Readers' comments - Disingenuous Eric Reeves is more than annoying

Eric Reeves is disingenuous. In his latest rant entitled The "Perfect Storm" of Human Destruction Reaches its Crescendo, he calls for a UN peacekeeping force to deploy without delay but, once again, omits to mention the International Criminal Court and UN list of 51 suspected Darfur war criminals.

I challenge anyone pushing for UN troops in Darfur to please address the issue of Khartoum's fears, the UN list, the ICC and all of the Sudanese officials, locals and so-called "janjaweed" who are against foreign intervention. US President GW Bush has made clear that no American citizen will ever be tried by a foreign body. How would Americans feel if foreign troops forced themselves into the USA, armed with weaponary and a mandate to haul in top US officials, including the president, for questioning by the ICC?

How can Khartoum agree to UN troops coming face to face with anyone on the list? What are UN troops to do when faced with Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, haul him off for questioning and shoot/kill janjaweed when they attack in retaliation? And then what about risks to aid workers and humanitarian access and international personnel being dismissed from the country?

Eric Reeves fails to mention these issues because doing so would make his arguments fall apart. Knowingly, he misleads his readers by spinning fairy tales. Kristof et al do the same. Shame on them for failing to properly inform readers.

DISINGENUOUS ERIC REEVES IS MORE THAN ANNOYING

A few days ago, here at Sudan Watch, British blogger Daniel Davies of dsquared blog posted the following comment:

"God Reeves is annoying. I don't recall him ever having had a bad word to say about Minawi until he signed a peace agreement. And this is really quite disingenuous:

"Recent reports from the ground make clear that Minawi's rebel faction is actively coordinating with Khartoum's regular military forces in attacks on civilians and other rebel forces that have not signed the DPA."

Well, if you are enforcing a peace agreement, what do you do to people who break it? Any peacekeeping force (including the UN/NATO Khartoum decapitation operation of Reeves' dreams) would have to attack "other rebel forces" because people like SLA/Wahid are part of the problem. I am not aware of any more hard evidence for the accusation that the Khartoum military are attacking civilians than there was for the Chad invasion story that I see he is no longer pushing.

Thanks for that Daniel. Glad to know I'm not the only one saying such things. I find Eric Reeves more than annoying. He tells the rebels what they want to hear: Americans onside (read money) pushing for international troops. Why should holdout rebels sign peace deals and abide by ceasefires when they're encouraged to hold out for a better deal? Never mind the millions of Sudanese women and children imprisoned in refugee camps for years on end, waiting to return home.



Photo: President Bush shakes hands with SLA rebel group leader Minni Minnawi, in the Oval Office, 25 July 2006 (AFP) Jul 26 2006 Washington Post: Bush Meets Rebel Leader To Discuss Darfur Accord:

Bush met for about 40 minutes in the Oval Office with Sudanese Liberation Army leader Minni Minnawi. He was the lone rebel leader to agree in May to a U.S.-brokered peace accord to end what the United States calls genocide in western Sudan. The president asked Minnawi to support a U.S.-backed plan to bring African Union peacekeepers in Darfur under the blue flag and helmets of the United Nations, said Frederick Jones, a National Security Council spokesman. (From News Services)

Photo: The leader of Darfur's Sudan Liberation Army, Minni Minawi, left, who signed Darfur Peace Agreement, shakes hands with Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir, right, Monday, Aug 7, 2006, in Khartoum, Sudan, after being appointed senior presidential Assistant and Head of the provisional authority in Darfur state. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)

AU TROOPS IN DARFUR CAN'T DELIVER BECAUSE THEY LACK TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT?

The fledgling African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS) can't deliver because it lacks training and equipment? Is this true? Sudan Watch archives contain many reports praising AU professionalism and diplomacy - and details of training and logistical support given to AMIS that's ongoing by NATO, UK, Canada, to name a few.

Here is a copy of a reader's comment 13 Aug 2006.

RA Soenke Franzen said ...

"Actually SPLA troops are not the answer to Darfur's problems, just as only South Africa might have the african troops needed.

From a military point of view the situation in the vast savannahs and semi-arid lands of Darfur need quick reaction forces, not truckmobile at best footsloggers.

Actually the ideal force mix would contain aero cavalry plus attack choppers, reconnaissance flights, some of the light and mechanized infantry the African Union has in place, plus at least one heavy armoured unit that could take on everything that might be met in Sudan.

Light armour like what Canada delivered to upgun the AU force can't suffice, because there are still some Milan missiles in Chad from the Toyota Wars.

If one wants to stop atrocities against civilians, one needs either a lot of troops or preferably a nimble and agile force. And unfortunately this can neither be delivered by the SPLA, nor the AU.

That is why a UN force with a robust mandate and preferably spearheaded by NATO troops would be so helpful. Not because the AU troops can't be trusted, but because they can't deliver, because they lack training and equipment."

Thanks Soenke. Enjoyed reading your comment. Sorry it fails to take into account (a) a UN Resolution (b) a UN peacekeeping mandate: Khartoum totally reject a UN force, especially one with a Chapter 6 or 7 mandate; (c) UN list of 51 names (d) ICC (e) Sudanese officials and locals against foreign intervention.



Photo: See full report June 26 2006 Thousands of protestors gathered in Khartoum to protest against UN and its proposed peacekeepers.



Photo: President Bush shakes hands with the First Vice President of the Government of National Unity of Sudan Salva Kiir, a former rebel who is also President of Southern Sudan, in the Oval Office, July 20, 2006 REUTERS/Jason Reed

For crying out loud - last month Darfur's worst-ever for violence towards aid workers - please don't waste any more time: back the African Union Mission in Darfur and provide the support they need. They deserve medals.

Like Drima says:

To the UN: For the Kazillionth time, REINFORCE THE AU TROOPS! That's all you need to do!:

Darfur previously = Disaster
Darfur now = Worsening disaster?
Darfur + UN troops = Bigger disaster
Darfur + UN troops + Al Qaeda = One big ass GIGANTIC Disaster !!!
Darfur + AU troops reinforced by UN & NATO = HUGE improvements.

AU Darfur force asked for more equipment - has no funds beyond mid October

Ethiopian Herald report Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

According to a report filed by Reuters from Khartoum AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that a donor pledging conference in July provided some 181 million USD for the mission.

"This money will suffice only until mid-October so far," he said, adding he hoped donors would come through.

The AU mission costs just under 40 million USD a month to run, but in order to do the job properly the AU also asked for more equipment like attack helicopters.

UN officials said without additional funding, almost 3.6 million Darfuris could see a period where troops were withdrawn or unable to work to deter rape, murder and pillage in Sudan's remote west.

The top U.N. envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, said many people including Western nations thought the AU force could stay in Darfur until the end of the year.

"That is a misconception and that's extremely risky," he told reporters in Khartoum.

"If the African Union have to leave because they cannot pay their soldiers anymore and the United Nations is not being allowed to come ... then you have a void in between," he added.

Bashir: UN force would risk Hezbollah-like resistance

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Sudan has taken inspiration from Hezbollah and would battle a proposed international peacekeeping force in Darfur, the state news agency reported today. - AP report (via Easy bourse/Dowjones) Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

"We are determined to defeat any forces entering the country just as Hezbollah has defeated the Israeli forces," the official Sudanese News Agency quoted al-Bashir as telling an armed forces gathering Monday.

Last week, the US repeated its demand for deployment of a strong and mobile UN peacekeeping force in Darfur by Oct 1. The top UN humanitarian official, Jan Egelund, said the situation is "going from real bad to catastrophic" after attempts to enforce a peace deal unleashed more fighting.

"We are opposed to the deployment (in Darfur) of American, British or other forces imposed by the Security Council," al-Bashir said.

[When is Jan Egeland going to get the message and back the AU?]

Coat of Arms of Sudan

Sometimes when I scroll through the visitor stats of this site (I have no way of identifying individuals, only ISP region) I notice someone has searched for information on Sudan that I know cannot be found in this blog. If a query takes my interest, I google for further information and blog something on the subject. For instance, today someone put in a search for Coat of Arms of Sudan. Now the image appears in Sudan Watch sidebar. Click on image for details.

HRW urges UN to impose sanctions on Sudan's president�

Human Rights Watch wastes its breath calling for sanctions on top Sudanese officials. News reports tell us the US gets intelligence material from Sudan, China buys oil from Sudan, Russia sells MiGs to Sudan (none would approve sanctions) and that travel bans could be reciprocated, affecting international personnel visiting Sudan. So why call for sanctions? Are HRW just hot air or what, making a noise to self publcise and sound as though it is doing something?

I'd like to see them all pushing together to bolster the African Union Mission in Darfur. I wish everyone would simply pull together to fund and train the best available protection for all concerned in Darfur. Arguing for a UN force that might take a year to become a reality seems such a waste of time when millions of displaced people are sitting around waiting to go home.

Here's a thought: What if their "home" was on or near an unexplored oil area, will they still be able to return home?

Reuters report Aug 15, 2006 - excerpt:

"The Council should impose personal, targeted sanctions on top Sudanese officials responsible for preventing UN troops from being sent to Darfur," he said. A Human Rights Watch spokeswoman said this included al-Bashir.

The UN Security Council approved a resolution in 2005 calling for a freeze on assets overseas and a travel ban on individuals who defy peace efforts, violate rights or conduct military flights over Darfur.

But it has only been used once -- in April -- to impose sanctions a Sudanese air force commander, a pro-government militia leader and two rebel commanders.

A longer list of people have been recommended for UN sanctions by Britain and other nations, but other council members including the United States have opposed sanctions on other high-ranking Sudanese officials.

UN Sudan Situation Report 14 Aug 2006

UN Sudan Situation Report by the UN Country Team in Sudan 14 Aug 2006 (via ReliefWeb) excerpt:

On 13 August, President Bashir addressed the closing session of the NCP Leadership Council in Khartoum. According to local press, President Bashir reiterated his opposition to UN forces in Darfur, whether under Chapter VI or VII.

On 13 August, in Khartoum, Deputy Chairman of SLM-Minawi Dr Al Rayeh Mahmoud announced plans to change the movement s constitution to transform it into a political party.

On 13 August, Commissioner of the Northern Sudan DDR Commission (NDDRC), Dr Sulafaddeen Saleh announced the start of the Commission s preliminary DDR work in Darfur, including the formation of an Advisory Council comprising all Darfur s tribes to advise the Commission. Dr Saleh confirmed that the SAF, Police, and SLA-Minawi will conduct the disarmament, and welcomed support from the UN and AU for the DDR programs.

On 13 August, leader of the JEM-Wing for Peace, Abdelrahim Abu-Risha, arrived in Khartoum from Nyala. In a statement at Khartoum airport, Abu-Risha emphasized the importance of the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultations for the Darfur peace process. Meanwhile, local press reported intense negotiations between SLM-Free Will and JEM Wing for Peace over allocation of positions provided in the power-sharing arrangements of the DPA.

Soldier of Africa blogging from Darfur, western Sudan

Many thanks for these photos and captions posted to Soldier of Africa blog July-Aug 2006 by Werner, a young South African soldier in Darfur.

In my Tent



I took this picture last night to show how I spend most of my time in my tent. I am either busy with my laptop or reading or watching television.

Base



This is a view from the water tower in our base towards the airfield to give you an idea how close the airfield is to the base.

On Guard



One of the protection force in our base keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding countryside. The civilians are farming right up against the perimeter of our base in order to use every piece of available earth.

Local Activity



The locals are farming right up against our base in this rainy season. This boy is using his donkey to drag a branch somewhere for some reason. Me taking a photo of him was a big moment and after showing him his photo on my camera he soon had a lot of his friends there and I was photographing them too.

River



This is the river next to El Geneina. A few weeks ago it was bone dry.

Insects from Hell



The Nairobi Fly and the Blister Beetle are just two of the insects we have to contend with here. They have acid for blood and crush one on exposed skin at your own peril. There are a number of guys walking around in our base with 3rd degree acid burns to prove it.

Team B Patrol


Yesterday [Aug 8, 2006] Team B going on patrol.

Our Parcels are Here



It is a joyous occasion when this Boeing 707 (Saartjie) lands at El Fashier once a month to deliver our parcels and other needed items. Unfortunately I had to fly with it to Khartoum so I did not get the opportunity to get my parcels. I will get them on my way back.

Food Supplies



In the back of an Mi 8 helicopter these are food supplies. Usually the food is very poor quality. On many occasions the mutton is filled with bone splinters and you have to watch that you do not lose any teeth while chewing. No wonder I have lost so much weight and thank god I have brought with multi-vitamins when I came from South Africa.

Patrol in Ardamata



On yesterday's patrol we had to mark out the positions of the markers for the DMZ (Demilitarised Zones) around Ardamata IDP camps.

Food for Tomorrow



The locals at Ardamata were busy preparing the fields to plant food. This is a good sign and hopefully they are not scared away from this as a lack of food can be disastruous of course for the next season of drought.

Slovene 'spy' Tomo Kriznar jailed in Sudan

A Sudanese court has sentenced the Slovenian president's envoy to two years in jail for spying and entering the country illegally, BBC reported Aug 14:

Tomo Kriznar was involved in the peace process between Sudan's government and rebels in Darfur.

He was also jailed for publishing false information, the Sudanese official news agency, Suna, reports.

The envoy is a well known human rights activist in Slovenia and was arrested in July for not having a valid visa.

According to earlier reports by Suna, Sudanese investigators said Mr Kriznar was taking pictures and shooting video material of villages around Darfur.

Related reports

Aug 16 2006 Sudan Tribune: Jailed Slovene envoy Tomo Kriznar to appeal against verdict

Aug 15 2006 Aegis Trust via ST: Visit Kriznar - and go to Darfur - Aegis urges public to inundate Sudanese embassies with requests for visas to visit Slovenian envoy and human rights activist jailed in Darfur yesterday. Aegis advises that those unable to afford the time or money to travel to Sudan send their visa applications without the usual fee (£55 in the UK) - since the mere act of sending the application represents a protest in itself.)

Aug 15 2006 Sudan Tribune: Slovenia urges Sudan to pardon jailed envoy - Slovene President Janez Drnovsek has asked the Sudanese president to pardon his special envoy to Darfur, Tomo Kriznar, who is sentenced by a Sudanese court to two years in jail. According to the office of Slovenian President, Drnovsek addressed a special letter to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir today in which he asks for his envoy to be released from prison.

Aug 14 2006 Reuters: Sudan convicts Slovenian envoy of spying in Darfur - An African Union (AU) source in Darfur said the Slovenian envoy had entered through neighbouring Chad and had been travelling with Darfur rebel groups, taking video footage and photographs.

Aug 14 2006 Sudan Tribune: Sudan jails Slovene envoy to two years for "spying" -

The Sudanese minister of Justice, Mohamed Ali al-Mardhi, said that Al-Fashir Criminal Court Monday convicted the Slovenian Tomo Kriznar under Article 53 of the Criminal Law for 1991 (espionage) and Article 66 of the same law (publishing false news) and Article 10 of the Passports, Migration and Nationality Act for 1994 (entering Sudan without an entry visa).

The court sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 dinars and confiscation of exhibits found with the defendant of photography equipment and films.

The court ruled that the defendant shall be expelled after serving his prison term.

Aug 3 2006 Sudan Tribune: Slovene envoy to stand trial in Sudan for espionage -

In Khartoum, the minister of justice, Mohamed Ali al-Maradi, has said that the 51-year-old Slovene presidential adviser, Tomo Kriznar, who is being prosecuted in Al-Fashir in Northern Darfur State, has recorded a statement confessing to the filming of over 5,000 photographs and sending false email messages abroad saying that genocide was taking place in Darfur.

Al-Maradi said the suspect had previously entered Sudan and worked in rebel camps in Nuba Mountains in 1998. Al-Maradi said the accused was transferred to Sudan through Chad by a German agricultural organization in Bayr Fandah area.

Jul 25 2006 Jerry Fowler blog entry at VOGP -

I met Tomo a few years ago, and his quixotic gentleness touched me. [ ] Tomo himself is no stranger to Sudan. A few years ago, he made a beautiful, poignant film about the Nuba peoples who live in the eponymous Nuba Mountains of central Sudan, Nuba: Pure People. The film documented his attempt to bicycle from Khartoum into the Nuba Mountains, which he had visited some two decades before. He eventually was held up by the Sudanese military.

Jun 5 2006 JEM leader still in Slovenia?

Jun 2 2006 Darfur's JEM rebel leader says "We're going to have our own country"

May 31 2006 Slovenia says JEM needs to stay in the Darfur peace process - JEM leadership will have to make a decision in Slovenia

Darfur rebel who's who - Reuters Newsblog

So who are the main rebel groups, and what do they want? Here's a quick overview from Reuters AlertNet Newsblog 9 Aug 2006:

SLA (Minnawi's faction): This is the only rebel group that has signed the peace accord, with Minnawi since being appointed as special assistant to the president. This makes him number four in the Khartoum hierarchy, and number one in Darfur - meaning he would head a provisional government planned for Darfur. His group has been accused by rights organisation Amnesty International of killing and raping civilians to try to force them to support the unpopular accord.

SLA (al-Nur's faction): This group rejected the deal, and there are reports that al-Nur may have been toppled by commanders in the field. This faction is popular in camps for the displaced as al-Nur is a Fur and thus belongs to Darfur's largest ethnic group.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM): This group also rejected the deal. JEM is not particularly strong on the ground, and according to the head of the U.N.'s Sudan mission, Jan Pronk, during the talks it seemed to have had its eye more on gaining power in Khartoum than peace in Darfur.

National Redemption Front (NRF): The recently formed NRF is a coalition of rebels opposed to the peace deal, including JEM, former commanders from both SLA factions (al-Nur has disassociated himself from the group) and the Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance.

The Sudan Tribune's website has a copy of NRF's founding declaration, including its objectives. It calls for "a just system of sharing wealth and power between the various regions of Sudan", "regional self rule" and "fair participation" in national politics.

The NRF now holds sway in much of north Darfur. It has reportedly been involved in offensive actions, such as an attack on a town in North Kordofan and a military base belonging to Minnawi's faction in Sayah. This week it said it had shot down a Sudanese government bomber, but the government denied the report.

G19: Originally formed by 19 SLA members and advisors present at the Abuja peace talks who split with the leadership. They have gained support among those who oppose the deal, and are based in the northwest of north Darfur. They have reportedly been attacked by Minnawi, and are said to be closing ranks with the National Redemption Front.

Thanks to Reuters Alert Newsblog for highlighting this blog, Sudan Watch, in the following excerpt taken from above report:

"While the exact situation on the ground in Darfur remains more than a little hazy due to the lack of access for journalists and aid workers in many parts, here are some good sources of information available on the internet:

The blog written by Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Sudan, who lives in Khartoum. The United Nations should listen up, because his latest piece is pretty pessimistic about prospects for the peace deal.

Another blog called Sudan Watch compiles newspaper articles and other interesting blog pieces on Sudan on an almost daily basis.

Sudanese researcher Eric Reeves, who's also Professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, writes regularly about Darfur on his site sudanreevees.org."

- - -

Note, Feb 21 2006 List of top wanted Janjaweed leaders - Who's who on Darfur (African Confidential)

S. Sudan's first trade fair shows up investor problems

Investors who braved a flooded camp to attend south Sudan's first trade fair found a boom in demand after years of war, but from such a low starting point that some asked if the region was yet ripe for business.

Full report Reuters/ST Aug 13, 2006.



Photo: University of Juba building where south Sudan's first trade fair was held this year. (USIP)

Libyan leader Gaddafi pledges to fund health projects in Sudan

Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi pledged to fund health projects in the Sudanese region affected by the war. He made this promise during the visit of the Sudanese minister of health, Dr Tabitha Butrus, to Libya last week. - Full story ST Aug 12, 2006.

Secretary-General voices concern about worsening situation in Sudan - What happened to proposed joint GOS/SPLA force of 10,000 troops to back up AU?

Aug 11 2006 UN News Centre report - excerpt:

Mr Annan noted there had been some progress in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) since its signing in May, though some deadlines for implementing its key aspects had been missed and several rebel groups were not yet parties to the agreement.

"Both DPA signatories have violated the ceasefire arrangements, while non-signatories have violated pre-existing ceasefire obligations," he said.

Against this backdrop, the prospects for international assistance operations were bleak, he said, noting that the African Union has indicated that it may not have enough money to keep its 7,000-strong Darfur operation going until its mandate expires at the end of September.

The possibility of having the UN take the place of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) also remained in doubt, he said, since the Sudanese government continued to oppose a UN mission in Darfur.

"While the Government maintains its firm opposition to this plan, the situation on the ground is deteriorating," he said.

So what's Plan B? Mr Annan doesn't say. One can only guess he is counting on pressure to mount that will either cause Khartoum to agree UN troops in Darfur or donors to contribute enough funding for AMIS to continue. Or ... something that has not been mentioned for a while (that even John Garang had suggested for Darfur) ... a joint AU/GOS/SPLM force of 30,000 troops - 10,000 each. See June 22 2006 Khartoum's discussing sending joint GOS/SPLA force of 10,000 troops to back up AU and help disarm Arab militias.

Pronk: 1 year ago Garang died. Will his legacy survive?

Excerpt from UN SRSG Jan Pronk's blog entry Aug 10, 2006:

"Do not bring the people to the towns, but bring the towns to the people", was his [Garang's] favorite theme. He advocated economic and social development of existing small towns, well connected by rural roads, sustaining a broad domestic market characterized by a steady increase of purchasing power, evenly spread throughout the country.

So far, reality is different. The CPA has been signed, but its implementation is going slow. Reconstruction is hardly taking place, economic development has yet to take off and poverty is blatant and widely spread. Three days ago, traveling from Torit to Juba we spoke to a group of several hundreds of villagers. They complained:

"There is a no school, no water, no food and no hospital".

It was heart breaking. On the market in Torit itself, a small town which has been occupied several times by different armies, we saw only few products and a meager assortment of foodstuffs. The town of Nassir, which I visited a month earlier, is nothing more than a large village slump. In nearly every town scars of the war are visible. Nowhere demolished buildings or infrastructure are reconstructed. Rural development and food security are impeded by a lack of water points, lots of mines, too much cattle and multiple violence.

See Aug 12 2006 - US security firm DynCorp to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers - DynCorp has almost $40 million in US State Department contracts to build barracks, provide telecoms and training to former rebel SPLA; donors say southern Sudan's government has funnelled the biggest chunk of its 2006/07 budget - some 40 percent - into defence.

US firm DynCorp to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers

Sudan Tribune report today says US security firm DynCorp is to turn south Sudan rebels into soldiers - and it has almost $40 million in US State Department contracts to build barracks, provide telecommunications and training to the former rebel SPLA. Also note the report points out:

"The US government has decided that a stable military force will create a stable country," [DynCorp spokesperson] Rigney said.

He denied the contracts included any arms deal with southern Sudan's government, which donors say has funnelled the biggest chunk of its 2006/07 budget - some 40 percent - into defence.

Crikey. 40% of donor funds and/or oil revenues on defence? Someone's making a mint. Obviously, water pumps are not considered a priority.

It's no wonder most folk in south Sudan see no great improvement in basic services concerning food, water and education. It's been two years since peace was agreed with pledges of $4.5 billion from international donors for development. Thanks to a Sudan Watch reader Imnakoya of Grandiose Parlor blog for this comment:

"Well, a beggar has no choice! That the US would push $40 million of its aid money back to one of its conglomerates speaks volume to the meaning and politics behind many of the aid programs coming from the west."

Sudan SPLM denies contract with US firm to reshape SPLA

UPDATE: Aug 13, 2006 Sudan Tribune article [via POTP]: The Sudan People's Liberation Movement has denied that it would reshape its army (SPLA) into a professional army, with the help of a US firm, an official said.

South Sudan, Egypt agree to cooperate on water resources

The Ministry of Irrigation of South Sudan Government Wednesday signed a Memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources for rehabilitation of stations to measure rain-fall in south Sudan. - Full story Sudan Tribune Aug 9, 2006. Excerpt:

Responding to a question of journalist, Engineer said that the establishment of Hamdab Dam in Sudan was aimed for generation of electricity, but not to affect Egypt's share in the Nile water.

Reporting Darfur: Does new media make a difference?

Found while browsing some blogs today. Filing copy here (minus hyperlinks) for future reference:

July 27 2006 Africa Media blog entry Reporting Darfur: Does new media make a difference?

I'm getting ready to attend the annual conference for journalism profs (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication) next week and I noticed three research papers examine media coverage of the Darfur genocide. (I've listed them below with title, author and abstract.)

A few years ago I analyzed coverage of the Rwanda genocide, and I wonder if the coverage of Sudan is any different. Pretty much most coverage of conflict in Africa can be predicted: Fighting is "tribal violence," economic and political contexts aren't considered. Coverage is sparse and generally driven by the US government's position (although it appeared in the 1990s that NGOs would begin playing a larger role in shaping the news.)

What's different this time around is there are lots of ordinary folks using the Internet and grass-roots organizing to provide a different message. Be a Witness urges people to contact the mainstream media and ask them to actually cover the genocide as opposed to run-away brides (check out their cool intro video plus the charts on amount of coverage). The Genocide Intervention Network also works to educate the public.

Blogs such as The Coalition for Darfur, The Darfur Blog (written by Toniyah Tonijah of Nigeria), Sudan Watch have sprung up around the issue. (My favorite is Sudan: The Passion of the Present, which has constantly updated information and a good list of links.)

MTVU sent three students over to report on the situation. Their site includes lots of info such as the student winners of a competition for Darfur activism and a video game created by a USC student called Darfur is Dying.

With all this alternative media information and education going on, has mainstream coverage changed? We constantly hear about how bloggers are influencing mainstream media agendas and coverage. Yet the research summarized below suggests it's the same old same old.

What does this say about mainstream media? About the impact of socially conscious bloggers (and other media creators)? Or are we not casting a broad enough net with our research?

Research papers on the crisis at AEJMC August 2006 San Francisco:

Darfur: International Neglect and News Media Silence in the Face of Genocide - Chinedu (Ocek) Eke, Elon University - This paper examines the conflict in Darfur described by many, including the President of the United States, as an ongoing genocide. To this end, I argue that the dearth of news media coverage, particularly of television news, on one of the most egregious human rights violations of our time has kept the public largely in the dark on the scope of the genocide while prolonging the plight of Darfurians.

Un-Covering Darfur Sudan 2003-2005: Which News Organization Offered the Most Comprehensive Coverage? - Bella Mody, University of Colorado - Media coverage of developing countries and U.S. domestic realities continues to be sensational, episodic and stereotypical, in spite of years of scholarship and political protest. The consequences of the lack of an internationally informed citizenry are politically troubling at this unipolar juncture in world political history with the U.S. as sole superpower on the one hand, and private investors looking for faster increases in rates of return from their investment in media firms on the other.

Reporting a Humanitarian Tragedy: A Framing Analysis of Chinese Newspaper Coverage of Darfur - Xun Liu and Seow Ting Lee, Michigan State University - This study examines the coverage of the Darfur crisis by the People's Daily and the China Daily over 26 months. Based on a content analysis and a textual analysis, the comparative framing analysis found similarities in the coverage, which is motivated by national interest. However, there are significant differences in the portrayal of major actors, and the assignment of blame and responsibility. The findings can be explained by the papers' ownership and China's media environment

Technorati Tags: AEJMC, Africa, Darfur, Sudan
July 27, 2006 in Horn of Africa | Permalink

Fighting the Global War on Radical Islam?

Filed here for future reference: a copy of one of the 18 comments posted to Younghusband's blog entry at ComingAnarchy.com 9 Aug 2006 re Reader Question: Fighting the Global War on Radical Islam?

Comment by Kirk H Sowell, Arab World Analysis:

Two comments, one general and one in response:

1) We should remember that while the phenomenon is Islamic terrorism, the enemy is neither Islam nor terrorism - it is radical Islam. I stress this point because sometimes the purely military terrorist groups like al-Qaeda are viewed as the greatest threats, but in the long run they don't have staying power - in fact they don't have a lot even now. But those radical Islamic organizations with political and social wings like Hamas and Hizballah are the greatest long-term threats. They can survive when others cannot. This is not the place to prescribe a remedy, and I explain below why I think this one would not work, but I think this distinction is important to bear in mind. Hizb al-Tahrir has no military wing, but seeks to establish the Caliphate and then declare war on the West. That is a greater threat than al-Qaeda.

2) This plan would not work because it would be be portrayed as a "war against Islam" and the modifier "radical" would drop out. I don't follow all areas of the Muslim world so closely, but in the Arab media this is how just about everything comes through. If the Taliban kills 1,000 Shia Muslims in a weekend killing spree, as they did to the Hararas when they were in power, it isn't worth noting. But if an American missile goes astray and kills 10 Afghans, the America is waging war on Islam. If Israel kills a Palestinian Islamic Jihad operative who directed a suicide bombing that killed 25 Israeli civilians in a market, he is a martyr, and Israel is waging war on Islam. Syria can assassinate as many Lebanese opposition figures as it wants, and this barely causes a ripple in Arab societies outside Lebanon itself. If Israel kills the same number accidentally fighting Hizballah, Israel is waging a war on Islam. When Britons of Pakistani origin try and blow up buses or airplanes, then Al-Jazeera talks about how bad it is for Muslims in Britain. I'm serious. This is exactly what they did after 9/11 and 7/7.

You get the point - there isn't the slightest chance that any message like this would get through without the greatest amount of distortion. Some Muslims would certainly agree with it, but none of them will have supported radical Islam anyway.

Eric Reeves says DPA is serving as cover for escalating internecine fighting, especially in northern Darfur

Eric Reeves' opinion piece appears in today's "Comments is Free" section of the Guardian's website (via POTP).

Here below is an excerpt that shows how Reeves continues to pull down the AU troops in Darfur and portray the Darfur conflict as Arabs vs Africans/Arabs seeking to kill and eliminate Africans/Arabs committing genocide.

Note too how he highlights the Germans, making no mention of any other European government other than that of Britain. France, Norway and The Netherlands, to name a few, have been most vigorous in their efforts to help the people of Darfur, not just the Germans and British.

The only reason I can think of why Eric Reeves would denigrate the AU and feel the need to highlight the German involvement in Darfur is that he aims to manipulate and influence his readers. It seems to me he is onside with the Sudanese rebels (but not SLA-Minnawi) and wants what the rebels want, namely (for a start) UN troops in Darfur. Here is the excerpt from the piece entitled "Darfur's downward spiral: Violence continues to escalate in Sudan. Can we avert a catastrophe?"

" ... But the hopelessly ineffective AU is unable to enter the vast majority of camps for fear of attack, and has mounted many fewer patrols in recent months. The AU mission is currently slated to end at the end of September, but the UN has still not authorized a successor force.

Although UN secretary general Kofi Annan recently presented plans for an ambitious UN peace support operation in Darfur, the Khartoum government has for months adamantly refused to accept any UN force. This refusal has been consistent, and was recently reiterated by senior members of the National Islamic Front (which has renamed itself, innocuously, the National Congress Party).

The NIF - which stands accused of genocide by not only the US government but by senior officials of the German and British governments, as well as the parliament of the European Union - has no interest in seeing the Darfur crisis resolved. Indeed, current "genocide by attrition" completes the ambitions more violently in evidence in 2003-2004, when the regime's regular military forces coordinated with the notorious Arab Janjaweed militia to destroy over 80% of all non-Arab villages (primarily those of the Fur, the Massalit, and the Zaghawa).

Even so, the international community continues to reassure Khartoum that the UN will enter Darfur only with the regime's consent.

Perversely, the one rebel faction to sign onto the DPA with Khartoum was that of Minni Minawai - a Zaghawa whose forces have been consistently implicated in wide-ranging atrocities, especially against other African ethnic groups. Minawi recently became "Assistant to the President," fourth-ranking position in the merely notional "Government of National Unity" in Khartoum, a fig-leaf for continued NIF control of Sudanese national wealth and power.

Recent reports from the ground make clear that Minawi's rebel faction is actively coordinating with Khartoum's regular military forces in attacks on civilians and other rebel forces that have not signed the DPA. In effect, the DPA is serving as cover for escalating internecine fighting, especially in northern Darfur.

Absent robust and urgent international humanitarian intervention, there is every reason to believe that we have entered the most destructive phase of genocidal destruction in Darfur. More than half a million people have already died; as many more could die in the coming months.

The world's choice is to look at Darfur through the lens of Iraq - or Rwanda. The expedient consensus is clearly to do the former; but Darfur's realities are shamefully closer to those of the latter.

Related stories

Aug 12 2006 AP via Turkish News - MtvU's Darfur campaign earns TV academy honor: MTV's college network, mtvU, will receive the television academy's 2006 Governors Award for its campaign to inform students about the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region and engage them in solutions. [MTV's campaign seems news to me. I don't recall seeing much about it]

Snapshot of some "news" reports circulating in today's Google newsreel

Darfur Escalation NOW!
Columbus Free Press, OH - Aug 10, 2006
As security continues to dissolve and the humanitarian crisis deepens in Darfur, Africa Action invites you to participate in our escalation campaign to stop ...

Editorial: Plea for Darfur
Waco Tribune Herald, TX - Aug 10, 2006
In Sudan, Janjaweed militias sponsored by the government have killed 400,000 people in that country's northern region of Darfur. ...

Activists ask Bush to do more to end Darfur crisis
ABC News - Aug 9, 2006
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration voiced concern on Wednesday over increasing violence in Sudan's Darfur region and sought to counter criticism at ...

Amnesty urges UN to deploy peacekeepers in Darfur
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - 15 hours ago
Dear Ambassador, Amnesty International welcomes the report of the UN Secretary-General on Darfur as an important step towards ensuring the protection of the ...

For more links to activists' "news" reports circulating in mainstream media, see GIF's News from Darfur Aug 11 2006 [hat tip CFD]

Government of Sudan under international law does have to try and protect women

The Minority Rights Group International is sending an open letter to human rights leaders calling for better protection for women in Darfur. Gender officer Katrina Naomi says, "Rape is being used as a tool of war and militias are being allowed to act with impunity."

Full story Aug 11 2006 SudanTribune article - Open letter calls for protection of Darfur women - excerpt:

"... After all, the government of Sudan under international law does have to try and protect women within the state, regardless of who's actually carrying out these attacks"..."

[Under international law? That's interesting. I wonder if Sudanese children are protected by international law]

US says UN peacekeepers must be in Darfur by Oct 1

Quotes from AP report 10 Aug 2006 via ST:

[State Department spokesman Sean] McCormack said the US said, however, the [AU] peacekeepers have tried hard, but "the situation has evolved and become much more complex and difficult."

"Consequently, a United Nations peacekeeping force must deploy without delay. Only a large, robust, mobile, and fast-reacting UN force is capable of stopping the violence and protecting innocent lives".

"The African Union has consistently called for transition ... to a U.N. operation without delay. Such a transition should take place by October 1."

"The United States is firmly committed to peace in Sudan," McCormack said. He said the peace agreement "provides the best opportunity for lasting security, peace, reconciliation and reconstruction in Darfur. It accommodates the reasonable political, economic and security goals of the people of Darfur."

Sudan dishonest about international Darfur force - UN

Reuters 9 Aug 2006 Opheera McDoom via ReliefWeb:

Sudanese government officials are telling 'fairy tales' to convince people a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur would amount to a Western invasion, the top UN envoy in Sudan said on Wednesday.

Jan Pronk also said it would be wise for the leader of the only one of three rebel factions to sign a Darfur peace deal in May, Minni Arcua Minnawi, to keep some political posts open for rebels who may in the future sign up to the unpopular accord.

"I call on members of the government to be honest and not to tell fairy tales to their people that the United Nations wants to invade," Pronk told reporters in Khartoum on Wednesday.

Three months after an African Union-brokered peace deal, aid agencies say they face more danger than at any other time during 3-1/2 years of conflict.

Some 14,000 aid workers care for 3.6 million Darfuris affected by the war and eight humanitarian workers were killed in July alone.

Despite this the northern party which dominates central government is refusing calls for a U.N. force from war victims, the international community, and the struggling African Union peace monitoring mission currently deployed.

Critics of the northern National Congress Party say it fears U.N. troops may be used to arrest officials likely to be indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigating alleged war crimes in the western region.

Tens of thousands have been killed after more than three years of rape, murder and looting in Darfur, violence Washington calls genocide.

CONTINUING ABUSES

The U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Louise Arbour's office said in a report on Wednesday rapes of civilians had also increased since the deal.

"There has also been an increase in rape and attempted rape cases," the report said, along with attacks on villages by armed militias, on at least one occasion backed by government troops, which resulted "in the torture and killing of civilians".

Much of the renewed fighting is between Minnawi and other rebel factions in North Darfur. They accuse him of enforcing the peace using violence and torture, some cases of which have been documented by the African Union.

Minnawi, who denies the charges, was sworn in as special assistant to the president on Monday, a position which will give him much authority over Darfur.

He and officials from his wing of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) have said only they can nominate and fill all posts dictated by the deal, including positions in central government, parliament and on a state level.

Pronk called on Minnawi to be inclusive and reserve some positions for other rebels might come on board.

"I made a plea: Don't close the door for others ... and make clear to the others that they are still welcome and that you are reserving seats," he said. "It should be an inclusive process. When it becomes exclusive it's wrong."

But he said the final decision was for Minnawi and the NCP.(Additional reporting by Robert Evans in Geneva)

Pronk discusses Darfur with AU, Sudan officials

UN SRSG Jan Pronk met with Presidential adviser Majzoub Alkhalifa and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson in Sudan, a UN spokesman told reporters in New York.

Pronk also attended a swearing-in ceremony yesterday for a leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), Minni Minawi, who was appointed a Special Assistant to the President and ex-officio head of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority, the spokesman added.

Full report Sudan Tribune (Source: UN) 8 Aug 2006.

Annan report to UN Security Council re Darfur and proposed UN mandate

Coalition for Darfur blog entry points to July 28, 2006 report of the Secretary-General on Darfur to the UN Security Council. Report excerpt:

1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1679 (2006), in which the Council called upon the African Union (AU) and the United Nations to agree upon requirements necessary to strengthen the capacity of the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) to enforce the security arrangements of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and requested me, after the return of the joint African Union and United Nations assessment mission, to submit to the Council recommendations on all relevant aspects of the mandate of the United Nations operation in Darfur.

2. In addition to the recommendations in Security Council resolution 1679 (2006), the present report will describe the main elements of the Darfur Peace Agreement and identify the implementation priorities in that regard; identify some of the major risks and challenges involved in deploying a peacekeeping operation in Darfur; elaborate on support the United Nations could offer to AMIS to enhance the ability of the AU mission to protect civilians and implement the Agreement; propose a mandate and mission structure for a United Nations operation in Darfur; and provide details on the various components of the proposed mission and their specific functions.

Sudan to reform Gum Arabic trade

The symposium on Gum Arabic has recommended the setting up of a council meant for mapping out policies that would streamline production and trade of Gum Arabic - see full report Sudan to reform Gum Arabic trade - Sudan Tribune Aug 7, 2006.



Photo: Gum Arabic. The Gum Arabic Company, Ltd., holder of the monopoly position for the export of crude Gum Arabic from the Sudan. The Sudanese gum is produced in Kordofan region 49.3%, Kassala region 24.4%, Darfur region 23.4 % and White and Blue Nile region 2.9%.

Sudan internet cable repaired after three-day fault

Sudan's internet connexion with the world is re-established Tuesday night after a three-day disruption due to a technical problem on submarine internet cable feeding the country from Saudi Arabia. The fault in the only cable link to Sudatel has severely hit business and press services, Sudan Tribune reported.

Presidents of Chad and Sudan had a warm hug Tuesday

Chad's president Idriss Deby had a warm hug Tuesday for the Sudanese president, welcoming him as a guest at his inauguration for a third term.

Deby said Chad and Sudan can resolve their differences using "African wisdom."

See full report Sudan can resolve differences - Deby ST 8 Aug 2006.

Sudan appoints former rebel leader Minni Minnawi as President's Senior Assistant

Sudan's President Bashir has issued a Republican Decree appointing the leader of a former Darfur rebel faction Minni Minnawi as the Senior Assistant of the President of the Republic and Chairman of the Regional Interim Authority of Darfur.

Minnawi was expected to arrive Aug 5 in Khartoum, but refused to go there before being named as senior presidential assistant. More at Sudan Tribune.

MINNAWI HAS BEGUN HIS ROLE AS SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT

Aug 7 2006 BBC report - Darfur rebel takes government job: Minnawi takes responsibility for government policy in Darfur.

Aug 7 2006 AP report via ST - Darfur rebel leader sworn in as Sudan presidential aide

Aug 7 2006 IRIN report - Former Darfur rebel leader named presidential assistant : A key bone of contention is Minnawi's support for a United Nations military role in Darfur, despite al-Bashir's repeated refusal to accept a possible transition from the AU peacekeepers to a more robust UN operation.

Aug 8 2006 AFP report via IOL - Rebel leader sworn in as president's aide: "My arrival in Khartoum for the first time and my oath-taking ceremony today (Tuesday) are the first step in the implementation of the Darfur peace agreement," rebel leader Minni Minnawi told reporters.



Photo: Former Darfur rebel leader Minni Arcua Minnawi (L) is sworn-in as special assistant to Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir (2nd R) in the capital Khartoum, August 7, 2006, which some hope will mark the real start of implementation of a May peace deal. Picture taken August 7, 2006. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (Sudan)



Photo: Former Darfur rebel leader Minni Arcua Minnawi leaves the Republican Palace in Sudan's capital Khartoum, August 7, 2006, after he was sworn in as special assistant to Sudan's President Omar el-Bashir. Picture taken August 7, 2006. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (Sudan)



Photo: Former Darfur rebel leader Minni Arcua Minnawi addresses a news conference in Sudan's capital Khartoum, August 7, 2006, after he was sworn in. Picture taken August 7, 2006. Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (Sudan)

Speaking of Darfur's tribal war in terms of Arabs vs Africans is not accurate - Reinforced AU troops are the best option

Please don't miss the following piece. I'm interrupting a blogging break to leave it at the top of this page. I agree with everything it says (except I'm not on any side, only that of defenceless women, children, elderly and infirm). It's a copy of commentary by Drima, author of The Sudanese Thinker, published in the comments at his blog entry A Reply To Michael Herzog Aug 4, 2006:

When talking about this conflict and describing it in the context of a genocide, we need to cover a few things first. I have generally done that already in my reply to Michael.

On the micro level we could consider this as a genocide waged by some tribes against other tribes. Most if not all tribes in Darfur are a mix of Arab and African. Some have a skin darker than others. Speaking in terms of Arabs VS Africans is not accurate. However speaking about it in terms of tribes would be much more accurate.

The Khartoum government is not interested in wiping out a certain ethnic population. They're only interested in smashing the rebellion and staying in power. This is not motivated by racial factors. It's about power and wealth. Even with the African south it was mainly about power, wealth, religion, and then race.

For years Darfur was impoverished as corrupted politicians of Khartoum kept big money to themselves while investing the rest mainly in Khartoum and ignoring the rest of Sudan. In Khartoum there are many Darfurians living side by side with northerners. Hell, even here on my university campus there are many Darfurians (Fur, Zaghawa tribes etc). We're all good friends and get along fine. Moreover if you ask any of them, they'll tell the notion that an Arabs VS Africans genocide is not true. They'll all agree it's about power and wealth.

There are certainly Darfurians who do claim it as a genocide and they're smart for doing that. The Darfurians doing this are the rebels and those supporting the rebels. I believe that's how the media picked it up as a genocide in the first place. Keep in mind that many non-Darfurians (including oppostion parties like Al-Umma) do this too as they relate to the rebels' cause. They even support UN troops coming in.

(Remember that on a political level I support anything against the current criminal regime. However don't forget to look at Darfur from a humanitarian perspective. UN troops coming in won't make things more humanitarian in Darfur. UN troops coming in will mean war and more death for innocent civilian Darfurians. Is that the price supporters of UN troops are willing to pay?).

When I was in Portland, Maine my aunt told me that many Darfurians there pushed the idea it's a genocide too. The reason simply being that they know the word "genocide" will attract huge attention and strengthen their cause. It certainly did. Shlemazl, that's where well meaning Jewish organizations come in. They can relate to the painfull word "genocide". Some women my aunt knows in Maine also told her they lied on their asylum forms saying they got raped and tortured just to get refugee status.

The main goal of the rebels when they started was seperation or proper representation in Khartoum and fair wealth sharing. Oil, minerals and uranium being discovered in Darfur was a huge catalyst. However the bigger and more important catalyst was when peace was signed with SPLM and they got what they wanted for years ie. fair power and wealth sharing.

With regards to the conspiracies behind the international community's intentions, I posted something previously about it entitled The Agenda Behind Darfur.

http://sudanesethinker.blogspot.com/2006/07/agenda-behind-darfur.html

In it I explain why I now too believe an agenda does exist to some extent. I also think those behind it might have manipulated the term "genocide" for their own benefits. Bacon Eating Jew, this is where you have a point about Sudanese people generally being only keyed up about Israel. Read the post and you'll know what I mean.

This brief description doesn't do the real situation justice but I hope it gives you a better and clearer understanding. Keep in mind that in the past Darfur existed as a prosperous sultanate ruled by the great Sultan Dinar. It was only made a part of Sudan quite recently during the 20th century. As such demands for seperation are quite natural. With seperation however Khartoum will say bye bye to the Darfurian oil.

Finnpundit, I've thought about what you said previously regarding China's role. I didn't pay much attention to it previously but now I am. I'll be posting something about China in the coming days. I think in terms of securing oil reserves for years to come, Sudan seems to be stuck in a tug of war between China and the US. The energy consumption of both nations is increasing and as such they'll need to secure sufficient supplies for years to come.

Reinforced AU troops are the best option. Opposition and cultural sensitivities towards "white" UN troops make them undesireable. Take into account what Al-Qaeda said too about Darfur. Plus, UN troops did squat in Congo and Rwanda.

Don't you find it funny how the whole world including the UN jumps on the current madness in the M.E. when the number of people who died in Darfur in the last 3 years are probably more than all those who died in Palestine's conflict with Israel in the past 50 years?

By the way, I'm trying to come up with something to bring more attention to the Darfur cause. I also want to counter the idea of supporting UN troops. I want to let people know there's a better alternative which is pushing the UN & NATO to reinforce the AU troops instead. Any ideas?

I have one. I'm thinking of writing a brief email about this and sending it out throughout the blogosphere. The email would ask the receiver to forward it around. The impact of this will depend on the number of people I send it to. I've started going through blogs and collecting email addresses with the hope of making a huge and super long list. My realistic aim is to get 500-1000 emails. Any help with more productive ideas would be very appreciated.

The challenge for me is to fix the distorted perception people have of the conflict and convincing them reinforced AU troops are a better option. One big challenge I tell ya. Sigh! Again any help is welcome.

Related reports

Aug 4 2006 Pronk says Sudan's response to UN takeover of AMIS could not be misunderstood: "We are against such a transition. This is our final answer"- Bashir

Aug 4 2006 Jan Pronk Weblog: Is there a Plan B? Most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed

Aug 4 2006 Arab militia and Arab janjaweed: How to tell the difference between the two?

Intermission

Short break to catch up on emailing, reading and compiling list of Darfur rebels. Back soon. Sudan news updates at ST, POTP and CFD.



Comfortable coupe for woman...

Photo: Woman from a Hamar tribe sitting in special construction over camel...

Bedouins from a Hamar tribe using as travel coupe for their woman and they called "houdadj".

En Nahud, South Kordufan province, Western Sudan.

Caption and photo by Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan.

This photo has a note. Click here and move your mouse over photo to see it.

Click here for a closer view.

Darfur rebel groups: SLA-United/SLA-G19 split from SLA-Nur and joined NRF

Thanks to Eric Reeves for the following excerpt, extracted from his latest opinion piece "Assistance in Darfur Hanging by a Thread"

The main fighting elements of the "National Redemption Force" (NRF) in North Darfur are those of the Sudan Liberation Army faction know as SLA-United, or SLA-G19 after the 19 SLA commanders who split from Abdel Wahid el-Nur. Abdel Wahid is the SLA leader who did not sign the Abuja agreement and who shows signs of both political and military weakness and increasing isolation Because he is a Fur, however, the largest ethnic group in Darfur, he retains considerable significance in any peace or reconciliation effort. Abdel Wahid's primary military base is in the rugged Jebel Marra area in central Darfur.

SLA-United/SLA-G19 enjoys considerable popular support and has gained military control over virtually all territory north of el-Fasher in North Darfur, having defeated the forces of yet another SLA faction, that of Minni Minawi, who did sign the Abjua accord and is widely reviled by Darfuris, even those in his own Zaghawa tribe. It is Minawi who has been receiving military support directly from Khartoum in his attacks on civilians in North Darfur in a desperate bid to regain his previous control of the area. Minawi is slated to become the fourth-ranking member of the National Islamic Front "Government of National Unity," with the title of "Presidential Assistant."

- - -

DARFUR REBEL LEADER TO BE HONOURED IN KHARTOUM

Aug 4 2006 IRIN report excerpt:

Earlier on Thursday, the SLM/A held a political rally at Hajj Yousif, on the outskirts of Khartoum, where many war-displaced Sudanese live. "The purpose was to enlighten the people on the culture of peace and to introduce the SLM/A ideology, and its political mission, cultural, social and economic plans for the wellbeing of the New Sudan," he said.

Some Fur citizens who support Abdelwahid Mohamed al-Nur's Darfur rebel faction reportedly disrupted the rally, however, by throwing stones and chairs into the crowd, but Hussein dismissed the violence.

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



Photo: Rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction leader Minni Arcua Minnawi (R) is congratulated by Republic of Congo's President and Africa Union chairman Denis Sassou Nguesso (L) and an unidentified person (C) after he signed the deal with the Sudanese government in the Nigerian capital Abuja May 5, 2006. (Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde)

Arab militia and Arab janjaweed: How to tell the difference between the two?

Note to self. When it comes to violent conflict in Sudan, the only side I am on is that of the millions of defenceless women, children and elderly suffering at the hands of fit young men causing untold misery and grief, pillaging, raping, maiming and killing to get what they want. I favour non-violent conflict resolution.

Here below is an excerpt from the latest blog entry by UN SRSG Jan Pronk. Note the last line. I am pondering on why he's made such a statement. He's intelligent and educated. He's worked in Sudan for a few years and talks to many people at all levels. I can't imagine he'd make such a statement without believing it to be true. Note too he appears to be describing two different groups (1) Arab militia and (2) Arab janjaweed. How to delineate between the two I wonder. How would one know who is militia and who is janjaweed when it comes to disarmament and implemention of the Darfur Peace Agreement? How can one tell the difference if the janjaweed is just a collective name for a gangs of bandits? How would anyone know how to disarm the janjaweed if they can't even be identified? Do Arab militias wear identifiable uniforms? Here is the excerpt:

" ....The fear of the Sudanese, often openly expressed, is that the UN has a second agenda. [cut] Many suspect that the objective of the West is to re-colonize Sudan. They simply cannot understand that the aim is to protect people against violence and that the Security Council is motivated by an international outrage about the massacre of tens of thousands of people. They disregard the fact that nearly all victims and all refugees and displaced persons, waiting protection, are Muslims. In their view Western countries use peace keeping as a pretext: their real objective is to wage a war against Islam. They close their eyes for the fact that most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed and are enraged about what they perceive as a conspiracy against Arabs. ..."

Related reports

Aug 4 2006 Arab militia and Arab janjaweed: How to tell the difference between the two?

Aug 4 2006 Pronk says Sudan's response to UN takeover of AMIS could not be misunderstood: "We are against such a transition. This is our final answer"- Bashir

Aug 4 2006 Jan Pronk: Is there a Plan B?

Pronk says Sudan's response to UN takeover of AMIS could not be misunderstood: "We are against such a transition. This is our final answer"- Bashir

Excerpt from Jan Pronk Weblog Aug 1 2006:

" ... [ ] In that political climate about two months ago a high level delegation, sent jointly by the African Union and the United Nations, came to Sudan to consult the Government about a transition from the present AU peace keeping force towards a UN force. As I wrote in one of my earlier weblogs (see nr 26) President Bashir's response could not be misunderstood: "We are against such a transition. This is our final answer". Several weeks later, at the Summit meeting of the African Union in Banjul, Gambia, he did not change his position. He promised the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, that the Sudanese Government would submit its ideas on a possible role for the United Nations in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. Whether such a role would imply more than humanitarian assistance and support for reconstruction and development remained unclear.

The uncertainty necessitated the UN and the AU to hold an international meeting in order to request donor countries to pledge finance for a continuation of the African Union peace force in Darfur. The meeting took place in Brussels, mid July. The AU had informed the UN that it could finance the troops in Darfur only until the end of the month and that for that reason the mandate of the AU, which lasted until October, could not be extended. Donors pledged enough financial resources to enable the AU to continue until the end of the year. The idea was that the UN could take over on 1 January 2007. The delegations left Brussels with the idea that such a transition was indeed possible, because the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lam Akol, had declared that Khartoum had not yet taken a decision. This was understood as a tiny opening: as against what had been said by President Bashir, it seemed that the Government of Sudan had not yet decided against a transition. That the Government had not yet decided in favor of the transition was taken for granted: a few months time had been gained.

The optimism does not seem to be justified. First: close scrutiny of the financial commitments by the donors reveals that less money has been pledged than had been assumed. So-called 'new money' had been mixed with reconfirmation of pledges which had already been made earlier and had already been taken into account. Whether the African Union is indeed capable to continue after September is not yet certain.

Second, it seems that the tiny opening indicated by Lam Akol does not exist. Soon after the Brussels conference Sudanese politicians, addressing domestic audiences, declared that a transition towards a UN force is out of the question. There was no sign whatsoever the government was considering a u-turn or that an effort was made to prepare the population for a 'yes' instead of the repeatedly declared 'no' to the UN. On the contrary: President Bashir himself was quoted today as telling a rally in north Kordofan: "We shall never hand Darfur over to international forces which will never enjoy being in the region that will become their graveyard". And he cited Iraq, where despite the presence of international forces there is "destruction, damage and sedition between the Sunnis and Shiites instigated by Western intelligence, in addition to torture and killing of inmates in Abu Ghirab and other prisons".

It is a preposterous statement, but all over Sudan the audiences swallow such tirades. The opposition, including both the parties led by such different ideologues as Turabi and El Mahdi, has declared to be in favor of a UN peace keeping force in Darfur. But the NCP assumes that they s only say so because they are against the Government. Minnie Minawi has said to welcome the UN. However, since he has signed the DPA he does not carry much weight anymore in the eyes of the hard core NCP. Vice President Kiir and other SPLM politicians have publicly taken distance from the NCP: "Why is the UN welcome in Southern Sudan but not in Darfur. What makes Darfur so different from us in the South?" However, they know that in the eyes of the Northern politicians the South may be a protectorate which they may let go, Darfur is theirs. It is their un-alienable property; it is part of their history, part of the very existence of Sudan. That Darfurians think differently is for them another reason to reject a role for the UN: the international community might eventually take sides against the regime in Khartoum. The NCP politicians have not forgotten that only two years ago Western countries were considering 'regime change' in Sudan.

No wonder that in this situation President, instead of mellowing his stance, has taken a hard line. In doing so he does not risk his domestic political position. His regime is based on a number of groups with different interests, but united in their aspiration to cling to the power in the country. He has skillfully carried out several balancing acts to stay at the top. His strong stance against foreign intervention has reaffirmed his position. Since a couple of months the President himself has taken the lead in the debate. He was the first to link the situation in Lebanon with the one in Darfur: "If they (i.e. the UN) really want to protect the people of Darfur, what are they doing about the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and Palestine and the killing of women, children and innocents there?" This statement is no less preposterous as the one quoted above. After all, the killing of innocent citizens in Darfur was done by Sudanese themselves. The Sudanese Government bears a heavy responsibility for those atrocities. However, nobody can deny that the Israeli attacks in response to the provocation by Hezbollah, the fate of the women and children in South Lebanon, the destruction of the civilian infrastructure in Beirut and the US rejection of an immediate cease fire has reaffirmed the belief of many in the Arab and Muslim world that the Western countries see them as dispensable. In their view the UN is part of a Western conspiracy. They are wrong. However, they believe that they are right and they can point at many facts which reinforce their opinion. The fact that the UN kept its promise in Kassala and withdrew when the job was finished, does not carry much weight in comparison with its inability to halt attacks and to protect the people in Lebanon.

Soon the Security Council will have to take a decision about a UN peace keeping force in Darfur. Will the resolution containing that decision have a better fate than its resolutions concerning Lebanon and the Palestinians? Or is there a Plan B?
- - -

Aug 1 2006 Jan Pronk Weblog: Is there a Plan B? Most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed

Aug 3 2006 Activists, pundits and mainstream media, not Khartoum, are sending mixed messages about UN troops in Darfur

Aug 3 2006 Sudan accepts AU troops not under UN umbrella - calls for UN sanctions on NRF terrorists - says UN undermines AU: Sudan said on Aug 3 that its plan to disarm the Janjaweed will not be made public, and allowing UN troops to take over from an AU monitoring mission in Darfur would be a violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Jan Pronk Weblog: Is there a Plan B? Most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed

The last sentence of the following excerpt from Jan Pronk's must-read blog entry Aug 1, 2006 made me Google search the answer to a question I could not answer, namely: "What is an Arab?" Posted below are excerpts from Wikipedia. Not sure of the accuracy of such an outline but it gives an idea, at a glance, of the complexity of Sudan and difference between a Sudanese 'African' and a Sudanese 'Arab'.

The latest information about the talks in Asmara concerning a possible Eastern Peace Agreement is rather promising. Parties have agreed on a number of principles and have committed themselves to end hostilities and to exchange prisoners. So far the Eritrean mediation seems to have functioned rather evenly. [cut]

So, the UN should not promote itself as the only option, neither in peace keeping nor in peace mediation. [cut]

The fear of the Sudanese, often openly expressed, is that the UN has a second agenda. [cut] Many suspect that the objective of the West is to re-colonize Sudan. They simply cannot understand that the aim is to protect people against violence and that the Security Council is motivated by an international outrage about the massacre of tens of thousands of people. They disregard the fact that nearly all victims and all refugees and displaced persons, waiting protection, are Muslims. In their view Western countries use peace keeping as a pretext: their real objective is to wage a war against Islam. They close their eyes for the fact that most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed and are enraged about what they perceive as a conspiracy against Arabs.

Also, note the last line of Mr Pronk's blog entry:

Soon the Security Council will have to take a decision about a UN peace keeping force in Darfur. Will the resolution containing that decision have a better fate than its resolutions concerning Lebanon and the Palestinians? Or is there a Plan B?

Note, in above blog entry Aug 1 2006 Jan Pronk said Sudan's response to UN takeover of AMIS could not be misunderstood: "We are against such a transition. This is our final answer"- Bashir

See Aug 3 2006 Sudan accepts AU troops not under UN umbrella - calls for UN sanctions on NRF terrorists - says UN undermines AU: Sudan said on Aug 3 that its plan to disarm the Janjaweed will not be made public, and allowing UN troops to take over from an AU monitoring mission in Darfur would be a violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Aug 3 2006 Activists, pundits and mainstream media, not Khartoum, are sending mixed messages about UN troops in Darfur

Aug 1 2006 Jan Pronk Weblog: Is there a Plan B? Most victims are Africans, pursued and killed by Arab militia and Arab Janjaweed



SUDAN AND ARAB CULTURE: WHAT IS AN ARAB?

The Arabs are an ethnic group mainly found throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Arab, Arabian (a member of a Semitic people originally from the Arabian peninsula and surrounding territories who speaks Arabic and who inhabits much of the Middle East and northern Africa)

On its formation in 1946, the Arab League defined an "Arab" as follows:

"An Arab is a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic speaking peoples."

During the 8th and 9th centuries, the Arabs (specifically the Umayyads, and later Abbasids) forged an empire whose borders touched southern France in the west, China in the east, Asia Minor in the north, and the Sudan in the south. This was one of the largest land empires in history. Throughout much of this area, the Arabs spread the religion of Islam and the Arabic language (the language of the Qur'an) through conversion and assimilation. Many groups came to be known as "Arabs" not through descent but through this process of Arabization. Thus, over time, the term Arab came to carry a broader meaning than the original ethnic term: cultural Arab vs. ethnic Arab. People in Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and elsewhere became Arab through Arabization.

Arab nationalism declares that Arabs are united in a shared history, culture and language. Arab nationalists believe that Arab identity encompasses more than outward physical characteristics, race or religion. A related ideology, Pan-Arabism, calls for all Arab lands to be united as one state. Arab nationalism has often competed for existence with regional and ethnic nationalisms in the Middle East, such as Lebanese and Egyptian.

Anti-Arabism is hate or prejudice against Arabs. It is usually also associated with anti-Muslim hatred.



PEOPLE IN SUDAN BECAME ARAB THROUGH ARABIZATION

Culture
Sudanese culture melds the behaviors, practices, and beliefs of about 600 tribes, communicating in 142 different languages, in a region microcosmic of Africa, with geographic extremes varying from sandy desert to tropical forest.



Ethnicity
In 1999, Sudan was one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries in the world. It had nearly 600 ethnic groups speaking over 400 languages and dialects.
During the 1980s and 1990s some of Sudan's smaller ethnic and linguistic groups disappeared. Migration played a part, as migrants often forget their native tongue when they move to an area dominated by another language. Some linguistic groups were absorbed by accommodation, others by conflict.
Arabic was the lingua franca despite the use of English by many of the elite. Many Sudanese are multilingual.



Religion
As of 1991, the primary religions of Sudan are Islam (approx. 75%), Christianity (between 4% to 10%) and traditional indigenous religions (approx. 33%). Sunni Muslims predominate in the north, while the south contains most of the followers of Christianity and traditional indigenous religions (animists).



In the early 1990s, the largest single category among the Muslim peoples of Sudan consisted of those speaking some form of Arabic. Excluded were a small number of Arabic speakers originating in Egypt and professing Coptic Christianity. In 1983 the people identified as Arabs constituted nearly 40 percent of the total Sudanese population and nearly 55 percent of the population of the northern provinces. In some of these provinces (Al Khartum, Ash Shamali, Al Awsat), they were overwhelmingly dominant. In others (Kurdufan, Darfur), they were less so but made up a majority. By 1990 Ash Sharqi State was probably largely Arab. It should be emphasized, however, that the acquisition of Arabic as a second language did not necessarily lead to the assumption of Arab identity.



In the early 1990s, the Nubians were the second most significant Muslim group in Sudan, their homeland being the Nile River valley in far northern Sudan and southern Egypt. Other, much smaller groups speaking a related language and claiming a link with the Nile Nubians have been given local names, such as the Birqid and the Meidab in Darfur State. Almost all Nile Nubians speak Arabic as a second language.
- - -

More photos by Vit Hassan

-Rashaida-


The Rashaida crossed the Red sea from the Arabian Peninsula to the Sudan in the second half of the 19th century, and they still preserved much of the habits and of the material culture of their country of origin. (Caption and photo by Sudanese photographer Vit Hassan) See more of Vit's superb photos at Flickr.

Darfur rebels SLA-Minnawi deny Amnesty torture accusations

Darfur rebels on Thursday denied accusations of a human rights group that they had killed and tortured opponents to the Darfur Peace Agreement, Reuters/ST reported Aug 3, 2006:

Amnesty International issued a statement this week accusing the SLA-Minnawi faction of killing, raping civilians in July in Korma town in North Darfur who were against the peace deal.

In a separate statement, the AU said SLA Minnawi members in their compound in AU headquarters in el-Fasher had severely beaten an unidentified male and rebuffed AU efforts to intervene.

"We the SLA have never attacked anyone and have never tortured anyone," said Abdel Karim al-Sheikh, the head of Minnawi's advance delegation in Khartoum.

Al-Sheikh also sent a veiled warning to the AU. "We have already met and spoken with the African Union about their issuing statements which are not helpful to the peace deal," he said angrily.

Photo: SLA rebel group leader Minni Minnawi shakes hands with US President GW Bush during a meeting at The White House. See report from Khartoum 29 July 2006 by BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher.

UN official says violence against aid workers due to tensions/rumours among local population

Aug 3, 2006 IRIN report - Deaths of aid workers threaten Darfur operations - excerpt:

Other sources in the region said some of the displaced were being prevented from reaching the relative safety of the IDP camps. "Previously, the Janjawid wouldn't really care what happened after they had pillaged a village - the fleeing population would cause more displacement and facilitate their scorched-earth campaign," he said. "Minnawi wants to hide his crimes, however, and is trying to prevent people from reaching the towns - leaving them enormously vulnerable."

'Other sources'? I wonder about anonymous sources. Could they be rebels, relatives of rebels, IDPs, AU, UN? As it is an IRIN report, I guess the source might be UN personnel. Rumours are rife and, as the above report goes to show, dangerous.

Peacekeepers, aid workers, military personnel and police working in war zones know the risks before they accept the job. I wonder how aid workers would feel assured by UN troops marching into Darfur. If AU troops leave Darfur in October or by the end of the year, would they be replaced by UN troops without a UN resolution? China and Russia would never agree a Chapter 7 mandate or any other move that's against Khartoum's will. If the UN went in against Khartoum's will, it would be treated as an invasion, an act of war. Aid workers could be dismissed from the country. Where would that leave the refugees? Sometimes I wonder if Drima and I the only ones online backing an AU, not UN, force for Darfur.

Sudan accepts AU troops not under UN umbrella - calls for UN sanctions on NRF terrorists - says UN undermines AU

Sudan said on Aug 3 that its plan to disarm the Janjaweed will not be made public, and allowing UN troops to take over from an AU monitoring mission in Darfur would be a violation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, Reuters' Opheera McDoom reported today (via DefenseNews.com) - excerpt:

Presidential Advisor Majzoub al-Khalifa also said those who use military force to oppose the AU-brokered peace deal were terrorists and should be sanctioned by the United Nations.

"According to the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) there is no room for the U.N. forces to come," Khalifa told Reuters.

"We are not going to accept any UN force."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended to the Security Council this week that a force of up to 24,000 UN troops be sent to Darfur to take over from an AU force of 7,000. Such a force would be the largest UN mission.

"The parties accepted ... only to stick to an AU force...and anything else (other) than that is a violation to the DPA," Khalifa said in an interview.

Last month former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Sudan should consider Muslim troops for Darfur, but Khalifa said any troops under the UN umbrella were unacceptable.

Khalifa, who was head of the government's negotiating team at the Darfur talks, accused the United Nations of trying to undermine the African Union's efforts in Darfur.

"The UN and other donors (have left) the AU in a position so that they cannot support their troops because of (lack of) financial support and compel them and press them and squeeze them so they will find no other way except asking for the transition," he added.

Washington calls the violence in Darfur genocide and blames the Khartoum government and their allied militias. The government denies this charge. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating alleged war crimes in Darfur.

Khalifa's dominant National Congress Party (NCP) says UN troops are a front for Western colonialism.

Opposition parties, most of whom have voiced their support for UN troops [Sudan Watch ed: is this true? Unless it involved rebels, I can't recall seeing such news] say the NCP fear those troops would be used to arrest any official likely to be indicted by the ICC.

Only one of three negotiating rebel factions signed the May Darfur peace accord. Tens of thousands of Darfuris have protested against it saying they want more compensation for war victims, a rebel role in disarming Arab militia known as Janjaweed and more political posts.

Many of the commanders who have not signed the Darfur agreement have formed a new alliance called the National Redemption Front (NRF). They attacked the government town of Hamrat al-Sheikh in the neighboring Kordofan region last month, despite a 2004 truce.

"We consider them as terrorists," Khalifa said of the NRF.

Khalifa also said the government plan for disarming the Janjaweed, blamed for much of the rape, murder and pillage which has forced 2.5 million from their homes in Darfur, was confidential and would not be made public.

Sudan discovers new oilfield in southern Kordofan

Perhaps the following report gives us a glimpse into why last month JEM/NRF rebel group targeted their attack on Hamrat al-Sheikh in northern Kordofan resulting in Sudanese planes being deployed to defend the attack in which, reportedly, 12 people were killed.

Sudan has discovered a new oilfield in the southern Kordofan region, which is pumping 24,000 barrels per day (bpd) and hopes to reach 40,000 bpd, the oil ministry said on Wednesday. - Reuters report via ST Aug 3, 2006:

The Neem oilfield is in oil block 4 run by the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC). It is in South Kordofan, an area of conflict between Sudan's north and south who signed a peace deal in January 2005 to end Africa's longest civil war.

"It is expected that the crude oil reserves in Neem oil field are very large," the ministry said in a statement. It gave no further details.

The ministry did not say when the field would reach 40,000 bpd. It was pumping 24,000 bpd in July 2006.



Photo: Chinese manpower at an oil field of Petrodar in southern Sudan. (Petrodar)

GNPOC is a consortium of state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. CNPC (40 percent), state-owned Malaysian Petronas (30 percent) and India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. ONGC (25 percent). Five percent belongs to Sudanese state-owned Sudapet.

It operates Sudan's main oil pipelines, which pump around 320,000 bpd of crude. Another pipeline opened earlier this year to raise production to 500,000 bpd. But due to technical problems this has been delayed likely to end of the year.

Sudan's oil was a crucial catalyst in its bitter north-south conflict and the Neem field is in an area which is still contested between the two sides despite last year's peace deal.

The boundaries of the central neighbouring states of Abyei and South Kordofan were decided by an independent commission under the accord. But the northern ruling National Congress Party rejects the commission's findings.

Critics attribute this to their desire to hang onto some of the oil, which lies mainly in the south.

Western companies divested from Sudan's petroleum industry amid allegations of rights abuses during the north-south war. Oil companies were often accused by southerners of forcibly removing their people from their land to explore for oil.

Activists, pundits and mainstream media, not Khartoum, are sending mixed messages about UN troops in Darfur

Coalition for Darfur points to an opinion piece by Alan Rock published by Globe and Mail Aug 3, 2006. Excerpt:

Finally, let's prepare for the transition later this year from the AU force to a larger and well-equipped UN protection force. The Sudanese government continues to send, at best, mixed messages about allowing UN troops into Darfur. We need to get Moscow and Beijing, with influential regional actors such as Egypt and Libya, to press Sudan.

The world must simply refuse to take no for an answer from Khartoum, whose allegations that such a force would "recolonize" Sudan ring hollow, especially given the presence of thousands of UN troops in southern Sudan under the peace agreement that settled the prolonged conflict there.

If you read a cross section of media reports on the Sudan you will notice how journalists are doing a poor job of extrapolating and sharing news on Sudan. I've read many news reports but have never perceived the Sudanese government as sending mixed messages about allowing UN troops into Darfur. To me, they have always sounded crystal clear in that regard. However, if you follow just one newspaper (especially if it is American) you might find yourself agreeing with Alan Rock.

From what I can gather, the situation in southern Sudan is very different from that in Darfur. South Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is quite different from that of Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). UN peackeepers in southern Sudan are doing a different job from that of what is needed in Darfur. In Darfur there is no peace to keep.

Unlike the CPA, the DPA does not have a UN force written into the agreement. The CPA allows for the people of South Sudan to follow different religions and vote in six years time to break away from Sudan and become 'New Sudan'.

North Sudan (where most of Khartoum's supporters live) benefits from the oil in South Sudan. Not much oil in the North. The oil rich region of Abyei is still being disputed. [Note Kordofan/Abyei] Going by what I have read, Darfur is still set to remain under Sharia law and as part of Sudan. Darfur has newly discovered oil and other unexplored natural resources.

The UN force in southern Sudan was deployed under Chapter 6 mandate. African Union (AU) forces in Darfur were permitted entry into Darfur as monitors not as a protection force or anything like Chapter 7 mandate. They are there to monitor a ceasefire agreement signed a few years ago. The mandate may expire September 30.

Experts talk of a "robust" force needed in Darfur, in other words Chapter 7 mandate. China and Russia on the UN Security Council could never agree to a UN force being deployed under Chapter 7 mandate as Khartoum would oppose such a move. The UN does not have the power to alter the mandate of an AU force but the AU Peace and Security Council could dictate (which, sensibly, it won't) a mandate without requiring Khartoum's approval.

It is not difficult to think of many reasons why an AU force needs to be backed to the hilt, respected and treated as number one in Darfur. They are doing a great job against all odds and ought not be maligned and denigrated - like the rebels go to great lengths to do in order to get UN troops onside. See two previous posts here below.