John Garang: "It is said that Abyei is floating on oil"

Sudan Mirror editorial How Dr Garang wanted Abyei to be? (1) - Analysis January 26, 2007 - excerpt:

From one of the meetings I held with him [the late Dr John Garang de Mabior] he assured me that Abyei was on the top of his agendas. Abyei was one of his first priorities. While he was alive he never let down the Ngok Dinka people of Abyei or the Abyei cause. This is part of the speech he delivered in Agok the temporary capital of Abyei Area on June 16th, 2004 to explain the Abyei Protocol to the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms of which I attended:

"You people of Abyei, I greet all of you. I greet all of you; starting with the old man Lian Yak, all the elders, that woman called Achei Ngor who delivered a speech, all the women, all children in schools, all the children all over Ngok homeland-girls and boys, I greet you all. You the leaders of the homeland, starting with the Chief Ring e Makuach who delivered a speech and all the elders and chiefs of Ngok I greet you all and extend my greetings to the rest of Ngok who didn't come here.

Add your tongue to mine and greet all the Ngok people and tell them that Garang de Mabior came here with his comrades and was very pleased. I'll start my speech with the word 'Congratulation!' it is congratulation to you; because your homeland has been liberated, it is now in your hands and it is no longer in somebody else's hands. I congratulate you for the achievement you have made; for the struggle you have made. You struggled for fifty years (50 years) and some will say for one hundred years (100 years).

Because Abyei was transferred from Bahr el Ghazal to Kordofan in 1905 and now this is 2004. So it is ninety-nine years (99 years), it is only one year that is missing to complete one hundred years (100 years) since Abyei transfer. Your struggle started in 1954, before the Torit mutiny in 1955. It is the struggle of Abyei that started first.

The children of the school went to Rij el Fulla in 1954. They took permission from the District Commissioner of that time who was British during the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium. By that time the country was not given independence in 1956, because it was in 1954 when these students protested so they were arrested.

They went to petition in Rij el Fulla because they saw what was coming, that their homeland was going to be occupied by strangers. Those students were arrested and that was the beginning of the struggle of the Abyei people. So from 1954 to 2004, it is exactly fifty years (50 years). You have gotten your rights after 50 years; I congratulate you.

That is my first message, I congratulate you for the struggle you have made and it is that struggle you have made that brought these rights. And if there is somebody who claims that I am the one who liberated Abyei that is not true. It is you people who were struggling who liberated Abyei. Mine was only negotiation; but there were/are people who fought for Abyei since 1954. Also, from 1965 many of your people lost their lives during the Anyanya I, and you led the forces of Anyanya One in Bahr el Ghazal and people like Akonon e Mithiang lost their lives because of your homeland.

You also led the Anyanya II, and people like Miokol Deng whom I met in Bil-Fam also lost their lives because of your homeland. So it is your struggle that liberated Abyei, you have struggled for the last fifty years. You have fought for 50 years and that your right has been given to you in the negotiation in a place called Naivasha. So the first thing is a word of congratulation to you.

The remaining war of 'referendum' is an easy war. What is needed now is your unity and that you must work collectively. Because you've won the war for Abyei and I say there is nothing that will abrogate the protocol. My second message is that, everybody must come back; people must come back to Abyei land.

The nine sections of the Ngok Dinka that are contained in the protocol must come back. Ngok Dinka must return to their home areas, wherever they are in the Diaspora. If there is accessdised development in Abyei then people will return, and it is said that Abyei is floating on oil. Let us use this oil money to develop Abyei, this is when people will return. So take this message everywhere where Abyei people are, inside the Sudan and in the Diaspora, that people must return home. This is important."

China & the Republic of the Sudan

Jan 30 2007 via People's Daily Online -- The Republic of the Sudan:

Located in the Northeast part of Africa, the republic of the Sudan covers an area of 2.5 million sq km, more than any other country in Africa. Islam and Christianity are the main religions for its 35 million residents. Arabic is the official language. Khartoum is the national capital. Sudan's Incumbent president is Omar Hassan al- Bashir.

Since China established diplomatic relations with Sudan on Feb. 4th, 1959, the two countries have maintained long-term friendly relations. Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Sudanese President Bashir in 2005, on the sidelines of Asia-Africa Summit. Bilateral trade topped 3.9 billion U. S. dollars in 2005.

AU chief urges Sudan to end Darfur air raids

Alpha Oumar Konare, the African Union (AU) commission president, has called on Sudan's government to cease its aerial bombing of the Darfur region after opening a summit of the 53-member organisation in Ethiopia.

Konare made the appeal ahead of an address by Ban Ki-Moon, the new UN secretary-general.

"We appeal to the government of Sudan to stop attacking and bombarding Darfur and instead restore peace," he said, to leaders at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. - Agencies (via MWC)
- - -

Jan 29 2007 AFP report : AU chief urges Sudan to halt Darfur bombings :

Konare said that there had been signs of progress in ongoing negotiations to send a joint AU-UN force to Sudan but he added that we have to "apply these moves this without delay."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon held talks with Konare about the deployment of the joint peacekeeping force for Sudan.

UN sources said both Ban and Konare expected the force to be deployed by the end of next month, despite the reluctance of Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir to accept UN troops to bolster a struggling 7,000-strong force.

W Darfur: MSF report on populations recently displaced

Copy of MSF article 29 Jan 2007 (via PeaceJournalism)

Since late December, 2006, new attacks in West Darfur, Sudan have destroyed several villages and have led to the displacement of thousands of people. Displaced persons have found refuge in Ardamata and Dorti camps, situated on the outskirts of El Geneina, the capital of west Darfur, while other people remain blocked further north in Tanjeke.

While some 750 families-more than 5,000 persons-have so far been able to reach the Ardamata and Dorti camps, numerous others have been left behind and remain at the mercy of armed groups still active in the region. In the village of Tanjeke, located 30 km north of El Geneina, at least one thousand families are gathered in small, individual shelters made of grass and leaves that lack adequate roofs. The displaced persons also lack water and soon will be in need of food. People are mostly coming from the camps of Artega and Kouta and are on the run for the second time in less than three years.

On January 19, an MSF evaluation team was able to reach Tanjeke, but high levels of insecurity on the road have prevented any further intervention. This highly volatile environment leaves the already weakened displaced population without much needed assistance.

Meanwhile, in El Geneina, displaced persons continue to arrive in small groups, mostly at night due to the risk of attacks on the roads. There are many reports of acts of violence perpetrated against villagers. In Ardamata camp, MSF has set up a mobile medical unit to screen new arrivals, and more than 500 people have been treated.

In addition, on January 8, non-food items such as water containers, blankets, and plastic-sheeting were distributed in Ardamata and Dorti camps to 750 families. High-energy protein biscuits have also been distributed to the displaced. A number of shelters have been erected as well.

"The living conditions in the camp are particularly difficult at this time of year, with temperatures falling to close to five degrees Celsius at night," said Stephane Reynier, MSF field coordinator in El Geneina. "The displaced population still trapped in the Sirba area are enduring very difficult conditions, in addition to coping with the insecure environment."

The constant insecurity in the region and on the roads in particular, is rendering movements extremely difficult for aid workers. In Darfur today, accessing populations in need is, in many cases, impossible.

MSF has been in West Darfur since January 2004.

Still not found any updates on Norwegian Refugee Council's departure from Kalma Camp. Who is now coordinating Kalma Camp?

Libya suspended Darfur funds to press withdrawal of Sudan's AU candidacy

Jan 26 2007 (Cairo) - Libya suspends transfer of 50m US dollars to the African peacekeeping force in Darfur, in a bid to press Sudan to withdraw its candidacy for the African Union presidency.

See full story by Wasil Ali: Libya suspends Darfur funds to press withdrawal of Sudan's AU candidacy (via ST 27 Jan 2007)



Photo: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (3rd L) is surrounded by bodyguards as he arrives for the 8th African Union Summit of Heads of States at the United Nations office in Addis Ababa January 29, 2007. An African Union summit opened on Monday with the stage set for a battle over Sudan's determination to assume the chair, as promised a year ago, despite fierce criticism of continuing bloodshed in its Darfur region. REUTERS/Antony Njuguna (ETHIOPIA)



Photo: Graphic factfile on the 53-nation African Union as the organisation opens its summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Sudan suffered a double humiliation on the opening day of the African Union summit as it was passed over for the presidency of the body and lectured by UN chief Ban Ki-Moon over the conflict in Darfur. (AFP/Graphic)



A guard of honor line up with African Union flags at Bolle international airport in Addis Ababa Sunday Jan. 28, 2007 ahead of the 8th African Union summit that starts on Monday in the Ethiopian capital. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo)

Libyan blogosphere

Thanks to Global Voices Online for links to blogs re Libya.

NYT Nicholas Kristof invites readers' comments

Excerpt from New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof 28 Jan 2007 (via CFD with thanks):

Serious negotiations between the government and Darfur's rebels are crucial for a lasting peace deal in Darfur, and new discussions are expected soon (that may be why President Hu dares visit Khartoum). But Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, a Sudanese human rights leader, says the new talks will fail unless the Darfur rebels have a chance to consult first. And when they try to meet, the Sudanese government bombs them.

There are countless other practical ideas for Darfur, and I'd like to hear yours. Send your suggestions to me at DarfurSuggestions@gmail.com. I'll post some on my blog at www.nytimes.com/ontheground and discuss them in a future column.

Oxfam (GB): Six aid agencies warn Darfur operations approaching breaking point, conflict worse than ever

Jan 28 2007 press release by British Oxfam (hat tip POTP) Excerpt:

On the eve of the AU summit, the six biggest aid agencies working in Darfur warned that the humanitarian operation there was on the verge of total breakdown.

The "enormous humanitarian response in Darfur will soon be paralysed unless African and global leaders at the AU summit take urgent action to end rising violence against civilians and aid workers," they said in a joint statement.

The agencies - Action Against Hunger, Care International, Oxfam International, [the] Norwegian Refugee Council, World Vision and Save the Children - said [that] the conflict was now worse than ever, with aid workers being increasingly targeted as they seek to help threatened Darfuris.

Fresh fighting in January has left more than 350 people dead* and forced tens of thousands more from their homes. Splits in the rebel movements and a widespread lack of accountability have left Darfur increasingly lawless, leading to the direct targeting of aid workers. The violence has spread throughout Darfur and crossed the border into Chad. Even major towns and cities are now plagued with violence and have seen fighting and hijackings on the streets.

More than a month after an attack on aid workers in Gereida, the most violent of the conflict so far, which saw staff raped, beaten and subjected to mock executions, it is still far too dangerous for agencies to return to the camp, the world's largest for displaced people, where 130,000 have sought refuge from attacks on their villages. Temporary evacuations of staff from other locations across Darfur have continued, with nearly 500 aid workers withdrawn since the start of December. In early January, the UN warned that malnutrition rates are again rising close to emergency levels. Progress made in stabilising conditions over the past four years is in serious danger of being reversed.

The six agencies warn [that] the Summit will fail unless:

1. African Heads of States led by Chairperson Denis Sassou Nguesso and new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon greatly increase the pressure on all parties to the conflict to ensure [that] attacks on civilians and aid workers end immediately, and ensure that perpetrators of violence are held to account.

2. The African Union Commission does more to end the growing violent attacks. The AU's credibility with the people of Darfur is at an all-time low. AU troops in Darfur must immediately try to regain the civilian population's confidence by implementing the following proactive protection measures:

- Regular "firewood patrols" accompanying women who collect essential firewood and animal fodder outside the camps. Although previously in place these have now ceased in most locations in Darfur.

- A 24/7 presence inside the main camps and towns [in order] to ensure safety of civilians.

- Making more effective use of the Ceasefire Commission [in order] to bring violators to account.

"The international community has failed the people of Darfur by not providing the AU force with the funds, equipment and support that it needs. But the AU can, and must, do more with the resources already at its disposal. There is no reason why firewood patrols cannot resume immediately," said Hussein Halane, Save the Children Country Director in Sudan.

Aid agencies working on the ground in Darfur have repeatedly called for the AU force to be strengthened, but despite two years of promises from the entire international community, the AU is now providing even less protection than before.

* UN/Sudan government figures
For more information contact:
At the Summit, in Addis Ababa:
Ismaila Dieng, +251 911079009, diengisma@gmail.com
UK:
Clare Rudebeck, Oxfam, +44 (0) 7769 887 139, crudebeck@oxfam.org.uk,
France:
Sylvain Trottier, ACF, +33 1 43358224,

UN chief says peace in Sudan means peace in Chad

"Peace in Sudan means peace in Chad," he [UNSG Ban] told delegates who included African leaders, foreign ministers and diplomats in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. - AP (via CFD).

"We must work to end the violence and scorched earth policies adopted by various parties, including militias, as well as the bombings which are still a terrifying feature of life in Darfur," Ban told African leaders including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. "The toll of the crisis remains unacceptable."

Darfur: Tutu says AU cannot allow itself to comfort the oppressor - urges tough sanctions

I'm a fan of Desmond Tutu. He once said women should rule the world. Here's another great speech via Jan 29 2007 Sapa report (hat tip CFD)

Sudan's government needs to face tough and effective sanctions until the suffering the Darfur region ends, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the eighth African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa this week, he said that Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir longed to be given the AU's presidency.

"The AU cannot allow itself to comfort the oppressor. I appeal to those leaders meeting at the AU summit to stand up to tyranny and stand by the people of Darfur."

Tutu warned the AU that the Sudanese government, and other parties to the conflict, treated AU peace monitors with contempt.

"And time and again they fail to comply with the promises they make to stop the killing."

He added that an immediate ceasefire in Sudan's Darfur region was essential, along with a strengthened peacekeeping force with United Nations troops. A robust mandate was urgently needed to protect the innocent.

"While discussions drag on, people are dying."

Tutu pointed out that the AU was at a crossroads over how to deal with the Darfur crisis in Sudan.

He called on the continental body to "be bold and stand by the people of Africa or be weak and stand by the politicians who are making that corner of Africa a graveyard".

"If the AU allows this to continue and the aid effort breaks down then there will soon be no help for the hundred of thousands who have fled their homes."

Tutu called the Darfur crisis "a matter of utmost urgency".

"The people of Darfur need action in weeks not months. They have suffered terribly, and they cannot wait any longer."

He said Africa could not turn its back on the people of Darfur.

"The government of Sudan continues to act with impunity and must now be subjected to tough and effective sanctions until the suffering ends.

Well said. AU must not allow its peace monitors to be treated with contempt.

French MDM suspends activities in Sudan's Darfur due to violence

Jan 29 2007 AP report via ST

Medecins du Monde, or Doctors of the World, has "suspended its activities in Darfur for an undetermined period of time," said the group's director of international missions, Eric Chevallier, in a phone interview.

"The balance between the help we were able to provide and the risks our staff were taking had reached breaking point," Chevallier said.

Ghana's President Kufuor to chair AU

Here's no surprise. BBC report today says Sudan's President Bashir has again been bypassed in his bid to chair the African Union (AU).

AU commission head Alpha Oumar Konare said Sudan had supported the decision to let Ghana head the continental body.

"By consensus it is President Kufuor," he said.

Photo: President John Kufuor of Ghana, center, leaves the 8th African Union summit as Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo look at his watch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2007. The African Union chose Ghana to head the 53-member bloc Monday, for the second year in a row turning aside Sudan's bid because of the Darfur crisis. 'By consensus vote President (John) Kufuor of Ghana has been elected to the presidency of the African Union,' Alpha Oumar Konare, the A.U.'s chief executive, told reporters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. (AP Photo/Les Neuhaus)

UN chief voices deep concern at aerial bombing raids in Darfur, W Sudan

How can a no fly zone over Darfur not now be imposed? See Xinhua report (via PeaceJournalism 24 Jan 2007) - excerpt:

The secretary-general is deeply disturbed by the trend in aerial bombardments that the government of Sudan has conducted in several areas of North Darfur and alarmed by the reports of many civilian casualties, the spokesman said.

Haq added that the secretary-general is also extremely concerned about the arrest of 20 staff members of the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations and the African Union Mission in Sudan in Nyala, South Darfur, on Friday and expects a swift investigation of this incident, particularly as several of the staffers were assaulted.

It will be interesting to see how the UN responds to the Sudanese govt's recent bombing raid over Darfur.

Sudan's Bashir admits N Darfur bombing raids

BBC exclusive - Sudan leader admits Darfur raids - excerpt:

Rebel commanders in northern Darfur said on Monday that government aircraft had hit three villages over the weekend - claims the Sudanese government strongly denied.

But in an exclusive BBC interview broadcast on Wednesday, President Bashir confirmed his troops had carried out the bombardments.

He said the government had no option but to strike as 80% of attacks on civilians in the region were carried out by rebels groups, undermining security.

"They are not supported by the government. The government is fighting them," he said.

After the signing of a peace agreement with a leading rebel group in May, rival rebels formed a new alliance called the National Salvation Front, he told the BBC.

President Bashir said the group had received "massive military support in full view of the international community" and set out to target those who had signed the peace deal.

Militias have since carried out large-scale attacks on Sudan Liberation Movement positions in northern Darfur, controlling its movements, the president said.

"We heard no condemnation of this movement or the countries supporting it.

"But as soon as we were forced to send armed troops to deal with it we heard talk of violations and a ceasefire breach," he said.

I can see his point. But Sudan Watch archives from a year or two ago show how Khartoum promised (in order to avoid a no fly zone) not to use bombers over Darfur.

Note BBC news report Jan 22, 2007 re Sudanese planes 'bombing Darfur'.

Sudanese planes 'bombing Darfur'

Rebel commanders in Darfur say government aircraft have bombed northern areas of the province, in breach of a ceasefire, they claimed several villages had been hit over the weekend BBC reported today - excerpt:

The Sudanese government has denied the reports, which come days after President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adhere to a UN peace plan.

A rebel commander, Abdallah Banda, from the rebel Justice and Equality Movement, said three villages had been destroyed by Sudanese aircraft in north Darfur.

He did not say how many people had died.

The Sudanese army denied the allegation.

"We never bombard civilians anywhere," a military spokesman told the Associated Press news agency.

That's funny, the rebels are civilians.

Five Arab leaders to meet in Libya next week

Leaders of five Arab states will meet in the Libyan capital Triopoli next week to review the situation in the Middle East and Africa, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Friday. - Middle East Online.

Note, the report classes Sudan as an Arab state.

EU blames World Bank for delaying South Sudan reconstruction

The World Bank is to blame for the people of southern Sudan having to wait years for donors' funding for development. Shame on them. In an interview with Sudan Radio Service in Khartoum, EU Special Representative to Sudan Pekka Haavisto said European states have fulfilled their Oslo pledges, but the money has not been released because of World Bank bureaucracy. Full story ST 19 Jan 2007.

Note, news reports from a few years ago said the $4.5 billion pledged would be tied to Darfur peace being agreed. So it looks like World Bank strings can be pulled and delayed to aid international diplomatic pressure on Sudan.

Here's a thought, what if South Sudan votes to break away and take its oil with it, and fighting breaks out again ... what's the point in investing $4.5b on development that might end up being destroyed. Sudanese people are their own worst enemy.

German Siemens to pull out of Sudan

German technologies group Siemens is planning to withdraw from Sudan, in view of the current humanitarian situation in Darfur. Swiss technologies company ABB stopped doing business in Sudan at the beginning of the year until further notice, saying that the political and economic risks had become too great. Full story ST 18 Jan 2007.

Note, Siemens built the gas chambers for Germany's concentration camps during WWII. For that reason, I've never purchased anything by Siemens.

Citizens' movement influences Darfur (Nicholas Kristof)

Nicholas Kristof op-ed (via Sun Jan 18/2007) Citizens' movement influences Darfur) - excerpt:

Let's have no illusions about how much pressure will be necessary to stop the slaughter, but let's also celebrate this moment. Bashir has blinked, showing that it just may be possible to fight genocide with moral courage and lawn signs.

Inquiry into 'lost' Sudan funds (BBC Jonah Fisher)

Report by Jonah Fisher, BBC News, Khartoum (Via POTP) - excerpt:

The government of southern Sudan has launched an inquiry into what happened to $60m (£30.5m) it received in 2005.

A panel has been set up to trace the money President Omar al-Bashir said was given to former southern rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

Mr Bashir is accused of backing militias that still operate in the south.

As I recall, some news reports a few years ago suggested John Garang consciously spent much money on modernising his army, money intended for development.

UN warns Darfur's aid operation may collapse

Snippets from today's Reuters report on latest UN statement on Darfur - UN warns Darfur's aid operation may collapse:

"The humanitarian community cannot indefinitely assure the survival of the population in Darfur if insecurity continues," said the statement from 14 U.N. agencies working in Sudan.

Darfur humanitarian operation, employing almost 14,000 aid workers and costing more than $1 billion.

Foreign journalists have been banned from travelling to Darfur for the past two months to report on the situation.

Many aid groups refuse to travel with an AU escort in Darfur, saying the force itself has become a target for attacks and is unable to defend them.

Dangerous place Africa.

Pope Benedict XVI names new ambassador for Sudan

Sudan has over 40 million inhabitants, the majority Muslim; 12% of the population is Catholic. - (Zenit.org) via Sudan Tribune

Darfur NRF to reject AU mediation if Sudan accedes to African presidency

Sudan is to assume chair of AU by end of this month? Sudan Tribune publishes statement by NRF rebels threatening to reject AU mediation if Sudan accedes to African presidency. It seems to me what is going on in Darfur is a long drawn out attempted coup. Some days I think IDPs may as well just stand up and start walking, forget about Sudan, settle elsewhere and get on with life.

UN Pronk says harrassment of UNMIS has intensified

From Jan Pronk Weblog January 14, 2007:

In November and December the position of the Government of Sudan has become stronger. The Security Council has failed to address violations of earlier agreements concerning peace in Darfur. On the contrary, the Government has been accommodated in order to get some concessions. These will not result in a change of the situation on the ground. [edit]

Harassment of the UN Mission in Sudan has intensified during the last two months. Sudanese authorities can easily resort to such harassment, because they have not been challenged by UN Headquarters in New York, nor by the Security Council or by Governments of Member States. Some weeks ago one of our officials went to see the authorities in Darfur in order to raise a number of violations of human rights. The answer was exemplary for the self-confidence of those who have chosen to disregard any form of criticism: "You better shut up. We can always expel you, as we have proven".

Full story.

Darfur: A tragedy without end (Eric Reeves)

Excerpt from a comment by khartoumi published at Guardian's Comment is free/Eric Reeves' A tragedy without end:

(2) Sudan Tribune is an exile oppositionist on-line journal (based in Paris), who as such have no qualms about reporting materials unfavourable to the regime in Khartoum.

(5) It will certainly come as a surprise to the Libyan and Egyptian peoples that because they happen to speak Arabic, that a careful expert on affairs Arab and African happens to believe that they are, after all, Arabs.

(8) My wife happens to come from the West of Sudan, with relatives in Darfur itself.

(9) I am resident in Sudan. Neither Eric, nor you, as far as I am aware is so well placed to comment on affairs Sudanese.

Also, excerpt from comment by @MsWoman and @Helen01

As PapaKarl points out, Eric Reeves is a very questionable source. For instance, I find his gaff about the political composition of the Sudanese government very revealing. If anyone should know that the at-Turabi Islamic Front are *not* the government of Sudan, it is Professor Reeves. If he does not, then he is to be discounted. If he does, then he is being maliciously deceptive.

Sudan qualifies for debt relief but no relief has come - Bank of Sudan chief sees 2007 growth up to 13 pct

As from Wednesday the Sudanese pound will begin to replace the dinar, at a rate of 1 pound to 100 dinar. Therefore, $1 = 201 Sudanese dinar = approx 2 Sudanese pounds. See Reuters report Jan 10 2007 via ST - and this excerpt about Sudan being denied debt relief:

The governor said a huge drawback to Sudan's growth was the external debt of around $27 billion.

Sudan has met all the IMF and World Bank requirements to qualify for debt relief as many developing countries have, but for political reasons no relief has come.

Almost 50 percent of Sudan's external debt is accumulated interest or penalties and 90-95 percent of it is overdue.

Ongoing violence in Sudan's western Darfur region and U.S. sanctions are seen as reasons why it has not been given debt relief.

"The debt size is actually depriving us from getting access to international financial markets ... we are completely deprived of any concessional resources ...either bilateral or from multilateral development institutions," Hassan said. ($1 - 201 Sudanese dinar)

If, like other countries, Sudan qualifies for debt relief, it ought to receive what is fair. I might have scoffed at that a few years ago but not now, not since I saw SLM-Nur walking away from Darfur's Peace Agreement.

200 die in Darfur during week of intertribal battles

Jan 13 2007 AP report (via WP) by Mohamed Osman, tells us:

More than 200 people have died in clashes between ethnic African farmers and nomadic Arabs in South Darfur in the past week, leading the Sudanese government to send emissaries to try to reconcile the tribes involved, officials said Saturday.

Is this true? That the clashes are between Africans and Arabs? I'm still not understanding. In my eyes, they are all Sudanese, fighting their own people.

Creation of a new rebel group in Darfur, Great Sudan Liberation Movement (GSLM)

Slippery eels. A new Darfur rebel group has been announced last week by a breakaway faction of SLM - Minni Minawi group who signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) on 5 May 2006. See first statement of the Great Suydan Liberation Movement.

JEM has not agreed to 60-day Darfur truce

You'd think journalists would check their facts before printing stories, ie phone JEM to ask if they've agreed a 60 day ceasefire before publishing reports based on a press release. Thanks to an anonymous reader for sharing link to JEM statement 12/1/07 Darfur rebel JEM denies 60-day truce with Sudanese government, via ST. Here is no surprise, excerpt from the statement:

The Meeting has never discussed the Movements entering into a 60-day truce at all. However, Mr. Richardson informed us that he had convinced President Albasheer to accept such a ceasefire. For our part, we restricted our commitment to N'djamena Protocol and have never debated the 60-day agreement.

The above JEM is a breakaway faction of Ibrahim's JEM that joined Darfur's NRF rebel group.
- - -

Excerpt from commentary at World War 4 Report - Darfur: JEM denies ceasefire:

Big news is that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has brokered a ceasefire in Darfur. The small news is that no, he really didn't. And maybe, contrary to media portrayals, the JEM is correct not to take the bait, given that previous "ceasefires" have only co-opted Darfur's guerilla resistance into instruments of the Sudan regime's ethnic cleansing.

UK Parliamentary briefing on Sudan

Today, via email from a Sudan Watch reader, here in the UK - with thanks:

Wanabehuman: Politics: Parliamentary briefing on Sudan

Sudan, Darfur rebels agree 60-day ceasefire (Reuters)

Today's Reuters report by Opheera McDoom - excerpt:

Richardson said that while no agreement had been reached yet to let in U.N. fighting troops, Bashir was not as hardline in the latest discussions as he had been last year.

"I note flexibility in his position," he said. "When I first was here five months ago he was dead set against any U.N. troops. Now there's some flexibility as ... there are technical U.N. blue-helmeted troops that will be permitted." "Not fighting troops ... but it is progress," he said.

Bashir wrote to former U.N. chief Kofi Annan in December saying he had agreed to a 'hybrid operation' in Darfur, softening his position and allowing U.N. personnel to support the AU mission.
Richardson said details of a "third phase" of that hybrid operation were still unclear. Annan described it as a hybrid AU-U.N. force deploying up to 10,000 U.N. peacekeepers, but Khartoum insists it is just giving stronger support to the AU.

"Phase three is something that is still being negotiated or there are still details to be worked out," Richardson said. But the political process to maintain a ceasefire is more important, he added. "You can't keep a peace without a peace."

Bill Richardson gets commitment for 60-day cease-fire in Darfur?

Hope this is true. Via freenewmexican.com (CFD has link to longer PDF version)

Press release, Governor's Office - January 10, 2007 - The Governor's office released the following statement a few moments ago:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Gets Commitment for 60-Day Cease-Fire in Darfur Region of Sudan

KHARTOUM, SUDAN - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced that he has secured a commitment from Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al Bashir to agree to a 60-day cessation of hostilities in the Darfur region to allow for a new political process under the Darfur Peace Agreement and the auspices of the African Union and the United Nations. Governor Richardson also spoke this week with rebel leaders who said they would agree to a cease-fire. If all parties follow through with the cease-fire, the A.U. and the U.N. will convene a Peace Summit on March 15 under the framework of the peace agreement.

Governor Richardson also secured the following commitments from President Al Bashir:

- Agreed not to have the National military aircraft painted in white markings normally reserved for international organizations.
- Agreed that government forces would attempt to improve security conditions in all areas of Darfur with special emphasis on El Geneina, and would provide protection to food and other humanitarian convoys.
- Agreed to expedite procedures for entry visas for all humanitarian aid workers as well as goods. He also agreed to terminate the requirement of exit visas for humanitarian aid workers.
- Agreed to allow and facilitate travel by journalists from all over the world to Darfur.
- Governor Richardson and President Al Bashir reiterated that gender-based violence and such crimes must be condemned and prosecuted regardless of which party or organization was responsible. President Bashir said he would welcome a significant contribution of female members to the AU/UN hybrid operations. In addition the Justice Minister offered analyze and extend existing efforts to support Sudanese women against all gender-based violence.

A word of caution noted at Stephen W. Terrell's Web Log. Today's related reports at POTP Jan 10 2007 (sorry permalink still not working at the site).

Sudan's Bashir: "All we need is funding for the African troops"

Sudan's president says UN forces not needed in Darfur (Jan 10 2007 AP report by Nedra Pickler via G&M) excerpt:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said Wednesday that African Union forces can maintain order in Darfur and United Nations forces are not needed.

"Our experience with UN operations in the world is not encouraging," Mr. al-Bashir told an Associated Press reporter Wednesday at his residence.

"There are sufficient forces in the Sudan from African countries to maintain order and they can provide order. All we need is funding for the African troops."

Mr. al-Bashir has resisted intense international pressure to allow UN peacekeepers to help bring stability to the region.

His latest comments came at the end of a meeting with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

US launches air strike in Somalia

Somalia's interim Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Aideed said the US 'have our full support for the attacks', the Associated Press news agency reported. - Full story by BBC 9 Jan 2007: US launches air strike in Somalia.

NGOs targeted - Aid workers beaten, raped in SLA controlled Gereida, S Darfur

Action Contre la Faim (Action Against Hunger) said Friday its 23 employees were among the 71 NGO personnel evacuated after the attack, which occurred in Gereida, in southern Darfur, on the night of December 18.

ACF said "NGOs were clearly targeted", but did not identify the assailants. The area is controlled by the rebel Sudan Liberation Army.

Full story by AFP 5 Jan 2007 via ST.

Save Darfur Coalition arranges for U.S. Governor (Democrats) Bill Richardson to fly via private jet to Sudan

Interesting. I wonder how much this trip cost. Save Darfur Coalition strikes me as a political group. Copy of AP report via Sudan Tribune - Bleak assessment of Darfur as Richardson starts mission:

Jan 7, 2007 (KHARTOUM) - Governor Bill Richardson got a bleak assessment of the deteriorating situation in Darfur as he arrived in the Sudanese capital Sunday, hoping to lay the groundwork for peace in the region.

On a 17-hour overnight flight, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations worked on a plan to broker a ceasefire, continue the flow of humanitarian aide and persuade Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to allow U.N. peacekeepers.

On arrival, Cameron Hume, the top U.S. diplomat in Sudan, laid out Richardson's challenge. "I don't think anybody's strategy is working," Hume told Richardson at the airport.

The Democrat from the U.S. state of New Mexico, a few advisers and officials with humanitarian groups flew aboard a private jet for the trip arranged by the Save Darfur Coalition. The group asked for Richardson's help in trying to improve the situation in Darfur because he has negotiated successfully with al-Bashir in the past.

Richardson planned to meet with the president on Monday, then fly to Darfur on Tuesday to see rebel leaders.

"I'm not discouraged," Richardson said after the briefing from Hume. "I think we make some measurable progress if we can help the ceasefire and the humanitarian situation and possibly start a united political process that helps the U.N. peacekeeping effort alive."

Hume explained at his hour-long briefing that violence is on the rise in Darfur, making it more difficult for humanitarian groups to travel and distribute aid. He said there have been occasions of rebel groups attacking humanitarian offices, stealing their vehicles and assaulting workers.

Hume said African Union troops that are supposed to be providing protection have slowed patrols, meaning it is more critical that U.N. forces get in the region. So far, al-Bashir has allowed only 20 civilians to be sent in for assistance.

Asked why al-Bashir has permitted the visit of Richardson and activists who have criticized his government, Hume smiled. "Well, first of all he likes the governor," he said. "I think it also has a fact to do with elections in the United States, looking beyond the Bush administration. I don't think they feel threatened by the delegation."

Richardson plans to announce soon whether he will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The trip to Sudan helps highlight Richardson's extensive international experience as he prepares for a possible run in a competitive field.

Sudan orders air strikes on Darfur before arrival of UN peacekeepers

Sunday Telegraph report by Jonathan Erasmus in Darfur, 7 Jan 2007. Excerpt:

In October, The Sunday Telegraph witnessed Sudanese soldiers loading bombs on to Antonov aircraft at El Fasher air base in North Darfur before a number of villages were attacked.

Last week, new arrivals at the Otash camp in the South Darfur capital, Nyala, said they were forced to flee their villages when government helicopter gunships opened fire on them.

Under the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) signed in Abuja, Nigeria, last May, Sudan had agreed not to carry out aerial attacks in Darfur. But rebel groups say Sudanese Antonov bombers have been conducting raids on Jebel Marra and the North Darfur regions of Anka, Um Rai and Kutum.

A senior Sudanese Liberation Army commander told The Sunday Telegraph: "We were prepared to adopt a ceasefire. Just two days later our positions were bombed by the government.

"These kind of attacks are what we have come to expect from Khartoum, they are doing what they can before the UN arrives."

Escalations in fighting and government aerial attacks often happen when new peace agreements or resolutions are signed.

"When a deadline is set for there to be a change in what is happening in Darfur, the number of attacks on villages and towns increases along with clashes between rebel groups and the government," said one aid worker.

"With the latest resolution, it now looks imminent that UN troops will be on the ground here. But every time there has been any progress in terms of peace agreements, you can be sure that factions of rebel groups and the government will do what they can to secure territories for their own and weaken the other side."

UN aid organisations in Darfur say they have been told that Sudan has also said that there must be no senior UN officials in the region, only junior officials who would act under orders from the AU.

UN officials in Darfur say they have not been told when they will be seeing the blue berets of the UN troops but only that the troops that come are likely to be made up of soldiers from African nations.

One UN official added: "The implementation of the latest resolution will prove challenging, with AU commanders in certain regions of Darfur not wanting to concede that they need support from the incoming UN troops."

In the meantime, Sudanese forces are using the interim period to attack the territories held by rebels who have not signed up to the DPA and are therefore legitimate targets.

Darfur rebels say Sudan govt is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs

BBC news report Jan 5 2007 - UN in new peace drive for Darfur - excerpt:

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum.

The rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs.

Arab militias responded to try to put down the uprising. The government denies accusations from the rebels it is backing the militias.

I wonder about the above title, if it is the insurgents responsible for creating the myth of Arabs v Africans in Darfur.

As I recall, some of Eric Reeves' old essays on Southern Sudan's recent war were peppered with the word 'genocide'. My point is, trying to understand whether what the media is telling us - that the aim of Arabs in Sudan is to wipe out Africans in Darfur - and why they aren't all just classed as Sudanese.

I don't know if every Sudanese person is officially registered at birth and death. Sudan is huge, the size of Europe. It's bound to have a national identity problem with so many different tribes, languages, customs, dialects. Around 75% of Sudanese are illiterate. I'm not surprised it continues to be ruled by a stick. When I watch film re-enactments of battles in ancient China and the bloodshed there thousands of years ago, I'm not surprised Sudan understands China. We're told world population growth is too great, that 6 billion people on this planet is two thirds too many. Maybe I'm reaching the conclusion that wars and genocide are a natural course of life and evolution.

Megite is One of "The new 100 most useful sites"

Check out Megite, one of The new 100 most useful sites recommended by Guardian Unlimited. See Megite Blog.

Lakes States governor details plan to quell insecurity

Via Sudan Tribune - speech of Lakes State Governor on the Cultural Awareness Week under the auspices of ministry of Information and Culture Lakes State - excerpt:

"...with the introduction of my security measures and tours all over the state from mid September through November, there is relative peace and tranquillity realized now.

Since October there are no cases of sectional or tribal fights and cold blood killings reported.

People are now moving freely in greater Yirol and other parts of the State without fear and hostilities.

My strategies and efforts of quell the insecurity in the State is through well studied systematic approach in four stages.

These stages are as follows:

1- Law and Order: in this stage we are imposing disarmament and arresting culprits to face charges and investigations.

2- Application of Justice: in this stage the criminals and all accused persons must face justice in fair trials in the courts of law.

3- Public Reconciliations: in this stage the state Government will involve churches, leaders of the communities and all stakeholders in process of healing and harmony.

4- Sustainability of Peace through Development: in this stage we will encourage both public and private sectors in the development of our state; which will in turn provide the employment to our people and hence keep them out of the troubles.

[cut]

In the area of water and pasture which attract serious competition and conflicts among our communities during the dry season, we have a pledge from government of South Sudan (GOSS) to excavate and deepen some of our rivers and Lakes. The work will start very soon with their two rivers; Bahr-Naam and Bahr-Gel. It is also in our agenda to create water reservoirs (Haffir) and more hand pumps to provide water for both human and animals.

Africa: castrating Africa

Africans are having too many children they can't pay for - Pascal Sevran Told Apologise or Quit

Via Global Voices -� Africa: castrating Africa - Jan 4, 2007, filed under the sub heading of Sub-Saharan Africa/Racism:

Sotho writes a short, but thought provoking piece titled, Castrating Africa: Pascal Sevran is a French TV host. In his latest book, "Le Privilege des Jonquilles," he says, "The black man's dick is responsible for hunger in Africa."

Note how we all see things differently. I'd have filed that item not under the sub heading of Racism but something else, ie War & Conflict/Ideas/Freedom of Speech.

UN reports tribal clashes in Darfur, 7 Killed and 30 Wounded

Jan 4 2007 AP news report (via ST) - excerpt:

UN reports tribal clashes in Darfur, 7 Killed and 30 Wounded:

AU peacekeepers are still being held hostage since their car was hijacked in December, as are five Sudanese water engineers seized in October.

Some 118 vehicles were stolen in Darfur in 2006, of which 28 were recovered and 90 are still missing, the U.N. said.

I wonder how and where the bandits buy fuel for the missing 90 vehicles. Don't recall seeing any photos of petrol stations in Darfur.

Africa deserves the leadership it gets

Excerpt from Joshua Wanyama's commentary at his new website African Path 20 Dec 2006:

"... it took Kenyans since 1963 to 1992 to vote for a president. 40 years! And to think that we grew up in schools learning our country's history and civics convinced that we live in a democratic country. How can a people be led so blindly? The ones who saw this injustice were silenced while everyone else suffered in silence. Therefore we deserved the leadership we got.

Most African countries gained independence and our grateful masses entrusted absolute powers to the leaders who fought to free us from oppression and colonization. Now this does not mean the leaders we got actually fought, all it means was that some were at the right place at the right time. Kenyatta was a freedom fighter as were others but once they got power, their true colors came out. The famous George Orwell book "Animal Farm" comes to mind every time I think of African leadership. "All animals are equal, but some who are more equal than others."

After all, This is Africa."

Joshua Wanyama is a Kenyan currently in Minneapolis. He has set up a news and blog aggregator site for Africa starting Jan 1st, 2007 called African Path - and has developed a similar model for the Middle East at http://www.arabisto.com that went live on 9/25/06. Best wishes and good luck to all involved!

U.S. CENTCOM's Media Engagement Team For the Media - Rewards for Justice

Check it out: U.S. CENTCOM's Media Engagement Team - For the Media.

**Shiver** Browsing around CENTCOM's site, I found a link to a creepy site called Rewards For Justice.

Libya to build statue of Saddam

Jan 4 2007 BBC report excerpt:

Saddam Hussein was president of Iraq from 1979 until 2003.

Libya has said it will build a statue of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, executed in Baghdad on Saturday. It would show him standing on the gallows with a Libyan resistance leader who fought Italian occupation, executed in 1931, Libya's Jana news agency said.

Libya declared three days of mourning after Saddam Hussein's death and cancelled public celebrations around the Eid religious holiday.

On the eve of the hanging, Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi said Saddam Hussein was a prisoner of war who must be tried by Iraq's invaders, the US and Britain, according to Reuters news agency.

Flags on Libyan government buildings flew at half-mast following his death.

[hat tip www.Arabisto.com - news and commentary on the Middle East]

All of our children are precious...

A Canadian blogger wants to send toys to poor children in Sudan. I'd like to chip in and send them some art materials, water engineers and world class land rights lawyers.

British diplomat gets top UN job

Good. Sir John Holmes will replace Norway's Jan Egeland as under-secretary-general for political affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator.

Full story icWales 4 Jan 2007.

PS If anyone finds news on what is happening with Norway's NRC and Darfur's Kalma camp, please share - thanks.

UN removes 4 peacekeepers from Sudan after abuse

Fact of life, a barrel of good apples can contain a few rotters. AP report via ST:

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jane Holl Lute said Tuesday night that the allegations could be true, but "these environments are ones in which it is difficult to ascertain the truth."

She said she has personally spoken to the force commander and chief of staff in the U.N. mission in southern Sudan "and I know they are very well briefed on what U.N. policy is and have taken steps to implement that policy across the board in that mission."

"But we don't have the facts yet in this case, and we need to ascertain the facts and follow it through to appropriate resolution and take action if necessary," she said.

Lute, who served in the U.S. Army for 16 years, said vigilance on this matter has to be "a constant factor of life when you're rotating through 200,000 troops in as diverse environments as we do."

Candace Feit's photography exhibit examines Darfur

Senegal-based photojournalist Candace Feit, whose work has been featured in Time, The New York Times and Le Monde, will exhibit photos of Darfur, Sudan, as well as photos that show life in other parts of Africa.

Via PoughkeepsieJournal 3 Jan 2007

Job opportunity: Genocide Intervention Network

Genocide Intervention Network is seeking a Chief Operating Officer. The job description can be found via Pienso.

SLM Nur's latest Mission Statement

Today, the Sudan Tribune published copy of 2 Jan 2007 Mission Statement by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Alnour. Note, in the statement, Mr Nur refers to his group of bandits as "an independent political movement." Also, he signed the statement as Chairman of the SLM/A even though he was, reportedly, impeached last year.

I've lost track of how many "independent political movements" freely roam Sudan, carrying mortars and guns with which to murder and maim fellow citizens. Getting to the truth about Sudan's bandits and other mysterious forces - and people like Nur - is like trying to nail down mercury.

From what I can gather, we know very little about the ringleaders in the Darfur war and nothing about how (and why) they manage to operate so easily from Europe. I find it strange they don't appear to be subjected to the same travel/immigration rules as the rest of us. I wonder what they declare as their occupation and funding when completing visitor Visa forms.

UN Council has five new members; Russia chairs

The council presidency rotates monthly, according to the English alphabet, with Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, taking over for January from Qatari Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser. - Reuters 3 Jan 2007.

UN Ban Ki Moon's in-tray

Today, Harvard educated Ban Ki Moon (former South Korean Foreign Minister) takes over as UN chief. Excerpt from today's Times report by James Bone in New York:

BAN'S IN TRAY

Control nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran
Stop the bloodshed in Darfur region of Sudan
Renew Israeli-Palestinian peace process
Prepare Iraq and Afghanistan for democratic civilian governments
Co-ordinate global responses to climate change, the spread of Aids and Third World poverty
Restore trust in UN after Oil-for-Food scandal
Retain American backing while reaching out to all member states
Find consensus for an expanded Security Council which reflects the 21st century but appeases the current permanent members

Virtual Darfur event in Second Life

An event in Second Life is being held at The Infinite Mind virtual broadcast center, and will be simultaneously broadcast in two other locations in Second Life: Camp Darfur, and Global Kids, on the Second Life teen grid.

The virtual "Our Walls Bear Witness - Darfur: Who Will Survive Today?" photography exhibit will be open in Second Life until January 31, 2007.



Photo from Darfur via U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum mixed-media event to be featured as part of virtual reality program

Source: FUTURE-MAKING SERIOUS GAMES: Serious Games Event At The Infinite Mind Virtual Broadcast Center blog entry 1 Jan 2007

New film/blog: Christmas In Darfur

Christmas In Darfur: A Blog

World Day of Peace marked in Dublin

Today is World Day of Peace - the Irish Examiner reported:

The theme for the 40th celebration of the World Day of Peace is The Human Person, the Heart of Peace.

"We in Ireland share fully this ideal and this focus," he [PM Bertie Ahern] said. "In our Constitution, we as a nation affirm our devotion to the ideal of peace and friendly cooperation between nations founded on international justice and morality.

"We recognise that the dignity and freedom of our people are preserved by our Constitution's protection of their fundamental rights."

Mr Ahern said that through more than 25 years of recent conflict on the island of Ireland, we have remained focused on pursuing its peaceful resolution.

"We believed that the problem of Northern Ireland could only be resolved through consent, the pursuit of equality and human rights, the rule of law, and dialogue involving all the parties to the conflict," he continued.

"Our experience on this island has shown that a just and lasting peace is built over time, sometimes slowly, but always with patience and determination.

"In Northern Ireland I am hopeful that this work of construction is nearing completion.

"Its capstone is support on the one hand for power-sharing and on the other hand for policing and the rule of law.

"Once these elements are in place, as I hope they will be very soon, we will see the real benefits that devolved Government can bring to all in the community."

Irrigation and development of Sudan's rich resources could solve intertribal fighting?

Listen up Reuters et al. Excerpt from Workers World by Sara Flounders (via Sudan Vision June 4 2006 - The U.S. role in Darfur, Sudan):

The U.S. corporate media is unanimous in simplistically describing the crisis in Darfur as atrocities committed by the Jan jawid militias, supported by the central government in Khartoum. This is described as an "Arab" assault on "African" people. This is a total distortion of reality.

As the Black Commentator, Oct. 27, 2004, points out: "All parties involved in the Darfur conflict - whether they are referred to as 'Arab' or as 'African,' are equally indigenous and equally Black. All are Muslim and all are local." The whole population of Darfur speaks Arabic, along with many local dialects. All are Sunni Muslim.

Drought, famine and sanctions

The crisis in Darfur is rooted in intertribal fighting. A desperate struggle has developed over increasingly scarce water and grazing rights in a vast area of Northern Africa that has been hit hard by years of drought and growing famine. Darfur has over 35 tribes and ethnic groups. About half the people are small subsistence farmers, the other half nomadic herders. For hundreds of years the nomadic population grazed their herds of cattle and camels over hundreds of miles of grassy lowlands. Farmers and herders shared wells. For over 5,000 years, this fertile land sustained civilizations in both western Dar fur and to the east, all along the Nile River. Now, due to the drought and the encroaching great Sahara Desert, there isn't enough grazing land or enough farmland in what could be the breadbasket of Africa.

Irrigation and development of Sudan's rich resources could solve many of these problems. U.S. sanctions and military intervention will solve none of them.

January 6th, date for effecting DPA security arrangements

Dec 28 2006 Sudan Vision news report by Al Sammani Awadallah:

January 6th, Date for Effecting DPA Security Arrangements

The Government of Sudan, the movements that signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and the movements that expressed their commitment to the agreement have agreed that the military movements to be merged into one movement to facilitate the implementation of the security arrangements on the ground in three phases.

The manager of the Armed Forces spokesperson office Lt. Colonel Alswarmi Khalid stated in a press conference, yesterday, that starting from the coming 6 of January the sights of these movements in Darfur will be visited to register the forces to prepare for the merge. Alswarmi stated that the forces would be classified in the period from 13 to 20 of January to be merged in the armed forces according to the regulations. Alswarmi confirmed the commitment of the armed forces with the implementation of the resolutions of the three formed committees.

The chairperson of Power Committee Mr. Mohamed Yousif noted to the steps taken in the implementation of the power file confirming that the government cannot intervene in this regards because the issue has been left for the signatory movements.

On his part the Chairman of Wealth Committee Alfatih Mohamed Saeed stated that 200 million $ has been allocated in the budget of 2007 for the rehabilitation of Darfur beside 30 million $ for the compensations. He added that the committee of defining the basic needs, which will be submitted to the donors' conference in Holland, next April, has finished great part of its task.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ambassador Ali Alsadig stated that the contacts between the United Nations Secretary General and President Al Bashir has concentrated on the implementations of the UN support packages to the African Union forces operating in Darfur . Alsadig revealed that foreign military experts would provide technical and logistical support to AU.

Sudan's literacy rate = 20% to 27%

Sudan's national or official language: Standard Arabic.

Literacy rate: 20% to 27%

Blind population: 110,000

Deaf institutions: 1.

The number of languages listed for Sudan is 142. Of those, 134 are living languages and 8 are extinct.

Source: Ethnologue report for Sudan

UN report recommends robust monitoring and protection mission to E Chad & NE CAR

Dec 30 2006 news report by Mark Turner, entitled UN snubs calls to shield refugees, tells us:

The United Nations peacekeeping department has rebuffed calls by the Security Council for a force to protect refugees in Chad and shore up its border with Sudan, warning that any UN presence there would face big risks.

In a report seen by the FT but not yet officially re-leased, the UN says: "Conditions for an effective UN peacekeeping operation do not seem to be in place at this time."

"Should the Security Council decide to pursue the idea of establishing a UN presence in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR . . . it should consider authorising the deployment of a robust monitoring and protection mission," it said.

[hat tip CFD and POTP]

George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe report on their visits to China and Egypt

Excerpt from an email I've received from a British blogger (who keeps well up to date with news)

"I'm with Sudan Watch and it is entirely in China's power to influence the situation just by witholding the enormous monies it is distributing around the continent.

Darfur is a world issue mixed up - sadly - with the usual national/commercial interests, and was about time it was pushed up the agenda."

I wonder what it would take for bloggers to get Darfur up on the agenda of China and its bloggers. American bloggers Ethan and Rebecca (founders of Global Voices) keep the blogosphere up to date with China's policing of the Internet - it's a complex subject. (See Blogs and China correspondence - survey results)

I don't know if this blog can be read in China. It contains words such as "human rights" that might block readers in China. The sites stats show visitors from all over the world but rarely China.



Actors George Clooney (2nd R) and Don Cheadle (R), along with athletes Joey Cheek (L) and Tegla Loroupe, report on their recent trips to China and Egypt requesting assistance for the situation in Darfur, at the U.N. in New York December 15, 2006. REUTERS/Chip East (UNITED STATES)

Dec 14 2006 Xinhua report (via Peace Journalism) - Oscar-winning actor George Clooney visited China from Dec. 10 to 12, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang confirmed on Thursday.

PS If you are in China and can read this blog, please let me know - thanks!

Start a meme to push China to save Darfur.



Photo: Shenyang fighter. Dec 9 2005 ST - China sells fighter jets to Sudanese army

Sudan's Janjaweed report to no one?

Reuters report via ST 31 Dec 1006 - excerpt:

"The situation here remains like a tinderbox," said one aid worker who witnessed clashes in December in el-Fasher town before evacuated.

The Janjaweed "report to no one," the aid worker in el-Fasher said, adding "there is a huge amount of tension between the Janjaweed, the government of Sudan and the police."

Note, Sudan Watch archives tell us Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal says Sudanese government call to arms is carried out through tribal leaders.

SLA ceasefire agreement negotiated by AU's Aprezi on Friday

Dec 31 2006 Aljazeera report AU accuses Sudan of Darfur raid:

Sudan's air force has carried out new bombing raids against two rebel areas of Darfur province, the African Union says.

The fresh attacks on Saturday threatened to de-rail a peace deal between Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), the main rebel group, the AU said in a statement on Sunday.

The bombings came just a day after African Union (AU) officials visited the area on Friday to secure their commitment to a ceasefire, Luke Aprezi, commander of a 7,000 strong AU force in Darfur said.

One rebel group confirmed the attack, but did not say much damage had been caused.

"For the first time, I visited them [rebels] in the field in Um Rai [North Darfur] ... and I was able to get a ceasefire commitment from them," Aprezi said.

"Unfortunately [Sudan's army] went and bombed the area and it looks like I led them to the area to get bombed."

The meeting was held on Friday and he notified the government of it, he said.

Aprezi's AU force, hampered by lack of equipment and funds, has struggled to stem the violence in remote western Sudan.

A government army spokesman said there was no confirmation of this in Khartoum.

"Darfur commanders cannot undertake bombing operations without the knowledge of central command in Khartoum," the spokesman told Reuters news agency.

"But we in central command are completely committed to the ceasefire."

Following the new bombings, it was unclear if rebel groups would honour the ceasefire negotiated by Aprezi on Friday.

Sudan's Taha urges Darfur rebels to join DPA

Taha said the occasion comes, at a time when the country is observing several celebrations such as the independence and peace days, for Darfur holdout groups to joint Darfur Peace Agreement. - ST

Amnesty's Irrepressible.info

Amnesty International, with the support of The Observer UK newspaper, has launched a campaign to show that online or offline the human voice and human rights are impossible to repress.



To find out more about this campaign, visit irrepressible.info.

Sending Sudan 100 million origami 'peace bombs' (in my dreams)

New Year's Eve pipedream: drinking water and education for everyone, gainful employment for all bandits and unemployed youth.

One of my favourite news stories from Sudan Watch archives, dated 5 Dec 2004:

The Thai government has dropped an estimated one hundred million paper origami birds in an unusual peace bid.

The birds were dropped by military planes over the country's Muslim south after a surge of violence in the area.



School children spread out nets to catch the falling paper birds.

Full story BBC News, Bangkok 5 Dec 2004

AU Statement: GoS Antonov bombed Anka and Um Rai, in N Darfur

Text of African Union Statement (via ST 31 Dec 2006):

AFRICAN UNION
AFRICAN MISSION IN SUDAN
STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CEASEFIRE COMMISSION

At Approximately 15.00 hours yesterday, Friday 29 December 2006, the Chairman of the Ceasefire Commission, Major General Luke Aprez,i was informed that Gos Antonov was bombing two locations, Anka and Um Rai, in North Darfur.

These localities are the places where he held a meeting with the SLA-NSF Commanders on Wednesday and obtained their commitment to a Ceasefire.

This attack by GoS is a seriously disturbing development, especially given that the GoS Representatives at the level of Darfur and Khartoum gave their consent to this meeting, and assured AMIS Leadership, not to attack unless attacked. It also has the potential to derail the current efforts to broaden the support base for the DPA process and make it more inclusive.

Consequently, the Chairman of the CFC calls on the GoS to desist from further bombardment as not to scuttle the fragile ceasefire.

Khartoum, December 30, 2006

Note the report does not clarify whether Sudanese forces were provoked to attack. As I recall, somewhere here in the archives of Sudan Watch are news reports over past two years quoting GoS promise not to fly its bombers over Darfur. [Update: I've found a link - On February 5, 2005 the Sudanese government said it would remove all its Antonov planes and would not use them at all in Darfur, where it had been accused of using the aircraft to bomb villages.



Also note Aug 1 2006 UN News Centre - SAF Antonov bombing of Hassan village, Kulkul, N Darfur: Ceasefire Commission probing violation of Security Council Resolution 1591 (2005)

TEXT-letter from Sudan's Bashir to UN's Annan re Darfur hybrid force

Dec 23 2006 TEXT-letter of Sudan's President to UN SG on Darfur hybrid force - via ST Dec 31 2006.

Internet auction raises double its target to help UN feed hungry children

Via UN News - Internet auction raises double its target to help UN feed hungry children:

The popular blog for international 'foodies' (http://chezpim.typepad.com), founded by Thai-born Pim Techamuanvivit, ran the two-week online auction in the lead-up to the holiday season with the goal of raising $25,000 for UN World Food Programme (WFP).

By the time the auction ended just before Christmas, Ms. Pim had raised $58,000, providing an early seasonal gift for hungry children living in places like Darfur, Niger or Bangladesh.

Great work, well done!

Interview: SUDO's Adeeb Yousif

Dec 28 2006 VOICES ON GENOCIDE PREVENTION Interview - excerpt:

Human rights advocate for Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO), Adeeb Yousif, speaks with Bridget-Conley-Zilkic about his work in Darfur, the changes that have taken place since he began working with SUDO, and what he believes are the next steps toward peace. He specifically focuses on uniting the rebel groups to find a lasting political solution to the conflict.

SADDAM EXECUTED - How should we react?

I've spent the past two hours watching BBC tv news, live from Iraq. Saddam Hussein's execution for crimes against humanity took place around 6am Iraq time (3am GMT) today. Can't watch anymore, feeling sickened. I agree with David's blog entry SADDAM EXECUTED - How should we react? and would much rather have seen Saddam Hussein serve the rest of his life in prison.

David is a British blogger and Conservative living in Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
- - -

See today's Sudan Tribune article: Sudanese government condemns Saddam execution.

Dec 30 2006 GV - The Iranian Blogestan on Saddam Hussein's death

Dec 30 2006 GV - Saddam at the Iraqi Blogodrome...



Cartoon by Latuff, via Global Voices

Dec 30 2006 Lord of the Blog, The Weblog of Lord Soley of Hammersmith: Saddam Hussein: We have many such breeding grounds for people like Saddam in the world today and still no effective way of dealing with them.

Dec 30 2006 Mashable - Saddam's Execution Video Makes it to Google Video, YouTube, Revver

The Sudanese Thinker - Saddam's Execution: A Truly Historical Moment

Jan Pronk Weblog: Sudan has become a National Security State

See Dec 27 2006 Jan Pronk - Weblog - excerpt:

Sudan is no democracy. It is not a dictatorship either. A conglomerate of power groups is ruling Sudan. This conglomerate is not transparent and in a delicate balance. It is a combination of military, business, national security and ideological groups. Some of these groups are more enlightened than others, keen to open up the Sudanese society, not only for foreign capital, but also for liberal ideas concerning democracy and human rights.

Sudan can gradually become a democracy, with the help of the CPA, if fully implemented. Its democracy can find a base in the new Constitution, provided that National Security Law will not set this Constitution aside. Presently that seems to be the case.

Sudan has become a National Security State. During 2006 other groups, mainly interested in maintaining power and strongly focussed on the economic interests of a specific class, have gained influence within the conglomerate. Those are the groups behind the forces mentioned above. They do not control the President, but the President is fully aware of their power. Presently he seems to be more inclined to listen to their views than to those of the more enlightened ones.

First batch of UN force arrives in Sudan

Via IndianMuslims.info Khartoum, Dec 28 (NNN-SUNA):

The first batch of the assistance package provided by the UN to the AU contingent in Darfur consisting of 20 policemen and 18 military experts, mostly from African and Asian developing countries, will arrive in the town of Al Fashir Thursday.

Sudan rejects joint AU-UN force for Darfur

Dec 28 2006 VOA news report by Peter Heinlein - excerpt:

Sudanese U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Wednesday poured cold water on Secretary General Annan's hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough in his last days in office.

"It is not a joint force. Let there be no confusion about it. We are not talking about any joint force by the United Nations and the African Union," he [Abdalhaleem] said.

Sudanese media says UN fails to provide first batch of support to AU

Via Sudanese Media Center:

UN Fails to Provide the First Batch of Support to AU
Wednesday 27 December 2006
Khartoum (Sudanvisiondaily)

The United Nations has failed to provide the first batch of support to the African Union forces in Darfur that include providing experts and technicians.

The Tripartite Mechanism meeting, yesterday, reviewed the three batches of assistance and the commitment of the United Nations to provide equipments, civil experts and technicians to the African Union forces operating in Darfur.

The government coordinator in the Tripartite Mechanism and the Director of Peace Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alsadiq Almagli told Sudan Vision that the United Nations has provided only 43 experts out of the 105 promised.

Almagli revealed that the United Nations did not provide any civilian experts from the planned 45 and has provided only 24 civil police personnel out of the 33 promised Almagli said that the United Nations will hand those experts to the African Union this week, adding that the list provided by the United Nations was not complete, confirming that the government will provide all the necessary facilitation for the United Nations support to the African Union.

Almagli stated that the experts provided by the United Nations are Africans, confirming that the government has expressed its readiness to provide all the necessary facilities for the United Nations.

On his part AMIS Spokesman Nouraddin Mezni stated that the meeting is considered to be the real beginning for implementing the support batches, confirming that the government and the African Union have provided a joint list of the needs for the first batch.

Mezni revealed that there are 9 civil police experts in Al Fashir and 15 others in Khartoum. Mezni stated that the government of Sudan has expressed its readiness to facilitate the United Nations support to AU.

On his part the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Ali Al -Sadiq said that the second meeting of the Tripartite Mechanism aimed at coordinating activities, noting that the next meeting will be convened in next January.

UN advisers to be deployed this week in Darfur

Dec 26 2006 AFP report via ST - excerpt:

Forty-three military advisers will be deployed in Darfur as part of a three-phase UN plan aimed at bolstering the struggling AU force there, AU spokesman Nourredine Mezni said Tuesday.

"The first group of this contingent composed of nine policemen is already in place, and this week 43 military advisers and 15 police advisers will follow," Mezni said.

It was agreed that UN military and police officers will wear their national uniforms with a blue UN beret. In addition, they will wear an AU armband, the UNMIS bulletin said.

Janjaweed destroy village in N Darfur

Dec 26 2006 via Sudan Tribune - excerpt:

A joint UNMIS and OCHA assessment mission on 23 December visited the village of Abu Sakin in North Darfur. The village was found to be completely deserted and looted, with more than 50 houses burned to the ground, the UNMIS bulletin reported Tuesday.

"There are reports that Arab militia continue to loot and patrol the area to deter villagers from returning. There are reports that several thousand villagers are hiding in nearby hills" the bulletin said.

Government police and National security have stepped up the number of road blocks in El Fasher (North Darfur), following the shooting on 23 December of a police officer and an increase in the number of carjackings.

Last month, the African Union blamed Khartoum for worsening security situation in Darfur. The African Union said on Saturday 16 November the situation in Sudan's troubled Darfur region was worsening due to the return of re-armed Janjaweed militia and Khartoum's resolve to use military force.

"The security situation in Darfur is fast deteriorating mainly because of the re-emergence of Janjaweed militias," said an AU communique issued at the end of a meeting on Darfur.

"(They) seem to have been supplied and rearmed and have been carrying out nefarious activities with impunity in parts of Darfur, particularly in areas controlled by the government of Sudan."

The statement added that another cause for the decline was Khartoum's insistence on a military option to quell the conflict.

Note the AU describes the militia as Arab. Sorry, I still don't get it: why are they called Arab and not Sudanese?

Sudan's Bashir 'backs UN plan on Darfur'

President Bashir says Sudan agrees to the first two parts of the UN plan - deployment of new staff and equipment to the African Union force followed by a larger support package. However, the third part of the UN plan - the size and command of the new force - is not finalised in the letter. Full story BBC Dec 27, 2006.

Dec 27 2006 AP report by Edith Lederer (via Guardian) - Sudan President Accepts U.N. Peace Deal:

Al-Bashir said peace talks aimed at a political settlement should be expedited, blaming rebels who have not signed the peace agreement for continued attempts to undermine the accord and overthrow the Sudanese government.

He told Annan that the next step should be a Security Council resolution endorsing the agreements reached at the November meetings in Ethiopia and Nigeria "and authorizing immediate financial support for peacekeeping in Darfur."

Note Mr Bashir never blames the janjaweed.

John Garang's security proposal for overseeing Darfur ceasefire - Child soldiers in Janjaweed and NMRD

Snippet from Sudan Watch archives dated Feb 9 2005 - Child soldiers in Janjaweed and breakaway Darfur rebel group NMRD:

Leader of the SPLM/A John Garang has proposed the deployment of a tripartite force -- one-third each from the government, the SPLA and the AU -- to oversee the Darfur ceasefire and end the bloodshed. "You really do need a robust force in order to be able to sufficiently protect the civilian population," Garang said Monday in New York.

[SLA rebel leader] Nur welcomed the participation of the SPLA in such a force, but said the government, which he accused of complicity in attacks against civilians in Darfur, cannot be part of that force. "We cannot accept that," he said.

Video profile: Mark Hanis GIF

National Geographic has a video profile of Mark Hanis of the Genocide Intervention Network - see Coalition for Darfur: Darfur: The Activist. Sorry can't open it using my browser.

Egypt welcomes Security Council statement on Darfur

Dec 21 2006 Sudan Tribune - excerpt:

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed a statement issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) two days ago on means of handling the Darfur crisis.

He considered the statement as an important step to reach an international agreement on the optimal means of dealing with the repercussions of the Darfur stand-off., the state-run MENA reported.

In press statements Thursday 21 December, Aboul Gheit asserted that the statement reflected the international community's inclination to overcome the differences that ensued from Resolution 1706.

- - -

Dec 19 2006 Security Council statement

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT OF UNITED NATIONS
SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN UNION'S SUDAN MISSION, INCLUDING HYBRID OPERATION IN DARFUR

Darfur: It Is Best to Stay Out (Christopher Caldwell)

This blog author concurs with opinion piece here below, especially where it says

"Darfur is not just sadists on one hand and victims on the other. It is a war. We have only the vaguest picture of what kind of war it is ...

Darfur is a problem the west should touch only with a very long stick."

Note also, the piece correctly refers to the Sudanese government as Islamist (unlike many other journalists who choose to use the words "Arab-led") and tells us only 7 per cent of Americans consider Darfur a top foreign policy priority, according to an NBC News poll in October.

Dec 18 2006 commentary by Christopher Caldwell, Finanical Times - Darfur: It Is Best to Stay Out [hat tip CFD]:

Those urging military action in Darfur have in recent days been joined by influential US and UK policymakers. The Islamist government of Sudan has not only encouraged so-called Janjaweed militias to run riot in the rebellious province, where roughly 200,000 have died. It is also refusing to admit 20,000 United Nations peacekeepers, who would supplement 7,000 overburdened African Union soldiers already there. The west is showing signs that it has had enough. This week, Tony Blair, prime minister, urged a no-fly zone over Darfur. There have been hints of a US "Plan B" to be implemented in the new year, and this newspaper reported on Wednesday that the US had drawn up plans for a naval blockade.

There is a hitch, though, to any international intervention. China buys two-thirds of Sudan's oil and has invested $7bn (£3.6bn) there. Hence Khartoum's double-digit growth, its stock exchange, its new office buildings. China - like Russia before the Kosovo war or France before the Iraq one - might exercise its veto on the UN Security Council. Therefore, some Nato "coalition of the willing" might have to "go it alone" in Darfur. Prominent former officials from the Clinton administration have urged just such a course. But Darfur is a problem the west should touch only with a very long stick.

Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Sudanese leader, says there are fewer than 9,000 dead and that all this talk of mass killings is only the pretext for invading a Muslim country. He is either lying or mistaken, but that does not matter. Much of the Muslim world believes the US attacked Afghanistan for its natural gas reserves, not because of 9/11. Anti-Americanism is such a powerful force that whenever the US involves itself in anything, US power becomes the issue. American public opinion, sensing this, has grown isolationist. A common strand of thought in the wake of November's elections is that the world - not just the Muslim world but an important part of Europe, too - has pronounced its verdict on US influence; now let the world see how it likes the consequences. Americans may have enough patience to unravel the misadventure in Iraq, but they are not calling for an encore. Only 7 per cent of Americans consider Darfur a top foreign policy priority, according to an NBC News poll in October.

George W. Bush, US president, tried to raise the temperature by describing Darfur as a "genocide" at the UN in September. This was a mistake. Genocide, as most people understand it, means trying to exterminate a race. But under the 1948 convention that the UN uses, it means a variety of acts, including non-lethal ones such as "causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group", that are "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group". The words "in part" mean that almost any indiscriminate killing of civilians can constitute genocide. Meanwhile, International Criminal Court prosecutors announced on Thursday that they were preparing the first Darfur-related arrest warrants, another mistake. Threatening leaders with life sentences in the Hague turns a situation that might conceivably be resolved by diplomacy into a fight to the death.

One can argue about whether this is a genocide, but the pictures being evoked in western minds are oversimplifications. Darfur is not just sadists on one hand and victims on the other. It is a war. We have only the vaguest picture of what kind of war it is. Is it a race war, pitting the Arabs of Khartoum against the blacks of Darfur? Is it a civil war over money and natural resources? (The rebels, too,have looted aid convoys and clashed with African Union peacekeepers.) Is Khartoum running a classic, Guatemalan-style, dry-up-the-fishpond counter-insurgency? Or is this just one front in a brewing east Africa-wide war of Islamist expansion, of which the guerrilla war in Chad and the threats of Somalia's new fundamentalist leaders against Ethiopia are all a part?

Which of these wars do we think we are joining? On whose side? The aftermath of toppling Saddam Hussein shows this question to be nearly unanswerable. But it would be hard to intervene without making enemies. The one action with the best chance of changing the mind of Khartoum - destroying or blockading its oil industry - would greatly impoverish the 35m Sudanese who are not Darfuri.

The decision about which war to fight would be taken out of western hands the moment troops started landing. The number of troops necessary to pacify Darfur is often placed at 20,000, with only 5,000 elite western troops necessary to do the "heavy lifting", as The New Republic puts it.

These numbers may be wild underestimates. What if Khartoum attacked the Christian south again, confronting Nato - much as Slobodan Milosevic did when he began razing Kosovar villages after air attacks - with a choice between exposure of its hypocrisy or a massive commitment of ground troops?

Some people seem to be nostalgic for the pre-September 11 days when the west could fight symbolic wars against marginal countries in the name of human rights. Others see a chance to restore the west's humanitarian credentials, after the political quagmire in Iraq. This betrays a short memory and mistakes the war's outcome for the war's rationale. Iraq, too, was once a humanitarian cause.

But the lesson - not just of Iraq but also of the debacles in Somalia and Kosovo that made it possible - is that there is no such thing as a humanitarian invasion. The west can destroy the Sudanese government and punish its leaders, as in Iraq. It can support one group of brigands over another, as in Kosovo. It can feed people for a while, as in Somalia. However, humanitarian their motivations, though, military operations turn political the moment they are launched, with consequences that are wildly unpredictable.

I wonder what Werner would think of that article.

France, steeped in genocidal blood, must face trial (Andrew Wallis)

So far, 29 comments at Dec 05, 2006 Times Online opinion piece by Andrew Wallis entitled France, steeped in genocidal blood, must face trial.

The Darfur Wall and The Darfur Foundation

New website named the darfur wall lists Eric Reeves among the organisations it supports and, for more information about the Darfur conflict, recommends two other sites: Eric Reeves' and Wikipedia.

Sudan agrees to U.N. role in Darfur but commander must be African and peacekeepers must be mostly African

Dec 23 2006 AP report by Mohamed Osman, Khartoum - Sudan agrees to U.N. role in restive Darfur (via PG) - excerpt:

Mr Annan said he had received an optimistic report from an envoy sent to Khartoum, encouraging him to "think we may tomorrow receive a green light from President Bashir for a full cease-fire, a renewed effort to bring all parties into [the] political process and deployment of the proposed African Union-United Nations hybrid force."

[Sudanese FM spokesman] Mr Magli said his government had not yet seen Mr Annan's statement, but it was true that "Sudan has confirmed to the [U.N.] envoy that it would sit down for peace talks with the rebel factions any time, anywhere."

He said the world should pressure rebel factions that did not sign a May peace accord "to come to ceasefire talks and to stop attacking. But for us in the government, yes, we have confirmed our commitment to the ceasefire."

Earlier this week, Mr Annan wrote to Mr Bashir, saying the United Nations would make every effort to find African peacekeepers, but, if that proved impossible, it would use "a broader pool of troop-contributing countries."

Mr Annan said the first phase of the plan would enhance the AU force by 105 military officers, 33 UN police and 48 international staffers, according to a copy of the letter released by the UN. But he said the mission would eventually have a minimum strength of 17,300 troops, 3,300 civilian police and 16 additional police units.

Mr Magli said his government accepted that phase, but insisted that the number of troops would be negotiated by the force commander and delegates from the United Nations, the African Union and Sudan.

- - -

Dec 23 2006 BBC report: Sudan 'to accept UN Darfur force'

UK provides extra 15 mln pounds to AU Darfur force

The United Kingdom said Friday that it was providing an additional GBP15 million to African Union peacekeepers in Darfur.

International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said the new funds will help fund the African Union Mission in Sudan's operations in the first six months of 2007. The funding is besides the 20 million pounds (A29.8 million, US$39.3 million) the British government provide for this year's operations.

"There is an urgent need for the international community to provide sufficient funds to support the force. The U.K. is fully committed to playing its part in meeting that need," Benn said in a statement.

He said that the humanitarian situation in the Darfur would be even worse if the 7,000-member AU force weren't there and urged other donors, particularly the Arab League to commit further funds to the force.

Full story by AP 22 Dec 2006 via ST.