Viral technology will be a key competency for Africans

Excerpt from Africa Blogging, a commentary on the emergence of social software and hypernetworking technology in Africa:

"Experts predict that the 21st Century will be Africa's Century."



Photo: East Africa - Computer education in secondary schools in remote areas (via Africa Blogging)
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Considering Africa

From American blogger Steve Nicholson [newly arrived in Africa] Sept 22, 2005:

African landline phones, 2003: 25 million

African cell phone subscribers, 2003: 52 million

Personal computers in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2003: 12 per 1,000 people

Percent of population with access to improved drinking water: Sub-Saharan Africa - 82 urban, 45 rural

Infant mortality rates (birth to one year old): Sub-Saharan Africa - 102 of 1,000 children

Average life expectancy: Sub-Saharan Africa - 46 years

Poorest nations: Burundi, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Somalia - per captia GDPs of $600

Richest nation: Mauritius - per capita GDP of $12,800

US per capita GDP: $40,100

Tags: Africa Darfur viral technology Africa Blogging computer remote hypernetworking social software East Africa

Darfur Sudan: Mini Mubarak and Gadhafi summit in Cairo

A video grab from the El-Masriyya satellite channel shows Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (L) shaking hands with Libyan leader Moamer Gadhafi in Cairo. The two leaders held talks on how to prevent the failure of peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur. (AFP/El-Masriyya/Yahoo) Sep 27 2005.



Mubarak's spokesman, Suleiman Awwad said Egypt urges the Darfur rebels to follow the lead of the SPLA/M which signed a peace agreement with Khartoum ending Sudan's long-protracted civil war last January.

'There is a live example before the Darfur rebels that agreement could be reached on sharing power and wealth and that they could join in the nationwide reconciliation and peace process in Sudan,' Awwad said.

Tags: Africa Darfur Egypt Libya peace talks Mubarak Gadhafi

United Nations Sudan Situation Report 26 Sep 2005

Re final round of Darfur peace talks held in Abuja, Nigeria, the UN's Sudan Situation Report 26 Sep 2005 says the six-day workshops on power-sharing, wealth-sharing and security concluded on 24 Sept, and on 25 Sept. the rest of the Minni Minawi faction of the SLM/A arrived in Abuja. The technical workshops were well-attended and informative and official negotiations will start this week.

Click here to read the UN's report on security issues concerning North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur.

Note, the above report states Chadians dressed in military uniform were seen in a market in West Darfur. Also, it confirms the Government of Sudan is attempting to get the situation under control there by sending SAF and police patrols in and around the market area. The report advises UN Staff to exercise extreme caution and avoid the market area.

Also, it explains that in North Darfur on 24 Sept:

'The town of El Fasher witnessed a military show of force as SAF troops armed with RPGs, AK-47 and 50 cal. machine guns and moving in large trucks, land cruisers, armored scout vehicles and T55 tanks paraded through El Fasher to Abu Shouk IDP camp. The parade ended with a drive-by salute for the Wali and military commanders near the Wali's house. The Wali announced the activation and full implementation of the Emergency Act, which gives full authority to the military and police forces to maintain the security and sovereignty of the state. He also told the armed forces that they should be ready to protect the state and civilians against any rebel attacks.'

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Reps of S Sudan's ex rebel group SPLM/A to attend Darfur peace talks

The above UN report confirms the SPLM/A will send representatives who have close relations with the armed groups in Darfur to Abuja.
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UPDATE Sep 27: From Passion of the Present with thanks - two stories: 50 killed in attack on Chadian village / Chad says gunmen from Sudan kill 36 in border raid.

Tags: Africa Darfur Nigeria Chad peace talks Abu Shouk

Who disarms first: Janjawid militia or Darfur rebels?

Note this excerpt from an IRIN report from Khartoum 27 Sep 2005:

'The disarmament of the Janjawid would help the government reach a peaceful solution," Juan Mendez, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

Appointed by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2004, Juan Mendez said his mandate was preventive and designed to offer recommendations to Annan in order to avoid massive violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law which, if not stopped, could lead to genocide.

Mendez said according to the IDPs, "the disarmament of the Janjawid militia is a priority for them to return to their homes".'

Well, internally displaced people would say that, wouldn't they? Since when do top UN officials quote displaced people who are on the side of the rebels?

It would be more helpful if the UN would explain how to disarm the Janjawid. It is easy to say "disarm the Janjawid". How about disarming the rebels? And explain how it is to be done? Who disarms first, Janjawid militia or rebels?

Imagine telling coalition forces in Iraq to "disarm the insurgents otherwise there is no possibility of reaching a positive solution, the disarment of the Iraqi insurgents would help the government". It is a nonsense.

Beware of propaganda. All sides are at it, turning up the heat, with carrots and sticks. Psychological pressure. A war of words. There is a lot at stake.

The present series of Darfur Peace talks are viewed by the African Union as the final round. UN special envoy Jan Pronk has suggested setting a deadline of December 31. This time last year, during the run up to the signing of a peace deal between Khartoum and southern Sudan's rebels, there was an upsurge in violence and relentless beating of war drums from all sides.



Photo: Juan Mendez, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide (IRIN)

"The situation in Darfur now is disturbing, violence is spreading, and the displaced don't trust the Sudanese police or the Sudanese judiciary system," Juan Mendez told reporters Sep 27 after his second assessment visit to Darfur. His first visit was a year ago.

Tags: Africa Darfur genocide propaganda Sudan peace talks aid worker UN oil human rights African Union Khartoum

Darfur rebels causing upsurge in violence and insecurity

Jonathan Steele's report from Darfur in the Guardian Sep 26, says the latest violence, involving attacks on aid convoys and government officials as well as the theft of large numbers of camels - the main source of wealth for local nomads - comes from the rebel side. Excerpt re latest attacks:

"In one assault, which sparked a chain of clashes, the SLA seized thousands of camels in a well-prepared raid on a nomadic tribe that had previously not been part of the conflict. Tribal leaders appealed to the AU, which publicly used strong language to denounce the attack.

The owners of the camels got help from the militias and converged on villages at Tabit, west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, that they suspected of holding the stolen animals. An estimated 3,000 people then fled.

Yesterday, Osman Mohammed Yusuf Kibir, the governor of North Darfur, did not deny the attacks. "But it's not true the attackers were supported by the government. There was not a single soldier with them. The camel owners waited 13 days for the AU and the international community to respond," he told the Guardian."

During the current and final round of Darfur peace talks, the report reminds us it is the Darfur rebels who are responsible for the insecurity that stops people from returning home:

"The SLA rebels last week entered Sheiria, north-east of Nyala. Although they did not attack the government garrison, they paraded in the streets in a show of strength and claimed they had killed 80 troops. They withdrew the next day. The government said they had been driven out after "heavy casualties". AU monitors who talked to residents said that they had found no evidence of serious clashes or killing."

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Sixth round of Darfur peace talks to start in Nigeria this week

The ongoing sixth round of peace talks for Darfur is scheduled to start in the Nigerian capital this week, chief negotiator Sam Ibok told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) on Monday.

The negotiations are taking place between Khartoum and the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement and Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

"We have not fixed any specific date. We are beginning separate consultations with the three parties today (Monday) and hopefully we will begin the main negotiations by Wednesday,'' Ibok said.
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Darfur rebel group JEM and Chad agree to cooperate

Sep 25 Reuters report says Darfur rebel group and Chad agree to cooperate:

The African Union, which is mediating, said on Sunday a JEM delegation met Chad's President Idriss Deby in N'Djamena to dispel misunderstandings and the JEM had accepted Chad as a co-mediator in the peace process.

The JEM, the smaller of two armed groups that rebelled against Khartoum in early 2003, has accused Chad of supporting some rebel factions over others, playing into the hands of the Sudanese government. Chad countered that it had no interest in prolonging the conflict and the rebels were looking for reasons to avoid making tough commitments to achieve peace.

The wrangling was one of the problems that have plagued peace talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja, now in their sixth round. A wider problem is disunity within the JEM and inside the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), the larger rebel movement.

The sixth round of talks started with a week of workshops during which the parties discussed power sharing, wealth sharing and security arrangements. Detailed discussion of these issues was due to begin on Monday.

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Darfur rebels say only war would bring fair rule

Reuters Sep 22 says Darfur rebel faction, which recently captured a town in Darfur, denounced Sudan's new coalition government on Thursday as exclusionary, adding only war would bring fair rule.



Photo: An internally displaced Sudanese man awaits the arrival of the UNHCR High Commissioner in Riyad camp in the west Darfur region of Sudan August 24, 2005. Photo taken August 24 2005. (Antony Njuguna/Reuters/Yahoo)

The United Nations Human Development Report says there are only 16 doctors for every 100,000 people in Sudan.
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Russian peacekeepers ready to join UN mission in Sudan

10,000 UN peacekeepers are earmarked for Southern Sudan to monitor January's peace agreement. During the last few days, Jan Pronk told the press the reason for the slow deployment of UN peacekeepers in S Sudan is due to disappointing numbers of troops offered by the international community.

[Maybe funding of peacekeepers is for a specfied amount of time and some are being held back until their presence becomes absolutely necessary. Sudan's infighting looks set to go on for many years.]



Russian helicopter pilots are ready to participate in a UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan, said an official from the Torzhok Combat Training Center, whose pilots have recently finished a similar mission in Sierra Leone.

The official said the issue had already been discussed and the pilots had studied Sudan's geography and climate.

"The climate in Sudan resembles that in Sierra Leone and the Russian Mi-24 helicopters performed well in these hard conditions," the official said. - Novosti Sep 26, 2005.

Tags: Africa Darfur Russia Sudan peacekeepers rebels Chad

Uganda seeks extradition of deputy LRA leader

Uganda is negotiating with Congo and the UN for the extradition of a leader of the notorious rebel Lord's Resistance Army, the foreign minister said on Monday. Ugandan officials had said on Friday that LRA deputy chief Vincent Otti and 50 other rebels had fled to north-eastern Congo and were seeking asylum. Full report Sep 26, 2005 (AP/IOL)

Note, the above report ends by saying:

The rebel force once had the support of Sudan, which had allowed it to use Sudanese territory as a rear base, because Uganda supported the then rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

Since a peace agreement was signed in January between the former southern Sudanese rebel group and the Sudanese government, Sudanese officials have been discussing with Uganda how to end the northern Uganda rebellion.

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Uganda's peace process is extremely fragile

Sep 26 BBC confirms DR Congo to deport Ugandan rebels.
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Ugandan Police Deployed in Darfur

Sep 26 report at the Monitor says at least 56 Ugandan police officers have been deployed to Darfur in Southern Sudan [Darfur is in Western Sudan] on a peacekeeping mission.

Tags: Africa Uganda LRA Sudan DR Congo

Congo army says will forcibly disarm Ugandan rebels

MONUC report Sep 26 confirms the Democratic Republic of Congo's army said on Sunday it would forcibly disarm 400 Ugandan rebels who have crossed into the northeast of the country and are refusing to lay down their weapons:

"A regional military commander, General Padiri Bulenda, told Reuters he would have to disarm the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels in order to prevent thousands of Ugandan soldiers from crossing the border into the Congo to hunt them down."

The report ends by saying:

"Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly warned Congo's fragile transitional government that he would take action against Ugandan rebels in Congo if he felt they were a threat to his country.

A source close to Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila called the presence of Ugandan soldiers on Congo's border "a distraction from pressure being applied on Museveni because of his meddling in Congo and attempts to prolong his presidency at home"."

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Museveni to occupy Southern Sudan?

A blogger in America, Menya Kilat, has an interesting theory on connections between Uganda and Southern Sudan and wonders if LRA leader Kony is the red herring to allow Museveni occupy Southern Sudan.

It is a theory I do not share. But, when it comes to African politics, nothing would surprise me.

The US recognises the LRA as a terrorist organisation.

A report today by the BBC says Kony remains with his fighters in southern Sudan and the UN says it has held a meeting with LRA rebels for the first time.

Kony's deputy Vincent Otti is in DR Congo talking to the UN. Uganda says Otti and about 50 fighters left their hideouts in southern Sudan's lawless mountains last week and crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday.

[Cross posted from Congo Watch and Uganda Watch]

Tags: Africa Uganda LRA Sudan DR Congo

MIT Media Lab: $100 Laptops for the Third World

The MIT Media Lab has launched a new research initiative to develop a $100 laptop - a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children.

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) was announced by Nicholas Negroponte, Lab chairman and co-founder, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.

See Superintendent Notebook for Negroponte's answers to questions on the initiative.

Multi-tasking and short attention spans

Tom McHale, an educator in New Jersey, USA writes a notable post Portrait of a Digital Native about childrens' use of technology and their ability to multi task.

The post features a student named Meredith Fear who is working on her independent study for social studies and chosen a topic that is important to her, the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

Meredith catalogues her research through Furl and bookmarking and follows the news and blogs about Sudan through a news aggregator. She finds this process to be very different than her classroom experience.

"The computer gives me a contact to all the people I need to talk to," Fear says. "It's a gateway to the world."

"What I make of it is entirely dependent on me and the effort I'm willing to put into it," she says. "It's a much, much more specialized and detailed level of thinking than I've been exposed to in any of the classes the school provides."

Tags: Africa Uganda LRA Sudan DR Congo Ethiopia Niger MIT laptop Third World Davos OLPC Negoponte Digital multi tasking thinking problem solving

UN officials meet Ugandan rebels

The UN says it has held a meeting with a group of the Ugandan rebels, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), for the first time. Full story (BBC)

Note, the report says LRA commander Joseph Kony remains with his fighters in southern Sudan. Reuters says his time may be running out.
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Uganda's rebel LRA use torture to instil fear

Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has become synonymous with torture, abductions and killings.



BBC photo: The LRA use torture to instil fear

"They tied me and laid me down. They told me not to cry. Not to make any noise. Then one man sat on my chest, men held my arms, legs, and one held my neck".

"Another picked up an axe. First he chopped my left hand, ... read the rest in "Uganda's atrocious war" by Will Ross, BBC Kitgum Uganda.
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Who are the LRA?

See Uganda Watch Q&A: Uganda's northern rebellion.

Tags: Africa Uganda LRA Sudan DR Congo

British Council holds festival for African writers

Forty-five African writers from 19 countries including Nigeria would next month participate in a literature festival in Kampala, Uganda.

Tagged "Beyond Borders: A Festival of Contemporary African Writing", the event will be held between October 19 and 21.

The Director of British Council Uganda, Mr. Richard Weyers, says, "The literature festival will be one of the largest gatherings of African writers in Africa to take place for several decades. It is a unique creative networking event that would broadcast to the world the richness of African and UK writing."

Participating writers have been drawn from across sub-Saharan Africa and the UK. From Nigeria, writers like Chika Unigwe, Tolu Ogunlesi, Helon Habila, Olubunmi Julius-Adeoye and Rotimi Babatunde are taking part in the festival.

Renowned Sudanese writer, Taban Lo Liyong, and Ivorien Veronique Tadjo are other writers participating in the festival, which will provide a platform for established and emerging writers, those in exile or have now returned home, to discuss the role of a writer and the state of contemporary writing across Africa today.

See full story Sep 23 2005 (DI)

Tags: Nigeria Sudan African Writers British Council

BBC journalism course making progress in Sudan

International Journalists' Network reveals the BBC World Service Trust, whose two-year training program in Sudan lasts until March 2006, says it has so far conducted more than 60 training programs in six towns across the country.

More than 800 journalists have participated in the training. The goal of the BBC's Sudan program is to promote freedom of expression and information as a means to encourage better governance.

The European Union and the U.K. Department of International Development are sponsoring the program.

See full story Sep 23, 2005 (IJN)

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa BBC Journalism

SUDAN: Annan tells UN Security Council Darfur civilians must be better protected

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan pledges UN support for Sudan's new national unity government.

IRIN report Sep 23 goes on to say this:



Meanwhile, in his monthly report to the Security Council on Darfur, Annan said the region's civilian population must be better protected because they had fallen victim to attacks from armed groups and forced relocation by the previous government.

"One major issue is the protection of internally displaced persons," Annan said. "On some occasions, internally displaced persons who have returned to their villages of origin to cultivate their fields have been attacked, resulting in their re-displacement back to the refugee camps."

Government troops and military police forced their way into the Bella site near Saraf Omra, North Darfur, on 15 and 16 August, destroyed shelters and wounded eight people, Annan said.

"Once again, despite the agreements with the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations, the government failed to notify the international humanitarian community of its intentions," Annan said.

He added that the establishment of the government of national unity and the normalisation of the situation in the rest of the Sudan offered tremendous promise for Darfur.

"These developments offer the parties an unprecedented opportunity to translate the present relative stability in Darfur into a lasting settlement, anchored in the new national political order," he said.

Further statements:

Sep 23 Statement by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on Sudan - The EU congratulates Sudan and also expresses its grave concern about recent reports of serious clashes in Darfur, apparently involving members of the armed movements, the Government of Sudan and Arab militias, including most recently on the Eastern slopes of the Jebel Marra, and in Sheiria, South Darfur.

Sep 23 AngolaPress Paris, France hailed the formation of a government of national unity in Sudan, saying this was a major stage in the implementation of the 9 January 2005 Nairobi peace accord. France was however "very concerned about" the decline in the security situation in the Darfur, and urged all the parties to the conflict in this region of Sudan "to display greatest restraint ... to scrupulously comply with the cease--ire concluded in N'Djamena on 8 April 2004 and to negotiate without conditions and in good faith in Abuja".

Sep 22 USINFO - Bush congratulates Sudan on new National Unity Government - calls it an important milestone, urges steps to stop violence in Darfur.

Sep 23 Government of Canada Statement by Minister Pettigrew on resumption of Darfur peace talks and recent events in the region.
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Fresh fighting in Darfur threatens peace talks, says AU mediator

"Military activities in all sectors in Darfur ... have negatively impacted on the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need and threaten the current round of the peace talks," Salim Ahmed Salim, the special representative of the AU overseeing negotiations, said in a statement on Thursday.

See full report Sep 23 2005 (IRIN)

UPDATE: Darfur rebels call for ex SPLM to join peace talks

This sounds promising. AFP report says the two main rebel groups from Darfur called Friday for South Sudan's former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to be included in African Union attempts to end their war with the Khartoum government.

Let's hope Rebecca Garang can attend:

Garang's widow is appointed MP

The widow of Dr John Garang de Mabior, Rebecca Nyandeng has been nominated as a member of southern Sudan Parliament.

She was among 161 MPs appointed in accordance with the January 9 Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Nairobi.

Rebecca is among the top officials of Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/Army) that her late husband led for 22 years.

Garang died in a helicopter crash in Southern Sudan on July 30 and was succeeded by Salva Kiir.

See full story Sep 24 2005 (Standard)
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Sudanese President swears in new government of national unity

See full report Sep 22 2005 (IRIN)
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UN envoy says LRA to blame for violence in South Sudan

The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Sudan, Jan Pronk, said a Ugandan insurgent group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), was to blame for much of the violence in southern Sudan. The group had hindered demining work and the opening of roads in the area, he added.

"The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, North-South, is on track," Pronk told reporters, after urging the UN Security Council to renew the mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and expedite its deployment.



Photo: Jan Pronk of The Netherlands, UN special envoy to Sudan

Splits and splits and splits in Darfur rebel group SLA

Jan Pronk said peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in Darfur between the government and rebels were under way in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

He said it was hard to pin down the causes of increasing violence in Darfur, but to "a certain extent" it was related to disputes between nomadic communities and farmers, and a split within the region's main rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A).

"There are groups that are not government and that are not SLM, but the result of splits and splits and splits," he added.

Pronk urges UN Security Council to issue December 31 deadline

Jan Pronk said he had urged the Security Council to issue an ultimatum to the parties to the conflict in Darfur to come to a comprehensive peace agreement by 31 December.

"There is no reason any more to solve the problem through further shooting and fighting. We don't accept it any more," he said, noting that a similar ultimatum had led to progress when the southern peace agreement was being negotiated.

Pronk said the riots in Khartoum following the death of SPLM/A leader John Garang, in a July helicopter crash, had exacerbated ethnic tensions.

The establishment of essential political institutions and legal reforms in line with the southern peace pact had been slow, he said.

New tensions in eastern Sudan and the fact that certain areas of the south had been left as ambiguous zones of "special status" in the peace agreement were other causes for concern, he added.

See full report Sep 22 2005.
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Large-scale camel and cattle rustling

International Committee of the Red Cross claims one factor for the fighting escalating in Darfur is the recent upsurge in large-scale camel and cattle rustling.
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Several factions claiming control of SLA rebels in Darfur

IRIN report explains the situation in Darfur is further complicated by the reported lack of cohesion in the SLM/A's chain of command:

Several factions have recently claimed to control the movement's forces on the ground.

The head of the SLM/A delegation in Abuja, Abdulrahman Musa, is thought to be representing the Fur ethnic wing of the movement, loyal to the movement's chairman, Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nur.

A second faction under SLM/A general secretary Mani Arko Minawi, however, represents the militarily powerful Zaghawa wing and has already boycotted the talks. Observers on the ground claim that it was fighters under the control of Minawi who took control of Shareya town.

See full report Sep 21 2005.
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Darfur peace talks: full political negotiations next weekend

IRIN report explains the sixth round of the Abuja peace talks between the government and the rebels resumed in the Nigerian capital on Thursday:

The parties are currently debating several issues - power sharing, wealth redistribution, security and governance issues - ahead of full political negotiations next weekend, but observers fear the talks might be called off as a result of recent violence.

Meanwhile, a humanitarian source in the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, said two Rwandan soldiers of the AU Mission in Sudan were wounded on Monday in an ambush and the AU had stopped all activity in the area.

Some shooting could be heard outside El Fasher on Tuesday morning and government soldiers came out in large numbers to reinforce the outskirts of the town.

See full report Sep 21 2005 (IRIN)
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Sudanese President announced the national unity government

IRIN report notes observers said the formation of a unity government was another milestone in the implementation of the CPA that ended the country's 21-year north-south conflict:

Sudan's new interim National Assembly held its first session on 31 August.

The CPA, signed on 9 January by Bashir and the late first vice president of Sudan and chairman of SPLM/A, John Garang, in Nairobi, Kenya, attempts to encourage wealth- and power-sharing in the oil-rich nation.

The agreement, which began a six-year transitional period in the country, details protocols on sharing legislative power and natural resources. South Sudan will vote to decide whether to remain politically united with the north or separate from it after the transitional period.

Photo: Sudanese President el-Bashir. The war between his government and the SPLM/A rebel group in the south erupted in 1983 when the rebels took up arms against authorities based in the north to demand greater autonomy. The fighting has killed at least two million people, uprooted four million more, and forced some 600,000 to flee to neighbouring countries.

See full report Sep 20 2005 (IRIN)
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Major clash in Darfur reportedly killing more than 40

A large retaliatory attack by armed nomadic tribesmen on the rebel SLA on Monday left more than 40 people dead in Darfur, local sources said.

See full report 20 Sep 2005 (IRIN)

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Congo Uganda

Sudan: UN WFP Weekly Situation Report on Darfur 14 - 20 Sep 2005

Imagine the complex logistics involved in delivering food to those most in need in the Sudan. 90% of the 10,000 aid workers currently employed by international aid agencies are local Sudanese people.

Thousands of unemployed Sudanese men refuse to get aid through official channels. They ambush relief trucks and use violence to steal food and aid for themselves. Such looting stretches to trucks, petrol, plastic sheeting, mobile phones, cash and other personal belongings stolen during attacks on aid workers.

Here below is an excerpt from the UN's World Food Program weekly Situation Report on Darfur 14 - 20 Sep 2005. Click into the full pdf report and read between the lines.

[Note the pdf report states WFP and "Cooperating Partner SC-US" are looking into possibilities of flying in distribution teams to inaccessible locations in West Darfur. Also, it mentions what sounds like new teams in Darfur, ie: "UNDSS security assessment mission" ... "UNDSS/WFP security mission" ... "a joint team of security officers from WFP, UNDSS and UNMIS" ... "Cooperating Partner GAA"]

HUMANITARIAN & SECURITY SITUATION

The security situation, and subsequent restrictions on UN movement, continue to affect humanitarian operations including WFP's food distributions and assessments in Darfur. Despite increased precautionary measures such as GoS police patrols and AU escorts, armed men continued to attack commercial and humanitarian vehicles in the region.

South Darfur

Two separate incidents of armed attacks on trucks were reported in Amar Jandid, approximately 10 km north of Menawashi, during the reporting week. Both incidents involved a large group of armed men who ambushed and looted commercial trucks traveling in the area. Some 87 bags of sorghum were stolen among personal belongings and money of the occupants.

There were several reports of both GoS and SLA buildup as well as clashes in locations around South Darfur. In Mershing, a UNDSS/WFP security mission recommended that food distribution activities be suspended for a few days while precautionary security measures are put in place. Meanwhile, there were also reports of SLA's established presence in Joghana, approximately 110 km south of Nyala. The UNDSS has advised agencies working in Joghana to ensure that the SLA is notified in advance of any movement in the area. The situation will be closely monitored by the UNDSS as fears of clashes with GoS present in Buram, some 30 km south of Joghana, are raising security concerns. In Jebel Marra, clashes between GoS and SLA were reported in Guldo during the week.

North Darfur

It was reported that the SLA attacked a GoS checkpoint in Abu Hamra village as well as several other villages close to Shangil Tobaya during the week (namely Um Lawat, Karja, Tebeldiya Wari and Arara). While the African Union (AU) is further investigating the situation, many residents allegedly fled Arara village from fear of GoS retaliation. A joint team of security officers from WFP, UNDSS and UNMIS traveled to Shangil Tobaya and Tabitt, where they met with AU, SLA and the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) to discuss the situation. While the situation was reported to have stabilized, residents of the villages have re-located to IDP camps near Shangil Tobaya. The UNDSS is expected to submit a full report in the coming week.

Following the shooting incident that occurred in Tawila on 9 September 2005, a UNDSS security assessment mission re-visited the location and has declared the situation to be relatively stable. UN movement restrictions in Tawila were lifted but UN agencies have been advised to conduct all activities between 0900 and 1600 hours. All field missions were advised to contact the UNDSS prior to departure and to exercise extra caution at all times.

Cooperating Partner GAA suspended activities in Um Maharek village in Kutum locality following an outbreak of violence in which 15 people were killed.

West Darfur

On 15 September, two commercial trucks, being escorted by GoS police, were attacked and ambushed by armed men approximately 25 min south of Masteri. Four civilians and two GoS soldiers were reported to have been killed in this incident. An unescorted NGO vehicle was also stopped and looted near Habilah Kanari during the week. Armed men also shot at two vehicles belonging to UNHCR in the same area. It should be noted that the UN can only move on these roads (Geneina/Habilah/Mornie/Masteri roads, Sisi/Mornie road and areas around Jebel Moon) with a security escort.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa

Sudan: New violence breaks out everywhere in Darfur

Recent news reports of violence breaking out everywhere in Darfur comes as no surprise as it always seems to escalate in the run up to, and during, any important negotiations or peace talks.

As usual, it is difficult to tell who is starting what. Neither side ever proves sincere about wanting peace.

Perhaps this will go on for six years until the time for South Sudan to vote to break away. Trouble is, most of Sudan's oil is in south, central, western and border of Chad-Sudan, not in Northern Sudan where most of the government's supporters reside.

Note, Strategy Page's summary of the latest security situation in Darfur (thanks to Instapundit). The last line states Darfur rebel group JEM says it is working with the east Sudan rebels.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa

US sees LRA as a terrorist organisation - Pronk says peace in Southern Sudan fragile

Paul at Uganda-CAN publishes a post Sep 22 featuring a Reuters report on Jan Pronk, the UN's special envoy in Sudan, who says the peace agreement between South Sudan's former rebel group SPLM/A and Khartoum regime is fragile.

Mr Pronk is briefing the UN Security Council.

He said Dr. John Garang's death last July, which caused sporadic rioting, has been followed by a recent upswing in LRA activity in southern Sudan, as well as reports that some elements of the Sudanese military were still supporting the rebel group.

He also expressed concern over the possibility of renewed conflict in southern Sudan as refugees begin returning to their homes there despite delays in the arrival of crucial humanitarian aid and UN peacekeepers.

Also, Paul writes:

"Uganda-CAN urges the world to think of the conflicts in southern Sudan, Darfur, and northern Uganda as part of an interrelated regional conflict which can only be resolved through cooperation among all parties and the signing of regional peace agreements. Read more on Uganda-CAN's website about southern Sudan and Darfur and information on key actors there."

Going by various news reports, Sudan, Darfur, northern Uganda (and I would add DR Congo) appear to be part of an interrelated regional conflict (and it would seem when it comes to DR Congo, some connections go back to Rwanda's genocide) which was the reason for starting Uganda Watch and Congo Watch last year.

Note, the US State Department recognises the LRA as a terrorist organisation.
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Museveni wants Kony extradited

Uganda-CAN picks up on a report by New Vision that claims President Museveni has demanded the immediate extradition of Kony and remnants of his army that have recently crossed into the DR Congo (DRC).

According to the report, sixty fighters led by Kony's second-in-command Vincent Otti recently fled northern Uganda and southern Sudan to cross into northeastern DRC. The Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) claimed the rebels are hiding in Garamba game park in the DRC.
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Uganda says top LRA rebel wants asylum in Congo

The deputy leader of Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) is asking for political asylum in Congo after fleeing into its remote northeastern jungles, Uganda's defence minister said today.

Uganda says Vincent Otti and about 50 fighters left their hideouts in southern Sudan's lawless mountains last week and crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday.

But the Congolese government said on Friday it had no information about the group's presence on its territory or of any asylum request.

See full story Sep 23 2005 (Standard)
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Bush held talks with Rwandan leader re Great Lakes region

Recent news reports say terrorist groups aim to set up camp in east Africa.

Previous posts here at Sudan Watch note:

- The US has a sophisticated intelligence base in Djibouti housing 800 special-operations troops.

- A meeting held at the White House last April between President Bush and Rwanda's leader Paul Kagame to discuss the Great Lakes region. [The Great Lakes region has been marred by conflict since Rwanda's 1994 genocide, in which up to 937,000 people were killed]

- The US promises support for military operations to fight LRA.



Photo: President George W. Bush meets with the President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in the Oval Office Friday, April 15, 2005. (White House photo by Krisanne Johnson)

See Congo Watch post 16 April 2005 - Bush Holds Talks with Rwandan Leader at White House. Excerpt:

They also discussed a host of other regional issues from peacekeeping in southern Sudan and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo to helping bring elections to Burundi. On all, the Rwandan leader says Mr. Bush vowed to continue his engagement in African affairs. "We requested the president to use his powers to help Africa in different ways, in socioeconomic development, in assuring there is peace and security not only in our region but also in the whole continent. And the president was very supportive of that," he said.

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Issue of terrorism is reshaping alliances in a surprising way

Snippets from BBC report Sudan eyes gains from terror talks Sep 22 2005:

The US has set up an anti-terror base to monitor East Africa.

Speaking at the conference, Sudan's Vice-President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha said that the Darfur conflict was continuing only because of foreign interference.

He was talking about Eritrea, which has not been invited to the counter-terrorism conference.

Mr Taha called on Eritrea to involve itself in dialogue to help to stabilise Darfur. He also made a sustained attack on the international media for focussing attention on Darfur.

Economic sanctions imposed by the US make it difficult to attract investors and develop the economy. The sanctions are seen as a major impediment to normalisation in a country impatient to rejoin the world community.

The discovery of large oil reserves in recent years has made the search for a diplomatic solution even more urgent.

The decision of the CIA to agree to come to Sudan shows the pragmatism of the intelligence community against the continuing political desire of America to punish Sudan for what has happened in Darfur.

The world may not even be able to agree on how to define terrorism, and it was hard to secure agreement on a resolution to condemn terrorism "in all its forms" proposed by the UK at the recent UN summit of world leaders.

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Missionary Blog Watch

Missionary Blog Watch keeps an eye on Christian missionary blogs on the net in order to introduce you to interesting posts, new bloggers and developments on Missionary-Blogs.com.

[via Keith with thanks]

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Congo Uganda

Volkswagen-Stiftung offer of scholarships for a research project about Southern Sudan

Message from Warnews Blogs September 15, 2005:

Dear All,

The Volkswagen-Stiftung is sponsoring a research project at the University of Bremen, Germany on "Governance and Social Action in Sudan after the Peace Agreement of 2005: local, national, and regional dimensions" (Politische Steuerung und soziales Handeln im Sudan).

As part of the research project 10 research scholarships are being offered, which are aimed at applicants from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Attached you find the research proposal and further details about the scholarships.

Further details can be found on www.iwim.uni-bremen.de

It would be greatly appreciated if you could forward this email to anyone who might be interested in applying for a scholarship.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Congo Uganda Kenya

Sudan: Bashir announces national unity government

Sudanese President Omar al Bashir announced on Wednesday the formation of a new government of national unity in accordance with the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the government and the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).

Xinhua Sep 21 excerpt:

Analysts say that the biggest disappointment for the southern Sudanese is that they have not been given the energy and mining ministry which includes the oil sector.

President Omar al Bashir's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) retained the powerful energy portfolio after weeks of tough negotiations with the former rebel, Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

The north also keeps control of the key defense, interior and finance posts.

Of the 29 ministries, 16 remain in the hands of the northern NCP, nine go to the SPLM, the former southern rebels, and smaller groups have the others.

The interim government will remain in place until legislative elections are held in around four years.

A six-year post-war interim rule started in July, after which the south will hold a referendum on self-determination.

In a Sep 21 article entitled "Sudan unity under test" Aljazeera says Sudan has six years to make unity work.



Photo: Al-Bashir termed the unity government a good omen (Aljazeera)

Further reading:

Sep 20 Sudan Tribune Full list of Sudanese government of national unity by presidential decree. [Note, another list points out the 74-strong line-up includes only five women]

Sep 21 AFP report: Sudan national unity govt faces tough task.

Sep 21 Reuters report: S. Sudanese unhappy with new government.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa

SLA have withdrawn from south Darfur town, UN says

SLA rebels in Darfur said they captured the town of Sheiria from government forces in a surprise attack on Tuesday.



Photo: A Sudanese boy hold his malnourished cousin as he waits for medical assistance at a health clinic run by Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Akuem village in southern Sudan September 11, 2005. (David Mwangi/Reuters)
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Sudan official vows army will retake rebel town

Reuters via ReliefWeb says a Sudanese military official vowed on Wednesday that Sudan's armed forces would recapture the town.

"Right now, the town is still under rebel control," the official told Reuters. "Government forces will respond and expel them from the town," he added without giving details.
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Rebels reported to have withdrawn from south Darfur town, UN says

Associated Press report confirms SLA rebels are reported to have withdrawn from a South Darfur town which the Sudanese army was threatening to recapture, a UN spokesman said Wednesday:

The Sudan Liberation Army overran the town of Sheiria on Monday, violating the ceasefire in the western region of Sudan. The move provoked government protests and UN expressions of concern for the town's 33,000 residents, who depend on international aid.

"We have heard from some sources that the SLA left the town" Tuesday, UN spokesman George Somerwill told The Associated Press by telephone.

Somerwill declined to reveal the sources, but stressed that the African Union mission was responsible for the peace process in Darfur.

African Union spokesman Noureddine Mezni refused to comment on whether the rebels had withdrawn from Sheiria, saying a statement would be issued later.

The above mentioned fighting between Sudan's government and the Darfur rebels resumed during preparations for the sixth round of Darfur peace talks, which started in Abuja Nigeria on September 15, 2005. (Graphic/Reuters)

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa SLA African Union

US promises support for military operations to fight LRA

Xinhua reports Sep 21 that US National Security Advisor Steve Hadley has assured Uganda of his country's cooperation in the planned joint operation between Uganda, Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) against remnants of rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

On a group of LRA ebels entering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through southern Sudan, Hadley said US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton will take up the matter of UN Observer Mission in Congo to improve UN presence and performance in the DRC.

LRA rebels have killed tens of thousands of civilians and displaced over 1.4 million people in their 19-year-old rebellion in northern Uganda.

[via Uganda-CAN with thanks]

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa DR Congo Uganda LRA Uganda-CAN MONUC SPLA US

UN Jobs - Vacancies in Sudan

A Swiss association, not affiliated with the United Nations has a site listing Vacancies in Sudan.