Leader of Sudan's Umma party, killed in a car crash

Sudanese opposition leader killed in car crash
November 22, 2008 Associated Press report:

KHARTOUM, Sudan - The secretary general of a Sudanese opposition party was killed in a car crash Saturday on a highway outside the capital, dealing a blow to the party as it prepares for elections expected next year.

Abdel Nabi Ahmed, of the Umma party, was driving with his two sons south of Khartoum when the accident occurred. His sons survived.

Party officials said his death comes at a critical time for the party, with national and presidential elections expected in 2009.

Originally from Darfur, Ahmed, 58, was seen as a figure capable of rallying the people of the vast western region of Sudan, where rebels have been at war with government forces and allied militiamen since 2003.

The party has captured Darfur votes in past national elections. The party's leader, al-Sadek al-Mahdi, was the last democratically elected prime minister. He was unseated in 1989 by current President Omar al-Bashir in a military coup.

The Umma party has since splintered into a number of factions.

Party leader al-Mahdi was not in Sudan Saturday, but was expected to return for Ahmed's funeral Sunday, said Sara Nugdallah, a senior party member.

Mourners began to gather Saturday outside the party's headquarters in Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, Sudan's capital.

+ + + Rest In Peace + + +

UN launches $2.2 billion 2009 Sudan Work Plan, part of the largest predominately humanitarian appeal in the world - $1.05 billion is for Darfur

This news report makes one think about the number of lives and taxpayers' dollars, and unimagineable grief and suffering, that a handful of so-called "rebels" have cost Sudan, Chad and the rest of the world over the past 25 years.

The UN's fifth annual Work Plan for Sudan, valued this year at $2.2 billion, is part of a $7 billion appeal - the largest predominately humanitarian appeal in the world - $1.05 billion is for Darfur alone.

One wonders how many taxpayers' dollars are needed for the UN's 2009 Chad Work Plan, not to mention Northern Uganda and DR of Congo where, compared to Darfur, worse things are happening to a lot more people, especially women and children.

WORK PLAN FOR SUDAN IS LAUNCHED IN GENEVA 

Excerpt from (UN/MaximsNews) Press Briefing by Michele Montas, Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, UN Headquarters, New York, Thursday, November 20, 2008:

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes in Geneva today participated in the launch of the 2009 Sudan Work Plan, which is part of this year’s seven billion dollar Consolidated Appeal launched yesterday.
 
The largest component of the 2009 Appeal, the Work Plan for Sudan is valued at $2.2 billion.

This fifth annual work plan remains the largest predominately humanitarian appeal in the world. 

Almost half of the funding, or $1.05 billion, is for Darfur, where approximately 4.5 million people continue to be in need of aid after six years of conflict. 
 
In Darfur, out of a population of more than six million, some 2.7 million people have been displaced, mostly into camps, and millions more require life-saving assistance in some form.
 
Elsewhere in the country also there is an urgent need for humanitarian support, not just to save lives but to shore up a peace process that remains fragile.
 
In some regions, more than half the people do not have access to clean water, and many less have proper sanitation.
 
In the east, malnutrition rates are over the emergency threshold, and in parts of Blue Nile diarrhea is still a leading cause of death.
 
In 2008, the United Nations and its partners managed to build and repair roads and schools; clear mines; vaccinate children; provide food, water and shelter to millions; and help thousands of Sudanese uprooted by conflict to return home  Continuing violence, however, did hamper programmes, and resources were stretching by rising international commodity prices.

Meanwhile, I'm hard pressed to find news of anyone expressing outrage that Sudanese rebels still roam around Sudan and Chad with truck-mounted rocket launchers, grenade launchers and machine guns while their leaders freely travel and direct their Darfur war from bases in Europe where they enjoy freedom, Western hospitality and luxurious lifestyles. See photos here below.
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Darfur SLM rebel group leader Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur



Photo: Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur, Chairman of Darfur rebel group Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) in self imposed exile in Paris, France.



Photo: Fat cat SLM chief Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur is too much of a scaredy cat to live with his followers in Sudan. Coward.

See report from Paris, France Oct. 20 2008: SLM chief dismisses reports about meeting with Sudan’s First Vice-President in Chad.
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Darfur JEM rebel group leader Khalil Ibrahim



Photo: From the left Pagan Amum, Khalil Ibrahim, Yasir Arman and Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth are posing for a photo, somewhere in Darfur not far from Chad border Oct 30, 2008 (Photo E.L. Gatkuoth/ST)

See Sudan Tribune article from Washington Oct. 30 2008: SPLM and JEM agree to strengthen relations - SPLM’s Salva Kiir and JEM’s Khalil Ibrahim to meet very soon -official
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Rebel bases make the Sudan-Chad border a powder keg



The following series of photos and captions are from The New York Times report by Lydia Polgreen April 13, 2008 - Rebels’ Border War Prolongs Darfur’s Misery. Photos are by Lynsey Addario for The New York Times.



The rebels call it a base, but it is nothing more than a dry riverbed. At the border with Sudan, Chadian rebels are fighting a proxy war involving two of Africa's most divided nations. Habib Adam, 15, rode around with other rebels near their base camp on the border with Chad in West Darfur, Sudan.



The rebels paused and looked back as a trail of Arab militiamen, known as the janjaweed, passed by their camp last month, mounted on camels. The crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan has raged for the past five years and has also engulfed Chad. About 200,000 refugees have fled into the borderlands, chased by Arab militiamen and government attacks, setting off ethnic battles in Chad that echo those in Darfur.



Chadian rebels drove through West Darfur, Sudan, early last month. The rebels say they receive logistical support from Sudan because they share the same goal of removing Chad's president, Idriss Déby. In early February, this loose rebel coalition very nearly managed to dislodge Mr. Déby in an offensive that almost reached the palace gates.



The rebels' base boasts an impressive array of hardware, including truck-mounted rocket launchers, grenade launchers and machine guns.



A young rebel showed off for a photographer with a weapon. "In Darfur, arms are like sticks," said Ibrahim Hassan, one of the rebels. "They are everywhere. You just need to bend down and pick one up." Political analysts, diplomats and even the combatants acknowledge that both Sudan and Chad are supporting and arming rebellions on each other's soil, and the accusations issued by each capital have grown increasingly bellicose.



The Chadian rebels' camp in West Darfur. Close to a dozen Chadian rebel groups operate in this arid no man's land and each says it will use its rifles and rockets to bring freedom and development to Chad, an oil-rich nation that is nonetheless one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world.



Two rebels stood by a multiple rocket launcher and rocket-propelled grenades at their camp. The rebel groups strung out along the border have been portrayed as pawns of Sudan. And fears that a pro-Sudanese government could seize power in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, have led much of the world to stick by Mr. Déby, despite the increasing repressiveness of his rule.
- - -

UPDATE - posted 24 November 2008

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Date: 20 Nov 2008 - via ReliefWeb
Statement by John Holmes, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on the occasion of the Sudan Work Plan launch

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Date: 20 Nov 2008 - via ReliefWeb
2009 UN and Partners Work Plan for Sudan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Dozens of Sudanese soldiers, some high-ranking officers, are in The Hague to testify before the ICC

Photo: The International Criminal Court in The Hague

November 21, 2008 Radio Netherlands report by Mohammed Abdulrahman - Sudanese officers to testify at ICC. Excerpt:

Dozens of Sudanese soldiers, some of them high-ranking officers, are in The Hague to testify before the International Criminal Court. Radio Netherlands Worldwide learned of the soldiers' role in the trial from a well-informed source today.

The court is trying Sudan's government and rebel leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, including the bombing of civilians.

Relatives of the witnesses have also been taken to The Hague to protect them against possible retaliation by the Sudanese government. ICC officials declined to comment on the matter, saying this would violate the court's commitment to protect witnesses and victims.

Rebels

Three rebel leaders were also declared wanted by the ICC on Thursday. They are accused of war crimes in relation to an attack on an African Union peacekeeping base in Haskanita, Darfur, which killed 12 peacekeepers. The prosecutor claims he has information on the identity of the rebel commanders who were allegedly responsible. He is soon to present the evidence in court.

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November 20, 2008 (AFP) report via France 24.com - ICC prosecutor seeks warrants for Darfur rebel leaders , Excerpt:

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked judges Thursday to issue arrest warrants for three rebel commanders over a deadly attack on African peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region in 2007.

"I will not let such attacks go unpunished," said Luis Moreno-Ocampo of the incident, in which 12 African peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded.

Moreno-Ocampo made the comments in a statement issued after he presented his case to judges of the ICC in The Hague.

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that these rebel commanders bear criminal responsibility ... for murder, intentionally directing attacks against personnel and objects involved in a peacekeeping mission and pillaging."

Moreno-Ocampo is seeking warrants for an attack, blamed on rebel groups, on African Union (AMIS) peacekeepers in Haskanita, southern Darfur, on September 29, 2007.

It claimed the lives of seven peacekeepers from Nigeria, and one each from Senegal, Mali and Botswana. The identities of two others were never released.

"The individuals against whom the arrest warrants are sought were commanders of rebel groups in Darfur that carried out the attack," said Moreno-Ocampo.

"As commanders, they planned and directed the attack. They commanded forces of around 1,000 men in a convoy of approximately 30 vehicles mounted with heavy weapons to attack AMIS peacekeepers."

The prosecutor would not divulge the names of the rebel leaders or that of their militia groups.

"This is confidential information, because we assess that the best way to ensure they appear before the court is to keep their names confidential for a while," he told AFP.

"Many rebel leaders have said that if the court calls them they will appear. While the judges decide on the warrants, they now have the chance to appear on their own accord. They know who they are."

Photo: Nigerian soldiers bury their colleagues who were killed whilst serving on an African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission to Darfur in 2007. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court's prosecutor has asked judges to issue arrest warrants for three rebel commanders blamed for killing 12 AU peacekeepers in 2007. (AFP Pius Utomi Ekpei)

More cat & mouse games: Britain says Sudan news agency interview with FM a hoax

Here's a fishy story from Sudan Tribune today. See related stories here below.

Britain says Sudan news agency interview with FM a hoax:

November 20, 2008 (KHARTOUM) - An interview with published by Sudan official news agency (SUNA) with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband yesterday is fabricated, according to a statement by the British embassy in Khartoum.



“The statements that SUNA news agency attributed to the Foreign Secretary David Miliband on November 19 are completely inaccurate” the embassy spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Foreign Secretary did not give any interview to SUNA. Nor did he speak about Sudan in the terms described during his recent visit to Damascus” the spokesperson added.

SUNA’s reporter in Damascus quoted Miliband as saying in an interview that London and Paris are working together to introduce a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution deferring International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

“The UK supports the international efforts undertaken in the UNSC aiming to suspend a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir for another year” Sudan’s state agency quoted Miliband.

“We realize that these international measures will not solve the crisis but will complicate it even further and may be put the future of peace in Sudan on the brink of collapse” he added.

But the British embassy stressed that UK policy regarding on the ICC is “unchanged”.

“The UK continues to urge the Government of Sudan to co-operate with the ICC and to take bold, ambitious and concrete action to bring peace in Darfur” the embassy spokesperson said.

In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. In early October ICC judges have officially started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year.

The African Union, Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) called for invoking Article 16 which allows the UNSC to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.

But Western members of the UNSC such as US and France made it clear that they would veto such a resolution was introduced at this point in time.

Sudanese officials have expressed increasing optimism that they can secure a suspension before the end of the year.

SUNA published a report this week saying that France and Britain have agreed to boost efforts to push for a deferral following efforts exerted by Syria, the current president of the Arab League, to persuade the two permanent members of the Security Council.

But asked about the news, French diplomatic sources speaking with Sudan Tribune from Paris expressed surprise and reiterated that France had not changed its initial stance on the necessary cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statute, but the UN Security Council (UNSC) triggered the provisions under the Statute that enables it to refer situations in non-State parties to the world court if it deems that it is a threat to international peace and security. (ST)

Note, SUNA's article made Lord Mark Malloch-Brown look bad. It would make him look good if the article was rubbished and/or retracted. I believed SUNA's article (and still do) which is why I published it here at Sudan Watch. More later, if I can find more. Meanwhile, here is some background to the cat and mouse games being played between UK, France and Sudan. The media is being used to fight a war. Clever stuff. Much better than using violence. More entertaining too.

September 14, 2008 Sudan Watch:
UK works with France to block ICC's prosecution of Sudan's President Al-Bashir



Photo: Lord Malloch-Brown UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa (AFP)

September 18, 2008 - Sudan Watch: Hey Africa correspondent Alex Duval Smith: Is your report in the Guardian's Observer true or what? - British official denies plans to freeze ICC indictment of Sudan’s Bashir

September 20, 2008 - Sudan Watch: TRANSCRIPT & VIDEO: Lord Malloch-Brown in Darfur discussion at the Frontline Club



Photo: French Ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Maurice Ripert (AP/ST) September 19, 2008 - Sudan Watch: France says will block any UN resolution seeking to suspend ICC indictment of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir - UK denies plans to block ICC indictment of Sudan’s Bashir



Photo: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008 (AP)

November 20, 2008 - Sudan Watch:
UK supports international efforts undertaken in the UNSC aiming to suspend decision by the ICC to indict Sudan's president Al-Bashir says UK's FM

November 20, 2008 via Sudan Tribune:
France surprised by reports on efforts to suspend ICC move

November 19, 2008 (PARIS) - France expressed surprise over reports disseminated by the Sudanese official media about French and British efforts to suspend the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction on Darfur crimes.

The official news agency SUNA published two days ago reports saying that France and Britain have agreed to boost efforts to vote for a Security Council resolution invoking article 16 of Rome Statue to suspend any indictment of Sudanese president.

SUNA said this move comes after efforts exerted by Syria, the current president of the Arab League, to persuade the two permanent members of the Security Council.

Asked about the news, French diplomatic sources speaking with Sudan Tribune from Paris expressed surprise and reiterated that France had not changed its initial stance on the necessary cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Last October Paris informed a Sudanese delegation led by senior presidential adviser Nafi Ali Nafi that there is no alternative to cooperating directly with the ICC to achieve justice in Darfur.

ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked pre-trial judges last July to issue arrest warrants for Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir.

Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir’s arrest.

A number of regional organizations including the African Union (AU), Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned Ocampo’s request and called for a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution deferring Al-Bashir’s indictment.

Speaking at the Assembly of ICC states parties on November 14, the French Ambassador to Netherlands Jean-François Blarel repeated the official position of his country, which leads the European Union, on the necessary cooperation with the ICC.

The European Union "intends to take this opportunity to reiterate the obligation to cooperate with the Court required from the Government of Sudan under resolution 1593 of the Security Council of the United Nations. That obligation to cooperate is not negotiable."

Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the UNSC invoked the provisions under the Rome Statute that enable it to refer situations in non-state parties to the world court if it deems that it is a threat to international peace and security.

Related stories at Sudan Tribune:
France says ceasefire is not enough to suspend ICC indictment
France denies agreeing to Chinese proposal on Darfur war crimes
France turns down request by Sudan for mediation with ICC

Thanks to The New York Times for linking to Sudan Watch and Congo Watch

Thanks to the Editors at The New York Times for bringing traffic to Sudan Watch and Congo Watch. Here is a copy of today's (Nov. 20) "Headlines Around the Web" at NYT page on Sudan:

Sudan Watch
November 20, 2008
UK supports international efforts undertaken in the UNSC aiming to suspend decision by the ICC to indict Sudan's president Al-Bashir says UK's FM

The Associated Press
November 20, 2008
ICC prosecutor seeks warrants in third Darfur probe

Mick Hartley
November 20, 2008
Ban Speaks Out

BBC NEWS
November 19, 2008
UN reports on fighting in Darfur

CNN
November 18, 2008
U.N.: Reports of fighting, bombing in Darfur

More at Blogrunner »

Note, they've selected Mick Hartley's blog post Ban Speaks Out which says a lot about their discerning taste. Someone has left a comment at Mick's post, saying:

Mick, your irreverence shocks me.

I feel like leaving this comment (but I won't because he enjoys being unkind and having a go):

Hey, pack it in Mick, you don't know what you're talking about when it comes to Ban Ki Moon and Sudan.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't bother ponting out his blog because he twists news too much for my taste but this time he went a step too far. I couldn't let him get away with insulting the great hardworking Ban Ki Moon for no good reason.

Here is a copy of my blog post at North Korea Watch, September 22, 2008.

Ban visits Republic of Korea for first time since taking helm at UN

This must be the trip of a lifetime for UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. My heart goes fuzzy warm whenever I see news or photos of him because he seems such a thoroughly decent and kind human being, the sort anyone would love to have as a relative. Even his name, Ban Ki Moon, sounds friendly and cheery.



Visiting his native Republic of Korea for the first time since assuming his post at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was given a red carpet welcome as he arrived in Seoul, where he and his wife Madam Ban (Yoo) Soon-taek were greeted by Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo (right). The ceremony included a 21-gun salute and a marching band. (3 July 2008)



Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Madam Ban (Yoo) Soon-taek take part in a welcoming ceremony at his birthplace, the village of Haengchi in the Republic of Korea. “This is the trip for which both my wife and I have been counting the days -- the trip back home,” Mr. Ban said. (5 July 2008).



Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pays respect to his ancestors at the village temple in his birthplace, Haengchi village, in the Republic of Korea. (5 July 2008)



Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon meets with Prime Minister Han Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea, who previously served as President of the United Nations General Assembly. (5 July 2008)



Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon receives a United Nations flag from Yi So-yeon, the Korean astronaut who recently carried the banner into outer space. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to praise the role of women in all fields of work, in the Republic of Korea and throughout the world. (3 July 2008)



Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon receives an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Seoul National University. “As leaders of tomorrow, you should embrace change, not fear it. By changing ourselves, we change the world. By changing the world, we change our destiny,” he told students. (3 July 2008)

Source: UN.org photo stories Homecoming for UN leader
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UPDATE

The New York Times editors have updated their selection of Headlines Around the Web. Today, Nov. 21, it looks like this, with a new post from Sudan Watch:

Opinio Juris
November 21, 2008
How Not to Wage a PR Offensive

Sudan Watch
November 20, 2008
Joint chief mediator Djibril Bassol meets Bahar Idriss Abu Garda, leader of JEM SLM splinter group URF, in El Fasher N. Darfur, W. Sudan

BBC NEWS
November 20, 2008
ICC fending off Darfur challenge

The Associated Press
November 20, 2008
ICC prosecutor seeks warrants in third Darfur probe

JURIST's Paper Chase
November 20, 2008
ICC chief prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Darfur rebel leaders

More at Blogrunner »

2,000 Sudan-Chad border troops to be deployed in January

November 17, 2008 report from Sudan Tribune - Sudan-Chad border troops to be deployed in January:

November 16, 2008 (NDJAMENA) - The deployment of 2000 troops from Sudan and Chad along the joint border could intervene next January, said the Congo Republic Foreign Minister Basile Ikouebe Sunday.



Photo: Chad’s President Idriss Deby Shakes hand with Sudan’s FM Deng Alor, in Ndjamena Nov 16, 2008

Foreign ministers of Dakar contact group charged with improving relations between Sudan and Chad wrapped a two-day meeting in the Chadian capital, N’djamena today. The member of ce group are: Chad, Sudan, Libya, Gabon, Congo Republic, Senegal and Eritrea.

Congolese foreign minister told reporters on Sunday that the deployment of 1,000 Chadian soldiers and 1,000 Sudanese soldiers is expected to take place during the first month of 2009. He further said that the joint force would monitor the border to observe there are no movements to destabilise the stability in one of the two countries.

The meeting which was chaired by the Chadian foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat, adopted the border force budget. It amounts to twenty-one million U.S. dollars.

The 7th meeting which would be held in Khartoum next January would finalize the establishment of the Observation Mission and the mechanism of troops’ deployment. Also, the meeting will define the duties of the general coordinator of the joint force.

Signed in March, the Dakar agreement, which is far from being the first peace agreement between Chad and Sudan, aimed for both countries to stop supporting proxy rebel fighters.

The agreement pledged to "prohibit any activity by armed groups and prevent the use of their respective territories for the destabilization of one or the other" in both countries.

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Note, Sudan Watch 20 November 2008: UN Panel of experts report to UN Security Council depicts an “undeniable” ongoing proxy war between Chad and Sudan

UN Panel of experts report to UN Security Council depicts an “undeniable” ongoing proxy war between Chad and Sudan

November 20, 2008 report by Daniel Van Oudenaren, Sudan Tribune - Sudanese intelligence service implicated in war against Chad, aid groups – UN experts:

November 19, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – Half of all humanitarian vehicles stolen or hijacked in eastern Chad whose whereabouts could thereafter be determined were found across the border in the Sudan in use by individuals associated with armed groups or Sudanese government officials, according to an investigation conducted by United Nations security.

This revelation was made in a report by a UN panel of experts published on Tuesday, in which the experts depict an “undeniable” ongoing proxy war between Chad and Sudan, decreased humanitarian access, increased displacement of civilian populations and severe violations of the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council.

The report includes more UN allegations against Sudanese security forces following the UN Secretary-General’s recent claim that Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) had detained and beaten two pilots operating World Food Programme helicopters, while holding the passengers on the aircraft at gunpoint in Golo, Northern Darfur on August 27.

“During the first six months of a wave of carjackings, United Nations security determined during its investigations the whereabouts of a number of vehicles. It established that 50 per cent of the stolen cars were to be found across the border in the Sudan in use with individuals associated with armed groups or Sudanese government officials,” said the panel of experts.

Over a roughly three year period up until the end of July, 129 UN or non-governmental vehicles were hijacked or stolen in eastern Chad, resulting in the death or injury of drivers or passengers in several cases. Fifty-seven of these vehicles have not been recovered to date, said the report.

Sudan and Chad normalized diplomatic relations in November, but Tuesday’s report to the Security Council revealed recent military activity aimed against Chad, coordinated by Sudan’s NISS intelligence branch.

The allegations implicate NISS, directly or indirectly, in some carjackings in Chad. The UN report gave the example of a Toyota Land Cruiser leased from a local merchant in Abeche in Chad by an international organization in May 2008. The vehicle was accosted by four men with automatic rifles, who stole the laptop computers and passports of four passengers. The Chadian owner later tracked the vehicle to El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, where it was being held by Gibril Abdullah, a militia leader and brother of the local police chief.

The merchant was extorted for $3,000 but still did not recover the vehicle, which was last seen in El Geneina freshly painted and inscribed in Arabic with the words “Border Guard,” which the UN panel called a proxy force supplied through military and security channels.

The UN experts presented evidence on coordination between Sudanese security forces and Chadian rebel groups: “Leaders of the Chadian armed opposition groups liaise directly with their NISS counterparts on attack strategy, and ground troops receive their allotted military supplies directly from NISS storehouses along with training in and around El Geneina. During its multiple visits to Western Darfur in 2008 the Panel has watched numerous technical vehicles and trucks clearly marked with the initials of different Chadian armed opposition groups circulating freely.

“In El Geneina itself, UFDD, UFDD-F, RFC and National Alliance vehicles and personnel openly move around town and interact closely with SAF. Resupply columns frequently visit El Geneina market and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF)-military warehouses in order to buy goods and receive supplies from the Government,” the experts told the UN Security Council, referring to the acronyms of Chadian opposition groups.

The panel, which arrived in the SAF-controlled area of Western Darfur in August, claimed to have frequently observed “clearly marked UFDD trucks moving in and out of Government compounds in El Geneina. The Panel has received reports of Chadian armed opposition groups receiving extensive military training on Darfur territory throughout this mandate period. Weapons training of all types has been reported across Western Darfur on different occasions.”

Reportedly, Sudan sends up to three daily flights of arms and other equipment to El Geneina.

The UN panel of experts noted that Chad is likewise engaged in supplying arms, ammunition, vehicles and training to groups opposed to the government of Sudan.

The UN panel of experts claimed that the government of Sudan had attempted to obstruct its investigations. The panel was established in 2005 pursuant to Security Council resolution 1591.

Sudanese-backed rebels and militias have launched attacks on Chad in each of the last three dry seasons, including two attempts that reached the Chadian capital.

- - -

The Head of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Service Salah Gosh says press censorship is necessary to protect the interest of the country

Thursday 20 November 2008 report from Sudan Tribune - Sudan spy chief defends press censorship rules :

November 17, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The head of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Service Salah Gosh defended the enforcement of press censorship rules in saying it is necessary to protect the interest of the country.



Photo: Salah Gosh (right) during the meeting with media figures November 19, 2008 (Sudanese Media Center/ST)

“The exceptional measures imposed on newspapers are a result of harmful and irresponsible practices that affected and still affect the nation’s higher and strategic interests” Gosh told a group of media figures today.

Gosh described the press censorship as “legal and constitutional” before adding that it is also “approved by the presidency”.

The statements by Gosh a day after Sudanese authorities arrested over 70 journalists who demonstrated outside the national parliament to protest against press censorship.

The journalists gathered to present a memorandum to the lawmakers asking them to revise Press and Media Law and to make it conform to the interim constitution.

Moreover ten Sudanese newspapers suspended publication on Tuesday as part of the growing protest against state censorship.

But Gosh dismissed the protests stressing that “censorship will not be lifted under pressure from anybody”.

“Censorship was lifted more than once and again imposed because of repeated violations by newspapers to journalism code of ethics and not considering the political interests, foreign and economic interests of the country” he said.

The Sudanese official left the door open for lifting censorship provided “freedom is expressed responsibly”.

The meeting between Gosh and the media figures established a six-man committee to come up with proposals to reach a compromise on the issue of censorship.

Freedom of the press was guaranteed in Sudan in a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of civil war between the north and south, but journalists have repeatedly complained about print-run seizures and other harassment.

Sudanese authorities have stepped up their censorship of Sudanese newspapers after the Chadian rebels backed by Khartoum launched an attack on Ndjamena.

Many Sudanese journalists at the time pointed fingers to their government of masterminding the attack on Ndjamena last February.

Gosh lashed out at journalists who made such allegations during a press conference at the time.

The spy chief, who appeared shaken at the press conference, said that some journalists want to be “fake heroes” by accusing the government of supporting Chadian rebels describing that as “cheap”.

“We know that there are some journalists who are in contact with some embassies and receiving money from them” he added.

- - -

Note this comment by Mr Point, at the article:

Sudan gets a bad report all around the world because of the harmful and irresponsible press censorship. No other country carries out such regular purge of the media. Salah Gosh should stop the irresponsible censorship. It is against national interests.

Joint chief mediator Djibril Bassolé meets Bahar Idriss Abu Garda, leader of JEM & SLM splinter group URF, in El Fasher N. Darfur, W. Sudan

Thursday 20 November 2008 report from Sudan Tribune - Joint mediator meets rebel URF in the capital of North Darfur:

November 19, 2008 (ELFASHER) — Joint Chief Mediator for peace in Darfur met today in the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, with the leadership of the rebel United Resistance Front (URF), the UNAMID reported today.



Photo: Bahar Idriss Abu Garda, leader of JEM & SLM splinter group URF (ST)

As part of his efforts to reenergize the peace process, Djibril Bassolé, held a meeting with the leadership of the URF. The UNAMID briefing didn’t provide further details about the members of this rebel delegation but the group is led by Bahar Idriss Abu Garda.

Abu Garda, who was formerly a prominent member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), created last April the URF with other small factions of Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) which splinted from his front last July.

According to the statement, the rebel URF "expressed readiness to comply with the ceasefire agreements, provided that it is not a one-sided declaration and that an appropriate framework is put in place."

The former rebel chief turned Senior Presidential Assistant, Minni Minawi last week told the official SUNA that he had contacts with rebel groups and he said they could join Abuja peace agreement.

ICC's evidence against rebel commanders - 1,000 rebels attacked AMIS' Haskanita camp in N. Darfur on 29 Sep '07 murdering 12 peacekeepers, injuring 8

November 20, 2008 Press Release from the International Criminal Court:

“Attacks on peacekeepers will not be tolerated”. ICC Prosecutor presents evidence in third case in Darfur

Today ICC Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, presents evidence to International Criminal Court (ICC) judges against rebel commanders for their alleged responsibility for crimes committed against African Union peacekeepers in Darfur on 29 September 2007.

This was the largest in a series of attacks against peacekeepers. A thousand of rebel-led soldiers surrounded and attacked the Haskanita camp in North Darfur, 12 peacekeepers were murdered and eight injured.

Such acts constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the ICC. “I will not let such attacks go unpunished”, the Prosecutor said.

Based on evidence collected during the third investigation in Darfur, the Prosecution has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe that these rebel commanders bear criminal responsibility in relation to three counts of alleged war crimes for murder, intentionally directing attacks against personnel and objects involved in a peacekeeping mission and pillaging.

“They planned, led their troops and directed the attack which killed 12 peacekeepers, severely wounded 8 others, and completely destroyed AMIS facilities and property, directly affecting aid and security for millions of people of Darfur who are in need of protection”, the Prosecutor said.

“No one is above the law“, noted Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo.

The Darfur situation was referred to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by Resolution 1593 adopted on 31 March 2005 by the United Nations Security Council. Investigations commenced in June 2005 and the Prosecution has focused on some of the most serious incidents and the individuals who, according to the evidence, bear the greatest responsibility for crimes in Darfur.

The International Criminal Court is an independent, permanent court that investigates and prosecutes persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

The Office of the Prosecutor is currently investigating in four situations: The Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Uganda, the Darfur region of Sudan, and the Central African Republic, all still engulfed in various degrees of conflict with victims in urgent need of protection.

For more information, please contact:
OTP Public Information Co-ordinator Florence Olara
Florence.olara@icc-cpi.int
+31 (0) 70 515 8723 (office)
+31 (0) 6 5029 4476 (mobile)

OTP Media Liaison Officer Nicola Fletcher
Nicola.fletcher@icc-cpi.int
+31 70 515 8071 (office)
+31 6 5089 0473 (mobile)

[Hat tip to AllAfrica.com ]
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See photos from Haskanita at Sudan Watch, Friday, November 14, 2008: ICC Prosecutor Ocampo seeks arrest warrants next week for rebels' attack on AU peacekeepers in Haskanita, S. Darfur, Sudan 29 Sep 2007 (Part 2)

UK supports international efforts undertaken in the UNSC aiming to suspend decision by the ICC to indict Sudan's president Al-Bashir says UK's FM

Thursday, 20 November 2008 report from Sudan Tribune - British FM pledges to defer Bashir indictment: Sudan state media:

November 18, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — London and Paris are working together to introduce a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution freezing ICC move against president Bashir, the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told Sudan official news agency (SUNA).



Photo: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday Nov. 18, 2008 (AP)

“The UK supports the international efforts undertaken in the UNSC aiming to suspend a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir for another year” Miliband told SUNA in an interview from Damascus.

“We realize that these international measures will not solve the crisis but will complicate it even further and may be put the future of peace in Sudan on the brink of collapse” he added.

Miliband’s statements contrast that of UK Foreign Office Minister for Africa Lord Malloch Brown who said in September that suspension “is a very bad idea”.

Since Sep 13, Eritrean govt has interfered with delivery of U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic pouches - Washington warns against travel to Somalia and Eritrea

Thursday 20 November 2008 AFP report via Sudan Tribune - Washington warns against travel to Somalia and Eritrea:

November 19, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The State Department issued yesterday a warning against travel to Somalia and Eritrea, following attacks in Somalia’s Puntland and Somaliland regions, and after the Eritrean government interfered with the delivery of U.S. diplomatic pouches.

"Kidnapping, murder, illegal roadblocks, banditry, and other violent incidents and threats to U.S. citizens and other foreigners can occur in many regions" in Somalia, the State Department said in a statement.

Five suicide car bombs ripped through key targets Oct. 29 in northern Somalia, including U.N. offices and a presidential palace, killing 19 people and the five bombers.

Noting that the U.S. has no diplomatic presence in the country, the statement said "U.S. citizens also are urged to use extreme caution when sailing near the coast of Somalia." A number of attacks and seizures by pirates have occurred in the waters off the Horn of Africa, "highlighting the continuing danger of maritime travel near the Horn of Africa," the State Department said.

In addition to unrest between rival political factions and clans in Somalia, the statement issued Saturday mentioned violent attacks in Mogadishu, border disputes in Somaliland, as well as kidnappings and attacks against international relief workers.

The State Department also warned against travel to Eritrea, noting that "since September 13, the government of Eritrea has repeatedly, and in violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, interfered with the unfettered delivery of the U.S. Embassy’s diplomatic pouches."

"Until this matter is resolved, the consular section of the U.S. Embassy has no choice but to suspend all non-emergency services." The U.S. Embassy in Asmara has been unable to receive "critical" materials and supplies such as U.S. passports, the statement said.

The State Department also noted heightened tensions along the country’s borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti and escalating tensions between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

ICC judges to review LRA cases in light of deal between Kampala and LRA - Ugandan army and LRA guilty of crimes against humanity says AI & UHRC

Oyeee! At long last, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Uganda's army (UPDF) are coming under the world's spotlight.

Give up and get down to doing an honest day's work all you cretinous lazy bum terrorists. We're watching you drugged up lowlife cowards getting your jollies from raping and killing women and children.

After seven long years, the West's war on terrorists and war criminals is starting to come to fruition. We'll get you. Plenty of room is now in place to accommodate war criminals at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

We use thermal imaging and satellites to track and watch you hiding under bushes. There's no hiding place for you on Earth. Big Brother knows where you are and what you are doing day and night.

Reports released on Monday by UK-based Amnesty International and Uganda Human Rights Activists (UHRC) find the LRA and UPDF guilty of crimes against humanity.

Uganda army guilty of crimes against humanity - AI, UHRC reports
November 17, 2008 PANA report from Kampala, Uganda via Afriquenligne:

As embattled Ugandan government accuses the vicious rebel force of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) of committing all sorts of atrocities on hapless civilians in the war-wrecked northern region, human rights groups have found its army guilty of committing similar crimes against humanity.

In separate "stinging" reports obtained Monday, both Amnesty International (AI) and Uganda Human Rights Activists (UHRC) accused the Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF) of turning their guns against civilians during their counter-insurgency operations against LRA and disarmament operations in the country's north-eastern sub-region.

AI, a UK-based human rights group, in a report based on a five-month study in no rthern Uganda districts of Gulu, Amuru, Kitgum, Pader and Lira, found widespread sexual and physical abuses perpetrated by both the government soldiers and rebels, leaving their victims traumatised.

"Hundreds are left impaired, unable to fend for themselves any more, yet discriminated by relatives and state authorities," Dr. Godfrey Odongo, AI researcher for East Africa and lead author of the report, stated.

"Many years on, victims and survivors of human rights violations still bear the scars of these violations (and) little has been done to ensure that they access effective reparations to address their continued suffering and help them to rebuild their lives.

"There was general impunity for soldiers who committed Human Rights violations a gainst civilians."

Dr. Odongo, who described the stinging reports as forward looking, said they focused on reparations rather than what happened or the violations suffered, citing a host of victims giving harrowing testimonies of the suffering they are undergong, caused by UPDF.

Geoffrey Okumu, a war victim, was quoted in the report as saying, in May 1990, government soldiers stormed their neighborhood, arrested and killed his father an d brother on allegations of being LRA rebel collaborators and possessing illegal guns.

"My father and brother denied the accusations but the soldiers took them away. Not very far from where I remained, I heard gunshots and later realised they had been killed. We had lost a bread winner (so) I dropped out of school to fend for my siblings," AI quoted Okumu as testifying.

In Amuru district, the reports quoted Rose Apio as saying that she watched four of her relatives die after being shot by government soldiers and is now struggling to raise four orphans left by her eldest brother killed in the bizarre shooting.

Martin Abit, 38, a resident of Pader District told AI that UPDF soldiers arrested his elder brother, a non-combatant, during a counter-attack on LRA and he was later killed together with "several other people".

"The UPDF battalion (in the area) took his body with them and promised to give the body to the family for burial but to this day, the body has never been returned to our family for burial," the reports quoted Abit as alleging.

"It is not clear if the government army took the corpse away to destroy evidence that would otherwise incriminate them in committing murder or for ritual purposes, a common practice in some parts of the country.

"Survivors need medical attention, counseling and psychological support. Formerly abducted children need access to education," the UK-based rights group asserted.

"Families need compensation for the deaths and injuries that occurred, restitution for their destroyed land and property, an apology for the violations and proper reburials for their loved ones.

"The government needs to start acting on these needs now," the report added in conclusion.

As usual, Army and Ministry of Defence Spokesman, Major Paddy Ankuda, poured scorn on the reports, saying AI cannot be taken seriously because people who should have given the side of the UPDF account were available but were never contacted.

"If there is any incriminating evidence that our soldier kills anyone, there is no shortcut; they face the law," Ankuda said on telephone Monday afternoon.

"The fresh allegations of human rights abuses by the UPDF chronicled by AI are "outrageous and indefensible," Ankuda shot back.

Since the United Nations sponsored International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants of arrest for LRA leadership to answer multiple charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, courtesy of Uganda government, there has been voices saying Uganda army too should face trial in the Hauge.

The indictment remains a sticking issue in the country's peace process brokered by Southern Sudan Vice President Dr. Reick Macar, with LRA leader Joseph Kony refusing to sign the final peace pact if not withdrawn.

Uganda Human Rights Activists (UHRA), in a separate report, stated that soldiers deployed in the disarmament programme code-named 'Operation Restore Hope' in July this year, are torturing and extorting money from residents in Teso and Karamoja sub-regions.

According to the report, Mr. John Ogwang, a resident of Kokong Parish, Kapir Sub-county, in Kumi District, died after he was reportedly tortured by soldiers in an attempt to get a gun from him.

"The late Ogwang was arrested 2 September by soldiers under the command of Major Alfred Obore Opio, from his village.

"They tied his arms behind the back before taking him to Kapir military barracks while being tortured to reveal where he kept a gun.

"By the time they reached (the barracks), Ogwang's body was swollen from head totoes. At the military detach, he was starved for two days till he collapsed," UHRC cited one, out of host of cases in its report.

"Although the operation has good intentions of getting rid of illegal guns in Teso, the officers have abused their authority and should be brought to book," the report, signed by UHRA Coordinator, Valentine Moses Oleico, suggested.

The 3rd Division spokesperson, Captain Henry Obbo, was quoted to have confirmed Ogwang's death, saying "he died while in transit from Kapir military detachment to Soroti police" base.

Captain Obbo also dismissed reports that Ogwang was starved to death while in their harsh custody.

I say, about time too! Too little attention has been paid to the atrocities committed by the LRA in Uganda, South Sudan, CAR and recently in the DR of Congo where they are hiding out in the jungle. No doubt special forces are on their trail.

Since the LRA have been on the rampage all over the place, why not in Chad, Darfur, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, I ask myself. Why have they been allowed to be on the rampage for 20 years? Who is behind this psycho terrorist group?

After 4.5 years of bloging news on the LRA, the conclusion I have reached is that they are off their heads, as high as kites on mind altering substances, and are worse than Al-Qaeda. More later.

See Uganda Watch, Thursday, November 20, 2008 - ICC judges to review LRA cases in light of deal between Kampala and LRA: Rethink comes in light of a deal between Kampala and the LRA providing for domestic war crimes prosecutions.
Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Date: Wednesday, 19 November 2008
By Katy Glassborow in The Hague and Joe Wacha in Gulu, northern Uganda (AR No. 193, 19-Nov-08).

[Cross posted today at Sudan Watch's sister sites Uganda Watch and Congo Watch]

Last month Internews launched community radio 88 FM, the only station in Kurmuk, South Sudan

Report by Internews via Anyuak Media October 17, 2008 - In South Sudan, Community Radio Provides a Voice for the Voiceless:

October 16, 2008 (Nairobi) – Since Sudan’s 22-year old civil war ended in 2005, news has been slow in coming to the most remote regions of the country. To provide news and information and give voice to thousands of Sudanese, Internews has built four community radio stations in South Sudan and is training nascent journalists to run them. We are also planning to build two more this upcoming year.



Photo: Musa “Mosquito” Atebera, a reporter at Voice of Community in Kauda, in the studio. (AM)

“I love my radio station because it is contributing to the reconciliation of my community,” says one of the newly minted journalists at the latest station Internews has launched, in Kurmuk, South Sudan. The station, called 88 FM, went on the air this month after more than a year of hard work and intensive training. It is the only station in the Kurmuk region.

“We were able to send out a signal today when testing the transmitter, and I wish you could have been able to see the excitement on everyone’s face when they were listening to the station,” said Sammy Muraya, a professional journalist from Kenya, who is working with the Kurmuk team to help launch the station. “I was walking with Dominic (the station manager) in the market here and he had borrowed a small radio and he made sure that he told everyone we met that the Kurmuk radio station was already on air. I have to say that the people up here have been waiting for so long for the station . . . everyone is so excited!”

88 FM in Kurmuk is part of Internews’ project, “Radio for Peace, Democracy and Development in South Sudan,” which began in 2006 through a grant from the US Agency for International Development.

Internews constructed the buildings, built the transmission towers, and secured frequency allocations for the stations. Equipment such as mixers, microphones, computers, recorders and editing software soon filled the stations. Because electricity is unavailable in the region, Internews installs alternative energy sources, including solar and wind power, in all its stations. It is one of the more technically challenging aspects of building stations in Sudan, to stay on the air consistently when there is no electricity. Using alternative energy involves carrying batteries that weigh 64 kilos up steep mountains to transmission sites, installing solar panels in places where they won’t get damaged by roaming goats and cows, and establishing back-up generator systems to recharge battery cells on cloudy days.

One after the other, the stations went on the air. The first three stations Internews established, Nhomlaau FM (whose name means “Freedom” in Dinka) in Maluakon, Naath FM (“Citizen” in Nuer) in Leer and Voice of Community in Kauda, each now broadcast six days a week, a minimum of eight hours per day, in at least ten different languages, including Arabic, Dinka, Maban, Uduk and Toro.

Journalists in these very rural parts of South Sudan are hard to come by. In fact, at the new station in Kurmuk, all five staff members were recruited solely on the basis of their enthusiasm and a strong desire to learn, and they had to be trained from scratch.

“I was having just an idea about being a journalist but, where to start and where to end was not known,” said station manager  Dominic Santo Atem. “But now I have the full idea and very good tools!”

In the coming year, Internews will continue to focus heavily on training, working to build the skills of young radio journalists in reporting, production and management skills, as well as understanding their role as community journalists and the media’s role as watchdogs of good governance and democracy. 

In an anonymous survey in which Internews asked the staff about their work, they reported a deep commitment and understanding of the role media play in their lives. “The radio promotes peace and reconciliation and brings out the voice of marginalized people,” explained one reporter. “For me, being a journalist means a lot,” reported another. “It is to educate, advocate and entertain the outside world and my community.”

Since much of Southern Sudan is underserved by other media, community radio offers a vital service to the population in providing news and information.

Deborah Ensor, Program Director for Internews in Sudan, explains, “Community radio differs from state or commercial radio in a number of ways. Its fundamental aim is to provide a voice for the voiceless, run by and for the community it serves, and accountable to them rather than shareholders, private owners or government.”

As one Internews-trained journalist put it, “I am the voice for the community.”`

Here's wishing them all the best of luck.

Ethiopian authorities warn of terrorist attacks - Ethiopia arrested individuals it said had links to OLF leaders in Eritrea

Security Alert: US Embassy in Ethiopia issues terror alert warning US citizens against taking part in the Great Ethiopian Run 23 Nov 2008. Excerpt:

FROM THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES
Warden Message
November 14, 2008
Security Alert – Great Ethiopian Run
The U.S. Embassy is issuing this warden message to inform American citizens that in light of the Government of Ethiopia’s warning of an unspecified terrorist threat concern in Ethiopia, as detailed in a Warden Message dated November 6, the Embassy has ordered all Embassy American staff and their family members not to take part in the Great Ethiopian Run, scheduled for November 23 in Addis Ababa.  Private American citizens are likewise advised to avoid the event.  This precautionary measure is in keeping with the Embassy’s advice that Americans avoid public gatherings and public places.

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From Ethiopia Watch November 14, 2008 - excerpt:

Ethiopia arrested individuals it said had links to OLF leaders in Eritrea

November 7, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia on Friday said that an extremist group leader who is responsible for a number of terror attacks is killed by local people in the Western Oromia region of Wollega Zone. Read more ...

UNMIS & MONUC to reconstruct road linking S. Sudan and DR Congo - Riek Machar visits Kenya to discuss a proposed peace agreement between Uganda & LRA

November 12, 2008 (KHARTOUM) report from Anyuak Media by SRS - Road to Link UN Missions In Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo:

GOSS Vice President Dr. Riek Machar says he has reached an agreement with the United Nations Mission in Sudan to reconstruct the road linking southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, Dr. Machar said UNMIS will construct the road from Maridi in Western Equatoria state to Ri-kwamba on the border with the DRC.

MONUC, the UN mission to the DRC, has said it will also construct a road to the Sudanese border from the DRC side.

Dr. Machar said that apart from connecting Sudan’s UNMIS and the DRC’s MONUC by land, the road would facilitate transport and trade between Western Equatoria state and the DRC.

Dr. Riek Machar was in Nairobi to discuss a proposed peace agreement between Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Machar met DRC President Joseph Kabila at the meeting in Nairobi to talk about co-coordinating UN forces in Uganda and the DRC.

The two discussed the possibility of stationing some members of the Cessation of Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) with UN MONUC forces inside the DRC to monitor the movement and activities of the LRA.

CHMT is composed of senior army officers from Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, the DRC, Uganda, southern Sudan and the LRA.

The team was established in Juba to monitor the ceasefire agreement signed two years ago between the Uganda government and the LRA.

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Ministry of Transport to Complete Construction of Roads in South Sudan

November 7, 2008 (JUBA) by Juma John Stephen - The Ministry of Transport and Roads (Government of South Sudan), has signed a 4,312,239 million US dollars agreement with a Khartoum-based construction firm, Sutrac CAT Khartoum, to supply road construction equipment.

The Director of Roads and Bridges, Engineer Gabriel Makur Amuor, said that the money will be used to purchase equipment to complete the construction of all central trunk roads and all feeder roads connecting to the Payams and Bomas in South Sudan.

“The 2007 GoSS budget provided for the purchase of road construction equipment, comprising of five tippers, two graders, one water tank, one fuel tanker, one wheel loader, two excavators and a bulldozer, among others. These will see the completion and commissioning of roads in South Sudan”, said Eng. Makur.

Eng. Makur added that due to logistical obstacles, some of the equipment are still held at Port Sudan and will soon be cleared.

“We are working hard to ensure that we have all the equipment by the end of this year so that we can commence the construction of Nimule-Juba and Kajo Keji roads respectively”, he said.

The Nimule-Juba road will cost 120 million US dollars while the Kajo  Keji will cost 7 million US dollars.

Eng. Makur commended the World Food Programme for its continued support in the re-building of South Sudan, citing the world body’s generous provision of food and funds to upgrade the  Kaya – Rumbek road.

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Sudan Watch Ed: Cross posted to sister blog Congo Watch (where the subscribe by email is working - but isn't working for me at Sudan Watch - nor can I get Sudan Watch feed to work in my newsreader. If anyone reading this has subscribed to Sudan Watch via email and is receiving the emails OK (or not) please let me know by email or leave a comment here. Thanks.)

UNAMID peacekeepers drive through Kalma camp nr Nyala, S. Darfur 14 Nov 2008 - Sudan's camps breed long-term dangers

Photos: UN-African peacekeepers drive through Kalma refugee camp in Darfur, Sudan, Friday, Nov. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Sarah El Deeb)



Darfur camps breed long-term dangers

November 15, 2008 (AFP) report via Sudan Tribune:

(KALMA CAMP, southern Darfur) — Camps that shelter tens of thousands of Darfuris made homeless by the brutal conflict in western Sudan are seething dens of frustration that aid workers fear will breed long-term insecurity.

New-found cooperation by Khartoum is quickening the deployment of the UN-led peace mission, but a recent upsurge of violence is stifling humanitarian work among the vast numbers classified as internally displaced people (IDPs).

Civilians complain that life is getting worse despite a government peace initiative and the African Union-United Nations mission (UNAMID), as they struggle on without jobs on half the UN basic food rations handed out in April.

"Five years in the camp is like prison," said 25-year-old volunteer English teacher Atayeb Mohammed Adam in Kalma camp, where 92,000 people huddle on dusty plains 13 kilometres (eight miles) from Nyala, capital of South Darfur.

"We’ve been dragged into these IDPs camps, which is completely inhuman. As youths, we are unable to move around. We are suffering from a lack of jobs. If women go outside, they are raped. If youth go outside, they are killed.

"People are afraid. They are very sad because there is no work, no freedom and no skills to learn... People are angry and confused."

Darfur’s conflict erupted when rebels rose up against Khartoum in February 2003, fighting for wealth, power and resources. UN officials estimate that up to 300,000 people have died and fighting has degenerated into a vastly more complex web.

Across Africa, central Asia and the Middle East, many refugee camps have been a source of militancy and radicalism and aid workers fear such a trend in Sudan.

"By staying so long, the IDPs become a target for mobilisation by the (armed) movements," UNAMID civil affairs chief Wariara Mbugua said. "They become a target for infighting among the IDP leadership and that destabilises the entire management of the IDP camp."

Crime is rising. One of the largest schools in the North Darfur camp of Abu Shouk was burnt down. Local leaders tell UN officials they are worried about weapons coming into camps. Ethnic rivalry is bubbling to the surface.

UNAMID has become so concerned about increased instability that it has set up a taskforce uniting all components of the mission and humanitarian workers.

"You are going to see crises of health, a totally uneducated population that is growing up because you have no schools... so I think all round there’s a very significant danger," said Mbugua.

"You have young people who are growing without hope and they are going to be susceptible to anything in the future, whether it’s criminal activity, whether it’s just picking up a gun."

Two months ago, government troops raided Kalma and killed more than 30 people, claiming the biggest camp in Darfur was awash with weapons, allegations never independently substantiated.

UNAMID lacks a mandate to intervene but is desperate to do what it can to provide security.

So it is pouring money and men into Kalma, establishing its first permanent presence in a camp, housing Bangladeshi police in freshly painted barracks. The Bangladeshis have planted sunflowers near the stinking portable toilets.

"We need a force well equipped and well armed to protect us in the camp... We don’t want to die again. We don’t want to be killed again," a barrel-chested Sheikh Ali, the main camp leader, told visiting senior UNAMID management.

"Things have started to change and now things are OK," says the sheikh, stabbing the dust with his walking stick, a swelling crowd craning their necks to watch the exchange between Western reporters and their leader.

Rodolphe Adada, the stocky Congolese ex-foreign minister who is the top civilian in UNAMID, spent more than two hours sitting under a thatched canopy as camp leaders reeled off a litany of woes over a din of hacking coughs.

Earlier he drove out in a 16-vehicle convoy, crunching over dirt tracks to see the debris of a UN-contracted helicopter that crashed — either an accident or an attack — in a field near Kalma, killing four crew members in September.

One witness expressed surprise at a UN routine of at least one night patrol, questioning whether it could amount to a real "24-hour presence".

"After two to two-and-a-half hours they had driven through the camp, stopping now and then to say hi, but never, never veering off the main thoroughfare," the witness told AFP, asking not to be named.

"They returned to the little UNAMID permanent shelter. I thought it was a break but no that was it. For the rest of the night people checked their email, watched music videos online, got a bit of sleep. I could not believe it."

Although UNAMID was billed the largest UN peacekeeping force in the world with a final strength of 26,000, only 9,287 soldiers and 2,355 police have deployed, with numbers expected to rise to 12,613 by the end of the year.

Kalma’s patrols are the exception, not the rule. Even at full strength, which no one expects until well into 2009, there will be 19 police units of just over 100 personnel each, for all the camps.

UN officials say more than 2.2 million have been displaced and although numbers are difficult to confirm, there are around 80 IDP camps in Darfur.

But weapons are also turning against the aid workers.

"We’ve had people with guns put in their faces, robbed at night — UN staff, NGOs this has happened to — and in some places it’s been a lot more frequent and almost daily... that’s worrying," said one UN official.

"When it happens almost every day and it’s targeting humanitarian organisations, is it a sign of someone just not happy with them?

"Or a sign it’s time for you to go? Or is it ’I don’t have food to feed my family so I’m going to take your laptop and I’m going to sell it in the market for 100 dollars or so’?" the official added.

The United Nations says the Sudanese government paints its attack helicopters white, making them indistinguishable from those operated by peacekeepers.

UN helicopters have come under fire in five incidents in two months. UN officials in Darfur say they are looking at possibly getting approval from New York to paint their aircraft a different colour.

"We’ve suspended road trips for humanitarians. Then if we start receiving threats to air travel the whole mission will be under threat," said one UN security official on condition of anonymity. (AFP)



Photo: UN police officer Adeniram Adejoice, from Nigeria, holds the babies handed to hear by two refugee women, while on patrol in the Abou Shouk refugee camp in North Darfur, Sudan, Sunday Jan. 27, 2008. (AP)

South African peacekeeper killed by unknown gunmen at a water point nr UNAMID Kutum base, N. Darfur, Sudan 29 Oct 2008 laid to rest

SA soldier killed in Sudan laid to rest
Saturday, 15 November 2008 SABC News report:

Hundreds of people, including the top brass of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), are attending the funeral service of Corporal Ben Benjamin Titus, currently underway at Danville near Mafikeng in North West.

Titus died two weeks ago following a shooting incident at the Waterpoint base in Sudan. He was 34 years old.

Titus was based at 10 South African Infantry Battalion in Mafikeng and was deployed to Sudan as a member of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur. He is survived by his wife, Belinda.

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UNAMID bids farewell to peacekeeper killed in action
November 4, 2008 UNAMID report from El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan:

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur today bid farewell to one of its Peacekeepers killed on 29 October 2008 whilst conducting his duties in North Darfur. Corporal Ben Benjamin Titus was killed by unknown gunmen at a water point near Kutum base, North Darfur.

The Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR), Mr. Henry Anyidoho, on behalf of the Joint Special Representative, expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late peacekeeper, to the South African Contingent and Government of the Republic of South Africa.

The DJSR said that the continued support of South Africa in peacekeeping will be enshrined in the African Union and the United Nations in their resolution of the Darfur conflict. “The death of Corporal Titus is not only a loss to his family, but to UNAMID as well,” he added, emphasizing that “such attacks on our mission will not impede our determination on bringing about lasting peace.”

Also speaking at the farewell ceremony in El Fasher on behalf of the Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai, the Force Chief of Staff, Brigadier General George Kyaka, reiterated that “solution in Darfur cannot be achieved through violence”. He paid respect to the late Peacekeeper and expressed sympathy to his family, the South African Contingent and the Government of the Republic of South Africa.

Attending the farewell was Col. Joseph Tshugulu, the South African Contingent Commander who addressed the participants and gave a brief background on the life of the deceased.

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Statement by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) regarding the funeral arrangements of a soldier who died in Sudan
November 14, 2008 - South African Government Information:

The funeral service of Corporal Ben, Benjamin Titus (34) will be held at the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) in Rus Street, Danville, Mafikeng (North West) on Saturday, 15 November 2008 at 08:00.

The remains of Corporal Ben Benjamin Titus will be laid to rest at the Danville Cemetery in full military honours. Corporal Titus is survived by his wife, Mrs Belinda Titus.

The late Corporal Titus passed away on Wednesday 29 October 2008 following a shooting incident at the water point base in Sudan. He was based at 10 South African Infantry Battalion, Mafikeng and was deployed in Sudan as a member of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur.

Enquiries:
Colonel Petrus Motlhabane
Tel: 012 355 6388
Cell: 072 288 3402

Issued by: Department of Defence
14 November 2008

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THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF A SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE SOLDIER IN SUDAN
STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Date of Release: 30 October 2008 :

The Minister of Defence, Mr Charles Nqakula, regrets to announce the death of a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier, following a shooting incident in Sudan on Wednesday 29 October 2008.

This tragic incident occurred at a water point about three kilometres from Kutum base in Sudan. Corporal Ben, Benjamin Titus (34), was on duty at the water point with other members of his unit. At approximately 18:00 (local time), two unknown men approached and opened fire on the soldiers. Corporal Titus was hit and died instantly, while another soldier was also shot and injured. The injured soldier has been transferred to the United Nations Hospital at Al Fasher and is in a serious but stable condition.

The situation around the base is being closely monitored.

Corporal Titus was based at 10 South African Infantry Battalion, Mafikeng, and was deployed in Sudan as a member of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur. He is survived by his wife, Mrs Belinda Titus.

The Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya, has ordered that a Board of Inquiry be convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident.

The Minister of Defence, Mr Charles Nqakula, on behalf of the Department of Defence and the Chief of the South Africa National Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya, have extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of the deceased.

Enquiries: Brigadier General Kwena Mangope
(012) 355 6302 or 072 538 6888

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South Africa: SANDF to Investigate Death of Soldier in Sudan
October 30, 2008 Pretoria BuaNews (Tshwane) report:

A Board of Inquiry will be set up by the South African National Defence Force to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a South African soldier who died in Sudan on Wednesday.

Corporal Ben, Benjamin Titus, 34, was on duty at the water point, about three kilometres from Kutum base in Sudan, with other members of his unit.

At approximately 6pm (local time), two unknown men approached the soliders and opened fire on them.

Corporal Titus was hit and died instantly, while another soldier was also shot and injured.

The injured soldier has been transferred to the United Nations Hospital at Al Fasher and is in a serious but stable condition.

The situation around the base is being closely monitored.

Corporal Titus was based at 10 South African Infantry Battalion, Mafikeng, and was deployed in Sudan as a member of the United Nations/African Union Mission in Darfur.

He is survived by his wife, Belinda Titus.

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SA peacekeeper killed in Darfur
October 30, 2008 (SA) Reuters:

Khartoum - Unknown gunmen have killed a South African peacekeeper and wounded another in Sudan's western Darfur region, the United Nations/African Union force (UNAMID) said on Thursday.

The killing brings to 11 the number of peacekeepers who have lost their lives since the beginning of this year when the joint mission took over from the African Union force.

Violence against the under-staffed force has surged in the last three months, during which 10 peacekeepers were killed, underlying the difficulty of securing the region.

Noureddine Mezni, UNAMID spokesperson, said the two soldiers were attacked on Wednesday while securing a water point in the town of Kutum in north Darfur.

"They were injured and evacuated to UNAMID camp in Kutum. One of them died and the other, a female soldier, is alive," Mezni said. The families of the two have been informed of the incident, he said.

With little more than 11 000 military and police personnel, the joint force is far short of its promised strength of 26 000 peacekeepers.

Western diplomats, UN officials and human rights groups blame the slow deployment on obstructions by Sudan, UN bureaucracy and a shortage of helicopters and other transportation equipment.

Sudan, however, said it has made significant progress recently to speed up the deployment of the force.

A Sudanese government official said Western powers, particularly the United States, acknowledge this fact but would not say so in public.

"In private they say 'we know this issue (UNAMID) is not just your responsibility'," the official said on condition of anonymity. "But they won't say this in public."

Western members of the UN Security Council have made progress on deploying the force one of their key demands to suspend a possible arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

The ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo accused Bashir in July of masterminding a campaign of genocide in Darfur. Sudan says it does not recognise the court.

International experts estimate that 200 000 people have died and 2.5 million have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict flared in 2003 when mostly African rebels rose against the government, charging it with neglect. Khartoum puts the death toll at 10 000 people.

Mezni said the female soldier was shot in the chest but was in a stable condition. She was being treated at the UNAMID clinic in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, he added.

In October, one Nigerian sergeant was shot dead after up to 60 armed bandits ambushed his convoy. In early July, seven members of the force were killed and another 22 were wounded in an ambush by militia fighters in North Darfur.

A week later, another Nigerian officer was killed in a car-jacking incident in west Darfur.

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Gunmen attack SA peacekeepers
October 30, 2008 (SA) AP report by Sarah El Deeb:

Khartoum - Gunmen on vehicles assaulted a group of South African peacekeepers guarding a water well in Darfur, killing one and seriously wounding another, a spokesperson for the joint UN-African Union mission said on Thursday.

The attack took place on Wednesday night, said Noureddine Mezni from the peacekeeping force known as UNAMID.

A total of nine South African peacekeepers were guarding the well, used by the force and the population of Kutum in northern Darfur, he said.

"A convoy of vehicles with armed (men) attacked the force," Mezni said, adding that the peacekeepers fired back. The armed men then fled, leaving two peacekeepers seriously wounded.

One died after reaching the nearest camp, about one kilometre from the well. The other, a seriously wounded female soldier, was evacuated to el-Fasher, North Darfur's provincial capital.

Mezni said the peacekeepers remain "shocked" at the attack.

"We were securing a water well used by the population. We are not part of the conflict," he added.

The joint UN-AU mission took over peacekeeping duty this year from a beleaguered African Union mission. But the new force has struggled with growing insecurity in the conflict-wracked Darfur as it operates with less than 50% of its authorised capacity.

The force is also facing shortages of equipment, mostly transport and combat helicopters which hinders its access to wide swaths of the remote western region of Sudan and leaves the peacekeepers vulnerable to repeated attacks.

Mezni said the peacekeepers were investigating who was behind the attack and remain "undeterred" to carry out their mandate.

However, the UNAMID has rarely blamed any of the warring factions in the conflict zone, and only in one incident were attackers arrested.

The mission has lost at least 10 other peacekeepers since deploying in Darfur.

In July, at least 200 gunmen ambushed a UNAMID convoy in northern Darfur, killing seven peacekeepers in one of the most brazen attacks against the force. The attackers are not yet identified. Three other peacekeepers were killed in separate attacks around Darfur this year.

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UNAMID funeral ceremony El Fasher July 12, 2008 for seven slain peacekeepers



Photo: Officers from Gambia serving with the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) lay the U.N. flag on a coffin before the funeral ceremony for seven slain peacekeepers in El Fasher July 12, 2008. The peacekeepers were killed in an ambush by Darfur militiamen while on a routine patrol in North Darfur on Tuesday, in the worst direct attack on UNAMID forces since they began work on December 31. Photo from Reuters Pictures



Photo: Soldiers from Gambia serving with the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) stand near the coffins of seven slain peacekeepers before the funeral ceremony in El Fasher July 12, 2008. Photo from Reuters Pictures



Photo: Soldiers serving with the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) carry the coffin of one of seven peacekeepers, who were killed by Darfur militiamen while returning from a patrol in North Darfur, during a funeral ceremony in El Fasher July 12, 2008. It was the worst direct attack on UNAMID forces since they began work on Dec. 31. Reuters/Albany Associates/Stuart Price/Handout (Sudan).

Peacekeepers killed in Darfur returned home to Rwanda

July 17, 2008 (VOA) report by Thomas Rippe, Kigali - Peacekeepers Killed in Darfur Returned Home to Rwanda:

The bodies of five Rwandan soldiers, who were serving with the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region, have been returned to Rwanda. They were among seven peacekeepers killed last week in the most severe attack on the peacekeeping force since it began operating in Darfur in January. Rwanda remains committed to the mission in Sudan, but urges other nations to honor their commitments as well. Thomas Rippe reports for VOA from Kigali.

Families of the five slain soldiers huddled on the windy tarmac of Kigali International Airport late Wednesday. Many wore bright purple scarves in remembrance of the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which 800,000 people were killed.

Photo: Bodies of Rwandan soldiers, who were serving with the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan's Darfur region, return home, 16 Jul 2008 (T. Rippe/VOA)



Photo: Grieving families of slain soldiers receive coffins at Kigali International Airport, 16 Jul 2008 (T. Rippe/VOA)

God bless + + + Rest In Peace + + +