U.S. and Britain want UN to authorise troops for Darfur

Britain and the United States on Thursday introduced a UN Security Council resolution to send some 17,000 UN peacekeepers to the Darfur region of Sudan, despite opposition from the Khartoum government, Reuters (Matthew Verrinder)/Scotsman reported Aug 17 2006. Excerpt:

The resolution can be adopted without any consent from Sudan, US Deputy Ambassador Jackie Sanders said. But in practice troops cannot be deployed until Khartoum agrees.

"I hope that when we negotiate this text, there will be clarity from the government of Sudan that such an operation, favoured by the African Union and favoured by the Security Council should take place," Britain's UN Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry told reporters.

The draft resolution asks UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to work out a plan and timetable with the African Union for a transition and for sending in reinforcements no later than October 1.

The number of troops to be authorised in the resolution suggests 17,300. But this figure is not settled yet, and Jones Parry said he expected the number to be closer to 15,000.

HUMANITARIAN WORKERS ENDANGERED

Parts of the resolution are under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows troops a greater use of force. Sudan objects to this provision, viewing it as tantamount to an invasion or occupation.

"I understand Khartoum and the perception they have with Chapter 7," Jones Parry said. "Those perceptions are not soundly based."

He said the resolution was meant only to support a peace agreement in Darfur and help endangered humanitarian workers who have been under attack in recent weeks. Eight aid workers died in July, more than in the previous two years.

Some diplomats questioned whether Russia and China, who have veto power in the 15-nation Security Council, would support any measure disapproved by Khartoum.

Arab nations, who prefer the African Union stay in Darfur, are also allies of Khartoum and have rarely criticised its policies in Darfur.

Should U.N. troops go to Darfur, Jones Parry said UN peacekeepers in the field would number more than 100,000, the highest number ever in 18 missions.

The United Nations already has close to 10,000 troops in southern Sudan to monitor a peace agreement between Khartoum and the former southern rebels.

The draft resolution follows a letter on August 10 to the council by Annan on escalating violence in Darfur.

"While the government maintains its firm opposition (to U.N. troops), the situation on the ground is deteriorating, and the AU mission's ability to function for the remainder of 2006 is being jeopardised by a funding crisis," Annan wrote.

[Note, the report quotes Sir Emyr Jones Parry as saying that should UN troops go to Darfur, UN peacekeepers in the field would number more than 100,000, the highest number ever in 18 missions]

Darfur holdout rebels accuse AU of ending truce - Sudan gov't declares Darfur rebel holdouts "terrorists"

The African Union said it took the decision to evict holdout rebels from its HQ after the Sudanese government declared the non-signing groups "terrorists" and told the AU it could not guarantee the safety of the representatives in AU camps. - Reuters' Opheera McDoom/Scotsman report 17 Aug 2006 - excerpt:

Darfur rebels accused the African Union on Thursday of supporting what it said was government aggression against them by evicting them from homeless camps in Sudan's remote western region.

Only one of three rebel negotiating factions signed an AU-brokered peace deal for the region in May and on Wednesday the AU evicted officials from factions which did not join up.

Prior to May's deal, the pan-African body employed representatives of all three groups to help investigate violations of a shaky truce agreed in 2004.

The AU said it took the decision after the government of Sudan declared the non-signing groups "terrorists" and told the AU it could not guarantee the safety of the representatives in AU camps.

"Given the far-reaching implications of that decision, and the fact that (The AU) did not want to expose the personnel of these movements to any personal risks, it had no other option than to suspend their participation," the AU said in a statement.

But Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which did not sign the May deal, said the AU decision was "legitimising this aggression from the government side against us".

"By doing so the AU is terminating the ceasefire agreement of April 2004," Ibrahim told Reuters from Paris.

The move could hinder investigations of truce violations as AU troops may not be able to travel safely in areas controlled by the two factions that did not sign the peace deal.

The humanitarian truce in April 2004 was agreed by all rebel groups and the government to allow aid agencies to access those in need. UN officials called Darfur the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

JEM and some other non-signatories formed a new alliance called the National Redemption Front which attacked the town of Hamrat al-Sheikh in Kordofan neighbouring Darfur in June.

The government reacted by attacking their positions in Darfur, the NRF and the AU said.

JEM's Ibrahim said the truce was legally binding in Darfur alone and not in any other parts of Sudan, so they were not violating the truce with the attack on Hamrat al-Sheikh.

[Note, the report tells us that JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim is now in Paris, France. How does he afford his lifestyle, does anybody know?]

GIF's "Scorecard" grades Congress efforts to end Darfur war

Click here to read about GIF's Darfur Scorecard, grading US Congress on its efforts to end the war in Darfur, Sudan. - via US Newswire/Ivan Boothe Genocide Intervention Network (GIF):

The scorecard measures whether each member of Congress supported and voted in favor of significant Darfur legislation introduced in the 109th Congress. The scorecard also recognizes extraordinary actions, such as sponsoring key legislation and congressional visits to the Darfur region.

The scorecard also gives constituents the tools to contact their members of Congress about their records and potential future actions on Darfur.

Nomads live with constant fear of being attacked by rebels mistaking them for Janjaweed - Kabkabiya town in N Darfur is marked "empty"

According to an IRIN report here below, an assessment report jointly published in April 2005 by relief agencies working in Sudan, said "African communities" constituted the majority of people living in the three states of North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur. The nomads, it added, made up about 20 percent of the population living in the three states.

IRIN's report quotes a nomad as saying the SLM/A rebels have guns and cars and are well organised. I still wonder how Sudanese rebels get guns, cars, satellite phones, petrol and money to pay for years of war. Can't help thinking it is all somehow connected to oil exploration and land rights.

Also, IRIN's report quotes the religious leader of a semi-nomadic clan as saying his clan was not in a camp for internally displaced persons, as is the case with most communities in Darfur, as they were afraid of losing their culture and customs. He said many nomads felt the need to protect themselves after the Darfur conflict started and some joined the Janjaweed voluntarily. The Janjaweed is a looting group, they are not real Arabs, they are made up of thieves from different tribes, he told IRIN.

See IRIN's report July 28 2005 on The forgotten nomads of Darfur.



Photo: A nomadic man from the Maharia-Riziegat community pictured near Kabkabiya. (IRIN)



Photo: The nomads in North Darfur moving during rainy season. (IRIN)



Photo: A nomad from the Mahami-Rizieget community in south Kabkabiya town, North Darfur. (IRIN)

5m IDPs in Sudan, including 1.8m from Darfur

I wonder how many of these were nomads:

More than one year after the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended 21 years of civil war between the central government and the southern-based Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army, there are still an estimated five million internally displaced people in Sudan, including 1.8 million from the separate conflict in the western Darfur region

Source: Internal Displacement Centre - Sudan: Slow IDP return to south while Darfur crisis continues unabated 17 Aug 2006. (via ReliefWeb)

Reporters Without Borders calls for release of Slovenian envoy Tomo Kriznar jailed for 2 years by Darfurian court

Aug 17 2006 Reporters sans fronti�res report excerpt:

Reporters Without Borders called today for the release of Slovenian writer and activist Tomo Kriznar after he was sentenced on 14 August by a court in Al Fashir, the capital of the western state of North Darfur, to two years in prison on charges of spying and publishing false information. Kriznar, who was acting as a special envoy of his country's president, was arrested in Darfur on 19 July.

"We condemn this outrageous manoeuvre by the Sudanese government, which is clearly aimed at discouraging journalists and humanitarian activists from investigating the large-scale massacres that have been taking place in Darfur for the past three years," Reporters Without Borders said.

"Kriznar used his position as a writer, photographer and human rights activist to denounce this major humanitarian crisis," the organisation added. "The government cannot negotiate with rebel groups under Slovenia's aegis and at the same time jail a Slovenian representative under an absurd pretext."

See Aug 16 2006 - Jailed Slovene envoy Tomo Kriznar to appeal against verdict



Photo: Tomo Kriznar (Yahoo News)

Sudan's Darfur: Where's Mama Mongella and the voices of the AU born Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to mobilise the Arab world, Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Note to self. Here is a copy of April 6 2005 report (via 2005 Sudan Watch archive - AU report says Sudan's Darfur force should be 7,000 by August):

Pan-African Parliament wants AU soldiers to protect civilians in Darfur



Photo [AFP April 2005]: A Rwandan soldier operating under the African Union mandate plays with children outside the AU base in Kab Kabiya, north west of El-Fasher, Sudan.

AFP report April 5 [2005] says the Pan-African Parliament Tuesday urged the African Union to extend the mandate of its soldiers to include the protection of civilians in Darfur, a spokesman said. Excerpt:

"The mandate of the protectors in the ceasefire commission must be enhanced to go beyond protection of military observers," said PAP spokesman Khuitse Diseko.

This plea forms part of the recommendations of a PAP report on a fact-finding mission presented before the parliament at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Johannesburg. The report said the mandate of the AU soldiers should include the protection of the population in the Darfur region.

"All the necessary institutions and resources should be mobilised to ensure that ceasefire agreements are observed," said Diseko.

"The PAP delegates appealed for ceasefire agreements to be observed, as there was still a low scale war going on in the region," said Diseko.

"This problem is not only depressing but continues to hold us back as a continent geared on making the 21st century an African century. We want to build roads and telecommunication lines to develop Africa," said Diseko.

PAP sent its fact-finding mission to Sudan last November with a mandate to examine what was happening on the ground in Darfur. The PAP recommendations follow an internal AU report calling on the 53-member bloc to double the size of its military force in Darfur over the next four months.

The AU has some 2,200 troops in Darfur protecting AU observers monitoring a shaky ceasefire between Khartoum, its proxy militia and two rebel groups who have been fighting the government for two years. By the end of May, the AU plans to have boosted that number to 3,200 soldiers.

Established in March by the African Union, the PAP has no powers to pass laws and has no budget for this year although the 265-seat assembly plans to evolve into a law-making body around 2009.

Mar 26 2005 - PAP urges Sudanese to disarm Janjaweed - Gertrude Mongella, President of PAP

Oct 24 2005 - Calling Mama Mongella: The stability of Sudan is fundamental to the whole of the African continent:

EU Press Office Mary Brazier wrote: "We need the good will of everyone and we need to mobilise the Arab world, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Finally, and above all, we must support the African Union, which is doing a great deal of work on the ground and is seeking to secure a lasting settlement of the crisis in Darfur. That is why the cooperation under way in Darfur between the European Union and the African Union, which I regard as exemplary, is so important and why it sets a good precedent for our relations in the future in other African theatres."

Photo: PAP President Gertrude Ibengwa Mongella: an astute diplomat, at an official function at the US Embassy in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. At present, Mongella is a member of CCM's top decision-making organ, the National Executive Committee. She is also Tanzania's Goodwill Ambassador to the World Health Organisation, a member of the Council of The Future at Unesco and the President of NGO Advocacy in Africa. (via Sudan Watch archive Oct 24 2005)

Mar 3 2006 Sudan might pull out of AU - Sudan restructures armed forces - A Sudanese minister says his country might pull out of the African Union if the AU's Peace and Security Council approves replacement of the AU force in Darfur with a UN force.

Mar 20 2006 NATO - NATO ready to help UN in Darfur - What happened to NATO supporting African Union Mission in Darfur?

Apr 10 2006 UN SRSG Jan Pronk on Why a more robust force in Darfur needs to be a UN force

Jun 10 2006 What Sudan really fears is UN troops may be used to arrest officials and militia likely to be indicted by the ICC investigating war crimes in Darfur

Darfur factional fighting and banditry keeps WFP food trucks away

Sapa-AFP report 17 Aug 2006 says Darfur violence keeps WFP food trucks away and more than 500,000 people in Darfur are in need of food, but aid workers are unable to reach them because of factional fighting and banditry, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday.

"It would be a disaster for the people of Darfur if security deteriorated to the point where we were unable to deliver more widely," the UN agency's Sudan representative, Kenro Oshidari, told a Khartoum press conference.

What do people expect will happen if a UN force without a Chapter 6 or 7 mandate (such a mandate would never be approved by the Chinese and Russians sitting on the UN Security Council) marched into Darfur? My understanding is the AU's Peace and Security Council are free to change the mandate of its troops in Darfur at any time without requiring permission from Khartoum.

UN: Half a million Darfurians cut off from aid

IRIN report 17 Aug 2006 excerpt:

"We are looking at the lowest level of access since the beginning of the conflict - we are very concerned," Imogen Wall, public information officer for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Khartoum, said. "Nearly half a million people can't get food during the height of the hunger season. That is half a million too many."

UN Security Council may authorise communications and command and control equipment to be transferred to AMIS

From the UK's Independent by Diplomatic Editor Anne Penketh, 17 August 2006 (via POTP):

The Security Council is also expected to consider how to help the African Union mission - it may also authorise communications and command and control equipment to be transferred to the mission. But the aftermath of the Lebanese conflict will weigh heavily on the discussions. "It's true, there is heavy demand because of Lebanon," said one council diplomat.

See Aug 17 UN Security Council Consultations on Sudan/Darfur.

UN Security Council Consultations on Sudan/Darfur

Coalition for Darfur points out UN Security Council Consultations on Sudan/Darfur to be held 17 August 2006, and the Council's Update Report No. 2 Sudan/Darfur 16 August 2006:

Members are expected to discuss the recent report of the Secretary-General containing options for transition and for assistance from the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) to the AU Mission in the Sudan (AMIS), as well as his 10 August update on Darfur. Khartoum's recent plan for increasing security in Darfur is also expected to be discussed.

JEM outlaws regard AU's decision "as a declaration of war"

The JEM rebel faction that refused to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement was ordered to leave the African Union HQ in Darfur, the AU said Wednesday, as delegates for JEM warned the move could push it to resume full fledged fighting. - AP report Aug 16 2006 (via Sudan.Net/POTP) - excerpt:

"Members of JEM have been advised to leave the AU headquarters because they are not supporting the peace implementation," Sam Ibok, the AU's chief negotiator in Sudan, said in a telephone interview.

Ibok said the group did not participate in the various ceasefire commissions and that the SLM led by main rebel chief Minni Minnawi -- who signed the peace deal -- refused to sit with them.

"There is no alternative but to ask them to leave," Ibok said. "It doesn't mean we have lost hope that JEM will eventually join the peace process, but it reflects that we can't fund and host people who are doing nothing."

JEM delegate Mohammed Abbasher Ahmed said the AU's decision could lead it to resume open warfare in Darfur. "We regard this as a declaration of war, a return to the fighting square," Ahmed was quoted as saying by the Akhbar Al Youm newspaper.

JEM delegates were stationed at the AU headquarters in the North Darfur town of El Fasher as part of an effort to bring peace to a region. Though JEM isn't deemed the largest rebel force in Darfur, authorities suspect its militants were involved in several small-scale raids that have recently plagued the region.

Also - excerpt from Dow Jones version of AP report (via Easy bourse/POTP):

John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN, said earlier this week he hoped the push for an international peacekeeping force in Darfur would make progress in the coming days.

"The question, as always, is whether the Security Council can overcome the political objection from several significant member governments, including two permanent members and the government of Sudan," Bolton said, in an apparent reference to China and Russia.

JEM delegate Mohammed Abbasher Ahmed was quoted as telling Sudan's Akhbar Al Youm newspaper his group regarded the AU's decision "as a declaration of war."

Sudanese minister advises to not read internet news

I quite understand why a Sudanese minister would advise southern Sudanese in Nairobi not to get information about Sudan from the internet. The regional minister said these news are disseminated by enemies of peace, SRS/ST reported today:

"Education minister for Central Equatoria state, Dr Lokulenge Lole, says most information published is opinion and lacks objectivity, the Sudan Radio Service (SRS) reported.

The minister told southern Sudanese students at a Nairobi hotel last week that most information about Sudan on the internet is aimed at attacking individual personalities and the government.

"When you read the internet these days and you read the attacks on government, on individual politicians in southern Sudan I feel very sorry. Sorry in the sense that somebody sits on his computer in New York doing nothing, he has not even seen southern Sudan and he becomes an expert of analysis of the situation in southern Sudan", the minister explained.

Dr Lokulenge said that people he considers "the enemies of peace" are using all possible avenues to derail the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

He said the President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, has on many occasions been attacked on the internet over alleged corruption "without any basis or proof." He warned all southern Sudanese not to succumb to-what he called-"wild allegations" made on the internet "unless they want to remain permanent slaves."

Welcome to the world Sudan! The Internet can work for the benefit of good and bad. Key is to enlighten readers and voters without resorting to propaganda.

AMIS orders Darfur outlaws to leave its camps

Action. Reuters' Opheera McDoom report just in, 13:44 GMT - excerpt:

The African Union's peace monitoring force in Darfur has ordered all representatives of rebel groups who did not sign a May peace deal to leave its camps, officials said on Wednesday.

"The AU have ordered us to leave their camps within 24 hours from this morning," Hamad Hassan Hamad of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) told Reuters.

"This includes all those who did not sign the peace deal, the JEM and the Abdel Wahed faction," said Hamad, who was a JEM representative at the AU base in el-Geneina town in West Darfur state.

One AU official confirmed the decision, which had been requested by the government in Khartoum, but did not give further details. The government says those who did not sign the agreement in May are outlaws.

Non-signatories, including the JEM, formed a new alliance called the National Redemption Front (NRF) and renewed hostilities with the government, which calls them "terrorists."

They say they now control large areas of North Darfur, although this has not been independently verified.

Eleven aid workers have been killed since the deal was signed, more than during the entire three-year conflict.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday that they could not distribute food to 470,000 people in need in Darfur in July, a big increase from the previous month. It added that high malnutrition rates have been reported in recent months.

"The safety of staff is crucial and we take great precautions to avoid dangerous situations," Kenro Oshidari, the head of WFP in Sudan, told reporters in Khartoum. "It would be a disaster for the people of Darfur if security deteriorated to the point where we were unable to deliver more widely."

Jailed Slovene envoy Tomo Kriznar to appeal against verdict

Photo: Tomo Kriznar, humanitarian worker (L) and special envoy of Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek (R) for Darfur, speaks during a news conference in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana in this January 12, 2006 file photo. Sudan sentenced Kriznar to two years in prison in Darfur for espionage, publishing false information and violating immigration laws, the state news agency said on August 14, 2006. (Reuters/Srdjan Zivulovic)

The defence lawyer of Tomo Kriznar, Mohammed Madjub, intends to appeal on Wednesday against the verdict, Sudan Tribune reported Aug 15/16, 2006 - excerpt:

Speaking for TV Slovenija by telephone, Madjub said that the prison sentence was too high given that the Sudanese prosecution had no evidence of Kriznar spying.

The lawyer, who said Kriznar feels fine after a court of first instance in the capital of North Darfur Al-Fasher pronounced its verdict on Monday, believes that there are good chances the Sudanese authorities would expel Kriznar from the country.

See some previous news reports re Slovene 'spy' Tomo Kriznar jailed in Sudan.

Sudanese blogger Fluent-Sudani on "Lost Identity"

The author of Fluent-Sudani blog was born and bred in Sudan and now lives in New York. Excerpt from blog entry Aug 13, 2006:

Photo: Northern Sudan kid

"Outsiders who do not have any background on Sudan history are always skeptical about our race, tend to randomly pick whatever they desire to call us; Arabs or Nubians. Sudan is a diverse land, I say. Having skittles-skin color folks. Asking any Sudan native, they answer you "we're Sudanese." without adding any other preferences to feed doubts.



Photo: Southern Sudan kid

Over history, spread of Islam throughout Africa, resulted in mingling between missionary men who brought books to enlighten us about the faith, living peacefuly among us, emanicipating slaves, built mosques. Also, spread of christianity beforehand coptics fled from Egypt settled in northern Sudan. Italian missionary men and women also built Catholic schools and churches mainly in the Southern Sudan and the capital, Khartoum. I find it appalling few blocks away from my old house, a mosque and a church seperated by one wall.



Photo: Eastern Sudan kid

No matter what classification others come up with, we are brothers and sister of the same blood. Afro-arab culture/food/values, understand ourselves instantly despite dialect differences. Embracing our historical heroes that kicked British colonization our of our land and gained us independence.

Photo: Western Sudan kid

[thanks to Drima, The Sudanese Thinker: It's Slowly Happening]

Blogging Amanda in South Sudan

Here's another reason why I support the African Union Mission in Darfur. Excerpt from Amanda Wadud's blog in South Sudan Aug 13 2006:

"I have been speaking with some people about some of my skirmishes with the local Dinkas and then last night I spoke with a sister from Khartoum about some experiences she has had (very scary) and she had to point out to me something that I had thought about before I arrived in Rumbek but dismissed too quickly. It seems that my issue is that I am being mistaken for a northern Arab. To me that is ridiculous, but virtually any Black person whose skin is more brown than ebony could be mistaken for someone from the North.

Firstly let me help you to expand your definition of an Arab. In the United States at least, and I believe the same is true for much of Europe we think an Arab is a light skinned/olive skinned individual with curly to kinky hair who, speaks Arabic. Like African Americans, Arabs come in all shades of skin color. I used to look at all Sudanese as being Black, after all As-Sudan literally means the Land of the Blacks in Arabic. I was initially shocked and offended some years ago to learn that the northern Sudanese consider themselves Arabs and not Black, after all they look like they would fit in at one of my family reunions. But being here has helped me understand why they consider themselves Arab. So an Arab is defined by language and culture and not skin color. I had previously written about how as a Black person in Africa I am often put into a local ethnic group, well that can be a good thing because it makes me less conspicuous, but it can also be dangerous depending on socio-political and historical factors."

[via Drima of The Sudanese Thinker: It's Slowly Happening - with thanks]

A proud Muslim, Sudanese, Arab, African & Human in UAE blogs "Why Science Fails to Explain God"

From Hipster in UAE: "Why Science Fails to Explain God".

[Thanks to Drima of The Sudanese Thinker: It's Slowly Happening]

Juba Blog: BBC in Juba on FM 88.2

From Juba Blog Aug 14, 2006:

"Juba citizens welcomed the official launching of the BBC relay transmitter on FM 88.2 today.

Welcome to Juba, BBC. You have been part of our struggle."

[hat tip The Sudanese Thinker: It's Slowly Happening]

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.