Friday, February 19, 2010

Eastern Sudan: Kassala State Poorest in Sudan - UNHCR

Kassala is a state in Eastern Sudan. Comparing life in Kassala state with life in the refugee camps, the Head of UNHCR’s Kassala office, Dr. Mohamed Dualeh claims that refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan receive better services than the host communities. Click here for a WHO Briefing Map showing Sudan States & States Capitals February 2006.

Kassala State Poorest in Sudan - UNHCR
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS), Thursday, 18 February 2010:

(Kassala) - The United Nations Refugee Agency, the UNHCR, says Kassala state is one the poorest states in Sudan because it has been neglected by both the government and the international community.

In an interview with SRS in Kassala town on Wednesday, the Head of UNHCR’s Kassala office, Dr. Mohamed Dualeh explains why he thinks Kassala is the poorest state in Sudan.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Kassala state is one of the poorest in Sudan. It is poorer than some parts of Darfur and a lot of the south. But, if you look at all the indicators, it is a neglected part of the country. Neglected by the international community, neglected by the UN, neglected by UN agencies, there was little aid coming in as a peace dividend after the signing of the Eastern Peace Agreement. Therefore, I think there is no justification now not to provide the assistance the east needs. We are waiting to see it happen. Not just words, but action. Action from the UN, action from the donors, and action from the government.”

Dr. Dualeh describes the indicators that he says suggest that Kassala the poorest state in Sudan.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Maternal mortality is very high, child mortality is very high and illiteracy is also very high. I think 57% of people who live in Kassala state do not read and write. Unemployment is very high but at the same time, this is a border state. In the last few years the rains were very erratic, there were less rains. Therefore, there is a drought looming. If there is a failure in terms of agricultural production as well as unemployment, with all other indicators, I think we may run into emergencies in the long term unless we can prevent it now.”

Comparing life in Kassala state with life in the refugee camps, Dr. Dualeh claims that refugees in camps in Eastern Sudan receive better services than the host communities.

[Dr. Mohamed Dualeh]: “Refugees receive better services than the neighboring Sudanese villages. They receive better water systems, they receive better education, they receive better health care than the neighboring villages and I think if we want to do justice, we should be doing justice for those Sudanese living in the surrounding villages. I wish you had gone to Umgargora Refugee camp and the next village, Karkora they are identical villages. Umugargora receives everything, the other one does not receive anything. Therefore, if you want to do justice, I think we should be doing justice for the local population in the area.”

Dr. Mohamed Dualeh was talking to SRS in Kassala.

More News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

19-Feb-2010

18-Feb-2010

Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) refuses to confirm Ukrainian tank deal

A Russian newspaper, Vremya Novostei, reports that Ukraine is selling the Sudanese government 100 T-72M tanks via the Ukrainian company, Ukrspetsexport.

SPLA are not allowed to buy weapons from abroad, according to the CPA.

UN Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1591 prohibit the sale of arms to warring parties in the Darfur region where SAF is combating armed anti-government groups.

Source: SRS report here below.

SAF Refuses To Confirm Ukrainian Tank Deal
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 18 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - A Russian newspaper, Vremya Novostei, reports that Ukraine is selling the Sudanese government 100 T-72M tanks via the Ukrainian company, Ukrspetsexport.

Afrik website reports that the weapons company is shipping the tanks to Port Sudan as part of a 70 million USD contract.

The Sudan Armed Forces said that they deal openly with Russia in purchasing different types of weapons and ammunitions, but they weren’t prepared to confirm the Ukrainian tank contract.

SAF office spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Thursday.

[Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “We will not talk about the type of weapons that come to Sudan or the type of weapons we are arming SAF with, but trade and co-operation between us and Russia is open, whether it is in the field of airplanes, tanks or other equipment. There is no problem with that, but what the report says about the tanks particularly, we can’t confirm that.”

Khalid says that neither the international treaties nor the CPA bans SAF from buying weapons.

[Lieutenant-Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “According to international treaties, or the agreement between us and the SPLM, there is nothing indicating that SAF is banned from buying or dealing in weapons. But the SPLA are not allowed to buy weapons from abroad, according to the CPA.”

UN Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1591 prohibit the sale of arms to warring parties in the Darfur region where SAF is combating armed anti-government groups.

Click on blue FAINA label here below for related reports.

ICC WAR CRIME ALERT: On Tue Feb 16 - Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on peacekeepers close to El-Sherif camp, nr Nyala, S. Darfur, Sudan

THIS is a war crime alert to the ICC. Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala in western Sudan on Tuesday afternoon (16 Feb 2010), the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

The spokesman, Noureddine Mezni, said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

AS NOTED here many times before, the targeting of peacekeepers is a war crime under article 82C1 of the Rome Statute.

Here is a copy of some recent news reports, starting with latest.

Two Arrested after UNAMID Shootings in Nyala
From Sudan Radio Service (SRS), Friday, 19 February 2010:

(El Fashir) - Sudanese authorities have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of the seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur on Tuesday.

Unknown gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, in South Darfur. Seven peacekeepers were injured.

UNAMID spokesperson Nouraddine Mezni spoke to SRS on Friday from Darfur.

[Nouraddine Mezni]: “Two suspects were arrested outside Nyala, in an area called Kass. Sudanese military also found one of the two vehicles which were hijacked and we are working with the Sudanese authorities on the investigation and we want a rapid trial for these responsible so that they will serve as an example for the future to those who even think of attacking UNAMID personnel. There is an improvement in the condition of the seven UNAMID police injured during the ambush. Four of them are still in a critical condition. Three are stable but in a serious condition. We are strengthening the security measures everywhere in Darfur. We also have 5 tactical helicopters which will help us in similar cases in the future.”

Twenty-two UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjacking, attacks and ambushes since the force was deployed in 2008.

Sudan condemns attack on Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Friday 19 February 2010:

February 19, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese government has strongly condemned the attack on UNAMID police patrol on Tuesday in South Darfur, wounding seven Pakistani soldiers.

[Photo] An Indonesian police officer talks to children as he patrols Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur Feb 8, 2010. (Reuters)

The Sudanese government arrested two people suspected of taking part in the attack. Noureddine Mezni, the UNAMID spokesperson said today the Sudanese authorities captured one of the two vehicles carjacked by the gunmen.

In a statement released Thursday the foreign ministry denounced the attack saying it would spear no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The government further pledged to intensify cooperation with the hybrid operation to prevent such attack on the future against the UNAMID and its personnel.

Ibrahim Gambari the new head of UNAMID met today with Mutrif Siddig, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the attack.

Qmbari stressed the continued consultation and cooperation between the government and UNAMID in order to enable the hybrid operation to carry out its duties in the best conditions. For his part, Mutrif Siddig, stressed the Government’s commitment to support and facilitate the task of UNAMID in Sudan. (ST)

Sudan arrests two assailants of Darfur peacekeepers
From Sudan Tribune, Thursday, 18 February 2010:

February 18, 2009 (KHARTOUM) —Sudanese army arrested today two persons suspected of attacking Pakistani peacekeepers in near Nyala, South Darfur state, two days ago.

Nourredine Mezni, UNAMID official spokesperson told Sudan Tribune by telephone today from El-Fasher that two men suspected to be involved in an attack on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan’s Darfur region.

The assailant wounded seven soldiers one of them in critical condition transported to Khartoum.

The head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari travelled yesterday to Nyala to visit the wounded police officers at the UNAMID’s hospital. He was accompanied by the Mission Force Commander Lt Gen Patrick Nyambvumba.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged the Sudanese government to immediately probe the incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice. (ST)

2 arrested for ambush on UN-AU Darfur peacekeepers
(AP) – Thursday, 18 February 2010:

KHARTOUM, Sudan — A spokesman for the international peacekeeping mission in Darfur says Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with an ambush earlier this week on joint U.N.-African Union forces.

Noureddine Mezni said Thursday government troops captured the two suspects outside the south Darfur capital of Nyala a day earlier. Authorities also recovered one of two U.N.-AU vehicles stolen in the attack.

The arrests come after gunmen attacked a police convoy outside Nyala on Tuesday, wounding seven Pakistani police officers serving with the U.N.-AU force. Four of them are in critical condition. [...]

Sudan arrests two over Darfur peacekeeper shooting
From Reuters, Thursday, 18 February 2010; 2:54 AM
(Reporting by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Louise Ireland):

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese authorities arrested two men in connection with the shooting of seven Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur, officials said on Thursday.

Gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles opened fire on a police patrol from the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force near the South Darfur capital Nyala on Tuesday afternoon, the latest in a series of attacks on the mission.

UNAMID initially said two of the police were in a critical condition but on Thursday said that had risen to four.

"The Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with the attack," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters. "This will serve as a lesson to anyone who even thinks of attacking us in the future."

A total of 22 UNAMID police and soldiers have been killed in carjackings, attacks and ambushes as law and order has collapsed in the remote western region, where mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.

The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities who made Wednesday's arrests, Mezni said. U.N. officials said it was unclear whether they had set out to shoot peacekeepers or to steal vehicles.

"Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime," said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.

The attackers waited for the patrol close to El-Sherif refugee camp, 17km (10 miles) south of Nyala, and the peacekeepers were wounded as they returned fire, said UNAMID.

Seven years of fighting in Darfur has forced an estimated 2.7 million to flee their homes and killed up to 300,000, according to the United Nations. Khartoum, which accuses Western media of exaggerating the conflict, puts the toll at 10,000.

UNAMID says it is still short of vital equipment, including military helicopters, needed in its efforts to keep the peace in a region the size of Spain.

More than two years after UNAMID arrived, the mostly African force only has about 80 percent of its full deployment of 26,000 police and soldiers on the ground.

Seven UNAMID Peacekeepers Wounded Near Nyala
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Seven UNAU peacekeepers in Darfur were injured and two vehicles were looted by an unknown armed group in southern Darfur.

In an interview with SRS on Wednesday, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said that the attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “The attack was against UNAMID police while they were returning from a routine patrol around Nyala town in South Darfur. They were ambushed and fired at by an unknown group. Because of this, seven UNAMID personnel were injured. Two of them are in a serious condition and the other five are in a stable state. One of the injured was airlifted to Khartoum.”

The head of UNAMID, Dr. Ibrahim Gambari, is expected to visit the wounded police officers in Nyala town on Wednesday.

About 22 peacekeepers have been killed in separate incidents in Darfur since the mission took over from the African Union force in 2008.

U.N. calls on Sudan to probe attack on peacekeepers
From Reuters, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 2:13pm EST:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Wednesday for the Sudanese government to investigate an attack on peacekeepers in Darfur, a U.N. spokeswoman said.

"The secretary-general calls on the government of Sudan to launch an immediate investigation into this incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice," spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region Tuesday, wounding seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the U.N./African Union force, or UNAMID, officials said.

The ambush of the unarmed police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, followed reports of a resurgence of fighting in Sudan's violent west that has forced thousands to flee, according to UNAMID.

Twenty-two UNAMID soldiers and police have been killed in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

The conflict in Darfur flared in 2003, when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglecting the region. Estimates of the total death count range from 10,000 according to Khartoum, to 300,000 according to the United Nations.

Gunmen injure seven peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in Khartoum (Editing by Michael Roddy)
Tuesday, 16 February 2010 3:41pm EST - excerpt:

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Pakistani peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region on Tuesday, injuring seven, two of them seriously, in the latest in a string of attacks on the force, officials said.

The ambush came just hours after the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID mission took delivery of its first five military helicopters, ending a wait of more than two years for air support in Sudan's rebellious west.

The attackers shot at an armed UNAMID police patrol near Nyala, capital of South Darfur, escaping with two police vehicles, UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"It was an ambush this afternoon. Two of the seven were critically wounded ... This is very serious. We are a peacekeeping mission but we do not have a comprehensive peace to keep," he said.

A total of 22 UNAMID soldiers and police have died in ambushes, carjackings and other violent incidents since they took over from a beleaguered African Union force at the beginning of 2008.

Mezni said one of the critically injured men was evacuated to Khartoum, while the other was too seriously injured to move from hospital in Nyala, where the five others were being treated.

A U.N. official said the injured men came from Pakistan. [...]

More News from Sudan Radio Service:

19-Feb-2010

On Mon Feb 15: Jebel Marra, W. Darfur, W. Sudan: SLM-AWNur clashes with gov't forces in Kidinir and Laba or internal wrangling?

ON MONDAY, 15 February 2010, the advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told Sudan Radio Service (SRS) that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

Read full story:
Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - The anti-government group, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction says its troops clashed with government forces on Monday in Jebel Marra, Western Darfur.

The advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told SRS on Monday that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

[Musa Ahmed]: “A group from the government moved to the area of Kidinir and clashed with a group from Abdelwahid’s SLM yesterday at around 11.30. Our forces however managed to push the government forces backwards and at the moment SLM is in control of that place and also in Laiba. SAF and Janjaweed clashed with our forces yesterday and the day before yesterday. These clashes had a negative effect on the government side and now the SLM is in full control of the Laba area.”

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

[Mohammed Sharaf]: “There were no clashes between the government and us. What happened was that, amongst us there are people who claim that they belong to Abdelwahid’s group and they disagree on the unity issue. We had agreed in the past that there should be unity between us but there are people who do not want unity and they started to create problems with some of the leaders who are pro-unity like Abdallah Abakar and others. And so yesterday they rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas and stole a lot of things.”

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

- - -

HERE is a copy of a report published by Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 re clashes between SAF & SLM-AWNur in northern and southern Jebel Marra. Note that, reportedly, also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army.

UNAMID calls for "maximum restraint" in Darfur
From Sudan Tribune, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

February 16, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Darfur peacekeepers have called on the Sudanese warring parties to exercise maximum restraint to save the lives of thousands of civilians displaced by the recent surge of violence in the region.

[Photo] Darfuri refugees camp out on the border, near Birak, a few kilometeres from the border with Sudan, March 6, 2008. (Reuters)

Sudanese army attacked this week the positions of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Al Nur (SLM-AW) in northern and southern Jebel Marra. The attacks occurred while other rebel groups gathered in Doha for peace talks with the government, but SLM-AW refuses to join the negotiating table.

Also in Jebel Moon, western Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had cleared the region from “criminal bandits” backed by the Sudanese army. Pro-Government press reported last week clashes between JEM and troops loyal to Minni Minnawi, former rebel leader turned Senior Presidential Assistant.

"UNAMID’s peacekeeping forces are increasing their security presence in and around the region, to prevent a further escalation in the violence, said a press statement released Tuesday by the hybrid operation.

It also pointed out to its close collaboration with aid agencies to urgently meet the humanitarian needs of the newly displaced peoples.

The new head of the Mission, Ibrahim Gambari, discussed the military escalation in Darfur last week with government and rebel delegations and voiced his "grave concerns".

"Such confrontations may negatively affect the ongoing peace process, which has recently seen significant strides towards bringing stability to the region," he said.

The UN says up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels in the western region of Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003.

The Sudanese government disputes the death toll saying 10,000 people died. (ST)

On Tue Feb 9: Gunmen on horseback raided Baytari refugee camp in Kass, S. Darfur, Sudan - 2 IDPs shot dead, 10 injured

A patrol of UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday, 09 February 2010, saw armed horsemen riding into a refugee camp at Kass in South Darfur, western Sudan while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity. "They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters. Full story here below.

Militias raid Darfur camp, kill two refugees
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens in El-Fasher, Darfur, Sudan
(Additional reporting by Opheera McDoom in Khartoum; Editing by Randy Fabi)
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 6:06am EST - excerpt:

EL-FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Militias raided a Darfur refugee camp, shooting dead two people and injuring at least 10 in an escalation of tensions in Sudan's restive west, witnesses and U.N. officials said Wednesday.

The raid followed the murder of a militia member's relative who appeared to be searching the camps in Kass, South Darfur for the suspect, U.N. officials in Darfur said.

"The Janjaweed (militia) came in on horses and camels and were looting and shooting," Adam Ali, a resident in the Baytari camp in Kass town, told Reuters by telephone. "They burned many huts and looted the people's belongings." [...]

A patrol of U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeepers on Tuesday saw armed horsemen riding into the camp, while others surrounded the settlement, one senior U.N. official said on condition of anonymity.

"They were members of an Arab militia, apparently related to the man who was killed. They were shooting sporadically when they entered the camp," the official told Reuters.

Ali said four people were killed, but the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) put the death toll at two, with 10 injured.

"Ten IDPs (internally displaced people) were taken to Kass hospital. Another two were shot dead," said OCHA spokesman Samuel Hendricks.

"It is concerning because it shows the level of tension. Things can easily escalate and get out of control," he added. [...]

On Sat Feb 6: Seven killed in clashes between SPLA & Messiriya in Abiemnom, Unity state, S. Sudan

On Tuesday, 9 February 2010, Sudan Army Forces (SAF) spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid denied that SAF had armed the Messiriya.

The spokesperson told SRS - Sudan Radio Service that: "It is illegal for the Messiriya to use SAF uniforms or equipment. There are Messiriya nomads who were recruited by the SPLA and they were given uniforms and military ranks and they started saying that they belonged to the SPLA and this caused a lot of problems".

SPLA spokesperson Kuol Diem Kuol also spoke to SRS about the attack. Mr. Kuol said that he thought the recent attack was a violent response on the part of the Messiriya to a civil disarmament campaign and that "the Messiriya want to come and graze by force in Unity State".

Full report here below.

Clashes Kill Eleven in Unity State
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Tuesday, 09 February 2010:

(Abyei/Khartoum/Juba) - Eleven people were killed during clashes between the SPLA and Messiriya tribesmen in Abiemnom county, in Unity state, last Saturday.

Speaking to SRS, community leader Bagat Makuec Abien accused the Sudan Armed Forces of arming the Messiriya.

[Bagat Makuec Abien]: “Eleven people have been killed. Eight soldiers and 3 civilians. The attackers of the SPLA camp were not nomads. They were militia from the Sudan Armed Forces.”

However, SAF spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid denied that SAF had armed the Messiriya.

[Al-Sawarmi Khalid]: “The Sudan Armed Force refute these allegations. You should know that the Messiriya is just a normal tribe and everything is okay, this is all about grazing among the Messiriya people in Unity state. This is just a small problem at community level and the Sudan Armed forces cannot get involved. It is illegal for the Messiriya to use SAF uniforms or equipment. There are Messiriya nomads who were recruited by the SPLA and they were given uniforms and military ranks and they started saying that they belonged to the SPLA and this caused a lot of problems.”

SPLA spokesperson Kuol Diem Kuol also spoke to SRS about the attack.

[Kuol Diem Kuol]: “Six SPLA and one civilian were killed. 11 people were wounded; among the wounded were 8 SPLA, 2 children and one lady. From the side of Messiriya 8 bodies were found on the ground. This morning, the situation was normal, there was no more violence.”

Mr. Kuol added that he thought the recent attack was a violent response on the part of the Messiriya to a civil disarmament campaign.

[Kuol Diem Kuol]: “The SPLA is still disarming the civil population in south Sudan. So when the Messiriya came with the cattle to Unity state in December they were told to leave their guns in Messiriya land and come to graze, but they refused, so they clashed with the police in December. And when the SPLA went in, they also fired at the SPLA, wounding one SPLA soldier. I think they attacked our base, the SPLA battalion headquarters in Warping in Abiemnom county in retaliation. They attacked on 8 January, they attacked again on 23 January and the third attack was on 4 February. The Messiriya want to come and graze by force in Unity State.”

Kuol Diem Kuol was speaking to SRS from Juba on Monday [Feb 8].

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Coup attempt underway in Niger

See reports at Niger Watch, Thursday, 18 February 2010.

The War for our Minds (By Werner K, Soldier of Africa)

Photo and caption by Werner K while on active service during a most dangerous time in Darfur, western Sudan (from the archives of sudanwatch.blogspot.com 2 Dec 2006): This is me working in my "office", which is a tent with air conditioning. At least the heat in El Fashier is not as bad anymore as a month or two ago. The nights are actually getting cold now. (Werner K, Darfur Nov 2006)

Here is a copy of a blog post by one of my great blog mates, Werner (pictured above) at Soldier of Africa blog, Wednesday, 17 February 2010:

The War for our Minds

Do you consider yourself to be somebody with scrupulous values and good moral judgement? Do you think you will always be able to make informed decisions or maybe you are just informed which decisions to make.

The following is a list of some of the techniques used by governments and paramilitary organisations around the world to make us see their points of view. Read them and ask yourself again if what you know is true:

Ad hominem
A Latin phrase that has come to mean attacking your opponent, as opposed to attacking their arguments.

Ad nauseam
This argument approach uses tireless repetition of an idea. An idea, especially a simple slogan, that is repeated enough times, may begin to be taken as the truth. This approach works best when media sources are limited and controlled by the propagator.

Appeal to authority
Appeals to authority cite prominent figures to support a position, idea, argument, or course of action.

Appeal to fear
Appeals to fear and seeks to build support by instilling anxieties and panic in the general population, for example, Joseph Goebbels exploited Theodore Kaufman's Germany Must Perish! to claim that the Allies sought the extermination of the German people.

Appeal to prejudice
Using loaded or emotive terms to attach value or moral goodness to believing the proposition. Used in biased or misleading ways.

Bandwagon
Bandwagon and "inevitable-victory" appeals attempt to persuade the target audience to join in and take the course of action that "everyone else is taking".

* Inevitable victory: invites those not already on the bandwagon to join those already on the road to certain victory. Those already or at least partially on the bandwagon are reassured that staying aboard is their best course of action.
* Join the crowd: This technique reinforces people's natural desire to be on the winning side. This technique is used to convince the audience that a program is an expression of an irresistible mass movement and that it is in their best interest to join.

Beautiful people
The type of propaganda that deals with famous people or depicts attractive, happy people. This makes other people think that if they buy a product or follow a certain ideology, they too will be happy or successful.

Big Lie
The repeated articulation of a complex of events that justify subsequent action. The descriptions of these events have elements of truth, and the "big lie" generalizations merge and eventually supplant the public's accurate perception of the underlying events. After World War I the German Stab in the back explanation of the cause of their defeat became a justification for Nazi re-militarization and revanchist aggression.

Black-and-white fallacy
Presenting only two choices, with the product or idea being propagated as the better choice. (e.g., George W. Bush: "Either you are with us or against us.")

Common man
The "plain folks" or "common man" approach attempts to convince the audience that the propagandist's positions reflect the common sense of the people. It is designed to win the confidence of the audience by communicating in the common manner and style of the target audience. Propagandists use ordinary language and mannerisms (and clothe their message in face-to-face and audiovisual communications) in attempting to identify their point of view with that of the average person. For example, a propaganda leaflet may make an argument on a macroeconomic issue, such as unemployment insurance benefits, using everyday terms: "Given that the country has little money during this recession, we should stop paying unemployment benefits to those who do not work, because that is like maxing out all your credit cards during a tight period, when you should be tightening your belt."

Demonizing the enemy
Making individuals from the opposing nation, from a different ethnic group, or those who support the opposing viewpoint appear to be subhuman (e.g., the Vietnam War-era term "gooks" for National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam aka Vietcong, or "VC", soldiers), worthless, or immoral, through suggestion or false accusations.

Direct order
This technique hopes to simplify the decision making process by using images and words to tell the audience exactly what actions to take, eliminating any other possible choices. Authority figures can be used to give the order, overlapping it with the Appeal to authority technique, but not necessarily. The Uncle Sam "I want you" image is an example of this technique.

Disinformation
The creation or deletion of information from public records, in the purpose of making a false record of an event or the actions of a person or organization, including outright forgery of photographs, motion pictures, broadcasts, and sound recordings as well as printed documents.

Euphoria
The use of an event that generates euphoria or happiness, or using an appealing event to boost morale. Euphoria can be created by declaring a holiday, making luxury items available, or mounting a military parade with marching bands and patriotic messages.

Flag-waving
An attempt to justify an action on the grounds that doing so will make one more patriotic, or in some way benefit a group, country, or idea. The feeling of patriotism this technique attempts to inspire may not necessarily diminish or entirely omit one's capability for rational examination of the matter in question.

Glittering generalities
Glittering generalities are emotionally appealing words applied to a product or idea, but which present no concrete argument or analysis. A famous example is the campaign slogan "Ford has a better idea!"

Half-truth
A half-truth is a deceptive statement, which may come in several forms and includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true but only part of the whole truth, or it may utilize some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade blame or misrepresent the truth.

Intentional vagueness
Generalities are deliberately vague so that the audience may supply its own interpretations. The intention is to move the audience by use of undefined phrases, without analyzing their validity or attempting to determine their reasonableness or application. The intent is to cause people to draw their own interpretations rather than simply being presented with an explicit idea. In trying to "figure out" the propaganda, the audience forgoes judgment of the ideas presented. Their validity, reasonableness and application may still be considered.

Labeling
A Euphemism is used when the propagandist attempts to increase the perceived quality, credibility, or credence of a particular ideal. A Dysphemism is used when the intent of the propagandist is to discredit, diminish the perceived quality, or hurt the perceived righteousness of the Mark. By creating a "label" or "category" or "faction" of a population, it is much easier to make an example of these larger bodies, because they can uplift or defame the Mark without actually incurring legal-defamation. Example: "Liberal" is a dysphemism intended to diminish the perceived credibility of a particular Mark. By taking a displeasing argument presented by a Mark, the propagandist can quote that person, and then attack "liberals" in an attempt to both Example: "Racist" is another dysphemism intended to diminish credibility of a particular mark: (1) create a political battle-ax of unaccountable aggression and (2) diminish the quality of the Mark. If the propagandist uses the label on too-many perceivably credible individuals, muddying up the word can be done by broadcasting bad-examples of "liberals" into the media. Labeling can be thought of as a sub-set of Guilt by association, another logical fallacy.

Name-calling
Propagandists use the name-calling technique to incite fears and arouse prejudices in their hearers in the intent that the bad names will cause hearers to construct a negative opinion about a group or set of beliefs or ideas that the propagandist would wish hearers to denounce. The method is intended to provoke conclusions about a matter apart from impartial examinations of facts. Name-calling is thus a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against the an idea or belief on its own merits.

Obtain disapproval or Reductio ad Hitlerum
This technique is used to persuade a target audience to disapprove of an action or idea by suggesting that the idea is popular with groups hated, feared, or held in contempt by the target audience. Thus if a group that supports a certain policy is led to believe that undesirable, subversive, or contemptible people support the same policy, then the members of the group may decide to change their original position. This is a form of bad logic, where a is said to include X, and b is said to include X, therefore, a = b.

Oversimplification
Favorable generalities are used to provide simple answers to complex social, political, economic, or military problems.

Quotes out of context
Selectively editing quotes to change meanings—political documentaries designed to discredit an opponent or an opposing political viewpoint often make use of this technique.

Rationalization
Individuals or groups may use favorable generalities to rationalize questionable acts or beliefs. Vague and pleasant phrases are often used to justify such actions or beliefs.

Red herring
Presenting data or issues that, while compelling, are irrelevant to the argument at hand, and then claiming that it validates the argument.

Scapegoating
Assigning blame to an individual or group, thus alleviating feelings of guilt from responsible parties and/or distracting attention from the need to fix the problem for which blame is being assigned.

Slogans
A slogan is a brief, striking phrase that may include labeling and stereotyping. Although slogans may be enlisted to support reasoned ideas, in practice they tend to act only as emotional appeals. Opponents of the US's invasion and occupation of Iraq use the slogan "blood for oil" to suggest that the invasion and its human losses was done to access Iraq's oil riches. On the other hand, "hawks" who argue that the US should continue to fight in Iraq use the slogan "cut and run" to suggest that it would be cowardly or weak to withdraw from Iraq. Similarly, the names of the military campaigns, such as "enduring freedom" or "just cause", may also be regarded to be slogans, devised to influence people.

Stereotyping
This technique attempts to arouse prejudices in an audience by labeling the object of the propaganda campaign as something the target audience fears, hates, loathes, or finds undesirable. For instance, reporting on a foreign country or social group may focus on the stereotypical traits that the reader expects, even though they are far from being representative of the whole country or group; such reporting often focuses on the anecdotal. In graphic propaganda, including war posters, this might include portraying enemies with stereotyped racial features.

Testimonial
Testimonials are quotations, in or out of context, especially cited to support or reject a given policy, action, program, or personality. The reputation or the role (expert, respected public figure, etc.) of the individual giving the statement is exploited. The testimonial places the official sanction of a respected person or authority on a propaganda message. This is done in an effort to cause the target audience to identify itself with the authority or to accept the authority's opinions and beliefs as its own. See also, damaging quotation
"The Bulgarian Martyresses", 1877 painting by the Russian painter Konstantin Makovsky depicting the rape of Bulgarian women by Ottoman troops during the suppression of the April Uprising a year earlier, served to mobilise public support for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) waged with the proclaimed aim of liberating the Bulgarians.

Transfer
Also known as association, this is a technique that involves projecting the positive or negative qualities of one person, entity, object, or value onto another to make the second more acceptable or to discredit it. It evokes an emotional response, which stimulates the target to identify with recognized authorities. Often highly visual, this technique often utilizes symbols superimposed over other visual images. These symbols may be used in place of words; for example, placing swastikas on or around a picture of an opponent to associate the opponent with Naziism.

Unstated assumption
This technique is used when the propaganda concept that the propagandist intends to transmit would seem less credible if explicitly stated. The concept is instead repeatedly assumed or implied.

Virtue words
These are words in the value system of the target audience that produce a positive image when attached to a person or issue. Peace, happiness, security, wise leadership, freedom, "The Truth", etc. are virtue words. In countries such as the U.S. religiosity is seen as a virtue, making associations to this quality affectively beneficial.

--
Posted By Werner K to Soldier of Africa on 2/17/2010 01:06:00 PM

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Former Clinton and Bush officials war-game cyberattack (originating from the Sudan!)

War game simulates cyberattack

Photo: A mock nat'l security team led by Michael Chertoff wrestles with questions a real-life Cabinet might face. Photo: AP

Former officials war-game cyberattack
From Politico.com by JEN DIMASCIO
Tuesday, 16 February 2010, 5:41 PM EST:

Could a terrorist organization wage a crippling cyberattack that would take down telecommunications networks, disable the Internet and disrupt the nation’s power grid?

Quite possibly, concluded the group of former Clinton and Bush administration officials who engaged Tuesday in a war game designed to simulate how the government would respond to such an attack.

Sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center and held at a Washington hotel, “Cyber Shockwave” was the kind of classified “table top exercise” often used by national security agencies. Its scenario: A cyberattack originating from the Sudan spreads first through an NCAA basketball tournament cell-phone application. The attack spreads virally through the nation’s cell phones, takes out land lines and zaps the Internet.

The mock national security team, led by former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, wrestled with the kind of questions a real-life Cabinet might face in such a catastrophe. As the team debated the legal authorities available to the president and what to tell the public, its ability to reach the populace was rapidly diminishing.

More and more telephones and computer networks — including the stock exchange and air traffic controls shut down — and as panelists wondered whether this was indeed an act of war, improvised explosive device attacks took out power grids in the eastern United States.

But the other complicating factor in the computer-based attack was the government’s inability to pinpoint the culprit. Even though the mock defense secretary pledged that U.S. Cyber Command could retaliate, the question remained — against whom? And how, when the government’s response plans are largely defined in the context of Cold War nuclear politics and don’t quite seem to fit this threat.

John Negroponte, the former director of national intelligence who had the role of secretary of state, said the scenario was certainly realistic and that with the information provided during the game, the culprit was not likely to be a nation-state. “I would put my money on a terrorist group,” Negroponte said.

In the role of counselor to the president, Joe Lockhart, White House press secretary in the Clinton administration, urged the panel to get the president to call the incident an act of war, bring congressional leaders to the White House and to act broadly and aggressively to stop the spread of outages.

The way out for the president seemed to be to take control, federalize the National Guard with the help of Congress and to ask for forgiveness of any potential trampling of civil rights later on.

The exercise illuminated some of the problems in dealing with issues of cybersecurity, especially because it’s difficult to get the government to change in the absence of a crisis. Former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, acting as attorney general, pointed out the legal problems with using broad presidential authority to force energy or communications companies to act on the public’s behalf or mobilizing the military to take charge in an epic disaster.

Gorelick said President Barack Obama should be asking Congress now for ways to alleviate the policy problems that tie the government’s hands during crises.

So, who might be planning such an attack, one that the panel agreed was plausible? Possibly criminal networks, and perhaps Al Qaeda.

“We don’t understand their capabilities,” said John McLaughlin, the former acting director of the CIA and DNI-for-a-day. “We just don’t know the extent to which they could do something like this.”

But retired Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, the event’s defense secretary, hedged on the Al Qaeda question. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

Darfur Sudan News from Strategy Page - Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?

HERE is a news round-up on Darfur Sudan from StrategyPage.com, plus a report by Sudan Radio Service re unrest in Jebel Marra, southern Sudan. I have highlighted some text in bold, for future reference:

From StrategyPage.com
Arming Your Enemy, For A Price

February 17, 2010: A British medical journal has concluded that around 80 percent of the 300,000 deaths in the Darfur region (since the start of the war in 2003) have been caused by disease.

February 16, 2010: It's still unclear what the extent of the fighting between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). that broke out in late January in the Jebel Marra area of West Darfur state. Refugees also reported fighting between rebel factions in the Jebel Moon area.

Five Ethiopian helicopters arrived in Darfur for duty with UNAMID (UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping operation in Darfur). It has been a long wait, two years in fact. UNAMID asked for 18 helicopters. That means it is still thirteen choppers short.

February 12, 2010: Sudan is littered with minefields, and south Sudan in particular. Serous de-mining efforts began in 2002. A recent de-mining task force report said that since 2002, 31,600 kilometers of roads in south and central Sudan have been cleared of mines. All “major routes” have been cleared (usually with bulldozers and counter-mine vehicles), but many secondary roads, side roads, trails, and open areas have not been completely cleared.

February 6, 2010: Ibrahim Gambari, the new head of UNAMID said he would attend a new round of Darfur peace talks scheduled to take place in Qatar. Gambari recently said that UNAMID should shift its focus from peacekeeping in Darfur to peacemaking. Gambari indicated he thinks the Qatari initiative (Doha talks) are the best diplomatic forum for a peace deal.

February 5, 2010: Some 10,000 people have fled fighting (a series of engagements began in late January) in West Darfur state (in the Jebel Marra region). The fighting took place between factions of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA).

February 4, 2010: Southern leaders in the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) have renewed complaints about the extensive authority the national government (led by the northern-based National Congress Party) have given Sudanese intelligence officers. The GOSS leaders maintain that the national government intends to intimidate voters in the April 2010 national elections.

February 3, 2010: An international appeals court ruled that Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir can be charged with genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC charged Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Bashir may now face at least one count of genocide. The Sudanese government responded to the decision by accusing the court of attempting to interfere in Sudan's upcoming national elections.

February 1, 2010: The UN accuses GOSS of receiving another shipments of arms. It is well known that the GOSS has access to small arms, with Kenya and Uganda identified as “routes” for the weapons. The UN believes GOSS is receiving some heavy weapons as well, but is unclear where they are coming from. Some believe that the heavy weapons are coming from “internal transfers.” That would mean sources in northern Sudan are providing the south with heavy weapons. How is this? Payoffs and corruption are the likely reasons.

January 28, 2010: An African Union (AU) spokesman said that the 2011 referendum on south Sudanese secession could reignite the north-south civil war. Interestingly enough, the spokesman added that Darfur could also seek independence from Sudan if the south became a separate country. This is northern Sudan's nightmare – a break up where Sudan loses territorial control and control of natural resources. What would an independent South Sudan look like? It would have an area of around 640,000 square kilometers (about the size of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda combined). It would have a population of eight to ten million people (remember, no one agrees on census figures). It would also be an oil exporter.

HERE is one of the latest reports from SRS - Sudan Radio Service re Unrest in Jebel Marra - SLM Clashes with SAF or Internal Wrangling?

Tuesday, 16 February 2010 - (Nairobi) - The anti-government group, the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdelwahid al-Nur faction says its troops clashed with government forces on Monday in Jebel Marra, Western Darfur.

The advisor to the secretary of information in the SLM faction, Musa Ahmed Mohammed, told SRS on Monday that there have been clashes between the movement and government forces in Kidinir and Laba.

[Musa Ahmed]: “A group from the government moved to the area of Kidinir and clashed with a group from Abdelwahid’s SLM yesterday at around 11.30. Our forces however managed to push the government forces backwards and at the moment SLM is in control of that place and also in Laiba. SAF and Janjaweed clashed with our forces yesterday and the day before yesterday. These clashes had a negative effect on the government side and now the SLM is in full control of the Laba area.”

However, another SLM field commander in the Western Jebel Marra section of the Abdelwahid-controlled area, Mohammed Sharaf, denied that clashes with the government occurred, saying that there was internal wrangling within the movement.

[Mohammed Sharaf]: “There were no clashes between the government and us. What happened was that, amongst us there are people who claim that they belong to Abdelwahid’s group and they disagree on the unity issue. We had agreed in the past that there should be unity between us but there are people who do not want unity and they started to create problems with some of the leaders who are pro-unity like Abdallah Abakar and others. And so yesterday they rented around 500 horses from the Arab tribes and entered some SLM areas and stole a lot of things.”

The UNAMID spokesperson, Noureddine Mezni, appealed to those involved to end the fighting.

[Noureddine Mezni]: “We received some reports from Jebel Marra about the tension there and also the fights and clashes between some groups together with reports about the government and Abdelwahid’s group but because we don’t have an office there we can’t give proper details or confirm the reports that we are getting. However, we do appeal to the groups to stop fighting so that the UNAMID can be able to go to that area.”

The attacks come while other anti-government groups who have been meeting in Doha since 24 January are seeking to reach common ground ahead of direct talks with the government delegation.

Security situation in Darfur, Sudan Feb 16, 2010 - UNAMID hails arrival of helicopters from Ethiopia - Soudan: attaque contre la MINUAD (16 février)

From EL FASHER (DARFUR), Sudan
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 /via APO
UNAMID Daily Media Brief / 2010-02-16:

Security situation in Darfur
The security situation in Darfur remains relatively calm but unpredictable. UNAMID continues to monitor the escalating tensions in South and West Darfur.

UNAMID military forces conducted 116 patrols including routine, short range, long range, night, and Humanitarian escort patrols, covering 71 villages and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps during the reporting period.

UNAMID police advisors also conducted 96 patrols in villages and IDP camps.

UNAMID hails arrival of tactical helicopters from Ethiopia
The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) today received five MI-35 tactical helicopters from Ethiopia. The helicopters arrived in Nyala, South Darfur, with 15 pilots and crew members onboard. They will join a 185 member advance team, including pilots, technicians and protection force, which arrived last month.

UNAMID JSR Ibrahim Gambari has expressed his most sincere gratitude to the Ethiopian government for this latest contribution to the Mission indicating that the helicopters will provide rapid response to areas which had been difficult to access by ground. “My hope is that other member states will come to the Mission’s assistance in providing critically needed aviation assets,” he added. UNAMID still requires 18 utility helicopters and two transport units.

The tactical helicopters will largely be used for troop deployment and monitoring the security situation in Darfur.

Ethiopia’s current contribution to the Mission includes a medium transport company, an infantry battalion, an engineering unit and a multi-role logistics company.

Inauguration of UNAMID/UNDP projects in Ardamata Prison in West Darfur
In a joint effort to assist the prison system in Darfur, UNAMID Rule of Law and UNDP inaugurated yesterday the “Legal Aid and Literacy Programme for Female Inmates” at Ardamata Prison in El Geneina, West Darfur. The launch is part of a broader support programme to assist the prison system in Darfur.

The two organizations will establish a mechanism to coordinate prison development and programmes in West Darfur, as well as in North and South Darfur; provide support training and human resource development for prison staff; upgrade infrastructure, including water, sanitation and healthcare; and, vocational training programmes for rehabilitations of prisons throughout the region.

The launch was attended by senior officials from UNAMID and UNDP as well as senior Government of Sudan officials including the Director of the Prison of Ardamata, Chief Justice of West Darfur, Government of Sudan Deputy Commander, Minister of Social Welfare and the Advisor to the Wali (Governor) on Women and Children in West Darfur.

The Mission will continue to work closely with the government to build the institutional capacity of the prison system throughout Darfur.

SOURCE: United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)

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Update Wed 17 Feb 2010 16:45 PM GMT UK

Soudan : attaque contre la MINUAD (16 février 2010)
From African Press Organization (APO):

PARIS, France, 17 février 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — La France condamne avec la plus grande fermeté l’attaque perpétrée le 16 février contre la Mission des Nations unies et de l’Union africaine au Darfour (MINUAD) qui a fait 7 blessés parmi les soldats pakistanais de la force de paix.

Nous appelons les autorités soudanaises à faire toute la lumière sur cette attaque inadmissible contre une force de maintien de la paix et demandons à ce que ses auteurs soient poursuivis en justice dans les meilleurs délais.

La France réaffirme son plein soutien à l’action de la MINUAD et de ses personnels en faveur de la sécurité des populations civiles au Darfour.

SOURCE: France – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Sudan: Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urges journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Quote of the Day

“It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful." - James Ray Kennedy, Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, 11 Feb 2010

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections. (See full report here below).

P.S. Thank you to the Sudan Watch readers who have sent in news for publication here. I have not forgotten you. At this very delicate and sensitive time for Sudan and its neighbouring countries, I am mindful of how quickly information (and rumours and falsehoods) can spread via computers, mobile texting, phones, satellite receivers and word of mouth (note how a translation error led to an international incident). As usual, I endeavour to be careful and verify information published here. I want peace for Sudan and for all of its inhabitants (animals included) to have access to food, safe drinking water and medical care. God bless the peacemakers, journalists and children of Sudan and keep them safe from harm.

Election Campaign Begins in Sudan

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The elections campaign was officially launched on Saturday ahead of the general elections scheduled for April.

The NCP presidential candidate, Omar al-Bashir, launched his campaign at the Al-Hilal football stadium in Khartoum on Saturday.

The SPLM candidate Yasir Arman launched his campaign on Sunday, from the house of the late Ali Abdel-Latif, a prominent nationalist figure who led a resistance movement against the British in 1924.

SRS asked two political analysts for their impressions of the beginning of the campaign.

Taj Al-Sir Maki spoke to SRS from Khartoum.

[Taj Al-Sir Maki]: “I think that the launch of the NCP campaign was not all that successful at Al-Hilal stadium, despite the fact that the NCP has been controlling the media for 20 years. But the SPLM campaign which started from the house of the late hero Abdel Latif, was stronger because they are introducing a new project and they haven’t been tested yet. They are introducing a new project and they are calling for voluntary unity in Sudan, calling for a democratic Sudan that all Sudanese are calling for generally. The NCP campaigns came to support the same leadership everybody knows. So from my point of view, the NCP campaign didn’t present anything new.”

Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin also expressed his views about the launch of the elections campaign.

[Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin]: “In fact, the election campaign started for all political parties, not just the NCP and the SPLM. The Popular Congress Party and the Sudan Communist Party launched their campaigns as well. Generally, the campaigns have started smoothly and all political parties were allowed to conduct peaceful marches around Khartoum, which was not allowed before, and that is a good thing. It seems that the NCP launched their campaign in Al-Hilal stadium to attract Al-Hilal fans and they funded the Al-Hilal team without announcing it. Arman launched his campaign at the Abdel Latif house, because he wanted it to be a symbol of unity between south and north. Arman is really busy to ensure that there should not be a clear separation between south and north, and this line is welcomed.”

Taj Al-Sir Maki and Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin were speaking to SRS about the launch of the election campaign in Sudan.

Sudanese President launched his re-election bid

Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives to a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir launched his re-election bid with great fanfare, extolling his 21 years in power and pledging to the unity of Africa's biggest nation. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

Photo: A supporter of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attends a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir faces his first real electoral test in April, when he is being challenged by 11 opposition candidates, among them former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and former rebel leader Yasser Arman. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir

Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addresses supporters at the Friendship Hall in the capital Khartoum, 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) See news updates at the website of Albashir.
- - -

Kiir launches his election campaign on Saturday, 20 Feb

Photo: Salva Kiir Mayardit, Vice President of The Republic of Sudan, President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS)

The incumbent President of the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan and chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is scheduled to officially launch his election campaign on Saturday, 20th February.

Salva Kiir Mayardit was nominated by his ruling party to contest for the post of the president of the Government of Southern Sudan. He will compete against another presidential candidate in the South, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, chairman of the breakaway Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC).

Dr. Lam Akol is currently based in Khartoum and has not yet officially launched his campaign in the South.

Full story at Sudan Tribune by James Gatdet Dak, (JUBA) Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
- - -

Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urged journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Elections a Litmus Test for Democracy in Sudan Says UNMIS
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The United Nations Mission in Sudan says the forthcoming general elections will be a “litmus test” for democracy in Sudan.

Speaking to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful. I think if we succeed in holding peaceful and credible elections in 2010 in Sudan, there is a very good chance that we can see elections on a regular basis in Sudan. We have not seen democratic elections on a routine basis in Sudan; it seems to have been more of an exceptional thing rather than a routine thing.”

Kennedy also said that although the war is still going in Darfur, he believes that it is possible to hold peaceful elections in Darfur.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “I think what we need to look at is the voter registration exercise. Voter registration did not reach 100 per cent of the population in Darfur but it reached a very high percentage of the population and it reached it in a very peaceful manner. We hope and believe that it will be possible to have elections in Darfur that are relatively peaceful, that are relatively successful. I say quite often that there is no such a thing as a perfect election anywhere but we are all working to make these elections as good as possible under very difficult circumstances - including in Darfur.”

James Ray Kennedy also urged the people of southern Sudan who are eligible to vote in the referendum to turn out in big numbers and vote in order to determine the future of the Sudan.

Photo: Sudanese women register for national elections in Khartoum, 2009. Presidential hopefuls in Sudan, Africa's largest country, have begun campaigning for the first multi-party poll since 1986. (AFP/File/Ashraf Shazly)
- - -

Arman Meets Darfur SPLM Delegation in Khartoum

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s presidential candidate, Yasir Arman, met an SPLM delegation from Darfur on Thursday and Friday in Khartoum.

In the meeting, the SPLM leaders discussed the political, humanitarian and security situation in Darfur.

One of the delegates, the SPLM secretary in Western Darfur state, Mohamed Abubakar Juma, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Saturday.

[Mohamed Abubakar]: “Among the issues discussed regarding the Darfur crisis was the insecurity and also the difficulty in reaching some of the voters in most areas. We have also talked about the current Doha talks in relation to the general election. After the meeting, we agreed that we should request the government and the Elections Commission to coordinate with the international community for the sake of free and fair elections. Some of the things we have agreed on were that the emergency conditions should be lifted. The Darfur crisis must be solved quickly and also we must work together with UNAMID.”

The Darfur SPLM leaders also called for the quick resolution of the Darfur conflict before the general elections in April. They also called on the anti-government groups to unite and fight as one for Darfur.

Photo: A girl digs for mud to make bricks, in the Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, North Darfur, 9 February 2010. Picture taken 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)

Photo: A displaced boy wears a t-shirt printed with a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, 8 February 2010. Picture taken 8 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)

Note (seen on Albashir website, Sudanese Press in brief, Thursday, 11 February 2010): (Alraid) - Obama's brother is in Khartoum to participant at the meeting of Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia.
- - -

UMMA Party Heals Divisions and Unites

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Juba) - The UMMA National Party and the UMMA Reform and Renewal party have decided to unite under the umbrella name of the UMMA National Party.

The Chairman of the UMMA Reform and Renewal party, Mubarak Al Fadil, told SRS from Juba on Sunday that the unity of the parties came at a very critical time.

[Mubarak Al Fadil]: “The announcement of the political unity between the two parties came at a critical time in Sudanese politics. There are so many important issues going on, among them are the referendum in 2011 which might lead to the secession of a beloved part of the nation, and at the moment Sudan is witnessing a war in Darfur and instability in Southern Darfur, the Nuba mountains and the east. Sudan is indeed undergoing a lot of problems and there is a possibility that the nation might break into so many parts.”

Al Fadil also said the unity of the UMMA party is a step in the right direction. He said that it will play a major role in stabilizing the nation and supporting peace in Sudan.

Photo: Relatives and students carry the body of Darfuri student Mohamed Musa in Omdurman locality in Khartoum, 15 February 2010. Armed riot police surrounded hundreds of protesters at the funeral of Musa, 23, who colleagues said was tortured and killed by Sudanese authorities in a case that has sparked tensions ahead of elections. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

Photo: Sudan-appointed special prosecutor Nimr Mohamed addresses a news conference at the U.N. offices in the capital Khartoum, 11 February 2010. Mohamed, Sudan's special prosecutor for crimes in Darfur, has not charged or tried anyone, and the government must speed up trials or lose the confidence of the people, a U.N.-appointed human rights expert said on Thursday. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
- - -

SPLM to discuss NCP’s suggestions to resolve South Kordofan election boycott

From Mirayafm, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

The Political Bureau of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the suggestions of National Congress Party (NCP) to resolve the SPLM boycotting the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in South Kordofan State, SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum confirmed to Miraya FM.

Earlier the Governor of South Kordofan State, Ahmed Haroun, who leads the NCP delegation to Juba, delivered a message from the Chairman of the NCP, Omer Al Bashir, to the SPLM Political Bureau, suggesting solutions to overcome the crisis.

Meanwhile, Amum also told Miraya FM that the SPLM Political Bureau will hold a meeting to make a final decision on party members who chose to contest as independent candidates.

Darfur peacekeepers get helicopters after long wait

On Tuesday, Sudan's neighbour Ethiopia became the first country to respond to the call by sending five tactical helicopters to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, said UNAMID.

"This will make a huge difference ... Only one country has been able to help us. An African country has supported us," force spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"We still need more, at least 18 in total. Up to now we have had zero tactical helicopters ... Imagine managing without this mobility in such a huge area."

Full story: Reuters, Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
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Sudan Sports Latest

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Al Hilal FC won the Bani Yas friendly tournament cup after defeating the hosts Bani Yas on Saturday.

The match officially finished with a 2-2 draw leading to the penalty kicks which ended 5-4. Al Hilal’s striker Mohamed Al Tahir was awarded the tournament’s top scorer trophy.

Only four teams participated in the friendly mini-tournament which was organized by Emirates’ Bani Yas FC to celebrate the opening of the club’s new stadium.

Meanwhile, Al Merriekh FC on Sunday drew one-nil with their Ethiopian hosts Saint George during the preliminary round of the African Champions’ league.

The team returned to Khartoum on Monday morning after being away from the country for about four weeks.

And in other football news, in Rwanda, Amal Atbara FC lost their African Union Confederation Cup game against Rwanda’s Atrako 2-0 on Sunday.

And finally in Khartoum, the teenage football team from the state of Equatoria won the first National Junior Football Championship after defeating Al Jazeera 2-1 in the finals on Saturday at the Inkhaz stadium.

With special credit and thanks to:

Charles Haskins
News Programming Advisor
Sudan Radio Service (SRS)
A project of Education Development Center
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Monday, February 15, 2010

Sudan/Chad: New page opened on peace (analysis)

Sudan/Chad: New page opened on peace (analysis)
From Daily Independent (Nigeria) by Paul Arhewe
Monday, 15 February 2010 - via www.afrika.no:

Abuja (Nigeria) - The two 'Horns of Africa' countries which hitherto are torn on each others' flesh have decided this week to let by-gone be by-gone, and turn a new page. Chadian president Idriss Deby made a surprise visit to Khartoum last Monday, after each country has laid several accusations and counter accusations of sponsoring rebels to fight the other's government.

Deby's visit no doubt has really laid a path for peace, as Sudan's president Omar Hassan al-Bashir the following day issued a statement saying his country has completely turned the page in the conflict with Chad.

In his words: "I say to our people in Sudan and in Chad, we have completely turned the page on problems between us. This visit has put an end to the problems between Chad and Sudan," he added.

Bashir has even accepted an invitation from Deby to pay a return visit to N'djamena.

This present peaceful meeting won't be the first time the two oil-producing neighbouring countries are trying to put aside the rancour distorting their peaceful cohabitation.

In March 2008, the two countries entered an accord in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, but it crumbled months later when a major faction of Darfur insurgents, the Justice and Equality Movement, launched an unprecedented attack on Khartoum. The reprisal on Ndjamena, which came as a surprise assault came close to overthrowing Deby's government before his military troops managed to rally and rout the rebels.

Mid January this year, Sudan and Chad okay the deployment of a joint force on their borders, in order to end the presence of rebels on each other's territory and halt their activities as part of normalisation efforts.

As Deby was brokering the peace, he stated "...a calm is not enough. Agreements and protocols alone cannot bring back confidence if politics are not included. It is time to outdo ourselves in order to seal this peace."

"If I am with you today, it's not purely for an accolade, I have come so that we can transform the current calm into definitive peace," he added.

Even Sudan's leader has been flabbergasted by his core enemy's surprise visit. "When we were told that President Deby was coming to Khartoum it was a surprise, but a pleasant surprise," Bashir said.

Bashir said joint projects would be set up in the border area between both countries in order to help those affected by the Darfur conflict.

The two countries have agreed to prevent armed groups from using the territory of either state against the interests of the other and to establish mechanisms to monitor their common border.

Analysts are of the view that al-Bashir is seeking cheap popularity, especially as he is standing to run this April for Sudan's first democratic elections in 24 years. Al-Bashir is trying to douse tension in his conflict-devastated state ahead of the April elections.

According to Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow and an expert on Chad-Sudan at France CERI international research institute, "Bashir will need to get an international community that is not too critical. It makes sense, especially as Chad has committed itself to not supply equipment to the Darfur rebels."

According to United Nations' estimate, about 300,000 deaths were recorded when non-Arab insurgents took up arms against Darfur people in early 2003. But President al-Bashir put the death toll at 10,000. About 2.7 million people have fled their homes and been displaced in eastern Chad and western Sudan because of bloodletting clashes with these areas.

The war broke out when Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) began attacking government targets and installations. The rebels were accusing Sudan of oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs Janjaweed militia - who are accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Sudan government following the attacks then mobilised a self-defence militias. The government denies any links to the Arab. Al-Bashir has called the Janjaweed "thieves and gangsters".

But refugees have refuted Sudan's government stance, saying air raids by government aircraft would be followed by attacks from the Janjaweed, who would ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they could find.

The international community has blamed President Bashir on the crisis, and issue an arrest warrant on him last year. Even, last week another fresh charge was approved by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, Africa Union (AU) has refused to honour ICC warrant on the sitting president.

The international community has welcomed this new initiative towards peace in these Horn of Africa countries.

No doubt, the new peace deal with not only be a relief to the people within this war-torn zone, but an economic benefits to other Africa countries, and international organisations who spend their resources in sending military peace-keeping force and relief materials.

The United States has congratulated the Governments of Chad and Sudan on the signing of the January 15 agreements in N'Djamena to normalize relations.

We believe that the normalization of Chad-Sudan relations provides an important opportunity to advance ongoing international efforts toward a peaceful resolution of the situation in Darfur, and we call on the Governments of Chad and Sudan to contribute actively and appropriately to these peace efforts. This agreement will also enhance regional stability and promote economic growth.

The UN has lauded the "positive step" between the Sudan and Chad governments in securing their common borders and joining resource to combating rebels.

The Assistant-Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Dmitry Titov, told the Security Council that "While the challenges in Darfur remain enormous, there is a hope and an opportunity that the coming year will bring positive changes for the region".