Eritrea seeks to up pressure on Ethiopia over border

According to Reuters Oct 9, experts say Asmara's goal is rather to force the issue higher up the agenda of world powers it suspects are either weary of the dispute or biased in favour of favour of Ethiopia.

"We go through this every six months to a year. People get nervous that a new conflict is going to break out," said British author Michela Wrong, who has written extensively about Eritrea.

"The danger is if the border issue is not settled, one of those days it's not going to be a false alarm. The current situation is clearly not tenable," she said.

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Oct 10 Ethiopia's Meles retains prime minister post.

Oct 10 Ethiopian opposition boycott opening of parliament.

Update Oct 13 Ethiopian-Eritrean border may have military buildup - UN: New restrictions on patrols by U.N. peacekeepers make it impossible to guarantee there's no renewed military buildup along the tense border between Ethiopia and Eritrea, a U.N. spokeswoman said Oct 13.

UN report Oct 12: Without explanation, Eritrea maintains restrictions on UN peacekeeper helicopters.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Ethiopia

Tine, North Darfur: JEM gunmen kidnap 18 AU personnel

"18 African Union personnel including military observers, civilian police, a U.S. representative and a Justice and Equality Movement (rebel) representative are held hostage today," the acting head of the AU in Sudan, Jean Baptiste Natama, told Reuters Oct 9.

He said they were being held in the Chadian-Sudanese border town of Tine in North Darfur state. A spokesman in the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa said the kidnappers were believed to be members of a dissident faction of Darfur's rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Update from Reuters Oct 9: "Most have been released but it is not clear how many," said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni. He said earlier reports that 16 of the 18 people were being freed were not yet confirmed.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa African Union

World Press Photo Contest 2005: Sandstorm wins 1st prize

A sandstorm sweeps by the temporary housing used by displaced Sudanese people, just across the border from Darfur.

Photo courtesy World Press Photo competition 2005 - Nature category 1st prize winner: Jahi Chikwendiu, USA, The Washington Post.

Enter the 2006 contest

WPP is now accepting entries from professional photographers to the 2006 World Press Photo Contest. The deadline for entries is 12th January 2006.

[via Metroblogging Montreal - with thanks]

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa sandstorm Montreal world press nature Jahi Chikwendiu Washington Post

Killing of two AU peacekeepers happened near Khor Abeche

The ambush of the AU patrol on Saturday 8 Oct 2005 happened near Khor Abeche, South Darfur where Arab militias wiped out a rebel base earlier this year; South Darfur was the scene of a rebel attack on a government garrison last month, which sparked a wave of tit-for-tat violence, reports Reuters Oct 8. Excerpts:

Sudan's state minister for foreign affairs, Samani Wasiyla, told Reuters he did not know who was responsible for the ambush but that it was definitely not government troops.

"It is unfortunate that there has been casualties," he said. "I want to assure all that the government is committed to seeing that the mission of the African Union forces succeeds.

EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, told reporters in Khartoum on Saturday the government was responsible for protecting AU troops in Darfur.

"There is a responsibility also of the government of Sudan to guarantee that the AU has the appropriate protection so that they can produce results in their mission," Solana said after a brief visit to Darfur."

"Their mission is a mission of peace, not of war but of peace."

Note, the EU is one of the largest funders of the AU mission in Darfur.
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African Union says Darfur rebel SLA killed 2 peacekeepers

Update from Reuters Oct 9:

"The AMIS soldiers clearly identified their attackers as men dressed in SLA uniform and that they escaped in typical SLA vehicles into which they loaded their own casualty," according to AMIS statement.

"From the foregoing account, all the evidence shows SLA direct responsibility."

UPDATE Oct 9: Sacked rebel JEM commander kidnapped peacekeepers.

UPDATE Oct 10: U.S. Condemns Attacks on AU Personnel in Darfur - US State Department deputy spokesman cited two Darfur rebel groups, the SLM and a faction of the JEM, as responsible for the attacks.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa UN African Union Janjaweed Janjawid peacekeepers NATO EU Solana Khor Abeche

Two AU soldiers killed near Kourabishi, South Darfur

News from Russia reports two African Union peacekeeping soldiers from Nigeria were killed in an ambush Saturday Oct 8 in Darfur, a senior AU official said, marking the first deaths sustained by the African mission since deploying there last year:

Two civilian contractors attached to the AU peacekeeping team were also killed in the attack that occurred near Kourabishi, a town in South Darfur state, said the AU's acting head of mission, Jean-Baptiste Natama, in a telephone interview.

Three other African Union soldiers were wounded in the attack, Natama said without saying who was behind the ambush or providing further details. The attack occurred while European Union security affairs chief Javier Solana made a brief visit to Darfur.

Note, the report also states Nigerian Maj. Gen. Festus Okonkwo, the commanding officer of the African Union peacekeeping mission, painted a bleak picture for Solana about the conflict and complained that while Canada had shipped 25 armored vehicles, only 12 had been delivered and the rest remain at the dock in the Ivory Coast capital of Dakar.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa UN African Union Khartoum SPLM John Garang NATO anarchy security peace

John Garang proposed joint force of 30,000 AU/GOS/SPLMA troops for Darfur

The UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his report to the Security Council 12 September 2005, explains:

"In Darfur, the humanitarian community, made up of more than 12,500 aid workers, 13 United Nations agencies and 81 international non-governmental organizations on the ground, has been assisting an ever-increasing number of affected people, including close to 2 million internally displaced persons."

Also, recent news reports continue to say the number of African Union troops presently in Darfur is expected to increase this month from around 6,000 to 7,700 with an additonal 4,300 AU troops due early next year. If true, this would amount a total of 24,500 people on the ground in Darfur by early next year.

On a few occasions over the past year, noted here at Sudan Watch, John Garang proposed a force of 10,000 soldiers from his SPLM army, together with 10,000 each from Sudanese and AU forces, making a total of 30,000 troops, to help with security in Darfur as well as assisting Darfur and eastern Sudan to achieve a settlement along the lines of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for southern Sudan. If John Garang's offer could become a reality by early next year, it would mean more than 40,000 helpers on the ground in Darfur.

Following on from a few posts last April here at Sudan Watch and Passion of the Present (see links below), the time seems right to push for John Garang's vision to become a reality, ie a troika/triumverate/joint security force of 30,000 troops from Government of South Sudan, Government of Sudan and the African Union. It would be interesting to know the cost per annum of such a force. NATO is currently providing logistical support to the AU mission in Darfur.

The Genocide Intervention Fund aims to support African Union troops in Darfur. Hopefully, GIF will soon fix its online donating facility so anyone can donate, not just those located in the US and Canada. Maybe as a fundraising initiative, GIF could launch a global competition that bloggers could help promote and find sponsors willing to donate desirable prizes such as the latest Apple Mac laptops, iPods, etc.

Note, a report by Reuters Oct 7 says bandits have punched beaten and whipped aid workers attempting to deliver aid to hungry refugees in Darfur, part of a pattern of regular attacks, aid workers said. Excerpt:

In West Darfur 75,000 people are cut off without aid because of a recent escalation in ambushes on the road targeting aid convoys, U.N. official Andy Pendleton said.

"They are punched, beaten -- aid workers have been whipped by these bandits, intimidated," he said. "So of course you give them anything they want," he told Reuters on Thursday. The armed men loot valuable equipment and supplies from aid convoys.

Pendleton said he had been caught in cross fire in Darfur. If security did not improve and aid could not get through, refugees would become malnourished, he said.

Matthew Ryder, another aid worker in el-Geneina, said serious attacks happened as often as 2-3 times a week but were becoming less frequent because aid convoys had stopped using the roads south of the town.

The report also says:

The AU plans to increase its force up to 12,000 in early 2006. But many aid organisations refuse to have AU troops accompany their vehicles, fearing association with any troops would endanger their neutrality.

So, anarchy reigns. How is peace to be achieved without a decent security force in place? What about the oil companies, and other firms doing business/soon to do business with Sudan, would they help fund such a force or sponsor prizes for an online fundraiser by GIF to support African Union troops in Darfur?

[Any feedback, ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. Please email me anytime. Thanks.]
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Previous posts:

April 21, 2005 Sudan Watch post: SPLM/A willing and ready to deploy 10,000 of its troops to Darfur.

April 21, 2005 Passion of the Present post by Jim Moore: "Sudanwatch on the SPLM's offer to help in Darfur..and hey, maybe the Genocide Intervention Fund should raise money for the SPLM/A to intervene in Darfur.. Ok, here is a really interesting idea, highlighted today by Ingrid Jones over at the terrific Sudanwatch. Now combine this with the Genocide Intervention Fund, and we might have something."

April 22, 2005 Sudan Watch post: Bloggers unite to support Darfur peacekeeping mission - a troika of 30,000 forces from Sudan, New Sudan and UN/AU.
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Web definition of troika and triumvirate

*troika, n. [Russ.], 1. a vehicle drawn by a team of three horses abreast. 2. the minimum coordinate set required to define a single point in three-dimensional space.

S: (n) triumvirate (a group of three men responsible for public administration or civil authority)
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AU mediator admits stagnation of Darfur peace talks

The African Union mediator in the Darfur conflict in western Sudan acknowledged on Friday Oct 7 criticism by UN chief Kofi Annan about the stagnation of peace talks between the government and rebel groups.

The UN secretary general, also speaking on Thursday, lamented the stagnation of the Darfur peace talks and said he would increase pressure on the parties to the conflict.

Annan warned there could be no comphrehensive settlement in Sudan without a resolution in Darfur.



Photo: Salim Ahmed Salim

"The talks are moving very slowly ," Tanzanian mediator Salim Ahmed Salim said in an interview with AFP. Oct 7, 2005 (Abuja)
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NATO commander hails security efforts in Sudan's Darfur

Allied and US military interest in Africa is "embryonic" but growing at a rapid pace, especially in support of security operations in Darfur, NATO's supreme allied commander (SACEUR), Marine General James Jones, told Congress September 28, 2005.



Photo: Gen James Jones of EUCOM

In Darfur, Jones said, NATO's involvement "will help create relationships between key regional security organizations as NATO works with the African Union [AU] mission. Most [important], this engagement will ameliorate one of the world's worst humanitarian crises." [btw web definition of ameliorate is 'to make a situation better or more tolerable']

He told the senators: "Different agencies estimate that between 180,000 and 300,000 Sudanese have died, and more than 1.8 million people have been displaced from their homes. Some 200,000 refugees are estimated to have fled westward to neighboring Chad, while the vast majority of refugees remain trapped in Darfur camps and settlements." - (Washington File/ST) 8 October 2005.
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EU urges Sudan to end conflict in Darfur

Javier Solana, the European Union's security affairs chief, emerged from a meeting Oct 8 with First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit, optimistic that Europe's message was heard.

"He has committed himself" to ending the Darfur conflict, Solana told reporters of Kiir.

EU diplomats said Kiir told Solana that ending the Darfur turmoil was key to resolving other ethnic crises in this vast country.

The diplomats, who asked not to be named, said Kiir expressed concern that Darfur was having a spillover effect on ethnic tensions in eastern Sudan.

"If the war in Darfur continues, it may also affect the implementation of the CPA," a diplomat quoted Kiir as telling Solana.



Photo: Javier Solana - who also was to have met President Omar al-Bashir Saturday 8 Oct 2005 but the meeting was cancelled due to an illness in the family, EU diplomats said. He later flew to Darfur, where the EU has to date spent A600 million (US$270 million) in support of the African Union peacekeeping operation. (AP/ST)
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Sudan's First VP to hand over Ugandan rebel leader to ICC

Sudanese First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayardit said Oct 8 he would hand over a Ugandan rebel leader to the International Criminal Court if he was found.

Kiir's remarks came days after it was announced that the ICC had issued arrest warrants for Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, and four of his deputies. Uganda's defense minister said Friday that he believed Kony was in southern Sudan.



Photo: Salva Kiir

"I don't know where Kony is, and if I find him, I'll hand him over to the ICC," Kiir told reporters after meeting Javier Solana, the EU's security affairs chief Oct 8, 2005.

The LRA has bases in southern Sudan's Eastern Equatoria state, from which it launches cross-border raids against Ugandan forces. The group has also been blamed for some attacks against Sudanese civilians. - (ST) 8 Oct 2005
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UN wants pressure applied, like last summer



Photo (AP/Anja Niedringhaus): U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland gestures as he explains that escalating violence in Darfur is threatening to halt aid work as increasing numbers of international staff come under attack, during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2005.

'If it continues to escalate, if it continues to be so dangerous on humanitarian work, we may not be able to sustain our operation for 2.5 million people requiring lifesaving assistance,' Egeland tells reporters.

Note, here is the important part of the message: At the press conference Jan Egeland said:

"We need to have the same kind of pressure on the parties as we had last summer when world leaders really, really put their thumb and their pressure on the Government of Khartoum." Mr. Egeland said he no longer felt the same kind of pressure.

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Some comments received [following above post re the late John Garang's proposal for a tripartite force to help with security in Darfur as well as assisting Darfur and eastern Sudan to achieve a settlement along the lines of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for southern Sudan. If any more comments are received via email, they will be added to this list upon receipt of senders' permission]
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Oct 8 2005 Eugene at Coaltion for Darfur highlights 30,000 AU/GOS/SPLMA Troops for Darfur and the renewed call for more troops.
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Oct 8 2005 Luke at O Theophilus.com posts this: Hmm ... "A joint effort like that could be a huge step forward. Or a gigantic mess." [and picks up on a post at Uganda Watch noting Uganda rebel leaders named by ICC as world's most wanted men - he says About Time and links to more info]
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Oct 8 2005 email: 'Strangely, I believe this proposal was quickly dismissed because people didn't think everyone would buy-in to working with one other ... some felt that the SLA and, especially, JEM would obstruct the triumvirate ... others felt that the SPLM would not be willing or proactive to defend Darfurians when they are focused on establishing the nascent peace in the South ... Sen. Biden may have been supportive of this [JG's proposal].
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Oct 9 2005 Eric at Passion of the Present points out this blog author is inviting comments and suggestions re John Garang's proposal for a tripartite force to assist Darfur and eastern Sudan.
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Oct 9 2005 email from Eddie at Live From The FDNF: 'At the time Garang proposed it, it was feasible with him as the driving and guarantor force behind it. Without his presence, I really don't think the NIF fears anyone else from the South, not nearly in the manner that they respected and feared what Garang was capable of. More and more, this all reminds me of an African mirror version of Bosnia. We have out of control elements attacking peacekeepers, the impotence of the international community's response laid bear for all to see and essentially three (or more) sides that complicate matters, with two of the sides (in this case, the South and Darfur) very capable and willing to align against the other (the NIF). A phantom peace deal floats about, though it is much more alive and in action now than the Vance-Owen plan was for years in Bosnia. The only MAJOR difference here is the global media's MIA on Darfur, whereas in Bosnia it was all over for years on the horror of abandoning the Bosnians and Croats to the Serb war machine.'
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Oct 9 2005 email: 'I remember hearing concerns that the SLA and JEM would obstruct a triumvirate force, especially the GoS troops.'
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Oct 11 2005 email: 'There are too few people interested in genocide (?), as you point out. I just saw the AP report that John Bolton blocked a briefing to the UNSC about Darfur because he felt it is time to do something rather than just have briefings...

We'll see, so far they have done virtually nothing since Powell's genocide-statement more than one year ago.

I fear for Sudan, as there are so many unsolved issues (Beja, Darfur, Turabi/Islamist influence on the government, interference over the borders to Chad, Ethiopia/Eritrea, Uganda etc, leadership in the south, a lack of development of infrastructure etc in the South, ...). The AU forces have been relatively successful in Darfur, although suffering from a lack of personnel and resources, but the GoS and others seem to want to keep the issue open, so the atrocities there are continuing. I fear the people of the south will turn against their leaders, or make their leaders turn, as they get disappointed from lack of improvement in their lives. Currently, I see no possibility that a plebiscite or election will not turn down a joined Sudan.

I hope, but have turned more pessimistic the last couple of months, particularly since Garang's death.'
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Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa UN African Union Khartoum SPLM John Garang NATO anarchy security peace rape atrocities rape death orphans child soldiers night commuters Chad Ethiopia Beja Turabi Uganda humanity racism ethnic cleansing live 8 Darfur war criminals crime against humanity Islamist NIF Vance Owen Bosnians Croats EUCOM

Darfur wasn't genocide and Sudan is not a terrorist state

In an article for the Guardian Oct 7 entitled "Darfur wasn't genocide and Sudan is not a terrorist state" Jonathan Steele in Khartoum writes:

"Grim though it has been, this was not genocide or classic ethnic cleansing. Many of the displaced moved to camps a few kilometres from their homes. Professionals and intellectuals were not targeted, as in Rwanda. Darfur was, and is, the outgrowth of a struggle between farmers and nomads rather than a Balkan-style fight for the same piece of land. Finding a solution is not helped by turning the violence into a battle of good versus evil or launching another Arab-bashing crusade."

Steele also notes even MI6 and the CIA are frustrated by the attitude of US neocons and the Christian right towards the Sudanese conflicts, and says:

"Thriving on bad news - typical was Caroline Moorehead's Letter from Darfur in the New York Review of Books this summer - commentators who still write about Darfur often thunder away without any sense of time or context. In fact, the UN secretary general's latest report to the security council points out that the influx of 12,500 aid workers has "averted a humanitarian catastrophe, with no major outbreaks of disease or famine". Patrols by the hundreds of AU monitors have reduced violence and other human-rights violations."

The Century's First Genocide is Nearly Over

Yesterday, I noted a few blogs linking to an opinion piece by Johann Hari entitled "The Century's First Genocide is Nearly Over." The Independent UK published it online under subscription but the author copied it in full at his website JohannHari.com.

My initial reaction was not to link to it here at Sudan Watch because it does little to help readers understand what is really going on in the Sudan and why. Even the title is misleading. However, after reading Jonathan Steele's piece in today's Guardian, I have decided to file both articles here for future reference, along with a link to the inane comments it prompted at a post entitled "The crisis in Sudan is nearly over...".

Plus, one other opinion piece entitled "The Bosnia of Our Time" by Michael J Totten, 23 August 2005. [with thanks to E]
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UPDATE Oct 8: Indigo Jo Blogs - Darfur "not genocide" - links to an MSNBC article "Violence in the Sudan displaces nearly 1 million" - featuring an interview with aid worker Mercedes Taty. Taty, a 36-year-old Spanish doctor and the Deputy Emergency Director for Doctors without Borders in Paris, had returned from a month working in Sudan where she worked with 12 expatriate doctors and 300 Sudanese nationals in field hospitals set up in the towns of Mornay, El Genina, and Zalinge. She spoke with MSNBC.com about the gravity of the crisis. [Note the report is dated 16 April 2004 - eighteen months ago, when I first started blogging Darfur]

UPDATE Oct 13: More Sudan from DSTP for War blog [with thanks to Wilson]

Submissions Welcomed For Spotlight On Darfur 2

If you wish to contribute a blog entry for Spotlight on Darfur 2, please contact Eddie Beaver at Live From The FDNF in time for 16 October 2005 deadline.

Jim Moore, co-founder of Sudan: Passion of the Present, recently posted a note from Eddie on this initiative with an important PINR report from Michael Weinstein.

Note, Catez Stevens in New Zealand initiated and hosted Spotlight on Darfur 1 round up of posts authored by 14 different bloggers from around the world. Jim Moore, in praise of this, writes:

"In my view this work is so fine as to be almost historic. It combines the literary quality of a small, carefully edited book, with the global accessibility of works on the web."



Last May, Catez also produced The Darfur Collection.

Image courtesy Tim Sweetman's post Let Us Weep.

UPDATE: Oct 7 Sudan: The Passion of the Present:"Darfur Fast" raises funds to fight genocide.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa allthings2all aid bloggers Live 8 Live From The FDNF Darfur Collection Spotlight on Darfur

Fast for Darfur this week

On October 6, 2005, millions will fast from a meal or luxury good and donate the money saved to relief efforts in Darfur.



In honour of Darfur Fast, Australian blogger at thewaya.org publishes an indepth post on Darfur with notes on Wikepedia and how Australians can help.

Snippets from blogland

Or Does It Explode explains Darfur Fast and says thanks to General Bashir, we celebrate the Darfur Fast today."

Discarded Lies receives feedback on Darfur Fast.

Cheaper than Therapy in Tampa, Florida reminds us to Fast for Darfur this week.

Shawn and Kacie at The Sign Post in Oklahoma, USA will be participating along with many in their home church.

2 Political Junkies points to the Darfur Fast and Rally and where you can donate.

Beyond Robson in Vancouver writes Giving Help, Giving Thanks this Thanksgiving and explains CSFDARFUR is holding a Solidarity Fast for Darfur.

Eric at Sudan: Passion of the Present highlights this post here at Sudan Watch on Darfur Fast - and provides a news round up of events.

Jason at Paradigms Lost is a budding activist who would like others to participate with him and starts with Darfur Fast and the slogan "you have one life - do something."

Gretchen of Moments of Clarity in Illinois, USA says she is simply a girl who doesn't particularly like international politics, but whose heart aches when she thinks about what is happening in Darfur.

Ragman in America says students around the country will take part in a daylong fast today through an event organised by a group called Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND).

For more information check out the Darfur Fast website. The idea is we give up a treat or meal and donate the money saved to relief efforts in Darfur, even if it is a few dollars.

Make a Pledge with your name, email and location and click into these four links to see some of the people participating:

Notable Fasters

Partner Organizations

Participating Organizations

Participating Schools

Note, the Genocide Intervention Fund aims to support African Union troops in Darfur and is open to donations, no matter how small [it's the thought and support that counts]. Maybe one day, GIF's online payment facility will accept donations from outside of North America and Canada. Last time I tried, the form would not compute a UK transaction.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa aid Darfur Fast Australia

Sudan 'may still have bin Laden terror camps' - Cardinal Wako

The London-based newspaper The Tablet reported 1 Oct 2005 that the Catholic Archbishop of Khartoum, Gabriel Zubeir Wako, said that nine years after Osama bin Laden was expelled from Sudan his al-Qaida network may still be operating terrorist training camps in the east part of the country.

Full report at Sudan Tribune 6 Oct 2005.

Further reading:

Sudan Watch Apr 26, 2005: Interviews: Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako, Archbishop of Khartoum - Bishop Paride Taban of the Diocese of Torit in South Sudan.

Sudan Tribune 22 Sep 2005: Text - Khartoum Declaration on Counter-Terrorism.

Sudan Watch 22 Sep 2005: US sees LRA as a terrorist organisation.

Sudan Watch Oct 1, 2005: Eastern Front activity.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Wako Bin Laden Khartoum al-Qaida terrorist security

AU has film of helicopter gunships in two Darfur locations

Following the African Union's recent statement on the security situation in Darfur, the AU reports Oct 6 it has photographic evidence of helicopter gunships over Darfur but does not say if the film is of the attack on Aro Sharow camp north-west of Darfur Sep 28.

Reuters quote AU Oct 6:

"We reported what we have observed. The report we received from the field said helicopter gunships were observed overhead in two different locations in Darfur," Kingibe told reporters at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.

"We have films and pictures. We do not make a statement of that nature, grave as they are, without evidence. If necessary we are ready to show them," he said.

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Note, the UNs' High Commissioner for refugees said Sunday it found no evidence of Sudanese government involvement in the attack on Aro Sharow camp north-west of Darfur Sep 28.

Sudan admits using helicopter gunships in their attack on Shearia South Darfur.

Here is an excerpt from above AU statement Oct 1 re the fight for Shearia in South Darfur that started Sep 19:

"The SLA proceeded to attack and occupy the GOS garrison town of Shearia, as well as some nearby locations on 19 September 2005. These incidences have had such negative impact on the ongoing talks in Abuja that the Chief Negotiator, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, had to issue a strong statement urging restraint. It is against this background that we find it utterly incomprehensible that the GOS Forces which had hitherto not only shown restraint themselves, but used their considerable and known influence on the Arab/Armed militia to restrain them as well, suddenly decided to abandon such responsible behaviour and posture and resorted to the violent destructive and overwhelming use of force not only against the rebel forces, but also on innocent civilian villages and the IDP camps.

Since the Shaeria incidence, a number of coordinated offensive operations have been undertaken by the GOS and the Janjaweed Arab militia. On 18 September 2005, simultaneous attacks at Khartoum Djadeed, Sandego, Khasantongur, Tary, Martal and Djabain resulted in the death of 12 civilians, 5 seriously wounded, and the displacement of about 4,000 civilians. Heavy and small weapons mounted on vehicles were reportedly used by GOS, in close coordination with about 300 Janjaweed Arab militia. Most of the displaced people moved to Zamzam and Tawilla IDP camps.

As you are probably aware on 28 September 2005, just four days ago, some reportedly 400 Janjaweed Arab militia on camels and horse back went on the rampage in Arusharo, Acho and Gozmena villages in West Darfur. Our reports also indicate that the day previous, and indeed on the actual day of the attack, GOS helicopter gunships were observed overhead. This apparent coordinated land and air assault gives credence to the repeated claim by the rebel movements of collusion between the GOS forces and the Janjaweed/Arab militia. This incidence, which was confirmed not only by our investigators but also by workers of humanitarian agencies and NGOs in the area, took a heavy toll resulting in 32 people killed, 4 injured and 7 missing, and about 80 houses/shelter looted and set ablaze."

Also note, Khartoum admitted that government forces clashed with rebels near Tawila camp for displaced persons in North Darfur Sep 29 after the rebels commandeered a truck delivering water to police guarding the camp. The Sudanese army said:

"We do not have aircrafts in West Darfur: our aircrafts are in Al-Fasher (North Darfur) and Nyala (South Darfur) and they are being monitored by the AU."

On 30 March 2005, the UN passed Resolution 1591 on Sudan which, among other things, demanded that the Government of Sudan immediately cease conducting offensive military flights in the region.

Following the recent violations of ceasefire agreements, the African Union said it would hold an emergency meeting in Addis Ababa Oct 3 to consider action. The meeting was postponed to Oct 5 and has now been postponed again, presumably to use it as a bargaining tool during the Darfur peace talks presently being held in Abuja, Nigeria.

Official investigations, involving all parties, are going on into the Janjaweed attack in East Chad Sep 26.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Khartoum terrorist security

UN has no intention of pulling relief out of Darfur Sudan

Contrary to what Jan Egeland told the press Sep 28 that UN relief operations in Darfur could all end tomorrow, AP confirms the UN said Wednesday it had no plans to leave Darfur.

"The UN has no intention of pulling out of Darfur due to the violence currently taking place in the region," UN spokesperson Radhia Achouri told reporters in Khartoum.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa aid UN Jan Egeland Darfur Fast Australia

Sudanese minister, British ambassador Ian Cliff discuss Darfur crisis

According to an unsourced article at the Sudan Tribune today, the minister of cabinet affairs, Deng Alor Kuol, met the British ambassador to Sudan 5 Oct 2005 to discuss the situation in Darfur at political, security and services levels and the need to resolve the crisis under the Government of National Unity.

Ways of including the SPLM [new Government of South Sudan] in the Darfur peace talks were also discussed.

The meeting stressed how important it was to implement the peace agreement signed between the government and the SPLM and how to handle negative reactions sparked off by the report of the Abyei Border Demarcation Commission. [Note previous post at Sudan Watch re Janjaweed and Abyei Boundary Commission report]

They also discussed arrangements for the visit to the country by the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, early next week to discuss a number of issues related to stages of the implementation of the peace agreement.

Presumably this is part of Tony Blair's 5-point plan that he personally delivered to Khartoum 6 October 2005.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Ian Cliff UK Tony Blair EU security Abyei troika SPLM

British FO Minister for Africa Lord Triesman visits Sudan

UK Press Release - Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 5 October 2005:

Lord Triesman, Foreign Office Minister for Africa, today began a four-day visit of Sudan. He will meet with the EU Troika on the 08 October to pass on tough messages to the Government of Sudan demanding that they address the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Darfur.

The EU has already made clear that it expects all sides to rein in their fighters urgently and to reach a full political settlement in the Abuja peace talks. The Troika will also underline the importance of full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement; improving Human Rights; and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

Whilst there, Lord Triesman will also visit Darfur, where he will see the security and humanitarian situation first hand. He will visit a camp for Internally Displaced Persons, and meet with NGOs and the African Union to discuss the situation there.

He will then travel to Juba, Southern Sudan, where he will meet representatives of the newly formed devolved Government of Southern Sudan.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa Lord Triesman UK Tony Blair EU aid+worker NGO security human rights troika Juba

Message to Sudan: International goodwill is running out

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, on 4 October 2005, urged the Sudanese government and Darfur rebel groups to reach a quick peace accord and rightly warned them that international goodwill was running out:

"Constructing peace is the reponsibility of all of you towards your great country, to the land where you were born and to you own people," the Dutch leader told delegates from the warring parties at African Union talks in Abuja.

"But not only is that your responsibility towards Sudan, it is also your responsibility towards the international community; a community that has invested so heavily in past years in assisting to bring a ceasefire to Darfur, in trying to alleviate the plight of so many displaced families."

"The international community wants to see results, it cannot go on spending resources on problems which should already have been resolved," Balkenende warned.

"It is therefore that I plead to you to make tough decisions that lead to peace," he said.

Photo: Daily life in Abu Shouk camp Darfur for internally displaced people (IDP). Mothers and children at Action Against Famine's feeding center. More than 70,000 IDP's live at the camp, with new people continuing to arrive each week. Photo by Ron Haviv/Courtesy UNICEF
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Severe humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate

Excerpt from United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report on Darfur (Sudan/Chad) Crisis October 2005:

An estimated 3.4 million persons, equivalent to almost 51% of the total pre-conflict population in the region, have been affected by the crisis in Darfur, and that number is expected to increase as one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises continues to deteriorate. Some 1.87 million of this number are currently internally displaced. Approximately 1.6 million are children under 18 years of age - while over 510,000 are children under five.

For 32 months, marauding Janjaweed militia groups have driven Darfur villagers from their homes, stolen their cattle, destroyed wells and burnt buildings. The threat of violence continues, and villagers who are afraid to return home have flooded into urban areas and across the border into Chad.

Despite the international effort, many of the basic needs of the people of Darfur, both in Sudan and in the refugee camps of Chad, are still not being met."

Photo: Armed Zagawa return to Sudan from Chad with their herds. The Zagawa fled during the war and still are not able to return to their villages, instead spending their nights in the mountains on the border. Their families, meanwhile, live in camps in Chad. They have had clashes with the Janjaweed, Arab militias. Photo by Ron Haviv/Courtesy UNICEF

For nearly two years, the conflict in Darfur has torn apart the lives of over 3.4 million people, mostly women and children. Many women and girls are attacked while facing the danger of being raped while performing daily acts of survival, such as gathering firewood. Many families pushed out of their homes have become refugees across Sudan and into neighboring countries.

Ron Haviv's images reflect the resiliency of a people who continue to be torn apart by internal conflict and the courage with which they face their reality.



Herds owned by Arab tribes graze and move through a Fur tribe village that was ethnically cleansed and destroyed by Janjaweed, a warring group from the Arab tribes, the previous year. Part of the conflict in Darfur relates to grazing rights, cattle movement and water disputes between the different sides.

Above photos by Ron Haviv, captions and text courtesy UNICEF. Ron Haviv's Darfur images will be exhibited at the United Nations Building in New York from September 29 to October 30.

See UNICEF photo exhibition dedicated to children of Darfur.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa UNICEF Ron Haviv UN Abu Shouk Janjaweed Janjawid Zagawa African Union Zagawa international

UNICEF photo exhibition dedicated to children of Darfur

Diplomats, photographers, art collectors and others concerned about the world's children gathered 28 September, 2005 at United Nations HQ in New York for the opening of an exhibition of 40 photographs taken in Sudan's West Darfur province by world-renowned photographer Ron Haviv, who travelled to the area with UNICEF.

Please view Ron Haviv's photos from Darfur. Here are a few examples.



Daily life in the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons (IDP). More than 70,000 IDP's live at the camp, with new arrivals each week. Photo by Ron Haviv/Courtesy UNICEF



Teachers in a school controlled by the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA). Photo by Ron Haviv/Courtesy UNICEF

In a school in Sudanese Liberation Army territory in North Darfur, some classes have up to 99 students in a building with a damaged roof, and books are scarce. Malnutrition also runs high, with an average 40 children visiting the clinic each day.

The 5,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) at Derainge camp outside the regional capital of Nyala have been there for more than a year. Children up to the age of 13 attend school in two shifts due to a shortage of classrooms and teachers. Sports are an important part of a boy's ability to cope with living in the camp. Young girls, however, are often forced to work, caring for family and gathering firewood and water.



Arab militiamen, known as Janjaweed, said to be responsible for much of the ethnic cleansing and herd raiding in Darfur, check on their cattle. Photo by Ron Haviv/Courtesy UNICEF

[via Tattle Tale - Children - with thanks]

Let's not forget the children in Northern Uganda, the child soldiers and those in DR Congo. God bless them.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa children education Child Soldier Ceasefire SLA UNICEF New York UN teacher classroom

Sudan: Darfur peace talks enter final phase

An emergency security council meeting, expected to be held today in Addis Ababa to consider action re latest attacks, has been moved to Wednesday.

Today, the final phase of the Darfur peace talks enter full negotiations over power sharing.

Associated Press report Oct 3 confirms Sudanese government and Darfur rebels start face-to-face talks.



Photo: Majzoub Al-Khalifa head of Sudanese government delegation, centre, sits together with other delegates at the Sudan peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3 2005. (AP).

Sudanese government still reeling from AU's damning statement

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Darfur says the Sudanese government is still reeling from the normally cautious AU's damning statement on the continuing role of the state military in Darfur.

A Sudanese military spokesman said that as the AU's information had come from aid agencies, it could not be considered reliable.

Helicopters have not flown in Darfur for two weeks, he said, and then they had been used to defend, not attack, civilians.

See full report Direct Darfur talks amid violence. (BBC)



Photo: Salim Ahmed Salim, special envoy on the Darfur talks addresses the gathering at the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3 2005. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Yahoo)



Photo: Unidentified rebels of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) outside the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3, 2005. The Sudanese government delegation together with rebel groups resumed peace talks in Nigeria with the aim of putting an end to the crisis in Sudan. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Yahoo)



Photo: Majzoub Al-Khalifa, Sudanese Agriculture minister and head of a Sudanese government delegation, left, walks into the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3 2005. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Yahoo)



Photo: Garelnaby Abdelkarim vice president Sudanese Liberation Army (SLM/A), standing right, together with other (SLM/A) members walks into the venue of the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, Monday, Oct. 3 2005. (AP Photo/George Osodi/Yahoo)



Photo: A Southern Sudanese family have a meal in their makeshift houses at Abarkou camp for returnees. A team from the United Nations' High Commissioner for refugees said it found no evidence of Sudanese government involvement in a deadly raid last week on a camp in western Darfur. (AFP/File/Simon Maina/Yahoo)

Tags: Darfur Sudan Khartoum

Sudan admits using helicopter gunships in attack on Shearia South Darfur

The Sudanese army on Monday denied African Union accusations that it had coordinated attacks on civilians with Arab militia in Darfur. Extracts from Reuters Oct 3:

An army spokesman said the AU reports were based on comments from aid agency officials in the region and were unreliable. He also denied reports any helicopter gunships had been used in attacks in recent days.

"We vigorously refute the comments from ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe," the spokesman said, reading from an army statement. "This information does not come from reliable sources -- it is just based on reports by some aid agencies."

Kingibe, head of the AU mission monitoring a shaky ceasefire in Sudan, told reporters on Saturday that government helicopters had been seen flying in the areas attacked.

He said it "gave credence" to accusations by rebel groups of collusion between Sudanese forces and the Arab militias known as Janjaweed.

"We say to the African Union, who are monitoring the region, that after Sept. 21 [my emphasis] we have not used any helicopters at all," the spokesman said.

"This was the last date a helicopter was used and this was during the events of Shearia," he said.

Rebel forces attacked the government garrison town of Shearia in South Darfur last month, prompting retaliation by militias and the government in the past week.

The army spokesman said it was rebels who had targeted civilians in Darfur and the army was defending them.

[Note Oct 1 2005 Sudan Watch post - Sudan's Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal led attack on Darfur - re UN Resolution 1591, March 30 2005, demanding Government of Sudan to immediately cease conducting offensive military flights in the region.]

Tags: Darfur Sudan Aro Sharow Khartoum Janjaweed Janjawid

No evidence Sudanese gov't involved in Darfur's Aro Sharow camp attack: HCR official

Here is a surprise. The UNs' High Commissioner for refugees said Sunday it found no evidence of Sudanese government involvement in an attack on a camp in West Darfur last Wednesday.

According to AFP report Oct 2, Laurens Jolles, head of mission for the UN refugee agency in Darfur, said 34 men had been killed in raids carried out by 250 to 300 Arabs against the Aro Sharow camp for displaced people in West Darfur last Wednesday and is quoted as saying:

"What is certain on the basis of testimonies obtained on the ground is that there was no direct government implication."

[Note, it is puzzling why Mr Jollens seems so sure. If he is so certain, why were the perpetrators not identified?]

Sudanese army denies attacks on Darfur civilians

AFP report Oct 3 says the Sudanese army strongly denied involvement in the attacks in Darfur last Wednesday:

"The information that Baba Gana Kingibe, the special representative of the chairman of the AU commission, provided was absolutely incorrect," the army said in a statement.

[Note, in the past, it has been said that as far as Sudanese forces are concerned, civilians are all part of the same uprising. Who else has access to military vehicles and helicopter gunships? Who knows if Sudanese forces know what some of its ranks get up to. Reportedly, Janjaweed have been incorporated into Sudanese forces]

The AFP report goes on to say:

Kingibe had accused the government and its notorious proxy Janjaweed Arab militias of carrying out "coordinated offensive operations" in Darfur and using aircraft in the operations.

"We do not have aircrafts in West Darfur. Our aircrafts are in Al-Fasher (North Darfur) and Nyala (South Darfur) and they are being monitored by the AU," the army said.

It admitted that government forces clashed with rebels near Tawila camp for displaced persons in North Darfur after the rebels commandeered a truck delivering water to police guarding the camp.

But the statement denied the army was responsible for the displacement of hundreds of people in the area.

The army also claimed Kingibe relied on aid agencies for his information and accused him of being "partial and incompetent to carry out the mission."

African Union's emergency meeting postponed

The African Union is to hold an emergency meeting in Addis Ababa on Wednesday to consider action. The meeting was set for Monday but AU spokesman in Sudan Nureddin Mezni said it had been postponed.

Khartoum to investigate Chadian village attack

One can't help wondering if the Sudanese army are separate from Khartoum's own army of militia which have their own command structure. Unusually, not a lot of news reports are to be found on Sudan's response to the latest attacks. A few reports quote Khartoum as saying:

"The statement issued by AMIS here yesterday will not help in solving the Darfur problem," said Deputy Foreign Minister Mutref Siddeik. Mutref Siddeik said his government "will conduct an investigation into a report saying that armed men coming from Sudan attacked a Chadian village and that the Chadian army confronted them." ...

... Sudan criticized the African Union on Sunday for its accusations the day before that government forces had attacked civilians in Darfur. But in his comments to reporters, Matref Sideiq, a deputy at the Foreign Ministry, stopped short of denying the accusations. "The media is not the right place to talk about the Darfur issue or how to solve it. There are joint committees and a mechanism for it," Sideiq said. "Issuing such a statement (by the African Union) will not help solve the problem."

- - -

Chad closes its consulate in Darfur and Sudanese consulate in Abeche

Full report (ST) Oct 3 2005.

Tags: Darfur Sudan Aro Sharow Khartoum Janjaweed Janjawid

Message to Sudan: What happened to Tony Blair's 5-point plan?

Today, in its first response to the British government linking the cancellation of Sudan's debts to the resolution of the Darfur crisis, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has termed the condition unjust, saying it would lead to further deterioration and suffering.

Sudanese officials habitually portray themselves as victims and everyone else the villain. Khartoum could do themselves and everyone else a favour if they reviewed what progress they have made on their promise to Tony Blair, to carry out the five-point plan he delivered to them in person on his historic visit to Khartoum last year.

Note this excerpt from the British Embassy's Public update No: 8 dated 11 October 2004:

"Prime Minister Tony Blair visited Khartoum on 6 October and gained the commitment of the Sudanese Government to a five point plan of action to address the immediate security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, as well as the political settlement to the conflict and swift progress towards a comprehensive peace agreement with the SPLM in southern Sudan. The five point action plan demanded:

Active co-operation with an expanded AU Mission
Identification of the location of GoS forces and militias in Darfur
Agree to confine GoS forces to barracks and the use of wholly civilian police for internal security
Commitment to conclude the comprehensive peace agreement by end of 2004
Immediate implementation of the Abuja humanitarian protocol"
- - -

Sudan urges donors to meet pledges for peace

On 2 Oct 2005, Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha called for International donors to fulfill pledges toward boosting the peace process in Sudan.

This came during his meeting Sunday at the premises of the Council of Ministers in Khartoum with the visiting Norwegian Minister of International Cooperation, Hilde Johnson.

Full report via Sudan Tribune 3 Oct 2005.



Photo: Sudan VP Ali Osman Taha (L) salutes SPLM leader John Garang as he sits next to Norwegian Minister of International development Hilde Johnson (R) during a UN Security Council meeting in Nairobi 2004 (ST)

Tags: Darfur Sudan Africa peace Tony Blair UK African Union British Government British Embassy Khartoum