Abdul Wahid al-Nur, the standard bearer of the SLA's rejectionist wing. Tribalism lies at the heart of this bitter rivalry. Minawi is from the Zaghawa tribe while Nur is from the much larger Fur tribe.Full story. [hat tip POTP]
This struggle between these two men is costing lives. Most of the fighting in Darfur is now taking place within the ranks of the SLA, where tribal antagonism between Fur and Zaghawa is acute. The clash between Minawi and Nur is also polarising the refugee camps, where many of their followers live.
In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, an analyst said the security situation in nearby Kalma camp had worsened since the signing of the Darfur peace deal on 5 May, adding that the worst attacks were taking place at night.[More on the security situation in UN Situation Report recently posted here at Sudan Watch. Note, the AU undertake daytime patrols because Khartoum imposed a curfew, not allowing AU patrols after 6pm - see reports here below]
"There has been an increased radicalisation of youth inside the camp," he said. "Many people don't accept the Darfur Peace Agreement [DPA] or the security mechanisms of the DPA."
"The violence seems politically motivated, but it is not clear whether the perpetrators are coming from inside the camp or enter from the outside," he added.
On Friday, unknown gunmen killed the watchman of an international nongovernmental organisation inside Kalma camp. The following two nights, the compounds of other NGOs were robbed as well.
In separate incidents on Friday, two IDPs were shot by armed men; both were wounded in the attacks. In previous attacks last week, an IDP shelter was looted and six armed men unsuccessfully attempted to steal a pumping machine at a water point.
A nighttime presence of African Union (AU) soldiers inside the camp was urgently needed, a regional observer said, but so far the cash-strapped peacekeepers were only undertaking daytime patrols.
Akol added the plan will be ready within a month from yesterday's meeting between Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in the African summit.July 3 2006 UN envoy Jan Pronk welcomes announcement by GoS to present plan for disarmament of Janjaweed in Darfur
Akol said in a press release the meeting resulted in an agreement to support AU's troops in Darfur and helping them do what they are supposed to do based on Darfur peace accord, adding to put pressure on groups refusing to abide by agreements and who try to stall the peace process.
The Sudanese Minister added Annan and Al-Bashir stressed importance on the immediate execution of Abuja peace accord which was under the African Union sponsorship.
"While welcoming the recent announcement by the Sudanese Government to present a plan for the disarmament of the Janjaweed militiamen in Darfur, Mr Pronk warned that continued militia attacks on internally displaced persons in Darfur were hampering implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement," a UN spokesperson told reporters in New York.
In his latest report to the Security Council on the region, which covers the month of May and which was issued today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan states that "disarming the Janjaweed, improving civilian protection and strengthening ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanisms are absolute priorities."
Another "serious concern" he highlights is that the "work of United Nations agencies and NGOs continues to be hindered by banditry targeting humanitarian personnel and assets."
"Young people have really been at the centre of this conflict. Children have really been hit harder than anyone else. The camps are 90 per cent women and children. That's a population of 2 million people now," said UNICEF spokesperson Ronan Farrow.
The U.N. representative in Sudan refuted claims that he sought to reformulate a Darfur peace agreement, stressing the urgent need for immediate implementation.- - -
Jan Pronk said in a statement Monday "the peace agreement over Darfur reached in Abuja (Nigeria) is still facing resistance on the ground, especially by refugees, mainly due to wrong interpretations which limit the accord's effectiveness in restoring security and stability to the province."
He argued that three steps should be taken urgently in order to deal with the situation, which is becoming more complex with delays in implementation of the accord.
"The first step is to implement what was agreed upon at the right time because delays in implementation will strengthen the stance of those opposing the agreement," Pronk said.
The second step stipulates gaining larger support for the accord, securing genuine international guarantees and disarming clearly and seriously the Arab Janjaweed militias accused of committing racial cleansing in the war-torn province in west Sudan.
The third step, Pronk said, will be to secure more funds for compensation and reconstruction of areas inhabited by the displaced and the refugees before they are driven further away.
"These steps should be implemented immediately in order to transform Abuja's accord into a sustained treaty," he added.
Pronk denied reports that he had called for rectifying the accord over Darfur in order to include the parties who opposed it, stressing that what he proposed last week was misinterpreted and that he sought to activate the agreement and not reformulate it.
Pronk had said the agreement needed international guarantees and a clearer plan for disarming Arab militias and paying compensation to the victims of war.
Al-Bashir made the pledge to Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade during a meeting between the two leaders in Banjul, Gambia, the agency said.Note, the current AU Mission in Darfur costs something in the region of $1 billion per annum.
Sudan was prepared to foot the bill for the forces for the next six months during which al-Bashir predicted the security situation would improve and there would be no need to deploy troops under the U.N, SUNA reported.
The Sudanese leader also complained Sunday that the international community was not doing enough to persuade those rebel factions that did not sign the Darfur Peace Agreement to join the process.
"Sudan was expecting to see intensive efforts to boost the peace deal and to exercise pressure on the groups that have refused to sign the deal," SUNA reported al-Bashir as saying.
A new alliance of Darfur rebel commanders and political parties have attacked a town on the road to the capital Khartoum, declaring a 27-month-old truce dead, rebels and officials said on Monday.From Reuters.co.za:
One of three rebel factions signed an African Union-mediated peace deal in May but since then new alliances have been formed among those who reject the deal, saying it des not meet their basic demands.
"The forces of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked a town in North Kordofan called Hamrat al-Sheikh," said a spokesman for the Sudan armed forces. "Sudanese planes have been deployed and the aggression is continuing," he added.
Hamrat al-Sheikh is on the road between Khartoum and North Kordofan's main town el-Obeid. It is around 200 kilometres (124 miles) from Sudan's capital.- - -
JEM has little military power on the ground in Darfur, where the other main rebel group, the fractious Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), controls most of the rebel territories.
JEM formed a new alliance last week called the National Redemption Front (NRF) with a few breakaway SLA commanders and a small political party, the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance.
Adam Ali Shogar, one of the SLA commanders in the NRF, told Reuters his forces were still in control of Hamrat al-Sheikh.
"God willing, we will be on our way to Khartoum," he said. "The government has shown it is not committed to the 2004 humanitarian ceasefire so this deal now has no meaning."
It was the first time a rebel group in Darfur openly stated it was disregarding the April 2004 truce, which had in any case been widely ignored by all sides to the conflict.
During the more than three years of revolt in Darfur, rebels often attacked in Kordofan, which neighbours Darfur, saying they were close to the capital. They never reached Khartoum.
U.N. special envoy Jan Pronk wrote in his June 28 weblog that many things needed to added to the May 5 peace deal such as more transparency in disarming pro-government militias and international security guarantees, which were key demands of the rebels who refused to sign the deal.I say, do you think Mr Pronk would use his personal weblog to suggest how to put new life into Darfur's Peace Agreement, without clearance from his employers? I don't think he would. If you want to break an impasse, float an idea, open up dialogue, start a debate, shake a few trees, use a weblog! I'd like to see President Bashir start one. I'm serious, it would be great to learn more about life in Khartoum and what his colleagues, family and friends think about the millions of Sudanese people without homes, food, water, medics, education and gainful employment. I wonder what Mr Akol means when he says "... we will amend the peace deal when the reality on the ground dictates."
But Foreign Minister Lam Akol dismissed Pronk's statement. "An addition is an amendment," he told reporters in Khartoum, adding only the parties to the deal could agree any changes to the deal. "We will never accept an amendment because Pronk says ... we will amend the peace deal when the reality on the ground dictates (and) it does not," he added.
Pronk called this a "new political fact" that required additions to the deal. But Akol said Pronk was in no position to say that. Calling Pronk "junior", he said: "Do I believe Pronk or do I believe (U.N. Secretary-General) Kofi Annan?" he said, adding Annan had not echoed his envoy's words when he met him on Sunday.
Darfur has been the focus of much of Dallaire's public statements recently, and last week brought him the opportunity to make some progress as part of a UN committee on genocide prevention, which met for the first time to discuss its mandate.Note, the Canadian government (Conservative) pledged $20 million to the African union mission in Sudan last month. Canada has contributed $190 million to the mission since 2004, including money, equipment and military and civilian experts.
The committee will focus on gathering intelligence and giving advice to the UN secretary general and the Security Council, the body at the UN that decides when to begin military action. Dallaire said the committee hopes to prevent future genocides like the 1994 massacre in Rwanda.
Besides watching out for genocide specifically, the committee wants to look at human rights abuses that don't qualify as genocide, like Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge or the ongoing violence in Sudan. "Cambodia killed a couple of million (people) but it wasn't a genocide because it was politically motivated, (involving people of) the same ethnicity," he said. Likewise, Darfur "is not a genocide but it is a (case of) massive crimes against humanity."
Addressing the African Summit on Sunday, President Omar al-Bashir stressed that Sudan has no interest to undermine the security of Chad, especially that its was working to boost the security in Darfur, which is related to the conditions in Chad.
He said that the implementation of the recently signed Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) would be difficult, unless comprehensive stability in Chad is achieved. He indicated that Sudan has made several attempts for normalization of its relations with neighbour Chad, despite the Chadian interventions in Darfur.
Al-Bashir denied in his speech Chadian accusations, adding that it was not true to claim that all the incidents in Chad were the creation of Sudan. He said that Chadian officers and soldiers are fighting alongside the rebels in Darfur.
He called for protection of the camps of the Sudanese refugees in Chad and halting the recruitment of children by elements who aim to abort DPA.
Al-Bashir pointed out that Sudan has did its best to implement the Tripoli declaration, which it has signed with Chad, through the concerned mechanisms and committees, but the Chadian government did not dispatch its envoys in accordance with the declaration.
The February 8 agreement signed by Chadian and Sudanese leaders in Tripoli came after N’Djamena declared itself in a state of war with Khartoum in December amid growing violence on the border.
Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of establishing relations between Sudan and Chad, which are to be based on good neighbourliness and cooperation to realize stability at the area and to maintain security at the joint border.
Moammar Gadhafi has sponsored a reconciliation agreement between Sudan and Chad as part of the Libyan leader's efforts to iron out conflicts in Africa.
Libyan news agency JANA said Gadhafi sponsored a tripartite meeting with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and Chad's Idriss Debby in the Gambian capital, Banjul, during which the reconciliation was sealed early Monday.
It said the reasons for the conflicts between Sudan and neighboring Chad were reviewed and debated, and at the end Bashir and Debby agreed to set up a joint committee to prepare arrangements for normalizing relations between their two countries.
The two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the "Tripoli Declaration," which they signed in February in a summit meeting hosted by Gadhafi during which they agreed to normalize diplomatic relations and ban the presence of rebels using their territories to launch attacks against each others' countries.
JANA reported that "Gadhafi expressed to the Sudanese and Chadian presidents his appreciation of their responsible attitude and positive response to his reconciliation initiative and their keenness to preserve peace, security and stability in the black continent."
The conflict between Sudan and Chad broke out last December, when Chad declared that it was in a state of war with Khartoum following an attack by Sudanese rebels against a Chadian village on the shared eastern border.
Gadhafi announced an initiative to settle the conflict in January, including shifting 3,000 African Union troops deployed in Darfur to the border between Chad and Sudan to monitor possible violations.
On 28 June, SRSG Pronk published comments about the DPA on his weblog. He emphasized the need to implement the Agreement, to broaden its 'circle of support', and to support the transition to a UN peacekeeping operation.
Local Arab-language press gave extensive coverage to the SRSG's comments. The reports emphasized the SRSG's comments that the opposition rebel issues should be addressed in the DPA, that further dialogue was required and that more compensation was required for affected persons.
On 30 June, the SRSG, accompanied by PDSRSG Zerihoun, went to Juba to launch the UN Radio "Miraya" together with the First Vice President Salva Kiir. Speaking at the ceremony, FVP Salva Kiir stated that he had no objection to a transition to the UN force in Darfur. After the ceremony, the SRSG and the PDSRSG held discussion with VP Kiir on Eastern Front, LRA and implementation of the CPA issues. On 30 June, in Juba, FVP Salva Kiir stated that he had no objection to a transition to the UN force in Darfur.
Local Arab-language media reported a meeting between Presidents Bashir and Déby at the AU summit, in Banjul, Gambia on 1 June. The meeting was reportedly brokered by President Gaddafi of Libya.
Meanwhile, local Arab-language press reported that the AU withdrew 30 Chadian AMIS monitors from Darfur at the request of Sudan's Foreign Ministry. The Peace and Security Council (PSC) heard Sudan's request at their meeting in Banjul on 27 June.
On 30 June, SLA-Minawi faction's External Relations Secretary Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim issued a statement supporting the suspension of the DPA. Meanwhile, a delegation of SLA-Minawi remains in Khartoum for talks with the Government of Sudan on DPA implementation.
On 30 June, in Asmara, Darfur rebel leaders founded the National Redemption Front (NDF). The NRF's Founding Declaration flagged a forthcoming statement on its position regarding the DPA. The signatories include Dr Khalil Ibrahim, the leader of JEM, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige (Chairman) and Dr Sharif Harir of the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance and Khamis Abdalla Abakar, formerly SLA-Abdul Wahid Deputy Chairman. Abdul Wahid, the leader of the SLA-Abdul Wahid faction, did not sign the declaration.
On 1 July, the National Legislature ratified the DPA. According to the official Sudanese news agency, the Legislature called on the international community to provide support and assistance for Darfur's reconstruction and urged parties that did not sign the agreement to join the peace process.
On 1 July, the Ceasefire Political Commission (CPC) met in Khartoum, with the SRSG [Jan Pronk], DSRSG and Force Commander in attendance. The meeting was briefed on the status of formation of Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) by the Co-Chairs and Technical Committee of the Joint Defense Board, JIU Commander (SAF) and Deputy Commander (SPLA).
"On the request of the secretary general, the African Union will continue to fulfil its mission until the end of the year," said Congo Republic president Sassou Nguesso, who holds the revolving AU presidency.
Mr Annan said continuing discussions with Khartoum on the deployment of international peacekeepers could yield positive results.
"We are dealing with a leader who might have genuine difficulties and genuine reasons for the position he is taking ... but I think we had constructive conversation this morning," he said.
"I, of course, continue to press for the eventual deployment of UN forces in Darfur ... (and) we agree (with al-Beshir) the dialogue has to continue," Mr Annan said.
He said the planning for deployment "is very well advanced ... we do hope still to deploy the troops."
He said Mr al-Beshir had promised to submit to him before the end of July his "plan for the next six months" on easing the crisis in Darfur.
Meantime Mr Annan asked the African leaders at the AU summit in Gambia to maintain "flexibility" over their original plan to pull their forces out of Darfur by September 30.
In talks with Mr al-Beshir, Mr Annan said they "agreed on the immediate need to strengthen the African Union mission in Darfur and also to consolidate the Darfur peace agreement."
Although the Libyan leader entered the hall before most of his counterparts, he left the premises just before the opening ceremony began, leaving the rest of the Libyan delegation there.SABC says earlier today, UN SG Annan met with Sudan's president, to discuss Darfur. Mr Annan and President Thabo Mbeki were supposed to meet earlier today but the meeting was postponed until later today.
No official reason was given for the hurried departure, and neither the Gambians nor officials of the African Union Commission could offer an explanation.
However, some Libyan sources hinted that the Libyan leader's departure had been to protest a possible decision by African Union to withdraw its troops from Sudan next September.
"This year, Sudan's government declared that it would allow United Nations peacekeepers into the western region of Darfur."I challenge the Washington Post to please explain exactly when and where GoS agreed to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur. From what I have gathered here at Sudan Watch, Khartoum never once agreed to such a force. Please correct me if I have missed something. The peace deal in southern Sudan is quite different from that in Darfur, western Sudan. South Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement had a UN peackeeping force built into it before it was signed, the Darfur Peace Agreement had no such force written into it. Apart from talk about the "extermination of Muslims", the last line of the piece I find most revealing, quote:
But if Mr. Bashir's shameless outpourings are not enough to solidify diplomatic efforts to isolate his regime, it's hard to know what would be.Diplomatic efforts to isolate the regime eh? Sounds like Darfur rebel talk.
Sudan's top U.N. official has said the Darfur peace deal should be amended to meet key rebel demands to save the foundering agreement, in an apparent shift from his previous statements.July 1 2006 (BBC) UN envoy attacks Darfur agreement:
Jan Pronk, on his Internet blog, said international guarantees of security, a more visible disarmament of the Arab militia and more compensation for war victims needed to be added to the pact. All these have been demanded by two rebel factions who refused to sign the May 5 deal. Angry protests have erupted in some Darfur refugee camps against the agreement.
"None of the deadlines agreed in the text of the agreement has been met. The African Union is in charge but it clearly lacks the capacity to lead the process of implementation," Pronk said in his blog, seen by Reuters on Saturday and dated June 28. Pronk has been mostly silent in the weeks since the deal, which two U.N. sources said was because he feared angering the AU, the lead player in Darfur. Pronk signed the May 5 deal as a witness and expressed his support for the text immediately after the signing ceremony. AU and U.N. officials declined to immediately comment on the blog. Pronk's comments are likely to cause friction between the pan-African body and the New York-based United Nations.
The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, has said the Darfur peace agreement is in danger of collapse and needs re-writing. Writing his weblog, Mr Pronk called for security guarantees, more disarmament, and more compensation for victims. He said the pact does not resonate with the people of Darfur, describing it as "severely paralysed".July 2 2006 (AP Lauren Frayer) via Washington Post UN: Darfur Peace Deal on Brink of Collapse:
CAIRO, Egypt -- The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan said on his personal blog that the Darfur peace agreement "does not resonate with the people" and is in danger of collapse. But Jan Pronk also wrote last week that the pact was still salvageable if revisions were made, calling it "a good text, an honest compromise." And he urged its quick implementation, saying, "it meets more and more resistance" as time passes.July 2 2006 (inthenews.co.uk) Annan: Darfur out of control:
The AU's mandate in Darfur ends in the autumn, but the situation was today confused by the head of the UN's mission in Sudan, Jan Pronk, who has criticised the Darfur peace agreement (DPA) signed earlier this year, despite originally being one of its main proponents. 'It is no wonder that the people in Darfur get the idea that the DPA is just another text without substance, like earlier ceasefire agreements, and is not meant to be kept,' he said on his personal website.
Even if resolutions are passed, African Union members aren't beholden to them and the body has little funding to pursue independent action.From SABC/Reuters:
"We think the African Union could be supported," rather than replaced, said Taj Elsir Mahjoub, a Sudanese delegate in Banjul.
Konare said the Darfur situation was strongly influenced by tensions between Chad and Sudan, which have accused each other of supporting rebels on their territories. Chad said it was expelling all the Chadian members of an AU-peacekeeping force in Darfur.From AP/NDTV:
Obstacles facing the AU
Konare said the AU should give "large-scale support" to Somalia's weak interim government, and encourage dialogue with Islamists now controlling Mogadishu and a large swathe of the country after defeating secular, US-backed warlords.
Despite the strong desire of African leaders to deal with Somalia and Darfur, it was clear after the preparatory meeting of foreign ministers earlier this week that there are big obstacles to a breakthrough on either issue.
In Darfur, the AU wants to hand over peacekeeping duties from its own under-resourced force of 7 000 troops to UN soldiers by September 30. But on Thursday, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, who is attending the summit, issued the latest in a series of uncompromising rejections of a UN deployment.
No leverage to pressure Bashir
Meanwhile, Western and African diplomats have said that despite widespread revulsion over massacres, rape and pillage in Darfur, the international community had hardly any leverage to pressure Bashir, whose consent is needed for a UN force.
African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare directed delegates' attention to the desperate situation in Darfur in Sudan, and Somalia, where a hard-line Islamist regime is increasingly holding sway. He blamed rampant poverty for Africa's crises. [Sudan Watch ed: Is poverty really the reason or is it more to do with poor management and no legal/land rights among the poor? See Exclusive interview with Peruvian economist, Hernando de Soto: The poor are not the problem but the solution -- and What's Missing in the Darfur Sudan Debate: Addressing Property Rights Could Help Bring Peace]From Garowe /Somali news wires:
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is from the West African nation of Ghana, told the leaders assembled in Gambia that the Darfur crisis is 'one of the worst nightmares in recent history.'
The President of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, which the world recognizes as northwest Somalia, will not be attending the African Union heads of state summit currently being hosted by Gambia.
Excerpt from unsourced article at Sudan Tribune (Paris) June 30, 2006 Tension mounts within Darfur SLM-Minawi streams:Would you vote any of these gun runners into government in order for them to work intelligently, efficiently, fairly on your behalf and spend your taxes honestly and wisely in your best interests? Me neither.The SLM political advisor and external relations Secretary Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, supported Friday the suspension of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) announced by the SLM spokesperson Esam Edin al-haj earlier this week.
Ibrahim said this suspension does not imply dissidence within the SLM except if the supporters of signed deal - within the movement - decide not to respect the point of view of Darfur people, SLA forces and members of the movement.
Some SLM delegation members in Khartoum disapproved al-Haj statement issued on 27 June. The SLM spokesperson announced the suspension of the DPA implementation saying SLM institutions not concerned by decision taken by those who are favourable to the peace deal.
Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim, was the head of the SLA's conference organising committee held at the end of October last year. He played a key role at Haskanita conference in the enthronization of Minni Minaw as SLM chairperson.
Slowly but surely cleavage is taking shape within the SLM-Minawi group, the anti-peace deal group says representing the main stream within the movement. Nonetheless, they insist on the necessity to maintain the unity of the rebel group.
Ibrahim underlines that since the day of the signing of DPA in Abuja it was agreed to hold an extraordinary conference to discuss the signed deal and determine a common position but the meeting is never held and advance delegations went to Khartoum to implement the DPA.
The SLM political advisor warned that the day where people will start to implement the security arrangements in the DPA they will verify who is really control the ground.
This development came in the same day where three Darfur rebel groups inked in Asmara the founding declaration of a new rebel National Redemption Front (NRF). Sudan Tribune has learned that the new group discusses with the SLM-Minawi mainstream how they can join the newly created platform.
The SLM led by Abdelwahid al-Nur refused to ink the NRF declaration because the secular al-Nur group rejects any alliance with the Islamist Khalil Ibrahim.
The Sudanese federal parliament today ratified the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed between Sudanese government and one rebel faction last may with crushing majority.
The National Assembly in a session headed by the speaker, Ahmed Ibrahim Tahir, ratified the African Union brokered DPA with all members saying yes to the exception of one who voted nay, the state-run SUNA reported.
The National Assembly reaffirmed its support and backing for the agreement and called on the international community and the world organizations to fulfill their pledges of providing material support and assistance for the reconstruction of the region.
The Legislature has urged the parties that did not sign the agreement to join the Darfur-Darfur peace process, urging Sudanese people to come up with their assistance for the rehabilitation of the areas affected by the war.
The May 5 peace deal for Sudan’s western region was signed by only one of three rebel negotiating factions in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
The MPs have stressed during their deliberation their unequivocal support for the DPA.
Majzoub Khalifa, the Assistant to the President of the Republic and head of the government delegation to the peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, has stressed that the DPA has now entered the full implementation phase with the security arrangements committee and the committee for the release of the detainees having begun their activities.
Yasser Arman the head of the parliamentarian group of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has stressed that the movement backs the agreement, calling for opening the door of dialogue and reconciliation with all parties.
On 26 June in addressing a pro-ruling National Congress demonstration, the Speaker of the Assembly, al-Tahir, renewing Sudan’s rejection to any foreign troops.
He referred to the unanimous decision issued by the National Assembly in last February, which affirmed that it incarnated the unity of Sudan, saying that the independence of Sudan was declared from the Parliament "Once more, the parliament records a historic stance in rejecting any foreign troops in Darfur," al-Tahir told the crowds.
"Today all the Chadian representatives are gathered in el-Fasher and will leave," AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said. "We regret this decision ... and urge all sides to use dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully," he added.See June 30 2006 (Paris) unsourced article at Sudan Tribune July 1 - Chad is ready for dialogue with Sudan - FM - Chad and Sudan trade accusation of transgressing Tripoli agreement. Chad says Sudan continues to support Chadian rebel groups while Khartoum says N'djamena refused to deploy military observers though long the border as it is agreed.
Chad mediated a ceasefire signed by the rebels and the government in April 2004 but the truce has been widely ignored by all sides. Under that deal a Chadian representative, as well as one from each of the two main rebel groups and a government official must accompany investigations of ceasefire violations.
Around 30 Chadians were to leave Darfur, Mezni said.
In an interview with the French magazine Etudes Geopolitiques, the Sudanese leader was quoted as saying he objected to a UN peacekeeping force because he was "suspicious of the desire of the United States to internationalise the Darfur conflict."See June 25 2006 Sudan Watch - "The right question should be: Why should international forces come into Darfur; what are the reasons for such an intervention?" - Bashir - copy:
"We do not see the interest in an internationalisation, which could only complicate matters," he was quoted as saying.
"We have become seriously engaged in negotiations under the aegis of the African Union and we have reached an agreement," said al-Bechir.
"Having done all this and shown our goodwill we do not see why the matter should be referred to the UN Security Council applying Chapter Seven of the UN Charter."
Note these two quotes from June 23 Sapa report via Africast - US presses for international force in Darfur:
"The right question should be: Why should international forces come into Darfur; what are the reasons for such an intervention?" Beshir told reporters.
"You either get the approval of the government, as the government did for the African Union force and the Nato support, or you invade, and that's a very big, serious challenge," [US government] Zoellick said.
Ninety-nine percent of history has been free of war." "War causes aggression, aggression does not cause war."
These two statements are a centerpiece of Douglas Fry's recent book, "The Human Potential for Peace," issued this year by Oxford Press. Most people assume that human history has always been subject to war and this is certainly true of the 20th century. Now that we are in the 21st century the world continues to experience wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo region, Darfur and Sri Lanka.
"The Human Potential for Peace" looks at the long history of both humans and primates and questions whether there is an inherent drive toward violence and war. Some anthropologists and archaeologists believe that humans are naturally aggressive and war-like, but the author states that there is no evidence of war among primates such as the Bonobos nor is there evidence of war among our remote ancestors, nor for that matter is there any evidence of war in most of human history.
Obviously there has been aggression and conflict but studies, that the author cites, indicate that our ancestors, as well as many indigenous peoples up to the present, learned methods of defusing violent confrontation before they could result in war.
In terms of primates, Bonobos are as closely related to humans as chimpanzees. Interestingly, in many studies of aggressive behavior among primates, Bonobos are often ignored even though studies show that they avoid aggressive behavior, preferring to stay away from conflict.
Three Darfur rebel groups that have refused to sign up to an African Union-mediated peace deal for the troubled western Sudanese region formed a new alliance to fight Khartoum on Friday.- - -
Officials from the groups created the National Redemption Front (NRF) after talks in the Eritrean capital and reaffirmed their opposition to the Abuja peace agreement, signed by only one rebel army and Khartoum in May.
The front is made up of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a holdout faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance (SFDA), according to a "founding declaration" released in Asmara.
"We, leaders of political and military organisations abstaining from signing the Abuja document ... reaffirm our rejection of that faulty process," they said in a statement.
"Realising the virtues of combining efforts and resources to end the suffering of our people, we hereby join hands in establishing the National Redemption Front (NRF), as an instrument for coordinating political, military, diplomatic and media initiatives," they said.
The declaration was signed by JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, Khamis Abdalla Abakar of the dissident SLM faction and Sharif Harir and Ahmed Ibrahim Diraige from the SFDA, all of whom said the peace deal did not go far enough.
Ibrahim said after the creation of the new group that it would accept as members any other movement that opposed the Abuja agreement and the policies of the Sudanese government in general.
"This front is open to all other movements who do not accept the Abuja document," he said. "This front will not only deal with the Darfur issue but all the issues in Sudan."
There has been strong pressure on holdout groups to accept the AU-mediated Darfur peace agreement that aims to end three years of war in Darfur that have killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced 2.4 million others.
The pan-African body has threatened sanctions on groups that do not sign the accord which was inked by Khartoum and the largest SLM faction in the Nigerian capital on May 5.
Friday's declaration of the new front came on the eve of a summit of AU leaders in Gambia who are expected to renew calls for Sudan to accept the transfer of the bloc's Darfur peacekeeping mission to the United Nations.
Decades of tribal fighting in Darfur erupted into all-out violence in 2003, when ethnic minority rebels took up arms, accusing the Arab government in Khartoum of neglect and calling for autonomy.
Meanwhile, Chadian President Idriss Deby, who mediated in peace talks between the government and the SLA until they broke down in December, said on 2 February that he would renew his mediation efforts.- - -
Both the SLA and the JEM, who have called for international mediators, have said publicly that they consider Deby too close to Khartoum to trust. The chairman of the SFDA, Ahmad Ibrahim Dirayj, told IRIN from London that he had met Taha in Kenya on 23 January and was now engaging in talks with the two rebel groups to try to bring about a ceasefire agreement.
He said the SFDA was pushing for unrestricted humanitarian access in Darfur, a protocol on the protection of civilians, and the disarming and disbanding of militias by the government.
Bin Laden says al-Qaeda will go on with operations against the US and its allies.
"We will continue, God willing, to fight you and your allies everywhere," he said, "in Iraq and Afghanistan and in Somalia and Sudan until we waste all your money and kill your men."
Four years ago Gaddafi arrived at the first AU summit in Durban after driving almost the entire length of the continent.
He has apparently been inspired to do another roadshow by the fact that the summit will be discussing a tighter integration of the sub-regional organisations of the continent to form something like the "United States of Africa", which he has always demanded. - Independent Foreign Service & Sapa
Lord Triesman will join delegates at the AU summit as part of the Commonwealth. He will during the visit, be focussing on a number of issues currently affecting Africa. These will include the conflict in Sudan and the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), as well as discussing the African Commission of Human and Peoples' Right (ACHPR) report on situations in certain countries. Lord David will also listen to President Obasanjo's preparation on the development of the AU and also discussions on UN Security Council reform and the UN itself. Lord Triesman will also have bilateral discussions with various Heads of State during which he hopes to focus on different issues, such as migration and human rights.
US President George Bush expressed amazement when he heard that the south Sudan peace deal was not working 18 months after it was signed.Note, my understanding is the $4.5 billion pledged for southern Sudan by donors has strings attached. The development funds depend on a peace agreement for Darfur. Sudanese rebels refusing peace account for one of the reasons for slow progress, not to mention all the other obstacles (scroll through 2 years of this blog) like the Abyei boundary dispute, LRA rebel attacks and the undertaking by the UN to de-mine huge areas of southern Sudan to clear the way for development.
"That is not the information I'm getting," he told the BBC's Khartoum reporter Alfred Taban, who was in Washington to receive an award.
Our correspondent says he spent almost 20 minutes talking to Mr Bush, who was very keen to hear about the situation in Sudan.
"He asked me if the peace agreement was working and I said, 'Mr President, it is not working,' and he was very surprised," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
When the president said that this was not what he had been informed, our reporter said he told Mr Bush: "Well, whatever information you're getting, that peace agreement is not being implemented by the government in Khartoum."
He went on to tell the president that people in southern Sudan were still waiting to see improvements to their lives.
"There's no water, there's no electricity, nothing in Juba," our correspondent said, describing life in the capital of south Sudan.
During the discussion Mr Bush called one of his aides and asked to be given more details on southern Sudan.
"He appeared to be taking it very seriously," our reporter said, describing the president's manner as warm and welcoming, despite the intimidating surroundings.
"We've got a man from the Sudan who talked eloquently about free press," the president said.
"My spirits are enriched by talking to freedom lovers and freedom fighters."
The head of Sudan national security and intelligence organ, Lt General Salah Abdalla Gosh has declared on Wednesday 28 June his outright rejection of deployment of International peacekeepers in Darfur: "If the choice is between recolonialisation of Sudan and incursion into its soil by foreign troops, then interior of earth is better than its surface", he said.[Reportedly, Mr Gosh's name is on a secret list of 51 suspected Darfur war criminals. The International Criminal Court received the list from the UN]
Gosh received messages of support and allegiance at his headquarters, on behalf of president Omer al-Bashir, from 10 thousand members of the security organ and Popular Defence Forces, the Sudanese al-Ray alAam daily newspaper reported.
The security chief made his statement on the occasion that marked the end of a 3-day long walk from the centre of Gezira State to Khartoum in which thousands of security and land-based forces participated in a security operation that has been described as first of its kind.
Demonstrating that moral issues can overcome partisan politics, Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D. (R-Tenn.) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) today signed the one millionth postcard from Americans to President Bush through the Save Darfur Coalition's "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign. The postcards urge the president to use the full power of his office to support a stronger multi-national force to protect the people of Darfur.- - -
